Chapter 421: Li Hao's Demise (Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Pass Votes)
It happened too fast. Even the True Immortal Ancient Demon hadn't reacted. By the time its primordial spirit suddenly separated from its physical body, it was horrified to realize that its physical body had actually been killed in an instant!
That a Saint-level could instantly kill a True Immortal!
Although it was only the physical body, it was still incredible.
The ferocious and gigantic physical body hovered in the void, about to fall. The True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit reacted and swiftly charged towards the physical body, wanting to reunite with it, hoping to awaken and heal the body once more.
But at this moment, Li Hao's primordial spirit had already been waiting beside it.
"Kill."
Li Hao's primordial spirit transformed into a sharp sword shape, swiftly slashing out. It was even faster than the incomplete Immortal Sword. Divine veins within his primordial spirit blazed, erupting with brilliant golden light, like a flying sword engulfed in golden flames!
"Roar!"
The True Immortal Ancient Demon sensed the threat and felt a surge of fury. It immediately understood Li Hao's plan: kill its physical body, and then use his primordial spirit to kill its primordial spirit!
How ironic!
It, of all beings, was actually being schemed against by a Saint-level!
In an instant, dense black mist emerged from the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit, rising at an astonishing speed, like flames. A dark moon appeared behind its primordial spirit. This time, it directly collided towards Li Hao's primordial spirit.
In terms of primordial spirits, it was a True Immortal. Even True Immortals of the human race in the same realm wouldn't dare to clash primordial spirits head-on with it, let alone a Saint-level. It was simply courting death!
However, it could sense that Li Hao's primordial spirit posed an extreme threat, far beyond the strength that a Saint-level could cultivate. It even surpassed ordinary True Immortals. Therefore, this instant clash was almost a full-power explosion.
The power of Annihilation Rotation erupted from the dark moon. In this void, dazzling golden light and deep black radiance collided.
"斩 (Zhǎn - Sever)!"
That instantaneous collision gathered the gazes of the heavens, causing countless people present to feel a sudden stop in their hearts.
Bang!
Li Hao's primordial spirit pierced through the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit!
But at the moment of penetration, Li Hao felt as if he had passed through a forest of blades and swords. He felt excruciating pain all over his body, as if he were being subjected to slow slicing. His primordial spirit was covered in wounds, its light dimming. The power of the burning divine veins was exhausted in an instant.
The True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit was torn apart, letting out a miserable wail of pain. It hadn't expected that it would actually lose in a primordial spirit contest. As a member of the Ancient Demon race, born from reincarnation, it had actually lost in the way of the soul.
Thick black gas surged from its split primordial spirit, like blood from a primordial spirit, sticking to the broken wounds.
Naturally, Li Hao wouldn't give it such a chance. Enduring the pain, he swiftly launched a counterattack. His primordial spirit was like a sword, slashing out once more.
The True Immortal Ancient Demon was shocked and enraged. It abruptly unleashed its Immortal Domain.
The domain enveloped the area. Within it, countless ghost-like black shadows appeared, emitting ear-piercing screams.
At the same time, the rotation power from the dark moon enveloped them once more.
Li Hao's speed was too fast. His Limit-Breaking Divine Bone primordial spirit, combined with Sword Dao Tenth Stage speed, and the boosts from the Encyclopedia attributes like Speedster, made him so fast that within the Immortal Domain, he was like a beam of light, instantly slashing out.
However, even though his primordial spirit traversed the Immortal Domain, it couldn't escape the rotation power of the dark moon. A skin-peeling, bone-scraping pain spread through his primordial spirit once more, almost causing him to lose control and scream.
If an ordinary primordial spirit were to touch this rotation power, it would instantly dim and become on the verge of shattering.
"Die, die, die!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the void, Li Hao seemed to have gone mad, enduring the soul-lacerating pain that was ten thousand times more painful than skinning and tendon-ripping. He repeatedly charged his primordial spirit forward, slashing and killing the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit.
He traded injury for injury. Each attack severely injured himself as well, but he was resolved to fight to the death.
In just a few breaths, they exchanged blows more than ten times consecutively. Li Hao's madness made the True Immortal Ancient Demon go from anger to shock, and later, even develop a trace of retreat.
This human in front of it had a terrifyingly strong primordial spirit, not weaker than its own in the slightest. Moreover, he clearly had a death wish. It, on the other hand, was a True Immortal, here to find Immortal Emperor treasures, with the hope of even being promoted to a Commander. It had a bright future ahead, how could it fight to the death with this kind of trash?
Swoosh!
The Ancient Demon primordial spirit, slashed into pieces, instantly transformed into clusters of black mist, rushing towards its physical body.
It wanted to return to its physical body and use secret techniques to completely suppress and kill Li Hao, not giving Li Hao another chance to kill its physical body again.
"Don't even think about escaping!"
Li Hao saw through the opponent's intentions. The continuous tearing pain throughout his body made his eyes bloodshot. He abruptly unleashed his power of Telekinesis, preemptively enveloping the opponent's physical body just as its primordial spirit was about to return.
Then,
Li Hao mustered all his strength and flung it towards the forbidden zone!
咻 (Xiū - Whoosh)!
The Ancient Demon's physical body, a thousand zhang tall and as large as a hill, flew straight towards the Double-Seam Demon Valley in the forbidden zone.
As soon as it entered the range of the Double-Seam Demon Valley, it suddenly accelerated, flying towards the double seams.
Seeing this scene, the True Immortal Ancient Demon instantly froze, feeling its head buzzing. Its eyes were about to burst, and it roared to the sky, chasing after its physical body.
But when it flew into the range of the Double-Seam Demon Valley, it suddenly had an ominous premonition, and had to stop.
It watched helplessly as its physical body fell into those two dark black rifts, disappearing without a trace.
At the same time, Li Hao's primordial spirit had already chased after it.
The True Immortal Ancient Demon's body surged with monstrous demonic energy. Unprecedented rage completely infuriated it!
"Roar!"
Its primordial spirit ignited, also burning its primordial spirit's source power like Li Hao. The might of its primordial spirit suddenly soared. The rotation power emanating from the dark moon instantly increased several times.
Li Hao's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly stopped, but it was too late. He hastily tore open a Reversion Crack and his primordial spirit flew into it, appearing in another part of the void.
Just as his body teleported out, the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit also teleported over. It could see the traces of the Reversion Crack through Immortal Power fluctuations. Its primordial spirit transformed into a cloud of black mist, suddenly enveloping Li Hao's primordial spirit.
Within the black mist, it was like concentrated acid, corroding Li Hao's primordial spirit.
Li Hao knew that in this situation, it was as if he had been swallowed by the Ancient Demon's primordial spirit!
"Great Dream Nine Abyss, Immortal Points the Way!"
Li Hao used his primordial spirit as a sword, abruptly unleashing the first stance of this Immortal Dao sword technique.
This so-called first stance was also the entry-level test for this sword technique.
Whether one possessed sword dao talent could be seen from the entry-level stance.
And Li Hao, being at Sword Dao Tenth Stage, had already touched upon a hint of the Source realm in the third level of this sword technique, Intent, Source, and End. At this moment, he completely comprehended the Source realm.
Source, is the origin of this sword itself.
Bang!
His primordial spirit, like a sword, gently sliced forward. It seemed gentle and without brute force, yet it gave off a sense of effortless mastery.
The sword's edge was like an immortal's finger, pointing lightly, unstoppable in its progress.
The primordial spirit pierced through the black mist. Combined with the burning divine veins, it tore the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit once again.
"Impossible!"
The True Immortal Ancient Demon was so shocked it cried out in disbelief. A mere Saint-level actually unleashed an orthodox Immortal Dao sword technique, and even touched upon its source, how was this possible?
Sword intent was like heart's intent. Li Hao burst out of the black mist, once again using sword dao to enhance his primordial spirit, adding terrifying power to it.
Bang! Bang!
The True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit was continuously torn apart. The burning black mist was also scattered significantly. Under Li Hao's fierce primordial spirit assault, it was actually retreating step by step.
"Roar!"
The True Immortal Ancient Demon let out a furious roar. This matter completely subverted its understanding.
During the Imperial Fall battle back then, it hadn't encountered such terrifying geniuses. Those dazzling True Immortal geniuses were almost all protected by various forces as seeds of hope in that war. The ones it encountered who were forced to participate in the battlefield were also extremely terrifying, surpassing Ancient Demons at the same realm.
But those were True Immortals, while the one before it was just a Saint-level!
"Die!"
Li Hao pushed his primordial spirit to its limit. He integrated the Sole Self Sword Dao, unleashing a peerless sword strike that illuminated the heavens.
The dazzling golden sword light illuminated the dim void, and also illuminated the entire Heavens.
In the distance, the members of the Demon-Slaying Army, who were hiding nearby, were all staring blankly at this scene, their hearts in their throats.
Under the projection of the Boundary Stone, countless residents in cities throughout the heavens were watching this scene. The golden sword light was permanently etched in their eyes, like a golden lightning bolt cracking open the void.
The black mist was torn apart. Under the golden light, the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit shattered.
The primordial spirit aura that exuded boundless malice rapidly weakened and contracted, seemingly about to dissipate.
Sensing this change, the thousands of Half-Saints all clenched their fists in excitement, feeling their hearts pounding like drums, filled with surging excitement.
Did they win?
That Heavenly Venerable Hao had won!
When the Ancient Demon's physical body was flung into the Double-Seam Demon Valley forbidden zone, they had almost roared with excitement. Now, seeing that the Ancient Demon's primordial spirit was also rapidly weakening, its previous terrifying might dissipating, they felt like crying tears of joy.
Li Hao also secretly breathed a sigh of relief seeing this. He had won this battle!
But at this moment, suddenly, the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit aura, which was weakening and about to disappear, abruptly stopped disintegrating and dissipating.
After this pause, suddenly, the primordial spirit aura rapidly swelled at an almost explosive speed, becoming stronger, displaying an even more terrifying might than before.
Li Hao froze. The trace of a smile that had just appeared on his face instantly solidified.
Within the Ancient Demon's primordial spirit black mist, silver lights abruptly emerged, like extending veins, reconstructing the already dissipated Ancient Demon primordial spirit.
Soon, the Ancient Demon primordial spirit returned to its original state. Furthermore, silver lights appeared on its body, converging at the top of its head, where a vortex-like silver mark existed, like an eye, or a seal!
Li Hao's pupils slightly constricted. This was an Immortal Seal!
Nangong Jian had once said that the biggest difference between True Immortals and Saint-levels was that True Immortals condensed an Immortal Seal, and the Immortal Seal was the core of a True Immortal.
Swoosh!
The True Immortal Ancient Demon's figure suddenly charged forward, approaching in an instant. The rotation power of the dark moon layered up, causing Li Hao's primordial spirit to shatter layer by layer, as if being pulverized.
Fortunately, however, his primordial spirit had already condensed Divine Bones. With the support of the Divine Bones, he quickly broke free from the erosion of the rotation power, but it also consumed a great deal of energy.
The True Immortal Ancient Demon stared coldly at Li Hao. Being forced into such a desperate situation was something it hadn't expected. But in the end, it was still a True Immortal Realm existence, having attained immortality in the True World. This Immortal Seal was condensed from Immortal Dao power, and only Immortal Dao power could destroy it. Saint-levels below True Immortals, even if they had accumulated Immortal Power within their bodies like Li Hao, would have their power turn into天地 (Tiāndì - Heaven and Earth/natural) power once unleashed.
Without an Immortal Body, without attaining immortality, one could not control Immortal Power. Therefore, this was the reason why Saint-levels could never kill True Immortals, no matter what.
Just a single realm difference was a world of difference, forever impossible to climb and approach!
Li Hao knew of the existence of the Immortal Seal, but hadn't expected that the Immortal Seal wasn't with the physical body, but with the primordial spirit.
When Nangong Jian had killed the True Immortal Ancient Demon before, Li Hao hadn't seen this situation. He guessed that the power Nangong Jian had used was Immortal Dao power, which had already annihilated the Immortal Seal and primordial spirit together during the attack.
And Nangong Jian hadn't told him about this in detail. He probably hadn't expected that Li Hao would fight a True Immortal Ancient Demon at the Saint-level, and even almost win!
Swoosh!
The True Immortal Ancient Demon charged towards Li Hao again.
Li Hao didn't dodge. Although he had a vast army and countless people behind him, there was no one who could fight alongside him. He had no path of retreat.
Kill!
He gritted his teeth and charged out again.
In an instant of exchange, Li Hao erupted with full power, actually cutting off the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit again.
Under the Immortal Seal, the opponent's primordial spirit power didn't seem to have increased much, but after being cut off, the Ancient Demon's primordial spirit rapidly healed, instantly recovering.
Li Hao's expression turned grim. This time, he locked his gaze on the Immortal Seal.
He burned divine veins once more and charged out.
Bang!
He felt like he had crashed into a rock, almost shattering himself.
And under this backlash, the Ancient Demon primordial spirit attacked, causing Li Hao to instantly fall into a dangerous situation, repeatedly turning and fleeing before barely stabilizing himself for battle again.
"Without breaking the Immortal Seal, I can't kill it!"
"But to break the Immortal Seal, I need Immortal Power, or an Immortal Artifact might work, but even incomplete Immortal Artifacts don't have Immortal Power, only leaving behind sharpness!"
Li Hao continuously attacked, splitting open the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit, but the opponent quickly healed, seemingly endlessly.
Li Hao also felt a trace of despair in his heart. Why was it so difficult?
Previously, lacking an Immortal Artifact and not being sharp enough, he couldn't split open the opponent's physical body, and could only flee in a sorry state.
Now, with Sword Dao Tenth Stage, he could instantly kill the opponent's physical body, and having seized the opportunity, he still couldn't break the Immortal Seal!
True Immortal, True Immortal... why was it so hard to kill!!
As his divine veins burned again and again, with each burn, Li Hao's primordial spirit would weaken slightly. Swoosh, Li Hao's figure swayed, widening the distance from the True Immortal Ancient Demon.
His face was grim. He couldn't kill the opponent. If he continued to burn divine veins, his primordial spirit power might not be enough to fight the opponent anymore.
And divine vein cultivation was extremely difficult. Even absorbing sun essence on the Divine Sun, it would probably take ten years to condense a single divine vein.
And in his current battle, each burn consumed five divine veins, equivalent to fifty years.
If not for cooking Ancient Demon flesh and blood, he wouldn't have been able to condense Divine Bones and so many divine veins in just twelve years.
Escape?
Helpless, Li Hao also felt a sense of gloom.
But out of the corner of his eye, he saw the dense, endless Human Alliance army behind him.
There were also some other races' experts within the Alliance army, and all of them were watching him nervously and anxiously.
Was he going to escape again?
Li Hao's expression flickered, his fists gradually clenching. Even they had the courage to fight to the death. If his death could preserve the heavens, it seemed worthwhile.
This was just a rotten life he'd picked up, even his surname was lost. Among transmigrators, he should be considered the most down-and-out, right?
What was there to risk with such a rotten life!
Old Feng, Qianqian, Yuan Zhao, Aunt... Li Hao slightly bit his lip, clenching his fists.
His eyes turned cold, staring directly at the True Immortal Ancient Demon.
The True Immortal Ancient Demon also stared coldly and chillingly at Li Hao. This was the strongest human genius it had ever encountered. But the gap between Saint-level and True Immortal was ultimately insurmountable, like a chasm. Even if the opponent was monstrous to the point of being somewhat exaggerated and unbelievable, he still couldn't cross it. This was the difference between mortal and immortal!
For countless years, the Heavens World had not been able to produce immortals and gods, just because the difference between True Immortal and Saint-level was too far!
"Die then!"
Li Hao suddenly erupted, burning divine veins again, pushing his primordial spirit power to the limit. He integrated sword dao, approaching the opponent in an instant and striking with his sword.
With a bang, the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit shattered. But the rotation power it unleashed also caused Li Hao's primordial spirit to feel layer upon layer of flaying pain. He watched as the opponent's primordial spirit was about to condense, and suddenly transformed his primordial spirit from a sword into a giant palm, grabbing the opponent's primordial spirit in one grasp and roaring towards the Double-Seam Demon Valley!
The True Immortal Ancient Demon sensed Li Hao's intention and was instantly shocked. Was this man crazy? He was actually going to perish together with it?
Such a genius, actually willing to die?!
It roared, constantly struggling, but the distance to the Double-Seam Demon Valley was getting closer and closer. Just as they were about to enter the Double-Seam Demon Valley, suddenly, it burned its primordial spirit and broke free from Li Hao's giant palm.
Seeing that it was about to escape, Li Hao abruptly erupted. Three sounds of chains breaking came from within his body!
Three shackles were broken by him consecutively. This was the second calamity of a Saint, the Earth Calamity!
The so-called Earth Calamity meant that once triggered, one would encounter extremely dangerous environments. If one was in the wilderness, one would inevitably encounter unknown dangerous forbidden zones.
And Saints usually underwent the Earth Calamity in absolutely safe holy lands, or imperial capitals of divine dynasties.
But even so, there would still be all sorts of unexpected disasters, such as meteorites suddenly falling from the sky, or sudden crustal tremors, and the earth cracking apart.
Previously, when Li Hao had killed the Hun Tian Saint, he had exhausted the Human Calamity.
Now, he shattered the Offering Sacrifice Earth Calamity, Incense Earth Calamity, and Extreme Path Earth Calamity, breaking all three types of Saint Dao Earth Calamity shackles, undergoing tribulation simultaneously!
Along with the shattering of the shackles, there seemed to be a moment of silence in the void.
Some supreme power seemed to have affected this place. Suddenly, at the Double-Seam Demon Valley, the strong suction force abruptly intensified!
Originally only enveloping the valley mouth, now, it suddenly expanded to the edges. Li Hao had learned about the Double-Seam Demon Valley and knew that if it was damaged or stimulated, it would expand the forbidden zone's range.
At this moment, under the influence of the Three Saint Calamities, the Double-Seam Demon Valley changed. It seemed to be stimulated, its range suddenly extending, instantly engulfing even the True Immortal Ancient Demon who had just broken free from Li Hao.
The True Immortal Ancient Demon stared at Li Hao in shock. It instantly saw that Li Hao had just broken free from the Saint Dao shackles within his body.
Earth Calamity?
It realized what Li Hao was doing, but it was going slightly mad. This was a Saint-level's tribulation, yet this human was actually using it as a method to kill enemies?
Tribulation passing could be used like this?!
Undergoing three calamities at the same time had a huge influence. The suction force of the Double-Seam Demon Valley enveloped them. Li Hao instantly transformed into a sword light and charged towards the True Immortal Ancient Demon.
Under his mad full-power strike, the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit was torn apart again. And when its primordial spirit split, its power would temporarily weaken, causing the suction force enveloping it to instantly drag its split body towards the Double-Seam Demon Valley.
The True Immortal Ancient Demon let out an angry roar, with a trace of fear. It desperately rushed outwards, but the suction force of the Double-Seam Demon Valley was continuously increasing. It was like a person drowning in a swamp, constantly crawling out, but constantly sinking in.
And Li Hao was the same. The strong suction force seemed to lock onto him. While he was splitting open the Ancient Demon, he was also injured by the Ancient Demon's rotation power. The brief injury caused him to also be dragged by the Double-Seam Demon Valley's suction force, unable to break free, like a kite tied to a string.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, an angry roar came. The True Immortal Ancient Demon burned its primordial spirit, struggling extremely hard and slowly to rush outwards.
Li Hao's expression changed. He hadn't expected that even like this, the opponent still had strength to spare.
His expression flickered, and in the end, he still gritted his teeth, transforming into a sharp sword and fiercely slashing at the True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit.
Bang!
The True Immortal Ancient Demon's primordial spirit was torn apart. At the moment its power weakened, it was instantly dragged into the Double-Seam Demon Valley.
And under Li Hao's full-power slash, his own speed and the suction force of the Double-Seam Demon Valley closely followed, and he also fell into this endless abyss.
Li Hao unleashed the Eternal Dao Domain and continuously swung sword energy towards the Double-Seam Demon Valley, wanting to sever this suction force, or even just weaken it, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, without any effect.
In an instant, he and the True Immortal Ancient Demon, one before the other, all fell in and disappeared.
"Heavenly Venerable Hao!"
"This, they, I..."
"They were both swallowed by the forbidden zone!"
The members of the Demon-Slaying Army, seeing this scene, were all shocked and speechless.
Everything had happened in an instant. They hadn't even reacted. When they saw it again, they saw Li Hao push the Ancient Demon into the forbidden zone, and he himself had fallen with it!
The entire void quickly fell silent, as quiet as a graveyard.
Everyone stared blankly at this scene, shocked and speechless.
Under the Boundary Stone's projection, the residents of countless cities throughout the heavens also saw this scene, and were all stunned for a time.
That Saint, that supremely dazzling genius who was famous throughout the heavens, actually chose to sacrifice himself, and be buried in the forbidden zone together with that Ancient Demon!
That genius with endless possibilities in the future, had died young just like that!
Everyone felt shocked. This courage to face death moved them, making them feel sorrowful and sad.
At this moment, the heavens fell silent.
In the long silence, countless people in the Demon-Slaying Army stared at the Double-Seam Demon Valley, which showed no movement or change, their hopes of seeing that figure rush out from within seemingly turning into wishful thinking.
"Heavenly Venerable Hao... he perished together with that Ancient Demon!"
"I heard that was a True Immortal Realm Ancient Demon, a true immortal god existence. Heavenly Venerable Hao, he..."
"He sacrificed himself for us, saving the heavens."
Everyone's expressions were complicated. The genius who had the most hope of becoming an immortal god in the heavens had now fallen.
"Heavenly Venerable Hao hasn't even cultivated for a full cycle of sixty years, has he?"
"My great-grandson is older than him."
Many Half-Saints, such as Ancestor Mu, had sadness in their eyes. In terms of seniority, it was absolutely not his turn to risk his life.
But right now, it was thanks to this youth that they could continue to live.
"Primordial spirit demise seems to truly mean demise. Heavenly Venerable's physical body is still here."
"But his physical body has no primordial spirit anymore. The battle just now was too dangerous. Although I couldn't see it clearly, I could feel that Heavenly Venerable Hao fought to his limit. He didn't leave behind even a trace of primordial spirit in his physical body."
Figures flew out, arriving in front of Li Hao's physical body in the void, and discovered that it was indeed just a physical body, without any soul fluctuations inside.
(End of Chapter)