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Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 360
🕑 Added 2025-04-12 13:45:23 +0000 UTCVolume 3 - Chapter 80: News from Feng Lao - Part 1
When Li Hao saw the other person, the other person also noticed him. Amidst disheveled hair, a deep, restrained gaze swept over him. The eyes were calm yet carried an innate sharpness filled with killing intent.
Absolute Technique Stage... Li Hao observed closely. Despite the sharpness in the gaze, there didn’t seem to be any murderous intent.
He glanced around. The courtyard remained undamaged, which brought a small sense of relief.
“May I ask who you are, Senior?”
Li Hao approached and sat on the cushion reserved for guests, casually picking up the brewed tea and taking a sip.
“Jiang. Jiang Lichen.”
The old man’s gaze was icy, but he seemed indifferent to Li Hao’s casual actions. His piercing eyes fixed on Li Hao’s face.
“You really kept me waiting!”
Jiang? Li Hao was momentarily stunned. That was the surname of the imperial clan. Could this old man be from the royal family?
However, with his current rank as a duke, he was under no obligation to bow deeply, even when meeting a member of the royal family.
“What business does the prince have with me?” Li Hao asked, glancing at the man’s attire. It resembled that of a beggar, making this prince seem quite unconventional.
“I waited outside the River of Death to receive you, but you vanished without a trace and went to Youzhou. When I heard the news and chased you there, you had already moved on to Qingzhou. Then, when I reached Qingzhou, you had returned here...”
The more Jiang Lichen spoke, the angrier he became. His voice gradually grew sharper, clearly irritated by this game of cat and mouse.
“...”
Li Hao was left speechless. He hadn’t realized his constant travels had led someone to chase him all this time. He could only offer an awkward smile. “When time allows, I’ll personally thank His Majesty.”
“Hmph, whether you thank him or not is none of my concern. Besides, I never managed to receive you, so there’s nothing to thank me for. You’re his general; it’s only right for him to send someone to fetch you.”
Jiang Lichen let out a cold snort and continued, “My meddlesome brother misjudged you. Look at you now—why would you need anyone’s assistance? At such a young age, you’ve already reached the Supreme Dao Realm. Quite remarkable!”
“It was merely luck,” Li Hao said humbly.
“Although you gave me quite the runaround, it’s thanks to you that I was able to leave. Consider it even!”
Jiang Lichen seemed to resolve his grievance with this statement, as if by telling Li Hao, he could sever the karmic ties. Whether it was truly settled was up to him to decide.
He then glanced at Li Hao’s hand and asked, “I hear you use a sword?”
“Hm?”
Li Hao was slightly surprised but nodded. “I dabble in it.”
“Hmph. Outside Qingzhou City, you cut down countless demons. The lingering sword energy is still present. I’ve seen it. I can only say—it’s passable.”
Jiang Lichen dismissed Li Hao’s humility with a straightforward remark, showing no concern for politeness.
“Your hands don’t look like those of a swordsman. But then, the world has its share of prodigies in swordsmanship. When I first practiced the sword at six, my techniques were already at a flawless level. At that time, my hands were uncalloused and smooth, yet far superior to those of common practitioners who trained tirelessly!”
“You’ve reached the Supreme Dao Realm at such a young age. Clearly, you’re a clever individual. Let me see how deep your understanding of the sword runs!”
As he spoke, his gaze locked onto Li Hao’s, and an overwhelming aura burst forth from his body.
Li Hao was taken aback. The aura contained killing intent, starkly contrasting his earlier demeanor.
“Your Highness, what is this about?” Li Hao frowned.
“Draw your sword. Let me see it!” Jiang Lichen demanded, his gaze sharp.
“A spar? But you’ll lose,” Li Hao said, shaking his head.
“It’s just a Dao Domain. My swordsmanship is enough to pierce through any Dao Domain! I seek the ultimate swordsmanship—whether or not I have a Dao Domain, I can still break through one. Even without comprehending the Dao, I can sever it with my sword!”
Jiang Lichen’s eyes gleamed with brilliance, his words shocking, as if he were a madman.
Li Hao was stunned but didn’t ridicule him. Instead, he looked into Jiang Lichen’s eyes with a serious expression.
Such an audacious idea reflected not arrogance but an unwavering dedication, conviction, and an intense passion for the sword.
This was a determination deeper than attaining spiritual insight.
After a brief silence, Li Hao nodded. “Alright, but this isn’t the place for a fight. Please follow me, Your Highness.”
“Does it matter where? Anywhere will do.”
Jiang Lichen’s eyes burned with eagerness, barely able to contain his excitement.
“This is my courtyard. Just as you cherish your sword, I cherish this place.”
Jiang Lichen hesitated upon hearing this, his expression shifting before he restrained himself.
“I’ll wait for you.”
With that, he soared into the sky, flying away.
Li Hao let out a sigh of relief and instructed Ren Qianqian to wait safely before following him.
...
The two soon arrived at a mountain outside the city.
“Where is your sword?” Jiang Lichen asked, staring at Li Hao’s hands.
“Anything can serve as a sword,” Li Hao replied, snapping a dry branch from a nearby tree and holding it.
Jiang Lichen laughed loudly upon seeing this. “Good! I used to think that way too—everything could be a sword. But not anymore. A sword is a sword. It is nothing else!”
He drew a long, dark blade from his waist. The sword had no sheath because it needed no concealment. As the blade settled in his hand, it emitted a sharp, resonant cry, like a proud dragon letting out a fierce roar.
“Come, show me your Dao Domain. No need to hold back. Whatever Dao Domain you have, I can break it with one slash!”
Jiang Lichen’s disheveled hair billowed wildly, his entire being exuding an untamed, rebellious aura. He stood like a sharp sword, piercing through the heavens and earth.
Hearing his challenge, Li Hao didn’t hesitate. A layer of Dao Domain unfurled instantly, its laws spreading out to envelop Jiang Lichen.
The oppressive weight of the Dao Domain bore down, making it nearly impossible for anyone to unleash their strength fully.
Yet at this moment, Jiang Lichen’s eyes ignited with an intense, fiery battle spirit. Within his body, his apertures erupted with surging energy, each stream transforming into countless strands of sword energy. The power he had cultivated internally had been condensed into innumerable threads of sword intent, hidden within his vital meridians.
Li Hao stored immortal energy in his abdomen, but Jiang Lichen stored his countless strands of sword energy in his heart. Despite the oppressive Dao Domain rules, Jiang Lichen unleashed an immense power, resisting its erosion as he suddenly swung his sword.
Whoosh!
The brilliant light of a blade, radiant like the shattering of a silver moon, contained a profound Dao intent as it slashed forward in an instant.
Li Hao was momentarily stunned. Then, he realized that his Dao Domain had been torn apart by an incredibly sharp force. It was directly pierced through!
He considered stacking a second layer of Dao Domain but quickly dismissed the idea.
A hint of battle spirit arose within him. He flung the dry branch in his hand, which was imbued with power, releasing a sweeping sword energy in a counterattack.
Bang!
The reincarnation-like sword light collided with Jiang Lichen’s sword energy. Under the amplification of Dao Domain laws, the two forces met in a stalemate.
“Your sword isn’t pure enough!”
Jiang Lichen’s eyes flared with anger as he roared, “Is this your most powerful sword technique? It’s not enough!”
Without waiting for a reply, he unleashed a second slash. This strike once again shattered the Dao Domain. The meticulously honed brilliance of his sword light resembled a dazzling aurora, descending from beyond the heavens in an instant.
Li Hao lifted the dry branch and slashed downward fiercely.
The sword light disintegrated, leaving neither side with an advantage.
However, the dry branch in Li Hao’s hand snapped in two.
Li Hao immediately realized that if not for the support of the Dao Domain’s rules, his swordsmanship alone would have already been defeated.
“Your swordsmanship is only at half the level of a Sword Saint.”
Jiang Lichen stood tall within the Dao Domain, entirely unscathed. His eyes, sharp and cold, carried a tinge of disappointment. “But for your age, it’s decent. Perhaps in ten years, you might be able to challenge me again.”
Li Hao gave a slight nod, not denying the assessment.
His six-stage comprehension of swordsmanship was still insufficient. He had not yet reached spiritual resonance, and his swordsmanship lacked transcendence. In contrast, Jiang Lichen’s understanding of the Sword Dao seemed to be at the seventh or even eighth stage.
Breaking through a Dao Domain with pure swordsmanship demonstrated a level where the sword had reached divine understanding, bordering on attaining the Dao itself.
“Is this your full strength? Or do you have other methods? Show me your true power and see if it can sharpen my sword further!”
Jiang Lichen’s eyes bore into Li Hao, unwavering and filled with determination.
Li Hao saw the fervent obsession in his gaze and nodded. “Alright.”
He released the remaining half of the broken branch, letting it fall to the ground.
In the same moment, four layers of Dao Domain erupted in rapid succession, encompassing the area.
The sudden surge of terrifying power caused Jiang Lichen’s once-sharp eyes to narrow. A flicker of astonishment appeared, but it was quickly replaced by blazing enthusiasm.
“Good!” he roared with excitement.
Sword energy erupted from his entire body, shooting skyward. His spine began to glow, crystalline and radiant, resembling the very form of a sword.
He soared into the air, an overwhelming force surging around him as he gathered all his energy into a single strike, aiming to cleave through everything.
At that moment, yet another layer of Dao Domain descended.
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