Chapter 237: Sage Mark
Chapter 237: Sage Mark
"Child, now that you have become a Dao Seed, the Ji Family will pour all our resources into cultivating you. Many of these treasures are things you have never seen before."
Ji Daosin drifted over to Li Hao's side and said gently, "There is also the Ancestral Sage Sounds, which will help you refine your Dao Heart, making it easier for you to smoothly advance to the Fourth Establishment Realm."
"Many of the Ji Family's secret cultivation techniques are available for you to study, helping you gather the essence of martial arts and develop your own techniques."
"Then there is the Peaceful Dao Realm, which can also be of great assistance to you..."
The Ancient Holy Clan has an extremely strong foundation, providing various auxiliary effects for the different realms within the Fourth Establishment Realm.
Other tribes can, at best, rely on countless divine medicines and demon blood to push their descendants to the Fifteen Li Realm, which is their limit.
The Tianren Realm requires you to break through on your own, the Three Eternities Realm needs to be comprehended on your own, and the Fourth Establishment Realm is even more challenging, with the Dao Heart being a significant barrier.
Hearing Ji Daosin's words, everyone turned to look at Li Hao, their eyes shining with excitement.
Indeed, with these precious and top-tier resources from the Ji Family, any prodigy would be envious.
As long as one has sufficient insight and talent, most can advance to the Peaceful Dao Realm under the full cultivation support of the Ji Family!
Stepping into the Dao Realm means becoming a first-rate powerhouse even in the Great Wasteland Sky. Without the War Gods of the Holy Races intervening, there would be almost no opponents, and it would be very difficult to die!
If you can safely pass through and seize an opportunity, becoming a War God is also very possible.
After all, the goal of a Dao Seed is to become a new War God!
As for advancing to the Sage Realm, that is purely a matter of opportunity.
"Thank you, Senior."
Li Hao bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude to the Ji Family's Patriarch. Then he said, "I only want to help my mother atone for her sins. These resources should be left for other prodigies."
Ji Daosin was taken aback, and so were the people outside, who looked at the young man with disbelief.
The Patriarch had made it so clear, yet this young man still wanted to refuse?
This was an opportunity that many people dreamed of, even Ji Family prodigies fought and struggled for it.
Now that the opportunity was in this young man's hands, he was choosing to let it go?
Ji Xuanshen, sitting at the edge of the training ground, stared at the young man in a daze. The young man had fought bloody battles, teetering on the brink of life and death, all because he wanted to help his mother's atonement?
He seemed to disregard the Dao Seed status and the countless precious cultivation resources of the Ji Family?
The other prodigies were also stunned, never expecting the young man to be so resolute.
Especially those who had previously mocked the young man for his lack of shame in trying to join the Ji Family were now speechless and dumbfounded.
Willing to give up the supreme Dao Seed status, let alone joining the Ji Family.
"Is it because of what they said? You are still young, don't act on impulse", Ji Yunqing hurriedly said, hoping to convince Li Hao to stay.
Many people's hearts sank upon hearing this, feeling anxious and worried that the family might be held accountable.
But Li Hao shook his head and said, "I'm not angry, but Yunge Senior told me that if I could become the strongest prodigy in the Ji Family, I could help my mother atone for her sins. That was my purpose for coming here."
Hearing the young man's calm words, everyone understood. From the beginning, the young man had never intended to stay in the Ji Family.
He had fought bloody battles and exhausted all other prodigies solely to help his mother atone for her sins.
Ji Xuanshen's eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions, a bitter feeling in his heart. But then he felt an indescribable sensation, his eyes shining brightly as he gazed deeply at the young man.
He seemed to understand what true pride and determination were.
The young man didn't care about resources. As he said, without a Sacred Bone, he would refine one himself!
Compared to him, the Ji Family prodigies seemed like mere pretentious geniuses.
Ji Daosin also realized that he might not be able to persuade the young man to stay. Moreover, the young man's demeanor reminded him of the few supreme prodigies who had emerged in the Ji Family over thousands of years.
True arrogance and a towering spirit that refuses to bend—how wonderful it would be if such a person had been born into the Ji Family...
Ji Daosin sighed inwardly, glanced at Ji Tianchao and the others, and gave them a meaningful look, transmitting a message:
"It seems we can only wait for Qing Qing to return and have her persuade him. When the time comes, make sure to help Qing Qing and ensure she does her best to keep her son here."
"Given that he risked his life to come here, he must have deep feelings for her. He should listen to her."
Hearing Ji Daosin's decision to use a more indirect approach, Ji Yunyue and the others understood. They shared the same thought.
If they couldn't persuade him, they would let Qing Qing's son do the talking.
They didn't want to see such a promising grandson leave.
"Additionally, I will immediately send someone to the Great Yu Divine Dynasty to investigate his background. Once we have a clear understanding of his past, we can consider waiving Qing Qing's other penalties for marrying outside the clan."
Ji Daosin transmitted this message.
He believed that with his decision, the other Elders and the older generation of the family would not object.
While the Ji Family may have internal conflicts and struggles among the different branches, they at least stand united against external threats and treat prodigies equally!
Compared to some thoroughly corrupt tribes, the Ji Family's family laws and clan rules are still relatively intact.
Ji Yunyue and the others nodded slightly. Thinking about Li Hao's name change, they suddenly became curious. This young man came to the Great Wasteland Sky alone. What about his father and his father's family?
Could it be that Qing Qing married someone incapable of entering the Great Wasteland Sky?
After their telepathic conversation ended, Ji Tianchao looked at Li Hao and suddenly asked, "How many Ultimate Realms have you opened?"
Everyone was taken aback by this question, looking at Ji Tianchao with confusion. But then they realized something and turned their attention to the young man.
If not for Ji Xuanshen's use of the Sacred Bone, they wouldn't have been able to see Li Hao's Heaven and Earth Dharma Image. They suspected that this young man might still have other hidden cards, though the probability of that was extremely low and somewhat exaggerated.
Li Hao looked at Master Ji Tianchao, who had stood up for him earlier, feeling somewhat surprised. Such a question seemed a bit presumptuous, especially in the realm of martial arts, where such matters are often kept secret.
But seeing the anticipation in Ji Tianchao's eyes, he thought for a moment and transmitted a message, "Four."
Although he had his suspicions, Ji Tianchao was still taken aback, knowing that Li Hao was telling the truth.
Earlier, he had already noticed that Li Hao might have more than the three realms he had displayed, including the Land Immortal Realm!
Seeing that Li Hao didn't respond verbally but that Ji Tianchao's eyes suddenly lit up, the others realized they were communicating telepathically.
Ji Tianchao took a deep breath and smiled at Li Hao, "No problem. In the Ji Family, no one can harm you unless they step over my dead body!"
He spoke with determination.
Just from the fact that Li Hao had brought back Third Brother, he was already determined to protect this grandson. Not to mention, Li Hao had demonstrated exceptional talent.
The others quickly asked Ji Tianchao for more details, but he didn't respond, only saying to Li Hao, "The Ji Family has an Ultimate Dao Stele. You should try it. I've heard that if you can light up four Ultimate Dao Steles, you will receive a Sage's legacy!"
Ji Yunyue and the others were stunned, now knowing the answer.
Ji Qingyuan, standing outside the training ground, also showed a change in expression, his eyes fixed on the young man.
"A Sage's legacy?"
Li Hao was puzzled.
Ji Tianchao nodded slightly, his voice tinged with excitement, "That's right, my boy. You must try it. It's a tremendous opportunity!"
Seeing his serious and earnest demeanor, Li Hao thought for a moment and asked, "Will that affect my leaving the Ji Family?"
"..."
Ji Tianchao hesitated. This child was so determined to leave the Ji Family?
He recalled Third Brother's words. The Mourning River could be crossed because of the absence of constraints.
He sighed inwardly, thankful that the Mourning River was formed due to Third Brother's obsession. Similar rivers shouldn't appear again, and giving this young man a reason to stay wouldn't cause any problems.
Besides, once Qing Qing returns, perhaps this child will change his mind.
Ji Tianchao said, "It shouldn't affect it much."
"Exactly, go ahead and give it a try." Ji Daosin immediately urged.
Seeing that everyone was encouraging him, Li Hao thought for a moment and agreed.
Their conversation spread, and everyone heard that this young man was going to test his Martial Dao Ultimate Realm at the Ultimate Dao Stele, which surprised many.
Ji Daosin didn’t dawdle and immediately led Li Hao away. The Ultimate Dao Stele was not far from the Heavenly Dao Mountain, situated on a steep slope that resembled a half-bridge, with eight ancient, pitch-black stone steles standing tall.
"This is the Ultimate Dao Stele. You just need to display your Limit state for each realm, then attack the stele, and the Dao Resonance will capture and detect it."
Ji Daosin explained gently to Li Hao.
Li Hao glanced at the steles and nodded.
"From the lowest to the highest, the realms are Force Mastery to Fourth Establishment Realm!"
Ji Daosin continued.
Li Hao's heart stirred. The Fourth Establishment Realm also had a Limit state?
He wondered what it would be like, but unfortunately, he hadn’t yet reached the Fourth Establishment Realm.
Although the Virtue Treasure Vault had Dao Hearts available for exchange, Li Hao discovered after his visit that these Dao Hearts were extremely expensive and only came in two grades: Yellow and Black.
A Yellow-grade Dao Heart cost twenty thousand Virtue, while a Black-grade Dao Heart cost fifty thousand Virtue.
Indeed, from the descriptions in the Virtue Treasure Vault, Li Hao learned that Dao Hearts varied in quality. However, in the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, achieving the Fourth Establishment Realm was already extremely rare, so there was no need to compare their grades. Instead, strength was used to gauge their power.
Like Soul Images, most Dao Hearts were Yellow-grade, with only a few being Black-grade. Dao Hearts such as pursuing immortality or leaving a legacy were extremely grand and, once condensed, would make one exceptionally powerful in the Dao Mind Realm.
More common Dao Hearts might be about preserving family lineage or upholding virtues.
The variety of Dao Hearts in the Virtue Treasure Vault was not extensive, and Li Hao didn’t find one that suited him, so he didn’t choose to exchange for any.
After all, once exchanged, his mindset might change, and Li Hao couldn’t be sure if the altered self would still be himself.
Therefore, he decided to rely on himself to condense his Dao Heart.
While the Virtue Treasure Vault offered many resources, Li Hao found that truly top-tier items were scarce.
For example, cultivation techniques for the Ultimate Realm and Divine Power Realm could be exchanged, as could the Heavenly Earth Meridian, but they required a significant amount of Virtue.
The Land Immortal Realm, however, was not available for exchange, nor was the Three Immortalities Ultimate Realm.
Thus, while the Virtue Treasure Vault could help one become a prodigy, it was difficult to become a top genius, as everything that required personal insight was scarce.
In other words, the Virtue Treasure Vault was like a collection of highly concentrated super resources.
Li Hao refocused his thoughts and approached the Ultimate Dao Stele.
The crowd that had gathered outside the Heavenly Dao Mountain, upon hearing that Li Hao was going to test the Ultimate Dao Stele, hurried over, including prodigies like Ji Xuanshen.
They had already seen that Li Hao possessed three Ultimate Realms, and this test was just a confirmation.
Li Hao didn’t waste any time, quickly adjusting his Ultimate Realm states and beginning the test.
Divine Power, Heavenly Earth Meridian, and Heavenly Earth Dharma Image!
The three Ultimate Realms quickly manifested, and Li Hao attacked three steles in succession. The pitch-black steles simultaneously ignited with black Ultimate Divine Flames.
Despite knowing that Li Hao possessed three Ultimate Realms, the crowd's expressions still changed slightly at the sight of the burning steles.
Li Hao had yet to reach the fourth and fifth steles. His Yudao was currently at the Sixth Rank, and without a new Spiritual Immersion technique, he hadn’t advanced to the seventh segment. The Yudao’s influence on the Divine Wanderer Realm and the Fifteen Li Realm was significant, so he had yet to touch their Limits.
Even if Yudao were to reach the seventh rank, he would still need a variety of top-tier Spirit Refinement Cultivation Techniques and Object Control Cultivation Techniques to complement each other to reach the pinnacle of cultivation.
Li Hao approached the sixth stele.
"He has a fourth one?"
Ji Xuanshen's pupils contracted slightly upon seeing this.
When Li Hao directly skipped the fourth and fifth steles, he realized something was off. The other party wasn't acting recklessly but was very clear about which Ultimate Realms he had mastered.
The other prodigies also noticed this and their expressions changed.
Li Hao didn't hold back. He exhaled a breath of Immortal Qi and punched the stele directly.
Soon, the Dao Resonance on the sixth stele seemed to capture this breath of Immortal Qi, instantly igniting a fierce black Divine Flame!
Seeing Li Hao actually ignite the fourth Ultimate Dao Stele, Ji Tianchao's eyes gleamed, and he quietly clenched his fists, secretly excited.
The many Ji Family members who had caught up were all stunned, their faces filled with shock.
As members of the Ji Family, they naturally knew the basics of the Ultimate Dao Steles. Being able to ignite one stele already made someone a prodigy, and igniting two was something only Ji Xuanshen had achieved in their generation!
And now, that young man had ignited four in succession!
The burning black flames seemed to dance in their eyes, reflecting their astonished faces.
At this moment, the black flames on the four Ultimate Dao Steles suddenly blazed brighter, their flames rising and intertwining in the air. The black steles themselves seemed to vibrate slightly, with a silver Ancient Character lighting up on each one.
The Ancient Characters appeared to be the physical manifestation of Dao Resonance, continuously spinning and enlarging before shooting up into the sky, transforming into four silver pillars.
The silver pillars pierced through the clouds and connected with each other, outlining an ancient symbol. The symbol then flickered and disappeared, seemingly vanishing into the void.
Ji Daosin, Ji Tianchao, and a few of the older Ji Family members widened their eyes, staring at the void with anticipation and excitement.
The crowd at a distance was stunned, not understanding what was happening.
But soon, a beam of silver Holy Light shot through the void, like a ray of light from a thousand miles away, suddenly illuminating Li Hao.
An ancient sage's aura spread out, similar to the ethereal yet vast aura Ji Xuanshen had emitted when he activated his Sacred Bone.
It seemed that a mere wisp of this aura could crush mountains and rivers!
"That's... the aura of a Sage!"
"A Sage is descending?"
The many Ji Family members all widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Ji Xuanshen was also stunned, having never witnessed such a scene.
In the Holy Light, Li Hao felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, extremely comfortable. Then, he heard a faint voice:
"I have been waiting for you."
The voice translated into thoughts Li Hao could understand, resonating in his mind.
When Li Hao looked again, the light had dissipated, and the world returned to normal.
On Li Hao's forehead, a silver glow appeared and quietly faded away.
As the mark sank into his body, a 1st Rank message floated into Li Hao's mind. It was the image of a majestic figure, seemingly seated in a divine world, surrounded by a sky filled with rosy light and Spirit Light.
The figure exuded boundless Dao power, as if embraced by the great Dao of the universe.
Just a glance made one involuntarily bow.
That was... a Sage!
In the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, the ultimate goal pursued by countless martial artists, a Sage!
The Sages of the Imperial Court had long since vanished, becoming legends. Only the True Person of Qian Dao Palace remained, a living powerhouse who presided over the Great Yu realm.
Now, Li Hao had actually seen a living Sage, who had bestowed a Disciple Mark upon him.
The mark contained a path, a path to the Sage.
By activating the mark, he could reach the Sage, become his disciple, and listen to the Sage's Dao Sound!
Moreover, the Sage Mark contained a strand of the Sage's power. Once activated, this power would be difficult even for an Enlightened Realm cultivator to break, serving as a safeguard granted by the Sage to his disciple.
Li Hao's eyes flickered as he felt the mark settle into his sea of consciousness. The prospect of meeting a Sage was an enormous temptation.
But Li Hao had no intention of activating it right away. He still had too many things to take care of.
The Sage seemed to know about his many entanglements, hence the words, "I have been waiting for you."
(End of Chapter)
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