As Jian Wudao took Bian Ruxue away, many ladies from the courtyard came to see them off. They all wanted to say a word before they left. Some even arranged for their children to practice swordplay along the path they would take. However, none of this caught Jian Wudao's attention.
The Sword Pavilion was not easy to enter, which made people yearn to step inside even more. The vibrant colors of the courtyard seemed to fade away with the ladies, returning to the quiet emptiness of autumn leaves falling.
Li Hao held the sword that Bian Ruxue had practiced with, quietly watching the entrance for a long time before slowly looking away. He then handed the sword to Li Fu behind him and said, “Uncle Fu, please put this on the sword rack in my room so the maidens don’t have to clean it every day.”
Li Fu took the sword with a sigh, looking at Li Hao's profile with a mix of pity and guilt. He said in a low voice, “From today onwards, I won’t indulge you anymore. I’ll take away the chessboard; you need to focus on your training!”
Li Hao was taken aback and looked up, saying, “Uncle Fu, you don’t think I didn’t get taken as a disciple by that old man because of chess, do you? That’s unfair!”
“I don’t care.”
Li Fu’s face darkened. “There are plenty of talented people, but good mentors are rare. If you miss the chance that comes your way, it’s because you weren’t prepared enough. You need to be ready at all times to seize any opportunities that come your way.”
“Opportunities in life are few. If you miss them, how can you expect to achieve anything!”
Li Hao protested, seeing that Li Fu was serious. He asked, “Then Uncle Fu, what do you think it means to achieve something?”
“The sons of the Li family should make a name for themselves, guard the borders, and protect the people of the country. That is what it means to achieve something!” Li Fu said solemnly without hesitation.
“Then being a member of the Li family is too hard,” Li Hao said with a bitter smile.
“Since you bear the Li surname and enjoy the wealth that comes with it, you must also shoulder this responsibility,” Li Fu said coldly.
Did he really enjoy it? Li Hao chuckled inwardly, but then he remembered the pastries and fresh fruits sent by Fifth Aunt, and the nutritious porridge given by Auntie… Well, maybe he had enjoyed some things.
“Uncle Fu, when you say training, do you mean body training?”
“Of course.”
Li Fu glanced at him, implying that aside from body training, did he have any other options?
Body training was not popular because it was tough, had a low ceiling, and required a high level of comprehension and skill to compete with other experts. Some people were forced into body training; some could endure the hardship, but not everyone had the necessary understanding.
After all, while pain can refine one’s skills, it can also warp the soul.
After some back and forth, they reached an agreement: Li Hao was willing to train, but he wouldn’t give up his chessboard and would play a little every day.
Li Fu could only agree, planning to let Li Hao start his training first.
In the following days, Li Hao was forced to spend time practicing from a basic body training manual that Li Fu had given him. However, with his understanding of the physical path, he progressed quickly, which surprised Li Fu. He didn’t expect Li Hao to be such a good candidate for body training.
Li Hao controlled his training pace a bit, so Li Fu wouldn’t completely take away his leisure time. It took him three months to master the basic body training manual.
Despite that, the results moved the seasoned warrior to tears, and he wrote a letter to Yan Bei that night to share the good news and joy with the couple at the border.
After a long and steady accumulation, Li Hao’s chess skills finally improved.
[Name: Li Hao]
[Age: 7]
[Cultivation Level: Tenth Level of the Power Realm]
[Sword Skills: Second Stage (Flying Stage) (Hidden Bow)]
[Skills: Endless Sea · Tidal (Perfect) Snowfall Sword Technique (Perfect)]
[Physical Path: First Stage (Myriad Forms) (Tiger Pressure)]
[Skills: Stone Skin Refinement (Complete) Thousand Floods Sacred Body (Minor Completion) Primordial (Star Body Beginner) Bull Strength (Complete)]
[Chess Skills: Fourth Stage (1/10000)]
[Chess Manual Collection: Myriad Forms, Tiger Pressure, Flying Stage, Hidden Bow]
[Mental State: Chess Heart]
[Skill Points: 1]
Li Hao glanced at Li Fu, who had been following him closely, and decided not to spend his skill points right away.
If it were about sword skills, it would be fine to just implant memories. However, he wanted to use his skill points on the physical path first, ensuring his strength for a sense of security.
Understanding the physical path might lead to changes in the body training manual, which could affect his body, causing too much commotion.
One day, Li Hao followed Li Fu to the Listening Rain Pavilion.
Upon learning that Li Hao had talent in body training, He Jianlan granted him special privileges, allowing him to enter and exit the Listening Rain Pavilion at any time to choose manuals.
Of course, Li Fu could not enter.
Although he was a trusted aide of Li Tiangang, he was not a core member of the Li family, so his status was different.
Li Fu didn’t mind; the Listening Rain Pavilion was a crucial place for the Li family. Although there didn’t seem to be many guards around, no one would dare to steal from here.
It was safer than any lady's courtyard.
Li Fu waited downstairs while Li Hao went up alone. Now that he was old enough to understand things, He Jianlan didn’t send Xue Jian to accompany him anymore, so he went up by himself.
Li Hao had heard that the Sword Saint had sent a body training manual two months ago and placed it on the sixth floor, so he headed straight there.
Soon, he found a newly added manual.
“Dragon Cicada True Void Body.”
Li Hao started flipping through it.
With his understanding of the first stage of the physical path, he quickly grasped the basics.
Before long, this body training technique appeared on his panel, and he reached the second layer of completion.
The Dragon Cicada True Void Body had six layers, and each layer refined a different physique.
The first layer was the Quiet Cicada Body, which could sense the subtle flow of air on the surface of the body.
The second layer was the Hidden Dragon Body, which stored power like a dragon.
The third layer was the Leaping Shell Body, which allowed one to use power to walk through the air.
...
Li Hao felt a slight cracking sound in his body. As he entered the Hidden Dragon Body, he sensed a surge of power within him, estimated to be over ten thousand pounds!
Although he was still at the tenth level of the Power Realm, his strength was vastly different from ordinary cultivators.
Li Hao thought to himself, if he practiced several body training manuals, would he accumulate even more power?
Thinking of this, he immediately began searching through the floors of the Listening Rain Pavilion.
Before long, he found seven or eight body training manuals, all of decent quality. If mastered to the peak, they could barely reach the level of first-rate warriors.
As he collected each manual, Li Hao felt his body undergoing strange changes, his arms and legs becoming sturdier.
The cultivation level on the panel didn’t change. Li Hao thought his strength would increase again, but it didn’t. However, some of these body training manuals focused on claws, some on legs, and others on bones and organs.
He could feel that while his overall strength didn’t increase much, these specific areas had undergone significant enhancement.
Li Hao guessed that his physique was already so strong that most of his physical power had been activated, so these slightly inferior manuals couldn’t stimulate his overall strength anymore but could enhance specific areas.
His Stone Skin Refinement manual could increase the hardness of his skin, but it was overshadowed by the Thousand Floods Sacred Body’s Jiao Demon Body.
The enhancement from the Jiao Demon Body was like dragon scales, much stronger than the effect of Stone Skin Refinement, so it was hard for the latter’s effect to stand out.
However, the other body training manuals addressed areas that the previous six-floor techniques hadn’t covered.
Bones, liver, ears, eyes, and other parts were all enhanced.
While the overall strength didn’t change much, the practical power had undergone a tremendous transformation.
Li Hao realized that he needed to collect different body training techniques to refine himself. If he could train all parts of his body to a unified standard, he would be flawless!
At that moment, the rich resources of the Listening Rain Pavilion made Li Hao truly appreciate how precious this place was for martial artists.
There weren’t many chess manuals, but there were plenty of body training manuals!
Li Hao excitedly searched through the body training manuals in the pavilion, collecting them one by one.
Time passed.
By the time the sun set, Li Hao walked out of the pavilion with a body training manual in hand.
In the distance, he could see crows flying across the sky, and he could smell the faint aroma of food and firewood wafting from the front courtyard. It was already time for dinner.
Li Hao stretched and moved his muscles.
There were so many manuals in the Listening Rain Pavilion that he had searched for an entire afternoon and had only found one-tenth of them, and that was just in the body training category.
Li Hao hadn’t collected all the manuals; for instance, the Bull Strength manual that Li Fu had forced him to practice didn’t provide any improvement for him, as he had already been surpassed by stronger techniques.
For example, if two manuals focused on claw techniques, if he practiced the stronger one, then practicing the inferior one afterward wouldn’t yield any results, as the stronger one had already trained his hands to a high level.
Unless the inferior manual focused on different areas, then it could complement his training.
“You finally came out.”
Seeing Li Hao walk out, Li Fu was somewhat speechless. He had waited all afternoon; did this kid get overwhelmed by choices?
He picked up the manual Li Hao was holding and looked at it. It was a mid-grade body training manual, “Dragon Spine,” clearly focused on training the back.
“You only chose this?” Li Fu felt a bit helpless. “Didn’t you go to the sixth floor?”
“I did, but I couldn’t understand it,” Li Hao casually replied.
Li Fu thought about it and realized that the manuals on the sixth floor were all top-grade. Not to mention Li Hao, even he would have to practice hard for months to grasp even the basics.
“Don’t rush to practice this one. I’ll ask the First Lady later to see if there’s a more suitable one for you in the Listening Rain Pavilion. This one is too specialized.”
Li Fu hoped Li Hao could practice a more comprehensive body training technique that covered all parts of his body, so he wouldn’t have too many weaknesses.
“Alright,” Li Hao didn’t refuse and casually said, “Let’s go back and eat. I’m starving. What should we have for dinner?”
Li Fu felt a bit helpless about Li Hao’s lack of focus on martial arts. The two of them turned and left the Listening Rain Pavilion.
Not long after, they bumped into an old man wearing a straw hat. He had a fishing rod slung over his shoulder and was carrying a basket of fish, looking plain and ordinary.
When Li Fu saw him, his eyes narrowed, and his expression became serious. He quickly stopped and stepped aside, respectfully saying, “Li Fu greets Second Uncle.”
(End of Chapter)