Chapter 536: Reaching the Summit
"Even with incredible talent, it's useless if he runs out of time—unless he can reach the summit!"
"There's still a Dao Pavilion ahead. The others are already there making their final push, but he hasn't even arrived yet!"
All across the Immortal Dynasties of the South Domain, people were talking. Some felt nervous for Li Hao. It would be a huge shame if a prodigy like him were eliminated in the second trial.
At that moment, inside the Dao Pavilion on the Way of the Mountain, Li Hao stared at the spot where his painting had disappeared. He stayed silent for a moment, then gave a small cupped-fist salute.
Since the Way of the Mountain had accepted his painting, taking it away, that was a form of recognition.
Having one's work appreciated was more satisfying than the finest meal.
After paying his respects, Li Hao stepped away from the pavilion and continued climbing the Way of the Mountain.
The stairs stretched endlessly. Along the path, Li Hao didn't run into anyone else. The road was eerily quiet. From the mountainside ahead, faint booming sounds echoed—it seemed most people had gathered there.
While Li Hao climbed, at the foot of the Forgetting Heart Palace on the mountainside, hundreds of figures had already gathered. They had entered the palace and earned the right to advance through the second trial.
Some were continuing their climb to reach higher rankings.
Others stood outside the Forgetting Heart Palace, looking back down the path, watching those still struggling to reach them.
"Hmph, Master said that kid had a strong Dao Heart and great potential—so why isn't he here yet?"
"A whole batch of other True Immortal Realm cultivators have already arrived."
Outside the palace, Yin Jingcheng stared back at the stairs. He could only see disciples from various sects battling their Dao manifestations—but not that annoying figure.
Beside him, Meng Huaiyue frowned. She didn't particularly dislike Li Hao, nor did she favor him, but as a member of the Dream Clan, she understood her master's thoughts. Compared to them, that youth had a better chance of bringing glory to the sect. But if he was eliminated here, it would be laughable.
As the two watched, other disciples from Da Meng Jiuyuan began to arrive, stepping into the Forgetting Heart Palace.
More and more people gathered before the palace.
"You guys are disciples from Jianyuan, right?"
Meng Huaiyue scanned the crowd and noticed several people rushing toward them. She remembered that these were the same ones who had followed Li Hao earlier—also Jianyuan disciples.
"Yeah."
Yue Xi looked at the girl and recognized her as one of the Dream Lord's personal disciples, and one of the sect's three disciples at the Immortal Lord Realm.
Gu Yan glanced at her briefly, then turned back to the stairs, waiting for Li Hao to appear.
"You're all here, so why hasn't Li Hao arrived?"
Meng Huaiyue couldn't help but ask.
To her, Li Hao was the leader among the True Immortal Realm disciples in the sect. There was no reason for him to fall behind.
"Back at the mountain's base, he told us to go ahead. He didn't want our fight with the Dao manifestations to get tangled with his. He stayed behind to cover the rear."
Yue Xi explained, then also looked back toward the stairs, worry and urgency showing in her eyes. There were more people in the area than they had expected. If Li Hao came too late, he might really be eliminated.
"What's he doing? Don't tell me his Dao Heart is too weak, and he's stuck because of the Way of the Mountain's pressure?"
Yin Jingcheng frowned and snorted coldly.
Gu Yan glanced at him but said nothing, continuing to stare intently at the stairway at the base of the mountain.
Nearby, Lin Mingrong and the other Jianyuan disciples looked slightly annoyed. They were displeased by Yin Jingcheng's words but didn't speak up, as he was a direct disciple of the sect master and at the Immortal Lord Realm.
As time passed, more disciples arrived at the Forgetting Heart Palace.
"There are only a few dozen spots left. If he doesn't get here soon, he's done."
Yin Jingcheng sneered.
Meng Huaiyue frowned deeply. If that youth really was eliminated, it would be a heavy blow to her master.
She could tell that her master had placed great hopes in that boy—more than in her or her senior brother.
"Maybe he's arriving right now."
She said softly.
Yue Xi, Lin Mingrong, and the others already looked anxious. Even the normally calm and cold Gu Yan quietly clenched his fists inside his sleeves, his expression growing serious as he stared at the bend in the path ahead, hoping to see that familiar figure appear any second.
But those who climbed up one by one were not the person they were waiting for.
Outside the Way of the Mountain, the Dream Lord, Li Tie Mu, and others also looked tense. While watching Li Hao's movements, they were also keeping count of how many had entered the Forgetting Heart Palace. Only a few dozen spots remained.
Meanwhile, in the last Dao Pavilion, someone was overcoming their own Dao manifestation every moment, racing toward the palace to claim their spot.
On the mountain path, Li Hao moved like a breeze, stepping lightly as he ascended. As he neared the mountainside, he saw more disciples—some kneeling by the stairs, eyes closed, as if in worship.
Li Hao was puzzled, but didn't disturb them. He quietly passed them by and kept going.
Soon, the crowd ahead thickened. He reached a pavilion.
Hundreds of figures had gathered here, all locked in battle with their Dao manifestations.
Nearby, many others knelt on the ground, eyes closed, just like those he passed earlier.
Li Hao was curious, but he set aside his questions and approached the open space before the pavilion.
Immediately, a Dao manifestation began forming beside him.
A pitch-black Dao manifestation appeared, shaped exactly like him in both outline and expression.
Outside the Way of the Mountain, countless people craned their necks, watching Li Hao's Dao manifestation intently.
"Is it going to be another chess Dao manifestation?"
"There are barely any slots left. If he delays again, he's going to miss his chance!"
"If it's another chess match, he's definitely going to end up outside the top thousand."
Many were nervous for him.
At that moment, Li Hao's Dao manifestation radiated a surge of primal Dao power.
A fierce, searing heat spread from the Dao manifestation. Li Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. He instantly realized—it was one of the Nine Sequences: the Fire Dao manifestation.
After all this time, he finally got a combat-type Dao manifestation.
"Please."
The Dao manifestation was polite toward Li Hao, giving a cupped-fist salute before unleashing a wave of blazing flame. The area within hundreds of meters turned red, like stepping into a realm of fire.
The intense heat made even the nearby True Immortal cultivators glance over in surprise. They quickly recognized what kind of Dao manifestation Li Hao had drawn.
"It's the Fire Dao manifestation!"
"One of the Nine Sequences? Looks like this is going to be a real fight. Wonder how long he'll take to finish it."
"Someone showed a Space Dao manifestation earlier and took ages to win."
Countless people watching Li Hao's Dao manifestation felt an odd sense of relief.
A combat-type Dao manifestation—given Li Hao's performance in the True Immortal Secret Realm—would be faster than playing chess or painting.
"Quick fight, finish fast!" Li Tie Mu clenched his fists for Li Hao, silently urging him on.
Just then, the flames around the Dao manifestation rapidly condensed and formed into a blazing vortex. It spun toward Li Hao, grinding the air with rising heat, as if it could burn through the Great Dao itself.
Li Hao's gaze stayed calm. This Fire Dao manifestation hadn't reached the third realm of comprehension—let alone the fourth.
He raised his hand. A golden flame shot out.
Whoosh!
The flame tore through the air. Space twisted slightly. It pierced the vortex of fire, and the golden glow instantly extinguished the swirling flames.
Fire… extinguishing fire.
Everyone stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Then the golden flame struck the Fire Dao manifestation square in the chest. Under the force of spatial origin, it landed in a flash and ignited the whole body.
But there was no pain or struggle in its expression—only calm acceptance as it was engulfed.
"You win," it said quietly, then vanished in the flames before Li Hao.
It had all ended in an instant.
The crowd burst into cheers.
No one had expected that when faced with a combat-type Dao manifestation, Li Hao would win in the blink of an eye. If he had kept this pace earlier, he'd already be at the Forgetting Heart Palace.
"So strong! This was a Dao manifestation near the mountainside, and he crushed it with one move!"
"So this is the power of someone ranked ninth on the Dao Flame List. No wonder—just like those who reached the palace early, instant victory!"
"Too bad… he's probably out of time."
"Only a few spots left!"
Many people were sweating nervously for Li Hao, eyes locked on the Forgetting Heart Palace. The available spots were vanishing fast…
After defeating the Fire Dao manifestation, Li Hao didn't linger. He launched himself toward the mountainside.
Climbing quickly, he crossed layer after layer of stairs. Soon, a wide flat platform came into view. At the far end stood a grand, ancient palace.
A crowd had already gathered there. Li Hao scanned the area and instantly recognized familiar faces—Gu Yan, Yue Xi, and others had already arrived. Several disciples from Da Meng Jiuyuan were also there, looking anxiously toward the mountain path.
Ahead of Li Hao, dozens of figures were sprinting for the finish.
"Haotian—it's Haotian!" Yue Xi, with sharp eyes, spotted him rounding the path and jumped with excitement.
Beside her, Gu Yan also noticed but said nothing. A smile flashed in his eyes, and he instinctively took a step forward to welcome him.
"He's here!" Lin Mingrong and the others from Da Meng Jiuyuan all got excited.
Yin Jingcheng and Meng Huaiyue were surprised as they caught sight of Li Hao charging forward.
"Hmph, just barely made it," Yin Jingcheng muttered with a cold snort.
Meng Huaiyue smiled, then quickly turned to Yue Xi. "Tell him to hurry up and pass those ahead, or he won't get a spot."
Yue Xi snapped out of it and waved urgently. "Haotian, hurry! Hurry!"
All around, others from the Immortal Dynasties were also shouting for their disciples.
"Come on, hurry!"
"Just a few spots left!"
"Only a dozen left—move!"
Those sprinting heard the calls and were filled with panic. They pushed themselves with everything they had.
But on these stairs, flight and teleportation were forbidden. They could only rely on footwork. And every step up sent a mysterious force into their minds. If their Dao Heart wavered, illusions would appear and trap them in place.
But those who made it this far all had Chaos Dao Hearts—none of them were stopping.
Li Hao heard Yue Xi's cry and picked up speed.
Just then, a voice called from behind.
"Big brother, can you let me go ahead? I can't lose this chance!"
A girl's voice, on the verge of tears.
Li Hao turned and saw a young girl in a green dress rushing forward, panic and tears on her face.
He froze, unsure what to do. The girl's expression turned desperate. "If I fail, my whole clan will suffer. I'm begging you!"
Hearing the words 'my whole clan,' Li Hao hesitated.
In that moment, the girl caught up, and with a quick, breathless "Thank you!", darted past him.
She changed her steps, passing Li Hao and closing in on a youth ahead of her.
Then, right before reaching the Forgetting Heart Palace, her hair shot out like black vines, latching onto the youth's waist. With a powerful yank, she flipped positions with him and vaulted into the palace.
The youth was dragged back, stunned and furious. He followed her in and yelled, "Are you trying to die?"
The girl's delicate appearance was gone. She crossed her arms and sneered coldly. "There's no rule against it. You should've been more careful."
"Oh yeah? Let's see how capable you really are!"
Furious, the youth activated his Dao Domain and prepared to fight.
But a voice from within the Forgetting Heart Palace interrupted. It was the commander of the immortal guards. "No fighting allowed on the Way of the Mountain."
The youth glared up at the sky, grinding his teeth. "What about what she just did?"
"As long as she didn't harm you, it doesn't count."
The immortal guard commander shook his head, but his gaze landed calmly on Li Hao and the others who had just arrived at the Forgetting Heart Palace.
"She was the last, the thousandth. Everyone else has lost their qualification to advance—unless you have what it takes to reach the summit."
The youth froze. It was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head—his blood turned cold.
Li Hao was a bit surprised and turned his eyes to the girl in the green dress.
She was wide-eyed, looking both relieved and thrilled, patting her chest in lingering fear.
Then she noticed Li Hao looking at her. She lifted her chin slightly and gave him a sweet smile. "Little brother, sorry. I really needed this chance. You're still young and talented—you'll have plenty of opportunities."
The way she addressed him changed… Li Hao couldn't help but chuckle. He wasn't angry, just found it amusing.
Seeing that Li Hao didn't get mad, the green-dressed girl was caught off guard. If he hadn't paused for her, the last spot would have gone to either him or the youth—she would've lost. Even if she used tricks to pass Li Hao, she couldn't have done it again to the next person. That one would've been on guard.
"Was that talk about your whole clan true?" Li Hao asked.
The girl blinked, surprised that Li Hao still cared about that instead of wallowing in his own defeat.
"That has nothing to do with you," she said, her expression tightening.
Li Hao nodded, not pressing her. "If it's true, then congratulations. If it's not… I hope it is."
Her expression shifted as she stared at Li Hao. "You want revenge?"
"Revenge?" Li Hao laughed and shook his head. "Not worth it."
The girl felt a strange pressure on her chest. His gaze didn't even seem to register her existence. He wasn't angry because, in his eyes, she wasn't even significant enough to bother with.
She stayed silent, but the youth beside her exploded in anger. "She got the last spot—so I'm eliminated?! This is unfair!"
He couldn't hold back his rage.
The immortal guard commander glanced coldly at him. "If you're weaker, shut up. You're not a baby in swaddling clothes—no one's here to coddle you."
"But she cheated! I was ahead of her!" the youth shouted, red-eyed, teeth clenched, glaring venomously at the girl.
The green-dressed girl felt a chill from his look, but at the same time, oddly relieved—this was the reaction she had expected. It was the calm boy beside her who unsettled her. She couldn't read him at all.
"Childish," the commander muttered, then turned away and looked at the dozens of others still arriving. "You've lost your chance. If you still want to advance—climb to the summit."
The group looked at each other, faces gloomy.
Climb the summit? They didn't have the confidence. If they were falling behind already, what hope did they have to catch up?
"Haotian." Gu Yan, Yue Xi, and the others reached Li Hao, their faces looking troubled and bitter. No one expected that Li Hao would miss the cut—by just one step.
"That's all you've got?" Yin Jingcheng sneered, eyes cold. "You're ranked ninth on the Dao Flame List, top tier among True Immortals, yet you still fell behind others? How laughable."
Meng Huaiyue also looked at Li Hao, confused and disappointed.
Li Hao glanced at Yin Jingcheng and didn't reply.
Yin Jingcheng grew irritated by being ignored. But that glance from Li Hao carried a strange pressure. He sensed that if he kept taunting, Li Hao might do something. So he just snorted coldly and kept his mocking expression but didn't say more.
"Haotian, you were so close!" Yue Xi said, anxious. She looked over at the green-dressed girl and snapped, "You used a dirty trick and took advantage of my junior brother's kindness. Shameless!"
"All's fair in war. He should take that as a lesson," the girl scoffed, raising an eyebrow.
Gu Yan gave her a cold look. "You better hope you don't run into me in the battle round."
"Oh? And what if I do? You think you can beat me?" the girl sneered. "If I hadn't been delayed on the way, do you really think I would've shown up so late?"
Others began gathering around her—disciples from her sect.
"What, going to gang up on her now? You lost the race—deal with it," one of her fellow disciples scoffed, stepping in front to shield her.
Gu Yan's face turned icy, about to speak, but Li Hao pulled him back. He had always liked this hot-headed junior brother.
"Let it go. They're not wrong—it's not their fault," Li Hao said calmly.
Gu Yan's face shifted. "But you—"
"It's fine." Li Hao shook his head. He knew he could still reach the summit. He had the strength to back himself up—that's why he'd been kind.
Without the power to protect his choice, kindness became stupidity.
There's a difference.
To him, this was just a minor deception. It didn't affect him.
If it turned out to be real, then it was a small act of kindness that mattered.
"Hmph, your junior brother seems to understand the world better than most. Not many live like that," the other youth chuckled coldly.
Li Hao glanced at him, then shifted his gaze to the green-dressed girl behind him. He looked away and turned back to Gu Yan and the others.
"You all passed. When the battle round comes, make sure you do well."
Yue Xi and the other Da Meng Jiuyuan disciples looked ashamed and distressed.
If Li Hao hadn't stayed behind to protect them at the mountain's base, he wouldn't be trailing by just two places now.
"I'll avenge you in the battle round," Yue Xi gritted out through her teeth.
Li Hao chuckled. Seeing how everyone still looked downcast, he said, "Don't worry. I'll climb to the summit and get a spot."
"The summit?" The group was stunned and turned to look at him.
"You're going to climb the summit?" Gu Yan's eyes flickered. Seeing Li Hao's calm and relaxed demeanor, his heart skipped a beat.
Yue Xi suddenly remembered how Li Hao had caused the nine heavenly echoes within the Tower of Heart Inquiry—that was the level of the Eternal Dao Heart, and not the lowest tier, but mid-grade!
Maybe… he really could reach the summit!
That thought made her tremble with excitement.
"You're going to the summit?" Yin Jingcheng raised his brow when he heard Li Hao's words. "You got here so late—are you sure you can even reach the summit? That takes at least an Eternal Dao Heart!"
Li Hao ignored him. He simply waved at the others and said, "I'm off. Don't worry."
Seeing how confident and composed he was, the others felt their disappointment ease and began cheering him on with encouragement.
Nearby, the green-dressed girl and her fellow sect disciples were stunned by his words. Then they all started sneering.
They knew Li Hao's soul lifespan wasn't even a hundred years. At such a young age, achieving a Chaos Dao Heart was already terrifying. Could he possibly have an Eternal Dao Heart?
Even with one, reaching the summit wouldn't be easy. The Dao manifestations along the way would grow stronger, and the final one would match his own strength. He'd have to defeat it to succeed.
"Such arrogance at that age. You think climbing the summit is easy? You didn't even qualify here—you're talking nonsense," the youth sneered.
"If you can really reach the summit, I'll congratulate you then," the green-dressed girl added with a sweet smile, though her eyes gleamed with mockery.
The others laughed too, thinking Li Hao was just grasping at straws in desperation.
"Let's go," Li Hao said, ignoring them. He waved at Gu Yan and the others and turned to leave the Forgetting Heart Palace, heading up the stairs toward the peak.
"Hmph, arrogant fool," Yin Jingcheng scoffed when Li Hao paid him no attention.
Meng Huaiyue watched Li Hao's departing figure. Her eyes shimmered. "Senior brother, maybe… maybe he really can do it."
"What?" Yin Jingcheng's face fell at her words.
"You think he has that kind of ability? If he did, why'd he arrive later than everyone else?"
Yin Jingcheng's expression turned ugly. Their master favored Li Hao, and now even his junior sister was siding with him.
Meng Huaiyue lightly shook her head and stared at Li Hao's back. "I don't know why he was late. But did you see his expression? Even in this situation, he wasn't proud or impatient. It's like he didn't even see the others as rivals. Maybe not even us. His Dao Heart… it might really be beyond Chaos Dao Heart."
Yin Jingcheng froze. Thinking back on Li Hao's behavior just now, his expression darkened slightly.
"I'm going too," Yue Xi said to Gu Yan and ran after Li Hao.
"I'm going too," Gu Yan quickly followed.
The others, seeing this, also moved to follow. Even if they couldn't reach the summit, they could at least try.
Now that they had qualified, there was no need to wait here at the Forgetting Heart Palace. Trying for the summit was the only thing left.
Soon, hundreds who had reached the palace began leaving to take on the summit.
"Let's go too," the green-dressed girl's companion said, leading their group along.
As they left in a wave, outside the Way of the Mountain, countless onlookers began debating.
Some discussed whether the green-dressed girl's actions had been fair, while others questioned whether Li Hao could truly reach the summit and earn his place in the tournament.
"That child… he's kindhearted," the original Empress said softly from high above, gazing down at the Way of the Mountain. Her eyes were unusually gentle.
"Judging by his performance, he likely has an Eternal Dao Heart. If so, as long as he can defeat his final Dao manifestation, the summit won't be hard," Emperor Jiang nodded in approval.
"Unaffected by humiliation, unshaken by injustice—rare qualities," Emperor Tianzhao agreed, praising him. "It shows his Dao Heart is likely Eternal. He sees only the eternal truth. Fleeting glory and failure mean nothing."
"Hard to believe a boy so young could have such a Dao Heart—it's outrageous," said the Red Empress of the Chijiang Immortal Dynasty as she turned to Emperor Chu. "Can I have him? I'd like to take him as my disciple. I'll give up a hundred cities in exchange!"
Her eyes gleamed with piercing clarity, her presence alluring enough to topple nations.
Emperor Chu looked surprised but smiled. "This boy is already my Yanchu Empire's son-in-law. I've betrothed my daughter to him. If you'd like to make your future royal son-in-law your personal disciple, well… I suppose that's not impossible."
The Red Empress raised an eyebrow and spat, "Disgusting."
Emperor Chu burst into laughter and secretly praised his earlier brilliant move.
The other emperors, seeing this, gave up on the idea too. If even giving up a hundred cities wasn't enough, they'd need to offer a thousand just to begin bargaining.
Clearly, this would take serious negotiation.
They turned their gazes back to the Way of the Mountain, silent once more.
On the ground, among the Immortal Dynasties, many were talking about Li Hao's disqualification.
Ranked ninth on the Dao Flame List and still failing at the second trial? If it stayed that way, it would be a tragedy.
But what was done was done. Now, everyone could only wait and see if the boy could truly reach the summit.