Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1864 Chapter 498: Five Hundred Years

"Damn, this is so frustrating!"

Deep within the Heaven Tower, Li Hao quickly dispatched several Ancient Demons before attempting to manage the five wildly spinning Realm Hearts inside his body.

Before, he had picked his trials only after getting ready, yet this time he found himself pushed into action without choice.

"Five Realm Hearts, three like the body of a zither, one like its string. But with five now, pulling them with just two strings won't work..."

After a short, unproductive reflection, as the five Realm Hearts neared merging once more, Li Hao had no option but to trigger his own explosion and leave the Heaven Tower, avoiding a true union that would prove useless even outside.

So, Li Hao kept going in and out of the Heaven Tower over and over, with no chance to relax.

Every entry granted him just half an hour for thought.

As the explosions repeated, days turned into months. Without Li Hao's unyielding Dao heart, which outlasted the ages and held half an Emperor's Heart already, it would have shattered long ago.

Months stretched to a year, and then to ten years.

During those brief ten years, Li Hao detonated himself endlessly inside the Heaven Tower, so many times that he lost track completely.

"Five Realm Hearts, Five Paths..."

"Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth... in what way do they support and check one another?"

Li Hao tried creating a loop among the five Realm Hearts, yet they all rushed to the core spot, defying any attempt at guidance.

"The harmony of Five Paths comes from promotion and restraint between them..."

"Yet keeping five Realm Hearts together proves tougher than the Five Paths themselves. If not, through all these years, even Immortal Emperors could have unlocked this Emperor Road."

"The Five Elements... must tie into the Emperor Road, crafted by some mighty Great Emperor."

"That Great Emperor who forged the Five Paths failed to handle Realm Hearts coexisting, showing this path leads nowhere..."

With countless ideas leading nowhere, Li Hao sank into hopelessness but pressed on relentlessly, driving himself through every blast.

"Space-Time, Formless, Cause and Effect—they bolster one another..."

"Existing in balance, that balance stems from shared gain!"

"The shared gain among five hearts..."

Li Hao made himself steady, diving deep into insight, slowly starting to grasp how the five Realm Hearts could aid each other.

Reverse Time, Formless, Cave Void, Creation, Boundless!

The world stretches without end, all existence empty, creation reigns highest, formless holds the throne, reverse time endures forever!

Though distinct, the five Realm Hearts managed to dwell together, much like a primordial Chaos World.

...

"Is he tackling the 60th floor of the Heaven Tower and keeps failing?"

"Maybe he's hit a wall in his progress?"

"Doubt it. Last time he exited, I felt his cultivation at the Fourth Level of Immortal King Realm. The 60th floor features Ancient Demons fresh into the Seventh Level. Jumping two levels is remarkable, but it shouldn't stump him too badly, should it?"

Beyond the Heaven Tower, Luo Ningshuang, Su Wanyi, along with various other talents from their Primordial True Realm group, spotted Li Hao.

After all, ten years of constant entries and exits at the 60th floor made him impossible to overlook.

"Back when he was at the First Level of Immortal King Realm, he leaped such gaps. Has his talent run dry now, his base worn out?"

"Perhaps his cultivation advanced, but his techniques lagged behind."

Luo Ningshuang creased her brow, a touch of sorrow in her gaze.

Each time Li Hao stepped out with that tense, powerless look, she picked up on his irritation, even catching the hopelessness flickering in his eyes.

Did every genius end up lost in the masses?

Cases like this weren't uncommon across the Ten Thousand Races of the True Realm. Many shot to fame in youth, dazzling all, only to dim quickly or drift into averageness, vanishing from notice forever.

Nobody foresaw the fearsome young talent who once dominated the Immortal Monarch Realm dropping to this level, his gifts burned out.

"Maybe he relied on something like our Ancestor Emperor Power earlier, but such aids have set boundaries. No matter how far the realm climbs, the boost from Ancestor Emperor Power can't match it," Su Wanyi murmured gently, reluctance shading her eyes. She'd watched plenty of prodigies tumble into obscurity—a heartbreaking sight. Who, after tasting greatness, would embrace the ordinary?

"That Human Race kid's done for; he's lagging ten floors back now!"

Members of the Chaos Ancient Clan, loyal to the Original Immortal Emperor, also caught sight of Li Hao, their stares cold and tinged with scorn.

He had once overpowered all on the Heavenly Ascension Road, but now trailed far, his potential spent. Still, hovering at just the Fourth Level of Immortal King Realm, nowhere near the peaks, it showed his gifts were always capped, merely flaring up for a moment before fading.

"Out from the 60th floor again, and not going back in. Looks like he's quit."

"His grit only goes that far."

"Forget him. Let's push our own cultivation to aim for spots as the True King's aides!"

After observing Li Hao's struggles and letting out sighs, the crowd dove back into their training.

The many Immortal Kings from Extreme Dao Mountain saw Li Hao too and considered offering solace. Yet, watching him soar to the Heaven Tower's summit, apparently consulting the two Immortal Emperors, they held back, emotions tangled.

"Shi Miao, looks like your Daoist friend has hit a snag."

Within the Great Emperor Dojo, several Yan Fire Clan members had spotted Li Hao ages ago and brought it up to Shi Miao nearby.

Shi Miao had of course seen Li Hao's state but knew him inside out, certain he couldn't be halted by the 60th floor of the Heaven Tower.

"Hmm, looks like he's made a breakthrough."

Shi Miao whispered, a faint smile lighting her eyes.

She alone picked up that this emergence brought a spark of ease to Li Hao's gaze.

"Breakthrough? But didn't he just quit?"

The Yan Fire Clan girl queried, puzzled.

Shi Miao arched a brow, shot her a cool look, and stayed silent.