Volume 2 - Chapter 40: Three Immortals, Transcendent Peak - Part 2
The next day...
Li Hao entrusted the Nine Cauldrons Demon King’s Blood to Li Hongzhuang, instructing her to find someone trustworthy to escort it back to Qingzhou.
This was the second act of gratitude he repaid to the Li Family.
Although he had heard that the recipient was no longer in Qingzhou, it didn’t matter. As long as the item returned to that courtyard, it would suffice.
Next, only his final promise remained: to guard the frontier for three years.
Now, more than half a year had passed, and spring was approaching.
There were just over two years left.
Outside the border, the snowstorms had ceased, though the piercing cold winds persisted. In two months, the regions further south would enter the season of spring rains.
Being part of the southern territories under the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, Liang Province would experience spring slightly earlier than regions like Yan Province.
In Cangya City, construction and improvements were ongoing. Residential buildings within the city continued to be built.
Members of the Si Tianjian were constructing formations atop the city walls, while Li Hao flew out of the city to a solitary peak a hundred miles away.
After setting up hidden surveillance lines around the area, he summoned his system panel to review his attributes.
At present, his Body Dao, Royalty Dao, Sword Dao, and Fist Dao were all at the sixth level.
His Movement Dao was at the third level.
Meanwhile, his Fishing Dao and Painting Dao were also at the sixth level, and their experience points were nearing completion.
Chess was at the fifth level, while Music, Poetry and Calligraphy, and Sculpting Dao were at the third level. The last had been upgraded during the past half year as he refined the Pig-Tooth Sword in his spare time.
That Pig-Tooth Sword had been polished into a proper sword form. However, with the presence of the Dragon Sky Sword, the Pig-Tooth Sword was relegated to being an ornamental item or, more aptly, a crafted work of art.
Adding in his recently achieved seventh level in the Culinary Dao, he had accumulated a total of 33 Art Skill Points.
Having spent 27 points, he still had six points remaining.
Although he had ample Art Skill Points, his Movement Dao was stuck at the third level because he had lacked the time to immerse himself in Poetry and Calligraphy or Music to push them to the fourth level.
He had not gained a new mental state to help him break through the bottleneck of the third level in the Movement Dao, leaving it temporarily stuck.
However, among the mental states listed in his attribute panel, apart from those already used, such as Chess Heart, there was now a new one:
[Mental State: Culinary Enlightenment (Usable)]
Without a doubt, Li Hao decided to use this mental state for his Body Dao.
First, he would elevate his cultivation realm before considering anything else.
Following the prompt, Li Hao selected the option. The Art Skill Point disappeared, and at the same time, his Body Dao broke through from the sixth to the seventh level.
...
A long-awaited improvement!
In an instant, vast amounts of information surged into his mind.
This influx of knowledge was so immense that even Li Hao felt slightly dazed.
However, given his current physical state, such a flood of information did not cause him any discomfort. The sheer volume of it was like being forced to absorb the contents of a hundred books simultaneously.
Li Hao systematically digested and absorbed the information. As he did so, his body instinctively began to adjust and transform, with every bone and muscle subtly writhing.
Three Immortals:
Undying, Unbreakable, Unfailing!
At this moment, the insights of all three stages unfolded before him with the use of this Art Skill Point.
...
After a long while, Li Hao opened his eyes.
Standing up, he noticed that many of the Body Dao techniques listed on his panel had undergone significant transformations, reaching heights far beyond what they once were.
Body Techniques:
Golden Skin Hundred Refinements · Vajra (True State), which had originally been a low-tier cultivation method he practiced casually, had evolved into a top-tier method at the sixth level of the Body Dao.
Now, it had undergone yet another metamorphosis:
Unbreakable Body Refinement · Immovable King (Transcendent)!
Compared to the initial Stone Skin Hundred Refinements, the name alone had changed drastically.
More importantly, Li Hao noticed a new level of classification following this evolution:
Transcending the Perfection State, surpassing the True State, reaching the Transcendent Level!
Spiritual Attunement, Transcendent!
Li Hao’s understanding deepened instantly.
If the True State represented the pinnacle of mortal cultivation methods, the Transcendent Level was a realm no longer confined to the concept of ordinary techniques.
Taking a deep breath, Li Hao abruptly activated the profound ability of this technique—Immovable King!
...
Immediately, the surrounding heavens and earth seemed to stir as cold winds swept through the area. Li Hao’s flesh surged, his muscles swelling and condensing like countless small segments, each the size of a fingernail, pulsating and gathering together.
His body expanded slightly, growing from 1.8 meters to nearly 2 meters tall!
This size was nothing compared to that of monsters and demons, but the aura radiating from him was far more terrifying.
The amassed physical power and muscle seemed to carve intricate patterns of flesh and blood upon his body.
Behind him, a faint, towering silhouette began to emerge.
This phantom, like a divine soul or a dharma body, stood at eight meters tall, majestic and serene. With hands clasped together in a peaceful posture, it exuded an aura that silenced even the wind, forbidding any disturbance.
This was the manifestation of the Transcendent power cultivated through this technique!
A force that surpassed the technique itself, resonating with the primordial energies of the heavens and earth to form a new power entirely!
Li Hao raised his hand and slowly pushed his palm forward.
...
Behind him, the Immovable King phantom mirrored his motion, its palm advancing at an almost glacial pace. Yet, its imposing momentum felt unstoppable, like the slow yet relentless push of a vast ocean or a heavy blanket.
Two hundred meters away on the ground, the mountain peak in front of him slowly caved in, forming a massive imprint of a palm.
There was no explosive collision, just a gradual compression and depression.
Soon, a palm mark with a diameter of four to five meters appeared on the ground.
As for Li Hao, he felt as if he had barely exerted himself—merely raising his hand.
Taking a deep breath, he sensed the surging power within his body, his eyes gleaming with light. He felt a burning urge to test his strength against another Great Demon King.
At this moment, as his practice concluded...
His Body Dao realm, after a long time, finally ascended once more.
Of course, this “long time” was from Li Hao’s perspective. For others, breaking through from the Heaven and Man Realm to the Three Immortals Realm in just over half a year was beyond belief. Such rapid progress would seem so unrealistic that even a theatrical performance would shy away from such an absurd plot for fear of being ridiculed.
Yet, at this very moment, the barrier that had blocked him melted away naturally, as if it were snow under sunlight.
From the pinnacle of the Grandmaster Realm, through the Earth Immortal Realm, he officially stepped into the Three Immortals Realm!
Moreover, he directly bypassed the Undying Stage, advancing straight to the Unbreakable Stage!
As his body underwent this transformation, the energy of heaven and earth surged into him, hammering at his physical form.
The solitary peak where he stood was enveloped by this energy, forming a vortex of violent winds that swirled around the entire mountain.
This overwhelming aura was so intense that even in Cangya City, a hundred miles away, everyone could feel it. Many individuals hurried to investigate, only to be intercepted at the mountain base by Ren Qianqian, who forbade them from disturbing Li Hao.
Learning that it was Li Hao cultivating, these martial artists relaxed. For a moment, they had feared it was the attack of a Great Demon King.
However, as they calmed their nerves, they couldn’t help but be astounded and bewildered by the sheer magnitude of this energy storm.
“Is this the cultivation of the greatest prodigy of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty?”
“To absorb the forces of heaven and earth as effortlessly as drinking water... No wonder the gap between us is so enormous.”
Compared to Li Hao’s cultivation method, their own efforts seemed laughable, akin to counting grains of rice while eating. Meanwhile, Li Hao appeared to devour entire plates of food with abandon.
Li Hongzhuang also arrived. Upon confirming that Li Hao was cultivating, she let out a sigh of relief. Then, she decisively cordoned off the area, dismissing those who had come to watch.
Though these martial artists had been allies in the past, cultivation was an intensely private matter. Even Li Hongzhuang, out of respect, would ordinarily avoid lingering.
Still, having witnessed Li Hao’s cultivation before, she was mentally prepared for the spectacle.
Elsewhere, within a misty cloud bank overlooking the peak, Feng Lao, holding his small wine flask, had been enjoying occasional sips in a leisurely manner. However, he suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on the mountain in front of him.
“That kid... broke through to the Three Immortals Realm?”
“A fourteen-year-old reaching the Three Immortals Realm...”
Even with Feng Boping’s vast experience and considerable tolerance for surprises, his eyelid twitched involuntarily.
“When this boy reaches the Fourth Pillar Realm, will he not even be twenty yet?”
The mere thought sent a jolt through Feng Boping’s heart.
But then he consoled himself, thinking, At least I’m old enough to not be considered his peer. No shame in that...
With that thought, his mood brightened, and he took another hearty gulp of wine. Slapping his thigh in amusement, his face beamed with satisfaction.
On the mountain, after finishing the display of the profound ability Immovable King, Li Hao turned to practice other techniques.
The original Thousand Serpents Saint · Transforming Serpent had evolved into Ten Thousand Dragons Body · True Dragon (True State).
This technique was of a naturally higher level, so even at the seventh level of the Body Dao, Li Hao hadn’t yet comprehended its Transcendent Level.
However, its True State was in no way inferior to Immovable King.
As he practiced, Li Hao’s muscles surged once again. His flesh began to transcend the constraints of his physical form, with every part of his body radiating its own power and consciousness.
His physique expanded further, his bones stretching and growing. The energies of heaven and earth rushed into him, forming layers of true dragon scales across his body.
These scales, formed of condensed flesh and the forces of heaven and earth, shattered the limits of mortal existence.
To be human was to possess the vulnerabilities of mortal flesh. But upon stepping into the Three Immortals Realm, those limitations no longer applied. Regeneration of severed limbs, indestructible bodies, and inexhaustible vitality were all qualities of the Transcendent level.
Li Hao’s body transcended its original human form. Just as monsters, upon reaching a certain level of cultivation, could assume human shapes using demonic energy and illusions, Li Hao’s transformation surpassed such superficial changes.
His transformation was genuine, achieved through the restructuring of flesh and blood.
Form and appearance could now be reshaped.
With a low roar, Li Hao’s eyes emitted an intimidating golden glow. His pupils turned crimson gold, his hands became claw-like, and his body transformed into a small but authentic true dragon!
This was the extraordinary comprehension granted by reaching the seventh level of the Body Dao.
It went beyond the typical understanding of the Three Immortals Realm regarding the physical body.
As his form changed, all 48,000 pores on his body transformed into 96,000 true dragon scales, drastically increasing his ability to absorb the energies of heaven and earth.
Li Hao immediately grasped the difference.
No wonder the dragon race was so formidable—its innate physical structure enabled a speed of cultivation incomparable to that of humans.
Even more impressive was the way the energy absorbed by these scales was converted within his body with incredible efficiency.
Certain monsters, while capable of rapid absorption, suffered from fragile internal networks. Excessive energy intake could cause their bodies to explode, forcing them to intentionally slow down their cultivation speed to maintain balance.
But the dragon race was different—simple, direct, and brutal. They absorbed energy quickly and digested it even faster!
In the blink of an eye, Li Hao’s aura surged again, advancing from the Unbreakable Stage to the Unfailing Stage!