Chapter 568: Then Come
"Jin Emperor, that's your own son," the Yuan Zun Empress said, her gaze shifting toward the man beside her as Jin Fengling spoke.
The emperor of the Yun Jin Immortal Court, the Jin Emperor, had a heavy expression. He frowned and said, "They have a personal grudge—I didn't know about it."
"A cultivator at the Immortal Lord stage initiating a challenge against a True Immortal… rather disgraceful, don't you think?" Tianzhao Emperor remarked calmly.
"You can't blame him. If you had a grudge with a monster like that, wouldn't you want to wipe him out as soon as possible?" Jin Emperor replied evenly.
Just moments ago, he had praised Li Hao's talent and expressed admiration. But now that Li Hao was entangled with his son, the emperor's tone changed entirely, and the fondness vanished.
The others glanced at him in silence, then said nothing more.
Clad in crimson robes, her skin as pale as snow, the Chi Empress looked toward the Chu Emperor. That boy was her imperial son-in-law, representing the Yan Chu Immortal Court in this war, bringing them honor. Yet now… the Chu Emperor sat cold and silent.
Her eyes curved into a faint smile, but beneath the surface, sorrow lingered.
At the edge of the imperial platform, Mingyue's expression changed when she saw Jin Fengling block Li Hao. She was about to speak up—after all, she had a hundred-year pact with Li Hao. Now that he had withdrawn from the competition, she was confident she could crush him in the end.
But then, her gaze flickered. She stopped herself.
Let him see it for himself—what it's like without a Supreme's protection. Encounters like this would only become more frequent.
Refusing her master would become the biggest regret of his life.
"Aren't you ashamed? You're an Immortal Lord. Can't even hold your pride as a genius and insist on same-realm duels?" a figure suddenly soared into the sky, cloaked in mist, radiating a noble and dignified aura. It was Da Mengzhu.
She had watched Li Hao's battle with Jianxin with great anxiety, unable to intervene. But now, facing Jin Fengling's challenge, she would not sit idly by.
She could tell Jin Fengling was royalty of the Jin Court—his background was immense. But so what?
"Hmm?"
Jin Fengling's expression shifted as he recognized the woman's aura. "Senior, your words are quite sarcastic. You, a cultivator at the Immortal King stage, stepping out to block me, a mere junior at the Immortal Lord stage—isn't that the same as what you're accusing me of?"
"You acted first."
Da Mengzhu's tone was cold. "Leave, and I won't pursue it."
"And if I don't?" Jin Fengling narrowed his eyes.
As he spoke, the void behind him rippled, and an old man in black robes stepped out. He said nothing, but his sharp eyes and immense pressure matched Da Mengzhu's evenly.
Her gaze chilled. This man's cultivation rivaled hers.
She knew well that every imperial heir had hidden protectors—whether generals, royal guards, or powerful elders from their maternal clans. After all, women who married into royal families were also from prominent forces.
"Kid, you say our sect leader bullies the weak. Well, I'm at your level, just a few years older. Dare to spar with me first?" a few more figures flew over—it was Li Tiemu and other elders of the Nine Abyss.
In Da Meng Nine Abyss Sect, the Abyss Masters were all at the Immortal King level. The elders were Immortal Lords. Among them, Li Tiemu was already at the tenth level of the Immortal Lord realm.
However, his talent was limited. He had been stuck there for tens of thousands of years without breaking through to Immortal King.
And the gap between Immortal King levels was vast—crossing from the first to second was as difficult as from True Immortal to Immortal Lord.
Jin Fengling glanced at him and instantly sensed the pressure from his aura. His face darkened. "You're an old man at the tenth level of the Immortal Lord realm. And you call it 'just a few years older'? If you can prove our soul lifespans differ by less than a thousand years, I'll fight you."
In truth, they were at least seventy to eighty thousand years apart.
Li Tiemu wasn't offended. He just chuckled coldly. "If you won't fight, don't make excuses. My disciple dares to challenge Immortal Lords as a True Immortal. You're just seven levels ahead of me, and you won't dare spar?"
Jin Fengling's face twisted in rage. That wasn't the same thing at all!
At that moment, his killing intent toward this old man even surpassed what he felt for Li Hao.
Disciple and master—both deserve to die!
His face cold, he waved his hand. Space split open, and three glowing talismans appeared—gold, blue, and purple—each etched with faint human figures.
"You backwater peasants aren't worthy to face me directly. You want a fight? Try them first."
The three talismans glowed with divine light, threads of energy weaving together. A flood of immortal Power surged in, forming three luminous figures whose faces were shrouded, their auras terrifying.
Each projection radiated power at the very peak of the Immortal Lord realm—possibly even surpassing Li Tiemu.
Li Tiemu's face shifted slightly. He instantly recognized the artifact: projections formed from the essence of Immortal Kings. Though they could only unleash Immortal Lord-level power, the techniques they used far exceeded his own.
So this was how imperial heirs protected themselves.
Even the two elders beside him were alarmed. All across the South Domain, in every great clan and city, shock spread.
Compared to the protective charms given by their own clans, this was the true imperial standard—three peak Immortal Lord guardians, carried at all times.
"Today, no one can stop me from killing him," Jin Fengling said coldly.
His eyes locked on Li Hao as a crimson-glowing weapon appeared in his hand. A top-grade immortal weapon, dripping with bloody intent and etched with golden Dao markings.
Among his nine Dao paths, his mastery of the Gold Dao was the strongest—already at the peak of the fifth tier.
His earlier trip to Origin City was meant to get a Dao Fruit from the Gold Dao's sacred tree and step into the sixth tier.
He had full confidence in claiming first place among the Immortal Lords and towering over the South Domain's elites.
But Li Hao ruined everything—and for that, Jin Fengling wanted him dead.
"What a terrifying immortal weapon. Feels like it's been soaked in blood."
"There's demonic energy on it too. Must've been fed with ancient demons."
"That's definitely a top-tier immortal weapon. No wonder immortal weapons and talismans are banned in the South Domain tournament. With weapons like that, even a third-tier Immortal Lord could instantly kill his peers!"
"So this is the heritage of a true genius—terrifying beyond belief!"
"A single royal heir can be this terrifying. I can't imagine what a Supreme's personal disciple would look like, armed with treasures bestowed by a Supreme…"
"That Haotian, refusing to take the Supreme as his master, what a waste of his potential. That was a dream opportunity countless people would kill for! There's no one under the heavens who can surpass the Immortal Emperor realm anymore!"
Countless spectators were shocked by what they saw. Some sighed in awe, others in regret, feeling sorry for Li Hao's decision.
But the boy at the center of it all, standing by the edge of the imperial platform under all those watching eyes, showed no trace of regret—only cold, deadly killing intent.
"Haotian, go. Even if it costs me my next life, I won't let them harm you in the slightest today!" Da Mengzhu's calm voice came before Li Hao could respond.
Li Hao looked at her—at that towering, misty figure standing with her back to him—and at Li Tiemu and the others who also stood facing away, bracing to defend him.
He fixed his gaze for a moment and said, "It's fine. If I don't kill him, I'll leave with no peace of mind."
Hearing that, Mingyue raised an eyebrow. She had just been thinking that Li Hao had found a good sect, but now it seemed he was outrageously reckless.
"You really are… completely lawless!" she muttered.
If he had simply retreated now under his sect's protection, he could've lived to take revenge later. But instead, he wanted to fight? Against an Immortal Lord wielding a top-tier immortal weapon?
"Haotian, you—" Li Tiemu turned around, furious. "Don't mind us! Just leave! Our wishes are fulfilled—Da Meng Nine Abyss will once again echo across the South Domain after ten thousand years. If we die here today, we'll die content!"
His voice was resolute, his eyes locked firmly on Li Hao.
The two elders beside him nodded eagerly, urging Li Hao to escape.
Before he could reply, another figure stepped forward, chuckling. "Apologies. Looks like he really isn't leaving today. I've got some grievances to settle with him as well."
A young man with white hair, sword-like eyebrows, and a faint smirk stood looking at Li Hao with amusement and cold intent.
Li Hao narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who are you?"
He didn't know this person.
"Doesn't matter if you've forgotten. Since you've withdrawn from the competition, this doesn't break any rules. Jin brother, do you want to go first or shall I?"
He turned to Jin Fengling and asked casually.
Jin Fengling narrowed his eyes and sized him up. He hadn't known Li Hao had a grudge with this guy too, but he certainly didn't want Li Hao to die in someone else's hands. He wanted Li Hao's soul captured in his Demon-Slaughtering Sword, tortured endlessly until he begged for death.
"Naturally, I'll go first. These other annoyances—keep them off me. I'll hand him over to you afterward so you can smack him a few times, relieve your anger."
"Gladly," the white-haired youth smiled.
As he waved his hand, the void behind him rippled. A plump old man with narrowed eyes stepped out. Though he looked kind, his narrowed eyes gleamed like sharp blades, flashing with icy killing intent.
Seeing him, Da Mengzhu and the others turned grim.
Another Immortal King.
At this rate, even sacrificing their lives wouldn't be enough to protect Li Hao.
Before they could react, yet another voice sounded nearby.
"If there's still a chance, I wouldn't mind giving him a few slaps too—for falsely accusing my junior sister earlier."
Li Hao turned. It was the young man who had stood beside the green-robed girl. An Immortal Lord—a contestant as well—now kicking him while he was down.
Li Hao wasn't surprised. He glanced at the youth, then turned his gaze back to the white-haired one.
He was sure—he had never interacted with that man.
As if reading his mind, the white-haired youth smirked.
A voice rang in Li Hao's mind: "Confused? I'll be kind and enlighten you. I just want to earn a favor from the Heavenly Palace. You rejected the Supreme. Obviously, he doesn't want to see you walk out of here alive. He just can't act directly due to appearances. So, I'm simply aligning with imperial will."
Hearing that, clarity filled Li Hao's eyes. All doubts disappeared.
He took a deep breath. When his eyes opened again, they were dark and fathomless, full of murderous intent—deeper and colder than even when slaying ancient demons.
In a tavern of some distant Immortal Court, Mi Xueyao, dressed in black, rested her chin on her palm and watched the sky.
When she saw the look on the boy's face, she suddenly straightened up, excitement flashing in her eyes.
"Ah… now it's getting serious. The human race really is amusing—far more than Father ever described. A monster like that, surrounded by enemies in his own kind. Delightful!"
"If I'd known, I would've taken him back with me. Father would have adored him."
She sighed regretfully. That boy's cooking skills made even her people taste divine. It even nourished the soul. If her father knew, he would protect him like treasure.
But in this situation, she was certain—there was no escape for him.
Still, she wondered how such a fractured people had managed to resist the ancient demons for a hundred thousand years.
Were they really just surviving on the fading blessings of their ancient Immortal Emperors?
Then again, her own people weren't much better. Sometimes they were just as ridiculous.
"Then come," Li Hao said coldly.
His gaze, dark and bottomless, locked on Jin Fengling, his killing intent ice-cold. "Sect Master, let him through."
Da Mengzhu's body trembled, radiant Dao patterns around her shaking like her emotions. She bit her lip hard.
It had been so long—so long since she had felt this kind of helplessness.
But now, with two Immortal Kings locking onto her, even if she died, she wouldn't be able to protect Li Hao for long.
For ten thousand years, they had waited and hoped—waited for a peerless genius to rise, to bring the sect glory once more, to honor the martyrs who gave their lives for Da Meng Nine Abyss.
And now that he had finally come—was she to watch him die right before her eyes?
He was still so young…
"Da Meng Clan, Wanning… I fear I may fail in my loyalty," she murmured, lifting her gaze toward the endless stars.
Beyond them, far, far away, was the land of the Da Meng Clan.