Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 476

Volume 3 - Chapter 145: Holy Land of the Literary Ancestor, the Eighth Extreme Realm - Part 3

Zhantan initially had no interest in the heavily scented dragon meat, but after it was cooked by Li Hao, its fragrance wafted through the air. She took a delicate bite, and her eyebrows arched slightly in surprise. "Your cooking skills might even surpass Bai Zu's," she remarked.

"You've had his cooking before?"

"Yes, it was extraordinary. I couldn't get enough of it. Unfortunately, that guy likes to tease. Once he knew I had a craving, he stopped cooking for me, humph!"

Zhantan let out a huff, her irritation palpable.

Seeing her lofty and dignified demeanor tinged with a hint of coquettishness, Li Hao couldn't help but steal a few more glances.

Realizing she had momentarily dropped her composure, Zhantan continued eating while asking, "You're not even 30 years old, yet you excel in so many areas. How did you manage to cultivate all these skills?"

Li Hao simply smiled. If you had cheats like mine, you'd understand.

...

After their meal, Zhantan invited Li Hao to view some of her past paintings. Her attitude turned humble, as she asked him for guidance with sincerity.

Li Hao didn’t hold back and pointed out the flaws in her work.

To his surprise, as he critiqued her paintings, he gained insights and experience related to painting. Each flaw he highlighted granted him an increase in "Painting Dao" experience—ranging from hundreds to thousands of points. While these weren’t large sums individually, they accumulated into a substantial amount over time.

As one spoke and the other listened, Zhantan, the Semi-Saint of the Literary Ancestor Holy Land, began to resemble a student. She followed Li Hao closely, asking questions, which he answered with profound insights rooted in his mastery of the "Painting Dao." Her understanding grew, giving her the sensation of her meridians unblocking and her perspective broadening.

"So that's it... I've been too fixated on complexity in my art. Great complexity leads to simplicity—what a profound concept!"

Li Hao quoted a line from the Dao Scripture, earning him over ten thousand experience points. For Zhantan, however, it caused a tremor in her sea of consciousness. This revelation in the "Painting Dao" seemed to loosen the foundation of her Saint Dao, hinting at a breakthrough.

A Semi-Saint has already glimpsed the Saint Dao, establishing their own path. If they can perfect it and accumulate abundant incense power, they can ignite the three sticks of incense needed to ascend to sainthood on the spot.

"Complexity and simplicity should follow the natural flow of things, not be forced," Li Hao said.

Zhantan's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Li Hao. The more they conversed, the more she realized his state of mind far surpassed her own, to an extent even she, as a Semi-Saint, found unreachable.

It was hard to imagine that someone under 30 could possess such wisdom. If someone told her he was a reincarnated Supreme Saint who had awakened part of his past life's memories, she might actually believe it.

But she also knew that if this were true, he wouldn’t be here spending time with her; he would have long embarked on his own path, returning to his true self.

...

During his stay on Tian Tan Peak, Li Hao painted and discussed art with Zhantan daily. She even presented him with several famous paintings, three of which could be absorbed into his interface. When he asked for them, Zhantan readily agreed.

However, Li Hao didn’t rush to absorb them. Once absorbed, the paintings would burn and vanish, which he felt was a loss.

In return, Li Hao created more than ten scrolls of paintings for Zhantan. The first batch alone granted him nearly 60,000 experience points in the "Painting Dao."

This shocked Li Hao. With other Semi-Saints, he had gained around 50,000 points, yet Zhantan exceeded that by 10,000. This suggested that if Zhantan were to compete with other Semi-Saints, she would likely dominate them effortlessly.

It was no wonder she held the position of vice president in the Huayou Association, standing at the pinnacle of her peers within the same realm.

...

During this period, Zhao Qingshu visited Zhantan to seek advice on cultivation, but she dismissed him casually. Upon seeing his master speaking and laughing with Li Hao, Zhao Qingshu felt inexplicably uncomfortable, his heart heavy with an unknown sorrow.

He chose not to approach Zhantan again, instead entering seclusion on his own.

In terms of the "Painting Dao," Zhantan was thoroughly convinced by Li Hao's expertise. Beyond art, she occasionally sought his opinions on upcoming battles.

The more she admired him, the more she felt that Li Hao was destined to go further. Even though the Immortal Path was severed, his talent made achieving sainthood seem effortless. It would be a shame if his potential were wasted.

"If you need anything, just let me know. Your guidance these past few days has elevated my painting skills to a new level, though I’m still nowhere near your level," Zhantan said to Li Hao.

Li Hao, not one to be overly polite, pondered for a moment before replying, "I’m not lacking in much, but I do need cultivation techniques. Do you have any leads?"

"Cultivation techniques?"

Zhantan raised her eyebrows, surprised. Most prodigies weren’t short on techniques; they refined their own methods, constantly advancing through personal insight.

With a charming smile, she said, "That’s a small matter. Tell me what kind of technique you want. While the Literary Ancestor Holy Land’s techniques are unique and might not suit your cultivation, I can procure other techniques for you to choose from."

Li Hao’s eyes lit up. As expected of the vice president of the Huayou Association, her connections were far superior to his own. Combined with her long years of cultivation, obtaining techniques was no challenge for her.

"Thank you very much. The more techniques, the better. I wish to draw upon the strengths of a hundred schools," Li Hao said.

Zhantan arched an eyebrow. While his words sounded simple, the path he described was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. The Sword Saint she knew had walked the "Sword Dao of All Beings," a path fraught with challenges before achieving a level of terrifying strength.

She offered no further advice, knowing that at this level, everyone had their own path to follow.

"It’s no problem. I have access to the archives of ten dynasties, and I can grant you access to their technique repositories," Zhantan said, her tone full of magnanimity.

Li Hao paused before breaking into a smile. "That’s wonderful."

Then, recalling Zhantan's mention of the techniques of the Literary Ancestor Holy Land, he added, "If possible, could I also peruse the sacred texts of the Literary Ancestor Holy Land?"

Zhantan raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You want to study our sacred texts? But you already follow the Sword Dao, and the Literary Dao is an entirely different system. Balancing the two is difficult, and even if you succeed, it won’t significantly enhance your combat prowess. The blade’s edge is always what kills; a dull back adds no strength."

Li Hao nodded. He understood the principle but sought to accumulate experience in his "Poetry and Calligraphy Dao."

"If you’re curious, I can arrange for you to take a look. However, without a Scholar’s Heart, you might find even one book unbearably dull," Zhantan teased with a laugh.

Li Hao asked, "Would it inconvenience you?"

"Except for the famous works personally penned by the Literary Sage’s disciples, which I can’t share, the rest pose no issue," Zhantan replied.

Li Hao didn’t press for more, nodding with a smile and noting this favor in his heart.

...

Zhantan acted decisively, issuing orders that evening. The following day, she informed Li Hao that he could now visit the repositories of the ten great dynasties to review their techniques.

Li Hao decided to prioritize enhancing his Dao Domain first.

With Yueying driving the carriage, they headed to the dynasties Zhantan had mentioned.

These dynasties, having witnessed Li Hao's performance in the Heavenly Battle of Saints, treated him with great respect. Knowing he was a consecrated official of the Canghai Divine Dynasty, they didn’t attempt to recruit him but considered forming friendly ties worthwhile—especially with Zhantan’s endorsement.

While chatting with Yueying, Li Hao learned that Zhantan originally hailed from the upper three realms of the Thirty-Three Realms, as the imperial daughter of a supreme dynasty. No wonder her aura carried the commanding grace of an empress.

...

Touring the libraries of each dynasty, Li Hao accumulated an ever-growing collection of techniques.

After visiting all ten dynasties, he returned to Tian Tan Peak with Yueying. Informing Zhantan of his plans, he secluded himself in the courtyard she had arranged for him.

He began incorporating the collected techniques into his interface, transforming and cultivating them into his Dao Domain.

Li Hao’s Dao Domain expanded rapidly, increasing from 220 layers to 280, then 300, and finally 330 layers...

When he finished cultivating the techniques of the ninth dynasty, his Dao Domain reached 358 layers.

As he delved into the techniques of the tenth dynasty, his Dao Domain surged again.

At 360 layers, a hum reverberated through his sea of consciousness. The density of his Dao Domain seemed to reach its limit. The overlapping layers began to merge, their forces intertwining to form a complete cycle, initiating a profound transformation.

Within his consciousness, an overwhelming torrent of information flooded in. His body seemed to meld with the Dao Domain, creating a sensation of intimate connection with the world around him.

Li Hao clearly felt the wind weaving through the air, sand grains peeling away layer by layer, and space itself rippling like water.

Even more astonishingly, he sensed the terrifying power of time—a force that felt immutable yet now seemed to yield, slowing under his control.

With just a thought, Li Hao felt he could freeze space, halting its undulations. That inexorable force of time might also succumb to his will, slowing to a crawl...

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