317-318

Chapter 317: My Sword Intent

What is a game of strategy?

There are many types of strategy games, such as Go-Moku, Chinese Chess, and so on.

The game of Go that Li Hao played was also called "Sitting in Seclusion," "Hand Talk," or "Yi."

The board is a grid formed by the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines. Pieces are placed on the grid, and connected pieces form a formation – this is the layout on the board.

Beginners learn the rules, and those who master the game become adept at placing pieces with precision, launching fierce attacks, and making strategic choices.

However, true masters of strategy prioritize the overall situation over individual pieces. They no longer dwell on capturing and eliminating pieces, but instead focus on establishing their own strategic momentum.

Whether it's Chinese Chess, Go-Moku, or Go, they all emphasize the accumulation of momentum!

When the momentum is overwhelming, victory comes naturally, and nothing can stop it.

Li Hao's previous Sixth-Stage Go skills had already allowed him to glimpse the Dao of momentum. However, now he realized that relying solely on his own movements as a player to build momentum was too obvious in the eyes of experts. True strategic momentum arises naturally, without deliberate effort!

From the very first piece placed, momentum is already present.

Each piece has its own mission. Although they all appear to be white pieces, in reality, they have varying strengths and weaknesses. Some white pieces are soldiers, while others are generals, their momentum fierce and complete!

Pat!

Li Hao placed a white piece, a lone soldier venturing deep into the black pieces. Yet, its momentum was like a clap of thunder, connecting and reviving a previously isolated and near-doomed white piece, and breaking through the opponent's momentum like a sharp blade.

This move was incredibly insightful and exquisite, like a master strategist calmly watching the rise and fall of clouds.

Shi Hua Jin froze, the black piece she held in her hand poised to fall, but it paused. She stared at the board, and after a moment, sighed softly:

"I've lost."

She had intended to swallow that cluster of white pieces, using it to expand her offensive. With that path cut off, she had already calculated Li Hao's next few moves. If she continued for another seven moves, she would fall into a disadvantageous position. Her momentum had been broken, so she decisively chose to concede defeat.

In a duel between masters, the outcome is clear.

A clash between novices, however, is unpredictable.

Until the very last moment, you never know what foolish or extraordinary moves your opponent might make.

Seeing her concede, Li Hao also emerged from his enlightenment. He retracted the white piece and said, "Another round?"

"No more. I haven't refined today's medicinal herbs yet. You have to help me extract them."

Shi Hua Jin said with a hint of annoyance.

"No problem."

Li Hao smiled and immediately got up to accompany her to the alchemy room.

Along the way, he glanced at his panel, saw the latest prompt, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

Soon, using his Cooking and Extraction skills, Li Hao helped Shi Hua Jin extract all the medicinal herbs she needed for her alchemy.

Then, he sat outside and waited, not bothering to observe her work. This made Shi Hua Jin feel helpless. She was a high-level alchemist, and countless alchemists dreamed of being able to observe her work. Witnessing a high-level alchemist refining medicinal herbs firsthand was equivalent to being a direct disciple.

But she offered this opportunity to Li Hao for free, and he wasn't interested.

She could only call her disciples to help her.

Li Hao found a secluded tree branch outside the alchemy room, lay down, and rested while checking his panel.

Go, Seventh Stage.

Mindset: Go Enters the Spirit (Usable).

Li Hao smiled slightly, without hesitation, he chose to apply this mindset to his Sword Dao.

Soon, his Sword Dao, which had been stuck at the Sixth Stage for a long time, finally broke through.

Sword Dao, Seventh Stage!

A massive amount of Sword Dao information flooded his mind, and Li Hao quietly closed his eyes to absorb it.

Reaching the Seventh Stage of Sword Dao had a similar effect to Go. Previously, it was about incredibly refined sword techniques, but now it was about sword momentum!

No longer confined to techniques, the sword moved with the heart, the heart moved with the will!

Every casual move was a supreme technique, every casual move could unleash the strongest sword strike!

The numerous sword techniques in his panel were also constantly evolving and undergoing new changes, simplifying from complexity.

After a long time, Li Hao slowly opened his eyes, having fully digested and absorbed the insights of the Sword Dao. Suddenly, the memory of his previous battle with Jiang Li Chen surfaced in his mind. Although he had won, Jiang Li Chen's sword techniques had surpassed his, reaching the peak of Seventh-Stage Sword Dao. His sword was like his heart, possessing a frenzied sword momentum.

"Using the skills of a Supreme Technique Realm expert to cleave a domain. If I take another step forward and reach the Eighth Stage of Sword Dao, I should be able to cleave even a ten-layered domain..."

Li Hao's eyes sparkled. Seventh-Stage Sword Dao was already at the level of a human Sword Saint, capable of slaying thousands of troops with a flick of the wrist, with sword momentum like a rainbow. But for his current cultivation level, such sword techniques were insufficient.

Recalling Lin Qing Ying's sword techniques during her practice in the courtyard, Li Hao discovered that her seemingly simple practice was deeper than he had initially perceived, even surpassing sword momentum, possessing her own unique artistic conception. Her Sword Dao was beyond the Seventh Stage!

Li Hao silently muttered, "Add points."

Soon, his Seventh-Stage Sword Dao surged to the Eighth Stage!

A massive amount of information flooded his mind again, and Li Hao felt like he had fallen into a sea of Sword Dao, swimming and practicing within it.

After a long time.

Li Hao finally awoke from his enlightenment, a hint of understanding in his eyes.

Seventh-Stage Sword Dao was momentum, while Eighth-Stage Sword Dao was intent!

Intent was more condensed than momentum. Momentum was the outward appearance, while intent was the core.

Perhaps due to the influence of his own Dao heart, Li Hao's sword intent was relatively simple – to sever whatever he wished to sever.

Everything in the world could be severed. What the heart desires, the sword pursues!

Li Hao named this sword intent "My Will."

Having grasped sword intent, Li Hao looked back at Jiang Li Chen's sword techniques during their battle, and immediately felt that the other party was still stuck at the surface level of sword momentum. If they fought again, he could easily break his momentum, sever his sword, and defeat him with a single casual strike.

Li Hao then recalled Lin Qing Ying's sword techniques, and a sense of understanding dawned upon him. She was indeed at the Eighth Stage of Sword Dao. Her slow practice was about cultivating both momentum and intent, using intent to drive momentum. Her sword intent was ultimate softness.

"Ultimate softness is ultimate hardness. Ultimate softness is unbreakable..."

Li Hao's eyes flickered, wondering if his My Will Sword Intent could sever her ultimate softness sword intent.

Without a confrontation, it was impossible to determine who was stronger.

Li Hao looked at his panel and tried to add points again.

[Adding points failed. Please select an In-Dao Heart.]

As expected...

Li Hao sighed inwardly. Just like with Physical Body Dao, it seemed he needed to raise a certain skill to the Ninth Stage.

Currently, his only skill at the Ninth Stage and In-Dao was Cooking.

Now that Go had crossed the threshold of "Entering the Spirit," he could continue to accumulate experience, but the experience accumulation in Go was too slow, and it required external conditions – he needed to find someone to play against.

In comparison, Painting could be done independently, allowing for rapid experience accumulation.

"Ninth-Stage Sword Dao... This should be the level that Saints have mastered."

Li Hao's eyes flickered. Ninth-Stage Physical Body Dao corresponded to the Dao Comprehension Realm, and the Tenth Stage would be Sainthood.

The same was true for Sword Dao. At the Tenth Stage of Sword Dao, one could walk the path of Dao Sacrifice and become a Saint, directly breaking through the barriers of the Saint Dao with Sword Dao, becoming a Saint through the sword!

This was the most difficult path. Even the Sword Saints of the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land might have followed the path of Incense Sainthood. In that case, their Sword Dao realm would still be at the Ninth Stage, not the Tenth.

It might seem unworthy of their title of Sword Saint, but in reality, reaching the Ninth Stage of Sword Dao was incredibly difficult, a one-in-a-billion feat.

The Ninth Stage meant that Sword Dao had entered the Dao. Aside from a few obsessed individuals, most martial artists focused on cultivating their realm. Reaching the Dao Comprehension Realm was already a rare feat among prodigies, let alone comprehending Sword Dao to the point of entering the Dao. It required too much energy.

Even if there were such individuals, they were few and far between, mostly at the level of a Half-Saint.

Having understood this, Li Hao withdrew his thoughts. After continuous battles, the levels of many of his skills had fallen behind. If he had three skills at the Ninth Stage and In-Dao at this moment, his strength would increase to an unimaginable level.

At this time, Li Hao noticed that Shi Hua Jin's medicinal herbs were ready.

He jumped down from the tree branch, went to the outside of the alchemy room, greeted Shi Hua Jin, and then strolled back to Lin Shan Hai's Alchemy Courtyard.

They were only a thousand miles apart, and within a radius of several hundred miles, there were basically no other idle people besides his own medicine boy disciples and servants. The environment was quite peaceful and comfortable.

Alchemists often needed to study formulas on their own, and they did require a quiet environment.

"You're back. You seem to be in a good mood today."

Lin Shan Hai saw Li Hao return and said with a cheerful smile.

Li Hao glanced at the courtyard and saw Lin Qing Ying practicing swordplay, as always.

She didn't react to his arrival, still focused on her sword practice.

Li Hao didn't disturb her. He walked around the corridor, went to Lin Lao, who was tasting medicinal herbs, sat down, and said,

"I won a few rounds against her."

"You..."

Lin Shan Hai sighed helplessly. During this time, he had heard about Li Hao's deeds from several of his old friends. He had gone to help them purify medicinal herbs, and it seemed he had genuinely just helped, without asking for anything in return. He hadn't taken the medicinal herbs they offered, nor had he looked at their formulas.

He didn't know whether Li Hao was being cautious or genuinely uninterested.

But after interacting with Li Hao, he felt that the young man's mind was indeed unique, unlike anyone he had met before.

"Oh, right. I also brought you some Five-Tone Tea from her."

Li Hao seemed to remember something and took out a package of tea leaves from his spatial ring and handed it to Lin Shan Hai.

Lin Shan Hai was stunned and quickly took it. He didn't have many hobbies, but besides alchemy, he loved a good cup of tea.

"Wow, she gave you Five-Tone Tea. It seems Shi Po Zi really likes you. I've asked her many times, and she never gave it to me. Hundreds of years of friendship are apparently not as good as you!"

Lin Shan Hai opened the package, confirmed it was Five-Tone Tea, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim.

Li Hao couldn't help but glance at him and said, "Is there a possibility that she didn't give it to you because of your relationship?"

"What else could it be?"

"You can try a different address next time."

"Shi Po Zi? I've been calling her that for hundreds of years. What else would I call her?"

"..."

Li Hao couldn't help but look at him. He had called her that for hundreds of years and hadn't been beaten to death. That was indeed a deep friendship.

Lin Shan Hai finally caught on. They say women don't like being called old. He looked at Li Hao suspiciously:

"How do you call her?"

"Shi Jie Jie."

Li Hao said calmly, without blushing.

"..."

Lin Shan Hai couldn't help but stare: "You're incredibly bold! She's old enough to be your great-grandmother. That's too frivolous a term!"

"She told me to call her that." Li Hao said.

""

Lin Shan Hai was dumbfounded.

Li Hao shrugged slightly, didn't say anything more, and casually looked into the courtyard, at the graceful and cool figure.

Now, watching her practice swordplay, Li Hao found that he could fully understand it.

"This sword is a bit too soft."

When he saw her sword technique gracefully turn at a certain point, Li Hao couldn't help but shake his head.

He hadn't sparred with her in other areas, so he didn't know if he could sever them, but this particular sword strike was too soft and scattered. He believed he could definitely sever it.

She was pursuing ultimate softness, but by pursuing it too much, it became easy to scatter.

"Hm?"

Although Li Hao's voice was soft, the woman in the courtyard had already stopped her sword practice.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 318: Border-Like Snow, The Saintess (Three-in-One Chapter)

Hearing the murmur behind her, Lin Qingying frowned slightly. She disliked being disturbed while practicing her sword, especially by someone who didn't understand the art.

However, she didn't turn around immediately. Instead, she held her sword, lowered her head in thought, and savored the recent flow of her swordsmanship.

She cultivated the Ultimate Gentle Sword Intent, but the "Ultimate" in Gentle lay in its extremity. Extremity was difficult to grasp. Exceeding it would cause the sword intent to dissipate, and falling short would leave it insufficiently refined, creating vulnerabilities.

Reflecting on her movements, she realized that her sword intent had indeed become somewhat scattered, exceeding the limit of Ultimate Gentleness. If such a mistake occurred during a duel, it would be a significant weakness.

However, to perceive such a flaw, one would need to be at least on par with her in swordsmanship to capture it.

"Do you also understand the sword?"

Lin Qingying turned around, her cold, moonlit eyes falling upon Li Hao, a hint of suspicion in their depths.

If someone's swordsmanship could rival hers, they would at least be at the level of a Saint Son within a Saint Ground.

Why would such a person be so severely injured and coincidentally rescued by her? Was it a deliberate approach, or a simple accident?

"Uh, I was just making a casual remark."

Seeing the suspicion in her eyes, Li Hao quickly backpedaled.

He had been a bit too quick with his words, driven by good intentions towards his savior.

But now, with his injuries not fully healed, revealing too much could invite unnecessary suspicion and trouble.

"A casual remark?"

Lin Qingying raised an eyebrow. A casual remark that happened to pinpoint her mistake? Even a child wouldn't fall for that.

She scrutinized Li Hao, saying, "How did you figure that out?"

Seeing her serious expression, Li Hao knew that if he didn't provide a reasonable explanation, she would likely suspect his motives.

"It was just a feeling, really."

Li Hao replied.

"A feeling?"

"Yes. I enjoy painting, and I'm quite sensitive to posture and lines. When I saw the way you moved your sword just now, it was clearly too soft. You're a swordsman, but a sword this soft wouldn't have enough power behind it. It would be easy for someone to exploit it as a weakness." Li Hao said, a mix of truth and fabrication.

"Such a flimsy excuse. Do you think I'll believe that?"

Lin Qingying slightly raised her eyebrow, a hint of coldness in her eyes.

With the imminent Sword God competition in the Saint Ground, the stakes were high, and she couldn't help but suspect that someone might be trying to approach her with ulterior motives.

"Did Qingfeng guess right?"

Lin Shanhai, hearing their conversation, stopped fiddling with his herbs and looked at them in surprise. Li Hao's casual remark had initially seemed like idle chatter. He didn't understand the sword, but judging by his granddaughter's reaction, it seemed Li Hao had hit the mark.

Li Hao chuckled wryly and had no choice but to say, "Wait for me, I'll draw it for you."

With that, he got up and found paper and ink, using a piece of wood as a makeshift drawing board, and began to grind the ink for painting.

Soon, a stunning figure, graceful as a startled swan, appeared on the white paper, wielding a long sword with a gentle yet powerful posture.

Painting Experience +32837.

Wow, as expected of a Dao-Seeking Realm cultivator, the painting experience points are incredibly generous!

Li Hao put down his brush. Lin Shanhai had already moved closer while Li Hao was painting, witnessing the entire process. When he saw Li Hao sketch his granddaughter onto the paper, stroke by stroke, he was stunned. Especially as Li Hao neared the finishing touches, the entire posture seemed infused with a soul, as if a living person were dancing on the paper.

"This..."

Although Lin Shanhai only enjoyed alchemy and tea, and didn't understand painting at all, he had lived a long life and seen a lot. He could at least grasp the basics.

This was no ordinary painting. It wasn't simply a realistic depiction; it was imbued with an immersive atmosphere that could be felt from the artwork itself.

"Hmm?"

Lin Qingying also came over. When she saw the figure on the white paper, she was momentarily stunned.

The appearance was naturally familiar to her, and now it was meticulously captured in the painting. Moreover, the way the sword was wielded seemed to have a life of its own, carrying a hint of her Ultimate Gentle Sword Intent!

The other party could actually capture and depict her sword intent to some extent!

Lin Qingying stared blankly, somewhat entranced, before snapping out of it. Suddenly, she remembered something, and a hint of embarrassment flashed in her eyes.

The painting was too detailed, as if it were a thousand or a hundred times of mental sketching.

Although she didn't understand painting, she knew that the first step in painting was to observe meticulously.

Thinking of this, her neck turned crimson, and she couldn't help but glare at Li Hao.

Li Hao was bewildered by her glare, thinking she hadn't understood. He immediately pointed at the artwork and said:

"Look here, the lines of your arm, including your waistline, are overall very soft, like you have no bones, but your sword is like the bones, supporting you. It's just that when you swung it to this point, the arc of the sword was a little scattered..."

"Stop it!"

Lin Qingying's face was flushed with shame. Although she had shared a roof with Li Hao for over a month, they hadn't exchanged many words, and they weren't even familiar with each other. Now, he was pointing at her painting and discussing her body curves with her. If it weren't for the fact that his gaze was clear and sincere, she would have thought he was being a pervert.

"Uh..." Li Hao also realized that he might have been a bit too forward.

Lin Qingying didn't bother to pay him any more attention. She just stared at the painting, scrutinizing it carefully. Soon, she roughly understood why Li Hao could pinpoint her mistake in swordsmanship.

He was using painting to judge through external form, not swordsmanship.

Usually, cultivation was about shaping form through Dao, but Li Hao was using form to point to Dao.

Lin Qingying's eyes flickered, and she glanced at the side. Seeing his helpless expression, she quickly withdrew her gaze and fell silent.

Being able to capture sword intent through painting, she didn't know whether to consider him a prodigy of painting or a prodigy of swordsmanship.

Earlier, she had heard her grandfather constantly praising him, saying that he had extremely high alchemy talent. During this period, Zhao Yingzhen and Shi Huajin had also come to visit, and she had noticed that they also spoke highly of Li Hao. Although she didn't understand alchemy, she knew that he had extremely high alchemy talent, a prodigy of the Dao of Pills.

Perhaps, he wasn't lying?

Lin Qingying pondered.

Top-tier prodigies wouldn't waste their energy on multiple disciplines. Even if they did, they would cultivate other martial arts, such as body techniques or boxing, to enhance their cultivation.

There were simply too many things that could be honed through martial arts alone, and there was no energy left to delve into other paths.

Unless it was some old monster whose martial arts had hit a bottleneck.

Thinking of this, Lin Qingying left the drawing board and said, "Wait for me here, I'll be right back."

As she spoke, she vanished like a teleportation, leaving the courtyard.

"You little rascal..."

After Lin Qingying left, Lin Shanhai also came to his senses. He glared at Li Hao with displeasure, "Don't you dare have any designs on my granddaughter!"

Li Hao was taken aback, somewhat bewildered, "Elder Lin, what do you mean by that?"

"You know what I mean!"

Mentioning his granddaughter, Lin Shanhai became even more protective. He glared at Li Hao with displeasure, "Qingying is destined to become a Saint. Whether it's for her sake or yours, you two are not a good match."

"..."

Li Hao was speechless. Why did the conversation suddenly turn to this?

He looked at the drawing paper and suddenly understood. He chuckled wryly, "Elder Lin, you've misunderstood. I don't have any such thoughts about Qingying."

"You little scoundrel, Qingying is not someone you can call casually!"

Lin Shanhai immediately became anxious. He only had this one precious granddaughter. Although he admired Li Hao, he also felt like a wolf was about to snatch her away.

"..."

Li Hao chuckled wryly.

Lin Shanhai nagged at Li Hao incessantly, and Li Hao could only nod repeatedly in agreement, assuring him that he would never have any such thoughts.

"What are you two talking about?"

Not long after, Lin Qingying suddenly reappeared through teleportation. It seemed she had overheard something, and her brow furrowed slightly as she glanced at Li Hao.

Lin Shanhai shook his head, "Nothing much. What's this in your hand?"

"The Bone Reflection Mirror."

Lin Qingying held a pure black, oval mirror in her hand. Li Hao had seen a similar mirror when he was ascending the Immortal Gate, but that one was much larger.

"Let me see your age. It won't be a problem, will it?"

Lin Qingying stared at Li Hao.

Li Hao nodded. There was no need to hide this.

Lin Qingying immediately pointed the Bone Reflection Mirror at Li Hao, and soon, Li Hao's figure appeared on the black mirror, revealing his age.

27 years old.

Lin Qingying was startled, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes as she looked at Li Hao. This age was too young.

When Li Hao was unconscious, she had picked him up and, in passing, explored his body. She had sensed that he was severely injured, but his realm was Four Erect Realm.

At 27 years old, being able to cultivate to the Four Erect Realm was considered extraordinary, a top-tier prodigy.

Within the Sword Ancestor's Sacred Ground, he would be at the top level among the inner disciples.

And at this age, being able to cultivate martial arts to the Four Erect Realm, coupled with what her grandfather had said about his mastery of a unique alchemy purification technique, and now seeing Li Hao's profound painting skills, these were all things that required a lot of energy.

Swordsmanship?

It was impossible for him to have the energy to delve into it as well.

After all, a person's energy was limited.

Her heart settled. This age was enough to prove that Li Hao's earlier words were true. He had simply used painting to capture her swordsmanship flaws.

She didn't understand painting and couldn't comprehend it, but that was the only explanation at the moment.

"You're so young?"

Lin Shanhai was also somewhat surprised to see Li Hao's age, "Four Erect Realm at 27, your martial arts talent is a bit exaggerated. Did your family give you some divine pills or elixirs? Your talent seems like you could directly become a disciple of the inner sect of a Saint Ground. If you cultivate here for a hundred years, there's a possibility you could become a Half-Saint's direct disciple in the future."

Hearing his words, Li Hao chuckled wryly. In his heart, he regretted the battle with the Void Saint. It was an unexpected disaster that had wasted ten years of his time.

When he escaped from the void, his battle body was shattered, his Dao power dissipated, and his realm plummeted. He was considered a Four Erect Realm cultivator, but now, relying on the Concealment attribute and the condensation of Dao power, he had already returned to the Dao-Seeking Realm.

However, with the Myriad Attributes concealing him, Li Hao didn't deliberately reveal it. His injuries were not yet fully healed.

"Taking medicine?"

Hearing Lin Shanhai's words, the surprise in Lin Qingying's eyes turned into understanding.

Li Hao's purification technique was considered by Lin Shanhai to be a declining alchemy family, but their ancestors had been glorious, and divine pills and elixirs might have been passed down.

If he had reached this realm through taking pills, it wouldn't be surprising.

However, the medicines that could greatly aid cultivation in the Three Immortality and Four Erect Realms were relatively rare. Even high-level alchemists could only refine a small amount.

"If you want to join the Sword Ancestor's Sacred Ground, I can introduce you."

Lin Qingying put away the Bone Reflection Mirror and said flatly.

This was a way to make up for her earlier suspicion of Li Hao.

Li Hao understood her meaning and shook his head slightly, "I'm not interested in cultivation."

Hearing Li Hao say this, Lin Qingying didn't try to persuade him further. She was even more certain that Li Hao had reached this realm through taking pills. After all, during this time, although she hadn't deliberately observed Li Hao, she had noticed that he had never cultivated.

With this kind of realm, it was most likely due to the needs of alchemy that he had used pills to improve his cultivation, just like her grandfather.

Generally, alchemists needed to master some fire-based cultivation techniques or even Dao techniques to refine certain pills. Alchemy was also a kind of physical labor. If one's own realm was too low, they wouldn't be able to refine high-level treasures.

Some divine medicines were extremely difficult to tame just as raw materials. If they were refined using the precious blood of demons and spirits, one would also need to suppress the soul consciousness within the precious blood, which required a certain realm.

"Regardless, you pointed out my swordsmanship flaws, so I should thank you. Just tell me what you want, and I'll do my best to help you if I can."

Lin Qingying said. Her expression was cold. Her personality was like this, she didn't like owing others anything, and she liked to settle things clearly.

"I haven't repaid you for saving my life yet, so this little thing is nothing. I was just making a casual remark."

Li Hao glanced at her and, thinking of the massive experience points he had earned earlier, hesitated for a moment before saying:

"If you really want to thank me, it's not impossible. Can I paint a few more portraits for you in the future?"

"You little rascal!"

Before Lin Qingying could speak, Lin Shanhai became anxious again. He glared at Li Hao angrily. Had all his previous words been in vain?

Lin Qingying was also slightly stunned. Thinking of the painting earlier, her earlobes flushed slightly. She looked at Li Hao intently, as if searching and confirming something in his eyes.

But Li Hao's gaze was calm and direct, without any evasion.

Lin Qingying looked at him deeply, then turned her head, calmly saying, "No problem. If you can still find flaws in my swordsmanship, I will only be grateful to you."

"So you've agreed?"

Li Hao's face broke into a smile.

Lin Qingying didn't speak, but flew into the courtyard and continued to practice her sword.

This was tantamount to an agreement.

Otherwise, if she didn't want to, she would have a thousand ways to make it difficult for Li Hao to even see her again.

After all, she was the Saintess of the Sword Ancestor's Sacred Ground, second only to the Half-Saint elders in authority.

"Qingfeng, Qingfeng, why won't you listen to advice?"

Lin Shanhai looked distressed, suddenly feeling like he had let a wolf into his house.

"Old Lin, don't worry about it. I don't have any other thoughts about Qingying. Please believe in my devotion to painting. It's just pure painting. I'll paint a few for you too, how about that?"

Li Hao said earnestly.

Lin Shanhai looked at Li Hao's sincere gaze, a little suspicious, "Really?"

"Really, couldn't be more real!"

Li Hao said.

Seeing Li Hao's assurance, Lin Shanhai secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "Alright, I'll believe you this once."

Li Hao felt a little helpless and didn't say anything more about the topic.

Their conversation also reached Lin Qingying's ears. She frowned slightly, and her sword movements became faster, as if she wanted to dispel all these words.

Soon, she immersed herself in her sword intent cultivation once again.

...

Ever since Li Hao agreed to paint for Lin Qingying, Lin Shanhai had found his medicine boy and built another courtyard behind the main courtyard for Li Hao.

Although Old Lin had said that he was reassured about Li Hao, his actions still subtly hinted at wolf-prevention.

Li Hao could only chuckle wryly at this. He didn't mind. Having a separate courtyard gave him more peace and quiet.

Aside from painting and sculpting, he also spent his time recuperating.

Nearly half of the Void power that had infiltrated his body had been quietly erased. The Saintly Lands had one advantage: the heavenly energy was extremely rich, more than ten times that of the mortal realm.

No wonder martial artists yearned to enter the Immortal Gate.

Ten times the cultivation speed increase, and it could also slow down the aging process.

Cultivating here for a year was equivalent to ten years in the mortal realm, and it only consumed one year of lifespan!

However, for Li Hao, whether it was here or in the mortal realm, there was no difference. He just wanted to live each day steadily and enjoyably.

Two months passed in a blink of an eye.

Li Hao's injuries had almost fully recovered. The Void power within his body, like cracks, was also accelerating its removal as his flesh continued to heal.

As his body recovered, Li Hao began to cultivate in addition to painting and sculpting.

During the previous battle with the Void Saint's avatar, he had severed his heavenly meridians, which meant that all the major meridians in his body had been shattered and destroyed.

Although his flesh had healed, these severed meridians needed to be rebuilt.

Fortunately, with his previous cultivation techniques, rebuilding the meridians was not difficult for Li Hao.

He set up a barrier in the courtyard, and then used the Hidden Bow and Myriad Attributes to completely conceal his aura.

Then, he began to run the meridian-opening cultivation technique, reopening the original meridians one by one.

108 major meridians, under the operation of Li Hao's cultivation technique, were all opened.

The remaining two major meridians were the Nether Meridian and the Yang Meridian. Li Hao could reopen the Nether Meridian by cultivating the Thousand Serpent Saint Body technique.

As for the Yang Meridian, Li Hao had also found its location, within the top of his skull. This location was extremely dangerous. A minor mistake could lead to dementia, and a major one could cause his brain to explode.

But for Li Hao, who now possessed the Seventh Pinnacle, opening the Yang Meridian was the easiest thing.

Even if his head exploded, he could regenerate from a drop of blood.

Soon, after two attempts, the first failed, his head exploded, and after regenerating, the second attempt was successful.

Without the Seventh Pinnacle, other prodigies, without other special secret techniques, no matter how monstrous, once they failed to open the Yang Meridian, they would only be able to perish.

With the opening of the Yin and Yang Meridians, the Heavenly Meridians also reappeared.

Seven Pinnacles plus a half-Pinnacle, this was the height Li Hao had currently climbed to.

In the following days, he began to refine his Dao power. When he went to the Immortal Gate, he had just entered the Dao-Seeking Realm, and his Dao power had not yet been fully transformed. Later, the battle scattered his Dao power, and now he was only at the initial stage of the True Person Realm, with thin Dao power.

The strength of a Dao-Seeking True Person Realm cultivator depended on the degree of refinement of their Dao power.

The indestructible nature of Dao power meant that, theoretically, as long as the Dao power was refined deeply and strongly enough, it would have a kind of absolute defense.

Sitting in the courtyard, aside from occasionally sculpting and painting for entertainment, the only thing left was the tedious transformation of Dao power.

Every morning, Li Hao would also visit Lin Shanhai's alchemy room to help him purify herbs.

Or, every few days, he would be invited to Zhao Yingzhen and Shi Huajin's places. They needed to refine high-level divine pills and asked Li Hao to help purify the medicinal power to increase the success rate.

With Li Hao's help in purification, their high-level pill success rate increased significantly, from the original 30% to 70%.

This made Li Hao a hot commodity in the alchemy circle of the Sword Ancestor's Sacred Ground, and his reputation soared.

...

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months.

Another month passed.

Li Hao had completely consolidated the Dao-Seeking True Person Realm, restoring his strength to its previous level.

To be precise, compared to before, his strength had now reached a new level.

The Dao power transformation in the Saintly Lands was much faster than Li Hao's experience in the mortal realm. It took only five days for the complete transformation, filling his body with Dao power. For the remaining twenty-plus days, Li Hao did not stop, continuing to refine and consolidate.

Now, his physical body was even harder than a Saint-Heart treasure.

Dao power permeated his entire body, making him a top-tier treasure himself. Every move he made carried powerful destructive power.

Furthermore, his swordsmanship was now at the Eighth Stage, mastering sword momentum and sword intent. If he were to strike again, his attacks would be even more fierce and terrifying.

However, the battle with the Void Saint's avatar had also made Li Hao fully aware of the existence of Saintly Realm cultivators. He knew that compared to Saints, he still had a huge gap to bridge.

During this period, Li Hao casually inquired with Lin Shanhai, and his understanding of Saints became clearer than before.

The Saintly Realm was a general term. In reality, there were different levels within the Saintly Realm. Saints had to go through three calamities. Each calamity they survived would cause a leap in their strength.

When they survived the most difficult Heavenly Tribulation, they became Supreme Saints.

The top-tier Saints were also among the true rulers of the Saintly Lands.

According to Lin Shanhai, there were only about ten such Supreme Saints, truly invincible beings who could cover the sky with one hand.

Li Hao had also inquired about the Void Saint who had tried to assassinate him. Although the Canglan Realm and the Cloud Mist Realm were far apart, the reputation of Saints was immense, known throughout the Thirty-Three Realms, and everyone was aware of them.

Lin Shanhai also knew of the Void Saint. He was not a Supreme Saint.

When Saints went through the Heavenly Tribulation, it was a grand spectacle. Supreme Saints were basically beings that attracted the attention of the world.

...

"Dan Master Qingfeng, these are the Fire Dragon Liver, Hundred Fragrance Ganoderma, and Purple Sandalwood that were delivered today..."

On the Medicine Mountain, Li Hao sat in a pavilion outside the alchemy room, playing with chess pieces.

Shi Huajin's direct disciple, Jiang Xiaohui, delivered a batch of alchemy materials with a respectful expression, handing them to Li Hao.

Jiang Xiaohui was extremely humble and polite towards this young man. Now, within the alchemy circle of the Saint Ground, everyone knew of Dan Master Qingfeng's reputation. Although Li Hao didn't hold the position of Dan Master, many people treated him as a Dan Master, or even close to a High-Level Dan Master.

After all, Li Hao's alchemy connections were too extensive. Besides Shi Huajin and others, there were other Dan Masters who sought Li Hao's help. Some had sent gifts multiple times, just to have Li Hao help purify the medicinal power, hoping to refine a batch of high-level divine pills.

"Hmm, put them there."

Li Hao responded casually.

Jiang Xiaohui secretly glanced at Li Hao. His medicinal power purification technique was legendary. She was envious and longed for it, but she had heard from rumors that it was his ancestral secret technique.

Even though Li Hao had demonstrated it, many people who had watched it understood that it couldn't be learned in a day or two, unless Li Hao patiently taught them hand-in-hand.

But who would teach such a unique skill to an outsider without a significant benefit?

Not long after, a metallic clinking sound came from the alchemy room.

Li Hao looked over and smelled a strange medicinal fragrance, knowing that the pill was ready.

Soon, the door of the alchemy room was pushed open, and the barrier inside was also removed. This barrier was not to prevent Li Hao from peeking, but to prevent other medicine boys and even Shi Huajin's disciples.

Today's pill was a high-level divine pill, one of Shi Huajin's unique skills. Even her direct disciples were not easily taught it. She also needed to observe their character and other factors, as it was a treasured skill reserved for passing on to her successor.

"Qingfeng, come and have a look."

Shi Huajin pushed open the door and, seeing Li Hao idly sitting in the pavilion, smiled. Earlier, she had invited Li Hao to watch, but he refused, saying that it was stuffy inside, which had almost made her spit blood.

Her disciples, hearing Li Hao's refusal, also widened their eyes, wondering what Li Hao's intentions were. Was it a tactic of feigned indifference?

"Hmm."

Li Hao tossed the chess pieces back into the chess box, got up and went into the alchemy room. He saw seven pills, emitting a hazy aura of treasure, lying on a jade tray.

"These are Condensation Dao Pills. Even Four Erect Realm cultivators can take them. They can condense a trace of Dao power within the body, suppressing those of the same level!"

Shi Huajin smiled and introduced her unique skill and pill formula to Li Hao, "This batch was commissioned by a Saintess. She's a Dao-Seeking Realm cultivator. For Dao-Seeking Realm cultivators, taking one is equivalent to several years of hard cultivation!"

Li Hao couldn't help but marvel. Indeed, the high status of alchemists was not without reason.

A single pill could actually allow a Four Erect Realm cultivator to condense Dao power and suppress those of the same level.

This made talent and effort seem somewhat laughable.

However, this was the foundation and accumulation of powerful forces.

In the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, the old Dan Master in the Alchemy Institute seemed to be only a mid-level Dan Master.

The pills he refined were already considered divine pills in the mortal realm. Aside from supplying the royal family, various forces had offered countless benefits just to get him to work once.

The Five Divine General Manors had also relied on hard connections to get a chance to jump the queue.

If these Condensation Dao Pills were brought to Great Yu, they would probably drive all the Four Erect Realm cultivators crazy. And Shi Huajin, who could refine these pills, her status was self-evident.

"If you want to learn, I can teach you."

Shi Huajin said to Li Hao with a faint smile.

Li Hao shook his head.

He could learn, and he could learn to refine them for others, but he had already memorized the herbs for this pill. Through his cooking methods, he could also make it himself. It would just be slightly weaker in effect, but the advantage was that there was no pill poison, and he could eat it every day!

However, the herbs for this pill were rare. Even Shi Huajin would feel a pang of pain if she failed once, which was why she had asked Li Hao to help purify them to increase the success rate.

If these herbs were in the mortal realm, it would probably be difficult to gather them all. Even if he learned, returning to the mortal realm would be like a skilled woman with no rice to cook.

"Are you worried that I'm testing you? I'm sincere."

Shi Huajin said with a smile, "As long as you learn, you just need to agree to become my disciple."

"Senior Sister, don't tease me. I'm really not interested in alchemy."

Li Hao said helplessly.

Shi Huajin glared at him in exasperation. If it were anyone else who heard these words, they would have been trembling with excitement.

"I really don't know what you're thinking. Should I beg you?"

She felt more helpless than Li Hao. The pill formulas that they, the alchemists, considered precious, were sought after by others, yet they were begging Li Hao to learn, hoping that he would inherit their mantle and use it to strive for the title of Alchemy Grandmaster. But Li Hao was too lazy to learn, which was simply absurd.

"Forget it, I'm a bit tired from refining pills today. These are the pills I refined for Saintess Xue'er. You and Xiaohui, together, deliver them for me."

Shi Huajin said, a hint of weariness in her eyes. Alchemy was extremely taxing on the mind. If it weren't for the excitement of the successful pill refinement, she would have wanted to sleep and rest right now.

"Alright."

Seeing this, Li Hao had no choice but to agree.

Outside the door, Jiang Xiaohui heard their explosive conversation and twitched the corner of her mouth. She wished she could reach out and cover Dan Master Qingfeng's mouth, and answer loudly on his behalf, I'll learn, I want to learn!

Shi Huajin put the Condensation Dao Pills into a treasure gourd and casually handed it to Li Hao, then waved her hand in weariness.

Li Hao took the treasure gourd, didn't say anything more, and gestured to Jiang Xiaohui at the door, asking her to lead the way.

Jiang Xiaohui knew that such precious pills were not something her master would entrust her with. She chuckled wryly. Compared to her years of companionship as a direct disciple, her master seemed to trust this Qingfeng Dan Master more.

"Dan Master Qingfeng, please."

Jiang Xiaohui put aside her thoughts, showing no sign of them, and said respectfully to Li Hao.

Then, the two of them flew out of the Medicine Mountain one after the other, heading towards the disciple area of the Sword Ancestor's Sacred Ground.

This was Li Hao's first time leaving the area where the alchemists lived and going to where the disciples cultivated.

The Sword Ancestor's Sacred Ground was extremely vast, and the area where the disciples cultivated took up the majority of the space.

After flying for several thousand li, they entered a mountain range with undulating peaks. Most of the peaks here had formations, with a hazy glow, and the figures of many disciples could be seen moving about.

After flying for over ten thousand li, they arrived at a towering peak.

This peak was like a pillar reaching the heavens, extremely majestic. The surrounding mountains seemed small in comparison.

Around the peak, rivers flowed, and several smaller peaks formed a pentagonal shape, like a formation, gathering and transmitting the heavenly energy to this towering peak. This was not naturally formed, but artificially altered the earth's veins to form a formation.

Such a huge investment of effort and resources showed that the person on the mountain was of extraordinary status.

Jiang Xiaohui flew with Li Hao, landing in front of the gate tower at the top of the mountain. There were attendants guarding the entrance.

"On Master's orders, I've come to deliver medicine to the Saintess."

Jiang Xiaohui took out Shi Huajin's token and said.

The attendant, seeing this, immediately changed his stern expression to a fawning smile, hurriedly saying:

"So it's Dan Master Shi's disciple. You've worked hard."

Jiang Xiaohui nodded slightly, without any polite exchanges, and asked for directions.

Passing through the square, they soon arrived in front of a magnificent and grand building at the top of the mountain.

Li Hao looked at the central building and was slightly surprised.

The structure and appearance of this building were a bit like the gate of that Divine General Manor.

"The Saintess is waiting inside, please."

The attendant at the door said respectfully.

After entering the gate, Li Hao glanced around and was immediately stunned.

The long path and structure inside were also familiar to him from his memories.

Following the maid who was leading the way, they soon arrived in a courtyard.

Upon entering the courtyard, Li Hao saw that it was the exact replica of the Mountain River Courtyard.

The lotus pond, catalpa trees, main hall and side halls, firewood shed... the layout was exactly the same, even the size was almost identical.

The pavilion in the courtyard was also in the same location, along with the stone path.

Li Hao's eyes moved, and he looked around, spotting a familiar place in the courtyard. There, a figure in white was slowly practicing swordsmanship.

Her movements were similar to Lin Qingying's, as if she were dancing gracefully.

But Li Hao could tell that she was cultivating sword intent.

When she occasionally turned her head, Li Hao's eyes trembled slightly, and he instantly understood the reason.

He hadn't expected to see a familiar face here.

Before rushing to the Imperial Palace in the capital city, he had encountered the mortal Sword Saint, Jian Wudao. She had said that she had been chosen by a Saint and brought to the world within the Immortal Gate...

So, she was here.

Li Hao was a little dazed, a little surprised and unexpected, but it all seemed to be within his expectations.

The Saint of the Sword Ancestor's Sacred Ground was called the Sword Saint.

This was a true Sword Saint, and only she would be interested in the swordswoman, Bian Ruxue.

Jian Wudao had said that she had a dusty sword bone, which had been noticed by a Saint...

"Saintess, the Dan Master has come to deliver medicine."

The maid leading the way walked up to the woman and said softly, bowing her head.

The figure in white stopped her sword practice and slightly raised her head, looking towards Li Hao and Jiang Xiaohui.

Time had carved some changes onto her features, but the familiar contours were still there.

Li Hao wasn't mistaken. It was indeed Bian Ruxue.

Only, the current her was no longer the sword-wielding girl she once was. She was now a stunningly beautiful woman with a tranquil and ethereal temperament, her features delicate and elegant.

Her eyes were like the lakes on a snowy mountain, calm and deep, revealing an extremely composed tranquility.

And tranquility often stemmed from a strong inner confidence.

"Greetings, Saintess Xue'er."

Jiang Xiaohui had already stepped forward and bowed her head in greeting.

Although she was Shi Huajin's direct disciple, she was only one of many. The Saintess in front of her held a higher status than her master. More importantly, the existence that the other party would eventually strive to emulate was a Saint.

Whether she would become a Saint was unknown, but at least she had the potential.

And among the countless millions of martial artists in the world, not a single one had even a sliver of such potential.

"Hmm? Who is he?"

Bian Ruxue's gaze swept over the woman in front of her. She smelled the faint scent of herbs on the other party, which made her feel uncomfortable, but she didn't show it. Instead, her gaze fell on the man in his twenties behind her.

She had noticed his gaze towards her earlier, which had filled her with a sense of confusion.

His gaze was not like the greed and admiration that others usually held when they looked at her, but a feeling she couldn't quite describe.

Moreover, that feeling made her feel a strange sense of familiarity.

"He's Dan Master Qingfeng. He came with me to deliver medicine to the Saintess." Jiang Xiaohui quickly explained.

"Is he a High-Level Dan Master? Why doesn't he bow to the Saintess? He dares to look directly at the Saintess. Does he want his eyeballs dug out?!"

The maid who had been smiling at them earlier had completely changed her demeanor. She angrily rebuked Li Hao.

"Dan Master Qingfeng is new here and doesn't know the rules. I hope the Saintess will forgive him." Jiang Xiaohui quickly said, pulling on Li Hao's sleeve, urging him to quickly bow and apologize to the Saintess.

Li Hao withdrew his gaze. Hearing the maid's rebuke, he couldn't help but find it amusing. She was clearly a human being, yet she acted like a dog. When her master was around, she bared her fangs and displayed her arrogance. Her ability to change her face was astonishingly fast.

"Qingfeng greets the Saintess."

Li Hao bowed slightly as a form of greeting.

He didn't intend to reveal his identity at this time, lest it cause trouble.

Moreover, the little tail he had known was no longer the same.

Seven years had passed since their farewell at the Sword Pavilion, and things

had already changed. Now, more than ten years had passed since they last met. Whether she was still the person he knew was uncertain.

"What kind of attitude is this..."

The maid beside him saw that Li Hao had only given a simple bow and was about to scold him, but Bian Ruxue gestured for her to stop. Then, she asked Li Hao,

"Have we met before?"

Li Hao's eyes flickered, "Why would the Saintess say that?"

"You look very much like someone I know."

Bian Ruxue said softly. She didn't know why she had this feeling. The person in front of her, compared to the person in her memory, had a completely different appearance and aura, but she couldn't help but associate them.

"There are so many people in the world, and similar-looking people are not uncommon. The Saintess must have mistaken me for someone else."

Li Hao replied.

Bian Ruxue looked at him intently, falling silent for a moment.

Yes, he was in the mortal realm, and she had been brought to this Saintly World by her master. It was a separation between mortals and Saints.

Thinking of their last farewell, the words spoken by the bonfire, the corner of her lips twitched slightly. Now, she finally had the opportunity to climb to the peak of swordsmanship and look at that mountaintop.

If she could comprehend the ultimate sword, she also wanted to show it to him, just like their promise.

Only, would he be amazed by that sword?

Thinking of this, Bian Ruxue couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The peak of swordsmanship was only fatally attractive to swordsmen. Just like that brother, he was always different, fond of those useless miscellaneous arts, wasting his talent.

Even if she showed it to him, he might not understand it.

He might not even be able to appreciate its subtleties, or how difficult it was to cultivate this sword.

Such sharing would inevitably lack empathy.

Just like them, she couldn't see through his thoughts and desires, and he didn't understand her love for swordsmanship.

However, no matter what, she had promised him that she would go to the top to take a look and then tell him what she saw there.

"Are you a Dan Master?"

Bian Ruxue asked softly.

"...Sort of."

Bian Ruxue withdrew her gaze, knowing that the person in front of her couldn't be Li Hao. When she was brought to this Saintly World by her master, he was still at the Heavenly Gate Pass.

More than ten years had passed, and a century had passed in the mortal realm.

Thinking of this, she sighed softly, "Leave the pills here. Thank you, both Dan Masters."

With that, she turned around, picked up her sword, and began to dance with it again.

Li Hao saw that her sword intent was actually Ice and Snow Sword Intent.

Her first cultivated high-grade sword technique was the Falling Snow Sword Technique.

Had she continued to improve in this path?

Li Hao thought of the Sword God competition that Lin Qingying had mentioned. Would they two clash swords then?

One was Ultimate Gentle Sword Intent, and the other was Ice and Snow Sword Intent. Their sword intents were similar, but one was gentle, and the other was cold and sharp. Who would win?

Li Hao also withdrew his gaze, not looking any further, lest he couldn't help but want to correct her.

But the little girl now was no longer the little tail she once was. She had her own master and her own path. He didn't have the right to guide her anymore.

Taking out the treasure gourd and handing it to the maid leading the way, Li Hao didn't linger any longer and turned to leave.

In this courtyard, the backs of these two mortal men and women gradually drifted further apart, neither of them turning back to look at each other.

After returning from the Saintess Peak, Li Hao also began his own cultivation.

As his true energy continued to condense, one day, Li Hao suddenly sensed that wisps of power were drifting from the void, pouring into his body.

This power was different from heavenly energy. It was an inscrutable force.

After pondering for a while, Li Hao figured it out. It seemed to be incense.

(End of Chapter)