Chapter 59: Holy Palace

“What?!”

Li Fu, who had been about to rush forward to assist, froze upon seeing the black dragon plummeting from the sky.

He immediately scanned the surroundings—the fleeting dark flash he had noticed was clearly help from an outsider!

He extended his spiritual sense, sweeping across the area.

An elite spirit-traveling technique—capable of spanning eighteen li!

Although Li Fu was not of the Li family’s direct line, he had once earned a first-class war merit, and with Li Tiangang’s aid, he exchanged for one of the Li family’s elite spirit-traveling techniques, making him a formidable presence even among spirit-travelers.

Now, under his surveillance, everything within eighteen li lay bare—but no figure could be seen.

At that moment, the giant also realized what had happened, his face darkening as he frantically searched for the helper—but found nothing. He immediately understood the stranger had concealed himself and refused to reveal his identity. Bowing deeply with clasped hands, he said gratefully: “Thank you, Elder, for your aid! Please leave your name, so Wei Feng may one day repay this life-saving grace!”

His voice carried fifteen li away.

Long moments passed, but no reply came.

Wei Feng could only offer a faint, bitter smile—he suspected the Elder who had slain the dragon in a single strike would look down on his meager gratitude, and he couldn’t help feeling regret.

He turned to Li Fu and asked: “Was that Elder from your Divine General’s Mansion?”

Li Fu was stunned—he had been wondering if it was the Master behind the man who had struck.

The Divine General’s Mansion… besides myself, there should be no one else, right?

But could it be someone sent from the Four Academies?

He hesitated, then said: “I’m not sure, but if that Elder chose to act, this debt—the Divine General’s Mansion will remember it!”

As he spoke the last words, he bowed deeply toward the surrounding heavens and earth.

…

“My… my husband’s aura…”

Thirty li away, the female black dragon suddenly narrowed her pupils, sensing the distant, vast, and mighty aura fading rapidly—until it vanished completely.

She turned sharply to Li Hao—and saw him calm and composed, as if he had merely tossed away a pebble, now calmly watching her.

“What did you do to my husband?” the female black dragon trembled.

“What do you think?”

Li Hao smiled faintly. “Your husband won’t be coming. You might as well give up. If you’re willing to talk, I might consider sparing you.”

The female black dragon shuddered. She could only sense her husband’s aura fading, unaware of what had truly happened—distance had exceeded her spiritual perception.

Yet Li Hao’s demeanor filled her with profound unease.

“Alright, what do you want to know? I’ll tell you everything,” the female black dragon hesitated, then suddenly shifted her tone, becoming sweet and soft, radiating helplessness and fragility.

Li Hao raised an eyebrow—he immediately recalled the seductive tricks of demons in folk tales. These demon clans didn’t just rely on brute force; when weak, they used deceit to bewitch hearts and confuse minds.

“Don’t play games with me,” Li Hao said coldly. “Tell me about the demon clans of Yanbei. Why have they persisted in attacking?”

The female black dragon purred softly: “First, loosen your foot a little—I’ll tell you everything.”

“Don’t waste time!” Li Hao snapped.

A wisp of demonic mist dispersed; the female black dragon reverted to her former beautiful woman form. Now her body lay limp like a willow branch, her cheek still crushed under Li Hao’s foot—utterly humiliated—yet her expression remained tender, seductive, eyes glistening with tears as she gazed up at him: “Don’t you know how to cherish beauty?”

“I have no interest in a rotten snake,” Li Hao said coldly.

A flash of shame and fury crossed the female black dragon’s eyes—she hated being called a snake more than anything. But to escape, she swallowed her pride and whispered softly: “I don’t know much about Yanbei. First, let go of your foot—can’t we talk calmly?”

Her hand slowly slid along Li Hao’s boot, brushing up his pant leg.

Li Hao felt the provocative touch and said coldly: “I admire your audacity—your husband just died, and you’re already trying to seduce another man.”

“Huh?”

The female black dragon froze, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at Li Hao: “Y-you said what? My husband…?”

Seeing Li Hao’s cold eyes, her heart hammered like a sledgehammer—she recalled her husband’s rapidly fading aura, and the scaled projectile that had killed him…

Her eyes instantly reddened; her fragile facade shattered. She glared at Li Hao with rage and madness: “You killed my husband—I’ll make you die!!”

“I gave you a chance to live. Don’t waste it,” Li Hao said.

“You want to know about Yanbei? Dream on!”

The female black dragon shrieked wildly: “Our demon clans swear oaths—we will never betray the Holy Palace! You’ll learn nothing! Die—I’ll make you die!!”

She lunged at Li Hao with claws and fangs, biting at his boots, twisting her body violently as she reverted to her true dragon form. Li Hao frowned—he hadn’t expected her reaction to be so extreme upon learning of her husband’s death. Did demons truly feel love? Watching the black dragon thrash in frenzy, he pressed down on its head once more and subdued it.

But the female black dragon had lost all reason, roaring and writhing uncontrollably. Seeing this, Li Hao had no choice but to end her.

As her dragon head was crushed, the piercing, shrill roar cut off abruptly.

Li Hao wiped the blood from his hand, glanced at the faintly twitching tail, and sighed softly.

All that effort—for nothing.

As for this “Holy Palace,” and the demon clans of Yanbei plotting to swallow Da Yu—his father, whom he hadn’t seen in over a decade, surely knew far more than he did.

Shaking his head, Li Hao didn’t linger. He stepped forward and returned to the roadside tea stall.

The dragon’s corpse left behind—Li Fu and the others would find it eventually. They’d handle it.

Outside the tea stall.

Seeing Li Hao emerge silently from the road, all of them were startled—Yu Wei jumped up in fright.

Li Yuanzhao froze, then rushed forward eagerly, pressing close to Li Hao’s chest and whispering: “Hao-ge, have you already inherited your soul?”

Li Hao was slightly surprised, then understood why—he nodded with a smile.

Inherited his soul? Long ago.

“Really?!” Li Yuanzhao’s eyes widened in excitement.

Li Hao watched the boy’s radiant joy, patted his shoulder, and said: “It’s nothing. Did you all eat enough?”

Li Yuanzhao was used to Li Hao’s casualness, but he didn’t think this was “nothing.” He whispered, trembling with excitement: “If Auntie knew you inherited your soul, she’d be overjoyed.”

“Mm.”

Thinking of that elegant, dignified Auntie, Li Hao felt a quiet respect—throughout these years, she had been the only one who treated him without change.

Time reveals the heart. When he first arrived in this alien world’s noble household, he had misunderstood human nature—and paid the price.

Now, after years of living among them, he understood the true character of each lady in the courtyards.

For example, the Fourth Lady, who adopted Yuanzhao, was no ordinary woman.

She had no children of her own, so she kept a low profile—appearing gentle and kind.

“Li Hao, where did you go?” Du Qiuyue asked curiously as he approached.

“A demon. Took care of it,” Li Hao smiled. He hadn’t planned to tell them—but since they’d soon be heading to Qizhou to slay demons, it wouldn’t hurt to give them a little warning. Better they be tense than dead.

“A demon?”

All of them froze. Ren Qianqian stared at Li Hao, studying him as if verifying his words.

The tea stall owner stammered: “Young master, you say there was a demon?”

Li Hao told the old man: “Boss, night’s coming. You should pack up and head home.”

“But is there really a demon?” the old man pressed, his curiosity piqued.

Li Hao smiled—but inside, he sighed again.

He didn’t know why he sighed.

He said no more. Seeing they had all finished eating and drinking, he called them to mount up and depart.

On the Crimson Blood Horses, as they rode along, Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue began to feel Li Hao was familiar again—and their courage returned. They asked if he had truly reached the Soul-Inherited realm.

Li Hao nodded with a smile, offering no denial.

Both stared in disbelief, murmuring in awe—how could the strongest disciple of the First Courtyard be right beside them?

The sword-clutching girl on horseback tightened her grip on the reins.

As Li Hao and the others left the tea stall, a nearly invisible bird flew through distant white clouds far above, heading toward the horizon.

In its eyes lay deep terror—it knew it must deliver this terrifying news to Yanbei, to Bai Shenjun.

The Li family has a son, age fourteen, suspected to be a Master. Without doubt, if this news spread, countless people across the world would be stunned.

And if the elders of the Holy Palace learned of it, they would never allow another Qian Dao Palace direct disciple to emerge among humans.

After the bird and the riding boy departed, Li Fu and Wei Feng arrived at the forest where the female dragon’s corpse lay—they had followed the overwhelming stench of blood.

(End of Chapter)