Chapter 509: Stepping into the Path of the Emperor
"Perhaps, Mr. Jin never truly resented you all," Li Hao said.
The Water Dao Origin Divine Tree was momentarily stunned. "What did you say?"
Li Hao shook his head. "Mr. Jin asked me to promise that, if I have the ability, I must protect the Origin World, rather than assist him in reclaiming his position."
The Water Dao Origin Divine Tree trembled slightly, as if struck by lightning, standing frozen in place.
After a moment, she fixed her gaze on Li Hao. "Are you telling the truth?"
"I have no reason to lie," Li Hao replied calmly.
The Water Dao Origin Divine Tree fell silent.
In this divine tree secret realm, silence prevailed until several voices echoed.
"Third Sister, I heard there's a bearer of the Nine Sequence Immortal Seal. Is it this young man?"
"Indeed, there's a Fire Dao Origin aura."
Several powerful thoughts extended into the divine tree secret realm, then materialized into four figures—three men and one woman—who stood around Li Hao, scrutinizing him.
Li Hao glanced around and realized they were the Dao consciousness incarnations of the other Origin Divine Trees.
"Yes, it's him," the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree responded, regaining her composure. "I've already formed a contract with him, and he has agreed."
Upon hearing this, the figures' eyes narrowed slightly as they glanced at Li Hao, but they harbored no doubts. Among them, a golden-robed young man, whose aura seemed relatively weaker, fixed his gaze on Li Hao. "You carry the aura of the Gold Dao Divine Tree's fruit. Have you been outside the city?"
Li Hao looked at him. This individual was likely the second Gold Dao Origin Divine Tree that had grown from Mr. Jin's seed.
"Yes."
"You've met him?"
Another woman, with fiery red hair and a graceful figure, couldn't help but ask.
Li Hao nodded again.
The Water Dao Origin Divine Tree spoke on Li Hao's behalf, recounting what he had just said to the others.
"Big Brother..."
Upon hearing her words, their expressions changed, eyes filled with complex emotions. The red-haired Fire Dao Origin's eyes welled up with tears.
"Big Brother is still the same, always the first to rush out in times of danger," sighed an elderly man with a stooped figure, exuding a vibrant green life aura, yet appearing extremely aged. He was the Wood Dao Origin.
"The more Big Brother is like this, the more we must make him resent us. It's the right thing to do," said a burly middle-aged man, the Earth Dao Origin Divine Tree.
"A great catastrophe could descend at any moment. If not for the internal strife within the Ancient Demon Clan over the Reincarnation Fragment, they might have already united their forces to invade. But with the current changes in the True Realm, the Ancient Demon Clan will likely soon join forces to exterminate all races," the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree said softly.
"This young man possesses the Nine Sequence Immortal Seal and has the potential for the Emperor Realm. He is indeed worth supporting. I still have a reserve of Divine Tree Fruits, prepared for such situations," said the red-haired woman.
The others also looked at Li Hao, nodding slightly, though their eyes held indescribable emotions.
However, with an outsider like Li Hao present, they refrained from delving into details. Yet, their minds were filled with thoughts of their Big Brother outside the city.
"Young man, are you willing to form a contract with us and, in the future, protect the Origin Secret Realm and the passage for the geniuses of the myriad races in the True Realm?" asked the stooped Wood Dao Origin solemnly.
Li Hao met his gaze and nodded. "Naturally. Under a collapsing nest, how can there be unbroken eggs?"
As he spoke, a prompt for Poetry and Book Experience appeared before him.
Li Hao was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that a casual ancient saying could be considered as Poetry and Book Experience.
It seemed that only words containing profound truths or poetry could yield Poetry and Book Experience.
His skills in Poetry and Book and Music were both at the sixth level, the slowest progressing among his various skills. However, Li Hao felt that once other skills like Fishing reached the tenth level, they brought significant changes to cultivation and enlightenment, including the Nine Sequences. If Poetry and Book and Music could break through to the eleventh level, they would likely bring unimaginable transformations.
However, the difficulty of studying and comprehending them was much greater than other skills.
"Well said. Your understanding of this principle indeed merits a Divine Tree Fruit," said the burly middle-aged man, his eyes showing approval.
"Our Dao consciousness incarnations have come here. Once you've finished your comprehension here, come to us. Not only do we have Divine Tree Fruits, but also our essence dew to offer," the red-haired woman said to Li Hao, her eyes filled with kindness. She could sense the pure Fire Dao Origin within the young man before her, and his comprehension was not low.
Li Hao looked at her, his eyes also showing goodwill. His culinary skills had led him to comprehend the Chaotic Divine Fire, giving him a deep understanding of the Fire Dao and a natural affinity for the Fire Dao Origin.
"Alright," Li Hao agreed, cupping his hands. "Thank you, seniors. If I have the strength in the future, I will surely repay you."
"We'll see in the future," said the Wood Dao Origin calmly. They appreciated Li Hao, but having lived countless years, they had seen many geniuses with the Nine Sequence Immortal Seal, some of whom had unfortunately perished unexpectedly, turning their hopes into nothing.
Nevertheless, they were still willing to bestow their efforts upon such prodigies, for they had no other choice.
As the Dao consciousness incarnations dissipated, the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree said to Li Hao, "You should focus on your comprehension now. If I'm not mistaken, you came here because of the Southern Region Battle, right? You don't have much time left."
Li Hao nodded, then gathered the surrounding immortal energy into ink and began to paint before him.
The Water Dao Origin Divine Tree watched Li Hao's actions with some curiosity but did not interrupt.
Li Hao immersed himself in cultivation and comprehension.
Time flew by.
The Divine Tree Fruit bestowed by the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree was absorbed and digested by Li Hao. He continued to paint, depicting various wondrous scenes of the Origin Secret Realm. His Painting Dao experience had long reached the bottleneck of the eleventh level.
While painting, he continued to comprehend the layers of the Space, Water, and Earth Dao Origins. However, due to the influence of the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree's fruit, his insight into the Water Dao became the deepest, and his understanding grew increasingly profound, making his artwork more complete, reaching the peak limit of the eleventh level.
Yet Li Hao still couldn't grasp the Heart Realm of the Painting Dao. Perhaps the strong influence of the Water Dao Origin was filling his mind entirely with related insights.
In a flash, his Water Dao Origin unknowingly rose from the second level to the third, and then broke through the bottleneck to reach the fourth.
When the Water Dao Origin reached the fourth level, Li Hao's comprehension underwent a drastic transformation. This level was already approaching that of the two Immortal Lord realm individuals who had climbed the tree previously.
Still, Li Hao felt that compared to Boya Xuejian's Water Dao Origin, he was somewhat inferior.
After the Divine Tree Fruit was fully digested, the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree delivered a handful of Divine Tree Nectar to Li Hao. It was a bright blue liquid, as clear as morning dew, exuding a fragrant aroma.
Upon consumption, Li Hao felt all his pores open wide, as if he were merging with the soul essence of the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree.
In that wondrous state, he seemed to touch upon an even deeper layer of the Water Dao Origin, pushing his comprehension to the extreme of the fourth level and faintly brushing against the fifth.
"I have nothing more to give you for now. Come back in ten thousand years, and I'll give you another dose of nectar," the graceful female incarnation of the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree said, gazing intently at Li Hao.
Li Hao nodded and asked, "How long have I been here?"
"Almost a year."
"That long…"
Li Hao was surprised. No wonder they said in the True Realm that a thousand years passed in a blink. What felt like an immersive session of cultivation and absorption had somehow lasted an entire year.
In the past, he could have done many things in a year, played countless games of chess.
But he also understood that the Dao Origins were profound. Just a single session of absorption and insight could take one's consciousness through vast distances of understanding.
"Thank you, senior." Li Hao cupped his fists and bid farewell to the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree.
In total, he had spent two years here. With only seven years in total, and more than half a year spent on the Heavenly Dao Bridge Sea, his remaining time was limited.
"I'll send you directly to Second Brother's Divine Tree Secret Realm," said the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree.
With a wave of her hand, the blue realm disappeared from Li Hao's sight. A vast green secret realm enveloped him, and the space remained endless.
The Water Dao Origin Divine Tree vanished, replaced by the stooped elder he had seen before.
"You've come," said the Wood Dao Origin Divine Tree, his expression kind as he handed Li Hao a Divine Tree Fruit. "Begin."
Li Hao bowed in thanks, then formed a contract with him and accepted the fruit.
After consuming it, he closed his eyes and began his insight.
Time passed.
In the Five Dao Origin City, spiritual eruptions occurred annually, drawing fierce competition.
As time went on, more and more people came to the city.
Three years went by in a blink.
At this moment, Li Hao stood within the Fire Dao Origin Divine Tree's secret realm.
He was cooking the remains of the Ancient Demon corpse left in his Heavenly Space, eating heartily in front of the red-haired woman.
"Your cooking really is excellent," the red-haired woman sighed as she smelled the aroma, increasingly believing Li Hao's earlier words.
To feed on Ancient Demons—this young man before her was more trustworthy than she had imagined. Even without a contract, she felt she could trust him.
Li Hao smiled. After eating, he continued cooking. As the heat and timing were precisely controlled, the Divine Tree Fruit he had consumed was gradually digested, and his Fire Dao Origin rose from the third level to the fourth.
"Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth…"
With the breakthrough of the Fire Dao Origin, a sudden sense of clarity struck Li Hao's mind, as if something had hit him, and he felt a wave of disorientation.
When the five Dao Origins reached the same level, he suddenly sensed that beyond the relationships of mutual generation and restriction, there was a terrifying cyclic power.
That power wove through the five Dao Origins, endlessly circulating like reincarnation, capable of unleashing unimaginable energy.
"Hm?"
The red-haired woman looked at Li Hao, suddenly sensing something unusual. A terrifying fluctuation had emerged from his aura.
She was momentarily stunned, her eyes slowly widening. That trace of terrifying fluctuation sparked a sense of familiarity, like a long-buried memory being awakened.
It was from the very beginning, when the Five Absolute Immortal Emperor established the Five Dao Origin City and created them.
At this moment, the terrifying fluctuation resonated with the aura once released by the Five Absolute Immortal Emperor himself.
"He…"
The red-haired woman froze, her heartbeat accelerating as she hurriedly summoned the others.
Soon, within the secret realm, the stooped elder and the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree appeared, all staring in astonishment at the young man in the center.
Li Hao stood with his eyes closed, his body undergoing some kind of frightening transformation, immersed in a state of metamorphosis.
"This aura…"
The stooped elder's eyes opened fully, flashing with frightening light and revealing shock. "It's the presence of the Five Absolute Lord!"
"Indeed… could he really be like the Five Absolute Lord, comprehending the path to his Dao of Emperorhood?!"
"If my senses are not mistaken, all five of his Dao Origins have reached the fourth level. He might truly be on the verge of enlightenment—comprehending the path of the Five Absolute Lord's Dao of the Emperor!"
The group wore expressions of delight. They hadn't expected this young man to be so monstrous. To touch upon the path of the Emperor while still in the True Immortal realm—this was truly terrifying!
"However, the Dao of the Emperor tread by the Five Absolute Lord has already been taken. Even if he walks it again and reaches the pinnacle, he can only become a half-step Emperor and will never truly become an Immortal Emperor."
"Each Emperor's path is unique and can only be walked once. Even if he completely replicates it, he cannot become an Immortal Emperor."
"Whether this is a blessing or a curse, we don't know. Hopefully, he can step onto the path of the Emperor, and break free from the Five Absolute Lord's path, to walk out his own Dao of the Emperor!"
"In any case, just stepping into the Dao of the Emperor means he will be an insurmountable existence under the true Emperor realm!"
The few of them whispered, their eyes flickering with both excitement and concern.
Excited because Li Hao had comprehended the Emperor's path—though he could not become an Immortal Emperor, all his future realms would be terrifying.
But they were also worried that if he became too entangled in it and could not break free, this path would become his cage.
It would make him powerful, but could also bring about his demise.
Unless he could, at the peak of the peak, ascend once more and carve out a Dao of the Emperor of his own.
At this moment, the terrifying fluctuation around Li Hao grew stronger. The few of them watched in awe, their hearts pounding—this youth had truly touched upon the Dao of the Five Absolute Lord.
With the youth's current display, it was no exaggeration to say he had received the Five Absolute Lord's inheritance.
But though Immortal Emperors accepted personal disciples, they would never let them walk the exact same path. After all, if one followed exactly, they would be nothing more than a shadow. Immortal Emperors nurtured disciples in hopes of cultivating another Immortal Emperor.
If a disciple could not surpass them, then there was no need to nurture them at all.
"All things in existence do not leave the Five Daos... Without the Five Daos, the world would perish. The Five Daos are creation and destruction, life and despair."
Li Hao's thoughts churned. The five Dao Origins swirled around him, slowly merging. A terrifying power was being born.
Five-colored divine light emerged around him, forming like a lotus flower that wrapped around his body.
This five-colored lotus rose from beneath his feet to above his head, and then slowly condensed into a floating five-colored lotus platform.
The lotus contracted and transformed into five-colored light.
The five-colored light gradually stretched out and became a sword aura.
This sword contained the Five Daos, and also embodied Li Hao's own Weiwo Sword Dao.
Or rather, at this moment, Li Hao had merged the power of the Five Daos into his own Weiwo Sword Dao.
Only by having seen all things could one sever all things.
Five Absolute Sword Slash!
Clang!
As Li Hao opened his eyes, that sword aura slashed out.
In that instant, the five-colored light erupted with boundless divine radiance, slicing through the secret realm. Though it didn't strike any physical object, it emanated a horrifying and unsettling aura.
The few surrounding him opened their eyes wide in shock. They were stunned that Li Hao had indeed crossed that step and touched the Dao of the Emperor of the Five Absolute Immortal Emperor. What shocked them further was that beyond the Nine Sequences, he had such terrifying mastery in the Sword Dao!
Li Hao's Sword Dao had been at level three, but now, his Sword Dao realm had advanced.
This was the first time Li Hao had improved his Sword Dao without relying on his interface—rising from level three to level four, and directly reaching the peak of level four!
Within his Sword Dao were the powers of the Five Daos and the numerous sword Daos he had exchanged from other imperial dynasties.
Li Hao sensed that if he continued to cultivate steadily, his Sword Dao could soon break through to the fifth level of the Sword Dao Origin!
"His soul lifespan just now—it seems to be no more than a hundred years!"
"That's... That's insane!"
As Li Hao unleashed his sword, his aura was fully revealed. The few of them instantly detected his soul lifespan, and expressions of shock appeared on their faces.
They had assumed Li Hao, like the other geniuses participating in the Southern Region War, had a soul lifespan of at least one to two thousand years. They didn't expect it to be only a hundred!
A hundred-year-old with Nine Sequence potential and terrifying Sword Dao mastery—he was the most monstrous being they had seen in the past hundred thousand years!
"They've underestimated him!"
"Even the Immortal Emperors are no more than this!"
"He truly has hope of becoming an Immortal Emperor. If he can fuse the Nine Sequence Immortal Seal further, turning it into the Dao Source Immortal Seal, then he might become the youngest Immortal Emperor in history!"
The few of them stared at Li Hao, shaken. They suddenly felt their decision had been extremely wise—they had helped someone with the highest chance of becoming an Immortal Emperor!
At that moment, Li Hao came back to his senses. The aura around his body retracted. Seeing the five Dao Origin Divine Tree incarnations before him, he was stunned, then quickly cupped his hands.
"Greetings, seniors."
"Good, good, good. Our investment in you wasn't in vain."
The aged face of the Wood Dao Origin now shone with a youthful vitality, his eyes bright with anticipation.
"Hao Tian, we'll remember you!"
"We hope ten thousand years from now, your name will resound across all the races of the True Realm!"
Their eyes were full of excitement and hope as they looked at Li Hao.
"You must take care to conceal your brilliance. Don't let the spies of the Ancient Demon Clan sneak up on you," the red-haired woman reminded.
Li Hao was startled, then nodded seriously.
Through his interactions with the Divine Trees, he had felt the fated battle between the myriad races and the Ancient Demons. That great war was coming—inevitable in the near future.
And his receiving the help of the five Divine Trees was precisely because of that coming battle. Otherwise, they wouldn't have invested their precious Divine Tree Fruits in him.
"Come with me. Since you've already consumed Big Brother's Fruit, another from me wouldn't be as effective, but I can still give you my nectar," the golden-robed youth said.
Li Hao nodded.
The others didn't keep him any longer, understanding that Li Hao's time in the Origin Secret Realm was limited.
With a wave from the red-haired woman, Li Hao entered the secret realm of the golden-robed youth.
Time passed.
Several months later, Li Hao emerged from the Gold Dao Divine Tree's secret realm.