The shackled Dao Heart

Dao Questioning Mountain.

Amidst the intense anticipation of the crowd, the duel between Li Hao and the Chess Dao Realm Avatar has begun.

This match was so difficult for most of the participating disciples to understand. Only a few, who also enjoyed Chess Dao but had not studied it deeply and were only at the second or third dan level, could barely watch the game and could not appreciate the subtleties of the duel.

But high in the sky, the Emperor Chu and other Imperial Emperor of various dynasties watched with great interest.

Besides them, among the Sect Master and elders of other Immortal Dynasty, there were also those skilled in chess and fond of the game, who also stroked their beards in appreciation.

Li Hao's expression was solemn. After only a few moves, he could tell that the Chess of this Chess Dao Avatar were not weak, and were close to the level of Eleventh Dan.

This means he needs to be fully focused and on his game to win; even a slight mistake could lead to total defeat, despite the difference in skill between the two players.

"The Flying Knife Formation and the Precious Dragon Game are truly spectacular!"

Heavenly Illumination Emperor gazed at the Go Board and couldn't help but clap his hands in praise.

Emperor Chu was also surprised. In his opinion, Li Hao's game of chess at the foot of the mountain was just average. Although his Chess skills were far superior to those of the other participants, they were not top-notch.

But at this moment, the duel on the Mountain Summit is a game of chess where the situation changes in an instant. Every move has many solutions and corresponding routes, as if two peerless Swordsman are attacking each other one after another. Each move contains endless variations, and their offense and defense are perfectly matched and interlocked, which can be described as exquisite!

Such a battle, even just from a purely spectator perspective, brings immense enjoyment.

"With such skill, I would believe it if you said he had been studying Chess for ninety-six years."

Emperor Jiang also spoke.

With his long lifespan, he naturally delved into the Chess Dao, though he couldn't say he particularly loved it.

But in terms of actual chess skill, he is not bad either.

"It might take ninety-six years to figure it out, but nine thousand six hundred years would be more likely!"

Emperor Chu shook his head and said softly, "If he hadn't been wielding a sword earlier, his chess skills would be worthy of being called an unparalleled Chess Dao genius!"

"A triple situation, using a piece to make a move, indeed excellent."

The Sky Sovereign slowly spoke, offering his comments.

While they were talking, dozens of disciples from various dynasties were watching the duel between Li Hao and the Chess Dao Avatar in the Mountain Summit Palace Hall.

"Is that considered a duel? Could this be a case of them holding back?"

"If you can reach the top just by playing Chess, that's too easy."

"Ha, ignorant! Don't underestimate this game; even the best Chess Player would lose!"

"I've heard that the Dao Realm Avatar of the Dao Questioning Mountain is randomly selected based on one's many Dao Realm. He's actually reached such a level in Chess Dao that he can manifest Dao Realm Avatar. I remember his Soul Lifespan was only ninety-six years before, right?"

Looking at the duel on the chessboard, they couldn't understand it, but they could see that the boy's expression was extremely serious and solemn, as if he were engaged in a life-or-death battle!

"Interesting."

Upon seeing this, Di Linchen smiled and tilted his head back to drink the wine from the wine pot.

He didn't understand the Chess Dao, but he could tell that the game was not simple.

As time went by, several more figures climbed up from the foot of the mountain.

They were all people who had been waiting for the Sect disciples at the Forget Heart Hall. Now, after passing through the Dao Pavilion, they had also arrived at this Mountain Summit.

As soon as they reached the top, they saw Li Hao fighting in front of the steps.

When they saw Li Hao playing Chess Dao with their Dao Realm Avatar, they were all stunned and stared wide-eyed.

But soon, their Dao Realm Avatar manifested, and each entered their own trial, unable to concentrate on anything else.

As these figures clashed, the other disciples finally encountered a duel they could understand, and they all shifted their gaze to observe casually.

Soon, three of the four defeated the Dao Realm Avatar and successfully reached the top, while only one was defeated and fell into a strange state of pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, in Li Hao's game of chess, the outcome was still undecided.

Time passed slowly, stars rose and the moon appeared, Dao Questioning Mountain entered the night.

This also signifies the end of the day.

Starlight scattered, but the duel on the Go Board continued, with both players slowing down their moves.

Seeing this, the other disciples had long lost patience and closed their eyes to rest, while some used their Dao Domain to seize the time to cultivate on the Mountain Summit.

"What a long duel! I hope the trial won't end before a winner is decided."

"I've heard people say that some people play a single game of chess for ten years, and it seems there's some truth to that."

The Starlight twinkled on the Go Board, and Li Hao was so engrossed in the game that he lost track of time.

He carefully observed his opponent's playing style, which was very similar to his own, but lacked depth and thoughtfulness. However, this style was too peaceful and lacked a fierce desire to attack.

"Is this the flaw in my own Chess Dao...?"

Li Hao thought to Dark Dao, and his moves became increasingly ruthless and cunning.

He Chess Dao Avatar before him, using it as a reference point, and takes Heaven and Earth as his teachers, thus gaining a comprehensive understanding of the past and present!

As a ray of morning sunlight shone down on the Go Board, Li Hao's move perfectly filled the spot where the light shone.

"It's over."

At that moment, high in the Cloud End, the Sky Sovereign spoke softly.

Beside him, the Emperor Chu nodded slightly. He had been watching this exquisite duel with great interest and had also noticed the subtle changes in the young man's moves during the game. Now, this decisive move had finally brought the duel to a close.

"I never expected to witness such a wonderful game of chess here; it's made me itchy to play myself."

Heavenly Illumination Emperor sighed softly.

Has a winner been decided?

The Crimson Emperor was surprised; she had no interest in Chess Dao and couldn't discern the outcome.

At this moment, in front of the Go Board, the Dao Realm Avatar looked at the position where Li Hao placed his piece, and his tense expression suddenly seemed to relax.

He picked up the Chess Piece, lifted it slightly, then placed it back in the Go Box. After a brief silence, he whispered, "I lost."

Li Hao's gaze also shifted from the Go Board to the dark outline of his opponent's face. Although the outline was the same as his own, he knew that another soul resided within it.

Or rather, it's another idea.

"Thank you for your kind offer."

Li Hao said.

Thank you for your painting.

The Chess Dao Avatar vanished, but at the very end, it smiled Whispers whispered something.

Li Hao was slightly taken aback, but then he understood. Just as he had guessed, these Dao Realm Avatar were all manifestations of the will of Dao Questioning Mountain and were controlled by Dao Questioning Mountain. Therefore, the one fighting against him could be said to be himself or Dao Questioning Mountain.

But without a doubt, Dao Questioning Mountain did not bully him; he only used Chess of a suitable level in the duel.

As the Chess Dao Avatar dissipated, the Go Board before him also vanished.

Li Hao slowly stood up, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the air in front of him, and bowed deeply.

He gained a great deal from this climb, and in the game he just played, he gained a deeper understanding of his own Chess Dao.

At this moment, the commotion alerted the other disciples in the main hall.

As the Chess Dao Avatar dissipated, someone whispered, "It's finally over. Did he win?"

"I don't understand it, but it seems very difficult to read."

"To be able to reach the summit at such a young age, regardless of how difficult his duel was, the fact that he didn't get trapped in the Dao Questioning Illusion upon reaching the Mountain Summit is enough to show that his Dao Heart is not weak."

Many people looked solemn as they watched Li Hao walk toward the Palace Hall.

They asked themselves if they could ever be as composed as this young man during their short Soul Lifespan of a hundred years.

However, there are no "what ifs" in life.

At this very moment, in this decisive Southern Region Assembly Battle, it all comes down to current strength!

"Congratulations."

Chu Tianhuang took the initiative to greet Li Hao, smiling warmly and appearing extremely friendly.

He knew this scene would be reflected in the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, and his imperial brothers would also see it, which would be tantamount to announcing his relationship with Li Hao to them.

Although he hasn't actually tried to win over Li Hao yet, it doesn't stop others from having some misunderstandings.

"Good."

Boya Xuejian also came over, greeted Li Hao, and looked at him with admiration.

Thank you.

Li Hao smiled, greeted the two of them, and then waved to Di Linchen.

Do you know that Emperor Clan?

Seeing Li Hao's actions, Chu Tianhuang asked with some curiosity.

"Um."

Li Hao didn't elaborate, knowing that it was best to speak little when dealing with members of the Imperial Clan.

"In terms of Heavenly Talent, you are superior to us. If the Southern Region Assembly Battle had been delayed by Three Hundred Years, perhaps we would have had a chance to fight each other then."

Beside them, Boya Xuejian sighed to Li Hao, their eyes filled with regret.

In his view, if Li Hao were given another Three Hundred Years, he would definitely be qualified to fight against them in the Immortal Lord Realm.

After all, to reach such a level in less than a hundred years of Soul Lifespan, this cultivation speed is enough to catch up.

Chu Tianhuang was slightly taken aback, then smiled and agreed, before inviting Li Hao to sit down.

"The Heart Questioning Hall?"

Li Hao followed the two into the Palace Hall. He saw the characters on the Palace Hall and felt they had a certain charm, so he pondered them carefully.

"At the mountainside lies the Forget Heart Hall, which requires Chaos Dao Heart to climb. However, while Chaos Dao Heart transcends the mortal Heaven Grade, it is like the Chaos of Heaven and Earth, still unable to find its own path. Only by forgetting the mind and forgetting the Dao can one know the mind and know the Dao."

Chu Tianhuang explained to Li Hao, "The Heart Questioning Hall at the top of this Mountain Summit requires Eternal Dao Heart to set foot in. Inside the hall is Dao Questioning Statue. It is said that the Supreme once comprehended the Heavenly Dao Emperor Heart in front of this Dao Questioning Statue."

"Although Eternal Dao Heart can reach the King Realm, in the face of Heaven and Earth, Eternity is insignificant and will decay along with Heaven and Earth and Earth, affected by the surrounding World Domain."

Boya Xuejian sighed softly and said, "If one could glimpse the Heavenly Dao Emperor Heart, even just the Dao Heart, it would cause many Immortal Arts to undergo a qualitative leap in improvement."

Li Hao knew that even when using the same level of Immortal Arts, people with different Dao Heart would perform differently.

"The Heavenly Dao Emperor Heart... are difficult to comprehend; even the Imperial Emperor of various Immortal Dynasty may not be able to grasp them."

Chu Tianhuang Whispers, glancing at the Dao Questioning Statue within the Palace Hall, but shook his head, showing no intention of trying to comprehend it.

Li Hao glanced at the Dao Questioning Statue standing in the Palace Hall. It turned out to be the shape of a strange stone, with only a vague human figure outline. Upon closer inspection, it was a graceful female figure, with flying Stone Block like a flowing skirt and encircling stone ribbons like streamers.

He stared at the Dao Questioning Statue and suddenly felt that the statue was undergoing a subtle change, gradually transforming from a stone statue into a human figure.

He thought he was seeing things, but when he looked again, he found that it was still a stone statue, and what he had just seen seemed to be an illusion.

However, at this moment, the stone statue has become like an oval stone.

The stone stood there, but Li Hao suddenly had a dazed feeling, as if it were not just a stone, but a World Domain!

"Haotian?"

Seeing Li Hao lost in thought, Chu Tianhuang called out in surprise.

Li Hao came to his senses and looked again. The stone had returned to its original state, and everything that had just happened seemed to be just an illusion.

But Li Hao knew that what he had just witnessed was not Illusion Realm, but rather that this object truly possessed extraordinary properties.

I want to gain some insight here.

Li Hao said.

Seeing this, Chu Tianhuang paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

There were other people in the Palace Hall who were also meditating in front of the stone statue, but many more sat outside the hall, completely oblivious to the statue.

Li Hao sat silently in front of the stone statue, but after a long while, the strange feeling he had felt earlier did not reappear.

He was somewhat puzzled, and sat in front of the stone statue until late at night, but still couldn't enter that strange feeling.

Li Hao knew that sometimes sudden enlightenment was entirely dependent on fortuitous opportunity and could not be replicated.

However, he remembered that feeling.

Li Hao got up and went outside the Palace Hall, only to see the Moonlight shining overhead. The golden clouds enveloping Dao Questioning Mountain shone with a golden radiance as the Moonlight pierced through them.

Li Hao gazed at the golden mist and suddenly felt as if something within it was drawing him in.

He found Chu Tianhuang not far away, who was meditating with his eyes closed. When Li Hao approached, Chu Tianhuang opened his eyes, but did not actually enter into cultivation.

Did you find anything?

Chu Tianhuang asked with a smile.

Li Hao shook his head, then asked, "What's in this golden mist?"

"I don't know."

Chu Tianhuang glanced at it, then shook his head and said, "We tried to climb up earlier, but before we got close, we fell down and got trapped in the Dao Questioning Illusion. You see those people over there?"

He pointed in a direction, and Li Hao discovered that several figures lay on the ground not far from the hall, all frozen in place with empty, lifeless eyes.

"It might require a higher level of Dao Heart to enter this golden mist; it should be at least Pinnacle Eternal Dao Heart."

Chu Tianhuang said.

Li Hao's heart stirred slightly as he looked towards the golden mist. He had stirred up Heaven and Earth Nine Resonances within the Heart Questioning Pagoda, which should be considered close to the Top-tier Eternal Dao Heart.

I'll give it a try.

Li Hao said.

Chu Tianhuang somewhat surprised, but didn't think much of it and nodded, saying, "Don't force yourself."

Li Hao immediately leaped into the air, quickly attracting the attention of others. Someone sneered:

"Another one making a fool of themselves."

The Mountain Summit was bound by special Principle, so Li Hao's flight was more like a leap. However, before he could even reach a height of tens of meters above the ground, he felt a Chill rising from his soul, the same chill he had experienced when climbing the steps earlier.

As Li Hao approached the golden mist, he vaguely saw a figure sitting within it.

However, before he could see clearly, he seemed to hear a Whispers in his ear:

"Your Dao Heart is bound; do not be stubborn."

As he spoke, Li Hao's body touched the golden mist and then plummeted down.

He landed back on the ground, but did not fall into the Dao Questioning Illusion. He immediately got up and looked up, but the golden mist had become thicker, and he could not see anything clearly.

"Hmm? He touched the golden mist?!"

"How could he not have fallen into the Dao Questioning Illusion?!"

"Could it be that his Dao Heart is Top-tier Eternal Dao Heart?"

Many people's expressions changed upon seeing this, and some even stood up on the spot.