Chapter 392: Cooking the Chaos
The emperor's weapon of the Sage of Chaos was a monstrous, colossal battle blade. Its surface appeared roughly hewn, as though forged haphazardly from a mix of stone and bronze. The blade and spine bristled with jagged, fin-like protrusions, radiating a primitive and savage aura.
As soon as the blade was unsheathed, an overwhelming force of tribulation energy erupted, forming a thunderous field spanning tens of thousands of meters. The sky dimmed, the earth trembled, and the air seemed to tear and distort under its presence.
Li Hao immediately noticed the surrounding world converging towards the battle blade as its center. Majestic energy and the essence of the Dao gathered around it, exuding an aura no less imposing than that of the Supreme Saint. Its terrifying might was palpable.
In contrast, the fragment in his possession, aside from its brilliance, displayed no extraordinary phenomena.
"Kill!"
Once the blade was drawn, there was no retreat. Li Hao fully commanded the fragment, channeling his primordial spirit into controlling it. He activated abilities like Flying Slash and Hidden Bow, extending the range and speed of his weapon.
The Hidden Bow veiled the fragment's approach, causing the Sage of Chaos a fleeting moment of distraction, as if the fragment had momentarily vanished from his perception.
When he sensed it again, the fragment had already advanced closer, seemingly teleporting.
"Die!"
The Sage of Chaos's eyes brimmed with murderous intent. His sacred Dao domain bore down forcefully, aiming to suppress the fragment, while his colossal battle blade slashed fiercely toward Li Hao.
As the blade descended, the tribulation clouds roared, countless arcs of lightning exploded, and a vast black scar tore through the void. The shockwaves from the blade's edge alone cleaved heaven and earth apart.
Neither side chose to retreat, instead pouring all their strength into mutual annihilation.
Li Hao's Eternal Dao Domain dented and cracked under the relentless assault. Waves of terrifying tribulation energy surged in, for the first time making him feel that the Eternal Dao Domain was fragile—like a balloon meeting a sharpened stick, straining against the force to the brink of bursting.
The pressure caused his bones to creak loudly. Dao patterns surfaced from within his Dao Bones, while his divine blood surged. Transforming into a Dao Ancestor, his physical body became one with heaven and earth, gaining extraordinary resilience. Only then did he manage to alleviate the crushing force of the battle blade.
At the same time, Li Hao's focus remained on the fragment.
At this point, he could only hope that the fragment would pierce through the Sage of Chaos's flesh.
"Faster, faster!"
Li Hao growled inwardly as he channeled all his primordial spirit power. The fragment accelerated to an extraordinary speed, surpassing even the battle blade's strike.
It arrived first.
Slash!
The fragment abruptly sliced into the Sage of Chaos's sacred domain, meeting no resistance. It pierced straight through his chest and emerged from his back.
Li Hao's eyes widened in shock, followed by elation. Without hesitation, he commanded the fragment to return.
Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!
The fragment darted back and forth within the Sage of Chaos's enormous body like a needle of light. Although small and seemingly insignificant, its brilliance continuously pierced through his flesh.
The Sage of Chaos's once-proud body, comparable to the strength of five or even six tribulation emperor weapons, was now effortlessly penetrated by the fragment.
The sharpness was unparalleled. While thrilled, Li Hao couldn't help but feel awe.
At that moment, the Sage of Chaos let out a furious roar. His body had been riddled by the fragment—a weapon that undoubtedly belonged to the ranks of supreme divine artifacts. Enraged, he poured all his strength into his battle blade, determined to trade injury for injury and kill Li Hao.
The blade roared downwards. Although it lagged slightly behind the fragment, it was still fast to the point of being unavoidable.
Boom!
Li Hao pushed his strength to the absolute limit. He swung his sword repeatedly in front of him, attempting to shatter the force of the battle blade, but his efforts achieved little.
The blade descended like a massive mountain cleaving horizontally, its impact carving a bottomless ravine into the ground.
In the instant before being struck, Li Hao putting away his achievements and fame.
Li Hao's body felt as if it were being engulfed by searing flames and torn apart, followed by an unstoppable force crushing him, threatening to obliterate his very form.
His entire body shattered—divine blood splattered, and his Dao Bones cracked and broke.
However, the brilliance of the Celestial Star Veins did not wane. Amid the radiant starlight, the shattered flesh and blood were drawn back together under the force of Dao intent, contracting and reforming.
The Sage of Chaos saw Li Hao attempting to regenerate, and the might of his battle blade grew even more ferocious.
Li Hao's fragmented body broke apart once more—Dao Bones shattered, and divine blood evaporated.
Yet, the glow of the Celestial Star Veins remained undiminished. Instead, within the shattered Dao Bones, a surge of great Dao energy began to spread. Even though the Dao Bones were completely pulverized, the power of the Dao endured, unyielding.
Li Hao had transformed into a manifestation of the Dao, indestructible and unimaginably resilient.
Still, the battle blade was no ordinary weapon. As a Six-Tribulation Emperor Weapon, it had the power to sever even the Dao itself. The dense tribulation force made Li Hao's transformed "Dao Body" shrink continuously under its assault.
If this continued, even the Dao would eventually disintegrate under the relentless tribulation force.
But this process took time, and in the brief respite it provided, the Celestial Star Veins drew in a torrent of stellar energy. In just a moment, Li Hao's destroyed body was regenerated.
Emerging from the Dao, Li Hao reappeared in the void, fully restored in the blink of an eye.
The deafening sound of the blade's descent echoed behind him. All this had transpired in the blink of an eye, during the brief interval of the blade's swing.
From an observer's perspective, it appeared as though the battle blade had obliterated Li Hao's body completely. Yet, when the blade's arc concluded, Li Hao stood there again, unscathed.
Unless the Sage of Chaos could simultaneously destroy both Li Hao's physical form and his Dao Body, he would be unable to truly annihilate him.
Even a Supreme Saint would find it nearly impossible to destroy Li Hao's Eternal Dao Domain, shatter his body—comparable in strength to a Three-Tribulation Emperor Weapon—and obliterate his Dao Body all at once.
In other words, even a Supreme Saint would find it nearly impossible to kill Li Hao now!
However, the Six-Tribulation Emperor Weapon could still corrode Li Hao's Dao Body, bringing him to the brink of life and death. If it were a Seven-Tribulation Emperor Weapon, it might have had the power to destroy him entirely.
Li Hao's gaze turned cold as he stared at the stunned Sage of Chaos. Without hesitation, he directed the fragment to strike at full speed.
The fragment zipped through the Sage of Chaos's massive body, cutting through and splattering divine blood.
The blood that spilled wasn't ordinary—it was the sacred blood of a Supreme Saint, refined through countless eons. The Sage of Chaos, a primordial ferocious beast, had forged his body with this precious divine blood.
The aroma of the blood wafted into Li Hao's nostrils, triggering a glint in his eyes and evoking certain memories of ingredients.
It reminded him of recipes for cooking blood—meals he had once prepared using dragon blood, phoenix blood, or the essence of other mythical creatures.
"This sacred blood would make an incredible Mao Xue Wang. I'd use dragon bones to simmer a rich broth to pair with it…"
Li Hao's eyes gleamed, and an audacious thought crossed his mind—he wanted to cook the Sage of Chaos.
The divine blood spilling everywhere was an invaluable ingredient, stirring his culinary instincts.
The Sage of Chaos had intended to turn him into a meatball. Staring at the Sage's massive body, Li Hao couldn't help but see the potential for a grand feast.
Cooking a Supreme Saint's body, one forged to the level of sanctification—how exquisite would the taste be? The flesh would surely be tender and flavorful…
Li Hao's imagination ran wild, and he nearly salivated at the thought. The idea gripped him like a madness, refusing to leave his mind.
"Absolute Heaven Slash!"
At this moment, the Sage of Chaos roared furiously, slashing his blade with unmatched ferocity.
This time, the blade carried an even more terrifying might, borrowing the power of the Heavenly Dao itself. The light of the sun and moon seemed to vanish, leaving the world in darkness, with only the radiance of the blade shining through.
Li Hao knew there was no escape. He resolved to confront it head-on, unleashing his full power.
He swung his sword repeatedly, channeling sword light to clash against the blade's edge, while his Eternal Dao Domain held up with all its strength.
Boom!
Despite his efforts, the resistance shattered instantly. His physical body exploded, forcing him to revert to his Dao Body. The tribulation energy, imbued with the will of the Heavenly Dao, aimed to dismantle the Dao itself.
Li Hao felt his Dao Body starting to collapse under the pressure of the Heavenly Dao's intent. His form fragmented, transforming from the embodiment of the Dao to mere fragments of Dao essence, dispersing into nothingness.
He quickly anchored his Dao intent deep into the fabric of the world, using the will of the Celestial Sovereign to resist.
The Heavenly Dao's power was soon isolated, leaving his Dao Body to endure the tribulation energy's onslaught. Even as it eroded his form, the light of the Celestial Star Veins flared, and in the next moment, Li Hao was reborn once more.
As soon as he regenerated, Li Hao commanded the fragment to continue its relentless assault on the Sage of Chaos's body.
The Sage's flesh was repeatedly pierced, riddled with gaping wounds that spewed blood. His sacred domain and body were powerless against the fragment.
Even so, his body began to heal rapidly with each injury.
Li Hao, seeing this, altered his strategy. Instead of simply piercing through, he directed the fragment to slice along the Sage's shell and beneath the layers of his flesh, carving deep into the connective tissue to cause widespread damage.
"Cooking… using the heavens and earth as a pot, the void as fire. Even a Supreme Saint, at their core, is nothing more than a primordial beast. If it were still in its juvenile form, frying it might make it wonderfully crispy..."
Li Hao's eyes gleamed as flashes of culinary inspiration danced through his mind.
Viewing the Supreme Saint before him as an ingredient, his mental state seemed to expand. His understanding of ingredients and the art of cooking deepened.
If even a Supreme Saint could be cooked, what methods should be employed? Would one use the Saint Dao? Or perhaps the Heavenly Dao itself?
As his thoughts wandered, Li Hao manipulated the fragment with precision, treating the Sage of Chaos as though it were a raw ingredient. The fragment acted like a blade, skinning and deboning its target.
The fragment's speed increased with each passing moment, its slicing trajectory becoming exceptionally refined. Like a master chef butchering an ox, it moved with deliberate angles, peeling away the Sage of Chaos's carapace layer by layer.
This required predicting the Sage's movements, as it was not an inanimate object but a living being. Every strike was a live dissection.
The precision of such "food preparation" tested the skill of the blade, one of the essential arts in cooking.
The fragment, a streak of silver light, darted swiftly within the Sage's body, carving chunks of flesh and spilling divine blood. This caused far more significant damage than simple piercing blows.
Although the wounds healed almost instantly, the self-healing property of the "ingredient" only made Li Hao's blade skills sharper with practice.
Over and over, the fragment cut through the Sage's massive frame. From initially crude attempts, Li Hao's technique grew sharper and faster, becoming increasingly seamless.
The Sage of Chaos gradually realized something alarming. Li Hao's blade work was improving at a shocking rate. Although the fragment could only wound him superficially, his self-regenerating bloodline rendered such injuries inconsequential.
Yet, a deep unease began to rise within him.
It felt as though, at some critical moment, he might be dismembered entirely.
The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. His opponent wasn't just inflicting random injuries—Li Hao was learning the intricacies of his body, seeking an ultimate weak point!
"Let's see who dies first—you or me!"
The Sage of Chaos's eyes blazed with icy killing intent. As a Supreme Saint, being pushed to this extent by Li Hao was something he had never experienced since his creation.
Given enough time, this monstrous individual might one day dominate the heavens, becoming even more terrifying than Yuan Zu himself.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the void, the Sage of Chaos repeatedly swung his blade, shattering Li Hao's body again and again.
Yet, each time Li Hao's body was destroyed, he reformed anew, continuing to direct the fragment to slice into the Sage of Chaos's frame. Both fought relentlessly, exchanging injuries to see who would outlast the other.
Boom!
The Sage of Chaos activated his three Power Veins, forcibly gathering the energy of heaven and earth to maintain his peak state. Yet, as Li Hao's fragment cut him over and over, his momentum began to weaken ever so slightly.
Li Hao noticed the subtle decline in the Sage's strength. Despite executing numerous fearsome blade techniques, the Sage had failed to kill him with a single blow.
With the support of the Celestial Star Veins, Li Hao maintained his peak condition at all times, showing no signs of faltering. Unless he was trapped in a dire situation where the stars and heavens were completely isolated, he would remain indomitable.
"If this keeps up, I might just wear him down…"
Li Hao's eyes shone brighter as he continued his relentless cutting. His dissection of the "ingredient" grew more precise with each strike. After all, the Sage's regenerative powers made him the perfect subject for endless practice.
Ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times—Li Hao had memorized every inch of the Sage's skeletal structure and muscle alignment.
Deep within the Sage of Chaos's body, there was a core—a demonic Beast Core, akin to a heart. However, unlike ordinary demons, even if this core were destroyed, it would regenerate almost instantly. It was far from a fatal weakness.
Having mastered the Three Immortal Extremes, vital points like the heart or throat were no longer vulnerabilities.
Slash!
The fragment struck again, this time carving an elegant arc as though guided by the Dao itself. The carapace covering the Sage's body exploded, exposing the underlying muscles.
The muscles convulsed violently, splitting apart as blood gushed out in torrents. Li Hao, bathed in the divine blood, immediately advanced further.
The Sage of Chaos's pupils contracted. The point of his exertion had coincided precisely with Li Hao's strike. Though the blow was not fatal, it had grievously injured him.
His regenerative powers quickly restored the damage, but the precision of Li Hao's strike left him shaken.
"He's using me to practice his blade techniques!"
The Sage of Chaos trembled with fury, his crimson eyes locking onto Li Hao with murderous intent. He wanted nothing more than to devour his enemy whole. Yet, despite his repeated assaults, Li Hao's aura showed no signs of diminishing. In terms of endurance, Li Hao was proving to be even more formidable than the Sage himself.
The blood-drenched battle raged on, a relentless clash of wills and resilience.
"Second Final Realm… it seems your path might be the right one. The Celestial Star Veins—is that the true Second Final Realm?"
The Sage of Chaos glanced at the starlight radiating behind Li Hao. His heart burned with anger and frustration, but he knew that continuing to waste time with Li Hao here was pointless.
He couldn't kill Li Hao; instead, he was merely serving as a whetstone, constantly sharpening and improving Li Hao's abilities.
Initially, he had planned to let this "meat pill" endure three tribulations before consuming it. But now, after only one tribulation, it had already become inedible.
Had he known this would happen, he would have sought out Long Sheng earlier and teamed up to eliminate Li Hao.
As his thoughts churned, the Sage of Chaos suddenly stopped wasting his efforts. He turned around and dashed toward his original path of entry.
There was still time to find Long Sheng.
"You're running away?"
Li Hao noticed the Sage of Chaos retreating along his original path and immediately guessed his intent. He couldn't help but call out loudly.
The Sage of Chaos froze for a moment. Blood surged to his head, almost making him explode with rage. As a dignified Supreme Saint, he had never endured such humiliation!
"I will kill you!"
The Sage of Chaos shot a venomous glare at Li Hao before turning and speeding off without looking back.
Li Hao's expression shifted slightly, and he quickly gave chase, using the fragment to continue cutting into the Sage.
"Aren't you going to eat me? Why are you running away? Come back!"
Li Hao shouted as he pursued him.
The Sage of Chaos's eyelid twitched at Li Hao's taunt. Just moments ago, he had been chasing Li Hao leisurely, intentionally waiting until the distance from Long Sheng grew before exerting his full strength to avoid Long Sheng interfering with his meal.
But now, the situation had reversed—he was the one being chased, while Li Hao mocked him relentlessly.