Volume 3 - Chapter 334: The Imperial Clan - Part 1
“Hm?”
From a distance, Li Hao spotted a young man seated alone at the mountain’s peak. When he saw the man raise his wine flask in greeting, he was slightly surprised and flew over at once.
“So it’s you—the youngest among those with a soul lifespan.”
As the youth got a clearer look at Li Hao’s face, a faint smile tugged at his lips. Clearly, he had taken notice of the commotion outside the True Immortal Secret Realm earlier and held quite the impression of this young man.
“And you are?” Li Hao asked, eyes filled with curiosity.
The youth smiled. “Feel like it? Come have a drink.”
“Sure.”
Seeing that the invitation was sincere, Li Hao didn’t stand on ceremony and descended atop the peak.
The youth seemed a little surprised that Li Hao had actually accepted his offer so readily—and with such poise. He chuckled and said, “Aren’t you worried there’s poison in the wine?”
“To poison someone with wine… what a dull pastime,” Li Hao said lightly. “Besides, someone that dull would never have made it here.”
“Well said.”
The youth laughed and tossed the wine flask to Li Hao. “For those words alone, this flask is yours.”
“Let me have a taste.”
Li Hao popped the seal and took a swig. To his surprise, the small wine flask actually contained a pocket dimension, a hidden space within.
Wiping the wine from his lips, Li Hao praised, “Excellent wine. Did you brew it yourself?”
Given his own culinary Dao accomplishments, he understood how difficult it would be to brew such quality wine. It would require rare ingredients and an enormous amount of time.
“As long as you enjoy it.”
The youth smiled. “A fine wine finds its worth in meeting one who understands it. I am Di Linchen. And you are?”
“Haotian.”
The moment Li Hao heard the youth’s surname, a ripple passed through his heart. He’d been in the True Realm for some time now. Though he spent most of his days cultivating, painting, and fishing, he’d also heard many things during idle chatter with Elder Gu and the Great Dream Master.
Within the myriad races of the True Realm, a hundred races stood at the forefront, claiming the most prosperous lands.
And of those, the Imperial Clan reigned supreme—the first among the Hundred Clans. With the surname Di, they were known to have produced more Immortal Emperors than any other.
Legend had it that the Imperial Clan had given rise to three Immortal Emperors and had stood atop the True Realm since a hundred thousand years ago. They were the pinnacle of power, a truly unparalleled clan. Even other imperial bloodlines had to bow in their presence.
Noticing the shift in Li Hao’s gaze, Di Linchen understood he had recognized the name. His expression remained gentle, waiting to see the boy’s reaction.
Others, once learning of his origin, would respond with reverent awe, cautious fear, or uncontainable curiosity.
But Li Hao soon gathered his thoughts and took two more sips of the fine wine. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he asked:
“I thought outside items weren’t allowed. How’d you bring this treasure in?”
Di Linchen blinked, evidently not expecting that question. Then he let out a rare laugh and replied, “The flask wasn’t brought in from outside. It’s nothing complicated—I crafted it on the spot. As long as your comprehension of the Dao of Space is deep enough, it's simple.”
“And the wine?”
“The wine… you’re better off not knowing. But I didn’t break any rules.”
With a chuckle, Di Linchen waved his hand, and a whirlpool of void appeared beside him. From within it dropped another identical flask.
“Do you have a Dao Flame? I’ve got extras—can give you one.”
As he casually took a sip of wine, Di Linchen suddenly thought of something and said to Li Hao.
Li Hao was stunned. A Dao Flame was the qualification token to advance—it was incredibly precious. Yet the man had offered it without a second thought.
“I have one.”
He shook his head, declining the gift. “If you’ve got spares, you could trade them. I’m sure plenty would offer heavenly treasures in return.”
“Heavenly treasures?”
Di Linchen shook his head, clearly disinterested. “I have those already. Don’t need more.”
“…”
With a flip of his palm, Di Linchen summoned two azure Dao Flames and casually sent them over. “These are extras. You can trade them.”
Li Hao stared at the Dao Flames hovering before him—such precious items, and they’d only just met, hadn’t exchanged more than a handful of words, yet Di Linchen offered them up like they were nothing, as if he were handing him sweets.
He was dazed for a moment but didn’t continue being modest. He accepted the two Dao Flames and, after a moment’s thought, said:
“One day, I’ll treat you to a brew of my own.”
“You brew as well?”
Di Linchen raised an eyebrow. “You’ve only lived a hundred years or so. With your cultivation at this level, I’d guess you’ve been training day and night without rest.”
Li Hao chuckled but didn’t elaborate. “You’ll know once I pour you a cup.”
“Alright then. I’ll look forward to it.”
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