Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 263

Volume 3 - Chapter 23: The Ancient Ji Clan - Part 2

Beyond the borders of Liang Province, by the River of Death in Dragon City...

After Li Hao’s body was torn apart and disappeared, he felt his consciousness being shredded as well. It merged into the heavens and earth and began to melt away, bit by bit, like snow under the sun.

The more it dissolved, the weaker his awareness became.

This sensation was profoundly strange yet terrifying, as if he were being slowly devoured by something unseen.

Darkness, cold, dampness, silence...

These oppressive feelings surrounded him. Li Hao wanted to struggle but was as helpless as a salted fish nailed to a chopping board, utterly powerless.

His world grew blurry, the light dimming.

In the last moments before his vision faded, he caught a glimpse of Li Tianzong and Li Xiaoran, their anguished roars filled with despair. However, it seemed they couldn’t see him; their gazes did not focus on his presence but instead were directed at the vast, empty heavens, full of grief and fury.

Li Hao wanted to bid them farewell with a smile, but he no longer had a body.

Darkness closed in like a window being shut tight, snuffing out the remaining glimmer of light.

Li Hao felt his consciousness disintegrating, vanishing into the abyss.

So, this superfluous life of mine has come to an end, hasn’t it?

Yet, at the very last moment, it seems I managed to do something good. At least, it’s a fitting end.

With these thoughts, Li Hao felt a chilling aura envelop him in the darkness. In the distance, he could faintly hear the clear, flowing sound of a river.

At the same time, a voice seemed to resonate deep within him:

“Don’t you want to go home?”

It wasn’t exactly a voice but more like a thought rising within his own mind.

Go home...

Li Hao’s thoughts drifted, floating to an elegant yet empty courtyard. Then, they floated out of that courtyard, across countless mountains and rivers...

He drifted to Tianmen Pass, to a small fenced courtyard, then along Dragon Pass Path, past blooming flowers he had seen on his journey.

But where was home?

This journey had seen storms and clear skies. The scenery changed, but the laughter and camaraderie of those who accompanied him never did.

He had no home, but he had friends.

Li Hao sighed softly, feeling both regret and guilt.

He could no longer fish with Feng Lao. Nor had he guided Qianqian in her swordsmanship enough for her to reach the Grandmaster Realm. That little girl had endured so much hardship while traveling with him.

And the little white fox—she would have to fend for herself from now on.

Er Ye, Da Niang... Yuan Zhao...

Li Hao sighed softly once more. The cold darkness surrounding him seemed to dissipate, and his consciousness grew increasingly faint.

Was it because death was near, and he could no longer feel anything?

Li Hao’s consciousness continued to fall deeper.

But as he descended further into the void, a sudden warmth seemed to rise from his "chest."

Just as he was about to fade into oblivion, Li Hao’s awareness began to sharpen.

Looking down, he saw a crimson light emerging from his chest. The light grew brighter and more intense, like surging blood illuminating the darkness and wrapping around his consciousness.

Gradually, the darkness began to recede...

When it vanished entirely, Li Hao found himself standing before a thatched cottage.

Next to the cottage, an old man in a tattered, worn robe had his back to Li Hao. The man was busy with something, stacking or constructing a pile.

Li Hao looked up. In front of the cottage loomed a mountain.

The old man was moving the mountain—or rather, building it.

Li Hao froze in place. Where was he, and what was happening before his eyes?

As he grappled with confusion, the old man seemed to sense his presence. His hands paused mid-task.

Then, the towering mountain before them trembled slightly. A massive crack split across its face, and with a deafening roar, the entire mountain collapsed!

Li Hao instinctively tried to dodge, but the falling rocks plunged straight down. Beneath the mountain, a bottomless pit opened up, swallowing the entire mountain whole.

Dumbfounded, Li Hao stared at the old man, who turned to reveal an unfamiliar face. The old man gazed back at him indifferently, expressionless.

“Don’t you want to go home?”

After a long pause, the old man finally spoke.

Li Hao hesitated, glancing around. All he could see was a bright moon hanging in the sky. A strange suspicion grew in his heart—was he still within the River of Death?

“I take heaven and earth as my home. Senior, are you also trapped here in the River of Death?” Li Hao asked, wondering if the old man was another soul bound to this river.

The old man studied Li Hao for a moment, then chuckled. “No wonder I couldn’t trap you in the River of Death. I didn’t expect to encounter someone like you...”

These words made Li Hao’s expression shift. Trap the River of Death?

This old man could control the River of Death?

A sudden thought struck Li Hao, and he called out to the river in his mind.

Before his eyes, golden words appeared, forming several messages:

River of Death Clearance Progress: 99%

Main Quest: Defend Dragon City (Completed)

Side Quest: Growth (Completed)

...

Li Hao froze. The clearance progress wasn’t complete?

Even such a grueling main quest was finished.

Could it be that completing the main quest alone wasn’t enough to clear this stage?

The old man seemed to sense Li Hao’s thoughts and spoke with amusement. “The so-called main quest you completed merely allows you to leave the River of Death, escaping Li Tianzong’s obsessions. But if you think that means clearing this stage, you’re far too naive.”

Li Hao was momentarily speechless.

That main quest was already absurdly challenging, yet it still didn’t lead to completion? Was this Netherworld-level River of Death so impossible?

“However,” the old man continued with a smile, “now you only need to do one more thing to truly clear this stage.”

“What is it?” Li Hao asked, his gaze flickering.

“Take me home,” the old man said. “The souls drawn and trapped by this River of Death are bound here because of me, consumed by their profound longing for home. The deeper their obsession, the harder it is for them to break free. Similarly, those with the same kind of obsession can never truly clear this River of Death!”

“Even if you’ve completed the so-called quests, unless you can understand this, and abandon the yearning for ‘home’ in your heart, you’ll never break through.”

The old man turned, glancing at the mountain that had crumbled into dust behind him. A trace of wistfulness flashed through his eyes.

“I merged with the River of Death, and my obsessions deepened. For years, I’ve been building this mountain in an attempt to recreate the home in my heart. Yet, because of my obsession, the River of Death has continued to draw in more souls, making itself ever stronger.”

“The stronger the River of Death grows, the deeper my obsession becomes. Caught in this cycle, I am doomed to eternal entrapment.”

He smiled faintly but with a hint of sorrow in his gaze. “Now, you’ve broken through my constructed obsession. If you take me back to my homeland, I will finally find peace, and the power of this River of Death will dissipate completely.”

As Li Hao listened to the old man’s story, his eyes flickered with uncertainty. He couldn’t help but doubt the old man’s claims.

Could this seemingly mild-mannered figure really be the source of the River of Death, the entity responsible for all the obsession within it?

If so, wasn’t this person the final boss?

Yet, he didn’t look anything like a fearsome villain.

“You don’t need to doubt,” the old man said calmly. “The River of Death is already collapsing. Those trapped souls are scrambling to escape. Soon, I will return your consciousness to your body, back outside the River of Death. I’ll shrink my form and reside within you temporarily.”

“Once you bring me back to my homeland, I will completely dissipate. If you fail, however, I will root myself in your being. Over time, the River of Death’s power will grow once more, returning it to its current state. So, the time left to you is limited.”

Hearing this, Li Hao was inclined to believe the old man’s words. Back outside the River of Death?

If he could regain his physical form, he could verify everything.

If this were some sort of illusion or trick, he could test it through his physical body’s control panel.

After weighing his options, Li Hao said, “Then send me out first.”

Suddenly recalling something, he hastily added, “Wait. Can you also send out the person who entered with me?”

The old man smiled. “Of course. He’s been here many times before, but his obsession runs too deep. He’ll never be able to clear this stage, not even if he achieves true enlightenment.”

“Additionally, I’ll also send Li Tianzong’s soul out, but don’t think clearing the River of Death means his true release. You’re being far too simplistic in your thinking.”

“This is a Netherworld-level River of Death. The souls here have long been corroded. Even if they clear the stage, they will dissolve. However, I can use the River of Death’s residual power to allow him to persist temporarily, just long enough to truly return home for one last look.”

Li Hao froze. Did this mean that his grandfather, even if he returned to the ancestral shrine, couldn’t stay forever?

But... to go back for a single look?

Li Hao’s face darkened. He knew this was beyond his current capabilities to change.

“If you’re ready, I’ll take all of you out,” the old man said quietly.

Li Hao nodded slightly.

In the next instant, Li Hao felt his surroundings shift like a kaleidoscope. Mountains and rivers spun rapidly around him, his vision blurring before plunging into darkness once more.

When he opened his eyes again, beams of light broke through the haze.

A strange aroma of trees and grass wafted through the air.

Li Hao blinked, realizing he was surrounded by towering trees, each as massive as a steep mountain. It would take over a hundred people to encircle just one.

Where am I?

Li Hao looked around in confusion. This didn’t resemble the craggy ravines outside Dragon City’s River of Death.

“Hao... Hao’er?!”

Two voices, both startled and overjoyed, rang out near him.

Li Hao turned to see Li Xiaoran standing there in shock.

Beside him floated a faint shadow—Li Tianzong’s soul—looking equally stunned.

“You’re alive!”

Li Xiaoran rushed forward and embraced Li Hao tightly, his arms trembling as if to confirm the reality of his grandson’s physical body.

Then, gripping Li Hao’s shoulders, he scrutinized him from head to toe. Noticing a glowing red light emanating from Li Hao’s chest, Li Xiaoran anxiously asked, “Are you hurt? What is this?”

Li Hao looked down, recalling the mysterious red glow from earlier in the River of Death. He, too, was curious about its nature.

Pulling back his clothes, he found two shattered jade fragments, radiating a bloody glow, nestled within the folds.

“It’s the Dragon Blood Jade!”

Li Tianzong’s soul let out a soft exclamation, his expression tinged with astonishment. “Was this bestowed by Emperor Yu?”

Li Hao froze. He hadn’t expected the source of the red glow to be the jade pendant he had worn since childhood, a gift from the emperor shortly after his birth.

“This?”

Li Hao picked up the fractured jade pieces, his mind blank.

Li Tianzong stared at the fragments for a long moment, then sighed deeply. “Our Li Clan owes Emperor Yu a great debt of gratitude. Your ninth uncle perished unexpectedly in battle, but the emperor ensured the preservation of our clan’s true dragon bloodline for the next generation. Hao’er, you must remember this favor from Emperor Yu!”

Li Hao asked hesitantly, “Did this Dragon Blood Jade save me?”

This jade, worn since his infancy, had always felt warm and comforting, warding off cold and gradually nourishing his body. He had thought of it more as a status symbol than anything else.

“Indeed,” Li Tianzong confirmed. “Few know its true secret. This jade was forged by a Dao Tribulation Emperor, who sealed the Reverse Fate Power of a Reverse Fate Realm expert within it. It serves as a life-saving artifact, capable of granting a second life in moments of absolute despair.”

Li Hao was stunned.

Sealing the Reverse Fate Power of a Reverse Fate Realm expert within an artifact?

What kind of technique was that?

Reverse Fate Realm experts, known for manipulating life and death, could defy the heavens to alter their fates. Their Reverse Fate Power automatically activated upon instant death to reverse their demise.

He had never heard of anyone capable of extracting and sealing such power into an artifact!

This was terrifying. Was this the might of the greatest expert of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty?

And moreover...

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