Volume 2 - Chapter 16: The Trial of Liu Yurong - Part 2
In the Piaoxue Academy...
After returning to the academy, Li Xuanli instructed his wife, Gao Qingqing, to prepare their travel clothes and supplies. He intended to set off for Liang Province without delay, for in military matters, timing was crucial. Since there was potential for a demonic calamity in Liang Province, he had no intention of lingering at home.
“Father, are you heading to Liang Province to suppress the demons?”
Three figures entered the main hall. Li Wushuang’s eyes lit up slightly as she asked.
“Yes.”
Li Xuanli looked at the three of them with a smile, gesturing for them to approach. Once they came closer, he spoke warmly:
“While I’m away, you must listen to your mother and behave yourselves. Don’t cause any trouble, understood?”
“Father, are you going to Tianmen Pass to guard it alongside him?”
Li Wushuang quickly inquired.
Li Yun and Li Zhining also stared intently at Li Xuanli, waiting for his answer.
“Tianmen Pass?”
Li Xuanli froze for a moment, instantly realizing who his daughter was referring to. His expression shifted slightly as he sighed:
“I’m heading to the Li Family's military camp in Liang Province. Tianmen Pass is a perilous border fort that has already been abandoned. Who knows when that boy will return—or if he intends to stay there for three years. If demons invade, his situation will be extremely dangerous...”
As he spoke, worry filled his face.
The three siblings were momentarily stunned, their expressions subtly changing.
“Father, if Liang Province is in danger, shouldn’t you notify him?” Li Wushuang frowned.
Li Xuanli nodded slightly. “Once I arrive in Liang Province, I’ll send a military report to inform him to stay vigilant. Ideally, he should return. That boy is as stubborn as they come. What father and son can’t reconcile their differences? Sigh...”
Gao Qingqing shot him a sharp look. “Stop talking like you have all the answers. Mind your own business. If you’re going to Liang Province, focus on keeping yourself safe first. If you’re writing a letter to him, let him know that Fifth Aunt has prepared his favorite sweet—Cowherd's Jade Crisp. He should come back and try it.”
Li Xuanli nodded gently and clasped his wife’s hand lightly.
Then, he turned to the three children. “The world is now in turmoil with demons and monsters, nothing like the stable years we had before. You must train diligently and not flaunt your skills recklessly outside. Understood?”
“Father, I want to go to Liang Province too,” Li Wushuang declared.
“So do I,” Li Yun chimed in immediately.
Li Zhining said nothing but stared at her father with big, expectant eyes.
Li Xuanli rolled his eyes. “Am I speaking to the wind? I don’t have the energy to look after you, so don’t even think about causing me trouble.”
“Father, they might not be capable, but I am.”
Li Wushuang quickly sold out her siblings, saying, “I need to experience the world after leaving the mountain. During the True Dragon Seat contention, I realized just how vast the gap is between me and them. I need to slay demons and hone my skills!”
Li Yun and Li Zhining turned to their elder sister with puffed cheeks. They had agreed to plead together, yet she betrayed them so easily?
They felt like they were merely props to highlight their sister's ambitions.
Li Xuanli chuckled bitterly at his daughter’s determination. “Don’t compare yourself to those two. One is even more absurdly talented than your Ninth Uncle, while the other is a personal disciple of the Boundless Buddhist Lord. Your achievements already place you in the top thirty of the Qian Kun Ranking, which is something I’m proud of.”
“It’s not enough. I aim to be first!”
Li Wushuang’s gaze sharpened. “If I grow complacent, I’ll soon lose sight of their heels entirely!”
Seeing her unyielding resolve, Li Xuanli pondered for a moment before relenting. “Fine. With your skills, it might do you some good to witness military life firsthand.”
“Father...”
Li Yun and Li Zhining spoke up together.
“Don’t even think about it,” Li Xuanli replied flatly.
“Father, you’re playing favorites!”
“Yes, I am. If you keep this up, do you want a spanking?”
“...”
...
...
In Liang Province, at Tianmen Pass...
Within the small fenced courtyard inside the fortress, the firewood had burned out. Li Hao watched as Song Qiumo and Feng Lao finished their meals. He smiled, patted his pants, and stood up.
“The weather’s nice today. Shall we go for a stroll and kill some demons?”
Song Qiumo raised a brow. “You just obtained the sword manual. Don’t you want to practice sword techniques first?”
“Practicing swords is best done in live combat,” Li Hao replied with a grin.
“You just want to use my skills to kill more demons,” Song Qiumo retorted, though there was no malice in her words.
“It helps with digestion,” Li Hao joked.
“Fine. I’ve grown bored of staying here anyway. Let’s take a walk,” Song Qiumo agreed, standing up.
Feng Lao waved dismissively. “With her accompanying you, that’s enough. I’ll stay here.”
Li Hao understood that the old man intended to guard the fortress. He nodded slightly, setting aside his playful demeanor. He then retrieved the Dragon Sky Sword from Ren Qianqian.
“Can I go too?” Ren Qianqian asked eagerly.
“You’re too weak right now. Stay here and train. When it’s time to fuse your soul, will you use your father’s connections or the Martial Temple’s?” Li Hao asked.
Ren Qianqian immediately replied, “The Martial Temple. My father chose it for me, too.”
“Alright. Once you break through, I’ll have Qiumo escort you to the Martial Temple. But you’d better hurry—she’s only staying here for half a year,” Li Hao said with a smile.
Hearing this, Ren Qianqian nodded in understanding. Her current cultivation was too low to keep up with Li Hao.
As Li Hao picked up his sword and turned to leave, a small white fox darted out, climbing onto his shoulder. The creature was so light it was as if it wasn’t there.
Li Hao chuckled at the fox’s clinginess, gently ruffling its fur before stepping out of the camp. With his sword in hand, he released his divine soul, making Tianmen Pass the center of his search as he scanned the surrounding area.
It didn’t take long for Li Hao to spot some demons lurking about forty li away.
With Song Qiumo by his side acting as a safeguard, Li Hao had no fear of attacks from a Fourth Realm Demon King. Confident in her protection, he unsheathed the Dragon Sky Sword and charged toward the demons.
With a sharp clang, the Dragon Sky Sword left its scabbard. From a distance of twenty li, the sword flashed like a rainbow, cutting down several demons hiding in the forest.
The sword light gleamed white, resembling a howling silver dragon as it sliced through the demons’ bodies like tofu, annihilating their divine souls in the process.
These demons didn’t even have time to comprehend what had happened before they were obliterated.
Li Hao, flying with ease on the wind, moved swiftly through the air. His divine power guided objects around him, sweeping the corpses of the demons on the Dragon Pass Path into the wilderness and forests on either side of the road.
The Dragon Pass Path, the main road leading to the fortress, had been overrun by demons before Li Hao’s arrival. He had cleared it of monsters earlier, but now, a few more demons had taken up residence there, likely passing through and settling temporarily.
Without hesitation, Li Hao unleashed another burst of sword light, cutting the demons down and tossing their bodies into the wilderness.
He wanted these demons to understand that this road was for humans, not a path for monsters.
Once he had dispatched these demons, Li Hao flew into the wilds nearby. Along the way, he encountered various demons, both large and small, all of whom he slew without effort.
Monsters in the Spiritual Wandering Realm or at the level of the Tongli Realm’s fifteen-li peak were no match for him. Even demons in the Heaven and Man Realm, who could be considered minor Demon Kings ruling their territories, were powerless against the cutting force of the Dragon Sky Sword. Their tough, rugged hides were torn apart as though they were paper.
Li Hao traversed hills and forests, leaving behind a trail of demon corpses.
His goal was to purge the surrounding area of demons entirely, turning the region back into the safe haven it had been a thousand years ago—a place where demons feared to tread.
With Song Qiumo following him, there was little chance she’d need to step in. She quickly realized that Li Hao had invited her along not because he needed help with ordinary demons, but as insurance against attacks from powerful Demon Kings.
Aside from using the Dragon Sky Sword, Li Hao often employed his fishing lines and hooks to kill demons around the fifteen-li level, gathering fishing experience in the process.
Several days passed in this manner.
The hundred-li radius around Tianmen Pass was soon devoid of any demons, as Li Hao had slain them all.
Li Hao’s fishing experience had also reached 20,000 points, though it still fell short of the 100,000-point threshold for his next breakthrough.
Determined, Li Hao extended his efforts farther afield.
...
Meanwhile, a thousand li from Tianmen Pass, atop a towering mountain encircled by ranges, stood a vast dojo.
The dojo was shrouded in mist, its tranquility punctuated by the rhythmic toll of a morning bell.
The sprawling grounds were occupied by numerous figures clad in simple Daoist robes, their hair styled into topknots. At first glance, it seemed like an immortal’s retreat, but a closer look revealed peculiarities.
These figures bore horns of various shapes on their heads or scales protruding from their skin. Their robes had holes in the back to accommodate tails of all kinds, and their hands—pressed together in prayer—ranged from slender human fingers to gnarled claws covered in rough scales.
This was the Dragon Mountain Dojo.
At the forefront of the assembly, on an altar surrounded by kneeling demons, stood a dried corpse clad in a Daoist robe.
This corpse, whose face was mottled red and blue, was surrounded by ghostly shadows. Worms occasionally crawled from the seams of its robe, burrowing into its ears or nostrils.
This was the Three Immortals Great Demon who had fled in disgrace from Tianmen Pass just days earlier.
The Peacock, Bull Demon, and Giant Frog Demon had all perished at the pass, leaving only this dried corpse to escape.
The losses were significant for the Dragon Mountain Dojo.
...
Behind the dojo, an elder clad in a tattered Daoist robe sat quietly before a waterfall.
Suddenly, his eyes opened, cold light flashing within them. His voice was sharp and icy as he asked, “Who dares intrude here?”
Behind him, a figure slowly materialized from thin air—a seductive woman in a scarlet dress. Half her face bore flower-like patterns, and her gaze was enchanting. She smiled faintly.
“Dragon Lord, I heard that some of your disciples fell at Tianmen Pass. Such a pity...”
“Are you here to provoke me?” The elder’s gaze turned frosty.
“I only came to express my sympathy. Why direct your anger at me?” the woman said softly, her voice filled with feigned innocence. “I’m here to ask if you’ve given any more thought to our earlier proposal. Will you join our grand army? This is a rare opportunity.”
The elder frowned, falling silent.
“What are you still worried about? That Daoist from Qiandao Palace wouldn’t dare step out,” the woman murmured gently. “If he did, the Sacred Imperial City would be reduced to ashes in an instant.”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For centuries, these humans have expanded unchecked, forcing us to the edges of the Great Wilderness. It’s long past time we took back our homeland!”
Her seductive face hardened slightly, a trace of killing intent flickering in her expression.
The elder responded slowly, “If we’re to attack Liang Province, from which direction do you propose we strike?”
“We initially planned for you to coordinate with us and attack directly through Tianmen Pass,” the woman replied, her tone turning soft and coy again.
“But after hearing some recent intelligence, we’ve made adjustments. It seems that the Li Family of Qingzhou has experienced significant turmoil. That prodigious genius, once hailed as the most gifted in a thousand years, has been exiled to the pass. He’s guarded by Fourth Realm protectors, as you’ve undoubtedly encountered.”
“Continuing through Tianmen Pass would mean confronting Fourth Realm experts, which would incur heavy losses and may not be worth the cost.”
“We’ve already changed our route.”
“Since this fortress has proven to be a tough nut to crack, we’ll bypass it for now. Once Liang Province has been overrun and all that’s left is this small pass, what use will it be? We can return later and savor the taste of that human elder...”