Chapter 518: Journey to the Heavenly Palace
Hearing the Grand Dream Master's words, Li Hao finally remembered the Ascension Pill he had been awarded earlier. Every True Immortal was allowed to take one, boosting their realm by a full stage instantly—something only sects with deep foundations would reward to their top talents.
"I haven't used it yet."
Li Hao had originally planned to save it for Feng Lao or Lin Qingying, but with time running short, breaking through the tenth level of the True Immortal stage would take him at least two months.
"Then this is the perfect time to take it. Once you reach the tenth level, whether you can break through the bottleneck and step into the Immortal Lord stage will depend on your fate."
The Grand Dream Master let out a breath of relief and smiled warmly.
Li Hao nodded, but a shadow of childhood trauma surfaced in his mind.
He had a strange condition where pills would lose their effect after entering his system—filtered out completely. Luckily, food was unaffected. So he would need to cook the Ascension Pill, turning it into a meal to eliminate the pill toxins and make the energy easier to absorb.
"There are ten days left. Focus on your cultivation."
The Grand Dream Master's form drifted away like mist. "Once you earn a good ranking in the Southern Region War, I'll give you a gift you'll definitely love."
Li Hao's curiosity was piqued. "What kind of gift?"
"Secret." She gave a mysterious smile, but her gaze was soft.
Li Hao didn't press further. He simply nodded. "What you've given me already is more than enough."
The Grand Dream Master shook her head with a smile and said nothing more. After spending more than two months with this youth, she had come to see his true nature. His Dao heart was extraordinary—calm, unarrogant, and unaffected by worldly desires. She liked that about him very much.
"I'm going to check on the others' progress. Stay here and cultivate. If you need anything, just call out to the air—I'll appear."
With that, her figure vanished like drifting clouds.
Li Hao didn't waste time. Once she was gone, he raised his hand and drew a cauldron in the air. Then, he retrieved the Ascension Pill from his personal spatial realm and tossed it inside.
Raising his hand again, he summoned a flame of chaotic divine fire in his palm—hotter and purer than before. With his current fourth-level mastery of the fire path, his control over flame had reached an entirely new level.
As the divine flame refined the pill, waves of immortal energy began to rise from the cauldron, accompanied by the pungent medicinal scent of the Ascension Pill.
But that scent carried with it the harsh bite of pill toxins, acrid and unpleasant. Li Hao quickly took out some spices and ingredients from his spatial realm. Once added, the smell mellowed and transformed into a rich, spicy aroma, blending the flavor of rare herbs and blood essence into a savory fragrance.
Li Hao's appetite stirred. He carefully adjusted the fire to reduce the sauce, and when the broth thickened, he opened the cauldron lid, releasing a rush of fragrant steam.
He inhaled deeply, then waved his hand to lift the cooked Ascension Pill—now round and meatball-like.
No longer the silvery-white pill from before, it now glistened with broth, resembling a braised meatball.
Without hesitation, Li Hao popped it into his mouth.
He decided that if he met Feng Lao or the others again and they were still at the True Immortal stage, he would look for more Ascension Pills for them. Though rare and valuable, with the amount of spirit stones he had now, buying one or two wouldn't be an issue.
The moment the cooked pill entered his stomach, a torrent of immortal power exploded inside him. It wasn't gentle—it surged through his body like a blast, crashing into every inch of his being.
Instantly, his internal energy churned violently, shaking and rolling uncontrollably. With the continued tremors, his immortal power grew denser. External immortal energy began to resonate with him, flowing into his body.
Li Hao didn't resist the change. He let the transformation unfold naturally. Before long, he felt his energy peak and surge into a new realm.
He knew then—he had broken through. He had reached the tenth level of the True Immortal stage.
His internal power surged wildly. His sea of consciousness expanded. His immortal veins widened, able to hold twice as much energy as before.
Riding this momentum, Li Hao continued to draw in energy from outside, rapidly filling his immortal veins. As the swelling pain set in, he understood—he had reached the peak of the tenth level.
"Years of cultivation can't compare to a single pill. So this is what it means to have a sect's full backing."
Li Hao couldn't help but sigh. Talent wasn't everything. Without cultivation resources, even the brightest genius could be buried by time.
After all, the world didn't lack talent. What it lacked was the means to nurture it.
That's why no matter how dazzling a prodigy might be, they still had to join the struggle for resources.
With his cultivation stabilized, Li Hao sat cross-legged in the hall, quietly feeling the changes within. Once the energy settled, he opened his eyes and waved his hand to collect the cauldron in front of him.
Though it was only a painting he had created, the cauldron now had real functionality and was of surprisingly high quality.
"When I reach the twelfth tier, I should be able to draw true-treasure-level battle weapons, maybe even give them real effect for a short time."
Li Hao thought to himself, feeling a surge of anticipation. The path of painting also depended on materials—if there were none, he could only use his painting skill and immortal power as ink. Drawing a true treasure would already be the limit.
But if it were carving, and he had the right top-grade immortal materials, Li Hao believed he could sculpt a true immortal weapon. That would be true hand-crafted immortal arms, without the complexity of traditional forging.
Thinking of this, his anticipation grew. If he really reached that level, with his Stellar Vein's stamina, he could continuously draw battle weapons—he could form an entire army by himself!
Shaking off these thoughts, Li Hao focused once more on drawing the Origin Divine Tree of Time.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.
In another palace courtyard within the Langya Painting Realm—
"Master, in this Southern Region War, little junior sister and I will definitely secure a good ranking. You can rest easy!"
In the courtyard stood a young man and woman, paired like a golden couple. The youth spoke with a firm gaze and full of fighting spirit to the Grand Dream Master before him.
The Grand Dream Master smiled and said, "The two of you have just stepped into the first level of the Immortal Lord stage. Compared to others, there's still quite a gap. Don't underestimate them. If you proceed steadily, you might just make it into the top hundred."
"Even counting all the Immortal Lord stage disciples from the top sects of each immortal dynasty, there are only about a hundred of them, right? Wouldn't we be at the bottom then? Master, don't look down on us like that."
The young woman beside him had bright eyes and a lively charm. She teased the Grand Dream Master with a playful tone.
The Grand Dream Master chuckled and said, "Don't act tough. Focus on the bigger picture. As long as you enter the top hundred, and with the merit earned by our elders and disciples at the border, our sect's advancement to a Tianyi Sect is nearly guaranteed. Besides, you're not the only ones. Others in the sect also have the potential to rank well."
"Are you talking about that guy named Haotian?"
The young woman's eyes lit up with curiosity. "I heard he placed tenth in the Ancient Immortal Realm of the Yanchu Immortal Dynasty and earned seven years of cultivation time in the Origin Secret Realm. Has he broken through to the Immortal Lord stage yet?"
"Not that fast. He was only at the ninth level of the True Immortal stage before. The Origin Secret Realm is more for comprehending Dao than leveling up. But with his depth in the Dao, once he does break through, he'll be a powerhouse even among Immortal Lords."
The Grand Dream Master smiled softly. She knew Li Hao's soul lifespan was barely a hundred years. For someone that young to reach the True Immortal stage was already monstrous. Not to mention he was now at the peak of the tenth level. When soul lifespan gets verified in the Southern Region War, she figured many would be shocked.
"What? He's still not an Immortal Lord? Doesn't that make it really hard for him to make the top hundred? Is he deliberately suppressing his cultivation to compete in the True Immortal group?"
The young woman asked in surprise.
The young man beside her had a glint in his eyes and said, "Master, it seems you've been spending a lot of time with that junior brother lately—guiding and teaching him."
Sensing the faint tone of jealousy in his voice, the Grand Dream Master laughed and said, "I had intended to do that, but the child is too sharp. He didn't seek my guidance in Dao, only discussed other things with me."
"What other things?" the youth asked, his face slightly tense.
The Grand Dream Master looked at him, her smile fading just a little. She said, "That's not something you should be worried about. The war is about to begin. You need to focus. Other Tianyi Sect disciples won't just stand by and watch you shine. After all, if our sect rises, one of the current Tianyi Sects must fall. For one to ascend, another must be dethroned. The Yanchu Immortal Dynasty has kept the number of Tianyi Sects at five for the past hundred thousand years, so the top resources always go to the top sects. This is a life-and-death competition!"
Hearing her words, the two disciples looked at each other and lowered their heads. "Yes, Master. We understand."
"This time, the two of you will lead the charge, alongside Haotian. You three are the strongest in our sect. If other sect disciples challenge us, you must be the first to step forward—shielding the others from harm. Do you understand?"
The Grand Dream Master's tone turned a bit stern.
"With him?"
The two were visibly shocked. They'd heard of the boy defeating an Immortal Lord from the imperial family in the Ancient Immortal Realm, but they always believed it was because their master had secretly given him a powerful weapon. They couldn't believe someone still in the True Immortal stage could have that kind of strength. After stepping into the Immortal Lord realm themselves, they now understood just how vast that gap truly was.
With their current strength, they could suppress anyone in the True Immortal stage with just a wave of the hand. Any techniques or immortal arts the opponent used would be nullified under their own immortal laws.
The Grand Dream Master gave a slight nod and didn't say more to the two. She had them leave the secret realm and gather with the other disciples from the various abysses.
Then, her figure left the hall and returned to the main palace where Li Hao resided.
As soon as she arrived, she saw that Li Hao's cultivation had reached the tenth level of the True Immortal stage. His aura was even more restrained than before, and a satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
If she didn't already suspect that Li Hao had some powerful legacy behind him, she would have taken him as her personal disciple long ago. His temperament and talent were impeccable.
"It's time to depart," she said softly, her tone gentle and calm.
Li Hao slowly opened his eyes and, seeing the hazy, tender look in her eyes, felt a warmth rise in his heart. He stood up and said, "Thank you for taking care of me all this time, Senior. I will definitely win a good rank for Da Meng Jiuyuan!"
The Grand Dream Master saw the determination and resolve in the young man's eyes and suddenly felt a slight tremor in her heart. She shook her head and said, "You don't need to push yourself so hard. With your strength, making the top five in the True Immortal group should be no problem. If that personal disciple of the Heavenly Palace's Supreme doesn't join the fight, you might even take the top three, or first place."
"Even if you fall short and only get into the top five, it'll still be enough for Da Meng Jiuyuan to rise to Tianyi Sect status."
Li Hao nodded without saying much more. Since he was going to fight, he wouldn't hold anything back. He'd give it his all—otherwise, it wouldn't mean anything.
"Go on, and don't feel too much pressure," the Grand Dream Master said softly.
Li Hao smiled. If it were another disciple, they'd probably receive a long motivational speech. Yet for him, she worried he might feel too pressured. That kind of gentle concern was sharper than a blade—it pierced right through the heart.
He just nodded and said nothing more. He followed the Grand Dream Master out of the main hall and carefully collected all the paintings he had done over the past days.
Meanwhile, the other disciples in the Langya Painting Realm had already received the Grand Dream Master's summons through a projection of her voice. One by one, they emerged from their cultivation and gathered in the courtyard.
Outside the Langya Painting Realm, at the training grounds, each abyss had selected an elder to accompany the group.
For the Sword Abyss, it was old man Li.
The Grand Dream Master's figure appeared, her robe billowing like a celestial statue standing above the courtyard. But this time, she revealed her true form.
With a wave of her hand, a magnificent flying vessel covered in gleaming treasures flew from her sleeve. It looked solemn and majestic, growing larger in the air until its shadow covered the entire courtyard.
"Elders from each abyss, board the vessel. We depart now."
Except for Li Tiemu, the other abyss elders immediately stepped aboard the vessel.
The Grand Dream Master waved her hand again, and all the disciples in the secret realm shimmered and were instantly transported onto the ship.
Then she shrank her figure down to a tall, elegant form and stood at the bow of the ship. Her bearing was unmatched, sleeves fluttering in the wind like drifting clouds.
"Sect Master, you're going personally?" asked Mu Yun, the accompanying elder from the Spear Abyss, visibly surprised.
"This is merely a projection," the Grand Dream Master replied gently.
Among the crowd, Li Hao felt a slight stir in his heart. The Grand Dream Master had previously said she would personally escort them—he couldn't help wondering if this was really a projection, or if she was hiding her presence from the others.
Mu Yun seemed relieved at her response and returned to his seat.
"There are many guest rooms aboard. Pick whichever you like. The journey will take three days, even on a vessel of this level. Rest well and relax—there's no need to be tense."
The Grand Dream Master's tone was calm and steady.
The elders and disciples from each abyss quickly acknowledged her orders and entered the ship. It was massive, housing its own secret realm with hundreds, even thousands, of rooms.
Li Hao was about to go find a room when the Grand Dream Master's voice rang in his mind: "Go to Room Tian No. 1. Stay with me."
He froze for a moment, glancing at the Grand Dream Master.
"Yes," he replied in his mind. Then he entered the ship and soon found the largest of the guest rooms.
Calling it a "guest room" wasn't quite right—it was as luxurious as a palace.
Outside the room was a barrier, but as soon as Li Hao approached, it vanished quietly.
He knew the Grand Dream Master had control over everything on the vessel. Nothing inside could escape her notice.
"Heavenly Palace…"
Thinking of how they would arrive at the heart of the Southern Region in three days, Li Hao couldn't help but recall the figures of Yuan Zu and Shen Wang, who had left the real world early, and also the deceiving Sage Huangtian, who had later been taken to the Heavenly Palace as well.