Chapter 539: The Sealed Dao Heart
At the summit of Way-Seeking Mountain, under the gaze of the crowd, Li Hao's chess Dao duel with the Dao manifestation had already begun.
Most of the disciples present couldn't understand this match at all. Only a few—those with a passing interest in the chess Dao—had barely reached the second or third stage of chess comprehension. They could watch, but couldn't grasp the subtlety and intricacies of the duel.
Up in the sky, however, Emperor Chu and the other emperors of the various Immortal Dynasties were watching with great interest. Among sect masters and elders in other dynasties, there were also those who enjoyed or excelled in chess, stroking their beards as they admired the match.
Li Hao wore a solemn expression. After only a few moves, he had already seen that the chess Dao manifestation wasn't weak—it held nearly an eleventh-stage mastery. This meant he had to stay fully focused and cautious. Even with a gap in skill, the slightest mistake could cost him the whole game.
"Flying Blade Formation… Zhenlong Setup… absolutely brilliant!" Emperor Tianzhao clapped and praised as he watched the board.
Emperor Chu's eyes were filled with surprise. In his view, the game Li Hao played at the base of the mountain was steady and solid—already far above the level of most participants—but not yet reaching first-class skill. But now, at the summit, this new match changed with every move. Each placement held multiple responses and paths, like two swordmasters crossing blades, each move filled with endless variations. Offense and defense blended seamlessly. It was breathtaking.
Such a match, purely in terms of viewing, was an immense pleasure.
"With this kind of skill, I'd believe it if someone told me he spent ninety-six years studying chess," Emperor Jiang added.
With a long lifespan, he too had studied chess Dao, though he didn't love it deeply. But his chess skill wasn't lacking.
"You don't get this kind of skill in ninety-six years—more like nine thousand six hundred!" Emperor Chu shook his head. "If he hadn't shown such sword mastery earlier, I'd believe he was a once-in-a-generation chess Dao genius."
"A three-layer structure… leveraging sacrificial pieces… well done." Sky Sovereign finally gave his assessment in a slow, calm tone.
While the emperors conversed, the dozens of disciples seated beneath the summit hall continued watching Li Hao's duel with the chess Dao manifestation.
"That counts as a duel? Looks like he's just playing around."
"Climbing the summit by playing chess? That's too easy."
"Hah. Ignorant! Don't underestimate this game—an average player would be crushed instantly."
"I heard the Dao manifestations on Way-Seeking Mountain appear based on a cultivator's various Dao domains. For him to manifest a chess Dao manifestation like this means his chess Dao is extremely advanced. Didn't his soul longevity reading say he was only ninety-six?"
Though they couldn't follow the game, they could clearly see how seriously focused Li Hao was—as if locked in a life-or-death battle.
"Interesting." Di Linchen smiled at the sight, raising his wine gourd and taking a swig. He didn't understand chess, but he could tell this match was anything but simple.
As time passed, a few more figures climbed the mountain from below.
These were those who had been waiting at the Forget-Heart Hall for their sect's disciples. They had made their way through the Dao Pavilions and now reached the summit. Upon arrival, they immediately spotted Li Hao seated before the stairs, locked in a chess match.
Seeing Li Hao dueling with a manifestation in chess, their eyes widened in disbelief. But they didn't have time to ponder—each of their own Dao manifestations appeared, and they were pulled into their own trials.
With their battles underway, the watching disciples finally had some duels they could understand and shifted their attention accordingly.
Of the four newcomers, three successfully defeated their manifestations and reached the summit, while one failed and fell into the strange trance-like state of devotion.
Beside them, Li Hao's chess match still had no victor.
Time dragged on. Stars rose and the moon lit the sky. The Way-Seeking Mountain trial had reached nightfall—signifying the day was nearly over.
Under the starlight, the game at the chessboard continued. The pace of play slowed noticeably.
Most disciples had long lost patience. Some closed their eyes to rest, while others activated their Dao Domains and began training to make use of their time on the summit.
"Such a long match… what if they still haven't finished by the time the trial ends?"
"I heard there've been chess games that last ten years—maybe it's true after all."
Starlight twinkled across the board as Li Hao remained deeply immersed in the match, unaware of the passing time.
He closely studied his opponent's playstyle—very similar to his own, but lacking depth and thorough thought. It was too calm, missing that aggressive hunger to strike.
'So this is the flaw in my own chess Dao…' Li Hao mused. His pieces began landing with sharper, trickier intent.
He used the manifestation as a mirror, learning from himself, with Heaven and Earth as his teacher—gaining insight into the past and present.
Just as the first light of dawn struck the chessboard, Li Hao placed a piece directly into that golden beam.
"It's over."
High in the clouds, Sky Sovereign spoke softly.
Beside him, Emperor Chu gave a slight nod. He had thoroughly enjoyed this masterful duel, and now, seeing Li Hao's shift in style—a new killing intent infused in the move—he knew the end had come.
"Didn't expect to enjoy such a good match here. My hands are itching to play again," Emperor Tianzhao sighed.
"Was that the deciding move?" Empress Chi asked in surprise. She didn't understand chess and couldn't tell who had won.
At the board, the chess Dao manifestation stared at Li Hao's latest move. The tension on its face relaxed. It picked up a piece… but then returned it to the box. After a brief silence, it spoke quietly: "I lost."
Li Hao lifted his gaze from the board and looked at the dark silhouette that mirrored his own face. Though the appearance was the same, he knew this was another soul—or at least, another will.
"Thank you for the match," Li Hao said.
"Thank you for the painting," the chess Dao manifestation whispered with a smile before dissipating.
Li Hao paused, then understood. Just as he'd suspected—these manifestations were all born from the will of Way-Seeking Mountain. Whether they faced him as himself or as the mountain's avatar, they were all still... him.
But clearly, Way-Seeking Mountain hadn't gone easy on him. It used exactly the level of skill needed to match his own.
As the manifestation vanished, so did the chessboard.
Li Hao slowly rose to his feet, cupped his hands respectfully toward the air in front of him, and gave a deep bow.
This journey had brought him immense gains. From just this one match, he had reached a deeper understanding of his own chess Dao.
At that moment, the commotion drew the attention of other disciples by the hall.
Seeing the chess Dao manifestation disappear, someone whispered, "It's finally over. Did he win?"
"I couldn't understand it, but it looked like it took a lot out of him."
"So young and already reaching the summit. Even if the match was hard or not, the fact that he made it here without falling into the Way-Seeking trance proves his Dao heart is solid."
As Li Hao walked toward the hall, many around him watched with solemn eyes.
They knew full well that if they were in his shoes, with less than a hundred years of soul longevity, they could never have handled things so calmly.
But in this moment, during the Southern Domain's grand battle, all that mattered was present strength!
"Congratulations."
Chu Tianhuang stepped up to greet Li Hao with a warm smile, appearing very friendly.
He knew this moment would be seen in the Yanchu Immortal Dynasty. His imperial brothers would see it too. In doing so, he subtly declared his connection with Li Hao. Even though he hadn't formally tried to win him over, it didn't stop others from forming their own assumptions.
"Not bad."
Boyaxue Jian also came over to greet Li Hao, his face full of admiration.
"Thanks."
Li Hao smiled, exchanged greetings, and then waved to Di Linchen in the distance.
"You know that imperial clan descendant?" Chu Tianhuang asked curiously when he saw the gesture.
"Yeah." Li Hao didn't say more. He knew that with these royal types, the less you said, the better.
"In terms of talent, you're already above us. If this Southern Domain battle had happened three hundred years later, maybe we would've had the chance to fight each other."
Standing nearby, Boyaxue Jian sighed with a bit of regret in his eyes.
From his perspective, with another three hundred years, Li Hao would have reached the Immortal Lord stage and qualified to face them. After all, with less than a century of soul longevity, he had already come this far—his cultivation speed was astonishing.
Chu Tianhuang was briefly surprised, then also nodded with a smile and invited Li Hao to sit.
"Ask-Heart Hall?"
Following the two into the hall, Li Hao glanced up at the characters inscribed on the building and tasted their deeper meaning.
"The hall midway up the mountain was Forget-Heart Hall. Only a chaotic Dao heart can climb past it. But while a chaotic Dao heart transcends mortal limits, like chaos between Heaven and Earth, it still hasn't found its own path. Only by forgetting both heart and Dao can one know the heart and understand the Dao."
Chu Tianhuang explained, "This hall at the summit is Ask-Heart Hall. Only those with an eternal Dao heart can enter. Inside stands the Way-Seeking Statue. Legend says the Supreme once comprehended the Emperor's Heart of the Heavenly Dao in front of it."
"An eternal Dao heart can step into the King Realm, but in front of Heaven and Earth, even eternity is fleeting. It too will decline with the world, affected by surrounding realms."
Boyaxue Jian sighed. "If one could glimpse the Heavenly Dao Emperor's Heart—even just as a Dao heart—it would cause all kinds of immortal techniques to evolve, gaining qualitative transformation."
Li Hao understood. Different Dao hearts changed even how immortal techniques manifested at the same level.
"The Emperor's Heart of the Heavenly Dao… it's hard to grasp. Even the emperors of the Immortal Dynasties haven't necessarily comprehended it."
Chu Tianhuang muttered as he looked at the Way-Seeking Statue within the hall, then shook his head, clearly not intending to try comprehending it himself.
Li Hao looked at the statue too. It turned out to be a curious stone with a vague humanoid shape. Upon closer look, it was a graceful female figure. Pieces of stone flared outward like a flowing skirt, with other stone ribbons swirling around her like sashes.
As he stared, Li Hao suddenly felt that the statue was subtly changing—from stone to human.
It felt like an illusion. When he blinked, it was still just a stone statue. But now it looked like an oval-shaped stone.
Though it stood motionless, Li Hao suddenly felt it wasn't merely a stone—it was an entire realm.
"Haotian?"
Chu Tianhuang noticed Li Hao zoning out and called his name in surprise.
Li Hao snapped out of it and looked again. The stone was back to normal—like nothing had changed.
But he knew it wasn't an illusion. There was something truly mystical about that object.
"I want to try comprehending it."
Li Hao said.
Chu Tianhuang was momentarily stunned but nodded. "Alright."
There were others in the hall also meditating in front of the statue. But most sat outside the hall, feeling nothing from it at all.
Li Hao quietly sat before the statue. But even after a long time, that strange feeling from before didn't return.
He was puzzled. He remained there deep into the night, but the mystical sensation never came back.
Li Hao knew some moments of insight came purely by chance and couldn't be forced.
Still, he had memorized that earlier feeling.
He rose and stepped outside the hall. The moonlight shone above, and the golden mist covering Way-Seeking Mountain shimmered with golden light beneath the moon's rays.
Staring at the golden fog, Li Hao suddenly felt something inside was calling to him.
He sought out Chu Tianhuang nearby. The latter was sitting with eyes closed, but opened them the moment Li Hao approached—clearly not in deep meditation.
"Any insights?" Chu Tianhuang asked with a smile.
Li Hao shook his head, then asked, "What's inside the golden mist?"
"No idea."
Chu Tianhuang looked up at it and shook his head. "We tried to climb up earlier, but before we even got close, we fell down and got caught in the Way-Seeking trance. See those over there?"
He pointed, and only then did Li Hao notice a few stiff figures lying on the open ground not far from the hall. Their eyes were vacant and dull.
"Maybe it takes an even higher Dao heart to enter the golden mist. I'd guess it requires a top-tier eternal Dao heart."
Chu Tianhuang said.
Li Hao felt a stir inside. Back in the Ask-Heart Pagoda, he had stirred the Nine Chimes of Heaven and Earth—he should be close to that top-tier standard.
"I'll give it a try."
Li Hao said.
Chu Tianhuang was a little surprised, but didn't stop him. "Don't force it."
Li Hao leapt upward. Immediately, he drew the attention of the others nearby. Someone scoffed:
"Another fool making a show of himself."
The summit was governed by special laws. What Li Hao did wasn't quite flying—more like bounding upward. But before he got even a few dozen meters up, he already felt a deep chill rising from his soul—the same kind he'd felt when climbing the mountain steps earlier.
As he neared the golden mist, he faintly saw a figure sitting inside it.
But just as he tried to focus, a low voice echoed in his ear:
"Your Dao heart is sealed. Don't force it."
As the words fell, the moment Li Hao touched the golden mist, he fell.
He landed on the ground but didn't enter the Way-Seeking trance. He quickly got up and looked up again. The golden fog had thickened, making it impossible to see inside.
"Huh? He touched the golden mist?!"
"And he didn't fall into the Way-Seeking trance—how's that possible?!"
"Could it be his Dao heart is top-tier eternal?"
Those who saw this scene were all stunned. Some even stood up in shock.