Chapter 235: Chapter 30: Asking Heaven and Earth for a Breath of Life
After receiving the Sacred Heart Talisman, Li Hao once again thanked Chu Jiuyue and asked him to express his gratitude on his behalf to His Majesty Emperor Yu.
To Li Hao, his impression of the supreme and noble existence of the Dayu Divine Dynasty still remained as it was when he was an infant, the snapshot image from when he first arrived here.
It was a towering figure with a majestic stature, seated on the dragon throne, with an aura capable of swallowing mountains and rivers and an imperious spirit that looked down on all living beings.
It seemed one could only worship from afar, never to approach or offend.
However, the numerous awards granted by the other party made Li Hao feel that this austere figure was not so cold and heartless, and not so unattainable.
…
The snow was still falling.
The burned letter had not received a response and thus quietly faded away.
No more letters came from Qingzhou City.
Li Hao remained focused on his daily cultivation, sketching the snowy landscape and mountains outside the gates, fishing for little demons in the wilderness, while also exploring the vast and profound Dao of the universe, still unwilling in the depths of his heart to miss out on the ultimate pursuit.
Perhaps, did he also harbor a heart for martial arts?
Time hurriedly passed.
In the blink of an eye, half a year went by.
From the early winter when he first arrived at the camp, to now deep winter, the snow accumulation on the ground had thickened even more.
But like Yin and Yang, when the fallen snow accumulates to a certain depth, it is time for the clouds and moon to break open.
In the snowy land, demons stealthily emerge from their caves in the distance, preparing to hunt for their food.
Between the trees, two wild mountain tigers fight over a deer’s carcass.
The river’s surface is frozen, but beneath the ice, small fish swim up and down freely.
Atop a snowy mountain peak, Li Hao sits, sensing every minute detail and movement within tens of miles, as if his body has merged with the mountaintop.
He watches the clouds and the morning sun, silently listening to the sound of the snow melting.
The snowflakes fall from the sky, yet they originate from the steam that rises and solidifies from the earth.
Seeds buried deep in the soil sprout and grow strong, eventually becoming towering trees. Come autumn, with just a breeze, the leaves can drift towards the unreachable sky.
Fish trapped in water live in the lowlands of the earth, but move about as freely as if flying in the sky.
While people on land seem to be busily moving east and west, enjoying their freedom, they are restrained by various orders, as if wearing invisible chains around their ankles, unable to free themselves.
All beings are part of life, but life is not just all beings.
In these past six months, Li Hao had touched the bottleneck of the Dao of All Things—the elusive brilliance was before his eyes, just a bit more, and he could break through the barrier and integrate it fully.
Now he, with the fusion of the essence of all things and the re-assembling of various swordsmanship techniques, although his cultivation level remained at the Celestial Master Realm, had truly stepped to the edge of the Great Grandmaster Realm, with his actual combat strength being about fifty percent stronger than when he was in Dayue City.
If he were to encounter that young Demon King again, with the sword moves he comprehended in these six months, he could easily slay it.
Initially, during the brief moments of respite in battle, his melding of the self-created Reincarnation Sword Skill had already proven to be frighteningly lethal, and now, after six months of contemplation, he had refined and improved this swordsmanship even further.
At this moment, a gust of cold wind blew in, brushing past his face and whipping up the surface snow.
Wind?
A flicker of thought seemed to pass before Li Hao’s eyes, he narrowed them slightly and sat quietly for a moment, but that thought slipped away.
He had been feeling this recently, but it always seemed to lack just a little strength to grasp it.
Raising his hand to brush off the snow, Li Hao picked up the little white fox that was snuggled up beside his knees and stood up to leave.
He flew back to the camp by controlling the air.
Over the past six months, the number of stone houses built around the camp had also increased. Considering the impending battle that could occur at any time after half a year, Li Hao had not put too much effort into constructing residential houses, treating it more as a form of enjoyment or a process of comprehending nature.
He was still cooking the midday meal by himself.
During the meal break, Li Hao once again urged Song Qiumo to return to Tan Palace, advising her that there was no need to stay here with him anymore.
Considering the Wan Shan Demon King was able to endure the pain of losing his child for half a year, it showed he had an extremely cunning and stable nature. If Song Qiumo continued to stay, the Demon King might spend a considerable sum to hire other Demon Kings to entangle her.
Therefore, Li Hao felt there was no need for her to continue wasting time with him.
Guarding the Heavenly Gate Pass was a private matter he had accepted. He didn’t wish to involve too many people in it.
Song Qiumo didn’t utter a word, merely silently eating her meal. After finishing, she looked up at Li Hao and said, “Since you say so, then I’ll leave today.”
Li Hao sighed with relief, saying, “If you do go, please convey my regards to the Palace Master.”
“Okay,” Song Qiumo nodded, her agreement crisp and clear.
After the meal, she packed up the trinkets she had acquired during her stay, all of which were small items she had picked up while procuring supplies from nearby cities, such as silk hairbands, wrist bells, and so on.
With everything packed away, Song Qiumo then bid farewell to Li Hao.
“Got no regrets?”
Li Hongzhuang accompanied Li Hao to see her off, and after watching Song Qiumo’s figure disappear entirely into the sky, Li Hongzhuang looked at Li Hao and asked.
“Regrets?”
Li Hao was perplexed.
“Deep down, you must have hoped she would stay, right?” Li Hongzhuang said softly.
Li Hao laughed, shaking his head slightly, “Then you are mistaken. I am sincerely happy for her departure, at least she won’t have to face danger.”
“Really?”
Li Hongzhuang looked at him in surprise, gazing intently at Li Hao.
Li Hao said, “If possible, I hope you could leave too. There’s no need for you to stay for the burial. I might be able to get away, but you might not.”