Slaying the Immortal

The massive tree inside the ruins was colossal, its entire form shimmering with a golden-yellow hue. Its enormous leaves also shone golden, and the branches bore numerous coconut-like fruits, though they appeared slightly shriveled. Just then, the figures in the distance hurried over. They were men and women of relatively young appearance, yet none of them were weak. A swift glance revealed to Li Hao that several possessed divine abilities. He was slightly surprised—members of the Hu family? The opposition actually had several experts in the Divine Power Realm remaining! Li Hao spotted them, and naturally, they saw him as well. In that moment, the young man at the lead recognized Li Hao's face. His expression changed drastically, twisting with venomous hatred as he glared at Li Hao. "It's you, Li Hao!" Li Hao looked at the young man, not recognizing him. However, the youth bore a resemblance to Hu Mingfa, so he was likely Hu Mingfa's son. Li Hao could not be bothered to care and paid him no heed. Instead, he turned toward the great tree and gave a dry cough. "Senior, please lend me a hundred drops of the Spring of Life first... As for these members of the Hu family, once my injuries heal, I ask Senior to leave them to me!" With that, Li Hao coughed violently again, fresh blood spilling from his mouth. Not far away, the Hu family members—who had initially been deeply wary—stirred slightly. Li Hao was injured? Meanwhile, the coconut tree was also pondering. Should it capture Li Hao right now? With Li Hao on the outside, a person like him could potentially bring it countless benefits, but... he was uncontrollable and nowhere near as obedient as the Hu family. Moreover, hearing Li Hao's words just now convinced it that Li Hao could not be kept alive. This man lacked the slightest shred of reverence. In a situation where he was begging for help, he still dared to sound like he was issuing commands. It was an ancient civilization powerhouse, after all, while Li Hao was far too audacious. Keeping someone who harbored no reverence would only invite trouble down the line. In that instant, the coconut tree made up its mind. At the same time, a faint red glow appeared in Li Hao's eyes as he attempted to see through the colossal tree and locate its Heart of Life. The tree seemed to sense something. An aged face manifested on the massive trunk. Its lips moved as a mental pulse rippled out: "Very well. However... you must first hand over the Wind-Chasing Boots and the Starry Sky Sword." In Li Hao's hands, these powerful divine weapons might unleash formidable might. Although it did not fear Li Hao, avoiding unnecessary trouble was always preferable. Without the divine weapons, Li Hao would be ripe for slaughter in its eyes. Never mind a mere five-element practitioner; even against someone with six or seven elements, it could easily dispose of him. "Lord!" At that moment, the Hu family members seemed to realize what was happening. Reluctance and fury surged within them. Li Hao was severely injured! Yet now, this demon plant was going to help Li Hao recover from his wounds. However, as the face on the coconut tree turned its gaze toward them, the Hu family members fell silent one after another, leaving only terror and torment behind. This demon plant had no intention of killing Li Hao on behalf of the Hu family. Regrettably, they could only watch, powerless to resist. The coconut tree was immensely satisfied. This was precisely the kind of servant it desired—obedient to a fault. Even with their grandfather and father killed and their nemesis standing right before their eyes, they did not dare make a single move without its command. These were the ideal servants. Li Hao remained far too insolent and overbearing. Otherwise, given his noble bloodline and vital status, it would have been truly reluctant to kill him. Li Hao furrowed his brows slightly. After a long moment, he nodded. "Very well!" Sighing, he gripped the Starry Sky Sword and walked toward the great tree. The coconut tree grew displeased. "Just toss it over!" Why was this fellow coming closer? It was rather unwilling to make physical contact with him. Li Hao replied calmly, "This is an ancestral weapon passed down through generations, representing my forebears. We of the Li family hold our ancestors in the highest esteem. Senior must be joking—how could I possibly throw it over?" "I, Li Hao, have failed my ancestors and have no choice but to offer the Starry Sky Sword as collateral... As the personal blade of the Sword Venerable, I hope Senior... can also show some necessary respect to the Starry Sky Sword and to the Li family!" Li Hao appeared somewhat disgruntled. Holding the sword in both hands with clear reluctance, he looked toward the great tree. "Senior, please... take this sword and keep it safe. I shall offer up divine energy stones shortly!" The coconut tree's displeasure deepened. Still... forget it. It did not wish to complicate matters further as long as the sword was surrendered. Respect and dignity were nothing but a joke. As for the Sword Venerable, he had likely died countless ages ago. Thus, the coconut tree harbored no reverence whatsoever. Yet since Li Hao had put it that way, it did not object. In an instant, two massive leaves extended from its enormous trunk like a pair of arms, reaching toward Li Hao. Li Hao continued to cough as he raised his hands, presenting the Starry Sky Sword. The instant the leafy arms stretched forward, a silent sword ray emerged from the Starry Sky Sword. It seemed as though heaven and earth were being sliced in two. Though the incomparably sharp Starry Sky Sword encountered immense resistance this time, amidst a harsh, piercing shriek akin to cutting metal, a snap and a crack resounded... Both arms were severed. The arm-like leaves crashed down instantly, turning into two golden-yellow fronds. In that fleeting instant, the coconut tree was actually bewildered. What flashed through its mind was: where did Li Hao get the nerve? Furthermore, the Starry Sky Sword was astonishingly sharp, allowing Li Hao to cut off two of its leaves in a single stroke despite the gap of several cultivation realms. Were leaves at the Immortal Realm truly so easy to sever? Seeing this, the nearby Hu family members were stunned at first, followed immediately by wild ecstasy. He had lost his mind! Such a thought instantly flashed through their minds. Li Hao was insane. The coconut tree had continuously promised to avenge the Hu family, yet upon seeing the two about to strike a deal, the Hu family had fallen into despair. Now, Li Hao had taken the initiative to attack the coconut tree—what was this if not courting death? In the eyes of all modern supernatural beings, entities from ancient civilization were peerless and untouchable. Especially demon plants! Demon plants were undying and imperishable, surviving all the way to the present day. These were not armored warriors with only remnant mental strength and lingering wills; they were truly invincible powerhouses. Yet Li Hao... had actually struck at a demon plant! A wisp of golden blood dripped from the severed stumps of the tree's fronds. The tree stood stunned for an instant. It had been too long! So long that it had almost forgotten how to fight, so long that it could hardly believe anyone below the Peak Realm would dare attack it. Even back in the Neo-Martial era, no one below the Peak Realm would ever dare lay a hand on an entity of the Immortal Realm. The next second, it snapped back to its senses. The illusory giant face instantly warped with rage. "Li Hao!" He was a madman. He was seeking his own demise. In an instant, countless branches and leaves unfurled, coalescing into an enormous palm. It intended to swat this ant to death. Did he think that just because its clone had been destroyed and its strength weakened, he could kill it? That had merely been a clone! Not its true body! In an instant, heaven and earth seemed completely surrounded. On the periphery, the Hu family members were beside themselves with excitement. The demon plant had struck; Li Hao was dead for sure. Yet at that very moment, the sky plunged into darkness once more. It seemed even darker than before! An enormous maw opened in an instant, resembling a black hole ready to devour heaven and earth. *Roar!* Black Panther transformed into an immense golden hound, opening its maw wide and swallowing the giant palm in a single gulp. Down below, Li Hao instantly unleashed an incomparably formidable sword intent. With the peak power of six elements, he struck out with his sword! Divine characters merged into the Starry Sky Sword, making it seem as though only a single blade existed between heaven and earth as he slashed! *Boom!* Heaven fell and earth cracked. Black Panther swallowed the severed branches and leaves in a single mouthful, but those fronds seemed to turn into living things, transforming into small trees that burrowed into its stomach! "A descendant of the Demon Suppressing Emissary?" The tree's expression turned frigid. So it possessed some background, but... so what? Even severed fronds retained immense destructive lethality. It was nothing more than a hound with the strength of four or five elements, carrying a bit of the Demon Suppressing Emissary's bloodline to swallow heaven and earth. Yet even if you swallow it, can you digest it? Do you think you are the Demon Suppressing Emissary himself? You're dead! As the countless small trees burrowed into Black Panther's belly, a rumbling thunder echoed from its massive stomach! The tree could not be bothered with the beast and prepared to deal with the wretched Li Hao. Suddenly, its branches trembled slightly. In an instant, Black Panther roared, retched, and dozens of figures materialized in the blink of an eye. A ray of golden light shot straight toward the tree. *Boom!* Deputy Director Zhou threw a punch that seemed to shatter heaven and earth. With an enraged roar, his vitality surged skyward, even more formidable than before! "Courting death!" The great tree was thoroughly enraged. In that moment, it understood why Li Hao dared to strike. Gathering a pack of divine abilities? Even mere divine abilities dare dream of killing me? Countless branches instantly spread out, weaving across heaven and earth. Furthermore, a radiant boulevard manifested, resembling a path of immortality, and countless small trees flew out from the Dao path in an instant. The crowd showed no panic. They knew what this was—the clone had used it before. An origin source attack. Sure enough, a small tree manifested in everyone's minds instantly. Yet everyone was prepared, their divine characters erupting. *Rumble!* Blood leaked from the orifices of everyone present. Deputy Director Zhou and Chen Zhongtian coughed up blood continuously, suffering doubled damage. Divine weapons materialized around Chen Zhongtian's body to block the eruption, yet his face was filled with horror. Too strong! It was truly too strong. Far more powerful than the clone. If he had not possessed a divine weapon for each of his meridians, he would never have survived this single strike. Was this the Immortal Realm? As a peak six-element practitioner, if he had encountered it alone and the attack had not been dispersed... a single strike would have ended his life. Chen Zhongtian was in disbelief! Was the gap truly this enormous? Right at this moment, a small tree suddenly manifested, and an illusory image appeared between heaven and earth, heading straight for the origin path. "You dare!" The great tree had been dealing with the others and was somewhat surprised that they had merely been injured rather than killed. Yet right then, a jolt of alarm struck its heart. It bellowed in fury! *Boom!* A deafening explosion rang out as origin source power swept through heaven and earth. In that moment, the phantom of an Imperial Palace materialized, and a small tree piloted the Imperial Palace, charging straight at the opponent's origin path! The projection of the Imperial Palace instantly suppressed heaven and earth! The coconut tree no longer stood rooted to the ground. It ripped itself from the earth, transforming into a humanoid tree with distinct limbs and an aged face. The radiant boulevard in the void vanished instantly! It appeared as a frail old man, now staring at the small tree with an icy gaze. "An Imperial Palace projection? You are the guardian of the abandoned Imperial Palace in the land of Silver Moon?" "I see!" The tree suddenly laughed. "So that's how it is. No wonder Li Hao dared strike at me—he was counting on you... But you are merely at the Peak Realm, and not even your true body, just a clone... Did you think this wisp of an Imperial Palace projection could suppress my origin path?" Even though it was severely weakened, its opponent was not a true body, remained immature, and possessed scarce origin source power. Could that alone kill it? At this moment, Silver Moon martial masters surrounded it on all sides. Everyone was on high alert. Too powerful! Even with Little Tree coming forth and directly using the Imperial Palace for suppression, it had failed to suppress the foe. The opponent even seemed to relish it. The coconut tree chuckled, "Intriguing. Truly intriguing... What a stroke of luck—a demon plant clone... Devouring you will be more nourishing than consuming a hundred million divine energy stones!" Indeed, in its eyes, the trump cards Li Hao and his companions had envisioned were nothing but a joke. This tree belonged to it now. I will devour it! Just then, a succession of tragic shrieks rang out. The great tree glanced sideways and saw Li Hao sheathing his sword not far away. He had not attacked the tree just now; instead, he had drawn his blade to instantly slaughter every single Hu family expert nearby! Were these people watching a monkey show? Some had even attempted to flee the ruins amidst the chaos—what did they think they were doing? "Li Hao!" The coconut tree's tone turned chilling. That beast Li Hao had actually slaughtered all the Hu family members. It still had uses for them; for instance, after killing Li Hao and his companions, those people could have gathered treasures for it on the outside. Yet... on second thought, it chuckled. Once it devoured this tree and the crowd before it, would it still need the Hu family? Its fury subsided. A Great Dao manifested in the void once more, seemingly leading into the boundless void. However, Little Tree coldly transmitted a mental ripple: "The origin path vanished long ago. What you have now is merely remnant origin source power. Who do you think you can frighten by wielding origin path power?" *Boom!* The Imperial Palace projection appeared once more, suppressing the surroundings. This was not the past. In ancient times, when an Immortal Realm expert deployed an origin path, their combat strength multiplied several times over in an instant, which was truly terrifying. Now, however... it was merely channeling its remnant origin source power. *Boom!* The Imperial Palace projection clashed with the opponent's origin path once more. Little Tree was forced back continuously, the Imperial Palace projection fracturing. The coconut tree remained utterly aloof. No matter how weakened I am, you are not qualified to covet me. I am an Immortal! "Kill!" Li Hao barked in a low voice, launching a sword strike! The others also unleashed their ultimate techniques. Chen Zhongtian let out a furious roar as a long saber materialized around him, cleaving through the air and sundering the firmament. Even Deputy Director Zhou and the others were shaken by this strike, faintly sensing the power to shatter the void within it. The saber radiated brilliance, suppressing heaven and earth. The coconut tree's expression hardened. "A saint's weapon?" This was a weapon once wielded by a Great Saint. It faintly recognized it, though it could not recall whose it had been. Still, it knew this was a saint's divine weapon. However... the wielder was far too weak. It relied merely on the saber's instinct to execute a single strike. Against ordinary Peak Realm figures, it posed a modest threat, but against itself, it posed virtually none. Without further words, the tree transformed its branches into fists, manifesting countless strikes. A fist instantly appeared before every single person! *Boom!* The immensely powerful Deputy Director Zhou had his golden body shattered by this punch. The Spring of Life flowed rapidly to nourish his physical frame, yet blood still poured from him like a torrent. Hong Yitang roared fiercely as the Earth-Overturning Sword blanketed the sky! With a resounding crash, the divine character for "Sword" actually fractured, his defense instantly shattered. Hong Yitang spewed a mouthful of fresh blood, his face turning pale as paper. The attacks of the others arrived in succession, yet none could hold their ground! In the blink of an eye, Southern Fist and the others were sent flying backward, spewing blood. "Split the Spirit!" Hou Xiaochen and several others let out thunderous roars. Heaven and earth seemed torn apart, yet in a flash, the giant fist snapped the spear, shattered Heaven Sword's sword, and instantly broke through Yao Si's five-element divine abilities as well. *Bang!* One expert after another was suppressed in an instant. Far too powerful! Deputy Director Zhou was also thrown back, while Chen Zhongtian's saber only managed to carve an imperceptible fissure into the foe's body. At this moment, everyone was thoroughly shaken. This was far stronger than the clone. Could they truly kill it? Little Tree had continuously deployed the Imperial Palace to suppress the opponent's origin path, meaning the coconut tree had not used its origin path at all. Relying solely on the physical might of its true body, it had instantly routed everyone. The coconut tree looked toward Li Hao. Li Hao was not weak; a single sword strike had shattered its fist phantom. Yet... so what? The coconut tree laughed. "Is this your confidence? You will never understand just how terrifying an Immortal truly is!" Suppressing my origin source means nothing. That little tree has no strength left to spare, and even without utilizing origin source power, I am far beyond what you people can match. Looking at the divine ability experts lying scattered across the ground, the coconut tree stepped toward Li Hao and shook its head. "Too naive!" Li Hao's expression remained icy. It truly was terrifyingly strong! He admitted that even relying strictly on its physical body without using the origin path, it was far stronger than the previous clone, exceeding his expectations. However... are you so certain you've won? Just as Li Hao was about to erupt, Black Panther—who had remained silent ever since its initial swallow—suddenly let out a roar. "I am the Lord of the Demon Race!" In that moment, a faint mental ripple manifested. It seemed as though it was not spoken by Black Panther, for Black Panther could not speak, yet it also felt as though it came directly from him. Right then, everyone witnessed it. The golden blood across Black Panther's body evaporated in an instant! Above Black Panther's head, the silhouette of a hound seemed to emerge... No, it did not resemble a hound; it was an extraordinary creature, entirely golden, appearing to bear horns. A creature somewhat resembling a leopard. The great tree froze slightly, a flicker of fear flashing through its eyes. A projection of the Demon Suppressing Emissary! This hound's bloodline had actually purified to such an extent that it could use its bloodline power to conjure the Demon Suppressing Emissary projection buried deep in its memories. The golden phantom creature erupted with an overwhelmingly formidable prestige, intimidating all directions! The coconut tree felt an innate dread deep in its bones. That was the King of the Demon Race. The King of the Demon Race personally conferred by the Human King! Its subconscious urged it not to strike, commanding it to submit. Yet very quickly, the coconut tree's mental ripples fluctuated wildly! "You are dead, and I am alive! You... are no longer the King!" *Boom!* Auras erupted and clashed against one another, yet the golden phantom remained boundless in majesty, descending to suppress the great tree! Black Panther was immensely feeble, yet he paid it no heed. As blood continued to evaporate from his body, the Demon Suppressing Emissary projection grew increasingly distinct and its prestige more potent. Lord of the Demon Race! He was meant to suppress all demons. The coconut tree was also a demon. As a demon, it was subject to this authority—this was the legitimate Demon King ordained by the Human King. The coconut tree roared continuously, yet it was suppressed into a state of weakness. Over on the other side, Little Tree manipulated the Imperial Palace to relentlessly suppress its origin path. The others leaped up once more, bellowing furiously as sabers, spears, swords, halberds, and divine characters erupted to suppress the tree! Just as the tree attempted to retaliate, Black Panther roared once more, almost every drop of blood in his body drawn dry. The golden creature in the void grew clearer still. As if stepping out from ancient memory, a golden horn sat atop its head, from which a bolt of lightning erupted like divine retribution. Terror surfaced in the tree's eyes! *Boom!* Lightning erupted with a resounding crash. The tree was forced back repeatedly, countless branches blasting apart. In an instant, the others' divine characters struck home, but soon, the golden lightning vanished. Not only that, the golden phantom began to disperse. Black Panther collapsed heavily to the ground, utterly drained, reverting to a black hound and seemingly slipping into a coma. The blood within his body had been almost entirely depleted. However, a Demon Suppressing Emissary projection conjured purely from bloodline possessed limited power after all; in the end, it had failed to slay this demon Immortal. As the aftershocks faded, scorch marks covered the tree's golden trunk. Lingering dread flickered in its eyes, but it soon chuckled. Is that all? The King of the Demon Race was indeed powerful, but this was merely an imprint within the bloodline. He had died long ago, while I still live. As it was laughing, a sword ray shot silently toward it. At this moment, Li Hao's body split open, flesh and blood flying. Even his heart was fracturing! Yet he had been waiting for this very opportunity—an opportunity to catch it off guard. He knew that facing it head-on would be exceedingly difficult. Therefore, he had consistently maintained only six-element power. Yet in this instant, a fire force poured out. His physical frame could not endure the eruption of seven-element power and was tearing apart, but Li Hao paid it no mind. A fierce tiger manifested on the Starry Sky Sword, its gaze chillingly cold! Li Hao had said that when the fierce tiger emerged, heaven and earth would be shocked. At this moment, there was no earth-shattering commotion. Only a fierce tiger emerged quietly. On the Starry Sky Sword, one divine character after another merged and collided, forming an array—a dragon of sword intent that seemed poised to sunder the world! Li Hao had been watching all along, seeking the location of the foe's Heart of Life. Fighting until this moment, he finally saw it. *Boom!* A tremendous roar shook heaven and earth. The Starry Sky Sword instantly stabbed into the tree's trunk where its abdomen would be. That was where its Heart of Life lay; Li Hao had seen it clearly through those extraordinary eyes that could pierce through illusions. That was the origin of its power. *Boom!* The formidable trunk exploded, penetrated by the Starry Sky Sword. But the next instant... with a metallic clink, the short sword struck a stone—a translucent, crystal-clear stone. *Screeech!* An excruciatingly piercing shriek tore from the coconut tree. Its face twisted with agonizing pain as it stared at Li Hao in horror, which soon turned into fury and hatred! Li Hao's strike had not pierced its Heart of Life, but it had left fissures across the surface, filling the tree with both terror and rage. This fellow had actually concealed his true strength. How was that possible? How could this era give birth to an existence comparable to the Peak Realm? Even if his physical body was frail and likely inferior to a true Peak Realm expert, his sword momentum truly possessed the bearing of the Peak Realm! First Little Tree, then the Demon Suppressing Emissary projection, the saint's saber, and now Li Hao himself erupting with Peak Realm might—it left the coconut tree filled with lingering dread. Had its own physical body not been immortal and extraordinarily durable, it might truly have met its demise here. *Boom!* A tremendous force erupted from the Heart of Life. Li Hao's body was weak, and as the shockwave surged through the short sword, his flesh showed signs of imminent collapse. The fierce recoil caused his internal organs to begin rupturing. Even manifesting his golden armor was futile; the force penetrated directly into his body, impossible to block. The coconut tree's expression turned sinister! What a pity your physical body is far too frail. Your force is impressive, and the force of this era is quite intriguing—even rivaling the origin path of ancient days—but what use is that? You are weaker than a physical body trained along the spiritual path. Just as agony washed over Li Hao's face, a figure materialized. Deputy Director Zhou let out a fierce roar, his golden body radiating dazzling brilliance as an extraordinary energy surged into Li Hao's body! Imperishable substance! A power unique to golden body experts that granted physical immortality. The instant it merged into Li Hao, his ruptured flesh healed immediately, faster than either the Spring of Life or sword energy. With a furious roar and blood spilling from his orifices, Li Hao thrust the sword forward once more! *Boom!* A crack appeared on the Heart of Life, spreading rapidly. The coconut tree's face changed. The Nine Revolutions Golden Body? Otherwise, where could so much imperishable substance come from? How could someone from this era cultivate such a golden body? How was it possible? Golden light radiated from Li Hao as well. His previously frail body was replenished, his wounds healing almost instantaneously. Meanwhile, Deputy Director Zhou's golden body dimmed, and he collapsed to the ground, the golden luster fading into ashen pallor. Deputy Director Zhou wore a bitter smile. What a damn troublesome monster! Having exhausted most of his imperishable substance, even if he survived this battle, recovering would be difficult without devouring massive amounts of origin source power and the Spring of Life. "Humph!" *Boom!* The great tree erupted with formidable power once more, throwing a punch aimed straight at Li Hao's head. Even in this state, it remained boundless in might. "Heaven Turned, Earth Overturned!" In that split second, someone roared fiercely. Heaven and earth flipped—a true reversal of heaven and earth. The tree's punch veered off course, the thunderous impact shattering the void near Li Hao. Li Hao thrust his sword again, coughing up mouthful after mouthful of blood! Brilliance radiated from the short sword! "Lock the Void!" Yao Si bellowed. The martial masters manifested their divine characters, uniting them instantly into a colossal net that locked down the surrounding space, though the shockwaves shook them violently! *Rumble!* The divine characters shattered one after another, and everyone collapsed to the ground, unable to rise. Yet the great tree was also frozen for a fraction of a second. Right then, the Wind-Chasing Boots on Li Hao's feet flashed, and he vanished from his spot. The tree's vision blurred, and the next moment, its expression changed drastically! Little Tree, who had been suppressing the origin path, was nearing its limit. However, the opponent's origin path had also been pinned down in the void. Suppressed by the Imperial Palace projection! An incomparably vast divine ability power erupted from the Starry Sky Sword, unleashing the Lifeless sword momentum! A sword slashed out! The firmament split open! As the sword descended upon the path resembling a highway to heaven, a crack resounded... and a section of it actually snapped off! "Li Hao!" *Boom!* The great tree roared madly. Li Hao had ceased stabbing its Heart of Life, using the Wind-Chasing Boots to vanish and strike directly at the Great Dao instead. Little Tree had used the Imperial Palace to suppress it, and the tree had been countering it all along; though the origin path had failed to crush Little Tree, it had entangled the strongest opponent present, which the coconut tree found acceptable. Who would have guessed Li Hao would vanish so suddenly, aided by the others pinning it down for that crucial instant? Just as the coconut tree attempted to tear through the void to slaughter Li Hao, a long saber suddenly appeared. It seemed as though a saint had manifested, cleaving down with saber in hand! *Bang!* The tree was forced back a step. Chen Zhongtian bore a massive backlash of force, the saber dimming instantly. Inside Chen Zhongtian's body, divine weapons shattered one after another—all of them Heaven-tier divine weapons! One supernatural lock after another exploded. He looked toward Li Hao, feeling somewhat helpless. I have it so rough! It all depends on you now. If you still can't kill it... then there's truly nothing more to be done. If you don't die, will you let me become one of those divine character experts this time? The divine weapons protecting his supernatural locks had all shattered in an instant, and with his supernatural locks broken, he could no longer become a martial master. Drops of the Spring of Life surged from within him, protecting his ruptured internal organs. Chen Zhongtian collapsed to the ground, blood flowing freely, yet a smile touched his lips. If you won't teach me... and if I survive this along with you, will you teach me or not? Just then, Li Hao let out a furious roar, slashing with his sword once more! *Crack!* In the void, another section of the Great Dao snapped. Li Hao spun around abruptly, reaching out to grasp the saber. "Director Chen, lend me your blade!" "Alright..." Chen Zhongtian barely managed a reply, relinquishing his control over the weapon. In truth, it was difficult to control anyway; furthermore, the saber's energy was exhausted, rendering it useless for now until it recovered. What did Li Hao want to borrow the saber for? Just as he was wondering, he spewed a mouthful of blood as his connection to the saber vanished instantly. Li Hao had ceased hacking at the Great Dao; instead, he drove his sword straight through the saber. The Starry Sky Sword began devouring it ravenously. The saber struggled violently, and the silhouette of a figure seemed to emerge. Yet upon sensing something, the phantom above the saber gradually dispersed, a faint voice seeming to echo: "What rotten luck, always devouring other people's divine weapons..." Clearly, the phantom recognized the Starry Sky Sword—the blade of the Sword Venerable! As a saint's weapon, it possessed ample spirituality. Yet at this moment, it had no choice but to let the Starry Sky Sword devour this saint's weapon. The Starry Sky Sword shone with blinding brilliance! A dazzling radiance burst forth in an instant. This was the most powerful divine weapon Li Hao had ever fed to it. The Starry Sky Sword seemed immensely satisfied. In an instant, an incomparably vast, murderously surging sword intent emerged, striking out once more! *Crack!* The firmament tore open, the void shattered, and Little Tree was so startled that it shifted away instantly. The Imperial Palace anchoring the Dao also vanished, and with a tremendous crack, the Great Dao snapped completely! "Ah!" A bloodcurdling shriek rang out. Behind Li Hao, the coconut tree screamed and roared in madness, its physical form crumbling and countless branches snapping off. For experts of the origin path, having their Dao severed in an instant produced a backlash that could sometimes slay them on the spot. Fortunately, without the amplification of the origin path in this era, the backlash was not as severe as in the past, so it did not perish immediately. Even so, it suffered grievous wounds, its spirit shattered. Its mind went blank for an instant, its vision blurring as a figure seemed to appear before it. The Spring of Life surged within the tree, rushing toward its Heart of Life in an attempt to forcefully heal the previous damage. Yet at that very moment, Li Hao plunged his sword into the exposed stone. With a crisp crack, the Heart of Life shattered completely! The tree shifted frantically between humanoid and arboreal forms, alternating back and forth. It stared at Li Hao in utter disbelief! Peculiar ripples emerged from its body. The coconut tree was filled with despair and incredulity. Could it truly be slain by these ants? With its origin path destroyed and its Heart of Life shattered, it knew its end had come. Never had it imagined such an outcome. "Li Hao..." The coconut tree regained its composure, glaring at Li Hao with chilling eyes. Wave after wave of violent energy began leaking from its body—it was preparing to self-detonate. It was a peerless powerhouse! How could these ants be allowed to kill it? Even in death, these wretches would be dragged down to accompany it in the grave. Though it had betrayed the human race, it had once lived in the Neo-Martial era. In that era, dying meant self-detonating; dying in mutual destruction with the enemy was the universal consensus of every human and demon alike! Even if it died, Li Hao would be buried with it! The Black Armor had warned Li Hao of this very thing. Thus, the instant the energy coalesced and approached detonation, Li Hao let out a thunderous roar as a powerful devouring suction emanated from the Starry Sky Sword. "Black Panther!" The comatose Black Panther seemed to hear the voice, recalling Li Hao's prior instructions... Yet in that moment, Black Panther felt profound grief. Again? This is truly going to kill a dog! Still... there was no time to care. A bloody maw manifested instantly like a black hole, devouring the great tree. The coalesced energy was partially drained by the Starry Sky Sword and Black Panther in the blink of an eye, causing the raging energy to settle slightly. Yet the tree sneered coldly. That was hardly enough! It had already reverted to its arboreal form. The massive trunk was fracturing, on the verge of complete detonation. When an Immortal self-detonated, not a single one of these people would escape alive. At that precise instant, Li Hao closed his eyes. Thinking he had abandoned all struggle, the tree laughed, "Li Hao, dying alongside me is your greatest honor..." *Boom!* A tremendous roar rang out as something suddenly burst forth from within the tree, shattering heaven and earth and blasting its trunk apart. Striking forth, a colossal hammer hammered heaven and earth! *Rumble!* The tree's remnant mental strength was blasted into oblivion by that single hammer strike. In that moment, the phantom of the great tree emerged, filled with disbelief and unwillingness. "How could this..." Li Hao stared coldly at its phantom. Why couldn't it? "The Eight Great Families are one, with the Li family at the head. Since I dared to hand the hammer over to you, I could naturally control it. If I can wield the Wind-Chasing Boots, why wouldn't I be able to wield the Hong family hammer?" Did such an idiotic question even need asking? You dared conceal it inside your own body... you truly courted your own death! You couldn't even use it, so what was the point of hiding it within yourself? Li Hao had refrained from manipulating it all along, refusing to touch it no matter how perilous the situation became, solely waiting for this exact moment—this was the true fatal strike! The Hong family hammer was meant for hammering mental strength into dust. Without mental strength to direct it, how could the energy be triggered to explode? Black Panther and the devouring power of the Starry Sky Sword had merely been diversions! Li Hao knew that neither the Starry Sky Sword nor Black Panther could neutralize an Immortal's final self-detonation. Only the Hong family hammer, destroying the opponent's mental strength, could prevent the energy from erupting! Fortunately, the Black Armor had warned him. Otherwise, Li Hao would never have considered this, nor would he have imagined that entities from the Neo-Martial era fought their enemies with the resolve to self-detonate at any moment. The coconut tree's phantom projected across heaven and earth, lingering with reluctance before giving way to relief. It suddenly chuckled, "What a pity..." A pity for what? A pity that heaven and earth had changed. Otherwise, for a distinguished Immortal like itself, even falling would never have caused such a meager ripple; bloody rain would have poured from the heavens to mourn the demise of an Immortal. What a pity... it could never return to the past. What a pity that the era had truly changed. What a pity that it had died at the hands of a band of weaklings. Its phantom looked toward Li Hao with a faint smile. "Is the human race... truly so uniquely favored by heaven? Even in this era, they can still accomplish this..." "Neo-Martial... is gone... and I am leaving as well... After struggling for so many years, it ends like this after all..." A sigh carried a sense of release, and with a soft rumble, the phantom shattered entirely! An Immortal demon plant had thoroughly fallen! Li Hao collapsed heavily to the ground as well. At this moment, people lay sprawled across the earth. Little Tree rapidly coalesced the Spring of Life, showering it over the crowd while instantly enveloping the shattered tree to prevent any residual shockwaves from erupting. Everyone stared unblinkingly at the sky, lost in thought. They had succeeded!