Volume 2 - Chapter 41: The Second Favor Returned to the Li Family - Part 1
As he broke through the bottleneck and shattered the Gate of Life within his physical body, a vibrant life force emanated from Li Hao's body. It cycled outside before contracting back into him.
This life energy gradually settled into his apertures and flesh, transforming into an enduring power.
This indestructible power coursed through his entire body, capable of activation in moments of peril, unleashing his full strength to the maximum.
Under normal circumstances...
The Three Immortals Realm is divided into three stages, with vast disparities between them.
In the Undying Stage, one transcends the mortal body and can regenerate severed limbs. However, in the Unbreakable Stage, the body simply does not sustain damage. It is as resilient as a divine weapon, allowing its wielder to act without restraint or fear of injuring themselves, even pushing martial techniques to their most violent extremes.
As a result, the explosive force of the Unbreakable Stage naturally surpasses that of the Undying Stage, almost doubling in destructive capability.
Meanwhile, the Undiminished Stage represents complete liberation. It not only grants the equivalent of having two lives but also permits boundless energy expenditure, enabling techniques to exceed the normal limits of the physical body.
This is the fearsome might of the Undiminished Stage.
At this moment, after twice refining his techniques, Li Hao had reached the pinnacle of the Three Immortals Realm.
Yet, Li Hao could sense that this was far from the true limit.
If every stage had its own ultimate boundary, then the Three Immortals Realm must have one as well.
The Three Immortals Realm involves refining the body to a transcendent state, a pivotal milestone in cultivation where one sheds the mundane and attains the extraordinary.
Li Hao was eager to explore the limits of the Three Immortals Realm.
He did not pause, instead beginning the cultivation of his third physical technique.
Previously, based on the insights from the seventh stage of the Body Dao, he had derived a fragment of the Primeval Technique, reaching its fifth level: the Primeval Body.
Using this technique as the foundation, he had achieved perfection.
But now, as comprehension from the seventh stage of the Body Dao surged into him, the technique quietly evolved again, becoming the Supreme Body.
The Primeval Body returns to the origin, while the Supreme Body stands alone above all.
If the Primeval Body represented unifying power, the Supreme Body was transcendence itself.
A wisp of immortal energy flowed out of Li Hao, connecting with the power of heaven and earth. He refined himself, his flesh and blood infused with divinity, faintly glowing with golden radiance.
Beneath his skin, golden torrents seemed to churn. His flesh and blood underwent rapid transformation, and his physical strength climbed continuously.
The life force within him grew denser, constantly swirling and condensing.
Even within the Undiminished Stage, where others required a full day for limb regeneration, Li Hao needed only one hour.
If he paired this with his Concealing Attribute, he might achieve regeneration in just half an hour.
With the cultivation of the Supreme Body, Li Hao's physique grew even more formidable. Not only had his self-healing ability surpassed others in the Three Immortals Realm, but the durability of his physical body also exceeded their standards.
Moments later, the turbulent energy surrounding Li Hao calmed.
An overwhelming, ethereal aura radiated from his pores.
The Supreme Body was complete.
The True State!
His body now existed independently of the mundane, like a distant light reflected into this world, giving him the sense of standing amidst the mortal realm yet being untouched by it.
The Supreme Body, though a physical refinement, was not offensive in nature but defensive.
Its defensive capabilities, however, were astonishingly exaggerated. Standing transcendent above all, many techniques and skills became ineffectual against it.
In a relaxed state, exerting no power, Li Hao could walk through torrential rain without a single drop touching him.
The energy emanating from his pores naturally repelled dust, wind, and snow.
When attacked, his body instinctively defended itself. Weapons, fists, and blades struggled to make contact.
In duels against others of the same realm, fully activating the Supreme Body could render him briefly untouchable, existing beyond the physical world.
Li Hao wondered how this Supreme Body would fare against a powerhouse of the Dao Heart Realm, the first step in the Four Pillars Realm.
As he finished his cultivation, Li Hao suddenly felt a faint vibration from his pores.
It was as though something was about to emerge from his body.
A blazing heat coursed through him, as if he were in a fiery furnace. His blood surged uncontrollably.
His pores seemed to be inhaling and exhaling, expelling scorching energy while his entire body glowed with a dim golden light.
As the speed of his blood surged, the golden glow became increasingly brilliant.
Until a certain threshold was crossed. In an instant, with a single breath, all the power within Li Hao’s body seemed to ignite, and his muscles tightened. A surging force erupted from him.
His flesh turned a vibrant crimson gold, and his senses—vision, hearing—sharpened dramatically. His gaze could pierce through the void, seeing distances seven to eight times farther than before.
His hearing became acute, allowing him to discern the crawling of insects dozens of miles away. The sounds resonated in his mind, vividly conjuring images of the insects' forms and the tracks they left in the snow and mud.
Li Hao's mind became exceptionally clear, tinged with an intense excitement and destructive desire.
He was astonished. This wasn’t a characteristic of the Supreme Body.
Quickly inspecting himself, he soon understood the reason.
He had... reached the extreme limit of the Tongli Realm!
This peculiar state he was experiencing was a brief phenomenon achieved upon touching the ultimate boundary of the Tongli Realm.
Li Hao felt the power in his body, recalling that when cultivating the Mingyu True Demon Technique, his physical strength had reached fifty to sixty thousand catties. Now, it had skyrocketed to a million catties.
His body contracted from its dragon-like form, shifting back to a humanoid shape. The feeling of tension and expansion in his body grew stronger.
“So, this is the extreme limit of the Tongli Realm? But it seems I can surpass this boundary. My physical strength can still increase!”
Li Hao focused on the surging sensation of his blood, feeling his physical strength climb higher and higher—from one million catties to four or five million catties, and finally to over ten million catties!
At this point, his flesh transformed into a dark golden hue. His pores radiated countless flecks of dark golden starlight.
He felt his heart pounding vigorously, and his breathing grew rapid.
Li Hao carefully controlled the flow of blood within his body, gradually calming himself and withdrawing from this extreme state.
Moments later, the overwhelming power receded, and his strength returned to the original level of one million catties.
“The ultimate boundary of the Soul Fusion Realm is the Heavenly Avatar. Could this extreme state of the Tongli Realm be its equivalent for the body?”
Li Hao’s eyes gleamed as he tentatively named this state Divine Force—an extraordinary condition achieved at the extreme of the Tongli Realm.
Based on its effects, it could temporarily amplify his physical strength tenfold.
But the enhancement wasn’t limited to sheer power alone.
If it were only about increasing physical strength from one million catties to ten million, it wouldn’t be particularly remarkable. After all, with top-tier pulse-opening techniques and energy-circulation methods, some royals in the Zhou Tian Realm could achieve tens of millions of catties of strength.
However, the Divine Force state amplified his entire body.
In the Three Immortals Realm, entering the Divine Force state dyed his flesh crimson gold. His self-healing ability and bodily resilience increased tenfold.
An arm that would ordinarily take an hour to regrow could now fully regenerate in mere minutes.
In comparison, ordinary cultivators in the Three Immortals Realm would require at least one or two days for limb regeneration. The disparity was enormous.
Even in combat, sustaining severe injuries while holding out briefly would allow his body to heal and let him re-enter the fray.
For instance, Feng Lao had been ambushed by a demon earlier. Though his abdomen was torn open, it had taken half a day to heal, even with the aid of elixirs.
While the Four Pillars Realm was undoubtedly stronger, its healing ability didn’t significantly outpace the Three Immortals Realm since it wasn’t focused on body refinement.
“This extreme state of the Tongli Realm enhances not just my physical strength but also my healing and endurance. Yet it feels more like a threshold than a true limit.”
“Reaching this threshold temporarily triggers the Divine Force state.”
“Perhaps achieving 360 Soul Fusions and forming the Heavenly Avatar isn’t the true ultimate limit of the Soul Fusion Realm. Maybe there’s an even greater height to reach…”
Li Hao’s thoughts raced. If his second speculation proved correct, the path of martial cultivation would be immeasurably profound.
After all, most ordinary Soul Fusions stopped short of a hundred.
The concept of reaching 360 was already considered unparalleled, even among royals who averaged around 160.
“Now, both the Tongli Realm and the Soul Fusion Realm have touched their respective limits.”
“The major veins of the Zhou Tian Realm remain incomplete. If I can advance further along the Dao of Control to the seventh stage, I can fully open all the great meridians in my body.”
“There’s another method—seeking additional pulse-opening techniques to complement each other and gradually open the remaining major veins.”
“When I next visit Tianji Tower, I might find suitable techniques.”
“As of now, I’ve opened 98 major meridians. The Yin and Yang dual meridians are already unlocked, leaving only 10 of the usual 108.”
“I wonder what kind of state the Zhou Tian Realm will bring once all major meridians are opened.”
Li Hao’s gaze flickered with anticipation.
When he had opened the Yin and Yang dual meridians, he had glimpsed a faint golden light, like an insurmountable heavenly gate towering ahead.
Perhaps fully unlocking all the meridians would allow him to step through and touch it.
Through his cultivation journey, Li Hao had come to understand that pushing each realm to its absolute limit was the key to unlocking the strongest combat potential.
For instance, in the Heaven and Man Realm, transcending into the Land Immortal Realm enabled one to ascend with a wisp of immortal energy, even contending with the Four Pillars Realm.
Of course, the key to slaying the Black Bird Demon King had been relying on the lethal attribute of his Yellow Bird Diagram. Without it, the Black Bird Demon King might have escaped with its life.
Still, upon fully transcending into immortality, what kind of power would be attained? Would it be sufficient to defeat a Dao Heart Realm expert? That remained unknown.
In his previous attempt at transcendence, Li Hao’s flesh had decayed, leaving him estimating a success rate of around 30%.
Once it exceeded 40%, it would be nearly impossible to recover independently, marking a critical point.
Without external assistance, it would mean certain death.
Conversely, within that 40% threshold, while risky, this portion of power could be sacrificed for temporary use.
In moments of life and death, it could serve as the ultimate trump card, capable of reversing dire situations.
“I wonder what the ultimate limit of the Three Immortals Realm is,” Li Hao mused, his thoughts filled with curiosity and faint speculation. Yet the possibilities seemed so astonishing that they fueled his yearning even more.
Refocusing his mind, Li Hao began cultivating his fourth technique.
The Dragon Cicada True Vacuum Body.
This technique, too, had been elevated to a higher level, surpassing its original form.
In addition, the previously acquired Mingyu True Demon Technique and the Five Organs Primordial Unity Technique had also been refined to greater levels.
The storm swirling around the mountain peak showed no signs of dissipating. Instead, its momentum grew even stronger.
From within the tempest, Feng Boping could sense a weighty pressure that occasionally caused him to frown.
Outside the mountain, Li Hongzhuang stood with a solemn expression. The deputy generals of the Blood Fiend Army surrounding her also stared at the mountain with apprehension in their eyes.
They could feel it—the young man inside seemed to have reached the Three Immortals Realm.
Even a trace of the aura he occasionally released was enough to make their hearts race.
And he wasn’t even fifteen years old yet.
Was this the most extraordinary genius in the Li Family’s history, surpassing even their ancestors?
At the base of the mountain, Ren Qianqian sat cross-legged with her sword in hand, absorbing the scattered energy from the storm. The aura within her continued to rise, her Soul Aspect slowly condensing.
Nearby, a small white fox lay on a pile of snow, looking lethargic.
Since consuming the Demon King’s blood and flesh, it had been listless. However, its eyes, once black, had turned a shade of orange-yellow, deepening into a dim reddish hue.
As the storm gathered energy, the fox merely lifted its eyelids before lying back down. Yet, the surrounding energy streams quietly flowed into its fur without a sound.
Li Hao’s cultivation continued.
One by one, he practiced and perfected his techniques, delving into every detail...
From sunrise to midday, the energy fluctuations on the mountain peak waxed and waned, occasionally emitting an indescribable sensation that made Li Hongzhuang and her companions outside the mountain feel their eyelids twitch.
Finally...
The interior of the mountain seemed to settle into a long silence.
The energy swirling around the mountain peak ceased growing, instead gradually contracting until it dispersed like a gentle breeze.
At the mountain's summit, Li Hao sat motionless.
His tattered clothing, shredded from his earlier dragon transformation, exposed parts of his body.
Through the gaps in his ragged attire, his physique resembled a body forged from pure gold.