Chapter 607: The Great Dream of the Daming Jiuyuan (10,000+ Chapters, Requesting Monthly Votes)

At this moment, storm clouds loomed overhead, emitting waves of crushing pressure.

Li Hao felt the destructive power within, yet his heart remained calm; he merely glanced up before sinking his spirit into the contemplation and absorption of the Tenth Level of the Way of Control.

The Way of Control allows one to perceive the operational rules of all energies.

The Primordial Spirit is also a form of energy; originally, Li Hao could only use it for direct attacks—like a crude warrior swinging fists and feet in savage combat, with no technique or form.

But now, with the contemplation and absorption of the Tenth Level of the Way of Control, Li Hao gained new understanding and mastery over the deployment of his Primordial Spirit.

Moreover, many soul techniques he had gathered from the mortal realm and the various factions of the Lands of the Saints had been refined to higher levels, fused together, stripped down to their essence, and Li Hao faintly sensed a mysterious method of controlling the Primordial Spirit.

As he immersed himself in contemplation, the storm clouds above had fully matured.

Normally, before a Tribulation Crossing, other Saints would swiftly set up arrays around themselves and ingest precious elixirs to bolster their strength and resist the lightning tribulation.

The middle-aged soldier, seeing Li Hao seated in meditation, seemingly lost in contemplation, frowned slightly.

With Li Hao's talent, having reached this stage, he would not be careless.

If others interfered with the storm clouds, their power would surge violently, and the interferers would suffer a lightning tribulation matching their own cultivation level.

BOOM! The tribulation descended abruptly, tearing through space and striking Li Hao directly.

Li Hao sat cross-legged, his entire body enveloped in lightning, his hair flying wildly, yet his body remained as immovable as a boulder.

The middle-aged soldier stared in shock, then relaxed, his heart astonished: "This kid… is he a Saint forged by the flesh? He's a Body Refinement cultivator? That's the most time-consuming path…"

In this short time, Li Hao had given him too many surprises.

As the lightning tribulation faded, Li Hao's body showed no damage whatsoever, his aura unchanged, his hair still brimming with his spiritual power—not a single strand lost.

While lost in contemplation, Li Hao felt only a faint tingling and comfort, as if bathing in a warm spring.

The first time he crossed the Saint Tribulation, he had easily withstood the storm clouds; now, after absorbing the Heavenly Demon's body, his flesh had grown even stronger—though not yet at the Divine Flesh realm, it was close, and resisting this tribulation was effortless.

After all, this level of tribulation was only at the level of the First Tribulation of the Dao Offering.

Li Hao paid it no further mind, focusing inward; he summoned his Primordial Spirit above his head—it looked exactly like him, yet radiated brilliant light.

As the second lightning tribulation descended, Li Hao's Primordial Spirit suddenly moved, seizing the lightning in its palm.

The tribulation light flickered, as if under his control.

The middle-aged soldier watched Li Hao's actions, his eyes narrowing; he sensed Li Hao was attempting a Primordial Spirit technique.

The lightning trembled for a moment, then vanished within Li Hao's Primordial Spirit.

Then came wave after wave of tribulations, falling faster and more ferociously.

Yet Li Hao's Primordial Spirit bathed in the tribulation light, either gripping the lightning or swimming through the storm clouds like a flying fish.

"What would be the ultimate state of the Primordial Spirit?"

Li Hao couldn't help but wonder.

Perhaps, when he reached the Eleventh Level of the Way of Control, he would touch upon it.

But now, he faintly sensed that though the Primordial Spirit was powerful—able to absorb solar essence and lunar essence, moving ten thousand miles in a thought—it was still incomplete, as if something vital was missing.

Soon, the grand Saint Tribulation gradually faded and ended.

With the successful Tribulation Crossing, Li Hao received a supreme gift from the deepest will of heaven and earth—a force of the Dao, more terrifying than any he had felt in the Lands of the Saints.

In the Lands of the Saints, he had faintly sensed the Dao's will; here, he could perceive only a faint, ethereal breath—but that single breath carried the weight to crush countless stars, filling one with dread.

"Could it be that every world has its own Dao, and the Dao itself has strength and weakness?"

Li Hao's eyes flickered.

The Immortal Emperor could create pseudo-realms; the vast Lands of the Saints were artificially constructed—unthinkable.

To create a pseudo-realm was to create a Dao.

Li Hao thought of the embryonic Dao within his body—the fusion of the Three Saints—could this be the necessary path to becoming an Immortal Emperor?

As he pondered, Li Hao retracted his Primordial Spirit; the Dao's gift had made his Primordial Spirit more luminous and translucent. The Primordial Spirit had once been at its limit, but now the power within seemed to surpass that limit, and the excess coalesced faintly into a golden thread.

This golden thread, like veins within the Primordial Spirit, stood upright like a spine, granting the Primordial Spirit an even more unshakable aura.

Li Hao faintly sensed something: Primordial Spirit… could it be that, at its ultimate stage, the Primordial Spirit transcends the flesh—that the Primordial Spirit *is* the flesh, a transcendent body capable of independent existence, unaffected even if the physical body perishes? The thought was terrifying, yet once it surfaced in his mind, it took root and refused to fade.

If one could truly reach such a state, how terrifying it would be—unimaginable; calling it a True God would not be an exaggeration!

"You cultivate both body and method, walking two great paths simultaneously—your ambition is vast, and your talent is formidable."

The middle-aged soldier, watching Li Hao complete his tribulation, sighed.

Such a prodigy, trapped on this ancient path—it's a pity.

Had he entered the True Realm and taken a master from one of the surviving Immortal Sects, he would surely rise to great heights, perhaps even becoming a dominant lord of a region.

Li Hao opened his eyes and smiled at the middle-aged soldier. "Senior, you flatter me."

The middle-aged soldier shook his head slightly; he could see Li Hao's terrifying potential—his flesh could effortlessly withstand lightning tribulation, far surpassing peers of his realm. He would surely achieve great things.

But alas, this ancient path was blocked; no matter how extraordinary Li Hao's talent, he was doomed to be buried in this desolate, ruined battlefield—or return to the pseudo-realm and spend his remaining days in peace.

Li Hao reined in his aura to avoid attracting other ancient demons.

"The scenery here is uniquely striking."

Li Hao opened the space within his body, took out a brush, ink, and a painting board, and set them up.

The middle-aged soldier before him could surely provide him with valuable painting experience.

His Painting Dao level was now at Ten, with experience raised to ten million.

Painting a Semi-Saint yielded only thirty to forty thousand experience.

"Hmm?"

The middle-aged soldier, seeing Li Hao's actions, was surprised but said nothing.

Li Hao quietly began painting, capturing the desolate, solemn landscape with ink and brush.

Having entered the Saint realm of Painting Dao, his focused brushwork now exuded waves of Dao resonance, as if the Dao itself gathered and drew near.

The middle-aged soldier sensed the disturbance and was astonished again—such an effect was the hallmark of Dao Entry.

"Your painting… has entered the Dao?"

The middle-aged soldier asked.

Knowing that entering the Dao through painting was no different from cultivating the Dao Offering—it was a formidable trial.

"Mm."

Li Hao nodded; the middle-aged soldier's figure gradually took shape beneath his brush.

Though seated opposite Li Hao, the soldier's spiritual sense could still perceive the scene taking form on the canvas—he saw himself depicted, as if about to step out of the painting—and he froze, his gaze toward Li Hao now filled with complexity.

If Li Hao's talent had merely filled him with regret before, his current display of genius meant his potential was even higher than imagined! With limited soul lifespan, to have split his focus to reach this level—if given greater resources and treatment, he would soar beyond measure.

"I never expected, before my end, to witness someone like you."

The middle-aged soldier's eyes held regret, but then he recalled the ancient battlefield—countless prodigies, Immortal Lords, even the supreme Immortal Emperor himself, all fallen here—and his regret slowly faded, leaving only desolation.

No matter how extraordinary Li Hao's talent, he was merely similar to those dazzling figures—eventually, he too would perish, reduced to dust.

He shook his head slightly, letting his spirit fall silent.

As Li Hao painted, he sensed subtle shifts in the middle-aged soldier's emotions, but he asked nothing, merely rendering them with meticulous detail.

Soon, as the painting concluded, an experience prompt flashed before him.

【Painting Dao Experience +3,482,993】

"..."

Li Hao stared, stunned, rubbed his eyes, and looked again—no mistake.

This… nearly three and a half million experience!

Li Hao was shaken; he knew that as Painting Dao advanced, the demands on his artwork grew stricter.

Previously, painting a Semi-Saint earned him over thirty thousand experience; now, painting the same yielded barely ten thousand—drastically reduced.

Yet now, painting this middle-aged soldier granted him such a massive amount—it was terrifying.

If he painted a few more times, this single figure alone could fill Li Hao's entire Painting Dao Ten experience.

And if he painted the First-Class Ancient Demon he had encountered earlier?

That demon had fought the middle-aged soldier—it would likely yield two to three million experience as well.

"It seems experience will fill up soon. But accumulating experience isn't hard—the difficulty lies in cultivating the heart and mind. The bottleneck of Painting Dao Ten… to ascend further, I must comprehend a higher realm—is that the Immortal Realm?"

Li Hao's eyes flickered.

Fortunately, though heart-mind cultivation was difficult, the process itself was deeply fascinating.

Regardless, first fill the experience.

Li Hao put away the painting and began again—but this time, the experience dropped sharply, nearly halved.

The land was barren, with no other amusement; besides, Li Hao genuinely loved Painting Dao, so he found no boredom.

Even if he stayed here for ten thousand years, he could entertain himself.

The middle-aged soldier, watching the faint smile on Li Hao's face, felt the boy seemed genuinely content—amidst this desolate, hopeless place, how could he maintain such a carefree spirit? Was he simply unaware of true despair—or had he truly let go?

As he painted repeatedly, Li Hao's Painting Dao experience quietly accumulated to around eight million.

Suddenly, the middle-aged soldier's gaze shifted, fixed on a distant point.

Li Hao sensed it too, paused his brush, and his expression darkened.

He swiftly gathered his painting board, ignoring the unfinished work.

"Again. Seems it smelled fresh meat—grown hungry."

The middle-aged soldier murmured, his flesh and blood surging back into form.

He drew his sword, his aura exploding, and told Li Hao: "Hide in the war chariot. Be careful."

"Senior, don't worry about me."

Li Hao said.

His primordial spirit unfolded, his spiritual sense rapidly spreading, soon exceeding a hundred li and extending even farther.

Outside the hundred-li range, malevolent thoughts stretched through the air, then a sudden gale pressed down as a group of massive, grotesque figures raced toward them—ancient demons.

Having just rested after battle, now they came again; Li Hao felt the hardship of living here.

Whoosh! The void tore open, and the colossal ancient demon appeared instantly, as if materializing before Li Hao's eyes.

Li Hao knew his perception range fell short of their sprinting range, so they seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The middle-aged soldier, however, seemed prepared, immediately charging at the ancient demon.

This ancient demon, previously wounded and fleeing, now stood at full strength once more, locking back in combat with the middle-aged soldier.

Li Hao glanced at their battle, feeling somewhat reassured about the soldier, then slipped into the bronze war chariot. His spiritual sense detected over a hundred li away a group of third-rank ancient demons charging forward—more numerous than before, over twenty in total, among them one even larger, hundreds of zhang tall, radiating terrifying power.

Li Hao's heart tightened; recalling the soldier's words, this one was likely a second-rank ancient demon.

At the same time, the middle-aged soldier's voice echoed in his mind: "That's a second-rank ancient demon. Be careful. Don't leave the chariot."

Li Hao replied, then drew the broken blade from his hand—if the demons continued surrounding the chariot, he would do as before, replicate the same tactic.

If the second-rank ancient demon couldn't destroy the chariot, he could seize the chance to cut into its body.

Soon, the demons howled as they flew toward them; the larger second-rank demon led ten third-rank demons straight at the middle-aged soldier.

"Master, be careful!"

Li Hao quickly warned.

The middle-aged soldier noticed too, his face icy, his attacks growing fiercer.

The remaining third-rank demons flew straight for the chariot, surrounding it in moments, their sacred domains enveloping it—triggering the chariot's light array, which blocked them outside.

Li Hao's gaze sharpened. Ten demons, equivalent to ten Supreme Saints surrounding him—but he now understood their bodily structures, no longer fearing them as before.

"Die!"

Li Hao used his primordial spirit to launch the broken blade, which shot out abruptly.

Whoosh! The broken blade surged forward, instantly killing one third-rank ancient demon's flesh.

This sudden change stunned all ten demons—some shocked, some terrified.

They sensed only the unfamiliar scent of a young immortal, yet this attack felt far more terrifying than the scent suggested.

Could this be a true immortal? A few demons paused, as if wanting to retreat.

But Li Hao fixed his gaze on the demon whose flesh he'd just slain, and his primordial spirit slashed out.

The demon sensed Li Hao's intent, shrieking shrilly; the other demons reacted, hastily using their sacred domains to block and suppress Li Hao's primordial spirit.

Simultaneously, waves of black mist spewed forth, powerfully corrosive to the primordial spirit.

Previously, Li Hao would have retreated at this sight, continuing to use the broken blade to distract.

But now, a killing intent surged in his heart—he wanted to test the many Dao-controlling techniques he had just comprehended.

"Primordial Spirit, Triple Blade!"

Li Hao's primordial spirit transformed instantly into a sharp blade of light, piercing through the sacred domain and charging into the black mist.

The black mist indeed possessed immense devouring power, coating the blade's surface like rust, dimming the primordial spirit's glow.

Yet the primordial spirit still reached the ancient demon's spirit, just as it sought to reunite with its flesh—suddenly, the dimmed primordial spirit's aura seemed to collapse, then in an instant shed its disguise, exploding in blinding radiance.

The outer shell peeled away, revealing the true blade within.

Boom! The primordial spirit slashed, cleaving the ancient demon's spirit open in its stunned gaze.

As it split, countless hook-like threads shot from the primordial spirit, completely strangled the demon's spirit.

Having done this, Li Hao's primordial spirit shot rapidly toward the other side of the black mist, then turned, returning to its body from the opposite direction.

One demon reacted swiftly, roaring as it chased Li Hao's primordial spirit with black mist and sacred domain, quickly enveloping it.

But Li Hao's primordial spirit tore straight through the black mist, flickered slightly, pierced the sacred domain, and returned to its body.

The demon stared blankly, clearly unable to comprehend what had happened.

Li Hao knew it was because his primordial spirit had activated Gui Xu and embedded sacred Dao within it, achieving this effect.

All this happened in the blink of an eye; by the time Li Hao's primordial spirit returned, the demon's flesh was already dead—without its spirit, it was merely a corpse.

Even if it could regenerate from a drop of blood, with its spirit gone, the flesh, though intact, lacked mobility—only slowly decaying over time.

"Roar!"

The other demons snapped to attention, all roaring with fury and killing intent.

They now saw clearly: Li Hao's aura was not that of a true immortal, but merely a Saint-level being like themselves.

Yet this being had killed one of them in an instant—unthinkable.

Since their birth, ancient demons had always held overwhelming power over other races of the same rank, thanks to their innate ability to directly corrode and attack souls—forcing same-rank beings to flee in terror. Only a few prodigies, wielding supreme treasures or special secret arts, could escape them.

Yet here, this human had slain one of their own.

And with terrifying speed—over in an instant.

They couldn't comprehend how this human had so swiftly severed their flesh from their spirit, killing the flesh outright.

It was as if he knew their flesh's weaknesses intimately, as if he'd dissected them countless times.

"Killed one, but nine remain—and my primordial spirit is wounded."

Li Hao ignored their roars, his expression calm and composed. Though he'd slain the demon, his primordial spirit had been corroded and needed rest.

Still, slaying one among ten demons was already remarkable.

Li Hao wasted no time—he activated the Ten Thousand Star Veins.

Instantly, starlight blanketed the sky; around him, star domains materialized.

The radiance of 1,464 celestial stars encircled Li Hao, varying in size, dazzlingly brilliant, making him appear as the master of all stars.

As star power more immense than that of the Supreme Saint Realm flooded in, Li Hao's strength recovered rapidly; his primordial spirit slowly healed. Had it been flesh wounds, they would have mended instantly.

While healing, Li Hao reflected on the killing process—still not perfect.

If he could reduce primordial spirit damage, the killing speed could increase further.

As Li Hao healed, the nine demons furiously attacked the bronze chariot, trying to drain its light array and kill him. Li Hao, while healing his primordial spirit, manipulated the broken blade to slash through their bodies, killing their flesh and keeping them occupied.

Though the chariot's light array drained slowly, who knew how long this would last? Besides, this chariot was likely meant for the middle-aged soldier's critical moments of healing—Li Hao couldn't let it wear down too much.

Li Hao continuously used the broken blade to distract them. After half a stick of incense, his primordial spirit had nearly recovered.

Li Hao locked onto another demon, the broken blade slicing through—killing its flesh.

The demon roared, its spirit rushing to reunite with its flesh. Its flesh had already been killed multiple times by Li Hao's broken blade, but as long as spirit and flesh merged, it healed instantly.

Yet now, as its flesh was slain, Li Hao's primordial spirit struck out.

The Triple Blade technique from before, Li Hao felt, was still imperfect.

"Primordial Spirit Sword Dao!"

Li Hao's primordial spirit coalesced instantly into a sword, infusing it with the Sole Self Sword Dao—then it slashed out with explosive force.

The sword intent released by the primordial spirit cleaved the black mist apart; the spirit slipped through the gap and vanished.

Boom! The primordial spirit's blade severed the demon's spirit, then scattered hook-like threads seized the split spirit, tearing it into countless fragments and dragging it away.

The primordial spirit moved swiftly, soon reaching far away; the other demons chased after it, but Li Hao's spirit was too fast—it curved through the air and plunged back into the chariot, merging with his body.

This time, his primordial spirit suffered no injury! Li Hao's eyes lit up with delight—he hadn't expected his primordial spirit could control sword intent, though it was extremely difficult to wield, requiring only a Ten-Stage Dao mastery to barely manage.

With the second demon slain, Li Hao's killing intent no longer restrained—he manipulated the broken blade while coordinating his primordial spirit.

He targeted another demon; in an instant, the broken blade pierced through the sacred domain, cut through the black mist, and tore the demon's body apart like butter, killing it.

Then his primordial spirit followed, slashing out sword light, cleaving the black mist, and using Gui Xu teleportation to appear instantly before the demon.

Boom! The demon panicked, its spirit turning pitch black, radiating intense destruction.

But the moment the wave formed, Li Hao's primordial spirit severed it.

As it cut, the primordial spirit released countless hooks, tearing the spirit apart, utterly annihilating it.

With the third demon swiftly slain, the remaining demons grew furious and terrified.

Beyond fury, terror dominated.

What kind of human was this? Same rank as them, yet possessing such terrifying primordial spirit power.

Li Hao didn't stop. With the Ten Thousand Star Veins sustaining him, his power was inexhaustible—he charged toward the fourth demon.

Whoosh! The targeted demon fled frantically; the others sensed it, instantly coordinating, overlapping their sacred domains to suppress Li Hao.

But the flying broken blade suddenly veered off, striking another demon.

As its flesh was swiftly slain, Li Hao's primordial spirit struck out simultaneously.

The fourth demon fell! Li Hao shifted from defense to offense, eyes cold, continuing his assault.

The remaining six demons were terrified—too terrifying. They held the advantage, yet could do nothing to Li Hao, who hid within the chariot, striking repeatedly with near-instant kills!

Among their own rank, they'd never encountered such a terrifying true-world race.

As Li Hao attacked again, the six demons began retreating from the bronze chariot.

"Want to run?"

Li Hao sent the broken blade chasing after them.

Soon, the lagging demon was slain.

The others still fled, but Li Hao used his Flight Attribute, doubling his attack range, easily catching up.

Soon, two more demons fell in succession; only three escaped farther away, beyond Li Hao's perception.

Li Hao looked at the fallen demon corpses. To prevent surprises, he drew them all in, tossing them beside the bronze chariot, then turned to the middle-aged soldier's battlefield.

But the soldier's battle had moved over a hundred li away; Li Hao could only see violent fluctuations.

He hesitated—he now had the power to slay third-rank ancient demons, could offer support.

But it would be risky.

Seeing the platform beneath him, Li Hao quickly dispelled his hesitation and leapt out of the bronze war chariot.

Though he had only briefly shared time with the middle-aged soldier, the man had given him the war chariot as shelter—this debt he could not ignore.

Yet Li Hao did not act recklessly, avoiding the risk of hindering rather than helping.

He suppressed his aura and crept closer silently.

As he neared the battlefield, Li Hao saw the earlier second-rank ancient demon leading ten others, releasing vast clouds of black mist that engulfed the entire sky.

Li Hao could no longer see the middle-aged soldier's figure, but being trapped in such black mist must have had an effect.

Li Hao noticed that the second-rank ancient demon and the other third-rank ones seemed to be activating some kind of array, their powers fused together.

After observing for a moment, Li Hao struck suddenly.

He unleashed his full power, revealing all his extreme realms, and entered the ultimate transcendence of immortality, his consciousness merging with heaven and earth.

His thoughts instantly became crystal clear; the black mist before him seemed to thin, and he could sense the middle-aged soldier's aura.

Zhoa! The broken blade shot out.

In an instant, it pierced through the body of a third-rank ancient demon, disintegrating its flesh at lightning speed, killing it outright.

The ancient demon hadn't even reacted before it died, its primordial spirit severed from its body.

At the same moment, Li Hao's primordial spirit transformed into a sword and slashed forth with Gui Xu.

Boom! The enemy's primordial spirit was torn apart.

But this was only the beginning—Li Hao did not pause, striking the second and third ancient demons with even greater speed.

The sharp broken blade darted like a needle, swiftly piercing through several ancient demons.

Li Hao's primordial spirit followed, slashing after it.

In moments, five ancient demons fell one after another.

Only then did the other ancient demons react, stunned, quickly locking onto Li Hao's figure.

The second-rank ancient demon had focused entirely on the middle-aged soldier, who was deeply surrounded and fighting its leader—still ferocious, forcing it to remain fully alert.

But this sudden turn of events snapped it back to awareness.

When it noticed Li Hao and the five fallen kin around him, it froze, then surged with shock and fury.

It looked at Li Hao—just one glance—and realized this human was not a true immortal, merely a Saint.

Moreover, its tribulation energy was weak, seemingly only at the level of a Second Calamity Saint.

In truth, Li Hao was only a First Calamity Saint, having offered the Dao twice.

"Roar!"

The second-rank ancient demon roared in rage, stunned—how could a Saint of Tribulation kill five of its kin in the blink of an eye?

Had it used a divine artifact?

It growled lowly, commanding the other five ancient demons to attack Li Hao.

It could not leave its post—otherwise, its leader would be exposed to injury.

As the five ancient demons charged, Li Hao did not panic; seeing the second-rank demon stay put, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Facing the five charging demons, Li Hao directed the broken blade to strike again, his primordial spirit following behind.

Boom! One ancient demon's body was shattered, its primordial spirit torn apart.

This time, the other ancient demons clearly saw Li Hao's method of attack—some were stunned.

He could instantly destroy their bodies—the blade was incredibly sharp, yet seemed to possess no other power beyond its edge.

Yet that sharpness, in Li Hao's hands, revealed terrifying intimidation.

Zhoa! The broken blade sliced through an arc, arriving instantly, killing another ancient demon.

The remaining two ancient demons had reached Li Hao's side—he swiftly activated his Eternal Dao Domain. Under ultimate transcendence of immortality, combined with the Celestial Star Meridians, his body brimmed with terrifying power, especially from inheriting the Supreme Saint Dao of Hun Tian Saint, making his own Saint Dao grow ever stronger.

Boom! Li Hao suddenly pulled out his Merit and slashed with a single sword stroke.

This strike was Immortal's Guidance! Power shattering all methods—combined with Supreme Saint Dao and ultimate transcendence of immortality, this sword stroke was not only exquisite but devastating, blocking the attacks of three ancient demons at once.

Simultaneously, Li Hao directed the broken blade to strike again.

Soon, another ancient demon fell.

The last two ancient demons were shocked and furious, sensing death's threat—they overlapped their Saint Domains but dared not attack further.

The second-rank ancient demon was frantic and furious, yet also wary—the broken blade was too sharp; it felt that if it faced it directly, its body might be obliterated in an instant.

But fortunately, it realized that while Li Hao's primordial spirit was terrifying, killing it would not be easy.

Boom! Suddenly, a violent tremor snapped the second-rank ancient demon back to reality.

The black mist collapsed; a pained scream echoed, then the massive ancient demon roared and fled into the distance.

Seeing this, the second-rank ancient demon's eyes widened in horror—it abandoned Li Hao and hurried after its leader in retreat.

"It can run. You cannot."

The middle-aged soldier suddenly appeared before it, swinging his sword down in a brutal overhead strike.

The second-rank ancient demon shrieked, slashing with its claws to block—but the claws were cleaved in half along with its body.

Its wound refused to heal; its primordial spirit seemed split in two as well.

The middle-aged soldier intended to annihilate it outright, but then remembered Li Hao's words—he shifted his sword's momentum and slashed again.

The second-rank ancient demon's body exploded, shattering into massive chunks of bloody flesh, scattering across the sky.

The two remaining third-rank ancient demons tried to flee, but Li Hao had already targeted them—he struck immediately, the broken blade slicing them down one after another.

The battlefield fell silent once more.

Li Hao and the middle-aged soldier exchanged glances—the soldier's eyes showed surprise, then uncontainable amusement.

"I never thought a broken top-tier Dao weapon alone could help you slay third-rank ancient demons—especially with instant kills. Remarkable!"

Li Hao's combat prowess left even the middle-aged soldier in awe—such strength, had he joined the Emperor's Imperial Woe Army back then, would have been more than sufficient.

Li Hao laughed—he had originally worried the man was trapped and wounded, but now he saw his concern was needless.

To have held this line for countless ages and still survived—truly extraordinary.

"You said you wanted to keep the body—I've left it for you."

The middle-aged soldier said to Li Hao.

Li Hao looked at the scattered chunks on the ground—each as large as boulders, not too finely broken, fine for cooking.

"Alright, we can have a good meal now. I wonder what ancient demon meat tastes like."

Li Hao said.

The middle-aged soldier chuckled. "Their flesh has little nourishment—we once used them as military rations, but found them hard to digest."

"Let me handle it."

Li Hao said.

He gestured, gathering all the scattered chunks, and retrieved the corpses of the other slain third-rank ancient demons.

Then he returned with the middle-aged soldier to the bronze war chariot.

Li Hao raised his hand, and Chaotic Divine Fire appeared in his palm.

Seeing the Chaotic Divine Fire, the middle-aged soldier's eyes widened. "Chaotic Divine Fire? That's a secret technique of the Divine Forging Immortal Sect."

"Huh?"

Li Hao was surprised, but then remembered that among immortals and gods, countless powerful beings existed—someone discovering Chaotic Divine Fire was no surprise.

"Perfect for cooking."

Li Hao smiled lightly.

He directed the fragments, preparing the ancient demon flesh, cooking it in midair with Chaotic Divine Fire.

Heaven and earth as the cauldron, Chaotic Divine Fire roasting—the flames spread through the demon flesh. Under Li Hao's control, even massive, thick chunks became crispy outside and tender within.

Then he pulled out numerous jars and bottles from his heavenly space—seasonings, some ground by his own hands.

The middle-aged soldier watched Li Hao's actions, astonished. "You're really a cook?"

Li Hao laughed. "Just a hobby."

"You've got quite a few hobbies."

The middle-aged soldier recalled Li Hao's earlier painting—he had also entered Dao. He couldn't imagine what kind of person, with less than sixty soul-years, would devote himself to mastering painting to the level of Dao entry—how deep must his love be?

As the meat roasted, Li Hao sprinkled seasonings; the aroma slowly spread.

The middle-aged soldier, smelling the scent, felt his long-dormant appetite stir.

He looked at Li Hao. "The sword technique you unleashed with your primordial spirit—if I'm not mistaken—was Immortal's Guidance from the Great Da Da Meng Jiuyuan Sect?"

Li Hao recalled the name recorded on his panel—Immortal's Guidance indeed bore the prefix "Great Da Da Meng Jiuyuan." So such a sect existed.

"Mm."

Seeing Li Hao confirm, the middle-aged soldier sighed. "No wonder. The Great Da Da Meng Jiuyuan Sect was founded by the Second Disciple of Emperor Woe. That Immortal King possessed divine talent—an unparalleled sword prodigy. His Nine Abyss Sword Art had only nine forms, but legend says no one except the Emperor could withstand his full nine forms."

His eyes held distant memories. "You came from the False Realm—likely a descendant of that great one, who left traces there. Too bad, during that battle, the Great Da Da Meng Jiuyuan Sect also fought—and reportedly suffered devastating losses. I wonder if their lineage still survives. What is the true realm beyond this ancient road like now? I don't know. Sometimes I even wonder… if I'm the last one left in the entire true realm…"

His expression grew sorrowful.

Li Hao's aid had stirred him to speak of many past things.

"If the Great Da Da Meng Jiuyuan Sect is gone, you're at least the only half-legacy left," the middle-aged soldier murmured.

Seeing his despair, Li Hao was deeply affected—what had truly happened to the entire true realm? "Senior, how did you survive until now?"

Li Hao asked curiously.

The question was impolite, but the middle-aged soldier glanced at him without offense—his eyes flickered with pain. "You might think I'm a deserter. Indeed… I am a deserter…"

"…"

Li Hao shook his head. "Senior, don't misunderstand—I don't think that. To guard that gate for the Immortal Emperor for so long—how could you be a deserter?"

The middle-aged soldier said bitterly, "In that great battle back then, they all died. By the time our reinforcements arrived, the battlefield was nearly over—my comrades were all slain, and only I remained. Just as I was about to die, a Immortal King saved me; with his war chariot and treasures, I barely survived."

"When I awoke again, countless years had passed. The battle was long over, but ancient demons still lingered here, wandering..."

Li Hao fell silent. The deserter the man spoke of was likely one who hadn't died alongside his comrades.

Having grown up in the Divine General's mansion, Li Hao understood the hearts of those battlefield soldiers.

The middle-aged soldier looked up at the distant stars and whispered, "My only wish is to see, before I die, what the True Realm is like now—whether the ancient demons have seized it all, or whether we won that battle, and this battlefield was merely buried, so no one came here."

Li Hao fell silent; he too felt a flicker of curiosity.

If the True Realm had been entirely seized by the ancient demons, then truly no immortals remained.

The path to the pinnacle of cultivation would then be nothing but a dead end and despair.

At that moment, the aroma of roasted meat filled the air. Li Hao pulled his thoughts back and said softly, "Regardless, let's eat first."

The middle-aged soldier glanced at him and noticed that this boy always carried an optimistic spirit.

It was a kind of ultimate detachment.

"With your current strength, you should be able to return to the False Realm. Staying here with me is meaningless."

The middle-aged soldier said.

Upon hearing this, Li Hao's eyes flickered slightly.

At the tenth level of the Divine Path, all his techniques had improved. If he faced the Source Ancestor or a Divine King alone, he was confident he could fight them—or at least escape.

"Taste my cooking first."

Li Hao said.

The middle-aged soldier's gaze fell upon the cooked ancient demon meat. A hint of appetite appeared in his eyes. Though he hadn't eaten yet, he already sensed that Li Hao's culinary skills were exceptional.

Li Hao sliced the meat with his broken knife, skillfully portioning out a piece for him, then began eating himself.

(End of Chapter)