Chapter 693 Five Hundred Years
"Damn, this is so hard!"
Inside the Tower of All Heavens, Li Hao swiftly killed several ancient demons, and then began to control the five raging World Hearts within his body.
Previously, he had taken time to prepare and actively chose to take on challenges, but now he's being forced into it.
“Five boundary centers, three corners form a kite, one corner is a string. Now that there are five boundary centers, we can’t have two strings pulling on each other…”
After a brief period of fruitless contemplation, and seeing that the five World Hearts were about to merge again, Li Hao had no choice but to self-destruct and exit the Tower of All Heavens to avoid a true fusion, as exiting the Tower of All Heavens would be useless in the end.
Thus, Li Hao repeatedly entered and exited the Tower of All Heavens without rest.
Each time he entered, Li Hao only had the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to ponder.
With repeated self-destructions and the passage of time, if Li Hao's Dao heart had not been so firm, transcending eternity and already possessing half of an Emperor's heart, it would have collapsed long ago.
Months, a year, ten years.
In just ten years, Li Hao repeatedly self-destructed countless times in the Tower of All Heavens, to the point that he himself couldn't count them all.
"Five World Cores, Five Paths..."
"Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth... how do they maintain balance and restrain each other?"
Li Hao tried to make the five boundary cores form a cycle, but they all converged towards the center point, making it impossible to control them.
"The balance of the five elements lies in their mutual generation and restraint..."
"But the coexistence of five World Hearts is more difficult than five Paths. Otherwise, those Immortal Emperors would not have failed to open up this Emperor Path after so many years."
"The Five Elements... should also belong to the Imperial Path, which was created by a certain great emperor."
"The Great Emperor who opened up the Five Paths failed to solve the problem of the coexistence of the Realm Hearts, which means that this path is wrong..."
When his thoughts were all over the place and he couldn't find any direction, Li Hao felt desperate, but he couldn't stop. He could only force himself to keep going through repeated self-destruction.
"Time and space, form and control, cause and effect, all complement each other..."
"And equilibrium exists, and equilibrium lies in mutual benefit!"
"Five-heart mutual benefit..."
Li Hao forced himself to calm down and immersed himself in contemplation. Gradually, he seemed to have found a path to mutual benefit among the five realm hearts.
Reversing time, formless, penetrating emptiness, creation, boundless.
Heaven and earth are boundless, all things are empty and void, creation is supreme, formlessness is king, and time is conserved!
The five realms of consciousness are all different, yet they can encompass each other, much like an ancient, chaotic world.
...
"Is he attempting the 60-story Tower of Heavens? It seems he failed, and he's trying again and again?"
"Could it be that we're stuck at a bottleneck?"
"That shouldn't be the case. When he came out earlier, I sensed that his cultivation level was at the fourth level of the Immortal King Realm. The 60th floor was occupied by an ancient demon who had just stepped into the seventh level of the Immortal King Realm. Although challenging two realms apart is still exaggerated, it shouldn't be too difficult for him, right?"
Outside the Tower of All Heavens, Luo Ningshuang, Su Wanyi, and many other geniuses from the same group in the Primordial True Realm all noticed Li Hao.
After all, it's hard not to attract attention if someone repeatedly enters and exits the 60th floor of the Tower of All Heavens over the past ten years.
"He was able to travel such a long distance even at the first level of the Immortal King Realm before. Could it be that he has exhausted his potential and used up all his resources now?"
"Perhaps his cultivation level has increased, but his methods haven't."
Luo Ningshuang frowned, a hint of regret in her eyes.
Seeing the anxious and helpless expression on Li Hao's face every time he came out, she could feel his helplessness and even see the despair in his eyes.
Did this prodigy eventually fade into obscurity and become just another ordinary person?
Such a situation is not uncommon among the myriad races of the True Realm. Some people become famous at a young age, appearing out of nowhere, but die young or gradually become mediocre, and their fame is never heard again.
They never expected that the monstrous youth who suppressed all of them at the Immortal Lord realm would end up like this, his foundation exhausted.
"Perhaps he had the same methods as our Ancestral Emperor Power back then, but the upper limit of such methods has been locked. Just like us, no matter how high our realm increases, the release and amplification of the Ancestral Emperor Power can no longer keep up with the previous level."
Su Wanyi said softly, her eyes filled with reluctance. She had witnessed many geniuses fall from grace or become mediocre. It was an extremely painful experience. After all, once you have experienced glory, how could you be willing to be mediocre?
"The human race is finished; they're now ten levels behind us!"
Several members of the Chaos Ancient Clan under the Primordial Immortal Emperors also noticed Li Hao, their eyes cold and showing a hint of contempt.
The opponent used to suppress everyone on the road to heaven, but now he has been left behind. His potential has been exhausted. He is only at the fourth level of the Immortal King Realm, not yet at the high level of the Immortal King Realm. This shows that his potential was originally limited. It was just that he had a strong burst of power in the past, which is why he was temporarily out of the limelight.
"He came down from the 60th floor and didn't try again this time. It seems he's given up."
"Perseverance is nothing more than this."
"No need to worry about it anymore. We should focus on our cultivation and strive to become the True King's deputy!"
Many people, after sighing at Li Hao's situation, also immersed themselves in their own cultivation.
Many Immortal Kings of Jidao Mountain noticed Li Hao and wanted to go forward to comfort him, but when they saw Li Hao fly to the top of the Tower of All Heavens in the blink of an eye after stepping out of the Tower of All Heavens, as if he was going to seek advice from the two Immortal Emperors, they did not approach him, but their feelings were somewhat complicated.
"Shi Miao, it seems that your fellow Daoist is stuck at a bottleneck."
Inside the Great Emperor's Dojo, the Yanhuo Clan members had already noticed Li Hao and spoke to Shi Miao beside them.
Shi Miao naturally noticed Li Hao's situation, but she understood Li Hao and knew that it was impossible for him to be trapped on the 60th floor of the Tower of All Heavens.
"Hmm, it seems it has been broken."
Shi Miao said softly, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
Only she noticed that Li Hao looked somewhat relaxed this time.
"Break through? Didn't that mean giving up?"
The Yanhuo clan girl asked in confusion.
Shi Miao raised an eyebrow, glanced at her indifferently, and said nothing.
Beside him, the Yanhuo clan youth noticed Shi Miao's displeasure and hurriedly said, "Brother Haotian, being able to challenge the 60th floor at the fourth level of the Immortal King Realm is already quite extraordinary. I couldn't do that when I was at the fourth level of the Immortal King Realm."
They only learned that Li Hao was actually a top-tier seed when he challenged the 60th floor of the Tower of All Heavens. They were already very happy that they were able to clear ten floors.
Shi Miao didn't speak again, but closed her eyes and continued to immerse herself in her cultivation of the Dao of Time. At the same time, many of the powers from her previous life were slowly returning as her current realm improved.
Now, his control over the Time Dao has reached the tenth level of the Origin Realm!
This is the strongest primordial Dao that even the most powerful Immortal King might not be able to control.
Fate may not prevail, but the times will.
She felt that once she reached the peak of the Immortal King realm, she would be able to draw back 90% of the power from her previous life, especially the Time Dao, which would allow her to barely break through the tenth level of the Origin Realm and return to the path she had pioneered.
Even if she faces a life-or-death crisis, she can escape as long as the Emperor is not determined to kill her. And even a Quasi-Emperor, or even someone at full strength, cannot kill her!
She was determined to win this True King election. Although her cultivation level had fallen behind, she had now cultivated to the seventh level of the Immortal King realm and felt that she could catch up.
Only by becoming the true king can she better protect Li Hao and make him her deputy.
...
"You've actually made it this far, kid. That's quite remarkable."
At the top of the Tower of All Heavens, both the Immortal Emperor and the Star Empress were looking at the young man before them.
Only they knew what Li Hao was doing through his repeated challenges within the Tower of All Heavens: he was using the Tower of All Heavens' cyclical nature to perfect the Emperor's Path.
Moreover, the five World Hearts actually coexisted.
These are all top-tier realm cores, practically invincible among those in the same realm!
"If you're at the same level, those great clan inheritors might not be your match. Only Di Mingyuan can fight you. The one from the Dao Clan is also a bit of a challenge."
The Immortal Emperor praised Li Hao lavishly.
Li Hao was taken aback, then chuckled awkwardly. He didn't really remember those great clan inheritors, as time was of the essence and he had been focusing on improving himself.
"Even with the help of the Tower of All Heavens, it is truly remarkable that you were able to comprehend it."
"The Star Empress said softly."
"Did you come to us this time to study the Daoist scriptures, or..."
The Immortal Emperor asked.
Li Hao shook his head. "As you said, the fourth chapter of the Daoist Canon, once I reach the seventh level of the Immortal King Realm, I may be able to comprehend it all. Now, I've heard that you are very knowledgeable and would like to study some Daoist books to gather your wisdom."
"oh?"
The Immortal Emperor was surprised, "You're not cultivating your realm, but instead trying to understand these other things? You should know that being broad and eclectic is not as good as being specialized and refined."
“I understand, I only wish to use this opportunity to comprehend my own Dao,” Li Hao said.
Currently, he still has two skills he hasn't been able to master to the thirteenth level: poetry and calligraphy, and cooking.
"Alright, now that you're a Celestial King, a powerful figure in your own right, you know your own path. Just tell me what you want. I have a Myriad Books Pavilion; you can go in and choose whatever you like."
"The Immortal Emperor said."
Li Hao was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude.
Subsequently, the Immortal Emperor sent Li Hao back to his Eternal Pseudo-World.
After Li Hao went inside, the Immortal Emperor said to the Star Empress, "It's a pity that his cultivation level is too low. Otherwise, he would be a prodigy comparable to the inheritors of those great clans."
"The reason he was able to master it so quickly is because the Tower of All Heavens has fused with the fragments of reincarnation, giving it the attribute of reincarnation. No previous imperial artifact had such an effect, allowing him to repeatedly try and fail."
"The Star Empress said."
"That's true."
The Immortal Emperor nodded, then looked curiously at the Star Empress and asked, "Your Reincarnation Tower is so miraculous. In these 100,000 years, have you been able to comprehend a second Emperor's Path?"
Empress Star raised her eyebrows slightly, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, and said calmly, "The way of the emperor is not so easy to comprehend. Even with countless opportunities to try and fail, success is not guaranteed. After all, there are some things that you may never understand in your lifetime. Time may not make the mountain grow higher and higher, but it may also turn the peak into flat land."
The Immortal Emperor nodded slightly, glanced at her, but said nothing.
In the eternal pseudo-realm.
As soon as Li Hao was teleported in, he saw an island floating in the void. A majestic and ancient palace stood there, radiating divine light, with countless chains of the Great Dao Laws surrounding it.
"Wanshu Pavilion..."
Li Hao looked up, his eyes shining slightly. He could sense the Daoist principles surrounding him. These were the natural Daoist rhymes that some Daoist books naturally presented. It was just that the secret texts were too powerful, causing the world to exhibit strange phenomena.
Without hesitation, Li Hao stepped over the stairs, pushed open the door, and entered the palace.
A golden light shone down, and celestial birds and cranes flew through the palace.
Upon seeing Li Hao, the transformed celestial birds all showed surprise, and their melodious voices rang out:
"A human has arrived."
Are you here to visit or study?
"Silence, everyone. This is a guest brought in by the host. Do not be rude."
A majestic voice rang out within the palace, and Li Hao realized that the Myriad Books Pavilion itself was also an extremely powerful quasi-Emperor artifact.
The many celestial birds and cranes, including the soaring dragons and phoenixes, all became obedient and quickly transformed back into the form of the Taoist book.
Some of these books resemble swords, radiating a sharp light and surrounded by terrifying sword-wielding principles.
Some books are shaped like water droplets, and just by looking at their appearance, one can almost grasp the essence of water.
Li Hao knew that the Daoist books collected here were definitely top-tier in the True Realm.
"Young man, feel free to browse whichever book you wish to choose."
The authoritative voice rang out, yet it carried a hint of gentleness.
"Thank you, senior."
Li Hao nodded, and then looked around inside.
As he passed by a Taoist book, the book transformed into a small flying bird and opened its mouth to Li Hao, saying, "Young man, do you wish to study me? I can teach you the extremely fast Nine Profound Flying Bird Movement Technique."
"Oh? Let me see."
Li Hao was somewhat surprised, considering that he had just broken through to the thirteenth level of the Body Technique Dao and was already familiar with many body techniques.
After all, the thirteenth stage corresponds to the Immortal King realm. As long as it's not an Emperor-level technique, one can quickly comprehend and master it.
Seeing that Li Hao agreed, the bird let out a soft chirping laugh, and then transformed into countless golden streams of light, swirling around Li Hao like a sky full of stars falling into his eyes.
Li Hao felt a continuous stream of Dao energy flowing into his mind, absorbing the Nine Profound Flying Bird Body Technique.
This is indeed a movement technique that only a Celestial King can fully master. When it is cultivated to the highest level, Nine Profound Flight, it can travel hundreds of millions of miles in an instant.
"Nine mysteries spread their wings, each wing covering 360 million li..."
Li Hao's eyes flashed; this was no less impressive than the movement techniques of the Kun Clan.
As Li Hao cultivated, he silently recited the movement technique. Accompanied by his low muttering, his experience in poetry and literature also surfaced and accumulated rapidly.
Before long, Li Hao had completely absorbed the movement technique. The numerous golden lights then transformed into the shape of flying birds, which crisply spoke to Li Hao:
"So, do you want to choose me?"
"I've figured it out, now I want to see what else I can do."
Li Hao opened his eyes and said with a smile.
"Completely understood." Asuka was stunned, then looked at him with disbelief and anger. "How is that possible? Even though I just imparted the knowledge to you, you couldn't possibly have fully understood it in just one lesson!"
It's as if being easily understood by someone is a disgrace.
Li Hao didn't explain, after all, he was too short of time to cultivate. Without saying much, his figure flickered and suddenly spun around 109,000 times on the spot, which was the Nine Profound Dust-Slaying Body Technique.
The bird's eyes widened, and for a moment it froze, as if its voice had gone blank, unable to utter a single word, only muttering, "How is this possible..."
Li Hao continued to choose the next book.
As time passed, and with Li Hao's astonishing comprehension, all the Taoist books in the Myriad Books Pavilion were shocked, as if they had never seen such an exaggerated prodigy before.
When he was tired of absorbing the nutrients, Li Hao asked the Myriad Books Pavilion if he could cook there.
This was clearly the first time Wan Shu Ge had heard such a strange request. Wan Shu Ge was a sacred place that countless great clans in the True Realm longed to enter, and yet someone wanted to cook inside.
Feeling utterly bewildered, it immediately sent a telepathic message to the Immortal Emperor.
If Li Hao hadn't displayed such extraordinary talent, it would have refused without even asking for permission.
However, Li Hao's extraordinary talent makes it uncertain about his relationship with the Immortal Emperor.
"What, cooking inside the Wanshu Pavilion?"
The Immortal Emperor was dumbfounded when he heard this news; he had never heard of such a bizarre request before.
He was somewhat speechless, and said, "This kid really doesn't consider himself an outsider. Let him be, just keep an eye on him. Anyway, no matter how much trouble he causes, there are only a few hundred years left..."
He already knew about the situation in the Eastern Region. Ancestral Dragon City was about to fall, and several Great Emperors had already entered the fray. He had a premonition that this True King election would not last more than a thousand years and might be over soon.
Seeing that the Immortal Emperor had agreed, the Myriad Books Pavilion did not stop Li Hao any further.
So, Li Hao stayed in the Myriad Books Pavilion, absorbing various Taoist books while cooking up ancient demons.
Experience in both skills is accumulating rapidly.
Time flies.
In the blink of an eye, five hundred years have passed since Li Hao entered the abyss.
(End of this chapter)
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