The Name of Eternals

Chapter 137: Ren Qianqian Crosses Boundaries

"Really?"

Upon hearing Li Hao's words, Zhou Haitang was somewhat surprised.

After all, he was a Tianren (Heavenly Being) master, and yet, someone had actually refused his personal invitation.

Considering his disciple's earlier remarks, this young man must possess considerable martial skills to approach without disturbing the candle flame, indicating great potential. Once he reaches the Fifteen Mile Realm, his chances of advancing to the Tianren realm are far greater than those so-called cultivation geniuses.

Such a talent, if not a prodigy, must surely be nurtured by a prestigious family.

"What painting is it?" Zhou Haitang raised an eyebrow lightly.

Li Hao shook his head slightly, replying, "The painting is with Bai Chunhai. I would appreciate it if you could introduce me."

"So, you're not here to seek a master, but to obtain a painting?"

"Yes."

Zhou Haitang began to scrutinize Li Hao. Beside him, Zhou Ling'er and her companions were equally astonished at Li Hao's response.

In the presence of a master, Li Hao only needed to nod to become a disciple, a rare and valuable opportunity.

"Then you must wait. That old fellow hasn't arrived yet, probably on his way. During the master gathering in three days, he will certainly be there. You can meet him then."

Zhou Haitang picked up a teacup beside him, taking a sip, indicating that their conversation was over.

Since Li Hao had no intention of becoming his disciple, he wouldn't force it.

Talented individuals are common, but discerning mentors are rare.

Having obtained the information about Bai Chunhai, Li Hao had no desire to linger. He asked for Zhou Haitang's contact information at his inn and left the restaurant.

Three disciples followed him out. Zhou Ling'er, with a huff, said, "My father rarely wants to take on a disciple, and you just refused him. Or do you already have a master?"

"?"

Li Hao looked at her, puzzled.

"Ling'er," the young man quickly tugged at Zhou Ling'er, apologizing to Li Hao, "Sorry, she speaks without thinking. Please don't take it to heart."

Li Hao, having already settled their previous exchanges, didn't bother with them any further. He turned and headed towards the Martial Temple, wondering if Ren Qianqian had completed her soul fusion.

"His martial skills are profound. He must be from a prestigious family," the girl in the white dress said softly, watching Li Hao's departing figure.

Zhou Ling'er, hearing this, was both angry and embarrassed. "Are you saying my father isn't prestigious? What do you mean by that?"

The girl in the white dress, realizing her mistake, quickly replied, "That's not what I meant..."

"Hmph!"

When Li Hao returned to the front of the Martial Temple, he saw Ren Qianqian under the eaves, holding her sword and looking around.

Li Hao waved at her.

Upon seeing Li Hao, the girl beamed and ran over.

"How did it go?"

"A senior at the Fourfold Realm saw my swordsmanship and thought I had potential."

Ren Qianqian's face was filled with uncontrollable joy. The only Fourfold Realm spirit in the Martial Temple had chosen her.

Though her father was a master, achieving soul fusion with a Fourfold Realm spirit was incredibly challenging. It was the highest level of soul fusion available outside the royal family.

She had enrolled in the Tangu Palace Academy with the intention of soul fusion, but that came with its own set of limitations. Soul fusion in the Martial Temple had the least restrictions.

Most of these spirits only had one condition: to stand up when the Dayu Dynasty was in danger. However, in the three thousand years of the Dayu Dynasty, such dangers usually occurred at the borders, handled by the God General's Mansion, rarely requiring their intervention. This condition was practically nonexistent unless one joined the army and achieved military merits.

"Fourfold Realm? That's excellent," Li Hao smiled.

"Thanks to your guidance on sword intent, otherwise I wouldn't have caught the senior's eye."

Ren Qianqian looked at Li Hao, her eyes sparkling.

Li Hao smiled, "It's all your own comprehension. I just pointed you in the right direction."

Ren Qianqian shook her head slightly. She didn't think so but didn't argue further, silently noting it in her heart.

"So, where are we going next?"

"Let's explore, eat, and have fun, and wait for the master gathering in three days," Li Hao said. "We can listen to the masters discuss martial arts, and it will be beneficial for you to observe, aiding you in reaching the Tianren realm."

"Great!"

Ren Qianqian's face lit up with joy.

Li Hao immediately took her out of the Martial Temple, wandering leisurely through the streets, admiring the local customs of Liangzhou City.

That night, a lively event was held in the city: a ranking competition.

Participants fought on the stage, vying for rewards given by the City Lord's Mansion.

With masters from all over the world converging, the event attracted talents from various provinces, making it even grander than the Tangu Palace Academy's enrollment. The city was packed with people.

Many talented individuals met and, with no other outlet, engaged in discussions. The local City Lord's Mansion capitalized on this by organizing the competition to warm up for the master gathering.

The competition was limited to three realms: soul fusion, Shenyou, and Fifteen Mile Realm.

Those below soul fusion didn't need to participate, as they could simply watch and enjoy.

Li Hao wasn't particularly interested in such festivities. If he participated, he could easily defeat anyone in the Fifteen Mile Realm with just one finger, which felt like bullying children.

But Ren Qianqian, having just achieved soul fusion, was eager and excited. Li Hao, not wanting to dampen her spirits, accompanied her to the soul fusion arena.

"Why are you here?"

Upon arrival, Li Hao coincidentally encountered Zhou Ling'er again.

She was with the girl in the white dress, Xu Wan'er. Both were at the soul fusion level. Hearing about the competition, they had rushed over after a quick dinner, eager to participate.

Their senior brother had gone to the Shenyou arena, also planning to compete and test his skills against talents from various provinces.

"Young master, do you know them?"

Ren Qianqian, on tiptoe to see the front, turned at the sound of the voice, surprised.

"We just met," Li Hao replied.

"You are only at the soul fusion level?" Zhou Ling'er raised an eyebrow mockingly upon seeing Li Hao's indifferent attitude.

Xu Wan'er, on the other hand, was curiously observing Li Hao. Given his actions earlier, casually giving away a valuable dagger and seeking out a master not for apprenticeship but to purchase a painting, he indeed seemed like a carefree and affluent young master.

"Hmm?"

Sensing the hostility in Zhou Ling'er's tone, Ren Qianqian stepped forward, coldly saying, "Show some respect!"

Zhou Ling'er, surprised by her aura, realized she too was at the soul fusion level. "Who are you, his servant?"

Ren Qianqian simply glared at her without answering.

Angered but realizing Li Hao might have a complex background, Zhou Ling'er held her temper, knowing he had casually given away a valuable dagger just to get directions to Bai Chunhai, and sought a master only to purchase a painting, not to learn.

"Hmph!"

Pulled by Xu Wan'er, she stifled her anger with a cold snort.

At that moment, the arena erupted in cheers as a close match concluded with one contestant defeated.

"Let's go," Zhou Ling'er said to Xu Wan'er, casting a glance at Li Hao. "Want to spar with me and prove your skills?"

Li Hao, feeling bored, gave her a dull look. This girl really hadn't been disciplined enough.

"Do you think you're worthy of challenging my young master?" Ren Qianqian frowned, coldly retorting.

Fuming, Zhou Ling'er said, "If your young master is so great, why not compete in the Fifteen Mile Realm? What's he doing here? If he's so capable, let him show it on the stage!"

"If you want to fight, I'll take you on," Ren Qianqian said.

"You? You're just a newly fused soul. Don't say I didn't warn you," Zhou Ling'er laughed, jumping onto the stage.

Ren Qianqian turned to Li Hao, "Young master, I'll handle her."

"Be careful, she's at the fourth level of soul fusion. You just fused your soul and aren't fully familiar with it. Don't hurt her too much," Li Hao advised.

Xu Wan'er, hearing this, was taken aback. Did she hear correctly? This boy was warning the newly fused Ren Qianqian not to hurt Zhou Ling'er?

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

She then leaped onto the stage.

The previous winner had stepped down to rest. As Zhou Ling'er and Ren Qianqian took the stage, the crowd cheered.

"Aren't you worried?" Xu Wan'er asked, seeing Li Hao's calm demeanor.

"A bit," Li Hao smiled at the girl in the white dress. "I hope she doesn't hit your friend too hard and make her cry."

"..." Xu Wan'er was speechless.

The match began.

Zhou Ling'er unleashed her spirit, a Fourfold Realm spirit, radiating a strong aura.

Ren Qianqian also summoned her spirit, withstanding the pressure, and then charged forward with her sword. She used her own sword, having returned Longxiao to Li Hao before stepping onto the stage.

Sword light flashed, resembling countless sword flowers, raining down.

Startled, Zhou Ling'er quickly drew her saber, but soon, a sword grazed past her blade, stopping at her throat.

The fight was over.

Xu Wan'er watched, dumbfounded. She actually won! Wasn't she just a newly fused soul?

Moreover, that swordsmanship was incredibly complex!

On stage, Zhou Ling'er stared blankly at the blade before her, reflecting her confused face.

Ren Qianqian glanced at her, sheathed her sword, and turned around. "Who's next?"

Clearly, she wanted to continue challenging, inviting other talents to step up.

Her match with Zhou Ling'er was just a warm-up.

Though they were four levels apart, with Ren Qianqian just entering soul fusion, her swordsmanship was far superior.

The clash seemed intense, but she hadn't used her full strength, winning with skill and precision.

Upon hearing Ren Qianqian's challenge, Zhou Ling'er snapped out of her daze, her face turning red with shame and anger. Biting her lip, she rushed off the stage.

"Ling'er."

Xu Wan'er, seeing this, abandoned her own thoughts of competing and hurried after her.

On stage, as Ren Qianqian's challenge stood, another contestant quickly stepped up.

In a short time, the fierce battle resumed.

Ren Qianqian won four matches in a row before being defeated by a woman at the eighth level of soul fusion.

Seeing Ren Qianqian's slightly dejected expression as she stepped down, Li Hao smiled. "Once you consolidate your cultivation and understand the true essence of your Thousand Feather Sword Technique, you could have won."

"The true essence... it's too difficult," Ren Qianqian sighed.

Li Hao, feeling slightly helpless, thought, "You just surpassed eight levels to lose. They're also talented. How can you still feel wronged?"

"Young master, if you were to fight with only the first level of soul fusion, how many moves would it take you to win?"

Ren Qianqian suddenly looked at Li Hao, her eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

She knew Li Hao was a prodigy with an incredibly fast cultivation speed. She couldn't hope to catch up with him in terms of levels, but she wanted to chase after his past achievements.

"Me?"