Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 280

Volume 3 - Chapter 32: The Merit Treasury, Who is Chong Er?

Li Hao’s expression changed slightly. Hearing the other party’s casual yet confident tone, it was clear that denying it any further was unnecessary.

On Li Hao’s wrist, the blood-colored vine ring stirred, a blood tendril rising like a cowlick. It seemed to be eavesdropping on the conversation between Li Hao and Ji Yunge.

Ji family?

The Scarlet Blood Vine Demon King was startled. Having lingered in the Red Wood Corpse Ridge for millennia, it had witnessed several members of the Ancient Holy Clans come to harvest the Dao Rhythmic Blood Fruit it produced. Those from other clans rarely dared to venture near, as conflicts often erupted long before they could approach.

From these struggles, it had learned much, fostering a deep yearning for the world beyond the Red Wood Corpse Ridge.

After all, since its birth, it had never left this place.

The Ji family—there was only one such Ji family in the entire Great Wilderness Heaven.

The Scarlet Blood Vine Demon King felt an inexplicable surge of excitement bubbling up. The youth had claimed to belong to the Ancient God Race and now mentioned possessing Ji family bloodline. Could it be that the Ji family was somehow connected to the Ancient God Race?

It seemed to have overheard something extraordinary. What should it do? So thrilling!

...

“Your mother must be that little girl Ji Qingqing. So, she actually married into your Li family,” Ji Yunge remarked with a sigh.

From Li Tianzong’s obsession, combined with records from the Ji family dating back to ancient times, Ji Yunge had pieced together some information. The Li family, part of the most powerful divine dynasty beyond the Great Wilderness Heaven—the Great Yu Divine Dynasty—held the position of Divine Generals, a prestigious and illustrious lineage.

Though families like these were insignificant in the eyes of the Ji family and hardly worth mentioning, they were not entirely unknown.

Moreover, that divine dynasty had been extraordinarily glorious millennia ago. Even the Ancient Holy Clans, if it could be avoided, would not provoke them lightly.

Seeing that the other party had already discerned the truth, Li Hao had nothing further to say.

“No wonder those two fellows kept exchanging secret glances with you before leaving. They must have been passing along messages via sound transmission, warning you to hide your identity,” Ji Yunge recalled. Previously, he had thought it odd but hadn’t given it much thought. Now, as if struck by a boomerang, it all became clear.

When Li Hao tacitly acknowledged this, Ji Yunge studied him closely. Although he had suspected from Li Hao’s bloodline aura that he was the child of that little girl, upon closer inspection, their resemblance became even more evident.

“You don’t need to be so tense. Although our Ji family forbids intermarriage with outsiders, and any woman caught is imprisoned for life, with their spouse and offspring executed, there are always exceptions.”

“If it were someone else, I might have considered turning a blind eye as a token of gratitude for you bringing me back to the Ji family. But given your natural talent, I’ll speak to the elders on your behalf. They might agree to accept you.”

“Hm?”

Li Hao’s expression shifted. Intermarriage resulted in lifelong imprisonment?

Did this mean that the woman, who revealed her identity in Yanbei to intimidate the Sacred Palace and was then taken back to the Ji family, was now imprisoned?

As his face alternated between light and shadow, Ji Yunge chuckled and said, “With your aptitude, you are among the finest talents even in the Ji family. I don’t know if any monstrous geniuses have emerged among the younger generation since my death, but in my era, you would undoubtedly rank first!”

At only fifteen years old, Li Hao had reached the Three Immortals Realm. Such cultivation alone qualified him as a prodigy.

What’s more, he had trained in a barren place beyond the Great Wilderness Heaven, cultivating divine power and achieving the pinnacle of the Tongli Realm.

In the Ancient Holy Clans, reaching the pinnacle of the Martial Realm was the domain of either long-lived elders or rare, peerless geniuses!

“When you escort me to the Ji family territory, I’ll also present you with a small gift,” Ji Yunge said with a smile.

Li Hao, however, paid little heed to this and instead asked, “Senior, if women intermarried into the Ji family are imprisoned, how can they be freed?”

Ji Yunge’s gaze softened further. Li Hao ignored talk of gifts, focusing only on his mother’s situation. Although their interactions had been brief, Ji Yunge found himself increasingly admiring this young man.

“Your mother, Ji Qingqing, held a significant position in the Ji family as a direct descendant. If she were from a lesser branch and lacked advocates, she might have been executed outright. But with her pure bloodline, imprisonment is the most she’ll face.”

Ji Yunge sighed at the thought. He had never imagined that the little girl who once tugged at his beard would grow up, marry, and have a son.

And now, thanks to her son, he could finally return home.

“She is likely imprisoned, but if you secure the top spot on the Ji family’s Heaven’s Chosen Rankings, you’ll be allowed to visit her. In the future, if you gain enough influence within the Ji family and wield substantial power, you can use your contributions to the family to exchange for her freedom.”

Li Hao paused momentarily, relief flickering across his heart.

Those of lower status were executed outright. The Ji family truly placed immense importance on bloodlines.

His mind conjured an image of the woman’s gentle demeanor. While he had initially planned to visit the Ji family on this trip and perhaps meet the mother he hadn’t seen in over a decade, it had been merely a thought.

He had intended to escort Ji Yunge home and leave quietly, not wishing to disturb her life or cause trouble for her.

But now that she was imprisoned, there was no question—he had to go.

The top spot on the Heaven’s Chosen Rankings?

Li Hao’s eyes glinted as he questioned Ji Yunge further, learning more about the Ji family’s rules.

Ji Yunge provided only a brief introduction, noting that Li Hao would learn the rest upon arriving at the Ji family.

...

Days passed.

Li Hao had traveled over seventy to eighty thousand miles, crossing a straight-line distance spanning most of Liang Province.

Along the way, he had slain more than a dozen Demon Kings, including one fearsome beast with the ancient bloodline of a Demon King. Though exceptionally fierce and formidable, it was no match for the prodigious Li Hao, who swiftly defeated it.

By absorbing the essence and blood of these Demon Kings, Li Hao’s physical body underwent further refinement. It now possessed a strength akin to being tempered by thunder and fire, ranking among the strongest tier of Nine-Forged Divine Weapons.

Crossing mountains and rivers and sweeping through the Great Wilderness, Li Hao—though merely a youth and a newcomer to the Great Wilderness Heaven—moved like a fierce beast, unstoppable.

Finally, Li Hao stepped into the Ji family’s territory.

Soaring high into the sky, he crossed towering mountain ranges and cliffs. Before him lay a vast, dense forest stretching endlessly into the horizon.

At the heart of the forest lay an immense lake, hundreds of miles in diameter, with cascading waterfalls winding through the woods. The waterfalls tumbled off cliffs, creating rushing streams that fell into the air, forming rainbows in the mist.

“We’ve arrived,” Ji Yunge’s voice trembled slightly, betraying his inner excitement and turmoil.

The obsession he had carried for years while in the River of Death was about to be fulfilled. How could he not feel overwhelmed?

Falling leaves returning to their roots, dragon whales sinking into the ocean—life itself seeks its final resting place.

Li Hao’s spirit scanned the area, probing through layers of forest canopy. Yet he saw no signs of human activity. “Is this really the place?”

“Yes.”

Ji Yunge’s soul materialized beside him, gazing into the distance as though taking a deep breath, savoring the scent of his homeland’s soil.

Yet, lacking physical organs, it was unclear whether he could truly experience such sensations.

“Up ahead lies the sacred mountain barrier of my Ji family. Only those with Ji family bloodline may enter. Otherwise, visitors must formally seek an audience. Do you see that?”

Ji Yunge raised his hand, pointing to a distant, majestic mountain. Ancient characters were carved prominently into its face.

Ancient Ji Family.

It was clear—this was indeed Ji family territory.

“Thank you. My wish has been fulfilled,” Ji Yunge turned toward Li Hao, his gaze intense and sincere.

Although he had trusted Li Hao to bring him back, now that he stood here in person, his gratitude deepened. Smiling, he said, “I mentioned earlier that I’d give you a small gift once we returned.”

Raising his hand, Ji Yunge summoned a twisting thread of black energy in the void, its aura unmistakably that of the River of Death.

Li Hao watched as the energy wove itself into a form resembling a black ribbon, opening what appeared to be a portal. Two figures tumbled out, entwined like serpents, their forms strange yet majestic.

One was covered in fiery red fur, the other in gleaming silver fur.

Li Hao quickly identified the aura emanating from them, his expression changing drastically. “The Candlefire God!”

The pair of demon beasts were none other than the Candlefire God couple. They were still alive!

At this moment, however, the Candlefire God couple lay unconscious, their true forms exposed. Their once-massive bodies had shrunk significantly, and their energy seemed faint and weakened.

“They possess the bloodline of Taiyin Youying, born as a twin entity. Should one of them cultivate to the half-step Supreme Dao Realm, their union will allow them to ascend to the true Supreme Dao Realm instantly,” Ji Yunge explained to Li Hao.

“A genuine Supreme Dao Realm is far stronger than what you encountered in the River of Death. When you face such beings in the future, do not underestimate them. At your current level, it will take you several more years of cultivation to stand against one.”

“The River of Death suppressed the strength of those in the Supreme Dao Realm due to residual wills. Many of their life techniques could no longer be used,” Ji Yunge continued, his tone cautionary.

Li Hao took the warning to heart and nodded.

“When they merge to reach the Supreme Dao Realm, they will then split back into twin forms. If both forms independently cultivate to the Supreme Dao Realm and merge once more, they might have a chance to comprehend the Dao of Eternity!”

Ji Yunge turned to the unconscious Candlefire God couple and remarked, “Their bloodline is exceedingly rare. Even within our Ji family, we must expend tremendous effort to find and tame such Demon Kings. Consider this my small gift to you.”

Li Hao was momentarily stunned. Ji Yunge was gifting him the Candlefire God couple?

“Well, thank you so much...” Li Hao thought to himself. These two Demon Kings were anything but easy to handle. On the bright side, perhaps they’d make excellent soup ingredients.

Seeing Li Hao’s silence, Ji Yunge chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I used the remaining power of the River of Death to erase their consciousness and imprint your image into their memories.”

“When they awaken, they will only recognize you as their master. Just treat them well, and they will serve you faithfully.”

“Of course, while they will acknowledge you as their master, all demons and beasts with intelligence are prone to rebellion at times. It’s up to you to treat them properly and train them carefully.”

Li Hao was taken aback. He had become the master of the Candlefire God couple?

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