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Chapter 404: A Decade of Defense, Returning to the Holy Land (Part 1)
Chapter 404: A Decade of Defense, Returning to the Holy Land (Monthly Votes Request!) (Part 1)
Two years later.
Li Hao's insight into the Sculpture Dao had reached the Ninth Rank, and he was on the verge of ascending to the Tenth Rank.
The Sculpture Dao heart he obtained at the Ninth Rank, Li Hao embedded into his Body Movement Techniques, significantly enhancing and refining the various Body Movement Techniques he mastered. With this, his weaknesses in Body Movement Techniques were finally addressed, and when combined with the Return to the Abyss Ultimate Realm, he now met the standards of a Three Calamities Sage.
If he could advance to the Tenth Rank in Body Movement Techniques, that would be truly formidable. Even in the Holy Capital, such an achievement might be rare, with only a few Supreme Sages reaching the Sacrificial Dao level in their Body Movement Techniques.
After all, these Supreme Sages have lived for an incredibly long time. Even if they spend thousands of years refining their cultivation, they can still make up for their shortcomings in other areas.
Over the past two years, ancient demons continued to invade, but they were all third-stage ancient demons wandering into the area.
The moment they sensed the Mysterious Mother Gate, they were added to Li Hao's death list.
The ancient demon corpses he had collected over the years were still not fully consumed. Li Hao felt that he could continue eating them for another three to five years.
The person he was waiting for to defend the area had yet to arrive. Li Hao had considered stepping out of the ancient path to check the situation outside, but he was wary of encountering other Ancient Demon Commanders. If that happened, he might not even have a chance to escape.
After all, the perception range of an Ancient Demon Commander far exceeded his own. By the time he detected one, he would already be under the commander's gaze, easily extinguished with a mere gesture.
Here, however, he had set up numerous Hidden Lines around the area. If an Ancient Demon Commander approached, as long as they didn't deliberately sneak in, Li Hao could detect their presence through the Hidden Lines.
This was the territory of ancient demons, and it was unlikely that an Ancient Demon Commander would approach with such caution. Therefore, Li Hao felt relatively at ease.
"These ancient demons are coming more frequently. It seems other Ancient Demon Commanders will soon notice this empty fief and occupy it..."
Li Hao's eyes flickered.
Those in the Land of Sages were unaware that the entire world could face destruction at any moment.
If an Ancient Demon Commander found and destroyed the Mysterious Mother Gate, the Land of Sages would face a Catastrophe.
Li Hao didn't know if the Mysterious Mother Gate could withstand an Ancient Demon Commander, but he could only try his best to study and repair the patterns on it.
Over the past two years, Li Hao had discovered that this task required Immortal Power to complete.
Fortunately, he had accumulated a vast amount of Immortal Power within his body, though he had yet to become a True Immortal and thus couldn't fully control it.
However, his physical body had been subtly transformed by the prolonged refinement of Immortal Power. Li Hao could feel his physical body growing stronger, to the point where the Huntian Sage's battle saber could no longer harm him. His physical body's strength now rivaled that of a sixth-rank Imperial Weapon!
The transformation of his physical body went beyond just the surface; the most significant changes occurred in his Dao Bone and Divine Blood.
The Great Dao Patterns on his Dao Bone were now shrouded in a silver glow, appearing sacred and ethereal, and had become extremely hard.
In his golden Divine Blood, a faint silver thread had also appeared. Li Hao sensed that if he accumulated more Immortal Power over time, his physical body might gradually transform, possibly becoming a True Immortal's body even if he couldn't fully grasp the path to immortality!
Two years of a monotonous life had become a routine for Li Hao.
Back in the courtyard, after his little tail was taken away, he had also adapted to living alone.
Not long after, Li Hao encountered Second Uncle, Old Feng.
Thinking of Second Uncle, Li Hao was reminded of the Mortal World, the Master in the Imperial Palace, the Mother in the Divine General Manor, and the little kid who liked to crouch beside him and listen to stories.
He also thought of the girl who accompanied him to the Frontier, Ren Qianqian, who carried his sword and worked tirelessly without complaint.
And then there was the little fox he had raised from a young age, wondering where it had gone and if Emperor Yu had managed to find it.
As these thoughts and memories surfaced, his longing grew deeper, like an itch in his heart, making him feel an urgent desire to return.
But he knew that if he left, this place would be exposed, and the entire pseudo-realm would face a Catastrophe. He had to defend it.
How long he could hold out, Li Hao didn't know, but it would at least buy some time.
Otherwise, the first ancient demon to find this place might already have reported back, and the Land of Sages would be in grave danger.
Time passed.
In this barren and desolate canyon, Li Hao slowly began to understand Nangong Jian's despair. At least Li Hao still had a way home and a glimmer of hope.
Still, Li Hao didn't know how long he would need to wait here.
The red-tasseled spear woman had made a mistake, but Li Hao didn't blame her. He thought she must have encountered some unexpected trouble outside.
All he could do now was hope that her troubles would be resolved and that someone capable of suppressing this place would appear.
Or perhaps the Immortal Deities outside would clear out all the ancient demons from this battlefield, making it completely safe.
Waiting became the norm. Li Hao's thoughts were focused on his Sculpture and the study of the Mysterious Mother Gate's pattern gaps.
Another five years passed.
In the first two years, ancient demons occasionally appeared, a dozen or so each year. In the third year, while Li Hao's Incarnation was setting up Hidden Threads, it detected a large number of ancient demons gathering and stationed in a distant fief.
Li Hao's Incarnation quietly retreated.
Fortunately, his Body Movement Techniques had reached the Ninth Rank, which included not only chasing and dodging but also concealment cultivation techniques. Combined with the concealment abilities provided by the River Snow Painting and other Tome attributes, Li Hao's Incarnation managed to avoid alarming the ancient demons, quietly observing them from a distance before retreating.
This situation made Li Hao realize that other ancient demons had already occupied this area.
He felt time was becoming increasingly urgent, and he devoted himself to his studies even more, discarding all other distractions.
However, the patterns on the Mysterious Mother Gate seemed to be some kind of supreme Law. After several years of study, Li Hao's progress was extremely slow, barely reaching a thousandth of the total.
As time went on, more and more ancient demon fiefs were occupied, and these ancient demons were getting closer to Li Hao.
Li Hao gathered many rocks to cover the Mysterious Mother Gate and set up barriers around it, using his own Saint Path domain to conceal it.
His Soul Spirit had greatly improved, which was why his Incarnation had been able to detect the ancient demons' retreat. His perception range now exceeded that of a second-stage ancient demon, even surpassing the leaders of first-stage ancient demons.
As long as Li Hao detected the ancient demons approaching in advance, he could use his Soul Spirit to obscure any traces of his presence, confusing them.
If the opportunity arose, he would kill them and have them for dinner.
After five years, Li Hao's Soul Spirit had accumulated its fifth Divine Bone.
Additionally, the Immortal Power within him had grown even more formidable. If he unleashed it fully, he could easily slay a second-stage ancient demon, even hundreds of them.
However, there were ancient demon leaders in the fief, who were True Immortal-level beings. The gap between Immortals and mortals was vast, and Li Hao didn't dare take the risk.
Besides, his Sculpture Dao Experience had reached the Ninth Rank Perfection.
To advance further, he needed to comprehend his own Sculpture Saint Path.
Apart from his Sculpture Dao, his Fishing Art had also improved to the eighth stage, with his Experience bar full.
Over the years, Li Hao's Hidden Threads had touched upon ancient demons, bringing him a tremendous amount of Experience. In these perilous circumstances, his focus while weaving Hidden Threads had become even more concentrated, leading to greater insights into the art of Fishing.
Li Hao calculated the time and realized he had been here for ten years.
Ten years had passed, and he wondered if Primordial Ancestor and the god kings were still guarding the other side of the Dao Sect's gate.
However, they were no longer an obstacle to him.
Using the attributes of the Dual-Faced Person Tomes, Li Hao created a Shadow Clone to keep watch over the canyon.
He then devoted himself to studying the patterns on the Mysterious Mother Gate.
With the vast amount of Immortal Power within him, Li Hao could remain in the Ultimate Transcendence to Immortality state for an extended period, long enough to conclude several intense battles.
In this state, Li Hao felt a deeper connection to the patterns on the gate, which seemed to represent some of the highest Laws of Heaven and Earth.
Using the Heavenly Dao prototype, born from the Unity of the three saint powers, Li Hao touched these patterns and made new discoveries, barely managing to grasp the underlying structure.
He continued to explore this way.
If outsiders knew that a saint-level cultivator was studying the power created by an Immortal Emperor, they would surely scoff. But in this desolate place, Li Hao not only studied but also made significant progress.
...
...
While Li Hao defended the ancient path, behind the Mysterious Mother Gate.
In the majestic Ancient Hall standing in the starry sky.
Ten years had passed.
Initially, the saints had come here, vying for dominance, each afraid of being a step too late and missing the chance to Ascend to Immortality, which would destroy the Immortal Path and leave no opportunity for further advancement.
But now, they knew that the Immortal Path had been tread by Hao Tian Zun, and the gate was sealed, accessible only by those in the Sixth Extreme Realm. After the initial anxiety, they gradually began to explore other parts of the Ancient Hall.
Over the years, the Ancient Hall had been thoroughly explored, leaving few secrets.
The treasures left behind were few, and the passage of time had made even the Primordial Ancestor feel estranged. The luster of these treasures had faded, and their power had waned, some even crumbling to dust at the slightest touch, as fragile as broken tiles.
Now, only two or three dozen sages sat before the Mysterious Mother Gate.
They cultivated here, sensing the Sixth Extreme Realm, and waited, ready to receive news the moment the gate opened and Hao Tian Zun returned.
From the current state of the Mysterious Mother Gate, they could confirm that Hao Tian Zun had not severed the Immortal Path.
This gave the saints hope and reversed Li Hao's reputation. What was once a subject of criticism among many sages had now become a matter of silent contemplation, as they focused on achieving their Ultimate Realm.
Now, whoever could first sense the Sixth Extreme Realm would be the first to step onto the Immortal Path.
"Ten years have passed. My Incarnation Rebirth took a trip to the Mortal World, where a century has passed, but I still haven't grasped the Sixth Extreme Realm."
"Me too. My Incarnation guards the Three Eternities Realm, but even without further cultivation, I haven't sensed the Heavenly Human Peak."
"This Sixth Extreme Realm is not achieved through cultivation and the accumulation of power; it requires insight into the Heavenly Will and the Heavenly Heart!"
The sages who remained here mostly wore heavy expressions.
Ten years had passed, and the Immortal Path was within reach. Despite the combined efforts of all the Holy Land's sages, they had failed to grasp the Sixth Extreme Realm in a decade. This was hard to believe and only served to elevate Hao Tian Zun's status in their eyes.
At this moment, they truly realized that the Sixth Extreme Realm was not something that could be comprehended through mere thought; it was beyond the reach of ordinary beings.
Apart from the sages, the Law Saint, the Fame Saint, and others also wore solemn expressions, deep in thought.
They remembered Primordial Ancestor's relay of Li Hao's words: the Sixth Extreme Realm could not be achieved through cultivation alone.
For this reason, over the past decade, they had dispatched an Incarnation to investigate Li Hao's past, thoroughly uncovering every detail about this suddenly emerging Monsters.
After all, it was difficult to keep anything in the Mortal World hidden from them.
Upon learning about Li Hao's past, they also used the Incarnation Rebirth technique to reincarnate into the Mortal World, descending in the center of the Great Wasteland Sky, within their own Divine Dynasty, just like Li Hao, showcasing extraordinary talent from a young age while maintaining a low profile.
Furthermore, they had their disciples reincarnate to become the father of their Incarnation, severing ties with the Incarnation to replicate Li Hao's experiences as closely as possible.
Almost everything was controlled behind the scenes, meticulously recreating Li Hao's life.
However, in the end, the Incarnation Rebirth seemed to become distorted. Instead of Li Hao's carefree nature, it developed a deep-seated hatred for evil and a cynical view of the world.
Some even gave up entirely, ceasing cultivation and becoming wastrels, unable to resist the disasters arranged by their divine dynasty. They could only watch helplessly as commoners suffered and died, their faces numb or tragic, yet powerless to act.
Others tried to resume cultivation, but once it was abandoned, it was difficult to pick up again.
Moreover, they had learned from Li Hao's past that he had never seriously cultivated. He enjoyed the pleasures of life, yet cultivation seemed as simple as eating and drinking for him. Whenever his realm was insufficient, a brief period of cultivation would suffice to break through.
However, their Incarnation lacked such talent.
Despite using treasures to shape and mold the Incarnation's bones in the womb, granting it the pinnacle of talent, it still wasn't enough.
If fully dedicated to cultivation, the Incarnation could reach the Grandmaster Realm by the age of fourteen, or even ten, far surpassing Li Hao's cultivation record.
But if the Incarnation indulged in pleasure and never touched cultivation, even the best talent would be wasted.
This realization made them increasingly fearful. The young man's talent seemed far more terrifying than they had imagined.
Over the past decade, Li Hao's status in their eyes continued to rise, and they grew to understand just how formidable this young man truly was.
They didn't attempt to replicate Li Hao's experiences in the Land of Sages, as by then he had already attained the Sixth Extreme Realm.
"Now, we can only place our hopes in the Holy Infant."
In the five short years since Li Hao's departure, all the Sages' own Incarnation Rebirths had failed.
Five years in the Holy Land equated to fifty years in the Mortal World, nearly six decades.
Despite such a long time, they failed to achieve the Heavenly Human Peak, and their efforts to cultivate a monster were ultimately in vain.
The Primordial Ancestor had previously suggested pooling the power of all the Sages to create a Holy Infant.
This Holy Infant, blessed by the power of the Sages, would be formed from fragments of the Sages' Soul Spirits, receiving the power of the Sages from the womb, and would exhibit extraordinary talent from birth.
Thus, even without cultivation, the Holy Infant could absorb the power of Heaven and Earth through eating, sleeping, and breathing, with its pores automatically absorbing external power, allowing its cultivation to grow naturally!
In this way, the Holy Infant's life could be perfectly modeled after Li Hao's.
They selected a Divine Dynasty that was similar to the Jiang Family's Divine Dynasty, sharing similar governance philosophies, with any differences being corrected by the Sages, essentially creating a second Great Yu Divine Dynasty!
There, too, were five Divine General Manors.
The Holy Infant was born in one of these Divine General Manors, which was governed by law, with the Law Saint secretly guiding from the shadows.
He sent his disciple to the Mortal World to marry and have children, and the Holy Infant was born to his wife.
To ensure similarity, his wife was a Holy Maiden from one of the ancient noble families of the Great Wasteland Sky.
Under the control of the Sages, the Mortal World was like a chessboard, to be manipulated at their whim.
From a young age, the Holy Infant displayed talent, but his parents were often absent.
The Holy Infant faced attacks from other concubines within the manor, a scenario orchestrated by the Sages and made known to the three-year-old Holy Infant.
Holy Infant, like Li Hao, also endured in secret, maintaining a normal appearance.
However, the Holy Ones were closely watching, knowing that Holy Infant was exceptionally talented and quick-witted, deliberately concealing his true abilities.
During the bone-shaping process at the age of six, the Holy Ones secretly intervened, distorting the talent assessment results to make the Divine General Manor believe that Holy Infant was a waste.
As a result, Holy Infant became even more low-key.
Later, during his cultivation, someone brought back a female infant to accompany Holy Infant in his practice.
The selection of this girl was a matter of debate among the Holy Ones, each wanting to use their own reincarnated form. Ultimately, they chose a girl who already existed in the Mortal World.
This girl possessed exceptional talent, having lost her parents at a young age, and she was rather mature for her age, often taking care of Holy Infant.
They grew up together like childhood sweethearts, cultivating in the same courtyard.
One day, the mature girl was chosen by a renowned Sword Saint from the Divine Dynasty and taken away from the Divine General Manor.
Holy Infant was once again alone.
However, the older generation arranged by the Holy Ones in the Divine General Manor quickly befriended Holy Infant under the guise of "coincidence", accompanying him in his daily activities.
The talent within Holy Infant, a result of the combined efforts of the Holy Ones, began to manifest, allowing his cultivation to grow continuously. However, after being secretly harmed in his early years, Holy Infant learned to be low-key and hide his true abilities, deliberately concealing his cultivation from the older generation in the Divine General Manor.
Despite this, his cultivation, though still relatively shallow, did not escape the notice of the older generation, who had already suspected something and questioned him, but Holy Infant steadfastly denied it.
The Holy Ones could not interfere with Holy Infant's actions, as his reincarnated form had developed its own independent personality. Unless they activated the Holy Power within him, awakening his saintly consciousness, he would regain their memories, but this would also mean the failure of the reincarnation, with his original personality being replaced by the Sage's Will.
On the surface, Holy Infant spent his days in leisure, but in secret, he diligently cultivated, seemingly driven by a desire for revenge and to break free from some unseen constraint.
The Holy Ones observed this but did not intervene. They had investigated Li Hao and found that, although few had seen Li Hao cultivate, it didn't mean he wasn't secretly practicing.
After all, achieving transcendent cultivation without any effort was simply impossible, and they refused to believe otherwise.
Holy Infant's secret cultivation went unnoticed, yet his strength grew rapidly.
By the age of thirteen, he had already reached the Tian Ren Master Realm, breaking Li Hao's record.
But no one knew.
When he turned fourteen, his father returned, and Holy Infant chose to seek revenge.
The result was a fierce battle between father and son, during which Holy Infant revealed his astonishing cultivation. At fourteen, he was already on the brink of the Three Eternities Realm.
This outcome brought Holy Infant fame across the Mortal World, earning him the title of the greatest genius in ten thousand years among the central Divine Dynasties.
Following this, his subsequent experiences, influenced and arranged by the Holy Ones, followed a similar path.
However, Holy Infant is now forty years old.
In the Mortal World, he has become a War God, having long reached the Perfect Enlightenment Realm. He has attempted to enter the Land of Sages multiple times, but the Holy Ones have always refused.
A Sage descended to inform him that he must achieve the Sixth Extreme Realm before he can enter the Holy Land.
Now, Holy Infant continues to cultivate in the Mortal World.
His cultivation has reached the limit of the Mortal World, and he is on the verge of condensing the Eternal Dao Domain. There is no further progress to be made.
Currently, Holy Infant wanders the Mortal World, seeking the path to the Sixth Extreme Realm.
When he will achieve this enlightenment is unknown to the Holy Ones, but they know it is the most promising hope.
When Holy Infant's cultivation reached the Fourth Establishment Realm, their many arrangements lost their significance, and they could only allow him to grow freely.
"Holy Infant may seem to indulge in leisure, but he is secretly working hard to cultivate and seek revenge. I always feel that this path might be wrong, perhaps we shouldn't have completely replicated it."
The Holy Ones waited in the starry sky where the Mysterious Mother Gate stood, their thoughts focused on the Mortal World.
"Yes, I opposed this plan from the beginning. Perhaps it would have been better to let him be a pampered waste."
"That Hao Tian Zun once said, the Sixth Extreme Realm is harder to attain the more one desires it. Without hatred, he might not be so eager to cultivate, and his mindset might align more closely with that of Hao Tian Zun."
"But his life path is the same. Could his current mindset not be the same as Hao Tian Zun's?" someone countered.
Some Sages fell silent.
Their own Incarnation Rebirths had failed, leaving them with little hope.
Moreover, this wasn't their first failure. While they had put in their utmost effort this time, the disappointment of failure was even more profound.
"Someone once said that no two snowflakes have the same pattern, and no two fingerprints are identical. Though their experiences may be similar, Hao Tian Zun is Hao Tian Zun, and the Holy Infant is the Holy Infant. There is no second Primordial Ancestor, and no second Hao Tian Zun."
A Sage murmured.
The other Sages, hearing his words, fell silent.
Indeed, the world only has those who are similar, but never identical.
Even the me of yesterday is not the me of today.
And the me of today will not be the me of tomorrow.
"The words are true, but this is our last hope", a Sage whispered.
Hope can be lethal. Even if they know their actions are flawed, they will still strive to try as long as there is a glimmer of hope.
"This is just the Holy Infant's first attempt. If it fails, we can try again, ensuring he has no hatred and no motivation to cultivate. We can give him endless wealth and power, and let him enjoy life without any pursuits. Then we can see if he can attain the Sixth Extreme Realm without any goals."
At this moment, the Primordial Ancestor spoke softly, interrupting their pessimistic words.
Hearing his words, the Sages paused and then nodded slightly.
While each Holy Infant Reincarnation takes a toll on them, the pursuit of the Immortal God Path makes the sacrifice worthwhile.
"This first Holy Infant is already a failure."
The God King spoke coldly, "He seems to enjoy his travels and sightseeing, but he harbors deep-seated hatred. The Law Saint who blocked his entry to the Holy Land planted the seeds of hatred in his heart. Just like in his childhood, when he was first betrayed, he harbored resentment, though he hid it. Now, he is secretly competing, enjoying the mortal world's scenery while being more eager than anyone to become a Sage."
The Sages were taken aback and looked at him.
Over the past decade, they had been here with the God King, sharing the same goal, and there had been no conflicts.
The God King's words made the Primordial Ancestor frown.
The Sages exchanged glances, suddenly feeling that the God King might be right.
Having cultivated to the peak of the Enlightenment Realm and qualified to enter the Holy Land, yet being obstructed, and for reasons he found hard to accept, it was natural for him to harbor hatred.
Outside the crowd, the Sword Master nodded slightly. He had noticed this long ago and had already predicted the Holy Infant's failure.
He was not present in his true form but as an Incarnation.
Apart from some Sages in their true forms, many had returned to their fiefs, leaving only their Incarnations here to wait.
"Indeed, to my knowledge, Hao Tian Zun had no hatred in his heart. Even when pursued and ambushed by the Virtual Sage, a great humiliation and anger, I saw no hatred in him. He did not let others' mistakes torment him, and hatred did not consume him."
The Sword Master said calmly.
Hearing his words, many looked at him, knowing of his good relationship with Hao Tian Zun.
His words were credible.
"Since that's the case, we should initiate the second Holy Infant plan. This time, let him enjoy a life of ease."
The Primordial Ancestor fell silent for a moment before speaking softly.
The Sages exchanged glances and remained silent. Some were hesitant, but seeing the majority's tacit agreement, they had no choice but to comply.
The Sword Master, seeing this, recalled fishing with Li Hao. The joy in Li Hao's eyes when he caught a fish was genuine and unfeigned. He truly loved this world.
"Perhaps the second Holy Infant can be distanced from cultivation and nurtured with other interests from a young age, without strictly following a similar path."
The Sword Master suggested softly.
The Primordial Ancestor glanced at him but remained silent.
Soon, the second Holy Infant plan was initiated.
In a Divine Dynasty of the mortal world, another prodigious Qilin child was born.
Time flew by.
Twenty years in the mortal world felt like a mere two years in the Holy Land.
Over those twenty years, the second Holy Infant was doted on by his elders and parents, living a carefree life.
Those around him were deliberately arranged to distract him, cultivating a variety of other interests and hobbies.
Flower arranging, tea tasting, chess, fishing, and so on.
(End of Chapter)
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