Chapter 486: The End
"If the Primordial Soul reaches the Final Realm and ascends to the True God level, allowing the physical body to shrink while manifesting the True God externally, then one could move freely in this place."
Li Hao thought to himself.
At this moment, his Primordial Soul had already surpassed his physical body in strength. Even though his Ancestor Immortal Body was one of the strongest physiques in the True Immortal Realm, it still couldn't compare to the terrifying power of 560 Primordial Soul Gold Bones.
Fortunately, with Fourth-Tier Spatial Dao Origin, he could barely perceive the attack patterns here. Combined with the vast perception brought by his Primordial Soul, he gradually adjusted to the Twelfth Desolate Domain, and soon, he moved through it effortlessly, dodging incoming attacks with ease.
Some of the attacks brushed past him, but Li Hao dodged them with an air of calm amusement.
This exhilarating sensation—dancing on the edge of a blade while maintaining absolute control—made his heart race. It had been a long time since he had experienced such a thrilling challenge.
Time flowed quietly.
In the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
"It should be time to wrap this up."
Li Hao moved back and forth near the Mist Wall deep within the Twelfth Desolate Domain.
He had tried slicing through it before, but the Dao Origin Power condensed within was too strong. Even when he unleashed Sole Sword Dao, he could only barely cut through half of it.
The Immortal Dao Laws attached to the Mist Wall suppressed his Sword Dao's effectiveness by over 90%, leaving him with no choice but to rely purely on raw Immortal Energy to break through.
The gap between True Immortal Realm and Immortal Monarch Realm was still too vast. Li Hao didn't push himself further. He estimated that even if he forcefully broke into the Thirteenth Desolate Domain, he would be driven out shortly afterward.
Whoosh!
Dodging another attack, Li Hao's body moved like a dragon, weaving gracefully through the domain.
He retrieved his Identity Token. With less than two days remaining, it was time to leave.
As the end of the trial approached, he was curious about what was happening outside.
Holding a watch-the-drama mindset, Li Hao activated his Identity Token.
In an instant, a power surpassing the Immortal Dao Laws of the domain descended upon him, tearing open a spatial rift and directly transporting his body out.
At the same moment that Li Hao disappeared, two figures suddenly arrived deep within the Desolate Domain.
"This little guy… After three years, his improvement has become even more terrifying. His progress is truly astonishing."
A white-haired elder in a white star-embroidered robe, Yuan Xinggang, stroked his beard with a smile.
Beside him, Shangguan Hong, clad in golden armor, rarely showed emotions, but his eyes revealed a hint of satisfaction.
"Given his level, he should barely be able to endure the Twelfth Desolate Domain, yet his Primordial Soul is incredibly powerful, and his movements are agile. His combat instincts aren't weak either. This suggests he has the potential for extraordinary adaptability in real battles."
As the highest-ranking general of the imperial army, overseeing the 9,000 immortal cities of Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, Shangguan Hong valued practical combat ability over cultivation level.
For powerful sects and ancient noble clans, raising high-realm cultivators was not difficult.
With enough rare treasures and resources, they could easily manufacture so-called prodigies.
But once these so-called geniuses entered actual combat, their battle instincts and foundations often crumbled.
He had seen plenty of laughable incidents in the past—such as a noble family's pampered daughter who, despite her high cultivation, collapsed in terror when faced with an illusionary battlefield of corpses and blood, nearly shattering her Dao Heart.
Or cases where certain depraved immortal arts, like the infamous Spring Palace Thousand Images Technique, could instantly cripple the battle capabilities of sheltered prodigies, reducing them to trembling wrecks.
Weaknesses like these were deadly in real battles.
Combat was never just a friendly duel—it was life and death.
One had to be prepared for any means necessary. Only those with unyielding Dao Hearts could withstand such trials.
"I originally regretted that he didn't join the Imperial Overseer Academy so I could personally guide him. But now… seeing his current performance, it seems that even spending three years training in the Heavenly Surveillance Secret Realm wouldn't have made much of a difference."
Yuan Xinggang chuckled.
Shangguan Hong nodded slightly.
Three years ago, Li Hao had barely reached the Eleventh Desolate Domain.
Now, he was moving through the Twelfth Desolate Domain with ease.
This was a monumental leap—equivalent to surpassing an entire level of the Immortal Monarch Realm.
And yet, he was only at True Immortal Ninth Level.
Even though his cultivation realm had increased significantly, in the face of Immortal Monarchs, there was still supposed to be a massive gap—normally, no matter how strong a True Immortal was, they would be instantly crushed by an Immortal Monarch.
"And there are still seven years until the Southern Domain War… I'm looking forward to seeing this little guy's performance."
"In the True Immortal Battle Division, he should be able to make a name for himself across the Southern Domain."
Shangguan Hong's face lit up with a rare smile.
He hadn't expected Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty to be fortunate enough to discover such a treasure.
"His Majesty has already been informed. He will personally come to see him." Yuan Xinggang smiled meaningfully.
"The trial is nearly over… and these little ones are finally settling down."
Shangguan Hong's gaze swept over the royal clan members outside the Desolate Domains, as well as the few remaining royal heirs still struggling within.
A smirk played on his lips.
Outside the Desolate Domain.
Li Hao stepped out from the Desolate Domain, swiftly flying toward Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect's gathering area.
Lifting his head, he glanced at the Immortal Monument and quickly found his identity number ranked at tenth place.
Climbing from 25th to 10th—Li Hao was quite satisfied, though he hadn't expected to end up as the gatekeeper of the top ten.
After three days, his rank hadn't changed; he remained at tenth place. He hadn't encountered any royal bloodline cultivators in the Twelfth Desolate Domain, leading him to speculate that those ranked ninth or higher had likely entered the Thirteenth Desolate Domain.
That meant the top nine contestants were at least peak-stage Immortal Monarch Realm, true elite powerhouses.
"If I run into these guys during the Southern Domain War, things might get tricky..."
Li Hao mused inwardly.
As he descended, the disciples of Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect also noticed his arrival.
Before he could react, an excited Li Tiemu rushed toward him, wrapping him in a firm embrace, laughing heartily.
"You brat, I said you could make it into the top ten, and you really did it!"
"How the hell did you pull that off?"
Li Tiemu's face was full of astonishment as he studied Li Hao in disbelief.
"I just kept pushing forward," Li Hao replied with a casual smile.
Li Tiemu rolled his eyes. As if it were that easy! But he knew this matter involved Li Hao's secrets, and he had no intention of prying.
With a disciple like Li Hao performing at this level, Li Tiemu felt like he had picked up a treasure for free.
The techniques he had passed on to Li Hao were far from enough to achieve such results—this could only mean Li Hao had other inheritances or a unique fortuitous encounter.
Regardless, it was a great thing, and as Li Hao's teacher, he truly wished him well.
As the two landed, Zhou Qingyun and others surrounded them, their faces full of admiration and congratulations.
Standing among them, Lin Mingrong gazed at the scene.
The once-misunderstood young man was now at the center of everyone's attention, surrounded like a star among stars.
Her emotions were complicated—she never expected that the boy she had once doubted possessed such terrifying talent.
She knew their paths would only diverge further from now on.
Nearby, Gu Yan and Yuexi also had mixed expressions.
They had joined the sect at the same time as Li Hao, with comparable cultivation realms.
Yet now, the gap between them was immeasurable.
"This little junior brother… really brought glory to our sect," Murong Qingwu murmured.
Not only the Sword Abyss disciples, but disciples from other Abysses were also gathering, eager to get a closer look at Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect's strongest prodigy.
Over in the Spear Abyss, Su Yecheng, clad in black robes, stood motionless.
While the other disciples swarmed toward Li Hao, he remained as still as a rock amidst crashing waves, his gaze fixed on the young man from a distance.
With his Immortal Monarch Realm cultivation, he could clearly see that Li Hao's aura still belonged to the True Immortal Realm—he hadn't even reached peak-stage True Immortal.
And yet…
This guy had outranked him.
Su Yecheng's eyes darkened as he fell into silence.
Li Hao, noticing the increasing crowd, immediately realized that his rank had spread across the entire sect.
Since the competition was nearly over, there was no point in hiding anything anymore.
He politely greeted his fellow disciples and thanked them for their warm reception.
"Senior Brother, you're only at the True Immortal Realm, right? How did you achieve this ranking? You're even above Nightblade Senior Brother!"
A curious disciple finally asked the question on everyone's minds.
This also echoed the silent question in countless disciples' hearts.
Everyone's eyes widened in curiosity, waiting for Li Hao's answer.
Li Hao didn't know who this Nightblade Senior Brother was, nor did he bother asking.
Smiling, he casually replied, "I don't think the Desolate Domain has a cultivation restriction. If you work hard, you can do it too."
"Senior Brother, you're really good at consoling people..."
The disciple smiled bitterly.
At that moment, Li Tiemu waved his hand, dismissing the surrounding crowd before pulling Li Hao back toward the Sword Abyss area.
Once they were alone, he eyed Li Hao suspiciously and asked,
"You brat, it's been three days—where the hell were you? Don't tell me you were just wandering around in there?"
Given that Li Hao's rank had remained unchanged for three days, Li Tiemu assumed he had retreated to a lower-level Desolate Domain for leisure.
"Nope. I was just... getting a feel for things."
Li Tiemu was speechless.
He glanced up at the Immortal Monument and said,
"Right now, you're the gatekeeper of the top ten. I wonder if anyone will challenge you. The guy you pushed out of the ranking—I've asked around—he's a disciple of Ten Thousand Mountain Sword Tower, second only to Tian Hongyi. He's also from an imperial bloodline, so he definitely won't let this slide. The final struggle for the top ten is going to be brutal."
"If I get pushed out, then it can't be helped."
Li Hao smiled indifferently.
Li Tiemu stared at him in disbelief.
Seeing Li Hao so relaxed, he was at a loss for words.
Then again, getting into the top ten was already a miracle, so he assumed Li Hao had given it his all and had no regrets.
"Well, let's just see how fate plays out," Li Tiemu sighed.
"The difference between tenth place and eleventh place is enormous."
Li Hao shrugged, unconcerned. If he didn't get the top ten rewards, then so be it.
Meanwhile, at Ten Thousand Mountain Sword Tower...
"The time is almost up. This time, when I enter, I'll make sure to stay for a full two days!"
Zhang Xuanyu rose to his feet, his eyes cold.
Previously, he had only lasted one day in the Twelfth Desolate Domain before being forced out due to exhausting his Immortal Energy.
But this time…
He planned to use a forbidden technique to hold out for an extra day.
As for breaking into the Thirteenth Desolate Domain...
That was out of the question.
Outside the Desolate Domain.
Li Hao stepped out from the Desolate Domain, flying toward the Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect's designated area.
He glanced up at the Immortal Monument and quickly spotted his identity number now firmly sitting in tenth place.
From 25th place to tenth—Li Hao was quite satisfied. He just didn't expect to end up as the gatekeeper of the top ten.
Three days had passed, and his ranking had remained unchanged. He hadn't encountered any royal challengers in the Twelfth Desolate Domain, which meant that the ninth-ranked individuals were likely already in the Thirteenth Desolate Domain.
That meant the top nine were at least peak-tier Second Level Immortal Lords, and likely even Third Level Immortal Lords.
"If I run into these guys in the Southern Domain War, it's going to be tricky…"
Li Hao thought to himself.
As he landed, the Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect disciples immediately noticed him. Amid their excited chatter, Li Tiemu charged toward him, throwing an arm around his shoulders.
"You brat! I told you to go for tenth place, and you actually did it!"
"How the hell did you manage that?"
His expression was one of pure shock and disbelief as he stared at Li Hao.
"I just pushed forward, that's all," Li Hao replied with a smile.
Li Tiemu rolled his eyes. "As if it were that simple."
Of course, he didn't press further. He knew that Li Hao's abilities must have involved some hidden secrets, and he didn't need to pry.
Regardless of how Li Hao achieved this, the fact remained—his disciple had risen to the top ten.
If anything, Li Tiemu felt lucky. He barely taught Li Hao anything, yet the boy catapulted himself into greatness.
The two descended, and immediately, Zhou Qingyun and the others swarmed around them, congratulating Li Hao.
Standing at the edge of the crowd, Lin Mingrong observed the scene with complicated emotions.
She had once misunderstood this very same young man, yet now, his talent was undeniable.
She knew that their paths had long diverged—he was destined to soar like a dragon, while she remained an ordinary fish in the pond.
Beside her, Gu Yan and Yue Xi shared similar expressions.
They had joined the sect at the same time as Li Hao, had cultivated at similar levels, yet the gap between them had grown immeasurably vast.
"This little junior brother… he really brought glory to our sect."
Murong Qingwu murmured softly.
Beyond Sword Abyss, disciples from other sects also gathered around, eager to catch a glimpse of Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect's most powerful prodigy.
In Spear Abyss, a young man in black robes stood motionless.
While his fellow disciples swarmed toward Li Hao, he remained still, like a lone reef amid crashing waves.
Su Yecheng.
His gaze remained locked on Li Hao, his expression unreadable.
With his Immortal Lord cultivation, he could instantly discern that Li Hao's aura was still that of a True Immortal—not even at Stage Ten.
And yet…
This man had ranked above him.
How?
His cold eyes narrowed, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Li Hao could sense the waves of curiosity from those around him.
He wasn't surprised—his ranking had already become public knowledge.
With the competition nearly at its end, there was no point in hiding it anymore.
He greeted his fellow disciples politely, offering his thanks for their congratulations.
"Senior Brother, are you really just a True Immortal?"
One of the disciples finally voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.
This was what puzzled them the most—how could someone who wasn't even an Immortal Lord outclass someone like Su Yecheng?
Li Hao blinked, then replied with a casual smile.
"This Desolate Domain doesn't restrict cultivation levels. If you push hard enough, you can do it too."
"Senior Brother, you're really good at comforting people…"
The disciple sighed.
Li Tiemu waved his hand, cutting off any further questioning.
He didn't want anyone digging too deeply into Li Hao's affairs.
Instead, he pulled Li Hao aside and asked,
"You brat, it's been three days since you got into the top ten. Where have you been? You didn't wander around aimlessly, did you?"
After all, Li Hao had reached tenth place three days ago, and his ranking hadn't changed since then.
He assumed Li Hao had backtracked into earlier Desolate Domains just to pass the time.
"I was just… getting a feel for things," Li Hao replied nonchalantly.
Li Tiemu looked at him speechlessly before glancing at the Immortal Monument.
"You're the gatekeeper now. I don't know if anyone else will challenge you, but I asked around.
The guy you knocked out of tenth place was from Ten Thousand Mountain Sword Tower—one of their top prodigies.
Not only that, he's from an Imperial Bloodline. He's definitely not going to let this go.
The final battle for the top ten will be the fiercest yet."
"If I get pushed out, then so be it," Li Hao said with a grin.
Li Tiemu stared at him, feeling utterly speechless.
Still, he knew that Li Hao must have done his best.
If he got knocked down, there was nothing more to be done.
"Fine. Then we leave it to fate. But remember, the difference between tenth and eleventh place is massive."
Li Hao smiled but said nothing.
If he lost the top ten rewards, then that was that.
Meanwhile, at Ten Thousand Mountain Sword Tower.
"The time is right. This time, stay in there for two full days!"
Zhang Xuanyu stood up, his eyes gleaming with cold determination.
Previously, when he held tenth place, he had only been able to endure the Twelfth Desolate Domain for a single day before his Immortal Energy ran dry.
Now, he had a plan.
Using a certain forbidden technique, he would double his endurance—lasting two full days inside the Twelfth Desolate Domain.
If he could just hold out until the competition ended, then his opponent wouldn't have time to reclaim the ranking.
Breaking through to the Thirteenth Desolate Domain was out of the question, but it didn't matter.
His goal was simply to secure the top ten spot at any cost.