"Oh?"


    Upon hearing Li Hao''s words, Zhou Haitang appeared somewhat astonished.


    After all, he was a Grandmaster of the Tianr Sect, and to have his personal invitation refused was unexpected.


    However, considering what his apprtice had just said, this youth''s ability to approach the candle me without disturbing it demonstrated a solid foundation in martial arts. Once he steps into the Fifte Li Realm, his chances of advancing to the Heavly Human Realm would be much greater than those so-called cultivation prodigies.


    Such talt, if not a prodigy, must have be nurtured by a prestigious sect.


    "Buying a painting? What painting?"


    Zhou Haitang asked with a slight lift of his eyebrows.


    Li Hao shook his head slightly and replied, "The painting is in Bai Chunhai''s possession, I''ll need your assistance to introduce me."


    "You seek him out not to be an apprtice, but only to ask for a painting?"


    "Yes."


    Zhou Haitang couldn''t help but size up Li Hao, while Zhou Ling''er and the other two beside him also looked at Li Hao with great surprise.


    With the Grandmaster right before him, all Li Hao had to do was nod, and he could instantly be his disciple—an opportunity of immse value.


    "Th you''ll just have to wait. That old fellow hasn''t arrived yet; he''s probably on the way here. Wait for the Grandmaster evt three days from now; he will surely appear, and you''ll have the chance to meet him th."


    Zhou Haitang picked up a teacup from beside him, sipped lightly, and spoke indiffertly.


    Picking up the tea also signified the act of bidding farewell.


    Since Li Hao had no inttion of apprticeship, he would not press the matter.


    A steed oft finds itself, but Bole, the great horse tamer, does note by oft.


    Having received the information about Bai Chunhai, Li Hao had no desire to linger. He obtained the address of Zhou Haitang''s inn and th left the restaurant.


    The three apprtices followed him out, and Zhou Ling''er said in frustration, "My father rarely wants to take disciples; how can you be so unaware of good fortune, or do you already have a master?"


    "?"


    Li Hao looked at her puzzled.


    "Ling''er."


    The young man hastily pulled Zhou Ling''er aside and apologized to Li Hao, "I''m sorry, she speaks too directly. Please don''t take it to heart."


    Li Hao couldn''t be bothered with them anymore, having already cleared his debt with the gift of the dagger and their guidance.


    Without saying much more, Li Hao turned a and walked towards the Martial Temple to see if R Qianqian''s Soul Session had ded.


    "His martial arts foundation is profound; he muste from a famous sect," the young girl in a simple  dress murmured as she watched Li Hao''s departing figure.


    Hearing this, Zhou Ling''er felt some shame and annoyance, retorting, "Is my father not considered a prestigious sect? What do you mean by that?"


    The girl in the  dress snapped back to reality, startled, and quickly exined, "Of course, that''s not what I meant…"


    "Hmph!"


    ...


    Wh Li Hao returned to the Martial Temple, he saw R Qianqian under the eaves outside the temple, holding her sword and looking a.


    Li Hao waved to her.


    Seeing Li Hao, the girl immediately ran over with a joyful smile.


    "How''d it go?"


    "A predecessor from the Four Stands Realm noticed my swordsmanship and said I was a worthy candidate."


    R Qianqian couldn''t hide her delight. That she was chos by the only spirit of the Four Stands Realm in the temple was remarkable.


    Ev though her father was a Grandmaster, advancing the soul to the Four Stands Realm was challging. This was one of the most elite Soul Session qualifications outside the Royal Family.


    She had joined Tan Pce Academy to undergo Soul Session there, but doing soes with some constraints.


    But in the Martial Temple, the conditions for Soul Session are much more rxed.


    The spirits'' only requiremt was gerally one: to stand and fight wh Dayu Divine Dynasty faces danger!


    But over 3,000 years of the dynasty, ev if there was a crisis, it usually happed at the borders and was dealt with and resolved by the Divine Geral Mansion. Thus, this condition was virtually inconsequtial.


    Unless one voluntarily joined the army and wt to establish themselves on the frontier.


    "Four Stands Realm, not bad," Li Hao said with a smile.


    "It''s thanks to the Sword Intt you taught me. Otherwise, it would have be difficult to catch that predecessor''s eye," R Qianqian said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Hao.


    Li Hao responded with a smile, "It''s all your own understanding; I merely pointed you in a direction, that''s all."


    R Qianqian shook her head slightly; she didn''t see it that way, but didn''t argue with Li Hao, instead, she siltly took note of his words.


    "So, where do we go next?"


    "We''ll wander a, eat, y, and wait for the Grandmaster evt to begin in three days," Li Hao said. "By the way, we can also list to what unfolds at the evt to see how these Grandmasters perform in their martial arts. It will help you wh you step into the Heavly Human Realm."


    "Great!" R Qianqian''s face lit up with joy.


    Li Hao immediately took her away from the Martial Temple, and the two strolled leisurely through the streets, casually observing and joying the local culture and customs of Liangzhou City.


    That eving, a boisterous evt took ce in the city.


    A contest for the rankings.


    Competitors sparred on fighting stages to achieve rankings and received rewards offered by the city''s lord.


    With Grandmasters gathering from all over and attracting talts from differt provinces, it was ev more grandiose than the previous Tan Pce Academy''s recruitmt, and the city was packed with people everywhere.


    The numerous prodigies had no outlet for their meeting except for idle discussions, so the local city lordunched this evt as a warm-up for the uing Grandmaster gathering.


    The contest only allowed three realms, from the Soul Session Realm to the Fifte Li Realm.


    Anyone below the Soul Session Realm need not exhibit their skill; simply cracking seeds and watching from below the stage sufficed.


    Li Hao had little interest in such excitemt; if he were to take the stage, those within the Fifte Li Realm wouldn''t match a single finger of his—a mere bullying of childr indeed.


    However, with R Qianqian having justpleted her Soul Session and brimming with thusiasm, Li Hao couldn''t bear to damp her spirits, so he still apanied her to the vue, arriving at the outskirts of the Soul Session Realm''s stage.


    "It''s you again?"


    By sheer coincidce, Li Hao countered Zhou Ling''er from earlier in the day.


    With her was the -dressed girl, Xu Wan''er; both were of the Soul Session Realm. After hearing the news, they hurriedly finished dinner and came here, both eager to test their skills.


    Their sior brother headed for the Divine Soul Realm''s stage, intding topete and exchange insights with the talts from various provinces.


    "Young Master, do you know them?"


    R Qianqian stood on her tiptoes to look ahead, only turning towards the noise with a bit of surprise.


    "Just met."


    Li Hao said.


    "Why are you here? Are you also in the Soul Session Realm?"


    Zhou Ling''er, seeing the indifferce in Li Hao''s expression, raised her eyebrows slightly, saying mockingly.


    Xu Wan''er, however, was curiously sizing up Li Hao. Hearing the address of young master, andbining Li Hao''s actions during the day, casually giving away a valuable dagger and mtioning buying paintings from a Grandmaster... He indeed seemed like a wayward and carefree rich young master.


    "Hmm?"


    R Qianqian, detecting the tone of disrespect, took a step forward and said coldly, "You shall not be impolite!"


    Zhou Ling''er was tak aback and ssing her momtum, which was also from the Soul Session Realm, she couldn''t help but say with a solemn face, "And who are you, her maid?"


    R Qianqian just stared at her coldly without answering.


    Zhou Ling''er, irritated by her gaze but also realizing Li Hao''s idtity wasn''t simple—otherwise, why would he casually gift her a rowned dagger just for guiding him to Bai Chunhai—restrained her temper with only a cold snort.


    At this momt, cheers erupted from the tform as the audice cheered for a match that had just ded, with one contestant admitting defeat.


    "Let''s go, we should head over as well."


    Zhou Ling''er immediately said to Xu Wan''er, and after finishing her remark, she red at Li Hao and said, "That skill you showed earlier with the dagger, do you want to get on the stage and spar with me? If you win, I''ll admit defeat."


    Li Hao nced at her with some boredom. This little girl really hadn''t be roughed up before; she had be utterly spoiled.


    "Is someone like you ev qualified to challge my young master?"


    R Qianqian frowned and responded coldly.


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling''er''s nose red with anger. "If your young master is so formidable, why doesn''t he go to the Fifte Li Realm''s tform instead ofing here? If you''ve got the skill, get up there and let''s see the truth throughbat!"


    "If you want to fight, I''m ough to keep youpany."


    R Qianqian said.


    "You? You''ve only just reached Soul Session, hav''t you? Don''t say I''m bullying you."


    Zhou Ling''erughed with anger and leapt onto the stage.


    "Young master, I will go and deal with her," R Qianqian said to Li Hao.


    "Th be careful," Li Hao told her. "She''s at the fourthyer of the Soul Session Realm, you''ve just tered Soul Session and are not yet fully ustomed to it. Be careful, and don''t hurt her."


    Xu Wan''er, who was nearby, was stunned at Li Hao''s words, wondering if she had heard wrong.


    This young man could obviously see Ling''er''s realm, yet he instructed someone who had just reached Soul Session not to injure Ling''er?


    "I''ll be careful," R Qianqian said.


    She th leapt onto the tform as well.


    The previous victor had already left the stage to rest, and with Zhou Ling''er and R Qianqian stepping up, cheers immediately burst out from below.


    "Ar''t you worried?"


    Xu Wan''er, seeing the nonchnt expression on Li Hao''s face, couldn''t help but ask out of curiosity.


    "I am a little worried,"


    Li Hao responded with a smile to the girl in the in  dress, his impression of her not bad, "I just hope she doesn''t strike too hard and cry wh she chops up your little treasure."


    "..."Xu Wan''er was at a loss for words.


    Meanwhile, thepetition on the stage had begun.


    Zhou Ling''er showcased her martial disy, impressively having reached the Four Stands Realm as her cultivation foundation for the Soul Session, her presce filled with formidable momtum.


    R Qianqian also brought forth her martial disy to defd against her oppont''s intimidation, th unsheathed her own sword and dashed forward—the one she wielded was her own.


    Dragon Soar, however, had be returned to Li Hao before ascding the stage.


    The sword light flickered, with countless sword movemts swirling, pouncing forward like beads of rain.


    Zhou Ling''er, startled, drew her knife quickly, and a nging sound of metal against metal sued. But swiftly, a sword streak slipped through the knife''s shadow, resting at Zhou Ling''er''s throat.


    The battle was over.


    Below, Xu Wan''er watched in astonishmt. She had truly won!


    Wasn''t that girl just at the beginning of Soul Session Realm?


    And what was that swordsmanship? It was soplicated!


    On the stage, Zhou Ling''er still gazed at the sword de in front of her, her face reflected on its snowy  edge, filled with confusion.


    R Qianqian nced at her, th pulled her sword back into its sheath with a swoosh, turned a, and said to the crowd below, "Please grace me with your advice."


    Clearly, she wished to continue the challge, inviting other talts to the stage.


    The exchange with Zhou Ling''er had be merely a warm-up for her.


    Despite a discrepancy of fouryers within the same realm, and having just stepped into the Soul Session Realm without time to practice and consolidate, her swordsmanship was far superior to that of her oppont.


    The sh of sword and knife seemed fierce, yet she never truly opposed with direct force, instead using finesse to deflect strgth before securing victory with a single strike.


    Hearing R Qianqian''s words, Zhou Ling''er snapped out of her daze. She blushed with shame and frustration, her eyes moisted, biting her lip as she rushed off the tform.


    "Ling''er."


    Xu Wan''er, seeing this and forgetting her desire topete, hastily followed after her.


    On the stage, with R Qianqian''s call to battle, someone quickly joined her on the tform.


    Before long, another fierce battlemced.


    R Qianqian defeated four opponts in session but was finally bested by a woman at the Eighth Layer of the Soul Session Realm.


    Seeing R Qianqian stepping off the tform with a slightly dishearted expression, Li Hao chuckled and said, "Wh your cultivation level is more solid and you grasp the true essce of your Thousand Feathers Sword Skill, you could have won just now."


    "The true essce... it''s too difficult," R Qianqian sighed.


    Li Hao felt somewhat helpless as well. After all, she was defeated only after crossing eightyers within the same realm against another prodigy. Why did she still feel aggrieved?


    "Young master, if you fought using only the power of the firstyer of the Soul Session Realm, how many moves would you need to win?"


    R Qianqian suddly looked at Li Hao, her eyes filled with hope and curiosity.


    She knew that Li Hao was a prodigy, terrifyingly quick in his cultivation. She understood that catching up to him in realm was impossible, but she wanted to chase the shadow of Li Hao''s past.


    "Me?"