147. Borrowing a Breath from Heaven and Earth

Chapter 147: Borrowing a Breath from Heaven and Earth

Upon receiving the Saint Heart Talisman, Li Hao once again thanked Chu Jiuyue and asked him to convey his gratitude to the Emperor.

His impression of the most supreme figure of the Dayu Dynasty remained from his infancy, the first sight upon his arrival—a towering, robust figure seated on a dragon throne, exuding an aura of dominion over mountains and rivers, with a commanding presence over all beings.

It seemed a figure to be revered from afar, untouchable and inviolable.

However, the repeated bestowals from the Emperor made Li Hao feel that this awe-inspiring figure might not be as cold and unapproachable as he initially thought.

…

The snow continued to fall.

The burned letter received no response and thus faded into silence.

No more letters arrived from Qingzhou City.

Li Hao continued his daily practice, sketching the snowy landscapes and mountains outside the pass, fishing for small demons in the wilderness, while exploring the vast and distant Dao of heaven and earth. Deep down, he was unwilling to miss out on the ultimate pursuit.

Perhaps, he too had a heart for martial arts?

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, six months had passed.

From the early winter when he first arrived at the camp, to now, it was already deep winter, with thicker snow covering the ground.

But everything has its yin and yang. When the snow piles up to a certain depth, it's time for the clouds to part and the sun to shine.

In the snowy field, demons secretly emerged from their lairs, preparing to hunt for food.

In the forest, two wild tigers fought over a deer carcass.

The river was frozen, but beneath the ice, small fish swam back and forth.

On a snowy mountain peak, Li Hao sat, sensing every movement within dozens of miles, his body seemingly merging with the mountaintop.

He gazed at the clouds and morning sun, quietly listening to the sound of the snow melting.

The snowflakes falling from the sky were actually the condensation of vapor rising from the earth.

Seeds buried deep in the soil sprouted, grew into towering trees, and in the autumn, with the arrival of a breeze, their leaves could drift towards the unreachable sky.

Fish, confined to water and living in low-lying areas of the earth, swam as freely as if soaring in the sky.

People on land, seemingly wandering freely, were bound by invisible chains of order, unable to break free.

All things are beings, but beings are not all things.

In the past six months, Li Hao had touched the bottleneck of the Dao of all things. The ultimate spiritual light was right in front of him, just a step away from breaking through and achieving full comprehension.

Now, his understanding of the Dao of all things had merged, and his various sword techniques had been restructured. Although his cultivation remained at the Heavenly Human Master Realm, he had truly reached the pinnacle of the Grandmaster Realm, his actual combat power was about fifty percent stronger than in Dayue City.

If he were to face that little demon king again, his newly realized sword techniques would allow him to easily defeat him.

Back then, he had relied on the Wheel Sword Technique, which he had hastily created in minutes during battle, to achieve devastating power. Now, after six months of refinement, this sword technique had been further improved.

As a cold wind swept past, stirring up the snow on the ground, Li Hao's thoughts seemed to flicker. He squinted slightly, sitting quietly for a moment, but the thought slipped away.

Brushing off the snow, Li Hao picked up the small white fox curled up by his knees and got up to leave.

He flew through the air, returning to the camp.

Over the past six months, the number of stone houses built around the camp had increased. Considering the impending battle that could happen at any time in the next six months, Li Hao hadn't put too much effort into building residential houses, treating it more as a hobby or a process of understanding nature.

As usual, he cooked lunch himself.

During the meal, Li Hao once again urged Song Qiumo to return to Tangu and not stay here with him any longer.

The fact that the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King could endure the pain of losing his son for six months indicated he was an extremely shrewd and patient demon king. If Song Qiumo stayed indefinitely, he might spend a lot of resources to invite other demon kings to entangle her.

Therefore, Li Hao felt it was unnecessary for her to stay and waste her time with him.

Song Qiumo ate her meal quietly. After finishing, she looked up at Li Hao and said, "Since you say so, I'll leave today."

Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "When you go back, send my regards to the Palace Master."

"Alright."

Song Qiumo nodded, agreeing without hesitation this time.

After lunch, she packed up the small items she had bought during her stay, including silk hairbands, bracelets, and bells, purchased from nearby towns.

With everything packed, Song Qiumo bid farewell to Li Hao.

"Aren't you regretful?" Li Hongzhuang accompanied Li Hao to see her off. Watching Song Qiumo's figure disappear into the sky, she looked at Li Hao and asked.

"Regretful?"

Li Hao was puzzled.

"Deep down, you must have hoped she would stay, right?" Li Hongzhuang said softly.

Li Hao smiled and shook his head slightly. "You're wrong. I'm genuinely glad she's leaving. At least she won't be in danger."

"Really?"

Li Hongzhuang was surprised, staring at Li Hao.

Li Hao said, "If possible, I hope you can leave too. There's no need to stay here and die with me. I might be able to escape, but you might not."

Li Hongzhuang frowned slightly, staring at Li Hao. "Do you have another plan? Relying on that senior alone might not be enough. Unless he's like my second uncle, capable of suppressing everything with one punch."

The Four Ascension Realm had four levels, with significant differences between each. Li Hongzhuang couldn't determine the level of that senior.

"There's only one plan."

"What?"

"If we can't win, we run."

"..."

Li Hao smiled and returned to the camp.

Li Hongzhuang quickly followed, seriously saying, "At this point, are you still joking? You should go find Fourth Uncle. If he steps in, ordinary Four Ascension Realm demons won't stand a chance."

Li Hao's eyes flickered, but he shook his head slightly. When he left the Li family, he took nothing but his luxurious clothes, not even the famous sword Yongye. He didn't want to rely on the Li family or any of their connections.

"Now is not the time to be stubborn!"

Seeing Li Hao's stubbornness, Li Hongzhuang sighed, packed her belongings, and said, "Since I can't persuade you, I'll go back to Qingzhou and find your father, your second uncle, and your fifth uncle to come and convince you. Hopefully, the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King hasn't arrived by then."

Li Hao felt a mix of helplessness and frustration towards his little aunt, shaking his head and ignoring her.

After packing, Li Hongzhuang also left. No one could bear the wrath of the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King. Staying here would only be a burden, as Li Hao said.

Meanwhile, Li He was anxious, sending messages to Qingzhou continuously, but getting no response.

He didn't know what the Duke was thinking, but his order was to protect Li Hao, and he couldn't leave easily like Li Hongzhuang.

At that moment, as he considered whether to knock out Li Hao and take him away, everything went black.

He fell face-first into the snow, knocked out cold.

Feng Boping appeared behind him, patting him casually. "This stubborn old guy from the Li family is just like the rest of them. He had to be sent away first."

Li Hao chuckled, handing Li He to Ren Qianqian. There were fast horses in the camp. He told Ren Qianqian, "Take him away from Liangzhou, to anywhere. Maybe Qizhou, wait for me in Cangyu City."

Ren Qianqian, full of worry, wanted to persuade him, but she knew it was useless after seeing Song Qiumo and Li Hongzhuang's failed attempts. Knowing his resolute spirit, she could only agree, looking at him with concern. "Young master, I'll wait for you in Cangyu City. You must survive!"

Li Hao saw the clear concern in her eyes, smiled, and said, "Don't worry. You haven't learned my real swordsmanship yet. I won't die that easily!"

Ren Qianqian bit her lip, saying nothing.

Even if you don't teach me swordsmanship, I don't want to see you die… She looked deeply at Li Hao, keeping her thoughts to herself.

There were few parting words. Li Hao slapped the red-blooded horse's rump, sending the girl away.

Li He was also placed on the horse, leaving together along the Dragon Pass Road.

This road had been cleared by Li Hao. Occasionally, demons would pass, but they were killed, making it relatively safe.

"Little one, if something happens to me, find a cave and practice by yourself."

Li Hao looked down at the little white fox clinging to him.

The little fox looked up, its eyes filled with sorrow, making a peculiar sound.

Li Hao returned to the yard. With everyone gone, the yard felt empty.

The girl practicing swordsmanship was no longer there.

The side room was missing Song Qiumo's graceful figure.

At the distant grave, there was no more sight of the figure drinking silently.

"Old Feng, have you ever fished for a demon king?"

Li Hao looked at the old man reclining on a deck chair, smiling. Knowing each other for years, their bond was deep, beyond words of gratitude.

"Hmm, we can try this time."

Feng Boping laughed, shaking a wine jug.

Li Hao sat beside him, took a sip, and asked, "Old Feng, since coming here, you've never urged me to practice."

He knew his daily behavior seemed like wasting time. In the mansion, he was cautious, but here, he let go completely.

Let go of "practice."

"Practice is for joy. If you're already joyful, what's the harm in not practicing?"

Feng Boping laughed.

Li Hao knew Feng's carefree nature. Hearing this, he looked at him and laughed too.

"If I were stronger, you wouldn't have to work so hard."

Feng Boping shook his head. "A mere three years, nothing to worry about."

Li Hao looked at him, saying nothing more.

They drank quietly, watching the snow, the yard more peaceful with fewer people.

To prepare for the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King, they had laid many lines outside Tianmen Pass.

Both skilled in fishing, they waited for the demons to come.

Whether they could match them depended on the catch.

If the line snapped, they would abandon it.

Half a month passed.

Li Hao sat atop the mountain, bathing in the cold wind.

Today's wind was particularly strong and cold.

Li Hao sat quietly, the little white fox curled up in his arms.

With his physique, he wasn't bothered by the cold wind. He watched the snowflakes swirling down, settling on everything.

Suddenly, a moment of enlightenment struck him.

Days of thought, accumulation, and the repeated spiritual light finally broke through.

Li Hao realized what he had been seeking.

He understood what connected all things in this vast world.

—It was a breath!

Mountains, birds, beasts, all life moved by this breath!

Martial artists also relied on this breath.

Mortals lived by this breath.

Martial artists used qi to travel through meridians and exert power.

Emotions, desires, all were a breath.

Growth of all things, also a breath!

But this breath was not what ordinary people understood. It was the breath of heaven and earth!

This breath could transform all things, nurture all things, become mountains, birds, beasts, life!

Li Hao closed his eyes, his aura rapidly contracting, transforming, merging with heaven and earth.

It felt like practice, but different.

His internal qi merged with heaven and earth, transforming, like washing away impurities, shining brilliantly.

This brilliance was ethereal, unreal.

Li Hao offered all his qi to heaven and earth, then asked heaven and earth for a breath, merging it into himself.

He called this breath celestial qi.

Grandmaster extreme, Earth Immortal Realm, achieved!