A month ago, the conflict in Tongye State had intensified. Despite managing to enlist a True Master from the Divine Capital, they couldn’t get him to reside at the Tongye Duke’s Mansion.
Additionally, a major calamity befell the Life and Death Mountain and River Sect when the "First Grotto Heaven" of the Nirvana Sect erged, causing the entire sect to vanish without a trace, along with Zuo Shanhe, the World’s First True Master.
In order to protect himself.
Li Shen Yao had no choice. Even though he was not fully prepared, in this era of "True Masters erging one after another," he could only forcibly knock at the Celestial Gate.
However, he practiced the "Life and Death Mountain and River Profound Skill" and had not yet fathod the Third Profound Mystery. Unlike the Cultivation Taoists who had luck on their side, he had no opportunity to be guided by Jixia before breaking through.
Lacking thorough preparation, he took a desperate gamble. He wasn’t destined to be the protagonist of this era, so the outco was predictable.
Not perishing directly during the attempt to knock at the Heaven-Striking Sect with his Divine Soul shattered and turned to ashes, he was left with a withered and barely functional body with one-tenth of its strength—surviving for a few more years...
That was already considered a stroke of luck from the heavens.
Nevertheless, even though he was a hero of his ti, he was powerless...
He could only hand over "great power" to his hopeful son.
Li Shen Yao, lying on his sickbed.
Each ti he thought of his descendants, on the verge of death, he felt a stuffiness in his chest.
He had four offspring.
Originally, he thought that only the three legitimate ones were the heroes of the world, inheriting his courageous nature and combined with the Divine Blood of their mother’s family, they were bound to be outstanding.
However, after all this...
The first son, accustod to a life of luxury, has never experienced hardship. Though skillful at handling authority, it’s only because others give him face. Without him, he’s just a sowhat knowledgeable young master.
The second son, skilled in leading troops and Martial Dao, was deed responsible. If he were to be trained for another two or three decades, he might have been the next him. However...
Ti waits for no man.
In today’s chaotic world, where the ruler is weak and the ministers strong, with external enemies at the front... This son, whom the past Li Shen Yao deed worthy of inheriting his mantle, only ended up with a fragnted outco akin to the first son’s split.
Furthermore, his third son, Li Shentong, heralded as "born with Innate Double Pupils, a Saint descended into the world," didn’t even have the chance to show his brilliance before dying young, rendering him of little reference.
Instead...
The least conspicuous illegitimate son surprised him throughout this year. Li Shen Yao, in his midnight dreams, often recalled the mother of Li Treading Immortal, that woman who won over cities with a single dance, and couldn’t help but feel so regret.
With ambitions for power and control over the world, he never paid much attention to matters of the inner courtyard.
In his view, how could romantic affairs possibly compare to the foundation of the ages?
If he had the foresight, knowing sixteen years ago that the unborn child in the womb would be so extraordinarily talented, he would certainly not have allowed Dong Hongshuang’s rampant actions, which led to today’s great mistake.
"Had I supported Li Treading Immortal’s mother to beco a concubine, and included him in the legitimate family tree with so firmness..."
"Then today, the entire Tongye State wouldn’t lack soone capable of taking charge."
"At sixteen, the youngster dared to single-handedly enter a duke’s mansion. Compared to him, Xuanzong falls far short..."
For a mont, Li Shen Yao was filled with endless regret.
And while he was pondering.
Amidst the sound of a ’door’ swaying open.
Thinking it was Li Xuanzong, Li Shen Yao withdrew his thoughts, showing fatigue in his eyes, said a few words, and was about to inquire about the situation outside.
Then he heard the arrogant words of a young man, along with...
A head rolling to the edge of his bed.
The mont it collided with the bedpost.
Li Shen Yao was utterly shocked by sothing Jixia had said. Just as he was about to regain his composure, he clearly saw the face of that head...
Indeed—it was
His eldest son, who had defected to Marquis Hu Wei, known as "master of the two mansions east of Tongye," Li Qiankun!
In that instant, the bedridden lion sat bolt upright, as if suddenly stricken with an illness.
Struggling, he turned his body, gripped his palm tightly, and stared with his tiger eyes at that head:
"You..."
"Killed Li Qiankun?"
Li Shen Yao, as if given a temporary resurgence, straightened his chest. His eyes lit up as he looked at the son in black robes, remarkably resembling his younger self, with a sword in hand held by a maid.
He neither felt anger nor grief.
He contemplated for a long, long ti before saying:
"You are truly audacious."
"Li Treading Immortal."
"Do you truly fear not the consequence of Grandmaster Dong or Marquis Hu Wei grinding your bones to dust?"
Jixia smiled and said:
"I just remarked that the old duke is past his pri, his blade dull, due to your failing condition."
"But now it seems..."
"Even your spirit is not what it once was."
As he spoke, his eyes grew progressively colder:
"Since we’ve offended already, it doesn’t matter whether the offense is complete or not."
"If everyone is ambitious to conquer the world without anyone’s constraint, then ultimately everyone, even close friends and relatives, will face only one outco: ’to clash swords against one another’!"
"Since that’s the case, why should I fear?"
Looking at his eldest son’s head rolling at his feet, who had parted ways with him not long ago.
Li Shen Yao would be lying if he said he wasn’t angry.
He really wanted to slap Li Treading Immortal to death.
But...
Sadly.
He couldn’t do it.
Once a tiger loses its teeth, it is no longer the king of beasts.
Similarly, Li Shen Yao no longer possessed the power and strength he once had.
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