Chapter 27: Skill – True State

Hearing Li Hao’s words, Li Moxiu froze.

He stared at Li Hao, then suddenly smiled—but in his eyes flickered a faint trace of sorrow.

“Countless tales of the past, all reduced to laughter and idle talk. Yet how ironic—so many grown men in this world, and yet none are as clear-minded as this child.”

With that, he turned away.

Li Hao suddenly noticed the old man discreetly wiping a tear from his cheek.

This was a warrior whose strength rivaled that of the Sword Saint himself. And yet, he was weeping. What memories had stirred within him?

Li Hao wisely chose silence. After a moment, Li Moxiu seemed to have composed himself. He turned back, smiling gently at Li Hao.

“Earlier, I mentioned there are two ways to break through into the Circulation Realm. One is the Hundred Serpents Chapter. The other is the Celestial Circuit Breathing Technique.”

“The Pavilion of Listening to Rain houses two such techniques—both supreme. One, when perfected, can achieve one hundred and eight circuits. The other, one hundred and twenty-eight. Among all of Emperor Yu’s martial families, these are top-tier. Only one scripture surpasses even the Hundred Battles Celestial Circuit Scripture—the imperial family’s own All-Heavens Celestial Circuit Scripture.”

“One hundred and sixty-eight circuits. A true masterpiece unmatched in the world.”

“Such power?” Li Hao gasped in shock. Reaching seventy-two circuits was already considered elite. This imperial technique doubled that number—was it truly possible for the imperial family to be invincible within the Circulation Realm?

“Of course,” Li Moxiu said. “That’s why the imperial family rules over all. This is what we call Combat Scripture Sovereignty—exclusive to the imperial bloodline. No other family may learn it, nor even possess it. That is how great houses endure through generations—by maintaining absolute dominance.”

Li Hao nodded. The Pavilion of Listening to Rain was no different. With just this one tower, the Divine General’s Residence could remain prosperous for countless generations.

“Still, the higher the cultivation technique, the greater the challenge. Mastery demands exceptional insight. It’s not something anyone can learn overnight. In our Li family, though many attempt the Hundred Battles Celestial Circuit Scripture, most opt instead for the Heavenly Pole Celestial Circuit Scripture.”

“The reason is simple. If it takes you five years to master the Hundred Battles technique, but only three years to learn the Heavenly Pole, then three years later, the one who learned the latter will already be ahead. You might think, ‘I’ll catch up in two more years.’ But don’t underestimate those two years. By the time you finally complete the Hundred Battles, the other might already be in the Continuation of Soul Realm. One step ahead—step by step ahead!”

Li Moxiu said.

Li Hao nodded.

Choose your cultivation path based on your talent. That’s wisdom.

Otherwise, it’s like a child trying to study high school—unable to absorb anything, while those who progress steadily leave you far behind, wasting your precious time.

“You have exceptional body cultivation talent. I recommend you use the Hundred Serpents Chapter to break through into the Circulation Realm. With your insight, you should achieve it within three years.”

“By then, at just ten years old, you’ll reach the Circulation Realm—One Circuit, Hundred Circulations. Even if you’re slightly behind your father, it’s still remarkable.”

“Your father was that strong?” Li Hao asked, stunned.

Most people at ten years old would be lucky to reach the Peak of Strength Consolidation Stage.

Even in the Divine General’s Residence, where geniuses were the norm, reaching the Circulation Realm at ten was still extraordinary.

“From what I recall, Xiaoqi’s talent was slightly less than Xiaoji’s. At seven, he reached the Peak of Strength Consolidation Stage—your current age. By nine, he completed his circuits. At twelve, he perfected his soul. By sixteen, he achieved Divine Travel Perfection…” Li Moxiu shook his head. “After that, he joined the military. I don’t know what happened after.”

Li Hao was speechless. That was a monster.

Even Lin Shu, who was considered a solid talent, wasn’t at the Divine Travel Realm until his forties.

And these prodigies? They were already perfected by sixteen.

And this boy was still behind him?

Li Hao had no words. But then he remembered: the Ninth Uncle was among the absolute top-tier talents across Emperor Yu’s nineteen provinces, among billions of martial practitioners—truly a peak among peaks.

It made sense.

“When you enter the Circulation Realm, you must not only cultivate circulating Qi, but also learn the Meridian Opening Technique of that realm. Your father, within just two years, mastered both the Hundred Battles Celestial Circuit Scripture and the Dragon River Divine Meridian—two of the most difficult and elite martial arts. He became the strongest among non-imperial geniuses.”

Li Moxiu continued.

“Beyond differences in cultivation techniques, the Meridian Opening Techniques vary greatly. Ordinary Combat Scriptures open one meridian per level. Reaching the tenth level of the Circulation Realm means ten meridians.”

“Average Meridian Opening Techniques reach eighteen meridians at completion. Superior ones, thirty-six. And supreme ones? Fifty-four.”

“The Dragon River Divine Meridian is our family’s finest Meridian Opening Technique. The first nine levels each open five meridians. The tenth level completes nine.”

Li Moxiu looked at Li Hao and smiled.

“Now you understand the staggering gap between supreme Meridian Opening Techniques and common ones? Between elite and ordinary Combat Scriptures?”

Li Hao counted on his fingers, then took a sharp breath.

Even at the same level of Circulation Realm completion, the difference between elite and ordinary could be over fifty times. A true chasm between heaven and earth.

If both Qi circulation and meridian opening were ordinary—ten meridians, ten circuits—its power would barely surpass the first level of a supreme Combat Scripture in the Circulation Realm.

The gap was beyond belief.

This revelation showed Li Hao just how precious and critical resources were on the Martial Path.

Ordinary martial practitioners without backing could only train in basic Combat Scriptures—mere cannon fodder in their own realm.

And this gap drove countless cultivators to desperate extremes, clawing their way upward at any cost—through flattery, alliances, or sheer relentless struggle—often sacrificing everything, even their lives.

That was why the true masters sat atop all, renowned across the land.

This path… was not easy.

“If you’re born with blocked meridians, opening them will be harder—slowing your progress. But with our elite Combat Scriptures, you’ll only fall slightly behind the top prodigies. To ordinary martial practitioners, you’ll still be an unattainable genius.”

Li Moxiu said.

In the Li family, geniuses were too many to count. Having long held power, they had witnessed countless prodigies from minor families rise like comets—only to fade.

Here, only those like Li Tiangang and Li Junye—true peak prodigies—caught the attention of elders like him. The rest? Just competent members of the family, like the countless junior branches in the Training Grounds.

Li Hao nodded slightly, saying nothing.

“The fish is ready.”

Li Moxiu lifted the clay lid. A savory aroma of fish wafted into the air.

He extinguished the fire and swept away the ashes, then said to Li Hao: “Eat first. Then practice on your own. I’ll be out this afternoon. If you have questions, ask me tonight.”

“Alright.” Li Hao replied.

The “chopsticks” from yesterday’s skinning hadn’t been thrown away. The old man handed them back.

Li Hao copied his gesture—wiping them on his clothes—then plunged them into the pot to pull out a piece of fish.

This time, he felt no disgust. Only rich sweetness and delicate tenderness.

After finishing, Li Moxiu collected the pot and chopsticks, gave Li Hao a final instruction, then stepped forward—his figure vanishing into the sky in a single bound.

Li Hao stretched lazily, walked over to the nearby shelf of Combat Scriptures, and began searching. Soon, he found the books Li Moxiu had mentioned—all stored in the seventh-floor Jade Glass Cabinet, which greatly slowed the decay of ancient texts.

Of course, Li Hao suspected the family must have hidden copies elsewhere. Perhaps even these displayed ones were merely duplicates.

He flipped through the Hundred Battles Celestial Circuit Scripture and the Dragon River Divine Meridian, but couldn’t immediately absorb them into his Character Panel. No surprise—these were supreme-level techniques.

He opened his Character Panel, stared at the two Art Skill Points he’d accumulated, and without hesitation, poured them all into the Body Dao.

Instantly, a flood of complex information surged into his mind. The first wave passed, then the second, and the third. It took a full quarter of an hour before Li Hao finally began to digest it. His eyes sparkled with sudden clarity.

He checked his Character Panel again—what he saw had changed dramatically.

---

[Name: Li Hao]

[Age: 7]

[Cultivation Level: Tongli Stage Tenth Level]

[Sword Dao: Second Level (Flying Segment) (Hidden Bow)]

[Skills: Sea Without Horizon · Tidal Wave (Perfection), Snowfall Sword Art (Perfection)]

[Body Dao: Third Level (Ten Thousand Phenomena) (Tiger Press)]

[Skills: Stone Skin Hundred Smelts (True State), Thousand Dragon Sacred Body Level Three (Complete), Tai Chu Level Three (Penetrating Obscurity Body Mastery), Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body Level Three (Shell Leaping Body Mastery)...]

[Go Art: Fourth Level (5/10000)]

[Fishing Dao: First Level (112/500)]

[Go Manuscript Collection: Ten Thousand Phenomena, Tiger Press, Flying Segment, Hidden Bow]

[Fishing Scroll Compendium Collection: None]

[Mind State: Chess Heart]

[Art Skill Points: 0]

---

Body Dao had leveled up to Third Level.

Thousand Dragon Sacred Body had reached its third stage—complete.

Tai Chu and Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body both entered their third stage, also complete.

But the most shocking revelation was the Stone Skin Hundred Smelts, a lower-tier Body Cultivation Technique.

Its realm now read: (True State).

A flood of information about the technique surged into Li Hao’s mind. He could now perform it far beyond perfection.

Body cultivation levels, like combat techniques, followed four stages:

Beginner → Small Success → Great Success → Perfection.

Corresponding to combat skills:

Beginner → Skillful → Perfect → Supreme Perfection.

But what was True State?

A level higher than Perfection?

And not just this one—every lower-tier Body Cultivation Technique in his list now bore the (True State) tag.

Wild Ox Strength (True State).

Li Hao felt a sudden urge. Without thinking, he activated the technique based on the insights flooding his mind.

Power surged through his body. Qi exploded from every pore. His meridians swelled like ox tendons, flowing and coiling in perfect rhythm with his will—concentrating in his fist.

With a single punch—whoosh—the curtain on the distant pavilion twenty meters away trembled violently, whipping in the wind.

The power boost from Wild Ox Strength at True State was more than four or five times greater than before.

And there was something deeper—a sense of returning to simplicity. The movements now carried a profound, natural grace, a subtle, harmonious Qi flow that felt… truly right.

As if this was the real essence of Wild Ox Strength.

Next, Li Hao began practicing Thousand Dragon Sacred Body.

Instantly, the vast reservoir of Qi in his dantian surged to life—spinning like a whirlwind.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end