Follow the path of Dao from infancy
Chapter 287: Chapter 51 Setting the Flag Five Thousand Li_3

But now, it was less than one-tenth of that.

Even including all the Great Demons that were resolved by cooking, it only amounted to just over seventy thousand experience points.

Fortunately, sketching the bodies of these Demons allowed Li Hao's Painting Experience to reach the bottleneck of the Sixth Stage, and with "Spiritual Awakening in Painting," he could be promoted to the Seventh Stage.

But before that, Li Hao planned to seek an art form to solidify "Heart Entry" first, shattering the shackles of the Third Stage in movement technique. That way, he could directly invest points into the Sixth Stage, drastically increasing his movement technique to the point where even some Great Demon Kings of the Four Stands Realm might not be able to escape from his grasp.

Li Hao sent various materials for Artifact Refining, extracted from the bodies of the Demons, along with the Dragon Soar Sword, to the Ten Thousand Artifacts Tower.

Leaving his signature.

For a second reforging.

The Ten Thousand Artifacts Tower, being a semi-official power, and Li Hao being a young general at the Frontier Pass, wouldn't dare to embezzle his possessions.

The Array set up by the elderly Star Bureau Official was tested by Li Hao two more times, and each time he effortlessly suppressed those five Great Demons.

The Star Bureau Official and his students checked repeatedly but couldn't replace any issue. It was not until Li Hongzhuang, the Three Immortals Peak general, was proposed to test the Array, that they finally realized the problem was with Li Hao, not the Array.

Outside the Array, Li Hongzhuang was beaten black and blue by the five Great Demons and had to retreat in defeat, finally confirming that there was no issue with the Array, but Li Hao was the issue.

Because of this, the elderly Star Bureau Official and his students were all speechless. They had combed through their scalps during their repeated checks without replaceing the cause, only to discover that the problem wasn't with them at all.

It was this young man's strength that was outlandish.

Who could have imagined that this fourteen-year-old youth would possess strength surpassing that of ordinary Demon Kings?

The elderly Star Bureau Official and others felt helpless but also excited; Li Hao's existence undoubtedly signified the upcoming rise of the Dayu Divine Dynasty. Given more time, Dayu would have another new War God, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Immortal of Gan Tao Palace!

Taking his students with him, the elderly Star Bureau Official bid farewell to Li Hao.

Prior to leaving, Xia Xiang Lan looked back at Li Hao with some reluctance and asked, "Will you always be here?"

"Once there are no Demons daring to invade here, I will leave," Li Hao replied with a smile.

Xia Xiang Lan nodded, and then added, "I am from the Xia Family, and we are all from Divine General Mansions. If you have time, you're welcome to visit the Xia Family anytime."

Li Hao shook his head slightly, "But I'm not from a Divine General Mansion; I'm just an independent individual."

"But you..."

Xia Xiang Lan wanted to say something more, but she was called by the elderly Star Bureau Official, who glanced at Li Hao with a silent sigh and led his students away.

Li Hao sent them off through Dragon Pass Road before turning back.

In the leisure of idleness, time hurried by.

The dangerous land beyond the pass had become rarely quiet, and the city within grew even more bustling and lively.

The merchant caravans and armed escorts from various cities, through spreading the word on their return, also made known to the people of each city that Heavenly Gate Pass was now a very solid fortress and Cangya City a bustling place of great prosperity.

With the convergence of merchants and visitors, gradually, people started to settle here, buying or renting houses, conducting business.

Sparing the back and forth of transportation, they could sell their goods for higher prices than in the inner regions, yet still at reasonable rates.

All under heaven are bustling for profit.

More and more people came to Cangya City; where there is demand, there is supply. Soon, visitors and many famous heroes from Jianghu came to visit Cangya City, wishing to witness the scenery beyond the Pass.

Li Hao then sat in a small fenced-in courtyard within the city.

Undisturbed.

He chose Musical Rhythm as his focus, played the zither daily, and listened to the sounds. Occasionally, he would sit on the snowy mountains outside the city, silently listening to the sounds of spring arriving— the sound of melting snow.

Now, the accumulated snow outside the Pass was gradually subsiding, revealing large swathes of black soil buried beneath the white.

From the black soil, tender green sprouts were beginning to grow, bringing new life.

During the process of "Heart Entry" in Musical Rhythm, the Martial Artists under his command, thanks to their connections, had invited some art masters to visit Cangya City.

Li Hao invited them to his courtyard and engaged with them in playing the zither, discussing painting, playing chess, and tasting wine, appearing much like a carefree noble scion indulging in enjoyment.

But the Martial Artists within the Frontier Pass knew full well just how exceptional this young man's talents were. Aside from curiosity, they harbored no other thoughts toward him.

Li Hongzhuang found it strange that Li Hao was not cultivating but instead spent his days enjoying leisure and refining his sentiments. However, she did not intervene, focusing on results. No matter how Li Hao pursued his cultivation, the outcome was already unattainable for most.

That was sufficient.

These art masters initially thought Li Hao was just acting on a whim, mainly for the sake of social networking, but upon closer examination during their discussions, some of the masters were nearly stumped. The professional questions asked by Li Hao left some unable to respond, which quietly astonished them and also filled them with respect for the youth.

While they revered Martial Artists for their strength, it was a different respect entirely when someone could discuss the subjects they had spent years studying. This respect was out of admiration, appreciation, amazement, and joy.

Through these art masters, Li Hao sought out famous art collections.

And he did indeed replace some unexpected gains.

A master painter was willing to offer a famous painting he had treasured for many years.

And a Chess Tao expert, known as the Junior Chess Saint, gifted Li Hao two sets of chess manuals.

Unfortunately, one of the chess manuals was not considered a famous manual and couldn't be included.

Furthermore, they mentioned clues to other famous paintings and who might possess them.

Li Hao took note of each one, intending to have someone investigate later to see if the owners were willing to transfer them.

Time stealthily fled; in the blink of an eye, the snow had melted.

It was the beginning of spring the following year.