Chapter 314: Ten Years, Sword Ancestor's Sacred Land
As the Void Saint took action once more, a tide arose in the void, a tide of nothingness, as the Saint truly channeled the power of his projected incarnation.
Li Hao summoned his Domain, but the forty-nine layers of his domain were quickly pierced through, unable to withstand the might of the Saint.
He harnessed the power of the void, condensing it into a sword that cleaved the incoming tide before him.
Channeling his Daolight, he then raised his hand and struck out at the surrounding waves.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The successive explosions of Daolight reverberated through the void, but the tidal waves of nothingness seemed infinite, relentlessly crashing towards Li Hao.
At this moment, Li Hao felt an inexhaustible surge of power within him, his strength at its peak as if every moment was an eruption of divine might.
However, the Transcendence Extremity had brought about a qualitative change to his body, but it was a mutation of his bloodline. The enhancement to his physical strength was not significant enough. In the face of these tidal waves of nothingness, his million-pound pure physical strength was still no match.
Boom!
The tide rushed forward, tearing Li Hao's arms apart.
Golden divine blood splattered everywhere, but it was not erased by the sharp edges of the void.
If it were his ordinary physical body, it would have quickly been obliterated, but now, this divine blood hung suspended in the void, spinning like golden pearls. In the face of the void power that could grind even saintly heart treasures to dust, the blood merely deformed but did not annihilate!
This seemingly insignificant change gave Li Hao hope of survival.
He continued to wield his sword and strike out, but in doing so, the void power further tore his physical body apart.
His blood and shredded flesh splattered everywhere, his body eroded by the void power until it resembled a honeycomb, full of holes.
However, his bones and blood scattered around him, and Li Hao could sense that every drop of blood contained his Daoist will, ready to regroup at any moment. Each drop of blood could condense into his true self!
At this moment, Li Hao suddenly realized that the various extremes of martial arts, including the Extremity, seemed to be interconnected and complementary!
For example, the seventh extreme, Rebirth from a Drop of Blood, allowed one to achieve Extreme Immortalization and fully unleash the power of the sixth extreme.
And now, with the Transcendence Extremity, his divine blood allowed his entire body's blood to condense into his true self. But without the Extreme Immortalization to merge his will with the heavens and the earth, even if his blood could regenerate, it would only be a puppet devoid of his consciousness.
But now, with his consciousness merged with the heavens and the earth, it was difficult to eradicate him instantly. His divine blood was extremely resilient and indestructible, greatly enhancing his ability to survive.
Swoosh!
Under his will's control, the divine blood rushed out in all directions.
Li Hao dispersed and shot out in four directions.
"Hmm?"
At this moment, the Void Saint also noticed that Li Hao's flesh and blood were difficult to annihilate, and a solemn expression appeared on his face.
The reason the Saints were wary of the God Clan was mainly their ability to easily achieve sainthood through the Extreme Dao. Additionally, their physical bodies were not as robust as the young man before him.
This was probably also why most of the God Clan members they had encountered were descendants of the ancestors, their bloodlines diluted.
Boom!
The Void Saint raised his hand, causing the void to converge and trapping Li Hao's divine blood.
As the void power enveloped and obliterated, many drops of divine blood were trapped and seemed to be placed in a void furnace, constantly refined, not immediately dissipating but slowly melting away, torn apart countless times every second.
This process resembled refinement.
The rest of the divine blood quickly condensed into Li Hao's form, and at this moment, his body suddenly transformed into countless replicas, rushing out in all directions of the void.
The Void Saint's face turned cold as he solidified the void, trapping these drops of divine blood one by one and refining them.
He hadn't expected a mere Hearer to be so difficult to kill.
There was a vast gap between Saints and Hearers. Even Half-Saints could be slain with a single thought, let alone the fact that he had summoned an incarnation for this task.
As a large amount of divine blood was trapped and refined, it also diverted some of the Void Saint's power. Li Hao's mutilated body fled towards the distance, and the divine blood behind him condensed into his form, wielding the power of the heavens to smash down, stirring the entire void into chaos.
Li Hao noticed that when he had communicated with that Saintly imprint earlier, the projection of the Saint had appeared, although it had not saved him. However, the Saint's appearance had opened a rift in the void.
Although the rift was quickly covered up, Li Hao had managed to capture its trace.
While he continued to strike out with his sword and unleash his power, he did not deliberately try to resist the eroding void power, allowing his body to become more damaged and his divine blood to scatter.
Among the pools of blood, dozens of drops of divine blood quietly disappeared, manifesting the ability of the Supreme Daotype, transforming into the Dao, and escaping into the void, cloaked in the attribute of myriad phenomena, scattering in all directions.
Escape!
Li Hao knew that there was no benefit to engaging in battle with this Saint's incarnation here. Even if he managed to destroy it, he might only end up facing the Saint's true body.
Moreover, he currently didn't have the ability to destroy the incarnation; the power gap was too vast, and his level of seven extremes was far from sufficient.
If not for the touch of the sixth extreme, the Will of the Heavenly Venerable, a mere thread of Saintly Will would have been enough to erase him! The difficulty of fighting against such odds was beyond imagination.
Swoosh!
Li Hao's entire body of divine blood surged out, and under his will's control, it too unleashed terrifying power. Every drop of blood manifested the ability of the Primordial Abyss Shift!
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of drops of divine blood simultaneously shifted through the Primordial Abyss, scattering in all directions to escape.
Such a move shocked the Void Saint, who had initially thought this would be a trivial matter of swatting an ant. Yet, this ant displayed a tenacious and formidable ability to escape.
He swiftly acted, contracting and solidifying the void, trapping many drops of divine blood as they emerged from the Primordial Abyss.
However, the void power couldn't directly annihilate them; it could only slowly refine them. If he released the restraint, the divine blood would flee, but if he continued to hold them, it would consume his power.
In this projection of his body, the Void Saint felt a sense of powerlessness!
Killing a mere Hearer was proving to be a challenging and tricky task.
However, this only strengthened his determination to slay Li Hao. The Void Saint projected another incarnation into the void, and the two incarnations worked together, striking out at the surrounding divine blood to trap and kill it.
Boom!
Li Hao's body was completely torn apart by the tidal waves of nothingness, but his bones and blood fled in different directions.
If the Void Saint were to deploy his Saintly Will to capture him, Li Hao would use the Will of the Heavenly Venerable to erase him. This forced the Void Saint to employ more laborious methods to search and suppress him.
Li Hao's thoughts became more solemn and calm than ever before, suppressing his anger deep within. He quietly concealed a few drops of his divine blood with the hidden attributes of the "River Snow Painting" and the "Hidden Bow" and other such artifacts. He then stretched out his divine blood, using the "hidden line" technique of fishing, and buried these elongated strands of blood in the chaotic void.
The rest of the divine blood either fled or condensed into his body, wielding sword auras and charging at the opponent, stirring up a terrifying momentum.
Their purpose was not to attack but to create a diversion.
With his current strength, Li Hao was powerless against the Saint and could only endure and escape.
He remembered the crack that had appeared earlier and quietly transferred a portion of his divine blood towards it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the void, the tides and sword auras collided, and the Void Saint seemed to grow irritated. Suddenly, the power of his two incarnations merged as he raised his hand and pressed downward.
In an instant, the entire void solidified, as if time had stopped.
Even the divine blood that had been fleeing to the distant reaches through Primordial Abyss Shift was now restrained. The void for tens of thousands of miles was completely frozen!
Then, the Void Saint raised his hand, and the restrained divine blood was refined and melted.
The blood, which could have been crushed and annihilated with a wave of his hand, now had to be slowly ground down like golden pearls, a process that was extremely time-consuming.
Although the Void Saint was annoyed, he had no choice but to continue. This battle had given him new insights, and he had at least witnessed the secret of the God Clan's power.
As time passed, all the scattered divine blood, shattered bones, and residual remains were gradually obliterated by the Void Saint.
"It is indeed rare to find a Hearer so difficult to kill. The God Clan actually cultivates their physical bodies to achieve such power. It seems I must continue to enhance my physical body and further explore the path of body refinement."
The Void Saint murmured to himself, then scanned the void with his gaze, leaving nothing unnoticed.
He extended his senses and soon detected a slight fluctuation in the void.
Boom!
He raised his hand and clenched his fist, causing the void to tremble as a drop of divine blood was forced out.
The Void Saint stared at it for a moment before continuing the refinement process.
The various abilities that the young man possessed had broadened his horizons. If not for his own attainment in the Way of the Void and his status as a Saint, he might not have been able to perceive such subtle concealment.
Not long after his departure, three drops of divine blood appeared in the void.
Carrying Li Hao's will, they swiftly rushed towards the void fissure that he had detected earlier, lest it disappear.
However, as soon as the divine blood reached the fissure, a figure emerged—the Void Saint who had disappeared earlier.
His gaze was cold, carrying a hint of icy sarcasm. He raised his hand and grabbed, capturing all three drops of divine blood.
"Did you think I didn't notice this fissure? I left it there intentionally."
The Void Saint's eyes were emotionless as he held the divine blood in his palm, his void power surging and relentlessly tearing apart the blood.
Li Hao tried to resist, but with only three drops of blood, he couldn't harness much of the power of heaven and earth. Before long, he was refined and annihilated.
The power within the divine blood was also stripped away, gradually dissipating into the void.
Power couldn't be destroyed, but once the will that controlled it was destroyed, it would dissipate and return to the heavens and the earth.
The Void Saint glanced at the void, coldly smirked twice, and then his incarnation disappeared.
The void returned to its flowing state, silent and still.
After a long, long time, a drop of golden divine blood appeared in the void.
As soon as this drop of blood appeared, it rushed towards the fissure.
While on its way, the blood quickly transformed into Li Hao's form.
Whoosh!
Finally, he reached the fissure and passed through it.
However, as soon as he crossed over, Li Hao saw a familiar figure and aura.
It was an incarnation of the Void Saint!
The Void Saint stood outside the fissure, looking at Li Hao with a faint smile.
"So, there really is something there. Quite a good disguise."
He raised his hand and pressed it down towards Li Hao, restraining the void.
At this moment, although Li Hao had been reborn from a drop of blood, he was in an extremely weak state. He glared at the Void Saint with a mix of shock and anger, roaring, "I will never forgive you, even in death!"
His body was quickly squeezed and crushed, exploding on the spot.
The Void Saint gathered the bloody remains and refined them in his palm.
"This concealment technique is indeed remarkable. It even managed to hide from my eyes..." The Void Saint muttered to himself. Earlier, he had noticed that some of the abilities the young man possessed were quite unique, allowing him to evade even a Saint's perception.
This further piqued his interest in the matter. Such a monstrous talent must not be allowed to escape.
While this incarnation of the Void Saint was dealing with Li Hao, his main body was being questioned by Saints from the Primordial Saint Land and the Celestial Phoenix Saint Land, leaving him unable to spare another incarnation.
Although his main body couldn't make an appearance, it didn't matter. This incarnation of the Void Saint had no intention of leaving and continued to monitor this area of the void. As a Saint, he had all the time in the world.
...
At the same time, within the Immortal's Gate.
The Feathered Ancestor and the Goddess sensed that the fluctuations within the Immortal's Gate had disappeared. It seemed that the battlefield had been shifted, and it was likely that the young man had been killed by the Void Saint.
After all, as a Hearer, he stood no chance against a Saint who had descended with his will.
Disappointment and anger flashed in their eyes. Such a monstrous talent had been snuffed out by the Void Saint.
The Seventh Extreme was an existence that shook the ancient and modern times. There were very few such individuals even in the entire Saints' Land.
It must be known that within the Saints' Land, over the past thousand years, there had been many Saints who reincarnated and cultivated anew, and even Saints who personally reincarnated in pursuit of the Eighth Extreme!
Yet, this young man had come just one step away from that, only to be slain by a Saint!
Even some Saints who had reincarnated had not cultivated to the Seventh Extreme. Even if this young man was a reincarnated Saint, what he had cultivated and realized in this life was enough to astonish the ancient and modern times.
The path to the Seventh Extreme was more difficult than others could imagine. Aside from conventional extremes like Penetrating Power and Circulating Heaven, some extremes couldn't be achieved through mere age and depth of cultivation. For example, the Succession Extreme required a grand spirit to inherit one's soul; reincarnation alone wasn't enough.
And the most difficult of all was the sixth extreme.
It couldn't be made up for by insight or cultivation techniques.
"You of the Void Saint Land will bear the wrath of the Saints!"
The Feathered Ancestor's eyes blazed with anger. Such a monstrous talent should have belonged to their Primordial Saint Land. If he had become a Saint in the Primordial Saint Land and regained his memories upon his ascension, it would have been a great connection for their sect!
But now, it had all come to naught.
"Hmph, do you still want to continue the test? If not, then this Immortal's Gate will be withdrawn."
The elderly man coldly harrumphed, too lazy to argue.
Ji Xuan and the others paled when they heard their words, finding it hard to believe.
That stunningly talented youth was actually... dead?
They hadn't even caught up to his footsteps, yet he had already turned to dust.
They felt dazed and somewhat lost, as if something was suddenly missing from their hearts, leaving a gaping hole.
The old man's high and mighty attitude, disregarding life, angered them. Still, they knew that compared to a sacred land, they were too weak.
Anger was useless.
...
...
In the chaotic void.
As time passed, there was no concept of time here, and it was unclear how long it had been—it felt like both months and years had gone by.
Suddenly, a golden bead appeared in the void, a drop of divine blood.
However, the luster of this divine blood was no longer as brilliant as before and seemed somewhat dull, eroded by the power of this place.
After the divine blood appeared, its aura was still obscure, but this time, instead of heading towards the fissure, it drifted in the void, searching for another exit elsewhere.
As this drop of divine blood drifted, it gradually took on the form of Li Hao.
"That guy should be long gone, right?"
Li Hao cautiously scanned his surroundings.
But suddenly, a figure appeared before him and said softly:
"Are you looking for me? You're quite persistent. This should be the last drop, right?"
The figure that appeared was none other than the Void Saint.
He looked at Li Hao, whose body was being eroded by the void power, his aura weak, and a faint trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes, which was also within his expectations.
The void was not a hospitable place. Even if Li Hao could disguise himself, he would eventually be eroded and perish by the void unless he could comprehend the Void Dao here and attain a lasting presence.
But if someone could understand the Void Dao, he, as an existence who had become a Saint through the Void Dao, would surely sense it.
"You..."
Li Hao looked at him in shock, then despair filled his eyes.
"Your disguise was quite good before, but now it's time for it to truly end."
The Void Saint's eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand to suppress Li Hao with a burst of void power.
Li Hao went berserk and tried to burst out with all his might, but at this moment, he was too weak, and he was quickly restrained. His body exploded soon after.
This time, the scattered bones and blood did not splatter but were instead restrained by the Void Saint and directly refined.
The Void Saint scanned the surroundings, shook his head slightly, and his incarnation disappeared here.
However, he did not truly leave. Instead, he remained hidden in this void, quietly waiting.
Although he deduced that this should be the last drop of Li Hao's blood, he chose to stay a little longer to be sure.
"That guy's previous life was probably a Transcendent Saint who had survived the Heavenly Tribulation. There's something interfering with him, which is why I couldn't calculate his situation..."
The Void Saint's incarnation's eyes flickered. If it were an ordinary person, he could easily calculate their situation and wouldn't have needed to wait here.
During this time, his main body had also come under significant pressure. Many Saints who had received the news came to question him, and some even took this opportunity to stir up trouble.
But compared to those who only engaged in verbal conflicts, the two Saints who directly confronted him and started a Saint-level battle caused him the most trouble.
Saints rarely fought each other because it was difficult to kill each other completely. Unless they were certain they could deliver a fatal blow, they would not act rashly.
But those two Saints seemed to have gone mad, attacking him relentlessly. If he hadn't been the Void Saint, known for his exceptional ability to safeguard his life among the Saints, he might have been injured.
In the void, this was his main battlefield. Each Saint's path was unique, and in a battlefield that conformed to their own Dao, they were virtually invincible. Even Transcendent Saints would think twice before engaging them.
The fact that those two Saints tried to save this youth further confirmed the Void Saint's suspicions about the youth's past life. He had already shifted the void battlefield earlier, and the area he was currently guarding was far beyond the Immortal Gate, unknown to anyone else.
The fury of those two Saints likely stemmed from their connection with the youth in his past life.
"It's a pity that you provoked my Void Saint Land first."
The Void Saint's incarnation did not regret taking action against Li Hao. Even if they had no grudge before, killing him was necessary. After all, from the information he had gathered, Li Hao seemed to have a close relationship with the Jiang family, who had also become disciples of the Primordial Saint Land. It was likely that Li Hao would also join the Primordial Saint Land.
If the Primordial Saint Land produced another monstrous genius like this, the Void Saint Land would have to make even more concessions in the future Cloud Mist World.
Time flew by.
The Void Saint's incarnation remained on guard.
When he had previously killed what he thought was the last drop of Li Hao's blood, a year had already passed since the Immortal Gate opened.
Eroded by the void, Li Hao's physical body had decayed, and his divine blood had lost its luster.
Now, another three years had passed, and there was still no movement.
The Void Saint calculated that, according to the rate at which he had seen Li Hao's divine blood dim and weaken, three years should have been enough for the void power to completely erode and destroy it.
In other words, even if Li Hao was still hiding here, his body should have rotted away by now, and he wouldn't be able to disguise his aura anymore.
It was like a hunted animal that had fled into a cave to hide from a hunter. Even if it didn't come out for a long time, it would eventually starve to death and rot inside.
However, to be extra cautious and leave no room for error, the Void Saint's incarnation chose to wait for another three years.
Time passed quickly, and ten years had passed since the Immortal Gate opened.
The Void Saint's incarnation slowly stood up and glanced at the chaotic void, flowing like a river. After such a long time, there was still no sign of any divine blood, and without a doubt, Li Hao had been eradicated by him.
He no longer lingered and withdrew his incarnation from this place, returning his attention to the Void Saint Land to deal with the troubles that had arisen from killing the youth from the lower realm.
In the aftermath of the Void Saint's incarnation dissipating, the void remained as tranquil as ever.
Time passed quietly, months drifting by in silence.
Then, a faint golden light emerged—a thin strand of golden blood.
It was inconspicuous and easily overlooked.
Veiled by artifacts attuned to the myriad phenomena attribute, such as the "River Snow Painting" and the "Hidden Bow," its presence was shrouded from view.
On top of that, a fishing technique called the "hidden line" was employed, further concealing it as a mere line in the chaotic void.
With so many layers of concealment, it ultimately evaded the Saint's perception.
In this moment of vulnerability, the golden blood strand was extremely weak. Instead of scouting its surroundings, it rushed directly into the void.
Without the Void Saint's incarnation to obstruct its path, the golden blood utilized the Primordial Abyss Shift, flashing through the void in rapid succession.
After a lengthy period, Li Hao finally concluded that his opponent had truly departed.
As the golden blood wandered through the void, it grew increasingly feeble.
The reason this strand of divine blood had persisted for so long was due to Li Hao's clever strategy. He had layered it with other strands, like clothing, allowing it to erode first and thus buy time for this strand's survival. However, it had also sustained severe damage, and the power of the void had infiltrated, causing his Dao power to rapidly dissipate.
After an unknown duration, amidst the flowing void, just as the golden blood was on the brink of annihilation, Li Hao finally spotted a fissure leading out.
Without hesitation, he drifted toward it. Soon, he squeezed through the narrow opening and emerged into a new realm.
Instantly, dense heavenly energy enveloped him.
In this moment, Li Hao had truly stepped into the world of the Saints within the Immortal's Gate.
Upon first contact, Li Hao could sense that the power here was denser and more potent than in the mortal realm. Even without active absorption, it seemed to permeate his body willingly.
Li Hao surveyed his surroundings, and seeing no sign of the Void Saint's incarnation, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Back in the void, he had hidden two more strands of golden blood, making three in total.
This particular strand had been used for scouting, and it seemed his opponent had indeed departed.
When his body had exploded and his divine blood had scattered, Li Hao had employed every trick and ploy he could think of to escape. He had even feigned desperate cries and angry curses as his blood was being refined, all to convince his opponent that he was truly dead.
Earlier, when a drop of his divine blood had been eroded by the void, it hadn't been an accident but a deliberate act to mislead and confuse his enemy. Now, it seemed his gamble had paid off.
In this intricate game of wits, he had emerged victorious!
As he absorbed the abundant heavenly energy, Li Hao's body gradually relaxed.
The golden blood strands condensed, slowly reforming his physical form.
However, after spending an extended period in the void, the void power had corroded him deeply, hindering his self-healing ability.
His internal Dao power was sparse and dissipating, and the Heavenly Pulse had collapsed during the earlier battle. There was no denying that he had sustained severe injuries.
As his body gradually materialized, Li Hao's consciousness suddenly grew cloudy, and he fell into a deep slumber.
His body plummeted from the sky like a shooting star, crashing onto a mountain peak and causing the ground to tremble.
In his hazy state, Li Hao seemed to detect a soft, fragrant scent, and he felt delicate hands lifting his arms.
Then, his consciousness sank into oblivion.
In the darkness, he walked alone.
After some time, Li Hao slowly opened his eyes. A gentle, aged voice called out to him.
"You're awake?"
Li Hao was taken aback and immediately opened his eyes wide, looking at the speaker. Before him stood a white-bearded old man with a kind face.
The air was filled with a strong, pungent smell of herbs, along with other old and musty scents.
As Li Hao's consciousness cleared, he looked around and saw that he was lying on a straw mat in a courtyard surrounded by ancient, dark wood architecture. Hanging from the eaves were various dried medicinal herbs, swaying gently in an unseen breeze.
Near the straw mat sat a large bronze cauldron, emitting tendrils of steam and a medicinal fragrance that filled the air.
Li Hao hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where am I?"
"This is the Sword Ancestor's Sacred Land," the white-bearded old man replied with a smile. "It looks like you were seriously injured. Did you fight with someone, or were you being pursued? Fortunately, you stumbled upon me, and I was able to heal your wounds. Most medicines didn't seem to work, but thankfully, I had a special ointment that stabilized your condition."
Li Hao was slightly taken aback. He looked down and noticed he was wearing a simple blue and white robe. Under the collar, he could faintly make out scars on his chest.
He possessed the 'Taoguang Yanghui' attribute, which allowed his body to slowly heal itself when he was out of combat and relaxed.
While this attribute had become less significant after reaching the Three Non-Mortal realms, it now proved useful again, given his physical body's damaged state.
"Thank you, Senior, for saving my life," Li Hao said as he quickly sat up and expressed his gratitude. "May I know how to address you so that I may properly express my appreciation?"
"You're welcome; you don't have to thank me," the old man said. "It was Qingying who saved you, so if you wish to express gratitude, thank her instead."
As he spoke, the old man gestured toward the courtyard.
There, a young woman in a blue dress was practicing her sword techniques. Her movements were gentle and slow, but her sword intent was profound and harmonious, as if guiding the very essence of the surrounding heavenly energy.
Li Hao's eyes narrowed slightly as he immediately sensed the young woman's extraordinary cultivation level. Dao power coursed through her every action, indicating that she had reached the True Immortal realm! Moreover, her refined and spirited sword intent hinted at her exceptional talent.
Li Hao suddenly recalled the soft, fragrant breeze he had faintly sensed while he was unconscious. He rose to his feet, walked barefoot into the courtyard, cupped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Miss, for saving my life. May I know your name so that I may repay your kindness in the future."
"It's fine; you don't have to repay me," the blue-clad woman replied without turning around or pausing in her sword practice. Her voice was clear and crisp, like the sound of melting snow on a distant mountain. "Just leave when your injuries have healed, and don't disturb my sword training."
Li Hao was slightly taken aback and glanced at her back. Suddenly, he recalled that when he had first condensed his physical body upon waking up, he seemed to have been naked...
His face reddened slightly, and he coughed lightly before turning away and returning to the edge of the courtyard.
He sat down on the wooden boards under the eaves, brushed the dirt off his bare feet, and then re-entered the room, sitting back on the straw mat.
He looked around the room, which seemed to be an alchemy chamber filled with various medicinal ingredients and equipment.
"That's just how Qingying is. Don't take it to heart," the white-bearded old man said, smiling at Li Hao's embarrassed expression.
"Of course not," Li Hao quickly replied. "How could I be upset about such a trivial matter after you saved my life?"