Chapter 76: Secret Technique

Back in Qingzhou.

Li Hao and the others returned to the Tan Palace Academy with the official mission letter from the Cangyu City Demon-Subduing Bureau. The letter bore the Bureau’s official seal, and all five of them received top marks.

Su Yehua received the letter without surprise.

After all, this journey had been accompanied by two Li Clan Young Masters. The Cangyu City Bureau, even if they had a shred of sense, wouldn’t dare trouble them. Whether the letter was genuine or forged didn’t matter to her—background was just as much a form of power. Even she, for all her strength, would show deference to the Li Clan’s standing, especially when it came to the Divine General’s Residence.

The real battlefield wasn’t beyond the city walls—it was right here, within them.

Once the reporting was done, Ren Qianqian approached Li Hao, her resolve clear.

Li Hao didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he urged her to speak with her parents first. This wasn’t a trivial matter—becoming a personal Sword Attendant within the Li Clan was a lifelong commitment. Once you learned the family’s secret arts, you were bound to them for life. Even if you severed your cultivation entirely, the oath remained.

When Li Hao finished speaking, Ren Qianqian admitted she’d lost her mother at a young age, and as for her father… she refused to involve him. She insisted she could decide this on her own.

Li Hao shook his head. “You’re too young to make such a choice. You should still talk to your father.”

He wasn’t about to let a naive girl be swept into the Clan’s affairs without proper consideration. If her master-father later came storming to the estate demanding answers, even the Li Clan wouldn’t care—but it would stain their reputation.

After politely declining Ren Qianqian’s request, Li Hao returned with Li Yuanshao to the long-absent Mountain and River Courtyard.

He placed the wooden crate containing the Tiger-Robe Immortal’s severed head into his room, then carried the snacks and delicacies he’d gathered from Cangyu City. He sent one portion to the Fifth Elder, who remained vigil in the Ancestral Hall, and took the rest to the Pavilion of Listening to Rain.

No sign of the Second Uncle.

Li Hao glanced at the sky and immediately knew—his Second Uncle was most likely fishing by the Blackwater Lake.

He took flight, soaring from the pavilion’s edge toward the lake’s shores.

Not long after, the vast expanse of the Blackwater Lake came into view.

He found the familiar fishing spot—and sure enough, there was the Second Uncle, accompanied by Old Feng.

Sensing someone approaching, both turned.

Li Hao descended gently beside them, grinning. “Second Uncle, Old Feng—how’s the catch today? Who’s got the better haul?”

“Ah, it’s Hao’er.”

Old Feng smiled. “Of course, it’s me.”

They weren’t surprised by Li Hao’s aerial arrival. They’d long known his cultivation level.

After all, when the boy was just twelve, he’d accidentally caught a Divine Travel Realm minor dragon right in front of them—while fishing.

That moment had left them both stunned and envious.

Stunned by Li Hao’s natural talent—so terrifyingly high, even surpassing the legendary Li Ninth Young Master, said to appear once every thousand years.

Envious of his Qi flow—how could someone have snagged a dragon on a fishing line?

They’d been furious and fascinated in equal measure.

After Li Hao cooked and devoured the creature, they’d eaten several chunks themselves, grumbling under their breath:

Why wasn’t it my hook? My hook’s way better, isn’t it?!

But despite the teasing, seeing such raw talent, even the indifferent Li Moxiu—renowned for his detachment—had been stirred.

He’d seriously considered taking Li Hao as his disciple, hoping to guide him, to bring him back from his carefree ways and set him on the true martial path.

With Li Hao’s talent and his own tutelage, the boy might even surpass him one day.

If the Li Clan produced a True Immortal, the entire world would tremble.

But Li Hao had called upon Old Feng—the Thief Sage.

With his sharp eyes and unshakable detachment, Old Feng had dissuaded Li Moxiu.

And with the example of the Li Ninth Young Master still fresh in memory, Li Moxiu had let the matter rest.

Li Hao could live as he pleased.

Li Moxiu had long realized: if he forced Li Hao to cultivate, the boy would never truly commit.

It frustrated him to no end.

He’d never seen Li Hao actively cultivate, yet his realm levels kept rising—like magic.

Because Li Hao insisted, Li Moxiu had never announced it.

So far, no one in the estate knew.

Now,

As Old Feng boasted, Li Moxiu shot him a dry look. “What good is it? Just small fish. I’m aiming for a dragon.”

They didn’t use fishing rods. Instead, they shaped Heaven-and-Earth Energy into invisible threads, piercing the bodies of small spirit fish and guiding them to deeper waters—where larger prey or even jiao dragons might feed.

“You’ll catch one first,” Old Feng chuckled.

Li Moxiu snorted, then noticed the bundles in Li Hao’s hands.

“Where’d you get all this? You weren’t bullying kids at the Tan Palace Academy again, were you?”

“Just completed a mission,” Li Hao grinned, handing out the treats. “Brought back some snacks from Cangyu City.”

“Hey, this twisted bread has cream inside!”

Old Feng bit into it, eyes lighting up. “Tastes great.”

“You’ve got a good heart, boy.”

Li Moxiu smiled, accepting a piece and nibbling thoughtfully.

At that moment, the white fox Xiao Rou darted over, tail wagging.

Li Hao knelt and scooped her up, offering her a piece of grilled meat. “Don’t worry—there’s enough for you.”

“Such a fox,” Li Moxiu said, “just like a cat—always craving fish.”

Xiao Rou held the meat with both paws, chewing slowly. Hearing the Second Uncle’s words, she flashed her signature fox smile—her eyes crinkling into crescent moons.

Li Hao chuckled, ruffling her head. “Go on, eat over there.”

He took his own portion, sat beside the Second Uncle, and began eating, chatting casually.

“Your father should be returning soon,” Li Moxiu said, crunching a crisp biscuit.

“Oh?” Li Hao looked up, surprised.

After all these years of war—was it finally ending?

“Rumor has it,” Li Moxiu continued, “there’s been a shift on the Yanbei Battlefield. The Sacred Palace is planning a retreat.”

Li Hao’s eyes sparkled.

So… he’d see his parents again soon?

“Little Squirrel,” Old Feng teased, “after all these years, do you even remember your parents?”

Li Hao paused. His memories of them were hazy, blurred by time.

Li Moxiu shot Old Feng a sharp glance—not that subject again!

Then, turning to Li Hao:

“Just so you know, since you and your generation have grown, the True Dragon position within the family will be decided this year. With your father back, securing the seat is a certainty.”

Old Feng chewed thoughtfully. “Honestly? I’d give it to him now. His talent’s undeniable. If I were in charge, I’d crown him today.”

Li Moxiu gave him another look. “I’d love to. But the Li Clan isn’t some lone wanderer’s estate. We have to maintain balance across the branches. We can’t favor one house over another—else resentment will fester, and that’s the worst kind of poison.”

He turned to Li Hao. “What do you think, Hao’er?”

“Yeah,” Li Hao nodded, smiling.

He’d heard of the True Dragon Seat before—Second Uncle had spoken of it often.

The True Dragon was chosen from each generation, granted the greatest share of the Clan’s resources. More importantly, they received the aid of the Ancestral Hall’s countless heroic spirits—spiritual ancestors who helped elevate their Soul Image Rank.

The number of times one could condense their soul in the Continuation of Soul Realm was tied directly to their inheritance path.

For the Four Foundations Realm, that number was eighty.

But there was another way—through the secret technique forged by the Clan’s ancestral heroes.

By uniting the power of the Ancestral Heroic Spirits, one could push their Soul Image Rank up a full level—reaching the same tier as those born with Immortal-level inheritance.

That meant 180 soul condensations.

Once reaching the Divine Travel Realm, the spirits would assist in refining the spirit soul, expanding its reach.

At the Fifteen Li Stage, they’d infuse their power, pushing the stage beyond even the top prodigies—into Super-First-Class territory.

The True Dragon wasn’t just the strongest in their generation—they were unmatched, supreme.

And as the True Dragon, they bore the burden of consuming the Ancestral Spirits’ power.

In return, they carried the weight of the entire Li Clan’s legacy.

If all went well, they would one day become the Family Head.

If ordinary prodigies were ranked First-Class at Ninth-Rank Combat Body, then the Li Clan’s nine-level prodigies—especially when paired with top-tier combat scriptures—were Tier-Top.

But the True Dragon?

They were Super-First-Class.

Even now, Li Hao had already reached the Fifteen Li Stage.

But if he became True Dragon, he’d still gain the ancestral spirits’ aid in reshaping and elevating every previous realm.

Except for the Beyond the Succession Soul Stage—every other stage remained within his reach.

He hadn’t even tested the limits of the Continuation of Soul Realm.

He was curious—really curious—about what else he might unlock.

Most importantly…

If he didn’t take the seat, it would go to someone else.

Had it not been for the poisoning years ago, Li Hao might not have cared.

Becoming True Dragon meant immense responsibility—carrying the weight of a thousand-year-old lineage, forging ahead, breaking through every obstacle, inheriting and advancing the family’s legacy.

It sounded exhausting.

But someone had tried to destroy him—just to secure a better future for their own son.

They’d plotted years in advance.

Li Hao wasn’t about to let that happen.

He’d been waiting for this moment.

“The True Dragon Trial,” Li Moxiu explained, “isn’t just about natural talent. It weighs mental character, connections, merit, and more.”

“That’s why I sent you to the Tan Palace Academy—to broaden your horizons, meet new people. Don’t spend all your time with us old men.”

Old Feng snorted. “Please. Talent is the only real factor. The rest are just decorative extras.”

“Go on, shoo,” Li Moxiu scolded. “Don’t corrupt Hao’er.”

“Haha!” Old Feng laughed heartily.

Li Hao smiled quietly, listening to the Second Uncle’s banter.

Soon, the Second Uncle’s thread twitched.

A bite.

As dusk fell and stars began to dot the riverbank, Li Hao grilled a spirit fish caught by Old Feng—enough to feed the three men and the fox.

…

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end