Volume 2 - Chapter 5: Advanced Techniques
“A fourteen-year-old Grandmaster of the Heaven and Man Realm?”
Li Hongzhuang still remembered the year Li Hao was born. It was the same year her ninth brother had fallen in battle.
That had been fourteen years ago.
Even Li Junye, a prodigy in his own right, had only reached the Heaven and Man Grandmaster Realm at the age of seventeen.
Yet the young man before her had achieved this at fourteen.
He was three full years ahead!
“With talent like yours, you must be the true dragon of this generation in the Li family, right?” Li Hongzhuang asked, snapping out of her astonishment.
To think that such a treasure had been abandoned beyond Tianmen Pass...
What could her seventh brother have been thinking?
“True dragon...” Li Hao’s lips curved into a faint smile. He replied, “It’s just talent. Nothing remarkable about it. Being a true dragon of the Li family is nothing extraordinary either. Only when one possesses true strength can they truly be worthy of respect.”
Li Hongzhuang was momentarily speechless. “It’s easy for someone like you, who has everything, to say that. What do you mean, ‘just talent’? It’s easy to speak so casually when you’ve already reached the Heaven and Man Realm. Talent and family resources might explain reaching the Tongli Realm, but achieving the Heaven and Man Realm goes far beyond mere talent.”
“That requires an extraordinary level of insight and comprehension!”
“‘Extraordinary’ isn’t that much of a big deal either,” Li Hao replied indifferently.
“Extraordinary? Your talent isn’t just extraordinary—it’s unparalleled! Among the sons of the Li family, talent as rare as yours isn’t unheard of, but your level is a once-in-a-millennium phenomenon, perhaps a one-in-a-billion prodigy in all of Great Yu over the past thousand years!” Li Hongzhuang couldn’t help but exclaim.
Li Hao shook his head slightly, unwilling to delve deeper into the matter. Instead, he raised the simple battle flag in his hand and asked, “What do you think of this?”
“Not much,” she replied bluntly after a glance.
Li Hao chuckled softly. It was, after all, hastily crafted using a tent canvas. It was neither impressive nor refined.
But he hoped that, despite its crude construction, this battle flag would still be able to instill fear in the demons.
Li Hongzhuang shifted her gaze to the roasting meat on the fire and commented, “I’ve eaten lion-talon demon meat before, but it’s never smelled this good.”
“That’s because it wasn’t prepared by me,” Li Hao said with a smile, his eyes reflecting the seriousness and confidence of a chef.
Li Hongzhuang gave him a sidelong glance but didn’t respond. She simply stared at the flickering flames, and for a fleeting moment, her cold, battle-hardened eyes seemed to reflect a faint glimmer of light.
[Cooking Dao experience +182]
[Cooking Dao experience full. Please advance soon.]
As the notifications flashed before him, Li Hao paid them no mind.
Cooking Dao was currently his only art that had reached the sixth stage.
However, his experience points had long been maxed out. To reach the seventh stage, his state of mind needed to transcend, entering the realm of "Spiritual Insight."
But he had yet to find a way to achieve that.
This was different from the third stage of “Heart Comprehension,” which only required dedicated focus and passion. Achieving transcendence required reaching a level akin to the resolve of a Grandmaster.
Yet in this world, while liking something was easy, transcending it was not.
On the path to transcendence in the Cooking Dao, Li Hao was still groping in the dark.
He had earlier checked the supplies in the various camps. As expected of a remote frontier, the soldiers’ belongings lacked chessboards and painting materials. Even inkstones and brushes were few and far between, likely reserved for recording military reports or sending messages.
Currently, he had mastered six arts:
- Chess Dao, fifth stage
- Painting Dao, fifth stage
- Fishing Dao, fifth stage
- Poetry and Calligraphy Dao, third stage
- Music Dao, third stage
- Cooking Dao, sixth stage
However, without achieving transcendence, his Body Dao and Sword Dao had also stalled at the sixth stage, unable to progress further.
Right now, condensing one of his arts to transcendence and reaching the seventh stage was his top priority.
Considering the simple conditions here, both Chess Dao and Painting Dao would have to wait. At present, the most viable options for advancement were Cooking Dao and Fishing Dao.
Since reaching the Fifteen Li Realm, Li Hao’s Fishing Dao no longer required the use of a fishing rod.
Fishing rods could only catch small demons of the Tongli Realm or the Zhoutian Realm.
Greater demons were far more challenging unless there was a stroke of pure luck...
Without a rod or line, Li Hao could imitate Li Muxiu by condensing his energy into a thread, casting his line to fish far and wide.
Fishing didn’t always require a lake.
In the mountains or wilderness, as long as he reeled in a catch, it would count toward his Fishing Dao experience.
Just like how children used hooks to catch frogs in the fields or eels in their burrows—this too was fishing.
What was fishing, after all?
It was lying in wait and striking when the time was right!
Li Hao had considered picking up a new art, such as sculpting.
However, he didn’t lack points for arts at the moment. Sculpting would need to reach the third stage of "Heart Comprehension" to advance further, which would take considerable time.
In this perilous frontier, he needed to ascend to the Unbreakable Realm as quickly as possible to truly secure the strength to stand alone...
...
At that moment, the roasted meat was ready.
Li Hao’s thoughts returned to the present as he removed the meat from the fire. First, he handed a portion to Li Hongzhuang.
Then he sliced off pieces for Ren Qianqian and the little white fox before taking his own share and eating.
Li Hongzhuang accepted hers, thanked him briefly, and deftly used her dagger to cut a piece. She picked it up with the tip of her blade and put it into her mouth.
“Hm?”
Her chewing paused slightly before quickening a bit.
“Not bad,” she said with a slight nod, her expression hinting at approval though her eyes betrayed satisfaction.
Li Hao smiled and asked while eating, “Are you really planning to stay here and hold the line to the death?”
...
Li Hongzhuang’s mannerisms, forged by years in the military, were indistinguishable from those of her male counterparts. Her seated posture, straightforward and unrestrained, betrayed none of the ladylike grace she once had as a girl, when her days were spent practicing embroidery and sewing peonies.
Ripping off a piece of tendon with ease, she replied nonchalantly, “Not exactly holding the line to the death. I’ll stick around a little longer for these brothers and take down as many demons as I can. Without reinforcements, this place is bound to fall. It’s just a matter of seeing how many I can kill before that happens.”
As she spoke, a sharp, cold gleam flashed in her eyes.
Li Hao nodded slightly, refraining from further comment. He simply lowered his head and finished his share of the meat.
After satiating his hunger, Li Hao set aside another portion, wrapping it in leaves and placing it nearby. This was reserved for Feng Ye.
Then, he stood, patted the dust off his robes, picked up several roughly made battle flags, and walked toward the outskirts of the camp.
Along the way, he planted the flags at strategic positions around the camp’s perimeter.
There were four in total, each placed at one of the wide-angle edges.
Though the flags were made from tent canvas, their inscriptions carried a sense of strength—courtesy of his Poetry and Calligraphy Dao at the third stage.
Li Hao glanced at them and chuckled softly. Compared to the blood-soaked banners of the Blood Fiend Army, these makeshift flags seemed downright pitiful.
Once he finished planting the flags, he returned to the campfire. Gathering a few scattered sheets of paper and an inkstone he had salvaged from the soldiers’ belongings, he began writing meticulously.
“What are you doing?” Li Hongzhuang asked, watching him with curiosity. “Writing a letter home?”
Li Hao shook his head slightly. “Where would I send a letter home? Heaven and earth are my home, and right now, this is where I belong.”
“This is the technique manual of Tingyu Pavilion,” he explained.
“You’re recording a technique?”
“Yes,” Li Hao replied with a calm smile. “I’m writing it down to return it to the Li family.”
The mention of Li Hao’s estranged relationship with Li Tiangang made Li Hongzhuang’s expression shift slightly. “Are you really planning to sever all ties with the family? Bloodlines can’t be cut so easily.”
“There’s nothing that can’t be severed,” Li Hao said, narrowing his eyes slightly as a hint of coldness crept into his tone. “Maybe your sword just isn’t sharp enough.”
Li Hongzhuang caught the veiled barb in his words and raised her eyebrows but didn’t argue with him. She figured the boy was still harboring a lot of resentment after running away from home.
“Do you think recording these techniques is enough to count as repayment?” she asked pointedly.
“The techniques I’m returning are all advanced versions. That should be more than enough,” Li Hao replied plainly.
Indeed, he planned to transcribe every technique he had refined and improved, offering them back to the Li family.
While the balance of value heavily favored the family, Li Hao didn’t care to haggle over it.
As long as it severed the ties, it was enough.
“Oh?” Li Hongzhuang looked intrigued. “How many techniques have you refined?”
Refining techniques into advanced versions required immense effort and focus. Handling one or two was challenging enough, but mastering and refining multiple techniques to advanced stages? How was that even possible?
“Dozens,” Li Hao replied casually.
He had already started writing out the first technique.
Stone Skin Hundred Refinements—Advanced Version: Golden Skin Hundred Refinements
The original low-grade technique, under the enhancements of his Body Dao at the sixth stage, had evolved into the high-grade Golden Skin Hundred Refinements, capable of forging the body to a resilience comparable to steel.
Although he was in the same Grandmaster Realm as others, Li Hao’s physical strength, honed by his body-tempering techniques, was at least ten times greater than an ordinary Grandmaster’s.
In addition to the fundamental technique, Li Hao also recorded its profound mystery:
Golden Skin Hundred Refinements: Vajra Form
This allowed for an instantaneous surge in defensive capabilities, multiplying his resistance severalfold.
In the short term, it could approximate the defensive power of the Unbreakable Realm, a level achievable by the Three Immortals.
Should he one day reach the Unbreakable Realm and activate the Vajra Form, his defense would become even more terrifying.
This profound mystery wasn’t part of the original Stone Skin Hundred Refinements, so technically, he wasn’t violating his vow to rely on the family’s techniques.
As for the enhancements his body had gained from Stone Skin Hundred Refinements and other body-tempering techniques, those couldn’t be undone. Offering these advanced techniques back was his way of repaying the debt.
“Dozens?” Li Hongzhuang was momentarily stunned.
She glanced at Li Hao’s solemn expression, illuminated by the flickering firelight. He didn’t seem to be joking.
She found herself momentarily lost in thought. Fourteen years old, already at the Heaven and Man Realm, and possessing mastery over dozens of techniques?
In the years she had been away, what kind of monstrous talent had the Li family cultivated?
Suddenly, her expression shifted. She turned sharply to look toward the outskirts of the camp.
In the dark, shadows flickered like moving clouds, resembling swaying trees in the night.
“It seems they’ve learned we’ve withdrawn our forces.”
A sharp glint appeared in Li Hongzhuang’s eyes as her hand reached instinctively for the hilt of her sword.
Li Hao also lifted his head, setting down his brush.
A foul stench carried on the wind—an unmistakable sign of demons.
“You stay here. I’ll be right back,” Li Hongzhuang said, standing and striding toward the shadows.
But Li Hao had no intention of staying behind. His spirit emerged from his back, and under its sight, the dark night became as clear as day.
He could see the dense forms of demons moving through the forest, surging toward the camp like a tide. Shadows flowed across bushes and rocks, silent yet oppressive.
There were many.
Li Hao quickly gathered his papers and handed them to Ren Qianqian. “Take care of these for me.”
Ren Qianqian’s face had already turned pale after hearing Li Hongzhuang’s earlier warning. She stammered nervously, “Young Master, are you going too?”
“You stay here. Feng Ye will be watching over you from the shadows,” Li Hao reassured her. He glanced at the meat wrapped in leaves. “Besides, he hasn’t had dinner yet.”
Smiling at the girl, Li Hao patted the head of the little white fox before walking toward the edge of the camp.
As he walked, he raised his hand slightly, and from various parts of the ground, broken short swords flew toward him.
Among them, he selected the least damaged one to wield while the rest floated around him as he advanced.
“Li Hongzhuang!”
A booming voice rang out from the darkness beyond the camp, filled with glee and menace. “The army has retreated, yet you dare to stay behind? Are you planning to die here with your soldiers?”
“They’re already in my belly. Come and join them!”
Stepping into the clearing, a massive tiger demon bound in chains emerged from the darkness, its visage twisted in cruel delight.
“Haha! Did you think I’d come alone? Flying Peng, come out and meet this iron maiden!”
From the shadows, a towering tiger demon cloaked in chains revealed itself, its expression feral and menacing.