Everlasting Renown Chapter 126: Carving Dao, Engraving a Sword - Novel Cool

Chapter 126: Carving Dao, Engraving a Sword

Chapter 126: Carving Dao, Engraving a Sword (7K, Guaranteed Two Unity Chapters)

Avoid entering the forest, and never pursue a cornered enemy.

These are cardinal rules of warfare.

But Li Hao chased after them, and Li Hongzhuang tried to stop him, but it was too late.

She gritted her teeth in frustration, swiftly swinging her sword to slay the Demons before her, then rushed to catch up with Li Hao.

She was worried that if she left, the Demons would desecrate the graveyard, where the spirits of over ninety thousand Blood Fiend Army soldiers and the subordinates of Third Brother and Sixth Brother rested.

For years, she had guarded not the city, but the people.

She only hoped that Li He could intercept Li Hao in time or ensure his safe return.

Whoosh!

Li Hao sped off at full speed. Some of the Demons on the ground tried to intercept him but were swiftly cut down by his sword.

He stepped on the fallen Demon corpses, which only increased his speed.

His Object Control speed was already about three times that of an average Tianren Realm practitioner. Now, with the White Phoenix True Form Cultivation Technique, he was nearly as fast as the two Three Immortalities Great Demons, at least enough to keep them in sight.

After chasing them for forty miles, just as the two Great Demons were about to enter the wilderness, Li Hao shouted:

"Stop!"

The two Great Demons suddenly turned around. They had noticed the young man trailing them but had avoided turning back, fearing Li Hongzhuang might also pursue.

But here, Li Hongzhuang was still at the camp. Even if she tried to catch up, it would be too late.

"Brat, you dare to chase us on your own?!"

The two Great Demons turned, their faces twisted with vicious grins. They had lured Li Hao here on purpose.

Li Hao's gaze fell on the Six-Tusked Hibernating Boar's gleaming white tusks. "Your tusks are quite impressive. I happen to need a sword, so I hope you can lend them to me for a bit of forging."

"You're courting death!"

The Six-Tusked Hibernating Boar was enraged. A mere Tianren Realm meat-eater dared to covet its precious tusks?

It roared, its body swelling as demonic aura surged, forming a ten-zhang-tall boar shadow behind it.

Its fur turned from pitch black to blood red, like it was filled with blood, and the bristles stood up like steel needles. It unleashed its Divine Might and charged straight at Li Hao.

If a Tianren Realm warrior or below were to face this boar demon without the protection of a Heart Guard Formation, the mere presence of its Divine Might would shatter their courage and make them drop their weapons in fear.

Li Hao, already at the Tianren Realm, was affected by the Divine Might, but only slightly.

He suddenly activated the Tiger Pressure characteristic, and a fierce tiger's roar seemed to emanate from his body. Without dodging, he stood his ground against the boar demon's overwhelming charge, which could have shattered a defensive formation wall.

His arms extended, and the Mountain Range characteristic was activated, making his body as stable as a mountain, immovable.

With a loud thud, he grabbed the boar demon's tusks. The violent impact sent him sliding backward several dozen meters in the air, but his stance remained unchanged.

"Rise!"

Li Hao roared, and his slender arms burst with the strength of a True Dragon, lifting the boar demon high into the air before slamming it violently into the ground on the other side.

The earth trembled, and a massive sound like an earthquake echoed, creating a deep crater.

In the shadows, Li He saw this and halted his steps, his pupils contracting in shock.

On the way, he had sensed a powerful protector watching over Li Hao, but aside from the battle with Li Tiangang, he had not seen Li Hao face off against any other Three Eternities Realm practitioners.

Whether it was the earlier punch that sent the Falcon flying or the current feat of lifting and smashing the boar demon, Li Hao had displayed formidable and overwhelming strength.

Was he really just a Tianren Realm practitioner?

What Heavenly Master is this fierce and powerful?

On the collapsed ground, the Six-Tusked Hibernating Boar let out a pained squeal, vomiting a mix of blood and bile, the stench unbearable.

It had reached the Indestructible Realm, with a body as tough as cast iron, impervious to blades and swords. But under the thirty million pounds of force from Li Hao's arms, it was thrown and smashed to the point of internal organ displacement and severe injury.

"Damn it, stop!!"

Chi Hu Jun couldn't stand by and watch Li Hao go for the kill. With a furious roar, he charged toward Li Hao.

Li Hao immediately unleashed the Qiongqi Mountain characteristic. A shadowy figure of an ancient Demon King Qiongqi appeared behind him, standing atop a mountain, its form resembling a tiger.

Its eyes seemed to overlap with Li Hao's, both raising their heads to coldly glance at the charging Chi Hu Jun.

Chi Hu Jun's pupils contracted, feeling an overwhelming aura of ferocity, like a surging river, sweeping over him and pressing down on his chest, making his entire body feel cold and suffocated.

Under this intimidation, his body, which had been rushing forward to aid, inexplicably paused.

This momentary pause was enough for Li Hao. He lunged forward, diving toward the Six-Tusked Hibernating Boar. His feet landed on its head, pressing it back to the ground with the weight of a mountain.

Then, Li Hao wrapped his hands around one of the boar's ivory-like tusks. With a twist of his waist, he used his immense strength to snap the two-meter-long tusk with a crack.

As the tusk broke off, blood spurted out, and the Six-Tusked Hibernating Boar let out a deafening scream, thrashing its legs in pain.

Li Hao, holding the tusk, viciously thrust it through the boar's eye socket.

Although the Six-Tusked Hibernating Boar was in the Indestructible Realm, it hadn't reached the pinnacle of its strength. The eye socket was its weakest point, and it was instantly pierced. The tusk plunged deep into its head, causing an even more ear-splitting scream that echoed through the surroundings.

Chi Hu Jun, now regaining his senses, was stunned. In such a short moment, this young man had almost killed a Six-Tusked Hibernating Boar in the middle of the Three Eternities Realm?

"Stop!!"

Chi Hu Jun roared, charging at Li Hao again.

Li Hao yanked the tusk out and turned to face the incoming Chi Hu Jun. His eyes cold, he suddenly unleashed a single-target killing sword technique he had developed on his own.

Falling Meteor!

This was a sword move infused with Meteor Intent, similar in effect to Raging Star.

Using the tusk as a sword, a white light instantly illuminated, and sword qi surged. Li Hao combined the 'Hidden Bow' characteristic from the Sword Manual within his body, allowing him to hide the true killing blow of his sword, doubling its destructive power once it hit, without being detected.

Chi Hu Jun roared in anger and rage, lashing out with the Divine Iron Chain on his body, striking the sword qi with a force that seemed to shatter it effortlessly.

Before Chi Hu Jun could react, a sharp sword beam suddenly shot out of the darkness.

The sword beam pierced through his chest, spraying blood, and his internal organs burst.

Despite being in the Indestructible Realm, his unbreakable body couldn't withstand the power of this strike.

Chi Hu Jun's body was forced backward, his eyes filled with terror as the shadow of death loomed over him. He urgently activated his Unfading power, and his body began to heal rapidly.

But without looking back, he used the momentum of the impact to turn and flee!

This scene left Li He, hidden in the shadows, wide-eyed.

When Li Hao had initially tracked the demons, Li He had sighed inwardly, feeling the task was difficult. Even he would have found it challenging to deal with these two Great Demons.

He never expected Li Hao to single-handedly wound and drive them back in such a short time!

This son of Li Tiangang, the Main Lineage Young Master, was simply a monster, unlike any ordinary person!

As a Heavenly Being Grandmaster, crossing realms to fight monsters in the Three Immortalities Realm was not unheard of in the Li Family. For example, most of the nine Main Lineage members had such accomplishments, but they usually faced monsters in the early Immortal Realm.

If they encountered mid-Immortal Realm monsters, they relied on their Divine Weapons to engage.

But Li Hao had taken on two of them, bare-handed, and brought them to their knees!

Seeing Chi Hu Jun fleeing, Li Hao's eyes glinted with a cold light. He threw the tusk in his hand, using Object Control Power to activate the 'Flying Segment' characteristic from the Chess Manual.

This characteristic, embedded in his body along with the Myriad Phenomena Chess Spectrum, was rarely used by Li Hao.

The Flying Segment skill doubles the attack range, enabling strikes from an extremely long distance, and it also boosts the attack power!

At this moment, he combined Flying Segment with Hidden Bow. With the sword intent covering the boar tusks, the attack instantly traversed dozens of miles.

Chi Hu Jun, fleeing in a panic, was already moving at an incredible speed, causing the ground to rumble with each step. However, the sudden whistling sound of the attack came at breakneck speed.

It widened its eyes in shock and roared, swinging its chains to try to slow down the tusks' assault.

However, the tusks shattered upon contact, being flung away by the chains.

But the real killing move was the hidden sword qi that followed.

With a loud thud, the sword qi instantly pierced through Chi Hu Jun's massive body, causing it to tremble violently before crashing to the ground, its body splitting apart.

Except for the areas covered by the divine iron chains, which still held some flesh together, the rest of its body was cleanly sliced open!

Li Hao glanced over and manipulated the boar tusks from a distance, driving them through Chi Hu Jun's head.

A wisp of Divine Soul crawled out of its head in a panic, but it was immediately crushed by the descending tusks, extinguishing the Divine Soul!

If the Great Demon's Divine Soul were to survive, it could parasitize other beings or even possess human bodies to continue living.

Having dealt with Chi Hu Jun, Li Hao turned his gaze to the Six-Tusked Hibernating Boar struggling on the ground. Without hesitation, he recalled the tusks and, in the same manner, pierced through the boar demon's head, pinning it to the ground.

The night air was extremely cold.

The air was thick with the smell of blood.

Li Hao stepped on the Three Immortalities boar demon and pulled out its other tusk.

Apart from the falcon that had initially fled, the two Three Eternities Realm Great Demons were both slain by Li Hao!

Using the Tianren Realm, he had consecutively defeated two Immortal Realm Great Demons. The young man's figure stood tall and resolute in the night wind, like a cold spear.

As the battle concluded, Li Hao's tense body relaxed, and the aftereffects of Seven Stars Lighting the Lamp and Yin-Yang Dual Meridians began to take their toll. He couldn't help but gasp for air, feeling a profound weakness throughout his body.

He had yet to reach the Indestructible Realm and couldn't instantly restore his state with the power of Unfading.

However, he had Hiding One's Light, which allowed him to slowly recover by relaxing his body, a capability that set him apart from other Tianren Realm practitioners.

Li Hao didn't rush back to the camp but instead sat on the mountain-like body of the boar demon to rest.

In his current state, he could still fend off any non-Immortal Realm monsters.

If there were any other Three Immortalities Great Demons lurking in the shadows, he would have to rely on Master Zi.

This battle had allowed Li Hao to sense the limits of his current strength, a realization that brought him some comfort.

However, he also felt the overwhelming power of the man he had fought in the city.

Even after breaking the Heart Oath and suffering severe injuries, the man could temporarily boost his cultivation to the mid-Three Immortalities stage and easily subdue him.

This was the power of the Li Family's True Dragon and top genius, far surpassing even Immortal Realm Great Demons of the same realm, capable of sweeping them away.

It would take the combined efforts of a dozen top-tier Immortal Realm Great Demons to push him to his limits.

But Li Hao hadn't been as strong back then as he is now. With his current strength, he might at least be able to match the man.

Li Hao looked up at the starry sky. The starlit night at the Border Pass was even clearer and more brilliant than in the city.

The countless stars seemed to reflect in the young man's eyes, shining with a cold, celestial light.

Li Hao knew that, apart from comprehending the Mindset and Spiritual Immersion to advance to the Three Eternities Realm, he still had a lot of room for improvement in the Tianren Realm.

For instance, he needed to maximize his Force Mastery in all realms!

To achieve this, he required many cultivation techniques, using different techniques to fill in the gaps and refine his body to its utmost potential.

"My Force Mastery physical strength has already exceeded 100,000 pounds, but it seems I haven't reached the limit yet. My physical strength can still be further enhanced!"

"The Li Family doesn't have many body cultivation techniques, but perhaps these demons are more focused on body cultivation."

Li Hao pondered in his mind.

Demons' bodies are often as sturdy as swords and blades, with their strength being ferocious and brutal. They have their own methods for Body Cultivation, which they have developed through trial and error.

The Body Cultivation Techniques of the human race were devised by human experts, and the Demons' Cultivation Techniques were similarly developed by the Demons themselves.

Humans can forge divine armor and divine weapons, as well as employ other Cultivation Techniques, leading to faster and greater improvements in strength. As a result, the Body Cultivation school has long since declined among humans. However, this is not the case for the Demons.

They focus more on their physical bodies, as they lack the abundance of healing elixirs and have inferior craftsmanship. In battle, they often rely on their physical prowess to endure and counter their enemies.

At the same cultivation level, if a human's divine armor and divine weapons are inferior, they would stand no chance against a Demon of the same rank.

"I wonder where the lairs of these two Great Demons are. I should go and search them later. They must have left some guardians behind."

Li Hao looked toward the camp, using his Divine Soul to peer at the ongoing battle. The Immortal Realm Demon King had already fled, and the remaining Great Demons, being no fools, chose to retreat. They left the lesser Demons to obstruct and slow down their pursuers.

It wasn't about running the fastest, but about running faster than their peers!

The once intimidating group of Demons had now scattered, leaving only a few panicked lesser Demons fleeing in all directions.

After a brief rest, Li Hao picked up two thick boar tusks in each hand and headed toward the camp.

Li Hongzhuang should know where these Demons' lairs are. He might as well ask her about the distribution and situation of the Demons outside the Border Pass while he's at it.

...

At the camp.

Li Hongzhuang stood guard in front of the graveyard, surrounded by the slain Demons. The small mound of earth, which had been trampled and battered by the Demons, had become even smaller.

Years of warfare had gradually eroded Cangya City.

Seeing the Demons all flee, Li Hongzhuang let out a sigh of relief. She immediately dashed out of the camp, her Divine Soul extending outward to investigate the surroundings.

What she saw made her eyes widen in shock. Dozens of miles away, the boar demon's head had split open, and it lay lifeless on the ground. Even further away, the Chi Hu Jun, who had repeatedly invaded her territory, lay in a pool of blood, its head smashed and body torn apart, with its innards and blood staining the ground red.

Both Immortal Realm Great Demons were dead!

In the night breeze, only the figure of the young man could be seen, returning along the trail of demon blood. He held a two-meter-long boar tusk in each hand, his expression calm.

Li Hongzhuang was stunned.

Did Li He do this?

How could that be possible?

Although Li He was from the older generation, he was of the Secondary Lineage. He could only choose one top-secret technique from the Rain Listening Pavilion to learn. To learn a second one, he would need to achieve great feats for the family and earn significant renown.

In Li Hongzhuang's estimation, Li He's strength was far inferior to hers.

She herself couldn't have killed two Three Immortalities Great Demons so quickly, let alone Li He.

Could it be that Li Hao did it on his own?

Li Hongzhuang recalled how Li Hao had punched back the Falcon Great Demon earlier, and her expression changed slightly. This child was still only at the Tianren Realm, right?

Her mind raced with doubts as she stood at the gate, waiting quietly for the young man to return.

"Did you kill these Demons yourself, or did you team up with Li He?"

Li Hongzhuang asked immediately.

"By myself."

Li Hao replied, "Thank you for your hard work."

"This is my duty. What do you mean by 'hard work'?" Li Hongzhuang retorted, then sized up Li Hao, "Are you really my seventh brother's child?"

"No."

"..."

Li Hongzhuang clarified, "I mean, are you really..."

"No, not that either."

Li Hao shook his head, wondering why they couldn't get past this topic.

He carried the two boar tusks into the camp. His Divine Soul faintly appeared above his head, scanning the area. Ren Qianqian and Little White Fox were still by the campfire, seemingly unharmed.

The tents near the campfire remained intact, having not been torn apart by the Demons.

The only thing missing was the package of meat wrapped in leaves...

"..."

Li Hao was momentarily speechless.

He could almost imagine Old Feng taking advantage of the chaos to grab the meat, sitting in the shadows, leisurely eating, and casually swatting away any Demons that dared to approach Ren Qianqian.

While he and Li Hongzhuang were exhausted from the fight, Master Zi was enjoying himself.

However, Li Hao had no resentment, only gratitude.

If not for Master Zi's whispered guidance, he wouldn't have known how to cross that threshold.

It was Master Zi's words that gave him the courage.

It was Master Zi who had protected him from Qingzhou to Liangzhou, all the way to this place.

Along the way, Master Zi had secretly slain countless Demons for him.

After all, the Demons who harbored grudges against the Li Family had accumulated over the centuries.

From the moment he stepped out of the Li Family Manor, the news had spread. Such a significant event naturally caught the attention of those Demons who hated the Li Family.

Throughout the journey, his back had been under the watchful eyes of countless Demons.

It was Old Feng who shielded him from all of this.

On that snowy day, not a single flake of snow fell on the young man who had left home, all of it blocked by the gaunt, aged figure of Old Feng.

This kindness, Li Hao found it impossible to express in words.

At that moment, Li Hongzhuang returned to the campfire.

Her face was somewhat weary. After using the Unfading power, she couldn't use it again for a while unless she forced her blood to reverse, which would cause permanent internal injuries and hinder her progress to higher realms.

It seemed to be a power that could be overused, but in reality, it was incredibly potent. Not only could it save her life in a critical moment, but it could also significantly boost her combat strength.

It was like having two lives.

In the Unfading state, her strength was inexhaustible, allowing her to use certain highly draining secret techniques with lethal strikes, increasing her combat strength several times over!

"How did you handle it? Did Li He help you distract one of them?"

Li Hongzhuang asked as she sat down, still skeptical that Li Hao could have slain two Immortal Great Demons alone.

"You're overthinking it."

Li Hao replied coolly.

Li He wouldn't intervene unless it was a matter of life and death. He knew the man in the city's intentions, trying to force him back by using the harsh and dangerous conditions of Heavenly Gate Pass to pressure him into submission and change his nature.

But would he still be himself if he changed his nature?

He had always been this way, in both his past and present lives, for decades.

If it was unbearable, then he would simply avoid it.

After all, how many true fathers would find their children unbearable?

Moreover, he had said that he would rather die outside than in that courtyard.

Li Hongzhuang sized up Li Hao, noting the calm and composed look on the young man's face, seemingly unharmed apart from the Demon blood on him.

Slaying an Immortal while in the Tianren Realm and emerging unscathed—would his seventh brother believe it?

Even in the Divine General Manor, where geniuses were common, such a feat would be hard to believe!

"Can you still cook meat?"

Li Hongzhuang suddenly asked.

Li Hao raised an eyebrow and glanced at her, just in time to hear her stomach growl.

Li Hongzhuang showed no embarrassment, calmly saying, "I just used the Unfading power, so my body is a bit drained. That's normal."

So, even at the peak of Three Immortalities, they're still gluttons... Li Hao thought to himself, but didn't refuse. The battle was over, and the ground was littered with Demon corpses. He scanned the area and picked out two.

Using Ren Qianqian's sword, he quickly cleaned them, removing the organs and blood, and tossed them outside the camp.

He selected the best cuts, seasoned them with salt and other spices, and rekindled the campfire to start grilling.

Unfortunately, without Spiritual Immersion in Cooking Dao, my experience points... Li Hao sighed inwardly, holding the two fangs in his hand. Suddenly, an idea struck him.

Could these fangs be polished into a sword? Polishing should count as a form of carving, right?

Although he hadn't intended to deliberately improve his carving skills, if he could gain carving experience as a side benefit, he could accumulate three Art Skill Points before Heart Immersion.

If so, mastering another Heart Immersion would further enhance his Body Movement Path.

Thinking about this, Li Hao immediately summoned a stone and began to rub it against the pig demon's fangs.

"What are you doing?"

Li Hongzhuang asked, puzzled.

Li Hao replied, "I need a sword. I'm going to try and grind one out with this."

"Even if you grind the stone to dust, you won't be able to damage these demon fangs", Li Hongzhuang said.

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"Did you run away from home without even a sword?" Li Hongzhuang couldn't help but ask, finding it hard to believe.

Wandering the world unarmed, that was something only Second Uncle would do.

But he was the Fist Sage!

A single finger could sever swords and cleave through armor, surpassing all weapons.

Li Hao didn't bother to respond. These martial artists seemed to lack any sense of judgment, always touching on the sore spots.

However, Li Hongzhuang had a point. Using this crude stone to grind the fang was indeed futile.

Li Hao thought for a moment, his gaze falling on Li Hongzhuang's sword, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

He looked around and soon found the corpses of two Tianren Realm Great Demons. He searched their bodies, extracting their claws, teeth, horns, and other sharp parts, and brought them back to the campfire.

Li Hao used a beast horn to rub and engrave the pig demon's fang.

With the immense strength of his arms and constant friction, the horn and fang gradually wore down, their shapes changing.

[You have comprehended Carving Dao]

[Carving Experience +18]

[Carving Experience +21]

A panel message appeared before him, recording the new art skill, followed by a series of carving experience points.

Indeed... Li Hao felt a surge of joy.

Before long, his carving experience reached 100 points.

Carving Dao advanced from Rank 0 to Rank 1, granting him one Art Skill Point.

Unfortunately, Body Movement Path had just reached Rank 3 and now required a Mindset to advance further.

Li Hao could only accumulate the points for now and use them later. If he suddenly entered a Culinary Dao Heart state of Spiritual Immersion, he could immediately apply them to his already Sixth Rank Flesh Dao, advancing to the Three Eternities Realm.

"You really are stubborn."

Li Hongzhuang shook her head, seeing Li Hao's persistence. "This grinding won't work."

"I know."

Upon reaching Rank 1 in Carving Dao, Li Hao gained a wealth of basic knowledge about carving.

He realized how foolish his initial approach had been. Polishing and grinding were complex tasks, especially with such hard materials.

The best way to carve would be either with an extremely sharp carving knife or by softening the material.

His stubborn approach could only be described as headstrong.

The only way to soften the fang now was to use fire.

But even fire might not work, as the fang contained the condensed energy and natural Dao patterns of the demon, making it virtually indestructible.

Fortunately, Li Hao had the Culinary Dao and had self-learned a fire-based cultivation technique, the Purple Sky Palm.

This palm technique contained intense heat and was roughly at the Upper Grade cultivation technique level.

This was all thanks to the "ignition" insight he gained from reaching Sixth Rank in Culinary Dao.

Li Hao himself had no other palm techniques.

Fists and palms were separate, just like knives and swords. Li Hao didn't have enough Art Skill Points, and he believed in specializing rather than diversifying. Thus, he focused on fists and didn't practice palms.

This was his only palm technique, primarily used for lighting fires while cooking.

Now, Li Hao absorbed the energy from the surroundings, channeling it into his palms, which turned dark purple, enveloped in a fierce purple flame.

The flame covered a part of the fang, slowly roasting it.

"You sure have a diverse set of cultivation techniques."

Li Hongzhuang raised an eyebrow upon seeing this.

Earlier, when Li Hao used his fists, she noticed the shadow of Second Uncle in his Fist Technique, clearly a top-tier secret technique.

Moreover, Li Hao's sword skills were impressive.

His speed during the chase was at the peak Grandmaster level of the Tianren Realm.

Now he even knew a palm technique, and his roasted meat smelled delicious...

How did this kid's brain work? At fourteen, where did he find the time and energy for all this? Did he start practicing in the womb?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end

Report