Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 252

Volume 3 - Chapter 17: The Ancestral Shrine's Demise

Boom!

In the distance, Li Tianzong’s silhouette, resembling both a demon and a ghost, clashed fiercely with the tattered-robed youth, their battle unleashing a cacophony that shook the heavens and the earth.

Li Xiaoran glanced at the scene. In this berserk state, his elder brother’s strength had indeed surged. Once merely at the Absolute Technique Stage, he now displayed the power of the Supreme Dao Realm.

“We need to leave!”

Suppressing the pain in his heart, Li Xiaoran said to Li Hao.

Li Hao turned to look back, his eyes flickering, but he remained silent. Without hesitation, he sped toward the Divine General Mansion.

The two of them moved swiftly, with the Candlefire God and Lu Yuan in pursuit behind them.

However, other members of the Li family's elder generation, including Li Xuanli, appeared one after another to intercept the Candlefire God, engaging him in combat to hinder his advance.

“Seeking death!”

The Candlefire God’s eyes were icy as his Dao Domain expanded, enveloping a one-mile radius.

His body surged forward, the Dao Domain resembling an invisible flaming sphere, pulverizing every building in its path into ash. Soldiers caught within its reach were incinerated instantly, reduced to nothing more than a wisp of flame.

With his Dao Domain activated, the Candlefire God pushed forward unimpeded, ignoring the others who charged at him. The Li family elders, some of whom were at the Four Pillar Realm, launched attacks into the Dao Domain but couldn’t penetrate more than ten meters before their strikes turned into mere sparks. Before the might of the Supreme Dao Realm, anyone below the Dao Realm was as insignificant as ants.

...

In the blink of an eye, Li Hao and Li Xiaoran arrived in front of the Divine General Mansion. Gazing at its towering and magnificent structure, the two did not hesitate and prepared to charge in.

Bang!

Suddenly, a deafening crash erupted from within the mansion.

A massive black-furred claw rose from the depths of the mansion and swept down in a crushing motion, shaking the entire Divine General Mansion violently.

Li Xiaoran and Li Hao halted in shock, staring at the enormous demonic claw. How could such a thing appear in the Divine General Mansion?

Li Xiaoran’s expression changed drastically as he exclaimed in a mix of anger and fear, “No! It’s the ancestral shrine!”

He immediately increased his speed, unleashing his full power as Dao Rhythms guided his body into a series of instantaneous movements.

Li Hao followed closely, his speed pushed to the limit as they entered the Divine General Mansion. Every pore on his body tightened with an ominous sense of dread.

He noticed that the protective array around the Divine General Mansion had not been destroyed.

How did this demon manage to get in?

As the two stepped into the mansion, the pursuing Candlefire God collided with the protective array. His Dao Domain shook the array, scorching it relentlessly. Blinding golden light surged skyward, encasing the Divine General Mansion entirely.

The strength of this array surpassed even that of the array protecting Dragon City. Furious, the Candlefire God struck repeatedly, causing the divine patterns of the array to tremble faintly.

...

When Li Hao and Li Xiaoran reached the ancestral shrine, they felt as though their blood had frozen, their bodies chilled from head to toe.

The ancestral shrine stood halfway up the mountain, but now the entire mountain had been smashed into a hollow. The shrine itself was reduced to rubble.

Standing amidst the ruins was a hundred-zhang tall demon, its body covered in black fur and shaped like a bear. Its face was adorned with terrifyingly sharp white tusks. Its crimson eyes, cold and indifferent, swept over Li Hao and Li Xiaoran.

Nearby, Li Qingzheng stood, bloodied and furious, his face twisted in anger.

“The ancestral shrine…”

Li Xiaoran froze midair, dazed and lost.

The exit from the River of Death—the most sacred place of the Li family—had been reduced to ruins by a single strike.

“Still trying to escape through here? All of you will stay and slumber with us for eternity,” the hundred-zhang demon said coldly with a faint sneer.

Its entire body radiated a strange shockwave, and Li Hao’s pupils shrank as he immediately recognized it as the manifestation of a Dao Domain.

The demon’s Dao Domain expanded rapidly, opening and closing in a mere thought.

“I am no mere half-baked Dao Realm cultivator.”

The hundred-zhang demon seemed to notice Li Hao’s shocked expression. It smirked coldly, its massive body shifting, causing the ground to rumble. It raised its giant claw, black fur covering the sky, giving an impression of infinite extension.

“You deserve to die!”

Li Xiaoran roared in rage, his whole body trembling with fury. His great meridians seemed on the verge of collapse as he unleashed a sky-piercing aura, wielding his most powerful Absolute Technique in a single strike.

In an instant, the blade light illuminated the heavens and earth before vanishing abruptly. The void split into a terrifying chasm that extended rapidly, cutting into the demon’s Dao Domain and leaving a faint distortion.

The invisible blade light shot forward with unparalleled speed, slashing into the rough black fur of the giant claw, leaving a wound half a meter deep.

The hundred-zhang demon appeared surprised that an Absolute Technique Stage cultivator could not only penetrate its Dao Domain but also injure it. However, the astonishment in its cold, indifferent eyes quickly turned into an icy malice.

“A peerless genius? How delightful.”

Its aura surged, and the Dao Domain spread like an aurora, swiftly enveloping both Li Hao and Li Xiaoran.

“You two, go! I’ll hold it off!”

Just as Li Hao prepared to attack, Li Qingzheng stepped forward, his entire body trembling with fury. Crimson divine light erupted from his body, accompanied by an overwhelming, blood-soaked killing intent.

The killing intent condensed into a towering blood-red phantom behind him, resembling a mighty and ancient entity.

Li Qingzheng’s blood vessels burst apart, and his aura shredded his robes, revealing his well-built torso. Streams of blood-colored energy spurted from his pores, and his strength skyrocketed—it was clear he had ignited his divine soul.

“Go!”

Li Qingzheng shouted fiercely as a brilliant spear radiance shot forth from his hand, forming a black arc of light that pierced into the expanding Dao Domain. The advance of the Dao Domain was forcibly halted at the spear tip, its expansion grinding to a halt against the incredible force condensed at that single point.

The dazzling power clashed with the Dao Domain, producing waves of unfathomable energy.

Li Xiaoran and Li Hao were stunned. They could scarcely believe that Li Qingzheng, whether due to the River of Death’s influence or his own innate power, was exhibiting strength that surpassed their imagination.

Li Xiaoran felt anguish deep in his heart, but he suppressed his fury, turning and rushing toward the ruins of the ancestral shrine.

Li Hao, though filled with rage, knew that Li Qingzheng was buying time for them at the cost of his life. He gritted his teeth and followed, darting into the shrine’s wreckage.

Li Xiaoran’s object manipulation abilities swept out, clearing away the shattered tiles and rubble of the shrine. Amidst the debris, he found the ancestral tablets—all destroyed.

Only one remained intact, emanating a faint grayish-golden glow.

It was the tablet of the first ancestor, Li Tianyuan.

The statue of Li Tianyuan’s golden body had been shattered, but the small ancestral tablet still survived.

As the two arrived, they sensed faint remnants of consciousness lingering on the tablet—weak and fragmented traces of ancestral spirits.

“You’ve arrived...”

“Alas, we can’t hold on any longer...”

“We fear it may be impossible to send you out of here...”

One mournful thought after another emanated from the remaining remnants. Yet, before the ancestral spirits could communicate fully, their faint consciousness dissipated completely.

Under the overwhelming power of the hundred-zhang demon’s Dao Domain and its relentless attacks, the spirits had only been able to pool their remaining strength to protect the first ancestor.

These ancestors had once been peerless, dominating for centuries, leaving legacies for the ages. Some had earned renown by challenging the Nineteen Provinces of Great Yu singlehandedly.

But in death, reduced to mere fragments of divine souls, their power waned significantly. Even an Absolute Technique Stage foe posed a severe threat to them, let alone the Supreme Dao Realm.

“It’s such a pity... A peerless genius has emerged in our Li family, but they are destined to die here...”

“If you do perish, remember this: avenge us by slaughtering every demon here...”

More thoughts emerged, filled with regret, before dissipating entirely. The hazy golden glow surrounding the tablet dimmed and faded into silence.

Li Xiaoran and Li Hao stood frozen, staring at the lone surviving ancestral tablet.

Though they knew these spirits had arisen from Li Tianzong’s obsessions, the ancestral words still stirred their blood, evoking a profound sense of sorrow.

“Children, do not despair.”

Li Tianyuan’s spirit emerged from the tablet and addressed Li Xiaoran and Li Hao. “Our Li family produces no cowards who cling to life. Only valiant souls who die in battle!”

“Who among you will bear my shattered soul to slay these demons?”

Li Xiaoran and Li Hao gazed at the figure of their first ancestor. Were they outside, Li Xiaoran would have undoubtedly bowed first to pay respects. But at this moment, all he felt was sorrow.

“I will.”

Li Xiaoran turned to Li Hao and said, “Hao’er, find a way to escape. I’ll stay behind to buy you time.”

“There’s no escape,” Li Hao replied bitterly. “I have no leads. The only path forward... is to stand our ground and survive for one more day.”

Li Xiaoran felt a pang of grief. It was true. He had no idea where to find another way out.

With no ancestral shrine left, they could only fight to survive.

If they had the power of the Supreme Dao Realm, they could use the Dao Domain to evade the River of Death’s rules and avoid confinement in Dragon City. Surviving a single day would not be difficult. But neither of them had reached the Supreme Dao Realm.

“I wonder if our elder brother has regained his senses. If he has, he might use his Dao Domain to protect you... But he can’t leave Dragon City...”

Li Xiaoran’s face shifted between expressions of hope and despair.

He didn’t fear death himself, but having Li Hao here made the situation unbearable.

If Li Hao died, Li Xiaoran felt it would be worse than his own death.

“In that case, children, let us fight together,” Li Tianyuan’s spirit said firmly.

Seeing the brothers’ plight, he made the decision for them. His form transformed into a streak of golden light and entered Li Hao’s body.

In an instant, Li Hao’s entire being seemed to be enveloped in golden divine armor.

The spirit of the ancestor melded with him, manifesting as fiery divine armor and bestowing an overwhelming surge of power.

Boom!

A figure suddenly came hurtling through the air, landing heavily over a hundred meters away.

Li Xiaoran and Li Hao turned to look—it was Li Qingzheng, drenched in blood, his spear broken.

“Old Fifth!” Li Xiaoran cried out and prepared to rush over.

Li Hao stopped him, speaking in a low voice. “You must find a way out. Leave this to me.”

His gaze was icy, brimming with murderous intent. His body glowed with golden light, resonating with his own divine strength and radiating an indescribable aura of majesty.

The hundred-zhang demon’s Dao Domain pressed down on Li Qingzheng, intent on finishing him off. Li Hao swung his sword without hesitation.

...

The sword energy streaked out, momentarily stalling the oppressive Dao Domain.

This casual strike carried as much force as Li Qingzheng’s earlier desperate, soul-burning attack.

Simultaneously, Li Hao used his object manipulation ability to pull Li Qingzheng’s battered body aside. Standing tall, sword in hand, Li Hao faced the imposing figure of the hundred-zhang demon.

“Hm?”

The demon sensed the surging vitality in Li Hao’s aura. Though he was only at the Three Immortals Realm, the intensity of his presence warranted a closer look.

“If you were at the Four Pillar Realm, I might take you a bit more seriously,” the demon said with a cold smile, “but you’re just a mere Three Immortals...”

Raising its massive claw, the demon struck down, its Dao Domain flattening everything in its path.

“How did you enter the Divine General Mansion?” Li Hao asked sharply.

“Through the command token, of course. Why else do you think we targeted your Li family’s Ten Sons? Their command tokens were swapped long ago.”

As the demon’s words echoed, its Dao Domain descended with devastating force.

Li Hao’s face darkened. All this had happened because of that?

“Fourth Uncle, go now! Find an escape route—don’t die!” Li Hao transmitted urgently.

Then, as the Dao Domain bore down on him, he swung his sword heavenward with all his might.

“Kill!”

The roar of the ancestor’s spirit seemed to echo in his ears.

The sword’s brilliance illuminated the sky, like the first ray of dawn banishing the darkness.

The sword light pierced through the Dao Domain. Although the domain’s suppressive rules sought to crush it, the demon’s domain was not one of flames. Lacking the ability to incinerate the sword energy outright, it instead exerted a terrifying compressive force, attempting to obliterate the strike.

However, the sword energy, wrapped in divine radiance, shone brilliantly as it sliced through, carving deeply into the demon’s massive chest. The attack severed tufts of black fur, leaving behind a noticeable wound.

Yet, the injury began to heal rapidly, the process visible to the naked eye.

“Hmph!”

The hundred-zhang demon snorted, angered. It raised its enormous claw and struck repeatedly, each blow accompanied by earth-shattering force.

Li Hao’s body flickered as he darted to and fro, narrowly evading the incoming strikes. With another swing of his sword, he forced the demon to pull back momentarily, creating some distance between them.

Despite his efforts, the gap in their realms was undeniable. The demon was at the Supreme Dao Realm, an entire great realm above Li Hao. Even with his enhanced strength from the ancestral spirit’s blessing and the divine armor, he could inflict only superficial injuries.

“I must unleash my full power,” Li Hao muttered, taking a deep breath.

“Do it. Dying in battle is an honor,” came the resolute voice of Li Tianyuan’s spirit.

Li Hao, however, had no intention of simply fighting to the death. But he understood there was no other option.

He extended the meridians of his body, releasing the limitations he had imposed on himself. In an instant, the surrounding essence of heaven and earth surged into his body like a raging torrent.

Originally limited to the Transcendent State at 30% power, he now pushed further, increasing his output to 50%...

And then to 70%!

The terrifying energy gathered around Li Hao like a storm, distorting the sky and causing the clouds to churn violently.

...

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