Li Hao stood up and looked around the room. The elegant wooden structure, the intricate carvings, and the warm lighting made it resemble the house of a wealthy noble from the 1600s.
He took a deep breath before speaking. "This looks much better than the old house we lived in. I don't know how you had the will to leave and return to live in this masterpiece."
Li An smiled. "This is only because my master is a top power. If not, I would be living in an ordinary house."
"Oh? Is your master that strong?" Li Hao asked with curiosity.
"Yes. He is an Unrestrained Peak Realm expert. Even outside this region, he would be among the strongest people." Li An replied with pride.
"I see... May I ask which forces are the strongest within a fifty-mile radius?" Li Hao asked while walking toward his room to prepare.
Li An raised her voice so he could hear her. "The Martial Hall is one of the strongest forces within fifty miles, but there is also the Zhen Temple, a Buddhist sect on the far side of the region. It rivals the Martial Hall in strength and is known for producing many genius martial artists. Every year, it recruits disciples, and most of the top talents choose the Zhen Temple".
"The most powerful force, however, is the Governor and the Dynasty itself. The Governor is a Peak Profound Realm martial artist, and rumors say he is half a step into the Life and Death Realm. Additionally, several officers under him are stronger than even the top sects, though not much occurs in the martial world to warrant their intervention."
"Beyond the sects, six great families are equal in power to the top sects: the Zhuo, Lin, Tang, Zhen, Hong, and Song families. Each of these families has at least one Peak Profound Realm expert."
As Li An finished speaking, Li Hao gave her a glance. To him, these so-called 'top forces' were nothing.
What could they do against a true Third Turn expert? Even making demands of such a person was impossible.
However, the true rulers of the world were those at the Ninth Turn.
Their power was so immense that they rarely revealed themselves, hence why they were called Peak Powers.
Li Hao sat on his bed and began absorbing heavenly spiritual power—a top-quality essence.
Li An walked into the room and sat in front of him. She observed as spiritual power gathered around him, though she could not see it, only feel its presence.
"Little brother, how do you know what kind of spiritual power you are using?" she asked curiously.
Li Hao opened his eyes for a moment. "There are different types of spiritual power. The most common is blue, followed by red (earth), white (profound), green (nature), and yellow (heavenly)."
"I have Yellow Heavenly Spirit Power, which is the highest quality. While higher quality spiritual power doesn't provide a significant boost in strength, its true advantage is that it reduces energy consumption when using techniques of the same realm."
" Right now, you lack the perception to see these differences, but when you reach the peak of the Martial Master Realm, you'll be able to sense them."
Li Hao closed his eyes again, resuming his cultivation.
Li An, understanding his meaning, stood up and left the room. She walked toward the training courtyard in her residence, an open space where she often practiced.
Grabbing her wooden sword, she stepped into the center of the training ground. She stood tall and straight, pointing her sword toward the heavens.
Within a one-meter radius, she began executing a sword dance.
This was the Heavenly Blossom Sword Art. As her sword cut through the wind, her body spun gracefully, and each movement became increasingly refined. The dance flowed like petals drifting in the breeze.
At the end, she stopped with her sword pointing to the sky, her heart resonating with the blade.
In that moment, enlightenment struck her.
A faint sword light shimmered around her, marking the birth of her Sword Intent Embryo. With this newfound understanding, she resumed her practice, her movements now more precise, more perfect.
[Name: Li An]
[Age: 9 years, 6 months]
[Realm: Peak Master]
[Technique: Heavenly Blossom Sword Art (Small Success) - 0% Proficient]
As she pushed forward in her pursuit of mastery, she suddenly felt a breakthrough—a surge of energy filled her veins.
She had reached the peak of the Master Realm.
A wide smile spread across her face as she whispered, "I did it. Now, I can prepare to break through to the Transcendent Realm."
"Clap, clap, clap."
The sound of applause reached her ears. Looking up, she saw Li Hao sitting on the roof, watching her with interest.
"Not bad, not bad at all. You managed to break through in just three days," he remarked.
Li An blinked in confusion. "Three days? Brother, how can three days have passed so quickly?"
"Mmm... You were in an enlightened state, so you lost perception of time," Li Hao explained.
"I see... Brother, since I'm now at Peak Master Realm, can I break through to the next realm?" she asked expectantly.
Li Hao glanced at her and smirked. "You must first reach the peak of the Peak Master Realm."
Li An frowned. "Aren't I already at the peak?"
Li Hao chuckled. "You've only just begun."
Turning around, he left to continue his cultivation, leaving Li An deep in thought.
After a moment, she sighed and walked toward the Martial Hall, the only place where she could have meaningful discussions with others.
Her elder brother, Zhuo Pen, was an inner elder of the Martial Hall and one of the strongest within the sect.
He had the responsibility of guarding the sect and was said to have once killed a demonic cultivator of the same realm with a single slash.
As Li An reached the Martial Hall, a four-story pagoda stood tall before her.
Just as she looked up, a young man suddenly leaped down, landing in front of her.
"It's been a while since you last visited," he said with a smirk.
[Name: Zhuo Pen]
[Age: 32 years]
[Realm: Transcendent Peak]
[Affiliation: Martial Hall, Zhuo Family]
"Brother!" Li An greeted him with joy.
Before she could say more, Zhuo Pen's eyes widened slightly. "Oh? You've broken through to the Peak Master Realm?"
Li An nodded with a proud smile. "Yes."
"Oh? This little girl has also reached Peak Master?" another voice interjected.
Turning to the side, Li An saw a younger boy approaching. Zhuo Pen sighed.
"Why are you out here? Shouldn't you be sleeping at this hour?"
"Oh? Am I not allowed to come out anymore? And who might this little lady be?" the boy asked playfully.
"This is Li An, disciple of the Ninth Peak Master," Zhuo Pen introduced.
"Brother Zhuo, who is this?" Li An asked.
"This is my little brother, Zhuo Tian. He hasn't been in the sect as long as you, but he is a disciple of my master."
[Name: Zhuo Tian]
[Age: 13]
[Realm: Peak Master]
[Affiliation: Martial Hall, Zhuo Family]
Zhuo Tian smirked. "Since you've stepped into the Peak Master Realm, why don't we have a sparring match? Right here, right now."
Li An's eyes gleamed. "Mmm… If you insist."