Volume 2 - Chapter 48: Unable to Defeat Li Hao, First Kill Li Tiangang
As the Demon King was defeated, the Three Immortals Realm demons who had traveled from afar also realized the situation was dire and began to flee.
However, their escape speed could not compare to that of the Demon King. After failing to catch the Demon King, Li Hao immediately imbued his Dragon Sky Sword with celestial power and unleashed a relentless pursuit on the fleeing demons.
Flying Slash coordinated with Hidden Bow, setting up numerous hidden lines in the surroundings. As these Three Immortals Realm demons fled, they collided with the hidden lines, instantly becoming entangled and shredded, contributing substantial fishing experience to Li Hao.
“Spare me…”
A trembling demon of the Three Immortals Realm begged for mercy before Li Hao.
Li Hao paid it no mind. The Dragon Sky Sword swept through the air, piercing these demons one by one.
These demons, who had traveled from far and wide for revenge, could never have imagined such an outcome. They perished in despair, cursing their fate until their dying breaths.
Controlling the Dragon Sky Sword, Li Hao systematically eliminated all visible living creatures within a hundred-mile radius.
Extending the hidden lines, Li Hao strung together the corpses of the slain demons.
The corpse of the Ten Thousand Caverns Ghost Maiden, with countless ghastly limbs protruding from her body, was particularly horrifying and was also strung up.
The hidden lines carried numerous demon corpses, resembling a kite, trailing death in its wake.
...
From afar, a bird demon of Tianji Hall, concealed within the clouds, shuddered in fear upon witnessing this scene. Never before had it encountered such a horrifying sight.
To the demons, this was akin to a human army razing a demon city and tying together human corpses as trophies—a scene as ghastly as it was terrifying.
At that moment, in their eyes, Li Hao was a monstrous figure, terrifying beyond measure.
“Even the Demon King couldn’t withstand him. It’s over. It’s all over!”
The bird demon of Tianji Hall trembled as it relayed Li Hao’s movements in secret.
Li Hao sped through the area, finding empty mountaintops where the demons had long since fled.
“What? Humans have invaded?”
“Perhaps they’ve merely reached the entrance. You call this an invasion?”
“Killed the Demon King?”
Upon hearing the intelligence from Tianji Hall, many demons initially scoffed. But when they learned the Demon King had been slain, they were terrified.
Some hastily gathered their belongings and fled, while a few, doubting the rumors, chose to lurk near caves to secretly observe the human’s authenticity.
But this decision cost them their lives.
...
At a mountain lake five hundred miles away, a corpulent middle-aged man lounged in the lake’s center, surrounded by beautiful fish demons. Amid their revelry, a bird demon suddenly darted in, urgently saying:
“Greetings, Yuan Lake Lord!”
“Hmm?”
The corpulent man raised an eyebrow lazily, recognizing the bird demon from Tianji Hall. “What’s the matter?”
“Lord Yuan Lake, I beseech you to leave immediately. A human youth is heading this way, slaughtering demons,” the bird demon urged.
“Hmm?”
The corpulent man froze before bursting into laughter. “Do you even know what you’re saying? You’re telling me to leave?”
“That youth just fought three Demon Kings. Feng Shanjun and the Devouring Demon Ancestor were both defeated, and the Ten Thousand Caverns Ghost Maiden perished at his hands. Please, my lord, do not underestimate him,” the bird demon explained hastily.
The corpulent man’s mocking expression stiffened, his face turning grave. He had heard of Feng Shanjun and the Devouring Demon Ancestor—formidable names in their own right.
Both defeated by a human youth?
“Who is this person? Since when did humans produce such a young powerhouse? Could it be one of those disciples from the immortal sects?”
“No, my lord. This youth is the Haotian Major General from Tianmen Pass, a scion of the Li family!”
“The Li family?”
The corpulent man frowned. Though he had some knowledge of the Divine General Mansion in the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, he had lived for millennia in demon territory, far removed from their affairs. He preferred the comfort of ruling his mountain lake as a local tyrant.
“My lord, please depart swiftly to avoid losing your life,” the bird demon pleaded.
The corpulent man’s expression darkened. He had ruled this mountain lake for thousands of years and now was expected to flee from a human youth he hadn’t even met?
“This is absurd!”
Though furious, the corpulent man knew the intelligence from Tianji Hall wouldn’t be fabricated. He took a deep breath and gathered the fish demons around him. “My consorts, my children, come here! We’ll leave temporarily!”
Even as he prepared to leave, he cast a spell instructing the smaller fish demons to remain and observe the situation.
Shortly after his departure, Li Hao’s figure sped into view.
Seeing the mountain lake, Li Hao sent his divine sense into its depths and discovered an opulent demon lair filled with countless jewels and treasures beneath the water.
...
In the deep ravines and trenches of the lakebed, piles of human and demon skeletons lay intermingled.
With a cold snort, Li Hao transformed his divine sense into a Heavenly Avatar, a colossal figure standing in the lake, stirring the waters with his immense arms. The lake surged, and the smaller fish demons and aquatic creatures were annihilated in the upheaval.
He then used his arms to scoop up the lake water, splashing it onto the shores. Dragging two nearby mountains, he filled the lake, causing its waters to disperse and leaving behind utter devastation. Only then did he continue his advance.
As Li Hao pressed forward, he leveled mountains and filled lakes, leaving behind trails of destruction.
The region was left in ruins as if iron hooves had plowed the land, turning it into a wasteland stretching thousands of miles.
...
The bird demons of Tianji Hall, though few in number, primarily reported on high-ranking demons. Lower-level demons, such as those of the Heaven and Man Realm, often went unreported. Small demon clans were outright ignored.
These smaller demon clans, still indulging in revelry, suddenly saw a youth speeding toward them.
Trailing behind him, like kites, were the corpses of countless demons—a harrowing sight.
By the time the smaller demons realized their peril, it was too late. Sword energy from Li Hao’s fingertips pierced through them, leaving corpses scattered across the battlefield.
Masses of demons perished or fled as Li Hao advanced. Meanwhile, the bird demons of Tianji Hall noticed that Li Hao’s actions were not random; rather, his sweeping movements centered around Tianmen Pass, radiating outward in a fan-shaped pattern. He avoided venturing into regions far beyond this area.
“He’s clearing out the demon territories around Tianmen Pass!”
The bird demons quickly grasped Li Hao’s intent but were filled with a mix of fear and awe.
Although he confined his actions to the vicinity of Tianmen Pass, the scope of his sweep was staggering—extending four to five thousand miles beyond the pass!
Along his path, Li Hao had already driven out three Demon Kings, razing their lairs.
The displaced Demon Kings, informed by Tianji Hall’s reports, begrudgingly abandoned their strongholds, intending to assess the situation later.
News of this upheaval soon spread even farther, reaching the ears of three major demon factions near the Liang Province border.
...
The demon forces in Liang Province had long been monitored by Tianji Hall, which recently bolstered its numbers by dispatching reinforcements from its main headquarters. Three sub-halls were stationed specifically near Tianmen Pass to oversee the area—a level of attention second only to the five Divine General Mansions.
“That youth managed to slay a Demon King? And he’s only… how old?”
“Wasn’t he just fourteen? Last year in Qingzhou, he barely reached the Heaven and Man Realm, and now he’s killing Demon Kings?”
The three major demon factions were astounded by the reports.
However, upon learning that Li Hao was merely clearing the area around Tianmen Pass, they heaved a small sigh of relief.
They couldn’t help but recall the rumors of the youth and his father’s legendary exploits during the battles in Qingzhou.
“Perhaps those rumors are true. Otherwise, why would the Li family orchestrate such a scheme, even allowing a scandal to tarnish their name?”
“If the youth truly intends to honor the agreement, then our plans to attack Liang Province shouldn’t be too greatly affected.”
“Let’s start from the eastern side of Liang Province. If we can’t handle the son, we’ll target the father first!”
...
“Agreed. I’ve had enough of Li Tiangang anyway. That hard-headed old man cost us dearly in Yan Province!”
The three demon factions convened secretly.
“Our Dragon Gate Elder won’t emerge from seclusion for another year. Let’s observe the situation until then.”
“For now, we’ll feign an assault to confuse them. Let them think we’re merely creating a diversion without real intent to attack.”
...
Elsewhere, the fleeing Feng Shanjun and Devouring Demon Ancestor nursed their wounds. The latter had sustained critical injuries, barely escaping with its life. Stripped of most of its power, its cultivation had fallen to the Three Immortals Realm. It would take time to recover before reclaiming its title as Demon King.
Though it thirsted for revenge, it had no choice but to bide its time.
Feng Shanjun, while injured, was in far better condition and could recover with some rest. Upon hearing of the demon forces gathering in Liang Province, it immediately headed there to gather information, hoping to leverage their power for its vengeance.
...
Li Hao continued his unstoppable advance, cutting down countless demons along the way. He eventually stopped atop a mountain, surrounded by scattered remnants of his slaughter.
Gazing at the stars and moon above, Li Hao realized it was time to return.
Having cleared such a vast expanse, his mission was nearing its conclusion.
After resting overnight, Li Hao began his journey back the next day, dragging countless demon corpses behind him.
On the way, he sorted through the remains, selecting the corpses of demons with higher cultivation to take with him.
...
As Li Hao returned, the bird demons of Tianji Hall, who had been secretly observing him, were ecstatic. They immediately spread the news to the fleeing Demon Kings and other high-ranking demons that the calamity had finally left.
Though they felt humiliated, the demons also sighed in relief and quickly returned to their lairs.
Upon arrival, however, they found their territories utterly devastated, no longer suitable for habitation.
The Yuan Lake Demon King returned to its mountain lake, barely containing its rage. Seeing that two mountains had been dumped into its lake and all its smaller minions annihilated, it nearly coughed up blood in fury.
“Ahhh… I will have my revenge!!”
The Yuan Lake Demon King roared in wrath.
Two other Demon Kings shared its sentiments. Choking on their anger, they gathered intelligence from Tianji Hall and sought refuge with the three major demon factions along the Liang Province border, temporarily pledging their allegiance.