Volume 3 - Chapter 372: The Interception - Part 3
Across countless blessed lands and ancient hidden realms, aged figures emerged from seclusion, their eyes fixed skyward—shocked, stirred.
They had once survived the catastrophic war against the Ancient Fiends. That nightmare had nearly swallowed the entire Southern Region. Rivers ran red, cities burned, and the cries of the dying stretched endlessly across the land. It had been worse than any hell, tenfold more harrowing.
These veterans yearned for strength, for a future where such calamities would never befall their world again. They had hidden for years, grooming their clans, honing their cultivation—all to prepare for that day’s return.
Now, to see such a monstrous prodigy emerge—how could they not rejoice? How could they not tremble with hope?
“Senior Brother… actually lost…”
Mingyue stood frozen, blankly staring at the scene. Her mind had gone utterly blank.
Not even in dreams would she have imagined this outcome—yet it had unfolded in reality.
Sword Heart had entered the sect before her. His combat strength, too, slightly exceeded hers.
In her judgment, only the young scion of that imperial clan—mysterious and unreadable—posed even the faintest threat. Aside from that, defeat should have been impossible.
“He won…”
Atop the mountain, the Great Dream Master and Li Tiemu were equally stunned. For a long moment, they stood frozen—then suddenly burst into cheers and excitement.
Li Hao’s voice, still ringing across the summit in sharp protest, startled them from their stupor. Yes—during that final clash, Sword Heart’s flesh had been inexplicably suspended in time. That wasn’t a natural pause in battle, but obvious external interference. Every cultivator at the Immortal King Realm could see that clearly.
“Don’t be hasty.”
The Celestial Guard Commander looked down at Li Hao. Deep shock still lingered in his gaze. But his position, his allegiance, bound him. Even if this youth was extraordinary—he had to weigh the will of the Supreme.
“You possess the qualifications to become a direct disciple of the Supreme. Are you certain you won’t reconsider?”
Li Hao’s expression shifted. Though the words sounded like a question, in his ears, they rang with a subtle coercion.
He hadn’t expected this—the Supreme was truly planning to go back on their word?
A being at the apex of the True Realm, revered as a Supreme, was willing to renege?
Suppressing his fury, Li Hao replied in a steady voice: “The Supreme’s kindness is deeply appreciated. But my path has always been one of freedom. I don’t like being restrained. When the Ancient Fiends rise again—so long as I, Haotian, still draw breath—I will give my all to protect this land.”
The commander silently nodded—clever boy, these words were artfully chosen. But he knew: if Li Hao were allowed to leave now, he would become a looming threat.
“You must not waste your own potential. With your talent, under the Supreme’s tutelage, even the throne of emperors could be within reach!”
His voice turned heavy. “Do not believe your own gifts make you untouchable. You are a disciple of a Sinful Immortal. That the Supreme is willing to overlook such origins is a great mercy. But if you persist in this stubborn pride, when the Ancient Fiends return—what realm will you stand in? Still a mere Immortal Lord? Or perhaps a common Immortal King?”
Li Hao’s face darkened. Furious, he snapped: “The Supreme already gave their word—yet you still bar my path. What does that mean? Do you now speak over the Supreme’s authority?”
The Celestial Guard Commander hadn’t expected this boy to be so sharp-tongued—daring even to wield the Supreme’s name against him.
A cold smirk flickered through his heart. He could read the Supreme’s intentions clearly. Li Hao must not be allowed to leave so easily.
“I am merely offering advice. Don’t mistake goodwill for hostility.”
His face grew stern. “If you insist on leaving—then go. But your life and death from now on have nothing to do with the Celestial Palace. If you squander your gifts, indulge in frivolity, and the Fiends come once more—should you fall in battle still stuck in the Immortal Lord Realm or a shallow Immortal King Realm, that would be the true tragedy.”
As the barrier around the Imperial Platform dissipated, Li Hao saw they were finally willing to let him go. Relief washed over him.
At least, on the surface, they hadn’t forced the matter into an open break.
As for the commander’s warnings—Li Hao merely sneered inwardly. If he had truly stayed behind, that would’ve been his death sentence. That Supreme? Willing to train him without bias? Nonsense.
He’d long seen through it—he was just a chess piece in an imperial game.
The commander’s words echoed across the Southern Region, and countless eyes watched the youth leave—with complex emotions.
To reject the Supreme’s direct tutelage—such defiance was almost unheard of through the ages. And yet, as the commander had said, talent like this… wasted without proper cultivation… would be a loss for the ages.
After all, the True Immortal Realm was still only the beginning. No matter how stunning Li Hao’s potential, he was but a sapling—brilliant, yes, but still needing care.
From Immortal Lord to Immortal King—especially the Immortal King Realm—each step was like scaling the heavens. It could take ten thousand years, or more. Only with a Supreme’s guidance could one walk without misstep.
“You’re not going anywhere!”
Just as Li Hao stepped off the Imperial Platform, a blur shot before him—Mingyue, awakened from her daze, blocked his path.
Her once cool, immortal-like beauty was now flushed with anger. Gone was the untouchable fairy. In her place stood a furious woman.
“The Southern Region’s battle isn’t over. Why are you in such a rush to leave? What—your identity’s been exposed, so now you’re trying to flee?”
She bit her lip and glared, eyes blazing.
She had heard the tales of the Sinful Immortal. And Li Hao, his disciple, was to her just as guilty.
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