Chapter 35: Ancestral Shrine

Several months later.

By the Black Water Demon Lake.

Li Hao pulled up a fish demon of Zhou Tian Realm Eighth Layer, slashed it with a casual sword strike, then built a fire and set up a large pot for cooking.

He scraped off the scales, peeled the skin, and removed the bones—all movements fluid and seamless.

This time he skipped the chili peppers, making a health-promoting soup, and tossed in various wild forest mushrooms to simmer together.

The rich aroma of the mushrooms drifted out with the steam along the iron lid’s edge; the two old men fishing by the lake each drew in a slow breath and kept casting glances over.

As Li Hao declared, “Let’s eat,” their figures appeared like illusions beside the pot, each already holding their own utensils—exquisite jade chopsticks and crude ones made from twisted branches—both plunging into the pot at once.

“Mmm, excellent!”

Li Muxiu slurped down a piece of fish and gave Li Hao a thumbs-up.

Old Feng also smiled warmly, ladled himself a bowl of fish soup, and savored it slowly.

This fish contributed greatly: besides adding to his fishing experience, it granted him dozens more cooking experience points; Li Hao estimated his Cooking Dao would be the first art, after Chess Dao, to reach Third Rank.

“Here, little one, try some too.”

Li Hao picked up a slice of fish and placed it on a nearby leaf; a white shadow darted out and immediately scampered over to devour it.

“That’s a fox—you’ve turned it into a dog,” Old Feng chuckled.

He had returned several months ago, but never told Li Muxiu or Li Hao what he’d been doing; neither of them asked.

“It makes no difference,” Li Hao smiled.

When they’d eaten halfway, Li Hao felt the moment was right and said to Li Muxiu: “Second Grandpa, I’m planning to break into the Continuation Soul Realm soon. Do you have time to take me to the ancestral shrine?”

“Huh?”

Both paused their chopsticks and turned to Li Hao.

Li Muxiu blinked in disbelief: “You’re aiming for Continuation Soul? You’ve already reached Zhou Tian’s peak?”

“Mm.” Li Hao nodded.

He’d deliberately delayed telling the old man for months, fearing his progress might seem too shocking.

Feng Boping forgot to eat, staring at Li Hao in astonishment.

He knew the boy played and joked around, but never joked about cultivation.

But an eight-year-old aiming for Continuation Soul?

That was absurdly exaggerated.

“Has your Dragon River Divine Vein already reached full cultivation? How is that possible? Even if you weren’t a martial waste, your father didn’t enter Continuation Soul until he was nine.”

Li Muxiu studied Li Hao, certain the boy wouldn’t joke about something so serious—but such a thing couldn’t be true. Even the most prodigious talents he’d seen, like Li Junye, hadn’t reached Continuation Soul until eight and a half—and Li Junye trained day and night, gifted and fiercely diligent.

But Li Hao… spent his days fishing with him, sometimes all day long—when did he find time to cultivate?

“Well, it’s true,” Li Hao realized he’d overestimated the old man’s tolerance, but since it was out now, he had to press on.

“Did your meridians spontaneously open?”

Li Muxiu examined Li Hao: “Though your body refinement talent is extraordinary, breaking into Continuation Soul usually takes seven to eight years, even ten or more—how could your meridians be fully opened in just one year?”

“That’s simple—have Little Rat show us,” Old Feng said.

Li Muxiu nodded: “Yes, let’s see.”

“Alright.”

Li Hao immediately stood, stepped away from the pot, then unleashed his full strength, activating fifty-four major meridians. A vast surge of qi flooded his body; he temporarily suppressed the concealment effect of his “Myriad Forms” attribute, and the qi burst outward visibly.

Li Muxiu and Feng Boping’s eyes widened in shock, unable to believe it—Li Muxiu’s chopsticks even dropped into the pot.

He stared at Li Hao, dumbfounded.

“R-real?”

As a Fourth Standing Realm expert, how could he be mistaken?

Fifty-four meridians, perfectly full—undoubtedly Zhou Tian’s peak! Yet this child was only eight! Feng Boping remained stunned for a moment, then turned to Li Muxiu with a helpless expression: “Your Li family really breeds monsters—first Li Junye, now this kid. If other Divine General families find out, they’ll surely petition the court to impeach you again!”

Li Muxiu remained speechless, just staring blankly at Li Hao.

This wasn’t just an extraordinary talent for reaching Zhou Tian’s peak—it meant one other thing: Li Hao’s meridians were fully open!

That meant Li Hao was no longer a martial waste—he could cultivate! And this talent surpassed even Little Nine’s; he was unquestionably the greatest of the next three generations—and likely the greatest in the past ten.

Countless thoughts surged through his mind in an instant, and suddenly, Li Muxiu was overwhelmed with guilt and self-reproach.

Such a genius, and yet he’d spent every day dragging him fishing, playing, wasting time—hadn’t he ruined him?

“Second Grandpa?”

Li Hao ended his cultivation stance and gently reminded him.

Li Muxiu snapped back, reaching instinctively for his chopsticks to maintain composure—but they were already in the soup. He let out a bitter laugh, then gazed deeply at Li Hao:

“How did your meridians open?” “It was a dream.”

Li Hao said: “One day I dreamed I was cultivating, and suddenly I felt a surge of power—my whole body felt light. When I woke up, cultivation felt effortless, and I cleared my meridians without any obstruction.”

“….”

The two elders were speechless.

You unblock your meridians in your sleep? You must be dreaming right now.

But aside from Li Hao’s explanation, they had no other possible theory.

“Could it be… his meridian blockage was fake?” Feng Boping stroked his sharp white beard thoughtfully.

“I’ve heard some martial wastes have temporary blockages—sometimes they suddenly open during cultivation. Maybe he’s one of those.”

“Possibly,” Li Muxiu nodded. He’d heard of such cases, though the odds were minuscule.

“Now that he can cultivate, your Li family is truly powerful again—one true dragon fell, another rose. Hmm.” Feng Boping sighed in awe.

Li Muxiu sighed: “If I’d known this, I’d have trained him properly. Instead, I’ve kept him playing and wasting time with me.”

Li Hao jumped in alarm: “Grandpa, you’re not going to force me to cultivate from now on, are you?”

“What do you mean ‘force you’?”

Li Muxiu scowled: “Your meridians are open now—don’t you want to cultivate properly and earn glorious achievements?”

“Don’t joke.”

Li Hao blurted instantly: “Grandpa, don’t ruin me—I don’t want to join the army or fight wars. This life is perfect. Glory? Even dogs don’t want it. Let someone else have it!”

Li Muxiu was left speechless. Any other person would be eager for fame—but this boy spoke nonsense.

“Hahaha…”

Beside them, Feng Boping burst into laughter: “Little Rat is nothing like Junye. Honestly, I think he’s right—glory? Since ancient times, glory comes in youth, yet wealth and honor vanish before one even reaches old age!”

Li Muxiu’s expression darkened; his heart pierced as if by a fishbone, sharp and sudden.

Once, Li Junye had emerged so brilliantly.

But then, like a falling star, he vanished swiftly.

He looked at Li Hao, who watched him with anxious eyes.

Li Muxiu’s heart clenched like a flower crushed—could he send this child to war without risking he’d become the second Li Junye?

Enough… Li Muxiu sighed heavily: “If you don’t want glory, fine. From now on, be like me—stay in the Li family, eat, drink, play, and be a nameless old waste.”

Feng Boping grinned: “Who dares call the Fist Saint nameless? Unless his mouth hasn’t been punched crooked yet.”

Li Muxiu shot him a glare, then turned to Li Hao: “When your parents find out, I’ll take their scolding on my old face. Now come, eat!”

With a flick of his finger, the chopsticks flew back from the pot; he plucked a branch, stripped its bark, fashioned new chopsticks, and resumed eating—but his earlier ease and cheer were gone, replaced by heavy thought.

Li Hao exhaled in relief. As long as he could keep fishing with Grandpa, it was fine.

Though he could fish alone, fishing with Grandpa at this demon lake offered safety and a chance at big catches—it was perfect.

He sat beside the pot and resumed eating.

“Second Grandpa, about Continuation Soul…”

“Hmph, eat first. I’ll take you later,” Li Muxiu glanced at Li Hao, then bit into the fish with force.

Li Hao relaxed and ate heartily.

…

…

The Li Family Ancestral Shrine stood at the deepest part of the Divine General’s Mansion, carved into a hollowed hillside.

Outside the hill, guards in heavy armor stood vigilant—but the stone steps leading up were littered only with fallen leaves, utterly empty.

Before the grand, solemn shrine, a flat square held several massive incense cauldrons, smoke curling gently from within.

Two figures descended from the sky, gliding swiftly to land on the shrine’s square, then walked up the steps.

Even here, Li Muxiu’s usual playful demeanor vanished; his expression grew calm as he led Li Hao forward slowly.

“Second Brother, what brings you here?”

A calm voice came from within, like a still lake—just the sound alone quieted the mind.

Li Hao looked inside and saw rows of ancestral tablets. Among them stood a golden statue—the founding Divine General of the Li family, Li Tianyuan. Beside the tablets sat an elderly man with long beard and eyebrows, alone on a cushion, facing a chessboard, quietly placing his own stones.

“I’ve come to bring the young one before the ancestors,” Li Muxiu said, stepping over the threshold.

The elder raised his head slightly, glancing at Li Hao as he followed through the door. His ancient, still eyes flickered with a ripple: “Continuation Soul? This child looks even younger than Junye. Second Brother, are you joking?”

(End of Chapter)