Chapter 58: Ten Li Haos Ascend

At the very center of the tornado, Li Hao continued to break through his limits. As his cultivation realm rose ever higher, the laws of heaven and earth within the Inner World converged to create an ever-expanding tornado. With the tornado as its core, the land within a radius of a thousand miles was reduced to utter devastation. Everything within this expanse was obliterated by the raging winds.

As the tornado grew stronger, Xiao Jiu's energy expenditure increased dramatically. Barely a quarter of an hour had passed, and already Xiao Jiu found it exceedingly difficult to shield Lin Xueyou from harm.

The ten Li Haos at the heart of the storm, protected by the Primal Chaos Yin-Yang Array, felt only the chaotic storm of elemental laws raging around them. If Li Hao had known that he had inadvertently brought disaster upon a thousand miles of territory, destroying everything within, who knows what he would have thought.

As Li Hao’s cultivation gradually stabilized, the Primal Chaos Yin-Yang Array slowed its rotation, and the tornado of laws began to dissipate. Xiao Jiu and Lin Xueyou, suspended in midair, descended onto the ruins below.

The bizarre sight that greeted them left both Xiao Jiu and Lin Xueyou stunned. At the center of the tornado’s vortex sat ten identical Li Haos; nine of them formed a large circle around the one in the middle, the circle spanning roughly ten fathoms. Strangely, the devastation extended in all directions from their position, but the very center remained untouched, perfectly preserved.

All ten Li Haos sat cross-legged, eyes closed. Lin Xueyou and Xiao Jiu were so shocked they forgot to ask what was happening. Human and dragon alike stood gaping at the ten meditating Li Haos.

After several breaths, Lin Xueyou was the first to break the eerie silence.

“How can this be? Did Li Hao cultivate some powerful avatar technique? Did his breakthrough allow him to manifest these duplicates?”

No one knew Li Hao better than Xiao Jiu. He replied without hesitation, “Impossible. My master only ever cultivated the Wood Law. As for techniques, none of them were avatar techniques. Altogether, he’s only spent about three days cultivating spells, all quite recently. In those three days, he practiced Shadow Phantom Steps, Heaven-and-Earth Penmanship, and the Reincarnation Breath Soul Refinement Art—just three secret techniques. And in that time, he’s already mastered all three to perfection.”

Lin Xueyou grew more astonished the more she heard. At last, she covered her lips with her flawless white hands, exclaiming, “Three days to master three advanced secret arts, each to completion… How could anyone possess such comprehension? Li Hao is a monster! I’ve only known him for less than a day, and my poor heart can barely take it.”

It was at this moment that Xiao Jiu truly realized the nature of the young woman before him: open-hearted, frank, and irresistibly charming. He thought to himself, She is well suited to be my master’s companion.

Inwardly, Xiao Jiu mused, This girl is a fine match for my master.

Suddenly, a voice tinged with irritation spoke: “Xiao Jiu, if you dare meddle in my private affairs again, I’ll lock you away.”

Another Li Hao, with a gentle, charming smile, said, “Xiao Jiu, you ought to be this thoughtful for your young master.”

A third, looking somewhat dejected, said, “Xiao Jiu, you needn’t concern yourself with such things.”

A fourth, his expression timid, pleaded, “Xiao Jiu, please don’t try to harm me!”

A fifth, with a gentle face and caring eyes, remarked, “Xiao Jiu, love if you love, let go if you don’t. All things in this world are subject to fate.”

A sixth, his gaze cold and his tone indifferent, declared, “Xiao Jiu, I despise deceit. Don’t presume to make decisions for me.”

A seventh, his eyes glimmering with greed, said, “Xiao Jiu, the more of such things, the better. You should always consider your young master’s needs.”

An eighth, with a calm expression and emotionless voice, stated, “Xiao Jiu, I have no desire for attachments in this life—only freedom.”

A ninth, looking forlorn, sighed, “Xiao Jiu, wealth and glory are fleeting; when the Dao fades, all is but a dream.”

The Li Hao at the very center, the most normal-looking of the lot, fixed Xiao Jiu with a mischievous smile and said, “Xiao Jiu, perhaps I should find you a lady dragon.”

Xiao Jiu, caught off guard, was suddenly bombarded by ten different personalities—ten voices, each with its own distinct character. Lin Xueyou watched, utterly baffled, her almond-shaped eyes wide with confusion as she looked from Xiao Jiu to the ten Li Haos.

She noticed Xiao Jiu’s ever-shifting expressions—joy, fear, sorrow, excitement—mirroring each Li Hao’s tone. Each of the ten displayed a different temperament, their emotions affecting Xiao Jiu in turn, who seemed to sense the intent behind each one’s words.

To Xiao Jiu, each one felt like the true Li Hao. For ten years, his master had always been carefree and innocent. Now, out of nowhere, there were nine more, each with a unique personality, and all could sense his thoughts. He truly didn’t know how to react.

Lin Xueyou, looking at the ten identical Li Haos, asked in confusion, “Which one of you is the real Li Hao?”

All ten answered in perfect unison, “I am.”

“Ah!” Lin Xueyou was completely bewildered. After a moment’s thought, she murmured to herself, “Could this be another illusion?”

Xiao Jiu replied, “Miss Xueyou, this is no illusion. There are truly ten masters here.”

“Ten Li Haos?” Lin Xueyou’s mind was shattered by this revelation. She could only feel disbelief upon disbelief.

At this moment, the Li Hao at the center spoke, “Do you nine all wish to return to the main body?”

The true Li Hao asked with a hint of annoyance, but his question seemed pointless. The nine avatars displayed various expressions—some calm and indifferent, some grinning, some with unfriendly eyes.

Seeing such a chaotic mix of expressions, the true Li Hao felt a flicker of anger, his smile twisting into a wicked grin. He then sat cross-legged, leaving Xiao Jiu and Lin Xueyou watching him in a daze.

He sat motionless, and no one inquired as to his reasons. All they could do was watch, waiting.

Seated thus, Li Hao began to attune himself to the Primal Chaos Yin-Yang Array within the Primal Chaos Pearl. He recalled the method for operating the array: leftward rotation for fusion, rightward for separation.

Pondering further, he realized the array must be capable of fusing and separating the nine avatars. Now that he knew the method, the question remained: how to command the array with his own will?

At first, Li Hao tried to control it with his mind, but the Primal Chaos Pearl was invisible, the array hidden within. He attempted to mimic the rotation with his hands, but that too failed.

Some of the avatars looked on with schadenfreude, others showed no emotion, while some seemed deeply worried about being restrained by the main soul. Their expressions and thoughts were affected by the dominance of the main soul, their natures shifting accordingly.

Li Hao tried many times to activate the Primal Chaos Yin-Yang Array, but all his efforts were in vain. He continued reflecting on every detail.

He remembered standing at the very center of the array before, as if two invisible hands were stirring the vortex. He began to imitate the motions: leftward, left hand down, right hand up; rightward, right hand down, left hand up.

As his movements grew more fluid, his legs naturally bent to a ninety-degree angle. At that moment, Li Hao felt as though he could channel some of the world’s elemental laws. Success felt within reach.

Yet, instead of activating the array, he found himself gathering the laws of the Inner World into his hands. “What’s going on?” he wondered.

“How did I manage to gather the laws just now?” he mused. “Ah, I was focusing my intent on gathering power. What if I focus directly on the Primal Chaos Yin-Yang Array inside the pearl?”

He tried, but the Primal Chaos Pearl was now intangible. He was stumped, until he visualized the pearl in his sea of consciousness. Instantly, the pearl appeared—black and white, perfectly round—in his mind.

Overjoyed, Li Hao concentrated his will on the Yin-Yang Array within the pearl, channeling its power. Feet shoulder-width apart, legs bent, he rotated his hands to the left for fusion.

He focused his intent, directing the pearl’s energy into his hands. As he rotated them, a black-and-white array formed between his palms. But it lacked any attractive force. “Is it too compressed?” he wondered.

Expanding the array, still nothing happened. “What’s the problem?” he sighed.

He tried compressing, expanding, again and again, yet the result remained unchanged.

Sensing his master’s repeated attempts, Xiao Jiu finally offered a suggestion: “Young master, try focusing all your power and intent into the array as you activate it. It may yield unexpected results.”

The nine avatars, hearing Xiao Jiu’s advice, neither interrupted nor reacted negatively. They knew their fate depended on the main soul, and wisely kept silent.

Li Hao, enlightened by Xiao Jiu’s words, poured all his will and strength into the array. Instantly, the black-and-white formation spun at tremendous speed, drawing the nine avatars into the main body. As each avatar merged, Li Hao’s cultivation surged, breaking through two minor realms in an instant—from the middle stage of the Wandering Realm to its peak.

The sudden leap startled Li Hao so much that he fell heavily to the ground. Lin Xueyou, witnessing this, turned pale and could not suppress a cry of shock.

“Monster! Monster!” she muttered over and over.

Xiao Jiu, too, stood rooted to the spot, utterly stunned.