At that moment, a fierce battle was raging on the mountain.
"So it's a leopard demon that dares to cause such trouble!"
"Leopard demon, release the girl now, and we might consider giving you a proper burial!"
Two young men, full of vigor, along with a woman, formed a triangle around the leopard demon.
"Hahaha, three brats who haven't even dried their milk teeth yet, trying to play heroes? Today, I'll feast on you!" The leopard demon laughed maniacally. It had partially transformed into a human form, but its limbs and head remained beastly.
"Enough talk, prepare to die!"
The three raised their swords, their fingers brushing the blades as they chanted in unison, "Sword Control Technique!"
Three swords shot into the sky, surrounding the leopard demon, their sword energy soaring.
"Roar!"
The leopard demon roared, and a golden demon core flew out of its mouth, emitting an eerie red glow.
The demon core formed a protective barrier around the leopard demon.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The swords couldn't penetrate the barrier.
The three cultivators were stunned. "How is this possible?"
They were novices, dreaming of making a name for themselves by slaying demons. They never expected to encounter such a powerful monster right away.
"Thinking you can be heroes after a few years of training? I've been cultivating for over two hundred years. I could crush you with one hand!"
The leopard demon sneered, its eyes flashing with malice. The demon core shot out three red beams of light, striking the three cultivators.
They couldn't dodge and instantly collapsed, their swords falling to the ground, lifeless.
The leopard demon retrieved its core and eyed the three, finally settling its gaze on the young woman.
It licked its lips. "Human women are so tender. You'll taste delicious."
The other two men panicked, shouting, "Demon, if you dare touch our junior sister, you'll die a horrible death!"
"We're disciples of the Ten Thousand Swords Immortal Sect. The sect will hunt you down!"
"In this remote wilderness, what do I have to fear? I'll devour your beautiful junior sister right in front of you!" The leopard demon sneered, its voice dripping with cruelty.
The three cultivators felt a chill run down their spines, their faces pale with fear.
The two young men pleaded, "Spare our junior sister. Eat us first!"
The leopard demon ignored them, slowly advancing toward the young woman.
Rustle, rustle—
Footsteps echoed.
The three cultivators, sensing a glimmer of hope, looked up.
But their hearts sank when they saw a black mutt casually walking toward them.
The leopard demon sneered, "Where did this mutt come from? I'm in a good mood today, so I won't eat you. Scram!"
The black dog stood its ground and, to everyone's shock, opened its mouth and spoke in a cold tone, "Leopard demon, end yourself. Don't make me do it."
"What? A dog demon?"
The leopard demon was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. "Black dog, have you lost your mind? Do you know who you're talking to?"
The three cultivators were equally dumbfounded, wondering if they were hallucinating.
This dog demon was something else, casually telling the leopard demon to kill itself.
"Fine, my master is almost here. I won't waste time with you." Big Black shook its head, acting as if it were some supreme being. If it weren't for its ordinary appearance, one might have mistaken it for a powerful figure.
"You're asking for death!"
The leopard demon, furious, opened its mouth, releasing a foul wind to suck Big Black in and devour it.
But Big Black stood firm, simply lifting a paw.
In an instant, a fierce wind howled, and the sky darkened.
From the black clouds, a massive dog paw emerged, pressing down on the leopard demon.
The paw was identical to Big Black's, only countless times larger, like the Buddha's palm descending from the heavens.
The leopard demon let out a terrified screech, reverting to its beast form, its fur standing on end like a porcupine, trying to flee.
But it found itself immobilized, unable to move, as the giant paw descended.
"I'm just a small leopard demon! Please spare me, Dog Lord!" The leopard demon begged in despair.
Splat!
Its head exploded instantly.
The paw didn't even need to land—the sheer pressure alone was enough to crush the leopard demon.
Then, the paw vanished, and the sky cleared, as if nothing had happened.
The three cultivators stared at Big Black, not daring to breathe, frozen like statues.
Big Black, as if it had done nothing remarkable, said calmly, "My master enjoys living as a mortal. Remember, you killed the leopard demon. It has nothing to do with me. When my master arrives, don't mention me. Treat him as an ordinary mortal, and me as an ordinary mutt. Understood?"
The three nodded dumbly.
They were both terrified and excited.
If this dog demon was so powerful, what kind of extraordinary figure was its master?
They had heard that great figures liked to disguise themselves as mortals. Now, they were about to meet one.
"Big Black!"
Li Nianfan's worried voice rang out as he hurried over, smacking Big Black on the head. "Why didn't you listen to me? Running off like that! You're driving me crazy!"
He was so angry that he roughly rubbed Big Black's head.
The three cultivators, witnessing this, felt their blood freeze. Their hair stood on end, and their hearts nearly stopped.
This was the dog demon that had just summoned a giant paw to crush the leopard demon! In their eyes, even their master—no, even their entire sect—wouldn't stand a chance against that paw.
And now, this dog lord was being scolded and manhandled like a common mutt. The world had gone mad!
They didn't dare watch further, afraid of angering the dog lord.
After scolding Big Black, Li Nianfan finally noticed the scene before him.
Two men, a woman, and the corpse of a leopard with its head smashed. Nannan lay unconscious under a nearby tree.
It seemed the leopard demon had been dealt with by the three cultivators. He had arrived just in time for the best-case scenario.
Li Nianfan quickly checked on Nannan and sighed in relief when he found she was only unconscious.
"My name is Li Nianfan. Thank you, heroes, for slaying the demon and saving Nannan, as well as bringing peace to Luoxian Town," he said, bowing to the three.
The three cultivators looked embarrassed and replied meekly, "Young Master Li, you're too kind. We didn't do much."
They noticed Li Nianfan had no spiritual energy whatsoever—he was clearly a mortal. They thought to themselves, "As expected of a great figure, so profound and unpredictable."
"Li Nianfan"—the name itself seemed to carry a deep meaning, as if he cherished the mortal world. No wonder he chose to live in seclusion among mortals. Truly, a great figure!
Facing such a powerful being, they couldn't help but feel nervous.
The young woman, dressed in a blue robe, spoke softly, "I'm Bai Luoshuang. These are my senior brothers, Luo Hao and Qin Zhu."
"Miss Bai, Brother Luo, Brother Qin," Li Nianfan greeted them one by one. His eyes then fell on the leopard's corpse, and he couldn't help but marvel.
The leopard demon's true form was just an ordinary leopard, albeit much larger.
This was his first time seeing a demon from the cultivation world up close. It was a pity he hadn't witnessed the battle itself.