Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1847 Chapter 489: Sprint, Sprint! (Part 2)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
They shared a quick glance, each nursing a quiet gloom deep within.
When they first stepped into this place, a strong sense of assurance filled them, facing Li Hao, the Direct Disciple, with steady poise—neither too deferential nor overly proud. They referred to him as Senior Brother purely out of respect for the Sect's structure, since they had already attained the Perfection of the Immortal King Realm, the ultimate height of the mortal domain. Progressing beyond that would launch them into the Heavenly Emperors' territory.
Besides the Great Emperor, no one else demanded their deference anymore. But after facing the challenge, they grasped that the True Realm Ten Thousand Races brimmed with geniuses, particularly those from mighty clans who hit the Perfection of the Immortal King Realm, turning out to be outrageously talented, with several already smashing past 100 layers!
Though plenty stumbled at the 101st layer, they had still powered through 100 layers, whereas these two got trapped at the 99th and failed to push even that far!
Watching Li Hao's display, they understood that certain gaps simply existed no matter what.
Catching their downcast looks, Li Hao glanced back and spotted their images on the 98th layer, which caught him off guard.
Having achieved the Perfection of the Immortal King Realm and stemming from the Extreme Dao lineage, even without the full legacy like the No Fear Emperor Skill, they possessed other Extreme Dao secret arts. So why couldn't they conquer their matching layers, or even hit the top of those stages?
Sensing the shift in Li Hao's face, the pair grew even more ashamed, a feeling of disgrace they hadn't known in ages.
"Haotian!"
In that instant, a soft voice rang out.
Li Hao whipped around and noticed two known faces, Luo Ningshuang and Su Wanyi.
"Hmm?"
"You're only at the First Level of the Immortal King Realm, so how did you push to the 43rd layer?"
Luo Ningshuang's eyes held a chill, masking unwillingness and a spark of fury, though her face stayed composed and serene.
"Does that mean there's some unavoidable link between the two?"
Li Hao countered.
Luo Ningshuang faltered. An unavoidable link? Of course not; no regulations dictated how far someone at the First Level of the Immortal King Realm should go in the layers.
Yet... what if their own boundaries didn't reflect the real potential of the First Level of the Immortal King Realm, but instead highlighted this youth standing before her?
"Did you awaken the Ancestor Emperor Power as well?"
Su Wanyi's demeanor proved far warmer, her question laced with pure curiosity.
Li Hao shook his head, "No."
"Without the Ancestor Emperor Power, how did you outdo us?" Luo Ningshuang pressed, her tone laced with reluctance.
Noting her stance, Li Hao replied coolly: "Without the Ancestor Emperor Power, does that stop anyone from climbing to the top? Remember, the Great Emperor himself began his path from an ordinary mortal frame, step by painstaking step!"
Luo Ningshuang froze, staring at the youth ahead, as if the entire world faded away. Just this boy remained vivid, his shining gaze embodying something profound she glimpsed in him—and it wasn't merely an Immortal King, but... a Young Emperor!
A rising Future Emperor destined to ascend!
As Luo Ningshuang went quiet, Li Hao ignored her and scanned other parts of the Abyss.
Crowds filled the area, including folks from his own familiar Primordial True Realm, plus prized talents from the True Realm Ten Thousand Races.
A number of these talents had trained in the Primordial True Realm long ago, from earlier batches or the one prior, departing to hone their skills back in their clans.
After all, elite offspring of dominant races, marked by their family's legacy seals, faced no shortage of cultivation aids in their own lineages, rivaling what the Primordial True Realm offered.
Sweeping his view around, Li Hao spotted numerous Immortal Kings at lower realms yet radiating mighty presences, in no way inferior to figures like Luo Ningshuang nearby.
This True King selection truly drew in the elite geniuses. Participants weren't just talented but battle-hardened experts who could hold their own, boasting terrifying fighting prowess.
As Li Hao observed the group, various top clan prodigies in the Abyss eyed him and the other Immortal Emperor Disciples from the Primordial True Realm.
The titles of Chaos, Original, and Dao Origin Immortal Emperors carried immense weight; larger clans grasped their importance best, recognizing the variances even among peak Immortal Divinity Great Emperors.
The Dao Origin Immortal Emperor stood out as especially rare among Immortal Emperors.
The Chaos Immortal Emperor shared that distinction.
Rumors painted the Original Immortal Emperor as one of the oldest, commanding vast arrays of Immortal Techniques and Secret Techniques. Legend held that no immortal art escaped his knowledge; many grand clans' foundational secrets likely stemmed from his ancient teachings.
This alone showed the lofty rank these three Immortal Emperors held.
"Over there are the two Direct Disciples of the Chaos Immortal Emperor? They awakened the Ancestor Emperor Power, putting on a solid show."
"Hmph, relying on the Ancestor Emperor Power, they didn't even clear the 40th layer; nowhere near what my sister achieved before."
A youth huffed disdainfully. A complex black mark adorned his brow, drawing in the laws of heaven and earth that swirled around it naturally.
Beside him sat a maiden in a dark robe that shrouded her limbs, now and then exposing her pale wrists like flawless white jade, her gaze calm as a cosmic stream, woven with faint glimmers.
"Those two hail from the Northern Domain's Su Family and the Western Regions' Luo Family—major powers, yet they placed outside the top thirty. How do they stack up?"
The maiden replied evenly, her words straightforward, free of scorn or disdain, but carrying a subtle rebuke aimed at the youth next to her.
The youth paused, then nodded in agreement, shifting his sight elsewhere as he remarked, "Too bad Di Wushe from the Emperor Clan skipped this. Word is he's a top contender among the Emperor Clan's many Emperor's Sons. Against this Emperor's Son, it's hard to say who's stronger—he hit the 62nd layer at the Third Level of Immortal King Realm, while you, sister, at the Fifth Level, made it to the 85th. That's a notable gap."
"Maybe we'll find out once they clash."
The maiden eyed the Emperor Clan group; amid the throng, encircled by Ninth Level Immortal King Realm experts, stood a tall young man with a firm build, his eyes blending gentleness and strength, projecting a regal vibe that inspired instant trust.
"Time's on our side—as long as the outer world holds for a thousand years, you, sister, and he can both reach the Perfection of the Immortal King Realm, then face off fairly!"
The youth continued, "That'll give our Dao Clan a prime chance to test against the Emperor Clan's Emperor's Son."
The maiden gave a faint nod.
Among the True Realm Ten Thousand Races, the Dao Clan held second place, right under the Heavenly Emperor Clan!
Still, the divide between runner-up and champion echoed across realms; the Emperor Clan dominated discussions, while the Dao Clan drew far less buzz—owing to their discreet ways and the Emperor Clan's sheer dominance.
"The three Saint Heirs of the Saint Clans showed up; the lead one blasted past 100 layers to the 103rd! The rest cleared their respective layers too. That third Saint Heir matches your level, sister, but didn't go as far, stopping at the 82nd layer.
The youth's eyes roamed; as a Dao Clan genius, his focus stayed on the vital heirs of the top ten clans, the real rivals.
Outside those top ten, swift ascents proved scarce, stemming not just from bloodline gaps but from the profound roots of those lineages.
"Hmm."
Dao Qingyin gave a light nod, peering toward the Saint Clans. All three Saint Heirs appeared and shone brightly, with an 82-layer run still earning high praise.
Yet she held back certain techniques in this first trial, ones that even Reincarnation Power couldn't revive if unleashed.
"With a thousand years of cultivation inside, this True King selection..."
Dao Qingyin's gaze burned with resolve; she refused to settle as a mere second-in-command. As this era's Dao Son of the Dao Clan, she carried their honor; the last Dao Son had hit Quasi-Emperor and thus stayed away.
Failure to claim True King status would leave the Dao Clan under other True Kings' lead in this alliance—a fate she couldn't stomach.
"It's wrapping up soon; curious what the two Immortal Emperors think of our showings."
The youth at her side lifted his head, brimming with interest.
He sat at the Second Level of the Immortal King Realm, having reached the 41st layer.
Not quite the freakish talent of his sister, but he reckoned he trailed those Ancestor Emperor Power awakeners by only a little.