Chapter 314: Battle of the Sword Gods in the Sacred Land
"You've just recovered a bit, so it's best not to move around too much. Resting quietly would be better for you," the white-bearded old man kindly advised.
"Yes," Li Hao nodded.
He could feel his current physical state—it was worse than ever. Having spent too much time in the void, his battle-worn body had been deeply corroded by void forces, which seemed to have lodged within him like a malignant thorn, constantly damaging his flesh and counteracting his natural healing.
He could only rely on his latent recovery attribute to slowly heal.
Moreover, much of the Dao force within him had dissipated, and his cultivation had dropped to the early True Person Realm, requiring him to condense his Dao force once again.
This time, the injuries were severe, but the only consolation was that he had at least preserved his life.
To escape from the hands of a saint was nothing short of a miracle.
Whenever he thought of the Void Sage and Yang Sage, a flicker of killing intent surfaced in Li Hao's heart, but he quickly suppressed it. He set aside those thoughts for now—his priority was to recover from his injuries.
"From your accent, it seems you're not from the Canglan Realm, are you?" the white-bearded old man asked warmly.
Canglan Realm? Li Hao felt a sense of relief wash over him. As long as it wasn't the Cloudy Mist Realm, he thought. It would be too dangerous to stay under the enemy's watchful eyes with his current strength.
"I was being chased by enemies and fled here from another place. Thank you, senior, for taking me in," Li Hao said humbly. His words were sincere, though he omitted the fact that it was saints who were pursuing him.
The old man's eyes flashed briefly, and he smiled, saying, "When you're involved in the martial world, it's hard to avoid conflicts. I won't pry into your enmities. This is the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land, so you can stay here and recover in peace."
"Thank you," Li Hao expressed his gratitude once more.
The white-bearded old man didn't say anything further and instead picked up some herbs beside him, grinding them into powder.
In the courtyard, the gentle breeze rustled, and the young woman's sword movements seemed to draw energy from the air. The sword's tip gathered wisps of white energy like ribbons, graceful yet containing a hidden sharpness—an embodiment of the ultimate balance between softness and strength, hinting at a profound path of supreme gentleness.
Sitting on the straw mat, Li Hao watched, recognizing the depth of the woman's swordsmanship. It was no less refined than his own.
At present, his sword path was still at the 6th level, and he had yet to comprehend any new techniques to reach the 7th level.
Previously, though his cultivation had steadily increased with each battle, his swordsmanship and fist techniques had gradually lagged behind, leaving him feeling somewhat powerless in combat. Now, while recuperating, it was the perfect time to find a way to elevate his sword path.
With a thought, Li Hao summoned his status panel to check his current attributes:
Body Path: 9th levelDao Mastery: 7th levelMovement Path: 6th levelSword Path: 6th levelFist Path: 6th level
As for his arts and skills:
Chess Path: 6th level
Music Theory: 4th level
Poetry and Calligraphy: 4th level
Sculpting: 4th level
Culinary Path: 9th level
Painting: 7th level
Fishing: 5th level
Remaining Skill Points: 5
Mental States: Heart of Poetry and Calligraphy, Heart of Sculpting
Earlier, Li Hao had spent only 200 merit points in the Merit Treasury to obtain two mental states, allowing his poetry and sculpting to smoothly advance to the 4th level, enabling further experience growth.
If he had tried to comprehend them on his own, it would have taken at least two to three months of complete focus, ignoring all else, to gain such insights. This method had saved him months of effort.
At present, the best choice for his third skill would be the 6th-level Chess Path.
After playing chess with Emperor Yu, Li Hao had already begun to touch upon the threshold of spiritual insight in chess, needing just one final push.
At that moment, a distant bell tolled.
The bell's sound reverberated like a drum at dusk, bringing a soothing sensation that seemed to sweep away the clutter of the mind.
"Grandfather, I'm heading to the Sacred Land for morning practice," the young woman finished her sword routine, turned to glance at the alchemy room, her gaze briefly resting on Li Hao before addressing the white-bearded old man.
"Hmm," the old man, focused on grinding his herbs, responded without looking up.
Li Hao watched as his benefactor flew off on her sword, quickly disappearing into the horizon.
The courtyard returned to its peaceful state, with only the grinding of the stone pestle breaking the silence.
Li Hao was curious about his surroundings, but he knew that acting too hastily could be counterproductive. For now, he closed his eyes and rested, focusing on healing.
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
Through rest and his latent recovery attribute, a third of the void's corrosion in Li Hao's body had been purified, and his complexion was improving.
At this moment, Li Hao sat in the corridor of the courtyard, his legs dangling like a swing over the edge. In his hand, he held a small knife and a piece of wood the size of a chopstick. The knife danced deftly between his fingers, gradually carving the wood into the likeness of an elderly man with kind eyes and a gentle expression.
Soon, as he made the final cut, Li Hao put the knife away and smiled as he noticed the experience prompt on his status panel.
During this past month, he had intended to delve into the Chess Path and Fishing, aiming to achieve spiritual insight in these arts. However, with no one around who enjoyed playing chess, he couldn't accumulate experience by playing against himself, and fishing was even less feasible—he'd have to go outside the Sacred Land to find a suitable spot.
With his injuries not fully healed, Li Hao was reluctant to wander too far and risk any unforeseen dangers.
With nothing better to do, he focused on improving his Sculpting Path in the quiet of the courtyard.
After all, it was something he would have to work on eventually, and this peaceful environment was perfect for slow, meticulous carving.
In addition to accumulating sculpting experience, he also spent time contemplating the final glimmer of insight he needed for the Chess Path, though he hadn't yet found a breakthrough.
"Your carving skills are quite impressive. Have you studied it in depth?" The white-bearded old man's voice came from behind, his gaze falling on the elderly figure in Li Hao's hands. Recognizing the resemblance to himself, his eyes softened as he said quietly, "I just received word—we need to prepare 300 portions of Spirit Calming Pills today. Could you lend a hand?"
"Sure thing."
Li Hao responded, putting away the knife and setting the wooden carving of the old man on the nearby wooden shelf.
On the shelf were numerous other carvings Li Hao had made over time, many depicting familiar faces from the mortal world, including a little white fox and various great demons he remembered.
After arranging them, Li Hao made his way to the alchemy room.
Over the past month, he had learned more about the old man's identity. His name was Lin Shanhai, a high-ranking alchemist of the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land, with a status second only to the half-saint elders.
In the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, there were also alchemists, mainly under royal control. While some were found within martial sects, their knowledge of alchemical formulas and techniques was limited, and they couldn't compare to the royal alchemy institutions.
"The usual routine—you handle the initial preparation, and I'll take over the refining," Lin Shanhai instructed as he brought over the herbs. "Your family's skill in stirring the herbs is exceptional. Since you started helping, not only has the yield of my pills increased, but the quality has improved significantly as well. However, this has also led to more work piling up..."
Though he sounded somewhat resigned, a smile still lingered on his face.
After all, each time they made pills, Lin Shanhai would receive a share of the profits, and more work meant more benefits.
"It's just a small trick, nothing worth mentioning."
Li Hao chuckled. He hadn't expected that his culinary skills would intersect with alchemy in such a way.
When he first watched the old man refining pills and caught a whiff of the unusual fragrance, he wondered if his Culinary Path could transform herbs into dishes with effects comparable to pills.
With this idea in mind, he tried cooking low-grade herbs the old man had left over. Using his 9th-level Culinary Path's core extraction ability, he refined the essence of the herbs and turned them into simple medicinal dishes, which surprisingly rivaled the effects of actual pills.
Moreover, unlike pills, these dishes had no fire toxins and were absorbed purely, making them suitable even for someone in Li Hao's unique condition. As they were considered food, they weren't blocked by his status panel.
"This is no small trick. The ability to extract essence is something many alchemists dream of mastering. The essence of alchemy lies in extraction, followed by blending and refining. Your extraction technique is the best I've seen, and it's so unique that even an old man like me feels humbled."
Lin Shanhai praised, "Your ancestors must have been remarkable alchemists. They likely turned this extraction method into a culinary technique to prevent outsiders from discovering it, passing it down discreetly."
"...Perhaps," Li Hao replied awkwardly. The old man had filled in the gaps of Li Hao's earlier offhand remark with a dramatic backstory, even speculating that Li Hao's current troubles were due to others seeking this secret technique.
Li Hao didn't bother correcting him—it was better this way.
For now, he stepped forward to help prepare the herbs.
When Lin Shanhai ignited the furnace, Li Hao immediately began to stir and refine the herbs in midair, using his energy as a spatula to extract their essence.
Soon, the herbs were cooked, releasing a vivid green juice.
Lin Shanhai, well-practiced, opened the furnace lid with a knowing nod.
Li Hao directed the extracted juice into the alchemy furnace.
Lin Shanhai conjured flames in his palm and began refining the mixture within the furnace.
The two worked seamlessly together, and soon, fragrant pills were being drawn from the furnace.
"All done."
Two hours later, all 300 Spirit Calming Pills were completed.
Lin Shanhai stretched his back, a satisfied smile on his face as he said, "Having your help makes things much easier. You're new to the Canglan Realm, without family or friends here. If you're willing, you can stay and become my alchemy assistant. Once you've learned a few intermediate formulas, you can become a registered intermediate alchemist and enjoy a prestigious position. In time, I'll even pass on a few advanced formulas to you."
"No need for such formality, Lin Lao. It's just a small favor, no need to mention formulas," Li Hao shook his head.
Lin Shanhai chuckled, shaking his head. It wasn't the first time he had made this offer, and Li Hao had refused each time, so he was used to it.
"Come, have some tea."
Lin Shanhai poured tea and invited Li Hao to sit and rest.
Li Hao joined him at the tea table, slowly sipping his tea, his gaze falling on the young woman practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard.
Her name was Lin Qingying, the granddaughter of Lin Shanhai and one of the ten saintesses of the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land. Her talent in swordsmanship was exceptional, and she was rumored to have a saint bone, possibly being a saint's reincarnation.
However, until a saint reincarnates as a saint once more, they cannot recover all their memories.
For now, she remained Lin Shanhai's granddaughter.
"Miss Lin is truly dedicated..."
Watching her practice swordsmanship day after day without rest, Li Hao couldn't help but admire her determination. Every time he saw others training diligently, he felt a pang of guilt.
But then he reminded himself that sculpting was also a form of cultivation, which made him feel a bit better.
"Soon, the Sacred Land Sword God Battle will take place. This competition will determine the strongest genius within the Sacred Land, who will represent the Sword Ancestor Sacred Land in the Grand Competition of Saints and Geniuses. The spot is incredibly valuable, as it pertains to the path of sainthood. She can't afford to slack off."
Lin Shanhai smiled as he spoke, though his eyes revealed a trace of worry.
Battling others often meant injury, and sometimes even death.
But in the grand scheme of things, life was a struggle, and this path was inevitably paved with blood and tears.
During his time here, Li Hao had learned much about the land of the saints, and it no longer seemed as unfamiliar as it once had.
The 33 realms were home to 108 saints, and for the past millennium, many saints had sent projections or even reincarnated to re-cultivate in the mortal world.
Since that time, every hundred years, a grand competition known as the Heavenly Battle of Geniuses has swept through the 33 realms and countless kingdoms.
It was said that the victor would receive the worship of ten thousand nations and ascend to sainthood on the spot!
This led to intense competition every century, with even reincarnated saints vying for supremacy.
As the morning bell rang out, Lin Qingying slowly sheathed her sword and turned to glance at the old man and young man sipping tea in the courtyard, her expression calm.
After a month of living together, she had grown accustomed to Li Hao's presence. From her grandfather, she had learned that the person she had rescued was from a family of alchemists. However, his family had likely encountered misfortune, leading to their decline, and he was now her grandfather's alchemy assistant.
She had little interest in alchemy and therefore paid him no mind.
"Grandfather, I'm heading to the Sacred Land for morning practice," Lin Qingying said to Lin Shanhai.
With that, she flew off on her sword.