Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1731 Chapter 439: World Heart

Silence once again enveloped the small courtyard. Li Hao had determined that the Artistic Path would be his primary target for conquest among the seven Artistic Skills.

Having previously attained sanctification and the status of an Immortal Lord by elevating his Artistic Path Heart Realm, Li Hao intended to maintain this momentum. He planned for the Artistic Path to be the very first skill he pushed toward the thirteenth stage.

Furthermore, the Artistic Path offered high efficiency through independent study. It lacked the material constraints of other crafts; Carving required specific woods, Fishing necessitated a proper body of water, and even Cooking was dependent on various ingredient pairings.

While having a subject with a powerful aura or an extraordinary phenomenon could accelerate his experience and insights, such subjects were readily available to him here at Extreme Dao Mountain.

Li Hao paid a visit to his master, intending to ask if the man would serve as his painting subject. He had prepared a long persuasion, but the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor simply dismissed the need for it with a wave of his hand and a three-word response: "Do as you wish."

Overjoyed by the permission, Li Hao did not dally. Every day, he began to sketch the likeness and posture of the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor within the main hall.

Using the Eye of the Painting Realm, he observed his teacher with intense scrutiny, growing more stunned with every stroke of his brush.

The chance to study an Immortal Emperor at such close range was incredibly rare. Under normal circumstances, an Immortal Emperor cannot be gazed upon directly; even the direct disciples of other Emperors would never dare to stare for long, as it would be viewed as a grave sign of disrespect.

Through this process of depiction, Li Hao's awareness of the Immortal Emperor's terrifying and profound nature deepened.

Countless Chaos Laws were draped over his teacher's body like strands of hair, releasing and retracting naturally with every breath. Beyond the sheer force of Chaos Laws, an obscure, supreme power radiated from him. It resembled a Dao Domain, yet it was a thousand times more daunting. Every fragment of that power held innumerable laws within, like feathers woven from the very fabric of existence.

"In my current state, I am only able to catch a mere glimpse of the domain's shadow..."

Li Hao mused privately.

Several months of unceasing painting only managed to push Li Hao's Artistic Path Experience to the perfection of the twelfth stage.

This progress was largely thanks to Su Jiuzhe's Ancestor, who had previously agreed to be his subject, allowing Li Hao to accumulate nearly half of the required experience beforehand.

Had he started from scratch, even an Immortal Emperor would not have been enough to fill the experience bar. This was because the experience gained diminished whenever he repeated the same painting.

"I wonder how many works it will take to fill the experience bar once I reach the thirteenth stage."

Li Hao sensed that as his level rose, even the simple accumulation of experience was becoming a hurdle, to say nothing of the difficulty in comprehending the state of mind.

"Are you attempting to enter the Dao through your painting?"

As Li Hao continued his repetitive work, the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor spoke casually while placing a piece on a chess board.

Startled, Li Hao snapped out of his trance. He did not try to hide his intentions, replying with a respectful, "Yes."

"A clever approach."

The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor gave a slight nod. He did not discourage the boy, instead adding, "Every element of this world offers a path to enter the Dao, whether it be through the Nine Orders or the Dao Origin. Since you have comprehended the Tao Origin Immortal Seal yourself, you ought to realize that all things in existence stem from the 'one.' Tao gives birth to one, and one gives birth to all things!"

"The choice of what that 'one' shall be depends entirely on your own innate talent."

Li Hao’s heart trembled as the meaning of his teacher's words clicked into place.

The Tao gives birth to the 'one,' and that 'one' could manifest as the Sword Dao, the flow of time, or even painting and carving. It could even be the simple stones and rivers found on a path.

Everything eventually returns to the point of origin. The nature of that origin is secondary; what matters is how one extends outward from it to perceive the patterns of the ten thousand Dao.

The Artistic Path encompasses the Nine Sequences Origin—such as time, space, and earth—but if one can refine a specific Dao to its absolute limit within those sequences, it can serve as the 'one.'

"I am grateful for your guidance, teacher," Li Hao said, bowing repeatedly.

The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor shook his head. "This is hardly guidance. You have reached the peak of the Immortal Monarch Realm and refined 21 Chaos Laws. Furthermore, you possess the Primordial Spirit Final Realm and have condensed True God Blood. If you were to exert your full power, even those with 23 Chaos Laws might fail to suppress you!"

"You are already among the elite powerhouses within the Immortal Monarch Realm."

"Your current pursuit of comprehension is to lay the groundwork for a breakthrough to the King Realm, is it not?"

Li Hao was surprised by the question, though he realized he could hide nothing from his master. He nodded and confirmed, "Yes."

"Do not attempt the breakthrough before you enter the Endless Heavenly Domain."

The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor cautioned him, "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't worry about these mere two hundred years, as reaching the King Realm is no simple feat. But with you, nothing is certain. Should you reach a bottleneck, you must ensure you do not prematurely condense a realm. Wait until you have acquired Heavenly Dao Power to establish your Foundation Establishment Domain. Only then can you leap into the superior tier of the Immortal King Realm in a single bound."

"Your disciple understands," Li Hao replied with a nod.

"Do you grasp the distinction between the Immortal King Realm and the Immortal Monarch Realm?" the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor inquired.

Li Hao did not have a complete answer. After a moment of thought, he said, "The True Immortal Realm utilizes immortal power and Tao Origin, the Immortal Monarch Realm masters laws and truth, and the Immortal King Realm governs realm power."

"And what exactly is a realm?" the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor pressed.

Li Hao recalled the Immortal Kings he had encountered. Their realm power was incredibly potent and vast, resembling an entire world.

To be more precise, it seemed like a Dao Domain that had been amplified over ten thousand times.

The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor’s calm eyes seemed to see right through Li Hao's thoughts. He spoke slowly:

"A realm is defined by the 'realm' itself, not the domain!"

"What constitutes a realm? It requires unity and stability, incorporating the Nine Sequences Origin and the laws of ten thousand Dao. However, that is merely the foundation. To truly master a realm, one must condense a World Heart; it is only through the World Heart that the realm is controlled!"

"Because every person's understanding of the World Heart differs, every realm is unique!"

"There are Divine Demon Realms, All Living Creatures Realms, and Chaos Realms..."

The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor continued his explanation, "If you wish to truly understand, you should go down the mountain and ask the Outer Sect disciples in the Immortal King Realm to let you observe them. Watching your teacher is like a mayfly staring at the moon; you are too close to see the full picture."