Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1877 Chapter 502: Decline of the Eastern Domain (Part 2)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
The path he'd grasped through comprehension demanded thirty years to shape into the form he desired, yet the outcome left him sorely disappointed.
Though the fusion with the Realm Heart had decelerated, it merely lagged behind, refusing to cease entirely, let alone forge a lasting bond.
"Kite shape, layered structure, steady seven-pointed star... nothing succeeds."
Li Hao knew all too well the torment of racking his brains. He'd drained every notion from his mind yet failed to seize the proper solution, battling the impulse to surrender more than a hundred times. Even in defeat, claiming the King's Domain wouldn't spell total ruin.
Yet... he refused to yield.
He realized that conceding now would leave him, upon the calamity's descent, reliant solely on the King's Domain—could that truly shield Feng and the rest?
Such a choice meant not just abandoning his quest for the Emperor Dao, but betraying Feng and his companions as well.
"Two centuries have passed; I have to finish it before the war erupts..."
Li Hao's brow furrowed in intense worry; after all, grasping the Emperor Dao might span a millennium, even amid a flash of insight. What gnawed at him most was the fear of being locked into this route when disaster struck, unable to forge ahead, then confined forever inside the Heaven Tower.
"Coexist... coexist..."
Li Hao plunged deeper into his meditations.
...
Eastern Domain.
Flames of war ravaged the lands, as the core forces of the magic tides breached the third defensive barrier, assaulting the strongholds of every clan across the Eastern Domain.
Among these assaults, lesser races had already been eradicated by the Ancient Demons, reduced to barren wastes; without their members scattering in time, utter extermination might have claimed them.
"Up ahead lies the Ancestor Dragon Court..."
The magic tides surged onward, invading the core of the Eastern Domain—its grandest, most opulent heart. There, the majestic Ancestor Dragon Court rose imposingly, its golden glow radiating regal splendor that bathed the whole area in blinding aureate light.
Outside the Ancestor Dragon Court loomed enormous sculptures of Ancestor Dragons. Each served as a foundational pillar for an array, linked together to form an Emperor-level formation.
"This appears to be the Eastern Domain's last bastion."
From the magic tides' trailing edge, Yama Emperor Venerable eyed the Ancestor Dragon Court before him and swiftly recognized the colossal, mountain-sized Ancestor Dragon sculptures as anything but ordinary. They pulsed with immense presence and Divine Soul Power, anchored firmly into the ground like unyielding stakes, drawing in Immortal Vein energies from every direction to entwine and lock the surrounding world's Ten Thousand Dao Laws into a horrifying barrier.
Even this formation alone rivaled an Emperor Venerable in might, unbreakable by any lesser power.
Should he intervene personally, it would still demand a substantial effort.
Nevertheless, they had finally pierced the Eastern Domain's vital center.
Seizing the Ancestor Dragon Court in front would place the entire Eastern Domain under their sway. Victory here would rally the other observing clans as planned, unleashing the old surges anew across the True Realm. This round, their preparations ran deeper, and the might they'd revealed thus far paled against their full arsenal.
"I shall dismantle the array."
The Emperor Venerable of the Poison Corrosion Clan declared with steady calm.
A dread Emperor's Might radiated from his form as he advanced toward the Ancestor Dragon Court.
Confronting the enormous, peak-like sculptures guarding the Ancestor Dragon Court, and the countless alert Immortal Kings inside, this Emperor Venerable's face remained utterly serene, as though he strode solo against a colossal host—yet his bearing implied it was he who had them surrounded.
...
Western Regions, Saint Clans.
The Western Regions hosted myriad Immortal Dynasties, differing from the Southern Domain's rule under the Heavenly Palace Venerable, the Eastern Domain's central Ancestor Dragon Court, or the Northern Domain's command by the Emperor Star's mighty clans. In the Western Regions, numerous Immortal Dynasties thrived side by side, a chaotic mix of powers. Endless conflicts blazed here yearly, with Immortal Dynasties clashing nonstop, forging the Western Regions' ruthless and battle-hardened spirit.
Of the Four Domains, the Western Regions' Immortal Divine Beings burned with the fiercest, most warlike fire.
The Saint Clan held fourth place among the Ten Thousand Clans, surpassed only by the Heavenly Emperor Clan, Dao Clan, and Taichu Clan. As a premier force in the Western Regions, it still couldn't command full loyalty or fully dominate the area.
"The Eastern Domain falls now. The primary battleground shifts there this time. How fares the True King nurtured by us All Clans? Will our Saint Heir claim the role of First True King Commander?"
In the Saint Clan's halls, an aged figure posed the question deliberately.
A Quasi-Emperor Realm presence flowed from him; he served as a Supreme Elder of the Saint Clan.
"Two hundred years back, they held an initial contest. Our Saint Heir sits at seventh place; the top spot goes to Di Mingyuan of the Heavenly Emperor Clan. That veteran has trained for ages, fully able to ascend to Quasi-Emperor long ago, but he's held off. Rumors say he aims to vault straight from Immortal King to Emperor, bypassing Quasi-Emperor entirely!"
Another elder huffed in disdain, adding, "To me, there's an eight-in-ten chance the Emperor Clan anticipated this ages ago and schemed accordingly, holding him back precisely for such a moment."
"Not entirely accurate."
A refined noblewoman, poised with graceful authority, responded evenly, "This concerns the True Realm's Ten Thousand Clans, after all. Had they predicted the Ancient Demon calamity, word would have spread sooner. Even with the Heavenly Emperor Clan's host of Immortal Emperors, the True Realm's full array of Immortal Emperors isn't theirs alone to unravel such mysteries."
"The First Commander seat is beyond reach. Word is, this Abyss contest features a reincarnated Great Emperor too. Once they reclaim peak Immortal King cultivation, dominating peers in the realm should prove effortless."
A youth nearby chimed in; his features looked strikingly fresh, but his gaze carried the weight of vast experience, marking him as yet another Quasi-Emperor Elder of the Saint Clan.
"Then the Emperor Clan can kiss that prize goodbye as well."
The earlier noblewoman chuckled softly. The Emperor Clan had long clashed with them, sparking tensions over the years. If the Emperor Clan grabbed the First Commander post, it would surely harm the Saint Clan's interests.
"Instruct the Saint Heir: he must not waver no matter what, securing at minimum a True King position."
The grave-faced elder at the head intoned with heavy resolve.