Within the Imperial Palace.
In the vast square outside the palace, the ground was littered with cracks and debris, especially where LiMuxiu and the others had been imprisoned. This area had become a battlefield, with several giant craters scarring the earth.
At this moment, in one of the deep pits, an old Taoist priest with a tattered robe lay limp.
His hair was disheveled, and his whole body was a blur of blood and flesh.
The sword that had once helped the Great Yu slay demons for millennia was now thrust into his chest, viciously pinning him to the ground, immobilized and unable to move a muscle.
His body was completely drained of strength; all 108 of his major meridians, as well as his yin and yang meridians, were shattered, and even his connection to the heaven and earth meridians was destroyed. He lay there, barely breathing, his eyes dull and lifeless as if he had given up all hope.
At this moment, he resembled a discarded toy, tossed into this deep pit. In front of him stood a venerable figure clad in dragon robes, his body also covered in blood. The blood dripping from his form had completely stained the dragon robes a crimson red.
In his grasp, he held the body of a young man, much like one would hold a chicken or duck ready for slaughter.
Emperor Yu's appearance was not much better than that of Qin Zhenren. After Qin Zhenren's complete defeat, he had become their new plaything, a replacement for the six young men and women to toy with.
At this moment, the Emperor's arms were limp and broken, and his legs had been severed by his own hand. The young man had used Taoist techniques to restrain his body's self-healing abilities and tear apart his major meridians, disabling his connection to the heaven and earth meridians and blocking the flow of qi.
"Something like this dares to call itself an emperor among humans."
"You had some backbone earlier, choosing to break your legs rather than kneel. I like that rebellious spirit."
"Now, let's change the game."
The young man in the purple robe had long, narrow eyes and a charming appearance, but his warm smile sent shivers of fear down the spines of those present.
"Now, you will kneel and kowtow to us. For each kowtow, I will spare one of your people. What do you say?"
The young man in the purple robe spoke with a slight curl of his lips, a mischievous smile on his face.
Hearing this, Emperor Yu, whose eyelids drooped with exhaustion and whose body had lost all ability to resist, could not help but narrow his eyes slightly, the cold killing intent within them still defiantly flickering.
The playful smile on the purple-robed young man's face was akin to that of a devil.
"What a wonderful idea, Brother Xuanfeng. You always know how to have fun."
The breathtakingly beautiful woman's eyes sparkled as she covered her mouth and giggled.
The purple-robed young man smiled and said to Emperor Yu, "I give you my word that I will keep my promise."
"Your Majesty, you must not!"
"You beasts are going too far! I will fight you to the death!"
Among the crowd, everyone was filled with a mix of shock, anger, and grief. An elderly royal general could not bear to watch any longer and roared as he charged forward.
However, his body had barely shifted through the air when he was abruptly stopped midway, his Taoist rhythm severed. His body froze in mid-air, and before he could react, there was a loud bang as his body suddenly exploded.
From the remnants of his shattered physical form, a divine soul escaped, but before it could even launch an attack, it was snuffed out by an invisible force.
LiMuxiu, Xia Linglong, and the others paled, their hearts filled with grief and fury. This was the sixth person who had died in a rage-fueled attack.
These young men and women were like demons, toying with their dignity without restraint.
Upon hearing the young man's words, Emperor Yu remained silent, his gaze fixed upon him.
The purple-robed young man noticed his stare, as if seeking confirmation, and a smirk tugged at his lips. "I always keep my word. You must have sensed the traces of my Taoist heart just now. I would not damage my Taoist heart for worthless lives like yours."
Emperor Yu remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking. "Then you must promise that not only will you refrain from harming them, but also that none of your companions will lay a hand on them. Spare them."
Hearing this, the playful smile on the purple-robed young man's face froze, and his expression slowly darkened.
The hidden meaning in the Emperor's words had seen through his scheme.
Earlier, the young man had only spoken for himself and not on behalf of the others.
While he could spare the Emperor's life, he had no control over the actions of his companions.
The breathtakingly beautiful woman had sensed this underlying scheme, and her companions shared a tacit understanding. They were all waiting for the Emperor to kneel and then react with shock and despair when they continued to kill, despite his submission.
However, the Emperor had seen through their plan.
"Haven't you heard that being too clever can lead to a tragic end?"
The purple-robed young man's eyes turned cold. "You could have lived a little longer and provided us with some entertainment, but you chose to die early!"
"It is foolish to display cleverness when it is not called for."
With a burst of power from his palm, he viciously slammed Emperor Yu's body onto the ground, creating a deep pit. Emperor Yu's body once again sprayed blood, and the rate at which his bones and blood regenerated was painfully slow due to the restrictions of the Taoist techniques.
He lay on the ground, unable even to crawl, completely at the mercy of these young people, who could easily trample and humiliate him.
But even as his body was helpless to resist, his will remained unyielding.
"You damned monsters!"
The crowd also realized that they had fallen into a trap, never imagining that these young people could be so treacherous and manipulative.
A royal concubine could not contain her rage and cursed aloud, but before she could finish her sentence, one of the young men glanced at her, and before she could react, her body suddenly exploded.
Blood splattered in all directions, the hot liquid splashing onto LiMuxiu and the others, igniting the fury and anger within them like sparks. They clenched their fists, their bodies trembling with rage, but in the end, they gritted their teeth and endured it.
They knew that no matter how furiously they fought back, it would only result in pointless deaths.
The only hope lay in survival.
"This is getting boring. Die!"
The youth in purple strode towards Emperor Yu, his eyes fixated on the unyielding gaze before him, a glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
He lifted his foot, about to stomp down on the emperor's head, intending to crush those defiant eyes into a pulp!
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a rapid whistling sound cut through the air.
With astonishing momentum, something tore through the sky from a hundred miles away, as if piercing the very fabric of heaven and earth. It soared over the tall walls of the Imperial Palace and slammed towards the youth in purple with tremendous force.
The youth's eyes turned slightly cold, and he retracted his foot, raising his hand to brush the attack aside.
Boom!!
A burst of power erupted from his palm, impacting the projectile that resembled a cannonball.
The projectile had already revealed half of its original form—a monstrous corpse several dozen zhang long, resembling a small hill. It was now rushing towards them at an incredible speed, like a falling meteor, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure.
However, as the youth's power exploded from his palm, the corpse suddenly burst apart, spraying blood and gore in all directions.
The five figures in mid-air displayed their Taoist powers, shielding themselves from the splattering blood so that not a drop landed on them.
Meanwhile, the rest of the area was drenched in a rain of blood.
Chunks of flesh rained down, and as the blood exploded and showered, the entire square around the youth in purple was painted red.
This sudden turn of events stunned Li Muxiu and the others, who were filled with grief and despair, leaving them momentarily frozen.
However, the first to react was the old Magus Melkior, who had been standing at the edge of the battlefield, silently observing like an old servant.
He had heard the whistling sound and clearly seen the speeding corpse—it was none other than Purple Moon's body!
How could this be?
Magus Melkior was taken aback, and his eyes widened as he looked in the direction of the corpse's trajectory. There, he saw a young figure who had crossed a hundred miles and leaped over the devastated imperial city to arrive before this imperial palace, which was now under their control.
The young man's eyes were icy cold, devoid of any emotion, and his gaze was fixed solely on the youth in purple and his companions in the square, ignoring Magus Melkior, the only other demon present, as if he didn't even warrant a glance.
Magus Melkior was stunned for a moment before he quickly regained his senses, his eyes widening in shock.
Although he was seeing Li Hao for the first time, the youth's extraordinary and unique aura could only belong to that detestable boy he knew so well! How had he arrived without Magus Melkior detecting even a hint of his presence?
What happened to Purple Moon and the others?
Magus Melkior's divine sense extended rapidly, and he immediately discovered that, aside from Purple Moon, the Night Demon Emperor was also dead!
Two Heard Taoists had died without making a sound?
Magus Melkior was baffled, finding the situation inconceivable.
At the same time, the people in the square also turned to look, and when they saw Li Hao's appearance, many of them revealed puzzled expressions, clearly not recognizing him as they saw him for the first time.
However, they quickly processed the information, and given his youth and formidable aura, they could only think of one person in the entire Great Yu Dynasty.
General Haotian!
Could it be him?
Many of them were astonished. In such a perilous moment, instead of fleeing, he had chosen to rush here to provide reinforcement?
"Hao'er!"
Li Muxiu couldn't help but call out when he saw Li Hao.
He hadn't expected Li Hao to actually show up, but the current situation was a hundred times more dire than what they had faced in Qingzhou City. This time, they weren't dealing with a Taoist Master of the Great Perfection Realm, but rather, a monstrous peak Heavenly Taoist!
Xia Linglong, Xia Yuanyu, and the others were also stunned, their faces paling as they shouted anxiously, "Run!"
"General Haotian, hurry, run!"
Previously, they had endured humiliation and endured their grievances because they still held on to a glimmer of hope.
That hope was Li Hao.
As long as Li Hao was alive, they believed that he would eventually reclaim the Great Yu Dynasty with time.
Even if it meant sacrificing countless lives, it would still be better than allowing the demons to exterminate their entire race.
But now, Li Hao had come.
Aside from Xia Linglong and the others frantically calling out, the royal family members who realized Li Hao's identity also tensed up.
They had heard the numerous legends surrounding this young man. Although he was strong, he was still too young at only sixteen years old. Even if he could rival Qin Zhenren, he wouldn't be a match for these six monsters.
Moreover, these six had maintained a casual and relaxed demeanor from start to finish, indicating that they hadn't even exerted their full strength yet.
"Damn it! What are you doing here? Who told you to come? Get out of here now!"
Among the crowd, Li Tiangang's face twisted with anger as he glared at Li Hao, unable to hide his shock and fury.
"Thinking of leaving now? It's a little too late for that."
"Seems like an interesting fellow has joined the party."
"Hmm, my Purple Extreme Spirit Vision can't seem to see through his aura."
The five figures in mid-air subtly shifted their positions, blocking Li Hao's escape route.
They all stared at Li Hao, their eyes filled with keen interest.
Li Hao paid no heed to the anxious shouts of Xia Linglong and the others. From the moment he had arrived at the square, his gaze had been fixed on the elderly man lying in a pool of blood, his hands and feet crippled.
Not long ago, this man had been playing chess and chatting with him in that humble courtyard.
It had only been a short time since then...
Li Hao spoke in a low voice, "Can you let them go?"
The youth in purple curved his lips in a smile. "Why should I? And what makes you think you're in a position to make demands?"
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Li Hao, who had been standing before him, vanished!
Instant teleportation?
And he didn't have any Dao Resonance!
A slight daze flashed across the purple-robed youth's face, and a sense of alarm suddenly rose in his heart, accompanied by a hint of dread.
At the same time, a terrifying fist force suddenly struck from his side, bringing with it a formidable presence that compressed half of the air into arcs of light.
Boom!
Like shaking a mighty mountain, the ferocious fist slammed directly into the purple-robed youth's head. His Dao power had only been mobilized halfway when the attack landed.
Hidan's attribute was triggered, doubling the attack range!
The fist had just been raised when the attack connected!
Blood splattered as the purple-robed youth's handsome face was suddenly blown apart, his brain matter shattering.
Li Hao's attack was like lightning, and as the first strike landed, he immediately followed up with a flurry of punches.
The explosion of the head, which the purple-robed youth used to think with his physical brain, caused a momentary pause in his movements. Li Hao's subsequent rapid-fire punches, like raindrops, all landed on the shattered skull, now devoid of Dao power protection.
These subsequent attacks were not heavy, but they were extremely frequent. With direct physical contact, the Yellow Sparrow Painting's deadly attack attribute was triggered, and the reaping power akin to a Grim Reaper's scythe came into play.
The purple-robed youth's divine soul reacted, shifting from its previous calm and elegant state to one of rage. But before he could activate his divine abilities, a terrifying shadow suddenly enveloped him.
The world before his eyes seemed to turn pitch black in an instant.
What?
The purple-robed youth was stunned, and then he realized that his five senses had been deprived, and his body was rapidly falling.
Bang, bang, bang!
Several of the lifesaving sacred heart treasures on his body shattered one after the other.
However, this did not change anything for him; his body seemed to split apart, his senses faded, and he fell towards the abyss.
"No..."
The divine soul, wrapped in Dao patterns, shone brilliantly like divine fire, but it quickly went out.
The headless corpse also stiffly fell to the ground, its life force dissipating.
This abrupt turn of events stunned everyone, from Xia Linglong and the others who had been anxiously shouting to the five who had been curiously observing Li Hao. They all froze.
The shouts seemed to be muted, abruptly cut off, leaving the square in dead silence.
However, Li Hao's actions did not stop in this silence. After killing the purple-robed youth, he immediately used the Guixu Instant Teleportation to move towards the nearest of the stunningly beautiful women.
She had a face that could launch a thousand ships, and at this moment, she was slightly dazed, looking shockingly beautiful. But Li Hao showed no mercy, and in the instant he teleported closer, he threw a punch at her.
Boom!
However, before his fist could get close, it was blocked by a force of Dao power. A faint greenish light appeared on the woman's chest, seemingly coming from a treasure that was defending her.
And in this instant, less than a tenth of a second, the woman reacted. Her expression changed, and she hurriedly tried to teleport away to create some distance.
Her teleportation was not Guixu Instant Teleportation but rather a Dao Heart Realm's Dao Resonance traction. And Dao Resonance leaves traces. As the Dao Resonance appeared, Li Hao's fifteen-fold Dao Domain suddenly overlapped and enveloped her.
That wisp of Dao resonance was instantly blocked.
But the woman's reaction was also extremely fast. She shouted angrily, "Get lost!"
This was not a scolding but a command infused with the power of the law!
Li Hao's body actually felt a compulsion to curl up and roll backward.
But with the fifteen-fold Dao Domain, although the law penetrated extremely quickly, it still caused a slight delay and obstruction.
And in this moment of delay, Li Hao's fist gathered a mouthful of fairy qi, penetrating the obstruction of Dao power and slamming into her head.
With a bang, the woman's peerless face exploded, her delicate nose and eyebrows torn apart, and her head blown to pieces.
But before Li Hao could strike again, two angry shouts of "Suppress!" rang out.
With a bang, the fifteen-fold Dao Domain suddenly retracted, returning to Li Hao's body. At the same time, Li Hao's body also fell heavily, as if being suppressed into the ground.
Li Hao hurriedly used the Guixu Instant Teleportation to transfer himself to another location, trying to avoid the attack.
But the power of the law followed him like a shadow. As soon as he moved, it pursued him.
Boom!
The two forces still acted on his body, and the ground beneath his feet suddenly sank, the earth cracking.
But Li Hao's body stood upright, radiating blazing golden light, unleashing his Divine Power state. Furthermore, the power of the heavens and earth veins converged, and that mouthful of fairy qi transformed, drawing upon the power of the heavens and earth, entering a Nascent Transformation state.
Relying on eighty percent of his fairy-transformed power, Li Hao managed to withstand the suppression of the two characters and did not immediately prostrate himself on the ground.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. From Li Hao's initial strike that killed the purple-robed youth to the subsequent blow that blasted the stunningly beautiful woman's head, it had only taken a single breath's time.
At this moment, the woman's exploded head quickly regenerated, and her stunningly beautiful head reformed. But her face was extremely angry, and her eyes glared at Li Hao.
The other four, however, looked grave as they fixed their eyes on Li Hao.
From the brief exchange just now, they immediately judged that this youth was extremely powerful, and his methods were even more terrifying than those of the old Daoist Master, Qin Zhenren.
But on the surface, the two were worlds apart in age.
And they didn't pay much attention to Qin Zhenren's old and decrepit Dao Fa state, but Li Hao was clearly an extremely monstrous existence.
"Be careful. He has mastered the Guixu Ultimate State!"
The youth in yellow and white, with an air of nobility and eyes like an icy lake, spoke in a low voice.
Upon hearing his words, the pupils of the other four constricted slightly, and a hint of shock flashed in their eyes.
The Guixu Ultimate State?
So he had mastered this ultimate state, no wonder his sudden teleportation earlier was so bizarre and unpredictable.
There are varying degrees of difficulty in the Martial Dao Extremes. For example, the limit of the Tongli State is relatively easier to achieve. One only needs a deep foundation, an abundance of divine pills and treasures to temper the physical body, and a large amount of time to cultivate body refinement techniques to slowly accumulate a million units of physical strength and unleash the extreme potential of the flesh.
In simple terms, with a large amount of time and resources, coupled with a certain degree of comprehension, the vast majority of geniuses can achieve this.
On the other hand, the Guixu Ultimate State belongs to the more challenging category. The Art of Control is not something that can be easily cultivated. One needs to cultivate multiple top-notch Arts of Control, using them to complement each other and fill in the gaps, requiring extremely high comprehension to accomplish this.
Among the five youths, only the one dressed in yellow and white had mastered this state.
To have mastered this state means that one can kill with ease, moving like a ghost and leaving no trace.
Unless one is aware in advance and constantly maintains defenses around the body, one will not be able to guard against sudden ambushes.
As the five youths wore solemn expressions, Li Hao's face also turned grave. This was the first time someone had directly spoken of the power he wielded.
Did they possess related information, or did they themselves possess such capabilities?
Li Hao secretly became more cautious.
He had never fought anyone who had mastered the Guixu Ultimate State before, but he knew that it was extremely terrifying.
Because he himself couldn't prevent sudden assaults.
The hall fell into a brief silence, but the crowd in the square had regained their senses, their faces revealing astonished expressions.
If they hadn't misheard, Li Hao seemed to have the upper hand in that brief exchange?!
Moreover, in just one exchange, he had killed the youth in purple?!
Everyone stared at the headless corpse on the ground, motionless. Anyone could tell that the person was thoroughly dead!
Just moments ago, he had been so domineering, toying with Emperor Yu as he pleased. With a single word, he could easily kill someone at the Exquisite Mastery Realm. Yet, Li Hao had blown his head apart with a single punch!
Not only that, but he had also eradicated his divine soul with a method they couldn't comprehend! And what shocked them even more was that the youth in purple had been unable to guard against Li Hao's sudden attack.
The four at the Divine Dao Mastery Realm could tell that Li Hao's sudden teleportation earlier was not a result of Dao Resonance, but rather a technique they had never seen before.
"Old Taoist, I'd like to borrow your sword."
Li Hao glanced at the five youths and, knowing that a fierce battle was about to unfold, spoke to the old Taoist who was still lying in the deep pit.
Qin Zhenren's eyes, which had been dull and dim, began to show signs of emotion after Li Hao's appearance. And now, as Li Hao punched and killed the youth in purple, the excitement in his eyes turned into shock.
He knew better than anyone else just how formidable the youth in purple was. He had thought that Li Hao's arrival would be walking into a trap, but now, this young man had killed a Dao Fa Master with a series of wild punches?!
"You can borrow it, and I wouldn't mind giving it to you."
Hearing Li Hao's words, Qin Zhenren hurriedly responded with excitement, but his voice was weak, and speaking caused him to tug at his wounds, resulting in him coughing up more blood.
Li Hao nodded slightly, then reached out and pulled the sword that was embedded in Qin Zhenren's chest. The sword came out with a twist and landed in his hand.
Although this caused Qin Zhenren further injury, it was still better than being impaled on the ground.
With the sword in his hand, Li Hao's aura seemed to undergo a subtle change, his eyes becoming even colder.
He channeled his power of control, moving Emperor Yu's body behind him to prevent the five youths from using Emperor Yu to restrict him in a critical moment.
"You child, didn't you receive the secret edict I sent to the Wang family?"
Emperor Yu struggled to prop himself up from the ground, looking at Li Hao with a mix of relief and complexity in his eyes.
"The head of the Wang family mentioned it to me," Li Hao said without turning his head, his eyes fixed intently on the five youths hovering in mid-air.
"Then why did you still come?" Emperor Yu let out a bitter laugh. "The situation here is worse than you imagine. They are all from the vast sacred lands within the Immortal Gates, far stronger than the Buddha you encountered."
"I can see that," Li Hao said gravely.
Emperor Yu fell silent. From Li Hao's reaction, he could tell that the young man didn't have much confidence either.
Yet, he had still come.
"To have mastered the Guixu Ultimate State, you are indeed a talented individual. I advise you not to be foolish. The Jiang family is doomed, and this place will surely be destroyed. To go against us is to go against the heavens themselves!"
The youth in yellow and white stared at Li Hao, his eyes narrowed as he spoke in a cold voice.
"You do not represent the heavens."
Li Hao swung the sword in his hand as if testing its weight, then slowly said:
"Moreover, the affairs of mankind are beyond the heavens' control!"
"Then you are seeking death!"
The youth in yellow and white suddenly lowered his voice. "Godly Might, All Things Return to their Origin!"
As his words fell, an intimidating rule took effect.
Li Hao immediately felt his fifteen-fold Dao Domain rapidly shrinking, devolving and disappearing! He could no longer sense his Dao Domain.
Li Hao's pupils constricted. Although he had expected this battle to be extremely difficult, he hadn't anticipated such a bizarre turn of events.
Swoosh!
His body suddenly vanished, employing Guixu Instant Teleportation to strike at the youth in yellow and white first.
At the same time, the youth in yellow and white also teleported and disappeared without using Dao Resonance.
When the two reappeared, their positions had swapped, and neither could sense the other's location.