Chapter 433: Realm of the Incense-Fire God
Under the focused gazes of the Saints, Li Hao once again arrived at the True Sovereign Tower. Stepping through the tower's gates, darkness enveloped him like a rising tide. When he opened his eyes again, he stood in the second layer.
The dim pillar loomed ahead, radiating its imposing presence, yet he wasn't immediately transported to a battlefield.
Li Hao's eyes flickered with thought, his mind already turning toward combat strategies. After a brief moment of preparation, he extended his hand to touch the surface of the pillar.
In an instant, the pillar absorbed him like a sponge drinking water.
The scene before him transformed—darkness fell away like scattered paper fragments, revealing a vast, desolate world that unfolded like a breathtaking painting. Winds howled from all directions, sweeping across the barren expanse.
The towering pillar now floated mid-air, its dark purple light converging rapidly at a single point, forming his reflection—a projection of himself—gradually solidifying into a figure.
As the projection neared completion, Li Hao quickly brought up his system interface. Without hesitation, he selected Transcendent Chess Heart and embedded it into his Movement Dao.
With the confirmation prompt flashing, a sensation of ethereal Dao intent descended upon him. A vast sea of knowledge surged into his mind.
For a fleeting moment, Li Hao felt himself plunged into a chaotic liminal space. Time seemed to stop as countless memories, Daoist teachings, and profound visions swirled before him.
Although it felt like centuries passed within this enlightenment, in the external world, not even a second had elapsed.
By the time Li Hao returned to awareness, his projection had fully materialized. Yet, the projection did not attack immediately. Instead, it gave him a slight bow, gesturing politely for him to begin, just like last time.
Li Hao raised his head slightly and noticed something new—thunderclouds gathering ominously above.
The moment he had embedded the Transcendent Chess Heart and leveled up, he had also triggered an ascension process.
Movement Dao: Tenth Stage.
Heavenly Sacrificial Dao!
To Li Hao's surprise, this ascension even summoned Tribulation Clouds. Was this realm not just an illusory battlefield but an actual pocket of reality?
While he pondered this, the storm above thickened. The projection glanced upward but showed no concern. Instead, it radiated golden light, its silver hair gleaming as its aura surged.
Behind the projection, a Heaven and Earth Avatar appeared, its size magnifying drastically as the projection entered a Heavenly Transformation State.
Li Hao knew there was no room for hesitation. Without delay, he activated his Heavenly Transformation, his silver hair fluttering as his figure expanded to match the projection. As his Heaven and Earth Avatar merged with him, a majestic aura swept forth, resembling a primeval colossus of ancient times.
The two towering figures stood opposite each other. Yet even now, the projection's pressure far outweighed Li Hao's. Its very presence caused the tribulation clouds above to churn violently, as if on the brink of dispersing.
The Heavenly Sacrificial Tribulation, meant to test Li Hao's strength, seemed utterly insignificant under the projection's overwhelming dominance.
But Li Hao ignored the tribulation. His sole focus was on the projection. In the first layer, his reliance on Void Return Extreme Realm had been countered when the projection disrupted his movement through mastery of heavenly forces. Here, there would be no running or stalling—the battle would be decided in an instant.
Would the tenth-stage Movement Dao provide enough advantage to carve out a path to victory?
As he prepared, the projection struck.
A massive force gathered in the air, converging into an enormous blade of celestial energy. The sheer magnitude of its sharpness and might was incomparable, capable of splitting the heavens and earth in two. The descending slash tore through the sky, accompanied by howling winds and a deafening roar like gods and ghosts wailing.
The crushing pressure alone bent the sky and ground beneath it.
Li Hao staggered under the weight of the attack's momentum, his form trembling like a tiny boat tossed by tempestuous seas. But at the critical moment, he unleashed Yan Luo Avatar—a fearsome manifestation cloaked in black flames, materializing behind him like a demonic guardian of the True Realm.
A black Yan Blade, forged from concentrated heavenly power, coalesced in Li Hao's hand. He channeled the full force of his energies, yet he refrained from attacking immediately, instead biding his time.
As the projection's blade neared, Li Hao's figure flickered, melding Void Return Extreme Realm with his enhanced Movement Dao, weaving between the tangible and intangible. With precision, he narrowly avoided the devastating strike.
In the next heartbeat, his Yan Blade ignited with a vast wave of black energy, sweeping forward to counterattack.
The projection's eyes flickered with mild surprise, seemingly caught off guard by Li Hao's sudden spike in skill. However, a fleeting glance at the looming tribulation clouds seemed to explain everything. The projection's expression shifted from indifference to a faint, appreciative smile.
But it wasn't idle. Raising its blade, it unleashed its own Yan Luo Avatar, far grander and more terrifying than Li Hao's, emanating an aura that surpassed the limits of origin-level insight.
The projection's attack swept forth, its black blade cutting effortlessly through Li Hao's counterstrike, splitting his wave of energy cleanly in half.
Li Hao's gaze darkened. The fivefold difference in power was more overwhelming than he anticipated. Even with his enhanced Movement Dao, the projection's superior spiritual strength allowed it to predict and counter his every move.
However, this time, the projection displayed a distinct divergence from the first layer—it lacked the relentless, blind aggression. Instead, it exhibited deliberate restraint, almost as though it possessed a will of its own.
As Li Hao's attacks were continuously deflected, the hidden strategy he had laid down in the Heaven-Earth Chess Formation was nearing completion. Finally, as the setup reached its final stages, Li Hao's eyes hardened. Success or failure would hinge on this single moment.
With a deliberate swing, he exposed a glaring opening in his stance. His movements seemed unstable, drawing close to the projection—an opportunity too tempting to ignore.
Yet, instead of striking, the projection paused, watching Li Hao with a playful glint in its eyes, as though testing his resolve. It made no move.
Li Hao felt a chill run down his spine. The mocking gaze seemed to pierce his confidence, but he didn't waver. Repeating the feint, he once again left himself vulnerable.
This time, the projection finally acted. With a swift motion, the Yan Blade cleaved toward Li Hao's exposed position.
Seizing the moment, Li Hao's Heaven-Earth Chess Formation came alive. The previously hidden threads of energy and sword aura buried in the void materialized, converging into a single, overwhelming strike far beyond Li Hao's usual strength. The radiant sword light surged forward like a tidal wave.
But before Li Hao could savor the victory, an even more radiant brilliance erupted.
In the void, sword energy materialized, threading together into a strike even sharper and more majestic than his own. It coalesced into a sword beam that seemed to pierce the heavens, descending with an earth-shattering force.
Li Hao froze mid-step, his pupils contracting. The projection had mirrored his strategy—duplicating the Heaven-Earth Chess Formation with startling precision.
The realization hit him like a blow. The projection must have planted its own hidden threads earlier when parrying his strikes. Its mastery of setting traps and controlling the battlefield wasn't just fivefold stronger—it was flawless.
The blinding sword light closed in, leaving no room for error. On the brink of life and death, Li Hao's instincts flared. His eyes shone with sudden clarity as he pushed his Movement Dao to its utmost limit. Combining Void Return Extreme Realm with his refined movement technique, he flickered out of harm's way, leaving an afterimage in his place.
The projection's strike obliterated the afterimage, carving a scar across the landscape that split mountains and redirected rivers. Li Hao reappeared miles away, gasping for breath. Despite the endless power granted by his Heavenly Star Meridian, his body was drenched in cold sweat, and his mind teetered on exhaustion.
The projection glanced at him, seemingly intrigued by his narrow escape, before resuming its relentless assault.
Li Hao's attempts at evasion grew increasingly strained. The projection's attacks came faster and sharper, its pressure mounting with each strike.
Even with his Tenth Stage Movement Dao, he could barely stay ahead. The slightest mistake would mean certain death.
In this escalating battle, Li Hao had no time to lay traps or regroup. The fivefold difference in power left him utterly breathless.
This... is the crushing weight of disparity.
Li Hao's heartbeat thundered in his ears. He had already exhausted the strategic advantage of his Heaven-Earth Chess Formation, yet the projection stood unscathed. Could anyone truly overcome such a trial?
Thoughts of the elder in the distant fields flickered through his mind—the solitary figure silently tending the sacred lands. Li Hao's eyes hardened with resolve. As he darted between attacks, his movements blurred, leaving behind ghostly afterimages.
Shadows and afterimages...
An idea began to take root.
His mind wandered to his training in painting—where form and meaning intertwine. Form is substance, while meaning is abstraction.
As an accomplished painter, Li Hao had long mastered this principle. But in this moment, he glimpsed something deeper—a harmony between the tangible and the intangible.
Before the epiphany could solidify, a chilling blade of sword intent swept toward him. Startled, Li Hao instinctively parried.
The force of the blow hurled him backward, his body smashing through mountains. He finally skidded to a stop, blood dripping from his wounds. Yet, thanks to the regenerative powers of his divine bloodline, his injuries began healing almost immediately.
The projection approached, serene and commanding, as though a deity descending from the heavens. It raised its sword, channeling immense energy into the signature move Immortal's Guidance.
The strike descended like a divine finger pressing against the earth. Its radiant brilliance overwhelmed the dim tribulation clouds above, scattering them like wisps of smoke.
Li Hao looked up at the impending attack, a bitter smile on his face. This was the end of the challenge.
And yet... there was more. Any future attempt would be harder. Once he returned, the next projection would also possess Tenth Stage Movement Dao, further widening the chasm between them.
"This trial is truly monstrous..." Li Hao muttered bitterly.
As the strike bore down, the fierce winds tore at his body, threatening to disintegrate him. In his mind's eye, he glimpsed the elder's lonely silhouette once more. He clenched his fists tightly, unwilling to give up.
Suddenly, amidst the radiant sword light, something unexpected occurred.
Brilliant golden light cascaded from the dissipating tribulation clouds above, pouring down like an endless waterfall of molten gold.
Li Hao froze in shock.
Before he could react, the golden, sand-like radiance surged forward, entwining with the descending sword light. Like countless hands, it compressed and enveloped the sword's terrifying power. In an instant, it overtook the sword light, winding along its path until it reached Li Hao's body at the final moment.
Time seemed to come to a standstill.
A gentle yet immeasurably profound force spread across Li Hao's form.
He could sense innumerable wills, prayers, and whispers—like a chorus of ancient thunderous chants—resonating within his mind. The overwhelming sword light, poised to crush him, halted abruptly as the golden sand-like energy surrounded and neutralized it.
Around Li Hao, the ground shattered inch by inch. The flat terrain transformed into a towering, jagged peak, with Li Hao standing at its summit.
The sword light dissipated, leaving the projection's gaze sharpened as it fixed upon Li Hao.
Meanwhile, Li Hao's eyes reflected not the fading sword light but the vast golden radiance enveloping him. He could feel the warmth and softness emanating from the light, its presence both sacred and profound.
This was incense-fire energy.
Since arriving in this realm, Li Hao had sensed little to no incense-fire energy. He had assumed it had been severed or forgotten by the outside world.
But now, it seemed the tribulation had pierced some barrier, allowing the incense-fire energy to flow through the void and reach him.
Five years. Five years of accumulation. Li Hao had never imagined that so much incense-fire energy could amass.
Now, his colossal Heaven-Earth Manifestation form was completely wrapped in this golden power, like a divine mound of light safeguarding him.
The energy poured into his body, seeping through every pore.
The force within him swelled, growing hotter and more intense. It reached a breaking point, as if his body was an overflowing vessel. Then, the surging incense-fire energy began to coalesce into tangible threads of golden light. These threads burned like divine incense, releasing shimmering golden smoke that condensed into a singular, glowing form: a Divine Incense Aura.
The golden incense aura was ethereal and enigmatic, radiating a sacred brilliance.
Li Hao realized what this meant: the Incense-Fire God Realm.
He now understood why this transformation required such vast amounts of incense-fire energy. Only by burning it to its absolute limit could one condense the divine incense aura.
As the golden aura ignited, Li Hao felt an unprecedented surge of power within him. The incense-fire energy was now ten times stronger than before.
Yet, compared to his overall strength, it only contributed a modest fivefold increase—not even doubling his power.
This limitation became evident. The incense-fire energy, while formidable, was only a fraction of Li Hao's overall combat prowess.
This disparity explained why he could suppress entities like the Source Ancestors or God Kings. His overwhelming celestial energy alone could rival their most potent incense-fire techniques.
For an ordinary Saint, achieving this breakthrough would likely have reversed the tide of battle entirely—possibly even granting a chance to conquer the third layer of the True Sovereign Tower, a trial for personal disciples of the Immortal Emperor.
But for Li Hao, this newfound strength merely narrowed the gap. Against the fivefold-strength projection, it offered only a sliver of hope.
Still...
Li Hao's gaze flickered with determination as he thought of the Three Divine Powers: Extreme Dao, Sacrificial Dao, and Incense-Fire Energy.
When combined, these three powers could form the embryonic shape of a Heavenly Dao.
And it was this embryonic Heavenly Dao that had become one of Li Hao's core strengths.
A newfound clarity surged through him. Channeling the incense-fire energy into his Heavenly Dao, he ignited its latent potential.
As the divine power merged with his embryonic Heavenly Dao, it began to glow with a golden hue. Its aura surged dramatically. The balance between the three forces shifted as the incense-fire energy, now amplified, began to suppress the other two.
The embryonic Heavenly Dao shone brilliantly, resembling a divine child. It grew rapidly in both form and power, evolving from the likeness of a newborn to that of a seven- or eight-year-old.
With this transformation, its aura underwent a seismic shift.
Where once it had been a mere spark of potential, it now emanated an overwhelming, divine force.
Sensing the change, the projection's expression turned grave. It now recognized Li Hao as a genuine threat.
The projection surged forward in an instant, its speed amplified by relentless Void Return Phase Shifts. Powered by the infinite energy of the Heavenly Star Meridian, it attacked with a ferocity that shook the heavens.
Li Hao's platform—the newly formed jagged peak—trembled under the projection's approach. The mountain seemed on the verge of collapse.
As the projection closed in, Li Hao raised his gaze, locking eyes with his opponent. Both combatants understood that this would be a battle fought with everything they had.
Simultaneous Strikes!
The surrounding heavenly energy was instantly consumed, split into two distinct forces.
Li Hao suddenly noticed a critical flaw in the projection.
Despite its overwhelming strength, the projection relied heavily on the ambient heavenly energy. If this energy were depleted, even the strongest force would be difficult to sustain.
Now, as both sides absorbed power simultaneously, the surrounding energy seemed to split equally, meaning they were temporarily balanced!
Just as a glimmer of hope ignited in Li Hao's eyes, his confidence growing, the projection's expression turned cold. Its primordial spirit, five times stronger than Li Hao's, expanded outward, pulling in heavenly energy from an even wider radius.
In moments, the projection's sword energy became overwhelming, far surpassing Li Hao's.
Li Hao's expression stiffened, but then his eyes sharpened with the determination of a cornered wolf. There was no turning back now. If he failed here, future attempts would only grow harder unless he ascended to the True Immortal Realm.
It's all or nothing!
Li Hao ignited the embryonic Heavenly Dao within him, burning its power to wage a desperate counterattack.
The embryonic Heavenly Dao roared to life, its flames surging as if prepared to perish alongside him. The scorching energy enveloped his form. As Li Hao swung his sword, the clouds above were swept away as if sucked into a vast vortex.
Boom!
The expansive, desolate world seemed to shudder violently, as though an unseen hand gripped it and shook it to its core.
Then came a ringing silence, a vacuum of sound.
Time itself seemed to fracture. All motion ceased—until an impossibly brilliant sword light shattered the stillness, cutting through illusion and dragging reality back into focus.
Li Hao stood bloodied, his massive Heaven-Earth Manifestation form covered in crisscrossing sword wounds. His regenerative abilities, typically formidable, now struggled to heal the extensive damage. All his remaining strength was channeled into his final strike.
The sword light tore through the projection's defenses, slicing into the hazy figure and severing its head.
The projection's primordial spirit collapsed in silence. Its body, suffused with dark purple light, flickered and began to dissipate, dissolving like smoke.
Li Hao exhaled heavily, his heart pounding. He waited for what felt like an eternity before the chaotic world around him restored itself. At last, he saw the projection's broken form, lifeless and fading into the void.
The dark purple glow that once enveloped it shimmered one final time before vanishing completely.
Li Hao let out a shaky breath, his chest heaving. Exhaustion, far deeper than physical fatigue, swept over him. Though the Heavenly Star Meridian still brimmed with energy, his body felt as if it might collapse at any moment.
That final strike had pushed him past his limits. By channeling the embryonic Heavenly Dao, he had touched the essence of the Heavenly Transformation Realm, borrowing a fragment of its power to deliver the killing blow.
Now, like a kite with a severed string, Li Hao fell from the sky.
The once-flat plains below had been reduced to a gaping chasm. Li Hao plummeted for what felt like an eternity before finally landing at the bottom.
He sat in the depths of the crater, bloodied and battered, but a wide grin spread across his face.
However, as he sensed the Divine Incense Aura within him, the smile faded, replaced by deep silence.
Over the past five years, the outside world hadn't forgotten him. To have accumulated such vast incense-fire energy meant that nearly 90% of all beings across the heavens now worshipped him.
This realization carried a heavy weight. If the other Saints had interfered, this wouldn't have been possible.
Yet, this also signaled something crucial: the heavens had not been invaded by the Ancient Demons. If calamity had struck, the incense-fire energy would never have reached such heights.
"Back then, Ying Xiaoxiao mentioned that achieving the Extreme Incense-Fire God Realm required at least half the incense-fire across the heavens. It seems even she underestimated the scale."
Li Hao's gaze flickered. Five years of universal devotion had pushed him into the Divine Incense-Fire God Realm.
Even the Source Ancestor, the oldest of all Saints, had never reached such a height during his prime, when the population of the heavens was far smaller. It was only after the Source Ancestor brought peace to the chaotic world, driving out demons and stabilizing the lands, that the population grew enough to support the emergence of additional Saints.
While the Source Ancestor remained the most revered, it had taken him tens of thousands of years to reach the Divine Incense-Fire God Realm. Once achieved, he reached the pinnacle of the incense-fire path and could progress no further, leading him to explore other avenues of cultivation.
Other Saints saw the Source Ancestor as an insurmountable figure, his power so vast they couldn't imagine surpassing him. Yet, unbeknownst to them, his cultivation had long stagnated, leaving him to obsess over celestial paths as his only hope for advancement.
Li Hao's thoughts turned to his companions.
"I wonder how Feng Lao and the others are faring..." he murmured, his expression darkening as unease crept into his heart.
Suddenly, a strange sensation jolted through him. His eyes snapped upward toward the sky.
To his astonishment, the projection, which had clearly been defeated, descended slowly, its wounds fully healed.
Li Hao stared, dumbfounded, as the projection smirked.
Raising its hand, the projection summoned a torrent of energy, its aura surging once more.
Li Hao gritted his teeth, fighting off the crushing fatigue, and prepared to muster what little strength he had left for another fight.
But just as he readied himself, the projection's energy dissipated.
"Relax," it said with a mischievous grin. "You've already won."
"...What?" Li Hao's eyes widened in disbelief. The projection could speak?
"To pass the second layer of the True Sovereign Tower, you're entitled to learn the truth about me."
The projection's demeanor shifted, radiating an aura of wisdom and tranquility entirely unlike Li Hao's own. Hands clasped behind its back, it smiled faintly.
"I've waited 100,000 years for someone to pass this trial. Finally, you've done it. Do you know who I am?"
"You're... the True Sovereign Tower?" Li Hao ventured.
Even divine weapons possessed spirits; it was logical that this towering artifact, likely an Imperial Artifact, would house an extraordinary essence.
"Clever," the projection replied, its smile deepening. "You're correct."
It glanced at Li Hao, a hint of appreciation in its gaze.
"For years, I've awaited someone capable of completing the trials and exploring the heavens. The outside world has grown stagnant. Those little Saints out there can't even pass the first layer. If this were the golden age of the Immortal Emperor, the mere mention of a disciple selection would've shaken the heavens. Countless geniuses would've swarmed here, millions in number..."
The projection's voice trailed off, its gaze wistful. But the nostalgia quickly faded, replaced by quiet resignation.
"You are talented—far more so than any of them. But the Nine Flowers of Immortality Seal will challenge you greatly. Should you face insurmountable obstacles, return here. I can assist you, within the limits of the Immortal Emperor's rules."