Chapter 526: The First of All Realms, Accumulating the Painting Dao

Around Li Hao, a barrier enveloped him; the Dao's resonance vibrated through his spiritual sense, the revealed Dao rhythm swirling like clouds and rosy mist, making his peerless figure seem even more otherworldly amid the hazy dust, drawing all gazes.

While Li Hao sat with closed eyes in deep contemplation, outside, whispers spread everywhere—everyone stared in awe at the blood-red characters atop the Heavenly Stele, then repeatedly glanced at the boy.

The ancient legend had now manifested in reality: the seventh color had appeared on the Heavenly Stele.

"I've heard that in the distant past, blood radiance once appeared, but the Stele's names only lasted a thousand years and have long vanished."

"My master once said such deeds occurred in ancient times."

"After countless eons, it has truly reappeared again—is this not absurd?"

"The First of All Realms? Could it be that he will be the top in this Heavenly Prodigy War?"

Prodigies from all realms whispered among themselves, their expressions filled with shock and gravity.

"No wonder my master values him so highly…"

Lin Lin Baichuan and Chu Chu Hanwei now fully realized the magnitude of Li Hao's abilities—this Stele directly revealed one's inner secrets, and Li Hao had ignited blood radiance, a feat unmatched in history; in the Dao Law realm, he had likely reached the pinnacle.

Quickly, the commotion here quietly spread through secret channels to the outer edges of the Heavenly Battlefield.

In sacred sites across the realms, this shocking news arrived—and upon learning of it, many sacred sites were shaken.

"Highest Name? The legendary blood radiance—Hao Tian? Who is this? I've never heard of him."

"Hao Tian? Could he be the Hao Tian from Canglan Realm?"

"Just now, the Yujue Tower's intelligence reported that this man mastered eight Ultimate Realms—from Tongli to Sili, all perfected to the extreme. In Canglan Realm, he revealed an Eternal Dao Domain with 360 overlapping Dao Domains!"

"Such a prodigy—no wonder he topped the Heavenly Stele. Who could have imagined he'd ignite blood light? This hasn't happened in ten thousand years."

After investigation, many sacred sites learned of Hao Tian's deeds.

From his arrival from the mortal realm ten years ago, his assassination by a False Saint, his disappearance, to his sudden rise in Canglan—defeating the Buddha Disciple, subduing prodigies—everyone suddenly realized that, without notice, a dazzling new star had emerged among the Sacred Lands, rising swiftly!

Topping the Heavenly Stele, leaving the Highest Name—this astonishing feat instantly made the name "Hao Tian" etched into the eyes of many Sacred Land's Sages.

Upper Three Realms, Li Tianyuan Realm.

Within the Fa Family's Sacred Site.

"Blood characters on the Stele? He actually suppressed Brother Wu Tian!"

"Brother Wu Tian's golden light flashed twice, the first in a thousand years—he was expected to win this Supreme War, yet this man has blood characters!"

Within the sacred site, the news spread, and many whispered among themselves.

On a towering peak of strict regulations, this majestic peak stood at the edge of the Fa Family's Fa Tian Sacred Peak, one of the Seven Peaks, reserved only for Sages.

At its summit stood several statues, each carved in the likeness of a young, handsome youth.

The youth in the statues sat cross-legged on an open-air Dao terrace, cultivating.

Outside the terrace lay numerous meditation cushions—this was a Sage's Dao hall.

To sit majestically upon the main seat of a Sage's Dao hall—this youth's identity was extraordinary; even a Sage's direct disciple could not occupy it. His identity went beyond that—he was the reincarnation of the peak's original master.

A sparrow flew lightly in, landing outside the Dao hall, then transformed into a woman in feathered robes, kneeling and whispering.

The youth opened his eyes—within them, silver light flared, as if countless sutras spun in motion.

"Blood characters…"

Wu Tian's eyes flickered slightly; he gazed upward, where in the battlefield above, a prodigy's name now echoed across all realms.

He gazed silently for a moment, then smiled faintly: "The Heavenly Stele can probe one's physical form and Dao rhythm, but cannot measure techniques or realm depths. With eight Ultimate Realms, it's no surprise…"

Physical form and Dao rhythm were cultivation realms. To achieve eight Ultimate Realms within a mere thousand years, to ignite blood characters—it seemed understandable.

"Yet, to comprehend the Sixth Ultimate Realm… it seems the ancient hall will soon be revealed. The secrets of the Sacred Lands will be unveiled…"

Light flickered in his eyes; distant past-life memories surfaced, then quickly receded. After a brief pause, he rose to his feet, deciding he must see it with his own eyes.

Though he had awakened many past-life memories, his current incarnation still dominated his mind—not his Sage heart—so he could not help but be drawn by mortal curiosity, joining the spectacle.

In another sacred site, the Seeing Yuanzu Sacred Site.

Within a certain cave heaven.

Two figures sat cross-legged before a stone wall. One was an old man with white beard and hair, ethereal and transcendent, eyes gently lowered, as if asleep.

The other, seated on the steps below, was a youth of about twenty, brimming with vitality, yet his expression carried a calmness far beyond his years—he gazed intently at the mural, deeply contemplating cultivation.

Suddenly, the white-haired elder opened his eyes—within them, stars and moons flickered, deep and serene.

"Blood characters again… which elder's reincarnation has come to join the spectacle?"

The white-haired elder murmured to himself.

His eyes flickered, stirring a long-buried memory—a dazzling figure, wreathed in thunder, making even his peers' prodigies bow their heads.

But that figure had vanished for years—could it be him, reincarnated?

His eyes flickered slightly; he glanced at the youth lost in mural contemplation, smiled, and said nothing.

Yet the youth seemed to sense something—he turned his gaze to his master and whispered: "Master, your aura just fluctuated. Has something major happened?"

For his master's aura to stir even slightly meant something monumental.

The white-haired elder smiled—his aura's disturbance was not due to this Stele-named prodigy, but because he recalled a scene from ten thousand years ago.

"No concern. Though you haven't left your name on the Stele, you will surely manifest golden light thrice. Continue contemplating the Immortal Wall. This Heavenly Prodigy War may present the opponent you've been awaiting."

The white-haired elder smiled.

The youth paused, his eyes brightening—he knew his master had learned of some prodigy's identity.

Yet he asked no further questions—he would meet them in due time.

He did not cultivate because of others' stimulation. His goal lay beyond his peers—he sought to become a Sage, and then a Supreme Sage, to debate and contend with the Sages of the future!

Meanwhile, in many sacred sites, figures emerged from seclusion.

Some Sacred Heirs had not entered the Heavenly Battlefield, cared nothing for the Stele's names, and refused to reveal their fame early—some out of humility, others out of arrogance, disdainful of following the crowd. Yet now, hearing the Heavenly Stele tremble, hearing the unprecedented blood characters appear, hearing one named at the Highest Level—

Many Sacred Heirs felt the urge to compete, eager to see who dared be so arrogant.

As figures poured into the Heavenly Battlefield, the once-peaceful battlefield instantly grew lively.

Within the Sword Ancestor Sacred Site.

The Master Jian Sheng, upon hearing the news, turned his gaze to the girl seated in meditation in the courtyard.

The girl's expression was cold, devoid of emotion, her focus absolute; around her, flowers bloomed and withered, subtly containing the power of time.

This faint power within the phenomenon made the Master Jian Sheng's eyes narrow slightly—he grew even more satisfied with his disciple.

If she reached the peak in this life, upon reincarnation, she would compensate for the missing Heavenly Law Form Ultimate Realm and surely ascend to the summit—becoming the third Sage of the Sword Ancestor Sacred Site.

Yet… recalling the news he'd just received, the Master Jian Sheng sighed inwardly, then thought: even if she walks a different path from that boy, his disciple's future need not be inferior—she merely hasn't caught up yet. In her next life, she will stand equal to him!

With this thought, his mood lightened; he smiled faintly, closed his eyes, and did not disturb her.

Within the Buddhist Sacred Site.

In a dark Buddhist hall, the Twin Buddha Disciples were in seclusion, surrounded by two alternating forces.

He had originally sought the path of fusion, aiming to step directly into Supreme Sagehood—but now, inner demons had arisen. Without dispelling this calamity, fusion was impossible; he could only abandon his foundation, forsaking perfection.

Yet this loss only strengthened his power, returning him to his past-life path. Now, his Saintly foundation was nearly complete—he would soon enter Half-Saint realm. Once he consumed the accumulated incense offerings, he could become a Saint at any moment!

But if he became a Saint before the Supreme Prodigy War, he would lose his eligibility to compete.

Thus, he had no intention of becoming a Saint before then. He would first reach the absolute limit below Sainthood, slay that prodigy, then reincarnate anew. Though this life was destroyed, his heart burned with hatred—but if he could kill that man, extinguish his inner demon, his next life would be far easier, even eliminating the need for a Three Huashen to endure mortal tribulations.

Outside the hall, the Buddha Sovereign sensed the Twin Buddha Disciple's cultivation and sighed inwardly—another lifetime awaits. What changes will it bring?

Recalling the news he'd just received, a cold glint flashed in his compassionate eyes, then vanished. He had once sacrificed his body to feed an eagle, for the eagle aided his Buddhahood—he had shed his mortal form then. Now, as a Buddha Sovereign, clad in his robe, he had no desire to sacrifice himself again.

The Buddhist Canon has three thousand scrolls—each scroll cultivates the self.

Since cultivation is of the self, if the self is harmed, it must be suppressed by Dharma—and eradicated.

With these thoughts, he vanished from outside the hall, then a Three Huashen manifested, racing forth, crossing Canglan Realm, heading toward Yunxia Realm.

…

Within the Heavenly Battlefield.

As time passed, more and more figures gathered around the Heavenly Stele.

Many arrived upon hearing the news, eager to verify its truth. When they saw the two crimson characters upon the Stele, they were stunned.

To witness it firsthand was far more shocking than any rumor.

Those two characters dominated the heavens, making all prodigies across the Thirty-Three Realms appear dim beneath their crimson glow.

"Hao Tian? Those who don't know might think the Stele's original name was Hao Tian Stele!"

"This name stands prominently in the center—within the next thousand years, no one will fail to know it!"

"Who is this man? What is his origin? Why have I never heard of him before?"

Many inquired, whispered, debated.

Though Li Hao's fame had risen after the Canglan battle, most remained unaware. Now, with his name inscribed atop the Heavenly List, the first in a thousand ages, his name exploded into prominence—countless beings learned of him, as if lightning had suddenly split the sky and entered their vision.

Amid the clamor of murmurs, Li Hao sat cross-legged on the open ground outside the Stele.

Countless probing gazes were barred by the barrier.

Li Hao used the spiritual radiance stirred by the Great Dao Thunder Bell to contemplate the Culinary Dao and the Painting Dao.

Both arts had reached Stage Nine, but his experience was incomplete. Yet if he could grasp the inner state ahead of time, once experience was fully accumulated, mastery would come naturally, one step forward.

But the Painting Dao proved harder than he imagined. Though many spiritual insights surged, only a few fragments of understanding emerged.

Li Hao shifted his spirit, and as the spiritual radiance neared fading, he turned to contemplate the Chess Dao.

He had already reached Stage Seven in Chess Dao after dueling Red Moon. Now, under the spiritual pull, countless thoughts erupted—he suddenly felt a profound clarity. His Chess Dao experience shattered its bottleneck, rising to Stage Eight.

With the rise of Chess Dao to Stage Eight, his inner state improved, and his Art Point increased by +1.

Li Hao rejoiced inwardly—using this Chess Dao inner state, he could elevate his Dao Control to Stage Eight.

Now, his Culinary Dao and Painting Dao were both at Stage Nine, matching his Sword Dao and Physical Dao at Stage Nine.

All other arts remained below Stage Six—the only exception was Chess Dao at Stage Seven. Li Hao planned to channel all of its inner state into Dao Control.

When reaching the ninth stage of Divine Path, the Dao naturally reveals itself; with a ninth-stage body paired with ninth-stage Divine Path, he may yet attain the limit of the Wen Dao Realm!

The Eternal Dao Domain was already terrifying enough; Li Hao couldn't help but feel a touch of anticipation for the ultimate limit of the Wen Dao Realm.

"This little bell… still seems capable of striking…" Li Hao examined the crimson bell in his mind, his eyes flickering. He had come casually and left his name casually, never expecting such a windfall.

Others probably don't even know about this.

As his Divine Path reached the eighth stage, a flood of scattered information surged in, and Li Hao sank once more into contemplation and assimilation.

Long after he had fully absorbed it all, his Divine Path power rising another level, he opened his eyes to find countless gazes fixed upon him—the number of people here had more than quadrupled since before, crammed like a marketplace.

Besides the holy disciples of various sacred sects, many other lesser prodigies also seemed to have arrived here.

Li Hao glanced roughly—there were thousands. Even if every holy sect across the thirty-three realms pooled their disciples, they couldn't muster this many holy scions.

Seeing the many eyes turned toward him, Li Hao instantly understood.

He looked up. He hadn't properly observed before, but now he saw before the Heavenly Stele, numerous prodigies, stirred by competitive spirit, were consecutively inscribing their names.

On the Heavenly Stele, blue and green lights flickered intermittently.

Whenever green light appeared, it drew murmurs of derision from the crowd.

Green light signified a powerful cultivator within the Dao Realm—though inferior to holy scions and other prodigies, they were still elite geniuses of immense authority within the Divine Dynasty, yet here, they were barely respectable.

Li Hao smiled faintly. Seeing so many figures gathered, he felt no annoyance; instead, his eyes glowed slightly.

Li Hao dismissed his barrier, revealing Hong Master Yue standing nervously outside, with Lin Lin Qingying beside her, subtly shielding her from many of the stares.

This was the perilous battlefield of the myriad realms; she had barely reached the Heavenly Human Realm, and here, she was like a lamb, afraid to stray even a step from Li Hao's side.

During Li Hao's seclusion, she felt time stretch endlessly, like torture. The glances that swept over her instantly probed her cultivation base. Though no one paid attention, the casual stares of these holy scions and prodigies pressed upon her like mountains, making her heart race and flesh tremble.

"So many people."

Xi Yan also noticed the throngs around her and exclaimed in awe, always looking like someone who'd never seen the world.

Li Hao laughed, took out brush, ink, and a scroll from the space between heaven and earth, and said to Hong Master Yue: "You've been put to inconvenience—help me grind the ink."

Seeing Li Hao finish his cultivation, Hong Master Yue exhaled deeply, feeling as if a great burden had been lifted.

The glances that had previously brushed over her body no longer felt oppressive. Standing beside Li Hao, it seemed as if the boy before her shielded her from everything—she felt a safety she had never known.

A smile spread across her face. She nodded and stepped forward, using her slender hands to grind the ink.

"Let me help you lay out the scroll."

Xi Yan said eagerly, her waist shifting out from Li Hao's wrist.

Hong Master Yue, seeing Li Hao's blank scroll, asked curiously: "Master can paint?"

"A little."

Once the ink was ground, Li Hao began painting.

So many prodigies had rushed here—perfect for grinding his experience.

Lin Lin Qingying had seen Li Hao's paintings before, yet now she quietly drew nearer, watching intently.

A towering stele outline appeared—Lin Lin Qingying instantly realized Li Hao was painting the Heavenly Stele.

As brush and ink traced its form, the stele slowly emerged on the scroll. When the stele was complete, a rich experience prompt suddenly flashed before Li Hao's eyes.

Li Hao counted—210,000! Equivalent to half the experience of a Three Calamities Saint!

Li Hao was astonished. This stele granted such abundant experience? He had painted landscapes and even perilous wonders before, but those had yielded only meager experience—barely matching that of a Three Imperishables Realm cultivator.

This stele was no ordinary thing… Li Hao thought of the crimson Dao-sound bell in his mind, his eyes flickering, then refocused and began painting the scenery surrounding the stele.

Thunder flashed, Dao rhythm surfaced, and countless prodigies surrounded it.

As each prodigy's figure emerged, experience prompts kept appearing before Li Hao's eyes.

Some offered only seven or eight thousand; others, twenty or thirty thousand.

Li Hao painted with full concentration, brush and ink flowing freely, the scroll lengthening continuously like a thousand-li landscape painting, capturing countless figures with distinct postures, expressions, and demeanors.

Hong Master Yue stood beside him, her beautiful eyes widening, her face filled with unmistakable astonishment.

She had thought Li Hao's "a little" meant a shallow hobby, but in painting, he surpassed even his chess mastery!

She was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—though chess was her strongest, her painting was still refined. Yet now she could not deny: Li Hao's work was master-level, each stroke a masterpiece destined for eternity.

"This painting… unparalleled in the myriad realms!"

Hong Master Yue whispered to herself.

The "Portrait of Heroes Before the Heavenly Stele" captured not only the stele's grandeur and Dao rhythm, but also the lifelike expressions and subtle aura of every prodigy in the myriad realms. Just this single image conveyed the peak splendor of the moment.

"What is that man doing?"

"He seems to be painting—with a maid grinding ink. Is he treating this place like a leisurely stroll, even bringing his personal attendant?"

"Painting? Are you joking?"

The crowd stared in astonishment, whispering, convinced he was putting on a show.

Hong Master Yue heard these remarks and felt anger, yet she sighed inwardly: these prodigies, devoted to cultivation, looked down on music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—but their cultivation still fell far short of Master's. The gap was truly immense.

Li Hao poured his entire being into the painting. Capturing so many prodigies in one composition was a severe test of his technique.

Beyond detail, the entire painting demanded cohesion—even the prodigies offering only seven or eight thousand experience were rendered with care, woven seamlessly into the whole.

When the painting was finished, Li Hao felt a deep ache throughout his body, but after stretching slightly, he felt refreshed again.

He checked his experience: this single painting granted him a staggering 1.5 million experience! The stele contributed 210,000; the rest came entirely from these prodigies.

Among them, prodigies like Chi Guang and Lin Lin Shuhai, who each offered over 30,000 experience, numbered fourteen.

Qing Jiu alone granted Li Hao over 40,000 experience.

Besides Qing Jiu, two others had nearly 50,000 experience each!

Such abundant experience rivaled that of a half-Saint—and even surpassed some! Li Hao was astonished, yet couldn't help but marvel: the myriad realms truly never lacked geniuses.

He paid little attention to them; his focus lay elsewhere. In this Supreme Prodigy War, the Buddha Sovereign and the Void Saint would surely strike—he couldn't expect them to watch passively as he became a Saint. Besides relying on Elder Feng, he needed to accumulate more power himself.

After all, Elder Feng was already exposed; the enemy might have countermeasures ready.

"To rival a Saint… one must either attain the Final Realm or the ultimate limit of the Wen Dao Realm…"

Li Hao's eyes gleamed. Only five months remained—time was running short.

He stretched his limbs slightly, then began painting again.

Though the experience from a second painting would diminish, it still yielded substantial gains.

Li Hao intended to complete it all at once, leveraging this gathering of prodigies to fully fill his painting experience. Elder Feng had already provided him with considerable experience during their earlier collaboration; he was now closer than ever to completing the ninth stage.

Li Hao handed the scroll to Xi Yan, then began painting again.

As Li Hao started his second painting, more and more people gathered, whispering among themselves.

Lin Lin Qingying watched Li Hao, utterly absorbed, oblivious to his surroundings, and recalled how he had been in her courtyard—her lips curved into a quiet smile.

He was still the same—unconcerned with everything around him.

"This guy… still hasn't changed."

Chi Guang stared, watching Li Hao's actions. He had wanted to go greet him, though he had lost to Li Hao before—he admitted his skill was inferior. Though frustrated, he knew it wasn't Li Hao's fault; he was simply too weak.

But seeing Li Hao so focused on painting, he wisely held his tongue. Instead, he recalled how Li Hao had been equally calm during the earlier Qualifying Battle.

"He topped the Heavenly List—we thought he might break into the top three of the myriad realms. But we underestimated him."

"Still, those few didn't even come to inscribe their names—they seem above it. The outcome is still uncertain."

"Those few are reincarnations—once Saints. Why would they care about this?"

"Exactly. Even the Twin Buddha Disciples didn't come. Only we're still fighting for fame—they themselves are fame."

Lin Lin Shuhai and other holy scions from Canglan Realm whispered among themselves.

The Moonlight Saint Disciple remained silent. He had once believed his Sun-Moon Dao pierced heaven and earth, destined to become the top of the myriad realms. But after repeated blows, he now felt lost.

He didn't understand Li Hao's sword Dao, but he could feel it—vastly, immeasurably stronger than his own Sun-Moon Dao.

What kind of sword Dao was that? He had pondered this question for days.

Soon, Li Hao finished his second painting, gaining nearly a million more experience.

Seeing his painting experience nearly full, Li Hao smiled and began his third painting.

At that moment, a commotion erupted at the edge of the crowd.

"It's the Green Qing Qing Lu Wang!"

"He actually came too!"

"Someone's made a name here—it must have disturbed him."

Many turned to look, faces filled with awe, watching a jade-green dragon carriage slowly descend.

On the carriage stood seven or eight maids, each with graceful figures and peerless beauty, their aura second only to the holy maidens of sacred sects, yet more elegant and exquisite than many imperial princesses of the Divine Dynasty.

They fanned and served wine to a young man draped in a jade-green robe.

On his robe were embroidered antlers of deer—elegant and noble.

Seeing him, the crowd immediately parted.

Compared to Li Hao, he had long been famous, renowned throughout the myriad realms.

When his name spread, the myriad realms trembled—for over a decade ago, he had crushed a half-Saint, forcing him to cough blood and choose reincarnation. The incident made him legendary.

"Didn't the Green Qing Qing Lu Wang already inscribe his name on the stele? Two golden flashes—they say he's not a Saint reincarnation!"

"Correct. He's the genius of the Chaos Heaven Sect. Rumor has it he's poised to win first place in this Supreme Prodigy War!"

The crowd murmured excitedly, eyes gleaming, sensing a spectacle.

The Green Qing Qing Lu Wang stepped down from his carriage, his gaze calm. He scanned the crowd and spotted several familiar figures, including Wu Tian of the Legalist Sacred Sect.

He smiled faintly, but his eyes settled on one spot—where ink was ground by a maid, and a young boy sat calmly painting.

Their eyes met. The Green Qing Qing Lu Wang instantly knew: this was the man who had shaken the myriad realms.

Both faces broke into smiles.

Li Hao also broke into a brilliant smile, like a fattened lamb in sight.

Another one comes to deliver painting Dao experience? Jin Guang flashed twice? That must be substantial experience!

(End of Chapter)