Chapter 67: Chapter 203: Inheriting the True Dragon's Power
"Perhaps even more!"
Li Tianzong, with his seasoned eyes, noticed a sense of effortlessness in Li Hao's demeanor, an achievement far beyond the capabilities of someone at the Zhou Tian realm.
"There's more?"
Chen Hefang was stunned, gazing at Li Hao on the stage in disbelief. That child was only seven years old!
At this moment, Li Hao effortlessly defeated the radiant Li Junye, and the power he displayed silenced the entire martial arts field.
The older brothers, including Li Xingbei, watched their little brother in astonishment. They never expected him to possess such formidable power. They had thought that Li Junye was already exceptionally brave, but the rate at which this tenth brother was progressing in his martial arts journey was even more astonishing than Little Nine!
"In just one year of cultivation, he's caught up to our three or four years of training!"
"It's outrageous that even Little Nine has been surpassed!"
Everyone was shocked, but they all knew that Li Hao had displayed extraordinary talent when he built his foundation and underwent blood fusion. The results of his bone assessment were legendary. Although they were stunned at the moment, they soon calmed down.
"Interesting. Let me give it a try as well."
Li Tiangang jumped onto the stage and casually took out a battle sword. Turning to Li Hao, he said, "Old Tenth, let's have a match too."
Li Hao frowned slightly but didn't refuse. He simply nodded gently.
"Please."
Li Tiangang was three years older than Li Junye and looked like a young teenager at the age of twelve. His cultivation had already reached the peak of the Soul Inheritance realm, and his talent was exceptional.
"I'll hold back my strength," Li Tiangang muttered.
He felt a constant sense of unease towards Li Hao, unlike his feelings for the other brothers.
He always felt that this tenth brother seemed to treat him with a certain distance, a bit more coldly than the others, but he couldn't recall ever offending Li Hao.
Li Hao remained silent and stood still.
Li Tiangang stopped talking and suddenly lunged forward. He activated his soul force, and the sword light flashed like piercing lightning.
Li Hao maintained the same stance as when he had faced Li Junye, standing motionless without dodging or evading.
Just as the sword edge was about to reach him, Li Hao lifted his hand and pinched the blade between two fingers, immobilizing it.
Li Tiangang was taken aback, staring at Li Hao in shock.
Li Hao twisted his fingers and then flicked the sword's surface. Bang! The sword trembled and fell from Li Tiangang's hand, flying out of his grasp.
Li Tiangang's wrist twitched, and he stumbled back several steps, his face filled with astonishment as he looked at Li Hao.
"This kid…"
Li Tianzong's eyes shone even brighter. He was surprised that Li Hao could defeat the seventh brother, and he was secretly delighted to see how easily Li Hao had won. It showed that Li Hao was even more formidable than he had imagined!
"How is this possible..."
Li Tiangang snapped out of his daze, his eyes unfocused as he stared at his fallen sword. He had been cultivating for six years, yet he was no match for Li Hao, who had only been training for one year?
He had thought that Li Junye's talent was like a fierce tiger chasing after them, the older brothers. But now, the tenth brother was catching up even faster. In just one year, he had caught up and even surpassed them!
"Old Tenth's strength is incredible. He might even be close to the Divine Travel realm!"
"Elder Seventh underestimated him earlier and didn't use his full strength. Still, Elder Tenth's performance was amazing."
"It's unbelievable that he's achieved this level in just one year. Who would believe it if we told them?"
The other Li family disciples were equally shocked.
Li Xingbei and Li Fengping stood together, exchanging low whispers, their expressions grave. They felt a sense of urgency from Li Hao, as if they were being pursued by him.
Perhaps in a few more years, this kid would surpass them.
"Amazing!"
The other concubines' children were also astounded, their eyes fixed on the seven-year-old child on the stage. At this age, one was usually at the bottom of the martial arts field, but at this moment, Li Hao was the most dazzling figure. He stood proudly on the stage, giving off an aura of invincibility.
"I'll go!"
Suddenly, a figure leaped onto the stage from below. It was a youth born to a concubine.
His eyes were sharp as he fixed them on Li Hao, suspecting that Li Tianzong's legitimate sons were putting on a show to exaggerate this young master's status.
Otherwise, how could someone who had only cultivated for a year be so incredible?
"Please."
Li Hao didn't turn away any challengers, although he only intended to display the power of the Soul Inheritance realm. After all, reaching that level in one year should be the limit of what they could accept.
However, with his six-segmented physical cultivation, Li Hao's control over his body and his application of power far surpassed these individuals, even if they were at the Divine Travel realm.
This fourteen-year-old youth was also at the peak of the Soul Inheritance realm. Without any courtesy, he drew his sword and slashed at Li Hao.
Bang! Li Hao casually grabbed the sword edge, trapping it between his fingers, and then flicked his wrist, sending the youth tumbling backward.
The youth's face was filled with shock, but he didn't leave the stage. Instead, he suddenly activated his soul manifestation, and a ghostly shadow appeared behind him. His eyes, like those of a vengeful spirit, fixed on Li Hao, emitting a powerful oppressive aura.
This was the intimidation of the Soul Inheritance realm.
However, Li Hao remained calm and indifferent, as if he hadn't noticed it at all.
The youth merged with his soul manifestation, enhancing his strength. With a roar, he swung his sword at Li Hao once more.
Li Hao gently stepped back, avoiding the heavy and powerful sword strike. Then, he lifted his hand and pushed gently, turning the force of the strike into a soft push that landed on the youth's chest. Bang! The youth was sent flying off the stage, landing several dozen meters away.
The youth scrambled to his feet, his face filled with shock, and he felt a sense of shame as he looked at Li Hao.
Despite facing Li Hao, who had only cultivated for a year, he had lost even when he went all out.
Moreover, he could feel that when Li Hao pushed him off the stage, the seemingly overwhelming force was actually gentle, and Li Hao hadn't truly used his full strength against him.
The youth's emotions were mixed, and he gave a slight bow to Li Hao, not saying another word.
He had lost, and he knew it.
Seeing this, Li Tianzong couldn't help but laugh. The look in his eyes was filled with appreciation. From that gentle push, he saw the compassion of a strong person.
There was so much injustice in the world. When strong people climbed to the top, they often forgot their initial intentions, and their hearts became numb and indifferent.
As the saying goes, the child is father to the man. Without any guidance, Li Hao naturally possessed the benevolence of a strong person. This was his innate character!
The more he watched, the more satisfied he felt, his mood extremely pleased.
"Amazing! Amazing!"
Li Xingbei and the others were also happy for Li Hao, their faces filled with smiles.
When the other concubines' children saw their relaxed and cheerful expressions, their faces twitched with a mix of shock, anger, and jealousy.
"This is what it means to be a direct descendant, a legendary figure!"
Everyone in the martial arts field was stunned, deeply impressed by the young boy's prowess.
Having displayed his abilities sufficiently, Li Hao turned and jumped off the stage.
"Big brother is amazing."
Li Hongzhuang plucked a small red flower from somewhere and offered it to Li Hao, "For you, big brother."
Li Hao smiled and pinned the flower in her hair, "You keep it and play with it."
He then looked at Li Tianzong and his wife, seeing the mix of satisfaction and surprise in their smiles, and felt a sense of comfort.
He smiled back and then sat down on the steps, thinking for a moment before continuing to accelerate his cultivation.
...
...
Li Hao's progress in the Dying River was exceptionally fast.
During his moments of lucidity, he studied his martial arts techniques, skipping most of his daily life and only pausing at occasional critical points.
Ever since he revealed his extraordinary strength at the age of seven, Li Hao's reputation within the Divine General Mansion had spread far and wide. Whenever people talked about the Qinglian Court, they would inevitably mention Li Hao, the youngest young master.
What intrigued people the most, however, was that this young master, aside from his exceptional martial arts training, also had numerous peculiar hobbies.
Some had seen him sneaking into the kitchen to learn cooking from the chefs, while others had spotted him in the courtyard playing the zither and painting, resembling a carefree young master of a noble family. He seemed to be enveloped in an air of mystery that piqued everyone's curiosity.
This time, for his soul inheritance, Li Hao once again chose the Heaven and Earth Soul Inheritance.
His body was like divine iron, strong and resilient, making it easier for him to withstand the influx of power during the soul inheritance compared to before.
Li Tianzong wanted to take Li Hao to the ancestral hall for the soul inheritance. When he learned that Li Hao had already undergone the process, and with the Heaven and Earth Soul Inheritance no less, he was both shocked and delighted.
From ancient martial arts records of the Li family, Li Tianzong knew what the Heaven and Earth Soul Inheritance implied—it signified a talent comparable to that of an ancient sage!
"Good, good, good! You are indeed my son!"
"You will surpass our ancestors!"
Li Tianzong was filled with love for Li Hao.
Li Hao presented the two figurines he had carved using the Three Segment Carving Technique to his father.
One was male, and the other was female.
Li Tianzong examined them and saw that they were incredibly lifelike. He laughed instead of getting angry and said, "You've put quite some thought into this. Your carving skills are excellent, my son. You are truly clever."
"You've put in a lot of effort, haven't you?" Chen Hefang asked as she received this gift, her face filled with joy. But soon, her expression turned to one of heartache as she continued, "Your father and I know that you are filial, but you should focus more on your martial arts training. Don't let these things distract you from your path."
"Yes," Li Hao nodded.
Li Tianzong waved his hand and laughed, "Alright, alright, Little Tenth's heart is in the right place. Don't ruin the mood with such nagging."
Chen Hefang thought about it and agreed, caressing the carved figurines with a smile on her face.
Seizing the harmonious atmosphere, Li Hao asked, "Father, can I go and see the imprisoned Demon King in the mansion? I want to carve a Demon King."
"Carve a Demon King?"
Li Tianzong was taken aback, surprised by the request, "You like carving that much?"
"Not really, I just want to see the Demon King," Li Hao replied, hiding his true intentions.
Li Tianzong thought for a moment, "I suppose it's not impossible, but your current strength is still insufficient. At the very least, you need to reach the Fifteen Li realm before I can allow you to go. Otherwise, a single glance from the Demon King would be too much for you to bear."
"Then it's settled!"
Li Hao couldn't hide his excitement.
With access to the Demon King, his carving and painting techniques would improve rapidly.
"When have I ever gone back on my word?" Li Tianzong laughed heartily.
Time flew by.
By the time Li Hao turned eight, he had mastered the art of cooking. His Control Technique had broken through three bottlenecks, and he used his Technique Points to increase it to six segments instantly, resulting in a surge in his cultivation.
He combined various Vein Expansion Methods, further increasing the number of opened veins throughout his body.
In the Rain Listening Tower, he learned numerous God Refining Techniques and Object Control Techniques, and his cultivation level broke through one barrier after another, rushing through the Divine Travel realm and entering the Fifteen Li realm.
At eight years old, he had reached the Fifteen Li realm.
During the disciple assessment in the martial arts field, Li Hao once again displayed his astonishing abilities, easily defeating numerous disciples of the Li family.
Li Junye had cultivated diligently for a year, but when he sparred with Li Hao, he found the gap between their strengths had only widened.
Li Tiangang was also unwilling to accept defeat and challenged Li Hao again, only to be defeated in a single move once more.
The older third brother, Li Jianming, couldn't hold back and stepped up as well. He demonstrated his Object Control Technique but was countered by Li Hao's even more formidable display of the same technique, resulting in his defeat.
Thus, with the revelation of his Fifteen Li realm cultivation, Li Hao's name once again shook the Divine General Mansion and spread throughout Dragon City.
This astonishing cultivation speed also filled Li Tianzong and his wife with both shock and joy, leaving them beaming with pride.
And for this year's New Year's Eve dinner at the Qinglian Court, Li Hao took charge of the cooking himself.
As the timing of his time-skipping coincided with the New Year's Eve dinner, he proposed the idea, which was readily agreed upon by Li Tianzong.
"What delicious food!"
"Little Tenth's cooking skills are truly remarkable. I'd say they're on par with those of the famous chefs in the big restaurants."
"Wow, my son is indeed talented in both literary and martial arts, excelling in everything."
"What virtues and abilities have I, to deserve such a son..."
At the dinner table, Li Tianzong, who rarely drank, was slightly tipsy, his speech a little slurred.
Chen Hefang gave him a sidelong glance and said, "Little Tenth is indeed excellent, but the other children are also outstanding. You can't just praise Little Tenth and forget about the rest."
"Of course, they are all my wonderful sons," Li Tianzong laughed.
Chen Hefang turned to the other children and smiled gently, "You don't need to compare yourselves to Little Tenth. You each have your own strengths, and I can see them all."
The other children's eyes flickered, touched by her words. The eldest, Li Xingbei, smiled and said, "We're not jealous of Little Tenth. The more outstanding he is, the happier we are."
"That's right," Li Fengping chimed in, "Little Tenth is cultivating so quickly that he'll soon surpass us. I can finally slack off a little."
"Tenth Brother is my goal. This will motivate me to cultivate even harder," Li Junye said with a smile. At eleven years old, he already had a hint of a young man's handsomeness.
After the New Year's Eve dinner concluded, Li Hao watched as the lively atmosphere settled down, leaving only empty plates on the table. He smiled, briefly lingered for a moment, and then accelerated his time-skipping to the next segment.
He began to understand why Li Hao had already reached the Three Immortals Realm by the age of fifteen.
Moreover, Li Hao had briefly clashed with a Demon King in the Ultimate Realm, and his talent was indeed unbelievably exceptional!
After the second demon attack on the Divine General Mansion, Li Tianzong kept Li Hao by his side most of the time. Occasionally, he would teach Li Hao military strategies.
Meanwhile, Li Hao would seize the opportunity during their breaks to compose poems, play the zither, and paint.
Although he appeared casual, his skills in these arts rapidly improved as he accumulated experience.
Li Tianzong did not stop him. He was already extremely satisfied with Li Hao's cultivation speed and would have been stricter with other children. However, Li Hao was very well-behaved and sensible, so he trusted him completely and wasn't worried that he would neglect his martial arts training.
After all, an eight-year-old in the Fifteen Li Realm had already shattered the cultivation records of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty.
With such achievements, what reason was there to deny the child from pursuing his interests?
Under Li Tianzong's indulgence, Li Hao's accumulation of Art Points accelerated.
As his cultivation level increased, he found that the constraints of the Dying River rules on him seemed to be easing, and he could more easily delve into various arts.
The initial insight into the Dao Realm gradually seeped out, influencing his current progress and accelerating his advancement.
Numerous arts easily reached the third level, accumulating over twenty Art Points.
With an abundance of Art Points, Li Hao focused on acquiring more cultivation techniques, studying and interpreting them, hoping to establish a Heavenly Pulse here.
The Heavenly Pulse greatly enhanced one's physical body, serving as a foundation.
However, the Rain Listening Tower had limited cultivation techniques, so Li Hao explained his needs to Li Tianzong.
Upon hearing Li Hao's request, Li Tianzong immediately sent someone to invite the experts from the Hall of Heavenly Secrets and borrow their ultimate techniques.
Additionally, he wrote letters to other Divine General Mansions, requesting to borrow their cultivation techniques and planning to suppress some unruly sects in the martial world, confiscating their techniques to enrich the collection in the Rain Listening Tower.
According to Li Xiaoran, the Dying River mainly consisted of Dragon City, while outside the city was the domain of demons and monsters.
However, the unique rules within Dragon City were influenced by Li Tianzong, and his obsession encompassed the entire Great Yu Divine Dynasty.
Thus, various powers within the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, though non-existent in this Dying River, could be temporarily manifested by Li Tianzong if necessary.
For example, the hermit from Qingqiu Mountain who assessed Li Hao's bones came from Qingqiu Mountain, which didn't actually exist outside Dragon City.
Perhaps after leaving the Divine General Mansion, he would disappear without a trace in a place where no one could detect him. Such was the nature of the Dying River.
With the talent Li Hao displayed, he received almost everything he desired in the Divine General Mansion, enjoying the utmost favor.
With Li Tianzong's unwavering support and dedication, Li Hao's improvement was rapid. Integrating numerous cultivation techniques, he had already opened up more than 100 meridians, with only a few left to unlock.
His God Refining and Object Control techniques also improved significantly.
Upon learning that Li Hao appreciated famous paintings and chess manuals, Li Tianzong sent people to search for them and brought back some collections.
At the age of nine, Li Hao smoothly entered the Heaven Man Realm, integrating the numerous cultivation techniques he had acquired and seeking enlightenment from the heavens and the earth. Once again, he shook the Divine General Mansion with his achievements.
This time, his advancement into the Grandmaster Realm was even smoother than before, as he now possessed a broader understanding and a larger collection of techniques.
By this year, Li Hao's strength had completely surpassed that of the nine sons of the Li family. Even the eldest, Li Xingbei, who was twenty-seven years old and had already entered the Three Immortal Realm, was confident that Li Hao could defeat him.
However, out of respect for his eldest brother, who had always treated him well, Li Hao did not truly push him to the point of breaking his dao heart.
Aside from martial arts, Li Hao also demonstrated extraordinary intelligence in military strategies, rituals, and the arts of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Li Tianzong was already extremely pleased with Li Hao and, when Li Hao turned ten, suggested selecting the True Dragon successor early.
The True Dragon successor would not only lead the Divine General Mansion in the future but would also receive assistance from the ancestors in the ancestral hall, further enhancing their potential and aiding their cultivation.
This news caused another sensation.
The Divine General Mansion was filled with guests, and Li Tianzong brought Li Hao to meet these noble families, allowing them the opportunity to get acquainted with Li Hao and paving the way for his future.
However, since this was the Dying River, and everything would dissipate upon completing the trial, Li Hao saw no point in spending time cultivating relationships, so he simply skipped through it.
With repeated accelerations, Li Hao's control over time-skipping became more precise.
He skipped to the end of the banquet when the guests had left, and Li Tianzong led him to the Li family's ancestral hall.
The selection of the True Dragon successor had concluded, and Li Hao's position was undisputed. The other nine sons of Li Tianzong had no objections, and the other direct descendants and concubines' children from other courts also knew of Li Hao's talent and did not dare to challenge him.
Looking at the ancestral hall ahead, Li Hao understood that Li Tianzong had brought him here to be assessed by the ancestors and to receive their help in refining his soul.
However, given his own progress in soul refinement, the ancestors could only provide limited assistance.
Nevertheless, Li Hao did not refuse the position of True Dragon this time. Firstly, he couldn't find a reasonable excuse to decline, and secondly, he wanted to seize every opportunity for growth in this Dying River.
After all, the Candlelight God and Lu Yuan had also come to this place, and as a Profound Capital-level Dying River, it was extremely dangerous. The stronger he became, the better his chances of survival.
In the ancestral hall, Li Hao saw a middle-aged man sitting in a corner of the square.
He bore some resemblance to Fifth Uncle, Li Qingzheng, but his body exuded a faint aura of evil, unlike the peaceful aura of the old man Li Hao had seen before.
"Fifth Brother." Li Tianzong greeted him with a smile.
Li Qingzheng glanced at them but didn't pay much attention. He merely curled his lips and said, "You've really given birth to a good son."
"Haha, if only you had listened to me and gotten married," Li Tianzong laughed.
"I'm destined to be a bachelor. With all the blood I've shed, I won't bring misfortune to the next generation," Li Qingzheng coldly replied.
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