Strange Rules

Li Hao had previously entered the Feng Mountain Fallen River in the Sandalwood Palace, but his body did not change at all. The Mo River was just a collection of villagers who appeared normal but were actually long dead. He only needed to perform a ritual to help them pass on to the afterlife to destroy the Mo River.

But now, have they reverted to childhood?

No wonder I felt my power disappearing earlier, as if it was being stripped away by something.

Is this what makes the Youdu-level Mo River so special?

Li Hao was somewhat alarmed. As he pondered, he suddenly felt drowsy and soon couldn't stay awake any longer, falling Past a deep sleep.

When Li Hao woke up again, he saw that his hands and feet were pink and tender, and he was lying on an unfamiliar bed, covered with a soft blanket.

He was wearing a bellyband, and looked like he wasn't a newborn, but rather several months old.

It really wasn't a dream... Li Hao finally realized that he was still in the Mo River, but what was wrong with his body? He felt as if he could get up.

Soon, Li Hao put his idea into action and actually started rolling over and crawling on the bed.

This is absolutely not something a newborn baby could do!

"I must have been pregnant for several months..."

Li Hao murmured, but the words that came out of his mouth were just a series of incoherent "lè lè lè lè lè" sounds.

The vocal cords haven't developed yet.

But there's no doubt that there's something wrong with the flow of time here.

I'm just taking a nap. I like to sleep in, but surely I wouldn't sleep in for months on end?

Li Hao stopped crawling, touched his chin with his little hand, and sat on the bed to think.

At that moment, a Golden Name character appeared before his eyes:

[Growth] Task progress: 3%.

Li Hao was surprised. It's already progressed to step 3?

If the mission requires me to live to eighteen, then I've lived for five months now.

Five months have passed in the blink of an eye... Li Hao felt that if he slept a few more times, it would probably be eighteen years later in no time.

By then, that main questline will probably be unlocked.

Guarding Dragon City, this is the Dragon City Fallen River... Li Hao's eyes flickered, feeling that he should make full preparations before he turned eighteen.

This is the Youdu-level Mo River, which is by no means simple. Even those at the Great Peace Dao Realm only have the "possibility" of passing it, which shows how dangerous it is.

With a creak, the door was suddenly pushed open.

A tall, slender young man dressed in brocade robes walked in. He had striking features and looked exceptionally handsome.

Seeing Li Hao about to shift from a sitting to a lying position, his previously serious face immediately relaxed, and he whispered, "Little Mouse?"

Li Hao was about to lie down and pretend to rest when he heard this and was stunned. The only person who knew his nickname and had entered the Mo River was that Fourth Master.

He looked up in surprise and scrutinized the other person, immediately recognizing a resemblance to the elderly Li Xiaoran he had seen earlier:

"Lielu (Fourth Master)?"

"Can't you speak clearly? Well, fine, then I'll speak and you listen. If you're Little Mouse, then raise your hand."

The young-looking Li Xiaoran said in a low voice.

Li Hao immediately raised his hand.

Seeing this, Li Xiaoran was basically certain of Li Hao's identity. He chuckled softly and said:

"I was worried you'd be somewhere else, but it turns out you're right here in the Divine General Residence. It saved me the trouble of searching. I was wondering why my Eldest Brother would suddenly have a Shilang appear, and I guessed it might be you, and it really is..."

"It must be the Li Family Bloodline in your veins that caused my Eldest Brother's obsession to bring you into his lineage."

Seeing Li Hao's helpless expression, Li Xiaoran chuckled, then his expression turned slightly serious, and he said:

"I don't know if you've ever been to the Mo River before, but that's not important. This is Youdu-level Mo River, vastly different from the Mo River you know. There are special rules here!"

"For example, taking away our original bodies and strength is one of the rules."

"The flow of time here is also one of the special rules. Don't lose consciousness easily. When you are asleep or unconscious, time will flow faster, but your body will only grow according to my Eldest Brother's understanding, and there will be no other changes!"

"For example, in my Eldest Brother's eyes, if you only behave in a mediocre way, by the time you take a few more naps, it will be more than ten years later. At that time, your cultivation level will only reach the level that my Eldest Brother has calculated, and it is very likely that you will only reach the Heaven and Man Realm at most!"

"And those at the Heaven and Man Realm will be no different from cannon fodder in the upcoming Dragon City battle; they are almost certain to die!"

He knew Li Hao couldn't speak, but his expression grew more and more serious as he spoke:

"Once you die here in this body, you will truly die. Your original body will vanish, becoming nourishment for the Mo River. Even your own Soul Thought will be imprisoned by this Mo River, unable to be reborn!"

Li Hao felt a chill run down his spine. He was currently in the form of an infant; if he died, would he truly die?

No wonder the Youdu-level Mo River is so dangerous; with such a dramatic shift in power level, which expert could endure it?

"Even those at the Defying Fate Realm cannot survive here unless they cultivate to that Defying Fate Realm. But you don't have much time. Based on my own age, it will probably be about eighteen years later."

"When you turn eighteen, it will be time for the siege of Dragon Gate!"

Li Xiaoran took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "You must grow stronger before that time, and strive to cultivate back to your original level, or even higher."

He felt slightly relieved thinking of the power Li Hao had unleashed when he broke free from the Candlefire Divine Domain, but his expression did not relax. He said:

"This Dragon City was once the most glorious of the cities in Northern Yan, guarded by my Li Family for a thousand years. Hundreds of years ago, an ancestor, in a fit of rage, slew a Dragon Clan Demon King, dismembered him in Dragon City, and hung his head in the wall of the Dragon City. From then on, the city was renamed Dragon City!"

"But this incident also angered the Dragon Clan. The Dragon Gate secretly plotted and accumulated strength. Decades ago, when my Eldest Brother was guarding this Dragon City, the Dragon Gate seized the opportunity and broke through the city gate."

"That battle was fierce and chaotic, with countless deaths and injuries. Most of the Imperial Clan reinforcements were killed in action!"

Li Xiaoran's gaze was deep and solemn as he said, "Therefore, when you turn eighteen, you will face an extremely dangerous battle. Fortunately, we can look after each other this time. If things really can't be resolved, I have other ways to save my life!"

"However, it would be even better if we could resolve this at the same time."

He guarded the Mo River in order to help his Eldest Brother defend Dragon City and bring Eldest Brother relief.

Li Hao nodded slightly. Although he had many questions, he couldn't speak at the moment and could only ask them later when he was able to speak.

"Never think that spiritual practice is easy."

Seeing Li Hao's calm expression, Li Xiaoran said solemnly, "The special rules of the Mo River will interfere with your original Dao Realm Comprehension. Therefore, you are essentially starting to cultivate and comprehend it all over again. You can try to recall your original Cultivation Method now, and you will understand."

Li Hao was taken aback. He had thought that cultivation wasn't difficult, especially for someone like Li Xiaoran, who was essentially a reincarnation of a powerful being. With his original Cultivation Method, he could quickly soar to great heights. In that case, passing through the Mo River didn't seem so difficult after all.

Upon hearing Li Xiaoran's words, Li Hao immediately began to recall his insights into Sword Dao, Chess Dao, and other related fields.

It's alright if he doesn't want to think about it, but when his thoughts turn to those aspects, Li Hao feels as if he's blocked by a barrier, and he can't really remember them.

This feels so weird!

He knew he could use a sword, but when he tried to recall how, he forgot how to hold it!

And no matter how hard I try, I can't remember!

It's like graduating from high school and knowing you've studied hard and even did great on the exam, but then when you think back carefully, you realize you've completely forgotten what was written on which page of the textbook!

He can't even remember the questions from the college entrance exam!

Doesn't that make me College Student?!

Li Hao was shocked.

Does this mean he has to start his cultivation all over again?

Seeing the shocked look on Li Hao's face, Li Xiaoran immediately knew that Li Hao had tried it. He smiled slightly and whispered:

"Don't panic. In the early stages, you'll need to rely on your own cultivation. But as your cultivation level increases, the obstacles posed by these special rules will decrease, and you'll gradually be able to comprehend some of the Dao Realm once knew."

"In other words, the faster you cultivate on your own, the more of your previously sealed cultivation memories will be revealed, and your cultivation speed will increase again later!"

"Otherwise, if one were to truly start cultivating again, in just over a decade, not even counting the time-accelerating effects of sleeping along the way, reaching the Heaven and Man Realm would be the limit. In that case, the Mo River would become an unsolvable problem."

Upon hearing this, Li Hao breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his mind raced, wondering if he could continue absorbing experience through the Panel while he was here.

With a sudden thought, he summoned the Panel.

The text in front of me started flashing, and the Panel actually appeared.

Li Hao was pleasantly surprised, but then he was dumbfounded. The Panel was even cleaner than his face, just like when he first transmigrated.

"Could it be that my original Panel, which was in my original body, is now in this new body?"

Li Hao pondered to himself that both the Mo River and the Panel were strange and inexplicable things, and putting them together made it even more impossible to come up with a conclusion.

But the Panel was still there, which secretly relieved him.

Without the Panel, he wouldn't necessarily become a waste, but his cultivation speed on his own might not be as fast.

After all, he achieved the Heaven-Man Extreme Realm entirely through his own enlightenment, which shows that his understanding of Martial Dao is quite good.

"Also, never Divine General Residence at night; Demon may attack from outside at any time."

Li Xiaoran added, "Although this is the Divine General Residence, it's located in Dragon City. Most things in this Mo River are manifestations of my Eldest Brother's obsession, which is why there are some unbelievable phenomena. Don't be too surprised when you see them."

"Dragon City isn't safe. I'll visit you often. You can sleep in a few more times and quickly progress to the Foundation Establishment and Body Refining Refinement stage before embarking on your cultivation path."

"Don't worry, while you're fast-forwarding through your sleep, time is normal on my end. The days will Past one by one, but you'll feel like months are going by in the blink of an eye."

Li Hao nodded. This Fourth Master explained many things in detail, which showed that he was a meticulous person.

Li Xiaoran gave Li Hao a few more words of advice, then told him to rest and left the room.

After he left, Li Hao pondered for a moment, thinking of finding Go Board, brushes, ink, and other items. He had accumulated experience in painting quite quickly. This Mo River was not as safe as the Courtyard outside. He should start with painting and writing poetry.

But to write poetry, one must first be able to speak.

Soon, Li Hao discovered that he couldn't even walk anymore.

With a wry smile, Li Hao lay down, intending to sleep until he could walk again.

When Li Hao opened his eyes again from his deep sleep, he immediately felt that his body had regained a lot of vitality and he felt much stronger.

He had just opened his eyes when he heard a series of knocking sounds. Looking up, he saw warm, gentle sunlight shining down on him; he was in a Courtyard.

Judging from the construction of the Courtyard, it is the Green Lotus Courtyard where that grandmother lived.

It was in that courtyard that she broke ties with her nominal father.

Li Hao's eyes flickered slightly. Seeing this courtyard again, his thoughts were momentarily drawn back to it, but he quickly regained his composure.

Compared to the real Green Lotus Courtyard, the walls here seem newer, and the sounds of clanging and knocking can be heard from inside the courtyard.

Li Hao looked over and saw four boys practicing sparring in the yard, using wooden weapons.

Their ages are around three to seven years old.

He himself was lying in the arms of a noblewoman, the grandmother, Chen Hefang.

"Shilang, watch your Older Brother train carefully. You should become strong like them and protect your country in the future."

When Chen Hefang saw Li Hao Awakening, she spoke softly and smiled gently, her face full of maternal Wenrou.

Li Hao paused for a moment, and the image of the grandmother outside the Mo River flashed through his mind.

Six of the Li Family's Nine Sons died in battle. The other party then became a vegetarian and a Buddhist, his temples already turned white. Later, he only hoped that his children would live a peaceful life.

Li Hao remained silent for a moment, observing the four boys in the room. The youngest was only about three years old, but he walked and stood very steadily, twirling a stick beside him. His eyes and brows looked extremely lively and agile.

Meanwhile, the three older children inside were fighting each other.

Duh!

A Wooden Sword was cleaved in two, and the older child winced in pain, pulling his hand back and saying irritably:

"Heavenly Gang, you're cheating again!"