Chapter 696: Immortal Merit List

"Cultivate well. In three years, with the rich immortal power in the Langya Dream Realm, it is enough for you to cultivate to the Fifth Level of the True Immortal Realm!"

On Great Dream Mountain, the Great Da Da Meng Zhu said to Li Hao: "By then, your strength will definitely improve again. After the Ancient Immortal Realm test ends, the Imperial Clan will also bestow rewards upon you, as well as the Imperial Clan's secret scriptures and the current top ten top-tier immortal arts!"

"In the next seven years, I will help you master the top-tier immortal arts bestowed by the Imperial Clan, striving to let you cultivate to the peak."

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu stared at Li Hao and said.

In just seven years, mastering a supreme immortal art to the peak—this would make people's jaws drop if said out loud, but she had this confidence.

If she helped the young man in front of her with all her might, it was not impossible.

Li Hao's eyes flickered. He had heard before that the top ten top-tier immortal arts he mastered were already out-of-print versions from 100,000 years ago, and now they had long been replaced by new immortal arts. The glory and traces of the past were all silently buried in the long river of time.

"Senior, can I leave the Langya Dream Realm?"

Li Hao bowed and asked.

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu's expectant gaze suddenly narrowed slightly and said: "Where are you going?"

"I want to go around and explore on my own."

Li Hao said: "I'll come back when I have time to discuss painting with you, senior. I hope you won't be stingy with your guidance."

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu was stunned. Although she also liked painting, that was because her lifespan was too long, and she had countless years to have the leisure to cultivate external paths.

Moreover, she could use painting to comprehend the Great Dao Origins of the nine sequences such as space, time, and water source. Painting was also her cultivation.

And the young man in front of her wanted to take this step ahead of time now, which was still a bit too early.

"I will teach you when you achieve a good ranking in the Southern Region Battle, but before the Southern Region Battle, you can only practice Sword Dao."

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu said softly. In her heart, she had already taken the young man's words as speculation about her hobbies, but she didn't blame or get angry in her heart, just gently pointed out.

Li Hao was speechless. He also wanted to borrow the impact of the twelfth stage of painting to promote to the Immortal Monarch Realm. By the time the Southern Region Battle ended, it would be too late.

But he also understood the other party's thoughts. Continuing to talk now would be futile.

Moreover, if he could use cooking ancient demons to impact the twelfth stage of cooking this time, it would also be a great opportunity.

"This junior takes his leave."

Li Hao bowed.

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu was slightly lost. This young man left extremely decisively, as if without any attachment.

When Li Hao was about to leave the Langya Dream Realm, the Great Da Da Meng Zhu thought of Li Hao's previous words. That young man actually really intended to leave this supreme cultivation holy land of the Great Dream Daming Jiuyuan!

"Stop."

An ethereal voice descended from Li Hao's mind; it was the Great Da Da Meng Zhu's voice. Compared to the previous softness, it had a bit more majesty at this moment.

Li Hao's footsteps paused slightly, and he turned to look back at the palace, but didn't see the Great Da Da Meng Zhu's figure.

"Are you really going to leave the Langya Dream Realm? Where are you going?"

Li Hao knew that if he said the border, he might not be able to walk out.

"Go around and explore."

He responded in his heart: "Wherever it's interesting, I'll go there."

Wherever it's interesting, I'll go there... Simple six words. The Great Da Da Meng Zhu, sitting in the elegant pavilion on top of the palace, looked down at the young man through the railing. Such young and spirited words, in a trance, made her seem to see a certain old friend from a long time ago.

That young man who had been extremely brilliant in the entire True World.

That long-sealed figure and memory seemed to overlap in front of her eyes in an instant.

The endless years seemed to overlap at this moment, and the echoes from time, isolated for 100,000 years, echoed in her ears.

"Brother, where are you going?"

"To places with many people. Wherever there are many people, I'll go there!"

"Why?"

"I want the whole world to know that my Great Dream clan can also stand on the peak of the hundred clans!"

That energetic and arrogant voice carried an unyielding spirit, and later, he indeed achieved it, standing on the peak of the hundred clans like a god, emitting ten thousand rays of light, shocking all clans in the True World.

Now...

"Where can be considered interesting?"

She seemed to mutter to herself, asking softly.

And the young man at the edge of the Langya Dream Realm also gave her a grinning smile, responding in his heart:

"Places with many people. Wherever there are many people, it's interesting."

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu's eyes trembled slightly. Perhaps it had been too long since there was a response. Seeing that the young man was no longer waiting for words, he turned and left.

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu's gaze focused immediately and said softly:

"Wait."

Li Hao's footsteps paused slightly, and he turned to look at the palace again.

But he suddenly saw a meteor-like light flash at the dome of the palace, and then it fell down and landed in his hand.

It was a piece of broken jade, a fish.

"This is the Chaos Tribulation Dao Fish, born after nine chaos tribulations, possessing the ability to foresee future dangers. Keep it on you."

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu's voice sounded in Li Hao's mind.

Li Hao was stunned. Foresee future dangers? Doesn't this involve the time origin?

But even with the second level of time origin he currently mastered, he wouldn't dare say he could predict danger.

Without a doubt, this was a heavy treasure.

Li Hao said: "Senior, you are too polite. This thing is too precious..."

"Take it!"

"Okay."

Li Hao nodded and put it into his bosom with nimble movements.

The Great Da Da Meng Zhu almost laughed, rolled her eyes at this young man, and didn't care whether he could see her or not. She didn't notice that the number of times she had laughed today had already exceeded the past thousand years. She said softly:

"Go, I'll wait for you to come back."

Li Hao nodded, but he was quite grateful in his heart. Upon their first meeting, the other party gave such a heavy gift, and didn't ask where he was going, letting him do as he pleased. This indulgence made him feel moved in his heart.

He bid farewell to the Langya Dream Realm. Outside, the figures had already dispersed, and even the elders of each sect were not there, clearly knowing that their disciples were left in the Langya Dream Realm and wouldn't come out until three years were up.

Li Hao didn't see Old Man Li's figure, guessing that he had mostly returned to the Sword Abyss.

He thought for a while, and if he went to say goodbye, it would be another round of talking. He immediately found an attendant and left a character, asking him to pass it on.

The character informed them that he was going out for a trip and not to worry.

Afterward, Li Hao left Great Dream Mountain and also left this sect continent of the Great Dream Daming Jiuyuan.

He arrived in the starry sky and skillfully stepped onto the teleportation array.

He didn't choose to go directly to the border, but first came to Wenxin Futu City.

This trip might take three years, so before leaving, Li Hao came to say goodbye to Old Man Han.

"If you go, then go. Why tell me, this old cripple?"

On the hill outside Wenxin Tower, Old Man Han, who was fishing in the sea of clouds, heard Li Hao come to say goodbye, but didn't even lift his eyelids and said lightly.

Li Hao gave a bitter smile, but was used to the other party's attitude. He just bowed his hands and said: "Then this junior is leaving. I'll make something delicious for you when I return, senior."

After speaking, he bowed and left.

"Where to?"

Old Man Han suddenly spoke, stopping Li Hao.

Li Hao was stunned and said truthfully: "To the border, to kill ancient demons."

"You?"

Old Man Han's gaze left the sea of clouds, squinted at Li Hao, and then narrowed his eyes: "You apprenticed to that Great Dream Daming Jiuyuan. Are they really willing to let a precious treasure like you go to the border battlefield to take risks?"

"Senior, how do you know I'm a precious treasure?" Li Hao asked curiously.

Old Man Han snorted coldly, waved his hand impatiently and said: "Go if you want. Anyway, others don't cherish you, so what do I have to feel sorry about? Humph."

Li Hao heard these words, and seeing his annoyed wave, he didn't get angry, but instead showed a smile at the corner of his mouth, bowed deeply again to say goodbye.

Whoosh.

Before he could lift his head, he heard a sound of wind. As soon as he lifted his head, he saw something black flying over. He immediately caught it with both hands and saw it was a black iron piece, extremely old.

"Don't lose it. Remember to return it to me when you come back."

Old Man Han snorted and said.

Li Hao only saw the old man's back, not his expression. He smiled, held the iron piece in his hand tightly, then put it away properly, and said: "Definitely!"

Then he said goodbye and left the place.

"Those muddle-headed people in the Great Dream Daming Jiuyuan, are their minds all on pursuing those things that have passed away..."

Old Man Han narrowed his eyes, looking at the sea of clouds in front, and finally the furrowed brows relaxed, a trace of vicissitudes and sighs appearing in his eyes.

After leaving Wenxin Futu City, Li Hao sat on the teleportation array and jumped to another immortal domain.

Knowing that there were ancient demons at the border, Li Hao had already made a strategy in the Great Dream Daming Jiuyuan sect and browsed many maps of the Yanchu Qin Xianchao.

Although these maps were not something ordinary families could come into contact with, the Great Dream Daming Jiuyuan was a Heavenly Sect after all, and its connections were not low.

With these maps, Li Hao was familiar with the route to the border. The border he was going to this time was the Yanchu Qinghe border closest to the Great Dream Daming Jiuyuan, located in the west of Yanchu.

Saying it was the closest, it was still separated by dozens of immortal cities in the middle. Each immortal city was vast and boundless, floating in the void, surrounded by broken star dust.

Li Hao learned from Old Man Li that Ji Qingxuan and others, including the Wanshan Sword Tower and other Heavenly Sects, were all throwing themselves into the battlefield at this Qinghe border. This Qinghe border stretched for hundreds of millions of miles, vast and endless.

It was said that one of the nine immortal emperors, the Azure Emperor, once practiced swordplay here, splitting a mountain range that worshipped ancient immortals. The broken mountain stones fell and floated in the void, gathering into a river, hence the name Qinghe.

The mountain is gone, but the river remains.

Following the teleportation of one immortal city after another, when he reached the last immortal city before the Qinghe border, Li Hao was stopped by the guards beside the teleportation array.

"Young man, further ahead is the Qinghe Qinghe Mocheng!"

The middle-aged guard looked at Li Hao seriously and said: "It won't be too late to come when you have the cultivation of the Fifth Level of the True Immortal Realm. Otherwise, once you get there, you either join the army, or you will be regarded as a traitor to all clans. There is no turning back. Have you thought it through!"

"Hmm."

Li Hao nodded.

He also understood the rules of the border. This place didn't restrict True Immortals from Yanchu from coming. After all, the ancient demon catastrophe had severely damaged the vitality of the Yanchu Imperial Clan, and relying solely on the army was too costly. Therefore, they didn't block those chivalrous young people who came spontaneously to conquer ancient demons.

It was just that, besides those who truly came here to kill demons, there were also some traitors who took the opportunity to defect to the ancient demons, or spies arranged by the ancient demons who took the opportunity to bring out information.

Therefore, once teleported to the Qinghe Qinghe Mocheng where the border was assembled, one could only join the army, otherwise, they would all be regarded as traitors and executed!

Seeing Li Hao nod, the middle-aged guard and several guards beside him felt a sense of solemnity rise in their eyes. They all saw that Li Hao was only at the Third Level of the True Immortal Realm, yet he was determined to rush to the battlefield. This chivalrous heart was rare.

(Note: Garbled text.)

"Take care!"

The middle-aged guard said in a deep voice, then took the immortal stones handed over by Li Hao and threw them into the teleportation array slot beside him. The immortal stones were shattered, and the teleportation array was activated.

Li Hao was sucked into it. When he opened his eyes again, he heard a low horn sound like that blown by the tusks of an ancient wild elephant.

The horn sounded right above his head, deafening, vast, and shocking.

Li Hao looked up and saw that in front of him was a vast world, with mottled dark clouds, and behind him were towering ancient walls stained with countless blood, layered upon layer.

Besides bloodstains, there seemed to be dried flesh, beast hair, etc., on the walls, but they had been layered too much, and it was impossible to distinguish them specifically.

And in the distance, there were dense figures walking in the streets, all wearing military uniforms, their temperament cold.

Li Hao's eyes became stern, feeling the murderous aura coming from all directions in the city, as if the place where he was standing would turn into a fierce battlefield at any time!

The air was filled with a heavy fishy smell, but Li Hao could smell that it wasn't from ancient demons, but from humans and other races.

This border city had been resisting ancient demons here for countless years and had also buried countless people.

"The ancient demons are invading again!"

"It's the Kong Que Army being ordered. It seems this invasion is not small!"

"We'd better prepare too, go to the battlefield at any time, picking up some leftovers is fine too!"

In the streets and plazas ahead, besides those figures who flew away in response to the horn, more people stayed on the ground, looking up and discussing.

Li Hao's eyes shone slightly. Ancient demons invading as soon as he arrived?

Clearly, this wasn't a coincidence, but here, perhaps ancient demons frequently attacked all year round.

In addition, Li Hao also knew that in the Yanchu Qin Xianchao, the military department divided the legions into five levels. Among them, the strongest immortal army was the Chu Immortal Army, which hung the name of the founding ancestor and was managed by the Great Marshal of the Town State. Even those imperial princes were trembling when they saw the Chu Immortal Army, because the soldiers of the Chu Immortal Army were not guilty of killing royalty!

Of course, this "not guilty" didn't mean they could do whatever they wanted, but after killing royalty, they needed to report to their superiors and get the Great Marshal's nod. If the Great Marshal said there was no crime, then there was no crime!

If the Great Marshal said there was a crime, then it counted as a crime!

From this, one could see how high the status of that Great Marshal of the Town State was, how exaggerated.

Besides the highest Chu Immortal Army, the next were the Dragon War Army, the Kong Que Army, the Tiger Lion Army, and the Sky Wolf Army spread across all immortal cities of the Yanchu Qin Xianchao!

The Chu King Order that Shangguan Hong gave Li Hao earlier could mobilize the Tiger Lion Army.

And the Tiger Lion Army belonged to the elite immortal army of the Yanchu Qin Xianchao, and the generals were all existences above the Fifth Level of the Immortal Monarch Realm.

The Kong Que Army was even more powerful; a hundred-man army could kill an Immortal Monarch, and a ten-thousand-man formation could rival a perfected Immortal Monarch!

As for the Dragon War Army, it could suppress Heavenly Sects and make Immortal Kings bow their heads.

The highest Chu Immortal Army was invincible. Within the Yanchu Qin Xianchao, it was no exaggeration to say they were rampant, and no one could block their edge!

Li Hao came here, clearly not intending to use the Chu King Order; he just wanted to low-key fish for some ancient demon meat to eat.

Just at this moment, a dazzling light shone over.

Li Hao looked up and heard exclamations coming from ahead.

Only to see a huge banner projection stretching across an unknown number of miles in the sky, unfolding like a painting. The first thing that caught his eyes were three big characters:

Immortal Merit List!

Immediately after, he saw a light crack seemingly split in one of the places, and dazzling light shot out.

When the light dissipated slightly, he saw that the thing emitting the light that illuminated the whole city was actually a name!

"Ji Qingxuan!"

"Who is this?"

"My god, he actually killed his way into the Immortal Merit List!"

"This is an existence that will be enfeoffed as a marquis! Those who can rank in the top 100 of the Immortal Merit List are all kings, and those who can rank in the top 100 of the Immortal Merit List are all enfeoffed as a great marquis!"

On the plaza, countless people were exclaiming, shocked, and making low cries.

Li Hao was also stunned when he saw the name. It was actually that senior brother?

At this time, he also saw clearly that on this huge Immortal Merit List that connected heaven and earth, there were only a sparse one hundred names!

But these one hundred names were like one hundred towering mountain peaks, the handwriting extremely huge, containing Dao rhyme, and the whole city could see it.

At this time, Ji Qingxuan's name was ranked 99th, just having made it into the Immortal Merit List!

But just this was enough to shock many people in the whole city.

"The top 100 of the Immortal Merit List rarely changes in ten years. Those who step in can all be promoted to high positions. Who is that Ji Qingxuan?"

"I heard he is a disciple of some Heavenly Sect."

On the plaza, everyone was discussing Ji Qingxuan everywhere.

While Li Hao was listening to these people's discussions and understanding the situation here, a voice suddenly sounded behind him:

"You newcomers, all come over."

Li Hao turned to look and saw a soldier wearing black battle armor and holding a long spear standing in the crowd, waving to greet everyone.

It wasn't just Li Hao who was teleported from that immortal city; there were more than a dozen others, teleported from other immortal cities near the border, all walking toward the soldier upon hearing the news.

"Those with a life book can show the life book. Those without a life book who volunteer to join the army here, stand aside first."

The soldier said to Li Hao and the dozen others.

Li Hao was sneaking over and didn't get the special token sent by the sect, so he could only stand aside silently.

Three men and two women walked out of the crowd, reporting their origins and tokens one after another.

Some were from some aristocratic family, ordered to come here to experience demon-slaying.

Two were disciples from the Heavenly Second Sect, who had just passed the Desolate Domain test in the Ancient Immortal Realm with Li Hao earlier. With no hope of rushing into the top 1,000, there was no reward for returning to the sect, so they came here to experience real combat.

The soldier greeted the people, led them away, arranged them to other places, and then looked at Li Hao and the others.

"Are you volunteering to join the army here? Given that there were ancient demon spies earlier who took the opportunity to sell important information of the Qin Xianchao, coming here, you can only kill the enemy, kill ancient demons, to prove your innocence!"

The soldier scanned Li Hao and the others, his face extremely cold.

The remaining people, including Li Hao, felt a trace of grievance when facing such treatment.

"We came here to kill ancient demons, and you still suspect we are spies?"

"And there are people who defect to ancient demons? Is their brain eaten by a dog? If the Qin Xianchao falls, can those ancient demons let them go?"

"Who knows what spies think? If you could understand, wouldn't you become a spy?"

"... That's true."

"Then how many ancient demons do we have to kill to prove it?"

"We were originally here to kill ancient demons, so it doesn't matter."

Everyone said one word after another.

The soldier said: "Accumulate enough immortal merit here, or bring back three heads of ancient demons, only then can you get the identity plate to enter the Sky Wolf Army!"

"If you want to continue to be promoted, you have to continue the assessment. Before that, you can only enter the Wildfire Army. You cannot learn immortal military formations there, so as not to leak them, but there are also demon-breaking military formations there, which are equally powerful. In addition, the requirements for you are relatively simple. If there is a gap in the front line, those fish that slipped through the net will be blocked by you!"

Hearing his words, more than a dozen people looked at each other, all feeling the strict precautions here.

"Why is it called the Wildfire Army?"

A young man standing beside Li Hao couldn't help but ask curiously.

The soldier looked at him, seeing the young man looking at himself without fear, but didn't get angry, just said:

"Because you are all chivalrous people, wild grass that cannot be burned out, and also endless wildfire!"

The young man widened his eyes slightly and muttered: "What a vulgar explanation."

"If you have objections now, you can still quit in time."

The soldier looked at everyone.

More than a dozen people looked at each other, and no one said they would quit.

The soldier nodded and said: "Very good. If anyone nodded to quit just now, then congratulations, you are already a dead corpse now!"

Everyone was stunned, looking at him in astonishment.

"This is the border land, the battlefield. Is it a place where you can come and go as you please?!"

The soldier shouted suddenly.

Everyone's complexion changed slightly, and they immediately felt the majesty here, and the frivolity and casualness in their hearts also quietly converged a bit.

"Now, come here to register."

The soldier snorted and said.

Everyone followed one after another, yielding to each other.

"Little brother, you are only at the Third Level of the True Immortal Realm and came to kill demons. This hot-bloodedness is really too much."

The young man walked with Li Hao and suddenly leaned over to say.

Li Hao was stunned. After hearing Old Man Yun's words, he had converged his myriad attributes and revealed his true cultivation.

"Killing demons is everyone's responsibility." Li Hao thought for a while and said seriously.

The young man seemed to believe it, looked at him in surprise twice, then drew a sound-insulation barrier, and whispered in his ear:

"To tell you the truth, I actually have a life book. I am a disciple of the Heavenly First Sect. This time I came here to accumulate immortal merit for the sect. Turn back and follow me closely. If there is danger, I can take care of you."

Li Hao was surprised and asked: "There are five Heavenly First Sects, which one are you?"

"This can't be said."

The young man shook his head, but suddenly smiled mysteriously and said: "However, ten years later, when I become famous in the Southern Region Battle, you will know!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 697 =====