Back in Qingzhou.
Li Hao and the others returned to the Tan Palace Academy, carrying the task letter from the Demon Suppression Division of Cangyu City. The letter had the official seal of the division, and all five of them received perfect scores.
Su Ye Hua received the letter but wasn't surprised. After all, two young masters from the Li family were with them, so the Demon Suppression Division in Cangyu City wouldn’t make things difficult for them. She didn’t bother to scrutinize the authenticity of the letter; after all, connections are part of strength.
Even she had to show some courtesy to these young masters and ladies from the Li family, thanks to the reputation of the Divine General’s Mansion.
The world of martial arts is never outside the city but within it.
After the report was finished, Ren Qianqian found Li Hao and expressed her determination. She had made up her mind.
Li Hao, however, didn’t agree right away. He suggested she discuss it with her parents first, as becoming a personal sword attendant in the mansion was a big deal. Once she learned the Li family's unique skills, she would be tied to the family for life. Even if she chose to give up her cultivation, she wouldn’t be able to escape.
After hearing this, Ren Qianqian revealed that she had lost her mother at a young age and didn’t want to discuss it with her father. She felt she could make this decision on her own.
Seeing her determination, Li Hao still refused, insisting that she should communicate with her father. She was still young and inexperienced, and he couldn’t just let her leave easily. If her master father caused a scene at the mansion later, it would be embarrassing for the Li family, even if they weren’t afraid of confrontation.
After turning down Ren Qianqian, Li Hao took Li Yuanzhao back to the long-lost Shanhua Courtyard.
He placed the box containing the head of the Tiger Robe Immortal in his room and then took the other delicious snacks he had collected from Cangyu City, asking Qing Zhi to deliver some to the Fifth Master, who was guarding the ancestral hall. The rest he took to Ting Yu Tower.
Not finding the Second Master at Ting Yu Tower, Li Hao glanced at the sky and knew he was probably fishing by Black Water Lake at this hour.
He immediately flew out from Ting Yu Tower and headed to Black Water Lake.
Before long, the vast Black Water Lake came into view.
Li Hao found the spot where the Second Master often fished and indeed saw him and the Wind Master.
Noticing someone approaching, the two turned to look.
Li Hao landed beside them, smiling as he asked, "Second Master, Wind Master, how was the catch today? Who caught more?"
"Oh, it's just you, Hao'er," Wind Bo Ping said with a smile. "Of course, I caught more!"
They weren’t surprised by Li Hao flying in; they already knew about his cultivation level. After all, when he was twelve, he had unexpectedly caught a small dragon while fishing in front of them, shocking and making them jealous.
They were amazed by Li Hao’s talent, which was frighteningly high, even surpassing that of Li Jiulang, who was said to be a once-in-a-thousand-years genius. But they were also jealous of his luck; he actually caught a dragon!
They were both angry and frustrated about that foolish dragon they had eaten after Li Hao cooked it, grumbling about why it wasn’t their hook that caught it.
Despite their complaints, seeing Li Hao's talent made even the indifferent Li Mu Xiu think about teaching him martial arts, hoping to help him focus and not waste time on frivolous things. With such talent and his guidance, Li Hao might even surpass him in the future. If the Li family could produce a true master, it would shake the world.
But Li Hao sought help from Old Wind, who was more open-minded and managed to talk Li Mu Xiu out of it. Plus, with the example of Li Jiulang, Li Mu Xiu let Li Hao choose the life he wanted.
Li Mu Xiu realized that even if he forced Li Hao to train, the boy likely wouldn’t take it seriously, which was quite frustrating. He was puzzled as to how Li Hao's cultivation kept rising without him seeing how he practiced.
At this moment, hearing Wind Bo Ping's triumphant laughter, Li Mu Xiu rolled his eyes at him. "What good is that? They’re all small fish. I'm trying to catch a dragon."
The two were fishing without rods, using energy from the heavens and earth to pierce the bodies of small fish demons, guiding them to areas where larger fish or dragons might be hunting.
"You can catch one first," Wind Bo Ping laughed.
Li Mu Xiu snorted, noticing the bags of goodies in Li Hao's hands. "Where did you get all this? Weren't you at the Tan Palace Academy bullying kids?"
"I just completed a task for the academy and brought back some tasty snacks from Cangyu City," Li Hao said, smiling as he shared the food with the two elders. "Here, this one’s good."
"Oh, this fried dough twist has milk candy in it," Wind Bo Ping exclaimed, taking a bite. "Not bad."
"You little rascal, you’re quite thoughtful," Li Mu Xiu said with a smile, accepting his share and starting to eat.
At that moment, the little white fox, Xiao Rou, happily ran over. Li Hao squatted down, hugged her, and offered her a piece of roasted meat. "Don’t worry, there’s plenty for you."
"You little fox, just like a cat, loves fish," Li Mu Xiu remarked.
Xiao Rou held the roasted meat with her tiny paws, chewing carefully. Hearing the Second Master’s words, she showed a standard fox smile, her eyes narrowing into slits.
Li Hao chuckled, ruffling her head and letting her eat on the side. He took out his own portion and sat down beside the two elders, eating while chatting.
"Soon, your father should be back too," Li Mu Xiu said, munching on a crispy biscuit.
"Oh?" Li Hao was surprised. Could the years of war finally be ending?
"I heard there’s been some trouble on the Yanbei battlefield, and the Holy Palace plans to retreat," Li Mu Xiu explained.
Li Hao’s eyes brightened. So, he would get to see his parents?
"Little mouse, after so many years, do you still recognize your parents?" Wind Bo Ping teased.
Li Hao thought for a moment; his memories of them were indeed a bit fuzzy.
Li Mu Xiu shot Wind Bo Ping a glare. Why bring that up? He turned to Li Hao. "Now that you and your generation have grown up, the family’s true dragon spot should be decided this year. With your father back to support you, it’s almost certain you’ll get that true dragon spot."
"With your talent, little mouse, is there any doubt? If it were me, I’d give you that true dragon spot right now," Wind Bo Ping said while eating.
Li Mu Xiu rolled his eyes at him. "I wish, but our Li family is large. It can’t just be given to you without considering the other branches. We can’t show favoritism; that would cause resentment."
He turned to Li Hao and said, "Right, Hao'er?"
"Yeah," Li Hao nodded with a smile.
He had heard about the true dragon spot from the Second Master before. Each generation of the Li family selects a true dragon, who receives the most resources and can also gain help from the ancestors in the ancestral hall to enhance their soul quality!
The number of times one can condense their soul in the Soul Inheritance realm is closely related to their goals.
The fourth realm allows for eighty times.
But there’s another way to increase the number of soul condensations, which is through the secret method established by the Li family ancestors.
By teaming up with the ancestors' heroic spirits, one can elevate their soul quality to a level comparable to that of a true master from the royal family.
That means 180 times of soul condensation!
Reaching the Divine Travel realm would also help refine the divine soul, expanding the range of the Divine Travel realm.
Moreover, reaching the Fifteen Li realm would also assist in infusing the power of the ancestors' heroic spirits, allowing one to surpass top talents and reach an elite level.
The so-called true dragon is meant to be unmatched in the same realm, truly invincible.
At the same time, as the true dragon of the Li family, one must bear the weight of the entire Li family’s legacy and is likely to become the family head in the future.
If there are countless talents in the world, those who reach the ninth rank of the battle body can be considered top-tier. However, the ninth rank talents of the Li family, combined with various top-tier skills, are considered the best.
And the true dragon is above that!
Even though Li Hao was already at the Fifteen Li realm, if he became the true dragon, he would still benefit from the ancestors' heroic spirits reshaping and assisting him in the earlier realms.
Aside from the Soul Inheritance realm, Li Hao felt he hadn’t yet reached his limit in the other realms.
Including the Soul Inheritance realm, he wasn’t sure if he could still improve, which made him quite eager.
Of course, the most important point was that if he didn’t take the true dragon spot, it would likely go to someone else.
If not for the poisoning incident from years ago, Li Hao wouldn’t care much about the true dragon position. After all, becoming a true dragon comes with immense responsibility, carrying the weight of the Li family’s thousand-year legacy and continuing to break through all obstacles to carry it forward.
Just thinking about it was exhausting.
But since someone had plotted against him for their son’s future, Li Hao couldn’t let them have their way. He had been waiting for this day.
"The true dragon test looks at many aspects, not just talent, but also character, connections, and achievements," Li Mu Xiu told Li Hao. "Sending you to the Tan Palace Academy is also to let you get out more, make some friends, and not just hang around with us old folks all day."
Wind Bo Ping scoffed, "Don’t kid yourself; the most important thing is talent. The other factors are just icing on the cake."
"Get out of here, don’t lead Hao'er astray," Li Mu Xiu shot back.
"Haha..." Wind Bo Ping laughed heartily.
Li Hao smiled and quietly listened to the two elders banter.
Before long, the Second Master’s line had a bite.
As the sun set and the stars appeared by the riverside, when it got dark, Li Hao used one of the fish demons caught by Old Wind to make a barbecue, providing dinner for the three men and one fox.
...
(End of Chapter)