"Ji Leping?"
Hearing Li Hao's words, Ji Bo Duan was slightly taken aback. Taking his mother's surname was uncommon. Traditionally, children took their father's surname, and it was rare for someone to take their mother's. Additionally, he knew that Li Hao's mother, Ji Qingqing, had married into an outsider clan beyond the Great Wilderness, so it was unlikely that the outsiders would also bear the surname Ji.
He glanced at Li Hao, the gentleness in his eyes fading slightly.
But thinking of the rumors, that renowned warrior of the Ji family had praised this young man, and he himself couldn't see through Li Hao's aura. He maintained a polite attitude and said, "Please follow me."
Li Hao nodded and followed him.
The two quickly ascended the mountain.
Curious young members of the Ji family who had rushed over to gawk at the commotion heard Li Hao's words and furrowed their brows, some scoffing and others sneering.
"Ji Leping? How bold!"
"Clearly a barbarian from an outsider clan, yet he dares to change his surname and try to curry favor with our Ji family!"
"Disregarding his own father's surname, he's truly opportunistic. Does he really think he can weasel his way into our Ji family?"
"I thought he would be an unparalleled genius as the warrior praised, but he turns out to be a despicable and unscrupulous person. What a disappointment."
"Perhaps he deceived the warrior with sweet words, and who knows what stroke of luck allowed him to pass through the River of Death. Truly peculiar."
A chorus of unpleasant comments filled the air.
These young onlookers showed little restraint towards Li Hao, as they were of similar ages. The bloodline running through their veins also made them look down on this mixed-blood offspring of an outsider marriage.
Hearing the warrior's high praise for Li Hao only added to their resentment. It was as if someone from a humble rural background claimed to be better than them, which was difficult to accept.
In the crowd, some were descendants of Ji Yunge's brothers. They, too, had come out of curiosity, but upon hearing Li Hao's words and the surrounding discussions, they couldn't help but frown, feeling let down by the genius their Uncle Yunge had spoken of.
His lowly birth was one thing, but the fact that he disowned his own father's surname made him seem unworthy of respect!
As they watched the boy racing up the mountain, many of them quickly followed, their eyes filled with disdain, feeling as though the sacred ground of the Ji family had been tarnished.
If it weren't for Li Hao bringing Ji Yunge back, they would have driven away such a despicable person long ago.
Before long, Li Hao, accompanied by Ji Bo Duan, arrived at the heart of the holy mountain.
This was also the residence of most of the elite direct descendants of the Ji family.
Clusters of buildings sprouted like spring bamboo shoots, spreading across the land with majestic architecture.
The holy mountain was vast, spanning an area equivalent to several cities, capable of accommodating millions.
Most of the mediocre members of the Ji family lived at the foot of the mountain behind the holy mountain, where they refined their skills in other arts such as artifact refining, medicine making, and talisman crafting.
Some tilled the fields, domesticated demons, and performed various other duties.
At that moment, on the front side, which was also the south side of the holy mountain, many members of the Ji family who had heard the news rushed over to curiously size up Li Hao.
The summit of the holy mountain was off-limits unless one was summoned, and ordinary members of the Ji family were not allowed to ascend casually.
However, Ji Yunge's words had spread throughout the holy mountain, and news had already reached the midway point. They, too, knew that a young man with Ji family blood had returned the warrior.
"Is this the son he spoke of?"
"I can't see through his cultivation, but he does seem formidable."
"What good is being formidable? I just heard that he changed his surname to Ji. Isn't his intention to join our Ji family obvious enough?"
"I wonder if he also had help from his family to pass through the River of Death. It's a pity we couldn't find the River of Death where the warrior was held captive. Otherwise, we would have gone through it ourselves long ago!"
The crowd gathered, and a buzz of discussions filled the air.
Li Hao frowned as he heard the noisy chatter. He wouldn't have bothered with these youngsters, but among them were quite a few middle-aged men who were also mocking him. His eyes turned icy as he asked, "Is this how the Ji family treats its guests?"
Ji Bo Duan had just stopped walking and let out a bitter laugh upon hearing this. He could understand the sentiment behind these discussions, as Li Hao's decision to take his mother's surname was indeed shameful.
Although he was one of the elder's men and stood on Li Hao's side, he found it hard to be partial in his heart.
However, despite understanding the onlookers' thoughts, he had been ordered to receive this young man. So, he shouted sternly, "Disperse! What's there to discuss? Make way!"
After scolding them, he turned to Li Hao and said, "Please follow me."
Waving his hand to disperse the crowd, he led Li Hao to an imposing hall. "You can rest here for a while. The warrior is explaining your situation to the family head. I'll come to inform you when it's decided whether you can join the Ji family."
With that, he turned and left, closing the door of the hall behind him.
Li Hao furrowed his brows but remained silent.
He had heard the discussions along the way and knew that explaining himself would be futile, so he saw no point in doing so.
Once he met his mother and helped her escape her predicament, he would leave this place.
After all, the Divine Yu Dynasty could face demon invasions at any time, and although he wasn't a member of the Li family, as he had said, he was human and willing to contribute his strength to protect the dynasty.
...
At the peak of the holy mountain, Ji Yunge had already come out of the ancestral hall. He had paid his respects to the ancestors and also met the valiant souls of his fallen brothers.
Those valiant souls, upon learning that he could not return to the ancestral hall and would soon dissipate, were filled with sorrow and grief.
Ji Yunge had told the old thirteenth that he had a grandson, a very promising one who would become the pride of the Ji family.
When he detailed Li Hao's performance in the River of Death to the old thirteenth, the latter was so astonished that his jaw dropped. His expression soon turned complex, a mix of sadness for Ji Yunge and curiosity piqued by the mention of his exceptional grandson, making him eager to see for himself if his grandson was truly that outstanding.
"At just fifteen years of age, to possess the strength to battle against the Exquisite Realm. Qingqing has indeed given birth to an incredibly powerful bloodline!"
"Alas, Qingqing was foolish back then. Thankfully, Tianchao and the rest of you brothers intervened and pleaded for her, sparing her from lifelong imprisonment. But a thousand years... that's also an awfully long time!"
The old thirteenth's emotions were mixed.
Back then, when he found out that his daughter had secretly married into an outsider clan, he was so furious that his soul nearly scattered.
But after all, she was still his daughter, and aside from feeling helpless and angry, he could do nothing else. The deed had already been done.
As a father, even if his children made a grave mistake, he could only risk his life to protect them. He blamed himself for failing to educate his daughter properly and felt that the fault lay with him.
Now, the fact that his daughter had given birth to a genius grandson brought some consolation to his melancholy heart.
Ji Yunge exited the ancestral hall and bid farewell to the family head. Then, accompanied by his brothers, wife, and children, he returned to their residence.
Looking at the familiar sights, Ji Yunge felt a sense of nostalgia.
The others also forcibly suppressed their grief, intending to smile and accompany Ji Yunge on the last leg of his journey.
During the journey, Ji Yunge thought of Li Hao and asked, "Has the child been properly taken care of?"
"Third Brother, even in your current state, you're still thinking about that child... You..." Ji Tianchao's face had been filled with smiles, but at this moment, he could no longer hold back his sorrow.
Beside him, the sixth brother, Ji Yunqing, pulled him gently and then said to Ji Yunge, "We've already sent people to take care of it. I'll ask Qingmeng."
Immediately, he summoned someone.
Before long, a woman flew over and quickly bowed, bidding farewell to the elders one by one.
"How is the child doing? Have we met him?" Ji Yunqing asked.
The woman was his daughter, Ji Qingmeng, and Ji Qingqing's cousin. She looked graceful and elegant, with willow-like eyebrows and apricot eyes. "Daughter has sent people to receive him and brought him to the Guest Welcoming Hall. The family head is currently discussing this matter, but I heard that Elder Qingyuan is unwilling to agree..."
"Qingyuan?"
Ji Yunge was surprised. "Which family's child is this?"
The 'Qing' generation indicated that they were the children of his brothers and sisters, except for a few special cases.
For example, the ninth brother, Ji Tianchao, was exceptionally favored by his father and was granted the name of a deceased ancestor, indicating the high expectations placed upon him.
And the ninth brother did not disappoint his father's expectations.
"He's not from our direct line. He's from the side branch," Ji Yunqing explained immediately. "His great-grandfather was once from the main branch, but he had ordinary talent and married a distant relative from a side branch. As the generations passed, they gradually became part of the distant relatives, but in his generation, for some unknown reason, he suddenly received great fortune and was born with holy bones!"
"Not long after you left, Third Brother, he displayed astonishing talent. He consecutively broke through the Four Established Realms and entered the Realm of Enlightenment. Now, along with Tianchao, he has become one of the three war gods of our Ji family."
Ji Yunge was slightly stunned. He had thought that with his demise, the Ji family would keep a low profile for a while, but he never expected that a new war god had emerged.
A warrior who had transcended the Realm of Great Peace and entered the Realm of Enlightenment!
"This person is the same age as us, but because he's from a side branch, his generation is slightly lower, belonging to Qingqing's generation. In the past, when he saw us, he would have to call us 'Uncle,'" the fourth brother said.
Ji Yunge immediately understood.
For someone from a side branch to be born with holy bones, they had indeed hit the jackpot.
Their ancestor was a Saint, and Saints could pass down holy bones, just as those in the Three Immortal Realms could pass down divine blood.
However, unlike Saints, the inheritance of divine blood had a very high probability. Unless the father indulged in rampant lust and had an excessive number of offspring, the probability of inheriting divine blood would decrease.
On the other hand, holy bones were not necessarily inherited even by those with extremely pure bloodlines directly descended from Saints.
It entirely depended on one's luck.
It could be said that a pure bloodline only slightly increased the chances of winning this lottery.
And once the holy bones were awakened, one would possess the potential to ask about the path to sainthood!
This was also the reason why the Ji family prohibited intermarriage with outsider clans, striving to maintain the purity of their direct bloodline.
"This person is low-key and cautious. He kept his talent hidden until he reached the Four Established Realms, after which he burst forth with astonishing breakthroughs. I presume that he must have accumulated a profound foundation, allowing him to easily break through and enter the Realm of Enlightenment," Ji Yunqing said.
Ji Yunge nodded slightly. Among his sixteen brothers, only a few shared a deep brotherly bond and got along harmoniously.
After all, the Ji family was a millennia-old ancient clan with intricate and complex branches. It was inevitable that numerous intra-clan conflicts would arise.
Given that this person was from a side branch, it was understandable that he would be cautious and discreet.
"What did the family head say?"
Ji Yunge inquired.
Elder Ji Daoxin had promised him, and he trusted that the family head would keep his word.
Ji Yunqing coldly replied, "That Ji Qingyuan knows this as well, but he's just trying to stir up trouble and negotiate better terms for them."
Ji Yunge nodded slightly and then laughed, "These are trivial matters. As long as that child demonstrates his talent, I believe the head of the clan will understand that accepting him into the Ji family is not me leveraging my past achievements for a favor. Instead, it's me establishing a great merit for our Ji family right before my death!"
The others were slightly taken aback, never expecting Ji Yunge to speak so highly of the child. Just how remarkable must this child be to earn such confidence from him? Even Ji Qingmeng was surprised, seeing the gleam in her uncle's eyes. She lowered her voice and said, "Uncle, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."
"Qingmeng, speak your mind. Don't waste your uncle's time," Ji Yunqing urged.
Ji Yunge smiled and asked, "What is it that you're hesitating about?"
"That child..." Ji Qingmeng glanced at the others and then at Ji Yunge, "He said his name is Ji Leping, and he took his mother's surname..."
Everyone was stunned. Ji Leping?
"This child..." Ji Yunqing frowned, "Is his father some insignificant figure, such that when he married Qingqing, he took her family name?"
"We found out earlier that he's a Divine Marshal of the Great Yu God Emperor, reportedly a high-ranking general. While he may not compare to us, he still holds considerable influence in the Great Yu God Emperor," the fourth brother explained, his eyes shifting as if there was more he wanted to say.
"So, his taking his mother's surname was Qingqing's idea?" Ji Yunqing inquired.
Ji Yunge shook his head.
"This child..." The others exchanged glances, all of them with furrowed brows.
Noticing their expressions, Ji Yunge understood their thoughts and shook his head, "You're overthinking this. With his talent, even without our Ji family, he would still be an exceptional talent in this Great Wilderness. He would never pale in comparison to the proud sons of heaven!"
"Hmm?" The others looked at him, puzzled as to why Ji Yunge held this child in such high regard. Was it simply because the child had brought him back?
Ji Yunge smiled, "He takes his mother's surname perhaps because he has a deeper emotional bond with her, or maybe it's his way of remembering his mother."
"Isn't it because he wants to be part of our Ji family?" Ji Qingmeng asked, feeling that her uncle might be a little too captivated by this young man.
"Qingmeng, watch your words!" Ji Yunqing admonished.
Although they had the same thought, they shouldn't be questioning Ji Yunge's judgment, especially when he was about to depart.
Ji Yunge laughed, seeing through the thoughts of his old brothers. He said, "You're thinking too much. That child has a carefree nature and doesn't hold much attachment to the family. Whether it's our Ji family or another, it's all the same to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to pass through my River of Death and bring me back."
"What do you mean?" The others were perplexed, as they had been chatting about old times and hadn't gotten to the details of the River of Death yet.
Ji Yunge then proceeded to explain to them the reason for his successful passage through the River of Death.
Upon hearing his explanation, the others were stunned, finally understanding the situation.
"So, we really misunderstood that child," Ji Yunqing said.
"Then why did he change his surname? His father must be heartbroken," the fourth brother wondered.
They looked at Ji Yunge, who also shook his head, "I'm not sure about that. Perhaps he doesn't have a deep bond with his father, or else how could he be so detached from family?"
The others nodded, agreeing that it was a possibility.
"If that's the case, then we should treat him well," one of them said.
"Indeed, since he's taken our Ji family name, he's one of us," another added.
Ji Yunge smiled, "With you all taking care of this child, I can rest assured. He is an emotional person with exceptional intelligence. Treat him with sincerity, and he will surely repay you in kind."
Hearing his words, the others understood his implication—they shouldn't try to control the child with other means, but rather, they should treat him with genuine kindness.
"Third Brother, don't talk about this anymore. Your body is growing weaker..." Ji Tianchao, who had remained silent until now, spoke up with a hoarse voice.
He didn't care about any child or proud son of heaven. All he cared about was the brother standing before him, with whom he had fought side by side, slaying countless demons in the past.
"Tianchao, from now on, let that child accompany you in my stead. For the Realm of the Sages... give that child ten years, and he should be about ready," Ji Yunge said softly, his body appearing increasingly ethereal, as if a gentle breeze could scatter him away.