Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 5: The Ultimate
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
Chapter 5: The Ultimate
Translator: 549690339
A full hour slipped by.
Within Bian Ruxue’s bathing vessel, the medicinal mixture had turned entirely transparent, leaving not a single droplet of the original liquid behind.
The attendants assisted her into fresh garments and dried her tresses. She stood beside Li Hao’s tub in silence, unable to grasp the weight of the situation, simply waiting for him to finish.
Li Hao, meanwhile, could only remain submerged in his own tub to satisfy the stubborn insistence of Lin Haixia.
The fluid surrounding him maintained a vivid, piercing shade of purple.
The maidservant attending to Bian Ruxue stole a glance and was struck speechless by the sight.
As another hour passed, the news rippled through the household, drawing other servants and maids to witness the scene; every one of them was left in a state of shock.
Having spent their lives within the walls of the Divine General Mansion, they were well aware of what this lack of absorption implied.
They exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting a shared sense of impending doom.
Could the noble heir of the Martial Marquis truly be incapable of practicing martial arts?
This was the prestigious bloodline of the Li Family!
The very idea was preposterous, yet the evidence was undeniable.
The courtyard was plunged into a heavy silence. Eventually, a servant regained their senses and rushed away in a panic. It wasn’t long before the Mountain and River Courtyard was crowded with figures dressed in vibrant silks.
The noble ladies from the various courtyards arrived, congregating around the medicinal tub. Disbelief washed over them as the servants whispered about the length of time Li Hao had been soaking.
Standing among the crowd, Liu Yue Rong felt her heart skip a beat.
Was it the influence of that medicine?
She had never heard of it causing such a catastrophic side effect!
Though her chest tightened with anxiety, she maintained a poised exterior, her face shifting into a mask of urgent concern and grief.
Submerged in the tub and feeling thoroughly miserable, Li Hao observed the second wife’s masterful performance. He even detected a flicker of genuine dread in her gaze.
Had she actually managed to scare herself?
Li Hao gave a mental sneer.
As the noise in the courtyard escalated, the chief wife took charge with a stern expression, dismissing the servants and allowing only the high-ranking ladies to remain. She issued a strict command: this incident was to be kept strictly confidential and must never be leaked!
Watching the Foundation Establishment elixir, which showed no signs of being absorbed, Lin Haixia’s heart sank completely.
This wasn't just a matter of "slowness."
He shuddered as he contemplated a terrifying possibility. Was the Lord’s "Kylin child" actually a total waste, utterly incapable of Cultivation?
Unable to bear it any longer, Lin Haixia pulled Li Hao from the water.
The ladies watched with varying emotions as Li Hao emerged, his body pale and deprived of oxygen, his skin wrinkled from the long immersion.
The gravity of the situation was undeniable—he had been in the tub for six hours, yet the Foundation Establishment elixir remained entirely unchanged.
Observing Li Hao’s bloodless lips, Liu Yue Rong realized this was no deception.
Her heart hammered against her ribs; she had only intended to sabotage the boy’s Divine Blood, not render him totally useless!
A complete invalid would draw far too much scrutiny!
The mighty Li Family bloodline, unable to cultivate?
If an investigation into the cause were ever launched...
The chief wife was the first to regain her composure. She immediately commanded Lin Haixia to see to Hao Er’s needs and sent her own maids to fetch nourishing medicinal soups to restore the boy’s strength.
...
...
The following day.
Lin Haixia prepared fresh tubs of Foundation Establishment elixir for both Li Hao and Bian Ruxue to use separately.
He watched with intense focus as Li Hao entered the bath.
Li Hao felt a sense of futility, knowing this was a waste of precious herbs, but he had no choice but to go along with it.
He figured it wouldn't be long before they finally surrendered to reality.
Suddenly, the same glowing text from the previous day appeared before him.
[Detection of unknown substance, analyzing...]
[Analysis failed, automatic isolation initiated.]
Expecting this, Li Hao wasn't surprised. He sat obediently in the bath, playing with his toes to pass the time.
As the hours ticked away and the liquid stayed purple, the stout military man lost his cool and let out a frustrated growl.
“How is this possible?!”
Lin Haixia was visibly shaken, appearing even more distraught than Li Hao himself.
Pacing frantically beside the tub, he struck his own forehead. “The elixir is perfect; there’s no error there. Can it be that the Lord’s son truly cannot walk the path of martial arts?!”
This was the blood of the Li family!
Li Hao wasn't particularly bothered; with his system panel, he could grow powerful without the need for these concoctions.
However, seeing his teacher’s genuine anguish made him feel awkward, and he tried to offer comfort. “Uncle Lin, it’s alright. Please don’t be so sad.”
Lin Haixia’s frame trembled at those words.
He looked down at the child in the water, tears blurring his vision.
Little one, you have no idea what kind of future awaits you!
Looking into the boy’s innocent, hopeful eyes felt like a knife to Lin Haixia’s heart.
Could this really be the destiny of the Commander-in-Chief’s only son?
Yet, he was powerless to change it.
He could only conclude that Li Hao suffered from innate meridian obstruction.
The definitive mark of a martial arts cripple.
In a common family, this would be unremarkable, as most ordinary people lacked the talent for cultivation. It wasn't a rare fate for a peasant.
But this was the Li Family!
A clan that birthed True Dragons in every generation!
Even the least gifted members of the Li family were far superior to the average person.
And the True Dragons of the Li clan—were they not legends whose names echoed across the world?
And yet, this boy...
Overcome with emotion, Lin Haixia found himself unable to speak. Even on battlefields covered in blood and corpses, he had never flinched, but now he could not bear to meet the child's gaze.
Those pure, untainted eyes were heart-wrenching.
“It’s okay, it’s okay...” Seeing the man’s sincere grief, Li Hao felt a surge of warmth toward him.
He climbed out of the bath and tugged at the man’s leg, attempting to soothe his sorrow.
...
...
The second attempt at Foundation Establishment was officially a failure.
The news swept through the Divine General Mansion like a storm. Li Hao’s status as someone unable to cultivate was now cemented.
The ladies and servants of the various courtyards were left reeling in disbelief.
In the days that followed, the medicinal baths stopped. Instead, a parade of experts arrived to examine his body, only to leave while shaking their heads in disappointment.
By listening in on their conversations, Li Hao learned that he was considered to have a Martial Arts Disabled Body.
This condition didn't make cultivation impossible, but it made it incredibly grueling.
Since he couldn't absorb elixirs or external Qi, he would have to rely on nothing but brutal physical training for even the smallest gains.
Furthermore, he would be capped at the Second Realm.
To go further required the ability to harmonize with the Qi of heaven and earth, making the Second Realm an absolute wall.
The report eventually reached the battlefields of Northern Yan. Soon after, an urgent letter was dispatched from thousands of miles away.
The contents of that letter sent another shockwave through the mansion.
The Grand Marshal had actually broken through to the Three Immortal Realms!
The message dictated that the Lady of the House must not abandon Hao Er. Regardless of the difficulty, she was to ensure he began his journey on the Martial Path.
Even a basic start would suffice. Once his Divine Blood eventually awakened, he might still achieve something. He might never be a peerless genius, but he could at least earn a place as a centurion in the army.
In that way, he would not bring shame to the Li name.
The Lady of the House, He Jianlan, was a member of the He Family.
Though she was over sixty, she looked no older than forty. After reading the letter, she let out a heavy sigh.
“Hao Er’s path is a difficult one, and it is all the fault of that wretched woman.”
No one knew exactly who she meant by that "wretched woman."
...
...
As time went on, Li Hao felt his life return to its usual rhythm.
Foundation Establishment efforts were halted; he heard that they would attempt Blood Melting when he reached the age of four.
With no more baths to take, Li Hao had even more freedom to play chess in secret, and his experience points began to climb rapidly.
However, the rumors of Li Hao’s Martial Arts Disabled Body eventually escaped the mansion walls.
In the tea houses and inns of Qingzhou City, it became a hot topic of gossip, though many dismissed it as a tall tale.
After all, he was a child of the Li family.
But the news was immediately seized upon by the Li family’s rivals in the imperial court.
After investigating and confirming the truth, many within those rival factions felt a mixture of joy and astonishment.
They were thrilled that the thousand-year glory of the Li family bloodline was finally fading!
The astonishment came from the realization that the Grand Marshal had hidden his advancement to the Three Immortal Realms for so long.
It was a stroke of luck that his son was a martial invalid; otherwise, the world might have had to deal with another Li Junye in the future!
...
...
Before long, Li Hao reached his fourth birthday.
After a year of diligent, secret practice, he had successfully reached the second tier of Chess Dao.
This achievement granted him another Artistic Skill Point.
Without a moment's hesitation, Li Hao invested the point into Sword Dao.
His mastery of Sword Dao rose to the second tier.
Unlike the overwhelming flood of information from the first tier, the four-year-old Li Hao found the transition manageable, feeling only a minor pressure in his head.
With the advancement of his Sword Dao, his status panel updated accordingly.
[Name: Li Hao]
[Age: 4]
[Cultivation Level: Mortal]
[Sword Dao: Second Tier]
[Skills: Endless Sea·Tide (Perfected)[Forbidden]]
[Known Art: Chess Dao]
[Chess Dao: Second Tier (0/1000)]
[Chess Catalogue Collection: 0]
[Artistic Skill Points: 0]
However, once Chess Dao hit the second tier, Li Hao realized that playing matches against himself no longer provided experience. He would need to find a real opponent to continue his progress.