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Chapter 447: Yanhuo Clan, Nine Depths of the Great Dream (Part 1)
Chapter 447: Yanhuo Clan, Nine Depths of the Great Dream (Part 1)
Li Hao and his companions looked up, seeing numerous figures flying by, all following the massive sword in the sky.
"Tianyi Sect? Isn't that one of the top sects in the True World?"
Li Hao's eyes flickered. If the rules from the past ten thousand years hadn't changed, this was likely correct.
He glanced at Lin Qingying and immediately led everyone to follow.
Apart from Lin Qingying, Li Hao himself was also a sword cultivator. Although he had inherited the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor's legacy, mastering more Sword Intent would only bring benefits.
After all, cultivation required only the accumulation of techniques and did not consume much time.
Elder Wang followed Li Hao, looking into the distance as if he could see a thousand miles away. His eyes filled with nostalgic thoughts, and he telepathically told Li Hao:
"Stay with these young ones. I'll go search for the Reincarnation of the Shi Miao Goddess."
Li Hao's figure paused, and he quickly replied telepathically, "Then I'll go with you."
"No need."
Elder Wang shook his head slightly and telepathically continued, "I already searched the battlefield earlier. The time fluctuations of the Shi Miao Goddess have vanished. She has likely been in the True World for some time. The connection between Heaven and Earth here is much tighter, and any traces will soon be erased. This is the Southern Domain, and I need to visit the Blind Old Man's stone statue in the Celestial Abyss. I'll ask the Blind Old Man's statue to calculate, though I'm not sure if the statue is still there..."
He told Li Hao, "You provided the clue, and I will do my utmost to find her. Here are three willow leaves. Keep them safe."
He raised his hand and handed Li Hao three emerald, radiant willow leaves, placing them in Li Hao's palm.
"Each leaf can unleash a strike, capable of three strikes. Any rank below the King will surely die, and even a King can be repelled."
As he spoke, he raised his hand again and gently touched Li Hao's forehead.
A silver, winding mark appeared on Li Hao's forehead, resembling a third eye, but it quickly vanished into Li Hao's body.
"This is my Immortal Kingdom's origin mark. If you are in trouble and call for help, I can instantly teleport to your side through the Immortal Kingdom. You need not worry."
He finished his instructions and looked at Li Hao with a calm, gentle gaze.
Li Hao was stunned, seeing the warm and gentle look in Elder Wang's eyes, as if he understood something.
"Focus on your cultivation. If you truly find the Reincarnation of the Shi Miao Goddess, you will become a Personal Disciple. At that time, you will compete with her for the Immortal Emperor's legacy. With your current strength, your foundation is still far too weak..."
He whispered these words telepathically.
Li Hao remained silent, then nodded silently.
Although he had no strong desire to inherit the Immortal Emperor's legacy, he knew that some things were beyond his control once he was in a certain position.
After Elder Wang finished his instructions, he quietly vanished into the void, leaving without a trace.
Li Hao held the three willow leaves in his hand, radiating divine light.
Noticing Li Hao had stopped, the others realized someone was missing.
"Where is that elder?"
Someone asked.
"He went to pave the way for me."
Li Hao gazed into the distance, saying softly, then he put away the three willow leaves. At that moment, he realized that what Master Son cultivated was not a sword, but a blade.
...
After crossing the towering mountains and buildings, Li Hao and his companions finally saw the vast city.
Inside, there were mountains and rivers, peaks, and endless buildings, stretching out like an endless world, impossible to see the end.
Li Hao followed the trail of the massive sword's vibrations, leading the Sword Master and Old Feng to head over.
As they flew over numerous mountains and buildings, they soon arrived at the city center. The closer they got to the center, the denser the buildings became. The towering structures around them resembled steep, massive swords or bell towers, emitting an ancient and desolate aura. The stones were rough but seemed to have been compressed over countless years, giving an unshakable impression.
They flew in and saw a square where a hundred-mile-long massive sword lay across the sky, like a bridge that could neither be climbed nor crossed.
Many figures stood in the shadow of the giant sword, looking up and discussing.
"Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower only accepts sword cultivators. We are not sword practitioners, so we should look for other sects."
"Exactly. I see the Wind and Thunder Pavilion is here too. I happen to have mastered the primordial true meaning of the Wind Dao, so joining the Wind and Thunder Pavilion should not be a problem."
"It's hard to say. These days, the sect is extremely strict about trial Dao Heart. The Heart-Questioning Tower must at least resonate five times!"
"This..."
Around them, many people were whispering and discussing.
On the way, Li Hao had transmitted the True World language to Old Feng and the others using Divine Sense. Although they could communicate with True World Immortal Deities without the True World language, they would only need to use Soul Spirit true intent. However, this would immediately reveal that they were outsiders, inviting ridicule and disdain.
Li Hao turned his head and saw a towering, majestic tower standing in the center of the square, reaching up to the sky.
Its peak was shrouded in the clouds, invisible, but the tower itself was tilted, with broken corners and damaged eaves. At the seventh flying eave, there was a splash of fresh red blood, as if it had just been stained.
"How could there be blood there?"
Other newly arrived True Immortals also noticed and asked curiously.
"Did someone dare to cause trouble at the Heart-Questioning Tower? Fighting and killing are strictly forbidden here."
"You're mistaken. That's not ordinary blood; it's the Emperor's Blood from ten thousand years ago. I came here thirty thousand years ago and saw it, just as fresh and vivid as today. The Emperor's Blood never fades or decays."
Li Hao's eyes flickered. The Emperor's Blood staining the Heart-Questioning Tower hinted at some significant event in the past.
At that moment, a group of figures floated at the edge of the hundred-mile-long giant sword, looking down at the vast square filled with countless True Immortals and saint-level beings.
"I am Elder Cui Yuesheng of the Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower."
A voice full of authority yet cold echoed down, reverberating in the ears of the crowd: "By the sect's immortal decree, we are here to gather blessings and recruit prodigy disciples. All True Immortal Realm cultivators under three thousand soul ages are eligible to participate, while saint-level beings need only be under a thousand soul ages."
"The selection criteria are as follows: First, you must be a sword cultivator!"
"Second, your Dao Heart must transcend the Heavenly level, with a five-ringing heart questioning, and a resolve to seek the Dao of Transcendence Immortal Deity and Heaven and Earth."
"Third, I will leave a Sword Intent. Those who can comprehend it will be considered qualified."
"Those who meet these conditions can join the sect as disciples, and the most outstanding among them can directly become Inner Disciples of our sect."
"The recruitment period is one month. Please make good use of your time."
With that, the crowd of sword cultivators in the square burst into excitement. However, many whose soul ages had already passed the limit looked dejected, their faces falling in disappointment. The soul age requirement alone had already screened them out.
"It seems we old timers have no chance."
Feng Boping looked at Sword Master, his eyes filled with regret.
He knew that Sword Master was a sword cultivator with exceptional talent, but his soul age had long surpassed three thousand, even reaching thirty thousand, making him ineligible to join the sect.
Sword Master raised his head slightly, his brows furrowed. Li Hao had telepathically informed him of many things about the True World, and he knew that the force on the giant sword was the Tianyi Sect, one of the top Heavenly Sects in the True World.
Moreover, it was a Sword Dao force, which he deeply aspired to join. However, the strict requirements left him no chance.
He sighed deeply, feeling a great sense of regret. He had planned to explore the True World and seek the true essence of Sword Dao, hoping to witness the ultimate and transcendent Sword Dao, but the door had been shut on him.
"The Ten Thousand Mountains Sword Tower's requirements seem to be in preparation for the next Southern Domain Battle."
"That's right. The Southern Domain Battle is only open to those under three thousand soul ages. They are clearly aiming to compete."
"There's no way around it. This Southern Domain Battle is said to reshuffle the various forces in the Southern Domain, ranking the Heavenly Sects by their performance. All the Heavenly Sects are going all out."
Low murmurs of discussion echoed around them.
Li Hao scanned the crowd and saw many people rushing towards the majestic Heart-Questioning Tower, eager to test and prove their Dao Hearts.
He looked at Sword Master and the others. Sage beings had incredibly long lifespans, showing no signs of aging even after ten thousand years, while True Immortals could live for a million years, as long as Heaven and Earth.
Nangong Jian, who remained in the ancient battlefield, stayed there for a hundred thousand years.
However, most True Immortals perished in the struggle for opportunities and cultivation, with very few living to the end of their natural lives.
"Hao Tian, at your age, you could become a disciple of the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower", the Sword Master said to Li Hao with a smile.
Feng Boping looked at Li Hao, his face also breaking into a smile, showing no regret at his inability to join the sect. "This is a top-tier force in the True World. If you become a disciple here, you will be able to progress faster and farther."
Li Hao shook his head slightly. "If I cannot take you in, I will find another Heavenly Sect for all of us."
"Absolutely not."
Hearing Li Hao's words, Feng Boping's expression changed, and he quickly said, "Don't let us hold you back. Everyone has their own path. Our journey can only go so far, but yours is much longer."
"Even the longest journey is just a dead end if you don't have your companions. The scenery along the way is what truly matters", Li Hao said.
Feng Boping and the Sword Master exchanged glances. Though they had known Li Hao's character for a long time, they still felt a profound sense of emotion.
"You're a fool, boy", Feng Boping said, trying to persuade him further. Suddenly, a cold, clear voice echoed from above, like the crisp winter spring water, refreshing and calming the mind:
"If the soul age exceeds the limit, those who can satisfy the Dao Heart and Comprehend Sword Intent can also come to become disciples. However, whether they can become Inner Disciples will depend on their performance after joining the sect."
Hearing this, many cheers erupted from the square. Clearly, many who exceeded the soul age limit were now excited.
Feng Boping and the Sword Master were taken aback but quickly became elated.
"It looks like you have a chance too", Feng Boping said to the Sword Master with a smile.
The Sword Master nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming, but his gaze turned to the towering Heart-Questioning Tower. "But it requires a five-ringing Dao Heart. I wonder if I can achieve that."
Li Hao knew that a five-ringing Dao Heart meant transcending the Heaven-grade and reaching the Chaos-grade Dao Heart levels. He wasn't sure if the Sword Master could achieve it, so he said, "In that case, let's go to the Heart-Questioning Tower for the test."
"Alright."
Everyone agreed. In the crowd, Zhantan and the others also wore smiles, eager and excited, though they knew their cultivation might not be enough to join the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower.
At this moment, the group arrived at the Heart-Questioning Tower. Many figures were entering and exiting, and the tower occasionally emitted a resonating hum. Those who emerged still carried the faint echoes of Heaven and Earth, though the sound was very weak, it could still be heard.
"I'll go first", the Sword Master said to Li Hao, then flew into the Heart-Questioning Tower with a serious expression.
Li Hao watched him enter, then turned to Lin Qingying.
"Wait for me."
Lin Qingying looked at Li Hao with determination, her eyes revealing an unprecedented resolve. She had tested her Dao Heart before, which was at the Heaven-grade, but she didn't know if it had changed and wanted to verify it again.
As she drifted away like a green cloud, Li Hao turned his gaze to the others and said, "If you want to take the test, go ahead. It will likely be useful for joining other sects as well."
Hearing Li Hao's words, everyone rushed to the Heart-Questioning Tower.
Feng Boping, seeing Li Hao standing still, asked, "Aren't you going?"
"I've already been tested", Li Hao replied.
Feng Boping was surprised and couldn't help but laugh. "Judging by your appearance, you must have passed, right?"
Li Hao smiled. Nine resonances of Heaven and Earth indeed met the standard.
"In that case, I won't wait for you. I'll go and check it out."
Feng Boping said, bidding Li Hao farewell and flying toward the Heart-Questioning Tower.
At this moment, in the high sky above the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower, the cold, clear woman who had spoken earlier raised her hand and etched a sword mark in the air.
Li Hao looked up and felt the sharpness and brilliance of the sword mark, yet it also had a grandeur that encompassed mountains and rivers. His eyes narrowed, sensing the extraordinary nature of this Sword Intent.
At the same time, a Panel notification appeared before his eyes:
【Basics of the Myriad Mountains Sword Technique mastered. Do you wish to record it?】
Record.
Soon, a new Sword Art appeared on the Panel. Li Hao glanced at its grade, which was Immortal Upper Grade, the type of cultivation technique mastered by True Immortals.
The Cultivation Techniques practiced by the Immortal Lord involve the Power of Laws Origin, known as a Source-Level Technique. This forms the foundation of the sect and is not easily shared with outsiders.
But the Sword Art before him, just in its starting movements, already reached the Immortal Upper Grade levels. This suggests that the Cultivation Technique itself is likely Source-Level or even surpasses it.
However, to obtain the higher levels of this technique, one must become a disciple of the sect.
Li Hao recorded the Cultivation Technique but didn’t rush to seek a master. Instead, he wandered around, waiting for Sword Master and the others to emerge from the Heart-Questioning Tower.
He left a projection of himself and his aura in one place so they could find him when they exited the tower. Meanwhile, his true self roamed the vast square.
Despite being called a square, it was incredibly expansive. The Heart-Questioning Tower stood like a pillar reaching to the heavens, surrounded by tall buildings where the aroma of wine, tea, and food wafted through the air.
Li Hao couldn’t help but feel his appetite stir. The dishes and cooking in the True World, prepared by True Immortal Realm cultivators and rare ingredients, were unknown to him. He wondered how they tasted and whether it would be a waste of such heavenly ingredients.
He entered a tavern near the Heart-Questioning Tower, where the scent was the strongest. Inside, various cultivators from different regions were engaged in lively conversations, most of them at the Saint level. From their holy robes and immortal garments, it was clear they were from various True Immortal Noble Families across the True World.
While listening to the news and familiarizing himself with the True World, Li Hao found a seat by a window.
Soon, the tavern waiter brought him the recommended signature dishes.
Li Hao didn’t hesitate, pouring a cup of wine and picking up his chopsticks to enjoy a plate of spicy fried dragon sinew.
The oil used was extracted from dragon fat, exuding a rich aroma that brought out the thick Immortal Power within the dragon sinew. With each bite, Immortal Power flowed into his mouth, permeating his entire body, providing not only the ultimate taste sensation but also enhancing his cultivation. It was as effective as absorbing the Immortal Power from ten immortal stones.
However, this plate of fried dragon sinew cost a hundred immortal stones.
The three thousand immortal stones Li Hao had previously gathered were enough for him to indulge for a while, giving him a small fortune.
After all, he had no immediate plans to settle down in the True World, or this small fortune would quickly turn into debt.
Just eating and drinking, he could never spend it all, never.
“Unfortunately, the knife work on the dragon sinew wasn’t good enough, causing the Immortal Power to leak out. Otherwise, it would taste even better.”
“The wine, though, is quite nice.”
Li Hao enjoyed his meal and drink, feeling quite content. He planned to bring Old Feng and the others here after they finished their trial.
The chef here was at least Ninth Rank.
“Hey, young friend, drinking alone can be quite lonely. How about I keep you company?”
Suddenly, a chuckle echoed, and an old man carrying a wine gourd approached, his tattered clothes giving him the appearance of a street beggar. His red nose and bleary, drunken eyes sparkled as he smiled at Li Hao.
He plopped down on the bench beside Li Hao, his eyes fixed on the wine jug on the table.
Li Hao, detecting the foul smell of stale alcohol emanating from the old man, waved his hand to isolate the odor and casually said, “If you want to drink, go ahead.”
Without another word, he continued to pour his own wine and eat his food.
The old man laughed and picked up the wine jug, drinking directly from the mouth. After finishing the jug, he looked at Li Hao with a grin and said, “You’re quite a remarkable person.”
Li Hao frowned slightly at the old man’s direct drinking from the jug, sighed in exasperation, and asked the waiter for another jug. He then picked up a piece of dragon sinew and chewed it, saying, “Is it because I gave you some wine?”
“No, it’s because you clearly dislike the smell on me and disapprove of my behavior, yet you still gave me a drink. That’s what makes you remarkable.”
Li Hao replied calmly, “It’s because I never refuse someone who asks for a drink.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I don’t turn away a lonely person.”
The old man was taken aback, then burst into laughter. When the waiter brought the new jug, he grabbed it and filled Li Hao’s cup before drinking directly from the jug again.
“Just drinking wine without eating anything?”
Li Hao, seeing the old man’s behavior, said coolly, “Good wine should be paired with good food for the perfect combination.”
“Makes sense.”
The old man, hearing this, grabbed a handful of food from the plate and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, “Not bad, not bad. The taste is indeed good.”
Li Hao avoided the dish the old man had touched, quickly picking up food from the other plates and eating them. Then he said, “Take your time. I need to use the restroom.”
“Go ahead, go ahead. It’s rare to meet a kindred spirit.”
The old man laughed heartily, waving his hand in a cheerful manner.
Li Hao turned and walked downstairs, seeing a waiter approach him. He casually pointed upstairs and then left the tavern.
After Li Hao had been gone for about an incense stick’s time, the elderly man upstairs, who had been feasting and drinking, suddenly realized something was amiss. He used his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings, his eyes widening in shock as the alcohol seemed to wear off quickly.
"Where did that brat go?"
At that moment, the waiter approached him respectfully and asked, "Sir, would you like to settle the bill?"
The old man was speechless.
So you never refused anyone to drink with you.
No wonder you were so generous; you were paying for yourself?
He was so angry he almost jumped up. After wandering for many years, he had been tricked by a mere kid.
"Fine, fine, fine. Don’t let me run into you again."
The old man grumbled angrily.
With the waiter’s eager smile, he blew his beard and glared, finally reluctantly pulling out a small pouch of immortal stones from his sleeve. This was almost all the money he had left.
"Achoo!"
Li Hao, who had wandered to the edge of the square, sneezed. He rubbed his nose and muttered something, then looked around.
Most people were gathered at the Heart-Questioning Tower, making this area relatively quiet. There was a small mountain peak where a figure was sitting.
This peak was low, less than a hundred meters high, roughly the same height as the tavern.
Compared to the towering Heart-Questioning Tower, it seemed like a low hillock.
(End of Chapter)
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