Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1780 Chapter 459: Clash of Dragon and Serpent—How Could I Not Be Involved (Part 2)

It was at that moment that Chi Yuan and his companions remembered the pesky human who still hadn't shown up. Earlier, that foe had swept through the Eighth Heaven Domain, pushing them to venture dangerously into the Ninth Heaven Domain for Chaos Dao Seeds. The hunt proved arduous, nearly forcing them to deploy a Domain Artifact. Had the four not united their efforts, grave peril would have befallen them.

Yet, even as the quartet escaped harm by banding together, the rewards ended up split evenly, leaving each with meager shares.

"Could he have already ascended?"

Gu Xie gazed upward at the Heavenly Road, his eyes brimming with doubt, and a sudden wave of unease washed over him.

"No, he couldn't have."

The Divine Venerable shook his head right away, explaining, "From the instant the Heavenly Road emerged, I'd been waiting here. I never spotted him arriving."

"You?"

The group stared at the Divine Venerable in astonishment upon his words, and Chi Yuan questioned, "Weren't you stuck in the Ninth Heaven Domain? How did you arrive so swiftly? And if you were already present, why didn't you climb up?"

At this, the Divine Venerable offered a wry grin and confessed, "Truth be told, this is merely my incarnation; my main body has long departed the Heavenly Domain..."

Shock rippled through Chi Yuan and the rest as they examined the Divine Venerable closely, finally noticing the instability in his aura, which clearly wasn't that of his true form.

"You..."

Xue Consort eyed him with wide-eyed surprise, recalling how Li Hao had clashed intensely with him not long ago. Had his real self been ousted from the Endless Heavenly Domain? Could it mean...

"I clashed fiercely with that boy in a massive battle; we depleted our Domain Artifacts completely. He unleashed three, and so did I. Right now, he holds no Domain Artifacts anymore."

The Divine Venerable spoke gravely, his purpose in coming here to share this vital intelligence.

Stunned silence fell over Chi Yuan and his allies at the revelation, while Luo Ningshuang and Su Wanyi showed clear disbelief. Su Wanqing and Su Muqing, on the other hand, paled with faces etched in concern and haste.

Lacking Domain Artifacts, doesn't that strip Li Hao of any chance to pursue the ultimate heights?

"Xue Consort witnessed that epic showdown too."

The Divine Venerable turned to Xue Consort and advised, "Should you cross paths with that boy once more, there's no need to restrain yourself; he's out of Domain Artifacts now."

Xue Consort never imagined their confrontation had been so brutal; one exiled from the Endless Heavenly Domain, the other drained of Domain Artifacts and thus barred from the Heavenly Road's ascent.

"I see."

She responded with steady composure.

Chi Yuan's brow furrowed as he pressed, "Is that true? You're not trying to trick us, are you?"

Though irritation bubbled inside, the Divine Venerable forced a rueful smile and replied, "Why would it be a lie? If you suspect I'm manipulating you into a deadly grudge against him, consider that with his three Domain Artifacts, he could only counter yours with three more—what good would that do? Had my true body been present, I'd have rushed up the Heavenly Road without delay; why loiter around here?"

After a brief reflection, Chi Yuan saw the logic in the man's words. Abruptly, his opinion of this fellow from the human race warmed just a touch.

After all, forcing that kid to squander three Domain Artifacts deserved some applause.

"Not bad, well played."

Chi Yuan flashed a broad smile, adding that the human youth had been his greatest source of irritation and concern; his moves were far too unpredictable. Luo Ningshuang, despite her established fame, posed no such threat to him.

The Divine Venerable inwardly seethed but rolled his eyes at the remark. Without his burning grudge against Li Hao, he wouldn't spare these Chaos Ancient Clan folks a shred of courtesy.

"No surprise he's absent; clearly, without Domain Artifacts, he lacks the guts to appear."

Chi Yuan chuckled, scanning the surroundings.

Hearing this, Su Wanyi and Luo Ningshuang both betrayed intricate emotions. That youth had effortlessly slain Chaos Dao Seeds, his fighting prowess surpassing theirs. Yet he couldn't join the Heavenly Road's climb?

A pang of sorrow struck them, though they pushed it aside soon enough.

"In that case, we should make haste and depart."

Gu Xie pressed onward.

Chi Yuan said no more, surging straight toward the Heavenly Road.

With their exit, Luo Ningshuang, Su Wanyi, and the others trailed swiftly and with keen anticipation, while Xue Consort transformed into a streak of radiance and ascended alongside her attendant.

Once gone, the heavy pressure lifted from the area, allowing the remaining contenders to shake off their daze and resume their fierce contests for supremacy.

At the same time, deep within the Ninth Heaven Domain.

With a bold final play, Li Hao watched Elder Qi claim victory in the contest.

"Hmph, it's solely because that boy lingered behind me, cursing my luck."

Elder Eight, the defeated player, flung the pieces away and muttered irritably.

Noticing Elder Eight pinning his defeat on Li Hao, Elder Qi chuckled and teased, "Oh, you—aren't you embarrassed to be mocked by the youth?"

"Hmph!"

Elder Eight folded his arms and huffed, then addressed Li Hao, "Boy, the Heavenly Road has emerged. Delay no longer, or you'll miss your shot."

Li Hao jolted from his thoughts—had the Heavenly Road truly manifested?

"Indeed, it's high time you departed."

Elder Qi glanced skyward and urged Li Hao.

Li Hao mentally tallied the hours, confirming fewer than three days remained until the Endless Heavenly Domain's closure.

"Got it, my thanks to you both, elders."

Li Hao offered a respectful bow.

Through this session of observing the match, his progress in the Thirteenth Stage of Chess Tao had reached the midpoint!

Remember, advancing in Chess Tao demands immense effort. Even dueling himself yielded only tiny gains, potentially requiring millennia of self-matches to hit halfway.

Should he challenge others, their skill had to match his own; anything less brought scant benefit.

"The Heavenly Road lies in the First Level Heavenly Domain—head there now."

Elder Qi smiled and instructed.

Li Hao inclined his head, voiced his gratitude, and took leave of the elders, aware that future meetings seemed unlikely, since not even the Immortal Emperor could enter the Endless Heavenly Domain.

With reluctance, he said goodbye and departed.

"What a fine young one."

Elder Qi observed his figure vanishing into the bamboo grove, letting out a gentle laugh as he remarked.

Elder Eight agreed with a nod, "He's sharper than most of those other kids. Even sans proving the heavenly heart, he ought to forge his unique Dao. Opting for this easier route is just a backup plan, really."