Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 309

Volume 3 - Chapter 48: How Did You Raise Him?

“My son… is a peerless genius of the noble clans?”

Hearing Ji Yunyu’s words, Li Tiangang froze momentarily, unable to process what the statement meant.

That child… had become a genius of the Ji Clan?

“That’s right. Your son escorted the War God’s heroic soul back to the Ji Clan, and in order to see his mother, he challenged all the geniuses of the Ji Clan and defeated them. His talent can only be described as unrivaled throughout the ages!”

Ji Yunyu said, his eyes gleaming as he spoke of Li Hao.

The earth-shaking battle on the Heavenly Dao a few days ago still played vividly in his mind.

The other members of the Ji Clan nearby also revealed expressions of admiration as they heard Ji Yunyu mention the young man.

Defeating all the geniuses—those four words seemed simple, but the difficulty was akin to ascending the heavens. Yet that young man had done it, forging an invincible legend with the strength of the Three Immortals Realm!

“Challenged all the geniuses of the Ji Clan?”

Li Tiangang’s heart trembled.

He had long heard from his wife about how outstanding the Ji Clan’s geniuses were, praised as dragons among men. They far surpassed the geniuses of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty. Any one of them could rival his ninth younger brother, or even greatly exceed him.

“He didn’t offend anyone, did he?”

Li Tiangang cautiously inquired.

Defeating an entire clan’s geniuses would surely be a monumental insult. If not for the faint smile on Ji Yunyu’s face while recounting this, Li Tiangang might have assumed Li Hao had already been executed in a fit of the Ji Clan’s rage.

“Haha, you worry too much. Your son is gentle and courteous, neither arrogant nor impatient. How could he possibly offend us?”

Ji Yunyu chuckled and added, “Besides, a bit of youthful exuberance is normal. Which genius isn’t bold and spirited in their youth? Without a distinctive character, how could one truly be called a genius? Otherwise, they’d just be someone fortunate enough to inherit their ancestors’ gifts.”

Li Tiangang let out a silent sigh of relief and nodded in agreement. “Senior, you are absolutely right.”

“This is your only son, correct?” Ji Yunyu asked with a smile.

Li Tiangang quickly nodded. “Yes, my only son.”

“Well-trained,” Ji Yunyu remarked with a smile.

Li Tiangang froze for a moment, then felt his cheeks heat up slightly, unable to meet Ji Yunyu’s gaze.

“Well-trained?”

Earlier, when the boy had left home, his second uncle and eldest sister-in-law had explained Li Hao’s upbringing in the Li Clan over the years.

Apart from food and drink, the boy had hardly used any of the Li Clan’s cultivation resources. He and his wife had also been absent from the boy’s life. What upbringing could he possibly claim credit for?

“We’ve arrived. This is the Ji Clan.”

Ji Yunyu gestured forward.

Li Tiangang looked up and saw a towering mountain gate with a winding staircase stretching endlessly.

The mountain gate appeared as if the corpses of a group of dragons had been forged and melded together, exuding an imposing and oppressive aura.

Li Tiangang’s gaze sharpened as he sensed the terrifying legacy of this Ancient Holy Clan, far more majestic and powerful than the Divine General Mansion.

News of Ji Leping’s father’s arrival had already spread throughout the Ji Clan. As Ji Yunyu led Li Tiangang up the mountain, many members of the Ji Clan gathered along the way, observing the father of the Dao Seed from a distance.

...

In the days since Li Hao had defeated all the geniuses, seized the Dao Seed, and received the Saint’s Mark, his string of astonishing achievements had been the sole topic of discussion within the Ji Clan.

When talking about Li Hao, his mixed-blood heritage inevitably came up.

Speculation abounded, with many curious about the boy’s parents and their family background.

Some even hypothesized that Li Hao’s mother might have secretly married into some ancient hidden clan beyond the Great Wilderness, resulting in the birth of such an extraordinary genius.

“Is that Ji Leping’s father?”

“A cultivator at the Four Pillar Realm, with the aura of the Reverse Fate Realm. His cultivation is decent, but not as strong as I had imagined.”

“I heard he hails from beyond the Great Wilderness, from the Li Clan in the Great Yu Dynasty. It’s a region of scarce resources. Reaching this level of cultivation there might already be considered extraordinary.”

On the mountain path, many members of the Ji Clan watched from a distance, whispering to one another.

Li Tiangang inevitably overheard their comments, making him feel like the center of attention. It was clear that, because of Li Hao, the Ji Clan members were scrutinizing him.

Thinking of Ji Yunyu’s words about Li Hao defeating all the Ji Clan geniuses, Li Tiangang couldn’t help but feel a twinge of nervousness.

He had never doubted Li Hao’s talent but hadn’t expected his son to surpass his peers so decisively in this Ancient Holy Clan.

...

As they reached the mountainside, Ji Yunyu instructed the others who had accompanied him to intimidate the Qin Clan to disperse. He led only a select few people, including Li Tiangang, to continue toward the Holy Mountain’s peak.

“Senior, are my son and Qingqing just ahead?”

Li Tiangang’s heart grew more restless with each step.

Ji Yunyu replied, “Qingqing is on Prison Sky Island, confined for her mistakes. However, your son has already redeemed her sins. As a Dao Seed, he has the authority to pardon his mother. You’ll see them soon.”

Li Tiangang froze in place. His son had already absolved his mother of her crimes?

Memories of that day in the Divine General Mansion, when he had slapped his son in anger, flashed in his mind.

His heart clenched painfully.

Could he ever make amends?

He bit his lip lightly, making no sound, but deep inside, he made a firm decision. No matter how the child reproached or questioned him upon their meeting, he would accept it all—so long as Li Hao could vent his anger and forgive him.

When they reached the Holy Mountain’s peak, many of the Ji Clan’s elders and senior members were already waiting.

Hearing that Ji Leping’s father had arrived, they had come to offer a grand reception.

Had it been in the past, any outsider who dared to approach the Ji Clan, especially the husband of Ji Qingqing, would have been executed on the spot. However, the present situation was different: father by the grace of the son, raising a genius like Ji Leping had earned the Ji Clan’s respect, forcing them to treat Li Tiangang courteously.

“These are the elders of the Ji Clan,” Ji Yunyu introduced with a smile.

He glanced at the elders who had come to greet them, some of whom were not even close to those of the Yun generation. Yet, Ji Yunyu maintained a warm and amicable demeanor, introducing everyone without a trace of hostility.

After all, no matter how much discord there might have been internally, when facing Ji Qingqing’s husband for the first time, it was crucial to present the Ji Clan as a united and harmonious family.

When Li Tiangang saw the elders, his expression shifted slightly. Though many of them had their auras restrained, he could still sense that several of them were on par with his second uncle. A few even emanated terrifying pressure—clearly powerhouses at the Supreme Dao Realm!

In the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, such figures were akin to Buddhist Lords, yet here, they appeared one after another.

“Greetings, seniors.”

Li Tiangang cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.

The elders did not act aloof and promptly returned the greeting with friendly words.

Li Tiangang was somewhat taken aback. The kind and polite reception from so many influential figures left him feeling overwhelmed.

Before coming here, his wife had described the Ji Clan as harsh and rigid in its family rules, warning him to expect intense hostility and punishment. Yet, his experience so far felt almost unreal.

From what he overheard along the way and the elders’ casual mentions of Ji Leping, Li Tiangang realized that all this respect was because of that child.

Li Hao’s actions had smoothed over all obstacles, resolving every problem he might have faced.

This was the Ji Clan, a place he would not have dared to step into lightly. Yet his son had come here, absolved Qingqing’s sins, and even secured acknowledgment for his father’s identity within the clan.

Listening to the warm exchanges, Li Tiangang’s emotions grew increasingly complicated, filled with indescribable feelings.

His father, Li Tianzong’s words, resounded once again in his mind:

“That child is exceptionally talented. If we don’t bring him back, I’ll die with regrets!”

Now, seeing the Ji Clan’s many powerhouses being so courteous, their words filled with admiration for the boy, Li Tiangang’s feelings of guilt and remorse deepened, mingled with a faint sense of bewilderment.

Had he been utterly wrong all along?

“You must be Ji Leping’s father?”

A calm, youthful voice interrupted his thoughts.

Li Tiangang looked up and saw a group of young figures standing to the side. Leading them was a young man of extraordinary bearing, as elegant as jade, exuding an ethereal, transcendent aura.

What shocked Li Tiangang the most was that this young man looked to be only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, yet his concealed energy was no weaker than Ji Yunyu’s.

Was this the Supreme Dao Realm?

“And you are?” Li Tiangang cautiously asked.

“He is Ji Xuan Shen, once the strongest genius of our Ji Clan,” an elder introduced, smiling. “At just twenty-six, he’s already reached the Supreme Dao Realm. He’s destined to become our War God in the future. Those behind him are also geniuses of our clan.”

The elder then turned to Li Tiangang and continued with a smile:

“But they’ve all been defeated by your son.”

Li Tiangang’s heart was already shaken upon hearing Ji Xuan Shen’s age and cultivation level. But when he heard the elder’s final sentence, his pupils contracted violently.

These were all geniuses of the Ji Clan?

And Li Hao had defeated them all?

Li Tiangang had believed that even though his son was strong, the geniuses of the Ji Clan he defeated might only have been in the Reverse Fate Realm or, at best, the Absolute Technique Stage. Yet standing before him was a genius who had reached the Supreme Dao Realm!

Such a powerhouse had been defeated by his son?

“Could it be that your son recently broke through? You seem rather unfamiliar with his current strength.”

An elder teased, noticing Li Tiangang’s shock.

Though said in jest, the words struck Li Tiangang like a hammer, leaving him reeling.

Unfamiliar…

It seemed so. If the boy hadn’t displayed his abilities back in Qingzhou and Liangzhou, he truly wouldn’t have known the extent of his son’s cultivation.

Li Tiangang’s expression grew complicated. He remained silent, his blood boiling with mixed emotions. A burning desire to see Li Hao surged within him.

Ji Xuan Shen scrutinized the middle-aged man before him with calm eyes. Though his expression remained composed, there was a flicker of doubt.

The man appeared astonished by every revelation, as if they were speaking of someone entirely unfamiliar.

Could this person truly be the boy’s father?

Curious and unrestrained by convention, Ji Xuan Shen directly asked, “Are you truly his father?”

Li Tiangang snapped out of his daze. Hearing the question and sensing the doubt in the young man’s gaze, he felt his cheeks burn with shame. Lowering his head, he replied, “That child has grown so quickly that there are things I don’t fully know. But yes, I am indeed his father.”

Ji Xuan Shen regarded him silently for a moment before nodding slightly. He didn’t press further, though a faint trace of disappointment flickered in his eyes.

It seemed even the boy’s father had no knowledge of his training. Could it be that his success was solely due to unparalleled talent?

Ji Xuan Shen found the notion hard to accept. Such a reality would be a devastating blow to the pride of geniuses like him.

If pure talent could surpass all the resources and support the Ji Clan had poured into its own geniuses, it would mean that, in terms of innate potential, Li Hao was leagues above them—a crushing realization.

“Elders, where is my son now?”

Seeing that Ji Xuan Shen had stepped back and ceased his inquiries, Li Tiangang felt an inexplicable sense of relief, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. He quickly turned to the nearby elders and asked with a strong sense of urgency, his desire to meet Li Hao growing uncontrollable.

“Leping insisted on personally fetching his mother. He has gone to Prison Sky Island,” Ji Yunqing explained gently, stepping forward.

Li Tiangang’s expression faltered. He thought of the ten years Li Hao and Qingqing had spent apart. The boy had even taken his mother’s surname, refusing to acknowledge the Li family name.

Although he had spent some time with the boy after his return to the Li Clan, memories of that time—especially the moment when he struck the child in anger—flooded back, filling him with regret.

“I wish to go as well. Senior, can you tell me where Prison Sky Island is?”

“It’s a dangerous place. You should wait here,” Ji Yunqing said with a reassuring smile.

Li Tiangang shook his head and suddenly bowed deeply, his expression serious and tinged with desperation.

“Please, senior, allow me to meet them. I have wronged them deeply. It should have been me who came to the Ji Clan to atone, not a child. Please let me do something for them.”

The crowd was stunned, exchanging glances with one another.

Ji Yunqing pondered for a moment and then said, “Very well. The Wild Sea is calm now. It’s fitting for you to reunite as a family and return together in harmony.”

Hearing the phrase “return together in harmony,” Li Tiangang couldn’t help but imagine a warm, tranquil scene—a family of three, reunited and joyous.

An intense and indescribable excitement surged within him. He longed to see Li Hao immediately and beg for his forgiveness.

For ten years, he had fought battles in Yanbei, enduring the clamor of war. Such a moment of family bliss had always been his heart’s deepest yearning.

Now, having retired his armor and left the border behind, the noise of war had faded, and his longing for that peaceful vision grew stronger: his wife sitting serenely in the courtyard, their son fulfilling his filial duties before them.

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