Chapter 1517: Spontaneous Death (V)

“Fellow Daoist Hao Moon, I’m being very earnest and sincere!” Drouth’s expression darkened. “In addition, you might not know that combat is not prohibited here!”

Li Hao looked at the shadow, it nodded back at him. “It is not prohibited. This is a place to discuss dao. I highly welcome expressions through force!”

“I want to comprehend dao!” Li Hao took a breath.

This is such a waste of time! I still want to leave and join the hunt for Celestial Pole!

“Hao Moon, you can continue studying your dao after asking a question for me,” Drouth smiled. “Aren’t you taking things slow? Then you can ask your own question after you finish two thousand squares.

“I will continue on the chessboard after I reach sixth rank. If I make it to two thousand squares, I will give you that chance as compensation. My additional promises will still be valid after we leave. How about it?”

Forced results never led to good outcomes. The key was, what if this guy would rather die than be forced into asking Drouth’s question?

“That won’t do,” Li Hao shook his head. “What’s mine is mine. Are you going to force me to do things your way if I don’t agree? Not to mention, you’re heavily injured, fellow daoist. In my eyes, you should meditate for a period of time and recover from your wounds. Otherwise, you probably don’t even have the strength of a fifth rank at the moment. You’re fourth rank at best!”

“There is an insurmountable gap between fourth and third rank!” Drouth glowered. “Fellow Daoist Hao Moon, you’ve probably never fought a mid rank before. An initial rank is far below a mid rank!”

Li Hao’s head was starting to hurt. Was courting death a new pastime these days? Why did so many people engage in i

t? It’d be one thing if you were a fifth rank, but you’re a fourth rank right now! What are you throwing your weight around for??

It’s not like I haven't killed a fourth rank before!

As for borrowing strength here... that’s too much of a hassle. I don’t dare borrow the strength of an eighth rank either.

This poser has some seriously deep dao wounds on him. His great dao might collapse if he continues like this. Isn’t he afraid of dying? I’m an exalted emperor of time, not just one of life and death!

Li Hao flicked a glance at the shadow out of the corner of his eye. The most important question was... should he expose some things in front of this one? The shadow may not be a good entity either.

The young man had two options available in front of him. But no matter how he chose, he would expose his mastery of time.

He might not necessarily lose if they fought and the fight dragged on long enough. Li Hao was an exalted emperor of life and death, after all. But that would be such a waste of time. If he wanted to wear Drouth down until the man’s great dao collapsed... that would take at least eight to ten days, no?

The coalition to kill Celestial Pole would’ve already set out then!

Meanwhile, the shadow felt that Li Hao did have a chance of killing his opponent in a prolonged battle. However, that was least desirable outcome to the young man. He wanted to study dao! Eight to ten days more might be another one or two thousand squares for him. This was such a rare opportunity!

Should I waste this chance just for Drouth?

Li Hao grappled with this very difficult question, but had an answer in the next moment.

I’ll expose my abilities then! I won’t borrow strength, but you guys won’t understand time either.

He materialized outside the dao chess and looked impatiently at Drouth. “Let’s take this outside!”

Drouth’s jaw dropped!

“You’re crazy!” he laughed uproariously. He manifested outside the dao chess as well, leering at Li Hao. This guy had absolutely lost his mind.

“Are you nuts?” Li Hao frowned at him. “Your dao injuries are very severe—your great dao might collapse anytime within a day to eight days. Are you sure you want to fight me now?”

“Will it take that long to finish you?” sneered Drouth. “There’s only good things in it for you if you ask for me, Hao Moon. You have my word that I will not make life difficult for you, even if you’ve killed the others. But if you don’t ask for me... you’ll have no choice but to do so in the end. I will kill you otherwise!”

Li Hao was rather resigned at seeing Drouth completely ignore reason and wanting to hurtle to his death. There was no point in saying anything else.

Number Two awoke in the river as the star of time floated out of its body. The cat pouted.

Again?

The kid had the right to battle this crippled exalted emperor, but he insisted on taking a shortcut. Granted, it was much more convenient this way.

The shadow trembled when the star of time gathered. What was... this?

Drouth was still trying to persuade Li Hao when his eyes widened. The young man struck with his sword, so exceedingly fast!

It was a pure blow with nothing attached to it, apart from the power of time.

Expending a few days, dozens of days, and decades was nothing to an exalted emperor. They weren’t short on a few decades of lifespan. If they spent a few decades on something, their opponents might pay a price of tenfold or a hundred fold.

It was not a worthwhile transaction for the other party!

But when a fifth rank was so gravely injured that it might take only two to three days, or half a month at most, for their dao injuries to overwhelm them... Then the tiny price one might pay to take down such an enemy was worth it.

Li Hao didn’t wish to proceed in such a fashion. This was a critical moment of dao comprehension for him, he didn’t have any attention to spare for Drouth. They could just leave the dao foundation site together and he’d sic Void on him once they were out.

But this guy insisted on creating trouble right now!

He’s so annoying! I’m forced to expose my knowledge of time!

Drouth was yet to make a move when the power of time activated. He simply discovered that his injuries rapidly worsened. Stunned disbelief shone out of his eyes when he spat out a mouthful of blood!

How could this be?! His injuries had been stable moments ago, but spontaneously worsened to the most dire condition possible in a split second!

His dao injuries flared with damnation.

Boom!

The power of darkness shook within his body as his heritage began collapsing! Drouth floundered around with shock. How could his wounds have suddenly gotten so severe that he couldn’t control them?? This wasn’t possible!

Li Hao hadn’t called upon much power of time. He just tapped into it for a split second to send his opponent on his way. With Drouth’s great dao collapsing, he tapped into it again.

After that, the power of time disappeared.

The young man fervently prayed that the shadow hadn’t seen anything. Although that was just lying to himself, that was the only thing he could do for the moment. His longsword transformed into an agent of life and death.

Vitality was extracted, death qi filled the air. Stillness descended and the power of destruction erupted!

The collapsing Drouth looked around wildly with terror and resentment.

This can’t be! I’m a fifth rank! I judged that my wounds wouldn’t give me any issues for the moment! I can maintain battle condition for a few days! Why is it all happening now??

No... wait... is that... time accelerating everything?!

But that’s not possible!

His vitality faded away as the thought took form. Death qi enveloped him and his body began withering. His great dao collapsed and the power of destruction ripped through his avenue of dao...

Only shock and incomprehension remained in his eyes!

He stared at Li Hao, finding the young man completely calm. Drouth’s great dao exploded when he stabbed his sword into it.

The longsword drank all vitality it came in contact with and left the man brimming with death qi. The fifth rank still couldn’t believe what had just happened to him.

I, Drouth, will die here?? So easily?? To a

third rank?!

How?!

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The ultimate emptiness descended, silencing even his thoughts. He hadn’t even had a chance to make a move because the eruption of his dao wounds had overwhelmed his great dao. It’d spontaneously crushed his life force!

The river of life and death churned a fifth rank into its waters. Instead of outright devouring his latest conquest, Li Hao suppressed him at the bottom of the river. He would keep the fifth rank in the back of his pocket!

He could wait until fourth rank to digest Drouth’s energy. For the moment, he didn’t need more energy to reach peak third rank.

Li Hao continued without hesitation, promptly darting back into dao chess to take his next step.

The shadow suddenly reached forward to stop him, then retracted its hand. Amazement brimmed in its eyes.

“I see!” it murmured. Time! Life and death, yin and yang were all building blocks for time. This person’s ultimate goal was the dao of time! How incredible!

And the key was, the young man already had grasped some of the power of time. Although it was a very superficial level of control, it was indeed the power of time.

No wonder he had the presence of the three envoys on him, no wonder he could spontaneously kill an injured fifth rank...

I see!

The shadow understood everything now. It was simply too astonishing to be believed. A cultivator of time had appeared in this era. Was the dao master of time that the Skyward master had been searching for this person?

Granted, he had a long ways to go. But how about in the future? No wonder the three envoys would leave some traces of themselves on him. This was incredible!

The shadow was completely taken back and didn’t know what to say.

A fifth rank had died in the blink of an eye. It had much to do with the injuries to his great dao and insistence on picking a fight at this particular timing. When he happened to encounter an opponent that specialized in time, he was naturally marching to his death.

But all the same, a fifth rank was no weakling. Yet he’d been disposed of so easily!

The shadow was astonished by the sight—not by Drouth’s death, but the appearance of time. It stayed frozen on the spot. Li Hao ignored it in return, bending his mind back to comprehending dao.

Was he afraid that the shadow might make a move to end him?

To be honest, he wasn’t. The shadow should be a weapon soul, possibly of the dao chess. The dao chess had most likely been the weapon of the Skyward master, which meant that it wasn’t in peak condition either.

Li Hao might be able to respond against it if it took action.

Based on what those of Skyward had said, their world master had been looking for a master of time all along. The Skyward master may not be dead. If he was alive, would his weapon soul dare go against the wishes of a ninth rank exalted emperor and kill the future master of time?

Although Li Hao was slightly dejected at the moment that he was not yet the master of time, he wasn’t that concerned.