The youth entered the Great Wasteland

The Eastern Wasteland Continent is vast and boundless; if we take the Great Yu Dynasty as the center, the Imperial Capital is the bullseye.

The outline of the Nineteen Provinces resembles a teapot.

The spout curves upwards, and the corner of the mouth marks the Heaven's Gate Pass. Extending outwards from the Heaven's Gate Pass, one traverses the gray, demonic lands Beyond the Border, where Demon dwell and roam. Further still lies the deep black Great Wasteland Heaven Realm on the map.

The Great Yu Ministry of War had four subordinate departments, which were in charge of military selection, maps, chariots and horses in various states, and weapons and armor.

Secondly, the Territorial Maps Department was in charge of mapping the All Under Heaven and regularly drawing and updating maps.

Throughout the more than 3,000-year history of the Great Yu Dynasty, new and old maps have been updated many times, not to mention the changes in the terrain within each state.

The Demon territories Beyond the Border are classified as gray areas, but over the years, their landscapes, including mountains and peaks, have been discovered and named.

This also greatly facilitated the Demon Suppression Division's tracking of Demon from Beyond the Border. Maps served as eyes, and many talented individuals sacrificed their lives just for drawing them.

However, no matter how the old and new maps change, the region beyond this Demon realm, deeper and farther away, which the Late Emperor named "Great Wasteland Heaven" when he went on his expedition, remains a deep black.

There is no description or introduction of the terrain.

Like the black Abyss surrounding the edge of the continent, it is a dangerous and mysterious place forbidden to Human Race.

For thousands of years, talented individuals from the military have risen to prominence, attempting to explore the Great Wasteland Heaven, but countless have sacrificed themselves, ultimately bringing back only meager information.

These messages written in blood were woven into a book called the Great Wasteland Scripture.

It consists of only two pages and a few hundred words.

Life is as fragile as paper.

Even so, these two thin pages were carefully treasured by the Imperial Palace, and only top forces such as the Divine General Residence had copies of them.

At this very moment, on the edge of the Great Wasteland Heaven, a young figure was walking through Savage Wilderness forest with towering ancient trees.

The surrounding area was filled with tall trees and shrouded in mist.

Records say that in the Great Wasteland Heaven, Miasma filled the sky, giant beasts roamed freely, Demon ran rampant, and there were also traces of legendary ancient ferocious beasts.

As Li Hao walked forward, he also carefully observed his surroundings.

This record is indeed true. Although he has not yet encountered any giant Demon, he has already sensed the damp and poisonous Miasma within the forest.

Fortunately, his Indestructible Treasure Body was extremely refined and powerful, allowing him to easily resist and remain unharmed.

However, if it were someone else at the Three Immortalities Realm, even staying in this forest for a long time would damage their physical body.

If one's cultivation level is lower, it goes without saying that it will only be more difficult.

His mother actually lived in such a place... Li Hao's eyes flickered, his thoughts racing, and he questioned the Ji Family elder who had shrunk and was hiding on his body:

Is Human Race life really like you described here?

"Not Human Race, but Saint Clan!"

The elder from the Ji Family immediately corrected him.

He was only willing to speak more to Li Hao because he admired his talent.

"My Ji Family is Ancient Sacred Clan. Although we are of Human Race origin, our clansmen possess the Bloodline of Ancient Sage, and our physiques are incredibly strong, far surpassing those of you barbarian Original Human. Moreover, our clan is protected by Sacred Land, impervious to Miasma; it is no exaggeration to call it a land of immortals."

Upon hearing this, Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that his mother's living environment was quite good.

As they walked, Li Hao struck up a conversation with the old man from the Ji Family.

They learned the other person's name was Ji Yun'ge.

The other party only briefly discussed the Ji Family's affairs without going into depth, but gave Li Hao a lot of guidance on the matters within the Great Wasteland Heaven, making Li Hao understand that the Great Wasteland Heaven was indeed extremely dangerous, just as the countless sages of the Ministry of War had explored.

However, this dangerous area is divided into different zones.

For example, the place they are in now is on the outer edge of the Great Wasteland Heaven. Although they may encounter extremely terrifying Demon, the probability is not high.

Most of them are inhabited by Demon and ferocious beasts of low Bloodline.

However, the Heaven and Earth Energy here is abundant, and even Demon of low Bloodline have the potential to cultivate to the Demon King. Therefore, the record of the Great Yu Dynasty that one should not easily set foot in the Great Wasteland Heaven without reaching the Four Establishments Realm is a fairly reliable warning.

Amidst towering ancient trees, Li Hao followed Ji Yun'ge's directions and hurried along.

He moved through these trees, which were dozens of meters in diameter, and several people could easily lie down on each branch.

As they were walking forward, a dark shadow suddenly shot towards them.

The Dao Resonance draws the attack in, ensuring its absolute success, creating a feeling that there is no way to avoid it.

Li Hao was slightly taken aback. The foot that had just landed suddenly stepped forward again, disappearing Heaven and Earth Without Trace, vanishing under the pull of the Dao Resonance.

Before the Dao Resonance aura could be reconnected, Li Hao appeared at the point of attack, as fast as lightning, and saw that the attacker was a woman hidden behind the thick leaves of a treetop.

The opponent was half-human, half- Demon, with grotesque lower limbs resembling a praying mantis.

The woman was taken aback when she saw Li Hao suddenly appear in front of her. She hadn't expected that this young man, who was clearly Human Race but whose Aura was not obvious, would have such skills!

Her pupils suddenly contracted, but she reacted extremely quickly, spitting out a stream of emerald green venom.

Bang!

Li Hao raised his hand and threw a punch. The violent force of the punch directly shattered the venom and smashed into the face of the banshee, smashing her snow-white and delicate face to reveal the carapace-like bones beneath, causing her to scream in agony.

"Ancient Desolate Prodigy?!"

The succubus was forced back, staring at Li Hao in shock.

At such a young age, she possesses such terrifying explosive power; how could she have encountered an Ancient Desolate Prodigy at the edge of the Great Wasteland Heaven?!

She cursed her bad luck inwardly, ignoring the pain on her face, and turned to run away.

Li Hao reacted extremely quickly. With the Thousand Mountains Flying Birds Diagram activated and the Heaven and Earth Without Trace combined, he caught up with his opponent almost instantly. Under the succubus's shocked gaze, he punched her through the head.

Blood splattered, spraying onto the nearby trees.

A Divine Soul burst forth from the banshee's body, looked at Li Hao in terror, turned around, screamed, and ran away.

Her Divine Soul burned, unleashing its full speed, but Li Hao's power to Object Manipulation had already condensed into a sword, instantly slashing out and tearing her body apart. Then, it rapidly split into Sword Qi, shattering her severed Divine Soul and annihilating it completely.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye; this Dao Heart Realm Demon King had already perished at Li Hao's hands.

When Ji Yun'ge was hiding in Li Hao's body, saw this, she couldn't help but smile.

Although Li Hao displayed extraordinary Heavenly Talent in the Mo River, this was partly due to Li Tianzong's secret favor.

Now, Li Hao's True Form's explosive power, the skill and strength he displayed, were in no way inferior to the Mo River's, which put his mind at ease and made him feel satisfied.

He thought that when Li Hao sent him back to the Ji Family, he could introduce him to Li Hao. If Li Hao could cultivate in the Ji Family, it would be an excellent opportunity for him to grow.

At that moment, Li Hao punched the female Demon King to death, only to feel a stinging pain in his fist. It turned out that the venom had gotten onto his fist and was corroding his skin.

If even his physical body could decay, then an ordinary Three Immortalities Realm would probably have already suffered rotten flesh and exposed bones.

Li Hao took a deep breath. He hadn't expected that he would be ambushed by the Demon King so soon after arriving in the Great Wasteland Heaven and before he had even traveled more than a few dozen miles.

He glanced at the Demon King's corpse; apart from her smashed head, her body was intact.

He quickly flew back, arrived in front of the corpse, raised his hand and grabbed it, absorbing the life Essence Blood from the corpse's body.

The Demon King's body withered rapidly, eventually turning into a crumpled, gray, rotting corpse.

Li Hao casually slapped him, reducing him to ashes to prevent him from leaving any trace.

After absorbing the life Essence Blood of the Demon King, Li Hao circulated and refined it within his body. The stinging sensation on the back of his hand immediately disappeared, the rotting corrosion stopped, and his flesh began to regenerate.

He had just emerged from the Mo River, True Form was still at the level it was before the end of the Liang Prefecture war, his physical body only comparable to that of someone who had forged a Divine Weapon seven times.

At this moment, he has improved even further.

This shows how potent the female Demon King's venom is. Even Demon King like Lu Yuan, who is at the pinnacle of the Unique Skill Realm, would have difficulty inflicting serious injury on her physical body. Yet, the opponent, who is only at the Dao Heart Realm, has made him bleed!

"To be able to harm me with just Dao Heart Realm, is this the Demon King of the Great Wasteland Heaven? He seems even more powerful than those outside."

Li Hao muttered to himself.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yun'ge couldn't help but laugh.

To injure Three Immortalities with the Dao Heart Realm —is that something to be praised for?

This is truly outrageous.

However, this is true for all the Ancient Desolate Prodigy. They can slay Demon King in adversity and shock the barbarians in the desolate lands, but in this Great Wasteland Heaven, they can only be considered outstanding.

But he knew that Li Hao's true strength was not like that. Therefore, even among the Ancient Sacred Clan, Li Hao was enough to be considered Heavenly Prodigy. This was the reason why he cherished talent!

Having dealt with the female Demon King, Li Hao didn't linger and immediately continued on his way.

He possesses Myriad Manifestation Attribute ability to conceal his Aura, but the sounds he makes still attract some Demon along the way.

Li Hao dealt with two more along the way, but both were at the Three Immortalities Realm. They tried to ambush him, but he killed them with a single slap.

Although he had no weapons at hand, Li Hao's own body was already at the level of Divine Weapon, and his fists and feet possessed extremely strong destructive power.

While traveling, Li Hao was also digesting the memories and Martial Dao Cultivation Method he had brought from the Mo River.

Because of his memory, these Cultivation Method were directly recorded into the Panel, and within the Panel, after being deduced through the Seventh Dan of the Path of the Physical Body, some new Cultivation Method evolved.

For example, the previously deduced Ten Thousand Blood True Devil Art has now become the Spirit Offering True Devil Art.

The proportion of Essence Blood absorbed from Demon and transformed and condensed is now higher.

This allowed Li Hao's physical body to be refined to its limit more quickly.

Ji Yun'ge guided Li Hao, avoiding some of the more dangerous Forbidden Zone in the Great Wasteland Heaven.

It is inhabited by renowned Great Demon King and should not be entered lightly.

Li Hao had no intention of risking his life to hunt. His immediate priority was to send Ji Yun'ge back to the Ji Family. If possible, he still wanted to see his mother one last time.

It's good to know that he's safe and sound.

The night was cool and still.

In the endless, desolate ancient forest, one can occasionally see scattered remains of white bones.

A fire made of withered leaves and twigs burned on a thick branch, but it failed to ignite the branch itself.

The thick branches contain abundant moisture and vigorous vitality, making it difficult for ordinary flames to ignite wildfires here and set these ancient trees ablaze with vitality.

Moreover, the Miasma here is humid and the flames will quickly go out without a continuous supply of fuel.

At this moment, Li Hao stopped to rest and adjust his condition by the fire.

He leaned against the tree trunk, picked up a blade of grass, folded it into a harmonica shape near his mouth, and gently blew it.

Moonlight Essence scattered, accompanied by ancient trees in the desolate sky, and the faint sound of a whistle drifted gently, before being blocked from spreading by the soundproof Barrier set up by Li Hao.

It only echoed among the branches.

Musical Rhythm experience gradually increases.

This can be considered a form of cultivation.

With nothing around me, I have no way to study calligraphy, painting, or chess; I can only amuse myself with Musical Rhythm.

Ji Yun'ge stood on the other end of the tree branch, her hands behind her back, gazing at the distant Star and Moon, her eyes filled with longing for home.

Listening to Li Hao's melodious and lingering grass whistle, in the quiet moonlight, his longing was stirred even deeper.

He turned and glanced at the boy, only to find that the boy was simply gazing silently into the dark ancient forest, seemingly lost in thought.

What's the name of this piece?

"Moonlight."

"You said you didn't want to go home in the Mo River, but your music is full of longing," Ji Yun'ge said, her gaze fixed on him.

"Two different things."

Li Hao removed the blade of grass from his lips and said softly, "What I miss is my friend."

Ji Yun'ge glanced at him. "Is your friend also very capable?"

"That depends on what aspects you're looking at."

Li Hao smiled and said, "Some know how to fish, some know how to eat and drink, and some don't have any special skills, but they're very happy."

I think being able to live a happy life is a skill in itself.

Ji Yun'ge's eyes flickered slightly as she said, "I see you spent quite a bit of time in the Mo River, enjoying yourself. In such a dangerous environment, you still had the mind to have fun? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"You can't abandon life just because you're afraid of dying, right? That would be putting the cart before the horse."

Li Hao didn't explain that it was due to the Panel, but he did express his thoughts. "It's like working hard to cultivate in order to make a living, but if you spend all your living time on cultivation, then... what's the point?"

Without power, in the face of life and death, in the face of Demon, all that remains is despair.

Ji Yun'ge said.

Li Hao smiled slightly, "But how many powerful Warrior have died? Many of them didn't even have a chance to enjoy life. Senior, your cultivation level is not low either, is it?"

Ji Yun'ge was taken aback, her expression changing slightly. Li Hao's words implied that even someone as powerful as him was dead.

This is clearly offensive.

But he wasn't angry; instead, he seemed somewhat lost in thought.

Looking back on his life, he lived a long time, but he spent most of it cultivating himself.

Looking back now, I realize that what I often reminisced about in the Mo River were things outside of cultivation.

Playing around with those guys, drinking, hunting contests, and all those everyday moments of gentle laughter and banter—ordinary scenes...

He fell silent.

When facing life and death, what one reflects upon is not how one cultivated oneself, but rather the people and events one experienced.

Not to mention he's dead now.

His obsession with returning to the Ji Family was to go home, and the purpose of going home was that he couldn't bear to leave that Saint Mountain and the people on that mountain.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Li Hao didn't say anything more, and continued to hold the grass leaf in his mouth and gently blow on it.

He doesn't oppose cultivation, but during his busy cultivation breaks, he can stop to have a couple of cups of tea and chat for a bit.

That's what "real" life is all about.

The night was slightly cool, a cluster of flames, a clear and melodious whistle, and two souls with different thoughts.

And there's a bright, full moon...

For several days in a row, Li Hao was on the move.

During the journey, I also took the opportunity to practice each of the Cultivation Method recorded in the Panel.

Each training session refined and enhanced his body, and the Demon he hunted along the way, from whom he absorbed their Essence Blood, allowed Li Hao to progress Divine Speed, bringing his physical body to a level comparable to Eight-Forged Divine Weapon.

In the Mo River, his physical body was comparable to that of a nine-times-forged being, and he could barely hold on in the Great Peace Dao Domain.

Now, we are getting closer and closer to that level.

After all, in reality, he doesn't have that many Divine Medicine to take, nor can he take them. He relies entirely on his Cultivation Method to absorb and convert them. Fortunately, the effect is no worse than that of Divine Medicine, it just takes a little time.

"Hmm? Something seems off here."

Li Hao stepped into a crimson Mountain Range, surrounded by a red mist. When the mist touched his body, it made Li Hao feel as if his flesh was softening.

This is even more terrifying than Miasma; it seems to weaken his physical strength.

"This is Crimson Wood Corpse Ridge."

Ji Yun'ge said, "This is the place where a Dao Comprehender perished. Their Dao Domain remains, forming a special Forbidden Zone here, which is extremely dangerous."

Then he changed the subject, saying, "However, it's not a big problem for you. The Dao Domain rules contained here aren't as strong as they were in that person's lifetime. They will just keep breaking down your Qi and Blood. Staying here for too long will weaken your body, and you might even age and die. But with your physique, you can withstand it."

"Deep within this place, there is a Crimson Blood Demon Vine King rooted in the remains of the Dao Comprehender. Every sixty years, it will produce a Dao Rhythm Blood Fruit, which is extremely potent, greatly enhancing physical strength, helping to advance physical power, reach the Power Circulation Extreme Realm, and unleash Divine Power State."

"You can try to find the Crimson Blood Demon Vine King. It absorbed too much of the flesh and blood of that Dao Comprehender and is now trapped here, unable to escape. But its combat power is average; you should be able to defeat it."

Li Hao was taken aback and somewhat speechless. He was afraid that the Dao Rhythm Blood Fruit would not be of much use to him.

But since we're already here, there's no harm in taking a look. If he can't use it, we can take it back for Qian Qian to use.

As Li Hao was pondering this, several whooshing sounds suddenly came from ahead.

"Stop!"

"Who is that? Quick, stop him! I am from the Qin Family, Ancient Sacred Clan!"

Several angry shouts rang out.

Li Hao looked over and saw a short man speeding ahead, with three other figures chasing after him at full speed, their Movement Method extremely fast.

The short man who had been fleeing ahead saw Li Hao standing in mid-air, his expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly said, "Don't block me! I'll give you the treasure!"

As they spoke, they had already reached Li Hao's side.

Just as Li Hao was wondering what was going on, the other party suddenly attacked, striking Li Hao in the face with a palm.

Bang!

Li Hao grabbed the other person's wrist and then crushed it with a crack.

Li Hao asked doubtfully, "What do you want to do?"