Chapter 289 The Demon
While waiting for news from the Wang family, Li Hao continued his daily cultivation.
Although he could kill a Dao Path cultivator, this required him to use all his abilities without reservation, which was still too strenuous...
This left him with a sense of crisis.
Currently, in terms of martial arts:
Body Path: 8th Level
Control Path: 7th Level
Movement Path: 6th Level
Sword Path: 6th Level
Fist Path: 6th Level
As for his artistic skills:
Chess Path: 6th Level
Music Path: 4th Level
Poetry and Literature: 3rd Level
Sculpture: 3rd Level
Culinary Path: 7th Level
Painting Path: 7th Level
Fishing Path: 5th Level
Remaining Skill Points: 1.
Currently, only the Culinary Path and Painting Path have reached the Spirit level. The most promising for reaching this level next would be the Chess Path and the Fishing Path.
If he could reach the Spirit level in any of these, it would significantly improve his Movement Path, Sword Path, and other abilities.
However, his Chess Path had only just reached the 6th level and wasn't yet complete, and the Fishing Path was still far behind.
Fortunately, there were no bottlenecks between the 5th and 6th levels—progress would come naturally with enough experience.
During this time, he had been busy slaying demons and enemies, and hadn't had much time to settle down and practice. Now that he finally had some free time, Li Hao took Feng Lao, a chessboard, and Ren Qianqian with him, traveling thousands of miles beyond the pass to a secluded lake.
He focused his strength into a line, casting it into the lake, making it almost undetectable, employing the subtle technique of hidden fishing.
The line's tip pierced a small fish demon, threading through its meridians like acupuncture, causing no pain. The little fish demon, unaware of being hooked by Li Hao, continued swimming playfully in the water, completely oblivious to its fate as bait.
"Feng Lao, why don't you give it a try too?"
Li Hao smiled at Feng Lao, who was beside him.
Despite Feng Boping's missing soul, which made his movements sluggish, his years of fishing seemed ingrained in his body's memory. Before Li Hao could finish his sentence, Feng Lao had already cast his line into the lake.
Seeing Feng Lao's skillful operation, Li Hao couldn't help but laugh.
He casually took out a tea table and a chessboard from his spatial storage, while Ren Qianqian brewed tea for him on the lakeside, silently contemplating.
Li Hao used fishing as a metaphor for swordsmanship, explaining the principles to her.
A gentle breeze swept by, mixing the boy's soft voice with the distant sound of cicadas from the woods.
As Ren Qianqian pondered his teachings, Li Hao began teaching Xi Yan how to play chess. Since bringing her to experience the world, Li Hao wanted her to taste all the joys life had to offer.
To him, chess was quite enjoyable.
Xi Yan was quick to learn, and after memorizing the rules, she began playing quite skillfully.
"What is he doing?"
In the distant woods, two figures, a young girl and an old man, stood watching. They were Ying Xiaoxiao and the old man from the tea stall on the Qingzhou road.
"If I'm not mistaken, he's just playing…" The old man from the tea stall smiled bitterly and whispered.
Ying Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. "I can see that, but doesn't he practice?"
She watched the boy by the lake, seemingly at ease, sipping tea, playing chess, and leisurely fishing, with no intention of practicing his swordsmanship.
Is this the daily routine of such a remarkable talent?
A bit of relaxation was understandable, but it seemed that ever since they started following him, the boy hadn't practiced at all.
"He was able to slay a Dao Path level Buddha Lord, even if that Buddha Lord's fusion of Buddha and demon had some flaws and was forced, he still counts as a Dao Path level opponent. He's likely contemplating the Dao," the old man from the tea stall said, his eyes flashing.
They had followed Li Hao from a distance, witnessing the battle where he killed the Buddha Lord.
"Contemplating the Dao…"
Ying Xiaoxiao thought it over. Indeed, with the boy's current strength, he was likely at the peak of the Peaceful Path level, needing only to understand his Dao to step into the Enlightenment level.
"But his way of contemplating the Dao is truly odd."
Ying Xiaoxiao's eyes sparkled. She had seen many talented individuals contemplate the Dao, but most either secluded themselves in caves or honed their skills in the world. Yet, this boy spent his days leisurely playing with his loved ones, not even going into the world to temper himself.
By the lake, Li Hao's eyes lit up.
His line tightened, as the small fish demon he had hooked was suddenly attacked by a larger demon, which swallowed it whole.
Gotcha.
Li Hao quickly pulled on the line, causing the lake to churn. The large demon panicked, trying to spit out the small fish demon, but Li Hao's line had already pierced through its body like a spirit needle, dragging it out of the lake.
Fishing Experience +68.
The demon was at the Heaven-Man level. Seeing the boy on the shore, it roared angrily, "You dare fish for your grandpa? Die!"
Before it could finish speaking, it was dead.
The fishing line had rapidly moved within its body, severing its meridians and bones. It just so happened that the 1% lethal attribute was triggered, and the demon's eyes dimmed in terror.
Li Hao casually tossed it to the shore and stored it in his spatial storage.
Lunch was settled—grilled fish.
Li Hao cast his line again, this time extending it thousands of meters into the lake.
Following the same method, he found another small fish demon to use as bait and waited patiently.
Although he could easily overturn the lake with his current power, wiping out all the demons within, that would take away the fun of fishing.
Taking a sip of tea, Li Hao placed a piece on the chessboard, watching Xi Yan ponder her next move, her red vine tendrils swaying as she thought. He smiled, his gaze drifting to the distant sky, where the blue expanse and floating white clouds seemed to form a chessboard, with each cloud a piece.
He became lost in thought, feeling a deeper understanding.
The mountains and rivers followed the natural order, like the intersecting lines on a chessboard.
The term "grand strategy" originated from this simple board.
The mountains and rivers as the board, the beasts as the pieces...
As Li Hao's gaze fell on the lake's surface, the vast, wind-swept waves seemed to transform into a massive chessboard.
In the depths of the lake, the demons swam like pieces moving across the grid, forming their own strategies.
"Chess…"
His recent game with the emperor had deepened Li Hao's understanding of chess. Now, it seemed he had reached another level of insight.
...
...
A few days later.
Beyond Tianmen Pass, a snow-white figure sped through the sky.
His entire body radiated Dao light, his presence concealed, flying through the void unseen.
As he reached the city, he halted, gazing at the fortress with its fluttering banners. The characters on the banner caused his calm eyes to flash with killing intent.
It was this monstrous boy that had caused his plans to unravel, leaving him in a precarious position, ready to be exposed and targeted by others.
"Killing the Buddha Lord… Even if you have Dao Path level strength, you must die!"
The newcomer was none other than the Sacred Son. His eyes were cold, though he too was at the Dao Path level, having trained under a sage since childhood. He possessed abilities far beyond the ordinary Dao Path, including divine powers.
These were not merely martial arts techniques but extraordinary abilities containing profound principles of the Dao.
His divine sense swept over the city, quickly locating a small courtyard in its center.
Inside the courtyard, a boy was peeling the skin off a fish, while a red vine demon was building a fire.
A girl practiced swordsmanship nearby, under the guidance of a disheveled figure who occasionally corrected her form.
Such an odd scene made the Sacred Son hesitate, wondering if he had the wrong target.
But from the city's layout, it was clear that this courtyard was the center, heavily guarded, with several people of notable cultivation within. The vine demon tending the fire was a Four-Stance Realm demon king.
The boy's aura, however, was hidden, beyond his perception.
There was no doubt—this was his target.
As he prepared to strike, his gaze shifted to a teahouse near the courtyard.
By the window sat an old man and a young girl, both looking in his direction.
The Sacred Son's face darkened—another expert? In the next moment, the old man vanished from his spot.
In a series of flickers, the old man appeared in the sky outside the city. The two now stood high above, though the city's guards seemed oblivious to their presence.
"Blood of a sage…"
The old man from the tea stall eyed the Sacred Son, his brows furrowing, a trace of killing intent in his eyes.
The Sacred Son, sensing the aura from the old man's sudden arrival, felt his pupils contract in shock. "A demon?!"
Hearing the Sacred Son's exclamation, the old man's lips curled into a smirk, a hint of mockery in his voice.
"Are you here for us, or for that boy?"
The Sacred Son stared at him in disbelief. A demon had appeared and was here, of all places.
He quickly recalled the legends about demons, who were said to sense impending disasters and would arrive in times of war to incite more bloodshed and chaos.
Moreover, demons were known for their brutal methods, suppressing incense offerings—a vicious form of cultivation.
"Hmm?"
The tea stall old man casually regarded the Sacred Son, his eyes narrowing, killing intent growing.
Sensing the old man's hidden power, the Sacred Son's heart pounded with anger and fear. This demon was at the Dao Path level?
How could a demon be watching this little Dayu dynasty!
Furious, he realized that his plans had gone awry, thanks to this unexpected demon.
"So, you're in league with each other… Very well!"
The Sacred Son gritted his teeth, turning to leave.
But the old man wasn't about to let him go so easily, immediately giving chase. The two sped through the sky for over a thousand miles.
"You dare?!"
The Sacred Son roared in anger. Who would dare stop him from leaving?
With a loud crash, they exchanged blows, their Dao energies clashing, creating a sharp, almost imperceptible noise in the air.
"I'll remember this!"
The Sacred Son struck with his palm, using the force to propel himself away.
He didn't want to cause too much commotion, which might attract the boy and girl to the battle.
The old man watched him go, not pursuing further. He smirked, glanced in the Sacred Son's direction until he was out of sight, then returned to the city.
Back in the teahouse, he explained the situation to his young mistress.
"No wonder those demons are so bold; the Sacred Clan has its eyes on the incense here…"
Ying Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, surprised but not entirely shocked.
The Sacred Clan cultivated with incense offerings, so it made sense they would covet this place's offerings.
"But that's none of our business. If they provoke us, we'll kill them. The old grudges between our ancestors aren't settled yet…"
Ying Xiaoxiao's voice grew cold.
The old man nodded slightly, sipping his tea, feeling a slight burn in his palm.
That Sacred Clan youth wasn't without his tricks…
As they continued drinking, a boy's voice reached their ears.
"Would you two care to join us?"
Ying Xiaoxiao and the old man exchanged a glance, recognizing it as the boy's voice.
The old man's earlier confrontation had likely been noticed by the boy.
"Miss?" The old man looked at Ying Xiaoxiao.
Though they didn't fear the boy, their clan preferred to avoid entanglements in worldly conflicts.
"No harm."
Ying Xiaoxiao waved her hand, the golden bell on her wrist tinkling softly, catching the attention of nearby patrons, who stole glances at the beautiful girl…
Only to have their eyes nearly pop out when they saw the old man and the girl vanish before their eyes.
A ghost!
In front of the small courtyard, the old man and the girl appeared.
The guards didn't stop them as they entered.
"Smells good."
Ying Xiaoxiao's nose twitched as she caught the scent of roasting fish, her eyes lighting up.
Li Hao recognized the old man and the girl as the ones from the roadside stall.
He had felt as if he was being followed, but couldn't pinpoint it until he sensed the disturbance in the teahouse earlier, confirming his suspicion.
"Aren't you selling buns anymore, senior?"
Li Hao asked the old man, smiling faintly.
The old man's face reddened slightly at the question. He coughed lightly and replied, "Made enough money. Taking my granddaughter out for a bit."
Li Hao chuckled, not probing further. "You two have been following me for a while. What brings you here?"
Ying Xiaoxiao tore her gaze away from the roasting fish, her bright eyes sparkling as she smiled, "Nothing much. It's just that following you, we get to see interesting things. So we tagged along."
What kind of reason is that? Li Hao raised an eyebrow but saw the girl's clear eyes, full of sincerity. It didn't seem like a lie—otherwise, it would be too far-fetched.
"So, what interesting things have you seen?"
Li Hao asked.