Chapter 188: The Storm Is Coming

Upon hearing this battle report, Li Li Tiangang's furrowed brow did not change; he merely nodded slightly.

Then, his gaze turned toward the black lands beyond the vast territory.

"These demons have repeatedly harassed us, testing our eastern military strength."

"The west is guarded by my fifth brother; the demons have already probed it. They may strike from the north or south…"

At the mention of the south, his eyes narrowed slightly.

South of Liangzhou lay Tianmen Pass.

Thinking of that pass, he recalled the stubborn, unyielding figure of the boy, and his cold, resolute eyes.

The wrinkles on his brow deepened.

"Marshal, when the Young Master slew a minor demon king at Dayue City, the Old Demon King of Wanshan surely won't let this go, will he?"

Beside him, Li Fu spoke with a worried expression.

Looking at the wounded soldiers scattered everywhere, he thought of the boy at Tianmen Pass—and how fierce the snowstorms of the borderlands could be; he knew well.

Li Li Tiangang's expression remained unmoved. "That minor demon king was a genius of unparalleled talent. The Old Demon King of Wanshan will not give up. He may ally with other demons to invade."

"Then…" Li Fu glanced at him.

Li Li Tiangang said calmly, "Hao's side is guarded by a Fourth-Stage cultivator—my second uncle's old friend—and the Water Qilin of the Tan Palace Academy. He should be safe."

"I led the army into Liangzhou; all household affairs have been temporarily entrusted to my elder sister-in-law. My second uncle has no one watching him, no one to restrain him—he'll surely grow restless and head for Tianmen Pass."

"With them there, even if the Old Demon King of Wanshan gathers the other two demon kings outside Tianmen Pass to attack, Hao can hold his ground. This is the perfect chance to clear out the demon kings beyond Tianmen Pass—let the Demon Suppression Bureau handle the cleanup. We won't have to abandon Tianmen Pass."

The original plan to abandon Tianmen Pass was a desperate measure.

If we can hold it, that's best.

After all, this land was opened by the late Emperor and Li family ancestors, soaked in the blood of countless fallen generals and soldiers.

Li Fu was momentarily stunned. If so, wasn't Li Hao being used as bait to lure the demon kings beyond the pass? "With a Fourth-Stage battle involved, wouldn't it be too dangerous for the Young Master to participate?" Li Fu asked, concerned.

"If he doesn't want to join, he can simply retreat. All he needs to do is lower his head—the Divine General's Mansion will welcome him back anytime."

Li Li Tiangang said coldly, "I sent him a letter offering him an honorable way out. He's proud and arrogant, refuses to admit fault, and didn't even reply!"

"Then let those demon kings teach him a lesson. Let him learn what cruelty and despair are. When he faces life and death, he'll realize how ridiculous his arrogance is!"

"But the Young Master is still young. A boy's pride is natural. Won't this approach…"

"Enough."

Li Li Tiangang waved him off. "This is the Eastern Frontier. Liangzhou could erupt in danger at any moment. Intelligence confirms the presence of Longmen, and the Shenggong of Yanbei—old rivals—are shifting their base, using Liangzhou as their breach. This may be a battle rivaling Yanbei in intensity. Don't get distracted!"

Li Fu opened his mouth slightly, then gave a bitter smile and fell silent.

At that moment, a sparrow dove downward, falling like an arrow from the clouds.

Li Li Tiangang looked up, raised his hand, and the diving sparrow halted instantly, landing on his forearm.

The sparrow's chest swelled; from its beak it spat out a scroll.

"It's the Lady's cloud sparrow."

Li Fu recognized the messenger bird—a war courier specially bred by the Divine General's Mansion.

Li Li Tiangang took the scroll, unrolled it, glanced at it, and his expression shifted slightly.

"Marshal, has something happened in Qingzhou?" Li Fu asked anxiously.

Li Li Tiangang's face darkened; he crushed the scroll with his fingers, reducing it to ash.

"The second debt…"

His fingers, having crushed the scroll, clenched slowly into a fist.

He recalled how, long ago in Yanbei, upon hearing Li Hao could not cultivate, he had charged alone from the battlefield, slain a Three-Imperishable demon king, and transported its sacred blood back.

Now, the boy had sent him the blood of the Nine Cauldrons Demon King, repaying that old debt.

Was that enough to settle the account?

A wave of emotion—whether anguish or fury—he could not tell—rose in Li Li Tiangang's chest.

He could almost see the boy's cold eyes as he returned the demon king's blood.

The scroll also mentioned that four demon kings had attacked Tianmen Pass. Fortunately, the Celestial Mechanism Tower and his second uncle had arrived in time to drive them off.

Four demon kings—such a force. Though not present, Li Li Tiangang could feel the peril at Tianmen Pass.

He was both relieved and troubled by the aid from the Celestial Mechanism Tower and his second uncle.

He suddenly understood: the boy's fame had spread across the land. Even without Li family connections, too many would value him.

Forcing him back by brute strength alone would draw too many obstacles.

And those very people would become the boy's allies, strengthening his stubbornness.

"So he plans to hold Tianmen Pass for three years, then sever ties?"

Li Li Tiangang murmured to himself, his eyes glinting coldly. He took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and refocused on the battlefield of Liangzhou.

He understood: the boy was stubborn to the core—he intended to walk this path to the end.

The great battle in Qingzhou had made the Li family famous—but with mockery. After all, a father-son war, though most condemned Li Hao as unfilial, ultimately reflected on the Li family itself.

He would not allow such disgrace to happen again.

Once the Liangzhou campaign ended—or when the Eastern Frontier stabilized—Li Li Tiangang would go to Tianmen Pass himself and drag the boy back. That so-called agreement? He never took it seriously. He could tear it up without a second thought.

He would not let Li Hao leave the Li family so easily.

…

…

Beyond the black-stone wall, a thousand li away, in a swamp.

The swamp stretched for hundreds of li, its mud churning, occasionally bursting with ruptured bubbles.

A foul stench rose from the swamp. Suddenly, mud churned in one spot, and a massive shape emerged—a jade dragon.

Its body coiled through the swamp, scales caked in mud, its emerald eyes glowing with potent venom.

"Have you confirmed it? Li Li Tiangang is indeed stationed in the Eastern Frontier."

"The west is guarded by Li family's fifth elder; the east by Li Li Tiangang. In Cangzhou, the trail of Li family's eighth elder has surfaced."

"The two old Li elders must remain in Qingzhou."

Several figures appeared above the swamp, clad entirely in black robes, yet the robe edges revealed luxurious dark-gold undergarments.

"Our forces haven't yet moved into Liangzhou, but the rumors alone have made the Li family skittish as startled birds."

One black-robed figure chuckled strangely, his forked tongue flicking out to lick his cheeks and nose.

Another black-robed figure frowned in disgust at the gesture. "Can you stop that disgusting habit? We're here to transcend and become dragons—striving to shed our serpent forms. Yet you cling to your snake nature. It's revolting."

"That's your goal. I have no intention of becoming a dragon. I'll become a great serpent!"

The first figure replied with a sinister laugh.

His words concealed deeper intent: not just a great serpent—but a serpent that devours dragons!

"Hmph!"

The others snorted in displeasure.

"Did you come here just to argue? Speak plainly. I've got a nap to finish."

The mud dragon in the swamp spoke lazily.

"The elders ordered you to occasionally summon lesser demons to harass the Eastern Frontier, pinning down Li Li Tiangang. Soon, the Shenggong will take over here."

"The Shenggong and Li Li Tiangang are old enemies—from Yanbei all the way here. They've vowed to peel him alive and eat him raw. This time, no Blade Saint from Yanbei will aid him, no favor from the Desert Sword Saint. Let's see what Li Li Tiangang has to defend himself!"

"Liangzhou's land is barren desert. No great heroes have ever emerged here. Those who did? Dead or vanished long ago."

"Hmph. If I could beat him, I'd go find Li Li Tiangang myself."

"Let's not. That brat Li Li Tiangang isn't from the old generation, but he's at the peak of Three-Imperishable. In Yanbei, he reportedly slew over ten Three-Imperishable demon kings. Terrifying."

"Thankfully, Li family's ninth elder died in Cangzhou. Otherwise, we'd have another powerful enemy!"

"Enough idle talk. We must head north."

"The north borders Youzhou, guarded by the Xia family—tricky. We can't break through there."

"The south would've been ideal, but we heard Li Li Tiangang's son is there, guarded by a Fourth-Stage. We've had to change course."

As the black-robed figures spoke, they waved to the mud dragon and flew northward.

"The Xia family is said to have poor relations with the Li family. Let's test them first—see if they'll cross borders to aid Li Li Tiangang."

One black-robed figure said.

…

…

Tianmen Pass, Cangya City.

With aid from numerous cultivators, Cangya City was nearly complete.

The elderly Star Master of the Bureau of Celestial Observations, accompanied by several students, labored tirelessly to construct talisman arrays, drenched in sweat.

Xia Xia Xianglan, no longer her usual lively self, stood quietly beside her master, diligently assisting him while observing and learning intently.

Yet occasionally, she would glance toward a spot within the city—only catching the silhouette of the bamboo-fenced courtyard.

Li Hao had written down a modified spirit-refining technique for Ren Ren Qianqian. This technique could reach a level approaching that of the imperial family's.

His own spirit-refining method, combining multiple techniques, surpassed even the imperial family's version.

While Ren Ren Qianqian cultivated in the camp, Li Hao took Long Xiao's sword, tossed the white fox onto the courtyard's mat, and walked alone out of the pass.

The three demon kings had fled. He didn't know if he'd find them in their lairs.

Li Hao now urgently needed a demon king to test his strength.

(End of Chapter)