Volume 2 - Chapter 17: Fatal Attributes - Part 1
Winter snow fell incessantly, draping the world in a silver mantle.
Biting cold winds howled past the mountain pass.
In a small courtyard enclosed by a wooden fence, Ren Qianqian practiced her sword technique in the snow. The sword's whistle stirred the surrounding snowflakes into a swirling dance. Her nimble movements made her seem as if she were flitting back and forth like a butterfly, her sword strikes light yet deliberate.
“The sword moves are only the surface. You need to grasp the trajectory, rhythm, and true essence of the sword,” came a voice from nearby.
Squatting in the snow, Li Hao was carefully shaping a snowman. He patted and smoothed the surface with his hands, occasionally glancing at the girl practicing swordsmanship. After observing for a moment, he offered a piece of advice.
Ren Qianqian paused and asked with some confusion, “The trajectory of the sword?”
“Mm.” Li Hao nodded. He noticed that the snowman was missing two branches for arms. Standing up, he walked over to the woodshed and picked up a branch.
“Look, like this.”
He held the branch and gave it a light shake, causing the snow clinging to it to fall. Then, with a gentle flick, the branch swirled through the air as if threading through flowers, catching all the falling snow back onto itself, returning to its original state as though untouched.
Ren Qianqian stood stunned, watching the demonstration.
“Your sword should interact with the environment around it, forming a tight bond to become sharper and more cohesive,” Li Hao explained.
Returning to the snowman, he gently shook off the snow from the branch again before sticking it onto the snowman as one of its arms.
Ren Qianqian fell into deep thought, staring at the sword in her hands. After a moment, she resumed her practice.
In recent days, aside from occasional pointers from Li Hao, Li Hongzhuang and Song Qiumo also offered her advice during their free time.
However, their guidance, much like Li Hao’s, did not dwell on surface-level sword moves. Instead, they spoke from the perspective of masters, delving into deeper insights about their understanding of the Sword Dao.
Such advice had both advantages and drawbacks. The downside was that their explanations often seemed like fleeting clouds, difficult to grasp and comprehend.
But the upside was that if one had sufficient talent, understanding their teachings could lead to rapid improvement in swordsmanship. Mastery of sword intent was akin to glimpsing one’s future path as a grandmaster.
Ren Qianqian continued practicing her sword technique. Meanwhile, Li Hao began building a second snowman.
Beyond the pass, a rider on a crimson blood horse galloped toward them.
The fiery red horse raced into the pass and stopped outside the small courtyard.
In the kitchen, Li Hongzhuang, who was tending to the fire, sensed the commotion and dashed out of the courtyard.
“You’re... from the Xuanzi Army of Liang Province?”
Upon seeing the silver insignia on the soldier’s armor, her eyes brightened. “Has Fifth Brother arrived in Liang Province? Is he here to provide reinforcements?”
The soldier dismounted swiftly, bowed respectfully, and handed her a military report with both hands.
“The general has just arrived in Liang Province and sent me to deliver this report to the commander.”
Li Hongzhuang took the report and quickly skimmed through it.
Her expression shifted subtly, her gaze turning sharp and frosty.
“These demons... they truly dare to scheme against Liang Province!”
Closing the report, she took a deep breath and said to the soldier, “The journey here must have been exhausting. Would you like to rest for a while?”
“No, the general is awaiting my return. Commander, do you have any message for me to take back?”
The soldier lowered his head respectfully, though inwardly he was perplexed. Having ridden hard from beyond the pass, he had seen numerous demon corpses along the way. Even the once-mighty Cangya City had been reduced to ruins, as rumored. He had expected a desolate military camp here but instead found a warm, fenced courtyard.
A reply... Li Hongzhuang thought about the report, which contained not only intelligence on the demons but also a heartfelt letter from her fifth brother.
He warned her to guard against the demons, inquired about her well-being, and urged her to look after Hao’er, advising her to retreat if necessary. The words were few, but his deep concern and care were unmistakable.
“Wait a moment.”
Li Hongzhuang turned back into the courtyard, borrowed a brush and ink from Li Hao, and quickly penned a letter. She handed it to the soldier waiting in the snowy yard.
The soldier tucked the letter into his sleeve, mounted his horse, and departed with a flurry of snow.
After he left, Li Hongzhuang summoned Li Hao and handed him the military report.
“Fifth Brother says the demons outside Liang Province are growing restless. Some cities have already been infiltrated by them. They’re planning to coordinate attacks from within and outside, showing signs of attempting to seize Liang Province. That’s why he came here to oversee the situation personally.”
Li Hongzhuang glanced at Li Hao. “Our Tianmen Pass might soon face a major demon assault!”
Li Hao read through the report, noting his fifth uncle’s words of concern interspersed within. It reminded him of the family banquet when they had briefly exchanged pleasantries.
Putting aside his thoughts, he replied to Li Hongzhuang, “If soldiers come, we’ll meet them with generals. If floods arrive, we’ll counter with earth. If demons attack, we’ll prepare a big pot!”
“...”
Li Hongzhuang smiled wryly but then remembered that with two Fourth Pillar cultivators stationed here, there was no need to panic. If anything unexpected occurred, they could retreat in time. The only uncertainty was when the demons might launch their invasion.
She put away the report as Li Hao called everyone for lunch.
After the snowfall, the region had an abundance of water sources.
Li Hongzhuang, who had previously been tense and worn, took the opportunity to relax. Without demons constantly threatening them, she tidied her hair, which had been matted and greasy from battle. After washing up, her hair now hung sleek and dark as ink, cascading down her shoulders.
Her once bloodstained crimson armor had also been cleaned. Though she still wore it as a precaution, the fresh appearance gave her a strikingly refined and refreshed look, like a valiant general straight out of a painting.
Li Hao had crafted several large wooden barrels, which he filled by melting snow into water, creating makeshift hot springs.
Soaking in the warm water, he enjoyed roasted meat and wine while casually chatting with Feng Lao. The days had become unexpectedly leisurely, turning what should have been a harsh frontier into something resembling a vacation retreat.
Although the land was snow-covered and bitterly cold, with proper shelter, they were shielded from the elements.
...
In the days that followed, Li Hao spent his mornings hunting demons with Song Qiumo and his evenings resting at the courtyard. Life settled into a steady rhythm.
The demons they hunted provided Li Hao with significant experience in the Painting Dao, and he was nearing an upgrade to the sixth level.
His fishing experience also grew, albeit slowly, gradually advancing toward the bottleneck of the sixth level.
Unfortunately, it seemed the nearby Three Immortals Great Demons had caught wind of something. They had all fled from the vicinity of Tianmen Pass.
Li Hao discovered several caves reeking of demon presence, bearing traces of the Three Immortals Great Demons. From captured minor demons, he learned that these powerful creatures had left the area some days prior.
With a casual gesture, Li Hao collapsed the caves, leaving behind a subtle fish-shaped mark. If any demons passed through, he would be able to investigate later.
Day by day, life continued.
As Li Hao hunted demons, his Grandmaster mindset steadily matured.
In the beginning, his ambition was to seek mastery by drawing from the myriad things of heaven and earth.
This path was far more challenging than that of an ordinary grandmaster.
The door he had kicked open, the Heavenly Gate, led to a world more vast and boundless than he had imagined.
What constituted the "myriad things"?
What was the essence of all creation?
Li Hao pondered these questions continuously.
Mountains and rivers, fish and beasts—everything was part of the myriad things.
Yet their sheer number posed a problem. To emulate them one by one would take lifetimes, even for someone with a hundred thousand years of longevity.
While Li Hao’s insights into the Body Dao had reached the sixth level, allowing him to perceive the essence of all things with a glance, his ultimate goal wasn’t simply to accumulate but to unify.
He sought to integrate the essence of all things into a singular whole. This lofty pursuit, though self-imposed, could only be achieved through his own efforts.
During his expeditions, Li Hao and Song Qiumo traversed the wilderness beyond the pass, exploring the mountains and rivers.
From understanding himself, he began to observe the greater world.
He saw shrubs and wildflowers, the moonlight reflecting off streams, snow melting under the sun’s rays, and tender green leaves persisting beneath heavy snow.
All things possessed a certain power. But what was the common thread among these forces?
Snow could freeze the world but was pierced effortlessly by a single ray of sunlight.
Tender leaves, though fragile, resisted the weight of snow.
Birds and beasts, despite their might, shivered in the snow, hurriedly returning to their nests after foraging.
So, what was the power that connected all things?
A gust of cold wind swept across his face as Li Hao gazed at the distant mountains and nearby forests. He felt as though he had glimpsed a profound truth, yet it slipped away in an instant.
...
As the weather grew colder, snow fell with increasing frequency.
One day, after hunting two demons at the Fifteen Li level, Li Hao and Song Qiumo returned together.
The wilderness beyond the pass remained teeming with demons, far more so than within the pass itself.
Outside the fenced courtyard, Li Hao began constructing additional buildings.
With no demons currently attacking, these structures would be safe from immediate destruction.
Li Hongzhuang asked, “Are you planning to rebuild the old city here?”
Li Hao chuckled. “If the demons stay away, why not?”
Li Hongzhuang seemed thoughtful.
Recently, she had occasionally left the camp to search for signs of demons.
However, with Li Hao having cleared the surrounding area, she had to venture to the outskirts of the Myriad Mountains Demon King’s territory. Though she avoided going too deep, even the outskirts appeared to have far fewer demons than expected, showing no signs of a massive demon army gathering.
This discrepancy with her fifth brother’s report puzzled her.
Could it be that the demons, aware of the two Fourth Pillar cultivators guarding Tianmen Pass, had decided to avoid confrontation and bypass the area entirely?
With no way to confirm her suspicions, she decided to wait and observe for a while longer. If the area remained quiet, she planned to write to her fifth brother, urging him to fortify defenses elsewhere.
...
Every few days, Song Qiumo would travel to nearby towns to purchase supplies—vegetables, grains, seasonings, and the drawing paper Li Hao needed.
One day, upon her return, she brought Li Hao a few additional items.
A chess manual and two famous paintings.
These were among the things Li Hao had asked Song Qiumo to find for him.
When he received the chess manual and paintings, he was overjoyed and immediately added them to his collection.
The chess manual was Chess Fundamentals: A New Study, a guide designed to help beginners quickly grasp the basics.
Li Hao integrated it into his Path of Control, and a new characteristic emerged:
Chess Fundamentals: Increases object manipulation speed by 20%.
Compared to his other chess manuals, this one seemed less remarkable, lacking the explosive power of the Seven-Star Illumination technique. However, like his All-Manifestations Attribute, its passive effect was continuously active.
This feature consumed none of Li Hao’s strength and had no side effects. The percentage boost also meant its effectiveness would scale as his object manipulation ability advanced, making it increasingly valuable.
As for the two famous paintings, Li Hao wasn’t sure what special properties they might possess. He decided to embed them into his Body Dao and Path of Control to test their effects.
One painting, titled Spring of Clear Waters and Tiny Shrimp, was embedded into his Body Dao and granted the following attribute:
Water Affinity: +20%.
Li Hao couldn’t quite decipher the full implications of this attribute. However, he noticed that when he touched snowflakes, they felt especially pleasant.
When soaking in the hot spring, the experience also became more comfortable.
If he practiced ice-based techniques, it seemed likely to provide a significant enhancement.
Beyond that, for the moment, it appeared to have no other use.