The Name of Eternals

Chapter 143: The Final Lesson

"Dare you! Courting death!!"

As Li Hao's sword light shot out, a furious voice suddenly echoed through the void.

Immediately, a golden feather shot through the air, sudden and swift like lightning.

By the time Li Hao saw it, it was already about to pierce his eye, mere inches from his face.

There's no way to block it! Li Hao's pupils contracted, his blood seemed to freeze. In that moment, death loomed over him, a shadow he had never felt so clearly.

But in the next instant, the feather vanished.

An old hand, as gentle as plucking the moon from the sea, moved seemingly slow but created countless afterimages, snatching the feather away in an instant.

A figure appeared in front of Li Hao, dressed in simple gray robes, with an old, worn wooden hairpin. Standing tall and straight, it was none other than Feng Boping, who had been secretly following him.

Li Hao snapped out of his shock, his face changing rapidly as he looked forward. A black-clad figure had appeared above the Little Demon King without anyone noticing, his eyes filled with cold fury.

"Crossing the border, Demon King. You truly have a death wish."

Feng Boping's gaze was indifferent as he looked at the figure, his hand crushing the glowing feather into dust.

"Uncle Gao."

The Little Demon King of Wanshan realized what had happened, quickly calling out to the black-clad man.

"Since I've made my move, none of you will leave here alive!"

The black-clad man's eyes were filled with murderous intent, exuding a terrifying demonic aura that darkened the sky.

Li Hao felt the overwhelming demonic aura and his heart raced uncontrollably. This was a Demon King! Judging by the Little Demon King's address, it didn't seem to be the Wanshan Demon King but another one.

"This might be difficult."

Feng Boping's expression remained unchanged, but he chuckled lightly.

Then, he clasped his hands behind his back and, without turning around, said to Li Hao, "Little rat, can you hold this for a quarter of an hour?"

"No problem."

Li Hao replied in a deep voice.

Old Feng hadn't made an appearance earlier, likely because he had detected this Demon King. Now that he was revealed, there shouldn't be a second Demon King lurking around, so there was no need to hide anymore.

Opposite them, the black-clad man also understood Feng Boping's plan. They couldn't fight here; if they targeted each other's wards, it would end in mutual destruction. He was also worried about the Little Demon King being killed.

"What are you still messing around for? Quickly deal with them and protect the young master!"

The black-clad man coldly transmitted his orders.

The dragon demon fighting Li He trembled and responded hurriedly, "Yes!"

The bull demon, too, shuddered in fear and quickly complied.

"Let's see who survives the next quarter of an hour!"

The black-clad man finished his orders and then glared coldly at Feng Boping.

The two stared at each other, then both disappeared without a trace.

But the vast demonic aura looming above didn't dissipate; it grew even denser, like ink.

"Bastard, you must die!!"

The Little Demon King of Wanshan looked up at the departing black-clad man and then at Li Hao, his face twisted in rage.

He hadn't used his full strength earlier and had nearly been seriously injured by Li Hao, forcing Uncle Gao to reveal himself.

But now that Uncle Gao had acted, he would be placed on the Daxia Divine Dynasty's kill list. The top Four Legendary Masters would be dispatched to hunt him down, leaving only hiding in the Great Wilderness as a way to escape.

Because of his negligence and underestimation, Uncle Gao would live a life of constant evasion. The Little Demon King was thoroughly enraged.

His fur bristled, and fiery red veins appeared on his chest and arms—a powerful demon body refining technique obtained from an ancient fragment.

This refining technique made his body as hard as divine iron, nearly indestructible. Among the Three Immortals, few could harm him, but today he was wounded by a mere human Grandmaster!

"I'll kill you!!"

He roared and finally drew the sword from his back.

The sword, previously hidden in his fur, absorbed divine energy and expanded into a massive golden blade, capable of tearing apart the ground with its wind alone!

Booming thunder echoed as he swung the giant blade down at Li Hao, imbued with the power of wind and thunder! Under the massive blade, Li Hao seemed like a tiny black ant, but his eyes gleamed with a profound light. During the Grandmaster debate, he had absorbed insights from various martial arts realms, deepening his understanding of all things.

Sword intent rose with the wind! Facing the explosive, thunderous blade, Li Hao's sword light was like a gentle breeze. His body moved like a butterfly in the wind, effortlessly dodging the blade's gusts.

Then, like a swift lightning bolt, he bypassed the blade, his sword light aimed at the Little Demon King's eyes.

"My Wind and Thunder Path!"

The Little Demon King's eyes widened in shock and fury as he recognized the essence in Li Hao's strike. "How can you know it too?!"

As the sword light was about to pierce his eye, a gray bone fragment flew out, surrounded by a hazy mist, blocking the sword light.

The bone fragment deflected the strike but didn't break, while Li Hao himself was momentarily stalled. The Little Demon King hastily dodged.

The bone fragment, an invaluable piece of a terrifying Demon King's skull, was refined into a protective artifact by his father. It had saved him from a deadly blow.

He was filled with shame and rage, his eyes turning red.

"Lion Heart Nine Turns!!"

He roared, his aura surging again, and he swung his blade at Li Hao. The blade now burned with fiery illusions, indicating he had refined this sword technique to its true form!

Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. He dodged swiftly, employing the agility of Thousand Mountain Bird Flight and Snow Mountain Spirit Fox, becoming as nimble as the wind, evading the fierce blade.

The Little Demon King pursued relentlessly, but Li Hao kept evading, biding his time.

Perhaps the technique was draining, as the Little Demon King was soon panting. Realizing Li Hao's strategy, he snarled: "Do you think you can wear me down? Don't forget, I'm at the Unyielding stage!"

He invoked the power of Unyielding, his arm wound healing rapidly, his breath stabilizing.

He resumed his ferocious onslaught, even more brutal than before, each step leaving deep craters in the ground.

But now, Li Hao stopped retreating.

In the brief moment of evasion, he had found clarity.

Sea without end, sky as the peak.

A new move born from this sword, Li Hao named it Sky Peak Sword.

Its power was on par with the Other Shore, but with different principles. The Other Shore could cut through space, achieving extreme speed and ambush.

The Sky Peak Sword was the epitome of power, condensing the sword intent of the boundless sea into a singular peak.

But that wasn't all Li Hao had been contemplating.

He was trying to blend the Other Shore, Sky Peak Sword, and the Tan Palace's supreme Taiji Heaven and Earth Sword.

Yin and Yang, Death, Absolute Kill!

Three ultimate techniques, combined in Li Hao's mind, stripped of their complexities to form a new ultimate sword technique.

Li Hao called it Reincarnation.

As the enraged Little Demon King charged, Li Hao took a deep breath, his body's energy reaching its peak, and activated the Seven-Star Lighting effect for the second time.

The first use should have left him exhausted, but after training with two demon body refining techniques, his physique had greatly improved, allowing him to sustain this power briefly!

With his technique rapidly circulating, his strength surged within, and the power from his Heaven and Earth Dharma Body merged with him.

Physical strength, energy, divine power—all reached their zenith.

Buzz! The Dragon Xiao Sword vibrated, its dragon shape coiling around the blade, emitting a cold, low roar.

Li Hao stepped forward, his sword light shining brightly, cutting through the darkness.

The arc of the sword light resembled a full moon, a gate of death! The massive golden blade swung by the Little Demon King was redirected by the swirling sword light, its fiery divine power extinguished.

As the blade was flung aside, the sword light rolled up the Little Demon King's arm, shredding fur and flesh into fragments.

The sword light surged towards his head.

His pupils contracted in shock and fear.

"Young master!!"

The dragon demon roared, its spirit burning like fire, rushing to collide with the sword light, pushing the Little Demon King aside.

With a loud bang, its spirit shattered, the massive dragon body breaking into pieces, dissolving like snow.

"Young master, run..."

The dragon demon's fading spirit called weakly.

Then, its body was swiftly beheaded by Li He and the Helian family elder, its massive head rolling, blood spraying.

The Little Demon King lay dazed in the distance, covered in the hot, spraying blood.

It was Uncle Jiao's blood...

"Young master... run..."

The last whisper of the fading spirit echoed, then disappeared completely.

The Little Demon King's blood seemed to freeze, his mind blank.

Hundreds of years of cultivation, under his father's protection, he had progressed smoothly, breaking through realms effortlessly! Born with a perfected physique.

Then, he attained the Spirit Journey, fifteen li realm in just ten years!

A rare genius among demons.

After another sixty years, he reached the Heavenly Human Realm.

Another hundred years later, he reached the Three Immortals Realm.

When he cultivated to the second stage of the Three Immortals Realm, the Unbreakable Stage, he ventured out, accompanied by Jiao Bo and Niu Mo, fighting across the borderlands of Liangzhou.

First, he subdued other Three Immortals demons on various mountains, incorporating them into his ranks.

Conquering one mountain after another, he was illustrious and high-spirited!

Finally, a hundred years ago, when he stepped into the Unyielding Stage, he set his sights on Liangzhou, a place deemed untouchable by demons.

Ambition ignited within him; he sought to conquer and devour it.

After several decades of repeated successful incursions at the borders, his confidence grew. This time, he dared to invade the heartland of Liangzhou, bolstered by intelligence and his own audacity.

Initially, he thought everything would go smoothly. However, at this moment, he felt an unfamiliar sensation.

It was the feeling of death, fear, and trembling!

"Young Master!!"

A thunderous roar came from the distance, filled with urgent concern.

The Little Demon King of Wanshan snapped back to reality, his pupils shrinking. He had just lost his focus.

He looked up to see the human young grandmaster charging again, with the long sword once more wielding a brilliant arc of sword light, like a gate of blades opening in the darkness.

The Little Demon King of Wanshan regained clarity. Despite his rage, he valued his life more.

He knew that with his talent, he would surely become a Great Demon King in the future, surpassing his father.

At that time, he would have the hope of touching the unattainable peak.

He could not die!

Not here!

The Little Demon King of Wanshan roared, releasing a Lion's Heart Roar. Sound waves surged out, but they barely affected the sword light.

His body no longer maintained a semi-human form, transforming completely into a lion. Wings sprouted from his back—his mother's bloodline power.

Though the wings were short, they added to his speed. He charged full tilt toward the nearby city gate, choosing to flee.

Inwardly grieving, he thought of how he had fought and subdued one mountain after another for centuries, never before facing such humiliation!

Li Hao raised an eyebrow. Seeing his opponent's earlier rage and vows to kill, he thought the Demon King had a resolute spirit. Yet, he turned and ran.

He had thought the opponent would continue the fight with ironclad resolve.

Indeed, demons could not be trusted.

Li Hao paused briefly before quickly pursuing. At the same time, the Long Xiao Sword left his hand, speeding through the air to strike.

"Die!!"

In the distance, Niu Mo roared, breaking away from his opponent in the Three Immortals Realm, charging toward Li Hao and releasing countless needle-like hairs aimed at the Long Xiao Sword.

The Long Xiao Sword, incredibly sharp, easily cut through these hairs. However, the continuous barrage of hair needles, like raindrops, still managed to impede it somewhat.

"Die!"

Niu Mo lunged forward, seeming to wield the power to move mountains. Li Hao sensed a sharp aura coming at him, frowning slightly as he recalled the Long Xiao Sword and slashed out with another Reincarnation move.

The sword light spun like a vortex, obliterating the sharp aura, then shot toward Niu Mo's head.

Niu Mo roared, his body igniting with fiery light, choosing to burn his spirit.

He raised a hoof to stomp down on the sword light.

However, the sword light's sharpness exceeded his expectations. Though he was at the Unbreakable Stage, with an incredibly tough body, he was not as strong as the Little Demon King. Under the Dragon Xiao Sword's slashing force, his hoof was quickly severed, like slicing through tofu, with no resistance.

The severed hoof flew, and the sword light continued, cleaving half his body.

Niu Mo stared in disbelief at the young boy before him. This was merely a grandmaster?

His body collapsed, but he let out a deafening roar, the sound waves shattering nearby buildings.

His spirit detached from his body, burning with flames, and he unleashed his self-created demon art, charging like a giant mountain.

Li Hao raised his sword, striking down.

The dragon soul on the Long Xiao Sword emerged, coiling around the sword, then lunged forward, biting the spirit of Niu Mo, pinning it to the ground. The sword light fell, dimming the spirit instantly.

"Young Master..."

Niu Mo's eyes, now lifeless, reflected the image of the giant lion frantically fleeing in the distance. Despair filled his voice: "Uncle Hei has failed..."

Flames surged, and the divine power on the Long Xiao Sword spread, incinerating the spirit.

The Three Immortals elder fighting Niu Mo arrived, pausing in shock. His face changed as he looked at Li Hao.

He recognized the young man before him, understanding his identity. Yet, he struggled to fathom how the fourteen-year-old scion of the Li family had grown so powerful.

Li Hao paid him no mind, swiftly pursuing the Little Demon King of Wanshan.

Leaving the lion to return to the mountains would only bring endless troubles.

As he dashed out, the ground trembled.

Li Hao's expression shifted. His spirit rose above his head, hovering over Dayue City, seeing the approaching demonic tide that had been miles away earlier.

On the city walls, the grandmasters who had been debating earlier were now stationed with the city garrison, preparing for the demonic onslaught.

The Three Immortals elder also noticed, his face changing as he rushed off.

Among the demonic tide, there were more Three Immortals demons, which the grandmasters alone couldn't withstand.

Li Hao glanced at this, then pursued the Little Demon King of Wanshan again. The Long Xiao Sword shot out to strike.

The Little Demon King of Wanshan slapped it away, but the Long Xiao Sword cut through his defense. His heart filled with sorrow, he dared not look back. For the first time, a quarter of an hour felt interminably long—Uncle Gao had yet to return!

The city gate was within reach. He saw the demon army outside. If he could merge with them, he could conceal his aura and hide.

But then, a chilling sense of death came from behind.

The Little Demon King of Wanshan turned abruptly, seeing the dazzling sword light crashing down.

Terror and disbelief filled his heart.

He had moved swiftly enough. How could the boy's object control be so fast?

With a loud crack, the sword light struck, shattering his head, brain matter splattering. His massive body rolled forward, crushing buildings along the way.

Next, a divine light shot out from the headless lion body, fleeing swiftly.

The Long Xiao Sword, like golden light, pursued and cleaved the divine light, a scream echoing.

The wounded spirit, in panic, burned itself. For the first time, the Little Demon King felt such terror. His mind focused solely on survival.

Burning his spirit, his speed soared, though it might halt his cultivation forever. Nothing was more important than surviving.

Boom!

A ghostly sword aura suddenly extended, slashing at his spirit.

"How is this possible..."

The Little Demon King's consciousness trembled, nearing collapse. He looked back, seeing the boy far away, with the famous sword also distant. This should be beyond their attack range...

Yet, he was struck...

Unable to comprehend, his thoughts faded, ceasing entirely.

Seeing the Little Demon King's spirit vanish completely, Li Hao exhaled slightly. Unable to catch up earlier, he had to use Feiduan.

Feiduan, when unexpected, was highly effective.

His object control attack range doubled, reaching a hundred miles!

Li Hao retrieved the Long Xiao Sword, flying to the Little Demon King's corpse, inspecting it closely to confirm his death before feeling assured.

Outside, the vibrations grew stronger, with anguished demon roars.

The great demons outside had sensed the battle here, seeing the talented Little Demon King burn his spirit yet fail to escape. They roared in fury.

Countless demons responded, becoming even more ferocious and frenzied without their king.

Li Hao's eyes shifted. These demons seemed like a well-trained army, unlike those cobbled-together hordes that scattered once their leader fell.

"The demonic forces are more formidable than expected."

Li Hao mused.

If other demon kings led such ferocious and disciplined troops, battles would be extremely bloody.

Li Hao didn't linger. He raised his head, his spirit soaring to the sky, scanning around. Soon, he spotted Shen Yunqing and others, along with the disciples of the White Hall, on a city tower.

As he noticed them, the demon tide outside was already surging. On the west and north gates, demons were scaling the walls.

Li Hao's figure flickered, rushing toward Shen Yunqing and the others.

He glanced around the city. Besides the bull demon, other Three Immortals demons had attacked, causing great destruction. The City Lord's Mansion had collapsed.

However, the great demons within the city had joined the demonic tide outside.

Scanning, he didn't see Li Wushuang, but noticed Ren Qianqian still in the debate arena, feeling relieved.

In this grand demon battle, Spirit Journey cultivators were cannon fodder. Even grandmasters could fall in an instant.

Whoosh!

Li Hao arrived swiftly, landing beside Shen Yunqing and the others.

Seeing him approach, everyone was momentarily stunned, then joyously relieved.

"You killed that great demon!"

Shen Yunqing's spirit hovered, constantly monitoring the surroundings. When Li Hao arrived, he glanced at the battlefield, seeing the dead Little Demon King, and was astonished.

That was a Three Immortals demon, reportedly at the Unyielding Stage!

The young man before them, still at the Heavenly Human Realm, had defeated a top-tier Three Immortals demon!

Other White Hall disciples, also at the Spirit Journey stage, noticed the devastated battlefield, equally shocked.

"It's coming."

Li Hao's gaze fixed on the approaching demonic tide, speaking solemnly.

At his words, everyone snapped back to attention, faces becoming serious and tense.

Li Hao looked briefly, then stepped into the sky outside the city.

Waiting for the demonic tide to approach would lead to chaotic slaughter and numerous casualties among the soldiers. Shen Yunqing and the others would be at great risk. He couldn't protect everyone at once.

Unless he preemptively destroyed them.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. He paused, then turned to the familiar faces on the city tower.

"Teacher Li."

Song Yueyao, Zhou Zheng, and others were surprised to see Li Hao turn back.

"I only taught you two lessons before leaving Qingzhou."

Li Hao's fingers gripped the Long Xiao Sword slightly. "Now, it's the perfect chance. This is the last lesson I'll teach you. Watch closely."

The Tan Palace had sent him supreme skills from afar. He had to fulfill his promise to the Palace Master.