Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 361

Volume 3 - Chapter 80: News from Feng Lao - Part 2

The Six Layers of Dao Domain instantly enveloped the surroundings. With a loud bang, it was as though two massive hands had seized Jiang Lichen's radiance, extinguishing it entirely and forcing it back into his body. Frozen in place as though time had stopped, he was unable to move within the domain.

Li Hao refrained from fully unleashing the Dao Domain’s rules; otherwise, it would have instantly torn him apart.

"You…"

Jiang Lichen's eyes barely moved, filled with shock and disbelief.

Li Hao gradually dissipated his power, retracting the Dao Domain.

The light surrounding Jiang Lichen erupted outward, but his sword-wielding stance froze midair as he stared blankly at Li Hao.

After a long time, he suddenly rushed forward and said, "Six Layers of Dao Domain? Is this your limit?"

Li Hao shook his head slightly.

Jiang Lichen appeared dazed but quickly burst into laughter, exclaiming:

"Good! Good! Good! I thought my sword was already sharp enough, but it seems I still have a long way to go!"

"The day I can split your Dao Domain will be the day I reach the Dao Seeker Realm!"

Li Hao was momentarily intrigued and asked, "Does the prince have any knowledge of the Dao Seeker Realm?"

"Knowledge? Hardly. Are you curious?"

Seeing Li Hao’s curiosity, Jiang Lichen chuckled twice and didn’t hold back:

"Even with your background in the Divine General Mansion, unless your ancestor from the Li family told you personally, these kinds of true secrets aren’t recorded in books. Some old codgers are like that—preferring to take their secrets to the grave rather than letting them spread."

Bringing the topic back, he explained:

"The Dao Seeker Realm is divided into two stages: the True Person Stage and the Dao Law Realm."

"The Daoist Lord of Qiandao Palace resides in the True Person Stage. Breaking the rules of the Dao Domain to touch upon the true Great Dao, shedding the false to preserve the genuine, and transitioning from techniques to Dao—this is the True Person Stage of the Dao Seeker Realm!"

He continued, "The Dao Law Realm, however, is even more mysterious and powerful. With the laws of the Dao Domain, one’s words dictate reality—summoning winds and rains, perceiving the Great Dao of heaven and earth. At this stage, one transcends mere techniques and masters the essence of laws!"

"Techniques are the surface, Dao is the bone, and laws are the flesh!"

Jiang Lichen glanced at Li Hao and remarked, "All cultivation methods, secret techniques, and even ultimate techniques merely scratch the surface. Even the best of them only barely touch upon the truth but remain outside the threshold of Dao."

"Only after crossing that threshold can one truly enter the Dao and leverage its laws. With minimal effort, you can exert the strength of a hundredfold!"

Li Hao was slightly stunned. He had asked casually, not expecting Jiang Lichen to possess such detailed knowledge about the Dao Seeker Realm.

The True Person Stage and the Dao Law Realm...

To dictate reality with words—wasn’t that akin to being an immortal?

Li Hao’s gaze flickered. No wonder the avatars of the two Desolate Gods were so difficult to kill. Even the True Person Stage could condense the power of the Great Dao, which was indestructible. True Persons used Dao power to forge their bodies, rendering the Dao Domain’s effects negligible.

The gap between these realms was like that between clouds and mud.

"You are exceptionally talented. If you can let go of fame and ambition and focus on cultivating here, you will undoubtedly achieve great success in the future," Jiang Lichen remarked as he observed Li Hao deep in thought.

He added, "Don’t listen to my brother, running around saving those commoners. So what if they all die? The common people are inherently ignorant, born to serve as stepping stones for others. For them, dying early is a blessing—they can reincarnate and be born into a wealthy family, saving themselves a hundred or so years of hard work. It’s actually a good thing."

Li Hao froze, momentarily speechless.

It was hard to imagine such words coming from a prince; they sounded more like those of a villain.

"Besides, Great Yu runs deeper than you think. Even if you don’t go to Youzhou or Qingzhou, at most, some commoners will die. Once these demons and monsters cross the line, someone will step in to slay them."

Jiang Lichen sneered, his eyes glinting faintly:

"Although Great Yu has declined, it still has some things that can intimidate others. Do you think the divine arrays in the cities of the Five Divine General Mansions only serve to protect the commoners? Heh, just focus on cultivating here."

With that, he turned and flew back to the city.

Li Hao was stunned but followed him back to the courtyard.

When he saw Jiang Lichen sitting back in his previous spot as if nothing had happened, Li Hao felt at a loss. It seemed the prince intended to stay here indefinitely.

"Your Highness, what did you mean by the divine arrays?" Li Hao asked curiously.

Jiang Lichen waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Don’t think too much about it. The less you know, the better. Fewer distractions make for clearer cultivation."

Li Hao smiled wryly, seeing that Jiang Lichen wouldn’t elaborate. He could only say, "Your Highness, this is a border town with many affairs to manage. Perhaps you should consider another location."

"Until I can break your Dao Domain, I’m not leaving."

Jiang Lichen snorted lightly and ignored Li Hao, his gaze briefly falling on Ren Qianqian. His eyes lingered on the sword in her hands before he let out a faint sneer and turned away.

Ren Qianqian, relieved to see Li Hao return safely, suddenly noticed the prince's disdainful look. Bewildered and unsure why, she thought to herself: Even if my cultivation is low, surely you, esteemed and virtuous, wouldn’t look down on me like this?

Li Hao felt helpless as the prince made himself at home. However, since the other party was a prince, forcibly driving him away was not an option. He could only say, "Suit yourself, as long as you don’t disturb me."

"You do your thing, and I’ll do mine," Jiang Lichen replied.

Seeing his response, Li Hao said nothing more.

Time passed...

Soldiers moved in and out of the courtyard, reporting on the search for Feng Lao, but there was no news.

Moreover, there was no word from Tianji Tower, which Li Hao had also tasked with investigating. Not only was Feng Lao missing, but even the little white fox had vanished without a trace.

According to Qianqian, the little fox had disappeared one day without warning. Initially thought to be playing somewhere, its absence by nightfall raised alarm.

When search teams were sent beyond the city, no traces of it could be found—no signs of battle, either. The trail ended abruptly at the spot where its fur had last been detected.

"I hope the little thing hasn’t met a terrible fate…" Li Hao murmured with a slight frown, sighing inwardly.

"Are you looking for someone?"

Jiang Lichen, immersed in comprehending sword Dao in the courtyard, raised an eyebrow after overhearing the soldiers’ reports. He glanced at Li Hao and said:

"When I came to the River of Death to assist you earlier, I didn’t notice much activity there. So I thought I’d look around this area instead. I did see someone fighting outside the city. Could it be the person you’re searching for?"

Li Hao froze. "Fighting outside the city?"

"Did Your Highness see who it was?"

"I didn’t pay much attention. One of them had excellent movement techniques, but unfortunately, they were up against someone in the Supreme Dao Realm. Movement techniques alone wouldn’t save them."

Li Hao’s heart sank. Excellent movement techniques?

"When did this happen?"

"Half a month ago," Jiang Lichen replied after some thought.

"Half a month ago…" Li Hao was taken aback. This would have been after Feng Lao’s battle with Li Tiangang.

Could it be that after his confrontation with Li Tiangang, Feng Lao had stayed in the shadows, continuing to protect Cangya City, only to encounter another battle?

...

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