"Then you should encourage them more."
Shen Yunqing smiled lightly, skipping over the joke, and said to the two:
"You should go take a look at the stone tablet. Each class has limited spots, and today is already the second day of our academy's enrollment. That means there’s only one day left for comprehension after today, so you two should hurry up."
Li Yuanzhao quickly asked, "What if Class A is full?"
"Then you can only go to Class B. But don’t worry, there will be a test in a month. If you're confident, you can challenge Class A and switch classes."
Shen Yunqing said with a smile, "No matter which class you are in, it’s not a one-time thing. Cultivation is competitive; you compete with the heavens, with monsters, and most importantly, with people!"
"If you want the most resources and the best treatment, you must stand above others to be qualified."
In the Divine General's Mansion, as direct descendants, their parents would prepare cultivation resources for them. But in the Tang Palace Academy, everything had to be earned through competition.
Hearing this, Li Yuanzhao quickly pulled Li Hao towards the stone tablet where Li Yun and his sister were observing.
Clearly, that was the stone tablet for high-level techniques.
In front of this stone tablet, there were only a dozen people comprehending it, while the others had twenty to thirty people gathered around the stone tablets for mid-level techniques, which had the most people. After all, most people, although confident, still chose to play it safe.
Li Hao took a glance and saw that the stone tablet recorded a type of fist technique.
Fist techniques were almost a must-learn for martial artists. Mastering punches and kicks made it easier to learn other weapons.
He carefully browsed through it, and words appeared before his eyes:
{Have you grasped the basics? Do you want to record it?}
Li Hao chose yes.
Soon, this fist technique was recorded on his panel, but its level was neither entry-level nor perfect or supreme.
【High-Level Technique: Wind-Cutting Fist (True State)】
One step, reaching the limit!
Li Hao was not surprised by this.
During the five years he spent fishing with his second uncle, the old man learned that he hadn’t inherited the family’s spirit in the ancestral hall. Although he was angry, he still taught him some fist techniques for self-defense.
Thus, aside from the sword path, he also recorded another:
Fist path.
It had been raised to… level six!
Besides the fist path, all other physical paths, sword paths, and control paths had also been raised to level six!
After five years of hard work, he had made significant improvements in various skills.
Fishing level 5, chess level 5, cooking level 6, painting level 5.
Poetry level 3, playing the piano level 3.
In total, he had earned 27 skill points.
Now, he had used 24 points, leaving him with 3 points for emergencies.
Li Hao initially wanted to focus on raising one skill to its limit, but he found that every path had a threshold of three levels.
To go from level three to level four, one needed to enter the heart.
When the cooking skill reached level 6 with full experience, it prompted him to comprehend the spirit of cooking to continue improving.
If entering the heart meant focus and a deep love for what one does, then entering the spirit required insight and mastery of the essence of the path.
Cooking requires creating dishes that break tradition, infusing them with soul.
The same applies to chess.
Making a move isn’t just about winning or losing; it requires wisdom and spirit, the so-called divine move, an astonishing play that transcends the ordinary and reveals profound insights!
Li Hao understood that this wasn’t just a requirement of the panel. Without it, even if he practiced normally, reaching a certain level would still require entering the heart and spirit. According to his second uncle, this is a mindset that must be achieved in any form of cultivation.
Otherwise, at best, one would be a second-rate expert, far from reaching the peak.
To be strong, one must first be wild!
He heard that there’s an even higher state beyond entering the spirit, called entering the saint.
But even his second uncle, known as the Saint of Fists, had only reached the spirit state in fist techniques, not the saint state.
The word "saint" in Da Yu is the highest and most revered title, an existence that cannot be offended.
Whether it’s the Saint of Fists or the Saint of Swords, none of them have reached the saintly state. This title is more of a commendation, indicating that they have reached a very high peak in a particular path, close to that of a saint!
Li Hao speculated that when he reached level nine in the future, he might need to attain the mindset of a saint.
It’s hard to imagine what that state would be like.
But for now, he hadn’t even reached the spirit state yet. The spirit, like the words themselves, refers to essence, brilliance, and soul!
He must do something extraordinary and incredibly refined to possess his own brilliance, just like… a heavenly master with his own path!
As the panel successfully recorded the technique, a wealth of information about the Wind-Cutting Fist flooded into Li Hao's mind. He merely closed his eyes for a moment and quickly digested it.
It felt as if he had practiced this fist technique for fifty years, mastering all its moves, breaking through to perfection, not only filling in the gaps of the technique but also deeply understanding the core truth of it.
Just like its name, the fist can cut through the wind, break the air, and possess destructive power beyond mere punches and kicks!
This high-level technique, in his hands, could unleash power comparable to top techniques.
Li Hao withdrew his gaze from the stone tablet and looked around at the dozen or so people nearby. They all appeared focused, seriously gazing at the stone tablet, deeply contemplating. Some were moving their lips, seemingly following the descriptions of the technique on the stone tablet, carefully savoring and understanding its meaning.
Some descriptions of techniques are obscure and hard to understand, but those who come here mostly come from martial arts families, having been immersed in martial arts since childhood. They can grasp certain abstract and rare terms.
Li Hao noticed that Yuanzhao was also engrossed, his small eyes darting back and forth along the lines of the stone tablet.
He didn’t disturb him. After taking another glance, he saw Li Yun and his sister squatting in front of the stone tablet, their expressions serious. Sometimes they were deep in thought, sometimes frowning, their wrists gently moving as if they were practicing in their minds, extremely focused, even unaware of Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao’s arrival.
What a hardworking bunch of kids… Li Hao sighed to himself and turned to leave.
At the nearby stone tablets, there were even more people. Some were feeling inspired and began to practice in the open space, but their postures were awkward. After a short while, they felt something was off compared to what they imagined in their minds, and they returned to the stone tablet to continue their comprehension.
Li Hao didn’t squeeze in to record the techniques from those stone tablets. The Li family had more than enough techniques below high-level.
As he shifted his gaze, suddenly, he spotted Shen Yunqing in a corner at the edge of the square.
In front of him was a chessboard.
Li Hao was taken aback, his eyes lighting up as he walked over.
…
"This time, let's see how you escape!"
"Hey, didn’t see this move coming, did you?"
Across from Shen Yunqing, an old man in gray robes couldn’t help but laugh. He had already gained the upper hand on the chessboard; there was no way to turn the tables now. This game was in the bag.
Shen Yunqing sat cross-legged, ignoring his friend's triumph, scratching his head in deep thought. In the end, he sighed in defeat and said, "Alright, I admit you won."
"What do you mean you admit I won? I already won!" the old man in gray retorted.
Then he stretched out his hand and said lazily, "Give it to me, that Drunken Wind Brew, remember?"
Shen Yunqing reluctantly pouted and took out the wine gourd from his waist, handing it to his friend. "You said just a sip, take it easy."
"I'm not like you; I keep my word," the old man in gray replied grumpily, then opened the wine gourd and tilted his head, gulping it down.
Shen Yunqing was startled and quickly snatched it back, angrily saying, "You said just a sip!"
"This is just a sip; I haven’t even swallowed yet."
"You’re so straightforward!" Shen Yunqing clutched his gourd in pain, peering into the opening and feeling a chill in his heart.
"I'll remember that last game; I’ll keep a tab on you."
The old man in gray chuckled, suddenly sensing something. He turned to see a young man with red lips and white teeth, looking elegant and refined, dressed in luxurious attire that exuded nobility.
"Hmm? A young master from the Divine General's Mansion?"
The old man in gray recognized the sleeve pattern and jade pendant. His expression became serious, and just as he was about to scold, he changed his mind.
"You guys are playing chess," Li Hao said with a smile.
Having lived two lives, as a mature-minded person, the first sentence often serves as a way to break the ice, even if it sounds like a pointless question.
"Why aren’t you going to comprehend the techniques?" Shen Yunqing looked at Li Hao in surprise.
While everyone else was racing against time to comprehend at the stone tablets, this kid seemed to have the leisure to wander over here.
Could it be that he wanted them to give him some pointers secretly?
(End of Chapter)