Chapter 726

"Don't be in such a hurry."

Just as everyone began to move, Chu Xiangtian released a force to stop them.

Seeing the confused expressions of the crowd, Chu Xiangtian said calmly: "This Origin Secret Realm connects to the place of the True World's chaotic origin. Besides our Yan Chu, other Immortal Dynasties also possess paths to it!"

"These nine immortal towers correspond to nine layers of entrances. The deeper the entrance, the lower the probability of encountering disciples from other Immortal Dynasties, and the closer you are to the depths of the Origin Secret Realm."

"Although you can comprehend the Great Dao's origin there and progress rapidly, there are also dangers involved—not just from the Origin Secret Realm itself, but also from the perils posed by other Immortal Dynasties."

As he spoke, he saw the suspicious gazes of Xing Lan and the others and said calmly:

"In this Origin Secret Realm, your priority is cultivation. If you encounter danger, you may use immortal weapons to protect yourselves; do not feel constrained by rules. Additionally, our Yan Chu Qin Xianchao's Old Grand Tutor is stationed there. If there is danger, you may seek his protection."

As he spoke, he flicked his hand and tossed out ten gray tokens, which emitted gray mist and electric light.

Li Hao and the others received them, feeling the pure chaotic aura contained within the tokens.

"Go. You have seven years of time, seize the opportunity well."

Chu Xiangtian waved his hand, not stopping them this time.

"Danger? And people from other Immortal Dynasties?"

Xing Lan and the others frowned; they hadn't expected this Origin Secret Realm to connect to other Immortal Dynasties. It seemed to be an independent secret realm that other Immortal Dynasties also had paths to.

"We have to face them in the Southern Region Assembly Battle seven years from now anyway; meeting them early isn't necessarily a bad thing."

A royal family member smiled faintly, a hint of fighting spirit appearing in the depths of his eyes.

"Hmph, I'd like to see how much weight the royal families of other Immortal Dynasties carry." The princess looked disdainful, her expression haughty, and she put away her token and stepped out first.

She arrived before the nine immortal towers as if teleporting, but just as she was about to enter, her footsteps suddenly faltered and she stopped.

She stopped at the Sixth Immortal Tower; according to her immortal seal, she was able to enter this tower.

She didn't move, but turned to look at the others.

Previously, while fighting in the Desolate Realm, there were few opportunities to meet and cross swords with others; this was a rare opportunity to observe.

Seeing the princess stop, the others realized the problem as they arrived, and for a moment, they all stopped and looked at each other.

"Are we all being so polite?"

The Illusion Sea Gate youth smiled, unwilling to enter first and expose the foundation of his immortal seal.

"Brother Helian Boya, please."

At this moment, Chu Tianhuang, who was standing at the head, turned and smiled at Helian Boya Xuejian beside him.

Helian Boya Xuejian also wore a smile, showing no intention of lingering, and said, "Please."

They were extremely polite to each other, gesturing for the other to go first, and then Chu Tianhuang stopped hesitating and flew straight toward the best, the Ninth Immortal Tower.

"The Ninth Immortal Tower, Nine-Flower Immortal Seal?!"

Seeing Chu Tianhuang's direction, Xing Lan and the others' pupils shrank, and a hint of shock appeared on their faces.

That royal family monster, besides reaching the Immortal Monarch Realm himself, had also condensed a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal?

If it were just purely condensing a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal, they might be able to do it if they spent more time. After all, their comprehension was one in a billion; as long as they had more time, they could certainly gradually perfect it and condense a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal!

But the problem lay in time.

It could take eight thousand years, ten thousand years, or even tens of thousands of years.

Even if one succeeded in cultivating a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal then, it would be meaningless. One couldn't just let the sect protect them forever, right?

Moreover, once word got out, other hostile sects would target them—assassinations, traps, sabotage; it was not easy to cultivate a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal!

In this Southern Region Assembly Battle, the limitation of a mere three-thousand-year soul lifespan forced them to make trade-offs; barely condensing a Six-Flower Immortal Seal was already considered extremely monstrous.

After all, within three thousand years, those with mediocre aptitude couldn't even reach the Sage Realm!

"Hmph, what's there to be surprised about? Brother Tianhuang's talent is top-tier among the Emperor's many offspring. In terms of talent alone, no more than three people can surpass him!"

Beside them, the handsome young royal family member ranked fourth smiled faintly.

The middle-aged royal family member standing beside him glanced at him upon hearing this, his eyes deep with meaning. "Brother, Brother Tianhuang might not like hearing you say that."

The princess also glanced at him, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly in a disdainful sneer.

With so many royal family members, having too high an aptitude wasn't necessarily a good thing. This guy's technique of killing with praise was too simple.

"You guys think too much."

The handsome youth raised an eyebrow and said irritably.

Xing Lan and Li Hao, however, didn't care about this and instead looked at the aged figure.

They saw Chu Tianhuang arrive before the Ninth Immortal Tower; his figure also attracted the attention of the other nine hundred-plus qualifiers, and exclamations rang out one after another.

"The Ninth Immortal Tower—could it be that Chu Tianhuang has condensed a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal?"

"Firmly occupying the first place on the Immortal Stele, he is the strongest heaven-gifted talent our Great Yan Chu has seen in recent years. It's not surprising that he has reached the Nine-Flower Immortal Seal."

"You make it sound easy, this is a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal—the limit of immortal seals!"

"The limit? Not necessarily. Haven't you heard that legend?"

"Is there really someone who can reach that?"

"Legend has it that the personal disciples of the Immortal Emperor can reach it, but such figures are as dazzling as the Eternal Sun of the True World; how could we possibly see them clearly?"

The crowd discussed heatedly, all shocked by Chu Tianhuang's actions.

Hearing these discussions, Li Hao couldn't help but feel curious. Above the Nine-Flower Immortal Seal, there was a higher limit? The Immortal Emperor's personal disciple... If Old Man Wang could find Ying Xiaoxiao, it seemed he might have the answer. Had her immortal seal already transcended nine flowers?

But Li Hao remembered Old Man Wang saying that nine flowers were the ultimate; no matter how many other Great Daos one condensed or how much more one comprehended, one could not exceed it.

While Li Hao was pondering, a burst of exclamations rang out. He looked up and saw a brilliant light radiating from the top of Chu Tianhuang's head, flowing with nine light shadows and emitting nine different Great Dao auras—it was exactly the Nine-Flower Immortal Seal!

With the Nine-Flower Immortal Seal revealed, Chu Tianhuang flew straight toward the tower and soon entered it. The tower door closed, and he was not ejected.

After a brief silence, exclamations of wonder rang out.

Xing Lan and the others' expressions also changed, their looks complex. They were all in the Immortal Monarch Realm, but the gap between them and this Chu Tianhuang seemed a bit too large.

Previously, they were only struggling in the Desolate Realm and could only see each other's rankings, not knowing to what extent the other could reach. Only now did they realize how vast the gap was.

Helian Boya Xuejian, dressed in snow-white robes, raised his head slightly, a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth, his eyes actually becoming even brighter.

He stepped out slowly and also flew straight toward the Ninth Immortal Tower.

Seeing Helian Boya Xuejian's actions, the crowd that had just been exclaiming gasped again.

This Helian Boya Xuejian was actually also a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal?

Including the princess, those few royal family members all had their expressions change. In their eyes, they had long known that Chu Tianhuang was a monster-level figure and had no intention of competing with him, but they hadn't expected this non-royal guy to also be able to reach the Nine-Flower Immortal Seal!

At this moment, Helian Boya Xuejian arrived before the Ninth Immortal Tower. He did not reveal his immortal seal, but instead, with his white robes fluttering, he simply flew toward the immortal tower.

The immortal tower seemed to sense something; it opened as he approached, and closed again after he entered.

Without a doubt, this Helian Boya Xuejian had also condensed a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to knock open the tower door!

"That guy..."

The eyes of the few royal family members became extremely solemn. Chu Tianhuang ranked first; in their hearts, this was indisputable and not at all strange. If he hadn't ranked first, that would have been the truly strange thing.

But that Helian Boya Xuejian, who ranked second... it seemed the gap between him and Chu Tianhuang, whom they were all exceptionally wary of, was not very far.

The air fell silent. Li Hao was also full of astonishment, his gaze sweeping over the others. Could it be that these guys were all Nine-Flower Immortal Seals?

Since when did the Nine-Flower Immortal Seal become so common?

However, even if he condensed a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal, he would only become a formal disciple of the Immortal Emperor, not a personal one.

And the aptitude of those two... could only prove they were qualified to become formal disciples of the Immortal Emperor.

Thinking of this, Li Hao couldn't help but gasp in his heart. How monstrous must the Immortal Emperor's personal disciples be?!

"Um."

Seeing that everyone else was silent and not moving, Li Hao suddenly raised his hand.

Chu Xiangtian, in mid-air, also had a solemn expression at this moment. Those who could condense a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal were, without exception, true dragons among heaven-gifted talents who would surely make a name for themselves in the True World. If they didn't fall, they would at least become overlords of a region in the future.

At this moment, suddenly hearing a call, he looked down and saw it was Li Hao. His heart stirred, and he said peacefully:

"What is it? Speak freely."

"If I enter the Origin Secret Realm, can I come out early?"

Li Hao asked.

Hearing this, everyone looked at Li Hao in unison, all with strange, "looking at a fool" expressions.

!

Chu Xiangtian was stunned; clearly, he hadn't expected Li Hao's question to be so bizarre. Entering the Origin Secret Realm was such a heaven-sent opportunity—who would ever want to come out early?

But after his momentary shock, he quickly replied: "If you wish to abandon such a precious opportunity, naturally no one will stop you."

Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

In the crowd in the distance, Gu Yan, Yue Xi, and the others were standing among the disciples of the Great Dream Nine Abyss. At this moment, they also heard Li Hao's words and immediately thought of what Li Hao had done on Emperor Sword Mountain. They couldn't help but exchange glances, seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.

No way, this guy wants to play like this even when facing the Origin Secret Realm?

"Inexplicable."

Beside them, the princess glanced at Li Hao and couldn't help but snort coldly. She had already offended him before, and even though she now knew Li Hao had gained the favor of the Grand Marshal and the State Preceptor, she couldn't be bothered to curry favor with him.

She knew that people of their status never cared about verbal attitudes; when there was a need for benefits, they could still greet with a smiling face even if the attitude was cold.

If there were no benefit involved, even if the attitude was devout, or even if one knelt on the ground begging, they wouldn't give it a second glance.

Attitude was the most meaningless thing, and also the thing the weak cared about most, because a good or bad attitude could easily wound their self-esteem.

But the hearts of the strong were strong enough to not care about these external appearances, only talking about practicalities.

The others also withdrew their gazes and watched the immortal towers ahead quietly, but no one moved. Clearly, they all intended to wait and see how others performed.

Seeing them all standing still like wooden statues, Li Hao couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. They were scrambling to be first before, but now they were being modest instead.

In this situation, he could just ask Gu Yan and the others when he came back out; there was no need for him to waste time here personally.

Thinking this, Li Hao set off toward the front. Passing Xing Lan, he waved at her and said:

"Thanks for speaking up for me earlier. Let's meet again in the Origin Secret Realm."

Xing Lan saw Li Hao's relaxed expression and was slightly stunned; she hadn't expected Li Hao to enter first.

Thinking of Li Hao's previous performance, the corners of her mouth curled into a smile, and she said: "Even if I hadn't spoken, with your ability, you were more than capable of speaking for yourself."

Hearing their words, the expressions of the few royal family members changed slightly, and Chu Tianzheng in the distance had his expression change even more, his fists clenching tightly.

Li Hao smiled, said no more, waved at Xing Lan, and headed straight toward the Ninth Immortal Tower.

"Hmm?"

Seeing Li Hao's direction, the few royal family members who had just felt a cold sneer in their hearts were all taken aback.

Immediately, mocking smiles appeared in their eyes.

"Did he go the wrong way?"

The princess sneered.

Xing Lan and the others also looked at Li Hao with astonishment. Besides surprise, there was a hint of palpitation in their eyes. Given Li Hao's previous performance, if he really was a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal, it seemed highly likely!

Li Hao didn't drag his feet; his actions were crisp. Arriving before the Ninth Immortal Tower, he didn't reveal his Nine-Flower Immortal Seal. Like Helian Boya Xuejian, he arrived before the tower door and felt a special force seemingly tugging at the immortal seal within his body.

The immortal seal floated slightly, immortal power flowed, and then it slowly settled down again.

The tower door opened at this moment. Li Hao glanced inside—it was pitch black. He didn't think much of it and flew straight in.

"Hmm?"

As the tower door closed, the expressions of the few royal family members who had just been sneering changed.

The princess's eyes changed drastically, revealing a hint of shock. Nine-Flower Immortal Seal? That kid?

She herself only had a Six-Flower Immortal Seal, and she was already able to stand at the peak level of heaven-gifted talents.

Xing Lan and the others were also shocked, but having had their suspicions, they soon recovered. Li Hao had previously defeated Chu Tianzheng across realms, revealing powerful strength, and that strength originated from the foundation of various realms. Now, revealing a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal seemed only natural.

"I wonder what that guy's soul lifespan is. If he's given another thousand years to promote to the Immortal Monarch Realm, I'm afraid his brilliance will be even greater!"

The Illusion Sea Gate youth whispered with narrowed eyes.

The Tide Sect youth beside him nodded slightly. Both of them were ranked ahead of Li Hao, but they were both in the Third Level of the Immortal Monarch Realm. Yet, standing beside them was someone in the Ninth Level of the True Immortal Realm—this had already shocked them, and at the same time, they felt admiration.

"That guy... just how many secrets does he have that I don't know about?"

Xing Lan's eyes stared at the tightly closed tower door, rays of light flickering in the depths of her eyes.

High in the air, Chu Xiangtian stared for a moment and was slightly silent. For this result, he was surprised, yet it also seemed within reason.

Meanwhile, the many disciples of various sects outside, as well as the royal family members ranked behind, were all in an uproar of shock.

The strength Li Hao had revealed when defeating Chu Tianzheng, and now the Nine-Flower Immortal Seal, made many who were still being stubborn have to admit defeat.

To condense a Nine-Flower Immortal Seal requires comprehension and aptitude; this is a real, tangible gap!

"That guy..."

Standing in the crowd, Gu Yan clenched his fingers slightly, a strong light appearing in his eyes.

He was a Seven-Flower Immortal Seal and had thought he was enough to look down on other heaven-gifted talents, but three consecutive Nine-Flower Immortal Seals made him deeply feel the gap.

Especially Li Hao, who was someone he was familiar with; this feeling was even more intense.

Murong Qingwu and Yue Xi beside him also changed color. Yue Xi's eyes revealed despair; she knew it was impossible for her to catch up to that youth ever again. Her immortal seal only had six flowers, and she had considered herself not inferior to other heaven-gifted talents, but the gap with nine flowers was just too large.

Unless she continued to toil over her immortal seal and stopped cultivating her realm, once she reached the Immortal Monarch Realm, the immortal seal would be set and could never be reversed.

In the void, during the brief wait, Xing Lan looked back at her sect, a feeling of dullness flashing through her heart. She didn't linger any longer and headed toward the immortal tower.

She chose the Eighth Immortal Tower, and soon, she successfully entered it.

After Xing Lan moved, others also slowly began to act. Most were seven-flower or six-flower, and there were two others who were eight-flower—the middle-aged royal family member ranked third and Tian Hongyi ranked sixth.

"Damn it!"

Chu Tianzheng clenched his fists and chose the Sixth Immortal Tower in frustration. He entered it, but boos rang out outside. This royal family member's aptitude was already extremely formidable, but having been defeated by that Nine-Flower Immortal Seal youth, it seemed he really couldn't complain.

Zhang Xuanyu had a complex expression and also buried his head and entered the Seventh Immortal Tower.

On the other side, Li Hao had just entered the immortal tower and felt an extremely intimate sensation.

(End of chapter)