Chapter 339: The Eternal Dao Domain, The Battle for Supremacy Begins! (Please Upvote)

Feeling the vast power that could be wielded at will, Li Hao was struck with awe—could this be the Eighth Ultimate Stage?

A 360-layer Dao Domain, reaching a kind of complete perfection, paralleling the heavens and earth, forming a perfect whole!

Within the Dao Domain, the laws intertwined and myriad phenomena manifested. Strikingly, at the 359-layer stage, Li Hao had to channel enormous energy just to manifest them all; after all, activating a Dao Domain was extremely energy-draining—and with over three hundred layers superimposed, even by drawing upon the Heavenly and Earthly Meridians, he could only sustain it for a few minutes.

But now, with the formation of the 360-layer Dao Domain, it seemed to mimic the self-sustaining nature of heaven and earth; Li Hao needed only a minimal amount of energy as a tether to maintain it indefinitely!

With such low consumption, even if Li Hao enveloped himself in the Dao Domain at all times, it could last long-term.

His eyes gleamed—not only had the energy expenditure drastically dropped, but the transformation of the Dao Domain itself was even more formidable. If he fully manifested his Ultimate Stage now, who knew if it could compare to that of a Half-Saint?

This Eighth Ultimate Stage, Li Hao named the Eternal Dao Domain!

Unbreakable, undefeated, undying!

After achieving the Eighth Ultimate Stage, Li Hao did not pause; instead, he retracted his Dao Domain and resumed practicing the remaining techniques of the Tenth Divine Dynasty.

Yet, as he cultivated further, when these techniques progressed to the stage of forming a Dao Domain, the new domain was squeezed out—unable to merge with the Eternal Dao Domain, rendering it unusable.

The Eternal Dao Domain, like a principal consort, enveloped Li Hao; any newly formed Dao Domain was immediately dispersed by its overwhelming presence, unable to coalesce.

Li Hao was momentarily stunned—for he knew from past experience that the Ultimate Stage was not the end.

The Eighth Ultimate Stage was no different; what he faced now was its bottleneck.

How to break through this bottleneck and continue his cultivation was the challenge on the path to the Final Realm.

But reaching the Ultimate Stage was already extremely difficult; breaking through it was even harder!

After several more attempts—all failing—Li Hao had no choice but to temporarily desist.

"Each Ultimate Stage affects the others. Without the Heavenly and Earthly Meridians, it's fundamentally impossible to achieve the Eighth Ultimate Stage. Merely stacking over three hundred layers of Dao Domains would drain all one's energy; thus, establishing the Heavenly and Earthly Meridians is the foundation for all other Ultimate Stages!"

"Perhaps for the Eighth Ultimate Stage, one must first complete the cultivation of the preceding Final Realms to ease the process."

Li Hao's eyes sparkled. Now that his Complete Final Realm had been attained, the next step—the second Ultimate Stage—was the Heavenly and Earthly Meridians.

If these meridians could be further enhanced, it might greatly aid his subsequent cultivation of the Final Realms.

But the Heavenly and Earthly Meridians had already reached their limit.

All 108 major meridians in his body had been opened, coupled with the Yin-Yang dual meridians, merging into one and intertwining with the meridians of heaven and earth. This was already the pinnacle of the Circumambient Realm!

To advance further—to break this bottleneck—Li Hao was at a loss for ideas.

After some thought, he decided to consult Zhantan; with her vast experience, perhaps she might offer a clue.

Li Hao rose, withdrawing his aura, and went to Zhantan's courtyard.

Now that he had her permission, he could freely enter her courtyard without prior notice—a privilege not even afforded to her closest disciples.

Inside, Zhantan was painting. Li Hao saw her drawing a small flower and smiled softly. Though the flower appeared ordinary, under her brush it exuded an unusual resilience—a determination that no storm could erode, an extraordinary will capable of breaking through even the darkest soil.

Li Hao knew her mastery in the art of painting had indeed advanced.

Sensing his arrival, Zhantan had just finished her brushstrokes. She turned toward him with a radiant smile and said,

"Tell me, what do you think of my painting?"

"Very good," Li Hao replied without hesitation.

Her smile deepened, and even the sunlight in the courtyard seemed to brighten. Suddenly, she fixed her gaze on him and asked in confusion,

"Has your cultivation advanced?"

Though she didn't closely examine his aura, she sensed that Li Hao now exuded a far more formidable presence—a subtle, intuitive impression.

"I suppose so."

Then Li Hao said to her, "I'd like to ask: now that one has reached the Ultimate Stage, do you know how to advance further?"

"Break through the Ultimate Stage?"

Zhantan was momentarily startled, then relaxed and smiled, "It's natural for you to think that way. Since ancient times, all the saints have strived to explore the power beyond the Ultimate Stage. When we first reached it, we too wondered if it could be broken—and whether one could advance further. But after countless attempts, we found that the Ultimate Stage is nearly impenetrable."

"However, the Ultimate Stage isn't the end. In ancient times, there was a saint who broke through it, proving that further cultivation was possible. Yet breaking through is as difficult as scaling the heavens—even a saint finds it extremely challenging."

Li Hao was momentarily stunned, then quickly asked, "Which Ultimate Stage did that saint break through?"

"It seems it was the Fifteen Li Ultimate Stage."

Zhantan continued, "That was in a time long past. That saint's traces have long since vanished, leaving behind only a slip of paper for his disciples—warning them never to cultivate the Fifteen Li Final Realm. It is forbidden!"

"Hmm?"

Li Hao was puzzled. Did she mean the saint broke through the Fifteen Li Ultimate Stage?

Li Hao knew that the Divine Race descended from those who had attained the Complete Final Realm.

The Fifteen Li Final Realm is taboo—where does that come from?

"These are all rumors. Whether they are true is hard to say—it was too long ago."

Looking at Li Hao, Zhantan smiled and said, "Your thoughts remind me of our younger days. Back when prodigies like the Night Ancestor and the Green Ancestor were ambitious enough to aspire to become the foremost for all eternity, they ultimately were humbled by reality—realizing that the vast heavens, teeming with aberrations, meant they were but one among many."

As vice president of the Flower Wandering Society, her heart was tinged with wistfulness and pessimism—the arrogance of youth had long since been worn away.

Li Hao nodded slightly. Rumors often exaggerated matters, yet he hadn't expected that even Zhantan knew so little about the Final Realm.

Previously, attaining the Complete Final Realm hadn't been too strenuous for him, but the limit of the Heavenly and Earthly Meridians seemed not breakable merely by accumulating techniques; it required a certain opportunity—or, like the Sixth Ultimate Stage Transformation into Immortal, a particular state of mind, a moment of enlightenment.

Troubled, Li Hao asked, "That saint you mentioned—did he only break through the Fifteen Li Ultimate Stage? What about the other Ultimate Stages?"

Zhantan shook her head, "Breaking through an Ultimate Stage depends on the right opportunity. Sometimes, a particular chance can help you shatter a specific barrier; after all, each Ultimate Stage faces its own unique bottleneck."

"Moreover, simply attaining an Ultimate Stage is extremely difficult—let alone breaking through it. If you're so intent on that, you might try completing the other Ultimate Stages first, to avoid taking a roundabout path."

Her words, steeped in experience, made it clear that mulling over these matters now would be nothing but a waste of time.

Though most prodigies experience this, once they reach the Ultimate Stage, arrogance often takes root, and they yearn to break through it—only to find after a hundred years, or even longer, that their efforts were futile.

That time would be wasted, slowing their cultivation.

Realizing no further useful information could be gleaned, Li Hao understood that the Final Realm was shrouded in mystery. Those who attained the Complete Final Realm were regarded as members of the Divine Race—one could only imagine how secretive and difficult the other Final Realms must be!

But now, having reached the Eighth Ultimate Stage, if he were to pursue further advancement in the Ultimate Stage, he would enter the Realm of Dao Comprehension.

Yet that required an elevation of his command over the Dao.

With the Supreme Battle imminent, Li Hao had to rapidly enhance his power to rival that of the Saint Realm.

The gap between the Saint Realm and the Half-Saint was terrifying. Judging by the Sword Master's 370,000 points of Painting-Dao experience, even a difference of 10,000 to 20,000 would be noticeably suppressive in battle—let alone a gap of seven or eight times as much!

"At my current state—even at the Eighth Ultimate Stage—when facing a saint, I fear I'd have no choice but to flee for my life."

His eyes flashed. Although the Eternal Dao Domain was formidable, he couldn't be sure whether those saintly demons had also cultivated to this stage.

After all, even a saint would at least start from the Fifth Ultimate Stage.

In comparison, the difference between their stages wasn't vast—and the opponent, being of the Saint Realm, possessed creation-altering power and a perfected sacred Dao; unless one could shatter that sacred Dao, there was no way to defeat him.

And Li Hao was not yet capable of striking at a saint's heart or breaking his Dao.

"Let's set aside the matter of the Realm of Dao Comprehension for now—first, I must become a saint!"

Li Hao quickly resolved that, compared to the power boost from the Realm of Dao Comprehension, achieving sainthood would be far more potent.

The gap between the Saint Realm and all other realms was immeasurable.

Yet the current path of becoming a saint through incense offerings was too slow; the most promising route was through sacrificial Dao to achieve sainthood!

While Li Hao pondered this, Zhantan glanced at him—unsure whether her advice had taken hold. Sometimes, unless one is forced to learn the hard way, words alone do little; one must experience things firsthand.

She didn't dwell on it—certain experiences were inevitable. Skipping them might be safe, but would leave its own kind of regret.

"Earlier you mentioned wanting to see the Sage Books of the Wenzu Holy Land. Are you going now?"

Zhantan asked with a smile.

Snapping back to attention, Li Hao immediately nodded in agreement.

Zhantan promptly put away her finished painting, then instructed Yueying to pack up the board, brushes, and ink until she returned. Soon after, she took Li Hao and together they soared from Tian Tan Peak.

"Look—there's that Qingfeng by Master's side again!"

Seeing the two depart, several disciples atop Tian Tan Peak wore complex expressions.

Zhao Qingshu's face darkened at the sight.

Zhantan was the most stunning presence on Tian Tan Peak. Though the disciples dared not harbor rebellious thoughts, seeing her peerless beauty every day inevitably stirred their hearts—feelings they buried deep, never daring to show.

Yet now, seeing her paired with Li Hao for days on end, their hearts were filled with unease, their minds thrown into disarray.

Wenxin Pavilion was where the Wenzu Holy Land stored the Sage Books. The Wenzu Holy Land recruited disciples and imparted the Literary Saint's cultivation system—extracting power from the Sage Books. Without the corresponding system, merely reading these books would be nothing but tedious study.

Thus, Zhantan's bringing Li Hao here made little difference; many of the Sage Books in Wenxin Pavilion had been collected from the Hanlin Academies of various dynasties. In the thirty-three realms, the Wenzu Holy Land held the highest status among literati—even the Supreme Saint could not compare, for the Literary Saint was revered as the highest deity in the hearts of scholars.

Moreover, the incense and faith dedicated to the Literary Saint stemmed from the countless poets and scholars across the heavens.

Wenxin Pavilion stood majestically, exuding a refined, hazy radiance. As soon as Li Hao approached, he felt his mind grow gentle, as if all distractions were erased, leaving only inner tranquility.

Zhantan arrived at the pavilion, greeted the keeper, and said to Li Hao, "I'll wait for you outside. Go in and take a look."

Her tone was casual, but Li Hao felt grateful. He nodded to her and, without further word, turned to enter Wenxin Pavilion.

Inside, bookshelves were laden with ancient texts.

Li Hao's divine sense swept over them, and he quickly realized they were merely ordinary books.

Only when combined with the Wenzu Holy Land's cultivation system could they unleash formidable power.

In other words, the true cultivation methods of the Wenzu Holy Land were not here—this was merely an "armory pavilion."

His divine sense raced over the texts, and he swiftly recorded them all. Among them, he unexpectedly discovered three renowned works eligible for inscription.

Intrigued, after he had mentally engraved all the Sage Books of Wenxin Pavilion into his primordial spirit, he took the three renowned works and walked out.

By then, half a day had passed outside. Zhantan was still standing at the pavilion's entrance, unchanged in posture from before.

Seeing Li Hao emerge, her gaze fell on the three renowned works in his hand, and she couldn't help but smile, "You do have quite an eye."

"Tell me, if I were to take one of these three renowned works for my collection, what would I need to offer?"

Li Hao asked.

Once inscribed into the panel, these renowned works would vanish. It was likely that the Wenzu Holy Land might not agree—and if they didn't, Li Hao wouldn't insist.

"You really plan to delve into these? Without the Literary Saint's cultivation method, taking them would be useless. Or are you just going to peruse them?" Zhantan remarked.

"Hmm. They say there's a house of gold within books—I want to try to strike some gold," Li Hao replied.

Zhantan laughed, "And there's a second part: books also hold beauty like jade."

"I've already seen beauty like jade; it's the house of gold I haven't really seen yet."

For a moment, Zhantan was taken aback. Seeing Li Hao's gaze fixed on her, her cheeks flushed slightly—but she quickly recovered and said, "If you were to join the Wenzu Holy Land, these three renowned works could be given to you directly."

Li Hao sighed and shook his head, "I bear a grudge; I can't trouble the Wenzu Holy Land."

Zhantan paused, "You have enemies? Who are they?"

Li Hao said nothing—his grudge with the False Saint pertained to the saints, and he did not wish to involve others.

Zhantan's eyes narrowed as she realized that Li Hao's enemy was no ordinary foe. Otherwise, at his level, if his enemy were merely a Half-Saint, there'd be no need to worry about involving the Wenzu Holy Land.

After all, given another sixty years, Li Hao might even rival a Half-Saint—and then there'd be no entanglement.

If not a Half-Saint, then it must be…

She looked deeply at Li Hao, surprised that this man—who appeared to live carefree and playfully—harbored such an enemy. If others were to provoke such a foe, they'd likely be fearful day and night, sleepless with worry. Yet, before Li Hao spoke, she hadn't detected any turbulence in his heart.

"If necessary, the Flower Wandering Society can lend you a hand," Zhantan offered.

Li Hao met her gaze, understanding her kindness, and shook his head slightly, "I will handle this matter on my own."

Hearing this, Zhantan realized Li Hao did not wish to drag others into his troubles—a fact that made her appreciate him all the more.

After all, had he accepted her invitation to join the Wenzu Holy Land, any future mishaps would inevitably force the Literary Saint to intervene.

But Li Hao chose not to, neither out of foolishness nor excess sentiment.

In a world full of fame and fortune, true affection was hard to come by. Zhantan sighed softly, recalling how she had left the royal families of the Three Realms at a young age—escaping the vortex of power struggles and incense inheritances. She had witnessed the treacherous nature of the world, even losing her mother because of it. Having seen both the warmth and coldness of human relations, she never expected to meet someone like Li Hao here.

"Then, if you cannot join the Wenzu Holy Land, you may choose one of these three books to take with you—the rest, I'll handle."

Li Hao glanced at her, understanding this was another favor.

After a moment's thought, he selected one among the three—the Collection of the Benevolent Emperor.

Then he handed the remaining two to the keeper for return.

Zhantan gave a slight nod, saying nothing more.

Li Hao incorporated the Collection of the Benevolent Emperor into his "Heaven and Earth Space" and then asked, "Aren't there many transcribed copies of the Sage Books in Wenxin Pavilion?"

Zhantan was taken aback and laughed, "You can actually tell the difference between genuine works and transcriptions?"

Unless one was deeply versed in these Sage Books, it would be difficult to discern.

It wasn't that Li Hao saw it by sight—he deduced it. After all, Wenxin Pavilion had collected Sage Books from across the heavens, yet only three renowned works were eligible for inscription. That was rather illogical.

Zhantan explained, "Some genuine works have been lost—only transcriptions remain. Some originals, housed in the dynasties' Hanlin Halls, are not willingly given away, for certain scholars are deeply attached to them. Unless strong measures are taken, even a saint couldn't shake their convictions."

"Others are far too precious, kept in the possession of the Literary Saint to prevent damage when disciples borrow them."

Li Hao understood—these three renowned works were ones the Literary Saint didn't regard highly and were thus left here; all the other genuine renowned works had been secured away.

Only genuine works could be inscribed; transcriptions could not be incorporated into the panel.

Li Hao returned with Zhantan to Tian Tan Peak. A few days later, when Zhantan informed him that the renowned work had been processed and was ready for him, Li Hao then inscribed it into his panel.

The inscription of the Collection of the Benevolent Emperor transformed into a compendium attribute:

Invincibility of the Benevolent: When activated, any damage received is reflected back in equal measure.

Li Hao was stunned. Some of these compendium attributes were strong, some average—but this "Invincibility of the Benevolent" attribute was undeniably domineering.

It was tantamount to exchanging injuries with the enemy—a do-or-die combat strategy.

For others, its effect might be mediocre; after all, martial artists strive to avoid injuries in battle—like wild beasts in the forest, injuring themselves while taking down prey, which could hinder their path in martial arts if lingering wounds remained.

But Li Hao possessed the ability of Blood Rebirth—he had no fear of injury.

"However, I wonder how effective it would be when clashing with a saint."

His eyes flickered. Against opponents of the Dao Technique Realm, he did not need such attributes—but in a clash with a saint, its true efficacy was uncertain.

In any case, it did bolster his strength somewhat.

Turning his attention to the other Sage Books, Li Hao began reciting them in the small courtyard.

As the verses of the Sage Books resonated in his clear voice, his experience in poetry and literature surged at an astonishing rate.

Although each Sage Book imparted only a modest amount of experience—ranging from several hundred to a few thousand points, and sometimes merely a few dozen—the sheer volume of Sage Books in Wenxin Pavilion meant that, as Li Hao recited them one by one, his literary Dao experience leaped rapidly from the fourth to the fifth level.

Two days later, he advanced to the sixth level, his experience bar filling completely.

He even earned two skill points in succession, which greatly lifted his spirits.

Outside, as Zhantan painted leisurely, she heard recitation echoing from the small courtyard. Realizing Li Hao had memorized all the Sage Books, she was momentarily speechless—never had she expected him to take such delight in them.

She couldn't help but smile wryly and shake her head. Compared to the members of the Flower Wandering Society—who found solace even in hardship—Li Hao seemed to truly be playing with life.

Time flew by.

Li Hao remained at Tian Tan Peak. Once his poetry and literature experience had fully accumulated to the sixth level, he needed to attain the Lingxin Realm to continue advancing. But as enlightenment required deep thought, he had to set aside poetry and literature for the time being and instead focus on the Dao of Cooking and the Dao of Painting as his primary breakthroughs.

For whether it was the Dao of Cooking or the Dao of Painting, once he reached the tenth level, he could perform the sacrificial Dao to become a saint. Only then could he truly live with his head held high and reveal his true self.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Every day, Li Hao discussed the Dao of Painting with Zhantan. They painted together and exchanged ideas; though there was a gap between their levels, the collision of thoughts sparked new insights in Li Hao and deepened his understanding of the Dao of Painting.

By now, his experience in the Dao of Painting had accumulated to 920,000—and with an additional 4,080,000, he would reach the complete ninth level.

There remained a considerable amount of experience, which he could only hope to gather during the upcoming Battle of Prodigies.

Yet, compared to raw experience, breaking through the Dao of Painting to transcend into sainthood was even more challenging.

During these three months, Li Qingyi also arrived at Tian Tan Peak to visit Zhao Qingshu. When she saw Li Hao there, she was momentarily stunned.

At this moment, Li Qingyi had shed the disguise she wore during the battle at Jidao Mountain, revealing her naturally elegant and otherworldly beauty—fair cheeks, almond eyes, peach-like features, and still a trace of playful charm.

Upon inquiring, she learned that Li Hao had come to discuss paintings with Zhantan, the Half-Saint.

This left Li Qingyi at a loss for words.

For three months, her senior from the Sea of Books—and the top saint in the Wenzu Holy Land's Battle of Prodigies—had been in secluded cultivation, and yet Li Hao had come here to casually chat about paintings?

Li Hao did not recognize Li Qingyi. When the three months drew to a close, he bid farewell to Zhantan. Next was the battle for spots in the Canglan Realm—a contest that had been brewing for a long time. Through the reflection of the Realm Stone, kingdoms throughout the Canglan Realm, spanning hundreds of thousands of cities, would bear witness.

As the contest drew near, one prodigy after another broke through their barriers, exuding an aura of invincible supremacy.

"My sword is complete—this time, I shall surely leave my mark in the top ten!"

"Senior from the Sea of Books has emerged from seclusion!"

"Look there—the Haoyue Saint's Haoyue Divine Peak, with not one but two blazing suns atop it. Could that be the Sword Intent of the Sun and Moon? It seems even more terrifying than before!"

Within the three major Holy Lands, dramatic changes unfolded; one after another, the prodigies broke through their barriers.

"The sky darkens—what is that? A Heavenly Demon?!"

"That is the Buddha's descendant subduing his inner demons. The Buddha once said that the stronger one's inner demon, the stronger one's Buddha nature; the Buddha's descendant's Buddha nature far surpasses ours."

In the Buddhist Holy Land, the sky suddenly darkened as dark clouds swept in, as if the heavens were collapsing.

This phenomenon startled countless people, and news of it spread rapidly.

Within the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, numerous saintly sons broke through their barriers. After consolidating their power, they quickly sent out scouts to gather news on others.

The Haoyue Saint emerged from seclusion, his aura now contained. Amidst his silver hair, strands of gold shimmered, and the golden-silvery radiance in his eyes became even more dazzling.

He immediately dispatched disciples to inquire about Li Hao.

It wasn't long before news returned:

"What? They saw him go to the Wenzu Holy Land?"

"Indeed—rumor has it he's even holding a painting exhibition, discussing art with a Half-Saint elder of the Wenzu Holy Land."

Upon hearing this, the Haoyue Saint was visibly stunned—nearly spitting out blood.

That fellow was far too arrogant! With the contest imminent, how could he still spare time for painting?

In a fiery realm, a red radiance emerged from seclusion; the surrounding scorching flames converged, all gathering into his body, leaving only charred earth behind.

Brilliant crimson markings appeared in his eyes—like natural Dao patterns.

"Twin Buddha Descendants, show yourselves!" he roared.

A fierce battle intent flashed in his eyes. Donning his robe, he flew out. Later, upon returning to his own cave, he inquired of his master about the others' conditions.

Upon learning that in the Buddhist Holy Land a Heavenly Demon had manifested externally, a trace of gravity appeared in his eyes—but even more so, a surging battle spirit.

And when he heard that in the Sword Ancestor Holy Land a dual solar radiance shone in the sky, a cold smile crept across his face.

Then, recalling something, he asked his master about that Qingfeng they had clashed with before.

When he learned that Qingfeng was holding a painting exhibition, he was stunned—feeling as if he were laughing in exasperation.

It seemed his previous defeat had only served to swell his opponent's arrogance…

(End of Chapter)