Chapter 524: Massacre in the Secret Realm
As the two-digit soul lifespan appeared, the murmurs in the crowd suddenly fell into a brief silence.
At the entrance of the True Immortal Realm secret realm, the Sword Abyss disciples, including Gu Yan, Yue Xi, and Lin Mingrong, were waiting for Li Hao to arrive. However, when they saw the soul lifespan displayed on the ancient mirror, their curious expressions instantly widened, followed by a few seconds of shock and daze.
96?
His soul lifespan was under one hundred!!
With a whoosh, the silence of the scene suddenly turned into a commotion. Disciples from various Immortal Sects and clans turned their gaze to the young man, their eyes filled with astonishment.
If someone had a three-digit soul lifespan, they were already considered monstrous talents, like Gu Yan and a few others with lifespans in the hundreds, who were the youngest among this group.
But now, a two-digit individual had appeared.
In just a little over a century, a soul lifespan like that.
This meant that even if this person had reincarnated, they wouldn't have had the chance to reincarnate multiple times. With just over a hundred years of soul lifespan, they had already reached the pinnacle of the True Immortal Realm and stood as a leader among their peers, able to join the Southern Domain Battle!
"His soul lifespan is under a hundred? Am I seeing things? This is outrageous!"
"Who is this youth? Could he be from an imperial family?!"
"My soul lifespan was a hundred years, and I was just beginning to understand the Dao!"
"That boy's master, who is it? Which sect? This is crazy!"
Disciples from various Immortal Sects and clans were shaken. Even those Immortal Monarch Realm participants, who had previously been proud and cold-eyed, now turned their heads, their faces changing.
They were well aware that at this boy's age, they hadn't even reached the tenth stage of True Immortal Realm yet.
And to come to the Southern Domain Battle, this didn't just mean that their realm had increased, but also that their foundation was solid and they were ahead of their peers!
If it were just a matter of accumulating realms, some top-tier sects, with their profound heritage and special powerful bloodlines, could have accomplished that too.
But realms gained by relying on external forces would harm the foundation and result in a hollow combat strength, making them bottom-tier in the same realm. Even geniuses could easily defeat them in a reverse situation.
Being able to enter the Southern Domain Battle proved that this youth's battle strength was absolutely genuine True Immortal Realm perfection!
"Junior Brother Haotian, he…"
Yue Xi and Murong Qingwu were both stunned, their faces full of daze.
Although Elder Li had mentioned before that Li Hao's soul lifespan was quite young, they hadn't taken it seriously. Now they realized—it wasn't just young; it was downright absurd!
In terms of the Immortal Gods of the True World, this would barely even qualify as a child!
"…"
Nearby, Gu Yan's pupils shrank slightly, his fingers tightening. He fell into silence.
A certain pride in his heart quietly cracked at this moment, and he felt a slight emptiness.
"His?"
On the ground, Chu Yue Li, standing behind Chu Tianhuang, was also paying attention to Li Hao's situation. At this moment, her expression was somewhat dazed.
A soul lifespan of under one hundred, yet he was able to defeat Chu Tianzheng?!
Other Immortal Sects might not know Li Hao, but the Yan Chu Immortal Sect knew very well that this boy's realm was not based on external forces, but rather a deeply solid foundation!
But how could he have a soul lifespan of only a hundred years?!
She inherited her mother's Starbloodline and her father's Imperial Blood, both of which granted her great talent. It took her a thousand years to reach her current level.
"He also has the Nine Flower Immortal Seal…"
Chu Yue Li was momentarily lost in thought when suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.
Perhaps her father's decision was correct.
After all, her father's vision had never been wrong. He valued this boy so highly, even willing to offer her as his wife, and surely had already seen the potential in this boy's soul lifespan and talent!
When she thought about this, a sudden realization filled her heart.
Her father had met this boy, and her father, as a supreme being, could see through this boy's soul lifespan without needing the ancient realm's assistance.
No wonder… Her gaze grew complicated. As a royal, she understood how terrifying such talent was. Was she truly going to marry this person?
But this could affect her own cultivation path.
However, if this boy's potential was indeed recognized by her father, he might become a great figure in the Yan Chu Immortal Sect in the future… And with the royal family's support, as long as he didn't bring about his own downfall, he would undoubtedly surpass her many royal brothers, even catching up to those few monstrous existences, including Chu Tianhuang!
Thinking about this, her heart skipped a beat.
For the first time, she didn't find the boy's face as repulsive.
While Chu Yue Li was lost in her thoughts, Chu Tianhuang and the others ahead also showed slight changes in expression. This included Chu Tianzheng, who had previously fought Li Hao and lost—his face now looked even worse.
A monstrous talent like this, he feared he would never catch up in this lifetime!
"Who is this guy?"
A royal figure's gaze turned serious as he muttered to himself.
No one answered. From his appearance, they could only tell that Li Hao was human, but not which branch of humanity he was from.
There were no signs of the Hundred Clans on him unless he had intentionally concealed them.
However, to come to the Southern Domain Battle and make a name for himself while concealing his true race would serve no purpose unless his family had committed some crime or he had many enemies.
"Interesting."
The girl in white, Bo Ya Xue Jian, narrowed her eyes slightly. If earlier she had found this young man intriguing and rather interesting, now for the first time, she observed him with a serious gaze, regarding him as a very strong opponent.
Although his current battle strength was not yet at a level where they could face each other, with such talent, catching up to her was likely only a matter of a few decades.
At that point, they would certainly have a fair fight!
Thinking of this, she felt a mixture of anticipation and pressure.
Apart from Bo Ya Xue Jian, the other Immortal Monarchs also stared at Li Hao, each of them memorizing the youth in their minds.
A hundred-year soul lifespan? Too young, and uncertain how he would perform in the True Immortal Realm secret realm.
"Senior Brother, he actually..."
Beside Da Meng Zhu, Meng Huai Yue looked a bit dazed, her eyes full of shock.
Yin Jing Cheng, who was standing next to her, had his eyes wide open in disbelief, staring at the back of the young man.
After being stunned for a while, he suddenly turned and looked at his master, realizing why she valued this young man so much.
Da Meng Zhu noticed the reactions around her and smiled faintly. She had already anticipated that as soon as the young man appeared, even before he participated in the battle, he would undoubtedly stand out and gain fame in the Southern Domain!
At this very moment, among all the participants, Li Hao had already left the deepest impression on everyone.
The ancient God Clan youth, who had arrived first at the True Immortal Realm secret realm, also narrowed his eyes and focused on Li Hao.
Apart from him, seven or eight other figures were also sharply staring at Li Hao.
At this moment, their brilliance was completely overshadowed by this young man.
But a two-digit soul lifespan? They couldn't achieve that. After all, time could not be reversed. Even reincarnation wouldn't erase the soul lifespan, and the only place where they could shine would be in the upcoming real battles.
...
At this time, Li Hao flew to the front of Gu Yan and the others.
Li Hao had never thought much about his soul lifespan, but upon seeing the number, he felt a little surprised, though he quickly let it go.
This 96-year soul lifespan obviously included his past life.
Those decades of mediocrity.
"Haotian Junior Brother, you, you're so young?"
At this moment, Murong Qingwu snapped back to her senses and couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Li Hao smiled and said, "A man remains young until death."
Murong Qingwu was speechless. That wasn't exactly what she meant, but seeing how Li Hao diverted the conversation, she didn't continue. Instead, she was silently amazed and shaken, feeling as though a legend was standing before her.
Yue Xi and Gu Yan's gazes were glued to Li Hao's face, unable to move, yet they remained silent.
Other Sword Abyss disciples, along with disciples from other clans, also fell silent.
No one expected that the leader of the True Immortal Realm disciples in their sect would have the smallest soul lifespan of them all.
"Could he be the reincarnation of an imperial family from the Hundred Clans?"
After a long silence, Yue Xi, with a complex look, asked Li Hao.
"Imperial family?"
Li Hao shook his head and replied, "I am just from the human race."
Yue Xi fell silent. The human bloodline was ordinary, but the youth before her was anything but ordinary, almost like a myth.
In the sky above the ancient realm, the Immortal Guard Commander also glanced briefly at Li Hao, his eyes gleaming as he took note of the youth.
At this moment, disciples from other Immortal Sects also came to their senses, gradually gathering at the entrance of the True Immortal Realm secret realm. However, most of them were still glancing at Li Hao, and in an instant, he became the focal point of the entire scene.
As more and more disciples arrived at the entrance of the secret realm, when the last group arrived, people were disappointed to find that they no longer saw any two-digit soul lifespans, except for Li Hao. The next smallest soul lifespan was 178 years—twice Li Hao's age.
If we exclude Li Hao's extraordinary soul lifespan, that young man was the most attention-grabbing presence in the entire crowd. His soul lifespan was the smallest, but he was also at True Immortal Realm perfection, his aura dense, exuding a domineering pressure.
That young man glanced at Li Hao, his eyes filled with battle intent and coldness. His master was aware of his soul lifespan and had praised him countless times, saying that he would gain fame in the Southern Domain battle. Just his soul lifespan alone would drop many jaws, but now, this radiance was stolen by another.
Li Hao's gaze was calm. He could feel the many hostile gazes around him. He knew it was inevitable and didn't care.
"Come at me when you're ready," he thought. "If I keep running and hiding, it's not in line with my Dao heart."
Everything will unfold naturally—don't compete, but don't fear either!
"The True Immortal Realm secret realm is now open. Now, open your Heavenly Spaces. I will store all your Immortal weapons, Immortal armor, and other external items into your Heavenly Spaces."
"When you enter the True Immortal Realm secret realm, your Heavenly Spaces will be sealed. You won't be able to open them and will have to rely solely on yourselves."
The Immortal Guard Commander said loudly.
Upon hearing this, everyone promptly opened their Heavenly Spaces.
Then, their Immortal armor, robes, and other items were removed and stored in their Heavenly Spaces.
Fortunately, they had been informed beforehand and were prepared, replacing their combat attire with non-combat decorative clothing.
At this moment, a strong force of attraction suddenly came from the True Immortal Realm secret realm, enveloping Li Hao and the others.
None of them resisted; they exchanged glances with people from their own sect or acquaintances before entering the True Immortal Realm.
"Be careful," Li Hao transmitted his voice to Yue Xi, Gu Yan, and the others.
They all nodded and then entered the True Immortal Realm together.
Inside the secret realm, it was pitch black, like a chaotic space where they could not sense direction or the presence of others.
After a moment, Li Hao suddenly felt light shining upon him, and his body began to plummet. It took a long time before the scenery appeared. In front of him was a dark red sky, like mottled blood clumps. The ground was covered with grey-black mountain peaks and ravines, and there was a vast forest of giant trees.
The air was thick with a strong malicious aura, resembling a foul stench that made one feel nauseous.
Li Hao narrowed his eyes. This familiar scent told him that there were many ancient demons here—it was the scent of the ancient demons!
Thinking about the ancient demons, his mind suddenly drifted to the ancient demon girl Mi Xueyao. Oddly, she didn't carry this malice or stench.
It was likely due to her high cultivation, allowing her to intentionally hide it... Li Hao shook his head and returned to the present, gently licking the corner of his mouth. He stopped hiding his presence and released his aura, using himself as bait to lure the ancient demons!
At the same time, in other areas of the True Immortal Realm secret realm, figures began to appear out of thin air.
They quickly scanned their surroundings. Some, within the range of their spiritual senses, immediately detected other participants and became cautious.
Others, upon appearing, found themselves surrounded by two ancient demons and, after a brief moment of shock, immediately began battling.
Scenes from the True Immortal Realm were projected into the starry sky through some Imperial Dao laws.
"Look, that's from my Jiang Rong Immortal Dynasty's royal family!"
"Wow, how strong! The ancient God Clan youth just appeared and casually waved, turning an ancient demon into a pulp!"
"What a domineering power!"
"The ancient demon race is ferocious and terrifying. Without three to five people working together, it's nearly impossible to suppress and kill them. These geniuses are able to directly kill ancient demons of the same level!"
"I didn't expect the difference to be so vast at the same level. Look, that person swung his sleeve and actually cut that ancient demon in half!"
"What kind of Immortal technique is that? I didn't even see any signs of an Immortal technique!"
"This is a rare opportunity for comprehension. Look carefully—they aren't using Immortal techniques; they are using the fundamental power of the Dao!"
"Once you reach the third layer of the Dao's fundamental power, or even higher, you'll be able to do the same."
"Third layer of the True Immortal Realm? Senior Brother has already mastered the second layer of the whip technique, and it's already profound!"
In various parts of the Southern Domain, exclamations echoed, watching the battles unfolding in the True Immortal Realm.
Some were still searching for ancient demons, while others were already engaged in fierce battles.
Initially, people thought that without their Immortal weapons, Immortal pills, and other external forces, these geniuses would be at a disadvantage and face extremely dangerous situations against the ancient demons. But to their surprise, they were greatly shocked by what they saw.
Many ancient demons were easily slain by these geniuses, some of them killing the ancient demons with a simple wave, as if they were of an entirely different level.
"Look at that young man with the smallest soul lifespan—he's still looking for ancient demons!"
"He's so lucky, he hasn't encountered any yet, while the others have already engaged in battles with ancient demons!"
In the True Immortal Realm, Li Hao released his aura and wandered around. He found it strange that he hadn't asked how many ancient demons were in the secret realm, and yet he still hadn't encountered any after a while.
While searching, he tried to open his Heavenly Space and found that it was indeed locked and sealed by some kind of power.
His Tiao Wu Immortal weapon was sealed inside his Heavenly Space and couldn't be used.
Fortunately, for fighting the ancient demons in the True Immortal Realm, he didn't need external force.
"Hm?"
After a while, Li Hao noticed the strong scent around him growing more intense. His eyes lit up.
The next moment, five dark figures rushed toward him, like five clouds of black smoke. They were massive ancient demons.
When these ancient demons saw Li Hao, their eyes flashed with savagery. They immediately joined forces and charged at him.
"Using our clan as a trial, we'll feast on you so-called geniuses before we die!"
One of the ancient demons growled and snarled, revealing sharp, pointed teeth. It unleashed a wave of magical sound, carrying the impact of its primordial spirit, intending to stun Li Hao's spirit, disrupting his thoughts and judgment before finishing him off.
If his primordial spirit fainted, his consciousness would fall into a brief void, making him completely defenseless.
However, when the magical sound struck Li Hao, it was like a gentle breeze brushing over a mountain—there was no reaction whatsoever.
To Li Hao's primordial spirit, the ancient demon's spirit power was like a mayfly shaking a tree—it had no effect on him.
Li Hao licked the corner of his mouth and grinned slightly. A flash of silver light gathered between his fingers, forming a tiny silver sword aura, which shot out like an embroidery needle.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The silver light flickered, and in an instant, the five ancient demons froze in place.