Chapter 526: Ancient God Clan Youth
"Interesting."
Outside the True Immortal Secret Realm, in the void, the Emperor of Tianzhao Immortal Dynasty sat calmly in the air.
Seeing that youth spare his child without delivering a killing blow, a slight smile appeared on his lips. He turned to the Chu Emperor beside him and said, "That boy is rather kind-hearted."
"Still young, after all," the Chu Emperor replied mildly.
Had it been him in his early years, anyone who dared provoke him would have been slain on the spot as a warning.
"For such a monstrous genius to rise in Yanchu… it seems their fortune is flourishing," the Tianzhao Emperor chuckled.
In the imperial palace of the Tianzhao Dynasty, deep within the harem, a certain consort burst into tears of joy after seeing the spear-wielding youth retreat in defeat. The heart she'd had in her throat finally settled.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness that boy showed mercy and isn't the violent type," she said softly, patting her chest in relief. The stunningly beautiful consort, who looked no older than a maiden, wore a worried expression that finally eased.
Earlier, when she saw her son Jingzhao encounter that monstrous youth, she had been thrilled—thinking this was her son's chance to make a name for himself.
But in the blink of an eye, Jingzhao was defeated and beheaded.
Her mind had gone blank then. She thought the youth would finish him off, which would have ruined everything. Her son was a reincarnated prodigy carefully selected by her family—his rise in this generation was her foothold in the palace.
This South Domain battle was supposed to be his moment to shine. If he fell in the first round, all those years of cultivation would be wasted.
"Remember that boy. Once this ends, prepare a gift for him and send it to Yanchu, directly into his hands."
The consort stared at the starlight image of the youth and instructed her trusted attendant.
"Yes, Your Grace."
…
Whoosh!
In the mountains, silver sword light flashed, piercing through the body of an ancient demon, obliterating its physical form and soul alike.
Li Hao raised his hand and opened a spatial rift, collecting the corpse within.
To him, the earlier battle was just a small episode—he had already put it behind him as he continued through the mountain, searching for signs of ancient demons.
As he ventured deeper, the aura of malevolence in the air thickened.
Hidden in the shadows of the mountains, many ancient demons were already watching the youth who walked so boldly in plain sight.
For someone to walk in so openly, he had to be a human race prodigy.
"These prodigies always think too highly of themselves."
"Kill him. He has no idea what kind of 'gift' we've prepared for him."
"We've already been caught and thrown into this place by that human Supreme. We're doomed anyway. But before we die, if we can rip apart one of their prodigies and eat him in front of everyone, we'll show the world that our Ancient Demon Race is the strongest! They're nothing but food for us!"
In the shadows, murderous auras stirred. Their eyes gleamed with hatred.
There was no rule in the secret realm saying they couldn't gang up. As long as the Supreme didn't intervene personally, no one could stop them.
"Wait!"
"Keep waiting!"
"Let him walk deeper in. That arrogant brat hasn't even slowed down!"
There were two Ancient Demon royals in the mountain—although their bloodline made no difference in this prison, they still bore special branded seals. These were what the prodigies were trying to capture.
Though only peak True Immortal level, the royal-blooded demons were three to five times more powerful than regular ancient demons at the same level. A single royal could crush many others.
"Here he comes!"
Finally, the youth reached the heart of the mountain, thick mist swirling around him.
The ancient demons hidden all over received the signal and sprang into action. Their fangs and flesh wings appeared as they howled and launched themselves toward the youth in the sky above the mountain.
Whoosh!
With the assault of the ancient demons, the heavy mist dispersed in an instant. From every direction, the swarm of demons charged out like a dark tide.
There were dozens of them, one after another, unending.
"Heavens, that's a lot of ancient demons!"
"There were so many hiding in that mountain?!"
"They were waiting for him! It was a trap!"
"He's doomed. That youth is done for!"
Seeing the tide of ancient demons soaring into the sky, people outside the realm were stunned and horrified.
Outside the True Immortal Secret Realm, the smiles on Da Mengzhu and Old Man Li's faces froze slightly.
Dozens of enormous ancient demons loomed above the mountains, blotting out the sky. The sight was overwhelming.
"There are royals among them—Dijiang bloodline!"
Da Mengzhu's expression changed sharply. He recognized two of the demons as from the Dijiang royal lineage. Their size and form clearly set them apart, with distinctive royal markings on their wings and bodies.
Li Tiemu's face went pale. Even though Li Hao was strong, he was now up against dozens of ancient demons. This wasn't just a matter of numbers—the Ancient Demon Race possessed group battle techniques. Once their numbers reached a certain point, they could coordinate like a human army formation, amplifying their strength severalfold. Dozens of them working in sync could become a terrifying force.
"That boy's in serious trouble."
Several elders of Wanshan Sword Pavilion exchanged looks, eyes flickering with pity—and a bit of glee.
If the youth died in the secret realm but retained his soul imprint for reincarnation, maybe they'd get a shot at bringing him into their sect in the next life.
At this moment, within the secret realm—
Li Hao looked down at the swarm of ancient demons racing toward him and felt not fear, but delight. A smile rose in his eyes.
He hadn't expected such a large nest here—this would be a bountiful harvest.
Just as he gathered his Immortal Power to strike, a piercing whistle came from afar.
In the next instant, a flash of golden light blinked several times across thousands of miles and arrived overhead in the blink of an eye.
"Tsk tsk, not bad, not bad!"
With golden hair flying, a youth from the Ancient God Clan appeared, eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked at the horde of ancient demons charging beneath the mountains.
Though he'd killed plenty of demons along the way, they were all solitary stragglers, easily swatted down without even a hint of challenge.
But now—finally—he had an appetizer worth biting into.
"Hm? It's you."
The Ancient God Clan youth noticed Li Hao nearby. When he recognized his face, he froze for a second, then showed an odd expression. He hadn't expected to run into this delicate-looking guy here.
A cocky grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Since you lured out so many ancient demons, I'll save your life this time."
As he spoke, the ancient demons had already surrounded them. Without delay, he turned into a bolt of golden lightning and charged straight into the demon horde.
"It's the Ancient God Clan youth!"
"He just rushed in?!"
"Look—he's going to break their formation!"
The formation of ancient demons that had encircled them began to spiral. Earlier, when Li Hao had defeated the spear-wielding youth, the two demon royals had watched in secret. Now, they had no intention of underestimating anyone. They immediately ordered the formation, leaving no openings or chances.
But the sudden intrusion of the Ancient God Clan youth threw their plan slightly off balance.
Still, it didn't matter.
Whoever came, they would kill. Besides, this golden-haired youth radiated overwhelming Immortal Power—far more than the average prodigy. Killing him would be an even greater reward.
"Die!"
The two demon royals growled low, their eyes glowing deep red. The combined power of the dozens of ancient demons formed into a shadowy apparition in the sky—a figure like a death god, looming above, its gaping maw descending toward the Ancient God Clan youth.
The youth's expression shifted slightly. That ghostly shadow wasn't just made of demonic energy—it carried some connection to a terrifying force beyond this world. It sent a chill through his heart. Worse, it contained the shared divine soul force of all the demons present—far beyond True Immortal level.
"Now it's getting interesting."
Golden divine light burst from the youth's eyes, brimming with the thrill of battle. His hair whipped around as he radiated golden Immortal Power, like a god descending into the world.
His face turned the color of molten gold. Clenching his fists, he charged headlong into the shadow's gaping mouth, cloaked in a golden aura.
"At the True Immortal stage—I'm invincible!"
He roared, plunging into the death god's jaws. The crushing force of divine soul pressure surrounded him like countless blades, tearing at him from all directions.
His golden figure was engulfed, bombarded within the dark apparition.
Outside, countless people held their breath, eyes locked on the scene.
In a distant part of the starry sky, atop a sacred mountain within an ancient secret realm, lay the sanctuary of the Ancient God Clan.
At that moment, countless survivors of the clan raised their eyes toward the sky with grave concern.
Among them, a timid young girl clasped her hands tightly, praying over and over.
"That youth is insane!"
"Seeing a trap like that, and he still charges in?"
"What about the other boy? Why isn't he running away? That's his chance to escape!"
Some viewers had noticed that Li Hao hadn't taken the opportunity to flee while the ancient demons were distracted. Instead, he stood calmly in place, as if waiting for something. It left them all stunned.
"What is Haotian doing?!"
Li Tiemu cried out, his face full of panic.
Da Mengzhu's expression shifted slightly. She furrowed her brow and stared intently at the youth's reflection in the projection. But his face remained calm, his eyes steady and composed—completely without fear.
Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be...?
At that moment, the ancient demons began tightening the encirclement around Li Hao, preparing to launch their assault. But suddenly, the colossal shadow of the death god paused, and golden cracks began to appear on its surface.
The eyes of many demons widened with shock.
From within the shadow's eyes, a beam of golden light erupted like a sacred path, as if divine radiance had burst forth.
Then, from within that golden path, a figure exploded out from the eye socket of the shadow—his golden hair flying, exuding unrestrained arrogance!
The Ancient God Clan youth had returned. His eyes were filled with contempt and dominance. Behind him shimmered a golden phantom, like his manifestation—but not fully revealed, only drawing upon a portion of its power.
"Did you think I was dead?!"
His voice thundered. Seeing the shock in the ancient demons' eyes, he bellowed arrogantly, and with a wave of his hand, conjured a golden war halberd. Like a young war god, he charged straight into the horde!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The death god apparition let out a voiceless roar. From its palm shot out tendrils of green energy, trying to entangle him.
But the Ancient God Clan youth didn't even look back. Swinging his golden halberd, he slashed through all the tendrils.
The two Dijiang demon royals were stunned and furious. They hadn't expected this youth to escape the death god's devouring attack. That technique was a gifted racial ability, using shared divine soul power from multiple demons. No True Immortal should've been able to resist it—heck, even a first-stage Immortal Lord would've had to flee in disgrace!
"A supreme prodigy? Even better!"
The two Dijiang royal ancient demons exchanged a look, then raised their hands and drew upon the surrounding demonic power. Instantly, a mass of purple-black flame formed in the void.
This flame wasn't a typical Immortal technique. The moment it appeared, it screamed through the air at the speed of light and struck the Ancient God Clan youth.
Even he had no time to react, let alone dodge.
But when the purple-black flame landed, instead of leaving burn marks on his body, it knocked a golden shadow from within him.
That shadow quickly solidified—it was his divine soul.
This was a racial innate technique of the ancient demons, capable of forcibly ejecting an opponent's soul from their body, leaving it unable to return for a time.
"Hmm?"
The youth's soul glanced down and instantly understood what trick had been used. His eyes sharpened.
"Done playing with you—die!"
His soul flared with brilliance, and inside his spiritual form, dozens of golden beams gleamed brightly.
"Golden Soul Bones! He's actually refined that many golden soul bones!"
"Heavens… this is what a true monster looks like. We've only just barely reached the peak of soul cultivation in our sect. Only one person ever broke through and refined a single golden soul meridian."
"No wonder he's so fearless. His soul lifespan is barely five hundred years, and he's already refined so many golden soul bones?!"
Outside the secret realm, the audience was in shock. This peak-level battle of southern prodigies revealed the extremes of every cultivation realm, shattering their previous understanding.
Compared to the geniuses around them, those who could shine in this tournament were on a whole different level.
Whoosh!
A golden halberd forged of soul power materialized in the youth's hand. His soul form surged forward, even faster than his physical body, and in a flash, he was among the ancient demons.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One after another, the demons were pierced through—not wounded physically, but their divine souls were shattered by the halberd, leaving their bodies stiff and lifeless on the spot.
In just a blink, over a dozen ancient demons had their souls destroyed. The shadowy death god projection lost most of its power, becoming faint and translucent.
The youth's figure blurred again, and he appeared before the two Dijiang royal demons.
"You—!"
The two roared in fury, their bodies erupting with demonic energy. Their soul power ignited, transforming into two dark curved hooks that shot toward him.
This was another racial soul technique, capable of binding a target's divine soul—extremely effective for overcoming stronger foes.
But the youth's golden halberd ignited with blazing flames. With one swing, he shattered both hooks and brought the weapon crashing down.
Boom!
The halberd punched through one of the royal demon's heads, golden fire erupting and burning through its soul.
The Dijiang royal let out a furious, unwilling roar—but it ended abruptly.
Without pausing, the youth spun and struck again.
The second Dijiang royal couldn't escape in time. A golden arc of flame slashed across its side. It shrieked in pain, calling the remaining demons to charge in a suicidal frenzy.
But the youth moved too fast. His second strike pierced the demon's skull, golden fire engulfing its body and using its soul as fuel.
When the flames finally died out, the body remained intact, unburnt, and fell silently from the sky.
At the point where it dropped, a serene blue flame floated quietly.
The youth blinked, then his eyes lit up. Dao fire?
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and summoned it to himself.
At the same time, the second demon royal's corpse hit the ground—and another blue flame appeared where it had fallen.
He collected that one too.
With two portions of Dao fire now in hand, his mood soared. An unexpected surprise.
Still, with so many ancient demons gathered here, it wasn't strange for some to carry Dao fire. Otherwise, the stuff would be too rare.
Now, without the command of the Dijiang royals, the rest of the demons still charged madly, but they were cut down one by one. Their bodies fell like rain, shaking the mountain range with each crash.
In moments, the once-mighty demon horde was wiped out. Even the mist that had cloaked the mountains was cleared away.
The youth's soul returned to his body—but found it still inaccessible.
Some lingering force remained inside, blocking his soul from reentering. However, it was gradually fading, and he knew he'd be able to return shortly.
Just then, he noticed that the boy he had supposedly saved hadn't taken the chance to escape.
Instead, the kid still stood there—right where he'd been before.
"Hm?"
The youth raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a faint smirk. "Guess you've got some guts."
Li Hao smiled back at him, warm as a spring breeze. Then he calmly extended his hand and said,
"Give me one."
"...?"
The youth froze, staring at Li Hao's face for several seconds. Then his eyes slowly widened, and he burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"You mean this?"
He held up the blue flame in his hand, looking at Li Hao with amused disbelief. But his gaze soon sharpened.
"You're saying… you want me to give you a piece of Dao fire?!"