Chapter 535: Acceptance of Dao Seeking Mountain
At the foot of Dao Seeking Mountain, aside from Li Hao, only a few disciples who had started late from various sects remained.
However, soon, they too defeated their respective Dao realm incarnations and quickly ascended the mountain.
Only Li Hao remained, still leisurely placing his pieces on the chessboard.
After all, compared to the swift, decisive battles with swords and knives, the Dao of Chess clearly took more time.
Countless people stared at this scene in astonishment. While geniuses from various sects in the Southern Domain were slaying their Dao realm incarnations and rushing to the top of the mountain, this young man was sitting alone at the foot of the mountain, quietly playing a game of chess.
"What's that brat doing? Why is he so slow?"
Li Tie Mu, seeing this, who had been calm and composed earlier, now became anxious.
Although he knew that Li Hao's Dao heart was extremely strong, with the Floater Heart Tower test, Li Hao's Dao heart was the Eternal Dao Heart, which was more than enough to reach the Forgetting Heart Hall on the mountain's midsection, he wasn't sure if Li Hao could make it to the peak.
If he couldn't reach the top, even if his name was among the list, he would be eliminated!
"Does he also understand the Dao of Chess?"
Nearby, Da Meng Zhu was also stunned.
She knew that aside from cultivating, Li Hao was also proficient in the Dao of Painting and had gained enlightenment from it, understanding other Dao realms. But she hadn't expected that aside from the Dao of Painting, Li Hao had also delved into the Dao of Chess, so much so that the Dao Seeking Mountain was reflecting a Dao realm incarnation for it.
This clearly showed that Li Hao's understanding of the Dao of Chess was no small feat!
She froze for a moment, then heard Li Tie Mu's anxious voice. Returning to her senses, a trace of concern appeared in her eyes. However, being outside the trial, she couldn't send a voice transmission to Li Hao, and had no way to urge him.
However, from what she learned from Li Tie Mu, she knew that Li Hao's Dao heart level was high. She still believed he had a great chance of reaching the top, and even if he was a bit late, he wouldn't be eliminated.
"An interesting Dao of Chess."
At this moment, in the sky, Emperor Chu and other emperors from various sects also noticed Li Hao's strange behavior.
Compared to the other disciples, this young man's actions were very conspicuous, with a transcendent aura, distinct from other cultivators.
Emperor Chu, skilled in chess and fond of the game, would often play chess with Yuan Xinggang and Shangguan Hong, who were both rough players. Over time, both of them had become more profound in their understanding of chess through their long years of play.
Now, seeing this young man's chess skills, he was also impressed.
Although not quite at their level, he had yet to see any young genius in this realm with such chess talent.
"He's indeed a promising chess player."
Beside him, Emperor Jiang smiled. He too had studied the Dao of Chess. He hadn't expected that among the younger generation, there would be such an unconventional talent, and he couldn't help but look at him with new respect.
Although the Dao of Chess was considered a lesser Dao and couldn't be compared to the Nine Sequences or the battle Dao of swords and knives, it was still a good way to temper one's mindset during leisure.
"He's still in the opening phase. A true chess game should unfold naturally, with moves flowing seamlessly, not forcing the game."
In the distance, the towering figure of Tian Gong Supreme also revealed a faint smile in his eyes and commented, "But for his age, to have reached such a level in his spare time is already an extraordinary chess talent."
Upon hearing the Supreme's praise, the other emperors of the sects couldn't help but be moved.
They didn't have any prejudice against this lesser Dao, but they felt that, given this young man's extraordinary talent, he should be focusing more on cultivation at this stage.
At a certain sect in the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty.
"Haotian…"
A figure dressed in a green robe sat at the top of the mountain, playing chess. Across from him was a friend he had made within the sect, someone with shared interests.
While they casually played, both watching the Southern Domain Genius Battle reflected in the sky, the green-robed figure's gaze stopped on the young man and stayed there, no longer focusing on his own game.
"Old Feng, is that child really your friend? His soul lifespan is so short, yet he still has time to play chess? That's such a waste of time!"
The gray-robed old man with a wine-stained nose exclaimed in surprise.
The green-robed elder laughed, "He's always been like this. How can you call it wasting time? As long as he feels joy, it's not a waste!"
The gray-robed elder was stunned for a moment, then carefully pondered those words, clapping his hands in approval, "Wonderful."
"Life is but three ten-thousand days for mortals. Whether it's struggling for fame, casually going with the flow, making friends and earning money to be rich, or holding power in the court to control the heavens, in the end, it all turns to dust. Everyone, from emperors to the common folk, must all be buried in the earth. What's the difference?"
The green-robed elder smiled, "Only the time spent making yourself happy truly counts as living."
"Old Feng, you see it so freely. I feel ashamed in comparison."
The gray-robed elder couldn't help but sigh, a trace of admiration in his eyes.
While saying this, being able to truly live so freely was another matter. He questioned whether he could ever reach such a state.
"These words, the child once said them."
The green-robed elder's gaze remained fixed on the young man at the foot of Dao Seeking Mountain. His eyes gleamed with strong nostalgia and longing.
"Him?"
The gray-robed elder was stunned, looking at the young man reflected in the clouds above. In just a hundred years of soul lifespan, he had such profound insights?
"What level is his Dao heart at?"
He couldn't help but ask.
The green-robed elder slightly shook his head, "If you focus too much on the Dao heart, you won't reach great heights."
The gray-robed elder froze, his mind buzzing from the impact of the words.
In the Southern Domain, countless people were debating Li Hao's actions at this very moment.
"His soul lifespan is so short, yet he can participate in the Southern Domain War of the Geniuses? His talent must be extraordinarily high, yet instead of focusing on cultivation, he's wasting time on such trivial matters like this!"
"This is such a waste of potential! Doesn't his sect manage him?"
"Maybe for him, playing chess is also a form of cultivation. Mother, look at those geniuses playing chess. Tomorrow, I'll go to find Miss Qing Luan and practice dual cultivation with her; isn't that normal too?"
"Those geniuses are incredibly talented. So what if they are willful? They still surpass everyone else. Don't forget, he was ranked ninth in the Dao Fire Ranking!"
"You can practice dual cultivation and still participate in the Southern Domain War? Forget Qing Luan, Red Luan, or even Green Luan would be fine for you!"
Amidst the debates, the game of chess at the foot of Dao Seeking Mountain was nearing its conclusion.
The game wasn't very long. After all, the Dao realm incarnations reflected at the foot of the mountain had similar chess strategies to Li Hao's, but their skill level still lacked.
"It's about to end."
Li Hao watched as his opponent struggled to defend against his moves. Though his opponent was just a shadowy figure, Li Hao seemed to read a serious expression from the dark contours of its face.
He smiled but didn't feel the joy of victory. Instead, he felt a sense of nostalgia, as if the opponent had taken him back in time to relive the past.
"Once we reach the top, if we can still reflect the Dao of Chess, we'll have another game."
Li Hao said, placing his final piece, completely blocking his opponent's escape.
The Dao realm incarnation on the other side heard Li Hao's words, then saw the piece fall. The black stone in its fingers slowly descended, trembling twice on the chessboard before melting into the board like a drop of ink.
"I lost. I'll wait for you at the peak."
The Dao realm incarnation stood up, giving Li Hao a slight bow, acknowledging its defeat.
Then, with a flick of his hand, the chessboard and pieces returned to his hand, merging with his body. Immediately, he turned into a cloud of ink-like smoke and dissipated before Li Hao's eyes.
At this scene, countless onlookers were stunned and incredulous.
The geniuses from various immortal sects had all slayed their Dao realm incarnations, but only Li Hao's Dao realm incarnation bowed in defeat. The two seemed at peace with one another.
"He won?"
"The Dao realm incarnation actually surrendered? If chess doesn't work, why not try some martial arts?"
"Winning doesn't matter. He's fallen too far behind. The front-runners have already reached Forgetting Heart Hall!"
"By the time he climbs, the spots will likely be taken. He's the last one!"
"Such a shame, he was ninth on the Dao Fire Ranking. He's also the youngest in terms of soul lifespan, yet he might be eliminated in the second trial?"
"Could he really not make it to the final battle? I still want to see his performance in the war!"
Some saw that dozens of people had gathered at Forgetting Heart Hall halfway up the mountain, and others were continuing to chase ahead. If Li Hao hurried, there might still be hope, but if he delayed even a little, he might miss out on the spots!
"Kid, hurry up!"
Li Tie Mu clenched his fists, secretly biting his teeth in encouragement, almost wanting to rush up and push Li Hao forward.
Other elders from various sects saw this and were also tense. Though there were disciples like Yin Jing Cheng and Su Ye Chen from the Gun Abyss in the Immortal King group, their performances were mediocre compared to other prodigies.
However, Li Hao's performance in the True Immortal group was especially dazzling, and if Da Meng Jiu Yuan wanted to make a name for itself, it would mainly depend on Li Hao's performance.
At the foot of Dao Seeking Mountain, Li Hao saw the Dao realm incarnation dissipate but didn't stop, quickly continuing his climb up the steps.
He rushed ahead, but after reaching a flatter pavilion after several hundred steps, a Dao realm incarnation appeared again.
Soon, another Dao realm incarnation, identical to the previous one, appeared. Li Hao observed it, unsure which Dao realm it originated from.
But at that moment, the Dao realm incarnation suddenly raised its hand and waved a piece of ink cloth in the air.
Li Hao felt the familiar aura of Dao emanating from it, and he was surprised. This time, it wasn't the Nine Sequences, but the Dao of Painting!
"A contest in the Dao of Painting?"
Li Hao was a bit surprised but didn't refuse. Although he could use the sword Dao to directly cut through the Dao realm incarnation and bypass it, there were still three days for this Dao Seeking Mountain trial, so there was time.
"Let's paint with this mountain as the subject. What do you think?"
The Dao realm incarnation spoke, its voice identical to Li Hao's.
Li Hao glanced at Dao Seeking Mountain and nodded. He had previously painted the Space Source Divine Tree, but this Dao Seeking Mountain carried extraordinary power. It was no less complicated than the Space Source Divine Tree.
It could even rival the Time Source Divine Tree.
After all, he had yet to comprehend how this Dao realm incarnation manifested or dispersed. If he painted the painting, he wouldn't be able to capture this level.
Seeing that Li Hao agreed, the Dao realm incarnation immediately moved aside and began to focus on painting.
Li Hao, on the other hand, looked up, gazing at Dao Seeking Mountain.
At this moment, though he stood within the mountain, he couldn't take in the full view.
Before the trial began, he had seen the entire appearance of Dao Seeking Mountain, but that was only superficial.
"Painting is not about completeness, but about spirit."
Li Hao raised his hand, gathering immortal power, and using his finger as the brush, he began painting in the air.
This scene was reflected back, once again causing an uproar among the countless people from various immortal sects in the Southern Domain.
First it was the Dao of Chess, and now he was painting?!!
"What's he doing? Why do his Dao realm incarnations keep being so strange?!"
"The Dao of Painting? Apart from studying the Dao of Chess, he's now also studying the Dao of Painting?!"
"Is he a master of everything — painting, chess, and more? Was he once a scholar?!"
Countless people were shocked, finding it difficult to believe, and even harder to understand.
"As a top-tier genius, not cherishing time to cultivate diligently, but instead running off to study side paths and wasting time—this is simply unreasonable."
"Being able to manifest a Dao manifestation at the Way of the Mountain means his painting Dao is definitely not simple—he must have already comprehended the Dao itself! How much effort did this take?"
"I haven't even entered the sword Dao yet, and he's already reached the Dao in painting?"
Countless cultivators were stunned, feeling like the world had gone mad.
"Just now, the Chess Saint Master said his chess Dao is already close to matching that of the master—now, could his painting Dao have reached that level too?"
Amid various astonished voices, the Emperors of the various Immortal Dynasties in the sky were also surprised.
Previously, it was already shocking that Li Hao had mastered the chess Dao, but now he was delving into the painting Dao as well. This seemed to be going a bit too far in side pursuits.
"His painting has spirit, containing the primal power of space. It's not simple."
The original Empress commented, her eyes gleaming. She herself enjoyed painting, but it was more of a hobby for cultivating her emotions, a leisurely pursuit.
"It seems this child's talent is far greater than we imagined."
"Back in our day, none of us showed such stunning results."
The other Emperors' expressions grew serious. Even though Li Hao wasn't focusing on his main cultivation, it only showed how terrifying his talent was.
Even if Li Hao failed and was eliminated in the South Domain Battle, his talent was clear, and he would surely become a kingly ruler in the future.
"Painting Dao..."
The Dream Lord looked at the Dao manifestation, stunned for a moment, then smiled wryly.
She was both surprised and, in a way, expecting this. Earlier in the Langya Painting Realm, she had already known that Li Hao's painting Dao was high.
"What is he doing, still painting? Just cut down that Dao manifestation with a sword already!"
On the side, Old Li was growing anxious. Seeing that the crowd on the mountainside had swelled to hundreds, the main group was quickly catching up.
At this point, Li Hao was still at the first pavilion. There was another pavilion ahead before reaching the Forgetting Heart Palace. Time was running out.
"If the Forgetting Heart Palace on the mountainside requires a Chaos Dao Heart, then the Eternal Dao Heart should be enough to reach the peak."
The Dream Lord, seeing Li Tie Mu's anxiety, comforted him softly.
Though she had this theory, there was still a hint of worry in her eyes.
After all, Li Hao's success or failure was critical. If he lost in the second trial, it would be a great regret.
At this moment, in the secret realm, Li Hao was painting a hazy mountain silhouette.
The mountain was illusory, but the steps within it were incredibly clear, and those steps contained the Dao rhythm. The painting brought them to life, as if one could feel them.
Meanwhile, the Dao manifestation beside him had painted the entire Way of the Mountain.
"This painting Dao contest, it seems Li Hao is losing. His mountain is too fake!"
"No, his mountain may not be fake, but the steps seem real, while the Dao manifestation has painted the whole mountain. It may have the shape, but it lacks the spirit of the Way of the Mountain!"
Among the various Immortal Dynasties, some cultivators with lower realms, but well-versed in the painting Dao, began to comment.
Others quickly started asking about the results of the contest between Li Hao and the Dao manifestation, and soon, they became the center of attention. They eagerly began discussing with excitement.
Soon, both Li Hao and the Dao manifestation stopped painting.
The Dao manifestation looked at Li Hao's painting and clearly froze for a moment before falling silent.
Li Hao also looked at the Dao manifestation's Way of the Mountain, and couldn't help but sigh. It truly was a majestic and powerful divine mountain.
"I lost."
The Dao manifestation said quietly, then raised his hand and put his painting away.
Li Hao nodded. "Well played."
The Dao manifestation said no more, vanishing into thin air.
Li Hao glanced at his painting and, with a light chuckle, placed it on the nearby pavilion. "Since I've come here, I'll leave a humble painting behind. I hope the Divine Mountain doesn't mind."
He had spoken casually, but to his surprise, the painting he placed on the pavilion slowly began to merge into the pavilion, vanishing without a trace.
Li Hao froze for a moment, then widened his eyes slightly. At that moment, he was more certain than ever that the Way of the Mountain was not an inanimate object. It was either a terrifying imperial artifact or a naturally divine object with spiritual consciousness.
The painting disappeared, seemingly accepted by the Way of the Mountain. Li Hao felt a sense of honor and continued up the stairs.
"The painting disappeared!"
At this point, countless people saw the scene and were all stunned.
Soon, someone exclaimed in shock: "Could it be that the Way of the Mountain has accepted that painting?"
"Of course, it's been said for a long time that the Way of the Mountain is a primordial Dao-level divine object. If that's true…"
"The Way of the Mountain actually recognized his painting? Does that mean the boy's painting Dao is that strong?!"
"How long has he studied the painting Dao? He only has 96 years of soul longevity—how is that even enough? How many years has he really spent on cultivation?"
Countless people were shocked, and their impression of the boy deepened even more.
"The Way of the Mountain has actually accepted his work! In all these years, no one has ever painted for the Way of the Mountain, right?"
In the sky above, Emperor Chu's eyes flickered slightly, and he said with a smile, "Impressive."
The Supreme of the Sky in the distance remained calm, not speaking.
The other emperors were surprised, their eyes filled with a mix of admiration. Even they, with all their experience, might not have earned the Way of the Mountain's recognition. After all, this was the same Way of the Mountain that helped the Supreme achieve the Dao Emperor's Heart, a truly extraordinary item.