Chapter 128: Li Tiangang's Inquiry (7KFallback Option Two Unity Chapter)

Li Hao immediately concealed the Qi energy within his body, lightly shifting his hands and feet—metaphorically speaking, his actions. With the insight of the Sixth Level of the Physical Dao and the piercing perception of the Sect Master Realm, he effortlessly gauged his current Physical Body Power.

Approximately 400,000 jin.

Originally, it had been 100,000 jin. After his Body Dao levelled up, and with the completion of the fourth section of the Tai Chu Scripture, plus further cultivation and refinement from numerous other Combat Scriptures, it had risen to over 300,000 jin. Now, thanks to the perfected Demon Beasts Combat Scripture, he gained an additional 100,000 jin of power.

Though the increase seemed small compared to the millions of jin typical of true Qi, it was nothing short of staggering when considering that even the strongest humans in the Four Foundations Realm rarely exceeded 100,000 jin of pure Physical Body Power.

The stronger the Physical Body, the greater its capacity to withstand the surge of Qi.

Same Qi Blood reversal? While others might lose half their life force, Li Hao could recover simply by spitting out a mouthful of stale blood.

With the Five Organs Harmonized Power now fully cultivated, not only did his Physical Body grow stronger, but his internal organs felt as if forged from iron and steel—solid, unyielding, giving him unwavering support whether standing, sitting, or moving.

Li Hao didn’t pause. He turned his attention to another cultivation art: the Bright Jade True Demon Technique.

This Combat Scripture focused on external cultivation. As he practiced, energy from Heaven and Earth surged again, pouring into his body at an astonishing pace.

The Spirit Energy arrived like a storm of black mist, swallowing the previously clear night sky and obscuring the stars and moon.

The technique thrived on Blood Aura, and this battlefield was precisely the most saturated with it.

Countless tendrils of dark Blood Aura wrapped around Li Hao, enveloping him like a living shadow. In their embrace, he appeared like a true demon lord—his eyes flickered open and shut, emitting faint crimson glimmers like burning embers.

“Just now… that Combat Scripture… was it truly mastered?” In the hidden corner, Li He stood frozen, eyes wide. Li Hao had switched to another technique, and the cultivation aura now radiating from him was even more terrifying than before.

That earlier Combat Scripture—once clumsy and awkward—had gone from raw to perfectly refined in just seven or eight repetitions.

This… was the Young Master’s secret?

Perfection achieved through mere repetition?

Not just Li He, but even Li Hongzhuang, far away, was stunned. She’d seen prodigies before—but never one like this.

Even the Ninth Elder, as a child, had taken days to master a single Combat Scripture. Back then, others couldn’t even grasp the basics after a full night. But by dawn, the Ninth Elder had already advanced to beginner level—earning admiration from all his siblings.

But Li Hao? This wasn’t just a night of progress. It was a night of perfection.

And even less than that.

As the Blood Aura converged, flooding into his body and hammering against every muscle and bone, Li Hao’s physique surged forward in level after level. His skin turned pale and smooth, like fine porcelain, glowing with a liquid-like inner power.

During the absorption, he continued refining the technique—first repetition, second…

By the time the eighth round concluded, the Bright Jade True Demon Technique had been perfected.

The surrounding Blood Aura instantly stilled. The stars and moon reappeared, bathing the young man’s figure in their silver light.

Li Hao exhaled softly, glancing down at himself. His nails were white, but when he pressed slightly, a faint, dark Blood Aura seeped from beneath them—like ink bleeding through paper.

This was, after all, a demonic technique—originally suited only for demon beasts.

But Li Hao had transformed it through the Body Dao, adapting it so that humans could cultivate it too.

Yet, the taint of demonic Qi remained—the core essence of the art.

He closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them. A flicker of black Qi flashed deep within his pupils. His vision sharpened, becoming clearer, sharper.

To his left, in the hidden corner, he saw a faint, blurred outline—the concealed Li He.

He ignored it. After all, there was no need to hide or pretend anymore. This was no longer the Li Mansion.

He ended his cultivation, then measured his Physical Body Power once more.

Pure Physical Strength now reached about 550,000 jin.

This demonic technique had brought a more noticeable increase than the Five Organs Harmonized Power.

Yet… it still hadn’t reached the limit of the Strength Integration Realm.

So… did he need a million jin?

Li Hao’s eyes flickered. In ordinary cases, even with Divine Blood, the Strength Integration Realm rarely exceeded ten thousand jin. This was a hundred times more.

He couldn’t even imagine what the limits of higher realms might be.

No wonder the Pavilion of Listening to Rain contained no records of such thresholds. Without his Character Panel, such limits would have been utterly unimaginable to anyone else.

He gazed up at the stars, pondered for a moment, then decided against further action. He sank into a light sleep.

Li Hongzhuang glanced at the young man, resisting the urge to approach and ask. Tonight, Li Hao had slain Chi Hu Jun. Tomorrow, a fierce battle loomed. She needed to recover her strength quickly.

Without the walls to block it, dawn’s light poured through the Frontier Pass, like a warm hand gently brushing both their faces.

Li Hao awoke from his light slumber. With the Conceal Light and Hide Brightness chess strategy trait, a mere one or two hours of rest was enough to erase fatigue.

Still, sleeping wasn’t just about recovery—it was deeply comfortable.

But here, beyond the frontier, such luxury was impossible.

He rummaged through the camp, found some paper, and immediately began writing again.

Li Hongzhuang stirred awake. The early winter morning carried a light frost, and her words came out in faint white Qi:

“Still writing Combat Scriptures?”

“Mm.”

“Today’s likely to be a fierce battle.”

“Let’s wait until it comes.”

Li Hao spoke casually, as if unconcerned.

Li Hongzhuang glanced at the scripture he was writing. “Even if you finish it, no one can deliver it back for you.”

“Maybe we can ask this old gentleman to help.”

Li Hao looked toward the hidden corner.

Li He hadn’t expected Li Hao to sense his position. His face twitched. There was no point hiding now. He stepped forward with a calm demeanor.

“I was sent by your father to protect you. Without his Imperial Edict, I will not leave.”

“Old gentleman,” Li Hao narrowed his eyes, “you’d do well to change your speech habits. Stop saying ‘your father’ so casually.”

Li He froze. A chill crept over him.

Though he was temporarily reassigned, he’d heard rumors of the father-son conflict in Qingzhou City. Still, to him, even a great battle between father and son couldn’t truly sever their bond.

“Young Master,” Li He said seriously, his expression solemn. “You’re being quite disrespectful.”

“Ah?” Li Hao’s eyes narrowed further. A faint black aura flickered around him, radiating danger. “You mean me? Or someone else?”

Li He felt it. But his straightforward nature wouldn’t let him back down.

“Of course, your father. How you treat me—I don’t mind. But…”

Before he could finish, the young man on the ground suddenly exploded upward.

A roar split the air. A single punch shot forward.

Li He startled, eyes snapping wide. He raised his palm in defense.

Boom!

The collision sent shockwaves through the ground. Li He was thrown backward, flying tens of meters before crashing to a halt. His aged face paled in shock.

He’d watched Li Hao slay the Two-Headed, Three-Immortal Great Demon from afar, but the sheer force of that punch now hit him with terrifying clarity.

Li Hao’s power… was beyond his ability to withstand.

“Since you’re an elder,” Li Hao stood still, cold gaze fixed on him, “I’ll let it slide. But if you don’t learn to speak properly, I’ll make you shut your mouth for good.”

Li He grimaced, pain flaring through his body. He wanted to speak, but seeing the genuine frost in the young man’s eyes, he held back.

If Li Hao had unleashed his full power yesterday, he might not have survived. After all, he couldn’t fight back with full strength—his duty was to protect, not battle.

“Hao’er!” Li Hongzhuang called out sharply, her brow furrowed in concern.

Li Hao glanced at her. “Hongzhuang Senior, I just want my days to be peaceful—besides slaying demons. I hope you’ll remember that.”

Her expression flickered. She didn’t know what had happened between father and son. Why did the mention of the Seventh Elder make this child so cold toward her?

She sighed inwardly, then fell silent.

Li Hao returned to his seat, as if nothing had happened, and resumed writing his secret manual.

Li He stood with hands clasped behind his back. His right hand—just the one that had blocked the punch—shook slightly.

But with the regenerative power of the Three Immortalities, severed limbs could regrow. Within moments, the meridians in his arm flowed smoothly again.

Li He stared at the young man, a mix of sorrow and regret in his heart. He wondered: Did the letter I sent to Qingzhou City reach the General?

…

…

Qingzhou City, Divine General’s Residence

A small green sparrow darted through the window, landing beside the inkstone on the desk.

Its palm-sized body suddenly swelled to the size of a human head. The bird’s beak parted slightly, and a scroll of paper slid out.

The middle-aged man in brown robes snatched it up and unfolded it, scanning the contents with growing urgency.

When he finished, his face darkened. He crushed the letter in his hand.

“Lord, is this a message from the Young Master?” A voice came from outside. Yu Xuan stepped in, his eyes filled with concern.

After all, this was the heir of the main family. If that natural talent were to mature, he could one day suppress all demon beasts in the world.

“Hmph!” Li Tiangang snapped, his voice icy with fury. “It’s a reply from Li He. So that’s why he’s so stubborn. Someone’s been backing him up.”

He glared at Yu Xuan. “Second Uncle and Fifth Uncle… you’ve done real harm. You really want to cripple Hao’er before you’re satisfied?”

Yu Xuan blinked, stunned. “Lord, what are you talking about?”

Li Tiangang had no patience. The letter reignited the anger he’d barely contained for days.

He’d sent Li He to secretly protect Li Hao along the way. But Li He had sensed another powerful cultivator secretly following him—possibly a top-tier Four Foundations Realm expert.

A Four Foundations Realm expert?

Such a figure was rare even in Emperor Yu’s entire realm. Why would someone of that stature deign to protect a child?

There was only one explanation: Second Uncle and Fifth Uncle had pulled strings, enlisting their old allies.

It wasn’t just wasting a priceless favor—it was a colossal waste of talent. A Four Foundations Realm expert could have slain dozens of demon beasts in the time it took to guard a child.

Worst of all, it directly contradicted Li Tiangang’s own intentions.

He’d sent Li Hao to the Heavenly Gate Pass, to the frontier, to shatter his stubborn spirit, to show him the true terror of life and death. To make him understand that the outside world wasn’t the warm, safe nest of the Divine General’s Residence.

Now? With a Four Foundations Realm expert secretly shielding him? What kind of trial was that?

So was he supposed to wait three years… until the boy returned and cut ties with him?

That stubborn boy would likely still hold a grudge.

The more Li Tiangang thought, the angrier he became. He prayed—please, let that Four Foundations Realm expert lose patience and leave after a year.

After all, the boy’s personality was unbearable. Who could stand him for three years?

Still… if Second Uncle and Fifth Uncle had lavished him with promises and favors, maybe he’d stay.

The thought made him act immediately. He stormed out.

As he stepped outside, snowflakes began to fall.

Early winter snow had arrived.

Li Tiangang didn’t care. He didn’t even raise an umbrella. He soared straight toward the Pavilion of Listening to Rain.

Inside, the guards at the gate bowed deeply as he passed.

Li Tiangang marched straight to the Seven Towers. His gaze swept across the area—but Second Uncle was nowhere to be seen.

His anger flared even higher.

He turned back down to the ground. “Where’s the old marquis?”

“The Old Marquis… he went fishing,” the guard replied.

“Where?”

“Sir, I don’t know.”

Li Tiangang’s fury exploded. He’d heard since childhood that Second Uncle was lazy, unfriendly with his brothers. Now it was confirmed.

His duty was to guard the Pavilion of Listening to Rain, yet he couldn’t be found. Even the guard didn’t know where he was.

The guard trembled under his glare. Then, suddenly, he blurted:

“Lord… I may know a place. The Old Marquis might be there.”

“Where?”

“Where the Young Master mentioned—Blackwater Demon Lake. Two thousand li east of the city.”

Li Tiangang turned to leave—then paused. “Why would the child mention that?”

“He said it casually. He often sends soothing snacks to the Old Marquis. The journey is long, and the Young Master worries about the food box losing heat.”

Li Tiangang’s face turned dark. “All he does is waste time on nonsense and flattery. No wonder Second Uncle spoils him!”

He spun around and shot into the sky, vanishing from Qingzhou City in an instant.

Not long after, he arrived at the edge of Blackwater Demon Lake. The vast, endless stretch of black waters churned like boiling oil.

His gaze swept the shore. Then, in one corner, he spotted a figure.

Li Tiangang flew down and landed silently.

The figure turned at the sound.

“Hao…” The man’s smile faded the moment he saw Li Tiangang’s icy expression. His eyes dimmed.

“Second Uncle.”

Despite his anger, Li Tiangang bowed first, then approached. “You’re fishing?”

Fishing? Li Moxiu’s face remained cold. He wasn’t fishing. He was just sitting here, alone.

“How did you find this place? What do you want?”

Li Moxiu spoke calmly.

Li Tiangang cut straight to the point. “Second Uncle, I know you care for the child. But aren’t you harming him by doing this?”

Li Moxiu turned to him. “How am I harming him?”

“You sent your friend to secretly protect him. You’re making me cut ties with him for real, aren’t you?”

Li Tiangang’s voice was tight with fury.

Li Moxiu paused. Then he understood.

The day Li Hao left, he’d sensed Feng Bo Ping hiding nearby. The man had mentally transmitted a brief message: Protect the boy on his journey.

He’d thanked him—but the emotion was complex.

Without Feng Bo Ping’s support, the boy might never have stepped out of that door.

And Feng Bo Ping had stepped in, perhaps because he couldn’t bear to see Hao suffer humiliation at his father’s hands.

Even outsiders could see it. What a failure.

Li Moxiu stared into Li Tiangang’s eyes, and a bitter laugh escaped.

“Now you’re afraid? Afraid of losing Hao?”

“Back then, when you returned, you slapped him. You weren’t afraid then.”

“And I’ve looked into the details. The boy only slapped that girl because she was arrogant, openly mocking Qingqing!”

“He defended his mother. What’s wrong with that?”

His calm broke. Anger flared in his eyes.

Li Tiangang’s face paled. He’d investigated it too. Li Mingguang, Li Wushuang, and others had confirmed it. It was Li Ruomeng—Eighth Uncle’s daughter—who’d insulted Qingqing first.

Eighth Uncle had even slapped his own daughter. That night, he’d argued with his wife. His courtyard had been in turmoil ever since.

Li Tiangang couldn’t blame the boy. He even felt a pang of regret for his own slap.

“Second Uncle,” he said, voice low. “I know I’m a bad father. But I only want to train him. I regret not raising him by my side all these years.”

“But look at his temperament—like stone. If you keep letting your friend protect him, he’ll never feel the real world’s harshness, the wind and frost.”

Li Moxiu stared at him coldly. “He’s your son. Not your enemy. Why must you force him to endure the world’s cruelty?”

Li Tiangang froze.

“I have no son. If I did, I’d hold him every day, spoil him endlessly.”

Li Moxiu’s voice was icy. “You don’t have children to endure the world’s storms. You have them to feel love. I never married, never had children—because I wasn’t sure I could be a good father. But you… you’re even less qualified.”

Li Tiangang fell silent.

“Second Uncle… you’ve never been a father. You don’t know my intentions. I want to love him. I want to make up for all he’s missed. But love has limits.”

“Do you know how many mothers and wives wait for their men to return from battle? How many fall in war? If he sees me alive, that’s already a blessing.”

“But one day, I’ll die. If he doesn’t grow strong, who will carry on the Li Clan? Can he bear the burden of our ancestors? Can he even carry it?”

Li Moxiu laughed coldly. “You don’t know until you try. Hao isn’t as weak as you think. You’ve never truly cared for him.”

He lifted his hand, catching a snowflake midair, and held it out to Li Tiangang.

“Look.”

Li Tiangang stared. “What?”

“It’s snowing.”

“I know.”

“Since the day he left, this is the second snowfall.”

Li Moxiu’s gaze pierced him. “The first snow—you forced him out of the clan. The second snow—you ran here to accuse me of protecting him. If someone didn’t know, they’d think you two weren’t father and son… but enemies.”

He

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end