Chapter 575: Progeny of the Emperor
"Xianwang battle?!"
Countless people in the Southern Region were shocked by the scene. Even though some had expected it, now that it was really happening, their hearts still trembled!
After all, all of this started because of a single True Immortal.
But now it had led to the top hundred clans of the True World taking action. Countless Xianwang were clashing in front of everyone—a lineup even the Immortal Dynasties hadn't seen during ancient demon invasions at their borders.
"How did it come to this? Do they really have to kill Hao Tian?"
"Hao Tian is a human genius—even if he's the descendant of a 'Sin Immortal', so what? As long as he swears by his Dao heart, serves the human race, and slays ancient demons, why not treat him as a hero?"
"That's right! The boy is only a hundred years old. In just one short century, he's barely had time to train, how could he know all the dangers of the world or its schemes? If properly guided, he could walk the right path—why force things this far?!"
"The Yin Hai Clan and the Fengling Clan are just afraid of revenge. And the Supreme—why isn't he stopping this?"
Everywhere, people talked anxiously. Many great clans looked on in worry, while old-timers kept glancing up at the towering figure in the clouds. They dared not look directly at him, but their hearts were full of anxiety and disappointment.
By the Imperial Platform, Wang Shanhe had already charged into the sky, battling the Yin Hai Clan's kings.
Their domains clashed and tore at each other, sending out dazzling Dao light that dazzled the eyes—no one could see clearly.
There was only the sound of violent impacts and the surge of Dao origin power, like chaotic vine whips tearing cracks into the sky, as if the world itself was collapsing.
During this chaos, all the young geniuses on the mountain were shielded by their clan's Xianwang experts, protecting them from the fallout. Even a single trace of a shattered domain would be enough to annihilate a Xianjun.
Jian Xin and Ming Yue stood in the clouds. Though no one seemed to be near them, a force kept the chaos at bay.
Both stared blankly at the sight. Despite having seen many Xianwang powerhouses in their years of training, their horizons already broadened, this battle between so many kings was still their first. After all, their soul lifespan was just a few hundred years—they were still only at the sprouting stage.
All these Xianwang took action just to kill Li Hao. Their motive was fear of the youth, but it was also an acknowledgement of his monstrous talent!
"Despicable Yin Hai Clan. One day, when I rule the Ancient God Clan, I'll crush these petty villains!"
On the ground, Shen Wuji's eyes were dark. Protected by an Ancient God Clan elder, he was safe for now, but full of rage.
"Young master, be careful what you say!"
The Ancient God Clan elder was startled and quickly spoke up.
The Yin Hai Clan was still a top hundred clan, and whether Shen Wuji could rule the Ancient God Clan was uncertain. He might be strong, but there were other prodigies, and some monstrous talents were already cultivating in the Primordial True World.
Shen Wuji ignored him, only glaring fiercely at the battle above. But as a True Immortal, he could only see domains collapsing, immortal Dao Laws weaving and snapping like chains, and once in a while, barely glimpsed a figure.
It was the same for all the other True Immortal geniuses—complex expressions on their faces.
Off in the distance, Di Linchen gazed at the figures in the void, his eyes flickering. He wondered if he could use the power of the Emperor Clan to speak for Li Hao.
If the Emperor Clan intervened, neither the Yin Hai nor Fengling Clan would dare act, and even the Supreme might show some respect.
But… his gaze shifted to the Xianjun competitors.
There, among the many great clan geniuses, some stood out even more than most True Immortal prodigies—the real top monsters in their clans.
Like Gui Lingshuang from the Ghost Clan; although she and Gui Lingyue were sisters, they were less than three years apart in age.
Among those figures, one in silver robes, followed by an old man, stood out even more—surrounded by wheels of Dao light, with auspicious immortal runes swirling around him. Overhead, in the starry sky far above, a Celestial Chen star faintly shone, answering to him across the heavens.
His presence was awe-inspiring, standing alone among the great clan prodigies, unique and transcendent.
And the emblem on his sleeve—no one in the True World would fail to recognize it: he was from the Emperor Clan.
This time, the Emperor Clan had sent two to compete in the Southern Region—him, and one other.
Within the Emperor Clan, the other had been a famed genius since childhood, already recognized as a Progeny of the Emperor, while Di Linchen hadn't yet reached that level.
He drank and made merry, perhaps just to distract himself.
If that person spoke up for Li Hao, the conflict would end, but…
As if sensing his gaze, that figure looked over at Di Linchen, their eyes meeting. The silver-robed youth's eyes were cool and aloof as he turned away.
The old man at his side lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable.
It was as if the battle among all those kings didn't interest him at all—he didn't even lift his eyelids.
Di Linchen fell silent, knowing it was hopeless to ask him to speak up—he'd been outshone by that person since they were children.
As he fell silent, on the battlefield below Wang Shanhe and the Yin Hai kings, the Da Meng Lord's domain reached out and swept Li Hao away.
"Hao Tian, go! If we die today, then when you've grown strong enough, come back and avenge us!"
The Da Meng Lord's voice rang in Li Hao's ear.
Li Hao felt himself flying rapidly away, powerless to resist or control it. He clenched his fists, feeling more helpless now than he had even in the fake realm of Tian Yang facing those ancient demon True Immortals.
He watched as the Da Meng and Fengling Clans joined the chaotic battle, and higher up, he could just barely see the marks and edges of their domains. He saw the old man's domain reversing, like an upturned sea or shattered ice, unleashing a suffocating, terrifying force.
That power washed through, ripping and destroying other domains, exploding with terrifying destructive force.
If a Xianjun even touched it, they'd be wiped out instantly.
Every wave of domain power could collapse immortal Dao Laws, far beyond what immortal Power alone could bear or stop.
Li Hao stared silently, neither howling nor raging, but inside, a sense of hatred grew.
He'd been through countless tribulations—anger and killing intent were nothing new—but rarely had he truly felt hate.
He watched the shifting, splintering domains, their brilliance flickering before him.
And in his mind, the words of the old man on the lonely peak surfaced.
That was their "fishing ground."
Each fishing ground, crowding and competing with the others.
The prey in those "fishing grounds" devoured each other.
Those were the immortal Dao Laws they each refined, and the fake Dao forces that supported their domains.
Each of these fake Heavenly Dao forces was different, some strong, some weak. Wang Lao's was, without doubt, unimaginably powerful—his domain force was like a flurry of knives, constantly tearing apart other Xianwang domains.
Light flickered in Li Hao's eyes. If his own Nine Sequences could turn into a domain, if he could build his own fishing ground, would he finally be able to break free of his current fate?
As his consciousness drifted, a sudden shockwave struck him.
The domain force protecting him was ripped open, and a Fengling Clan Xianwang's figure appeared, chasing him down.
"Die!"
Before the enemy could even attack, a Da Meng Clan Xianwang charged over, roaring, "Get lost!"
Li Hao had never seen this person before, but at that moment, the Da Meng Xianwang forced the Fengling Clan Xianwang back and, with a wave, turned a hand into a domain barrier, flinging Li Hao far away.
But before he got far, another Fengling Clan Xianwang came to kill.
The core of the struggle was always Li Hao—the Fengling Clan didn't want a full fight with the Da Meng Clan, they just wanted to kill him.
In an instant, the area around Li Hao became the battleground between the two clans. Intense domain forces clashed all around as the Da Meng Clan kings carefully shielded Li Hao, keeping him from harm—even a single trace of that power would have shattered him.
Seeing Li Hao at the center of the storm, Di Linchen took a deep breath and suddenly charged forward.
The old man beside him hesitated for a moment, but didn't stop him—instead, he followed, shielding him.
"Enough!"
Di Linchen shouted, rare fury showing on his youthful face. He poured all his True Immortal power and bloodline strength into those two words, and they echoed across the battlefield of kings.
The Fengling and Yin Hai Clans both felt the Emperor Clan's aura and changed expressions, looking over at Di Linchen.
Everyone else, who'd been watching in confusion, also turned in shock.
Very quickly, people recognized the youth as Emperor Clan—a clan at the absolute peak of the True World's hundred clans, one even Immortal Emperors and Supremes had to respect. After all, there were three living Great Emperors in the Emperor Clan!
"While ancient demons glare at us, you so-called great clans want to exterminate a human genius. What difference is there between your actions and the 'Sin Immortal' you all hate?"
As Di Linchen's words silenced the battlefield, he took a deep breath and spoke coldly.
The fact that a True Immortal youth could calm the battlefield stunned everyone in the Southern Region. They all gasped, but when they learned he was Emperor Clan, they understood.
After all, the prestige of the Emperor Clan was deeply rooted in every clan's bones.
No one dared defy the Emperor Clan's authority.
Even the juniors of the Emperor Clan would be treated politely by all other clans. As the peak clan in the True World, they truly stood above all and made all the other clans bow.
"You…"
The Yin Hai and Fengling Clans hadn't expected this Emperor Clan youth to interfere. Their faces changed with surprise and anger.
And he compared their actions to that of the Sin Immortal—and from a certain point of view, he wasn't wrong.
It's just that people don't usually say such things out loud. This brat really was looking for trouble!
But—he was Emperor Clan…
"Don't speak nonsense. You might be from the Emperor Clan, but this is our personal feud. You shouldn't meddle!"
The Fengling Clan chief spoke darkly.
This was being broadcast across the Southern Region, and where there was an Emperor Clan youth, there was surely an Emperor Clan elder watching—so he still had to be polite, but he needed to make his position clear.
If they all just surrendered because of one sentence, it would be too humiliating.
"This man is a friend of the Emperor Clan. He's done nothing wrong. You may not kill him."
Di Linchen's expression darkened, his meaning clear: the Emperor Clan would protect Li Hao.
At his words, the Fengling and Yin Hai Clans changed expressions. They'd justified this as a personal feud, but now Li Hao had been claimed as an Emperor Clan friend—if they killed him, it would be like killing an ally of the Emperor Clan.
"That's the Emperor Clan—one of their prodigies wants to protect Hao Tian!"
"No wonder they're the greatest clan in the True World—their perspective is just on another level."
All across the Southern Region, people couldn't help but praise them.
But before anyone could say more, a calm, cold voice rang out across the mountain and echoed through the whole region.
"How come I've never heard of this Emperor Clan friend?"
A silver-robed youth stepped out from among the Xianjun contestants, his eyes like swirling stars, his voice cool and unhurried:
"That's your personal friend, not an Emperor Clan friend. As a descendant of a Sin Immortal, if he just walks away now and later sides with the ancient demons, becoming a future enemy of our people, what then?"
At that, Di Linchen's face changed and he looked at the youth.
The other young man looked at him just as coldly, his eyelids half-lowered, giving the sense that he couldn't care less about anything in the world.
The Yin Hai and Fengling Clans were stunned—then a flash of joy appeared in their eyes.
They recognized him as the Emperor Clan's Progeny of the Emperor—the one everyone saw as the top among the Xianjun competitors, second to none.
They hadn't expected him to speak up for them. Even within the Emperor Clan, there was rivalry!
"I can make him swear an oath," Di Linchen said quickly, heart sinking.
The other youth glanced at him indifferently, saying nothing—but it was as if his eyes asked, 'Who are you? What does an oath matter?'
He turned to look at Li Hao and said coolly, "You're proud of your talent. To reach this level in just a hundred years is impressive, but cultivation isn't about a hundred years or even a thousand. Only those who stand at the end of time and destiny can call themselves true kings!"
"If no one helped you today, no matter how dazzling, you'd still die. A hundred years—just a blink to the True World—who would even remember?"
His tone was calm and detached, yet full of nobility. Then he continued,
"Your arrogance brought all this chaos and wasted our time. That's already a grave offense. He can't protect you, and that little clan can't protect you, and neither can that old servant by your side."
At his words, everyone's expression changed—they all felt the weight of his noble status, as if his words carried the decree of the Heavenly Dao.
Li Hao's eyes flickered as he stared at the young man. He could tell this one was different from the other Xianjun—there was an extremely dangerous aura about him.
"If you can withstand a single blow from me, then today, your fate isn't over. If you can't, then let this little ripple you caused fade away."
The youth spoke calmly, immortal Dao Laws swirling around him, authority hidden in his calm gaze.
He didn't even look at the Yin Hai and Fengling Clans, as if he didn't need to ask for their approval.
As Progeny of the Emperor, if he really wanted to protect Li Hao, those two clans meant nothing—unless the Supreme intervened personally, which he clearly wouldn't do at the cost of his own prestige.