Chapter 347: Gathering of Geniuses - Part 3
Li Hao took a deep breath. This was undoubtedly a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius in the Sword Dao.
His Nine Sequences of the Grand Dao, including the Sword Dao, had only reached the fourth level.
Even so, that was already an exceptionally rare and terrifying level for someone at the True Immortal Realm.
The fifth level—among Immortal Lord cultivators—was a realm only those in the upper echelons could hope to attain!
"Among all of you in the True Immortal Realm, he is definitely one of the top three. The only suspense lies in whether he ranks before or after the disciple of that other Supreme of the Celestial Palace," said the Great Dream Master.
She was at the Immortal King Realm. Although that sword heart hadn’t been fully revealed, with her keen perception, she could still discern the sheer terror of his strength.
Li Hao nodded, his expression growing more serious. Truly, the heroes of the world should not be underestimated.
However, he had never underestimated them to begin with. His goal was simply to place in the top ten, not to fight for first place.
"And who is the other one?" he asked.
"The other one is that imperial clan prodigy you’re on good terms with," the Great Dream Master replied with a wave of her hand.
The scene before them shifted to show Di Linchen standing atop a mountain, surrounded by countless ancient fiends. Despite the encirclement, Di Linchen remained as calm and composed as ever.
As the ancient fiends suddenly launched their assault, a divine manifestation appeared behind Di Linchen. He gently raised his hand and pressed downward. The innate secret arts and immortal techniques unleashed by the ancient fiends shattered instantly, suppressed by an overwhelming force and pressure. Agonized wails and screams filled the air as their organs and bones burst apart, their bodies tumbling down into the valley below.
That gruesome sight remained vivid in Li Hao’s memory. When he had encountered Di Linchen, the latter had been drinking wine atop that same mountain.
"This battle will feature three participants from the imperial clan. One is Di Linchen at the True Immortal Realm. The other two are in the Immortal Lord Realm—both powerful even among their peers—and likely contenders for the top spot," the Great Dream Master said with a tinge of emotion in her voice. "The imperial clan stands above all other races. It has produced several Immortal Emperors, and its foundation hasn’t waned in ten thousand years. Though that great war back then dealt them a heavy blow, compared to the overall decline of the True Realm, they remain dominant."
"In the past ten thousand years, the imperial clan has long since regained its strength. Talents emerge endlessly from within, and the favor of Heaven’s fortunes seems ever upon them. One monster after another, each rarer than the last, continues to be born."
"Some have even said that the True Realm ought to be renamed the Imperial Realm."
Li Hao nodded. He had seen firsthand Di Linchen’s destruction of an ancient fiend stronghold and knew well that his strength was extraordinary—his methods deep and unfathomable.
"Besides them, there are also the Hundred Battle Clan, the Heavenly Clan, the Desolate Clan, the Nether Clan..."
The Great Dream Master waved her hand again. The images shifted, and one prodigy after another who had shown glimpses of their power in the True Immortal Secret Realm appeared before Li Hao.
Each of them was no weaker than that youth from the Ancient God Clan, Shen Wuji.
Li Hao suddenly felt that if he truly wished to secure a top ten spot, it would not be easy.
"This generation has produced more rare geniuses than any in ten thousand years—all at once, more than a dozen of them. The competition will be fiercer than ever," said the Great Dream Master with a hint of helplessness. "Originally, with your strength to defeat an Immortal Lord while in adversity, you would have surely secured a place in the top ten. But now, even that carries some uncertainty."
Li Hao merely nodded, offering no comment.
The Great Dream Master then showed him scenes of the others ascending the Mountain of Inquiry—those who had reached the summit first, defeating the Dao avatars along the way with ease.
Once the scenes ended, the Great Dream Master quietly finished the remaining two plates of snacks. Then she stood and said, "Rest well. Don't let your mind be burdened. No matter what happens, you've already brought glory to our sect. In the entire Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, the name of our Great Dream Nine Abysses is now known far and wide."
She wasn’t exaggerating. Ever since Li Hao had shown his brilliance in the dual trials, the name Great Dream Nine Abysses had echoed throughout the immortal cities of Yan Chu.
“Mm.” Li Hao nodded and reached for the pastries on the table—only to find the plate empty once more.
“…”
He fell silent for a moment, his gaze toward the Great Dream Master tinged with slight grievance.
The Great Dream Master’s cheeks flushed. As the sect leader, sneaking snacks from her disciple did seem a bit shameful.
She turned and floated away in a flustered retreat.
After she left, Li Hao sat in the courtyard, feeling a bit idle.
He thought about painting a picture, but found himself lacking the interest. He considered playing a game of chess, but the fierce duels atop the Mountain of Inquiry had left him lingering in their thrill, unwilling to be distracted by lesser games for the time being.
“Could it be that I'm so bored I’ll be forced to cultivate?” he muttered inwardly.
But now, all nine of his Dao Sequences had reached a bottleneck. There was no direction for further improvement in the short term.
Only the Painting Dao and Fishing Dao showed signs of breaking through to the twelfth segment—but both lacked a catalyst.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never truly explored the Celestial Palace territory. I heard Lies Saint and the others came here earlier, but I haven’t seen them. I wonder where they are,” he mused to himself.
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