Chapter 3: Wasted Divine Blood
Chapter 3: Wasted Divine Blood
As his consciousness drifted, a massive surge of information suddenly flooded his mind.
Li Hao clutched his head, feeling it swell as if it were about to burst.
This caused him to grimace in pain.
"Hao'er, what's wrong with you?"
Liu Yuerong, noticing Li Hao's distress, was startled and quickly asked with concern.
Li Hao clenched his teeth tightly.
The chaotic thoughts in his mind gradually settled, and only then did Li Hao realize that his brain was now filled with a wealth of knowledge about swords.
It was as if he had been practicing sword techniques day and night for two or three years.
Damn, this headache feels just like when I advanced in Chess Dao...
Li Hao rubbed his head, breathing heavily. He was still too young, his brain not fully developed, and the vast amount of information from Chess Dao and Sword Dao was a terrifying shock to his fragile mind.
Without speaking, Li Hao tried to calm himself down.
"Did the snowfall make you sick?" Liu Yuerong gently touched Li Hao's forehead, but found no fever, leaving her puzzled.
By this time, Li Hao had fully recovered. Seeing his stepmother's worried gaze, he pointed to his mouth and mumbled in a childlike voice, "Bite, bit my tongue."
Liu Yuerong was taken aback, then let out a relieved sigh and rolled her eyes.
Li Hao managed to get away with it and turned his attention to his status panel.
【Name: Li Hao】
【Age: 1 year】
【Cultivation: Mortal】
【Sword Dao: 1st Rank】
【Skill: Boundless Sea Tide (Perfect) [Prohibited]】
【Mastery: Chess Dao】
【Chess Dao: 1st Rank (82/500)】
【Chess Spectrum Collection: 0】
【Art Skill Points: 0】
Li Hao was somewhat shocked. The Art Skill Points at the end were gone, but Sword Dao had genuinely advanced from 'Not Initiated' to '1st Rank'!
And the skill, Boundless Sea Tide, had also progressed from 'Not Initiated' to 'Perfect'!
Li Hao remembered what the military instructor who taught Li Qianfeng had said.
Any technique has three levels: Initiation, Proficiency, and Perfection!
Initiation means being able to perform the entire set of techniques fluently.
Proficiency means not only being fluent but also able to apply them flexibly, understanding them thoroughly and using them with ease.
In any situation, one can counter effectively without being rigid.
As for Perfection.
It means the technique is thoroughly mastered, as natural as moving one's own limb. Even when performed in reverse, it can be done effortlessly without exposing any weaknesses.
Unless there is a flaw in the technique itself!
It was said that beyond Perfection, there were even higher realms.
In those realms, one could even rectify the flaws in a technique, enhancing its power even further!
And now, after advancing to 1st Rank in Sword Dao, Li Hao had directly reached Perfection in the first level of Endless Sea!
This would normally take at least a decade of hard work!
Li Qianfeng, who had only been practicing Endless Sea for half a year, had already mastered the first level of the tidal technique, making him a Sword Dao prodigy.
So, what does that make me? A monster?
Seeing that his stepmother was not paying attention, Li Hao's gaze returned to the courtyard.
At that moment,
The children in the courtyard were still practicing their sword techniques, but to Li Hao's eyes, they no longer seemed as impressive. Instead, he could easily spot their clumsy movements and stiff postures!
If a skilled swordsman were to face them, a single light strike would knock the wooden swords from their hands!
"Very good", the burly middle-aged man was highly satisfied with Li Qianfeng's performance.
His physique was excellent, and his comprehension was outstanding. In another two years, he could reach Proficiency in the first level.
Keep in mind, Li Qianfeng was still just a child, his brain not fully developed, and this was already an extraordinary achievement.
Time passed.
Li Hao nibbled on the snacks his stepmother fed him, gradually feeling a bit drowsy and bored.
He yawned, resting his head on her lap, and slowly closed his eyes.
Something seemed to flit past his vision, but Li Hao was already asleep.
Hearing the soft breathing of the boy in her arms, Liu Yuerong lowered her head, a complex expression flashing in her eyes.
But when she looked at her son practicing swordsmanship in the snow, the complexity in her eyes vanished, and her gaze became calm.
She rose, cradling Li Hao, and left the small pavilion, returning to her own bedroom in the rear courtyard. She gently laid him on her bed and tucked him in with the quilt.
Her movements were tender, as if she were his biological mother.
Li Hao, half-asleep, felt himself being laid down and became a bit more awake.
He felt a warm, faint heat in his chest, where the Dragon Blood Jade Pendant bestowed by Emperor Yu rested. He always wore it close to his skin, and this was why he could stand in the snow without feeling the cold.
Just as Li Hao was about to roll over and continue sleeping, he suddenly heard a deep voice from outside the room.
"Did you really give that child that thing?" the unfamiliar man asked.
"Given the circumstances, I had no other choice."
It was his stepmother's voice, but it lacked the usual softness and affection, sounding cold and distant, as if she were speaking to a servant.
"You've seen how hard my son works; he's a talent of a century! The people from Wuliang Mountain have already come to see him. Once he turns six, they will take him to Wuliang Mountain to cultivate. When his Divine Blood awakens, inheriting the power from his father, he will surely make a name for himself in the world!"
"I must pave the way for him!"
Li Hao cracked open an eye, his drowsy mind filled with confusion.
Who was his stepmother talking to?
"It's still too early to know what talents this child has; this move seems too rash", the deep voice sighed.
There was a brief silence outside the door.
Then Liu Yuerong's voice sounded again, even colder, with a hint of mockery:
"A parent who loves their child plans for their long-term future!"
"I didn't want to do this, but the Li family is a bunch of fools, incapable of understanding!"
"This child, if he has anyone to blame, it's his father. No one else knows, but I do. Marquis Xingwu was a prodigy, having reached that realm by the age of twenty-three..."
"What?!"
The deep voice was shocked: "At twenty-three, he reached the 'Three Immortalities'?! "
"That's right. The Li family's ancestor was one of Emperor Yu's founding generals, with a powerful bloodline. His father inherited this legacy."
"In the previous generation, besides Qianfeng's father, Marquis Xingwu was also a prodigy, as were the third, sixth, and ninth sons. Especially the ninth son, he was even more terrifying, but fortunately, he died early and left no descendants..."
"The third son's wife is around, but she's a woman and will eventually marry out, so she won't have much influence. The sixth son also reached the Three Immortalities, but it was after his marriage..."
Liu Yuerong said coldly: "The only one who can compete with Qianfeng is this child. Otherwise, why would Emperor Yu have bestowed him with such a blessing? Even if his martial arts talent turns out to be average, the awakening of his Divine Blood will allow him to compete with the top geniuses!"
There was another silence outside.
The deep voice sighed lightly: "Since you've already made your decision, I won't say more."
"You don't need to worry. This medicine was obtained from Wuliang Mountain. After taking it, there will be no trace, no pain, and no way to trace it back. I even coated it with sugar to make it taste good. He's just a child; this won't leave any lasting impression. After all, children eat a lot of candy."
"Even if it's discovered later that he can't awaken his Divine Blood, it won't be conclusive that we did anything. Anyone in the Divine General Manor could have done it!"
"Besides, the bloodline of that realm isn't guaranteed to awaken. Perhaps his child was simply not capable of it anyway?"
Speaking of this, Liu Yuerong sneered, "Thanks to the chaos in Yanbei, Ji Qingqing and Marquis Xingwu have such a deep bond that she followed him to the battlefield, giving us this opportunity. Otherwise, once this child grows a few more years, they will return with warriors secretly guarding them, making it much harder to act."
The man did not respond, only sighing softly.
Before long, the sound of their footsteps gradually faded away.
Inside the room, Li Hao was now fully awake, his mind in a daze, finding it hard to believe.
Second Mother actually wanted to harm him?
All the tender care and concern she showed him every day—was it all fake?
Li Hao didn't want to believe it, but the facts were right there in front of him.
Although he didn't understand what Divine Blood was, Second Mother must have thought he would be an obstacle to her own child's future, so she chose to destroy him!
Li Hao's face turned grim, and he clenched his fists tightly.
The gentle words and smiles that had made him feel at ease—were they all just a facade? What about the others? Who else was genuine?
Although he had only been here for a year and a half, the daily care and attention from the various ladies had made him develop some affection.
But now, it all felt like a mirage.
Was this what the internal struggle in an ancient noble family looked like?
He ran his small hand over his body, feeling a slight warmth in his chest, which came from the Dragon Blood Jade Pendant.
His mother had said that he had his father's power within him, but now... it was gone.
Li Hao clenched his small hand tightly. This grudge, he would definitely avenge in the future!
...
...
Spring turned to autumn.
Before he knew it, Li Hao was three years old.
Now, he spent most of his time in the Mountain and River Courtyard, being extra cautious with the food sent by the ladies from other courtyards. Sometimes, he would pretend not to like it and throw a tantrum, avoiding it altogether.
Gradually, the servants in the courtyard realized that the young master was extremely picky about his food and drink.
At three years old.
In the Divine General Manor, this was a crucial age.
In ordinary families, children usually start their Martial Dao cultivation at seven or eight years old, or even older. Some have their bones already set, and even with talent, they struggle to achieve greatness, having missed the best years for cultivation due to their family circumstances.
But the Divine General Manor is a Martial Dao family with the strictest cultivation methods. The children in the clan start building a solid foundation from a very young age.
At three, they begin Foundation Building.
At four, they undergo Blood Dissolution.
At five, they have Bone Measurement!
By the time they are six, they are ready for formal cultivation, with no time wasted.
On the path of cultivation, thousands of people vie for the same goal. A single step ahead can lead to a lifetime of advantage!
Whether one has the aptitude for cultivation can be determined by the Bone Measurement at five years old.
If the bones are well-developed and the bone marrow is rich and dense, they can start cultivation after the Bone Measurement.
However, the Divine General Manor, with its deep roots, adheres to the principle that haste makes waste. They stipulate that formal cultivation begins at six, allowing the body to grow and solidify for one more year, ensuring a smoother path in the future.
Even a prodigy like Li Qianfeng, who could start cultivation after Bone Measurement, still waited until he was six to ascend Wuliang Mountain.
In the courtyard, his daily sword practice was limited to basic techniques, cultivating martial sense, but it didn't count as true cultivation.
For those with average Bone Measurement results or delayed development, even at six, they cannot start cultivation and need a few more years to grow, possibly starting at seven, eight, or nine.
However, the Divine General Manor has countless precious medicines and treasures to enhance Martial Dao aptitude. Over the years, the youngest to start cultivation in the manor was at eight years old.
It was said that this person was a premature baby who had suffered an injury in the womb, leading to this delay.
(End of Chapter)
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