Chapter 841: One Drop of True Blood, Reversing the Emperor

"The Dao, the Dao Source Immortal Seal!"

As the elders of various clans still wondered who the young man on the stage was, they were stunned by the Dao Source Immortal Seal slowly emerging on Li Hao's forehead.

In a single day, they had seen two Dao Source Immortal Seals—one a top prodigy among demons, the other a human boy they had never seen before.

"Who is he?"

"Cultivation base at Immortal Lord Stage Two… Which clan is this prodigy from? How could the Northern Region have such a talent?"

"Dao Source Immortal Seal—he couldn't possibly remain unknown at the True Immortal Realm!"

All the clans erupted in chaos, including the Jiang, Su, and Lin families, all struck dumb as if struck by lightning.

They were aware of Li Hao's identity; after all, his decade-long pursuit of Su Muqing had long been whispered across the lands, and all had heard of it.

Yet no one had imagined that this foolish boy, obsessed with Su Muqing and deemed a fool by them, possessed the Dao Source Immortal Seal and was in fact a top prodigy.

"He, how could he possibly…"

Lin Jinrou covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief; her memory of the boy still showed him casting the Realm of Years on the lakeside pavilion, suppressing a thousand flying dragons with terrifying painting-art mastery.

"Dao Source Immortal Seal…"

Su Wanxue's eyes revealed profound shock, her lips unable to close; she had heard how this man daily haunted Su Muqing's courtyard, waiting desperately—how could such a fool, wasting his heart on another, possess the Dao Source Immortal Seal?!

Not just those present, but countless souls across the thirty-six thousand Immortal Cities were stunned by this scene.

"Dao Source Immortal Seal—who is this boy?"

"Besides Lin Zhe Xuan, our human race has another such prodigy? Even Lin Zhe Xuan doesn't have the Dao Source Immortal Seal!"

"Is this truly our human race's top prodigy? But how is his realm only Immortal Lord Stage Two?"

"Are you blind? Haven't you seen the Soul Lifespan displayed on the soul mirror outside the arena?!"

At this reminder, countless eyes turned to the soul mirror outside the arena, where Li Hao's soul lifespan was revealed: barely over a hundred years.

In that instant, the entire Gusu Emperor Star erupted like a boiling cauldron.

Soul lifespan of a hundred years, Immortal Lord Stage Two, Dao Source Immortal Seal!!

This far surpassed Lin Zhe Xuan and Su Muqing—it was unprecedented in ten thousand ages!

Yet soon, many powerful clan elders calmed down, realizing something was wrong—this situation was impossible.

A prodigy with the Dao Source Immortal Seal, yet only Immortal Lord Stage Two and a hundred-year soul lifespan—such a talent should be protected, nurtured, preserved.

Such a prodigy must not be sacrificed on this battlefield!

Instantly, the excited cheers across the Immortal Cities were drowned out by frantic shouts of warning.

Li Hao's appearance thrilled them, but the black-veiled demon woman was also a Dao Source Immortal Seal, and her realm was Immortal Lord Stage Nine!

A gap of seven realms—like heaven and earth. Even Su Muqing and other prodigies at Immortal Lord Stage Two dared not claim victory against a standard Immortal Lord Stage Nine, unless wielding their clan's supreme immortal weapons.

Especially when both were top prodigies—this seven-realm gap was real. You may defy the odds, but so can he; the gap cancels out, leaving seven realms as an insurmountable mountain.

"That child…"

Su Zhenyuan, who had rushed over, froze in place, trembling.

When he had seen Li Hao's soul lifespan, he knew the boy was top-tier talent—but he never imagined his potential exceeded even his wildest expectations.

No wonder such a prodigy received the imperial marriage decree from the Immortal Emperor to come to the Su family as a bridegroom.

This was not about the boy climbing up to the Su family—it was the Emperor bestowing upon the Su family a divine opportunity!!

Su Zhenyuan finally understood—he realized the ancestral marriage contract clearly indicated an intimate bond with that Immortal Emperor; how could he not protect the Su family's descendants?

Not just him—Jiang Qiuyu and Lin Daogong were also stunned, speechless.

Dao Source Immortal Seal meant, with proper cultivation, certain ascent to the Half-Emperor Realm—far more qualified than Nine-Petal Immortal Seals to glimpse the path of the Great Emperor.

In the Northern Region, a prodigy had emerged surpassing Su Muqing and Lin Zhe Xuan—and with that soul lifespan, it was almost absurd, terrifying!

"You…"

Su Muqing stared at the dazzling light of the Immortal Seal before her, her gaze blank, only regaining awareness after a long silence.

Her eyes held shock—she had never dreamed that this man, who pursued her relentlessly and seemed to have no ambition, had forged the supreme Dao Source Immortal Seal!

She herself bore the Nine-Petal Nine-Order Immortal Seal, once intending to forge the Dao Source Immortal Seal in the True Immortal Realm, but had never found the opportunity, forcing her to break through reluctantly, planning to cultivate Chaos Laws in the Immortal Lord Realm to compensate.

Thus, she deeply understood how rare, how desperately hard it was to forge the Dao Source Immortal Seal.

In that moment, confusion and complex emotions filled her heart; countless words rose in her mind, and she could not help but speak:

"With such talent, why must you come to my Su family? Why must you seek me?"

Hearing the girl's words, Li Hao appeared not to hear them; he merely gazed quietly at her, at her face.

Scenes from the Southern Region flashed through his mind—he had chosen to step onto the stage not only for the human race of the Northern Region, but also to prevent that scene from recurring.

Silent, unresponsive—but Su Muqing's body trembled slightly; from his clear eyes, she saw something indescribable, profoundly deep.

She understood what it was—only now, at last, did she truly understand.

Was it not for the Su family, not for anything else—only for her?

Her breathing grew hurried, her heartbeat quickened; she turned her head and saw the black-veiled demon woman opposite—her thoughts instantly chilled like ice water poured over her head.

Her expression changed; she stepped forward, placing herself before Li Hao, fingers clenched tightly—she had never imagined, besides Lin Zhe Xuan, that she would stand before another man:

"Even with the Dao Source Immortal Seal, the gap between your realms is too vast—you cannot defeat her. Leave now!"

Her gaze was resolute; she had already prepared to die when she agreed to step onto the stage.

As she spoke, memories flooded her mind—the boy in the courtyard, always staring at her without blinking, met only by her cold, disgusted glances.

Her expression shifted slightly—before death, she seemed to owe him an apology.

An apology to the boy behind her.

When she had crossed past the two men who had guarded her since childhood, walking alone toward her final path under their silent gazes, it was the boy she had ignored who stepped ahead of her, shielding her once more from the final storm of her life—with his own life!

Her heart was tangled, indescribable; all past prejudices against the boy vanished—she only wanted to say one thing: an apology, an "I'm sorry."

But as her lips parted, the words unspoken, a thick, forceful immortal power seized her arm and pulled her behind him.

Li Hao stood before Su Muqing, his eyes holding not only calmness and resolve, but also an extreme, icy chill!

Her cry of "Leave!" seemed to reverse time itself.

He felt every drop of blood in his body flow back from the heartbreak of the Southern Region, surging into his body now, boiling like scalding oil, heating, burning—burning his cold, dormant heart!

"I will not, will not let you die before my eyes again."

Li Hao whispered softly.

Yet his entire immortal power surged like boiling water, extending infinitely; his Ultimate Pathways of the Ten Thousand Stars emerged behind him, a dense web of light drawing in the stars of the Northern Region's heavens.

Standing at the center of this overwhelming immortal power, he unleashed a powerful force, pushing Su Muqing's body backward.

Su Muqing snapped back to awareness, her face paling—she immediately prepared to unleash her immortal power to resist.

Li Hao sensed her intent, suddenly lifting his gaze toward the demonic warship, especially the purple-robed middle-aged man at its head.

At this moment, the demons' eyes were filled with shock and disbelief—they had not expected another human, besides Hei Ji, to possess the Dao Source Immortal Seal, and one even more monstrous than Lin Zhe Xuan and Su Muqing!

"Are you idiots? Do you not follow the rules?! I entered first—let her go!"

Li Hao fixed his gaze on the purple-robed man, speaking each word with sharp, furious command.

The purple-robed man snapped back to himself, his expression shifting—he, a Half-Emperor, had been scolded by a human brat?

But instead of anger, he laughed aloud, delighted—how unexpected, how astonishing! Such a windfall!

Defeating Lin Zhe Xuan had drawn out this terrifying creature—a hundred-year soul lifespan, Dao Source Immortal Seal—truly a monster!

Had he not revealed himself now, had this monster secretly cultivated for a thousand or ten thousand years, the consequences would have been truly terrifying!

"Good, good—well said!"

The purple-robed man clapped his hands, laughing.

His reaction snapped others back to reality; their expressions shifted instantly, stunned.

Only now did they realize what was happening.

If such a prodigy perished in this duel, the loss far outweighed twenty Immortal Cities.

Not twenty—two hundred, two thousand Immortal Cities would not be worth it!

"Quick, get him down—he's still young, he can't die like this!"

"Stop him!"

Elders from every clan rushed to the edge of the demonic arena, their faces frantic.

Su Zhenyuan, Jiang Qiuyu, and others appeared within the arena.

"Hao Tian, come with me—this is not a battle you should be in now."

Su Zhenyuan hurriedly said.

Jiang Qiuyu and Lin Daogong now learned Li Hao's name, both speaking: "Correct—you have such talent, our three clans will jointly nurture you. With a prodigy like you, losing this battle means nothing!"

Su Zhenyuan unleashed power to teleport Li Hao away.

But suddenly, an imperial aura descended, blocking his power.

The purple-robed man, the golden-eyed middle-aged man, and the cold, alluring woman appeared instantly within the arena.

"You think you can just walk away? Do you still respect the rules?!"

Once you enter the arena, it's a fight to the death—do you intend to break the rules?

The purple-robed man led, coldly staring at Su Zhenyuan and the others, his aura blazing—clearly determined to keep Li Hao, refusing to let him be taken.

Su Zhenyuan, Jiang Qiuyu, and Lin Daogong's faces darkened—but now, they would rather break the rules for Li Hao.

As their auras surged, the three demons also unleashed their own power; vast imperial auras filled the Demon Ancestor Arena, spreading outward. Su Zhenyuan enclosed Li Hao and Su Muqing within his aura—the clashing imperial forces made the elders outside tremble, too terrified to approach.

Though merely Half-Emperors, even a fraction of their power's leakage could severely wound an Immortal King.

Seeing the terrifying standoff, countless primordial Dao manifestations appeared—thunder and fire were born and extinguished, space and time shattered, as if the end of the world had come—everyone stood speechless.

"What? Will your human race not even follow its own rules? Are you going to gang up on one?"

Suddenly, a cold voice echoed from the distant void.

Amid the intense standoff, the voice reverberated through them; Su Zhenyuan and others changed expression, their faces paling slightly.

But the imperial aura conveyed by the voice was not strong—it did not intend to harm them, only to scatter their momentum before withdrawing.

"Imperial Emperor!"

Su Zhenyuan and the other two changed color, gazing deeply at the empty space behind the black warship—the demonic Imperial Emperor was indeed watching from above, observing everything here.

To an Immortal Emperor, the distance of the stars meant nothing; if he wished, he could extend his Emperor Path at any moment and descend here.

"Hmph, want to break the rules? Then wake your sleeping Emperor and see who's stronger!"

The purple-robed middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, radiating danger; yet his words felt like a probe.

Su Zhenyuan and the others wore grim expressions—if the opponent used this to uncover the human race's foundations, the gain would be a hundredfold greater than slaying a prodigy.

After all, prodigies still require time to cultivate; for the human race's current situation, they held little significance.

But the human race's foundations would immediately impact the current situation of the northern realm's humans, the borders, and the entire grand scheme!

"Child, you…"

Su Zhenyuan looked at Li Hao, his eyes filled with complexity.

Could they really fail to protect the prodigy sent by the Immortal Emperor? Could they truly watch him sacrifice himself before their eyes?

"Hmph, don't waste time—step down, all of you!"

The purple-robed middle-aged man sneered.

Su Zhenyuan and Jiang Qiuyu exchanged glances, staring at Li Hao with profound complexity, unsure what to do.

But to stop this battle, only a clan Emperor could intervene.

"You…"

Su Muqing slightly opened her mouth, gazing at Li Hao—so many words rose in her throat, yet suddenly she could not speak.

She suddenly realized she knew nothing about this boy—only his name; his origins, his past, all were unknown.

"If you can't win, surrender—I promise you, if you survive, I'll give Muqing to you in marriage, immediately!"

He gritted his teeth to speak these words, forcing them out with great intensity, hoping to give Li Hao the will to live.

He spoke without glancing at Su Muqing beside him, nor at his friend Lin Daogong—only fixed his gaze tightly on Li Hao.

If a boy would willingly sacrifice his life for his daughter, what reason could there be not to entrust his daughter to him?!

This time, he would act as a father—even if Su Muqing objected, he would arrange this marriage!

After Su Zhenyuan spoke, Lin Daogong's expression shifted; but seeing the Dao Source Immortal Seal on the boy's forehead, he fell silent, his peripheral vision sweeping toward Lin Zhexuan—far off, his face twisted in shock, then numbness, then darkening—his heart grew complex, and he sighed.

The world seemed to fall silent; even Su Muqing beside him made no sound, offering no rebuttal to Su Zhenyuan.

Yet Li Hao's reaction was not the ecstatic joy Su Zhenyuan imagined—he merely glanced briefly at the girl's face, then turned away, his gaze settling on the black-veiled woman, and said softly:

"We'll see. I hope I survive too."

Su Zhenyuan felt a flicker of surprise at Li Hao's response, yet a sense of unease stirred in his chest—he took a deep breath and said, "Remember, don't force it—if you can't win, surrender!"

At this point, they had no way to forcibly remove Li Hao—they could only hope he himself would find a chance to surrender and step down.

"Boy, it seems you truly wish to die. Interesting. Very interesting."

The purple-robed middle-aged man looked at Li Hao and grinned—this boy was fascinating. He'd foreseen Su Zhenyuan's group would break the rules to take him away, so he'd directly called upon the demonic faction for help.

He'd never met such a prodigy and such a curious creature—pity he was human. If only he were demonic!

Smiling, he exchanged glances with Su Zhenyuan and the others, his expression turning cold; without a word, they all instantly teleported away from the Demon Ancestor's Ground.

Su Muqing stared deeply at Li Hao and whispered, "Survive."

With that, her figure flickered and vanished from the Demon Ancestor's Ground.

But those three words stirred Li Hao's heart—just like the final moment of the girl from the southern realm, when she too had bid him farewell: "Survive."

You asked me to live—but what of you…?

Li Hao slowly clenched his fists; his ragged breaths froze at that moment, solidifying into ice within his chest.

He drew a deep breath.

Then slowly exhaled.

When his gaze met the black-veiled woman, his eyes were cold—empty of all emotion.

"So tedious. So foolish."

As the sealing barrier closed, Hei Ji rarely moved immediately—she merely regarded Li Hao with indifference, making her judgment.

She found it tedious because Su Zhenyuan and the others wasted time; she found him foolish because of Li Hao.

Li Hao said nothing—he was not tedious, so he spoke no empty words.

His aura continuously rose, Dao and will merging as one.

"You and I both bear the Dao Source Immortal Seal. To forge such a supreme seal, you must have great fortune. But our realms are too vastly unequal—you should not come here to die."

Hei Ji spoke coldly: "Do you truly believe you can cross seven realms and defeat me?"

Li Hao said: "You're tedious."

Hei Ji's eyes lifted slightly, yet without anger. Compared to the earlier Lin prodigy, she felt no killing intent toward this boy.

Yet, though she felt none, that did not mean she would not erase him.

On the contrary, compared to the Lin prodigy, this boy was far more deserving of total annihilation—his potential threat dwarfed all others before him!

"Do you possess Imperial Blood? Are you a Chaos Body?"

Hei Ji regarded Li Hao with interest: "What makes you think you can defeat me? Or is it merely to die with that girl? Is this what your humans call love?"

Li Hao gave no answer. He had no Imperial Blood, no Chaos Body. What he possessed was a body forged by himself—once fallen into the abyss, he had rooted his heart in heaven and earth, cast his bones from mountains and rivers, shaped his flesh from sun and moon, and forged his blood with supreme Dao will—his own, unique, Haotian Bloodline!

How strong this bloodline was depended on himself—on his future.

Seeing Hei Ji grow leisurely, the purple-robed middle-aged man and the others outside paled, growing anxious—fearing Li Hao would seize this chance to surrender.

But within the arena, Hei Ji, who bore the Dao Source Immortal Seal, spoke so much precisely because she saw clearly: this boy had not come to surrender.

Thus, she was not worried—until this human boy reached utter despair, he would never yield.

Seeing Li Hao refused to speak further, Hei Ji fell silent, her gaze turning cold.

Prodigies have always been numerous, yet most vanish like fleeting flowers—this boy was no exception.

Such fleeting blooms did not warrant her sympathy, yet they stirred a faint regret—yet to crush one with her own hands? That brought a different kind of pleasure.

"Eternal Night!"

Hei Ji raised her hand—instantly, thick darkness surged forth, engulfing the Demon Ancestor's Ground.

Outside, countless faces tightened with tension.

"Surrender! Surrender now!"

Outside the arena, Su Wanqing clenched her fists, stomping in place in desperation—but deep inside, she knew fearfully: Li Hao would never surrender lightly, or he would never have stepped onto the stage.

For his sister, was it worth it?

A strange ache stirred in her heart.

"So strong—can the boy withstand it?"

"He's only Immortal Lord Stage Two! Won't he be instantly obliterated?!"

Across the entire Gusu Imperial Star, countless eyes fixed on this scene, breath held.

But suddenly, a brilliant slash of swordlight appeared—crimson, blazing, as if the blood of ten thousand years had erupted in this instant.

Slash!

Li Hao's hair flew wildly; in his hand appeared a crimson sword—Taowu. Now, having reached Immortal Lord Stage, he could truly control and wield an Immortal Artifact!

Previously, Taowu had merely been a tool—he fed it Immortal energy and let it act on its own. Now, as an Immortal Lord, he could fully unleash Taowu's power, wielding it as his own sword.

"Master, come!"

Taowu emitted a bloodthirsty, ferocious thought, sensing this battle was unprecedentedly difficult—even tenfold harder than the southern realm.

One man, one sword, minds united—Li Hao's eyes brimmed with killing intent. In this moment, he fused time, space, form-control, and the sword intent of the Five Ultimate Emperor Swords into his own sword Dao.

This first strike was his strongest—his Sole Self Sword Dao, slicing through all before his eyes!

Boom!

Violent sword intent howled in mourning, stretching nine thousand li upward, soaring like a force that would cleave the Demon Ancestor's Ground open—even within the closing Faze of Eternal Night, it blazed with dazzling brilliance. The myriad primordial laws entwined with the blade, combined with Taowu's innate malevolence, prevented Eternal Night from healing.

"Such a powerful sword Dao…"

"Is this his sword? His true power?!"

Outside, Su Muqing and Su Wanqing froze, stunned, lost in thought.

They had seen Li Hao's sword art at the Sword Pool's Peak—though terrifying and brilliant, it paled beside this sword.

As the sword's aura spread, a vast, righteous Emperor aura surged from the blade—like dawn breaking through night, peerless!

Feeling that Emperor aura, all were stunned—the boy's sword art carried the shadow of an Emperor Path!

Recall: Lin Zhexuan's divine spear had also carried Emperor intent. In this regard, Li Hao had not fallen behind Lin Zhexuan.

Outside, Lin Zhexuan's expression shifted slightly, yet his eyes darkened, gleaming with cold light. Though the sword aura bore Emperor intent, its sword Dao realm… still fell short of his spear Dao realm.

Boom!

The sword's edge descended, slicing directly toward Hei Ji's head—only to be caught in her snow-white palm.

Yes—caught.

This sight caused countless onlookers to gasp, eyes bulging.

Such a supreme sword strike, effortlessly caught by a hand as white as lotus root!

The terrifying Emperor aura slowly faded; the sword's momentum was halted, then collapsed.

Compared to Lin Zhexuan's ultimate spear strike, Hei Ji now blocked Li Hao's sword with even greater ease—without even a scratch on herself.

Seeing this scene, countless eyes filled with shock turned to cries of despair.

After all, the gap in realm was too vast; though Li Hao's newly revealed aura had already stunned everyone—even a typical Ninth-Stage Immortal Lord might not be his match—he was facing a top-tier Ninth-Stage prodigy!

"The gap is too great…."

Su Muqing's face turned pale as she bit her lip.

Su Wanqing stood frozen, her face drained of color.

"The gap is too great—impossible to win…" Lin Jinrou and others gazed at the scene, their expressions complex.

Inside the arena, Li Hao stared at the black-veiled demoness who had casually caught his sword strike, and his heart sank by three-tenths.

He never intended to defeat her with that single strike—it was merely a probe—but the result fell far short of his expectations.

She was far, far stronger than he'd imagined… this battle, he had no confidence at all; stepping onto the arena was a gamble with his life.

In truth, even if he had confidence, stepping onto this arena was still a gamble with his life.

After all, once this battle ended, whether he lived or died, his identity would be exposed—and the Southern Region would know.

Only he knew what he had paid to step onto this arena.

But he had no regrets.

"Your sword realm is still lacking."

Hei Ji crushed the sword qi, then waved her hand as if swatting away a wisp of cloud, speaking calmly.

Li Hao nodded slightly. "Indeed."

He accepted her words.

At that same moment, he silently summoned his interface and allocated points.

The True Meaning of Chess Dao, embedded… into Sword Dao!

As Li Hao allocated the points, in an instant, a vast, overwhelming Daoic essence flooded into his spiritual sense.

Countless brilliant sword intentions surged toward him, filling his mind—he felt as if he had trained sword for ten thousand years in an instant, countless exquisite sword techniques executed countless times by his body, and every secret of Sword Dao revealed itself clearly before his eyes, with no hidden mysteries left.

Sword Dao: Twelve Stages!

The surging sword intent merged into his Dao realm, into his consciousness, and into his body.

His entire aura changed.

His entire presence was utterly transformed, unlike before.

The change was obvious to all outside—the elders of every clan widened their eyes, including Su Zhenyuan and others, who now showed faint surprise.

A breakthrough mid-battle?

At this critical moment, this boy had ascended a major realm in Sword Dao?!

Such things had happened before, but the higher the realm, the rarer they became.

At this moment, Li Hao raised his sword again; behind him, the Heavenly and Earthly Manifestation appeared, and behind that, the Manifestations of the Saints he had forged in the Tianyang Pseudo Realm.

As he raised Taowu, each of the Heavenly and Earthly Manifestation and the Saintly Manifestations now held a sword in hand.

Over a hundred sword qi streams all pointed in the same direction.

"Cut!"

Li Hao swung his sword again—still the Sole Self Sword Dao, still the ultimate, peak strike.

Sword Dao: Twelve Stages! The True Meaning of Sword Dao! The Law of Sword Dao!

Outside the Nine Orders, all ten thousand Dao laws entwined and coalesced into the Law of Sword Dao.

That Law of Sword Dao resembled countless chains binding together, radiating an terrifying, unimaginable aura.

Hei Ji's expression shifted slightly; cold, ruthless light flashed in her eyes. She raised her hand, releasing black smoke-like power from her Immortal energy—beyond the Eternal Night Law, six layers of the Nine Orders' primordial realm surged forth, merging into one, transforming into the Ultimate Darkness Law.

"Annihilate!"

She raised her hand, her Law power enveloping everything—the full force of her six-layer primordial realm, immensely stronger than Li Hao's.

Li Hao's current grasp of Time Primordial Realm, elevated through his Chess Dao breakthrough, had only reached the peak of the fifth layer—he still lacked one step to reach the sixth.

The same was true for Space Primordial Realm.

With a thunderous boom, as the sword qi collided and pierced into the Annihilation Law, Li Hao instantly felt as if he had struck into an endless ocean—endless, boundless resistance.

His eyes flared open in fury; his Immortal energy erupted instantly—BREAK!

With a thunderous boom, the Annihilation Law shattered; sword qi surged wildly, directly striking Hei Ji's body, carving open a deep gash!

Earlier, Lin Zhe's battle with Hei Ji had shattered her demonic weapons and Immortal treasures, so Hei Ji could only fight Li Hao with her true body's power.

And the only thing Li Hao had over her was Taowu, the Immortal Weapon.

"Hmm?"

Hei Ji was wounded, but the wound would heal instantly—yet her expression changed.

Outside the arena, everyone was stunned to see Li Hao had actually injured Hei Ji.

With a seven-layer realm gap, Li Hao had still managed to wound Hei Ji!

Though for someone with Blood Rebirth, such a wound was barely a scratch, healing in an instant; and with Hei Ji's mastery of the Celestial Star Veins, her Immortal energy flowed endlessly—this level of injury meant even less.

But the fact remained: she had been wounded. This proved the sheer power of that single strike—beyond imagination.

Though Li Hao's Time and Space Primordial Realms were only at peak fifth layer, and all other realms were fourth layer, his Sword Dao was sixth layer!

His Body Dao was also sixth-layer primordial realm.

Sixth-layer primordial Sword Dao, fused with the ten thousand primordial laws, unleashed through the Sole Self Sword Art—this transformed Sword Dao Law shattered the Annihilation Law, even cleaving through the Eternal Night Law, and only then had it wounded Hei Ji.

"His sword technique…"

Su Muqing stared, dumbfounded—just now, that sword technique was no less impressive than her own.

Is this the man I've always despised and looked down upon?

"Your attack?"

Hei Ji frowned; though the wound healed, she felt intense pain—her Primordial Spirit had been injured!

The power within that single strike had actually harmed her Primordial Spirit.

His Immortal energy… had surpassed liquid Immortal energy, infused with some special force!

How did he achieve this with a hundred-year soul lifespan?

Hei Ji's mind churned; her gaze grew grave, and a killing intent emerged.

This human's threat was too great—she could not let him live.

"Eternal Night, Ultimate Darkness—die!"

Hei Ji struck without mercy, instantly elevating her primordial realm to the seventh layer!

Earlier, when she fought Lin Zhe, both had revealed seventh-layer primordial realms; but Li Hao's Sword Dao Twelve Stages only reached sixth-layer primordial realm.

Mist swirled around them; the heavens and earth darkened abruptly, the Demon Ancestor's Arena shrouded in darkness.

Boundless malevolent energy surged toward Li Hao; he recognized this technique—the same one that had defeated Lin Zhe—and his eyes sharpened. He erupted with Immortal energy, swinging his sword repeatedly, using Time and Space power to warp the speed before him, striking a thousand or more blows in a single breath.

Each strike was at its peak, draining every ounce of his Immortal energy.

The thousand strikes overlapped and slashed toward Hei Ji—but were devoured by the dark force; only the final dozen or so touched her.

Hei Ji raised her hand to catch one strike; her body had reached sixth-layer primordial, her Immortal body top-tier—yet the sword qi still wounded her, and when struck, her Primordial Spirit felt as if torn apart, agony piercing through.

Her face twisted in shock and fury—so it wasn't a fluke. His attacks could truly harm her Primordial Spirit!

What strange Immortal energy is this?

She waved her hand; the surrounding black mist erupted, instantly crushing the remaining sword qi, then a colossal palm emerged from the darkness, slamming down upon Li Hao.

With a thunderous boom, Li Hao's body was smashed into a mountain peak, every bone feeling as if it would shatter.

His Immortal body, forged through Chess Dao and elevated beyond the Heavenly Immortal Body—his Primordial Spirit fused with his flesh into the Heavenly-Earthly Immortal Body—was now wounded.

His previous Heavenly Immortal Body could withstand attacks from Eighth- or Ninth-Stage Immortal Lords; his Heavenly-Earthly Immortal Body, fused with Primordial Spirit power, should have been impervious even to a Ninth-Stage Immortal Lord's full strength.

Li Hao was stunned—but fortunately, the wound was not fatal, healing instantly.

When his body burst from the rubble, Hei Ji's expression changed—her pupils contracted, and for the first time, surprise flickered in her eyes.

That blow, though not her utmost, was close to her full power—yet it hadn't killed this boy?

What kind of body is this? How could it remain intact?

Seeing Li Hao charge forward with his sword, she glared and raised her hand again; from the black mist, four or five palm prints coalesced, striking one after another like five great mountains descending.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Li Hao's sword qi shattered—unable to resist the dark giant palms—his own body was slammed into the arena's ground.

Five cataclysmic palm prints crushed him; he felt every bone in his body cracking, his body as if disassembled, agony excruciating.

But fortunately, though his flesh was shredded and bloody, he had not been obliterated outright.

As Immortal energy surged in, Li Hao healed instantly, then shot upward, charging again at Hei Ji.

Hei Ji, seeing this, was furious and astonished—Li Hao felt like a stubborn stone, impossibly hard!

She raised her hand, gathering the surrounding power; the dark energy enveloping the entire arena was sucked into her palm like a whale drinking water, revealing their figures. Then she revealed her true form—her aura surged, becoming even more terrifying. The condensed power, as she breathed it in and out, suddenly transformed into a swirling, pitch-black sphere, radiating a collapsing force, hurtling toward Li Hao.

Outside the arena, everyone gasped at the sudden spectacle—relieved to see Li Hao still alive, yet immediately overwhelmed by the terrifying aura of the collapsing dark sphere, radiating seventh-layer primordial law and vast, boundless Immortal energy.

"No!"

Su Muqing's pupils contracted, her face paled—she felt she could not withstand this force.

Others turned pale, shouting anxiously—if Li Hao could only cry out surrender, he might still be saved!

Su Zhenyuan, Jiang Qiuyu, and others stirred with power, ready to act—the moment Li Hao uttered surrender, they would shatter the sealing array and rush into the battlefield.

But facing the attack that ground through space and time, carving a void-black trail toward him, Li Hao did not retreat—he sent his Primordial Spirit flying, hovering above his head.

Human and Spirit United!

On his Primordial Spirit, one thousand one hundred Primordial Spirit Golden Bones glowed like golden glass, illuminating his entire body, lighting up the Demon Ancestor's Arena from fifty thousand years past, and illuminating the countless eyes of the thirty-six thousand Immortal Cities of Gusu.

Not only Su Zhenyuan and others were stunned; the purple-robed middle-aged man and the rest of the demons were also horrified, their pupils contracting.

Su Muqing and Su Wanqing were frozen in place; Lin Zhe's dark expression far away also froze, his eyes shrinking under the glow.

One thousand one hundred primordial golden bones, like a full suit of golden armor, completely enveloped and shrouded Li Hao's primordial spirit.

Amidst the world's shock, the thousands of golden bones on the primordial spirit ignited simultaneously.

Burning the primordial spirit!!

And not just one or two—every single one!

The burning flames roared vast and mighty, like a fire vast enough to consume the entire world.

This golden, brilliant blaze reflected in every eye, speaking of the boy's unyielding resolve and relentless killing intent, as solid as a rock within his body.

"You…"

Hei Ji also froze, her eyes wide with shock and fury, filled with utter disbelief.

Thousands of primordial golden bones?

That primordial spirit power was stronger than hers—hers, cultivated for over seven hundred years!

Yet his soul lifespan was barely a hundred years!

He was only at Immortal Lord Realm, Second Layer!

His primordial spirit had surpassed his own realm by so much—unheard of in the world, never seen before!

At this moment, as the blazing primordial spirit surged, a torrent of terrifying power flooded into Li Hao's body—an infinite commanding force. He channeled this force into the Celestial Star Meridians, and instantly, vast, boundless immortal energy gathered, all engulfed and compressed by his terrifying, infinite commanding force.

Finally, the boundless immortal energy condensed into a single terrifying sword qi.

"Cut me down!!"

Li Hao's eyes bled crimson; the pain of burning his primordial spirit was a hundredfold that of physical pain.

But the agony only drove him wilder, unleashing the most ultimate sword strike toward Hei Ji.

Boom!

That sword strike cleaved the void as if severing time itself, annihilating all sound.

The collapsing sphere hurtling toward him collided with the sword qi—and in the next instant, it was split open and shattered.

The sword qi weakened slightly, but soon surged again under the torrent of burning primordial spirit, regaining its strength, charging forward with unstoppable momentum toward Hei Ji.

"So… this was his confidence…"

Su Zhenyuan and the others watched in awe, finally understanding why Li Hao had dared to step onto the stage.

But with such extreme primordial spirit combustion, after this battle… this boy would be dead—or ruined.

Under their gaze, the sword qi arrived before Hei Ji in an instant. At the moment her attack was shattered, she felt an overwhelming threat—and even caught a whiff of death.

Her shock was beyond words: seven realms apart, and yet she felt the threat of death from a mere Immortal Lord Realm, Second Layer!

But the blazing divine flame before her, that wave of soul-deep heat, told her—he had burned everything to close this gap.

"Die!!"

Her eyes turned pitch black; her shadowy body surged violently, merging with heaven and earth, blending with immortal energy.

Eternal night, utter darkness—she became one with heaven and earth, vanished into it, and thus became the ultimate dark.

As damp, dark power surged forth, a profound will descended behind her—vast, abyssal, majestic, like a mountain descending from distant stars. Before this mountain, all beings were ants.

The moment that extraordinary will descended, Li Hao's sword qi trembled and twisted.

The sword qi seemed unable to hold—like a mortal standing before an emperor, too terrified to draw his sword, trembling in place.

Li Hao too was struck by the will; his whole body shuddered. Every belief within him felt crushed by a single punch; his body felt as if it would shatter. Even the flame of his burning primordial spirit flickered, as if about to die out.

This was… the Sovereign Will!

Li Hao's pupils contracted in shock—he had touched the Sovereign Will long ago during his ultimate transcendence.

Precisely because he had touched it, he knew its vastness, its terror—even a faint trace could freeze the soul, make one tremble.

Before this will, heaven and earth seemed small. That was why he called it "Sovereign"—the Sovereign of Heaven and Earth.

But now, the Sovereign Will before him was a hundred, a thousand times stronger than what he had once felt. The Sovereign Will Hei Ji could borrow was incomparable to what he had ever touched.

Once, he had used the Sovereign Will to crush enemies and avert crises. Now, he was being crushed by it.

Li Hao's body retreated step by step. His body was the Celestial Immortal Body, flesh and primordial spirit fused as one—but before the Sovereign Will, even heaven and earth bowed.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Li Hao stepped on empty air, retreating backward.

Hei Ji's dark power, fueled by the Sovereign Will, surged forth—she had used this very technique to nearly silence Lin Zhe before he could cry surrender.

Now, she would crush Li Hao faster, denying him any chance to yield.

To that end, her own primordial spirit burned slightly—not as wildly as Li Hao's, not all of it—but dozens of primordial golden bones ignited, granting immense commanding force and making her control over power even more terrifying.

The void cracked; where the dark power spread, all things returned to void.

Li Hao kept retreating, crushed by the Sovereign Will, unable to raise his head, unable to gather his strength.

Is this how it ends? Is this how he dies?!

If he dies, will she be next?

Li Hao gritted his teeth; every hair on his body stood on end, as if bound by countless restraints—and only by giving everything could he break free.

"So what if it's Sovereign Will? I am Hao Tian Sovereign!!"

Li Hao roared to the heavens, facing the extraordinary will not with surrender or plea, but with a furious, defiant cry.

His roar echoed beyond the Demon Ancestor's domain, shaking the skies above Gusu City—earth and heaven trembled, all four corners quaked.

The flames of the thousand primordial bones blazed fiercely, as if doused in oil, surging skyward into blazing golden divine radiance that engulfed and shrouded Li Hao's body.

Countless onlookers were stunned, their blood boiling, their eyes reddening.

The boy's cry pierced through the entire Emperor Star.

Facing the Sovereign Will, crying out in despair, his blazing divine flame—this scene shook the entire Emperor Star.

The dark power surged into Li Hao's divine flame—but at that moment, the extraordinary Sovereign Will suddenly withdrew.

Like a tide receding, it vanished from the shattered spacetime, retreating deep into the heavens, back to the deeper layers accessible only after ultimate transcendence.

"Huh?"

Hei Ji's face changed. What was happening?

She could no longer sense the Sovereign Will—could no longer command that portion of it.

As if some force had caused it to retreat!

As she hesitated, she suddenly felt her heart pound violently—a presence, incomprehensibly majestic, noble as a deity, supreme and unrivaled, emanated from the blazing divine flame before her.

There, Li Hao's figure emerged, bathed in the divine fire of his burning primordial spirit. Above his head, within the blazing fire of his primordial golden bones, a single drop of brilliant, crimson blood floated in the void, radiating boundless true essence.

That was… the True God Blood of the Primordial Spirit's Final Stage.