Chapter 846: Li Hao

"Ying Xiaoxiao!"

Li Hao's entire body tensed, his eyes locked tightly on the palace door, sensing that familiar aura grow denser, clearer, until it erupted like a full moon rising, radiating unobstructed from within the hall.

Immortal energy gathered around, vast and overwhelming, as if seawater had suddenly condensed from nothingness and surged inward, engulfing the entire palace.

This astonishing sight was felt not only by Li Hao, but also by Wu Ma and the maids in the courtyard, all staring in shock.

"Has the young lady broken through?"

"This scale… isn't this too huge for just a realm breakthrough?"

The maids, all at the True Immortal Realm, felt their breath grow labored and their footing unsteady under the crushing pressure of this immense immortal energy.

Outside the courtyard, hidden in the void, a Su family guard—a cultivator of the Immortal King Realm—emerged from the air, his eyes grave.

Among Su family descendants, none other than Su Muqing and the other three Little Phoenixes were guarded secretly by Immortal King-level elders, to protect them from demonic ambushes or other unforeseen dangers.

At this moment, the Immortal King's gaze pierced through the condensed immortal pressure like candlelight, fixing on the depths of the hall.

But within, a primordial, supreme force blocked his sight—a tide of time surging endlessly, shrouding the cultivation chamber and rendering it invisible.

Though the Immortal King could not see what transpired inside, he sensed another aura besides the young lady's—one that was terrifying, forbidding, even causing a faint tremor in his own heart, despite his Immortal King status.

"What is that?"

"Such a powerful aura!"

Beyond the Exiled Immortal Courtyard, other Su family youths in nearby courtyards also saw the colossal pillar of light shooting into the sky, enveloping the Exiled Immortal Courtyard.

"The Exiled Immortal Courtyard? Could Muqing have broken through?"

In other courtyards, Su Wanqing and Su Wanxue both broke their cultivation, stepping out to gaze upward; upon recognizing the source, they immediately flew off and arrived at the Exiled Immortal Courtyard in moments.

Alongside them, other Su clan elders, senior members, and gifted disciples rushed over as well.

In moments, numerous figures gathered outside the courtyard.

Among them arrived Su Zhenyuan, the patriarch, accompanied by Su Qingmei.

"That's…"

As a half-step into the Emperor Realm, Su Zhenyuan saw through the layered barriers at once; when he spotted the terrifying Primordial Spirit emerging from his daughter's body, his pupils contracted slightly in shock, followed by a deep unease.

Though the Primordial Spirit's face matched his daughter's, as a father, he knew it was not his daughter.

He was about to act, to suppress and question it, when a calm voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

"That is the Su family's destiny. Do not interfere."

Su Zhenyuan froze—it was the voice of the ancestral patriarch, Su Jiuzhe.

"Husband, this…" Su Qingmei, though an Immortal King, lacked Su Zhenyuan's cultivation depth; she could only faintly sense the subtle changes within the hall, and felt a growing unease.

Su Zhenyuan said nothing, but suddenly remembered something, his gaze falling upon the courtyard.

There, the boy who always sat outside the hall had risen; his face, always calm—even during the demonic battle—now showed unmistakable tension, his entire body taut like a drawn bowstring.

Su Zhenyuan froze. What was the boy tense about?

He could feel: Li Hao bore no fear, only a different kind of tension—the fear of losing something.

Amidst all eyes, suddenly a radiant, seven-hued mist enveloped light shot out from the hall.

It was a Primordial Spirit, clad in blue-green robes, her black hair flowing like a waterfall; terrifying temporal primordial energy swirled around her. Most startling was the vivid red ink mark on her forehead—strikingly prominent, radiating concentrated Primordial Spirit energy.

They had sensed this same energy before, when Li Hao condensed his True God Blood.

This Primordial Spirit had also condensed True God Blood!

As the crowd reeled in shock, the radiant girl-Primordial Spirit, face flushed with emotion, tears like pearls sliding down her cheeks, glistening like fleeting bubbles.

She surged forward, rushing toward the boy in the courtyard.

At the same instant, the boy in the courtyard flew out at his fastest speed; the two met midair and embraced tightly.

Since their parting in the Southern Region, across countless lands, they had reunited here in distant Northern Region.

"I've… seen you again."

Shi Miao—or rather, Ying Xiaoxiao—collapsed into Li Hao's arms, burying her face against his shoulder, revealing her heart without restraint.

Back in the Southern Region, surrounded by enemies, she had barely reached the battlefield, never getting a proper reunion with Li Hao, nor even a proper farewell.

"Me too."

Li Hao's emotions surged; he lowered his head, his hand pausing briefly in midair before tightly wrapping around her back, pulling her into his embrace.

Seeing this, the Su family gathered in the air outside the courtyard stood frozen.

Undoubtedly, this girl-Primordial Spirit, whose face matched Su Muqing's, knew Li Hao.

But her aura was not Su Muqing's—it was someone else's.

Su Zhenyuan froze; his wife Su Qingmei stood stunned.

But they had seen much; amidst the chaos, their thoughts quickly aligned, and they soon guessed the truth.

"All these years, you've suffered."

Ying Xiaoxiao spoke softly, holding back her sobs, speaking gently to Li Hao.

Li Hao shook his head slightly, whispering: "As long as I waited for you, it was all worth it."

Ying Xiaoxiao lifted her head; the two gazed into each other's eyes. Though they had never spent much time together, Li Hao saw in her gaze what seemed to be centuries of emotion condensed into one look.

Back in the Southern Region, Li Hao had had no chance to ask—but now, he spoke:

"Are you Ying Xiaoxiao now… or Shi Miao?"

Shi Miao stared at Li Hao without blinking, as if she could never look away; she smiled faintly: "What do you think?"

Li Hao recalled their time in the mortal world, and said slowly: "Your true self is Shi Miao. If you were Ying Xiaoxiao, our interactions were few and shallow—not enough to make you sacrifice your life for me."

Shi Miao nodded gently: "That was because my original memories had not awakened—I could only subtly draw closer…"

She fixed her gaze on Li Hao: "I am Shi Miao now. You may have never seen me before, but I have been with you for a very, very long time…"

"Shi Miao…"

Li Hao gazed at her silently; the tenderness in her eyes was pure and sincere—he felt no doubt.

o￠O

He suddenly found it amusing: they had never met before, yet it felt as if they had shared countless millennia of emotion.

"So… is this the future, across the river of time?"

Li Hao asked.

Shi Miao nodded slightly, as if recalling some future moment; her brows furrowed faintly, then she shook her head and said to Li Hao:

"I knelt before the Heavenly Sovereign for ten thousand years, begging for this path—so I could meet you again. I will cherish it. I will never… never waste it like she did."

She gently clasped Li Hao's hand, her eyes clear and luminous as tempered glass.

Li Hao recalled Su Jiuzhe's words: the ancestor had knelt before the Heavenly Sovereign to beg for this path, just to meet him.

He did not know what the future held, but right now, he knew he could not betray her.

"What about her?"

Suddenly, Li Hao thought of Su Muqing and asked.

Shi Miao was now only a Primordial Spirit, without a physical body.

Hearing Li Hao's question, Shi Miao recalled the memories she had absorbed from Su Muqing; her eyes softened with pity:

"You've suffered these years. She's unharmed—she's asleep inside. As the vessel, I'll leave her a great opportunity. Consider it my thanks for letting me meet you again."

Li Hao was surprised:

"You're not taking over her body?"

Shi Miao shook her head: "She's different from Ying Xiaoxiao. Ying Xiaoxiao was my reincarnation body. She's merely a second vessel. In the same timeline, two reincarnation bodies cannot coexist. When I descended, I had to choose between her and Ying Xiaoxiao."

She fixed her gaze on Li Hao: "She's from the Northern Region's Su family. If I chose her, I could not stay with you—we would miss each other again, only to reunite in the future. But if I chose Ying Xiaoxiao… I could stay with you, accompany you all along this journey!"

Li Hao froze. Reincarnation body… vessel? He didn't fully understand her words, yet he felt he did.

Her choice mirrored his own decade-long presence in the Northern Region.

To draw the sword and pursue cultivation meant abandoning you.

To lay down the sword and stay by you meant failing to protect you.

Their choices were identical—only through mutual pursuit could they meet now.

Understanding this, Li Hao realized the depth of the girl's feelings for him: beyond her life-saving loyalty in the Southern Region, in the Su family of the Northern Region, had she chosen to reincarnate as Su Muqing, with the Su family's resources to aid and shield her, she would have soared to unimaginable heights long ago—far beyond what she was now!

But if she had pursued that peak realm this lifetime, their life paths would have diverged, and their reunion would have come far too late.

Simply to stay by him, she had forsaken the summit, waiting silently at the mountain's base…

Li Hao said nothing more, asked nothing more—only gently tightened his grip on her slender hand.

Shi Miao saw his gaze and knew the boy understood her heart; her eyes grew slightly damp. Perhaps this was why she waited—many words needed no speaking, many explanations needed no clarification. Her heart had not been trampled, but cherished and held tenderly.

"Cough!"

A soft cough suddenly interrupted them.

Su Jiuzhe's voice echoed in their minds: "You two aren't embarrassed? I'm embarrassed for you. Come to me."

Then Su Jiuzhe privately instructed Su Zhenyuan to seal the news and keep it quiet.

Su Zhenyuan and the others snapped back to awareness; they were all stunned and bewildered, and now clearly understood: Li Hao had come to the Su family not for Su Muqing, but for the girl before them.

"So… he was never looking at Sister Muqing…"

Su Wanqing stared blankly, finally realizing: the boy had never come for Su Muqing—he had come for the girl who looked exactly like her.

She was the one he truly loved.

Su Wanxue now understood as well; her expression turned complex—she had never imagined such a karmic thread lay beneath.

A gentle breeze swept up; Su Jiuzhe used his power to instantly transport Li Hao and Shi Miao to the Peach Mountain in the ancestral grounds.

Inside the Exiled Immortal Courtyard, Li Hao and Shi Miao's departure snapped everyone back to reality; immediately, murmurs erupted—everyone was stunned.

Who is that woman? She looks exactly like Muqing.

What did she mean by "vessel"? A reincarnation body? Could it be that Hao Tian previously treated Su Muqing as the woman's reincarnation?

Had that woman been hiding inside Muqing all along? Then where is Muqing now that she has awakened?

Many still didn't fully understand the reason, staring at each other in silence.

Su Zhenyuan received a message from Su Jiuzhe; combined with Li Hao and Shi Miao's conversation, he now understood the truth. After a moment of stunned silence, he let out a bitter laugh, waved his hand to dismiss the others, then flickered away to Muqing's chamber.

There, Su Muqing lay asleep in her cultivation chamber, her exquisitely beautiful face serene, as if in peaceful slumber.

Su Zhenyuan carefully examined her and found no injury or other changes—instead, her realm had surged from Immortal Lord Seventh Layer to Immortal Lord Ninth Layer!

She had skipped Immortal Lord Eighth Layer entirely!

Recall that only recently, Muqing had just broken through to Immortal Lord Seventh Layer.

With her cultivation speed and the Su family's resources, even under the most stable, diligent cultivation, she would still need at least a hundred years to reach Immortal Lord Ninth Layer—that was already the fastest possible pace!

Yet now, a hundred years of soul-life had been instantly shaved off.

Though to an Immortal Lord, a mere century meant little, for her, it was an enormous difference.

"Shi Miao… that name sounds familiar."

Su Zhenyuan murmured to himself.

Ten thousand years ago, that name had echoed throughout the True Realm, dazzlingly bright—but ten thousand years had passed, and with the True Realm's vast population, countless others bore the same name. He hadn't immediately connected it to such distant memories.

Besides, ten thousand years ago, he hadn't even been born. Back then, his grandfather led the Su family. He had merely inherited the clan later and studied the scrolls to learn of events from that era—but nothing compared to the depth of those who had lived through them.

"Is Muqing alright?"

At that moment, Su Qingmei also entered the cultivation chamber, her mature yet playfully charming face filled with worry.

Su Zhenyuan glanced at her and shook his head slightly. "No harm done. Her realm has even improved. But I don't know if there are other effects."

Neither of them knew their daughter had been a vessel, nor that Shi Miao was surely a top-tier powerhouse—at least a Pretender Emperor—capable of such feats even Su Zhenyuan couldn't perceive.

"Good, she's safe."

Su Qingmei exhaled in relief. Now she understood what had happened. Thinking back to the boy's early days in the Su family, she had once assumed he pursued Muqing out of lust for her beauty—but now she realized the truth.

"His primordial spirit has departed… what of their marriage pact?"

Su Qingmei looked at Su Zhenyuan, her gaze hesitant.

She no longer resisted Li Hao. His talent even surpassed Lin Zhe's, and he had been willing to sacrifice his life for their daughter. As a mother, she naturally favored him.

Su Zhenyuan's eyes flickered slightly as he slowly shook his head and said:

"These past years, Muqing despised him endlessly. He endured it—likely because of that woman. Now that her primordial spirit has left, Hao Tian surely won't agree to this marriage anymore…"

Su Qingmei froze, her expression shifting slightly, emotions swirling within her.

…

On Peach Hill, the Su ancestral grounds.

Su Jiuzhe gestured for Li Hao and Shi Miao to sit.

"Long time no see. How much of your original self's memory remains in this primordial spirit form?"

Su Jiuzhe still lounged, elbow propped on the wooden table, glancing idly.

Shi Miao gazed at him, then spoke slowly: "Some memories are sealed. My current primordial spirit form cannot bear them—and needn't. This life, I only wish to stay by his side, to accompany him well."

Su Jiuzhe glanced at Li Hao. "I heard you're the only one to break through the Tenfold Realm of Time's Origin. You reached the end of the River of Time—what's there?"

Shi Miao smiled faintly. "You'll see when that day comes."

"Will I still be alive then?"

Su Jiuzhe scoffed.

Shi Miao quietly scanned his body, as if seeing the decay beneath his translucent skin. She spoke calmly:

"All of you remain."

"All of us?"

Su Jiuzhe stared at her in surprise.

Shi Miao ignored him, turning to Li Hao. Her gaze grew even softer than before, leaving him puzzled. She smiled brightly, then turned back to Su Jiuzhe:

"All these years, thank you for your care. I used that child as a cradle—she inherited my Chaotic power. Consider it a gift. Now I must find my body. Please see us off."

"You've been planning this all along?"

Su Jiuzhe raised an eyebrow, then immediately realized it was a foolish question—she'd surely arranged everything long ago.

"That boy made a spectacle outside, defeating demons. Now, perhaps that dog emperor among the demons still lurks, waiting to ambush you. Be careful."

Su Jiuzhe said.

Shi Miao replied: "That's why we need you to see us off."

Su Jiuzhe smirked. Talking to women was always frustrating. He preferred chatting with this fool of a boy.

"Where to?"

Su Jiuzhe asked. "Should I come get you back?"

"No need. When I reclaim my body, we'll head straight to the Primordial True Realm," Shi Miao said.

Fine, as if I said nothing… Su Jiuzhe snorted, tipped his wine flask, and drank deeply. Coldly, he said: "Location."

"The Broken Valley of the Yellow Springs."

Shi Miao said.

Su Jiuzhe's eyes flickered. He stared at her deeply. "You buried your body there? That must be an incredibly terrifying corpse—forged specifically to slay the Ancient Demons in this life?"

Shi Miao smiled, revealing white teeth—as if to say: You're right.

Su Jiuzhe fell silent. Only those who had lived through the war ten thousand years ago understood how deeply the Ancient Demons deserved hatred.

He and Shi Miao were, in a way, comrades from the same era.

But they fought in different regions—she in the Southern Realm, he in the Northern.

"Alright. I'll see you off."

Su Jiuzhe nodded, set down his wine flask, and rose—rarely seen standing.

As he stood, his gray-white hair cascaded like a waterfall down his back. He clasped his palm, and an ancient, mud-stained sword seeped from the void into his grip.

The Spring Severing Emperor Sword!

Its blade was ancient and pale, like decaying bone.

"Boy, your pastries are good."

Holding the Spring Severing Emperor Sword, Su Jiuzhe suddenly said.

Li Hao froze, then straightened solemnly. "When we return from the Primordial True Realm, I'll treat you again, Elder."

"Good!"

Su Jiuzhe laughed, his voice booming. Simultaneously, the Spring Severing Emperor Sword slashed through the sky.

Above the Su ancestral grounds, a deep rift appeared—vast, as if nearing the Primordial True Realm.

From within, a chilling, lifeless, death-laden aura surged forth.

"Go."

Shi Miao's primordial spirit extended a delicate, boneless hand, grasping Li Hao's. Her gaze, tender as before, held a hint of mischief.

"I'll take you to the Yellow Springs."

Li Hao froze, then laughed. "Let's go!"

Intense temporal power enveloped them. Shi Miao pulled Li Hao toward the rift, waving farewell to Su Jiuzhe as they neared.

Su Jiuzhe, sword in hand, watched silently as they departed. When the rift sealed, he spat:

"Pfft. Leave already—holding hands? Can't even say goodbye properly!"

He tossed the sword aside—it vanished into the void.

He picked up his wine flask again, gulping deeply. After wiping his mouth, a trace of loneliness surfaced in his eyes.

Old friends depart one by one… only wine remains faithful…

…

Li Hao and Shi Miao's departure went unnoticed by all—until Su Zhenyuan visited the ancestral grounds and learned from Su Jiuzhe that Li Hao had left.

Su Zhenyuan nervously asked about Shi Miao's identity. Su Jiuzhe didn't hide it—but forbade him from revealing it freely.

When he learned Shi Miao was a disciple of the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor, one of the most dazzling top talents of the True Realm ten thousand years ago, Su Zhenyuan was stunned.

Though Su family scrolls mostly recorded Northern Realm affairs, the brilliance of the Southern Realm had also pierced into Northern records, leaving a bold, vivid mark.

No wonder the name felt familiar—it belonged to a titan who had dominated the True Realm ten thousand years ago, peerless beneath the Emperor.

"Will they return?"

Su Zhenyuan asked.

"If they return, it'll be many years from now. They're going to the Primordial True Realm," Su Jiuzhe said casually.

When they met again, that boy would surely have broken through to Kinghood. And Shi Miao, once restored to her former power, would add another formidable force to today's True Realm.

This world, at least, had some hope now.

"What about the marriage pact?"

Su Zhenyuan asked.

Su Jiuzhe gave him a withering look. "Their bond with the Su family is ended. Where there's a beginning, there's an end. The pact is void."

Su Zhenyuan's heart sank. He let out a bitter laugh. If Li Hao had truly become the Su family's son-in-law, the Northern Realm's future would have shifted dramatically—Li Hao's talent was simply too monstrous to forget.

Leaving the ancestral grounds, Su Zhenyuan returned to Minghuang Palace and told his wife everything.

When Su Qingmei heard Li Hao had left, a trace of regret flickered in her eyes. She felt a bitter irony: when the boy first arrived, she had wished him gone—even wanted to drive him out of the Su family.

But now that he had truly left, she felt a profound sense of loss.

Meanwhile, in the Exiled Immortal Courtyard.

Su Muqing, who had been unconscious, awoke, feeling as if she had dreamed a distant dream.

In the dream, she seemed to see fragmented images.

It was an unfamiliar place, a divine dynasty named Da Yu.

The familiar figure of the young boy stood at a remote border of that divine dynasty, guarding it—his identity seemingly that of a young general.

A girl dressed in blue-green robes also dwelled in that frontier city, occasionally meeting the boy, laughing and chatting with him.

Su Muqing realized this must be a dream, for the girl looked exactly like her—yet she had never set foot in that divine dynasty.

"Sister."

A soft call came from beside her.

Su Muqing opened her eyes and saw Su Wanqing and Su Wanxue standing in her bedchamber.

"Hmm?"

Su Muqing looked at them in confusion—normally, even Su Wanqing and Su Wanxue would not dare disturb her without her permission.

"Why are you here?"

Su Muqing was puzzled but did not reprimand them; suddenly, she remembered she had just fallen unconscious—perhaps they had entered out of concern.

Su Wanqing and Su Wanxue looked at her, their eyes filled with complexity; Su Wanxue said, "You fell unconscious earlier. We were worried, so we stayed here waiting for you to wake."

Su Muqing had guessed as much, but soon she recalled what had happened before she passed out—she had been trying to control that latent power, then suddenly, without reason, she had lost consciousness.

Wait—suddenly, she sensed something was wrong.

My immortal force… Immortal Lord Ninth Layer?

She suddenly realized, hurriedly examined herself, and found her immortal force immensely thickened, her immortal sea clearly expanded—she was now at Immortal Lord Ninth Layer!

"I—I ascended? Ninth Layer? Skipped Eighth Layer entirely?!"

Su Muqing was stunned, sat up abruptly, unable to believe it, her eyes blazing with intense joy.

This was absurd—Immortal Lord realm could leap tiers to break through!

She had not taken any immortal elixirs or divine medicines—only relied on her own ability.

Was this the result of that latent power? Indeed, if she could master it, she would become invincible in the Immortal Lord realm!

Su Muqing's heart swelled with strong confidence and joy.

"Wanqing, sister, I've broken through!"

Su Muqing immediately turned to her sisters and shared the good news.

But Su Wanqing and Su Wanxue heard it without smiling; instead, they exchanged glances and fell silent.

Su Muqing noticed their odd expressions, startled—her breakthrough was a momentous event.

"What's happened? Has something major occurred in the clan?"

Su Muqing's heart tightened; she wondered if the demon sparring had been some new scheme of revenge.

Su Wanxue shook her head slightly; before she could speak, Su Wanqing—who seemed to have held back for a long time—spoke in a voice choked with sorrow:

"Sister, haven't you noticed something missing?"

"Missing what?"

Su Muqing froze, staring at them in confusion.

Seeing her blank expression, Su Wanqing's eyes held not only sorrow but also a touch of disappointment; she turned away. "I'm going back. You're fine—that's all that matters."

Su Muqing snapped to awareness, grabbed her arm, then turned to Su Wanxue. "Sister, what's going on?"

Su Wanxue, seeing she still hadn't realized, sighed bitterly. "Use your spiritual sense to look at the courtyard."

"The courtyard?"

Su Muqing froze, suddenly understanding—she sent out her spiritual sense and saw the courtyard empty, just as it had always been.

But before the pavilion, on the carved chair beside the chessboard—it was empty too.

The boy was gone.