Volume 3 - Chapter 418: Opening the Final Realm (Part 6)
Li Hao gently shook his head, his smile beneath the winter sun warm and springlike.
“She hasn’t agreed yet,” he said sincerely. “At the very least, I’ll wait until she gives her answer.”
Then he added solemnly, “Her own thoughts must be respected.”
At his words, Jiang Huanhuan gasped. “So you do plan to marry her?!”
Lin Jinrou’s eyes flickered slightly. There was a trace of disappointment, and also a flicker of confusion. Could it be that even her own brother was no match for this Li Hao?
True, in terms of talent, Li Hao indeed surpassed her brother—but her brother and Su Muqing had been childhood companions for centuries. And there had even been a verbal engagement…
A sense of frustrated resentment toward Lin Zhexuan suddenly welled up within her.
Beside her, Su Wanqing’s eyes dimmed briefly, but her expression quickly returned to normal, unnoticed.
Su Wanxue turned and looked toward the tightly shut doors of the hall. Inside, the figure hidden beyond was startled, her spiritual sense instinctively withdrawing.
Su Wanxue had heard her father speak of Li Hao and Su Muqing’s matter. But she hadn’t expected that, even with her father’s full support, Li Hao would still insist on respecting Su Muqing’s wishes. It seemed… Li Hao truly cherished her, as though he held this younger sister in the palm of his hand with utmost care.
Her eyes filled with envy and emotion.
Inside the hall, Su Muqing’s expression flickered as her heart grew restless.
Her father had once said that the wedding would take place after the war ended. Yet when the time came, nothing happened. She had thought that perhaps her withdrawal from the world had made her father reconsider her feelings and drop the idea. But now, it seemed… the real reason was something else.
Was it… because she hadn’t agreed?
She bit her lip gently.
…
In the blink of an eye, a year passed.
The storm surrounding the battle outside Gusu City gradually settled. Though the Su Clan still received a steady stream of guests—some of whom had departed from the opposite side of the Imperial Star a year ago and had only just arrived—the frenzy of the first half-year had clearly waned.
The Su Clan’s disciples and servants had also grown accustomed to being questioned and flattered for any news of Li Hao.
During that time, Li Hao spent his days carving and cooking the corpses of Ancient Demons. His fragmented Divine Soul golden bones were slowly recovering, though after a full year, they were still far from restored.
With over a thousand bones to restore, Li Hao estimated he’d need at least three to five years.
Fortunately, for immortals and gods, that wasn’t long at all.
He had already consumed all the Ancient Demon corpses in his personal domain. He requested another batch from Su Zhenyuan—enough to last ten years. Among them were even corpses at the Immortal King level. With his current Fire Dao origin realm, he found them difficult to cook, so he set them aside for now.
Su Zhenyuan found Li Hao’s request strange. He wouldn’t have blinked if Li Hao had asked for divine medicine or immortal weapons—but Ancient Demon corpses? They were practically useless.
Still, since the Su Clan often clashed with both demons and Ancient Demons at the border, transporting more from the frontlines was no trouble.
Li Hao simply claimed he used the corpses as material for painting and carving—his “artistic pursuits.”
Su Zhenyuan didn’t overthink it. He was already aware of Li Hao’s artistic talents and even heard that his painting skills were extraordinary. He could only sigh in admiration.
He did bring up the marriage matter once more, saying that they could pick a date anytime if Li Hao agreed.
Li Hao, however, said there was no rush. He would wait for her answer.
Su Zhenyuan, seeing how much Li Hao respected Su Muqing’s will, was filled with respect. He felt more certain than ever that he hadn’t misjudged the youth.
Li Hao eventually made some pastries himself and delivered them to Peach Blossom Hill.
When Fourth Uncle learned they were for the Ancestor, he was surprised. But before he could report it, Su Jiuzhe’s voice echoed from the mountaintop, inviting Li Hao up.
Li Hao presented the pastries to Su Jiuzhe, who brought out some fine wine. The two drank together, chatting casually about secrets and anecdotes of the True World. At one point, they even joked about how Su Zhenyuan used to come crying home after being bullied and begged his elder brother to avenge him.
Only then did Li Hao realize that, though the Ancestor was supposedly in slumber, he was far from unaware of the outside world—especially the goings-on within the Su Clan.
“These pastries aren’t bad at all.”
Su Jiuzhe praised them heartily after a bite, genuinely impressed.
Li Hao grinned. “Your wine’s not bad either.”
Though it no longer contained Heaven’s Origin Liquid, it still had remarkable effects on cultivation. In just three or four drinks over the past year, Li Hao had advanced to the third tier of the Immortal Lord Realm.
Given that his immortal power was as fluid and dense as water, merged with Divine Soul force, he far surpassed others of his realm. But that also meant his cultivation required exponentially more power.
That the wine could aid such progress proved its terrifying potency—perhaps even greater than the finest elixirs.
“You sure know a lot of things,” Su Jiuzhe remarked. “Looks like even your carving has touched the Dao. Are you using it as a form of cultivation? A rather unique path.”
Li Hao immediately realized—the Ancestor knew about his carving in Su Muqing’s courtyard. He wasn’t surprised but offered respectfully, “If Senior is interested, I’d be honored to carve something for you.”
“No problem,” Su Jiuzhe agreed with ease.
Delighted, Li Hao rejoiced inwardly. To carve a Great Emperor as a subject—what an incredible opportunity! Even if his carving experience points were already maxed out, such a profound subject would elevate his artistry to new heights.
Without delay, he retrieved a piece of divine wood.
But Su Jiuzhe shook his head at the sight of it. “That Golden Tree Divine Wood? A bit too lowly to be used for me.”
He raised his hand and reached into a spatial rift. A moment later, a low hum echoed, and he withdrew a shimmering, multicolored piece of wood wreathed in radiant mist.
“Use this Timewood instead. Make it good. I want it to be eternal.”
He chuckled, an unruly smile playing on his lips.
Though his body was withered and corpse-like, he was determined to stand unshaken through eternity.
Li Hao froze. The Timewood pulsed with the flow of time, seemingly drifting through the void, present and absent, impossible to grasp—like water slipping through the fingers.
Startled, he reached out to catch it, only to find the wood elusive, constantly trying to slip away.
It wanted to vanish into another timeline.
Li Hao had to clench it tightly and draw upon his peak-level Time origin power, just to hold it firm.
Only those with fourth-tier or higher mastery of the Time origin could even keep a grip on it.
His eyes lit up. He could feel it—this carving would yield immense rewards.
“Thank you, Senior!”
He bowed deeply, then solemnly opened his Dao Domain and began the work.
Using immortal power as his chisel and the passage of time as his blade, he etched into the Timewood. The spatial rifts became his mallet, carving deep grooves and outlining the figure.
Su Jiuzhe watched with rising surprise. His eyes glinted with amusement, but he said nothing—only quietly sipped his wine.
Time passed silently atop the mountain, the world serene and still.
Each stroke from Li Hao was slow and meticulous—each one imbued with the Dao of Time.
Fully absorbed, he lost all sense of the passing years. His entire focus was narrowed to Su Jiuzhe before him and the Timewood in his hands.
Peach blossoms floated gently. Spring passed into summer, then autumn, then winter.
But the petals never withered. The blossoms bloomed in all seasons.
They fell from the branches, only to bloom anew. Nourished by the divine aura, the immortal tree never withered—even in the cold of winter.
In this constant scene, time seemed meaningless.
One year passed… then two… and soon, three.
Comments
Post a Comment