Chapter 20: Comprehensive Body Cultivation
Chapter 20: Comprehensive Body Cultivation
As Jian Wudao left with Bian Ruxue, the courtyard was filled with the ladies and their graceful figures, all vying for a chance to say a few words before he departed. Some even arranged for their children to practice swordsmanship along the path leading out of the estate, hoping to catch Jian Wudao's attention. However, none of these efforts managed to draw his notice.
The Sword Hut was not so easily accessible, which is why so many yearned to step inside.
The courtyard, once vibrant with color, seemed to lose its luster as the ladies departed, returning to the quiet emptiness of autumn leaves drifting to the ground.
Li Hao held the sword Bian Ruxue had been practicing with, standing silently at the gate of the courtyard. After a long while, he slowly turned his gaze away.
He then handed the sword to Li Fu, who stood behind him, and said, "Uncle Fu, put this on the sword rack in my bedroom and tell the maids they don't need to clean it daily."
Li Fu took the sword with a sense of loss, looking at Li Hao's profile with a mix of sympathy and self-reproach. He said in a low voice, "From today on, I won't indulge you anymore. I'll confiscate your Chess Board, and you need to start cultivating!"
Li Hao was taken aback and lifted his head. "Uncle Fu, you don't think I wasn't taken as a disciple because of chess, do you? That's unfair!"
"I don't care."
Li Fu's face darkened. "Talented horses are common, but good judges are rare. The opportunity was right in front of you, and you didn't seize it because you weren't well-prepared. From now on, you must always be in your best form, ready for any chance that might come your way."
"Opportunities in life are few. Once you miss them, what future can you have?"
Li Hao protested, but seeing that Li Fu was serious, he asked, "So, Uncle Fu, what do you consider a successful future?"
"A Li Family man should make a name for himself, defend the borders, and protect the people of the nation. That is what success looks like!" Li Fu said solemnly without hesitation.
"Then being a Li Family man is too hard", Li Hao said with a bitter smile.
"Since you bear the Li name and enjoy the immense wealth and privilege that come with it, you must also shoulder the responsibility", Li Fu said coldly.
Have I really enjoyed that privilege? Li Hao thought with a bitter laugh. But then he remembered the delicious pastries and fresh fruits sent by Fifth Lady, and the nutritious porridge Mother gave him. Maybe he had enjoyed it, after all.
"Uncle Fu, do you mean body cultivation when you talk about cultivation?"
"Of course."
Li Fu glanced at him, implying that there was no other path for him besides body cultivation.
Body cultivation was not popular because it was arduous, had a low ceiling, and required a high level of insight and skill to compete with other experts. Those who were forced into body cultivation might grit their teeth and bear the hardship, but they might not have the necessary insight.
Painful refinement could make one exquisite, but it could also warp one's soul.
After some back-and-forth with Uncle Fu, they finally reached an agreement. Li Hao agreed to cultivate, but Li Fu had to let him keep his Chess Board and play with it daily.
Li Fu reluctantly agreed, planning to reassess the situation once Li Hao had started his cultivation.
In the days that followed, Li Hao was forced to spend some time practicing the basic Body Cultivation Secret Manual that Li Fu had taught him. However, with his understanding of Flesh Dao, he progressed quickly, much to Li Fu's surprise. Li Hao turned out to be a promising candidate for body cultivation.
Li Hao slightly slowed down his progress to prevent Li Fu from taking away all his leisure time. It took him three months to master the basic Body Cultivation Secret Manual.
Even so, this achievement moved the battle-hardened man to tears. He wrote a letter to Yanbei that night, sharing the good news and his joy with the couple on the frontier.
Through steady, persistent effort, Li Hao's Chess Dao, which was at the third stage, finally advanced.
【Name: Li Hao】
【Age: 7】
【Cultivation: Tenth Level of Power Mastery】
【Sword Dao: Second Stage (Flying Segment) (Hidden Bow)】
【Skills: Endless Sea·Tide (Ultimate) Falling Snow Sword Technique (Ultimate)】
【Flesh Dao: 1st Rank (Myriad Phenomena) (Tiger Pressure)】
【Skills: Hundred Refinements of Stone Skin (Mastery) Thousand Dragon Sacred Body (Young Dragon Body) Primordial (Stellar Body Beginner) Mighty Ox Strength (Mastery)】
【Chess Dao: Rank 4 (1/10000)】
【Chess Spectrum Collection: Myriad Phenomena, Tiger Pressure, Flying Segment, Hidden Bow】
【Mental State: Chess Heart】
【Art Skill Points: 1】
Li Hao glanced at Li Fu, who was always by his side, and decided not to immediately spend his Art Skill Points to enhance himself. If it were Sword Dao, it would be a simple matter of memory infusion. However, he wanted to use these points on Flesh Dao first, to ensure his physical strength and gain a sense of security.
Understanding Flesh Dao would inevitably lead to changes in the Body Cultivation Secret Manual, affecting his body in a significant way.
One day, Li Hao followed Li Fu to the Rain Listening Pavilion.
Upon learning that Li Hao had a natural talent for body cultivation, He Jianlan granted him the privilege of entering and exiting the Rain Listening Pavilion at any time to choose secret manuals. Of course, Li Fu was not allowed to enter.
Although he was Li Tiangang's confidant, Li Fu was not a core member of the Li Family's Main Lineage, and his status was different.
Li Fu didn't mind. The Rain Listening Pavilion was a crucial area of the Li Family. Despite the lack of visible guards, no one would dare to come here to steal or rob. It was safer than any of the ladies' courtyards.
Li Fu stayed downstairs, while Li Hao went up alone. Now that he was old enough to understand things, He Jianlan no longer had Xue Jian accompany and monitor him.
Li Hao had heard that the old Sword Saint had sent a Body Cultivation Secret Manual two months ago, which was placed on the sixth floor. He immediately headed up to the sixth floor.
Soon, he found a new secret manual.
Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body
Li Hao began to read through it. With his understanding of Flesh Dao at Rank 1, he quickly grasped the basics.
He recorded it in his mental interface.
Soon, the Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body appeared on his interface, and he advanced to the second level of mastery.
The Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body had six levels, each allowing the cultivation of a different type of physical prowess.
- The first level was the Silent Cicada Body, which allowed one to sense the subtle flow of air on the skin.
- The second level was the Crouching Dragon Body, which accumulated the strength of a dragon or an elephant.
- The third level was the Leaping Shell Body, which enabled one to step on air and move with ease.
...
His body made a faint cracking sound as Li Hao felt a new surge of power within him, estimated to be several thousand pounds!
Although he was still at the Tenth Level of Power Mastery, his strength was vastly different from that of an average Force Mastery practitioner.
Li Hao thought to himself that if he cultivated more Body Cultivation Secret Manuals, he might be able to accumulate even more strength.
With this in mind, he began searching through the various levels of the Rain Listening Pavilion.
Before long, he found seven or eight Body Cultivation Secret Manuals, all of high to mid-tier quality. Cultivating to their peak could bring one to the level of a first-rate martial artist.
As he recorded each secret manual into his interface, Li Hao felt his body undergo strange changes, his limbs becoming more robust.
His cultivation level on the interface remained unchanged, and Li Hao had hoped his strength would increase further, but it did not. However, these Body Cultivation Secret Manuals included techniques for enhancing claws, legs, bones, and internal organs.
He could feel that while his overall strength hadn't increased much, these specific parts of his body had undergone a qualitative enhancement.
Li Hao surmised that his body was already too strong, having already unleashed most of his physical strength. As a result, these slightly inferior manuals couldn't stimulate any more physical power, but they could still enhance specific areas.
His *Hundred Refinements of Stone Skin* manual could strengthen his skin, but its effects were overshadowed by the *Dragon Demon Body* technique from the *Thousand Dragon Sacred Body*.
The skin enhancement provided by the *Dragon Demon Body* was akin to dragon scales, far surpassing the *Hundred Refinements of Stone Skin*. Therefore, the effects of the *Hundred Refinements of Stone Skin* were barely noticeable.
However, other *Body Cultivation Secret Manuals* complemented areas that the earlier *Sixth Floor Body Refinement Techniques* hadn't covered.
Bones, liver, ears, and eyeballs—all these parts were enhanced.
While the overall strength didn't change much, the practical power in combat saw a dramatic improvement.
Li Hao realized that he needed to gather different *Body Refinement Techniques* to refine himself. If he could bring all parts of his body to the same level, he would be invincible!
At this moment, Li Hao truly appreciated the rich resources of the Rain Listening Pavilion. For a martial artist, this place was invaluable.
There weren't many *Chess Manuals*, but *Body Cultivation Secret Manuals* were abundant!
Li Hao searched through the pavilion with great excitement, collecting one manual after another.
Time passed.
By the time the sun set and dusk fell, Li Hao emerged from the pavilion with a *Body Cultivation Secret Manual* in hand.
In the distance, crows seemed to be flying across the sky, and the faint scent of cooking and wood smoke wafted from the front courtyard, signaling dinner time.
Li Hao stretched and flexed his muscles.
There were too many manuals in the Rain Listening Pavilion. He had spent the entire afternoon searching and had only managed to find a fraction of them, and only in the body refinement category.
Li Hao hadn't collected all the manuals. For instance, *Mighty Ox Strength*, which Li Fu had forced him to practice earlier, offered no significant improvement and was overshadowed by stronger techniques.
For example, if two manuals both focused on claw techniques, practicing the weaker one after the stronger one would yield little benefit because the stronger one had already brought the hands to a high level of refinement.
The weaker manual would only be useful if it focused on a different part of the body, thus complementing the stronger one.
"You finally came out."
Seeing Li Hao emerge, Li Fu was somewhat exasperated. He had waited all afternoon, wondering if Li Hao had gotten lost in the selection.
He picked up the manual Li Hao was holding and examined it. It was a mid-grade *Body Cultivation Secret Manual* titled *Dragon Spine*, clearly focused on strengthening the back.
"You only picked this one?" Li Fu felt a bit helpless. "Didn't you go to the sixth floor?"
"Yep, but I couldn't understand it", Li Hao said casually.
Li Fu thought about it and agreed. The manuals on the sixth floor were all top-notch. Even he would need to devote several months to just grasp the basics.
"Don't rush to practice this one. I'll ask First Lady which manuals in the Rain Listening Pavilion are suitable for you. This one is too specialized."
Li Fu hoped Li Hao would focus on a more comprehensive *Body Refinement Technique* that covered the entire body, reducing the number of weak points.
"Alright", Li Hao didn't object, saying casually, "Let's go back for dinner. I'm starving. What should we have for dinner tonight?"
Seeing that Li Hao's mind wasn't on the martial path, Li Fu felt a bit helpless. The two of them turned and left the Rain Listening Pavilion.
Soon, they encountered an old man wearing a straw hat. He carried a fishing rod on his shoulder and held a fish basket in his hand, dressed simply and looking ordinary.
Seeing the old man, Li Fu's eyes narrowed, and his expression became solemn. He stopped and respectfully said, "Li Fu greets Second Uncle."
(End of Chapter)
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