Chapter 497: Origin City

Above him was a chaotic greyish world. Streaks of vibrant light, like shooting stars, flashed across the sky.

Li Hao was stunned by this magnificent scene. These countless streaks of light, flowing endlessly, were clearly the very sources of the Great Daos. If one could capture and comprehend them, it would greatly accelerate the speed of understanding the Great Dao sources.

He was currently situated in a majestic and ancient city. The city walls were pitch-black and towering, exuding an aura of ancient solemnity, standing here as if for millions of years.

Li Hao extended his divine sense, discovering that the city was vast in area, yet remarkably empty. Many of the houses were old, dilapidated, and uninhabited.

The city was exceptionally quiet, but Li Hao still detected three figures. Besides Chu Tianhuang and Bai Yaxue Jian, whom he had seen earlier, there was also an unfamiliar young man. He wore a unique silver robe, looking extremely noble and distinguished.

"Hmm?"

As Li Hao surveyed his surroundings, Chu Tianhuang and Bai Yaxue Jian, who were also observing, sensed Li Hao's presence through their divine senses.

Both were taken aback, surprise flickering in their eyes. They had witnessed Li Hao's battle with Chu Tianzheng earlier and recognized his formidable talent and terrifying combat power. However, they had not expected him to reach this layer as well.

"You actually made it to the ninth layer. Do you also possess the Nine-Petal Immortal Seal?"

Chu Tianhuang's eyes flashed, and in a flicker, he appeared beside Li Hao. His aged face held a hint of goodwill as he asked gently.

Despite Li Hao publicly suppressing Chu Tianzheng and trampling upon the imperial body, at this moment, he looked at Li Hao with amicable eyes, showing no anger whatsoever.

Li Hao sensed the restrained power within the other man. This royal was clearly on a different level, far stronger than the Chu Tianzheng he had defeated earlier.

"Where is this place?"

Li Hao nodded in acknowledgement and asked curiously.

Quite a bit of time had passed since he met Emperor Chu. Yet, judging by the appearances of these two, they seemed to have just arrived here.

It seemed the palace where he met Emperor Chu possessed incredibly potent temporal power, maintaining a vast difference in time flow compared to the outside world.

Just then, the air around them suddenly cooled. Immediately after, Bai Yaxue Jian, clad in white, also teleported to Li Hao's side.

"To defeat a second level Immortal Lord in the True Immortal Realm, you are quite impressive."

Bai Yaxue Jian also revealed a slight smile when he saw Li Hao, a smile that seemed to be a mutual appreciation between geniuses.

"You flatter me."

Li Hao replied humbly.

Chu Tianhuang answered Li Hao, saying, "The Origin Mystic Realm has nine layers, corresponding to different Immortal Seals. This is the ninth layer, the closest to the source of the Great Dao. Look above us, those are all Great Dao sources. In other layers, the chaotic energy interferes, making it impossible to sense them so directly. If you want to comprehend them, the difficulty will also increase."

"In that case, it's indeed true that the stronger become stronger for a reason," Li Hao remarked.

The Nine-Petal Immortal Seal was already top-tier, and within the Origin Mystic Realm, it granted such a significant advantage. The gap between them and others would likely widen even further.

"But these are just ordinary myriad Daos, not the Nine Orders. Since we've come to the Origin Mystic Realm, it's more worthwhile to comprehend the Nine Orders Source," Bai Yaxue Jian interjected from the side.

Chu Tianhuang nodded, saying, "If you want to comprehend the Nine Orders, you need to go to the Four Great Origin Cities. This place is just Chaos Reception City."

"Four Great Origin Cities?"

Li Hao and Bai Yaxue Jian both looked at him with curiosity.

Chu Tianhuang did not hide anything and appeared remarkably approachable, without any air of superiority. He explained, "Legend says that an Immortal Emperor once built five great Origin Cities within the Origin Mystic Realm: the Time-Space Origin City, the Five Elements Origin City, the Form Control Origin City, the Chaos Origin City, and finally, the City of Destiny!"

"Each Origin City allows one to comprehend the corresponding source of the Great Dao. But now, only four Great Origin Cities remain. The City of Destiny disappeared countless years ago, making it impossible to find. Some say it was hidden by the Heavenly Dao of the True World to prevent Immortals and Gods from peeping and arbitrarily changing their own destinies. Others say it was destroyed by invading forces."

He shook his head, saying, "But regardless, since the disappearance of the City of Destiny, cultivating the Great Dao of Destiny in this world has become extremely difficult. And those who once comprehended the Great Dao of Destiny have gradually faded away after the City of Destiny vanished, their cultivation stagnating."

As expected of royalty, they knew numerous secrets. Li Hao listened attentively. It was often said that Time and Space were king, but Destiny reigned supreme. Compared to Destiny, the myriad Daos were insignificant.

If one could comprehend the Great Dao of Destiny, they could reverse their own fate. This kind of power was extremely domineering and terrifying, making one invincible within the same realm without question.

"Then are we going to an Origin City now?"

Bai Yaxue Jian's eyes flickered. He was born as a Chaos Snow Spirit and comprehended the Water Dao source. If they were to go to an Origin City, he should go to the Five Elements Origin City.

"Yes."

Chu Tianhuang nodded and said, "This opportunity is rare, comprehending the Nine Orders is most worthwhile. But to reach an Origin City, we must first pass through the Heavenly Dao Bridge."

As if anticipating Li Hao and Bai Yaxue Jian's questions, he continued, "However, before we go to the Heavenly Dao Bridge, we should first meet with the Grand Tutor. For the next seven years, if we encounter any difficulties here, we can seek the Grand Tutor's help. Besides us from Yan and Chu, cultivators from the other six Immortal Dynasties can also enter this place. For example, that one, judging by his attire, should be from the Jing Tian Immortal Dynasty."

Hearing his words, Li Hao and Bai Yaxue Jian used their divine sense to observe the silver-robed youth. The youth clearly noticed them as well, but his gaze remained extremely calm, radiating strong confidence.

Those who could reach this ninth layer, Chaos Reception City, were all Nine-Petal Immortal Seals, and their strength should not be underestimated. They were all top talents in their respective realms.

"I'm really looking forward to it, seven years from now."

A hint of battle intent and anticipation appeared in Bai Yaxue Jian's eyes. He suddenly thought of something and looked at Li Hao, saying, "You also use a sword. Once your realm catches up to mine, we should have a chance to spar."

"Alright."

Li Hao nodded. From his words, it was clear that Bai Yaxue Jian also cultivated the Sword Dao.

Chu Tianhuang looked at Bai Yaxue Jian. He had previously invited him to join his faction, wanting to lay a solid foundation for his future bid for the throne.

However, Bai Yaxue Jian had refused, his ambition not being limited to Yan and Chu.

Now, he sought out Li Hao, also wanting to win him over. Although Li Hao was only in the True Immortal Realm, his potential was arguably the best in Yan and Chu. If such a figure could follow him, he would have more confidence in competing with his several monstrous brothers in the future.

"It's been many years, another group has arrived."

"Everyone, come out and take a look! Whose children are these? Come and claim them."

At this moment, voices suddenly echoed within Chaos Reception City, some old, some filled with hearty laughter, and some feminine yet elegant and noble.

Streams of auras manifested within Chaos Reception City. Then, in a flash, Li Hao and the others saw an old man with white hair and beard appear before them.

"Hmm?"

The old man saw the three of them, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Three of them?"

Clearly, he had not expected that this time, the Nine-Petal Immortal Seals arriving at the Origin City would be three at once.

"It's been a while, it seems the fortune of my Yan and Chu has become stronger."

The old man chuckled, quickly noticing that Li Hao was in the True Immortal Realm. But what truly caught his attention was that he sensed Li Hao's soul was extremely young and nascent, his soul lifespan didn't seem long.

However, he did not point it out in public. His gaze shifted to Chu Tianhuang and asked, "May I ask which prince are you?"

"Chu Tianhuang, greetings to the Grand Tutor."

Chu Tianhuang immediately bowed respectfully.

The white-haired old man, wearing a black Grand Tutor's robe, raised his hand to support Chu Tianhuang. His gaze swept over Li Hao and Bai Yaxue Jian, and said, "Come with me."

With a flick of his sleeve, the three of them felt their vision blur. When they reappeared, they were already in a courtyard.

This courtyard looked somewhat old, but its area was not small. Inside were several pools of water, connected like streams.

Li Hao was surprised to see Divine Water Dao Fish swimming in the pools. These were spiritual beings formed from Dao Rhythm. If cooked and eaten, they could enhance one's spiritual nature for comprehending the Dao.

There were a few Wutong trees in the courtyard, with fallen leaves scattered on the ground. There was also a chessboard, covered in fallen leaves. The chess pieces were currently engaged, but only one person seemed to be playing.

"Let me first tell you about the rules of this Chaos Reception City."

The Grand Tutor sat down on a Grand Tutor's chair beside the chessboard, raised his hand and waved. Li Hao immediately felt the flow of time around them become slow.

This courtyard was a self-contained boundary mystic realm. In this slowed time flow, they could talk for a long time without delaying their cultivation time outside.

However, under the slow time flow, the surrounding Dao Rhythm became blurred. And the Divine Water Dao Fish in the pools clearly sensed the time distortion and swam faster, appearing somewhat agitated.

Conducting daily activities, including battles, was not affected by the slowed time flow. But cultivation required comprehending the Great Dao, which would be affected by the alteration of time flow, making perception blurry. Thus, it was impossible to increase cultivation time using this, merely wasting time and soul lifespan.

"In the city, except for special occasions, private duels are prohibited. Otherwise, the Chaos City Lord will intervene and directly expel you, and even I cannot stop it," the Grand Tutor said. "But outside the city, you must be careful. There are princes from other Immortal Dynasties here, as well as some old fellows who came here for cultivation as a reward for great meritorious service. If you encounter them, immediately stay away, otherwise even I may not be able to rescue you in time!"

Hearing this, all three nodded seriously.

"You all have Immortal Weapons, right?"

The Grand Tutor looked at the three and continued, "Fortunately, this Origin Mystic Realm cannot be entered by those who have reached the Immortal King Realm. Therefore, the strongest here is only at the Immortal Lord Realm. If the quality of your Immortal Weapons is good enough, they can protect you somewhat and withstand attacks."

"Here are my Golden Talismans. Carry them with you. If you encounter danger, crush them immediately, and I can instantly arrive by your side."

He handed out three Golden Talismans, which Li Hao and the others accepted.

"Why can't those in the Immortal King Realm come here?"

Li Hao asked curiously as he put away the Golden Talisman.

The Grand Tutor glanced at Li Hao and explained, "Those in the Immortal King Realm condense their inner Immortal Kingdom. The domain force of the Immortal Kingdom will be rejected by the Origin World."

Chu Tianhuang explained to Li Hao, "Father Emperor had the Grand Tutor stationed here because the Grand Tutor is an invincible existence among Immortal Lords, and thus can hold this place down. If it were any other tenth level Immortal Lord Realm cultivator, they might not be able to guard this place."

The Grand Tutor seemed quite pleased with Chu Tianhuang's subtle flattery and chuckled, "As expected of a prince, you must be very clear about matters here. But you are mistaken. I cannot be considered invincible among Immortal Lords. However, dealing with the vast majority of Immortal Lords should not be a problem."

Chu Tianhuang chuckled, "If the Grand Tutor doesn't claim invincibility, who dares to?"

The Grand Tutor quickly waved his hand, "Too much, too much praise."

But his smiling face clearly showed that he was enjoying the flattery immensely.

Li Hao and Bai Yaxue Jian exchanged glances. Although Chu Tianhuang was clearly being complimentary, for such a talented prince to offer subtle praise, it was evident that this Grand Tutor was no ordinary figure.

"The Grand Tutor is our dynasty's War God in the Immortal Lord Realm. To guard the Chaos City in the Origin Mystic Realm, he gave up the opportunity to break through to the Immortal King Realm. But even against an Immortal King Realm cultivator, he can contend to some extent!"

Chu Tianhuang transmitted his voice to Li Hao at this moment.

Upon hearing this, Li Hao's gaze towards the old man immediately became more respectful.

"You came here to go to the Origin City, right? The Heavenly Dao Bridge is dangerous, you must be careful. I cannot intervene to help you there, you can only rely on yourselves," the Grand Tutor told the three of them.

All three nodded.

"Go on, the little fellows from other layers are also rushing here. I still need to instruct them. Now there are fewer people at the Heavenly Dao Bridge, you can try to challenge it without being disturbed. It will become noisy when there are too many people later," the Grand Tutor said.

"Understood."

Chu Tianhuang nodded and turned to Bai Yaxue Jian and Li Hao, "Together?"

"Sure."

Bai Yaxue Jian agreed.

Li Hao glanced at the chessboard beside him, a slight craving sparked within him, wanting to sit down and play a game. But this comprehension opportunity was rare after all. He could explore the Origin City first, and come back to find this old man later when he had time.

After watching Li Hao and the others leave, the Grand Tutor stroked his white beard, a smile appearing on his face.

"To think three came at once. In previous years, it was already good if one came. Tsk tsk."

He sighed in admiration a few times, then raised his hand and waved, projecting a clone, starting to receive cultivators in other layers as well.

As for himself, he also prepared to leave the courtyard and go to another location, secretly watching over the three of them. Just before leaving, he glanced at the chessboard on the table and said,

"Old friend, I'll come back and play with you later."

On the other side of the game, the chair was empty, but there was a piece of white jade.

However, when his gaze swept over the chessboard, he suddenly let out a soft "Huh?". He saw that in a tricky position, a black piece had unexpectedly appeared.

He couldn't help but blink, wondering if he had seen wrong. But upon closer inspection, he indeed found an extra black piece. Moreover, the placement of that move contained multiple hidden moves, making the situation of the white pieces, which were in pursuit, suddenly become difficult to advance or retreat.

"Old friend, is that you?"

The Grand Tutor's heart suddenly fluttered slightly, and he couldn't help but look at the white jade.

But the white jade remained still and silent.

The Grand Tutor's breathing quickened, and his eyes even became slightly red-rimmed. He picked up the white jade and carefully sensed it, permeating it with his divine sense, but still, he didn't sense any change.

Just like how it had been every day for countless years, when he observed it.

A look of frustration suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he scratched his head.

Soon, he thought of something, raised his hand and waved, and the flow of time around him slowed down, then reversed and flowed backward.

Immediately, the figures of Li Hao and the other two reappeared before him, but they were just phantoms.

In the reversed time flow, the Grand Tutor saw that the young man among the three, when passing by the chessboard before leaving, had used his fingertip to attract a chess piece and placed it on the chessboard. It was precisely the extra black piece.

(End of chapter)