Entering Spirit in the Chess Dao (double-length chapter)

"This child, I hope she can cultivate what she desires in this lifetime..."

Lin Shan Hai watched his granddaughter leave, shook his head, and sighed softly.

Given Lin Qingying's aptitude, her possession of Sacred Bone, and the frequent revelations of Sage reincarnations and incarnations over the past millennium, it's hard not to suspect that she is also Sage reincarnation, though the specific Sage remains unknown.

But Lin Shan Hai didn't feel uncomfortable about it. At least in this life's memories, the other person was his granddaughter, whom he had raised from a baby.

Lin Qingying's parents died early, and he was the one who took care of her when she was a child. He would tease her when she cried, and her childhood playfulness and obedience were already imprinted in his heart.

"Elder Lin, why do these Sage need to rebuild their cultivation?"

Li Hao, holding his teacup, asked curiously.

Lin Shan Hai poured himself another cup of tea, looked up at the floating white clouds outside the eaves, and felt a gentle Qing Feng in the courtyard, creating a sense of leisurely comfort.

He smacked his lips in tea, turned his head, and chuckled, "You little rascal, you still say you can't refine pills!"

"If you are a true Warrior, you should know that these reincarnated Sage seek to achieve complete mastery of the Martial Dao Extreme Realm. It is said that cultivating each realm to its peak will lead to a shocking secret, especially the Sixth Extreme Realm!"

"I really don't know how to refine pills..." Li Hao smiled bitterly. Ever since he showed off his skills in stir-frying and purifying pills, the old man had regarded him as the heir of a declining alchemy Lineage. His explanation was seen by the other party as hiding his identity, as distrust, and as being evasive.

He naturally wouldn't offer any further explanation, lest he offend people.

"The Sixth Extreme Realm? Is there any Mystery explanation for it?"

Li Hao's heart stirred, and he asked curiously.

"How would I know? I've never heard of anyone cultivating all the Extreme Realm, not even Sage."

Lin Shan Hai shook his head.

"What?"

Li Hao was startled and stared at him in astonishment.

Sage have long lifespans, and the history of this Lands of the Saints is extremely long, much older than the Great Yu Dynasty. Although the various Martial Dao Extreme Realm are difficult to reach, those who can become Sage are naturally not lacking in Heavenly Talent or resources. As long as they spend a lot of time, they can basically be slowly tempered into saints.

As a result, even those lofty Sage failed to master all the Extreme Realm?!

Ever since he encountered someone who had mastered several Extreme Realm when he killed someone at the Dao Law Realm, Li Hao subconsciously assumed that Sage had basically mastered all the Extreme Realm, but now it seems that this is not the case.

"Your ancestors were Alchemist, so it's normal that you don't understand Martial Dao. The Extreme Realm isn't so easy to cultivate."

Seeing Li Hao's shocked expression, Lin Shan Hai patiently and gently explained, "If it were any other Extreme Realm, it wouldn't matter, but the Third Extreme Realm, the Heaven and Earth Dharma Form, requires one to be born with the heart of Sage and dare to fight against heaven and Heaven and Earth! And the Sixth Extreme Realm is even more so; it is recognized as the most difficult Extreme Realm to cultivate, and it is very mysterious. According to the secret information I have obtained, the reincarnation of all sages is basically for this."

"Hmm..."

Li Hao was somewhat stunned. The Sixth Extreme Realm was the most difficult to cultivate? It even forced the Sacred Capital to reincarnate for it?

He suddenly felt flattered and overwhelmed. Could it be that his talent surpassed that of Sage?

When he was cultivating the Sixth Extreme Realm, although he spent several months pondering, he felt that it was not much different from the other Extreme Realm.

It might just require some insight and an understanding of the Heaven and Earth.

"This Sixth Extreme Realm is very mysterious. It is neither about comprehension, nor ambition, nor even the foundation of Cultivation Method. No one can say for sure how to reach it, but Sacred Capital speculate that it may be a certain State of Mind!"

Lin Shan Hai said, "But the State of Mind is precisely the most difficult thing to fathom. It's strange, really. There are countless geniuses in the Heavenly Prodigy, each with different experiences and different State of Mind. Among the Heavenly Prodigy who are qualified to touch the Sixth Extreme Realm, not a single one can comprehend this State of Mind. It's really strange."

Li Hao was stunned; he hadn't expected the Sixth Extreme Realm to be so difficult.

If I had arrived from the Immortal Gate normally, it might have alarmed the entire Lands of the Saints.

The fact that the Void Saint was willing to risk his reputation to attack him was most likely due to his fear of this.

"If one is to cultivate to the Sixth Extreme Realm, why would Sage need to reincarnate?"

Li Hao couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, it's because the Sixth Extreme Realm, like the Third Extreme Realm, is Extreme Realm that cannot be rebuilt!"

Lin Shan Hai said, "Moreover, if it's about State of Mind, even their Sage minds can't fathom it. So naturally, it's best to start from scratch. After all, the will of Sage can sometimes be disruptive. Once you understand something, it's hard to pretend you didn't."

"Knowledge and experience can sometimes be a terrible invasion, completely changing you."

Upon hearing his words, Li Hao immediately understood what the other person meant.

Using the Dao Thought carried within the thoughts of Sage to perceive things beyond one's own Great Dao will only create obstacles.

It's easier to start over from scratch.

Even if Sage pretends to be as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, there are some things that, once known, cannot be forgotten.

"I long to buy osmanthus blossoms and share wine, but it will never be like the carefree days of my youth..."

Li Hao muttered to himself, "This is probably why Sage need to reincarnate to cultivate."

Only by living another life, a truly blank slate, can one return to being a true youth.

Li Hao glanced at the rapidly increasing Poetry and Literature experience, then ignored it.

Beside him, Lin Shan Hai heard Li Hao murmuring verses, paused for a moment, and felt that they had a certain charm.

After carefully considering it, a look of surprise appeared on his face. He realized that it did indeed align with the thoughts of the reincarnated saints.

"With your talent, you could easily become the top scholar in Mortal World Dynasty."

Lin Shan Hai said to Li Hao.

Li Hao blushed slightly. Becoming a top scholar wasn't so easy; it couldn't be done with just a few lines of poetry.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, we have guests, and these guys..."

Lin Shan Hai suddenly put down his teacup, flicked the dust off his sleeves, and was about to get up to greet him when he suddenly remembered something. He glanced at the teapot and gestured towards Li Hao with his chin:

"Quickly put this away. Also, hide that packet of Dragon Ginseng Tea in my drawer under the table in the stove to mask its aroma; those guys have very sensitive noses..."

As he spoke, he got up, put on his simple cloth shoes, and walked out of the courtyard.

Li Hao was taken aback, but his movements were swift. He swept the teapot with his hand and put the Dragon Ginseng Tea into his Heaven and Earth Space. Then he took a few fragrant herbs, threw them into the teapot, and poured a cup for himself and the other person.

Slightly warming the palms allows the herbs to release their medicinal properties more quickly, filling the teacup with their aroma.

Just then, bursts of laughter came from outside the courtyard, and several elderly men walked in, led by Lin Shan Hai.

"Why didn't you guys tell me you were coming?"

"It's such a short distance, why bother notifying us? We just came to see your newly taken-over apprentice medicine boy and see what kind of prodigy he is."

Four figures entered the courtyard: three elderly men and a still-attractive woman. Except for one of the elderly men, who was dressed in gold and jade and exuded an air of nobility, the others were relatively simple, and their hairpins were all made of wood.

Without exception, all four of them smelled strongly of medicinal herbs.

"Hmm? Is this the young man?"

The four entered the courtyard and quickly noticed Li Hao.

Since they were guests, they didn't rashly use their Divine Sense to investigate, but rather glanced at everything they saw.

Li Hao stopped sitting and quickly stood up.

Lin Shan Hai was slightly taken aback when he saw the teapot still lying beside him, but he quickly noticed the medicinal fragrance wafting from the teacup. He was speechless and glanced at Li Hao, thinking to himself that this kid was even more cunning than him.

"Come, come, please take a seat."

Lin Shan Hai greeted him with a smile, asking Li Hao to fetch a few more tea sets and pastries.

Li Hao acted as a medicine boy, bringing the group Meditation Cushion, teacups, and pastries.

"Old Lin, that batch of pills you recently received, was it this young man who helped you refine them?"

The elderly man, dressed in luxurious attire adorned with gold and silver ornaments, asked with a smile, rubbing his jade fingertip together.

Lin Shan Hai seemed to see through the other party's thoughts and snorted, "Don't even think about it. I've already decided to pass on my mantle to him."

"Look at you, why are you so agitated over just one sentence? Who said we came to beg for people?" The Alchemist, who looked like a noblewoman, covered her mouth and laughed.

"Old Linzi is still the same old man. But speaking of which, I've seen all the pills you've been refining lately. They're really amazing, the purity is so high. You couldn't have done that on your own," another old man said.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shan Hai didn't try to hide it. In fact, he had expected these old friends to come today. He also intended to introduce Li Hao to them and help Li Hao expand his network of contacts. He wanted to keep Li Hao by his side. After all, such a rare alchemy talent was enough for him to become Advanced Alchemist with his unique refining skills.

If one dedicates decades to studying alchemy, becoming Pill Dao Grandmaster is just around the corner.

"That's right, it's all thanks to Qing Feng's help. He fell off a cliff in his early years, had a fortuitous encounter, and was later spied on and hunted down. He was rescued by Qingying, and now he can finally settle down."

Lin Shan Hai said.

Qing Feng was the alias Li Hao gave him. Although this was not the Cloud Radiance Realm, Li Hao was unaware of the Sage's methods and worried that the other party would trace him through his name.

Moreover, many people know his name, and if they learn of his whereabouts through those people, it could cause further trouble.

Hearing Lin Shan Hai's introduction, Li Hao was speechless. The old man had really gone to great lengths to cover his background and prevent others from investigating.

"I see..."

The four exchanged glances but didn't delve deeper or ask any further questions, since everyone has their own secrets.

"Could you show us? Don't worry, we will never reveal anything; we just want to learn."

One of the older men said.

Lin Shan Hai said irritably, "This is their specialty. You think you can just learn it like that? You should at least offer a couple of your Advanced Pill Recipe in exchange!"

"Old Lin, they haven't even spoken yet, what's your hurry?" the old man said irritably. "Two Advanced Pill Recipe? I think you're the one eyeing them. If you're so capable, why don't you trade with me? Or how about we have a pill-refining Sparring, each of us betting one formula?"

"Who wants to compare with you? I don't care," Lin Shan Hai scoffed.

"Alright, you two are still angry about that pill-refining competition. Aren't you afraid the younger generation will laugh at you?" the noblewoman said helplessly.

Lin Shan Hai stopped arguing with them and turned to introduce the four of them to Li Hao.

All four were Advanced Alchemist from the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land and old friends of Lin Shan Hai.

Li Hao memorized their names one by one and greeted them.

"Young man, is it convenient for you to show me? You've shown it all to Old Lin. Whatever conditions Old Lin offered you, I'll give you the same." Zhao Yingzhen said, rubbing his jade-like fingers.

"That's right. If it's a trade, I can exchange a high-level Pill Formula with you." The noblewoman's name was Shi Huajin. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed intently at Li Hao, her expression quite serious.

As Advanced Alchemist, they had all analyzed the pills Lin Shan Hai had recently refined, as they had generated a wave of praise within the Sacred Land.

Upon analysis, they discovered that the method of refining the medicinal power within this elixir was extremely profound, even surpassing their own.

Only after inquiring did they learn that it was their old friend Lin Shan Hai who had found a treasure.

Seeing the envious looks on his old friends' faces, Lin Shan Hai chuckled to himself, picked up his tea, and calmly sipped his tea.

I only took two sips before I frowned. The medicinal aroma was too strong; it was really hard to make into tea.

"This kid doesn't even know how to pick something good..." he thought to himself, but then he remembered how his few ounces of Dragon Ginseng Tea, which he had collected over a hundred years, had almost been exposed, and his mood improved considerably.

"If you seniors would like to see it, I'll humbly show you my skills. There's no need to exchange Pill Formula," Li Hao said with a smile.

The four were taken aback, not expecting Li Hao to be so easy to talk to. They couldn't help but exchange glances, suddenly feeling a little guilty.

"Well... there's no such thing as free learning, young man. Just tell us what you need, and we'll do our best to help you with anything within our power," Zhao Yingzhen said, stopping the rubbing of his fingers and looking very serious.

"That's right."

Another elderly man Sun Zhengshang, nodded in agreement.

"I don't need it for the time being," Li Hao said, shaking his head.

The group exchanged glances, all feeling a bit of a headache. With Lin Shan Hai here, they wouldn't be so shameless as to take advantage of the junior for nothing.

But owing favors is actually more troublesome.

Lin Shan Hai noticed the four's predicament, smiled, and said, "Since Qing Feng is willing to demonstrate, you can take a look first. If Qing Feng encounters any trouble in the future, just lend him a hand."

Seeing that Lin Shan Hai had said so, the four of them no longer hesitated and immediately asked Li Hao to make a move.

Li Hao entered the Alchemy Chamber, selected some medicinal herbs, and began to stir-fry them in mid-air.

Seeing Li Hao's actions, all four of them widened their eyes.

Stir fry?

If it weren't for the medicinal herbs in his hands, they would have thought the young man was cooking!

Their intuition was correct; Li Hao was indeed cooking Cooking refining.

Before long, the Cooking of the medicinal herbs was finished, and a fragrant aroma filled the air.

The four were taken aback, and quickly extended their Divine Sense to observe carefully, only to be immediately shocked.

The medicinal properties of these herbs were actually extracted just by stir-frying them!

With such medicinal power, it's no wonder the purity and quality of the pills are improved. Give them such a valuable assistant, and they can do it too!

"I see, it's a unique refining technique..."

After the initial shock, the group realized that this was not some kind of Secret Art, but a special refining method that seemed very difficult to master. It was impossible to grasp it after just one demonstration.

No wonder the other party didn't mind showing it off; this technique is too Mystery, and they're not afraid the other party will learn it at all.

"I never imagined there were such alchemy methods; it has truly broadened my horizons."

Zhao Yingzhen was somewhat lost in thought. When he came to his senses, his eyes couldn't help but light up slightly, as if he had opened up a new idea for alchemy.

"Your name is Qing Feng, right? Qing Feng, would you be willing to assist me in refining a high-grade pill? I won't deliberately hide anything from you during the refining process. If you can learn it, that will be your skill. I need your refining ability to help me condense the Medicinal Liquid..." Shi Huajin looked at Li Hao intently and extended an invitation.

Li Hao was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but look at Lin Shan Hai beside him.

Lin Shan Hai was taken aback when he saw Li Hao's gaze. He immediately realized that Li Hao was asking him if he wanted to agree.

The implication of that inquiry was that if he agreed, the young man would comply out of respect for him; if he seemed casual, the boy would most likely refuse...

This is an invitation from Advanced Alchemist, and it includes an Advanced Pill Recipe, with no reservations whatsoever. What a precious opportunity! Is this kid really not interested?

Lin Shan Hai was speechless; this was the first time he had ever met a guy like this.

"Since it's Master Alchemist asked you for help, you can agree if you're willing. It's up to you, but this is a rare opportunity. If you're not interested in the Pill Formula, you can ask for something else. Master Alchemist has a wide network of connections and a very wealthy family..." Lin Shan Hai said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Shi Huajin was somewhat stunned. Judging from his words, she had shown him Advanced Pill Recipe without reservation; was this young man still not interested?

"Since it's an invitation from a senior, then I shall respectfully accept."

After thinking about it, Li Hao agreed.

Although doing this kind of work will delay his Sculpting, it won't take up too much time.

After all, he was Lin Shan Hai's friend, and it would be a shame to refuse. He also felt that he owed Lin Shan Hai a great debt of gratitude.

Moreover, since he's currently unfamiliar with the area and the people around him, and the other party has gone to such lengths to introduce him to others, there's nothing wrong with him making some friends.

"What do you need?" Shi Huajin asked Li Hao curiously.

Li Hao shook his head. "I don't need anything. If possible, I would be interested in any valuable calligraphy, paintings, Chess Manual, or similar items."

"Calligraphy, paintings, Chess Manual?"

Shi Huajin and the others were all surprised. Such worthless items were basically useless to cultivators, except for some pretentious merchants.

Lin Shan Hai had already noticed Li Hao's unusual behavior this month, as he spent his free time Sculpting and never inquired about alchemy or cultivation. However, upon hearing this, he was still taken aback.

Shi Huajin was somewhat suspicious, so she asked Li Hao twice more to confirm that Li Hao really only needed these things. She didn't think about it any further, figuring that Li Hao's intentions would be known in time.

"Old Lin, why are you making tea with medicinal herbs? It tastes awful."

Another elderly man Liu Dongting, spat out the herbs from his tea and said irritably.

"You don't understand tea, so let's drink some medicinal herbs to strengthen your body," Lin Shan Hai said with a light laugh.

The group then chatted about alchemy and the task of mixing pills in the Sacred Land. The conversation occasionally drifted to Lin Shan Hai's granddaughter, Lin Qingying, and mentioning her inevitably led to the upcoming Sacred Land Sword God Battle.

The disciples within the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land, including the Saintess, all revere the sword. In the ultimate contest of cultivation and Swordsmanship, the loser will undoubtedly suffer a complete and utter defeat, without any excuses such as differences in weaponry.

Li Hao sat quietly to the side, listening attentively.

When someone occasionally compliments him, he responds with a smile.

After a casual chat, Li Hao became somewhat familiar with the names and personalities of the four people, and the four of them also remembered this quiet and unusual young man.

After the four said their goodbyes, life in the courtyard went back to normal.

Time flies.

In the days that followed, besides assisting Lin Shan Hai in refining and purifying pills, Li Hao was also invited to help out at the four alchemists' workshops. His presence became increasingly frequent, and he gradually gained a small reputation. The Alchemist's apprentices and the disciples of the Sacred Land who fawned over them all heard that a pill-refining assistant was deeply favored by several Advanced Alchemists...

In Lin Shan Hai's courtyard.

The night sky was dazzling, Sword Light flashed.

After Lin Qingying finished practicing a set of Swordsmanship, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and immediately smelled a fragrant aroma.

She turned her head and saw the Alchemist she had taken in carrying a plate of pastries out of the wood-burning stove in another part of the courtyard.

Are you hungry? Would you like some snacks?

When Li Hao saw the other person looking at him, he smiled and raised the pastries in his hand.

Lin Qingying's eyes remained calm, and she did not respond, continuing to practice another Swordsmanship.

While practicing the movements, I also gained insight into the direction of the Sword Momentum's momentum.

Glug...

Perhaps it was the lingering fragrance, but halfway through the rehearsal, her stomach rumbled slightly.

Lin Qingying frowned, stopped comprehending the Sword Intent, and turned to look at the Alchemy Chamber. Inside, an old man and a young man were eating and drinking, looking extremely happy.

These two... when did they become so close?

Lin Qingying was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise appearing in her eyes. She knew her grandfather's temperament; although he seemed easygoing, he had experienced many dangerous things in his early years and was always wary of others. But now, he seemed extremely friendly to the Alchemist he had taken in.

"Qingying, come and rest if you're tired. Try Qing Feng's cooking, it's absolutely amazing!"

Seeing his granddaughter's gaze, Lin Shan Hai immediately raised the pastries in his hand and offered them to her.

Lin Qingying glanced at the pastries, remained silent for a moment, and finally slowly sheathed her sword and walked into the Alchemy Chamber.

"Give."

Li Hao picked up the plate and handed it to the other person, letting them take it themselves. Someone as fastidious as himself would be disgusted by food that others had handled.

Seeing Li Hao's subtle actions, Lin Qingying's eyes flickered slightly. Without saying a word, she gently picked up a piece of pastry with her two slender, white fingers and put it into her mouth.

The melt-in-your-mouth aroma and the indescribable, spreading sensation made Lin Qingying's eyes widen slightly, but she quickly returned to normal, silently chewing gently a couple of times.

Then there was a brief silence, as if they were savoring the moment.

Seeing that she had already swallowed, Li Hao didn't hesitate to hand Past the plate again.

"..."

Lin Qingying Pause for a moment, then picked up another piece, this time put it in her mouth, and slowly chewed it.

After swallowing, she looked at Li Hao and nodded. "It tastes good, thank you for the pastry."

After saying that, he turned around and went back into the courtyard to continue practicing his sword skills.

Li Hao didn't mind, pushed the plate in front of Lin Shan Hai, and the old man and the young man ate casually.

Since Lin Shan Hai introduced Li Hao to Li Hao that day, Li Hao has become familiar with Zhao Yingzhen and the others. Besides staying in Lin Shan Hai's courtyard, he often goes there to help out or go sightseeing.

Lin Shan Hai only enjoyed alchemy and had no interest in Chess, calligraphy, painting, Angling, or anything else.

To Li Hao's surprise, Shi Huajin was actually quite skilled at Chess.

So, besides helping out, Li Hao would also occasionally come to Shi Huajin's mountain peak to discuss Chess in his spare time.

Their Alchemist reside in the core area of Sword Ancestor Sacred Land, a spacious environment surrounded by Medicine Mountain. Normally, disciples of the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land are forbidden from disturbing them here.

The Sword Ancestor Sacred Land is extremely vast. Based on Lin Shan Hai's description and his own deductions, Li Hao estimated that the area of this Sacred Land alone is about twice the size of the Great Yu Dynasty, equivalent to the size of thirty-eight states!

The area where Lin Shan Hai refines pills is the size of a city, and it is extremely quiet and spacious with only a few servants and medicine boys.

The same was true for everyone else, but the Medicine Mountain where Zhao Yingzhen was located was extremely lively, with many medicine apprentices and disciples, and the entire mountain was decorated in a magnificent manner, like Imperial Capital on Mortal World.

"Your Chess must have taken a lot of effort; it's definitely not something you can achieve just by playing casually."

In the pavilion on Medicine Mountain, Shi Huajin placed her pieces, blocking Li Hao's White Stone. After spending half a month together, she had become increasingly interested in this young man, who was quite different from the people she had met before.

"It's just something I do in my spare time, and I've studied it a little bit."

Li Hao smiled, his mind focused on the Go Board. His opponent's Chess were not bad, around Fifth Dan. If he was too careless, even if he was Chess Dao Rank 6, he would lose.

Pride comes before a fall, unless there is a significant difference in skill level.

"If you're willing, I can recommend you to the Sacred Land. With several of us recommending you together, you can directly become a mid-level Alchemist, with a status comparable to inner disciple the Sacred Land," Shi Huajin said earnestly to Li Hao.

Li Hao shook his head slightly. He only planned to recuperate here and improve his Art Skill.

His identity as an alchemist held little significance for him.

Seeing Li Hao's focused expression, Shi Huajin said no more and made her move seriously.

On the Go Board, White Stone interacted with each other. Li Hao was completely absorbed in the game, and the Go Board in front of him seemed to slowly grow larger in his vision, with the grid lines stretching infinitely, surrounding him.

He himself was like a piece on Go Board.

That Flash of Insight appeared in a daze, and Li Hao caught it this time.