As the power of time dissipated, the chaotic lightning tribulation naturally dispersed.
Just as Li Hao had said, without time, chaos would not target them. In the vast expanse of chaos, powerhouse beings were countless. Aside from life and death, reincarnation, past and future... chaos actually targeted no one.
Chaos was all-encompassing. Only when something threatened to disrupt its order would it call down tribulation.
Within the chaotic universe, an immense beast as colossal as a star began to swim forward.
It moved swiftly... yet in the boundless expanse of chaos, its pace seemed as sluggish as a snail's crawl.
The place where the brilliant fireworks had bloomed earlier, ignited in flame, appeared to be right nearby... yet Black Panther knew that swimming there while carrying an entire world might take several years.
Such was chaos!
Here, except for a handful of supreme beings, anyone would appear extraordinarily insignificant.
Silver Moon had neither an expert like the Human King nor one like the Cang Emperor. Reaching Neo Martial would require crossing the territory of Red Moon... Li Hao had not made that choice, nor had Tianji and the others asked him to.
They were on the fringes of Red Moon, while the upheaval caused by Neo Martial had erupted on the opposite side.
Crossing the territory of the Red Moon Great World was simply too difficult, fraught with far too much peril. Consequently, the direction they traveled was completely opposite to that of Neo Martial.
When it came to chaos, they were utterly ignorant.
Tianji was no exception.
In truth, he could faintly sense his true body far away. Yet even Tianji never mentioned seeking out Neo Martial; it was simply too dangerous, something the current Silver Moon could not afford.
Escaping the shroud of Red Moon was already their absolute limit.
As for whether Neo Martial would come looking for them... Tianji hoped they would not.
This time, Neo Martial had caused an enormous disturbance, stirring up who knew how much trouble. The entire chaos seemed affected. Tianji truly did not wish for Neo Martial to seek Silver Moon at this moment... it would be best if they simply forgot about Silver Moon.
Otherwise, once Neo Martial made contact with Silver Moon, any random expert could easily wipe Silver Moon out given its current strength.
It was better to stay far away!
It was best if the two sides kept their interactions to an absolute minimum.
That way, at least either the true body or the avatar could be preserved.
Such were Tianji's thoughts.
Zhang An understood this truth as well, yet at this moment, a deep longing still welled within him—longing for Neo Martial, longing for his grandfather. The Star Gate was open, and though he knew Neo Martial was still out there somewhere across the chaos...
He could not return.
For the people of Neo Martial, only a few decades had passed, which was practically nothing.
Yet for them, a full hundred thousand years had gone by!
Even if they had slept for many of those years, they knew that a hundred thousand years had slipped away. Not having returned for a hundred thousand years, the entire group felt homesick.
Neo Martial was their true home.
...
Meanwhile, Li Hao sat cross-legged atop the colossal beast, gazing into the chaos as he cultivated.
In fact, he knew that Zhang An and the others longed to return.
Yet... there was no way.
*Right now, I cannot fulfill my past promise to send them back to Neo Martial... because I must stay far away from the Red Moon Great World.*
The Sovereign they had encountered today was far stronger than Bone-Corroding had been back then.
And was such a being considered the strongest in the entire chaos, or even within the Red Moon Great World?
Certainly not!
As for Silver Moon, Li Hao possessed only a rudimentary trace of Sovereign power and could not yet be counted as a true Sovereign. Er Mao was quite formidable, but apart from matters concerning the Emperor of Battle Heaven, it paid no heed to anything else.
Even when combining their might, Qian Wuliang and Hong Yitang were inferior to Li Hao.
How could a Silver Moon like this ever meddle in a war between Great Worlds?
Tianji's avatar knew very little about the gradations of Sovereigns within chaos. His avatar had been severed a hundred thousand years ago, a time when even his true body rarely ventured into chaos.
Thus, the avatar's knowledge was limited.
He had merely devised some simple classifications based on Neo Martial's standards of strength. Regarding the two Sovereigns that had appeared today, all he could discern was that one was slightly stronger, while the other was stronger still...
Such vague categorizations left Li Hao unable to clearly gauge how formidable Red Moon truly was, how powerful Neo Martial was, or how deep the depths of chaos went!
Having transformed into a colossal beast, Black Panther glided through the chaos.
Beside Li Hao, the long river coiled, and he appeared utterly frail with age.
His lifespan had nearly run dry earlier. When undergoing the tribulation, his strength had risen slightly and his lifespan had expanded a little; comprehending time had granted him another modest increase. Yet after reversing time... he had returned to his previous deteriorated state, perhaps even worse!
At this moment, Li Hao had not yet truly stepped into the Sovereign realm.
He had not undergone a true metamorphosis.
Even if he took an ordinary Great Dao to advance to Sovereign... it would not truly be commonplace. Currently, Li Hao entertained some ideas: he wanted to tread a slightly unique path, using the perfection of the Dao of Time as his foundation to achieve the Sovereign rank.
Little time was left to him, yet Li Hao harbored no fear.
If he wished to advance to Sovereign... it was not actually difficult.
Having once looked down from greater heights, many things now appeared fundamental to him. Once one had witnessed towering peaks, a mere mound of earth was nothing extraordinary!
With a thought...
Several figures materialized beside him, all appearing somewhat surprised and shaken. Earlier, they had not had the leisure to view the chaos. Now, suddenly standing atop Black Panther's colossal form and beholding the chaos... in that instant, every one of them felt utterly infinitesimal.
The arrivals were Qian Wuliang, Hong Yitang, and Lin Hongyu.
The three were puzzled. Had Li Hao brought them out from inside Black Panther's belly for a reason?
Li Hao looked at the three and remained silent for a moment before speaking. "I must swiftly advance to Sovereign... Time waits for no one, and the chaos is not safe. Black Panther transformed into Heaven's Will and took command of this chaotic beast's corpse... Its strength is decent, yet in the vast chaos, it seems to amount to very little!"
"Silver Moon has yet to produce a true Sovereign of its own!"
All three turned solemn. Having witnessed the battle of supreme experts earlier, they were all rather tense and apprehensive.
Li Hao continued, "I temporarily cast aside the Dao of Time... but that does not mean I will abandon cultivating it entirely! Of course, right now, I need to consolidate my foundation and attain the Sovereign rank along the way... Advancing to Sovereign normally shouldn't provoke a lightning tribulation."
The three nodded. In the early days of Neo Martial, when Sovereigns were born, there had been no lightning tribulations either; the Sovereign tribulations of later times were engineered by Neo Martial itself.
Li Hao clearly had no need for such things.
"However, my breakthrough might face a tribulation... possibly a chaotic lightning tribulation, though it shouldn't be overly formidable!"
Their hearts leaped to their throats again. Why would that happen?
You're not cultivating time anymore!
Li Hao turned toward Lin Hongyu and said, "I intend to cultivate the Dao of Life and Death, using it to break through to Sovereign!"
Li Hao explained slowly, "Life and death... and Yin and Yang... are actually different! Life is the origin, death is the terminus. Yin and Yang, on the other hand, are two aspects of a whole, much like the Dao of illusion and corporeality. When a person dies and returns to life, that is not truly life and death, but Yin and Yang!"
Lin Hongyu fell into deep thought, though she still did not entirely understand.
Li Hao added, "True life and death is when existence reaches its terminus, and then... begins anew. From start to finish, and from finish to start..."
"To put it simply, I must die of old age... bringing an end to the life of this incarnation! Using the brilliance of the moment life concludes, I will birth a second life, much like... Di Wei!"
The three were startled!
What... did that mean?
They didn't fully comprehend, but vaguely sensed it was extraordinary.
Li Hao explained, "In doing so, I can sever all the karmic ties of this incarnation! However, I will start from scratch, just like Di Wei, extending even to my memories... The memories of this life will become things of the past. If that happens, even if I live out a second life, I might not truly be Li Hao anymore!"
Like Di Wei and his father?
Now the three understood completely!
Lin Hongyu's expression changed. "Must it be this way?"
Li Hao pondered briefly. "It is not that it must be this way, but rather that it benefits me the most. I borrowed power from my future incarnations countless times, and the karmic debts might not have been fully paid yet! Add to that my frequent injuries and multiple resurrections... each instance took a toll on my foundation and latent potential!"
"The current me is riddled with wounds. Injuries of the Dao are exceedingly difficult to mend!"
Lin Hongyu's gaze flickered with conflict. "Then... will you no longer be you?"
Even if he inherited the memories... memories were just memories, not things he had personally lived through. Wouldn't that... make him a completely different person?
Li Hao nodded. "I would no longer be me... Which is why I am reluctant to do it that way. I want to inherit my memories completely—or rather, not inherit, but fully integrate them into myself. I don't want to become a second person like Di Wei!"
Lin Hongyu let out a sigh of relief. Qian Wuliang cautiously asked, "Then the Marquis summoned us... to assist you in completing this task?"
Li Hao nodded. "Correct. That includes the Dao of Life and Death; I need the assistance of you three to achieve perfection in my cultivation! I know the cultivation method well; the crux lies in the seamless integration of memories..."
This method was actually similar to the techniques of some individuals, like the young master of Fengyun Pavilion. However, Li Hao clearly was not seeking to merely have his spiritual power reincarnate; that was meaningless.
He wanted to tread true life, death, and reincarnation!
"How do we help you?"
The three looked solemn. Li Hao, however, chuckled. "It sounds difficult, but it's not! Starting anew and living a second life is essentially a purification of the self, and the process will be quite rapid... What the three of you must do is guide me back to myself at critical junctures!"
Guide?
The three looked troubled. How were they supposed to guide him?
Li Hao continued, "I will start over, progressing through infancy, childhood, youth, and young adulthood... At that time, I will be a blank slate. What you three must do is not force memories into me, but awaken the memories that already reside within me. Only then will I remain my true self!"
"How do we awaken them?"
"In every stage of a person's life, there are unforgettable moments from the past!"
Li Hao said softly, "My parents, my brothers, my teacher, my friends... all of these will be keys to awakening me! But those belong to the later stages. In the beginning... I will be too young. Especially in infancy, I don't even know myself how to awaken my memories..."
The three exchanged glances.
If you don't even know, how could we?
How could they awaken him?
Li Hao rested his chin in his hand, feeling a bit rueful, and searched his memory. "When I was very young, my family was harmonious. There weren't many upheavals. We weren't wealthy, but we lived comfortably enough. Truth be told, there weren't many unforgettable events."
"Of course, there were a few, but I'm not certain if they can awaken me... Naturally, if I cannot be awakened during that period, it isn't the end of the world. I am confident I can recover later. However, if I cannot be awakened then..."
Li Hao frowned slightly. "My comprehension of life and death might deviate somewhat. It would be best if I could be awakened once at each stage—around six, ten, and fifteen years old. Cultivating with an innate Dao body, I will be able to advance to Sovereign much faster!"
The three looked at each other again. This... was going to be difficult.
If it were anything else, they could put their heads together.
But how could they know what would awaken him from his childhood?
Lin Hongyu was deeply conflicted. "We don't know much about your childhood... How about... we bring Teacher Yuan over?"
"Teacher wouldn't know either."
Li Hao shook his head. He had only apprenticed under his teacher during his academy days, and by that stage, Li Hao was certain his memories would have revived on their own, so there was no need to trouble him.
Rubbing his chin, Li Hao paused for a long while before speaking: "I'll mention a few things I still recall, and you can play it by ear. If all else fails..."
He looked at them and gave a wry smile. "Treat a dead horse as if it were alive—look for my old neighbors, primary school classmates, teachers, and the like... See if they can awaken me. If none of them can... then let it be!"
The three felt helpless.
This task was truly a tough nut to crack.
It relied entirely on luck!
Li Hao had no better ideas either. He smiled and said, "Let's leave it at that. As long as my later memories return... missing a bit of childhood isn't the end of the world."
He said as much, but a life would feel incomplete without it.
Everyone had cherished memories from childhood. If they were all lost, Li Hao would likely feel an emptiness inside, wouldn't he?
The three thought to themselves, unable to come up with a superior plan.
Li Hao continued, "That is only the first part. Second, walking the Dao of Life and Death this time requires the aid of the Dao of illusion and corporeality, as well as your guidance, Hongyu! I will tread the corporeal Dao to die, and tread the illusory Dao to be born. In the process, I will traverse the river of time... perhaps better called the River of Life and Death now, finding life through death..."
"Forming a closed loop, I will restart my life!"
"The key lies in the transition between life and death!"
He looked at Lin Hongyu. "What you need to do isn't difficult. Use your Life and Death Star as the midpoint. When I cross that point, gather my spirit with the Dao of Life and Death and cast me into the river!"
Lin Hongyu hesitated before asking, "At that moment, you will be born like an infant?"
"Yes!"
"Then... doesn't that make me your mother?"
Lin Hongyu could not help but blurt it out, because what Li Hao was asking her to do was... just like giving birth!
Entering the Life and Death Star, treating life and death as the boundary, and then tossing Li Hao into the river—wasn't that... giving birth?
*I haven't even become your wife, and now I'm your mother?*
*What is this supposed to be?*
Li Hao was speechless!
*I'm cultivating the Dao!*
*What is this woman thinking?*
Yet strictly speaking, her thinking that... wasn't entirely baseless.
Hong Yitang and Qian Wuliang both fixed their eyes on their noses and their noses on their chests, uttering not a word.
This was not a topic one could casually chime in on!
Li Hao rolled his eyes, utterly exasperated. After a long silence, he said, "Passing through your Life and Death Star and emerging again is indeed... somewhat similar to childbirth! Of course, you could change the framing..."
Lin Hongyu hurriedly asked, "Change it to what?"
"You could treat the Life and Death Star as your buttocks or your nostrils... Do you understand?"
"..."
Silence fell.
The three wore expressions of pure bewilderment. What kind of talk was that?
Qian Wuliang was genuinely embarrassed and dared not laugh. Hong Yitang could barely hold it in, but given his seniority and the fact that Lin Hongyu was a junior, he suppressed it. Black Panther beneath them, however, could not contain itself; its massive chaotic beast frame trembled and shuddered.
It truly couldn't hold back.
Li Hao... was really something else. To put Lin Hongyu's mind at ease, he had compared himself to feces: just imagine you're picking your nose or taking a dump... and the illusion of giving birth vanishes!
Lin Hongyu felt utterly helpless!
This... was disgusting.
Sometimes, this fellow's train of thought left one utterly at a loss for words.
Yet on closer reflection... it seemed reasonable enough. Still, imagining that scene in the future... did this man truly care nothing for his image?
She said exasperatedly, "Forget it, I'll just pretend none of that was said. Those are minor details anyway. Aside from that, is there anything else you need us to do?"
Li Hao nodded. "Yes... I want to be a genius, a peerless genius! I'll need the most basic Five Animals Secret Art as a foundation. When I turn one, toss in the Five Animals Secret Art so I can comprehend force. At age three, toss in the aperture-opening technique; I will open my apertures! At age six, toss in the divine character method; I will cultivate divine characters and integrate them with force..."
"When you're that small, will you even know how?"
Li Hao replied drily, "I am starting over, not turning into an idiot. Starting over, I will be a prodigy nurtured by heaven and earth, learning without a teacher, born inherently of the Dao! I only need an initial spark, and I will master it..."
Alright then!
The others grew curious. Could this really work?
If it did, it would be utterly defying the natural order!
"Right, this process will consume some energy... but for you three, it won't be worth mentioning, as it's only initial cultivation! Later on, however, the energy consumption will be immense... At that point, cast in the vital energy left behind after my corporeal death..."
The three nodded repeatedly.
This was everyone's first time attempting such a feat; they were all intrigued, yet somewhat apprehensive.
Lately, Li Hao had often dabbled in things no one else dared to try.
It sounded simple, but what if... he truly died and couldn't come back to life?
"Do we need to notify the others?"
"No!"
Li Hao shook his head. "Why add unnecessary worries and make people anxious? It's just an ordinary cultivation session."
*Ordinary?*
*It's not ordinary in the slightest!*
*Who cultivates like this!*
"Alright, that's all. I'll take the corporeal Dao first, burning through my lifespan until I die a natural death... If it goes quickly, it will take a few days; if slowly... should my growth lag, it could take eight or ten years... For now, you must remain vigilant. Experts from Red Moon might pursue us. During this period, none of you three will be able to fight, so Black Panther, you'll have to flee diligently!"
The colossal beast shuddered, signaling its understanding.
Li Hao could not help but scold, "You've already become Heaven's Will, taken command of heaven and earth, taken over the corpse of a chaotic beast, and become a Sovereign! Yet you still won't speak or transmit your voice? Do you take me for a fool?"
"..."
The three paused, realizing he was right.
Why hadn't Black Panther learned to speak yet?
It was already at the Sovereign level!
This was perhaps Silver Moon's first true Sovereign... even if it had taken a shortcut.
Black Panther's massive body shuddered once more. Though shaped like an ox, it emitted a faint, dog-like yip.
"Woof!"
"..."
Li Hao clutched his forehead, utterly exasperated with it. There was definitely something wrong with this hound.
Why wouldn't it talk?
You're already Heaven's Will, for goodness' sake!
"Ninety-nine percent chance you have a childish voice. No one's going to mock you!"
Li Hao shook his head helplessly. Forget it.
Too shy to be seen, too embarrassed—a dog actually caring about face! Forget it, do as you please.
"Let's go back to Silver Moon... Leave the Star Gate open. Black Panther, do not close the Star Gate, lest we lose our connection to the chaos."
Soon, the four vanished from Black Panther's back.
...
The Silver Moon World.
At this moment, Silver Moon was slightly different from before. Three long rivers traversed the world: the corporeal and illusory rivers formed circular loops enclosing Silver Moon, while the River of Life and Death served as a bridge connecting the two.
Li Hao acted decisively.
Without bidding farewell to anyone, upon returning to Silver Moon, he stepped directly into the river of the corporeal Dao. Taking the intersection of the corporeal and illusory Daos as his starting point, he stepped inside. The river waters engulfed his head as he advanced step by step, his body aging in an instant.
By rights, he should have been this decrepit all along.
Now, washed by the chaotic waters and cleansed by the power of myriad Daos, he returned to his true essence. For the first time, he revealed an utterly withered appearance, true physical senescence, with deep wrinkles creasing his face.
A scent of decay clung to him.
As Li Hao moved forward, the three powerhouses gradually noticed something amiss. Cracks began to surface across Li Hao's body, making him look like a shattered doll pieced roughly back together.
This was Li Hao's true state.
Resurrected time and time again, dying time and time again... At this moment, he resembled a patched-up rag doll, a vessel of shattered porcelain.
Seeing those countless fractures made their hearts clench in horror!
Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary about Li Hao on normal days. Was his true condition actually this dire?
At that moment, several figures appeared between heaven and earth: one was Tianji, another was Yuan Shuo, and a third was Er Mao... Currently, Er Mao was not immersed in the past, but floating in the sky. Before long, Zhang An manifested as well.
Seeing the exceedingly decrepit Li Hao, all of them were shaken.
How had it come to this?
Ignorant of the situation, they dared not interfere. They could only watch helplessly as Li Hao grew older and more withered, walking from one end of the corporeal river toward the other.
Tianji looked at Zhang An in bewilderment, but Zhang An only shook his head.
He didn't understand either!
The current Li Hao had made contact with three Great Dao Universes, clashed with powerful Sovereigns, wielded time itself, battled chaotic lightning tribulations, and experienced the Neo Martial era...
Li Hao's breadth of knowledge and vision were no longer inferior to anyone's.
Er Mao, however, seemed to discern something.
Among those present, the one with the greatest experience was neither Tianji nor Zhang An, but this cat. It watched for a while, sprawling motionless in the void, filled with a mix of curiosity and perplexity. *Did he truly have to do this?*
*He could have stepped into the Sovereign realm through ordinary means... Upon becoming a Sovereign, some injuries would have dissipated as well. Granted, it might not be as thorough as this, but doing it this way carries immense danger.*
*He truly has no regard for his own life.*
A hint of bewilderment surfaced in its eyes, as if recalling someone... the scholar.
He, too, had loved researching all sorts of bizarre things.
Always lost in his own world, immune to the sway of worldly things, until... there was nothing left in the world worth lingering for, and he found it all thoroughly boring.
Meanwhile, Li Hao grew older still, staggering forward within the chaotic river.
Step by step, he approached the end of his life.
Gradually, his aura waned, decaying to the absolute limit. He gasped for air, looked ahead, and chuckled, his teeth already missing.
*So, when I grow old, even as a cultivator... I end up like this?*
*I had thought that an old cultivator dying would retain an imperishable golden body, preserved for eternity!*
The power of the Great Dao across his body slowly dissolved into the river. What is not brought at birth cannot be taken in death; in life, death, and reincarnation, one arrives naked and should depart naked.
His garments crumbled into ash.
Up in the void, Lin Hongyu did not blush. She merely watched in silence, gazing at the fracture-covered Li Hao, unsure of what to think. When he lived another life, would Li Hao... still remember everything?
Who could say.
By now, Li Hao had reached the river's end. The River of Life and Death spanned heaven and earth like a bridge.
Li Hao panted heavily, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
A suffocating sensation gripped him, and his vision grew dark. He chuckled self-deprecatingly. Old age truly was pathetic: unable to hear external sounds clearly, unable to see the scenery ahead, even his body no longer felt like his own.
Every expert observing this felt a chill in their hearts.
Could a cultivator at Li Hao's level... truly wither to such a state?
To become so frail?
Even Tianji suddenly felt a tremor of dread. Would a Sovereign face such a day as well?
Peerless in life, would they end like this in old age?
He had never seen an expert die naturally of old age. Under normal circumstances, when an expert reached their period of decline, they would venture out in search of opportunities—either to break through, or... to be slain by another!
No one would simply watch themselves wither away completely!
Right at that moment, Li Hao took an excruciatingly difficult step onto the bridge... With a thunderous boom, the world seemed to collapse!
Li Hao's physical body decayed completely, turning into a puddle of mush that dissolved into fine powder in an instant, washed away by the river.
At that exact instant, a dazzling spark of life coalesced into a sphere of radiance. It held the accumulated potential of Li Hao's entire lifetime. This ball of light began to move across the bridge.
Those who had been kept in the dark were thoroughly shaken!
Yet no one spoke.
They understood that Li Hao was carrying out a plan.
It was just that... such a method seemed perilously dangerous.
Tianji finally understood, murmuring, "Life and death... Yin and Yang?"
Yin and Yang weren't like this!
When the Human King reversed Yin and Yang, he directly resurrected people rather than having them restart. Li Hao... seemed to be treading a path of genuine life, death, and reincarnation!
Even after casting aside time, was this man unwilling to take the beaten path?
What a breathtakingly audacious lunatic!
The sphere of light moved inch by inch across the bridge, advancing toward the black-and-white star stationed at its center. Its pace was agonizingly slow. Atop the star, Lin Hongyu had stopped breathing altogether.
At her level of cultivation, breathing was unnecessary.
Yet at this moment, she felt completely suffocated.
Could Li Hao... truly succeed?
Bit by bit, the radiance drew closer to the Life and Death Star.
Gradually, it made contact with the black half.
A wave of deathly energy wafted out, tainting that spark of radiance and dyeing the orb black. The sphere continued forward, its progress visibly arduous.
Inch by inch... the tension choked everyone present.
Suddenly, the sphere reached the boundary between life and death.
Lin Hongyu's hands trembled with tension as she clenched her fists. The instant the light sphere neared the black-and-white demarcation line, she let out a low shout, causing the star to shudder violently. At this point, who cared whether it resembled childbirth or picking one's nose? No such thoughts crossed her mind.
A sphere of radiance was jolted loose by her power, instantly plunging into the River of Life and Death.
A rush of vital energy billowed forth.
The next instant, the wail of a newborn echoed through heaven and earth, as if a world were being born anew. In that single moment, the entirety of Silver Moon transitioned from winter into spring. All living things revived; along with the infant's cries, boundless flora began to sprout.
Ice and snow melted, ushering in spring.
Within the river, a bare-bottomed infant swam about, his eyes extraordinarily bright, his cries remarkably resonant.
"Waaah... waaah..."
Lin Hongyu was on edge, feeling breathless as she looked at the infant, at a loss for what to do.
Er Mao, who had remained silent all along, suddenly chimed in, "Meow... A true innate Dao body... He truly is audacious!"
Meanwhile, the infant in the river began to grow. When thirsty, he drank a mouthful of river water; when weary, he floated atop the surface, sound asleep.
Right at that moment... a flash of light gleamed.
In the distance, Yuan Shuo said nothing, but a camera had appeared in his hands, and he snapped a picture...
Everyone froze!
Yuan Shuo, however, remained utterly calm.
The others exchanged glances. An instant later, Zhang An subtly summoned the Great Dao Book to mirror the river directly. He felt that... photography was too crude; having the Great Dao Book imprint it directly was far superior!
How fascinating!
Li Hao had actually turned into an infant!
What on earth was this?
Tianji picked his nose and quietly began recording everything as well. The others looked at one another... Lin Hongyu suddenly giggled and began recording too.
Seeing this, Hong Yitang refused to be left out.
Only one person—Qian Wuliang—glanced around, swallowed hard, and dared not move an inch.
*I fear death!*
*These people are out of their minds!*
*This young man is not someone to be trifled with. Once he revives and becomes a Sovereign... if he discovers all this, are these people truly not afraid of dying?!*
After a brief commotion, everyone saw the infant begin to grow.
Lin Hongyu suddenly asked, "How... how do we tell his age?"
*He's so tiny, and I've never had a child. How am I supposed to know when he turns one?*
*This fellow isn't an ordinary child at all!*
"Look at his bone structure!"
Tianji could tell, and quickly said, "He's growing so fast... What is going on... Almost one year old..."
Even as he spoke, he blurted, "He's already one!"
Lin Hongyu swiftly cast down a book, glowing like an inscription of the Great Dao.
In the river, the child had already swum into the river of the illusory Dao. The book sank into his body in an instant. The child's eyes shifted, as if enlightened, and babbling baby talk emerged from his mouth: "Five animals, five forces... five elements, five Daos..."
Suddenly, force manifested around him!
This time, the speed at which he comprehended force was beyond imagination. In a mere instant, five great forces hovered above his head. They did not take the shapes of beasts, but directly transformed into the power of the five elements. The five elemental forces instantly merged, abruptly coalescing into a domain!
Yuan Shuo's mouth opened, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
*Holy shit!*
*What is this?*
*Is this Li Hao cultivating with the power of a half-step Sovereign, or is he genuinely starting from scratch? If it's the latter... isn't this terrifying?*
In a flash, the tiny infant grew a bit larger. He possessed no other power, only the five great forces fused into a domain, like an embryonic world beginning to merge.
Soon, Tianji warned, "Quick, keep tossing in cultivation methods..."
By this point, Lin Hongyu could gauge his age as well. Seeing Li Hao grow rapidly, she was alarmed. Without wasting words, she tossed in the aperture-opening technique.
Once again, the sight left everyone dumbfounded.
Across tiny Li Hao's body, apertures suddenly lit up one by one. In the blink of an eye, thirty-six apertures emerged, and in another blink... seventy-two!
Everyone was flabbergasted!
They couldn't tell if Li Hao was using his half-step Sovereign power to cultivate, or if this reborn child was truly a prodigy of such monstrous proportions.
He broke through the Ten-Slayer realm in an instant.
A moment later, he stepped into the Hundred-Breaker realm.
Before long, little Li Hao reached the Thousand-Battler level...
Suddenly, an entire Dao meridian opened completely—the Mountain-Sea realm!
As this Dao meridian opened, a wave of illusory Dao power surfaced, transforming into force. A Dao meridian emerged from the river of the illusory Dao and merged into him. Seeing this, everyone was astonished.
*He's fusing the corporeal and illusory right from the start?*
*This... is too fast!*
Right then, Hong Yitang suddenly spoke: "How do we awaken his memories? He's almost six..."
Lin Hongyu had no idea either. She hurriedly recounted many things to the young Li Hao—all details Li Hao had mentioned earlier. Yet child Li Hao showed no reaction whatsoever, like a vegetative patient, ignoring her entirely.
Lin Hongyu was at her wit's end. If this continued... Li Hao would lose all his memories from before the age of six.
Yuan Shuo, however, suddenly chuckled. Under everyone's startled gazes, he lunged straight into the river of the illusory Dao.
Qian Wuliang was horrified!
Wouldn't something go wrong?
The next instant, Yuan Shuo scooped up the naked child Li Hao, slapped his bottom, and roared, "You dare cause trouble again?!"
"Waaah..."
Cries rang out. The next moment, child Li Hao blurted out in tears, "I won't do it again... don't hit me..."
"Xiao Hao knows he was wrong... I won't do it again..."
Yuan Shuo nodded in satisfaction and instantly withdrew from the river.
Everyone stared at him, dumbstruck.
Yuan Shuo wore a calm expression. "Spare the rod, spoil the child. No kid ever grew up without taking a beating. It's simple: hit him once, and he snaps out of it!"
*Just like that?*
Lin Hongyu's heart stirred. *So that's how it is.*
*He needs a beating!*
Meanwhile, Li Hao continued to grow rapidly within the river. His eyes held more liveliness, a spark of intelligence he lacked before. Everyone understood that he had likely recovered his childhood memories.
What a... bizarre method of awakening.
Li Hao's strength also advanced by leaps and bounds. As manual after manual of cultivation methods was cast in, Li Hao reached the Sun-Moon realm almost in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone agape.
More and more Dao meridians opened!
Before long, he reached ten years of age. It was time for the second awakening of memories. This time, without waiting for Yuan Shuo, Lin Hongyu stepped forward, scooped up the naked Li Hao, and delivered a slap to his bottom!
Yet child Li Hao cursed loudly, "Bad woman, why are you hitting me? I'm telling my dad..."
"..."
Lin Hongyu froze. *Wait, that's not right!*
*Memory recovery shouldn't look like this!*
Yuan Shuo sighed. Had none of them ever raised a child?
*Why does this bunch act like idiots?*
*I might not have children of my own, but... I've actually raised them before!*
At this moment, Yuan Shuo appeared again, materializing before Li Hao with immense majesty. "What was your test score? Were you at the bottom of the class again? If you didn't do well, no dinner for you tonight!"
"..."
The onlookers were stunned. Would this work?
The next moment, child Li Hao froze, looking visibly anxious. "The... the test results... aren't out yet..."
"Still daring to lie? I've already asked your teacher!"
"I... I won't do it again..."
Though child Li Hao was already a Sun-Moon cultivator, at this moment, he was overcome with terror. He turned as if to flee, but Yuan Shuo caught him again, delivering another loud smack to his rear!
"I won't do it next time!"
Loud wails echoed through heaven and earth once more.
Everyone stared at Yuan Shuo, completely dumbfounded... Was it really that simple?
Yuan Shuo stepped out of the river again. Seeing everyone looking at him, he acted completely nonchalant. *What do you know? This is the terror buried in the depths of little Li Hao's heart. Exams—how terrifying!*
Everyone was speechless as Li Hao continued to swim along the river.
Gradually, his strength grew more and more formidable.
He began stepping into the Dao Integration Realm!
First tier, second tier...
His speed was unimaginable.
This time, Lin Hongyu volunteered: "When he turns sixteen, I'll awaken him..."
She felt experienced now!
So raising a child was like this—seemed easy enough.
Full of confidence, the moment Li Hao turned sixteen, she entered the river, grabbed him, and demanded with absolute authority, "How were your exam results?"
*Bam!*
The teenage Li Hao threw a punch. The power of a sixth-tier Dao Integration cultivator, fusing both the corporeal and illusory Daos, was no joke; the punch left Lin Hongyu's cheek instantly swollen!
Lin Hongyu was stunned.
*How did this happen?*
The next moment, Yuan Shuo strolled into the river with an air of profound worldly wisdom. Sighing, he suddenly asked, "Li Hao, are you seeing someone? Tell me, who's the girl? Do you have a crush on her, or something else?"
The teenage Li Hao froze, looking flustered and embarrassed. As if recalling something, he whispered, "Don't... don't tell my mom..."
Everyone exchanged awkward glances...
Lin Hongyu was thoroughly defeated!
Forget it, she couldn't understand this at all!
Yuan Shuo, that old bachelor, had everything figured out. He truly lived up to his title as a professor.
At this point, Li Hao's memories seemed to have been awakened once more. The brilliance in his eyes shone brighter, and his strength advanced yet again.
His physical age continued to advance.
However, there was no longer any need for others to awaken his memories.
Past sixteen... Li Hao seemed to gain self-awareness. His eyes cycled through grief, anger, and occasional despair.
In that moment, everyone realized he had awakened on his own.
Li Hao's strength surged frantically.
Before long, his aura shifted—ninth tier of the Dao Integration Realm!
Fusing the corporeal and illusory, Li Hao reached his previous peak.
*Phew!*
A breath of air escaped Li Hao's lips. He looked around, seemingly able to pierce through the river and see the crowd standing outside.
"I am about to attain the Dao!"
Li Hao looked toward the crowd, his eyes returning to their former depth, though his body was completely reborn.
This time, it had seemed much simpler.
Yet everyone wore solemn expressions.
*How will you attain the Dao?*
They still couldn't tell!
Right then, two stars appeared above Li Hao's head—one black, one white. Everyone paused in surprise. *Life and Death Stars?*
The two stars gradually began to merge, commanding the other stars. Within Li Hao's body, countless stellar Daos surfaced in an instant. He stepped into his original river of time.
Above his head, life and death intertwined.
Li Hao smiled. "Life and death isn't actually difficult... The hard part was the flawless recovery of my memories... Teacher, you truly understand me!"
Yuan Shuo laughed. "Why didn't you call for me?"
"I assumed you wouldn't know either. After all... you're a bachelor..."
Yuan Shuo sneered. "I've done everything in my life. In my earlier years, just to excavate an ancient ruin, I served as the director of an orphanage for seven years... The moment you twitch your rear, I know what you're thinking! By the way, put some clothes on—aren't you ashamed?"
Li Hao blinked, chuckling wryly. An instant later, a set of cyan robes materialized over his body.
Opposite him, Lin Hongyu withdrew her gaze with an impassive face. *Everyone was looking... why shouldn't I?*
Clearing his throat, Li Hao looked toward the sky and laughed. "Becoming a Sovereign is just that simple. It's just that walking the path of life and death will likely trigger a lightning tribulation—a chaotic lightning tribulation, though it won't be too overwhelming... We're old acquaintances now. Watch me shatter it!"
With those words, he soared out from heaven and earth.
Within the chaos, sure enough, a modest dark cloud gathered.
Compared to before, the difference was vast.
Strictly speaking, it was similar in scale to the one that had struck Li Hao and Li Daoheng down previously, but back then, all three of them had been struck dead.
In truth, it was still exceedingly formidable.
Yet to Li Hao... what did this amount to?
A longsword materialized instantly in Li Hao's grip. With life and death rotating, he charged straight into the chaos and slashed out! The Dao of Life and Death manifested, commanding all 360 integrated Dao meridians. As the sword cleaved down, a thunderous crash resounded, and half the dark cloud was annihilated!
The others swiftly exited as well, all of them thoroughly shaken.
*He's this strong?*
The next instant, an even mightier power erupted from within Li Hao. Another sword strike, uniting life and death! The dark cloud seemed to sense the threat; it shuddered, instantly decaying into deathly energy before shifting back into vitality in the blink of an eye.
Life and death alternated incessantly, as if even the dark cloud suffered from birth, aging, sickness, and death... cycling continuously through life and death.
Li Hao cleaved down once more. The very tribulation cloud that possessed the same power that had slain Bone-Corroding and the others was cleaved apart with a single strike!
Everyone was dumbstruck!
*How could this be?*
*Boom!*
The lightning tribulation simply vanished!
Li Hao opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing the destructive energy within the tribulation entirely. He landed atop the colossal beast, sitting cross-legged as the stars and the powers of life and death hovered above him.
In that moment, his aura surged drastically.
Black and white intertwined for a time, and a majestic pressure arose out of nowhere. The body of the colossal beast beneath him, controlled by Black Panther, shuddered violently; Black Panther actually felt an immense threat!
"Life and death cannot match time!"
Li Hao opened his eyes, shaking his head with a trace of regret.
It truly couldn't compare!
A Sovereign of Life and Death might be stronger than an ordinary Sovereign, but was definitely inferior to a Sovereign of Time. What a pity!
The surrounding crowd exchanged glances, falling into dead silence.
Suddenly, everyone felt an urge to beat him to death.
Tianji remained exceptionally quiet, uttering not a word. He cursed internally: *Once my true body arrives... will I even be able to fight him?*
*Probably... I can, right?*
*Is attaining the Dao of a Sovereign truly this easy?*
*How come I never noticed!*
Of course, Li Hao had already slain several Sovereigns before; his breakthrough to Sovereign was not hard to understand. Still... mastering the Dao of Life and Death with such effortless ease left Tianji feeling rather sour.
*I've never been the jealous type, but this time... I'm genuinely jealous.*
*Even the Human King didn't attain the Sovereign Dao this quickly, did he?*
*How long has it even been!*
Chapter 429