Chapter 2 Compilation of Swordsmanship. Chapter 3 The Abandoned Divine Blood. Chapter 4 Levels Three, Six, and Nine. Chapter 5: The Ultimate
[Name: Li Hao]
[Age: 0 years old]
[Cultivation Level: Mortal]
[Mastered Artistic Skills: None]
[Skill Points: 0]
These clear texts turned out to be a character panel that Li Hao was very familiar with.
The reason he was familiar with it was that he had seen this thing in his previous life.
But not in reality, it was in a game.
When he was crossing over, Li Hao happened to be bored and had casually downloaded a casual mobile game from the leading store, and this panel was the character panel in the game.
However, now there was the additional attribute "Cultivation Level."
And the age and name fields also switched to his current real status, instead of that perennial online nickname: "Past With the Wind."
As for the "Skill Points" at the end, he found them even more familiar.
Unlike the mainstream adventure and card games that required intense grinding, this game's main selling point was light entertainment.
There was no battle system, no combat equipment, just fancy and flashy fashion, and various arts and leisure activities.
Such as chess, fishing, painting, carving, and so on.
You could even watch movies or play poker.
The serious type.
The only thing missing was monsters; you couldn't fight.
Improving different arts would accumulate "Skill Points," and each skill point could directly enhance your artistic level, unlocking more gameplay.
Unexpectedly, after crossing over, he had brought this thing with him.
Wait a second.
This thing wouldn't expect him to become a full-time lifestyle master like in the game, would it?!
Li Hao was somewhat shocked and speechless.
This was the ephemeral realm, what use was there for art!
I need to fight!
"Report——"
While Li Hao was immersed in shock at the panel, a shrill military report suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
A Li Family elite soldier rushed into the courtyard, quickly shattering the peaceful and joyful atmosphere within. He knelt on one knee before the Lord of Fazi Camp, urgently reporting:
"My Lord, Northern Yan has erupted into chaos; Prince Pingcheng has colluded with demons and slaughtered Mofeng City on the border, as well as the surrounding eight towns. Emperor Yu has issued an edict, ordering you to set off immediately to quell the rebellion!"
The gazes of all the powerbrokers and the ladies of various courtyards within the courtyard were suddenly focused on the Lord of Fazi Camp, their expressions varied.
Li Hao came back to his senses, somewhat astonished.
It had only been a few months, and there was already another war?
The smile had faded from the Lord of Fazi Camp's face, replaced by an aura of stern killing intent. His eyes were like cold lightning as he stared at the soldier before him, then slowly stood up.
Seeming to sense something, he looked up at where Li Hao was, his gaze meeting his wife's.
The murderous intent in the man's eyes suddenly dissipated, and he showed a look of regret, "Qingqing, please accompany Hao Er for his hundred-day feast, I will be back as soon as I can."
Ji Qingqing's face turned slightly pale as she handed over Li Hao to the Fifth Lady by her side. Looking at the baby in the swaddling clothes, Ji Qingqing felt an illusion, as if the child was seriously looking at her too, and there was a hint of reluctance in his eyes.
She was momentarily dazed, thinking it was just an illusion after all, the child was only a few months old, how could he understand separation?
"Mother will be back soon, you must be good," Ji Qingqing gently stroked Li Hao's forehead, her eyes also full of reluctance.
But then she resolutely walked towards the Lord of Fazi Camp, "This trip is fraught with danger; I will accompany you!"
The Lord of Fazi Camp immediately shook his head, "You stay here and take care of Hao Er; he is still young and needs you."
"I am a senior general in the army; the commander is in place, how can I be absent?"
Ji Qingqing's eyes were grave, "Prince Pingcheng is crafty and cunning, has been biding his time for many years, and has suddenly made a move; I'm worried there might be more to it, it's better if I accompany you."
The Lord of Fazi Camp stared at her, knowing his wife's stubborn character, sighed, and no longer tried to dissuade her, "Alright, then please take care of Hao Er, ladies and sisters; we will be back as soon as possible."
"You must be careful."
The Lady of the House approached, her face showing concern, "You can leave Hao Er to us without worry."
"Thank you, sister-in-law."
The Lord of Fazi Camp smiled briefly, then turned and called out, "Prepare the horses; Fazi Camp's elite soldiers, assemble and follow me!"
In the General's Manor, actions were swift and decisive; they were accustomed to mustering for battle, and the couple quickly led a team of elite soldiers out of the mansion, rushing overnight towards the Northern Yan frontier camp.
That place was where the Li Family had battled for many years, and they were most familiar with the terrain, demons, and opponents; it was the Li Family's area of defense.
It was because of this that Ji Qingqing was determined to go along.
There were too many prying eyes in the courtyard, and there was something she did not publicly say, why did Emperor Yu receive news of the rebellion in Northern Yan before they did?
Early winter, Qingzhou City saw its first snowfall.
More than a year had passed since the hundred-day feast, and Li Hao was now a year and a half old.
His parents were still on the battlefield in Northern Yan and had not returned. According to the secret reports from the Li Family Army, it seemed that the war was in a stalemate and might turn into long-term combat.
At this time.
The one-and-half-year-old Li Hao stood alone in the Mountain and River Courtyard, hands clasped behind his back like a little adult, gazing at the goose-feather big snowflakes falling from the sky.
He wondered how the girl who became his mother was faring in Northern Yan.
The house servants and maids around him were already accustomed to the young master's behavior.
Although Li Hao had just turned one year old, the name of a prodigy had already spread within Li Mansion.
Ever since he was able to make noises at half a year old, Li Hao had never wet the bed again.
While other children were crying and shouting, the little master was already using simple words like "eat" and "poo" to alert the wet nurses to feed him and take care of his bodily functions.
By the age of one, while other children were just learning to walk, young master Li Hao was already running around, pointing at words in books, asking the servants to read to him, and learning to recognize characters.
He didn't cry or fuss, was intelligent and sensible—that was the impression the house servants and maids had of this young master.
"Second Lady, the young master is over here."
At this time, a graceful and elegant figure of nobility entered the courtyard.
Seeing Li Hao standing alone in the snowy yard, the beautiful woman's eyebrows shot up, and she immediately scolded, "How are you taking care of the young master? Are you not afraid of him freezing to death in this heavy snow?!"
The surrounding house servants and maids were so frightened that they jumped, hurriedly kneeling down.
The head steward among them nervously said, "Replying to the Second Lady, it was, it was the young master himself who wanted to watch the snow, he asked us not to disturb him…"
"The young master is still a child, is everything he says correct? If he told you to die, would you die?!"
The Second Lady's face showed anger as she quickly walked to Li Hao's side, picked him up in her arms, and started patting away the snow that had accumulated on his head:
"Even if the young master wanted to watch the snow, couldn't you have held an umbrella for him? Dressed so thinly, I think you don't want to live!"
The group was terrified into a cold sweat, not daring to even breathe deeply.
"Second Mother, don't blame them, it was I who told them not to come over," Li Hao said, seeing the situation and feeling helpless.
Since his parents had gone to the Northern Yan battlefield, he had been alternately looked after by the ladies of various courtyards; each lady treated him extremely well. The Second Lady Liu Yue Rong in front of him had a gentle disposition, but she was incredibly strict with the servants. Without saying so himself, the house servants attending to him could not avoid a good scolding.
Upon hearing Li Hao's clear and coherent words, a flicker of light flashed in Liu Yue Rong's eyes, followed by a light snort:
"For Hao Er's sake, I'll let you off this time. If I catch this happening again, I will let you taste what it is like to spend the late winter in a cold lake!"
After speaking, she turned her face and said to Li Hao with a gentle smile and laughter, "Hao Er, Second Mother will take you to eat something tasty. You, too, why didn't you wear more? Even with Emperor Yu's gift of the Dragon's Blood Jade, what if you get sick…"
Prattling on and on, her words full of concern, she carried Li Hao out of the courtyard.
Li Hao was already used to it and let Second Mother hold him in her embrace.
Soon after, Liu Yue Rong carried Li Hao to the Shuihua Courtyard.
In the courtyard, a child around four or five years old was swinging a wooden sword, his form so true to life that the swordplay seemed rather skillful.
This was the Second Lady's only child, Li Qianfeng.
Despite his young age, his gaze held concentration and determination.
Next to him, a burly middle-aged man was instructing, nodding frequently.
Li Hao knew this was one of Li Qianfeng's seven military tutors, specifically teaching him Sword Dao.
Upon seeing the Second Lady's arrival, the burly man hurriedly bowed respectfully, his gaze sweeping over to Li Hao in her arms, knowing that this was the Kylin child named by Emperor Yu. Perhaps after the talent is tested, he might not be inferior to his own pupil, Li Qianfeng.
The child practicing swordsmanship did not get distracted by his mother's arrival, continuing to focus on his training.
Liu Yue Rong didn't interrupt, giving the burly man a slight nod before carrying Li Hao to a pavilion nearby.
On the pavilion table were exquisite fresh fruits and flaky pastries.
Liu Yue Rong held Li Hao, feeding him while watching her son practice swordsmanship, the light in her eyes flickering, and before long, she had become entranced, forgetting to continue feeding.
"This is the Li Family's finest swordsmanship 'Endless Sea,' isn't it?"
Li Hao opened his small eyes wide, looking on curiously.
It was said that this Second Lady's child, had his bone age measured and possessed an exceptional talent.
Li Hao wondered what it would be like when his own bone age was measured in the future?
In the courtyard, the five-year-old Li Qianfeng practiced with precision and discipline, even though he was only practicing the movements, his posture was correct, earning frequent nods of approval from the burly man, prompting him to praise the child.
Yet, no joy appeared on the child's face; he remained fully focused.
"Again!"
Although the burly man praised him, his teaching was extremely strict.
The child began the routine all over again, his movements smooth, clearly having mastered them by heart.
Li Hao watched, entranced, when suddenly, a line of text popped up before his eyes.
"You have learned the rudiments. Would you like to record it?"
What?!
Li Hao was astonished, and instinctively he chose yes.
"Recording successful!"
At that moment, a panel popped up in front of him.
[Name: Li Hao]
[Age: 1 year]
[Cultivation Level: Mortal]
[Sword Dao: Not Entered (can add points)]
[Skill: Endless Sea•Tide (Not Entered) [Forbidden]]
[Mastered Artistic Skill: Chess Tao]
[Chess Tao: Level One (82/500) (can add points)]
[Chess Catalogue Collection: 0]
[Skill Points: 1]
For more than a year, Li Hao had been trying to figure out his panel, but due to his young age and not wanting to appear too miraculously precocious, his opportunities to test things were limited. Fortunately, he had access to a chessboard in the mansion.
When he was half a year old, he lay on the chessboard and played by himself.
The wet-nurse and maids taking care of him saw that the young master seemed to like the "chessboard" toy and were only too happy to have some relief.
It's better than him crawling all over the place.
In his explorations, Li Hao was amazed to find that by playing chess, he could, like in a game, gain chess experience and easily move up levels!
In reality, to improve one's chess level was incredibly difficult.
It required focus, talent, and hard work.
But Li Hao himself was only an amateur in Chess Tao, not even ranked.
Now, just playing simple games on the chessboard, he was able to gain experience points.
To go from unranked to Level One in Chess Tao, only 100 experience points were needed.
From Level One to Two required 500 points.
If it weren't for the maids occasionally checking on him, which made Li Hao cautious about not being too obvious, he would have farmed even more experience by now.
There was no helping it; although these maids knew nothing of Chess Tao, they at least had some common sense.
If they saw the not-yet-one-year-old Li Hao arranging the chess pieces all in their correct positions, it would inevitably seem peculiar.
But at this moment,
apart from Chess Tao, the panel had added two new attributes, [Sword Dao] and [Skill], which were not there before.
Especially the prompt behind [Sword Dao] made Li Hao both curious and excited. Could it be that Sword Dao, like Chess Tao, could be directly improved through skill points?
Without much thought, he chose to add points.
____________________________________
When consciousness began to float, a surge of information suddenly flooded into his mind.
Li Hao clutched his head, feeling a swelling in his brain, as if it were about to burst open.
This caused him to show a look of pain on his face.
"Hao Er, what's wrong with you?"
Liu Yue Rong noticed something was amiss with Li Hao and was startled. She quickly showed concern.
Li Hao clenched his teeth tightly.
The tumultuous thoughts in his mind gradually calmed down, and Li Hao then realized that his mind was filled with many pieces of knowledge about swords.
It was as if he had been practicing swordsmanship day and night for two or three years.
Damn, this headache, it's just like when Chess Tao leveled up…
Li Hao rubbed his head, panting heavily. He was still too young; his brain was not yet fully developed, and the vast information from Chess Tao and swordsmanship was a terrifying shock to his fragile brain.
Without speaking, Li Hao was trying to calm himself down.
"Is Lin Xue sick?" Liu Yue Rong stroked Li Hao's forehead but felt no fever, and she couldn't help being puzzled.
By this time, Li Hao had fully recovered. He looked at his second mother's astonished expression, pointed to his mouth, and mumbled in his baby voice, "B-bit, bit my tongue."
Liu Yue Rong was taken aback and immediately breathed a sigh of relief and rolled her eyes speechlessly.
Li Hao got away with it and didn't pay her any more mind; instead, he secretly started checking his own panel.
[Name: Li Hao]
[Age: 1 year old]
[Cultivation Level: Mortal]
[Swordsmanship: Level 1]
[Skills: Endless Sea ・ Tide (Perfect) [Forbidden]]
[Mastered Arts: Chess Tao]
[Chess Tao: Level 1 (82/500)]
[Chess Manual Collection: 0]
[Skill Points: 0]
Li Hao was somewhat shocked; the skill points at the end were gone, but his swordsmanship had really started at 'uninitiated' and become 'Level 1'!
And the skill below, Endless Sea・Tide, had changed from uninitiated to perfect!
Li Hao had heard the military teacher who taught Li Qianfeng say.
Every skill is divided into three levels: initiation, dexterity, and perfection!
Initiation means being able to proficiently perform a whole set!
Dexterity means that in addition to proficiency, one can also apply it flexibly, having fully understood it, at one's fingertips!
When facing different situations, one can counter moves spontaneously, rather than mechanically repeating set moves!
As for perfection.
It means the skill has been completely mastered, able to be used as naturally as moving an arm, even if performed in reverse, effortlessly without any flaws exposed!
Unless, there are inherent flaws in the skill itself!
It is said that above perfection, there is an even higher realm.
Such a realm could even compensate for the flaws in skills, increasing their power even further!
And now, after his swordsmanship had advanced to Level 1, Li Hao had reached perfection immediately with the first layer of Endless Sea sword technique!
This would require at least a decade of hard training to achieve!
The current Li Qianfeng, it was said that he had practiced Endless Sea for half a year and had already initiated the first layer of Tide, considered a swordsmanship genius.
So, what did that make him now? A monster?
Seeing that his second mother wasn't paying attention to him, Li Hao's gaze returned to the courtyard.
At this moment.
The children in the yard were still practicing swordsmanship, but through Li Hao's eyes, it no longer appeared as impressive as before. Instead, at a glance, he could tell the other's techniques were immature and their postures stiff!
If it were someone who knew how to use a sword, they would only need a light tap to knock the wooden sword out of their hands!
"Not bad," said the burly middle-aged man, quite satisfied with Li Qianfeng's performance.
Excellent foundation and very good comprehension. In two more years, he should be able to reach dexterity with this first layer.
You should know, Li Qianfeng is still only a child right now, his brain not yet fully developed, so this was already quite remarkable.
Time passed.
Li Hao watched while eating snacks fed to him by his second mother. Gradually, he began to feel a hint of fatigue and boredom.
He yawned, nestled into his second mother's arms, and slowly closed his eyes.
Something seemed to pass by in front of his eyes, but Li Hao had already fallen asleep.
Hearing the faint breathing in her arms, Liu Yue Rong looked down, a hint of complexity flashing in her eyes.
But when she raised her head to look at her son practicing swordsmanship in the snowy yard, the complexity in her eyes vanished, and her gaze returned to calm.
She stood up carrying Li Hao out of the pavilion, back to her own rear courtyard's bedroom. She gently placed Li Hao on her own bed, tucking him in carefully.
Her movements were gentle, as if she were his birth mother.
Li Hao, half-asleep, felt his body being laid down and became slightly more alert.
He felt warmth in his chest, a slight heat emanating from there. It was the Dragon Blood Jade Pendant given by Emperor Yu, which he wore at all times. This was also the reason why he could stand in the snowy yard without feeling the slightest cold.
Just as Li Hao was about to turn over and continue sleeping soundly, he suddenly heard a low voice coming from outside the room.
"Did you really feed that thing to the child?" a voice of an unfamiliar man.
"It has come to this; I had no other choice,"
That was his second mother's voice, but it wasn't soft and affectionate, only as cold as one would be to a house servant.
"You saw it too, how hard my son is striving and that he is a once-in-century talent! The people from Mount Wuliang have already come to see, and when Qianfeng turns six, they will take him to Mount Wuliang to cultivate. When his Divine Blood awakens in the future, inheriting the power passed from his father, he will certainly become famous throughout the world!"
"I must pave the way for him!"
Li Hao slightly opened a sliver of his eyes, the drowsy fog in his mind filled with confusion.
Who was Second Mother talking to?
"We still don't know the child's talent; this action is too reckless," the deep-voiced man sighed.
Outside the door, a brief silence ensued.
Then, Liu Yue Rong's voice rose, colder than before, with a hint of mockery, "As parents cherish their child, they plan far ahead for them!"
"I wouldn't have wanted to do this, but the wooden heads of the Li Family are beyond help!"
"Blame the child's father, if you must. How exceptional was that Marquis of Xingwu. Others may not know, but I am well aware that he had stepped into that realm by the age of twenty-three…"
"Which means, there's a not insignificant chance that his child might also awaken the Divine Blood!"
"What?!"
The deep-voiced man responded with shock, "Twenty-three years old, and he stepped into the 'Three Immortal' realms?!"
"That's right, the Li Family ancestor was a founding Divine General of Dayu, with a powerful bloodline. Father succeeded in the ancestor's will, and he was the same," she confirmed.
"In the previous generation, apart from Qianfeng's father, the Marquis of Xingwu was a monster, as were the third, sixth, and ninth brothers! Especially the ninth, who was even more terrifying. Fortunately, he died early and left no descendants…"
"The third brother's wife is always by her side, and being a girl, she will marry off eventually, so it doesn't pose a problem. The sixth brother also entered the Three Immortal realms early, but that was after his marriage…"
Liu Yue Rong said coldly, "The only one who can compete with Qianfeng is this child. Otherwise, why do you think Emperor Yu bestowed his blessing on him? Even if his martial arts talent turns out to be mediocre in the future, with the awakening of the Divine Blood, he can contend with the top geniuses!"
Outside, silence fell again.
The deep-voiced man sighed lightly, "Since the Lady has made such a decision, I shall say no more."
"You needn't worry; this medicine comes from Mount Wuliang. After being taken, it leaves no trace to be tracked, nor does it cause any pain. I've even coated it with sugar; it won't taste odd. Although he is still young, it won't leave any deep memories since children have too many sweets as it is."
"Besides, if it turns out he cannot awaken the Divine Blood in the future, it can't be determined that we were behind any interference. Anyone in the Divine General Mansion could be a suspect!"
"Moreover, the bloodline of that realm isn't guaranteed to awaken one hundred percent of the time. Maybe the child simply didn't have it in him?"
At this, Liu Yue Rong chuckled scornfully, "Thank the Northern Yan wars for this. Ji Qingqing, so deeply loyal to the Marquis of Xingwu, followed him to the battlefield, providing us this opportunity. Otherwise, if we waited till the child grew a few years older and they returned, martial guards would be secretly watching over him, making it difficult to act."
The man did not respond but sighed softly.
Before long, their footsteps gradually faded away.
Inside the room, Li Hao was now fully awake, his mind reeling, disbelieving.
Second Mother was going to harm him?
The seemingly protective and caring attitude of every day—was it all false?
Li Hao was reluctant to believe it, but reality lay stark before him.
Although he didn't understand what Divine Blood was, Second Mother, wishing to clear a path for her own child, perceived him as an obstacle and thus chose to destroy him!
Li Hao's expression was grim, his fists clenched tightly.
The tender smiles had lulled him into a false sense of security. If this was how Second Mother behaved, what about the others?
Who else was sincere?
He had been here for only a year and a half, but being cared for in turn by these ladies, Li Hao had developed some emotional attachment.
Now, however, it all felt like an illusion.
Was this the internal strife of an ancient noble family?
He touched his body with his small hand. Besides a slight warmth in his chest, he felt nothing else, and even this warmth was from the Dragon Blood Jade Pendant.
His mother had said that he had his father's strength within him, but now… it was gone.
Li Hao clenched his small hand tightly in the dark, vowing to exact revenge in the future!
Spring turned to autumn.
In the blink of an eye, Li Hao turned three.
Nowadays, he spent most of his time in the Mountain and River Courtyard. Being careful with the food delivered by the ladies from various courtyards, he sometimes pretended to be picky and refused it, acting like a capricious child.
Gradually, the house servants in the courtyard came to understand that the young master was extremely fussy about his food and drink.
Three years old.
In the Divine General Mansion, this was a crucial age.
Ordinary families start their martial arts training at seven or eight years old, or even in their teens.
Some, already set in their physical development, could have latent talents yet might not achieve great success due to missed opportunities during the best training period because of their family circumstances.
As a martial arts household, the Divine General Mansion had the most rigorous training methods, with children of the clan laying their foundation from a young age.
Foundation Establishment at three.
Blood Melting at four.
Bone Testing at five!
By six, it was time to formally train, not a moment wasted.
On the path of cultivation, thousands strive to cross, and an early lead often means leading at every step!
Cultivation aptitude was to be tested at the age of five.
If the bones were well-developed and the marrow rich and solid, one could begin training after Bone Testing at five.
But with the profound depth of the Divine General Mansion and their belief in not rushing, they prescribed formal training to begin at six, allowing the body another year to grow and solidify for smoother future cultivation.
Even someone with exceptional talents like Li Qianfeng followed this, able to train after Bone Testing but still only ascending Mount Wuliang at six.
Even if practicing swordsmanship daily, it was still just the basics to develop a sense of martial arts, not considered real cultivation.
And for those with average talent or delayed development, they couldn't start training, even at six, needing more years of growth, which could be at seven, eight, or nine.
However, with countless precious medicines in the Divine General Mansion to enhance martial arts qualifications, the mansion's worst case still began cultivation at eight.
I heard that this case was due to premature birth and prenatal injury, leading to such a result.
_________________________________________________
On a sunny day.
The Divine General Mansion arranged for a military strongman to come to the Mountain and River Courtyard to help Li Hao with his Foundation Establishment.
This was a short and stout middle-aged man with dark skin, yet he wore a flowing blue robe. His name was Lin Haixia, sounding like that of a girl. Li Hao later called him Uncle Lin.
Coming back with Lin Haixia was a little girl.
She was about the same age as Li Hao, just two months younger.
It was said that she was the orphan of a comrade-in-arms of the Marquis of Xingwu, who fought on the distant Northern Yan battlefield.
Before the girl's father met with misfortune, he entrusted his young daughter to the Marquis of Xingwu, and before he died, the two agreed on a betrothal when they were infants.
Li Hao was speechless about this sudden betrothal.
Fine, you fight your battles, and it does not matter if you never return.
But such a big matter, did anyone ask for my opinion?
Despite his irritation, Li Hao did not take out his accumulated resentment on this little girl.
So.
In the vast expanse of the Mountain and River Courtyard, there was now another small figure aside from Li Hao.
The little girl's name was Bian Ruxue, and she had delicate and exquisite features, her skin fair and tender, like a porcelain doll.
When she first arrived in this strange place, the little girl was timid and shy, asking everyone she caught, where is my daddy, where did my daddy go?
The little girl was looking for her daddy.
But no one in the courtyard dared to answer, and some of the softer-hearted servant girls could only secretly wipe away their tears in a corner upon hearing her.
The little girl lost her appetite and grew thinner by the day. Seeing that none of the house servants in the courtyard knew how to comfort a child, Li Hao was annoyed. It seemed he had been too competent himself, not training these people properly.
He had no choice but to step in himself, using a mixture of intimidation and coaxing to tell the little girl:
"Your daddy is hiding somewhere, and he will only come out if you behave and eat well."
The little girl, with her innocent tear-filled eyes, asked, "Is Xue'er not being good? Why is daddy hiding from Xue'er, and where is he hiding?"
Hiding where?
Li Hao, looking at the little girl's pitiable expression, softened a bit and said a cliché line, pointing to the sky:
"Your daddy is up there, on one of those stars."
From that point on, every night in the courtyard had a small figure gazing up at the sky.
The myriad stars and their silver glow shone down, illuminating the solitary little shape.
In the house, another little figure, who lay on top of a chessboard, would order the house servants every day to fan beside the little girl, driving away mosquitoes so she wouldn't be bitten all over.
Half a month flew by, and the military strongman Lin Haixia had prepared the Foundation Establishment elixir for both Li Hao and Bian Ruxue.
Both of them underwent Foundation Establishment in the same year.
Foundation Establishment is the foundation of the Martial Arts!
The elixir for Foundation Establishment, made from countless precious medicinal ingredients, immersed the body every day, soaking in a medicinal bath to forge a body suitable for martial training!
As one of the top elite families of Dayu, the Divine General Mansion had abundant resources. From Li Hao's Foundation Establishment onward, countless precious medicinal herbs and rare treasures were sent to the Mountain and River Courtyard, inexhaustible like snowflakes.
The elixir for Foundation Establishment was divided into three grades.
Common, rare, and supreme!
The elixir used by Li Hao was naturally of the top quality, with a thousand-year treasure as the primer, supplemented by many other precious medicinal ingredients, capable of nurturing an Eighth Layer battle physique.
Once one embarked on the path of cultivation, one could break through the First Realm in just two to three short years!
Martial Arts is a crucible of money, and this top-grade Foundation Establishment elixir, used up daily, was costly to maintain for half a year to a year. Only top-tier elite families like the Divine General Mansion could afford to use it so freely.
In the yard, two large medicinal tubs.
Li Hao and Bian Ruxue were soaking in them separately.
However, the area around the little girl's tub was screened by curtains, with female attendants looking after her.
These female attendants were different from maidservants; they had some cultivation and were akin to trusted aides within the household.
On Li Hao's side, Lin Haixia personally supervised him.
At that moment, the dignified dark purple elixir was surging against Li Hao's body, his chin submerged in the liquid, leaving only his nose exposed for breathing.
An indescribable bitter scent from the elixir filled his nose, like swallowing bitter lotus, which kept Li Hao's spirits acutely alert.
Li Hao asked, "Can I drink it?"
Lin Haixia replied, "It's better not to."
The elixir was potent, and the intestines of children couldn't absorb it; it could actually cause harm instead.
Moreover.
It's for external application.
Just as Li Hao was focusing his mind, a string of text suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Detecting unknown substance, analyzing…]
[Analysis failed, automatically isolated.]
Li Hao: ???
What's going on?
Damn!
Could it be the kind of situation I think it is?
Li Hao was full of doubts.
Next to the medicinal tub, Lin Haixia's calm face was gradually turning grim. As time passed, his brow slowly furrowed into a deep "chuan" character.
Li Hao noticed his expression and couldn't help but feel a lurch in his heart. He asked:
"Uncle Lin, is there… some kind of problem?"
Lin Haixia wasn't surprised by Li Hao's perceptiveness. He had realized over the days that this little young master was more precocious than his peers, extremely intelligent, as smart as a five or six-year-old child.
However, he was not in the mood to talk to Li Hao right now. Suddenly, he quickly lifted the curtain to check on the situation on the other side, and soon after returned to Li Hao's side, his face looking extremely ugly.
"Uncle Lin?"
Lin Haixia reached his hand toward the edge of the medicinal tub, feeling closely, his gaze becoming complicated. He looked at the child in the tub, wanting to speak, but then the words stopped at his lips.
"Uncle Lin, just say what you want to say," Li Hao couldn't help but say.
Lin Haixia was slightly surprised and took a look at him. Although Li Hao was more precocious, he was still just a three-year-old child. Could he actually tell that she was hesitating to speak?
However, her mood was so bad at the moment that she didn't think too much about it and just said, regardless of whether Li Hao could understand, "When it comes to martial arts talent, besides the bone-measurement at age five, which can directly reveal it, it is actually hinted at during Foundation Establishment."
"The faster the absorption of Foundation Establishment medicine, the higher the martial arts aptitude. But Young Master, your absorption speed is too slow!"
She looked at Li Hao inside the medicine tub, her eyes revealing incomprehensible doubt and pity.
Then, she thought for a moment and muttered to herself, "Maybe today was just an accident, my refining mistake. I will check more carefully tomorrow."
A chill went through Li Hao's heart.
Was that hint just now really about the Foundation Establishment medicine?
What do you mean by 'too slow absorption'? It's all being blocked, there's nothing to absorb!
Li Hao was speechless in his heart. Was this panel going to adhere completely to the game's settings?
He had discovered this over the past year while exploring the panel.
Since there was no combat system in the game, it seemed that he was also estranged from martial arts.
Or more accurately, estranged from practicing martial arts.
If he tried to cultivate combat skills, it wouldn't give experience, only the arts defined in the game had an experience bar.
Although he could improve himself through diligent practice, in this case, it would be better to go back to pursuing art since it was more rewarding.
At least experience would soar, points would be allocated, and one could create their own cultivation technique.
Overnight, that would surpass decades of hard training.
It's just that now, it's a pity for all these resources piled up around him. If fully used, they could at least nurture a first-rate martial artist.
Speaking of which, since this extraordinary medicine that far exceeds modern elements cannot be absorbed, why was the poison before effective?
Or was it not effective? Did I just fall asleep and not notice the prompt?
Maybe, whether or not I'll awaken the Divine Blood in the future, will be the judgment.
However, that woman had said that awakening Divine Blood had a chance, not certainty.
Forget it, regardless, whether harm was avoided was due to your ability, but this bill certainly cannot be written off.
"Don't lose heart, I'll try again tomorrow. If it really doesn't work, I'll inform Lord Hou. He will definitely come up with a solution for you."
As Li Hao pondered, Lin Haixia reassured him, although she didn't know if Li Hao could understand.
"There's no need,"
Li Hao waved his hand slightly, ready to climb out of the medicine tub.
Since the Foundation Establishment medicine was being blocked by the panel, soaking in it any longer was pointless.
"Don't get up yet, let's try again. Keep soaking for a bit longer," Lin Haixia said immediately when she saw Li Hao getting out.
Li Hao shook his head and said, "It's no use."
"You have to obey!" Lin Haixia's face became stern, taking the matter seriously.
Li Hao was dumbfounded and could only say, "I'll go check on the little girl first."
As he spoke, he lifted the curtain and came to the little girl's medicine tub, and immediately saw that the Foundation Establishment medicine that had been poured in, identical to his, was now almost clear water, turned from purple, with only wisps of faint purple liquid like mist still drifting in it.
"Brother Hao?"
Bian Ruxue looked up at Li Hao from the medicine tub with a puzzled expression, being too young to understand discretion, simply wearing a look of incomprehension.
"Uncle Lin, considering the little girl's absorption speed, how would you rate her talent?"
Li Hao didn't turn around and asked Lin Haixia behind him.
Lin Haixia was feeling depressed and puzzled, but when she heard this, she couldn't help but chuckle. Despite being the same age, this little fellow always seemed so precociously serious in front of Xue'er.
"Her absorption speed is considered very good,"
Lin Haixia had already checked before, and now her eyes reflected some emotion, "If the Blood Melting at age four goes smoothly, then by the time of the bone-measurement at five, with the top resources of the Divine General Mansion, her warrior physique could very well leap to the Eighth Layer, and maybe even the Ninth Layer, ranking her among the top prodigies!"
"Ninth Layer?"
Li Hao was puzzled.
Lin Haixia was patient with the young master of the household, regardless of his understanding. Since the child had asked, she, acting as a temporary teacher, ought to answer.
After listening to Lin Haixia's detailed explanation, Li Hao finally understood.
It turned out that Foundation Establishment, Blood Melting, and bone-measurement all together were known as Third, Sixth, and Ninth Layers!
Foundation Establishment medicine is divided into three layers.
Blood Melting, into six layers!
And bone-measurement aptitude, into nine layers!
A first to third layer physique would be of ordinary aptitude and considered lower-grade.
A fourth to sixth layer physique would be among the elite, regarded as middle-grade.
A seventh layer is already termed a genius.
An eighth layer can make a name across a province.
A Ninth Layer physique is already the most top-notch martial arts constitution, belonging to the level of unrivaled geniuses.
With such a top-tier constitution, breaking through realms would be as easy as eating and drinking, and they could generally reach the Fourth and Fifth Realm!
As for higher realms, apart from talent, one also needs some other elements, like one's own understanding, perseverance, destiny, opportunities, etc.
Li Hao turned to look at the little girl in the medicine tub, his eyes showing some astonishment.
Will this little girl be a talent who will shake the world in the future?
In his mind, he pictured the image of the little snotty-nosed girl standing proudly among a crowd… and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Lin Haixia looked at Li Hao, her eyes filled with worry.
Indeed he was a child; he seemed clever, but after all, he was only three years old.
He still didn't understand the magnitude of what happened today.
The likelihood that there was a problem with the Foundation Establishment medicine was remote.
And this also meant… he might turn out to be a martial arts invalid, unable to cultivate!
In this family of warriors, especially being a son of the Li Family, unable to practice— he couldn't even imagine how cruel this would be.
______________________________________________
An hour passed.
The medicinal concoction in Bian Ruxue's tub had completely cleared, leaving no trace of the medicinal liquid.
The maids dressed her in clean, new clothes, and dried her hair. Standing silently beside Li Hao's tub, she did not understand the significance of all this. She just quietly waited for Li Hao to emerge.
In contrast, under Lin Haixia's insistent demands, Li Hao could only obediently soak in his tub.
The color of the liquid inside his tub remained a glaring purple.
The female servant accompanying Bian Ruxue glanced over and was dumbfounded.
As another hour went by, other house servants and maids heard the news and rushed over to take a look, all of them were shocked.
Having been influenced year-round within the Divine General Mansion, they naturally understood what this signified.
They looked at each other at this moment, each seeing in the other's eyes a sky that had fallen.
The noble son of the Martial Marquis being unable to practice martial arts?
This was the bloodline of the Li Family!
Such a thing was simply unbelievable.
But the reality was right in front of them.
The whole courtyard fell silent. Very quickly, a house servant snapped out of it, and, in a flustered rush, ran off. Before long, Mountain and River Courtyard filled with a multitude of brightly colored figures.
Ladies from various courtyards arrived. They gathered around the medicinal tub and, upon hearing from the servants next to them the duration of Li Hao's soak, everyone was in disbelief.
Liu Yue Rong stood in the crowd, her heart skipping a beat.
Could it be that medicine?
But she had not heard of such a severe side effect from that medicine!
Her chest felt panicked, but she remained composed on the surface, her expression turning to one of urgency and sorrow.
Meanwhile, within the tub, Li Hao, who felt life was no longer worth living, also saw the second wife with her outstanding acting skills. From her eyes, Li Hao even detected a hint of genuine panic.
Had the second wife been startled?
Li Hao sneered inwardly.
As the courtyard grew increasingly noisy, the chief wife wore a stern face and ordered the servants to leave, only allowing the ladies from various courtyards to stay. She instructed that this matter must not be spread and must not be leaked!
Seeing that the Foundation Establishment elixir showed no signs of diminishing, Lin Haixia's heart went completely cold.
This couldn't even be described as "slow".
He thought of a terrible constitution and shivered. Could it be that the Lord's Kylin child was indeed a total waste who couldn't cultivate martial arts?!
Without continuing any further, Lin Haixia lifted Li Hao out of the tub.
Seeing how Li Hao's body had become oxygen-deprived and pale, his skin wrinkled and contracted, the ladies looked on with various expressions in their eyes.
They learned that Li Hao had been soaking for six hours.
Yet the Foundation Establishment elixir showed no change whatsoever, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Liu Yue Rong, seeing that even Li Hao's lips had turned white from the soak, was certain that this was not a ruse.
Her heart tightened, she had only intended to destroy the boy's Divine Blood, not completely ruin him!
After all, becoming a complete invalid would make the matter too suspicious!
This was the powerful bloodline of the Li Family, unable to cultivate?
If the reason were to be investigated later…
The first to snap out of it was the chief wife. She immediately instructed Lin Haixia to take good care of Hao Er and had her own maids bring some warm and tonic medicinal soups to nourish Li Hao's weakened body.
The next day.
Lin Haixia prepared two tubs of Foundation Establishment elixir for Li Hao and Bian Ruxue to soak in separately.
Lin Haixia watched intently as Li Hao entered the bath.
Li Hao felt somewhat helpless, knowing it was a futile effort and a waste of herbs, but he could not win against the other party and only complied.
He estimated it would not be long before they gave up hope.
At that moment, the same font prompt as yesterday appeared.
[Detection of unknown substance, analyzing…]
[Analysis failed, automatic isolation initiated.]
Li Hao had expected this and was not too surprised. He obediently stayed in the medicinal bath, fiddling with his toes out of sheer boredom.
As time passed and the elixir stayed unchanged, the short man from the military completely lost his composure and let out a low growl.
"How can this be?!"
Lin Haixia was agitated, seemingly more incredulous than Li Hao.
He paced back and forth beside the tub, striking his own head: "There's nothing wrong with the elixir, it can't be wrong. Could it be that the Lord's child truly cannot cultivate?!"
This was the Li family bloodline!
Li Hao didn't feel too upset, after all, he had the panel and could become stronger without relying on these elixirs.
But seeing his teacher so distressed, he felt somewhat awkward and consoled him, "Uncle Lin, it's okay, don't be so sad."
Hearing this, Lin Haixia's body shook.
He looked at the child in the tub and suddenly felt tears welling up.
The child, you don't know what fate lies ahead of you!
Seeing the child's optimistic and untainted eyes, Lin Haixia felt as if his heart were being torn apart.
The Commander-in-Chief's only son, could this really be his future?
But, he could do nothing about it.
In Li Hao's case, he could only think of one possibility, innate meridian obstruction.
This was the classic sign of a martial arts cripple!
If it had happened in an ordinary family, it would be normal, as eight or nine out of ten commoners are like this, not an extraordinarily rare occurrence.
But this is the Li Family!
The Li family that produces True Dragons generation after generation!
Even the least talented children of the Li family are superior compared to others.
Not to mention those True Dragons of the Li family—aren't they all figures renowned throughout the world?
And yet, this child…
Lin Haixia was choked with emotion, rendered speechless. Even on the battlefield, where he could look directly upon mountains of corpses and seas of blood without changing color, at this moment, he dared not look at the child any longer.
Those clean, innocent eyes were heartbreaking.
"It's okay, it's okay…" Seeing that the man was genuinely sorrowful for him and was not pretending, Li Hao felt a warmth in his heart.
He stood up from the medicinal bath, pulling at the man's trouser leg, trying to offer some comfort.
The second Foundation Establishment elixir was declared a failure.
The news spread throughout the Divine General Mansion like a hurricane. With this, the news of Li Hao's inability to cultivate was solidified.
The madams and house servants of the various Li Family Courtyards were all shaken and incredulous.
In the following days, Li Hao no longer soaked in the medicinal baths. Instead, people came one after another to examine his body, but all left shaking their heads.
Li Hao also took the opportunity to overhear them, learning that in their eyes, his condition was one of a Martial Arts Disabled Body.
This physique did not completely preclude cultivation.
But it would be exceedingly difficult.
Unable to absorb elixirs or external energy, one could only rely on grueling self-cultivation for a modicum of achievement.
Moreover, one could only cultivate up to the Second Realm.
To break through, one needed to connect with the energy of heaven and earth, and thus the Second Realm was the limit.
The news apparently reached the Northern Yan battlefield. Not long after, an urgent family letter was sent back over a thousand miles.
Yet the information in the family letter once again shocked the Divine General Mansion.
The Grand Marshal had actually reached the Three Immortal Realms!
The letter stated that the Lady of the House must not give up on Hao Er. No matter how arduous or difficult, she must see to it that he starts on the Martial Path.
Even just beginning would suffice. In the future, once the Divine Blood awakens, he could still achieve something. Although he might no longer have the potential to become a genius, he could at least secure a centurion's position in the military.
Thus, he would not fall short of the name of a Li family boy.
The Lady of the House was from the He Family, named He Jianlan.
He Jianlan, though over sixty, appeared only to be in her forties. After reading the family letter, she sighed deeply:
"Hao Er's fate is bitter, it's all because of that despicable woman."
Nobody knew whom she referred to as that despicable woman.
In the days that followed, Li Hao felt as if things had returned to normal.
Foundation Establishment was no longer necessary; it was said that when he turned four, they would try the Blood Melting for him.
As such, Li Hao, having nothing else to do, found even more time to secretly play chess, and his experience points grew quietly and rapidly.
However, the news of Li Hao's Martial Arts Disabled Body somehow leaked out and spread beyond the mansion.
Inside Qingzhou City, the teahouses and restaurants suddenly had a new topic of discussion, but most people took it as just a storyteller's fancy and didn't truly believe it.
After all, he was a Li family boy.
But to some enemies of the Li family in the royal court, the news immediately caught their attention.
Upon sending people to carefully investigate and confirming that it was true, many within the family were both delighted and astonished.
They were delighted that the Li family, glorious for a thousand years, finally showed signs of a failing bloodline!
The astonishment was due to the depths of the Grand Marshal's concealment, having achieved the Three Immortal Realms long ago, and only now being revealed.
Fortunately, his son was disabled in Martial Arts; otherwise, in the future, he would likely have become another Li Junye!
In the blink of an eye, Li Hao turned four.
After a year of sneaking around and working hard, Li Hao had successfully entered the second tier of Chess Tao.
He also gained another Artistic Skill Point.
Without hesitation, Li Hao used the Artistic Skill Point in Sword Dao.
His Sword Dao was thus elevated to the second tier.
Compared to the first tier's overwhelming barrage of information, the now four-year-old Li Hao could barely withstand it, only feeling a slight swelling in his head.
With the improvement in Sword Dao, the skills on his panel changed as well.
[Name: Li Hao]
[Age: 4]
[Cultivation Level: Mortal]
[Sword Dao: Second Tier]
[Skills: Endless Sea·Tide (Perfected)[Forbidden]]
[Known Art: Chess Tao]
[Chess Tao: Second Tier (0/1000)]
[Chess Catalogue Collection: 0]
[Artistic Skill Points: 0]
However, after advancing Chess Tao to the second tier, Li Hao found that playing against himself no longer earned experience points; he needed to find someone to compete against.