Hearing Li Hao's words, the demons were taken aback for a moment before they all burst into laughter.
Although they found Li Hao a bit peculiar, not like the common Monster Suppression agents, given his age, even if he were an exceptional talent, how strong could he be?
There were at least twenty shape-shifted Great Demons here. In the Demon Race, only those in the Divine Travel Realm could shape-shift, whereas those in the Fifteen Li Realm could completely transform, perfectly concealing their demon bodies without any trace.
"Kid, have you been scared senseless? Even Yue Shuhong, that old timer, wouldn't dare to be disrespectful to us!"
The demoness with the body of a snake giggled.
"So, who is the Tiger Robe Immortal?"
Li Hao asked again.
Seeing her words ignored, a flash of annoyance crossed the demoness's eyes, as she flicked her forked tongue and moved to approach.
"What do you want with Tiger Robe?" the giant bear suddenly spoke calmly.
"Nothing much,"
Li Hao flipped the blade in his hand and said, "just borrowing its head to pay homage to my uncle's heroic spirit."
The giant bear felt his caution was overdone, having thought it was a messenger who came; he no longer fancied watching Li Hao, and whispered, "Eat him."
These words were directed at the other demons.
The seductive demoness, hearing this, was the first to rapidly snake towards Li Hao, suddenly smiling sweetly, her voice sultry, "Come, nicely into my mouth."
The demon aura filled the air, but she ripped open a huge, bloody maw, distorting her bewitching face grotesquely.
Bewitchment techniques were in full force, enough to influence even those in the Soul Succession Realm, turning their minds chaotic, crawling obediently into her mouth.
But at that moment, a streak of dark light flashed by.
The half-opened bloody maw, as if lifted by the wind, unexpectedly tumbled backward, the cut clean!
Blood suddenly sprayed out, splattering all over the ground.
The mockery in the other demons' eyes instantly froze, and the dwarfish, emaciated old man who had almost reached Li Hao stopped in his tracks, staring blankly at the young man.
The Demon-Slaying Blade in the young man's hand had disappeared.
The black blade hung in mid-air, then like a shadowy glint of dark light, it darted out, tracing an arc.
In an instant, several Great Demons' heads fell where the arc passed, without even a chance to react!
This abrupt change came too fast, surpassing their reactions and imaginations.
"Since none of you will speak, I'm left with no choice but to slaughter you all. Using you as a sacrificial altar works too," Li Hao murmured to himself.
As he spoke, the black Demon-Slaying Blade hovering in mid-air didn't stop, instead charging out again urgently.
"Fifteen Li Realm!"
"What kind of monster is he?!"
All the demons snapped awake, looking at Li Hao in horror, desperately scattering in all directions, trying to escape the Demon-Slaying Blade, but their movement techniques were nowhere near as fast.
Controlling objects within forty li was not merely 2.5 times beyond the Fifteen Li, it was also a crushing superiority in strength and speed!
It's like some people throw stones twenty meters, while others can throw a hundred meters—the difference in arm strength is self-evident.
Besides, they hadn't even reached the Fifteen Li Realm and couldn't yet fly, so at this moment, some Great Demons had chosen to abandon their physical bodies, directly employing their Divine Souls to flee, as long as they could preserve their Divine Souls, they could possess other bodies again.
The capacious bear's expression also changed, abruptly standing up with its massive body like a small tower. It stared intently at Li Hao, as if trying to see through the youth's true essence.
The Fifteen Li Realm? How old is this young man?!
It didn't allow its subordinates to continue being slaughtered by Li Hao and abruptly attacked, spouting a black flame that transformed into a black fire dragon in mid-air, clawing its way towards Li Hao, revealing that it too was of the Fifteen Li Realm.
Li Hao glanced up, having already noticed that this Bear Demon had the strongest aura, but in his eyes, compared to the Divine Travel Realm,
The difference wasn't much.
Whoosh!
His Divine Soul's power covered the blade, instantly splitting the fire dragon, and directly chopping down upon the Bear Demon's head.
However, the skull of the Bear Demon was extremely hard, and the blade only managed to slice half a foot deep before it got stuck, unable to advance further.
Li Hao stepped forward, his figure appearing like teleportation in front of the pained Bear Demon. In its wide, terrified and shocked eyes, he raised his fist and smashed down hard.
The force exceeding ten million pounds was gathered in his fist, and the destructive force it brought when smashing down was far more than ten million pounds, especially with the push from the controlling object's power. The entire body of the Bear Demon was violently thrown against the rocks it had been leaning on, shattering them and flying backward for over a dozen meters, crashing into its own cave.
Blood burst from its throat, and the Bear Demon was filled with horror. It possessed Divine Power naturally, with boundless strength, self-proclaimed as a true giant strength deity.
But the power erupted by this young man now scared even itself.
How could such a small flesh and blood body have such a brutal force?!
Li Hao merely glanced at the Bear Demon, then turned and waved his hand, pulling out the Demon-Slaying Blade stuck in the Bear Demon's head, and as his gaze swept around, the blade turned into a dark light and flew off.
Those Divine Souls that scattered in different directions hadn't even made it several li away before vanishing from sight, only to be chased down by the Demon-Slaying Blade.
The mere Demon-Slaying Blade couldn't harm these Divine Souls, but with Li Hao's Divine Soul's power on it, it was more than enough to split their Divine Souls apart!
Screams echoed from all directions, some cut short before they could even fully escape their lips as the bodies abruptly fell to the ground.
The once terror-filled peak, where over twenty Great Demons gathered, was left with only the Bear Demon in a mere instant.
The rest of the Great Demons, either had their bodies cleaved open, or lay limp on the ground, their Divine Souls dissipated miles away.
A gentle breeze rustled through the woods, carrying the thick stench of blood to the nostrils of the Bear Demon, making it nearly choke.
For the first time, the Bear Demon found the smell wafting from its own mountaintop to be unbearably foul, causing its stomach to churn and a sense of nausea to overwhelm it.
Fear so intense it induced the urge to vomit!
"You, are you a Grandmaster from Tianren Sect?!"
Watching the youth approach step by step, the Bear Demon could not hide the terror in its eyes. Merely from their brief exchange of blows, it knew, even in the Fifteen Li Realm, it was no match for the boy.
The gap was unimaginably vast!
It was now beginning to suspect that the teenager was some Grandmaster who had rejuvenated back to youth.
"Among these Demons I've just killed, is there the Tiger Robe Immortal?"
Li Hao walked up to the Bear Demon, stopped, and looked up slightly at the Great Demon that was still towering like a small building even as it sat collapsed on the ground.
The Bear Demon now understood that it was the Tiger Robe that had provoked this terrifying youth, and the latter had come seeking vengeance.
"Tiger Robe…"
Resentment filled its heart, its thoughts racing as it gritted its teeth and said, "Tiger Robe isn't here, it's in the north."
"The north?"
Li Hao raised an eyebrow, looking suspiciously at the Bear Demon, "There are many more of your kind out there, you'd better not lie."
The Bear Demon's expression changed slightly, and it immediately said, "I am not deceiving you, Tiger Robe is indeed from our Black Wind Mountain Range, but it's clever and capable, so it was sent to the north."
"What is it doing in the north?"
"We're planning to ally with the north to take down Cangyu City, it went there to assist," the Bear Demon said breathlessly, concealing the identity of the Red Eyebrow Taoist.
There are Demons in the north?
Li Hao paused, as the intelligence from the Monster Suppression Department had no records about the north; it had always been peaceful there.
"How many Demons are there in the north?" Li Hao immediately asked.
"About the same as here."
"Why do you want to attack Cangyu City, do you know the consequences of provoking Dayu?" Li Hao demanded.
The Bear Demon had a bitter smile in its heart. Why else would you humans slay Demons, if not to pick on the weak? Who could have anticipated that Cangyu City would shelter a monster like the youth before me?
Of course, it couldn't dare to voice out such a thought, so it could only display a face of forced desperation, saying, "Although we are Demons, we only seek to fill our bellies, much like how the Human Race eats livestock… it's the same principle…"
Li Hao's eyes turned cold.
The mention of eating instantly brought forth a surge of killing intent from deep within him.
"Just for eating?" Li Hao suppressed his urge to kill, staring at the Bear Demon, attempting to probe for more information.
Felling Li Hao's killing intent, the Bear Demon's heart shuddered, attempting to apply the logic of the Human Race's philosophy in a position of weakness:
"All beings in the world survive for, well, survival. We are the same, aren't we? There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"Who's discussing right or wrong with you? I'm only asking you, is attacking Cangyu City just for the sake of eating?" Li Hao pressed, holding back his anger.
The decision to attack Cangyu City was spearheaded by the Red Eyebrow Taoist; although the Bear Demon had heard of other reasons, it naturally wouldn't share them with Li Hao—how else would it argue its case?
"If not for survival, we wouldn't take such risks," the Bear Demon continued, seemingly transforming into a Confucian scholar, persisting in its discussion of righteousness with Li Hao, "Heaven and earth nurture all things, and all things have the right to survive, don't they?"
Li Hao took a deep breath and asked again, "What does Tiger Robe look like, is it a Tiger Demon?"
The Bear Demon was startled, disappointed that the Human before it hadn't taken its philosophy to heart, which made it somewhat panic, "That's right, Tiger Robe is a Tiger Demon, it has cultivated for nearly a thousand years."
"Good."
Receiving the information he wanted, Li Hao nodded slightly.
Before the Bear Demon could react, Li Hao suddenly leaped forward, his fist smashing out and striking the Bear Demon on its brow, the force piercing through and shattering its brain.
The Bear Demon's mouth opened slightly in shock and disbelief; its eyes gradually lost their light as it collapsed, falling to the ground with a thud like a giant rock tumbling over.
Discuss right and wrong with a Demon?
Li Hao was in no mood for such debates.
Moreover, compared to right or wrong, one's own stance was far more essential!
Facing the countless white bones and skeletons around him, how could he possibly say to the Bear Demon:
Yes, you're not wrong.
To hell with right or wrong, I am of the Human Race!!
__________
After solving the issue with the Bear Demon, Li Hao noticed some activity inside a nearby cave.
When he sent his Divine Soul to investigate, he saw seven disheveled survivors, men and women, all aged between twenty to thirty years old, with no children or old people among them.
The seven were shackled by their hands and feet, with the other end of the chains threaded through a slit in a large rock. Unless someone could drag the rock away, there was no way to free themselves.
Having seemingly experienced some terrifying ordeal, all seven had expressions of bewilderment and fear on their faces; some were already numb, lost in a daze.
Li Hao sighed inwardly as he commanded a stone to break the chains, setting them free.
But even as the shackles on their limbs were gone, it seemed they were still bound by other chains.
After a brief moment of being stunned, they looked around blankly, still standing in place, with no attempt to flee.
One of them seemed to recall something and started trembling, curling up on the ground and frantically grabbing the broken chains to wrap them around their own limbs, murmuring pleadings non-stop:
"Don't eat me, please don't eat me…"
They were already paralyzed with fear.
Li Hao fell into silence. He wasn't accustomed to comforting people and felt it was better to give them some time to regain their senses. Meanwhile, he took the opportunity to tidy up everything outside.
He casually controlled objects to gather the corpses of the demons, stacking them into a high platform, arranged it neat and square.
"Lin, as your unworthy disciple, all I can offer are these demons to commemorate your valiant spirit!"
Li Hao flipped his hand and took out a wine gourd from behind him.
Then he unscrewed the gourd and poured the wine over the bodies in front of the altar.
Before him was a sea of blood and corpses, but in his mind, he saw that courtyard bathed in the brilliant glow of the sunset.
It was the night when the man sang poems over drinks.
It was that afternoon when the man, seeing himself unable to absorb the Foundation Establishment elixir, hung his head in sorrow.
It was also that autumn, when fallen leaves landed on the chessboard, and the two bantered and bickered over a game of strategy.
Li Hao shook the wine gourd, which had one last swig left, tilted his head back to drink it, and softly said, "Lin, cheers."
Afterwards, he stowed the wine gourd, turned around with the Demon-Slaying Knife in hand, and walked toward the forest outside.
In this mountain range that stretched for hundreds of miles, there were tens of thousands of demons, with just the nearby area gathering several tens of thousands.
Whoosh!
Li Hao stood on the leaves of a treetop, his Divine Soul burst out from the top of his skull, guiding the Demon-Slaying Knife, shuttling through the green forest, sweeping in all directions.
Various demons of all races, be they creeping or sleeping, foraging or frolicking, met their end as a dark light streaked by, severing their lives.
The dark light shuttled through the mountains like a flying needle, piercing through the bodies of demon after demon. Sensing the danger, the demons panicked and fled in all directions, but the dark light moved faster.
If it had been an ordinary person at the Fifteen Li Realm, it might not have been so easy to slaughter them, but Li Hao's range and speed of object control were several times that of an ordinary practitioner in the same realm, and he hadn't even used any special methods yet.
The tens of thousands of demons that had gathered at the foot of the mountain were terrified, clueless about what was happening. They fled on instinct, while others rushed to the mountain peak to seek answers from their king, but were beheaded before reaching the summit.
The whole mountain trembled violently, as if struck by an earthquake.
The scattered demons, barely ten miles out, were all slain.
Blood stained the shrubs and the earth red, trickling like tiny rivulets along the wrinkles of the land, flowing into lower areas and merging into tears for this mountain range.
The Divine Soul returned to its body, and the dark light settled back into his hand.
Li Hao glanced at it.
Having slain tens of thousands of demons, the blade's edge was now dulled.
If it weren't for the coverage of his Divine Soul, the knife would have broken long ago, unable to penetrate the thick bodies of certain demons.
He didn't stop there but continued with the dull-edged black knife in hand towards a region dozens of miles away. There, some demons, unaware of the situation here, were still wandering near their dens.
Since he was here,
might as well eliminate them all.
"There really are demons gathering here!"
In the high skies above the Black Wind Mountain Range, a stealthy golden light moved through the clouds, which was Song Yueyao's Divine Soul.
Her physical self was sneaking along the periphery of the mountain range, while her Divine Soul soared, surveying the entire situation of the mountains.
Along the way, she had already seen the traces of many demons.
In the part of the range closer to Yu City, there were only a few demons, with sparse demonic aura, merely small demons that had just become sentient, barely a threat. Even hunters armed with crossbows could scare them off.
But as she went deeper, dense clouds of demonic energy began to enshroud the mountains and forests, and their numbers increased.
"The Yu City guard wasn't wrong; there's definitely a gathering of demons here, and it's very obvious!"
Song Yueyao frowned deeply, "But why, with the situation so clear, did the Yu City guard not feel confident in reporting truthfully, asking the Xia Family for help?"
She couldn't understand. Didn't the Yu City guard fear the demons might suddenly attack the city?
Or is it that the Xia Family was unwilling to come, bearing grudges with each other?
But if Cangyu City were to fall and the common people suffered heavy casualties, both the Yu City guard and Xia Family would be held accountable.
She could not understand and felt that the situation was somewhat complicated.
At this moment, as she continued to delve deeper, before long she arrived at the depths of the Black Wind Mountain Range.
Along the way, the toughest demons she encountered were those in the Soul Succession Realm patrolling the mountains, which she easily avoided and went undetected.
Suddenly, a rotting stench wafted through the forest ahead of her.
Song Yueyao's face changed slightly, and she stopped in her tracks, cautiously extending her Divine Soul ahead to investigate.
Soon, she beheld an unimaginable scene.
Rivers of blood flowed through the mountain forest, nearly all bodies of water were dyed red with fresh blood, and the bodies of demons were strewn about.
Song Yueyao was stunned for a moment, having initially thought that the putrid wind was caused by demons capturing and harming members of the Human Race. She hadn't expected it to be the demons' own blood!
Her face showed astonishment and doubt. What on earth had happened here?
Hesitating for a moment, she let her Divine Soul carefully advance in stealth. Soon, she reached the corpses of some demons, quickly checked them, and discovered that the wounds were fresh, the death no more than an hour old.
Someone was killing demons!
The thought popped into Song Yueyao's mind, sending a jolt through her heart. Could it be another Inspector from the Monster Suppression Department?
There was only one Inspector in Cangyu City's Monster Suppression Department, in the Divine Travel Realm, tasked with guarding this city on the border alongside the Defender of Yue City.
She was a parachuted officer, temporary, with a tenure not meant to last long in Cangyu City.
In the midst of her astonishment, Song Yueyao had her Divine Soul scout ahead. If she could meet the other party, they might assist each other and gauge the situation here.
However, as she delved deeper, the expression on Song Yueyao's face turned increasingly shocked.
All along the way were demon corpses!
Everywhere she looked!
Packed closely together, her Divine Soul saw at least ten thousand by her reckoning!
The density of demons gathered here certainly qualified as a small-scale demon wave, but what was most shocking was that all these demons were dead!
Controlling so many demons must definitely be the deed of a Great Demon!
But where was that Great Demon?
Song Yueyao had never clashed with that Inspector, but considering what she was seeing, she doubted she could achieve such a feat herself, nor did she possess the courage to try.
As her Divine Soul continued forward, she saw even more demon corpses, even more than before. Among them were some with massive bodies, showing signs of transforming—evidently demons close to the Divine Travel Realm. But without exception, all were dead, with surprisingly consistent wounds, all pierced through vital points by a sharp weapon.
Before long, Song Yueyao arrived at the foot of a great mountain.
She could vaguely make out that at the mountaintop, a thick and heavy demonic aura was brewing like clouds!
Such a fearsome demon mist was unmistakably the work of a Great Demon, and judging by the color of the demonic aura, there was more than one!
Her heart raced with fright, feeling the urge to turn around and flee, but the sight of demon corpses scattered at the mountain's base and the eerie silence at its peak spurred an unbelievable thought in her heart.
Suppressing her fear, she allowed her Divine Soul to soar silently, concealing its presence while peering down at the demon clouds below the mountain summit.
This glance left her expression frozen.
A platform piled with the bodies of over twenty Great Demons stood erect at the mountaintop, arranged neatly and orderly.
As a light breeze passed by, she could even see some of the demons' solidified eyeballs, which retained the terror and fear of their final moments.
Song Yueyao stood stiffly, too shocked to utter a word.
The number of Great Demons was more than she had expected, and all of them… all were dead!
These were all Great Demons from the Divine Travel Realm. Who could have killed all of them?!
That Inspector? Impossible, they were also of the Divine Travel Realm.
Accomplishing such a deed, even for the top talents in the Divine Travel Realm, would be exceedingly difficult unless it were someone from the Fifteen Li Realm!
Was it a general sent by the Xia Family?
Or perhaps a passing expert from some sect?
Song Yueyao came back to her senses and suddenly noticed several figures emerging slowly from a cave atop the mountain, all members of the Human Race, looking bedraggled as if they were survivors.
She swiftly set off towards the mountaintop and approached the survivors.
"Were you all captured by demons?" she immediately asked upon seeing the survivors.
Expecting that they would feel safe upon seeing her Monster Suppression Department uniform, she was taken aback when they trembled at the sight of Song Yueyao, their eyes showing a fear as if they had sighted a demon.
"Don't, don't capture us!"
"Please, let us go!"
The survivors collapsed and began kowtowing and weeping in despair.
Song Yueyao was dumbfounded.
Her mind couldn't quite catch up for a moment, and after a short pause, she angrily said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I am an Inspector from the Monster Suppression Department, here to rescue you."
"Spare us, my lord, please spare us!"
The survivors kept on kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Song Yueyao watched in silence, wondering if they had all been driven mad by the demons.
If that were the case, she likely wouldn't get anything useful from them, thinking the expert who had slain the demons had already deduced the survivors had gone mad.
However, these Great Demons had clearly died not long ago.
With this in mind, Song Yueyao didn't bother with the survivors any longer and swiftly spurred her Divine Soul to scout in all directions.
Soon, she came across a blood trail, with demon corpses all along the way.
She hurriedly followed it.
Not long after, as Song Yueyao landed on a tree branch, she stopped dead in her tracks.
In an open area of the mountain forest ahead, there lay demon corpses all over, all of them ape demons, seemingly a tribe.
But at this moment, they had all been slaughtered.
Blood pooled on the ground, and in the midst of these corpses, stood a young man.
He wore the most common dark uniform of a Monster Suppression Officer and held in his hand a damaged and worn demon-slaying knife.
__________
Song Yueyao was stunned.
She had assumed it was either a passing strongman or a general from the Xia Family taking action. Never did she expect it to be the Monster Suppression Department.
And only their most common demon-suppressing agent?
Suddenly, she noticed the young man's face and it struck her as incredibly familiar.
She seemed to have seen him somewhere.
…This morning?
Song Yueyao was somewhat face-blind and usually paid no heed to others, as if they were grass or trees.
But her memory wasn't bad, and she quickly recalled that this young man was one of the five newcomers who had reported to the Monster Suppression Department that morning.
He was also a disciple of the Tan Palace.
Thinking of his identity, Song Yueyao suddenly remembered the youth with a wild rabbit she saw when she went to the Alpha Academy earlier. He was the person in front of her now.
Just that he had changed into a profound robe, which made her feel a bit estranged.
At the same time, Li Hao also noticed the woman chasing after him from behind. He slightly turned his head to glance, and their eyes met in an instant.
Li Hao didn't pay much attention, nodded slightly, and continued forward, carrying the demon-slaying blade.
But Song Yueyao, struck as if by lightning, stood frozen on the tree.
That tilted head… that side profile… so familiar!
Images of that cave suddenly surged into her mind, that fleeting side profile.
"Is it him?!"
Song Yueyao was astonished. Could the disciple who secretly passed through the Mo River be this same person?!
She found it hard to believe, yet seeing the bodies of the ape demons all around, she suddenly came to a realization and became certain she had not seen wrongly this time.
Among the outer court disciples, who else besides the person in front of her could pass through the Mo River?
Her figure flashed, leaping down from the treetops, and she hurriedly chased after Li Hao, calling out, "Wait a moment."
Li Hao stopped, turned slightly and looked at her, "Senior Sister?"
This address of "Senior Sister" inexplicably gave Song Yueyao a sense of security, and the tension that had gripped her all the way seemed to relax a little.
She quickly asked, "Did you kill these ape demons?"
Even though she had an answer in her heart, she couldn't help but blurt out the question.
Li Hao was slightly silent. Did this Senior Sister have poor eyesight? Couldn't she see there was no one else here?
At a death scene like this, there's no need for Conan; even Genta could have cracked the case, right?
Seeing the odd look that passed through Li Hao's eyes, Song Yueyao's cheeks turned slightly red, realizing that she had perhaps asked a bit redundantly.
She looked at the demon-slaying blade in Li Hao's hand; the bloodstains, the mottled and jagged edge— it wasn't difficult to imagine how many battles it had gone through.
"The Great Demon on the mountaintop, did you kill that one too?" she asked, gazing intently at Li Hao.
Li Hao nodded slightly, it was just a group from the Divine Traveling rank and one from the Fifteen Li Realm, nothing much to speak of.
Seeing Li Hao nod, Song Yueyao's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't help but ask, "How old are you this year?"
"…Asking a young man's age is quite impolite," Li Hao said.
Song Yueyao almost choked. In the midst of these mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he still had the mood to joke.
However, even if Li Hao didn't say it, she could tell that Li Hao was at most fourteen or fifteen years old. The Tan Palace's new recruit age limit was a maximum of sixteen.
A fifteen or sixteen-year-old at the Fifteen Li Realm?
She suddenly felt as if she was struck a heavy blow, shocked beyond belief.
She herself was just a step… two steps, three steps away from this realm.
She was one of the Tan Palace's top geniuses, a ninth-grade battle body!
Before reaching the Grandmaster Realm, the talent of a ninth-grade battle body greatly assisted in cultivation. Even so, she was being left behind by such a large gap?
The last time she heard about such a shocking prodigy, it was about the Ninth Young Master from the Li Family that her grandfather mentioned.
But she was too young back then to have seen it for herself, it was like hearing a mythological tale. Yet the young man before her was standing right in front of her now, almost as if the legend had stepped into reality, making it feel surreal.
"Are you here alone? How did you come to this place?" Song Yueyao couldn't help but ask.
Looking at his profound robe, which had barely a few stains of blood, while only the blade of his demon-slaying sword was thoroughly ravaged.
It looked as if he was still cutting down demons with ease.
"Senior Sister, are you interrogating a prisoner?" Li Hao said helplessly.
Song Yueyao was speechless; she rarely took such an intense interest in others, only to find herself being frowned upon.
"There's a demon here, and since I'm free, I came over," she said.
Li Hao saw the embarrassed discomfort on her face and softened his heart to offer an explanation before turning around and continuing on with his sword in hand.
Chatting was one thing, but the work couldn't stop.
He lightly leaped up, standing atop a tree branch, conjured his Divine Soul, wrapped it around his demon-slaying sword, and started to patrol forward.
Witnessing this scene, Song Yueyao's pupils slightly contracted, realizing that no amount of words could compare to what one's eyes could see.
Her face grew a bit pale. She had thought her grandfather's words were an exaggeration, an overpraise by the masses, but now she understood that there were indeed such monstrous talents in the world!
But, how was this possible?
Being of a nine-rank battle physique and considered a genius, could she only catch glimpses of this young man's back?
Before long, the black sword flew back, landing in Li Hao's hand.
Flicking off the fresh blood, and seeing that he had cleared this mountain range's end, he turned around, ready to erase the remaining demons along the way as well.
"Wait for me," Song Yueyao called out, having come to her senses, and hurriedly chased after Li Hao.
When she caught up to Li Hao, she looked at his profile and asked, "Back in Tan Palace, it was you who passed the Mo River challenge, wasn't it?"
Li Hao couldn't help but glance at her. Although Tan Palace announced a reward for those who passed, he still felt a twinge of unexplainable guilt.
After all, that was the exam for the other new students…
"It was me, yes."
"How did you do it? The Palace Master even issued a reward decree, why didn't you claim it?" Song Yueyao asked curiously.
How did he do it?
Li Hao couldn't quite articulate it; it seemed as though he just drew and then somehow passed.
On further reflection, perhaps the black-robed scholar was ashamed, realizing he was no match and fled in a panic…
Seeing Li Hao silent, Song Yueyao uttered, "Hmm?"
Li Hao snapped out of it and said, "Is it to claim the Red Sky Precious Sword?"
"Yes."
"As you can see, I am of the Fifteen Li Realm," Li Hao stated.
Song Yueyao felt as if she'd been struck in the face with a hammer, a sensation both suffocating and searing.
Fifteen Li, did he think the Red Sky was too inferior?
Damn it!
She bit her lip slightly, curious and yet frustrated with this young man.
Suddenly, a beacon of distress smoke rose in the distance and then burst open.
Song Yueyao glanced at it, her pupils shrinking drastically as she exclaimed in shock, "Ziyan? How is this possible? That's a critical signal released only when demons attack a city!"
Li Hao was momentarily stunned. As a member of a martial family, he was naturally familiar with these signals.
Without an extremely grave situation, Ziyan would not be released.
Once released, the city would shut its gates and go on full alert!
Demons attacking the city?
He suddenly remembered the Bear Demon's words about trouble to the north.
"I need to go back now."
Li Hao immediately said, and with his figure flashing, he stepped up and soared away, turning into a dark silhouette that vanished from Song Yueyao's sight.
Controlling his flight!
Song Yueyao watched for a moment, somewhat baffled, sensing that Li Hao's speed at controlling his flight seemed faster than any other Fifteen Li Realm individuals she had seen.
But…
Why not take me along?!
Song Yueyao stomped her foot in irritation, gritted her teeth, and quickly traversed the jungle towards the city.
__________
Cangyu City.
Apart from the Monster Suppression Department and the city lord's mansion, three major families had established their presence there, among which the Liu Family took the lead, having rooted themselves in Cangyu City for over a hundred years.
The other two families, the Qi Family and the Zhao Family, rose later. The Qi Family was a branch that migrated from another city, managing to build a considerable business within just a few decades in this location.
At this moment, news of the demons attacking the city had already reached the hands of the three families' patriarchs.
Upon receiving the message, all three families were somewhat shocked; it had been nearly a hundred years since Cangyu City last saw a demon attack.
The most sensational episode had been thirty years ago when a few Great Demons entered the city causing trouble, leading to countless deaths and injuries and creating quite a stir at that time.
But now, only some old people still remembered it.
"Army reports can't be false; Old Zhang, go and take a look quickly."
The patriarch of the Liu Family, Liu Shunqing, immediately dispatched a devoted retainer from the family to investigate the truth.
The other two families also sent people out to probe, quickly bringing back one piece of confirmed news after another.
A large number of demons were appearing from the north, sweeping in with an estimated number of at least forty to fifty thousand.
All sorts of mountain goblins and ghostly creatures were among them, clearly led by a Great Demon.
These demons had occupied the official roads and also blocked a few other paths; it was said that on the southern trade routes, two escort agencies were raided and killed, and jewels hidden in grains meant for transportation were found on the road.
The demons blocking the road, with the Great Demon pressing on, indicated a momentum to attack the city!
"The north? Could it be the group of demons from the Black Wind Mountain Range?"
"Have these demons gone mad, with such audacity to indeed attempt an invasion? Aren't they afraid that the Xia Family will descend in fury and wipe them all out?"
"Damn it, what is Yue Shuhong doing? Could it be he has offended the Demon King?"
"Has anyone seen the Xia Family's people?"
The three major families were somewhat panicked; the mere concept of forty to fifty thousand demons—what did that mean? The entire defense capability of Cangyu City's military only amounted to just over twenty thousand soldiers.
That the number of demons exceeded that of the soldiers by more than twice was secondary; these demons were planning to attack the city and naturally had the utmost confidence that they were fully prepared.
And for a Great Demon capable of commanding such a multitude, it had to be at least of the Divine Travel Realm, if not fifteen li!
At the same time, to the north, dark demonic clouds were already closing in.
The mountain rain was about to arrive, and the entire city was on high alert.
As the purple smoke signals rose, igniting the skies, all four city gates were sealed. Soldiers from the City Defense Army, now clad in battle armor, gathered atop the city walls.
At this moment, looking toward the north from the city walls, the faces of many soldiers changed.
They could see the thick demonic clouds, a mix of black with a streak of red, swirling in the northern sky and approaching with alarming speed.
"Have these demons gone mad, daring to attack the city?'
Many from the City Defense Army could hardly believe it. This was Dayu, and even though it was a remote city, it was not the outermost city on the border. Had the attackers really dared to cross the border and provoke the wrath of the Royal Family, risking a military expedition against them?
Throughout the decades of their service in the City Defense Army, aside from occasional disturbances in the outskirts, these demons were seldom seen, let alone in such massive force.
The news of the demons attacking the city spread throughout. With the city gates sealed and the City Defense Army scurrying all over the place, the news was impossible to hide.
Every household was ordered not to leave their homes, and the streets echoed only with the rapid sound of horse hooves.
Many inns, taverns, tea houses, and shops had also closed their doors.
Some were worried about demons breaking through the city defenses, anxious and fearful; others complained about the damnable demons affecting their business, and some had already instructed their families to pack their valuables, sending servants to prepare carriages and horses, ready to flee the city at a moment's notice.
However, some wealthy households in the city sent messages through their connections to the City Defense generals, inquiring if they needed help, willingly offering to donate funds and supplies to jointly resist the demonic onslaught.
In the face of disaster, the true nature of all beings was fully revealed.
At this time, within the city lord's mansion.
In the lofty backyard of the grand mansion, there was a gloomy underground chamber resembling a dungeon.
Yue Shuhong was standing here, staring at a painting before him.
He was tall and slender, dressed in a Confucian robe, exuding the air of a scholar; however, half of his face was obscured in the shadow of an oil lamp, making it impossible to see clearly.
The painting depicted a woman in a light green Luo dress, looking alluring and graceful. With exquisite craftsmanship, the figure looked lifelike.
Suddenly, a wisp of black smoke appeared from the shadows behind him, slightly twisting before transforming into a burly and towering figure of an imposing man.
This man had a broad face and large eyes, a thick mustache around his mouth, and his eyes emitted a faint red glow in the darkness.
"Yue, there you go thinking about your little sister again."
The broad-faced man barely cracked a smile, his expression ambiguous.
Yue Shuhong did not turn his head; his expression seemed slightly stirred, coming out of his reverie.
He sighed softly and said, "Tiger Robe, how long have we known each other?"
"It has been over twenty years," the broad-faced man replied.
"Twenty years…"
Yue Shuhong murmured to himself, "This year I am fifty-three. At thirty, I entered the Divine Travel Realm, full of youthful vigor, assigned here as the city's defender. In the blink of an eye, it has been twenty years."
Once a man of thirty, with a sword at his waist, he now had nothing there.
The broad-faced man nodded slightly, his eyes filled with a mix of sighs, envy, and jealousy:
"Your Human Race is born intelligent, standing above all races. In just a few decades, you can cultivate to the Divine Travel Realm. Whereas we Demons need hundreds of years to absorb the essence of the sun and moon to reach this stage. I truly envy you!"
Yue Shuhong's mouth twitched slightly as he said, "But Tiger Robe, you have seen how few in our Human Race live to be several hundred years old."
The broad-faced man shook his head, a hint of disdain in his eyes:
"Reaching the Divine Travel Realm, one can live nearly a thousand years, yet your Human Race insists on seeking death. Look at those folks from the Divine General Mansion. Clearly, they could live comfortably for a long time, yet they choose to fight to the death against our Demon Race on the borders. In the end, they all die young."
Yue Shuhong couldn't help but laugh:
"Indeed, that may be the difference between our Human Race and your Demon race. For the billions of children of Dayu and the vast lands of the nineteen provinces, every inch of soil has been a witness to the blood of those heroic souls."
"Because some have died, many more can live!"
The broad-faced man squinted slightly and asked, "Yue, surely you are not going to be as foolish as those idiots?"
Yue Shuhong turned around, his previously half-gentlemanly face under the warm glow of the oil lamp now obscured in darkness.
"For the last twenty years, I have provided you with human flesh, trying my best to meet your needs. Why must it come to this in the end?"
His voice was very light, as if talking to himself.
The broad-faced man gazed at him deeply, sighed, and said, "I am not willing to do this either, but the Red Eyebrow Taoist has awakened from his seclusion, starving. Moreover, the purpose of this trip isn't solely to fill our stomachs. The real target for attacking Cangyu City is the Xia Family."
"The Xia Family?"
"Correct. You sought help from the Xia Family, but they dare not come because they are facing even more troublesome issues and can't afford to be distracted. If Cangyu City falls while their back is unguarded, the entire city's obliteration will certainly impact them. If that emperor sitting on the throne in the palace becomes angered and punishes the Xia Family because of it, that would be even better."
The broad-faced man said softly, "So, Cangyu City… you can't save it."
Yue Shuhong took a deep breath, eyes closed for a moment.
So, the Demons were playing this game.
"Yue, my visit here is to have you open the city's northern gate. The fall of Cangyu City is inevitable. If you open the gate, I can say a few good words for you in front of the Red Eyebrow Taoist and give you a way out," the broad-faced man said.
Yue Shuhong opened his eyes, a hint of a smile on his face: "Thank you, Tiger Robe."
"Get on with it immediately," the broad-faced man said. "I will certainly keep you safe."
"Hm."
Yue Shuhong nodded and turned to walk to one side, not toward the desk but the weapons rack instead.
"Yue?"
"Tiger Robe."
"I see."
The red light in the broad-faced man's eyes intensified and his mouth slightly curled open: "Yue, you truly break my heart by doing this!"
"I am sad too, sad for you."
Yue Shuhong chuckled, "Tiger Robe, I will surely use your tiger head to brew the finest wine from our twenty years of friendship."
"Thank you."
The broad-faced man's teeth began to extend, becoming sharp and pointed: "I will also savor yours slowly."
As their auras grew more intense, their Divine Souls began to emerge. Yue Shuhong's Divine Soul gathered above his head, while behind the broad-faced man, a fierce and gigantic tiger faintly appeared.
"So it's here."
Suddenly, a voice arose beside them.
Then, a crack abruptly opened above the cellar, and a figure floated down slowly, standing in the midst of their confrontation.
Clothed in dark attire, wielding a broken black saber, it was Li Hao, who had rushed back to the city.
__________
Hurriedly returning to the skies above Cangyu City, Li Hao had already seen the vast expanse of demonic clouds rolling in from the north.
But his first action wasn't to head north; instead, he went to the City Lord's Mansion, wanting to understand the situation.
However, upon search with his divine soul, he witnessed this scene within the City Lord's Mansion.
"Monster Suppression Department?!"
At the same time, Yue Shuhong and the broad-faced man also noticed the dark attire on Li Hao, both taken aback.
It was indeed the Monster Suppression Department, but he was the most ordinary of monster suppressors.
Yet, from Li Hao's entrance, it was impossible that he was merely an ordinary monster suppressor.
"You are…"
Yue Shuhong frowned; he did not remember such a young powerhouse among the Monster Suppression Department within the city.
Li Hao, however, paid no attention to the city's defender, instead turning his head to glare at the broad-faced man: "You're called Tiger Press? Is that you, the Tiger Robe Immortal?"
The broad-faced man cracked a grim smile, revealing a ferocious grin: "That's right, it's me, your Tiger Lord. The lad actually knows my title; it seems I've made some name for myself outside Cangyu City."
Li Hao's fingers clenched around the hilt of his blade tightened slightly, and the hilt slowly deformed.
He took a deep breath and said, "Seven years ago, you ambushed a captain on the national road of Qi State, remember that?"
"Hmm?"
The broad-faced man raised an eyebrow, and a chill flashed in his eyes: "You're talking about that man from the Northern Yan Army? What's your relation to the Li Family?!"
Seeing the man admit it, the killing intent in Li Hao's eyes became uncontrollable:
"My surname is Li!"
The Tiger Robe Immortal's pupils contracted slightly, his aura surged, and his gaze passed Li Hao, landing on Yue Shuhong ominously:
"Yue, it seems this kid has already overheard our conversation. What should we do now?"
"Your collusion with our demon race is out in the open. Even if you escape me today, you'll still fall from grace. According to the laws of the Great Yu Dynasty, you should know the crime for colluding with demons, right?"
Its eyes turned fierce: "How about this—you kill the kid, and I'll forgive you for the confusion earlier."
Yue Shuhong's gaze similarly turned stern, staring at the silhouette of Li Hao.
But after a moment, he shook his head slightly and sneered, "Tiger Robe, if I continue to listen to you, that really would be foolish. Today, it's either you die, or I perish. When we first formed an alliance, didn't we agree to die on the same day of the same month?"
"Pah, idiot!"
The Tiger Robe Immortal spat out a stinking glob of saliva, sneering, "You short-lived ghosts of the Human Race think you're worthy to live and die with me?!"
In the midst of speaking, he suddenly pounced toward Li Hao. The enormous tiger demon's spirit soul roared behind him, its roar thundering like a low growl, enough to render anyone in the Soul Succession Realm unconscious on the spot.
But the fearsome roar only lightly brushed the hair on Li Hao's forehead.
His eyes were dark and deep, as if void of light.
It was only when the massive frame of the Tiger Robe Immortal rapidly closed in that he abruptly raised his hand.
With a thud, his five fingers spread open, pressing on the Tiger Robe Immortal's forehead, then ruthlessly pushed down, crashing against the solid stone slabs beneath their feet, shattering them.
This exchange happened in an instant, like lightning, and Yue Shuhong, who hadn't even had the chance to draw his sword to help, found his foot frozen in mid-air.
The blade of the demon-slaying knife, now reversed in Li Hao's hand, was fiercely plunged into the side of the Tiger Robe Immortal's neck.
The Tiger Robe Immortal was shocked, unable to believe it as he looked up—this immense power, this kind of skill, how could it be possible?!
But the eyes he met were a pair of chilling coldness.
"I won't let you die so easily."
Li Hao spoke in a low whisper.
As he spoke, he also proved his words with action.
The blade edge slid across the flesh of the Tiger Robe Immortal's neck, abruptly tearing away the skin from his shoulder and ripping off the tiger skin from his back.
Cooking technique, skin peeling and stewing!
This was the most commonly used technique for peeling ingredients, so skilled it neared perfection!
The sudden loss of skin and flesh caused the Tiger Robe Immortal to let out a ferocious and painful roar.
A tiger roar came from its throat, its skin split open, and black-yellow fur grew wildly, revealing its true form.
As it displayed its true form, the basement began to feel crowded.
Behind it, the enormous Tiger Demon's spirit soul rushed towards Li Hao, but behind Li Hao, his own divine soul emerged.
With a body similar to Li Hao's, he simply raised his hand and with one palm strike, he burst the Tiger Demon's Spirit Soul's head.
The fierce palm wind forced the Tiger Demon's Spirit Soul to stagger backwards, and when its head condensed again, its Divine Soul had become much thinner. Terror and fear gleamed from the eyes of the Tiger Demon's Spirit Soul.
Unmatched!
"How exactly did you kill Lin, today I will make you pay back slowly," Li Hao said, word by word.
The broken sword in his hand, still sharp under the coverage of the Divine Soul, revealed the true form of the Tiger Robe Immortal whose head was being stepped on by Li Hao's foot on his forehead, immobilized as if nailed by a steel spike!
It twisted its body, struggling furiously to escape from under Li Hao's foot.
At that moment, a flash of golden light shone in Li Hao's eyes as he suddenly unleashed the power of the chess pattern embedded in the Physical Body Path, Tiger Press!
"Tiger Press": Physical Strength slightly increased, with intimidation!
When embedded into swordsmanship, it would enhance the power and might of the sword moves.
Under Li Hao's release at this moment, his body burst forth with the majesty of a thousand-year-old great tiger, like the king of the mountains and forests, his eyes shooting out a cold gleam that would make all beasts submit.
The Tiger Robe Immortal, stepped on by Li Hao, felt the terrifying aura emanating from him and couldn't help but tremble all over, his eyes becoming dull.
It felt as though it was being suppressed by a tiger king, unable to muster any will to resist.
Its body shook like a sieve, and the intense pain no longer provoked any ferocity.
"Spare me, please, I was wrong, I will do anything, even serve as your house servant…" the Tiger Robe Immortal begged tremulously.
Li Hao said nothing, only quickly slicing with the sharp edge in his hand, skillfully peeling off a complete tiger skin from head to toe.
The Tiger Robe Immortal was in such pain that life seemed worse than death, but it just lay there quivering on the ground, not daring to run away.
Yue Shuhong, who was watching nearby, had a stunned expression. Was this the same Tiger Robe Immortal that had been arrogant before him for over twenty years?
Flaying, deboning, cutting tendons!
Blood flowed like rivers, seeping from the huge body of the Tiger Robe Immortal, covered in blood, uttering countless pleas, but Li Hao remained unmoved.
Such a bloody, brutal scene deeply shocked Yue Shuhong's mind, leaving him feeling chilled to the bone and trembling.
After nearly half an hour of torment, Li Hao beheaded the Tiger Robe Immortal, now a blur of flesh and blood with only a breath remaining.
He planted his broken sword into the back and chest of the Tiger Robe Immortal, grabbed the tiger head with eyes filled with fear and dullness, and said coldly,
"Seven years ago, when the Tiger Demon ambushed the people of the Li Family, did you take part in it?"
A tremor went through Yue Shuhong's body. Although the youth did not turn around, he could feel the chill that enveloped his whole body.
By now, he knew he could not escape death and said with a bitter smile, "I may be guilty of death, but I would never do something like framing the loyal and good."
Li Hao said coldly, "Then conspiring with demons, secretly sending humans as food for them, was that your doing?"
Yue Shuhong's cheeks twitched faintly, and he nodded, "Yes, that was all my doing, sacrificing humans to these demons, harming my own kind."
He said self-mockingly, "Initially, I only sent them some death-row prisoners as disposable resources, but later, when there weren't enough prisoners, they pressed me, and I had no choice but to give them bandits and even civilians."
"Why?"
Li Hao turned his head, gazing at him.
"Why collude with demons?"
Yue Shuhong gave a bitter smile, a hint of regret in his eyes, "When I first took the post, I also wanted to clear the surrounding demons, to purify our realm, but later learned that human power has its limits. These demons cannot be eradicated; they multiply too fast and are too numerous. The Great Yu Dynasty is no longer the invincible dynasty it was hundreds of years ago; in recent years, it has gradually become decadent…"
"I requested external assistance everywhere, requested troops, but all fell on deaf ears."
"Who can save Cangyu City?"
He gave a tragic laugh and looked at Li Hao, "If I didn't give them sacrifices, more would die. With my limited abilities, I can only bear the sins of the whole city to protect its people!"
"I know that I cannot avoid death today and I don't expect anything, but I wish… I can be buried in Cangyu City. That would be enough for me, and I hope… you would grant me that! "
As he spoke, he lifted his official robe and knelt down on both knees.
At the same time, he took off the black hat of the city guard from his head and put it aside.
His disheveled hair hung beside his cheeks, already wet with tears.
Standing under the warm light of the lamp, Li Hao looked down at the middle-aged man's face that was not illuminated by the light, seeing the hot tears streaming down the face.
He was silent for a moment, then averted his gaze and said indifferently,
"Indeed, you deserve to die, but your crimes will be judged by the court, not by me."
"Now that the Great Demon is pressing in, since you still have strength, then… follow me to slay the demon!"
Having said that, he placed the large tiger head on a table beside him and walked away.
__________
West of the city.
In an old mansion, a side room showed signs of burning, the courtyard pond was decayed, covered with weeds and green moss.
No one lived here anymore.
Inside the courtyard, dressed in black garments, Li Yuanzhao and others, led by Cui Fan, carried their weapons and searched the mansion for traces of demons.
But evidently, the demons had long gone, leaving no trace behind.
Just as Cui Fan was about to call off the search, suddenly, a grey sparrow flew in.
Cui Fan, surprised, reached out to catch it.
The sparrow obediently landed, a scroll of paper tied to its leg.
Untwisting the scroll, Cui Fan read it carefully, his face changing color immediately.
"What is it?"
Yu Wei, not far away, quickly asked.
Cui Fan gripped the paper tightly, a grim look on his face, "The patrol is over. I've just received a message that a demon has attacked the city. We are to assemble at the city defense post in the west immediately to discuss our response."
"A demon attack on the city?"
The others were startled, utterly shocked.
Even having lived deep within the territory, they understood the gravity of a demonic invasion of the city.
"Then let's hurry!" Li Yuanzhao was the first to react, speaking immediately.
Cui Fan's expression kept changing. He couldn't understand how a demon could be attacking the city.
Was the intelligence exaggerated?
They had to go to the west side of the city to see.
"Let's go." He called out, taking the lead to leave.
Suddenly, two figures came rushing at great speed from the sky, landing one after the other.
"Qianqian!"
"Yuan Zhao!"
The ones who had arrived were Wei Feng and Li Fu. They were already aware of the demon attack on the city and had seen the vast cloud of demonic fog gathering in the north. The situation was extremely dire.
"Uncle Wei?" Ren Qianqian was taken aback, clearly not expecting Uncle Wei to follow her.
Her mind was quick, and she soon guessed that he must have been secretly following her all along, protecting her from the shadows.
This made her frown slightly, feeling somewhat helpless in her heart. She was out for experience; couldn't her father trust her to take care of herself? How could she stand on her own in the future?
"Uncle Fu?"
Li Yuanzhao was also stunned but then understood: Uncle Fu was worried about Hao.
"Where's Hao Er?" Li Fu scanned the surroundings and, not seeing Li Hao, quickly asked.
Li Yuanzhao candidly replied, "Hao had too much to eat at lunch and went to the outhouse."
"At such a critical moment, this guy is nowhere to be found," Li Fu became anxious and irritated.
Cui Fan, with his keen perception, immediately understood that these two powerful characters were the protectors of the young ones, and he couldn't help feeling envious as he respectfully addressed them:
"Elders, I have just received news of the demon attack on the city. Is it true?"
"What, you don't trust the reports from your own city?" Li Fu gave him a glance, speaking irritably.
Cui Fan, running into a dead end, felt a bit discomfited and at the same time couldn't help but feel alarmed; the intelligence was actually true—this was a catastrophe unseen in a century.
"There are really demons attacking the city? How many?"
Ren Qianqian hurriedly asked.
Li Yuanzhao and the others were also very concerned.
Wei Feng sighed, "These demons have premeditated this attack for a long time. You all just have unlucky timing, arriving right in the middle of it. Qianqian, you should come back with me, I can ensure your safe exit from the city."
Ren Qianqian shook her head and immediately replied, "I won't leave. I'm out here to gain experience—this is a rare opportunity. Uncle Wei, with your strength, can't you fend off the demons? You are of the Fifteen Li Realm, more than enough to defend a great city!"
Wei Feng's face showed complexity. "I've glimpsed deep demonic energy within that fog which belongs to a very powerful existence of the Fifteen Li Realm. As for whether there are other demons hidden in the shadows, that remains unknown. If I were alone, I would be willing to take the risk, but Miss, you…"
"You don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself," Ren Qianqian insisted.
Wei Feng shook his head: "The number of these demons is vast. Entrusted by my master, my duty is to protect you."
"Uncle Wei, why are you…" Ren Qianqian couldn't hide her vexation.
On the side, Li Fu, hearing Wei Feng's words, expression complicated, said to Li Yuanzhao:
"Go find Hao and stay with him. Don't go anywhere. I will send a message back to our mansion immediately. It's a pity this area belongs to the Xia Family, but we can't worry about overstepping at a time like this. I must go north to help; otherwise, the city might fail to hold."
With that said, he turned to Wei Feng: "Brother Wei, I'd be obliged if you could take care of the two youngsters from the Li family. This favor will not be forgotten by our Li Family!"
Upon hearing this, Wei Feng did not decline. It was a rare opportunity to receive the gratitude of the Li Family.
Looking after one child is the same as looking after three.
"Alright, Li, do you really intend to head north to face the enemy?" Wei Feng asked.
"As a member of a military family, how can I flee upon encountering demons? Although this is the Xia Family's jurisdiction, I cannot stand idly by if I encounter them!" Li Fu said gravely.
Wei Feng's gaze grew solemn, and he clasped his hands in respect, "Li's righteousness is commendable. Go ahead, as long as I live, I will make sure to take good care of them!"
"Good, with your word, I am at ease," Li Fu nodded.
With the Fifteen Li Realm's protection, which was even more reliable than his own, he immediately said to Li Yuanzhao, "Yuan Zhao, you must behave and not wander off; find Hao Er!"
Having said this and seeing Li Yuanzhao nod vigorously, he then leaped towards the distance, heading north.
As Wei Feng watched Li Fu depart in the distance, he said to Li Yuanzhao, "Let's go find your brother."
Li Yuanzhao was also worried about Li Hao's safety and quickly nodded, but his gaze turned towards Cui Fan.
Cui Fan managed a wry smile, "In that case, shall we meet up first and then go to check on the west of the city?"
Wei Feng shook his head, "Defending the city is your responsibility. I am only in charge of protecting our young mistress and the young master of the Li Family. I will not involve myself in other matters. As for the assessment credits, do as you please."
He notably intensified his tone on the words "as you please."
He was not Li Fu, bounded by the identity of a military family. Here, he could come and go as he pleased, stay or leave depending on his mood.
Cui Fan was dumbfounded and quickly said, "The patrolling mission has ended, and they have all performed very well. I will certainly grade them fairly, but…"
Wei Feng let out a cold scoff, knowing the other wanted to tie him to this city. He was about to rebuke curtly but heard Ren Qianqian shout emphatically, "Uncle Wei, I want to help defend the city. I won't let these villagers be slaughtered by demons!"
Miss! Wei Feng's expression changed.
Ren Qianqian suddenly drew her sword and laid it across her arm, looking sternly at Wei Feng:
"Uncle Wei, if you dare knock me out and take me away from here, I'll sever one of my arms when I wake up!"
"Miss…" Wei Feng felt his heart clench, aware that the young mistress was naive to the world and still soft-hearted, but this was excessively stubborn.
He sighed and said, "Alright, I will accompany you to assess the situation first. If things go awry, you must listen to me. Otherwise, I will take you back to the mountain myself for the master to deal with."
Ren Qianqian's expression sobered, and she nodded, "Okay!"
The two reached an agreement and immediately set off without further delay, quickly leaving the large residence and heading back to the Monster Suppression Department.
But inside the Monster Suppression Department, there was a flurry of activity; the headquarters had long been deserted. They learned from one of the storeroom attendants who stayed behind that all personnel from the Monster Suppression Department had already been dispersed to the four sides of the city to follow the orders of the City Defense Army.
"Hao, Hao!"
Li Yuanzhao shouted in the Monster Suppression Department, searching everywhere for Li Hao but didn't find him.
Meanwhile, yellow smoke signals rose from the city walls.
This was a signal that battle had been joined.
Ren Qianqian's face fell, "There's no time to waste. Let's go to the west of the city first. Uncle Wei, please use your Divine Soul to help look for where Li Hao might be."
Wei Feng nodded but wasn't overly anxious. The elder from the Li family he had met on the road had not yet appeared. Likely, Li Fu had dared to leave because another elder was secretly watching over them.
That was someone who could easily kill two Fifteen Li Realm serpent demons. If he was willing to make a move, he could resolve the demonic calamity of the city.
Under the lead of Wei Feng and Cui Fan, they headed to the western city wall.
Displaying his strength, Wei Feng ascended the city wall, courteously invited by the commanding officers of the City Defense Army, bringing the others with him.
As soon as they reached the city wall, they saw a large number of Demons rushing towards them from the wilderness beyond.
These Demons burst out from the woods far away, seemingly in alliance with the northern demons, ready to breach the city together.
"So many demons!"
Watching the teeming swarm of demons, Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian, along with the others, turned deathly pale.
No wonder, even some veteran soldiers of the City Defense Army couldn't help but shudder, their hearts pounding.
The approaching Demons, numbering at least several thousand, were enormous and fearsome in appearance, some transforming into rolling demonic mists in midair.
This scene was indeed a demonic dance of chaos.
The sharp, strange laughter was already making many people's scalps tingle.
"Uncle Wei, have you found Hao yet?"
Li Yuanzhao, looking slightly pale, urgently asked Wei Feng who was by his side.
Just as Wei Feng was about to reply, his gaze shifted abruptly, and turning his head, he saw two figures speeding towards them, one after the other.
At the sight of the young man in black robes ahead, Wei Feng was stunned.
If he was not mistaken, that young man was the Divine General Mansion kid he had been following!
Yet now, the boy was riding the wind?!
Under Wei Feng's astonished gaze, Li Hao came soaring through the air with the city guard Yue Shuhong by his side.
Li Hao also noticed Li Yuanzhao and the others, and he gracefully landed in front of them.
__________
Seeing Li Hao descending from the sky, Li Yuanzhao and the others, who were being intimidated by the demon crowd, were all astonished.
Yu Wei's mouth hung open, and his eyes almost bulged out, staring at Li Hao as if he'd seen a ghost.
"You're here too?"
Li Hao hadn't expected to encounter them in the west of the city. Weren't they supposed to be on a patrol mission? Why had they run over here?
He glanced at Cui Fan, who had an expression of suffering, clearly very reluctant.
Li Hao then looked at Wei Feng, a man he was not unfamiliar with, having followed them all the way.
"You…"
Wei Feng stared blankly at Li Hao, being at the Fifteen Li Realm himself, he naturally could tell that the two who had arrived through the air were not led by Yue Shuhong, but by the young man in front of him.
Was this guy that he and Li Fu had been following and protecting the whole way actually at the Fifteen Li Realm?!
A higher realm than even Li Fu?!!
Who the hell was protecting whom?
Wei Feng felt his brain go numb. Having descended the mountain to wander the Jianghu while in the Divine Travel Realm, he considered himself to have seen a broad range of people and met countless geniuses, but… someone so young at the Fifteen Li Realm?
Unheard of!
It was said that the descendants of the Divine General Mansion were all monsters, but even monsters hadn't reached this extent, right?
"The demons are coming!"
Just then, someone said nervously.
Everyone's gaze immediately turned towards the city ramparts, where the rapidly advancing demons had already come within range of the archers.
"Fire the arrows!!"
The commander here, a middle-aged man around the eighth or ninth level of the Soul Succession Realm, immediately bellowed.
Countless arrows rained down like a black downpour, these being specially made arrows that held the power to ward off evil and subdue demons.
Under the barrage of arrow rain, quite a number of demons were injured, but even more of them continued their charge despite the arrows.
"Demon Suppressing Formation!"
The commander bellowed once more.
More than ten mystic-robed Demon Suppressing Masters hurried to the high platform on the city ramparts. Each conjured up their respective Divine Souls, which had different appearances. They held hands, their Soul Power connecting in fluctuating waves to maintain some kind of balance as they prepared to cast the array.
Li Hao looked at the demons that were closing in, now less than a hundred meters from the city walls, and then turned his head to glance at the sword in Ren Qianqian's hand.
"Let me borrow your sword for a moment," he said.
Ren Qianqian came to her senses, staring blankly at Li Hao for a moment, still somewhat in disbelief of the terrifying Cultivation Level he had just revealed.
Seeing Li Hao reach out to borrow the sword, she subconsciously tightened her grip on the sword sheath, asking, "Do you know how to use a sword?"
Throughout their journey on horseback, she had never seen him carry any weapon.
"A little," Li Hao nodded.
He had joined the Jianghu in such a hurry that he had not brought a sword with him.
If he were to enter the Jianghu again, he'd certainly remember to bring the treasured sword given to him by his second elder.
Ren Qianqian hesitated somewhat, as a swordsman's sword is never far from their side, especially since she treasured and cherished her own sword.
But given the dire situation of the battle, she knew that Li Hao had exceptional Cultivation Level but lacked a weapon.
After a moment's hesitation, she still handed the sword to Li Hao.
Sshing.
Li Hao nonchalantly pulled out the sword, a longsword that shimmered like autumn water as it left its sheath.
At that moment, the sword blade vibrated, as if awakening, emitting a sword cry, with a white light flickering along the blade and humming resoundingly.
Li Hao turned, sword in hand, and stepped out, standing in mid-air about ten meters beyond the city ramparts.
His figure, suspended in the air, immediately caught the eyes of the many soldiers atop the city walls, who were all shocked. To stand in mid-air was a sign of the Fifteen Li Realm!
Their city defender, Yue Shuhong, was only in the Divine Travel Realm, not yet at the Fifteen Li!
"Bright Moon… Rising!"
Li Hao murmured softly.
In the past five years, he naturally had also perused the last three sword techniques in "Endless Sea."
Endless Sea had a total of four moves.
They were Tides, Severing River, Bright Moon Rising, Endless Sea.
At this moment, he wielded the third of these supreme sword techniques in his hand, a move second only to the ultimate one.
Bright Moon Rising!
In an instant, everyone on the city wall seemed to see a bright moon rising from Li Hao's palm.
The glittering longsword had vanished, leaving only the dazzling, silver-white moon, full and blinding, coalescing from Li Hao's hand before slowly rising as if over the sea, flying towards the horde of demons.
Layer upon layer, the true form!
While everyone was immersed in the beauty of this moon, it swept into the midst of the demons, and as its light unfurled, the countless demon shadows, like darkness dispelled by light, seemed to ebb away like the tide.
But in reality, they didn't just retreat. They were annihilated!
"This sword technique…"
Ren Qianqian's pupils contracted, her beautiful face showing a look of startled shock; she couldn't believe the sight of the young swordsman's silhouette.
The godlike moon stirred her to an indescribable level of astonishment.
Was that really… swordsmanship?!
Those equally shaken, besides Ren Qianqian, included Yue Shuhong and Wei Feng.
Only now did Yue Shuhong realize that Li Hao had not used his full strength when he had previously slain the Tiger Robe Immortal, not even one-tenth of it.
Just this radiantly magnificent sword technique alone could alarm the entire Qi State!
"This sword technique…" Wei Feng's eyes were lost in a trance, Ren Qianqian's father was a swordsmanship grandmaster, but even then, he seemed to have never seen his master execute such a stunning display of swordsmanship.
The clear and dazzling bright moon, on this western city battleground, was so eye-catching. When that dreamlike moon disappeared, everyone gradually came to their senses, and only then did they suddenly realize that they were still in the midst of battle, still atop the battlefield!
But as the soldiers were drawing their bows and readying their arrows, they all suddenly froze.
Within several hundred meters range in front of the city wall, where were any demons left?!
The ground was littered with nothing but the wreckage and torn remains of demonic corpses!
And the demon blood spilled all over the ground like a splash of paint!
With a single sword strike, he had cleared out nearly a mile radius of demons!
The battlefield that was once filled with the raucous howls and shrill cries of demons had, in the blink of an eye, become so silent you could hear a pin drop!
Not just the soldiers on the city wall were stunned; the demons farther away gearing up to charge were also dumbstruck. Their once unstoppable, avalanche-like momentum abruptly came to a halt.
Many demons looked at each other.
Among these demons were Great Demon leaders, on the same plane as the Divine Travel Realm, the same level as the Tiger Robe Immortal.
But at this moment, their eyes revealed horror and fear.
The young figure who stepped out alone, hovering at the edge of the city wall, casually holding his sword, stood there like an incomparable Sword Immortal.
Untouchable!
Li Hao glanced at the demons that had halted in their tracks and without a word, threw his sword, using Sword Control.
The flying sword burst out like a flash of golden light, instantly reaping the lives of over a dozen demons.
Only then did the frozen horde come back to their senses, screaming and scattering in every direction. The formerly formidable offensive had, in a blink, disintegrated, completely vanishing!
The numerous soldiers on the city wall were dumbfounded, staring in shock at the silhouette of the youth.
That figure, they would be unable to erase from their minds for the next twenty years, haunting their memories.
The flying sword, like a golden needle, rapidly slaughtered a great number of demons, including the Divine Travel Realm Great Demon in the horde who tried to conceal its aura and escape stealthily. It too caught Li Hao's attention, and with a flash of his sword, he cut off its head and extinguished its divine soul.
In his presence, Great Demons and common demons seemed to have no difference. All were slain with a single blow!
These sights left Wei Feng on the city wall utterly astonished.
Even if he took action himself, he wouldn't possibly possess Li Hao's might. That speed of Sword Control was too fast, at least two to three times quicker than his own!
He immediately thought of the Jiao Demon shot down by the dark light, exactly the same.
Was this… the senior they had all bowed down to on their journey?
What kind of monster was Li Fu escorting?!!
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As the horde of demons was routed and fled, the condensed demon cloud in front of them dispersed in an instant.
Without the command of a Divine Travel Realm Great Demon, these lesser demons dared not to attack the city.
The tall and imposing city walls still exerted a tremendous pressure on lesser demons.
Li Hao chased and killed with his flying sword, of the thousands of demons that came, nearly half were killed or injured, and the rest rushed into the jungle, hiding everywhere.
Li Hao glanced at them and didn't waste more time on these minor specters. He turned and returned to the top of the city wall, raised his hand to summon, and the sword light flew back into his hand.
Looking around, Li Hao asked Wei Feng, "Where is my Fu?"
"Li Fu?"
Wei Feng reacted and quickly said, "Li Fu asked me to look after… cough, Li Fu went to the north of the city, which is the main direction of the demon army's attack."
"The north?"
Li Hao looked up to the north, his gaze sharpening.
There, the thick demonic aura was like dark clouds, already shrouding the city wall at the north.
His complexion changed slightly as he wrapped Any Qianqian's sword with his Divine Soul power and rapidly flew toward the north to strike.
The entire Cangyu City was squarely shaped, with a diameter of less than fifty li. He was located at the city's west, not in a straight line to the north, so the distance was somewhat closer, completely within his range of object manipulation.
In fact, if he used the special attributes of the chessboard "Flying Phase" to increase the attack distance, his range of object manipulation could be even larger.
As the flying sword was shot out, Li Hao's gaze concentrated on the north of the city.
And those standing beside him, Li Yuanzhao, Yu Wei, Ren Qianqian, and others, all stared dumbfounded at Li Hao.
The most shocked among them was Li Yuanzhao.
He had never imagined that Hao, who accompanied him every day, who spent days painting in the courtyard, went fishing with the older master, or popped into the kitchen to bake pastries, could be so formidable.
The Fifteen Li Realm?
He felt suffocated.
My god!
If his aunts and the others knew about this, wouldn't they be overwhelmed with excitement?
But… how did Hao cultivate?
He had never seen him practice with a sword!
If it weren't for Li Hao's familiar gestures and speech, Li Yuanzhao might have thought he was impersonated by a demon.
The young man standing beside them imposed a great pressure, leaving Ren Qianqian, Du Qiuyue, and others staring blankly in a trance.
Of a similar age, they were still wandering in the Zhou Tian Realm, not yet embarked on Soul Succession.
And Li Hao had already crossed two major realms beyond them!
This was beyond a demon prodigy; it was outrageous!
Ren Qianqian recalled her father's words: possessing an Eighth Layer Battle Body, she understood the essence of the sword at the age of ten and stood peerless among her peers in swordsmanship.
Once her understanding of the sword reached Great Accomplishment, she would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with other top geniuses… Was this what it meant to stand shoulder to shoulder?
Looking up at the profile of the young man, her breathing gradually became more rapid.
That round of Bright Moon still lingered in her heart, unable to be erased.
"Young master…"
Yue Shuhong had previously witnessed Li Hao easily overpower the Tiger Robe Immortal; although still shocked, he was somewhat able to accept it and hurriedly bowed, saying, "I will head to the north of the city."
Li Hao nodded slightly, his attention already on the flying sword at the north.
Yue Shuhong hurried to the north, while at the same time, the sword light maneuvered rapidly through the demon horde in the north.
Above the north, countless arrows were shot.
Li Fu revealed his identity, commanding the battle alongside the city's defending general.
Within the demon horde, eight hideously shaped figures revealed their true forms, gathering around a man in a yellow robe with two conspicuous red eyebrows that hung down to his chest.
"This minor city only has three or five Divine Travel Realm beings; we can handle them."
"Speaking of which, why hasn't the Giant Strength True God arrived yet?"
"What are those guys in the Black Wind Mountain Range thinking?"
The demons gazed toward the east, expecting unrest there as well, but it seemed quiet.
"Kill them first, then talk!"
A demon resembling a flying eagle suddenly dived toward the city, eager to take the lead and impress the Red Eyebrow Taoist.
Atop the city wall, a streak of sword light slashed out. It was Song Yueyao returning to the city.
She hadn't encountered Li Hao, and upon receiving the news, she had to come to the north to defend against the enemy first.
The flying eagle was also in the Divine Travel Realm and, seeing Song Yueyao's fierce sword play, immediately spat out a cloud of demon mist, covering the city wall and casting a Demon Art.
With the Demon Art as obstruction, more and more demons assaulted the city wall. The archers lost their targets and could only draw their swords to battle the climbing demons.
The other demons around the Red Eyebrow Taoist did not stop either, rushing to attack relentlessly.
In the blink of an eye, Song Yueyao was attacked from both sides by two Divine Travel Realm demons, her face suddenly changed as she switched from offense to defense.
On the other side, the head of the Liu Family, Liu Shunqing, along with the head of the Qi Family, also led their family disciples in defending this place.
Seeing the Demonic Suppression Envoy surrounded by demons, they immediately went to assist.
But the enemy had obviously more Divine Travel Realm fighters, and soon the three of them were at a disadvantage.
Li Fu saw this and immediately drew his sword to join the battle for reinforcement.
His cultivation along the Divine Travel Realm had always involved superior or even peerless techniques, which gave him a profound foundation and made him three times stronger than other Divine Travel Realm practitioners, quickly repelling one of the Divine Travel Realm Great Demons.
Seeing Li Fu's fierce might, the other demons immediately retreated and encircled him—the three demons unleashed a vicious battle, and soon Li Fu was also at a disadvantage.
Spurt!
One of the demons, covered in scythe-like limbs like a colossal mantis, suddenly hooked Li Fu's arm with a blade, tearing through the armor on his back.
Another demon, about seven or eight meters tall, covered with coarse purple fur like a giant ape, swung its club and struck fiercely on Li Fu's back.
Li Fu's vision darkened as he fell onto the ramparts, losing consciousness on the spot.
Seeing this, the defending commander urgently ordered men to assist.
He was only at the perfection stage of the Soul Succession Realm and had not reached the Divine Travel Realm; he was just about to help when suddenly a Great Demon landed heavily in front of him.
This Great Demon resembled a humongous toad, covered in lumps and spikes, and at this moment, its body trembled slightly, and from these lumps spurted a greenish viscous poison.
Those city guards who were touched by the poison had their armor instantly corroded, screaming miserably, and died on the spot.
"Bastard!!"
The commander roared, drawing his sword to fight to the death.
Just then, a cold light suddenly streaked through the air.
The toad demon seemed to sense something; its eyes had just started to turn when it got pierced through the next moment, with blood gushing out like an explosion and its enormous head bursting apart; even the divine soul it hadn't yet used was exterminated along with it.
The commander stood stunned, staring in disbelief at the scene.
In the sky, the Red Eyebrow Taoist looked towards the darting flying sword, and his previously indifferent expression suddenly changed.
Fifteen Li Realm?
His eyes narrowed as he scanned the vicinity, could it be that someone from the Xia Family had arrived?
Nevertheless, he was not afraid and spat out a red flying sword from his mouth, slashing towards the incoming sword light.
The edge of the sword seemed to sense the killing intent of his red sword, and suddenly changed direction, fiercely charging at the Red Eyrow Taoist.
The red sword swirled, emitting a dragon-like low hum, as if it was going to sever Li Hao's flying sword.
But the next moment, the flying sword accelerated fiercely, crossing paths with the oncoming red sword, then charged straight at the Red Eyebrow Taoist.
The Red Eyebrow Taoist's pupils constricted, a look of horror spread across his face; his Object Manipulating Qi Circulation Skill was a top-tier treasure nearing peerless quality, with a maximum control speed of eighteen li.
However, the change and speed of his object control were far less than this flying sword?
Whoosh!
It was an almost instantaneous assault.
The Red Eyebrow Taoist's face showed panic; he swiftly turned to flee while calling the red sword back for defense, but it was already too late.
His body coiled, his robe loosening and falling, revealing his massive true form—a red-scaled flood dragon.
It appeared quite old, for the flood dragon had two long brows.
Curled like a snake, its body tucked up; to strike its head, the flying sword had to penetrate the flesh covering it.
Li Hao didn't intend to rely on brute force, after all, the sword was borrowed.
The flying sword turned in mid-air, and then, the light of the sword suddenly blazed intensely.
Endless Sea, second technique:
Severing River!
If the first technique, Tidal Surge, and the third, Bright Moon Rising, were group attack moves, then Severing River was a single-target kill move.
It seemed as though the sound of a river roaring could be heard throughout heaven and earth.
That was not the sound of water, but countless streams of air and natural energies, all being split apart automatically.
A sword's momentum fell.
The red flood dragon let out a scream of utter agony, as its curled body was cleaved into three sections by the sword!
The enormous head was split in two, and the divine soul that burst out failed to escape before being swiftly overtaken and extinguished by the flying sword.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The body of the massive dragon fell from the sky, plunging into the surge of demons below.
The hot, searing dragon blood that splattered on some of the demons caused them to shout in panic and disarray.
The previously wind-like attack of the demon wave, in an instant, turned into chaos.
The heads of the Divine Travel Realm Great Demons fiercely fighting with Liu Shunqing, Song Yueyao, and the others atop the city wall, hearing the Red Eyebrow Taoist's scream, all paused, and upon turning to look, they witnessed that terrifying scene.
The Red Eyebrow Taoist had been cleaved by a flying sword!
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