Chapter 31 - 38: Perfection. Young Master Li Hao. Inheriting a Soul. Flawless Physique, Millions of Jin!. Ancestral Clan Shrine. Ancestor's Rules. Heaven and Earth. The Altar Palace Academy.

 "Little Mouse's culinary skills are improving. I've been fishing for half my life and have long gotten tired of the taste of fish, but I can always enjoy the dishes he makes."

Feng Boping laughed heartily, flung his sleeves, and took a seat on a large stone by the pot. With a wave of his hand, a cup and a pair of jade chopsticks appeared in his palm, as if he were plucking flowers.

Although he and LiMuxiu shared similar eccentric personalities, there were some differences between them. Feng Boping was a clean freak and had a fondness for fine jade, even when it came to his eating utensils, which were luxurious and no less exquisite than those used by the royal family.

With a beaming smile, he handed Li Hao a pair of clean chopsticks and ignored Li Muxiu. Instead, he quietly waited for the pot to boil.

Li Hao estimated that the time was right, so he lifted the lid and placed it upside down on a nearby leaf. The moment he did so, a rich aroma escaped, and without bothering about age-old traditions of respecting elders, he immediately picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

"Hey, wait for me!"

Li Muxiu hurried over, grabbed a branch, hastily twisted it into a pair of chopsticks, and began to stir the pot.

Despite Feng Boping's clean habits, he didn't say anything about Li Muxiu's actions. Li Hao felt that this was probably what a lifelong friendship was like.

The three of them ate to their heart's content. Despite their significant age difference, neither of the elders put on airs of superiority in front of Li Hao. Sometimes, one would call the other "little brat," and the other would retort with "old man," displaying a carefree attitude.

"I didn't expect you to find a way to make fish taste this good." Li Muxiu exclaimed after taking a sip of the spicy soup.

Li Hao smiled. Over the past six months, his self-taught painting and cooking skills had steadily improved, reaching the second level.

The same was true for his fishing abilities.

Perhaps there really was such a thing as a beginner's luck, as during the first month, his catch rate had been exceptionally high. Now, however, it was rare for him to catch anything. Sometimes, he would even stay up until midnight, only to end up finding a shallow spot and catching a fish demon of the Tongli realm to avoid returning empty-handed.

As they were chatting, Li Hao's gaze suddenly shifted to the fish bladder, which was gently tapping the water.

Something's happening!

He quickly put down his chopsticks and rushed over to the fishing rod, his body crouched low. Just then, the fish bladder suddenly sank into the water.

Li Hao swiftly lifted the rod, and the other end of the line tightened, transmitting a powerful force. There was also a huge disturbance in the water.

"This kid..."

The two elders, seeing this, had a hint of envy in their eyes. That brat had managed to catch something again.

Soon, the disturbance in the water grew more violent, and a demon beast emerged from the surface. However, it was not a fish demon, but a shrimp demon with a hard shell!

Its body was four or five meters long, covered in sharp spikes, and its shrimp claws were menacing, capable of snapping mountain stones.

At that moment, the shrimp demon was using its claws to tug on the fishing line, its protruding eyes glaring at Li Hao on the shore. Seeing that he was just a little brat, it let out angry wails, but it was also filled with fear. Where had this wild child come from, and how could he possess such strength?

The shrimp demon struggled violently, but the fishing line that Li Muxiu had given Li Hao was impervious to water and fire, capable of withstanding a million pounds of force. It was not something an ordinary Zhoutian realm shrimp demon could damage.

Soon, as it was dragged closer to the shore, the shrimp demon's eyes showed a look of struggle, considering whether it should self-mutilate to break free and escape.

Just then, Li Hao's body swayed as if he couldn't hold the fishing rod steady.

"Hmm?"

The shrimp demon hesitated upon seeing this.

After a tug-of-war, the shrimp demon felt that this kid was only slightly stronger than itself. If it weren't for the fish hook wounding it, it might not have been at a disadvantage.

Its eyes darted, trying to pull Li Hao into the water, but Li Hao managed to stabilize himself each time.

Finally, after a fierce struggle, the shrimp demon was pulled and tugged to the point of pain. Losing its temper, it let out a sharp cry and charged onto the fishing platform, intending to snap and crush this ignorant brat.

However, as it reached the shore, the child who had been wobbling a moment ago suddenly stood firm, a relieved and brilliant smile spreading across his face.

Oh no!

The shrimp demon realized something was wrong, and just as it did, a tremendous force transmitted through the fishing hook pulled its airborne body, sending it flying towards Li Hao.

A zipping sound rang out, as if something silver and bright had flashed by.

The next moment, the shrimp demon lost consciousness, and the world went dark.

A huge shrimp head rolled to the ground, and Li Hao casually stabbed his sword into the earth beside him. Then, he dragged the shrimp demon's body and tossed it not far from the stove, saying to the two elders, "It's a pity it didn't take the bait earlier. Otherwise, I could have added some shrimp to our lunch."

Seeing Li Hao's casual disposal of this Zhoutian realm, level nine demon, the two elders smiled. Earlier, they had hidden their auras, which was why the shrimp demon hadn't sensed them and had dared to act so boldly.

Li Hao rebaited his hook and continued eating.

"You've reached a minor level of mastery with the Dragon River Divine Vein, haven't you? To be able to kill a Zhoutian realm, level nine demon so effortlessly," Feng Boping said with a laugh.

Li Hao did not deny it.

Minor level of mastery? It had already reached perfection.

...

...

As the day's fishing came to an end, with the sun setting in the west, Li Hao bid farewell to his grandfather and the Saint of Thieves, who mentioned that he would be embarking on a distant journey and would be away for half a month.

Evidently, there was going to be another theft of a treasure somewhere.

Li Muxiu, who was already accustomed to this, bade farewell with a smile and took Li Hao back to the Divine General's Mansion.

Now that Li Hao had developed an interest in fishing, Li Muxiu did not insist on continuing the "traditional fishing ritual" and instead returned directly to the Listening Rain Tower.

Outside the tower, Li Fu was waiting as usual, but this time, beside him stood a young maid—Xuejian from the Changchun Court.

As these thoughts flitted through her mind, Xuejian's gentle face remained impassive. She revealed a toothy smile and stepped forward to convey her purpose for their visit.

It turned out that Eldest Madam He Jianlan wanted Li Hao to enter the martial arts arena to train with the clan's disciples now that he had learned the body refinement technique for quite some time.

Li Fu, of course, had already learned about this from Xuejian beforehand, and his face lit up with eager anticipation as she spoke, as if he couldn't wait to nod in agreement on Li Hao's behalf.

However, upon hearing her request, Li Hao and Li Muxiu exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

Li Muxiu, understanding that Li Hao's words carried little weight and that refusing would only lead to further pestering, waved his hand dismissively. "The little guy stays by my side and receives guidance from me. Going to the martial arts arena would be a waste of time."

The old man harbored some misgivings. If Li Hao went to the arena, wouldn't that be bullying? The clan's disciples in the arena were at most at the Zhoutian realm, and those with higher talent would have already become disciples of famous masters or joined the military.

To let Li Hao, a little monster who could effortlessly slay a Zhoutian realm level nine demon beast, enter the arena was no different from asking him to punch the elderly and kick the weak.

Seeing the old man's refusal, both Li Fu and Xuejian grew anxious.

However, Xuejian seemed prepared for this response and immediately spoke up with a gentle and persuasive tone, explaining that Li Hao only needed to spend a short time in the arena in the mornings to spar with his peers and hone his combat experience.

Li Fu eagerly nodded along, agreeing with everything she said.

Although following the Second Uncle would grant Li Hao the best guidance, Li Fu worried that the old man might lead Li Hao astray. After all, while the Second Uncle was strong, he seemed to be a bit... unfocused when it came to his duties.

Li Fu had never heard Li Hao and the Second Uncle discuss cultivation. Instead, they would enthusiastically chat about where to fish, how to hook the fish, and other such trivial matters.

Moreover, even a famous master like the Sword Saint would have his disciples spar with peers of the same realm. Otherwise, the teachings would remain mere theory, and true understanding would come slowly.

Hearing Xuejian's words, Li Muxiu rolled his eyes slightly. Could sparring with those clan disciples compare to the mental sparring with the fish demons during their fishing excursions?

Those fish demons they fished for were already at the Zhoutian realm, and they possessed intelligence. They knew danger when they saw it and would rather tear their bodies apart than be caught. As for the fish demons at the Jiehun realm, they were even harder to catch.

In essence, fishing was a multifaceted skill that involved outwitting, stealth, feigning weakness, and direct confrontations.

This was precisely why the old man had been obsessed with it for half his life and remained passionately enamored with the activity to this day.

When he flatly refused, the old man pretended to be angry and threatened to punch the next person who brought it up, leaving Xuejian and Li Fu no choice but to reluctantly accept his decision.

Li Hao put away his fishing gear in the Listening Rain Tower and then returned to the courtyard with Li Fu. Along the way, they learned that a letter had arrived from Yanbei, causing their eyes to light up with excitement as they rushed towards the Changchun Court.

Eldest Madam He Jianlan held the letter in her hand as she sat with dignified grace in the main hall.

"There's a shortage of military rations in Tian Gang's army. I'll have to attend the morning court session tomorrow..." He Jianlan's eyes reflected her deep thoughts.

Just then, Li Hao and Li Fu burst in, their faces flushed with urgency. Li Fu retained his composure and was mindful of the etiquette, but Li Hao had already rushed in without permission. Li Fu tried to pull him back, but he was too late, and now they had both barged in together, looking flustered and embarrassed.

When He Jianlan's gaze fell upon them, Li Fu's face reddened with embarrassment, and he quickly bowed to apologize.

"Did they send the letter?" Li Hao asked eagerly.

He Jianlan's eyes shifted to Li Hao, and upon catching a faint whiff of the watery fishy smell on him, she knew that he had just returned from fishing with the Second Uncle.

Seeing the anticipation in Li Hao's eyes, He Jianlan didn't reprimand him for his rudeness and simply nodded gently.

"Then... what did they say?" Li Hao asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

He Jianlan paused slightly, and a hint of tender affection flashed in her eyes before it quickly disappeared. "It's a military report from Yanbei. Your father said they had just slain a group of demons, and there was also an issue with their rations."

She didn't elaborate further, as it was a military matter.

"Were they in any danger? Did they mention me?" Li Hao asked.

He Jianlan's fingers tightened slightly around the letter, and she nodded. "They asked me to take good care of you, to feed you well, and to ensure you don't overexert yourself. They also asked if you've been eating well, if you've caught a cold, and if you've been listening to your elders..."

Li Hao listened quietly to the Eldest Madam's words before speaking up. "Can I see the letter? I can read."

He Jianlan folded the letter and shook her head gently. "No, this letter contains military matters, and you're still too young."

"Alright," Li Hao agreed reluctantly. Then he added, "Then please help me reply to them, telling them that I've been eating well and that my cooking skills are amazing. I can make delicious meals for myself, and my body is strong from the body refinement training. I don't get tired from fishing with Second Uncle every day, and he treats me very well. He even praises my cooking. When they return, I'll cook for them too."

"Also, tell them to take care of themselves as well. They don't need to worry about me. I'm safe here in the Divine General's Mansion, and with Second Uncle and Eldest Madam supporting me, no one dares to bully me." 

__________

 Upon hearing the child's words of concern, He Jianlan's expression turned slightly taut. She nodded gently and replied in a gentle voice, "I will convey your regards to your grandmother. You don't need to worry about her. Focus on cultivating with your second grandfather and heed his words. Don't be reckless, and when you have time, you can go to the martial arts field to train. You are always welcome there."

Previously, she hadn't suggested Li Hao go to the martial arts field out of concern that he might be bullied. Now that Li Hao had embarked on his cultivation journey, sparring and exchanging insights with others in the field would be beneficial for his practical combat skills.

After Li Hao and Li Fu retreated, He Jianlan let out a soft sigh.

Beside her, Xuejian, noticing her demeanor, cautiously inquired, "Why the sigh, madam?"

"Little Seven is busy with military affairs in Yanbei, and perhaps he forgot due to his busy schedule. As for that couple, despite not having seen them for many years, they didn't send more letters or express their concerns for this child. Hao'er is actually very sensible..."

He Jianlan muttered to herself, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness and reproach.

Xuejian, quick-witted as she was, immediately understood and said, "Could it be that what you just said, madam, was..."

He Jianlan glanced at her, and Xuejian immediately fell silent, lowering her head. But she couldn't help glancing surreptitiously toward the courtyard, where the small figure had already wandered off into the distance.

So, the inquiries and greetings that the madam had just mentioned were all made up by her, yet that young master had taken them to heart...

...

...

Upon returning to Shanhe Court,

Li Hao hadn't even had the chance to take out his painting supplies when a servant delivered a letter to him. Seeing the signature, a smile appeared on his face, and the slight sense of disappointment he had felt earlier dissipated.

Although he hadn't had much interaction with the couple in Yanbei, it was strange how he occasionally missed them during quiet nights.

Perhaps it was the warmth of their embrace that resurfaced in his dreams from time to time.

Or maybe it was the sincerity in their eyes that he still hadn't forgotten.

The letter in his hand was from Jianlu, undoubtedly sent by that adorable little girl.

Ever since she left for Jianlu, she would send back letters at regular intervals. Initially, it was once every three to five days, but later, she mentioned in her letters that her strict Sword Saint master wanted her to focus on cultivation, so the frequency of her letters gradually decreased. Nevertheless, she still sent one every month.

The letters no longer recorded the mundane details of her daily life, as she had already described the repetitive and dull nature of cultivation at Jianlu numerous times. Cultivation was like that—endless basic skill practices that tended to be monotonous.

Li Hao opened the letter and sat in a lounge chair bathed in sunlight, a smile on his face as he read each word slowly and carefully, not wanting to miss a single one.

In the letter, he noticed a misspelled word, as well as a circle and a cross, indicating that she had made a mistake and didn't know how to write a particular character, so she simply skipped it.

Li Hao could almost picture the little girl scratching her ears and cheeks in concentration as she wrote the letter, and he couldn't help but chuckle.

The letter detailed her recent meals and the precious elixirs her Sword Saint master had obtained for her. Her cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Zhou Tian realm, and she had opened twenty-one meridians, practicing the strongest qi manipulation technique in Jianlu.

Li Hao had heard from his second grandfather about the qi manipulation technique practiced in Jianlu, the Xinghe Sword Qi Technique, which was a top-tier cultivation method. If one could reach the perfection of the Zhou Tian realm, they could open up 49 meridians! This was only slightly inferior to the Li family's 54-meridian Dragon River Divine Meridian Technique.

Additionally, the little girl had already opened the Taiyin Yin Meridian and deeply impressed her Sword Saint master.

Seeing this, Li Hao also felt delighted for her. The Dragon River Divine Meridian Technique was not to be taught outside the immediate family, and even his fiancee, Bian Ruxue, was not qualified to learn it. Neither were the ladies of the various courts, including his grandmother, He Jianlan.

However, the cultivation techniques they practiced were also top-notch, only slightly inferior.

If one had extremely high natural talent and could open two special meridians on their own, they could make up for the gap in the foundation of their cultivation technique. But evidently, individuals with such talent were extremely rare.

Of course, he omitted any mention of the Thief Saint's title and name.

After all, Feng Lao was considered an antagonist in the Great Yu Dynasty, disliked by various factions. Only someone with Second Grandfather's carefree and unconstrained personality would befriend such a person, and their relationship was unknown to outsiders. Otherwise, they would surely face harsh criticism and be accused of colluding with criminals.

Finishing the letter, Li Hao casually drew a little emoticon as he usually did, encouraging her to work hard in her cultivation, and signed off with a mutual exhortation.

(_)

...

...

After handing the letter to a servant to be mailed, Li Hao brought out his easel and began to paint as usual. Now that he had reached the second level of the Painting Art, his skills were even more refined than before.

Although the sketch seemed to have minimal changes, a keen observer would notice that the eyes in the painting were more vivid, as if they were gazing directly at the viewer from the paper.

Before he could finish the painting, a group of figures rushed into the courtyard, chattering noisily. From a distance, he heard someone shouting, "Brother Hao, we're here!"

Looking up, he saw three little rascals running towards him.

They were Li Yuanzhao, the only son of Sixth Madam; Li Yun, the second son of Fifth Madam; and Li Zhining, the third daughter.

On the day they had seen off Bian Rushue to Jianlu, these children, being of the main branch like Li Hao, had also come to Shanhe Court to bid her farewell and thus got to know him.

Later, that little rascal Li Yun kept coming over to ask about Bian Rushue and when she would return. Li Hao then realized that this kid, who didn't even have any hair on his chin yet, dared to have his sights set on his little girl.

However, Li Hao didn't stoop to the same level as this brat.

—He merely gave him a good spanking.

After a round of intimidation, he made sure that this little rascal wouldn't dare to tattle to his mother, Fifth Madam. After all, it's no fun for adults to get involved in children's squabbles.

Of course, it also helped that he could beat him in a fight.

Ever since then, Li Yun had been a bit afraid of Li Hao, but that didn't stop him from returning to Shanhe Court. Instead, he started bringing his sister and the other Li Yuanzhao along for moral support.

After a few interactions, Li Hao easily became the leader of this trio.

"Brother Hao, you didn't finish the story about the monkey being suppressed last time. What happened after that?" Li Yuanzhao, with his short and chubby stature, ran up to the easel, but his dirty little hands dared not touch the painting, lest he incur a smack on the head from Li Hao.

"Yeah, yeah!" Li Yun also nodded vigorously, his head bobbing like a little chick, already under Li Hao's influence.

At his side, the little girl, Li Zhining, offered Li Hao a food box. Her eyes sparkling, she said, "Brother Hao, these are fragrant pastries my mother made. We've all tried them, and they're delicious. These are for you."

"I haven't tasted them yet," Li Yuanzhao interrupted, reaching out with his dirty hands, still grubby from his martial arts practice in the training field. But Li Zhining twisted her body and dodged him, giving him a stern look.

The chubby boy looked at her with a slight pout.

Li Hao smiled and accepted the food box without hesitation. He opened it, and a delightful aroma wafted out. He took a piece and indeed found it tasty. Then he shared the rest with the others, saying, "Go get some small stools, and I'll tell you the story as we eat."

"Zhao, bring a chair!" Li Yun shouted at the top of his lungs.

Li Hao couldn't help but knock him on the head, annoyed. "Zhao is not someone you can order around. Get it yourself!"

Li Yun rubbed his head, a little fearful, mumbling something unintelligible. Then he pointed to one of the servants and ordered, "You, bring me a stool."

The servant dared not disobey and obediently went to fetch one.

Li Yuanzhao and Li Zhining, being more familiar with the place, ran into the house and brought out small stools, sitting quietly next to Li Hao. 

__________

 "That mischievous monkey..."

Li Hao pulled apart a flaky pastry, slowly savoring it as he continued the story for the three eager little ones.

In the pavilion, Zhao Bo and Li Fu looked on from a distance, both wearing helpless smiles.

They wondered where their young master had picked up these stories. If only he would put this much enthusiasm into his martial arts training, he would surely achieve greatness one day.

However, having witnessed Li Hao's carefree attitude for so long, they had come to accept it. As his second uncle had said, the vast Li family did not lack martial artists, but this child might miss out on a happy childhood. After all, without his parents by his side, these stories were probably his only joy.

As the sun set, the story came to an end. Li Hao shooed the three children away, reminding the most mischievous of the bunch, Li Yun:

"Be good when you get back, or your mother will beat you again."

Earlier, when he heard the part about the Great Trouble in Heaven, Li Yun had gotten overly excited. Even at his young age, he had a rebellious streak and argued with his mother, insisting that he wanted to switch from sword to staff. But after his mother's personal guidance, he realized that the sword suited him better.

"Okay," Li Yun mumbled, his face turning red as he ran off quickly.

"Brother Hao, I'll come visit you again tomorrow," Li Zhi Ning, the little girl, said with a gentle smile.

"Brother Hao..." The chubby little boy, Li Yuan Zhao, also hesitated as if he wanted to say something.

"Go on, all of you," Li Hao waved them away.

After the children left the backyard, Li Hao settled down to continue his painting.

By the time the moon rose in the sky, he had gained several dozen points in painting experience.

Li Hao had dinner with Li Fu and Zhao Bo, and then returned to his room. He picked up a martial arts book that he had taken from the Listening to Rain Pavilion and started browsing through it.

This book was not a cultivation technique but rather a general guide to the various realms of martial arts.

"The Inheriting Soul Realm, as the name suggests, is about inheriting the souls of the past," he read.

"If one lacks a background, a commoner can enter the Martial Temple to inherit a soul. Or, one may be favored by a heroic soul and inherit it."

"Alternatively, one can join the military and pay respects to the souls of the generations of Yu the Great's soldiers who perished in battle. One may be granted a thread of soul inheritance by a heroic soul."

"Additionally, one can pay respects to famous mountains, masters, and ancestral souls within sects..."

Li Hao flipped through the pages quietly, his eyes gleaming.

He brought up his status panel to check his progress:

Name: Li Hao

Age: 8

Cultivation: Zhou Tian Realm, 10th Level

Sword Dao: 3rd Level (Flying Sword)

(Hidden Bow)

Sword Techniques: Limitless Ocean - Tides (Perfected)

, Falling Snow Sword Technique (True Form)

Body Refinement Dao: 5th Level (Myriad Phenomenon)

(Tiger Suppression)

Body Refinement Techniques: Stone Skin Refinement (True Form)

, Thousand Dragon Sacred Body 4th Layer (Entry to Thousand Dragon Form)

, Primordial Body 3rd Layer (Perfected Profound)

, Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body 4th Layer (Entry to Dragon Soul Form)

...

Mount Taming Dao: 3rd Level

Mount Taming Techniques: Sky-covering Stellar Revolution (Perfected)

, Hundred Battles Revolution (Perfected)

, Dragon River Divine Vein (Perfected)

, Nine Revolutions of the Stars (Perfected)

...

Chess Dao: 4th Level (28/10,000)

Fishing Dao: 2nd Level (97/1,000)

Painting Dao: 2nd Level (231/1,000)

Culinary Dao: 2nd Level (736/1,000)

Chess Manual Collection: Myriad Phenomenon, Tiger Suppression, Flying Sword, Hidden Bow

Fishing Manual Collection: None

Painting Collection: Thousand Mountains and Flying Birds, Snow Mountain Spirit Fox, Majestic Qilin

Cooking Recipe Collection: None

Mental State: Chess Heart (Embedded)

Artistry Points: 0

...

The status panel was much longer now compared to before, even though Li Hao had omitted dozens of body refinement techniques. It was still a long list.

He had used all six artistry points he gained from painting, cooking, and fishing to increase his Body Refinement Dao from the 3rd level to the 5th. When he tried to cross the threshold from the 3rd to the 4th level, he encountered a hurdle similar to the one in Chess Dao, requiring him to focus his heart to continue upgrading.

At this point, the panel prompted him to embed the refined Chess Heart, just like a chess manual.

After embedding the Chess Heart into his Body Refinement Dao and smoothly passing through the checkpoint, Li Hao's love for chess did not diminish at all.

On the contrary, although he had passed the mental hurdle for Body Refinement Dao, his affection for it did not increase. He still felt the same as before.

It seemed that while the panel could shift mental states, it could not alter the power of emotions.

When he reached the 4th level of Body Refinement Dao, the numerous lower-grade body refinement techniques underwent a strange transformation, evolving into higher-level techniques on their own.

And although the several top-tier body refinement techniques did not evolve in rank, they all advanced to the fourth layer.

However, at the fourth layer, he encountered some unique challenges.

Relying solely on the energy of heaven and earth was no longer sufficient to meet the cultivation conditions of these supreme body refinement techniques. Even if his Physical Body Dao continued to advance to the fifth level, it wouldn't be enough to eliminate the external requirements.

For example, to cultivate the Thousand Dragon Sacred Body's fourth layer, one must personally slay a dragon, capture its soul, refine one's body, and subdue and imprison its dragon soul to break through the Zhou Tian realm and enter the Ji Hun realm.

The Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body was similar; the fourth layer, the Dragon Soul Body, required a drop of true dragon essence blood to cultivate successfully.

Without fulfilling these external conditions, no matter how much physical insight he possessed or how well he understood the cultivation methods, he would be like a master chef without ingredients—left with no options.

Fortunately, satisfying these cultivation conditions would not be difficult for Li Hao.

All he needed to do was ask, and Li Mu Xiu could help him in a matter of minutes.

However, the soul inheritance methods of these two body refinement techniques were considered unconventional paths, and even if they were successful, they would only be considered middle-of-the-road in the Ji Hun realm, not particularly remarkable.

The strength of the Ji Hun realm depended on the strength of the inherited heroic soul's legacy.

As a result, the powerful families maintained their advantage in this regard, creating a significant gap between them and ordinary warriors.

For instance, the masters of famous mountains and sects could allow their direct disciples to pay homage before the ancestral hall of heroic souls. If they were lucky, they might receive the inheritance of a heroic soul, instantly propelling them to new heights—this was the best of the best.

After all, those who could pass on their heroic souls were ancient monsters, and to leave behind such an inheritance, they must have been existences capable of defying the heavens and altering fate in the Si Li realm!

There were only a handful of such powerhouses in the entire Great Yu Dynasty.

The inheritance of a mere wisp of their soul's legacy was like a key to a treasure trove, offering endless benefits.

For warriors without such a background and heritage, unless they possessed extraordinary talent and found a master in a renowned sect, they could only choose to inherit souls in the Martial Temple.

The Martial Temple housed the souls of heroes throughout the ages, some strong, some weak, and some incomplete. It depended on the inheritor's own talent and nature to attract the attention of a particular heroic soul within the temple.

The last resort was to seek the souls of powerful beasts like dragons, ghosts, and mountain spirits.

These great beasts were not stingy with granting their souls, but the soul imprints of mountain spirits and ghosts were too weak, and the benefits of inheriting them were limited.

Being born into the Li family, Li Hao had countless options, and the best choice was to enter the Li family ancestral hall.

There, the generations of Li family ancestors were enshrined, from the first generation—the founding general who followed the Great Yu Emperor in establishing the Great Yu Dynasty—to over ten subsequent generations, including some top-notch powerhouses.

Due to the connection of the family bloodline, soul inheritance was also easier, and this was one of the reasons why martial arts families remained influential for generations.

What is foundation? Foundation is the ability to pass on from generation to generation.

Once he successfully inherited a soul in the Li family ancestral hall, he could continue cultivating the two supreme body refinement techniques, capturing the dragon soul and true dragon soul imprint to further strengthen himself. However, the difference in strength would be significant compared to inheriting the soul of a true powerhouse.

Nevertheless, before that, Li Hao intended to further enrich his accumulation.

As he had suspected, the Qu Dao corresponded to normal cultivation.

The Luck Techniques, Meridian Opening, the future Ji Hun realm's Soul Qu, and even the Shen Yu realm, would mostly rely on the existence of the Qu Dao.

With his insight into the third level of the Qu Dao, he had cultivated both of the Li family's top-tier Luck Techniques to perfection.

It was common knowledge that even those with monstrous talent would only dare to cultivate one, as cultivating each technique was akin to cultivating the Zhou Tian realm tenfold!

However, with his insight into the third level of the Qu Dao, Li Hao effortlessly accomplished this feat, smoothly completing it after a few attempts.

The two pinnacle Luck Techniques were somewhat different from the body refinement techniques' innate body refinement luck techniques, resulting in less overlap between them than between the two body refinement luck techniques. Consequently, an extremely exaggerated situation arose.

Li Hao's Luck Circulation, which had been 143 circulations, reached one meridian...

248 circulations!

Yes, it was incredibly exaggerated, surpassing the Royal Family's Supreme Heaven Circulation by a full 80 circulations! 

__________

 Upon reaching the perfect state of the Revolving Heaven Realm, with 54 meridians, one would gain an additional 4,320 revolutions of power, amounting to over 800,000 jin of immense strength!

However, the royalty possesses the Dong Huang Jing, the first meridian-opening manual of the Great Yu, which can open up 62 meridians. This results in eight additional revolutions of the Revolving Heaven power, translating to roughly an extra 600,000 jin of strength.

But this was not the limit for Li Hao.

The Taiyin Meridian, a meridian that rivals ten, accounts for 2,480 revolutions and nearly 500,000 jin of power!

Furthermore, the meridian-opening cultivation technique practiced by Li Hao was not solely the Dragon River Divine Meridian. The Nine Revolutions of the Stars technique was also a meridian-opening method, and he had access to three more middle-to-high-grade meridian-opening manuals, as well as several lower-grade ones.

However, the lower-grade meridian-opening techniques only focused on the major meridians that were the easiest to open. Their effects were rendered negligible due to being superseded by the middle-to-high-grade techniques.

Nonetheless, the combination of the Nine Revolutions of the Stars technique and the three middle-to-high-grade manuals enabled Li Hao to open meridians that were not covered by the Dragon River God Meridian. As a result, he now possessed 69 different meridians!

He had surpassed the number of meridians that the royalty could open with their Dong Huang Jing!

Li Hao was not content to stop there. At this moment, he intended to rely on his physical body's insights to deduce the fourth layer of the Tai Chu technique and break through the Penetrating Yin Body!

"The first layer gathers the yin and yang energies of the heavens and earth. The second layer corresponds to the stars and constellations, while the third layer focuses on the obscure meridians that are difficult for the human body to perceive. For the fourth layer, I hope to unblock the Solar Meridian, merging the yin and yang meridians!"

Li Hao's idea was not far-fetched. With his insight into the fifth level of the Physical Realm, he could be considered a half-grandmaster in terms of body refinement.

What is a grandmaster? It is someone capable of creating their own martial arts and establishing a sect!

Li Hao had no knowledge of how the original fourth layer of the Tai Chu technique was cultivated, nor did he need to know. The Li family had not been able to collect all the pieces for many years, and most of it had likely been destroyed, reduced to dust in history.

Since that was the case, he would write a new chapter for this pinnacle body refinement technique!

He would ensure that the bright pearl would no longer be obscured by dust!

Several days later.

On the shore of the Black Water Demon Lake.

Li Hao sat outside the fishing platform when suddenly, he had a breakthrough. His blood and qi surged throughout his body, causing his bones to tremble subtly beneath his skin. The vital energy within him coursed back and forth through the 69 major meridians. Eventually, a vast force surged to the top of his skull, as if trying to explode his brain!

This was an extremely dangerous undertaking, but Li Hao's control over his physical body had reached a sublime level. He could even fold and seal his ears independently, and every inch of his skeleton seemed as flexible as his fingers, capable of precise force exertion.

A loud bang reverberated as his brain seemed to shake, bringing waves of swelling pain.

Li Hao gritted his teeth and endured until the force suddenly vented, as if it had found an outlet. It finally burst out and then returned to his body through the other end of the outlet, forming a cycle!

Li Hao's eyes shone with a dazzling light, reflecting his excitement and agitation.

Finally, he had succeeded!

The Taiyin Meridian was a wandering meridian that could appear in different parts of the body at various times, making it extremely difficult to locate and master. Hence, it was named the Obscure Meridian, implying that it was as elusive as the netherworld.

On the other hand, the Solar Meridian was fixed and located within the skull.

However, compared to the Taiyin Meridian, the Solar Meridian was even more perilous. No one dared to attempt opening it because failure could result in becoming mentally disabled or, worse, having one's skull explode and dying!

Although one meridian was said to be equivalent to ten, very few people would choose to take on such a substantial risk just to gain the strength of ten additional meridians.

Nearly everyone who had tried had failed.

Only a martial arts fanatic or an exceptional genius would continue with such a reckless endeavor!

As the Solar Meridian was opened, Li Hao immediately felt that the Obscure Meridian seemed to have found an anchor and no longer drifted aimlessly. Instead, it gradually moved closer to the Solar Meridian, intertwining with it.

"With the merging of yin and yang, I shall name the fourth layer the... Yin and Yang... No, the Flawless Body!"

Li Hao brought up the panel, and as his thoughts fluctuated, the Tai Chu technique on the panel surprisingly advanced to the fourth layer, bearing the name "Flawless Body, Minor Success"!

Li Hao immediately manipulated the yin and yang meridians, circulating and transmitting the vital energy within his body repeatedly, practicing it over and over until he became proficient.

Soon, amidst the entanglement of yin and yang, a peculiar vortex of energy began to form.

Through this vortex, Li Hao vaguely glimpsed a golden light within his skull.

He wanted to reach out with his vital energy, but he realized it was incredibly distant and out of reach.

"It is said that the human body has a total of 108 major meridians. If one could open up all of them, perhaps... they could touch that golden light." Li Hao's heart stirred with enlightenment.

This insight came from his progress in the Physical Realm, enriching his understanding of the human body's flesh and blood far beyond that of ordinary people.

Body refinement was by no means simple, nor was it a futile pursuit as Old Master and the others had suggested. On the contrary, Li Hao felt that the body refinement techniques within the Rain Listening Tower were lacking in depth. Even a top-tier technique like the Thousand Flood Dragon Sacred Body, placed on the sixth floor, could only be cultivated up to the Succession Soul Realm in the fourth layer!

Meanwhile, other cultivation techniques in the tower led straight to the pinnacle.

There were multiple reasons why body refiners were undervalued, and apart from the challenging path of cultivation, Li Hao believed that the scarcity of techniques was also a contributing factor.

If the Li family's collection of body refinement techniques was so sparse, one could only imagine the situation in other places.

Li Hao tried it out and suddenly threw a punch.

A fierce gust of wind accompanied his punch, causing the water several zhang ahead to dip slightly, while a wave with a diameter of seven or eight meters rippled outward!

If that punch had landed, it would have been no less powerful than a cannonball dropping into the water, creating a spectacular splash!

Li Hao was stunned for a moment, his eyes filled with shock.

Through his physical body's acute senses, he knew just how terrifying the power of that punch was.

When he condensed the power of all his major meridians, his strength doubled!

It's worth noting that with his Yin and Yang meridians combined and the 69 meridians he had originally opened, he now had the equivalent of 89 meridians.

Each meridian accounted for 2,480 revolutions, and his overall strength had reached four million five hundred thousand jin!

With the double burst, his strength surged to nearly nine million jin!!

This was already close to ten million jin of divine power. Even a true dragon in the Revolving Heaven Realm wouldn't possess such ferocious strength.

Even the royal geniuses, who mastered top-notch breathing and meridian-opening techniques, only had two million jin of strength. Unless they could also activate two major meridians, they wouldn't be able to instantly condense the power of all their meridians and double their strength!

"No wonder that Ninth Uncle is so terrifying. With the convergence of his two meridians, his strength can instantly double. It's too frightening."

A strange light flashed in Li Hao's eyes as he dared to imagine what it would be like if all 108 meridians in the human body were opened up.

After all, an ordinary Revolving Heaven Realm cultivator only had twenty thousand jin of strength.

Although this was the lower limit, the bare minimum, and ninety percent of Revolving Heaven cultivators at the tenth level had at least a few hundred thousand jin of strength, they still paled in comparison to Li Hao.

"With my current strength, I can easily crush even the elite Revolving Heaven warriors at the tenth level from the Yuan Battalion!"

Li Hao thought to himself.

The elite warriors of the Yuan Battalion, at the tenth level, had only five hundred thousand jin of strength, which was like that of a toddler compared to Li Hao.

The royal geniuses had four times the strength of the Yuan Battalion warriors, and Li Hao's strength was four times that of the royal geniuses!

Li Hao retracted his fist and adjusted his breath.

Having just unleashed the double power of his Yin and Yang meridians, he felt a significant drain on his stamina, and it wasn't something he could use frequently. However, in a critical clash, it would be enough to deliver a fatal blow!

When his body relaxed, Li Hao looked towards Demon Lake, but he didn't see Second Grandpa's figure. Earlier, Second Grandpa had mentioned that he would go look for the demon dragon in the lake, and now Li Hao wondered where he had gone.

This Demon Lake spanned thousands of li, and the lake waters were deep and mysterious. It was challenging to detect the presence of a demon dragon hiding within.

At that moment, a faint movement caught Li Hao's attention.

Li Hao's ears twitched, and he turned his head abruptly to see a white figure flitting among the withered yellow leaves, seemingly trying to hide.

He flashed over to where the figure was and found a small white fox, about the size of a newborn puppy.

He took a closer look and noticed that the little fox didn't have any demonic aura, indicating that it was an ordinary wild fox.

"Little thing, how did you end up here? Where are your parents?"

Li Hao bent down and picked up the little fox from the pile of leaves.

The little fox had a hint of orange-red on its ears, suggesting it was a mix between a white fox and a red fox. When Li Hao picked it up, it immediately pushed and struggled with its tiny paws, resisting his hold.

Li Hao placed it on his palm and looked around but couldn't spot any adult foxes. He wondered if this little one had wandered off from its den.

Seeing this, Li Hao put the fox back on the ground, intending to let its parents find it.

The little fox clumsily crawled through the fallen leaves, too young to move swiftly and lacking agility.

Li Hao smiled and turned his attention back to the lake, resuming his fishing.

Not long after, a figure flew back—it was Limuxiu.

Seeing Limuxiu's empty hands, Li Hao knew that his search for the demon dragon had been unsuccessful. Over the past six months, the old man had searched countless times, and it seemed that the demon dragon was extremely cautious and cunning. After all, to have caught LiMuxiu's attention, it must have been cultivating for at least a few thousand years.

"Hmph."

Seeing Li Hao's cheerful expression, LiMuxiu snorted coldly and said, "And you, Air Force?"

"I caught a small one, at the Tongli Realm," Li Hao replied with a chuckle.

LiMuxiu rolled his eyes, even more annoyed.

As the sun set in the west, LiMuxiu could only hastily catch a Tongli Realm fish demon to avoid being called Air Force, and then he took Li Hao back to Qingzhou City.

Before leaving, Li Hao noticed that the little fox had crawled quite a distance away and still hadn't been found by its parents. He asked the old man to help look for them, but all they found was a puddle of blood and some white fox fur. From the scene, it seemed that the adult fox had been eaten by some demon beast.

Such incidents were common in the wild, and Li Hao sighed. He found the little fox, who was still crawling around cluelessly, and brought it back to Qingzhou City with him.

From then on, a touch of white stood out among the withered yellow leaves in the Shanhe Courtyard. 

__________

 Several months later...

On the shores of the Black Water Demon Lake, Li Hao hauled out an eight-coil Fish Demon with ease. With a casual swing of his sword, he beheaded it and then set up a large pot over a campfire to begin cooking.

Scaling, skinning, and deboning the fish, his movements were fluid and graceful.

This time, instead of adding chili peppers, he was making a nourishing soup. He gathered various types of wild mushrooms and tossed them into the pot to cook together.

The rich aroma of the mushrooms wafted through the air along with the steam rising from the pot, causing the two elders fishing by the lake to sniff appreciatively and glance over frequently.

As Li Hao announced, "Let's eat," the two elders' figures appeared beside the pot like phantoms, each holding their own utensils. One had a pair of exquisite jade chopsticks, while the other had crude chopsticks whittled from a tree branch. They simultaneously dipped their chopsticks into the pot.

"Tsk tsk, this is good!"

Li Mu Xiu slurped down a piece of fish and gave Li Hao a thumbs-up.

Old Man Feng was also all smiles as he served himself a bowl of fish soup and savored it slowly.

This fish had contributed quite a lot. Aside from fishing experience, it had also increased his cooking experience by several dozen points. Li Hao estimated that his culinary skills, following his mastery of the Way of Chess, would be the next art to reach the third level.

"Come, little guy, you should try some too."

Li Hao picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and tossed it onto a nearby leaf. A white figure darted out and began munching on the treat.

"That's a fox. You've really spoiled it like a dog," Old Man Feng laughed.

He had returned several months ago, but he hadn't shared with either Li Mu Xiu or Li Hao what he had been up to. Naturally, the two didn't ask.

"There's not much difference," Li Hao smiled.

When they were about halfway through the meal, Li Hao felt that the timing was right, so he said to Old Man Li Mu Xiu, "Grand-uncle, I plan to attempt the Unity of Spirit Realm soon. Would you be free to accompany me to the clan shrine sometime?"

"Hmm?"

The two elders paused with their bowls and chopsticks and looked at Li Hao.

Li Mu Xiu was taken aback. "You want to attempt the Unity of Spirit Realm? Have you already reached perfection in the Revolutions of Heaven Realm?"

"Mm-hmm," Li Hao nodded.

He had deliberately waited a few months before telling his grandfather, fearing that his rapid progress might be a bit too shocking.

"Are you serious?" Feng Bo Ping also stopped eating and stared at Li Hao in astonishment.

He knew that this kid liked to play and joke around, but he never trifled with matters concerning cultivation.

However, attempting the Unity of Spirit Realm at the age of eight was a bit over the top, wasn't it?

"Have you really perfected the cultivation of your Dragon River Divine Vein? How is that possible? Forget about you being a martial arts failure, even your father didn't step into the Unity of Spirit Realm until he was nine years old."

Li Mu Xiu looked at Li Hao with confusion. Although he knew that Li Hao wouldn't joke about such matters, this seemed impossible. Even the most monstrous geniuses he had encountered, like Li Jun Ye, had only achieved Unity at eight and a half years old! And that was with relentless cultivation, innate intelligence, and extreme diligence.

But Li Hao... he spent his days accompanying Li Mu Xiu on fishing trips, sometimes fishing for an entire day. When would he have had time to cultivate?

"Well, it's true," said Li Hao, feeling that he might have overestimated his grandfather's ability to handle the truth, but now that things had come to this, he could only grit his teeth and continue.

"Could it be that your meridians opened up on their own?"

Li Mu Xiu sized up Li Hao. "Although your talent for tempering your body is extremely high, attempting the Unity of Spirit would still take at least seven or eight years, or even a dozen or more years. How could you possibly have perfected your meridians in such a short time?"

"It's simple," Old Man Feng said. "Let the little guy show us, and we'll know."

Li Mu Xiu nodded in agreement. "Show me."

"Alright then," Li Hao stood up and moved away from the pot. He then gathered his qi and stimulated the 54 major meridians in his body. A vast wave of qi flowed through him, and he temporarily suppressed the concealing effect of his "Myriad" attribute. The qi wave burst forth from his body.

Li Mu Xiu and Feng Bo Ping's eyes widened in disbelief. Li Mu Xiu's reaction was even more exaggerated as the chopsticks in his hand fell into the pot.

He stared at Li Hao, dumbfounded.

"I-is it really true?"

As a powerful Four Establishments Realm cultivator, how could he have misjudged?

54 meridians, all fully developed. This was the pinnacle of the Revolutions of Heaven Realm! But the child before them was only eight years old!

Feng Bo Ping froze for a moment before turning to Li Mu Xiu, his face expressing his disbelief. "Your Li family really knows how to produce all sorts of monsters. First, there was Li Jun Ye, and now this kid. If the other Divine Generals find out, they'll probably be green with envy and start nitpicking at you again!"

Li Mu Xiu still hadn't recovered from his shock. He simply stared at Li Hao, unable to speak.

This wasn't just a matter of having a monstrous talent for the Revolutions of Heaven Realm, but it also implied something else—Li Hao's meridians had unblocked!

This meant that Li Hao was no longer a martial arts failure! He could cultivate! And with this talent, he was even more terrifying than Little Nine. He would undoubtedly be the best among the next three generations!

Even looking at the previous ten generations, this talent was unmatched!

Countless thoughts raced through Li Mu Xiu's mind in that instant, and suddenly, a wave of guilt and self-reproach washed over him.

Such a genius, and here he was, taking him around for food, fun, and fishing trips instead of focusing on his cultivation. Had he been holding Li Hao back?

"Grand-uncle?"

Li Hao had finished retracting his qi and noticed that his grand-uncle was lost in thought. He called out to him gently.

Li Mu Xiu snapped back to reality. His first instinct was to reach for his chopsticks to maintain his composure, but they had already fallen into the soup. He let out a bitter laugh and then fixed his gaze intently on Li Hao.

"How did your meridians become unblocked?"

"...'

The two elders were left speechless.

"You broke through while you were asleep? Are you sure you're not just talking in your sleep now?"

But aside from Li Hao's explanation, they couldn't think of any other possibility.

"Could it be that this little fellow's previously blocked meridians were a pseudo blockage?" Feng Bo Ping stroked his pointed white beard, deep in thought.

"I've heard that some martial arts failure bodies are temporary, and some people suddenly find their paths clear after practicing for a while. Maybe he's one of those cases."

"Maybe," Li Mu Xiu nodded. He had also heard of such a possibility, but the probability was extremely low.

"Now that this young fellow can cultivate, your Li family is truly remarkable. After losing a true dragon, another rises to take its place. Tsk tsk." Feng Bo Ping couldn't help but marvel.

However, Li Mu Xiu sighed and said, "If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have nurtured him properly. All this time, he's been hanging out with us, wasting so much time."

Li Hao was startled by his words and quickly said, "Old man, you're not going to force me to cultivate now, are you?"

"What do you mean by forcing you to cultivate?"

Li Mu Xiu retorted in a displeased tone, "Now that your meridians are unblocked, don't you want to cultivate properly and establish a glorious reputation in the future?"

"Don't joke about that."

Li Hao hastily replied without a moment's thought, "Second grandpa, please don't do me any favors. I really don't want to join the army and fight wars. I like my life the way it is now. As for fame and glory, even dogs don't want it, so who would?"

Li Mu Xiu was left speechless. Any other person would have been excited about the prospect of making a name for themselves, but this kid was something else.

"Hahaha..."

Feng Bo Ping, on the other hand, burst into laughter, "It looks like Little Hao is nothing like Jun Ye in that regard. I think he's spot on, though. Fame and glory? Since ancient times, fame and glory have been the pursuits of the young, but how many truly attain it in the end?"

Li Mu Xiu's face twitched, and his heart felt as if it had been pricked by a fishbone, causing a sharp pain.

Once upon a time, Li Jun Ye had shocked the world with his talent.

But later, like a shooting star or a blooming flower, his glory was short-lived, and he fell just as quickly.

He looked at Li Hao, who was watching him with a tense expression.

Li Mu Xiu's heart felt like a flower that had been crushed. If he sent this child to the battlefield, who could guarantee that he wouldn't become another Li Jun Ye?

Never mind... Li Mu Xiu sighed heavily and said, "Since you don't want fame and glory, that's fine too. From now on, just live like this old man, staying in the Li family, enjoying life, and becoming an unknown good-for-nothing."

Feng Bo Ping smiled and said, "Who dares to call the Fist Saint unknown? Unless their mouth hasn't been punched crooked by you yet."

Li Mu Xiu glared at him and said to Li Hao, "In the future, when your parents find out about this and come looking for me, I'll endure their scolding for a while. Kid, come and eat!"

As he finished speaking, he flicked his finger, and the chopsticks in the pot flew out. He then pulled a tree branch, stripped off the bark, and made a pair of chopsticks, but his expression was heavier than before, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, he was just glad that he could continue fishing with his grandfather.

Although he could go fishing on his own, fishing with his grandfather at Demon Lake had its benefits—not only did he have the assurance of safety, but he also had the opportunity to catch some massive fish, which was fantastic.

Sitting by the pot, Li Hao continued to eat.

"Second grandpa, what about the soul succession..."

"Hmph, eat first. I'll take you there later." Li Mu Xiu glanced at Li Hao and then began eating the fish meat vigorously.

Li Hao felt relieved and also started eating and drinking heartily.

...

...

The Li family ancestral clan shrine was located in the deepest part of the Divine General Mansion, on a hollowed-out hillside.

Outside the hill was heavy security, with warriors clad in heavy armor, but on the hillside steps, there were only fallen leaves, and it was deserted.

In front of the majestic ancestral shrine stood several large cauldrons, from which incense smoke curled upward.

Two figures descended from the sky and flew towards the ancestral shrine, landing in the square outside. They then walked up the steps.

Even Li Mu Xiu's usually playful and carefree demeanor turned solemn here. With a calm expression, he walked alongside Li Hao into the shrine.

"Second brother, what brings you here?"

A calm voice echoed from within, like a tranquil lake, and just hearing it seemed to calm one's thoughts.

Li Hao looked inside and saw numerous ancestral tablets on display. Among them was a golden statue of the Li family's ancestor, the founding Divine General, Li Tian Yuan!

In front of these ancestral tablets was an old man with a long beard and eyebrows, sitting alone on a meditation cushion. In front of him was a chessboard, and he was playing a game against himself, placing the pieces gently.

"Of course, I'm bringing the younger generation here to pay respects to our ancestors." Li Mu Xiu replied as he stepped over the threshold and entered.

The old man lifted his head slightly upon hearing Li Mu Xiu's words, his eyes, calm as an ancient well, showing a hint of surprise as he looked at Li Hao, who had followed his second brother inside, "Soul succession? This child seems even younger than Jun Ye. Second brother, are you joking?" 

__________

 "I may joke with you, but I dare not joke with our ancestors." LiMuxiu replied nonchalantly.

The elderly man with long eyebrows frowned slightly, thinking that what he said was true. Although the second young master was usually out of touch with reality, he was always well-behaved and respectful in the ancestral hall.

He asked, "Could this child be only nine years old?"

"He's eight."

"Eight?!'

The elderly man was taken aback, and a ripple appeared in his eyes as he said, "Are you saying he has achieved perfection in the Heavenly Cycle at the age of eight?"

"That's right."

LiMuxiu said indifferently and then walked to the prayer mat in front of the golden statue and knelt down.

"Ha'er, come here."

After kowtowing three times, he knelt down and called out softly.

Li Hao immediately walked to his side.

"Kneel down and pay your respects to our ancestors."

Li Hao did as he was told and knelt on the prayer mat, kowtowing to each of the tablets in turn.

LiMuxiu raised his head and said in a low voice, "I, LiMuxiu, a descendant of the Li family, have brought a young one here today to listen to the teachings of our ancestors. Please bestow your inheritance upon us, ancestors!"

As his words fell, the numerous tablets above seemed to tremble slightly.

After Li Hao finished kowtowing and raised his head, he saw that in front of each tablet, a vague figure appeared, sitting solemnly in the void. Some of these figures wore Confucian robes, some were clad in heavy armor, and others had half of their bodies missing, wrapped only in a battle flag.

These were undoubtedly the ancestors of the Li family.

"Tsk, another promising child."

"Perfection in the Heavenly Cycle at such a young age, his bones still so infantile, not yet nine years old. He's even more remarkable than that kid from twenty years ago!"

"Who would have thought that the luck of our Li family would be so prosperous in the past hundred years? We must warn those young ones not to be arrogant because of this, or that child will teach them a lesson."

The ancestral shadows conversed softly, each expressing their own opinions.

When Li Hao entered the ancestral hall, he had temporarily suppressed his ability, although he wasn't sure if these ancestral spirits could ignore his concealment. Nevertheless, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"This child is gifted, so I won't interfere. It's up to you now."

"With this talent, only the ancestors and a few of you are qualified to bestow a gift."

After some discussion, many of the ancestral shadows gradually faded and returned to their tablets, leaving only four shadows floating above. They silently observed Li Hao without speaking.

"I..." Just as one of the shadows, a gun-wielding figure, was about to speak, suddenly, the golden statue in the center of the numerous tablets radiated a brilliant light as if it had come to life.

The other shadows turned to look, and then slightly bowed their heads in deference.

The other tablets also trembled slightly, and a unified voice resounded: "Greetings, ancestor."

In front of the golden statue, a tall and broad-shouldered middle-aged man's shadow sat erect. Compared to the other shadows, his figure seemed more solid and tangible.

His appearance was identical to that of the golden statue.

"If you can abide by my oath, you will receive my inheritance." The middle-aged man looked down at Li Hao, his expression calm and serene.

Li Hao could feel the old man beside him trembling slightly, seemingly overwhelmed with emotion. He also recognized this shadow as the first ancestor of the Li family, Li Tianyuan!

"Greetings, ancestor!"

Old Master LiMuxiu bowed his head in reverence.

Li Hao quickly followed suit.

"In the ancient times, I followed Emperor Yu the Great on his campaigns, conquering the Eight Wastes of Donghuang and subduing countless demons and tribes. I made two oaths to the Emperor, bringing a millennium of glory to our Li family."

The spirit of the ancestor Li Tianyuan spoke slowly, "The first oath is that the members of the Li family shall protect each other at all costs, sharing life and death!"

"The second oath is to defend the Yu Dynasty with our lives, sharing the fate of Emperor Yu!"

"Can you fulfill these oaths?"

As he finished speaking, Li Tianyuan fixed his gaze upon Li Hao.

Li Hao was slightly taken aback. To protect the Li family at all costs? Did this refer to specific individuals or the entire family?

The ancestral hall fell silent, and all eyes seemed to be fixed on the young boy, awaiting his response.

After a long pause, Li Hao finally spoke in a low voice, "Ancestor, forgive my ignorance, but I have some doubts."

"Speak." The spirit of Li Tianyuan remained calm.

"When you say protect the Li family, do you mean all its members, including the collateral branches of the clan?" Li Hao asked cautiously.

"Does this protection mean that I cannot harm them, or that I must actively protect them?"

"Only the direct bloodline will be protected. Since it is protection, naturally, you must not harm them. Otherwise, even if you leave them with a single breath, it can still be considered protection." Li Tianyuan explained, indicating the seriousness of this oath.

Li Hao asked, "Then... what if there are traitors within the family or someone plots against me?"

"Such scoundrels can be dealt with by those who have not received the soul inheritance in this ancestral hall."

"But if such scoundrels take the initiative to attack or ambush me, wouldn't I have to just hide?" Li Hao asked.

"Those who receive my soul inheritance shall be invincible among their peers, except for the royalty. Avoiding them should be easy enough. If you encounter someone of a higher realm, all you need to do is escape with your life, without the need to retaliate."

Li Hao pondered this idea for a moment; it seemed like a feasible solution.

"However, this doesn't seem quite fair to me."

As a peerless genius, he would have to hide and avoid confrontations with members of the Li family who were at the same cultivation level as him.

He would even have to lend aid if they were in danger, which seemed extremely unreasonable.

"Don't talk nonsense." LiMuxiu's face twitched slightly, and he whispered to Li Hao.

But the soul of Li Tianyuan did not get angry. Instead, he looked at Li Hao calmly and said, "Indeed, it's not entirely fair. But do you know why I would let a genius like you, who is qualified to enter the ancestral hall and inherit my soul, suffer this injustice and take this soul oath?"

Although the Li family had an ancestral hall with the souls of many ancestors, not every member of the Li family was qualified to inherit their souls. These ancestors were very selective.

Li Hao shook his head, "I don't know."

"It's for the continuation of our family." Li Tianyuan slowly explained, "The first soul oath is to prevent the talented members of our family from becoming arrogant and disregarding the lives of ordinary family members, or even leaving the family after gaining access to our resources and soaring to greater heights on their own."

"So, while this restriction may seem unfair to talented individuals, it's only a minor inconvenience at most. The benefit, however, is that it ensures the continuation and legacy of our family for generations to come!"

Li Hao pondered this new information. From the perspective of the ancestors, it made sense.

"And it is the second soul oath that has ensured our Li family's uninterrupted existence for a millennium and kept us from incurring the royal family's wrath!"

Li Tianyuan continued calmly, "During the ancient times, I followed the Great Emperor Yu on his campaigns, conquering the Eight Wastes of Donghuang and subduing countless demons and tribes. There were twelve divine generals under the Emperor back then, but now, the Divine General Manor only has five. Two of those were established by rising powers over the past millennia, while the descendants of my old comrades have long since perished without leaving a trace. The remaining ones have also hidden their identities and disappeared."

"These two soul oaths may seem like restrictions or chains, but they are truly meant to ensure the continuation of our bloodline!"

"Otherwise, with our family's millennia of military achievements, the extent of our connections, the number of generals, and our prestige within the army, how could the royal family easily relinquish power or refrain from using their imperial tactics to weaken and harm us?"

Upon hearing these words, Li Hao fell silent.

From this ancestor's perspective, it was indeed a successful strategy.

The benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

To ensure the continuation of the millennium-old legacy of a divine general, a few simple words were spoken, but the difficulty of upholding this oath was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Perhaps it was because the royal family knew that the Li family's most outstanding geniuses would inherit the souls in the ancestral hall and take these two soul oaths that they allowed the Li family to flourish as it did.

"Now that you understand, are you willing to take the soul oath?" Li Tianyuan asked calmly.

Li Hao hesitated, still undecided.

He couldn't shake the feeling that these two soul oaths were like a curse on the Li family.

While they ensured a millennium of glory, they also shackled the family. With each generation's achievements, this hall of ancestors, where six of the nine sons of the previous generation had perished, how many of them had died of old age?

On the other hand, the ordinary members of the family were mostly protected and could enjoy their old age.

In the Li family, geniuses seemed to be the unfortunate ones.

They had to shoulder the burden of supporting the entire family!

It would be better to inherit a soul in the Martial Temple, where one could at least live a carefree life.

Li Tianyuan seemed to sense Li Hao's hesitation, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes before his figure gradually faded away, leaving only his lingering voice in the hall:

"This child has rare talent, but his heart is not firm. Let him consider it further."

The other tablets trembled slightly, as if bidding farewell to the ancestor, and then they, too, became still.

LiMuxiu was taken aback and couldn't help but look at Li Hao with a helpless expression. He didn't say anything more in front of the ancestral tablets but instead rose to bow deeply before leading Li Hao out of the ancestral hall.

Li Hao felt a sense of relief as he followed LiMuxiu out.

As he left, his eyes involuntarily glanced at the chessboard, not because he wanted to, but because he had a chess heart. Just as Jian Wudao had said, a lover of the sword would spot a sword among a thousand weapons at first glance.

That was only the stage of love, let alone when it entered the heart.

Among ten thousand objects, Li Hao's eyes would always be drawn to a chessboard.

"Old man, black moves to the thirteenth on the seventh road, and it's a win."

After saying this, Li Hao followed the second young master out of the ancestral hall.

Outside, a light rain seemed to be falling, a gentle and soothing drizzle.

LiMuxiu sighed. This was the best time to go fishing, as the lake was filled with fresh water, and the fish demons liked to come up for air. But at this moment, he didn't feel like doing so.

"Don't overthink things. Think it over some more." LiMuxiu knew that Li Hao had a playful heart and didn't like being restrained, so he didn't try to persuade him further.

The child was still too young, and it was natural for him to act impulsively at times.

Li Hao nodded.

The fact that the old man had also inherited a soul in the ancestral hall showed that despite his carefree and wandering appearance, he, too, cared deeply about the Li family.

Inside the ancestral hall, the elderly man with long eyebrows withdrew his gaze. He wasn't close to Li Hao, so he didn't mind what the boy thought. Besides, he would be back sooner or later.

His eyes returned to the chessboard, and as he reached out to pick up a chess piece, he suddenly let out a soft exclamation. 

__________

 A year later.

By the dark and mysterious Black Water Demon Lake, the aroma of a savory fish stew permeated the air.

The two elders, Feng Boping and LiMuxiu, sat down with their bowls and chopsticks next to the large pot. Following the custom of tasting the soup before a meal, Feng Boping scooped some fish soup into his bowl and slowly savored it, exclaiming in delight:

"Little Mouse's cooking skills are almost comparable to the imperial kitchen now."

"Hmm, I haven't gotten tired of it even after eating it for a whole year. It's strange."

LiMuxiu was also surprised. He never expected that Li Hao had such an exceptional talent for cooking, and his skills were only improving.

"Feng Lao, have you ever tasted the imperial cuisine?" Li Hao asked with a smile.

"I've sneaked some tastes." Feng Boping's youthful face beneath his white hair flashed a mischievous smile as if reminiscing. He smacked his lips and continued, "I wonder which consort ended up with that half-eaten bowl of soup with my saliva in it."

"You old rascal," LiMuxiu said in exasperation, clearly aware of some of his old friend's daring antics in the past. "If that had been served to Emperor Yu, you would have lost your head for sure."

Li Hao couldn't help but laugh. He had long known that this Saint of Thieves would steal anything. The last time he tried to give Li Hao an extremely thin silk scarf, said to belong to a saintess of a certain sect, he was chased by Second Master for half a river before giving up on the idea.

This incident also left a lingering regret in Li Hao's heart, making him feel for the first time that Second Master sometimes interfered too much in his affairs...

"You only live once, so you should experience everything," Feng Boping said with a laugh.

Li Hao also started eating, listening to the elders' banter. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he saw the words appear before his eyes:

[You have understood the culinary Dao heart.]

Li Hao's eyes gleamed momentarily before returning to normal. This development was within his expectations.

Ever since his cooking skills rapidly reached level three, he had been finding ways to immerse himself in the art. Thus, he often went to the kitchen and exchanged ideas with the chefs there.

To this young master Li, the pride of heaven, the chefs dared not be negligent. Although this situation was unusual, they shared their knowledge with Li Hao without reserve.

Through these in-depth exchanges, Li Hao's eyes were opened to the vast world of culinary arts, no less profound than the Way of the Chess.

The myriad of ingredients, condiments, cooking methods, fire control, and techniques for removing fishy odors—all of these fascinated Li Hao as he explored this colorful new world.

Unknowingly, he had skipped the stage of cooking for experience and instead developed a genuine love for cooking.

Even without the incentive of experience points, he would find opportunities to showcase his skills and cook delicious meals.

Recently, he had been carefully tasting the pastries sent to the Shanhe Court, and if they were poorly made, he would even overturn the entire plate and summon the chef to receive his personal criticism.

When one's heart is fully immersed, they can't help but become more earnest and demanding.

It's like in games; those who don't care about losing may end up cursing furiously after their defenses are broken by an earnest player who wants to win.

Now that he had understood the culinary heart, Li Hao wasn't overly excited. When one truly dedicates themselves to something, they often become less concerned about the outcome. The same was true for his previous understanding of the chess heart.

However, with this new state of mind, he could now attempt to break through to the fourth level of the Way of the Monarch.

After a leisurely meal filled with conversation, Li Hao picked out some choice bones and fed them to the little white fox by his side.

This little fox, now a year and a half old, remained small and delicate, its fur bright and snowy white. Li Hao had been feeding it spirit fruits imbued with medicinal powers, and with its daily fish soup intake, the little fox had embarked on the path of cultivation, reaching the fifth level of the Tongling Realm.

Having been a wild fox in the mountains, it had now achieved a demonic transformation and possessed a hint of demonic energy.

If it could reach the Zhou Tian Realm, it would give birth to spiritual wisdom.

And once it attained the Ji Hun Realm, it would be able to move stealthily like a true demon.

After finishing their lunch, they spent the afternoon fishing.

However, Li Hao's luck wasn't as good as yesterday's, and he only caught a fish demon at the second level of the Zhou Tian Realm.

Returning to the Listening Rain Pavilion, Li Hao carried the little white fox back to the Shanhe Court. He locked himself in his room and summoned the panel, contemplating before deciding to use this newfound heart to break through in the Way of the Monarch.

Soon, his proficiency in the Way of the Monarch advanced from the third level to the fourth.

Previously, at the third level, he had been able to cultivate his grand pulse at an incredible speed. Now at the fourth level, he wondered if he would gain new insights into the grand pulse and the Yu Qi Jue.

As the allocation of points concluded, a wealth of information flooded his mind. After a long while, Li Hao slowly opened his eyes, a look of surprise in their clarity.

The world through his eyes seemed to have undergone a magical transformation, and the profound insights in his mind told him that the world before him was even more fascinating than he had previously imagined.

The heavens and the earth are sentient!

"Demons comprehend the stars and the sun and moon... In the Ji Hun Realm, the soul is empowered, and while inheriting the soul's will, one must also abide by certain 'agreements'."

"Humans can inherit from other humans, from demons, or even from the myriad races."

"Similarly, humans can also receive the inheritance of the myriad races, the mountain spirits and ghosts, the true divine dragons and phoenixes, or even... the stars, the sun and moon, and the very essence of this world!"

The myriad martial arts secrets he had seen in the Listening Rain Pavilion, coupled with his own understanding of various cultivation methods, suddenly clicked in Li Hao's mind, giving him a profound sense of enlightenment.

"I shall establish my soul with heaven and earth!"

Li Hao's eyes blazed with intense light. He stimulated his Omnipresent Attribute, enveloping his physical body. Unless he created a ruckus with his own fists and feet, outsiders would be unable to sense anything.

Subsequently, his vital energy coursed along with the grand pulse, causing the Yin-Yang dual pulses to emerge simultaneously and converge at the top of his skull.

In an instant, the power within his entire body went berserk, containing a terrifying force.

This force seemed like it wanted to burst out of his body, shattering the intangible barrier that stood in its way.

He wanted to communicate with heaven and earth, to ask the heavens and the earth, and to borrow their strength!

As if sensing Li Hao's strong will, an overwhelming and terrifying pressure enveloped his body, like a substantial mountain falling upon him. His bones creaked, some unable to bear the weight.

The weight of heaven and earth was heavier than Mount Tai! Li Hao's eyes reddened, and he roared inwardly.

The terrifying power of the Yin-Yang dual pulses erupted, causing his vital energy to instantly double, reaching nearly ten million pounds!

That vast will seemed to be forcefully lifted! But then, it was heavily pressed down again! Li Hao's body bent, and his feet sank deep into the floorboards.

He gritted his teeth, knowing that relying solely on strength was not enough. He had not yet glimpsed the true form of heaven and earth!

What is the true form of heaven and earth?

Is it the sky? The clouds? The rivers and mountains? Or the myriad beings and the earth? These are all parts of heaven and earth, but they do not encompass its entirety! And now that he wanted to establish his soul with heaven and earth, what did heaven and earth truly look like in his heart?

A sentence from a Buddhist martial art manual on the seventh floor of the Listening Rain Pavilion popped into Li Hao's mind.

The Buddha is inherently formless.

If the Buddha is formless, then how can heaven and earth have a form?

"I am situated within this heaven and earth. I am the reflection of heaven and earth!"

Li Hao's eyes suddenly burst with light, and his spirit and vital energy seemed to surge forth, breaking through an intangible barrier and reaching the heavens and the earth!

All his vital energy converged and condensed, along with his essence, energy, and spirit. Above his body, a vague shadow appeared, taking the form of himself.

Establishing the form of heaven and earth with oneself, and establishing one's soul with heaven and earth! At this moment, Li Hao stepped into the Soul Inheritance Realm.

It felt like there was an endless supply of power flowing into his body, following the path of heaven and earth, and pouring in from all directions.

The curtains in the entire room were trembling violently, even though the doors and windows were closed. Where was this wind coming from?

In the pavilion within the courtyard.

Ever since Li Hao started his cultivation, Li Fu no longer followed him like a shadow, but they still resided in the same courtyard.

At this moment, he was playing chess in the courtyard, not because he enjoyed it, but because Li Hao had forcefully invited him and taught him. Now, in his free time, it seemed like this was the only entertainment he could find.

He and Zhao Bo were engaged in a fierce battle on the chessboard.

If Li Hao saw the game, he would have only one comment: "Novices battling each other."

Suddenly, both of them seemed to pause simultaneously, their eyes drifting towards a certain direction.

A sense of unease washed over them, as if something majestic had awakened, startling the two of them. It felt like a divine sense illusion.

What was it? The next moment, they both stopped the game and rushed towards Li Hao's room. When something unusual happened, there must be a demon at play.

As they burst into the room, they saw that the room was in disarray. Some vases that had been placed on the edge of the shelves had fallen to the ground and shattered into pieces.

Li Hao, on the other hand, had his feet sunk deep into the wooden floorboards. He was breathing heavily, as if he had just finished a cultivation session.

"What happened?"

Upon seeing that it wasn't an ambush, the two men breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly rushed to Li Hao's side.

Li Hao had already calmed down from the power surge he experienced after entering the Soul Inheritance Realm. The Omnipresent Attribute had hidden his aura, and he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I was just practicing," he said with a breath.

"You brat, why don't you practice in the courtyard?" Li Fu asked in a slightly annoyed tone, but he didn't suspect anything.

Li Hao's body refinement and circulation of vital energy through the grand pulse was no longer a secret, and he knew about it as well, although he wasn't clear about the specifics.

"I just had a sudden epiphany," Li Hao explained.

"That's great," Zhao Bo said with a smile. Even though the vases on the floor were centuries old and quite valuable, as long as Li Hao made progress in his cultivation, everything was worth it.

After reassuring the two men, Li Hao remained in his room, continuing to savor the power of the Soul Inheritance Realm, which far surpassed the Grand Circulation Realm.

No wonder it was said that only those who reached the Soul Inheritance Realm were qualified to be a city lord.

And at this moment, he was only nine years old, yet he was already capable of overseeing an entire city!

...

After entering the Soul Inheritance Realm, Li Hao's life continued as usual.

Every day, he indulged in eating and drinking. When he wasn't out fishing, he was in the courtyard painting, playing chess, or in the kitchen cooking.

As time passed, the young master came up with new hobbies. He started learning poetry and playing the zither, seemingly determined to stray further from the path of a proper cultivator.

Time flew by, and spring turned to autumn.

In the blink of an eye, five years passed.

In the fourteenth year of Qingyuan.

This year, Li Hao turned fourteen. 

__________

 The era name "Qingyuan" was established in the year of Li Hao's birth, a testament to the profound grace Emperor Yu bestowed upon the Li family.

This millennia-old dynasty, standing tall for over three thousand years, remains akin to a majestic lion. Though it gradually ages, its accumulated might runs deep, safeguarding the peace and prosperity of its vast lands. The wild demons and monsters beyond the eight wastelands dare not trespass, and the tributary states continue to offer their annual tributes!

In this year, General Jiang Tianshou, an eighty-six-year-old veteran, led the royal cavalry on a campaign amidst the cheers of border herders. With an army of over thirty thousand strong, he vanquished a hundred thousand tiger and leopard demons that plagued the frontier within just three days, expanding the empire's territory by a thousand miles. His fame spread across the nineteen states!

In the same year, a young dragon named Mingyue Jian, merely twelve years old, passed through the nine gates of Tianmen and became a personal disciple of the Qian Dao Palace, listening to the teachings of the Saintly Dao. His name shook the heavens and the earth!

And that year, the old grandmaster who had secluded himself in Mount Wanfeng for thirty years also descended from his mountain retreat. On the shores of Chishu Lake, he engaged in a battle that attracted spectators from all over the world, but the outcome remained unknown to all.

At this time, it was deep autumn in October.

The land of Qingzhou was covered with a carpet of withered yellow leaves.

In Qingzhou City, a cultivation sanctuary known as the "Moon Immortal Gate," the Tian Palace Academy, opened its doors after being closed for six years.

The news swept through the states like a storm.

Countless young geniuses, heirs, and princesses rushed from all directions, akin to a school of fish crossing the river, vying for the opportunity that lay within its gates.

However, in a small courtyard of the Shenjiang Mansion, not far from the Altar Palace Academy in Qingzhou City, a young man sat leisurely.

He listened to the sound of falling leaves in the courtyard, brewed a pot of green tea, and quietly finished a game of chess.

As if the clamor and strife outside the courtyard had nothing to do with him.

"Fifth Uncle, you lost again."

The black piece descended, blocking the white piece's last retreat and delivering a checkmate.

The young man picked up the teacup beside him and took a gentle sip, a smile playing on his lips.

His lips were red, his teeth white, and his eyes sparkled like stars. His clear and profound gaze, set in a face with soft, distinctively curved cheeks, hinted at his youthful age. His pale skin, untouched by the sun, carried a hint of moon-white coldness. His fingers, holding the chess piece, were long and powerful, his fingernails translucent and devoid of any impurities.

As he finished speaking, the old man sitting across from him at the chessboard twitched his mouth and furrowed his brows, carefully examining the board. In the end, he found no way out and angrily tossed the white piece back into the chess box.

"Your chess skills are becoming more and more exquisite, boy."

Fifth Uncle, Li Qingzheng, said, his tone both praising the young man and carrying a hint of resentment.

He had immersed himself in the world of chess for most of his life, and now his proudest skill was being repeatedly defeated by this young man. It left him in a constant state of gloom.

"It's all thanks to Fifth Uncle's guidance," Li Hao replied humbly with a playful laugh.

"You little rascal!"

Li Qingzheng glared at him, feeling a bit annoyed, but he wanted to play another game. However, looking at the current chessboard, he felt a bit deflated.

He still couldn't figure out how he had lost the previous game.

At that moment, the sound of crunching leaves underfoot echoed, and a snow-white figure darted over, leaping into the young man's lap without a word. It was a white fox.

The fox's ears were tinged with a vibrant red-orange, adding a touch of playfulness to its appearance.

Li Hao ruffled the fox's fur as it snuggled in his lap, then scowled and sniffed, "Why do you smell like medicine? Where did you sneak off to eat this time?"

At the mention of this, the white fox buried its head deeper into Li Hao's lap, seemingly trying to avoid answering.

Just then, Li Hao heard footsteps and looked up to see a figure in green rushing over. It was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old maid with bright eyes and white teeth, quite beautiful.

She panted as she reached the pavilion, bowed to Li Qingzheng, and greeted him before turning to Li Hao in a hurry. "Young Master, Xiaorou went to the kitchen again, and she knocked over Grandma's beauty soup. The people from Changchun Court are looking everywhere for the culprit..."

Li Hao was speechless. He pulled out the small head that had burrowed into his lap and scolded, "I told you not to cause trouble everywhere. Do you want a beating again?"

The little fox's head tried to turn away, not daring to meet Li Hao's eyes, as if it knew it had done something wrong.

"If you keep this up, I'll hand you over to Grandma, and she'll give you a good scolding and pluck out all your fur!" Li Hao threatened.

The white fox seemed to imagine that scene and shivered in fear, turning its head to look at Li Hao with a pitiful expression.

"You're already at the Zhou Tian realm, yet you still can't speak..." Li Hao sighed, feeling helpless as he looked at the fox's mournful gaze.

He turned to the maid, Qingzhi, and instructed, "Go and apologize to Grandma on my behalf later. Also, bring her a plate of the purple perilla cakes I made, and the cotton jade oil pastry we bought today—did you get it?"

Qingzhi pouted softly and whispered, "It's always me who has to go. Every time it causes trouble, I'm the one who gets scolded."

"This little girl is becoming more and more unruly." Li Hao sighed as he picked up his tea, shaking his head helplessly.

Li Qingzheng glanced at him, "How many in your courtyard are decent?"

Li Hao nearly spat out his mouthful of tea as he looked at the old man in dismay, "Fifth Uncle, you shouldn't speak ill of others like that."

Li Qingzheng harrumphed, "The servants have no decorum, the maids walk around like lunatics, go take a look at the other courtyards, they're all well-disciplined. Even this little fox spirit is mischievous, one of these days someone will catch and stew her. It's a case of the head is not straight when the neck is crooked, and you're the main culprit. You had a bright future ahead of you, but you had to go and mess things up. Are our Li ancestors not as good as a mere demon dragon?"

As he spoke, he grew more and more agitated, his anger bubbling to the surface.

Obviously, even after all these years, he still couldn't let go of what had happened.

When Li Hao was eight years old, he had deliberately delayed his Soul Fusion by a year, even though he was clearly capable of achieving it.

As a result, when the old ancestors in the ancestral hall could no longer contain their curiosity and sent someone to find him, they discovered that Li Hao had already undergone Soul Fusion.

Using a body-refining technique to slay a dragon, and then fusing with its demon soul.

Although it was the soul of a dragon, how could a mere young dragon compare to the ancestors of the Li family?

Moreover, fusing with a demon soul could lead to inheriting the nature of the demon, and there was a chance that Li Hao's personality would become murderous and violent.

Fortunately, in the past few years, Li Hao hadn't shown any signs of such a change, mostly due to the influence of playing chess with Li Qingzheng for so many years... He stroked his beard, feeling comforted.

However, that demon dragon soul had lowered Li Hao's aptitude for Soul Fusion, and it was destined that in the Soul Fusion realm, he could only be considered middle-upper tier.

While he was still quite capable compared to most Soul Fusion cultivators, when compared to the top cultivators from various sects and clans, he fell short.

After all, when those top cultivators unleashed their soul aspects, they would manifest as powerful ancestors from the Four Establishments realm, while Li Hao's soul aspect was that of a demon dragon.

And those ancestors had slain countless demon dragons in their lifetimes, so just the soul aspect's innate dragon-slaying might was probably enough to frighten Li Hao into submission.

Thinking of this incident, Li Qingzheng's anger rose once more.

The old ancestors in the ancestral hall were also furious.

As a member of the Li family, Li Hao had fused with a demon dragon's soul, causing them, the revered ancestors, to lose face.

Some of the ancestors even suggested severely punishing Li Hao and locking him in the Li family's dungeon to teach him a lesson.

Even Li Moxiu, who had been by Li Hao's side for many years and acted as a caretaker of sorts, was reprimanded by the ancestors...

However, his second brother deserved it! It was because of his second brother's indulgence and spoiling of Li Hao that the boy had become so unruly and uncontrollable.

If it weren't for the fact that Li Hao was skilled at chess, he would have given the boy a good lesson long ago.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Qingzheng's anger flared up even more as he looked at the chessboard.

How could he have lost?

Ever since he left the ancestral hall, he felt like the calmness he had maintained for decades was becoming more and more turbulent.

"I feel it's pretty good, the servants are relaxed, and so am I."

Li Hao gave the old man a sheepish smile.

"With your careless attitude, your servants are also careless. Wait until your father returns and see how he disciplines you." Li Qingzheng harrumphed again.

"What if he doesn't let me play chess with you anymore?" Li Hao asked.

"He dares!"

Li Qingzheng's eyes widened in indignation.

Li Hao chuckled, and at that moment, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard, but they didn't belong to Qingzhi.

He looked up curiously and saw a familiar face, Xuejian from Changchun Court.

However, several years had passed, and the young girl from back then now carried herself with an added touch of grace and elegance.

Following behind her were two young maids, their heads lowered and their steps silent, clearly much more disciplined than the maids in his own courtyard... and undoubtedly working much harder as well.

Seeing that the Fifth Uncle was also present, Xuejian quickly bowed and greeted him, her heart filled with curiosity. She then turned her gaze to Li Hao, and it was common knowledge within the mansion that this young master of Shanhe Court spent his days being idle and carefree, yet he seemed to get along quite well with the two old uncles.

"Young Master, the First Madam asked me to come and inform you that the Dan Palace Academy is open this year. This is the invitation that the academy sent to our mansion, and the Madam asked me to deliver it to you."

Xuejian respectfully lowered her head and presented a black and white invitation with a design of two fish to Li Hao.

Although she might not hold Li Hao in high regard, her attitude and behavior were impeccable.

Li Hao had long known that this young lady had a keen sense of propriety, and he smiled as he took the invitation, casually tossing it aside, "Thank you, Miss Xuejian."

Xuejian's eyes flicked to the invitation that had been so casually discarded, and she thought of the young master's temperament, which was just as the Madam had predicted. 

_____________________________________