Chapter 249: A Clan Sends Off
Chapter 249: A Clan Sends Off
"Le, Le Ping?!"
Ji Tianchao's voice trembled, a mix of shock and excitement. Despite countless battles and trials, the old man had always remained composed, but now he doubted whether his eyes were playing tricks on him.
The figure who had rushed over stopped above the Cloud Peak, clad in a divine robe formed by his energy, his gaze calm as he looked down at the people on the peak.
When he saw Ji Yunyue, Li Hao's expression softened slightly, realizing that the other party had not suffered any misfortune and had been rescued by the Ji Family in time.
Moreover, he did not sense the presence of the couple, but he was not overly concerned about it.
"Is, is this Le Ping?"
Ji Yunqing and the others, including their children, all reacted, looking up at the young man with astonishment.
When they saw the somewhat familiar yet different face, and the aura of the Great Peace Dao Realm emanating from him, they were all dumbfounded, confused and bewildered.
Previously, Ji Leping had been extremely monstrous, but they could clearly see that he was only at the Three Eternities Realm. Now, this young man's divine power was radiating, and his Great Peace Dao Realm aura could not be concealed!
In just over a month, even if the child had advanced to the Fourth Establishment Realm, it was impossible for him to reach the Dao Realm in one step, right?
"Tianchao, I want to leave this place. Please help me open the Sacred Ground Secret Realm."
Li Hao landed gracefully, his demeanor calm as he slightly bowed and spoke.
At this moment, he no longer carried the demeanor of a junior or a young one, but was instead composed and self-assured, treating his peers as equals.
"You, you really are Le Ping?!"
Ji Tianchao, hearing the young man's address, looked incredulous, but more than anything, he was excited.
Li Hao's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "That is not my name anymore."
Everyone was stunned, and Ji Tianchao's face changed slightly. "Then are you going to revert to your original name, Li Hao?"
Hearing this, Li Hao immediately understood that they were already aware of his past, likely from the couple. He shook his head and said, "I have my own name. If we meet again, you can call me... Hao Tian."
He had already decided on this name when he was reborn in the Abyss.
He had cut ties with his past and bid farewell to the infant body he had possessed.
Borrowing your child's body, I repay you with your parents' safety...
From now on, it would be his own life.
He had repaid the couple's kindness and owed nothing to them or the infant whose body he had taken over.
After all, without him, that child would have died in the Divine General Manor's assassination at the age of six.
Now, the debts were fully settled.
Hearing Li Hao's words, everyone was dumbfounded. Hao Tian? What about the surname?
"Child, we have already learned about what happened on Heavenly Prison Island and executed all the criminals there."
Ji Yunqing quickly added, "Your parents... according to Clan Rules, they were expelled. We thought you were dead, but now that you've returned, if you nod, we will send people to find them and bring them back."
Li Hao's expression remained calm. "Yunqing, I have no parents. Whatever the Ji Family does to them, whether it's reward or punishment, good or evil, it has nothing to do with me. I am here to ask you to open the Sacred Ground Secret Realm for me. Otherwise, I will forcibly tear it open, which might harm you."
Hearing the young man's words, everyone looked at Li Hao in shock.
But then they remembered the news from the Great Yu Divine Dynasty and the furious roars of the Elders in the council hall a month and a half ago, as well as their anger towards the couple. They fell silent.
If it hadn't been for Li Hao's Dao Seed status, the couple would likely not have left the council hall alive.
Even if Qing Qing was saved by Old Thirteen's desperate protection, her husband would have been doomed.
After all, without a Dao Seed, or even indirectly causing the death of the Ji Family's Dao Seed, there was no way they could be forgiven.
"Child, your parents may have been foolish, but you still have us. You are still one of the Ji Family, and we will do everything we can to nurture you."
Ji Yunyue said urgently.
"That's right."
"You are one of the Ji Family. We failed in our duty before, but if you are angry, we will do whatever you want to help you."
Others chimed in, their faces filled with concern as they looked at Li Hao.
Li Hao remained silent and instead looked at Ji Tianchao, who was staring at him with a mix of shock and curiosity.
When he emerged from the Abyss, his clothes were destroyed, and his divine power had formed a battle robe, which made it impossible to completely conceal his aura.
Seeing that the old man had already detected it, Li Hao didn't hide it and simply shut off his Omni Attributes, allowing his Physical Body Aura to fully manifest.
"Everyone, take a closer look. Do you still sense the aura of the Ji Family on me?"
Li Hao said.
Everyone was stunned, quickly sensing and probing, then their faces changed dramatically as they looked at Li Hao in horror.
"How, how could you...?"
Ji Yunqing was taken aback, unable to hide his shock. "Are you really Le Ping? Your appearance, your cultivation..."
Li Hao's appearance had changed, and his realm had advanced to the Great Peace Dao Realm, matching theirs. All these incredible changes had been overlooked earlier, but now, even the bloodline aura was undetectable.
"I have reshaped my body and severed my bloodline."
Li Hao didn't hide anything, speaking calmly. "Your Le Ping is dead. From now on, only Hao Tian exists in this world!"
The young man's words struck the hearts of those present like a gong in the morning and a drum at dusk.
In the distance, several figures were flying toward them. It was Ji Daosin and Ji Qingyuan, who had sensed Li Hao's unfamiliar aura.
The sudden appearance of a stranger at the peak of Holy Mountain caught them by surprise. Seeing the young man surrounded by Ji Tianchao and others, they were stunned and heard Li Hao's words.
After a brief moment of confusion, they hurried over, landing outside the group. Ji Daosin glanced at Li Hao, surprised, and said, "You came out of the Abyss? You climbed out on your own?"
Li Hao glanced at the patriarch, nodding slightly as a greeting.
The other Ji Family members bowed respectfully upon seeing Ji Daosin.
Ji Qingyuan was also observing Li Hao, his eyes revealing a mix of shock. The young man no longer bore any trace of the Ji Family's bloodline, but his demeanor was exceptional, radiating a transcendent aura. He seemed even more powerful and formidable than before.
For every Ji Family secondary lineage member, bloodline power was a lifelong pursuit.
But the young man had forsaken that bloodline.
This left him with a complex and indescribable feeling, as if something he had strived for since childhood had been casually discarded by another young man, who, after shedding it, had only ascended to even greater heights.
"Child, why are you so foolish..."
"Even though your parents were at fault, you are still a descendant of the Ji Family!"
Ji Yunqing's face was pale, unable to accept this crushing blow.
If the young man had severed the Ji Family's bloodline, they would forever lose him.
Li Hao remained silent, listening to the waves of sorrow around him. He looked at their grieving faces, feeling a tinge of regret. He knew that every severance brought pain, but it was a necessary process.
"There's no need to be sad. Just consider that you've never met me."
Li Hao said calmly.
These words only made Ji Yunyue and the others even more sorrowful.
Once you've seen a brilliant firework, how can you forget its splendor?
If they had never met Li Hao, they wouldn't be in pain, but now that they had, the memory couldn't be erased, and time couldn't be reversed, so they suffered.
Ji Daosin also understood what had happened. Although he didn't know how Li Hao had climbed out of the Abyss or how his appearance had changed so suddenly, it was clear that something extraordinary had occurred, leading to a significant breakthrough in cultivation.
From the information brought back by the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, he knew the young man's age.
At most, he was only sixteen, still a month shy.
And yet, he was already at the Great Peace Dao Realm!
This cultivation record was unparalleled in the Ji Family's ten-thousand-year history.
Even in the entire Great Wasteland Sky, he had never heard of such a young Great Peace Dao Realm cultivator!
After all, the gap between the Ultimate Mastery Realm and the Great Peace Dao Realm was a significant threshold.
"Are you really going to leave the Ji Family?"
Ji Daosin couldn't help but ask, feeling a deep sorrow even he couldn't shake off.
With Li Hao's cultivation, he had already broken the Dao Domain at the Three Eternities Realm. Now, he could likely dominate the Great Peace Dao Realm, making him invincible below the Dao realm. Such combat power could be considered the strongest Dao Seed prodigy in the Ji Family's ten-thousand-year history.
Now, they would lose him forever?
Others were also trying to persuade him, their faces filled with sadness.
Li Hao looked up at Ji Daosin, not answering the question but asking, "I no longer have the Ji Family bloodline. If I stay, can I still be considered a Dao Seed?"
Ji Daosin was taken aback by the young man's question, hesitating for a moment before he was about to say yes but then paused.
With Li Hao no longer possessing the Ji Family bloodline, he couldn't truly be considered a Ji Family member, let alone a Dao Seed.
In the past, such a question would have been unthinkable, but now, considering the young man's unique situation, the Ji Family had never faced anything like this.
"If you..."
Ji Daosin faltered, struggling to find the right words. Before he could respond, Li Hao shook his head and said, "Let's part ways amicably and with dignity."
Ji Daosin's body trembled. Looking into the young man's calm eyes, he understood that he couldn't change Li Hao's mind.
"Child, you haven't had the chance to truly enjoy life. The Ji Family owes you, please give us a chance to make it up to you!"
Ji Yunyue held Li Hao’s hand, speaking with sadness.
Li Hao shook his head slightly and said, "I remember the kindness you showed me when you let go on the Abyss. If there's an opportunity in the future, I will act on your behalf once."
"That's not even kindness. It was my fault for dragging you down, and it was only right for me to let go. Besides, in the end, it didn't help you at all..."
"That's a different matter. In the face of life and death, your willingness to let go is a gesture of goodwill. Whether it helped or not is the result, but the intention is what matters. I appreciate that."
Li Hao said.
Hearing Li Hao take such a small act so seriously, Ji Yunyue’s sadness only grew harder to control.
Even something as trivial as letting go was remembered as a favor. How much must those parents have disappointed and wronged this child to make him sever his blood ties?
"Child, your parents were always at war and couldn't be by your side. Can you give your aunt a chance to take care of you?"
Ji Yunyue pleaded, still hoping to keep Li Hao, even though he no longer had the Ji Family bloodline. In her eyes, he was still her grandson.
Li Hao felt the sincerity of his former aunt and smiled slightly, his eyes calm and at peace:
"Since childhood, I have been alone, watching over the stars of past generations. I will continue to do so in the future."
The image of the child sitting alone in the courtyard, gazing at the stars, still lingered in his heart.
But that courtyard was no longer there.
The little tail that used to chase after him in the courtyard was no longer there.
The blood ties that once resonated from hundreds of thousands of miles away were no longer there.
But the stars of the heavens were still there.
The pure and innocent child was still there.
After enduring the trials and tribulations of life, he was no longer the same person, yet he remained true to himself, unchanging.
Hearing Li Hao’s words, Ji Yunyue felt a sharp pain in her heart. The tears she had barely held back now flowed freely, like a dam breaking.
Others who had wanted to persuade him fell silent, their words stuck in their throats.
Looking into the young man’s calm and gentle eyes, they felt a deep sorrow, knowing that this brilliant prodigy no longer belonged to the Ji Family.
When he first came to the mountain, he claimed the surname Ji and was met with disdain and contempt.
Now, as he left, everyone wanted him to reclaim that surname, but they realized it was too late.
"Gentlemen, I bid you farewell."
Li Hao bowed slightly and said, "May the mountains remain green and the sun and moon endure. Until we meet again!"
He then glanced at Ji Daosin and said, "Patriarch, I would be grateful if you could open the secret realm for me."
Ji Daosin was silent. He knew it was too late to change anything. A broken mirror cannot be mended, and past mistakes cannot be undone.
Like the wind of today, no matter how strong it blows, it cannot return to yesterday.
"Child, the Ji Family will always be open to you. Even if you do not wish to be a part of the Ji Family again, you will always be welcome here."
Ji Daosin gazed deeply at Li Hao, speaking each word with sincerity: "If you ever find yourself in trouble, just send a letter, and the Ji Family will do everything in our power to help you!"
Li Hao merely smiled, not responding.
The Patriarch of a ten-thousand-year noble family, his words were sincere but also strategic.
Ji Daosin saw the clear and mature gaze of the young man and knew he couldn’t be treated like an ordinary youth. His words were indeed a way to minimize losses.
After all, a prodigy like Li Hao would surely become a renowned figure in the Great Wasteland. Even if he wasn’t part of the Ji Family, they could not afford to offend him. Whether as a venerated elder or a friend, it was worth the effort.
"Child, let me clear the way for you and see you off."
Ji Daosin said, personally escorting him.
Such a high honor was usually reserved for a War God returning from battle or setting out on a campaign.
News of Li Hao’s resurrection spread quickly through the Ji Family, and many, including the prodigies, rushed to see him.
Accompanied by Ji Daosin, Ji Tianchao, and others, the young man walked down the mountain, flanked by them.
The others followed in a large group, many still calling out in sorrow and pleading for him to stay, but the young man’s resolve remained unshaken.
When the news of Li Hao severing his blood ties with the Ji Family and leaving spread from the mountain top to the base, the Ji Family members were shocked and called out urgently, imploring him to stay.
These cries of sadness and urgency echoed from the mountain top to the base, but the young man never looked back.
Countless members of the Ji Family watched his departing figure with a mix of sadness and despair, feeling as if the sky was falling. The joy and excitement they had felt moments ago turned to utter hopelessness.
As an ancient holy clan, they had always been the ones to expel others, but now they felt abandoned.
"He… is leaving the Ji Family?"
Ji Xuanshen also rushed over, hovering in the air at a distance. Hearing the countless discussions on the mountain, he understood what had happened and was stunned.
In the next moment, he accelerated like a comet, landing in front of Li Hao and the others descending the mountain.
Ji Xuanshen, seeing the Patriarch, Ji Tianchao, Ji Qingyuan, and other War Gods all escorting the young man, felt a mix of disbelief and anger, not understanding why they weren’t doing everything to retain him.
"Are you really leaving? You’ve already obtained the Dao Seed, and I haven’t even challenged you yet!"
Ji Xuanshen looked at Li Hao, his voice filled with anger.
(End of Chapter)
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