Chapter 359: Nine Levels of Dao Mastery, Source Saint
As the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle approached, in the quiet moments before the storm, Li Hao repeatedly activated the Red Bell of Dao Sound, delving deeper into the Path of Painting.
After the fourth activation, Li Hao's understanding of the Path of Painting had reached the ninth level, its peak.
He was on the verge of breaking through from the ninth to the tenth level—a leap from the mortal to the saint, establishing his own unique Path of Painting.
Li Hao initiated the fifth activation of the Red Bell of Dao Sound, hoping to make the final breakthrough in one go.
However, while many profound insights gathered, they remained at the same level of perception as before. The final step to achieving the Path of the Painting Saint couldn't be reached through mere insights alone. Though the bell provided flashes of enlightenment, it wasn't a true breakthrough.
Realizing that relying solely on the bell wouldn't allow him to ascend to sainthood through technique alone, Li Hao quickly shifted his focus to the Path of Chess during the echo of the bell's resonance.
His Chess Path had reached the eighth level. If he could comprehend the ninth level, it would also greatly enhance his power.
As waves of insights converged, his understanding of the Path of Chess deepened rapidly, bursting forth with brilliant flashes of inspiration.
Then Li Hao activated the bell for the sixth time. By now, the red glow of the bell had faded considerably, almost to the point of vanishing.
The insights brought by the bell caused Li Hao's Chess Path to surge, nearing the ninth level.
Li Hao didn't stop, using the momentum to activate the bell for the seventh and final time. This time, the red glow of the bell completely disappeared. After its final vibration, the Red Bell of Dao Sound slowly dissipated from Li Hao's mind.
But the last burst of insights allowed Li Hao's Chess Path to rapidly break through, touching the true boundaries of the Dao Realm.
In total, the seven activations of the Red Bell had elevated his Chess Path from the eighth to near completion of the ninth level.
Li Hao estimated that two activations of the bell equated to one true moment of enlightenment. The bell could resonate seven times, providing significant aid when stuck at bottlenecks.
Looking at his newly heightened understanding of the Chess Path, Li Hao immediately integrated it into his mastery of the Nine Levels of Dao Control.
Instantly, countless streams of thoughts rushed into his mind.
The Nine Levels of Dao Control encompassed the mastery of all the ninth-level techniques and the energy of the Dao.
At this moment, Li Hao had truly reached the pinnacle of the Dao Realm, where his words dictated reality, and with a single thought, life and death could be decided.
Moreover, having reached the ninth level of Dao Control and combining it with his insights into the Path of the Body, Li Hao suddenly had a new idea. If he could perfectly merge his mastery of the Dao Control and the Path of the Body, he might just touch the limits of the Wen Dao Realm.
In the Wen Dao Realm, there were two stages: True Person Realm, where the Dao is merged with the body, rendering the body impervious to harm, and Dao Law Realm, which allowed one to control the laws of heaven and earth.
If he could combine both, embedding the laws of the world into his body, he would become impervious to all techniques, invulnerable to any force!
Li Hao's eyes brightened. If he could achieve this, then even if he stood motionless and made no attempt to defend, other powerful Wen Dao Realm experts would find it almost impossible to harm him.
With this in mind, Li Hao immediately attempted to fuse the laws of the Dao with his body.
However, while the theory was sound, actually achieving it was far more challenging. After several failed attempts, Li Hao suddenly recalled how he absorbed and refined extreme energy in the past, sparking a new idea. If extreme energy could be refined, why not the laws of the Dao as well?
He immediately used his mastery of the Nine Levels of Dao Control to imprint the laws of the Dao into his divine blood.
Previously, Li Hao had already achieved a Divine Blood Dao Body, with his divine blood containing the power of the Dao. In the True Person Realm, his physical body was at the pinnacle, and his Dao power was undiminished. Now, he wove the laws of the Dao into threads of energy, as fine as needles, threading them into his divine blood and slowly refining them.
The process of condensing the vast power of the laws into the tiny space within his divine blood was incredibly difficult.
Fortunately, with his mastery of the Nine Levels of Dao Control, Li Hao had reached the peak of the Dao Law Realm, giving him excellent control over the laws of the Dao. After consuming considerable mental energy, he finally managed to imprison a single law within his divine blood, fully refining it!
From that moment on, his divine blood contained the power of that law.
If he encountered a law that either matched or opposed that one, he would either cancel it out or resist it.
"It works!"
Li Hao's eyes gleamed. His first successful refinement of a law proved that this path was viable!
However, like refining his Qi Veins, this process would also require time.
This type of time investment was unavoidable, and only now did Li Hao truly understand why others spent hundreds of years in cultivation. Certain things, like refining and comprehending laws, were akin to building a house—rushing it would only cause it to collapse.
Luckily, the Sacred Land of Saints was rich in energy and densely packed with laws, allowing Li Hao to refine at a relatively fast pace. In the days that followed, he continued refining laws daily, and his body grew stronger and more formidable.
However, there was only a little over a month left until the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle.
During this time, Li Hao secluded himself in his courtyard for training. Meanwhile, Lin Baichuan, Chu Hanwei, and the others were also making their final preparations, either in secluded cultivation or finding ways to relax, each maintaining their own focus without disturbing the others.
As the battle drew near, Li Hao had refined over a hundred laws within his body. His very presence now exuded an unusual aura, as though he were the center of countless laws.
"It's a pity… the final step of the Path of Painting still requires true enlightenment."
Li Hao emerged from seclusion, feeling the surge of strength within him. He had grown much stronger than before, but compared to a saint, it still wasn't enough to reach a qualitative change.
Previously, his Eternal Domain had been enough to suppress a half-saint, allowing him to easily defeat those at the same level. Now, with the addition of refined Qi Veins and the laws embedded in his body, he was well on his way to mastering the peak of the Wen Dao Realm, and his strength had increased dramatically. However, the gap between him and a saint remained vast and insurmountable.
In his previous sparring with Feng Lao, he had managed to injure him, but that had been thanks to the Immortal's Guidance sword technique, a supreme sword art.
His own strength was still not enough to challenge a saint.
Moreover, Feng Lao hadn't been fighting seriously at the time. If Li Hao were to face Void Saint in a true life-and-death struggle, he wasn't confident in his chances. But unlike before, this time he had the power to fight back. He might not be able to win, but he wouldn't lose as miserably as he would have before.
Reaching this level in the Wen Dao Realm was already an extraordinary achievement, but it still wasn't enough for Li Hao.
"If I could perfect either the Qi Veins or the Wen Dao Realm, there might be a chance for me to fight. But there isn't enough time. If only I had one more year…"
Li Hao frowned. Time was his biggest constraint. Over the past half year, his progress had been astonishing compared to others, but it still wasn't enough.
"At this point, the quickest path forward is to fully develop the Seed of the Saint Path and solidify it."
"With the Seed of the Saint Path, combined with my mastery of multiple Extreme Realms and the Immortal's Guidance sword technique, I should have enough strength for a fight!"
Even though the Seed of the Saint Path was merely a budding form, easily shattered by a fully formed Saint Path, it still counted as part of the saint's realm, giving him the qualification to stand on the battlefield.
Unlike refining laws or Qi Veins, the Seed of the Saint Path required enlightenment. It could take decades, or it could happen in an instant.
"The battle is approaching. We have to leave early since the journey from the Small Thousand World to the Tianyuan Realm is a long one."
Feng Boping arrived at Li Hao's courtyard to inform him it was time to depart.
Li Hao remained silent. For others, this trip was about competing with other geniuses. For him, however, it might mean facing an ambush from saints. His real opponents were the saints.
Seeing Li Hao's hesitation, Feng Boping seemed to understand his concerns and said,
"You needn't worry about the Buddhist sect or Void Saint. I've made arrangements. Your only task is to participate in the Supreme Heaven's Pride
Battle and secure first place. Everything else is taken care of, and there may even be some unexpected surprises for you!"
"Unexpected surprises?" Li Hao looked at Feng Boping with curiosity.
"Indeed, according to a reliable source, this time the reward for first place isn't just the incense offering needed to become a saint. There are also three extremely precious treasures from the world itself, which are essential materials for cultivating a Dao Tribulation Imperial Weapon!"
Feng Boping's eyes gleamed with excitement as he explained, "Two of these world treasures come from the Buddhist sect and the Void Saint's Sacred Land. They voluntarily offered them as part of the reward for the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle champion!"
"The third one seems to be a generous gift from a Supreme Saint, though it doesn't concern us much. However, the fact that the Buddhist sect and the Void Saint's Sacred Land are willing to part with such treasures should make their motives obvious to you, right?"
Li Hao's face darkened. "They're trying to lure me in?"
"Exactly."
Feng Boping let out a cold laugh. "In this Small Thousand World, within the confines of the Dao Theft Sacred Land, this is my domain. As long as you stay here, I can protect you. Even if a Supreme Saint came, I could find a way for us to escape. But once you leave the Small Thousand World and are no longer within my territory, it's hard to say what might happen."
"They fear you'll back out of the competition and thus try to tempt you with these treasures."
"But what they don't realize," Feng Boping said with a smirk, "is that with your strength, as long as you participate, no one can stop you from taking first place!"
Feng Boping understood the schemes of the Buddhist sect and the Void Saint. Their goal was to lure Li Hao into the competition and kill him during the event. As for the loss of the treasures, if they ended up in the hands of someone else who won the competition, they could still earn goodwill by spinning it as an act of generosity. After all, anyone capable of taking first place in the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle could become a saint, and forming an alliance with such a person would be worth the sacrifice.
A killing intent flashed in Li Hao's eyes. The Buddhist sect and the Void Saint's Sacred Land were willing to pay a high price to eliminate him.
"Your job is simple: just take first place," Feng Boping said with a smile. "Once you've become a saint and secured their treasures, I can't wait to see their reactions!"
Hearing this, the murderous aura in Li Hao's eyes slowly receded, as he calmed himself. He said, "They're offering such a tempting bait, so this trip is bound to be exceptionally dangerous."
Feng Boping nodded. "Indeed. However, I've already arranged for some old friends to help, and Huang Tian Sheng will also be part of the escort. We have a way to ensure your safe passage to the Tianyuan Realm. Once you arrive there, they won't dare to act recklessly. After all, that place is guarded by a Supreme Saint, and the laws of the Upper Three Realms are extremely strict. Fa Sheng, who enforces the laws, is very meticulous and won't tolerate anyone crossing the line."
"Fa Sheng…"
Li Hao's eyes flickered. Fa Sheng was one of the Supreme Saints, overseeing all laws and regulations within the realms, including matters of governance, justice, and the relationship between rulers and subjects. His power was undeniable.
After witnessing the hypocrisy and deceit of both the Void Saint and the Buddhist Venerable, Li Hao had little faith in the integrity of saints. But while he didn't trust them as people, he did believe in their Saint Paths.
Saints were bound by their own Saint Paths and would not act contrary to them. Doing so would only weaken their own power.
Even if others saw a saint's actions as hypocritical, as long as the saint justified their actions within their own Saint Path, it wouldn't be considered a violation.
For instance, the Buddhist Venerable could justify his act of feeding his body to a vicious beast as an act of compassion, while others might view it as enabling evil. It all depended on the saint's own interpretation.
"The Tianyuan Realm is governed by the laws of Fa Sheng, and no one would dare challenge them. In addition, I've also contacted a saint from the Mojia in the Tianyuan Realm, who will provide you with protection. With a Supreme Saint like Mojia Sheng on your side, no one will dare make a move against you!"
Feng Boping then added, "Moreover, I sought the help of the Source Saint in the Tianyuan Realm. He's agreed that if you secure first place, he will personally guarantee your safety, ensuring that no one can harm you in the slightest."
"The Source Saint?"
Li Hao was taken aback and looked toward Feng Boping. He had been in the Land of Saints for some time, and though his first ten years had been spent in seclusion, he had learned a lot about the various saints over the last two years, especially the Supreme Saints of the Upper Three Realms.
The Source Saint was one of the oldest saints in the Land of Saints.
By the time the second saint had been born, the Source Saint had already been walking the world, teaching and enlightening the people.
For Feng Boping to have made contact with him and secured his support meant that the old man had been working tirelessly behind the scenes.
Li Hao fell silent for a moment before saying to Feng Boping, "I fear I may never be able to repay you for all you've done."
"Nonsense!"
Feng Boping spat dismissively before breaking into a smile. "The other contenders only have to focus on training and showing up for the competition. But you? You've got saints plotting to kill you! You've got no one else to rely on in the Land of Saints. Unlike the others who were born into prestigious families or accepted into great sacred lands from a young age, you've had to fight your way up from nothing. If I don't help you, who will?"
"Don't waste time worrying about all these distractions. Just prepare for the competition and get that first place. Once you become a saint, we'll deal with these people one by one."
Li Hao took a deep breath. Feng Boping had done so much for him already. How could he think of retreating now?
"I will!"
Li Hao responded with resolve.
Initially, he hadn't been too concerned with securing first place, only focused on obtaining the incense offering to become a saint. But now, he truly desired to claim the top spot for himself.
"The Source Saint values talent. If you manage to take first place, you'll likely earn his favor. Many of the saints in the Land of Saints once received his guidance and blessing during their journeys, even if they never formally became his disciples. They respect him greatly. If he decides to support you, a single word from him would be enough to ensure no one dares touch you in the future!"
Feng Boping said, revealing his true plan for Li Hao.
Hearing this, Li Hao nodded thoughtfully, casting a deep look at Feng Boping but saying no more.
After finishing their conversation, Feng Boping asked Li Hao to remain in the courtyard, while he left to make further arrangements.
Not long after, Feng Boping returned with two figures, one of whom was Huang Tian Sheng. The other was a saint dressed in a black robe.
Although their auras were restrained, they still emanated a faint Dao aura, standing tall and otherworldly, as if they existed within the very fabric of heaven and earth, untouchable by mortal means.
"I've also enlisted a few other friends to help along the way. This is the Mojia Saint."
Feng Boping introduced the black-robed saint to Li Hao.
Li Hao respectfully cupped his hands toward the Mojia Saint, whose name was Yuan Zhou. The saint cast a glance at Li Hao, his eyes revealing a flicker of surprise.
Though Li Hao kept his aura concealed, there was a subtle sense of laws lingering around him—something Yuan Zhou had never seen in someone still in the Dao Law Realm.
"No wonder the Dao Theft Saint is so determined to protect him. He's indeed an extraordinary talent."
Yuan Zhou smiled and said to Li Hao, "Besides the invitation from Dao Theft Saint, I was also asked by someone else to ensure your safe passage. Rest assured, I'll deliver you to the Tianyuan Realm."
Both Li Hao and Feng Boping were surprised by this statement. Feng Boping had gone to great lengths to invite Yuan Zhou, but now it seemed someone else had also requested his help?
Seeing the confusion on their faces, Yuan Zhou smiled slightly and said, "I wasn't planning to accept at first, but Dao Theft Saint's offer was too generous to refuse."
Feng Boping: "..."
So, Yuan Zhou had essentially accepted favors from both sides?
Not only had he been asked by someone else to help, but he had also gained favors from Feng Boping. Quite the double win…
"May I ask who it was that requested your assistance?" Feng Boping asked curiously. If Li Hao
had connections with someone from the Mojia Sacred Land, it would make sense. But Li Hao had never been to the Tianyuan Realm. So, who would have asked Yuan Zhou for such a favor?
Yuan Zhou's smile turned slightly mysterious. "That, I'm afraid, is not something I can disclose."
Seeing that Yuan Zhou didn't want to reveal any more, Feng Boping didn't press the matter. Li Hao, too, was curious but decided not to dwell on it. He figured he would find out eventually.
Huang Tian Sheng, standing by, smiled at Li Hao and teased, "Looks like you've accrued yet another favor. You'd better take first place this time; I'll be waiting for you to repay these favors."
Li Hao smiled bitterly but nodded seriously. "I will."
Feng Boping then turned to Li Hao and said, "To ensure your safety on the journey to the Tianyuan Realm, we'll need you to use that double-sided technique you once used in the mortal realm. Can you still manage it?"
Li Hao was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood what Feng Boping meant. He was referring to his Mirror Doppelgänger ability from the Dual-Face Technique, which allowed him to create a clone that retained about thirty percent of his original strength.
"No problem," Li Hao nodded.
"Good. Go ahead and prepare. We'll wait outside." Feng Boping gestured, and the group left the courtyard, giving Li Hao privacy.
Li Hao immediately began to activate the Mirror Doppelgänger ability. Soon, a duplicate of himself emerged, identical in appearance and aura, with no visible difference from the original.
Looking at the clone that was nearly indistinguishable from himself, Li Hao had a good idea of what Feng Boping's plan was.
When the clone was ready, Li Hao called Feng Boping back in.
Feng Boping, Yuan Zhou, and Huang Tian Sheng entered again. Seeing the clone, they were visibly impressed.
"This doppelgänger could easily fool anyone. Quite impressive," Yuan Zhou remarked.
Huang Tian Sheng studied the clone carefully, her sharp eyes able to detect slight differences. However, her abilities in deception and trickery made her highly skilled in such matters, so she doubted anyone else would notice these nuances.
"Not bad," she commented with a nod of approval. Her admiration for Li Hao deepened. If she could somehow convince him to join Huang Tian Sheng Di, their sacred land would have an unparalleled future.
Feng Boping then explained the plan to Li Hao. "Your real body will travel with us, while this doppelgänger will be under Huang Tian Sheng's protection, taking a different route."
This strategy had been devised by Huang Tian Sheng, whose expertise in deception was unmatched. She was, after all, the supreme master of illusion and misdirection. Li Hao's trust in her and Feng Boping's judgment was implicit.
Li Hao agreed, leaving the arrangements to them.
With the date of departure nearing, both sacred lands gathered their participants. A massive treasure ship, capable of traversing the void, was prepared to carry them all to the Tianyuan Realm.
Feng Boping, Yuan Zhou, and Li Hao's true self, along with many other sacred sons and daughters from the Dao Theft Sacred Land, boarded the ship.
Two hours later, after their departure, Huang Tian Sheng secretly led Li Hao's clone along a different path, their movements concealed from prying eyes as they made their way toward the Tianyuan Realm.