Tiger Roar Forest!

Li Changsheng attacking himself was rather troublesome, since injuring himself yielded little experience as well. Only by battling demons and suffering injuries time and again could he rapidly gain experience for the Healing Dao Fruit.

"The Healing Dao Fruit can greatly improve my ability to stay alive when upgraded, but it does not help much with cultivation!"

Still, Li Changsheng was quite satisfied with such a Dao Fruit. After all, who would not want a Healing Dao Fruit that could save their life?

"The Demon Slaying Dao Fruit is only Level 3 at present. If it rises to Level 4, refining my bones will become much easier. If I can find a Demon Cave and fight large numbers of demons, I can not only improve the Demon Slaying Dao Fruit, but also the Healing Dao Fruit." Li Changsheng wanted to find such a Demon Cave, but it could not be one that was too dangerous. Otherwise, he would be in grave danger.

When he had the chance, he had to ask around for information on Demon Caves.

Days passed one after another. By forging eighth-grade Demon-Slaying Arrows, Li Changsheng earned a great many Merit Points, which he exchanged for one top-tier mid-grade Bone Refining Martial Art after another. Together with the Flawless Tiger Bone Secret Medicine, his progress was extraordinarily swift.

On this day, he had already tempered two hundred iron bones. His foundation was incomparably solid, and his strength had surged as well.

But then bad news arrived: Cao Jun could no longer obtain tiger bones.

Without tiger bones, he could not refine Tiger Bone Secret Medicine.

"Lord Cao, can tiger bones truly no longer be obtained?" Li Changsheng asked.

Cao Jun said, "They truly cannot be obtained. Recently, Tiger Bone Secret Medicine has been in high demand. All tiger bones in the outer city have been requisitioned and are forbidden from sale. All Tiger Bone Secret Medicine refined from them is supplied to the inner city and the Baiye Army!"

"Supplied to the Baiye Army!"

Li Changsheng's pupils contracted. He knew what the Baiye Army was. It was Baiye City's army. Unlike the City Guard, who guarded the inner city, the Baiye Army was Baiye City's true foundation.

Baiye City had a total of thirty thousand Baiye Army soldiers, stationed in barracks thirty li from Baiye City, under the command of the city lord.

"Why does the Baiye Army suddenly need so much Tiger Bone Secret Medicine?" Li Changsheng was somewhat puzzled by this.

"The Baiye Army is expanding!" Cao Jun revealed a piece of intelligence.

"Expanding?" Li Changsheng was deeply shocked. The Baiye Army was expanding, yet he had received no news whatsoever.

Cao Jun continued, "The Baiye Army is recruiting martial artists from the inner city to expand its ranks. This time, they plan to add ten thousand soldiers. Many of the new Baiye Army recruits are only at the Skin Grinding Realm, while true Baiye Army soldiers are at least in the Bone Refining Realm. Therefore, they have an immense demand for Bone Refining Secret Medicine such as Tiger Bone Secret Medicine."

"Lord Cao, why is the Baiye Army suddenly expanding? Has something major happened?" Li Changsheng dearly wanted to know what exactly had occurred.

Cao Jun pondered for a while before revealing, "I'll tell you, but you cannot spread it."

"Mm!" Li Changsheng promptly promised.

Cao Jun continued, "Demon Suppression Mountain Pass has been breached. Great numbers of demons have now entered the Great Qi Dynasty! Thus, forces throughout the Great Qi Dynasty are expanding their strength."

"What kind of place is Demon Suppression Mountain Pass?" Li Changsheng had never learned much about the territories beyond the Great Qi Dynasty, nor did he know much about the dynasty itself. This was his first time hearing of Demon Suppression Mountain Pass.

Cao Jun explained, "Demon Suppression Mountain is a barrier between the Great Qi Dynasty and Ten Thousand Demon Mountain. The Great Qi Dynasty dispatched an army of one hundred thousand to guard Demon Suppression Mountain and built more than thirty passes there. But not long ago, Demon Suppression Mountain Pass was breached, allowing many demons to enter the Great Qi Dynasty. There are indeed many demons within the Great Qi Dynasty itself, but they are not very powerful; most are lesser demons. Yet among the demons that charged in from Ten Thousand Demon Mountain this time are many great demons and even Demon Kings."

Great demons were comparable to martial artists Above Viscera Realm, while Demon Kings were existences beyond even Li Changsheng's imagination.

Li Changsheng now realized just how enormous the impact of Demon Suppression Mountain Pass being breached was.

Cao Jun continued, "The nearest city to Demon Suppression Mountain Pass was destroyed ten days ago. The Great Qi Dynasty has now dispatched many experts to stabilize Demon Suppression Mountain Pass again, but the demons that entered have scattered in all directions, making them truly difficult to kill. Baiye City lies only two cities away from Demon Suppression Mountain Pass, so naturally, the big figures of Baiye City want to expand the Baiye Army. If a large number of demons attack, the Baiye Army will at least have a greater chance of holding them back."

"So that was it."

Li Changsheng now understood why the Baiye Army was expanding, but for him, this was not good news.

"Lord Cao, is there no other way to obtain tiger bones?" Li Changsheng asked again.

Cao Jun shook his head. "At present, I have no way to obtain tiger bones from the inner city, unless you go kill tiger demons yourself!"

"Kill tiger demons!" Li Changsheng hurriedly asked, "Lord Cao, do you know where there are tiger demons?"

"Li Changsheng, surely you are not thinking of killing tiger demons? Do not court death. Most tiger demons are found in Tiger Roar Forest outside the city. There are indeed many tiger demons there, but there are even great demons among them. You are only in the Bone Refining Realm. Forget encountering a great demon—even if you encounter a Level 4 or Level 5 lesser demon, you will not have the slightest chance of escape." Cao Jun tried to dissuade him.

"Then where do Baiye City's tiger bones come from?" Li Changsheng asked in confusion. "Are they not hunted in Tiger Roar Forest?"

"How could they possibly be hunted in Tiger Roar Forest?" Cao Jun shook his head. "They come from Demon Suppression Mountain Pass. That place is nothing but a battlefield of slaughter, where great numbers of demons die every day, as do great numbers of martial artists. Many slain tiger demons are sold off, and Baiye City purchases a batch of tiger demon carcasses as well. This time, Demon Suppression Mountain Pass was breached, causing problems with the tiger bone supply. And with the Baiye Army expanding, tiger bones are no longer permitted to be sold to the outer city."

"There are problems with the tiger bone supply." Li Changsheng suddenly thought of something. Since Baiye City lacked tiger bones, would it take action against Tiger Roar Forest?

"Lord Cao, will Baiye City take action against Tiger Roar Forest? With Baiye City's strength, wiping out Tiger Roar Forest should not be difficult, should it?" Li Changsheng asked.

"Take action against the tiger demons in Tiger Roar Forest?"

Cao Jun considered it carefully. It truly seemed possible.

But he shook his head. "Even if they really do take action against Tiger Roar Forest, could it be that you would dare join them?"

"I must trouble Lord Cao to ask around." Li Changsheng said.

"Alright, I'll ask around."

Cao Jun said.

Several more days passed.

Cao Jun truly did obtain some intelligence and immediately told Li Changsheng, "Li Changsheng, some forces in the inner city really are planning to take action against Tiger Roar Forest. They are currently gathering manpower. The time is the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you, Lord Cao!"

Li Changsheng expressed his gratitude.

"You may tell the Alchemist behind you this intelligence, but do not go yourself. It is too dangerous. Be careful not to lose your life!" Cao Jun reminded him.

Li Changsheng merely nodded slightly and said nothing.

Two days later.

A group of martial artists from the inner city left the city, their destination none other than Tiger Roar Forest. Li Changsheng followed behind them. In truth, he was not the only one. This time, quite a few martial artists wanted to hunt tiger demons, and many of them secretly trailed behind, preparing to go to Tiger Roar Forest and claim a share of the spoils.