Chapter 518: Battlefield of the Heavens

"So it is as I thought..."

Upon hearing these words, Feng Feng Bo Ping's face did not reveal any joy; instead, he sighed softly and said, "Do not mention this matter in front of outsiders. This realm is special; it can condense divine blood, shedding the mortal to become divine. The descendants born to the God Race inherit a portion of their ancestors' physique, cultivating with extraordinary speed from a young age, all comparable to the Ninth-Grade Battle Body aptitude of the mortal world!"

A Ninth-Grade Battle Body is already the highest aptitude in the mortal world, enough to make one famous across an entire province.

Li Hao had not expected that Old Feng would also know the secrets of the God Race, so he asked with confusion:

"Since that is the case, isn't that a good thing?"

"It is certainly a good thing, but it is also a disaster."

Feng Feng Bo Ping shook his head: "The God Race cultivates with extraordinary speed, and they spread their branches too quickly. Their descendants can all cultivate the path of the Ultimate Dao to become Sages, and the Ultimate Dao requires slaughter and the deliverance of wandering souls. If the number of the God Race were to reach a certain scale, to the point where everyone was one, what would the world look like?"

Li Hao was slightly stunned; he hadn't thought about this in detail.

But hearing Old Feng's implication, his expression shifted slightly.

"In the Land of All Sages, the God Race was born in the beginning, and their descendants continued to prosper. But when their numbers grew, they contended with one another. To strive for the Ultimate Dao and become Sages, they did not hesitate to actively provoke disasters. At that time, wars broke out frequently, and the disasters extended to many small worlds, even worse than the Buddhist Sect of today..."

Feng Feng Bo Ping glanced at Li Hao and said, "Although that ancestor of the God Race had no such intention, they could not stop the descendants from being too numerous, and some stirred up trouble in secret. Later, the Supreme Sage took action, uniting all the Sages to suppress them, which finally quelled the matter. Otherwise, the Land of All Sages today would have long been a scene of devastation, with the flames of war in every realm."

Li Hao fell silent. Previously, when he learned from Ying Ying Xiaoxiao that the God Race had been slandered as the Demon Race, he had felt some indignation, but now it seemed that everything had a cause.

"Since the matter of the God Race, the Supreme Sage issued an order to forbid the cultivation of this final realm."

Feng Feng Bo Ping looked at Li Hao and said, "Fortunately, the power brought by the Tongli Final Realm is not that obvious, and coupled with the difficulty of cultivation, if one doesn't cultivate it, then so be it; many people don't care. It is just that some still practice it in secret. Regarding this, the Supreme Sage also turns a blind eye, as long as they do not propagate their bloodline on a large scale or open up a new race."

Li Hao had not expected that a final realm would become a taboo because of such a thing.

"You didn't know these things in the mortal world, so if you practiced it, you practiced it; it doesn't count as a major matter. As long as you don't make a scene, some things done in the dark are ignored by no one, but if you bring them to the table and slap certain people in the face, others will have no choice but to take action and rectify the situation."

Feng Feng Bo Ping instructed.

Li Hao nodded, "The Buddha Lord of the Buddhist Sect should also have secretly cultivated this final realm."

"That bald man has no desires, so if he cultivates this path, the Supreme Sage won't say anything. I imagine he wouldn't dare to display it openly either."

Feng Feng Bo Ping said.

Li Hao asked: "What about you, Old Feng? Have you cultivated it? This realm can sacrifice the Dao to become a Sage and can quickly lead to the Sage Realm. Can a single decree really ban it throughout the world?"

Feng Feng Bo Ping sighed: "Although it concerns power, it will eventually bring trouble upon oneself. Moreover, the final realm is not something one can cultivate just because one wants to. Do you think everyone is like you..."

Speaking of this, he looked at Li Hao speechlessly: "Cultivation is not a crime, but those who hold power say it is a crime, then it is a crime. Just like the decrees and laws within the Imperial Court, the methods to get rich quickly are all written in the laws. Even knowing one can make money quickly, how many people dare to touch them?"

Hearing him say this, Li Hao immediately understood.

This power of the Supreme Sage is no less than that of an Emperor among the Sages.

The Buddha Lord dares to touch it because he himself is a Sage and is extremely discreet.

It is just like the gray industries of noble ministers, such as usury, gambling dens, and the like; these are all taboos. If an ordinary person without a background touches them, it is a capital crime from which there is no escape, but for those in power, it is a substantial amount of extra income.

Touching taboos relies not on courage, but on background.

"The Ultimate Dao to become a Sage and the Incense to become a Sage have no difference in power; it is only a difference of speed."

Feng Feng Bo Ping looked at Li Hao and said, "The Buddhist Sect and the Void Sage regard you as a thorn in their side; they will certainly not watch you become a Sage peacefully and will cut off your incense. But in this Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle, if you can take first place and become a Sage on the spot, that is the incense gathered in advance, directly bestowed upon you. Even if they want to cut it off, they won't be able to."

Li Hao secretly thought that Old Feng was indeed as wise as a god. These past few days, he had already seen that his incense was waning. The portion from the mortal world was safe and sound, but the incense in the Canglan Realm was constantly decreasing.

He imagined that the Buddhist Sect must have sent people to the Emperor Canghai Imperial Court afterward to ruin his reputation and damage his incense.

"Even if you don't win first place, it doesn't matter. I have the incense offerings of the Ten Great Imperial Courts, but the incense was previously absorbed by me. Now, I will set up an array to reverse the incense and send it to you. Starting from today, accumulating it, it will only take about thirty years to allow you to become a Sage!"

Feng Feng Bo Ping said: "They don't dare to come to this Small Thousand World either. This is my Dao field. A Sage in their own Dao field domain is almost invincible."

Li Hao heard him speak calmly, but in his heart, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

Old Feng is still that same Old Feng, with kindness as heavy as a mountain toward him.

The Buddha fights for a stick of incense; even Sages cherish incense extremely dearly, after all, incense is power. But Old Feng is willing to give him all the incense sources for thirty years. Such kindness, I fear, is no more than this even for his own direct disciples.

"I accept Old Feng's good intentions, but I still want to try the path of the Ultimate Dao. If I can cultivate both, that would be even better."

Li Hao said. He wanted to contend for first place in the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle, and he also wanted to walk this path of the Ultimate Dao.

As for Old Feng's incense, he was actually unwilling to accept it.

The more affection one has for him, the less he is willing to let the other party suffer a loss.

Feng Feng Bo Ping had not expected Li Hao to have such thoughts. He was stunned for a moment before saying in a low voice: "Your heart is wild, actually daring to attempt dual cultivation to become a Sage. I have heard that this kind of thing is extremely difficult. Some have tried it, including that ancestor of the God Race, but they all failed. The two paths are not compatible. I fear your move is a futile effort."

"Cannot be compatible?"

Li Hao was slightly stunned. He was currently absorbing the power of the Ultimate Dao and incense, and this situation had not occurred.

But since Old Feng said so, he naturally wouldn't deceive him, and it was mostly because of this reason that the Supreme Sage's decree was obeyed. After all, if one could only choose one between incense and the Ultimate Dao, the Ultimate Dao, although fast, was easy to provoke public anger and was not as secure as incense.

After falling silent for a moment, Li Hao said in a low voice: "I want to try."

Besides the Ultimate Dao, he also wanted to sacrifice the Dao in a three-in-one, a path that might concern the Ultimate Realm of a Sage, and Li Hao was unwilling to miss it.

Since it is cultivation, then cultivate until the Great Dao reaches the heavens.

Feng Feng Bo Ping saw that Li Hao's heart would not die; he knew he was still young, and being young meant being high-spirited, and being high-spirited meant not believing in evil.

He did not stop him either. Toward Li Hao, he had always treated him as an old friend, treating him as an equal rather than an elder who would put on the posture of someone who had been there before to point out and teach.

"Since that is the case, I do know that the Battlefield of the Heavens will open recently. You can go there at that time to absorb the power of the Ultimate Dao and become a Sage in the way of the Ultimate Dao. Perhaps before the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle arrives, you will have transcended and become a Sage. At that time, taking first place will be nothing more than going to collect the prize."

Feng Feng Bo Ping changed the subject, returning to his previous relaxed smile.

"Battlefield of the Heavens?"

"Yes, in the worlds of the heavens, Sages stand tall, and friction is inevitable between them, including between those Imperial Courts, which will also harbor enmity toward each other. It is inconvenient for Sages to come forward, as it damages their dignity and incense, and furthermore, if Sages take action, it is easy to cause devastation, even slaughtering half a realm. Therefore, they let those below them contend."

"Contention leads to slaughter and bloodshed. The Battlefield of the Heavens is a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, most suitable for Ultimate Dao cultivation," Feng Feng Bo Ping said.

Li Hao heard this, and his eyes lit up slightly.

This was indeed a rare treasure land for the Ultimate Dao.

"Once you become a Sage, I will also be at ease. Now that your identity is exposed, the Sixth Ultimate Realm, it is inevitable that other Sages will spy on you. After all, it concerns the secrets of Immortals and Gods, as well as taboos such as the origin of the Land of All Sages. Although I can protect you in the Small Thousand World, it is too dangerous once you leave this place. If you can become a Sage, it will dispel the evil thoughts of many people, at least allowing for equal communication."

Feng Feng Bo Ping said.

Li Hao's expression turned solemn. He knew that without becoming a Sage, he had no qualifications to sit at the table.

The Dao Law Realm and even the Half-Sage are too far behind the strength of a Sage.

This is a gap that even one or two Ultimate Realms can hardly make up for.

After finishing the conversation with Old Feng about the Ultimate Dao, Li Hao felt a sense of urgency. In this Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle, the enemies he had to face were not the Heaven's Prides of the various realms, but rather the Buddhist Sage and the Void Sage.

Before this, he had to accumulate enough power.

Under this urgency, Li Hao took out his drawing board, intending to paint for Old Feng.

Old Feng saw Li Hao's solemn appearance and couldn't help but laugh out loud. He was indeed the same temperament who wouldn't be nervous even if the sky fell.

Only with such a temperament could he cultivate with such extraordinary speed... Old Feng laughed in his heart, not stopping him, nor feeling that Li Hao's move was inappropriate. Now that Li Hao's strength had already been proven by results, he had his own path and cultivation methods, and didn't need outsiders to get in the way.

Effort is useful to others, but for a top-tier monster, they have their own cultivation methods.

Not long after, Li Hao finished painting for Old Feng, gaining about 400,000 experience points.

This pushed his painting Dao experience bar forward by another notch.

Li Hao painted one after another. After dozens of paintings, Li Hao also gained a total of over 2 million experience points from Old Feng.

In one fell swoop, it filled half the experience bar.

Old Feng saw Li Hao's spirited appearance and didn't stop him either. Although the kind of prying during painting felt like something was being drawn out of him, he didn't care.

As long as the little guy is happy.

When the painting ended, there was also news regarding the matter Li Hao had entrusted to Old Feng.

He received many famous paintings and chess manuals one after another. Li Hao was not polite, viewing them one by one like appraising treasures, and recording the truly famous works that could be collected into his panel.

His panel added four or five new illustrated attributes, including illusion attacks, transformation attacks, and another attribute, the effect of which was extremely powerful: it could convert physical strength into physical hardness!

To Li Hao, this attribute was simply an eye-opener.

He knew that some cultivation methods could also achieve this, but the effect was relatively ordinary.

Taking ten percent of physical strength, one could only convert two or three percent of physical hardness, which was not worth the loss.

Moreover, in combat, the effect of physical hardness was minimal; a single divine weapon could pierce through it.

But Li Hao was different.

His physical body was refined to the extreme, having reached the final realm, and his physical strength was comparable to a top-tier Sage Heart treasure.

If this attribute is combined with the Immortal Transformation technique to draw upon the power of heaven and earth, the physical body will be elevated to an incredible degree; even an Emperor-grade weapon of Dao Tribulation might not be able to harm him.

And Li Hao learned from Old Feng that even for the Sages, Dao Tribulation Imperial Weapons were extremely rare. These were not divine weapons created by humans, but were nurtured by heaven and earth, born through tribulations, carrying the Dao rhyme of heaven and earth, and were the essence items condensed over hundreds of millions of years in heaven and earth.

The Gongming Sword in his hand was a fragment of a Dao Tribulation Imperial Weapon; although it had lost its Dao rhyme, it was hard enough.

The attribute obtained now was of such importance that it was not inferior to the lethal attribute.

Li Hao was pleasantly surprised, feeling as if he had picked up a piece of power. But he knew that this was obtained only because Old Feng had sent people to search everywhere for him. If he had gone to search for it himself, he would surely have missed it, or it would have taken a very long time. This wasted time, for other martial artists, could also have been used to cultivate something if spent on cultivation.

Besides famous paintings and chess manuals, Old Feng also found a woman for Li Hao.

"This is Princess Hongyue of the Yunxiang Imperial Court. I heard she has been a talented woman since childhood, proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and especially skilled in chess."

Feng Feng Bo Ping led a woman in a red dress with a beautiful appearance into Li Hao's courtyard.

Li Hao heard this, and his eyes lit up slightly.

Hongyue looked at the young man in front of her, whose eyes were shining as he stared at her, and she immediately felt some displeasure in her heart, but she didn't show it.

She knew her identity; although she was a talented woman famous far and near in the Imperial Capital of the Imperial Court, sought after by many Imperial Princes and young masters, this was the Holy Land, the one who brought her was a Sage, and the one in front of her was most likely a Holy Son! Her identity was not worth mentioning in front of a Holy Son.

It was just that what disappointed her was that she hadn't expected this Holy Son to be inferior to those Imperial Princes and young masters she had seen. At least they would hide their dirty thoughts, while the young man in front of her had no cover at all.

"Hongyue greets the Holy Son."

Although she was slandering and disappointed in her heart, Hongyue revealed a clever and obedient appearance on the surface.

"I am not a Holy Son, just call me Young Master."

Li Hao said.

Hongyue was startled, surprise appearing in her eyes. She quickly called out Young Master, and then looked at the old man beside her.

Feng Feng Bo Ping smiled at Li Hao: "I will leave this person to you; use her however you like."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Li Hao sighed in his heart; Old Feng was too thoughtful and considerate toward him.

After Old Feng left, he called out to the woman in front of him: "Come over."

Hongyue: "..."

But her footsteps still obediently walked over.

Although she was a maiden, she had been sent by the Emperor of the Imperial Court himself to the Sage, so how could she dare to resist?

These were existences that could make her vanish into thin air with a flick of their fingers. She could only serve carefully, but there was sorrow and resentment in her heart.

"Prepare yourself, let's begin."

Li Hao said.

A flash of shame and anger crossed Hongyue's face, but she quickly covered it up, lowering her head and saying: "I am a maiden, I hope the Young Master will be gentle..."

As she spoke, she untied her clothes.

"Why are you untying your clothes?"

Li Hao was startled, and immediately realized she had misunderstood, saying: "The chessboard is over there. Forget it, I'll get it."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and beckoned, and the chessboard and chess box flew in front of him.

He looked at the other party and said: "Let me see what your skills are like."

Hongyue: "?"

What was going on? She looked at the young man in front of her in astonishment, and seeing that he was picking up a piece with a calm expression, she immediately knew that he wasn't intentionally playing with her.

It was just that, having traveled thousands of miles to find her, it was actually to play chess with her? Hongyue was a bit dazed, standing blankly for a long time before tentatively asking: "Does the Young Master like playing chess?"

"Yes."

Li Hao nodded, too lazy to retort. If not to play chess, why find you? Hongyue heard this and immediately knew she had misunderstood earlier, and couldn't help but feel relieved in her heart.

"Then Hongyue will accompany the Young Master in a game."

Hong Master Yue immediately whispered softly, her cheeks turning slightly red as she thought of her own actions of just undressing.

"You must be serious. If you can win against me, I will bestow upon you many spirit pills and divine medicines. If you lose, there will be a penalty." Li Hao said seriously.

These words were also to avoid the other party worrying about his identity and going easy on him.

Although with his current chess Dao, he rarely had opponents in the world, after all, there were not many who were proficient in chess Dao.

Hongyue felt a slight shock in her heart, saying she didn't dare, and her eyes also became solemn, but she secretly laughed in her heart. This Young Master, although she didn't know what his identity was, must be a martial artist. If it were anything else, she would have to accept her fate, but when it came to playing chess?

Her eyes revealed a light of wisdom and confidence. She divided the black and white pieces with Li Hao and began to take it seriously.

After a long while, the game between the two ended.

Li Hao was a bit surprised; the other party's chess strength was extremely strong, actually on par with him, and even slightly stronger.

In this first game, he actually lost by half a piece.

Since reaching the Seventh Stage of Chess Dao, Li Hao hadn't experienced the feeling of losing for a long time.

Compared to Li Hao, Hongyue was even more shocked in her heart.

She had been proficient in chess since childhood and was well-versed in chess Dao. Even the great scholars who were teachers to those Imperial Princes had been defeated easily by her. As a result, this young man in front of her had actually made her sweat on her forehead while playing.

"The Young Master has good chess skills."

Hongyue withdrew her hand and couldn't help but praise sincerely.

Being at the top of chess Dao, it was hard to find an opponent, and it was inevitable to feel lonely. With this game against Li Hao, she also experienced a long-lost joy.

"You are not bad either, very powerful. No wonder you could be brought by Old Feng."

Li Hao was equally generous with his praise. Old Feng finding this extraordinary woman was likely chosen from many Imperial Courts in the Small Thousand World. In the entire Small Thousand World, she could be considered one of the top existences in chess Dao.

Seeing the long-lost significant increase in chess Dao experience, Li Hao revealed a satisfied smile. He casually opened the heaven and earth space, took out some of the pills that Lin Lin Shanhai had given him earlier and which he had been forced to accept, and rewarded some to the woman in front of him.

"Looking at your aura, you are also half a martial artist. These pills can shape bones and condense the spirit, and have quite good effects for you."

Li Hao said.

Hongyue took the pills and scanned the names on the gourds, feeling astonished. They were all rare divine pills she had only heard of, which even those favored by the Imperial Clan would be jealous of and fight over.

"This..."

Hongyue was a bit dazed, realizing for the first time that by playing chess, she could actually obtain such valuable things.

Li Hao smiled and said: "Accept them, let's continue."

Hongyue came back to her senses, looked at the young man in front of her, and her eyes changed slightly. She quickly put away the pills and revealed a flower-like smile:

"Thank you, Young Master."

In the small courtyard, the game continued.

Chess Dao requires mental effort. When Hongyue was tired, Li Hao would paint himself or find Old Feng to go fishing. Life was incomparably fulfilling.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed, and there were still five and a half months until the Supreme Heaven's Pride Battle.

On this day, Old Feng found Li Hao and said that the Battlefield of the Heavens had opened and he could send Li Hao in.

That was a special zone with heaven and earth laws restricting it, and Sages could not enter, so that kind of place was chosen as the Battlefield of the Heavens to prevent Sages from secretly interfering and influencing it.

Besides Li Hao, Feng Feng Bo Ping's two disciples, Lin Lin Baichuan and Chu Chu Hanwei, would also enter this Battlefield of the Heavens to gain experience inside.

Fighting or retreating in the Holy Land could improve techniques and Dao realms, but in the Battlefield of the Heavens, it was a place to temper actual combat.

Besides Feng Feng Bo Ping's two disciples, there were four Holy Sons and Holy Daughters from the Stealing Heaven Holy Land participating, totaling seven people including Li Hao.

Li Hao asked Old Feng if he could also bring Hongyue in.

He was going to the Battlefield of the Heavens not to fight, but just to absorb the power of the Ultimate Dao. Even if he played chess on the side, he could absorb it on the side, killing two birds with one stone.

"It is dangerous there, and she only has the cultivation of the Fifteen-Li Realm. If no one protects her, I fear..." Feng Feng Bo Ping said.

Li Hao had asked him about the detailed situation of the Battlefield of the Heavens, and he just smiled at this, saying: "When we get there, we will find a place to rest. With me protecting her, it will be fine."

Feng Feng Bo Ping heard this and thought for a moment. With Li Hao's strength, there were indeed few existences in the Battlefield of the Heavens that could pose a threat to him, unless they were those old Holy Sons who had cultivated for thousands of years and had yet to step into the Sage Realm, who would pose a threat to Li Hao.

"Fine, then let her go with you."

Feng Feng Bo Ping didn't say anything more. Even if something happened to Hongyue, he wouldn't care.

Lin Lin Baichuan and Chu Chu Hanwei and others couldn't help but look at Li Hao, their expressions complex. Other Holy Sons and Holy Daughters had also heard that a monster had come to the Holy Land today, and was brought back by the Stealing Sage himself, but Li Hao lived in seclusion, and no one knew Li Hao's identity.

At this moment, seeing Li Hao being so favored, they were all a bit surprised and couldn't help but look at Lin Lin Baichuan, these two direct disciples.

I fear that even these two were not so favored by the Stealing Sage.

Feng Feng Bo Ping raised his hand and rolled them up, taking everyone into his sleeve, and then arrived in the high sky of the Small Thousand World, where there was actually a dark black fluctuation trace.

Releasing Li Hao and the others from his sleeve, Feng Feng Bo Ping suddenly felt something and looked toward a place, seeing the void suddenly ripple there, and a figure stepped out, with a slender posture, fairy-like appearance, ribbons and Great Dao surrounding her, possessing an extraordinary and refined temperament.

The other party saw Feng Feng Bo Ping, her eyebrows raised slightly, but a light smile curled at the corners of her lips: "Sending them to the Battlefield of the Heavens to train as well?"

"Aren't you doing the same?"

Feng Feng Bo Ping saw the other party and said indifferently.

Li Hao received a sound transmission from Old Feng in his mind: "This is the Sage of the Lying Heaven Holy Land, the Lying Heaven Sage."

(End of chapter)