Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 470

Volume 3 - Chapter 143: Haotian's Whereabouts, Ranking of the Top Ten - Part 2

“I thought we had already come to terms with things, but it turns out Qingfeng is far more ruthless. The immortal path is severed, and achieving sainthood—what of it? In the end, we will fade away just the same,” Yezu remarked with a bitter smile.

“I only understood at three thousand years of age, but Qingfeng understood at thirty. Doesn’t that mean he gets to enjoy life three thousand years longer than me?”

The group fell silent. Though they had all shifted their focus away from cultivation, treating it with less seriousness, Li Hao’s insight at such a young age left them speechless.

“You spend time studying the Dao of Painting in addition to your cultivation. How much time has that taken from you?” Zhantan asked, staring intently at Li Hao.

Li Hao paused, then answered after some thought, “I draw whenever I have free time; I’ve never calculated the exact hours.”

Zhantan fell silent. While Li Hao’s cultivation prowess had shocked her, what struck her even more was his superior skill in painting.

Under thirty years old, having spent no more than a decade delving into the Dao of Painting beyond his cultivation, he had already surpassed her in this art. She had immersed herself in painting for hundreds of years, priding herself on her accomplishments and insights. Now, however, her talent seemed dull in comparison.

“Life is but a drunken dream. We merely awoke early, while Qingfeng never slept,” Green Ancestor muttered with a shake of his head.

“Zhantan just mentioned that Qingfeng is likely to represent the Canglan Realm in the Supreme Genius Battle. That’s not something achievable by mere proficiency in the Dao-Seeker Realm, is it?” White Ancestor asked with a keen gaze.

Zhantan snapped back to attention, her expression complex as she looked at Li Hao. “That’s right. Qingfeng’s swordsmanship has also entered the Dao. He’s one of the frontrunners to represent the Canglan Realm, though the final outcome will depend on the upcoming competitions.”

“Swordsmanship entering the Dao?”

Hearing this, the group fell silent once more.

Their own techniques had entered the Dao, and their strength had reached profound levels. But the issue was age.

Under thirty years old—it was simply too young. None of them had possessed such abilities at that age.

“So Qingfeng is in the Canglan Realm? I must go and see for myself,” Yezu declared.

“I’ll go too, to cheer Qingfeng on. Who is his master?” Green Ancestor asked curiously.

To have trained such a prodigy, Qingfeng’s master must surely be a Supreme Saint.

Li Hao remained silent as a figure flashed through his mind—his first master, Lin Haixia.

But she was merely at the Spiritual Wandering Realm.

Seeing Li Hao’s reticence, the group understood this was a private matter, and the boy didn’t wish to divulge.

Still, even compared to the direct disciples of Supreme Saints, the intelligence they had gathered didn’t hold a candle to Qingfeng’s talents, a testament to his monstrous aptitude.

“Qingjiu is also participating in the Supreme Genius Battle, though he represents the Tianlan Realm. If both of you end up representing your respective realms, you might face each other in the final showdown,” White Ancestor interjected suddenly.

“Where’s Qingjiu? Qingjiu, show yourself!” Green Ancestor called out directly.

Li Hao watched as Green Ancestor extended his divine sense toward a certain phantom. Most of the phantoms here were motionless, presumably busy with other matters in reality and not actively monitoring the Huayou Token.

Soon, the phantom Green Ancestor had addressed began to stir. A voice full of curiosity followed. “Green Ancestor, what do you want with me?”

“Are you in seclusion?” Green Ancestor asked.

Though their realms differed, the tone of the conversation was more like that of old friends than one dictated by seniority.

“Of course, I’m preparing for battle. Next, I’ll be competing against the other three sacred lands of the Tianlan Realm. Whether I can win is still uncertain,” Qingjiu’s phantom replied.

Green Ancestor retorted, “Stop pretending to be weak. If anyone should be worried, it’s the sacred sons from the other lands. Didn’t your spear techniques also enter the Dao? And with your Ancient Blood Dao Body, you’re one of the strongest contenders for the top spot this time.”

“Don’t mock me. I’ll be grateful just to make it into the top ten. First place? You know as well as I do what kind of monsters are vying for it. Without Semi-Saint strength, holding a position in the top ten is nearly impossible,” Qingjiu said with a wry smile.

“Exactly. Green Ancestor, stop teasing him. Back in your day, you didn’t even make it into the top ten despite your Azure Emperor lineage. With saints reincarnating all over the place, the top ten are practically untouchable monsters. If Qingjiu manages to secure a spot, he’ll already be on the path to sainthood,” Yezu chimed in, slipping in a jab at Green Ancestor.

Green Ancestor rolled his eyes and turned to Qingjiu. “I called you over to introduce a newcomer. This is Qingfeng, also participating in the Supreme Genius Battle. You two might face each other, so don’t bully him too much.”

“A newcomer?”

Qingjiu finally noticed Li Hao and was taken aback. “Also participating in the Supreme Genius Battle?”

Here, Qingjiu had been the youngest, and now another competitor under a hundred years old had appeared.

“That’s right. Qingfeng is even younger than you—under thirty—and his swordsmanship has already entered the Dao!” Green Ancestor said with a laugh.

Qingjiu was stunned, his gaze sharpening as he studied Li Hao. Though the phantom gave little away, his tone grew serious. “Swordsmanship entering the Dao at thirty? If we have the chance, I’d like to spar.”

Li Hao nodded. “I’d welcome the opportunity to exchange techniques.”

“I only managed to achieve spear techniques entering the Dao at sixty. Your comprehension ability is truly frightening,” Qingjiu admitted. Still, though he had taken longer, his spear path was an exceptionally powerful one. In his heart, he didn’t consider himself any weaker than Li Hao.

After all, while age was a point of comparison, the path of cultivation was a long one. In the life-and-death struggles of martial artists, age ultimately mattered little. Strength was strength, and weakness was weakness.

“I was merely fortunate,” Li Hao replied modestly.

“Qingfeng, do your best to represent the Canglan Realm. With your mastery of swordsmanship entering the Dao, securing a spot should not be difficult,” Yezu encouraged.

Li Hao nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

“When the Canglan Battle concludes, I’d like to discuss the Dao of Painting with you,” Zhantan remarked to Li Hao.

“We don’t necessarily have to wait until then. I’m always open to discussions whenever I have free time,” Li Hao replied. He knew Zhantan, a vice president of a significant organization and a Semi-Saint, also hailed from the Canglan Realm. He was unconcerned about her impacting the competition. On the contrary, discussing the Dao of Painting might deepen his own understanding. If he could reach the tenth tier in the Dao of Painting, it could even pave the way for his sacrificial sainthood.

“It’s better not to distract you during such a critical competition,” Zhantan shook her head.

“It won’t affect me. It’s just a battle—win or lose, it’s all the same. If I can only barely win at this stage, then there’s no point in continuing to participate in the later rounds,” Li Hao said candidly.

“Well said. With such clarity of thought, no wonder you’ve achieved such mastery of the Dao of Painting at such a young age,” Yezu commented, sighing in admiration.

“Well said indeed. If not for the top spot on the Supreme Genius Ranking, participating would be meaningless,” Green Ancestor agreed. Though they had all once been geniuses, achieving such detachment and confidence at Li Hao’s age was rare.

Zhantan seemed somewhat surprised. Though their interaction had been brief, she sensed from Li Hao a genuine indifference to fame and fortune. This wasn’t pretense but an innate quality.

After a moment of thought, she said, “Very well. Since your goal is first place, I won’t say more. After the Loose Cultivator Top Ten concludes, I’ll arrange for someone to escort you.”

“Alright,” Li Hao replied.

“When I finish dealing with my own matters, I’ll visit you as well. Let’s see if your cooking is as remarkable as you claim. Hopefully, it can satisfy me,” White Ancestor added with a smile.

Li Hao chuckled and agreed.

Yezu and Green Ancestor both expressed their intention to come cheer Li Hao on during his matches.

Qingjiu, hearing this, pretended to look aggrieved. “Why don’t you come cheer for me? You’re all so quick to cast me aside for someone new!”

“Get lost! You don’t need it. With your strength, you’re guaranteed to advance. I’m already starting to pity your opponents,” Yezu retorted.

Qingjiu sighed helplessly. “I won’t be revealing my full power until the later rounds.”

“Great, now he’s showing off again,” Green Ancestor remarked dryly.

“After his matches, we’ll go find him and give him a proper beating. Let’s see how much he shows off then,” Yezu added.

Qingjiu: “…”

Li Hao couldn’t help but laugh at their banter. After chatting a bit more, he bid farewell to the group.

When his consciousness returned to his body, Li Hao found himself back in his small courtyard. Having nothing urgent to do, he continued honing his carving skills.

Two days later, the Top Ten Ranking competition began.

This battle garnered significant attention. Although it was only a contest among loose cultivators from dozens of dynasties, anyone who made it into the top ten was unquestionably extraordinary. Afterward, these individuals would compete with the holy sons and daughters of the three sacred lands.

The purpose of this battle was to determine the ranking of the top ten. Li Hao had become one of the favorites for the championship. Another prominent contender was Chiguang, whose terrifying power had been noticed by many influential forces.

Li Qingyi and her companions arrived as promised, eager to witness this fierce competition. The performances in this battle would provide an early glimpse of the formidable opponents they might face later.

Unlike other sacred lands, whose representatives were veiled in secrecy, the loose cultivators’ battles were open, allowing an early look at potential adversaries.

Besides Li Qingyi’s group, several new faces appeared in the crowd.

Lin Qingying, Bian Ruxue, Qiu Wuhen, and others also arrived. These individuals were among the top ten of the Sword Ancestor Holy Land and would later represent their sacred land in the Canglan Realm’s competition.

Their purpose here was to gather intelligence on other participants. Notably, Li Hao, who had defeated the Haoyue Holy Son with a single sword strike, was competing in this event. While they hadn’t seen much point in observing his earlier matches, this Top Ten Ranking battle held greater intrigue. Would Li Hao still refrain from using his full strength?

“That Chiguang person also seems terrifying,” someone commented.

Various pieces of intelligence flowed through the air. Besides Li Hao, another standout in this competition was Chiguang, whose overwhelming strength created a significant gap between him and most of the other participants, much like the Haoyue Holy Son among the Sword Ancestor Holy Land's candidates.

...

Among the crowd, the Haoyue Holy Son, now dressed in luxurious white-and-gold attire, had altered his appearance. Even so, his distinctive aura made him stand out like a crane among chickens. He, too, had come to observe the competition.

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