Chapter 541: The Trial Ends
Chapter 541: The Trial Ends
"Hmm?"
Di Linden noticed Li Hao’s actions and his eyes narrowed slightly.
On the other side, Shen Wuji, who had been leaning against a large stone in the hall with his arms crossed, suddenly stood up, his expression changing to one of shock and anger as he stared at Li Hao.
Clearly, he hadn’t expected the young man to touch the golden mist without being trapped in the dreamland.
This meant that Li Hao’s Dao Heart was far more profound than just reaching the mountaintop.
"That voice..."
At this moment, Li Hao looked at the golden mist with surprise and suspicion.
The voice in his mind had been incredibly gentle and soothing, like a warm Dao sound, evoking a sense of inexplicable familiarity and a sacred feeling that made one want to listen carefully.
"Dao Heart being bound... What does that mean?"
Li Hao muttered to himself, frowning as he gazed at the golden mist.
If his guess was correct, the voice must have been the Will of Dao Inquiry Mountain.
However, his own Dao Heart being bound?
While Li Hao was lost in thought, this scene was mirrored in the Southern Territory’s various immortal dynasties, especially in Pagoda City at the border of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty.
Towering spires stood tall, forming the Inquiry Heart Pagoda Tower.
This former Emperor Pagoda had later suffered a calamity and become dilapidated.
Inside the Inquiry Heart Pagoda Tower, a few figures were still entering to test their Dao Hearts.
However, many more people were gathered on the plaza outside, looking up at the grand event of the Southern Territory Battle.
On a small hill opposite the pagoda, a figure sat against a tree, a thread extending from his hand into the mist ahead, quietly fishing for things from another time.
At this moment, Old Han’s gaze quietly focused on the reflection of Dao Inquiry Mountain in the cloud sea, seeing the young man’s thoughtful expression. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained calm as he murmured:
"Kid, it’s a good thing I sealed your Dao Heart back then. If you had truly stepped into that Heavenly Dao golden mist, even the Supreme Sovereigns outside would have been uneasy!"
His gaze swept over the Heavenly Palace Supreme outside Dao Inquiry Mountain, his eyes deepening with a hint of coldness.
But soon, his gaze returned to Dao Inquiry Mountain, his eyes flickering.
"Such a thing, you can hide it from others, even from the Supreme Sovereigns, but not from me."
"Have you regretted it all these years?"
A gentle breeze stirred the cloud sea, ruffling the black hair of the young man reflected in the mountain.
A cool breeze brushed past, and Li Hao snapped out of his thoughts. He still couldn’t understand what the voice meant, when his Dao Heart had been sealed, or by whom.
He called out in his mind, but there was no response.
At this moment, Li Hao looked up to see two figures flying towards him: Chu Tianhuang and Boya Xuejian.
"Are you alright?"
Boya Xuejian examined Li Hao, surprised to see that he wasn’t in a state of reverence. He said, "I didn’t expect your Dao Heart to be so strong. Have you reached the top tier of the Eternal Dao Heart?"
Chaos-grade Dao Hearts and Eternal Dao Hearts are both divided into three ranks. Those who can reach the mountaintop, with the cultivation of True Immortal or Immortal King Realm, possess an Eternal Dao Heart, which already shows the potential of a King Realm.
The top-tier Eternal Dao Heart has the potential to reach the peak of the Immortal Sovereign Realm.
In the entire Southern Territory, the Immortal Sovereign Realm is already a regional overlord, and the peak of the Immortal Sovereign Realm is extremely rare, known only to the emperors of the various immortal dynasties and a few renowned figures like the Grand Marshals of the nation and the old National Masters.
"I’m fine."
Li Hao shook his head.
Chu Tianhuang gave Li Hao a deep look, silently resolving to do whatever it took to bring Li Hao to his side.
At the same time, he understood that a prodigy like Li Hao wouldn’t be easily bound by the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty. But that was fine; as long as he could form a deep friendship with Li Hao, it would be a significant help when he vied for the throne in the future.
As he pondered, others began to chat and soon, one after another, they leaped up towards the golden mist.
Seeing Li Hao’s performance, many were spurred on by a competitive spirit.
But soon, as one figure after another touched the golden mist, they quickly became stiff as if frozen by ancient cold, then fell straight down, creating a cloud of dust on the ground. Their bodies lay still, entranced in the Dao Inquiry Dreamland, their faces reverent and their eyes vacant, looking quite eerie.
As some people failed, others did not back down. If no one had succeeded, it would have been fine, but since Li Hao managed to do it, they all wanted to see if they could be the second.
If others could do it, they could too—this was the bare minimum pride of a prodigy!
However, as more and more figures leaped and sprinted, they all fell one after another. A dozen figures plummeted, landing like dumplings in a pot, motionless on the ground.
This scene left countless people in the Southern Territory stunned.
Without comparison, there would be no contrast, but this comparison only highlighted Li Hao’s extraordinary nature even more.
"Those who climbed to the summit in one breath are all stiff now."
"That's the Dao Inquiry Dreamland. If your Dao Heart isn't strong enough, touching higher ground will pull you into the Dao Inquiry Dreamland, where you'll be tested on your Dao Heart."
"My goodness, is it really just Hao Tian who succeeded among so many people?"
With one after another falling, many people widened their eyes, shouting in disbelief.
On the Dao Inquiry Mountain, those who had yet to act were shocked to see that nearly twenty people, besides Li Hao, all failed without exception.
"How can this be? I don't believe he's the only one with a top-tier Eternal Dao Heart."
Someone couldn't help but turn pale and speak angrily.
Among the remaining people, no one dared to act rashly. Only a few had a glint in their eyes, staring at the golden mist, as if pondering something.
"I didn't expect this young man's Dao Heart to have already reached the pinnacle of eternity."
Outside the Dao Inquiry Mountain, Emperor Jiang said softly, his eyes fixed on the young man.
A strong Dao Heart signifies future potential. This young man is only at the True Immortal Realm, but with abundant cultivation resources, he could advance all the way to the peak of the Immortal King Realm!
Of course, cultivating from the True Immortal Realm to the Immortal King Realm is still manageable for an Immortal Dynasty.
But to cultivate to the peak of the Immortal King Realm, even the seven Ancient Immortal Dynasties, which have survived the chaos of the ancient demons, cannot guarantee success.
After all, the cultivation resources and rare treasures required for the Immortal King Realm are extremely scarce. The appearance of any one of them could spark competition and even military action among various forces.
"To have such an understanding of the Dao Heart at less than a hundred years old, what has this child experienced?"
Empress Yuanzun gazed intently, her eyes filled with a deep thought.
The higher the Dao Heart, the more experiences one has. To have a heart as eternal as his at such a young age, he must have had unique life experiences.
But with the countless lives in the world, any first-rank human growth can find similar cases. Perhaps, it all boils down to his innate uniqueness.
"Those other young ones probably have top-tier Eternal Dao Hearts as well, but they chose not to reveal themselves."
Emperor Tianzhao's gaze swept over a few figures in the hall, a smile on his lips.
The Red Emperor said, "If they truly have such Dao Hearts, they wouldn't bother showing off or competing. With a heart as eternal as theirs, a momentary glory can't sway their will. If they were to be stirred by a competitive spirit, it would mean their Dao Hearts are not yet strong enough. A top-tier Eternal Dao Heart only does what it wants, without being swayed by others."
Emperor Tianzhao nodded slightly, agreeing.
This means that those who tried to touch the golden mist were destined to fail from the moment they leaped.
Their actions already revealed that their Dao Hearts were not strong enough.
"This child will be the backbone of our human race in the future. With this revelation, the spies of the ancient demons will likely remember him. After this grand confrontation, we must send people to protect him."
Emperor Jiang said with a sigh.
Emperor Chu nodded and said, "I have already made preparations for this."
"Let's see how the rest of the grand confrontation plays out. If he can enter the top ten, he can go to the Primordial True Realm for cultivation. There, the protection of the Primordial Immortal Emperor ensures that the ancient demons cannot invade. By the time he cultivates to the peak of the Immortal Lord Realm or the Immortal King Realm, he will be strong enough to become a pillar of the human race!"
Empress Yuanzun said.
The others nodded in agreement.
If he goes to the Primordial True Realm, they can rest assured.
That place is one where the ancient demons cannot reach.
While the Immortal Dynasties have strict defenses, they can't guarantee that ancient demons won't infiltrate. After all, over these ten thousand years, both they and the ancient demons have made progress.
At this moment, on Dao Inquiry Mountain, with a large number of prodigies lying sprawled on the ground, no one dared to make another attempt.
However, the way others looked at Li Hao became increasingly complex in comparison.
At such a young age, his Dao Heart surpassed theirs, leaving a bitter taste in their mouths.
But Li Hao paid no attention to these gazes. He returned to the hall and sat down, his eyes calmly fixed on the golden mist, pondering the words he had heard.
Time passed, and occasionally, Immortal Techniques resounded at the foot of the mountain, but no one attempted to climb.
Another day went by, and Li Hao didn’t see Gu Yan or Yue Xi, feeling a bit disappointed.
Yue Xi’s Dao Heart was strong enough and was even an Eternal Dao Heart, but she must have failed to defeat the Dao Realm Avatar, getting stuck in the process.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Dao Inquiry Mountain gradually became calmer. Many who tried to reach the summit failed, with only a few managing to succeed.
“The Dao Inquiry Mountain trial has ended!”
As divine light shone upon Dao Inquiry Mountain, the Celestial Guard Commander’s voice echoed across the entire mountain.
At this moment, those who had been immersed in the Dao Inquiry Dreamland, as if on a pilgrimage, gradually regained their senses, feeling as if they had just woken from a dream.
“What’s going on? Why am I still here?”
“Did I fall?”
“The Heart-forgetting Hall is over there, I didn’t even reach it, so why did it end?”
Whether at the summit or the foot of the mountain, the prodigies who regained consciousness looked around with surprise and suspicion.
During their time in the Dao Inquiry Dreamland, they had lost all perception of the outside world.
Soon, with the Celestial Guard Commander’s announcement, many realized they had been eliminated from the second trial.
From the initial three thousand participants, only about a thousand remained.
However, because some managed to reach the summit, the number was slightly over a thousand.
“We all failed? I just touched it and lost control of my body.”
At the summit, those who had fallen to the ground gradually came to their senses, looking around in shock and confusion, finding that many others shared the same bewildered expression.
“Who made it into the golden mist?”
“Besides that guy, who else?”
They asked each other, but received no answers, leaving them stunned.
“This second trial has no rewards.”
The Celestial Guard Commander’s voice boomed across the crowd: “Or rather, the rewards of the second trial were already given to you during your climb.”
“Whether it was the Dao Realm Avatar or the Dao Inquiry Dreamland, both were a means to refine yourselves!”
“The destination is desirable, but don’t neglect the scenery along the way.”
Hearing the Celestial Guard Commander’s words, many were taken aback and began to reflect deeply.
But some remained calm, having already gained much from their battles with the Dao Realm Avatar.
“Now, all those who passed the trial, gather at the Heart-forgetting Hall!”
The Celestial Guard Commander instructed.
Hearing this, Li Hao and the others on the summit stood up and began to descend the mountain via the Dao Platform steps.
“The second trial is over, and next is the grand confrontation!”
Chu Tianhuang walked beside Li Hao, his voice tinged with eager anticipation and a fighting spirit.
Though a prince, he was at heart a battle prodigy, dedicated to cultivation.
Beside him, Boya Xuejian also smiled and said, “I wonder if we’ll meet. Hao Tian, only a few True Immortals made it to the summit. In the True Immortal group, you should be one of the top contenders. You’re bound to be in the top ten.”
He looked at Li Hao with unreserved admiration, clearly holding him in high regard.
Li Hao smiled but didn’t modestly decline. He believed the same, determined to secure a place in the top ten.
“Indeed.”
Chu Tianhuang’s gaze also fell on Li Hao, and he smiled, “I’ll try my best to fight my way through the Immortal King Realm group and meet you in the Primordial Truth Realm!”
“Good.”
Boya Xuejian laughed, like the first branches of spring blooming from ice.
The descent was particularly easy. As they passed the first pavilion below the summit, a gentle voice called out:
“Big Brother Tianhuang.”
Chu Tianhuang looked over and saw his younger sister, Chu Yueli.
Li Hao also noticed the Imperial Princess. She had previously fallen into a trance in the Dao Pavilion but had now recovered.
As Li Hao glanced over, Chu Yueli's eyes met his. Seeing that Li Hao was descending with Chu Tianhuang, she was momentarily stunned, then her eyes sparkled with a bright light.
"You made it to the top."
She stepped forward to ask.
Li Hao, noting that her attitude was no longer as inexplicable as before, still felt no particular fondness for her. He turned away without a response.
Chu Yueli, seeing Li Hao's distant demeanor, her expression changed slightly, and she felt a bit annoyed, but it quickly subsided. As an Imperial Princess, she had her share of tact, especially since she sensed that Li Hao was truly outstanding and had great potential. She was particularly tolerant of him.
"Earlier, I was presumptuous. I hope you can overlook my past indiscretions."
Chu Yueli bowed to Li Hao.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow, glanced at her, and replied coolly, "You go your way, I'll go mine. There's nothing more to say."
Chu Yueli's fingers clenched slightly, but she smiled and said, "Then the marriage, I agree to it."
At these words, Chu Tianhuang was taken aback, his brows instinctively furrowing.
The person he was trying to win over was already bound by a marriage pact to this imperial sibling?
If that were the case, the situation would become much more complicated. His thoughts raced.
Beside them, Boya Xuejian also looked at Li Hao with surprise, clearly not expecting Li Hao to align himself with the Yan Chu Imperial Clan.
Hearing Chu Yueli's words, Li Hao was speechless, rolling his eyes and saying, "I haven't agreed. After the grand confrontation, I'll discuss it with Emperor Chu."
"What?"
Chu Yueli was stunned, clearly not expecting that after her humble plea, he would still be angry and seemed to be serious.
Her expression changed slightly, but she suppressed her anger and said softly, "It was a misunderstanding earlier. In the future, you can go your own way, and I won't stand in your way. But I think we can give it a try. The path of cultivation is long, and my imperial father is Emperor Chu. He values you greatly and will provide you with significant cultivation support."
Li Hao frowned, looking at her with confusion. What was this Imperial Princess thinking? She had been reluctant before, but now she was humbling herself and trying to make amends?
"I don't lack cultivation resources. If your imperial father is only willing to help me for that, then I don't need it."
Li Hao said calmly, speaking relatively tactfully. After all, they were still within the territory of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, and offending the imperial clan too much wouldn't be wise.
Chu Yueli's expression turned sour, but she quickly composed herself. She looked deeply at Li Hao and said, "Let's discuss this after the grand confrontation. Don't think that just because you have great talent, you can look down on everything. I hope you reconsider seriously."
With that, she didn't give Li Hao a chance to respond, turned, and left, not even bothering to bid farewell to Chu Tianhuang.
Chu Tianhuang, hearing their conversation, breathed a sigh of relief. Once the imperial princess was far enough away, he had a good idea of what had transpired.
He sighed inwardly, marveling at how well his imperial father played his moves, having already arranged for his imperial sister to be betrothed to Li Hao.
He knew a lot about this imperial sister. Among all the princesses, she was one of the top talents, with only a handful surpassing her.
Boya Xuejian, hearing their conversation, also understood. Emperor Chu had mentioned the marriage to him before, but he had flatly refused. It seemed Li Hao was facing a similar predicament.
"Brother Hao, don't worry about it. The sky is vast and the birds can fly freely. The True World is vast, and a man's heart is on his sword!"
Boya Xuejian patted Li Hao's shoulder and said with a light laugh.
Li Hao understood his meaning and smiled again. "To that, we should raise a cup."
"Ha ha, I wonder when the grand confrontation will begin. After this trial, let's have a drink."
Boya Xuejian laughed.
Chu Tianhuang, seeing the cold and stern young man who was now very close to Li Hao, was somewhat surprised. He had tried multiple times to befriend Boya Xuejian, but the other man seemed to misunderstand him and kept a deliberate distance.
As they descended the steps, Li Hao soon saw Yue Xi and Gu Yan.
They were waiting at the foot of the stairs.
Seeing Li Hao descending with Chu Tianhuang and Boya Xuejian, they realized he had made it to the top.
"You made it to the top?"
Yue Xi ran up, her eyes wide with surprise.
Seeing her excited expression, Li Hao suddenly found this senior sister, whom he hadn't interacted with much, quite endearing.
"Yes."
He smiled and looked at the two of them. "Shall we go together?"
"Sure."
They nodded and followed Li Hao.
(End of Chapter)
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