Chapter 467: Battle Against an Immortal Lord
"Quick, go assist him!"
"Block the breach!"
The adjacent Tiger-Lion Army immediately rushed to reinforce Li Hao's position.
Although Li Hao was fighting desperately, continuously slaughtering ancient fiends, he could only hold a single point of the breach.
Yet, this breach was far too massive—stretching tens of thousands of miles wide, with countless ancient fiends pouring in like a flood.
Many of them had already broken through the rear, engaging scattered sect disciples and various Wildfire Army battalions in chaotic battle.
The void trembled as countless immortal techniques detonated, clashing fiercely.
Some ancient fiends even turned back to attack the Tiger-Lion Army from behind, placing them in a deadly pincer and dramatically increasing casualties.
"Damn these beasts!"
Two major generals, leading tens of thousands of Tiger-Lion soldiers, arrived to reinforce the breach.
Seeing the pitch-black defensive line, their expressions darkened—the gap was enormous.
But within that endless darkness, a single radiance shone like a beacon—an occasional brilliant sword glow, a flashing divine light from an Eternal Dao Domain—illuminating the battlefield.
"Quick! Use that warrior as an anchor to rebuild the defensive line!"
Without hesitation, both generals gave the order.
The Tiger-Lion Army swiftly positioned themselves to either side of Li Hao, cutting off the ancient fiends who had broken through the formation.
Meanwhile, Li Hao continued to unleash his sword techniques, relentlessly cutting down ancient fiends.
Azure Sky Swordsmanship—one strike after another.
And occasionally, a swift backhand slash—Sword God's Art!
Among the Sword God's Nine Arts, Li Hao had fully mastered only the First Sword.
The Second Sword—he had reached a level of proficiency, but not mastery.
By his estimate, to fully comprehend all nine swords and unleash a Sword God Slash equal to a Quasi-Emperor's peak attack, his sword mastery would have to reach the thirteenth level or higher!
Boom!
With a single dazzling slash, ancient fiends fell like severed wheat, their primordial spirits shattered, turning into specks of dissipating light.
Suddenly, Li Hao noticed something unusual—when an ancient fiend's primordial spirit was destroyed, its remnant energy was being absorbed into his identification token.
"Hm?"
At the same time, he noticed the number of ancient fiends decreasing in his immediate area.
A few thousand miles away, a group of Tiger-Lion soldiers was rushing forward, gathering their combined immortal techniques into a colossal surge of divine light, illuminating the dark void of battle.
Li Hao withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, and charged forward once more.
Kill! Kill! Kill!
With each strike, an ancient fiend fell lifeless.
Any fiend below True Immortal Stage Seven was instantly slain, their massive bodies collapsing like brittle clay figurines.
Their corpses vanished into Li Hao's Heavenly Space, where they piled into mountains…
"Look at that warrior! He's unbelievably strong!"
"My god… He's holding off an entire army of fiends alone?"
"Those ancient fiends—he's cutting them down in an instant! How is this even possible?"
"Which sect elder is he from? Is this what an Immortal Lord is capable of? But… why is he alone?"
Many Tiger-Lion soldiers were shocked, staring in awe at Li Hao's deadly efficiency.
These dreaded ancient fiends, who struck fear into the hearts of all cultivators, were falling like ordinary monsters before him.
Even their fearsome inborn abilities seemed completely ineffective against him.
As their morale soared, the Tiger-Lion soldiers fought harder, unleashing their strongest immortal techniques, illuminating the void with celestial brilliance.
Meanwhile, Li Hao's killing spree never stopped.
Unknowingly, his continued battle had begun to stabilize what had once been a failing defensive line.
Boom!
Suddenly—
From deep within the darkness, a terrifying presence surged forward at blinding speed.
Before Li Hao's divine sense could fully react, the enemy had already closed in—within a single instantaneous movement, they could strike him down.
Li Hao's pupils shrank.
A horrifying aura filled the battlefield—one he recognized.
This power…
It was the same overwhelming might he had once glimpsed from afar during his journey across the Celestial Road.
An Immortal Lord-ranked Ancient Fiend!
Li Hao's face changed drastically.
His battle instincts flared—he immediately summoned Taowu!
At that very moment, Taowu sensed the threat, cutting short its rampage and rushing back at full speed.
"Time Dao Origin—Accelerate!"
In that instant of crisis, Li Hao activated his mastery over Time, accelerating his own time flow.
Slowing time wouldn't work—it might not affect an Immortal Lord at all.
Instead, speeding up his own actions gave him precious moments to think and react.
Space Dao Origin—Fourth Level! Dao Domain—Dual Layered!
In a flash, Li Hao split the surrounding space into layers, merging it with the refractive power of Water Dao Origin.
The fusion of these two forces created a bizarre overlapping effect—as if folding reality itself.
The result?
His Eternal Dao Domain transformed into a double-layered domain!
His relentless slaughter had pushed his battle comprehension to the next level.
At this very moment, he realized—
If he were inside the Tower of True Honor, he might have a chance to rewrite his previous defeats!
A dual-layered Eternal Dao Domain combined with Fourth-Level Space Dao Origin Suppression—this was his strongest battlefield control technique yet.
Boom!
The incoming Immortal Lord-ranked fiend teleported directly into Li Hao's domain.
"A mere True Immortal dares stand before me? Die!"
The fiend was colossal, its burning golden eyes flashing with lightning-like fury.
It had assumed this defensive breach would be an easy breakthrough, yet this single warrior had completely disrupted the battle.
Now, it was furious.
The moment it entered Li Hao's domain, it attempted to obliterate him instantly—not just his body, but his primordial soul as well.
But the instant it moved—
It realized something was wrong.
Its body felt like it had plunged into an impossibly dense swamp—its movements slowed by hundreds, no, thousands of times!
Even its immortal power felt obstructed, restrained.
"What kind of domain is this?!"
The Immortal Lord fiend was shocked.
It could clearly sense that Li Hao was only at the True Immortal Stage—he shouldn't be capable of any real resistance.
But now…
This domain was actually interfering with its actions!
"Break!"
The fiend roared in fury, unleashing its full Immortal Dao power to shatter the suppression.
At the Immortal Lord stage, one could manifest their own Immortal Dao, overriding lesser laws.
Even a Peerless Dao Domain should be nothing before its might.
But in this moment of struggle, Li Hao's gaze was calm—
Because he was already three steps ahead.
The counterattack… had already begun.
However, within Li Hao's Eternal Dao Domain, his Fourth-Level Space Dao Origin had already touched the threshold of the Immortal Lord Realm.
Thus, despite the ancient fiend's sudden eruption of power, its suppression only weakened slightly. The core space-sealing force remained, continuing to restrain its movements.
But as the fiend struggled violently, within just a single instant, Li Hao's immortal energy was completely drained, leaving him unable to maintain the Dao Domain any longer.
Li Hao's expression changed drastically.
His Heavenly Star Veins hurriedly drew in celestial energy, but even with their supply, it took time to replenish his depleted reserves—just like an emptied reservoir that couldn't be instantly refilled.
And in this brief moment, danger loomed.
Boom!
Just as the ancient fiend's devastating strike was about to land, a whistling crimson light streaked through the void.
Taowu Sword had returned—piercing straight through the fiend's massive arm, standing like a crimson barrier before Li Hao.
"Seeking death?!"
Taowu Sword's voice roared with fury, its crimson glow flaring violently.
It wasn't just defending its master—it was fighting for itself.
If Li Hao died, that damned old man would inevitably show up, retrieve Li Hao's corpse, and drag it and Taowu back to the Imperial Hall.
Then it would once again be sealed away, trapped in endless slumber.
After finally escaping, it refused to be imprisoned again.
"Master, leave this to me!"
At the same time that Taowu Sword sent this message to Li Hao, it shot forward like a streak of blood, engaging the ancient fiend in a furious clash.
The fiendish general's expression twisted in anger and shock.
It hadn't expected Li Hao to wield such a powerful celestial weapon.
"You think a single celestial weapon can save you? I will crush you all!"
Roaring in rage, the fiend erupted with a surge of demonic energy, shrouding the battlefield in dark clouds as it charged toward Taowu Sword.
Li Hao's expression hardened as he pulled back, keeping his distance.
This battle was proving far more perilous than expected.
From the fiend's sudden arrival to now, everything had happened in mere instants—if not for Taowu Sword, he would already be on the verge of death.
Boom! Boom!
Within the swirling black mist, thunderous clashes erupted as Taowu Sword and the fiendish general clashed head-on.
Suddenly—
Taowu Sword was sent flying.
"Master, I'm out of energy! I need reinforcements!"
The celestial weapon cried out, its glow dimming.
No matter how strong a celestial weapon was, it required immortal energy to sustain its power.
And as its master, Li Hao could directly transfer energy to it.
Without hesitation, Li Hao channeled his remaining immortal energy, sending a steady surge into Taowu Sword.
The moment it absorbed the energy, its blood-red glow intensified, and it dove back into battle.
But as the fierce battle raged on, Li Hao felt his immortal energy being drained at an alarming rate.
Despite the constant replenishment from his Heavenly Star Veins, the sheer consumption was overwhelming.
Through this, he could tell—
Inside the mist, the battle was brutal.
Boom!
A furious roar erupted from within.
Suddenly, the black mist trembled, and countless ancient fiends began converging toward them.
They quickly formed a battle formation—
And in less than a few breaths, Taowu Sword was forced back, crashing into the air before returning to Li Hao's grasp.
"Master, run!"
Taowu Sword's voice was filled with urgency.
"These fiends are too cunning—they outnumber us! We can't win!"
Li Hao instantly understood.
The fiendish general wasn't alone anymore—it had summoned reinforcements.
At his current level, he couldn't take them all on.
Without hesitation, Li Hao turned and fled at full speed.
At the same time, his battle had drawn attention from the Tiger-Lion Army nearby.
When they saw the towering figure of the fiendish general, their faces paled in shock.
The two major generals leading the Tiger-Lion Army immediately gave orders, personally charging forward to engage the fiend.
They were both Immortal Lords—but only at the First Stage.
Against a fiendish general of the same level, they could at best stall it.
"Roar!!"
The fiendish general howled in fury, completely ignoring the two generals' attacks.
Instead, it unleashed its primordial power, sending a shockwave rippling through the battlefield.
The generals staggered backward, their expressions turning pale—
Their souls trembled under the fiend's overwhelming presence.
Swoosh!
The fiendish general locked onto Li Hao and charged after him with terrifying speed.
Li Hao felt the disturbance behind him, his expression turning grim.
"This bastard is relentless!"
Even Taowu Sword was furious—
This ancient fiend had gone mad, determined to kill Li Hao at all costs.
Li Hao dared not slow down.
He pushed both Time Dao Origin and Space Dao Origin into his movement technique.
Although his movement skill was only at the tenth level, barely reaching the threshold of the Dao,
At this moment, his explosive speed reached the peak of True Immortal Stage Ten!
"Faster! I need to go faster!"
Li Hao pushed himself to the limit, moving at full speed.
Suddenly—
Taowu Sword spoke up.
"I'll hold it off!"
With a sharp whistle, it broke free from Li Hao's grip, shooting toward the fiendish general.
Li Hao continued fleeing, but he could still sense the battle behind him.
Before long—
Taowu Sword was once again overwhelmed.
It regrouped with Li Hao, only for the fiendish general to close in once more.
Seeing that it was impossible to shake off, Li Hao prepared for a final stand, preparing to unleash his strongest techniques.
But just then—
A blinding streak of light shot through the void.
Swoosh!
Before Li Hao could react, he saw a dazzling radiance before him.
In the next instant—
Starry moonlight condensed around him.
A figure emerged from the void, appearing right beside him, and in a swift motion, grabbed his arm and pulled him behind them.
"Don't be afraid."
A calm, gentle voice whispered to him, carrying a faint fragrance.
Li Hao looked up.
The figure was draped in a flowing star-moon robe.
It was her.
The same girl he had encountered in the Tenth Desolate Domain.
"Roar!!!"
The fiendish general howled in fury, but before it could strike, a crescent-shaped arc of light flashed through the void.
Slash!
A massive wound tore across its skull, nearly decapitating it.
The fiend staggered back, eyes filled with anger and caution.
"To think you were being chased by a fiendish general…"
Xing Lan spoke calmly, her expression unreadable.
But deep inside—
She was genuinely surprised.
She had slaughtered her way across the battlefield, and yet—
The strongest fiend she had encountered so far…
Was the one chasing after this boy.
At the same time, Xing Lan sensed a familiar presence. When she drew closer, she discovered that it was that interesting young man she had encountered before.
Without hesitation, she intervened and saved him.
However, deep down, she couldn't help but feel a bit shocked.
An ancient fiend general should have been able to instantly kill a True Immortal, yet Li Hao had managed to survive its pursuit.
This meant that, in front of an Immortal Lord-level fiend, he still had some ability to escape—which was unbelievable.
"Star-Slashing Art!"
Xing Lan cast aside other thoughts, her gaze becoming sharp and focused.
She was only at the first stage of the Immortal Lord Realm, and at the same level, fiends were far stronger than most races.
But as a top human genius, she would not lose to an ancient fiend general at the same cultivation level.
As she attacked, the moon and stars suddenly illuminated the battlefield, transforming into brilliant beams of light that rained down.
At the same time, Li Hao felt a strange phenomenon—
The starlight radiating from Xing Lan actually resonated with his Heavenly Star Veins, subtly enhancing his ability to absorb celestial energy.
But before he could fully process this—
"Abyssal Demon Sound!"
The fiend general roared, and a dark mist surged from its demonic eyes before a thunderous, low-pitched howl erupted.
This wasn't just a simple sound attack—
It was a sonic wave infused with soul power, a fiendish technique designed to crush the minds and souls of enemies.
A series of soul-shattering shockwaves rippled through the void, growing stronger and stronger, sweeping forward like a tidal wave.
Xing Lan had clearly studied ancient fiends before, because she immediately blocked Li Hao behind her, then raised her hand and drew a luminous crescent moon in the air.
Above her, her primordial spirit emerged, ascending into the sky like a sacred goddess, radiating a divine brilliance of golden starlight.
Li Hao was stunned.
Xing Lan's primordial spirit not only had golden divine meridians, but also two divine bones embedded within it.
Though it was far from matching his own, it was still exceptionally powerful for someone at her level.
And since she was already an Immortal Lord, her primordial spirit had reached an incredibly refined state.
This meant that the fiend general might not be able to overpower her so easily.
Boom!
Just as Li Hao expected—
The Abyssal Demon Sound crashed against the crescent moon barrier and was instantly neutralized.
Xing Lan followed up by activating her Star-Moon Domain, sealing the fiend general inside.
Before stepping into battle, she left Li Hao with a single instruction:
"Wait here."
Then she vanished into the battlefield, engaging in a fierce life-and-death duel with the fiend general.
This ancient fiend general had chased Li Hao relentlessly, separating itself from the fiendish army in the process.
It had assumed that killing Li Hao would be quick, allowing it to return to the battlefield swiftly.
But it never expected to run into Xing Lan.
Now, it had no choice but to fight her head-on.
Li Hao pulled back to a safer distance, gripping Taowu Sword as he observed from afar.
But within Xing Lan's Star-Moon Domain, all he could see were flickering silhouettes, making it difficult to follow the battle.
"Immortal Lord Realm…"
Li Hao's eyes narrowed.
This was his first time witnessing an Immortal Lord-level battle up close.
And from what he could tell—
He still had a significant gap to close before he could truly fight against one.
Even if he activated his Nine Blossoms Celestial Seal, it was uncertain whether he could win.
His cultivation realm was simply too low—
At the very least, he needed to reach the seventh stage of the True Immortal Realm.
Or, he needed to refine more divine bones into his primordial spirit…
At this thought, Li Hao suddenly remembered the massive pile of ancient fiend corpses he had stored in his Inner World.
His eyes brightened, and his mouth subtly watered.
As Li Hao was deep in thought, a violent tremor suddenly erupted from within the Star-Moon Domain.
The starlight dimmed slightly, indicating that the battle had reached a critical point.
A few breaths later—
The domain collapsed.
Xing Lan emerged.
Her once-pristine robes were now tattered, and her long hair was slightly disheveled.
However, her expression remained calm and composed.
Her body was stained with blood, but the massive corpse of the fiend general lay behind her—
Lifeless.
Without hesitation, Xing Lan raised her hand, opening a spatial rift, and stored the fiend general's body inside her Inner World.
After scanning the battlefield with a quick glance, she floated over to Li Hao.
"Are you alright?"
Li Hao asked.
Xing Lan shook her head slightly.
Her wounds and depleted energy were already stabilizing.
She pulled out a small jade-green bottle, poured out a red elixir, and swallowed it.
Her recovery speed visibly increased.
"What about you?"
She glanced at Li Hao, eyes briefly flashing as she noticed the faint starlight lingering around his body.
A moment later, she asked:
"You've mastered the Heavenly Star Veins?"
Li Hao nodded.
Xing Lan remained silent for a moment.
In Starry Sky Hall, the Heavenly Star Veins were considered an ultimate celestial technique.
Even with their ancient inheritance and specialized guidance, only a handful of their top disciples could cultivate it.
After a short pause, she asked:
"With your talent, you should be ranked within the top thousand at least. Why aren't you training within your sect? Why come here instead?"
Li Hao responded casually:
"Came here to hone my combat skills."
Xing Lan clearly didn't believe him.
For a True Immortal at stage three, training in the sect for three years would allow him to reach at least stage five—maybe even stage six.
That would greatly improve his overall strength.
Instead, he had come to this war zone, where even Immortal Lords could fall at any moment.
"I came here for the same reason," she said plainly.
However, unlike Li Hao, she wasn't lying.
Even with her current talent, in the next ten years, she would at most advance to the third stage of the Immortal Lord Realm.
The only way to truly grow stronger was through real combat experience.
"Regardless, thanks," Li Hao said, cupping his hands in gratitude.
"No need," Xing Lan replied.
"If anything, I should thank you—because of you, I managed to find and kill a lone fiend general, and it had just advanced to this realm… giving me a clean ten million celestial merit points."
Li Hao's eyes flickered.
Ten million?
Stone Tianjin had only explained the merit system for True Immortal fiends—
He never mentioned the Immortal Lord tier.
Likely because he assumed no one in their unit would survive such an encounter.
A True Immortal Stage Ten fiend was worth one million merit points.
A first-stage Immortal Lord fiend was worth ten million.
Li Hao silently memorized this.
"How much have you earned so far?" Xing Lan asked.
Li Hao scratched his head.
"I don't know," he admitted.
Xing Lan raised an eyebrow.
"…You haven't checked?"