Chapter 711: Chong Er makes the list

Gu Changming nodded slightly, not refusing Li Hao's gratitude. Aside from the grace of that Immortal Emperor, he also favored this youth himself for helping him this time.

In the ancient demon tide, the power this youth displayed while slaying ancient demons far exceeded his peers. To possess such powerful strength in adverse circumstances while still in the True Immortal Realm, he had even mistakenly thought he was a personal disciple of the Immortal Emperor.

"Your file has just been sent to the Demon Suppression Division. It will take a few days before your battle merits can be recorded, which will allow you to be promoted to a Spirit Official, enjoying the many benefits and rights of the Demon Suppression Division. Within the Yan-Chu Qin Xianchao, aside from the Imperial Clan, no other power will be able to make you bow your head!"

Gu Changming said, his tone casual yet revealing a hint of dominance.

Li Hao's eyes flickered, thinking of that senior brother, Ji Qingxuan, who had previously come to the border to earn merit on the sect's orders and was promoted to a First-Rank Demon Suppression Guard. With his Immortal Lord Realm cultivation, he had yet to become a Spirit Official, which showed how strict the hierarchy of the Demon Suppression Division was.

However, strictness and rules were often meant for those without a background or backing to follow.

"Once this military report is sent to the Immortal Capital and His Majesty reads the memorial, those 1.92 million Immortal Merits will be approved for you."

Gu Changming chuckled, leading Li Hao out of the Dark Hall, and said, "However, with your current Immortal Merits, you are enough to rank in the top twenty on the Immortal Merit List here at the Qingcheng Mo River border!"

Li Hao didn't care about this and asked, "Gu Lao, I see countless demon corpses here at the border. Where are they sent? To the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Demon corpses?"

Gu Changming was somewhat surprised, then immediately thought of the scene he had seen on the star domain projection. Besides slaying ancient demons, this youth had also taken away all the ancient demon corpses. While this wasn't exactly unheard of, it was quite rare during such intense combat.

Other soldiers would also search for demon corpses, which could be exchanged for a tiny amount of Immortal Merits after being handed in, but no one would bother with such small merits while fighting intensely.

"Some of these demon corpses are sent to the Demon Suppression Division, and some are kept by various units of the Immortal Army. In one hundred thousand years of war, we have been dissecting ancient demons every moment, wanting to understand them better and find ways to restrain them more effectively..."

Gu Changming said, "Moreover, there are already Immortal Alchemists who can refine demon corpses into Primordial Spirit Pills. In the short term, they can cause spiritual soul power to skyrocket, but long-term consumption will erode the spiritual soul and leave special things in the spiritual soul imprint that cannot be cleared. When accumulated enough, certain mutations will occur, and if it reaches a critical point..."

He paused. This was a secret of the Demon Suppression Division. For one hundred thousand years, the powerful hundred clans had known about it, but it was limited to the upper-level secrets.

Seeing Li Hao's curious gaze, he caught his breath and continued, "They will mutate into ancient demon-like beings and lose their sanity."

Li Hao was slightly startled, feeling both relieved and regretful in his heart.

Looking at it this way, the Immortal Alchemists' method of refining ancient demons wasn't as good as his cooking; it actually had such strong side effects.

If it could be like his cooking without any influence, then after one hundred thousand years, perhaps the ancient demons would have been eradicated long ago.

"So, the Demon Suppression Division has a large number of demon corpses? As a Spirit Official, can I take some away?"

Li Hao asked.

Gu Changming was somewhat puzzled, not knowing why Li Hao was so interested in demon corpses, but as a successor of the Immortal Emperor, Li Hao would always have secrets he didn't know. He didn't probe further, only saying:

"Once you become a Spirit Official, you can requisition some demon corpses under the guise of dissection and refining, but the demon corpses must not be exposed to avoid disasters or plagues."

Li Hao's eyes lit up. In that case, he would save himself from the risk of hunting enemies at the border.

Moreover, ancient demon invasions at this border sometimes only happened once every few hundred years. Although he had many demon corpses in his Heaven-Earth Space, according to his way of eating, he wouldn't last ten years.

As for going to the outer domains to hunt ancient demons alone, that would be too dangerous and would require Elder Wang to accompany him; otherwise, if he accidentally bumped into some wandering King-Realm ancient demon, he would be a meal on the plate.

For him, this was an unnecessary risk.

"Given your age, will you participate in this Southern Domain Battle?"

Gu Changming asked with interest as he led Li Hao walking in the courtyard.

Li Hao nodded, "I have already been to the Immortal Capital Imperial Domain."

Gu Changming laughed and said, "The Qin Xianchao only has one thousand spots. With your combat power, taking a spot is no problem, but your soul lifespan is too short, only a hundred years, and your realm is too low. If you were given a thousand years of time, this Southern Domain Battle would likely be your home field."

Li Hao smiled and said, "That doesn't matter. A moment of brilliance is not as good as eternal radiance."

"You are quite open-minded."

Gu Changming led Li Hao across the arched bridge to the place where Gu Xingwan had previously practiced swordplay. At this moment, he saw Gu Xingwan, dressed in goose-yellow clothes, standing outside the pavilion, holding her sword with lowered brows, not knowing what she was thinking, her brows tightly furrowed.

"Xingwan."

Gu Changming called out softly.

Gu Xingwan came back to her senses, looked up, and saw the youth who made her somewhat depressed.

However, at this moment, the youth was standing beside her grandfather, his posture upright, and a spring-like smile on his handsome face, which seemed to be cast by heaven and earth, made the depression in her heart dissipate by three parts unknowingly.

She retracted a sword shadow, put away her Immortal weapon, and walked over.

"Grandfather."

She called out obediently, glanced at Li Hao, but didn't take the initiative to pay attention to him.

Gu Changming smiled and said, "Chong Er has made a great contribution this time. I will promote him to be a Spirit Official of the Demon Suppression Division. His future is boundless. You should get along well with him."

"Him? Become a Spirit Official?"

Gu Xingwan was shocked. She knew the status of a Spirit Official well; one could not stand firm without brilliant Immortal Merits, and Immortal Merits were only part of the requirements. There were also conditions such as cultivation, combat power, and demon-slaying merits within the Demon Suppression Division.

"Grandfather, he is only in the True Immortal Realm. Could it be that he hid his cultivation?"

Gu Xingwan couldn't help but ask.

Gu Changming said, "Although Chong Er's cultivation is not as good as yours, his combat power is not necessarily inferior to yours. Being so excellent, he is worth cultivating. Since the Demon Suppression Division is the sword wielder and also the dragon vein of Yan-Chu, it needs to have the heart to carry things with great virtue and cultivate talent."

Gu Xingwan was stunned. This youth was only in the Third Level of the True Immortal Realm, and Grandfather actually said his combat power was not inferior to hers?

Moreover, she had seen so many geniuses, and Grandfather had only glanced at them indifferently. When had he ever cared so much?

"Ten years later, in the Southern Domain Battle, Chong Er will participate just like you. You must also work hard and get along well with Chong Er so that you can look after each other."

Gu Changming said to her. He loved this granddaughter very much. After seeing Li Hao's background, he also had some thoughts of letting his granddaughter get closer to Li Hao. As long as Li Hao didn't fall, as a successor of the Immortal Emperor, even if he wasn't a personal disciple, he would have a place in the entire vast True Realm in the future.

"What, he wants to participate in the Southern Domain Battle?"

Gu Xingwan was shocked and looked at her grandfather in astonishment.

Then she looked at Li Hao again, her star-like eyes slightly widened, carrying a bit of disbelief, but immediately followed by a stubborn anger.

The Blue Sky Sword Art that Li Hao had displayed earlier was far beyond her realm. She had thought that the latter's soul lifespan was also far higher than hers, but she didn't expect that he could actually participate in the Southern Domain Battle.

In this way, wouldn't it mean that the other party's talent was far better than hers?

"Have you been to the Ancient Immortal Realm? Which Desolate Domain have you entered? The tenth?"

Gu Xingwan turned to look at Li Hao, her brows becoming cold, her gaze staring straight at him.

"I have been there."

Li Hao said.

Gu Xingwan raised her eyebrows, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, "Then you still need to work hard. Although you can enter the tenth Desolate Domain with your Third Level True Immortal Realm, it is already commendable, but three years have passed, and others will definitely work hard to improve, sparing no cost to make the final sprint. You must at least have the endurance to persist for seven days in the tenth Desolate Domain."

"I have the endurance, but I don't have the patience."

Li Hao shook his head.

Gu Xingwan was stunned, then was angered to laughter, and said, "What a big tone. Could it be that you still want to break through the tenth Desolate Domain and directly take the qualification to fight?"

"Hmm."

Li Hao nodded.

Gu Xingwan looked at Li Hao as if looking at a madman, then sneered, "That also depends on whether you have the ability. Last time the Ancient Immortal Realm ended, I ranked 68th. What rank were you?"

"Top twenty."

Li Hao said.

"?"

Gu Xingwan was about to ridicule him a few words, but when the words reached her lips, she was stunned. She stared blankly at Li Hao for a long while before turning to look at Gu Changming:

"Grandfather, is he a madman?"

Gu Changming also looked at Li Hao in surprise, but he knew Li Hao wouldn't lie. However, if it was the top twenty, that would at least require breaking the power of the tenth Desolate Domain, and that power was already barely enough to fight against the Immortal Lord Realm.

He thought of Li Hao resisting the attack of the Ninth Level Immortal Lord Realm ancient demon earlier. Although the power Li Hao erupted at that time was strong, it was not enough to compare with the Immortal Lord Realm, but it was also the limit of the True Immortal Realm.

Now it seems that the youth in front of him seems to have other means that he hasn't used.

"Xingwan, don't talk nonsense."

Gu Changming scolded his granddaughter with a slightly straight face, "There are heavens beyond heavens. You must not be proud. Although he is only in the Third Level of the True Immortal Realm, just the realm of that Blue Sky Immortal Art is far better than yours. You must learn well."

Gu Xingwan had already experienced Li Hao's Blue Sky Immortal Art earlier. She bit her silver teeth slightly and said:

"It's two different things. Even if he has top-notch sword Dao talent, it doesn't mean he can break the tenth Desolate Domain. He is only in the Third Level of the True Immortal Realm. Is such a thing possible?"

Read everything without missing a single word!

"I told you before, some geniuses are born extremely dazzling, and the entire True Realm cannot block their radiance. Like that supreme personal disciple of the Heavenly Palace, who possesses the top-notch Nine-Flower Immortal Seal, which is rare in the world. Just after becoming an Immortal Lord, he suppressed an ancient demon of the Seventh Level of the Immortal Lord Realm and became famous in one battle. Such things have been seen by countless people with their own eyes. If you haven't seen it, would you believe it if it was just passed down by word of mouth?"

Gu Changming frowned and said.

"That is a supreme personal disciple, and he is not."

Gu Xingwan's face changed slightly, and she pouted slightly, but the look in her eyes when looking at Li Hao was still one hundred and twenty percent disbelief.

His realm was four levels lower than hers, but his combat power exceeded hers. How is that possible?

Seeing that Gu Changming was about to scold her, she immediately said to Li Hao, "If you are really that capable, let's have a sparring match, and I will be convinced by you."

Li Hao was somewhat helpless, why do I need you to be convinced by me?

Seeing Gu Changming also cast a suggestive look, Li Hao had to say, "As you wish."

"Good, then let's do it here. I won't use an Immortal weapon either. Let's rely on our own abilities!"

Gu Xingwan sneered.

Then she flew backward, her momentum erupting, her Immortal power like a rainbow, revealing an extraordinary peerless posture.

Behind her, Immortal power was like weaving, reflecting a Dharma image with silk ribbons covering its eyes.

The Dharma image's eyes and forehead were covered. Li Hao had learned from Gu Changming earlier that they were the Heavenly Eye Clan. Obviously, that Dharma image was the appearance in Gu Xingwan's heart.

"I am not as good as you in Blue Sky, that's because I have only contemplated it for thirty years. Take this sword of mine!"

Gu Xingwan condensed Immortal power in her palm, which faintly turned into a sword shape, and then Immortal power condensed around the sword like a vortex. The vortex became more and more intense, circling around the Immortal power sword shape like star rings, making the temperature of the surrounding heaven and earth drop extremely low.

Li Hao saw that the sword power contained the origin law of the water path, and the comprehension was not low, reaching the Third Realm.

And his water path origin was only at the Second Realm.

But...

The pre-swing was too slow.

Li Hao lifted his foot, his toes tapped slightly, and his figure swept across in an instant. The combination of the transfer of the space origin and the return to ruins made him come in front of her almost without the other party reacting.

In Gu Xingwan's eyes, which were full of momentum, a flash of shock suddenly appeared, but she reacted extremely quickly and was about to slash down her sword momentum in advance. Although her sword momentum had not reached its peak, compared to Li Hao's hasty move, it was still more powerful!

However, just as her wrist was lifted, time seemed to slow down by a beat. She watched helplessly as her body seemed to suddenly not keep up with her consciousness. At the moment when her hand hadn't been lifted for a long time, Li Hao's fingers were brought together, and a tiny condensed sword light was at his fingertips.

It was exactly the Blue Sky Immortal Art that he had thrown out casually earlier.

At this time, it was just like before, gently swiping in front of her eyes, passing by a lock of hair on her cheek, and then his fingers pinched, and his body disappeared suddenly, returning to the original place.

All this happened in an instant. When Gu Xingwan's wrist was raised, she had already seen Li Hao standing in front of Gu Changming, pinching the lock of hair by her cheek with his fingertips, and raising his hand to signal.

Gu Xingwan was stunned on the spot.

The sword light she raised was spitting like a bright moon, but it was slow to be thrown out. The freezing temperature around it seemed to slowly resolve, and the majestic sword momentum also slowly weakened, until it slowly dissipated...

Only the sound of murmuring water remained by the arched bridge, silent and soundless.

Not only was Gu Xingwan stunned, but a flash of brilliance also flashed in Gu Changming's eyes, staring deeply at the youth beside him.

Compared with Gu Xingwan's magnificent momentum, Li Hao's move was extremely crisp, but the exquisiteness in it was somewhat terrifying.

In addition to the space origin, he actually mastered the time origin power that was not weak.

The two strongest powers in the Nine Sequences were gathered in one body. His granddaughter didn't lose unjustly.

"You..."

For a long time, Gu Xingwan came back to her senses. This time, the look in her eyes when looking at Li Hao changed completely.

She lost, she actually lost, and she lost extremely thoroughly.

If it were a life-and-death struggle, her head would have already fallen off.

Although she could be reborn from a drop of blood, the power contained in the attack when reaching this realm was definitely not simple, and it could completely limit regeneration, and even severely damage the Primordial Spirit together!

Li Hao lifted the lock of hair on his fingernail, then puffed his cheeks and blew a breath, watching the lock of hair float forward, and then slowly fall on the bluestone slab. He turned to Gu Changming and said:

"Gu Lao, if there is nothing else, I will leave first."

Gu Changming came back to his senses and said repeatedly: "Stay and have a meal together?"

"Have a meal?"

Li Hao raised his eyebrows slightly, but the footsteps he wanted to take stopped.

Gu Xingwan had already woken up. She looked at the youth with a relaxed expression and a casual look, and her eyes became complicated. Although she still had trump cards that she hadn't used, and her Heavenly Eye hadn't been opened, but no matter what, losing was losing.

Just as she opened her mouth, preparing to ask what Immortal Art Li Hao had just used, suddenly a dazzling light shone from above her head.

I saw a phantom that spanned I don't know how many miles, unfolding like a scroll. It was exactly the Immortal Merit List!

This Immortal Merit List was like golden waves, lying horizontally in the sky. Countless people in the city looked up, all extremely surprised.

The appearance of the Immortal Merit List meant that someone had climbed onto it again.

However, the great battle had just ended, and the Immortal Merits were mostly just calculated. It was not strange for someone to climb up.

"I don't know who it is. This Immortal Merit List is going to have a capable person again."

"Look quickly, the golden light cracked in the middle. This is a newcomer!"

"Who is it? Listed on the Immortal Merit List for the first time, and already in the top fifty?!"

Countless people in the whole city stopped and looked up in shock.

Gu Xingwan also looked up. She had also slain ancient demons at the border, but Gu Changming was worried that something would happen to her and didn't let her go to the front line. However, she also hunted many ancient demons, especially Gu Changming used his authority to let the Immortal Army pass some information about lone ancient demons to her, giving her the opportunity to hunt and fight alone, which was relatively safe, and she also accumulated many Immortal Merits.

She also ranked in the top hundred of the Immortal Merit List, ranking 95th, with more than 500,000 Immortal Merits!

At this time, when the golden light dissipated, she suddenly saw that the name presented had extremely simple strokes.

Chong Er!