Chapter 242

As soon as he entered the main hall, Li Hao heard the sound of reciting poetry drifting from within.

"White feathers float on green water, red paddles stir the clear ripples… Hah, interesting, interesting!"

"Did little Shih write this after seeing the big goose in the courtyard pond? It's vivid and detailed—hah, my son can compose poetry at four years old!"

"Master Kong says my son is a poetic genius once in a hundred years; if nurtured well, he might even become the second-place top graduate!"

There, "Father" Li Li Tianzong held a sheet of paper in hand, pacing the hall with a beaming smile.

Chen Chen Hefang sat beside him, her expression gently smiling, saying: "You're too pleased over just a few poems—when did you start liking these literary scribbles?"

"Anything my son writes, I love."

Li Li Tianzong chuckled: "There are plenty of generals who can lead troops, but how many can write poetry? I'll take these verses to show those brutes—hah, they're only fit to hear poems from a child; they probably won't even understand what my son meant!"

As he spoke, he spotted Li Hao entering and immediately waved him over.

"Little Shih, come here."

Li Hao paused slightly. He had guessed that since his father had tolerated his drawings, he wouldn't mind poetry—but he hadn't expected such delight.

Four-year-old verses had made this father beam with joy.

Yet the boy who, at fourteen, had become famous across the land, had received only a sharp slap in return.

"Hmm."

Li Hao walked over.

Li Li Tianzong scooped him up, sat on a chair, and placed Li Hao on his lap. "Come, tell Father—what about this one: 'It seems like a mirror from the Jade Terrace, flying high above the blue clouds'? Hmph, how did your little mind come up with that?"

"Copied…" Li Hao thought silently, but only grinned foolishly.

Chen Chen Hefang watched helplessly and said to Li Li Tianzong:

"Don't spoil him too much. Little Shih has exceptional talent—keep him focused on martial cultivation. In two years, he'll truly begin his path."

"It's still early. When he truly starts cultivating, we'll let him train hard then."

Li Li Tianzong waved his hand. "I believe with Little Shih's wit, he can excel in both literature and martial arts. If he becomes a commander someday, he must know military strategy—otherwise, even with martial prowess, he's just a brute. Fine as a soldier, but disastrous as a general!"

Chen Chen Hefang shook her head helplessly, knowing his nature, and said no more.

Li Hao's mind turned, and he seized the chance to say to this "father":

"Father, may I go to Tingyu Tower tomorrow?"

"Do you even know what Tingyu Tower is?" Li Li Tianzong laughed.

"A place that stores cultivation techniques," Li Hao replied.

Li Li Tianzong turned to Chen Chen Hefang: "See? Little Shih hasn't even started cultivating yet, and he's already curious about martial arts."

Chen Chen Hefang gave him a light scolding glance, then smiled warmly, pleased by Li Hao's words.

She did worry—his intelligence was good, but if he delved too deeply into literary arts, it might distract him from martial cultivation.

"If you want to go, I'll have Zhao Bo take you."

Li Li Tianzong told Li Hao: "But don't misbehave inside. If you damage any techniques, I'll beat you."

Li Li Tianzong said to Li Hao: "But you mustn't misbehave inside—if you damage any cultivation techniques, I'll beat you."

Li Hao smiled.

At that moment, the "older brothers" returning from the training ground came in. Li Li Tianzong waited until they all gathered in the courtyard before summoning Zhao Bo to serve the meal.

Seeing this, Li Hao closed his eyes and skipped through the banquet.

When he opened them again, his hand was held by another's, walking toward a pavilion.

Li Hao immediately recognized it—Tingyu Tower.

And the hand holding his belonged to Zhao Bo.

"Young Master, ahead is Tingyu Tower. Go inside, greet Uncle Si, and don't dirty the techniques. I won't follow you."

"Young Master, ahead is the Tingyu Tower. Go in, remember to greet Uncle Si, don't dirty the cultivation techniques, and I won't follow you."

Li Hao nodded, then paused in surprise. "Uncle Si?"

Li Hao nodded, then frowned in surprise: "Uncle Si?"

Zhao Bo merely nodded, offering no explanation, leading Li Hao to the front of Tingyu Tower.

His manner was just like when Li Hao had first come here with Li Fu.

Zhao Bo spoke with the guards at the gate, then presented the token given by Li Li Tianzong.

At this time, Li Li Tianzong was the True Dragon of the Divine General's Mansion, overseeing all affairs within.

The guards, understanding the situation, allowed Li Hao entry.

Li Hao looked at the familiar steps and stairs, feeling an inexplicable sense of nostalgia.

Inside the tower, every detail matched his memory exactly.

"Why are you here?"

A voice sounded as the young Li Li Xiaoran drifted down.

Li Li Xiaoran waved his hand—the doors of Tingyu Tower closed. He waved again, casting a soundproof barrier around them.

Li Li Xiaoran waved his hand, and the door inside the Tingyu Tower closed; he waved again, casting a soundproof barrier that enveloped the two.

Li Hao asked, puzzled. "Where's Second Master?"

"You should call him Second Uncle."

Li Li Xiaoran reminded him: "Always remember your role here. Don't speak of lineage or offense now—get used to it. Don't slip up."

Li Hao nodded, taking the words to heart.

"Your Second Uncle was always carefree, fond of wandering. He's not in the mansion now—either drinking with shady friends, running wild somewhere, or off sightseeing."

Li Li Xiaoran said: "I'm guarding it now. He's not here."

Li Hao noticed that despite the soundproof barrier, Uncle Si spoke cautiously, never fully adopting his former identity.

He recalled rumors from his past time in the mansion—Second Uncle had indeed been wild as a youth, unlike the other elders.

Only in old age had he calmed down.

Or perhaps not because of age—but because others had met misfortune…

"Didn't your Second Uncle go fishing?" Li Hao asked curiously.

Li Li Xiaoran glanced at Li Hao. "Fishing? He was the least patient man alive. How could he sit still? As a child, he was Father's greatest headache—thick-skinned, stubborn, never listened."

Li Hao froze. Second Uncle didn't like fishing?

But in his memory, Second Uncle spent every spare moment by the lake, fishing.

Sitting for a whole day.

Sometimes for days on end.

Li Hao's eyes flickered. Time had not only smoothed his edges—it had worn away his youthful recklessness and restlessness.

"You came here to see me?" Li Li Xiaoran asked.

Li Hao pulled his thoughts back. "I came to look at the techniques, to get familiar with them early."

Li Li Xiaoran shook his head. "You're too young to cultivate. I know you're eager, but cultivation can't be rushed—the more you rush, the more likely you'll harm yourself. If you start too early, your bones may deform, or your marrow's latent energy might leak uncontrollably, slowing your progress."

"Our Li family has followed for centuries: measure bones at five, begin cultivation at six—this is the most reasonable path, refined over generations."

"Even if you're impatient, you must wait until after bone-measurement at five. Only then, when bones are just forming, is it safe to begin—though still risky, it's the earliest possible age."

"Even if you're eager, you must wait until after age five for bone assessment—only then, when the bones are just forming, is it the earliest possible age to begin cultivation, though still somewhat risky."

Li Hao said.

Though Uncle Si wasn't a stranger, some secrets were better kept to himself.

He had come early to begin body refinement, to nourish his bones and sinews.

His original body cultivation path had reached the seventh stage—he had shattered the Three Imperishable Realm through flesh alone, mastered countless body refinement techniques, and brought them to the True State, even beyond the extraordinary!

His understanding of the body cultivation path ranked among the absolute pinnacle of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty's warriors over the past millennia—perhaps the very top.

Few could surpass him; one might say none could.

After all, pure body cultivators, according to centuries of tradition, were believed to hit their limit at the Zhou Tian Realm.

Those who achieved the Ji Hun Realm were rare anomalies—unexplainable freaks.

That meant Ji Hun was the absolute limit for pure body cultivators. Yet he had reached the Three Imperishable Realm.

With his understanding of body cultivation, Li Li Xiaoran's words were mostly correct—but he was an exception.

The rule against cultivating before six was due to the nature of the techniques.

Most techniques exert pressure on the body, especially body refinement methods, which directly damage the flesh—poor practice could lead to crippling injury or death.

For example, Iron Sand Palm required repeatedly grinding the palms in iron sand, coating them with medicinal ointments, building layers of calluses embedded with fine iron particles to achieve iron-like hardness and power.

But that was a low-grade, unranked technique—minimal effect, high risk of self-harm.

High-grade and supreme body refinement techniques, however, activated latent potential within blood and flesh, aided by precious herbs, to maximally stimulate and forge bones, sinews, and muscle, enhancing the body.

At deep levels, the techniques alone could draw in heavenly qi to refine the body.

But all of them imposed pressure.

Though Li Hao had forgotten the exact insights of his seventh-stage body cultivation, he remembered that among the many techniques he had fused, some could nourish the bones without burdening the body.

Like remembering there was an essay question on the back of a test paper.

He forgot the topic, forgot how to write it—but he never forgot the words "essay question."

After all, college students were still human.

Now, if he could elevate his body cultivation path to a higher stage, and collect enough techniques, using his insights to blend them, he might rediscover that nourishing body refinement art.

Thus, he could pre-nourish his body, absorb more alien blood, and make his future cultivation path far smoother!

With this, he pre-moistens his body and absorbs more foreign blood, making his later cultivation path much smoother!

"Alright."

Seeing Li Hao say this, Li Li Xiaoran no longer stopped him.

Although the Li Hao before him was only four years old, the Li Hao outside was fifteen, old enough to understand things; whatever decision he made, Li Li Xiaoran would not interfere too much.

"I'm going to accelerate time. When you see me again, I might be in a state similar to sleepwalking—don't mind it," Li Li Xiaoran said.

Li Hao nodded at this, curious in his heart: what did he look like to others during his time jumps?

Now was a perfect chance to observe it through Li Li Xiaoran's acceleration.

Soon, Li Hao saw Li Li Xiaoran close his eyes.

Then, just as quickly, he opened them again—but this time, he smiled at Li Hao with the gentle warmth of an elder, saying, "Stay here and watch. I'm going upstairs."

With that, he turned and ascended the stairs.

Li Hao watched him go upstairs. Though the observation was brief, he felt that this Li Li Xiaoran was subtly different from the one just moments before.

The change wasn't obvious, but if compared within a short span, the difference became distinctly perceptible.

? C〇

In short, the current Li Li Xiaoran seemed to be playing the role of his younger self more naturally.

In contrast, the earlier Li Li Xiaoran had shown slight imperfections in his expressions and demeanor when speaking with Li Hao—his disguise wasn't quite perfect.

Li Hao understood at once: his own daily disguises must be the same—perhaps also showing tiny inconsistencies compared to when he accelerated, revealing minor flaws inconsistent with his identity.

These flaws, ironically, were more real.

Gathering his thoughts, Li Hao walked over to the nearby shelf and began flipping through the books.

With his knowledge of Tingyu Tower, he was now thoroughly familiar—even remembering exactly where many cultivation techniques were placed, on which floor and which shelf.

Yet here, in this Tingyu Tower, there were some cultivation techniques Li Hao had never seen before—these belonged to the era of Li Li Tianzong.

Fortunately, the changes were minor and didn't affect Li Hao much; he began flipping through them one by one.

He started with the lower-grade body-refining techniques—they were easier to enter.

Once he entered one, the panel would display Body Dao, allowing him to directly spend points; then, when he later examined higher-grade techniques, he could easily enter and record them.

Not long after, Li Hao finished reading one lower-grade body-refining technique.

By coincidence, the book he happened to pick up was his very first cultivation technique: The Hundredfold Stone Skin.

As he entered the technique, a prompt appeared on his panel.

Body Dao: Not Entered (Can Spend Points)

Technique: The Hundredfold Stone Skin (Not Entered)

Art Point: 4.

Without hesitation, Li Hao directly spent his Art Points one by one on Body Dao.

Each point added brought a flood of information; Li Hao didn't rush—he waited until he fully absorbed it before adding the next point.

This process of adding points and absorbing knowledge took half an hour, and Li Hao's Body Dao reached Stage 4!

The Heart Painting had been consumed by Body Dao, breaking through his bottleneck.

At only four years old, his Body Dao was already at Stage 4!

Li Hao could hardly imagine what he would become if he started cultivating now—how terrifying it would be!

But he held back. Cultivating now would place too heavy a burden on his body and hinder his mid-term progress.

As Li Li Xiaoran had said, the earliest suitable age for cultivation was five.

He himself had begun body-refining techniques just after turning five, while other children hadn't even reached six, and he was already at the Tenth Layer of Tongli Realm.

This had imposed some pressure and compression on his body, but these barely noticeable injuries vanished entirely when he later raised his Body Dao to Stage 7 and entered the Three Imperishable Realm.

Now, in this Mo River, Li Hao was confident he could reach the Three Imperishable Realm—but there was no need to rush. First, nurture his bones; wait until age six to cultivate, then leap forward in one step.

Li Hao glanced at his panel: The Hundredfold Stone Skin had been refined into The Thousandfold Golden Skin, now an upper-grade body-refining technique.

And its tier had reached True State!

Li Hao smiled slightly and began searching for other body-refining techniques.

This time, he flipped through books faster, scanning many techniques swiftly, absorbing them instantly.

Most lower-grade techniques he glanced at briefly, quickly entering them and recording them.

Once recorded by the panel, they were instantly refined into upper-grade techniques, reaching True State tier.

Li Hao swept through Tingyu Tower like a whirlwind, devouring body-refining techniques on all sides.

As more and more body-refining techniques were recorded, his memory was continuously flooded.

His four-year-old body and consciousness began to feel drowsy.

But Li Hao forced himself to stay awake—he couldn't fall asleep, or he might sleep straight through to age five.

He wanted to refine the technique himself before Bone Measurement.

He kept absorbing and blending countless body-refining techniques; gradually, his panel began displaying new techniques spontaneously generated by his Stage 4 Body Dao.

Every few techniques recorded triggered one spontaneous refinement.

And each refined technique quickly reached Perfection or True State tier.

Finally, in extreme exhaustion and drowsiness, his panel generated a technique named The Starlight Nourishing Body Art.

A flood of information surged into him; his eyes instantly brightened.

This was it!

He was thrilled—he hadn't expected Stage 4 Body Dao could actually generate it.

He'd worried that even after recording all the techniques here, his Stage 4 Body Dao's insight might be insufficient to generate one.

With his current state, he had no energy left to stay awake and acquire another Art Point.

After all, he was still a four-year-old child in physical and mental strength.

Now, relying solely on his willpower, Li Hao forced himself to stay awake, sitting inside the tower, slowly practicing this technique.

This technique was best practiced at night, drawing celestial starlight into the body to nourish and warm it. Unlike other body-refining arts, it didn't cause sudden transformations—only daily exposure to starlight gradually purified internal impurities, making the body more transparent, strengthening the bones with hidden star power.

After completing one cycle, Li Hao could no longer hold on. Without even feeling his own state, he collapsed into deep sleep.

When Li Hao awoke again, it was to a startled cry beside his ear.

Li Hao opened his eyes and saw himself standing motionless in the courtyard, beside him stood an old man with a white beard.

The face was familiar—it was the old Taoist from Mount Mount Qingqiu who had measured bones for generations of the Li family.

Mount Mount Qingqiu lay beyond Qingzhou, while here was Longcheng. As Li Li Xiaoran had said, due to Li Li Tianzong's memories, many things had fused, producing strange changes—unexplorable, lest they break and expose him.

"Th-this-this..."

The old Taoist from Mount Mount Qingqiu, with his white hair and ruddy complexion, stared at Li Hao in utter shock, stammering, unable to form a complete sentence.

In the courtyard, besides the old man, Li Li Tianzong and Chen Chen Hefang, along with all the "older brothers," were present. At the very back stood Li Li Hongzhuang, now three years old, her hair tied in two buns, her little face filled with curiosity and astonishment.

"What?"

Seeing the old Taoist's reaction, Li Li Tianzong frowned, his expression darkening: "Just say it outright!"

When his face lost its smile, an overwhelming aura of authority emerged, causing the old Taoist to snap back to himself and hurriedly say:

"Great fortune, Duke! Great fortune indeed!!"

"What?"

Li Li Tianzong stared at him in disbelief; had he not known the old man was from Mount Mount Qingqiu, he'd have mistaken him for a midwife.

"Stop teasing. You've seen Nine-Rank Battle Bodies before. My Li family are all dragon-phoenix talents—what's so shocking?"

Li Li Tianzong rebuked: "How did Xiao Shi's bone measurement turn out?"