Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1732 Chapter 439: World Heart_2

Upon hearing his teacher's guidance, Li Hao was momentarily stunned before the realization hit him; previous lessons were mere preparation, but this was the true path.

"I understand."

Li Hao rose to his feet immediately. Since his experience was already capped, there was little benefit in continuing to paint his mentor’s portrait. His Eye of Painting Realm was currently too limited to truly capture the full majesty of a Great Emperor.

Instead, observing those in the Immortal King Realm—a level much closer to his own—would likely yield more transparent insights.

"The Realm... the World Heart..."

With a respectful salute, Li Hao bid his mentor farewell and began his descent from the mountain, whispering the concepts under his breath.

Extreme Dao Mountain was home to countless Dao fields. The closer one was to the peak, the greater the talent of the disciples found there. Just below the first layer of the summit, many disciples of the Immortal King Realm gathered to cultivate and seek enlightenment.

Li Hao’s form blurred as he flickered down toward that level.

His arrival was noticed instantly. Someone’s eyes widened in shock before they shouted with excitement, "Senior Brother Haotian!"

Although Li Hao was a latecomer, his status as a Direct Disciple meant that even as the youngest, others were required to address him as Senior Brother with the utmost respect.

At the sound of that name, the word 'Haotian' seemed to spark an instinctive reaction. Many disciples opened their eyes, and upon spotting Li Hao, they gathered around him with eager, shocked expressions.

A visit from a Direct Disciple to this area was a rare event, perhaps occurring only once every thousand years.

After all, legendary Direct Disciples like Gu Mofan and Di Lingshu were usually preoccupied with the Chaotic Star or secluded cultivation, rarely finding a moment to spare here.

Beyond their natural gifts, the effort a true prodigy exerts is a hundred times that of an average person.

"It really is Senior Brother Haotian!"

"Senior Brother Haotian has arrived!"

"Look, everyone! That’s our Senior Brother Haotian. I heard he has already refined twenty-one strands of Chaos Law. What a monster!"

A crowd quickly formed. Even though most were in the Immortal King Realm and possessed higher cultivation than Li Hao, their eyes remained filled with reverence and thrill.

They understood that Li Hao’s ascent to the Immortal King Realm was inevitable. Once he achieved that breakthrough, he would surely surpass them in an instant; such was the nature of a Direct Disciple.

Just as Long Qingge and Lei Jingfeng had done before him, reaching the Immortal King Realm turned them into dominant powerhouses, like a True Dragon returning to the sea to soar across the heavens.

Faced with such a bustling reception, Li Hao felt a touch of embarrassment. Seeing so many Immortal King Realm disciples bowing to him, he quickly raised his hands to gesture for them to stand.

"Junior Brothers, please, there is no need for such ceremony. I have come today to consult and discuss matters with you all."

"Consult?"

The disciples were stunned by his words. Suddenly, a man in the crowd laughed and said, "Senior Brother Haotian, you are too humble. If you have something to say, just tell us directly. If anything, we are the ones who should be seeking your consultation."

"That’s right, Senior Brother! We actually want to ask you for guidance on how to refine the Chaos Laws."

"Senior Brother Haotian has only been an apprentice for a century and has already refined twenty-one strands of Chaos Law. We’ve been here for millennia and have barely touched the threshold. There is simply no comparison!"

The disciples spoke up one after another.

Seeing the commotion, Li Hao clarified his intent: he wished to study their realms in depth, which meant they would need to manifest them openly for his observation.

"If it is just that, then Senior Brother Haotian is being far too polite! My name is Xie Qiubai, and I have formed the Nine Elephants Realm. If Senior Brother doesn't mind, please observe it. If you could offer a few pointers, that would be even better!"

A smiling young man stepped forward from the group.

"I have condensed the Hundred Battles Realm, where the Laws of Ten Thousand Dao are forged into a hundred paths. Battle is my Dao, and the World Heart is the master of slaughter. Senior Brother Haotian is welcome to inspect it," another thick-browed youth added with a laugh.

Other Immortal King Realm disciples crowded forward, each eager to display their realms to Li Hao.

Surprised by their overwhelming enthusiasm, Li Hao felt a surge of gratitude. He thanked them individually and began his study with the nearest disciple.

The youth chosen by Li Hao beamed with joy. Normally, revealing one's realm was as vulnerable as exposing one's internal organs, but doing so for a Direct Disciple was a different matter entirely.

"Senior Brother Haotian, please observe."

The disciple gestured, and his realm expanded to envelop Li Hao.

Shi Miao, walking at Li Hao’s side, glanced at the disciple. The young man looked on in shock as Shi Miao’s form turned semi-transparent, silently passing through the barrier of his realm to remain by Li Hao’s side.

Feeling his realm effortlessly breached, the disciple’s expression shifted to one of pure disbelief. He stared at Shi Miao, having never heard of such a terrifying power within the Immortal King Realm, especially here on the mountain.

The other disciples noticed as well, their perceptions of Shi Miao changing instantly.

Previously, they had assumed she was merely a protector assigned by the mentor. After all, while studying the Chaotic Star, even a genius needs the protection of an Immortal King Realm expert to endure the pressures of the Chaos Domain.

"You are currently in the Monarch Realm. Once you enter another's realm, you lose control over your own body," Shi Miao whispered to Li Hao.

This was why she had forced her way into the domain to stay with him.

Li Hao understood. This was the terrifying reality of the Immortal King Realm; no matter how powerful a Monarch Realm cultivator might be, they were at the mercy of the realm's master once caught inside.

The higher the cultivation, the harder it became to fight across levels. A Great Realm was like a massive canyon that was nearly impossible to leap across.

"Who is that woman? She’s incredibly strong!"

"She bypassed 'Bitter Bridge's' realm without a sound. Does Extreme Dao Mountain really hide such experts? Based on her aura, she only seems to be at the second level of the Immortal King Realm!"

"Bitter Bridge is already at the third level. This is unbelievable."

The crowd whispered, their focus shifting from Li Hao to Shi Miao. The gap between levels in the Immortal King Realm was as significant as five levels in the Monarch Realm.

Anyone who could suppress an opponent while being at a lower level was a true monster, regardless of the realm.

Furthermore, Bitter Bridge was a prodigy in his own right, being able to train at the mountain's primary Dao field.

"My realm is known as the Shore Realm."

Bitter Bridge regained his composure. He recognized the look in the girl's eyes—it wasn't disdain for his lack of skill, but a silent apology for the intrusion.

He gave a wry smile and began explaining his realm to Li Hao.

Within the realm, Li Hao observed traces of the Nine Sequences Origin and a Life Sea teeming with vitality. Strange, microscopic life forms were being born there; some crawled onto the banks while others swam, absorbing life energy to grow stronger.

"Creating life?"

Li Hao was stunned by the sight.

Was the Immortal King Realm already equivalent to the power of a creator?

However, he soon calmed down. When the power of the nine sequences merges, the Dao of Life is naturally included within the Water Dao Origin and Time Origin. Upon reaching the sixth realm, one has already touched upon the stage of nurturing life.

"The shore is the heart of my realm. All living things endure suffering; only by building a bridge can one reach the shore and remain untouched by the Laws of Ten Thousand Daos. The shore serves as both my bridge and my sword, capable of cutting through those laws!"

Bitter Bridge detailed his World Heart to Li Hao.

Li Hao’s eyes shone with admiration. Those who reached the Immortal King Realm were truly exceptional. He felt that Bitter Bridge’s Shore Realm Heart was incredibly potent, perhaps even beyond his own current comprehension.

"What exactly is this Life Sea?" Li Hao asked.

"It is the foundation that all realms share."

Bitter Bridge glanced at Shi Miao before continuing, "These developing lives allow us to deduce the Tao Laws, making cultivation faster than simply observing the heavens. Furthermore, the stronger the life forms within, the greater the power boost to the realm itself."

"However, life born within an Immortal King's realm cannot truly cultivate unless it is sustained by the Power of the Heavenly Dao."