Li Hao didn't stop, and continued to deduce the secrets of the technique.
Soon, the third ultimate technique, the Ancestral Dragon Divine Body transformed from the Myriad Flood Dragon Body, had also reached the Dao Realm in his cultivation.
The Dao Realm's principle was solidification, capable of compressing and crushing everything within it.
As this third layer of the Dao Realm expanded, the faint trace of the Dao Will that had remained was suddenly and completely blocked.
But it was only blocked, not annihilated. Sacred Dao Will could not be obliterated unless one used the Dao to shatter the Dao!
Li Hao did not rest, but instead continued to deduce the remaining techniques.
Soon, layer upon layer of Dao Realm unfolded and enveloped his body.
Seated within this abyss, Li Hao exuded an unimaginable terrifying aura. With a total of nine layers of Dao Realm stacked upon each other, the senescent Dao Will had been completely isolated and was unable to approach him.
As for the other supreme techniques, Li Hao could only deduce them to the level of ultimate techniques. To cultivate them into the Dao Realm, these techniques had their limitations and required further insight.
Unless his physical Dao could be improved further, he would be able to completely make up for the remaining deficiencies.
However, to cultivate dozens of supreme techniques to the level of ultimate techniques was already astonishing and extraordinary.
Li Hao stood up and continued his practice within the abyss. His flesh and blood compressed and contracted, and since there was no energy from the heavens and earth here, he extracted the blood of the demon saints from the Blood Lake and absorbed it using the Spirit Demon Technique, converting it into energy from the heavens and earth to temper himself.
The aura around his body continued to rise and condense, and his flesh and blood rapidly transformed, with his physical strength increasing at a rapid pace.
Previously, his strength was less than two million pounds, but at this moment, as Li Hao practiced, it gradually increased to three million, four million, and then five million pounds!
This had already exceeded five times the strength of his Godlike State!
Just by advancing his Physical Dao from the seventh stage to the eighth, and with the transformation brought about by the various techniques, he had achieved such an exaggerated increase in strength.
"I wonder, if I can reach ten million pounds, will I be able to break the limit again?"
Li Hao's eyes flickered with curiosity. However, to do so, he would need at least several dozen more body refining techniques, and they would have to be non-overlapping with the ones he was currently cultivating. It wouldn't be easy to find such techniques.
Without further ado, he continued his practice and absorption.
The Blood Lake, which had originally intended to take his life, was now nourishing him instead.
It was only at this moment that Li Hao had the leisure to sense the Blood Lake. The pure blood essence it contained was not as vast as he had imagined. This demon saint had died tens of thousands of years ago, and at the moment of death, its physical body was severely overdrawn, its blood essence burned, leaving only corrupt flesh and blood.
However, despite this, it was still a demon saint. It took Li Hao several days of continuous absorption to completely drain the pure power from the Blood Lake, refining it to nurture himself.
His physical strength increased once more, rising from five million pounds to around seven million pounds, comparable to two Godlike States.
The strength of his physical body had also noticeably increased, although Li Hao wasn't sure of the exact extent. However, he felt that even without releasing any power, he could probably enter someone else's Dao Realm with his physical body without suffering any injuries.
At this moment, with the layers of Dao Realm blocking him, Li Hao transferred the Candle Flame God couple and Little Red Beard from the Universe Jade Belt into his own spatial world, along with the other miscellaneous items. He had intended to discard the now-broken Universe Jade Belt, as he no longer had any use for it.
But then he changed his mind, thinking that it was thanks to this item that they had managed to survive.
Li Hao kept the belt with him, then stomped his foot and soared into the sky. With the nine layers of Dao Realm protecting him and their combined might, even the abyssal rules that prevented flight could not affect him.
Soon, he burst out of the abyss and rose into the sky, arriving in the open air above.
Looking up, the Captive Heaven Island hung in the sky like a silver plate. The three Abyssal Heaven Locks had returned to their original positions, indicating that an important figure from the Ji family had come to handle the situation here.
However, it seemed that they had not detected his presence in the depths of the Blood Lake.
But Li Hao did not hold any grudges or misunderstandings because of this. The chaotic Dao Will above the Blood Lake made it normal for detection to be blocked.
He glanced at the Captive Heaven Island and then withdrew his gaze, his eyes calm and devoid of both love and hate.
Subsequently, his figure flickered, and the nine layers of Dao Realm retracted, leaving only one layer as he swiftly crossed the Vast Sea, flying away from this dangerous place as if bidding farewell to the past.
The vast and boundless Vast Sea was quickly traversed under the acceleration of Li Hao's Dao Realm.
After leaving the Vast Sea, the surrounding energy from the heavens and earth quickly gathered, absorbed by the Heavenly Vein and used to fill and nourish his physical body.
Passing by the solitary peak that guarded the Vast Sea, the elder on top of it was dozing with his eyes half-closed. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the wind and looked up, only to see a young man's carefree figure flying into the distance.
"What is that?"
The elder was puzzled, only catching a glimpse of the youth's back, but he was unable to discern the young man's aura.
After traveling hundreds of thousands of miles, Li Hao landed on a hill and quickly opened up his spatial world, releasing the Candle Flame God and the Yin Lady.
They were still curled up together, their bodies in a semi-fused state, with a Dao Realm covering them, enveloping them in the extremely yin and extremely yang bloodline powers that still circulated around them.
Li Hao focused his gaze, and soon, he noticed something amiss. In their desperate situation, they had chosen to fuse, but their power had not been sufficient, resulting in an incomplete fusion.
If left undisturbed, they might have remained in this state for many, many years...
Little Red Beard, embraced between them, had also been covered by their Dao Realm and thus managed to survive by sheer luck.
Without hesitation, Li Hao quickly mobilized the Heavenly Vein, drawing in the vast energy from the four directions and then channeling it into their bodies.
As the endless power flowed into them, the extremely yin and extremely yang bloodline powers that had been swirling around the Candle Flame God and the Yin Lady gradually slowed down, eventually settling into their respective bodies.
Soon, their bodies began to change, as if they were growing and awakening.
Before long, the Candle Flame God opened his eyes first, looking around in a daze. When he spotted Li Hao, a hint of familiarity appeared in his eyes:
"Where are we?"
Li Hao didn't answer his question but instead said, "Withdraw your Dao Realm."
The Candle Flame God looked at Li Hao for a moment, confusion evident in his eyes. However, due to the subconscious imprint, he felt extremely close to the young man before him, and sensing no killing intent, he did as he was told.
Li Hao beckoned, gently bringing Little Red Beard, who had been sheltered within their Dao Realm, into his palm.
An extremely weak life force emanated from Little Red Beard's body, and Li Hao suddenly thought of the Dao Rhythm Blood Fruit within the Universe Jade Belt. Earlier, he hadn't eaten it because it wasn't of much use to him, and he had planned to give it to Ren Qianqian instead.
This fruit was condensed by the Crimson Blood Vine Demon King itself, and could be considered as one entity with it. Using it to replenish its blood essence would be most suitable.
Li Hao gazed intently, and after a moment, the faint aura emanating from Little Chi Xu began to strengthen bit by bit.
Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief.
As Little Chi Xu's aura gradually intensified, the rate at which he absorbed the energy also increased. Before long, Little Chi Xu's body elongated, and he lifted one of his small whiskers, asking in a bewildered manner:
"Am I... alive again?"
"It seems so."
"So, none of us died?"
"Mhm."
"Woohoo!"
Little Chi Xu immediately coiled around Li Hao's arm, extending two red whiskers that resembled hands, waving them excitedly. "We didn't die, we actually didn't die! Is this an illusion? How did you do it?"
"I was even planning to go to the River of Death to find you."
A smile appeared on Li Hao's face as he replied, "It seems you're quite clever. You didn't end up sacrificing yourself completely."
"Are you angry?" Little Chi Xu asked, shrinking back slightly.
"You guess," Li Hao said with a smile.
Little Chi Xu looked around, finally convinced that this wasn't a dream and that they had truly survived and escaped from that terrifying abyss.
It relaxed, and its two small tendrils touched each other in front of its body, resembling two small fingers tapping.
"After all, I am a demon. If I had truly sacrificed everything for you and died, I would have been mocked by my fellow demons," Little Chi Xu explained.
"Moreover, the small amount of root beard I left behind, even if you ate it, wouldn't have been much. As a demon, I can only be killed by humans; that's how I can die with dignity!"
"You're quite concerned about saving face," Li Hao said, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"So, you're not angry?" Little Chi Xu asked immediately.
"How could I be?" Li Hao laughed. "You don't owe me anything."
"So, our agreement still stands?" Little Chi Xu hurriedly asked.
"Of course," Li Hao affirmed, raising his hand. "Pinky promise."
"Yeah, pinky promise," Little Chi Xu echoed, quickly coiling around Li Hao's little finger, renewing their pact.
"Wherever you want to go, I'll accompany you from now on," Li Hao said softly.
He then added with a slight smile, "After we leave here, I'll help you find some divine medicines and rare materials to restore your body first."
"Are you going to charge interest for that?" Little Chi Xu asked.
"Yes, one kiss a day," Li Hao teased.
"But I'm not fully recovered yet," Little Chi Xu pouted.
"Then consider it a debt for now," Li Hao said.
"For how long?"
"Until you're able to repay it," Li Hao replied.
"..." Little Chi Xu fell silent for a moment before asking, "So, what should I call you from now on?"
"I don't know. They usually call me the Crimson Blood Vine Demon King," it replied.
"Do you have your own name?" Li Hao asked.
"A name... isn't Crimson Blood Vine Demon King considered a name?" it asked in return.
"That's more like a title," Li Hao explained.
"Then let me think..." Little Chi Xu seemed unsure, indicating that it didn't have a name. Demons didn't seem to care about such things; only humans did.
After all, names could represent fame, reputation, and personal identity.
"Hmm, I can't seem to think of one. Why don't you just call me whatever you like?" it suggested.
Li Hao spotted a patch of moonlight flowers on the hill and said, "Then I'll call you Xi Yan."
This was the name of the flower.
"Xi Yan?" Little Chi Xu repeated.
"Mhm," Li Hao confirmed.
"So, from now on, I'll be called Xi Yan? Xi Yan, Xi Yan... I have a name now?" it asked, sounding delighted.
"Yes," Li Hao replied.
"It's a beautiful name. From now on, I'll be Xi Yan, and if anyone calls me Crimson Blood Vine Demon King, I won't pay any attention," it declared.
Li Hao smiled at Xi Yan, who had transformed into a red ring and coiled around his wrist. His expression held a mix of amusement and seriousness.
He looked up at the Candle Flame God couple and noticed that they had awakened, but just as Yun Ge had said, they seemed to have lost their memories and now regarded him with familiarity.
"From now on, you'll follow me," Li Hao stated.
The couple nodded quickly.
Their bodies separated from their semi-fused state, transforming into a young boy and girl who knelt before Li Hao.
Li Hao raised his hand, channeling more energy from the heavens and earth, which he then used to nourish their bodies.
Their bones and flesh slowly grew, their auras strengthened, and they appeared to age by a year or two.
Li Hao intended to gradually help them restore their original strength during their journey back.
Now, he no longer cared whether or not they regained their full power.
After temporarily storing them in his spatial world, Li Hao took a step forward and vanished from the place in an instant.
Ji Family, Sacred Mountain.
It had been a month and a half since Li Hao's sacrifice, but the grief still lingered in the hearts of the Ji family members, refusing to dissipate. However, no one mentioned it much anymore.
In the Ji family ancestral hall, an elderly soul sat on the threshold, gazing into the distance with tears streaming down his face.
He had lost his daughter and his most outstanding grandson.
He never imagined that even in death, he would shed so many tears and grieve so deeply.
Several hundred miles away from the ancestral hall, there were a series of interconnected peaks where the Yun branch of the family resided.
"The news we sent to investigate has been received," a somber voice announced within a palace on one of the peaks.
Ji Tianchao and the others present wore grim expressions. In just over a month, they seemed to have aged significantly.
"His father is from the Li family of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty. That child was the most outstanding genius of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty in a thousand years, but he ended up fighting with his father and was forced out of the family," one of them explained.
"Not long ago, we also heard that he saved a major continent, billions of people, becoming a hero of this era, admired by countless geniuses. He was even conferred a title and a fief by that Jiang family emperor..." another added.
"No wonder he has the surname Ji..." someone murmured.
"But what about Qingqing..."
As they finished reading the investigation report, their faces reflected their sorrow and pain.
It was hard to imagine how that young man had endured and made his way here alone.
"Is this fate, bringing gloom to the luck of our Ji family...?" Ji Yunyue whispered, his face filled with dejection.
Ji Yunqing's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but no words came out.
Just then, Ji Tianchao suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed on the sky.
His gloomy eyes widened with surprise, and as he stared intently, a dark figure broke through the sky from the distance, rushing toward them.
When he recognized the figure's face, Ji Tianchao froze, his eyes widening to their limits as disbelief filled his features.