Chapter 230: Two Slaps Suppress
Chapter 230: Two Slaps Suppress
At the summit of Holy Mountain, in the Ji Family's Council Hall.
The Ji Family has numerous branches. Apart from the few brothers close to Ji Yunge who were accompanying him on his final journey, the rest of the elders and branches had gathered here.
Earlier, they had wanted to visit Ji Yunge, as he was their War God and deserved respect. However, Patriarch Ji Daosin had stopped them, knowing that Ji Yunge's return to the family at the brink of death was driven by his attachment to certain things within the family.
The presence of others might not make him feel at ease and could even be a hindrance.
Having fought for the Ji Family all his life, Ji Daosin hoped that Ji Yunge could leave in peace and quiet, according to his own wishes, without being burdened by trivial matters.
Now, some of the elders and heads of various branches had gathered to discuss Ji Yunge's return.
"Pity, War God Yunge is about to dissipate. Otherwise, this young man bringing back War God Yunge's Heroic Souls would have been a great service to our Ji Family!"
"If War God Yunge wants this young man to join the Ji Family, it will surely break the rules."
"Back then, we didn't heavily punish Ji Qingqing out of respect for Thirteenth Master. She, as a direct descendant, committed a grave sin, and yet she only received a thousand-year imprisonment, a lenient punishment. If we now allow her son to join the clan, it could be a sign of our clan's decline!"
"Indeed, if we set this precedent, what will we do when other prodigies marry into other clans in the future?"
The crowd was buzzing with discussion, and most were against the idea. Some were even stirring up trouble, secretly led by Ji Qingyuan.
Since Ji Qingyuan consecutively broke through to the Fourth Establishment Realm and became the new War God of the Ji Family, many had aligned themselves with him.
Beside Ji Daosin, in a wicker chair, sat an old man with snow-white hair, his brows exuding an air of authority without anger. This was Ji Qingyuan.
His eyes were indifferent, as if he was not involved in the debate, but his mere presence and a single word of opposition made his followers understand his intention and act on his behalf.
"I have already promised War God Yunge. He is our War God, who has fought tirelessly for the Ji Family for half his life. Now that his soul can return to his homeland, shouldn't we be grateful to that young man?"
Ji Daosin remained calm and said, "Moreover, the matter with Qingqing is already settled and need not be discussed again. The young man has Qingqing's bloodline, but he is from another clan. According to the rules, he should be executed. However, he risked his life to escort War God Yunge back. This act of devotion should be carefully considered by all of you."
"Patriarch, the young man's actions are merely an attempt to use his service to join our Ji Family."
An elder said, "His intentions are obvious."
"Indeed, he wants to use our Ji Family's resources to soar to greatness. What a delusion!"
A more temperamental elder added, his family having once been prominent.
"Some of you, War God Yunge once said that the young man is a prodigy of extraordinary talent. If our Ji Family can truly gain such a prodigy, it could be a good thing."
There were also people from Ji Yunge's lineage who came to discuss the matter.
"Hmph, our Ji Family is not short of prodigies. With our resources, even a slightly talented individual can be cultivated into a prodigy. Why would we need a half-blood mongrel?"
The temperamental elder sneered.
This harsh insult caused several faces to darken with anger.
They were all from Ji Yunge's lineage, and Ji Qingqing's children were their juniors, sharing a closer bloodline.
However, the Ji Family forbade inter-clan marriages, and many had been executed or imprisoned for it. Those from ordinary backgrounds were insulted even more harshly. Though they were angry, they knew that getting angry over this would only make things worse.
"Putting that aside, even if we allow him to join the Ji Family, will he be considered a Secondary Lineage or a Main Lineage?" an elder asked.
Hearing this, the debate quieted down, and many turned their eyes to Ji Daosin.
Ji Daosin remained calm, his gaze sweeping over Ji Qingyuan. He knew this was the real reason Ji Qingyuan had come to protest.
While the Ji Family could unite against external enemies, the internal conflicts that had accumulated over thousands of years were complex and difficult to resolve. The treatment of direct and secondary lineages varied greatly, especially due to bloodline and Sacred Bone considerations.
For example, those of the Secondary Lineage could only live on the Floating Islands outside Holy Mountain.
Even a figure like Ji Qingyuan, a War God, could not reside on Holy Mountain.
Despite his high rank and power, the "Qing" in his name indicated that he was a Secondary Lineage member, inherently inferior to those of the Main Lineage.
This was because the Secondary Lineage, as a whole, occupied the middle and lower ranks of the Ji Family, while the Main Lineage held the upper echelons of power and was generally stronger.
Although Ji Qingyuan was powerful and had become a War God, he was still from the Secondary Lineage and could not escape the blemish of his birth.
The differences between the main and secondary lineages have long been ingrained in the Ji Family's very bones, often leading to prejudice and arrogance.
For example, some ancestors were imperial relatives, and even if their descendants wandered, destitute and starving, they would still boast about their noble lineage, sometimes to the point of madness, lost in the glory of their ancestors and unwilling to accept the reality of their decline.
Or take the ancient nobles, who, despite their decline, still look down on the suddenly wealthy merchants, deeming them vulgar and uncultured.
People often mock others for their shortcomings while taking pride in their own strengths.
Even someone who is utterly useless except for their good looks might mock a person of great talent and power for being ugly, finding solace in this way.
This is even more true for the vast differences between the main and secondary lineages, where there are significant gaps in strength and other aspects, which is why the main lineage can firmly hold the upper echelons.
Cases like Ji Qingyuan, who was born into the secondary lineage but unexpectedly awakened a Sacred Bone, are extremely rare, with only two such cases in ten thousand years.
Being treated with arrogance for so long inevitably breeds anger and hatred.
Ji Daosin saw through Ji Qingyuan's thoughts and could empathize, but he knew this was a dead end, one that only a Sage could resolve.
And he was not a Sage. Unless the founding ancestor were to be reborn and use the power of a Sage to spread the way, the grudges between the main and secondary lineages, rooted in blood and Sacred Bones, would persist forever.
Now, the young man's arrival is merely a small fissure in the long-standing grudges of the Ji Family.
The problem lies not with the young man himself, but in Ji Qingyuan's heart, and in the accumulated grudges between the main and secondary lineages over thousands of years.
After a long silence, Ji Daosin said, "He is Ji Qingqing's child and should belong to the main lineage. However, whether he is of the main or secondary lineage can be determined by the concentration of his bloodline. According to Yun Ge, he has the potential of a prodigy, and it's possible he might have the Ji Family's Sacred Bone."
"If he has a Natural Sacred Bone, he should be placed in the main lineage. If he lacks a Sacred Bone and has ordinary talent, he will be placed in the secondary lineage. What do you all think?"
Upon hearing his words, many of the elders exchanged glances, their eyes flickering.
Ji Qingyuan felt Ji Daosin's gaze and knew the patriarch was truly asking for his opinion.
But he remained expressionless and did not speak.
"If he is placed in the secondary lineage, then whether he can become a Ji Family prodigy depends on his own strength!" one elder said.
"Exactly. Escorting Yun Ge, the War God, back might save his life, but not much more. It's already a mercy that he hasn't been executed. For someone with Other Clan blood to come and taint our Ji Family is ridiculous!"
"Do you all agree to let him join the Ji Family? I don't approve. Even if he is in the secondary lineage, he is not worthy!"
"Other Clan blood, if he marries into our Ji Family's secondary lineage, won't that dilute our bloodline even further?"
The elders began to debate again.
Seeing Ji Qingyuan's indifference, Ji Daosin's eyes narrowed slightly, and his face darkened. "Enough!"
The two words were spoken softly but immediately silenced the room.
These elders were not speaking recklessly; they had their own purposes and intentions. Seeing that they had angered the patriarch, their expressions changed.
"If you have objections, let's put it to a vote at the Elder Council!" Ji Daosin said coldly.
Hearing this, many of the elders' faces changed. The main lineage elders outnumbered the secondary lineage, and if the council were convened, with Ji Yunge's support, the young man might be directly placed in the main lineage!
They were arguing now to avoid the Elder Council, as convening it was not a good thing for the Ji Family. Many elders were either in seclusion or defending their territories and could not all be summoned easily.
But if the council were called, they would have to be summoned.
Ji Qingyuan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he slowly said, "Since the patriarch has already made a decision, I agree with his thoughts."
"Our Ji Family values strength above all. Whether he is of the main or secondary lineage should depend on his own strength."
"If he has a Sacred Bone, expelling him from our Ji Family would be laughable. Other Ancient Holy Clans would laugh at us!"
"Since the War God Yun Ge favors him so much, he must have some exceptional qualities. Why not let Qing Shuang test him?"
His silence until now had been strategic, and his words now silenced the room.
Ji Daosin's eyes narrowed, sensing the hidden meaning in the phrase "value strength above all."
Ji Qingyuan, though a War God, still bore the name of the secondary lineage. He was using this opportunity to tell others that secondary lineage warriors were no less capable than those of the main lineage, aiming to secure equal treatment for his descendants!
Despite Ji Qingyuan's current status as a War God, no one dared to look down on him openly, but his actions were a statement in support of other secondary lineage warriors he had helped rise to success.
Reflecting on all this, Ji Daosin sighed inwardly, knowing that the conflict between the main and secondary lineages, which had erupted thousands of years ago, might soon flare up again.
"Youthful War God Qing Yuan’s words make sense. In our Great Wasteland Sky Demons, the weak are prey for the strong, and the mighty have always been revered while the weak submit!"
"Exactly, whether he is of the main or secondary lineage depends on whether he is strong or weak!"
Many high-ranking members of the Secondary Lineage immediately spoke up, repeating Ji Qingyuan’s words, feeling a sense of satisfaction.
The Main Lineage has its weaklings, and the Secondary Lineage has its strong ones. However, the strong of the Secondary Lineage always felt a step lower in the presence of the Main Lineage. This bitter and angry feeling had long been a source of frustration for them.
Originally, some Ji Family high-ranking members who were not related to Ji Yunge or Ji Qingyuan were about to speak, hoping to discuss the matter from an "objective" angle. But seeing that Ji Qingyuan had reached an agreement with the Patriarch, they realized there was no need to delve further.
"Since that's the case..."
Ji Daosin was about to speak when a figure suddenly rushed into the council hall and stopped at the entrance.
"Report to the Patriarch, there’s trouble at the foot of the mountain."
"Hmm?"
Ji Daosin was slightly taken aback. His Divine Sense quickly spread out, and without asking, he began to investigate.
"What happened?"
An Elder beside him, however, did not dare to release his Divine Sense so recklessly to cover the entire Holy Mountain. He asked with a puzzled look.
"Prodigy Ji Yufeng is fighting with the outsider!"
The guard reporting the news hurriedly explained.
Hearing this, everyone was stunned. They exchanged glances, and an elder from the Secondary Lineage asked, "You mean the young man who brought back War God Yun Ge?"
"Yes, it’s him", the guard nodded.
"Absolutely outrageous!"
"Coming here and daring to fight our Ji Family Prodigy, how audacious!"
"Good, let Ji Yufeng teach him a lesson. It will save him from his arrogance. Our Ji Family is not a place for anyone to act recklessly!"
Many people were enraged.
Ji Qingyuan stood up, sensing that Ji Daosin was using his Divine Sense to investigate. Although he was a War God, he was neither Ji Daosin nor of the Main Lineage, and thus could not rashly probe the entire Holy Mountain. He bowed slightly and said:
"I was planning to have Qing Shuang test him, but it seems that’s no longer necessary. I’ll go see how this Prodigy fares. A half-blood from the Main Lineage should be quite powerful, after all."
With that, he smiled faintly, bid farewell to the Patriarch, and left the hall.
Following his lead, the others did not delay either. They all took their leave from the Patriarch and hurried off to witness the spectacle.
"That child..."
A few people from Ji Yunge’s line also changed their expressions, surprised by the child’s impulsiveness. They quickly stood up, bid farewell, and rushed off to prevent the young man from suffering a severe setback.
The others looked at Ji Daosin, but saw a hint of surprise on his face. He did not stop Ji Qingyuan and the others from leaving.
...
...
With a loud crash!
A figure was suddenly thrown out, breaking through the door of the reception hall and rolling onto the street outside.
Beside him, a young man stood with his hands behind his back, his face darkening as he glared ahead.
Outside the door, Ji Boyuan’s face also changed. Ignoring the young man who had been thrown out, he quickly ran to the middle of the hall:
"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down. This is the reception hall, and no fighting is allowed."
"Get out of the way!"
The young man standing with his hands behind his back said directly.
Ji Boyuan’s face turned sour.
The young man ignored him and instead fixed his gaze on the young man sitting calmly in front. He had previously asked his Path Chaser to take action, not wanting to dirty his own hands. He hadn’t expected the other’s strength to be considerable, easily defeating the Path Chaser.
This young man was Ji Yufeng, one of the Ji Family’s Prodigies. Seeing that his age was similar to Li Hao’s, he decided to come and teach him a lesson. After all, this way, he wouldn’t be accused of bullying.
The Path Chaser beside him was also a Ji Family genius, just a step away from being a Prodigy. He chose to follow a Prodigy, hoping to benefit when the Prodigy rose to prominence and possibly be promoted to a high-ranking position in the Ji Family.
"Looks like you have some skills. No wonder you’re so arrogant. Do you think you can just barge into our Ji Family with this?"
Ji Yufeng said coldly, his eyes icy.
He strode toward Li Hao, intending to personally teach him a lesson.
"Young Master Yufeng, you can’t break the rules..."
Ji Boyuan hurriedly stepped forward to stop him.
"Get out of my way!"
Ji Yufeng suddenly unleashed his aura. Despite his young age, he emitted the aura of the Three Eternities Realm, reaching the peak and achieving the Indestructible Realm!
With a roar, he forced Ji Boyuan back, then stepped forward like a dragon walking or a tiger pacing, standing in front of Li Hao.
"Change your name now and leave the Ji Family. It’s not too late!"
He looked down from a height, staring at the young man sitting before him.
The teacup in Li Hao’s hand paused for a moment.
"Who are you?"
Li Hao turned to look at him.
"You don’t need to know who I am, and you’re not worthy of knowing!" Ji Yufeng’s eyes were cold.
Li Hao calmly withdrew his gaze, took a sip of the tea, and then said:
"I'm not really asking who you are. I just want to know what gives you the right to question my surname."
"Because this is the Ji Family, and because you're a bastard who doesn't deserve the Ji name!"
Ji Yufeng said angrily.
Li Hao's eyes flashed with a cold light. He glanced at the angry young man, then slowly put down his teacup and stood up.
Ji Yufeng didn't rush to attack; he wasn't one to sneak up on someone.
As a prodigy, he had his pride.
He looked angrily at Li Hao, who had been sitting lower but now stood taller. Despite being younger, Li Hao was taller than him.
This made Ji Yufeng's face turn sour.
"It seems the Ji Family's family rules aren't very well-maintained", Li Hao said softly.
Before the young man could react, a loud slap echoed through the room.
Ji Yufeng's head snapped to the side, his brain buzzing, and blood spurted from the corner of his mouth. Li Hao's single slap had broken his cultivation of the Kun Feather Treasure Body.
"Reluctantly, I'll have to teach you a lesson for your parents."
Li Hao's gaze was cold. He then looked outside the welcoming hall, sensing the onlookers, and said coldly:
"Whose child is this? Do you want me to kill him on the spot before you come to claim the body?"
The crowd outside was shocked when they heard Li Hao's words. Many had witnessed the scene through their Divine Souls. Ji Yufeng, who was about the same age as Li Hao, had been slapped by Li Hao!
"You, you—"
Ji Yufeng finally reacted, his face full of disbelief. But then his blood seemed to rush to his head, and he felt like he was about to explode.
"You're asking for death!!"
He roared, his aura suddenly surging. In an instant, his flesh swelled, making cracking sounds. Behind him, a shadow of an ancient fierce beast, the Kunpeng, appeared, exuding an extremely violent and powerful aura.
But before he could unleash his attack, another slap came.
This time, his head was slammed directly into the stone floor, embedding deeply into it!
The Kunpeng shadow was also dispersed by the slap, dissipating into nothingness.
"Must I kill you to make you stop?"
Li Hao retracted his hand, his cold gaze slowly sweeping over the onlookers outside.
The people who had gathered to watch were almost screaming in shock, unable to believe that this young man had suppressed Ji Yufeng with just a couple of slaps!
Ji Boyuan, standing nearby, was stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.
While he knew Li Hao had escorted Ji Yunge back, given Ji Yunge's strength, it was uncertain who had protected whom.
This young man looked to be only fifteen or sixteen. Even among the Ji Family's prodigies, like Ji Yufeng, who was one of the youngest, reaching the Indestructible Realm at fifteen and still in that realm at seventeen, he was on the verge of comprehending the Dao Heart.
Yet, he had been so easily defeated by Li Hao?
"Such arrogance!"
Several figures appeared in the sky outside the hall, their auras powerful and unhidden.
They were dressed in fine robes, exuding a noble presence, their eyes cold. They were all prodigies from various branches of the Ji Family.
"This is the Ji Family, and you dare to harm someone so casually. Did you learn our Ji Family cultivation techniques from your mother? If so, don't blame me for taking advantage of your youth!"
One of the young men stepped forward, his aura suddenly radiating, clearly that of the Fourth Establishment Realm.
The crowd, both near and far, was stunned.
"That's Ji Mingque, one of the stronger prodigies."
"The outsider just defeated Ji Yufeng, a prodigy. He seems pretty strong!"
"The War God Yun Ge wouldn't praise him so highly without reason, saying he's destined to become a prodigy of our Ji Family. Looks like he has the strength."
"But does he think the Ji Family is some backwater place? Even prodigies must bow and obey here!"
"I think, since he escorted the War God Yun Ge back, he has done a service to our Ji Family. Treating him like this might not be good."
Many Divine Souls flew out to observe from a distance, discussing the situation.
Li Hao frowned slightly, realizing the Ji Family's xenophobia was stronger than he had expected. He had thought most would be like Ji Yunge, reasonable and understanding. It seemed Ji Yunge was only a small part of the Ji Family.
"The War God Yun Ge said you're a prodigy, right? If so, if you want to join our Ji Family and stand on equal footing with us, you'll need to prove yourself!"
Ji Mingque's eyes were cold as he stood in the air, looking down at Li Hao. He was more mature than Ji Yufeng and didn't act rashly without instructions from above.
"Standing on equal footing with you would be an insult to me."
Li Hao said calmly.
"You're asking for death!"
Ji Mingque was taken aback for a moment, his eyes suddenly flashing with cold light. He had thought they were already quite proud, but this young man was even more arrogant!
"If you can block my spear, I'll acknowledge you!"
He suddenly attacked, his spear extending, enveloped in Heavenly Earth Space.
The spear's light condensed, containing the true might of Martial Dao, and the terrifying spear force converged into a single point, striking Li Hao with overwhelming force.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
