Chapter 570: Life and Death Together
"You dare!"
As the Fengling Clan Chief gave his command, the old man beside Meng Wanning narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. His full cultivation erupted like a tidal wave, pressing down toward Jin Fengling with immense force.
But behind Jin Fengling, the Fengling Clan's many experts were already prepared. They instantly unleashed their own might, erecting a powerful shield of pressure to defend him.
"Just go. Leave the rest to me."
The Fengling Clan Chief's voice was cold and commanding as he addressed the hesitant Jin Fengling.
In his hand, the crescent moon divine sword flared with silver light. The entire area around the imperial platform transformed into a sealed domain. In the sky above, pale moons hung suspended, casting cold rays down like sharp, watchful eyes glaring at the Da Meng Clan.
Sensing the biting sword intent, the Da Meng cultivators grew furious. The elderly matriarch gripping her vine staff stared deeply. Since the entire clan had come, she had no intention of backing down.
Just as her immortal Power gathered and rainbow-colored light began to radiate from the divine stone at the staff's tip, a calm, clear voice echoed out:
"Clan Master, members of the Da Meng Clan."
Everyone turned to the youth standing at the edge of the imperial platform.
"Let them come. If they want my life, let's see if they can take it."
Li Hao swept his gaze across Da Mengzhu and the others, his tone steady. "This kindness… I will never forget it."
Da Mengzhu grew visibly anxious. She hadn't done all this for gratitude—she wanted to save him. "Don't act rashly."
"I won't drag the innocent down with me."
Li Hao cut her off, shaking his head. "If there is a future, I will fight beside you. But today's battle is mine alone."
"You foolish boy! We didn't come here to just stand and watch!"
The old man beside Meng Wanning, whose voice was usually gruff and blunt, spoke with rare gentleness.
Li Hao looked at the elder, saw the sincerity in his eyes, and clenched his fists. He knew the old man was genuine—perhaps too genuine. Precisely because of that, he couldn't drag their entire clan into this.
If things escalated into a clan-wide war, life and death would be decided by strength alone. And in this case, it wasn't even certain the Da Meng Clan could help him break through alive.
Especially with two other factions also watching closely.
Not to mention the Supreme One… who still hadn't spoken.
But that silence was the answer. There was no need for orders; someone would always act on the Supreme's unspoken will.
If they moved and the Supreme didn't stop them, then it was as good as permission.
Li Hao understood that relying on the Da Meng Clan's might to deter others was wishful thinking. Perhaps the only way out… was for him to die here.
But even if he did die, he would take down every single one of those trying to strike him down.
"Senior… I, Hao Tian, have done nothing to deserve your favor. Today, everyone who holds a grudge against me—step forward. I'll fight to the death right here!"
Li Hao took a long look at the Da Meng Clan members, then bowed deeply. When he lifted his head again, his clear and icy voice rang across the sky.
He stood alone in the storm's eye, yet his eyes were sharp, his stance proud and fearless. Countless spectators were stunned.
The Da Meng Clan and the Fengling Clan—two major Hundred Clans—were on the brink of all-out war. He had rejected the Supreme's offer and offended the Heavenly Palace. And now, in the face of certain death, he still refused to bow!
Behind Li Hao, Mingyue's expression changed slightly. She frowned at that tall, upright figure, like a divine sword piercing the clouds. That youth's spine only bent in thanks before kindness—but against the pressure of Jin Fengling and the Fengling Clan, he stood unyielding like bamboo in a storm.
She didn't understand. Why be so stubborn? This was a chance to become the Supreme's personal disciple. Why choose death over that?
If he turned around now, bowed his head, and begged the Supreme for forgiveness—even if he wasn't accepted back, at least his life would be spared.
Da Mengzhu—Meng Wanning—turned pale at Li Hao's words. The elder beside her and the other Da Meng cultivators looked equally distressed. Only the matriarch holding the vine staff remained still, her expression subtly surprised.
When her eyes met Li Hao's, she seemed to understand something.
He hadn't come this far just to use their strength as leverage. He didn't want them to bleed for his sake.
Even on the brink of death, he still thought of others.
Her fingers tightened slightly on the vine staff. Her throat tightened for the first time in years. She took a deep breath.
She wanted to give the order—to unleash the fury of the clan. But she didn't.
As the clan's leader, she couldn't be ruled by emotion. She had to stay calm.
And right now, the boy's decision, though painful, was clearly the most rational one.
Even if they gave everything, they might not succeed.
The Da Meng Clan of today was not what it once was ten thousand years ago. She couldn't summon the ancestral weapon and sacrifice everything for one youth. That was unrealistic. Even Meng Wanning herself, if in danger, would never allow the clan to perish for her.
No one was worth the death of an entire clan.
"Clan Chief!"
Meng Wanning looked at the elder matriarch and saw her lowering her head in silence. Her pupils shrank, and her face turned pale.
The old man beside her also noticed. His face dimmed, but he said nothing. He simply reached out, placed a hand on Meng Wanning's shoulder, and shook his head slightly. His eyes were heavy with meaning.
Seeing the Da Meng Clan back down, the Fengling Clan Chief's cold eyes relaxed. He silently breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, this was just about Jin Fengling and Li Hao. Starting a clan war over a great-grandson was risky. But since this was happening within the Heavenly Palace, and since the boy had publicly rejected the Supreme, it made for a good opportunity—to curry favor with the Supreme and make political gains with the Jin Dynasty.
He had calculated everything carefully. If they could settle this without a full-blown war, all the better.
The Fengling Clan had made their stance clear, and they had nothing to lose.
The rest of the Da Meng Clan watched the elder matriarch remain silent. Though their faces were full of frustration and anger, they understood the reality. The Fengling Clan was right there. Escorting Li Hao out would be almost impossible—even if they all died, success was uncertain.
"Heh, at least you've got some backbone. Fine, I'll deal with you myself."
Jin Fengling sneered and strode toward Li Hao.
Li Hao's gaze swept across him, then moved to the Fengling Clan Chief behind him. His eyes paused briefly on the crescent moon divine sword in the man's hand before landing coldly on his aged face.
"If your clan's trash gets killed by me, what then? Will you send the elders after me next?"
The biting, mocking tone in his voice made the Fengling Clan members' expressions darken. Several immediately shouted in anger:
"You ignorant brat! You're not even qualified to speak to our Clan Chief!"
"How dare you speak like that! Our Clan Chief is a powerhouse among the Immortal King realm—someone you'll never reach in your lifetime!"
"You have a bit of talent, sure, but becoming an Immortal King takes tens of thousands of years of cultivation. And you act this arrogant?!"
Li Hao ignored them all. His gaze remained cold, fixed directly on the Fengling Clan Chief.
"Hmph."
The clan chief narrowed his eyes. He'd already seen how arrogant this boy was. But he was no fool—he could tell Li Hao wasn't just provoking him. The boy was calculating, trying to bargain for an escape route.
Did he really believe he could defeat Jin Fengling in this situation?
Unless… he'd held something back when he fought Jianxin.
But how could that be possible? That was already the pinnacle of the True Immortal realm.
Still, the clan chief replied cautiously, "If you can defeat him, my Fengling Clan won't pursue you. After all, it's a fight between juniors. But whether others come for you… that's beyond our control."
His words left plenty of room for maneuver. If Li Hao really beat Jin Fengling, the Fengling Clan wouldn't act themselves—but they could easily let others do the dirty work.
That's how great clans survived for tens of thousands of years—never leaving loose ends.
To offend them once meant total extermination.
Li Hao's eyes grew colder. This answer was almost identical to what the Supreme had said—and look where that had gotten him.
They never intended to let him leave alive.
He couldn't help but laugh, but his gaze only grew more frigid.
He turned and walked back toward the imperial platform. As he passed by Mingyue, he didn't even glance at her.
Feeling the disdain in his silence, Mingyue's expression shifted. But watching his lonely figure walk back to the platform—like a trapped beast still baring its fangs—she suddenly felt they were very different.
He had no backing. Like a wolf or tiger from the wilderness. She, by contrast, was a lotus nurtured in a sacred paradise.
Whoosh!
As Li Hao stepped back onto the imperial platform, a green figure suddenly shot forward and landed beside him.
"I'll stand with you."
It was Lin Qingying.
Her sudden appearance stunned the Wan Shan Sword Tower crowd. Cries of shock broke out.
Her master, the noble-looking elder woman, turned pale and hurried forward, shouting in alarm: "Qingying, what are you doing?!"
Lin Qingying didn't seem to hear. She just turned toward Li Hao, eyes soft but unwavering.
Li Hao froze. He hadn't expected her to come at such a moment.
Seeing the determination in her eyes, he immediately understood her intent. A conflicted smile touched his lips—warmth and pressure at once.
"Don't get involved."
He dropped the smile, speaking in a low voice. "Even if I die, I'll take some with me. You don't have to join me in that."
"If you die, I won't live either."
That was all she said.
Li Hao's heart trembled. He clenched his fists slightly, forcing a casual smile as he sent her a sound transmission: "Leave. I have an Immortal Emperor's legacy. I've got ways to survive. I might make it out. But if you die first, wouldn't that be meaningless?"
Lin Qingying blinked, stunned by his words. She recalled his earlier conversation with the Supreme, the acknowledgment of his inheritance.
She hesitated.
If he was telling the truth, then she really couldn't help much.
"Go. Trust me."
Li Hao said quietly.
Lin Qingying looked up into his eyes. The purity and resolve in them made her pause, then finally she nodded.
She whispered, "No matter what you say, I believe you."
Then she turned and left the platform. As she went, she added softly, "But if you die, I won't live either."
Back on the ground, countless gazes followed her. People whispered, clearly surprised. Facing multiple Immortal King-level enemies, Li Hao could die at any moment—yet she had been willing to stand with him. That kind of love and loyalty was rare.
"Royal sister, wasn't Hao Tian your fiancé?"
Elsewhere, Chu Tianhuang and Boya Xuejian stood silently. Chu Tianhuang spoke in a low voice.
Behind him, Chu Yueli looked furious, scowling at Li Hao in outrage.
"I knew it. He was always too arrogant. The stronger he got, the more reckless. If he'd just bowed to the Supreme, none of this would've happened! He brought this on himself!"
She clenched her fists. If he had joined the Supreme, she—even if she didn't care for him—would have benefited greatly. His fame would have bolstered her own influence.
But now, if he died, that connection might become a stain. Even if the engagement was never completed, some would avoid her altogether.
"Back in the Ancient Immortal Realm, he dared step on royal pride. I knew then—he was insane!"
Chu Yueli seethed. How could someone this dumb be so powerful? He's the type to trip over his own power!
"And that woman! Didn't she just run up there to die with him? Why is she walking away now?!"
She glared hatefully at Lin Qingying. She had long suspected something between her and Li Hao, and this only confirmed it.
Chu Tianhuang frowned slightly and said quietly, "Aren't you going to ask Father to intervene?"
"If Father wanted to help, would I need to ask? Who knows what he's thinking? This is all his fault!"
Chu Yueli snapped, still fuming.
Chu Tianhuang sighed inwardly. He stared at the platform, his heart filled with regret. A once-in-a-millennium genius, brought down by temperament. So many prodigies had fallen this way—but he never expected to see it so vividly, in someone this monstrously gifted.
"Now that the distractions are gone, time for you to die."
Jin Fengling stepped onto the platform. The sword in his hand radiated demonic energy.
Behind him, the white-haired youth and the other challenger followed close behind.