Chapter 415: Desperate Straits
Pfft!
Dark blood splattered everywhere as the fragmented immortal sword, moving at unparalleled speed, tore through the ancient demon's intangible immortal energy barrier, piercing its thick, horned outer hide and striking deep into its bloodied flesh and bones.
The demon's bones, formed from immortal bone, were covered with intricate Heavenly Dao runes, rendering them seemingly indestructible.
But under Li Hao's full-power assault, amplified by the Heavenly Dao Prototype, the sword's edge became unimaginably sharp. The sheer speed and impact delivered a devastating tearing force, splitting even the demon's bone!
The ancient demon roared in fury, stunned and enraged.
The fragmented sword had struck too quickly for it to react. Its bone, located in one of its weakest spots, had been broken. It couldn't tell if this was mere coincidence or if the enemy had truly discerned its vulnerability.
Almost immediately, it began channeling its immortal energy to regenerate and repair the bone.
Meanwhile, Li Hao maneuvered the fragmented sword to cut through the demon's body. His aim was to sever its vital connections in one fell swoop, ensuring instant death and forcing its Primordial Spirit to emerge.
If given time to recover, the injuries inflicted would rapidly heal, dragging the fight into a grueling war of attrition.
"Faster. Faster! Even faster!"
Li Hao's mind raced as he directed the sword through the demon's body, slicing through its flesh, organs, and bones.
Its organs, infused with immortal energy, were as tough as walls of bronze and iron. Yet under the ruthless assault of the fragmented sword, even these were shredded apart.
From the outside, the demon's body erupted with sprays of blood mist. Cuts and gashes formed across its body, from its torso to its limbs, neck, and head, as if it were about to collapse.
The Saints observing from a distance widened their eyes in astonishment.
"Is that the handiwork of Lord Hao Tian?!"
"How powerful! Too terrifying—this ancient demon can't even counterattack!"
"My heavens, am I hallucinating? That's a True Immortal!"
"It's been injured, gravely wounded in an instant!"
The Saints trembled with excitement, disbelief coloring their voices.
They knew Li Hao was strong, but this level of power far exceeded their expectations. A single exchange, and the legendary True Immortal-level demon was the one being suppressed!
But Li Hao's expression turned grim.
As he directed the fragmented sword to shatter more of the demon's bones, he noticed its movements growing slower.
Though the delay was negligible—less than one-thousandth of a second—Li Hao could feel it clearly. And this sluggishness was rapidly increasing, each moment more noticeable than the last.
It wasn't exhaustion.
Despite giving it his all, with no signs of weakening in his body or his energy output, the sword itself was faltering.
Roar!
The demon bellowed, its immortal energy condensing rapidly into a swirling black mist barrier, enveloping its entire body.
Its flesh and blood contracted, and the immortal energy within surged wildly. Injuries across its body began healing at an astonishing rate.
In mere moments, the side wound Li Hao had pierced fully regenerated. A sense of dread gripped him.
It wasn't enough. He hadn't killed it!
The only way to defeat the ancient demon was to destroy its body completely and then engage in a deathmatch against its Primordial Spirit.
But his assault had failed to kill it outright.
"The sword has dulled!"
Li Hao recalled the fragmented immortal sword from the demon's skull. As it returned to him, he inspected it carefully. The blade, once impossibly sharp, now bore numerous chips and curled edges, far more damaged than before.
The fragmented sword had already lost much of its power and relied solely on its edge to deal damage. After cutting through so many bones, its sharpness had diminished significantly.
Li Hao's face darkened as he grasped the severity of the situation.
Meanwhile, the demon's body healed completely. Its shredded flesh and bleeding wounds vanished, leaving it as pristine as if it had never been injured.
The ancient demon glared at Li Hao, its gaze filled with rage. It had been forced into a desperate defense, nearly succumbing to the destruction of its body. For the first time, it felt a hint of danger from this human.
The precision of the attack on its weak points wasn't coincidental. The fragmented sword's path through its body betrayed a deep understanding of its anatomy, an insight that could only come from repeated exposure or countless kills.
Kill!
The ancient demon, now on full alert, abandoned all restraint. As a veteran of the War of the Fallen Emperor, it had endured countless life-or-death battles. With a roar, it unleashed a unique innate skill.
Behind it, a massive vortex formed—a swirling black hole in the void that seemed to devour light itself.
The Saints, watching from nearby void fissures, felt an overwhelming dizziness as their gazes met the vortex. Their Primordial Spirits, linked through their eyes, were drawn toward the black hole.
At the same time, the demon's claw descended once more, its speed faster than lightning.
This time, the claw carried the power of an Immortal Domain, its presence overwhelming.
Li Hao instinctively activated his Eternal Domain to counter it, but to his shock, the myriad Heavenly Dao forces within his domain were nullified under the influence of the Immortal Domain.
The suppression of his Eternal Domain was absolute. The Saintly laws it housed were rendered useless.
Li Hao had heard from Nangong Jian that True Immortals could disregard the laws of Saints. This was that oppressive reality made manifest.
Clang!
Li Hao swung his sword again. Drawing power from the Heavenly Star Meridian, he summoned a torrent of energy, channeling over a hundred streams of celestial force into his blade.
This strike was even more devastating than the last, capable of splitting an entire minor world.
The sword light collided with the claw. This time, however, the claw pressed forward relentlessly, grinding the sword's energy into fragments before slamming down with earth-shattering force.
Boom!
Li Hao was sent flying backward, his enormous body trembling. The shock reverberated through his frame, and several Dao Bones cracked under the pressure.
Even though his body quickly regenerated, the Saints linked through the military formation were not so fortunate.
Their faces turned pale, each spitting blood as the feedback from Li Hao's injuries surged through the formation. They had only absorbed a fraction of the impact—barely one three-hundredth—but it was enough to leave them severely wounded.
"Die!"
Li Hao's eyes burned with savage determination. Ignoring the searing pain coursing through his body, he directed the fragmented sword to attack again.
This time, the demon activated its Immortal Domain fully, encasing itself in a realm of shadowy chaos. The air around it warped with spectral winds and twisted laws.
But the fragmented sword, carrying the combined power of the military formation, Heavenly Star Meridian, Heavenly Dao Prototype, and over a hundred streams of immortal energy, forced its way through.
Boom!
The Immortal Domain shattered under the relentless assault. The fragmented sword pierced the demon's body again.
Li Hao's Primordial Spirit burned brightly as he pushed his power to the limit, his Dao Bones glowing with a radiant golden light.
"Faster, faster still!"
Li Hao's mind roared with determination as his Heavenly Form merged with the World Manifestation, while the surrounding projections of the Saints' Dharma Bodies dissolved into streams of light, blending seamlessly into his own form.
With a low hum, the void seemed to tremble.
As the Heavenly Form and World Manifestation fused, the Saints felt as though the entire world had fallen into Li Hao's grasp. The boundless, overwhelming power emanating from him had far surpassed the realm of Saints.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Inside the ancient demon's body, continuous bursts of blood mist erupted alongside the cracking of shattered bones.
In the blink of an eye, Li Hao's fragmented immortal sword had severed over 300 bones within the demon. Yet, dozens of its core supporting bones remained intact, vital to sustaining its form.
All of them needed to be destroyed in an instant to completely obliterate its physical body.
Roar!
The ancient demon bellowed in fury, its immortal energy surging. The wounds inflicted on it began to regenerate rapidly. Although Li Hao's fragmented immortal sword continued slicing through its body, its movements were visibly slowing.
Suddenly, the sword struck a bone and quivered, lodging itself within the demon's unyielding skeleton.
Li Hao's heart sank. A pang of despair coursed through him.
His power was sufficient, but the fragmented immortal sword was no longer sharp enough.
It had been more than enough to eviscerate second-tier and third-tier ancient demons, but this True Immortal-level ancient demon had a body as durable as the strongest nine-tribulation divine weapon. The sword's edge had been dulled from overuse.
Dark, malevolent energy surged within the demon, enveloping the fragmented sword and forcibly ejecting it from its body.
The demon snarled, catching the sword in its hand. With an exertion of strength, it bent the once-feared blade before tossing it aside like scrap metal.
The broken sword flew toward Li Hao, grazing his cheek and leaving a bloody streak that healed almost instantly.
"Is it impossible to kill?"
"Even when severely wounded, it recovers instantly," Li Hao muttered, his heart heavy.
"This must be the power of the Three Undying Realms. This True Immortal-level ancient demon surely comprehends them. To kill it, its body must be utterly destroyed. Defeating it isn't enough—this is thousands of times harder than defeating True Immortal Hai!"
The observing Saints, shaken from their earlier euphoria, now felt a bone-deep chill.
Reality set in—killing this demon was an insurmountable challenge. Its regenerative capabilities rendered all their efforts futile unless its body could be annihilated in a single strike.
This wasn't a battle of attrition or skill; it was an impossible gamble against a foe far beyond their reach.
Despite Li Hao's unparalleled efforts, the Saints' hope turned to despair.
The ancient demon locked its gaze on Li Hao, its eyes brimming with malice. "I will crush you to dust!"
It roared with unbridled rage, vowing to make Li Hao suffer.
Li Hao steadied his breath, his body ablaze with surging energy. It felt like standing in a furnace—oppressive, scorching, and all-consuming. The power he wielded could shake a True Immortal, but it wasn't enough to land a decisive blow.
"The fragmented immortal sword isn't sharp enough. It worked on dissecting a True Immortal-level demon during experiments, but a quick, total dismemberment during combat is a completely different story!"
His face darkened, frustration bubbling under his calm demeanor. Though his strength was barely sufficient, he lacked a weapon capable of matching his intent.
"Only overwhelming force can make up for the sword's dullness."
He summoned another fragmented immortal sword to his palm, its faint glow reflecting his relentless resolve.
Li Hao ignited one of his golden veins within his Primordial Spirit, enhancing his spiritual energy exponentially.
"One isn't enough… two!"
Golden flames roared within his Primordial Spirit. By the time he had ignited five golden veins, his spirit burned with unimaginable brilliance.
Any more, and his spirit might collapse from the strain. Yet even at this extreme, his power was just enough to push the sword's speed to its limits.
The blade blurred into motion, piercing the demon's side once more. This time, its speed rivaled that of lightning, wreaking havoc within the demon's body.
The demon writhed in pain, its roar shaking the heavens. The blade's increased speed overwhelmed it, leaving no chance to mount a defense.
Inside its body, the blade rampaged, cutting through flesh, organs, and bones with precision and ferocity.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions echoed within the demon as Li Hao's blade severed over 300 bones. Nearly 90% of its skeletal structure was destroyed, leaving its body paralyzed and its organs obliterated.
Yet, dozens of bones remained intact—enough for the demon to sustain its monstrous vitality.
The demon's immortal energy surged, regenerating the damage in mere moments.
"Not enough, just a little more…"
Li Hao clenched his teeth in frustration. Was this truly his limit?
Even his lethal attribute, capable of executing an enemy in a single strike, hadn't activated. Was it ineffective against True Immortals, or was his attack calculated as a single strike due to the sword's rapid pace?
"Why? Why can't it die?!"
The Saints, witnessing the demon's resurgence, felt their hope dwindle to nothing.
"Even after all that, it's still not enough…"
"This is a True Immortal. Killing it is impossible. Even Lord Hao Tian can't manage it."
The Saints exchanged looks of despair. Li Hao's power had already surpassed their comprehension. Yet, against this ancient demon, his strength fell short.
Boom!
The demon's body, fully regenerated, charged at Li Hao with terrifying momentum. Its Immortal Domain descended like an all-encompassing shadow, crushing everything beneath it.
The overwhelming pressure made Li Hao's bones creak under the strain. His Eternal Domain, though mighty, was powerless within the Immortal Domain's influence.
The demon lunged, jaws wide, aiming to swallow Li Hao whole and imprison his soul within its body for endless torment.
Abandoning the battered fragmented sword, Li Hao summoned two more into his grasp. Their edges gleamed faintly under the weight of his burning spiritual energy.
"No choice but to hope…"
Li Hao clenched his jaw. His remaining chance lay in the lethal attribute activating. That slim, one-percent chance was now his best hope.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two fragmented swords darted around the demon's attacks, their paths weaving like dragons as they struck repeatedly at its side, aiming for the slightest opening.
Earlier, Li Hao's dismemberment method was a structured technique—one calculated move. Now, however, his attacks had devolved into chaotic, rapid strikes. Every thrust of the fragmented immortal sword counted as a separate attack, increasing the chances of triggering the Lethal Attribute.
As the fragmented swords lashed out, the ancient demon's massive claws swept toward Li Hao, their similar sizes making the encounter feel overwhelmingly oppressive. Li Hao had no intention of engaging directly and swiftly retreated. With his Nine-Pillared Body Technique, his agility had reached a new level, allowing him to move effortlessly in the void, borrowing force from thin air.
But under the suppression of the demon's Immortal Domain, his movements slowed tenfold. The claws caught him despite his evasion.
The demon ignored the two fragmented swords, clutching Li Hao tightly in its grasp and aiming to crush his skull with its teeth.
One sword couldn't kill it, let alone two. Their combined speed was halved, giving the demon just enough time to react and evade.
"Trigger, hurry up and trigger!"
Li Hao gritted his teeth, straining his arms to pry apart the demon's claws. His once-proud physical strength now felt powerless, as though pushing against an immovable mountain.
As the demon's jaws closed in, its body suddenly stiffened, a wave of deathly dread engulfing it.
The ancient demon's pupils contracted. The feeling was overwhelming—far more intense than the threat posed by Li Hao's earlier attacks. It felt like a force beyond comprehension, transcending the Heavenly Dao itself.
Swoosh!
The ancient demon's body exploded into countless chunks of bloody flesh, scattering through the void.
The sight stunned Li Hao.
The despairing Saints, caught off guard by the abrupt turn of events, froze in place, hope flickering back into their eyes.
"Did it die?"
"Was it Lord Hao Tian's attack? Why did it suddenly explode?"
The Saints stared intently at the scattered flesh, their hearts pounding with cautious optimism.
Li Hao quickly recovered from his shock, understanding the situation in an instant.
It wasn't the Lethal Attribute causing the self-destruction. The demon had chosen to detonate its body to nullify the lethal effect.
The chunks of flesh didn't fall lifelessly. Instead, they hovered in the void, untouched by gravity.
From the suspended flesh, dark mist began to churn, and the demon's body rapidly began to reform.
"Kill!"
Li Hao seized the moment, driving the fragmented swords toward the flesh at full speed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The half-formed body of the demon, still misshapen and incomplete, was torn apart again, its flesh and spirit forcibly separated.
Li Hao's Primordial Spirit surged forward, severing the fragment of the demon's spirit that had emerged.
But the fragment wasn't the demon's entire spirit, just a sliver of it.
The remaining flesh chunks continued to regenerate, reshaping themselves into smaller versions of the demon that rapidly fused back together.
Li Hao's fragmented swords slashed at the regenerating flesh, cutting through with precision. Suddenly, a silvery-gray light flared, accompanied by a burst of overwhelming power that struck the swords, momentarily disrupting Li Hao's focus.
In that brief moment, the demon's body reassembled entirely.
Li Hao's expression darkened. The demon had used self-detonation and fate-reversal to divert the lethal effect.
The Lethal Attribute targeted the body, but with fate-reversal, the demon shifted its vulnerability elsewhere. Against lesser opponents, this might have meant abandoning their bodies entirely. However, as a True Immortal, the demon didn't even need to go that far.
Buzz!
With its body restored, a silvery-gray radiance emanated from the demon's forehead, brimming with condensed immortal energy.
The void trembled as the demon reappeared before Li Hao in an instant, its claws sweeping forward in a pitch-black arc of destruction.
The attack struck Li Hao with unparalleled force, severing his body cleanly in half.
Li Hao's physique, fortified by devouring the Chaos Saint's body, rivaled a Five-Tribulation Imperial Weapon. After spending twelve years in the immortal gate's outer realm, his flesh had further strengthened to match a Six-Tribulation Imperial Weapon, making him nearly indestructible.
Yet now, under the demon's claws, his body crumbled like brittle clay.
The severed halves of his body sizzled with a corrosive energy that blocked his regenerative powers, leaving the wounds gaping and bleeding profusely.
The ancient demon's eyes remained cold, devoid of mockery or cruelty. The earlier sense of impending death had shaken it to the core. Had it hesitated for even a moment, it felt certain it would have perished—utterly annihilated.
This terror stoked a fury within it. The demon no longer wanted to toy with Li Hao. Its only desire was to obliterate him completely.
With a deafening roar, its Immortal Domain expanded, engulfing the surrounding Saints.
The Saints, realizing the danger, scrambled to evade. However, more than ten were caught within the domain, their bodies disintegrating into nothingness. Their spirits, immobilized within the domain, were drawn into the demon's gaping maw and devoured before their comrades' horrified eyes.
Li Hao knew that once consumed by this demon, not even a chance for reincarnation would remain—their very existence would be erased.
"Run! Get out of here!"
His face was pale as he shouted, despair clawing at his heart. Despite the collective might of the Saints, they had failed.
The fragmented immortal swords weren't sharp enough. They couldn't deliver the instantaneous killing blow needed to overcome the demon's regeneration. Killing its body was only the first step—what remained was a battle of spirits.
"Lord Hao Tian, is there any other way? We will sacrifice everything if it means killing this demon!"
The Mingjia Saint pleaded urgently.
"We've sinned too greatly; there's nowhere left for us to run," the Fajia Saint added, his voice tinged with sorrow. "Even if we all die, so be it. Tell us—do you have a plan?"
He knew that fleeing now would only postpone the inevitable. The demon would hunt them down, picking them off one by one.
"There's no way…"
Li Hao felt a pang of admiration for their resolve, but it no longer mattered.
"Escape to my sanctuary. I'll hold it back!"
Breaking free from the formation, Li Hao dismissed the shared power of the Saints, returning their strength to them. His eyes burned with reckless determination as he charged toward the demon.
"Go!"
Li Hao roared, his fragmented swords flashing once more as he advanced.
The Saints hesitated, their throats tight with emotion. Just moments ago, they had been full of scorn and suspicion toward Li Hao. Now, he stood between them and the True Immortal-level ancient demon, offering them a chance to survive.
The demon, cautious now, dodged Li Hao's attacks. The fragments of its shattered body had left it wary of his tactics.
Yet Li Hao pressed on relentlessly, forcing it to defend, knowing that even a brief pause could spell doom.