Chapter 807: Pretender Emperor Son

"Immortal Kings in chaotic battle?!"

Countless people in the Southern Region, upon seeing this sight, were stunned—though they had anticipated it, its actual occurrence still sent shivers through their hearts.

Yaozhidao ， Zheshiqingdeqiyin ， Zhishiyiweizhenxianjing 。

Jieguo ， Juranhuiyinfazhenjiebaiqiangdazudechushou ， Zhongduoxianwangzaizhongmukuikuixiabaofadazhan ， Zhejibianshixianchaobianjingzaoyugumoqinxi ， Douxujiumeiyouzheyangdezhenzhangle 。

"How could this happen? Must they really kill that Hao Tian?"

"That Hao Tian is a prodigy of our human race. Even if he is a descendant of the Sinful Immortal, as long as he swears by his Dao heart to serve humanity and slay the Ancient Demons, isn't he still a great hero and prodigy?"

"That's right—the boy is only a hundred years old in soul lifespan. In such a short time, he barely has enough to devote to cultivation; how could he understand the world's dangers and human complexities? With proper guidance, he could walk the righteous path. Why must they insist on this?!"

"The Hidden Sea Clan and the Wind Spirit Clan are merely afraid of retaliation. But why doesn't the Supreme One intervene?"

Debates raged across the land; countless great clans wore anxious expressions, and many elder sages kept glancing repeatedly at the towering figure within the mist—though they dared not peer into his upper form, their hearts were filled with anxiety and disappointment.

At this moment, beside the Emperor's Altar, Wang Shanhe had already surged into the sky, entangling in chaotic battle with the Hidden Sea Clan's Immortal Kings.

Their respective domains bit and tore at each other, radiating strange Dao light that dazzled and bewitched the eye, rendering all clear vision impossible.

Only the violent tremors echoed, and the primal essence of Dao surged like chaotic vine whips, lashing the void into deep fissures, shattering heaven and splitting earth.

Amidst this chaos, the prodigies atop the mountain were all enveloped by the Immortal Kings beside them, shielded from collateral damage—even a single wisp of shattered domain power could pierce and annihilate an Immortal Lord.

Jian Xin and Ming Yue stood within the mist, seemingly unattended by anyone, yet a force surrounded them, isolating them from the turmoil outside.

The two stared in silence at the scene. Though they had seen many Immortal Kings in their cultivation years and their horizons had long expanded, this mass battle among Immortal Kings was still their first—after all, their soul lifespans were only a few hundred years, barely in their budding stage.

Many Immortal Kings had acted solely to slay Li Hao; their motive was fear of the boy, yet it was also an acknowledgment of his monstrous talent!

"Despicable Hidden Sea Clan! When I one day seize control of the Ancient God Clan, I will crush you all!"

On the ground, Shen Wuji's gaze was dark. Protected by the Ancient God Clan elder, he suffered no harm—yet his heart burned with fury.

"Young Master, watch your words!"

The Ancient God Clan elder jumped in alarm and quickly spoke.

Never mind that the Hidden Sea Clan is still among the top hundred great clans; the very notion of Shen Wuji controlling the Ancient God Clan is taboo. Shen Wuji may be strong, but the Ancient God Clan has more than one prodigy—long-ago-born monsters have already entered the Primordial True Realm to cultivate and comprehend.

Shen Wuji ignored him, glaring fiercely upward at the chaotic battle. But as a True Immortal, he could only see the Dao collapsing, the Immortal laws like chains constantly flying and snapping, occasionally catching fleeting glimpses of figures.

The same held true for other True Immortals—all wore complex expressions.

Far away, Di Linchen gazed at the figures in the void, his eyes flickering as he pondered whether to invoke the power of his Imperial Clan to speak for him.

If he intervened on behalf of the Imperial Clan, whether the Hidden Sea Clan or the Wind Spirit Clan, neither would dare make another move—even the Supreme One might grant him some face.

But… his gaze swept across the Immortal Lord contestants.

There, figures of prodigies from many great clans stood tall; the finest among them surpassed even many True Immortal prodigies—they were true apex monsters within their clans.

Like the Ghost Clan's Gui Lingshuang. Though she and Gui Lingyue were sisters, their ages differed by less than three years.

Among those figures, a silver-robed youth stood out like a crane among chickens—extraordinary beyond measure. Around him swirled rings of Dao light; auspicious Immortal patterns adorned his back; above his head, across billions of miles of starry sky, a single Tianchen Star shimmered faintly, facing him in silent resonance.

That figure radiated supreme nobility and grandeur, standing utterly alone among the great clan prodigies, transcendent and untouchable.

And the clan emblem on his sleeve—no one in the True Realm did not recognize it… it was the Imperial Clan.

The only other Imperial Clan member present in the Southern Region for this battle was that one.

In the Imperial Clan, he had been a prodigy of legendary renown since childhood—a true Pretender Emperor Son—while he himself had not yet reached that level.

He drank and reveled—wasn't that just another form of amusement?

If he spoke up for the boy, this conflict would surely end. But…

As if sensing something, that figure turned toward Di Linchen. Their gazes met—the other's eyes were cold, indifferent, then turned away.

Beside him, the elder bowed his head, eyes lowered, expressionless, revealing no trace of emotion.

He showed no interest whatsoever in the sky-spanning battle among Immortal Kings—not even a flicker of his eyelids.

Di Linchen fell silent, knowing it was impossible to ask him to speak—since childhood, that one had always towered over him in everything.

In his silence, beneath the battlefield where Wang Shanhe clashed with the Hidden Sea Clan's Immortal Kings, the Great Dream Master's domain extended, enveloping Li Hao and hurling him forward.

"Hao Tian, flee now! If we perish today, when you one day achieve cultivation, return and avenge us!"

The Great Dream Master's voice reached Li Hao's ears.

Li Hao felt himself hurtling rapidly away, powerless to stop or control it. He clenched his fists—this helplessness felt even greater than when he faced the True Immortal Ancient Demon in the Tianyang Pseudo Realm.

He stared at the rapidly entangling battle between the Great Dream Clan and the Wind Spirit Clan, and the higher battlefield beyond. He could barely make out traces of their domains—their edges, their transformations. He clearly saw how the old man's domain reversed, like inverted oceans or shattered ice, radiating terrifying, suffocating power.

That power surged, continuously slicing and destroying other domains, unleashing devastating killing force.

Even an Immortal Lord who merely brushed against it would instantly be annihilated.

Each wisp of domain power could crush Immortal laws—far beyond what mere Immortal energy could bear or block.

Li Hao stared silently, no hysterical roar, no rage—yet within him, hatred began to take root.

He had walked this path through countless trials, feeling anger, feeling killing intent—but rarely had he felt true hatred.

He watched the shifting, shattering domains, their interwoven patterns before him—brilliant, dazzling.

In Li Hao's mind surfaced the old man's words atop the lone peak.

That was their "fishing ground."

One fishing ground pressed against another, competing fiercely.

The prey within each fishing ground devoured one another.

These were the cultivated Immortal laws and the pseudo-heavenly Dao forces sustaining their domains.

These pseudo-heavenly Dao forces varied in strength—Wang Lao's was unquestionably beyond imagination, his domain power like scattered daggers, relentlessly slicing through other Immortal Kings' domains.

His eyes glowed with shifting light—could his Nine Sequences, if transformed into a domain, establish his own fishing ground, and thus transcend his current state?

As his consciousness drifted, a sudden shockwave struck. The domain shielding him tore open—a Wind Spirit Clan Immortal King surged after him.

"Die!"

Before he could raise his hand, domain power extended—suddenly, a Great Dream Clan Immortal King charged in, roaring: "Get lost!"

Li Hao had never seen the man's face before, but now, as he repelled the Wind Spirit Clan Immortal King, he formed a domain barrier with one hand and hurled Li Hao far away.

Yet before he had flown far, another Wind Spirit Clan Immortal King arrived.

The core of both sides' conflict was Li Hao—the Wind Spirit Clan did not fight the Great Dream Clan to the death; they only sought to slay Li Hao.

In an instant, Li Hao's surroundings became a battlefield between the two clans, fierce domain forces colliding around him. The Great Dream Clan's Immortal Kings carefully shielded him, avoiding even a single wisp of power that could shatter him.

Watching Li Hao become the epicenter of the storm, Di Linchen drew a deep breath and suddenly surged forward.

The elder beside him paled slightly, hesitated, then did not stop him—he followed, offering protection.

"Enough!"

Di Linchen roared, his youthful face showing rare, genuine fury. He poured all his True Immortal power and bloodline energy into those two short words, echoing across the Immortal Kings' battlefield.

The Wind Spirit Clan and Hidden Sea Clan both felt that trace of Imperial Clan aura—they froze, turning toward Di Linchen.

Others, previously dazzled by the chaos, also froze, staring in shock at Di Linchen.

Soon, someone recognized him—the youth was from the Imperial Clan, the apex of the True Realm's hundred clans. Even the Immortal Emperor Supreme would grant him some face, for the Imperial Clan currently housed three Great Emperors!

"Ancient Demons loom on the horizon. As great clans, you seek to exterminate a human prodigy. How is your behavior any different from the Sinful Immortal you condemn?"

Seeing the battlefield fall momentarily silent due to his words, Di Linchen drew another breath and spoke grimly.

Seeing the True Immortal youth silence the Immortal Kings' battle, countless people across the Southern Region gasped in astonishment.

But once they learned he was from the Imperial Clan, they all understood.

After all, the Imperial Clan's prestige had long taken root in the hearts of the True Realm's ten thousand clans, deep in their bones.

No one dared ignore the Imperial Clan's dignity.

Even an Imperial Clan youth would be treated with courtesy by all clans. As the pinnacle great clan of the True Realm, they commanded true supremacy and nobility, forcing all clans to bow.

"You…"

The Hidden Sea Clan and Wind Spirit Clan had not expected this Imperial Clan youth to interfere—their faces darkened with shock and anger.

Worse, he had compared their actions to those of the Sinful Immortal—and objectively, he was right.

But such things were understood, never spoken aloud—this brat was utterly despicable!

Yet he was from the Imperial Clan…

"Don't speak rashly. Even if you're from the Imperial Clan, this is our private feud—you cannot meddle arbitrarily!"

The Wind Spirit Clan patriarch spoke darkly.

This scene was visible across the Southern Region; the Imperial Clan elder would surely be watching the youth's participation, so his tone was polite—but he must make his point clear.

After all, with so many eyes watching, if a single word from him made them retreat, they would lose all dignity.

"This man is a friend of my Imperial Clan. He has committed no crime. None of you may kill him."

Di Linchen's face darkened—he spoke plainly: the Imperial Clan would protect Li Hao.

Hearing this, the Wind Spirit Clan and Hidden Sea Clan both paled. They had framed this as a private feud, justified and reasonable. But now, by declaring Li Hao an Imperial Clan friend, killing him became killing an Imperial Clan ally.

"It's the Imperial Clan—their prodigy is protecting Hao Tian."

"No wonder they're the greatest clan of the True Realm. Their vision truly dwarfs all others."

Across the Southern Region, countless people snapped back to awareness and couldn't help but praise.

But before they could say more, another cold voice echoed across the mountaintop—and throughout the Southern Region.

"How is it I've never heard the Imperial Clan has such a friend?"

From among the Immortal Lord contestants, the silver-robed youth stepped forward slowly. His eyes, like swirling stars, carried a slow, detached indifference as he said:

"He is your private friend, not the Imperial Clan's. As a descendant of the Sinful Immortal, he seeks to flee. If he defects to the Ancient Demons and becomes a great enemy of our people, what will you do?"

Hearing this, Di Linchen's face changed instantly—he turned to look at the speaker.

The other regarded him with equal indifference, eyelids half-lowered, eyes barely open—no effort, yet a profound, casual disregard for all things.

Hearing these words, the Hidden Sea Clan and Wind Spirit Clan froze, then their eyes lit up with hidden delight.

They all recognized him as the imperial clan's provisional prince, the very one they had believed would top the Immortal Lord realm this time, unmatched by any other.

Yet they never expected he would intervene on their behalf—within the imperial clan's prodigies, there was clearly internal strife!

"I can make him swear an oath."

Di Linchen's heart sank, and he spoke at once.

The young man cast him a cool, indifferent glance, silent—as if to say, Who are you? And what is your oath worth?

He turned his head, his gaze sweeping toward Li Hao, and spoke softly:

"You pride yourself on your exceptional talent, reaching this realm in barely a hundred years—truly impressive. But the path of cultivation is not measured in a hundred years, nor even a thousand—it is about standing at the very end of time and fate, and only then can you be called a true king!"

"If no one had come to your aid today, no matter how brilliant you were, you would have perished—your life, a mere hundred years, fleeting as a blink in the True Realm, who would remember you?"

He spoke with casual indifference, yet his tone radiated coldness and nobility, then added coldly:

"Your arrogance has caused this chaos and wasted our time—that is a grave sin. He cannot protect you, that minor clan cannot protect you, and even your old servant beside you cannot protect you."

As he spoke, countless expressions shifted; all felt the young man's imperial clan nobility and authority, as if his words were the divine decree of heaven.

Li Hao's eyes flickered as he fixed his gaze on the youth—he could sense that this young man differed from other Immortal Lords, radiating an intense, dangerous aura.

"If you can survive a single palm strike from me, your life today is not yet destined to end. If you cannot, then this ripple you've stirred will vanish."

The youth spoke calmly, his body suffused with the flow of immortal laws, his gaze serene yet heavy with authority.

He uttered these words without so much as glancing at the Yinhai Clan or the Fengling Clan—as if he needed no consent from either.

As a provisional prince, if he truly wished to spare Li Hao, these two clans were of no consequence—unless the Supreme One himself intervened, but the other clearly would not demean himself so.

(End of Chapter)