Power Through Realm

That year, the fighting along the Northern Yan border grew ever more desperate. Battle reports arrived without end, and problems arose with both weapons and provisions. Prince Pingcheng's collusion with the great demons had unexpectedly exposed another force behind the scenes, making the war even more complicated and difficult.

Throughout the Divine General Residence, people discussed the situation anxiously, worried about the front lines.

Apparently, the imperial court also argued over the matter every day, putting forward all manner of proposals.

But though the wind and snow sweeping through the court drifted into the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard, none of it settled on those two small, young figures.

At five years old, Li Hao underwent his scheduled Bone Measurement.

"Weak bones, no unusual coloration, no unusual radiance, no condensed marrow..."

The one measuring Li Hao's bones was an old Daoist invited from Green Hill Mountain. With crane-white hair and a youthful face, he studied the little boy before him in bewilderment. Had the Li Family's First Madam not been standing beside him, he might even have suspected a case of the Cat Switches the Crown Prince-that some feud within this noble household had led to the young master being secretly swapped.

"Bone Aptitude: lowest of the low. His battle body is ungraded. These are merely the ordinary bones of an ordinary child."

The old Daoist finally delivered his assessment.

At those words, He Jianlan and the other madams looked distressed. Fifth Madam could not help asking, "Are you sure you haven't made a mistake? Hao'er... how could he possibly have such poor aptitude?"

The other madams said nothing. This old Daoist was a longtime acquaintance of the Divine General Residence and had measured the bones of children from every courtyard. He had never made a mistake.

Besides, Li Hao's previous failures in Foundation Establishment and Blood Fusion had already prepared them for this. Seeing the result now felt almost like having their expectations confirmed.

Li Hao quietly scanned their expressions. Second Madam was among them, her face equally sorrowful, perhaps even more so.

But he could not tell how many of them truly felt sad for him.

"Brother Hao."

Bian Ruxue clutched the hem of Li Hao's clothes, her little face full of anxiety.

Though she could not understand what had happened, she could sense that Li Hao seemed to have lost something.

Seeing the little girl's pitiful expression, Li Hao could not help smiling.

He pinched her soft, plump cheek. He was the one who ought to be sad. When this little girl had her bones measured in two months, she would probably astonish everyone.

The old Daoist left, and everyone else dispersed.

Like an ebbing tide, the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard returned to its quiet state, leaving only two little figures and Lin Haixia standing beside them.

That night, the military officer who had abstained from alcohol for years drank alone in the Mountains and Rivers Courtyard.

Smelling the wine, Li Hao developed a craving too. He found a little jade cup and hugged the wine bottle, about to pour himself a little, only for the half-drunk Lin Haixia to glare at him and snatch the bottle from his hands. In a rare burst of anger, he scolded, "Your audacity knows no bounds! You even dare drink wine!"

"I'm just keeping you company." Li Hao grinned.

"What do you know? Drinking is for adults," Lin Haixia said irritably.

"Drinking alone is so lonely. It's better with company." Li Hao tried to grab the bottle again, but the officer raised his hand, putting it out of reach.

Lin Haixia glared at Li Hao, ready to give him another scolding, but after hearing his words, he suddenly fell silent.

Only then did he remember that the little fellow before him had been alone ever since his parents left after his hundred-day banquet.

That's right. He must want someone to keep him company too. When Xue'er's father wasn't beside her, that little girl cried all the way to the Divine General Residence...

He glanced at the vast Mountains and Rivers Courtyard beyond the pavilion. Its scenery was beautiful, but how could even the loveliest scenery make up for the absence of one's parents?

Lin Haixia said nothing and gulped down another two mouthfuls of wine. Then he looked at Li Hao's easy smile and suddenly realized that, in the two years since he had arrived, he seemed never to have seen this little fellow cry.

"Hey."

Perhaps the wine was taking effect. Lin Haixia could no longer be bothered to address Li Hao as young master. In his eyes, this was ultimately just a little brat.

"Do you miss your parents?"

The question caught Li Hao off guard.

Then an image surfaced in his mind: that young woman holding him by the window, murmuring sorrowfully to herself.

Five years had passed. He had long since forgotten the warmth of that embrace, yet the sorrow in her eyes had instead branded itself into his heart.

"I suppose I do." Li Hao glanced at the stars in the night sky and said softly, "The war over in Northern Yan must be hard to fight. I hope nothing happens to them."

Lin Haixia froze.

He had thought mentioning the child's parents would make him sad, or that he might have forgotten them entirely. After all, they had left when he was so young that he probably had little concept of what parents were.

Who would have thought that this child not only remembered them, but bore no resentment and even worried about the commander and his wife?

For a moment, Lin Haixia felt as though a thorn had stabbed hard into his heart. His heart ached for the boy.

He rubbed his eyes, tipped his head back, and gulped down several mouthfuls of wine.

"Uncle Lin, are you crying?"

"Nonsense! I spilled some wine. You don't know a damn thing!"

The night wind turned cold.

Haixia grew drunk, too.

Drunk on wine, Haixia chanted a Killing Poem in the courtyard, swinging his fists and kicking his legs, until he finally collapsed like a heap of mud.

Li Hao instructed the servants to carry him back to his room to sleep, lest he become a feast for the mosquitoes.

Two months later.

It was Bian Ruxue's turn to have her bones measured.

The same old Daoist invited from Green Hill Mountain measured Bian Ruxue's bones in the same spot within the courtyard.

Before long, the old Daoist's eyes widened. Looking at the little girl with excitement, he laughed heartily. "Bones like gold, iron, and divine jade-Divine Bone! A subtle seven-colored radiance, marrow brimming with flowing speckles. Supreme quality, a Ninth Grade Battle Body! Haha, just as expected of a child of the Divine General Residence. You certainly don't disappoint. The Universe Rankings will gain another name in the future!"

As he said this, he lowered his head and happened to glimpse Li Hao beside her. His smile immediately stiffened.

Then he coughed twice, somewhat embarrassed.

That was close. I nearly forgot the Divine General Residence also had this record-breaking little fellow.

This time, only He Jianlan was present. The madams of the other courtyards had no interest in the little girl betrothed to Li Hao and had not come.

At the old Daoist's words, smiles appeared on both He Jianlan's and Lin Haixia's faces.

Then, unexpectedly, they both glanced at Li Hao at the same time.

Though Li Hao had no aptitude for the Martial Dao, with a wife of such peerless talent, he would at least have someone to rely on in the future.

"Amazing, little girl."

Smiling, Li Hao pinched Bian Ruxue's adorably blank little face. She still looked bewildered, clearly not understanding what had happened.

Yet hearing Li Hao's words did not make Bian Ruxue happy. Instead, she pursed her lips slightly.

At that moment, the little girl could think of only one thing: if only the old grandfather before her had treated Brother Hao like this earlier.

He Jianlan saw the old Daoist off. In the courtyard, Lin Haixia taught Bian Ruxue the basics of the Martial Dao.

The little girl was already five and beginning to understand things. It was time to teach her certain matters.

With a peerless ninth grade battle body, breaking through realms would be as easy as eating and drinking. Once she began cultivating, she would probably break through the first realm within a year.

Within three years, she would break through two realms.

In less than ten years, she would reach the peak of the third realm.

Such was the terrifying power of a ninth grade battle body!

The first three realms of the Martial Dao were Strength Channeling, Heavenly Circuit, and Soul Inheritance.

Each realm had ten levels.

The fourth realm was Spirit Roaming.

Lin Haixia was an expert of the fourth realm.

And this year, he was already over forty.

In ten years, Bian Ruxue would still only be sixteen.

A sixteen-year-old expert at the tenth level of the Soul Succession Realm would shine like the bright moon. Such a person could serve as the guardian of an entire city and deserved to be called a true expert.

For an ordinary martial artist, reaching Heavenly Circuit at sixteen was already quite remarkable, enough to gain admission to a renowned mountain sect.

With the placement of a piece, the outcome of the game was decided.

Li Hao won.

Experience +2.

Li Hao yawned and glanced out the window. The little girl was practicing swordplay with Lin Haixia, her crooked, clumsy movements utterly adorable.

He withdrew his gaze, dismissed the servant who had been playing chess with him, and brought up his panel.

After a year, his Chess Dao experience was finally full.

He had gained another Art Skill Point.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Hao chose to assign the point to the Path of the Physical Body.

Soon, a vast, intricate flood of information surged into him. He endured it with a slight frown, and after a while, he slowly finished absorbing it.

Numerous insights into the Body-Tempering Art welled up. Stirred by a thought, Li Hao closed the window, then the door, before taking his stance in the room and beginning to train.

He began practicing the Body-Tempering Art called Stone Skin Hundred Refinements.

Once he settled into his stance, his body moved like a striding dragon and a leaping tiger, sharp cracks bursting from within him.

The blood, meridians, and bones throughout his body all seemed to writhe. Every cell within him seemed to awaken, and scorching heat filled his body.

By the time he finished one set of Stone Skin Hundred Refinements.

Li Hao's skin had turned crimson, steaming with heat. His hair was soaked with sweat, and dense beads of perspiration covered his little face.

Sensing something, Li Hao brought up his panel and took a look. He immediately discovered that the cultivation field no longer listed him as Mortal, but as Power Through Realm, third level!

Li Hao could feel unprecedented strength filling his body, as though he could easily shatter stone tablets and split rocks.

Overjoyed, he immediately practiced the set again.

This time, with abundant strength, his movements were more precise. His skin flushed even redder, heat rising like smoke.

After finishing the second set, Li Hao saw that his cultivation had actually risen to the fourth level!

He kept practicing.

A third time, then a fourth.

Only after the eighth set did his cultivation stop rising, settling at the seventh level of the Power Through Realm!

(End of chapter)