Volume 3 - Chapter 369: Duel at the Pinnacle of the Sword Dao - Part 3
As soon as he stepped onto the Imperial Platform, the sealing formation closed instantly, transforming the arena into a beast cage. Before him, only Jianxin’s blade-sharp gaze remained.
Li Hao wasn’t rattled by the killing intent flickering in those eyes. Instead, he took a long, steady breath.
The earlier din in his ears faded in a blink.
Only the pounding of his heart remained, echoing through his chest—alongside the surging tide of Divine Blood coursing through his veins.
He closed his eyes, adjusting his state. He knew this would be the hardest battle since arriving in the True Realm—and also the most powerful one yet.
Though the opponent stood at the same cultivation level, Jianxin was the strongest True Immortal he had ever encountered.
A single misstep could lead to defeat.
After all, the opponent possessed the Ancient Sword Immortal Body—widely acknowledged as the supreme physique for sword cultivation.
Not to mention, Jianxin was the direct disciple of a Supreme, gifted with countless Innate Treasure Herbs and fateful opportunities beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators—treasures offered to him without struggle.
Even with the Add-Points Panel accelerating his cultivation, Li Hao had merely managed to close the gap.
But this fight left no room for retreat.
He had to win—he must win.
He hadn’t made this request out of some deep emotional bond with his potential master, Emperor Tianyang. It wasn’t attachment to the identity of a disciple that stopped him.
He simply understood that even if he passed the trial and joined under this Supreme of the Celestial Palace, his days ahead would be anything but easy.
After all, the title of "personal disciple" meant little in such circles—Emperor Tianyang had already revealed two such disciples.
To an Immortal Emperor, a personal disciple was but a potential heir, not an irreplaceable treasure.
At that level of existence, there was scarcely anything truly irreplaceable—least of all a single disciple.
Soon, all stray thoughts were wiped clean from his mind.
Li Hao knew that in this fight, he couldn’t afford distraction. He had to go all in.
His eyes opened—and it was like a curtain of darkness lifted.
Revealed before him were the cold, sharp eyes of the youth overflowing with Sword Intent, and the vast expanse of the Imperial Platform.
"Are you ready?"
Jianxin asked, his voice frigid.
Though murderous intent had bloomed in his heart, he hadn’t struck prematurely. He wanted Li Hao to lose in clarity—in thorough defeat, with no illusions left. He wanted his opponent to die with open eyes.
"Mm."
Li Hao gave a slight nod.
Then, Immortal Force surged within him like a flood. The All-Heavens Star Vein spun to its utmost, and behind him, it lit up a stellar map of the heavens.
The star map stretched out like veins, like spider legs, threading into the void, glowing in radiant brilliance.
Immortal Force flowed into his palm, condensing into a sword—the same outline, the same form, as “Glory,” the blade that had accompanied him from the mortal world all the way to the Sacred Land of the Heavens.
Though the true body of the sword could no longer match his current cultivation, the name bestowed on it had bound it to his Dao Heart—to his convictions.
As light flowed along its blade, its strange form took shape: a nine-tiered tower, its nine-segmented body gleaming like fish scales. Originally, this sword had been a fragment of an Immortal Armament—the former Dry Path Palace of the Dayu Divine Dynasty.
As the sword manifested fully, he no longer concealed his Immortal Force—it surged freely, without restraint.
His body swelled, revealing the manifestation of his Sacred Physique—Heaven and Earth Dharma Image.
Behind him, the Dharma Image rose. Saints circled it, chanting in unison, as if to protect him.
What was once a vast plain-like arena now became a true battle platform, as Li Hao took on the form of a hundred-zhang giant.
Seeing the force Li Hao displayed, countless spectators fixed their gaze. Though his aura didn’t quite reach Jianxin’s, it was terrifying nonetheless—greater even than when he had defeated Shen Wuji.
"That bastard…!"
Shen Wuji clenched his fists as he watched, not with hatred, but with a cold, sharp gleam in his eyes. He had suspected Li Hao had held back during their fight—he hadn’t even shown his bloodline back then. But to think even his Immortal Force had been hidden...
"So this is the Immortal Force of the Nine Sequences Immortal Seal… No wonder it’s so overwhelming in the same realm."
Gui Lingyue murmured, her eyes, however, remained locked on Jianxin.
"Elder Sister, that guy’s also True Immortal Realm, but his Immortal Force seems almost as strong as yours!"
Gui Lingshuang narrowed her eyes.
"He must have repeatedly refined his Immortal Force—it's like he’s rebuilt his foundation multiple times within the Tenth Level of the True Immortal Realm. That’s how he reached this level."
"Such a freak… Why doesn’t he just break through to the Immortal Lord Realm?"
Gui Lingyue asked, confused. "This method only gives him an edge in the same realm. Wouldn’t it be better to condense Immortal Force again after stepping into the Immortal Lord Realm? The next realm requires cultivating even more. Is he really doing all this just to win first place in the True Immortal Realm?"
"No… I think he wants to transform his Immortal Seal—right here in the True Immortal Realm—into the legendary Immortal Seal."
Gui Lingshuang spoke softly, her gaze solemn as never before.
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