Volume 3 - Chapter 3: Strange Rules
Li Hao had entered Fengshan River of Death within the Tangong Academy before, yet his body had remained unaffected. That River of Death was composed of what appeared to be normal villagers but were, in truth, long dead. Exorcising all of them would suffice to destroy the river.
But now, he had returned to youth?
No wonder he had felt his strength slipping away earlier, as though something was being stripped from him.
Was this the unique nature of a Netherworld-Level River of Death?
Li Hao was slightly alarmed. As his mind churned with thoughts, drowsiness overtook him. Unable to resist, he soon fell into a deep sleep.
...
When Li Hao woke again, he noticed his small, tender hands and feet. He lay on an unfamiliar bed, covered by a soft blanket.
He was wearing a bellyband and appeared to be a few months old rather than a newborn.
So it hadn’t been a dream after all... Li Hao finally confirmed that he was still within the River of Death. However, what puzzled him was his current body. He felt he could move around.
Putting his thoughts into action, he attempted to crawl—and to his surprise, he successfully flipped over and began crawling on the bed.
This was absolutely not something a newborn could do!
"I must be a few months old already..."
Li Hao murmured, but the words that came out were incoherent babbles of "le-le-le-le."
His vocal cords hadn’t developed yet.
Without a doubt, though, something was off about the flow of time here.
He had merely slept, and though he enjoyed sleeping in, it wasn’t enough to make several months pass in one go.
Li Hao stopped crawling, rubbing his small chin as he sat on the bed in contemplation.
At that moment, golden characters appeared before his eyes:
[Growth] Task Progress: 2.3%.
Li Hao was startled. How had the progress reached 2.3% already?
Based on the task requirements, he needed to live to eighteen years old. Did this mean he had now lived for five months?
Five months in the blink of an eye... Li Hao felt that if he continued sleeping, he might soon reach the age of eighteen.
By then, the main quest would likely activate.
Defend Dragon City. This place was the Dragon City River of Death... Li Hao’s gaze flickered. He realized that before turning eighteen, he must fully prepare himself.
This was a Netherworld-Level River of Death, far from ordinary. Even a Supreme Dao Stage cultivator would only have a mere "possibility" of clearing it, showcasing the peril involved.
The creak of a door suddenly interrupted his thoughts as it opened.
A tall, slender young man clad in fine garments entered. His sword-like brows and bright eyes gave him an air of extraordinary handsomeness.
Seeing Li Hao, who was just transitioning from sitting upright to lying down, the man’s previously solemn face relaxed with a hint of relief. In a low voice, he said, "Little Mouse?"
Li Hao, about to feign sleep, froze at the name. Only Fourth Master knew his nickname and his entry into the River of Death.
Raising his head, he scrutinized the man, immediately noting a resemblance to the elderly Li Xiaoran he had met earlier.
“Le-le (Fourth Master)?”
“Still can’t speak properly, huh? Fair enough. Listen up, then. If you’re Little Mouse, raise your hand.”
The youthful-looking Li Xiaoran spoke softly.
Li Hao raised his hand without hesitation.
Seeing this, Li Xiaoran confirmed his identity. He chuckled lightly and said, “I was worried you’d show up elsewhere, but you’re in the Divine General Mansion, saving me the trouble of searching. I figured it might be you when I heard my elder brother suddenly gained a tenth son—and it really is…”
“It must be the Li family bloodline in your body that caused my elder brother’s lingering thoughts to draw you into the role of his offspring.”
Noticing Li Hao’s helpless expression, Li Xiaoran chuckled softly. Then, his face grew slightly more serious as he continued,
“I don’t know if you’ve entered a River of Death before, but it doesn’t matter. This is a Netherworld-Level River of Death, vastly different from what you know. It has its own unique rules.”
“For instance, one rule strips us of our original bodies and strength.”
“Another is the unusual flow of time here. Never lose consciousness lightly. When you sleep or faint, time accelerates, but your body will only grow according to my elder brother’s perception of you. It won’t develop in any other way!”
“For example, if you act ordinarily in his eyes, a few more sleeps will skip you forward several years. By then, your cultivation level will be no higher than what my elder brother imagines—likely just the Heaven and Man Realm at most!”
“In a battle for Dragon City at that point, such power is no better than cannon fodder. You’d be as good as dead!”
Li Xiaoran knew Li Hao couldn’t speak, so his expression grew increasingly solemn as he said,
“If you die here in this body, you’ll truly die. Your original body will disappear, becoming nourishment for the River of Death. Even your soul will be bound to this river, unable to reincarnate!”
Li Hao’s heart trembled. If he died now in this infant body, that would be the end?
No wonder this Netherworld-Level River of Death was so dangerous. Such a drastic drop in power was intolerable for any cultivator.
"Even a Reverse Fate Realm cultivator can’t ensure their survival here unless they reach that level while inside. But you don’t have much time—judging by my age, it’s about eighteen years."
Li Xiaoran took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "When you turn eighteen, it will coincide with the Dragon Gate’s assault on the city!"
"You must grow strong before that time, aiming to regain your original cultivation level—or better yet, surpass it."
Recalling the power Li Hao had unleashed while escaping the domain of the Candlelight Divine Dao, Li Xiaoran felt slightly reassured. However, his expression didn’t relax as he continued,
"This city, Dragon City, was once the most glorious of Yanbei’s strongholds, guarded by the Li family for a thousand years. Several centuries ago, one of our ancestors, in a fit of fury, slew a dragon demon king and dismembered it within the city. Its head was embedded into the city wall, which led to the city being renamed Dragon City."
"But that act enraged the dragon clan. Dragon Gate bided their time, gathering power in secret. Decades ago, while my elder brother was guarding the city, Dragon Gate seized the opportunity and breached the city gates."
"The battle was cataclysmic, leaving countless dead and even wiping out the reinforcements sent by the imperial clan."
Li Xiaoran’s gaze deepened, his tone heavy. "When you turn eighteen, you’ll face an incredibly dangerous situation. Fortunately, we can look out for each other. If worst comes to worst, I have some means to ensure our survival. But if we can solve the issue altogether, that would be even better."
He had chosen to remain in the River of Death to assist his elder brother in defending Dragon City and ultimately help him find peace.
Li Hao nodded lightly. Although he had many questions, he couldn’t speak at the moment and would have to wait until he could.
"Don’t think cultivation will be easy," Li Xiaoran said gravely, noticing Li Hao’s calm demeanor. "The unique rules of this River of Death will interfere with your original comprehension of Dao. In essence, you’ll have to cultivate and comprehend everything anew. Try recalling your original techniques now, and you’ll see."
Li Hao froze. He had assumed that with someone like Li Xiaoran, a reincarnated powerhouse, using his prior understanding of cultivation techniques would make progress easy and clearing the River of Death straightforward.
Upon hearing Li Xiaoran’s warning, he immediately attempted to recall his insights into swordsmanship, chess, and other disciplines.
It didn’t take long for him to realize something was terribly wrong. Whenever his thoughts turned to those areas, he felt as if a barrier blocked his memories, preventing him from truly recalling anything.
The sensation was bizarre!
He knew he had once wielded a sword, yet when he tried to remember how, the knowledge slipped away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring it back.
It was like being a high school graduate who knew they had aced their exams but couldn’t remember any of the content they had studied. The pages of the textbooks were blank, and even the questions from the exams were forgotten!
This was akin to being reduced to an elementary school student!
Li Hao was horrified. Did this mean he would have to start all over again?
Seeing the shock on Li Hao’s small face, Li Xiaoran realized he had tried and failed. Smiling faintly, he spoke softly,
"Don’t worry. In the early stages, you’ll need to rely on yourself to cultivate again. However, as your cultivation level rises, the unique rules of this River of Death will gradually loosen their grip. At that point, you’ll begin to recover fragments of your original insights into the Dao."
"In other words, the faster you progress on your own, the more of your sealed cultivation memories will leak through. Your speed will increase over time."
"Without this mechanism, starting entirely from scratch in just a few years—especially with the time acceleration caused by sleeping—would leave you stuck at the Heaven and Man Realm, and this River of Death would become an unsolvable ordeal."
Li Hao exhaled slightly in relief. A thought occurred to him: could he still use his system panel to absorb experience here?
With a flicker of intent, he summoned the panel.
Golden characters danced before his eyes, and the system panel truly appeared.
Li Hao was overjoyed, but his excitement quickly faded when he saw the panel’s content—or lack thereof. It was utterly barren, as clean as when he had first crossed into this world.
"Does this mean my original system panel is tied to my original body, while this new body has a blank slate?"
Li Hao pondered silently. The River of Death and the panel were both mysterious phenomena that defied explanation. Combined, they were even harder to decipher.
Still, the fact that the panel remained gave him some reassurance.
Without it, while he wouldn’t be completely helpless, his cultivation progress would undoubtedly be slower. After all, his Heaven and Man Realm achievements had been entirely self-made, a testament to his martial comprehension.
"One more thing," Li Xiaoran warned. "Don’t leave the Divine General Mansion at night. Demons could attack at any moment outside."
"Although this is the Divine General Mansion, it’s located within Dragon City. Most of the River of Death’s entities are manifestations of my elder brother’s lingering thoughts, so you may encounter inexplicable phenomena. Don’t be overly shocked if you do."
"Dragon City itself isn’t safe. I’ll visit you frequently. In the meantime, you can sleep as much as you need to quickly advance to the stage of Foundation Building and begin your cultivation journey."
"You don’t need to worry. While time accelerates for you when you sleep, it progresses normally for me. I’ll live day by day, while you may feel like months pass in the blink of an eye."
Li Hao nodded. Fourth Master had provided plenty of detailed advice, demonstrating his meticulous nature.
Li Xiaoran offered a few more reminders before leaving the room, letting Li Hao rest.
After his departure, Li Hao pondered for a moment, deciding to find tools like a chessboard or calligraphy materials. Accumulating experience through drawing and writing was relatively fast. Here in the River of Death, unlike the real-world courtyard, safety was not guaranteed. He would start with drawing and poetry.
However, composing poems would have to wait until he could speak.
Realizing he couldn’t even walk yet, Li Hao smiled wryly and lay back down, deciding to sleep until he could walk...
...
When Li Hao opened his eyes after another deep sleep, he felt a surge of vitality in his body. He now had noticeably more strength.
As he woke, the sound of clanging reached his ears. He opened his eyes to the warmth of sunlight streaming into the courtyard.
Judging by the construction, this was the Qinglian Courtyard where his grandmother lived.
It was the very courtyard where he had broken ties with his nominal father.
Li Hao’s expression shifted subtly. Seeing this place again stirred memories for a moment before he quickly suppressed them.
Compared to the real-world Qinglian Courtyard, this version seemed newer, with the sound of hammering echoing from within.
Li Hao looked over and saw four boys practicing sparring with wooden weapons in the courtyard.
Their ages ranged from three to seven years old.
Meanwhile, Li Hao found himself nestled in the arms of a noblewoman—his grandmother, Chen Hefang.
“Shilang, watch your brothers practice. One day, you’ll grow strong like them, protecting your family and country,” Chen Hefang said softly, her gentle smile radiating maternal warmth.
Li Hao was momentarily stunned, recalling his grandmother outside the River of Death.
Six of the nine sons of the Li family had died in battle. The woman had turned to a life of prayer, her hair entirely gray, wishing only for her children to live in peace.
Li Hao fell silent briefly, studying the four boys in the courtyard. The youngest, barely three, was remarkably steady on his feet, twirling a wooden staff with lively energy.
The older three were locked in combat.
“Clack!”
A wooden sword was struck down, and the eldest boy drew back his hand in pain, complaining bitterly,
“Tiangang, you’re cheating again!”