Chapter 516: Transmitting the Dao: The Ultimate Cultivation

As the projection stone quietly circulated, two figures swiftly traversed the void beyond Canglan Realm.

After escaping the Fomen with Feng Feng Bo Ping, Li Hao pierced through the boundary of the small world and walked through the void, temporarily leaving Canglan Realm to head toward Feng Lao's small world.

This small world was one of the Twenty-Three Lower Realms, housing only two sacred sites: the Steal Heaven Sacred Site and the Da Da Huang Tian Sacred Site.

Feng Feng Bo Ping was the leader of the Steal Heaven Sacred Site—the Thief Saint.

"Treat this place like your own home. If you want anything, just come to me anytime."

At the peak of the Steal Heaven Sacred Site, within a vast courtyard, Feng Feng Bo Ping smiled at Li Hao.

This was the foremost courtyard, and now he entrusted it to Li Hao for residence.

"Alright."

Li Hao nodded, not bothering with formalities with Feng Lao.

After their long separation, they knew each other too well—like returning to the mortal world, fishing by the Demon Lake, companionship at Tianmen Pass.

"This small world is no ordinary place—it values survival of the fittest, the strong devouring the weak. There is no politeness or kindness, only ruthless methods!"

Feng Feng Bo Ping's expression grew serious. "Here, you must suppress your compassion. Never believe anyone's words—especially those women from the Da Da Huang Tian Sacred Site. Not one in ten of their sentences is true. They take deception as their Dao. If you believe them, you fall into their trap—and help them cultivate."

Li Hao was surprised. He had long known that each Saint had forged their own cultivation system.

Like the Literary Saint, who kills with essays, evolves through poetry and books—reading itself is cultivation.

Yet here, there was also the Lie Dao—lying as cultivation?

You already have a prototype of your own Saint Dao. Had you not, I would have made you my Steal Sect's Holy Disciple and passed on to you the Supreme Steal Art—to steal heaven, earth, and all beings!

Feng Feng Bo Ping glanced at Li Hao and smiled. "In my sacred site, disciples gain cultivation boosts upon successful theft. The women of Da Da Huang Tian Sacred Site deceive and lie; if they succeed in tricking someone, the Dao itself sends cosmic energy into their bodies, greatly enhancing their cultivation. The bigger the lie, the greater the boost."

"Though my small world has only two sacred sites, it ranks among the top in the Twenty-Three Lower Realms."

Feng Feng Bo Ping chuckled lightly. "Here, warriors are all meticulous, cautious, and utterly ruthless in combat—ambushing, gouging eyes, insulting, breaking morale—all tactics are fair game. Warriors from other realms who come here always suffer heavy losses!"

Li Hao immediately recalled how Feng Lao had insulted the Buddha Sovereign. This culture likely owed much to this old man.

"In the past, other sacred sites' Holy Disciples came here to play, yet ended up unable to find their way back—even their distress signals were stolen. Only when their masters divined the danger and came personally did they get rescued."

Feng Feng Bo Ping spoke, his face wrinkling into a broad grin as he recalled it.

Li Hao fell silent. These two sacred sites—one steals, one lies. It wasn't hard to imagine what those Holy Disciples endured.

"Feng Lao, could you teach me a bit of your Steal Art?"

Li Hao said.

Feng Feng Bo Ping was startled. "Aren't you already developing your own Saint Dao? Practicing my Steal Art might interfere with you."

"No issue. My Saint Dao reveres all things under heaven and earth—flowers, trees, mountains, rivers—all have their own grace, all are objects of my cultivation. As it is said: Earth follows Heaven, Heaven follows Dao, Dao follows Nature—Nature is all things!"

Li Hao said.

As he finished the latter half, a low thunder rumbled around him—triggering the Dao's Thunder Sound!

The seed of his Saint Dao prototype within his heart quietly sprouted, growing rapidly.

Hearing the Dao's Thunder Sound, Feng Feng Bo Ping was stunned. He studied Li Hao closely and realized Li Hao's Saint Dao prototype was already solid and unshakable.

Moreover, the resonance of the Dao's Thunder Sound even slightly affected him, making him feel the terrifying power of Li Hao's Saint Dao.

"Your Saint Dao… can assimilate other Saint Daos…"

Feng Feng Bo Ping was speechless. Reunited again, this kid was still terrifyingly monstrous.

It felt just like the mortal world.

"If so, I'll teach you—my Supreme Steal Art: Steal Heaven!"

Feng Feng Bo Ping said seriously to Li Hao.

Li Hao raised his hand and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Feng Lao."

This man was both teacher and friend to him. Though they joked daily, the transmission of Dao was treated with utmost solemnity—Dao is not lightly passed. He was giving Li Hao his very bottom line. Even his direct disciples might not receive such treatment.

Feng Feng Bo Ping did not refuse. He accepted the bow calmly, then said: "Half a year remains until the Supreme Heavenly Prodigy War. It's but a blink—but enough for you to master my Steal Art. If your Saint Dao prototype manifests and you enter the Semi-Saint realm within half a year, the top spot in the war will be yours alone!"

Li Hao nodded. After all, he entered this war aiming for first place—such a prize offered enough incense to instantly become a Saint, saving centuries of accumulation.

Feng Feng Bo Ping said no more. He immediately surrounded the courtyard with Dao laws and began transmitting the art to Li Hao.

He imparted the Steal Heaven Art in full.

Sitting face to face, they transmitted Dao through their spiritual minds. The entire cultivation system of the Steal Heaven Sacred Site unfolded before Li Hao's eyes.

Li Hao instantly understood, inwardly marveling at Feng Lao's brilliance.

Steal Art cultivation was much like practicing sword or knife—only here, one practiced stealing.

Steal Art required immersion in the mortal world, wandering to seek opportunities—but it only stole, never seized. To seize was to corrupt one's cultivation.

Countless Steal Art techniques flooded Li Hao's spiritual mind: stealing mundane objects, stealing feng shui, stealing fortune—grand methods like manipulating feng shui to steal a city's energy, or stealing a noble family's centuries-old foundation.

Li Hao's horizons expanded; his understanding of "steal" deepened.

This was far more than nimble-fingered theft—it was the plundering of all things.

After transmission ended, Li Hao sat in meditation, slowly absorbing and digesting.

His Saint Dao prototype grew ever more radiant, coalescing within his body like a golden withered vine, branching out and spreading leaves.

Now, four or five golden leaf prototypes had begun to sprout.

Li Hao knew those golden leaves represented the Culinary Dao, Painting Dao, and others.

Beyond Steal Art, music, chess, calligraphy, painting—all could enter Dao and be absorbed into his Saint Dao.

As Li Hao received the transmission and cultivated the Steal Art, the projection stone had already spread through many sacred sites. The name "Hao Tian" rose swiftly across all Saint Lands, stirring minor ripples.

In Yunxia Realm, one of its three sacred sites—the Void Sacred Site.

A figure sat within a void rift inside the Void Sacred Site, surrounded by chaotic, terrifying void currents—even Dao-Stage cultivators dared not enter lightly.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, the towering figure encircled by Dao laws opened his eyes.

His eyes were silver-white, like void-born eyes, emitting a sharp, icy glint.

"He's still alive?"

He frowned, his gaze heavy. The scene from ten years ago felt like yesterday.

He had transformed into an assassin, lying in wait in the void for a decade—and yet this boy still lives? Did he escape? "Rebirth from blood, Divine Blood Final Stage… So this is the Divine Clan? No wonder they were once called the Immortal Clan!"

The silver-white in his eyes faded, revealing cold black irises.

"The Thief Saint… again."

The Void Saint's eyes burned with killing intent—he was a Heaven Saint who had crossed the Three Calamities. Had he not relied on the Void Sacred Site, he might not have survived the encounter.

Saints are hard to kill; their Dao is hard to erase. Though he was not a Heaven Saint, within his own sacred site, this was his domain. To destroy him required a Supreme Saint's intervention.

"Such a monstrous prodigy cannot be allowed to live. The Prodigy War, eh? I wonder if he dares show up. That fool from the Fomen scared him off—and still failed to kill him. He escaped!"

The Void Saint's face darkened. If this boy lived, another Divine Clan member emerging in the Saint Lands would be a disaster for the Void Sacred Site.

After all, the Divine Clan cultivated too fast—and dominated their own realm.

Though other realms had many prodigies, if an entire clan produced nothing but prodigies at the same level, that was terrifying!

The prodigies in their sacred site were selected from countless candidates—ancient noble families, imperial princes, and more.

"Half a year remains…"

He calculated the time, his eyes dimming as he closed them again.

In another sacred site of Yunxia Realm—the Soldier Ancestor Sacred Site.

This was the Military School's sacred site, skilled in strategy and deceit.

"This is the event from Canglan Realm…"

"This… is Hao Tian?!"

Within the sacred site, several Holy Disciples stared in shock at the projection's figure, shown to them by their masters.

Compared to the terrifying battle, they instantly recognized the fighting figure—barely changed from ten years ago, only slightly more mature in features, yet still radiating the same peerless sharpness and vigor as in the mortal world.

"He's alive! He didn't die!"

Ji Yu Ji Xuanshen was stunned, then thrilled.

His master stared at him in surprise. "You know him?"

"Master, this is the prodigy who was assassinated by the Void Saint ten years ago," Ji Yu Ji Xuanshen hurriedly replied.

His master froze, eyes widening slightly. The incident ten years ago had occurred in Yunxia Realm—they knew the hidden details. They'd assumed such a monstrous prodigy had perished. Yet here he was, alive, and displaying terrifying cultivation.

"So it's him…"

"Ten years later, he's still monstrous."

Ji Yu Ji Xuanshen watched the projection, his face twitching as he saw Li Hao use his Dao Domain to suppress dozens of Buddhist Semi-Saints.

In the past decade, he had trained relentlessly in the sacred site, his cultivation surging forward.

In the mortal world, he had been a top-tier prodigy. Now, with Saint teachings, his cultivation had skyrocketed. His greatest regret was never being able to face again the boy who, with a mortal body, had shattered his sacred bones.

Yet now, the boy was alive—and even more terrifying than before.

"He's entering the Supreme Heavenly Prodigy War. With this power, he'll likely rank in the top three."

"Not even first?"

Ji Yu Ji Xuanshen stared at his master in disbelief.

To suppress Semi-Saints—and he's only top three?

"Rumors say a Supreme Saint has incarnated to compete, and several monstrous prodigies have come from the Upper Three Realms…"

His master shook his head slightly, saying no more.

Ji Yu Ji Xuanshen's heart trembled. He took a deep breath and let go of his doubts. Seeing Li Hao alive filled him with more joy than anything else.

"He's still alive."

Jiang Jiang Ziyan also received word from her master, her eyes brightening with delight.

In truth, she had long known Li Hao was not dead; when that event occurred, she secretly sent a message to her father in the mortal realm, who was stunned and furious—but soon after, Hearing Hearing Yu Huang suddenly recalled that Li Hao had entered the Fengshan Mohe.

He immediately dispatched the Wang family to investigate and discovered that Li Hao's name had not vanished from the Fengshan Mohe.

Hearing Hearing Yu Huang was overwhelmed with excitement and ordered the matter sealed as the Supreme Secret of the Divine Dynasty, to prevent the Saints from probing.

For the past ten years, Jiang Jiang Ziyan had kept this secret buried deep within her heart—even when friends who knew Li Hao came to her, sighing and grieving, she never revealed it, fearing word might leak.

"Suppressing a Semi-Saint…"

Seeing the scene within the projection, Jiang Jiang Ziyan's face showed shock; ten years ago, when the boy revealed his Ultimate Realm, drawing the Saints' attention, she had already sensed his terrifying talent.

Now, after a decade, he had become even more terrifying. She suddenly realized her father had always seen people clearly—no wonder he had shifted the Divine Dynasty's incense offerings from the ancestral spirits to this boy.

Such a person is truly worth befriending.

…

In the Canglan Realm, within the Buddhist Holy Land.

Inside a Buddhist hall, the light was dim, solemn and reverent, with countless Bodhisattva statues standing in silence.

The Buddha Master slowly approached, gazing at the Qingdeng Buddha seated upon the lotus platform, and sighed: "This tribulation is beyond his ability to overcome; his path to Sainthood is severed. Now he sees the boy as his inner demon, seeking to sever it, slay the demon, cultivate the Buddha path, and forge a second path to Sainthood."

"If he wishes to walk this path, let him walk it."

The Qingdeng Buddha did not turn, only murmured softly.

The Buddha Master glanced at him, then nodded slightly.

Then, raising his hand, a golden relic emerged from his cassock sleeve.

The relic, like a bodhi seed, pure gold as an egg, suddenly radiated Buddha light in the void.

The Buddha light blazed brilliantly, gradually extending and expanding, until it slowly coalesced into a human form.

As the light receded, the naked figure of a boy emerged—clearly the Twin Buddha Child.

Yet now, his entire body glowed with Buddha light, devoid of demonic aura, his expression serene.

But soon, he slowly opened his eyes; the Buddha light faded from them, his expression turning cold and sharp, his forehead splitting open to reveal a pure black eye.

"He is my tribulation!"

The Twin Buddha Child's voice was no longer childish, but cold and distant, each word spoken deliberately: "To overcome this tribulation surpasses the Three Calamities."

The Buddha Master, accustomed to his tone, nodded slightly: "Since you cannot let go, then go. But I wonder—will he still dare to enter the Supreme Prodigy Tournament? If he dares not, once you become a Saint after this tournament, we shall join forces and descend to the Lesser World to slay him!"

The Qingdeng Buddha clasped his hands and whispered: "We wait for you. We are only missing you."

The Twin Buddha Child retracted the black eye on his forehead and suppressed the killing intent in his gaze: "I won't make you wait much longer."

…

Within the Theft Holy Land.

Li Hao had fully absorbed the Theft Art and now wandered with Master Feng, familiarizing himself with the Holy Land's surroundings.

"Master, who is this?"

Within the Holy Land, Feng Bo Ping's two direct disciples had both learned of a mysterious guest who had been spending all day with their master.

Seeing Li Hao's youthful appearance, they were astonished—was this their master's new junior disciple? "His name is General Hao Tian, an old friend of mine."

Feng Bo Ping smiled and told his two disciples.

Upon hearing this, Lin Lin Baichuan and Chu Chu Hanwei froze, staring at Li Hao in disbelief, then hurriedly bowed: "Greetings, Elder."

They assumed Li Hao was a peer of Master Feng; though he appeared as a boy, to them, appearance could be altered at will—a mere flick of the Dao could transform one into a beast.

"Ah, this…"

Li Hao could tell these two had cultivated for roughly sixty years; even combining his past and present lives, he was roughly their age.

Feng Bo Ping, watching nearby, chuckled: "Your manners are fine, but General Hao Tian is just like you—both competitors in the Supreme Prodigy Tournament. You'll need to learn well from him."

"Huh?"

Lin Lin Baichuan and Chu Chu Hanwei stared, then widened their eyes—did their master mean the man had cultivated less than a hundred years? Remembering their earlier bows, both blushed. Lin Lin Baichuan, clad in white robes, elegant and refined, asked hesitantly: "Master, is he perhaps a Saint reincarnated?"

"Seems not."

Feng Bo Ping shook his head.

He had asked Li Hao this over the past two days; those who reached such realms, if reincarnated Saints, would inevitably awaken some memories of their past lives.

Li Hao knew his past life, but also knew it was only a modest success—he dared not call himself a Saint.

Hearing this, the two exchanged glances, then fell silent again.

"Brother General Hao Tian is also entering the Supreme Prodigy Tournament? Then let's spar a bit?"

Lin Lin Baichuan challenged Li Hao—out of curiosity, and a touch of resentment; the way he had bowed earlier felt too humble—he feared the man would laugh at him for life.

Before he finished speaking, Feng Bo Ping gave him a sharp tap on the head: "Impudent! This is my old friend—how dare you call him brother? The one who excels is your master; you must address him as Elder!"

Lin Lin Baichuan rubbed his head, pouting, but deeply respected his master, and reluctantly said to Li Hao: "Then, Elder General Hao Tian, shall we spar?"

"Sparring with him? You're no match. Don't shatter your Dao heart—save your strength."

Feng Bo Ping shook his head.

Li Hao watched, smiling; Master Feng's interactions with his disciples seemed relaxed, with few rigid rules.

"So powerful?"

Beside him, Chu Chu Hanwei, clad in red robes, stared at Li Hao with curious eyes.

"It's just a spar—no need to exaggerate," Lin Lin Baichuan muttered under his breath.

Feng Feng Bo Ping didn't bother saying more, nor did he show them the projection stone of Li Hao's battle—it was unnecessary, since they weren't even on the same level. When Li Hao competes against the prodigies from the Upper Three Realms in the Supreme Heavenly Prodigy War, his true strength will naturally be revealed again.

After casually dismissing his two disciples, Feng Bo Ping said to Li Hao:

"It's been so long—have you lost your fishing skill?"

Li Hao's eyes lit up, laughing heartily: "I was just about to say the same thing."

Feng Bo Ping, intrigued, said: "Fine, then let's compete."

He rolled up his sleeves and led Li Hao to the wild mountains beyond the Theft Holy Land.

Finding a lake, the two sat idly, fishing side by side.

Such ease lifted Li Hao's spirits, easing the fatigue from his earlier battle in the Buddhist Holy Land.

For several days straight, Li Hao wandered mountains and waters with Feng Bo Ping, fishing in the wild, each winning and losing in turn, enjoying the leisure.

During the Hua Hua Youhui, Zhan Tan and Ye Zu sent Li Hao word.

Sensing the token's resonance, Li Hao sent his spiritual sense into the Hua Hua Youhui and, seeing their concern, reassured them of his safety, recalling how they had spoken up for him in the Buddhist Holy Land.

"The Buddhist Holy Land is now hunting you everywhere—be careful."

"Will you still enter the Supreme Prodigy Tournament? I fear the Buddhists will strike then."

Zhan Tan, Ye Zu, and the others were deeply concerned for Li Hao.

Li Hao and Zhan Tan had discussed painting for months; though not long, their heartfelt exchanges had made them kindred spirits in the Dao of Art.

He smiled at her: "Of course I'll enter. If I abandon my path out of fear, I let them win."

Hearing this, Zhan Tan only said: "Then be careful."

"By the way, where's Qingjiu? Why hasn't he spoken these past few days?"

Ye Zu changed the subject.

"Qingjiu."

Ye Zu, sensing drama, called out.

Qingjiu's shadow stirred, and he sighed: "What do you want?"

"When you meet Lin Qingfeng in the Supreme Prodigy Tournament, go easy on him," Ye Zu teased.

Qingjiu: "..."

His master had already shown him the projection stone.

Hearing Ye Zu's mockery, he grimaced, recalling his earlier words, and said bitterly:

"General Hao Tian is too monstrous. I heard he mastered the Sixth Ultimate Realm—my master is even curious about him. Many Saints want to find him, to learn how to cultivate the Sixth Ultimate Realm."

"Saints want to become his disciples?"

Qing Zu asked, astonished.

Qingjiu sighed: "This concerns that secret—you all know it. They won't become his disciples; General Hao Tian is only at the Dao Law Realm—he can't reverse heaven and earth. At most, they'll ask questions. Now that General Hao Tian has the Theft Saint's protection, the Saints won't use force—they'll likely trade."

"That's true. In the Lesser World, under the Theft Saint's domain, unless a Supreme Saint appears personally, General Hao Tian is safe."

Ye Zu nodded.

Qingjiu breathed a silent sigh of relief, subtly shifting the topic away from the Supreme Tournament, avoiding further teasing from these old men.

He had once been a top ten favorite, but now Lin Qingfeng, pretending to be weak, had suddenly revealed himself—and was even more terrifying than he was.

He'd been shaken lately, seeking a new way to break through.

Hearing Qingjiu's words, Li Hao felt a growing sense of danger.

The innocent man bears no guilt, yet possession invites blame; without Master Feng, if his identity were exposed, every Saint except the Void Saint would target him.

He couldn't rely on Master Feng's protection forever, nor burden him entirely with this pressure.

He must become a Saint as soon as possible—once his own Saint Dao is forged, those covetous gazes might finally recede.

Thinking this, Li Hao chatted a few more moments with them, then exited the Hua Hua Youhui and found Master Feng.

"You want calligraphy, paintings, and chess manuals?"

Master Feng, hearing Li Hao's request, was surprised—but also felt a familiar sense.

Back in the mortal realm, no matter how dire the crisis, this boy always treated it as nothing.

He had no intention of changing Li Hao's mind, and smiled: "I'll help you gather them. My Theft Sect disciples span the heavens—except for the Supreme Saint's undergarments, I can find you anything you desire."

Though somewhat exaggerated, his words fully revealed this confidence.

Like a swordsman's confidence in his blade.

Li Hao felt joy in his heart, then asked Feng Lao about wars and disasters in the Lesser World.

According to Feng Lao, the Lesser World was far from peaceful, with various divine dynasties constantly at war, for here the strong preyed on the weak.

Where there was war, there was slaughter and resentment—perfect for his Ultimate Path to absorb.

"War? A place of death?"

Feng Feng Bo Ping's eyes flickered as he heard Li Hao's question and said, "Are you trying to cultivate the Ultimate Path to sainthood?"

Li Hao was stunned—he hadn't expected Feng Lao to know of this path.

Seeing Li Hao's surprise, Feng Feng Bo Ping smiled, then his expression grew much more serious: "Your description is too obvious. Only say this in front of me—never say it to outsiders, or others will easily deduce it."

"The path to sainthood through the Ultimate Path isn't hidden in the Lands of the Saints; many Saints know of it. But the prerequisites are harsh—you must first bring your physical body to its ultimate form."

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Hao. Now that he knew Li Hao had survived, he had already guessed Li Hao might have already embarked on this irrevocable path.

Li Hao met Feng Lao's deep gaze and knew he had been seen through. He made no secret of it to Feng Lao:

"My body has reached the ultimate stage—I can cultivate this path."

(End of Chapter)