Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 301

Volume 3 - Chapter 43: I Will Leave the Ji Family

Countless members of the Ji family stared in shock, their eyes wide and filled with disbelief at the scene before them.

The elders of the Ji family, however, paled in horror. They recognized this phenomenon as the manifestation of the Heavenly Avatar, the hallmark of the Third Extreme Realm!

Even within the Ji family, an Ancient Holy Clan, reaching the extremes of the first two realms could barely be achieved through exceptional talent and abundant resources. Yet the Third Extreme Realm was a chasm nearly impossible to cross!

Only by inheriting the essence of the world, like their Progenitor, could one condense their soul 360 times and unleash the full might of the Heavenly Avatar.

Among the Ji family’s prodigies, most inherited the Progenitor Saint’s Soul, allowing them to condense their souls 270 times. No matter which soul-condensation technique they practiced, this limit could not be broken, as it was the maximum the Saint’s Soul could endure.

The only way to surpass this was through Heavenly Soul Fusion, but achieving that was nearly insurmountable. It required unparalleled talent, an indomitable will, and mastery of the Tongli Realm and Zhoutian Realm to near-perfection, just to have a slim chance.

The Ji family’s ten great prodigies had all mastered divine power, yet they only began refining their physical bodies after advancing to higher realms, reaching the pinnacle of the Tongli Realm through retrospective effort.

To pursue Heavenly Soul Fusion during the Soul Fusion Realm meant enduring prolonged stagnation. The process demanded relentless refinement of both the Tongli and Zhoutian Realms, delaying progress by decades with no guarantee of success.

Many had tried, but nearly all had failed.

Even if one reached near-perfection in both realms, withstanding the oppressive forces of the heavens during Heavenly Soul Fusion required a will that surpassed the Progenitor’s, one capable of transcending all existence. Without such resolve, the heavens would never grant their approval.

Thus, the Third Extreme Realm was exceedingly rare, far more difficult to achieve than the Spiritual Wandering Realm or the Fifteen Li Realm.

...

A thunderous explosion echoed as the clouds above the mountaintop split apart, scattering violently in the wind!

At that moment, the fist of Li Hao's Heavenly Avatar came crashing down toward Ji Xuanshen with unrelenting fury, as though intent on demolishing the entirety of Tiandao Mountain.

Meanwhile, Li Hao, who was nearly forced to the ground by the overwhelming pressure, roared and unleashed his Unstoppable Fist. His punch, imbued with the force of an enraged lion and the majesty of a soaring dragon, surged upward to meet the Heavenly Avatar’s strike. The two fists—one massive, one small—converged with Ji Xuanshen caught in the middle.

Ji Xuanshen’s pupils contracted sharply. The sight of Li Hao’s Heavenly Avatar sent shockwaves through his heart.

Having mastered two Extreme Realms himself, he understood better than anyone the extraordinary difficulty of manifesting a Heavenly Avatar. Within the Ji family, it was a feat recorded only in ancient texts left behind by the Progenitor, accomplished by just two prodigies of unparalleled aptitude over millennia.

Now, this legend had materialized before his very eyes, as this youth wielded the will of his self-forged avatar to challenge his own Heavenly Saint Bone!

“I am invincible!!”

Ji Xuanshen’s eyes blazed with fury as he bellowed, “If you dare to defy the heavens, I will crush your resolve! Dao Domain, tear it apart for me!”

His meridians trembled and ruptured as he pushed his power to the limit. The Heavenly Meridian within him madly drew upon the surrounding Heavenly Power, only for him to realize in horror that he could absorb only a mere trickle.

The Heavenly Power in the vicinity had been completely drained—or rather, seized entirely by Li Hao!

Ji Xuanshen’s eyes turned bloodshot, and he let out a frenzied roar. His long hair flared as his Heavenly Meridian snapped and unleashed an overwhelming force, shattering his Dao Domain outward in desperation.

In that moment, these two dazzling prodigies unleashed the most formidable strength of their lives, colliding with unmatched intensity.

All sound vanished from the world.

After a fleeting silence, the air was filled with a deafening hum, resonating like an earthquake beneath their feet.

The audience could only see a brilliant explosion of starlike light, as if witnessing the collapse of celestial bodies, while all sound remained eerily absent.

Moments later, as the energy waves crashed against the barriers surrounding the arena, the delayed sound erupted—a cacophony akin to a tenfold earthquake, shaking everything in its wake.

The aftermath was a long-lasting echo of energy reverberating against the barrier, roaring and trembling continuously.

In mid-air, Ji Xuanshen, the Ji family’s most brilliant and distinguished prodigy of this generation, was struck down. His Dao Domain crumbled into nothingness under the combined force of two fists. Like a bird with broken wings, he crashed against the barrier, coughing up a mouthful of blood before plummeting to the shattered edge of the arena.

...

As Ji Xuanshen fell, the aura of his Heavenly Saint Bone dissipated. The immense pressure that had nearly crushed Li Hao vanished, leaving him with a moment of reprieve.

However, his body’s collapse showed no signs of halting. Clenching his teeth, he desperately resisted the influx of Heavenly Power.

Yet his flesh began to slough off, his body resembling a crumbling wall. The immense energy infiltrated his bones, threatening to tear his body apart.

Li Hao roared toward the sky, scattering the energy of his Heavenly Avatar. Then, he directed the avatar to envelop him, using it as a shield against the relentless flow of Heavenly Power.

In the center of the battlefield, only the youth’s avatar remained, embracing him as it roared in defiance of despair and struggled on the brink of life and death.

Eventually, the seemingly endless flow of Heavenly Power ceased, blocked by the Heavenly Avatar. Seizing this opportunity, Li Hao focused all his efforts on healing, rapidly regenerating his body.

His regenerative ability was extraordinary—his injuries visibly mended, as though undergoing a rebirth in the face of adversity. Soon, as his body recovered to a significant degree, the raging Heavenly Power stabilized.

The youth, drenched in blood, stood tall once more. His golden body shone, emanating the aura of an invincible war god. His expression, etched with the calm determination of one who had endured trials beyond imagination, cast a chilling sense of resolve across his face as he floated above the arena.

...

The heavens and the earth fell silent.

The countless members of the Ji family watching from outside Tiandao Mountain were left stunned, unable to believe or comprehend that the youth had fought to the bitter end.

...

With nothing but iron fists and the body of a teenager, he had defeated all the prodigies of the Ji family, leaving none to challenge him!

Ji Daoxin and Ji Tianchao exchanged shocked glances, their expressions somber as they fixed their eyes on the youth in the center of the arena.

What they saw was clear. The terrifying power Li Hao had unleashed was not from any known technique but possibly from the legendary Sixth Extreme Realm—the Earth Immortal Realm!

This realm surpassed even the Heavenly Avatar in difficulty and was beyond comparison with other extremes.

Not a single member of the Ji family, despite its history of producing countless prodigies, had ever achieved it.

Even their Progenitor, who lay resting in an ancient coffin, had only reached the Heavenly Avatar, never stepping into the Earth Immortal Realm.

Yet, they had never seen this mythical realm with their own eyes and could not be certain.

...

In the arena, Li Hao focused his gaze on the edge of the battlefield. There, Ji Xuanshen slowly climbed to his feet, his body riddled with fractures. His flesh was torn open, leaving a gaping hole in his chest—a result of Li Hao’s Unstoppable Fist.

The force of the avatar’s punch had shattered his internal organs and broken most of his bones.

As Ji Xuanshen sat up, he saw Li Hao, whose body had already recovered substantially, his aura still strong. Shock flickered in Ji Xuanshen’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by desolation.

In that moment, he knew he had lost.

Relying on the Heavenly Saint Bone was already disgraceful; losing while wielding it was even worse.

What cut deeper was that the youth before him was only in his teens and still in the Three Immortals Realm!

Essentially, Li Hao had crossed an entire great realm to fight him, and the outcome left no doubt—Ji Xuanshen had been thoroughly defeated.

Seeing the defeat in Ji Xuanshen’s eyes, Li Hao shifted his gaze to the crowd beyond the arena. In a calm voice, he asked, “Who else dares to challenge me?”

The words were quiet and serene, but as they swept across Tiandao Mountain like an autumn breeze, they reached every ear. No one replied.

Those like Ji Qingshuang, who had yet to make a move, stood frozen at a distance from the arena. They had originally been closer but had been forced to retreat by the overwhelming aura of the two combatants.

Now, who would dare step forward?

No one.

Even if someone did, Li Hao could delay until tomorrow for a rematch. But judging by the youth’s unyielding aura, defeating him seemed impossible even in a direct confrontation.

It was as if fatigue did not exist for him. The prodigies saw no openings or weaknesses to exploit.

Li Hao’s physical body alone, refined to its absolute peak, was enough to instill despair.

No strategy—be it agility, stealth, or brute force—could penetrate such a body. Even Ji Xuanshen’s Dao Domain had gained little advantage, let alone their own techniques.

Silence reigned.

None of the remaining Ji family members dared to respond. They remained caught in the lingering shock of the youth’s earlier display.

“If no one challenges him, Ji Leping will be the strongest prodigy of the Ji family and earn the title of Dao Seed!”

Ji Daoxin stepped forward, his gaze lingering briefly on Li Hao before addressing the crowd in a booming voice.

His declaration resounded across Tiandao Mountain, pulling everyone from their daze.

The crowd finally processed what had happened—the youth had succeeded in his challenge, defeating all the Ji family’s prodigies!

Previously, they had mocked him for being a half-blood outsider who had taken on their surname to gain recognition in the Ji family. Now, such thoughts seemed absurd.

With the strength and talent he had displayed, Li Hao had no need for any family’s name. He was a top-tier prodigy in his own right. With a single call, even the Ancient Holy Clans would compete to recruit him.

Having reached the Three Extreme Realms, defeated the Heavenly Saint Bone, and suppressed every prodigy of the Ji family, he had proven himself invincible!

Everyone knew this marked the birth of a new legend in the Ji family.

“What kind of monster did Third Brother bring back to our family before his death?”

“This is the top prodigy Third Brother spoke of, the future of the Ji family…”

“Without the Heavenly Saint Bone, he still defeated it. Without a Dao Domain, he still broke through one. He’s unstoppable!”

Ji Yunqing and Ji Yunyue were visibly trembling with excitement. They had never expected their Third Brother, before his passing, to deliver such an extraordinary gift to the family.

Others, too, began to snap out of their reverie. Though many had previously harbored biases against Li Hao, the Great Wilderness Heaven revered strength above all. Now, they were utterly convinced by his prowess.

Without the Ji family’s support, Li Hao had already reached such heights. Imagining how far he could go with the family’s resources was daunting.

If given the title of Dao Seed and the full backing of the family, he could conceivably forge his own Heavenly Saint Bone, rivaling even the Progenitor!

Even those elders who had sided with Ji Qingyuan in opposing Li Hao were filled with a mix of excitement and dread. They recalled how they had obstructed him in the Hall of Deliberation, their hearts sinking with regret.

As Ji Daoxin’s words hung in the air, no one raised objections. He proceeded to formally announce Li Hao as the Dao Seed and dismissed the barrier surrounding the arena.

“Child, are you all right? Here, take this—our Ji family’s Divine Medicine.”

As the barrier disappeared, Ji Yunyue hurried over to Li Hao with a worried expression. She couldn’t hide her concern upon seeing him drenched in blood.

Though victorious, his battle had been harrowing, leaving her heart aching.

“It’s fine. I can heal myself,” Li Hao replied softly.

He declined the Divine Medicine the elderly woman handed him. His Concealing Attribute allowed him to recover quickly through relaxation and self-healing.

“Child, don’t be so distant from us,” Ji Yunyue said as she pushed the Divine Medicine into his hands.

Li Hao hesitated but eventually accepted it without using it.

Seeing his reluctance, Ji Yunyue and the others exchanged worried glances. They feared he still harbored resentment over the ridicule and scorn he had endured earlier.

“Child, ignore what others say. As long as we elders remain, no one in the Ji family can harm you,” Ji Yunqing assured him.

Yet, even as she spoke, she blushed slightly. Considering the strength Li Hao had just displayed, he no longer needed anyone’s protection. Not even those in the Dao Domain Realm could threaten him.

“I only came here to return War God Yunge and see my mother,” Li Hao said quietly.

Hearing this, Ji Yunqing’s face stiffened, and she quickly asked, “Don’t you plan to stay with the Ji family?”

Li Hao shook his head slightly. “I have unfinished business, and I haven’t seen my friends yet. Once I help my mother atone for her sins, I’ll leave.”

Their voices were low, but the crowd had fallen silent, and Li Hao’s words reached everyone’s ears.

The youth planned to leave the Ji family!

Shock rippled through the onlookers, followed by unease. The thought of losing such a prodigy filled many with panic.

To become the Ji family’s Dao Seed, surpassing even their greatest prodigies, was a position of unmatched honor and privilege. Yet, Li Hao had no intention of staying.

The crowd struggled to accept this, but Li Hao’s reasons were clear. He had come for two purposes: to return War God Yunge and see his mother.

Both reasons were deeply personal.

However, their previous ridicule and insults had likely extinguished any warmth he might have felt for the family.

Those who had mocked and berated him now felt their faces burn with shame and anxiety. They realized this youth had the strength to walk away from the Ji family and thrive without them.

He had no need to bow his head to anyone.

Ji Daoxin’s expression darkened. He had already anticipated this, having overheard the earlier discussions in the mountain hall. He had assumed that offering Li Hao the title of Dao Seed and access to the family’s vast resources would make up for everything.

After all, ridicule was a common challenge faced by any prodigy.

But now, it seemed the youth had never intended to join the Ji family, let alone endure such treatment.

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