Follow the path of Dao from infancy

“How is that possible? Even with the assistance of the Fifteen Li Realm, there would still be many casualties in a chaotic battle. Could it be that the intelligence you brought is incorrect, and there aren’t that many demons?” Xia Yong said sternly.

The coachman shivered in fear and quickly said, “I would never dare to deceive you. There are countless demons, so many that they blacken the horizon. I heard there are forty to fifty thousand, and I saw with my own eyes seven or eight Divine Travel Realm Great Demons, as well as a Red Jiao, but all thanks to Li of the Li Family who cut them down and kept the whole city safe.”

Red Jiao, that must be the jiao dragon driven out of the Holy Palace… Xia Qingshuang’s eyes moved slightly, and her expression became serious.

That Red Jiao is not like an ordinary Fifteen Li Realm Great Demon; it possesses sorcery nurtured within the Holy Palace and is only slightly inferior to them in strength.

“I never expected that the third generation of the Li Family would have such a capable person,” Xia Qingshuang said.

“Hmph, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong. This place is not Qingzhou, nor is it the Li Family’s territory.”

Xia Yong also believed the coachman’s words now and snorted coldly, “To act so high and mighty upon entering the world, how preposterous. Are the battlefields overseen by the Li Family in Northern Yan not chaotic enough?”

“Hey!”

Inside the carriage, Li Yuanzhao, having heard this, couldn’t suppress his anger and retorted, “What are you talking about? We help you, the Xia Family, solve the demon scourge, and yet you blame us instead!”

Upon hearing the plump boy’s shout, both of them were startled.

Xia Yong’s face changed slightly and he asked, “You are a disciple of the Li Family?”

“Of course!” Li Yuanzhao said, his face full of anger.

These students from Tan Palace Academy, they should not dare to impersonate the Li Family… Xia Yong immediately felt a twinge of embarrassment. Initially, he had only intended to express dissatisfaction behind their backs, but his words were overheard.

Now that it had come to this, admitting his mistake would only undermine the Xia Family’s prestige, so he maintained a stern face and said, “To be admitted to Tan Palace Academy, a Li Family disciple’s talent must be just so.”

“You!”

His words seemed to have angered everyone.

After all, Tan Palace is a top-tier academy. Although it may not compare to Mount Wuliang or Divine General Mansion, gaining entry is extremely difficult.

To the other party, it seemed to be spoken of as a place of little worth.

However, although Du Qiuyue and the others were annoyed, they dared not say anything, for this was the Xia Family’s domain.

Li Hao was somewhat surprised; he never imagined there truly existed people in the world with such low emotional intelligence. No wonder those ancient military officers could not outsmart civil officials—such remarks were bound to offend people the moment they were uttered.

“Yong Brother, let’s go.”

Xia Qingshuang, realizing that Xia Yong had spoken inappropriately, decided not to linger any longer and prepared to go to Cangyu City to see if everything was alright before returning home as soon as possible.

Xia Yong snorted coldly, taking the opportunity to gracefully make an exit.

Li Hao said, “Are you just going to leave like this?”

“Hmm?” Xia Qingshuang frowned and looked towards the youth sitting in the center of the carriage, instantly recognizing that this young man seemed to be the core of the group.

“You solve the demon scourge for you, and you can’t even say thanks, and now you have the audacity to criticize the Li Family’s affairs in Northern Yan?” Li Hao said coldly.

If they hadn’t mentioned Northern Yan, he might not have bothered to care.

But with his parents still in Northern Yan, and despite not having seen them for over a decade which might mean not much affection ran deep, he still remembered the three-thousand-year-old demon corpse sent back by his coarse father and the concerned look in his young mother’s eyes.

In his heart, he naturally considered them his family.

“What exactly are you, picking a quarrel? The Li Family has been fighting in Northern Yan for over a decade, swallowing all the hardships. Is it not right for the court to provide food and equipment?” Xia Yong’s face darkened as he looked down at Li Hao.

“Bastard, how dare you insult Hao Brother!” Li Yuanzhao fumed with rage, and he would have taken action personally if he was not aware that the two before him were very powerful individuals.

“My Li Family has been fighting for over a decade, keeping the difficulties to ourselves. Isn’t it proper for the court to supply the food and equipment?” Li Hao said indifferently, “What, has the Xia Family never sought assistance from the court? As a fellow Divine General Mansion, you should understand the difficulty of guarding the frontier. Instead, you ridicule us here—is this how the Xia Family teaches its members?”

“Are you also a third-generation Li?”

Embarrassment and annoyance flashed across Xia Yong’s face, “The Li Family is simply lawless. We haven’t even left Qi State yet, and this is the Xia Family’s jurisdiction. What gives you the right to question our Xia Family’s thousand-year teachings? Slap him!”

He was at the Fifteen Li Realm, ready to strike a slap at any moment.

Under the control of object manipulation, others had no control over their own bodies.

But Li Hao’s palm remained still, he merely narrowed his eyes sharply, and the power of object manipulation enveloped and suppressed the area above the adversary’s head.

With a whine, the purple-horned horse ridden by Xia Yong let out a cry of anguish.

This warhorse was of the same outstanding breed as the Red Blood Horse, battle-hardened and having witnessed countless Demon blood, it naturally carried a fierce and murderous aura. However, at that moment, its hooves suddenly gave out, and it knelt down.

Xia Yong’s face changed drastically on horseback, intending to leap into the air, but the suppressing force caused him to tumble directly off the horse.

He struggled up from the ground in a flustered manner, a flash of horror crossing his face as he stared at the young man inside the carriage.

Although dressed in the same academy attire, the young man exuded a noble air.

“Fifteen Li Realm? Impossible!”

Xia Yong could hardly believe it; how young this teenager was, yet his realm was comparable to his own, and that object manipulation Divine Power was even more tyrannical than his own.

Xia Qing Shuang’s pretty face changed slightly, she stared at Li Hao and asked, “Which young master of the Li Family are you?”

Li Hao couldn’t be bothered to answer, just coldly said, “I need an apology from you, or no one is leaving today!”

“You!”

Xia Yong said angrily, “This is Qi State, not Qingzhou!”

“Even if this place were at the doorstep of your Xia Family, you would still owe me an apology!” Li Hao articulated each word.

“Very well, then I shall see whether you can really bear it!”

Xia Yong suddenly invoked his Divine Soul, transforming into a beam of golden light and thrusting his palm toward Li Hao.

Li Hao sat still, a flash of golden light behind him, his own Divine Soul flew out and suddenly smashed out with a punch.

This was a Peerless Technique taught by his second uncle, the Half-Step Invincible Fist.

This technique was even more powerful than the fourth form of the Endless Sea by three parts.

However, he did not strike with full force.

With a thud, at the moment of the impact between the fist and the palm, Xia Yong’s Divine Soul melted like snowflakes in a furnace, rapidly disintegrating, and shattered by the punch!

Xia Yong’s face instantly turned deathly pale, he violently spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, looking at Li Hao in horror. He raised a trembling finger, unable to speak, his vision darkened, and he fainted to the ground right then and there.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and Li Hao’s Divine Soul had already returned to his body.

Xia Qing Shuang regained her senses, her expression changed dramatically, realizing that the soul injury was severe. Even with the Xia Family’s countless precious medicines for recovery, one would have to rest for at least half a year to a year. For ordinary people, it might even take decades to heal.

Such a ruthless move.

Xia Qing Shuang looked at the young man inside the carriage. His face was as cold as ice, and he looked back at her as well.

“Your attack was exceedingly ruthless!” Xia Qing Shuang gritted her teeth and said.

“Today, if it weren’t for me, other descendants of the Li Family would have either swallowed their anger or truly slapped you!”

Li Hao’s gaze was icy, “For your Xia Family to dare to make the Li Family suffer such an insult in public, what audacity. Not killing him was already showing mercy!”

A flicker of indignation passed through Xia Qing Shuang’s eyes, but knowing she was in the wrong and furthermore not being a match for the young man, she immediately raised her hand to gesture, lifting Xia Yong’s body onto the horse from afar. She then said:

“In light of your rescue of Cangyu City, I won’t trouble you any further. Let’s end this matter here!”

With that, she spurred her horse forward, carrying Xia Yong back on their way.

She had originally planned to visit Cangyu City, but now with Xia Yong seriously injured, she needed to take him back to the clan to be treated to avoid any lingering ailments.

Seeing the other party leave, the several people inside the carriage also realized that the exchange between Li Hao and the opponent was likely a clash of Divine Souls, which they, having not progressed in soul cultivation, could not perceive.

“The Xia Family is really unreasonable!” Li Yuan Zhao said huffily.

“Didn’t expect the Xia Family to be like this.”

Ren Qianqian frowned, by now she already considered herself a follower by Li Hao’s side, half a member of the Li Family. Coupled with Li Hao’s words at the tea stall on their journey, she held respect for the Li Family in her heart.

Seeing the Xia Family of Divine General Mansion acting so unrulily and unreasonably, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Li Hao watched the others leave and did not attempt to stop them, simply shaking his head slightly and instructing the coachman to continue on their journey.

This incident wasn’t too important to him. It was common for large families to have arrogant individuals. He had heard somewhat of the Xia Family’s amazing feats and did not develop hostility towards the entire family, though his impression of them did drop slightly.