Chapter Thirteen: Displaying True Skill for the First Time

Chapter Thirteen: A First Display of Prowess—The Might of a Single Punch

Thus, the chase continued in the forest, three pursuers and one escapee weaving and leaping amidst the trees. For years, Li Hao had spent much of his life gathering herbs in every conceivable environment. Releasing him into the jungle was like letting a fish loose in the sea. Though the three pursuers shared his cultivation level, pampered as they were, how could they possibly catch someone as seasoned as Li Hao?

Li Hao led them deeper into the forest, concerned that Lu Yao might be harmed, and so chose to draw them away. He hoped Lu Yao would seize this opportunity to return on the Rainbow Cloud Eagle. Yet Li Hao had underestimated her. How could Lu Yao abandon her brother Li Hao, who was in danger, and flee alone?

Li Hao and Lu Yao had not revealed their identities to Kuihu and his companions, since they had sneaked out and did not wish to worry Grandpa Baicao, Aunt Qin, Uncle Lu Feng, or the others. Even if they had confessed, Kuihu and his comrades would never have believed them.

Thus, Li Hao could only lure them away to keep Lu Yao safe. As he dashed deeper into the forest with the three in pursuit, he maintained a pace just fast enough to let them keep up, deliberately feigning a vulnerability for their sake. For Lu Yao, Li Hao never intended to simply escape; he kept up the act as they chased him.

All the while, Li Hao contemplated strategies for dealing with his adversaries, dismissing each idea as he ran. At the critical moment, memories of recent days spent observing the savage battles between beasts in the arena flashed through his mind. Scene after scene replayed—the clash between the Purple Cloud Leopard and the Mighty Black Ape stood out as particularly unique. He recalled the details again and again, until suddenly inspiration struck: “How did I not think of the Purple Cloud Leopard’s speed and the Black Ape’s method of striking the leopard from behind?”

Li Hao reasoned, “Though I lack a weapon, my fists, feet, and legs can serve as weapons to attack my targets.”

With this realization, his thoughts cleared.

Within four or five minutes, Li Hao had traversed seven or eight hundred miles, finally stopping in a secluded clearing to await Kuihu and his companions. After a few breaths, Kuihu and Li Zhan arrived before him—just the two; Qin Zhen was nowhere to be seen.

“Haha... ha...”

Kuihu and Li Zhan, panting heavily, laughed aloud. In their eyes, Li Hao was merely a child of ten or so—how could he possibly outrun them?

Standing before Kuihu and Li Zhan was not Li Hao, but a million Silver Soul Coins, their faces twisted with greedy anticipation.

“Can’t run anymore, can you? If you’d known this would happen, why bother in the first place? Hand over all your Soul Coins now, and we’ll let you off; otherwise, don’t blame us for being rough,” Kuihu sneered, certain that Li Hao’s Soul Coins were already theirs. Two grown men against a child—it was as easy as plucking fruit from a tree.

“If you’ve got the guts, come take them yourselves. Enough with the thunder and no rain—it’s tiresome,” Li Hao replied, dismissing their threats with impatience.

“Li Zhan, he’s yours,” Kuihu said carelessly.

Li Zhan responded swiftly, reaching out like a crab’s claw to seize Li Hao’s neck. Li Hao dodged, gathering the power of the wood attribute into his right hand, gripping Li Zhan’s left hand and pulling it back. Li Zhan hadn’t anticipated Li Hao’s strength, and was dragged forward by the momentum. Sensing danger, Li Zhan stabilized himself and pulled back, intent on testing Li Hao’s strength.

Li Hao had no intention of foolishly competing in brute force. As Li Zhan pulled back, Li Hao suddenly released his grip. Li Zhan stumbled, and Li Hao seized the moment, advancing. His left hand formed a fist, gathering all his strength, and he struck Li Zhan squarely in the chest.

A sharp crack resounded.

A scream pierced the air—the sound of bones breaking and agony. Li Zhan, in retreat, was struck by Li Hao’s punch, his chest bones shattered, his body hurled dozens of meters away. Li Hao’s blow left Li Zhan gravely injured, curled on the ground, howling in pain. No matter his talent, Li Zhan was only a youth of seventeen or eighteen, coddled and never subjected to such harm.

Li Hao possessed the primordial force of chaos, his body purified of impurities since childhood. In terms of constitution, he stood peerless in the world, his physical strength and resilience unmatched. Among those of equal cultivation, Li Hao’s overall and individual abilities were dozens of times stronger than others. Such was the defiance of the primordial chaos force—Li Hao could unleash his full strength and challenge those of higher realms without danger. This didn’t mean Li Hao himself was invincible; it only spoke to the extraordinary power within him. If anyone else could fuse with the primordial chaos, they’d be no less formidable. Yet not everyone could assimilate this force—otherwise, over countless millennia, only Li Hao would have succeeded, perhaps the sole one ever to do so.

To be struck by Li Hao in the same realm and survive was already Li Zhan’s greatest fortune. This was Li Hao’s first real combat, with no battle experience or martial techniques, and he’d only used half his actual strength. If he had unleashed his full power, even ten Li Zhans combined wouldn’t withstand him. To survive a blow from Li Hao’s half strength marked Li Zhan as a prodigy among his peers; had it been anyone else, their life would have ended instantly.

Li Hao hadn’t expected his first real fight to go so easily, defeating someone of equal cultivation with little effort. He mused inwardly, “Perhaps the opponent was just too weak.”

But it wasn’t the opponent’s weakness—it was Li Hao’s overwhelming strength.

In Li Hao’s spiritual sea, Little Nine was equally stunned. He hadn’t imagined his young master to be so formidable. With his own mutated abilities, at best, he could fight Li Hao to a draw when Li Hao went all out. When facing two opponents of equal cultivation, Little Nine had thought his master could only eke out a narrow victory. Having seen countless prodigies beside Lord Li Yang over the years, he’d never witnessed a cultivator as monstrously powerful as his young master.

Little Nine thought this for two reasons: he had never seen his master fight before, and Li Hao hadn’t truly shown his full strength. If, in the future, he learned martial techniques and gained experience, he could truly unleash his potential. In their realm, Little Nine could endure five hundred moves at most against Li Hao.

If Li Hao ever fully displayed his power, Little Nine couldn’t fathom the scale of the shock that would ensue.

Kuihu was left gaping in disbelief. He had never imagined this child could be so powerful. Even if he faced Li Zhan himself, it would take hundreds of moves to defeat him at full strength; yet this boy had crippled Li Zhan with a single punch—terrifying! If word got out in the Battle Palace, no one would believe it, nor would he dare to speak of it. Perhaps, even if Kuihu went all out, he wouldn’t last three moves.

Li Hao, recovering from a brief shock, saw Kuihu standing dazed.

He asked, “Now it’s your turn. He was too weak; I want to see if you’re just as weak.”

Those four words—“He was too weak”—sent waves of shock through Kuihu’s heart. In the Battle Palace, he ranked among the top ten of his generation. Yet he’d been defeated by a single punch. Clearly, it was Li Hao’s monstrous talent, not the weakness of others.

“With an opponent like you, is there any hope for survival?” Kuihu was torn, caught between despair and regret.

“Can we just not fight? You can have anything I possess,” Kuihu conceded.

His surrender was not cowardice but wisdom. Facing an unbeatable opponent, admitting defeat was far better than losing his life. He still hoped for a future comeback; if he died now, all would be lost.

Fortunately, Li Hao was not a villain, but rather kind-hearted and never a bully. Seeing Kuihu yield, Li Hao pressed no further.

Grandpa Baicao often taught them, “Leave room for others; you’ll meet again someday. Even a rabbit bites when cornered. Forcing someone to the brink is unwise. Spare others when you can.”

From these teachings, it was clear that Grandpa Baicao was a kind, respected, and virtuous elder. Those raised under his guidance, even if not destined for greatness, would never stray far from it.

“Can you tell me where your other companion went?” Li Hao, clever beyond his years, worried that Lu Yao might be in danger. His concern proved justified.

When Kuihu heard the question, his heart plummeted. During the chase, he’d feared Lu Yao might return and raise the alarm, so he’d secretly sent Qin Zhen to watch her. He had no idea whether Qin Zhen had bullied the girl. If Li Hao, this little devil, were angered, their fate would be dire.

“I... I...” Kuihu stammered, unable to speak, and Li Hao sensed trouble.

Growing anxious, Li Hao asked, his voice icy, “What happened? Tell me clearly. If anything happens to that girl, none of you can bear the consequences.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. Lu Yao was Grandpa Baicao’s most treasured granddaughter. If anything befell her, Grandpa Baicao’s wrath would be beyond imagining. The fury of a good man was far more terrifying than the rage of any villain.

Kuihu, hearing Li Hao’s words, thought it meant he was about to be punished, and was filled with regret.

“Do you know who that little girl is? She is the little princess of the Sacred Healing Hall, Grandpa Baicao’s beloved granddaughter,” Li Hao said, revealing their identities.

Sacred Healing Hall, little princess, Grandpa Baicao—these words hit Kuihu like a thunderbolt. His guts turned cold. The Sacred Healing Hall was the most revered place in the entire Lu Jia Mountain Star Domain, worshipped by all. The little princess was a figure of immense prestige. The boy accompanying her addressed their supreme lord as Grandpa Baicao.

The three of them had just tried to rob their own princess in Lu Jia Mountain Star Domain. It was like courting death, searching for trouble in the latrine. Kuihu was petrified, rooted to the spot like a thousand-year-old tree, his mind reeling.

Who, then, was this boy who never left the princess’s side? The more Kuihu thought, the more afraid he became. This was a catastrophe for the ages. If not handled well, the entire family would face ruin.

“I asked you a question! Answer me!” Li Hao shouted, his sense of foreboding growing ever stronger, losing all confidence.

Kuihu, startled by Li Hao’s shout, snapped out of his panic.

“He... he... he went to find the princess,” Kuihu stammered, unable to speak clearly.

Hearing this, Li Hao’s heart raced with anxiety.

“If anything happens to Yao’er, you can expect me to skin you alive!” Li Hao growled coldly.

He immediately sped back to Lu Yao’s location. Kuihu, realizing the gravity, abandoned the wounded Li Zhan and followed. Li Zhan, severely injured, staggered after them.