Painting Dao, thirteenth stage: Reverse Time Heart

Wisps of smoke rose from the Small Courtyard.

In the courtyard, Li Hao cooked the flesh and blood of the Ancient Demon, and he and Shi Miao ate with great relish.

"It smells so good."

Shi Miao wiped her mouth as she ate, having long abandoned any semblance of ladylike manners, and devoured her food with gusto, yet her movements remained elegant and graceful. She smiled and said:

"Thanks to you, my reincarnated Primordial Spirit has also condensed a considerable amount of True God Blood. If I live peacefully until the end of that time and merge with my True Form True God, I wonder what level I will reach?"

Li Hao had long heard Shi Miao say that her True Form was already at the Primal Spirit Final Realm. She could reach the Perfection of the Terminal Realm by condensing tens of thousands of drops of True God Blood. Her True God Primordial Spirit would then transform into True God, detach from her physical body, and remain True God despite the decay of the sun and moon and the withering of Years.

"If you cultivate to the Primal Spirit Final Realm, and the two Primal Spirit Final Realm merge, you might achieve something even more extreme."

Li Hao guessed.

Shi Miao nodded, feeling a sense of anticipation. Although no one could break through the Terminal Realm, not even the Immortal Emperor, and all the former Immortal Emperor had tried countless methods without success, it was still unknown whether anyone had managed to merge with the True God.

Although Shi Miao had a vague feeling that this method had probably been tried by Immortal Emperor, she was ultimately not sure and couldn't help but feel a little hopeful.

The higher one's level of cultivation, the less enjoyment remains. Moreover, with many paths blocked, the ability to open up a new path, even with only a sliver of possibility, is exhilarating.

"Unfortunately, the absorption efficiency is still not fast enough. Even if we eat and drink every day, it would take thousands of years to accumulate tens of thousands of drops!"

Li Hao said.

Previously, on the battlefield of the Yellow Springs Houtu, he could only condense a dozen drops of True God Blood each year using the Essence Blood of Ancient Demon.

In the Original True World, there is no Ancient Demon Essence Blood. Fortunately Ancient Demon Corpse my Second Senior Brother Di Wushe, sends each time are of extremely high quality. Many of them are at the Perfection of Immortal Lord Realm, and there are also many corpses at the Immortal King Realm. Therefore, we can barely condense about ten drops of True God Blood every year.

However, from the quality of these Ancient Demon Corpse, Li Hao could sense that the Border Battlefield of the Emperor Clan was extremely dangerous. No wonder his Second Senior Brother always had a Sha Qi between his brows whenever he came, even in his avatar, as if he had just escaped from the battlefield.

"That's already very fast."

Shi Miao smiled.

She could condense ten drops of True God Blood every year, something she wouldn't have dared to imagine back then. Even condensing just one drop a year would have been top-notch.

"Unfortunately, I never grasped the essence of Painting Dao."

Li Hao said that the Thirteenth Dan of the Painting Dao was far more difficult than he had imagined. After accumulating enough experience points, he devoted himself to studying and comprehending it for several years, but still had no clue.

"Don't be impatient. The Immortal King Realm is the final step to ascending to heaven, so it's normal that it's difficult."

Shi Miao comforted Li Hao.

Although Li Hao didn't explicitly say it, her intelligence allowed her to see that Li Hao comprehension of Painting Dao and Zither Dao was not for play, but rather a means of self-cultivation. If he could truly understand Painting Dao, perhaps Li Hao could break through to the next level and become King-Sealing.

However, breaking through to the next realm and becoming King-Sealing is no easy feat; even with the painstaking cultivation of Immortal Emperor, a bit of fortuitous opportunity is still required.

Although the Original True World Realm is rich in Divine Medicine and treasures, including the supreme medicinal lotus that can replace the World Heart and directly plant a Lotus World within the body, thereby becoming Immortal King, such diluted Chaos Divine Medicine are extremely rare. True Heavenly Prodigy do not need them, and those who are not Heavenly Prodigy are not qualified to enjoy them.

"Um."

Li Hao nodded, his heart calm and composed, only filled with emotion.

Shi Miao by his side, Li Hao would paint in the courtyard every day, and figures would appear in his Painting Realm.

These were all Li Hao's former friends and people he missed: Yu Emperor, Old Feng, Ren Qianqian, Lin Qingying, and Ji Tianzong, who had long since perished in the river...

Most of them are currently in the Southern Region of the True Realm, and Li Hao dares not meet with them lest he implicate them.

The Painting Realm enveloped the entire Small Courtyard. Old Feng, Yu Emperor, Ren Qianqian, and the others seemed like phantoms in the painting, yet they were actually real, as if their souls had merged into their bodies. Their personalities, chatting and laughing, were exactly the same as before.

The Small Courtyard thus became lively.

Yu Emperor Chess with Li Hao. He lightly tapped the table with his fingers, and the Go Board materialized in the painting.

Old Feng accompanied Li Hao Angling. In a sudden shift in the Painting Realm, Demon Lake appeared suspended in the Void.

Ren Qianqian practiced swordsmanship by her side, Li Hao pointed out her skills, which improved her Sword Technique.

Li Hao had them accompany him, and although they Chess, Angling, and practiced swordsmanship, all of this took place within the Painting Realm. This improved Li Hao's Mastery over the Painting Realm, but did not allow him to accumulate experience in other Art Skill.

"Now that we're separated by distance, you must miss them very much."

Shi Miao said to Li Hao.

Li Hao nodded. How could they not remember each other, having met in the dust of the world?

"If you could use the enhancements you gained from the Painting Realm to help them in the future through soul transmission and inheritance, that would be even better."

Shi Miao said.

Upon hearing this, Li Hao's eyes lit up slightly; this was indeed a good idea.

If that's the case, by enhancing the cultivation of Yu Emperor and the others within the Painting Realm, and then directly passing it on to their True Form, it would be of great help to them.

However, while the idea is good, it is somewhat far-fetched.

After all, Li Hao is the master in the Painting Realm, and it is easy for him to improve their cultivation. If he can pass on his knowledge to True Form True Form, then helping people cultivate will be as simple as eating and drinking for Li Hao. This is something that Immortal Emperor would find difficult to do.

Where is Junior Brother Han Ku?

In the first level of the Extreme Dao Mountain's Dao Arena, Li Hao arrived as usual to discuss World Domain cultivation with these Immortal King Realm disciples, only to find that several figures seemed to be missing from the Dao Arena.

Among them, Han Ku, who had cultivated Indestructible Domain, left a deep impression on Li Hao. More than ten years ago, Shi Miao pierced through Han Ku's Indestructible Domain World Domain a single finger. Only five years later, Han Ku's Indestructible Domain had greatly improved, and his cultivation level had also increased by one level.

"Senior Brother Han Ku -

The disciples of the Immortal King Realm, including Kuqiao, standing in front of Li Hao exchanged glances, their expressions rather unpleasant.

Li Hao's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What is it? Please speak your mind."

"Senior Brother Haotian, Han Ku Senior Brother Hanku went to the Original Borderland three years ago and became a Demon-Slaying Generals, but unfortunately---"

Kuqiao's eyes were filled with complex emotions. He clenched his fist and said, "It's a pity that the situation in that Original Borderland is so serious. News of Senior Brother Han Ku came back a year ago; he had already perished in battle."

"Fallen in battle?"

Li Hao stayed comfortably.

That Immortal King brother, who was extremely confident and arrogant when they first met, had actually perished in battle?!

"He's Immortal King, but where is that Original Borderland? Even there, Ancient Demon invade it?"

Li Hao couldn't help but ask.

Kuqiao glanced at Li Hao and said bitterly, "Senior Brother Haotian, you may not know this, but Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Catastrophe, the Ancient Demon invaded the True Realm. Not only the outer True Realm was thrown into turmoil, but the Original True World was also thrown into chaos. That great war affected every corner of the world. If the Ancient Demon Clan hadn't been so greedy and arrogant, choosing to wage war on multiple fronts, they Grand Battle."

"That's right. If the Ancient Demon Clan had chosen a more cautious approach, sweeping across the great domains of the True Realm one by one, the Ancient Demon True Realm would probably already be entirely their territory."

Another Immortal King nodded.

"This Original Borderland is where the Ancient Demon invaded back then. It was only through the combined efforts of the three great masters, including Master, and the Ten Chaos Clans that peace was restored to the Original True World. However, the battles in the Original Borderland have always been fierce."

Kuqiao.

Li Hao was surprised to find that even the Original True World had been invaded by Ancient Demon.

"The Chaos Ancient Clan agreed to let us Human Race come to the Original True World not only because of my Master and the Chaos Immortal Emperor, but also because they need our help to stop the Ancient Demon," said a woman at the Immortal King Realm beside her.

Li Hao asked, "If that's the case, then the Chaos Ancient Clan and we are still Water and Fire enemies?"

"To the Chaos Ancient Clan, we are no different from the Ancient Demon. The only difference is that the Ancient Demon are a threat, while we are a hidden danger. If we can use the hidden danger to solve the threat, that would naturally be the best outcome for them," Kuqiao said.

Li Hao was speechless; racial prejudice was indeed difficult to reverse.

"Senior Brother Haotian Heavenly Talent exceptionally talented, and most of us were personally brought into the Master's Sect by our Master. We, on the other hand, are not so fortunate. Some of us can only get a small number of our clansmen through the connections of powerful families. The rest of us can only gain entry to the inner sect for cultivation and to enter the Chaos Star to comprehend the Dao by fighting in the Original Borderland and establishing our immortal Immortal Merit there."

"Some powerful clans, whose strong members fight and establish Immortal Merit in the Original Borderland, transfer their quotas to the younger generation of the clan, sending them to the Immortal Emperor Dao Mountain to become disciples. Even Outer Sect Disciple can get the opportunity to go to the Chaos Star to comprehend."

The group explained to Li Hao.

Li Hao was somewhat taken aback. He hadn't expected that the Chaos Star, which he himself was too lazy to visit, would be so difficult for others to get to.

Even to cultivate in this Extreme Dao Mountain, it requires the combined efforts of several generations!

"Although Han Ku is in the First Dao Arena, he still has to serve. Every Three Hundred Years, he must go to the Original Borderland and perform a hundred Immortal Merit before he can return," someone said.

"One hundred battle merits?"

"It requires slaying a hundred Ancient Demon of the same realm as oneself. Although we cultivate under the tutelage of the Immortal Emperor and are not as talented as Senior Brother Haotian, we still possess some Heavenly Talent and it is not difficult for us to easily defeat Ancient Demon of the same realm."

The Ancient Demon possess terrifying combat power, almost overwhelming Myriad Races of the True World within the same realm. Even the Top Ten strongest races can only achieve minor Ancient Demon.

However, they would be far inferior when facing royalty among the Ancient Demon.

However, the Heavenly Prodigy who can come to the Original True World all have the ability to fight against Ancient Demon of the same realm, and can even defeat them easily.

"Slaying a hundred Ancient Demon is not difficult, but the battlefield is ever-changing. Ancient Demon are treacherous and cunning, and accidents can happen at any time. Even peerless Heavenly Prodigy can perish," Kuqiao said.

Li Hao nodded, deeply understanding the horror of the battlefield.

"As Personal Disciple, Senior Brother Haotian, Master wouldn't allow you to go to such a chaotic area before you've fully matured," someone said to Li Hao, their eyes filled with admiration and respect.

The Personal Disciple received extraordinary treatment. Although they were envious, they were also convinced of their Heavenly Talent. Each Personal Disciple was someone who could command respect.

"Han Ku Senior Brother Hanku encountered an accident."

A woman at the Immortal King Realm said dejectedly,

Upon hearing this, the others also fell silent. After all, they had cultivated together here for thousands of Years, exchanging ideas and discussing matters, and could be considered fellow Daoists on this Immortal Road.

Did he leave behind any Divine Blood here?

Li Hao couldn't help but ask.

If it's a risky endeavor, one should at least leave behind a portion of Divine Blood, so that one can be reborn using that Divine Blood.

"We once sacrificed our Divine Blood to save our lives, repeatedly throwing ourselves into the battlefield. That was a time when we severely wounded the Ancient Demon. But not long after, the Ancient Demon created Dao Arts that could sever the connection between Divine Blood, causing divinity to perish. Even if Divine Blood is left behind thousands of miles away, once killed by this method, the remaining Divine Blood will quickly Corruption."

Kuqiao said, "Moreover, since Senior Brother Han Ku's Primordial Spirit has perished, he can't unleash his full power by fighting only with his avatar, since that Ancient Demon can also use avatars."

Li Hao remained silent, having cultivated diligently for many years, only to perish in a single battle.

"I am the Indestructible Domain- "

Those words still seem to echo in my ears, but the person is no longer here.

Li Hao didn't say much. He returned to the Mountain Summit, and his Painting Realm expanded. In the Painting Realm, another figure appeared—the Han Ku.

"Senior Brother Haotian, I am from Indestructible Domain; you may observe me at will—"

The Han Ku coalesced within the Painting Realm, smiling and bowing to Li Hao, as if the past had resurfaced.

Shi Miao glanced at Li Hao, said nothing, and simply stayed by his side.

Time flies.

Every few years, Li Hao would descend the mountain to discuss World Domain with his fellow Immortal King Realm.

However, every few years, Li Hao noticed that among the Immortal King Realm fellow disciples he had previously talked to, one or two would be missing, while one or two new faces would appear.

Some of the new faces were admitted through special quotas from prominent clans, while others were elders who had fought in the Original Borderland and transferred their quotas to them.

Upon hearing of Li Hao's deeds, they all stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, treating him with utmost courtesy.

Where is Bai Hua Junior Sister Baihua?

She fell in battle.

Where is Wu Hen Brother Wuhen?

"He----"

The Chaos Rain fell again and again.

The flowers on the Mountain Summit bloom and wither, wither and bloom again, but the immortal plants remain evergreen for centuries, unchanged.

"This is Junior Brother Bai Chuan; his World Domain is also extremely powerful."

"Where is the Kuqiao?"

"Kuqiao He-"

Seeing the few familiar faces with their indescribable and complex expressions, Li Hao's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

He didn't know when he returned to the Mountain Summit, but he saw that there was one more figure in his Painting Realm.

"I am from the Shore Domain, Senior Brother Haotian— "

The figure smiled at the boy sitting quietly on the tea chair, bowed slightly, and gave a very respectful deep bow.

Time seemed to stand still, and that first encounter on the way down the mountain was relived in this moment.

Li Hao remained silent for a long time.

He slowly stood up, cupped his hands, and said:

"Greetings, Junior Brother Kuqiao."

As Years changes and the sun and moon shift in the Small Courtyard, in this Painting Realm Heaven and Earth, time seems to reverse. A large amount of Rainwater rises from the Small Courtyard, evaporates, and flies into the Cloudmist in the sky.

One Chaos Rain after another reversed, Years passed, but the number of figures gathering around him only increased, all of them familiar faces that Li Hao had seen in the past.

"Han Ku, Kuqiao -.-. Bai Hua ·"

"Greetings, Senior Brother Haotian!"

Time seemed to stand still, and everything remained as it was in the beginning.

Li Hao suddenly smiled, but tears streamed down his face. They had unconditionally opened their most secret World Domain to him for a tour. Those World Domain had all amazed Li Hao; they were all the best among people.

"Shi Miao."

Li Hao suddenly spoke.

"I'm here," Shi Miao said softly.

She stood in this Time and Space continuum where the sun and moon changed, Time Reversal, yet she seemed to exist independently of Time and Space, unaffected by anything, simply remaining silent.

She looked at the boy before her with Wenrou, tearful eyes. Only she could understand the boy's State of Mind at that moment, and the intense emotion in his heart.

"It's been over a hundred years, hasn't it?" Li Hao said in a low voice.

"Um."

Shi Miao nodded vigorously, "A hundred years."