Borrowing a Breath from Heaven and Earth

After accepting the Sacred Heart Treasure Talisman, Li Hao thanked Chu Jiuyue again, asking her to convey his gratitude to Yu Emperor.

Li Hao's impression of that most supreme and noble being of the Great Yu Dynasty was still that of his infancy, the first time he saw him when he first arrived here.

It was a towering, extremely imposing figure, seated on the dragon throne, exuding an aura that seemed to encompass mountains and rivers, and possessing an overbearing, domineering presence.

It seems that one can only worship from afar, and must not approach or offend them.

However, the repeated bestowals of titles by the other party made Li Hao feel that the majestic figure was not so cold, ruthless, and unapproachable after all.

The snow is still falling.

The burned letter received no response and faded into oblivion.

No more letters arrived from Qingzhou City.

Li Hao continued to cultivate himself daily, sketching the wind, snow, and mountain scenery Outside the Pass, Angling small demons in the mountains and fields, and exploring the vast and boundless Dao of Heaven and Earth. Deep in his heart, he was still unwilling to miss out on that ultimate pursuit.

Perhaps, he also has a Martial Dao Heart?

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, half a year Past.

From early winter when we first arrived at the campsite, to now deep winter, the snow on the ground has become even thicker.

But just as yin and yang are in All Things, when the Falling Snow accumulates to a certain depth, it is the day when the Yun Yue break through.

In the snow, Demon secretly emerge from their caves in the distance, preparing to hunt for their prey.

In the forest, two wild beasts, mountain tigers, are fighting over a deer carcass.

The river was frozen over, but small fish were swimming back and forth in the water beneath the ice.

On a Mountain Summit, Li Hao sat upright, sensing everything within dozens of miles, his body seemingly merging into the summit.

He gazed at the rising sun amidst the Cloudmist, quietly listening to the sound of the snow melting.

The snow fell from the sky, but it was actually vapor that had evaporated Solidification from the earth.

Seeds buried deep in the soil sprout, grow strong and tall, and when autumn comes, a gust of wind blows, and the Falling Leaves drift into the distant sky.

Fish are confined to water, living in the low-lying areas of the earth, yet they are as Carefree State as if they were soaring in the sky.

People on land may seem to be running around freely and enjoying themselves, but they are actually bound by various orders, as if they are wearing invisible chains and shackles, making it difficult for them to break free.

All Things are sentient beings, but sentient beings are not All Things.

In the past six months, Li Hao has touched the bottleneck of the Myriad Things Dao. That ultimate Flash of Insight is right in front of him. He is just a little short of breaking through the barrier and achieving complete mastery.

Now, he has integrated the Myriad Things Intent, and many Swordsmanship have been reorganized. Although his cultivation level is still at the Heaven and Human Grandmaster Realm, he has truly stepped into the limit of the Great Grandmaster Realm. His actual combat power is about half again as strong as it was in Great Yue City.

If he were to encounter that Lesser Demon King again, he could easily kill him with the Sword Move he had mastered in the past six months.

Initially, he possessed terrifying destructive power by combining his self-created Reincarnation Sword Art within a few minutes during the intervals between battles. Now, after half a year of comprehension, he has further improved and refined this Swordsmanship.

Just then, a gust of cold wind swept by, brushing against my face and stirring up the snow on the ground.

Wind?

A thought seemed to flash before Li Hao's eyes. He narrowed his eyes slightly, sat quietly for a moment, and then that thought disappeared.

He'd had this feeling lately, but it always lacked that final, firm grasp.

Li Hao brushed the snow off his face, picked up the Little White Fox nestled beside his knee, and got up to leave.

They flew through the Sky Traversal and returned to the camp.

Over the past six months, the number of stone houses built around the camp has increased. Considering the great battle that could come at any time in six months, Li Hao did not put too much effort into building residential houses, treating it as a kind of fun or a process of understanding nature.

He still personally Cooking lunch.

During a break from their meal, Li Hao again tried to persuade Song Qiumo to return to the Sandalwood Palace and not stay with him any longer.

The fact that the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King could endure the pain of losing his son for half a year shows that he is an extremely shrewd and composed Demon King. If Song Qiumo doesn't leave, the other party might spend a lot of money to invite other Demon King to keep Song Qiumo occupied, just to be on the safe side.

Therefore, Li Hao felt that she didn't need to stay here and waste time with him.

Li Hao felt that guarding Heaven's Gate Pass was a personal matter he had agreed to, and he did not want to involve too many people.

Song Qiumo remained silent, simply eating her meal. After finishing, she looked up at Li Hao and said, "Since you put it that way, then I'll leave today."

Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "When you go back, please give my regards to the Palace Master."

"OK."

Song Qiumo nodded, agreeing readily this time.

After finishing her meal, she tidied up some small ornaments she had acquired during her stay here. These were small items she had bought while purchasing supplies from nearby cities, including silk hairbands, bracelets, bells, and so on.

After packing up all the items, Song Qiumo said goodbye to Li Hao.

"Aren't you disappointed?"

Li Hongzhuang accompanied Li Hao to see Song Qiumo off. After watching Song Qiumo's figure completely disappear into the horizon, Li Hongzhuang looked at Li Hao and asked.

"Pity?"

Li Hao was puzzled.

"Deep down, you must still be hoping she can stay, right?" Li Hongzhuang said softly.

Li Hao laughed and shook his head slightly, "Then you're wrong. I'm True Heart happy for her departure; at least she doesn't have to face any danger."

"Real?"

Li Hongzhuang was slightly surprised and stared at Li Hao.

Li Hao said, "If possible, I hope you can leave too. You don't need to stay and die with me. I might be able to leave, but you might not be."

Li Hongzhuang frowned slightly, stared at Li Hao, and said:

"Do you have any other ideas? Relying on that senior alone, I'm afraid we can't stop him, unless he's someone like Second Uncle, someone who has reached the pinnacle of the Unique Skill Realm, who might be able to suppress him with a single punch."

The Four Establishments Realm are divided into Fourth Layer, and the difference between each level is huge. Li Hongzhuang could not determine what level that senior was at.

There's only one way.

"What?"

"If you can't beat them, run away."

"..."

Li Hao smiled and returned to the camp.

Li Hongzhuang quickly caught up and said seriously, "What time is it? You're still in the mood for jokes. Why don't you go find your Fourth Uncle first? If Uncle Xiao Ran intervenes, even ordinary Four Establishments Realm Demon won't be a match for him."

Li Hao's eyes flickered, and he shook his head slightly. When he left the Li Family, he was all alone. Apart from the luxurious clothes he was wearing, he took nothing with him. He didn't even want the Famous Sword Eternal Night. He didn't want to take anything from the Li Family anymore, nor did he want to rely on any of the Li Family's connections.

"Now is not the time to be stubborn!"

Seeing Li Hao shake his head, Li Hongzhuang hurriedly said, "We previously predicted that if the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King came, we would likely face an attack from three Demon Kings. As long as they fight two against one and hold that senior back for a short while, the remaining one will be able to kill you!"

"I see."

Li Hao looked at her quietly. "That's why I said if things don't look good, I'll run away in advance. As for you, you might become a burden, and I won't be able to take care of you then. If you don't want to die, you'd better leave as soon as possible."

"It will be too late by the time you realize it," Li Hongzhuang said urgently.

Li Hao shook his head slightly and didn't say anything more to her.

Seeing Li Hao's stubbornness, Li Hongzhuang sighed and had no choice but to pack her luggage, saying:

"I can't persuade you. I'll go back to Qing Prefecture to find your father, your Second Uncle, and your Fifth Uncle to come and talk to you. Hopefully, the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King won't have time to arrive by then."

Li Hao felt a bit helpless and speechless towards his aunt, so he shook his head and ignored her.

Li Hongzhuang packed her bags and left. No one could withstand the wrath of the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King. As Li Hao had said, her presence here would only be a burden.

On the other side, Li He was extremely anxious and sent messages to Qing Prefecture one after another, but they were like stones sinking into the sea, with no response.

He didn't know what the Gong-rank Noble was thinking, but his orders were to protect Li Hao, and he couldn't leave as easily as Li Hongzhuang.

At this moment, Li He was pondering whether he should knock Li Hao unconscious and forcibly take him away.

But after the battle at Great Yue City, he knew he was no match for this young master. If the Demon attacked, it was uncertain who would protect whom.

As he pondered whether to launch a sneak attack, suddenly, everything went black before his eyes.

Then, he fell straight down in the snow, his face hitting the ground.

Feng Boping emerged from behind Li He, casually patted him on the shoulder, and said to Li Hao, "This old bastard from the Li Family is stubborn and narrow-minded, just like the rest of the Li Family. We'll have to send him away for now."

Li He, who had just been thinking about how to sneak up on Li Hao, knock him unconscious, and carry him away, was now knocked unconscious himself.

Li Hao smiled and handed Li He to Ren Qianqian. There were fast horses in the camp. He said to Ren Qianqian, "Take him away from Liang Prefecture. Go anywhere you like. Hmm, let's go to Qizhou. Wait for me in Cangyu City."

Ren Qianqian was filled with worry. She wanted to persuade him, but in the past few days, she had seen Song Qiumo and Li Hongzhuang try to persuade him repeatedly, but to no avail. She knew that this young man was proud and would never back down.

She could only agree, gazing at Li Hao and saying, "Young Master, I will wait for you in Cangyu City. You must survive!"

Looking into the girl's eyes, as clear as a lake, and sensing the pure concern within them, Li Hao smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, you're learning swordsmanship from me. I haven't taught you the real Swordsmanship yet, so you won't die so easily!"

Ren Qianqian bit her lip slightly and remained silent.

Even if you don't teach me Swordsmanship, I don't want to see you die... She stared deeply at Li Hao, keeping these words to herself.

There weren't many words of farewell. Li Hao patted the Crimson Blood Horse's rump and saw the girl off.

Li He was also carried on horseback, and they left together along the Dragon Gate Road.

This Dragon Gate Road was cleared by Li Hao. In the past six months, Demon would occasionally pass by, but they were all killed, so it was relatively safe.

"Little one, if anything happens to me, you'll be stuck here in this wilderness, finding a cave to cultivate in."

Li Hao looked down at the Little White Fox at his feet, which was tightly hugging him with its two tiny paws.

The Little White Fox looked up, its bright, watery eyes gazing pitifully at Li Hao, and let out a peculiar bleating sound.

Li Hao returned to the Hedge-Enclosed Courtyard, and with the others leaving, the courtyard suddenly felt somewhat empty.

The girl practicing her sword was nowhere to be seen in the snow nearby.

Even in the side bedroom, Song Qiumo's alluring figure was nowhere to be seen.

Before that distant, solitary grave a thousand miles away, there was no longer that crimson figure sitting quietly, drinking wine.

"Old Feng, you haven't caught Demon King yet, have you?"

Li Hao looked at the old man leaning against the Reclining Chair in the courtyard, smiled, and said that they had known each other for many years and were close friends despite their age difference. He felt he owed the old man too much and too deep a debt of gratitude, so there was no way to express his thanks.

"Hmm, we can give it a try this time."

Feng Boping chuckled lightly, holding a flask of wine in his hand, gently shaking it.

Li Hao sat down next to him, took a couple of sips of the drink, and asked, "Old Feng, we've been here for so long, and you've never urged me to cultivate."

He knew how others perceived his daily behavior as frivolous and wasteful. While he had some reservations at that mansion, he was completely uninhibited here.

They loosened their grip on "cultivation."

"Cultivation is for the sake of pleasure. Since you're already happy, what difference does it make whether you cultivate or not?"

Feng Boping chuckled lightly.

Li Hao already knew that Old Feng was a free spirit who didn't dwell on trivial matters, but upon hearing this, he still turned and stared at him for a moment before laughing:

"If I could become stronger, you wouldn't have to work so hard."

Feng Boping shook his head slightly, his expression indifferent. "Three years of hardship are nothing to mention."

Li Hao glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

An old man and a young boy quietly drank wine, gazing at the snow scene. Although there were fewer people in the courtyard, it was even more peaceful.

To prepare for the arrival of the Ten Thousand Mountains Demon King, Li Hao Old Feng made some preparations, secretly planting many Shadow Threads outside Heaven's Gate Pass.

Both were skilled Angling and were waiting for the other to arrive.

Whether it can match the catch depends on how much and how big the catch is.

If the string breaks, it should be discarded.

Another half month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Hao sat Mountain Summit, basking in the cold wind.

The wind seems unusually strong and the weather unusually cold today.

Li Hao sat quietly, the Little White Fox already nestled in his arms.

With Li Hao's physique, he naturally didn't care about the cold wind. He watched as the cold wind carried countless Falling Snow, which drifted down from the sky. In his field of vision, countless snowflakes swirled, floated, and fell among All Things.

Suddenly, a feeling of divine inspiration welled up inside me.

The accumulated thoughts and reflections of many days, along with the flashes of Flash of Insight that repeatedly struck the door of my heart, suddenly shattered the last wall of my heart at this moment.

Li Hao suddenly understood.

He suddenly understood what it was that he had been searching for.

Suddenly, I understood what the common ground between All Things in this vast Heaven and Earth was.

--It's a breath!

Mountains, rivers, All Things, beasts, and all living things are moved by this one breath!

The same applies to Warrior training.

Ordinary people live on this one breath.

Warrior rely on their internal energy to circulate through their Great Meridian and generate power.

All Seven Emotions and Six Desires ultimately come from a single breath.

All Things grow, and so too does life depend on a single breath!

But this breath is not the kind of breath that ordinary people understand; it is the breath of Heaven and Earth and earth!

This breath can evolve into All Things, nourish All Things, transform into mountains, rivers, birds, beasts, and all life in the world!

Li Hao closed his eyes, and his Aura rapidly contracted, transformed, and merged with Heaven and Earth.

This feeling is similar to spiritual practice, yet it's not quite the same.

The power within him merged with the heavens and Heaven and Earth, dissipating completely. Under the refinement of the heavens and Heaven and Earth, he transformed, as if his true nature had been washed away, radiating a dazzling and brilliant luster.

This luster was ethereal and illusory, seemingly not existing in the real world.

Li Hao donated all his strength to Heaven and Earth, then asked Heaven and Earth for a breath, which he then merged into himself.

Li Hao called this breath "Immortal Qi".

Grandmaster Limit, Land Immortal Realm, Achieved!