Chapter 20

As Jian Wudao took Bian Ruxue away, accompanying them were the ladies of the courtyards. The figures of the ladies wanted to squeeze forward before leaving to say a word.

Some even arranged for their children to practice sword on the path of leaving the mansion.

But it didn't attract Jian Wudao's attention.

The Sword Hut wasn't so easy to enter, which was why it made people so eager to step into it.

The colors of the courtyard seemed to be drawn away with the ladies of the courtyards, returning to the empty silence of falling autumn leaves.

Li Hao held the sword that Bian Ruxue had practiced with, stared quietly at the courtyard gate for a long, long time, before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

Then he handed the sword in his hand to Li Fu behind him and said: "Uncle Fu, put it on the sword rack in the bedroom for me, and tell the maids they don't need to clean it every day."

Li Fu took the sword in disappointment, looked at Li Hao's side profile, feeling unbearable and a bit of self-blame and guilt, and said in a low voice: "From today on, I will no longer indulge you. I will confiscate the chessboard; you should practice."

Li Hao was stunned and looked up: "Uncle Fu, you don't think that I wasn't taken as an apprentice by that old man because of playing chess, right? This is a grievance!"

"I don't care."

Li Fu said with a gloomy face: "Thoroughbred horses are common, but Bole is not. Missing the opportunity sent before your eyes is because you didn't make sufficient preparations. From now on, you must be in the best state at all times, waiting for the one or two opportunities that may fall at any time."

"Opportunities in life are few. Once missed, what kind of future can you have!"

Li Hao complained. Seeing Li Fu was serious, he asked: "Then Uncle Fu, what do you think is called having a future?"

"The sons of the Li Clan should make a name for themselves in the world, guard the border, and defend the people of the country. This is having a future!" Li Fu said solemnly without thinking.

"Then being a member of the Li Clan is too bitter." Li Hao said with a wry smile.

"Since you bear the Li surname and enjoy this immense wealth, you should bear this responsibility." Li Fu said coldly.

Did I enjoy it? Li Hao smiled bitterly in his heart, but then thought of the pastries and fresh fruits sent by the Fifth Aunt, and the nutritious porridge given by the eldest aunt was also very delicious... it could be considered enjoying it.

"Uncle Fu, is the practice you're talking about body refining?"

"Of course."

Li Fu glanced at him, meaning besides body refining, what other path do you have? Body refining is not popular because cultivation is bitter, the upper limit is low, and it requires extremely high comprehension, combined with techniques, to compete with other masters.

And those who are forced to choose body refining can bite the bullet and endure hardship, but they may not have enough comprehension.

After all, the carving of pain may become exquisite, but it may also distort the soul.

Li Hao and Uncle Fu had a tug-of-war, and finally, both sides made an agreement. Li Hao was willing to practice, but the chessboard couldn't be confiscated, and he had to play with him every day.

Li Fu could only agree, planning to wait until Li Hao stepped onto cultivation first.

In the following days, Li Hao was forced to spend some time practicing according to a basic body refining manual taught by Li Fu.

But with his understanding of the physical path, he practiced quite quickly, which surprised Li Fu. He didn't expect Li Hao to be a good seedling for body refining.

Li Hao controlled his cultivation progress slightly to avoid this guy completely not giving him time for entertainment. It took three months to practice that basic body refining manual to perfection.

Even so, this result had already made this veteran who had been on the battlefield for a long time tear up with excitement, writing a letter to Yanbei overnight to share this good news and joy with the couple at the border.

And after a long accumulation like water dripping through stone, Li Hao's chess Dao reached the fourth stage, finally improving.

【Name: Li Hao】

【Age: 7】

【Cultivation: Level Ten Tongli Realm】

【Sword Dao: Stage Two (Flying Stage) (Hidden Bow)】

【Skills: Sea Without End · Tide (Ultimate) Falling Snow Sword Technique (Ultimate)】

【Physical Path: Stage One (Ten Thousand Phenomena) (Tiger Pressure)】

【Skills: Stone Skin Hundred Refinements (Perfection) Thousand Flood Dragon Holy Body (Flood Dragon Body Minor Perfection) Primordial (Star Body Entry) Savage Bull Strength (Perfection)】

【Chess Dao: Stage Four (1/10000)】

【Chess Manual Collection: Ten Thousand Phenomena, Tiger Pressure, Flying Stage, Hidden Bow】

【State of Mind: Chess Heart】

【Art Skill Points: 1】

Li Hao looked at Li Fu, who was following him closely, and didn't choose to add points to improve immediately.

If it were Sword Dao, it would be easy to say; it was just memory infusion. But he wanted to use this art skill point on the physical path first to ensure his own strength and have a sense of security.

And the comprehension of the physical path would inevitably lead to changes in the body refining manual, and the body would also be affected, causing too much of a stir.

This day.

Li Hao followed Li Fu to the Listening Rain Tower.

Learning that Li Hao had talent in body refining, He Jianlan gave Li Hao special privileges, allowing him to enter and leave the Listening Rain Tower at any time to choose manuals.

Of course, Li Fu couldn't enter.

Although he was Li Tiangang's confidant, he was ultimately not a core disciple of the Li Clan, and his status was different.

Li Fu didn't care. The Listening Rain Tower was a key area of the Li Clan. Don't look at the fact that there were no guards around, but no one would be willing to come here to steal treasures.

This place was safer than any lady's courtyard.

Li Fu guarded downstairs, and Li Hao went upstairs alone. Now he could be considered at a sensible age, so He Jianlan didn't let Xuejian monitor him anymore, only letting him go upstairs alone.

Li Hao heard that the Sword Saint old man had sent a body refining manual two months ago, placed on the sixth floor, so he walked straight to the sixth floor.

Soon, he found a newly added manual.

"Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body"

Li Hao flipped through it.

With his understanding of the physical path at the first stage, he soon entered the basics.

Recorded.

Soon, this body refining method appeared on the panel, and it entered the second layer of perfection.

Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body had six layers, and each layer refined could condense a different physique.

The first layer was the Silent Cicada Body, which could perceive the slight trajectory of air flowing on the body surface.

The second layer was the Crouching Dragon Body, accumulating power like a dragon and elephant in the body.

The third layer was the Leaping Shell Body, which could use force to walk in the air.

……

His body made a slight clicking sound. Li Hao could feel that as he entered the Crouching Dragon Body, another force was born in his body, estimated to be over ten thousand catties!

Although he was still at Level Ten Tongli Realm, his strength was worlds apart compared to ordinary Level Ten Tongli Realm.

Li Hao's heart moved slightly. If he practiced a few more body refining manuals, would he accumulate more strength? Thinking of it, he did it. He immediately searched for body refining manuals on all floors of the Listening Rain Tower.

Not long after, he found seven or eight body refining manuals, all of which were middle-upper grade. Practicing to the peak, one could barely step into the level of a first-rate martial artist.

Soon, as one manual after another was recorded into the panel, Li Hao felt his body undergoing strange changes, and his hands and feet became stronger.

The cultivation on the panel didn't change. Li Hao originally thought his strength would improve again, but it didn't. However, some of these body refining manuals were for refining claw techniques, some for practicing legs and feet, and others for tempering bones and refining organs.

He could feel that although his strength didn't improve much, these parts were qualitatively enhanced.

Li Hao guessed that it should be because his physique was too strong, having already stimulated most of his physical strength, so these slightly inferior manuals couldn't stimulate physical strength again, but could enhance corresponding parts.

His Stone Skin Hundred Refinements manual could enhance the hardness of his skin, but it was covered by the Flood Dragon Body of the Thousand Flood Dragon Holy Body.

The skin enhancement brought by the Flood Dragon Body was like dragon scales, much stronger than the effect of Stone Skin Hundred Refinements, so the effect of Stone Skin Hundred Refinements was hard to highlight.

But other body refining manuals covered places that the previous few body refining arts on the sixth floor hadn't covered.

Bones, liver, ears, eyeballs, and other parts were all enhanced accordingly.

Although the strength didn't change much, the strength in actual combat was a earth-shaking change.

Li Hao realized that he needed to collect different body refining arts to temper himself. If he could practice all parts of his body to a unified level, he would be flawless! At this moment, the rich foundation of the Listening Rain Tower made Li Hao truly feel how precious this place was for martial artists.

There weren't many chess manuals, but body refining manuals, there were plenty here! Li Hao was ecstatic and searched everywhere for body refining manuals in the building, recording them one by one.

Time passed.

It wasn't until sunset that Li Hao walked out of the building with a body refining manual.

In the distance, there seemed to be evening crows flying across the horizon, and one could smell the faint fragrance of food and firewood, coming from the front courtyard. It was already time for dinner.

Li Hao stretched, moved his muscles and bones.

There were too many manuals in the Listening Rain Tower. He searched for an afternoon and only found one-tenth of them, and that was just the body refining category.

Li Hao didn't record all the manuals. Like the "Savage Bull Strength" that Li Fu forced him to practice, it didn't improve him, so it was covered by a stronger one.

For example, both manuals were claw techniques. After practicing the stronger one, practicing the inferior one had no effect, because the stronger one had already tempered the palm to a very high level.

Unless the inferior one tempered parts that were different, that could be considered a supplement.

"You finally came out."

Seeing Li Hao come out, Li Fu was somewhat speechless. Waiting for an afternoon, this guy wouldn't be dazzled by the choices, right?

He picked up a manual in Li Hao's hand and looked at it. It was a middle-grade body refining manual, "Dragon Spine". At a glance, it was a manual mainly for tempering the back.

"You just picked this?" Li Fu felt somewhat helpless, "Didn't you go to the sixth floor?"

"Went, couldn't understand." Li Hao said casually.

Li Fu thought it was also true. Those manuals on the sixth floor were all absolute grade. Let alone Li Hao, even he would have to practice bitterly for several months to master some basics.

"Don't rush to practice this one first. Wait until I ask the eldest lady to see which one in the Listening Rain Tower is suitable for you. This one is too biased."

Li Fu hoped that Li Hao could practice a body refining art with strong comprehensiveness, taking into account all parts of the body, so that there wouldn't be too many weaknesses.

"Fine." Li Hao didn't refuse either, saying casually: "Let's go, go back to eat first. I'm hungry. What should I eat tonight?"

Seeing Li Hao's mind wasn't on martial arts, Li Fu felt somewhat helpless. The big and small turned and left in front of the Listening Rain Tower.

Not long after, they bumped into an old man wearing a straw hat. The other party was carrying a fishing rod on his shoulder and a fish basket in his hand. He was dressed simply and looked ordinary.

Li Fu saw the other party, his pupils shrank, his expression suddenly became solemn, and he hurriedly stopped and stood aside, saying respectfully: "Li Fu has seen Second Uncle."

(End of chapter)