Chapter 127: Not a Single Blade of Grass Remains (Supplemental Update 1011, 7K Second Unity)

As Li Hao heated the tusk with his palm, he turned to Li Hongzhuang and asked, “Tonight’s incoming Great Demons—do you know where their lairs are?”

“Huh?” Li Hongzhuang blinked in mild surprise. “You’re thinking of storming their nests?”

“Any problem with that?” Li Hao frowned.

“…” Li Hongzhuang fell silent. There was no real issue—she’d gladly go herself if it meant erasing the nests.

Back when she was stationed here, she couldn’t leave. Without her presence, the soldiers under the deputy commanders would’ve been utterly helpless against the onslaught of Three Immortalities-level Great Demons. The old Cangya City had already fallen—no magical barrier, no walls, nothing to shield them. Just the sheer divine might of a single Great Demon would’ve been enough to break their lines.

“You’re new here,” Li Hongzhuang said, picking up her sword and drawing in the sandy ground before the campfire. “I hadn’t planned to tell you this yet. You’re still just a child.”

From Li He, she’d learned her seventh brother had already decided to abandon this Heavenly Gate Pass. Reinforcements had dwindled over the years, the walls were crumbling, and no one came to repair them. Only because this was Emperor Yu’s territory—land carved out by the ancestral spirits of the Li Clan—did they still hold on.

Now, sending a child here was nothing more than a formality: a message that this place could be forsaken. And perhaps, a subtle way to make her prodigy son—her rival—bend his pride and face the dangers of the frontier.

But her seventh brother never expected that, on his very first night, Li Hao had already slain two of these long-ruling Great Demons.

If this feat were reported on the outer borders, it would’ve earned a first-class merit award—enough to crown him a Third-Class Marquis, even without an official title.

“The Three-Headed Demons you saw tonight,” Li Hongzhuang drew a circle in the dirt, “each ruled a different mountain.”

She gestured at the circle. “This is our Cangya City.” A bitter chuckle escaped her. “Though… what’s left of it hardly qualifies as a city anymore.”

“To the east, three thousand li away, lies the border town of Beilin Kingdom.”

“Between them,” she continued, drawing another small circle, “is a mountain range—the first major Great Demon force beyond the frontier.”

Her expression darkened. “That’s Dragon Mountain Dharma Ground. Home to a ten-thousand-year-old True Dragon, who calls himself the Dragon Lord.”

“A Four Foundations Realm Great Demon,” she added.

Li Hao’s eyes narrowed, fixed on the sword tip’s mark.

“Stay out of that restricted zone. No matter what happens, do not step foot inside,” she warned. “The Dragon Lord usually stays within his domain. He won’t attack us unless he crosses the border—because that would be an act of invasion.”

Li Hao nodded. He recalled idle tales from his Second Uncle during fishing trips. The Four-Step Great Demons on the outer frontier dared not cross the line.

Why? Simple. The old Divine Generals had personally warned them.

It was a solemn agreement between Emperor Yu and the Four Foundations Realm Demon Kings. Refuse? Then either the senior Divine Generals would come—and kill—or the True Immortal from Qian Dao Palace would descend.

No one dared ignore it.

The ancient, aging empire might be worn down, but it still carried the aura of intimidation that could strike fear across the eight wildernesses.

As for why they didn’t just kill the Demons outright—well, that was another matter. There were too many of them. They weren’t unified. Scaring them one by one worked. But if too many were slaughtered, the survivors might unite in fury, and that would cost Emperor Yu dearly.

In short, Emperor Yu no longer had the strength to wipe them all out.

Some of these Demons were truly dangerous.

The True Immortal from Qian Dao Palace remained seated in Yu Prefecture’s capital, rarely stepping out—afraid a Demon might slip through and assassinate the imperial court.

Li Hongzhuang repeated the rules: no invasion by Four Foundations Realm Demon Kings. Then she added, “Though they seem obedient, the truth is, our forces are weak. The Meh River has tied down the Heavenly Zhao Divine General’s Residence for nearly a century. These Demons are stirring again.”

“They won’t risk coming themselves—too afraid of pursuit. But they send their lesser beasts to probe, to test us.”

“And when the Imperial Court complains?” She sneered. “All we get is empty words. We have to endure.”

Li Hao nodded, listening.

Earlier, he’d asked his Second Uncle: if the Demons dare not invade, why not station the elders at the frontier? Wouldn’t that be safer?

The answer? Few elders remained. And every few years, new Four Foundations Realm Demon Kings would emerge—some from distant lands, others from deep forests, unacquainted with Emperor Yu’s might.

They’d rampage through the realm, slaughtering cities, sometimes even swallowing half a province before being stopped.

When such beasts crossed the border and caused mass casualties, there was no warning—only death. And that meant war.

Many Divine General’s elders had died fighting them.

Seeing Li Hao merely listening, not questioning, Li Hongzhuang raised an eyebrow and continued on her own.

“The Dragon Lord cannot enter our land. But if you trespass into his domain, he has every right to kill you. So don’t go near it.”

“Tonight’s Chi Hu Jun,” she said, “was actually the Dragon Lord’s riding mount.”

Her eyes turned cold. “These Four Foundations Realm beasts don’t move themselves. They let their subordinates raid us. When wounded or defeated, they flee straight back. If you chase them out, they’ll lure you into ambush—then devour you.”

“Riding mount?” Li Hao’s face twisted. “A True Dragon’s mount… is a tiger?”

Dragon rides tiger?

No wonder the tiger spirit beast had chains—probably like a saddle, used as a weapon.

“Beyond the Dragon Lord,” Li Hongzhuang drew another circle, larger and closer to the camp, “is the Myriad Demons Mountain Range. There lives the Wanshan Demon King—a cultivator of immense age. We call him the Wanshan Demon King.”

“His strength rivals the Dragon Lord’s. We don’t know who’s stronger. But if we meet him, it’s death.”

“Yet he’s registered. Warned. The Six-Tusked Drowned Boar you killed? He was one of his generals.”

She drew a third circle to the south. “There’s a lone peak. Within five hundred li, no one dares step foot. No Demon Beast dares enter.”

“The Third-Headed Demon King—the Sacred Mountain Demon King.”

She glanced at Li Hao. “You might recognize his origin. He once cultivated in the Sacred Palace of Yanbei, mastered the Sacred Palace Demon Clan’s ultimate technique. He was a senior elder there—until he broke away, claiming the mountain centuries ago and calling himself ‘Holy Mountain.’”

“Your father fought the Sacred Palace for years. The situation in Yanbei is complicated. I don’t know much. It’s a miracle he returned.”

Li Hao remained silent, expressionless.

He heard the implication: Yanbei was a warzone. She assumed his resentment toward that man stemmed from years of absence, a son’s bitterness.

He didn’t explain. There was no need.

“Does Beilin Kingdom ever invade?” Li Hao asked.

Li Hongzhuang frowned. She hadn’t expected him to ignore her earlier words. A quiet sigh escaped her. As his aunt and her brother’s younger sister, she truly wished for reconciliation between father and son.

But it seemed futile—for now.

She turned back to his question. “Beilin doesn’t dare attack openly. But they play dirty. They secretly worship the Dragon Lord, offering human sacrifices every year to probe our defenses.”

Her voice chilled.

Li Hao narrowed his eyes. Offering living people to Demons? In Emperor Yu, such barbaric practices only existed in backward villages—ordinary folk sacrificing to Demons for protection or power, then preying on their neighbors.

When discovered, the Demon-Subduing Bureau would execute everyone involved.

But now, a foreign power used such disgraceful tactics against Emperor Yu.

War truly knows no bounds.

When Li Hongzhuang finished, Li Hao had a clear picture of the world beyond the Heavenly Gate Pass.

“The Chi Hu Jun and the Six-Tusked Drowned Boar you killed—they’ll be furious. They’ll strike again soon. Maybe even tomorrow.”

Li Hongzhuang’s eyes sharpened, cold with resolve.

Li Hao nodded. “Do they all live in their Demon King’s lairs? Or do they have their own nests?”

“Of course not,” she said. “The Dragon Lord is a thousand li away. It takes time to travel. Why would any general want to stay under his nose every day? They have their own lairs—places to mate, to feast, to live freely.”

Li Hao’s gaze flickered. “Do you know where those nests are?”

“You really plan to wipe them out?” Li Hongzhuang asked, surprised.

Li Hao nodded. “If we kill them, we kill them all.”

His tone was calm, but Li Hongzhuang’s eyes narrowed—then a cold smile spread across her face.

“Good. That’s true spirit.”

She drew two circles in the dirt. “Scouts checked earlier. These two directions, about three to four hundred li away. Check them—but don’t go too deep. If the Demon King senses you in his territory, even a god couldn’t save you.”

Li Hao studied the rough map, memorizing the directions.

At that moment, the tusk had heated enough.

He concealed the blazing heat in his palm and began carving with the beast horn.

【Carving Experience +24… +19… +35…】

Experience points flashed. Li Hao worked meticulously.

After thirty minutes of flame-infused heating, combined with the beast’s strength, the carving progressed rapidly. The tusk leveled up.

The pig spirit beast’s tusk was clearly rare—experience points poured in, sometimes in large bursts.

When the roasted meat was ready, Li Hongzhuang took a bite. Li Hao, however, kept carving.

Suddenly, his Carving Dao hit 500 experience points—Level Up to Second Stage!

In an instant, two Art Skill Points appeared.

Li Hao couldn’t help but marvel. The Carving Dao granted skill points so easily.

But he suspected it was due to the tusk’s quality. If he were carving a simple wooden plaque, he’d probably gain just 1 or 2 points.

To test it, he paused midway, reheated the tusk, and began carving on a tree stump with one hand.

At Second Stage, he could now craft fine details—lifelike.

He carved a little boy in overalls. Only 20 experience points came back.

Pathetic.

So carving was clearly tied to material quality—just like painting or fishing. The harder the material, the more experience.

Time passed in silence.

When the campfire dimmed, Li Hao completed his third round of carving. The long, curved tusk was now shaped into a sharp crescent moon.

Not yet a sword—more like a massive, blunt war hammer. It wouldn’t cut cleanly, but a single blow could crush a skull.

He carved a hole at the base for a firm grip.

He instructed Ren Qianqian to stay in the camp, watch over Little White Fox, and not wander off.

Then, shouldering the crescent tusk sword, he walked toward the camp’s edge.

“You’re going out tonight?” Li Hongzhuang returned to her small earth mound, stunned.

It was still deep night—pre-dawn.

“Don’t want them to escape,” Li Hao smiled. “I rested while carving. I’m already at 70% recovery.”

“…” Li Hongzhuang was speechless. This young man was more eager to slay demons than she was.

“Be careful,” she said. Li Hao had slain two Great Demons and survived—despite being only Human-Heaven Stage. His combat ability was already Three Immortalities-level. With Li He watching over him, she felt at ease.

If a Three Immortalities-level warrior still needed babysitting, it would be absurd.

Li Hao nodded, then leapt into the air—vanishing into the night.

…

Howling winds rushed past as Li Hao soared through the darkness, leaping from peak to peak.

His Spirit Soul shot from his crown, scanning the night under moonlight.

Along the way, he eliminated minor Demons he encountered with subtle spiritual manipulation.

Straight ahead, he left the frontier wilderness behind, crossed forests, climbed mountains—covering three hundred li in a single night.

At last, he caught the stench.

The ground was soaked with fresh blood, scattered remains of Demon beasts.

He glanced at three corpses—ripped apart, their flesh torn by their own kind.

His gaze swept forward. A mountain loomed, its base littered with bones, the air thick with foul stench.

No hesitation. He dashed forward, a blur.

Inside the cavern carved into the mountain’s side, firelight flickered. Shadows danced on the walls.

“Lady, please grieve,” a voice said. “Black-Scale Master has gone to Dragon Mountain Dharma Ground.”

“Shut your mouths!” a woman roared. “If you’d held the line, wouldn’t he have died?”

Silence.

Then—rumors.

“Who’s there?!”

The shadows on the wall twitched. Two figures emerged from the corner, their silhouettes shrinking as they approached.

“Brave of you to stay,” a calm voice said.

Moonlight spilled through the entrance. Li Hao stepped in, Pig Tusk Sword slung over his shoulder. Behind him, the mountain was littered with dead Demon beasts—bodies split open, each killed in one strike.

“You!” A middle-aged man with a leopard tail froze. His eyes bulged. He recognized the face—the one who’d killed his lord.

Run!

His body twisted, transforming into a beast form, fleeing toward the cave’s depths.

But a sword qi slashed through the air—petals seemed to bloom around him.

Petal? Where had petals come from?

The man’s body tore open, collapsing onto the bloodied ground.

A spirit soul shot out, terrified—but before it could flee, another sword qi severed it.

The other Demon beast turned and fled.

Two minutes later.

Li Hao sat in the cave’s inner chamber, before a massive campfire built from tree trunks. Four Demon corpses lay scattered, lifeless.

He flipped through two combat scriptures, adding them to his Character Panel.

Then he turned to the muscular woman kneeling before him.

“No more combat scriptures?”

“No… gone.”

Trembling, she stared into his eyes—fear etched deep.

In this boy’s presence, they hadn’t even had a chance to run. The sword qi moved like wind—unseen, unstoppable.

“Besides the Dragon Lord’s, were there six other Demon Kings of the Three Immortalities Realm?” Li Hao frowned.

Six? If they attacked together, Li Hongzhuang’s force would’ve been wiped out.

“Yes,” she whispered. “But why haven’t they united to attack the Heavenly Gate?”

“Lord said,” she stammered, “the Dragon Lord forbade it. He wants to savor the feast slowly. And he wants to keep the Li Clan’s forces occupied.”

“Then why attack tonight?”

“Lord wanted to eat Li Hongzhuang. As for the Heavenly Gate? It stays. He’ll feast on any Li Clan soldiers who come.”

She glanced at him, wary. “You… you’re from the Li Clan, aren’t you?”

Li Hao’s eyes narrowed.

So the Heavenly Gate is a fishing platform? Using it to feast on Beilin’s sacrifices—while luring the Li Clan into traps.

“Why keep the Li Clan here?” he asked again.

“I don’t know,” she said, pale. “He didn’t tell me.”

“…Maybe…” She leaned in, trembling.

ROAR!

Suddenly, her mouth split wide—tusks bursting out. Her face twisted into a monstrous lion’s head, lunging for Li Hao’s skull.

But before she could bite, Li Hao’s palm slammed down on her head. Her jaw cracked against his knee—bones shattering like stone.

As she staggered, dazed, Li Hao’s fingers flicked—sword qi shot from his fingertip, piercing her neck, severing the spine.

Head and body parted.

Her spirit soul fled—but Li Hao exhaled, and with a single breath, he crushed it.

Then he looked down at the two combat scriptures in his hands.

He clenched them. The pages crumbled to dust, scattered on the ground.

Li Hao stood. Brushed off his butt. Shouldered his tusk sword, and walked out.

At the cave’s mouth, his Spirit Soul surged out—scanning the surrounding ten miles.

He swept across the area, killing every Demon beast in sight.

Wild beasts without Demon Qi were crushed. Ant nests behind the mountain were flattened with a wave of his hand. Even fish in a nearby stream were crushed in his palm.

Then, he shaped the sand, sealing off both ends of the stream—cutting off the water source.

No water meant no life. Survival rates plummeted.

After a final check—ensuring no living thing remained—he stepped out.

Vanished into the night.

One hour later.

Li Hao stood on a different ridge—a valley where the Six-Tusked Drowned Boar’s lair lay.

A minor scouting Demon wandered the outer peak.

Li Hao plucked a weed, threw it—pierced the Demon’s forehead from ten li away.

The scouting flag dropped.

He entered the valley. The stench of dung and filth made him grimace. He held his breath and rushed in.

Minutes later, he burst out—nose pinched—fleeing.

That pig spirit beast had built a palace of filth. It had seven or eight sow spirits, two leopard spirits, and a pair of bird spirits—its private life was scandalous.

He sprinted through the night, returning to the camp.

Li Hongzhuang sat on the small mound, sword in her lap, eyes half-closed, as if napping.

Li Hao’s footsteps stirred her. Her brows twitched. She opened her eyes—tired, but quickly composed herself.

“Found them?”

“Mm.”

“Safe?”

She glanced at him. No need to ask. The answer was obvious.

“Almost threw up,” Li Hao said, shuddering.

“What?”

He chuckled. “Rest now. You’ve earned it.”

Li Hongzhuang studied him, then closed her eyes again.

Li Hao returned to the campfire. Ren Qianqian stepped out of the tent.

“You’re back, Young Master.”

“Not sleeping?”

“Just woke.”

“Then go back.”

“But you

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end