Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1776 Chapter 457: Realms Beyond Realms (Part 2)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
"The Divine Sense rivals my own and could possibly exceed it!"
Li Hao's eyes narrowed faintly. Could this indicate that the opponent's True God Blood goes beyond his?!
During his travels, Li Hao had faced numerous powerful adversaries, yet this marked the initial encounter with someone whose Divine Sense outmatched his in the identical realm.
His face grew grave as he ceased his advance and came to a standstill.
Separated by thousands of miles, the two locked eyes from a distance.
Upon the lake's surface, the black-robed youth's gaze shimmered subtly with surprise.
A Divine Sense extending so far?
Within this Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain, reaching such a distance meant the foe was no mere Primordial Spirit Extreme Realm cultivator, but one who had absorbed substantial True God Blood!
"Immortal Monarch Realm, True God Blood, no less than three thousand drops?"
The black-robed youth appeared momentarily stunned, briefly pondering if this was a reincarnated comrade from ancient times.
"That young man looks like... the Human Race's Haotian who stirred up all that chaos earlier?"
"Not from my kin—perhaps a Great Emperor of the Human Race reborn?"
"The tale of igniting 69 stars in one day... nothing short of a Great Emperor's awakening explains it."
His gaze flickered once more. Should the other truly be a Great Emperor, then his trek along the Heavenly Ascension Road would prove far from solitary.
Clashing solely with those minor prodigies would grow tedious and unexciting otherwise.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he nodded toward the figure opposite, his eyes blending a trace of lethal intent with polite grace and composure.
Li Hao sensed the serene yet resolute killing intent in the other's stare and felt a brief shock. It was an odd sensation—this murderous aura remained utterly composed and steady. Not born of private enmity, but akin to a clash between races, carrying the poise of viewing a rival and the resolve to fight without restraint.
"Even the Divine King, that Quasi-Emperor reborn, never instilled such peril in me..."
Li Hao's eyes quivered faintly, "Is this person truly a Great Emperor's reincarnation?"
In the past, tales of Great Emperor reincarnations had reached his ears, and he had clashed with them amid contests against fellow geniuses, but most held only fragments of lingering souls or wills, lacking full recollections from prior lives. Hence, for all their brilliance, they fell under the heel of this generation's talents.
But the black-robed youth ahead differed starkly from the rest.
"Those who make it to this Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain are no ordinary sorts, it appears."
Li Hao cast a profound look, imprinting the black-robed youth's presence in his mind, then pressed on without delay, vaulting beyond and forging ahead.
Their arena for confrontation lay not here, but upon the Heavenly Ascension Road.
Across the lake, the black-robed youth watched Li Hao depart and gradually withdrew his sight. His once dull and detached spirit ignited with a spark of eagerness, as though discovering delight.
"Heavenly Ascension Road, I'll await your arrival."
He whispered to himself, then resumed his leisurely pace with hands clasped behind.
Though his strides seemed unhurried, each one spanned hundreds of feet in a flash, leaving the lake behind after mere steps, propelling him at great velocity.
...
Li Hao pressed on with his pursuit and path-clearing, spotting various clusters en route, where over a dozen individuals united to chase Chaos Dao Seeds, yet their energies felt markedly feebler. From the Chaos Law methods they wielded, it was clear they hadn't integrated 23 Chaos Laws as yet.
So, despite their group effort of more than ten, capturing Chaos Dao Seeds in this place proved exceptionally taxing.
Li Hao spared them a quick look but ignored them, pushing further.
As he kept slaying and purging, the numbers of Chaos Dao Seeds across the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain dwindled swiftly.
At the same time, Xue Consort, following Li Hao's exit from the clash with the Divine Venerable, paused briefly but, upon the Divine Venerable's absence, ventured off solo to seek Chaos Dao Seeds.
"With both unleashing their hidden aces in that fight, they posed threats I couldn't easily dismiss. Grandmother spoke true—anyone navigating the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain unaccompanied boasts exceptional might."
Xue Consort observed with a serious gaze. After beholding Li Hao and the Divine Venerable's duels, her lingering pride began to fade, acknowledging greater powers beyond her own. Even as a scion of the Ancient Immortal Clan, she couldn't assume dominance over everyone present.
Beside the Human Race youth's radiant feats, her own luster dimmed somewhat.
"Still, their Domain Artifacts lie ruined now, stripping them of worth as rivals on the Heavenly Ascension Road."
Xue Consort shook her head and advanced, declining to linger for the Divine Venerable—he served only as a fleeting ally she'd gathered to speed the gathering of Chaos Dao Seeds in this realm.
Halting to await him would invert what truly mattered.
...
In a flash, two days elapsed.
Li Hao had scoured the full expanse of the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain, crossing paths with numerous other prodigies, though he refrained from claiming their lucky breaks, merely skirting by to target remaining Chaos Dao Seeds.
What they secured was their fortune; what escaped them, Li Hao claimed with pleasure.
"I recall the Heavenly Ascension Road might emerge anywhere across the Nine-layer Heavenly Domain, but has it shown itself already?"
"Word is, the Heavenly Ascension Road demands just three days; with eight days left, I can spare three and spend five with Elder Qi, watching a chess match."
Li Hao mused inwardly.
Such thoughts brought a wave of delight surging through him.
In that moment, he reached the heart of the Endless Heavenly Domain, extending his Divine Thought and proclaiming: "Elder Qi, this junior seeks to watch the game a few more days, if the senior would permit."
He then bowed his hands toward the emptiness in respect.
Convinced of Elder Qi's immense strength—perhaps not quite Immortal Emperor tier, but surely Quasi-Emperor at minimum—the elder ought to sense his words anywhere within the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain.
True enough, soon after Li Hao's utterance, the space ahead rippled, and a trail through bamboo woods unfurled before him.
"Since our minds align, enter, enter."
Elder Qi's elderly voice rang out with warm cheer.
Filled with elation, Li Hao trailed the bamboo route, quickly beholding the humble hut where the two elders dueled over chess, accompanied by the massive black hound.
Spotting Li Hao, the big black dog craned its neck for a peek, its stare brimming with clear grudge and bitterness.
As Li Hao drew near, Elder Qi grinned: "You've gathered plenty of Chaos Dao Seeds in these two days, riling up this pup considerably."
Li Hao eyed the big black dog, viewing it as among the mightiest Chaos Dao Seeds in this Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain, curious about the depth of Heavenly Dao Power it harbored.
Catching Li Hao's intent look, the big black dog's expression shifted from spiteful to wary, fixing him with sharp, uneasy glares as if demanding, what do you intend?
Noting its fretful state, Li Hao shelved his notions—being the cherished companion of the two elders, he had no intention of pursuing it as prey.
"I never thought you'd absorbed the core lessons from that lad Dao Origin. Young one, train diligently, aim to outdo that lad Dao Origin."
Elder Eight declared, facing away from Li Hao, unmoving.
Li Hao stood taken aback. The casual dubbing of his master as "that lad Dao Origin" left him momentarily wordless. While uncertain of his master's precise age, it spanned at least a hundred thousand years, considering the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor's endurance through the ancient demon conflict ten thousand years prior.
Still, the elder's manner treated his master like a youth, no differently from Li Hao himself.
Reflecting on these two elders as entities spawned from Chaos, Li Hao gave a wry smile and replied, "As you command, senior, I'll give it my all."
"Hmph."
Elder Eight huffed, returning focus to the board.
Aware that the recent external skirmish hadn't evaded these elders' awareness, Li Hao ventured curiously, "Senior, any idea where the Heavenly Road could manifest?"
"That hinges on the Heavenly Dao's whim. Should the Heavenly Dao fancy a prank, it might tuck it away in the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain," Elder Qi chuckled in reply.
Li Hao found himself speechless. Were that the case, the majority here might never catch sight of the Heavenly Road, much less the Heavenly Ascension Road.
"If you've come to spectate the game, then observe it without distraction. Should other concerns weigh on you, best depart now."
Elder Eight stated bluntly.
At those words, Li Hao swiftly refocused, declaring, "I've come solely to watch the game, senior."