Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 422

Volume 3 - Chapter 119: Heaven's Will vs. Saints' Will

“In the ancient times, during the era of myths and legends, a saying was passed down: ‘Heaven and Earth, profound and yellow.’”

“The ranking of the Dao Heart is based on this principle. However, I’ve never heard of anything beyond an Earth-level Dao Heart. If there is, it must be the Heaven Heart—the Heart of the Heavenly Dao!”

“The aspirations of all Saints throughout the ages, spreading their teachings across millennia, have only reached the level of a profound Earth-level Dao Heart. Such ambitions are already the pinnacle of what we can imagine. Could there truly be a goal even more grand?”

The disciples within the Immortal Sect exchanged bewildered glances.

From their perspective, it was hard to fathom the existence of a Dao Heart that surpassed the ambitions of the Saints.

Such an idea was unheard of. Believing it would be more challenging than accepting the possibility of a malfunction in the Dao Heart Tower—an outcome they deemed far more plausible.

As they debated, Yu Zu’s gaze remained fixed on the young man outside the Immortal Sect. In a low voice, he said:

“He’s about to come in. My Primal Holy Land will stop at nothing to recruit this boy. I hope no one will try to compete with me!”

“Yu Zu, your words are rather overbearing. While my Tianfeng Holy Land may not be as powerful as the Primal Holy Land, we are willing to devote all our resources to nurture him!”

The divine maiden beside him, a woman of regal bearing, flashed a sharp glint in her eyes but maintained a calm demeanor.

“If I’m not mistaken, Tianfeng Holy Land belongs to the demon race, and your sect primarily consists of female disciples. Would that not be unsuitable for him?”

At her words, Yu Zu cast her a cold glance and replied indifferently:

“And what of the demon race? We have techniques suited for humans as well. Our two races have long lived in harmony. Could it be that Yu Zu wishes to sow discord between humans and demons?”

The divine maiden, exuding an air of nobility, retorted coldly, “And having many female disciples might not necessarily be a bad thing for him, wouldn’t you agree?”

“...”

Yu Zu withdrew his gaze, unwilling to argue further, though a cold sneer lingered in his heart.

That boy came from the mortal world, and Yu Zu was well aware of his disciple’s connections in that realm. It was highly likely that the boy had ties to the Jiang family. Using this as leverage, Yu Zu believed it would be difficult for anyone else to wrest him away.

Turning his attention to the elder nearby, Yu Zu noted that the elder, a figure from the Void Holy Land of Yunxia Realm, remained expressionless and silent, seemingly disinterested in the competition.

This surprised Yu Zu. For such a prodigy, how could the Void Holy Land not be moved?

The reaction from the Void Holy Land piqued Yu Zu’s curiosity. Why were they not competing for this young genius?

Meanwhile, the other factions present were left speechless at the escalating confrontation between the divine maiden and Yu Zu. The young man hadn’t even entered the Immortal Sect, yet these two semi-saints were already vying for him.

However, they all knew that such a peerless talent was beyond their reach. He would undoubtedly enter one of the Holy Lands and likely become a direct disciple of a Saint.

Ji Xuanshen and Jiang Lichen exchanged wry smiles. This boy had a knack for stirring up storms wherever he went, leaving everyone in awe.

“Boy, come in,” Yu Zu called out to the young man outside the Immortal Sect.

Outside, Li Hao was still waiting for feedback from the Dao Heart Tower. When he noticed its prolonged silence, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Nevertheless, Li Hao didn’t dwell on the assessment of his Dao Heart. Whether it ranked high or low, it was still his heart, his path.

Hearing the voice from within the Immortal Sect, Li Hao refocused his thoughts. Standing before the Immortal Sect, he realized that this single step forward would separate him from the mortal world.

Looking back, Li Hao gazed at the plaza, at the summit of the Heavenly Ascension Staircase where Ren Qianqian stood, at the Emperor Yu soaring high into the sky, and at the old Daoist flying toward him.

Their gazes met, and Li Hao nodded slightly to bid them farewell.

At the same time, Li Hao’s divine sense noticed Ji Tianchao, the Jiang family’s War God, standing in the distance beyond the imperial palace.

For this elder, Li Hao harbored goodwill and respect, so he nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing the warm and peaceful look in Li Hao’s eyes, Ji Tianchao’s heart trembled. His grief-stricken soul felt as if it had been gently soothed.

His eyes reddened slightly, and he gave Li Hao a smile and a thumbs-up.

Li Hao’s gaze swept over the crowd, pausing on the excited faces of Li Yuanzhao and the others. He smiled faintly and waved at them.

“Brother Hao saw us!”

Li Yuanzhao was instantly overcome with excitement, his face beaming with joy.

Li Wushuang and Li Zhining froze momentarily. As they saw the boy’s gentle demeanor, they suddenly smiled, though something seemed to glisten in the corners of their eyes.

Li Hao gave Ren Qianqian an encouraging look before collecting himself and stepping through the Immortal Sect’s gates.

As he crossed the threshold, Li Hao felt a peculiar sensation.

The gates, so near, seemed to ripple like water, exuding an aura of traversing through time and space.

But before he could adjust, a sudden surge of icy killing intent erupted from the void, accompanied by immense pressure. It was an overwhelming saintly will!

Li Hao froze, his pupils contracting sharply. Looking up, he saw the vast chaotic void around him and a hazy figure and will descending abruptly to smite him!

The killing intent was so sudden that it caught him completely off guard.

Li Hao's body tensed, his hair standing on end. Even his blood seemed to freeze, and a strong sense of imminent danger overwhelmed him. It was as if he were staring into the abyss, facing the corpse of the Saint Demon once more—a direct confrontation with death itself.

"A Saint is attacking me?!"

Li Hao was stunned, finding it hard to believe. But his shock quickly turned to fury.

With a sudden roar, he erupted with divine energy. Simultaneously, the Earth and Heaven Meridian drew in the surrounding forces of heaven and earth, propelling him into a state of Extreme Immortal Transformation.

Yet with a loud boom, his body shattered instantly.

Under the immense power of that sacred will, he was as fragile as an egg beneath a hammer, utterly incapable of withstanding the blow.

Beyond the gates of the Immortal Sect, Yu Zu and the divine maiden, who had been waiting for Li Hao’s arrival, felt a subtle fluctuation of power. Their expressions changed drastically as their gazes seemed to pierce through the gates to the scene within.

Both were astonished, their heads snapping up to the unreachable heavens. There, a hazy figure briefly appeared and vanished—it was the descent of a saintly will!

A Saint had made a move!

In an instant, they both recognized the source—it was the Saint of the Void Holy Land!

Yu Zu turned to glare at the elder from the Void Holy Land, who remained calm, though a faint smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

Yu Zu was furious. No wonder the elder had shown no interest in competing for Li Hao. He had no intention of letting the boy live, having already planned his assassination!

And to ensure no interference, the Void Saint himself had taken action!

“Void Holy Land, you’ve gone too far!”

Yu Zu’s outraged roar echoed through the air.

“Even if you can’t compete for him, there’s no need to destroy him!”

The divine maiden’s voice was icy cold. She did not believe Tianfeng Holy Land stood no chance of recruiting him, but now, their opportunity had been completely eradicated.

“Apologies, but that boy offended our Holy Son. His death was inevitable.”

The elder from the Void Holy Land replied indifferently to their fury.

The other factions, shocked by the sudden upheaval, were equally stunned by the trio’s conversation.

Ji Xuanshen and Jiang Lichen, who had been waiting to greet Li Hao, were left bewildered when he stepped through the gates but failed to emerge. As they overheard the exchange between the semi-saints, their faces turned pale with shock.

“Destroyed? What’s going on?”

Ji Xuanshen and the others stared at the elder in disbelief.

Though it seemed the Void Holy Land had made themselves the target of collective anger, the elder remained composed, his expression serene as if entirely unbothered by the situation.

“This matter will be reported to the Primal Saint. Your Void Holy Land must provide an explanation!”

Yu Zu’s eyes burned with killing intent as he suppressed his rage.

The elder’s face remained impassive, offering no response. He had already foreseen this reaction when he secretly communicated with the Void Saint earlier.

Li Hao might have been a once-in-a-generation prodigy, but a dead prodigy was no longer a threat. Since he had yet to formally join the Primal Holy Land, the matter could be resolved with compensation if they demanded an explanation.

The Primal Holy Land would not risk a conflict between Saints over a deceased genius. Ultimately, the situation would be settled peacefully.

In the world of the strong, justice and morality meant little—only interests mattered.

When compensation sufficed, even clear wrongdoing would be excused.

A falsely accused innocent could still be blamed for their own misfortune, scorned for provoking those they shouldn’t have.

“You’re despicable!”

Jiang Lichen glared at the elder, his fury barely contained. He had already deduced the cause of the Void Holy Land’s hostility—their Holy Son had likely been the one Li Hao defeated months ago, and this elder had been waiting for revenge ever since.

“Hm?”

The elder’s eyes turned cold, and he glanced at Jiang Lichen.

A wave of sacred will surged forth, and Jiang Lichen spat blood as his face turned ashen. His sword bone hummed sharply, shielding him from the brunt of the semi-saint’s pressure.

Yu Zu immediately intervened, cutting off the elder’s pressure with a wave of his hand. Standing protectively before Jiang Lichen, he growled, “Do you want to force me into battle right here?”

The elder’s expression remained cold as he withdrew his gaze. He knew the current recruitment attempt was a failure—none of the disciples here would join the Void Holy Land now.

However, losing a few potential recruits was a small price to pay. Eliminating a threat like Li Hao, who could grow into a Saint supported by incense power, was far more important.

Otherwise, once Li Hao fully matured, he would become a monumental danger to the Void Holy Land.

Additionally, this act served to establish the Void Holy Land’s dominance, sending a message that they were not to be trifled with.

“Other Saints will demand an explanation for this!”

The divine maiden’s icy gaze locked onto the elder, her voice sharp with accusation. She could already see his blatant disregard.

“This is no concern of yours,” the elder replied dismissively.

...

Within the chaotic void beyond the gates, Li Hao’s body, shattered into countless pieces of flesh and bone, began to rapidly regenerate and reassemble.

The voices of anger and shock from beyond the gates reached Li Hao’s ears.

In that moment, clarity dawned upon him. The elder’s voice was familiar—it was identical to the one he had heard six months ago when the Void Holy Son escaped after Li Hao slew six Dao Law cultivators.

It was the same man!

The elder had likely recognized Li Hao from the beginning, deliberately waiting for him to step through the gates before launching this ambush with the power of a Saint.

The plot to steal the incense power of the Jiang family extended deep into the Yunxia Realm, rooted in schemes from a thousand years ago.

But knowing this now made no difference.

Li Hao’s awareness returned to the chaotic void. As his body reformed, the sacred will appeared once more.

“Regenerating from a drop of blood? No wonder...”

The ethereal voice resounded, majestic and indifferent, exuding an air of supreme authority. With that, the sacred will descended once more.

Li Hao’s heart burned with fury and alarm. The attacker had not revealed themselves, relying only on a fragment of their will to try to destroy him.

With a furious roar, Li Hao unleashed his full power, once again entering Extreme Immortal Transformation. The Earth and Heaven Meridian drew upon the boundless energy of the void, channeling it into his form.

His golden skin gleamed as his hair turned white, his consciousness fusing with the void. At that moment, he glimpsed the vast and sublime will of the Celestial Sovereign.

Borrowing a trace of the Celestial Sovereign’s will, Li Hao launched a sudden and ferocious strike against the sacred will.

...

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