The Demon Sword Slaughters in All Directions

Inside the ancestral hall, the members of the Xu clan gnashed their teeth as they delivered speech after speech vowing vengeance. They repeated their shame before their ancestors countless times before moving on to recounting the Xu clan's glorious history and their grand vision for the future. Despite having just lost a son and a grandson, they had turned the scene into something resembling an oath-swearing rally. Such were the methods of politicians. The dead were already dead. If they didn't seize the chance to broadcast the Xu family's ideals, wouldn't they have died in vain? Outside, the crowd listened in silence. No one raised an objection. After carrying on for nearly an hour, a chorus of wails finally arose within the Xu clan ancestral hall, mourning Xu Zhen and his son. One wondered what the father and son would have felt had they still been alive to hear it. The sound of weeping meant that this memorial service was drawing to a close. Li Hao, meanwhile, had long grown impatient. Seeing that the Xu clan was wrapping things up, he quickly sent a mental voice transmission to Xu Qing: "Duke of Dingguo, can you let this king take a look now? This king has waited long enough. Real or fake, give me an answer... If it's useless, don't waste my time!" Xu Qing cursed inwardly. This golden dog was truly foul-mouthed. As the overlord of the East, it had been a very long time since anyone dared to speak to him so arrogantly. Even Yu Qiao and the others below wouldn't dare address him like that to his face. After a moment's thought, Xu Qing sent a voice transmission back: "Looking is fine, but... does the envoy have a way to determine whether it is useful or not?" "Naturally!" Li Hao replied with haughty disdain, "It is a trivial matter—all it takes is drawing upon the origin power within it. Of course, you humans wouldn't understand. With a single glance, this king will know whether it is useful or not. Otherwise, why do you think this king was sent as envoy rather than some other Rising Light demon?" *That is true enough.* *The point is, no other demon would be as arrogant as you!* It seemed this Snake King of Mount Kui had deliberately sent this demon to intimidate the Duke's Residence. Otherwise, had an ordinary great demon come, the Duke's Residence wouldn't have loaned out the Wind-Chasing Boot in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. However, Xu Qing was no pushover. He transmitted his voice again: "If it is confirmed to be real and useful for the Dragon God's breakthrough... might I trouble the envoy to say a few words?" "What words?" "Announce the alliance between Mount Kui and the Duke's Residence, and that the Mount Kui lineage is willing to mobilize its demons to aid the Duke's Residence in pacifying the unrest in the East." Xu Qing needed a public declaration. Not only that, he added, "Furthermore, we require a batch of the Spring of Life. Loaning the Wind-Chasing Boot to the Dragon God is free of charge, but we would like to trade divine energy stones or other treasures for the Spring of Life from the Imperial Palace... Naturally, if the envoy is willing to trade right now, that would be even better. We urgently need a large quantity of it!" Li Hao's voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction: "For that trash of yours?" "Better than what the envoy saw in the treasury. We have higher-grade divine energy stones, not just the ones the envoy saw." "That will do then. A mere trifle. General Big Tree only needs to absorb a bit of energy to convert it into the Spring of Life. It's simple enough... I thought you had some grand request." *General Big Tree!* Hearing this, Xu Qing understood. That was likely the name of that ancient demon plant. *In the past, it was a general?* Moreover, the demon spoke so casually about it. It seemed the records in the ancient texts were true: the stronger a demon plant, the easier it was to produce the Spring of Life. He felt a pang of envy. Unfortunately, the Duke's Residence possessed no such demon plant. Nowadays, various factions held a little bit of the Spring of Life, but most of it was scavenged from ruins or harvested from the remains of withered demon plants. A living, replenishing source like this was nonexistent elsewhere. At the thought, Xu Qing grew quite excited. A large amount of the Spring of Life would be immensely helpful for strengthening the five viscera. It could be used directly to temper his viscera rather than merely saved for life-or-death healing. When that time came... if he could unseal his full combat strength as soon as possible, who in the entire East could stand against him? Having reached an understanding with Li Hao, Xu Qing turned to face outside the ancestral hall and projected his voice: "Today, the Duke's Residence mourns my late son... This old man ought not speak of other matters at such a moment, but it so happens that the envoy of Mount Kui's Dragon God has arrived with an announcement for everyone. Dragon Envoy, please come forward..." Black Panther sauntered in with elegant, utterly indifferent strides, swaggering boldly into the ancestral hall. Outside, the eyes of the gathered experts flickered. *Have they truly formed a complete alliance?* Yet everyone hesitated. This was the Duke's Residence, not a place to pick a fight lightly. Yu Qiao and the others were currently contemplating ambushing this golden demon outside the city; they had never intended to make a move here. Fighting here would turn into an all-out melee. With so many experts present—supporters of both sides, third parties, and unaligned organizations—a brawl would blow up completely, and covering it up afterward would be impossible. If they truly wanted to kill the golden demon, they had to wait until it left the city, find a secluded spot, and wipe out the Xu clan escorts along with it! Clearly, they knew that when the golden demon departed, the Xu clan would definitely dispatch powerful experts to escort it. Xu Qing was no fool; he wouldn't give them an easy opening. It would come down to who had greater strength and who was the superior tactician. This was a contest between both sides. And right now, the life and death of this golden demon was the crux of the contest. *** Meanwhile, Li Hao made contact with the Wind-Chasing Boot through Black Panther. A wisp of spirit intent probed into it. A faint thread of sword energy flowed through Black Panther into the boot, causing it to tremble slightly. Li Hao's heart stirred. *It's real!* It seemed the Duke hadn't dared to present a fake. Seeing the Wind-Chasing Boot tremble faintly, the Duke of Dingguo blinked, secretly astonished. Even he couldn't fully manipulate this boot, merely drawing upon a sliver of its power. Yet this ancient demon had elicited a response with a casual stir. An ancient heritage truly was extraordinary. Li Hao's voice sounded in his ear: "Not bad. It does indeed contain origin power, though it doesn't feel very dense... Perhaps because it's not a full pair, it's somewhat deficient. Still, it is quite good!" With that, Li Hao added, "Then this king shall take it!" "Envoy!" Xu Qing was startled. *Taking it right now?* "What is it?" Li Hao's tone grew displeased. "You agreed to loan it. Are you going back on your word?" "No... It's just... Envoy, by custom, this sacred artifact must remain in the ancestral hall for three days of sacrifice and worship..." "What does that matter? This king will keep it safe first. Who knows if you'll swap it for a fake while this king isn't looking? Everyone says you humans are treacherous... That's not my word, that's what the ancestor said!" Li Hao continued, "Rest assured, this king will immediately announce the alliance between Mount Kui and your residence. Even if I leave right now with the Wind-Chasing Boot... with this king guaranteeing the pact, you haven't lost out!" Hearing this, Xu Qing felt conflicted. That was true. Still, watching his family's ancestral treasure being carried off before his very eyes felt... painful. "Are you unwilling?" Li Hao's tone chilled. "Fine! Let it stay here. Mount Kui can look for other divine weapons... If we cannot find any, we may return, though the one coming next time might not be this king!" With that, Black Panther tossed the Wind-Chasing Boot aside. Xu Qing caught it, his expression complicated, but he quickly said, "No, the envoy misunderstands. This old man did not mean that. I merely feel regret that I could not lend a complete pair of Wind-Chasing Boots to the Dragon God." "This king knows. The other is in the hands of that Bright Light Sword or whatever. It will belong to the Dragon God sooner or later. Once the Dragon God completes his breakthrough, that Bright Light Sword is as good as dead!" Xu Qing could only comfort himself with those words. The Bright Light Sword had taken one boot without giving anything in return, even killing many of their people. Now, the other boot had secured the support of a massive power... It was acceptable. Not a loss. *Ancestors, do not blame me.* *For the Xu clan's grand enterprise, once the family rises and unites the world, we can have any supreme treasure we desire. The ancestors will surely understand.* Li Hao didn't stand on ceremony. Black Panther opened its maw and swallowed the Wind-Chasing Boot straight into its belly. Xu Qing felt an ache in his teeth. *It's gone!* Beside him, Xu Xing looked on with deep reluctance. The Xu clan's ancestral treasure... was completely gone now. Of course, they claimed they would return it, but whether they would... Once loaned out, it was best not to expect it back. Thinking that way brought more peace of mind; constantly pining for it would only cause heartache. The people outside clearly witnessed this scene. Yu Qiao and the others wore solemn expressions. At that moment, Li Hao transmitted his voice again: "Then this king will go out and announce the news. Is it to intimidate those fellows? A small matter... Those scoundrels dared to insult my demon race. Once I return to Mount Kui, I will surely inform the ancestor so they learn that demons cannot be insulted!" These words were music to Xu Qing's ears. Black Panther swaggered outward. Inside its belly, Li Hao held the boot, thought for a moment, and slipped it onto his foot—now wearing both boots. Not only that, he hesitated before transmitting his voice to Black Panther: "Black Panther, in a moment... I'm going to give you a harsh blow... disemboweling you with a serious wound... Afterward, I'll feed you plenty of good food. How about it?" Black Panther's eyes went wide! *You... you want to kill the dog?* "We'll pretend you were ambushed... Do you understand? In a moment, after you're gutted, you... you stimulate your bloodline power to erupt with terrifying strength, strike directly at Yu Qiao or the son of the Marquis of Dongji, and then pretend you're outmatched and get beaten back..." Li Hao spoke rapidly, outlining the performance. He needed to create massive chaos. He had guessed that these people might not dare make a move here, but... without some incident, it would be difficult for him to leave. Even if he could walk out of the Duke's Residence, they might ambush him outside. Moreover, the Duke's Residence would likely assign experts to escort him back to Mount Kui, making things even more complicated. They wouldn't let him leave alone. Once at Mount Kui, even if the great serpent was willing to help... Li Hao didn't want to bring immense trouble down on them. Previously, he had thought that having a great demon's backing was best, and as for casualties... what did it matter to him? However, the other party had helped conceal his identity; that was a favor owed. Therefore, before leaving, Li Hao had to reveal his true identity to ensure Mount Kui was cleared of involvement. Once his identity as Li Hao was known, everyone would realize he had nothing to do with Mount Kui. That would spare Mount Kui a great deal of trouble. Be it human or demon, Li Hao's principle remained the same: you help me, I help you. If the great serpent was willing to help, he couldn't bring destruction upon it. Black Panther looked reluctant. Li Hao transmitted again: "All the sword energy you can eat!" Black Panther hesitated. "Next time, I won't ride you... You can even ride me..." Black Panther's eyes shone! *Now... that works.* Disembowelment sounded terrifying, but for a demon with a formidable physique, it wasn't intolerable. "Afterward, I will use the Spring of Life to heal your body." As Li Hao laid out promise after promise, Black Panther had no objections left. Li Hao understood. The dog had agreed. "Walk closer to them!" Black Panther strode forward on all fours toward the group, holding its head high with insufferable arrogance. Li Hao began broadcasting mental ripples: "The demons of Mount Kui are willing to enter a formal alliance with the Duke of Dingguo's Residence! Once this king returns to Mount Kui, the Dragon God will immediately dispatch five Rising Light demons, one hundred Three Suns demons, and one thousand demons below Three Suns to assist the Duke's Residence in garrisoning Dingbian!" As soon as these words rang out, everyone's expressions shifted. Some broke into broad smiles! Those belonging to the Duke's faction felt quite pleased upon hearing this. Five Rising Light demons, a hundred Three Suns, and a thousand others... that was formidable. Li Hao continued his outrageous bragging: "Not only that, the demons of Mount Kui are willing to provide the Duke of Dingguo's Residence with five hundred drops of the Spring of Life each year..." *Boom!* The crowd was shaken. Even the Duke was startled, almost cursing aloud in his shock. *You didn't need to say that! Announcing it invites disaster... it will bring trouble to the Duke's Residence.* Of course, he quickly reconsidered... perhaps it was a good thing. With Mount Kui's backing, he had far less to fear. He might even use this to recruit people—top-tier experts! After all, five hundred drops of the Spring of Life was an astronomical figure. Meanwhile, the faces of Yu Qiao and his cohort turned dreadfully pale. Five hundred drops of the Spring of Life? Was this a joke? An intimidation tactic? Yet... what if it was true? How could they compete then! In an instant, Yu Qiao felt a surge of despair, cursing inwardly. Where had this Mount Kui faction suddenly sprung from? And by all appearances, they truly had ancient demon backing—perhaps more than one. Damn it, why? The Xu clan was wildly ambitious; they were merely trying to protect themselves. What wrong had they done? Why must fate be so cruel to them! Yu Qiao was unwilling to accept this, yet felt helpless... He hardened his resolve. Today, this great demon had to be eliminated. Even if he died in Dingbian, he would secure an escape route and hope for Huoming Province. As ruthlessness gripped his heart, the eldest son of the Marquis of Dongji also took on an exceptionally grim look. Right then, the golden demon arrogantly strode up beside them, giving them a sidelong, disdainful glare. Li Hao's mental voice resonated once more: "You humans need not dream of undermining the alliance between Mount Kui and the Duke of Dingguo's Residence. It is impossible. This king is no fool. Some humans may wish to kill me, but experts from Mount Kui will soon arrive to escort me back..." Behind him, the Duke of Dingguo felt a growing sense of unease. *Don't be so arrogant!* Speaking like that would easily provoke them, driving Yu Qiao and the others to throw caution to the wind in a desperate gamble. A brief intimidation was enough; cornering them too hard would make even a rabbit bite back. Just as the thought crossed his mind, his expression changed drastically. In that single instant, with blinding speed so swift he didn't even see what happened, the golden demon suddenly let out a miserable screech as a bloody gash tore across its belly! In an instant, a torrent of blood gushed out! *Roar!* A shrill howl shook the air. In the blink of an eye, the aura of a formidable great demon erupted, wild and ferocious like a beast of the primordial wilderness. *An ancient demon...* Just as this thought flashed through everyone's minds, Li Hao shrieked, "Damn you! How dare you ambush a noble descendant of the ancient demons!" *Roar!* A thunderous bellow shook the heavens and earth as Black Panther swiped a claw directly at Yu Qiao. Yu Qiao was momentarily stunned. Disbelief washed over him... Who had done that? What reckless audacity. Yet at this juncture, he couldn't afford to think. The great demon was attacking him, and now that it was harmed, the Duke of Dingguo wouldn't spare him even if he hadn't done it! "Kill!" With a ferocious roar, Yu Qiao threw a punch at Black Panther, bellowing, "Xu Qing wants to wipe us all out by colluding with demons and pirates! Kill him!" The crowd fell into chaos. The eldest son of the Marquis of Dongji's face twisted. Gritting his teeth, he said no more, leaping into the air with a long spear materializing in his grasp, thrusting it straight toward Black Panther! The experts from the Sacred Sun Society also wavered before making an instant decision. They could not let this alliance succeed! Right at that moment, Li Hao roared again: "This king will remember you! Huoming, Dongji, Sacred Sun Society—prepare for annihilation! Mount Kui will exact vengeance to the very end, never resting until you are dead..." Behind them, the Duke of Dingguo's face turned livid. Even now, he hadn't discovered who had attacked the golden demon. Was there an expert hidden in the shadows? Yet he had no time to investigate. "Bastards!" With a furious shout, the Duke threw a punch toward Yu Qiao and the others. His towering aura surged as he roared, "How dare you! Everyone, assist me in capturing these rebels!" By this point, even though he feared a hidden expert lurked in the dark, he could not stand by and watch this demon get killed. He couldn't bear the consequences. What was supposed to be a show of force... He truly hadn't expected Yu Qiao and the others to have the gall to strike here. Perhaps they hadn't struck the first blow, but the moment the demon was injured, they had jumped in, clearly determined to slaughter the golden dog on the spot. *Boom!* Terrifying auras erupted one after another, shaking heaven and earth. In every direction, countless structures were instantly reduced to rubble. The experts from the various provinces were immediately swept into the fray. Some panicked, while others looked grim. Whom should they help? The Duke of Dingguo, or Yu Qiao's group? Yu Qiao bellowed, "Kill them together! Once we die, do you think Xu Qing will spare you? The Xu clan harbors wolfish ambitions and has long sought to unify the East! Unless you become his dogs, you will all die! Kill this demon now! Mount Kui won't know the truth, and when the ancient demons come marching, it will be the end of the Xu clan!" At these words, several experts in the crowd were swayed. In an instant, someone transformed into a shadow and lunged at Black Panther. A second later, other experts stepped in to intercept. Xu Qing roared in fury, "Scoundrel! Yu Qiao, today you die!" *Damn it all!* Everything had been going smoothly, yet this old bastard dared to pull this! "Escort the envoy to the rear!" Xu Qing blasted Yu Qiao back with a single fist and sent the eldest son of the Marquis of Dongji flying with another, demonstrating terrifying dominance. Yet there were quite a few who opposed him. Those who supported him were numerous, but top-tier experts among them were scarce. The stronger one was, the less one wished to submit to another. At this moment, even Red Beard looked on coldly, swiftly leading his men away without offering any help. Red Beard wore a detached expression; no outsider could guess his thoughts. Yet he knew one thing: as long as the Duke's Residence stood and Xu Qing lived, the Red Beard Pirates would never truly belong to him. They belonged to this man, and he would be constrained by him for life. But if Xu Qing died... The Red Beard Pirates would truly be his. Beside Li Hao, several figures appeared in a flash: the Second Steward, Xu Xing, and a top-tier powerhouse whose luminous aura approached the Transformation phase. One of the three great generals! The Bright Light Sword had slain five generals, leaving only Heaven, Earth, and Yellow. The one before him, judging by his aura, was likely the lowest-ranked General Huang. It was unclear if he had reached the Transformation phase, but his aura was inferior to Qian Feng and Fan Chang. General Huang was relatively young. With a grim expression, he shielded the repelled Black Panther, thrusting his sword out to knock away a Rising Light expert creeping in the shadows. Ahead, the Duke of Dingguo was immensely ferocious, repelling powerful foes with his fists as he shouted, "General Huang, take them to the back..." The front yard had erupted into total pandemonium. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen Rising Light experts were locked in combat. Others retreated, took cover, or were dragged into the fray and forced to fight for self-preservation. Everything was in utter chaos. Xu Xing shouted urgently, "Quick, to the treasury!" Things were falling apart! Someone seemed to be heading toward the treasury... Only two Three Suns experts guarded that place. With the riot underway, someone was bound to fish in troubled waters. If the treasury was looted, it would be a catastrophic loss. Moreover, the Duke of Dingguo was still in his prime, and with Generals Tian and Di present alongside various retainers and guest elders, Yu Qiao's faction was ultimately outmatched and would be defeated sooner or later! Meanwhile, Black Panther struggled violently as Li Hao roared frantically, "This king will not flee... They dared to ambush this king... Damn them... If not for this king's ancient bloodline granting an instantaneous burst of power, wouldn't I have been killed? Damn them! They all must die!" The onlookers were inwardly shaken. This great demon had previously displayed the strength of a mid-stage Three Suns, yet just now, in a sudden eruption that seemed to ignite its bloodline, it had momentarily unleashed the power of a Rising Light. No wonder it was so arrogant. This only reinforced their conviction regarding the nobility and potency of its bloodline. Seeing that it refused to leave and wanted to keep fighting, Xu Xing cursed under his breath. He hurriedly grabbed Black Panther. "Envoy, avoid their initial ferocity for now! Once my father takes care of these scoundrels, the envoy may dispose of them as you wish... The envoy's injuries are severe; beware of hidden foes lurking in the dark!" Indeed, Xu Qing had also sent a voice transmission warning them to be careful, as a powerful hidden enemy might still be lurking. Even he hadn't sensed how Black Panther had been wounded just now. Yet right now, the bloody wound across Black Panther's belly was dripping blood continuously. No wonder this great demon was so enraged! In truth, Black Panther was in excruciating pain, inwardly cursing Li Hao for being so ruthless. Still, this was the time to display a great demon's ferocity. It roared and thrashed so violently that Xu Xing couldn't hold it back alone. In the end, the Second Steward joined in, and together they barely managed to restrain Black Panther. General Huang's face was grim as he said swiftly, "Retreat! To the treasury... leave this place to the Duke!" *Boom!* The sounds of combat ahead were deafening, but anyone with discerning eyes could tell that Yu Qiao's group would not hold out for long. Yu Qiao hadn't actually planned to strike here... but now that circumstances had forced his hand, there was no turning back. At this point, he also vaguely sensed that something was amiss. Who had injured that great demon just now? Or had the Duke's Residence staged it themselves to manufacture an excuse to slaughter them? Regardless, there was no retreat now. It was mud in the crotch—shit whether it was or not! With the demon injured, if he didn't resist, Xu Qing would surely use it as a pretext to eliminate him. He could only roar again: "We will hold Xu Qing! The Duke's treasury holds countless treasures, and that great demon is mortally wounded... Kill the demon, seize the treasury, and flee! Who will ever know who did it?" *Boom!* A fist from Xu Qing sent him crashing backward, but several escaping experts felt their hearts stir. The Duke's treasury! And... if the great demon died, the Xu clan might be finished. Yu Qiao's group might not survive Xu Qing's onslaught, and if all of them died... wouldn't an opportunity present itself? At their level, who didn't harbor a bit of ambition? Furthermore, some had arrived with ill intent from the start. Members of the Three Great Organizations and the Nine Departments were present today. In their eyes, this was dogs biting dogs; it would be best if everyone perished. In an instant, several figures darted toward the rear courtyard. Xu Qing's face turned ash-gray! "Stop them!" At his roar, several more figures emerged from within the Duke's Residence, each immensely powerful, charging to intercept the experts scattered in all directions! *** Meanwhile, dragged along by General Huang and the others, Li Hao fled swiftly toward the treasury. As they ran, Xu Xing said hurriedly, "Once we enter the treasury, we will be safe. While it may look conventionally defended, it actually possesses an entirely separate defensive system... Once Yu Qiao and the others fall today, the East will surely belong to my Xu family... and Mount Kui!" Li Hao seemed entirely uninterested, continuing to roar with fury, "This king will surely slaughter them!" As he spoke, a drop of the Spring of Life burst open, its essence spreading across the wound on the belly. Xu Xing and the others clicked their tongues in secret amazement. That wound looked severe, but for a demon, it was hardly life-threatening. And it was already using the Spring of Life? A second-generation demon truly was in a different league! Previously, Xu Xing had considered himself a top-tier scion, but compared to this great demon today, what was he? Would he be so lavish with the Spring of Life? "Please quell your anger, Envoy. Once this matter is settled, the Xu family will not spare them either... We will wipe them out down to the roots to eliminate future troubles!" Li Hao made no reply. *That won't do!* These forces opposing the Xu family couldn't actually be allowed to die. If they perished and the Xu family truly unified the East, he would have inadvertently helped the Xu clan take a step forward. Myriad thoughts raced through his mind. In the blink of an eye, the group arrived at the treasury. The others hadn't reached it yet. Xu Xing quickly unlocked the doors, bringing the two Three Suns guards from outside along into the interior. Once inside, he paid no attention to the treasures, immediately leading the group up to the third floor. Upon reaching the third floor, to Li Hao's slight surprise, Xu Xing retrieved a key-like object from his storage ring. In a flash, he made several sweeping motions with the key toward the ceiling. To Li Hao's immense astonishment, a flight of stairs materialized above the third floor—a fourth floor! Xu Xing hurried up the stairs. Li Hao quickly urged Black Panther to follow. Xu Xing initially wanted to refuse... Yet seeing the demon already coming up, he said nothing. The fourth floor was very small. It seemed isolated by an illusion formation. There was only a single object on the entire fourth floor: something that looked like a mirror shard. Xu Xing swiftly channeled streams of inner force into the mirror shard before stuffing a large quantity of divine energy stones into it. To Li Hao's surprise, a faint pulse of energy rippled outward. In the next moment, the entire treasury seemed to vanish from existence, and all sounds from the outside world ceased completely. Seeing Black Panther staring at the mirror, Xu Xing could only explain, "This is a supreme treasure fragment excavated from an ancient ruin... It doesn't have much grand utility, but it possesses the ability to isolate and conceal." Naturally, it also served a surveillance function, though he didn't mention that. "As long as we hide here, even if Rising Light experts come, they will find it difficult to enter the treasury..." At that moment, the entire Duke's Residence was reflected upon the surface of the mirror. Every corner was displayed on that tiny shard. Xu Qing was currently overwhelming Yu Qiao. Yu Qiao was formidable, an expert of the Transformation phase, yet facing Xu Qing—even a Xu Qing who had not unsealed his strength—he was utterly outmatched. In Li Hao's estimation, this Xu Qing might even rival Hong Yitang! Li Hao was secretly impressed. Formidable indeed. Even more formidable was this treasure fragment, which possessed such miraculous effects. At this moment, the entire treasury was deathly silent. There were only General Huang, the Second Steward, Xu Xing, two Three Suns guards, Black Panther, and Li Hao. The mirror shifted to show the surrounding courtyard, where numerous flickering silhouettes were rapidly converging on this location. It seemed these people were all coveting the treasury. Right then, Xu Xing suddenly cursed, "Bastard!" General Huang and the others walked over, puzzled. Xu Xing pointed outside and raged, "Red Beard! That ungrateful dog! How much did our Xu family sacrifice for his rise, yet instead of aiding my father, he brought his men here... That treacherous scoundrel!" He was utterly furious! Red Beard was remarkably bold. Otherwise, with one more Transformation-phase expert and several Rising Lights, Xu Qing's battle would have been far easier. General Huang's expression was icy. "Young Master, I will go out and kill him!" Xu Xing waved a hand. What a joke. The man was a Transformation-phase expert. While General Huang had also stepped into that realm, he had only barely crossed the threshold, not much stronger than a peak Rising Light. Under these circumstances, it was hard to say who would kill whom. While the others stared intently at the mirror, Li Hao was turning over thoughts of his own. Three Rising Lights—Xu Xing barely counted as one, and the Second Steward was only mid-stage Rising Light... they were nothing. The truly troublesome one was General Huang. An expert of the Transformation phase, even if weaker than average, was someone Li Hao wasn't confident he could kill in a single blow. Having come this far, he didn't want to overthink things. Right now, he had only one goal: kill these people and sweep away the treasures. As for the experts outside... particularly Red Beard guarding the entrance, Li Hao thought of the tree root given to him by the little tree... Perhaps... it could deal with a Transformation-phase expert? These pirates weren't good people either. If he could kill them too... that would be ideal. Right now, General Huang was standing right beside him. If he launched a sneak attack, there was hope of success, but Li Hao wasn't certain he could achieve an instant kill... An idea struck him, and he rolled around inside Black Panther's belly. Black Panther's stomach ached, and it let out a pained howl. Hearing the sound, the others quickly turned to look. Li Hao spoke urgently: "Damn it... it seems a strange power has invaded this king's body... You there... you're the strongest. Quick, help me expel this thing... This feels like a martial master's force..." A dog paw pointed at General Huang. General Huang had no reason to refuse, saying hastily, "Envoy, stay calm... I will help you expel the force... Perhaps it wasn't Yu Qiao and the others who attacked just now. Could it have been a martial master?" As he spoke, Xu Xing's voice sounded in his ear: "It was likely ordered by Yu Qiao and his cohort!" With that, Xu Xing glared at General Huang. *Does this need defending right now?* Naturally, they had to frame them. Whether it was true or not, it had to be pinned on them so this demon envoy would remember their names. Even if those men escaped today, Mount Kui would never let them off. General Huang understood and said no more. A surge of powerful energy rapidly flooded into Black Panther's body. Feeling its interior, he marvelled at the demon's physical resilience, and he indeed sensed a force churning within. It felt somewhat like... sword momentum! A swordsman? For a fleeting second, he thought of someone—the Bright Light Sword—but it didn't quite feel like him. Pushing the thought aside, he channeled his energy to suppress this force. It wasn't weak, but it didn't seem enough to claim the great demon's life; this demon's body was truly formidable. Yet Black Panther was like a bottomless pit. No matter how much energy he channeled in, it vanished in the blink of an eye. General Huang had to continuously pour in power... cursing inwardly at how bizarre this ancient demon was. Gradually, beads of sweat formed on his brow. As an expert of the Transformation phase, even if newly stepped into it, he was actually suffering a minor drain from a weak ancient demon, finding his energy reserves feeling surprisingly low. "Hah!" He gave another low shout, pouring in even more energy, his entire focus fully concentrated. Right at this moment, Li Hao knew his chance had arrived. If he couldn't kill him with a single strike now... taking this man down later would be immensely difficult. Just as General Huang was wholly focused on suppressing the force for Black Panther, a look of alarm flashed through Black Panther's eyes... General Huang noticed it, wondering in confusion, *What is it?* The very next instant, a miserable yelp rang in his ears! "Woof, woof!" It sounded just like a dog. Black Panther was in agony. This time, Li Hao hadn't held back at all, driving his sword straight through Black Panther's belly. In a flash, a sword strike forcibly fusing five forces pierced General Huang's heart in the blink of an eye! Li Hao knew this would injure Black Panther... but at a time like this, he couldn't afford to be squeamish. It wasn't a fatal wound anyway. *Splurt!* At such close range, practically face to face, even though General Huang reacted in that split second, he had no time to retreat. He could only watch helplessly as the sword pierced his heart! Disbelief and utter shock filled his eyes... *What is happening?* He was immensely powerful! Yet no matter how powerful he was, he could never have imagined that while he was wholeheartedly saving this demon envoy, a swordsman was hiding inside the envoy's belly—and that swordsman had struck to kill him! Was it the swordsman who had attacked the envoy earlier? How had he hidden inside the envoy's belly? He couldn't fathom it. Even at this moment, he didn't suspect Black Panther was a fake. He was simply genuinely bewildered as to how someone could slip into the envoy's stomach without anyone noticing. A special supernatural ability? Yet the attacker clearly seemed to be a martial master! Thus, as he stood frozen in bewilderment, Black Panther swiped a claw with blinding speed, smashing his skull to pieces. Only then did full realization seem to dawn on him: the envoy and the swordsman were in league all along! Yet it was far too late. Man and dog, joining forces, had slain General Huang in an instant. Only now did Xu Xing and the Second Steward realize something was horribly wrong. The Second Steward's first instinct was to flee, while Xu Xing's first instinct was to lunge for the mirror to deactivate its restrictions. He had just sealed the area; with people dying here, no one outside would know. If he opened it, Red Beard and his men would rush in! Even if Red Beard harbored rebellious intent, he wouldn't dare kill him now because Xu Qing wasn't dead. Red Beard might even claim he had come to protect him. Xu Xing's reaction was undeniably swift... but Li Hao erupted from Black Panther's belly in a flash, slashing toward Xu Xing with terrifying sword momentum. Xu Xing's hand was mere inches from the mirror, but it was already too late! *Splurt!* The Starry Sky Sword stabbed cleanly through his neck. Li Hao gave a violent twist, wrenching Xu Xing's head around. Xu Xing stared at Li Hao, his eyes filled with shock. His lips parted faintly. He was clearly mouthing the name... *Li Hao!* Yes, at this moment, he clearly saw the face of his killer. Even if Li Hao were turned to ashes, he would recognize him—the man who had killed his elder brother and his nephew. In the entire Duke's Residence, not a soul was ignorant of Li Hao's appearance, for his portrait had long been circulated. The Demon Sword! Li Hao slew him with a single stroke, spun around, and threw a thunderous punch that blasted straight through the two fleeing Three Suns guards. Pivoting back, he swung his sword toward the Second Steward, whose leg was clamped tight in Black Panther's jaws. The Second Steward shrieked, "The Demon Sword... You are the Demon Sword Li Hao!" His voice was filled with boundless terror! Impossible! How could the Demon Sword emerge from this dog's belly? How could he have infiltrated the Xu clan? He was supposed to be in White Moon City, where countless people were hunting him! If not for the memorial service, the Xu clan would have dispatched experts there long ago! Yet Li Hao had come here instead. *Boom!* A deafening explosion rang out as the sword vibrated. As the blade came down, Black Panther bit down viciously and swiped a claw, ignoring its own belly wound, tearing straight through the man's lower body... Another shriek tore through the air, only for Li Hao's descending blade to silence it! *Splurt!* The shrill screams were cut short. Silence fell. On the floor, five corpses lay with unclosed eyes. General Huang was missing his head entirely, having died an even more aggrieved death. A Transformation-phase expert! In a fair, head-on confrontation, even if Li Hao and Black Panther joined forces, they could never have killed him and would have had no choice but to flee. Yet now... he had been slain by Li Hao with such effortless ease. A drop of the Spring of Life fell upon Black Panther's belly. Black Panther cast a resentful glance at Li Hao. Even though Li Hao had given it two drops of the Spring of Life, it still felt wronged. It hurt too much! Li Hao said nothing, swiftly stowing the corpses away. Then he dashed downstairs, sweeping all six treasures on the third floor into his storage. Next, he went to the second floor, sweeping all the Origin God Armaments into his storage ring. Finally, he reached the first floor, collecting all the storage rings and stringing them together on a cord into a long ring necklace. The silver armor materialized, and Li Hao tucked the necklace into the armor's built-in pouch. As for the Sky-Breaking Armor on the ground, Li Hao didn't leave it behind either. Though he didn't know how to use it... he took it all the same! He produced another storage ring and swiftly gathered everything. From outside, the faint sounds of attacks could be heard; clearly, someone was assaulting the treasury. Li Hao spent a brief moment stowing away all the armor before returning to the fourth floor. At this moment, only a solitary treasure remained on the fourth floor: the mirror shard. Upon the mirror's surface, the situation outside was displayed. Outside, Red Beard seemed to have slain a Rising Light expert, frightening many others away. Right now, he was leading his men in battering the treasury, his eyes brimming with ruthless resolve. In another area, Xu Qing was beating Yu Qiao until the man vomited blood continuously... All of this had transpired in mere moments. Li Hao glanced at the mirror shard... Once this object was taken, Red Beard would immediately breach the perimeter. Yet if he didn't take it... was he supposed to wait here until Xu Qing killed everyone and came to slaughter him? Wouldn't he be sliced into a thousand pieces! Li Hao pulled out a tree root, a ruthless glint in his eyes... If Red Beard didn't block him, fine; but if he dared to obstruct him... he would feed him a tree root! The little tree was formidable; this thing might well kill him. If that didn't finish the job, he and Black Panther could deliver the killing blow, which gave them a good chance of taking Red Beard down. Steeling his resolve, Li Hao swept the mirror shard into his storage ring. In an instant... the protective barrier vanished. Sounds from outside flooded in. *Boom!* A tremendous crash echoed as Red Beard's sinister voice drifted in: "Second Young Master, I have come to protect you!" Far in the distance, Xu Qing froze slightly. In that single moment, the Duke's Residence felt as though it had lost something vital... Just as Xu Qing was caught in his daze, Red Beard's astonished shout echoed from afar: "Who are you? Where is the Second Young Master?" At that moment, Red Beard was genuinely shocked! Who was this man? Seeing Red Beard charging toward him alongside three full Rising Light experts—though they were only early-to-mid Rising Light—Li Hao had no time to tangle with them. A Transformation-phase expert, was he? Li Hao gritted his teeth and instantly activated the tree root. Red Beard had intended to strike the intruder down first, but in the next instant, sheer terror surfaced in his eyes. A towering, colossal tree seemed to manifest before him! And from that giant tree, countless branches shot toward him like lightning! *An illusion?* Even as the thought crossed Red Beard's mind, he let out a thunderous roar, swinging his broadsword to slash at the great tree! In that split second, a brilliant radiance illuminated all of Dongxin City! Beneath the stunned gazes of Xu Qing, Yu Qiao, and the others, a massive tree seemed to appear, its myriad branches instantly skewering Red Beard and his three subordinates! They were pierced through until their bodies were riddled with holes! Red Beard was utterly dumbfounded, his head punched through with numerous bloody punctures. Li Hao was equally astonished, but without lingering on it, he swung his sword! *Splurt!* The head went flying! Black Panther erupted at the same time, tearing the other three to shreds—though they were already practically dead anyway. Having unleashed that single strike, the great tree faded away. In midair, only Li Hao and Black Panther remained. Li Hao snatched up the corpses in a single sweep! Looking toward the distance, he burst into wild laughter: "Xu Qing, can you still recognize my voice? You idiot! What demon envoy? You believed whatever I said and even handed over the Wind-Chasing Boot on your own accord! Many thanks for your generosity, Duke of Dingguo... Your two sons, your grandson, your general, your steward... I have gladly accepted them all! Oh, and your treasury as well... Hahaha, thank you very much!" Xu Qing was struck entirely dumb. At that moment, the golden dog in midair reverted to a black dog. "Woof, woof, woof!" Black Panther barked, looking exceedingly pleased with itself. "Li... Li Hao..." Xu Qing stood frozen in disbelief! *Li Hao?* Li Hao laughed uproariously: "It is I! To think you actually believed my dog was an ancient demon from the Imperial Palace... How utterly foolish!" With those parting words, he tore through the air and fled! His speed was blindingly fast! Caught in a daze, Xu Qing felt his mind reel. *I... was deceived?* *I was tricked!* "Li Hao!" A blood-curdling roar erupted from his throat, his eyes soaked in sheer murderous frenzy. "Get out of my way!" *Boom!* He sent Yu Qiao flying with a single fist. "Pursue him! Kill Li Hao! If I do not kill Li Hao, I am no man!" In an instant, he went entirely mad. His two sons, his Wind-Chasing Boot, his treasury, his divine mirror weapon... Everything was gone! At this moment, how could he care about Yu Qiao and the others? Those people could be killed anytime, but Li Hao... had to be left dead today! Generals Tian and Di, along with several retainers and guest elders, charged toward that direction one after another... Their expressions were a shifting tapestry of shock. Li Hao! A monumental scandal! A colossal joke! The dignified Duke of Dingguo, the overlord of the East, had been swindled right on his own doorstep, willingly handing over an ancestral treasure and losing two legitimate sons in the process... Seeing the Duke of Dingguo completely ignore them, Yu Qiao was equally stunned. Recovering from his shock, he looked toward the direction of Li Hao's flight, his brow furrowing slightly. *This Li Hao... is quite something.* If he had kept things quieter, he might have slipped away undetected. Of course, with Red Beard there, keeping things quiet had been difficult. But had he concealed his identity instead of announcing he was Li Hao, the Duke might not have gone so utterly berserk. It wasn't merely because Li Hao had killed his family and looted his treasures—there was also the Li family's divine sword! His eyes darting, Yu Qiao said hurriedly, "Go! Fall back... Everyone take care. But this is also an opportunity! After this battle, that old scoundrel Xu Qing has suffered heavy losses once again... More importantly, his reputation is utterly ruined. Who would believe that a useless fool like him could lead the East to glory? Quick, return and spread the news across the world in full detail... Xu Qing, prepare to be mocked by the entire realm!" He was no match for Xu Qing; remaining here meant certain death. As for the weaker members of the Duke's Residence, he had no interest in killing them—it was pointless. As for saving Li Hao... forget it. No need to get dragged down with him. Besides, he had no reason to save him. If not for that rascal, they wouldn't have nearly been killed. It was generous enough that he wasn't looking to settle scores with Li Hao. With that, Yu Qiao took to the air, throwing a punch that sent flames soaring, igniting the entire Duke's Residence in a raging inferno! In an instant, a booming voice reverberated throughout Dongxin City: "Duke of Dingguo Xu Qing is utterly incompetent and hypocritical, plotting to ambush the chief administrators of the twenty-one eastern provinces! The Demon Sword Li Hao stormed the residence, cutting down the East Sea pirate Red Beard who colluded with Xu Qing..." Yu Qiao and his group were masters at kicking a man while he was down, roaring one final declaration: "Xu Qing has been slain by Li Hao! The Duke's Residence is destroyed! Heaven and earth rejoice!" With that, the powerful experts fled in all directions. Return! Only by returning to their own territories would they be safe. As for the fact that the Duke wasn't dead, he likely had no time to refute the rumors now. He was probably madly hunting Li Hao and couldn't spare a thought for anything else. The moment the announcement rang out, Dongxin City was shaken to its core! Throughout the city, countless hidden spies dropped their jaws! Their mouths hung open wide enough to swallow an egg! *Did we... hear wrong?* *Who?* *The Demon Sword Li Hao?* *Heavens above, what kind of fairy tale is this? How could this be possible?* The Duke of Dingguo's Residence, an overlord that had dominated the East for two hundred years, had been flattened by Li Hao? The world was about to plunge into total turmoil. This was no minor figure; this was the monumental news of the overlord of the Eastern Continent on the Four Continents being trampled underfoot... In an instant, countless transmission jades were activated, and the news spread across the realm in the blink of an eye.