Six months later, Li Hao gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with deep contemplation.
His cultivation had reached the peak of the First Turn.
This stage, also known as the Master Realm of martial arts, was merely a transitional phase for cultivators.
But for Li Hao, who was treading the path of cultivation, it was just the beginning.
In his hand, he held a wooden sword.
His progress in swordsmanship had reached an astonishing level in just a month of practice, a feat that even surprised him.
[Art: Heavenly Blossom Sword Art
Level: Small Success
Proficiency: 99%]
A proficiency panel had appeared before him. He knew that once he reached full proficiency, he could break through to the next level of mastery.
Right now, he was at the peak of his current realm, and the consumption of his cultivation technique on his physical body was immense.
Sensing this, he halted his sword practice. It was time to break through. However, Li Hao wasn't reckless. He waited for nightfall.
In the dead of night, Li Hao opened his eyes, his mind focused on a singular goal.
He began gathering spiritual energy from the surroundings, preparing to break through.
His understanding of the process came from the Nine Revolutions of Immortality, a profound technique that dictated how one should advance through cultivation realms.
To step into the Second Turn, one must sense spiritual energy and use it to open the core dantian. Once filled with spirit power, the body would be strengthened and refined.
However, breaking through wasn't so simple. The type of spiritual energy one used determined their future potential. Even at this stage, not all spirit energy was equal.
For those practicing mortal techniques, there was only one type of spiritual power. Sensing it would be enough to step into the Second Turn.
However, higher-level techniques revealed the truth: there were three distinct types of spiritual energy in the Mortal Realm.
Common Spiritual Energy – Easily sensed but the weakest. Used by techniques up to the Fourth Turn.
Resonant Spiritual Energy – Harder to perceive, accessible to techniques of the Fifth to Seventh Turn.
Profound Spiritual Energy – The hardest to sense, reserved for techniques of the Eighth and Ninth Turn.
While most cultivators had to accept what they could access, those with great talent could summon and refine superior spiritual energy.
The difference wasn't in raw power but consumption efficiency.
Even if two cultivators had the same amount of spirit energy, their consumption rates would differ significantly:
First-level spirit energy: Full consumption.
Second-level spirit energy: 85% consumption.
Third-level spirit energy: 65% consumption.
Higher levels: As low as 45% consumption.
This efficiency determined how long a cultivator could last in battle.
Even saints were vulnerable if they ran out of spiritual power.
However, Li Hao's knowledge surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.
He knew that beyond the three types of mortal spirit energy, there were five supreme ranks of spiritual power:
Blue Spiritual Power – Highest consumption.
Earth Red Spiritual Power – 15% reduced consumption.
Profound White Spiritual Power – 35% reduction.
Natural Green Spiritual Power – 55% reduction. Cultivators with this power were nearly unkillable within their realm.
Heavenly Yellow Spiritual Power – 85% reduction, a power that only the most gifted could harness.
To an ordinary person, this knowledge would be useless. But to Li Hao, it was a challenge. Why settle for anything less than the peak?
Seated in a lotus position, he expanded his senses, searching for Heavenly Yellow Spiritual Power.
At first, he detected countless spiritual energy clusters, even the elusive Natural Green Spiritual Power. Yet, he wasn't satisfied.
Focusing deeper, he finally sensed a faint wisp of Heavenly Yellow Spiritual Power. With his will, he pulled it into his dantian.
The moment it entered, his mind exploded with newfound perception. Countless traces of Heavenly Yellow Spiritual Power appeared around him.
Until now, they had been hidden from his senses—this was a test. Only those who reached for the highest peak could see the path ahead.
With waves of pure spiritual power flooding into his core, Li Hao refined his body. His dantian expanded, solidifying his foundation.
A normal Second Turn core had a diameter of 1 cm, increasing by 0.5 cm per breakthrough. But Li Hao's was already larger.
At this moment, a mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
[You have taken the first step toward immortality.]
[Reward: Incarnation Golden Crow Divine Art]
[Incarnation Golden Crow: You possess an innate understanding of Yang energy. When this technique reaches great perfection, you may incarnate into a pure-blooded Golden Crow.]
Visions filled Li Hao's mind. A celestial elder stood in the starry skies, conjuring a small sun in his palm. The sun expanded, outshining the stars, before transforming into a Golden Crow.
Li Hao was stunned. This technique alone was enough to set him apart from countless cultivators. But before he could fully process it—
[You have taken another step in life.]
[Reward: Cosmic Celestial Bloodline]
[Cosmic Celestial Bloodline: The lineage of an ancient race. Grants perception of space and time laws.]
A sudden transformation overtook him. His bones strengthened, his blood refined, and his dantian expanded from 1 cm to 1.25 cm. His combat power doubled.
With this alone, he could now fight a realm above his own.
When the transformation settled, Li Hao opened his eyes.
They had changed—glowing gray, purple, and gold. Power surged through him.
Grabbing his wooden sword, he stepped outside.
He stood before a tree, swung his sword, and—
Boom!
The air heated from friction.
His movements refined themselves in real-time, erasing all flaws.
[Attack Art: Heavenly Blossom Sword Art
Level: Mastery
Proficiency: 1%]
Satisfied, he returned to his room and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, now four and a half years old, Li Hao stood in the courtyard. His cultivation had reached the Second Turn, Second Level.
His mother, Hi Jine, watched him from a distance before approaching.
"Hao'er, my little child, how have you been with all this training?" she asked softly.
"I'm fine, Mom," Li Hao responded.
"Really? Training so much must be exhausting," she said with concern.
Li Hao smiled. "I'm fine, really.
But why are you here? I thought you were busy."
Hi Jine hesitated before revealing two swords. "Happy birthday, Hao'er."
One was a short sword, 30 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The other was a long sword, 1 m long and 4 cm wide.
Both were first-rate weapons.
Li Hao examined them and smiled.
"Thank you, Mother."
He turned to a tree in the distance, testing his new weapons. With his master-level swordsmanship, his strikes were precise, yet he held back, avoiding unnecessary destruction.
Six months later, at four years and eleven months old, Li Hao had reached the second Turn, Second Level.
His sword dao had surpassed his cultivation realm.
That morning, his parents called him inside.
"Hao'er, do you know you have a sister?" his father, Li Jin Hong, asked.
Li Hao nodded.
"I know."
"She's a martial genius and is coming home for a month," Hi Jine added. "She will teach you martial arts."
Li Hao smiled. "Alright, Mother. Father. I'll make you proud."
But deep inside, he thought, A little girl who hasn't even reached the First Rate wants to teach me? What could she possibly show me?
Yet, he said nothing and ran outside like an excited child.