"You dare kill me?" Li Xin's voice was icy, filled with cold defiance.

"You think I won't kill you?" Li Kai sneered, his killing intent only growing stronger.

"Li Kai, do you even realize what you're doing?" Li Batian and the other elders turned pale, shouting to stop him.

"Shut the fuck up bitch ！ Anyone who gets in my way today will die," Li Kai's gaze swept across the crowd on the platform, his eyes as sharp as blades.

"Is that so?" The Grand Elder chuckled coldly. "Li Kai, you think you're untouchable?"

Li Kai noticed the scheming smile on the elder's face, his eyes narrowing. Suddenly, a voice echoed from the distance.

"Li Kai, you've gone too far."

As the voice fell, a massive pressure erupted from a distant part of the Li family's compound. The crowd looked up to see a figure rise into the sky, crossing the distance in a single step, appearing directly above the battlefield before landing on the platform with a thud.

It was an elder, his gaze deep, brows black as ink, and his tall frame bore a striking resemblance to Li Kai, Li Batian, and the others.

"Grand Elder..." Li Kai's voice was low, a bitter smile forming on his face. It was his uncle, Li Rui, the revered Grand Elder of the Li family.

Li Rui spent most of his time in seclusion, focusing on his cultivation, rarely getting involved in family affairs. The day-to-day matters were left to the clan leader and the elders. But today, to everyone's surprise, Li Rui had stepped out.

"The Grand Elder... he's powerful," the younger disciples of the Li family whispered, feeling a tremor in their hearts. His movement had been effortless, as though he floated through the air, a testament to his immense skill.

Li Xiaoyao glanced at Li Rui too, only recalling seeing him twice before. The Grand Elder was a rare sight, almost a legend within the family.

"Grand Elder, Li Kai has lost all respect for the family. He unjustly killed the Seventh Elder, and now he wants to kill Li Xin, a genius of our Li family. He even dares threaten us! Please, punish him for his crimes," the Grand Elder said, as if every misstep lay at Li Kai's feet.

"What's so funny, Li Kai?" Li Rui asked calmly, but his eyes showed no warmth.

"I'm laughing because now I understand why they've been so bold. Turns out, they had the Grand Elder backing them all along." Li Kai's words were laced with sarcasm.

"Insolent! How dare you speak to me like that!" Li Rui's voice boomed, his eyes flashing with cold fury.

"Uncle, I'm the head of this family. Even if you are the Grand Elder, you have no right to interfere in my decisions," Li Kai's voice remained defiant, his back straight as he stared directly at Li Rui.

"You've got some nerve, little brother," Li Batian taunted. "Not only is he the Grand Elder, he's your senior. And you dare forget your place? What punishment do you think you deserve?"

"What punishment?" Li Kai chuckled darkly. "If it's punishment you want, then I'll gladly step down from the clan leader position."

Knowing there was no turning back from today's events, Li Kai turned and walked toward Li Xiaoyao, leaving the rest of the family in stunned silence.

A cold snort echoed, and a frigid palm strike came crashing toward Li Kai. He didn't flinch, continuing to walk forward. The icy strike hit him square in the back, covering him in a thick layer of frost. His entire body turned white as his frame was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, hurtling toward Li Xiaoyao.

"Ha!" Li Kai grunted as he landed on one knee, his hands gripping Li Xiaoyao for support. Yet his expression remained eerily calm, without a flicker of pain.

"Uncle, I've taken your strike. From now on, you and I are done." Blood dripped from the corner of Li Kai's mouth as he spoke, his back still to Li Rui, his body trembling slightly from the cold. If it weren't for Li Xiaoyao holding him up, he'd probably collapse.

"Hmph. You're still part of the Li family bloodline, so I won't kill you. Now, get out of my sight," Li Rui said coldly. He hadn't expected Li Kai to take the hit without fighting back. For a brief moment, it stirred something inside him. Still, with Li Xin's talent, she'd be a future powerhouse that would bring the Li family to new heights. Maybe he could benefit from that and break through his bottleneck as well.

"What a waste," Li Rui thought to himself. "Li Xiaoyao's not completely talentless anymore, but trash is still trash. He's nowhere near Li Xin's level."

"Son, we're leaving," Li Kai muttered under his breath, his voice firm.

Li Xiaoyao nodded in silence. There was no need for words. His resolve was as cold and unyielding as the chill in the air. Words seemed meaningless now.

Supporting his father, the two of them walked away without looking back, for everything they needed to remember was already burned into their hearts.

The rest of the Li family watched in silence, waves of shock rippling through their minds.

Li Xiaoyao, once branded as worthless, had forced Li Wu to roll on the ground through sheer willpower alone. He had defeated Li Yang, someone at the Spirit Martial stage, with his swordsmanship. Was this really what they called a "waste"?

And Li Kai, who had effortlessly killed the Seventh Elder and threatened to take on anyone who stood in his way—if it hadn't been for the Grand Elder, who could have stopped him?

What a shame. If it weren't for Li Batian's genius daughter, Li Xin, Li Kai would still be the most suitable choice for clan leader. Even though they walked away in defeat, the impression left on the crowd was unshakable. They may have left the Li family, but they did so with their heads held high.

"If only our Li family could work together... Imagine the heights we could reach," the Sixth Elder sighed deeply, watching the two fading figures. But he knew he was powerless to change anything. He could only accept it silently.

Inside Li Kai's quarters, he sat cross-legged on his bed, a white mist swirling around him, driving the chill from his body. It wasn't long before his eyes snapped open, gleaming with energy.

"Father, how are you feeling?" Li Xiaoyao stepped forward, concern in his voice.

"My injuries are about seventy percent healed. Son, this pill is incredible. Where did you get it?" Li Kai asked, holding the bottle of pills in his hand. After taking one, his injuries rapidly improved, and within moments, he had healed significantly.

"I should probably thank Old Kong for this," Li Xiaoyao said with a slight smile. He hadn't expected the pill to be this powerful. Back when Han Kui, a Qi Martial Realm cultivator, was injured, this same pill was able to heal him, which already seemed miraculous. But now, his father, who had been struck by a single palm from the Grand Elder—whose casual attacks could kill someone like Han Kui a dozen times over—was recovering swiftly.

The fact that this pill could heal someone as strong as Li Kai so quickly showed just how potent it was.

"Father, it was a gift from an elder in the sect," Li Xiaoyao answered honestly.

Li Kai nodded. "Son, you should go back to the sect. In time, you'll surpass Li Xin."

"Surpass Li Xin?" Li Xiaoyao smirked inwardly. Li Xin was not his goal at all. The path of martial arts is vast and endless—why would he set his sights on someone like her?

"What about you, Father? Where are you headed?" Li Xiaoyao asked, not voicing his thoughts. It was obvious that staying with the Li family wasn't an option anymore.

"I'm planning to go to the capital."

"The capital?" Li Xiaoyao's gaze sharpened. The Snow Moon Nation's capital was the most prosperous and powerful place in the country—nothing like Cangyun City. In the capital, even a minor family could easily destroy the Li family, and the royal family of Snow Moon Nation was unmatched in strength.

The royal family of Snow Moon could almost be seen as its own sect—the strongest one in the entire nation.

"Don't worry, son. The capital might be full of experts, but I'm not going there to cause trouble or pick fights. I'm just going to explore. Nothing's going to happen. Once you've improved in your cultivation, come find me there." Li Kai noticed the furrow in Li Xiaoyao's brow and reassured him with a calm smile. Only then did Li Xiaoyao relax a little.

"Alright, it's time to leave." Li Kai stood up, taking only a few scrolls with him. Together, they left Cangyun City on horseback.

Looking out at the vast expanse of land ahead, Li Kai exhaled deeply and turned to his son with a smile. "Our paths are different, son. You go on ahead."

"Father, let me watch you leave," Li Xiaoyao said, shaking his head.

Li Kai paused, then laughed heartily. "Alright, son. The world is full of dangers—be careful out there!"

With that, Li Kai spurred his horse into a gallop, quickly disappearing from Li Xiaoyao's view. After seeing how Li Xiaoyao performed at the family gathering, Li Kai felt more at ease about his son's future. He knew that Xiaoyao no longer needed his guidance for most things.

"How could I leave so easily?" Li Xiaoyao thought, glancing at the sky as his father's figure vanished. "If the so-called 'waste' who was kicked out of the Li family defeats Li Xin at the Cangyun City tournament, I wonder what would happen...this is not done yet..."

With a tug on the reins, Li Xiaoyao turned his horse around and rode back into Cangyun City.