Li Hao and the others looked up and saw numerous darting figures in front of them, all following the giant sword as it flew away.
"Sky One Sect? Isn't that one of the top sects in the True World?"
Li Hao's eyes flickered slightly. If the rules hadn't changed in the past ten thousand years, then it was almost certainly correct.
He glanced at Lin Qingying and immediately led everyone to follow.
Apart from Lin Qingying, he himself was also a sword cultivator. Although he had the inheritance of the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor, mastering more sword intents could only be beneficial, not harmful.
After all, his cultivation only required absorbing and didn't consume much time.
Old Wang followed along with Li Hao. He glanced into the distance and seemed to see the scenery thousands of miles away. A look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes as he transmitted a message to Li Hao:
"You accompany these little ones. I'll go search for the reincarnation of the Goddess of Time."
Li Hao stopped in his tracks and quickly transmitted back, "Then I'll go with you."
"No need."
Old Wang shook his head slightly and transmitted, "I already searched in that battlefield earlier. The temporal fluctuations of the Goddess of Time have disappeared. She's likely been in the True World for quite some time now. The laws of heaven and earth are even tighter here, and traces will quickly be smoothed over. This place is conveniently in the Southern Domain. I need to go to the Vault of Heaven and find the Stone Statue of the Blind Old Man. I'll have the Stone Statue of the Blind Old Man calculate it, though I don't even know if that statue is still there…"
He said to Li Hao, "You provided the clues, and I will do my best to find her. Here are three willow leaves for you to keep."
He raised his hand and handed Li Hao three emerald green, crystal-clear willow leaves shimmering with divine light.
"Each leaf is a blade. It can unleash three strikes for you. Anyone below the King level will surely die, and even Kings can be repelled."
As he spoke, he raised his hand again and gently tapped Li Hao's forehead.
A silver, winding mark was etched onto Li Hao's forehead, like a third vertical eye, but it quickly disappeared into Li Hao's body.
"This is the imprint of my Immortal Kingdom's origin. If you are in danger and call for help, I can teleport here instantly through my Immortal Kingdom. You don't need to worry."
He explained everything properly and quietly looked at Li Hao.
Li Hao was stunned. Seeing Old Wang's gentle and warm gaze, he seemed to understand something.
"Focus on your cultivation. If we can truly find the reincarnation of the Goddess of Time, you will become a direct disciple. At that time, you will compete with her for the inheritance of the Immortal Emperor. With your current strength, your foundation is still far too lacking…"
He whispered encouragingly through transmission.
Li Hao was silent, then nodded silently.
Although he didn't have a strong desire to inherit the Immortal Emperor's legacy, he knew that some things were beyond his control once he was in that position.
After entrusting everything, Old Wang quietly vanished into the void, leaving silently and without a trace.
Li Hao held the three willow leaves in his hand, radiating divine splendor and brilliance.
The others, noticing Li Hao stopping in place, then realized that someone was missing beside Li Hao.
"Where did that old senior go?"
Someone asked.
"He went to pave the way for me."
Li Hao gazed at the horizon and only uttered faintly before putting away the three willow leaves in his hand. At this moment, he finally realized that what this old gentleman cultivated was not the sword, but the saber.
…
After passing over towering mountain buildings, Li Hao and the others finally saw clearly the boundless and vast city.
Inside were rivers, mountains, and peaks, and endless buildings, like a boundless world with no end in sight.
Li Hao followed the fluctuations of the giant sword from before, leading Sword Master, Old Feng, and the others towards it.
As the numerous mountain ranges and buildings flew past beneath their feet, they quickly arrived at the city center. The closer they got to the center, the denser the buildings became. The majestic buildings around them were like steep giant swords, or bell towers, exuding an ancient and desolate aura. The building stones were very rough, yet they seemed to have solidified and thickened through countless years of sedimentation, giving people an unshakable feeling.
The group flew through the air and saw a plaza here. The giant sword, about a hundred miles long, stretched across the sky like a heavenly bridge, unscalable and insurmountable.
Many figures were gathered in the shadow cast by the giant sword, looking up and discussing animatedly.
"Myriad Mountains Sword Tower, only accepts sword cultivators. We who are not of the sword path should seek another sect."
"That's right, that's right. I saw the Wind Thunder Pavilion has also arrived. I happen to have mastered the true meaning of the wind element's origin. It shouldn't be a problem to further my studies by joining the Wind Thunder Pavilion."
"Hard to say. These top-tier sects are extremely demanding on Dao Hearts. That Heart-Questioning Tower requires at least five echoes to be triggered!"
"This…"
Around them, many people were whispering and conversing.
On the way here, Li Hao had already transmitted the language of the True World to Old Feng and the others through divine thought. Although they didn't know the True World language, they could still communicate with the immortals and deities of the True World. They only needed to communicate with their nascent soul's true intent. However, doing so would immediately reveal to others that they were outsiders, inevitably inviting bullying and contempt.
Li Hao turned his head and looked, seeing a towering giant pagoda standing tall in the center of the plaza.
Its top reached into the clouds, out of sight, but the pagoda body was slanted, and the corners of the outer eaves were damaged. At the seventh eave, there was a patch of bright red blood, as if freshly stained.
"Why is there blood there?"
Other newly arrived True Immortals from various places also noticed and asked curiously.
"Someone actually dared to cause trouble at the Heart-Questioning Tower? Killing is forbidden here."
"You've misunderstood. That's not ordinary blood, but Immortal Emperor blood from a hundred thousand years ago. I came here thirty thousand years ago and saw it, as vibrant as it is today. Immortal Emperor blood will never decay, never fade." Someone responded.
Li Hao's eyes flickered. Immortal Emperor blood stained on the Heart-Questioning Tower, he wondered what major event happened in the past.
At this moment, a group of figures hovered above the hundred-mile-long giant sword, came to the edge of the sword, and looked down upon the countless True Immortals and Saint-level beings in the vast plaza.
"I am Cui Yuesheng, an elder of the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower."
A dignified yet indifferent voice descended from above, reverberating in the ears of everyone in the plaza. "Following the Immortal Decree of the sect, we have come here to forge good karma and recruit prodigy disciples. All of you at the True Immortal Realm with a soul span of no more than three thousand years can participate. For Saint-level beings, the soul span requirement is no more than a thousand years."
"Selection requirements: First, you must be a sword cultivator!"
"Second, your Dao Heart must transcend the Heavenly grade, reaching five echoes in the Heart-Questioning Tower, with the ambition to seek the Dao beyond immortals, deities, and even heaven and earth."
"Third, I will leave behind a wisp of sword intent later. Only those who can comprehend it are qualified."
"Those who meet the above conditions can all become disciples of our sect. The exceptional ones can directly become inner disciples of our sect."
"The disciple recruitment period will last for one month. Please hurry and seize the time."
As the words fell, the many sword cultivators in the plaza erupted in excitement, while many others whose soul spans had already exceeded the limit slumped, their faces grim. The soul span age alone eliminated them from contention.
"It seems we old fellows have no chance."
Feng Boping looked at Sword Master, regret in his eyes.
He knew that Sword Master was a sword cultivator and extremely talented in this path. However, his soul span had long exceeded three thousand years, even reaching thirty thousand, making him unable to join the sect.
Sword Master slightly raised his head, his brows furrowed slightly. Li Hao had transmitted many things about the True World to him, and he also knew that the force on the giant sword before him was the Sky One Sect, considered one of the top True World Heavenly Sect forces.
Moreover, it was a sword-path sect, which his heart yearned for. However, these strict requirements barred him from entry.
He sighed deeply with regret, originally intending to explore the true essence of the sword path in the True World, wanting to see an even more extreme and transcendent sword path, but the door was directly closed to him.
"Myriad Mountains Sword Tower's requirements seem to be for the upcoming Southern Domain War."
"That's right, in that Southern Domain War, only those with a soul span within three thousand years can participate. They are clearly aiming to compete for dominance."
"No choice, this Southern Domain War is said to reshuffle the many forces in the Southern Domain, ranking Heavenly Sects based on performance. Each Heavenly Sect is fighting desperately."
Many whispered discussions came from around them.
Li Hao scanned around and saw many people rushing towards the towering Heart-Questioning Tower, wanting to be the first to be tested and prove their Dao Hearts.
He looked at Sword Master and the others. Saints had long lifespans, showing no signs of aging even after a hundred thousand years. True Immortals could even live as long as heaven and earth, living for millions of years.
Nangong Jian, who remained behind in the ancient battlefield, had stayed there for a full hundred thousand years.
However, most True Immortals perished in the battles for opportunities and during cultivation. Those who died of old age were rare.
"Haotian, with your age, you can join this Myriad Mountains Sword Tower."
Sword Master smiled at Li Hao.
Feng Boping looked at Li Hao, a smile also appearing on his face. He showed no regret at being unable to join the sect, and laughed, "This is a top force in the True World. Joining them will allow you to advance faster and further."
Li Hao shook his head slightly and said, "If they cannot accept you all, I will lead you to seek other Heavenly Sects."
"Absolutely not."
Hearing Li Hao say this, Feng Boping's expression changed slightly, and he quickly said, "Don't let us hinder your progress. Everyone has their own path. Our paths can only go so far, but your path is still very long."
"No matter how long the road is, if there are no figures of you all along the way, it is just a dead end. The scenery along the way is what's important."
Li Hao said.
Feng Boping and Sword Master exchanged glances. Although they had long known Li Hao's nature, they still felt an indescribable emotion.
"You child, you are truly foolish…"
Feng Boping said, wanting to persuade him further, when a voice suddenly came from above. It was another cold, clear female voice, like a clear spring in winter, refreshing and calming thoughts:
"If those who exceed the soul span can meet the Dao Heart requirement and comprehend the sword intent, they can also apply. However, whether they can become inner disciples depends on their performance after joining the sect."
Hearing these words, cheers erupted again in the plaza. Clearly, many who exceeded the soul span were excited.
Feng Boping and Sword Master were stunned, then became pleasantly surprised and excited.
"It seems you have hope as well." Feng Boping smiled at Sword Master.
Sword Master nodded slightly, a light appearing in his eyes. However, his gaze turned to the towering Heart-Questioning Tower and said:
"But he said the Heart-Questioning Tower requires five echoes for Dao Heart. I wonder if I can achieve that."
Li Hao knew that five echoes for Dao Heart meant transcending the Heavenly grade and stepping into the Chaos Dao Heart level.
Whether Sword Master could achieve it, he didn't know. He said, "In that case, let's first go to the Heart-Questioning Tower for testing."
"Good."
Everyone agreed. In the crowd, Zhandan and the others were also smiling, full of excitement, but they knew that their cultivation path would likely make it difficult to join this Myriad Mountains Sword Tower.
At this time, everyone arrived at the Heart-Questioning Tower. There were many figures going in and out. From inside, buzzing vibrations occasionally resonated. Those who stepped out still had echoes of heaven and earth lingering on them, the sound extremely faint, but still audible.
"I'll go first."
Sword Master said to Li Hao, and then with a solemn expression, flew towards the Heart-Questioning Tower.
Li Hao watched him enter, then turned to look at Lin Qingying.
"Wait for me."
Lin Qingying gazed intently at Li Hao, saying softly, her eyes revealing unprecedented determination.
She had tested her Dao Heart before, and it was only at the Heavenly grade. But now, whether it had changed, she didn't know, and needed to verify it again.
As her figure floated away like a wisp of green cloud, Li Hao also withdrew his gaze and looked at the others, saying, "If you want to be tested, feel free to go. It will probably be useful later when joining other sects."
Hearing Li Hao's words, everyone hurried towards the Heart-Questioning Tower.
Feng Boping saw Li Hao standing still in place, and asked, "Aren't you going?"
"I've already been tested before." Li Hao said.
Feng Boping was surprised and couldn't help but laugh, "Looking at you like this, you must have passed, right?"
Li Hao smiled. Nine echoes of heaven and earth, it was indeed passing.
"Then I won't wait for you, I'll go and take a look too."
Feng Boping said with a smile, bid farewell to Li Hao, and turned to fly towards the Heart-Questioning Tower.
At this time, at the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower high in the sky, the cold, clear female voice from before had now raised her hand and etched a sword mark in the void.
Li Hao looked up and felt the sword mark was sharp and piercing, yet it also had a grandness that encompassed mountains and rivers. His eyes slightly narrowed, feeling the extraordinary nature of this sword intent.
At the same time, a panel prompt popped up before his eyes:
[Sword Art 'Myriad Mountains Starting Stance' (Beginner Level) has been mastered. Record it?]
Record.
Soon, a new sword art appeared on the panel.
Li Hao glanced at the grade, belonging to the Upper Immortal Grade, which was the upper-grade cultivation technique mastered by True Immortals.
The cultivation techniques practiced by Immortal Monarchs, involving the power of Law Origins, were called Origin-Grade cultivation techniques, the foundation of a sect, not easily spread outside.
However, this sword art was only a starting stance, yet it was already at the Upper Immortal Grade level, showing that the cultivation technique itself was likely Origin Grade, or even beyond.
However, to obtain the subsequent higher levels of cultivation, one would need to join the sect.
After recording the technique, Li Hao wasn't in a rush to join the sect, but instead began to wander around, waiting for Sword Master and the others to come out.
He left a projection of himself and his aura in one place, so they could find him when they came out of the Heart-Questioning Tower. His main body strolled around the plaza.
Although it was called a plaza, it was extremely vast. The Heart-Questioning Tower stood tall like a pillar of heaven. Around the tower, there were some high buildings, with the aroma of wine and tea, and the fragrant smell of food wafting out.
Li Hao couldn't help but feel a bit hungry. The food in the True World, the dishes cooked were all True Immortal Realm demon cultivators and rare treasures. He wondered what they tasted like, whether it was a waste of natural resources.
He came to a tavern near the Heart-Questioning Tower. The aroma here was strongest. Inside, were cultivators from various places engaged in lively discussions, mostly Saint-level, speaking softly. Judging from their Saint robes and immortal garments, they were all from True Immortal families from various parts of the True World.
Li Hao listened to news from various sources, learning about and becoming familiar with the True World, while casually finding a seat by the window on the upper floor.
Soon, the signature dishes recommended by the waiter were served.
Li Hao didn't stand on ceremony, pouring wine into his cup and using his chopsticks to eat a plate of spicy fried dragon tendon.
The oil was extracted from dragon fat, fragrant and overflowing, stimulating the thick immortal power in the dragon tendon. One bite, and his mouth was full of flowing immortal power, permeating through his entire body. It was not only the ultimate enjoyment of taste buds, but also enhanced cultivation, no less than absorbing ten immortal stones worth of immortal power.
However, this plate of fried dragon tendon cost a full hundred immortal stones.
The three hundred thousand immortal stones Li Hao had previously plundered were enough for him to squander and enjoy temporarily, giving him a small fortune.
After all, he had no intention of establishing a family property in this True World for the time being. Otherwise, this little wealth would not even be enough to pay off debts.
For purely eating and drinking, he couldn't spend it all, absolutely couldn't spend it all.
"Unfortunately, the chef's knife skills in processing the dragon tendon are not enough, and immortal power is leaking. Otherwise, the taste would be even better."
"The taste of this wine is not bad though."
Li Hao ate and drank heartily, quite comfortably. After Old Feng and the others finished their tests, he planned to bring them to taste it as well.
This chef's cooking skills were at least at the ninth rank.
"Hehehe, little friend, drinking alone is too lonely. How about I join you?"
Suddenly, a chuckle came over, and then an old man with a wine gourd on his back walked over. He was ragged and tattered, like a beggar on the street, with a wine-soaked nose, and a slightly drunk look in his eyes. He smiled at Li Hao.
As he spoke, he plopped down on the bench next to him, his eyes fixed firmly on the wine pot on the table.
Li Hao smelled the unpleasant stench of stale wine emanating from his body and couldn't help but wave his hand, isolating the smell. He casually said:
"If you want to drink, just drink."
As he spoke, he ignored him and poured and drank wine for himself, eating meat and drinking wine.
The old man grinned and picked up the wine pot, drinking straight from the mouth. Only after drinking his fill did he reveal a satisfied expression, then looked at Li Hao, his eyes showing a playful smile and said:
"You are quite a remarkable person."
Li Hao saw him drink directly from the pot, frowned slightly, and sighed helplessly. He ordered the waiter to bring another pot, while picking up a piece of dragon tendon to chew on, saying:
"Because I gave you wine to drink?"
"No, because you clearly dislike the smell on my old bones and disapprove of my style, yet you still gave me a drink. That's what makes it remarkable."
Li Hao said indifferently, "That's because when people ask me for wine, I never refuse."
"Why?"
"Because I will not refuse a lonely person."
The old man was stunned, then burst out laughing. When the waiter brought the wine pot, he grabbed it, filled a cup for Li Hao, then raised the pot to his mouth and drank.
"Just drinking wine, not eating food?"
Li Hao saw his appearance and said lightly, "Good wine paired with good food is the perfect match."
"Makes sense."
Upon hearing this, the old man directly grabbed the food in the plate with his hands, stuffing it into his mouth, eating while mumbling, "Not bad, not bad, the taste is indeed good."
Li Hao didn't touch the plate he had grabbed from, and quickly picked up and ate the food from the other plates. Then said, "Take your time, I'm going to relieve myself."
"Alright, alright, rare to meet a kindred spirit, go ahead."
The old man laughed and waved his hand cheerfully.
Li Hao turned and went downstairs, saw the waiter coming forward, he casually pointed upstairs to indicate, then left the tavern.
An incense stick time after Li Hao left, the old man who was eating and drinking heartily upstairs realized something was wrong. He swept his divine sense around and his eyes suddenly widened, the drunkenness seemed to clear up a lot.
"Where did that brat go?"
At this time, the waiter came to him and respectfully said, "Guest, would you like to settle the bill?"
Old Man: "…"
Good for you, never refusing anyone who asks for wine.
No wonder he was so generous, turns out he was going to pay?
He was so angry that he almost jumped up. He had wandered around for so many years, and was actually scammed by a brat.
"Alright, alright, just don't let me run into you again."
The old man said angrily.
Then, under the waiter's eager smile, he huffed and puffed, and finally reluctantly pulled out a pouch of immortal stones from his sleeve. This was almost all the money he had left.
"Achoo!"
Walking to the edge of the plaza, Li Hao sneezed. He rubbed his nose and muttered to himself, then looked around.
Most people were gathered at the Heart-Questioning Tower. This place was relatively quiet, with a hilltop where a figure was sitting.
This hilltop was low, less than a hundred meters, level with the tavern.
Against the backdrop of the towering Heart-Questioning Tower, it looked like a low mound.
Li Hao smelled a whiff of wine. He followed the scent to the hilltop and saw an old man in a silver-gray long robe sitting here, casually leaning against a green wood tree, gazing at the cliff-like deep valley at the edge of the plaza.
There, clouds and mist drifted, seeming to change at any moment.
At this time, the old man took a sip of wine, the aroma overflowing, he immediately sealed the stopper, then raised the large smoking pipe in his left hand, took two puffs, and lightly exhaled a cloud of mist, floating towards the cliff-like deep valley in front.
It seemed that the vast clouds and mist there were all condensed from his exhaled breath.
Li Hao glanced at it twice, his eyes slightly fixed, then revealed a hint of surprise.
He stepped forward and stood at the edge of the hilltop, trying his best to look out. He finally confirmed that there were invisible dark lines in the clouds and mist. The lines, like laws, gathered and scattered unpredictably, seeming to be attracting something.
"Senior, are you fishing?"
Li Hao lowered his head to look at the old man, then felt a little impolite, so he changed to crouching down.
The old man was smoking his pipe. Hearing Li Hao's words, the exhaled smoke filled his face, blurring his expression, making it unclear. His voice was like an ice blade under the eaves, with a hint of natural coldness, but at this time, his tone was relatively calm, saying:
"You can see it too."
Li Hao smiled and sat down, saying, "A little understanding."
"Is that so?"
The old man turned his head, his gaze falling on Li Hao's face. Li Hao felt that the other person's eyes seemed to be seriously scrutinizing him, from head to toe, from hair to eyes, including the fine pores on his face.
"Being in the lake, holding a rod is not necessarily a fisherman."
The old man turned his head back, no longer looking at Li Hao. His eyes were as calm as a deep lake, saying, "There are nine Dragon-Sparrows here. See if you can fish up one."
"Dragon-Sparrow?"
Li Hao was surprised, and asked curiously, "What is their cultivation level, what strength do they have?"
"Scared?"
"Fishermen are never afraid."
Li Hao immediately straightened his face. Fishermen are only afraid that the prey on the line is not big enough, never afraid to cast the hook.
Without further ado, he raised his hand and pointed, immortal power condensed like silk, Origin True Intent integrated, flying into the clouds and mist.
He used dark lines to explore the situation in the clouds and mist, searching for the traces of Dragon-Sparrow that the other person mentioned, but the clouds and mist seemed extremely calm, without any fluctuations or signs.
Doubt appeared in Li Hao's eyes. Could it be that the other person was talking nonsense?
He looked at the old man in front of him and could feel that the other person was also fishing, obviously this was likely not nonsense.
He didn't think too much about it. Fishing is most particular about patience.
He sat cross-legged, quietly fishing, silently sensing the changes in the clouds and mist.
The old man beside him suddenly shook his wrist, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "Mine has already taken the bait."
As he spoke, the dark line ejected from his fingertips, from loose suddenly condensed, then pulled straight, extending into the depths of the clouds and mist, in a place that Li Hao couldn't sense.
Suddenly, it seemed like a giant creature was churning, and a terrifying wave vibrated over.
Li Hao sensed the changes in the clouds and mist, his expression slightly changed, and he stared intently, his heart also lifting.
Although it wasn't him personally fishing up the prey, he also felt a kind of desire to secretly cheer for the old man.
Soon, the clouds and mist suddenly dispersed, flying out a black dot.
Li Hao originally thought it would be a giant creature of thousands of feet, but what was fished out was a figure only a few meters long. Golden scales covered its body like feathers, its shape resembling a sparrow, its tail as thin as a dragon, with sharp claws and a dragon head, exuding divine power and aura.
The old man raised his hand and heaven and earth space enveloped it, taking it into his possession, without causing too much fluctuation.
But Li Hao faintly felt that the Dragon-Sparrow had extremely tyrannical power, enough to easily kill ordinary True Immortals.
"Mine has already taken the bait, yours seems to still need some time."
The old man put away the Dragon-Sparrow, glanced at Li Hao, and said with a chuckle.
Li Hao said, "I just arrived."
"Yes, you just arrived, and I've been here for a long time."
The old man showed agreement with these words, nodded, then patted Li Hao's shoulder and said, "Looking at your technique, your fishing skill is very strong."
"A little understanding."
The old man laughed heartily, took a puff of his pipe, and exhaled it, saying, "You slowly fish, I, old man, will go back first. It's been a bit noisy lately, really doesn't let people get a good sleep."
As he spoke, he tottered to his feet. His back was hunched, swaying as he walked away with the wine pot.
Only now did Li Hao realize that he walked with a limp.
Watching the other person leave, Li Hao's mind was still focused on the other person's fishing. He said goodbye, then continued to turn back and seriously fish.
On the other side, at the projection location that Li Hao left in the plaza, Feng Boping and the others arrived one after another.
Most of them were tested at the Heart-Questioning Tower and achieved a Heavenly Grade Dao Heart. Only Lin Qingying, surprisingly, reached the level of five echoes.
Echoes still lingered on her body. As long as they resonated, others could hear them.
"We are actually inferior to her. It seems we really are old."
Feng Boping and the others were surprised, and couldn't help but smile wryly.
Sword Master also sized up Lin Qingying, clearly not expecting this little girl from the sect to actually surpass him in Dao Heart.
Everyone went to be tested, and only Lin Qingying reached five echoes, having the highest Dao Heart realm among them.
Seeing the gazes cast towards her, Lin Qingying blushed slightly. She had verified her Dao Heart before, and heard that it was only at the Heavenly Grade, with only four echoes. But now, she didn't know why, it actually reached five echoes.
She felt it might be that the five years of waiting had been too difficult, causing her Dao Heart to transform.
"Your soul span is also enough, and your Dao Heart now meets the requirements. You can go and comprehend that sword intent. If you can pass, you will be a disciple of a top True World sect." Li Hao's projection said to Lin Qingying.
Lin Qingying asked, "What about you?"
"I am also comprehending."
Li Hao's projection said.
Lin Qingying felt relieved upon hearing this. As for Li Hao's Dao Heart, she didn't ask. In her heart, whatever she could achieve, Li Hao could also achieve. This youth was always dazzling and radiant in her eyes, unattainable.
Lin Qingying went to the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower in the high sky to comprehend the sword intent.
Someone flew out from the giant sword to check Lin Qingying's Dao Heart. After hearing the five echoes, and checking her soul span, which was less than a thousand years, they couldn't help but be satisfied.
Although Lin Qingying was only a Half-Saint, having such a Dao Heart at this cultivation level only showed how outstanding she was.
"Look, someone can comprehend the sword intent!"
"Five echoes of Dao Heart? Look, that little girl is only a Half-Saint."
"A mere Half-Saint's Dao Heart surpasses us True Immortals?"
Many people looked up in admiration and envy.
In the void, Lin Qingying saw that in the area by the giant sword, apart from herself, there were only two other people here.
At this time, the two were staring at the sword intent in the void ahead, not distracted by her arrival.
"Just comprehend this sword intent and you'll pass."
The young man wearing True Treasure silver armor on the giant sword said with a smile.
Lin Qingying had seen this sword intent before, but when viewed from below, comprehension was hindered. Here, however, it felt as if she could touch it, able to clearly feel the various fluctuations emitted by this sword intent.
She took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and began to comprehend seriously.
She wanted to catch up to Li Hao's footsteps.
In her body, at the location of the once-broken sword embryo, a void sword embryo had long since condensed. At this moment, faint sword shadows faintly appeared inside, floating like starlight.
…
"My Dao Heart is actually not enough, it seems I need to comprehend Dao Heart as well."
Sword Master saw Lin Qingying go to comprehend the sword intent, withdrew his gaze, temporarily bid farewell to Li Hao's projection, and left this place.
Li Hao's projection led Old Feng and the others to continue strolling around the plaza.
Apart from the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower recruiting disciples, there were also many other sects here recruiting.
Among them were Earth-Rank Sects and Heaven-Rank Sects, with relatively broad requirements.
Soon, Redglow, Lin Shuhai, and the others all found sects suitable for them.
"The True World is vast, it's time for us to part ways as well."
Literary Saint said. He and his disciples, Lin Shuhai and others, all planned to join a Heaven Fourth-Rank Sect. The other party used poetry and books to kill enemies, which was just right for their Literary Saint lineage.
Li Hao still wanted to persuade them to stay, but seeing their firm intention to leave, he knew that more words would be useless.
Moreover, what he cultivated was the sword, and he couldn't provide them with cultivation resources.
"We've accompanied each other on this journey. There will be opportunities to meet again in the future. The True World is vast, let's all venture out on our own."
Feng Boping bid farewell to Literary Saint.
One was a literary saint with literary courage and righteousness, while the other was a thief saint with a notorious reputation. After the years of living together in the Haotian Holy Land, they felt a sense of mutual appreciation at this parting.
The others also realized that they all had their own paths to walk. Their talents varied, and they could only strive to meet again in the future.
Redglow and Zhandan, and the others, all joined Earth-Rank Sects. The requirements there were relatively relaxed, and coupled with their extremely high talents, being first-rate prodigies of the Heavens, they were expected to be promoted to inner disciples in the future.
As time went by, fewer and fewer people were around Li Hao's projection. Li Hao saw that Old Feng also found a suitable sect for himself. There was a sect called the Grave Sect, a Heaven Fourth-Rank Sect, specializing in stealing treasures from various forbidden areas and reselling them. Although not focused on combat, they had broad connections in the Heavenly Sects, and their power was considered quite strong.
"This old man won't stay by your side and be a burden. I'll be waiting for you to reach the peak in that Myriad Mountains Sword Tower. Then I will come and rely on you again."
Feng Boping smiled at Li Hao, his eyes full of reluctance.
Li Hao could see that Old Feng didn't really want to join that Grave Sect, but wanted to sever his ties, not wanting to give him any concerns.
"I'll be waiting for you."
Li Hao didn't try to persuade him to stay, but just said solemnly.
Feng Boping showed a relieved smile and bid farewell to Li Hao.
Days passed.
Exclamations came from the plaza.
They saw someone rushing out from the eighth floor of the Heart-Questioning Tower, flying out from the clouds.
"My heavens, look quickly!"
"I just felt the vibration of the Heart-Questioning Tower! I heard that at least an Eternal Dao Heart is needed to cause such a reaction from the Heart-Questioning Tower."
"The Heart-Questioning Tower was damaged in the Imperial Fall War back then. I heard it was originally an Immortal Forbidden Emperor Artifact, capable of verifying Heavenly Dao Emperor Hearts!"
"Who is that, which sect will she join?"
The entire plaza, with hundreds of thousands of people, True Immortal prodigies from all directions, all looked up at the clouds, seeing a tall woman with ink-like green hair floating down from inside. Her body was much larger than others, but her figure was graceful and charming, divinely beautiful, not at all crude. On the contrary, she was stunningly beautiful and majestic.
"That seems to be from the Calamity Clan!"
"Is it them?"
"Legend says that the Calamity Clan's appearances are always accompanied by disaster and turmoil, no one dares to marry or be married to them. I didn't expect a member of their clan to actually appear here."
"A major clan that once followed the Imperial Monarch, no wonder they have such a Dao Heart."
The plaza boiled over, with various discussions erupting. Many of the older people revealed sighs in their eyes, while some young prodigies frowned. The admiring gazes from before suddenly became wary.
On the hilltop, Li Hao's main body sat upright. He was still fishing for the Dragon-Sparrow in the clouds and mist.
Hearing this cheering, he couldn't help but glance over. Seeing the divinely beautiful woman flying towards the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower, he then withdrew his gaze.
"Heh, Calamity Clan."
Beside him, the old man smoking his pipe sneered, his eyes revealing ridicule, but it seemed like he was ridiculing those voices of discussion.
Li Hao looked at him in surprise. This old man had been coming over to fish these past few days, but hadn't caught another Dragon-Sparrow, and spoke very little.
"With you being so distracted, it seems you won't be able to catch one."
Sensing Li Hao's gaze, the old man snorted and his expression turned slightly cold.
Among the many old people Li Hao had come into contact with, this one gave him the feeling of being the most difficult to approach.
He smiled and said, "Fishing is inherently about fate, why force it."
"Is that your excuse for constantly 'fishing the air'?" The old man sneered.
Li Hao didn't back down, and said calmly, "Aren't you the same?"
When had the old man ever been countered like this? His eyes narrowed, glancing sideways at Li Hao, but seeing Li Hao's calm smile, his eyes narrowed slightly. He puffed on his pipe, and said indifferently, "Fish properly then, fish with your heart."
He emphasized the word "heart", then flicked open his wine gourd and took a swig.
Not long after, a rustling sound came from the grass outside the hilltop, and then a figure, panting heavily, climbed up, sniffing around. Smelling the wine aroma, he immediately trotted over, saw the old and young figures sitting behind the tree.
"Good wine… hmm?!"
The person saw Li Hao fishing beside him and his eyes widened, then he rolled up his sleeves, grabbed Li Hao's robe, and said, "You brat, you brat, I finally caught you!"
Li Hao recognized that the other person was the old man who had freeloaded food and drink at the tavern earlier. He patted the back of the other's hand and said calmly, "Don't wrinkle my clothes."
The old man still wanted to be aggressive, but suddenly felt a chill in his heart. A strange feeling made him suddenly feel apprehensive, and he subconsciously let go of Li Hao's clothes.
He glanced at the old man smoking his pipe beside him, sized him up, and seemed to see something. A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
He no longer shouted loudly, but sat down on the side. However, when he looked at Li Hao, he still felt somewhat resentful:
"For so many years, you are the first to scam me, old man."
"I invited you to drink wine, and you paid for me, how is that scamming you?" Li Hao retorted.
The old man was almost angered to death by these words.
He didn't argue with Li Hao anymore, but looked at the wine gourd in the limping old man's hand, a hint of envy showing. He chuckled and said:
"How about lending me a sip of this wine?"
The limping old man glanced sideways at him, ignored him, and just smoked his pipe.
Seeing his appearance, the old man also felt he had asked for trouble, sighed, with a hint of self-pity in his tone, "Didn't expect that I, a descendant of the Imperial Monarch, would now even fail to beg for a sip of wine."
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at the limping old man.
The limping old man seemed not to hear, and just drank on his own.
Seeing him like this, disappointment appeared in the old man's eyes. It seemed that he really wouldn't get a sip of wine.
He sighed, then turned to look at Li Hao, saying, "Boy, you came here to join a sect too, right? Why are you still dawdling here? No one willing to take you in? If no one is willing, I, old man, can reluctantly take you in. My Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect, was a Heaven First-Rank Sect ten thousand years ago. How about it?"
As he spoke, he looked at Li Hao with interest.
Li Hao, hearing the four words Great Dream Nine Abyss, was slightly stunned.
He immediately thought of his sword technique, Immortal Pointing the Way.
This was a sword art from the Great Dream Nine Abyss.
And this sword art, in the Heavenly Calamity Pseudo-World, Li Hao had casually asked Old Wang when playing chess. Great Dream Nine Abyss, was once a force established by the bloodline of the Heavenly Calamity Immortal Emperor in the past.
"Great Dream Nine Abyss…"
Li Hao sized up this wine-nosed old man, thoughts appearing in his eyes.
"How about it?"
The wine-nosed old man urged.
Li Hao pondered for a moment, and said, "Can I bring others to join the sect together?"
"Bring who?"
The wine-nosed old man said unhappily, "Do you think my Great Dream Nine Abyss is some dog or cat? Being able to accept you is already good enough. Still bringing others in? Ten thousand years ago, my Great Dream Nine Abyss Sect was already a Heaven First-Rank Sect, do you understand what that means?"
Li Hao said, "If you're unwilling, then forget it."
"You brat."
Anger appeared in the wine-nosed old man's eyes. If he hadn't seen that Li Hao's physical body was full of immortal light, certainly an extraordinary immortal physique, he wouldn't have been so polite.
"Fine, I'll break the rules for you once."
He said through gritted teeth.
Li Hao was a little surprised, saying, "You haven't even tested me yet, and you're already agreeing to my condition?"
"Of course there's a test. That Myriad Mountains Sword Tower requires five echoes of Dao Heart. My Great Dream Nine Abyss requires six echoes. If you can achieve six echoes of Dao Heart, then you can come in. And, I will also teach you a move, Immortal Pointing the Way. If you can comprehend it within seven days, you will be qualified to join the sect. I can also break the rules and recruit one more person, even if the other person is trash."
The wine-nosed old man immediately said, arms crossed, with a proud look.
Li Hao was somewhat speechless, feeling that if he hadn't mentioned this, the other person might not have had so many requirements.
"How is it, do you have confidence?"
The wine-nosed old man looked down at Li Hao arrogantly, but his motivational tactic was too low-level.
After all, being a descendant of the Immortal Emperor, if choosing between the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower and the Great Dream Nine Abyss, Li Hao naturally inclined towards the latter.
He nodded slightly, then said, "No problem."
"Good, then you go to the Heart-Questioning Tower, let me take a look, hehe, those guys are indeed as I expected, daring not to accept the Calamity Clan. I'll go over there first."
As the wine-nosed old man spoke, his gaze turned to the distance, revealing a smug smile.
Li Hao followed his gaze and saw that at the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower, the divinely beautiful woman who had come out of the Heart-Questioning Tower earlier, was blocked outside the giant sword of the Myriad Mountains Sword Tower.
Her green hair flew in the wind, but her expression was cold.
(End of Chapter)