Chapter 279: The Power of the Immortal God
"Rebirth from a drop of blood?!"
The Buddha Lord's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Li Hao regenerate from a cloud of bloody mist. The usually calm and composed look on his face changed as this technique seemed to have similarities to the Dao Fa Realm.
The Dao Fa Realm could control life and death with a single thought, and bring healing with a single word. Even those on the brink of death could be restored in the blink of an eye.
However, the crucial difference was that the Dao Fa Realm borrowed power from the Grand Dao, while Li Hao was currently displaying the power of his pure physical body!
If one had to point out a distinction, it would be that one requires active release, while the other is passive.
Could a pure physical body be cultivated to such an extent? The Buddha Lord's gaze turned solemn. He had sensed the formidable strength of Li Hao's physical body earlier, but it seemed to have exceeded his expectations.
He himself had reached the pinnacle of divine power, spending hundreds of years mastering hundreds of body refining techniques to an extremely high level, tempering his body to a terrifying degree comparable to the dragon clan's demon kings within the Great Wilderness Heaven. Yet, it seemed that he was still far from Li Hao's current state...
"Supreme World Honored Body!"
Li Hao's flesh and blood were refined, and the ultimate effects of numerous body refining techniques were manifested throughout his body. Using these techniques simultaneously was extremely taxing on the body, but at this moment, his body was about to "transcend and ascend to immortality," merging with the heavens and earth, drawing on boundless power that surpassed even the regenerative effects of the Unfading Realm.
The Unfading Realm stimulated one's self-healing abilities to restore original strength, while Ascending to Immortality not only provided infinite power but also continuously accepted more power, surpassing the original bottleneck.
Swoosh!
Li Hao took a step forward, and a violent gust of wind suddenly whipped up from the ground as his body instantly vanished.
"Hm?!"
The Buddha Lord's eyes narrowed, and he instantly understood the concept of "instant movement."
Bang!!
Suddenly, a fist appeared in front of him, smashing down with a whistling force like an inverted giant peak, crashing down on his head.
The Buddha Lord's body plummeted, crashing into the foot of the Spirit Mountain.
Before the dust could settle, Li Hao's body flashed repeatedly, quickly charging into the dusty mist. The ground trembled violently, shaking dozens, if not hundreds, of times!
The earth cracked, and the nearby peaks shook, causing the wooden beams of the buildings atop them to collapse.
Numerous disciples of the Buddha School rushed over from a distance, their eyes filled with shock as they gazed at the dissipating dust, unable to see any figures, only hearing the terrifying sounds of impact.
Bang!
Suddenly, the Buddha Lord's figure was flung out of the dust, flying high into the sky. Li Hao's figure instantly shifted behind him, and a fierce leg whip lashed down on his head.
The Buddha Lord's body flew out, but this time, before he could crash into the mountainside, he forcefully stabilized himself in midair.
His body suddenly erupted with boundless Buddhist light, spreading out like a golden lapis lazuli ocean that enveloped the heavens and earth.
"If you had another ten years, you would truly be invincible in the mortal realm, but you do not have those ten years!"
A chilling killing intent flashed in the Buddha Lord's eyes. After merging with Mo Luo, his temperament seemed to have changed as well. The gentle and soft smile was gone, replaced by emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—the seven emotions of mortals.
However, these emotions were extremely restrained, as if they were being suppressed by some kind of shackle.
He was both Buddha and Demon.
"Die!"
The Buddha Lord struck out once more, releasing his Dao power and instantly enveloping Li Hao's body with rules. It easily bypassed Li Hao's fifteen layers of Dao Domains, seemingly unaffected by them.
The rules of the Dao Domains seemed ineffective against the might of the Dao power and rules, as if they belonged to two completely different levels of power, unable to hinder it in the slightest!
This was the power of the Enlightenment Realm, vastly different from the Four Establishments Realm; it was like the difference between mortals and immortals!
The merciless power of rules covered Li Hao's entire body, and he exerted all his strength to control his body. Still, he felt as if his body was about to be torn apart, not by the force but by the rules—a transcendent power beyond what his current strength could influence!
At this moment, Li Hao deeply felt the difference between the Enlightenment Realm and the Four Establishments Realm, but he did not panic or retreat. Instead, he took that final step!
Ultimate Ascension to Immortality!
Vast heavenly power surged like a breached dam, and without any hindrance, it crossed the threshold from ninety-nine percent of its limit to a complete breakthrough!
A thunderous sound rang out, and Li Hao felt as if his brain was buzzing. His flesh, blood, and consciousness seemed to merge with the heavens and earth.
At this moment, his killing intent and anger seemed to be dispelled and dissipated by the heavens and earth, leaving his mind in a state of intense killing intent yet extreme calm.
In Dragon City, Li Hao had once experienced the Ultimate Ascension to Immortality, and it was that brief sensation that gave him the confidence to face this battle. Although the feeling had been fleeting, he had truly touched that thread of mighty power!
It was the power of an Immortal God!!
Bang!
Li Hao suddenly raised his hand, as if swatting away flies and mosquitoes, and wiped away the tearing rules.
It was like swatting away a spider web.
However, a bizarre tearing sound echoed through the void.
At this moment, Li Hao's body was constantly regenerating amidst the extreme breakdown of his Ascension to Immortality, and he still appeared completely unharmed. This was the true secret of the Three Ultimate Immortal Realms—to Ascend to Immortality to the extreme and maintain this state!
"This is..."
The Buddha Lord froze, and the killing intent in his eyes suddenly gave way to a brief moment of clarity, and he looked lost.
Even he had never encountered such a bizarre situation.
He was certain that Li Hao was only at the Four Establishments Realm, but at this moment, Li Hao's body exuded an aura that made even him feel awe and trepidation. It seemed to come from a higher realm, even surpassing the Sage Realm he pursued...
What kind of power was this?!
Swoosh!
Li Hao's body instantly shifted again.
The Buddha Lord's expression changed drastically, and he almost instantly realized what had happened. His eyes darted around, scanning his surroundings.
At this moment, his eyes could capture the traces of Dao, and he could see the trajectory of the Grand Dao, but Li Hao's body seemed to have completely disappeared.
There was no trace of Dao, nor was it a replacement.
Could it be pure physical speed?
Impossible!
Bang!!
A piercing, sonic boom-like rumble filled the air, accompanied by the searing heat of friction as something smashed violently from the side.
Li Hao's body instantly shifted again in pursuit.
"Great Brilliance Art!"
The Buddha Lord roared in anger, and dazzling light erupted from his body, unleashing his divine power and forming a protective barrier around him like a celestial canopy.
The light emanating from his kasaya dimmed as it was torn by Li Hao's previous punch.
Bang!
Li Hao, having shifted instantly, threw another punch at the divine power surrounding the Buddha Lord's body, but this time, he was unable to destroy it. This divine power was resilient like a sponge, capable of being compressed and manipulated but not penetrated.
As the divine power rebounded, it struck the Buddha Lord, causing him to spit out a mouthful of golden blood, his face filled with shock and fury.
If Li Hao's instant movement was guided by Dao patterns, he could have easily severed it!
But Li Hao's movement left no trace, appearing and disappearing in an unpredictable manner—it was truly terrifying.
"The Great Dao is boundless, and I shall not be extinguished!"
The Buddha Lord abruptly pressed his palms together, his eyes widening in anger as he realized that the Great Dao and its rules seemed to have no effect on Li Hao.
The condensed rules of the Great Dao were effortlessly severed by the faint yet extremely formidable aura emanating from Li Hao. If not for the indestructible nature of divine power, he would have lost by now.
Since the methods of the Enlightenment Realm couldn't defeat Li Hao, he decided to bolster himself.
"I am the World-Honored Buddha, suppressing all demons in the world!"
"Heaven, lend me your power, and I shall bring peace to the world for tens of thousands of generations!"
The Buddha Lord's voice rang out like a long howl, and in an instant, the Buddha's light shining from his body became dazzling. A majestic image of the heavens and the earth slowly emerged from behind him—it was a giant Buddha comparable in size to Ling Mountain. Its eyes were partially open, resembling the rotation of the sun and the moon, and the stars within them sparkled with compassion as they looked down upon the world.
As this image of the heavens and the earth appeared, the Buddha Lord's body suddenly shifted, merging with the image, becoming one with it.
In the blink of an eye, the veins of the heavens and the earth began to flow behind the image, absorbing the power from dozens of nearby peaks and condensing it into the image.
"That's... the Buddha Lord's Dharma image!"
"Amituofo, Amituofo..."
"Buddha Lord, protect us! Buddha Lord, protect us..."
In the distance, countless disciples of Wuliang Mountain were shocked and terrified by the enormous Dharma image. They hastily pressed their palms together, bowing their heads and chanting sutras.
Li Hao looked up, his eyes also falling on the Dharma image that reached into the heavens, a look of surprise on his face.
This Buddha Lord was truly a peerless genius. To cultivate the Four Extremes Realm was already an achievement that ranked him among the powerful battle gods of the ancient holy clans.
Moreover, the Heaven and Earth Dharma Image was one of the most difficult realms to achieve among the first Four Extremes. With realms like the Divine Travel Realm and the Fifteen Miles Realm, one could turn back and continue cultivating the extreme realms once they reached a higher level.
However, with the Heaven and Earth Dharma Image, one had to perform the Heaven and Earth Succession during the Soul Continuation Realm. Without this succession, they couldn't continue cultivating further.
Not only did this require an incredibly powerful strength far beyond that of their peers, but it also demanded a broad and majestic spirit comparable to that of the ancient saints.
"Die!"
With the fusion of the Dharma image, the eyes that overlooked the heavens and the earth were now fully open, revealing a cold and merciless killing intent, devoid of any compassion.
Li Hao's eyes shone brightly, and a vast and mighty aura emerged from behind him. At this moment, his Heaven and Earth Dharma Image was also revealed.
Boundless power from the heavens and the earth surged into the Dharma image, enhancing its strength by several dozen times.
Li Hao's body swayed, and he merged with his own Heaven and Earth Dharma Image.
The Dharma image seemed to be steaming and tearing, unable to withstand the excessive power, and the force of this steaming and tearing was like a raging inferno.
The two majestic figures stood tall in the heavens and the earth, facing each other with murderous intent, like ancient giants exuding a terrifying aura.
"Roar!"
Li Hao roared towards the sky, his hands grasping a nearby mountain peak. His arms exploded with power as he yanked the mountain out of the ground and swung it like a club, smashing it towards the Buddha Lord.
The Buddha Lord's condensed palm strike also arrived, pressing down like a blinding sun. It rubbed against the air, igniting divine flames as it descended.
The two formidable auras collided, creating a terrifying wave of energy that swept away some of the approaching Buddhist disciples.
BOOM!!!
The heavens and the earth seemed to reverberate with a thunderous roar, as if the chaos of the beginning was unraveling, bursting forth with endless radiance.
The mountain peak shattered, sending countless fragments flying like exploding meteorites.
The gigantic Buddha palm was also torn apart, and Li Hao's other fist rose from the ground like a true dragon, howling as it struck with thousands of tons of force, piercing through the Buddha Lord's body.
The majestic Heaven and Earth Dharma Image collapsed, crashing into Ling Mountain and splitting it apart.
Bang!
Li Hao raised his foot again and stomped down. Although the Dharma image's movements seemed slow, each punch and kick channeled the power of the heavens and the earth from all directions, possessing the might to destroy the world.
The Buddha Lord's Dharma image was trampled and pierced, its chest caving in, and the divine flames on it extinguished.
At this moment, Li Hao burst out from his own Dharma image, transforming into a streak of silver light. He shifted instantly, charging into the Buddha Lord's Dharma image.
Within the head of the Dharma image, the Buddha Lord coughed up blood, his body shaking violently with surging energy. Before he could react, Li Hao's body appeared through instant movement and punched him in the face.
The Buddha Lord's divine power surged forth, covering his face, but in the next moment, this divine power was knocked back, slamming into his head and causing it to explode.
Divine power could not be destroyed; it could only dissipate.
And what Li Hao did was not to destroy the divine power but to destroy the Buddha Lord himself.
With the Buddha Lord's death, his divine power naturally dissipated into the heavens and the earth.
Bang bang bang!
Li Hao threw punch after punch, but they were all blocked by the divine power and failed to land directly on the Buddha Lord's body.
However, this power was too strong. The Half-step Invincible Fist, combined with the extreme Immortal Transformation, caused the Buddha Lord's body to be smashed to pieces by the sheer force of the impact, even though it was shielded by the divine power.
Suddenly, surrounding Dao Power surged, and the laws of the world abruptly manifested.
But in the next moment, Li Hao raised his hand and waved, causing a thread of immortal god power to emerge from within his body, tearing apart all the laws.
The extreme Immortal Transformation, merging with the heavens and earth, had birthed a wisp of pure immortal god power within him.
It was this wisp of immortal god power that gave Li Hao the ability to cross realms and slay the Buddha Lord. Otherwise, the sheer might of the other party's Dao Power would have been enough to crush and kill him instantly, leaving no room for resistance.
Dao Power transcended the strength within Li Hao's body; it was a qualitative change. Even though Li Hao could easily suppress those of the same realm, when faced with true Dao Power, he was still like an infant, a difference in power.
Whether it was the Four Establishments Realm or the Three Immortal Realms, they were all the power of nature, like water. But Dao Power was like condensed solids, like blocks of stone.
No matter how fierce the water was, it could not shatter the stone.
The idea of dripping water piercing through stone was an extremely long process, akin to a cultivator at the Realization Realm standing still and not fighting back while a cultivator at the Four Establishments Realm attacked endlessly for a very long time, eventually causing harm.
The higher the martial arts realm, the greater the gap between each realm, and the slimmer the chances of cross-realm killing.
In the early stages, a cultivator at the Channel Opening Realm could rely on divine weapons and artifacts to kill those at the Heaven Circulating Realm and even contend with those at the Soul Continuation Realm. However, as the realms progressed, the qualitative changes became more pronounced.
For example, at the Three Immortal Realms, if it was an ambush and assassination, there was still a possibility of killing someone at the Dao Heart Realm.
After all, the physical strength of a cultivator at the Dao Heart Realm, though improved compared to the Three Immortal Realms, did not undergo a qualitative change.
But the Realization Realm was truly on another level.
If Li Hao had not cultivated both the Human and Earth Immortal Realm and the Three Immortal Realms to their extremes, he would not have been able to cross this gap, and he would have surely lost.
"You lured me here, and your purpose has been achieved. Now, are you satisfied?"
Li Hao looked coldly at the Buddha Lord, whose robe was torn and body was bloody and mangled, lying on the ground.
"A demon star has fallen, but... I wasn't able to use the two thousand years of incense power I've accumulated. The sea of suffering is vast, and mortals are hard to save. I am powerless to help them now..."
The Buddha Lord spoke weakly.
"If there was no Buddha, where would the demons come from? If there was no other shore, how could there be a sea of suffering to differentiate? If you truly wanted to save all beings, how could you not have compassion for the weak? For the sake of the world, you can sacrifice one person, but you can also sacrifice hundreds and thousands. What's the difference between that and being a demon?"
Li Hao's eyes turned icy, and the aura around his body stirred once more as his Nascent Soul appeared behind him.
Upon seeing Li Hao's Nascent Soul, the Buddha Lord knew that he had no chance of escape.
If Li Hao hadn't manifested his Nascent Soul, he might have been able to escape using his own Nascent Soul's unique abilities. But in front of Li Hao, who also had a Nascent Soul, there was no possibility of escape.
"How could you understand the aspirations of my Buddhist teachings? In this sea of suffering, how many people are worth saving? I, the Buddha, only save those who are truly suffering and not those who bring suffering upon themselves. You don't understand the difference."
The Buddha Lord gave a slight cold smile, as if he couldn't be bothered to discuss these truths with Li Hao anymore. He asked, "Just how many extreme realms have you mastered?"
As he spoke, a hint of complexity flashed in his eyes.
The path he had walked for over two thousand years had not even caught up to the path this young man had taken in just a few years.
Although most of the past two thousand years had been spent on planning for the Buddhist teachings and accumulating incense power, his defeat was still hard to accept.
What pained him the most was that the incense power he had accumulated over two thousand years, which was meant to be used for his ascension to Sagehood, was now useless.
Hearing the Buddha Lord's words, Li Hao let out a cold laugh and naturally did not answer.
"Whether one is a Buddha or a demon, let the people of the world be the judge. You colluded with demons and nobles, trying to use the hands of demons for your own gain. Now, you're forcing me to break the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty. If I truly break ties with the Great Yu Divine Court, do you think it will be a good thing for the people of the world who believe in me?"
As Li Hao spoke, his Nascent Soul shot out from behind him.
These words did not require an answer from the other party; they were not a question but a rebuke.
The Buddha Lord remained silent. If he could have killed Li Hao, his actions would naturally have been justified.
"You are young and reckless, unfilial, and lawless. What good is having heaven-defying talent? I have already stepped into the Peaceful Dao Realm, and I have long had the strength to challenge the Realization Realm. But without incense power, I cannot become a Sage. If I cannot become a Sage, everything is for naught, for below a Sage, all are but ants!"
"You are also an ant, just the one scurrying about the most exuberantly for now. Your path has come to an end, and you cannot attain Sagehood. In the end, you will also turn to ashes."
The Buddha Lord's Nascent Soul floated out from his bloody body, and his entire body suddenly burned with intense sun essence, rushing towards Li Hao's Nascent Soul.
The two Nascent Souls clashed violently, and divine flames scattered. Li Hao's Nascent Soul, empowered by that wisp of immortal god power, moved like a sharp blade, each strike causing severe damage to the Buddha Lord's Nascent Soul.
That wisp of immortal god power was like an extremely sharp blade, capable of slicing through the sun, moon, and stars. Aside from Dao Power, even the laws of the world could be severed!
Bang!
The Buddha Lord's Nascent Soul was torn apart, and his vitality waned as the Buddhist light and divine flames on his body flickered weakly, as if they could extinguish at any moment.
"I will wait for you in the Yellow Springs and watch as you sink into eternal suffering!"
The Buddha Lord roared, but his Nascent Soul was completely shredded by Li Hao, turning into sparks of light that dissipated into the heavens and earth.
The scattered sun essence was quickly absorbed by Li Hao's Nascent Soul, turning into golden flames that appeared on his Nascent Soul, enhancing its might.
The Buddha Lord's aura completely disappeared, and this top-notch powerhouse, who had sat atop the Great Yu Dynasty for over two thousand years and had followers across the nineteen states, fell at the threshold of Sagehood and at the feet of Li Hao.
With the fifteen layers of Dao Domains overlapping, Li Hao sensed that as the Buddha Lord's Nascent Soul dissipated, a faintly discernible remnant soul seemed to dissipate along with it.
Rather than dissipating, it seemed to sink deeper into the heavens and earth.
If not for the fifteen layers of Dao Domains enhancing his perception to the extreme, he wouldn't have been able to capture even that faint trace of a remnant soul.
In the mortal realm, the three souls and seven spirits were often referred to as ghosts.
When a person died, they became a ghost, and when a ghost died, it turned into a lingering soul in the River of Death.
Mortals were unable to see ghosts, just as martial artists rarely glimpsed these lingering souls, unless they were near the River of Death, where the unique environment allowed them to be seen.
And because they couldn't be seen, when martial artists sought to eradicate their enemies, they could, at best, destroy their souls, but they were unable to kill the lingering souls that remained, leaving open the possibility of reincarnation in the next life.
Perhaps this was the heavens' mercy on mankind.
Or, as the saying went, "The heavens have compassion for all life."
"If I had more layers of my Dao Domains, perhaps I could have perceived that lingering soul..."
Li Hao's eyes sparkled with curiosity. If that were the case, could he completely sever the possibility of reincarnation?
The higher his cultivation, the more abilities Li Hao discovered he possessed. For example, with his current fifteen layers of Dao Domains, he could briefly obscure destiny, and the power of Reversal within the Four Establishments Realm could be instantly snuffed out by the power of the Enlightenment Realm.
Previously, when Ji Yunguo had mentioned that the Enlightenment Realm could briefly obscure destiny, he was referring to this ability.
This also highlighted the vast gap between the Four Establishments Realm and the Enlightenment Realm!
"Unfortunately, everything happened too quickly, and I don't know which River of Death has trapped this Buddha Lord's soul. If I could find it, I could completely annihilate him..."
"With his strong obsession, he's most likely not in an ordinary River of Death. It's also possible that he has directly reincarnated and been reborn. If that's the case, the cause and effect of his previous life would be extinguished, and according to the secret records of the Shenjian Mansion, there hasn't been a case of someone retaining their memories after reincarnation..."
Li Hao's eyes flickered. Regardless, this Buddha Lord was thoroughly dead in the mortal realm.
He glanced at the blurry flesh and blood on the ground. If he had reached the extreme of the Three Immortal Realms, this Buddha Lord wouldn't have died. Unfortunately, he had only cultivated the first four extreme realms.
Li Hao picked up the tattered kasaya. Although this treasure was now dull and damaged, it was still the most powerful treasure he had ever seen, and it felt different from the Saint Heart treasure he had encountered before.
Li Hao put it away, intending to visit Wanqi Tower when he had time to see how extraordinary this kasaya was. When worn by the Buddha Lord, it had acted like a turtle shell, and its power alone was enough to render the Peaceful Dao Realm helpless, which was quite astonishing.
After putting away the kasaya, Li Hao slapped the remaining flesh and blood with his palm, revealing a golden sarira within.
Li Hao picked up the sarira and noticed that the other side was stained with a black aura, seemingly left by the previous Moro.
The Buddha Lord had attempted to fuse with the demon, but it seemed like the fusion wasn't entirely complete.
"Attempting to become a saint in one step, and he almost succeeded..." Li Hao's eyes flickered. This Buddha Lord was much older than him, but his ambition was admirable.
This sarira contained extremely potent power, seemingly equivalent to a divine pill.
Li Hao tossed it into the Heavenly Space, as he didn't need such things for his cultivation.
Subsequently, Li Hao retracted his Dao Domains, enveloping himself within them. As the area covered by the Dao Domains shrank, their power intensified, blocking out the heavens and earth.
As the power of the heavens and earth gradually subsided, Li Hao's body, which had been at the extreme of Immortal Transformation, gradually returned to its normal state.
The power of the various extreme realms also receded, and Li Hao took out a set of clothes from the Heavenly Space and put them on. He looked around and saw that Ling Mountain had collapsed, and the Buddha Lord's Heaven and Earth Dharma Image had long since dissipated. The nearby mountains showed signs of the fierce battle that had taken place.
Li Hao's figure flickered, and he appeared before Zhu Huoshen, looking at Feng Laoi, who was still on his back, his five senses completely destroyed. Li Hao's heart ached at the sight.
"Can't you heal him?"
Li Hao asked Yu Yan.
Yu Yan hesitated and said, "There's an unusual poison in his body. I can't extract it, or his body might collapse."
Li Hao's expression turned ugly. Who would have thought that such a vicious poison would be found in this Buddhist place?
Just like no one would have expected that the evil pill that could destroy divine blood would also be collected by the Buddhist sect.
"Since you can't heal him, I'll reverse his fate!"
A determined look appeared in Li Hao's eyes. Without another word, he released the power of Reversal that he had cultivated within himself and channeled it into Feng Laoi's body.
"That's the power of Reversal!"
Yu Yan exclaimed in surprise.
Jiang Licheng rushed over excitedly from a distance, his sword in hand. He was still exhilarated by the battle between Li Hao and the Buddha Lord, feeling like he had gained new insights. His eyes shone with obsession as he watched.
He never expected that Li Hao had hidden so much strength during their previous encounter.
If Li Hao had used his full strength, Jiang Licheng wouldn't have even had a chance to swing his sword within Li Hao's Dao Domains. It was far beyond his expectations.
"Hmm? What are you doing?"
Jiang Licheng's eyes widened in shock as he saw Li Hao channeling the power of Reversal into Feng Laoi's body.
Li Hao didn't answer but continued to channel the power with a serious expression. Soon, the power of Reversal entered Feng Laoi's body, and Li Hao helped him activate it.
The power of Reversal dissipated, vanishing into the unseen depths of destiny.
Soon, Feng Laoi's body seemed to undergo a change.
The power that had scattered during the previous battle between Li Hao and the Buddha Lord seemed to be attracted to the broken Ling Mountain, gathering towards it.
However, these auras weren't gathering towards Feng Laoi but towards the shattered Buddhist hall.
Li Hao focused his gaze and extended his consciousness, soon perceiving, beneath the shattered purple-golden lotus platform, a deep wooden box.
Li Hao retrieved the box and opened it, revealing three round, golden pills that resembled sariras.
A profound feeling welled up within him, and Li Hao paused, suddenly understanding that this was the perception of destiny brought about by the power of Reversal. The pills in the box could heal Feng Laoi.