Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1835 Chapter 484: Heaven Tower
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
As the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor emerged, numerous cultivators swiftly directed their attention toward him. Detecting his immense and dominant aura, they all felt deep shock and erupted into heated discussions.
"Is that an Immortal Emperor?"
"Oh my god, I knew two Immortal Emperors were supervising the True King selection. Never thought I'd spot one the moment I got here!"
"No surprise it's drawing the True Realm's finest geniuses and battle forces right now. I've never laid eyes on an Immortal Emperor before, and suddenly one shows up."
Whispers of awe spread among the crowd, their gazes brimming with thrill and anticipation.
"Next to the Immortal Emperor, could that be his disciple? Word is, even serving as a direct disciple of an Immortal Emperor won't help in this True King selection; everything depends on your own power as you climb up level by level."
"That's right, no matter your background, only fighting prowess counts!"
"This setup is perfect—it's genuine equality!"
"The real favorites here are those who've trained for seventy to eighty thousand years at the Immortal King Realm's peak."
Amid the lively talks, Li Hao and Shi Miao scanned the area too, stunned by the throng of people packed densely everywhere.
Keep in mind, their Dao Origin lineage had picked just over twenty participants, but thousands at least filled the scene now!
"So many folks!"
"What's that mountain over there?"
"That's no mountain—it's a tower!"
Li Hao and his companions got pulled toward the massive shadow looming in the front abyss, where hordes of airborne figures clustered around this colossal tower like tiny insects.
"This is the Immortal Forbidden Emperor Artifact, the Heaven Tower!"
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor spoke steadily, "It belongs to the Star Sovereign Emperor as his imperial weapon. You might not know the Star Sovereign Emperor's fame, but surely you've heard of the Second Ultimate Realm, the All Heavens Star Vein. Indeed, he pioneered that one!"
Li Hao stood frozen in surprise; he knew the All Heavens Star Vein well, yet this ultimate domain had been forged by the Star Sovereign Emperor?
And right now, he was witnessing the very imperial tool they wielded!
It was as if a myth had leaped into reality right in front of him, filling him with awe and excitement.
"The Star Sovereign Emperor serves as one of the two Emperors guiding this event, and the Heaven Tower will act as your testing arena!"
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor lifted his head gradually, his eyes piercing as if reaching the summit of the enormous tower, and continued, "Inside the Heaven Tower lie the True Realm's countless secret arts, gathering strategies from the Ten Thousand Clans across All Heavens. It holds three hundred floors! The initial hundred floors restrict the Immortal King Realm, while the central hundred floors limit the Quasi-Emperor Realm!"
"The final hundred floors exist purely for clashes with the Great Emperor."
"Back in the day, it even jailed some vile criminals from the Immortal King Realm. These days, such offenders get dispatched to diverse Ancient Demon Battlegrounds to redeem themselves, so the tower stands empty now."
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor shifted his focus to Li Hao and Shi Miao, declaring, "To claim the True King throne, you need to conquer ninety levels at minimum, or better yet, surpass a hundred!"
"That's your path to seizing the True King spot!"
He directed these words chiefly at Shi Miao.
After all, Shi Miao, being at the Fourth Level of the Immortal King Realm, held some real chance against Li Hao for the True King title.
Li Hao had barely entered the Immortal King Realm; his amazing gifts aside, the remaining time was far too brief for him.
"Haven't laid eyes on this tower for a hundred thousand years—its glow has faded so much, I almost didn't spot it at first."
Shi Miao tilted her head up, staring at the structure ahead, a hint of reminiscence in her eyes.
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor gave a faint shake of his head, "It's not faded; it's just covered in too much Demon Blood, never properly wiped away."
Shi Miao paused for a beat, then focused her sight sharply, her expression turning grave and intense right away.
A hundred thousand years back, during that devastating war, the Star Sovereign Emperor had joined the fray too; she dimly recalled this Heaven Tower crushing the Ancient Demon surge on the battlefield, wiping out endless Ancient Demons.
The tower's once crystal-clear, radiant form now appeared utterly dark, soaked through with blood from that ancient conflict, the stain unyielding even after all this time.
"So, does every ten levels match one stage in the Immortal King Realm?"
Li Hao inquired.
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor nodded gently, "Yes, but they align with the utmost extremes of those stages. Put another way, even Ancient Demons—typically mightier than the True Realm's Ten Thousand Races—would struggle fiercely to endure their matching floors here! And average Human Race talents can barely step into levels that fit their own cultivation."
"This Emperor artifact demands perfection."
At those words, the three Perfect Immortal Monarch Realm experts who had been quietly marveling felt a deeper stir.
The Ninth Level Immortal King Realm folks and the two Perfect Immortal King Realm disciples wore even sterner looks.
"As the tests kick off, you could attempt jumping straight to the ninety levels—though it'll prove incredibly tough for you all."
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor advised them.
This made the disciples' faces grow tauter still. They ranked as elite Immortal Kings trained at the Extreme Dao Mountain, the standouts of their tiers, but even they would face such harsh trials from this Heaven Tower?
During their exchange, ripples abruptly stirred across the empty space.
Li Hao and Shi Miao whipped their heads around, spotting a band of grand silhouettes speeding along the route they'd taken.
The frontrunner exuded overwhelming might, with a gaze full of scorn, features so striking and icy that gender blurred, none other than the Chaos Immortal Emperor.
Catching sight of the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor, the Chaos Immortal Emperor gave a brief nod, then let his eyes roam, settling on Li Hao and Shi Miao. His brows arched faintly, a smirk playing without fully forming, as he remarked:
"Dao Origin, for this prime testing opportunity, you're hauling along direct disciples from outsiders—doesn't that sting a bit?"
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor shot back shortly, "Haotian counts as my disciple too."
The Chaos Immortal Emperor let out a light laugh, adding, "The young ones do show promise, but you're the only one who shrugs it off."
Li Hao and Shi Miao both creased their brows a touch, feeling a spark of irritation, but then the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor's voice slipped straight into Li Hao's thoughts: