The Name of Eternals

Chapter 199: The Fourth Stage of the Physical Body Path, Measuring the Bones!

As soon as Li Hao entered the main hall, he heard the sound of poetry recitation.

"White feathers floating on green water, red palms paddling through clear waves... Haha, interesting, interesting!"

"Did Little Ten write this after seeing the goose in the courtyard? It's quite vivid and detailed. Haha, my son can compose poetry at the age of four!"

"Mr. Kong said that my son is a once-in-a-century poetic talent. If nurtured well, he might even become a top scholar in the future!"

Li Tianzong was holding a piece of paper, pacing in the hall with a broad smile on his face.

Chen Hefang sat beside him, her gentle smile on her face. "Look at how happy you are. It's just a few poems. When did you start liking the stuff of scholars and literati?"

"As long as it's done by my son, I like it."

Li Tianzong laughed, "There are many generals who can lead troops into battle, but how many can compose poetry? I'll take this poem to those guys and let them hear it. Haha, those rough men might not even understand the meaning of my son's poetry!"

As he spoke, he saw Li Hao walking in and immediately waved him over:

"Little Ten, come here."

Li Hao was slightly taken aback. Although he had anticipated that his father wouldn't object to his poetry given his earlier tolerance of his painting, he hadn't expected him to be this delighted.

The few childish poems written at the age of four brought such joy to this father.

Yet, that young man who became famous at fourteen only received a resounding slap.

"Yes."

Li Hao walked over.

Li Tianzong picked Li Hao up and found a chair to sit down, placing Li Hao on his lap:

"Tell me, how did you come up with this poem, 'Suspected to be a mirror of the Jade Terrace, flying high in the blue clouds'?"

Copied... Li Hao thought to himself but only grinned foolishly on the outside.

Chen Hefang, watching from the side, shook her head helplessly and said to Li Tianzong: "Don't spoil him too much. Little Ten has excellent talent. He should focus more on martial arts. In two years, he will truly start his cultivation journey."

"It's still early. When he starts cultivating, he can train properly."

Li Tianzong waved his hand and said, "I believe in Little Ten's intelligence. He can balance both literature and martial arts. If he becomes a marshal in the future, he must be well-versed in military strategy. Otherwise, he will only be a brute, suitable for being a soldier but a disaster as a commander."

Chen Hefang sighed, knowing his temperament, and didn't persuade further.

Li Hao, seizing the moment, said to his "father": "Father, can I go to the Listening Rain Pavilion tomorrow?"

"Do you know what the Listening Rain Pavilion is?" Li Tianzong laughed.

"The place where martial arts manuals are kept," Li Hao replied.

Li Tianzong turned to Chen Hefang, "Look, Little Ten is already curious about martial arts even before starting his cultivation."

Chen Hefang gave him a playful glare but smiled, feeling gratified by Li Hao's words.

She was somewhat worried that Li Hao's intelligence, while a good thing, might lead him to focus too much on scholarly pursuits and neglect martial arts.

"If you want to go, let Uncle Zhao take you."

Li Tianzong said to Li Hao, "But don't cause any trouble inside. If you damage any manuals, I will still punish you."

"I'll just take a look."

Li Hao smiled.

At this moment, the "brothers" who had been training in the training ground returned, and only when they were all back did Li Tianzong call for Uncle Zhao to serve the dishes and prepare for dinner.

Seeing this, Li Hao immediately closed his eyes and skipped through the banquet.

When he opened his eyes again, his hand was being held by another hand, leading him towards a pavilion.

He quickly recognized it as the Listening Rain Pavilion.

The person holding his hand was Uncle Zhao.

"Young Master, this is the Listening Rain Pavilion. When you go inside, remember to greet your fourth uncle and be careful not to dirty the manuals. I won't go in with you."

Uncle Zhao earnestly instructed.

Li Hao nodded, then asked in surprise, "Fourth Uncle?"

"Yes."

Uncle Zhao nodded but didn't explain further, leading Li Hao to the pavilion entrance.

It was similar to the first time he came here with Li Fu.

Uncle Zhao spoke to the guards at the door, explaining the situation and showing the token given by Li Tianzong.

At this time, Li Tianzong was already the true dragon of the Divine General's Mansion, overseeing all affairs within.

The guards understood and allowed Li Hao to enter.

Looking at the familiar stairs and corridors, Li Hao felt a sense of nostalgia.

As he entered, everything inside was as he remembered.

"What brings you here?"

A voice called out, and the figure of the young Li Xiaoran floated down.

Li Xiaoran waved his hand, closing the door of the Listening Rain Pavilion and casting a soundproof barrier around them.

"Why are you here?"

Li Hao asked in confusion, "Where is Second Uncle?"

"You should call him Second Uncle."

Li Xiaoran reminded, "Always remember your identity here. Don't mess up the hierarchy or make any mistakes. Get used to it and avoid showing any flaws."

Li Hao nodded, taking the words to heart.

"Your second uncle was quite free-spirited in his youth, often wandering around. He's not in the mansion now. He's either mingling with friends at an inn, roaming somewhere, or enjoying the mountains and rivers."

Li Xiaoran explained, "I'm in charge here now since he's not around."

Li Hao noticed that despite the soundproof barrier, Li Xiaoran was cautious in his conversation, not fully revealing his true identity.

Recalling the rumors he had heard about his second uncle in the Divine General's Mansion, it seemed true that he was quite free-spirited in his youth, different from the other elders.

He only settled down in his later years, possibly due to the misfortunes that befell the others...

"Didn't Second Uncle like fishing?" Li Hao asked curiously.

Li Xiaoran glanced at him and said, "Fishing? He was the most restless person. How could he like fishing? When he was young, he gave our father the most headaches with his unruly behavior."

Li Hao was stunned. Second Uncle didn't like fishing?

But the second uncle in his memory often sat by the lake, fishing for hours, even days.

Li Hao's eyes flickered, realizing that time not only smoothed out rough edges but also quelled youthful impulsiveness.

"Did you come here to see me?" Li Xiaoran asked.

Li Hao snapped out of his thoughts, "I came to look at the martial arts manuals and familiarize myself with them."

Li Xiaoran shook his head, "You're still too young to start cultivating. I know you're eager, but the path of cultivation should not be rushed. Hastiness can lead to accidents. If you start too early, it can deform your bones or cause internal energy leakage, ultimately slowing down your progress."

"Our Li family has refined the method of bone measurement at five and cultivation at six over generations. It is the most reasonable approach."

"Even if you're impatient, the earliest you can start is after the bone measurement at five. By then, your bones will have formed. Although there are risks, it is the earliest age for cultivation."

"I'll just look, not practice."

Li Hao said.

Although Li Xiaoran wasn't an outsider, some secrets were best kept to himself.

He wanted to prepare his body early and nurture his bones.

His main body had reached the seventh stage of the Physical Body Path, achieving the Three Undying Realms through pure physical cultivation, mastering numerous body cultivation methods to extraordinary levels! His understanding of the Physical Body Path was top-tier, unparalleled in the Great Yu Dynasty! Few, if any, could surpass him in this regard.

Most believed that pure body cultivators could only reach the Heavenly Circle Realm at best.

Those who achieved the Soul Continuation Realm were rare exceptions, anomalies.

In other words, the Soul Continuation Realm was the limit for pure body cultivators, while he had reached the Three Undying Realms!

With his understanding, Li Xiaoran's caution was correct for most, but he was an exception.

Cultivation before six was risky due to the pressure it exerted on the body, especially with body cultivation methods that could cause severe harm or even death if not practiced correctly.

For instance, the Iron Palm technique involved repeatedly grinding the palm in iron sand, applying ointments to harden the skin, and embedding fine iron sand in the calloused skin to achieve strength.

But this low-level technique offered minimal results and could cripple the practitioner.

High-grade techniques, on the other hand, activated the body's potential with auxiliary medicines, refining muscles and bones to enhance strength.

If mastered deeply, these techniques could harness the energy of the universe to further refine the body.

However, these techniques also exerted pressure on the body.

Although Li Hao had forgotten the specific insights of the seventh stage, he remembered that among the various techniques he had mastered, some could nurture the bones without any burden.

Like recalling the title of an essay from a forgotten exam, the content was unclear, but the title remained unforgettable.

After all, even university students have such moments.

Now, if he advanced the Physical Body Path enough to integrate numerous techniques, he might recreate that nurturing method.

This would allow him to strengthen his body early and absorb more monster blood, smoothing his future cultivation path! "Alright then."

Seeing Li Hao's determination, Li Xiaoran didn't stop him.

Although Li Hao was only four years old, the external Li Hao was fifteen, old enough to make his own decisions.

"I'm going to accelerate time. If you see me in a dreamlike state, don't mind it." Li Xiaoran said.

Li Hao nodded, curious to see how others perceived him during his time jumps.

Soon, he saw Li Xiaoran close his eyes.

Then quickly reopen them, smiling warmly like an elder, "Take your time here. I'll be upstairs."

With that, he turned and went upstairs.

Watching him leave, Li Hao sensed a subtle difference between the current Li Xiaoran and the one before.

Though subtle, a short comparison revealed a more natural demeanor now.

The previous Li Xiaoran had slight inconsistencies when conversing with him, not as perfectly disguised.

Li Hao realized that his own disguises might also have subtle flaws compared to his time jumps.

Such flaws, however, were more genuine.

Refocusing, Li Hao began browsing the shelves.

Familiar with the pavilion, he remembered where many manuals were placed.

However, this version had additional manuals from Li Tianzong's era.

Thankfully, the changes were minor, and he quickly began reading.

Starting with low-grade body cultivation techniques for easy entry.

Once familiar, his panel would display the Physical Body Path, allowing him to allocate points for higher-grade techniques.

Soon, he finished a low-grade technique.

Coincidentally, the first one he picked up was the same "Stone Skin Hundred Refinements" he first practiced.

As he mastered the technique, his panel displayed:

Physical Body Path: Uninitiated (Upgradeable) Technique: Stone Skin Hundred Refinements (Uninitiated) Skill Points: 4.

Without hesitation, Li Hao allocated points to the Physical Body Path.

Each point brought a flood of information, which he absorbed before adding the next.

In half an hour, he reached the fourth stage of the Physical Body Path! The painting heart was consumed, breaking through the bottleneck.

At four years old, he had reached the fourth stage!

Imagining his cultivation now was daunting, but he restrained himself.

Cultivating now would strain his body and hinder mid-term progress.

As Li Xiaoran said, the earliest suitable age was five.

He had started at just over five, reaching the tenth level of the Tongli Realm before others began at six.

This caused subtle bodily pressures and strains, later resolved when he reached the Three Undying Realms with the seventh stage of the Physical Body Path.

In the River of the Dead, Li Hao was confident he could reach the Three Undying Realms but saw no need to rush. Nurturing his bones now would ensure a smoother path at six.

The "Stone Skin Hundred Refinements" had been upgraded to the high-grade "Golden Skin Thousand Refinements," reaching the True State level.

Smiling, he continued browsing.

He quickly scanned through many techniques, understanding them with ease.

Most low-grade techniques were mastered with a glance and recorded.

Once recorded, they upgraded to high-grade, True State techniques.

Like a whirlwind, Li Hao absorbed techniques in the Listening Rain Pavilion.

As he mastered each technique, his panel displayed self-derived techniques from the fourth stage.

Every few techniques mastered led to a new self-derived one, quickly reaching completion or True State level.

Finally, as exhaustion set in, his panel revealed the "Starlight Nourishment Technique."

Overjoyed, he recognized it immediately.

At the fourth stage, he had successfully recreated it.

He worried about mastering all the techniques but failing to derive this one due to insufficient insight.

In his current state, he couldn't gather another skill point without risking collapse.

Despite his four-year-old body and consciousness, he forced himself to stay awake.

He hoped to derive the technique before the bone measurement.

Continuing to absorb and integrate techniques, his panel displayed more self-derived techniques.

Eventually, he discovered the "Starlight Nourishment Technique."

With a flood of information, his eyes brightened.

This was it!

Overjoyed, he began practicing the technique.

Best practiced at night, it harnessed starlight to refine the body without drastic changes, slowly purifying and strengthening it.

After completing one cycle, he could no longer stay awake and fell asleep.

Li Hao was awakened by exclamations.

Opening his eyes, he found himself standing in the courtyard, with a white-bearded old man beside him.

Recognizing the old man as the one who measured the bones of several generations of the Li family, he understood the significance.

"Th-th-this..."

The old man, shocked, stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.

In the courtyard, besides the old man, were Li Tianzong, Chen Hefang, and his "brothers," with little Li Hongzhuang at the end, now three, with her hair in buns, looking curiously.

"What is it?"

Seeing the old man's reaction, Li Tianzong frowned, his face darkening, "Speak clearly!"

With no smile, his imposing presence quickly composed the old man, who exclaimed:

"Great news, Duke, great news!"

"What?"

Li Tianzong looked at him in confusion, almost expecting him to act like a midwife.

"Stop beating around the bush. Haven't you seen a ninth-level war body before? My Li family is full of exceptional people. What's so surprising?"

He scolded, "How is Little Ten's bone measurement?"