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On a sunny day.
The Divine General Mansion arranged for a military strongman to come to the Mountain and River Courtyard to help Li Hao with his Foundation Establishment.
This was a short and stout middle-aged man with dark skin, yet he wore a flowing blue robe. His name was Lin Haixia, sounding like that of a girl. Li Hao later called him Uncle Lin.
Coming back with Lin Haixia was a little girl.
She was about the same age as Li Hao, just two months younger.
It was said that she was the orphan of a comrade-in-arms of the Marquis of Xingwu, who fought on the distant Northern Yan battlefield.
Before the girl's father met with misfortune, he entrusted his young daughter to the Marquis of Xingwu, and before he died, the two agreed on a betrothal when they were infants.
Li Hao was speechless about this sudden betrothal.
Fine, you fight your battles, and it does not matter if you never return.
But such a big matter, did anyone ask for my opinion?
Despite his irritation, Li Hao did not take out his accumulated resentment on this little girl.
So.
In the vast expanse of the Mountain and River Courtyard, there was now another small figure aside from Li Hao.
The little girl's name was Bian Ruxue, and she had delicate and exquisite features, her skin fair and tender, like a porcelain doll.
When she first arrived in this strange place, the little girl was timid and shy, asking everyone she caught, where is my daddy, where did my daddy go?
The little girl was looking for her daddy.
But no one in the courtyard dared to answer, and some of the softer-hearted servant girls could only secretly wipe away their tears in a corner upon hearing her.
The little girl lost her appetite and grew thinner by the day. Seeing that none of the house servants in the courtyard knew how to comfort a child, Li Hao was annoyed. It seemed he had been too competent himself, not training these people properly.
He had no choice but to step in himself, using a mixture of intimidation and coaxing to tell the little girl:
"Your daddy is hiding somewhere, and he will only come out if you behave and eat well."
The little girl, with her innocent tear-filled eyes, asked, "Is Xue'er not being good? Why is daddy hiding from Xue'er, and where is he hiding?"
Hiding where?
Li Hao, looking at the little girl's pitiable expression, softened a bit and said a cliché line, pointing to the sky:
"Your daddy is up there, on one of those stars."
From that point on, every night in the courtyard had a small figure gazing up at the sky.
The myriad stars and their silver glow shone down, illuminating the solitary little shape.
In the house, another little figure, who lay on top of a chessboard, would order the house servants every day to fan beside the little girl, driving away mosquitoes so she wouldn't be bitten all over.
Half a month flew by, and the military strongman Lin Haixia had prepared the Foundation Establishment elixir for both Li Hao and Bian Ruxue.
Both of them underwent Foundation Establishment in the same year.
Foundation Establishment is the foundation of the Martial Arts!
The elixir for Foundation Establishment, made from countless precious medicinal ingredients, immersed the body every day, soaking in a medicinal bath to forge a body suitable for martial training!
As one of the top elite families of Dayu, the Divine General Mansion had abundant resources. From Li Hao's Foundation Establishment onward, countless precious medicinal herbs and rare treasures were sent to the Mountain and River Courtyard, inexhaustible like snowflakes.
The elixir for Foundation Establishment was divided into three grades.
Common, rare, and supreme!
The elixir used by Li Hao was naturally of the top quality, with a thousand-year treasure as the primer, supplemented by many other precious medicinal ingredients, capable of nurturing an Eighth Layer battle physique.
Once one embarked on the path of cultivation, one could break through the First Realm in just two to three short years!
Martial Arts is a crucible of money, and this top-grade Foundation Establishment elixir, used up daily, was costly to maintain for half a year to a year. Only top-tier elite families like the Divine General Mansion could afford to use it so freely.
In the yard, two large medicinal tubs.
Li Hao and Bian Ruxue were soaking in them separately.
However, the area around the little girl's tub was screened by curtains, with female attendants looking after her.
These female attendants were different from maidservants; they had some cultivation and were akin to trusted aides within the household.
On Li Hao's side, Lin Haixia personally supervised him.
At that moment, the dignified dark purple elixir was surging against Li Hao's body, his chin submerged in the liquid, leaving only his nose exposed for breathing.
An indescribable bitter scent from the elixir filled his nose, like swallowing bitter lotus, which kept Li Hao's spirits acutely alert.
Li Hao asked, "Can I drink it?"
Lin Haixia replied, "It's better not to."
The elixir was potent, and the intestines of children couldn't absorb it; it could actually cause harm instead.
Moreover.
It's for external application.
Just as Li Hao was focusing his mind, a string of text suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[Detecting unknown substance, analyzing...]
[Analysis failed, automatically isolated.]
Li Hao: ???
What's going on?
Damn!
Could it be the kind of situation I think it is?
Li Hao was full of doubts.
Next to the medicinal tub, Lin Haixia's calm face was gradually turning grim. As time passed, his brow slowly furrowed into a deep "chuan" character.
Li Hao noticed his expression and couldn't help but feel a lurch in his heart. He asked:
"Uncle Lin, is there... some kind of problem?"
Lin Haixia wasn't surprised by Li Hao's perceptiveness. He had realized over the days that this little young master was more precocious than his peers, extremely intelligent, as smart as a five or six-year-old child.
However, he was not in the mood to talk to Li Hao right now. Suddenly, he quickly lifted the curtain to check on the situation on the other side, and soon after returned to Li Hao's side, his face looking extremely ugly.
"Uncle Lin?"
Lin Haixia reached his hand toward the edge of the medicinal tub, feeling closely, his gaze becoming complicated. He looked at the child in the tub, wanting to speak, but then the words stopped at his lips.
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"Uncle Lin, just say what you want to say," Li Hao couldn't help but say.
Lin Haixia was slightly surprised and took a look at him. Although Li Hao was more precocious, he was still just a three-year-old child. Could he actually tell that she was hesitating to speak?
However, her mood was so bad at the moment that she didn't think too much about it and just said, regardless of whether Li Hao could understand, "When it comes to martial arts talent, besides the bone-measurement at age five, which can directly reveal it, it is actually hinted at during Foundation Establishment."
"The faster the absorption of Foundation Establishment medicine, the higher the martial arts aptitude. But Young Master, your absorption speed is too slow!"
She looked at Li Hao inside the medicine tub, her eyes revealing incomprehensible doubt and pity.
Then, she thought for a moment and muttered to herself, "Maybe today was just an accident, my refining mistake. I will check more carefully tomorrow."
A chill went through Li Hao's heart.
Was that hint just now really about the Foundation Establishment medicine?
What do you mean by 'too slow absorption'? It's all being blocked, there's nothing to absorb!
Li Hao was speechless in his heart. Was this panel going to adhere completely to the game's settings?
He had discovered this over the past year while exploring the panel.
Since there was no combat system in the game, it seemed that he was also estranged from martial arts.
Or more accurately, estranged from practicing martial arts.
If he tried to cultivate combat skills, it wouldn't give experience, only the arts defined in the game had an experience bar.
Although he could improve himself through diligent practice, in this case, it would be better to go back to pursuing art since it was more rewarding.
At least experience would soar, points would be allocated, and one could create their own cultivation technique.
Overnight, that would surpass decades of hard training.
It's just that now, it's a pity for all these resources piled up around him. If fully used, they could at least nurture a first-rate martial artist.
Speaking of which, since this extraordinary medicine that far exceeds modern elements cannot be absorbed, why was the poison before effective?
Or was it not effective? Did I just fall asleep and not notice the prompt?
Maybe, whether or not I'll awaken the Divine Blood in the future, will be the judgment.
However, that woman had said that awakening Divine Blood had a chance, not certainty.
Forget it, regardless, whether harm was avoided was due to your ability, but this bill certainly cannot be written off.
"Don't lose heart, I'll try again tomorrow. If it really doesn't work, I'll inform Lord Hou. He will definitely come up with a solution for you."
As Li Hao pondered, Lin Haixia reassured him, although she didn't know if Li Hao could understand.
"There's no need,"
Li Hao waved his hand slightly, ready to climb out of the medicine tub.
Since the Foundation Establishment medicine was being blocked by the panel, soaking in it any longer was pointless.
"Don't get up yet, let's try again. Keep soaking for a bit longer," Lin Haixia said immediately when she saw Li Hao getting out.
Li Hao shook his head and said, "It's no use."
"You have to obey!" Lin Haixia's face became stern, taking the matter seriously.
Li Hao was dumbfounded and could only say, "I'll go check on the little girl first."
As he spoke, he lifted the curtain and came to the little girl's medicine tub, and immediately saw that the Foundation Establishment medicine that had been poured in, identical to his, was now almost clear water, turned from purple, with only wisps of faint purple liquid like mist still drifting in it.
"Brother Hao?"
Bian Ruxue looked up at Li Hao from the medicine tub with a puzzled expression, being too young to understand discretion, simply wearing a look of incomprehension.
"Uncle Lin, considering the little girl's absorption speed, how would you rate her talent?"
Li Hao didn't turn around and asked Lin Haixia behind him.
Lin Haixia was feeling depressed and puzzled, but when she heard this, she couldn't help but chuckle. Despite being the same age, this little fellow always seemed so precociously serious in front of Xue'er.
"Her absorption speed is considered very good,"
Lin Haixia had already checked before, and now her eyes reflected some emotion, "If the Blood Melting at age four goes smoothly, then by the time of the bone-measurement at five, with the top resources of the Divine General Mansion, her warrior physique could very well leap to the Eighth Layer, and maybe even the Ninth Layer, ranking her among the top prodigies!"
"Ninth Layer?"
Li Hao was puzzled.
Lin Haixia was patient with the young master of the household, regardless of his understanding. Since the child had asked, she, acting as a temporary teacher, ought to answer.
After listening to Lin Haixia's detailed explanation, Li Hao finally understood.
It turned out that Foundation Establishment, Blood Melting, and bone-measurement all together were known as Third, Sixth, and Ninth Layers!
Foundation Establishment medicine is divided into three layers.
Blood Melting, into six layers!
And bone-measurement aptitude, into nine layers!
A first to third layer physique would be of ordinary aptitude and considered lower-grade.
A fourth to sixth layer physique would be among the elite, regarded as middle-grade.
A seventh layer is already termed a genius.
An eighth layer can make a name across a province.
A Ninth Layer physique is already the most top-notch martial arts constitution, belonging to the level of unrivaled geniuses.
With such a top-tier constitution, breaking through realms would be as easy as eating and drinking, and they could generally reach the Fourth and Fifth Realm!
As for higher realms, apart from talent, one also needs some other elements, like one's own understanding, perseverance, destiny, opportunities, etc.
Li Hao turned to look at the little girl in the medicine tub, his eyes showing some astonishment.
Will this little girl be a talent who will shake the world in the future?
In his mind, he pictured the image of the little snotty-nosed girl standing proudly among a crowd… and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Lin Haixia looked at Li Hao, her eyes filled with worry.
Indeed he was a child; he seemed clever, but after all, he was only three years old.
He still didn't understand the magnitude of what happened today.
The likelihood that there was a problem with the Foundation Establishment medicine was remote.
And this also meant... he might turn out to be a martial arts invalid, unable to cultivate!
In this family of warriors, especially being a son of the Li Family, unable to practice— he couldn't even imagine how cruel this would be.