chi
The other party seemed to be not yet fifteen years old.
Is this the most outstanding talent that the Li Family has produced over thousands of years, surpassing their ancestors?
At the foot of the mountain, Ren Qianqian sat cross-legged, holding a sword, while the energy storm sweeping over the mountain peak also dispersed some of its fury, which she absorbed.
The aura within her was constantly escalating, her soul form condensing.
In front of her knees, a little white fox lay on a clump of snow, looking listless and out of spirits.
Since it had eaten the flesh and blood of the Demon King, it had been in a continual state of languor, its eyes changing from their original black to a shade of orange-yellow, a deepening color that grew dull and took on a dark crimson sheen.
As the energy storm gathered, it merely lifted its eyelids for a glance, then returned to its position on the snow, but the energy flowing around it was silently absorbed by the fur covering its body.
Li Hao's cultivation continued.
Many cultivation techniques were practiced one by one, each one understood, each detail mastered.
From sunrise to broad daylight, the aura on the mountain peak flickered unpredictably, and the rare glimpse of an indescribable feeling made the eyelids of Li Hongzhuang and others outside the mountain twitch.
Finally.
There seemed to be a long-lasting calm within the mountain peak.
And the heavenly and earthly energy that had enveloped the mountain peak was no longer growing but slowly contracting until it turned into a breeze-like vortex and dissipated without a trace.
On the mountain summit, only the figure of Li Hao sat quietly.
His clothing was somewhat tattered, the result of the burst seams from the earlier dragon transformation.
From the gaps in his frayed clothes, an exposed body could be seen, forged like gold.
All sorts of auras were concealed by the Myriad Attributes.
Yet even so, the transcendental detachment inherent to the Supreme Body, coupled with the suppressed hint of malevolence from the Bright Jade True Demon, endowed the youth with an indescribable quality.
Li Hongzhuang gazed intently, her eyes slightly losing focus.
She felt that the youth had changed tremendously and was no longer the Li Hao from before.
Grandmasters walk alone.
And Li Hao had walked his own unique path, reaching for even higher realms.
Opening his eyes, Li Hao's pupils seemed to contain concealed stars, his gaze calm, like a peaceful lake.
Noticing the two figures at the foot of the mountain, Li Hao looked down, and upon seeing the little white fox curled up as if in deep sleep, his eyes softened.
Having practiced and deduced all his cultivation techniques, Li Hao's physique had reached an unprecedented level.
Although he had not tested it, Li Hao felt that if he were to encounter the Great Demon King again, he might well be able... to fight it!
The exact extent of his ability needed to be verified firsthand.
What was slightly regrettable was that despite having cultivated many techniques to the limit of the Unwithering Realm, with power vast as an ocean within him, he seemed to have some distance yet to reach the ultimate limit.
Li Hao got up and stood naturally, as if his movement urged the celestial and terrestrial forces upon the mountain to lift upward, creating a sensation as if the heaven and earth were rising with him.
Li Hao looked toward the clouds, and his gaze could directly penetrate to where Feng Boping lay hidden within. Their eyes met, and Li Hao smiled.
Feng Boping sighed in admiration, indeed, he was at the Three Immortal Realms.
Although Li Hao had concealed all his energy, he could still feel that this young man was truly a monster.
Li Hao floated down the mountain, and as the celestial and terrestrial forces dissipated, Ren Qianqian gradually ceased her cultivation. Now opening her eyes, she saw standing before her, the gentle and jade-like youth.
"Young master."
Ren Qianqian quickly stood up from the ground and sweetly called out.
Li Hao glanced at her aura, Soul Succession Realm level ten.
Having returned from Dayue City, it was quite decent she could reach this level in just half a year of cultivation.
The feast from the Demon King had benefited all the martial artists in the city, with most of them experiencing an increase in skills, and Ren Qianqian's improvement was particularly evident.
However, below the Grandmaster Realm, it was possible to swiftly elevate one's level merely with resources—as long as the resources were sufficient, progressing a thousand miles in a day wasn't just a madman's dream.
Of course, relying on medicinal pills could result in a somewhat hollow realm of progress, whereas nourishment from food was another matter entirely.
"It seems you're close to the Divine Travel Realm," said Li Hao.
Ren Qianqian smiled, "Yes, I'm going to prepare for Soul Refining soon."
Li Hao nodded, "When we return to the city, I will write a Soul Refining Skill for you, and you can follow it for your cultivation."
Ren Qianqian was thrilled, "Really?"
Li Hao smiled and immediately bent down to pick up the little white fox in the snow.
The little white fox opened its eyelids to look, saw it was Li Hao, and closed its eyes again, reassured.
Li Hao noted the changes in the little white fox, but upon investigation, it wasn't sick or anything serious; it was most likely just overfed.
"Let's go, let's head back," Li Hao said.
Ren Qianqian nodded and followed closely.
Li Hongzhuang approached him and quickly said, "Hao Er, this cultivation... have you made a breakthrough?"
"Mhm."
Li Hao nodded slightly without going into detail.
Leaving Li Hongzhuang standing dumbfounded in the snow.
Previously she could vaguely sense some auras but couldn't be certain. Now, there was no longer any doubt.
...
...
Outside Qingzhou City, at the Divine General Mansion.
The enormous Nine Honored Beast Cauldron being transported here, such a spectacle attracted the attention of many passersby, who stealthily discussed their speculations about the contents sealed within it.
Inside the Eternal Spring Court, He Jianlan heard the report and immediately ordered the escort of the Bloodsha Army to be admitted from outside the mansion.
As the Nine Honored Beast Cauldron was positioned, the ladies from the other courts also rushed to the news, eyeing the beast cauldron, uncertain of what was inside it.
The iron seal on top prevented any probing.
"What's inside this?"
He Jianlan looked at the deputy commander of the Bloodsha Army who had escorted the cauldron, knowing he was a trusted follower of Li Hongzhuang and also an illegitimate member of the Li Family, and her attitude was quite cordial.
Madam, I am fulfilling General's orders to deliver this precious blood of the Demon King back for Young Master Li Hao."
The middle-aged deputy bowed respectfully before speaking.
He Jianlan was startled, and upon hearing the name Li Hao, the ladies from the other courtyards also showed a moment of surprise.
Now, within the Divine General Mansion, those two characters hold a reputation that is as profound as thunder after a lightning strike.
"Demon King's precious blood?"
Gao Qingqing looked at the Nine Honored Beast Cauldron with surprise, such a large volume, could this be the blood of a Great Demon King from the Four Stands Realm?
Beside him, Li Yun and Li Zhining were also staring in bewilderment at the term "Demon King," feeling it was incredibly distant.
After her moment of distraction, He Jianlan's expression suddenly shifted slightly, she vividly remembered what Li Hao said when he left the mansion.
Was this now a repayment for the second favor?
He Jianlan's eyes moistened slightly, but she quickly composed herself and said, "Then please trouble everyone to deliver this precious blood of the Demon King to the Mountain and River Courtyard."
"Yes, Madam."
The middle-aged deputy accepted the command.
But before he could leave, He Jianlan hastily inquired, "Is Hao Er doing well at the Frontier Pass? This Demon King... is it that little Demon King's father?"
The middle-aged deputy shook his head slightly and said, "The Wan Shan Demon King gathered three Demon Kings to invade, and this is the precious blood of one of them. The Wan Shan Demon King and the other two have already escaped."
"Four Demon Kings!"
Everyone's faces changed drastically as they gasped together.
Even on the Northern Yan battlefield, such a prominent stage for the world's attention, the simultaneous appearance of four Demon Kings would be enough to shake the court.
What's more, at the Heavenly Gate Pass, that lone city.
"Then Hao Er..." He Jianlan turned pale, shaking, almost feeling unable to stand.
The middle-aged deputy hurriedly said, "Madam, there's no need to worry. The Demon Kings have been driven off, Young Master Li Hao is unharmed. With the help of Master Tianji and the arrival of his uncle, had those demons not fled quickly, they would have all died."
He Jianlan's complexion finally relaxed, and she found that her palms were already sweating.
Although she had not witnessed it herself, she could imagine just how perilous the battlefield at Heavenly Gate Pass had been.
And Li Hao, having survived such a huge catastrophe, chose to send the precious blood of the Demon King back; this was not just to thank the Li Family, but to repay a debt of gratitude.
However, what Li Tian Gang had sent back in the past was merely the blood of a Three Immortal Realms demon that had lived for three thousand years. Now, this was the precious blood of a Ten Thousand Years Demon King.
The gap in this reciprocation was too great.
"In another two years, is that child... really going to leave the Li Family?"
He Jianlan suppressed her tears, feeling a bitter and uncomfortable sensation in her heart.
After a while, she gestured for the middle-aged deputy to step down with a wave of her hand.
She then said to a maidservant beside her, "Write a letter, to Liangzhou, tell Tiangang that his son has repaid his gratitude!"
The others, upon hearing He Jianlan's words, stayed silent.
In the crowd, Wang Xiangru, the eighth lady, gave a soft sneer but didn't speak.
Her daughter Li Rumeng was slapped by Li Hao back in the day, and after being investigated for the reason, although no one took a stance, the word 'deserved' was practically written on everyone's faces.
As a mother, however, she couldn't swallow this insult.
Yet, with Li Hao's rising influence now, she couldn't openly say anything.
...
...
In Liangzhou, at the Eastern Border War Camp.
The extensive defense line, a long wall built of black stone, stretched across the border.
The land beyond the border is pitch dark, the ground covered with scorched weeds, and the trees within the mountains and forests are all cut down to maximize the field of view.
Done to prevent demons from stealthily approaching under the cover of night.
Everything is visible for a hundred miles.
At this moment, outside the war camp, numerous soldiers were dragging the corpses of demons back to the camp.
Everywhere on the ground, fresh blood was spattered.
On some flatbed carts and stretchers, many wounded soldiers were carried along with the remains of those who had died in battle.
They had just gone through a large battle, causing grievous losses to the demons.
The soldiers had casualties too, but the numbers were not high.
"...Reporting to the Marshal, 43,255 demons have been annihilated, our side has 720 severely injured, over 1,000 with minor injuries, and 321 killed in action!"
An officer came before Li Tian Gang and reported earnestly.