Volume 2 - Chapter 49: I Will Descend the Mountain
Tianmen Pass, Cangya City.
The protective divine array over the city had been fully constructed. Squads of the Blood Fiend Army and volunteer warriors patrolled the city walls, keeping a close eye on the movements of the demonic creatures beyond the pass.
Li Hongzhuang, clad in her crimson battle armor, ascended the city wall. Her gaze stretched toward the horizon outside the pass, her brows furrowing deeply.
“It’s been two days, and the child still hasn’t returned…”
Worry filled her heart.
Although the three Great Demon Kings had been marked as wanted by the Demon Subduing Division and had likely fled their lairs, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t linger nearby. What if Li Hao ran into them?
The grudge between them was one of blood and vengeance. Beyond the pass lay the domain of demonic creatures, a perilous and unforgiving place.
“Li Ye,” she called after a long moment of contemplation, summoning her lieutenant.
She planned to dispatch an elite rider to scout the lairs of the three Great Demon Kings.
A middle-aged lieutenant responded to her summons and began walking toward her. Before he could arrive, however, a series of astonished cries echoed from the distance.
The lieutenant and Li Hongzhuang tensed instinctively, their bodies taut as bowstrings, and turned toward the commotion. Following the gaze of the soldiers nearby, they looked toward the eastern sky beyond the pass.
In the azure expanse, a black speck appeared, growing larger by the moment, like a mountain suspended in mid-air, flying toward them.
“A demonic attack?”
Li Hongzhuang’s expression darkened as she stepped forward, placing a hand on the city wall and squinting into the distance.
When her eyes focused on the shadow and its true form became clear, her grave expression faltered.
“Hao, Hao’er?”
Whoosh!
Li Hao shot toward the city with incredible speed, dragging the corpses of countless demonic creatures behind him, their bodies bound and dangling like kites tethered by fishing lines.
As the city walls came into view, Li Hao felt a wave of familiarity and accelerated.
When he passed through the protective divine array, the soldiers on the walls finally got a clear look at the shocking scene. Their initial shock quickly gave way to exclamations of awe.
“It’s Major General Haotian!”
“Did he slay all those demonic creatures by himself?”
“My heavens, these are all Three Immortals Realm demons! And there are so many of them!”
The soldiers of the Blood Fiend Army maintained a semblance of composure, but the volunteer warriors who had come to assist couldn’t stop gasping in astonishment.
Three Immortals Realm demons were rarely seen under normal circumstances. Each one was a tyrant of its territory, capable of ruling regions spanning hundreds or even thousands of miles. Their rarity made this sight all the more staggering.
Yet now, they were all strung up like fish in a net, lifeless.
As Li Hao returned to the city, the news spread quickly. The entire city buzzed with excitement at the tale of Li Hao’s triumph over the Great Demons. Throngs of people hurried to witness the spectacle.
Li Hao brought the corpses to an open space where the Black Bird Demon King’s body had been previously stored. When he saw the approaching Li Hongzhuang, he smiled faintly and said,
“Keep an eye on these for me. When you have time, cook up a feast for everyone.”
“…”
Li Hongzhuang stood dumbfounded for a moment before blurting out, “You killed all these? How far did you go?”
“Not far, just wandered around outside,” Li Hao replied casually.
Li Hongzhuang scrutinized him suspiciously. How could he encounter so many Great Demons without traveling far? She suspected he had ventured not only to the lairs of the three Great Demon Kings thousands of miles away but even further beyond.
“You visited the lairs of those three Demon Kings, didn’t you? Were they empty?” she asked.
Li Hao nodded. “They’re all gone.”
Li Hongzhuang exhaled in relief. “Good. It’s better that they fled. As long as you’re safe. With your talent, there’s no need to take risks now. After ten years of rigorous cultivation, you’ll likely reach the Fourth Pillar Realm. You can seek adventure then—it won’t be too late.”
Her confidence in Li Hao was unwavering.
If he reached the Fourth Pillar Realm in ten years, he would still be only 24 years old, far surpassing his peers and breaking records.
After all, most would consider themselves geniuses if they reached the Three Immortals Realm by the age of 24.
Recently, she had learned that Li Hao’s father—her seventh brother—had been exceptionally gifted, achieving the Three Immortals Realm at 23. For Li Hao to reach the Fourth Pillar Realm by 24 would be nothing short of extraordinary.
Li Hao gave her an odd look.
Was his little aunt cursing him? Ten years to reach the Fourth Pillar Realm? What a venomous curse…
“I’m a bit tired. I’m going to rest for now.”
Li Hao turned to leave.
Li Hongzhuang snapped out of her daze and noticed his tattered clothing. Her expression shifted. “Are you badly injured?”
“A little,” Li Hao admitted. “I need a good two days of sleep.”
“…”
After bidding Li Hongzhuang farewell, Li Hao returned to his courtyard. When he saw Ren Qianqian rushing out to greet him, he immediately noticed a transformation in her aura. Her entire being radiated a subdued divine light.
“You’ve reached the Spiritual Wandering Realm?”
Li Hao smiled.
Ren Qianqian, a year younger than him and only 13 years old, had achieved the Spiritual Wandering Realm—a remarkable pace of cultivation.
Most prodigies with Ninth-Class Battle Bodies only reached this realm at 14, even under the guidance of powerful factions.
From there, the progression depended on one’s innate talent. Those with extraordinary comprehension might reach the Heaven and Man Realm by 18 or 19, maintaining a rapid pace of breakthroughs and earning the title of "genius."
Those with lesser comprehension might take until their twenties or thirties to reach the same realm, while others could take even longer, sometimes well into their forties or fifties.
“Young Master, are you injured?”
Ren Qianqian exclaimed softly, her eyes full of worry as she took in Li Hao’s tattered clothing.
Li Hao chuckled and handed her the Dragon Sky Sword. “Just minor injuries. They’ve already healed. All I need is a change of clothes.”
Ren Qianqian accepted the sword, carefully examining Li Hao’s exposed skin. Seeing no visible wounds, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, “I’ll fetch some fresh clothes for you right away.”
She then ran back into the courtyard, cradling the sword in her arms.
Li Hao entered the tea pavilion in the yard, picked up a teapot, and shook it. Finding water still inside, he drank directly from the spout. The fierce battles of the past two days had left him parched.
Not long after, Ren Qianqian returned with a fresh set of clothes. Li Hao took them with a nod of thanks and headed to the bathing room.
After washing away the blood and grime from his body and hair, he emerged wearing clean clothes, refreshed and invigorated.
Outside, the little white fox was waiting for him by the door. Li Hao bent down to pick it up, stroking its soft fur. Then, carrying the fox, he returned to the tea pavilion and filled the pot with hot tea.
“Feng Lao, care for a cup?” he asked with a smile.
“Not this time. The city is crowded with prying eyes,” Feng Boping’s voice replied, floating through the air.
Li Hao’s smile faltered slightly but quickly returned. After a brief silence, he picked up the teapot and tea set and instructed Ren Qianqian and the white fox to carry on with their tasks in the courtyard. He then flew out of the city to a nearby mountaintop.
“There’s no one around now,” he said, setting up the tea set and inviting Feng Boping with a gesture.
“You rascal,” Feng Boping said with a chuckle, his figure materializing like a gust of wind. He settled across from Li Hao and added, “Old men like me don’t need tea, you know.”
Despite his words, he picked up a teacup and drained it, his face lighting up with a contented smile.
“But I do,” Li Hao replied.
He poured himself a cup as well, sitting atop the windy mountain peak. Thanks to his Supreme Body, the cold winds couldn’t touch him. His inner energy shielded the teapot, keeping the tea warm.
“Spring is almost here,” Feng Boping said, gazing out at the vast landscape, his breath mingling with the steam rising from the tea.
Li Hao nodded.
With the battle concluded, the two took the rare opportunity to relax, enjoying the tea and the serene atmosphere.
When the teapot was empty, Li Hao rose, bid farewell to Feng Boping, and returned to his courtyard.
Ren Qianqian, practicing her swordsmanship, noticed his return and ran over immediately. “Young Master, did you go far over the past two days?” she asked curiously.
“Not very far. Just a few thousand miles,” Li Hao said with a smile, cradling the little white fox as it jumped into his arms. He noticed that the dark red tint in its eyes was beginning to fade, and its vitality had improved slightly.
Ren Qianqian’s jaw dropped slightly before she sighed in frustration. “Young Master, you’ve already reached the summit of the mountain. When will I ever catch up to your pace?”
Though her cultivation speed was impressive, it was nothing compared to Li Hao’s. She worried that she would be left further and further behind, unable to join him in his future endeavors.
“There’s no need to catch up,” Li Hao said with a warm smile. “I will descend the mountain to see you.”
Ren Qianqian froze for a moment, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
Not long after Li Hao’s return, a large number of warriors gathered at the courtyard, creating a lively commotion. When Li Hao asked about their purpose, he learned they were seeking to enlist in the army.
However, they weren’t interested in joining Li Hongzhuang’s Blood Fiend Army. Instead, they wanted to serve under Li Hao’s command.
Since the emperor had officially granted him the title of major general, Li Hao had the authority to recruit his own forces, though on a limited scale.
Accommodating these reinforcements was no problem, as only a few thousand warriors had remained in the city, and only seven to eight hundred of them were seeking enlistment.
Li Hao grabbed a small stool and sat in the courtyard, instructing Ren Qianqian to handle the registration process. Meanwhile, he assessed the recruits one by one, assigning them to positions based on their cultivation levels and skills.
Some were suited for reconnaissance, others for frontline assaults, and some for the logistics division to help with cooking and other support tasks.
The days passed in this leisurely atmosphere, filled with laughter and camaraderie.
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