Volume 3 - Chapter 415: A Drop of Divine Blood, Defying a Heavenly Lord’s Will (Part 2)
Immortal power surged through his entire body, boiling over like a storm, endlessly surging from within. One after another, forces at the limits of power erupted outward. The All-Heavens Star Vein also emerged behind him like an intricate web, reflecting and drawing the stars of the Northern Region's night sky into convergence.
Standing at the very center of this majestic swell of Immortal energy, Li Hao released a tremendous force that pushed Su Muqing away from him.
Realizing what was happening, Su Muqing’s expression changed. She immediately prepared to release her own Immortal power in resistance.
Sensing her intent, Li Hao suddenly lifted his gaze toward the black warship and the demon cultivators aboard, especially the purple-robed middle-aged man at the front.
Those demon cultivators were all visibly stunned, disbelief written across their faces. They clearly hadn’t expected that, aside from Hei Ji, there would be another human bearing the Dao-Origin Immortal Seal—and one even more monstrous than Lin Zhexuan and Su Muqing!
“Are you all idiots now? Throwing the rules away? I entered the arena first—she has to leave!”
Li Hao fixed his gaze on the purple-robed man, his voice harsh and unwavering, each word like a lash.
The purple-robed man snapped out of his daze. His expression flickered—he, a half-step Emperor, was being lectured by a human brat?
But instead of anger, he laughed. He couldn’t help it. What an unexpected windfall this was.
They had defeated Lin Zhexuan, only to force out an even more terrifying monster. Barely over a hundred years old, with a Dao-Origin Immortal Seal—this wasn’t a prodigy, this was a monster!
If they hadn’t discovered him today, and he had been allowed to cultivate in secret for a thousand or ten thousand years... now that would’ve been truly terrifying!
“Good. Well said!”
The purple-robed man chuckled and even clapped.
His reaction jolted the crowd back to their senses. Their stunned expressions quickly shifted.
Only now did they realize the true gravity of what was unfolding.
If such a peerless prodigy were to fall in this duel, the loss would be far greater than twenty Immortal Cities—it wouldn’t be worth it even if it were two hundred or two thousand cities!
“Quickly, get him down from there! He’s still young—he mustn’t die here!”
“Stop him! Stop this now!”
The ancestral elders of all the major clans rushed to the edge of the demon arena, their expressions filled with urgency.
Su Zhenyuan, Jiang Qiuyu, and others also appeared within the arena.
“Hao’er, come with me. This is not a battle you should be involved in.”
Su Zhenyuan called out anxiously.
Jiang Qiuyu and Lin Daogong finally learned Li Hao’s name and echoed the sentiment.
“That’s right. With your talent, the three of our families will raise you together. If we lose this battle, so be it—it’s worth it for someone like you!”
Su Zhenyuan made to use force and teleport Li Hao out.
But suddenly, a pressure descended—Emperor might.
It blocked his power completely.
The purple-robed man, the golden-eyed man, and the coldly alluring woman all appeared in a flash, stepping into the arena.
“You think you can just walk away? What about the rules?!”
“Once you enter the arena, it's life or death. Are you going to trample our customs?”
The purple-robed man stood at the front, coldly eyeing Su Zhenyuan and the others. His aura exploded forth, clearly intending to keep Li Hao in place. There would be no withdrawal.
Su Zhenyuan, Jiang Qiuyu, and Lin Daogong’s expressions turned grim. But by now, they were ready to break the rules if it meant saving Li Hao.
Their own auras surged.
In response, the demon trio unleashed their power as well. The vast might of half-step Emperors clashed within the Demon Ancestor’s arena. Su Zhenyuan shielded both Li Hao and Su Muqing, locking them inside a protective field. The sheer collision of Emperor might left even the most seasoned ancestors outside the arena pale and trembling—none dared approach.
Though these were only half-step Emperors, even a stray wisp of their power could grievously wound those at the Immortal King Realm.
Seeing the fierce stand-off, terrifying visions of the Great Dao manifested: thunder and fire clashing, space-time shattering. It was like the end of the world, leaving everyone speechless in awe.
“What, you humans can’t even uphold your own rules? Ganging up on us now?”
Suddenly, a cold voice echoed from the distant heavens.
It cut through the clash of powers and struck Su Zhenyuan and the others like a hammer, their expressions paling slightly.
The Emperor might contained in the voice was not overwhelming—its intent was not to harm. It merely shattered their momentum and then withdrew.
“A Great Emperor…”
The three men’s expressions all changed. They looked solemnly toward the void behind the black warship.
The demon race’s Great Emperor was indeed watching—observing everything.
To a Celestial Emperor, spatial distance held no meaning. If they so desired, they could extend their Imperial Path to descend here at any moment.
“Hmph. Want to break the rules? Then awaken your slumbering Emperor and let’s see who comes out on top.”
The purple-robed man narrowed his eyes, emanating dangerous intent. His words sounded like a provocation—and a probe.
Su Zhenyuan and the others fell silent. If the other side used this to gauge the Human Race’s foundations, that would be far more damaging than losing any number of prodigies.
After all, a prodigy still needed time to grow. But the loss—or revelation—of foundational secrets would immediately impact the Northern Region’s entire Human Race, their border defenses, and the broader strategic balance.
“Child, you…”
Su Zhenyuan looked at Li Hao, his gaze filled with turmoil.
This prodigy sent by the Immortal Emperor—had they truly failed to protect him? Were they about to watch him sacrifice himself before their very eyes?
“Hmph. Enough wasting time. All of you, leave the arena!”
The purple-robed man snorted coldly.
Su Zhenyuan, Jiang Qiuyu, and Lin Daogong exchanged helpless glances. They stared at Li Hao with mixed emotions, unsure what to do.
At this point, the only way to stop the duel would be for one of their own Emperors to intervene.
“You…”
Su Muqing opened her mouth, gazing at Li Hao. So much she wanted to say—but now, she found herself speechless.
Only now did she realize she knew nothing about this boy. Nothing but his name. Not even his origins.
“If you can’t win… then surrender. I promise you, if you survive, I will betroth Muqing to you. We’ll marry immediately!”
Su Zhenyuan gritted his teeth and forced out the words. It was a desperate gambit—hoping to give Li Hao the will to survive.
As he spoke, he didn’t look at Su Muqing or at his friend Lin Daogong. His eyes stayed fixed on Li Hao.
If there was a boy willing to lay down his life for his daughter—what reason could there be not to entrust her to him?
This time, he spoke as a father. Even if Su Muqing opposed it, he would see the marriage arranged!
Lin Daogong’s face twitched slightly at these words. But when he saw the Dao-Origin Immortal Seal on Li Hao’s brow, he fell silent. His eyes swept toward the distant Lin Zhexuan—his expression frozen, stiff, and dark. A complicated sigh left Lin Daogong’s lips.
The world fell still.
Even Su Muqing, standing beside them, said nothing in protest.
And yet—Li Hao didn’t react as Su Zhenyuan had hoped. He wasn’t overcome with joy. He merely cast a glance at the girl’s face… then looked away.
His eyes settled on the black-veiled demoness.
“We’ll talk about it later,” he said quietly. “I hope I live to see that moment.”
Su Zhenyuan was startled by the response. A sliver of unease crept into his heart. He drew a deep breath.
“Remember,” he said, “don’t push yourself. If you can’t win—concede!”
At this point, there was nothing more they could do. They could only hope that Li Hao would find the moment to surrender and step down on his own.
“Kid… looks like you really want to die. Interesting. Very interesting.”
The purple-robed man looked at Li Hao and grinned. What a strange one. Earlier, he’d even asked the demons for help—correctly predicting that Su Zhenyuan and the others would break the rules to drag him away.
It was the first time he’d seen a genius this monstrous and this amusing. What a shame he wasn’t born a demon.
He met Su Zhenyuan’s gaze. Their eyes locked. Then all of them vanished from the arena in a single instant.
Su Muqing stared deeply at Li Hao. Her voice was low.
“Live.”
And then she, too, vanished from the Demon Ancestor’s arena.
But those three simple words made Li Hao’s heart tremble.
Back in the Southern Region, at the moment that girl shattered into pieces—that was how she had said goodbye to him.
Live on.
You told me to live… but what about you?
Li Hao slowly clenched his fists. His ragged breath seemed to freeze, crystallizing like ice—settling deep in his chest.
He drew a long, steady breath.
Then slowly exhaled.
When his eyes turned to the black-veiled woman, they were cold. Utterly cold. Nothing else remained in them.
“So noisy. And so foolish.”
As the sealing formation locked into place, Hei Ji did not strike immediately. She simply gazed at Li Hao with an indifferent expression, offering her judgment.
The “noisy” was aimed at Su Zhenyuan and the others for wasting time.
The “foolish” was for Li Hao.
Li Hao didn’t respond.
He wasn’t noisy.
So he wouldn’t waste words.
His aura continued to rise—his Dao intent fusing into one.
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