Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1897 Chapter 509: Trial

"How powerful!"

In the Emperor Clan, every Immortal King displayed a grave demeanor.

Di Mingyuan's face was etched with seriousness, a surge of unease coursing through him. Though the pressure from the leading five competitors was intense, the Emperor's reincarnation created an immeasurable divide compared to the rest, leaving him utterly devoid of assurance for the very first time.

"Isn't it overly ambitious for the Emperor's reincarnation to vie for a True King spot?"

A shadowy tone came from an Immortal King in the Emperor Clan.

Earlier, securing even a single True King role via Di Mingyuan had been their ambition, but that objective had evolved long ago; now, claiming the supreme True King Commander title was their true pursuit.

Yet unforeseen twists had arisen, particularly the reincarnated Emperor's stunning display in this phase, which filled them with dread.

"The reincarnated Emperor heading the True Kings leaves little room for doubt in the outcome."

Inside the Dao Clan, Dao Qingyin's gaze weighed heavily. She had never believed she could challenge for the premier True King, given the enormous disparity with Di Mingyuan and her fewer years in practice, rendering the top spot unattainable.

This development, with the leading commander position slipping to the Emperor Clan, actually brought favorable tidings for the Dao Clan.

"Incredibly mighty—the nascent shape of Emperor Dao has been perfected to the utmost, poised to evolve into a full Emperor Road whenever it chooses!"

Li Hao's eyes sparkled as he blurted out his admiration uncontrollably.

"It might not be his personal Emperor Road; perhaps it's a secondary one derived from insights gained in reincarnation."

Shi Miao's stare carried profound weight.

Observing the reincarnated Emperor's feat, she forfeited any hope of contending, since the foe's exhibited strength was flawlessly supreme.

She went so far as to conjecture that the rival might harness peak Immortal King Realm's complete might to summon traces of Emperor Dao essence.

Should that serve as their secret weapon, it would undoubtedly be a fatal strike from Emperor Dao, unleashing destructive force on an Emperor scale that no Immortal King could endure!

Hence, should the adversary pursue the highest True King, the result would hold no uncertainty, barring the emergence of additional Emperor reincarnations.

"A secondary Emperor Road, is it..."

Li Hao's gaze flickered; at present, his initial Emperor Road remained unfinished, far from developing a duplicate.

He reckoned that merging seven Realm Hearts for a supreme explosion could grant him the power to clash with the rival, though predicting the result proved challenging, offering him merely a slim twenty percent likelihood of success at best.

"Should we fall short of the top True King, allying ourselves might allow command over two forces, which suffices amply."

Shi Miao addressed Li Hao next, adding, "Besides, commanding such a role isn't a light matter—immense authority entails profound duties!"

Li Hao agreed with a nod; his earlier ambition had been limited to serving as a True King's aide, so the chance to claim a True King rank now filled him with contentment.

This alone empowered him to safeguard those dearest to his heart.

Right then, with the black-robed youth's confrontation ending, a hush fell over the area until the Immortal Immortal Emperor's proclamation shattered it, ushering in the subsequent ordeal.

Thanks to the black-robed youth's triumph in enduring ten breaths, he skipped ahead past the following pair of assessments.

Once the black-robed youth departed the Heaven Tower, the Star Empress advanced deliberately and declared, "You all will soon step into a testing arena that probes your ethical Tao Heart; no need to puzzle over the evaluation standards—simply follow your genuine impulses."

Her words had barely landed when an overwhelming energy seized the group, infused with the Heaven Tower's Emperor Artifact might.

Ahead, the void warped abruptly, placing Li Hao amid a known setting.

Mortal World, Dayu Divine Dynasty.

Qingzhou...

Around him lay recognizable lanes, echoing calls from merchants, and the customary dialect of rushing pedestrians.

Li Hao stood frozen for a moment, caught off guard by his return to Qingzhou and the sight of these well-known surroundings anew.

A flash of the Tan Palace Academy crowning the peak crossed his mind; he was on the verge of focusing his intent to check whether his longtime companion beside the Emerald Pond in the Tan Palace Academy appeared within this Illusion Realm too, only to discover his Divine Thought reached scarcely tens of li.

It hit him suddenly that his Cultivation Realm had dropped to the initial phase of the Fifteen Li Realm.

Universal Force, Circulation, Soul Continuation, Divine Traveling, Fifteen Li!

This marked the point where one first wields Divine Soul to manipulate items against foes, at the dawn of the Fifth Realm along the cultivation journey.

"Such is the Emperor Artifact's potency? Aside from recollections, both my body and Divine Soul are confined wholly to the Fifteen Li Realm, suppressed so thoroughly in a mere instant..."

Li Hao's spirit trembled; he had trusted that his array of former techniques could rival certain Quasi-Emperors, potentially even prevail.

Yet facing the Heaven Tower's Emperor Artifact, it appeared one mere notion could reduce him to dust, offering no chance for defiance.

As Li Hao lingered in bewilderment, a jolt struck his torso; clad in fine silk, he still sported the opulent attire from his days in the Divine General Mansion, yet a boy of seven or eight, lugging hot noodle soup from a roadside stall, collided into him, toppling him and spilling the scalding mess over his attire in a chaotic, adhesive stain that soiled it immediately.

The child offered no remorse; rather, he plopped down and wailed shrilly, drawing spectators who gestured toward Li Hao while murmuring accusations of him oppressing common folk.

"Hmm?"

Confusion gripped Li Hao; might this occurrence form an element of the assessment?

Lacking that, the abrupt event felt out of place.

In the event of it being an examination, one ought to face it squarely and address it properly.

"Good and evil..."

Li Hao recalled this ordeal's essence, where virtue and vice decided True King worthiness—surely it demanded righteousness?

For the virtuous soul, the path lay in aiding the youth to rise, then calmly and compassionately clarifying the incident to the gathered crowd.

Yet...does that truly embody goodness?

Who then absorbs the injustice inflicted upon him, and how does one reckon with the cost of yielding for another's sake?