Chapter Sixteen: Li Kaixian's Revenge

Li Qingchuan lay dead, face up on the ground, his eyes wide open, unwilling to rest in peace.

Lin Hao turned his head and walked away with an air of nonchalance, leaving without a single word.

Led by Ji Yang, several disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall exchanged uneasy glances, uncertain of how to proceed.

This sudden turn of events caught them completely off guard.

Wasn’t it supposed to be three days of imprisonment in the dungeon?

How could he be killed just like that?

“Senior Brother Ji, what should we do?” Several disciples looked to Ji Yang, who had now become their pillar of support.

“Brothers, you’ve all seen it. Our Holy Son is absolutely ruthless—he avenges every grudge. He personally came to detain Li Qingchuan only to find a secluded place to kill him. From the start, the Holy Son never intended to spare Li Qingchuan’s life.” Ji Yang said, “A man like that, gifted and decisive in battle, is destined to become great one day. We simply can’t afford to offend him—not us, at least.”

“Indeed, the Holy Son is now the hope of the entire Tai Xuan Sect, treasured by Master Ximen and the Holy Maiden alike.”

“Now that Li Qingchuan is dead, we must offer a reasonable explanation.”

“In my opinion, we should say Li Qingchuan attempted to kill the Holy Son and was executed on the spot.”

“No, that would be the Holy Son testing us. Li Qingchuan’s death is regrettable but unrelated to the Holy Son. At the very least, we need a reason that absolves the Holy Son.”

A gleam of wisdom sparkled in Ji Yang’s eyes, and a sly smile played on his lips. He bent down, took Li Qingchuan’s hand, and slipped the Qiankun Ring back onto it. Then he stood and declared, “In the name of the Law Enforcement Hall, we hereby announce that Li Qingchuan, knowing the gravity of his crimes, committed suicide out of fear.”

“I see. No wonder the Holy Son killed him with Li Qingchuan’s own sword. Senior Brother Ji is clever—he understands the Holy Son’s intentions.” One disciple’s eyes shone with admiration as he flattered Ji Yang.

“But will Elder Li Kaixian believe this explanation?” one disciple expressed concern.

“Whether he believes it or not doesn’t matter. Remember, the Tai Xuan Sect’s truth now lies in the Holy Son’s hands,” Ji Yang replied. “Carry his body to the Law Enforcement Hall.”

Meanwhile, after leaving, Lin Hao headed straight to Ren Baichuan’s residence.

Having just ascended to Holy Son, the sect had granted him a peak named Holy Son Peak, which was currently being tidied. At this moment, Lin Hao felt the Supreme Divine Vein inside him stirring violently. Since the opening of all nine veins, this restlessness persisted, as if a dormant beast within him was about to awaken. He needed to enter seclusion immediately; with all nine veins opened, his Supreme Divine Vein would bring new benefits.

He also planned to open his Qi Sea and break into the Qi Sea realm.

Ren Baichuan, as Tai Xuan Sect’s chief alchemist, held a lofty position and had his own private cultivation place, free from outside disturbance—making it Lin Hao’s best choice.

Moreover, Ren Baichuan had helped him greatly today, enabling him to successfully leap over the Dragon Gate and become Holy Son. Out of both gratitude and propriety, Lin Hao intended to thank him.

On Danyang Peak, Ren Baichuan’s domain, a herb garden flourished midway up the mountain. A variety of medicinal plants emitted a refreshing fragrance that lifted the spirit.

“This is the perfect place for cultivation,” Lin Hao sighed.

Atop Danyang Peak stood a uniquely elegant villa. Seeing Lin Hao arrive, Ren Baichuan came out smiling warmly.

“Old man greets the Holy Son,” Ren Baichuan joked.

“You flatter me, Elder Ren,” Lin Hao quickly cupped his fists in salute. “Today, outside the sect, I owe my life to Elder Ren’s righteous intervention, so I have come to express my thanks.”

“I did it for the Tai Xuan Sect. With your talent, it would have been a great loss if that father-and-son duo from the Li family had cut you down,” Ren Baichuan said. “Your emergence has rekindled hope for the Tai Xuan Sect. We old fellows have deep affection for this sect and do not wish to see it perish under our watch. Now that you’ve crossed the Dragon Gate, the sect qualifies to participate in the Hundred Sects Grand Competition.”

“However, although you broke the Dragon Gate record, that only grants you qualification. The rules for the Hundred Sects Grand Competition are fixed and won’t change easily. You must understand that qualification does not guarantee a good ranking. The competition is vast, gathering 108 sects’ talents, all at the Qi Sea realm, some even at its peak. With less than a month to the competition, your current cultivation is worrisome,” Ren Baichuan warned.

“Moreover, your identity is sensitive. Since your emergence at the Ten-Zhang Dragon Gate, the entire Great Xia has taken notice, especially the Ling family and the Duke of Zhen Guo’s mansion. Who knows what troubles lie ahead? Be prepared mentally.”

“Today, after your Dragon Gate leap to fame, if it were someone else, various powerful factions—the royal family, the Great Xia Academy—would have sent envoys to court them. But with you, it’s different. Don’t underestimate the Ling family’s strength—or their determination to eliminate you.”

Lin Hao was grateful for Elder Ren’s sincere advice, but inside, he remained unshaken. Since stepping out of Tianbao City, his enemies and goals had been clear.

“Rest assured, Elder Ren, I will ensure the Tai Xuan Sect’s safety,” Lin Hao said solemnly. “Please help me find a place to enter seclusion—I need to open my Qi Sea.”

Elder Ren’s eyes lit up immediately. A true genius—just now he had advanced to the ninth tier of the Opening Vein realm, and now he was ready to open his Qi Sea.

“Very well.” Elder Ren quickly prepared the best seclusion quarters for Lin Hao. In his heart, nothing was more important to Tai Xuan Sect right now than Lin Hao’s cultivation breakthrough.

Otherwise, with Lin Hao’s current ninth-tier Opening Vein cultivation, competing in the Hundred Sects Grand Competition would be ineffective.

At the same time, in the Law Enforcement Hall, Li Qingchuan’s corpse lay at the center of the main hall, causing two elder officials to stare in stunned silence.

Wasn’t he supposed to be imprisoned in the dungeon?

How did the body get brought back?

“Li Qingchuan committed suicide out of fear,” Ji Yang said.

The two elders exchanged glances, perplexed. They had no idea what had truly happened, but no fool would believe the suicide story.

No doubt, the Holy Son was involved.

“If it’s suicide, then announce it. Also, call a few Hua Yuan elders to the Law Enforcement Hall. I fear Elder Li Kaixian will cause a scene,” one elder suggested.

Then, a sensational rumor spread like wildfire throughout the Tai Xuan Sect.

Li Qingchuan had committed suicide at the dungeon entrance—a death of a seventh-tier Qi Sea realm prodigy was no small matter, especially someone like Li Qingchuan.

“No way. Suicide? Li Qingchuan was so afraid of death, how could he kill himself?”

“Say no more. The Law Enforcement Hall says it’s suicide, so it must be.”

“Who would have thought the imposing Li Qingchuan would end like this? Elder Li Kaixian must be going mad—he only has that one son.”

“Be careful with your words. The Tai Xuan Sect is not what it used to be.”

Many disciples whispered and speculated about Li Qingchuan’s death. None had witnessed it, but any sane person wouldn’t believe the suicide nonsense.

Yet, what did it matter?

If they said it was suicide, then it was suicide—out of guilt. He was guilty, sentenced to death, hence the suicide.

The Holy Son was decisive and ruthless, avenging every grudge. Now he was the hope of the Tai Xuan Sect; anyone who dared provoke him was courting death.

“My son!”

A piercing roar tore through the skies above Mount Tai Xuan—Li Kaixian’s anguished cry.

A figure wreathed in flames streaked across the sky above the sect, heading straight for the Law Enforcement Hall’s main chamber.

Inside, tension was unprecedented. Five or six Hua Yuan elders stood on high alert.

Li Kaixian burst in, and his eyes immediately fell upon Li Qingchuan’s body lying on the ground, the familiar sword still embedded in his chest.

“My son…” Li Kaixian’s pupils nearly tore apart. He staggered forward and collapsed to his knees, trembling hands unable to touch the body.

In a moment, he seemed to have aged decades.

“Elder Li, please accept our condolences,” one Law Enforcement Hall elder said gently.

Li Kaixian’s body shook violently, his eyes turning blood-red, like a raging lion on the verge of madness.

An intense, cold murderous aura radiated from him, causing the other elders to tense and prepare for the worst.

But in the next moment, that killing intent vanished without a trace. He slowly lifted his son’s corpse and turned away, disappearing from the Law Enforcement Hall.

The Hua Yuan elders exchanged bewildered looks. Li Kaixian’s calm and unusual behavior confused them.

His only son was dead—that was unlike him.

Outside the Tai Xuan Sect, a hundred miles away, atop a mountain peak, Li Kaixian knelt, holding Li Qingchuan’s body. Grief consumed him, yet a flicker of wisdom and composure remained in his blood-red eyes.

“Qingchuan, Father will avenge you,” Li Kaixian’s voice was hoarse. For a moment, he had an uncontrollable urge to storm the Law Enforcement Hall, but he quickly regained his composure.

The Tai Xuan Sect was no longer what it had been.

He had no chance to take revenge now.

If he caused a scene at the Law Enforcement Hall, the sect would likely condemn him. Once stripped of his freedom, revenge would be impossible.

He had thought of throwing caution to the wind and killing Lin Hao at all costs.

But it was impossible. Lin Hao was now at Danyang Peak, guarded by Ren Baichuan. He had no chance.

If he failed to kill Lin Hao in one decisive blow, he would be branded as the one who killed the Holy Son, and Master Ximen would likely execute him on the spot.

Though a Hua Yuan elder with high status, he was no match for Lin Hao.

Lin Hao was the hope of the entire Tai Xuan Sect; no one was allowed to harm him.

Therefore, Li Kaixian’s first priority was to preserve his freedom. Any reckless act within the sect could be used against him, stripping him of his freedom.

Moreover, with Lin Hao’s vengeful nature, if Li Kaixian was caught with a flaw, Lin Hao would stop at nothing to use every means to kill him.

If that happened, his son would have died in vain—and he would die too, making revenge impossible.

So, Li Kaixian did not act rashly. Holding his son’s body, he left the Tai Xuan Sect.

“My son is dead. There is nothing left in this world for me,” Li Kaixian said with venomous resolve, glancing back toward the Tai Xuan Sect. “Lin Hao, you killed my son. I cannot kill you now, but I will go to Tianbao City and slaughter your entire family, wiping out the Lin clan. I will make you taste the pain of losing your loved ones.”

With that, Li Kaixian carefully stored Li Qingchuan’s body into the Qiankun Ring, fixed his gaze toward Tianbao City, and vanished into the void.