The Demon Race divided their territories by 'Regions'.
It must be said that the Demon Race had brought this upon themselves.
Back then, the Xu Weng Demon Emperor arrived with an aggressive momentum, probing Grand Tutor Lin Jiu, and within a short time, recaptured the territory Grand Tutor Lin Jiu had seized in the Northern Frontier.
However, this situation only lasted for ten years before thoroughly enraging the Grand Tutor.
Heaven knows from where in the Northern Frontier a group of experts emerged who had cultivated in seclusion for many years, but now, the Northern Frontier's great army had fought their way into the 'Myriad Demon Region' instead.
With the two sides trading blows, this front line was essentially a meat grinder, yet it also forged expert after expert.
Above the stationed camp belonging to the Asura Army—where they were always ready to retreat or attack at a moment's notice—hovered an immortal palace formed by a Dharma Treasure.
Many of the Northern Frontier's experts and generals resided within it.
"Bang!"
Li Xinghuo and his wife, Zishu Wandong, returned to their residence. Perhaps due to a recent grand battle, their armor was riddled with countless scars.
A subordinate approached from outside, delivering the Northern Frontier's healing medicinal pills. Li Xinghuo took the pills, waved his hand, and closed the door.
The husband and wife expertly swallowed the pills to heal their injuries. Silence filled the room, yet neither closed their eyes, their minds visibly heavy with thought.
At this moment, Li Wei appeared in the room.
Li Xinghuo had quite a few concubines, but Zishu Wandong was truly his most perfect match.
Regardless of the concubines' identities, Zishu Wandong's royal bloodline was nobler than any of theirs.
At the same time, she disregarded danger to follow Li Xinghuo onto the battlefield—a virtuous wife, making no distinction between domestic and external duties.
Nowadays, the Northern Frontier was similarly a place where opportunities were fiercely contested.
Aside from the dynasty's military, various almighty experts and monstrous geniuses had also emerged.
However, while the members of the Li Clan in the Western Frontier had spread their name across the world, here in the Northern Frontier, Li Xinghuo and Zishu Wandong were commanding the Asura Army.
Although they weren't completely unknown, they didn't shine as brightly as those almighty experts and monstrous geniuses.
[The bloodline within your descendant Li Xinghuo has continuously grown stronger.
Serving as the nemesis of the Demon Race, he has hunted demons for many years, using the body materials of demonic beasts for cultivation, his entire body stained with demon blood.]
[Following the outbreak of war in the Northern Frontier, Li Xinghuo achieved illustrious military merits.
Earning the admiration of the Grand Commander of the Asura Army, he was gifted the cultivation method "Demon Rune Spirit Refinement Art".
This art can gather the life essence and souls of demonic beasts, soaking them in the beast's heart blood, and then tattooing them into a demon form to strengthen one's own Spiritual power.]
[Having inscribed one hundred and twenty-eight demon runes, he acquired the trait: Heavenly Spirits and Earthly Fiends.
The demon runes can form an array following the arrangement of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends.
The stronger the demon runes, the stronger his power. Originally an opportunity at the Void Refinement realm, it can now break through to the Void realm.]
"Husband, about Zhijing..." Zishu Wandong broke the silence in the room.
Li Xinghuo had long since had a house full of children and grandchildren, yet even so, within the demon-suppressing branch, Li Xinghuo had always been aloof and cold.
Zishu Wandong also knew that her husband was actually cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
Although the family had already sent news that Li Zhijing was safe after being attacked and rescued, Li Xinghuo had never brought it up. Zishu Wandong could endure it no longer.
There were already enough battles to fight; she was truly afraid Li Xinghuo would be driven mad by all these events piling up one after another.
Hearing this, Li Xinghuo frowned slightly.
"The Ancestor has already saved Zhijing. I presume the elder has his plans. You and I must focus solely on the war in the Northern Frontier."
"You should at least send a message back to Xinri and Zhijing to ask if they are safe."
Zishu Wandong took a deep breath. Seeing the bulging veins on the back of Li Xinghuo's hand, her voice softened a bit.
"Xinri and Zhijing are both three hundred years old now. Our demon-suppressing branch is no longer something others can touch just because they want to."
Li Xinghuo's voice was icy cold.
"Right now, we should intervene even less in family matters. Our Li Clan in the Western Frontier remained quiet, but once they made a move, they astonished the world.
Over a dozen Void Refinement cultivators, and even Xinnian has become outstanding."
"They cultivate too quickly; how could they not attract attention? Lin Jiu (Grand Tutor) probes me from time to time. Even if he doesn't covet the secrets of my Li Clan, those subordinates of his harbor quite a few thoughts.
That is why, for many years, I have never asked the family for any resources, and even refused the Ancestor's 'Void-Soul Exchanging Dao Technique'."
"What does this have to do with Zhijing?" Zishu Wandong was puzzled.
Li Xinghuo replied,
"My lack of intervention is to show Lin Jiu that I obey his orders first, and the family second.
Since I am the Patriarch of the demon-suppressing branch, it is faster for him to probe me than to investigate the eccentricities of our children.
This way, the space our children have to grow becomes much larger."
"Similarly, regarding the conflict between his Qiu Clan and my Li Clan—if I, as the Patriarch of the demon-suppressing branch, do not interfere, how can Qiu Xundao, who is also a Commander of the Asura Army, interfere?
I am merely at the peak of Divinity Transformation, a Half-Step Void Refinement cultivator, whereas Qiu Xundao is at Half-Step Body Integration. This way, we aren't suffering a loss."
Zishu Wandong's eyes lit up, but then a hint of worry appeared. "What if Qiu Xundao insists on interfering?"
"Then he would be disloyal, and in Lin Jiu's eyes, he would be no different from a dead man."
Li Xinghuo slowly took off his clothes, revealing that his body was covered in the tattoos of various demonic beasts, ferocious and terrifying.
In an instant, even Zishu Wandong, who was in the room, was drawn into the illusory realm formed by Li Xinghuo's Daoist techniques.
The Daoist technique of a Half-Step Void Refinement cultivator was currently carving out a Void Refinement space.
Within it, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends demonic beasts bared their fangs and brandished their claws.
As long as the Spiritual power of the demon runes was sufficient, Void Refinement could be achieved!
"I have many descendants. With the foundation accumulated by generation after generation of my Li Clan's ancestors, if they don't even have the means to overcome this bit of difficulty, then they truly are too utterly foolish."
Li Xinghuo's gaze flashed like lightning.
"Before this happens, I must also break through to Void Refinement, so that Lin Jiu will hold me in higher regard and his suspicions will be dispelled.
I want him to know that my Li Clan's breakthrough to Void Refinement relies entirely on our own aptitude. And also... that my Li Clan is not to be bullied."
Zishu Wandong nodded solemnly. She could see it—Li Xinghuo... was probably going to seek out Qiu Xundao for a battle!
Even though... he couldn't win.
However, Zishu Wandong didn't stop him. Smiling like a blooming flower, she said,
"Then have the family send over some healing medicinal pills first. If you really get beaten into a pig's head, going onto the battlefield will be troublesome."
Hearing this, Li Xinghuo's brow furrowed deeply.
"It could also be a dog's head."
In an instant, the soldiers guarding outside the room were stunned.
They had no idea what these two famously unsmiling husband and wife were laughing so heartily about inside the room.