Chapter 114: Hao'er's Talent Surpasses Your Imagination!
"Second Uncle, stop covering for him!"
Li Tiangang said coldly, "Although you are my uncle, I am the True Dragon of the Li family. You’d best stay out of this. Don’t forget the rules set by our ancestors. Do I need to summon their spirits, even if it risks damaging their honor?"
"You… you’re insane!"
Li Muxiu’s face twisted with rage as he raised his hand, ready to strike.
Li Tiangang didn’t flinch. He only fixed his cold gaze on Li Muxiu and said, "Second Uncle, this has gone on long enough. We’ve given those watching plenty of entertainment. Do you really want to add more to their amusement?"
"You’re worried about being laughed at?"
Li Muxiu’s face darkened. He could sense that martial artists from all over the city were converging here, eager to witness this drama at the Divine General Mansion. Among them were several powerful presences he recognized—renowned figures from years past.
Today’s events would surely spread far and wide, tarnishing the reputation of the Divine General Mansion.
"You’re utterly reckless!"
Li Muxiu glared at Li Tiangang before turning his gaze to the blood-soaked young man on the ground. His eyes reddened as he knelt to cradle Li Hao in his arms, gritting his teeth.
"Li Tiangang! Before I left, I entrusted Hao’er to your care. How did you promise me you’d look after him? And this is what you’ve done?!"
Li Tiangang’s expression darkened. "I gave him a chance. But he went too far. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done this."
Li Muxiu trembled with rage but restrained himself. With things as they were, treating Hao’er’s injuries took precedence.
"Hao’er, hold on. Your second uncle will make this right for you."
With that, he prepared to leave with Li Hao in his arms.
Li Hao shook his head weakly and said, "It doesn’t matter anymore, Second Uncle."
Li Muxiu’s body stiffened, but then he heard Li Hao continue, "From this day on, I will no longer bear the Li name. Nor will I use anything of the Li family. Everything I’ve consumed and used over the years, I’ll repay."
"But this life is my own. Tell him that his son… died long ago, assassinated!"
At these words, Li Hao’s chest heaved violently. Blood surged from his mouth as the two dragon spikes piercing his body twisted, dragging his wounds open. The agony was as if his spine were being ripped out, causing him to clench his teeth in pain.
Li Muxiu’s heart shook at Li Hao’s words, his vision blurring with tears. "Hao’er, how can you say such things? It’s my fault for being late. I’ll take you for treatment right away."
"No."
Li Hao’s eyes, previously dim, suddenly gleamed with determination. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Second Uncle, just help me remove these things. I can walk on my own!"
He wasn’t entirely boasting. Thanks to the restorative properties of the chessboard’s Conceal Light and Cultivate Darkness, he could regenerate even severed limbs, though it would take time.
This ability was the unique trait of the first stage of the Three Immortals Realm.
Li Muxiu’s gaze fell on the two dragon fangs embedded in Li Hao’s body, his eyes quivering with fury. He extended his hand and released a force to stabilize the fangs, preventing further tearing of the wounds.
He then turned and shot a fierce glare at Li Tiangang before speeding toward the Divine General Mansion with Li Hao. Removing the dragon fangs on the spot might overwhelm Li Hao.
"Second Uncle…"
Li Hao called out urgently, but his anxious state caused his blood to surge. His vision blackened, and he fainted.
"Tiangang, you’ve gone too far!"
As Li Muxiu carried Li Hao away, Li Qingzheng gave Li Tiangang a deep look before sweeping his sleeves and following.
The other onlookers exchanged complicated glances. They wanted to intervene, but Li Tiangang’s fury was evident, and even Fifth Uncle couldn’t dissuade him. What could they do?
Moreover, Li Hao’s defiance against Li Tiangang was shocking. They didn’t know whom to support. Criticizing Li Tiangang would mean condoning Li Hao’s actions, which violated family ethics.
The best outcome would have been for Li Tiangang to subdue Li Hao and then address the matter calmly. Who would’ve thought the conflict between father and son would escalate into a fight that shook the heavens? Li Tiangang’s strikes were heavy-handed, while Li Hao’s resilience was unyielding.
"Seventh Brother, you acted rashly this time."
Li Xuanli approached with a complex expression. "No matter what, Hao’er is still just a child. And he’s talented. Although I’ve rarely interacted with him, I can tell he’s well-mannered. This matter needs thorough investigation."
Li Tiangang wanted to respond but suddenly coughed up blood. Covering his chest, his towering figure swayed unsteadily.
Li Xuanli was startled and hurried forward to support him. Only then did he remember that Li Tiangang’s injuries from suppressing his oath must have been severe. He hadn’t expected the battle with Li Hao to push him to such limits.
Then, as if realizing something, Li Xuanli’s eyes lit up with a smile. "Tiangang, did Hao’er just step into the Grandmaster Realm?"
Li Tiangang’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded. "Yes."
"Haha, incredible!"
Li Xuanli couldn’t help but laugh. "A Grandmaster at fourteen? That’s unbelievable. Has there ever been such a prodigy in the Li family?"
Li Tiangang fell silent, shaking his head slightly. "Let’s return first. No matter how talented he is, he must walk the right path."
Li Xuanli quickly lowered his voice and whispered, "You should talk to the boy properly. There may be more to this than it seems."
Li Tiangang’s gaze turned cold. "Compared to what he did today, that doesn’t matter."
Li Xuanli was taken aback. Staring at the resolute and unfamiliar expression on his seventh brother’s face, he froze. For a moment, he felt as though the man who had battled across Yanbei for over a decade was a stranger…
...
...
Back at the Divine General Mansion, everyone had returned.
In the Shanhe Courtyard, within a bedroom, the crowd stood around, looking at the blood-soaked boy lying on the bed. Their gazes shifted to the divine doctor tending to Li Hao’s wounds. He Jianlan asked anxiously, "How is it? Why hasn’t Hao’er regained consciousness yet?"
The divine doctor furrowed his brows, his face a mixture of disbelief and confusion. "Strange. This is very strange."
"What’s strange?" Li Muxiu demanded as he paced back and forth.
After some hesitation, the divine doctor explained, "Young Master Hao’s body seems unable to absorb the medicine. It’s as though his meridians are completely sealed off, rendering all the healing medicines ineffective."
Li Muxiu’s face turned pale. He rushed to the bedside and saw that the precious medicine applied to Li Hao’s wounds was indeed washing away with the blood, without being absorbed. His voice trembled. "How… how could this happen?"
The divine doctor, having never encountered such a phenomenon before, was at a loss for words.
"Then Hao’er’s injuries..." Li Muxiu’s voice cracked. "Are we just supposed to let him die?"
The divine doctor quickly reassured him, "Please don’t worry. Although Young Master Hao’s body cannot absorb the medicine, it is slowly healing on its own, as if..."
He hesitated before finally continuing, "As if it were the Immortal Body from the Three Immortals Realm."
The divine doctor had treated individuals from the Three Immortals Realm before, and the signs he observed were strikingly similar.
The room fell silent, everyone stunned by the revelation.
Comparable to the Immortal Body from the Three Immortals Realm?
Could it be that during this battle, Li Hao had stepped into the realm of the Three Immortals?
Impossible!
Even Li Tiangang, sitting in a corner, his body wrapped in bandages, couldn’t hide his shock. Li Hao entering the Heaven and Man Realm was already beyond his expectations. For him to leap from the Fifteen Li Realm to the Immortal Stage? Even a reincarnated saint couldn’t achieve such a feat!
In the crowd, Liu Yurong’s face also shifted, her expression betraying her astonishment.
"Li Tiangang!"
Li Muxiu suddenly turned around, storming up to Li Tiangang. His voice was filled with anger and bitterness. "Look at what you’ve done! Hao’er’s physique is special, unable to absorb medicine. You claimed his accomplishments were due to the family’s resources? You don’t understand your own son at all!"
Li Tiangang was momentarily speechless. This was indeed beyond anything he had anticipated.
His marriage to Hao’er’s mother had been an extraordinary case, and Li Hao’s unique physique was almost unheard of. Even if there had been similar cases in history, they had gone unnoticed.
The others in the room exchanged uneasy glances. Gazing at the bloodstained boy on the bed, they were silent.
To achieve such a level of cultivation without relying on any medicinal aids was shocking, even to those who had encountered countless prodigies and geniuses.
Outside the room, in the courtyard, Li Mingguang, Li Wushuang, and Li Qianfeng overheard the conversation, their faces showing utter disbelief.
As members of the Li family, they considered themselves well-versed in recognizing talent. Yet compared to the severely injured boy lying inside, their own accomplishments suddenly seemed trivial.
Li Qianfeng’s face paled, and his hand inside his sleeve clenched tightly into a fist.
"Hao-gege..."
Inside the room, Bian Ruxue stood at the foot of the bed, her eyes filled with a mix of awe and worry.
"What do we do now?"
Li Muxiu turned to the divine doctor, his voice heavy with urgency.
The divine doctor looked at Li Hao and hesitated before saying with reluctance, "If Young Master Hao cannot use medicinal aids, he will have to rely on his natural healing abilities. However, the dragon fangs are still embedded in his body, continuously aggravating his injuries and significantly slowing his recovery..."
Li Muxiu’s fists clenched, his knuckles cracking as he suppressed his fury. "Then we’ll remove the dragon fangs first."
Hearing this, Li Tiangang’s lips moved as if he wanted to speak, but he ultimately held back.
"I’ll help." Li Qingzheng immediately stepped forward.
The divine doctor nodded and instructed, "Please protect his heart and meridians to prevent additional tearing during the extraction."
Following his guidance, Li Qingzheng and Li Muxiu worked in tandem. One safeguarded Li Hao’s vital points, while the other carefully removed the dragon fangs.
As the piercing chains were withdrawn, Li Hao coughed up blood, his face twisted in pain. His furrowed brows suggested he was trapped in a tormenting nightmare, yet he did not awaken.
Li Muxiu’s eyes reddened. Watching the divine doctor bandage Li Hao’s wounds and wipe away the blood, he took a deep breath, suppressing his rage. "Everyone out. Hao’er needs rest. I’ll get to the bottom of why you’ve done this to him!"
As he spoke, he shot a glare at Li Tiangang before walking out of the room.
The others sighed and followed suit.
Li Qingzheng remained behind to look after Li Hao. He glanced at Liu Yurong, who lingered at the door, her expression conflicted. His gaze darkened slightly.
He had witnessed the entire incident and now harbored certain suspicions.
...
...
"So, Hao’er injured Qianfeng as vengeance for the poisoning back then?"
In the Li family’s Hall of Justice, everyone had gathered.
Li Muxiu sat at the head of the hall, exuding a menacing aura. His sharp gaze swept across Liu Yurong.
He suddenly recalled that during his first meeting with Li Hao, the boy had been somewhat wary of him.
Bitterness surged in his heart. In hindsight, Li Hao’s caution must have stemmed from the memory of the poisoning, leaving him guarded against everyone.
"Second Uncle, that’s mere speculation. You shouldn’t jump to conclusions."
Liu Yurong rose swiftly. "Hao’er is unruly and mingles with all sorts of people. Who knows what kind of nonsense he’s picked up from servants or troublemakers who want to see the Divine General Mansion in chaos?"
"Silence!"
Li Muxiu slammed his palm on the table, roaring, "Poisonous woman! Do you think I don’t know what kind of person Hao’er is? With his temperament, if he had no enmity with you, would he even care about the position of the True Dragon?"
"Even if he handed it over to your son, what would it matter?"
"Fame? Glory?"
Li Muxiu let out a bitter laugh. "With Hao’er’s talent, such things are but trifles to him!"
"At thirteen, he had already reached the Fifteen Li Realm!"
"What?!"
The crowd gasped in unison.
A thirteen-year-old in the Fifteen Li Realm?!
Li Muxiu glared at Liu Yurong, his tone mocking. "Tell me, would a boy who reached the Fifteen Li Realm at thirteen have any need to covet fame and fortune? Who in the world wouldn’t know his name?!"
The hall fell into a stunned silence.
Given Li Muxiu’s character, his words were unlikely to be false. Moreover, even if Hao’er had reached the realm at fourteen instead of thirteen, it would still be extraordinary enough to astound the world.
Liu Yurong regained her composure, forcing her pale face to remain steady. "Second Uncle, even if Hao’er is exceptionally talented, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t covet the position of the True Dragon. With the resources it provides and the guidance of our ancestors, wouldn’t that help him achieve even greater heights? For a genius, wouldn’t that be an irresistible temptation?"
Li Muxiu sneered. "Still trying to argue? Do you think I don’t know Hao’er’s nature?"
"He cares nothing for wealth or fame, nor for glory or disgrace!"
"This boy’s talent surpasses anything you can imagine. Don’t forget, when he wasn’t fishing with me, he was amusing himself with trivial hobbies. Have any of you ever seen him cultivate?"
The words shocked the crowd, including the other ladies of the courtyard.
It was true.
Over the years, they had never once seen Hao’er practice martial arts.
...
Competition? As Li Muxiu said, while Li Qianfeng might be outstanding—a peerless dragon among men, a disciple of the Boundless Buddhist Lord—compared to Li Hao…
He truly didn’t measure up!