“Artistic Path Ninth Stage!”
As the breakthrough in Artistic Path occurred, a deluge of insights into the Artistic Path flooded his mind, overshadowing the joy in Li Hao’s heart, and immersed him in an epiphany.
The impassioned painting just now, which used the heart of the painting to probe into the Saint, depicted the indescribable Daoist Charm of the Saint, cleansing Li Hao’s spirit and mind.
Ninth Stage meant Li Hao’s painting had entered the Dao.
Through discerning the essence beyond the appearances of all things, capturing their spirit and essence, and depicting their intrinsic Daoist Charm, painting was the Dao, and the Dao was painting.
“Is it finished?”
The Sword Master sensed that Li Hao had stopped painting and felt the sensation of being scrutinized to the bone dissipate; his gaze shifted to Li Hao’s drawing board.
Li Hao came back to reality, slowly took down the scroll, and handed it to the Sword Master with both hands.
The Sword Master took it and saw the artwork in his hands. The ink was not yet dry, but the Daoist Charm within already leaped off the page.
Moreover, as he gazed at the figure’s silhouette within the painting, a humming Sword Intent reverberated in his mind—it was his own Sword Dao!
Li Hao had actually depicted three parts of his Sword Dao!
The Sword Master’s face, usually adorned with a detached smile, became solemn in an instant, his eyes firmly fixed on the painting in his hands.
Between the brushstrokes, it seemed there was a Daoist Charm he had never seen before.
The Sword Master looked up at Li Hao, seeing him with a serene expression and an ethereal yet realistic aura.
In just a short moment, the youth beside him seemed different.
The Sword Master took a deep look at Li Hao, and once the ink was dry, he rolled up the scroll and put it away, saying,
“I’ll accept this painting. Thank you for your work; I really like it.”
“If you like it, that’s good.”
Li Hao smiled.
At this time, he saw the changes in Artistic Path on the panel, progressing from Ninth Stage towards Tenth Stage, from the initial one million Experience, all the way up to five million Experience!
But just by painting the Sword Master once, he had earned a staggering three hundred and seventy thousand Experience.
However, even so, to fill up the Artistic Path Experience, it would take two or three Saints to be completely ‘plucked clean’ before he could amass enough Experience.
Tenth Stage also meant Entering Saint!
Great works could be sung of through the ages and remain everlasting, signifying a masterpiece.
But Li Hao knew, to break through to Tenth Stage, besides accumulating Experience, he would also need to comprehend a certain state of mind.
The setting sun sank in the west, its afterglow casting a layer of twilight over Saint Mountain.
With geese flying south overhead, the shadow of bamboo swayed in front of Sword Cliff, the waterfall surged—a rare, unparalleled beauty.
Li Hao casually painted this scene of Saint Mountain at dusk and, to his surprise, received over five thousand Experience.
After bidding farewell to the Sword Master, Li Hao descended the mountain and returned to the Pill Refining Institute.
The contest at the foot of Saint Mountain had also come to a close; when Li Hao returned to the Pill Refining Institute, Lin Shanhai asked,
“Why didn’t you go watch the battles today? It’s a pity; you have no idea how intense the fights were!”
“Oh?”
Li Hao fetched a teapot, feeling a bit thirsty after fishing all day, and took a few sips to moisten his throat: “Have the winners and losers been decided for the top four?”
“Yes, tomorrow they will compete for two more spots to advance to the top ten, and then it’s the top ten battles!”
Lin Shanhai said.
The entire Sword God War was set to last a month, after all, it’s a grand event that occurs once a century, and the competition wouldn’t end in just a day or two.
Li Hao nodded and glanced at Lin Qingyue, who was quietly sitting alone in the courtyard.
As if sensing his gaze, Lin Qingyue opened her eyes and looked back at Li Hao.
She had not seen Li Hao today and thus knew he had gone fishing with that Sword Master again.
As their eyes met, neither spoke, but it seemed there was an unspoken understanding between them.
Lin Qingyue’s gaze returned to its usual indifference.
She understood what Li Hao wanted to say, asking if she was confident, and her reply was to adapt her approach according to the situation and do her best.
Lin Shanhai perceived the exchange of glances between the two and vaguely sensed a hint of crisis. He was internally muttering, feeling as though he was harboring a wolf in his home, fearing that his granddaughter might eventually be taken away.
He tugged at Li Hao’s sleeve to divert his attention and began discussing the day’s combat.
Li Hao listened to his vivid recount, which was somewhat exaggerated, but still, Li Hao could immerse himself in the scene and feel the combat, including the clashes between the Saint Heirs and saintesses.
After all, he had watched the first round of battles, and he had a clear impression of the swordsmanship and methods these people commanded. He could also guess what the fights would look like once they faced off.
After the casual chat, Li Hao fiddled about in the kitchen and made some snacks, handing a portion to Lin Shanhai and inviting Lin Qingyue over to taste them.
Hearing Li Hao’s invitation, Lin Qingyue gradually got up. Dressed in her strikingly beautiful azure robes, she walked over and began to slowly savor the snacks in the alchemy room.
Lin Shanhai, who was savouring the treats with delight, suddenly found the taste of the snacks in his mouth less enjoyable upon seeing his granddaughter actually accepting Li Hao’s invitation and quietly eating and drinking together.
Although Li Hao and Lin Qingyue did not speak to each other, Lin Shanhai could still feel something was going between them, somehow surpassing him.
He inwardly smiled bitterly, feeling the sentiment that daughters inevitably leave home.
Once the snacks were finished, Lin Qingyue stood up, thanked Li Hao, and returned to the courtyard to continue contemplating swordsmanship.
Li Hao said goodbye to Lin Shanhai as well, got up, patted the dust off his trousers, and went back to his own little courtyard.
Once back at his place, Li Hao casually cast a barrier, which combined with his own expertise, would make it very difficult for anyone to notice him unless they were looking extremely deliberately.
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After all this, Li Hao pulled up the panel to see that a new State of Mind had appeared in the State of Mind section:
Heart of the Artistic Path (unused).
Previously, Li Hao had used the Heart of Cooking on the Physical Body Dao and the Control Dao, causing his Sword Dao to stagnate. Although his Realm had improved, his Sword Dao’s attacks were lackluster.
Now, with the Ninth Stage of the Physical Body Dao combined with his Sword Dao, he should be able to maximize his combat capabilities in the short term.