At the summit of the Sacred Mountain, within the discussion hall of the Ji family.
The Ji family had numerous branches, and aside from the few brothers who were close to Ji Yunguo, currently accompanying him on his final journey, the rest of the elders and branches had gathered here.
Earlier, they had wanted to pay their respects to Ji Yunguo, after all, he was their war god of the Ji family, and deserved respect in name. But the family head, Ji Daoxin, had stopped them. Ji Daoxin realized that Ji Yunguo was able to return to the family at the moment of his death only because of his lingering attachment to certain things related to the family.
As for outsiders, they might not have been able to truly understand his heart and could even become a hindrance.
Having fought for the Ji family all his life, Ji Daoxin hoped that in his final moments, Ji Yunguo could depart peacefully and quietly, untouched by worldly matters.
At this moment, some of the elders and heads of the various branches had gathered to discuss Ji Yunguo's return.
"It's a pity that the war god, Yunguo, is about to dissipate. Otherwise, if this young man had returned his heroic soul, it would have been considered a great contribution to our Ji family!"
"It seems that Yunguo wants this young man to join the Ji family, but it will probably break the rules."
"Back then, we spared Qiqi because of Thirteenth Uncle's face. As a direct descendant, she committed a serious crime. Now she is only imprisoned for a thousand years, which is a light punishment. If we let her son join the clan, it might be a sign of our clan's decline!"
"Yes, if we break this precedent, how should we handle it in the future when other proud and talented individuals marry outsiders?"
The crowd discussed in disagreement, most of them opposing the idea. Among them were some who spoke with inciting words, secretly belonging to the faction led by Ji Qingyuan.
Ever since Ji Qingyuan had consecutively broken through the Four Establishments and become the new war god of the Ji family, quite a few people had befriended him.
Seated in an armchair next to Ji Daoxin was an elderly man with snowy-white hair, exuding an unassuming yet awe-inspiring aura—none other than Ji Qingyuan himself.
His eyes were indifferent, as if he was not participating in the dispute. But with his mere presence and an initial opposing statement, he made his intentions clear to his supporters, who were now speaking up on his behalf.
"I have already promised Yunguo in this matter. He is our Ji family's war god, who has fought tirelessly for our family for half his life. Now that he is able to return to his homeland, shouldn't we be grateful to that young man?"
Ji Daoxin remained calm and said, "Moreover, let's put Qiqi's matter to rest and not bring it up again. That young man has Qiqi's blood running through his veins, but he is considered an outsider. According to our rules, he should indeed be put to death. However, he risked his life to escort Yunguo back, and this intention deserves careful consideration from all of you."
"Family head, that young man's actions are merely a ploy to use the merit of escorting Yunguo as a way to join our Ji family."
An elder spoke up, "His intentions are clear as day."
"Yes, he wants to take advantage of our Ji family's resources to rise to prominence. It's a pipe dream!"
An elder with a more irritable temperament added, his grandfather's generation having once been glorious.
"Everyone, the war god Yunguo mentioned earlier that the young man possesses an astonishing talent. If our Ji family could truly gain such a proud and talented individual, it wouldn't be a bad thing."
Some people from Ji Yunguo's branch also joined the discussion.
"Hmph, our Ji family doesn't lack proud and talented individuals. With our family's resources, even a slightly gifted genius can be cultivated into a proud and talented one. Why do we need this half-blooded mixed-breed?"
The irritable elder from earlier coldly huffed.
As soon as this insult was uttered, several people's expressions changed, and they looked angry.
They were all from Ji Yunguo's branch, and Ji Qingqing's child was considered their junior, with a closer blood relation.
However, the Ji family prohibited intermarriage, and there had been no shortage of people who had been put to death or imprisoned because of this. Those of humble backgrounds had endured even harsher insults, but even though they were furious, they knew that getting angry over this matter would only incite more people against them.
"Putting that aside, even if we let him join the Ji family, would he be considered a legitimate child or an illegitimate one?" An elder asked.
Upon hearing this, those who were arguing turned their gazes towards Ji Daoxin.
The previous disputes quieted down a little.
Ji Daoxin remained calm and swept his eyes towards Ji Qingyuan, understanding that this was the real reason for his visit.
Although the Ji family could present a united front against external enemies, the contradictions that had accumulated within the family over the millennia were intricate and difficult to resolve, especially due to the differences in bloodlines and sacred bones, which resulted in significant disparities in the treatment of legitimate and illegitimate children.
For example, illegitimate children could only reside on the floating islands outside the Sacred Mountain.
Even someone like Ji Qingyuan, a war god, was subject to this rule and could not live on the Sacred Mountain.
Including the character 'Qing' in his name, which indicated his generation, despite his high position and authority, he was still considered inferior to his peers from the legitimate line.
This was because the illegitimate line of the Ji family was generally in the middle and lower levels of the family, while the legitimate line held the upper-level power and was generally stronger.
Although Ji Qingyuan was strong and had become a war god, he ultimately belonged to the illegitimate line and could not escape the flaws of his birth.
This distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children had long been ingrained in the bones of the Ji family, and the differences often led to prejudice and arrogance.
For example, some ancestors might have been related to royalty, and even if their descendants became destitute, they would still boast about their imperial lineage, even to the point of madness, indulging in the glory of their ancestors and unwilling to accept the reality of their decline.
Or perhaps they were from an ancient noble family, and even in their decline, they still looked down on newly-risen wealthy merchants, considering them vulgar and unworthy.
It was human nature to laugh at others' shortcomings while ignoring one's own.
Even if one was useless and had nothing but a pretty face, they would still mock those who were accomplished and powerful but lacked in looks, taking solace in their own superficial superiority.
Not to mention that the differences between legitimate and illegitimate children were indeed significant, with disparities in strength and other aspects, which was why the legitimate line firmly held the upper hand.
Cases like Ji Qingyuan, who was born in the illegitimate line but unexpectedly awakened a sacred bone, were extremely rare, with only one other example in the past ten thousand years.
Being treated with arrogance for a long time would inevitably breed anger and hatred.
Therefore, Ji Daoxin had seen through Ji Qingyuan's thoughts and could empathize, but he knew that this was a dead end, an unsolvable problem unless a saint intervened.
And he was no saint; only if the ancestor were to be resurrected and impart their saintly teachings could the situation be rewritten. Otherwise, the grievances between the legitimate and illegitimate lines would persist forever due to the existence of bloodlines and sacred bones.
Now, the young man's arrival was merely a crack in the long-standing enmity between the two lines within the Ji family.
The problem did not lie with the young man but within Ji Qingyuan's heart and the millennia-old grudges of the Ji family.
After a moment of silence, Ji Daoxin said, "He is Qiqi's child and should be considered a legitimate descendant. However, whether he is legitimate or illegitimate, we can determine based on the concentration of his bloodline. I've heard from Yunguo that he possesses the talent of a proud and talented individual, and it's possible that he may even have our Ji family's sacred bone."
"If he is born with a sacred bone, he shall be included in the legitimate line. If he doesn't have a sacred bone and his talent is ordinary, then he shall be considered illegitimate. What do you all think?"
However, he remained expressionless and refrained from voicing his thoughts.
"Family Head, if he is of mixed blood, then whether he can be considered our Ji family's pride depends on his own strength!"
One of the elders spoke up.
"Indeed, escorting War God Yunge back is, at most, enough to spare his life. Not executing him is already a great mercy. How dare he, with his outsider bloodline, come here to tarnish our Ji family's name? His intentions are laughable!"
"Are you all in favor of letting him join the Ji family? I disagree. Even if he is of mixed blood, he is not worthy!"
"If an outsider's bloodline marries into our Ji family's mixed bloodline in the future, won't our blood become even more diluted?" the elders argued.
Ji Daoxin saw that Ji Qingyuan remained unmoved, and his eyes narrowed slightly as his face took on a slightly gloomy expression. "Enough!" he said.
The two words were not spoken harshly, but they immediately silenced the room.
These elders were not shooting arrows in the dark; they were calculated in their words and actions. Seeing that they had angered the family head, their faces changed slightly.
"If there are objections, we can hold a vote during the Elder Assembly!" Ji Daoxin said coldly.
Hearing this, many of the elders' faces changed, as the majority of the elders were from the legitimate line. If an assembly were held, and Ji Yunguo's branch were to lobby for support, the final decision might allow the young man to become a part of the legitimate line directly!
Their verbal sparring was an attempt to bypass the Elder Assembly, as convening one was not always beneficial to the Ji family, and the impact could be significant. Many elders might be in seclusion or guarding a territory and would not be able to attend.
However, once the assembly was called, those elders would have to be summoned.
Ji Qingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly spoke up, "Everyone, since the family head has already made a decision, I agree with his idea."
"Our Ji family respects strength above all else. Whether he is legitimate or not depends on the young man's strength!"
"If he possesses a sacred bone, wouldn't it be laughable to expel him from the Ji family? If word of this spreads to the other ancient sacred tribes, they will surely ridicule us!"
"Since War God Yunge favors him so much, he must have something extraordinary about him. Why don't we let Qingfrost go and test him?"
Ji Qingyuan had remained silent until now, and as he spoke, the room fell silent.
Ji Daoxin's eyes narrowed slightly, understanding the underlying message in Ji Qingyuan's words.
As a war god, Ji Qingyuan still carried the label of being from the illegitimate line. He was using this opportunity to tell the others that a strong member of the illegitimate line was in no way inferior to those from the legitimate line. His intention was to ensure that his descendants received the same treatment as those from the legitimate line.
Although Ji Qingyuan was now a war god and no one dared to look down on him openly, this move was a voice for the other members of the illegitimate line whom he had supported on his rise to power.
Understanding the underlying complexities, Ji Daoxin sighed inwardly. He knew that a war between the legitimate and illegitimate lines, which had occurred thousands of years ago in the Ji family, might break out again.
"War God Qingyuan's words are reasonable. In the Great Wilderness, there are countless demons and monsters, and it has always been a world where the strong rule over the weak!"
"Yes, whether he is legitimate or not depends on the young man's strength!"
Many of the high-ranking members from the illegitimate line immediately voiced their agreement, feeling a sense of relief in echoing Ji Qingyuan's words.
While there were weak members in the legitimate line and strong members in the illegitimate line, those from the illegitimate line always felt inferior when standing before the legitimate line. This pent-up frustration and anger had been festering for a long time.
The high-ranking members of the Ji family who had no relation to Ji Yunguo or Ji Qingyuan had intended to join the discussion from an "objective" standpoint, but seeing the consensus between Ji Qingyuan and the family head, they knew there was no need to continue the debate.
"Since that's the case..."
Just as Ji Daoxin was about to speak, a figure rushed into the hall and stopped at the entrance, "I have an urgent report for the family head. There's trouble at the foot of the mountain."
"Oh?"
Ji Daoxin was taken aback, and his spiritual sense immediately enveloped the area, not bothering to ask questions but directly probing the situation.
"What's going on?"
The elder next to him, however, did not dare to release his spiritual sense so boldly, covering the entire Sacred Mountain as he asked with confusion.
"Ji Yufeng, one of our Ji family's prides, got into a fight with that outsider!" the guard reported urgently.
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment and exchanged glances. One of the elders from the illegitimate line asked, "You mean the outsider who brought War God Yunge back?"
"Yes, it's him," the guard nodded.
"This is outrageous!"
"How dare he start a fight as soon as he arrives? He's too arrogant!"
"Good, let Ji Yufeng teach him a lesson. He needs to learn that our Ji family is not a place where he can act recklessly!" Many of them were furious.
Ji Qingyuan stood up and sensed that Ji Daoxin was using his spiritual sense to investigate. However, he was neither from the legitimate line nor the family head, and even with his status as a War God, he could not freely use his spiritual sense on the Sacred Mountain. He cupped his hands together and said, "I was thinking of having Qingfrost test him, but it seems that won't be necessary now. I'll go and see how capable this pride of our family is. Being of mixed blood from the legitimate line, he should be quite powerful."
With a faint smile, he bade farewell to the family head and left the hall.
As Ji Qingyuan stood up, the others did not linger and also took their leave, eager to witness the impending showdown.
"That child..."
Several members of Ji Yunguo's branch had worried expressions, not expecting the child to be so impulsive. They quickly stood up to bid farewell and hurried off to prevent the young man from getting into serious trouble.
The others looked at Ji Daoxin, who, to their surprise, revealed a hint of astonishment on his face. He did not stop Ji Qingyuan and the others from leaving.
...
...
A loud bang echoed as a figure was suddenly flung out, crashing through the door of the guest-welcoming hall and rolling onto the street outside.
Next to the door stood a young man with his hands behind his back, his expression turning gloomy as he stared forward.
At the entrance, Ji Bo's face changed as he rushed forward, not bothering to help the fallen young man. He quickly moved to stand between the two parties: "Everyone, calm down. This is the guest-welcoming hall, and fighting is not allowed here."
"Get lost!"
The young man with his hands behind his back spoke directly.
Ji Bo's face turned ugly.
The young man paid him no heed and instead fixed his gaze on the calm and composed young man sitting in front of him. He had instructed his companion to make the first move, not wanting to dirty his own hands, but he hadn't expected the other party to be so capable, easily defeating his companion.
This young man was Ji Yufeng, one of the Ji family's prides. Seeing that he was around the same age as Li Hao, he had wanted to teach him a lesson, figuring that this wouldn't be considered bullying.
Ji Yufen's eyes turned cold as he glared at Li Hao.
Taking long strides, he approached Li Hao, intending to teach him a lesson personally.
"Young Master Yufen, you can't break the rules..."
Ji Boduan quickly stepped forward to stop him.
"Scram!"
Ji Yufen suddenly burst forth with an imposing aura. At such a young age, he exuded the aura of a Triple Immortal, and his power climbed to its peak, reaching the Undecaying Realm!
With a roar, he sent Ji Boduan flying backward. Then, like a dragon striding and a tiger stepping, he strode forward and stood before Li Hao.
"Change your surname now, and get out of the Ji family while you still can!"
He looked down at the seated youth from his lofty position.
Li Hao, who had been holding a teacup to welcome the guests, paused for a moment.
"Who are you?"
Li Hao turned to face him.
"You don't need to know who I am, and you're not worthy of knowing!" Ji Yufen's eyes turned icy.
Li Hao retracted his gaze indifferently and, lifting his head, finished the tea in the cup before speaking, "I asked who you are, not because I really wanted to know who you are, but to say that you, as a mere thing, have no right to tell me what surname I should bear."
"The fact that this is the Ji family, and that you are a mere mixed-breed, is reason enough for you not to bear the surname Ji!" Ji Yufen replied angrily.
A cold light flashed in Li Hao's eyes as he glanced at the furious youth before him. Then, he slowly put down his teacup and stood up.
Ji Yufen did not rush to attack, unwilling to take advantage with a sneak attack.
As a proud and talented individual, he had his own pride.
His eyes blazed with anger as he looked at Li Hao, who had been sitting lower than him but now stood taller by a head. Li Hao was younger than him, but he was taller.
This made Ji Yufen's face turn ugly.
"It seems that the teachings of the Ji family are universally lacking." Li Hao spoke softly.
Before the youth in front of him could react, a loud slap resounded through the air.
Ji Yufen's head jerked to the side, his head ringing. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as the Kunyu Baoti (Kunyu Divine Body)
he had cultivated was broken by Li Hao's slap.
"I'll reluctantly educate you on behalf of your parents."
Li Hao's eyes were cold, and he looked outside the Welcoming Hall, sensing the many onlookers. He said coldly, "Who is this child's family? Do they want me to kill him here and now before they come to collect his corpse?"
Hearing Li Hao's words, the onlookers outside the hall were shocked. Many of them had witnessed the scene through their spiritual sense, and they couldn't believe that Ji Yufen, who was around the same age as Li Hao, had just been slapped by him!
"You... You..."
At this moment, Ji Yufen also reacted, his face filled with disbelief. But what followed was a surge of blood rushing to his head, as if he were about to explode.
"You're asking for death!!"
He roared, his aura suddenly surging. In an instant, his flesh swelled, emitting cracking sounds.
Behind him, a shadowy figure of an ancient and ferocious Kunpeng appeared, exuding an extremely fierce and violent aura.
However, before he could even unleash his attack, a second slap landed.
This time, his head was slapped directly into the stone slab beneath Li Hao's feet, deeply embedded into it!
The shadowy figure of the Kunpeng was also slapped away by the force of the slap, dissipating into nothingness.
"What? Do you want me to beat you to death before you'll stop?"
Li Hao retracted his palm, his cold gaze sweeping across the onlookers outside.
The crowd that had rushed over to witness the spectacle was stunned. They couldn't believe that the youth had just been subdued by Li Hao with two slaps!
Beside him, Ji Boduan stared in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Although he knew that Li Hao had escorted Ji Yunguo back, given Ji Yunguo's strength, it was hard to say who was escorting whom.
As for this youth, he looked no older than fifteen or sixteen. Even if he was a proud and talented individual of the Ji family, like Ji Yufen, who was one of the youngest among them, having reached the Undecaying Realm at the age of fifteen, he was now seventeen and could comprehend the Dao Heart at any moment.
Yet, he had just been easily defeated by Li Hao?
"What an arrogant tone!"
In the sky outside the hall, several figures appeared, exuding a powerful aura without any restraint.
They were dressed in extraordinary robes, their bearing majestic and their eyes cold. They were the proud and talented individuals from various branches of the Ji family.
"This is the Ji family, and you dare to injure someone so casually. Did you steal our Ji family's techniques from your mother? Since that's the case, don't blame me for being impolite and taking advantage of your youth!"
One of the youths stepped forward, his aura suddenly bursting forth with the might of the Four Establishments Realm.
The onlookers who had gathered from far and wide were all astonished.
"That's Ji Mingque, one of the stronger proud and talented individuals."
"That outsider youth just defeated Ji Yufen, a proud and talented individual. He seems quite strong, too!"
"He must have some skills for War God Yunge to praise him so highly. He said that he would definitely become a proud and talented individual of our Ji family, and it seems he does have the strength to back it up."
"However, does he think that our Ji family is some shabby place he used to belong to? Even a proud and talented individual must bow their heads and submit to our Ji family!"
"I think that since this person escorted War God Yunge back, he has contributed to our Ji family. Shouldn't we treat him better?"
Many people released their spiritual sense to observe the scene from a distance, whispering among themselves.
Li Hao frowned slightly, surprised by the strong xenophobia of the Ji family. He had assumed that most of them would be as understanding as Ji Yunguo, but it seemed that Ji Yunguo was just a minority in the Ji family.
"War God Yunge said that you are a proud and talented individual, right? Since you want to join our Ji family and stand alongside us, let's see if you have what it takes!"
The youth named Ji Mingque had cold eyes as he looked down at Li Hao from the air. He was more mature than Ji Yufen and did not immediately attack out of his personal displeasure.
"To stand alongside you would be an insult to me."
Li Hao replied calmly.
"You're asking for death!"
Ji Mingque was slightly taken aback, and the cold light in his eyes suddenly intensified. He had thought that they were already arrogant enough, but the youth before him was even more outrageous!
"If you can block my spear, I will acknowledge you!"
He suddenly attacked, his spear flipping out with the might of space and the heavens.
The spear light converged, containing the true might of the martial extreme, and the terrifying spear intent condensed into a point, crashing towards Li Hao.