Chapter 4: Three Six Nine Grades
Chapter 4: Three Six Nine Grades
On a sunny day,
the Divine General Manor arranged for a powerful military figure to visit the Mountain and River Courtyard to assist Li Hao with his Foundation Building.
This middle-aged man was short and sturdy, with dark skin but dressed in a flowing blue robe. His name was Lin Haixia, which sounded more like a girl's name. Li Hao later started calling him Uncle Lin.
Accompanying Lin Haixia was a little girl.
The little girl was about the same age as Li Hao, just two months younger.
She was the orphan of a comrade-in-arms of Marquis Xingwu, who was stationed far away in the Yanbei battlefield.
Before her father met his end, he entrusted his young daughter to Marquis Xingwu and arranged a betrothal between the two children.
Li Hao was speechless about this sudden marriage arrangement.
You go to war, and you don't come back, that's one thing.
But to make such a big decision without even asking for my opinion?
Despite his frustration, Li Hao did not take out his pent-up anger on the little girl.
Thus,
in the vast Mountain and River Courtyard, another small figure appeared alongside Li Hao.
The little girl's name was Bian Ruxue. She was delicately crafted, with a porcelain-like complexion, as if she were a doll.
When she first arrived in this unfamiliar place, the little girl was timid and shy, asking everyone she met, "Where is my daddy? Where did my daddy go?"
The little girl was looking for her father.
But no one in the courtyard dared to answer her. Some of the more compassionate maids would only wipe away their tears in the corners.
The little girl lost her appetite and grew thinner each day. Li Hao, seeing that none of the servants knew how to comfort a child, was also frustrated. It seemed his good behavior had prevented these people from learning how to take care of a child.
He decided to take matters into his own hands, half-scaring and half-coaxing the little girl:
"Your daddy is hiding in a place. If you are good and eat your meals, your daddy will come out."
With innocent tears in her eyes, the little girl asked, "Is it because Xuer isn't being good? Why is Daddy hiding from Xuer? Where is he hiding?"
Where is he hiding?
Looking at the little girl's pitiful expression, Li Hao felt his heart soften. He then said a cliché phrase, pointing to the sky:
"Your daddy is up there, among the stars."
From then on, every night in the courtyard, a small figure would look up at the sky.
The silver glow of the stars illuminated her lonely back.
In the house, another little figure, lying on a chessboard, would daily order the servants to fan the little girl and keep the mosquitoes away, so she wouldn't get bitten and covered in bumps.
Half a month passed, and the powerful military figure, Lin Haixia, had also prepared the Foundation Building Elixir for Li Hao and Bian Ruxue.
The two of them began their Foundation Building at the same time.
Foundation Building is the cornerstone of the Martial Dao!
The Foundation Building Elixir, made from countless precious herbs, is used to soak the body daily in a medicinal bath, forging a body fit for martial arts training!
The Divine General Manor is one of the top noble families in Dayu, with abundant resources. From the moment Li Hao began his Foundation Building, countless precious herbs and rare treasures were sent to the Mountain and River Courtyard, seemingly endless.
The Foundation Building Elixir comes in three grades:
Ordinary, Rare, and Supreme!
Naturally, Li Hao used the supreme Foundation Building Elixir, which was made with a thousand-year-old medicinal herb as the main ingredient, supplemented by countless other precious herbs. This elixir can cultivate a Seventh-Rank War Body.
Once one embarks on the path of cultivation, they can break through the First Realm in just two to three years!
The Martial Dao is a gold-consuming pit. This top-grade Foundation Building Elixir is used daily for half a year to a year, and only a top-tier noble family like the Divine General Manor can afford to use it so freely.
In the courtyard, two large medicinal barrels stood.
Li Hao and Bian Ruxue were each soaking in one of them.
Just then, a curtain surrounded the bathtub where the little girl was, with a Female Attendant tending to her.
A Female Attendant is different from a maid; she is a person with some cultivation, equivalent to a Female Guard in the household.
On Li Hao's side, Lin Haixia was personally taking care of him.
At this moment, the Dark Purple Elixir, symbolizing nobility, was flooding Li Hao's body, burying his chin and leaving only his nose exposed for breathing.
The indescribable strange smell of the Elixir filled his nostrils, like swallowing bitter lotus, keeping Li Hao's mind constantly alert.
Li Hao asked, "Can I drink it?"
Lin Haixia replied, "It's best not to."
The Elixir's effects are potent, and a child's stomach cannot absorb it, which could instead harm them.
Moreover, it is for external use.
Just as Li Hao was holding his breath and concentrating, a sudden message appeared before his eyes:
[Detected unknown substance, analyzing...]
[Analysis failed, automatically isolated.]
Li Hao: ???
What's going on?
Damn!
Could it be what I think it is?
Li Hao was filled with shock and doubt.
Beside the bathtub, Lin Haixia's calm face gradually became serious, his brows slowly knitting together.
Li Hao noticed his expression and couldn't help but feel a jolt in his heart, asking, "Uncle Lin, is... something wrong?"
Lin Haixia wasn't surprised by Li Hao's perceptiveness; he had long noticed that this young master was more precocious than his peers, very intelligent, like a five or six-year-old child.
However, at this moment, he had no mood to talk to Li Hao. He quickly lifted the curtain and checked the other side, then returned to Li Hao's side, his face particularly grim.
"Uncle Lin?"
Lin Haixia reached into the edge of the bathtub, carefully feeling it, his eyes becoming complex. He looked at the child in the bathtub, wanting to speak but stopping at the last moment.
"Uncle Lin, just say what you want to say", Li Hao couldn't help but say.
Lin Haixia was slightly surprised, glancing at him. Though Li Hao was precocious, he was still only three years old. How could he tell that he was hesitating?
However, he was in a terrible mood and didn't think much about it. Regardless of whether Li Hao understood, he said directly, "Martial Dao talent can be directly seen during the Five-Year Bone Measurement, but it actually starts to show during the Foundation Building stage."
"The faster the Foundation Building Elixir is absorbed, the higher the Martial Dao aptitude. And young master, your Elixir absorption rate is too slow!"
He glanced at Li Hao in the bathtub, his eyes revealing incomprehension and pity.
Then, he thought for a moment and muttered to himself, "Maybe it's just an accident today. I'll refine it more carefully tomorrow and check again."
Li Hao felt a chill in his heart.
So, that message really referred to the Foundation Building Elixir?
What does he mean by 'too slow'? It's completely blocked, how can it absorb anything?
Li Hao was speechless. Is this panel really going to stick to the game's settings?
Over the past year, he had discovered this while exploring the panel.
The game has no combat system, so it seems he is also isolated from Martial Dao.
Or, more accurately, isolated from martial training.
It doesn't give experience for practicing combat skills; only the arts set in the game have experience bars.
While he could improve through hard practice, it would be more beneficial to focus on the arts.
At least the experience would soar, allowing him to enter the Dao, and form his own techniques.
In a short time, he could surpass decades of hard training.
However, it was a pity that all these resources piled around him, if fully utilized, could at least cultivate a top-tier martial artist.
Speaking of which, if this extraordinary Elixir, which exceeds modern components, cannot be absorbed, why did the poison work before?
Or did it not work? Maybe he just fell asleep and didn't notice the message?
Perhaps, he could determine if he would awaken Divine Blood in the future.
However, that woman said that awakening Divine Blood is probabilistic, not guaranteed.
Forget it. No matter what, whether you succeeded or not is your doing, but this matter definitely can't be dropped.
"Don't be discouraged. I'll try again tomorrow. If it still doesn't work, I'll inform the Marquis. He will definitely find a way for you."
While Li Hao was pondering, Lin Haixia comforted him, though he wasn't sure if Li Hao could understand.
"It's unnecessary."
Li Hao waved his hand slightly and was about to climb out of the medicinal tub.
Since the Foundation Building Elixir was being blocked by the panel, staying in the tub any longer would be useless.
"Don't get up yet, try again. Soak a bit more."
Seeing Li Hao about to get out, Lin Haixia immediately said.
Li Hao shook his head. "It's no use."
"Be obedient!" Lin Haixia's expression turned serious.
Li Hao was speechless and could only say, "I'll check on the little girl first."
With that, he lifted the curtain and approached the little girl's medicinal tub. He immediately noticed that the Foundation Building Elixir, which had been poured in the same way, had now turned from purple to almost clear water, with only a few strands of pale purple Elixir still swirling like wisps of smoke.
"Brother Hao?"
Bian Ruxue, in the medicinal tub, looked at Li Hao with confusion. The little girl was too young to understand the need for modesty and only wore a puzzled expression.
"Lin Uncle, how does this little girl's absorption rate rank in terms of talent?"
Li Hao didn't turn around and asked Lin Haixia, who was standing behind him.
Lin Haixia was feeling frustrated and puzzled, but hearing this, he couldn't help but find it amusing. Despite being the same age, this little guy always acted so mature in front of Xue'er.
"Her absorption rate is very good."
Lin Haixia had already observed this and now looked somewhat wistful. "If the Four-Year Blood Dissolution goes smoothly, by the time of the Five-Year Bone Measurement, with the top-tier resources of the Divine General Manor, her War Body might leap to the eighth, or even ninth rank, placing her among the top prodigies!"
"Ninth rank?"
Li Hao was puzzled.
Lin Haixia, showing patience with this young master's son, answered regardless of whether he understood. Since the child had asked, he, as a temporary teacher, felt obligated to respond.
After listening to Lin Haixia's detailed explanation, Li Hao finally understood.
It turned out that Foundation Building, Blood Dissolution, and Bone Measurement were collectively referred to as the Three Six Nine Grades!
The Foundation Building Elixir had three grades.
The Blood Dissolution had six grades!
The Bone Measurement had nine grades!
A War Body from the first to third grade was considered ordinary, falling into the lower tier.
A War Body from the fourth to sixth grade was considered elite, placing one in the upper-middle tier.
A seventh-grade War Body could be called a genius.
An eighth-grade War Body was enough to make one famous throughout a province.
A ninth-grade War Body was the pinnacle of martial physique, belonging to the World-Class Genius level.
With such a top-tier physique, breaking through realms was as easy as eating and drinking, and most could easily reach the Fourth or Fifth Realm!
As for higher realms, besides talent, other factors like insight, perseverance, luck, and opportunities were also required.
Li Hao turned to look at the little girl in the medicinal tub, feeling somewhat amazed.
This little girl, would she become a world-renowned genius in the future?
A picture formed in his mind: the little girl, with snot bubbles, standing proudly among the crowd... He couldn't help but laugh.
Lin Haixia glanced at Li Hao, his eyes filled with worry.
Indeed, he was just a child, seemingly smart, but only three years old.
He didn't understand the gravity of today's events.
The possibility of the Foundation Building Elixir going wrong was almost non-existent.
This meant... he was likely to have a Martial Dao Wasted Body, unable to cultivate!
In this martial family, especially as a son of the Li family, not being able to practice cultivation was an unimaginably cruel fate.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
