Chapter 537: Shock
Beside the Forgetting Heart Palace, several stairways led toward the summit.
At this moment, Li Hao followed a winding path to the base of one such stairway.
There were still a few others climbing, but not many. Some sat cross-legged on the steps, eyes shut, faces serene like pilgrims in devotion—the same state as others he had seen earlier.
Li Hao guessed they lacked a strong enough Dao Heart and were being influenced by the Way-Seeking Mountain, causing them to fall into this trance-like state.
Which meant they would be stuck here until the trial ended—or until someone dragged them away.
He stepped up the stairs and immediately felt waves of Dao intent flow into his mind. But they were faint and barely affected him.
"There are three Dao Pavilions leading to the summit. And at the very top, there's one final test—four in total!" The Immortal Guard commander, seeing the growing crowd pushing upward, spoke out in a loud voice.
"Four tests?" Those who had rushed from the Forgetting Heart Palace all looked toward the unreachable mountaintop, though all they could see was golden mist shrouding it.
Li Hao already understood and continued silently along the stairs.
Before long, he reached a Dao Pavilion.
As he approached, a Dao manifestation appeared in the air, radiating an ancient aura.
It raised its hand, and a dark force condensed into a long rod.
The moment Li Hao saw that rod, realization struck. He smiled wryly in surprise.
He hadn't expected that on the Way-Seeking Mountain, aside from the earlier Fire Dao, every Dao manifestation he encountered would be tied to his personal hobbies and skills.
Could it be that the Dao manifestations formed based on his preferences?
He wasn't sure, but it was a reasonable guess. "Fishing, huh? So what are we fishing for?"
"Nine thousand li away, there's an immortal lake. Within it swims a Xuanming Dragon Immortal. Let's see who reels it in first," the Dao manifestation replied calmly. "Of course, you can also choose to defeat me by force. That counts too."
Li Hao shook his head. There was still plenty of time—the trial had only gone on for less than a day. Reaching the summit was more than doable. "Let's try fishing first."
"Very well." The Dao manifestation nodded and cast its rod. A black thread shot out several hundred meters and then slipped into the void, as if the air itself was a lake swallowing it whole.
"Spatial source power… interesting," Li Hao noted with a smile. The manifestation had mastered spatial essence, and if it offered a fight instead, it would surely be formidable too.
He raised his hand, gathered his immortal Power into a fine thread, and cast it into the void as well.
Then he stepped into the pavilion and sat down calmly.
Seeing this, the Immortal Dynasties of the Southern Domain erupted once again with a wave of shock.
Everyone was stunned—utterly speechless.
Others came to the Way-Seeking Mountain to duel their Dao manifestations. But Li Hao? Aside from the earlier Fire Dao, the rest were playing chess, painting, and now fishing!
It was like he had come here for a vacation.
"Fishing? His Dao manifestation is competing with him in fishing?"
"Fishing can be a Dao too? How long has he been practicing this?!"
"Didn't they say his soul lifespan is just ninety-six years? Is that fake? Or am I losing my mind?!"
Countless people were left baffled, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Above the Way-Seeking Mountain, in the high skies…
Even the emperors of the seven ancient Immortal Dynasties, including Emperor Chu, were momentarily stunned.
They had already been surprised by his chess and painting talents. But now he was fishing?
And the fact that a Dao manifestation had formed around this meant that Li Hao's mastery in these arts had reached the Dao-entry level.
"What kind of life does this boy live day to day?" Emperor Jiang suddenly asked.
No one answered. Even the seasoned emperors of countless battles were dumbfounded.
"When he cast his line, there was spatial essence in it. And the realm wasn't shallow. Why didn't he manifest a Spatial Dao avatar?" Emperor Tianzhao furrowed his brows in puzzlement.
"The Dao manifestations on the Way-Seeking Mountain are random—unless the climber has cultivated only one path. Like the man who already reached the summit—he focused only on the Water Dao and crossed every stage easily. Now he's sitting at the peak," the Red Empress explained.
Her gaze swept toward the snowy-clad figure at the summit, who sat calmly while looking up into the golden clouds—clearly aiming even higher.
Had Li Hao seen that young man, he would have recognized him as Boya Xuejian.
While the emperors discussed, below them, the elders and sect leaders of the various Immortal Sects were also chattering.
"What is that brat up to now? Couldn't he just beat that Dao manifestation and move on already?" Li Tiemu stomped his foot, both amused and anxious.
Even the Dreammaster looked a bit dazed. Li Hao's mastery in painting already required immense dedication. His chess Dao was impressive as well. Now he had fishing too?
She hadn't expected this at all.
"No need to worry. He must be confident in this contest," the Dreammaster said, watching intently.
Li Tiemu also saw how calm and composed Li Hao was. He'd seen the nine heavenly echoes when Li Hao faced the Heart-Inquiry Pagoda and knew the boy possessed an Eternal Dao Heart. As long as nothing unexpected happened, reaching the summit should be a given.
"Let's hope so. That boy always gives people heart attacks. Can't he just be steady for once?" Li Tiemu muttered. He remembered the scene back at Emperor Sword Mountain—while others were fighting their way up, Li Hao stayed at the bottom playing chess. Then on the final day, he ascended in a single step and cleaved open the Ancestral Dragon to reach the peak.
Back on the Way-Seeking Mountain, Yue Xi, Gu Yan, and the others were racing up the stairs and had just arrived at the first Dao Pavilion.
The moment they arrived, they spotted Li Hao sitting calmly inside.
Everyone was taken aback and hurried over.
"Hao Tian, what are you doing?" Yue Xi couldn't help but ask.
"Fishing," Li Hao nodded toward the Dao manifestation beside him, signaling the competition.
Their eyes turned to the Dao manifestation—it stood quietly in the pavilion, holding a rod. The two were so close they could attack each other instantly, yet neither made a move.
They were stunned. It was the first time they'd seen someone so peacefully coexisting with their own Dao manifestation.
"Fishing? Your Dao manifestation is actually competing with you in that?" Gu Yan and Yue Xi both stared in disbelief.
At that moment, their own Dao manifestations also began to form.
Gu Yan's was a Sword Dao manifestation. As it appeared, it raised a sword in its palm and politely bowed.
Yue Xi's was rather unusual—her manifestation emitted waves of calamity, a strange and unpleasant scent filling the air. Beneath its feet, the ground split into lines of thunder, fire, and magma.
Seeing their own Dao manifestations, Gu Yan and Yue Xi's expressions changed. Without saying another word to Li Hao, they quickly launched into battle.
By now, more people had arrived.
Soon, everyone spotted the lone figure sitting in the Dao Pavilion, and outside it, Gu Yan, Yue Xi, and the others fighting with their Dao manifestations.
"What is that guy doing?"
Yin Jingcheng and Meng Huaiyue also arrived and were stunned when they saw Li Hao calmly seated in the pavilion. Yin Jingcheng had expected to see a fierce battle with Li Hao's Dao manifestation—not this.
Meng Huaiyue was just as confused. After observing a moment, she said, "He… he seems to be fishing? My grandfather used to sit like that…"
"Why isn't his Dao manifestation attacking him?" Yin Jingcheng was incredulous. It was the first time he had seen someone sitting peacefully side by side with their Dao manifestation.
The others were just as shocked, whispering among themselves.
"His Dao manifestation isn't even attacking?"
"Are they… competing? In what?"
"Looks like fishing? I can sense spatial source fluctuations!"
"Is that… really a fishing Dao manifestation?"
Everyone was stunned. They had seen many Dao manifestations before, but never one like this.
Just then, their own Dao manifestations emerged and attacked them.
Chaos quickly erupted, filled with the sound of colliding immortal techniques.
Yet none of these techniques affected the Dao Pavilion. The pavilion seemed to hold some mysterious power, immune to all interference. Inside, Li Hao's Eternal Dao Domain also protected him from the outside.
He sat alone in the Dao Pavilion, fishing across nine thousand li.
In his idle moments, he glanced around at those battling their Dao manifestations. Watching the fierce and evenly matched fights was almost entertaining. 'If only I had a plate of sunflower seeds…'
Time passed. Soon, many had defeated their Dao manifestations. Only a few remained locked in stubborn struggles.
Yue Xi and Gu Yan also finished off theirs. It took some effort, but they were still faster than Li Hao.
Just as they were catching their breath, they saw Li Hao still calmly fishing in the pavilion and were both baffled.
"Junior brother, you're still not done?" Yue Xi stepped closer and glanced at Li Hao's Dao manifestation. When she saw that it made no move against her, she relaxed a little.
After all, it was Li Hao's Dao manifestation—if it had attacked her, she'd have to go all out.
"That thing's sly—it still hasn't taken the bait," Li Hao replied.
"You're seriously fishing?" Yue Xi stared, completely stunned.
Li Hao smiled and nodded.
Gu Yan squinted and followed Li Hao's fishing line with his eyes. His gaze narrowed. "What are you fishing for? I sense spatial source fluctuations from there."
"A Xuanming Dragon Immortal, nine thousand li away," Li Hao answered.
Gu Yan froze. Nine thousand li? To cast a line that far using immortal Power, and still channel spatial essence, meant his control over spatial source power was extremely advanced.
He took a deep breath, feeling as if Li Hao was wrapped in a mist he couldn't see through. Ever since that day atop Emperor Sword Mountain, he had sensed something mysterious surrounding his senior.
More people defeated their Dao manifestations and noticed Li Hao still fishing. Some were surprised, others snickered.
"What's with that guy?"
The green-dressed girl and her fellow disciples had also finished their battles. Aside from the young man among them, the rest had struggled significantly.
The green-dressed girl had used considerable effort herself. Now, seeing Li Hao still fishing, she was momentarily stunned.
"Hmph. Just showing off," the young man sneered.
Not far off, Yin Jingcheng and Meng Huaiyue had also finished their fights. Hearing the nearby chatter, Meng Huaiyue looked at Li Hao. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed. She whispered, "He was late getting here earlier. What if… he was doing the same thing at the base of the mountain?"
Yin Jingcheng froze. It felt like someone had struck him in the chest. His face changed slightly, looking a bit ugly.
"If he can't reach the summit, then whatever he was doing before won't matter—it'll all be meaningless."
After a pause, he said coldly, "Let's go. We'll see how far we can climb."
Others also moved on after finishing their fights, heading toward the summit.
The green-dressed girl and her companions looked back at Li Hao but ultimately decided to challenge the next Dao Pavilion. Even if they couldn't reach the top, they wanted to test their limits.
Seeing this, Yin Jingcheng said to Meng Huaiyue, "Let's go. Let's try to summit too."
Meng Huaiyue's gaze lingered on Li Hao. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she only nodded. Just as she stepped to follow Yin Jingcheng, a powerful force surged out from the Dao Pavilion.
Li Hao's Dao manifestation suddenly narrowed its eyes, sharp like a sword cultivator's, and whispered, "I got one."
As it spoke, it yanked its line hard.
"So did I," Li Hao said with a small laugh.
He could feel it—a powerful force on the other end of the line, wrapped tightly around the Xuanming Dragon Immortal.
His eyes gleamed, and his divine power surged through his arm. With the strength of his perfected divine blood physique and Ancestor Immortal body, he unleashed a mighty force through his immortal Power.
"Up!" he murmured.
With that, the void ahead of them rippled violently where the fishing lines had vanished. Tremors spread outward like waves on a lake.
The tremors were so intense that many climbing nearby froze, turning back in shock.
Yin Jingcheng, Meng Huaiyue, the green-dressed girl, and others all turned to stare at the Dao Pavilion.
In that moment, both Li Hao and his Dao manifestation pulled with full force. The manifestation radiated terrifying power, its aura peaking as if it would shatter the pavilion, black hair flying wildly.
"Now!" it roared, eyes filled with unstoppable determination.
At the same time, Li Hao's fishing line turned golden, shining with divine light. The rippling space ahead suddenly cracked open.
Roar!
An enraged dragon cry echoed, followed immediately by a second.
The space collapsed, and two massive dragon heads burst out—one from Li Hao's line, one from the Dao manifestation's.
Dragon roars echoed through the Dao Pavilion and across the Way-Seeking Mountain.
Two dragons—one large, one small. The Dao manifestation had caught the smaller one, only a third the size of Li Hao's, though still exuding the might of a peak True Immortal.
The Xuanming Dragon Immortal Li Hao had hooked radiated the aura of the Immortal Lord Realm! Though it was only at the first level of the Immortal Lord Realm, it was using Dao Laws to suppress the fishing line, trying to break free. But Li Hao's line was forged from condensed immortal Power and imbued with the power of the Nine Sequences, so the dragon's Dao Laws couldn't break it immediately.
As the two dragons were yanked from the void, they burst into the air like fish leaping from water, flung high above the mountain. Their enormous bodies arced overhead, casting vast shadows that covered everyone's vision. In that instant, countless eyes filled with disbelief and awe.
Just like those present, countless onlookers from the Southern Domain's various Immortal Dynasties were left speechless.
Two dragons, fished from nine thousand li away, had been hauled up to the top of the Way-Seeking Mountain! The young man in the Dao Pavilion now stood. His handsome figure radiated heroic presence. He casually wound the fishing line, his effortless movements carrying an otherworldly, transcendent aura.
"Where… where is this?!"
The dragon Li Hao caught was covered in pitch-black scales, with purple ones on its head. Its expression shifted from furious to terrified. It felt an immense pressure here, and countless gazes falling upon it made its scales crawl.
Then it saw: all around were humans—and even some Immortal Lord Realm cultivators! Outnumbered and outmatched, it realized it was in deep danger.
"I've lost."
The Dao manifestation in the pavilion looked at its own catch and sighed at Li Hao. Then, as it reeled in its line, it said, "Mine's yours too."
"Much appreciated."
Li Hao chuckled.
The Dao manifestation admitted defeat and faded away on the spot.
Li Hao turned his eyes on the two Xuanming Dragon Immortals. Their aura was nearly identical—they were likely related by blood. He said, "If you don't want to die, come over here. Once we're done here, I'll release you. Coincidentally, the courtyard pond back at my sect is missing two little fish."
The smaller dragon trembled and looked at Li Hao, too afraid to speak.
The dragon Li Hao had caught recognized the fishing line's aura and realized this boy had pulled it in. Rage and despair surged in its heart. It had been dragged from its lair for no reason—by a brat who wasn't even past the True Immortal Realm.
"This place… is Way-Seeking Mountain?"
Suddenly, it understood where it was.
Looking again at all the humans watching it, its body trembled.
"Please… spare us! I've never killed, never harmed a human. I beg you—please spare my child and me!"
Its body shimmered and transformed into the form of a beautiful woman. She knelt in the air, bowing to Li Hao.
Li Hao laughed. "What a coincidence. I don't enjoy killing, either. As long as you behave, I'll let you go later."
As he spoke, he raised his hand and tore open a rift in space, gesturing for them to enter.
But when the woman saw the mountains of ancient demon corpses inside the rift, she nearly fainted, trembling and nearly weeping. "I-I swear I've never hurt anyone! What will it take for you to let us go?"
Li Hao sighed. "If you keep rambling and waste my time, don't blame me for doing something about it."
The woman teared up. Looking closely at Li Hao, to her he was like a death god cloaked in killing intent. But now she was just meat on a butcher's block. Powerless, she took her child and shuffled into the space rift, muttering and pleading the entire way.
Li Hao closed the rift and clapped the dust from his hands. Looking around, he saw everyone staring at him in stunned silence.
He didn't care. He turned to Yue Xi and Gu Yan and said, "Let's go!"
With that, he continued climbing the mountain steps.
As he bounded up three or four steps at a time and disappeared upward, everyone snapped out of their stupor and erupted in a frenzy.
Those who had mocked Li Hao earlier now stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
A True Immortal had fished up a dragon from the Immortal Lord Realm!
And that dragon was begging him for mercy—unbelievable!
"Heavens! What did I just see?!"
"He… he fished up a dragon! And it's at the Immortal Lord Realm!"
"Isn't he just a True Immortal? How can a True Immortal catch something that powerful?!"
"My gods… is this what the Southern Domain's geniuses are like? Is this the real power of someone ranked ninth on the Dao Flame List?!"
The Southern Domain was in chaos. Countless people were shouting in shock.
A True Immortal had made an Immortal Lord beg for mercy—this defied the heavens!
Back in the True Immortal Secret Realm, a few had shown impressive strength, like that Ancient God Clan youth, but they'd only taken down True Immortal demons. This was on another level—a direct confrontation with an Immortal Lord!
Within the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, all nine thousand Immortal Cities burst into excitement.
They had seen Li Hao defeat Immortal Lords back in the Ancient Immortal Realm, even trample royal-blooded Immortal Lords underfoot. But they had assumed he relied on immortal artifacts or some tricks.
Now it was right before their eyes. Li Hao had dragged an Immortal Lord-level dragon through the void with sheer strength. The dragon hadn't been able to break free!
This was insane!
"No wonder his Dao manifestation was a fishing one!"
"This is nuts. He fished a dragon! And from who knows how far away!"
Everyone was stunned and buzzing with excitement.
Outside Way-Seeking Mountain, the elders and sect leaders from every Immortal Dynasty's Heaven Sect looked on, faces turning serious.
There was no doubt—this young man was a monster among the True Immortal group. He had just begun to show his real strength.
"Nine thousand li away, and he pulls in an Immortal Lord dragon. This little one is far from simple."
High in the sky, Emperor Jiang chuckled and stroked his beard.
The Empress Yuan Zun's eyes sparkled, bright and gentle like the sky after spring rain, reflecting the hearts of all who saw her. She smiled and said, "I'm starting to wonder what his daily life is like—painting, playing chess, fishing… and he's good at all of it."
"Looks like the True Immortal group will be putting on quite the show this time," said Emperor Jin with a faint smile. His gaze drifted to Supreme Sky.
Supreme Sky remained calm and unreadable, as if nothing in the world could stir him.
Back on Way-Seeking Mountain—
After Li Hao left, the others exploded into discussion.
The green-dressed girl and her group looked visibly shaken. Then their expressions turned grim.
There was no question now—Li Hao was terrifying. He'd reeled in an Immortal Lord-level dragon while still in the True Immortal Realm. If he made it to the top and earned a spot in the upcoming battle, he would be a terrifying opponent.
And they had just insulted him.
"Damn it."
The green-dressed girl clenched her fists, her face dark.
Nearby, Yin Jingcheng stared blankly ahead, silent, his head lowered.
Meng Huaiyue gazed at the back of the departing young man. At that moment, she suddenly understood why their master had shown such favor and admiration toward him.