Chapter 44: Beginner? True State!

“Then you’d better keep urging them,” Shen Yunqing chuckled, brushing off the playful exchange and turning to the two young men. “You should go take a look at the Stele too. Each class has its limited quota, and today is already the second day of our recruitment. That means, aside from today, there’s only one more day left for cultivation insight. You two had better make the most of it.”

Li Yuanzhao quickly asked, “But what if the Class A slots are all filled?”

“Then you’ll have to settle for Class B,” Shen Yunqing replied with a smile. “But don’t worry—there’ll be a Trial in a month. If you’re confident, you can challenge Class A for a spot. Class Replacement is possible.”

“No matter which class you’re in,” she added, “it’s never a permanent position. Cultivation is competition—against Heaven, against Spirit Beasts, and most importantly, against people! To gain the best resources and treatment, you must stand above everyone else.”

Inside the Divine General’s Residence, members of the Main Line Family were born with cultivation resources already secured by their parents. But at Tan Palace Academy, everything had to be earned through competition.

Hearing this, Li Yuanzhao immediately grabbed Li Hao’s arm and pulled him toward the Stele where Li Yun and his siblings were already absorbed in study.

Clearly, this was the Stele for Upper-Grade Cultivation Techniques.

Only a dozen or so people stood before it, while the others—especially those before the Middle-Grade Technique Steles—were packed with twenty or thirty eager disciples. Most people, despite their confidence, still chose the safer route.

Li Hao glanced at the Stele. It inscribed a martial fist technique.

Fist arts were nearly mandatory for every martial practitioner—mastering the hands and feet brought natural advantages when wielding other weapons. The fundamentals of any combat scripture.

He studied it carefully. Instantly, a prompt appeared before his eyes:

> {Level: Basic Mastery Achieved. Acquire?}

Li Hao selected Yes.

In an instant, the technique appeared in his Character Panel—but not as Beginner, nor as Perfection or Supreme Perfection.

> [Upper-Grade Cultivation Technique: Cleaving Wind Fist (True State)]

One step—reaching the ultimate limit.

Li Hao wasn’t surprised.

For the past five years, while training under Second Elder’s guidance, the old man had noticed Li Hao lacked ancestral soul inheritance despite having Qi. To ensure his survival in the future, he had personally taught him some basic fist forms.

As a result, aside from the Sword Dao, Li Hao now had another path: Fist Path, now leveled up to Sixth Rank.

And not just that—his Body Dao, Sword Dao, Yi Dao, and all other paths had also been leveled up to Sixth Rank.

Five years of relentless effort had brought massive growth across all skills.

Fishing: 5th Rank

Go: 5th Rank

Cooking: 6th Rank

Painting Dao: 5th Rank

Poetry & Literature: 3rd Rank

Playing the Zither: 3rd Rank

A total of 27 Art Skill Points had been accumulated. He’d used 24, leaving 3 in reserve—just in case.

Originally, Li Hao had considered focusing on one path until its peak. But after experimenting, he realized every path had a threshold every three ranks.

Reaching Rank 4 from Rank 3 required Entering the Heart—a state of deep focus, where passion and obsession could carry you through.

Once Cooking Dao hit Rank 6 and maxed out experience, the system prompted: “To progress further, you must awaken the Spirit of Cooking.”

While Entering the Heart was about unwavering dedication—love so pure it could drive one forward—Entering the Spirit demanded true insight, mastery of the path’s rhythm.

Cooking wasn’t just about following recipes. To truly advance, one had to create dishes that broke tradition, infused with a soulful essence—the Spirit Light.

The same applied to Go. Placing a stone wasn’t just about winning or losing. It required wisdom, a unique flow—what was called a Divine Move, a Stunning Move, a stroke that transcended logic and common sense.

Li Hao understood this wasn’t merely a system requirement. Without the Character Panel, even ordinary cultivation would eventually hit the same wall. As Second Elder had said: “No matter the combat scripture, to reach true mastery, one must first enter the Heart, then enter the Spirit.”

Otherwise, one could only remain a second-rate master—never touching the pinnacle.

To become strong, one must first go mad.

He’d heard rumors of a higher realm beyond Entering the Spirit—the Entering the Saintly state.

But even the so-called Fist Saint, Second Elder, had only reached Entering the Spirit in his fist art—never ascending further.

The word “Saint” was sacred. In the time of Emperor Yu, it was the ultimate title—unapproachable, untouchable.

Titles like Sword Saint, Fist Saint, or Spirit Sage weren’t actual saint realms. They were honorary titles—praise for those who had reached the absolute peak in their chosen path, standing just short of true sanctity.

Li Hao suspected that when he reached Ninth Rank, he’d need to Enter the Saintly mind-state.

He couldn’t even imagine what that would be like.

But for now, he hadn’t even mastered Entering the Spirit.

Spirit—like the word itself—was essence, spirit light, soul.

Only by performing something extraordinary, something impossibly refined and original, could one generate their own Spirit Light, just as the legendary Heavenly Masters each possessed their own Master’s Way.

With the acquisition complete, a flood of knowledge poured into Li Hao’s mind. He closed his eyes for just a moment—and instantly, he felt as though he’d spent fifty years mastering the technique.

Every move, every shift, every breath—perfectly clear. He’d surpassed Supreme Perfection. He hadn’t just corrected flaws in the technique—he’d grasped its very core truth.

As the name implied: Cleaving Wind Fist—a punch capable of slicing through wind, breaking through barriers, striking with the precision and power of blade and sword.

This Upper-Grade Cultivation Technique, in Li Hao’s hands, could unleash power comparable to the rarest, most legendary combat scriptures.

He opened his eyes, turning from the Stele to survey the others.

A dozen people stood before it, all deeply focused—eyes locked on the inscriptions, lips moving slightly as they silently recited the scripture, trying to absorb every nuance.

Many of the descriptions were obscure, dense, even cryptic. Simply understanding them was a challenge.

But those who stood here weren’t ordinary—they came from martial families, raised since childhood on the martial path. They could decipher the rare, archaic terms.

Li Hao glanced over and saw Yuanzhao deeply engrossed, his small eyes darting back and forth across the text.

He didn’t interrupt.

Then he looked at Li Yun and his sister—both crouched before the Stele, faces serious, brows furrowed in thought, wrists subtly rotating in the air as if mentally practicing the movements.

They were so absorbed, they hadn’t even noticed Li Hao and Yuanzhao’s arrival.

Such diligent children… Li Hao sighed inwardly, then turned to walk away.

Nearby, two other Steles were crowded with more people. Some had gained flashes of insight and were now practicing in open space—but their movements were awkward, unnatural. After a few tries, they’d stop, frown, and return to the Stele to keep studying.

Li Hao didn’t push through to claim the lower-tier combat scripture. The Li Clan had more than enough of those.

As his gaze swept the courtyard, suddenly, he spotted Shen Yunqing—standing at the far edge, in a quiet corner.

Before her sat a Go Board.

Li Hao froze. His eyes lit up.

He stepped forward.

---

“Now see how you escape!”

“Haha, didn’t expect that move, did you?”

Across from Shen Yunqing, the Gray-Robed Elder burst into laughter, his position on the board already dominant—no chance of reversal. The game was won.

Shen Yunqing sat cross-legged, utterly focused, scratching her head in frustration. After a long pause, she finally gave up with a sigh. “Fine… you win.”

“What do you mean ‘you win’? I did win!” The Gray-Robed Elder snapped, annoyed. Then he reached out with a lazy hand. “Hand over the Drunk Wind Brew. It’s your turn.”

Reluctantly, Shen Yunqing pouted and pulled her wine gourd from her waist, handing it over. “One sip—just one! Don’t overdo it.”

“I’m not like you,” the old man shot back. “I keep my promises.”

He uncorked the gourd and took a long, deep gulp.

Shen Yunqing gasped and lunged for it. “I said one sip!”

“That was one sip,” he said, still drinking, “my throat hasn’t even swallowed yet.”

“You’re a bottomless pit!” Shen Yunqing cried, clutching the gourd tightly and peering into the neck. Her heart sank.

“By the way,” the Gray-Robed Elder smirked, “I’ve kept a record of your losses on the ledger.”

He suddenly turned, noticing someone standing nearby.

A youth—fair-skinned, sharp-eyed, graceful and refined, dressed in rich, luxurious silks, radiating noble aura.

“Hmm? Young Master of the Divine General’s Residence?” The Gray-Robed Elder recognized the sleeve embroidery and jade pendant. His expression stiffened, and the scolding words nearly left his lips—then paused.

He adjusted his tone. “You two are playing Go?”

Li Hao smiled warmly. “Just watching.”

Two lives, two worlds. For someone with mature wisdom, the first words were often just empty pleasantries—simple hooks to open a conversation.

Shen Yunqing looked at Li Hao, surprised. “Why aren’t you at the Stele? Everyone else is cramming for insights. You’re just… wandering here?”

She narrowed her eyes. Could this boy be trying to get us to secretly guide him?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end