Chapter 26: Supreme Body Refinement
A letter from the Sword Abode? Li Hao felt a twinge of surprise. The image of a little girl who often cried came unbidden to his mind.
It had been several months since she left for the Sword Abode. How had she fared? Was she sleeping well and getting used to the new environment?
He unfolded the letter and began to read carefully.
The handwriting was delicate but unpracticed, clearly penned by the little girl herself. She wrote about her safety and expressed how much she missed him.
Perhaps because it was rare for her to write letters, the paper was filled to the brim with her words. She detailed her daily life over the past months in the Sword Abode—becoming an apprentice, acknowledging her sect brothers and sisters, cultivating, learning sword techniques from the manual, and more. Every detail was painstakingly written out.
Though the content described mundane daily life, it was suffused with deep longing.
At the end of the letter, the little girl seemed to realize that there wasn’t much space left for her own words. She promised to cultivate diligently, striving to descend the mountain as soon as possible, and pleaded with Li Hao to wait for her return.
Li Hao silently finished reading, then carefully folded the letter and slipped it back into its envelope, tucking it into his robe.
Beside him, Li Fu inquired about the Sword Abode from Li Muxiu.
It was evident that this old man, who either spent his days leisurely fishing or idling in the Tingyu Pavilion, had no idea about the affairs of the younger generation like Li Hao. If not for the commotion caused by the shocking news of Li Hao’s Martial Waste Body, the discussions throughout the estate might not have reached his ears.
Upon learning the backstory, Li Hao noticed the old man’s first reaction was one of visible relief.
His expression seemed to say, "Oh, so it wasn’t that Hao’er has a talent for swordsmanship. For a moment, I thought the Sword Saint was going to take him away for training."
Although Li Muxiu didn’t care much about Li Hao’s cultivation, he wouldn’t have obstructed it if Li Hao truly possessed extraordinary talent.
Then, Li Muxiu snorted coldly, his face darkening.
"That old codger Jian Wudao takes advantage of his seniority and bullies Jian Lan, knowing she wouldn’t dare to confront him. Hmph! A Ninth-Class Battle Body and a sword prodigy—any renowned sect would fight tooth and nail to recruit him, and yet he shamelessly offers a mere body-refinement manual in exchange? One of these days, I’ll pay the Sword Abode a visit to give him a piece of my mind!"
Li Fu broke into a cold sweat, smiling bitterly but not daring to interject.
Others would be thrilled to tears at the chance to apprentice under the Sword Saint, let alone dare to haggle over terms!
...
"Second Uncle, how was your fishing today? Did you catch a lot?"
Li Fu swiftly changed the subject, knowing the old man enjoyed being praised for his fishing skills. This otherwise rigid and severe old soldier, renowned in the military for his iron discipline, suddenly donned an awkwardly ingratiating smile.
A clumsy attempt at flattery, and the result was utterly disastrous.
Li Muxiu cast him a sideways glance and said to Li Hao, "Hao’er, did you see that? This is why showcasing one’s catch is so important in our fishing tradition. Letting people see your results is a must. Otherwise, if you head straight home, no one will know you went fishing. Even if they do, who would care?"
Returning home unnoticed, as though you’d come back empty-handed... Li Hao silently grumbled to himself.
"Let’s go."
Ignoring Li Fu, Li Muxiu led Li Hao into the Tingyu Pavilion.
Li Fu hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. He remained where he was, unsure of what to do. Just before entering the pavilion, Li Muxiu paused but didn’t turn around.
"Xiao Fu," he said, "you don’t need to worry about Hao’er’s cultivation anymore. He does have talent for body refinement, and I’ll teach him a thing or two while fishing."
With that, he stepped inside, disappearing into the interplay of light and shadow.
Li Fu froze, his conflicting emotions suddenly unraveling like a dam breaking. It felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his chest.
He bowed deeply, offering his thanks, unable to suppress his happiness and excitement for Li Hao.
If Second Uncle was willing to personally guide and teach him, it would undoubtedly surpass any ordinary instruction. After all, this Second Uncle was no less accomplished than the Sword Saint himself...
...
...
Though Li Muxiu appeared frivolous, his words carried weight. This trait stemmed from the disciplined upbringing of the Divine General Mansion.
Inside the pavilion, Li Muxiu gathered some firewood, setting up a stove on the veranda. While dissecting a fish demon he had caught that day, he spoke casually to Li Hao.
"Anything you don’t understand in your cultivation? Ask away, and I’ll answer your questions."
Li Hao shook his head slightly. "Not for now."
"Not for now?"
Li Muxiu scowled. "You mean to say you haven’t encountered any bottlenecks yet? Hmph, this body-refinement technique is quite powerful. It’s impressive enough that you can even comprehend it. Fine then, perform it once for me so I can see."
Li Hao thought it wasn’t necessary but, seeing the old man genuinely intended to help, decided not to waste his goodwill. Obediently, he assumed the stance and performed the technique.
Li Muxiu initially intended to point out flaws but quickly realized there weren’t any. His gaze sharpened as he reevaluated this little fellow.
To achieve such proficiency through self-study alone—this level of insight was truly extraordinary!
"Not bad. You’ve likely reached the tenth level of the Tongli Realm already, haven’t you?" Li Muxiu asked. Though he hadn’t closely examined Li Hao’s aura, achieving the second stage of the Flood Dragon Body required reaching perfection in the first cultivation realm.
Moreover, compared to ordinary perfection at the Tongli Realm, body refinement granted greater physical strength, slightly surpassing peers at the same level. Of course, this advantage was prominent in the early stages of cultivation.
As for the later stages...
Body refinement didn’t have a "later."
As everyone said, it was the path of hardship. Ordinary cultivation was already excruciatingly difficult, and the fact that this method was called a "bitter path" demonstrated just how grueling it was.
Few could endure to the end. Even those with immense willpower often failed to progress due to slow advancements, leading to diminished vitality, eventual stagnation, and a life of frustration.
"Yes," Li Hao admitted.
"Not even eight years old, yet you’ve already reached perfection at the Tongli Realm. That progress is enough to catch up to the heels of the finest prodigies," Li Muxiu said.
"Next, you’ll face the Zhoutian Realm. At this stage, strength will transform into qi, circulating throughout your Zhoutian meridians. You have two methods to break through: The first is by advancing to the Hundred Flood Dragon Body, using your physical strength to forcefully break through. The Hundred Flood Dragon Body includes techniques for cultivating qi, and reaching perfection in this stage will allow you to achieve the ultimate level of one meridian cycling a hundred Zhoutian rounds."
"This is precisely why this body-refinement technique is stored on the sixth floor of the pavilion."
Seeing Li Hao sitting cross-legged and listening attentively, Li Muxiu elaborated further.
"The Zhoutian Realm has ten stages, but the differences between each stage are vast. In the Tongli Realm, strength disparities are bridged by powerful cultivation techniques and the awakening of Divine Blood. However, in the Zhoutian Realm, the gap is widened by superior qi circulation techniques."
"Ordinary martial artists with no background generally practice lower-grade techniques, achieving about ten Zhoutian cycles in a single meridian."
"Mid-to-high-grade techniques can achieve thirty-six cycles."
"Top-tier techniques allow for seventy-two cycles."
He looked at Li Hao with a serious expression. "As for the pinnacle techniques, they enable a hundred cycles in one meridian. That’s the essence carried within the Sacred Body of a Thousand Flood Dragons. Even if you set aside body refinement, the qi circulation method it contains alone is one of the finest techniques available."
"I see," Li Hao nodded slightly.
He had read about the Zhoutian Realm in books and understood it to some extent. If one Zhoutian cycle in a single meridian equated to a single unit of strength, then ten cycles meant ten times that strength, and a hundred cycles meant a hundred times.
The gap was staggering.
Especially as one advanced through the Zhoutian stages, every additional meridian cycle exponentially widened the disparity. By the tenth stage of the Zhoutian Realm, the difference between an ordinary martial artist’s technique and a top-tier technique was as vast as the difference between clouds and mud.
Great sects, renowned schools, and peerless geniuses combined all these factors, resulting in Zhoutian Realm martial artists who, even if they didn’t achieve a hundred cycles, would still reach at least seventy-two. They could easily crush ordinary martial artists without such a foundation.
"A top-tier qi circulation method is akin to a sect’s foundational treasure," Li Muxiu continued. "Most are only taught to personal disciples or those of the direct lineage."
"In the Tingyu Pavilion, there are three such pinnacle techniques. The Hundred Flood Dragon chapter of the Sacred Body of a Thousand Flood Dragons is one of them."
"But even so, in the Divine General Mansion, such techniques are taught only to direct descendants, never to collateral branches. This is to prevent internal strife and preserve the family’s harmony."
"Martial cultivation is ultimately about competition. Some don’t pursue strength for the sake of becoming the strongest but to surpass others. When they find themselves unable to surpass someone, they might resort to undermining others instead—it’s often easier than improving themselves."
"This is why top-tier techniques are closely guarded by powerful sects and clans. Once leaked, the person who gains it often becomes a target for assassination."
Li Hao asked, "Isn’t cultivation meant to fight against demons and monsters?"
Li Muxiu paused and glanced at him with a mocking smile. "Fighting demons is something only a minority of martial artists do. Families like ours, the Li family, or other Divine General Mansions might be exceptions. But most people live peacefully within the prosperous territories of Great Yu. With demons forbidden from entering, how many chances do they have to even encounter one? And even if they do, how many would dare face one?"
...
"Have you ever seen an ordinary hunter willingly hunt a ferocious tiger or bear without sufficient profit?"
"Great Yu is living in a golden age. During such times, the world seeks fame. Slaying demons is for fame. Competing in duels is for fame. Establishing sects and schools is also for fame!"
"For the sake of wealth and glory, countless people charge forward recklessly, even at the cost of their lives!"
"Who wouldn’t want to be remembered for ten thousand years, enshrined in the Martial Temple, immortalized in gold, and worshiped for a thousand years?"
His tone carried an undercurrent of anger, though not from yearning, but from suppressed frustration.
"I don’t want that," Li Hao said softly, shaking his head. "If I had the choice, I’d want to live forever."