Chapter 558: The Nine Sequences Unleashed, True Power
After his defeat, Gu Yan returned to the sect and fell deep into thought, ignoring everyone.
The Da Meng Master didn't allow anyone to disturb him. She set up a barrier just for him so he could reflect in peace.
Not long after, the twenty-five-strong matchups ended. A few managed to fight their way back, but most retained their original placements.
Yuexi was challenged as well but barely held her ground.
Once the names were finalized, the Supreme of Tiangong raised a hand and summoned the power of the Heavenly Dao to draw lots for the next round of matchups.
With an odd number of participants, one would automatically advance. According to the immortal guard commander, that person could still be challenged by a losing contestant—if the challenger won, they'd take the spot.
When the drawing finished, the one who got a free pass was none other than Di Linchen.
Many were stunned. As a member of the Di Clan, he was a favorite to win. Now, with this incredible luck, he advanced without a fight.
If someone else had gotten this, people might have envied their luck, but since it was Di Linchen, most participants felt frustrated instead—this meant they could now avoid facing him altogether.
Li Hao glanced toward his own opponent. To his surprise, it was the boy from the Gu Shen Clan—Shen Wuji.
He hadn't expected to meet him so soon, especially not before the top ten.
As Li Hao stared at him, Shen Wuji also turned to look his way. His lips curled into a smile. He had been impressed by Li Hao's defeat of both the Zhan Tian Clan and the Gui Clan—especially the display of footwork and Yuan Spirit power against Gui Lingyue, which had even made him feel pressure.
"Young master, that Haotian boy hasn't revealed his bloodline power yet. We still don't know what clan he's from. You must be cautious," said a nearby Gu Shen elder with a grave voice.
"That's what makes this fun," Shen Wuji replied. His gaze was wild with confidence. He wasn't certain he could win—but that was exactly why he'd come to the Southern Region in the first place.
Growing up surrounded by people he could defeat with a flick of his hand had made everything dull. Only fighting the old monsters gave him any thrill.
"The Gu Shen Clan… another powerful opponent," said the Da Meng Master softly. Her expression grew tense. In her eyes, this boy was even more dangerous than the Gui Clan's Lingyue.
While his Yuan Spirit wasn't as monstrous, his raw strength and clan techniques pushed the limits of the True Immortal realm.
Even against a third-stage Immortal Lord, he could fight evenly—perhaps even win. This wasn't just defying odds; it was breaking them entirely.
"Be careful. The Gu Shen bloodline is immensely strong. It amplifies both immortal body and immortal Power. That final stage of the Tongli realm—'Divine Blood'—was created by a Gu Shen Emperor. It became a foundation of modern cultivation," she warned.
Li Hao was shocked. "Divine Blood was created by a Gu Shen Emperor?"
Now he finally understood why the Immortal Emperor realm was so revered and unreachable.
"Exactly. Immortal Emperors all made contributions that defined entire eras. Tianyang Immortal Emperor created the Ten Great Immortal Techniques and countless top-tier bodies and arts. Other Emperors opened up end stages for foundational cultivation realms, integrating these powers into countless bloodlines and allowing mortals to transcend limits."
Her voice was full of reverence.
Li Hao's eyes flickered. 'That's like proving the Dao through creating a system. Then… where will my own Dao as Emperor lie?'
Before he could drift too far into thought, the Da Meng Master brought him back to reality. "The Gu Shen Clan has many secret arts that work in tandem with Divine Blood. When they activate their bloodline technique—'Descent of the Ancient God'—they enter a brief state of invincibility."
"Invincible?" Li Hao raised an eyebrow. Hearing those words from her made it even more shocking.
"Yes. Invincible within the same realm," she confirmed seriously. "Their immortal body and Power reach the peak. If you can use your movement techniques to drag it out, you'll have a shot."
Li Hao understood—basically a three-second god mode.
As the drawing concluded, the immortal guard commander announced the first match.
The first fight was Gui Lingyue versus a royal from the Yanchu Immortal Dynasty. Li Hao didn't know much about the royal, but from previous rounds, it was clear they came after the Immortal Lord group, and facing someone like Gui Lingyue left them no chance.
As expected, the fight ended quickly—Gui Lingyue won with ease.
Then came the second group, the third… and eventually, Yuexi was called for the fifth group. Li Hao's battle would be in the seventh.
Yuexi's opponent was Mingyue. Upon seeing this, the Da Meng Master had already concluded Yuexi had no chance. Instead, she instructed Yuexi to treat it as an exchange—an opportunity to observe and experience what other top talents were capable of.
Yuexi understood. Making it to the top twenty-five was already her limit. She was likely in the lower ranks of that group—probably bottom five.
When she stepped onto the stage, she immediately exploded with full power and lunged toward Mingyue.
But Mingyue wasn't a sword cultivator. She didn't strike back at first. Instead, she observed the corruption and chaos imbued in Yuexi's attacks, taking the time to understand the essence of her Primal Chaos Dao.
Only when she grasped its rhythm did she respond—by simply raising a hand.
One palm strike, overflowing with wild immortal Power, knocked Yuexi back.
With just brute force and pure technique, she shattered Yuexi's corrupted Dao and ended the match.
The gap was too large. Even their immortal Power wasn't in the same class. Their mastery over techniques was on entirely different levels.
Thankfully, Mingyue held no killing intent. As a disciple of Tiangong and with this being their home ground, they disdained killing their opponents. Such actions would bring shame to their Supreme Master.
After all, the stated goal of this Southern Domain tournament, hosted by the Tiangong Supreme, was to support and raise the local geniuses. If their own disciples ruthlessly slaughtered others during matches, it would be an ironic contradiction.
"She's really strong. Between Mingyue and Jianxin, who's stronger?"
"They're senior and junior under the same master. Probably about equal, both are personal disciples of the Supreme."
"Maybe only an Emperor Clan member could force them to go all out. Honestly, the peak battle of this tournament might be a duel between those two siblings."
Many people discussed this. Across the immortal cities of the Southern Domain, countless cultivators began to recognize the terrifying power of the Supreme's direct disciples, deepening their reverence and admiration.
Soon, the next match was announced—Li Hao versus Shen Wuji.
"Just do your best," said the Da Meng Master softly to Li Hao, concerned he might feel pressure. In the True Immortal group, Li Hao was now Da Meng Jiu Yuan's last standing disciple.
Li Hao nodded. He hadn't planned on forcing anything. Just doing his best was enough.
Pushing too hard would only make things worse—and get him hurt.
But truthfully, the battles so far hadn't let him go all out.
Whoosh!
His figure blurred as he flew up to the imperial platform amidst cheers from his sect.
Across from him, Shen Wuji also landed. He looked excited, eyes fixed on Li Hao.
"Didn't think I'd get to fight you this soon. I figured we'd only meet in the top ten—or top six," he said.
"Please." Li Hao smiled politely. He didn't dislike this youth from the Gu Shen Clan.
Shen Wuji smiled in return, also quite fond of Li Hao. Despite being the youngest in soul age, Li Hao's talent was monstrous. Even Shen Wuji, normally proud and arrogant, had to admit that at the same age, he was nowhere near Li Hao's level.
But now, based on sheer power, he wasn't going to lose.
"Let's have a good fight!" Shen Wuji grinned. "I won't hold back."
"Good," Li Hao nodded. They shared mutual respect, and Li Hao felt something stir—excitement he hadn't felt in a long time.
As the formation barriers closed, both released their immortal Power. Li Hao instantly summoned the Threads of the Celestial Stars and activated Ten Thousand Shadows with the Eternal Dao Domain of Time.
In an instant, thousands of identical Li Hao figures filled the platform.
Though he'd used this move before, a truly sharp move worked again and again.
Shen Wuji, seeing it, wasn't surprised. His expression turned serious. He erupted with immortal Power, golden light blasting out from his body. His hair turned gold, and his eyes shone like blazing suns.
Behind him appeared a massive ancient figure—an awe-inspiring ancestral deity.
"Time Dao? I'll suppress it all the same!" he growled.
With a loud roar, he fused with the giant behind him. His immortal Power surged like a tidal wave. His golden nine-flower immortal mark blazed like a fiery star.
Li Hao narrowed his eyes. He quickly locked the battlefield in his Eternal Time Dao Domain, casting Time Stop.
The entire world froze. Silence fell. Shen Wuji halted mid-step. But the golden flame at his brow burned ever fiercer.
Li Hao struck. One clean slash using the Qingtian Sword Technique—a slash that should've cut even an ancient divine body in half.
But right as it landed, Shen Wuji's eyes snapped open. With a roar, he punched forward.
Boom!
The sword light shattered on impact. A single punch from Shen Wuji destroyed one of the ten great immortal techniques.
At their level, names alone meant nothing—these techniques were just tools.
"Divine Desolation Fist!" Shen Wuji bellowed, tearing through the time stop and charging at Li Hao.
Ripples of time and space surged around him—he too wielded time and space Dao sources. Though only at the third level, combined with Ancient God Descent, his immortal Power and body reached their peak. He punched straight through the time-frozen domain, closing in fast.
Boom!
His foot stomped down, shaking the entire platform. With a punch of golden flame, the void cracked. Fiery light burst from every fracture.
Li Hao's eyes sharpened. This trick wouldn't work against him. As expected.
"Zijin!" he shouted.
He raised his hand and cast another immortal technique—Purple Seal—one of the ten great immortal techniques, tied to the space Dao, meant to suppress all immortal arts.
Purple light wrapped around Shen Wuji, binding him.
But the golden fist did not slow.
Li Hao's face darkened. That attack wasn't an immortal technique. Even Purple Seal couldn't bind it.
Neither was Ancient God Descent—at least, not in the traditional sense.
Boom!
Li Hao raised his arm and took the punch head-on. His bones cracked like shattering glass as his body flew backward.
"Sealing-type immortal technique?" Shen Wuji noticed the purple glow coiled around him, sensed the binding power within it, and smirked coldly. "Sorry, but our Gu Shen Clan is immune to seals!"
As he spoke, he closed in again, stomping rapidly, his speed like a blur.
Li Hao's figure flickered—he activated Ten Thousand Shadows again. But Shen Wuji seemed capable of locking onto Li Hao's true body, charging straight toward him.
Li Hao drew in a deep breath. Faced with that overwhelming pressure, he didn't retreat. Instead, he simultaneously activated two more of the ten great immortal techniques.
From the Dao of Earth—Wushang (No Wounds).
From the Dao of Water—Huiguang (Return Light).
A misty yellow-gold light wrapped around him. Rather than retreat, he adjusted his stance and clenched his fist.
He met Shen Wuji's charging punch head-on—fist against fist!
Shen Wuji howled and launched his golden divine fist. Their punches collided like a bell being struck, shaking the heavens.
"Haotian!" the Da Meng Master murmured. Shen Wuji, under the state of Ancient God Descent, possessed terrifying power. Normal True Immortals couldn't even survive a finger from him. She had warned Li Hao to dodge—to rely on his Ten Thousand Shadows and celestial star threads to stall until the effect faded.
She hadn't expected him to choose direct confrontation.
"Foolish!"
"He dares meet the young master's fist head-on?"
The elders of the Gu Shen Clan sneered. But in the next moment, their expressions changed.
Li Hao didn't fly backward. He stood still—unmoving. Instead, it was Shen Wuji who stumbled back two steps.
Even Shen Wuji's own eyes widened in disbelief. He'd actually lost in a pure strength clash?
Then he noticed the yellow-gold glow still around Li Hao's body. His face darkened—it was some powerful immortal technique.
"What is that?" he growled. This was the first time he'd lost in raw strength.
Li Hao didn't answer. The Wushang technique from the Dao of Earth could negate one attack, as long as it didn't surpass the True Immortal limit. Even an attack from a third-stage Immortal Lord wouldn't break through unless it reached the fifth stage. Shen Wuji's punch had been strong, but it had been reflected and absorbed.
Whoosh!
Li Hao commanded all of his shadow clones to strike. Shen Wuji could see through Ten Thousand Shadows, which meant he had some secret technique—but cultivating such insight to this degree must have cost him.
Most True Immortals would already have been dead, overwhelmed by the clones.
Facing the onslaught of tens of thousands of Li Haos, Shen Wuji's face twisted. Rage surged in his eyes. He suddenly raised his hand and drew out a colossal golden fist projection from his chest, swinging it in a broad arc to clear the field.
But Li Hao had already preempted it. All his shadows unleashed Wushang and Huiguang, both top-tier techniques on par with Qingtian.
The massive golden punch swept through them, but the shadows endured, and tens of thousands of fists slammed back onto Shen Wuji, blasting him through the air.
The ancient Gu Shen Clan's mountaintop was stunned into silence.
Many elders had been watching this match from afar. Though they'd seen Li Hao's strength earlier, none believed Shen Wuji would lose—especially after invoking Ancient God Descent.
But now, they watched in shock as their young master was beaten back.
"Three… no, four immortal techniques—all forbidden arts from Tianyang the Immortal Emperor!"
"Who is that boy? Could he be…? No, impossible. If he were, he'd be walking into death by coming here…"
The elders murmured with disbelief.
On the platform, Li Hao controlled his shadows, unleashing stormlike barrages of fists from every angle. Shen Wuji was driven back again and again, spitting golden blood, hair in disarray.
Everyone watching was shaken.
No one had expected Shen Wuji—the one who had crushed all before him—to be forced into retreat.
Whoosh!
Li Hao's true body joined the fight, using Qingtian Sword in tandem with his clones' punches. Thanks to the celestial star threads, he could recklessly burn immortal Power. Without them, just the combination of Ten Thousand Shadows and Time Stop would've drained half his strength.
"Enough!!"
Suddenly, a furious roar exploded from Shen Wuji.
His hair stood on end. He blasted the clones away, shattering Li Hao's sword light with one punch.
"I was saving this for those other bastards—didn't think I'd have to use it on you!"
His voice burned with fury. He admitted that Li Hao was strong, but he still couldn't accept that Li Hao was worth his full power.
But now, he'd been forced to this point.
Even Ancient God Descent couldn't suppress his opponent.
"Young Master…"
Outside the arena, the elder of the Gu Shen Clan froze. His face changed drastically.
"Divine War Battle Chant!!"
Shen Wuji growled, the sound erupting from deep in his throat. His eyes were as sharp as a wolf's, and a golden mist burst from his body. His wounds healed rapidly under the golden fog's nourishment.
Then, his foot stepped down. His body leapt into a strange, ancient war dance.
The movements resembled the ritual steps of a primal shaman god—mysterious and eerie. But each step landed firmly in the air above the platform, blooming into golden lotus platforms.
"That's… the Divine War Battle Chant! The Gu Shen Clan's most terrifying secret art!"
"Legend has it, the Gu Shen Clan's Immortal Emperor once used this battle chant to fight against the Heavenly Dao, founding a golden age for their clan in the barbaric era…"
"I heard it once during the ancient demon war ten thousand years ago. That chant shattered the Supreme of the Gu Mo Clan!"
Many elders of the Southern Region showed shocked expressions. Distant memories stirred within them.
No one expected to see a glimpse of an emperor-tier battle chant in a True Immortal-level duel.
Outside the platform, the other contestants' expressions changed. They stared at the scene in disbelief.
Gui Lingyue and Gui Lingshuang also looked grave.
"He actually mastered the prelude to the Divine War Battle Chant…" Gui Lingshuang murmured, her eyes solemn. She hadn't thought that aside from Hao Tian and the Di Clan youth, the Gu Shen Clan's prodigy would be this monstrous.
"What a terrifying aura… they say this chant can even shake the Heavenly Dao…"
Gui Lingyue whispered. The golden lotuses seemed to burn like flames, stinging her eyes.
If she were on that platform now, she was sure she wouldn't be able to stand against Shen Wuji. His move was far too terrifying.
"I didn't expect anyone other than the Di Clan to possess such strength."
Elsewhere, Jian Xin and Mingyue—normally calm—now looked serious. The shifting, chaotic power on the arena gave them both a sense of pressure.
"Divine War Battle Chant…"
On a distant peak, Di Linchen sat cross-legged on a stone, sipping wine. His calm eyes now focused sharply on the stage.
As Shen Wuji's strange steps continued, the entire arena seemed to fall into an anti-immortal zone.
Li Hao felt it clearly—his Celestial Star Meridian had gone dim. He could no longer connect to the heavens!
He was stunned. This was the first time he'd encountered something like this.
Shen Wuji's move could seal off his access to the Heaven-Earth Meridians' final stage power!
Sensing his immortal Power could no longer be drawn in, Li Hao immediately withdrew all high-consumption immortal techniques like Ten Thousand Shadows.
He felt as if those techniques were being broken down by a force stronger than Zijin, the sealing technique—ten times stronger, in fact.
Even his Dao Laws became blurry—he could no longer perceive them.
This bizarre disruption sent a chill down Li Hao's spine. He had never faced anything like it.
Staring at the dancing Shen Wuji, whose aura was still building, Li Hao realized that if he relied on the ten immortal techniques now, he would definitely lose.
This opponent… was the strongest he had met in the Southern Region Tournament so far.
"It's time to end this."
Shen Wuji's steps suddenly stopped. He now stood at the center of a strange Dao domain.
Divine War Battle Chant—a technique that disrupted the Heavenly Dao itself. It disabled all others' immortal techniques and sealed off their Dao Laws entirely.
In the same cultivation stage, it was nearly invincible.
Combined with his Ancient God Descent state, Shen Wuji now wielded tenfold True Immortal peak power, up against someone who, though at the True Immortal stage, had no techniques or Dao power to draw from.
Golden light swirled around his fists as he prepared his final strike—out of respect for the opponent who had forced him to use this trump card.
"Divine War Battle Chant… how can this be…"
Outside the platform, Li Tiemu was frozen, his eyes filled with despair.
The Da Meng Master also looked dazed. She hadn't expected this Gu Shen Clan youth to have such a fearsome move—he was only at the True Immortal stage, yet this level was monstrous!
If it had only been Ancient God Descent, she believed Li Hao might have stood a chance. But now…
Her lips curled bitterly. Still, she was at peace—just filled with a deep sigh.
"…This…"
Yuexi and Gu Yan stood stunned. Though they were of the same stage, they now felt like Shen Wuji was a realm apart—like the difference between early-stage and peak True Immortal.
On the arena, Li Hao stared at the brilliant golden strike rushing toward him. He took a deep breath. He could no longer afford to hold back.
If he couldn't draw from the heavens, then he would release the power within his own immortal mark!
A brilliant silver light flared. A nine-petal flower formed on his forehead.
He had already shown his Nine-Petal Immortal Mark in previous battles, so no one was surprised—until each petal began to shine with distinct Dao energies.
Time, Space, Form, Command, Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth!
All nine sequence Dao Law auras erupted from his forehead in a radiant blaze.