Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1855 - 493: Realm King Emperor Road (2)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
Yet at this moment, Li Hao wasn't planning to push ahead any longer.
Deep down, he believed that Artistic Skill formed the heart of his existence, so he needed to swiftly grasp the remaining four up to the thirteenth level.
Still, matters like this couldn't be forced, no matter the desire.
Li Hao had to ease his mindset, but the chaotic events beyond made it hard to stay serene like a placid pond, were it not for his unyielding Tao heart.
"Cooking, Carving, Fishing, Poetry and Books... these four Artistic Skills, Cooking depends on destiny, while the Five Paths Divine Tree I swapped for earlier works perfectly for Carving!"
Excitement gleamed in Li Hao's eyes as he prepared to start with Carving.
From his realm, he pulled out the Five Paths Divine Tree, activating the All Heavens Star Vein to pull in boundless immortal power toward the Divine Tree, making its foliage shimmer clear and glassy.
With the Immortal Sword in hand, Li Hao sliced off a portion of the Divine Wood and observed how a glossy crystal glow streamed at the cut, carrying the core of the Five Paths inside. The injury mended rapidly, forming threads like a spider's weave, slowly blending back and growing fresh shoots.
As he fed the Divine Tree via the All Heavens Star Vein, Li Hao channeled Sword Dao into a keen blade, employing the chunk of Divine Wood he held to practice carving.
Time flowed onward.
In the realm, as Li Hao focused on carving and gaining insights, across the Great Emperor Dojo, certain individuals trained and pondered, while some achieved breakthroughs and headed to tackle the Heaven Tower.
The Abyss stayed mostly silent.
"Just a brief thousand years, it's hard to say how much these young ones can achieve."
On the peak of the Heaven Tower, the Immortal Immortal Emperor remained beside the Star Empress, scarcely shifting since their initial arrival.
Within their vast timeline, a mere moment of reflection might span thousands of years; thus, staying still here for a millennium felt like a regular person halting for an instant.
"The conflict in the Eastern Domain is turning more dangerous by the day. Fresh reports show five Royal Families uniting, so their Five Clans' Immortal Emperors will likely arrive. Who can tell if the Eastern Domain holds firm!"
"Ancient Demons from various tribes are keeping watch on this fight too. Should the Eastern Domain crumble, the bulk of those other Ancient Demons would probably band together for another assault."
The pair of Immortal Emperors creased their foreheads faintly, feeling a touch of pressure. As Immortal Emperors, they could stay detached, yet their elevated roles forced deeper concern; they didn't want the True Realm's Ten Thousand Clans to vanish.
If that happened, even they, famed Immortal Emperors, would end up as rootless spirits, a truly sorrowful end.
"Right now, we've picked out five candidates for the Quasi-True King position."
The Star Empress scanned areas like the Emperor Clan, Saint Clans, and Taichu Clan, brimming with Immortal King Realm Perfection experts whose might matched the feeblest Quasi-Emperor Realm fighters!
Armed with powerful artifacts, should a Quasi-Emperor Realm foe appear, erasing them in one go wouldn't be simple. In all-out war, they could boldly lead the front, facing solely the Great Emperors from the Ancient Demon Race.
"In so little time, but with three thousand years, those youths might actually have a shot."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor's eyes glided over a few youthful forms.
"Some of them are reborn Quasi-Emperors and even Great Emperors, but it's unclear if that reborn Great Emperor would step up as leader for this push, especially since their former life ended in the prior Ancient Demon disaster..."
The Star Empress's look drifted past numerous shapes before settling on one dressed in dark robes.
Even hidden in his personal realm, her vision cut through everything, catching sight of the figure's actions.
Sensing the observation, the black-robed youth inside the realm abruptly lifted his eyelids, glancing toward the Heaven Tower and its summit, as if locking eyes with the Star Empress across the distance and his barrier.
The Star Empress showed no effort to hide. Though taken aback that he noticed her watch, considering his status as a reborn Great Emperor holding onto parts of his old self—though the extent was his secret alone.
The youth gave a slight dip of his head, like a simple acknowledgment, before shutting his eyes once more to continue his training.
Witnessing this, the Star Empress chose not to delve deeper. For a reborn Great Emperor, such intrusion would come off as rude.
"Hmm?"
A strange detail caught the Star Empress's attention as she turned her view.
Inside the realm of the young man who earned a prime nurturing slot, he clutched a bit of Divine Wood, deeply absorbed in shaping it.
"Carving?"
A flash crossed the Star Empress's eyes, and she grasped it fast amid her first shock. Being an Immortal Emperor set her apart from common people; she instantly saw he was using carving to understand the Tao.
Yet this roundabout path to awakening struck her as odd and highly wasteful. It's like a Swordsman honing sword techniques rather than playing chess for enlightenment.
It's similar to how no Chess Saint would swing a sword to unlock chess-based lethal strikes.
Seeking awakening via a different craft falls short of plunging straight into one's personal Tao.
Despite her wonder, the Star Empress held her tongue, giving no suggestions; since the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor's follower had risen as a key nurturing pick, they lacked the right to meddle, particularly with the Emperor staying quiet on it.
"Most intriguing. His starting trial results were truly over-the-top, though it's anyone's guess on his future growth. Post-resource choice earlier, he's already passed the 54th floor."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor spotted Li Hao's doings and commented with a grin.
These elite seeds drew their close watch.
"He made it past the 54th floor after forging his third peak Realm Heart."
The Star Empress noted, "Plus, balancing three peak Realm Hearts is downright astonishing. His nonstop drive has to be aimed at conquering this Emperor Road!"
"A multi-Realm Heart Emperor Road?"
The Immortal Immortal Emperor caught Li Hao's grand goal. As battle-hardened experts, they swiftly identified this pattern as belonging to someone with vast dreams; he sought beyond Immortal King Perfection, striving for the Supreme level.
"This Emperor Road was merely a concept before, with no one ever managing to build it."
"My own Reincarnated Body trials all fell short too."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor added.
Over his endless span and existences, he had emulated the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor to establish two Emperor Roads.
Unfortunately, tries to chase additional Emperor Roads through reborn soul forms came to naught.
Even for an Immortal Emperor full of wisdom and trials, when facing Emperor Road realizations, everyone starts from scratch, and pouring all into his founded Emperor Road left too little for another path to thrive.
Besides, greater knowledge can turn into chains, hindrances instead of boons.
"This is the Realm King Emperor Road. Whether this youth pulls it off is unknown. Pushes to stretch it to four or five shared Realm Hearts have all failed."
The Star Empress explained.
Her reborn form had probed the Emperor Road similarly, uncovering old flops outside that path, all without success.
Forging Emperor Roads proves incredibly tough, even for Great Emperors like them; success lies only in self-made paths to Supreme heights, while others feel like fresh beginnings.
"My reborn self got as far as six shared Realm Hearts, just shy of the end, but that last part was the hardest."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor observed.
The Star Empress gave a light nod, her reborn self stuck at that final barrier too. Reaching six shared Realm Hearts wasn't a slow feat for her; she did it swiftly, yet jumping to the seventh brought challenges multiplied hundreds or thousands of times, a crushing hopelessness.
Despite endless tries with possible fixes, she couldn't succeed.
"The other three are also building their personal Emperor Roads, each with bold aims."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor turned his sight to the rest. This youth wasn't the only one; more pursued like methods, at advanced levels, all hitting Immortal King Realm Perfection, with two nearly assured Quasi-True King spots.