Chapter 502: Origin Exchange
"It's fine, let's go ahead."
The woman, as noble as a celestial being, spoke calmly.
Those beside her, upon hearing her words, looked at her with a sense of awe, and did not speak further.
Whoosh!
As the elegant woman stepped forward, her footfall creating subtle cracks in the void beside her, it was as if she were moving in an instant. The void was torn apart where she passed, a force even stronger than the Extreme Realm of Returning Ruins. Where the Returning Ruins could not traverse, she could still forcefully open space, all because her Space Dao cultivation had reached the terrifying Fifth Stage!
As she descended onto the Heavenly Dao Bridge, the shimmering light on the bridge immediately attracted celestial techniques, locking onto her figure.
The elegant woman, however, remained calm, showing no signs of movement. The space around her subtly distorted, and the celestial techniques that had just materialized lost their direction, instead turning and attacking those around her.
The few royal figures following behind the elegant woman had solemn expressions, their gazes sweeping the surroundings in astonishment.
On the Heavenly Dao Bridge, they could feel the immense pressure here. The other cultivators battling with celestial techniques on the bridge exuded auras that made them feel a sense of oppression.
But at this moment, none of the surrounding celestial techniques seemed to notice them. Following the Princess of Tianchi, they moved like a secluded being, unaffected by the world around them.
Their unusual behavior quickly attracted the attention of others on and beneath the bridge.
"Who are those people? How can they avoid celestial attacks so easily?"
"Earlier, that person at the Ninth Level of the True Immortal realm could do it. They're all at the Immortal Monarch realm, so it's not surprising they can do the same."
"This isn't about realm; it depends on the person's understanding of their Dao. That True Immortal from earlier, who knows where he went, but don't underestimate him. He's someone who's mastered both Time and Space Dao. He's definitely a top prodigy."
"These people are from the Jiang Rong Immortal Dynasty. They're probably the leaders among them."
"I heard that there's a terrifying princess in the Jiang Rong Immortal Dynasty. She killed three thousand ancient demons in a single night on the border. Could she be the one walking ahead?"
Beneath the bridge, prodigies from various immortal dynasties gathered. Most of them were from royal families.
After all, in each immortal dynasty, the royal families controlled the best cultivation techniques, resources, and inheritance. While their soul lifespan might be limited to three thousand years, it wasn't strange for prodigies or chaotic beings to be reincarnated within royal families, growing strong through the dynasty's resources.
This also meant that the royal families in each immortal dynasty were immensely powerful.
"Her Space Dao's Origin is not simple."
Someone observed the unusual fluctuations around the elegant woman, their expression serious.
The prodigies from the various immortal dynasties were all competitors for seven years later, and this was a chance to glimpse the strength of their opponents.
Hearing the comments from beneath the bridge, Jiang Tianchi remained calm, her expression unchanged. The strength she had displayed was just the tip of the iceberg.
What's more, true powerhouses didn't care about hiding. Like the Immortal Emperors, standing tall on mountaintops, their presence was like the moon shining upon everything. Everyone knew how imposing they were, but who could do anything about it?
"You should go and search for your own Dao's Origin," Jiang Tianchi said, shielding the members of her family. Walking to the middle section of the Heavenly Dao Bridge, she still didn't sense the fluctuations of the Space Dao's Origin. Her brows furrowed slightly as she spoke to the others behind her.
The others nodded, stepping out of her spatial protection. They slightly cupped their hands in respect before dispersing. Immediately, celestial techniques attacked them, but each used their power to battle the attacks.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tianchi quickened her pace, heading deeper into the Heavenly Dao Bridge.
When she reached the deep end of the bridge, Jiang Tianchi saw the mist enveloping the area, and her divine sense could not penetrate it.
Her primal spirit realm had long been broken through, condensing golden veins and divine bones. This was the reason she could easily slay ancient demons of the same realm.
But at this moment, even her divine sense was hindered and compressed to a very small range.
She gave up on using divine sense and instead relied on her Space Dao cultivation to sense the surrounding Dao's Origins.
"Hmm?"
Jiang Tianchi moved through the area, using her momentary step technique to fly across, but still couldn't detect the Space Dao's Origin.
None of the flowing lights on the bridge were related to the Space Dao's Origin.
"Could it still not have appeared?"
Her eyes flashed. She didn't panic, but instead chose to wait quietly.
The space around her warped into a different dimension. Celestial techniques couldn't sense her, so she stayed there comfortably.
But as time passed, she noticed she still couldn't sense the Space Dao's Origin's aura.
Her mood began to shift as her brows furrowed. With her Space Dao cultivation, if she couldn't detect the Space Dao's Origin, no one else would be able to either.
"What's going on?"
It was then that she understood why so many people were lingering on the Heavenly Dao Bridge, shouting in frustration.
...
"Strange, there's no Nine Sequences' Origin on the Heavenly Dao Bridge."
"Could it be that they're all staying in the Origin City and haven't come out?"
"Impossible, this kind of anomaly has never happened before."
Outside the Heavenly Dao Bridge, the guardians of each immortal dynasty, hidden in various locations, looked puzzled as they noticed the unusual situation on the bridge.
"Although Time and Space Dao's Origins are extremely rare, and only one might appear in a month, the other Nine Sequences' Origins should be more frequent. Could they be waiting for the Time and Space Origin?"
The people from the various immortal dynasties noticed the top prodigies from their own royal families lingering on the Heavenly Dao Bridge, their brows furrowing in concern.
On the Heavenly Dao Bridge.
As more and more people climbed the bridge, the place became crowded, and the celestial techniques intensified. The cultivators from various immortal dynasties became increasingly agitated.
"Everyone, get out of the way! This area belongs to our Tian Zhao Immortal Dynasty. If you cross this line, don't blame us for being impolite!"
"What's yours and mine? Does the Heavenly Dao Bridge also belong to your Tian Zhao Immortal Dynasty? Don't sit on the toilet without doing your business! The Time Dao's Origin might be hidden right here in your area, let me search!"
A battle quickly broke out on the bridge, as the prodigies and royal family members of various immortal dynasties clashed with one another.
Seeing this, the guardians of the various dynasties tightened their expressions. If the situation became life-threatening, they would have to intervene.
"What's going on?"
Chu Tianhuang was also on the Heavenly Dao Bridge. At this moment, he still hadn't found the Time and Space Dao's Origin, and his expression turned extremely dark.
After wandering here for so long without finding the Time and Space Dao's Origin, his hope of reaching the Time and Space Origin City was dashed. He even began to consider heading to another Origin City.
But he couldn't feel the aura of other Dao Origins either, and his mood grew increasingly anxious.
"Emotion Dao, Buddha Dao, Yin Yang Dao..."
"Damn, none of these are Nine Sequences!"
In the mist deep within the Heavenly Dao Bridge, Chu Yueli wore a look of frustration as she sensed many Dao Origins, some of which were extremely powerful, but none of them were Nine Sequences.
For her, at least reaching the Five Dao Origin City was necessary for comprehension. If she ended up in the Chaos Origin City, where she would be forced to comprehend the myriad Daos of the True World, it would be too chaotic.
"More and more people are here. Could it be that the others have already found the Nine Sequences Dao?"
Chu Yueli's expression was dark. The news about her arranged marriage from her mother weighed heavily on her, adding immense pressure to her heart.
She had originally hoped to quickly find the Time and Space Dao's Origin here, enter the Time and Space Origin City to comprehend, and use the next seven years of cultivation in the Origin Realm to progress further. Now, however, she was stuck on this Heavenly Dao Bridge.
"Space Dao..."
Elsewhere in the mist, Jiang Tianchi wandered around. Her eyes were cold. She had been here for half a month and still hadn't found the Space Dao's Origin.
Given her level in Space Dao, this was an inconceivable situation.
"More and more people are here."
Meanwhile, Li Hao was also in the mist, continuing to fish for numerous Dao Origins.
Apart from the Nine Sequences, he had already fished up many other Dao Origins and stored them in his Heaven and Earth Space.
He had already gathered many of the Nine Sequences Dao Origins and kept them in the Heaven and Earth Space.
His fishing experience was approaching the perfect 11th stage, and the only thing left was to gain further insight into his mindset.
"Another Space Dao?"
At that moment, Li Hao detected a faint trace of aura. His eyes lit up, and he quickly used Time as a net to pursue the Space Dao's Origin.
Meanwhile, Jiang Tianchi, walking through the mist, suddenly changed her expression. She turned her head sharply toward a particular direction.
Although the fluctuation was extremely subtle, she had still noticed it.
The Space Dao's Origin... finally appeared!
Her eyes sparkled slightly, and her figure almost instantly darted toward it.
Having spent half a month searching here, her celestial power, which had been distorting the space continuously, was almost depleted. She had planned to rest for a while today and replenish her power, but now she had detected the Space Dao fluctuations. Fortunately, she had acted slowly—if she had stepped off the bridge earlier, she would have missed it!
While fully sprinting toward it, she silently congratulated herself for staying a little longer.
Whoosh!
Li Hao quickly locked onto the location of the Space Dao's Origin. Time spread out like countless threads of light, rapidly chasing it down and soon wrapping it up.
With his previous experience and insights from fishing on the Heavenly Dao Bridge, catching the Space Dao's Origin this time was effortless.
"Reel in!"
With Time flowing like a beam of light, he sealed off the Space Dao's Origin. Li Hao directly pulled it in, dragging the space with the power of Time, and in an instant, he had brought the Space Dao's Origin to his side.
The Space Dao's Origin was still struggling, but it had already been trapped in Li Hao's palm-sized Time bubble, unable to move.
Just as Li Hao was about to store it in his Heaven and Earth Space, a sudden force tore through the mist. A figure emerged from the fog, charging forward like an immortal descending to the mortal realm, her robes billowing.
"Hmm?"
Li Hao looked at the figure, and Jiang Tianchi also turned her gaze toward him. Their eyes met, and in the next moment, Jiang Tianchi's gaze fixed on the Space Dao's Origin in Li Hao's hand.
She froze, shocked that just as she had sensed the Space Dao's Origin, someone else had already caught it.
Soon, she noticed that Li Hao's aura was only at the Ninth Level of True Immortal.
Such speed... Her eyes flickered slightly. A mere True Immortal had managed to find the Space Dao's Origin before her and capture it.
It was clear that the Space Dao had likely appeared near him, allowing him to seize it first.
"Give it to me!"
She immediately spoke to Li Hao, her tone commanding and filled with authority.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly. The other party was at the Immortal Monarch realm, and though her aura was restrained, there was a terrifying feeling, similar to that of Chu Tianhuang, giving off a dangerous vibe.
"I caught it first."
Li Hao replied.
Jiang Tianchi's eyes flickered. She had just realized that they were on the Heavenly Dao Bridge, not in the Jiang Rong Immortal Dynasty. In her own dynasty, her royal status was extremely revered, but here, everyone was a competitor.
Her expression softened slightly as she spoke, "Which immortal dynasty are you from? You don't look like a member of the royal family."
"Why do you want to know?" Li Hao asked.
"I'm from the Jiang Rong Immortal Dynasty. If you join my dynasty, I will swear by my royal status and grant you the title of a First-Class Marquis in the Jiang Rong Immortal Dynasty, along with great treasures and the incense of a hundred cities, ensuring your name will be remembered for generations!" Jiang Tianchi said.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow. Jiang family... He thought of Emperor Yu. The other party also had the surname Jiang.
But there were many people with the same surname in the world. He realized he wasn't thinking of Emperor Yu for any other reason, but rather because he had been reminiscing about the time spent playing chess and the gatherings.
In the realms, he had long since settled Emperor Yu.
"If you want it, we can exchange," Li Hao replied.
In his hand, Li Hao held not just the Space Dao's Origin, but also two others.
During his time fishing here, he had collected several sets of Nine Sequences' Dao Origins, the only one he hadn't found yet being the Gold Dao.
Hearing Li Hao's words, Jiang Tianchi's eyes clearly brightened. If he was willing to exchange, then there was hope.
Although the young man before her was only at the True Immortal realm and could be crushed with a single swipe, she had already noticed the trace of Time and Space Dao around him. Moreover, the fact that he was alone on the Heavenly Dao Bridge could very well indicate he had the Nine Flower Celestial Seal!
These clues suggested an important piece of information: someone with such top-tier talent was likely to possess a top-tier celestial weapon.
If she tried to forcefully take it, it would take time to break through his celestial weapon. If he used the Space Dao's Origin to escape into the Time and Space Origin City, she would be left helpless, watching him go.
"I can swear right now…"
Jiang Tianchi thought Li Hao was tempted, so she was about to make her vow.
Li Hao quickly stopped her. "What I want to exchange isn't that. It's something else."
"Something else?"
Jiang Tianchi was taken aback. The best thing she could offer immediately was the First-Class Marquis title of the Jiang Rong Immortal Dynasty. It was equivalent to a top general's position, though without military power, its status was on par with the sect leaders of the various Tianzong.
Even if Li Hao was in the True Immortal realm, the sect leaders of the Immortal King realm would not dare to look down on him!
"Yes. A great dynasty like yours must have world-class chess manuals, guqin scores, and other such items. Find me some."
Li Hao said.
Jiang Tianchi blinked in confusion, staring at the young man. For the first time, she doubted her own cultivation and wondered if her ears were malfunctioning.
"Chess manuals, guqin scores?"
She couldn't help but ask, "Did you mean sword manuals or spear techniques?"
"No, I mean exactly what I said."
Li Hao replied, "Just tell me whether you'll agree."
"Well... that's no problem."
Jiang Tianchi immediately agreed without thinking.
Li Hao nodded. "Also, I'm short on celestial stones. How many do you have?"
"Celestial stones?"
Jiang Tianchi let out a sigh of relief. Finally, a request that made sense. She raised her hand, conjuring space, and said, "I only have two hundred thousand celestial stones with me. How many do you need? I can replenish them later."
"Only..."
Li Hao's mouth twitched slightly. As expected of the royal family, their wealth was immense. He said, "Of course, the more the better. Just give me the two hundred thousand for now, and the rest, you can get me as much as you can."
He spoke without hesitation, tossing the Space Dao's Origin to her.
Jiang Tianchi raised her hand to catch it, slightly stunned. She then carefully examined it and was left speechless.
She had actually doubted the authenticity of the Space Dao's Origin when it was right in front of her.
She looked at the young man with a strange expression but didn't break her promise. She took the two hundred thousand celestial stones from her Heaven and Earth Space, placing them all in a beautiful pouch.
"Count them, and I can give you another three hundred thousand."
Jiang Tianchi said, "When the Southern Domain War comes seven years later, you will participate, right? I'll give you more then."
"Alright."
Li Hao nodded. For top-tier prodigies like them, they were unlikely to break their promises.
Moreover, those two hundred thousand celestial stones would be enough for him to reach the Tenth Level of the True Immortal realm.
Aside from celestial stones, he couldn't think of anything else he was missing.
Celestial weapons… he already had the Taowu. As for higher-level Immortal King treasures, even if he obtained them, he wouldn't be able to control them, and they might even pose a danger.
After all, only an Immortal King could control domain weapons, and even their weapon spirits possessed terrifying power that an Immortal Monarch couldn't manage.
"Is there anything else?"
Jiang Tianchi asked.
"No."
Li Hao shook his head, turning to leave. "Then we'll settle the rest seven years later."
He said, not looking back, and walked away without a second thought.
Jiang Tianchi stood there in a daze. When Li Hao's figure disappeared into the mist, she realized she hadn't even asked for his name.
"This..."
Looking at the Space Dao's Origin in her hand, she realized that this wasn't a dream. This strange young man was unlike anyone she had ever seen.
Her eyes flickered for a moment before she shook her head, not staying any longer. She quickly used the Space Dao's Origin in her hand to open the passage to the Time and Space Origin City, her figure disappearing from the Heavenly Dao Bridge.
"These two hundred thousand celestial stones are enough for me to reach the Immortal Monarch realm. But, to break through the bottleneck of the True Immortal realm, I'll need to speed up a bit more."
In the mist, Li Hao checked the pouch with celestial stones. The pile inside was immense, confirming it held exactly two hundred thousand.
For him, the extra Space Dao's Origin was useless. Gu Yan and the others likely hadn't arrived at the Origin Secret Realm yet, let alone the Heavenly Dao Bridge.
Li Hao found a place and continued fishing.
"The extra Nine Sequences' Origins could be sold, but aside from celestial stones, I don't think I need anything else. Oh, and celestial techniques..."
Li Hao's eyes suddenly lit up. There were prodigies from various immortal dynasties here, including royal families. If he traded Nine Sequences' Origins with them for their forbidden, top-tier celestial techniques, wouldn't that be a good deal?
However, whether they would be willing to trade was unknown. But how would he know if he didn't try?
With that thought, Li Hao continued fishing and walked through the mist.
Soon, he saw a swirling cloud of mist. He knew someone was fighting with celestial techniques inside. Previously, he would have avoided it to prevent being caught in the crossfire, but now, he pushed through the mist and walked forward.
"Hmm? Tianhuang?"
Li Hao was surprised to see Chu Tianhuang still here.
Chu Tianhuang shattered a celestial technique and turned to look. When he saw that it was Li Hao, he relaxed and asked, "You're still here?"
Li Hao chuckled. "I thought you had already gone to the Origin City."
"I thought you had gone too," Chu Tianhuang replied.
Chu Tianhuang glanced at Li Hao, dodging another celestial technique's attack. His expression turned grim as he said, "The Nine Sequences' Origins here seem to be extinct. The Time and Space Dao's Origin hasn't appeared yet, and if it doesn't show up in another two months, I'll have no choice but to go to the Five Dao Origin City or the Form Dao Origin City."
"This..."
Li Hao, upon hearing this, thought about the several sets of Nine Sequences' Origins in his Heaven and Earth Space. He couldn't help but scratch his nose, suddenly realizing why the number of people gathering here was increasing.
He had thought that more Immortal Seal users, like Chu Tianhuang, were arriving to assist others, but it turned out they were all stuck here because they couldn't find the Nine Sequences' Origins.
"I actually have some Nine Sequences' Origins. Do you need them?" Li Hao asked.
Chu Tianhuang was taken aback, looking at Li Hao, but then he shook his head. "I don't want to go to the Five Dao Origin City for now. Bo Ya Xuejian went there because his specialization is in the Water Dao's Origin."
"This one is Time's Origin," Li Hao replied.
Chu Tianhuang wanted to say something but suddenly fell silent. He stared at Li Hao, his eyes widening slowly. "Did you just say... Time's Origin?"
"Yes, Time's Origin," Li Hao repeated.
Chu Tianhuang stood frozen for a moment before rushing to Li Hao's side. His celestial energy exploded outward, and his avatar manifested behind him, revealing eighty arms that punched through the celestial attacks from all directions.
His real body looked excited as he stared at Li Hao. "You have the Time's Origin?"
"Yes."
"But you…"
Chu Tianhuang quickly regained his composure, staring at Li Hao while his mind raced.
Clearly, he didn't want to offend someone with such monstrous talent over the Time's Origin. He considered it not worth it.
"I don't want to go for now. If you want it, I can give it to you."
Li Hao spoke directly. "But it'll require an exchange."
"No problem."
Chu Tianhuang didn't hesitate to agree, then asked, "Why don't you want to go?"
Li Hao smiled but didn't answer. Chu Tianhuang immediately understood, and wisely didn't press the matter. After all, if Li Hao wanted to go, there would be no room for him, so the reason didn't matter.
"Then what do you want to exchange? I can make you a general in the Immortal Dynasty and give you a high position in the Demon-Slaying Division."
Chu Tianhuang said, though he knew that these terms might not sway Li Hao. After all, these rewards would likely be given to him by the emperor of the Jiang Rong Immortal Dynasty after the Southern Domain War.
"Celestial techniques," Li Hao said. "I've heard the royal family possesses the top-tier True Immortal realm sword techniques of Yan Chu."
"That's right."
Chu Tianhuang nodded. "Although the Wanshan Sword Tower is the number one sword sect in our dynasty, the strongest sword technique is in my royal family's imperial treasury."
He glanced at Li Hao. "That sword technique was left by a Sword King who once passed through Yan Chu. Although it wasn't created by an Immortal Emperor, it is complete, and for True Immortal cultivators, it's considered invincible!"
"Is it the Three Thousand Spring Thunder?" Li Hao asked.
Chu Tianhuang nodded, not surprised. This sword technique was already famous in Yan Chu, and countless people knew about it. The Wanshan Sword Tower would even send its best disciples to the royal family to study it and use the sect's treasures to pave the way for their top disciples.
Someone like Hong Tianyi had even come to the royal family to study this sword, but it was strictly forbidden to teach it to outsiders. Those who did would be hunted down by Yan Chu, and the ones taught would be punished as well!
"If you want it, I can teach you."
Chu Tianhuang said directly, understanding Li Hao's intentions. He also felt relieved.
Exchanging the Time's Origin for this sword technique was fair.
"Alright."
Li Hao nodded, then asked, "Can you teach me?"
"I don't practice swordsmanship myself, but I can have my mother teach me right now. However, you can't teach anyone else," Chu Tianhuang said.
"No problem."
Li Hao nodded.
Though Li Hao already mastered the Qing Tian Swordsmanship and the Sword God Secret from the Great Dream Nine Abyss, he was always open to learning new celestial sword techniques. The more swordsmanship he integrated, the stronger his sword dao would become!
Only by experiencing everything in the world could one truly cut down everything in the world.
As he absorbed more top-tier sword techniques, Li Hao's sword dao would reach even greater heights.
Swordsmanship, both a path and the path of all paths.
Some sword techniques are fierce and solid, others change endlessly, some are light as snow, and others are heavy and without edges!
Chu Tianhuang immediately took out a transmission talisman and sent a message to his mother in the Imperial Palace.
Not long later, his transmission talisman lit up, and he received a reply. His eyes brightened, and he turned to Li Hao. "I'll teach you now."
With a wave of his hand, a beam of divine light shot out, and tiny sword images swirled inside. These images entered Li Hao's eyes.
Li Hao received it with his divine sense, and the result was a terrifyingly powerful sword technique.
"Remember, don't teach it to anyone else."
Chu Tianhuang reminded him once more.
Li Hao nodded and took out the Time's Origin from his Heaven and Earth Space, handing it to Chu Tianhuang.
Chu Tianhuang took the brilliant, multi-colored light in his hand, feeling a bit emotional. He hadn't expected that Li Hao would so easily hand over the Time and Space Origin. It would be much harder to find the Space Dao's Origin now, and it would take more time.
Especially since more and more people seemed to be gathering here, likely all aiming for the hardest-to-enter Time and Space Origin City. The competition for the Time and Space Dao's Origin was getting fiercer. Chu Tianhuang himself felt it was becoming difficult, let alone Li Hao.
"I'll head off now."
Chu Tianhuang said.
When Li Hao nodded, he immediately used the Time's Origin to connect to the Time and Space Origin City, leaving the Heavenly Dao Bridge and vanishing.
As Chu Tianhuang disappeared, the mist that had been spread out by his avatar began to gather again. Li Hao expanded his Dao Domain, with swordsmanship woven into it, while his thoughts sank inside as he began practicing the Three Thousand Spring Thunder sword technique he had just comprehended!
As he integrated the swordsmanship into his consciousness, this top-tier sword technique, created by an Immortal King for True Immortal realm cultivators, quickly began to unravel in his mind.
Three Thousand Spring Thunder wasn't about three thousand strikes—it was a single move!
A single move, the Spring Thunder moves, unleashing three thousand sword shadows to kill!