Chapter 6: The Three Holy Places
Chapter 6: The Three Holy Places
Furthermore, as Li Hao's Sword Dao advanced, his mastery of the *Endless Sea·Tides* technique improved from the *Perfect* level to the *Supreme* level!
The rich Sword Dao memories made Li Hao feel as if he had been wielding a sword for decades.
The tidal sword technique, which he had already mastered to perfection, now revealed some flaws to him.
These were inherent flaws in the sword technique itself.
Or rather, they were aspects that this particular move simply could not achieve.
After all, no sword technique could cover every possible scenario.
It was like a perfectly crafted stick that could strike and smash but couldn't cut.
Now, Li Hao, through his profound understanding of Sword Dao, had filled in the gaps in this sword technique.
Li Hao recalled the military sword instructor who had taught Li Qianfeng, who had mentioned that beyond the three levels of mastery, there was a fourth level.
And now, Li Hao had reached that fourth level: *Supreme*!
However, despite his advanced Sword Dao and the *Supreme* level of the tidal sword technique, Li Hao had never actually performed it.
He had only visualized and perfected it in his mind.
But Li Hao had a feeling that if he had a sword in his hand, he could execute it flawlessly.
The only thing he couldn't predict was the toll it would take on his body.
His current child's body was too fragile, and even when he grew up, an ordinary body might not be able to handle the brilliant sword technique.
He needed an extremely strong physique.
"No matter how exquisite a sword technique is, if you can't perform it, it's like a moon reflected in water."
"Perhaps I should find a cultivation technique to strengthen my body. I wonder if there's one available..."
The Li family had countless martial arts manuals, covering a wide variety of styles.
These were all stored in the Rain Listening Pavilion within the Divine General Manor.
In Qingzhou City, there were three renowned holy places that countless martial artists aspired to visit.
One was the Black and White Hall of the Tan Palace Academy, another was the Hundred Sparrows Garden of the Yan Zhi Pavilion, and the last was the Rain Listening Pavilion of the Li family's Divine General Manor.
Li Hao planned to find an opportunity to visit these places.
However, before that, the Strange Blood prepared for him by the manor had already been mixed.
This year, he would undergo Blood Dissolution alongside Bian Ruxue.
The Strange Blood used for Blood Dissolution was of the highest quality, refined from the bones of a thousand-year-old Great Demon, making it a top-tier treasure.
Moreover, he heard that Marquis Xingwu, his nominal father, who was stationed on the Yanbei front, had specially slain a three-thousand-year-old Great Demon and transported it back to the Divine General Manor, further enhancing the quality of the Blood Dissolution treasure to the ultimate level.
A three-thousand-year-old Great Demon, whose lifespan was almost as long as the Great Yu Dynasty itself.
Li Hao was amazed by this, and he also gained a deeper appreciation for his father's strength.
With Lin Haixia's assistance, the Blood Dissolution began.
The crimson liquid, emitting a strange fragrance, covered Li Hao's body.
Li Hao was anxious.
Before long, familiar text appeared before his eyes.
{Detected unknown substance, beginning analysis...}
{Analysis failed, automatically isolated.}
"..."
Li Hao was speechless.
This time, he felt a pang of regret.
After all, this was something the man had risked his life to prepare for him, and it had been wasted.
Lin Haixia was equally heartbroken.
When he saw that Li Hao's body showed no abnormal reaction, he trembled, looking more agitated than Li Hao himself.
But everything seemed to follow a pattern. Having experienced the failure of Foundation Building before, he didn't lose his composure this time. He simply closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing his disappointment and sorrow.
"Uncle Lin, did it fail?"
"Uh-huh..."
Lin Haixia opened his eyes slightly, his gaze weary. He looked at Li Hao's small face and sighed inwardly. Despite being born into the golden cradle of the Divine General Manor, Li Hao couldn't enjoy the countless top-tier martial resources prepared for him.
It was hard to say whether this was a stroke of good fortune or bad luck.
"Uncle Lin, do you think the Strange Blood can be used by that little girl instead?"
Li Hao asked.
Lin Haixia nodded slightly. Since Li Hao couldn't benefit from it, the little girl might as well use it.
"Great!" Seeing that it wouldn't go to waste, Li Hao smiled.
Lin Haixia also managed a faint smile and said to Li Hao, "Young Master, I'll scrape it off for you. You should go rest now."
His smile was forced, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"Okay."
Li Hao nodded, not wanting to break the silence.
...
The news of Li Hao's failed Blood Dissolution quickly spread to the ears of the ladies in the various courtyards.
In the Water Blossom Courtyard, Liu Yuerong raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing the report from her attendant. Her face didn't show much joy; she only shook her head slightly.
She had secretly consulted someone on Wuliang Mountain, who confirmed that the medicine wouldn't have such side effects. This meant that the child was inherently a Waste Body, born only by chance into the Li family and from Ji Qingqing's womb.
Knowing what she knows now, she wouldn't even need that pill.
A Waste Body, even with Divine Blood, is still a Waste Body.
In contrast, it would only highlight how extraordinary her son, Qianfeng, truly is.
After all, when the time comes, both being third-generation members of the Li family and possessing Divine Blood, one is a waste, while the other is a true dragon among men. Everyone knows which choice the old lady will make.
After Li Hao's Blood Dissolution failed, the little girl's Blood Dissolution results were exceptionally good.
Absorbing the Strange Blood that had been prepared for Li Hao, Bian Ruxue's martial talent was further enhanced.
In the days to come, she only needed to nurture her abilities gradually, waiting for the Bone Measurement at age five to see the specific results.
Li Hao, upon hearing this news, was happy for the little girl. However, he himself now faced a troubling issue. He could no longer gain Chess Dao experience by playing against himself, so he had to find the maidservants to play chess with him.
Although the maidservants did not dare to disobey the young master's commands, they were hesitant and afraid to agree to this request.
These servants knew that Li Hao's Blood Dissolution had failed, leaving him without martial talent, yet he still wanted to play chess...
While they knew that the young master had been playing on the chessboard since he was little and seemed to have a natural talent for Chess Dao, in a martial family, such talent was hardly worth mentioning...
It could even be seen as a distraction from more important matters!
If the First Lady and the others found out that they were accompanying Li Hao in such “unproductive” activities, they might vent their anger over his inability to practice martial arts on them.
The servants in the Divine General Manor were all quite astute and dared not risk such trouble.
Thus, Li Hao, with no other choice, found Lin Haixia.
When Lin Haixia learned that Li Hao wanted him to play chess, he was speechless. He knew nothing about chess and found the young master's optimistic ignorance somewhat exasperating.
However, he did not outright refuse.
"Perhaps, this last year before the Bone Measurement is the last happy time for this child..." Lin Haixia thought to himself.
He agreed to Li Hao's request and, after settling Bian Ruxue's affairs, began accompanying Li Hao in his chess games.
From then on, a common sight in the courtyard was the figure of a large and a small person playing chess in a pavilion, with a little girl standing on tiptoe to watch.
Occasionally, the sound of the child lying on the chess table shouting could be heard:
"That's not right, you have to place the piece at the intersection of the lines, not inside the squares!"
"That's not a foul, that's called capturing!"
"That's already surrounded, you can't place a piece there anymore!"
"You're so dumb, I've told you three times already."
After a game, Li Hao would be exhausted, having gained only one point of experience.
This was much more tiring than playing against himself.
If the opponent made a mistake, the game would be invalidated, so he had to teach and explain the rules while playing.
Lin Haixia, who had thought it would just be a simple game with a child, found himself struggling with the numerous rules and began to look somewhat strained.
After several days of playing, Lin Haixia disappeared, leaving Li Hao stomping his feet in anger. With no other choice, he decided to visit the Rain Listening Pavilion.
...
The Rain Listening Pavilion was located on the north side of the Divine General Manor, nestled against a mountain.
The Divine General Manor was vast, large enough to accommodate horse-drawn carriages.
Apart from the courtyards of the various wives, there were also mountain peaks, scenic lakes, and gardens.
Despite its weathered appearance, the Rain Listening Pavilion, a seven-story old building on the hillside, seemed ordinary.
However, countless people in the world yearned to see its true form.
Yet, their gazes dared not cross the golden wall that surrounded it.
Accompanied by the old steward of the Mountain and River Courtyard, Old Zhao, Li Hao arrived at the building. Old Zhao placed Li Hao down and earnestly advised, "Young Master, this is a critical area of the Li family. Even the wives of the various courtyards need to seek permission from the First Lady to enter. Let's go back."
Apart from the direct descendants of the Li family's second generation, only two wives could freely enter the Rain Listening Pavilion, one of whom was the First Lady.
"Didn't you send someone to inform them? I just want to take a look. It shouldn't be a problem, right?" Li Hao said, hands behind his back, with a mature air.
Old Zhao, long accustomed to the young master's old-fashioned manner, couldn't figure out who he had learned it from, but could only say with a pained expression, "But we haven't received a reply yet, and the First Lady might not agree. Although you have the right to enter, you are still too young..."
"What's so bad about being young? Are you looking down on me?" Li Hao pouted.
"Master, I wouldn't dare", Old Zhao quickly replied.
Finding it uninteresting, Li Hao quietly observed the Rain Listening Pavilion. The old, seven-story building was said to have been where Li Qianfeng, after his Bone Measurement, achieved a Ninth-Rank War Body. That night, the woman had sought permission from the First Lady to find a martial art for her child, leading her to the *Endless Sea* at the top of the building.
The *Endless Sea* had four techniques.
Each was extremely difficult, and it was said that only Uncle Three had mastered the last technique, nearly splitting Jingzhou in half with a single sword strike.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
