Chapter 59: Sacred Palace

“What?!”

Li Fu, who had just stepped forward to lend aid, froze in shock as the black jiao dragon plummeted from the sky.

His gaze snapped to the surroundings. That fleeting flash of Black Light—now he remembered it. There had been help.

He activated his Supreme-level Soul-Traveling Technique, his spirit soaring outward, scanning the area. With this technique, he could perceive everything within eighteen li. Though not a direct heir of the Li Clan, Li Fu had earned his place through a first-class combat feat and with the backing of Li Tiangang. He had managed to secure this elite Soul-Traveling Art, making him a formidable presence within the Divine Travel Realm.

Now, as his spirit swept across the landscape, the entire eighteen-li radius lay bare before his inner vision. Yet there was no trace of anyone.

At that moment, the Muscular Man finally reacted. His face paled. He immediately began searching for the unseen savior—but found nothing. Realizing the helper had vanished, hiding their identity, he bowed deeply, voice echoing across fifteen li:

“Thank you, elder! Kindly leave your name, so Wei Feng may repay this life-saving debt in the future!”

Silence followed.

After a long pause, no reply came.

Wei Feng let out a faint, wry smile. He knew—someone capable of felling a jiao dragon with a single strike wouldn’t care about a mere debt of gratitude. A pang of regret stirred in his heart.

He turned to Li Fu and asked, “That elder… was he from your Divine General’s Residence?”

Li Fu blinked, momentarily stunned. He’d been wondering if it was the Master behind the scene.

Divine General’s Residence… aside from himself, who else would be here?

Or was it someone from the Four Courtyards?

Confused, he replied, “I don’t know. But whoever it was, we’ll remember this debt. The Divine General’s Residence won’t forget such a favor.”

He finished by bowing deeply toward the empty air, as if honoring the unseen savior.

…

“My… my husband’s qi…”

Thirty li away, the Mother Black Dragon’s pupils contracted sharply. She felt the distant, mighty pulse of her husband’s qi—fading, growing weaker, then vanishing entirely.

She turned sharply to Li Hao, but he stood there, calm and composed, as if he’d merely flicked a stone into the air. Now he leisurely regarded her, his expression unreadable.

“What did you do to my husband?” she whispered, trembling.

“What do you think?” Li Hao smiled faintly. “He won’t be arriving. You might as well give up. If you cooperate, I might consider sparing you.”

Her body shook. She could feel the life fading from her mate, but she couldn’t comprehend what had happened—too far, beyond the reach of her Soul Perception.

Yet Li Hao’s calm demeanor sent icy dread through her soul.

“Alright…” she said, hesitating. Then her voice shifted—soft, sweet, dripping with vulnerability. “Ask me anything. I’ll tell you everything.”

Li Hao raised an eyebrow. He’d seen this trick before—stories of spirit beasts using seductive tricks to lure and deceive. They weren’t just brute force; when weak, they mastered Demons’ Deceptive Words, twisting hearts with false sorrow.

“Don’t play games,” Li Hao said coldly. “Tell me about the Yanbei Demon Clan. Why have they kept attacking?”

The Black Dragon Beauty purred, “First, loosen your grip… I’ll tell you everything.”

“Hurry up,” Li Hao snapped.

A swirl of demon mist dissipated. She reshaped into her former beauty—now crumpled like willow reeds, her face still pressed under Li Hao’s boot, utterly humiliated. Yet her expression remained soft, pleading, eyes glistening with tears.

“Don’t you know how to cherish a delicate flower?”

“I have no interest in a rotten snake.” Li Hao’s voice was ice.

A flicker of fury flashed in her eyes—she hated being called a serpent. But for survival, she swallowed her pride, whispering weakly:

“I don’t know much about Yanbei… but if you release your foot, we can talk slowly, okay?”

Her hand crept toward his boot, sliding slowly up his leg.

Li Hao felt the touch beneath his foot. “I’m impressed,” he said dryly. “Your husband just died, and you’re already trying to seduce me?”

“Huh?!” She froze, eyes widening in shock. She stared at him, stunned. “You… you said my husband…?”

The cold certainty in Li Hao’s gaze struck her like a hammer. The fading qi. The shattered scale flying through the air.

Her eyes burned red. The fragile mask shattered. Her face twisted into a snarl, wild with grief and rage.

“You killed my husband! You die!”

“I gave you a chance to live. Don’t waste it.”

“Know about Yanbei? Dream on!” she screamed, clawing at him, teeth bared, ripping at his boot. Her body writhed, transforming back into the monstrous black jiao dragon form.

Li Hao frowned. He hadn’t expected such a reaction. Was it possible spirit beasts could feel real affection?

Seeing the beast frenzy, he pressed down again, crushing its head.

But she was beyond reason—roaring, thrashing. Seeing no other choice, Li Hao ended it.

With a single blow, the dragon’s head shattered. The shriek cut off abruptly.

Li Hao wiped blood from his hand, glanced at the twitching tail, and sighed.

All for nothing. No answers.

As for the Sacred Palace… and the Yanbei Demon Clan’s plot to swallow Emperor Yu’s domain—his old father, the one he hadn’t seen in over a decade, would know far more.

He shook his head, turned, and stepped back onto the main road, returning to the tea stall.

The corpse would be found by Fu Bo and the others later. They’d deal with it.

Outside the tea stall, the others froze.

Li Hao emerged silently from the road—none had noticed his return. Yu Wei jumped in fright.

Li Yuanzhao stared, then rushed forward, pressing close to Li Hao’s chest, whispering:

“Brother Hao… did you… inherit the soul?”

Li Hao was surprised—then he understood. He smiled and nodded.

Soul Inheritance? He’d already done it long ago.

“Really?!” Li Yuanzhao’s eyes widened, overwhelmed with joy.

Li Hao looked into his eyes, seeing the raw excitement. He chuckled, patting his shoulder.

“Just a small thing. Nothing big. Did you all eat?”

Li Yuanzhao, used to Li Hao’s casualness, still couldn’t believe it. He whispered, trembling:

“If Madam knows you’ve inherited the soul… she’d be overjoyed.”

“Hmm.”

He thought of that elegant, dignified woman—the only one who’d always treated him with kindness. Years of loyalty, unwavering.

Time reveals true hearts. Once, he’d been naive, unaccustomed to the cold politics of this noble world. He’d learned the hard way. Now, he knew the true nature of each lady in the mansion.

Like Fourth Lady, who’d adopted Yuanzhao—deceptively gentle, but not simple. Her quiet demeanor masked sharp calculation, her status low only because she had no son.

“Li Hao,” Du Qiuyue called out as he approached. “Where did you go?”

“Dealt with a spirit beast,” Li Hao said with a smile. He hadn’t planned to tell them—but now that he was heading to Qizhou to slay demons, better to prepare them. A little nervousness could save lives.

“A spirit beast?!” They all stared.

Ren Qianqian looked at him sharply, searching his face for truth.

The old tea stall vendor gaped. “Young master, you’re saying there was a spirit beast?”

Li Hao turned to him. “Boss, it’s getting dark. Time to close up and head home.”

“But—was it really a spirit beast?” The old man couldn’t let go.

Li Hao smiled faintly, but beneath it, a quiet sigh escaped him.

He didn’t know why he’d sighed.

He said nothing more. Seeing everyone had finished eating, he signaled them to mount up.

On the Crimson Blood Horse, as they rode off, Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue slowly grew bolder, sensing Li Hao’s return to familiar ground. They dared to ask—was he really at the Continuation of Soul Realm?

Li Hao nodded, smiling.

They stared, stunned.

The strongest student from Class A Academy… was right beside us?

The sword-wielding maiden on horseback tightened her grip on the reins.

As Li Hao and the others left the tea stall, high above in the white clouds, a tiny, unremarkable flying bird darted through the mist, vanishing toward the horizon.

Its eyes—filled with terror.

It knew. It had to deliver this news. To Yanbei. To the White Godlord.

The Li Clan has a son. Fourteen years old. Possibly a Master.

If this truth spread, the entire world would tremble.

And if the Sacred Palace elders learned of it… they would never allow another Direct Disciple of Qian Dao Palace to rise among humans.

As the bird vanished into the sky, and the riders disappeared down the road, the corpse of the mother serpent lay in the forest—its blood staining the earth.

Li Fu and Wei Feng arrived shortly after, drawn by the overwhelming stench of blood and qi.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end