Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1870 Chapter 500: Quasi-Emperor's Hand of Dominion
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
"Hmm."
Li Hao gave a nod, yet his thoughts drifted elsewhere; his sole focus remained on growing his strength without delay.
The quickest path lay in finishing the Realm King Emperor Road.
Once the blooms appear, butterflies flock naturally. Regarding the contest for the True King's deputy spot, Li Hao paid it little mind. Strength would secure the role on its own; without it, handing it over would serve no purpose.
"I'll make my way to the Heaven Tower right away."
Li Hao declared.
"Hold on, won't you hear out the rules of the contest?"
The Immortal Immortal Emperor remarked.
"That's unnecessary. After sorting out a few details, I'll push forward with everything I've got to climb the Heaven Tower."
Li Hao replied, then offered a cupped-hand salute in goodbye before spinning around and dashing off toward the Heaven Tower.
"This young one..."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor paused in surprise, soon understanding that the boy had zero plans to join this contest.
"No kin, standing alone, so he lacks interest in the True King selection?"
The Immortal Immortal Emperor's gaze shifted faintly. He possessed plenty of details on Li Hao, of course.
Those Immortal Kings arriving to train in this Abyss boasted spotless origins, while the rest hailed from mighty clans. With family ties in play, they fought fiercely for the True King's deputy role. Even if victory slipped away, they strove to build ties with the True King and deputy, all to shield their lineages amid the conflict.
With a shake of his head, the Immortal Immortal Emperor let the matter drop, stepping close to the Star Empress: "Time to begin, let's add some tension for these youngsters."
"And what of that boy?"
The Star Empress cast a look at Li Hao's retreating form, already vanishing inside the Heaven Tower.
"That fellow's ideas stand out oddly, unlike the crowd; best to leave him be."
The Immortal Immortal Emperor shook his head. The contest details were out in the open now; joining or skipping was up to Li Hao alone.
Such events aren't forced, naturally—even if attendance was demanded, a half-hearted effort from the reluctant would hold no value.
Still, opportunities like this resemble free feasts for the starving, drawing frantic crowds, making it shocking when one turns away.
"Shi Miao..."
Right as he neared the Heaven Tower entrance, Li Hao peeked toward the Great Emperor Dojo yet spotted no Shi Miao, assuming she too tackled the tower's trials, so he brushed it aside.
He picked a floor at random, settling on the 61st.
As he stepped in, six Ancient Demons burst from the cracks. Without a glance, Li Hao flicked his wrist, unleashing a fearsome Sword Qi that tore through the void like lightning, wiping out the six Seventh Level Immortal King Realm Ancient Demons in a flash.
At present, Li Hao's cultivation had climbed to the Fifth Level of Immortal King Realm; his raw strength alone dwarfed that of a First Level Immortal King Realm by hundreds of times!
Every realm breakthrough boosts immortal power by four or fivefold. The Fifth Level isn't merely twenty-five times stronger; take the Second Level, which multiplies by five, then the Third Level multiplies the Second by five more, hitting twenty-five times already.
Right now, his immortal power surged to five hundred times the might of a First Level Immortal King Realm!
This explains the challenge of leaping realms in the Immortal King stage; even a gap of two or three levels forms a chasm too vast to cross.
Luo Ningshuang and Su Wanyi wield Ancestor Emperor Power, enough to close a hundredfold divide at best.
"At my present strength, it's unclear if I could tackle as high as the 90th floor going all out."
Li Hao's gaze shimmered, though in the end, he pulled back his musings. Interim results meant nothing, since the True King picked the winner by the ultimate tally.
His mind calmed within, the five realms linking seamlessly without disruption.
"All seven arts have hit the Thirteenth Stage; those seven elite Realm Hearts can merge into the King's Domain, crowning me a Lord over Immortal Kings!"
"Yet against becoming a Lord, treading the Emperor Road would launch me straight to emperor status in a single leap!"
Li Hao's attention turned to the Myriad Phenomena Poem Book Mind and Chaos Cooking Mind.
He summoned the panel, eyeing his Physical Body Dao and Control Dao.
The Physical Body Dao held two mindsets: Reverse Time and Creation.
Control Dao stood as Formless, Sword Dao as Void Realm, and Body Path as Boundless!
For the Myriad Phenomena Poetry Heart and Chaos Cooking now, Li Hao aimed to weave them into further daos.
"Ever since fusing Creation, my physique appears to have shifted subtly. The Immortal Body has risen and reshaped!"
Contemplation gleamed in Li Hao's eyes. Earlier, he had upgraded the Heavenly Immortal body from the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor's legacy to the Heaven Earth Immortal Body. At this point, with the two mindsets blended in, the Immortal Body kept evolving in quiet ways, as if these mindsets infused it with unique abilities.
The Reverse Time mindset let his form keenly detect time's flow, nearly like endless specks of sand and grit encircling him, tangible if he reached out.
Within Li Hao's Immortal Body, the Creation mindset bore an even more daunting force.
A force akin to destiny!
"Such mindsets deliver remarkable might. Paired wisely, they might spark surprising outcomes."
Back when he fused the Void Realm mindset into Sword Dao, Li Hao noticed its edge growing keener right away, and with his rising cultivation now, that potency emerged fully—the Sword Dao brimmed with raw devastation, merging with his Chaos Infinite force and the unyielding kill intent of Only Me Swordsmanship, rendering Sword Qi lethally keen.
"Control Dao commands every element of heaven and earth, without shape or form, embracing all shapes in its formlessness, every shape enriched by myriad phenomena—uncertain what shifts it'll unleash in Control Dao."
Li Hao pondered quietly.
He meant to fuse this Myriad Phenomena Poetry Heart into the Control Dao.
Chaos Cooking, meanwhile, he set for the Sword Dao.
Pairing Void Realm with Chaos in Sword Dao struck him as a way to hoist his sword prowess higher still.
That said, he'd proceed gradually, solidifying the six Realm Hearts first and foremost.
Drawing his mind away, Li Hao drew in a steady breath, murmuring inwardly as he fused the Myriad Phenomena Poetry Heart into the Control Dao!