Chapter 484: Supreme Power

"Is this his sword art?"

On the opposite side of the battlefield, the crimson-lighted man and the cloud-robed woman, including the purple-robed youth who had previously lost in the Imperial Palace, were also watching Li Hao's duel.

There was no grand spectacle—the fight ended in an instant; the opponent was too weak to even make Li Hao serious.

Yet despite this, they all sensed the extreme depth of Dao resonance within Li Hao's sword qi—terribly formidable.

"There's something to him."

Crimson Light narrowed his eyes, a cold sneer on his lips.

The cloud-robed woman's gaze was grave; the Ocean Emperor had granted him ten cities' incense offerings and allowed him to choose three supreme cultivation arts—now it was clear he was a fearsome rival.

This was the Top Hundred Battle; Prince Prince Luojia had been a prominent figure in earlier rounds, yet he was instantly defeated—Li Hao instantly drew far more attention.

When word spread that Li Hao was a newly recruited retainer of the Ocean Divine Dynasty, many factions sighed inwardly—the old, cunning Ocean Emperor had struck as swiftly as ever.

After his battle ended, Li Hao descended the arena and continued pondering the matter of his Dao domain.

What he lacked now were cultivation arts; numerous factions had extended olive branches, and Li Hao was considering whether to gradually accept some.

There was gain and loss—these olive branches offered convenience, but also demanded corresponding aid and reputation in return.

With one tie to the Ocean Divine Dynasty, Li Hao could manage; if there were too many, he felt overwhelmed.

The hardest debt to repay in this world is a favor.

"Forgive the intrusion, Lord Lin Qingfeng—may I approach and speak with you?"

As Li Hao pondered, a graceful, elegant woman with a noble bearing approached his solo seating area and spoke softly, her voice clear and melodious as silver bells.

Li Hao snapped back to awareness, glancing at her in confusion. "Who are you?"

"I heard earlier that Lord Lin Qingfeng's painting skill is unparalleled—have you ever heard of the Flower Tour Gathering?"

The woman wore splendid golden-yellow robes and smiled as she transmitted her words.

Li Hao remained expressionless, transmitting back: "How did you learn of this?"

"Naturally, from your painting display in the Imperial Palace."

Gui Qinsuang, seeing Li Hao probing her identity, smiled faintly and did not conceal it: "My father is the Ocean Emperor. But my coming here has nothing to do with the Ocean Divine Dynasty—I heard your paintings are extraordinary, and I thought you might be a Flower Wanderer, someone who revels in spring's beauty. So I came to ask: would you be interested in joining the Flower Tour Gathering?"

Li Hao was startled—this was a princess.

She was extending an olive branch, but this was the first time anyone had invited him for anything other than martial prowess.

"The Flower Tour Gathering?"

Li Hao lifted his restrictions and allowed her to approach, casually casting a barrier around them to muffle sound.

"Yes. The Flower Tour Gathering was originally founded by two Supreme Sages. Now that the Sages have retreated into seclusion, it is jointly managed by several Half-Sages. But the Gathering is extremely leisurely—it demands no merit accumulation, no missions, merely cultivating leisurely tastes: a group of kindred spirits discussing poetry, music, chess, and admiring flowers." Gui Qinsuang spoke softly.

Li Hao froze in surprise—could such a faction truly exist?

And it was founded by two Supreme Sages?

Li Hao was stunned. In the Land of Sages, Supreme Sages stood above all—everyone said Sages devoted themselves wholly to the Dao, yet here was one that cherished such idle pleasures?

Yet remembering the Sword Master sitting alone, fishing, Li Hao suddenly understood.

"So everyone inside is someone who enjoys leisure and hobbies?"

Li Hao asked.

If it were merely a group of pampered nobles, he wouldn't be surprised—but managed by Half-Sages, founded by Supreme Sages? That was astonishing.

Gui Qinsuang anticipated his doubt and smiled lightly: "Lord Lin Qingfeng, your painting skill is unmatched—you must be a Flower Wanderer too. Beyond cultivation, there must be other joys in life; otherwise, aren't we warriors merely mindless cultivation puppets? The Flower Tour Gathering doesn't vie for fame or incense offerings, but if real matters arise, even other factions dare not provoke us."

"To join the Flower Tour Gathering, there are two requirements: first, your cultivation must be at least the Dao-Perception Realm; second, you must master one art—music, chess, calligraphy, or painting—at least to the level of a masterpiece."

She added softly: "The world races to cultivate, striving to advance—few have leisure or time to devote to other pursuits. Thus, most members of the Flower Tour Gathering are all prodigies of their realm, their own cultivation already at its peak, their lives long, their progress slow—so they naturally take up other pleasures to pass the time."

She looked at Li Hao and smiled: "Aren't you the same kind of person?"

Li Hao hadn't expected to find kindred spirits—he felt a pang of emotion. No wonder this was a faction founded by Supreme Sages—even for exchanging mere arts like music and painting, the lowest threshold was Dao-Perception Realm.

Yet since cultivation level was required, it was likely not as simple as she claimed.

"If it's just idle talk about poetry and painting, I'm interested."

Li Hao said.

He was lacking a chess opponent—if he could find a few masters within, he could raise his chess skill to the ninth dan, and his Dao mastery would rise accordingly, allowing him to grasp the full range of Dao techniques—and perhaps even glimpse the limits of the Dao-Perception Realm.

Gui Qinsuang laughed: "Lord Lin Qingfeng, don't worry—the Flower Tour Gathering doesn't compete for fame or incense. Within it, status isn't determined by cultivation level, but by artistic skill. With your painting, many will surely admire you."

"Are there any chess masters?" Li Hao asked.

Gui Qinsuang paused, then smiled: "There are many. Do you study chess?"

"A little." Li Hao nodded.

Gui Qinsuang's eyes gleamed: "If you're interested, I'll report to the Deputy Leader."

"Alright."

Li Hao nodded. Though it sounded more complex than she let on, learning more couldn't hurt.

Gui Qinsuang bowed respectfully to Li Hao and departed gracefully.

Outside the crowd, princes from imperial houses recognized Gui Qinsuang's identity—their expressions changed instantly.

"That's the seventh princess of the Ocean Emperor—rumored to serve a Sage, and holds extraordinary status among the princesses."

"Correct. Though her cultivation is average, she excels in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and embroidery—no other princess dares provoke her."

"Who was she speaking to?"

"Don't you recognize him? He's the Ocean Divine Dynasty's newly recruited retainer—one of this year's top contenders."

Whispers spread through the crowd.

After Gui Qinsuang left, Li Hao prepared to close his eyes and meditate, when suddenly he felt intense flames illuminating the arena's edge.

He turned to one of the arenas and saw Crimson Light raising his hand, unleashing a fire technique that instantly incinerated his opponent.

That was heartfire—nearly impossible to resist below the Dao-Perception Realm.

Li Hao glanced twice, then looked away, returning to his meditation.

After the first match ended, three more duels followed, one of them the purple-robed youth.

Li Hao hadn't expected to face him again in the Top Hundred—yet now the youth showed none of his former arrogance from the Imperial Palace. Once he had looked down on his peers, but after being crushed by Crimson Light, nearly shattering his Dao heart, he had shed his pride and now appeared far more composed.

He stared deeply at Li Hao, bowed, and said: "Please."

Li Hao didn't hesitate—he gestured for the youth to attack first.

The purple-robed youth unleashed again the peak power from the Imperial Palace, along with the faint silhouette of an Emperor.

He carried a trace of ancient bloodline—that was one reason he had become a prodigy.

Seeing the silhouette, Li Hao did not use Lin Lin Qingying's Softest Sword Dao—he switched to the Sun-Moon Sword Dao of the Moonlight Holy Son.

Brilliant sword light erupted like a blazing, radiant sun, plunging downward.

With a thunderous crash, the Emperor's shadow behind the youth trembled, blurred, and vanished—he was slammed into the battle array, his face pale.

"…."

He collapsed to the ground, looking up at Li Hao—who had merely flicked his sleeve—and his eyes filled with shock, then quickly turned bitter.

This prodigy, favored by ten cities' incense, was no less formidable than Crimson Light—he felt the terrifying depth of that sword art.

And unlike Li Hao's earlier sword art, this was another, far more ruthless and brutal style!

"A second sword art?"

Li Hao's move drew sharp gazes from many in the crowd, eyes wide with astonishment.

"He wields two sword arts?!"

Below the stage, Li Li Qingyi and others stared in disbelief. Li Hao's earlier sword art had been gentle and invisible—now this was brutal and piercing. Two completely opposite forces—he wielded two distinct sword arts! Though they couldn't be stacked to increase damage, two sword arts meant opponents faced far greater difficulty anticipating and countering him.

Li Hao retracted his hand, bowed slightly to the defeated youth, then descended the stage. The Sun-Moon Sword Dao was merely one of many sword arts he had refined into his Sole Self Sword Dao.

"This guy."

Crimson Light, watching the match, grew more serious—but soon shook his head.

"Quantity is inferior to mastery. He wasted his talent studying painting. His path is wrong."

He looked at Li Hao with pity. Though Li Hao's talent was exceptional—perhaps even equal to his own—it was a pity he was too greedy. He had seen many prodigies: some with fine talent, but too arrogant, too indulgent, until they vanished into obscurity.

As match after match concluded, the final Top Ten were confirmed.

Li Hao advanced smoothly; so did Crimson Light and the cloud-robed woman. The purple-robed youth, though defeated by Li Hao, won all his other matches and also secured a Top Ten spot.

Besides these four, six others were equally formidable.

During the break, Li Hao continued refining his Dao domain in his courtyard.

The cultivation arts collected in the Ocean Tower were now all completed—his Dao domain reached 220 layers.

Li Hao stretched, then heard someone visiting outside. His spiritual sense probed out—it was the same woman. He transmitted a message to the royal guard watching his quarters: "Let her in."

"Lord Lin Qingfeng, the Deputy Leader has seen your painting and approves your admission."

Gui Qinsuang stood before Li Hao, bowing respectfully.

Now that Li Hao had joined the Flower Tour Gathering, his status surpassed hers.

Previously, as merely a retainer—even a prodigy—she had treated him politely, but without fear.

"Here is your Flower Tour Token."

Gui Qinsuang extended her hand, offering a crimson token.

Li Hao took it and immediately sensed it was a treasure—when his spiritual sense touched it, countless Dao sounds echoed within.

These Dao sounds detailed the history and rules of the Flower Tour Gathering.

Images flooded Li Hao's mind: in ancient times, two towering, mist-shrouded Sage figures gazed down upon all—these were the original founders of the Flower Tour Gathering, two Supreme Sages.

Their true identities remained unknown; they used the aliases Flower Immortal and Wandering Free.

After their retreat and disappearance, the Flower Tour Gathering came under the joint management of Half-Sages.

The rules of the Flower Tour Gathering forbid mutual slaughter, forbidding the use of cultivation power to bully others; superiority is determined by skill alone, and there are few other rules.

Members of the Flower Tour Gathering are scattered across the Thirty-Three Realms, but their total number is small—only ninety-seven in total. With Li Hao's entry, there are now ninety-eight, meaning roughly two or three members per realm.

Through the Flower Tour Token, members can contact and sense one another; moreover, the token contains half-saint laws and can help a member escape danger and flee far away, unless the opponent is also a half-saint of immense strength, in which case the escape might be interrupted—otherwise, it is an extremely powerful life-saving treasure.

Li Hao came to his senses; after absorbing the information within the Flower Tour Token, he understood the man had not lied—this Flower Tour Gathering was somewhat like a gathering place initiated by two supreme sages, drawing together a group of pleasure-seekers.

At the same time, Li Hao now knew the princess's identity. Though the Flower Tour Gathering did not seek fame or profit and was rather lax, most of its members had extremely powerful backgrounds—just as Gui Xia Qingshuang had said, they were all prodigies of their realm, equivalent to saintly geniuses from a thousand or even several thousand years ago.

Such figures were already renowned, with deep networks and influence; thus, there were many service personnel related to the Flower Tour Gathering, and Gui Xia Qingshuang was one of them.

People like her within the Flower Tour Gathering were called "Butterflies."

They were specifically tasked with identifying qualified individuals and inviting them to join.

"If the Lord of Clear Wind has any other requests, simply call out to me at any time—this is my travel token; as long as you are within the Canglan Realm, I will receive your message."

Gui Xia Qingshuang pulled out another fragrant token and offered it to Li Hao with both hands, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

Li Hao knew that the Butterfly members of the Flower Tour Gathering were tasked with fulfilling all requests of its members.

"Mm, go ahead."

Li Hao took the travel token and said.

Gui Xia Qingshuang bowed to Li Hao in farewell; before leaving, she stole a glance at him, thinking: such striking beauty—if I had any improper demands, I wouldn't be at a loss.

After Gui Xia Qingshuang departed, Li Hao extended his spiritual sense into the Flower Tour Token.

Inside the token was a chaotic space, where numerous shadowy figures stood motionless.

Li Hao was startled, still observing, when he heard someone call out: "A new member has arrived! Quickly state your name—before joining the Flower Tour Gathering, you must bow and greet all the elders."

"Go away, don't bully the newcomer. Newcomer, what is your name? What are you skilled in? Would you care to play a game of go with this old man?"

Li Hao saw two indistinct shadowy figures speaking; he was surprised and asked: "Where is this?"

"This is the mental domain space opened by the supreme sages. With the Flower Tour Token, you may enter here from anywhere—except certain forbidden ancient sanctuaries, where lingering, terrible rules reverse all common sense."

Another woman's voice spoke, sounding elegant and dignified, as if a celestial empress gazing down upon the world.

Li Hao glanced over and saw only the graceful silhouette of a woman—merely her outline made him imagine her aura as otherworldly, like a divine maiden standing above mortal dust.

Mental domain space? This was Li Hao's first encounter with the supreme sages' methods—how could a tiny token allow people scattered across the Thirty-Three Realms to communicate instantly? It was almost absurd.

Consider how vast and boundless the Thirty-Three Realms were—yet this Flower Tour Token enabled synchronized communication. If used on a battlefield among mortals, it would be a national treasure.

During the Great Yu Divine Dynasty's Yaohuo, though they possessed treasures like the Eight-Directional Command Tokens, these were scarce, single-use items; though fast, their transmission speed still fell short of this direct mental exchange.

"I am Lin Qingfeng. I know a little of music, go, calligraphy, and painting."

Li Hao chose to introduce himself first, but using his current alias.

"Hah, bold words! You claim mastery in all four arts? Then let me test your go skills."

The earlier aged voice changed tone.

"Don't be ridiculous, Night Ancestor—you just want an excuse to find someone to play go with you," the youth's voice scoffed.

The aged Night Ancestor snapped: "It's because Green Ancestor is so incompetent! Last month I beat him three times in a row. Originally it was one game to decide, but he dragged it out to best two out of three, then five games to three wins. Hmph—he hasn't had the face to show himself since."

"Don't spread lies—I was just recovering from slaying an Ancestral Demon, my condition was poor, and I lost by accident."

A furious voice suddenly rang out.

Night Ancestor chuckled: "With a newcomer here, you finally show yourself?"

"I've been recuperating these days. Do you think I'm avoiding you? Hmph, wait a few more days until I'm healed—we'll fight again, same place!"

Night Ancestor laughed: "Fine, I'll go ahead and wait for you. Whoever doesn't show is a puppy."

"..."

Li Hao listened to their exchange, momentarily speechless—those called "Ancestor" were all half-saints.

Normally solemn and composed half-saints, in private, were so childish.

Yet what surprised Li Hao was that they seemed to know each other's true identities in reality and had no intention of hiding them.

But given the power of Flower Tour Gathering members, there was little need to hide—few dared trouble them anyway, and what they revealed here were merely personal hobbies, unlikely to provoke greed.

Li Hao pondered for a moment and asked:

"Gentlemen, if we exchange through arts like music, go, calligraphy, and painting, why doesn't the Flower Tour Gathering attract those without cultivation but with profound artistic skill?"

"Hah! I've heard this question thirty times already!"

"You've heard it thirty times? I've heard it over fifty!"

The earlier Night Ancestor and the youth burst into laughter.

Li Hao froze, then realized others had asked the same question before.

"Every newcomer asks this. Though we've explained it many times, one more time won't hurt."

The youth chuckled: "The reasons are somewhat complex. First, mortals have limited lifespans—even if they master other arts without cultivation, they age and die quickly, rarely achieving greatness."

"Second, if mortals dabble in cultivation, their low realms make them fearful of our status, making communication uncomfortable. Third—and most importantly—we may enjoy these arts, but we haven't abandoned cultivation entirely; we occasionally exchange insights on martial practice."

He continued: "You're probably about to ask why even supreme sages have such leisurely interests?"

At this, his laughter faded, and he said:

"Because when the supreme sages retired, they said: 'The Immortal Path is severed—better to wander drunkenly through the mortal world.' That is the origin of our Flower Tour Gathering."

(End of Chapter)