Chapter 279: No More Boundless Mountain
Li Hao quickly took out a pill and handed it to Elder Feng.
As the golden pill went down Elder Feng's throat, Li Hao could clearly see golden veins appearing within his body, like a brilliant golden light coursing through his throat and illuminating his internal meridians. The light revealed the branching veins within his chest as if they were a divine tree.
As the golden light spread, dark blood began seeping from his wounds, but upon closer inspection, the dark blood was actually countless tiny worms, like maggots, being expelled from his body.
As the large number of black worms were expelled, the blood from Elder Feng's wounds gradually turned clean and red again. The wounds themselves began to slowly heal thanks to his body's powerful regenerative abilities.
Besides the whip and scratch marks, even his destroyed senses began to recover.
Li Hao's expression was grim as he used his power to annihilate the worms in the blood, leaving only a few for later study, storing them in his spatial storage.
"What kind of venomous insects are these? This method is too cruel!"
Xiyan, who had retracted back to Li Hao's wrist, spoke with some fear.
"Those bald monks sure have many tricks up their sleeves," Jiang Lichen said, squinting his eyes. He was not too surprised, as very few things outside of martial arts and swordsmanship could surprise or shock him; he simply didn't care about much else.
Li Hao remained silent, clenching his fists slightly.
"You used your opportunity to defy fate just like that. You're quite generous."
Jiang Lichen looked at Li Hao with narrowed eyes. He had met many people, but it was the first time he had seen someone like Li Hao, willing to give away such a precious chance to defy fate to someone who was neither a relative nor a close friend, without any coercion.
It was equivalent to giving away a life!
How deep must their bond be for such a sacrifice? He couldn't imagine.
Moreover, the person in question was a thief despised by the world.
"If it were him, he would do the same for me," Li Hao said softly. "Besides, I don't need it now, even if I had ten more chances."
With his current strength, only someone at the Enlightenment Realm or a half-saint could put him in a life-threatening situation. And for such powerful beings, the power to defy fate was almost meaningless, as it could be obscured.
The so-called defying fate was just a delusion for ordinary people.
In the face of the Dao and saints, it would all be crushed and not worth mentioning.
Moreover, if there was a special situation in the future where he needed it, Li Hao still had the merit treasury's ten thousand merits, which could be exchanged for ten more chances to defy fate.
Previously, he had exchanged for one on Prison Sky Island, but it was wasted due to the isolating power of the abyss.
"Heh."
Jiang Lichen did not deny Li Hao's words. Given Li Hao's current strength, the power to defy fate was indeed not absolute, but it was still extremely precious.
If he were to engage in a life-or-death battle with an equally matched opponent and both were on the brink of death, the other party would have no ability to obscure the heavenly secrets, allowing him to escape with the power to defy fate.
Xiyan, although heartbroken over Li Hao giving up a chance to defy fate, had no choice but to accept it. She gently rubbed his wrist with her little red whiskers, seemingly comforting him.
While they conversed, Elder Feng's body gradually healed, his eyes, nose, and mouth all regenerating anew.
But the physically restored Elder Feng looked bewildered, even slow. He stared blankly around, then at Li Hao, with a familiar yet confused expression.
"Elder Feng."
Li Hao immediately grasped his hand, his heart filled with guilt. "I came back too late and made you suffer."
Elder Feng mumbled, "Li...Li Hao..."
"It's me."
"Li...Li Hao..."
Elder Feng repeated blankly.
Li Hao was stunned, his expression changing instantly as he realized something was wrong.
He looked into Elder Feng's eyes and found not surprise or doubt, but a kind of slow bewilderment.
"Elder Feng?"
Li Hao's body tensed up, quickly examining Elder Feng's body, but found no injuries or abnormalities.
"Li...Li Hao..."
Elder Feng mumbled, still repeating blankly, his eyes dull and bewildered.
Li Hao felt his heart sink, his blood boiling with rage. Undoubtedly, Elder Feng's condition was caused by the Buddha Lord, and even the power to defy fate could not restore it!
"Hmm?"
Jiang Lichen also noticed Elder Feng's condition and asked in surprise, "Was he like this before?"
"No."
"I guessed as much. This seems more like a soul loss," Jiang Lichen said.
Li Hao was startled and immediately looked at him. "Soul loss?"
"Yes, the human soul consists of three souls and seven spirits. If any are missing, one would become like this, akin to an idiot. In layman's terms, it means the soul is lost," Jiang Lichen explained.
Li Hao's heart trembled, his rekindled killing intent surging again.
"Hmm, I get it now. He was captured by that demon monk. When you didn't force that old bald monk out of the Buddha-demon unity, the demon monk was his secret. This old man must have known the secret, and the old bald monk used him as bait to lure you in, intending to ruin your reputation and destroy your spiritual foundation."
"But he didn't want to expose his secret, so he could only destroy him, causing soul loss and a body that won't heal. What a method."
Jiang Lichen sighed.
Although he acted crazy, he wasn't stupid. After all, he had participated in the fight for the throne and quickly pieced together the events.
Li Hao listened to his words and knew he was mostly right. He looked at the prince and asked,
"Senior, how can we restore the lost soul?"
"The first way is to let the existing soul slowly split and fill the void over a long period, meaning it can naturally recover over a lengthy time."
"The soul, like plants, can regenerate, but it takes an extremely long time."
"The second way is to find the lost soul. It might be sealed somewhere in this Boundless Mountain or destroyed and fallen into the River of the Dead," Jiang Lichen said.
Upon hearing this, Li Hao immediately scanned the spiritual mountain with a cold gaze.
"Elder Feng, rest assured, I will find your lost soul!"
Li Hao took a deep breath and said solemnly to Elder Feng.
Elder Feng looked at him blankly, something seemed to struggle in his eyes. "Run...away..."
Li Hao felt a pang in his heart. Even with a lost soul and blind eyes, Elder Feng recognized him with just one touch.
"Elder Feng, it's safe now."
Li Hao suppressed his bitterness and spoke softly, as if soothing a child.
Hearing his words, Elder Feng's lips moved slightly, seemingly understanding. The struggle in his eyes faded, and he smiled, though the expression was silly due to the soul loss.
"Good... good..." He seemed to respond.
Li Hao couldn't bear to watch any longer and asked the Candlelight God to look after Elder Feng. He then turned his gaze to the spiritual mountain, rapidly scanning it with his divine sense.
Meanwhile, outside the spiritual mountain, numerous disciples, arhats, and protectors of the Boundless Mountain arrived.
Seeing the shattered mountain, they were shocked. The destruction of the Buddha Lord's Dharma form was even more unbelievable, filling them with both shock and anger.
Although they knew the intruder was strong, their ingrained faith overcame their fear at this moment.
"Who are you to invade our Boundless Mountain?!"
"This is the Great Yu Kingdom. Do you want to be hunted by the Great Yu?!"
Angry shouts echoed.
Li Hao, who was searching the mountain, felt his previously restrained killing intent surge into a fierce aura. He looked up, his eyes emitting a blade-like killing intent that swept out.
With a bang, the shouting disciples, including an arhat at the Three Immortal Realm, felt their blood surge and their chests hammered as they spat out blood.
Their invincible bodies couldn't withstand the force.
"Get lost!"
The word, full of killing intent, squeezed out of Li Hao's mouth. Several explosions followed as the leading arhats at the Three Immortal Realm were torn apart on the spot.
Those who wanted to curse were terrified, their hot-blooded rage instantly extinguished by fear.
Li Hao's divine sense scoured the spiritual mountain but found no trace of Elder Feng's soul or anything suspicious. He only found a cave at the back with Elder Feng's aura, filled with lava, chains, and torture devices.
Li Hao's face darkened. This must have been where Elder Feng was tortured.
"Step back."
Li Hao said quietly to the Candlelight God and Jiang Lichen.
They were surprised but quickly moved away, sensing the intense fluctuations in Li Hao's aura.
Boom!!
As they retreated, Li Hao condensed a brilliant sword energy and slashed out fiercely.
The entire spiritual mountain was split from top to bottom by this slash!
Such a spectacle shocked the arriving disciples, arhats, and protectors of the Boundless Mountain. The destruction of their spiritual mountain felt like their faith was being torn apart.
Boom boom boom! Li Hao's scattered sword energy swept into the lava pool, slaying the demons within.
Gazing at the split spiritual mountain, with its destroyed spiritual gathering formation, it was no longer a sacred cultivation site.
"Now, those who leave the Boundless Mountain can remove their robes and leave the mountain!"
Li Hao turned to the many Boundless Mountain disciples, his cold voice echoing through the sacred land: "The Buddha Lord is dead. Henceforth, there is no Boundless Mountain!"
"You have ten breaths' time!"
"Those who stay, die!"
As Li Hao's voice spread, all disciples within the Boundless Mountain were shocked.
"The Buddha Lord is dead?"
"How is that possible? The battle just now...could it be..."
On distant peaks, some Boundless Mountain disciples felt the previous battle but didn't know the Buddha Lord had died. Now, hearing Li Hao's voice, they were shocked.
Li Hao said nothing more. Above him, a sword tide began to gather.
He stood in the air over the split mountain, like a young battle god, looking down at the disciples.
The vast sword tide, like a sea vortex, gathered with a terrifying aura, accompanied by thunder and lightning, making all disciples tremble with fear.
It felt like the end of the world.
"How could this happen..."
"Our Boundless Mountain has stood for over a thousand years, yet we face such a calamity..."
"Is the Great Yu Kingdom truly about to fall? Buddha be merciful, where is the heavens…"
Many old monks stepped out of the temples, staring at the sword tide with shock and sorrow.
"Hurry, take off your robes."
Many newly joined disciples from noble families quickly removed their robes and ran down the mountain.
Some old monks, however, deeply believed in the Buddha and sat in the plaza, hands clasped, chanting sutras to resist the calamity.
Led by the old monks, more and more disciples sat in the plaza, chanting sutras to oppose the demonic disaster.
The swirling sword energy expanded, covering the peaks.
The atmosphere was filled with a chilling, murderous intent.
The many disciples rushing to the spiritual mountain were terrified, some standing afar with determined faces, others fleeing and tearing off their robes.
The great calamity revealed all sorts of reactions.
"Master…is dead."
On a peak, Li Qianfeng stepped out of the temple, staring blankly at the distant sword tide.
The master who once sat high on the lotus throne was dead?
He struggled to comprehend, but he knew it was true. Otherwise, how could his master allow the desecration of the spiritual mountain?
"Young master, we must leave quickly. The Buddha Lord is dead, we must go."
An old monk chased after him, urging.
Though he looked like a monk, he was actually from the Li family, accompanying Li Qianfeng in his cultivation.
"Who did this?" Li Qianfeng tried to see the figure beneath the sword tide.
"It must be some demon, perhaps even the demon monk, the Buddha Lord's old enemy."
The old monk helped Li Qianfeng remove his white robe and handed him rough clothes, urging: "Young master, put these on. We'll pretend to be outer disciples and leave. The one who killed the Buddha Lord won't spare you, as you're his direct disciple."
Li Qianfeng's expression changed as he quickly donned the clothes.
"Let's go!"
He took one last look at the spiritual mountain before quickly descending.
Meanwhile, Li Hao's ten breaths countdown neared its end.
"Die!"
Li Hao coldly stared at the monks chanting sutras, trying to absolve him with Buddhist truth.
Above, the sword tide descended, tearing apart the arhats at the Three Immortal Realm into a bloody rain.
The blood rain stained the split spiritual mountain red.
The sword tide's sword energy sliced through the surrounding peaks, destroying temples and Buddha statues.
The chanting disciples listened to the destruction, feeling the ground tremble. Some opened their eyes, fear overcoming them, tore off their robes, and fled.
Yet many continued chanting, their voices like a last human light amidst the end.
Boom boom boom! Countless sword energies tore through the plaza, flattening peaks, destroying temples, statues, incense burners, and copper cauldrons.
The sword energies passed by the chanting disciples, not killing them but destroying their surroundings.
Many chanting disciples opened their eyes, stunned.
The vast sword energies raged yet spared them, only flattening the peaks, then slowly dispersed.