Chapter 346: Eternal Dao Domain, Beating the Buddha’s Son
Lin Qingying held the pill that Li Hao handed her and glanced at it. Although it was a rare healing divine pill, her grandfather was Lin Shanhai, and for her, such pills were abundant—at least dozens of gourds full in her spatial storage.
She knew Li Hao had another reason for giving it to her. She accepted it immediately, then fixed her gaze on him and asked:
"Is your real name Haotian?"
Li Hao glanced at her and nodded slightly. "That's right."
"And your family name?"
Lin Qingying asked softly.
Li Hao withdrew his gaze and turned to look indifferently at the Twin Buddha's Son. "I have no family name."
Lin Qingying was slightly taken aback. She only wanted to know Li Hao's full name. She had a faint realization that his identity being exposed this time would bring him significant trouble, and they might part ways because of it.
In the vast sea of people, if she wanted to see him again, she would at least need to know his full name. Otherwise, where would she go to inquire about him in the future? How would she even begin? It would all be in vain.
Unsure whether Li Hao was unwilling to answer or had some hidden reason, Lin Qingying nodded silently, refraining from pressing further. She gripped the pill tightly, stowed it away, and then said in a low voice:
"Be careful."
After giving her warning, she took one last look at Li Hao before turning and stepping off the platform.
On the battle stage, only Li Hao and the Twin Buddha's Son remained in an instant. The others, having witnessed Li Hao's ferocious might earlier, had all given up on vying for first place.
Now, seeing that these two were old enemies, the crowd couldn't help but grow excited. A grand battle seemed inevitable. The only question was whether this Haotian could defeat the Twin Buddha's Son, a reincarnated saint!
Li Hao and the Twin Buddha's Son locked eyes, each seeing the killing intent in the other's gaze.
Li Hao's cold gleam was unconcealed, while the Twin Buddha's Son wore an expression of compassion, his face half-dark and half-light, giving off a faint sense of a fake smile.
Li Hao knew that by slaying the incarnation of the Buddha Lord, he had effectively destroyed the saint's path. This grudge was irreconcilable.
Since it couldn't be resolved, there was no need to try!
After all, he had killed the Buddha Lord to avenge Elder Feng. That debt had been settled with the Buddha Lord's death—or so he thought. But now, it seemed the account was far from closed!
"I had planned to deal with you in the mortal realm after this ranking battle was over. I didn't expect you to come here. Out of all the thirty-three realms, you just had to come to the Canglan Realm. This must be our fate!"
The Twin Buddha's Son's eyes were deep, believing in the cycle of karma and destiny. He realized that Li Hao was one of the tribulations on his saintly path—a hurdle he must overcome. Otherwise, his supreme saintly path would never reach fruition.
"Fate? You think you're worthy of that word? I killed you in the mortal realm, and today, in this sacred land, I could spare your life. But while you may escape death, you can't escape punishment!"
Li Hao said coldly, exuding the majesty of a young emperor.
He knew that with his identity exposed today, a tribulation was inevitable. Moreover, this was the sacred land of the Buddhist sect. Killing his opponent here was impossible. Li Hao couldn't see through the true nature of the Buddha Sovereign and didn't know if the latter would stoop to shamelessly intervene against him, as the Void Saint had done.
But things had come to this, and there was no turning back. Life or death—he would leave it to fate and do his utmost.
Even if he fell here today, he wouldn't harbor regrets. At least he had lived every day of his past earnestly, never squandering his time.
Hearing Li Hao's words, the crowd below erupted in astonishment. They hadn't expected him to display such domineering confidence against the Twin Buddha's Son.
This was a reincarnated saint—one who had clearly awakened his saintly memories! At this moment, Li Hao was facing what amounted to a Buddhist saint whose cultivation had been reduced to the Realm of the Dao!
"Indeed, once I strike you down and sever this karmic tie, your purpose will be fulfilled!"
The Twin Buddha's Son's smile faded, and a radiant Buddhist light began to emanate from his body. At the same time, rolling black energy surged from the robe behind him, forming the shadowy figure of a massive, ferocious heavenly demon.
Though it appeared to be a heavenly demon, it bore the face of a Buddha—eight-armed and three-headed, with eyes like furious bronze bells.
As the demon's form emerged, dark clouds gathered unnoticed above the Buddhist temple, dimming the heavens and earth.
"Is this the heavenly demon the Twin Buddha's Son has been fighting since childhood?!"
"My goodness, it's terrifying!"
"I heard from the Buddhist sect that when the Twin Buddha's Son was reincarnated, a heavenly demon sensed it and tried to kill him in the womb. But they ended up merging together, born as twins. That's why he must purge his inner demon in this life to achieve sainthood!"
"His path of cultivation isn't about techniques—it's about Buddhist principles, refining himself!"
Across the Canglan Realm, discussions buzzed as people sensed the hardship of this young Buddha's Son.
When they saw the brilliant Buddhist light radiating from him, it was as if they could feel his powerful intent to save the world. Countless voices praised him.
Li Hao, hearing the cheers from below, grew even colder, a sneer forming in his heart.
This so-called inner demon was clearly something the Twin Buddha's Son had cultivated himself, yet he framed it as an invasion by a heavenly demon, portraying himself as a victim. No wonder he could openly display this demonic form without suspicion.
The Buddhist sect had long paved the way for him, spreading tales of his deeds.
Good and evil? It was all a matter of debate. Whoever won the argument became the righteous one.
"Great Vehicle Demon-Suppressing Finger!"
The Twin Buddha's Son raised his hand. In an instant, the brilliant Buddhist light around him condensed into a single point at his fingertip. Then, a massive heavenly phenomenon appeared behind him. It didn't fully manifest, revealing only a single enormous finger!
This finger seemed to pierce down from the dark clouds in the sky, like a giant peak, its rough texture and clear fingerprints visible.
With the momentum of a falling meteor, it pressed down toward Li Hao on the battle stage.
Countless onlookers held their breath. What kind of technique was this?
Li Hao looked up at the finger, which seemed to burn the air with friction. Suddenly, he twirled his sword into a flourish and swung it forcefully!
*Boom!*
With one strike, the world shook as if struck by thunder.
The dark sword shadow gleamed like pure snow, illuminating countless eyes.
A surge of sword qi roared forth like an enraged dragon, crashing into the heavenly finger. Then, with a sound like a mountain being cleaved, a deafening rumble echoed.
Under the impact, the finger shattered, its fingerprints tearing apart and the Buddhist light breaking into pieces.
After swinging his sword, Li Hao didn't even glance up. Instead, he stared coldly at the Twin Buddha's Son and took a sudden step forward—Void Return teleportation!
His figure flickered like a phantom, appearing instantly before the Twin Buddha's Son.
"Dao Domain—Extreme Realm of Gods and Demons!!"
As if anticipating Li Hao's move, the Twin Buddha's Son unleashed his Dao Domain. Layers upon layers of domains emerged, rapidly stacking up to an astonishing eighty-one!
But these eighty-one domains didn't simply pile up like Li Hao's had in the past. Instead, they formed a strange gravitational field, merging quickly into what seemed like an eternal Dao Domain—a single, unified layer!
Within this single domain, bizarre visions of Buddhas and demons appeared, containing a chaotic, yin-yang-reversing tearing force.
"What kind of Dao Domain is this?!"
"Eighty-one layers fused in an instant!"
"They say there's a method to cultivate Dao Domains—this must be the legendary Dao Domain technique!"
"He only has eighty-one layers, but with this Dao Domain technique, I'm afraid even Haotian's hundred-layer domain can't compare!"
The crowd below gasped in shock. The Dao Domain cultivation method was an extremely rare secret technique, possessed only by top-tier sacred lands. It could weave multiple domains into something extraordinarily terrifying.
As Li Hao appeared via Void Return, he found himself within the opponent's domain. The intense tearing force struck instantly, acting on his physical body. If his flesh hadn't been cultivated to the Ultimate Realm, he would have been torn apart in an instant.
Even so, golden blood seeped from his body.
But as soon as the divine blood flowed, it abruptly retracted. At the same time, Li Hao's eyes blazed with fury, and his Eternal Dao Domain burst forth!
*Boom!!*
A terrifying majesty descended upon the battle stage.
In that moment, time and space seemed to freeze, halting their flow.
The Twin Buddha's Son's Extreme Realm of Gods and Demons froze like ice, its visions solidifying in place.
Even the Twin Buddha's Son himself was immobilized, though his eyes could still see and his mind could still think. A trace of shock flickered in his gaze.
*Bang!*
Li Hao didn't use his sword. Instead, he raised his fist and smashed it violently into the Twin Buddha's Son's face.
The Twin Buddha's Son's body was sent flying, crashing hard into the formation barrier. His Extreme Realm of Gods and Demons, which had just manifested, was suppressed by Li Hao's Eternal Dao Domain and dissipated instantly. The fearsome visions it contained vanished before they could unleash their world-shaking power, crumbling on the spot!
A clash of domains—simple, brutal, and direct.
This sudden reversal left countless onlookers stunned. The gasps and exclamations from moments ago fell silent, as if muted, leaving them frozen in place.
Not only the crowd below and those watching through boundary stones across the Canglan Realm, but even the Buddhist semi-saints, as well as visiting semi-saints like the Yao Ancestor and Mountain Ancestor, stared at Li Hao in shock.
If they hadn't seen it wrong, in the instant Li Hao unleashed his Eternal Dao Domain, 360 layers flashed like lightning before merging into one.
That was a full 360-layer Dao Domain!!
Jiang Yingyue, below the stage, stood dumbfounded, her mind blank. He'd said he had 97 layers, and even reaching 100 would've been impressive—but 360?
Atop the Buddhist temple, the Literary Saint and Sword Saint were also slightly stunned. They hadn't expected Li Hao to reveal such a terrifying technique.
"This seems to be… the Four Establishments Ultimate Realm!"
The Literary Saint's gaze grew solemn as he murmured.
A 360-layer Dao Domain alone was a dimensionality-reducing blow in this Supreme Prodigy Battle.
Unless others had extraordinary, heaven-defying methods, this domain alone would allow Li Hao to sweep through unchallenged, potentially ranking in the top ten across the heavens!
After all, the Supreme Prodigy Battle had an age limit of one hundred years. Even cultivating three layers a year wouldn't be enough time.
Not to mention the need to practice other techniques, achieve other ultimate realms, and master divine skills.
There simply wasn't enough time!
The Buddha Sovereign's expression shifted slightly, though he quickly regained his silence. The gentle,慈祥 smile he'd worn earlier, however, had vanished.
On the battle stage, Li Hao unleashed his Eternal Dao Domain and strode toward the Twin Buddha's Son.
With each step, the stage trembled as if the earth itself were shaking, as though the peak of this Buddhist sacred land quaked beneath his feet.
His towering aura and peerless presence left countless onlookers in awe.
"So this is your true strength? Pathetic!"
As he approached the Twin Buddha's Son, Li Hao suddenly used Void Return again, stepping forward and appearing before his opponent. He raised his leg and delivered a brutal kick.
*Bang!*
The Twin Buddha's Son's body shot backward, slamming into the formation on the other side of the stage. But his robe shimmered with treasure light, seemingly mitigating much of the damage.
Li Hao wasn't deliberately humiliating him. He knew that if he truly wanted to kill the Twin Buddha's Son, one sword strike would suffice. But if he did that, the Buddha Sovereign would undoubtedly intervene, never allowing him to kill a reincarnated Buddhist saint in this place.
Since he couldn't kill, he'd beat him instead!
As for whether this would offend the Buddha Sovereign, that wasn't Li Hao's concern. Even if he surrendered and begged for mercy, if the Sovereign wanted to act against him, he would still do so.
Groveling would only strip him of dignity even in death.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
Li Hao's figure flickered repeatedly, teleporting with the Void Return Ultimate Realm, swift as a ghost. The battlefield became his domain. Under the suppression of his Eternal Dao Domain, even the floating dust hung motionless in the air.
The Twin Buddha's Son's body, under Li Hao's relentless kicks, was powerless to resist, kicked around like a ball as Li Hao teleported.
The sight silenced the entire sacred mountain. Across the dozens of divine dynasties in the Canglan Realm, there was only stunned quiet.
The Twin Buddha's Son, previously considered an unrivaled prodigy, was now like a toy in Li Hao's hands—utterly helpless. This was beyond anyone's predictions, leaving them speechless with shock.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, the heavenly demon figure behind the Twin Buddha's Son let out a low growl, its eyes shooting out red light.
The demon seemed to break free from the Eternal Dao Domain's suppression. Li Hao, surrounded by his own domain, could sense it keenly. Within that demon figure, there was an exceptionally profound saintly will—it wasn't just a simple illusory shadow.
Could it be…
Li Hao's gaze sharpened, sensing the saintly will. A chill flashed in his eyes.
Could it be that the demon figure contained a portion of the Twin Buddha's Son's saintly thoughts from his previous life?
In other words, his reincarnation was only partial!
If he had cultivated both Buddha and demon paths in his past life, this so-called reincarnation might have only transferred his Buddhist heart, while his demonic thoughts resided atop it, lurking deep within this demon figure—like a safety net for his reincarnated self in case of disaster.
Li Hao couldn't fathom such a method, but his current perception left him with no other explanation.
As the saintly will within the demon figure emerged, Li Hao felt a monstrous demonic aura clashing with his domain, barely managing to carve out a space to move within it.
At that moment, the Twin Buddha's Son's eyes also blazed red, his face twisting into a ferocious snarl as his Buddhist heart was completely overtaken by demonic intent.
"The Four Establishments Ultimate Realm—it's actually the Four Establishments Ultimate Realm!"
The Twin Buddha's Son's face contorted, likely due to the demonic influence. His Buddhist light faded, replaced by surging demonic energy, making him resemble a young demon lord.
"To force me to this point—you deserve to die!!"
He roared, abandoning his Buddhist chants. He raised his hand, and torrents of demonic light erupted from his palm, forming a palm strike that pressed down toward Li Hao.
At the same time, his Extreme Realm of Gods and Demons reappeared. This domain, cultivated through the Dao Domain technique, was merely an imitation of ultimate fusion and couldn't compare to the Eternal Dao Domain. But now, bolstered by the saintly demonic will, it could faintly hold its own.
A killing intent flared in Li Hao's eyes. "Incarnation or true self—you're still a defeated foe!"
He shouted, stepping forward. The dark sword light in his hand rose and slashed down abruptly.
*Only I—Sword Dao!*
*Bang!*
The sword light howled like annihilation itself, tearing through the boiling demonic palm strike. Even with the saintly demonic will reinforcing it, it was split apart by Li Hao, unable to resist.
Shock filled the Twin Buddha's Son's crimson eyes. He hadn't used his full strength earlier, nor had they clashed at their limits. Though he'd seen the terror of Li Hao's swordsmanship, he hadn't imagined it was this horrifying—could it truly cut through anything?!
With one sword splitting the demonic palm, Li Hao didn't stop. He swung again.
A crescent moon-like sword arc roared forth, striking the Twin Buddha's Son's arm with Void Return-like speed.
The arm was severed, blood spraying.
The lingering sword qi tore through the dark clouds above the sacred mountain, splitting them apart and returning clarity to the heavens.
With just two strikes, he suppressed the Twin Buddha's Son's demonic might and cleared the skies.
Seeing this, countless onlookers' eyes bulged in disbelief.
"The Twin Buddha's Son had an arm cut off!"
"Is he going to lose? Even a reincarnated saint can lose?!"
"Could Haotian also be a reincarnated saint? This is insane!"
"Doesn't it feel like, compared to Haotian, the Twin Buddha's Son seems more like the demon?"
On the stage, Li Hao stood in his green robes, sword in hand, his expression icy.
The Twin Buddha's Son's face was twisted in fury, his blood-red eyes glaring. His robe, stained with blood, had lost its treasure light under Li Hao's earlier barrage of kicks, its glow extinguished.
In moments, the Twin Buddha's Son's severed arm regenerated.
Li Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. That regeneration speed was all too familiar—it was the Seventh Ultimate Realm, Immortality!
His opponent also possessed the ability to regenerate from a drop of blood. Rumors had said he'd cultivated six ultimate realms, apparently skipping the Immortal Transformation stage.
But having fought the Void Saint's incarnation and barely survived by pushing himself to the limit, Li Hao had glimpsed the flaws in blood regeneration. If he truly wanted to kill his opponent, he had a way.
The battle stage fell into a brief lull, while the crowd below still hadn't recovered.
"So this is… his true strength?"
The Bright Moon Holy Son stared blankly. Earlier, he'd harbored some reluctance, thinking he could catch up with closed-door training. But now, he felt only awe.
It was like gazing up at an unclimbable mountain!
They were peers—how could the gap be so vast?
In the Literary Ancestor Sacred Land, the holy sons and daughters were equally speechless.
Li Qingyi's eyes were wide. No wonder Li Hao hadn't even drawn his sword against her earlier, defeating her with a casual flick of sword qi.
She'd thought his swordsmanship was his most terrifying asset, but it turned out his horrifying Dao Domain was even more fearsome!
The smile on Lin Shuhai's face had vanished, his eyes silently fixed on that figure.
"So this is what he's like uninjured…"
Lin Qingying stared in a daze. When she'd found Li Hao gravely wounded and taken him in, she'd thought he was just an ordinary injured martial artist. She never imagined his strength was this overwhelming.
And with such power, he'd still been so gravely injured, left unconscious in the wilderness. She couldn't imagine what kind of danger he'd faced to end up in such a pitiful state.
On the stage, the Twin Buddha's Son's expression was savage, his demonic energy building as murderous intent blazed in his eyes, nearly spilling over.
"You don't dare kill me today, but I will kill you!"
He glared at Li Hao, his voice snarling through a psychic transmission.
"A reincarnated saint saying something like that—has your saintly heart been tainted? I'm embarrassed for you."
Li Hao's face was cold, a mocking smirk curling his lips. "I may not be able to kill you, but I can beat you!"
As he spoke, he stepped forward again, closing in instantly.
The Twin Buddha's Son's pupils shrank. The demonic energy around him surged, and a vast saintly intent suddenly radiated from the heavenly demon figure behind him.
(End of Chapter)