Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 461

Volume 3 - Chapter 138: Postnatal Dao Embryo, Loose Cultivator’s Challenge - Part 1

When the Sword Lord appeared, all the disciples present were stunned.

The Sword Lord was extremely enigmatic, residing in the Sword Tower year-round. Most disciples, when visiting the Sword Tower to select techniques, had no opportunity to meet him. They had only heard his name, but very few had ever seen his face.

At this moment, the Sword Lord’s voice rang out, clear and calm, yet each word fell like a drop of water striking stone, reverberating in everyone’s ears.

“Twenty-eight years old?”

“A disciple under the Supreme Saint?!”

As the disciples comprehended the Sword Lord’s words, the once noisy discussions fell into silence once again.

The crowd of disciples below the stage were all dumbfounded, wondering if they had misheard. Was that young man on the stage truly only 28 years old?

He had cultivated for less than 30 years, yet his swordsmanship had surpassed Haoyue Holy Son’s. Without even displaying an Extreme Realm, he had defeated him purely with swordsmanship.

What kind of monstrous genius was this?!

Bian Ruxue, Qiu Wuhen, and the others were also stunned. Qiu Wuhen’s eyes widened slightly. The fishing companion he had casually met was not only an exceptional swordsman but also younger than him?

How was that possible?

Qiu Wuhen often met Li Hao while fishing. For someone of that age to possess such swordsmanship, he could only think it was the result of relentless training.

Yet, Li Hao had always seemed so leisurely.

“Twenty-eight years old? That’s only a year older than Xue’er Holy Daughter.”

“But his swordsmanship has already entered the Dao. Reaching the Dao Seeker Realm at 28 is already an incredible feat, let alone comprehending such extraordinary swordsmanship simultaneously.”

“Even with a Dao Heart or Dao Body, allowing for effortless enlightenment, it shouldn’t be this fast.”

Many Holy Sons and Holy Daughters revealed astonished expressions. Swordsmanship like this would have been more believable if it had been cultivated over a century, but to achieve it in only 28 years was simply outrageous.

Bian Ruxue was also frozen in place. Other than during her childhood, this was her first time encountering a peer who was so extraordinary. Yet, his strength left her far behind. That one sword strike was the very image of what she pursued in her heart.

...

On the high platform, several Semi-Saint elders were visibly moved. The Sword Lord’s words could not be wrong; he must have verified Li Hao’s age with the Bone Reflection Mirror. Even so, they couldn’t hide their astonishment and disbelief at such a revelation.

The Sword Saint glanced at the Sword Lord, understanding the implication of his words.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he fell into deep thought. Forging a good relationship with someone like this wouldn’t be a bad idea.

However, for such a monstrous genius to have been hunted by a Saint and forced to roam here, the situation was likely very complicated.

“Since he is a disciple of the Supreme Saint, today’s sparring match between you two shall be treated as a friendly exchange. In the future, should you still be interested, you can settle this fully during the Heavenly Battle of Saints. Then, you may go all out.”

The Sword Saint spoke, framing the earlier battle between Haoyue Holy Son and Li Hao as a sparring match. This was also to preserve the reputation of the Sword Ancestor Holy Land. Otherwise, if Haoyue had truly given his all and was still easily defeated by Li Hao, it would have left many disciples of the Sword Ancestor Holy Land feeling hopeless.

Hearing his master’s words, Haoyue Holy Son’s dazed expression cleared, but his eyes flashed with complex emotions.

He fully understood his master’s intentions, but he still felt frustrated.

If Li Hao had been hundreds of years old, losing wouldn’t have mattered. After all, by the time he himself reached that age, he would surely surpass what he was now.

However, in this battle, he had gone all out and still been completely defeated. To make matters worse, the other party was younger than him.

Now, his master had to lie to cover for him, leaving him humiliated and uneasy.

Li Hao picked up on the Sword Saint’s intentions but naturally chose not to expose him. Otherwise, it would have been too direct a slap in the face.

After all, this was their territory. He had to bow his head somewhat.

...

Beside him, Lin Qingying appeared dazed. She hadn’t expected the man she had casually brought back to be a disciple of the Supreme Saint. It was like picking up some random trash, only to find it was a piece of gold.

With the Sword Saint’s words, the commotion finally began to subside.

The disciples all snapped back to reality, their expressions varied.

Whether Haoyue Holy Son had gone all out was unknown, but he had revealed his Heavenly Avatar for the first time, showing at least a significant portion of his power. Even so, he had still been defeated, highlighting how terrifying Li Hao was.

Such a person was destined to shine brilliantly in the future.

...

In the floating seats, Lin Shanhai and the other alchemists were abuzz with excitement.

“Qingfeng is actually a disciple of the Supreme Saint! How did he develop such skill in refining medicinal materials?”

“Is he a swordsman or an alchemist?”

“Old Lin, didn’t you confidently claim his ancestors were alchemists?”

Zhao Yingzhen and the others, shaken by Li Hao’s display of strength, couldn’t resist teasing Lin Shanhai.

Lin Shanhai was speechless. How could he possibly know?

Yet, thinking back, he remembered asking Li Hao about it several times. That crafty kid had always responded with a knowing smile, neither confirming nor denying.

What a cunning brat!

Lin Shanhai sighed inwardly. After living for so many years, he had been outwitted by a youngster.

Nonetheless, seeing Li Hao stand up for Lin Qingying this time filled him with a sense of gratitude.

...

“Given your age, you’ll likely participate in the Heavenly Battle of Saints. When that time comes, I’ll challenge you again.”

Haoyue Holy Son’s voice was transmitted to Li Hao as he turned and left with a dark expression. Today’s battle had shaken him to the core, driving him to train even more fervently to achieve a breakthrough in the coming days.

Li Hao, hearing these words, didn’t take them seriously. Instead, he turned to Lin Qingying. This battle was partly to avenge her and partly to help her reshape her sword intent.

Sparring matches between disciples were common, and losing was simply a matter of insufficient skill—not something to brood over.

However, the malicious intent that had led to deliberate injury was what had angered him enough to take action.

“Your sword.”

Li Hao handed the Azure Edge Sword back to Lin Qingying, saying, “If you want to learn the technique I just used, I can draw it for you later.”

Now that he had been exposed, he saw no point in hiding anymore and spoke frankly.

Hearing his words, Lin Qingying snapped out of her daze. She looked at the Azure Edge Sword, which had just displayed its might, then raised her gaze to the young man’s face. Biting her lip slightly, she said, “So, all those comments you made about my posture earlier were just excuses?”

Li Hao immediately recalled pointing out her arm, waist, and other areas, offering his “evaluations.” He smiled sheepishly and said, “Not entirely. I was also considering aesthetic balance.”

Lin Qingying bit her lip, staring at him in silence. Her expressive eyes seemed to ask, “Do you really think I’ll believe you?”

Li Hao coughed lightly, shifting his gaze to her abdomen. The wound there had already healed, but the powerful Dao Force within her Dao Embryo was gone.

He asked softly, “Can your Dao Embryo be restored?”

At the mention of her Dao Embryo, Lin Qingying’s expression dimmed, and she shook her head slightly. “A Dao Embryo is innate. Once destroyed, it cannot be restored.”

Li Hao looked up toward the Sword Lord, who was now conversing with the Sword Saint and the elders. His eyes flickered as he wondered if asking for the Sword Lord’s help might be a solution to restoring Lin Qingying’s Dao Embryo.

As Li Hao pondered, the Sword Lord turned to him and beckoned. “Come here.”

Startled, Li Hao felt as though the Sword Lord had read his thoughts. He immediately said to Lin Qingying, “Let’s go see if the Sword Lord can help.”

At the mention of the Sword Lord, a glimmer of hope appeared in Lin Qingying’s eyes. She nodded and followed Li Hao to where the Sword Saint and the Sword Lord were standing.

“Greetings, Sword Lord, Sword Saint, and elders,” Li Hao said with a respectful bow.

Lin Qingying also bowed her head.

The Sword Lord looked at Lin Qingying. The smile on his face faded as he sighed softly, glancing at the Sword Saint without saying a word.

Although he hadn’t observed much of the battle, as a Saint, he could glean the entire truth from even the smallest clues.

Toward the Sword Saint’s tacit actions, all he could do was sigh. After all, he knew him too well and wasn’t surprised.

...

Table of Content - Next Chapter >>>