Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1847 Chapter 489: Sprint, Sprint! (Part 2)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
They shared a quick look, each nursing a touch of gloom deep within.
When they first stepped into this place, a strong sense of assurance filled them, allowing them to face Li Hao, the Direct Disciple, with steady poise—neither too submissive nor overly proud. They called him Senior Brother solely because of the Sect's strict order, having already climbed to the Perfection of the Immortal King Realm, the highest point in the mortal domain. Pushing beyond that would launch them into the Heavenly Emperors' domain.
Besides the Great Emperor, no one else demanded their respect anymore. But after facing the trial, they discovered that the True Realm Ten Thousand Races brimmed with geniuses, particularly those from mighty clans who had hit the Perfection of the Immortal King Realm—their talents were outrageously strong, with some smashing past the 100th layer!
Even if plenty stumbled at the 101st layer, they had still conquered 100 layers, whereas these two got trapped at the 99th and couldn't push through!
Watching Li Hao's display, they understood that certain gaps simply couldn't be ignored.
Noticing their downcast faces, Li Hao glanced back and spotted their images stuck at the 98th layer, which caught him off guard.
Having achieved the Perfection of the Immortal King Realm and hailing from the Extreme Dao lineage, even without the full legacy like the No Fear Emperor Skill, they possessed other Extreme Dao hidden arts. So why hadn't they cleared their matching layers, or even hit the top of those stages?
Sensing the shift in Li Hao's face, the pair felt even deeper shame, a feeling of disgrace they hadn't known in ages.
"Haotian!"
In that instant, a soft voice rang out.
Li Hao spun around and spotted two known faces, Luo Ningshuang and Su Wanyi.
"Hmm?"
"You're only at the First Level of the Immortal King Realm, so how did you climb to the 43rd layer?"
Luo Ningshuang's eyes held a chill, masking unwillingness and a spark of fury, though her face stayed composed and even.
"Does a direct link exist between those two things?"
Li Hao countered.
Luo Ningshuang paused. A direct link? Of course not; no guideline forced those at the First Level of the Immortal King Realm to stop at certain layers.
Yet... could their own limits not reflect the real strength of someone at the First Level of the Immortal King Realm, but instead mirror this youth standing before her?
"Did you awaken the Ancestor Emperor Power as well?"
Su Wanyi's tone was far kinder, her question laced with puzzlement.
Li Hao shook his head, "No."
"Without the Ancestor Emperor Power, how did you outdo us?" Luo Ningshuang pressed, her reluctance clear.
Facing her demeanor, Li Hao replied coolly: "Lacking the Ancestor Emperor Power, does that bar one from reaching the heights? Remember, the Great Emperor himself began from a simple mortal form, advancing one step at a time!"
Luo Ningshuang froze, staring at the youth ahead, as if the world around her faded away. Only he remained sharp in her view, his shining gaze embodying something profound she detected in him—not just an Immortal King, but... a Young Emperor!
A rising Future Emperor!
As Luo Ningshuang went quiet, Li Hao ignored her and scanned other parts of the Abyss.
Crowds filled the area, including folks from his own Primordial True Realm that he recognized, plus prized geniuses from the True Realm Ten Thousand Races.
Several of these talents had trained in the Primordial True Realm before, from earlier batches or the one prior, then departed to hone their skills back in their family lines.
After all, elite offspring of dominant races, marked by their clan's legacy seals, enjoyed cultivation resources at home that rivaled or exceeded those in the Primordial True Realm.
As he looked about, Li Hao noticed numerous Immortal Kings with modest cultivation bases yet radiating mighty presences, no less formidable than figures like Luo Ningshuang nearby.
This True King selection truly drew in the elite prodigies. Those present weren't mere talents but battle-hardened experts who could hold their own, boasting terrifying fighting prowess.
As Li Hao observed the group, various top clan prodigies in the Abyss turned their attention to him and the other Immortal Emperor Disciples from the Primordial True Realm.
The titles of Chaos, Original, and Dao Origin Immortal Emperors carried immense weight; the greater the clan, the clearer their grasp on what these three Immortal Emperors meant, since even among peak Great Emperors in Immortal Divinity, distinctions existed.
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor stood out as especially rare among Immortal Emperors.
The Chaos Immortal Emperor followed suit.
Legends painted the Original Immortal Emperor as one of the oldest, commanding vast arrays of Immortal Techniques and Secret Techniques. Whispers claimed no immortal art escaped his knowledge; many grand clans' central secrets likely stemmed from his ancient teachings.
From all this, the lofty position of these three Immortal Emperors became obvious.
"Those are the two Direct Disciples of the Chaos Immortal Emperor? With the Ancestor Emperor Power awakened, they're doing alright."
"Hmph, relying on the Ancestor Emperor Power, they didn't even pass the 40th layer; my sister outshone them back then."
A youth huffed disdainfully. A complex black mark adorned his brow, drawing in the laws of heaven and earth that swirled around it naturally.
Beside him sat a maiden in a dark robe that shrouded her limbs, occasionally flashing her pale wrists like flawless white jade, her gaze serene as a cosmic stream, woven with faint gleams.
"Those two come from big names—the Northern Domain's Su Family and the Western Regions' Luo Family—yet they placed outside the top thirty. How do they stack up?"
The maiden replied evenly, her words straightforward, free of scorn or disdain, but carrying a soft rebuke toward the youth at her side.
The youth pondered briefly and nodded, then shifted his view elsewhere, adding, "Too bad Di Wushe from the Emperor Clan isn't here. Word is he's a top contender among the Emperor Clan's many Emperor's Sons. Against this Emperor's Son, it's hard to say who's stronger—he hit the 62nd layer at the Third Level of the Immortal King Realm, while you, sister, at the Fifth Level, made it to the 85th. That's a notable gap."
"Maybe we'll find out through a real contest."
The maiden eyed the Emperor Clan group; amid the throng, encircled by Ninth Level Immortal King Realm experts, stood a tall young man with firm posture, his eyes blending gentleness and strength, projecting a regal vibe that inspired instant trust.
"Time remains; with a thousand years outside, you, sister, and he can both reach the Perfection of the Immortal King Realm, then clash on even ground!"
The youth continued, "That'll give our Dao Clan a prime chance to face off against the Emperor Clan's Emperor's Son."
The maiden gave a small nod.
Among the True Realm Ten Thousand Races, the Dao Clan held second place, right under the Heavenly Emperor Clan!
Still, the divide between second and first was legendary; the Emperor Clan dominated conversations worldwide, while the Dao Clan drew far less notice—some from their reserved ways, much from the Emperor Clan's sheer dominance.
"The three Saint Heirs of the Saint Clans have shown up; the lead one already cleared 100 layers, hitting the 103rd! The other pair broke through their levels too. That third Saint Heir matches your cultivation, sister, but fell short on layers, only at 82."
The youth's eyes roamed; as a Dao Clan prodigy, his focus stayed on the vital heirs of the top ten clans, the real rivals.
Outside those top ten, swift ascents were uncommon, stemming not just from bloodline variances but from the profound roots of those lineages.
"Hmm."
Dao Qingyin gave a faint nod, peering toward the Saint Clans. All three Saint Heirs had arrived and shone brightly, with even an 82-layer run earning high praise.
Yet she had held back certain techniques in this first trial, ones that even Reincarnation Power couldn't revive if unleashed.
"If this cultivation stretch here spans a thousand years, this True King selection..."
Determination flickered in Dao Qingyin's eyes; she refused to settle as just a deputy. As this generation's Dao Son of the Dao Clan, she carried their honor; the last Dao Son had hit Quasi-Emperor and skipped this.
Failing to claim True King status would mean other True Kings leading the Dao Clan in the alliance army—a fate she couldn't accept.
"It's wrapping up soon; curious what the two Immortal Emperors will think of our showings."
The youth next to her lifted his gaze, brimming with interest.
At the Second Level of the Immortal King Realm, he had reached the 41st layer.
Not as freakish as his sister, he still believed he trailed those Ancestor Emperor Power awakeners by no great margin.