Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 286

Volume 3 - Chapter 35: Ji Leping - Part 1

The figure rushed forward at great speed, appearing somewhat disheveled but visibly excited. He dashed straight up to Ji Yunge, his aged face streaming with tears.

“Third Brother, you’ve finally returned!”

Seeing the old man so overcome with emotion, some of the onlookers arriving from the outskirts looked equally astonished. Aside from the funeral decades ago for Ji Yunge, this was the only other time they had seen this decisive and ruthless War God of the Ji Family shed tears.

“Tianchao!”

Ji Yunge’s ethereal form trembled slightly. Reuniting with his brother after such a long separation stirred a flood of memories within him.

At the same time, news of Ji Yunge’s return quickly spread from the sacred mountain to the surrounding floating islands, where towering palaces stood in rows.

The Ji Family’s former War God, Ji Yunge, had returned!

The entire Ji Family’s leadership was in uproar. Everyone gathered at the sacred mountain, and the atmosphere grew increasingly lively.

Before the ancestral shrine, a sea of people gathered. Many had come to pay their respects to the War God who had fallen decades ago.

Along the way, Ji Yunge spoke with his brothers and wife, recounting the events of the intervening years.

...

Behind them, other sons, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters followed obediently. They did not interrupt but listened quietly, occasionally whispering their doubts.

Ji Tianchao and the others were overcome with emotion. Though they had countless questions for Ji Yunge, they refrained from speaking all at once.

Where had he been all these years? How had he lived? How had he returned? They had missed him dearly... There was too much to say.

Ji Yunge also recounted his experiences during these years, explaining the reason for his return.

When they learned that Ji Yunge had truly been imprisoned in the River of Death, everyone felt a mix of shock and relief.

Decades ago, after Ji Yunge had fallen in battle, they had searched everywhere for his soul but found no trace. They had suspected he might have been swept into the River of Death.

“The Netherworld-Level River of Death... someone actually cleared it?”

“Who is that young man? Which family does such a prodigy belong to?”

“What? He’s one of our Ji Family members?!”

“Qingqing’s child?!”

As Ji Yunge spoke, the astonishment among the crowd deepened.

The Netherworld-Level River of Death had long been abandoned even by the Ancient Holy Clans. They knew from past experiences that even cultivators at the Supreme Dao Realm could not necessarily clear it. At best, they might destroy parts of it. Unluckier ones might encounter particularly troublesome obstacles and even perish.

The Supreme Dao Realm was considered a top-tier combat strength, even within the Ancient Holy Clans. Who would willingly sacrifice such power for an unnecessary risk?

After all, hunting monsters in the River of Death yielded no benefits. Most of these monsters were merely imprisoned souls. Killing them only caused them to dissipate. If the River of Death remained uncleared, these souls would reappear the next time it opened.

On the other hand, hunting Great Demon Kings outside the River of Death could yield treasures, including entire demonic bodies that could benefit future generations of the family.

The Great Wilderness Heaven was rife with monsters, making survival precarious. While the Ancient Holy Clans appeared powerful, they needed to carefully balance their resources and avoid unnecessary losses to their elite forces.

Moreover, there was another reason. The merit treasury of the Great Wilderness Heaven’s Rivers of Death had been sealed during the Sacred War ten thousand years ago.

Even when someone later managed to clear the Netherworld-Level River of Death and accumulate one hundred thousand merit points, they could not reopen the treasury. This rendered the Rivers of Death in the Great Wilderness Heaven completely unappealing. People avoided them whenever possible, unwilling to waste their efforts.

“What cultivation level does that child have, to be able to clear a Netherworld-Level River of Death?”

“Qingqing actually had a child? We only knew she secretly married someone from another race. Who could have imagined she even gave birth!”

Ji Tianchao and the others were stunned, their expressions a mix of surprise and complexity.

Ji Qingqing was the daughter of their Thirteenth Brother. Decades ago, the Thirteenth Brother had been hunting Great Demon Kings for the family when he was tragically killed by a pack of vicious beasts. Fortunately, his soul returned to the ancestral shrine and was not swept into the River of Death.

Not long ago, Ji Qingqing’s whereabouts were exposed outside the Great Wilderness Heaven, and she was brought back to the family. Only then did they learn of her secret marriage to an outsider.

Out of respect for their Thirteenth Brother, they, as his siblings, helped cover up the news, ensuring it did not spread widely within the Ji Family. However, they could not hide it from the family’s higher-ups, who followed the family laws and sentenced Ji Qingqing to imprisonment.

They had not intended to imprison her for life, only for a thousand years as punishment.

This was already a lenient sentence.

But who would have thought that Ji Qingqing had a child—and that this child would now show up at their doorstep?

Moreover, this child had performed a great service for the Ji Family by bringing Ji Yunge back.

“Indeed, the child is fifteen this year and has already reached the Three Immortals Realm. He can even slay Great Demon Kings and is comparable to those at the Absolute Technique Stage!”

Mentioning Li Hao, Ji Yunge smiled and said:

“I understand the family laws, but that child is truly a peerless prodigy. He is the most remarkable I’ve ever seen, with both extraordinary talent and a strong temperament!”

“I hope you can take care of him. With such a qilin child in the Ji Family, our future will surely soar, and we may even restore the glory of our Ancestor Saint!”

Hearing his heartfelt praise, the surrounding crowd was stunned.

A fifteen-year-old in the Three Immortals Realm?

That could indeed be considered a prodigy, even by the Ji Family’s standards.

But Ji Yunge’s claim that the boy was on par with those at the Absolute Technique Stage made the leap in strength seem almost too incredible!

For a moment, some were shocked, some skeptical, and others thought Ji Yunge might be exaggerating to repay the boy for saving him—or even to clear Ji Qingqing’s name.

But Ji Tianchao and Ji Yunge’s other brothers understood one thing: their Third Brother would never lie about matters concerning the family’s interests.

In fact, their Third Brother was more serious and earnest about such things than anyone else.

As a result, no matter how unbelievable the story, they were willing to believe it.

“Who would have thought the Thirteenth Brother’s grandson would possess such abilities!”

“If our Thirteenth Brother knew, it might make up for the regrets caused by Qingqing’s mistakes back then.”

“Qingqing was reckless, but her child seems extraordinary. We should discuss this with the family head. For such a prodigy, even if it requires breaking the rules, exceptions should be made…”

Ji Tianchao and the other elder brothers said to Ji Yunge.

They felt both relief and pride that such an extraordinary genius had appeared among their lineage.

Ji Yunge laughed heartily. He believed that as long as Li Hao demonstrated his talent and fought for the title of top prodigy, he would undoubtedly secure a place within the Ji Family.

After all, the Ji Family had always been relatively lenient toward top-tier talents.

Moreover, the boy was, after all, half a member of the Ji Family.

“Where is the child now? Why hasn’t he come up?”

“He’s at the foot of the mountain. I asked him to wait there. You can send someone to bring him up later, but first, this matter needs to be reported to the family head.”

Ji Yunge replied.

Everyone nodded slightly. A matter of such importance indeed required the family head’s approval.

...

Soon, they arrived before the ancestral shrine, where the Ji Family’s current family head, Ji Daoxin, was already waiting.

Ji Daoxin, Ji Yunge’s uncle from his father’s generation, was dressed in luxurious attire. His hair and beard were white as snow. Though he stood quietly like an ordinary elder, his presence exuded the tranquility of a snow lotus blooming on a distant peak.

Ji Daoxin’s expression was kind, his deep-set eyes gleaming warmly like those of a benevolent grandfather.

However, as the Ji Family belonged to the Ancient Holy Clans and pursued martial supremacy in a world ruled by the law of the strong, anyone who held the position of family head was undoubtedly the strongest among them.

At this moment, Ji Daoxin gazed at the crowd surrounding Ji Yunge from afar, smiling softly. But soon, his eyes narrowed slightly, his expression changing for a brief moment as the smile on his face faded.

Ji Yunge also noticed the change in his expression. Their eyes met, and Ji Yunge immediately understood that his circumstances had likely been discovered.

“Yunge pays respects to the family head!”

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