Chapter 512: Rivalry
"Damn it, I remember you!"
"And that meddling Chi Man, Yuan Zun Immortal Dynasty, hmph, a bunch of primitive savages!"
The purple-robed youth was seething with anger as he watched Li Hao's figure quickly ascend and disappear into the distance, his face darkened and his fingers clenched quietly.
Earlier, he had entertained the thought of ruining this young man's comprehension of the Dao, but he never expected that not only did he fail to do that, but he also ended up making things worse for himself.
But since things had escalated, as a member of the royal family, he wasn't afraid of causing trouble.
At this time, Chi Man and another person climbing the Space Dao Origin Divine Tree also sensed the movement behind them. When they saw Li Hao surpass the purple-robed youth and chase after him, neither of them was surprised.
The Space Dao Origin Divine Tree Li Hao had painted earlier clearly displayed his deep understanding of the Space Dao, without a doubt, at a high level.
"Interesting."
Chi Man glanced at Li Hao with some admiration. The young man had managed to obtain a Space Dao Origin that Chi Man himself had failed to capture, and even sold it to him, showing great confidence in his abilities and the possibility of obtaining it again.
He didn't turn around to look any further and focused on climbing upwards.
Li Hao, meanwhile, quickly followed the turbulent flow, his figure steadily climbing. He soon caught up with another young man.
"Hmm?"
The young man, seeing Li Hao catching up and standing shoulder to shoulder with him, had a slight change in his expression. After all, he was in the Immortal King realm.
Li Hao glanced at the young man but said nothing, continuing his upward ascent.
By now, they had reached a position near the crown of the tree. The chaotic space currents here were highly volatile, and even the slightest mistake could result in being thrown off into an unknown space or even injuring oneself.
Li Hao proceeded cautiously, his ascent slowing as he no longer had the luxury of worrying about the others nearby.
He maneuvered carefully through the chaotic flow, gradually reaching his limit.
At this point, there was still some distance from the tree's crown.
Li Hao thought back to the earlier encounter with Bo Ya Xue Jian. The position she had reached on the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree was still higher than his current one.
But his Space Dao Origin was already nearing the peak of the fourth level.
In front of him, Chi Man's figure was only a few dozen meters higher than his own, and his speed had also noticeably slowed. After pausing for a moment, Chi Man managed to climb just a little higher.
"It seems that with my current strength, I'm still not quite there to obtain the Space Divine Tree Dao Fruit," Li Hao thought to himself.
If his Space Dao Origin reached the full fourth level, he might be able to gain the divine tree's recognition.
He stopped, no longer forcing himself.
Although he was not yet beneath the crown of the tree, the Dao aura of the Space Dao Origin around him was dense, making it an excellent place for cultivation.
Li Hao was about to meditate and cultivate in this location when suddenly, a soft voice sounded:
"Do you wish for the Dao Fruit?"
Li Hao was stunned and immediately opened his eyes. He looked up at the divine tree but only saw its leaves gently fluttering.
"Senior, is this the Space Divine Tree?" Li Hao quickly responded mentally.
"Yes."
The soft voice replied gently, "If you can exchange the painting you made earlier for me, I will give you a Dao Fruit from the divine tree."
Li Hao was taken aback, not expecting the tree to have noticed his painting earlier.
Without hesitation, he replied, "I'm willing."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a gentle force acted upon him, and the chaotic space currents in front of him parted, creating a clear path. Li Hao immediately shot upwards, swiftly surpassing Chi Man.
In the next moment, with Chi Man's shocked gaze upon him, Li Hao reached the crown of the tree and immersed himself in a radiant light, disappearing before their eyes.
"That guy…"
The purple-robed youth, who had been the lowest-ranked among the three, looked at this scene, his once cold and sinister expression replaced by shock. His pupils contracted.
"How is this possible?"
Another young man was also stunned, his face filled with confusion.
That True Immortal Realm guy actually surpassed Chi Man? From the looks of it, he had already gained the divine tree's recognition!
Chi Man also wore an expression of disbelief. His Space Dao Origin had already reached the fourth level's limit, just one step away from reaching the fifth level.
He had come to the Space Dao Origin Divine Tree specifically to break this bottleneck, hoping to gain an advantage in the Southern Domain War.
But now, a True Immortal Realm youngster had surpassed him.
Could this guy's Space Dao Origin surpass his own? He found it hard to believe, but the scene unfolding before his eyes left no room for doubt.
"Where did this monster come from?"
He muttered under his breath.
At this time, within the secret realm of the Space Divine Tree.
A stunning woman with silver patterns on her face stood quietly in the flowing, ever-changing light of the secret realm.
Her gaze was gentle as she said, "It's quite rare to see someone incorporate the Dao of Space into their artwork."
Li Hao also gazed at the incarnation of the Space Primordial Divine Tree. With his previous experience in the Five Dao Primordial City, he wasn't particularly surprised at this moment, immediately cupping his hands in salute.
"You carry the aura of the Five Dao Primordial Divine Tree. Have they also bestowed upon you the Dao Fruit?"
The Space Divine Tree spoke softly.
Li Hao wasn't surprised. The other party's cultivation level, whatever it may be, could perceive such things, which was nothing unusual.
"It is all due to the senior's grace," Li Hao said.
"With the Nine Sequences Immortal Seal, you are worthy of it."
The Space Divine Tree smiled faintly, her palm holding a silver, flowing fruit. Though it was called a fruit, it was actually a perfectly round sphere, its surface constantly shifting with light.
"Next, you plan to go to the Time Primordial Divine Tree, correct?"
She gently pushed the Space Divine Tree's Dao Fruit forward toward Li Hao and softly continued, "My sister's nature is somewhat cold, and she may not help you. Do not hold it against her."
"Hmm?"
Li Hao was somewhat surprised, quickly saying, "How could I dare? Sending me off is already a favor."
Upon hearing Li Hao's words, the Space Primordial Divine Tree's eyes revealed a hint of warmth, and she nodded, saying, "Your artwork is quite good. I will cherish it well."
Hearing this, Li Hao immediately took out the painting of the Space Divine Tree from the world of heaven and earth. This painting was woven with immortal power, lasting forever and able to remain intact for tens of thousands of years.
"Are you cultivating here, or will you go to my sister now?"
The Space Primordial Divine Tree looked at the painting, admiration visible in her eyes. She accepted it, then softly asked Li Hao.
Li Hao cupped his hands and said, "I will go now."
With the Space Divine Tree's Dao Fruit in hand, there was no need to hurry and consume it. If he waited for the spiritual explosion to pass, he would miss the chance to go to the Time Primordial Divine Tree.
The Space Primordial Divine Tree had already anticipated that Li Hao would choose this, nodding and saying, "Then I will send you directly to my sister. The rest depends on your performance."
"Thank you, Senior!"
Li Hao quickly expressed his thanks.
The Space Primordial Divine Tree smiled and shook her head, then gently waved her hand. In an instant, a vortex of passage appeared before Li Hao, sucking his figure into it.
As the radiant light of many colors enveloped him, Li Hao opened his eyes again to find himself standing in a secret realm full of dazzling colors.
The secret realm appeared vast and endless, like a top-tier oil painting, vibrant and dreamlike.
In the flowing divine light, fragments of time appeared, showing figures of ancient demons, the backs of great emperors, vast and boundless cities, and the starry sky glittering with countless stars... Faces, beggars by the street, the royal family in the imperial palace, the concubines in the emperor's hall, and more.
There was the martial world, the imperial court, the riverside tavern welcoming customers, and even celestial gods fighting in the skies!
All these flashed by in the fragments of time, fleeting in an instant.
Li Hao looked around, mesmerized, when suddenly, a cold and sharp voice rang out, "Did you come here just to daydream?"
Li Hao snapped back to reality, looking up to see before him, in the void, an exceptionally graceful figure standing in the river of time. Her stunning back stood proudly, her hair like jade strands, glowing with light, fluttering without wind.
"Greetings, Senior."
Li Hao quickly cupped his hands in a bow.
"The Nine Sequences Immortal Seal has received assistance from the little ones in the Five Dao Primordial City. My sister has also bestowed the Dao Fruit upon you. Do you still want the Dao Fruit of Time?"
The voice was cold as frost, coming from the incarnation of the Time Primordial Divine Tree.
Li Hao thought of the words of the Space Primordial Divine Tree just now, cupping his hands and saying, "If Senior is willing to bestow it, I will certainly remember this kindness."
"I have no use for your gratitude."
The voice of the Time Primordial Divine Tree was exceedingly cold. "The Nine Sequences Immortal Seal is just that, not enough to break through that boundary. You only have the aptitude to step halfway into the Emperor realm. Existences like yours, I do not know how many I have seen in the river of time, nor how many have fallen!"
Li Hao froze, his expression slightly changing, but he didn't get angry because what the other party said might very well be the truth.
"After the Fall of the Emperor Era, the Primordial True World was affected, and the number of geniuses plummeted. Your aptitude is indeed decent, but that's all. My foolish sister granted you the Dao Fruit simply for a painting. She didn't even make you sign a contract—how foolish!"
The voice of the Time Primordial Divine Tree was like ice. "Your Time Dao only has three layers, far from my standard. Come back when you reach the fourth layer."
By this point, Li Hao understood the other's meaning and was surprised at how bluntly he was rejected.
But he didn't take offense. After all, the Dao Fruit belonged to the other party, and if they were unwilling to gift it, he had no reason to resent them for it.
"I apologize for the offense, Senior. I will take my leave." Li Hao cupped his hands in respect.
Hearing Li Hao's humble voice, the Time Primordial Divine Tree raised her brows slightly, clearly not expecting that, when faced with such a treasure as the Dao Fruit of Time, after being rejected by her words, he would give up so decisively.
She sensed the warm, desireless nature of the young man, and her gaze softened a little. She then said indifferently, "Your Dao heart is not shallow. With your natural talent, if my Dao Fruits were abundant, I would not hesitate to give you one. After all, talents are scarce in the Southern Region nowadays, and the Nine Sequences Immortal Seal is deserving of at least half a fruit."
"However, you arrived too late. A young lady came here earlier, and I gave both Dao Fruits to her."
At this, she shook her head slightly and said to Li Hao, "If you truly have potential to ask the Emperor, one Dao Fruit would not make a difference. Go ahead."
Li Hao froze for a moment. Someone had come here and taken both Dao Fruits? The young lady… Li Hao instantly recalled the figure he had glimpsed earlier by the Time Divine Tree. There weren't many women among them.
"May I ask which lady it was?" Li Hao asked curiously.
"That is something I cannot tell you."
The Time Primordial Divine Tree responded, "But you need not envy or overthink it. That young lady is a natural time controller, far surpassing you in the Dao of Time. In this life, she even has the potential to reach the Tenth Layer and step into the Emperor realm with the Dao of Time!"
"In the near future, you will meet her, or at least hear her name."
This life. Li Hao's eyes flickered, but he didn't ask further, cupping his hands in farewell.
The Time Primordial Divine Tree waved her hand, "You may climb outside the tree. Where you reach is where you can cultivate."
As she spoke, Li Hao felt a surge of power envelop him, and his figure left the secret realm. The light and shadows before him shifted, and the radiant, colorful light appeared. The enormous figure of the Time Primordial Divine Tree came into view, and he found himself standing at the outer edge of the plaza beneath the tree.
No one noticed him. Everyone was focused on climbing the Time Divine Tree, rushing upstream through the rainbow-colored divine light.
Li Hao did not stop and quickly dashed upward.
Although he did not obtain the Time Divine Tree's Dao Fruit, as the tree had mentioned, climbing higher outside the tree would still offer great insight into the Dao of Time.
Li Hao did not intend to take the direct route of cultivating the Time Dao, but if he could find an ideal place to fish and gain enlightenment through fishing, perhaps it could also help improve his Dao of Fishing.
His figure moved like the wind, and in an instant, he entered the rainbow-colored divine light.
"Hao Tian?!"
Suddenly, from the bottom of the chaotic flow of light, near the tree vines, a voice of surprise rang out.
Li Hao turned his head to look, and it was none other than Yue Xi, dressed in snow-white attire.
She looked at Li Hao with shock on her face, which quickly turned to delight. "You came too?"
Li Hao nodded and asked, "How did you get here?"
"I captured a trace of the Space Dao leading here," Yue Xi replied.
Then, thinking of something, she asked, "I didn't see you earlier. Did you just arrive? Did you go to another Primordial City before?"
"Yes."
Li Hao nodded and said, "Take advantage of the spiritual explosion and hurry up the climb."
Yue Xi suddenly realized that this wasn't the time for small talk. She nodded and said, "I've already touched the second threshold of the Time Dao. What about you?"
"Then I'll go ahead."
Li Hao said, immediately darting upward through the rainbow-colored divine light.
In the midst of the light, countless fragments of time turned, and Li Hao saw his past.
Born in the Divine General's mansion, where he was named on the majestic imperial throne.
Then the back of his parents as they embarked on their expedition.
In the courtyard, painting alone.
In the forest, fishing by the lake with Second Master.
His past flashed by in the fragments of time.
Li Hao felt a moment of daze. He hadn't realized how long the journey had been.
He didn't stop and continued to rush forward, moving swiftly through the turbulent currents of time.
"Hmm? It's you!"
After passing a few figures, Li Hao heard a surprised voice, followed by a tone of anger. "What are you doing here?"
Li Hao turned his head to see it was Princess Chu Yue Li.
His expression was cold as he said, "What nonsense. If you can come, why can't I?"
"You!"
Chu Yue Li was instantly furious, grinding her teeth. How could he speak to her so rudely, without any courtesy?
She was a princess, and her father was one of the top powerhouses in the Southern Region, second only to the Supreme of the Heavenly Palace. Who wouldn't treat him with respect?
Not to mention her talent, which was among the best in the royal family, second only to monsters like Chu Tianhuang.
"You're late, hmph! You came too late!"
Chu Yue Li gritted her teeth, not wanting to argue with Li Hao, and sneered.
"Even if I came late, I can still be ahead of you."
Li Hao sneered and said without mercy, then swiftly moved upward.