His words hit hard. Xian Ling thought to herself, "Does this brother not want to teach me martial arts?"
Li Hao looked at her and continued, "I'm not a martial artist, but an Immortal Path cultivator," he said, his words seeping into her ears.
"An Immortal Path cultivator…" she stared at Li Hao, tilting her head. He could see the confusion in her eyes, as if she hadn't heard him properly.
He continued, "The Martial Path is the path of spirit refinement. It is a replica of the Immortal Path—but not at the same time."
"Can I ask then… between the Immortal Path and the Martial Path, which is more difficult?" Xian Ling asked, her curiosity leaking through her calm expression.
"The Martial Path might appear difficult, but it is not profound. It lacks the depth of harmony the Immortal Path demands," Li Hao replied.
He went on, "The Martial Path has more realms and a higher lifespan cap in the lower realms. But as you go higher, it reaches a point where it is equal to the Immortal Path cultivator."
"But what makes the Martial Path truly different is spiritual roots." Li Hao paused, staring at her, letting the words settle.
"Spiritual roots are like essence roots. All beings have them, but not all have the same level of spirit roots.
Spiritual roots are divided into Human, Earth, and Heaven, and each is further divided into upper, middle, and lower grades.
The difference between each spirit root lies in the rate of spiritual Qi absorption.
The higher the root level, the stronger the absorption.
And this isn't a forceful absorption. When you use spiritual roots, you connect with the heavens to guide the spiritual Qi around you."
"Unlike martial artists, who control spiritual power through force," Li Hao said, his expression stoic.
"But if that's the case… isn't that better?" she asked.
"It's not," Li Hao said as he paused.
"Spiritual power is like water. If you ask it to move, it will flow where you guide it.
But if you grab and control it suddenly—it will resist. Spiritual power wants to be free.
If you ask, it will follow. But if you dictate, it will disobey.
This isn't visible in the lower realms because the spiritual Qi concentration is low. But as you go higher, the concentration increases—and only in the final realms will you truly feel this difference.
This is crucial. That's why martial cultivators focus on cultivating their spiritual will—the stronger the will, the greater their control over spiritual Qi."
"But even in this aspect, they can't surpass the Immortal Path. At best, they can be equal."
"So choose wisely. Each path will determine your future," Li Hao said, rising to his feet.
"Come and find me once you've thought it through." With that, Li Hao turned and left.
As she sat in her seat, she thought, "He's an Immortal Path cultivator…"
She rose and stepped outside, quietly leaving Li Hao's courtyard.
Under the radiant glow of the sun, she walked along the stone steps in contemplation.
Thinking about the Immortal Path and the Martial Path, her thoughts were haywire.
Though the Martial Path granted a longer lifespan in the lower realms, it ultimately stood equal to the Immortal Path at the peak.
"Hiya! Hiya! Hiya! Hua!"
Xian Ling heard the sounds of martial training. She turned to the side and saw disciples from the Martial Academy practicing martial arts.
"Those are Martial Hall disciples… Let me go take a look," she thought, turning toward them.
In the small forest behind the Martial Academy, the sound of fists slicing through the air echoed all around.
As one approached, they would see the disciples arranged in a square formation—each spaced about one and a half meters from the others.
Their punches caused the air to ripple forward. It was a spectacle to witness.
But as she watched, she didn't feel anything special.
She turned back toward Li Hao's home, walking at the same steady pace. But when she reached just twenty meters from his house—
WHOOSH.
A northern wind swept through the forest, pushing aside green leaves from the trees.
She looked north—and saw a figure beneath the sunlight.
The radiant rays of the sun gleamed off the blade in his hand.
Li Hao stood beneath the trees, his presence icy cold.
He stood straight, holding his sword vertically against his body, the blade's edge reflecting the brilliant sunlight.
Li Hao leapt upward, his figure rising amidst the green leaves. His sword moved with precision—his very essence in sync with the blade.
Arc Slash — a wide, curved slash tracing a semicircular path.
Li Hao swung, cutting through the trees, then fell lightly back to the ground.
As his foot touched down—
Double Crescent Slash — two fast, smooth arc slashes in opposite directions, each forming a half-circle blade path.
He swung once more, the crescent arcs ripping through the canopy above.
Xian Ling watched, awestruck, as the fading sword qi tore through the air.
"The Martial Path… is the path of control,"
"But the Immortal Path… is the path of harmony."
"I choose the…" her voice was quiet, yet steady.
"IMMORTAL PATH."