Volume 3 - Chapter 397: Sixth Layer of Form Dao, Realm and Domain (Part 2)
Among them was a pile of ancient fiend corpses hunted down by Di Linchen, which Li Hao had also taken into storage—more than enough to keep him fed for a long while.
Just thinking of those ancient fiend corpses made Li Hao’s stomach growl. When Wu Ma and the serving maids weren’t around, he pulled out half a corpse from his Heaven and Earth space, quickly chopping it apart before cooking it with Chaos Divine Fire.
As the savory aroma of meat wafted out, Li Hao felt a rare lightness in his mood. Truly, nothing lifted the spirit like good food.
He brought out a small wine flask—something he’d gotten from Old Man Li—and drank as he ate, alternating bites of meat with sips of wine, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
After finishing the entire half-fiend, he felt comfortably full. Stretching his body, he returned to his game, continuing to reflect upon the Chess Dao.
His experience in the Chess Dao had already reached the maximum level. However, he was still some distance from gaining the insights needed for a breakthrough.
But this recent breakthrough in the twelfth segment of the Painting Dao had allowed him to glimpse what lay beyond. All laws in the world returned to one; all Daos were ultimately the same.
Then what, exactly, was the true meaning of the Chess Dao?
Placing stones? Forming strategy? Deduction?
Li Hao furrowed his brows as he picked up a piece and pondered.
Time flew by. Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Beneath the shifting stars, a graceful figure descended into the Exiled Immortal Courtyard.
Sensing the arrival, Wu Ma teleported over instantly and greeted the visitor with a respectful smile.
“Your servant greets Miss Wanqing.”
“No need to be so formal, Wu Ma.”
The visitor was Su Wanqing. Her demeanor was graceful and well-mannered, the very image of a refined noblewoman. As she lifted her gaze, her eyes fell on the youth sitting quietly in the courtyard—and she froze.
“He’s here?”
Su Wanqing was visibly startled.
Three months without seeing him, and that youth had changed. His frame was taller, his features sharper and more striking. His eyes shimmered like suspended stars and moons, capable of ensnaring the soul.
Wu Ma was equally surprised that Su Wanqing knew Li Hao. She respectfully explained, “Miss Yaoqin said that Young Master Haotian holds the same standing as Miss Muqing. If he wishes to stay here, no one has the authority to stop him…”
Su Wanqing wasn’t blaming her. She was simply shocked. Could it be that, in the past three months, her elder sister had changed her opinion of him?
She descended into the courtyard and saw the youth sitting at the edge of a pond, plainly dressed, rocking gently in a chair as he placed pieces on a chessboard—playing alone.
She was dazed. Her father had told her that the youth possessed less than a hundred years of soul life and had reached the first level of the Immortal Lord Realm—a peerless genius whose cultivation must have required extraordinary effort. Yet now, he looked so leisurely?
Did he truly think he had secured the Su Clan?
Her eyes flickered. She turned toward the main hall and asked Wu Ma, “Is Sister Muqing inside? I came to see her.”
Wu Ma nodded. “She hasn’t left the main hall once since returning three months ago.”
“Oh?”
Su Wanqing was taken aback. The realization dawned—perhaps things weren’t as she’d imagined. Three months without even a single meeting? Her sister must truly loathe him.
Looking again at the relaxed youth, she couldn’t help but shake her head. Such talent, wasted in indulgence. What a shame.
Wu Ma went into the main hall and soon returned alone. She whispered to Su Wanqing, “Miss Muqing asks you to enter. She doesn’t want to see the one outside.”
Su Wanqing chuckled softly, understanding her sister’s mood. She followed Wu Ma inside.
Within the hall, Su Muqing sat cross-legged atop a piece of chaotic immortal stone, dressed in a moon-blue immortal gown. Sensing her sister’s arrival, she opened her eyes.
“What brings you here?”
“Elder Sister Lanqin is organizing an art exhibition and invited us. She’s even invited the famed Dragon-Rhythm Painting Immortal—it’s a rare opportunity.”
Su Wanqing smiled gently.
Su Muqing’s eyes lit up. She ceased her cultivation immediately. “The Dragon-Rhythm Painting Immortal is coming too?”
“Yes. We might even get a chance to ask for guidance.”
Su Wanqing’s smile deepened.
Of the Four Little Phoenixes, she and Su Muqing were the closest. She was the fourth-born, Su Muqing the third. They were close in age and shared similar interests—such as painting.
Not merely as a hobby, either. Occasionally, they would glean flashes of insight from the Painting Dao during their practice. It couldn’t be considered idle indulgence.
“When is it?”
“Tomorrow. By the way, Sister, have you really not left this place once in three months? Not even for a walk?”
Su Muqing’s face darkened. “You saw that man outside, didn’t you?”
“Mm.”
“Hmph. For three months, I’ve heard from Wu Ma that he hasn’t cultivated even once. Father claims he’s a once-in-a-generation genius with a soul life under a hundred years. Yet with such talent, he wastes it in idleness. Does he expect that I’ll change my opinion of him?”
Su Muqing scoffed, her eyes filled with disdain.
In truth, over those three months, she’d secretly checked on him three times. Each time, she saw him either playing chess or carving a block of wood—never cultivating.
Su Wanqing thought of the scene she’d just witnessed. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of regret flickered in her eyes.
“It really is a pity.”
“Hmph. Enough about him. Don’t let him spoil the mood. You’re staying here tonight. We’ll go together tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
Su Wanqing had originally planned to leave, but on second thought, she agreed.
After exiting the main hall, Su Wanqing looked toward the youth still playing chess alone in the courtyard. Curiosity sparked in her gaze. She slowly walked over.
“Hm?”
Sensing someone approach, Li Hao looked up and saw the young girl who often accompanied Su Muqing—her younger sister.
“No opponent? Don’t you find it dull, playing by yourself?”
Su Wanqing glanced at the board, unable to hide her curiosity. “With all this time, wouldn’t it be better spent cultivating? Don’t you feel it’s a waste?”
Li Hao didn’t harbor any dislike for her. Hearing her question, he smiled lightly.
“No opponent—because very few can match me. Fighting myself, with one mind in two roles, is both a challenge and a joy. How could it be dull?”
“As for wasting time? I wouldn’t call it a waste. As long as I feel happy and gain something from it, that’s enough. Isn’t the whole point of cultivating for countless years to live each day joyfully?”
Su Wanqing was momentarily stunned. Her lips parted as if to speak, but the logic in his words struck her speechless.
“But… isn't that just indulging in pleasure? In the end, you’ll squander your cultivation and waste your talent.”
She hesitated, then slowly responded.
Li Hao shook his head. “Whether mortal or divine, everyone seeks only one thing—joy. Who wishes for suffering or sorrow? Why call it indulgence? If not to pursue happiness, should we pursue grief instead?”
Su Wanqing had no answer. She couldn’t out-argue him, but years of teaching and discipline kept her from fully accepting his viewpoint. She fell into silence.
After a while, she changed the subject.
“Do you truly like my sister? Or are you just drawn to her bloodline, seeking a stronger heir?”
That question caught Li Hao off guard. Like her?
Did he truly like her? Or was it guilt? A desire to make amends?
The image of that girl’s shattered body and her eyes—those eyes—flashed before him again. A dull ache spread through his chest.
Was it love? Or guilt?
He suddenly realized… he didn’t know.
Seeing his silence, Su Wanqing felt she’d struck a nerve, perhaps touched his true feelings. And his reaction only confirmed the suspicion in her heart.
She sighed lightly. With impure motives, he was wasting a peerless gift.
“If Father is right, you could’ve become a supreme prodigy on your own. Why seek strength through others?”
She shook her head, left that remark behind, and turned to leave.
But Li Hao didn’t seem to hear. His gaze was dazed, his heart echoing with the same unanswered question.
In the end, he shook his head.
If the answer won’t come, then let it come when it will.
The next day.
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