Li Tian Gang watched the young man’s retreating figure with a complex expression, his fingers tightening slightly, a mix of nervousness, anticipation, and a touch of confusion and sadness.
In the past, when they had argued, the young man had given up the Li Family surname and left the illustrious Divine General Mansion.
Who would have thought that, today, it would be an ancestor who personally invited him back.
He couldn’t help but wonder, had he really been that wrong?
He had established his moral philosophy based on the Law of All Things, but at this moment, his belief was somewhat shaken.
Li Hao also hadn’t expected that the Li Family ancestor would go to such lengths for him, feeling both surprised and a bit remorseful.
Remorse is not regret; it’s the necessity to hurt their feelings.
The moon waxes and wanes, completeness in this matter is ancient and elusive.
Since severing the bloodline in the abyss, there had been no turning back, and many things missed or mishandled ultimately lead to regret. Even if a broken mirror is mended, the cracks remain, only reflecting a fractured image.
“Ancestor, I’ve taken your kindness to heart.”
Li Hao bowed slightly and said, “Exempting me isn’t worth it. The millennium of glory accumulated by our ancestors through battles and slaying demons shouldn’t be compromised because of me. Our family tradition and clan rules exist for a reason, otherwise one brilliant moment might lead to eternal annihilation.”
“I no longer carry the Li Family bloodline, and even as a true dragon, I could hardly command respect. My mind is made up, and I cannot bear the burden of the Divine General Mansion.”
After saying this, he bowed deeply in gratitude.
He Jianlan and others grew pale upon hearing Li Hao’s words. The hopeful light in their eyes dimmed as if a glow-worm had been snuffed out.
Kneeling on the ground, Li Tian Gang too was stunned, his face twitching.
In the past, he had insisted that the young man be disciplined and law-abiding, but the young man had been relaxed and casual.
Now, he used the family law and clan regulations as an excuse to sever ties with the Li Family.
He had used his own standards to sever everything.
“You…”
Li Tianyuan was momentarily taken aback, clearly not expecting Li Hao’s blunt refusal.
After a brief silence, he said, “My child, even if not as a true dragon, the Li Family owes you. We old fellows are here to make amends. The Li Family’s true dragon may receive our soul power for Soul Condensation, and even if you aren’t, let us condense one for you!”
Li Hao suddenly thought of the scenes within Dragon City Mo River, where he had inherited the True Dragon and fought battles wearing the mantle of this ancestor. Continue your journey with empire
But those were Li Tianzong’s memories.
Before dissipating, the old man might have felt comforted by this.
Li Hao sighed inwardly, saying to the Li Family elder before him:
“Ancestor, your kindness is too great for me to bear. Soul Condensation is too costly for you. You need not do this. The Li Family owes me nothing; we are even.”
Inside Dragon City Mo River, the Li Family ancestor had condensed his soul to help him break through the bottleneck of 360 Soul Condensations, but Li Hao felt he could achieve this himself by collecting more Soul Condensation manuals. There was no need to exhaust the Heroic Spirits’ soul power.
After all, these Heroic Spirits were human race heroes who had battled enemies and slain demons in their own eras. It was beneath their dignity to sacrifice for him.
Hearing Li Hao’s words, Li Tianyuan fell silent again.
He wished to gather the power of many Heroic Spirits both as repayment for Li Hao’s help and in the hope that it would endear them to him should the Li Family ever need help again.
But it seemed the young man was unmoved by this.
To a martial artist, this was an extremely precious thing, greatly enhancing strength, yet he deemed it insignificant.
“My child…”
Li Tianyuan appeared to sigh, starting to speak again.
“Ancestor.”
Li Hao quickly interjected, smiling, “We may not be related by blood, but if you wish to be friends, I welcome it.”
“Friends from afar, is this not a joy?”
“I appreciate your intentions; please don’t hold me back.”
Having said this, he bowed slightly as a gesture, then looked at Li Yuanzhao in the courtyard, smiling slightly, “If you ever have time, you can come and visit me.”
“Yes!”
Li Yuanzhao’s eyes were filled with sorrow as he nodded vigorously, unable to conceal his reluctance.
Li Tianyuan and the other ancestral Heroic Spirits of the Li Family fell silent upon hearing Li Hao’s words, knowing that his resolve was firm and that they could no longer hold him back.
Li Tianyuan sighed inwardly and said to Li Xuanli in the hall, “Li Family’s True Dragon will temporarily be in your care.”
After speaking, he nodded slightly to Li Hao and then quickly flew away.
The other ancestors, each with different expressions, all melancholic or miserable, nodded to Li Hao in thanks and then successively flew back to the ancestral shrine.
Li Hao had once raced to Qingzhou City to rescue them, a kindness difficult to repay.
Yet the young man seemed indifferent, which left them somewhat unsettled.
Li Hao walked towards the courtyard exit, followed closely by Li Yuanzhao and others. Li Wushuang hesitated, wanting to hold back, but realizing that if the ancestors couldn’t stop the young man, how could he? His gaze fell sadly.
Li Mingjian, Li Zhining, and others had complex expressions. No one in the Li Family had ever received such attention, not even their parents or grandparents.
But in their generation, there emerged an extremely brilliant individual.
Yet, paradoxically, he was like a dragon soaring from the shallows to the sky, no longer dwelling with them.
Yet who in the world could dare call the Divine General Mansion of the Li Family a shallow place?
It was only that the world the young man explored was far too vast…
