Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1821 Chapter 477: The Great Battle Erupts (Part 2)

With a thought, Li Hao transmitted a message to Shi Miao.

Earlier, Shi Miao had stayed by Li Hao's side on his level, yet after those incidents unfolded, she had slipped away without a word. The moment Li Hao's message reached her, she rushed back swiftly.

"What good news?"

Shi Miao soared toward the mountain spring, catching sight of Li Hao's grinning expression, which melted away her concerns, and she inquired with a beaming smile.

"I've just grasped the third Realm Heart!"

Li Hao chuckled, "And by sheer fortune, I've also unlocked the Heavenly Venerate Ultimate Realm!"

Li Hao held nothing back from Shi Miao, considering how she had boldly defended him even against a Supreme.

For someone ready to stake her life for him, Li Hao naturally shared all his secrets without reservation.

"The third Realm Heart?"

Shi Miao froze for a moment, then burst into astonishment, "You mean, you've unlocked the Heavenly Venerate Ultimate Realm?!"

In her previous existence as a Quasi-Emperor Realm expert, she had stood just one step from unlocking the Emperor Road, wandering the endless flow of time, and she fully understood the might of the Heavenly Venerate Ultimate Realm.

Across the ages, only a handful had ever unlocked the Heavenly Venerate Ultimate Realm; countless Quasi-Emperor Realm powerhouses failed to attain it!

Activating this realm allows one to shrug off assaults rooted in Tao Realm and laws, with only unique forces posing any real threat.

Furthermore, command over the Heavenly Venerate Ultimate Realm boosts the pace of grasping Tao Realm dramatically, propelling cultivation forward at breakneck speed!

Even in her former life, she had barely unlocked the Heavenly Venerate Ultimate Realm after immense struggle, earning her the chance to bow in reverence before a Celestial Venerable.

While Li Hao's grasp of the third Realm Heart impressed her, his achievement in the Heavenly Venerate Ultimate Realm filled her with greater shock and joy; its challenge was staggering, rivaling even the King's Domain in difficulty!

Upon Li Hao's affirming nod, Shi Miao brimmed with elation, certain he spoke the truth, meaning he could now battle without restraint at the border; with the latest reports weighing on her, she had grown deeply worried, pondering whether to whisk him away from this place to skip the impending clash.

Though fleeing like that would shame her, she had never shied from fights in her past life—nor would she now—but the thought of Li Hao facing peril tore at her.

"Your cultivation advances so swiftly; it seems you won't take long to surpass me."

Shi Miao remarked with delight.

Li Hao smiled and retrieved Ancient Demon Flesh from the Heaven and Earth Space, grilling it up nearby.

This Ancient Demon Meat offered potent boosts to Divine Soul Power, yet Li Hao intended to reveal it only to his closest allies, lest it invite inevitable catastrophe.

After all, the Ten Thousand Clans of All Heavens today stood far from united.

"With the third Realm Heart refined, have you discovered how to make three Realm Hearts harmonize now?"

Shi Miao settled close by, her actions graceful and refined, chatting with evident cheer.

Li Hao shook his head, "Not yet; I must experiment first. Right now, that Realm Heart... seems locked away, I think."

"Locked away?"

Shi Miao blinked in surprise—could Realm Hearts truly be sealed? But Li Hao's look told her she'd brushed against his private matters, so she held back from digging deeper, merely adding, "You ought to explore it thoroughly; this Emperor Road proves far too daunting!"

Li Hao gave a nod.

As the savory scent of Ancient Demon Meat filled the air, the pair chatted over their meal, and Shi Miao inevitably mentioned the latest happenings in the city.

"I've got some grim tidings for you."

"What?"

Li Hao jolted, then felt a chill settle in his chest—news deemed "grim" by Shi Miao on this border front surely spelled grave trouble.

"Dragon Pass has fallen."

Shi Miao announced gravely.

Li Hao's chewing halted abruptly, the Ancient Demon Meat turning bland and joyless in that instant.

His eyes narrowed slightly, his thoughts thundering—Dragon Pass had fallen?

Guarded by his Fifth Brother Long Qingge, how could it possibly crumble?!

The Eastern Domain's foremost barrier, unyielding for eons, how had it suddenly collapsed?!

While Li Hao reeled in shock, Shi Miao pressed on without pause, "But your Fifth Brother is safe; he and the surviving forces have pulled back to Ancestral Dragon City's second defensive line. Just recently, they messaged us to evacuate the Eastern Domain; since you were deep in seclusion, I sensed you were on the verge of a breakthrough, so I held off on interrupting."

"What occurred?"

Li Hao swiftly steadied himself, his stare steady and composed.

"According to your Fifth Brother, it appears the Eastern Domain's Ancient Demon Clan has forged an alliance."

Shi Miao's features clouded with concern, "After surviving the ancient war and enduring ten thousand years of infighting among the Ancient Demons, they are now guided by ten royal lineages, claiming vast swathes of the True Realm's lands."

"The True Realm has enjoyed steady growth over these years largely due to the Ancient Demons' divisions. In that ancient conflict, Master and a few Immortal Emperors united to shatter the Ancient Demon Clan's Reincarnation Gate!"

"That's the heart of the Ancient Demon Clan; control of the Reincarnation Gate crowns one as their supreme leader."

"Shattering the Reincarnation Gate splintered the Ancient Demon Clan, but signs point to them reuniting now. Though I foresaw this day approaching, I never imagined it hitting so early. If only we had a few more millennia, until your Emperor Road opens and you ascend to the pinnacle, we could confront them side by side..."

Shi Miao murmured gently.

Ten thousand years prior, she and her master had clashed directly with the Ancient Demons.

Across endless epochs, she had braced for the Ancient Demon Clan's resurgence; the ancient war loomed ready to erupt anew.

Even amid their internal chaos, the Ancient Demon Clan would never tolerate the True Realm's Ten Thousand Races flourishing unchecked.

She had hoped to bide time until Li Hao grew mightier, until she reclaimed her past life's zenith, to battle the Ancient Demons once more and resolve the grudge from ten thousand years back.

Yet this strife had erupted ahead of schedule, leaving her and Li Hao still at the Immortal King Realm, nowhere near completion.

The Immortal King Realm could dominate a domain, but in the ancient war, legions perished, their sacrifices often forgotten amid the chaos.

"The Ancient Demons have banded together?"

Li Hao stared in disbelief—the slumbering Ancient Demons uniting like this felt too sudden.

But realization dawned; the Ancient Demons might have shown unification stirrings long ago, though his brief cultivation span had kept him isolated from such whispers.

"So, the ancient war is set to reignite soon?"

A weight pressed on Li Hao's heart—that conflict engulfed the True Realm's Ten Thousand Races, staining every corner in rivers of blood, sparing no ground.

"For now, they probably haven't fully merged; if they had, Dragon Pass wouldn't be the only breach."

Shi Miao shook her head, "Still, the Eastern Domain will likely ignite as the opening front of this new ancient war; your senior brother urges us to depart the Eastern Domain—it's grown unfit for tempering here; better to seek other grounds, hone our strengths, and return to face them later."

"Can we afford to wait?"

Li Hao lifted his gaze, questioning.

Shi Miao faltered, her response catching in her throat.

That ancient demon war had struck like lightning, engulfing the True Realm's domains in a flash, leaving the Ten Thousand Races blindsided.

Though the Great Emperors mobilized, channeling troops via the Emperor Road to key fronts and mounting fierce defenses, the Ancient Demon Clan's dread power toppled many lines in moments.

Myriad lives vanished in the calamity, and even as the Ten Thousand Clans grasped the extinction threat, rallying for a desperate stand, they barely held the line.

Only through the fall of several Immortal Emperors did they halt the Ancient Demons, forging a deadlock that endured ten thousand years.

"Does Master know of this?"

Li Hao inquired abruptly.

Shi Miao nodded, "Master must be informed by now; whatever plans unfold remain unclear."

Li Hao dipped his head in silence, words failing him, the thrill of his recent cultivation leap now utterly eclipsed.

Shi Miao watched Li Hao sit quietly, aware he required space to absorb it all.

Stay and battle, or weigh the broader stakes and retreat, swallowing pride amid the turmoil.

This marked dire straits for the Eastern Domain, with Long Qingge holding the vanguard, and for Li Hao to forsake it now, fleeing to safer havens...

With a heavy sigh stirring within, she refrained from pressing or swaying him; once the Ancient Demon Meat was done, she departed soundlessly.

Alone atop the summit, Li Hao remained motionless for what felt like ages.