Chapter 324: The Saintly Son’s Fishing, The Top 100 Saintly Son Battle

After cultivating all the martial arts recorded in the Sword Pavilion into Dao Domains, Li Hao's total number of Dao Domains reached 172!

Among these, over a hundred were various Sword Domains!

Once activated, the Sword Domains were filled with crisscrossing sword qi. Now, these domains, each containing different sword intents, were beginning to merge with one another, showing a trend of harmonization.

Li Hao didn't know what would happen if the Dao Domains merged into a single, complete domain. Unfortunately, he had already recorded all the martial arts within the Sword Ancestor's Holy Land. To further improve, he would have to seek out other factions, which put his Dao Domain cultivation into another bottleneck.

The day after Li Hao's cultivation, the second round of the selection battles began.

Before the Top 100 battles, there were three rounds of screening, ultimately selecting the top 100 to face the Saintly Sons and Daughters.

Li Hao accompanied Lin Shanhai and the other alchemists, but he didn't go to watch the battles. Now that he had recorded all the martial arts in the Sword Pavilion, staying here would only allow him to paint and harvest experience, but compared to painting, Li Hao had a more suitable person for the task. Additionally, he could accumulate some fishing experience on the side.

Li Hao noticed that, apart from the three semi-Saints like Yaozu, the Saintly Sons and Daughters who had previously watched the battles didn't come again.

Before they set out, Lin Qingying was still sitting in the courtyard, meditating on the sword, clearly preparing for the upcoming battles.

Despite the intense atmosphere at the ten battle stages, Li Hao felt a sense of calm before the storm.

But who could stir the storm and stand out?

Li Hao hoped it would be Lin Qingying.

...

Arriving at the Sword Pavilion, the environment was quiet and serene. As Li Hao approached, a figure appeared before him in an instant—it was the sword attendant from the previous day.

Seeing Li Hao again, he was somewhat surprised and asked, "Are you here to exchange a martial art?"

The Great Sword Art was extremely difficult. If Li Hao wanted to exchange it, he could understand; after all, unless one had a profound talent in the Sword Dao, spending time on it would just be a waste.

"No, I'm here to visit the Sword Master. Is the Sword Master fishing today?"

Li Hao said, bowing respectfully.

The sword attendant seemed to understand and smiled, "My Master is indeed fishing at the Sword Cliff. It's rare for you to understand this, too. You can keep him company; he's too lonely."

As he said this, a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes.

Although they, as disciples, wanted to accompany their Master, their fishing skills were too poor. During the dull wait for a catch, they easily became distracted, their minds drifting to the Sword Dao. By the time they realized the bait was gone, their Master was already furious, and he forbade them from accompanying him.

At the Sword Cliff, when Li Hao and the sword attendant arrived, they saw the same scene as the previous day: the Sword Master was fishing at the edge of the cliff.

Seeming to sense something, the Sword Master's voice came, "You're here. Do you have your own fishing rod?"

"No fishing rod. I use a line-casting technique."

Li Hao said.

"Can you form a line with energy? The little guys in the Dragon Lake are quite cunning; they might not bite easily." the Sword Master said.

"Try and see." Li Hao smiled, not backing down when it came to fishing.

"Then come and try."

The Sword Master said.

Li Hao immediately stepped forward, sitting on a dark brown stone not far from the Sword Master.

Sitting at the edge of the Sword Cliff, his gaze naturally fell to the depths below, which were over ten thousand feet deep.

At the bottom of the cliff, the water was churned up by a waterfall, forming a deep pool where a large, shadowy figure could be seen moving.

Li Hao's eyes lit up, and he raised his hand, forming a line of energy. Using the technique of hidden lines, he quietly cast it down.

The Sword Master glanced at Li Hao's technique, his eyebrows slightly raised, and then a smile curved his lips. It seemed that yesterday wasn't just a coincidence; this young man had indeed done some research. Such a subtle technique of hidden lines could be cultivated into a profound concealment art if used on oneself.

But to use this energy on fishing—undoubtedly, this was true love.

"You haven't put on any bait."

The Sword Master said calmly.

Li Hao smiled and replied, "No bait, only those willing will bite."

"Hmm?"

Hearing this, the Sword Master's eyes flickered, and his thoughts involuntarily shifted from his own fishing rod to Li Hao's extremely subtle fishing line.

At this moment, Li Hao was also focused, waiting.

Fishing might seem leisurely, but it was actually a battle of wits and strategy. One had to lie in wait, observe the fish, and set up the best fishing spot—all mental challenges.

Li Hao's fishing line was hidden at the edge of the Dragon Lake, in the most inconspicuous spot. At the front of the line was a hook, barely visible.

"Fifth Brother, look, isn't that a hook?"

"It looks like it, a fishing hook!"

Inside the Dragon Lake, several large dragon beasts were swimming around. They all noticed the barely visible hook, but what puzzled them was that there was no line attached to the hook, just a hook!

"Is it the Sword Master? Has he come to fish again?"

"The Sword Master isn't that foolish. He previously used a trick to make the hook look like a small fish, and I fell for it."

"I agree. Could it be something that fell? When did it appear, and why didn't I notice?"

"Sixth Brother, go and pick it up."

The dragon beasts muttered to each other. One of them approached, using its sharp claws to pick up the hook, puzzled, "It's really a hook… Ouch!"

Before the hook could finish speaking, it was suddenly yanked up, piercing through its arm. The hook then rooted itself and continued to extend into the wound, piercing deeper into its body, pulling it out of the deep pool!

"Pain!"

The dragon beast let out a scream, being dragged into the air.

It panicked, not daring to struggle, and when it was dragged out of the deep pool, it saw the Sword Master sitting on the Sword Cliff with a young stranger. The one who had pulled it out wasn't the usual Sword Master but the young man!

For a moment, it felt more shock and anger than pain.

Being caught by the Sword Master was one thing; after all, the Sword Master was a sage, and being caught by him wasn't a disgrace for a dragon.

But a mere youth? What right did he have?!

Roar!

It let out a roar and lunged at Li Hao.

"Still struggling?" Li Hao smiled, casually pulling the line and flinging the dragon demon away before bringing it back to his face.

The dragon demon's body was torn with pain, and it screamed endlessly. When Li Hao dragged it back to the Sword Cliff, it grew even more panicked. With the Sword Master present, it knew it couldn't harm the youth, and the youth seemed to be of high cultivation, making it impossible to fight.

"Spare my life, Holy Son, spare my life..."

The dragon demon hurriedly pleaded, mistaking Li Hao for a Holy Son of the Sword Ancestor's Holy Land.

Who else but a Holy Son would have the honor of sitting and fishing with the Sword Master?

Amused by its plea, Li Hao looked at the fishing experience gained on his interface and smiled. With a flick of his finger, the hook that had rooted inside the dragon demon's body rapidly retracted.

Formed from condensed energy, it could gather or disperse at will.

"Since you're sincerely begging for mercy, I'll let you off this time."

Li Hao smiled, "Go on."

The dragon demon, filled with gratitude, cried, "Thank you, Holy Son, thank you, Holy Son!"

With that, it vanished, diving back into the deep pool beneath the Sword Cliff.

"Old Six..."

The other dragon demons gathered around, examining him. "You're not hurt, right? You said he's a Holy Son?"

"Yeah, another new Holy Son, how annoying!"

"So cunning, deliberately showing the hook to make Old Six pick it up."

"Fortunately, the Sword Master is merciful and never kills us when he catches us. That bait is so enticing, I can already cultivate a sword aura."

The dragon demons whispered among themselves. They were both prisoners and willing subjects in the Dragon Pool, for living under a sage and gaining food was a great opportunity.

However, they often fell for traps and were caught by the Sword Master for his amusement, a mix of pain and pleasure.

"Be careful, don't pick up strange things anymore. We need to be more cautious."

"The Sword Master is still fishing above, but we didn't see his bait. We don't know what guise it's taken. Be careful."

The dragon demons were extremely wary.

Every day, they battled wits with the Sword Master, and they were almost paranoid.

If the bait had changed into something else, they might not have picked it up, but the hook being so obvious made them curious, leading them to get caught.

On the Sword Cliff, the Sword Master was taken aback when he saw Li Hao actually catch something, and with such a simple trick.

Li Hao didn't stop. He reeled in the line and cast the hook again. This time, the line was hidden, and the hook was half-hidden. Midway through the line, a second line branched out and extended to another part of the Dragon Pool, barely noticeable.

"Look, the hook is falling again."

"Hmph, you're out of tricks. You can't fool us twice with the same tactic."

"Look, there's a stupid fish over there, sniffing around."

The dragon demons swam nearby, watching the fish hook closely. The Dragon Pool connected to a river outside the Holy Mountain, and fish demons often came here, hoping to leap the Dragon Gate.

The small fish demon looked insignificant and gently touched the fish hook, but the hook didn't react.

The dragon demons were puzzled but soon understood. The touch was too light to be detected, or it was detected as too small to bother pulling.

"Go, pull harder!"

Old Six, the dragon demon with a crooked mouth from being caught, snarled at the small fish demon.

The small fish demon was timid but refused to move.

Old Six, surprised that even a small fish demon would defy him, was enraged and sucked it into his mouth.

"Die..."

Before he could finish, the fish in his mouth suddenly hardened and extended, piercing through.

"Hook?!"

Old Six's eyes widened.

Then a powerful force yanked him, lifting his body into the air and dragging him up to the Sword Cliff.

The one pulling the line was still Li Hao.

"Spare my life, Holy Son, spare my life..." the dragon demon Ao Jie pleaded desperately.

Li Hao sighed, "Why is it you again? Can't you be more careful?"

Ao Jie was on the verge of tears. It was clearly your fault for being so cunning. Who would have thought you could disguise yourself as a small fish and trick me into touching my own hook?

Li Hao gathered his strength in his palm and said, "Don't get caught again."

I wish I could... Ao Jie felt a mix of sorrow and anger. What kind of situation is this where I get caught and then get criticized for it!

Beside them, the Sword Master's hand holding the fishing rod subtly trembled.

The calm in his eyes became slightly more serious.

The first catch was luck, a small trick, but the second catch showed skill, and it was a chain catch.

The first catch lured curiosity, the second lured anger. He was fishing for emotions, for the demon's heart!

At this moment, the Sword Master had to admit that Li Hao's fishing skills were indeed impressive.

Li Hao glanced at the Sword Master and then cast his line once more.

The Sword Master felt a bit uneasy under Li Hao's gaze. He had already reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, a solitary figure like snow, but in the art of fishing, he was still a climber. Now, he was unexpectedly feeling a sense of friendly competition and challenge.

The Sword Master didn't speak but became more serious.

Before long, Li Hao reeled in for the third time.

This time, it was still Ao Jie.

Li Hao almost spat blood. Was this dragon demon guaranteed to get hooked every time?

Fishing for the same prey repeatedly would only diminish his experience, and he didn't want to catch this dragon demon again.

Can you let someone else have a chance to get hooked?

Li Hao stared at Ao Jie, considering whether to release him back into the Dragon Lake.

Ao Jie, feeling Li Hao's gaze, sensed his thoughts and quickly pleaded, "Mercy, Young Master! I promise I won't move again. I'll just lie there, and even if the sky falls, I won't budge!"

Li Hao thought for a moment and decided to release Ao Jie once more.

Time passed, and on the fourth cast, Li Hao and the Sword Master reeled in simultaneously.

Seeing the impressive fishing experience, Li Hao knew he hadn't caught Ao Jie again.

However, when the two dragon demons were reeled up, Li Hao still heard Ao Jie's voice, but this time it was on the Sword Master's hook.

"Spare me, Sword Master..."

Ao Jie looked pitiful. How did a simple sneeze result in the hook being sucked into his mouth!

Li Hao glanced at Ao Jie, speechless. This dragon demon must have a lucky streak to be alive this long.

The Sword Master said nothing, removed Ao Jie, and tossed him back into the Dragon Lake, then cast his line again.

Li Hao did the same, not killing the dragon demon.

Soon after, the Sword Master began to reel in one after another, even managing to catch two dragons at once.

At the sword cliff, the dragon demons' mournful cries echoed from time to time, while at the Holy Mountain, the intense battles of the ten arenas continued.

As the sun set, the Sword Master put away his fishing rod. He had won by a small margin, reeling in seven times while Li Hao had reeled in six.

"It's not early. Let's do this again tomorrow."

The Sword Master said to Li Hao, a rare smile on his face.

Today, this young man had given him a sense of urgency, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

"Sure."

Li Hao nodded.

Over the next few days, the second round of the ten arenas continued, and Li Hao came to the sword cliff every day to fish with the Sword Master.

The dragon demons in the Dragon Lake were becoming like old friends to Li Hao.

One day, while Li Hao was fishing, another young man arrived.

The Sword Master saw him and smiled lightly. "You're here. Sit down."

This young man stood tall and straight, but his attire was simple. He wore a rusty, broken sword at his waist, and a sword scar on his forehead, which glowed faintly.

Seeing Li Hao, his calm, indifferent eyes showed a hint of surprise, clearly not expecting anyone else to be here.

He didn't say anything, walked to the edge of the sword cliff, and took out a fishing rod from his spatial bag. He then baited and cast his line, also beginning to fish.

"This is the Traceless Young Master, and this is Qingfeng."

The Sword Master said casually while fishing, introducing the two.

Li Hao and Qiu Wucheng exchanged glances. Qiu Wucheng's eyes flickered, and the name Qingfeng sounded familiar. He quickly remembered who it was and nodded slightly at Li Hao as a sign.

Li Hao nodded in return, and the three of them fished in silence.

No one spoke, each immersed in their own enjoyment.

As they reeled in, Li Hao noticed that the fishing line of the Traceless Young Master exuded a subtle sword intent.

This sword intent was flexible and free, with a soft yet sharp quality.

But the softness was different from Lin Qingying's ultimate softness; they were two different sword techniques.

Li Hao recalled a sword technique from the ninth level of the Sword Pavilion, the Thousand Silk Sword Rain Technique. The practitioner could condense thousands of threads of sword intent, weaving them like rain to cut through space.

"Traceless uses fishing to understand the sword. You can try this method in the future."

The Sword Master said to Li Hao, "All things in the world can help you comprehend your own martial path."

He knew Li Hao had exceptional talent and high insight, and this was a kind of guidance in cultivation.

"Sure." Li Hao nodded.

Hearing their conversation, Qiu Wucheng, who had been frowning, his eyes flickered with surprise. The Sword Master would actually give such advice to an alchemist?

Could it be that this person wanted to excel in martial arts as well?

But trying to excel in two fields might lead to mediocrity in both. After all, most geniuses struggle to reach the pinnacle in a single martial path, let alone divide their attention.

He retracted his thoughts, didn't think further, and focused on his fishing line.

...

After the second round of the selection battles, the third round began, lasting nearly half a month.

All the matches were one-on-one, without any defending champions, making the process much slower.

Li Hao continued to come to the sword cliff every day to fish, and sometimes, when the Sword Master wasn't there, only Li Hao and Qiu Wucheng remained.

On the tenth day after receiving the Great Dao Sword Technique, Li Hao went to the Jade Pool Peak.

Seeing Li Hao climb the mountain, Jiang Yingyue hurried over and led him to the Jade Ancestor.

"Ten days have passed. How is your sword path practice? Show me your skills." Yaozu sat solemnly on the holy platform, radiating a hazy, sacred glow as he spoke softly to Li Hao.

Li Hao nodded and casually picked up a sword from the nearby rack, beginning to demonstrate the Great Sword Technique. However, he restrained his sword intent and momentum, along with the essence of the sword path, not unleashing the true form of the Great Sword Technique. Otherwise, the commotion would be too great and too shocking.

Even so, his swordplay was fluid and graceful, reaching the level of dexterity.

Surprise flickered in Yaozu's otherwise calm eyes. To master such a difficult and obscure sword technique in just ten days indicated exceptional talent in the sword path!

Beside them, Jiang Yingyue was equally stunned by Li Hao's dexterous display of the Great Sword Technique. But remembering that Li Hao had ninety-seven layers of Dao domains, she felt a bit more at ease.

It seemed Li Hao's talent was even higher than she had imagined. Apart from his cultivation, his natural talent in the sword path was on par with hers!

After all, even she wasn't confident she could refine this sword technique to such a dexterous and skillful level in ten days, unless guided by a semi-saint.

But Li Hao hadn't ascended the mountain in those ten days.

"Did you figure it out on your own, or did someone guide you?"

Yaozu asked after Li Hao finished his demonstration.

Li Hao noticed the shock in Jiang Yingyue's eyes and wondered if he had overdone it.

He replied honestly, "Qingying gave me a few pointers."

Yaozu understood and said, "Even with guidance, your progress is remarkable. Your talent in the sword path is exceptional. You could join the Inner Gate. Would you like to become my disciple?"

"This is a significant matter. I need more time to consider it."

Li Hao repeated the excuse he had prepared.

Yaozu's eyes flickered, sensing Li Hao's reluctance. It was rare for him to take on a disciple, and many male disciples dreamed of joining Yaochi Peak. However, Li Hao's refusal reminded him of the clear, pure look in Li Hao's eyes when he painted her, devoid of any lustful thoughts.

A slight smile curved her lips, and she grew more appreciative of Li Hao. "No problem. When you're ready, you can give me your answer. I can wait for you!"

The last few words carried a bit more weight, emphasizing her sincerity.

Li Hao felt a twinge of guilt. He had only used her token to access the Sword Tower to record techniques, with no intention of becoming her disciple.

"Alright."

Li Hao nodded, knowing he would have to find another way to repay her later.

Jiang Yingyue was taken aback when Li Hao politely declined her master's offer. But she quickly realized that with his talent and ninety-seven layers of Dao domains, he likely had a significant background. Perhaps he already had a master?

She suddenly felt that the identity of this Qingfeng Alchemist seemed suspicious.

However, since the Sword Master hadn't questioned it, it wasn't her place to pry.

...

After bidding farewell to Yaochi Peak, Li Hao continued his daily routine of fishing from the sword cliff.

Half a month passed quickly. After a total of twenty days of selection, the list of the top hundred was finally announced, causing a stir throughout the sanctuary. Countless disciples were in an uproar.

To rank among the top hundred in a crowd of geniuses was already an exceptional achievement. In any first-rate force, they would be treated as direct disciples.

Each person on the list soon became well-known, their reputations spreading far and wide.

With the top hundred list unveiled, a grand arena was erected on the summit of the Holy Mountain.

The upcoming battles would include the Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, who would be randomly paired. It was possible that two of the strongest Holy Sons could face off on the first day!

Losers would have the chance to challenge again, and a points system would determine the final sixteen.

As the top hundred battles began, Lin Qingying, who had spent many days practicing in the courtyard, also set out for the Holy Mountain.

This time, Li Hao followed Lin Shanhai and the other alchemists, still with a floating seat.

Below in the viewing area, not only the million outer gate disciples but also the defeated inner gate disciples came to watch. It was a rare opportunity to gauge the gap between themselves and the Holy Sons and Holy Daughters.

"Look, there's the Sword Saint! The Sword Saint is here in person!"

On the summit of the Holy Mountain, three grand arenas were erected, surrounded by magical arrays.

As everyone arrived, a middle-aged man in pristine white robes, hands clasped behind his back, slowly descended into the air above the arena. His imposing figure seemed to cause the void to ripple slightly, with countless sword shadows flickering.

Even his soft sleeves gave a sense of piercing sharpness, impossible to look at directly.

Li Hao narrowed his eyes. This was the strongest of the Sword Ancestor Sanctuary, the Sword Saint!

No other prefix, just two simple words, yet they conveyed uniqueness and supremacy!

In addition to the Sword Saint's presence, three more semi-saints, including Yaozu, appeared in the air, not concealing their auras. Their holy intent influenced the surroundings, manifesting various phenomena.

Behind Mountain Ancestor, a towering, sky-reaching peak appeared as a faint shadow.

Behind Yaozu, a ethereal and mystical holy platform of Yaochi floated.

Behind the other semi-saints, one emitted lightning, another condensed scarlet flames, turning the void red.

Such overwhelming pressure made the top hundred geniuses slightly hold their breath. The Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, who had previously been indifferent and relaxed, now had intensely focused expressions.