Chapter 342: The Boundary Stone Reflects, A Battle for Quotas
Seeing the opponent's laws vanish, Li Hao narrowed his eyes slightly.
This was his first encounter with a Half-Saint, and he hadn't expected the power of the Eternal Dao Domain to exceed his imagination. With just the domain alone, it had suppressed the opponent's techniques.
"What kind of domain is this?!"
The Half-Saint Spider Demon was visibly stunned, even more shocked than Li Hao, as it watched its divine law techniques fail.
This divine ability was a demonic art it had mastered since childhood, refined through its own study and deduction to the level of a top-tier divine technique. Cultivated to the Entry-to-the-Dao level and paired with its budding Saintly Will, the power of this technique was ten times that of the Dao Law Realm—yet it had been effortlessly shattered?
*Boom!*
Once Li Hao made his move, he erupted with speed. The pulse of heaven and earth surged as his body suddenly stepped forward, a gentle sword qi flashing from his palm in an instant.
This sword qi, like an illusory spiritual light, swept across the Half-Saint Spider Demon's chest and abdomen, instantly tearing a massive gash from the inside out.
"Hook!"
Li Hao raised his hand, pulling on the fishing line. Having discerned the location of the spiritual pearl, he swiftly retrieved it.
The Half-Saint Spider Demon, caught off guard by Li Hao's thunderous strike, roared in fury. Crimson-gold Threads suddenly materialized above its head, weaving thousands upon thousands of strands into a dense web around the area.
Its purple spider eyes atop its head glinted with savage light as it bellowed, "Top-tier prodigy? Don't even think about escaping!"
The ground around them abruptly rose, forming barriers that enclosed the space like a vine cage.
Li Hao, having obtained the spiritual pearl, had no intention of lingering. But seeing the opponent seal off his escape route, he stopped abruptly and turned around.
"Let me dismantle your domain and uncover your secrets!"
The Half-Saint Spider Demon's gaze turned ferocious as it advanced toward Li Hao.
But Li Hao's eyes suddenly sharpened, a piercing cold light seeming to flash within them.
Enveloped by the Eternal Dao Domain, he remained invulnerable. Raising his hand, he faced the Half-Saint Demon and, for the first time, unleashed his own Sword Dao.
*Only Me,*
*Slash!*
Space seemed to split apart, a sudden rift tearing through!
A pitch-black crack appeared, as if severing the Floating Life Demon Domain, dividing heaven and earth!
The Half-Saint Spider Demon's body split in two as well. Its Saintly Will shattered, invaded by hundreds of sword intents—Sun and Moon, Supreme Softness, Five Elements, and more—condensed into a single, ultimate blade of unparalleled sharpness!
Blood splattered, its many legs snapped, and the Half-Saint Spider Demon's body was torn apart on the spot. A primordial spirit flew out, staring in abject horror at the youth before it.
That cold, piercing gaze looked at it as if it were a lifeless object!
In that moment, the Half-Saint Spider Demon felt the shadow of death loom over it. The youth, surrounded by that terrifying domain, gave it the sensation of being utterly dominated.
How could this be possible?!
It stared in disbelief, trembling as it gazed at him.
Li Hao's expression remained icy as he prepared to strike again. But then he noticed a Buddhist seal talisman within the Half-Saint Spider Demon's body, etched onto its demon core, radiating pure Buddhist light with a faint trace of a vast saintly aura.
His eyes narrowed slightly. Giving the demon a cold glance, he said, "Cultivation is hard-earned. Don't seek your own demise!"
With that, he withdrew his domain and turned to leave.
The vine-like cage that had risen from the ground earlier shattered and faded with his sword strike. He strode away.
The Half-Saint Spider Demon's primordial spirit watched the youth's departing figure, its pupils contracting slightly, yet it made no move to stop him.
"What… what kind of monster is this?"
It murmured to itself, its voice quivering.
Soon, a thick demonic aura enveloped its body, and it began to heal. The sword intent at its wounds dissipated as the youth turned away. It knew this was mercy—the youth had spared its life.
A Half-Saint, nearly killed by someone in the Dao Law Realm? It was absurd.
"A reincarnated saint, perhaps? Fine, fine… let that bald monk's Buddhist disciple suffer a crushing defeat…"
The Half-Saint Spider Demon gazed in the direction the youth had gone, watching him vanish in the blink of an eye. A deep glint flickered in its eyes.
…
Before the void rift on the battle platform, Li Hao stepped out, holding a silver spiritual pearl.
With a casual wave, he suspended the pearl in midair before returning to his seat in front of the divine dynasty.
At that moment, the Buddhist referee announced Li Hao's time:
"2 minutes, 38 seconds!"
The crowd let out gasps of surprise at this result. Compared to Chi Guang, Lin Shuhai, and others earlier, it was noticeably less impressive.
Chi Guang, who had been silently counting for Li Hao since he entered, smirked when the time surpassed his own 1 minute and 47 seconds. However, seeing Li Hao emerge after just over two and a half minutes still caught him off guard.
That Half-Saint Spider Demon was no pushover. Chi Guang's strategy had been to leave a single wound on it—quick and efficient, matching his temperament of never taking hits passively.
Inflicting damage on a Half-Saint was no easy feat, though. He had expended considerable effort to leave a mark and retrieve the pearl swiftly.
"Not bad, only behind by 40-some seconds."
Seeing Li Hao return, Chi Guang nodded slightly. The result was close to his prediction, just a few seconds slower, aligning with his expectations of Li Hao.
Li Hao ignored him, focusing instead on calming the fluctuating energy within his body.
Then, he sensed prying eyes and an unsettling feeling. Following the gaze, he noticed the Twin Buddhist Disciple—who had been lost in thought earlier—looking at him. A faint demonic aura swirled around the disciple, and his perpetually calm face seemed to carry a subtle smile.
The smile was ambiguous, almost illusory—saintly yet eerie.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow, checking himself but finding nothing noteworthy.
Could it be that the Twin Buddhist Disciple knew what had happened in the Floating Life Demon Domain?
If so… Li Hao glanced at the three saints, but their expressions remained unchanged.
If even the Twin Buddhist Disciple could peer into it, the saints surely could as well.
He looked toward Zhantan, who smiled back at him with no hint of anything unusual.
Evidently, a Half-Saint couldn't see through it, but the saints' thoughts were inscrutable.
No matter how strong the Twin Buddhist Disciple was, he couldn't surpass a Half-Saint… Li Hao's eyes flickered with contemplation. He picked up a brush and canvas, beginning to paint the Twin Buddhist Disciple to gauge his Painting Dao experience.
"Hm?"
Chi Guang, seeing Li Hao take up his brush again, was surprised. Rather than feeling ashamed for falling behind, Li Hao was casually dabbling in art? He raised an eyebrow.
"Fourth! Qingfeng's score ranks fourth!"
"Just slightly behind Haoyue Saint Son, but the gap isn't big."
"His performance matches my expectations. Aside from Chi Guang being a dark horse and stealing the spotlight, the rankings align with their reputations."
"Only a bit inferior to the strongest saint sons of the holy lands—still terrifyingly impressive."
"This Qingfeng is surely one who'll represent our Canglan Realm in battle."
Many eyes turned toward Li Hao. Seeing him painting, they were surprised but noted his relaxed demeanor, as if he had energy to spare.
"This Qingfeng isn't simple. The real showdown later might reveal who's truly stronger!"
"But in this fight, the final clash will likely be between Chi Guang and the Twin Buddhist Disciple."
Not just Li Hao—Lin Shuhai was hard to read too. Still, most believed the Twin Buddhist Disciple was the most enigmatic and fearsome.
Li Hao painted quietly, his brush flowing. As two more contestants emerged after over ten minutes, his painting was complete.
Painting Dao experience gained: 42,000!
Seeing this hefty reward, Li Hao paused, startled.
The Twin Buddhist Disciple had 42,000 experience points!
That value was close to the Canghai Emperor's!
And that was a Half-Saint.
This meant the Twin Buddhist Disciple's true strength might only be slightly below a Half-Saint!
Li Hao's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the disciple, then turned to Chi Guang. His Painting Dao experience had been 35,000 from an earlier painting. Whether he'd improved since was unclear.
But judging by how Chi Guang kept showing off in front of him, he'd likely made some progress.
Li Hao stored the painting, feeling slightly reassured, but then疑惑 arose. Looking at the Twin Buddhist Disciple again, he saw the disciple lost in thought once more, the earlier smile seemingly an illusion.
Li Hao's eyes flickered. He glanced at him again but didn't dwell on it, picking up his brush to paint Lin Shuhai next.
On the battle platform, the remaining five prodigies finished one by one.
Their times all exceeded fifteen minutes, concluding the top twenty competition.
Li Hao completed his painting of Lin Shuhai, earning 37,000 experience—slightly higher than Chi Guang's earlier score.
Surprised, he glanced at the calm, scholarly Lin Shuhai, who met his gaze with a smile.
Li Hao nodded, putting away the painting. The Buddhist referee stepped forward, listing the time rankings.
Those eliminated had long noticed their times fell outside the top twenty, their faces ashen.
"I almost got eliminated too!"
Zhao Qingshu, seeing the rankings, felt lingering fear. He was on the edge—dangerously close.
But there were still a couple worse off.
"Didn't expect only five would finish within five minutes. That's a huge gap!"
"Only six made it within ten minutes. Wonder if anyone's hiding their strength."
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
At that moment, Thousand Worlds Buddha raised his hand, closing the void rift. Clouds gathered in the sky, revealing scenes from the Floating Life Demon Domain.
From the projected mist, Li Hao saw the Half-Saint Spider Demon he'd defeated, sprawled listlessly on the ground, yawning.
Sensing the observation, it looked up, its dozens of purple spider eyes narrowing as if sneering.
Li Hao's eyes flickered. The Buddha could easily project the Floating Life Demon Domain—surely he'd witnessed the earlier battle.
But as long as Li Hao didn't reveal his Immortal Transformation Extreme Realm, it was fine. In later fights, he'd have to show some of his trump cards anyway—no big deal.
The Half-Saint Spider Demon had tried to probe his divine blood absorbing slaughter resentment. Li Hao glanced at the Buddha. If the spider's words were true, had this Buddha reached the Ultimate Power Realm?
If so, his body had become that of a divine clan.
But in the Land of Saints, the divine clan was seen as demonic. This Buddhist sovereign likely knew the truth but hadn't revealed it…
Li Hao's eyes turned thoughtful.
The Buddha spoke, "This is a Half-Saint Demon, captured and tamed by me to guard the spiritual pearl—a test for you all."
His face serene, he smiled faintly, "To seize the pearl from its grasp is already a feat among peers. Though some lost today, don't be discouraged. Focus on cultivation—there's still a chance to transcend mortality and reach sainthood."
Hearing the Buddha's comforting words, the defeated prodigies' spirits visibly lifted.
There's always someone stronger. Today's loss hit them hard, but the Buddha's gentle words fostered goodwill toward Buddhism.
The onlookers were stunned. They hadn't realized the forty contestants had been snatching pearls from a Half-Saint Demon—no wonder it was so tough!
"Next, the Boundary Stone reflects. The top ten will vie for supremacy. Are those who've advanced ready?"
The Buddha's gaze swept over them. Though not fixed on anyone, the twenty who'd qualified, including Li Hao, felt his eyes on them—kind and warm, like an elder's care.
At his command, Bodhisattvas stepped forth from the Buddhist holy mountain. Around the platform, massive black stone monoliths rose, radiating divine light and connecting with one another.
These were Boundary Stones, their divine light piercing the heavens, resonating with the distant Boundary Stone arrays of the Canglan Realm. In an instant, the sky above mirrored the grandeur of the Buddhist holy mountain.
Across the Canglan Realm's dynasties and cities, people witnessed this majestic scene.
The towering Buddhist mountain, solemn temples, and millions of spectators—princes, nobles, and heirs. Most striking were the three saintly figures and the proud stances of countless prodigies, igniting the entire realm in an instant!
"That's the Thousand Worlds Buddha! They say he's endured a thousand lives of suffering and comprehended all worldly truths!"
"That's the Literary Saint, the ultimate sage in the hearts of us scholars!"
"That's the Sword Saint, the pinnacle for all swordsmen!"
"So many people! Are those the top prodigies of our Canglan Realm? I reached the Three Imperishables at twenty-five and thought myself a dragon among men, but compared to those freaks, I'm nothing!"
"I heard some saintesses, not yet thirty, are already in the Dao Law Realm, mastering multiple extreme realms and divine abilities—peerless in their tier!"
"That Twin Buddhist Disciple from the Buddhist sect—he's not even twenty, right? But he's an anomaly. Born with Buddhist light and demonic aura, he reached the peak of the Ultimate Power Realm at three and the Three Imperishables at ten!"
"A reincarnated saint, they say—an ancient Buddha reborn. Unmatchable."
Countless discussions erupted. In dynasties and noble families too far to attend, heirs could only gaze skyward.
The grandeur reflected in the mist, like gods and Buddhas, set their blood ablaze.
Atop the Buddhist holy mountain, Li Hao and the others saw it too. The Boundary Stones were active—next came the true clash of prodigies!
A stunning performance here could instantly win countless followers. Temples built afterward would draw endless incense, hastening the path to sainthood.
Lighting three sticks of incense was just the first step. The more incense, the stronger one became. On the path of incense sainthood, beyond one's saintly dao, incense power was key!
"It's finally starting."
Chi Guang's eyes blazed with battle lust. The other prodigies' gazes grew fervent, while the eliminated ones looked dim, some with envy and reluctance. Even just stepping onto the stage would let billions across the Canglan Realm see them, cementing their fame!
At the Buddha's call, Li Hao and the others ascended the platform, twenty standing in a row, each with a distinct aura.
Of the top twenty, eight were from Buddhism—only two eliminated. Five were from the Literary Ancestor Holy Land, four from the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, and the remaining three were Li Hao, Chi Guang, and Suyun, independent cultivators.
Seeing Buddhism lose only two, many were quietly shocked. This generation's Buddhist foundation was formidable.
As their waist tokens rose into the air under the saints' watchful eyes, radiant dao light swirled like a storm, pairing the tokens.
Everyone quickly checked their opponents.
Li Hao saw his was a young Arhat from Buddhism.
The Arhat looked at him too, smiling calmly, neither joyful nor sad.
Li Hao nodded slightly and turned to descend with the others.
Though he'd clashed with Buddhism in the mortal realm, that was specifically with the Buddhist Lord. This Buddhist sect in the Land of Saints was another matter. Li Hao had no intention of carrying over grudges—each matter stood on its own.
The platform cleared for the first combatants.
Li Hao saw the opening match was Lin Qingying, facing a Buddhist saint son.
As the fight began, both unleashed extreme realms, phenomena clashing. The platform roared with wild power. Lin Qingying wielded Supreme Softness Sword Intent, her icy sword qi weaving relentlessly. But the Buddhist saint son was formidable, a Buddha image behind him glowing with golden light, exuding ferocious strength.
Li Hao noticed a mass of sword qi brewing in Lin Qingying's abdomen, compensating for her prior dao fetus loss.
Her combat strength hadn't waned since facing Haoyue Saint Son—it had even improved, with insights into the Void Sword Dao.
When the battle ended, Lin Qingying emerged victorious.
The defeated Buddhist saint son looked displeased but composed himself, offering a Buddhist salute before leaving.
Lin Qingying sheathed her sword and glanced at Li Hao, a smile gracing her ethereal face.
Reflected in the mist, that smile dazzled countless noble youths across the Canglan Realm.
"Who's that fairy? She's stunning!"
"Is she from the Sword Ancestor Holy Land? Tomorrow, I'll join them—abandoning the saber for the sword!"
The realm erupted, chanting Lin Qingying's name. The brilliance of the first match spread her fame across Canglan.
Li Hao smiled back, happy for her.
As Lin Qingying stepped down, Chi Guang took the stage.
His opponent was Zhao Qingshu from the Literary Ancestor Holy Land.
Seeing his foe, Zhao Qingshu paled, cursing his luck. But recalling Li Hao defeating Chi Guang, and his master's rapport with Li Hao on the holy mountain, surrendering to a loser would be too shameful!
So, he fought…
…and lost.
Zhao Qingshu fell quickly. Chi Guang showed no mercy, unleashing a fire divine ability. Zhao Qingshu blazed with heartfire, jealousy burning like wildfire—a speed that surprised even Chi Guang.
Though defeated, Zhao Qingshu unleashed his Book Sea Divine Ability, a dazzling storm of blades and swords, only to be swiftly incinerated, leaving onlookers sighing.
(End of Chapter)