Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 4 - 4 Levels Three, Six, and Nine

Chapter 4: Levels Three, Six, and Nine

Translator: 549690339

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It was a clear, bright day.

A military expert was dispatched by the Divine General Mansion to the Mountain and River Courtyard to facilitate Li Hao’s Foundation Establishment.

Lin Haixia was a stout, dark-skinned middle-aged man who, despite his rugged build, wore an elegant blue robe. His name sounded feminine, but Li Hao simply referred to him as Uncle Lin.

A young girl accompanied Lin Haixia upon his arrival.

She was nearly the same age as Li Hao, trailing him by only two months.

Word was that she was the daughter of a fallen comrade of the Marquis of Xingwu, a soldier who had served on the distant battlefields of Northern Yan.

Before her father met his end, he had committed his young daughter to the Marquis’s care. The two men had even agreed upon a betrothal for their children while they were still infants.

This unexpected engagement left Li Hao utterly speechless.

It was all well and good for them to wage war and risk their lives, but did no one think to consult him on such a monumental life decision?

Though he felt a twinge of annoyance, Li Hao didn't direct his frustration toward the young girl.

Consequently.

The sprawling Mountain and River Courtyard now housed another small resident alongside Li Hao.

The girl was named Bian Ruxue. With her delicate features and pale, soft skin, she looked very much like a fragile porcelain doll.

Being in an unfamiliar environment made her shy and fearful. She would timidly approach anyone she saw, asking where her father was and when he would return.

The little girl was desperately searching for her father.

No one in the residence had the heart to tell her the truth. Some of the more sensitive maidservants could only retreat to corners to weep quietly when they heard her cries.

As she lost her appetite, the girl began to waste away. Li Hao grew irritated observing the servants' inability to comfort a child. It seemed his own self-sufficiency had left the staff untrained in such matters.

He felt compelled to intervene, using a blend of sternness and gentleness to speak to her.

“Your father is playing hide-and-seek. He will only show himself if you are a good girl and finish your meals.”

With eyes brimming with tears, she asked innocently, “Is Xue’er being bad? Why is daddy hiding from me, and where has he gone?”

Where could he be?

Looking at her pitiful face, Li Hao’s heart softened. He resorted to a common cliché, pointing toward the heavens.

“Your father is up there, watching from one of the stars.”

From that night onward, a tiny silhouette could be seen every evening, staring up at the sky.

The silver radiance of countless stars fell upon her, lighting up her lonely form.

Inside the house, another small figure—usually sprawled over a chessboard—would command the servants to fan the girl, ensuring the mosquitoes didn't bite her while she watched the heavens.

Two weeks passed quickly. Lin Haixia, the military man, had finally readied the Foundation Establishment elixir for both children.

They were both to begin their journey into Cultivation in the same year.

Foundation Establishment is the bedrock of all Martial Arts!

The elixir was crafted from a multitude of rare medicinal components. By soaking in this medicinal bath daily, the body would be forged into a vessel worthy of martial training.

As a premier elite clan of Dayu, the Divine General Mansion possessed immense wealth. Once Li Hao began his Foundation Establishment, a relentless stream of precious herbs and treasures flowed into the Mountain and River Courtyard like an endless snowfall.

These elixirs were categorized into three tiers.

Common, rare, and supreme!

Naturally, Li Hao was provided with the highest quality. Using a thousand-year-old treasure as a base and supplemented by other rarities, it was designed to cultivate an Eighth Layer battle physique.

With such a start, one could potentially conquer the First Realm in a mere two or three years!

Martial Arts is a path paved with gold. Maintaining this top-tier Foundation Establishment regimen for six months to a year was incredibly expensive. Only a powerhouse like the Divine General Mansion could sustain such an expenditure.

Two large tubs sat in the courtyard.

Li Hao and Bian Ruxue soaked in their respective baths.

The girl’s area was shielded by curtains and tended to by female attendants. These women were not mere servants; they possessed their own Cultivation and served as trusted retainers of the house.

Meanwhile, Lin Haixia kept a close eye on Li Hao.

The dark purple liquid swirled around Li Hao’s body, reaching up to his chin so only his nose remained above the surface for air.

A sharp, bitter aroma from the medicine filled his lungs, keeping his mind intensely focused, much like the taste of bitter lotus.

“Is it drinkable?” Li Hao inquired.

“It is best if you don't,” Lin Haixia answered.

The mixture was far too potent for a child’s digestive system; drinking it would cause internal damage. It was strictly for external use.

As Li Hao settled his mind, a line of text suddenly flickered before his vision:

[Unknown substance detected, analyzing…]

[Analysis failed, automatic isolation engaged.]

Li Hao was stunned.

What was happening?

Could it really be what he suspected?

Doubt filled his mind. Beside the tub, Lin Haixia’s normally stoic expression turned grim. As time ticked by, his brow furrowed deeply into the shape of the character for "river."

Noticing the change, Li Hao felt his heart sink. He asked, “Uncle Lin, is there a problem?”

Lin Haixia wasn't shocked by the boy's question. He had already noted that the Young Master was exceptionally precocious, possessing the intellect of a child twice his age.

However, he was too troubled to give a full answer. He hurried to check behind the girl's curtain before returning to Li Hao with an even more distressed look.

“Uncle Lin?”

Lin Haixia touched the rim of the tub, testing the liquid. His gaze was conflicted as he looked at the boy, his words catching in his throat.

“Uncle Lin, please, just tell me,” Li Hao urged.

Lin Haixia looked at him, surprised. Even if Li Hao was smart, he was only three. Could he truly sense his hesitation?

Feeling discouraged, Lin Haixia decided to speak plainly, regardless of whether the boy could grasp the weight of it. “In the world of martial arts, talent isn't just revealed by the bone-measurement at age five. It shows itself during Foundation Establishment.”

“The quicker the medicine is absorbed, the greater the potential. But, Young Master... your rate of absorption is far too slow!”

He looked at Li Hao with a mix of confusion and pity.

He then muttered to himself, “Perhaps it was a mistake on my part during the refining process today. I will be more diligent tomorrow.”

Li Hao felt a cold shiver. Was the system notification referring to the medicine?

It wasn't that his absorption was slow—it was being completely blocked! There was nothing flowing into his body at all.

Li Hao sighed internally. Was this status panel going to strictly follow the rules of the game he once played?

Over the last year, he had learned that since the game lacked a combat system, he seemed destined to be an outsider to martial arts.

More specifically, he couldn't "practice" it in the traditional sense. Trying to train in combat didn't grant him experience; only the artistic skills defined by the game had progress bars.

While he could theoretically train through sheer hard work, it seemed inefficient compared to pursuing the arts. With the system, he could gain points, allocate them, and even design his own Cultivation techniques.

That path would allow him to leapfrog decades of training in a single night.

Still, it felt like a waste of the massive resources being spent on him. These herbs could turn anyone into a top-tier martial artist.

He wondered: if this mystical medicine was blocked, why did the poison from before work? Or did it? Maybe he had just slept through the system prompts.

Perhaps his future awakening of the Divine Blood would be the final test. But as that woman had said, awakening it was a matter of luck, not a certainty.

Regardless of whether his body naturally resisted harm or the system blocked it, he wouldn't forget the attempt on his life.

“Don't be discouraged. We will try again tomorrow. If there is no change, I will inform the Lord Marquis. He will find a way for you,” Lin Haixia said, trying to comfort the child.

“There is no need for that.”

Li Hao gestured with his hand and prepared to climb out of the tub.

Since the system was blocking the elixir, staying in the water was a waste of time.

“Stay there, let’s give it a bit more time,” Lin Haixia insisted as Li Hao tried to leave.

Li Hao shook his head. “It won't help.”

“You must listen!” Lin Haixia’s voice turned stern, treating the matter with the gravity it deserved.

Li Hao felt helpless. “I’ll just go check on the girl then.”

He pulled back the curtain to her tub and saw that her medicine—the same purple liquid he had—was now almost as clear as water. Only faint traces of purple mist remained in the tub.

“Brother Hao?”

Bian Ruxue looked up, her expression one of pure confusion. She was too young to understand the significance of what was happening.

“Uncle Lin, based on her speed, how would you judge her talent?” Li Hao asked without looking back.

Lin Haixia was feeling grim, but she couldn't help but smile at the boy's serious demeanor. Even though they were the same age, he always acted like an older brother to Xue’er.

“Her absorption is excellent,” Lin Haixia remarked, her eyes showing a hint of awe. “If her Blood Melting at age four goes well, then by the bone-measurement at five, she could reach the Eighth or even the Ninth Layer of the warrior physique. She would be among the greatest geniuses.”

“The Ninth Layer?” Li Hao prompted.

Lin Haixia was patient. As a temporary mentor, she felt obligated to explain. After she finished, Li Hao finally grasped the system.

Foundation Establishment, Blood Melting, and bone-measurement were referred to as the Three, Six, and Nine Layers.

Foundation Establishment medicine had three grades.

Blood Melting had six stages.

And bone-measurement aptitude was ranked in nine levels.

A physique in the first to third layers was considered average or low-grade. The fourth to sixth layers were the elite, or middle-grade. The seventh layer marked a true genius, while the eighth layer was enough to make one famous across an entire province.

A Ninth Layer physique represented the absolute pinnacle of martial talent—an unrivaled prodigy. For such a person, advancing through the realms was as natural as breathing, and they usually reached the Fourth or Fifth Realm with ease.

To go higher than that required more than just talent; it required insight, willpower, and the favor of destiny.

Li Hao looked at the girl in the tub, stunned. Was this little girl destined to become a world-shaking powerhouse?

He imagined the shy, sniffle-nosed girl standing atop a mountain of defeated foes and couldn't help but laugh.

Lin Haixia watched him, her heart heavy with concern.

He was still just a child. No matter how smart he seemed, he was only three. He didn't understand the catastrophe that had occurred today.

The chance that the medicine was faulty was nearly zero. This meant that Li Hao might be a martial arts cripple, unable to ever cultivate.

In a family of legendary warriors like the Li Clan, being unable to practice the Dao was a fate more cruel than death.