Volume 3 - Chapter 403: A Flood of Challenges—And I Alone, Wield the Sword
When she heard Li Hao speak, Su Wanqing was momentarily stunned. She turned her head and looked at the young man beside her. His face was earnest, and his eyes sincere. Her heart gave a faint tremble before she smiled and said,
"Help me pick it? This Immortal-Rhythmed Purple Laurel isn't just a reward for defeating all same-realm opponents—it has another barrier. Even if you earn the right to pick it, harvesting it is a challenge in itself."
Li Hao didn’t reply. Instead, his gaze turned toward Su Muqing.
At his words, a subtle twitch appeared at the corner of Su Muqing’s eyes. Her gaze darkened, and she sneered coldly.
“No real skill, but you sure know how to talk big.”
Nearby, Su Qiyu and the others looked over at Li Hao, frowning slightly. Having failed to win over Su Muqing, was he now trying to curry favor with Su Wanqing instead?
“Wanqing.”
Su Wanxue frowned and subtly shook her head at Su Wanqing, silently warning her not to get too involved with Li Hao.
But Su Wanqing’s eyes flickered with a complex glint. She knew Li Hao was likely just trying to cheer her up. And yet… there was something about the sincerity in that young man’s eyes. Somehow, she found herself wanting to believe him.
By then, Li Hao had already risen from his meditation cushion.
He glanced once at Su Muqing and silently murmured in his heart, “I’ll be back soon.”
During this time, Su Wanqing had sought him out repeatedly to learn about Painting Dao, which in turn gave him many opportunities to see Su Muqing. He felt it was time to repay the favor.
He lifted a foot and stepped forward, passing through the gathered members of the Su Clan.
Though he didn’t release any pressure, the nearby members of the Jiang and Lin Clans all took notice of his movements.
Jiang Huanhuan and the Lin Clan’s cultivators turned to look. When they saw Li Hao walking out, surprise flickered across their eyes.
Jiang Huanhuan’s gaze even brightened. Having seen Li Hao’s Painting Dao earlier and hearing from Su Muqing that he possessed a soul lifespan of only a hundred years, she had grown very curious about him. Over the past few years, she’d had people investigate his origins—but nothing came up.
And that, in itself, was remarkable.
For the Jiang Clan, one of the top forces in the Northern Region, to find absolutely nothing—this young man seemed to have appeared from thin air.
"That guy who's been pursuing Su Muqing is heading up too?"
"First-rank Immortal Sovereign Realm? That's a bit low, isn’t it?"
“Yeah, but if he really only has a hundred-year soul lifespan, then that’s pretty incredible.”
“A hundred years? No way. Didn’t even the Lin Clan’s genius fail to reach the Immortal Sovereign Realm at that age?”
“Hard to say. But think about it—if he didn’t have some ability, would he really dare pursue someone like Su Muqing? Especially under these circumstances?”
“That’s true. Let’s see what he’s made of.”
The heirs and prodigies from various great clans all turned their eyes toward Li Hao, curiosity sparking in their gazes.
None of them dismissed him with casual disdain. These were not ordinary youths; they were brilliant minds of their generation, and sharp enough to discern deeper truths.
On the battle stage, Lin Jinrou noticed Li Hao stepping up and blinked in surprise. She gave a soft smile and said,
“Master Haotian, if you're stepping up, then please—go ahead. You can face my sister Wanqing. I'm feeling a bit tired, anyway.”
This was her way of giving the Su Clan some face. As for fatigue, her All-Heavens Star Vein could restore her instantly.
Monsters at her level had already cultivated their first two realms to their final stages. She was the pinnacle among the Lin Clan’s younger generation, second only to the clan’s imperial son.
Li Hao didn’t refuse. He, too, wanted to return quickly.
“Alright.”
He nodded.
Lin Jinrou gracefully descended from the stage. As she passed Li Hao, she winked and smiled.
“Master Haotian, when the contest ends, I’ll be paying the Su Clan a visit. You’d better not turn me away.”
Li Hao could only sigh inwardly and nod in acknowledgment.
In any case, he had no intention of leaving that Transcendent Immortal Academy.
Once Lin Jinrou vacated the stage, Li Hao stepped forward and used Void Return Teleportation to appear instantly atop the battle platform.
“Hm? That young man’s immortal energy is so dense... That’s not typical for a first-rank Immortal Sovereign. And that body…”
High in the sky, King Tan’s eyes narrowed slightly in surprise.
Outside the Jiang, Su, and Lin Clans, was there now another peerless genius revealing himself in the Northern Region?
Now standing on the stage, Li Hao calmly swept his gaze across the crowd before settling his eyes on Su Muqing. His voice remained tranquil as he said:
“I am Haotian, first-rank Immortal Sovereign Realm. I challenge all cultivators of the same realm present.”
His tone was level, even plain. But his words carried across the entire arena. And then—he added:
“If the rules permit, I hope you will all come at once. Let’s end this quickly.”
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