Chapter 614: Chapter 607: The Great Cause and Effect Stele, The Path of Power
After talking with his master for a day, Tian Hao had gained a greater knowledge and developed an even bigger longing for immortal cultivation. Thereafter, he went to the Dao Court with a heart full of fighting spirit.
Dozens of years later.
Tian Hao’s reputation spread throughout all the overlord-level forces in the world, and any cultivator who wasn’t in some remote area had heard of his name.
At the grand gathering of the ages, he overwhelmed the heroes of the world and became the unrivaled number one talent of all time!
The zenith of acclaim spurred Tian Hao to cultivate even harder, and every breakthrough upon his return from the Dao Court caused tremors across the world.
Time flew by.
Twenty thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.
The Human World presented a new pattern, and although the Dao Court remained the most powerful sect, many strong Daoist lineages had emerged. If they combined forces, they had the power to overturn the Dao Court.
The self-proclaimed righteous Dao Court never initiated war against sects or imperial dynasties, so the Human World remained at peace, though only relatively peaceful from a macrocosmic perspective of heaven and earth.
In the Daoist Field of the Beginningless, the lowest Cultivation Level had already reached the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm. Lv Xian, An Xin, Blood Prison Great Saint, and Celestial Demon Child had all become Carefree Primordial Immortals.
As for Tian Hao, he had reached the Divine Immortal of Wondrous Dharma Realm, and moreover, he was at the 9th Floor of that Cultivation Level. Any talent paled in comparison to him, and coupled with the three Dao Treasures gifted to him by Gu An, nobody could challenge him below the realm of Daoist Zang Zizai Immortal.
Those three Dao Treasures were three long spears, named Divine Punishment, Celestial Punishment, and Immortal Punishment, each containing different powers of the Great Dao.
Regarding Gu An’s favoritism towards Tian Hao, the other disciples in the dojo had no objections. They wholeheartedly acknowledged Tian Hao’s Talent. Even the Blood Prison Great Saint could do nothing but admire him.
As twenty thousand years had gone by, Tian Hao was now someone they all aspired to chase after.
Beneath the starry sky, atop a massive mountain peak, there sat a serene palace.
Within the palace, Ji Xiaoyu was meditating on a jade platform, surrounded by wisps of gray-tinged energy, a manifestation of the Power of the Great Dao.
A figure appeared atop the palace, it was the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor.
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor bowed deeply and, looking up at Ji Xiaoyu, spoke, “Your Majesty, Tian Hao, known as the number one talent of the world, has come to the Yin Yang Immortal Domain. He has stepped into our territory, seeking the Yin Yang Rebirth Flower. He seems determined to obtain it, and with the three Ultimate Treasures in his grasp, each possessing power not inferior to Heaven and Earth Ultimate Treasures, our people cannot stop him.”
As he mentioned Tian Hao, his expression was incredibly complicated.
Twenty thousand years ago, he had heard rumors of a peerlessly gifted talent born in the central area of the Great World. He thought those rumors were exaggerated, but having now encountered Tian Hao, he realized they were no exaggeration; in fact, they might have even underestimated him.
Compared to Tian Hao’s Talent for cultivation, his talent for battle was even more prodigious.
Ji Xiaoyu slowly opened her eyes, overlooking the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor, and asked, “You mentioned earlier he came from the Qiankun Sect. What is the background of this Qiankun Sect?”
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor answered, “Strangely enough, the Qiankun Sect lacks any Great Power but has nurtured such an extraordinary talent. Oh, I’ve also heard there is an Immortal protecting the sacred land of the Qiankun Sect, guarding only their homeland—I’m not sure if that’s true.”
Hearing this, a flicker of intrigue crossed Ji Xiaoyu’s eyes.
She was silent for a moment, then said, “Let him advance. Allow him to reach the other domains, and there’s no need to inform the other three Emperors.”
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor was surprised but asked no further questions, promptly taking his leave.
Ji Xiaoyu gazed out at the starry sky, murmuring to herself, “Is it you… Tian Hao, An Hao, you truly are formidable, always able to cultivate peerlessly distinguished talents.”
As she calculated with her fingers, her expression grew increasingly complex.
Tian Hao’s rate of cultivation was simply too mesmerizing, making her feel as if all past distinguished talents were inconsequential.
At this rate, in less than a million years, Tian Hao would become the foremost figure of this era.
Perhaps even the legendary Shengtian of the past would be but a stepping stone for him.
Ji Xiaoyu took a deep breath, her gaze towards the starry sky gradually firming.
Perhaps, it was truly time for her to take that step.
…
In the early morning, Gu An was accompanying Shen Zhen in painting, next to a waterfall, by a mountain with beautiful scenery.
Shen Zhen was painting a Celestial Spirit God vanquishing demons, while Gu An painted Ji Xiaoyu meditating.
Shen Zhen glanced at Gu An and scoffed, “It seems you really miss your Third Miss. Why don’t you go find her in Reincarnation?”
Gu An answered, “She is not in the cycle of Reincarnation.”
Shen Zhen showed no interest in Ji Xiaoyu. Seeing Gu An’s response, she did not press further and instead turned to ask, “Look at my painting, does it capture the likeness of the Fairy?”
Her understanding of the Path of Cause and Effect was growing stronger. Even though her Cultivation Level was much lower than that of the Celestial Spirit God, she was able to depict the Celestial Spirit God’s past without him noticing.
Gu An glanced at her painting and said, “Not bad, but isn’t it rather uninteresting to only probe into his past?”
“This process allows me to deepen my understanding of the Great Dao. Besides, what I can see is far from boring,” Shen Zhen said proudly.
The Celestial Spirit God was, in her view, second only to Gu An. Unable to depict Gu An, she could only paint the Celestial Spirit God.
Gu An spoke with a profound tone, “Perhaps you should create a Divine Skill, a skill that only you can wield.”
“Divine Skills?” Shen Zhen pondered thoughtfully.
Her Cultivation Level was also that of a Wandering Immortal, and that was even without putting much effort into her Immortal Cultivation, so she grew increasingly confident, even believing that she would eventually surpass Tian Hao.
Although Gu An did not think she could catch up to Tian Hao, her potential indeed seemed limitless.
This was not solely due to the power of cause and effect from Fairy Yaoxuan, but also the Great Cause and Effect Stele used by the Emperor of Eternal Life.
The Great Cause and Effect Stele stood within the River of Cause and Effect, a manifestation of the Great Dao itself, eternally indestructible within the Great Dao. The existence of the Great Cause and Effect Stele was unimaginable.
With the Emperor of Eternal Life’s sacrifice, some of the stele’s power had spread to Shen Zhen. As she lived longer, this power became ever stronger.
Gu An could see through everyone’s future, but Shen Zhen’s future was becoming increasingly obscured in his eyes, a power dissolving her cause and effect, which made him have greater expectations for her.
While Shen Zhen was lost in thought, Gu An contemplated his own Dao.
He felt it was necessary to focus on developing a second Great Dao.
Relying on the Daoist Dominator Skill, Gu An had begun to glimpse the Three Thousand Great Dao, but that was just understanding, not mastery.
He wanted to master a formidable Great Dao, not as unfathomable as cause and effect, fate, or reincarnation but rather pure strength.
Like the bright sun in the sky, glorious, upright, with awe-inspiring might.
The Three Thousand Great Dao was just a collective term; the actual number of Dao was uncertain, with Gu An having glimpsed more than three thousand.
He wished to choose the most vigorous among these Dao.
Pure strength!
After much contemplation, Gu An decided on the Path of Power.
The Path of Power wasn’t simply about physical strength but represented all types of power at their peak—that was the Path of Power.
To prove the Dao with power meant to prove it with Great Magical Power, with Qi Power.
The Path of Power was ubiquitous; all beings that possessed strength, that could cultivate mana, demonic power, or any other power-focused Cultivation, existed because of the Path of Power.
Gu An immediately employed the Life Span Projection and chose the Path of Power.
Still consuming one trillion years of life span, various prompts wildly popped up before him.
But this time was different!
He suddenly saw the Celestial Spirit Great World.
Almost instantly, he sensed some changes in the Celestial Spirit Great World.
It seemed an extra person had appeared.
Gu An calculated with his fingers, his expression growing even more peculiar.
He couldn’t calculate the projected being, but he did foresee Tian Hao encountering a formidable opponent in the Yin Yang Immortal Domain, marking the first time Tian Hao had failed to conquer a being of the same realm.
