Chapter 338: Eternal Dao Domain, The Battle for Supremacy Begins!
Feeling this vast and omnipotent power, Li Hao was filled with awe. Was this the Eighth Extreme Realm?
A 360-layer Dao Domain, achieving a sense of perfect completeness. It mirrored heaven and earth, forming a seamless whole!
Within the Dao Domain, laws intertwined, and various phenomena appeared. Interestingly, when his Dao Domain had reached 359 layers, Li Hao still needed to summon a tremendous amount of energy to manifest it fully. After all, the activation of the Dao Domain consumed an immense amount of energy, and with 359 layers, the energy expenditure was even greater. Even with his connection to the Earth Meridian, he could only maintain it for a few minutes.
But now, with the completion of the 360-layer Dao Domain, it began to function like the heavens themselves, operating autonomously. Li Hao only needed a minimal amount of energy to sustain it for long periods!
With this reduced consumption, even if Li Hao kept his Dao Domain enveloping himself constantly, he could maintain it indefinitely.
Li Hao's eyes gleamed. Beyond the drastic reduction in energy consumption, the true transformation of the Dao Domain was terrifying. If he were to reveal all of his extreme realms now, could he rival a half-saint?
He decided to name this Eighth Extreme Realm the Eternal Dao Domain!
Unbreakable, undefeatable, and immortal!
With the completion of the Eighth Extreme Realm, Li Hao didn't stop. He retracted his Dao Domain and continued cultivating the remaining techniques from the tenth divine dynasty.
However, as he progressed, when these techniques were refined to the Dao Domain stage, they were suppressed and unable to integrate into the Eternal Dao Domain, nor could they be deployed.
The Eternal Dao Domain was like a primary wife, constantly encircling Li Hao. Any new Dao Domain he cultivated was immediately scattered by the might of the Eternal Dao Domain and couldn't take shape.
Li Hao was stunned. From his previous experiences, he knew that reaching the extreme realm was not the end.
The Eighth Extreme Realm seemed to have its bottleneck as well.
How to break through this bottleneck and continue cultivating was the challenge that lay ahead on the path to the ultimate realm.
But cultivating to the extreme realm was already difficult, and breaking through it was even harder!
Li Hao tried several more times, but all attempts failed, so he temporarily gave up.
"The Eight Extreme Realms influence each other. Without the Earth Meridian, it would be impossible to reach the Eighth Extreme Realm. The process of accumulating over 300 layers of Dao Domain would deplete all energy. Therefore, the Earth Meridian is the foundation for all other extreme realms!"
"Perhaps to fully achieve the Eighth Extreme Realm, I need to master the other ultimate realms first, which might make it easier."
Li Hao's eyes flashed with understanding. His Transcendent Power Ultimate Realm was already complete, and the second ultimate realm was the Earth Meridian.
If he could further enhance the Earth Meridian, it might greatly aid his cultivation of the remaining ultimate realms.
However, the Earth Meridian had already reached its peak.
All 108 major meridians had been opened, along with the Yin-Yang dual meridians, forming a unified whole that connected with the meridians of heaven and earth. This was the limit of the Zhou Tian Realm!
To take it a step further and break through this bottleneck, Li Hao had no clue.
After some thought, Li Hao decided to consult Zhandan. She was knowledgeable and experienced, and she might be able to provide some clues.
Li Hao stood up, concealed his aura, and made his way to Zhandan's courtyard.
Since Li Hao had Zhandan's permission, he could enter and leave her courtyard freely without needing prior notice—something even Zhandan's direct disciples couldn't do.
In the courtyard, Zhandan was painting. Li Hao noticed that she was working on a small flower. He smiled slightly. Although the flower seemed ordinary, in her hands, it became extraordinary. It possessed a tenacity that could withstand wind and rain, exuding an exceptional willpower capable of breaking through the dark soil.
Li Hao realized that her skill in painting had advanced.
Sensing Li Hao's arrival, Zhandan finished her painting and turned to look at him, smiling brightly. She asked, "What do you think of my painting?"
"Very good," Li Hao praised sincerely.
Zhandan's smile deepened, and the sunlight in the courtyard seemed to grow warmer. Suddenly, she focused on Li Hao, carefully observing him with a look of confusion.
"Has your cultivation improved?"
Though she hadn't closely examined Li Hao's aura, she could sense that he seemed more formidable than before. It was a subtle yet intuitive feeling.
Li Hao was a bit surprised. Even with his myriad of attributes from his Universal Diagram, which masked his aura, she could still detect it. Her intuition was impressive.
"Something like that."
Li Hao said to Zhandan, "I wanted to ask, after reaching the extreme realm, do you know how to continue improving?"
"Breaking through the extreme realm?"
Zhandan was surprised but quickly smiled with understanding. "It's normal for you to have such thoughts. Exploring power beyond the extreme realm has been the pursuit of many saints throughout history. When we first achieved the extreme realm, we were also curious whether the extreme realm could be surpassed, whether we could go further. But after many attempts, we discovered that breaking the extreme realm is almost impossible."
"However, the extreme realm is not the end. In ancient times, there was a saint who broke through the extreme realm, proving that it is possible to continue cultivating beyond it. But breaking the extreme realm is as difficult as ascending to the heavens, and even saints find it nearly impossible."
Li Hao was stunned and quickly asked, "Which extreme realm did that saint break?"
"It seems it was the Fifteen Li Extreme Realm," Zhandan said. "That was a very long time ago. That saint has long since disappeared, leaving only a single message to his disciples: 'Never cultivate the Fifteen Li Ultimate Realm—it's forbidden!'"
"Hm?"
Li Hao was puzzled. The Fifteen Li Extreme Realm?
Li Hao knew that the Divine Race descended from cultivators of the Transcendent Power Ultimate Realm.
Why was the Fifteen Li Ultimate Realm considered forbidden?
"These are all just rumors. It's hard to say what's true, given how long ago it was."
Zhandan looked at Li Hao, a faint smile curling on her lips, and said: "Your thinking is quite similar to ours in the past. During their time as young prodigies, Yezu and Qingzu had aspirations that reached the heavens. They aimed to become the greatest of all time but were eventually defeated by reality. They realized that the universe is vast, full of countless geniuses, and they were just one among many."
As the vice president of the Flower Appreciation Society, her attitude carried a hint of melancholy and pessimism. The arrogance of her youth had long been worn down.
Li Hao nodded slightly. Rumors were indeed often exaggerated, but he hadn't expected that even Zhandan knew so little about the ultimate realms.
Although achieving the Transcendent Power Ultimate Realm hadn't been too challenging for Li Hao, breaking through the limits of the Earth Meridian didn't seem to be something that could be done through accumulating techniques alone. It required some sort of breakthrough, or perhaps, like the Sixth Extreme Realm's Immortal Transformation, a particular mindset or epiphany was needed.
Li Hao found himself at an impasse and asked Zhandan, "The saint you mentioned, did he only break through the Fifteen Li Extreme Realm? What about the other extreme realms?"
Zhandan shook her head. "Breaking through an extreme realm depends on the opportunity. Sometimes a specific chance will help you break through a particular extreme realm. Each realm has its own unique bottleneck."
"Furthermore, just achieving the extreme realm is already incredibly difficult. Breaking through it is even harder. If you want my advice, focus on mastering the other extreme realms first, rather than wasting time trying to break one—don't take unnecessary detours."
Her advice, based on her own experiences, was straightforward. Dwelling on this now would be a waste of time.
Many prodigies, after reaching the extreme realm, would inevitably develop a sense of pride and ambition, hoping to break through it. However, after centuries, or even longer, they often found it was in vain, unable to comprehend or break through the realm.
By that point, they would have wasted valuable time, slowing their cultivation progress.
Seeing her speak this way, Li Hao realized he wouldn't be able to gain much more insight. The ultimate realms were indeed shrouded in secrecy. Cultivators who achieved the Transcendent Power Ultimate Realm were revered as gods, so it was no surprise that the other ultimate realms were equally elusive and difficult to attain.
For now, he had reached the Eighth Extreme Realm. If he were to master another extreme realm, it would be the Dao Comprehension Realm.
But to achieve that, he needed to elevate his Dao Mastery.
With the Supreme Battle fast approaching, Li Hao needed to quickly strengthen himself to reach the power of a saint.
The difference between the Saint Realm and Half-Saints was immense. Comparing it to the Sword Master's 370,000 points of painting Dao experience, it was clear that the gap wasn't small. Even a difference of a few thousand experience points could lead to significant suppression in combat, not to mention a gap of seven or eight times the experience.
"Although I'm at the Eighth Extreme Realm now, facing a saint would still likely leave me with no choice but to run for my life."
Li Hao's eyes flickered with thought. Although his Eternal Dao Domain was powerful, he couldn't guarantee that some saintly prodigies hadn't also achieved this extreme realm.
After all, saints started at no less than the Fifth Extreme Realm.
In comparison, the difference in their extreme realms wasn't significant, but saints had already cultivated to the Saint Realm, and their Saint Dao had been perfected. If he couldn't shatter their saintly path, it would be impossible to kill them.
And right now, he was still unable to shatter a saint's path or attack their heart.
"I'll set aside the Dao Comprehension Extreme Realm for now—becoming a saint is more important!"
Li Hao quickly made his decision. Compared to the power boost from mastering the Dao Comprehension Extreme Realm, becoming a saint would offer a much greater increase in strength.
The gap between the Saint Realm and other realms was unfathomably vast.
Right now, the path of Incense Fire Sanctification was too slow. His best hope was to achieve sanctification through Dao Sacrifice!
As Li Hao pondered this, Zhandan glanced at him. She didn't know if her advice had made any impact, but sometimes, until someone hit a wall themselves, they wouldn't truly listen to others' words. You can't teach someone by telling them—they have to experience it.
She didn't dwell on it. Some lessons were inevitable. Skipping them might be wise, but it could also lead to other regrets.
"Earlier, you mentioned wanting to take a look at the Sacred Texts of the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor. Do you want to go now?" Zhandan asked with a smile.
Li Hao snapped back to the present and nodded in agreement.
Zhandan immediately put away her completed painting and instructed Yue Ying to gather the painting tools and materials. Once Yue Ying returned, Zhandan and Li Hao flew off from Tian Tan Peak.
"Look, it's that Qingfeng by her side again," several disciples on Tian Tan Peak remarked with complicated expressions as they watched the two leave.
Zhao Qingshu also looked on, his expression darkening.
Zhandan was the most radiant presence on Tian Tan Peak. Although these disciples didn't dare harbor improper thoughts about their master, seeing her peerless beauty every day inevitably stirred emotions deep within, though they buried them and dared not express them.
Now, seeing her always together with Li Hao over the past few days made them feel unsettled, even disturbing their inner composure.
The Wenxin Pavilion was where the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor housed its Sacred Texts. Here, disciples were taught the cultivation system of the Literary Saint, extracting power from the Sacred Texts. Without the appropriate cultivation system, reading the Sacred Texts would just be a dull exercise in reading.
Therefore, Zhandan bringing Li Hao here had little impact, as the Wenxin Pavilion mostly contained Sacred Texts collected from various dynasties' academies. In the Thirty-Three Realms, the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor held the highest position among scholars, even higher than the true saints, as the Literary Saint was the revered figure in the hearts of all scholars.
Moreover, the Literary Saint's incense fire faith came from scholars across the heavens.
The Wenxin Pavilion towered magnificently, emitting a gentle scholarly radiance. As they approached, Li Hao felt a calming effect on his mind, as though all distractions were washed away, leaving his heart at peace.
At the entrance of the pavilion, Zhandan greeted the gatekeepers and then said to Li Hao, "I'll wait for you outside. Go ahead and look inside."
Her tone was casual, but Li Hao was grateful. He nodded to her without saying much and turned to enter the pavilion.
Inside the pavilion, shelves were filled with ancient texts.
Li Hao scanned them with his divine sense and quickly realized that most of these were just ordinary books.
Only when combined with the cultivation system of the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor could they be used to extract terrifying power.
In other words, the true cultivation methods of the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor were not kept here. This place was akin to a "weapon pavilion."
Li Hao continued scanning and found three books that could be added to his system panel.
Feeling tempted, Li Hao memorized all the Sacred Texts in the pavilion and then took the three notable works before leaving.
By the time he exited, half a day had passed, and Zhandan was still waiting outside in the same place, in the same posture, as when he had entered.
Seeing Li Hao emerge, Zhandan noticed the three books in his hand and couldn't help but laugh. "You've got good taste."
"What would I need to offer if I wanted to take these three masterpieces for myself?"
Li Hao asked.
Once these three masterpieces were recorded in his system panel, they would disappear, and Li Hao doubted that the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor would easily agree to that. If they didn't, he wouldn't push the issue.
"You're really planning to study these? Without the cultivation methods of the Literary Saint, they're of no use to you. Are you just going to look at them for fun?" Zhandan teased.
"Well, they say there's a house of gold in books, and I'd like to dig for some gold," Li Hao replied with a smile.
Zhandan laughed. "And the second part of that saying? There's also beauty like jade in books."
"I've already seen the beauty like jade, but I haven't quite found the house of gold yet," Li Hao responded, looking directly at her as he spoke.
Zhandan was momentarily startled. Seeing his gaze upon her, and hearing those words, her cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
"If you were to join the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor, these three masterpieces could be given to you directly," Zhandan offered.
Li Hao sighed and shook his head. "I carry too many grudges. I wouldn't want to bring trouble to the Sacred Land."
Zhandan was slightly surprised and asked, "Who are your enemies?"
Li Hao didn't answer. His feud with Xu Sheng involved saints, and he didn't want to drag others into it.
Zhandan's eyes narrowed, realizing that Li Hao's enemies must be formidable. With Li Hao's current level, if his enemy were only a half-saint, there would be no reason to worry about implicating the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor.
After all, give Li Hao another sixty years, and he would likely rival a half-saint. The idea of causing trouble for others didn't make sense.
If not a half-saint, then it could only mean…
Zhandan gave Li Hao a deep look, not expecting that this carefree man had such a powerful enemy. If anyone else had faced such a foe, they would be filled with constant fear, sleepless from anxiety. Yet, before Li Hao had mentioned it, she hadn't sensed the slightest disturbance in his demeanor.
"If you ever need help, the Flower Appreciation Society can lend a hand," Zhandan offered.
Li Hao glanced at her, recognizing her sincerity, but shook his head slightly. "I'll take care of it myself."
Zhandan understood. Li Hao didn't want to involve others in his problems, and that made her admire him even more.
After all, if Li Hao hadn't mentioned his enemies and joined the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor as she had invited, the Literary Saint would have no choice but to step in if something happened in the future.
But Li Hao hadn't taken advantage of that offer.
She couldn't decide if it was foolishness or genuine nobility.
The world was full of people chasing after fame and fortune, but true loyalty and sincerity were hard to come by. Zhandan sighed inwardly. She thought back to her childhood, when she had left the royal family of the upper three realms, escaping the whirlpool of power struggles. She had seen the cruelty of human nature early on—her mother had died because of it. She had long since grown cold to the ways of the world. And yet, here, she had encountered someone like Li Hao.
"In that case, if you can't join the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor, you can take one of the three books, and I'll handle the rest," Zhandan said.
Li Hao looked at her, knowing this was another gesture of goodwill.
He thought for a moment, then selected The Collection of the Benevolent Emperor from the three.
After that, he handed the remaining two books back to the keeper.
Zhandan glanced at his choice, nodded slightly, and said nothing further.
Li Hao stored The Collection of the Benevolent Emperor in his spatial realm and then asked, "Are most of the books in Wenxin Pavilion copies of the original Sacred Texts?"
Zhandan was slightly surprised and smiled. "You could tell the difference between the originals and the copies?"
Unless one was deeply familiar with certain Sacred Texts, it was difficult to notice.
Li Hao hadn't seen through them directly but had guessed. After all, Wenxin Pavilion contained the collected Sacred Texts of the heavens, yet he had only found three that could be recorded into his system. That didn't add up.
Zhandan explained, "Some of the originals have been lost, so only copies remain. Other originals are held in the royal academies of various dynasties, as some scholars are deeply attached to them. Unless extreme measures are taken, even saints cannot sway their devotion."
"Additionally, some originals are too valuable and are kept by the Literary Saint himself to prevent damage when disciples borrow them."
Li Hao understood. It seemed that the three masterpieces he had found here were not highly regarded by the Literary Saint, which was why they were left here. The rest of the valuable originals were in his possession.
Only originals could be recorded in his system. Copies couldn't be added.
After returning to Tian Tan Peak with Zhandan, a few days passed. When Zhandan informed him that the arrangements for the book had been made and that it was his to keep, Li Hao recorded it into his system.
The Collection of the Benevolent Emperor converted into a new system attribute:
Invincible Benevolence: While in the state of Invincible Benevolence, all damage received will be equally reflected back at the attacker.
Li Hao was stunned. Some of the system attributes were strong, while others were average, but the Invincible Benevolence attribute was undoubtedly formidable.
It was a skill for trading damage with the enemy—fighting with a life-or-death strategy.
For most people, this might be less effective. After all, martial artists aim to avoid injury during battle, just like wild animals in the forest. Even if they win, sustaining injuries themselves could lead to lasting damage, hindering their future path in martial arts.
But Li Hao had Blood Rebirth, so he wasn't afraid of getting hurt.
"Still, I wonder how effective this will be against saints in battle."
Li Hao's eyes flickered with thought. Against opponents in the Dao Law Realm, he hadn't yet needed to use such an attribute. But it remained to be seen how effective it would be in a confrontation with a saint.
In any case, it was another layer of strength added to his repertoire.
Li Hao's thoughts turned to the other Sacred Texts. He began reciting them aloud in his small courtyard.
As the words of these Sacred Texts flowed from his mouth, his poetry experience skyrocketed.
Even though the experience gained from each text was minimal, ranging from hundreds to thousands, and some even gave only a few dozen points, the sheer number of Sacred Texts in Wenxin Pavilion meant that as Li Hao recited them one after another, his poetry cultivation rapidly rose from the fourth stage to the fifth stage.
Two more days passed, and Li Hao advanced to the sixth stage, with his experience bar fully filled.
He had earned two more skill points in rapid succession, lifting his spirits considerably.
Outside the courtyard, as Zhandan painted during her free time, she occasionally heard the recitations coming from Li Hao's small courtyard. She realized that he had memorized all the Sacred Texts and couldn't help but feel a bit astonished. She hadn't expected Li Hao to actually have such a passion for this path.
She shook her head with a wry smile. Compared to the members of the Flower Appreciation Society, who found joy in hardship, Li Hao seemed like he was truly enjoying life.
Time flew by.
Li Hao stayed at Tian Tan Peak. After accumulating enough poetry experience to reach the sixth stage in full, he needed to grasp the insights of the Spiritual Realm to continue progressing. However, since comprehending such insights required time and effort, Li Hao decided to put the poetry path on hold for the time being and focused instead on advancing his culinary and painting skills.
Whether in culinary arts or painting, once he reached the tenth stage, he could achieve Dao Sacrifice Sanctification, marking the true moment when he could finally reveal his true identity and rise to greater heights.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Li Hao spent his days discussing painting with Zhandan. They painted together, exchanged ideas, and Li Hao's understanding and insights grew deeper. Though there was a gap in their painting abilities, the collision of ideas during their exchanges often sparked new insights for Li Hao, furthering his understanding of the painting path.
Currently, his painting experience had accumulated to 920,000 points. He needed 4.08 million more to reach the ninth stage in full.
He still had a lot of experience to gather, which he hoped to accumulate during the upcoming Battle of Talents.
However, breaking through the painting realm and transcending into sainthood was even more difficult than accumulating experience.
During these three months, Li Qingyi also came to Tian Tan Peak to visit Zhao Qingshu. When she saw that Li Hao was there as well, she was stunned.
At this moment, Li Qingyi had shed the disguise she had worn during the Battle at Ritual Path Mountain, revealing her true, elegant appearance. Her cheeks were fair, her almond-shaped eyes clear, and there was still a touch of innocence in her expression.
After inquiring, Li Qingyi learned that Li Hao had come to discuss painting with the half-saint Zhandan.
This left Li Qingyi speechless.
In these three months, her Senior Brother Shuhai, the first-ranked prodigy of the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor, had been in seclusion, cultivating intensely. Yet Li Hao had come here to leisurely chat about painting?
Li Hao did not recognize Li Qingyi. As the three months came to an end, he bid farewell to Zhandan. The upcoming event was the Canglan Realm's Selection Battle, which had been brewing for a long time. Through the Realm Stones, the entire Canglan Realm, with its countless dynasties and hundreds of thousands of cities, would witness the spectacle.
As the battle approached, prodigies began emerging from seclusion, each radiating an aura of invincibility and dominance.
"My sword is ready. This time, I'll leave my name in the top ten!"
"Senior Brother Shuhai has emerged from seclusion!"
"Look over there, it's the Bright Moon Son's Bright Moon Divine Peak! There are two blazing suns above it—is that the Sun and Moon Sword Intent? It feels even more terrifying than before!"
In the three major sacred lands, waves of power surged as prodigies broke through their confines and displayed incredible phenomena.
"The sky has darkened! What's that? A demon?"
"No, that's the Heart Demon that the Buddhist Son has conquered. The Buddha said that the stronger the Heart Demon, the stronger the Buddha's nature. The Buddhist Son's Buddha nature far surpasses ours."
In the Buddhist Sacred Land, the sky suddenly darkened as black clouds rolled in, as if the heavens were collapsing.
This phenomenon startled countless people, and the news quickly spread.
In the Sacred Land of the Sword Ancestor, many prodigies emerged from seclusion, sending out scouts to gather intelligence on the other participants.
The Bright Moon Son emerged from his peak, his aura restrained. His silver hair now gleamed with strands of gold, and the gold and silver light in his eyes shone even brighter.
He immediately summoned his subordinates to gather information on Li Hao.
Before long, they returned with news.
"What? He went to the Sacred Land of the Literary Ancestor?"
"Yes, and it's said that he's hosting an art exhibition there, discussing painting with a half-saint elder of the Literary Ancestor."
Hearing this, the Bright Moon Son was stunned, almost spitting out blood.
This guy was too arrogant! The selection battle was imminent, and yet he still had time to indulge in painting?
In a fiery domain, Chiguang emerged from his seclusion. The scorching flames surrounding him were drawn back into his body, leaving only scorched ground behind.
His eyes gleamed with brilliant red patterns, as if imbued with some natural Dao markings.
"Double Buddha Sons, let me see what you're made of!"
Chiguang's eyes flashed with battle intent as he changed into his robes and flew out. Upon returning to his cave dwelling, he asked his master about the situation with the others.
When he heard that the Buddhist Sacred Land had witnessed the manifestation of an external Heart Demon, a hint of solemnity appeared in his eyes, but what filled him more was a surging desire to fight.
And when he heard about the dual sun phenomenon in the Sacred Land of the Sword Ancestor, he sneered.
Then, a thought came to him, and he asked his master about Qingfeng, the opponent he had previously faced.
When he learned that Qingfeng was hosting an art exhibition, he froze, feeling as if he had been angered into laughter.
It seemed that his earlier defeat had inflated Qingfeng's ego…