That evening, when Marco returned to Li Mansion, dusk was already approaching. His father Li Zhaoyan was sitting at the stone table in the courtyard sipping tea, appearing leisurely, but the moment Marco entered, he felt a sharp gaze fall upon him.
"Ke'er, you seem to have returned later than usual today," Li Zhaoyan set down his teacup, his tone calm but his eyes piercing as if they could see through one's heart. With his cultivation level, he naturally could detect the faint, almost imperceptible spatial fluctuations and residual energy aura on his son—something that couldn't possibly be acquired from casual wandering.
Marco wasn't surprised by this. He walked over and sat opposite his father, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then spoke calmly, "I encountered some minor trouble on the way back."
"Oh?" Li Zhaoyan's eyebrows rose slightly, his gaze instantly sharpening, "What trouble?" Though he trusted his son's capabilities, a father's concern remained unchanged.
"Lingering Dream Shinian," Marco said succinctly, "That Soul Saint from Canghui Academy secretly followed me, set up an illusion in the forest outside the city, and tried to attack me."
"Shinian?!" Li Zhaoyan's eyes flashed with cold light, his aura uncontrollably erupting! A terrifying, sharp spear intent that seemed capable of piercing the heavens shot skyward! The stone table vibrated, flowers and plants in the courtyard instantly bowed low, and the air seemed to solidify! The wrath of a Titled Douluo could alter heaven and earth!
"He dared to move against you?!" Li Zhaoyan's voice was icy cold, containing overwhelming killing intent, "Canghui Academy! Shinian! How dare they!" Countless methods of retaliation instantly flashed through his mind—someone actually dared to ambush his son near the imperial capital, this had touched his reverse scale!
"Father, please calm your anger," Marco set down his teacup, his tone still calm as if discussing some trivial matter unrelated to himself, "Just an ant who thought himself clever. It's already been dealt with."
Li Zhaoyan's aura faltered slightly as he looked at his son, "Dealt with?"
"Yes," Marco nodded, "He set up an illusion to lure me into a trap. I went along with his scheme, countered his soul technique, and completely destroyed his spirit. Not even his bones remain."
He spoke lightly, but Li Zhaoyan could imagine the danger involved. Shinian was famous for his illusions, and spiritual attacks at the Soul Saint level were hard to defend against. But hearing how cleanly and efficiently his son had handled the opponent, his anger subsided somewhat, turning into surprise and a trace of pride. Ke'er's strength seemed even more unfathomable than he had anticipated.
"Do you know why he targeted you?" Li Zhaoyan restrained his aura and asked solemnly. He didn't believe Shinian would have the nerve to target the Li Family's direct descendant and Heaven Dou's top genius without reason.
Marco's eyes flickered slightly as he said, "Nothing more than holding a grudge because I broke Canghui Academy's Seven-in-One Fusion Technique, causing him to lose face. Perhaps he also had some other intentions, wanting to probe my depths." He didn't mention the factors involving Bishop Salas that he had inferred from Shinian's dying words. This matter involved high-level members of the Spirit Hall, and without solid evidence, pointing it out might alert the enemy and only cause his father unnecessary worry and impulsiveness. For now, it wasn't the right time to confront the Spirit Hall directly.
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Li Zhaoyan's eyes as he snorted, "A clown who oversteps his bounds deserves death! This matter cannot be left unresolved! Canghui Academy actually dared to commit such despicable acts—they must pay the price!" He had already decided that tomorrow, under the name of Godly Spear Douluo, he would pressure both the Empire and the Spirit Hall to severely punish Canghui Academy!
"Father, it's best not to publicize this matter," Marco advised. "Shinian acted covertly, and with his death, there's no evidence. If we make a big fuss, it would only give others grounds to accuse our Li Family of bullying with our power. Moreover, with Shinian dead, the grudge is settled. After this incident, Canghui Academy likely won't dare make any further moves. During the tournament period, it's better to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Li Zhaoyan looked at his son's calm and intelligent eyes, pondered for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. In that case, we'll set it aside for now. But if Canghui Academy dares to act treacherously again, they will not be spared!" He chose to respect his son's approach while feeling gratified by his composure and strategic thinking.
"Let's not inform your mother and Lingling about this for now, to avoid worrying them," Li Zhaoyan added.
After Marco finished recounting the details of the ambush, Li Zhaoyan, though still angry, acknowledged his son's handling of the situation. At that moment, Marco seemed to remember something and retrieved from his Storage Soul Tool a head Soul Bone emitting a soft, multicolored glow.
"Father, this is what I obtained from Shinian," Marco said, presenting the Soul Bone to his father. "A head Soul Bone around ten thousand years old, gem-type, likely comes with a mental illusion skill.""
Li Zhaoyan took the Soul Bone and examined it carefully. As a Titled Douluo, his discernment was naturally exceptional. After a moment, he concluded, "It's indeed around fifteen thousand years in quality. The attributes are quite rare, suitable for mental or support-type Soul Masters. How do you plan to handle it?"This Soul Bone's age is relatively low, and its additional skill leans toward deceitful methods, which doesn't align with my development path." Keeping it would be redundant.Hearing this, Li Zhaoyan's mouth twitched slightly. Seeing his son's expression of "this thing isn't worthy of me," he was momentarily at a loss for words. A ten-thousand-year Soul Bone—a treasure that would incite fierce competition among Soul Douluo-level experts in the outside world—was being called "redundant" by his own son.
He cleared his throat, suppressing his speechlessness, and asked, "Then how do you intend to deal with it?"
"I plan to use it for a trade with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School," Marco stated his intention. "Ning Fengzhi has been collecting suitable Soul Bones for his sect. Although this gem-type mental head bone isn't high in years, its attributes are rare. It could be exchanged for some resources we need or used to gain a favor from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School."
Li Zhaoyan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Indeed, that old fox Ning Fengzhi has been gathering such Soul Bones. This bone holds significant value for support-type Soul Masters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. Your plan is sound—a favor from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School can sometimes be more valuable than the Soul Bone itself."
He paused, looking at his son with a tone of approval. "Since you obtained this Soul Bone yourself, you have full authority to handle it. Your considerations are thorough—proceed as you see fit."
"Thank you, Father." Marco put away the Soul Bone, already forming plans in his mind. At that moment, Ye Lingling and Li Qiuyao returned from outside. Spotting Marco, Ye Lingling cheerfully ran over: "Brother, you're back! I have news for you—that Shrek Academy you've been paying attention to has a match tomorrow against Blazing Fire Academy!"
Li Qiuyao also blinked her large eyes and said: "Brother Marco, Blazing Fire Academy is really powerful—they all specialize in fire! Their captain Huo Wushuang and vice-captain Huo Wu are said to be very strong!"
Blazing Fire Academy? Marco's heart stirred. In the original storyline, it was during the battle against Blazing Fire Academy that Tang San, relying on his flame-immune Blue Silver Grass, countered their fire attacks and emerged victorious. But now, without having obtained the Immortal Herb opportunity from the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire, would his Blue Silver Grass still be immune to flames? Would the outcome of this match change because of that?
This piqued Marco's considerable interest. He wanted to see for himself how this "Child of Destiny," deprived of such a crucial opportunity, would confront a powerful enemy with elemental advantage.
"Oh? Blazing Fire Academy?" Marco showed an intrigued expression. "That does sound like a match worth watching."