Chapter 816: Northern Domain, the Su Family

"You long knew the child was the Master's heir, and made him your imperial son-in-law merely to lull the Supreme One into complacency—this move was wise, yet..."

The Empress of Chi Jiang sighed softly: "Who could have imagined the child would prove so astonishing? I too once believed he was merely an ordinary heir left behind by the Master in his final days—but now..."

Upon hearing this, the others fell silent.

Indeed... they had all misjudged him. Who could have foreseen that the boy would ultimately shine with such brilliance?

Unrivaled in the True Immortal Realm, he fought alone against the Southern Domain—even the Supreme One's own direct disciple fell before him.

Remember, the Master has long perished. Though his legacy is precious, how could it compare to the Supreme One's personal instruction?

Yet still, with only a hundred-year soul lifespan, the child stunned the Southern Domain and crushed the Supreme One's direct disciple.

"The reincarnation of the Timeless Empress has also appeared—and been destroyed. Fortunately, the Timeless Empress seems to have grasped an extraordinary temporal power, allowing her soul to endure within the River of Time, avoiding true annihilation."

"This means her soul core has not withered. As long as she is not personally slain and suppressed by an Emperor, she can still be seen again."

"When the boy and the Timeless Empress's reincarnation grow strong once more, that will be the moment we sound the counterattack horn—to clear the Master's name!"

The few exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with gravity and depth.

The Seven Dynastic Emperors were all figures who had endured since ten thousand years ago—how could they not know the truth behind that ancient upheaval?

Yet the ancient dynasties left behind were not merely seven; the others had long since been erased in rebellion.

Without an Immortal Emperor to stand guard, all others were mere ants before the Emperor's might—rebellion would only turn them to ash.

"I made a mistake in this move. Perhaps I should have hidden the boy away; in another ten thousand years, I might have seen him rise to prominence."

The Emperor Chu, who had remained silent for a long while, now spoke softly.

Hearing his words, the Original Sovereign Empress glanced at him. Seeing the faint pain in this burly man's eyes, she understood his heart and shook her head slightly:

"The boy's whereabouts have already been exposed. The Supreme One used him to lure out the hidden ones. Your action, then, was merely yielding to fate—if you had truly concealed him, Yan and Chu would have vanished from the Southern Domain long ago."

"Precisely. Then those others would be dragged out too—there would be no place left in the Southern Domain for them to hide."

The Emperor Tian Zhao nodded.

"Yet I wonder—where is the boy now? Where has he gone? The Dao Source Immortal Emperor himself carved his path and concealed his aura and cosmic destiny; nothing can be probed. All traces of the boy have been severed—even the Supreme One cannot find him."

"No matter where he is, I am certain that within ten thousand years, his name will be heard again."

"May the day we have longed for finally come!"

They looked at one another, their eyes filled with age and weariness. Witnessing two heirs nearly perish before their eyes had struck them deeply—but within the mist, they remained calm, revealing not the slightest trace of disturbance before the Supreme One.

After a brief pause, the seven parted ways, vanishing into the starry void—no trace of their presence remained.

The starry expanse was mottled, endless light flickering.

In the profound starry void, the Emperor's Path stretched like a rainbow across the entire Southern Domain.

As Li Hao stepped into the vortex, a weathered voice echoed beside his ear:

"Boy, the Master has completely severed your fate and aura. Your new body shall be veiled by this old servant—only an Emperor may probe it. Now, simply cultivate diligently."

Li Hao opened his eyes. The vortex was deep, and the forces of time and space swam around him like flying fish, carrying his body toward an unimaginably distant place.

Around him, time shifted—he seemed to leap repeatedly across different eras.

Li Hao knew this was the path chosen by the Dao Source Immortal Emperor—perhaps to evade the Supreme One's detection.

"Who are you?"

Li Hao wondered inwardly.

"I am the Mystic Turtle Source Shell the Master bestowed upon you—a remnant of the Primordial Mystic Turtle's imperial soul." The aged voice spoke gently.

Imperial soul... Li Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. To be called an imperial soul, the Primordial Mystic Turtle must have been an Emperor-level being in life.

He whispered inwardly: "Thank you, Elder, for your protection. Where am I being sent?"

"The Northern Domain."

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul murmured: "I cannot glimpse your fate—some force blocks me. But the Master might. He likely calculated your destiny and sent you here. He also gave me a scroll to deliver to you upon your arrival."

"A scroll?"

Li Hao was puzzled, but did not press further.

The vortex around him stretched endlessly, carrying his body through space for a long while—roughly the time of three incense sticks.

The vortex vanished. Li Hao was spat out from the River of Time by the true world's space, arriving in an infinite, glittering starry expanse.

Around him floated countless brilliant stars. Ahead loomed a colossal star, encircled by golden cosmic sand—the shattered remains of countless meteorites, forming a ring of starlight.

Strikingly, outside that star, a beast the size of a fist lay curled in the void.

From Li Hao's distance, the beast appeared no larger than a fist—but up close, it must have stretched a million li across.

Li Hao's heart trembled. In the mortal realm, a ten-thousand-zhang monster was extraordinary, possessing the power of a Dao-attainment cultivator. Among the celestial monsters and saints, only a few reached tens of thousands of zhang.

Yet compared to this beast, even its single hair would dwarf them.

At that moment, the beast seemed to notice Li Hao. A vast aura enveloped him, locking onto his form—but after a brief pause, it passed like a gentle breeze, ignoring him entirely.

Li Hao felt a chilling coldness wash over him. This beast was undoubtedly an Immortal King—and a powerful one at that.

"Merely a Star Source Beast. You need not fear. In the Northern Domain, it is merely a Star Guardian, keeping watch over this star. Ahead is likely a King Star."

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul spoke, and a water-like barrier twisted the space around Li Hao, concealing his figure.

Then, a golden light slowly emerged, unfolding before Li Hao's eyes.

It was an ancient scroll, inscribed with flowing, ancient characters Li Hao could not read. Yet in the lower right corner, a soaring dragon-and-phoenix silhouette spun in a circle, emitting a soft, joyful, auspicious chime that stirred his heart with delight.

"The Master said: carry this scroll to the Su Family of the Northern Domain, and you shall receive what you seek."

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul said.

Li Hao's heart jolted. The Dao Source Immortal Emperor knew he was headed to the Su Family of the Northern Domain.

Did the Emperor know of the Timeless Empress's reincarnation?

Perhaps he had calculated fate—either his own, or hers—and deduced this path.

Li Hao knew little of the Immortal Emperor's powers. All he felt was awe. Perhaps in the entire True World, even a half-step Emperor dared not claim full understanding of an Immortal Emperor's abilities—such was the gulf between realms. The Emperor's powers were beyond comprehension.

"Thank you, Dao Source Immortal Emperor."

Li Hao whispered again, tucking the ancient scroll away.

"Do you know anything of the Northern Domain?"

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul asked.

Li Hao shook his head. "No."

"The True World has four domains. The Southern Domain is ruled by Tiangong, where humanity dominates. A hundred races mingle there, but demons and outsiders are slaves, mounts, beasts, or pets. But the Northern Domain is different—it is the domain of demons. The great clans here are all demonic clans. The leading powers are all demons!"

"Demons?"

Li Hao's expression changed. In the mortal realm, demons and humans were mortal enemies—demons devoured humans, humans slew demons.

"Precisely. Here, humanity is the demons' food—just as demons are treated in the Southern Domain. They may be slaughtered at will. Any fierce resistance invites thunderous suppression!"

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul said: "But exceptions exist. Here too are human great clans that carved out their own territories in this demonic chaos. The Su Family you are headed to is one of the few powerful ancient human clans in the Northern Domain, holding considerable status even among demons."

Li Hao paused, understanding. He asked: "Can I reach the Su Family from this star?"

"Yes."

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul replied.

Hearing this, Li Hao felt a surge of eagerness and shot forward swiftly.

As his figure streaked across the stars, he felt the demonic aura grow heavier with every step—thick, black streams surging toward him like countless threads.

The aura radiating from the Star Source Beast coiled at the star's edge grew ever more oppressive.

"Though your current face resembles your old one, your aura is utterly different. In the True World, countless humans share similar faces and names—hundreds of thousands, even hundreds of millions. It's nothing unusual. As long as you don't reveal your Dao Source Imperial Seal, no one will suspect."

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul told Li Hao.

Li Hao nodded. He had already probed his current appearance with his Primordial Spirit. It differed slightly from before—only the shape of his eyebrows had changed, subtly. He still looked nearly identical, even more like his mortal self: less sharp, more serene, all his aura inwardly contained.

As he drew closer, he noticed other voices rushing toward the star—immortal deities riding magical artifacts.

Some were flying vessels, where dancing women performed while elegant youths lounged in rocking chairs, fanning themselves.

These artifacts radiated divine light, streaking across the heavens like rainbows before vanishing into the star's qi.

Seeing this, Li Hao did not linger—he flew toward the star.

Behind the qi lay damp, layered clouds. After piercing through endless mists, he saw a magnificent continent.

The ground was dotted with palaces of gold and jade. In the sky, demonic true forms flew—giant centipedes a thousand zhang long, dragons ten thousand zhang long, colorful phoenixes, flying hares, giant deer, and more.

Yet once they entered the palaces, they all transformed into human forms—handsome men and beautiful women, save for faint markings on their faces, or scales on their nails and backs of hands, hinting at their true origins.

Some had changed so thoroughly they were indistinguishable from humans.

"If not for you, Elder, I'd have thought this a human city."

Li Hao scanned the scene inwardly.

Those walking the streets were all human in appearance—no trace of demons. Only high above did some demons reveal their true forms.

"They take human form because the primordial ancestor of the True World—the Primordial Chaos Ancestor—was human. All races revere him!"

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul explained slowly: "Second, assuming human form conceals their true nature, preventing other races from instantly recognizing their origins. For example, if you were a rat demon and revealed your true body, a snake demon would immediately target you!"

"But if all appear human, peace becomes possible."

Li Hao understood. He had thought they chose human form because they found it beautiful—but he had been mistaken.

Of course. Only humans could accept their own aesthetics. To other demons, human flesh was likely hideous.

"This is the King Star—the highest star in the Northern Domain, next to the Emperor Star."

The Mystic Turtle's Imperial Soul continued patiently: "The Tian Dao Emperor Star is the highest. Great clans dwell there—including the Su Family you seek, which resides on one such Emperor Star."

"On this King Star, the strongest clans reach the peak of Immortal King realm. They are not to be trifled with."

Li Hao nodded silently. He thought of Ying Xiao Xiao's face. Her reincarnation was in the Su Family. He had not expected the Su Family to be such a great clan—clearly they possessed extraordinary bloodline. Perhaps that was why she chose to become their reincarnation.

He did not linger here, entering the city, where various demons along the streets had taken human form and seemed to scent his human essence, casting frequent glances his way.

Only when they sensed his cultivation base of Immortal Lord realm did many of their gazes slightly retract, yet deep in their eyes still lurked traces of bloodlust and desire.

Li Hao had not expected these demons' gazes to be so brazen; he furrowed his brow, listening to the murmurs around him, but all were spoken in the tongues of various demon tribes—he could not understand them, so he walked steadily down the street, occasionally probing with his Primordial Spirit to locate the teleportation array.

"I have a text on Northern Region demon tongue—I can teach it to you."

The Xuan Gui Emperor Soul perceived Li Hao's predicament and whispered to him.

Immediately, Li Hao felt a vast torrent of information surface in his mind—the languages of all the demon tribes.

He stood in the center of the street, suddenly halting, frowning and closing his eyes to absorb this knowledge.

Moments later, he fully internalized the demon tongue; the murmurs from the streets around him now sounded as clear as human speech, all perfectly comprehensible.

"Look quick—what's that human fool doing?"

"Keep your voice down—that guy's aura isn't ordinary; he's probably an Immortal Lord."

"Just an Immortal Lord? In the wild, I'd devour him without hesitation—look at that tender flesh, the flavor must be exquisite."

"Too bad, the Man Ni tribe's laws forbid killing within the city, otherwise…"

Li Hao heard these words and turned to look; two men and a woman were studying him—the woman covered her mouth, giggling, her eyes flickering with seduction, yet her words dripped with greed for devouring him.

Li Hao had not anticipated these demons would be so bold, openly discussing such things, treating him as if he were invisible.

Those humans who had lived here long must understand these demon tongues; their utter lack of restraint suggested human status here was abysmally low.

"Look—he's staring at us. He must understand what we're saying."

"So what if he understands? Does he dare cause us trouble?"

"He's allowed to breathe here only because of the Man Ni tribe's laws—otherwise, he'd have been torn apart long ago."

The trio murmured, smiled at Li Hao, revealing rows of white teeth, then, seemingly bored by the sight of food they could not eat, turned and sauntered away.

Li Hao scanned the shops lining the road and discovered some displayed human skeletons—among them, a leg bone glowed with golden light, shimmering with divine radiance, clearly once belonging to an immensely powerful Immortal or deity.

Elsewhere, some shops imprisoned human men and women, their eyes filled with terror, openly displayed for sale with prices marked at the entrance.

Li Hao's expression shifted slightly; the Northern Region was indeed as the Xuan Gui Emperor Soul had said—human and demon status were reversed here; humans were beasts, pets, prey to be slaughtered at will.

The human clans that still stood firm here must be extraordinarily exceptional.

Yet even under such conditions, even with powerful cultivators present, they would surely face constant obstruction.

Li Hao did not linger; from the demons' murmurs, he learned the location of the city's teleportation array and headed there.

As for the many imprisoned humans he had seen along the way, though he wished to help, he knew that as a newcomer, meddling would only lead to certain death.

Moreover, even before his arrival, such events had persisted here for countless eons.

If he truly wished to resolve this, perhaps only when he grew powerful enough—then even a single word from him would carry more weight than drawing his sword now.

Not long after, Li Hao found the teleportation array.

Earlier, on the Dao Bridge, he had exchanged some Dao Primordial Essence for a quantity of Immortal Stones among the various Immortal Dynasties' imperial clans—he was not lacking.

Now, he paid ten thousand Immortal Stones to the array and, following the Xuan Gui Emperor Soul's guidance, teleported to Su Family's Northern Region Imperial Star: Gu Su Imperial Star.

According to the teleportation rules, humans on Gu Su Imperial Star must pay ten thousand Immortal Stones, while demons pay thirty thousand—three times the price—and demons must also pass a qualification check: only those who have not consumed humans for ten thousand years may enter.

At the teleportation array on Gu Su Imperial Star stood a specialized Immortal artifact designed to test human blood essence—if a demon had eaten humans, traces of human blood and residual souls would remain, all detectable by this artifact.

When Li Hao arrived, he immediately saw before him a grand, majestic street and a vast, imposing city.

In the sky, a mirror inscribed with cosmic symbols focused upon the teleportation array, reflecting the figures arriving through teleportation—including Li Hao.