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Chapter 386: Painting Stars to Slay the Saint
🕑 Added 2024-11-18 14:19:07 +0000 UTC"What is that Haotian Zun doing, actually helping the demon clan?"
"He must be crazy; this is outright betrayal of Yuan Zu."
"If Xing Sheng wants to kill him, no one will stand up to help."
At the Demon Slaying Gathering, countless saints observed Li Hao's actions with utter disbelief. To stand against Xing Sheng and prevent him from slaughtering a member of the demon clan, especially in front of Yuan Zu himself, was akin to courting death. Even though Li Hao was crucial for opening the ancient palace, such a blatant disregard could hardly end well.
"Haotian…"
Among the saints, Xiao Tianyu's face was unusually grim. He couldn't help but glance at his master Yuan Zu, who sat calmly beside his white-haired and white-browed disciple. This elder disciple was a prodigy, his talent monstrous and unparalleled. Few knew that he, too, was a saint of the highest order, a Zhisheng. Xiao Tianyu alone understood the terrifying extent of his master's power—far beyond what the outside world could imagine. Today, Li Hao had made a fatal misstep.
Many others shifted their gaze toward Yuan Zu, eager to gauge his reaction. Yet Yuan Zu remained composed, as if utterly unbothered. The disciple at his side, however, had a faint flicker in his gaze, a cold glint betraying his inner disapproval.
Out on the battlefield, Xing Sheng watched Li Hao's intervention with a sneer.
"Do you truly believe that your role as the key to the ancient palace makes you untouchable? Even if Yuan Zu spares you now, once that palace opens, it will spell your end!"
The words echoed in Li Hao's mind, but he ignored them. Xing Sheng had overthought the matter. Li Hao's only intent was to prevent Ying Xiaoxiao from dying before his eyes—nothing more. As for loyalty or betrayal, he felt nothing of the sort toward Yuan Zu. He had never sworn any allegiance; there was no betrayal to speak of.
What was the point of attaining sainthood if one couldn't even protect a person? Such a life would be pitifully hollow.
When Li Hao gave no response, Xing Sheng scoffed and unleashed an aura that radiated into the sky. An instant later, a constellation of starry lights blazed around him, forming a vast star domain in the void. Within this domain, clusters of glowing orbs began to appear one by one—dozens, then hundreds, then thousands—until the sky became a boundless expanse of stars.
"Let's see what strength you used to kill Xu Zu!"
With a fierce glint in his eyes, Xing Sheng struck. The clustered starlight erupted like a deluge, and compressed beams of light pierced through the void, racing toward Li Hao.
The attack was so swift that dodging was out of the question. Yet as the beams neared, Li Hao's Eternal Dao Domain materialized around him. In this field, the streams of starlight seemed to freeze, held in place like a magnificent meteor shower, the scene almost breathtaking.
Boom!
The stillness shattered as the starlight scattered like smoke. Xing Sheng's brow twitched; the Eternal Dao Domain was indeed as formidable as the rumors claimed.
"Di Huang Star—Descend!"
With a raised hand, one of the stars within Xing Sheng's domain began to shine even more intensely. In the sky above, a ray of golden-yellow light burst forth, spreading across the heavens and falling like a curtain.
"The Di Huang Star is lit!"
"I've heard Xing Sheng can channel the power of celestial stars!"
"Each of these stars represents an entire world!"
Many saints observed in awe, feeling the immense power within the golden-yellow glow, as though Xing Sheng was wielding the might of a true emperor.
Bathed in this celestial light, Xing Sheng appeared regal, lifting a single finger and pressing down upon Li Hao. As his finger descended, the sheer force of the Di Huang Star's phantom manifested a few hundred meters above Li Hao, blotting out the sky and casting an oppressive shadow.
Such a colossal force appeared suddenly, pressing down with monumental strength. Those observing felt an instinctive sense of dread.
Li Hao glanced up without much change in his expression; Xing Sheng's method of harnessing the celestial stars seemed eerily familiar. While maintaining his Dao Domain to hold off the attack, Li Hao quickly raised his own finger, treating the sky as his canvas and the force of nature as his ink, tracing out a simple stroke—a single star.
Beneath him, another Di Huang Star formed, ascending with a fierce momentum to meet the descending star.
A deafening boom reverberated across the Void Abyss as the two stars, each carrying part of the original's power, collided violently. The impact spread across a million miles, even causing the millions-strong demon army to tremble.
Such a clash of forces left the demon army completely overshadowed.
As the explosive waves settled, Li Hao stood unyielding, his form unmoved, while Xing Sheng's expression shifted.
What was this technique? Li Hao had copied his attack—and it seemed even stronger.
"It's a shame… my Di Huang Star was only a painted one…"
Li Hao looked at his shattered Di Huang Star, a faint frown on his face. A part of him regretted that his stars were mere replicas. If he could use true stars, each imbued with genuine star essence, their power would be unparalleled.
"Unexpected. So you've also grasped the Star Dao… at such a young age, truly impressive," Xing Sheng murmured, his tone laced with a newfound respect.
Li Hao's performance had erased any lingering doubts. Xing Sheng was now determined to bring him down with full force.
Boom!
Xing Sheng lifted his hand again, causing another star to flare above. The temperature around them spiked as space itself twisted from the scorching heat—a manifestation of the searing power of the Tianyang Star.
Tianyang Star, often likened to a miniature sun. The sky above the Void Abyss brightened, and waves of heat permeated the air.
The blazing star descended, its enormous figure casting the millions of demon soldiers into shadow. They now appeared pitifully small in contrast. This was the power of a top-tier Three-Disaster Saint.
Li Hao glanced up, raising his finger again with a newfound seriousness.
With an intense focus, he began to paint, sweeping his finger through the void like a brush across a vast canvas. In moments, the entire Void Abyss felt as if it were boiling.
The oppressive heat soared tenfold, amplified by the principles of natural law. Even the saints felt the sweltering temperature seeping through their defenses.
Before the demon army, the Demon King's eyes gleamed with a subtle frost. A blood-red power emanated from him, shielding his army from the inferno.
Despite the Demon King absorbing much of the heat, the demon soldiers still felt as if they were standing in a blazing furnace. Even their divine armor failed to shield them.
Underneath Li Hao, the entire void turned a molten red.
A peerless, blazing sun rose from below like the morning sun ascending, exuding a boundless majesty and scorching heat.
Xing Sheng's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking.
Boom!
The blazing sun soared upward, colliding with the Tianyang Star.
Compared to the Tianyang Star, this fiery sun outshone it with ease, as if the Tianyang Star were a mere shadow. The blazing sun Li Hao created was no ordinary celestial star; it was the God-Sun, the radiant sun of the heavens.
An earth-shattering explosion resounded, shattering the Tianyang Star and propelling its fragments toward Xing Sheng.
Xing Sheng's hair began to wither, his entire body desiccated by the heat. Shock filled his eyes—how could Li Hao wield the power of the God-Sun?
For all his years of cultivation, he had fallen just short of attaining the title of Zhisheng, all because he could not integrate the God-Sun into his domain.
The God-Sun seemed to transcend the nature of stars themselves.
"Break!"
With a roar, Xing Sheng's star domain blazed brilliantly. In the celestial canopy above, numerous stars blinked to life.
Then, star after star descended like meteors, smashing into the God-Sun, trying to halt its advance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A barrage of impacts echoed like rain on stone. Each collision fragmented the stars, their shattered remains raining down with the booming sound of cosmic hammers. Yet the intense heat from the God-Sun steadily reduced the incoming stars' power.
Unlike the countless painted stars around it, the God-Sun was a real celestial star.
Thus, the painted God-Sun now bore the true star essence!
Its speed and size were such that, within moments, it swallowed Xing Sheng whole in its searing brilliance.
A flickering aura briefly emerged before vanishing, signaling the disappearance of Xing Sheng's energy.
Saints at the Demon Slaying Gathering abruptly stood, gazing at the spectacle in stunned silence.
Though separated by a million miles, the light and majesty of the God-Sun felt as if it were right before them.
"Xing Sheng… dead?"
"That's impossible!"
"This is absurd! Isn't Haotian Zun a sword master? How is he able to wield such stellar power?"
Every saint present felt a chill down their spine. The God-Sun's power was terrifying. Against a saint, it would sweep through them like dry grass.
If this power were unleashed upon a holy land, the entire place would be reduced to ashes.
The range and devastation were a terrifying combination.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, where Ming Sheng and Shi Sheng were locked in combat with the Dragon God, they, too, felt the massive shockwaves and momentarily shifted their focus. Seeing the God-Sun devour Xing Sheng entirely, a flicker of astonishment crossed Ming Sheng's face.
"Is this boy truly as young as they say? It's barely been half a century since he rose to fame as a saint, and he's already wielding such force?"
Not only that, but Li Hao was merely a One-Disaster Saint.
"Could he have mastered the Way of Painting to reach sainthood?"
Beside him, Shi Sheng's eyes glinted with surprise. If his suspicions were correct, then Li Hao had achieved a feat as rare as his own path. Shi Sheng, a saint of the Way of Culinary Arts, was already unique among the saints. Yet here was Li Hao, potentially a dual cultivator in the ways of painting and swordsmanship, mirroring his own singular journey.
Earlier, Shi Sheng had witnessed Li Hao's precise, devastating sword strike that severed Ming Sheng's destructive force. There was no doubt his swordsmanship was formidable.
As the radiance from the God-Sun faded and the battlefield settled, Li Hao scanned the void where Xing Sheng had vanished. A faint glimmer of caution filled his eyes. Although the Xing Sheng's energy had disappeared, there remained traces of divine blood lingering in the air.
The Xing Sheng's mastery had reached the level of Tongli Ultimate Realm—a perfection so deep that his essence persisted even after apparent obliteration.
"Obliterate."
Li Hao controlled the God-Sun, forcing it to implode upon itself.
The sun contracted to a singularity of concentrated energy before erupting outward in a violent supernova. The resulting force scattered across the Void Abyss, an explosion so potent that even saints had to brace themselves, shielding against the remnants of its fury.
Far away, the Shenwang's eyes narrowed at the spectacle. This was his first time seeing Li Hao fight with such unbridled intensity. The boy's strength was beyond expectations, more formidable than any saint newly ascended to their power.
The Shenwang's cloak billowed as his crimson aura extended, forming an endless barrier that shielded the legions of the Shen Clan from the radiant blast.
Back at the Demon Slaying Gathering, Yuan Zu's expression shifted ever so slightly as he rose to his feet, his figure blinking out of sight in an instant.
In the sky above, the space where the God-Sun's explosion had left an indelible mark on the void suddenly tore open further, splitting with a rending sound. Two ethereal forms, green and crimson, surged into the fissure, immediately dissolving into a chaotic maelstrom.
In stunned silence, everyone realized that Yuan Zu and the Shenwang had engaged in combat.
"The Yuan Zu has taken action!"
"The tear in space… it's a sign of their clash. Is this the terrifying strength of peak Zhishengs?"
"Incredible. I can't even make out their forms."
Their movements were now far beyond the perception of ordinary saints. The sheer power released with each collision could have torn entire worlds asunder. The fight between these two titans was on a level that defied comprehension, surpassing even the realm of saints.
Every saint present felt a palpable thrill and fear at witnessing the apex of saintly might. No one could fathom how the clash would end. The consequences of either side's victory or defeat would bring ruin and reshaping to the realms of all existence.
And to think, this climactic turning point had been triggered by Li Hao's decision to stand his ground. His single intervention had tipped the scales.
In the aftermath of the God-Sun's explosion, a void lingered, a faint dark stain imprinted upon the sky, as though a fragment of the cosmos itself had been seared away. Saints murmured among themselves, with many glancing warily toward Li Hao.
To produce a mark like that—a scar that lingered on the very fabric of space—required power on par with that of a Zhisheng.
Li Hao's gaze lingered on the void left by the tear in space where Yuan Zu and the Shenwang had vanished. Though he couldn't see the battle itself, he could feel the crushing energy radiating from their confrontation.
The clash of Yuan Zu and the Shenwang represented the zenith of power. To compare himself to them now was premature, and Li Hao knew it. There was still a considerable gap between them.
As he continued to focus, two additional auras flared within the spatial tear, one resonating with a destructive energy that Li Hao recognized instantly.
"Dao Tribulation Emperor Weapons," Li Hao whispered, eyes narrowed.
Across the battlefield, Ming Sheng, Shi Sheng, and the Dragon God momentarily paused, all keenly attuned to the clash. Each of them understood that their current fight was mere prelude to the greater war between the Yuan Zu and the Shenwang. Now that the Dao Tribulation Emperor Weapons had come into play, only Zhishengs could interfere or hope to endure their attacks.
The Void Abyss trembled as the clash continued, neither saint daring to intervene. Any attempt to meddle with the Yuan Zu or Shenwang's combat would be suicide.
Li Hao's gaze lingered on the boundary of the Demon Slaying Gathering, noting with interest the empty seat where the white-haired, white-browed saint had sat moments ago. This disciple, the elder of Yuan Zu's students, was shrouded in mystery. Li Hao had sensed an aura from him that matched, if not surpassed, that of the Three-Disaster Saints. Whoever he was, he was far more dangerous than he appeared.
Suddenly, he heard a soft voice echoing within his mind.
"While they're locked in battle, you should escape."
Looking over, he saw Ying Xiaoxiao, her face filled with worry as she directed her message to him alone.
"Yuan Zu doesn't trust you, and neither does the Shenwang. Right now, the Shenwang's forces are still holding strong. He has other cards up his sleeve. If we win, you can return later without consequence."
Li Hao offered her a reassuring smile, replying with a calm tone, "There's no need to worry. No matter who wins this fight, I will be fine."
With the ancient palace still a necessity, both sides needed him. However much he might challenge them now, he knew that he was still essential until the palace opened. When that time came, every saint already aboard would seek to destroy the key—Li Hao himself—to ensure the gateway closed to others.
A thought flickered across his mind. The saints would scramble to lock down that door once they were inside, and Li Hao had long foreseen this inevitability.
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