Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 460

Volume 3 - Chapter 137: A Single Sword - Part 2

The gust of wind swept through, spreading along the divine sword and surging into the towering dharma form.

Standing at the forefront of the dharma form’s chest, the Haoyue Holy Son suddenly sensed a gentle sword intent. It carried no killing intent, no sharp edge, yet like the wind, it was elusive and indistinguishable.

Shock and fury surfaced in his eyes as he roared, using his dao domain to suppress it.

However, the seemingly weak sword intent passed through the layers of dao domain, brushing softly across his neck.

A faint, clean cut appeared, and blood seeped from the wound.

Yet, the injury refused to heal, as the lingering sword dao prevented it from closing.

The body of the Haoyue Holy Son shuddered, his pupils constricting to the extreme. His eyes were filled with terror and disbelief.

He reached toward his neck. The wound was small but far more humiliating than it was severe.

There was no doubt—he had lost this duel of sword dao.

"How is this possible?!"

The Haoyue Holy Son was incredulous. He could not understand how his sword dao, which ruled over the heavens and earth, founded upon the sun and moon and solid as a rock, could be defeated!

On the holy platform, the other holy sons and holy daughters were equally stunned. Though the wound on the Haoyue Holy Son’s neck was small, it was clearly visible. The seemingly fragile strike from his opponent had pierced through his dao domain and directly struck him.

Could this be… swordsmanship that had entered the dao?

...

Yao Zu and several other semi-saints bore grave expressions. The opponent’s mastery was not only at the level of entering the dao with swordsmanship, but their supreme soft sword dao was far more powerful and terrifying than they had anticipated.

After all, no one present had ever used such a method to enter the dao.

Sword dao exists in many forms, and only through comparison can one determine its superiority. Li Hao glanced at his opponent, ignoring the shocked and furious expression on the Haoyue Holy Son’s face, before turning toward Lin Qingying.

This strike, rather than being a duel, was more of a demonstration for Lin Qingying.

Lin Qingying stood rooted in place, dazed. The sun-and-moon sword intent in her mind had been shattered by the breeze Li Hao had just conjured, yet that breeze, along with the piercing brilliance of his sword light, had also etched itself deeply into her heart.

This was the supreme soft sword dao.

By meditating on this imprint, she, too, could eventually master this sword dao.

The previously broken sword intent began to reassemble.

Her eyes flickered between bewilderment and understanding. "Supreme softness—is this what it truly means?"

"Ultimate softness leads to ultimate strength. Extreme weakness gives rise to extreme power."

Li Hao murmured softly, "When softness reaches its pinnacle, it is neither water nor wind—it is atoms."

"Atoms?"

Lin Qingying froze, confusion surfacing in her gaze at this unfamiliar term.

Li Hao understood that such a concept was hard to explain at this world’s level. However, for those cultivating the supreme soft sword dao, reaching this depth of understanding was inevitable, though they might use different terminology—perhaps calling it the supreme micro.

"Grains of sand can form a mountain; mountains and rivers constitute the heavens and earth. Then, what forms the grains of sand? What composes the water? What gathers to create the wind?"

Li Hao spoke lightly, his words both a question and a guide.

Lin Qingying stood there, lost in thought. Gradually, a glimmer of realization appeared in her eyes, followed by a hint of awe.

So, this was the supreme soft sword dao?

By taking the foundation of all things as its basis, even the vast sun and moon were ultimately composed of the tiniest elements.

Thus, the supreme soft sword dao was not merely a small path but an immensely formidable great dao!

Lin Qingying’s heart trembled at this revelation. She even felt that if she truly comprehended this path, its power might surpass even the Sword Saint’s All-Living Sword Dao!

At this moment, she finally understood why Li Hao had so effortlessly shattered the majestic Sun-and-Moon Divine Sword with a single, seemingly delicate strike.

At the most minute level, her opponent’s dao was riddled with flaws and imperfections—each one a trajectory extending from his sword dao!

...

"Is this... my sword dao?"

Lin Qingying muttered in a trance, but then, suddenly struck by a thought, she looked toward Li Hao.

"This is my sword dao. Do you also cultivate the supreme soft sword intent? Or are you merely..."

Her heart quivered, and she hesitated to continue the question.

If Li Hao had merely demonstrated her sword dao, it meant he possessed another sword dao of his own!

Mastering two sword daos!

If even her sword dao, used as a demonstration, was this terrifying, what kind of sword dao did Li Hao himself wield, and how powerful could it be?

While the two conversed, the Haoyue Holy Son’s expression grew increasingly unhinged with anger. His opponent had sparred with him, yet their focus had not been on the duel but rather on helping Lin Qingying reconstruct her sword dao.

This level of disregard utterly infuriated him.

"Show me your own sword dao and face me!"

He growled angrily.

Li Hao raised his head and glanced at him, replying coldly, "You are unworthy of seeing my sword dao."

The Haoyue Holy Son’s face twitched as if he had been slapped. A mix of rage and powerlessness surged within him.

He knew that with just the sword dao Li Hao had displayed earlier, defeating him was already impossible.

This battle was lost. Furthermore, cracks had begun to appear in his recently improved Sun-and-Moon Sword Dao, leaving him on the brink of a mental collapse.

"To hide behind a façade—what kind of skill is that? You wield such sword dao yet masquerade as a Dan Master. Who are you, really? What is your purpose in infiltrating our Sword Ancestor Holy Land?"

The Haoyue Holy Son’s gaze turned icy as he stared fixedly at Li Hao.

Previously, he had refrained from questioning, intending to defeat Li Hao first before interrogating him to restore his sword dao to perfection. But now that his sword dao was shattered, he wanted nothing more than to grind Li Hao’s bones into dust.

Hearing the Haoyue Holy Son’s accusations, Lin Qingying snapped back to reality, her face turning pale.

She suddenly realized that Li Hao’s mastery of such extraordinary swordsmanship marked him as no ordinary person. The grievous injuries from when she had found him being hunted by enemies likely came from a terrifyingly strong adversary—perhaps even a semi-saint.

Now, by revealing his swordsmanship for her sake, Li Hao had not only exposed himself but placed himself in extreme danger, a decision bound to cost him dearly.

Realizing this, Lin Qingying’s expression darkened. She stepped forward, shielding Li Hao behind her.

"Qingfeng is injured. I brought him back to the holy land to recover. He never intended to infiltrate our holy land and has done nothing to harm it."

The Haoyue Holy Son sneered. "How do you know he didn’t deliberately feign injury to approach you? You’re nothing more than a pawn being used. Conveniently arriving during the Sword Deity Battle, infiltrating our holy land to spy on our sword dao… And how could he have used your sword dao unless you secretly taught it to him? That alone is a serious crime!"

Lin Qingying’s face fell. She had not deliberately taught Li Hao anything, but if she practiced her sword dao before him and he comprehended it, it could indeed be considered an indirect transmission.

"To impose guilt where none exists—is this how you react to defeat in sword dao?"

Li Hao’s calm tone cut through the tense atmosphere.

When he chose to stand up for Lin Qingying, he had already anticipated such consequences. The risks and rewards were clear in his mind.

Yet he would still make the same choice. To repay kindness with kindness and vengeance with vengeance—this was his core belief. If he were to abandon that belief, he would no longer be himself.

He could risk his life for vengeance; why not do the same for gratitude?

Li Hao’s words caused the Haoyue Holy Son’s face to contort, his mouth twitching in silent fury. Though he clenched his teeth to suppress his anger, his humiliation was evident.

"Give me ten years," the Haoyue Holy Son finally muttered, "and I will enter the dao with my Sun-and-Moon Sword Intent. At that time, I will cut you down! You wield only a minor path—ten years from now, I will surpass you!"

Murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He knew there were those stronger than him—semi-saint elders or past prodigies within the holy land who had reached the dao law realm. He could accept their strength because they had cultivated for far longer than he had.

But given a hundred more years of cultivation, he was confident that he would surpass them all.

Li Hao recognized that the Haoyue Holy Son was using these words to steady his own dao heart and sword dao. He didn’t bother to respond. With his earlier strike, he could have sent his sword intent directly into the Haoyue Holy Son’s sea of consciousness, shattering his sword intent and imprinting his own within, much like what the Haoyue Holy Son had done to Lin Qingying.

But Li Hao knew it would be futile. With the Haoyue Holy Son’s master being the Sword Saint, any such imprint could be easily erased.

The outcome of the battle was already clear. On the platform, as the reality of the Haoyue Holy Son’s defeat settled in, the audience below fell into stunned silence. Shock and disbelief were written across their faces.

The youngest and most talented prodigy of the Sword Ancestor Holy Land had been defeated by sword dao. Who was this mysterious figure—a reclusive elder in disguise?

...

Yao Zu’s gaze shifted from Li Hao to the Sword Saint, whose disciple now bore a shattered sword dao in need of repair. The question remained—how would the Sword Saint respond?

Her thoughts wandered to a certain painting and the clear, innocent gaze of the young man in its depiction. A faint sigh escaped her lips before she spoke in a voice as soft as celestial music:

"Qingfeng Dan Master, as the Holy Daughter Qingying has explained, you arrived here injured. Given your strength, you must also be a holy son from another sacred land, correct?"

During Li Hao’s earlier battle, his sword qi had been imbued with myriad attributes. While these attributes concealed his true power, the faint traces that leaked out revealed him to be at the Dao Seeker Realm.

Such mastery of sword dao, combined with his realm, marked him as no ordinary individual. Someone of his caliber must hail from an extraordinary background.

The idea that a holy son from another sacred land would risk infiltrating the Sword Ancestor Holy Land just to spar with Lin Qingying seemed implausible.

This much, Yao Zu and the other semi-saint elders could all see.

However, in matters such as these, the truth often mattered less than the outcome. Just as when the Haoyue Holy Son had crippled Lin Qingying’s sword dao—the truth had been secondary to the perception of victory.

The world revered strength. A strong person could speak softly and still be heard; a weak person could shout and be ignored.

Even the same words, when spoken by the weak, would be mocked, while those uttered by the strong would be taken as wisdom.

Yao Zu’s words subtly guided the audience’s perception. She wanted them to realize that Li Hao was someone of great importance—someone whose actions could not be casually condemned as infiltration or theft.

Li Hao understood the intent behind her words. He glanced at her and noticed the faint smile in her eyes. A sense of gratitude welled up within him.

Even the kindness of giving a painting was returned in the form of her speaking up for him now.

"It is true. I was injured and found myself in the Holy Daughter Qingying’s courtyard to recuperate. I have no intention of offending the holy land," Li Hao said softly.

Yao Zu nodded slightly and smiled. "And now? What are your plans? Will you join the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, apprenticing within our sect, or will you return to your homeland?"

Li Hao had been asked the same question before by the Sword Lord. His original intention had been to stay quietly within the holy land, refining skills such as carving, fishing, and chess to the eighth or ninth level—or perhaps even reaching perfection in one of them. With that foundation, he could use the art to step into sainthood and exact vengeance upon the Void Saint.

But now, he realized that a peaceful existence here was no longer possible.

Wherever conflict brewed, tranquility would be fleeting.

"I do wish to apprentice here, but I have formidable enemies. Should I join your sect, I might bring calamity to your holy land."

Li Hao bowed his head slightly, speaking humbly.

Yao Zu chuckled softly. "You were pursued by your enemies to this place? With your mastery of sword dao, I presume your enemies must be semi-saints. Even so, the Sword Ancestor Holy Land could protect you!"

The other semi-saint elders observed Li Hao keenly, hearing the implication in Yao Zu’s words. With his talent and strength, regardless of his age, Li Hao was a prodigy. Recruiting him would undoubtedly benefit the holy land.

Li Hao remained silent for a moment. He knew that some truths could no longer be withheld. Without clarification, his presence here would remain a source of tension.

"More than one."

He spoke softly.

"More than one?"

Yao Zu’s eyes narrowed. "More than one semi-saint?"

Lin Qingying turned to Li Hao in shock. Had he truly been hunted by multiple semi-saints? How was that possible? A single semi-saint was already terrifying enough.

Li Hao shook his head. "Not semi-saints."

Hearing this, Yao Zu froze momentarily. Her pupils then contracted sharply. If not semi-saints, could it be saints?

Was his enemy a saint?

Lin Qingying also seemed to understand, her eyes wide with astonishment. Li Hao’s grievous injuries had been inflicted by a saint?!

The Haoyue Holy Son, still hovering midair, heard these words and his expression shifted. He looked at the sword-wielding youth in disbelief. Was his enemy truly a saint?

The disciples below began to murmur as realization set in. Saints were akin to the sun and moon in the heavens—unreachable. To hear their dao was a rare blessing. Yet Li Hao had not only encountered a saint but made one his enemy?

Yao Zu’s initial shock subsided. She understood that Li Hao would not lie about such matters—especially regarding saints.

Her heart wavered. Recruiting a disciple with such formidable enemies might bring disaster to the holy land.

She turned her gaze toward the Sword Saint, who was also staring at Li Hao. The Sword Saint likely understood that pressing Li Hao for the identity of his enemy would be futile. Revealing such a name would be akin to exposing oneself completely.

There must have been deeper reasons behind the enmity with a saint.

This situation was far from simple. Such a person was unsuitable for the Sword Ancestor Holy Land.

Still, the thought of capturing Li Hao and delivering him to his saint-level enemies as a gesture of goodwill crossed the Sword Saint’s mind.

...

As he contemplated, a voice suddenly echoed, interrupting the silence.

"He is a disciple of the Supreme Saint, a genius with unmatched potential. At just 28 years old, he is beyond what the Sword Ancestor Holy Land can accommodate."

With the words, a figure drifted gracefully into view, followed by two sword attendants wearing bronze masks.

The newcomer was none other than the Sword Lord.

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