Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1659 Chapter 420: Li Hao's Departure (7K)_4

Shi Miao flashed a grin, her bright white teeth showing as if to confirm he had guessed correctly.

Su Jiuzhe lapsed into a brief silence; only those who had lived through the carnage ten thousand years ago could truly grasp the depth of hatred reserved for the Ancient Demon.

He and Shi Miao were essentially brothers-in-arms from the same era.

The only difference was their battlegrounds; while Shi Miao fought within the Southern Domain, his own path had taken him to the Northern Domain.

“Very well, then I shall see you off.”

Nodding his head, Su Jiuzhe set aside his wine jug and performed the rare action of standing up.

As he rose, his silver-white hair spilled over his shoulders like a cascading waterfall. With a phantom-like grasp of his hand, a plain, soil-stained blade manifested from the void and settled into his grip.

The Spring Slash Emperor Sword!

The weapon’s blade appeared ancient and pale, resembling the texture of weathered white bones.

“Kid, those pastries of yours weren’t half bad,” Su Jiuzhe remarked suddenly, gripping the Spring Slash Emperor Sword.

Li Hao was momentarily startled before responding with total sincerity, “When I return from the Primordial True Realm, I shall invite you again, senior.”

“Excellent!”

Su Jiuzhe let out a boisterous laugh. Following that single word, the Spring Slash Emperor Sword tore through the firmament.

Above the ancestral lands of the Su Family, a massive rift suddenly cleaved the sky, seemingly acting as a gateway to the Primordial True Realm.

An aura of ancient desolation and death seeped from the opening.

“It is time to go.”

The Primordial Spirit of Shi Miao reached out with a small, delicate hand to take Li Hao’s. Her eyes shifted, reflecting not just tenderness but a trace of mischief.

“I am taking you to the Yellow Spring.”

Li Hao was taken aback for a second, then he too laughed, “Let’s go!”

A potent force of time wrapped around the pair. With Shi Miao leading the way, they flew toward the rift. As they drew near the opening, she waved a final farewell to her old comrade, Su Jiuzhe.

Wielding the Spring Slash Emperor Sword, Su Jiuzhe watched their departure in silence. Once the crack sealed shut, he grumbled:

“Hmph, leaving hand in hand... they can’t even let a man be at peace while they depart!”

After muttering this, he tossed the sword carelessly, letting it vanish back into the void. Picking up his wine jug once more, he took a deep draught and wiped his mouth with satisfaction, though a hint of solitude flickered in his gaze.

Old friends fade away one by one; only wine remains a constant companion...

...

The departure of Li Hao and Shi Miao went unnoticed by the rest of the world until Su Zhenyuan visited the ancestral land. It was only then he learned from Su Jiuzhe that Li Hao had already moved on.

Su Zhenyuan asked anxiously about the true identity of Shi Miao. Su Jiuzhe did not keep the secret but gave a strict order that it must not be spread recklessly.

Upon discovering that Shi Miao was the disciple of the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor and a premier genius of the True Realm from ten millennia ago, Su Zhenyuan was stunned.

Though the Su Family archives focused on the Northern Domain, the legends of the Southern Domain had occasionally bled into their records, leaving behind a monumental legacy.

It was no wonder her presence felt familiar; she was a figure who had once ruled the True Realm ten thousand years ago, remaining undefeated by anyone beneath the rank of Great Emperor.

“Will they ever return?” Su Zhenyuan questioned.

“If they do, it will be many years from now; their destination is the Primordial True Realm,” Su Jiuzhe replied nonchalantly. He imagined that by their next meeting, the boy would likely have broken through to achieve kingship. By then, Shi Miao would have surely regained her peak Cultivation, adding another titan to the forces of the modern True Realm.

In these dark times, there finally seemed to be a glimmer of hope.

“Then, regarding this marriage contract...” Su Zhenyuan couldn't help but ask.

Su Jiuzhe rolled his eyes and snapped, “The thread of fate between them and the Su Family has snapped. When fate aligns, people gather; when it expires, they part. This marriage contract is naturally void now.”

Hearing this, Su Zhenyuan felt completely dejected and let out a self-deprecating laugh. If Li Hao had truly become a son-in-law of the Su Family, the future of the Northern Domain would have been rewritten, for the boy's talent was simply too monstrous to forget.

Leaving the ancestral grounds, Su Zhenyuan went back to the Light Emperor Hall to relay the news to his wife.

When she learned Li Hao was gone, Su Qingmei felt a surge of regret mixed with irony. When the youth had first arrived, she had wanted nothing more than for him to leave, even plotting to expel him from the Su Family.

Now that he was actually gone, she felt a profound sense of loss instead.

Meanwhile, within the Immortal Courtyard.

The sleeping Su Muqing drifted awake, feeling as though she had emerged from a dream of a lifetime ago.

In that dream, she had seen fragmented images.

It was a place she did not recognize, a Divine Dynasty called Dayu.

The familiar young man was there, standing watch over a border of that empire; he appeared to be a young general.

A girl dressed in blue-green was also present in that frontier city, frequently crossing paths with the young man to share laughter and conversation.

Su Muqing convinced herself it was merely a dream, for while the girl was her twin in appearance, she had never set foot in such a Divine Dynasty.

“Sister.”

A soft voice called out from her side.

Su Muqing opened her eyes to find Su Wanqing and Su Wanxue standing inside her private chambers.

“Hm?”

Su Muqing looked at them with confusion. Normally, even her sisters would not enter without her express permission.

“Why are you both here?”

Though puzzled, she didn't get angry, suddenly remembering she had fallen into a deep sleep. Perhaps they had been worried.

The expressions on Su Wanqing and Su Wanxue’s faces were complicated. Su Wanxue spoke up, “You were asleep for quite a while. We were concerned, so we stayed to wait for you to wake.”

Su Muqing had expected as much, but she quickly recalled the events prior to her blackout. She had been attempting to harness that mysterious, hidden power when she suddenly lost consciousness.

Wait—she suddenly noticed something strange.

Her immortal power... she was at the Ninth Layer of the Immortal Monarch Realm?

Startled, she hurriedly checked her Dantian, finding her immortal power incredibly concentrated and her Immortal Sea vastly expanded. She had indeed reached the Ninth Layer!

“My... my realm advanced? The Ninth Layer? I skipped the Eighth Layer entirely?!”

Su Muqing was floored. She sat up straight, her eyes wide with shock and a sudden burst of joy.

It was unheard of; the Immortal Monarch Realm could actually experience such a leap in progress!

She hadn't even used any Immortal Elixirs, achieving this solely through her own means.

Was this the result of that hidden power? Truly, if she could master it, she would be peerless within the Immortal Monarch Realm!

A wave of immense confidence and happiness washed over her.

“Wanqing, sisters, I’ve broken through!” Su Muqing immediately shared the triumphant news with them.

However, Su Wanqing and Su Wanxue showed no signs of celebration. Instead, they merely traded silent, heavy looks.

Noticing their strange behavior, Su Muqing’s joy faltered. Her breakthrough should have been a cause for family-wide celebration.

“Did something happen to the family?” Su Muqing’s heart raced as her expression clouded. She thought back to the conflict with the demons; had the monsters found a new way to strike back?

Su Wanxue shook her head slightly. Just as she prepared to answer, Su Wanqing—who seemed to have been holding back for a long time—spoke with a voice that was both muffled and laced with anger:

“Sister, haven’t you realized that something is missing?”

“Missing what?” Su Muqing asked, her confusion deepening.

Seeing her sister's blank stare, Su Wanqing’s eyes welled with sadness. She turned her head away, saying, “I’m going back. It’s enough to know you’re alright.”

Su Muqing realized something was terribly wrong and grabbed her sister’s arm, then looked at Su Wanxue. “Sisters, tell me exactly what happened.”

Seeing that she still didn't understand, Su Wanxue said with a bitter tone, “Use your Divine Sense to check the courtyard.”

“The courtyard?”

Su Muqing hesitated as a thought occurred to her. She projected her Divine Sense outside, only to find the courtyard completely deserted. Even the chessboard outside the temple sat empty.

The young man was gone.