The Name of Eternals

Chapter 299: Heavenly Sovereign

Bang!

The lightning-imbued palm was suddenly cleaved apart by a sword light. Li Hao's body instantly shifted through space, and after breaking through the attack, he reappeared beside Emperor Yu.

"I'll take you away!"

Hearing those firm four words, Emperor Yu's body trembled slightly. The eyes that had witnessed countless events in the world now glistened with a hint of redness. His throat moved gently, and his voice turned hoarse as he spoke, "You're too foolish!"

Li Hao met his gaze and then smiled faintly. "Because you won the game."

The victory was not on the chessboard but in the grand scheme of the world. With sincerity and kindness, Emperor Yu had planted a deeply embedded piece in Li Hao's heart, forcing him to retreat to the edge of his conscience. Otherwise, he would lose the entire game.

Hearing Li Hao's words, Emperor Yu's expression flickered, caught between wanting to laugh and cry. He had indeed won and had become used to winning. But this time, he didn't want to win. He wanted to lose.

"Leave me here and go! The people of Dayu still need me to transfer the incense of the nation. If I leave, they'll stop at nothing to massacre every citizen and annihilate the country!"

Emperor Yu quickly suppressed his emotions, speaking rapidly, his eyes full of seriousness.

Li Hao's face changed slightly at his words. Annihilate the country? With their strength, it was indeed possible. They could wipe out the powerful figures across the states and leave the rest to the demons.

"If you stay here, they'll still kill you all after taking the incense. They won't leave any loose ends!" Li Hao retorted immediately.

Emperor Yu felt bitterness in his heart. He was well aware of this but didn't want to implicate Li Hao, fearing the boy would be hunted down. He had no intention of handing over the incense and hoped to stall them. Even if they perished, their fire would remain within the celestial sects, scattered across different places, with a chance to rebuild the nation and revive the ancestor.

This grand endeavor, even if it failed once, could be attempted again, until eternity. But he felt that it wasn't worth having Li Hao die here.

"If you leave, they all die!"

The yellow-robed youth's eyes turned cold, noticing that Li Hao's daring actions indicated deep ties with these people. He attacked again, but this time, his target wasn't Li Hao. He swung his spear, sending a lance of energy towards the crowd.

Li Hao's expression changed, his body flashing in an instant. As the lance neared the group, he arrived in front of them and slashed his sword.

The sword light clashed with the lance, and a biting cold spear intent froze the surrounding space. Li Hao felt a bitter taste in his throat as the sword light shattered.

His sword skills, though unparalleled in the mortal world, were now falling behind in the face of a Dao-seeking powerhouse.

"Dao Art, Thunder Descends!"

The half-masked youth also attacked, giving Li Hao no respite. Thunderbolts crashed down from all directions, threatening to pulverize the crowd.

Ignoring his injuries, Li Hao swung his sword multiple times, layering dozens of sword auras to force the lightning back.

But at that moment, the beautiful woman and two others also unleashed their Dao Arts. Their verbal commands, empowered by law, weren't aimed at Li Hao but at those behind him.

"General Haotian, leave us! Don't worry about us!"

A royal expert urged.

"Hao'er, go now!" Li Muxiu stomped his foot in frustration.

Li Hao saw familiar faces among the crowd, including his second uncle and Xia Linglong. As the three Dao Arts targeted them, he couldn't block in time, so he shifted his position and used his body to shield them.

Boom! The Dao Arts crashed into his body, threatening to tear it apart.

He activated his Unyielding Force, drastically enhancing the effect of his Blood Rebirth. His body rapidly regenerated amidst the destructive force, but blood still splattered everywhere.

The crowd was stunned, many who had never met Li Hao falling into a daze, unable to comprehend why this young man was so resolute.

The slender figure now stood like a wall of flesh and blood, shielding them all.

"He can block that?"

The beautiful woman and others were shocked, seeing Li Hao's tattered body healing at an astonishing speed. The force of those Dao Arts would have gravely injured even a Dao Law expert, yet a Taiping Dao cultivator had endured it. Unbelievable!

The yellow-robed youth seized the moment, shifting towards Emperor Yu with a deadly intent.

Li Hao's eyes widened in fury. Gripping the spear with one hand, he slashed with his sword.

The youth's expression shifted. He had intended to lure Li Hao into making a reckless move and seriously injure him, but he hadn't expected Li Hao to be so determined, willing to trade his life for the attack.

"Condense!"

The youth swiftly cast a Dao Art, extending his law and covering his domain. In an instant, Li Hao's sword slowed, but he unleashed his full power, channeling a thread of celestial energy into the strike, slicing through the domain.

Slash!

The youth's shoulder was cleaved, sending a wave of shock and anger through him. He tried to retract his spear but was horrified to find that, in pure strength, he was outmatched by Li Hao.

Combining his Dao power and physical strength, he still couldn't overpower Li Hao!

Seeing the next sword strike coming, he quickly abandoned his spear and shifted away.

"Quick, use Dao Arts to kill him!"

His usually calm demeanor shattered, his face twisted in rage. The repeated setbacks had shaken his Dao heart. Being suppressed by someone at the Taiping Dao Realm—it was unacceptable, even for a reincarnated saint!

As he shouted, the others' Dao Arts surged towards Li Hao. He shattered some with his sword light, but the rest struck him directly.

Boom! His body couldn't withstand the force and exploded.

Blood and fragments scattered across the sky, silencing the cries of those who had been shouting moments before.

Emperor Yu stood frozen, staring at the blood raining down, some of it landing on him.

His mind buzzed with emptiness.

The beautiful woman was about to lament that Li Hao had died too easily when her expression suddenly changed.

The blood began to gather, and Li Hao's body rapidly regenerated from one of the blood pools, fully restored within a single breath.

The crowd was once again dumbfounded.

The yellow-robed youth and the others also widened their eyes in shock.

"What kind of power is this?"

"I've heard that in the Saint Realm, one can regenerate from a drop of blood. As long as the incense and Dao remain, they can be reborn."

"But isn't he just a reincarnation?"

The youths were confused. Such a scenario was rare, even for them. If their bodies were destroyed, they would surely die. When their heads were severed earlier, they had regenerated because most of their bodies were intact and their souls remained.

"Quick, kill him again!"

Realizing that Li Hao's survival ability was beyond imagination, the yellow-robed youth was the first to react, urgently casting a Dao Art.

Heaven and earth seemed to freeze, enveloped in extreme cold. The others also unleashed their Dao Arts, and just as Li Hao finished regenerating, their five Dao Arts manifested in spectacular visions—thunder filled the sky, freezing winds howled, threatening to end the world, engulfing the entire plaza.

Li Hao looked up, seeing the laws extend, too fast to stop.

He stepped forward.

Boom!

With his command over heaven and earth, he absorbed the destructive power of the Dao Arts.

The weight of the laws bore down on him, but this time, he used his extreme transcendence to divert most of the power into the surrounding world, mitigating the impact.

Yet even so, the remaining force still tore at him, leaving him in agony.

Seeing Li Hao's tenacity, the youths felt a chill and intensified their attacks, their Dao Arts becoming even more ferocious.

While the others attacked, the yellow-robed youth clasped his hands together, summoning a divine Dao Art.

Boom!

A vision of an avalanche descended from the heavens, intending to bury Li Hao.

The vision expanded, affecting the entire realm. Li Hao, whose consciousness had already merged with the world, felt an overwhelming cold, as if standing naked in the snow.

He could shift away, but if he did, everyone else would die.

The Dao Arts had now covered the entire plaza, turning it into a massive target for their relentless assault.

Boom!

Li Hao slashed with his sword, unleashing a thread of celestial energy that cut through the vision, but the remaining force still surged forward.

Li Hao suddenly soared into the sky, his hair flowing wildly, exuding an unstoppable might.

At that moment, it felt as if he had returned to the time when he had risen alone from the abyss. But this time, his ascent was to shield those behind him, to protect the entire Dayu Divine Dynasty from the looming destruction.

Boom!

In an instant, hundreds of sword auras shot out, almost overlapping, shattering the vision.

The celestial energy was incredibly effective, easily tearing through the divine Dao Art.

But as Li Hao blocked that divine Dao Art, the others' attacks continued to bombard him. The speed of their verbal incantations was terrifying, and though Li Hao diverted much of the power into the world, his body still nearly collapsed.

In the state of extreme transcendence, Li Hao's consciousness had already merged with the heavens and earth, but now, even this realm was trembling as if on the verge of breaking apart!

"Kill!"

The five attackers were furious and continued their relentless barrage of Daoist Arts, not giving Li Hao a moment to breathe.

Everyone could only watch helplessly.

Boom!

Li Hao let out a roar, slashing out with his sword.

The veins of the heavens and earth extended, and Li Hao's consciousness stretched out as well. But it wasn't enough—he still needed more power!

He needed more of the world's energy!

As his consciousness expanded, it dispersed throughout the heavens and earth like countless particles, gradually becoming hazy.

Although his ability to regenerate through blood allowed him to sustain his extreme transcendence, and his physical body could regenerate, this state caused his consciousness to become highly integrated with the world.

At this moment, in order to draw upon more power, Li Hao spread his consciousness across an even broader area, covering it like a vast web. As he drew in this power, his consciousness seemed to be dissolving.

If his consciousness fully dissolved, he would be left with nothing but an empty shell, without even a chance to enter the Nether River.

At that moment, Li Hao vaguely sensed an unfamiliar presence within the world.

This presence was supreme, devoid of any emotion, like a detached observer overseeing the vast universe. What he touched was merely a tendril of this supreme will.

Li Hao felt a sense of bewilderment but also a moment of clarity in his heart.

Was this the will of the heavens?

They say the will of the heavens cannot be defied.

At this moment, Li Hao deeply understood the weight of this phrase. In the face of this supreme and majestic will, it seemed that no power could resist or defy it!

Was this the ultimate destination of extreme transcendence—becoming one with the heavenly Dao? My path is the Dao of heaven, and my heart is the heart of heaven!

In the past, he had reshaped his body in the abyss and established his heart in the heavens and earth. It was like planting a seed that, at this moment, had begun to sprout.

Feeling that supreme will, Li Hao suddenly realized that his previous grasp of the world's power had been too simple and crude.

Relying solely on the conversion of celestial energy and his body's absorption—how much could he truly absorb?

Even with the veins of the heavens and earth, like a vast bowl collecting energy, it was ultimately limited.

True control should involve lifting the entire world and using the world itself to crush everything!

That was the final stage of transcendence—the Heavenly Sovereign!