Chapter 552: Battle Against the Tianyi Clan
She lifted her gaze and looked around, seeing that only the disciples of Da Meng Jiu Yuan Sect were cheering for her. The eyes from others were filled with surprise, complexity, and solemnity.
From those gazes, she could tell that many still feared her identity as a member of the Huoluan Clan. Ten thousand years of ingrained prejudice hadn't been completely erased by this one battle.
She remembered what the clan elder once said: for the Huoluan Clan to be truly vindicated, they must follow an Immortal Emperor. As long as an Immortal Emperor acknowledged them, no slander could survive.
Back then, young and bold, she had told the elder that if she couldn't find an Immortal Emperor to guide her, she'd become one herself.
She had done her best in this battle—but would it be enough to earn an Immortal Emperor's favor?
Her eyes drifted toward the high heavens, to the figure of the Tian Gong Supreme. His gaze, like sun and moon, overlooked the world, but did not settle on her.
She bit her lip softly, her expression faintly changing. She understood that her victory relied heavily on bloodline power. Her control over her own Dao origins still had much room for growth.
At the very least, she needed to catch up to Li Hao.
Thinking of this, she glanced at him with a hint of respect in her eyes.
Only after fighting Qin Xiangyu did she truly realize how terrifying her little junior brother was.
If it had been him instead… he probably would've won with ease.
As Yue Xi's battle concluded, the eighth match began.
The attention of the South Domain slowly shifted to the next contenders.
Yue Xi sat silently to the side, resting and reflecting on the feeling of her previous battle and that surge of power.
Aside from bloodline strength, she felt like she'd also grasped a trace of her ancestor's will—a belief and consciousness that seemed to have traveled across countless ages to be passed to her.
Could it be… that her ancestor had not completely vanished?
She pondered quietly.
Meanwhile, in the Wang Qin royal family—
"Don't be upset, Xiangyu. Two from Da Meng Jiu Yuan still remain. If I meet one, I'll make sure to get justice for you."
A young man said to Qin Xiangyu.
She looked dazed, but her face shifted slightly at his words and she shook her head. "A loss is a loss. I accept it. She was indeed powerful."
"Don't overthink it. The Huoluan Clan trampling on our royal name to make a name for themselves? Hmph."
The young man sneered, waving off her protest. He had already made up his mind.
Qin Xiangyu's expression darkened, irritation rising. "This is my matter. Don't interfere."
"As royals, we must uphold our dignity. This has nothing to do with you anymore."
The young man replied coldly.
Qin Xiangyu's expression turned grim. When she looked over at Da Meng Jiu Yuan's side, all she saw was laughter and joy—everyone was celebrating the victory of that girl.
She suddenly felt dazed. Since when did the Huoluan Clan receive such love?
On the imperial platform, the battles were growing fiercer. The eighth match soon ended, with Jin Ziyin—who had previously fought Li Hao—emerging victorious.
Quickly, the ninth and tenth matches followed.
"It's almost your turn."
Da Meng Sect Master looked toward a young disciple from Shu Yuan.
The young man had also made it into the top hundred thanks to Li Hao's protection. He was a rare genius from Shu Yuan, and representing the sect in this tournament had brought them much glory.
"Understood."
He nodded, his aura filled with scholarly elegance. His path was the Dao of Literature—its ultimate goal was to inscribe the truth of the Heavenly Dao at the emperor's level and pass it to future generations. No one had reached that height, but countless cultivators of the literary Dao aspired to it.
Soon, it was the eleventh match.
Song Shuhai cupped his hands to Da Meng Sect Master and Li Hao before soaring up to the platform.
Cheers erupted from the disciples within the sect.
All across the nine thousand immortal cities of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, as soon as they learned it was a local contestant, chants of "Song Shuhai" echoed to the heavens.
Swoosh!
A figure clad in black royal robes leapt onto the platform. His cold eyes locked onto Song Shuhai.
Song Shuhai's gaze flickered. Coincidence or fate? His opponent was another from the Wang Qin royal family.
He had paid close attention to their numbers before—the Wang Qin royal family had advanced more contestants than any of the Seven Dynasties, a total of eight. This made encounters almost inevitable.
"Please."
Song Shuhai cupped his hands slightly, gentle and scholarly in demeanor.
But his opponent merely sneered with disdain, saying nothing.
As the sealing formation closed, battle erupted instantly.
Song Shuhai immediately unleashed his literary Dao. A "literary eye" opened on his forehead, and he chanted, "With my literary heart, I paint all under heaven!"
Behind him, a giant scroll unfurled—not a humanoid avatar, but a painting.
"Hmph. Tricks of a side path! You dare show off before me?"
The royal youth snorted, lifting his hand to reveal three strands of Dao origin, each exuding nine-sequence energy—gold, water, and fire!
"Break!"
He activated the water and fire origins in tandem, fusing them perfectly. Then, using gold origin, he conjured a long spear infused with the fused elements, and instantly charged Song Shuhai.
Sensing the overwhelming pressure, Song Shuhai's expression changed. Not only were the water and fire origins at high levels, but they harmonized into a force far greater than the sum of their parts.
He hurriedly activated his literary heart. As he chanted, fierce beasts and a monstrous flood surged from the painting.
On a battlefield, he'd be a powerful support—but on this stage, the ferocious beasts and flood were instantly pierced by the long spear.
The spiraling red-blue light of water and fire spun like a vortex, smashing through everything.
Boom!
Even as Song Shuhai summoned two defensive immortal techniques, they were pierced in a flash. He was flung backward by the impact.
"I surrender!" he shouted hastily.
He hadn't even unleashed all his strength yet, but the pressure of that one strike was already crushing. Even if he detonated his immortal Mark, he doubted he could win. Thus, he yielded decisively.
"Too late."
The royal youth's eyes were cold. His movement technique suddenly turned dreamlike, refracting through the Gui Xu extreme realm. In a flash of lightning, he appeared right in front of Song Shuhai and drove his spear straight through his head.
A strand of primordial spirit shot out of Song Shuhai's body, fleeing in panic with terror in its gaze.
"I already surrendered!" he shouted loudly.
But the royal youth's spear didn't slow at all. A second primordial spirit emerged from his own crown, veined with golden threads throughout. In an instant, it rushed toward Song Shuhai's spirit, ready to deliver a fatal blow.
Song Shuhai's primordial spirit was clearly weaker. Though he too had broken into the primordial spirit extreme realm, the number of golden spirit veins he had condensed was sparse.
"This is bad!" Da Meng Sect Master's face twisted in fury and fear. She rushed forward, but was stopped by the sealing barrier.
Just then, the royal youth's spirit hand froze in midair, time seemingly halting around it.
"No need to drive someone to death," came the cold voice of the Immortal Guard Commander.
He appeared on the imperial platform as if out of nowhere and blocked the youth's killing strike. With a wave of his hand, he sent Song Shuhai's spirit back into his body, and channeled a surge of immortal Power into him. His body rapidly healed, and even the residual water-fire Dao force at the wound site was cleansed away.
"This match: Qin Mingyi of the Wang Qin Immortal Dynasty is victorious!" he announced.
Then he looked at the royal youth's sullen face and shook his head slightly. It was clear this young man had intended to avenge Qin Xiangyu, but such ruthlessness was excessive.
Seeing Song Shuhai spared, Da Meng Sect Master and Li Hao both let out a breath.
"What was that Wang Qin royal doing, trying to kill someone on the spot?"
"Senior Brother Song Shuhai already surrendered! And he still attacked?"
"Shameless! In front of a Supreme and all the Immortal Emperors, acting like this? Is this the true face of the Wang Qin royals?"
Everyone in the sect was outraged.
Yue Xi froze slightly. She suddenly sensed—this might've happened because of her. Guilt filled her heart as she looked at her fellow disciple.
Li Hao's eyes were sharp, staring coldly at that royal youth without speaking.
"The arrogance of the royal clans really knows no bounds," muttered Gu Yan, his face filled with killing intent.
"That was brutal. He kept attacking after a clear surrender!"
"I heard the Wang Qin royal clan thinks highly of itself—now I believe it."
"Hmph, you don't get it. If that guy had no strength, he should've surrendered immediately. What's the point of testing someone's strength first? In war, who waits for you to beg for mercy?"
In the Wang Qin Immortal Dynasty, some thought Qin Mingyi had gone too far, but most supported him. To them, this was how a true genius should act—ruthless and competitive.
When Song Shuhai returned, everyone rushed to him with concern.
Still shaken, he shook his head. "I'm fine. Thankfully, the Immortal Guard Commander stepped in."
"If you can't even survive a surrender under the Supreme's gaze, then this world really has no justice left," Da Meng Sect Master said coldly.
Everyone nodded. If even the Supreme couldn't stop something like that in time, things would be beyond redemption.
"If any of you find yourself in danger later, surrender immediately. Don't die and be forced into reincarnation," she warned the others.
They all nodded. None felt insulted. Everyone knew their place—they had made it to the top hundred thanks to Li Hao's support. That alone was a miracle.
Soon, the next match began.
Li Hao stood with arms crossed, silently watching. Before long, he saw Lin Qingying step forward.
Back in the Sword Ancestor's domain, he had enlightened her to the Void Sword Dao—its essence was nothingness.
Now, Lin Qingying had cultivated that path to a very deep level. Her sword aura was elusive, her strikes unpredictable. Sadly, her foundation was still thin. In the end, she lost.
She seemed a bit disheartened but knew this was her limit.
She looked toward Li Hao and saw his gaze filled with encouragement. The weight in her heart eased somewhat.
"She's strong. That sword Dao is nearly impossible to guard against."
"She's from Wanshan Sword Tower, of course her swordsmanship is impressive."
"Even in defeat, she could probably kill any ordinary Tenth-Level True Immortal without them realizing how they died."
People across the South Domain discussed her. Many saw her sword Dao as frightening.
In a remote sword-training valley, an old woman stepped out of a cave, leaning on a cane made of green vine wood. But that cane was actually a sword sheath, hiding an incredible blade.
"Void Dao… such depth at her age? Wanshan Sword Tower? Interesting. I wonder if they'd give up this disciple," she chuckled.
She turned to a disciple at the cave entrance. "Prepare a carriage. We're going to the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty."
"Master, why go there?" asked an old disciple in confusion.
"That little girl's not bad. I'm going to claim her."
The sword field erupted in gasps. Those hoping to become her students all looked up in envy.
The reclusive Earth Mother of the Void Realm was leaving seclusion… to take a disciple.
"It's your turn," said Da Meng Sect Master, looking at Li Hao.
It was the seventeenth match. Li Hao would face a disciple from the Chijiang Immortal Dynasty—not a royal, but a member of the Zhan Tian Clan.
In today's True Realm, the Zhan Tian Clan ranked tenth among the hundred great clans. Their talents were as countless as stars.
"Haotian, the Zhan Tian Clan's strongest talent art is the Eightfold War Heaven. It can multiply one's power eightfold for a short time. But afterward, their cultivation is heavily damaged and they're left weak and defenseless."
Da Meng Sect Master quickly explained, "At your level, he might've only reached the fifth stage. Be careful."
Li Hao nodded slightly and stepped lightly onto the platform.
His opponent soon soared up—clad in a platinum robe, with sharp, cold eyes.
He looked at Li Hao with solemn seriousness, not underestimating him at all.
He had rewatched Li Hao's performance in the True Immortal trials, and heard about how he single-handedly secured a platform spot. He couldn't be careless.
"Don't blame me for bullying the weak," said Zhan Yuchen.
Li Hao nodded. "Please."
The two erupted with immortal Power at once. Li Hao built up his force layer by layer, revealing more and more of his extreme-realm strength. A towering Dharma Image rose behind him.
"Let me see your time-space Dao!" Zhan Yuchen roared.
Behind him appeared a dominant Dharma Image bathed in silver light, radiating intense battle intent as he charged.
Li Hao lifted his hand, sword qi forming in his palm. Just as his opponent wanted, he merged his time-space Dao into his Qing Tian Sword Art.
Time-space: Triple Qing Tian.
Past, present, and future merged at the moment of his strike. The three swords became one.
In an instant, his blade cut through the imperial platform's void. Zhan Yuchen's long black hair whipped wildly in the burst.