Chapter 484: Top Ten
"What are you doing here? You're not here for revenge, are you?"
Li Hao frowned, his mind filled with doubt. He didn't think their conflict had escalated to the point where Mi Xueyao would risk her life just to hunt him down.
More importantly, this was human territory, a heavily guarded border city. How had she even managed to get in?
"I'm just passing through. Since I happened to sense your presence before leaving, I thought I'd drop by and say hello."
Mi Xueyao smiled lazily, casually twirling a strand of her silver hair between her fingers as she spoke in an unconcerned tone.
"Back then, you already knew who I was. Did you plan to lure me in just to expose me?"
Her voice remained calm, but her gaze narrowed slightly. Li Hao immediately sensed a faint dangerous aura—one that warned him that if his response displeased her, she might strike him down on the spot.
"I did consider it. You should understand—I am human, and the enmity between our races is irreconcilable."
Li Hao answered truthfully.
Mi Xueyao's eyes turned cold, and a faint, dangerous smirk curved her lips. "And yet, despite knowing who I was, you still exposed your own ability to devour Ancient Demon flesh to strengthen your soul. Do you realize what would happen if that secret got out?"
"If the Ancient Demon race found out, they'd hunt you down as their top priority. And even if they didn't, humans would turn against you out of envy and fear. They'd either try to kill you or steal your secrets."
"If an Imperial-level powerhouse of your people learned about this, they'd likely capture and confine you for study."
"Doesn't matter. You're the only one who knows, and you're not going to tell anyone."
Li Hao's tone was calm.
Mi Xueyao blinked, slightly taken aback. She studied him intently. "And what makes you so sure I won't?"
"Just a feeling."
Li Hao remained expressionless.
Of course, he didn't actually trust her.
As she had pointed out, if this secret got out, both humans and demons would see him as a threat or a resource—a situation he wanted to avoid at all costs.
However, human nature was predictable, and he knew Mi Xueyao wouldn't expose him either.
Her silence wouldn't come from kindness but from greed. The more exclusive a secret, the more valuable it became. If she were in his position, she wouldn't share it either.
Hearing his answer, Mi Xueyao raised an eyebrow, and for a fleeting moment, a rare softness flickered in her gaze. Then she chuckled.
"You're bolder than I expected. You knew I was an Ancient Demon, and yet you still fed me demon flesh and revealed your secret to me."
"A cook never turns away a customer."
Li Hao replied indifferently.
"You are not a cook."
"Then what am I?"
"A cook doesn't wield a sword."
Mi Xueyao scoffed, though her tone carried an unexpected trace of amusement. Her usual sharpness seemed to soften. "I'll remember you, Li Hao. If I ever get the chance, I'll be back to sample your cooking properly."
"But don't even think about exposing me. Unless an Emperor-level powerhouse makes a move, no one in the human race can track me down."
As she spoke, celestial energy radiated from her body. Her feet hovered above the ground, and an ethereal mist surrounded her.
She cast Li Hao a sidelong glance. "I've already learned who you are. I'll be seeing you again."
With those words, her silver-bell-like laughter echoed in the air, and her body vanished in a swirl of mist, disappearing without a trace.
Li Hao stood frozen in place.
Through his control over spatial laws, he could sense the instantaneous tear in space she had created—she had moved tens of thousands of miles away in an instant, her presence fading rapidly.
"She can come and go freely like this?"
Li Hao's expression grew serious. Qinghe Mo City was protected by countless defensive arrays and barriers. Even if she were a King-level powerhouse, it should have been impossible for her to slip in undetected.
But she had done it anyway.
That meant she had something extraordinary in her possession.
A possibility struck him, and his pupils contracted slightly.
Back when she had distracted the Ancient Demon King, he had caught a glimpse of something unusual.
During his time here, he had asked Gu Changming about it. The old man had seriously warned him that it was likely a fragment of the Cycle of Reincarnation—an artifact so powerful that even Immortal Emperors coveted it.
Ancient Demons and Immortals had been warring over it for ages. It was said to have inconceivable abilities, capable of truly entering and even reversing reincarnation.
Even Gu Changming didn't know its full potential, but he had immediately reported it to the Yan Chu royal family, who had passed the information to the Supreme of the Heavenly Palace.
"Could she be using that?"
Li Hao frowned deeply, staring at the spot where she had vanished.
His first instinct was to return and inform Gu Changming.
But he quickly realized that Mi Xueyao had revealed herself deliberately.
She wasn't worried about being exposed—which meant that reporting her would accomplish nothing.
"This woman… Let's just hope she doesn't cause chaos among humans. I need to get stronger—fast. Next time she appears in front of me, I need to be able to capture her."
Li Hao thought to himself.
A King-level Ancient Demon who could move freely within human lands without being tracked was a terrifying threat.
If she devoured life essence without restraint, she could drain entire cities before anyone could stop her, causing unimaginable casualties.
Despite her seemingly cordial attitude, Li Hao didn't trust her.
Right now, he was useful to her.
But the moment he lost that value, would she still be so friendly?
Dismissing his thoughts, Li Hao turned away from the alley, suppressing the unease in his heart.
This encounter had been unexpected, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
He had somewhere to be.
Reaching the teleportation array at the city's edge, Li Hao presented his official insignia.
The guards, upon seeing his identity, instantly stiffened in awe, their gazes filled with disbelief as they silently stepped aside.
Without another word, Li Hao stepped into the teleportation formation.
His figure vanished in a flash of brilliant light.
The Yan Chu Imperial Capital.
Above the vast city square, the ancient gateway leading to the Gu Xian Realm stood like a collapsed void, its entrance looming in the sky.
The land beneath was scorched and desolate, barren and lifeless, exuding an ancient, primitive aura.
A towering black stone monument stood at the heart of the realm, its presence as if piercing through the heavens. Countless golden ranking numbers flickered chaotically across its surface, darting like bolts of lightning, swarming like golden fireflies—constantly shifting, rising and falling as competitors battled for position.
"I'll go again!"
In the Da Meng Jiu Yuan sect's camp, Yue Xi clenched her fists as she stared at her name on the ranking.
829th place.
But in just the past two hours, three new numbers had surged past her, knocking her down three spots.
There were less than five days left before the final results were determined. If this pattern continued, she might even fall out of the rankings entirely.
"There's no need unless you can break through the Tenth Wild Domain. No matter how many times you go in during these last five days, you won't be able to surpass your previous record," Li Tie Mu said, stepping in front of her with a shake of his head.
"Stay calm!"
Yue Xi's expression darkened, but she knew the old man was right. Her best record so far had been six days within the Tenth Wild Domain. She had moved fluidly and fought well, but in the end, as her celestial energy depleted, she had been forced to retreat.
"Yeah, someone must have just come out recently. Don't rush. With your strength and ranking, if you still can't hold steady, then this competition is truly outrageous," Murong Qingwu added softly.
After three years of relentless training, they had returned much stronger.
From ranked over two thousand in the past, they had climbed into the top one thousand.
Especially Gu Yan—he had already reached the 300s!
His progress was monstrous.
With such a ranking, he was all but guaranteed a spot in the final thousand.
And this was only three years of improvement. There were still seven years left before the Southern Territory War. Who knew how much further this freak of nature could grow?
Yue Xi remained silent.
She was now at True Immortal Realm Ninth Level, and she was gradually gaining control over the Chaos Clan's power that resided within her.
Even against True Immortal Tenth Level cultivators, she could completely suppress them.
Yet, in this Yan Chu Empire, despite such monstrous talent, she was still only ranked in the 800s?
Her gaze lifted toward the top thirty on the ranking monument.
Three years ago, a familiar ranking stood at 19th place.
Now, it had dropped to 25th.
Even so, it remained a terrifying achievement.
After all, when that boy had achieved that ranking, he had only been at True Immortal Third Level.
Same cultivation realm, but why was the difference so massive?
"Less than five days left… Where the hell is Hao Tian?"
Murong Qingwu noticed Yue Xi's gaze and turned to Li Tie Mu, asking directly.
The old man sighed in exasperation and shrugged. "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? That brat hasn't listened to me since the day he joined the sect. Do you know, before he even became my disciple, he tricked me into buying him drinks?"
At the memory, Li Tie Mu crossed his arms and let out a huff, clearly still holding onto his grudge.
Murong Qingwu rolled her eyes. "You don't act like a master at all."
Li Tie Mu's eyes widened, and he raised a hand as if to smack her.
Murong Qingwu stuck out her tongue, dodging behind Yue Xi for cover. "What if he actually shows up on the last day?"
"That brat probably will. Back in Di Jian Mountain, he did the same thing—waited until the very last day to show up. The guy just loves making a grand entrance."
Li Tie Mu grumbled.
Gu Yan and Yue Xi remained silent, but there was a trace of disappointment in their eyes.
If he really only showed up on the last day, there wouldn't be time for them to talk or catch up.
"Hey, I heard Ye Chen from Qiang Yuan broke through to Celestial Lord Realm! Look—he just surged to 17th place!"
A sword-wielding disciple from Jian Yuan suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look.
Sure enough, a ranking rose sharply, finally settling at 17th place.
Surrounding it were ranking numbers from 0-100—all royal family members.
Among them, Ye Chen's four-digit serial number stood out like a sore thumb.
"Not bad. At least our sect produced **someone capable of rivaling Star Chen Hall's Xing Lan and Wan Shan Sword Tower's Tian Hongyi."
Li Tie Mu smirked, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Gu Yan and Yue Xi stared up at the rankings.
They had heard of Ye Chen.
At over two thousand years old, he was far older than them, so his achievements weren't surprising.
There was no need to compare themselves to him.
At their current ages, they were already exceeding expectations.
Even so…
A subtle fire burned in their eyes.
The competition wasn't over yet.
Deep down, they all subconsciously believed that once they reached the same age, their achievements would be just as great—if not greater.
"The top thirty is practically dominated by Celestial Lord Realm cultivators. But that Bo Ya Xue Jian from Zhu Yu Pavilion is insane—he actually made it to second place!"
"Xing Lan from Xing Chen Hall is now at ninth place, and Tian Hongyi from Wan Shan Jian Lou is seventh. Ye Chen from Qiang Yuan just broke through, but since he's only at Celestial Lord First Level, he still can't compete with them."
"I heard the top ten will receive some kind of mysterious reward. Wonder what it is? Too bad it's completely out of our reach."
Before the monument, whispers of conversation filled the air.
Though those ranked in the top positions were shrouded in mystery, their identities had still been dug up—their names and sects now fully exposed.
"The Seven Great Immortal Dynasties… Just from our Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty alone, there are so many prodigies. Once all seven dynasties—and even the geniuses from Heaven's Palace—gather together, it's going to be unimaginable!"
"I'm looking forward to it. I can't wait to witness that battle!"
"I thought I was talented, but here? I can't even get into the top ten thousand! This is too hard!"
As the chatter continued, Gu Yan frowned slightly. The self-pitying voices of some people annoyed him. Turning away, he glanced at the other Heavenly Sects to see how they were faring.
And at that moment, something caught the corner of his eye.
A figure flew toward them at high speed.
"Hm?"
At first, Gu Yan barely paid attention. But then, his gaze snapped back, locking onto the incoming silhouette.
At the same time, Li Tie Mu also sensed something. Turning around, his face lit up with joy as he stepped forward to greet the newcomer.
"You brat, you finally decided to show up!" Li Tie Mu laughed heartily, stepping up and giving the newcomer a strong punch to the shoulder. "I was starting to think you'd wait until the very last day and walk in alongside His Majesty himself!"
The impact stung slightly, and Li Hao couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Sweeping his gaze around, he immediately noticed Yue Xi, Gu Yan, and Murong Qingwu—all of whom had clearly grown much stronger over the past three years.
Then, shifting his gaze toward Wan Shan Jian Lou, his eyes landed on a familiar figure standing at the edge of a giant sword platform.
A slim figure clad in azure robes, watching him with a pair of worried yet radiant eyes.
Their gazes met for a brief moment.
The worry in her clear, bright eyes immediately melted away, replaced by undeniable joy—like sunlight breaking through a sky full of heavy clouds, shining upon the last remnants of melting spring snow.
Li Hao couldn't help but smile, raising a hand to wave.
Then, he turned back, landing beside Li Tie Mu as they approached the gathered disciples of Da Meng Jiu Yuan.
"Hao Tian!"
"You're back!"
Yue Xi and Murong Qingwu's eyes lit up, their voices filled with surprise and relief.
Even among the disciples of Jian Yuan, a figure in white stood frozen.
Lin Mingrong, standing beside the elderly female swordswoman, stared at Li Hao in quiet shock.
Three years had passed.
The boy who had vanished from Langya Painting Realm had not trained there like the rest of them.
Yet, his cultivation level had skyrocketed.
He was now at True Immortal Ninth Level!
Such an absurd rate of progress…
Even compared to those who had trained in Langya Painting Realm, he was no less impressive.
He had to have been cultivating in some other hidden sacred ground—perhaps one just as legendary as Langya.
"They're all here."
Li Hao approached with a casual smile.
"How'd it go? Have you all taken your turns in the Wild Domain? How are the results?"
"We all went in."
Li Tie Mu laughed so hard his eyes crinkled shut, clearly overjoyed. "And let me tell you, you four really outdid yourselves!"
Li Hao raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, then took another glance at their cultivation levels.
They were all roughly at his level now.
Murong Qingwu had even reached True Immortal Tenth Level.
He nodded in approval. "That's good."
Then, he looked up at the monument, searching for his own ranking.
25th place.
He had dropped a few ranks.
But Li Hao didn't particularly care.
Whether 19th or 25th, it made no difference.
"Your ranking fell," Gu Yan noted, his eyes locked onto Li Hao.
"It's been three years. You've reached True Immortal Ninth Level, and your celestial energy has multiplied fifty to sixty times. You should be able to climb higher now, right?"
"Yeah."
Li Hao nodded without hesitation.
"Then go test it out!" Li Tie Mu grinned, eyes full of anticipation. "If my calculations are correct, if you can break into Wild Domain Twelve, you'll have a shot at the top ten!"
Li Hao froze, a little speechless.
"Why waste the effort?" he replied flatly. "This isn't the Southern Territory War. These rankings are just for selection purposes."
"You little brat, don't tell me you're slacking off again? What'd you even come here for, then?" Li Tie Mu scowled.
"To watch the excitement, of course."
"…"
For a moment, everyone—Li Tie Mu, Yue Xi, Gu Yan, Murong Qingwu, and even Lin Mingrong—fell completely silent.
After a long pause, Li Tie Mu took a deep breath.
"Getting into the top ten has benefits."