Chapter 5: Utmost Perfection

One hour passed.

Bian Ruxue’s Elixir Tub had turned completely clear—no trace of potion residue remained.

The maids changed her into fresh, clean clothes and dried her hair, then stood silently beside Li Hao’s Elixir Tub, waiting. They didn’t understand what any of it meant, only that they had to remain still, patient, and still.

In contrast, Li Hao was forced to stay submerged in his own Elixir Tub, under Lin Haixia’s relentless insistence.

The liquid inside still burned with that same glaring purple hue.

The female attendant who had been watching Bian Ruxue stared in shock.

As another hour passed, news spread like wildfire. Other servants, maids, and household staff rushed over to witness the scene. Their faces paled.

Having lived within the Divine General’s Residence all their lives, they knew exactly what this meant.

They exchanged glances—eyes wide, hearts sinking.

The son of Xing Wuhou… unable to cultivate?

This was the Li family’s Bloodline!

Such a thing was beyond belief.

But the truth was undeniable.

The entire courtyard fell into silence. Then, a servant snapped back to life, panicked, and bolted off. Not long after, the Mountain and River Courtyard filled with a bustling crowd of colorful figures—ladies and mistresses from every wing of the mansion, all drawn by the rumors.

They gathered around the Elixir Tub, learning from the servants that Li Hao had already been submerged for six hours.

Their expressions were stunned, disbelieving.

Liu Yuerong stood among them, her heart sinking with a jolt.

Could it be… that potion?

But she’d heard nothing about it having such a powerful side effect!

Her chest tightened, yet she kept her face composed, quickly masking her concern with a look of urgent worry and sorrow.

Inside the tub, Li Hao—his face blank with despair—caught sight of the second mother’s performance.

In her eyes, he saw not just feigned grief, but genuine alarm.

Was she actually frightened?

Li Hao sneered inwardly.

As the courtyard grew louder, Elder Lady stepped forward, her face stern. She ordered everyone to leave, leaving only the ladies from each wing behind.

She warned them fiercely: this matter must not be spoken of beyond these walls. It must not be leaked.

Lin Haixia, watching the Foundation Establishment Elixir show no sign of fading, felt his heart freeze.

This wasn’t just slow—it was nonexistent.

A terrifying thought struck him.

Could this child… really be a complete waste in the Martial Path?

No amount of cultivation could ever help someone like this.

He pulled Li Hao from the tub.

The boy’s body was pale from oxygen deprivation, skin shriveled and wrinkled.

The ladies stared, each expression different—shock, pity, disbelief.

They learned Li Hao had been in the tub for six hours.

And yet, the Elixir remained unchanged.

Liu Yuerong saw Li Hao’s lips turn white.

She was certain now—this wasn’t fake.

She hadn’t wanted to destroy the child completely.

She only wished to break his Divine Blood.

But if he became a total wreck… that would be too suspicious.

The Li family’s Bloodline was powerful.

For it to be unable to cultivate?

If someone ever traced back the cause…

That would be a disaster.

The first to regain composure was Elder Lady.

She immediately instructed Lin Haixia to care for Hao-er with utmost tenderness.

Then, she signaled her maid, who brought over a bowl of nourishing, replenishing potion broth to restore Li Hao’s weakened body.

…

…

The next day, Lin Haixia prepared two fresh batches of Foundation Establishment Elixir, one for Li Hao, one for Bian Ruxue.

He watched Li Hao step into the tub, eyes fixed, expression unreadable.

Li Hao sighed inwardly.

He knew it was useless—wasting precious elixir.

But he had no choice.

He submitted, resigned to the futility.

Eventually, the same text appeared in his vision, just as yesterday.

[Unknown substance detected. Analyzing…]

[Analysis failed. Automatically isolated.]

Li Hao wasn’t surprised.

He stayed in the tub, idly scratching his toes, bored out of his mind.

Time passed.

The potion remained unchanged.

The short, stocky soldier beside the tub could no longer hold back. He let out a low, guttural cry.

“How is this possible?!”

Lin Haixia was beside himself—his emotions even more shaken than Li Hao’s.

He paced in frantic circles, pounding his own head.

“The elixir is correct. There’s no mistake. Could it be… the son of the Marquis truly cannot cultivate?!”

This was the Li family Bloodline!

Li Hao felt no real sorrow.

After all, he had the Character Panel.

He didn’t need these elixirs to grow stronger.

But seeing Lin Haixia’s anguish—so raw, so real—he felt a pang of guilt.

“Lin Uncle,” he said gently, “it’s okay. Don’t be so upset.”

The words struck Lin Haixia like a hammer.

He stared at the boy in the tub—so young, so innocent, so unaware of the fate that loomed over him.

Child… you don’t know what’s coming.

In that moment, Lin Haixia felt his heart tear open.

The commander’s only son… destined for such a future?

He could do nothing.

The only explanation he could think of was: congenital meridian blockage.

A classic Warrior’s Wasteland Constitution.

In an ordinary family, this would be normal.

Most commoners were born this way.

But this was the Li family—descendants of dragons, generations of true heroes.

Even the weakest Li heir surpassed most others.

And the true prodigies… legends in their own right.

But this child…

Lin Haixia was speechless.

Even a man who had stared down rivers of blood on the battlefield, unflinching, now couldn’t bear to look at the child.

That pure, innocent gaze—heartbreaking.

“It’s okay… it’s okay…”

Seeing the man’s genuine sorrow, Li Hao felt a warmth in his chest.

He stepped out of the tub, grabbed Lin Haixia’s pant leg, and tugged gently, trying to comfort him.

…

…

The second Foundation Establishment Elixir failed.

The news spread like a storm through the entire Divine General’s Residence.

Li Hao’s inability to cultivate was now undeniable.

The ladies and household servants from every wing were stunned.

Unbelievable.

For days afterward, Li Hao stopped soaking.

Instead, people came—physicians, elders, healers—checking his body.

Each time, they shook their heads and left.

Li Hao listened quietly.

He learned that in their eyes, this was known as a Warrior’s Wasteland Constitution.

It wasn’t total incapability.

But cultivation would be agonizingly difficult.

He couldn’t absorb pills, external energy, or spiritual essence.

Only through relentless self-training could he achieve anything at all.

And even then, he’d likely never surpass the Second Stage.

To break through to the Third Stage, one must connect with the Heavenly Energy.

So the Second Stage was the absolute limit.

The news even reached the Yanbei Battlefield.

Not long after, a letter arrived by urgent courier, miles in just a few days.

Inside, the message sent shockwaves through the residence.

Xing Wuhou had reached the Third Immortal Realm.

The letter urged Elder Lady not to give up on Hao-er.

No matter how hard, no matter how painful—she must make him walk the Martial Path.

Even if he only managed the first step, someday, with the Awakening of Divine Blood, he could still carve out a place in the world.

Though he’d never be a genius, he could still earn a position as a hundred-man commander in the army.

That, at least, would honor the name of a Li family warrior.

Elder Lady was He Jianlan.

Though over sixty, she looked no older than forty.

She read the letter, then let out a quiet sigh.

“Hao-er is born under bad fortune. All because of that wretched woman.”

No one knew who she meant.

…

…

From then on, Li Hao returned to his usual routine.

No more Foundation Establishment Elixirs.

It was rumored they’d wait until he turned four, then attempt Blood Melting.

With time on his hands, Li Hao spent more hours secretly playing Go.

His experience points grew steadily—unnoticed, unnoticed.

And word of Li Hao’s Warrior’s Wasteland Constitution—his inability to cultivate—spread beyond the mansion walls.

In Qingzhou City, taverns and restaurants suddenly buzzed with rumors.

But most dismissed it as a storyteller’s exaggeration.

After all, this was the Li family’s heir.

Yet, to those who mattered—Li family’s enemies in the court—this news struck like lightning.

When they sent spies to verify the truth, their shock turned to joy.

Joy that a thousand-year legacy was finally cracking.

But fear, too—fear that Xing Wuhou had hidden his strength so deeply.

He’d reached the Third Immortal Realm—yet only now revealed it.

But the child was a waste.

Good.

Otherwise, he might have become another Li Junye.

…

…

In the blink of an eye, Li Hao turned four.

After a year of secret effort, his Go Art had advanced to the second stage.

He also earned a new Art Skill Point.

Without hesitation, he invested it into Sword Dao.

His Sword Dao rose to Stage Two.

The mental surge this time was far more complex and overwhelming than the first time.

But now, at four years old, Li Hao could barely endure it—just a dull, throbbing sensation in his skull.

As Sword Dao improved, the Character Panel updated.

[Name: Li Hao]

[Age: 4]

[Cultivation Level: Ordinary Stage]

[Sword Dao: Stage Two]

[Skills: Sea Without Horizon · Tidal Surge (Perfectly Mastered) [Prohibited]]

[Mastered Arts: Go Art]

[Go Art: Stage Two (0/1000)]

[Go Manuscript Collection: 0]

[Art Skill Points: 0]

But now, Li Hao realized something troubling:

Simply playing against himself no longer generated experience.

He would need to challenge others—real opponents—to level up.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end