Chapter 378: Preaching to the Heavens
Boom!
In the Eternal Dao Domain, sword light shone brilliantly. As it suddenly condensed, the Void Ancestor, trapped within the domain, revealed a look of shock and anger. In the next moment, his aged body exploded! His scattered flesh and blood shot out golden divine blood, revealing his cultivation at the peak of the human race.
The Void Ancestor's body had been cultivated to the pinnacle, reaching the ultimate human limit. However, it had not achieved the sanctification of the body and was unable to withstand the Eternal Dao Domain fused with the Saintly Dao. The droplets of golden divine blood, swirling like drops of life essence, each held an abundance of vitality.
Even within the chaotic void currents, they could withstand destruction. However, compared to the might of Li Hao's Eternal Dao Domain, the chaotic void was nothing. In an instant, with just a thought from Li Hao, all the golden divine blood was annihilated, the golden light dissipating like specks of stardust fading within the Dao Domain.
In the void, only the lightning imperial weapon remained.
Li Hao could feel that his Eternal Dao Domain could not affect or destroy this Dao Tribulation Imperial Weapon.
With a motion of his hand, he summoned the lightning weapon into his palm, sensing a faint trace of soul energy dissipating from within—it was the soul of the Void Ancestor. "The Void Ancestor has fallen!"
"My heavens, the Void Ancestor was a peerless genius from the era of the birth of the Supreme Saints, known as the Void Old Ancestor, famed for his ability to vanish across endless miles, yet he was slain so easily!"
"The Void Sacred Ground will vanish from history!"
Outside the Dao Field, many half-Saints watched in horrified silence.
The Void Ancestor had been an illustrious Saint for many years, renowned across the lands. He was the cornerstone of the Void Sacred Ground, but now, he had been slain by Li Hao without even managing to escape. After killing the Void Ancestor, Li Hao did not stop. He moved towards the remaining Saints in the field.
His Dao Domain suppressed them easily. The Saints, with their Saintly Daos shattered and their power steadily diminishing, were no match for him. Some of the Saints, seeing that the Supreme Saints outside the field had not intervened, could only beg for mercy.
"Lord Haotian, this man is from my Thunderous Sacred Ground. He acted foolishly. Could you spare his life? I am willing to offer five heavenly treasures in exchange!" At this moment, as Li Hao was about to kill a Saint engulfed in lightning, a voice from outside the field called out.
The speaker was a middle-aged man with purple hair radiating lightning. He spoke to Li Hao earnestly and humbly.
Li Hao paused, the sword light at his fingertips momentarily halting. The Saint before him, seeing a glimmer of hope, quickly pleaded, "Yes, Lord Haotian! I am also willing to offer two heavenly treasures myself. I was only following the Buddha Sovereign's invitation; I have no quarrel with you..."
Before he could finish his words, there was a loud crack, and the sword light from Li Hao's fingertips shot out.
In an instant, it pierced through the Saint's body. Then, the sword energy spread within him, tearing him apart, reducing him to nothingness.
"Wu Tianzun!" The Thunder Saint outside the Dao Field was furious and shocked.
Li Hao glanced at him coldly and said, "He wasn't acting foolishly. He was perfectly clear-minded. The only fool here is you, for pleading on his behalf. He tried to destroy my Saintly Dao. How could I possibly forgive him?"
As he continued, Li Hao's gaze sharpened. "I killed him, but you still owe me those five heavenly treasures as an apology from your Thunderous Sacred Ground. If you didn't want him dead, why didn't you stop him earlier? Now you want me to spare him?"
With that, Li Hao shot a cold look at the Thunder Saint before moving on to kill the remaining Saints. The Thunder Saint froze, both shocked and angry. His comrade was dead, yet he still had to deliver the heavenly treasures as an apology? Such arrogance!
He had seen tyrants before, but never one as tyrannical as this. However, the glance Li Hao shot him made him shudder. He realized that if he didn't make amends, the troubles ahead would only worsen.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As Li Hao continued his rampage, one after another, the thirteen Saints in the Dao Field—excluding the Qingdeng Buddha, who had fled—were all slain.
Li Hao quickly noticed that Dao Tribulation Imperial Weapons were extremely rare. Apart from the Qingdeng Buddha and the Void Ancestor, none of the other Saints had them, possessing only top-tier treasures and Saintly Dao weapons. However, these Saintly Dao weapons could no longer even scratch his body, rendering them useless.
Twelve Saints had fallen. Despite the fierce battle, the Dao Field bore little blood. All traces were erased by Li Hao, leaving no evidence of the massacre. As Li Hao ceased his actions, he stood alone in the field, calm and unruffled.
Seeing his solitary yet domineering figure, the Saints watching had solemn expressions. Even the half-Saints couldn't help but tremble. These were Saints, beings who only emerged once every millennium, and now twelve had fallen in an instant.
"Has he... really become this terrifying?" Among the half-Saints, those who knew Li Hao, such as Zhantan, Yaochi, and others, were left stunned, their hearts filled with incomparable shock. When they first met Li Hao, he had only been in the Wenda realm. In less than a year, he had grown to slaughter Saints as if they were chickens!
In the eerie silence, Li Hao scanned the crowd and locked eyes with the Thunder Saint, saying, "Since this is a debate, life and death are naturally involved. Those who fail in the debate will pay the price. If they are the masters of their sacred grounds, I will destroy those sacred grounds. If not, like the Thunder Saint, their sacred grounds will owe me five heavenly treasures as compensation. Consider the matter settled."
His words echoed clearly, causing many Saints to change their expressions. Demanding compensation from others for their deaths was excessively harsh, but in their shoes, they would also ensure no loose ends were left. Saints didn't place themselves in danger lightly, and none would show mercy when it came to such matters.
The Thunder Saint's face darkened. With Li Hao making such a public statement, there was no way out of offering the five heavenly treasures. If he didn't, Li Hao would certainly come to the Thunderous Sacred Ground to cause trouble, and that would be even more disastrous. But five heavenly treasures were no small price, even for a sacred ground, and might take time to gather.
"If you refuse to compensate, I will come to each of you personally to collect," Li Hao added coldly, eyeing several Saints who looked resentful but restrained.
"You've already driven off the Qingdeng Buddha and killed the Void Ancestor. Let it end here. Their sacred grounds are innocent. As a Saint, you shouldn't be so petty," the Law Saint, who had remained silent until now, advised.
Li Hao glanced at him and responded, "If their Dao failed, it means their Dao was unworthy. If it's unworthy, leaving their sacred grounds to preach such a flawed path will only harm the world. Why should such minor Daos be widely spread?"
The Law Saint's expression darkened. He gave Li Hao a deep look but said no more.
At this point, he could no longer view Li Hao as an ordinary Saint. He now had the qualifications to challenge a Supreme Saint, or at least, killing Li Hao would require extraordinary means—likely a method similar to how the Progenitor of the Gods was once hunted down.
However, Li Hao hadn't yet touched upon enough interests to warrant such drastic action.
With no further objections, Li Hao withdrew his Saintly Dao. He glanced around briefly but said nothing more, stepping down from the Dao Field and returning to his seat on his meditation mat.
As he moved, every gaze in the field seemed glued to him. Even after he sat down, the eyes of those around him remained fixed on him.
If the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle had made Li Hao's name known throughout the heavens and drawn the attention of many Saints, this debate had made him a true object of fear and respect among the Saints.
However, aside from the Saints, many half-Saints were also shocked by Li Hao's rapid growth. As they listened to the lingering echoes of his Dao debate, they felt their own budding Saintly Daos transforming.
When a Saint's Dao embryo is influenced by a debate, it can change, but it doesn't crack.
The Saintly Daos of the Saints had already been fully formed and couldn't be reshaped. Therefore, when impacted, they would either crack or shatter completely. In contrast, the Saintly Dao embryos of the half-Saints, still in their soft and malleable stages, were absorbing the insights from the debate like young shoots absorbing nourishment.
Li Hao's sermon was like the preaching of a Supreme Saint, influencing every half-Saint present.
Among them, some were reincarnated Saints with foundations from their past lives. They now faced a choice: to abandon their former Saintly Dao wills or to follow Li Hao's Dao and forge a new path. Should they choose to follow Li Hao's teachings, they would be considered his disciples, at least in part.
Thus, while debating the Dao, Li Hao was also preaching to the heavens, generously spreading the true Dao—a deed of great merit.
Moreover, Li Hao knew that, although the Saints had been shaken by his sermon, his Saintly Dao had not yet been fully revealed.
He had only shown a portion of his Dao scripture. If he were to unveil the entire scripture and reveal the full extent of his Saintly Dao, even the Supreme Saints would be affected. At that point, he might face dangers akin to those faced by the Progenitor of the Gods.
His Saintly Dao was powerful, but his current combat strength could not yet rival that of a Supreme Saint. He wasn't sure just how vast the gap was, as he had yet to face a Supreme Saint in battle, leaving him uncertain of his chances. If several Supreme Saints were to join forces against him, he would be hard-pressed to survive.
Earlier, during the Dao debate, if not for the fact that the Void Ancestor and the others had fully exposed their Saintly Daos, allowing Li Hao to shatter them, it wouldn't have been so easy to kill them all. At least a few of them might have escaped from his Dao Domain.
Now that his Saintly Dao had been revealed, other Saints were wary of him. Without absolute confidence, they would avoid debating with him, choosing instead to engage in battle if necessary, rather than risking a debate.
As Li Hao sat calmly on his meditation mat, time passed, and the murmurs of quiet conversations and discussions began to rise from the crowd.
The Dao Field, which had just witnessed such fierce confrontations, now seemed eerily empty. No one else dared to step forward to continue the debate.
The earlier intense clashes had left everyone in shock over the deaths of twelve Saints. As the crowd recovered, they were left digesting the teachings Li Hao had imparted during his debate.
Many of the Saints had hidden their Saintly Daos to avoid being affected by Li Hao's Dao. However, doing so had cost them, as it tacitly acknowledged that their Daos were not the true Dao.
In the past, when a Supreme Saint preached, the other Saints would listen, even sealing their Daos to protect them. They would admit that their Daos were inferior, but they consoled themselves with the belief that it wasn't their Dao that was lacking, only their cultivation. They hadn't yet reached perfection.
But now, Li Hao was just a Saint who had passed through the first disaster, yet his Saintly Dao had touched upon the very essence of the Dao. This made it impossible for them to deceive themselves.
Of all those present, only the Saint of Lies remained unaffected.
In the moment she felt the influence of Li Hao's Dao, she quickly told herself a lie, successfully deceiving her own heart.
As quiet discussions filled the air, the Supreme Saints, including the Progenitor, silently pondered other matters. Time passed slowly, and eventually, a Saint stood and returned to the stage, selecting their opponent for the next round of debates.
The Dao debate resumed, but the atmosphere was far more subdued than before.
Many of the half-Saints, who had initially been eager to witness and participate in the debates, had now turned their attention inward. Li Hao's sermon had shown them a path forward, and they were no longer as invested in the debates between the other Saints.
As time passed, one Saint after another took their turns debating on the Dao Field. Li Hao listened attentively, but the more he heard, the more bored he became.
The Daos of these Saints, no matter how refined, were mere glimpses into the broader Dao. Even at their pinnacle, they could only touch the Dao—they could never become it.
As Li Hao listened, he noticed a faint fluctuation of energy. Turning his gaze toward the half-Saints gathered outside the Dao Field, he saw Lin Qingying seated among them, seemingly in a state of enlightenment. A faint aura of Dao surrounded her.
Li Hao immediately recognized that she was comprehending the Dao of Nothingness.
The Dao of Nothingness is the Dao itself—the state of non-being, the origin of the heavens and earth!
If she could fully comprehend it, she might even surpass the Progenitor's Dao of Origins.
Li Hao's eyes gleamed. Because Lin Qingying was studying the Dao of Nothingness, the disturbance she caused was minimal, almost imperceptible. If not for Li Hao's own understanding of this Dao, he wouldn't have noticed.
A smile tugged at the corners of Li Hao's mouth, and he looked away, choosing not to draw attention to her. At this moment, all eyes were on him, and he didn't want Lin Qingying to be exposed to the scrutiny of the other Saints. Until she had fully mastered her Dao, it was best for her to remain hidden.
…
The Dao debate continued for half a month. Some debates lasted half a day, others an entire day and night. As the event neared its conclusion, Saints such as the Hunyuan Saint and the Medical Saint took their turns preaching to the crowd.
They did not debate with anyone, as their cultivation was far beyond most others present. Unless they had significant grievances with another Supreme Saint, they rarely engaged in Dao debates. Preaching allowed them to impart their knowledge without endangering their own Saintly Daos.
The Medical Saint believed that the heavens and earth were inherently flawed and in need of healing. Healing, in his philosophy, was not just about curing illness but about guiding everything from imperfection to perfection. Even cultivation followed this principle—achieving the ultimate state of perfection was, in essence, a form of healing.
In the past, the Medical Saint's sermons would have been incredibly enlightening to many half-Saints, but now, the response was much more subdued. Few were significantly impacted.
This was because, according to Li Hao's earlier teachings, the flaws in the heavens and earth were a natural state and did not need to be corrected.
The true nature of the heavens and earth was the Dao itself. Whether perfect or flawed, weak or strong, these were all judgments imposed by humans.
A mayfly lives but a single day—can it be compared to a tortoise in longevity?
If the mayfly is considered weak, it still experiences the entirety of life, from birth to death, within that day. The tortoise, though it lives long, cannot surpass this completeness. A low valley, though it cannot match the height of a towering peak, can hold a lake, while the peak can only hold a small pool, which, when full, becomes a waterfall that flows elsewhere.
Strength and weakness, good and evil—these are not matters for the Dao to judge. The Dao is eternal, unchanging, and unaffected by such concerns.
This understanding, imparted through Li Hao's sermon, was a gift to the world. For those who could grasp it, there would be no more anxiety, no more feeling trapped by paths set out by others, chasing after the shadows of those who came before, only to fall in their footsteps.
The Hunyuan Saint's sermon focused on the Dao of the flesh, refining the body to become like the heavens and earth themselves.
However, this path of body refinement held little appeal to most of the half-Saints present. It was a grueling, time-consuming practice. While half-Saints were not afraid of hardship, this was a different kind of pain—one that required immense patience and endurance.
Finally, the Progenitor delivered his sermon, expounding on his renowned Dao of Origins.
However, this time, as the Progenitor spoke, many of the half-Saints who listened did not feel the same sense of awe and revelation as before. Instead, they were left wondering—was the Dao of Origins truly the Dao? After all, the Dao existed before the heavens and earth, so could the Progenitor's Dao of Origins really be the true Dao?
No one dared to voice such thoughts aloud, of course. The Progenitor's Dao of Origins was well-established and recognized across the heavens, beyond dispute.
As the Dao debate drew to a close, news of the twelve fallen Saints spread, reaching many empires and major forces. The heavens trembled with the revelation.
Countless divine dynasties and factions heard once again the name Haotian, but this time, it surpassed the fame he had garnered during the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle. The news that Li Hao had debated with thirteen Saints and slain them all sent shockwaves throughout the heavens!
Rumors began to spread, suggesting that Li Hao's Saintly Dao rivaled that of a Supreme Saint. He was now seen as a future Supreme Saint in the making.
Considering all the evidence, this claim seemed highly plausible. Supreme Saints, after all, were beings who only emerged once every ten thousand years, and even among Saints, they held the true power and authority in the heavens.
As the Dao debate concluded and its repercussions spread, Li Hao began to feel a surge in the flow of incense towards him, not just from the Dayu Divine Dynasty but from all corners of the Saintly Lands.
The incense gathered within him, and the three incense sticks in his body grew ever thicker.
If this flow of incense continued at this rate, Li Hao estimated that in a thousand years, he might reach the Incense God realm.
Of course, this was the ideal scenario. Time would inevitably cause the flow of incense to diminish. Memory fades, and followers grow old, fall ill, and die. New generations would need to hear of him to keep the incense flowing.
To maintain his fame for a thousand years, he would have to become a Supreme Saint. Otherwise, over time, his influence would inevitably wane.
After all, in the vast worlds of the heavens, many already worshipped Supreme Saints. Even when a peerless genius emerged, such as Li Hao, they still seemed insignificant in comparison to a Supreme Saint. The end of the path of cultivation is the Supreme Saint. Why worship someone with potential to become a Supreme Saint when you can worship one who has already attained that status?
As the Dao debate ended and the crowd dispersed, Feng Lao, the Saint of Lies, the Swordmaster, and others approached Li Hao to offer their congratulations. The Sword Saint also stepped forward, feeling a mix of emotions.
He had never imagined that his disciple's fiancé would turn out to be such a monster. From the first moment he had laid eyes on Li Hao, less than two years had passed. At that time, Li Hao had been a mere junior in his sacred ground. Just the presence of his Saintly aura would have been enough to suppress the young man.
But now, Li Hao could slaughter Saints like him—or even more powerful Saints—with ease.
He had not yet reached the realm of a Supreme Saint, but he was already half a step into that domain, with a status above the Saints of the Three Calamities, second only to the Supreme Saints.
In addition to these familiar faces, many other Saints came forward to introduce themselves to Li Hao and establish connections with him.
Li Hao couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. When one becomes powerful, all the faces one sees become friendly.
Even the Supreme Saints began to leave. Before departing, the Medical Saint approached Li Hao and invited him to the Medical Saint's sacred ground to continue recovering and to discuss the Dao further. Li Hao politely declined, explaining that he still had plans to deal with the Buddha Sect and the Void Sacred Ground.
The Medical Saint understood Li Hao's urgency. After all, if he waited too long, by the time he arrived, the sacred grounds might already be plundered, leaving nothing of value. She quickly changed the subject, inviting him to visit the Qian Kun Realm when he had time.
Li Hao readily agreed.
After the Medical Saint departed, the Supreme Saint of the Mo family approached Li Hao, accompanied by the Mo family Saint, Yuan Zhou.
When Yuan Zhou saw Li Hao, his smile was warm, much more humble than when they had first met. He hadn't expected that the young man he had once escorted would turn out to be so fearsome.
"Lord Haotian's Dao has deeply touched all who heard it. Once you pass through the Three Calamities, you will become a Supreme Saint," the Mo family Supreme Saint, dressed in a scholarly green robe, said with a gentle smile.
"Thank you for your help back then," Li Hao said with a respectful bow.
The Mo family had assisted him before, and Yuan Zhou had been sent by the Supreme Saint to help him. Li Hao remained grateful for their aid.
"It was not entirely my decision. Though the Bandit Saint sought my help, there was already someone else who wanted to lend a hand before me. That person couldn't leave at the time, so they didn't attend this Dao debate, as they are currently in seclusion, comprehending a transformation of their own Dao."
The Mo family Supreme Saint smiled faintly as he spoke.
Li Hao was taken aback and asked curiously, "Who might that be?"
"You may know him—his surname is Jiang."
The Mo family Supreme Saint smiled knowingly, as if he was aware of Li Hao's past. "Before entering seclusion, he also brought a young man with a natural sword bone to our sacred ground. The young man is now in seclusion, cultivating with him."
Jiang? Li Hao's mind immediately went to the Yu Emperor, and he froze for a moment.
The Yu Emperor had been gathering incense in an attempt to resurrect the Jiang family's Progenitor. Could it be...?
"Jiang Tianyu was once a Saint of our Mo family. During the Three Calamities, he was ambushed and fell while crossing the Heavenly Tribulation. However, his Saintly Dao did not completely dissipate. A remnant of his soul lingered within the Dao. His descendants gathered incense over many years and eventually brought him back to life."
The Mo family Supreme Saint explained with a smile, "Whether this is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen. His fall during the Heavenly Tribulation brought him great insight. Perhaps this time, he will reach even greater heights. Before entering seclusion, he learned of your existence and asked me to look after you. So, even if the Bandit Saint had not come seeking aid, I would have still sent Yuan Zhou to help you."
He explained everything clearly, making no effort to use his assistance to win favor with Li Hao.
Li Hao was momentarily stunned. It really was the Jiang family's Progenitor.
"Who ambushed him? Has that grudge been avenged? If he required incense for his resurrection, does that mean your sacred ground..." Li Hao trailed off, still puzzled.
The Mo family Supreme Saint sighed and shook his head. "It's a complicated matter. We did not know of his fall or the ambush at the time. His revival was solely due to the efforts of his descendants, and he made no contact with us until after he was resurrected. We have since avenged him."
Li Hao's eyes flickered. The affairs of Saints were indeed complex.
It seemed that the Jiang family's Progenitor had reconciled with the Mo family after their previous misunderstandings. Perhaps those misunderstandings had been truly resolved.
"If you have time, feel free to visit our Mo family sacred ground," the Mo family Supreme Saint said, extending an invitation before leaving with Yuan Zhou.
Li Hao accepted the invitation, intending to visit the Jiang family's Progenitor someday.
The "young man with a sword bone" that the Mo family Supreme Saint had mentioned was most likely Jiang Lichen. It seemed that Jiang Lichen had gone to the Mo family sacred ground instead of staying in the Yunxia Realm, which explained why Li Hao hadn't seen him during the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle or the Dao debate.
With Jiang Lichen's talent, if he took his cultivation seriously, even though his age disqualified him from participating in the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle, he would have likely earned a spot in the Dao debate as an observer. After all, in addition to the half-Saints in the Heavenly Dao Field, many Saints' direct disciples, such as Lin Baichuan, the Holy Son of Haoyue, and Chi Guang, were also present.