Chapter 70: The Doubts of Kuihu and His Companions
Chapter Seventy
The three—Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen—were puzzled by the presence of the red-clad Li Hao beside them.
At this moment, the two scheming young cultivators were still lost in the joke made by Li Hao’s Desire Incarnation: “My thing isn’t crooked.” They thought the boy before them was truly foolish, never imagining that the scarlet-robed youth would dare to attack someone two minor realms above himself.
Sensing imminent danger, the targeted youth tried to dodge, but it was already too late.
Bang!
A collision resounded as Li Hao’s Desire Incarnation struck the youth’s head with a powerful palm. With no defenses, the boy’s vision sparkled, and he felt himself on the verge of unconsciousness.
Crack!
Ah!
While his left hand gathered the laws of heaven and earth to deliver a palm to the schemer’s head, the Desire Incarnation’s right fist also channeled these laws, landing squarely on the youth’s chest. The sound of a scream mingled with the crisp snap of breaking bones.
The young man who had planned to break the legs of Li Hao’s Desire Incarnation was now thrown back, blood spurting from his mouth, felled by a palm and a punch.
Simultaneously, Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen, seeing Li Hao’s Desire Incarnation successfully defeat his opponent, launched a full assault on the other scheming youth, forcing him to retreat in disarray.
Desire Incarnation murmured, “The true self says: showing mercy to enemies is cruelty to oneself. Since you wished to break our legs, I’ll break yours first. This is called an eye for an eye.”
He muttered as he walked towards the battered young cultivator. In truth, Li Hao hadn’t instructed the Desire Incarnation to say these words; the incarnation knew them instinctively from his master’s consciousness. These were survival principles once imparted by the Hundred Herb Divine Physician or learned elsewhere.
Some of Li Hao’s philosophies had been distilled from his own experiences. Previously, during registration, he had nearly died for not being ruthless enough with Du Qingfeng’s group. A lesson learned: if Li Hao suffered such a loss and failed to reflect, he would be unworthy of his extraordinary powers—the Primordial Chaos Force and the Formless Divine Body.
Still mumbling, the Desire Incarnation decisively raised his leg and stomped on the joints of the half-dead youth’s legs.
Crack!
Ah!
Crack!
Ah!
Two snapping bones, two agonized screams. The youth, who for mere reward money would have broken the legs of a stranger with whom he had no grievance, now had his legs shattered beneath Li Hao’s Desire Incarnation.
On the other side, Kuihu wielded a mountain-splitting axe, Li Zhan a waist blade, and Qin Zhen an eight-foot-long sword. These three, formerly comrades-in-arms, coordinated seamlessly in battle. Though their opponent’s cultivation was a grade higher, he could not withstand the furious assault of the youngest prodigies of the Battle Palace. Forced onto the defensive, he was ultimately toppled by Kuihu’s powerful kick.
This scheming youth was lucky to be alive—but utterly powerless. He attempted to flee, crawling and rolling, but fate was against him. After a few desperate attempts, he stumbled right into the path of the returning Desire Incarnation. Li Hao’s incarnation delivered another blow—this time a gentle punch to the youth’s nose.
Before he could straighten himself, the Desire Incarnation struck his nose, causing tears to stream and blood to flow, blinding him with pain.
A swift kick sent him sprawling onto his back.
“His legs are yours now. But don’t be too cruel; he only meant to break your legs. Break his legs and arms, that should suffice. Oh—take the other one’s arms as well.”
Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen sensed a new darkness in their companion. Breaking limbs seemed to him mere sport, and his calm demeanor was chilling. All three felt cold sweat trickling down their bodies.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Ah! Ah! Ah!
Bone after bone shattered amid screams. The two schemers, intent on reward money, were crippled—arms and legs both.
Alas! Men die for wealth, birds for food.
“Today was most exhilarating!”
Ha ha ha!
Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen had never expected what seemed a certain defeat could turn so easily. With nothing but a childish joke from the scarlet-robed Li Hao, the situation reversed, ending in effortless victory. It seemed almost unbelievable.
“How do you feel?” asked the Desire Incarnation, rather smug.
“Brilliant! Young master, you're truly remarkable. We are in awe!” Qin Zhen’s praise was genuine admiration, not mere flattery.
Kuihu and Li Zhan nodded in agreement.
What puzzled them was how different their young master seemed today. In the past, he would brush off their compliments, even telling them to stop flattering him. Yet today, he seemed to relish their admiration. Though the three couldn’t fathom it, they could only keep their questions to themselves for now.
As time passed and their excitement waned, Kuihu seemed to recall something.
“Young master, didn’t you say yesterday your powers were sealed? How did they suddenly return?”
This was a critical question. Li Zhan and Qin Zhen, equally curious, listened intently.
The Desire Incarnation replied mysteriously, “Do you remember last night’s rolling black clouds and thunder?”
“We remember!” the three responded in unison. Such an uncanny event would linger in memory for years—decades, centuries, perhaps even millennia.
“My powers were restored because last night was so unusual; the seal was broken.”
He spoke the truth. Last night, sensing the extraordinary circumstance, his true self had unsealed the incarnation’s powers for the safety of Kuihu and the others. Yet, to the trio, this explanation seemed incredible. What did “something unusual” mean, and why would the seal break?
Kuihu wondered, “If crisis lifts the seal, why didn’t the young master unseal his power when those mediocre youths assaulted him yesterday?”
Li Zhan noticed that Li Hao’s cultivation seemed to have reached the Wandering Realm, and thought, “We’ve all advanced, so it’s not surprising the young master broke through as well. That explains how he stunned that unguarded youth with a single palm.”
Qin Zhen mused, “Why does young master seem so different? Could his mood have changed after breaking through?”
He glanced at the red-clad Li Hao and asked, “Young master, did your hair turn black after advancing to the Wandering Realm?”
The Desire Incarnation replied, “No, my hair has always been this color.”
Kuihu, Li Zhan, and Qin Zhen were stunned by this answer.
All thought the same: “Impossible. His hair used to be dark red! Wait—where is the red battle-axe mark on his brow?”
Their minds filled with unanswered questions. Perhaps the mark had become hidden after the breakthrough.
Any doubts they could explain, they attributed to their master’s advancement. Those they could not—such as the claim about his hair—remained mysteries.
Qin Zhen persisted, “Young master! We all know your hair was dark red, not black. What’s really going on? Don’t keep secrets from your brothers.”
The Desire Incarnation offered no further explanation, only a cryptic smile. “Wait a while. When you see him, let him explain.”
The trio was baffled—who did “him” refer to? Eager for answers, they could only wait.
The Desire Incarnation asked, “Can any of you fly?”
Kuihu and Li Zhan replied, “We can try!”
Qin Zhen shook his head, “I’m not yet skilled enough at manipulating the laws of heaven and earth to fly.”
So the Desire Incarnation accompanied Kuihu and Li Zhan, walking alongside Qin Zhen.
“Brother Li Hao, on our journey, aside from encountering other contestants, why have we seen no other living beings?” asked Lu Yao.
None had given the matter much thought until Lu Yao raised it. Once considered, the strangeness of the realm struck them.
Lin Xueyou pondered, “Let’s not be careless. Perhaps all creatures in this realm are hidden by its laws.”
Unable to explain further, everyone settled on Lin Xueyou’s analysis.
Li Hao’s other eight incarnations still had no news of Lu Xuemei, Lu Zhengtian, or Lin Huashu, continuing their search in various environments.
One explored the forests, scanning with divine sense while leaping through the trees. Another flew over mountain peaks, probing each with spiritual awareness. Yet another crossed lakes, examining the surrounding space. And so on.
Some were in forests, some by lakes, some near streams, some atop peaks, some on plains—each probing their surroundings for hundreds of miles. By now, each had scanned thousands of miles in all directions.
“Hmm, Lu Zhengtian isn’t with him. Soon, control the others near him, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“No problem. Leave the rest to us!”