Chapter 1102: Chapter 1096: Grand Tutor Probes
The Demon Race divided their territories by ‘Regions’.
It must be said that the Demon Race had brought this upon themselves.
Back then, the Xu Weng Demon Emperor arrived with an aggressive momentum, probing Grand Tutor Lin Jiu, and within a short time, recaptured the territory Grand Tutor Lin Jiu had seized in the Northern Frontier.
However, this situation only lasted for ten years before thoroughly enraging the Grand Tutor.
Heaven knows from where in the Northern Frontier a group of experts emerged who had cultivated in seclusion for many years, but now, the Northern Frontier’s great army had fought their way into the ‘Myriad Demon Region’ instead.
With the two sides trading blows, this front line was essentially a meat grinder, yet it also forged expert after expert.
Above the stationed camp belonging to the Asura Army—where they were always ready to retreat or attack at a moment’s notice—hovered an immortal palace formed by a Dharma Treasure.
Many of the Northern Frontier’s experts and generals resided within it.
“Bang!”
Li Xinghuo and his wife, Zishu Wandong, returned to their residence. Perhaps due to a recent grand battle, their armor was riddled with countless scars.
A subordinate approached from outside, delivering the Northern Frontier’s healing medicinal pills. Li Xinghuo took the pills, waved his hand, and closed the door.
The husband and wife expertly swallowed the pills to heal their injuries. Silence filled the room, yet neither closed their eyes, their minds visibly heavy with thought.
At this moment, Li Wei appeared in the room.
Li Xinghuo had quite a few concubines, but Zishu Wandong was truly his most perfect match.
Regardless of the concubines’ identities, Zishu Wandong’s royal bloodline was nobler than any of theirs.
At the same time, she disregarded danger to follow Li Xinghuo onto the battlefield—a virtuous wife, making no distinction between domestic and external duties.
Nowadays, the Northern Frontier was similarly a place where opportunities were fiercely contested.
Aside from the dynasty’s military, various almighty experts and monstrous geniuses had also emerged.
However, while the members of the Li Clan in the Western Frontier had spread their name across the world, here in the Northern Frontier, Li Xinghuo and Zishu Wandong were commanding the Asura Army.
Although they weren’t completely unknown, they didn’t shine as brightly as those almighty experts and monstrous geniuses.
[The bloodline within your descendant Li Xinghuo has continuously grown stronger.
Serving as the nemesis of the Demon Race, he has hunted demons for many years, using the body materials of demonic beasts for cultivation, his entire body stained with demon blood.]
[Following the outbreak of war in the Northern Frontier, Li Xinghuo achieved illustrious military merits.
Earning the admiration of the Grand Commander of the Asura Army, he was gifted the cultivation method “Demon Rune Spirit Refinement Art”.
This art can gather the life essence and souls of demonic beasts, soaking them in the beast’s heart blood, and then tattooing them into a demon form to strengthen one’s own Spiritual power.]
[Having inscribed one hundred and twenty-eight demon runes, he acquired the trait: Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends.
The demon runes can form an array following the arrangement of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends.
The stronger the demon runes, the stronger his power. Originally an opportunity at the Void Refinement realm, it can now break through to the Void realm.]
“Husband, about Zhijing…” Zishu Wandong broke the silence in the room.
Li Xinghuo had long since had a house full of children and grandchildren, yet even so, within the demon-suppressing branch, Li Xinghuo had always been aloof and cold.
Zishu Wandong also knew that her husband was actually cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
Although the family had already sent news that Li Zhijing was safe after being attacked and rescued, Li Xinghuo had never brought it up. Zishu Wandong could endure it no longer.
There were already enough battles to fight; she was truly afraid Li Xinghuo would be driven mad by all these events piling up one after another.
Hearing this, Li Xinghuo frowned slightly.
“The Ancestor has already saved Zhijing. I presume the elder has his plans. You and I must focus solely on the war in the Northern Frontier.”
“You should at least send a message back to Xinri and Zhijing to ask if they are safe.”
Zishu Wandong took a deep breath. Seeing the bulging veins on the back of Li Xinghuo’s hand, her voice softened a bit.
“Xinri and Zhijing are both three hundred years old now. Our demon-suppressing branch is no longer something others can touch just because they want to.”
Li Xinghuo’s voice was icy cold.
“Right now, we should intervene even less in family matters. Our Li Clan in the Western Frontier remained quiet, but once they made a move, they astonished the world.
Over a dozen Void Refinement cultivators, and even Xinnian has become outstanding.”
“They cultivate too quickly; how could they not attract attention? Lin Jiu (Grand Tutor) probes me from time to time. Even if he doesn’t covet the secrets of my Li Clan, those subordinates of his harbor quite a few thoughts.
That is why, for many years, I have never asked the family for any resources, and even refused the Ancestor’s ‘Void-Soul Exchanging Dao Technique’.”
“What does this have to do with Zhijing?” Zishu Wandong was puzzled.
Li Xinghuo replied,
“My lack of intervention is to show Lin Jiu that I obey his orders first, and the family second.
Since I am the Patriarch of the demon-suppressing branch, it is faster for him to probe me than to investigate the eccentricities of our children.
This way, the space our children have to grow becomes much larger.”
“Similarly, regarding the conflict between his Qiu Clan and my Li Clan—if I, as the Patriarch of the demon-suppressing branch, do not interfere, how can Qiu Xundao, who is also a Commander of the Asura Army, interfere?
I am merely at the peak of Divinity Transformation, a Half-Step Void Refinement cultivator, whereas Qiu Xundao is at Half-Step Body Integration. This way, we aren’t suffering a loss.”
Zishu Wandong’s eyes lit up, but then a hint of worry appeared. “What if Qiu Xundao insists on interfering?”
“Then he would be disloyal, and in Lin Jiu’s eyes, he would be no different from a dead man.”
Li Xinghuo slowly took off his clothes, revealing that his body was covered in the tattoos of various demonic beasts, ferocious and terrifying.
In an instant, even Zishu Wandong, who was in the room, was drawn into the illusory realm formed by Li Xinghuo’s Daoist techniques.
The Daoist technique of a Half-Step Void Refinement cultivator was currently carving out a Void Refinement space.
Within it, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends demonic beasts bared their fangs and brandished their claws.
As long as the Spiritual power of the demon runes was sufficient, Void Refinement could be achieved!
“I have many descendants. With the foundation accumulated by generation after generation of my Li Clan’s ancestors, if they don’t even have the means to overcome this bit of difficulty, then they truly are too utterly foolish.”
Li Xinghuo’s gaze flashed like lightning.
“Before this happens, I must also break through to Void Refinement, so that Lin Jiu will hold me in higher regard and his suspicions will be dispelled.
I want him to know that my Li Clan’s breakthrough to Void Refinement relies entirely on our own aptitude. And also… that my Li Clan is not to be bullied.”
Zishu Wandong nodded solemnly. She could see it—Li Xinghuo… was probably going to seek out Qiu Xundao for a battle!
Even though… he couldn’t win.
However, Zishu Wandong didn’t stop him. Smiling like a blooming flower, she said,
“Then have the family send over some healing medicinal pills first. If you really get beaten into a pig’s head, going onto the battlefield will be troublesome.”
Hearing this, Li Xinghuo’s brow furrowed deeply.
“It could also be a dog’s head.”
In an instant, the soldiers guarding outside the room were stunned.
They had no idea what these two famously unsmiling husband and wife were laughing so heartily about inside the room.
Inside the Northguard City.
The descendants of the demon-suppressing branch were looking with odd expressions at the more than three hundred figures inside the Grotto-Heaven.
These clansmen from Silvermoon City—famous within the family, rumored to have been expelled by the demon-suppressing branch to form their own lineage, and who spent all day digging in mines underground—were all dressed simply and plainly.
The demon-suppressing branch was close to the battlefield. Fighting against the Demon Race year-round, they were mostly rugged and unrefined people.
However, the clansmen of the Silvermoon branch appeared even more barbaric and unconventional.
Right now, the people of the Silvermoon branch had walked out of the mountains and wilds of Silvermoon City and were strolling around the demon-suppressing branch like country folk seeing a grand estate for the first time.
As the demon-suppressing branch brought out delicious delicacies made from demonic beasts, they wolfed them down like starving ghosts.
“Xinjue, you are a Patriarch at the very least. What exactly have you done to your children and grandchildren? Look at them; it’s simply as if they’ve eaten far too much bitterness.”
Li Xinri pointed at the Silvermoon descendants gathered outside the room, who looked like starving wolves, his expression ugly.
This group of descendants not only ate a lot, but also secretly stuffed food into their spatial rings.
Their stealthy mannerisms were extremely practiced, like pickpockets. Li Xinri even wondered if the Silvermoon branch was secretly moonlighting in some illicit business.
“After so many years, Eldest Brother hasn’t changed at all.”
Li Xinjue didn’t mind, shaking his head with a smile.
“It’s true, actually. They spend all year underground, so they are like this. But don’t worry, they’ll be fine once they put on their Nightveil Robes.”
“…”
Li Wei was temporarily speechless, recalling the times he paid attention to the Silvermoon branch.
He remembered how these descendants looked when they donned their Nightveil Robes and moved by night to carry out assassinations in the outside world.
It was true: when not killing, the Silvermoon branch members were country bumpkins, but when it came to killing, these descendants truly held nothing back.
In the hall, Li Xinri didn’t ask further.
Li Xinjue asked about the Qiu Clan incident.
Upon learning that the Ancestor had appeared, Li Xinjue hastily stood up, pressed his palms together toward the sky outside the hall, and bowed.
“May the Ancestor bless and protect us.”
To the side, Li Zhijing rolled her eyes. These two half-brothers hadn’t seen each other in two hundred years, yet how could they share the exact same virtue?
After sitting down, Li Xinjue said deeply,
“Before I came, I already inquired about intelligence regarding the Qiu Clan.
The Qiu Clan is not simple. They have a massive number of clansmen, provide shelter to a region, and can also obtain a great deal of assistance.
Furthermore, the Qiu Clan’s situation is complex. There are the two brothers of the ‘Xun’ generation, along with Qiu Naihe and another Void Refinement Ancestor.”
“Qiu Xundao is at the Half-Step Body Integration realm. He has already attempted to break through before, but found his Dao occupied by others.
The Dao he attempted to break through to that time was ‘Drifting Snow’, which caused snowflakes to fall over a region continuously for a hundred years, forming a snow mountain.”
“Qiu Xunfa is the one who attacked Zhijing…”
Hearing this person’s name, Li Zhijing’s molars ached.
“That piece of trash! He attacked me and even launched a sneak attack!
If it weren’t for the Ancestor giving me a Void Refinement Spirit Tablet to save my life, as well as Great-great-grandfather’s Ghost Rune and Great-great-great-grandfather’s Hidden Edge Sword, I would have died.
He uses shadows, which is also the strongest law he cultivates.”
Seeing his daughter enraged, Li Xinri comforted her before saying, “Why mention them? The Ancestor has already appeared. I’m afraid the Qiu Clan won’t even have time to react.”
Li Xinjue didn’t answer immediately, but continued,
“As for Qiu Naihe, he is at the peak of the Void Refinement realm and has a lifespan of forty thousand years. He is the eldest in the Qiu Clan.
This person lacks sufficient comprehension aptitude. He only reveals his Spiritual power and does not fight with others, so his true depths are unknown.”
“The other is Qiu Chuhui. This person has a lifespan of over ten thousand years and reached Void Refinement at the age of seven thousand.
She is currently at the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, cultivating the Dao of Flowers, and she serves as the public face for the Qiu Clan.
This is only because Qiu Naihe said that when a woman handles matters for the family, ordinary cultivators cannot bear to attack her, making it convenient to operate, and her killings are even more formless.”
After finishing with these people, Li Xinjue also detailed the Divinity Transformation and Nascent Soul realm experts one by one.
Among them, two Divinity Transformation realm experts could not be underestimated: Qiu Anran and Qiu Aori.
“Where did you get so much intelligence?”
Li Xinri was quite shocked, wondering how this expelled younger cousin of his could be so incredibly resourceful as to know the intelligence of the Qiu Clan’s experts like the back of his hand.
“I have some connections within a few factions that cannot see the light of day.”
Li Xinjue mentioned casually, then his voice turned cold.
“Eldest Brother, don’t be fooled by the Qiu Clan temporarily submitting. The human heart is changeable. You might rarely see someone smiling at you one moment and killing you the next.”
“You’re underestimating me!” Li Xinri’s face instantly flushed red.
“Is it my fault I haven’t seen much of the world? Blame my daughter for not striving to be better!”
“…” Li Zhijing, who was originally twirling her hair, suddenly yanked out quite a few strands.
“I am not mocking Eldest Brother.” Li Xinjue smiled bitterly.
“Qiu Naihe is afraid, but compared to the Ancestor, he is even more afraid of Qiu Xundao.
And Qiu Xundao treats his younger brother, Qiu Xunfa, extremely well; he absolutely will not hand over Qiu Xunfa.
Qiu Naihe has no affinity with the Dao realm. All the hopes of the entire Qiu Clan rest on Qiu Xundao, not to mention that Qiu Xundao holds an important position in the Asura Army.”
“Eldest Brother, if you are not cautious, and the elders find out, I’m afraid you and I are going to get a beating.”
At this time.
Li Xinri couldn’t help but look solemn because of Li Xinjue’s words.
Seeing his older brother taking this so seriously, Li Xinjue also breathed a sigh of relief, but then his face suddenly darkened.
He heard his older brother say, “Are you blaming me for not stopping Father from sending you out of the Northguard City back then?”
“…” Li Xinjue’s face was completely speechless.
Suddenly, Li Xinri stood up abruptly, the word “beating” continuously echoing in his heart.
Under Li Xinjue’s stunned gaze, Li Xinri grabbed Li Xinjue by the collar with a face full of anger.
“Tell me! All those years, did you harbor a grudge and secretly play tricks, making the cultivators from the Azure Cloud Prefecture come and beat me up one by one?!!”
“???”
Li Xinjue hastily grabbed Li Xinri’s hand. “Eldest Brother, what are you doing? Why are you acting so tense?”
Behind Li Xinri, Li Zhijing suddenly stood up straight, her lips pursed, her eyes darting around continuously.
—
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