Volume 2 - Chapter 69: The Meridian of Heaven and Earth, Transforming Immortal Bowl - Part 2
The loss of over ten Haotian Battle Flags in quick succession indicated that the situation on the battlefield was dire.
It was uncertain whether the defenses had stabilized or if they had managed to rescue Fifth Uncle in time.
If too many flags were destroyed and there were no nearby demon hordes threatening the pass, Li Hao was prepared to head out personally.
At that moment, he saw his Dark Side Body flying back from beyond the pass, arms full of battle flags, which it deposited in the courtyard.
With Liang Province in such a precarious position, Li Hao had instructed the Dark Side Body to gather all the scattered battle flags from a five-thousand-mile radius beyond the pass and replace them with ordinary flags.
Even if the Haotian Battle Flags were damaged, it was of little consequence. Their primary purpose was to deter the demons. Now, sending these flags to various battlefields would prove even more effective.
As for the lands beyond the pass, once the demonic threat in Liang Province was eradicated, a thorough inspection could be conducted again at any time.
...
With a whoosh, Li Hao took a single step, disappearing from the small fenced courtyard. In no time, he arrived outside Cangya City.
He traversed several steps, moving swiftly to a mountain a hundred miles from the city.
Worried about causing too much commotion, Li Hao deliberated briefly before pressing forward another three hundred miles.
“What are you up to this time?”
Feng Boping, who had been following Li Hao, couldn’t help but ask in curiosity.
Li Hao smiled. “Training.”
With that, he dusted off his clothes and stood on a slab of green rock at the mountain’s peak.
The many techniques he had seen earlier in Tianji Tower were still fresh in his mind, yet he had not had the chance to practice them. Nor had he begun training with the various Body Refining Techniques.
Most crucially, the Meridian Opening Techniques, which could unlock major meridians, were still untouched.
His techniques were all recorded on his panel, but without practice, his body was still at the stage of 98 fully opened Major Meridians.
Taking a deep breath, Li Hao made no effort to conceal his actions from Old Feng and directly began cultivating.
One after another, the Meridian Opening Techniques he had absorbed into his memory came into motion within him.
The techniques coursed through his existing major meridians, forging paths toward unfamiliar ones.
Boom!
Boom!
With each surge, Li Hao’s major meridians were steadily opened. Given his current cultivation level, revisiting and refining his meridians was a straightforward and efficient process.
In no time, all 108 Major Meridians were fully opened.
As the last meridian was unlocked, Li Hao felt an indescribable sense of comfort.
It was as if countless gentle hands were massaging his stiff muscles and joints, causing them to emit crackling sounds of relief. The pleasure was so profound that he couldn’t suppress a low moan.
A stream of immortal energy coursed through his body, connecting to the heavens and earth. It filled his major meridians, including the unique Yin-Yang Dual Meridians.
At that instant, all his meridians were not only fully open but simultaneously activated.
Li Hao suddenly sensed the energy rushing through his meridians surging toward an uncharted domain.
This domain seemed to reside at the top of his skull but also felt far beyond it, as if it extended outside his body to a distant and higher plane.
Though his eyes were closed, Li Hao appeared to see a resplendent golden light—a faint golden gate he had glimpsed while unlocking the Yin-Yang Dual Meridians.
As he stared at the golden light, a sense of transformation overtook him, as if he were a fish about to leap through the Dragon Gate.
The surging energy within his body seemed to carry his "self" toward the golden light.
In the blink of an eye, he passed through it, arriving in a vast expanse.
Initially shrouded in darkness, the space quickly became illuminated by countless points of starlight, growing in number until they resembled a radiant starry sky, with galaxies swirling around him.
Startled, Li Hao felt weightless, an overwhelming sense of ease washing over him.
When he willed himself to reach for the surrounding starlight, it responded to his thoughts, converging toward him as if summoned.
The starlight transformed into small glowing orbs, pouring into his body.
An immense power surged through him, filling every fiber of his being.
Boom!
The skies around the mountain where Li Hao stood trembled violently.
From the distant clouds, Feng Boping watched, his pupils shrinking in shock.
He could see that the forces surrounding Li Hao seemed to merge seamlessly with his body.
It was as though Li Hao had become one with the power of the heavens and earth, wielding it as his own.
Opening his eyes, Li Hao released twin beams of divine light that pierced through the void.
His deep gaze carried a vastness that seemed to encompass all creation. Streams of light swirled in his pupils before receding, leaving behind calm, worldly eyes.
In that moment, Li Hao comprehended the pinnacle of the Zhoutian Realm.
The 108 fully opened Major Meridians, combined with the unique Yin-Yang Dual Meridians, had merged to form a brand-new meridian.
Li Hao named it the Meridian of Heaven and Earth.
This meridian connected him directly to the heavens and earth.
With all his meridians unified into one, his body itself became a singular meridian, capable of absorbing the surrounding energy of the heavens and earth into his very being.
This increased his capacity for power tenfold or more!
“So, that’s how it is...”
Li Hao murmured to himself.
He realized that this state bore similarities to the Earth Immortal Realm, where one condenses immortal energy and borrows the power of the heavens.
However, the Meridian of Heaven and Earth functioned differently—it acted like a bowl, while the condensed immortal energy acted as its contents.
Previously, without this "bowl," he could only rely on his physical body to contain power. Upon reaching his limit, his body would transition into the Immortal Ascension State.
Once the Immortal Ascension State exceeded thirty percent, it became uncontrollable and required external intervention to sever the connection to the heavens and earth.
But now, with the creation of this "bowl," the Meridian of Heaven and Earth, his capacity to hold power far exceeded its former limits.
This breakthrough meant his critical threshold for the Immortal Ascension State could now climb beyond thirty percent—possibly to forty, fifty, or even sixty percent!
"If I could push every realm to its absolute peak, could I truly ascend to immortality?"
The thought sparked a gleam in Li Hao's eyes as he pondered the possibilities.
Would achieving ultimate immortality while retaining his life mark the apex of martial cultivation?
Or perhaps such a state would no longer fall under the definition of martial cultivation at all?
Li Hao pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the boundless power now flowing through his Meridian of Heaven and Earth.
This meridian not only connected the energy within his body but extended outward, merging with the surrounding heavens and earth.
It allowed him to control vast amounts of energy, strengthening his endurance and enabling him to unleash a series of peak-level techniques without restraint.
Moreover, the Meridian of Heaven and Earth carried an additional benefit: the ability to refine his physical body using the energy of the heavens and earth.
Through continuous refinement, his physical body would experience tremendous growth, offering significant advantages for breaking through the Three Immortals Realm—enhancing both his Undying regeneration and Unbreakable Body.
In the Three Immortals Realm, both regeneration and body strength varied greatly depending on the degree of refinement.
Li Hao's previous mastery of countless Body Refining Techniques, which he had elevated to Absolute Grade True State, had already brought his physical body to extraordinary levels of strength.
This allowed him to face even Fourth Pillar Realm demon kings in direct combat.
Now, with further refinement, his physical body stood to become even more formidable.
If he could push this refinement to its ultimate limit, he might unlock the extreme state of the Three Immortals Realm!
The mere limit of the Zhoutian Realm, embodied in the Meridian of Heaven and Earth, had already produced such incredible results. Li Hao eagerly anticipated what the extreme state of the Three Immortals Realm might bring.
...
Standing atop the mountain peak, Li Hao began his cultivation.
During his time in Tianji Tower, he had encountered not only Meridian Opening Techniques but also techniques for energy circulation, along with a variety of Body Refining Techniques, Sword Techniques, and more.
One by one, he practiced and refined them.
As he trained with the Body Refining Techniques, his body greedily absorbed the surrounding energy, transforming it into nourishment for his flesh.
With the guidance of the Meridian of Heaven and Earth, his body underwent rapid refinement, enhancing both his self-healing abilities and the strength of his Unbreakable Body.
As he continued, faint traces of lightning and fiery light appeared around his body—a phenomenon triggered only when the physical body reached a terrifying level of refinement.
From a distance, Feng Boping, who had been idly drinking, froze mid-sip as he witnessed the scene.
His gaze remained locked on Li Hao, his heart filled with indescribable shock.
Each time he saw Li Hao break through, it shattered his previous expectations.
This time was no exception.
For the first time, Feng Boping felt that this youth could one day surpass all the strongest figures in the history of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, ascending to become the ultimate existence.
Even compared to the legendary figure from Qiandao Palace, Li Hao seemed far more extraordinary.
As Li Hao refined his body using various techniques, phenomena of thunder and fire flickered in the heavens and earth around him. It was as though the natural pressure released by the compression and refinement of his flesh caused the surrounding environment to respond.
Despite his vast experience, Feng Boping had never seen such a bizarre scene before.
When Li Hao completed his practice with the Body Refining Techniques, he sensed his flesh brimming with power—comparable to the strength of hundreds or even thousands of true dragons.
He suspected even the Dragon Sky Sword would have difficulty cutting through his body at this point.
However, since the sword was left behind at the courtyard, Li Hao couldn’t test this theory.
If he did test it, he would first need to disable the Yellow Bird Diagram’s one-percent lethal strike property.
Otherwise, should he accidentally trigger the ability, it would lead to a rather “exciting” outcome.
Outside of combat, he kept this ability disabled to avoid potential mishaps.
The last thing he wanted was to pat someone on the shoulder in greeting, only to accidentally kill them.
Without pausing, Li Hao shifted his focus to practicing various Sword Techniques and Fist Techniques.
Atop the mountain peak, his figure moved alone, accompanied only by the trembling heavens and earth and the howling winds and thunder.
Dusk gave way to night as the moon rose high, casting silver light across the land.
The stars illuminated the night sky as time passed quietly.
...
...
As dawn broke, light spilled across the mountains and valleys.
A figure streaked through the air, inhaling the fresh dew of the morning as it raced forward.
“Tianji Hall?”
Ahead on his path, a bird demon from the Tianji Hall, in the form of a petite girl dressed in green, awaited him. Her features were delicate, like a carved jade doll.
The figure, an elder in a dark purple robe, frowned slightly and halted mid-air.
Knowing the demon was intentionally waiting for him, he anticipated an urgent message.
The Tianji Hall was renowned for its swift information transmission, utilizing Sound Whisper Owls and closely connected relay points to achieve speeds faster than even absolute experts.
“Greetings, Lord Lu Yuan!”
The girl bowed deeply and spoke with respect. “The elder instructed me to wait for you here with a message.”
“Speak.”
“Yesterday, the eastern and western fronts were breached, but Liang Province has established a second line of defense. Over a hundred city clans are assembling to reinforce it.”
“Additionally, Li Tiangang has issued a call for aid across all directions. It's possible the elder generation of the Divine General Mansion will respond.”
“The Great Yu royal family has already deployed troops, and Boundless Mountain has dispatched a Bodhisattva to intervene. However, the movements of the Qiandao Palace elder remain unclear.”
...
Boom!
He raised his palm again, releasing a strike. A phantom of a dragon’s claw materialized, shaking the air as it descended.