Contending for supremacy

"Damn it, I'll remember you!"

"And those meddlesome Chi Man, from the Origin Reverence Immortal Dynasty, humph, a bunch of native savages!"

The Purple-Robed Youth was furious. He watched Li Hao's retreating figure as he strode quickly away into the distance, his face grim and his fingers clenching tightly.

He had initially intended to gloat over the young man's failure to achieve enlightenment, but instead, he ended up getting himself into trouble.

But having already provoked him, he, as a member of the Imperial Clan, was not afraid of trouble.

At this moment, on the Space Origin Divine Tree, Chi Man and another person, who were climbing, also noticed the commotion behind them. When they saw Li Hao overtaking the Purple-Robed Youth and chasing after them, neither of them was surprised.

The Space Origin Divine Tree that Li Hao drew earlier, with its exquisite detail, revealed a Space Origin realm that was definitely not low.

"Interesting."

Chi Man glanced at Li Hao and was quite impressed. This young man was able to obtain the Space Great Dao that even he hadn't been able to capture on the Heavenly Dao Bridge, and then sell it to him. This was enough to show that the other party had extremely strong confidence that he could find it again.

He didn't look back again, and focused all his strength on climbing upwards.

Li Hao also rushed upwards with the turbulent current, his figure rising continuously, and soon caught up with another youth.

"Um?"

When the young man saw Li Hao standing shoulder to shoulder with him, his expression changed slightly; after all, Li Hao was Immortal Lord Realm.

Li Hao glanced at the young man, said nothing, and continued sprinting upwards.

But by this time they had reached a position close to the treetops, where the spatial turbulence was extremely volatile. A slight misstep could result in being swept away and thrown into some unknown level of space, or even seriously injured.

Li Hao proceeded cautiously, his ascent slowing down, leaving him no time to pay attention to the others around him.

He dodged and weaved his way upwards along the turbulent current, slowly reaching his limit.

At this point, there was still some distance to the treetop.

Li Hao thought of Boya Xuejian from before; the latter had climbed to a higher position on the Water Dao Origin Divine Tree than he had reached.

However, his Space Origin Dao is already close to the peak of the Fourth Layer.

Ahead of him, the figure of the Chi Man was only a few dozen meters taller than him, and its speed had obviously slowed down. It paused in place for a moment before barely managing to climb up a little.

"It seems that with my own strength, I'm still a bit short of obtaining the Divine Tree Dao Fruit," Li Hao sighed inwardly.

If one's Space Origin reaches the Fourth Layer Perfection, perhaps one can gain the approval of the Divine Tree.

He stopped and didn't force himself.

Although he was not under the tree canopy at this moment, the Aura of the Origin Great Dao was extremely strong in the surrounding space, making it an excellent place for cultivation.

Just as Li Hao was about to sit cross-legged and cultivate here, a gentle voice suddenly rang out:

Do you desire the Dao Fruit?

Li Hao was startled, his eyes suddenly opened, and he couldn't help but look up at the Divine Tree in front of him, only to see the leaves of the Divine Tree fluttering slightly.

"Senior is the Space Divine Tree?" Li Hao quickly replied in his mind.

"Good."

The gentle voice, unsurprisingly, said Wenrou, "If you can exchange your previous painting for mine, I can give you a Divine Tree Dao Fruit."

Li Hao was stunned, not expecting that the other party had already noticed him while he was painting.

Without hesitation, he replied, "I do."

As he finished speaking, a gentle force acted on him, and the spatial turbulence in front of him suddenly parted to create a path. Li Hao flew straight upwards and surpassed Chi Man in the blink of an eye.

Then, to the astonishment of the Chi Man, he appeared in the treetops, plunged into a ball of precious light, and vanished before their eyes.

"That guy..."

The Purple-Robed Youth, who was the lowest-ranking of the three, saw this scene and his gloomy and ruthless expression turned to shock, his eyes narrowing.

How is that possible?

The other young man was also stunned, somewhat bewildered and taken aback.

That guy from the True Immortal Realm actually surpassed the Chi Man? Judging from the situation, he's already gained the Divine Tree's approval!

Chi Man also looked incredulous. His Space Origin realm was already at the Fourth Layer limit, just one step away from reaching the Fifth Layer.

He came to the Space Origin Divine Tree to break through this bottleneck, so that he would have the capital to stand out from the crowd in the Southern Region Assembly Battle.

But now, he's actually been surpassed by a mere child from the True Immortal Realm.

That guy's Space Origin realm could surpass his? He found it hard to believe, but the facts before him left him no choice but to accept it.

"Where did this monster come from?"

He muttered to himself in a low voice.

At this moment, within the Secret Realm of the Space Divine Tree.

A Peerless Beauty with silver markings on her face stood quietly in this Secret Realm light constantly surged.

Her eyes Wenrou as she said, "It's truly rare to see someone incorporate the Space Dao into a painting."

Li Hao also gazed at the incarnation of the Space Origin Divine Tree. Having experienced the Five Dao Origin City before, he was not too surprised at this moment and immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

"You possess the Aura of Five Dao Source Divine Tree; did they also bestow upon you Dao Fruits?"

It 'Space Divine Tree whispered.

Li Hao was not surprised; he didn't know what level the other party was at, so it was not surprising that they could perceive these things.

"It's all thanks to your kindness, seniors," Li Hao said.

"The Nine Sequences Immortal Seal is worthy of it."

The Space Divine Tree smiled, and in its palm was a silver, shimmering fruit. Though called a fruit, it was actually a perfectly round sphere, constantly flowing with light.

"Next, you're going to the Time Origin Divine Tree, right?"

She pushed the Divine Tree Dao Fruit directly in front of Li Hao and said gently, "My sister has a somewhat cold nature and may not help you, so please don't blame her."

"Um?"

Li Hao was somewhat surprised and quickly replied, "How could I dare? It's an honor to see you off."

Upon hearing Li Hao's words, a Wenrou appeared in the eyes of the Space Origin Divine Tree, and it nodded, saying, "Your painting is quite good; I will treasure it."

Upon hearing this, Li Hao immediately took out the Space Divine Tree from within the Heaven and Earth Space. This painting was woven with Immortal Power, and it would never dissipate, remaining for tens of thousands of years.

"Are you going to cultivate here, or go to your sister's place now?"

The Space Origin Divine Tree glanced at the painting, its eyes revealing appreciation, and accepted it. Then it asked Li Hao in a low voice.

Li Hao cupped his hands and said, "Let's go now."

Now that you've obtained the Divine Tree Dao Fruit, there's no need to rush to consume it. If you wait until the Spiritual Burst time Past going to the Time Origin Divine Tree, you'll miss your chance.

The Space Origin Divine Tree had anticipated Li Hao's choice, nodded, and said, "Then I will send you directly to my sister; the rest depends on your performance."

"Thank you so much, senior!"

Li Hao quickly thanked him.

The Space Origin Divine Tree smiled and shook its head, then gently waved its hand. In an instant, a vortex of passage appeared before Li Hao's eyes, sucking his figure into it.

As a myriad of Seven-Colored Iridescence Divine Radiance appeared, Li Hao opened his eyes again and Seeing Self standing in a seven-colored, mottled Secret Realm.

This Secret Realm appears vast and boundless, like a top-notch oil painting, vibrant and dreamlike in color.

Within that flowing Divine Radiance, fragments of time emerged: the figure of Ancient Demon, the silhouette of Great Emperor, a vast and boundless city, and a starry Starry Sky... Countless faces, including beggars on the street, Imperial Clan in the Imperial Palace, and Consort in the imperial hall.

There are Immortal Deity worlds, imperial courts, riverside inns under Willow Tree beckoning customers, and immortals and gods battling in the heavens!

Everything flutters and drifts by in the fragments of time, fleeting and ephemeral.

Li Hao looked around, lost in thought, when suddenly a cold voice rang out, "You came here just to daydream?"

Li Hao suddenly came to his senses and looked up. He saw a peerless, beautiful figure standing in the Void in front of him, seemingly standing in the River of Time. Her long black hair shone with light and fluttered in the wind.

"Greetings, senior."

Li Hao quickly clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"The Nine Sequences Immortal Seal has already received assistance from those little fellows in the Five Dao Origin City, and my sister has also bestowed upon you a Dao Fruit. Do you still want the Time Dao Fruit?"

The voice was as cold and clear as frost, emanating from the Time Origin Divine Tree.

Remembering the words of the Space Origin Divine Tree, Li Hao cupped his hands and said, "If Senior is willing to bestow it upon me, I will certainly remember this kindness."

What use is your kindness to me?

The voice of the Time Origin Divine Tree was extremely cold, saying, "You're merely Nine Sequences Immortal Seal, not yet having broken through that boundary. You only have one foot in the Emperor Realm. I've seen countless beings like you throughout the River of Time, and I don't know how many have perished!"

Li Hao was stunned, his expression changed slightly, but he wasn't angry, because what the other person said might be true.

"After the Era of the Fallen Emperor, the Original True World was affected, and the number of Heavenly Prodigy decreased sharply. Your talent is indeed not bad, but that's all. My silly sister bestowed the Dao Fruit upon you, but only asked for a painting in return. She didn't even ask you to make a contract. How foolish!"

The Time Origin Divine Tree spoke in a voice as cold as ice, "Your Time Origin Dao is only at the Third Level Realm, far from my standard. Come back when you reach the Fourth Layer."

At this point, Li Hao understood what the other party meant, but he hadn't expected such a decisive rejection.

But he didn't take offense, after all, the Dao Fruit belonged to the other party, and he had no reason to hold a grudge for not being willing to give it away.

"I apologize for the offense, senior. I will take my leave now," Li Hao said, bowing slightly.

Hearing Li Hao's humble voice, the Time Origin Divine Tree raised its eyebrows slightly, clearly not expecting that, faced with a treasure like the Time Dao Fruit, it would give up so decisively after being rejected with just a word.

She sensed the gentle, unassuming nature of that young man, and her gaze softened slightly as she calmly said:

"Your Dao Heart is quite strong, isn't it? Coupled with your Heavenly Talent, if I had a plentiful supply of Dao Fruits, I might not be unable to bestow one upon you. After all, the Southern Region is currently suffering from a shortage of talent, and even Nine Sequences Immortal Seal is worthy of half a fruit!"

"However, you're too late. A young lady came here earlier, and I gave her both of my Dao Fruits."

At this point, she shook her head slightly and said to Li Hao, "If you truly have the potential to become an Emperor, you won't lack this one Dao Fruit. Go."

Li Hao was taken aback. Someone came here and took two Dao Fruits?

"Girl... "Li Hao immediately thought of the figures he had scanned outside the Time Divine Tree earlier; there weren't many women among them.

"May I ask which young lady it is?" Li Hao asked curiously.

"Of course I can't tell you that."

The Time Origin Divine Tree said, "But you don't need to be jealous or overthink it. That girl is a born Mastery of time, far surpassing you in the Time Great Dao. In this lifetime, she may even reach the Tenth Layer and step into the Half-Step Emperor Realm through the Time Dao!"

"You will meet her in the near future, or at the very least, you will hear her name."

In this life, Li Hao's eyes flickered, but he didn't ask any more questions, and bowed in farewell.

The Time Origin Divine Tree waved its hand and said, "You can climb outside the tree; wherever you can reach, that's where you can cultivate."

As he spoke, Li Hao felt a power envelop him, and his figure left the Secret Realm. Before his eyes, light and shadow swirled, and Seven-Colored Iridescence appeared. The enormous trunk of the Time Origin Divine Tree appeared before him, and he was now standing on the outer edge of the Square beneath the Time Origin Divine Tree.

No one noticed him; everyone was focused on climbing the Time Divine Tree, rushing against the current amidst the seven-colored light.

Seeing this, Li Hao didn't hesitate and quickly rushed forward.

Although he did not obtain the Dao Fruit of the Time Divine Tree, as the Divine Tree said, by climbing to a higher position outside the tree to cultivate, his understanding of the Time Great Dao was still extremely profound.

Although Li Hao did not intend to directly cultivate time, if he could find an excellent location to Angling and comprehend the Time Great Dao through Angling, he might even be able to improve his Fishing Dao!

His figure moved like the wind, and in the blink of an eye, he rushed into the seven-colored light.

"Haotian?!"

Suddenly, at the very bottom of the turbulent flow of seven-colored light, where the vines were, a cry of surprise rang out.

Li Hao turned his head and saw Yue Xi dressed in snow-white.

She looked at Li Hao with shock, then quickly exclaimed with delight, "You're here too?"

Li Hao nodded and asked, "How did you get here?"

"I've detected a Space Great Dao coming from here."

Thinking of something, Yue Xi asked in confusion, "I didn't see you earlier. Did you just arrive? Did you go to another Origin City before?"

"Um."

Li Hao nodded and said, "Let's take advantage of the Spiritual Burst and climb quickly."

Yue Xi realized this wasn't the time for reminiscing. She nodded and said, "I've already touched the Second Layer threshold of the Time Origin. What about you?"

"Then I'll go first."

As Li Hao spoke, he rushed directly into the seven-colored light.

Countless fragments of time swirled within the light, and Li Hao even saw his own past reflected in them.

Born in the Divine General Residence, and named in that majestic Imperial Hall.

Then came the sight of the couple's departing figures on their long journey.

He paints alone in the Courtyard.

In the mountains and forests, Angling with my Second Master by the Lake.

The past resurfaces in the fluttering fragments of time.

Li Hao was somewhat dazed, not expecting that the journey had been so long.

He didn't stop, rushing forward at full speed along the turbulent current of time.

"Huh? It's you!"

Just as Li Hao passed a few figures, he heard a surprised voice, followed by a hint of anger. "What are you doing here?"

Li Hao turned his head and saw that it was Imperial Daughter Chu Yueli.

His eyes were cold as he said, "What nonsense is this? You can come, but I can't?"

"You!"

Chu Yueli gritted her teeth in anger. This person was so rude and impolite when he spoke to her.

She was Imperial Daughter, and her father was a top expert in the Southern Region, second only to the Heavenly Palace Supreme. Everyone treated him with utmost respect.

Not to mention her own talent, which is among the top in the Imperial Clan, second only to monsters like Chu Tianhuang.

"You're only arriving now? Humph, you're too late!"

Chu Yueli gritted her teeth, refusing to stoop to Li Hao's level, and said with a cold laugh.

Even if I arrive late, I can still get ahead of you.

Li Hao snorted coldly and said without any mercy, then his figure quickly rushed upwards.