Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1863 Chapter 497: Crisis in the Eastern Domain, Multiple States of Mind (Part 2)

With the Body Path's breakthrough advancement, a vast Tao Realm poured into his consciousness.

Li Hao positioned himself amid the emptiness, slipping into a profound state of enlightenment.

It took quite some time before the myriad Dao Thoughts converged, allowing the fourth Realm Heart to form within his realm.

As this fourth Realm Heart came into being, it instantly upset the equilibrium among the three existing Realm Hearts in his domain, drawing them together and hinting at a faster merging process.

Li Hao's face grew serious as he activated the True God Blood's power, following his earlier strategy, employing the fourth Realm Heart like a thread to pull the three Realm Hearts along, mimicking a kite soaring in his domain.

Should this kite keep circling without pause, balance could be upheld.

After all, true everlasting stability eluded him at present; he aimed merely for a fleeting equilibrium.

It might demand hundreds of years, or even a millennium, until another "reinforcement" became necessary.

Nevertheless, such an outcome marked a tremendous triumph and uncommon feat.

As Li Hao delved into his insights, within the Abyss, members of various clans took turns challenging the Heaven Tower.

Those who surpassed the hundredth level and pushed further inevitably drew the gaze of other powerful clans, since crossing that threshold turned them into rivals!

At the same time, beyond the Abyss.

True Realm, Eastern Domain, inside Ancestral Dragon City.

A massive assembly of Ancient Demons encircled the area surrounding Ancestral Dragon City, blanketing millions of miles across the heavens, forming a shadowy, ominous barrier.

Ancestral Dragon City served as the foremost bulwark of the Hundred Cities Defense Line, its structure immensely imposing and splendid, boasting no fewer than eighty-one supreme teleportation arrays.

Every such teleportation array held immeasurable worth, beyond price; even great clans typically possessed just one or two, reflecting profound heritage.

Each Royal-grade teleportation array enabled the transport of enormous groups, capable of shifting a million True Immortal Realm cultivators in a single go!

For Immortal King Realm powerhouses, it could convey a hundred simultaneously!

Ancestral Dragon City's endurance without collapse over centuries owed much to these eighty-one teleportation arrays, which steadily funneled troops from Eastern Domain clans and distant allies straight into the city.

On this brutal, grinding battlefield, True Immortals perished in droves every instant, only for fresh reinforcements to arrive via teleportation and fill the gaps.

Mountains of corpses accumulated outside, battles raging over oceans of blood and remains; myriad fallen warriors went unrecovered in the chaos, eventually pulverized into gore and debris by the unrelenting conflict, vanishing without intact forms.

This harrowing suffering only fueled the blazing defiance of Eastern Domain clans.

"Two Immortal Emperors clashed for a century, splintering the glow of time just to claim a narrow win—yet these Five Clans' Ancient Demons, with their ten millennia of buildup, birthed so many. How many from my Eastern Domain clans can still join the fight?"

Within the grand Council Hall of Ancestral Dragon City, a host of peak Immortal King Realm and Quasi-Emperor Realm figures occupied seats.

At the head loomed three imposing presences, the central one the Immortal Emperor overseeing Jianlong City's defense line, who also reigned as Emperor of the Ancestor Dragon Clan.

To the side, a form draped in flowing white robes, speckled with dark bloodstains like plum blossoms, his hair as white as snow, radiating a subtle scent of decay like a corpse, was Su Jiuzhe from the Northern Domain's Su Family.

His eyes held icy detachment, free of warmth, one hand idly upon the Spring Slash Emperor Sword, perched on the steps as if a drifting soul without ties.

"Scouts embedded in the Yan God Clan report they're gearing up for a full assault; on the outer domain fringes, multiple concealed signs have surfaced, carrying the essence of Ancient Demon Clan Emperors. Great Emperors from other domains' Ancient Demon Clans have probably arrived in the Eastern Domain, observing the conflict."

"These concealed signs probably aim to intimidate. The Ancient Demon Clan... after ages of division, appears set to unify once more."

Two Quasi-Emperor Realm experts murmured softly, relaying vital news.

"Word is, this chance stems from the Reincarnation Gate's possible rebirth, so they intend to reconstruct it jointly; if they capture a Reincarnation Fragment, talks might commence."

Yet another Quasi-Emperor added, himself a senior from a prominent Eastern Domain clan.

"Talks? That's surrender in disguise? We'll fight to the last drop of blood if needed!" Another Quasi-Emperor's gaze blazed with divine fire, his passion erupting like a thundering beast.

"Does the Dragon Emperor realize? We must stand firm in this fight!"

"They're on their way; to block other Ancient Demon Great Emperors from striking the Ancestor Dragon Nest, they'll show up right at the critical hour."

"The scheme to snatch the Reincarnation Fragment fell through—only a direct confrontation is left."

The leaders of all clans bore grave looks.

Grand schemes of mighty clans, woven over tens of thousands of years, or perhaps beyond, now teetered on the brink of ruin in this clash.

This war decided the Eastern Domain's fate.

"That earlier Ten Kings Plan—has it yielded anything yet?"

"Merely three centuries have passed, but if war erupts in blood, we'll rush to choose urgently," responded another Quasi-Emperor.

"The disaster from ten thousand years past descends anew... This round, we in the Eastern Domain will strike first against the shadows!"

Hold out three hundred years; deep-rooted grudges of blood offer no way back.

Begging the Ancient Demons merely postpones doom—better to battle with the river at your back.

Su Jiuzhe stayed mute, clutching the Spring Slash Emperor Sword like stone; three centuries of warfare had fractured his body anew, and he sensed he might never see the Northern Domain again.

Fine by him—perishing in combat here or elsewhere changed nothing; he trusted those two old comrades to shield the Su Family.

"Sigh, still so many lingering regrets..."

"The Su Family's lineage runs sparse, failing to birth another Great Emperor..."

"That boy roasts fine meat... Grow fast, reach Emperor Realm by this calamity's close, gain the strength to stand alone..."

"Master... Teacher..."

Su Jiuzhe's gaze pierced the void, myriad recollections swirling in his thoughts like petals adrift on waves, some fragments long faded.

...

Deep in the Abyss, inside the Heaven Tower.

On the 60th floor.

"Condense!"

Abruptly, an intense pressure burst forth; high in the air hovered a young man's silhouette, wreathed in a mighty domain like surging ocean tides, layered fourfold around him, delicate as cicada-wing silk, drifting lightly on the wind.

"Four Realms!"

Ten years of deep contemplation finally bore fruit, a potent force saturating the domain.

Li Hao sensed his consciousness merging with the four realms, ready to unleash a dreadful might that could overwhelm everything.

"My cultivation... has advanced to the Fourth Layer as well."

Even lost in practice, Li Hao tracked time's flow via faint shifts in his form.

Having attained the Time Origin Eighth Layer, he could discern eras even after eons of slumber upon waking.

The Heaven Tower's immortal energy brimmed with richness, propelling his cultivation to the Fourth Layer and multiplying his immortal power four or fivefold, eclipsing prior levels.

Countless immortal arts now flowed from him with greater ease at their core.

"Still not sufficient—must grow stronger... Five Realm Hearts... where to place this fifth one?"

"Fist Skill? Sword Dao takes priority; Fist Skill can hold."

"Skill Points left are scarce; boosting Chaos Dao demands heaps."

"Unclear... could this State of Mind embed once more..."

A thrill stirred in Li Hao's chest; he summoned the panel, eyes sweeping over the four Tao Realms raised to the Thirteenth Stage.

Physical Body Dao, Control Dao, Sword Dao, Body Path.

Inwardly, he intoned, inscribing the Creation State of Mind into the Physical Body Dao!

As his will took hold, a notification flashed on the panel without warning.

"Embedding complete—Creation Carving State of Mind integrated into the Physical Body Dao!"

The moment it embedded, a boundless Tao Realm flooded his mind, and unexpectedly, Li Hao found a new Realm Heart manifesting in his domain, utterly unbidden!

The fifth Realm Heart!

This fresh Realm Heart, the instant it appeared, shattered the prior harmony of the four Realm Hearts.

Li Hao's features twisted in alarm; he tried to steady himself, mulling ways to incorporate this fifth Realm Heart.

"Who knew it could embed repeatedly, yet this fifth Realm Heart... no idea how to handle it!"

Li Hao's pulse quickened in unease; he scrambled to rein in the five Realm Hearts, forcing them asunder.

Yet with five, the original setup crumbled into disorder.

Failing to stabilize, Li Hao detonated his efforts and withdrew from the Heaven Tower.

Teleported from the Heaven Tower, the five Realm Hearts within him surged rebelliously again.

Left with no option, Li Hao dove back into the Heaven Tower for yet another try.