https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-427-Reaching-the-Peak-Freedom-in-the-Heavens/13451682/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-429-Chess-Dao-Sainthood-Immersion-Yama-s-Display/13451688/
Chapter 428: Three Years
Chapter 428: Three Years
Elder Wang was amused by Li Hao's words and said, "You are quite the character. Very well, I'll let you have your way. It's rare to see such a peaceful mindset in front of the Legacy of the Immortal Emperor, calm and composed. No wonder you have an Eternal Dao Heart."
The earlier nine resounding booms of Heaven and Earth, and the Eternal Dao Heart, had greatly impressed him.
After all, to have such character at the Saint level was a rare prodigy, even during the peak times before the Emperor Fall War.
"Do you mean to say you agree?"
Li Hao's eyes lit up.
"If you truly want to learn, I can teach you. The seeds I plant here are not grains of rice or wheat, but immortal herbs."
Elder Wang smiled, "If you can truly learn this skill, it will serve you well. If the True World still had even a third of its former glory, it would be enough to make you a highly esteemed guest in many Immortal Sects, perhaps even an Immortal Lord."
Li Hao was surprised. He hadn't expected the cultivation techniques for immortal herbs to be so powerful. To have a skill that could elevate one to the status of an Immortal Lord must be truly remarkable.
"Then I thank you for your teachings, Elder."
Li Hao bowed deeply, intending to show his respect.
Elder Wang waved his hand, "If you can pass the three trials, you will be a registered disciple of the Immortal Emperor. There's no need to bow to me like this. If you fail, then I will accept your bow."
Li Hao, hearing this, let go of the formalities and felt a deep respect for the elder.
"Then I'll start by teaching you how to identify immortal herbs..."
Elder Wang chuckled. Cultivating immortal herbs was his passion, and his face lit up more than usual as he spoke about them.
Elder Wang led Li Hao to the fields, where fertile plots of land were filled with immortal herbs emitting a faint aura. Li Hao saw the Great Dao floating in the air like wisps of cotton, gently nurturing the immortal herbs, as if tender hands were cradling them.
"This is the Eternal Life Herb. It can absorb the energy of Heaven and Earth and grow well without watering or cultivation. However, if you cultivate it with the essence of the Golden Dao, it can transform into an Eternal Immortal Leaf, a core ingredient for refining the Eternal Unfading Pill..."
Elder Wang pointed to an immortal herb and began explaining to Li Hao.
Li Hao noticed the elder's kind expression, as if he were looking at his own children.
He found the cultivation of immortal herbs to be a fascinating endeavor.
However, his panel couldn't record this skill, as it didn't fall under the category of Artistic Skills.
But Li Hao didn't mind this. He sat on the field ridge with Elder Wang, listening to him talk about the cultivation process and the interesting stories from his past experiences.
The sun rose and set, and here, the moon and stars alternated. Li Hao asked about this, and Elder Wang explained that it was the Celestial Constellations evolved by the Spirit of the Heaven Calamity Hall.
These constellations were not mere decorations or for the alternation of day and night, nor were they for the starlight to shine. They were a Constellation Array that kept the power of the Heaven Calamity Hall eternal and unfading.
Time flew by.
Li Hao no longer sat on the zabuton for enlightenment but instead sat on the field ridge, chatting and learning various knowledge about immortal herbs from Elder Wang.
The two of them were like common farmers, with no concern for their appearance. Li Hao rolled up his sleeves and pants, his feet covered in mud, dangling in the field. Occasionally, small black insects, resembling ants, would crawl up his legs through the mud. These were not ordinary insects but special spirit insects carefully cultivated by Elder Wang.
These insects stimulated the growth of immortal herbs and could also consume the obscure areas of the Great Dao within the herbs, enhancing their quality.
During his leisure time while learning farming, Li Hao casually asked Elder Wang if he knew how to play chess. Elder Wang smiled and countered, "Do you?"
Upon hearing this, Li Hao took out a Chess Board from the Heavenly Earth Space, ready to spar with Elder Wang.
Elder Wang was surprised to see that Li Hao actually had a Chess Board with him. He then laughed heartily, rolled up his sleeves, and sat down with Li Hao in front of the cottage, placing the Chess Board on a chopping block they usually used for firewood. The old and the young began their game.
Li Hao was full of confidence, intending to give this highly-revered elder a little taste of his Chess Dao. However, as he made his moves, he was utterly defeated, as if he had willingly handed his Go Stones to the opponent. What should have been a favorable situation quickly turned against him with each of Elder Wang's moves.
As the game progressed, Li Hao began to doubt himself, unable to discern the strengths and weaknesses on the Chess Board. His moves became hesitant and timid.
After losing three consecutive games, Li Hao was utterly stunned. This was the first time he had been so thoroughly defeated in Chess Dao.
Elder Wang, smiling, gathered the pieces and said, "Your chess skills are already quite remarkable, but if you want to beat this old man, you'll need to live another hundred thousand years."
He laughed heartily, looking quite pleased with himself.
Li Hao, however, was frowning. He could accept losing in martial arts, but he absolutely could not tolerate losing in chess.
He stroked his chin, propped his chin in his hand, and replayed the recent games in his mind.
While his Chess Dao excelled in strategy, Elder Wang's Chess Dao was like a hanging antelope horn, leaving no trace to follow.
After a night's rest, Li Hao continued to challenge Elder Wang the next day.
He lost four or five more games in a row. Finally, he began to glimpse a bit of Elder Wang's chess strategy. With a move that seemed insignificant, Li Hao managed to lock down a crucial point. Elder Wang let out a light "hmm" and examined the board closely, then looked at Li Hao with a sigh. "This kid's insight is truly impressive!"
However, he would not yield in Chess Dao.
With a few more moves, the game was quickly over.
Li Hao felt as if he had been punched twice, holding his breath to keep from spitting blood in frustration.
Seeing Li Hao's pained expression, Elder Wang laughed even harder. "Want to go again?"
"Sure!"
Li Hao became even more serious, playing with greater caution.
But he lost even more miserably.
The old and the young engaged in intense battles in front of the cottage. On the zabuton, a figure suddenly opened his eyes. His contained aura subtly dissipated, and his eyes sparkled as he looked up at the black tower.
Then, as if remembering something, he turned his gaze to the front of the cottage. There, he saw the old and the young sitting hunched over the chopping block, completely absorbed in the Chess Board. The elder was calm and smiling, while the young one was scratching his head and frowning, fully focused on the game.
Seeing this, Bright Sage raised an eyebrow. He had thought of the young man several times during his earlier comprehension. Each time he looked, the young man was either sitting on the field ridge chatting with Elder Wang or playing chess in front of the cottage. He had never seen the young man sit on the zabuton.
Not cultivating?
Or trying to win Elder Wang's favor to get special treatment and experience?
Bright Sage's lips curled into a cold smile. When he first arrived, he too had hovered around Elder Wang, serving tea, pouring water, and massaging his legs and shoulders, showing the utmost devotion. Despite this, Elder Wang, though friendly, had clearly told him that he would not provide any guidance related to the trials.
This was a Great Dao restriction left by the Immortal Emperor. Even without this restriction, Elder Wang, who held the Immortal Emperor in the highest regard, would never betray his reverence.
After Bright Sage, other Sages had retraced his steps, but they all met the same outcome.
Now, this new arrival also wanted to take a shortcut, but it was clearly a miscalculation.
With his talent, if he had diligently cultivated, he might have had a chance to catch up with them. But now, by seeking an unorthodox path, he was only wasting time. That was just too bad.
Bright Sage stood up and headed toward the Black Tower.
Some Sages sensed his presence and opened their eyes, immediately saying, "Bright Sage is about to challenge the 'True Venerable Tower.'"
Upon hearing this, other Sages who had not yet comprehended deeply also gathered their focus, opened their eyes, and their expressions turned serious.
If he succeeds, he will have reached the third step, and the gap between him and the others will widen significantly.
Among them, Pastoral Sage, with his snow-white hair, slightly opened his eyes and coldly watched the figure walking away.
Among all the Sages, only he and Bright Sage had faced each other as formidable rivals in the second step of the trial. After all, there was only one copy of the Immortal Emperor's Legacy, and whoever obtained it would soar to great heights, even in the True World, where they could stand above all other beings.
But if they failed, they would only become one of the many True Immortals, and even the pursuit of an Immortal Lord would become distant and arduous. The disparity was too great.
"Hmm? Why is that person still playing chess with Elder Wang?"
At this moment, someone noticed Li Hao, who was not on the zabuton but still with Elder Wang.
Although Elder Wang was extremely powerful and far beyond their reach, he would not help them in the trials. He would neither give guidance nor hints, so they had no time to engage much with this formidable presence.
"Probably hoping for some guidance from Elder Wang, but it won't do him any good."
Someone shook their head, a hint of ridicule in their eyes.
Sage Luo, Dong Dao, Chen Baoyu, and a few other Sages who had previously spoken with Li Hao also sighed inwardly but did not say anything. Despite their fondness for Li Hao, he was also their competitor, and offering help now would be like aiding their most promising rival.
Flower Sage and Wander Sage exchanged a glance, and Wander Sage suddenly telepathically communicated with Li Hao:
"Bright Sage is about to challenge the True Venerable Tower. If he succeeds, he might be the first to undergo the third trial, and Elder Wang will teach him the way to immortality."
Li Hao, deeply engrossed in the chess game, was completely unaware of the outside world. His mind seemed to be immersed in the Chess Dao, where only the chessboard existed, floating in the starry sky, and a giant of the Chess Dao sat opposite him, looking down.
The overwhelming chess strength forced Li Hao to give his full attention, which allowed him to lose a bit more slowly.
"Bright Sage is about to challenge the True Venerable Tower. Aren't you worried?"
At this moment, Elder Wang also noticed the commotion on the zabuton, looked up, and smiled at Li Hao.
Li Hao felt a rumble from the giant above him, and he was momentarily stunned, snapping back to reality.
Seeing Elder Wang's expression and following his gaze to the distant black tower, he saw a Sage entering it.
"Oh."
Li Hao glanced at it and then turned his attention back to the chessboard.
At this moment, he only wanted to solve the chess puzzle.
"Hao Tian, did you hear me? Elder Wang is a good person, but he won't help you with cultivation."
Wander Sage's telepathic message sounded again.
This time, Li Hao heard it and turned to look. Seeing the concerned expressions of Wander Sage and Flower Sage, he paused, then smiled:
"Not in a hurry. When I can beat Elder Wang, I'll start cultivating."
If he could win against Elder Wang, he felt that his Chess Dao might break through to the 1st Rank.
"This..."
Wander Sage was momentarily stunned, a bit speechless. Could chess really be so captivating that it could overshadow the Immortal Emperor's Legacy?
Li Hao returned his gaze to the chessboard, his mind once again immersed in it, oblivious to the outside world.
He pondered deeply, while Elder Wang waited for Li Hao's move, watching the young man with interest. Li Hao was not pretending; he genuinely showed no signs of urgency. Elder Wang smiled slightly. Though having Li Hao accompany him had delayed things a bit, he had noticed that the other Sages' talents made significant progress unlikely in the short term. When Li Hao's interest waned, he would choose an appropriate time to have Li Hao earnestly start his cultivation.
Among all the trial participants, the young man before him was the one he valued the most. Although he couldn't give him hints or special treatment, he would at least urge him to cultivate diligently.
At the zabuton, many people were silently calculating Bright Sage's challenge time.
Before long, Bright Sage emerged from the True Venerable Tower.
"It took longer this time. Looks like Bright Sage hasn't been affected and has even made a breakthrough!"
"Indeed, that one took the wrong path, trying to curry favor with Elder Wang, which wasted his time. My mindset has also been restored."
"Elder Wang mentioned that if one can pass the trial, their battle sense will reach an extraordinary level. This isn't about combat techniques, which are the accumulation of experience. Battle sense is an exceptional combat ability that changes in an instant and requires special methods to cultivate."
"We need to step up our efforts. We don't want Bright Sage to truly reach the third step of the Immortal Dao while we're still pondering the methods of the Immortal Dao."
Many sages, with grave expressions, withdrew their gazes from the returned Bright Sage and then focused on their cultivation, closing their eyes. Some even smiled and congratulated Bright Saint Path.
However, Bright Sage's face remained expressionless, appearing rather cold. Although he had lasted longer this time, he felt he was still far from victory. He had already used his quick thinking several times to avert danger, but it wasn't enough.
He turned his head and glanced at the figure in front of the house, seeing him fully concentrated on the chessboard, his eyes devoid of any distractions. His brows furrowed slightly, and a faint sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, but he quickly retracted it, turned around, and returned to his zabuton to continue meditating and comprehending.
Time slowly passed.
It was very quiet here, with the occasional laughter of an old and a young person breaking the silence.
But everyone was cultivating, enveloped in their Dao domains. Unless there was a change in aura, mere sounds wouldn't disturb or affect them.
In the past, when everyone was cultivating, the only sounds were Elder Wang using his hoe to dig the ground and the sound of a stream from the fields. Now, this place, which once felt like a secluded paradise, had a bit more of a human touch.
A year passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Hao's Chess Dao had reached the Ninth Rank of Perfection, but he still lost miserably to Elder Wang, never winning a single game.
Li Hao had never lost so badly. In his free time, he pondered the Art Dao, but his mind was completely occupied by the chess games he had lost. His heart was troubled, and his forced comprehension of the Art Dao yielded little progress.
The more he lost, the more he wanted to play again, almost like an addiction. On the contrary, Elder Wang, having won too many times, usually had other thoughts while playing chess with Li Hao, such as watering the fields and gathering the Great Dao to nourish the immortal herbs. When he returned after handling his tasks and saw that Li Hao hadn't made his move, he would brew himself some tea and rub the mud from between his toes.
When Li Hao spent a long time making his move, Elder Wang would quickly counter, causing the young man's smile to freeze, followed by another period of deep thought.
Seeing the change in his opponent's expression, Elder Wang found it somewhat amusing. He had never seen someone so invested in the Chess Dao. If it were anyone else, he would have long since grown tired of winning and found it uninteresting. But this young man, with his refusal to give up and the determination in his eyes, always made Elder Wang want to continue winning against him.
Yes, although it was cruel, he also didn't like the feeling of losing.
Another two years passed.
In front of the house, by the chessboard, the young man was focused on making his move.
Suddenly, from the zabuton area, a powerful Spear Intent condensed and erupted, as if it could pierce through the heavens.
This powerful Spear Intent affected the young man's thoughts, and he turned to look.
"Finally, there's a third person who has cultivated the Ten Thousand Battles Immortal Technique to Perfection", Elder Wang remarked, a smile on his lips.
(End of Chapter)
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