Chapter 27: Skill True State

Hearing Li Hao's words, Li Muxiu was stunned.

He stared fixedly at Li Hao and suddenly started to laugh, but a trace of sorrow was revealed in his eyes.

"How many events of the past and present are all reduced to laughter and talk? It is laughable that so many people in the world are not as clear-sighted as a child."

Saying this, he actually turned away.

Li Hao suddenly saw that this old man was secretly wiping away a tear.

This was a powerhouse comparable to a Sword Saint; to think he would also shed tears—what had he thought of? Li Hao wisely chose to remain silent. A moment later, Li Muxiu seemed to have adjusted his emotions, turned his head back, and smiled at Li Hao:

"I just mentioned that there are two ways to impact the Zhou Tian Realm: the Hundred Flood Dragon chapter is one, and the other is the Zhou Tian Qi Circulation Art."

"There are two in the Listening Rain Tower, both of which are supreme. One, when cultivated to perfection, can achieve one hundred and eight Zhou Tian circulations per pulse, while the other can reach one hundred and twenty-eight. Looking across the entire Emperor Da Yu, they belong to the top tier. As for the one that can transcend this 'Hundred Battles Zhou Tian Art', it is probably only the 'All-Heavens Zhou Tian Art' cultivated by the imperial family in the palace."

"One hundred and sixty-eight Zhou Tian circulations, it can be called peerless and unique."

"That powerful?"

Li Hao was surprised. Reaching seventy-two Zhou Tian circulations was already the superior level; to think the one cultivated by the imperial family was more than double that. Didn't this mean that within the Zhou Tian Realm, the imperial family could be called invincible? "Of course, otherwise how could the imperial family suppress the world?"

Li Muxiu said: "This is called the monopoly of cultivation methods. Except for the imperial family, others cannot cultivate or learn them. Otherwise, why would powerful families endure for so long? It is by relying on monopolizing one side."

Li Hao nodded. Was the Listening Rain Tower not the same?

Relying on this tower was enough to ensure the Divine General Mansion's prosperity for generations.

"However, the more top-tier the cultivation method, the harder it is to cultivate, so the test of comprehension is also extremely high. It is not something that can be practiced casually. Like our Li family, although many people cultivate the 'Hundred Battles Zhou Tian Art', more people still choose the other one, the 'Heavenly Gang Zhou Tian Art'."

"The reason is simple: if you spend five years learning the Hundred Battles Zhou Tian Art, but you can learn the Heavenly Gang Zhou Tian Art in three years, then in a contest three years later, the one who learned the Heavenly Gang Zhou Tian Art will definitely win!"

"You might think that as long as you wait another two years, you will be able to surpass them. But don't underestimate these two years. By the time you perfect the Hundred Battles Zhou Tian Art two years later, the other person might already be in the Ji Hun Realm. Being one step ahead means being ahead at every step!" Li Muxiu said.

Li Hao nodded.

One cultivates the method that suits one's aptitude; it's a matter of principle.

Otherwise, it would be like an elementary school student reading high school material—learning nothing and instead being surpassed by those children who progress step by step, wasting time in vain.

"Since your body-refining talent is excellent, I suggest you use the Hundred Flood Dragon chapter to impact the Zhou Tian Realm. With your comprehension, you should have hope of mastering it within three years."

Li Muxiu said: "By then, a ten-year-old in the Zhou Tian Realm with one hundred Zhou Tian circulations per pulse will only be slightly inferior to your old man."

"He's that powerful?"

Li Hao was surprised.

For ordinary people at ten years old, reaching the perfection of the Tongli Realm was considered quite good.

The Divine General Mansion was full of genius monsters, so naturally, the requirements were higher, but was a ten-year-old in the Zhou Tian Realm not also a genius? "If I remember correctly, Little Seven's talent was slightly inferior to Little Nine's. He was at the perfection of the Tongli Realm at seven, which is your current age; at nine, he was at the perfection of the Zhou Tian Realm; at twelve, the perfection of the Ji Hun Realm; at sixteen, the perfection of the Shenyou Realm... After that, the kid went to join the army, and I don't know what happened after that." Li Muxiu shook his head and said.

Li Hao clicked his tongue in secret; this was simply a monster.

One had to know that Uncle Lin was also considered to have average talent, and he was still in the Shenyou Realm at over forty.

And these geniuses... they were already perfected at sixteen.

And even so, it was still inferior to that Ninth Uncle?

Li Hao was somewhat speechless, but thinking of that Ninth Uncle's talent, which belonged to the top-tier level among the billions of martial artists across the nineteen provinces of Emperor Da Yu, he felt relieved.

"After you step into the Zhou Tian Realm, while cultivating Qi circulation, you must also learn the pulse-opening techniques of the Zhou Tian Realm. Your father cultivated two extremely difficult top-tier martial arts, the 'Hundred Battles Zhou Tian Art' and the 'Dragon River Divine Pulse', within two years to reach the perfection of the Zhou Tian Realm, surpassing all geniuses except for the imperial family."

Li Muxiu said: "Besides the difference in Qi circulation techniques, pulse-opening techniques are the same. Ordinary techniques are one pulse per level; when reaching the Tenth Level of the Zhou Tian Realm, it is ten pulses!"

"And intermediate pulse-opening techniques can have eighteen pulses when perfected; superior techniques can have thirty-six pulses!"

"Supreme techniques have fifty-four pulses!"

"The 'Dragon River Divine Pulse' is the best pulse-opening technique in our Li family. Each of the first nine levels opens five pulses, and the Tenth Level perfection is nine pulses!"

Li Muxiu looked at Li Hao and smiled: "Now do you know how big a gap top-tier pulse-opening and Qi circulation techniques bring compared to ordinary techniques?"

Li Hao counted on his fingers back and forth, suddenly took a light breath, and was somewhat shocked.

Both at the perfection of the Zhou Tian Realm, the top-tier and the ordinary differed by even more than fifty times; it was truly a difference like heaven and earth! If both Qi circulation and pulse-opening were of ordinary grade, ten pulses and ten Zhou Tian circulations, the explosive power would only be slightly better than the First Level of the Zhou Tian Realm of a top-tier Qi circulation technique.

This gap was simply unimaginably large!

This also made Li Hao see clearly how precious and important resources were on the path of martial arts.

If ordinary martial artists had no background, they could only cultivate those ordinary techniques and become cannon fodder in the same realm.

And this kind of gap would also motivate countless martial artists to climb upward by any means necessary. Whether through fawning over connections or self-struggle, it was a bloody path that led to bankruptcy.

It was precisely because of this that top-tier martial artists could possess everything and be famous throughout the world.

This path was not easy to walk.

"If you are born with blocked meridians, the difficulty of opening pulses will increase, which will drag down your pace. However, with our top-tier techniques, you will at most fall out of the top-tier monster echelon; in the eyes of those ordinary martial artists, you will still be an unreachable genius." Li Muxiu said.

In the Li family, too many geniuses were born.

Having long held high positions, they had also seen countless monsters from other small forces rise like comets.

Therefore, here, only top-tier monsters like Li Tiangang and Li Junye would attract the attention of old fellows like them. The rest were just like the numerous concubine-born disciples in the martial arts arena—just qualified members of the family. Li Hao nodded slightly without speaking.

"The fish is cooked."

Li Muxiu untied the pottery lid, and a fragrance of fish meat wafted out.

He extinguished and rolled away the firewood and said to Li Hao: "Eat first. After you finish, practice here by yourself. I'm going out for a trip this afternoon. If you have anything you don't understand, ask me tonight."

"Okay." Li Hao agreed.

The "chopsticks" he had skinned yesterday hadn't been thrown away, and the old man handed them to Li Hao again.

Li Hao also learned from the other's manner, wiped them on his clothes, and then reached into the pot to pick up meat to eat.

This time, Li Hao didn't feel the fishy smell anymore, only enjoying the sweet and tender deliciousness.

After finishing, Li Muxiu collected the pot and chopsticks together, gave Li Hao a final instruction, flicked his sleeves, took a step out, and disappeared into the horizon.

Li Hao stretched, walked to the side to browse the cultivation methods, and soon found the few techniques the old man mentioned, all placed in the glass cabinet on this seventh floor, which could largely delay the decay of the books.

Of course, Li Hao believed that the Li family definitely had rubbings of these techniques stored in secret.

It was even possible that the ones displayed were the rubbings themselves.

Li Hao flipped through the 'Hundred Battles Zhou Tian Art' and the 'Dragon River Divine Pulse' techniques, but couldn't record them into the panel for the time being. They were worthy of being top-tier techniques.

He brought up the panel, looked at the two accumulated skill points, and without hesitation, chose to add them all to the physical body path.

In an instant, complex information flooded into his mind. By the time the first wave ended, the second wave struck again.

It took a full quarter of an hour for Li Hao to gradually digest it all, and a look of realization appeared in his eyes.

He flipped open the panel and saw that the techniques he had mastered had undergone earth-shaking changes.

【Name: Li Hao】

【Age: 7】

【Cultivation: Tenth Level of the Tongli Realm】

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

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

【Physical Body Path: Third Stage (Myriad Phenomena) (Tiger Pressure)】

【Skills: Stone Skin Hundred Refinements (True State) Thousand Flood Dragon Saint Body Third Layer (Hundred Flood Dragon Body Great Success) Primordial Third Layer (Tongyou Body Great Success) Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body Third Layer (Leaping Shell Body Great Success)...】

【Chess Dao: Fourth Stage (5/10000)】

【Fishing Dao: First Stage (112/500)】

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

【Fishing Collection: None】

【State of Mind: Chess Heart】

【Skill Points: 0】

The physical body path was raised to the Third Stage, and the Thousand Flood Dragon Saint Body directly reached the Third Layer Great Success. At the same time, 'Primordial' and 'Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body' also entered the Third Layer, both at Great Success!

However, what surprised Li Hao the most was that Lower Grade body-refining technique, 'Stone Skin Hundred Refinements'.

The realm behind it had actually reached (True State)!

Countless pieces of information about the 'Stone Skin Hundred Refinements' technique automatically gathered in Li Hao's mind. At this moment, for him to perform it, it had already exceeded the level of perfection.

The levels of body refining were similar to skills, namely: Entry, Small Success, Great Success, Perfection.

Corresponding to the Entry, Nimble, Perfect, and Supreme levels of techniques.

But what the hell was this True State?

A higher level above Perfection and Supreme?!

Besides 'Stone Skin Hundred Refinements', the other numerous Lower Grade body-refining techniques were also like this, all hanging (True State) behind them!

Savage Bull Strength (True State). Li Hao could feel the original flaws of this body-refining technique. He subconsciously followed the insights in his mind and performed it.

Power penetrated his whole body, his strength exploded, and the meridians all over his body bulged like bull tendons, gathering on his fist as his intent moved.

With a "whoosh", he threw a punch, and the curtain on the terrace more than ten meters away was actually shaken by the wind of the punch! This Savage Bull Strength reaching True State brought him a strength increase far exceeding the previous one, increasing the effect by a full four or five times!

Moreover, there was a feeling of returning to simplicity; the movements exceeded the charm of the Savage Bull Strength itself, containing a trace of indescribable rounded momentum.

It was as if this was the true face of the Savage Bull Strength!

Subsequently, Li Hao began to practice the Thousand Flood Dragon Saint Body again.

In an instant, the vast strength in his dantian was mobilized, rotating like a windmill.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 28 =====