In this year, the situation at the Yanbei border grew increasingly tense. Reports of battles came in constantly, and there were issues with weapons and supplies. The Prince of Peace was colluding with a great demon, and this involvement led to the emergence of another force, making the situation even more complicated and difficult.
Inside the Divine General's Mansion, there were many discussions and worries about the front lines. It was said that the court was also in constant debate over this matter, with many proposals being put forward. However, amidst the chaos, the two young figures in the Mountain River Courtyard remained untouched.
At five years old, Li Hao was undergoing a bone assessment as usual.
"Weak bones, no unusual colors, no strange light, no condensed marrow..."
The one assessing Li Hao's bones was an old Daoist invited from Qingqiu Mountain. With his white hair and youthful face, he looked at the little boy in front of him with surprise. If it weren't for the presence of Lady Li beside him, he might have suspected that this was a case of a swapped child, like in old tales of noble families.
"The bone quality is very low, not even at the level of a warrior's body. Just normal bones for an ordinary child," the old Daoist finally concluded.
Upon hearing this, the faces of the ladies, including He Jianlan, turned somewhat grim. The Fifth Lady couldn't help but exclaim, "You must be mistaken! How could Hao'er possibly have such poor qualifications?"
The other ladies remained silent. This old Daoist was a familiar figure in the Divine General's Mansion and had assessed many children without error. Moreover, they had already prepared themselves for bad news after Li Hao’s previous failures in foundation building and blood dissolution. Seeing this result felt almost expected.
Li Hao quietly scanned the expressions of those around him. Among them was his second aunt, whose expression was equally sorrowful, perhaps even more so. Yet, he couldn't tell who among them was genuinely upset for him.
"Hao Gege."
Bian Ruxue tugged at Li Hao's sleeve, her small face filled with worry.
Though she didn't understand what was happening, she sensed that Li Hao seemed to have lost something.
Seeing the little girl’s pitiful appearance, Li Hao couldn't help but smile. He pinched her soft little face, thinking that he should be the one feeling sad. In a couple of months, when she had her bone assessment, she would likely astonish everyone.
The old Daoist left, and the crowd dispersed.
Like a receding tide, the Mountain River Courtyard returned to calm, leaving only the two small figures and Lin Haixia standing nearby.
That night, the officer, who had not drunk for many years, indulged himself in the Mountain River Courtyard.
Smelling the wine, Li Hao felt tempted. He grabbed a small jade cup and was about to pour himself some when Lin Haixia, half-drunk, glared at him and snatched the bottle away. Rarely angry, she scolded, "You’re so bold, drinking wine!"
"I’m just keeping you company," Li Hao replied with a grin.
"What do you know? Drinking is for adults," Lin Haixia retorted.
"It's lonely to drink alone; it's better to have someone to share it with," Li Hao said, trying to grab the bottle again, but Lin Haixia held it out of reach.
She shot him a glare, wanting to scold him again, but suddenly fell silent at his words.
It dawned on her that this little guy had been alone since leaving his parents' banquet.
Yes, he must want company too. When Ruxue's father wasn't around, the little girl had cried all the way to the Divine General's Mansion...
Looking at the vast Mountain River Courtyard outside, which was beautiful but couldn't replace the absence of his parents, Lin Haixia remained quiet. She took a few swigs of wine and then glanced at the relaxed and smiling Li Hao. Suddenly, she realized that in the two years since she had been here, she had never seen this little guy cry.
"Hey."
Perhaps the alcohol was getting to her, so Lin Haixia dropped the formalities and addressed Li Hao casually. In her eyes, he was just a little kid.
"Do you miss your parents?"
Li Hao was taken aback by the question.
Then, the image of the little girl who had held him on the windowsill, speaking sorrowfully, flashed in his mind.
Five years had passed, and he had long forgotten the warmth of that embrace, but the sorrow in her eyes had left a mark on his heart.
"I do," Li Hao said softly, looking at the starry night sky. "The battles in Yanbei must be tough. I hope they are safe."
Lin Haixia was stunned.
She had expected that mentioning his parents would make him sad or that he might have forgotten them, considering how young he was when they left.
But instead, he not only remembered them but also showed no resentment, worrying about the commander and the others.
In that moment, Lin Haixia felt a sharp pang in her heart, almost painful.
She rubbed her eyes and took a few more gulps of wine.
"Uncle Lin, are you crying?"
"Nonsense! It's just spilled wine. You know nothing!"
The night grew colder.
Lin Haixia also got drunk.
In her drunken state, she began reciting poems about battles, throwing punches and kicks, and eventually collapsed like a pile of mud.
Li Hao instructed the servants to carry her back to her room to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Two months later.
It was time for Bian Ruxue’s bone assessment.
Once again, the old Daoist from Qingqiu Mountain was invited to the same spot in the courtyard to assess her bones.
Before long, the old Daoist’s eyes widened, and he looked at the little girl with excitement, laughing, "Her bones are like divine gold and iron, truly divine! They shine with seven colors, and the marrow is rich and flowing. It's a top-tier, ninth-level warrior body! Haha, as expected from a child of the Divine General's Mansion, never disappointing! A new name will surely be added to the Qian Kun Ranking!"
At this point, he happened to glance at Li Hao, who was standing nearby, and his smile froze.
He quickly coughed awkwardly.
That was close; he almost forgot about this record-breaking little guy in the Divine General's Mansion.
This time, only He Jianlan was present. The other ladies from various courtyards were not interested in this little girl who was betrothed to Li Hao and did not come over.
Upon hearing the old Daoist's words, smiles appeared on both He Jianlan and Lin Haixia's faces.
Then, they both glanced at Li Hao at the same time.
Although Li Hao had no martial arts talent, having such an extraordinary wife would provide some support for the future.
"Impressive, little girl," Li Hao said with a smile, pinching the cute face of Bian Ruxue, who still looked confused and clearly didn’t understand what was happening.
Instead of being happy at Li Hao's words, Bian Ruxue pouted slightly.
At that moment, the little girl only thought that if the old man had treated Hao Gege like this before, it would have been nice.
After sending off the old Daoist, Lin Haixia began teaching Bian Ruxue about martial arts knowledge in the courtyard.
The little girl was already five years old and starting to understand things, so it was time to teach her some basics.
With a ninth-level warrior body, breaking through realms would be as easy as eating and drinking. Once she began her training, she would likely break through the first realm within a year.
In three years, she could break through two realms.
In less than ten years, she would reach the peak of the third realm.
This was the terrifying potential of a ninth-level warrior body!
The three realms of martial arts were Power Unleashed, Zhou Tian, and Soul Continuation.
Each realm had ten levels.
The fourth realm was Divine Travel.
Lin Haixia was a strong practitioner of the fourth realm.
And this year, she was already over forty.
To think that in ten years, Bian Ruxue would only be sixteen years old.
A sixteen-year-old at the tenth level of the Soul Continuation realm would be a dazzling presence, capable of guarding a city as a formidable warrior.
In contrast, an ordinary martial artist reaching Zhou Tian at sixteen would already be quite impressive and could join a prestigious sect.
...
As the game progressed, it became clear who would win.
Li Hao won.
Experience points +2.
Li Hao yawned and glanced outside. The little girl was practicing swordplay with Lin Haixia, her movements all crooked but very cute.
He turned his gaze back, dismissed the servant who had been playing chess with him, and then opened his status panel.
After a year, his chess skills had finally reached the maximum level.
He gained another skill point.
Without hesitation, Li Hao chose to invest it in his physical abilities.
Soon, a flood of complex information surged into his mind. He frowned slightly but managed to digest it after a moment.
Many insights about body refining techniques rushed in, and Li Hao felt a spark of inspiration. He closed the window, locked the door, and began to practice in his room.
He practiced the "Stone Skin Hundred Refinements" body refining technique.
As he settled into position, his body moved like a dragon and tiger, with cracking sounds echoing from within.
His blood, veins, and bones seemed to twist, and his cells felt activated, making him feel incredibly hot.
After completing a set of "Stone Skin Hundred Refinements," Li Hao's skin turned red, steaming with heat, and his hair was soaked with sweat, his face covered in beads of perspiration.
Feeling a change, he opened his panel to check and found that his cultivation level had risen from ordinary to Power Unleashed, level three!
Li Hao could feel an unprecedented strength within him, as if he could easily break stones.
He was overjoyed and decided to practice again.
This time, with abundant strength and a more standard posture, his skin reddened even more, and steam billowed around him.
After finishing the second round, he saw his cultivation had actually risen to level four!
He continued to practice.
Third round, fourth round.
Until the eighth round ended, his cultivation no longer increased, settling at Power Unleashed, level seven!
(End of Chapter)