Chapter 864: The Disciple Did Not Disappoint You

“Sister, how do you know him?”

Su Muqing had just reestablished contact with Su Wanyi and was delighted, yet couldn’t help asking curiously.

Su Wanyi’s voice came through the jade pendant to both their ears: “This name sounds familiar—over a hundred years ago, Father mentioned to me a marriage arrangement, asking me to return home for a meeting. The man’s name was also Haotian. Now, according to my Master, the one on this Chaos Dao List has some connection with you two, so I wanted to ask—is it the same person?”

Upon hearing Su Wanyi’s words, Su Wanxue’s expression subtly changed, glancing at Su Muqing beside her.

Su Muqing’s smile froze instantly; she suddenly remembered how Li Hao had come to the Su family with that Immortal Emperor’s marriage contract, and how Father had originally intended for him to choose one of the Four Little Phoenixes—but never imagined Father had also sent word to her elder sister, training in the Primordial True Realm.

Clearly, Father had been desperate to honor his promise.

And during that selection, the boy had steadfastly chosen her.

Su Muqing bit her lips slightly, her emotions tangled; now that things had come to this, she understood clearly—the boy hadn’t chosen her, but the other woman inside her.

But without that woman, would he have chosen her?

She had no answer—or rather, she refused to face the answer. She wanted to wait until the day she met the boy again, ask him face-to-face, hear his reply, and then finally let go completely.

“Sister, that Haotian is indeed someone we know—the very same person Father mentioned to you.”

Seeing Su Muqing’s complex expression, Su Wanxue sighed inwardly and replied to her sister through the jade pendant.

“Oh?”

Su Wanyi’s voice came back, cold and detached, as if raising a cool eyebrow: “I just asked the outer disciples—this Haotian made quite a stir upon arriving in the Primordial True Realm. He mastered sixty-nine stars in a single day, and in barely a hundred years, he’s fused twenty-one Chaos Laws. Could he be the reincarnation of some Great Emperor?”

Su Wanxue opened her mouth slightly, then smiled bitterly; she knew the rumors and speculations swirling around the boy, but only those who’d personally interacted with him knew these guesses were baseless.

“He’s probably… not a Great Emperor’s reincarnation.”

Su Wanxue chuckled bitterly.

“How can you be sure?”

Su Wanyi asked. Outside of a Great Emperor’s reincarnation, she couldn’t believe anyone could achieve such a feat.

After all, she herself had spent over two thousand years to fuse twenty-two Chaos Laws.

During that time, although she occasionally returned to the True Realm using a manifestation to visit her parents, observe the Su family’s situation, and monitor tensions along the northern border, her true body remained in the Primordial True Realm.

Even when spending time with her two younger sisters, Su Muqing and Su Wanqing, she used only her manifestation.

Aside from slightly weaker combat power, her manifestation was nearly identical to her true body, sharing the same memories.

Thus, strictly speaking, her true body had never even met these three sisters—but that didn’t diminish the deep sisterly bond they already shared.

“A Great Emperor’s soul lifespan isn’t just a mere hundred years…”

Su Wanxue’s gaze was complex: “Counting his cultivation in the Primordial True Realm, his soul lifespan should be barely over two hundred years.”

“What?”

On the other side of the jade tablet, Su Wanyi’s voice clearly froze.

A soul lifespan of only two hundred years?

“Sister Wanyi, that marriage contract was already canceled.”

At that moment, Su Muqing suddenly whispered, her words coming out of nowhere.

Su Wanyi snapped back to attention, not sensing anything odd in Su Muqing’s tone, and asked: “I was in deep cultivation then, too lazy to return. Which one of you did he choose?”

Su Muqing’s fingers clenched involuntarily, but she said nothing.

Su Wanxue sighed: “The boy chose none of you—he left the Su family.”

“He chose none of you?”

Hearing this, Su Wanyi froze again. From their earlier conversation, she’d assumed this prodigy, whom she’d never met, was already her brother-in-law—yet now she learned he’d chosen none?

The Su family’s four sisters were famed throughout the northern border; countless cultivators would have fought to marry them, yet this man chose none?

“What a discerning eye.”

Su Wanyi’s voice turned icy, as if coated in frost.

Su Wanxue wanted to explain further, but Su Wanyi said: “Keep cultivating. I’ve just emerged from seclusion. When you’re tired and return to the sect, we’ll meet as four sisters. By the way, why isn’t Wanqing training with you two on the same Chaos Star? Did you master different numbers of Chaos Stars?”

She felt puzzled—if the youngest sister, Wanqing, had mastered more Chaos Stars than Su Muqing and her, and thus moved to another Chaos Star, she could understand. But if true talent were the measure, Su Muqing should have been the most gifted among the four sisters—even she herself was slightly inferior.

“This…”

Su Wanxue glanced at the silent Su Muqing, then told Su Wanyi: “Wanqing has indeed mastered more Chaos Stars than both me and Muqing.”

“Really?”

Su Wanyi was startled, her voice tinged with surprise and even delight—could it be that little Wanqing had a special affinity for Chaos energy?

It wasn’t impossible. Some prodigies showed extraordinary talent in cultivation, yet struggled with grasping Chaos energy—after all, as the old saying goes, everyone has their strengths; who can truly claim superiority over another?

…

In the Primordial Realm, a figure stepped out from a cave atop a peak.

His posture was ethereal; where he stepped, day and night revolved, and lotus flowers bloomed beneath his feet.

The young man opened his eyes slightly—his pupils were double, one black, one white: the famed Sacred Demon Eyes of the Primordial True Realm!

“These twenty-three Chaos Laws—truly the pinnacle. Had fate not been lost, the ultimate twenty-fourth Chaos Law must be unimaginably difficult!”

The young man murmured, then his figure flickered, appearing instantly in the Emperor’s Hall atop the main peak of the Primordial Realm.

He entered the Emperor’s Hall and sought guidance from his Master on the secrets of fusing twenty-three Chaos Laws.

After a brief moment of instruction, he gained slight insight—but fusing Chaos Laws, even with an Immortal Emperor’s guidance, offered little real aid, for this was nearing the ultimate limit of an Immortal Lord, beyond what external forces could decisively influence, only offering minor nudges.

Even so, this was what countless prodigies dreamed of.

Sometimes, just that tiny bit of insight could be the key to breakthrough!

“Hmm?”

Leaving the Emperor’s Hall, the young man was about to resume his seclusion when he received numerous messages. He skimmed them casually, and his eyes sharpened:

“Fused twenty-one Chaos Laws? In barely a hundred years?”

He narrowed his eyes, scanning the Chaos Dao List for that figure—but searched every name on the twenty-one-Chaos-Law tier and found no “Haotian.” He immediately realized the man had concealed his identity.

“Hmph!”

“A Great Emperor’s reincarnation? Interesting. It seems the Infinite Heavenly Realm will be lively in two hundred years!”

The young man smirked coldly. Meeting a Great Emperor’s reincarnation competing in the same era stirred his blood.

Perfect.

He felt no fear, no dread—only a burning desire to crush the Great Emperor’s reincarnation beneath his feet and ride its momentum to ascend to the heavens!

“My fate is mine to command. What if you’re a Great Emperor’s reincarnation? Reduced to human bloodline? If you’re an eyesore, if you’ve been reincarnated once, I’ll make you reincarnate again!”

His battle intent surged. He returned to his peak cave and began seclusion once more.

…

“Fused twenty-one Chaos Laws?”

On a peak in the Primordial Realm, a youth in dark-gold armor suddenly heard the news and his expression changed instantly.

Since his first defeat, he’d known the boy’s bottleneck—but who could have imagined that after merely decades, the boy had soared again!

From fusing nine Chaos Laws, he’d leapt straight to twenty-one!

Even for him, fusing twelve Chaos Laws had taken five or six hundred years of steady progress!

“Trouble!”

Suddenly, he remembered the blood duel gift he’d prepared for Li Hao!

He’d lured a cultivator who’d fused sixteen Chaos Laws into a blood duel with Li Hao, using the promise of a flawed Emperor Technique as bait, hoping to kill or severely wound Li Hao!

Now…

Before he could pull out his jade pendant to contact that man, it suddenly vibrated violently.

He swiftly linked his spiritual sense—and heard a frantic voice:

“Master Bai Shen, Brother Kong Nie was slain in the blood duel by that Haotian!”

The dark-gold armored youth’s face turned ashen, then darkened to iron-gray—he was too late.

“Master Bai Shen, the Zhu Xue Peacock Clan of the Chaos Ancient Clan begs you to ask our Master, the Primordial Immortal Emperor, to revive Brother Kong Nie.”

The voice pleaded urgently.

The youth clenched his fists—his Master had never preserved Kong Nie’s soul core. How could he be revived?!

Only by reversing time with Dao power—but this was the Primordial True Realm! Reversing time to revive someone here drained immense Dao energy. An Immortal Emperor could do it, but… only if the person was worth it, worthy enough.

“What will the Zhu Xue Peacock Clan offer?”

The youth asked, voice low.

If this man died because he’d sent him, his authority in the Primordial Realm would suffer greatly.

“The Zhu Xue Peacock Clan says they’ll offer three domain artifacts stained with Dao blood as exchange!”

The youth exhaled inwardly—good, the Peacock Clan knew how to pay. But he knew this alone wouldn’t move his Master; he’d have to contribute something himself.

“I understand. I’ll speak to my Master.”

He replied.

“Thank you, Master Bai Shen!”

The other side rushed to thank him—but as soon as the jade pendant connection ended, they spat fiercely:

“That Master Bai Shen—he’s sent two men to duel Haotian, and both died. Haotian’s clearly a Great Emperor’s reincarnation, but he dares not face him himself, only sends others to die for him. What a despicable human!”

In the Primordial Realm, most disciples were Chaos Ancient Clans, since the Primordial Immortal Emperor himself was one. There were a few humans, but their numbers were tiny and they were deeply despised.

“Damn it! Fused twenty-one Chaos Laws in a hundred years? Impossible!”

After the jade pendant disconnected, the dark-gold armored youth clenched his fists, seething—then suddenly, like thunder splitting his mind, a terrifying thought flashed:

“He… he didn’t receive my Master’s true transmission—he’s… my Master’s reincarnation!”

“My Master didn’t die?!”

Thinking of this, he felt every hair on his body stand on end, a sense of dread crawling over him.

If his Master found out he was plotting against him, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Especially knowing that he had now become a disciple under this Primordial Immortal Emperor, and was in the Southern Region—seeking allegiance to the Southern Region’s Supreme Sovereign… a chilling numbness spread through his entire body. Impossible. He had witnessed with his own eyes how his Master had burned away the Dao of Emperors, drained the Heavenly Dao power he had nurtured, and been jointly crushed and slain by the Ancient Demon Emperor. He was dead beyond any doubt—there was no way he could have survived.

But… how do you explain this youth, who in barely a century had fused twenty-one Chaotic Laws?

He felt his whole body trembling, fear crawling over his heart.

“No, I must tell the Primordial Immortal Emperor about this!”

He immediately made his decision, gritting his teeth. “Master, don’t blame me—it’s your fault! You left behind a legacy that didn’t pass to me, no karmic bond tied to my fate. Otherwise, my reincarnated body would have found you sooner, and I would have inherited your teachings. Even if I had to possess another body, I could have found the most suitable bloodline and vessel for you. This isn’t my fault!”

He muttered these words over and over—“It’s not my fault”—repeating them more than ten times, then suddenly clenched his fist and slammed it hard into the ground, his eyes reddening as tears streamed down.

“Master, I haven’t betrayed you! I haven’t betrayed you!!”

…

The challenges within the Chaotic Arena continued.

Among the opponents chosen by the Shadow Avatar were those who had fused twenty-one Chaotic Laws, unleashing legendary battles—but all were ultimately slain by the Shadow Avatar. From then on, Li Hao’s name rose to prominence throughout the Primordial True Realm.

If previously Li Hao’s mastery of sixty-nine stars had marked him as a phenomenal prodigy appearing out of nowhere, now he had become a top-tier overlord capable of dominating a region!

Sixty-nine stars were impressive, but in terms of actual combat power, he still ranked no higher than third-tier among Immortal Lords.

Of course, this was within the Primordial True Realm. In the broader True Realm, he would have been unquestionably among the top of a region.

But now, having defeated the Shadow Avatar who had fused twenty-one Chaotic Laws, his combat power placed him firmly among the elite of the Immortal Lord realm. He was no longer a “cub” to be casually belittled or provoked—he had fully grown.

When this battle ended, the sporadic Chaotic Challenges that had been launched against Li Hao suddenly ceased. No new challenges appeared.

After all, fusing twenty-one Chaotic Laws was no longer something ordinary cultivators could challenge or defy. The gap was too vast—challenging him meant instant annihilation, with no chance even to gain battle experience.

Remember, when an avatar shatters, though not as severe as blood combat, it still harms the self. In a place where countless cultivators raced to advance, injury meant stagnation, which meant falling behind, being overtaken—stand still, and you fall.

While the outside world erupted in shock and clamor, within the bamboo-fenced courtyard of Jidao Mountain.

Several messages arrived on Li Hao’s jade tablet—from Imperial Spirit Shu and Gu Mofan and other senior disciples. All were stunned by Li Hao’s progress. Even though they were all direct disciples of Immortal Emperors and phenomenal prodigies, Li Hao’s advancement was terrifying!

Even the top-tier genius Di Wu She had taken over two centuries to reach the level of fusing Chaotic Laws. Yet Li Hao had fused twenty-one in barely a century—this gap was incomparable.

“Little brother, you’ve truly fused twenty-one Chaotic Laws?”

Imperial Spirit Shu’s tone carried an indescribable complexity. Even with her extremely high Dao heart, she was shaken. She didn’t doubt herself—but she felt her understanding of reality cracking.

Outside, everyone spread the rumor that Li Hao was a Great Emperor reincarnated. But only they knew his soul lifespan could not possibly be that of a Great Emperor—unless their Master had deliberately concealed it. But was there any need?

Concealment’s purpose was to prevent discovery. Yet Li Hao’s current feats only led others to guess he was a Great Emperor reincarnated—wasn’t that like tearing open the veil himself?

“Yes.”

Li Hao nodded. “Sister, you should work harder too. In two hundred years, let’s meet in the Infinite Heavenly Realm and look out for each other.”

Imperial Spirit Shu’s lips twitched. Look out for each other? You’ll be protecting me!

She was utterly speechless. She was his senior, having entered the sect over three centuries before him. Now, this little brother had not only surpassed her—he had left her far behind!

“Wait and see—I’ll catch up to you!”

Imperial Spirit Shu ended the jade tablet’s spiritual communication in a huff and immediately threw herself into cultivation, fists clenched, determined.

No matter how gifted Li Hao was, if he went to the Infinite Heavenly Realm, he’d have to stand at the peak and wait for her to catch up. After all, when you hit the ceiling, your room for growth shrinks—and those who arrive first can only wait at the finish line.

Li Hao smiled, briefly confirming with his senior brothers and sisters, receiving their praise and amazement. He felt slightly embarrassed—after all, they had earned their strength through true talent, while he had merely taken an unconventional path.

“Two hundred years left… time to begin mastering the Thirteen Stages of the Painting Realm.”

Li Hao thought to himself.

His gaze swept toward Shi Miao, and suddenly his mood lightened—two hundred years didn’t seem so long anymore.