Chapter 37: Establish Soul with Heaven and Earth
Chapter 37: Establish Soul with Heaven and Earth
One year later.
By the Blackwater Demon Lake, the aroma of fresh fish soup wafted through the air.
The two elders sat by the large pot, holding their bowls and chopsticks. Feng Boping, adhering to the habit of sipping soup before the meal, ladled a spoonful of fish soup into his bowl and savored it slowly, praising:
"Little Rat's skills are almost on par with the Imperial Kitchen."
"Tsk, I've been eating this for a year and still haven't gotten tired of it. It's quite amazing."
Li Muxiu was also surprised, never expecting Li Hao to have such exceptional culinary talent. His skills were getting better and better.
"Old Feng, have you ever had Imperial Kitchen food?" Li Hao asked with a smile.
"I've sneaked some."
Feng Boping's youthful face, with his white hair, showed a mischievous grin. He smacked his lips, as if savoring the memory: "That half-bowl of leftover soup, with my saliva in it, was probably served to some concubine."
"You old thief, if it had been served to Emperor Yu, you would have lost your head", Li Muxiu said with a sigh, clearly aware of his old friend's daring exploits.
Li Hao couldn't help but laugh. He had long known that this Thief Saint Elder would steal anything. Last time, he even tried to give him a silk scarf as thin as a cicada's wing, which he claimed belonged to a certain sect's holy maiden. Li Hao's second brother chased him halfway down the river, brandishing a shoe, and the idea of giving the scarf was dropped.
This became a regret for Li Hao, the first time he felt his second brother was a bit too meddlesome...
"Life is to be enjoyed. One must try everything", Feng Boping said with a chuckle.
Li Hao also picked up his bowl and started eating. Listening to the elders banter, he suddenly felt a surge in his heart, and a message appeared before his eyes:
[You have comprehended the Culinary Dao Heart]
Li Hao's eyes brightened, but he quickly returned to his normal state. This was within his expectations.
Ever since he reached the third stage of cooking at the fastest speed, he had been trying to immerse himself in it. Therefore, he often visited the kitchen to exchange ideas with the chefs.
These chefs, though puzzled by the behavior of the Li Family's young master and Heaven's Pride, did not dare to be negligent. They shared everything they knew with Li Hao.
Through in-depth exchanges with these chefs, Li Hao gained a broad understanding of the vast and profound world of cooking, which was in no way inferior to the Dao of Chess.
The myriad ingredients, various seasonings, cooking techniques, and methods to remove fishy and unpleasant flavors captivated him. He gradually became engrossed, as if exploring a rich and colorful new world.
Unconsciously, he moved beyond cooking for experience and began to genuinely enjoy it. Even without the increase in experience points, he would find opportunities to show off his skills and cook something.
Recently, he had been carefully tasting the pastries sent to the Mountain and River Courtyard. If they were poorly made, he would even knock them over and have the chef come to receive his personal criticism.
Once he immersed himself, he became meticulous and strict.
Like a casual player in a game, who might not care about losing, the ones who get upset and curse are usually those who take it seriously and want to win.
Now that he had comprehended the Cooking Heart, Li Hao was not overly elated. When one truly dedicates oneself to something, the outcome becomes less important, just as it had been with the Chess Heart.
However, with this mindset, he could now attempt to break through to the fourth stage of Yudao.
After chatting and eating, they finished their meal. Li Hao picked out some good bones and fed them to the little white fox beside him.
This little white fox was one and a half years old, still small and delicate, with bright, snowy white fur. Li Hao often fed it medicinal fruits and fish soup, and it had started on the path of cultivation, reaching the fifth level of Force Mastery.
From a wild fox in the mountains, it had now become a demon fox with a hint of demonic aura.
If it reached the Zhou Tian Realm, it would gain intelligence.
At the Soul Succession Realm, demons could already "appear and disappear at will."
After lunch, they spent the afternoon fishing.
Li Hao only caught a second-level Zhou Tian Realm Fish Demon, indicating poor fishing luck today.
After finishing up, he returned to the Rain Listening Pavilion, carrying the little white fox back to the Mountain and River Courtyard. Once he locked himself in his room, he brought up his panel and, after some thought, decided to use this mindset to break through Yudao.
Soon, Yudao advanced from the third stage to the fourth stage.
The third stage of Yudao had accelerated his Meridian Opening. Now, at the fourth stage, he wondered if it would bring new insights into the major meridians and luck techniques.
After allocating the points, a wealth of information flooded his mind. After a long while, Li Hao slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were clear and bright, filled with surprise.
The world before him seemed to have undergone some wondrous changes. The rich insights in his mind told him that this world was even more fascinating than he had originally thought.
Heaven and Earth have spirit!
"Demons comprehend the Stars and Moon... Soul Continuation, with soul intent as a support, involves inheriting soul intent while also adhering to certain 'agreements.'"
"Humans can inherit from humans, from demons, or from myriad races."
"Similarly, humans can also receive the inheritance of myriad races, the inheritance of mountain spirits and ghosts, the inheritance of true dragons and divine phoenixes, or even... the inheritance of the Stars and Moon, the essence of a world!"
In the Rain Listening Pavilion, Li Hao had seen numerous martial arts manuals and combined them with the various cultivation techniques he had mastered, giving him a sudden enlightenment.
To Soul Continuation with a human, one must bear their thoughts.
To Soul Continuation with a demon, one must bear their nature.
But to Soul Continuation with Heaven and Earth, one must bear their weight!
"I will Establish Soul with Heaven and Earth!"
Li Hao's eyes burst with intense light.
He activated his Omni Attributes, covering his physical body, ensuring that unless he created a significant disturbance with his fists or feet, no one could detect it.
Then, his Qi Power surged through his major meridians, and the Yin-Yang Dual Meridians emerged, converging at the top of his head.
In an instant, his entire body's strength increased wildly, harboring a terrifying force.
This power seemed ready to burst out, breaking through the intangible barrier.
He needed to communicate with Heaven and Earth, to ask the sky, to ask the ground, and borrow a fraction of their power!
As if sensing Li Hao's intense will, a vast and terrifying pressure enveloped him, like a massive mountain pressing down. His bones crackled, struggling to bear the weight.
The weight of Heaven and Earth is heavier than Mount Tai!
Li Hao's eyes turned red, and he roared inwardly.
The terrifying power of the Yin-Yang Dual Meridians erupted, and in an instant, his Qi Power doubled, reaching nearly ten million pounds!
That vast will seemed to be lifted!
But then, it was pressed down again!
Li Hao's body bent, and his feet sank deeply into the floor.
He gritted his teeth, knowing that relying solely on Qi Power wouldn't work; he hadn't glimpsed the Image of Heaven and Earth!
What is the Image of Heaven and Earth?
It is the sky, the clouds, the mountains and rivers, the earth and all things—these are all parts of Heaven and Earth, but not the complete image!
And if he wanted to Establish Soul with Heaven and Earth, what image of Heaven and Earth did he have in his heart?
A passage from the seventh floor of the Rain Listening Pavilion's Buddhist martial arts manual floated into Li Hao's mind, containing a line of Buddhist scripture.
Buddha Has No Image.
If Buddha has no form, how can Heaven and Earth have a form?
"I am within this Heaven and Earth, and I am the reflection of this Heaven and Earth!"
Li Hao's eyes suddenly burst with light, and his spirit and Qi Power seemed to surge, breaking through an intangible barrier, reaching directly to Heaven and Earth!
All his Qi Power gathered and condensed, forming his essence and spirit above his body, manifesting as a faint shadow—his own image.
By using himself to establish the image of Heaven and Earth, and by using Heaven and Earth to establish his soul!
At this moment, Li Hao entered the Soul Succession Realm.
Infinite power flowed into his body from Heaven and Earth, from all directions.
The curtains in the room trembled violently, and the doors and windows were closed, so where did this wind come from?
In the courtyard, in the pavilion.
As Li Hao advanced in his cultivation, Li Fu no longer followed him everywhere, but they still stayed in the same courtyard.
At this moment, he was playing chess in the courtyard, not out of love for the game, but because Li Hao had once forced him to learn and play, and now, in his free time, this was the only amusement he could find.
He and Old Zhao were engaged in a fierce battle on the chessboard.
If Li Hao saw the game, he would only say: "Amateurs scratching each other."
Suddenly, both of them paused mid-move, looking at something.
A strange, awe-inspiring sensation, as if some great entity had awakened, startled them, giving them a sense of divine presence.
What was it?
In the next moment, they both stopped, quickly rushing to Li Hao's room, sensing something unusual.
Pushing the door open, they saw the room in disarray, with vases that had been on the shelves now shattered on the floor.
Li Hao, however, had his feet deeply embedded in the wooden floor, breathing heavily, as if he had just finished a practice session.
"What happened?"
Seeing it wasn't an attack, they relaxed and quickly approached Li Hao.
Li Hao had already calmed the surge of power from Soul Continuation. Using Myriad Phenomena to conceal his scattered aura, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "I was just practicing."
"You little brat, why didn't you practice in the courtyard?" Li Fu said irritably, but without suspicion.
Li Hao's Body Cultivation Circulating Heaven was no longer a secret, and he knew about it, though the exact level remained unclear.
"I suddenly had an insight", Li Hao explained.
"That's good."
Old Zhao laughed. Although the vases on the floor were hundreds of years old and quite valuable, as long as Li Hao made progress in his cultivation, it was worth it.
Reassuring them, Li Hao continued to savor the power of the Soul Succession Realm, which far surpassed the Zhou Tian Realm.
No wonder reaching the Soul Succession Realm was considered a prerequisite for being a city governor.
And now, at just nine years old, he could already hold a city!
...
After Soul Continuation, Li Hao's life continued as usual.
He ate and drank every day, went fishing, painted and played chess in the courtyard, or ran to the kitchen to cook.
As time passed, this young master developed new hobbies, learning poetry and music, seemingly heading further down the path of "non-cultivation."
Time flew by, and spring turned to autumn.
Five years passed.
Year 14 of the Qingyuan Era.
This year, Li Hao was fourteen years old.
(End of Chapter)
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