Follow the path of Dao from infancy

Seeing Li Hao's calm smile, Li Wushuang felt somewhat dazed.

Beyond that moment of concern, she suddenly felt a sense of estrangement between them, or to put it another way, they had never been close.

So much so that after the pleasantries, there was nothing left to say.

Even though by blood, they were cousins...

But in terms of relationship, they seemed even less connected than the disciples from the Tan Palace around Li Hao, who were more closely knit with him.

After a brief silence, Li Wushuang thought of her father's words and the hidden dangers in Liangzhou, and immediately sent a message via telepathy:

"The demons outside the Liangzhou Territory are restless; be careful. If you're in danger, you can send a distress signal. My father is now stationed in Liangzhou and can come to your aid at any time."

"Hmm, you too."

Li Hao thought of the military report and nodded in response.

Li Wushuang looked at him intently and could vaguely sense that this young man would not be constrained by even the illustrious and radiant Divine General Mansion.

"If there's a chance, I hope we can meet again in Qingzhou," she said softly.

Li Hao's expression remained serene, offering no reply.

Li Wushuang sighed softly, bid farewell to Li Hao, and returned to her spot.

After Li Wushuang left, the gazes of the others still lingered on Li Hao, and they began whispering among themselves.

Before long, several Grandmasters came over to exchange pleasantries with Li Hao, looking to befriend him.

They had all heard about the incident in Qingzhou and knew that this young man had severed ties with the Divine General Mansion, but no one took it seriously.

After all, everyone wanted to step through the threshold of that Divine General Mansion; who would be foolish enough to want to step out? They assumed it was youthful arrogance and that he would eventually come back.

By befriending him now, they believed they were providing timely help, which would be a blessing to protect their descendants in the future.

Li Hao easily saw through the Grandmasters' calculations. He wasn't disappointed or surprised and simply returned their pleasantries with a distant and cool attitude, which gradually led to fewer people coming over to make small talk.

A Grandmaster is detached from mundane affairs, but a Grandmaster also has children, disciples, and sects.

With these, there are vulnerabilities.

With vulnerabilities, one wishes to cover them up, and so they seek connections, flatter, and enter the pursuit of fame and material gain.

When one climbs the steps, it's inevitable to hunch their back.

The era of lone fighters is long gone; even the strong from the Four Stands Realm, free in the wide world, must lower their proud heads before the mighty hooves of the Dayu Divine Dynasty.

Otherwise, they would have to be driven away like bereft dogs!

Before long, as the sun passed the midday mark on the sundial, a figure swept across from the opposite bank of Dragon River and landed on the Debate Platform ahead.

Dressed in a white robe, which was very long and fluttered in the river's breezes, the figure wore a snow-white hooded cloak and had white hair and a youthful face, exuding an immortal bearing and Taoist grace.

"Hermit Tianji."

The many gathered Grandmasters, already waiting, immediately recognized the figure's identity.

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After landing, Hermit Tianji lifted the white hood to reveal his flowing white hair. With a rosy complexion and a smile, he slowly surveyed the crowd and said:

"Grandmasters who have come from afar, all the way from your territories to attend this gathering, I am endlessly grateful!"

"Not at all."

"The Hermit is too kind."

Numerous Grandmasters echoed their pleasantries from below the platform.

Li Hao glanced around; there were at least two to three hundred Grandmasters present.

Including their friends and family, there were nearly two thousand people here.

However, now with the arrival of Hermit Tianji, the previously noisy environment had become quiet.

After completing the opening pleasantries, Hermit Tianji began to talk about the rewards for this grand event. In addition to the benefits the Grandmasters would receive from reinforcing their martial arts with each other, there were also prizes provided by Tianji Tower.

Such as Cultivation Techniques, treasures, Spiritual Medicines, etc.

All things dear to a Martial Artist's heart.

Furthermore, at the end of the debates, the person voted the number one Grandmaster will not only receive a Spiritual Treasure and Divine Weapon but will also get a chance to enter Tianji Tower's library to choose one Peerless Technique at will.

Such rewards were indeed tempting.

After all, the library of Tianji Tower, known for its vast collection, was not one bit less famous than the Listening Rain Tower of the Li Family, perhaps even more so.

Inside were top-tier Peerless Techniques that could be useful even for those who had reached the Four Stands Realm.

But the key was whether one could fully master them.

After discussing the rewards, the Grandmaster Debates officially commenced.

The debates were fairly informal; not every Grandmaster needed to ascend the platform to partake. It mostly depended on each Grandmaster's own desire to participate.

However, most Grandmasters present wanted to check their martial arts' flaws and direction against other Grandmasters—this was a rare opportunity.

Soon, an elder Grandmaster was the first to step onto the Dao Platform, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then began to expound his Grandmaster Path.

His Grandmaster Path was the Yin-Yang Dao, inspired by the alternation of the sun and moon and the voidness and substance of Yin and Yang.

As the Grandmaster presented his path, the audience became increasingly familiar with his Martial Arts. However, this did not involve any exposure of his Peerless Techniques and moves; it was merely akin to promoting the philosophy of his sect.

Hearing this Grandmaster's exposition, Li Hao thought of the "Yin-Yang Inversion Swordsmanship."

He gained mastery over this swordsmanship through comprehension using the sword, and naturally absorbed the core concept of Yin and Yang within the technique.

This concept was basically the same as that of the Grandmaster before him.

But being able to grasp the Yin-Yang Inversion Swordsmanship did not necessarily mean one could ascend to the realm of a Grandmaster using its Yin and Yang philosophy.

Conversely, the current Grandmaster managed to create sword techniques, or palm and fist techniques, similar to the Yin-Yang Inversion Swordsmanship, using the Yin-Yang Dao.

With the Grandmaster Path, the key lies in the "Dao."

Once one comprehends the Dao, it follows one's intent—everyday actions such as eating, punching, and even lifting one's hands are imbued with this path.