Eternal Heavenly Emperor

Chu Hao set off again.

After half a day, he came to a hot spring. The water was clear, steaming with mist, and filled with trace elements. Just being near it made him feel invigorated.

He couldn't help but stop. He hadn't bathed during his many days in the Ancient Training Ground. Previously, it didn't seem to matter, but now, with a hot spring right in front of him, he felt uncomfortable all over. Not taking a bath would be very unpleasant.

After all, this was deep in the forest, so he wasn't afraid of being watched. Besides, as a man, what did he have to fear?

He quickly stripped off his clothes, put them into his Mustard Seed Ring, and then jumped into the pool with a splash, swimming joyfully.

It felt incredibly good.

Chu Hao scrubbed himself clean.

The hot spring was so comfortable that after two months of intense fighting, both his body and mind were exhausted. As he soaked, he began to feel drowsy.

While Martial Sects were far beyond normal people, he could hold his breath for several hours.

So, he closed his eyes, letting his body sink to the bottom of the pool, enjoying the sensation of being enveloped in warm water.

Time passed slowly, and only when he began to feel short of breath did he kick his feet, shooting upwards like a fish. With a splash, he broke the surface and took a deep breath.

Huh? Hmm!

Chu Hao's eyes widened because, unbeknownst to him, another person had entered the hot spring.

Only... the person's expression was far from friendly.

A martial artist wouldn't scream and cover their face. The woman's eyes flashed with killing intent, and with a flick of her hand, she drew a long sword, thrusting it towards Chu Hao.

"Hey, hey, hey, we can talk this over. Why resort to violence?" Chu Hao quickly clapped his hands, and his body instantly soared out of the water.

Chu Hao muttered to himself, saying, "Miss, this is really a misunderstanding. I got here first and, seeing no one around, decided to take a bath. Who would have thought you'd come over?"

Truthfully, he was the victim. He was just taking a bath, submerged in water, and then came up to find an uninvited guest.

How was it his fault?

The woman was furious, stepping lightly on the water, showing techniques akin to a fairy descending to earth—like one of the Seven Fairies. If Chu Hao took her clothes, he could be the second Dong Yong.

"Hmph, what does it matter if a dead person sees more?" The woman's sword momentum was incredibly fierce, and a single sword strike dispersed the clouds.

Chu Hao sighed and had to counterattack to protect himself.

Her strength was not inferior to Bai Qi... no, she was even stronger, by a significant margin.

What luck! Even in a desolate forest hot spring, he encountered such a powerful young expert.

Under her sword pressure, Chu Hao didn't even have time to put on his clothes. Her strength was not weaker than his, so if he made any unnecessary moves, he'd be courting death.

"Shameless!" The woman's face suddenly turned red, and she angrily scolded Chu Hao, abruptly withdrawing her sword and turning away at high speed.

Chu Hao chuckled, quickly jumped out of the hot spring, and got dressed.

Time to slip away.

But he had barely walked ten miles when a red figure flashed past. The stunning beauty from before reappeared. She wore a red dress now, but her hair was still damp, reminding Chu Hao that the beautiful sight he had seen was not a dream.

Flaming red lips and naturally seductive eyes made her a breathtaking beauty.

"Scoundrel, die!" She attacked with her sword.

Chu Hao grimaced. Would she not give up? The world was so big, and he didn't know who she was; she didn't know who he was. Chances of meeting again were slim.

His Grey Rock Sword had cracked after using Heavenly Thunder Strike, so he couldn't use it. Chu Hao clenched his fists, and two beams of starlight emerged. Though not even a foot long, they had the power to pierce any Star Force defense.

The sword and starlight clashed fiercely. Both fought with incredible speed, exchanging countless blows in an instant. The surrounding trees were shattered and blown away by the resulting shockwaves.

This woman is strong!

Chu Hao noted again that, apart from Su Wanyue, this was the second strongest young woman he had encountered.

"Demon Slaying Sword!" The woman shouted, her expression turning extremely solemn. A murderous aura emanated from her, creating a terrible pressure.

Chu Hao's expression also became serious. This sword was no joke and had to be taken seriously.

Sky Wind Eight Styles, Three Forms as One!

Chu Hao's hands turned into palms, fixating on her sword.

The woman stepped lightly, her figure like a fairy drifting towards Chu Hao. However, her sword strikes formed the phantasms of Vajra Giants, each holding a Vajra Pestle and smashing it towards Chu Hao.

No, these weren't just phantasms. Each Vajra Pestle carried a terrifying force, and this was no illusion.

Chu Hao roared, both palms striking out simultaneously.

Boom!

In a heavy clash, Chu Hao was sent flying back, his sleeves fluttering like butterflies. The woman was also shaken, her right sleeve turning to shreds, even extending to her shoulder.

This strike ended in a draw.

The woman looked down, gritted her teeth, and said, "Villain, next time I'll cut off your head and gouge out your eyes!"

With that, she turned and left like a red cloud, quickly disappearing.

Chu Hao shook his head and continued on.

Four days later, he finally exited the forest.

After determining his direction, he headed east.

Along the way, he trained, but after reaching the Martial Sect, his progress slowed significantly.

Although his daily expansion of meridians hadn't decreased, the Reverse Meridian required expanding 200 times, making his cultivation appear slower. Normally, it would take him about two months to complete a minor realm's cultivation.

However, Dragon Tooth Rice, though not significantly enhancing cultivation, offered some benefits, reducing the time by about half a month.

In the Ancient Training Ground, he expanded the first Reverse Meridian to about 140 times. Theoretically, it would take around 20 days to reach the Single-Meridian peak. By the time he entered the Upper Three Counties, he could aim for the Two Meridians.

After half a month, Chu Hao arrived at Huquan County.

The Upper Three Counties comprised Luoshui Prefecture, Jinhe County, and Huquan County. Each had a First Grade Sect, making it a true martial arts Holy Land. Chu Hao's Single-Meridian Peak Martial Sect cultivation was insignificant here.

Of course, the Upper Three Counties were vast. Huquan County alone was comparable in size to Earth. Powerful experts were scarce; Chu Hao even passed through villages with no martial masters.

Two days later, Chu Hao arrived at a city called West Meeting City.

Chu Hao planned to stay here for a while, aiming to break through to Two Meridians Martial Sect.