Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 249

Volume 3 - Chapter 15: Attracting the Candlefire God

Li Hao, who had been waiting for Li Tianzong to bring up the ancestral shrine, was suddenly stunned upon hearing his final whispered remark.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he raised his head in shock, springing up from the stool into a defensive posture.

But before him, Li Tianzong only smiled gently, as if to say, "Child, don't be afraid."

Li Hao was deeply shaken. Li Xiaoran's words echoed in his mind, recounting many things about the River of Death and repeatedly reminding him to play his role well and not reveal any clues.

Li Xiaoran had no reason to harm him.

Yet now, Li Tianzong had clearly realized that Li Hao was not his son!

"How did you..."

"Don't be nervous. Sit down."

Li Tianzong's face remained gentle as he gestured softly to Li Hao, saying:

"Earlier, I was muddle-headed, trapped in the River of Death like a sleepwalker, unable to control myself. But in recent days, my consciousness has occasionally cleared, and I’ve recalled many things."

"Child, I can sense the bloodline of the Li family in you. Are you my grandson or great-grandson?"

His gaze was filled with both comfort and anticipation as he looked at Li Hao.

Li Hao, recovering from his shock, frowned slightly but remained silent.

If he were to tell this grandfather that he had severed ties with the Li family, it would undoubtedly cause him grief...

Seeing Li Hao deep in thought and unresponsive, Li Tianzong assumed it was for other reasons and did not blame him. Instead, he smiled faintly and said:

"Let’s get to the point. I don’t have much time in this lucid state. Regardless of whose child you are, having a descendant like you in the Li family is my pride."

"I, Li Tianzong, may be inept, but my bloodline is remarkable, and my descendants are extraordinary!"

At this, he laughed heartily.

But his laughter soon faded as he turned to Li Hao with a solemn expression:

"Child, the River of Death is perilous. Though your talent is exceptional, you cannot hold it with your current cultivation. Even reaching the Supreme Dao Stage might not be enough... When the city falls tomorrow, go with my fourth brother to the ancestral shrine to hide!"

"Once there, you just need to sleep, and you’ll leave the River of Death."

Li Hao's heart trembled. Looking at his grandfather, he asked, "You’ve recognized him too?"

A faint smile appeared on Li Tianzong’s lips, but his gaze grew dim. "How could I not recognize Old Fourth? That shadow of mine... When we were young, he loved to follow me everywhere. But things are different now. This is the River of Death, and I am already dead."

"He no longer needs to follow me..."

Seeing the sorrow on Li Tianzong’s face, Li Hao asked in confusion, "But Fourth Uncle seems unaware that you’ve recognized him."

Li Xiaoran had never mentioned that Li Tianzong’s memory could regain clarity.

"You call him Fourth Uncle? Then you must be my grandson."

Li Tianzong immediately seized upon this clue, his eyes lighting up as he turned to Li Hao and said:

"Which of my sons fathered you? Who did he marry? A princess, perhaps? To have such a brilliant child!"

"Was it Little Nine or Little Six?"

"Judging by your looks, you must take after your mother. You seem close to Little Six—is it him?"

"..."

Li Hao gave a wry smile. Was this really the point?

When Li Hao didn’t answer, Li Tianzong looked somewhat regretful but said:

"I understand Old Fourth's temperament. If I acknowledge him, he’ll visit more frequently, risking even greater dangers to talk with me. But it’s not every time that he can reincarnate in the Divine General Mansion, nor every time that he can rely on the ancestral shrine to survive..."

"I'm telling you this so that once you leave, you can tell Old Fourth to stop coming to the River of Death. You should be the true dragon of this generation in the Li family. Use the True Dragon Token to order him to stop coming here. Remember this, child..."

Li Tianzong’s voice grew softer, though his speech quickened:

"...Also, don’t get close to the version of me you see daily..."

With that, he fell silent.

Li Hao hesitated, his gaze uncertain as he stared at him.

Moments later, Li Tianzong looked up again, his expression surprised as he asked, "When did you get here? Why are you standing? Sit and eat—finish quickly so you can rest early."

Li Hao paused but composed himself, sitting down without a word. He picked up his chopsticks to eat, all the while subtly observing his grandfather.

Compared to earlier, Li Tianzong now appeared troubled, entirely consistent with Li Hao’s usual impression of him—always worrying over Dragon City.

However, between his brows, there seemed to be a faint but ominous shadow, like a heavy cloud, exuding an unsettling aura.

...

Li Hao finished eating in silence and excused himself.

Returning to the city walls, he saw Li Xiaoran approaching.

"Well? Did he talk about the ancestral shrine?" Li Xiaoran asked via sound transmission.

"Did he mention it to you before?" Li Hao replied calmly.

"No, I discovered it on my own," Li Xiaoran said, shaking his head.

Li Hao’s eyes flickered slightly. Most likely, his grandfather had deliberately created a situation during his moments of lucidity, making Li Xiaoran believe the discovery was his own.

He chose not to reveal what had just occurred to Li Xiaoran.

With a battle imminent, he feared that knowing their grandfather occasionally regained lucidity might cause Li Xiaoran to lose composure. Li Xiaoran’s deep bond with his brother was evident. After leaving the Divine General Mansion, he had spent years guarding the River of Death like a wild hermit, enduring countless dangers, all for the sake of freeing his elder brother.

If he learned their grandfather occasionally regained awareness, he would likely risk everything to fight in the River of Death, becoming even more reckless.

Li Hao took a deep breath and buried the matter in his heart.

He would undoubtedly disappoint his grandfather. He was neither the Li family’s true dragon nor even part of the family anymore.

Restraining Fourth Uncle Li Xiaoran’s actions was something he could not accomplish. All he could do was conceal this information to avoid further complications.

"When you first arrived, did you reveal yourself to Grandfather?" Li Hao asked via sound transmission.

Li Xiaoran nodded. "I almost got into trouble. He nearly killed me. That’s why I warned you to hide your identity carefully and not expose yourself."

Li Hao understood. Li Xiaoran must have been overwhelmed with emotion when meeting their grandfather for the first time, which had led to his identity being exposed and almost attacked.

Li Tianzong’s warning—"Don’t get close to the version of me you see daily"—was likely out of concern that Li Hao might reveal himself.

Clearly, the usual Li Tianzong, though seemingly normal and acting as the steadfast general of Dragon City and an ideal “father,” would become extremely aggressive if identities were exposed. This must have been due to the River of Death’s influence.

...

"The demons are coming again," Li Xiaoran said.

Li Hao, still deep in thought, looked up at the distance upon hearing this.

A tide of demons swarmed outside the city walls once more.

Taking a deep breath, his eyes turned icy as he said, "That Candlefire God and the old dragon must be watching us from the shadows. If we leave, they might strike. Why don’t we draw them out in advance?"

Li Xiaoran glanced at him and nodded. "We could. Do you want to fight them here?"

"Let’s give it a try. I want to experience the power of a Dao Domain!"

Li Hao declared.

"Alright."

Seeing Li Hao’s determination, Li Xiaoran agreed. Geniuses were born to go against the tide. Despite the terrors of the Supreme Dao Stage, only personal experience could push one to their limits.

"Fourth Uncle will fight by your side!"

Li Xiaoran declared.

...

The tide of demons surged forward. Li Hao and Li Xiaoran communicated through sound transmission, and both moved into action, wielding their divine weapons to slaughter through the demonic horde.

As the demon kings hidden within the tide were forced out by their successive attacks, they chose to withdraw their divine weapons and instead flew back toward the city with both their weapons and their bodies.

...

In the distance, within the demonic tide, the Candlefire God, Lu Yuan, and Yin Furen watched the weapons retreat to the city walls. Their expressions changed slightly.

“Damn those bastards—are they retreating already?”

“Aren’t they from the Li family? Don’t they swear to guard the city gates to the death?” Lu Yuan growled, his expression turning fierce with rage.

“They might be trying to lure us out deliberately,” the Candlefire God said with a grim expression.

“But what if they’re really retreating?” Yin Furen frowned. “The demon tide has already reached the Absolute Technique Stage, comparable to their strength. It’s understandable if they’ve lost hope—there are still seven days left.”

“Enough! Let’s go. Have those others follow as well. I can’t wait anymore. To hell with waiting ten days—we’ll break through today!”

The Candlefire God took a deep breath. Scheme or not, he couldn’t let this chance slip by.

If the two from the Li family abandoned the city and attempted to leave the River of Death, they had to intercept them. Li Xiaoran, who had ventured into the River of Death multiple times and returned alive, clearly held a key secret about it.

If they left ahead of time and retreated to Liangzhou or even Qingzhou, it would be much harder to act against them. Moreover, their return would disrupt the strategic deployments in Qingzhou. These troublesome figures needed to be dealt with here and now.

“We can’t let that brat escape!”

The Candlefire God transmitted his orders and exchanged a glance with Yin Furen, who immediately understood. She raised her hand, releasing a black crescent moon that soared into the sky, scattering endless silvery moonlight across the demonic abyss.

Moments later, several immense figures that the Candlefire God had previously visited and scouted noticed the radiant moonlight.

However, only two of them responded, their auras pressing closer to the Candlefire God.

His face darkened slightly—only two had responded. These prideful beings were far too arrogant!

“Just dead souls,” he thought bitterly, anger flickering across his mind. He kept his composure, knowing that even two would suffice.

“Move!”

With a low shout, the Candlefire God led Yin Furen and Lu Yuan as they flew toward Dragon City.

The three figures streaked across the demon tide, covering dozens of miles in an instant, appearing outside the protective array surrounding the city.

Boom!

A blazing fist erupted from the Candlefire God’s hand, slamming into the array with tremendous force.

Dragon City’s protective divine array trembled violently, lighting up with dazzling golden divine runes that shimmered with a fierce intensity.

“This array can actually withstand my Dao Domain Flame Fist!”

A trace of fury flashed across the Candlefire God’s face. In the real world, where could such a formation exist? Could it be one of the divine arrays from the Imperial Palace itself?

...

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