Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1734 Chapter 440: Heart Aligned with Heaven (Part 2)

Li Hao remained silent for a moment, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Although he found this particular method impressive, he had no intention of following or mimicking it. If he were to merely copy the realms of others, how could he ever forge his own unique Emperor Road?

"One must discern what is worth taking from it," Li Hao remarked to Shi Miao.

After a brief pause for thought, Shi Miao withdrew her finger and gave a nod of agreement.

From her perspective, while this path possessed a few merits, they were truly few and far between.

As Shi Miao retracted her power, the jagged hole she had pierced into the realm began its slow process of mending.

Han Ku’s face shifted through a series of complex emotions. He realized now that the young woman accompanying the direct disciple was far from ordinary; her strength was nothing short of terrifying.

Having sparred with many at this dojo, his realm had never once been breached. Yet, this opponent had punctured it with a single finger, proving the gap in their power was an inescapable abyss.

"I apologize for the offense earlier," Han Ku admitted, his voice tinged with bitterness.

Could his realm truly be a lower path if such a monster judged it so?

It was no wonder the master held them in such low regard; were they all merely walking lower paths?

His expression suddenly became intensely earnest as he looked toward Shi Miao with a glimmer of hope. Clasping his hands, he offered a deep, sincere bow.

"May I ask, what is the superior path you mentioned, Fairy?"

Li Hao turned his gaze toward Shi Miao, feeling a touch of curiosity himself.

Meeting Li Hao’s eyes, Shi Miao’s face lit up with a radiant smile. In that instant, the entire realm seemed to grow brighter, as if ten thousand flowers had suddenly bloomed at once.

"The superior path is unique, challenging the heavens!"

These eight simple words thundered through the air, vibrating deep within Han Ku’s heart.

Unique, challenging the heavens!

Without a doubt, his supposedly unbreakable domain was neither unique nor did it challenge the heavens.

The very foundation of his path was inherently flawed; if his only goal was to remain unbroken, how could he ever establish anything further? How could he possibly challenge the heavens?

"I see..." Han Ku whispered, lost in a daze as waves of realization crashed through his mind.

Upon hearing Shi Miao’s declaration, Li Hao’s eyes flickered. Challenging the heavens?

In essence, it meant having a heart that stood equal with the heavens!

Such words were easy to utter, but the reality of achieving such a state was profoundly difficult.

"A heart equal with the heavens... yet the heavens are so supreme. The moment one gazes upward, inequality is already established; so how can the heart ever truly be equal?" Li Hao murmured to himself.

After a long silence, he gathered his thoughts. Having finished his observation of this realm, he moved on to find the next Immortal King Realm disciple.

In this manner, Li Hao systematically comprehended various realms within the first tier of the dojo.

He encountered realms like the Life Sea and the Desolate Domain. Some contained vast tribes or even entire dynasties with strange races surviving within; others were meticulously crafted environments where only the Human Race was cultivated.

Within these realms, the Immortal King realm lords exercised effortless control over time, space, and every event that transpired.

"Within these realms, there are Nine Order Laws and Ten Thousand Dao Laws..."

Through his discussions with these Immortal Kings, Li Hao learned that reaching the Immortal King Realm required the mastery of the Nine Order Laws.

However, despite mastering these laws, they did not possess the Nine Order Immortal Seal.

The distinction lay in the timing: the Nine Order Immortal Seal must be condensed during the True Immortal Realm stage.

If that window was missed, the immortal seal would remain unchanged even if the Nine Order Laws were realized later.

These Immortal Kings had perfected the laws while at the peak of the Immortal Monarch Realm before breaking through.

To achieve the rank of king, they had to condense the Nine Order Laws to provide the power necessary to build the realm's foundation.

Though the sequence seemed minor—as both involved the Nine Order Laws—the immortal seal became the core soil of the realm once transformed. Thus, the strength of the seal determined the strength of the realm's core. If the outer realm was destroyed, it could be reconstructed as long as the core remained intact.

As he surveyed these diverse realms, Li Hao felt truly enlightened. Had it not been for his prestigious status as a direct disciple and the fame he had gathered over a century, these Immortal King realm disciples might have refused to show him their inner worlds.

"No wonder the master claimed that a realm resides in the realm itself, not the domain!"

"All domains are like this; only the world heart remains unharmed."

"The Bitter Bridge's Shore and the Nine Burning's Life and Death realms both possess extraordinary world hearts. They are not lower paths, yet they fall short of being superior paths!" Li Hao reflected privately.

The Shore Realm held the noble ambition of rescuing the world from the sea of suffering, yet it had chosen a minor path for its salvation.

It sought to build a bridge to reach the far side of that suffering.

If it were truly a great path, the goal should be to fill the sea or burn it dry. Why build a bridge when the Heavenly Dao itself is the bridge?

"So that is the master's meaning..."

"Only by first possessing a world heart—a heart that reaches that supreme height—is it possible to tread that supreme road!"

"If the heart cannot reach it, how can the feet ever walk the path?"

Lost in contemplation, Li Hao thanked the various Immortal King seniors and returned to his mountain courtyard with Shi Miao.

For the following months, Li Hao stayed in the courtyard, immersed in deep thought and daily painting.

Years passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, a figure arrived at the courtyard. Seeing Li Hao busy with his brushes, the visitor’s eyes flickered with amusement.

"Junior brother, you seem to be in excellent spirits."

Li Hao looked up to see his second senior brother, Di Wushè. He smiled and said, "Second senior brother, please, come and sit."

He quickly ushered him into the small courtyard.

Di Wushè did not stand on ceremony. He had visited this courtyard several times over the last century, though only in this particular incarnation.

"Here, have some tea."

Li Hao opened his heaven and earth space to retrieve some high-quality tea leaves, preparing a brew for his guest.

While the preparation was meticulous, it was an extension of his Cooking Dao rather than a dedicated tea ceremony.

"Junior brother’s tea is truly the finest," Di Wushè chuckled. He took a sip before pulling a domain artifact from his realm.

"The ancient demon corpses you requested are all here."

Throughout the century, Li Hao had gone through several shipments of ancient demon corpses, all provided by his second senior brother.

Li Hao accepted the artifact and swept his divine sense inside. He saw a vast collection of remains, including several King Realm ancient demons—enough to last him for years.

"Second senior brother, what is the current state of the Emperor Clan's border?" Li Hao asked, sipping his tea as they chatted.

Di Wushè’s handsome brow furrowed slightly. With a soft sigh, he replied, "Those issues are long-standing ailments. However, the Ancient Demon Clan has been restless lately. The ten royal bloodlines that were once scattered now seem to be moving toward unification. This is not a good sign."

Li Hao was stunned, a look of seriousness crossing his face.

The ancient demon threat affected the entire True Realm, and by extension, the Primordial True Realm.

If the True Realm fell, it was only a matter of time before the Primordial True Realm was also destroyed; the two were fundamentally linked.

"Unification?"

Li Hao frowned. If they united, the catastrophe from ten thousand years ago might once again ravage the True Realm.

A sense of foreboding washed over him. He understood the patterns of the world—that all things follow a cycle where long periods of separation lead to unity, and long periods of unity lead to separation.

The Dao follows this rule, as do the lands and life itself.

Even Immortal Dynasties are bound by this cycle of the Heavenly Dao.

"There is no need for excessive worry, junior brother. It isn't as dire as you might think," Di Wushè said, waving a hand dismissively as he saw Li Hao’s concern.

"The recent activity of these ancient demons is likely tied to the upcoming Hundred Clans Mountain struggle. The True Realm will be in turmoil, giving the ancient demons an opening to strike."

"The Hundred Clans Struggle?"

Li Hao was surprised. He had heard of this event; Meng Wan Ning of the Great Dream Clan was particularly focused on it, as her clan had been fading since the fall of the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor and desperately wanted to reclaim a spot in the top hundred.

"Even with ancient demons at our gates, the myriad races cannot stop fighting amongst themselves. There are simply too many of them living together," Di Wushè said, shaking his head with a sigh.

Conflict was born of greed and self-interest. Even with external threats looming, it was nearly impossible to quell internal unrest.

Li Hao nodded. If a single village or city had internal strife, it was only natural that a realm encompassing myriad races would be even more volatile.

The two spoke for a while longer before Di Wushè took his leave.

After seeing his senior brother off, Li Hao once again submerged himself in his cultivation and the meditations of his Painting Realm.