Chapter 416: Destruction of the Flesh, Refuge in the Solar Core
"Go now! Don't let them down, and don't burden Lord Hao Tian!"
The Mingjia Saint, staring at Li Hao locked in ferocious combat with the True Immortal-level ancient demon, felt a deep sense of shame. He gritted his teeth, commanding the remaining Saints to retreat. Staying behind was meaningless—merely throwing their lives away. If they escaped, they might still come up with another plan, another chance, however slim it might be. Survival was their only hope.
The Yinyang Saint, the Mojia Saint, and others also realized this truth. Staying would only lead to their deaths alongside Li Hao, unable to contribute anything more.
Even with the Bingsheng's Formation, they couldn't bear the weight of the ancient demon's Immortal Domain. The formation would collapse instantly under its crushing force.
"If it means dying, then let me stay and fight alongside Lord Hao Tian!"
"If death is inevitable, I will gladly lay down my life for the heavens!"
Among the hundreds of Saints, some stepped forward, faces filled with righteous fervor. They had witnessed the sacrificial stand of Yuanzu and Shenwang. Now, Li Hao—whom they had wronged so grievously—was risking everything in this cataclysmic battle. For them, the idea of retreat felt like an unforgivable disgrace.
A Saint unable to face their own actions would be unable to uphold their Saintly Dao—everything would crumble.
"Leave! Don't drag down Lord Hao Tian! Your presence here is meaningless. It takes more courage to live with shame than to die with honor!" the Mingjia Saint roared.
"Only by surviving do we have any hope!" added the Fajia Saint, his voice heavy.
The Saints who had offered to stay wore conflicted and pained expressions. Their reason as Saints forced them to acknowledge the Mingjia Saint's words. Against the True Immortal-level ancient demon, even burning their Primordial Spirits wouldn't inflict the slightest harm.
Sadness. Despair.
The Mingjia Saint shouted and rushed off into the distance, deliberately creating noise and chaos.
If the True Immortal-level ancient demon chose to chase him, his death would be certain. But in doing so, he would buy Li Hao more time.
Yet, with all his valiant intentions, the ancient demon remained focused entirely on Li Hao. To it, only this human Saint posed a significant threat. The rest were insects—easily crushed whenever it wished.
The Fajia Saint, the Yinyang Saint, and others scattered in different directions, avoiding the possibility of being caught and annihilated together.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
One by one, the Saints disappeared into the void like shooting stars, leaving the battlefield behind.
In mere moments, the vast void was left with only Li Hao and the True Immortal-level ancient demon.
Two fragmented immortal swords tore through the air, unleashing devastating sonic booms and ripping open the void into chaotic space.
Roar!
The ancient demon, growing frustrated by Li Hao's relentless attacks, let out a furious roar. Ignoring the stabbing swords, it unleashed its Immortal Domain to suppress Li Hao while simultaneously hurling a sharp tail spike.
The spike sliced through the void, nullifying all the surrounding Dao Laws. It tore through Li Hao's Eternal Domain and pierced his chest.
Li Hao had no chance to dodge. Under the suppression of the Immortal Domain, even his Nine-Pillared Movement Technique and Guixu Extreme Realm were rendered useless. He could only endure the blow.
Taking advantage of the demon's attack, the two fragmented swords slashed furiously at its body, leaving over a hundred scars in a single instant.
A dreadful, abyssal aura emanated from the wounds. The True Immortal-level ancient demon felt that terrifying sense of death looming again—the same bone-chilling, soul-shaking sensation it had experienced earlier.
The demon bellowed inwardly, utterly enraged that this sense of dread could reemerge. It immediately activated its Fate-Reversal Technique, altering its Primordial Spirit aura to evade the fatal threat.
Boom!
The demon's body exploded into chunks of flesh, floating in the void. Only a small portion fell into the depths of the Nine Nether Abyss, disappearing entirely.
Witnessing this familiar tactic, Li Hao's eyes gleamed. Retrieving a third fragmented sword, he concentrated all his Primordial Spirit energy into it. Though he had already burned much of his energy earlier, he ignited another five Golden Veins and recalled the other two swords to his side.
As the scattered chunks of flesh began to wriggle and converge, reforming the demon's body, Li Hao seized the moment.
The newly drawn sword shot forward like a blazing comet.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The fragmented sword pierced into the demon's reforming body, wreaking havoc within and destroying vast amounts of flesh and bone. Over three hundred of its bones were shattered, leaving the demon's body almost entirely incapacitated.
"My Sword Dao!"
Li Hao pushed his Sword Intent to the absolute limit, enhancing the sword's sharpness and speed. With another thunderous strike, he shattered nearly all the demon's bones, leaving only ten intact.
Roar!
The demon howled, its injuries regenerating at an alarming rate. In an instant, its body was restored, leaving Li Hao grim-faced—he had fallen just short once more.
"If only my Sword Dao could reach the tenth level… then I might have succeeded!"
The demon snarled at Li Hao with malice, its cunning mind and battlefield experience—honed during the Era of the Fallen Emperor—alerting it to the young Saint's persistence. It began to suspect that Li Hao might possess some means of killing it.
Understanding this, the demon reinforced its Immortal Domain, nullifying its earlier vulnerability during regeneration.
It charged forward again, its Immortal Domain crushing down on Li Hao with the force of mountains.
Li Hao swiftly resumed his assault, knowing his efforts couldn't kill the demon but could delay it. His goal now was simple: prolong the battle long enough for the Sanctuary and Jiuzhou Immortal Island to evacuate to safety in the Solar Core.
The battle raged on, with Li Hao attacking relentlessly, forcing the demon to defend.
Time passed.
Ten minutes.
An hour.
Four, five hours.
The void echoed with the deafening sounds of their confrontation, neither side relenting.
Elsewhere, the Saints had successfully escaped the battlefield.
After scattering, they regrouped using communication talismans, swiftly confirming each other's locations.
Now that Yuanzu and Shenwang had fallen, and Li Hao was locked in a brutal battle to hold the rear, the Mingjia Saint emerged as the leader among the Saints.
"At this point, you should first head to Lord Hao Tian's sanctuary for refuge. I'll go seek out Mitiansheng, the Saint of Mitiantian, and see if he has any ideas," the Mingjia Saint proposed.
"I'll seek out the nine island lords of the Jiuzhou Immortal Island. It's said their island is shrouded in mystery and holds relics of ancient Immortals. I want to see if those relics can harm this True Immortal-level ancient demon," said the Fajia Saint. However, he didn't hold much hope. A calamity like this would surely have reached Jiuzhou Immortal Island already. If those relics were truly effective, the island lords would have already intervened.
In a disaster of this scale, he doubted that Jiuzhou Immortal Island would stand idly by as the calamity swept through the heavens.
"I'll see if there's a way to refine and enhance the formation," said the Bingsheng in a low voice. Previously, he had always worked on such matters in secrecy to avoid attracting trouble. This had slowed his progress. But now, there was no need to hold back—although time was running out.
"Let's move. We must each do what we can," the Mingjia Saint declared.
The Saints were heavy-hearted. Though Li Hao was holding the line, death could come for him at any moment. In this state of despair, they wracked their brains, searching for any glimmer of hope.
Soon, the Saints arrived at Li Hao's sanctuary.
The sanctuary was in chaos, overflowing with people.
"Why are you all here?"
Feng Boping, who had just transferred half of the populace of the Dayu Divine Dynasty to the sanctuary, was startled. The sanctuary was already packed, and he had planned to send the remaining people to Jiuzhou Immortal Island, where there was still space.
Sensing the aura of many Saints, he rushed out of the sanctuary, stunned at the sight of the gathering Saints. His gaze scanned the crowd, searching frantically for a familiar figure. Not seeing that radiant presence, his heart sank.
That figure was always so dazzling that, even among thousands, he could be spotted at a glance. Yet now, he was nowhere to be found.
"Where is Lord Hao Tian?"
Feng Boping couldn't suppress his roar of anger.
Li Hao had gone to assist them. Yet now they had returned, and he had not.
"It's the True Immortal-level ancient demon. Lord Hao Tian stayed behind to hold the line for us. He hasn't returned. Yuanzu and Shenwang also fell holding the rear," explained the Yinyang Saint, his voice low. Facing Feng Boping's fury, he didn't react with his usual sternness; he understood the elder's grief.
"Holding the line…"
Feng Boping's body trembled. His eyes reddened, recalling all he had heard since emerging from his seclusion in Mitiantian.
"This is your disaster! How could you let him hold the line?"
"You… You don't deserve the title of Saint!"
Feng Boping pointed accusingly at the Saints, his anger erupting like a storm.
Looking at the elder, who was like an aged but enraged lion, the Saints' faces turned pale. None of them dared to respond.
"You slandered him, vilified him, and now he's cleaning up your mess. How can you live with yourselves?"
Feng Boping's voice cracked with fury.
But within his heart, there was only sorrow.
That boy, Li Hao, had not changed. His innate kindness was carved into his very bones.
During their days together in the mortal realm, Feng Boping had long since discerned Li Hao's true nature. It was why he had chosen to follow him, to shield him from the prying eyes of demons and beasts as Li Hao stepped out of the Divine General's residence.
Feng Boping's roars echoed across the sanctuary like rolling thunder, drawing out many of its inhabitants. They saw the scene unfolding, heard his words, and were left stunned, their faces drained of color.
Among the crowd, Lin Qingying swayed, nearly collapsing. She had already formed the embryonic form of her own Saintly Dao, but as a semi-Saint, she now felt her mind spinning with dizziness.
Ji Xuanshen and the others were parched in their throats, lost and disoriented.
Among them, Chi Guang, Lin Shuhai, and the Hao Yue Saint Son stood in silent shock. Could it be that this peerless prodigy was about to fall?
The once-arrogant youth, whose brilliance had even made his peers look up in awe, had ascended the peak, only to face the threat of ruin.
Even the members of Huayouhui, including Zhantan, were overwhelmed with grief.
"If he's truly gone, then why are you here?"
The Huangtian Saint glared at the Saints, her tone icy. Though she respected Li Hao's decision, it pained her deeply. The image of the young man burned in her heart, etched forever in her memory.
The Mojia Saint sighed bitterly. "We couldn't aid Lord Hao Tian. We came here seeking refuge, hoping to pool our strength and find a way. Don't misunderstand—we didn't flee the battlefield. If there's any chance of killing that ancient demon, I swear on my Saintly Dao that I'll be the first to step forward, even if it means annihilation without reincarnation."
The other Saints nodded solemnly.
"Yes, we've made grave mistakes. Forgiveness no longer matters. Now, we only wish to save what we can, to ensure that more lives survive."
"Lord Hao Tian is fighting for us and for you. He could fall at any moment. That ancient demon could come for us at any time. We must act now, or it'll be too late."
Feng Boping clenched his fists, knuckles cracking, as he resisted the urge to strike. He knew they were right. If they had made it here, it was only because Li Hao had stayed behind for them.
Even Li Hao had put aside his grievances for the greater good. Feng Boping could not let him down now.
The Yisheng and Mitiansheng exchanged glances. Despite their grievances with the other Saints, they understood the urgency of the situation. Without Li Hao holding the sanctuary, any attempt to resist would be futile.
Feng Boping gritted his teeth. "Fine. Let's get to work. We'll coordinate with Jiuzhou Immortal Island to take refuge. Lord Hao Tian's Primordial Spirit had been concealing the sanctuary from detection, but against a True Immortal-level ancient demon, we can only hope the island's relics will shield us."
The Saints fell silent, fully aware of the slim chances.
"Let's go. We'll rendezvous with Jiuzhou Immortal Island!" declared the Yisheng.
Feng Boping nodded and turned to the Saints. "Help me move the sanctuary. Quickly!"
Without hesitation, the Saints began to act, a heavy sense of responsibility driving their movements. As they worked, a fragile glimmer of hope took root amidst the despair.
The oppressive shadow of death still weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, but compared to earlier, it was now marginally more bearable.
With the Saints' assistance, a Void Pathway was constructed in the void, capable of spanning a million miles with ease.
Through this pathway, the sanctuary was transferred, arriving at Jiuzhou Immortal Island in less than a minute.
The sanctuary, protected by the domains of many Saints, ensured that even during such an intense relocation, the ordinary people living within were not harmed. Without such protection, the untrained masses would have been torn apart by the turbulence of the void.
Meanwhile, at Jiuzhou Immortal Island, the Fajia Saint had already arrived ahead of time to explain the situation, projecting the battle from earlier as evidence.
The nine island lords of Jiuzhou Immortal Island, all ancient and long-lived Demon Kings who had ascended to Saint-level, examined the projection. Though it appeared as if the combined efforts of the Saints and Li Hao had suppressed the True Immortal-level ancient demon, they could see the truth—it was a desperate struggle.
The True Immortal ancient demon was unkillable, its regeneration far surpassing their offensive capabilities. In the end, the Saints were destined to fall.
"Li Hao…"
The Fox Lord's face was pale. Memories of her time in the human realm surged forth. She hadn't even had the chance to repay her debt of gratitude, and now this catastrophe loomed.
When the Saints arrived, the nine island lords accepted the harsh reality. Though the Fox Lord's heart was filled with hatred, the urgency of the situation left her no choice but to agree with the others. After some discussion, they decided to lead the Saints to their most secretive treasure—an Immortal God Relic.
The relic was not merely a cave dwelling but more akin to a vast divine temple, capable of housing Jiuzhou Immortal Island and Li Hao's sanctuary within its enormous internal space.
Under the direction of the nine island lords, the nine islands of Jiuzhou Immortal Island were incorporated into the relic. Then, Li Hao's sanctuary was also brought into its confines.
Once this was completed, Feng Boping noticed that the space within the islands was still not fully occupied. He proposed bringing in the rest of the population from Dayu.
"With the remaining space, we could also bring in practitioners at the Wendao Realm. They hold more value for survival than ordinary people," suggested the Fajia Saint.
Feng Boping's gaze turned icy. "This is Li Hao's decision. If we're talking about value, he holds more than all of you combined. And yet, where is he now?"
The Fajia Saint was at a loss for words and fell silent.
The Mojia Saint sighed and said, "Whether Wendao practitioners or ordinary people, they are all lives. We are alive today only because of Li Hao's protection. This is his wish, so let's follow Feng Boping's plan. Besides, this refuge is no guarantee against that True Immortal ancient demon. It's all uncertain."
The Fox Lord was the first to voice her agreement with Feng Boping's proposal. Following her lead, the other island lords reluctantly agreed. Together, they tore through the void to transfer the remaining population of Dayu to the relic.
Even the Jiang Clan Ancestor joined in, assisting in the effort.
In just half a stick of incense's time, thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Saints, the entire population was safely relocated.
"Now, let's head for Shenyang!"
With the relic filled to capacity, they set out for Shenyang, the solar refuge they had planned on earlier.
The Saints soon learned that their refuge would be on the surface of Shenyang itself. The primary function of the relic was to shield its inhabitants from the overwhelming laws and destructive forces emanating from Shenyang.
Shenyang was a true star, blazing with unimaginable heat and chaotic, destructive forces. Even Saints found it unbearable to approach and could not remain near it for long.
As the relic neared Shenyang, the intense radiance became blinding, and waves of destructive energy swept over them, but the relic's defenses held firm.
Finally, they reached Shenyang. The fiery red star churned with golden magma on its surface, occasionally erupting with dark patches of energy.
To avoid detection by the True Immortal ancient demon, the relic had to sink into Shenyang's core.
Guided by the nine island lords, the relic descended into the blazing magma, its defenses barely withstanding the crushing force of Shenyang's destructive energy.
Within the relic, the atmosphere grew suffocatingly hot. Though the barriers held, the air itself seemed to sear their bodies.
"Something's wrong—destructive energy is seeping into the relic!"
"Quickly, seal it off!"
As the relic sank deeper, Shenyang's destructive energy began infiltrating its weakened defenses. This force was lethal even to Saints, and if it breached the sanctuary or the islands, it would result in devastating casualties.
The Saints acted swiftly, erecting domains and barriers to shield the sanctuary and the islands. The suffocating heat dissipated slightly, but the destructive energy continued eroding their defenses.
The relic was damaged and could not completely block Shenyang's energy, but with combined effort, the Saints managed to hold back the intrusion.
"At this rate, we can sustain this for at most ten years before we exhaust ourselves," calculated the Mingjia Saint, who had returned empty-handed from his search for Mitiansheng.
"There's no ambient energy around Shenyang. Its forces burn even the most basic energies of heaven and earth to ash. This is an absolute dead zone. We can meditate on our hearts and minds here, but we can't cultivate or strengthen ourselves. Ten years… That's all we have. If that ancient demon rampages across the heavens, it won't withdraw within a mere ten years."
The Yinyang Saint's voice was grim.
The Saints realized that while Shenyang was an excellent hiding place, it was only a temporary refuge.
"Ten years later, we can secretly leave to gather information and replenish our strength before returning to hide again," suggested the Mojia Saint.
"That's our only option. For now, we know nothing about the outside world. Even Qianluo Palace has vanished. I searched for it, but it seems to have relocated, likely finding its own refuge," sighed an elder Three Calamities Saint.
"Who knows how Li Hao is faring? His strength surpassed our expectations. I've never seen such a powerful Saint. He might even be stronger than Yuanzu. Perhaps that ancient demon won't be able to kill him after all," speculated another Saint.
Huangtian Saint, Mitiansheng, and others remained silent, while Feng Boping's expression was dark. He sat down in a corner, unwilling to speak.
Before entering the relic, he had sent out a message to Li Hao through his talisman, informing him that they had retreated to Shenyang and urging him to flee. But there had been no response. He feared the message had come too late.
"He'll be fine," Huangtian Saint said softly, trying to reassure Feng Boping.
But Feng Boping said nothing, his heart heavy with worry.
The Saints huddled together, haunted by visions of the carnage outside. Each of them carried the crushing weight of guilt for the disaster they had caused.
"Shenyang isolates even talisman communication. We're entirely cut off. Unless we leave, we'll know nothing. All we can do now is wait. Think of solutions—anything that might work," the Mingjia Saint urged.
All the Saints were silent. If a solution had existed, it would have been implemented long before the ancient demon broke through.
Meanwhile, in the void, Li Hao continued his fierce battle with the True Immortal ancient demon.
Li Hao's attacks never ceased as he desperately stalled for time.
The ancient demon, growing increasingly alarmed and furious, had never encountered a human so tireless.
After closely scrutinizing his opponent, the ancient demon once again launched a strike, its massive claw sweeping toward Li Hao's head.
Li Hao's expression changed, and he hastily controlled his two damaged celestial swords, thrusting them forward.
These swords, their blades dulled and edges chipped, could now only barely scratch the ancient demon's surface. Yet even the slightest injury might trigger the fatal attribute.
Seeing Li Hao's attacks intensify, the ancient demon ignored them and struck his head with its claw.
Boom!
Li Hao's head exploded, the celestial laws locking him down, suppressing his blood rebirth ability and preventing regeneration.
Even his fallback method—using a portion of his blood in another location to resurrect—was rendered useless against the True Immortal. If his primordial soul were destroyed, even an intact body would amount to nothing more than a corpse.
The primordial soul was the true essence of life.
Li Hao swiftly severed his neck, abandoning the part of his body corroded by celestial law. A new head began to regrow.
At the same time, the True Immortal ancient demon suffered a fatal attribute attack. Once more, it self-destructed to transfer the deadly energy elsewhere, this time detonating only a portion of its body.
Li Hao's heart sank. The ancient demon seemed to have found a method to evade the fatal attribute's power.
If this continued, the fatal attribute's threat would only grow weaker.
As the demon's body regenerated, Li Hao no longer attempted to exploit gaps in its recovery. The remaining damaged celestial swords were dwindling, and each attempt inflicted severe strain on them. After consecutive high-intensity uses, the weapons were on the verge of collapse.
Recognizing that he could no longer achieve a kill, especially without the amplification provided by the Saints' military formation, Li Hao adjusted his strategy.
Even as the demon's body regenerated, Li Hao drove his celestial swords to strike again, hoping to trigger another fatal attribute.
Luck seemed momentarily on Li Hao's side. As the demon's body was halfway reformed, it was again struck by the persistent killing force, forcing it to self-destruct once more.
Seizing the opportunity, Li Hao unleashed a flurry of attacks.
For a few brief moments, the ancient demon was overwhelmed by repeated explosions, unable to retaliate.
But this fragile window of opportunity soon closed. As the minutes passed, Li Hao's fortune seemed to run dry. After hundreds of consecutive strikes, the fatal attribute failed to trigger even once.
The ancient demon reformed its body yet again, seething with even greater rage.
However, it had now discerned the nature of the mysterious force. While it remained a terrifying threat, as long as it could avoid direct hits, it could survive.
By repeatedly self-destructing and transferring the effects, the demon gained confidence. It no longer feared the fatal attribute as it had before.
When the demon's body reformed this time, black whirlwinds swirled around it, emanating vast celestial energy. Within the whirlwinds, a dense black lightning bolt began to take shape.
Li Hao's face paled as he accelerated his attacks.
But the ancient demon's celestial domain had grown even more compact, making it exceedingly difficult for his celestial swords to penetrate.
The demon's eyes burned with black flames, blazing with unbridled rage.
A dire premonition gripped Li Hao—his opponent was preparing a secret technique to annihilate him completely.
"Kill!"
Li Hao abandoned the effort of dual-sword manipulation, instead focusing all his primordial soul energy into one sword. The blade carved through the celestial domain, managing to leave shallow wounds on the demon's body.
But the frequency of his strikes was halved, while the ominous black lightning in front of the demon radiated an increasingly lethal aura. A suffocating sense of death enveloped Li Hao.
Should he run?
Li Hao considered retreat, but with only nine-stage movement arts, he knew he couldn't escape.
Nangong Jian had imparted an immortal-level movement technique, but Li Hao's mastery of it was rudimentary at best.
"Trigger! Trigger!"
Li Hao's gaze locked on his enemy. If he could trigger the fatal attribute, the demon would have no choice but to halt its attack.
The celestial sword slashed rapidly, but fate seemed to mock him. After more than a hundred strikes, not once did the fatal attribute activate.
Where luck had once favored him with frequent triggers, now it utterly failed him.
Boom!
Suddenly, the black lightning reached its peak.
In an instant, it shot toward Li Hao with incomprehensible speed.
Before he could react, the lightning engulfed him.
His enormous body froze midair, then shattered with a deafening crack.
The lightning obliterated him entirely.
For a moment, the void fell silent.
The True Immortal ancient demon, panting lightly, scanned the area with its scarlet eyes. Then its gaze sharpened, locking onto a point in the void.
Swoosh!
There, a golden light streaked away at incredible speed.
Hot on its trail, the celestial sword, seemingly unscathed, darted after the fleeing light, both moving so quickly they were about to vanish from sight.
The demon threw its head back and roared furiously. The fleeing light was Li Hao's primordial soul. Though it had destroyed his body, his soul had escaped!
Flee! Flee! Flee!
Li Hao's primordial soul raced through the void at full speed, his thoughts filled with lingering terror.
The moment the attack landed, his body had no time to respond, but his soul had managed to detach just in time, avoiding the devastating blow.
His body, however, was utterly annihilated—reduced to nothing, not even a drop of blood remaining.
Such terrifying power sent chills through Li Hao's soul. This was the might of a True Immortal, wielding a secret technique far beyond the reach of any Saint.
"Faster. I must move faster!"
Li Hao's soul burned its golden meridians, propelling him forward at a speed beyond imagination.
The speed of a soul was unrestricted by movement techniques, instead governed by the velocity of object manipulation—and Li Hao was incredibly fast.
In mere breaths, he had traversed over 100,000 miles.
Within moments, he flew tens of thousands of miles further, moving like a streak of light through the void.
Yet, he suddenly felt a presence behind him.
Li Hao turned his head and saw a pitch-black shadow darting through the void with incredible agility, like a fish gliding through water. It was none other than the True Immortal ancient demon—but not its physical body; it was its primordial soul.
The demon had chosen to abandon its physical form to pursue him.
If it relied on its body, even as a True Immortal, it couldn't match the speed of Li Hao's primordial soul.
After twelve years of devouring ancient demons on the Ancient Path, Li Hao's primordial soul had grown unimaginably strong, far surpassing the limits of the primordial soul extreme realm.
Roar!
The ancient demon's shadow moved with ghostly speed, using a unique primordial soul secret art to close the distance rapidly.
Li Hao's expression darkened. This couldn't continue. Abruptly, he turned and transformed his primordial soul into a sharp blade, slashing toward the pursuing demon.
The ancient demon seemed startled by Li Hao's audacity to counterattack. It roared but didn't slow down, charging straight at him.
The ancient demon race thrived on devouring souls, and even against a True Immortal of the same level, it held an advantage in this domain. Against a mere Saint-level human? It was confident in its superiority.
Boom!
In less than a fraction of a second, their primordial souls collided.
The next moment, the True Immortal ancient demon let out a furious, pained howl. Its primordial soul had been torn open by Li Hao!
Li Hao's eyes glinted with killing intent as he gazed at the wounded demon. His initial plan had been to destroy its body and force its primordial soul into a direct confrontation.
Now, it was clear—his primordial soul was not weaker than the demon's.
"Die!"
Li Hao turned to strike again.
Suddenly, the ancient demon's primordial soul erupted in dense black mist, radiating a terrifying, oppressive energy.
Li Hao's expression changed. "A primordial soul secret art?"
Sensing the rapid strengthening of the demon's primordial soul aura, Li Hao quickly abandoned the attack and resumed fleeing.
The ancient demon's primordial soul roared, pursuing him relentlessly as they raced across countless miles of the void, illuminated by myriad stars.
Despite his efforts, the demon's secret art-enhanced speed eventually allowed it to catch up.
The ancient demon's primordial soul transformed into a massive black net, aiming to entangle Li Hao's soul.
Li Hao ignited his golden meridians, roaring as he slashed at the net.
In this life-or-death moment, he infused the intent of Only My Sword Dao and Immortal's Guidance into his primordial soul, surging through the net and accelerating away.
The demon hadn't anticipated Li Hao's escape. It howled in frustration, attempting to give chase, but its speed had decreased after forming the net. When it tried to accelerate again, its secret art began to fade, draining its energy.
The ancient demon halted, wary.
The earlier injury to its primordial soul had given it pause. Without its physical body nearby, a defeat in this form meant complete annihilation.
The demon simmered with rage. That a mere Saint could threaten its life—it was unthinkable.
Watching Li Hao's primordial soul vanish into the distance, the demon clenched its spectral teeth and chose to retreat.
Its gaze shifted to the surrounding void, where countless small worlds floated. During the chase, it had detected an abundance of soul energy in this realm—far more than it had anticipated.
If it could devour all these souls, its wounded primordial soul could heal and even grow stronger.
Swoosh!
The demon turned, speeding toward its physical body. A fragment of its primordial soul, left behind in the body, was already guiding it back.
If Li Hao dared to return for a counterattack, the demon was prepared to unleash its secret art again.
Meanwhile, Li Hao continued fleeing. Several minutes later, realizing the demon's aura was no longer behind him, he stopped burning his golden meridians and slowed down.
"The demon's secret art must have ended," Li Hao muttered, his gaze thoughtful. He debated whether to double back for another strike.
But his instincts warned him of the demon's caution. Despite its earlier rage, it had likely retained some energy in reserve.
After careful consideration, Li Hao decided to leave.
Before his physical body was destroyed, he had received a message from Wind Elder: the others had successfully reached the Divine Sun for refuge.
Relieved, Li Hao concealed his aura and circled through the void, ensuring he wasn't being followed. Once certain, he headed toward the Divine Sun.
As Li Hao approached the blazing star, he felt an intense heat enveloping him.
While the Divine Sun lacked ambient heavenly energy, it radiated an abundance of solar essence, which could be absorbed to strengthen the primordial soul.
"This place can actually be used for cultivating the soul," Li Hao remarked, pleasantly surprised.
However, even with his powerful primordial soul, the heat was overwhelming. Ordinary Saints would struggle to endure this environment, let alone absorb the solar essence for cultivation.
Li Hao opened his Heaven and Earth Space, retrieving his command token to contact Wind Elder.
Although his physical body had been destroyed, the Heaven and Earth Space was bound to his primordial soul and remained intact.
Inside the Celestial Deity Relic, Wind Elder sat dejected on a mountaintop, mourning Li Hao's apparent demise.
When the command token activated, Wind Elder's eyes widened in disbelief. Moments later, he leaped to his feet, shouting incoherently in excitement.
"You're alive? You brat—you're alive!"
Nearby, Lies Heavenly Saint froze, her eyes widening in astonishment before filling with joy.
Wind Elder quickly informed Li Hao of their location.
Guided by the directions, Li Hao arrived at the Celestial Deity Relic, where the gathered Saints erupted in relief and celebration.
When they saw Li Hao enter, a collective wave of excitement swept through the relic.
Li Hao calmly approached Wind Elder and Sword Lord.
Wind Elder's gaze fell on Li Hao's ethereal form, his excitement dampened. "Your body…"
Li Hao smiled faintly. "My body was destroyed, but I survived. Fortunately, I left behind a drop of divine blood in the Saint's Domain. Consider it my golden cicada shell."
He stepped onto the Saint's Domain, raising his hand. From a sealed location within the domain, a drop of divine blood emerged, slipping through the void to hover before him.
Merging with his primordial soul, the divine blood rapidly expanded. In moments, Li Hao's body was reborn.