Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1731 Chapter 439: World Heart

Silence once again enveloped the small courtyard. Li Hao had determined that among the seven Artistic Skills, the Artistic Path would be his primary target for mastery.

Having previously attained sanctification and the status of an Immortal Lord by elevating his Artistic Path Heart Realm, Li Hao intended to maintain this momentum. He planned for the Artistic Path to be the first of his skills to breach the thirteenth stage.

Furthermore, the Artistic Path offered high efficiency through independent study. It lacked the material constraints of other crafts; Carving required wood, Fishing necessitated a body of water, and Cooking demanded specific ingredient ratios.

While having a subject with a powerful aura or an extraordinary phenomenon could accelerate his experience and insight, such subjects were abundant for Li Hao within Extreme Dao Mountain.

Hoping to use his mentor as a model, Li Hao paid his teacher a visit. He had prepared a persuasive argument, but the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor simply gestured dismissively, uttering only three words: "Do as you wish."

Overjoyed by the permission, Li Hao wasted no time. Every day, he began sketching the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor as he sat in the main hall.

Utilizing the Eye of the Painting Realm, he observed his teacher with scrutiny, growing increasingly stunned by what was revealed to him.

The chance to study an Immortal Emperor at such close range was incredibly rare. Typically, an Immortal Emperor cannot be looked upon directly; even the direct disciples of other Immortal Emperors would never dare to stare at their masters for long, as it would be viewed as an act of extreme disrespect.

Through his artistic depiction, Li Hao became profoundly aware of the Immortal Emperor’s terrifying and deep nature.

Countless Chaos Laws were draped over his body like strands of hair, releasing naturally with every breath he took. Beyond the sheer force of Chaos Laws, a surrounding, cryptic supreme power was present. This power resembled a Dao Domain yet was a thousand times more fearsome. Every fragment was woven with innumerable laws, like feathers constructed from the very fabric of reality.

"In my current state, I can only catch a glimpse of the domain's shadow..."

Li Hao reflected silently.

Months of persistent painting only managed to push Li Hao’s Artistic Path Experience to the peak of the twelfth stage.

A significant portion of this progress was thanks to Su Jiuzhe’s Ancestor, who had previously served as his subject, allowing him to accumulate nearly half of the required experience.

Without that head start, a single Immortal Emperor would not have sufficed to max out his experience. Repeatedly painting the same subject inevitably led to diminishing returns in experience gains.

"I wonder how many paintings will be necessary to fill the experience bar once I reach the thirteenth stage."

Li Hao sensed that as his level rose, even gathering experience was becoming a challenge, to say nothing of grasping the state of mind required for advancement.

"Are you attempting to enter the Dao through painting?"

As Li Hao continued his repetitive work, the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor spoke casually while placing a piece on a chess board.

Startled, Li Hao snapped back to reality. He did not try to hide his intentions and replied with respect, "Yes."

"An ingenious thought," the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor remarked with a slight nod. He did not discourage him, adding instead, "Everything in this world offers a path to the Dao, whether through the Nine Orders or the Dao Origin. Since you have comprehended the Tao Origin Immortal Seal yourself, you should grasp that all things originate from one; the Tao gives birth to one, and one gives birth to all things!"

"How you choose this 'one' depends entirely on your own innate talent."

Li Hao’s heart trembled as he instantly grasped the depth of his teacher’s words.

The Tao produces the 'one,' and this 'one' can manifest as the Sword Dao, as time, or similarly as painting, carving, or even the stones and rivers beneath one's feet.

All paths lead back to the origin; the nature of that origin point is secondary. What matters is the way one extends from that point to glimpse the underlying patterns of the ten thousand Dao.

The Artistic Path encompasses the Nine Sequences Origin—such as time, space, and earth—but if one can refine a specific Dao to its absolute limit within those sequences, it too can serve as the 'one.'

"I am grateful for your guidance, teacher," Li Hao said, expressing his thanks repeatedly.

The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor shook his head. "This is not truly guidance. You have reached the peak of the Immortal Monarch Realm and refined 21 Chaos Laws. Furthermore, you have achieved the Primordial Spirit Final Realm and condensed True God Blood. If you were to exert your full power, even those who have refined 23 Chaos Laws might fail to suppress you!"

"You are currently among the elite powerhouses within the Immortal Monarch Realm."

"Your current focus on comprehension is to prepare for your breakthrough to the King Realm, is it not?"

Li Hao was taken aback, though he realized he could hide nothing from his mentor. He nodded and confirmed, "Yes."

"Do not break through before you enter the Endless Heavenly Domain," the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor cautioned. "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't worry about these mere two hundred years, as reaching the King Realm is no simple feat. But with you, it is hard to predict. If you reach a bottleneck, take care not to accidentally condense a realm. Wait until you have acquired Heavenly Dao Power to establish a Foundation Establishment Domain; only then can you leap into the superior level of the Immortal King Realm in a single step."

"Your disciple understands," Li Hao replied with a nod.

"Do you understand the distinction between the Immortal King Realm and the Immortal Monarch Realm?" the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor questioned.

Li Hao, not fully certain, offered his thoughts: "The True Immortal Realm utilizes immortal power and Tao Origin, the Immortal Monarch Realm governs laws and truth, and the Immortal King Realm commands realm power."

"And what defines a realm?" the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor asked.

Li Hao recalled the Immortal Kings he had encountered. Their realm power was incredibly potent, vast and grand, resembling an actual world.

To put it simply, it was like a Dao Domain amplified ten thousand times over.

The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor’s calm gaze seemed to see right through Li Hao’s thoughts. He said slowly:

"A realm is defined by the realm itself, not the domain!"

"What constitutes a realm? It possesses unity and stability, encompassing the Nine Sequences Origin and the laws of the ten thousand Dao; however, this is merely the foundation. One must also condense a World Heart; only by grasping the World Heart can one truly master the realm!"

"Because everyone’s understanding of the World Heart differs, every realm is unique!"

"Some manifest as Divine Demon Realms, others as All Living Creatures Realms, or even Chaos Realms..."

The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor continued in a measured tone, "If you wish to comprehend this, you should go down the mountain and ask the Outer Sect disciples in the Immortal King Realm to let you observe them properly. Watching your teacher is like a mayfly gazing at the moon—it is difficult to see the full picture."