Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 440

Volume 3 - Chapter 128: Yao Zu, Sword Intent Advances - Part 2

Li Hao hadn’t expected that this Semi-Saint had been so remarkable in his youth. It confirmed that anyone who could become a Semi-Saint must have been an unparalleled genius in their prime.

This was precisely why adversities grew increasingly difficult—those who could cultivate to such a degree were once capable of defeating enemies across realms, unrivaled and peerless.

If Semi-Saints were already so monstrous, then Saints were in a league of their own.

“Enough talk. Place your bets; it’s about to begin,” Lin Shanhai said lazily.

The group began placing their bets one after another.

Li Hao turned his gaze toward the challenger’s platform. A tall, graceful young man stood upon it, exuding an elegant demeanor.

The opponent’s aura wasn’t concealed but flowed naturally. Like a true dragon standing proudly on the stage, he appeared refined yet radiated an overbearing presence.

Before long, a challenger stepped onto the stage.

However, the challenger was quickly defeated. The young man merely released his dao domain, instantly suppressing the opponent to immobility.

Next came the second challenger, then the third—one after another. Each was easily defeated until the seventh challenger, who seemed to be an exceptional inner disciple. Their dao domains clashed, leading to a fierce battle with swords drawn.

Both combatants displayed sword techniques imbued with peak-level seventh-stage sword momentum, their ferocity evident.

“Basic understanding acquired. Record it?”

A notification flashed before Li Hao’s eyes.

The corners of his lips curled into a smile as he chose to record.

Soon, various movement techniques and sword techniques were added to his interface.

Four new techniques appeared on the interface, corresponding to the movement and sword techniques demonstrated by the two combatants.

As the techniques were recorded, a flood of information surged into Li Hao’s mind. He absorbed and comprehended it, savoring it slowly. Before long, he had mastered the techniques. Although his movement skill wasn’t quite as refined as theirs, his insights into the eighth-stage of swordsmanship enabled him to elevate their sword techniques to a higher level, extracting their sword intent.

With this, Li Hao observed their sword moves again, realizing that while they seemed fierce, they had glaring flaws.

If one grasped the sword intent, a single strike could shatter their sword momentum!

Momentum lacking intent was weak and easily broken.

However, upon comprehending the sword intent within these two techniques, Li Hao felt a faint improvement in his Sole-Self Sword Intent.

His Sole-Self Sword Intent could sever anything he wished to sever.

But to truly achieve this, he needed a profound understanding of all things in the world.

Only through understanding could he dismantle them.

In other words, the more sword intents I gather, the stronger my Sole-Self Sword Intent becomes... Li Hao realized this clearly. Then, a curious thought struck him—could sword intent be divided into levels?

If he accumulated enough sword intent, could his Sole-Self Sword Intent reach a state of true perfection?

Li Hao’s eyes gleamed. No matter what, the more sword intents he collected, the more formidable his Sole-Self Sword Intent would become.

Li Hao’s divine sense spread out, simultaneously observing the battles across ten stages.

Before long, a series of notifications chimed.

“Basic understanding acquired. Record it?”

Yes, yes, yes!

Li Hao continuously confirmed, and the number of techniques on his interface grew rapidly. Most were centered around swordsmanship and movement techniques. The Sword Ancestor Holy Land was notably pure, placing utmost reverence on the Way of the Sword.

Unlike academies or other top-tier factions, which dabbled in various techniques, the Holy Land was led by Saints who each cultivated their own saintly paths. Thus, the cultivation here was singularly focused and pure.

At first glance, this might seem lacking in versatility, but extreme purity often led to mastery, producing individuals capable of dominating a region.

When swordsmanship is sufficiently strong, it can cut through all things.

When martial arts techniques are sufficiently powerful, they can suppress all laws.

Cultivation in the Holy Land progressed faster, not merely because of the dense energy present but because of its purity.

Purity often touched the pinnacle.

Only when one reached a bottleneck, unable to advance further, would they gradually expand into other techniques to enhance their versatility.

Through observation, Li Hao realized that his movement techniques were on par with ordinary inner disciples but far inferior to the top-tier geniuses among them.

These prodigies had honed their movement techniques for decades, reaching around the sixth stage.

However, Li Hao possessed the Void Extreme Realm, compensating for his shortcomings in movement techniques.

As Li Hao recorded more sword techniques, his understanding of sword intent also grew.

The sword techniques displayed by these inner disciples were all at the Dao-level.

In the Sword Ancestor Holy Land, Dao-level sword techniques were abundant, with each disciple mastering them to varying depths.

By the time Li Hao had recorded techniques from several rounds, he estimated that he had already "borrowed" ninety percent of the Sword Ancestor Holy Land’s sword techniques.

These techniques, when viewed through his eighth-stage insights, were distilled into pure sword intent.

With dozens, even hundreds of sword intents absorbed, Li Hao’s mind began to feel somewhat overwhelmed despite his robust physique. Yet his Sole-Self Sword Intent integrated the newfound knowledge, becoming even more terrifying.

When Lin Qingying had demonstrated her swordsmanship earlier, Li Hao had perceived her vulnerabilities, which he could easily exploit. But now, he felt he could effortlessly counter her strongest Supreme Soft Sword Intent.

His comprehensive understanding of numerous sword intents enabled him to discern their flaws. His grasp of sword intent was approaching the level of Dao.

Below the stages, the battles continued. Li Hao observed them quietly. Earlier, the youth named Jingfeng had already concluded his matches. After winning his seventh match, he achieved ten consecutive victories, directly advancing to the top hundred.

In his tenth match, Jingfeng encountered a formidable opponent. He unleashed three powers of the extreme realms to secure victory, causing a stir among the crowd.

These three extreme realms were the initial three: Divine Strength, Heaven and Earth Meridian, and Heaven and Earth Manifestation.

Particularly, Heaven and Earth Manifestation signified that the soul he had bonded with was not merely that of a Saint but the essence of Heaven and Earth itself—a hallmark of those destined for sainthood.

Possessing such an extreme realm indicated immense potential for achieving sainthood.

Li Hao had only recently learned that without Heaven and Earth Manifestation, even with the support of incense, one could carry merely two sticks’ worth of incense energy to attain sainthood. Such Saints would forever remain in the first stage of Saint cultivation, unable to ascend further, making them the weakest Saints.

After all, without the capacity to embody Heaven and Earth, how could one hold the entirety of all living beings?

Li Hao continued observing the battles for hours. Initially, the disciples on each stage displayed unique sword techniques and movement skills, along with occasional other techniques. But as the matches progressed, overlaps began to emerge.

Even so, the experience was highly rewarding for Li Hao, leaving him deeply satisfied.

As the opportunities to record more sword techniques dwindled, Li Hao returned to his painting.

This time, he aimed to capture the entirety of the ten stages, including the numerous outer disciples gathered below.

However, since there were too many outer disciples to depict individually, Li Hao focused mainly on the inner disciples clashing on the ten stages.

To prepare for such an ambitious artwork, he had brought out an enormous painting scroll, tens of meters long.

Ordinary paper would never suffice to encompass such a vast and magnificent scene.

Noticing Li Hao’s actions, the nearby Shi Huajin and others were astonished. When they saw the details of his brushstrokes, they were even more surprised. At a glance, it was clear that Li Hao’s skill in painting was extraordinary—not merely a casual hobby but a craft honed to an exceptional level.

This time, Li Hao painted even more slowly, entirely focused on meticulous details.

Gradually, a grand and vivid depiction of the battles on the ten stages unfolded on the canvas, expanding to include the dynamic figures of the inner disciples.

In the distance, Yao Zu noticed the enormous painting scroll Li Hao had unfurled. She probed it with her divine sense, her expression revealing some surprise.

Before long, she discerned Li Hao’s intent, her eyes gleaming with understanding and her lips curling into a faint smile.

Such a grand scene was indeed worth preserving in a painting as a memento.

After all, as warriors, they rarely had the leisure or inclination to pursue such artistic endeavors.

“This Qingfeng Dan Master is painting the battles on the ten stages. It looks magnificent. Once he finishes, why don’t we purchase the piece and hang it in the Sword Tower for decoration? That way, future disciples visiting the Sword Tower can better understand the Sword Deity Battle,” Yao Zu suggested suddenly.

Next to her, Shan Zu, a burly middle-aged Semi-Saint, raised an eyebrow and extended his divine sense toward the painting, his eyes revealing a trace of admiration.

After some thought, he said, “Indeed, his painting skills are exceptional. This is not merely about precision and resemblance—the unique charm in his work is something I could never replicate.”

Although Shan Zu had previously admonished Li Hao for probing into his affairs, his appreciation for Li Hao’s artistic skill was evident.

For warriors, their advanced control over their bodies often allowed them to paint with lifelike precision.

But capturing such a profound essence—that intangible charm—was something else entirely. They could perceive it but couldn’t emulate it.

The elder nearby glanced at the painting but said nothing, his gaze returning to the stages.

Seeing no objections, Yao Zu smiled. The Sword Tower was where all disciples of the Holy Land went to select techniques. A painting with Li Hao’s signature would ensure that his name endured for generations.

In her view, whether commoners or rulers, everyone aspired to be remembered for eternity.

Her proposal was her way of helping Li Hao achieve that goal.

As long as the Sword Ancestor Holy Land stood, his name would endure.

...

Time passed, and as the battles on the stages drew to a close, Li Hao finally completed his stunning masterpiece.

The ten stages stood tall, the sacred mountain loomed majestically, and the gathered inner disciples were vividly portrayed, each with their own distinct expressions. Even the outer disciples, though depicted en masse, featured recognizable faces.

The swords, the sword qi, and the techniques unleashed during the battles were all meticulously rendered, making the painting feel like an epic tale of combat.

This was an era of unparalleled geniuses, their brilliance shining at its brightest.

Lin Shanhai and others, who had initially been betting, gradually lost interest in wagers, engrossed instead in following Li Hao’s brushstrokes.

The painting seemed even more captivating than watching the battles directly, its vividness stirring their emotions and igniting their fighting spirit.

As Li Hao finished the final strokes, his interface displayed a notification.

"Painting Dao experience +762,892."

Seven hundred sixty-two thousand!

Li Hao had spent almost an entire day painting, from the early stages of the battles to their conclusion.

The massive amount of experience gained far surpassed any of his previous paintings.

...

Finally, as the ink dried, Li Hao rolled up the painting with care. Just as he prepared to rest, Yao Zu’s voice reached his ears.

“Are you free? Come over for a moment.”

Hearing the message, Li Hao paused, glancing at her. Seeing her signaling toward him, he was a bit surprised.

After some thought, he rose and said to Lin Shanhai, “Old Lin, Yao Zu has summoned me. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Huh?”

Lin Shanhai and the other alchemists were stunned upon hearing this.

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