Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1778 Chapter 458: Heavenly Ascension Road (Part 2)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
"I've heard it's supposed to show up randomly, but I never imagined it would emerge in such a striking spot this round."
"Looks like there'll be quite the uproar this time around."
Figures from the Fifth and Sixth Heaven Domains wasted no time, rushing straight to the First Heaven Domain as soon as the word spread.
"The First Heaven Domain?"
Lin Zhexuan, out on a hunt in the Second Heaven Domain, froze for a second upon catching the news, then burst into pure delight. Earlier, he'd been fretting that the Heavenly Ascension Road might pop up in the Deep Heaven Domain, leaving him without even a shot at seeing it. Yet here it was, unfolding in the closest possible place—the First Heaven Domain.
"Is destiny smiling on me or what?"
Joy surged through Lin Zhexuan. Sure, the Chaos Law he'd forged was weak, and he stood no chance against the elite prodigies this go-around, but whispers held that the Heavenly Ascension Road's trials went beyond mere cultivation levels. Should he win the Heavenly Heart's approval, he could defy the odds, rise swiftly, and claim the Heavenly Dao's safeguarding!
Legends in the ancient tales spoke of a cultivator with pitifully low strength who, upon treading the Heavenly Road, caught the Heavenly Dao's eye, climbed to the ultimate summit, and in the end, verified the Heavenly Heart to claim the throne of Emperor!
That very Emperor hailed from ten thousand years back, a nobody prior to his ascension, but once he proved the Dao via the Heavenly Heart, his fame echoed across all Four Domains of the True Realm.
Swoosh!
Lin Zhexuan's form blurred as he shot forward without delay.
At the same time, Su Wanqing and her companions in the Second Heaven Domain picked up the report and immediately took off.
"It's in the First Heaven Domain, of all places."
Gu Yan, Yue Xi, and their group had already arrived in the First Heaven Domain, while Sword Heart, Ming Yue, and others lingered in various spots.
The news hit them like a pleasant shock. Had it been the Deep Heaven Domain, they'd steer clear out of fear, knowing a Chaos Dao Seed trap there spelled certain doom. But the First Heaven Domain? That was a golden chance dropped right in their laps.
"Come on, let's make our way over there."
Gu Yan turned to Yue Xi, both of them buzzing with anticipation. Hitting the peak was a long shot, but just showing up made the journey worth it.
With cultivators from every domain converging on the First Heaven Domain, Luo Ningshuang and Su Wanyi—who'd only just departed the Ninth Heaven Domain—caught wind of it too, and surprise lit up their faces.
To think, mere moments after exiting the Ninth Heaven Domain, they'd stumble upon the Heavenly Road's awakening.
"First Heaven Domain it is—let's move."
Luo Ningshuang launched into action, urgency driving her lest she fall behind.
After all, she and Su Wanyi stood as the prime contenders in this Heavenly Road contest. The rest flooding in were mostly thrill-seekers hoping for a fluke. Dreaming of the Heavenly Road's nod like that fabled Emperor from ages past—rising from nothing to claim the Heavenly Heart—was nothing but a pipe dream.
Fortune like that strikes once every ten thousand years at best; banking on it twice? Unthinkable.
"At last, it's here."
Xue Consort's gaze sharpened with a faint spark as the news reached her, and she set out at once alongside her attendant.
A sudden memory flashed of Li Hao and the Divine Venerable clashing fiercely in her very sight before vanishing. Their fight's outcome remained a mystery, but with the Domain Artifact spent, the Heavenly Road ahead promised fewer restraints.
"What fools..."
She gave a slight shake of her head, sensing her rivals had just thinned by a pair.
"The Heavenly Road's out—quick, we're going too."
Young powerhouses from the Chaos Red Demon Clan and beyond surged forth without hesitation.
As the masses poured in, the boundless fortune and thrill of the Endless Heavenly Domain all funneled toward a plain, overlooked patch of ground in the First Heaven Domain.
Yet atop that very spot now rose a grand Heavenly Road piercing the skies, stretching into enigmatic realms of time and space, as if linking directly to the Heavenly Dao itself. It had turned utterly eye-catching, resembling a radiant beam shooting skyward, bathing the whole First Heaven Domain in its glow.
When Su Wanyi reached the site, the sight of the immense Heavenly Road and the scores of chained giants in prisoner rags propping it up left her stunned, even though tales had prepared her; witnessing it firsthand still hit hard.
Her master's words echoed in her mind—the Chaos Immortal Emperor had explained these colossal figures upholding the Heavenly Road belonged to an ancient Chaos Clan lineage, condemned for defying the Heavenly Dao, doomed to endless confinement, every one a Quasi-Emperor Realm powerhouse!
"A full seventy-two in the Quasi-Emperor Realm..."
Su Wanyi felt a profound tremor. Out in the world, Quasi-Emperors might not tower over Immortal Emperors, but the entire True Realm scarcely boasted so many combined!
The Su Family, for instance, counted just three Quasi-Emperors. Beyond her father, two remained: one, akin to her forebear Su Jiuzhe, locked in prolonged slumber, the other holding the border as her father's great-grand sire.
With that might, the Su Family ranked among the North Domain's elite houses. And yet, here loomed seventy-two Quasi-Emperors!
"Rewind to ten thousand years prior, before the Ancient Demon War—even clans with over ten Quasi-Emperors counted as great powers."
Su Wanyi mused inwardly.
Pre-war, the True Realm flourished wildly. A dozen Quasi-Emperors in a top clan was commonplace. But the conflict's close saw countless Quasi-Emperors perish, Immortal Emperors too. The fortunate reborn through cycles; the doomed watched their Soul Hearts fade, sinking eternally into the Mo River.
"These Quasi-Emperors were sealed here long before that..."
Su Wanyi gazed deeply. Bound though they were by the Heavenly Road, the aura of seventy-two Quasi-Emperors still radiated immense awe.
By now, daring prodigies had started their ascent up the Heavenly Road.
"Time to go—we're climbing too."
Luo Ningshuang declared.
Su Wanyi held back, eyes sweeping the throng as she replied, "Hold on, I need to fetch my little sisters first."
"You're planning to haul them to the peak as well?"
Luo Ningshuang paused in surprise, brow furrowing as she questioned.
Scaling the top solo was challenge enough, without dragging extras along.
Su Wanyi's junior sisters, her blood kin too, brimmed with talent, yet they remained unripe, and this clearly wasn't their moment.
"I just want to let them test the waters a little. No dreams of the summit, but pushing higher could spark deeper insights for them."
Su Wanyi explained, eager to lend her siblings every edge.
Luo Ningshuang arched a brow, her tone even as she said, "Fine, go on then. I won't linger."
Su Wanyi met her look and responded, "I'll link up with you soon, and we'll proceed side by side."
"If you manage to keep pace, that is."
Luo Ningshuang's warmth had chilled. Their Ninth Heaven Domain pact was for shared aid, but on the Heavenly Road, absent outside threats, rivalry ruled.
Su Wanyi got the drift and held her tongue, offering a quick goodbye before seeking out Su Wanqing and the rest.
Before long, she spotted Su Wanqing and her sisters amid the press.
They hovered near the Heavenly Road's foot, straining to edge nearer, but the swarm was thick, bodies clashing like a reversed cascade crashing into frothing waves. Amid the chaos, Immortal Techniques flared, and brawls had already erupted.
Su Wanyi could only shake her head. These folks battled fiercely despite slim odds of summiting, much less challenging the heights.
As Su Wanyi pressed through, Luo Ningshuang bolted for the Heavenly Road.
Then, a shape drew up beside her, voice alight with glee: "Senior Sister Nine!"
Luo Ningshuang's brow creased; she glanced over to see her junior brother Lin Zhexuan.
Her face stayed stern as she queried, "What do you want?"
"Senior Sister Nine, you came out unscathed from the Deep Heaven Domain, right? I've been beside myself with worry for you. So relieved to spot you at last…"
Lin Zhexuan's words cut short as Luo Ningshuang snapped, "I'm alright."
He blinked, caught off guard by her icy shift. Confusion clouded his features, clueless to any slight he'd given.
But he pushed past it, murmuring low, "Senior Sister Nine, you're aiming for the Heavenly Road too? If that's the case, could you maybe..."
"This chance is overwhelming even for me—way beyond you."
Luo Ningshuang caught his drift and tossed back the words before streaking off in a blaze of light.
At that instant, from surrounding zones, hordes of silhouettes burst forth, unleashing fearsome auras, rolling in like storm fronts toward the Heavenly Road.
"Clear the way, all of you!"
A booming roar thundered from above, shaking the noisy masses to their cores.
In its wake, hulking Chaos Ancient Clan warriors shed their disguises, barreling at the Heavenly Road like colossal predators launching skyward, their shades engulfing the earth below.