Chapter 59: The Sacred Palace
“What?!”
Li Fu, who was about to step forward to assist, froze at the sight of the black flood dragon suddenly plummeting to the ground.
His eyes immediately darted around, searching for clues. He had noticed the fleeting black light earlier—it had to be an external intervention!
Sweeping his spirit outward, he scanned the surroundings.
The absolute-grade spirit refinement technique allowed his spirit to roam a radius of eighteen li!
Although Li Fu wasn’t a direct descendant of the Li family, his prior first-class military merits and Li Tiangang’s support had enabled him to exchange for the Li family’s absolute-grade spirit refinement technique. Within the Spirit Wandering Realm, he was considered a formidable figure.
However, as he scanned every detail within eighteen li, he found no sign of anyone else.
At that moment, the burly man also came to his senses. His expression changed dramatically as he began searching for the mysterious benefactor. Finding no trace, he immediately realized that the person must have concealed their presence, unwilling to reveal their identity. Bowing deeply, he expressed his gratitude:
“Thank you, senior, for your assistance. May I have your name so I can repay this life-saving favor in the future!”
His voice carried across fifteen li.
For a long time, there was no response.
Wei Feng smiled bitterly. A senior capable of slaying this flood dragon with a single strike likely wouldn’t care for his gratitude. Still, he felt a sense of regret.
Turning to Li Fu, he asked, “Could this senior be from your Divine General Mansion?”
Li Fu was stunned. He wondered if it might have been the grandmaster accompanying this man.
The Divine General Mansion… Aside from himself, there shouldn’t be anyone else here, right?
Or could it be someone dispatched from the Four Academies?
Uncertain, he replied, “I’m not sure. However, if a senior was willing to act, this kindness will not be forgotten by our Divine General Mansion!”
With that, he too bowed deeply toward the surrounding heavens and earth.
...
“My… my husband’s presence…”
Thirty li away, the mother black flood dragon’s pupils contracted sharply. She sensed her husband’s once-vital and imposing presence fading away until it completely vanished.
She quickly turned to look at Li Hao, only to see his calm demeanor. It was as though he had merely flicked a pebble, and now he stood leisurely, watching her with a composed expression.
“What did you do to my husband?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“What do you think?”
Li Hao smiled faintly. “Your husband likely won’t make it here in time. You might as well give up. If you’re willing to cooperate, I might consider sparing your life.”
The mother black flood dragon trembled violently. She could only sense her husband’s presence fading, yet she didn’t know what had happened. The distance was far beyond the reach of her soul perception.
However, Li Hao’s demeanor filled her with an intense unease.
“Fine, ask what you want to know, and I’ll tell you everything,” she said hesitantly, her tone suddenly becoming coquettish, dripping with weakness and helplessness.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow, immediately recalling the seductive tricks of demonic creatures often described in storybooks. These demons were not just brute strength; in their weaker states, they used honeyed words to beguile and confuse.
“Don’t try to fool me. Tell me about the Yenbei Demon Race. Why do they insist on attacking us?” Li Hao asked coldly.
“Loosen your grip a little, and I’ll tell you,” the mother black flood dragon said softly, her tone still cloyingly sweet.
“Stop stalling!” Li Hao barked.
The black mist around her dissipated, and the mother black flood dragon reverted to her human form—a beautiful woman. Her slender figure crumpled to the ground like a fragile willow, her cheek still pressed under Li Hao’s boot, her appearance utterly disheveled. Yet her expression was one of softness and allure, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she gazed at Li Hao.
“Don’t you know how to show pity for beauty?”
“I have no interest in a snake,” Li Hao replied coldly.
A flicker of shame and anger flashed through the black flood dragon woman’s eyes. She hated being called a snake above all else, but for the sake of survival, she suppressed her rage and spoke weakly:
“I don’t know much about Yenbei. If you let go of me, we can talk slowly, can’t we?”
Her hand moved subtly, brushing against Li Hao’s boot and inching up toward his leg.
Sensing her actions, Li Hao sneered, “I have to admire your boldness. Your husband just died, and you’re already trying to seduce someone else here.”
“Hmm?”
The black flood dragon woman froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. “W-what did you say? My… my husband, he…”
Seeing Li Hao’s cold gaze, her heart felt as though it had been struck by a heavy hammer. She recalled the sudden decline of her husband’s presence and the sharp shard that had struck him down.
Her eyes reddened instantly. The softness on her face vanished, replaced by rage and madness as she glared at Li Hao. “You killed my husband! I’ll kill you!”
“I gave you a chance to live. Don’t waste it,” Li Hao said.
“Want to know about Yenbei? Dream on!”
The black flood dragon woman roared, her voice filled with frenzy. “We demons of Yenbei swear an oath—never to betray the Sacred Palace! You’ll get nothing from me! Die! I’ll see you dead!”
She lunged at Li Hao with claws outstretched, even attempting to bite his boot. Her body writhed, transforming back into her flood dragon form.
Li Hao frowned slightly. He hadn’t expected such an intense reaction upon learning of her husband’s death. Could demons truly feel genuine love?
Watching her thrash about madly, Li Hao pressed her head down again to subdue her.
But the mother black flood dragon seemed to have lost all reason. Her growls and struggles intensified. Seeing no other choice, Li Hao decided to end it.
With a single strike, he crushed her head. The sharp, piercing roars ceased abruptly.
Li Hao flicked the blood off his hand and glanced at the faintly twitching dragon tail, sighing softly.
He hadn’t been able to extract any information.
As for the Sacred Palace and the Yenbei Demon Race’s plans to invade the Great Yu, it was likely his estranged father, whom he hadn’t seen in years, knew more than he did.
Shaking his head, Li Hao turned and strode back to the roadside tea stall.
The flood dragon’s corpse would be found by Fu Bo and the others following behind. They would handle it.
...
At the tea stall, Li Hao returned silently from the direction of the main road, startling the group. Yu Wei jumped in fright, nearly leaping from his seat.
Li Yuanzhao froze for a moment, then hurriedly stepped forward with excitement. Lowering his voice, he asked, “Brother Hao, have you already reached the Soul Fusion Realm?”
Li Hao was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized why he was asking. Smiling, he nodded.
“Soul Fusion, huh? It’s been a while since that happened.”
“Really?!” Li Yuanzhao’s eyes widened, his excitement palpable.
Li Hao noticed the genuine joy in Li Yuanzhao’s expression and patted his shoulder with a grin. “It’s no big deal. Don’t make a fuss. Have you all had your fill?”
Li Yuanzhao was already accustomed to Li Hao’s nonchalant attitude, but to him, this was no small matter. Whispering fervently, he said, “If Auntie hears that you’ve reached Soul Fusion, she’ll be overjoyed!”
“Hmm.”
Thinking of the dignified and gracious woman who had treated him with unwavering kindness over the years, Li Hao felt a moment of solemn respect.
Time revealed true character. When he first arrived in this strange world and struggled to adapt to the powerful household’s environment, he had misjudged people’s intentions and suffered for it.
Now, after spending years in their company, he had discerned the personalities of the ladies from each courtyard.
For example, the Fourth Madam, who adopted Yuanzhao, was no simple figure.
Though childless, she kept a low profile in the family and appeared gentle and approachable.
“Li Hao, where did you go?” Du Qiuyue asked curiously when she saw him return.
“There was a demon causing trouble. I went to deal with it,” Li Hao replied casually. He hadn’t planned to mention it, but since they were heading to Qizhou soon to exterminate demons, a little advance warning might help keep them vigilant and safe.
“A demon?”
The group was momentarily stunned. Ren Qianqian looked at Li Hao intently, as if trying to gauge the truth of his words.
The tea stall’s old owner was equally taken aback. “Young master, did you say demon?”
Li Hao addressed the old man, “It’s getting dark. You should pack up and head home early.”
“But was it really a demon?” the old man asked, his curiosity clearly piqued.
Li Hao chuckled but inwardly sighed. He wasn’t sure why he felt the urge to sigh.
Without saying more, he ensured everyone had eaten their fill, then called for them to mount their horses and set off.
...
On his crimson blood horse, Li Hao rode ahead. Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue, now feeling more at ease around him, cautiously asked whether he had truly reached the Soul Fusion Realm.
Li Hao smiled and nodded, neither confirming nor denying outright.
Their eyes widened in astonishment, marveling repeatedly. None of them had expected that the strongest disciple of the First Academy was right in their midst.
The young swordswoman, sitting on her horse with her sword in hand, subtly tightened her grip on the reins.
As Li Hao and his group departed the tea stall, far above in the distant sky, a nondescript bird flitted through the clouds, flying swiftly toward the horizon.
The bird’s eyes reflected deep fear. It knew it had to deliver this crucial intelligence to Yenbei and to Bai Shenjun.
“Li family scion, age fourteen, suspected to be a grandmaster!”
Without a doubt, once this news spread, it would shake the world.
The elders of the Sacred Palace, upon hearing of it, would never allow a second disciple of Qiandao Palace to rise among the human race.
After the bird and the group on horseback disappeared, Li Fu and Wei Feng arrived at the forest where the mother flood dragon’s body lay. They had followed the overwhelming scent of blood to the site.