Chapter 9: Martial Dao Nine Grades

"Lao San, don't you think our child seems to have grown a lot taller recently?"

"Huh? It seems like a bit."

"The clothes the child wears all look a lot smaller."

"Maybe, maybe it's the autumn harvest, we've been eating a bit better at home lately?"

Inside the thatched cottage, looking at Li Xiang who was already fast asleep, the couple spoke softly.

"Our child doesn't seem quite right lately..."

"Ever since our child started studying, the whole person has been silly, and when there's nothing to do, he always likes to talk to himself, and sometimes he even holds flowers and grass to eat in his mouth."

"Husband, do you think our child has been studied into a fool?"

By the moonlight, Yun Xiu looked at Li Xiang, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, with some worry.

It hadn't even been half a month, and the child had shot up by a head in height.

The child of Old Man Liu next door is already six years old, and he is only about as tall as him.

This is too terrifying; even a beast wouldn't dare grow this fast!

Growing a head taller in half a month, it's too strange!

"Shut up! What would a woman like you know!"

"Mr. Su is a Confucian Scholar who has entered the Grade, how could he harm our child?"

"What's more, he teaches our child to read and doesn't even charge tuition. You mustn't say this outside; if people hear it, they will laugh at us for being ungrateful!"

"Forget it, tomorrow I will go to the County myself, melt those three silver ingots, and find a doctor to take a look at our child."

"Our child is smart and will definitely be able to pass the imperial examination in the future, so his brain must not have problems at this time."

"Ah?!"

"Go to the County?"

"Husband! Our village is dozens of miles away from the nearest County, and there might be bandits on the road. You go by yourself..."

Yun Xiu couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.

Shihe Village is located in a mountain gully. The nearest County to here is Chiyang County. Not only are they dozens of miles apart, but the road is also rugged and dangerous, and one must pass the only official road under Heifeng Mountain.

If one is unlucky, one might just run into bandits on the road.

Losing money is a small matter, but if you lose your life, you tell me, in these chaotic times, how are this orphan and widow supposed to live?

"Alright, stop thinking about it, the child's illness is important."

"As for the silver ingots, you must not let anyone in the village know. They are also driven crazy by poverty. If they let them know we have silver..."

"Then the consequences..."

"Sleep, don't think about it, I won't let you and the child go hungry."

Yun Xiu sighed and said nothing.

Lao San is right; poor mountains and treacherous waters produce unruly people. This is no joke.

Three ingots of silver are enough to make sisters turn against each other and fathers and sons suspicious of one another.

A few years ago, the old lady of the Zhao family was carried to the mountain by her children to fend for herself just because she was old and couldn't do work anymore.

Plus, when she gave birth to the child, Lao San had some conflicts with people in the village, and it even led to bloodshed.

There was already bad blood; if the people in the village knew that their family had three silver ingots, this...

Yun Xiu was suddenly scared into a cold sweat.

But she was worried about Lao San's safety, so she hesitated and wanted to say something more to persuade him.

"Lao San, you..."

Hu hu hu...

Snore snore...

"Lao San?!"

Listening to the man's snoring, Yun Xiu sighed and slowly fell asleep as well.

…………

Early morning.

After breakfast.

"Mother! I'm going to the school to find Mr. Su!"

A somewhat milky voice came, and Li Xiang hopped and skipped toward the outside.

"Hey! Be careful on the road!"

Before Yun Xiu finished speaking, Li Xiang's shadow was already gone.

"Hey! This child, really makes people worry!"

"You don't even send him off!"

At the very beginning, it was Lao San who sent him to the school, but the child kept clamoring to go by himself.

Later, his father actually just stopped caring about him.

This made Yun Xiu so angry she almost tore the house down.

"Our child is different from others. You were pregnant with him for ten years; don't you know that clearly?"

"Have you forgotten those eight words the child said the day he was born three years ago?"

"You!"

Yun Xiu was speechless, but she didn't argue anymore.

As for Li Xiang, after leaving the house, he did not go directly toward the school, but changed direction and headed toward the cliff behind the mountain.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Li Xiang stood in front of the cliff, opened his arms to loosen his muscles and bones, and then summoned the System Interface.

【Name: Li Xiang】

【Age: 3 years old】

【Comprehension: 99970 (???)】

【Root Bone: 15 (Very healthy)】

【Family Background: 5 (Poor)】

【Luck: 10 (Utterly ordinary)】

Li Xiang stood before the cliff, exhaled a long breath of stale air, picked up a wooden stick at random, and began to practice sword art.

In less than half a month, Li Xiang was now as tall as an ordinary six or seven-year-old child.

Furthermore, what was even more astonishing was that the meridians throughout Li Xiang's body were now filled with Qi and Blood.

Unlike half a month ago when his meridians were empty and nearly withered, Li Xiang's Qi and Blood were now surging, and his entire body was shrouded in a faint heat.

Even at his Dantian Qi Sea in his chest, a faint trace of Essence Blood was slowly condensing.

Essence Blood condensed, entering the Martial Dao!

In just a short half-month, that sickly little fellow was now actually about to step into the Martial Dao Ninth Grade?!

One must know that the path of Martial Dao does not look at Qi and Blood alone; it also has sufficient requirements for talent.

A child's body is not yet fully developed, and the Dantian Qi Sea is closed; unless one is a person of peerless talent, it is impossible to break open the Qi Sea and enter the Martial Dao before the age of five.

And now, Li Xiang was only three years old, yet the first trace of Essence Blood in his Qi Sea was already on the verge of condensing!

At this moment, Li Xiang held the wooden stick and practiced the Qinglian Sword Art; his spirit and energy were focused, his Blood Qi surged continuously, and the Qi and Blood within his meridians were all rushing toward the Dantian Qi Sea, attempting to condense into Essence Blood.

However, every attempt was extremely difficult; just as the Essence Blood was about to condense successfully, the Dantian Qi Sea would scatter it.

Too young!

If he continued to force the condensation, his entire Qi Sea could shatter!

If the Qi Sea shattered, he would likely have no connection to the Martial Dao for the rest of his life.

"Ugh..."

"It wasn't in vain that I ate grass for half a month; this feeling, it feels like I could break a big tree with one punch."

"It really is too wonderful..."

"Is this the power of the extraordinary!"

Li Xiang stood before the cliff, panting heavily, covered in sweat.

For the past half month, he had constantly asked his father to find him some Zhuori Flowers to swallow, so as to replenish his Qi and Blood and improve his Root Bone.

The Zhuori Flowers were surprisingly rampant by the river in Shihe Village; according to his father, these little flowers were quite common near Qinghe Pool.

"Qinghe Pool."

"I only know that there is a treasure chest in the depths of this pool; after fishing it out, one can obtain a Breathing Mantra and a few pills. Now it seems, this Qinghe Pool might have some other hidden secrets."

"When I grow a bit older, I must go and search it thoroughly."

Li Xiang muttered to himself, casually took two white, glistening little flowers from his clothes, and threw them, stems and all, into his mouth, chewing them fiercely.

Instantly, an indescribable bitterness exploded in his mouth.

This Zhuori Flower has the effect of nourishing Qi and Blood and consolidating the Qi Sea; for a Martial Artist, it is a treasure.

Li Xiang had previously wondered why this medicinal herb hadn't been picked by the herb farmers in the village, but after learning about it, he understood.

These Zhuori Flowers not only grow near Qinghe Pool, but more importantly, this thing is bitter enough to kill you!!

This is a bitterness that words cannot express; it is a bitterness that makes one want to pass away.

Almost instantly, his expression changed from joy to extreme pain.

Without hesitation, Li Xiang picked up the wooden stick and began to practice the Green Lotus Sword Song again, stirring up the Qi and Blood throughout his body.

As the medicinal properties took effect, a slight scorching heat spread through Li Xiang's limbs and bones, and the meridians that had already been filled began to feel faintly swollen.

"Break!"

With Qi and Blood surging, he did not hesitate and immediately began to drive his Blood Qi to further impact the Qi Sea, condensing the first trace of Essence Blood.

The next instant, a massive amount of Qi and Blood surged into the Qi Sea, surging, gathering, and expanding within it.

A child's Qi Sea is too small; it is difficult to contain the body's entire Qi and Blood to condense it into Essence Blood.

Now that Li Xiang was attempting to enter the Grade, the Blood Qi impacting the Qi Sea carried the possibility of the Qi Sea shattering at any moment.

Li Xiang did not change the sword momentum in his hand; his mind was immersed in it, silently attempting to control the Blood Qi and compress it.

Logically speaking, the meridians throughout the body are complex, and few people can perfectly control the Blood Qi within them.

Therefore, for a normal person to enter the Grade, they must either wait until adulthood when the Qi Sea is firm and simply pile up Qi and Blood until they reach the Ninth Grade, or, when young, rely on precise control to perfectly manage the condensation of Qi and Blood, entering the Martial Dao as early as possible without damaging the Qi Sea.

Children of noble families and sects, if their talent is abundant, can mostly enter the Grade at eight years old.

Rumored divine children of holy lands, if their opportunities are right, might enter the Grade at five years old.

Before that, there are no records.

And Li Xiang was only three years old now; his Qi Sea had just appeared, yet he wanted to force his way into the Grade—the difficulty was immense.

Even with his talent, this was his ninth attempt to enter the Grade.

"Condense for me!"

With a soft shout, Li Xiang once again controlled his meridians and mobilized his Qi and Blood.

Looking inward, every meridian throughout his entire body was vibrating with precision, controlling the Blood Qi to gather toward the Qi Sea.

Strands of Blood Qi surged, compressed, and purified within the narrow Qi Sea, bit by bit condensing into Essence Blood.

Half a quarter of an hour later, all the body's Blood Qi had condensed within it, and a wave of heat radiated from Li Xiang's chest.

Martial Dao Ninth Grade!

Success!

(End of chapter)