Eternal Renown

As consciousness stirred, a surge of information flooded into his mind.

Li Hao clutched his head, feeling his brain swell as if it were about to burst.

His face contorted in pain.

"Hao'er, what's wrong?"

Liu Yue Rong, sensing Li Hao's discomfort, jumped in surprise and asked with concern.

Li Hao clenched his teeth tightly.

The chaotic thoughts in his mind gradually calmed, and Li Hao realized that his brain had acquired a wealth of knowledge about swordsmanship.

It was as if he had spent years tirelessly practicing sword techniques day and night.

Damn, this headache... it felt similar to when he was advancing in the Go Art...

Li Hao rubbed his head and panted heavily. He was still too young, and his brain hadn't fully developed. The overwhelming information from both the Go Art and swordsmanship was a terrifying strain on his fragile mind.

Without speaking, Li Hao struggled to regain his composure.

"Is Linxue sick?" Liu Yue Rong caressed Li Hao's forehead, but finding no fever, she became perplexed.

At this moment, Li Hao had fully recovered. He pointed to his mouth and mumbled in a childish voice, "Bit... bit my tongue."

Liu Yue Rong was taken aback, then sighed in relief, rolling her eyes at his nonsense.

Li Hao managed to deceive her, and instead of paying attention to her, he secretly checked his status panel.

[Name: Li Hao]

[Age: 1 year old]

[Cultivation: Mortal]

[Swordsmanship: First Tier]

[Skills: Endless Sea Tide (Perfect) [Forbidden]]

[Mastered Arts: Go Art]

[Go Art: First Tier (82/500)]

[Go Manual Collection: 0]

[Skill Points: 0]

Li Hao was stunned. The Skill Points at the end were gone, but his swordsmanship had indeed advanced from 'Uninitiated' to 'First Tier'! Moreover, the skill below, Endless Sea Tide, had also progressed from 'Uninitiated' to 'Perfect'!

Li Hao recalled the military instructor who had taught Li Qianfeng mentioning that any technique could be categorized into three levels: Initiation, Dexterity, and Perfection. Initiation meant being able to proficiently execute the entire technique, while Dexterity went beyond that, allowing for flexible application and a complete understanding, making it second nature.

At the Perfection level, one could seamlessly integrate the technique, using it as naturally as one's own limbs. Even when performing the technique in reverse, there would be no flaws exposed, unless it was an inherent defect of the technique itself.

It was said that beyond Perfection, there existed an even higher realm. In this realm, one could compensate for the technique's flaws, further enhancing its power.

At this moment, after advancing to the First Tier in swordsmanship, Li Hao had directly achieved Perfection in the first layer of Endless Sea Tide! This level of proficiency would typically require over a decade of arduous practice!

The current Li Qianfeng, who had been practicing Endless Sea Tide for only half a year, had already reached Initiation in the first layer, the Tide, and was considered a sword genius.

So, what did that make Li Hao? A monster?

Noticing that Second Lady wasn't paying attention to him, Li Hao's gaze returned to the courtyard.

At that moment, the children were still practicing their sword techniques, but to Li Hao's eyes, their movements seemed less impressive than before. Instead, he could easily discern their immature techniques and rigid postures.

If faced with a skilled swordsman, a gentle strike would be enough to dislodge the wooden swords from their hands!

"Not bad," praised the burly middle-aged man, impressed by Li Qianfeng's performance.

Li Qianfeng possessed exceptional bone quality and intuition. In a couple of years, he would likely reach the Dexterity level in the first layer.

It was remarkable, considering that Li Qianfeng was still a child whose brain hadn't fully developed.

Time passed.

Li Hao munched on the snacks Second Lady fed him as he watched the children in the courtyard. Gradually, he felt a sense of fatigue and boredom.

He yawned, nestled into Second Lady's embrace, and slowly closed his eyes.

Something seemed to flash before his eyes, but Li Hao had already fallen asleep.

Hearing the soft breathing in her arms, Liu Yue Rong lowered her head, her eyes revealing a hint of complexity.

But when she lifted her gaze to her son practicing in the snow, the complexity vanished, and her eyes regained their calm.

She stood up, carrying Li Hao back to her bedroom in the rear courtyard. Gently, she laid him on her bed and tucked him in.

Her movements were tender, as if she were his biological mother.

Li Hao, half-asleep, felt his body being lowered onto the bed, and he stirred slightly.

He felt a warm and soothing sensation on his chest, where the Dragon Blood Pendant given by Emperor Yu was hanging. This was the reason he could stand in the snow without feeling the cold.

Just as Li Hao was about to turn over and continue his slumber, he heard a deep voice from outside the room.

"Did you really give that thing to the child?" asked an unfamiliar male voice.

"Things have come to this point, and I have no other choice," Second Lady replied, her tone cold and distant, as if speaking to a servant.

"You've seen how hard he works, and he's a once-in-a-century talent! People from Boundless Mountain have already come to see him. When he turns six, they'll take him to Boundless Mountain for cultivation. In the future, when his divine blood awakens and he inherits the power passed down from his father, he'll shake the world!"

"I must pave the way for him!"

Li Hao slightly opened one eye, feeling a bit confused in his drowsy and tired state.

Who was Second Lady talking to?

"For now, we don't know what talent this child has, and this move seems too hasty," the deep voice sighed.

There was a brief silence outside the door.

Then, Liu Yue Rong's voice rose, colder than before, with a hint of mockery: "A parent's love for their child knows no bounds."

"I didn't want to do this either, but those wooden-headed people from the Li family are hopeless!"

"If you want to blame someone, blame his father. Who else but that Martial Commander Xing would be such a monster? Others may not know, but I'm aware that he had already entered that realm by the age of twenty-three..."

"In other words, there's a good chance his child will also awaken divine blood!"

"What?

A deep voice rang out in shock, "Twenty-three years old and already stepping into the 'Three Immortals'?"

"That's right. Our ancestor was a founding divine general of the Great Yu Dynasty, and his bloodline is powerful. My father, following in our ancestor's footsteps, is also the same."

"In the previous generation, aside from Qianfeng's father, there was also Martial Commander Xing, who was a monster, and the third, sixth, and ninth brothers! Especially the ninth brother, who was even more terrifying. Fortunately, he died early and left no offspring..."

"The third brother's wife is by his side, and being a woman, she will eventually marry out, so there's no real impact. Although the sixth brother also entered the Three Immortals at an early age, it was after his marriage..."

Liu Yuerong spoke in a cold tone, "The only one who can compete with Qianfeng is this child. Otherwise, why do you think the Emperor Yu blessed him? Even if his martial aptitude turns out to be mediocre, with the awakening of divine blood, he can still rival top geniuses!"

A moment of silence filled the air outside the room.

The deep-voiced man sighed softly and said, "Since you've made your decision, I won't say more."

"You don't need to worry. I obtained this medicine from Boundless Mountain. After taking it, there will be no traces, and it won't cause any pain. I've even coated it with sugar, so the taste won't be strange. Although he's still young, it won't leave any lasting memories, after all, children eat a lot of candy."

"Even if it's later discovered that he can't awaken the divine blood, it can't be definitively traced back to us. Anyone in the Divine General Mansion could be a suspect!"

"Moreover, bloodlines of that caliber don't always awaken fully. Perhaps the child was never meant to awaken it in the first place?"

At this point, Liu Yuerong scoffed, "Thanks to the Yanbei war, Ji Qingqing and Martial Commander Xing's deep bond led him to the battlefield, giving us this opportunity. Otherwise, if the child grew a few years older and they returned, there would surely be martial guards by their side, making it difficult to act."

The man did not respond, only sighing softly.

After a while, the footsteps of the two gradually faded into the distance.

Inside the room, Li Hao had now fully regained consciousness, feeling dazed and disbelieving.

Second Lady actually wanted to harm him?

She had always been so caring and attentive, but was it all an act?

Li Hao didn't want to believe it, but the truth was right before his eyes.

Although he didn't understand what divine blood was, Second Lady was willing to ruin him to pave the way for her own child, considering him an obstacle.

Li Hao's face turned grim as he clenched his fists slightly.

The daily displays of warmth and gentle words had made him feel at ease, but now he wondered if anyone was genuine. Who else could he trust? In the year and a half since he had come here, he had been taken care of by these ladies in turns, and he had developed some affection for them.

But now, it all seemed like an illusion.

Was this the internal strife of ancient noble families?

He rubbed his body, feeling a slight warmth in his chest, but nothing else. This warmth was from the Dragon Blood Pendant.

His mother had told him that he possessed his father's power, but now... it was gone.

Li Hao clenched his small hand tightly, vowing to avenge this injustice one day.

...

...

Spring turned into autumn, and before he knew it, Li Hao was three years old.

Now, he spent most of his time in the Mountain River Courtyard, carefully eating the food sent by the ladies from various courtyards. Sometimes, he would pretend to dislike the food and reject it, acting like a spoiled child.

Soon, the servants in the courtyard understood that the young master was extremely picky about food and drink.

Three years old.

In the Divine General Manor, this was a critical age.

In ordinary families, children usually started their martial cultivation at the age of seven or eight, or even in their teens.

Some, even with good bone quality, might struggle to achieve greatness due to their home environment hindering their best cultivation years.

But the Divine General Manor was a martial arts family with the most rigorous cultivation methods, and all the children were trained from a young age.

Three years old for Foundation Establishment.

Four years old for Blood Fusion.

Five years old for Bone Measurement!

By the time they turned six, it was time for formal cultivation, with not a moment wasted.

On the path of cultivation, thousands competed, and a step ahead meant staying ahead.

Whether one had cultivation aptitude or not could be tested during the fifth-year Bone Measurement.

If the bones developed healthily and the bone marrow was abundant and solid, cultivation could begin after the fifth-year Bone Measurement.

However, the Divine General Manor had deep roots and followed the principle of 'haste makes waste.' They mandated that formal cultivation should start at six years old, allowing for another year of growth and consolidation, ensuring smoother cultivation in the future.

Even those with exceptional talent, like Li Qianfeng, followed this rule. They could cultivate after the Bone Measurement but still waited until they were six to go to Boundless Mountain.

The daily sword training in the courtyard only involved practicing basic sword techniques and cultivating martial senses, not considered as true cultivation.

For those with average Bone Measurement results and slower development, even at six years old, cultivation was not possible. They needed a few more years to develop, perhaps at seven, eight, or nine years old.

However, the Divine General Manor had countless precious medicines and treasures to nourish and enhance martial aptitude. In all these years, the latest anyone had started cultivation was at eight years old.

It was said that one was a premature birth and had been injured in the womb, leading to this delay.

(End of Chapter)