Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1870 Chapter 500: Quasi-Emperor's Hand of Dominion
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
"Hmm."
Li Hao gave a slight nod, yet his attention drifted far from this issue; his burning desire was to grow more powerful without delay.
The quickest path lies in finishing the Realm King Emperor Road.
Once the blossoms unfurl, butterflies flock naturally. Regarding the contest for the True King's deputy, Li Hao paid it little mind. Should his strength suffice, the role would fall to him effortlessly; otherwise, handing it over would serve no purpose.
"Then I'll make my way to the Heaven Tower first."
Li Hao declared.
"Hold on, won't you hear out the rules of the competition?"
The Immortal Immortal Emperor remarked.
"No need for that. After I sort out a few matters, I'll push forward with all my might to climb the Heaven Tower."
Li Hao replied, then offered a cupped-hand salute in farewell before spinning around and dashing off toward the Heaven Tower.
"This young one..."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor paused in surprise for an instant, soon grasping that the boy had zero plans to join this contest.
"No kin, wandering solo, thus lacking enthusiasm for the True King selection?"
A subtle glint flashed in the Immortal Immortal Emperor's gaze. He held plenty of details on Li Hao, of course.
Among the Immortal Kings training in this Abyss, those with spotless origins stood apart, while the rest hailed from mighty clans. Bound by family ties, they vied fiercely for the True King's deputy spot. Even if victory eluded them, they strove to forge bonds with the True King and deputy, all to shield their lineages amid the chaos of battle.
With a shake of his head, the Immortal Immortal Emperor let the matter drop, stepping closer to the Star Empress: "Time to begin; let's heap some strain on these youngsters."
"And what of that boy?"
The Star Empress cast a look at Li Hao's retreating form, already vanished into the Heaven Tower.
"That fellow's mindset is rather odd, unlike the rest; best to leave him be."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor shook his head again. After all, the competition details were out in the open; joining or skipping was entirely up to Li Hao.
Such events aren't forced, for even if attendance were demanded, a half-hearted effort from the reluctant would yield nothing worthwhile.
Still, opportunities like these resemble free feasts for the starving masses—prized by all who chase them—and it's shocking when one shows no spark of interest.
"Shi Miao..."
Right as he stepped into the Heaven Tower, Li Hao shot a quick glance toward the Great Emperor Dojo, spotting no sign of Shi Miao; he figured she was likely tackling the tower herself, so he brushed it aside without worry.
He picked a floor at random, settling on the 61st.
No sooner had he stepped in than six Ancient Demons burst from the cracks. Li Hao spared them no glance, merely flicking his wrist to unleash a fearsome Sword Qi that tore through the void like lightning, slaying the six Seventh Level Immortal King Realm Ancient Demons in a flash.
At present, Li Hao's cultivation had climbed to the Fifth Level of Immortal King Realm; his raw strength alone dwarfed that of a First Level Immortal King by hundreds of folds!
Every realm breakthrough boosts immortal power by four or five times. The Fifth Level isn't merely twenty-five times greater; take the Second Level, which multiplies the first by five, and the Third Level then multiplies the Second by five more, hitting twenty-five times overall.
Right now, his personal immortal power surges at five hundred times the might of a First Level Immortal King Realm!
That explains the challenge of leaping realms in the Immortal King stage; a mere two or three levels apart forge a chasm too vast to cross.
Luo Ningshuang and Su Wanyi wield Ancestor Emperor Power, yet it spans only a hundredfold divide at best.
"Given my strength now, it's unclear if I could reach the 90th floor unleashing everything I've got."
A spark lit in Li Hao's eyes, though he soon pulled back his musings. Scores at this point held no value, since the True King would be picked by the ultimate tally.
Calming his inner world, the five realms linked seamlessly without ripple.
"All seven artistic skills have hit the Thirteenth Stage; with seven elite Realm Hearts, fusing them into the King's Domain would crown me a Lord supreme among Immortal Kings!"
"Yet against the glory of a Lord, treading the Emperor Road would rocket me straight to emperordom in a single leap!"
Li Hao's focus shifted to the Myriad Phenomena Poem Book Mind and Chaos Cooking Mind.
He summoned the panel, eyeing his Physical Body Dao and Control Dao.
Within the Physical Body Dao sat two mindsets: Reverse Time and Creation.
Control Dao embodied Formless, Sword Dao harnessed Void Realm, while Body Path stretched Boundless!
For the Myriad Phenomena Poetry Heart and Chaos Cooking now, Li Hao aimed to weave them into additional daos.
"Ever since I fused Creation, my flesh seems to have shifted subtly. The Immortal Body has risen and reshaped itself!"
Deep thought gleamed in Li Hao's eyes. Earlier, he'd upgraded the Heavenly Immortal body from the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor's legacy to the Heaven Earth Immortal Body. These days, with both mindsets merged, the Immortal Body kept evolving in fine ways, as if these mindsets infused it with unique might.
Through the Reverse Time mindset, his form keenly detected time's flow, like endless specks of sand and grit encircling him, tangible at a mere reach.
In Li Hao's Immortal Body, the Creation mindset unleashed an even more daunting force.
It echoed destiny in some ways!
"Such mindsets unlock exceptional might. Paired wisely, they might spark surprises beyond imagining."
Back when he'd woven the Void Realm mindset into Sword Dao, Li Hao noticed its edge growing keener right away, and with his rising cultivation, that potency bloomed fully—the Sword Dao brimmed with raw devastation, blending his Chaos Infinite force and the unyielding kill intent of Only Me Swordsmanship, rendering Sword Qi lethally keen.
"Control Dao commands every element of heaven and earth, without shape or form, embracing all shapes through formlessness, every shape enriched by myriad phenomena—who knows what shifts it'll unleash in the Control Dao."
Li Hao pondered quietly.
He meant to fuse this Myriad Phenomena Poetry Heart right into the Control Dao.
Chaos Cooking, meanwhile, he set for the Sword Dao.
Merging Void Realm with Chaos in Sword Dao struck him as a way to hoist his sword prowess to new heights.
Still, such integrations demanded care, starting with solidifying the six Realm Hearts.
Clearing his mind, Li Hao drew in a steady breath, murmuring inwardly as he fused the Myriad Phenomena Poetry Heart into the Control Dao!