Eternal Renown

On a sunny day, a powerful military expert arranged by the Divine General Manor arrived at the Mountain River Courtyard to assist Li Hao in his Foundation Establishment.

He was a middle-aged man, short in stature but robust, with dark skin and a flowing green robe. His name was Lin Haixia, a name that sounded more like a girl's. Li Hao later took to calling him Uncle Lin.

Accompanying Lin Haixia was a little girl.

The little girl was about the same age as Li Hao, just two months younger.

It was said that her father, a fallen comrade-in-arms of Martial Commander Xing on the Yanbei battlefield, had entrusted his young daughter to the commander before his demise.

Before his death, the girl's father had arranged a marriage between her and the commander's son.

Li Hao was speechless about this unexpected marriage arrangement.

You're off fighting a war, and now you're not even coming back.

For such a big decision, didn't you even ask for my opinion?

Despite his resentment, Li Hao didn't take out his frustration on the little girl.

And so, in the vast Mountain River Courtyard, another small figure joined Li Hao.

The little girl's name was Bian Ruxue, and she was exquisitely beautiful, with delicate and fair skin like a porcelain doll.

Feeling unfamiliar with her new surroundings, the little girl was timid and asked everyone she met, "Where's my father? Where did my father go?"

The little girl was searching for her father.

But no one in the courtyard dared to answer, and some of the softer-hearted maids secretly wiped away tears in the corners of their eyes.

The little girl lost her appetite and grew thinner day by day. Li Hao, seeing that none of the servants knew how to comfort a child, became angry. It seemed that he had been too good to them and hadn't trained them properly.

He had no choice but to take matters into his own hands. Half-threatening and half-coaxing, he told the little girl, "Your father is hiding in a place. If you behave and eat well, he will come out."

The little girl looked up at him with innocent, tearful eyes and asked, "Is Xue'er not being good? Why is my father hiding from me? Where is he hiding?"

Where is he hiding?

Li Hao felt a twinge of sympathy as he looked at the pitiful little girl. He said a cliche line and pointed to the sky, "Your father is up there, on one of those stars."

From then on, every night in the courtyard, there was a small figure gazing up at the sky.

The silver moonlight shone down on the lonely little silhouette.

Meanwhile, inside the house, another small figure lay sprawled across a Go board, ordering the servants to fan the little girl and keep mosquitoes away from her so she wouldn't be bitten all over.

Half a month passed in a flash, and the powerful military expert, Lin Haixia, had also prepared the Foundation Establishment elixir for Li Hao and Bian Ruxue.

The two of them would establish their foundations in the same year.

Foundation Establishment was the cornerstone of martial cultivation!

The Foundation Establishment elixir, made from countless precious medicinal herbs, was used to bathe and soak the body daily, forging a strong foundation for martial practice!

The Divine General Manor was one of the top-tier noble families in the Great Yu Dynasty, with abundant resources. From the moment Li Hao began his Foundation Establishment, countless precious herbs and rare treasures were sent to the Mountain River Courtyard like snowflakes, an endless supply.

The Foundation Establishment elixir was divided into three grades: common, rare, and supreme.

Naturally, Li Hao used the top-grade elixir, which was made with millennium treasures as the base and supplemented by numerous other precious medicinal herbs. It could nurture a seventh-grade Battle Body.

Once on the path of cultivation, one could break through the first realm within just two to three years! Martial cultivation was an expensive pursuit, and this top-grade elixir was consumed daily, lasting half a year to a year. Only top-tier noble families like the Divine General Manor could afford such luxury.

In the courtyard, there were two large barrels of elixir.

Li Hao and Bian Ruxue soaked in them separately.

However, Bian Ruxue's barrel was surrounded by a curtain, and female attendants, who were more skilled in cultivation than maids, watched over her.

These female attendants were akin to the manor's female bodyguards.

On Li Hao's side, Uncle Lin personally oversaw the process.

At this moment, the dark purple elixir, symbolizing nobility, surged into Li Hao's body, submerging even his chin, leaving only his nose above the liquid to breathe.

The elixir's potent and peculiar scent filled his nostrils, like swallowing bitter lotus, keeping Li Hao's mind alert.

Li Hao asked, "Can I drink it?"

Uncle Lin replied, "It's best not to."

The elixir's potency was too strong for a child's digestive system to handle and might even cause harm.

Moreover, this elixir was for external use.

As Li Hao held his breath and focused, a line of text suddenly appeared before his eyes:

[Unknown substance detected. Analyzing...]

[Analysis failed. Automatically isolated.]

Li Hao: ???

What's going on?

Damn!

Don't tell me it's what I think it is?

Li Hao was filled with doubt and suspicion.

By the barrel, Uncle Lin's calm expression gradually turned serious. As time passed, his eyebrows slowly furrowed into a frown.

Li Hao noticed his change in demeanor and couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. He asked, "Uncle Lin, is there something wrong?"

Uncle Lin was not surprised by Li Hao's perceptiveness, as he had noticed that the young master was more intelligent than his peers and was as wise as a five or six-year-old child.

However, at this moment, he had no time to chat with Li Hao. He quickly lifted the curtain to check on the other side and soon returned, his face looking particularly grim.

"Uncle Lin?" Li Hao asked.

Uncle Lin reached into the barrel, carefully feeling the edge, his expression becoming complex. He looked at the child in the barrel, wanting to speak, but the words died on his lips.

"Uncle Lin, just say what you want to say," Li Hao urged.

Uncle Lin was slightly surprised. He glanced at Li Hao. Although Li Hao was more intelligent than most children his age, he was still only three years old. How could he tell that he wanted to speak but was holding back?

However, he was in a foul mood at the moment and didn't think much of it. Regardless of whether Li Hao understood or not, he spoke directly, "Martial Dao talent, besides being able to see it directly during the Fifth Year Bone Measurement, it actually starts to manifest during Foundation Establishment."

"The faster the Foundation Establishment Elixir is absorbed, the higher the martial aptitude. But Young Master, your absorption rate is too slow!"

He glanced at Li Hao in the medicine barrel, his eyes filled with incomprehensible confusion and pity.

Afterward, he thought for a moment and muttered to himself, "Maybe it's just a mistake today, and I made a mistake in refining it. Tomorrow I'll take a closer look."

Li Hao's heart sank.

The prompt from the panel was indeed referring to the Foundation Establishment Elixir?

What nonsense about slow absorption, it's all blocked, and there's nothing to absorb!

Li Hao was speechless. Was this panel going to completely adhere to the game's settings?

Over the past year, he had discovered this while exploring the panel.

The game lacked a combat system, so he seemed to have no connection with the Martial Dao.

Or, to be more precise, he was disconnected from martial arts training.

When cultivating combat skills, the panel didn't grant experience, and only the arts set in the game had experience bars.

Although he could improve through hard training, it would be better to focus on the arts instead.

At least, with experience points soaring and skill points being allocated, one could cultivate a profound technique.

A single day of practice could surpass decades of hard work.

However, it was a pity that all the resources accumulated around him were wasted. Even if he had used them all, he could have at least cultivated a top-tier warrior.

Speaking of which, since this extraordinary elixir with modern elements couldn't be absorbed, why did the poison from before take effect?

Or perhaps it didn't take effect at all? Maybe he just fell asleep and didn't notice the prompt from the panel?

Perhaps, only when he awakens the Divine Blood in the future will he be able to make a judgment.

But that woman had said that awakening the Divine Blood was a matter of probability and not a certainty.

Forget it, no matter what, whether you succeeded or not is your skill. This account must not be left unsettled.

"Don't be discouraged, I'll try again tomorrow. If it still doesn't work, I'll inform the Marquis, and he will definitely find a solution for you."

As Li Hao pondered, Lin Haixia comforted him, although she wasn't sure if Li Hao could understand.

"No need."

Li Hao waved his hand slightly, about to climb out of the medicine barrel.

Since the Foundation Establishment Elixir was blocked by the panel, there was no point in soaking any longer.

"Don't get up yet, try again, and soak for a bit longer." Lin Haixia immediately spoke when she saw Li Hao coming out.

Li Hao shook his head, "It's useless."

"Listen to me!" Lin Haixia's face turned stern as she became serious.

Li Hao was speechless and could only say, "I'll go check on the little girl first."

As he spoke, he lifted the curtain and went to the medicine barrel where the little girl was. Instantly, he saw that the Foundation Establishment Elixir, which had been poured earlier, had already turned from purple to nearly transparent clear water in the little girl's barrel. Only wisps of light purple medicinal liquid, like clouds of smoke, were still floating around.

"Brother Hao?"

Bian Ruxue in the medicine barrel looked at Li Hao with confusion. The little girl was too young to understand and only had a puzzled expression on her face.

"Uncle Lin, what's the talent level of this little girl's absorption speed?"

Li Hao didn't turn back as he asked Lin Haixia, who was standing behind him.

Lin Haixia's heart was filled with gloom and confusion, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help but find it amusing. Although they were the same age, this little guy always acted so mature in front of Xue'er.

"Her absorption speed is very good."

Lin Haixia had already observed this earlier, and at this moment, there was a hint of emotion in her eyes, "If the Fourth Year Blood Fusion goes smoothly, then by the Fifth Year Bone Measurement, with the top-tier resources of the Divine General Manor, her Battle Body may leap to the eighth or even ninth rank, placing her among the top geniuses!"

"Ninth rank?"

Li Hao was puzzled.

Lin Haixia was patient with this young master of the commander's family. Regardless of whether he understood or not, since the child had asked, she, as his temporary teacher, had to answer.

After listening to Lin Haixia's detailed explanation, Li Hao finally understood.

So, Foundation Establishment, Blood Fusion, and Bone Measurement had a collective term called Three Six Nine Grades!

The Foundation Establishment Elixir was divided into three grades.

Blood Fusion and Alien Blood were divided into six grades!

The quality of Bone Measurement was divided into nine grades!

First to third-rank Battle Bodies were considered average and belonged to the lower tier.

Fourth to sixth-rank Battle Bodies were considered elite and belonged to the middle tier.

Seventh-rank was considered talented.

Eighth-rank was enough to make one famous throughout a state.

Ninth-rank Battle Bodies were the top-tier martial cultivation physiques, belonging to the level of unparalleled geniuses.

With such a top-tier physique, breaking through realms was as easy as eating and drinking. Most could step into the Fourth and Fifth Realms!

As for higher realms, besides talent, one also needed other factors like one's intuition, perseverance, luck, and opportunities.

Li Hao turned to look at the little girl in the medicine barrel, feeling a bit amazed.

This little girl would become a genius renowned throughout the world?

An image flashed through his mind—a little girl with snot bubbles standing proudly among the crowd... He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Lin Haixia glanced at Li Hao, her eyes filled with worry.

Indeed, he was just a child, and although he seemed smart, he was only three years old.

He didn't understand the magnitude of what had happened today.

The possibility of the Foundation Establishment Elixir being wrong was minuscule.

And this implied... that he might be a Martial Dao Null Body, unable to cultivate!

In a general's family, especially as a member of the Li Clan, the inability to cultivate was something he couldn't even imagine, and it would be a cruel reality.

(End of Chapter)