Follow the path of Dao from infancy - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Chapter 73: Li Family True Dragon
 

A soldier from the Yuan Camp glanced at the young monk and, recognizing his identity, nodded before turning to enter the Vajra Heart Palace to relay the message.

Not long after, a youth clad in a green robe with a half-length kasaya of dark yellow draped over him, stepped out from the palace.

He had a tall and straight figure, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. Underneath his sharp brows were a pair of cold and resolute eyes.

A sword hung at his waist, and he carried himself with an imposing air, like a proud dragon.

“Song.”

Upon seeing the young monk, Li Qianfeng nodded slightly.

“Li Qianfeng, do you still remember me?”

The beautiful girl beside him asked, her eyes locked onto the youth, lighting up with recognition.

Li Qianfeng glanced at her and frowned, “Who are you?”

“A year ago, at Qingfeng Ridge!”

The girl’s eyes shone with a hopeful light, “Do you remember?”

“Qingfeng Ridge…” Li Qianfeng’s eyes reflected a trace of reminiscence as he pondered, “The demons there seem to have already been exterminated.”

“It was me, Murong Qiulan. It was you who protected me from the attack of the Yin Wind Serpent Demon. Without you, I would have died!” Murong Qiulan said hastily.

Li Qianfeng frowned slightly and glanced at her, “What brings you here?”

“I said at the time that I would definitely repay your kindness. In this life, I, Murong Qiulan, will marry no one but you!”

Murong Qiulan’s face flashed a hint of blush, but she mustered her courage and bit her lip as she spoke.

“So, are you here now to repay a debt with vengeance?”

Li Qianfeng raised an eyebrow.

Murong Qiulan: “…”

The young monk beside them sent a look of astonishment towards Li Qianfeng. To be able to speak such harsh words in the face of such a lovely girl, this junior brother was truly worthy of being a direct disciple of the Buddha Lord.

“I just want to repay you…” Murong Qiulan said with a quivering lip, her voice filled with grievance.

She had traveled thousands of miles and used connections to come up the mountain, only to encounter such a cold reception.

“What is your family background?”

Li Qianfeng was unmoved by the girl’s pitiful appearance and asked calmly.

Murong Qiulan was taken aback, then quickly said, “My Murong Family is the number one family in Bai Feng City. My father is the patriarch, and in his youth, he was already at the Fifteen Li Realm, traveled freely everywhere, and made extensive connections. Now, he has already stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm, and if fortune permits, in this life… it’s not entirely impossible for him to attempt to reach the Three Immortal Realms.”

“Your father’s age?”

“He just turned fifty-four this year.”

“He is already old.”

Li Qianfeng slightly shook his head, “With such talent, it will be difficult to reach the Three Immortal Realms. Even if he truly entered the Immortal Realm, he would not count for much in front of the Li Family. Your family background is too lowly!”

Murong Qiulan opened her mouth slightly, at a loss for words.

Was she not aware that there were few in all of Dayu that could compare with the youth before her in terms of family background?

She clenched her teeth and said, “But my mother said, if two people are truly in love, why bother with family background? I don’t mind at all. I’m willing to forgo a dowry, I don’t want anything, I just want you!”

“Your very words are greedy!”

Li Qianfeng spoke indifferently, “Myself, I am worth more than countless dowries. To marry me is like gaining half a state! The matter of my marriage will be decided by my mother in the future. If I am to marry, it will only be someone of equal social status, such as a princess of the imperial family, or the daughter of a duke or marquis. Your family’s circumstances are likely not esteemed by my mother.”

Murong Qiulian’s face turned as white as snow, and she was rendered speechless.

She hadn’t expected it to come to this. As a woman taking the initiative to confess her feelings, even willing to bring a dowry, to actually be scorned.

The young monk beside them was astonished by Li Qianfeng’s words. This junior brother was too bold!

“But what if the person you marry in the future is not someone you like?”

Murong Qiulan bit her lip hard, feeling as if her heart was weeping blood.

Li Qianfeng responded indifferently, “The matter of marriage is but a transaction, there’s no question of liking. In this life, my only companion is the sword, everything else is merely trivial.”

Upon hearing these words, both were stunned, then fell into silence.

The extraordinary young man before them was like a proud dragon basking under the sun and moon, immensely talented. Yet, it seemed he devoted all his thoughts to the three-foot sword in his hand.

Clearly, matters of love and affection were not something you could discuss with someone like him.

After a long silence, Murong Qiulan said, “I understand. What if… what if I am willing to marry you as a concubine?”

As she spoke, she looked up again at the outstanding young man.

The young monk beside her changed his expression slightly and glanced at the woman. He inexplicably turned his head away, somewhat unable to bear it.

Is this what his master meant by ‘worldly infatuation’?

“As a concubine…” Li Qianfeng pondered for a moment, then said, “The daughter of a grandmaster is barely adequate, but it must be after I am first married that I can take a concubine.”

“I can wait!” Murong Qiulan immediately said.

“Alright then.”

Li Qianfeng nodded slightly and said no more, turning instead to look at the young monk beside him. “Brother Song, did you bring the register? I need to leave the mountain for a period of time now that I’m out of retreat.”

The young monk came back to his senses, nodded his head, and pulled out a register from within his kasaya, also taking out pen and ink.

“Brother Qianfeng, you have been up the mountain for over a decade. Are you planning to go home on this trip?”

“Indeed, it’s time for a visit home. But before that, I need to make a name for myself.”

Li Qianfeng took the pen and ink and began to sign the register as he spoke.

The young monk expressed his surprise, “Oh? Does Brother Qianfeng still need fame?”

“Brother Song jests. We, the descendants of the Li Family, all need to earn our own fame. Besides, this journey home is to vie for a True Dragon seat. Having some fame to my name will naturally be better.”

At that moment, Li Qianfeng seemed very approachable, making quick work of the registration and handing the pen and ink back to Brother Song.

The young monk blew the register dry, closed it, put away the pen and ink, and said with a smile, “Brother Qianfeng is too cautious. With your cultivation, who can compete with you for the True Dragon seat.”

Li Qianfeng smiled faintly, his gaze drifting towards the horizon.

In his mind, an image emerged, one from a discussion he’d had when his mother visited him up the mountain.

Li Wushuang.

A year ago, when he went down the mountain to slay demons, he’d also heard of her, who had already entered the Qiankun List, the Qian List!

Ninth-rank battle stance, apprenticed to a famous master, a year and a half younger than him, with a rising reputation in Jianghu that preceded him.

This journey, she would be his greatest competitor.

Although they had not met, Li Qianfeng felt as if there was a predestined perception that she was hot on his heels.

Thinking of this, he raised the corners of his mouth slightly. He would let his cousin know that not everyone could catch up to his shadow.

He believed in himself, and he also believed in the sword in his hand.

“Can I go with you?” Next to him, Murong Qiulan seized the opportunity and cautiously asked.

She looked at Li Qianfeng with pitiful eyes, her mind still echoing with the silhouette of that sword strike defeating the Yin Wind Serpent Demon.

“If you can keep up, then follow,”

Li Qianfeng said indifferently, not minding the other’s demure female posture.

…

…

In Cangyu City.

After the demon calamity was resolved, Li Hao and the others were also preparing to make their way home.

The affairs of the Monster Suppression Department also became idle, with nothing else to do except for cleaning up the demon corpses outside the city.

For the time being, basically no demons dared to invade Cangyu City unless it was some foolish little demons with no spiritual intelligence, who would dare to act against the wind.

Meanwhile, Li Hao was collecting paintings, poetry, and books throughout the city and had a rather substantial harvest.

[Name: Li Hao]

[Age: 14]

[Cultivation Level: Fifteen Li Realm Peak]

[Sword Dao: Sixth Stage (Flying Phase) (Hidden Bow)]

[Sword Technique: Endless Sea (True Form), Falling Snow Sword Skill – Avalanche (True Form)…]

[Physical Body Path: Sixth Stage (All Phenomena) (Tiger Press)]

[Physical Technique: Golden Skin Hundred Refinement – Vajra (True Form), Thousand Jiaos Holy Body – Transformation (True Form), Primordial Fifth Layer (True Primordial Body Form), Dragon Cicada Void Body – Dragon Ascension (True Form)…]

[Control Path: Sixth Stage]

[Control Technique: Heavenly Gang Zhou Tian Skill – Tiangang (True Form), Hundred Battles Cycle Heaven Skill – Peerless (True Form), Dragon River Divine Meridian – Breath (True Form), Nine Revolutions Starry Sky Skill – Revolutions (True Form)…]

[Fist Technique Path: Sixth Stage]

[Fist Technique: Half-Step Invincible Fist Sixth Layer (Ultimate Perfection), Heaven and Earth Penetrating Fist (Ultimate Perfection)]

[Body Technique Path: Second Stage]

[Movement Technique: Bai Fengxing (Ultimate Perfection)]

[Chess Tao: Fifth Stage (18322/50000)]

[Art of Painting: Fifth Stage (8273/50000)]

[Poetry and Books: Third Stage (4999/5000)]

[Musical Rhythm: Third Stage (4999/5000)]

[Fishing Tao: Fifth Stage (21827/50000)]

[Culinary Dao: Sixth Stage (99999/100000)]

[Chess Strategies Catalogue Collection: All Phenomena, Tiger Press, Flying Phase, Hidden Bow, Hiding One’s Abilities and Biding Time, Seven Phoenixes Lighting the Lamps]

[Famous Paintings Catalogue Collection: Thousand Mountains Birds Flying Painting, Snow Mountain Spirit Fox Painting, Qilin Steed Painting, Blood Sea Fierce Jiao Painting, Winding Mountain Painting, Qiongqi Mountains Painting]

[Poetry and Books Catalogue Collection: Zhao Xinhuan’s Poetry Collection, Song Yuan’s Poetry Collection]

[Musical Scores Catalogue Collection: Phoenix Seeking Phoenix, Solitary Orchid, Moon Cry, Small Hu Horn]

[Fishing Catalogue Collection: None]

[Cooking Recipes Catalogue Collection: None]

[State of Mind: Chess State of Mind (already expended), Painting State of Mind (already expended), Fishing State of Mind (already expended), Culinary State of Mind (already expended)]

[Artistic Skill Points: 1]

…

From this trip, he obtained two chess strategies, “Hiding One’s Abilities and Biding Time” and “Seven Phoenixes Lighting the Lamps”.

Li Hao chose to embed “Hiding One’s Abilities and Biding Time” into the Physical Body Path, and quickly, the effect attribute was revealed.

Hiding One’s Abilities and Biding Time: Under a relaxed state, the body heals rapidly, and severed limbs can slowly regenerate.

This effect was good, but he had hardly ever been injured.

“Seven Phoenixes Lighting the Lamps” was a chess strategy for trapping and killing in a formation.

Li Hao wanted to use it in Sword Dao and also in Control Path; after contemplating, he ultimately chose the Control Path.

With it embedded, the effect attribute also manifested.

Seven Phoenixes Lighting the Lamps: After seven cycles of Qi circulation, the power can temporarily be doubled.

Seeing this effect, Li Hao was somewhat astonished.

Wasn’t this effect a bit too powerful?

“Qi circulation” referred to the Meridian Opening Skill and Qi Circulation Skill. If he cycled Qi seven times, it would double the power?

It was known that as his Control Path advanced to the Sixth Stage, most of the cultivation techniques he practiced had also reached a state of true form.

Some lower-grade techniques would even evolve into high-grade techniques under the enlightenment of the great dao.

And as various techniques advanced, the number of meridians Li Hao had opened greatly increased from 69 to 98!

Qi circulation around the Zhou Tian Realm increased from 248 cycles to 369 cycles.

Just the power of Qi force circulating in his own Zhou Tian Realm amounted to more than eight million jin.

With the instantaneous doubling effect of the Yin and Yang Dual Pulse, it could reach more than seventeen million jin!

Even within the Imperial Family, the power was only two million jin, nearly nine times less. Now, if he used this effect attribute, it would be eighteen times more!

The gap was like the difference between the clouds and the mud.

But Li Hao knew that such an increase would also harm the body, belonging to a short-term explosive attack.

Moreover, he had not yet completely opened all 108 major meridians in his body to reach the limit; there was still room for further advancement.

The only thing that had reached its limit was probably his soul, having condensed the Heaven and Earth Law Manifestation.

This trip brought tremendous gains, including two chess strategies, three famous paintings, two poetry collections, and four famous musical scores.

For the time being, Li Hao had not chosen to embed any of them.

He felt that with his current strength, probably only someone in the Heavenly Human Realm could force him to use his full power.

Only then would he know which areas were his weak points that needed to be compensated for.