Volume 2 - Chapter 53: Li Hao Emerges from Seclusion, Liang Province in Peril - First 2
They no longer had this chance.
That day, the Dragon Sky Sword that had been sent to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion for reforging was personally delivered by one of the Three Immortals from the pavilion.
The person delivering it was a burly, solidly built middle-aged man, who handed the Dragon Sky Sword directly into Li Hao’s hands.
The man's personal delivery of this divine weapon was not only out of concern for its safety but also because he wished to meet the young man whose fame had spread across the world.
At just fourteen years old, Li Hao had slain a minor Demon King of the Three Immortals Realm, causing even long-established experts to take notice.
“Young General, the Dragon Sky Sword has undergone three reforgings and been tempered with Starlight Flames. Please test its balance,” the man said respectfully and naturally. His name was Lu Cheng.
Li Hao nodded; he had been aware of this beforehand. Initially, the sword was to undergo two reforgings, using the materials from the body and soul of the Black Bird Demon King. However, after defeating the Ten Thousand Caverns Ghost Maiden, the sword could be reforged once more.
If a divine weapon could be reforged nine times, it had the potential to transform into a Sacred Heart Treasure!
Such weapons were coveted by Fourth Pillar Realm experts. Only a handful of these powerhouses possessed one, and each Sacred Heart Treasure was an extraordinarily fearsome weapon, capable of threatening anyone within the same realm.
For a weapon to qualify as a divine weapon, at least the soul of a Demon King must be forged into it.
Previously, the Dragon Sky Sword had become a first-class divine weapon largely due to the unparalleled strength of the true dragon’s soul sealed within it, far exceeding the current Black Bird Demon King and Ten Thousand Caverns Ghost Maiden.
Now, with three reforgings, its power had significantly increased. The sword’s spirit alone could injure a Dao Heart Realm Demon King.
“Only six more Demon Kings to slay, and I’ll be able to reforge it nine times, pushing it toward becoming a Sacred Heart Treasure.”
Li Hao’s eyes glinted with determination.
To create a Sacred Heart Treasure would require the true souls of nine Fourth Pillar Realm beings—whether Demon Kings or humans alike.
As Li Hao took hold of the Dragon Sky Sword, he immediately noticed the difference. Not only had its appearance changed, but its weight and balance had also shifted.
Previously, it had radiated the searing power of a true dragon, but now it exuded a refined harmony, like the balance of yin and yang.
Additionally, the sword’s edge seemed sharper than before, with a deeper, more profound hue.
Li Hao refrained from testing the weapon in the city, knowing that summoning its sword spirit would cause a commotion.
“Thank you.”
Li Hao expressed his gratitude.
“There’s no need for thanks. The extra Demon King corpses you gifted us more than covered the reforging fee. By all accounts, we’ve made a great profit,” Lu Cheng said with a hearty laugh.
Li Hao chuckled and said, “If I find more Demon Kings in the future, I’ll be troubling you again.”
Lu Cheng was momentarily taken aback but then burst into laughter. The way Li Hao spoke of Demon Kings so casually, as if they were guaranteed kills, was truly extraordinary for someone his age.
However, Lu Cheng knew that with the Fourth Pillar Realm powerhouses backing Li Hao, it wouldn’t be long before more Demon King corpses arrived at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Hao bid farewell to the robust man.
...
That evening, after a hearty meal, Li Hao ventured beyond the pass to test his sword.
Aside from the original true dragon sword spirit, the souls of the Black Bird Demon King and Ten Thousand Caverns Ghost Maiden had also been forged into the blade. When the three true souls emerged simultaneously, the surroundings erupted into a chaotic storm of ghostly wails and dragon roars, shaking the heavens and earth.
Wherever the sword light flew, it effortlessly carved gorges hundreds of meters long into the terrain.
Li Hao praised the sword with a sigh of admiration, sheathed it, and returned to the city for a well-earned rest.
...
Time flowed on.
Before long, half a year had passed since Li Hao’s first expedition beyond the pass, where he had frightened away several Demon Kings.
Using the attributes of the Heaven and Earth Diagram, Li Hao placed 180 markers and transformed them all into military flags.
Eighty of these flags were planted on energy-rich mountain peaks beyond the pass, preventing demons from claiming them as sanctuaries for cultivation.
The remaining 100 flags were distributed around Cangya City’s perimeter, ready to repel a demonic invasion in critical moments.
As the number of battle flags grew, Li Hao began to grasp the terrifying potential of this attribute.
Each marker functioned like a small bomb, capable of storing half of his power. What did this mean?
If all 100 battle flags were destroyed simultaneously, the resulting explosion would unleash a catastrophic storm of energy!
Although the power wouldn’t linearly stack, the simultaneous detonation could still transform an area within a 200-li radius into a ferocious dead zone.
Even Demon Kings would have to retreat in the face of such devastation.
The only drawback was that the flags’ explosions were indiscriminate. As a precaution, Li Hao planted them no closer than 100 li from the city.
While ordinary military banners wouldn’t be placed so far or so recklessly, the risk of accidental detonation left Li Hao no choice.
With these flags and formations in place, along with his Dark Side Body stationed as a hidden defender, Li Hao felt confident that Cangya City could withstand a Demon King assault even in his absence.
This assurance allowed him to focus on other matters.
One such matter was the reward from Tianji Tower, which he had coveted for some time.
The tower housed an array of techniques, rivaling those of Tingyu Pavilion. If he could find a few extraordinary Meridian Opening Techniques or Qi Circulation Methods, Li Hao felt confident that he might open all 108 major meridians.
Combining this with the Yin-Yang Dual Meridians, achieving total circulation throughout his body would bring immense enhancement, possibly even reaching an unparalleled state.
Records from the Great Yu Divine Dynasty mentioned no individual achieving full meridian circulation.
Perhaps some had, but their feats remained unrecorded, or the texts in Tingyu Pavilion were incomplete.
Li Hao speculated that figures like the Boundless Buddha or certain great masters might have accomplished it. With their extensive lifespans, they had ample time to refine their techniques, open more apertures, and perfect their cultivation.
For this trip to Tianji Tower, Li Hao chose not to bring Ren Qianqian. He intended to make a quick journey and return swiftly.
He left the Dragon Sky Sword with his Dark Side Body, stationed to defend Tianmen Pass. He also instructed Feng Lao to remain as a guardian rather than accompany him.
Given his current strength, even if he encountered a formidable Demon King, Li Hao was confident he could escape.
Moreover, after advancing to the sixth stage of movement techniques, Feng Lao had taught him the Heaven and Earth Unbounded Technique.
Li Hao’s proficiency in this technique was only slightly inferior to Feng Lao’s.
However, with the accelerated attributes from the Heaven and Earth Diagram, he could easily make up for the gap.
When it came to escape, Li Hao had become a true expert.
Even so, he was more concerned about demonic forces launching a surprise attack on Tianmen Pass in his absence.
Using the All-Manifestations Attribute, Li Hao concealed his aura and followed the guide from Tianji Tower out of the pass.
However, as soon as the guide left Tianmen Pass, a Tianji Hall Bird Demon hidden in the shadows of Cangya City detected his movements and relayed the information.
“The guide from Tianji Tower has left the pass!”
“According to our intelligence, he came to Cangya City to escort Young General Haotian. He earned first place in the Grandmaster Competition and received the reward of studying techniques in Tianji Tower.”
“He’s finally leaving. Is he departing Liang Province for good?”
“Have you spotted him?”
“No, but it’s highly likely he’s masking his presence.”
“Could this be a diversion?”
Inside Tianji Hall, numerous Bird Demons chattered among themselves.
A girl in a crimson dress stood at the center, flanked by another girl in a purple dress. The latter appeared a few years older, around fifteen or sixteen, with an exquisite, lively appearance. A tuft of purple feathers adorned her forehead, lending her an air of nobility.
“He has no reason to deceive us unless he intends to lure us into attacking Tianmen Pass. But both Dragon Gate and Sacred Palace have already agreed to seize Liang Province first, leaving that thorn for last!”
“There’s no way he knows our plans. His actions likely stem from fear that we might attack Tianmen Pass in his absence, prompting him to conceal his movements,” the crimson-dressed girl said swiftly.
The purple-dressed girl nodded slightly. “Precisely. His concerns are unnecessary. Without eliminating him, attacking Tianmen Pass serves no purpose. Now that the boy has gone to Tianji Tower to study techniques, which will take some time, this is the perfect opportunity to attack Liang Province.”
“Send word to Dragon Gate. Find out how much longer their Grand Elder will remain in seclusion.”
“Yes, Elder.”