Chapter 868: The Heavenly Realm Awaits, Wind and Clouds Converge

A hundred years have passed, time flies like a galloping horse.

Now, Li Hao has reached three hundred years of soul lifespan.

In the mortal world, even a mere dozen years are vividly remembered—how much more so these hundred years, filled with laughter and companionship?

“A hundred years…”

“So brief.”

Li Hao murmured to himself, a prompt flickering before his eyes—but he ignored it outright.

“Master Hao, don’t be sorrowful. We died fighting the Ancient Demons—it was a worthy death, a contribution to humanity.”

Ku Qiao spoke softly, gazing at the boy with an exceptionally tender look.

He did not say they had no regrets, because they truly did—failing to advance further, to reach the ultimate realm beyond gods and immortals.

Who among the immortals and gods of this world does not yearn to glimpse the supreme Emperor Realm?

But dust returns to dust, earth to earth; buried in the frontier, they could no longer continue their journey.

Snowflakes drifted down from above, blanketing the courtyard in sorrow, settling on shoulders and heads, lending a desolate chill.

Yet when Li Hao heard Ku Qiao’s words, he smiled—and as he did, the petals transformed into brilliant crimson flowers of the Bian , blooming magnificently upon the soil of the Yellow Springs.

“Though I harbor the will to reverse time, I lack the power to do so. But one day, if I can trace back to the origin of time, I will surely draw you all forth from that battlefield!”

Li Hao whispered.

Hearing Li Hao’s words, Ku Qiao and the others exchanged glances; the surrounding snow had turned into a sea of crimson petals, drifting with the wind. The bitter cold of the courtyard became a spring breeze fragrant with blossoms, swirling the petals upward toward the heavens, chasing the light of sun and moon.

“Then we thank you, Master Hao!”

Ku Qiao and the others bowed deeply.

Li Hao said nothing more; the painted realm shifted, and the figures of Ku Qiao and the others gradually blurred—just before vanishing, each raised a hand to wave farewell to Li Hao.

Their voices carried through the wind to the boy’s ears.

“Master Hao, farewell…”

“Master Hao, though we meet for the first time, I am…”

“Master Hao…”

Time shifted and changed; the scenery within the painted realm changed with it—yet only Li Hao and the silent Shí Miǎo beside him remained fixed, the only constants in this chaotic reversal of time.

“Your origin of time has now caught up with my current form.”

Shí Miǎo spoke softly.

Li Hao turned to her, his eyes suddenly filled with pity; he stepped forward and took her hand. “Seeing those who have passed, yet being unable to save them—you’ve suffered greatly, haven’t you?”

Shí Miǎo fell silent. Only she, born from the primordial Time God Tree, understood how terrible a curse time truly was.

To see past and future, yet be powerless to change them—that was true despair.

“Yet through countless shattered despair, you have always been there.”

Shí Miǎo gripped Li Hao’s hand tightly; only she knew that Li Hao was her salvation in the depths of despair.

o￠o

Li Hao nodded slightly. “I will always be here. Always.”

He squeezed Shí Miǎo’s hand, as if imprinting a mark upon her.

They gazed into each other’s eyes, as if their souls drew near in that moment—all left unsaid.

Long after.

Shí Miǎo finally whispered, “With your current level of time origin, I can now rest easy as you enter the Infinite Heavenly Realm. No one in the Immortal Lord Realm should be able to challenge or threaten you.”

Li Hao recalled the earlier prompt, and with the insights gathered in his mind, he now understood.

He opened his mental panel and saw the previous message.

【You have comprehended the Painting Dao’s Heart: Reversed Time Painting Realm】

【Painting Dao has advanced to Stage Thirteen】

Li Hao saw that a Stage Thirteen Painting Dao Heart now rested beside his heart condition.

If he embedded it and spent one more Art Skill point, he could ascend to the Immortal King Realm!

But the Infinite Heavenly Realm would open in another hundred years—he would not ascend now.

“If I break through to King Realm with a reversed-time heart, then my domain shall be the Reversed-Time Domain!”

Li Hao’s eyes narrowed in thought. The Reversed-Time Domain, as the name implies, could reverse time and space—but its range was limited. Earlier, when Ku Qiao and Han Ku were within the painting realm, time was reversed to summon their past souls, allowing them to express genuine emotion—not because Li Hao controlled them.

Yet even that faint soul-force could only reverse time by a few decades. To fully reverse time and space—to make the sun and moon retreat, rivers flow backward—would be limited to merely a few years, perhaps ten at most, and even then, the range was constrained, and the cost was terrifying.

“Compared to Ku Qiao and the others, my Reversed-Time Domain would be superior—it is built upon time itself as its core. Even if a Being of the Other Shore or an Unbreakable one were to reverse time back to before my domain formed, causing its mountains and rivers to invert and its Sea of Life to regress, even that Sea of Life might wither…”

“But this still may not be the strongest domain.”

Li Hao thought of his senior brothers and sisters; as direct disciples, their domains must be extraordinary.

Yet visiting their domains as he had visited Ku Qiao’s was impossible—among direct disciples, all were equals. A domain was the core of one’s being, akin to exposing one’s heart—something even closest kin would find difficult, let alone others.

“Merely understanding their general methods should be fine.”

Li Hao mused; after all, such understanding could come through combat and sparring.

With this thought, he immediately sent word to Senior Brother Long Qingge and Senior Brother Lei Jingfeng.

Soon, their avatars arrived outside Li Hao’s courtyard.

“You wish to know the nature of our domains?”

Long Qingge’s eyes radiated dragonly majesty; though calm, they carried a commanding, superior aura—but his energy toward Li Hao was exceptionally gentle.

“Yes.”

Li Hao nodded. “Please, Senior Brothers, instruct me.”

“Little Brother, you’re not contemplating breaking through to Immortal King, are you? You’ve only fused twenty-one Chaotic Laws—too early. You’d be better off continuing to strengthen your Chaotic Laws.” Lei Jingfeng warned, fearing Li Hao would prematurely attain Immortal King and miss the greatest opportunity of the Original True Realm.

“Just for understanding—to use as reference,” Li Hao replied vaguely.

Lei Jingfeng sensed the vagueness, frowned slightly, but did not press further. Li Hao already knew of the Infinite Heavenly Realm—if he insisted on acting recklessly, their Master would stop him. Besides, Lei Jingfeng felt Li Hao wasn’t foolish enough to risk it—there must be another reason.

“My domain uses World-Ending Chaotic Thunder to crush all, cleave space, sever time, forging the sharpest blade from supreme divine lightning!”

Lei Jingfeng said.

Long Qingge added, “My domain is anchored by the Primordial Dragon Body at the origin of time, overlooking all. Time, space, and all forces are bound within my domain.”

Li Hao froze. Could both their domains oppose time?

“Without Fate, time reigns supreme. But neither of your domains is built upon time as its core—how can you sever time?” Li Hao asked, curious.

“This is the wonder of cultivation.”

Long Qingge smiled. “Before the Immortal King Realm, all powers obey the Nine Orders’ hierarchy. Mastering the Nine Orders’ origins grants invincibility within the same realm!”

“But the Immortal King Realm is different. The King is a king who declares himself king!”

“This Kingship is forged by pouring one’s understanding of the Nine Orders, of all Dao, including one’s bloodline, combat experience, Dao Heart, and more—melding them into one. This path may be weak, inferior even to the Nine Orders—or it may surpass them, drawing from the Nine Orders yet rising beyond them, centered solely on the path one has chosen and crowned oneself.”

“Exactly,” Lei Jingfeng nodded. “My Thunder Dao can sever time. I blend the Nine Orders—but they serve only as support.”

“I understand.”

Li Hao now saw clearly.

Use the Nine Orders—to transcend them!

At that moment, he recalled his Master’s words.

The Dao Source Immortal Seal—ten thousand Dao return to one. But which “one” to choose—that is up to oneself.

“Thank you, Senior Brothers.”

Li Hao raised his hands and bowed deeply.

Seeing Li Hao’s understanding, the two smiled, asked if he needed further aid, and upon his refusal, departed.

“They’re right.”

Once they were gone, Shí Miǎo spoke. “The heart condition you chose earlier—that ‘one’—was meant to reverse time and resurrect them. Hence, your instinct chose this as your ‘one’.”

“So if I make my domain Reversed-Time, I may still not be a match for the two Senior Brothers.”

Li Hao smiled bitterly.

Shí Miǎo shook her head. “When they speak of severing time, they mean severing other Immortal Kings’ time origins—not yours. Since you have crowned Reversed-Time as your Kingship, it is your own path. They sever the time origins of others, not yours. Just as Han Ku and Ku Qiao’s domains also contained time power, easily severed by them—but yours is pure Reversed-Time. Reversed-Time and Time are two different levels!”

Li Hao paused, his eyes brightening. “And yours? What is your domain?”

“I am the Time Flow Domain.”

“Time Flow?”

Li Hao froze. He had expected something grander—such a plain name.

Shí Miǎo seemed to sense his thought. “You wish to reverse time. I wish to accelerate it—so I can reach the world where you are sooner.”

Li Hao’s chest trembled; he could not speak.

Shí Miǎo’s true self was born ten thousand years ago; he, ten thousand years later—separated by an endless expanse of time.

“I hope one day I can reverse time, return to the past, and see what you once were,” Li Hao whispered.

Shí Miǎo smiled gently. “So do I.”

They smiled at each other. Li Hao asked, “How does your Time Flow Domain compare to those two Senior Brothers’?”

“Stronger.”

Shí Miǎo’s reply was brief and absolute—no elaboration.

Li Hao instantly understood—and his confidence in his own Reversed-Time Domain surged.

Suddenly, another question came to him: Can one have only one domain?

Can one have only one heart core?

If I elevate all seven of my arts to the thirteenth tier, wouldn’t I have seven realm hearts?

Li Hao immediately asked Shi Miao about his hypothesis.

Shi Miao said: “There can only be one realm heart and one realm domain! Many prodigies once held this idea—trying to forge dual realm domains or multiple realm hearts—but too many realm hearts cause spontaneous collapse. A realm domain can be layered, but it must remain singular, linked directly to your Dao heart.”

“If you awaken a second realm heart, you may attempt to fuse them. Many prodigies have ascended to the Prodigy Stage by fusing their realm hearts.”

Shi Miao said.

Li Hao’s heart stirred—fuse them?

If all seven of my arts’ heart-states fused, what kind of realm heart would form?

He didn’t know—but suddenly, he very much wanted to try.

Yet, forging this painting heart-state alone took over a hundred years; if I were to fully comprehend them all, my soul’s lifespan might stretch past a thousand years!

A thousand-year soul lifespan was, to Li Hao, an impossibly distant span.

…

Time flowed on, within a certain chaotic star.

In a cavern, a figure in blue robes suddenly opened his eyes—his gaze exploded like thunder, blades of light lashing out.

“Twenty-three chaotic laws!”

“Over three hundred years—finally mastered!”

“Three hundred years—from arriving here to comprehend the Sixty-Nine Stars, forging twenty-three chaotic laws!”

Lin Zhe’s eyes blazed with light. Without doubt, this achievement would shock his sect—even in the Primitive True Realm, where prodigies gathered like clouds, it ranked among the top tier, and even among the Immortal Emperor’s direct disciples, it was mid-tier!

“My master said that if I forge twenty-three chaotic laws before the Infinite Heavenly Realm opens, I’ll be allowed to join the battle—and my Ninth Senior Sister will watch over me.”

“My Ninth Senior Sister is an unparalleled prodigy who fused twenty-three chaotic laws. She’s trained here for over two thousand years, waiting for the Infinite Heavenly Realm, yet still hasn’t stepped into the Immortal King realm!”

Lin Zhe clenched his fists, heart pounding with excitement. The Infinite Heavenly Realm was still years away—but he had already forged twenty-three chaotic laws ahead of schedule.

He knew what a rare opportunity the Infinite Heavenly Realm was. If he missed it, and remained stuck in the Immortal Lord realm, it would be a bitter blow.

After all, the northern border was in chaos, and the Lin family needed him to step forward and hold their ground.

“For three hundred years, that guy still only fused twenty-one chaotic laws. He hasn’t challenged any Dao halls since. In these past two hundred years, he’s surely added at least two more—so now he’s on par with Ninth Senior Sister…”

Lin Zhe frowned deeply. Thinking of that figure, a shadow passed over his heart.

In the northern realm, he had shone brilliantly since childhood—until that figure, in just a few short years, stole and buried all his radiance.

Since that demonic sparring match, the northern realm only knew of Li Hao—no one spoke of Lin Zhe anymore!

Now, in the Primitive True Realm, he appeared out of nowhere, drawing the attention of every faction. His cultivation speed shattered any hope Lin Zhe had of catching up.

But at least now, he too could enter the Infinite Heavenly Realm.

“Even if you’ve fused twenty-three chaotic laws ahead of time, you can only stand there and wait for us to catch up. If only the Infinite Heavenly Realm opened a thousand years from now…”

Lin Zhe thought bitterly. Then, that man would remain stranded, waiting for him a thousand years—and then, he would surely overtake him and settle the score!

…

In the depths of a peak in the Primitive Land.

With a thunderous crash, rocks shattered—and a figure shot upward.

“Fate hides itself, preventing me from reaching my peak! Damn it!”

He was a chaotic divine demon, horns sharp and body crimson, eyes fierce and snarling.

He swung his fists at the air, unleashing waves of shattering annihilation traces, finally venting his rage.

“But luckily, I’ve pushed every other aspect to its limit. This time, on the Ascension Path, I will be first!”

On another peak,

a young man clad in dark-gold armor slowly opened his eyes—a sliver of dark-gold light flickered within them.

“Twenty-three chaotic laws—truly the ultimate. The Dao is flawed, fate hides itself—what can be done…”

He sighed softly, then gazed toward the distance—as if looking at some distant mountaintop.

“Kid, we’ll meet soon. In these two hundred years, you’ve surely fused twenty-three chaotic laws too.”