Chapter 522: True Immortal Realm Group
Emperor Chu walked upon a bridge of immortal Dao light, like a sovereign going to war, arriving above the majestic divine mountain where the crowd had gathered.
Immortal mist drifted across the mountain. Within the fog, silver-armored immortal guards stood faintly visible, stationed layer upon layer in strict formation, surrounding the divine mountain with heavy security.
Li Hao and the others followed from behind. As they neared, they saw that another group had already assembled on the mountain aside from them.
These people wore similar styles of clothing and had cold, detached demeanors. Many of them emanated powerful auras—clearly they were cultivators from another immortal dynasty.
"Tianzhao Immortal Dynasty," murmured Chu Tianzheng, a prince from the imperial family, as his eyes swept over them.
Beside Li Hao, the Great Dream Lord leaned closer and quietly explained to him and the others the background of the group ahead.
Above the Tianzhao Immortal Dynasty, a massive Dharma image sat within the immortal mist. Its figure was solemn and awe-inspiring. That cultivator exchanged a faint smile across the distance with Emperor Chu.
Emperor Chu calmly nodded in return. The seven ancient immortal dynasties competed and clashed beneath the surface, but they maintained a veneer of harmony. Still, if anyone showed weakness, killing blows would be struck without hesitation.
Li Hao looked toward the Tianzhao crowd and recognized a few familiar faces among the royal family. They were the ones he had sold strands of Dao origin light to on the Heavenly Dao Bridge.
People murmured throughout the scene. Among them, some gazes flashed with envy.
After the Supreme One finished speaking, the commander of the immortal guards took out a treasure—a small white mirror.
One cultivator among the Tianzhao group stood out like a blazing flame. Though surrounded by other Heaven's Chosen, his crimson glow was striking and unmistakable.
Back then, Emperor Chu had discovered that person had joined Jiangrong Immortal Dynasty. The trade between them had gone smoothly. Especially upon hearing, just before leaving the Origin Secret Realm, that other dynasties' Heaven's Chosen had missed their chance due to lacking Dao origin light, Emperor Chu had felt even more fortunate to have made that deal.
The immortal guard commander said, "Upon entering, your soul age will also be verified."
Shen Fu noticed one figure among them—it was Chiying, whom he had encountered twice before.
Soon after, another massive figure sped toward the summit on a stream of immortal rainbow light.
The immortal guard commander then clearly explained the rules for the upcoming tournament.
Another figure stood at the rear of Shen Fu's group. His presence was exceptional, his eyes sharp and prideful. Today, dressed in white-gold battle robes, he looked commanding and powerful.
For those with lower cultivation, the difference between each realm was small. He himself was only at seventh-level Immortal Lord Realm and could barely take on someone at eighth or ninth level. But Li Hao—Li Hao was a terrifying anomaly. If one ran into him in the Secret Realm, it could become a brutal fight.
The voice carried throughout the divine mountain. Most people's expressions stayed calm, as though none of this came as a surprise.
Chi Man never viewed Emperor Chu as a rival—their realms and strength were too far apart. But he remembered him well. Back then, Emperor Chu had sold him a piece of the space Dao origin, helping him enter the Space Origin City early and make good use of his time.
Among the Jiangrong Immortal Dynasty group that arrived later, royal son Jiang Tianchi also saw Emperor Chu and remembered the same transaction. He nodded slightly as a gesture of respect.
"Tenth-level True Immortal Realm?" sensing Emperor Chu's cultivation, Jiang Tianchi raised an eyebrow and smirked with mockery.
Hearing the voice, Emperor Chu turned his gaze toward him.
It wasn't just Li Hao who had drawn attention—other competitors were beginning to arrive as well.
As the crowd around the mountain grew, the immortal mist behind suddenly swirled like a vortex. From within it stepped a figure—it was the Supreme One of the Heavenly Palace.
"The remaining rankings will receive generous rewards: immortal stones, immortal weapons, emperor blood, divine fruits, and more."
"Hmm?"
"Now then—let the groupings be revealed!"
"Truly a gathering of the strong."
News of the groupings had already circulated among the various dynasties.
A year had passed, but some had still failed to break through to the Immortal Lord Realm. What a pity.
Shen Fu's thoughts stirred. He had expected there would be groupings. If it were a simple random draw, a True Immortal facing an Immortal Lord would be meaningless. Except in rare cases, most True Immortals would be instantly crushed.
One particular aura caught Shen Fu's attention—it was Li Hao.
Eight figures stood behind the Supreme One—unremarkable at first glance, like dust motes, yet their presence drew the attention of every faction. It was clear these were the Supreme One's disciples, and some might even be personal disciples.
Many still wore tense expressions. Among the Hundred Clans, their own strength did not fall short of Jin Fengling's. He too was from one of the Hundred Clans.
Hearing the next announcement from the immortal guard commander, even some Immortal Lord cultivators' expressions shifted. Chu Tianhuang and the others also grew more serious.
"This Southern Domain Tournament limits soul age to 8,000 years—no more!"
"Within the Immortal Lord Secret Realm, like Li Hao, all are of Immortal Lord level. The strongest among them are at the first level of Immortal Lord Realm."
"True Immortal Realm cultivators—enter the right-side Secret Realm. Immortal Lord Realm—enter the left."
The immortal guard commander gave the instructions.
Li Hao glanced ahead and sighed inwardly. Among the other dynasty's group, dozens were already at Immortal Lord Realm—all evidently participants.
"Their performance will also be recorded into the overall Shen Fu rankings and may earn bonuses for the True Immortal group."
"And the current True Immortals like Shen Fu—they're all at tenth level."
That True Immortal who had once tried to fight him over a Divine Tree Dao Fruit in the Origin Secret Realm—Li Hao hadn't forgotten. And now, they had run into each other again.
"If a True Immortal ranks in the top ten, they gain the right to challenge an Immortal Lord. If they win, they can challenge again—until they lose."
"Once in the Secret Realm, there will be no rules, but all immortal weapons, talismans, and pills will be stripped upon entry."
Emperor Chu glanced over at Jin Yunxian. He had long waited for a chance to take revenge—and now the time had come.
In short, as long as one stood out with strong performance, the rewards would provide a solid foundation for tens of thousands of years of future cultivation.
The white mirror hovered in the air like a monument. On its surface, the figure of the immortal guard commander appeared—his soul age was 65,824 years.
Upon hearing this, Shen Fujian raised an eyebrow. Thinking of what was said about a first-level Immortal Lord, he held back from speaking further.
That vortex led to a deep and endless place. From within radiated waves of malevolence, so foul they were nearly tangible, causing some to feel nauseated and pale.
"These are the public rewards!"
After all, from birth, some contestants had already been ahead by hundreds or even thousands of years of cultivation—how could that not stir resentment?
The Supreme One said solemnly, "The path of Heaven's Chosen is one of trials and hardship. Only those who endure the harshest tests will have a chance to enter the King Realm—or even touch the Emperor Realm."
Behind him, eight figures stood like specks of dust—yet none dared underestimate them.
"When you return from the Secret Realm, your soul heart will be preserved. If you happen to fall carelessly outside, there's still a chance at reincarnation—but you'll have to cultivate from the beginning."
At that moment, the Supreme One raised his hand, and two white vortices appeared in the air to his left and right.
Among those gathered was Chiman from the Yuanzun Immortal Dynasty, familiar to Emperor Chu from their meeting at the Spatial Origin Divine Tree. When he saw Shen Fu, they nodded to each other across the void.
To make a name for oneself—it only takes one battle!
The Supreme One then spoke solemnly: "The Li Hao within has been imprisoned in that realm. On him is the Dao Flame you etched. Kill him to obtain it. Only then will you be considered to have cleared this trial."
Emperor Chu noticed the ridicule in the other's eyes and sighed inwardly. If only his mastery of the Dao of Painting had made a breakthrough, he could've claimed a proper revenge today.
Of course, some people he had dealt with only through incarnations, concealing both appearance and aura, never exposing his true self.
Clearly, this first round of the Southern Domain Tournament was already extremely brutal.
A moment later, the Supreme One waved heavily, opening a vortex in the void leading to the plaza outside the Heavenly Palace. A chaotic crowd stood there, and as the vortex opened, they surged forward like a swarm, descending in a neat square formation at the center of the divine mountain.
Their numbers clearly exceeded those of smaller ancient divine clans. Some only had a few dozen participants, representing their dynasties in the next battle.
The emperors from each immortal dynasty narrowed their eyes, a solemn aura rising around the mountain as ritual chants began. The entire divine peak took on a sacred air.
Anyone able to cultivate to this level and come here to fight was resolute in their Dao heart—none would shrink back at the last moment.
Still… to make it into the top ten and earn the right to challenge Immortal Lord Realm cultivators?
Emperor Chu's sharp gaze spotted a familiar face among the crowd—it was Jin Yunxian, who had once fought for a Divine Tree Dao Fruit in the Seven Origin Cities.
Even though he believed himself invincible in the True Immortal Realm, he dared not challenge someone at first-level Immortal Lord Realm. That was no simple gap—it was a difference of hundreds or even thousands of times in power!
Without the will to risk life and death, how could one compete with the Heaven's Chosen of all races—how could one battle someone like Li Hao?
"I've heard that Jin Fengling was born monstrously powerful—his physique at birth was at the extreme limit. Absolutely terrifying!"
"And there's also the mysterious Gu Mo!"
"No wonder Shen Fujian is so arrogant!"
"This is only the first elimination round. But every clash inside the Secret Realm will be broadcast across the Southern Domain. Don't take it lightly."
"If you rank from 70th to 79th in the final standings—not quite bottom ten—you'll still be given a thousand years of cultivation time inside the Supreme One's Secret Realm."
If he reached the Immortal Lord Realm, he'd have a chance to fight Shen Fu in that realm's tournament. When that day came, he'd reveal the full power of his Dao body in front of the entire Southern Domain and countless people from ancient divine clans. He would show everyone that the good fortune gained by Shen Fu wasn't a blessing—but a curse!
The moment the immortal guard commander spoke, the divine mountain erupted with a cold, fiery excitement. Many cultivators could hardly stay calm.
"Given that the soul age limit spans eight thousand years—some are barely one thousand, some nearly eight thousand—and yet some remain True Immortals while others have already broken through to Immortal Lord Realm… this tournament will be divided into two separate groups!"
Soon after, more Heaven's Chosen from other great immortal dynasties began arriving.
One among them had sword-like brows and exuded a divine radiance. His presence radiated sheer dominance—he was like a god who had walked for countless years.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked toward the two Secret Realms.
Some couldn't help but frown slightly as they focused their gaze.
Then, the immortal guard commander looked up at Jin Fengling and declared:
"Though you're only in the True Immortal Realm, you wish to enter the Immortal Lord Secret Realm to challenge others—are you certain?"
"You're just a darling of this era. When chaos first opened, it's said a strand of Chaos Law entered a creature's body—that was how Jin Fengling was created."
The cultivators following him moved with overwhelming momentum like a cloud of immortal might.
"As long as your performance is excellent, there's a chance you'll attract the attention of powerful figures. You could even be taken in as a disciple. Know this—the entire Southern Domain tournament will be reflected across the heavens. Every race will be watching."
His Dharma body stood ten thousand feet tall. Around him swirled innate Dao light vortexes that radiated deep Daoist meaning. Just standing nearby could trigger insights into the Dao.
As Jin Yunxian reached the base of the divine mountain, he scanned with his divine sense and instantly spotted Emperor Chu within the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty.
To leap realms in combat was already difficult. But for a True Immortal to challenge an Immortal Lord? That was even harder!
Not long after they arrived, another announcement rang out:
"For the Immortal Lord Realm group—those ranked 80th and below will earn the right to enter the Primal True World to cultivate. If they gain an Emperor's favor, they may become a disciple of an Immortal Emperor."
"Tianzhao Immortal Dynasty has arrived."
"For the True Immortal Realm group—the top ten will receive the same opportunity!"
"These two paths lead to two different battlefields of Li Hao."
Keep in mind, besides the Gu Mo given by the Heavenly Palace, there were also Shen Fu of the immortal dynasties, and even some ancient divine clans and Shen Fu's family had sent participants.
A clear, confident voice rang out. Everyone looked toward the speaker—it was a golden-haired young man.
Whether from the royal clans like Chu Tianhuang of the great immortal dynasties, or lesser participants hoping to make a name, battle intent and ambition filled their eyes.
Among the ancient divine clans gathered besides Yan Chu and Tianzhao were Jiangrong, Yuanzun, Jinyun, Wangqin, and Chijiang!
Soon after, more and more divine clans arrived.
As the immortal weapons commander spoke, his gaze swept over the entire crowd.
The Supreme One raised his hand again. Around him, the innate Dao vortexes surged with powerful immortal Power, making many feel as though they were ascending into immortality.
"Also, once you enter, the outside world's space can no longer open. The Dao Flames you obtain must be carried on your person."
If this opponent had been at the seventh-level Immortal Lord Realm, he might've considered it. But first-level Immortal Lord? That gap was far too vast!
Some participants stood at the outer edges of the divine mountain. Even emperors from smaller dynasties who were only at early Immortal King Realm had no right to fly and could only stand obediently on the ground.
Upon hearing the Supreme One's words, those who had been uncertain grew more determined.
"I can."
As the Supreme One descended, all whispering ceased instantly.
To fight Li Hao?
Even if they couldn't reach the top, anyone who stood out would gain immense rewards from this Southern Domain Tournament—this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rise to fame!
Following the Supreme One's signal, a figure soared from the immortal guards, radiating overwhelming power. He was even more domineering than the Little Dream Lord beside Shen Fu. His aura was unrestrained as he called out boldly:
"If this Southern Domain Tournament turns into a free-for-all, the True Immortal Realm group won't even be able to join the fray—it'll just be a stage for the Immortal Lords."
Shortly after the arrival of Tianzhao Immortal Dynasty, more dynasties followed swiftly.