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Chapter 382: Completion of the Final Meridian, Master of the Stars
🕑 Added 2024-11-14 14:06:26 +0000 UTCLi Hao's words were a clear rejection.
However, Ying Xiaoxiao didn't feel anger. His ability to resist such temptation made her feel a sense of relief. In her eyes, this young man had always been different from others since his time in the mortal world. Fame, fortune, and power never seemed to sway him. Now, he remained as unwavering as ever.
Yet, without Li Hao's assistance, this war would undoubtedly bring losses for the Divine Clan.
After a long silence, she looked at Li Hao and asked, "If it wasn't to assassinate the Yuan Ancestor but rather to aid our Divine Clan by blocking some of the Three Calamity Saints, would you be willing?"
"If that's the case, just lure any Three Calamity Saints you need to deal with here. If they continue to press you, I'll help you take them down," Li Hao replied.
Upon hearing this, Ying Xiaoxiao fully understood Li Hao's stance. He had no desire to be entangled in the conflicts between the Yuan Ancestor and the Divine Clan; he was only willing to help out of regard for her. The thought brought warmth to her heart, mixed with a sense of guilt.
"In this calamity, the Yuan Ancestor will likely try to recruit you as well. Will you agree to his invitation?" she asked.
Li Hao shook his head slightly. "This is your conflict. I intend to enter seclusion soon and don't wish to be involved in these matters."
Ying Xiaoxiao sighed quietly, feeling a sense of relief. She, too, hoped he would stay out of it. After all, with the resurrection of their ancestor, countless members of the clan had already sacrificed themselves. "I understand. Take care, Li Hao. Farewell."
She looked deeply at him, knowing that this farewell might be their last. If she survived, the world would be a different place when they next met. If not, this was their final moment together.
As the Divine Maiden, she could not abandon her duties in this war. If their ancestor fell again, she would follow. Her clan had lived in hiding for far too long; if given a choice, she would prefer a brilliant, if brief, end rather than continuing in obscurity.
Ying Xiaoxiao turned to leave, and Li Hao watched her disappear, catching the lingering scent of flowers from her clothes in the air. He stood silent, aware of the weight of the mission on her shoulders. She had come to seek his aid without coercion or pressure.
"Sages, too, cannot escape the entanglements of fame, hatred, or reputation… Can all of it truly be severed?" Li Hao murmured to himself.
His imperial sword appeared from the void, humming softly in response as if sensing his thoughts. With a last glance in the direction Ying Xiaoxiao had taken, Li Hao turned back to his secluded courtyard, returning to his cultivation.
Meanwhile, Ying Xiaoxiao returned to the hidden temple of the Divine Clan.
"Where is the ancestor?" she asked upon seeing several clan elders and her grandmother but not the ancestor himself.
"The ancestor has gone to retrieve his mount, the ancient creature known as the Zhulong—an Archaic Beast of Fire and Destruction," Ying Qingshuang said softly. She noticed an unusual expression on Ying Xiaoxiao's face and asked, "Did Haotian Zun refuse? Was he dissatisfied with the conditions? Did you tell him about reaching the Divine Realm? His talent is extraordinary, but to truly rival the Yuan Ancestor or other Supreme Saints, talent alone is insufficient. He needs a profound foundation!"
"This opportunity is rare for him. If the ancestor is willing to grant him such extreme Dao power, it would be enough to help him step into the Divine Realm!" Reaching the Divine Realm would place him among the Supreme Saints, with a prominent status.
Such a temptation was hard to resist.
Ying Xiaoxiao understood this but felt a pang of bitterness as she looked at her grandmother. She replied quietly, "Grandmother, even if he had accepted, would the ancestor truly have bestowed such power upon him?"
Ying Qingshuang was momentarily stunned. As the one who had managed the Divine Clan before the ancestor's revival, her mind was far from simple. Her expression changed, and she said, "Xiaoxiao, mind your words. The ancestor's decisions are his own, and you should not doubt them!"
Her tone grew harsher as she spoke.
Ying Xiaoxiao felt a sting of sadness, unused to seeing her usually kind and gentle grandmother so stern. She hadn't pressed Li Hao not only because she didn't want him embroiled in dangerous conflicts but also because she suspected he might merely become a pawn.
When her ancestor had insisted on the Dao Heart oath, she had sensed something amiss. She wasn't foolish—on the contrary, she was insightful and perceptive about certain matters, allowing her to understand the young man's heart.
In the same way, she could see through her ancestor's intentions. He was no longer the benevolent figure she had imagined in her youth. Perhaps years of hatred had twisted and darkened his nature.
Yet, as a descendant, her upbringing and ingrained loyalty prevented her from questioning too deeply.
Lowering her head as if accepting her grandmother's reprimand, Ying Xiaoxiao finally said, "I told him about the Divine Realm and the challenges in achieving it. While it is indeed a great opportunity, he showed little interest and doesn't wish to be involved."
Ying Qingshuang frowned, fixing her gaze on her. "Xiaoxiao, this is a matter of our clan's survival. I hope you aren't letting personal feelings interfere. Remember, as the Divine Maiden, you carry our clan's mission. The ancestor's invitation is sincere. If he agrees, it's only to his benefit. While there is risk, even if the assassination fails, the ancestor will immediately confront the Yuan Ancestor directly. The Yuan Ancestor won't have time to retaliate."
A hint of bitterness deepened in Ying Xiaoxiao's gaze.
She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Grandmother, he truly doesn't want to."
"Did you tell him that if he accepted, he'd be promised to you, forming an alliance with our Divine Clan? As our son-in-law, he would benefit greatly if we ruled over the heavens," Ying Qingshuang asked, her eyes keenly observing her granddaughter.
Ying Xiaoxiao looked away, her eyes flickering slightly. "I didn't mention it."
"Why not?" Ying Qingshuang's expression darkened, her voice tinged with anger.
"We've only met a few times. A suggestion like that wouldn't matter to him," Ying Xiaoxiao replied.
"But you carry the interests of the Divine Clan. You must understand this is about benefits!" Ying Qingshuang's tone held a note of resentment.
Ying Xiaoxiao bit her lip. Precisely because it was a matter of mutual benefit, she refused to act. She didn't want to see herself used as a bargaining chip, only to be rejected. She understood the young man's heart—an offer of the Divine Realm's power wouldn't shake him. Adding more wouldn't tip the scales.
Instead, it would only make her seem cheap in his eyes, something she deeply wished to avoid.
"Foolish girl…" Ying Qingshuang sighed, both angry and helpless. "I must have spoiled you too much over the years, failing to guide you properly. This is a matter of survival for our clan, the culmination of countless generations' efforts. How can you act based on personal preference? What about those elders who sacrificed themselves, what about your Uncle Mo? How would they feel?"
Hearing her grandmother mention Uncle Mo, Ying Xiaoxiao felt a pang of pain and lowered her head in silence.
At that moment, the air within the temple began to ripple.
Suddenly, a towering figure stepped out of the void, his entire body radiating flames of divine power, exuding an aura of authority.
Alongside him came an intense, destructive presence. Accompanying him was an enormous dragon, ancient and fierce.
The dragon radiated an archaic aura. Its eyes burned like twin suns, casting waves of intense heat that distorted the air, filled with law-bearing flames. Its dark red scales resembled blood, emitting a scent of iron and violence.
Ying Xiaoxiao and Ying Qingshuang recognized this dragon from old legends. It was the Zhulong God, a mighty beast that had fought alongside the ancestor in ancient wars. This dragon had once been known to the Dragon Ancestor, and it was said that one pursued the ocean to become the Dragon Saint, while the other chased the sun and moon to become the Dragon God.
The Dragon Saint had established a holy land, guarding the scaly beasts across the Three Realms.
The Dragon God had fought alongside the Divine King in the war against the heavens. When the Divine King fell, the Dragon God had also been sealed away and vanished.
"Ancestor!"
Ying Qingshuang and Ying Xiaoxiao hurriedly knelt in respect.
Many clan elders turned to bow, their faces filled with fervor and awe.
Not only had the ancestor returned, but the long-lost Zhulong God had returned as well. It seemed like the Divine Clan's most glorious age had returned—the mythical era recorded in their history.
The Divine King's gaze fell on Ying Xiaoxiao. "How did the matter I entrusted to you go? Did he accept our conditions?"
Ying Xiaoxiao's expression shifted slightly. She bowed her head even lower and replied, "He did not agree. He said he doesn't wish to be involved."
"Hm?"
The Divine King's gaze grew cold. "Did you inform him about the Divine Realm? Does he understand the enormity of such a gift, comparable to tens of thousands of years of cultivation? This is something talent alone cannot achieve; it requires accumulation over time!"
Ying Xiaoxiao lowered her head. "I told him, but he is uninterested in risking involvement in the war."
"Hmph!"
The Divine King's eyes flashed with icy light. "I've heard he became a saint before the age of thirty, relying on unparalleled talent. He must be arrogant, yet who would've thought he was merely a coward, afraid to seize this rare opportunity. Laughable!"
His tone grew colder. "Since he's unwilling to aid us or marry into our clan, then when the Yuan Ancestor is defeated, I'll personally meet this so-called genius!" His gaze held anger and a murderous intent. If not for the impending war, he would have eliminated such a person sooner.
Ying Xiaoxiao's face paled as she sensed her ancestor's killing intent. She clenched her teeth and said,
"Ancestor, it was my failure. I did not mention the marriage proposal to him. He bears no ill will towards our clan; he simply doesn't wish to be entangled in conflicts. Please do not blame him."
The Divine King's gaze grew even colder. "Are you defying my orders?"
His body exuded a terrifying extreme Dao power, waves of darkness emanating from him. A dreadful pressure filled the temple, causing many elders to tremble with fear, though they hid a glint of excitement in their eyes.
The stronger the ancestor was, the more hope they held.
Under the weight of his power, Ying Xiaoxiao felt as though her own extreme Dao power was sealed, her bloodline trembling. Her face turned pale, and she said,
"Ancestor, I didn't mean to defy you. I just felt that mentioning it would be futile. I am willing to accept punishment."
"Do you think, with war looming, that I wouldn't punish you severely?"
The Divine King's gaze was as sharp as a sword, filled with both authority and cold fury.
Ying Xiaoxiao bit her lip, remaining silent. Kneeling beside her, Ying Qingshuang quickly intervened.
"Ancestor, Xiaoxiao acted out of momentary foolishness. Please forgive her. Over the years, she has tirelessly aided the clan, rescuing many elders. She has made great contributions to our cause."
Ying Xiaoxiao's heart ached as she saw her once-stern grandmother now pleading on her behalf, her lips pressing together tightly.
"Hmph!"
The Divine King snorted, cutting off Ying Qingshuang's words, but his gaze on Ying Xiaoxiao softened slightly.
"This boy is aware of our Divine Clan, so he's already involved. Do you understand? His refusal could mean the Yuan Ancestor has already approached him. Even if not, what if the Yuan Ancestor seeks his help when the war begins?"
Ying Xiaoxiao quickly replied, "He said he has no wish to be involved and would refuse the Yuan Ancestor as well."
"He said that to you?"
"Yes."
"Ridiculous!"
The Divine King's gaze turned severe. "If the Yuan Ancestor offers him richer terms, even countless incense offerings, would he still refuse?"
Ying Xiaoxiao was momentarily taken aback but quickly shook her head. "He would refuse."
The Divine King chuckled coldly, his tone mocking. "You are not him. How can you know he would refuse? Perhaps he rejected us not because our offer wasn't tempting enough but because he deems our Divine Clan too weak. The saints across the heavens rally under the Yuan Ancestor; he might refuse us but not the Yuan Ancestor."
Ying Xiaoxiao fell silent, her mind replaying memories of the young man—of their conversations, their meetings in the mortal world, their chats by the campfire in the little courtyard. Her gaze grew resolute. "He will not."
"My bloodline gave rise to a fool, it seems."
The Divine King's eyes revealed disdain, finding her confidence laughable. How could one believe the heart is eternal?
He, too, had once shared wine and laughter with the Yuan Ancestor, treating each other as brothers. But when the split came, it was swift and final. The warmth of past camaraderie had turned into the blade that pierced his chest.
He understood human nature all too well. He believed only in the power of deterrence, in strength to force submission. How many would truly offer their aid in return for kindness and affection?
That fateful battle had not only shattered his divine body but also his divine heart.
The many saints who had once called him brother had watched indifferently as he fell. In their eyes, he saw fear and apathy, but no trace of their former bond.
He would tear apart the hypocrisy of the saints!
This was why he had stopped at nothing to return and exact his revenge.
"You trust him more than you trust me? Very well. I'll wait until the war begins. We'll see if he stands beside the Yuan Ancestor, if he draws his sword against you!" The Divine King sneered, his gaze filled with mockery as he looked at the kneeling Ying Xiaoxiao. In her innocence, he saw a reflection of his younger self—equally naïve and foolish. This was his bloodline, yet he was no longer that person.
Seeing that the ancestor had not punished her, Ying Qingshuang let out a sigh of relief.
"Old Ying, I'm hungry. All these years trapped in that place drained my divine blood. I need sustenance…"
At that moment, the Zhulong beside him spoke, its voice raspy with a hint of hunger. Its gaze turned towards Ying Xiaoxiao and the others, flickering with an ominous light.
The Divine King understood its meaning and knew his old companion had suffered greatly.
After a moment of silence, he turned to Ying Qingshuang. "Prepare a live sacrifice. Select a batch of semi-saints to help Zhulong restore its strength."
Upon hearing this, Ying Xiaoxiao froze, her face paling. She looked up at the Zhulong.
The mighty dragon she had heard tales of since childhood, the warrior who protected her clan and fought alongside the saints, now gazed at her with hungry, greedy eyes.
Ying Qingshuang hesitated briefly but then nodded in agreement.
She knew that as members of the Divine Clan, their bodies contained divine blood and power. The ancestor and the Zhulong needed this strength from their kindred bloodline to recover fully.
For the sake of this war, many would willingly sacrifice themselves.
In the Minor Thousand Realm, within the Thief Saint's Sect.
After Ying Xiaoxiao's departure, Li Hao returned to his courtyard and resumed his daily cultivation.
Beyond condensing his meridians, he occasionally played chess with Hong Yue and experimented with culinary techniques.
Having long accumulated experience in the art of cooking, he pondered how comprehending the Sacred Path of Cooking might allow him to break through to the tenth level in swordsmanship. At that point, his sword techniques would reach new heights, and he would attain the second stage of the Immortal's Guidance Sword Technique—the Extreme Realm.
Among the three stages of immortal sword techniques, reaching the Extreme Realm was a feat reserved for the rarest prodigies, a level said to touch upon the fabled Ultimate Sword.
Currently, he had only glimpsed the essence, the shadow of that Ultimate Sword.
Even so, to those like Sword Saints or even Bian Ruxue, who had never witnessed the true Ultimate Sword, his Immortal's Guidance already appeared to be the pinnacle of swordsmanship. Yet, he longed to see the true extreme.
As for the third stage—the Source—it was even more formidable.
As time passed, the number of meridians within Li Hao's body continued to increase, accumulating a powerful aura. His slightest movement subtly harnessed the forces of countless stars.
Even without fully activating his Stellar Meridian Technique, he could instantly summon boundless power, capable of suppressing a Three Calamities Saint in one strike.
Half a year slipped by in a blink.
Within his body, the number of condensed meridians reached 1,464.
With each meridian condensed, he felt them form a pattern, corresponding to the heavens and aligning into a kind of formation.
"It seems… I'm nearing the limit."
The more meridians he condensed, the clearer this feeling became. Now, he sensed that he was only a step away.
Though he had hoped to align with all the stars in the heavens, he realized there was a limit after all. Determined to push through, he resolved to complete this final step.
He wanted to see what changes true completion would bring.
While he had touched upon the Stellar Meridian Technique's ultimate state before, he had not fully reached it. Now, he was merely a breath away.
As Li Hao's Primordial Spirit deepened its comprehension, another meridian gradually took shape.
When this meridian was fully condensed, all the stellar meridians seemed to come alive, like countless unseen threads connecting him to all directions, surrounding his body.
The newly condensed meridian became the central node, activating the entire star formation.
With 1,465 meridians, a transformation took place. It was as if the heavens and myriad stars were now directly linked to his body.
Li Hao could feel the stars' power flowing through him, waves of origin energy from the stars flooding into his body. Amid this, some of his meridians began to transform.
Seven of them seemed to shift into dragon-like bones, extending throughout his body to support his form.
With these seven "Dragon Bone Meridians" as his backbone, though he sat in his courtyard, he felt as if he were seated at the center of the cosmos, holding up the heavens with these meridians as his spine.
In addition to the Dragon Bone Meridians, some other meridians thickened, forming sturdy conduits for the constant flow of stellar origin power. This force carried an overwhelming sense of majesty and a hint of a celestial will.
This will felt like a fragment of divine power.
Li Hao's heart trembled. By the understanding of his previous life, he knew his world was a massive star itself.
Here, however, this world held a celestial will, while the other stars were silent. Now, faint wills from those silent stars seemed to awaken, channeling their origin power into his body.
In this moment, Li Hao felt as though he had become the Master of the Stars.
These meridians that transmitted the stars' origin energy transformed into star channels, totaling 28 in number.
He recalled the star constellations monitored by the Astronomical Bureau within the Divine Dynasty: the Three Walls, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions. This number corresponded precisely with his star channels.
"These 28 star channels align with the power of the Twenty-Eight Mansions. This power alone is comparable to the Supreme Saints!"
"And those seven Dragon Bone Meridians… can resonate with all the stars at any time…"
Li Hao sensed that if he fully activated this second ultimate state, he could assume the mantle of the Star Master, drawing upon the power of the stars. If a Supreme Saint did not wield a tribulation emperor weapon, Li Hao felt he could face them on equal ground, perhaps even without defeat.
Though he had only recently overcome his human tribulation, he now possessed the strength to challenge the Supreme Saints.
However, Supreme Saints possessed profound foundations beyond mere cultivation. A six-tribulation emperor weapon, for instance, was an unknown force he had yet to encounter. He still had much growth ahead of him to match these ancient accumulations of power.
Li Hao quietly attuned himself to the power within, feeling the vast might of the stars flowing through him. This strength, untouched by other saints, marked a powerful leap brought on by the second ultimate state.
It also signified that his Zhou Tian Realm had reached its pinnacle.
With only the Zhou Tian Realm, achieving this ultimate state was difficult to imagine. To reach this state, one would likely have to cultivate other realms and then return to refine this one.
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