Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1758 Chapter 450: Elder Chaos (Part 2)

Li Hao maintained a firm belief that the Destiny Sword Qi could deliver a fatal blow once it was locked onto its target.

Bang!

Suddenly, a mysterious power descended from the firmament, striking the Destiny Sword Qi. The crimson energy shattered instantly, dissolving into nothingness like a popping bubble.

Stunned, Li Hao’s pupils narrowed as he scanned his surroundings in a state of alarm.

Despite his Divine Sense covering a radius of thousands of miles, he could detect no other living soul in the vicinity.

Nevertheless, a piercing chill raced down Li Hao’s spine, making his hair stand on end.

“Young friend, would you be willing to show mercy to this little dog of mine? It has been my companion for countless years, and I would be saddened to see it perish here.”

While Li Hao searched for the source of the interference in disbelief, an aged voice suddenly echoed directly in his ears.

Taken aback and shaken to his core, Li Hao looked around. Sensing no immediate hostility and hearing a tone that invited dialogue, he relaxed his posture slightly and replied with a strained voice:

“May I ask for your name, Senior, and where you are located? If I have caused any offense, I beg for your forgiveness.”

“It has been an eternity since I last encountered a living person. You may come forward.”

The elderly voice spoke with tranquility. As the words faded, a void passage manifested beneath the feet of the massive wolf Dao Seed. It took the form of a winding trail leading toward a bamboo grove. Flanking the path were shimmering, illusory images of bamboo trees, yet the crisp scent of bamboo felt remarkably tangible as it drifted toward him.

Li Hao watched in a daze as the terrifying giant wolf Dao Seed shrank, transforming into a dog only half the height of a man. Without a single backward glance, it bolted toward the depths of the phantom bamboo forest path.

“Is there truly a hidden expert residing in this place?”

Li Hao was profoundly shocked. It was almost inconceivable, considering that even Immortal Emperors are forbidden from entering the Endless Heavenly Domain!

Could there be a level of existence that transcends the Immortal Emperor realm?

Bewildered, Li Hao stared at the peaceful bamboo grove before finally clenching his teeth and charging inside.

He understood that if this person meant him harm, someone with such capabilities could kill him as easily as turning over a hand. Furthermore, if the stranger was restricted by the laws of the Endless Heavenly Domain and hadn't reached the Immortal King Realm, Li Hao knew he could still bolster his combat power by advancing his Chaos Dao Seventh Stage. He was confident that with the Chaos Dao Seventh Stage, he would be peerless within the Immortal Monarch Realm!

He suspected that reaching the Chaos Dao Seventh Stage might even allow him to suppress those in the Immortal King Realm!

Though it was just a vague intuition, he trusted his gut and made a bold decision.

Soon after Li Hao stepped onto the bamboo trail, the pressure of the pursuit from the mountains outside vanished. As he walked deeper into the woods, his Divine Sense was suppressed, shrinking from thousands of miles down to a mere few hundred meters!

Simultaneously, the atmosphere became incredibly dense. Teleportation became impossible, and even his Returning Ruins Extreme Realm was suppressed in this space!

Li Hao felt a jolt of fear, realizing he had underestimated the danger of these restrictive powers.

Advancing further, he reached the end of the trail and discovered a simple grass cottage.

In front of the hut, two figures sat opposite each other at a chessboard. The creature that was once a giant wolf Dao Seed had already reached them, nuzzling its head against the leg of one of the figures.

Li Hao was paralyzed with astonishment; there were actually people living here!

In a forbidden zone where even Immortal Emperors could not set foot, someone else had succeeded!

What's more, there were two of them!

He stood frozen for a moment, filled with hesitation. However, since he had already come this far, there was no way to retreat. He gritted his teeth and approached, though he remained secretly prepared to erupt with his full strength at a moment's notice.

“So many years have passed, yet here is a youth who has grasped the Power of Destiny, and has done so even in a place where the Heavenly Dao is absent. Truly exceptional.”

Before Li Hao could get close, the old man whose leg was being nuzzled by the dog looked up. Sitting directly across from Li Hao, he smiled warmly, showing a row of white teeth and a gentle expression.

The dog-like Dao Seed also looked up at Li Hao with a wary gaze, rubbing against the elder’s hand and letting out a few soft whines as if it were airing its grievances.

The elder patted its head with a chuckle. “There, there. It is a rare thing for someone with such courage to visit the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain. Weren’t you the one who wanted to devour every intruder? You can only blame your own poor appetite.”

Hearing this, the big dog looked even more offended, its eyes flashing with resentment toward Li Hao.

In truth, it had intended to guard the entrance to the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain and consume any outsider who dared to trespass, but it hadn't expected to encounter such a difficult opponent, nearly losing its life in the process.

Filled with suspicion and wonder, Li Hao drew closer. He could sense no aura coming from the two elders; only a faint wisp of Chaos Power circled them. Their depth was impossible to gauge, like trying to grasp a breeze that vanishes the moment you touch it.

“How should I address you, Senior?”

Li Hao cupped his hands and asked with great caution.

Noticing his guarded behavior, the elder laughed softly. “You can call me Elder Qi; he is Elder Eight.”

As he spoke, he pointed toward the other elderly figure at the chessboard, who had his back turned to Li Hao.

Li Hao peered over and saw Elder Eight staring intensely at the board, hunched over like a tortoise and completely still.

Seven and Eight? Li Hao mused over the names, finding them strange. They sounded more like simple titles than proper names, and rather casual ones at that.

In the outside world, the titles of Immortal Emperors were legendary names that shook the foundations of eternity.

“Senior, I have heard that it is impossible for Immortal Emperors to enter this realm. Surely you must have surpassed the stage of Immortal Emperor...”

Li Hao couldn't help but ask. The burning question throbbed in his heart as he faced the elder. In the True Realm, Immortal Emperors were considered the peak of existence according to all ancient records and secrets. No being was known to transcend them, yet here in the depths of the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain, he had encountered two such mysterious old men.