Hearing that, all the other Elders began laughing at Elder Songhai.
“Old Eighth, you always had crooked handwriting but to think your life’s work would be misunderstood by the younger generation because of it, Bwahahaha!”
Inside a cave quite some distance away, an old man in ragged clothes and unkempt hair had on an ugly expression.
“Look here brat, listen closely while I explain the third Principle!”
With that, Li Songhai began explaining the third Principle Manipulation to Li Shen. After finishing, Li Songhai thought that was over, but Li Shen suddenly ask another question.
At first, Li Songhai didn’t know what he got himself into but as Li Shen continue to bombard him with questions and was even suggesting ways to improve his theory, the old man in the cave who was Li Songhai himself, couldn't help but have his eyes go wide, completely gob-smack.
‘What the hell is wrong with this brat? He’s not even asking questions about my area of expertise, he’s going into the fundamentals of rune creation. I can’t even keep up!’
“Elder Songhai, and about the creation of the flight rune inscriptions, have you seen the thesis put forth by the scholar Ming Hou? It’s kind of obscure but he made some great theories about studying the attribute of sound and light to better understand flight rune creation. More specifically he theorizes that each has fundamental flow and a cap speed, and by studying their path of travel we could create better and more stable flight runes. What do you think Elder Songhai?”
“….”
“Elder Songhai?”
“….”
Not hearing a response Li Shen wore a confused expression.
The other Elders’ Divine Wills around Li Shen suddenly tremble as all of them roared in laughter.
“Haha, brat I don’t understand a thing you and old Eighth just talked about but even I know your knowledge about runes is abnormal for your age. Even old Eighth who can’t shut up about creating a new field of rune inscription can’t keep up with you.”
“Oh.”
Li Shen scratched his cheek rather embarrassingly.
He might have gone overboard.
“Anyway brat, I’ve been thinking this for a while now, but how come I don’t sense any Qi fluctuations from you? Are you using some sort of treasure to hide it?”
“Ah, no respected Elder, I actually can’t cultivate Qi.”
“You can’t cultivate Qi?”
The Elders became shocked at that.
“But aren’t you wearing the Lotus insignia of the Imperial Family? You’re saying that someone of the Imperial Family is unable to cultivate? That’s impossible! Our Li Clan Bloodline is one of the Great Ancestral Clan Bloodline, to produce someone without the ability to cultivate Qi, especially one from the Main Bloodline is unheard of!”
Li Shen could tell that Elder was only shocked and hadn’t meant anything bad by his words.
“I suppose I haven’t introduced myself to the respected Elders. I’m Li Xi Shen, the Second Prince and son of the current Emperor, Li Shu.”
“So you're a prince of our Li Clan, and the Second one at that.”
Hearing that, Li Shen didn’t know what he was but him being the Second Prince seemed to change their initial demeanor.
“Old fourth, Ancestor Fulong made us swear a blood oath to not reveal the nature of his true birth, be careful now.”
“Hm, I know but surely the person himself is an exception.”
Li Shen instantly became confused by that exchange.
“Could the Elders explain why me being the Second Prince is so important?”
Well, Li Shen already knew but he wanted to hear it from them as there seems to be more to it.
“I’m sure a smart brat like you have realized by now how different you are and that people in this world call those differences strange. Either you’re abnormal soul and comprehension or something else entirely.”
“…”
Li Shen remained silent.
“Hm, you’re birth was strange since a heavenly pillar was formed because of you. The laws between heaven and earth also became chaotic for a brief moment, enough for people in the Nascent Soul Realm and above to sense it, but not enough to alert anyone one of a lower cultivation level.”
Li Shen was a bit shocked by this.
“However, it was covered up by your father and Ancestor Fulong. Everyone who was in the Imperial Palace at that time had their memories wiped away, and we were required to swear a blood oath to not reveal it to outsiders.”
Li Shen stood there in the rain in thought.
He hadn’t asked his mother or father about him gaining the Heaven’s Blessings when he was born since it was supposed to be impossible for him to know. But for his father to not say anything, did he not want him to grow up not knowing for some reason?
And that pillar of light, Li Shen hadn’t read about that happening when someone in the God Era received the Heaven’s Blessings.
After a moment, Li Shen cupped his fists and said.
“I thank Elder for telling me. But...does Elder know what such a phenomenon was?”
Li Shen wanted to know how much they knew.
A different Elder’s voice came in response.
“As strange as it was no one knows what it is. All eyes were on you and those Void Beasts that appeared out of nowhere as you grew up, but after seeing that you weren’t showing any peculiarities except for your habit of stealing, we concluded it might show in your talent of cultivation. But at last, we heard about your lack of foundation.”
Li Shen thought for a moment. It didn’t seem as if what happened in the Ancestral Grounds reached these Elders' ears.
These Elders were the ones who would be called upon if the Li Clan were ever threaten on a large scale, and were relatively younger. As for the ones in the Ancestral Grounds, their origins and names have been lost in the Li Clan’s history books.
“Alright, we’ve taken up your time, I don’t know what you came here for but be careful of going into the deeper region. Old First doesn’t like to be disturbed.”
“What slot are you here for?”
Li Shen took out the jade slip his father gave him and immediately he heard surprise exclamations from the Elders.
“Brat what are you doing with that jade slip? Wait! Did you steal it?”
Taken aback, Li Shen said respectfully.
“No, this was given to me by my father.”
“Well, if that’s the case then go on ahead. This restricted area is separated into outer the region, the middle region, and the core region. That’s a jade slip to enter the core region. Even as Elders we aren’t allowed to go in there.”
Li Shen put away the ordinary-looking, but now important jade slip carefully before asking.
“Could Elders tell me what’s so special about the core region?”
“No Idea. Our Li Clan was created by our Founding Ancestor. The two special places he focused on was the Ancestral Grounds that was said to be a world fragmented he obtained in his travels. And as for the core region, that’s said to be a dimension created from the Celestial Star Diagram.”
All of this came as news to Li Shen.
He wanted to asked what a world fragment was, but the Divine Wills of the Leaders retreated from him.
Like this Li Shen continued his journey to the core region.
While back at the spot he was at, the Divine Wills of the Elders appeared once again.
“That brat isn’t normal, what a monster.”
This was said by Li Songhai.
“Old Eighth, comparing you and him who would you say knows more about runes?”
“...Haah, of course it's him. His understanding of runes and formations is something far beyond my comprehension. I have no idea where so much fundamental knowledge came from. He was even speaking about concepts I was sure wasn’t even invented yet. He might as well be talking gibberish to this old man.”
The Elders were all laughing at Li Songhai, but hearing his words now they were starting to understand that Li Shen’s short discussion wasn’t so simple as him out talking him.
“It looks the boy isn’t so simple after all. Ancestor Fulong might have hidden it well, but I’m sure you all felt the fluctuation of the World Fragment?”
“Of course. The World Fragment is overlapped with our Li Clan so even the slightest disturbance we can detect it. But do you really think it has something to do with him?”
“Can’t you feel the aura radiating from his forehead? It’s faint but it felt similar to the entity that causes the World Fragment to tremble.”
“Old First must know what happened in there, his perception of Spatial Laws can allow him to see into the World Fragment, why don’t we ask him?”
“Ask him? Why don’t you go ahead?”
“What me?! He might just beat me to a pulp if I disturb him, you know he doesn’t like being disturbed.”
“Well if you know that why are you suggesting it you idiot!”
“Huh? Bastard old Twelfth who are you calling an idiot, you wanna go?!!”
“Look who’s talking? Weren’t you the one who lost to me in our generation? And you dare challenge me again?!”
“Bastard! That’s because I haven’t reach the highest level in my Divine Lotus Palm Technique that time, and when I did you refuse to accept my challenge!”
The trees and ground began shaking as if massive earth was wreaking havoc in the area.
It couldn’t handle these old men's Divine Wills pressure.
“Old Fourteenth, old Twelfth, what are you both doing? What if you wake up First?”
“Old Eighteenth it’s that bastard’s Fourteenth’s fault?!”
“What?!”
“Both of you should just shut up!”
Even after a long while, the childish bickering of the Elders hadn’t dyed down.
Meanwhile, Li Shen was moving along the path that took him deeper into the core region.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦