Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1897 Chapter 509: Trial
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
"Such immense power!"
In the Emperor Clan, every Immortal King bore a grave look on their faces.
Di Mingyuan's face was etched with seriousness too, a surge of unease rippling through him. The might emanating from the leading five participants was intense enough, yet against the reincarnated Emperor, it formed a bottomless chasm that, for the first time, shattered his self-assurance.
"Isn't it overkill for the Emperor's reincarnation to vie for a True King spot?"
One Immortal King from the Emperor Clan muttered in a low, ominous tone.
Earlier, they pinned their hopes on Di Mingyuan grabbing a True King role for the clan, but that dream had faded; now, their sights were set on claiming the supreme True King Commander title.
Yet, sudden twists had arisen, particularly the reincarnated Emperor's stunning display in this phase, which filled them with dread.
"With the reincarnated Emperor at the helm of the True Kings, victory seems all but certain."
Over in the Dao Clan, Dao Qingyin's gaze weighed heavily. She had never believed she could challenge for the top True King spot, given the enormous divide from Di Mingyuan and her fewer years in practice, rendering the chief position unattainable.
Still, the downfall of the initial commander to the Emperor Clan brought some relief to her Dao Clan.
"Incredible! He's perfected the nascent shape of Emperor Dao, poised to evolve into a full Emperor Road whenever he chooses!"
Li Hao's eyes sparkled as he blurted out in admiration.
"This might not even be his personal Emperor Road; perhaps it's a secondary one derived from his reincarnated insights."
Shi Miao's stare was intense and somber.
Witnessing the reincarnated Emperor's prowess, she felt her hopes of contending dwindle, for the foe's exhibited strength was flawlessly supreme.
She even pondered if the rival could harness peak Immortal King Realm's utmost might to summon traces of Emperor Dao essence.
Should that be his hidden ace, it would surely be a devastating Emperor Dao technique, unleashing ruinous force at an Emperor's scale that no Immortal King could endure!
Thus, should the rival pursue the top True King, the result was inevitable, barring the emergence of other Emperor reincarnates.
"A second Emperor Road, you say..."
Li Hao's eyes flickered; his own initial Emperor Road remained unfinished, far from developing another.
He reckoned that by merging seven Realm Hearts for a supreme eruption, he could muster the power to clash with the foe, though the fight's end was unpredictable, offering him merely a slim twenty percent shot at success.
"Even without claiming the top True King, allying together could let us lead two forces, which is plenty."
Shi Miao continued to Li Hao, "Besides, the commander's role isn't to be taken lightly—immense authority brings heavy duties!"
Li Hao agreed with a nod; his original aim had been just to serve as a True King's aide, so the chance to claim a True King rank now left him content.
That was more than enough to safeguard those dear to him.
Just then, as the black-robed youth wrapped up his fight, the arena fell into a brief hush until the Immortal Emperor's voice pierced it, declaring the shift to the following ordeal.
Thanks to the black-robed youth's triumph in enduring ten breaths, he skipped the upcoming pair of trials outright.
With the black-robed youth disappearing from the Heaven Tower, the Star Empress advanced unhurriedly and declared, "You're on the verge of stepping into a testing battlefield that probes your moral Tao Heart; no need to puzzle out the evaluation standards—just follow your genuine instincts."
Her words barely landed when a grand energy swept over the group, infused with the Heaven Tower's Emperor Artifact essence.
The area ahead warped abruptly, and Li Hao discovered himself in a well-known location.
Mortal World, Dayu Divine Dynasty.
Qingzhou...
Around him stretched recognizable lanes, the calls of familiar merchants, and the rushed chatter of locals in their usual dialect.
Li Hao stood frozen for a moment, surprised to be back in Qingzhou, beholding this cherished vista again.
His mind drifted to the Tan Palace Academy crowning the hill, about to focus his intent to check if his old companion by the Emerald Pond in Tan Palace Academy lingered in this illusory domain, only to find his Divine Thought reached a mere dozens of li.
He quickly grasped that his Cultivation Realm had dropped to the initial phase of the Fifteen Li Realm.
Universal Force, Circulation, Soul Continuation, Divine Traveling, Fifteen Li!
Barely grasping the ability to wield Divine Soul for manipulating items against foes in the dawn of the Fifth Realm along the cultivation journey.
"The Emperor Artifact's might is staggering; save for my recollections, both body and Divine Soul are confined to the Fifteen Li Realm, suppressed so utterly..."
Li Hao's spirit trembled; all his former techniques, he was sure, could rival certain Quasi-Emperors or even prevail.
Yet facing the Heaven Tower's Emperor Artifact, it felt like a mere whim could reduce him to dust, leaving no room for defiance.
As Li Hao lingered in shock, something collided with his chest—a richly attired figure in opulent robes from the Divine General Mansion, toppled by a seven- or eight-year-old lad hauling spicy noodle soup from a roadside stall, the hot mess spilling onto his attire, leaving it smeared and soiled in an instant.
The child offered no sorry words, instead collapsing to wail shrilly, drawing a crowd that gestured toward Li Hao while murmurs spread of him mistreating common folk.
"Huh?"
Li Hao frowned in confusion; was this episode woven into the trial?
Elsewise, the abrupt clash struck as too contrived.
If it formed a test, then he had to face it head-on and sort it out.
"Good and evil..."
Li Hao recalled this trial's essence, where virtue and vice decided True King worthiness—surely leaning toward the virtuous?
For the benevolent, rising to aid the boy, then calmly clarifying the mishap to the onlookers with patience.
Yet...does that ring true as genuine virtue?
Who then absorbs the injustice he endures, and how does one reckon the cost of self-sacrifice for strangers?