51 Preparing for the journey

After testing his Martial technique Power Slash for a few hours, Li Jing made many observations.

There was no limit to the number of times he could use the technique as long as his Qi reserve was not empty. However, he could only launch one Qi slash per dagger at the same time. Moreover, the maximum range of the technique was ten meters, after that the Qi slash would dissipate.

Thanks to these few hours of training and his high comprehension capacity, he already mastered the technique at the Large success stage!

Li Jing estimated that he still had two or three hours before his father would come back so he decided to also train with his Martial techniques Instant Flash Step and Hammer Fist to reach the Large success stage with them...

…

It was night when Li Hua finally announced to Li Jing that his father and grandfather were back.

Hearing the good news, Li Jing immediately stopped his training and walked towards his father's courtyard. Once he was there, he saw his father talking to his grandfather and greeted them.

"Jing'er, it's already late. Do you have something important to tell us?" Asked Li Bai.

"Yes, father. I successfully brokethrough the sixth level of the Qi Gathering realm and want to go alone to the Dark Forest again tomorrow morning." He answered.

He couldn't tell that he actually wanted to go the Relentless Mountain because it was a place known to be inhabited by many bandits.

"Oh? I thought that you wanted to talk about what you did to your cousin, his father was not happy to see him in the state in which you put him… Anyway, I can't let you leave the city tomorrow." Said Li Bai.

"Why?" Asked Li Jing, surprised. He didn't expect his father to refuse, it wasn't because of what he did to Li Zhiwang, right?

"Tomorrow afternoon the four generals of the Heavenly Jewel Empire will be here, we must welcome them along with the other four Great Clans and the royal family." Answered Li Bai.

"Can I not come? My presence should not be mandatory." Asked Li Jing. This event was not very important in the web novel so he thought that he could skip it.

"No, you have to come. With your talent and your high cultivation realm, you will make a great impression on them and they can recommend you to join the Long Wu Academy."

Joining the Long Wu Academy? Li Jing had never considered it. Although the Long Wu Academy was the best martial academy of the Heavenly Jewel Empire, he would be stuck there for two years if he joined it.

Li Jing's plan was to venture the world for some time and maybe later join the Heavenly Cloud Sect, the most powerful sect of this world located in the Central Continent. He didn't want to lose his time in the Long Wu Academy…

"Why do you want me to join the Long Wu Academy? I am the heir of the clan." Asked Li Jing.

"Yes, but with your talent and the rate at which you progress, I know that this little kingdom will not be enough for you soon. If you join the academy you will have access to much better resources, techniques, and cultivation methods. I already discussed it with your grandfather and he agreed with me." Said Li Bai.

Although Li Jing was grateful to his father for thinking of his future, his own plans were different.

"I'm sorry father but I don't want to join the academy and I don't want to meet the four generals tomorrow either." He said.

Li Bai was surprised to hear his son say something like that, he has always been obedient and filial. It was actually the first time that his son rejected what he said…

"Do you have a good reason for refusing to join the academy and meet the generals?" He asked.

"Yes, I have. But I can't tell you the reason for now, you have to believe in me." Answered Li Jing.

Seeing the determined look on Li Jing's face, Li Bai sighed. Years ago, he promised his wife that he would always care for and support their son so he would not force his decision on him. He has been hard and strict with his son these past few years to prepare him to be a future good leader, but now that he saw that he became more mature, he thought that he could trust him.

"Alright, you can go. How long do you plan to stay there?"

"Thank you, father. I think around a week, maybe a little more. And no need to prepare a carriage, I will take my horse." Said Li Jing. The original owner of his body actually had his own horse and perfectly knew how to ride one.

Li Jing didn't exactly plan to leave the kingdom immediately after he would obtain his pet. He needed to wait for the opening of the Inheritance Realm of Luo Renji, the founder of the Sky Jade Kingdom, in one month before leaving. It was because there, he would find the necessary items to evolve his pet from a tier-1 to a tier-3 Demonic Beast in addition to a fire-type cultivation method that would give him access to the fire elemental affinity.

Li Bai nodded and Li Jing bade him and his grandfather farewell before going back to his courtyard to cultivate the whole night.

…

The next morning, around an hour after the sun rose, Li Jing stopped cultivating and prepared a few things for the journey.

He took some clothes without the 'Li' name embroidered on them because he wanted to travel incognito and after a quick bath, he asked Li Hua to bring him some Food Replacement Pills.

After half an hour, Li Hua was still not back with the pills and Li Jing was wondering if something happened. However, someone suddenly knocked on his bedroom door and he saw her come in with a large box in her hands.

"Young Master, I saw one of Li Zhiwang's lackey and asked him to prepare the five thousand Spirit Stones of the bet you won, that's why I'm late." Explained Li Hua, giving him the large box and the bottle of pills.

"Good job Sister Hua, you're the best! By the way, I have something for you…" Said Li Jing, smiling and giving her a Protection Talisman that he took out from his spatial ring.

"I'm sure that Li Zhiwang will not dare to do anything against you but just in case always keep this Protection Talisman on you." He said.

A Protection Talisman could be activated manually without needing to inject Qi in it.

"What about you Young Master? It's dangerous outside, you need it more than me." Said Li Hua, anxious.

"Don't worry about me, I have another one. Alright, I will go now, take care of yourself." He said with a reassuring smile.

Li Hua nodded and bade him farewell. Then, Li Jing walked away towards the clan stables to prepare his horse…

A few minutes of walking later, he finally arrived there and asked the stableman, a man in his fifties, to prepare his horse.

His horse's name was Yinglong, it was a majestic slender-limbed and muscled dark brown horse. The stableman already equipped it with a bridle on its mouth and a saddle on its back so it was ready to be mounted.

Yinglong was not a Demonic Beast but it has been fed with only high-quality spiritual grasses since its birth so it was very fast and had very great stamina.

After petting his horse for a moment, Li Jing mounted it. He was now ready to leave the city.