Chapter 443: The Battle Heaven Clan

This sudden voice instantly shattered the tense atmosphere that had filled the sacred ground, like ice crumbling under pressure.

Feng Boping, the Sword Master, and the others jolted, abruptly turning their heads to look towards Li Hao.

When they saw Li Hao's figure, they froze, as if eons had passed in a single glance. It felt surreal, like an illusion. All sound seemed to vanish, and their minds buzzed.

On the other side, the three True Immortals stiffened, their gazes locking onto Li Hao.

Upon clearly seeing Li Hao's face, they were momentarily taken aback. It was indeed the face of the body they were vying for.

However, the aura emanating from him now was that of a True Immortal realm cultivator. Though only at the first level of True Immortality, he had undeniably crossed that threshold.

Simultaneously, they noticed the old man beside Li Hao. He appeared as plain as an old farmer, yet to their shock, they couldn't sense his cultivation level at all, and even vaguely felt a terrifyingly dangerous premonition.

"You're not dead?"

The silver-helmeted, rainbow-robed youth's expression shifted slightly. They had come here to recruit disciples and had thoroughly explored this realm at the first opportunity. They had even secretly captured some Dao Inquiry realm cultivators and a Half-Saint within the sacred ground, using soul-searching and memory-stealing techniques to gain a good understanding of this realm's situation.

Therefore, they knew that the original owner of this body, his primordial spirit, had perished in the forbidden zone here, long beyond the point of recovery.

They had investigated that forbidden zone as well, but had sensed immortal laws and a dangerous warning before even getting close, causing them to stop.

If even True Immortals felt danger, let alone Saints. Yet, now, the person was standing alive and well before them.

"That's… a Chaos Origin Divine Blood body?"

The middle-aged looking True Immortal in the center, his eyes flickering with dim light, recognized Li Hao's physical body. His expression instantly changed.

"What do you want me to agree to?"

Li Hao ignored their reactions, his gaze sharp and cold. He repeated his question, staring at the cold and beautiful woman in the colorful dress.

Feeling Li Hao's gaze, sharp as a blade, the colorfully dressed woman's expression changed, a hint of anger and shock flashing in her eyes. Just a first level True Immortal, yet he possessed such imposing power?

At the same time, Li Hao's interrogation ignited a surge of anger within her.

"Since you've returned, then this matter is dropped. We shall take our leave!"

Before the colorfully dressed woman could speak, the middle-aged True Immortal suddenly spoke.

As he spoke, he slightly cupped his fist in a gesture of farewell, then prepared to leave with the two beside him.

His reaction startled both the colorfully dressed woman and the silver-helmeted, rainbow-robed youth.

"Did I say you could leave?"

Li Hao's gaze turned icy, his words like nails hammered into place. Accompanied by the increasingly potent immortal pressure he exuded, the middle-aged True Immortal involuntarily halted.

"It's just a misunderstanding, surely you don't want to push things too far, do you?"

The middle-aged True Immortal frowned, his gaze flicking towards Wang Lao, the old man beside Li Hao.

His real apprehension was towards this old man whose depths he couldn't fathom.

Li Hao didn't respond to him, instead turning to look at Feng Boping and the Sword Master.

By now, Feng Boping and the others had also regained their senses. Lin Qingying and the others on the ground had also recovered their mobility. The moment Li Hao appeared, he had blocked the pressure from the three True Immortals, giving everyone on the sacred ground a sense of relief, a chance to breathe again.

"Haotian!"

In an instant, everyone became excited.

That familiar figure, that familiar face, was etched deep within their memories.

Whoosh.

Feng Boping appeared before Li Hao like a teleport, punching him on the shoulder before pulling him into a fierce hug. It was as if only through physical contact could he confirm that this wasn't a hallucination, that it was real.

"You're not dead, I knew you wouldn't die, you little rascal!"

The old man's voice was choked with sobs and joy.

Saint Mi Tian also came over, a flicker of melancholy in his eyes as he watched Feng Boping.

In Feng Boping, he seemed to see a shadow of what he himself had failed to achieve in his youth.

Such genuine emotions, if he could have been like this back then, perhaps there wouldn't have been so many years of estrangement.

Though they had reconciled now, a broken mirror could never be fully restored, and they could never return to what they once were.

Feeling the warmth of Old Feng, Li Hao's blood seemed to surge through his veins. From leaving the Divine General's manor, all the way to Tianmen Pass, and now to the Heavens Battlefield, from the Buddhist Holy Land to now, this companionship had lasted far too long.

Feng Boping, because he was there, the winds had never been calm.

Li Hao felt an indescribable mix of emotions – shame, guilt, joy, gratitude, and more.

He gently patted the old man's shoulder, the sword-like coldness in his eyes long gone. A relaxed smile spread across his face as he said, "You knew I wouldn't die, why cry so hard?"

"Bastard, who's crying! This old man just got sand in his eyes from you!"

Feng Boping retorted gruffly, punching Li Hao in the chest, but with Li Hao's physique, it felt as soft as cotton.

"It's good you're back, it's good you're back…"

A rare hint of joy and excitement appeared in the Sword Master's eyes, though he restrained himself. However, Li Hao noticed that the hand gripping his sword was trembling slightly.

Even in life-or-death battles, the Sword Master's hand was as steady as his sword, yet now, it was subtly trembling.

Li Hao's gaze was complex. He suddenly felt a heavy weight on his shoulders, a burden he carried.

"Let me resolve their matter first, then we can properly catch up," Li Hao said to the crowd, taking a deep breath. Then he raised his head, his eyes turning cold once more. He had just noticed the wound on Saint Mi Tian's body, stubbornly refusing to heal, immortal power lingering there, hindering its recovery.

Clearly, this was the work of the three True Immortals before him.

Hearing Li Hao's words, the middle-aged True Immortal's expression shifted slightly. The colorfully dressed woman also frowned, feeling angry, but the executor's reaction made her realize the situation wasn't right. She was now forcefully suppressing her anger.

"A small misunderstanding. Your friend wasn't injured. Consider these hundred immortal stones our apology."

The middle-aged True Immortal pulled out a small pouch from his robes and tossed it towards Li Hao.

Li Hao didn't even flinch, letting the pouch arc through the air and fall to the ground.

The middle-aged True Immortal's gaze grew colder, his voice lowering as he said, "We are from the Xuan Zhan Sect. I am Zuo Chunqiu, an executor of the Xuan Zhan Sect."

He revealed his identity, signaling his final concession.

Li Hao's expression remained unchanged, only coldly stating, "A sect executor is merely at the True Immortal realm. Seems your sect isn't much after all."

Zuo Chunqiu's face darkened. "That's quite arrogant, isn't it? Our Xuan Zhan Sect is considered a Tier 4 sect in the Southern Domain of the True World. Our sect master is an Immortal King realm expert! A single realm of difference, killing True Immortals is as easy as crushing ants!"

Li Hao turned to Wang Lao and asked, "Is that so?"

Wang Lao seemed to understand Li Hao's intention and nodded earnestly. "Indeed, I've crushed Immortal Kings before. It's just like crushing ants!"

Zuo Chunqiu and the other two were stunned, looking at Wang Lao in disbelief. This tone?

Li Hao nodded slightly, then said no more. He suddenly erupted, immortal power surging. The Taotie Immortal Sword abruptly materialized in his hand.

Kill!

Li Hao's killing intent resonated with the Taotie Immortal Sword. The Taotie sword spirit understood Li Hao's intent without hesitation. In an instant, it unleashed a dazzling sword light. It flew from Li Hao's hand like a bolt of lightning, shooting towards the three True Immortals.

"You dare to attack?!"

"This isn't a True Treasure level weapon?"

The three were shocked. They hadn't expected Li Hao to suddenly unleash killing intent and directly attack them. At the same time, the aura suddenly erupting from the immortal sword made their hearts tremble. It was definitely not a True Treasure that a True Immortal realm cultivator could wield.

"Run!"

Zuo Chunqiu reacted fastest, immediately conjuring two talismans, then flipping out two immortal artifacts - one mirror-like that refracted light, and another that spun like a teapot.

While activating the immortal artifacts, he shouted "Run!" but then abruptly pushed the silver-helmeted, rainbow-robed youth forward, while pulling the colorfully dressed woman back.

The silver-helmeted, rainbow-robed youth was caught off guard and pushed out, his face filled with shock. The moment they brushed past each other, he saw the determination and ruthlessness in Zuo Chunqiu's eyes. He instantly understood, and his eyes widened in terror and rage, letting out a furious roar as his silver armor erupted with thousands of silver rays.

The colorfully dressed woman also seemed to not have anticipated Zuo Chunqiu's move, but in the brief moment of being dragged backward, she seemed to understand. The shock in her eyes vanished, and she quickly summoned her own immortal treasure and fled with Zuo Chunqiu.

Earlier, she still harbored anger towards Li Hao and thoughts of fighting back, but Zuo Chunqiu's actions and the old farmer-like old man's words immediately made her realize the situation was dire.

All of this seemed lengthy, but in reality, it all transpired in the blink of an eye from when Li Hao attacked.

Bang!

The thousands of silver rays erupted from the silver-helmeted, rainbow-robed youth hadn't even reached their peak intensity before abruptly vanishing as if severed at the waist.

The Taotie Immortal Sword pierced through his True Immortal body, cleaving him in two, tearing apart both his physical form and primordial spirit, leaving wounds that couldn't heal, his life force rapidly dissipating.

Simultaneously, after piercing through his body, the Taotie Immortal Sword pursued Zuo Chunqiu and the colorfully dressed woman with lightning speed.

The silver-helmeted, rainbow-robed youth's outburst hadn't bought them any time at all.

"This is an Immortal Weapon, a weapon that only Immortal Kings can wield!"

Zuo Chunqiu's pupils constricted. He recognized the rank of Li Hao's immortal sword now, but it was too late.

Despair filled his eyes, and he roared, abruptly shoving the colorfully dressed woman in front of him, shouting, "She is a descendant of the Battle Heaven Clan! If she dies here, your entire Heavens Battlefield will suffer! My clan's experts will definitely come to punish you! I can forget about today's events, I can swear it with an immortal oath!"

Before he could finish speaking, the Taotie Immortal Sword flashed subtly, bypassing the colorfully dressed woman's throat by a hair's breadth, and in the same instant, sliced off Zuo Chunqiu's head from behind, his words abruptly cut short.

The Immortal Dao domain laws on the Taotie Immortal Sword completely disintegrated Zuo Chunqiu's own immortal power. Even divine blood regeneration was suppressed, unable to reconnect the severed parts.

"You…"

Terror filled Zuo Chunqiu's eyes. As his head was about to fall, his hand frantically grabbed it. He wasn't instantly dead, but his primordial spirit and body were both severed at the neck, losing seventy percent of his combat power.

"Don't kill me, I'll compensate, ten thousand, no, a hundred thousand immortal stones, I…"

Before he could finish, the Taotie Immortal Sword, at Li Hao's command, directly pierced through his head, shattering his body to pieces along with it.

From the silver-helmeted, rainbow-robed youth being bisected to Zuo Chunqiu being pulverized, it all happened in a single breath.

In an instant, only the colorfully dressed woman remained, standing frozen in place.

The sacred ground fell deathly silent.

Everyone watched this scene in stunned silence.

They had just been excited by Li Hao's return and had momentarily forgotten the existence of these three True Immortals. But as Li Hao erupted, they had become tense again, after all, even though Li Hao had also reached the True Immortal realm, these were still individuals from the True World, and there were three of them, one of whom was a powerful True Immortal!

However, before their worries could solidify, the battle had ended in an instant.

The three True Immortals who had previously dominated the entire sacred ground didn't even have a chance to escape, and were cut down by Li Hao's sword.

After five years apart, the young man had returned, not only becoming a True Immortal, but also seemingly remaining as invincible as ever amongst those of the same realm!

Everyone felt somewhat dazed.

At this moment, the most bewildered one was the colorfully dressed woman. She had never imagined that Zuo Chunqiu would be instantly killed.

He had even used her as a shield in his final moments, but before she could feel anger and hatred, he had been annihilated in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the cold and indifferent young man before her, the colorfully dressed woman felt her body trembling uncontrollably. She had never expected that in this pseudo-realm where Saints were the peak, she would face the possibility of death.

"I, I am from the Battle Heaven Clan! If you kill me, your Heavens Battlefield will be in trouble! Experts from my clan will surely come to punish you! I can forget about today's events, I can swear an immortal oath!"

The colorfully dressed woman reacted, forcing her trembling voice to speak quickly.

She feared the other party was too reckless and would kill her without hesitation.

Li Hao hadn't expected the Taotie Sword to be this powerful, even without him personally taking action. He only needed to provide the Taotie with immortal power, and it effortlessly killed the opponents.

"Battle Heaven Clan?"

Li Hao looked at Wang Lao beside him. If it were just himself, he wouldn't even bother listening and would just kill her. But now, carrying the weight of the Heavens Battlefield, he had to consider the consequences for them.

Wang Lao's eyes held a hint of recollection, and he said softly, "Ten thousand years ago, the Battle Heaven Clan followed Emperor Zhan Xian and were known for their bravery and combat prowess. Their clansmen are born with battle bodies and battle hearts, and their cultivation is extremely fast. Especially their battle bodies, which can be activated upon reaching the Dao Inquiry realm, allowing them to briefly enter a berserk state, increasing their combat power by several to ten times."

He paused, his gaze falling on the colorfully dressed woman, like an elder looking at a young girl, though his eyes held no warmth. "But Emperor Zhan Xian also fell back then. The Battle Heaven Clan… they were just followers. Even descendants of Emperor Zhan Xian's bloodline are not as significant as your current status."

His voice was soft, but to the colorfully dressed woman's ears, it was like ten thousand thunderclaps exploding.

She stared blankly at this old farmer-like man, her heart pounding wildly. In just a few words, he had revealed the ancient, hidden history of their Battle Heaven Clan, and he spoke of events ten thousand years ago, a time before even her grandfather was born.

"If I kill her, will the Battle Heaven Clan be able to find out?" Li Hao asked.

Wang Lao nodded, then chuckled, "The Battle Heaven Clan has a shared primordial spirit secret realm. Within that realm, their primordial spirits have imprints. If they perish, the imprint will disappear, but before disappearing, it will retain their last memories before death. Therefore, rashly killing a member of the Battle Heaven Clan will lead to investigation. But this secret realm isn't impossible to conceal. For example…"

He slightly raised his hand, and the sky seemed to suddenly darken. But this darkness emerged from behind him, then enveloped the colorfully dressed woman.

"Within my Immortal Kingdom, their secret realm is useless, unless it is someone of the same level." Wang Lao said with a light laugh.

The colorfully dressed woman's expression turned vacant. The words of begging that were on the tip of her tongue could no longer be uttered.

Condensing an Immortal Kingdom… This was an Immortal King Overlord!

(End of Chapter)