Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the Sacred Pillar, enveloping the drop of blood and lifting it off the pillar. It hung in the air, rounded and suspended.
Then, a silver-gray light shone forth from the Sacred Pillar, piercing through the droplet and turning it silver. This light then illuminated Li Hao's body.
"Indeed, he is of the Xi family bloodline."
Seeing that the holy light could penetrate the blood, everyone knew that this young man indeed possessed the Xi family bloodline.
They all held their breath and focused on the silver light that penetrated the blood, shining on Li Hao.
From head to toe, Li Hao bathed in the silver radiance, his skin appearing transparent. Dazzling silver light shuttled through him, a brilliance emitted due to the Xi family bloodline being drawn out by the power of the Saint.
After a long while, the silver light faded, and everything on the Altar of Sacrifice returned to normal.
"There is no sacred sound response, nor any sacred bones..."
Before the young man could open his eyes, everyone present saw this situation and couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Standing closest, Xi Daoxin frowned slightly and sighed inwardly. However, he soon thought that since the boy was only half-blooded, it would be too good to be true if he could awaken the sacred bones.
Nevertheless, the absence of sacred bones was a regret.
Xi Tianchao and Xi Yunyue, among others, also felt disappointed and sighed inwardly. While they wouldn't neglect Li Hao just because he lacked sacred bones, the child's achievements would have been even greater if he had them.
Next to them, Xi Qingfeng sneered slightly and was about to say something mocking to his father. But when he looked up, he saw that his father and uncles all had furrowed brows, and there seemed to be no joy on their faces. He paused, suddenly realizing that his father and the others didn't seem to hold much hostility towards the young man.
Could it be because he returned the War God, Yun Ge?
"As expected, a half-blooded child cannot have sacred bones!"
"Letting him ascend the Altar of Sacrifice is an insult to our ancestor!"
Beside them, several elders born of different mothers from Xi Qingyuan's side breathed a sigh of relief and then sneered.
On the Altar of Sacrifice, Li Hao opened his eyes. Hearing the whispers around him, he knew that he indeed did not possess sacred bones.
He was not surprised by this outcome. If he had sacred bones, he would have sensed them long ago. With his seventh-stage Refining the Flesh realm cultivation, he would have been able to perceive his physical condition.
Li Hao turned around and looked at Xi Daoxin, who was the current patriarch of the Xi family, even respected by Xi Yunguo. He cupped his hands slightly and said, "Senior, I would like to see my mother."
Xi Daoxin was slightly surprised, looking at the young man's calm and unperturbed expression. He seemed to show no signs of disappointment, which was unexpected.
Those of the Xi family who came to the Altar of Sacrifice to test for sacred bones were almost always disappointed when they learned they had not awakened them.
On the contrary, the young man before him was extremely calm, and Xi Daoxin could tell that this was not an act of pretension or concealment. The young man truly did not seem to care much about the sacred bones.
Perhaps he doesn't know how important sacred bones are... Xi Daoxin's eyes flickered as he said to Li Hao, "Although you have now entered my Xi family, your mother previously violated the clan rules and is currently serving her sentence. You cannot meet with her."
Li Hao immediately said, "But Senior Xi Yunguo mentioned before that as long as I become a genius of the Xi family, I can not only meet her but also help redeem her sins!"
"Do you want to redeem your mother's sins and free her?"
Xi Daoxin frowned slightly. "That... I'm afraid it's difficult. Unless you become the number one genius of my Xi family and are recognized as a Dao Seed, only then can your mother's sins be forgiven."
Li Hao nodded. "Senior Xi Yunguo said the same. I want to try."
"Now?"
Xi Daoxin was taken aback. Although he could sense that Li Hao's aura was restrained and veiled by a special concealment technique, he could still perceive the extremely vigorous power hidden within Li Hao's body, far surpassing that of the Three Non-Immortal realms.
"Yes," Li Hao nodded seriously.
Whoosh!
Although their conversation was not loud, most of those present had cultivated to a certain level and heard Li Hao's intention to challenge all the geniuses of the Xi family and strive for the Dao Seed. They were shocked, and what followed was anger.
"What a joke! Who does he think he is?"
"He dares to aim for the Dao Seed as soon as he joins the Xi family. Does he think the other geniuses are like Xi Yufen?"
"Grant his request and let Xi Mingmu teach him a lesson!"
"The geniuses of our Xi family cannot be insulted. He's too arrogant!"
The crowd was furious, feeling that Li Hao was too arrogant and did not respect the other geniuses.
Hearing the discussions, Xi Yufen, who had already regained consciousness in the crowd, blushed. He felt that the young man's boldness was purely because he had shown weakness earlier.
"Damn it!"
Xi Yufen gritted his teeth, shaking with anger.
"Are you sure?"
On the Altar of Sacrifice, Xi Daoxin frowned slightly. "To become a Dao Seed, you must defeat all the geniuses of my Xi family, become the number one, and be the strongest. Although you defeated Xi Yufen earlier, he is still very young and is at the bottom among the geniuses of my Xi family in terms of strength."
Among the geniuses, every few years of age difference results in a significant gap in strength.
As for the younger generation, including Xi Mingque and other geniuses, some were already approaching thirty years old, and their strength was extremely terrifying.
"Yes," Li Hao nodded seriously, not joking.
Xi Daoxin looked deeply at Li Hao, a hint of regret and disappointment in his eyes. "Since that's the case, so be it."
If Li Hao could have endured for a few more years, he might have had a chance. But now, Li Hao was still too young.
"Patriarch, let me teach him a lesson!"
A figure flew forward from the crowd and stood in the air outside the Altar of Sacrifice, glaring at Li Hao.
"I am Xi Mingxin. Don't say I'm bullying you because of your age. It's you who is asking for death!"
Li Hao looked up, and the person before him seemed a little older than Xi Mingque, around twenty-four or twenty-five, already a young adult.
"It doesn't matter," Li Hao said.
Xi Daoxin saw Li Hao's confidence, thinking that since he could defeat Xi Yufen, he must be a genius from outside. He probably hadn't faced many setbacks, which explained his arrogance. Xi Daoxin sighed inwardly and said, "This is not a place for battle. If you want to challenge for the Dao Seed, then ring the Sacred Bell to gather the other geniuses. Let them all come to Tian Dao Mountain!"
As his voice rang out, everyone realized that this was no longer a game.
"Yes, even if you are confident, it would be safer to wait a few more years."
"You're being too hasty, child. You might injure yourself, which would hinder your future cultivation." Ji Yunqing and the others joined in, trying to persuade him.
Although they knew from Ji Yungao that this young man possessed extraordinary strength and could become the leader of Ji's elite disciples, the current Li Hao was still too young and inexperienced.
"I want to bring her back as soon as possible," Li Hao replied.
Hearing the boy's words, Ji Yunqing and the others' expressions changed slightly. Seeing the determination in his eyes, they wanted to say something but stopped short, unable to voice their concerns.
Seeing that even Ji Yunyue couldn't persuade Li Hao, Ji Daoxin waved his hand and said, "Let's go. I'll take you to ring the Sacred Bell."
Li Hao nodded.
Ji Daoxin flew forward, with Li Hao following closely behind, toward the mountain peak.
At the peak, there was a platform with an ancient cauldron-like giant bell.
"Ringing the Sacred Bell to initiate the Dao Seed Challenge leaves you with no turning back!" Ji Daoxin said solemnly.
Li Hao nodded and channeled his power to lift the divine iron hammer in front of the bell, striking it with force. In an instant, the crisp bell toll reverberated throughout the entire Sacred Mountain.
At that moment, everyone on the mountain, including the ordinary members of the Ji family living in the city on the other side, heard the bell and were shocked.
The ringing of the Sacred Bell signaled a challenge for the Dao Seed! It meant facing a bloody battle against all the elite disciples of the Ji family. It was not a friendly spar but a fight to the point of severe injury or even death!
After all, the Dao Seed Challenge would require one to expend all their power to reach the peak, and secret techniques might be employed, making it difficult to stop.
"This child is too impulsive..." Ji Yunyue and the others paled as they heard the bell toll from the mountain peak.
If they remembered correctly, the boy was only fifteen years old.
For a fifteen-year-old to aim for the peak and face those in their twenties or even approaching thirty was as difficult as ascending to the heavens!
"Third Brother was right. This child is driven by his emotions and is willing to go to such lengths for his mother. His determination surpasses that of many others!" Ji Tianchao stood on the Sacrificial Altar, gazing at the mountain peak with a solemn expression.
"Quick, think of a way to stop him! Is it too late?" Ji Yunyue anxiously asked.
Ji Tianchao shook his head slightly and said, "There's no need to worry too much. Third Brother mentioned that this child could hold his own against someone in the Inevitable Realm. I don't think he was exaggerating. Perhaps this child truly has the capability!"
"How is that possible?" Ji Yunyue exclaimed, her eyes widening. She then realized something and said, "Wait, I don't think I detected his cultivation level earlier. Could it be that he's already in the Defying Fate Realm? If so, then a battle between the Defying Fate and Inevitable Realms, though rare, is not entirely impossible."
"That child is too impulsive. His mother is imprisoned on the Captive Sky Island, which is harsh, but a few years there won't make much of a difference..." Ji Yunyue sighed.
Given his talent, it was no wonder Third Brother said that in the next decade, this child could become a powerful ally alongside Ninth Brother.
As they spoke, the sound of the bell, imbued with the Dao, echoed throughout the entire Ji family.
Even those cultivating in their caves heard the toll, and in an instant, brilliant lights burst forth from numerous caves as exceptional figures flew out.
"Who dares to ring our Ji family's Sacred Bell?"
"Who dares to challenge the Dao Seed so arrogantly?!"
"Could it be that Ji Xuanshen has broken through?"
Countless elite disciples of the Ji family briefly paused in front of their caves before rushing toward the peak of the Sacred Mountain, toward Tian Dao Mountain.
In addition to the numerous elite disciples, the high-ranking members of the Ji family who had been watching the ceremony at the Sacrificial Altar, as well as those who had come early to witness the spectacle, were all astonished and angered. They, too, made their way toward the peak.
"He dares to challenge the Dao Seed without even awakening the Sacred Bones?!"
"I want to see how he will be defeated!"
The crowd rushed toward the summit.
The Sacred Mountain was vast and majestic, and what was referred to as the peak was actually a plain spanning tens of thousands of miles, complete with rivers and mountains. At this moment, on one of the towering peaks, Li Hao stood alongside Ji Daoxin.
The bell swayed, and its toll reverberated.
Countless figures rushed forward, gathering at the elite disciples' battlefield—Tian Dao Mountain.
"Who dares to ring the bell and challenge the Dao Seed?!"
A furious shout tore through the air, and before the speaker even arrived, his voice had already reached the battlefield.
As the wind caused by his arrival died down, they saw a tall and sturdy young man. He noticed Ji Daoxin and quickly bowed before turning his gaze to Li Hao, who stood beside the patriarch.
"Is it you?"
"It's me," Li Hao replied.
"Who are you, and which branch and generation are you from? I've never heard of your name before," the sturdy young man asked, his eyes fixed on Li Hao.
"You will hear of me from now on," Li Hao said.
As the sturdy young man arrived, more and more dazzling figures flew in, cutting through the sky and landing around the battlefield. There were at least several dozen of them.
These were all elite disciples of the Ji family, and many of them had been cultivating in their caves, absent from the earlier commotion. Some had even been in seclusion and were unaware of Ji Yungao's return.
However, the Sacred Bell's toll, imbued with the Dao, penetrated everywhere, and they had all heard it, drawing them to this place.
"His name is Ji Leping. He's a half-blood, and even before joining our Ji family, he changed his name. He's trying to curry favor with our Ji family by taking credit for returning the War God, Ji Yungao!"
"A despicable and base individual. Does he think it's that easy to enjoy the resources and treatment meant for our Ji family's elite disciples?"
"Teach him a lesson!"
Some of the elite disciples who had gone to the mountain gate to observe Li Hao earlier now stepped forward, their faces cold as they looked at Li Hao.
Although Li Hao had defeated Ji Yufeng, it did not mean he could beat them. After all, they had chosen not to intervene in the Welcoming Hall.
"I see," the newly arrived elite disciples said, their eyes turning cold as they heard the explanation.
To them, a challenger for the Dao Seed was already an adversary, and a half-blooded one at that!
"He doesn't even have innate Sacred Bones, yet he dares to aspire for the Dao Seed. Our Ji family has only one Dao Seed. Who does he think he is?"
The proud young geniuses were getting impatient, each shouting their case.
Xi Daoxin glanced at Li Hao, noting the young man's calm and fearless demeanor. He shook his head slightly and declared in a loud voice:
"Now, Ji Leping challenges for the Dao Seed. Who among you will accept his challenge? If no one steps up, his challenge will be considered successful!"
The rules of the Dao Seed challenge were simple and brutal. Aside from prohibiting ganging up or taking turns to fight, any other means were allowed.
For every victory, Li Hao would earn a day of rest.
"I'll go first!"
"I will, I'm up!"
Among the dozens of proud young geniuses, seven or eight of them stepped forward, eager to challenge Li Hao.
"I'll go. This time, I'll use my full strength!"
Ji Mingque also stepped forward, his eyes icy cold. He was still annoyed that Li Hao had caught his spear earlier, and now he wanted to truly measure himself against Li Hao.
Li Hao looked at them bickering and calmly said, "If you can't decide, then come at me all together."
Whoosh!
As soon as he said that, the crowd gathered outside the field became even more shocked.
This guy is too outrageous. Has he never tasted defeat before?
Facing the pressure of so many proud young geniuses, he still dared to be so brazen!
After hearing Li Hao's words, even those geniuses who were too lazy to fight now had cold lights flashing in their eyes.
"Damn it, I'll go!"
A figure rushed onto the stage, his aura bursting forth as he brandished his blade and slashed at Li Hao.
The sound of the blade was like a dragon's roar, instantly filling the air. Then it transformed into a galaxy of blade light, vertically chopping down.
Li Hao stood still, unmoving. The blade light was pulled by the Dao patterns, instantly attacking him. Just as it reached him, he lifted his hand and punched, shattering the light. Then, his figure flickered, and he stepped out with the Heaven's Disappearance Technique, appearing in front of the angry young man in the blink of an eye.
The young man's pupils contracted, and before he could react, he saw Li Hao's fist rushing towards him.
Bang! The punch landed squarely on his chest, shattering his bones. The fierce force of the punch penetrated his body and sent him flying backward.
"What?!"
The others saw the young genius flying backward and their faces changed. He was at the Four Establishments Realm, yet he was defeated by that young man in the blink of an eye?!
"So fast!"
"He's revealed his aura, he's not at the Four Establishments Realm, he's at the Three Non-Immortal Realms?!"
Previously, Li Hao's aura had been hidden, making it impossible to discern his true cultivation level. But now, as he unleashed his power, everyone realized that he was not at the Four Establishments Realm, but at the Three Non-Immortal Realms!
This revelation shocked everyone present, including Xi Yunyue and Xi Tianchao, whose expressions turned grim.
Three Non-Immortal Realms?
Third Brother said he could fight someone at the Inevitable Realm, but how is that possible at only the Three Non-Immortal Realms?!
Among the crowd, Ji Yufen's angry face was filled with shock. He was also at the Three Non-Immortal Realms, but he didn't possess the kind of power that Li Hao displayed.
Moreover, that movement technique—even someone at the Dao Heart Realm wouldn't be able to react in time. It must be a technique from the Defying Fate Realm!
And he has cultivated it to such a high level! Where did he find the time to cultivate?
Li Hao's display of power intimidated many of the geniuses. Those who had previously looked at him with anger and disdain now wore serious expressions.
However, they remembered that this was a Dao Seed challenge. Defeating someone at the Dao Heart Realm was still far from enough to claim the Dao Seed!
"The rest of you don't need to come up. Anyone below the Inevitable Realm, get off the stage!"
One of the geniuses spoke in a calm and indifferent tone.
With his hands behind his back and his aura restrained, he stood quietly like an immovable mountain, making everyone feel oppressed.
Hearing his words, many of the geniuses looked disappointed but didn't dare to argue.
"Then I guess it's my turn."
A young man in white stepped forward from the crowd and said to Li Hao, "I'll be here at this time tomorrow. Go and get some rest."
Li Hao shook his fist and replied calmly, "No need, we can finish this today."
The young man in white paused slightly, and his eyes turned cold. "You said it yourself!"
As he finished speaking, he seemed worried that Li Hao would back down, so he suddenly unleashed his aura and stepped into the battlefield.
"You're just a mixed-blood, and you dare to enter our Ji family?! Ji Leping? What a terrible name. After I cripple you, you'd better change your name and leave the Ji family!"
The young man in white lifted his hand, and a sword appeared from the space between heaven and earth. In an instant, the sound of waves seemed to come from behind him, and his sword intent surged like a tide.
Li Hao's calm eyes suddenly emitted a cold, electric glow. "I don't care about the Xi surname, but don't tarnish my name!"
"That's not for you to decide with your mouth. Let's see if you have the skills to back up your big talk!"
The young man in white suddenly attacked, his aura bursting forth. He simultaneously unleashed multiple supreme techniques, with his Meridian Technique and Breathing Technique surpassing even the royal family of the Great Yu God Dynasty. He unleashed a heaven-shaking might.
His God Refining and Soul Condensing techniques were also extraordinary, allowing him to condense his soul 270 times!
At this moment, he unleashed his full power, aiming to cripple Li Hao with a single move and shock everyone present.
A terrifying might burst forth from his body and condensed onto his sword. The dazzling sword glow seemed to condense countless bolts of lightning and fire, and he slashed down at Li Hao with overwhelming force.
"So powerful!"
"Ji Mingshou has become even stronger. I heard he cultivated four supreme techniques, and he's cultivated them all to the True Form level!"
"True Form... That's terrifying!"
The onlookers were stunned as they witnessed the endless lightning and fire that seemed to split the entire Tian Dao Stage in half along with the sword glow!
Li Hao's eyes turned icy cold, and the blood in his body began to boil. He didn't retreat but instead stepped forward with the Dragon's Walk and Tiger's Step, meeting the dazzling sword light head-on.
Bang!!
A terrifying force swept out like a thousand hurricanes. The sword light was instantly suppressed, and like cold moonlight being covered by the scorching sun, it was completely engulfed!
A figure flew backward, directly off the Tian Dao Stage.
Several figures rushed out from the crowd and caught the young man. They were his elders, but as they caught him, their arms trembled, and their bones cracked.
It took several people to support the young man's body, and the young man in white had already fainted.