20. Comprehensive Body Refinement
Chapter 20: Comprehensive Body Refinement
As Jian Wudao left with Bian Ruxue, a group of women from the mansion followed, each trying to get a word in before he departed.
Some even arranged for their children to practice swordsmanship along the path from the mansion, hoping to catch Jian Wudao's attention.
However, none managed to attract his notice.
The Sword Lodge was not easily entered, which is why people longed so desperately to be part of it.
The vibrant colors of the courtyard seemed to fade away as the women left, returning to the emptiness and silence of autumn leaves falling.
Li Hao held the sword Bian Ruxue had practiced with, gazing quietly at the courtyard gate. It was a long, lingering look before he finally turned away.
He handed the sword to Li Fu behind him and said, "Uncle Fu, please place this on the sword rack in my bedroom and tell the maids not to clean it every day."
Li Fu took the sword, feeling a sense of loss. As he looked at Li Hao's profile, there was an air of reluctance and some self-blame in his eyes. In a low voice, he said, "From today on, I won't indulge you anymore. I will confiscate your chessboard. You need to start training!"
Li Hao was taken aback and looked up, "Uncle Fu, you don't think I wasn't taken as a disciple because of chess, do you? That's unfair!"
"I don't care."
Li Fu's face was stern. "Thousand-li horses are common, but Bole is rare. If you fail to seize the opportunity right in front of you, it's because you weren't prepared. From now on, you must always be in your best form, ready for the one or two chances that might come at any time."
"Opportunities in life are scarce. If you miss them, how can you achieve anything!"
Li Hao, feeling wronged, asked, "Then Uncle Fu, what do you think it means to achieve something?"
"To be a Li family member is to become famous across the land, defend the borders, and protect the people of this country. That's what it means to achieve something!" Li Fu replied solemnly without hesitation.
"Then being a Li family member is too hard," Li Hao said with a bitter smile.
"If you bear the Li surname and enjoy this wealth, you must shoulder this responsibility," Li Fu said coldly.
Did he really enjoy it? Li Hao thought with a bitter smile. But then he recalled the delicious pastries and fresh fruits from his fifth aunt, as well as the nourishing porridge from his eldest aunt. Perhaps he did enjoy them a bit.
"Uncle Fu, are you talking about body refinement training?"
"Of course."
Li Fu glanced at him, meaning that aside from body refinement, what other path could you take?
Body refinement wasn't popular because it was grueling, had a low ceiling, and required high comprehension and skill to compete with other experts.
Some forced to choose this path might endure the hardship, but not all would have the necessary comprehension.
After all, the chiseling of hardship might become beautiful, but it could also distort the soul.
Li Hao and Uncle Fu argued a bit, and finally, they agreed that Li Hao would train but not have his chessboard taken away. He still needed some time to enjoy himself daily.
Uncle Fu had to agree, planning to focus on training once Li Hao got started.
In the following days, Li Hao was forced to spend some time training with a basic body refinement manual that Uncle Fu had provided.
However, with his understanding of the path of the body, he progressed rapidly, much to Uncle Fu's delight. He hadn't expected Li Hao to be such a good candidate for body refinement.
Li Hao slightly controlled his training progress to ensure Uncle Fu didn't completely cut off his leisure time, taking three months to master the basic body refinement manual.
Even so, the results brought tears to Uncle Fu's eyes, who, filled with emotion, wrote a letter to the North, sharing this joyful news with the couple at the frontier.
And through persistent accumulation, Li Hao's Chess Dao finally improved.
[Name: Li Hao]
[Age: 7]
[Cultivation: Tongli Realm Stage Ten]
[Sword Dao: Second Rank (Flying Rank) (Hidden Bow)]
[Skills: Boundless Sea · Tide (Perfect), Falling Snow Sword Technique (Perfect)]
[Path of the Body: First Rank (Universe) (Tiger Suppression)]
[Skills: Stone Skin Hundred Refinements (Mastered), Thousand Dragon Sacred Body (Dragon Body Minor Achievement), Primordial (Star Body Initiate), Barbarian Bull Strength (Mastered)]
[Chess Dao: Fourth Rank (1/10000)]
[Chess Manual Collection: Universe, Tiger Suppression, Flying Rank, Hidden Bow]
[Mindset: Chess Heart]
[Skill Points: 1]
Li Hao glanced at Uncle Fu, who was inseparable from him, and decided not to use his skill points to upgrade immediately.
If it were the Sword Dao, that would be fine, as it was just memory infusion. But he wanted to use this skill point on the Path of the Body first, ensuring his strength gave him a sense of security.
However, the realization in the Path of the Body would inevitably change the body refinement manuals, and his body would change accordingly, causing too much of a stir.
One day.
Li Hao, accompanied by Uncle Fu, went to Tingyu Pavilion.
Having learned of Li Hao's potential in body refinement, He Jianlan granted him the privilege to enter Tingyu Pavilion anytime to select manuals.
Of course, Uncle Fu could not enter.
Though a confidant of Li Tiangang, he was not a direct core member of the Li family, and there was a difference in status.
Uncle Fu didn't mind. Tingyu Pavilion was a crucial place for the Li family. Though there seemed to be no one guarding it, no one would dare steal treasures from it.
It was safer than any lady's courtyard.
Uncle Fu stayed below as Li Hao went upstairs alone.
Now considered old enough to understand, He Jianlan no longer had Xue Jian accompany him as a monitor. Li Hao ascended the stairs alone.
Having heard that the Sword Saint elder sent a body refinement manual two months ago, placed on the sixth floor, he headed directly there.
Soon, he found a new manual.
"Dragon Cicada True Vacuum Body"
Li Hao began to read.
With his understanding of the Path of the Body at the first rank, he quickly grasped the basics.
Recording.
The manual appeared on the panel and reached the second level of mastery.
The Dragon Cicada True Vacuum Body had six levels, each refining a different physique.
Level One: The Still Cicada Body, which could perceive the subtle flow of air over the body.
Level Two: The Hidden Dragon Body, storing dragon-like strength within.
Level Three: The Leaping Shell Body, enabling movement in mid-air.
...
His body made slight cracking sounds. Li Hao could feel that as he entered the Hidden Dragon Body, he had an additional power, estimated at over ten thousand jin!
Although still at Tongli Realm Stage Ten, his strength was vastly superior to the average practitioner.
Li Hao thought to himself that if he trained in several body refinement manuals, could he amass even more strength?
He acted on this thought and began searching through the various levels of Tingyu Pavilion.
It wasn't long before he found seven or eight body refinement manuals, all of medium to high quality, capable of reaching first-rate warrior status when mastered.
Quickly, as the manuals were recorded into the panel, Li Hao felt subtle changes in his body, his limbs becoming more solid.
His cultivation level on the panel remained unchanged, and he expected an increase in strength, but there was none. However, some manuals focused on claw techniques, leg techniques, bone refining, or organ refining.
He felt that although his overall strength hadn't increased much, these areas had been significantly enhanced.
Li Hao guessed that his physique was too powerful, having already unleashed most of his bodily strength, so these slightly lesser manuals couldn't stimulate more power but could enhance specific areas.
His Stone Skin Hundred Refinements Manual could increase skin hardness but was overshadowed by the Dragon Demon Body from the Thousand Dragon Sacred Body.
The Dragon Demon Body's enhancement of the skin, akin to dragon scales, was far superior to the Stone Skin Hundred Refinements, making the latter's effects negligible.
However, other body refinement manuals covered areas not addressed by the six-floor manuals.
His bones, liver, ears, eyes, and other parts were enhanced.
While overall strength showed little change, the combat strength had been greatly transformed.
Li Hao realized he needed to gather various body refinement techniques to temper himself. If he could train every part of his body to a uniform standard, he'd be invincible!
At this moment, the abundant resources of Tingyu Pavilion made Li Hao truly appreciate its value for warriors.
There might not be many chess manuals, but there were plenty of body refinement manuals!
Li Hao was overjoyed, frantically searching the pavilion for body refinement manuals and recording each one.
Time passed.
By dusk, Li Hao emerged from the pavilion, carrying a body refinement manual.
In the distance, it seemed a few crows were flying across the horizon. The faint scent of food and wood smoke drifted from the front courtyard. It was already dinner time.
Li Hao stretched, relaxing his muscles.
There were so many manuals in Tingyu Pavilion that after searching all afternoon, he found only about a tenth of them, focusing solely on the body refinement category.
He didn't record every manual. For example, Barbarian Bull Strength, which Uncle Fu had forced him to practice earlier, offered no improvement, having been surpassed by stronger techniques.
If two manuals covered the same area, practicing the stronger one left the weaker redundant unless they addressed different parts, in which case they could complement each other.
"You're finally out."
Seeing Li Hao emerge, Uncle Fu was speechless, having waited all afternoon. He hoped the boy hadn't become indecisive.
He picked up the manual Li Hao held, a mid-tier body refinement manual, "Dragon Spine," clearly focusing on back training.
"Is this all you picked?" Uncle Fu was a bit disappointed. "Didn't you go to the sixth floor?"
"I did, but I couldn't understand it," Li Hao replied casually.
Uncle Fu thought this made sense. The sixth-floor manuals were supreme, challenging even for him to grasp their basics after months of practice.
"Don't rush to practice this one. I'll ask the lady which manual suits you from Tingyu Pavilion. This one is too specialized."
Uncle Fu hoped Li Hao would train in a comprehensive body refinement technique, covering all areas, minimizing weaknesses.
"Alright." Li Hao didn't refuse, casually saying, "Let's go. I'm hungry. What's for dinner?"
Li Hao's apparent lack of interest in martial arts left Uncle Fu a bit resigned. The two of them turned away from Tingyu Pavilion and left.
Soon, they encountered an old man wearing a straw hat, carrying a fishing rod on his shoulder and a fish basket in hand, dressed simply and looking quite ordinary.
Seeing the man, Uncle Fu's eyes widened, his expression immediately respectful. He quickly stopped and stood aside, greeting him deferentially, "Li Fu greets Second Uncle."