Subdued with two slaps

At the Saint Mountain, in the Ji Family Council Hall.

The Ji Family has many branches. Apart from the few brothers who are close to Ji Yun'ge and are accompanying her on her final journey, the other elders and branches have all gathered here.

They had wanted to visit Ji Yun'ge, after all, the latter was the Ji Family War God, and should be respected on the surface. However, the Family Head Ji Daoxin stopped them. Ji Daoxin saw that Ji Yun'ge was able to return to the Lineage when she was about to die because she was attached to certain things in the Lineage.

As for other people, they might not win him over; in fact, they might Heart Entry.

Having fought for the Ji Family his entire life, Ji Daoxin, on his deathbed, hoped that he could leave quietly in a way he preferred, untouched by worldly affairs.

At this moment, some elders and senior members of various branches gathered to discuss Ji Yun'ge's return.

"It's a pity that the Yun Ge War God is about to dissipate; otherwise, if this young man could return the Yun Ge War God's Heroic Soul, it would be a great service to the Ji Family!"

"If Yun Ge wants to bring this child into the Ji Family, I'm afraid she'll break the rules."

"Back then, out of respect for the Thirteenth Prince, Ji Qingqing wasn't severely punished. As the eldest daughter of the family, she committed a grave crime, yet she's only been imprisoned for a thousand years—a lenient sentence. Now, to allow her son to rejoin the clan would only be a sign of our clan's decline!"

"That's right. Once this precedent is broken, what will happen if other outstanding talents marry women from other Heavenly Prodigy in the future?"

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, with most holding opposing views. Some of them were stirring up trouble, all secretly acting under the leadership of Ji Qingyuan.

Since Ji Qingyuan broke through the Four Establishments Realm Qi Realm and became the new War God of the Ji Family, many people have become friendly with him.

Sitting on a rattan chair next to Ji Daoxin was an elderly man with snow-white hair, exuding an imposing aura. This was Ji Qingyuan.

His gaze was indifferent, as if he had not participated in the controversy, but his arrival, with just an opening statement of opposition, made his supporters understand his intentions and ignite a fierce attack on his behalf.

"I have already agreed to Yun Ge's request. He is the Ji Family War God, who has fought and toiled for the Ji Family for half his life. Now that he can return to his homeland, shouldn't we thank that young man?"

Ji Daoxin remained calm and said, "Besides, Qingqing's matter is over and there's no need to discuss it again. That young man has Qingqing's Bloodline, but he's from another race. According to convention, he should indeed be executed. However, he risked his own life to escort Yun Ge back. You all need to carefully consider this sentiment."

"Family Head, that young man's actions are nothing more than an attempt to use the credit for escorting someone to join our Ji Family."

An elder remarked, "Such meticulous attention to detail makes it all clear at a glance."

"That's right, thinking they can take off using the resources of my Ji Family is simply wishful thinking!"

One of the elders, who had a rather volatile temper, said that his grandfather's generation had also enjoyed a period of great success.

"Everyone, Yun Ge War God previously said, that young man possesses extraordinary talent. If our Ji Family could truly acquire such Heavenly Prodigy, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing."

Among the crowd were also people from Ji Yun'ge's lineage who came to discuss the matter.

"Hmph, my Ji Family has no shortage of Heavenly Prodigy. With the resources of my Ji Family to nurture them, even a genius with only a little bit of intelligence can be cultivated into a Heavenly Prodigy. Why do we need this half-blood bastard?"

The hot-tempered elder snorted coldly.

Upon hearing this utterly impolite insult, several people's expressions changed instantly, turning angry.

They are all from Ji Yun'ge's lineage, Ji Qingqing's children, and can be considered their juniors, making them even closer by Bloodline.

However, the Ji Family forbids intermarriage, and many people have died or been imprisoned because of this. Those from ordinary backgrounds are insulted even more harshly. Although they are angry, they know that getting angry about this will only provoke more people.

"Even if we take a step back and let him join the Ji Family, would he be considered a son born out of wedlock or a direct descendant?" an elder asked.

Upon hearing this, some of the people arguing turned their gaze to Ji Daoxin.

The previous arguments have quieted down somewhat.

Ji Daoxin remained calm, glancing indifferently at Ji Qingyuan, knowing that these words were the real reason the other party had come to denounce him.

Although the Ji Family can unite against external enemies, the Lineage conflicts accumulated over thousands of years are still difficult to resolve, especially due to the vast difference in treatment between legitimate and Legitimate and Illegitimate Lines caused by Bloodline and Sacred Bone.

For example, those born out of wedlock can only live on the Floating Islands outside the Saint Mountain.

Even a War God like Ji Qingyuan is not allowed to reside on the Saint Mountain.

Even those of the "Qing" generation in their names, despite holding high positions and wielding great power, are inexplicably inferior to their direct descendants of the same age.

This is also because the illegitimate children of the Ji Family are generally located in the lower and middle levels of the Ji Family, while the direct descendants hold real power at the top and are generally stronger.

Although Ji Qingyuan is strong and has now become the War God, he is still born out of wedlock and cannot escape the flaws of his birth.

This distinction between Legitimate and Illegitimate Lines was deeply ingrained in the Ji Family, and such differences often led to prejudice and arrogance.

For example, some ancestors were royalty, and even if their descendants were destitute and starving, they would still boast that their ancestors were an imperial Aristocratic Clan. They might even go mad because of this, indulging in the glory of their ancestors and refusing to accept the reality that they have long since fallen into decline.

Or perhaps it was an ancient aristocracy, even in decline, who still looked down on suddenly rising wealthy merchants, considering them vulgar and unbearable.

It is human nature to laugh at others' shortcomings while admiring one's own strengths.

Even if they are utterly useless except for their beautiful appearance, they will still mock those who are highly learned, powerful, and wealthy, saying that they are ugly and inferior to themselves, thus finding solace in this.

Not to mention that the difference between Legitimate and Illegitimate Lines is indeed enormous, with disparities in strength and other aspects, which is why the legitimate line can firmly occupy the upper echelons.

Examples like Ji Qingyuan, who was born out of wedlock but unexpectedly awakened his Sacred Bone, are extremely rare, and there has only been one such case in ten thousand years.

Being treated with arrogance for a long time inevitably breeds Anger and hatred.

Therefore, Ji Daoxin had long seen through Ji Qingyuan's thoughts and could empathize with them, but he understood that this was a dead end that only Sage could break.

He is not Sage. Unless the Progenitor is resurrected and uses the power of Sage to spread the Dao, the situation can be rewritten. Otherwise, the grudges Legitimate and Illegitimate Lines and illegitimate sons will exist forever because of the existence of Bloodline and Sacred Bone.

Now, the arrival of that young man is merely a pretext for the feud between the Legitimate and Illegitimate Lines of the Ji Family.

The problem doesn't lie with the boy; it lies in Ji Qingyuan's heart, and also in the Legitimate and Illegitimate Lines and resentments accumulated by the Ji Family over thousands of years.

After a long silence, Ji Daoxin said, "He is Ji Qingqing's child, and should be a direct Legitimate and Illegitimate Lines. However, whether he is a legitimate or illegitimate child can be determined by the concentration of his Bloodline. Yun Ge said he has the potential to be Heavenly Prodigy, and it is possible that he possesses the Sacred Bone of our Ji Family."

"If Innate Sacred Bone, they should naturally be included in the direct line. If they do not have Sacred Bone and their aptitude is ordinary, they will be considered illegitimate. What do you all think?"

Upon hearing his words, many elders exchanged glances and glances.

Ji Qingyuan felt Ji Daoxin's gaze and knew that he was really asking about him.

But he remained expressionless and made no comment.

"Family Head, if he is born out of wedlock, then whether he can become Ji Family Prodigy depends on his own strength!"

An elder said.

"That's right. Escorting Yun Ge War God back will at most save his life. It's good enough that we didn't execute him. A foreign Bloodline who has been having an affair dares to come and defile my Ji Family. His intentions are laughable!"

"Do you all agree to him joining the Ji Family? I don't approve. Even if he's born out of wedlock, he's not worthy!"

"If someone of foreign Bloodline were to marry a concubine's daughter from my Ji Family in the future, wouldn't that further weaken our Bloodline?"

The crowd started discussing it again.

Seeing that Ji Qingyuan remained unmoved, Ji Daoxin narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression darkening, and said:

"Enough!"

The two words were spoken softly, yet they instantly silenced everyone present.

These elders were not speaking without reason or rashly; their words were purposeful and deliberate. Seeing that they had angered the Family Head, their expressions changed slightly.

"If there are any objections, then let the elders vote on it!" Ji Daoxin said coldly.

Upon hearing this, many people's expressions changed slightly. Most of the elders were direct descendants. If a general meeting were held Ji Yun'ge's lineage were to Rogue Person, the final decision might be that the young man would directly become a direct descendant!

Their current verbal sparring is an attempt to skip the elders' assembly. After all, holding an elders' assembly is never a good thing for the Ji Family, as it has a significant impact. Many elders are either in Seclusion or guarding their respective regions, and not all of them can attend.

But once the conference is convened, the elders will have to be summoned.

Ji Qingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly said, "Everyone, since the Family Head has already made his decision, I agree with Family Head idea."

"Our Ji Family values strength above all else. Whether one is a legitimate son or a son of a concubine depends entirely on the strength of that young man!"

"If he possesses Sacred Bone, wouldn't it be laughable to expel him from my Ji Family? If this gets back to other Ancient Sacred Clan, they'll probably laugh their heads off!"

"Since Yun Ge War God favors him so much, he must have some extraordinary abilities. Why not let Qing Shuang test him?"

He hadn't spoken before, but now that he had said these words, the room fell silent.

Ji Daoxin's eyes narrowed slightly; the phrase "only the strong are respected" in the other party's words was clearly a veiled reference.

The latter is already War God, yet he still bears the name of being born out of wedlock. This is to take the opportunity to tell others that strong people born out of wedlock are in no way inferior to those born out of wedlock. His purpose is to ensure that his descendants enjoy the same treatment as those born out of wedlock!

Although Ji Qingyuan is now known as the War God and no one dares to underestimate him to his face, this action by the other party is a statement made on behalf of the other illegitimate children he supported on his path to success.

Thinking of all this, Ji Daoxin sighed inwardly, knowing that the Legitimate and Illegitimate Lineage War that had broken out in the Ji Family thousands of years ago was likely to happen again.

"The War God Qing Yuan is right. Our Great Wasteland Heaven is teeming with Demon and monsters. The law of the jungle prevails, and since ancient times, the strong have been respected and the weak have bowed down!"

"That's right, whether he's legitimate or illegitimate depends on how strong or weak that young man is!"

Many of the high-ranking officials born out of wedlock immediately spoke up, repeating Ji Qingyuan's words, and felt a sense of satisfaction.

Even among the direct descendants, there are weak ones, and among the illegitimate descendants, there are strong ones. But the strong illegitimate descendants always feel inferior to the direct descendants. This feeling of bitterness Anger has long made them feel very aggrieved.

Those high-ranking members of the Ji Family who had no connection with Ji Yun'ge and Ji Qingyuan originally wanted to speak up and discuss the matter from an "objective" perspective, but seeing that Ji Qingyuan and the Family Head had reached a consensus, they knew there was no need to discuss it further.

"If that's the case..."

Just as Ji Daoxin was about to speak, a figure rushed in from the Council Hall and stopped at the door:

"Reporting to the Family Head, something has happened down the mountain."

"Um?"

Ji Daoxin was slightly taken aback. He quickly enveloped the area with his Divine Sense, and without asking any questions, he directly investigated.

"What's up?"

The elder beside him, however, dared not so recklessly release his Divine Sense to cover the entire Saint Mountain, and asked in confusion.

"Ji Yufen Heavenly Prodigy is fighting with that outsider!"

The Personal Guards reported the news hurriedly said.

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback. They exchanged glances, and an elder born out of wedlock asked, "Is the outsider you're talking about the young man who brought back the Yun Ge War God?"

"Yes, it's him." The Personal Guards nodded.

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

"You dare to attack my Ji Family Prodigy's prodigy so soon after arriving? How arrogant!"

"Very well, let Ji Yufen teach him a lesson, so he won't be so arrogant. Does the Ji Family not belong to a place where people can run wild?"

Many people became Anger.

Ji Qingyuan stood up and noticed that Ji Daoxin was using his Divine Sense to investigate. However, he was neither Ji Daoxin nor a direct descendant of the Ji Family. Although he was the God of War God, he could not rashly investigate various places on this Saint Mountain. He immediately cupped his hands slightly and said:

"I was thinking of having Qing Shuang test him, but it seems unnecessary now. I'll go and see how this Heavenly Prodigy is doing. A direct descendant of a half-blood, he should be quite powerful."

With that, he smiled faintly, bid farewell to the Family Head, and left the hall.

As he got up, the others didn't linger any longer, bidding farewell to the Family Head and setting off to watch the spectacle.

"That child..."

Several members of Ji Yun'ge's lineage also had a slight change in expression. They hadn't expected the child to be so impulsive. They quickly got up to say goodbye and hurried off to prevent the child from suffering a great deal of trouble.

The others glanced at Ji Daoxin, only to see a slight look of surprise on his face, but he did not stop Ji Qingyuan and the others from leaving.

With a loud bang!

A figure suddenly flew out, crashing through the door of the Guest Welcoming Hall and rolling onto the street outside.

Beside him, a young man stood with his hands behind his back, his expression slightly changed, looking ahead with a somewhat gloomy expression.

Outside the door, Ji Boduan's expression also changed. He disregarded helping the boy who had tumbled out and quickly ran to the group inside the hall.

"Everyone, please calm down. This is the Guest Welcoming Hall; violence is not permitted."

"Get out of here!"

The young man, standing with his hands behind his back, spoke directly.

Ji Boduan's expression changed, becoming somewhat grim.

The boy ignored him, his gaze fixed on the calmly seated boy in front of him. He had previously had the Dao Followers beside him do the work, not wanting to get his own hands dirty, but he hadn't expected the other party to be so strong, easily defeating the Dao Followers.

The young man was Ji Yufen, one of the Ji Family Prodigy. He thought he was about the same age as Li Hao, so he came to teach him a lesson, since that wouldn't be considered bullying.

The Dao Followers beside him were also geniuses of the Ji Family, but they were still a bit short of becoming Heavenly Prodigy. So they chose to follow the Heavenly Prodigy. In the future, when the Heavenly Prodigy rise to prominence, these Dao Followers will also benefit and may be promoted to become high-ranking members of the Ji Family.

"Looks like you really do have something. No wonder you dare to be so arrogant. Did you think you could squeeze into our Ji Family with just this?"

Ji Yufen coldly.

He strode towards Li Hao, intending to personally teach Li Hao a lesson.

"Young Master Yu Fen, you can't break the rules..."

Ji Boduan quickly stepped forward to stop him.

"Roll!"

Ji Yufen suddenly unleashed his power, and at such a young age, he exuded the Aura of the Three Immortalities Realm, and even climbed to the peak, reaching the Undeclining Realm!

With a roar, he forced Ji Boduan back, then strode forward with the strides of a dragon and a tiger, standing before Li Hao.

"Change your surname now and get out of the Ji Family, it's not too late!"

He looked down at the boy sitting before him.

Li Hao Pause for a moment, holding the teacup he was using to serve the guests.

Who are you?

Li Hao turned to look at him.

"You don't need to know who I am, and you're not worthy to know!" Ji Yufen's eyes were icy.

Li Hao calmly withdrew his gaze, tilted his head back to finish the tea in his cup, and then said:

"When I asked you who you are, it wasn't because I really wanted to know who you are. I just wanted to say, what are you, and what gives you the right to tell me what my surname is?"

"This is the Ji Family, and you're a bastard, unworthy of the Ji surname!"

Ji Yufen Anger.

A cold glint flashed in Li Hao's eyes. He glanced at the angry-faced youth, then slowly put down his teacup and stood up.

Ji Yufen did not rush to attack, unwilling to launch a sneak attack.

As Heavenly Prodigy, he has his own pride.

He glared Anger at Li Hao, who had been sitting shorter than him but was now a head taller than him when he stood up. Li Hao was younger than him, but taller.

This made Ji Yufen's expression turn somewhat unpleasant.

"It seems the Ji Family's family precepts are generally not very good," Li Hao said softly.

Before the boy could even get angry, a loud slap rang out.

Ji Yufen's head lolled to the side, his mind buzzing, blood spurting from his mouth. His cultivation technique, the "Kun Feather Treasure Body," had been shattered by Li Hao's slap.

"I'll reluctantly step in and teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents."

Li Hao's gaze was cold. He then looked up at the Guest Welcoming Hall, sensing the Aura of onlookers, and said coldly:

"Whose child is this? Do I have to shoot him dead on the spot before he'll come and claim his body?!"

Hearing Li Hao's words, everyone outside the hall was shocked. Many of them had seen this scene through their Divine Soul. Ji Yufen was about the same age as Li Hao, yet he had been slapped across the face by Li Hao!

"You, you!"

At this moment, Ji Yufen also realized what was happening, his face full of disbelief, but then he felt as if all the blood in his body was rushing to the top of his head, as if he was about to explode.

"You're asking for it!!"

He roared, his Aura suddenly surged, and in an instant, his flesh swelled up, making cracking sounds.

Behind it, the phantom of an ancient, ferocious beast Kunpeng, appeared, exuding an extremely fierce and violent aura.

But before he could unleash his power, a second slap followed.

This time, his head was slammed directly into the stone slab beneath Li Hao's feet, embedding itself deeply!

The phantom image of the Kunpeng was also shattered by the slap, turning into a phantom image.

"What, do you want me to beat you to death before you're satisfied?"

Li Hao withdrew his hand, his cold gaze slowly sweeping outside.

The crowd that had rushed over to watch almost cried out in shock. They couldn't believe that this young man had actually suppressed Ji Yufen with a wave of his hand and knocked him unconscious with two slaps!

Ji Boduan beside him, stared wide-eyed in shock, somewhat taken aback.

Although they knew Li Hao would escort Ji Yun'ge back, given Ji Yun'ge's strength, it was uncertain who would escort whom.

This boy looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. Even among the Heavenly Prodigy of the Ji Family Prodigy, like Ji Yufen, who was one of the youngest, he reached the Undeclining Realm at fifteen. Although he was still in the Undeclining Realm at seventeen, he could comprehend the Dao Heart at any time.

But now, he was easily defeated by Li Hao?

"What an arrogant tone!"

High in the sky outside the hall, several figures appeared, each exuding a powerful Aura that they made no attempt to conceal.

They were exceptionally well-dressed, with imposing bearing and cold, sharp eyes; they were all the Heavenly Prodigy of various branches of the Ji Family.

"This is the Ji Family. How dare you injure people so casually? Did you steal my Ji Family's Cultivation Method from your mother? If so, don't blame me for bullying the weak and being impolite!"

One of the young men stepped forward, his imposing aura suddenly revealed, clearly indicating he possessed the Aura of the Four Establishments Realm cultivator.

The crowd that had gathered from near and far was astonished.

"That's Ji Mingque; he's considered a strong figure even among the Heavenly Prodigy."

"That outsider just defeated Ji Yufen Heavenly Prodigy; he seems pretty strong too!"

"Without some skill, even the Yun Ge War God wouldn't praise him so highly, saying he'd surely become the Ji Family Prodigy. It seems he truly has the ability."

"Does this person think my Ji Family is some run-down place he used to live in? Even if someone is Heavenly Prodigy, they still have to grovel and obey in my Ji Family!"

"I feel that this person has rendered meritorious service to the Ji Family by escorting the Yun Ge War God back. Is it not appropriate to treat him this way?"

Many people's Divine Soul flew out to observe the scene from afar, discussing it animatedly.

Li Hao frowned slightly, not expecting the Ji Family to be so xenophobic. He had thought that most people would be as reasonable as Ji Yun'ge, but it seemed that Ji Yun'ge was only a minority in the Ji Family.

"The Yun Ge War God calls you Heavenly Prodigy, right? In that case, if you want to join my Ji Family and stand alongside us, let's see if you have the ability!"

The young man named Ji Mingque stood in the Void, looking down at Li Hao with cold eyes. He was more mature than Ji Yufen and did not rashly use his dissatisfaction as a reason to cause trouble before the person above had given instructions on how to deal with Li Hao.

To be ranked alongside you would be an insult to me.

Li Hao said quietly.

"You're asking for it!"

Ji Mingque was slightly taken aback, and a cold light suddenly flashed in his eyes. He thought they were already arrogant enough, but this young man in front of him was even more arrogant!

"If you can withstand this shot from me, I will acknowledge you!"

He suddenly made his move, his spear flashing out, revealing Heaven and Earth Space.

The Spear Light condensed, containing the true power of the ultimate Martial Dao. The terrifying spear force condensed into a single point and suddenly swung towards Li Hao.