Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1769 Chapter 453: Reunion of Old Times, Battle Against the Divine Venerable (Part 2)

As Li Hao lunged forward unexpectedly, several Chaos Dao Seeds were startled and scrambled to congregate.

Li Hao discharged his Destiny Sword Qi, launching a direct strike at an ape-like Chaos Dao Seed perched upon the mountain peak.

Caught in Li Hao’s ambush, the ape-like Chaos Dao Seed suffered a severed arm. Consumed by fury, it retaliated by ripping the mountain from its foundations, wielding the massive peak like a colossal club against Li Hao.

Raising his hand, Li Hao swung. His Sword Qi tore through the mountain as if guided by fate itself, piercing the enemy's chest.

The creature's enraged howling stopped instantly. The cry of the ape-like Chaos Dao Seed faded rapidly, and by the time its companions arrived, their leader had already perished.

A dense concentration of Heavenly Dao Power drifted above the corpse. Li Hao reached out, drawing it into his body before spinning around to release multiple strands of Destiny Sword Qi. These blades of fate spiraled out like inescapable saws, carving into the skulls of the remaining Chaos Dao Seeds and ending their lives in a single breath.

"The power of destiny is truly miraculous."

Li Hao felt a quiet sense of awe in his heart.

Having swiftly wiped out this nest of Chaos Dao Seeds, Li Hao moved on to his next target.

He conducted a systematic search, relentlessly hunting the Chaos Dao Seeds. Those dwelling within the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain held four to five times the Heavenly Dao Power of those in the Eighth Layer. Consequently, the Heavenly Dao Power within Li Hao’s Dantian continued to grow, becoming more substantial with every kill.

"Hmm?"

While he continued his slaughter, Li Hao’s Divine Sense stretched across the distance. He suddenly spotted two figures far away, engaged in combat with two Chaos Dao Seeds atop a mountain. They clearly held the advantage.

"Is that... the Divine King?"

Observing the familiar silhouette of a young man clad in dark gold armor, Li Hao’s eyes narrowed. Was the Divine King truly here?

That face was unmistakable. Although his past encounters with the Divine King in the All Heavens had been brief, they both hailed from the same Heavenly Calamity Illusion Realm. How could he forget that the Divine King, alongside the Source Ancestor, had once plotted against him?

"Why would he be here? That’s right—the Divine King, the Source Ancestor, and the Lie Sky Saint had all traveled toward the Southern Domain under guidance, yet they were missing during the Southern Domain conflicts. Their soul status disqualified them from the battle, but there was absolutely no news of them..."

Li Hao’s eyes shifted. He had assumed he would never cross paths with them again, yet here they were in the Primordial True Realm. From what he could sense, the Divine King’s techniques were brutal and efficient, indicating he had already refined 23 Chaos Laws.

To hunt Chaos Dao Seeds in the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain, one lacked the basic qualifications to even step forward without having refined 23 Chaos Laws.

"In only a few centuries, even if he reached the True Realm before me, it wasn’t by much. Yet he has refined 23 Chaos Laws!"

"A similar face... could it just be a lookalike?"

Li Hao felt a blend of shock and doubt. While the Divine King was considered a genius in the All Heavens, his talent was not top-tier within the Primordial True Realm. It should have been impossible for him to refine 23 Chaos Laws so rapidly!

With his mind racing, Li Hao did not reveal himself. Instead, he carefully extended his Divine Sense to observe them covertly.

...

With a resounding boom, the Divine Venerable drove his spear through the head of a Chaos Dao Seed and pulled the weapon back.

He regulated his breathing and glanced toward the side. There, the Xue Consort had just finished killing another Chaos Dao Seed. He smiled. Both possessed elite combat strength for those at the level of 23 Chaos Laws, making it easy for them to dispatch two seeds without trouble.

Even if they faced three, they could join forces to end the fight quickly without drawing unwanted attention.

During their two weeks in the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain, their partnership had been quite productive, likely exceeding the hunting yields of most others.

"We should rest briefly before continuing,"

the Divine Venerable suggested to the Xue Consort.

They both collected the harvested Heavenly Dao Power in silence.

"At our current pace, we are likely the most efficient hunters in the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain," the Divine Venerable remarked with a grin.

Xue Consort gave a slight nod but remained quiet. The Divine Venerable’s skill met her expectations; he wasn't a burden, and his fighting ability was quite formidable.

"I hope our cooperation continues when we reach the Heavenly Dao path,"

the Divine Venerable added.

Xue Consort’s eyes flickered. She didn't speak immediately, eventually offering a small nod.

"As long as you don't get in my way."

"Naturally,"

the Divine Venerable replied with a smile, though he laughed mockingly in his mind. *If you get in my way, don't expect any mercy!*

"Let’s move."

Having recovered, the two prepared to depart.

However, at that exact moment, a figure materialized silently before them.

When they saw the face clearly, both were shocked. The Divine Venerable’s pupils shrank, and his expression darkened as a murderous light filled his eyes.

Seeing the Divine King’s reaction and the sudden flash of killing intent, Li Hao knew he hadn't misidentified him.

He had revealed himself specifically to test the man’s identity; the immediate hostility confirmed everything.

"Divine King?"

Li Hao’s gaze grew icy. "I didn't expect to run into you here. It seems you are hiding quite a secret!"

"Haotian!"

The Divine Venerable’s eyes turned to frost, his bloodlust no longer hidden. "I hadn't gone looking for you yet, but you’ve come here to find your own death!"

"Looking for me?"

Li Hao laughed softly. "When the True Immortal Ancient Demons were slaughtering the All Heavens, you and the Source Ancestor faked your deaths and went into hiding. If I hadn't stepped up, all of All Heavens would have perished. And now you want to settle a score with me?"

"Faking death was a strategy; survival through cunning is also a talent,"

the Divine Venerable replied coldly. "But as for you—if we hadn't provided that opportunity, how could you have stumbled upon such luck and inherited the legacy of the Immortal Emperor!"

Li Hao was briefly taken aback by the statement. His inheritance from the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor wasn't a total secret, but it wasn't common knowledge either. Had they been lurking in the Southern Domain during the battle?

"So, you resent me for obtaining that fortune?"

Li Hao narrowed his eyes.

"Precisely! That legacy was never meant for you. Surrender the Emperor Hall. I am the master's direct disciple, the only legitimate heir!"

The Divine Venerable dropped all pretenses, his voice dripping with aggression.

"Master? Direct disciple?"

Li Hao was stunned once more, but the pieces quickly fell into place.

When he met Emperor Luo in the Emperor Hall, he was told the master had three direct disciples. The Soul Hearts of two had survived, and he was tasked with finding them. Retrieving one would confirm his status as a direct disciple.

He knew one was Shi Miao, but he never expected the other to be the Divine King!

A Reincarnated Body?

"I see... you are one of my master's former direct disciples..."

Li Hao felt a strange sensation of surprise. "No wonder you've refined 23 Chaos Laws so quickly. In a few hundred years, you've awakened the power of your previous life. So, you hate me because you believe I stole your birthright?"

"Enough talk! Give me the master's Emperor Hall inheritance!"

The Divine Venerable was finished with conversation, his eyes burning with predatory intent.

Seeing the other man’s murderous resolve, Li Hao abandoned any sense of hesitation. He knew the Divine King could not be compared to Shi Miao. Though they shared a master they had never met, this man’s character was rotten.

"So, despite your cowardice in the past, you feel no guilt—only the belief that I took what was yours..."

Li Hao nodded slowly. "In that case, there is no need for another reincarnation. Die here once and for all!"

As he spoke, he lifted his hand, condensing Destiny Sword Qi in his palm before slashing the blade toward his opponent.

He had momentarily felt a spark of kinship due to their shared master, but the Divine King’s behavior changed his mind. He wasn't killing a brother; he was cleaning the Sect!

"You are begging for death!"

Instantly, the Divine Venerable exploded with a terrifying pressure. He had previously sent others to fight Li Hao at the dao ground to test him. Back then, Li Hao had stayed within the Extreme Dao Mountain, where the Divine Venerable couldn't kill a direct disciple of the dao origin Immortal Emperor under their watchful eyes.

But here, in the Endless Heavenly Domain, even an Immortal Emperor was powerless to interfere!

He wouldn't let this chance slip away.

In a flash, numerous Extreme Realm Powers manifested behind him, accompanied by Final Realm Powers like the All Heavens Star Vein.

"You have trained for a single lifetime; I have cultivated for a hundred! With a hundred thousand years of experience and the battle instincts of the Quasi-Emperor Realm, how could you possibly stand against me!!"

The Divine Venerable’s eyes shone like twin suns, locking down the void and exerting a crushing, oceanic presence over the entire area.