Chapter 341: Acceptance by Mount of Inquiry - Part 3
Countless people were struck with disbelief, shocked and confused.
As one of the top young geniuses, instead of treasuring his time to focus on cultivation, he had devoted himself to the study of unconventional arts—wasting precious moments. It was simply unfathomable.
“To be able to manifest a Dao-realm incarnation on Mount of Inquiry, that Painting Dao of his must have gone far beyond mere technique—it means he has already grasped the essence of the Dao. Just imagine the effort that must have taken!”
“My Sword Dao hasn’t even reached the entry stage, yet he’s already attained enlightenment in the Painting Dao?”
Many cultivators were dumbfounded, feeling as if the world had gone mad.
“Didn’t Chess Saint Master just say his Chess Dao is already nearing his own level? Now this Painting Dao—could it be at that same realm too?”
Amid the exclamations of astonishment, even the celestial emperors of the various Immortal Dynasties hovering above, including Emperor Chu, were visibly surprised.
Li Hao’s mastery of the Chess Dao had already come as a great shock. Now, he was delving into the Painting Dao as well—it was as if he had wandered far down the path of side pursuits.
“His painting holds divine charm, imbued with the origin power of space. This is no simple matter.”
The Empress of Yuanzun commented, a glint flashing in her eyes. She, too, enjoyed painting in her leisure time, though only as a means of cultivating her temperament.
“It seems this child’s talent is far greater than we had imagined.”
“In our younger days, none of us ever displayed such brilliance.”
The other emperors’ expressions turned grave. Though Li Hao strayed from the conventional path, it only further proved the frightening depth of his talent.
Even if Li Hao were to lose and be eliminated in the Southern Domain Grand Trial, his aptitude was undeniable. In time, he would surely rise as a dominant ruler of the King Realm.
“Painting Dao…”
The Great Dream Master stared blankly at the Dao-realm incarnation before letting out a wry smile.
She was both surprised and unsurprised. Back in the Langya Painting Realm, she had already seen just how profound Li Hao’s attainments in the Painting Dao were.
“What is he doing? Still painting? Just slash that Dao-realm incarnation already!”
Nearby, Old Li was in a panic. The number of people gathered at the mountainside had surged into the hundreds, and the main crowd had already caught up.
Yet Li Hao was still at the first pavilion—there was another one ahead before he could reach the Hall of Forgotten Hearts. There was simply no time left.
“If the requirement for the Hall of Forgotten Hearts is a Chaos Dao Heart, then an Eternal Dao Heart should be sufficient to reach the summit.”
The Great Dream Master tried to comfort the anxious Li Tiemu in a soft voice.
Still, despite her own reasoning, concern remained in her eyes.
After all, Li Hao’s success or failure carried great weight. If he were to be eliminated in the second trial, it would be a profound pity.
Within the secret realm, Li Hao was painting a hazy mountain shadow.
The mountain itself was ethereal, but the stairway within was exceptionally clear. Those steps pulsed with Dao Rhythms, seemingly alive upon the canvas, as if one could truly feel them.
By contrast, the Dao-realm incarnation had painted the entire Mount of Inquiry in full detail.
“In this Painting Dao contest, it looks like Haotian is going to lose. His mountain is too vague!”
“No, while his mountain may be ill-defined, the steps are practically real. As for that Dao-realm incarnation’s depiction—it may capture the mountain’s shape, but it lacks the spirit of Mount of Inquiry!”
Among the Immortal Dynasties, a few with lower cultivation realms but specialized knowledge in the Painting Dao began voicing their evaluations.
Soon, others crowded around them, eager to know who held the upper hand between Li Hao and the Dao-realm incarnation. These commentators quickly became the center of attention and launched into animated explanations.
Before long, both Li Hao and the Dao-realm incarnation laid down their brushes.
The incarnation glanced at Li Hao’s painting, visibly startled, then fell into silence.
Li Hao, too, examined the painted Mount of Inquiry and couldn't help but admire its grandeur and spiritual majesty.
“I’ve lost.”
The incarnation spoke softly, then raised a hand and rolled up his own scroll.
Li Hao nodded. “Thank you for the match.”
The Dao-realm incarnation said no more and vanished into nothingness.
Li Hao cast a glance at his own painting, then affixed it to the side of the pavilion. With a soft chuckle, he said, “Since I’ve come here, I’ll leave behind a humble work—may the Divine Mountain not find it offensive.”
He had spoken casually, but to his surprise, the moment he finished, the painting began to slowly merge into the pavilion, fading from view.
Startled, Li Hao’s eyes widened. This only confirmed his suspicion—Mount of Inquiry was no ordinary object. It was either a terrifying imperial weapon or a naturally sentient divine entity.
With his painting absorbed, seemingly accepted by Mount of Inquiry, Li Hao felt a sense of honor and continued ascending the stairway.
“That painting actually disappeared!”
The crowd gasped in unison.
Moments later, someone exclaimed, horrified, “Could Mount of Inquiry have accepted the painting?”
“It must have! There have long been rumors that Mount of Inquiry is a naturally formed Dao-tier divine object. If true…”
“Mount of Inquiry accepted his offering—just how powerful is that youth’s Painting Dao?!”
“How long has he even studied it? He’s only ninety-six years into his soul lifespan—how much time could he have spent cultivating it?!”
Shock rippled through the crowd, and the image of the young man grew more vivid in their minds.
“For Mount of Inquiry to accept his work… in all these years, has anyone else ever offered a painting to the mountain?”
High above, Emperor Chu’s eyes gleamed as he smiled.
In front of him, the Supreme of the Celestial Palace remained calm and silent.
The other emperors were filled with astonishment and a hint of awe. Even they might not be able to win Mount of Inquiry’s recognition. After all, this was the divine mountain that once helped a Supreme achieve the Heavenly Emperor’s Heart of the Dao—a truly extraordinary existence.
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