Volume 2 - Chapter 52: The Twin Li Hao and the Forbidden Dragon Pass Path - Part 2
Time passed swiftly.
The spring rains grew even more persistent, and occasional sunny days disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Beyond the pass, military banners were planted one after another. Each banner seemed to be a resounding slap on the faces of the demons beyond the pass.
As more banners were planted, the humiliation became unbearable for some demons.
Amidst the torrential downpour, a demon at the Undying Realm roared in fury and charged toward the hilltop where the banners had been planted just days prior. This hill had been the site of its newly constructed home, only partially complete, but now it was razed to the ground, leaving only a barren hilltop and a battle flag drenched in the endless rain.
When the demon saw the two characters "Haotian" on the banner, its bloodthirsty eyes burned with rage, and it let out a furious roar.
“Lord Longze, don’t!”
A messenger bird from Tianji Hall rushed over and shouted anxiously.
But the demon no longer cared. Rather than living in constant fear beyond the pass—hiding and fleeing every few days—it decided it might as well relocate entirely.
It had already made up its mind to tear down every one of those detestable human flags and leave for good.
After all, the world was vast, and there was always somewhere to call home.
With a loud boom, its sharp claws struck down, shattering the battle flag instantly. The flagpole splintered, and the banner was ripped apart.
Before the demon could even smirk, a surge of sword energy erupted from the battle flag like a blade splitting the heavens and earth apart!
The torrential rain was sliced cleanly in half by the devastating sword aura.
The sword energy soared into the clouds, ripping through the dark skies and halting the spring storm entirely.
Then, it came slashing down with terrifying force!
It was as though an immortal had casually unleashed a strike that cleaved through the heavens.
The demon’s pupils contracted in shock, its expression one of utter disbelief. Where had such an attack come from?
It roared in defiance, unleashing a torrential wave of demonic energy as its scales swelled in defense against the sword aura.
But in the next instant, the sword energy sliced cleanly through, splitting its body in two from head to tail!
The sword aura then fragmented into countless smaller strands of energy, which descended like a rainstorm, ravaging the demon’s body.
Had it merely been cut in two, the demon could have survived; a mere fatal wound was hardly enough to kill a demon at the Three Immortals Realm.
Even if its heart was shattered, the demon could have escaped, consumed healing pills, or protected its vital core to recover. With its regenerative abilities, healing even a destroyed heart wasn’t particularly difficult.
But under the onslaught of countless sword energies, one of them penetrated the demon’s body, and before it could struggle, its very soul was obliterated.
Its massive corpse collapsed on the hillside, falling before the shattered battle flag.
The bird demon that had arrived stopped in its tracks when the sword aura surged skyward, retreating quickly to avoid its range.
Watching the endless strands of sword aura ravage the demon’s corpse until they finally dissipated, the bird demon was left speechless, trembling in terror.
“This… this battle flag contains a sword formation?!”
“How is that possible!”
“When did the Si Tianjian of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty become capable of arranging such a terrifying and intricate formation?”
The bird demon’s feathers trembled uncontrollably. Despite it being spring, it felt a coldness deeper than winter.
This spring might have been a season of renewal for some...
But for the demons, it was the onset of a merciless winter!
The bird demon’s legs gave out, and it blew a shrill whistle using its mystical sound whistle. Before long, a large group of bird demons from Tianji Hall gathered.
When they saw the circle of clear skies above the hilltop, they stared in shock and began chirping questions.
...
After learning what had happened, every bird demon was stunned, staring at the hilltop in disbelief.
The corpse of the Three Immortals Realm demon still lay there.
One battle flag had killed a great demon of the Three Immortals Realm!
And if they remembered correctly, over thirty of such flags had already been planted!
Moreover, every few days, more flags were being planted, marking the mountain peaks rich in energy throughout the 5,000-mile region beyond the pass.
“These… these are all that young man’s battle flags!”
“Is he planning to claim this entire 5,000-mile region as his territory?!”
The bird demons from Tianji Hall trembled in fear and unease.
The young man’s power and methods were beyond their comprehension.
A red-dressed bird demon transformed into a young woman, her water-like, delicate face filled with dread.
As an intelligence agent, she had witnessed countless monstrous talents of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty over the past century.
But the brilliance of those past geniuses paled in comparison to what she had seen in this single year!
The terror of that young man was evident, his overwhelming might extending across thousands of miles, exerting a pressure that crushed all in his era!
Suddenly, she understood why the young man dared to guard the border alone.
It wasn’t a blessing for the demons; it was a blessing for him.
He was far more ruthless and terrifying than the rumors in Qingzhou suggested. He was like a ferocious god unleashed, fully revealing his fangs and claws!
“Quickly, inform everyone—never approach these battle flags again. Later, we’ll retrieve one to investigate the formation inscribed on it,” the red-dressed woman said urgently.
The gathered bird demons nodded gravely, dispersing rapidly into the sky.
...
Within the fenced courtyard.
Li Hao’s gaze fell upon the translucent interface before him, where the marker count shifted from 35/180 to 34/180.
He immediately realized that one of his markers had been destroyed.
With a slight raise of his brow, he ordered his Dark Aspect Clone to investigate. Simultaneously, he instructed Tianji Hall to provide an explanation.
Not long after, the Dark Aspect Clone returned, carrying the corpse of the Three Immortals Realm demon.
Along the way, a bird demon from Tianji Hall had been waiting, mistaking the Dark Aspect Clone for Li Hao himself. It groveled and apologized, explaining the incident in detail.
The Dark Aspect Clone didn’t say a word. It simply killed the bird demon with a casual squeeze.
When Tianji Hall learned of this, they were outraged but dared not retaliate. The following day, they sent another bird demon to inquire further.
Li Hao made it clear that the incident served as a mere warning.
Actions spoke louder than words, and the bird demon, trembling with fear, scurried back to deliver Li Hao’s message. The members of Tianji Hall were both furious and helpless.
This incident amplified Li Hao’s fearsome reputation. The news spread more fervently, and even the most arrogant demons of the Three Immortals Realm hesitated to act recklessly. One by one, they left the region beyond the pass, seeking safer grounds.
Although the mountains, hills, and swamps beyond the pass were sacred lands—the ancestral birthplaces of many demons—they chose to abandon them temporarily.
Even demons felt emotional ties to their birthplace. Yet they understood that for as long as the young man guarded Tianmen Pass, these ancestral lands no longer belonged to them.
Fortunately, demons enjoyed long lifespans and were infinitely patient. They decided to wait decades, or even centuries, before returning. By then, the young man would likely have moved on.
For most great demons, a century was but a single closed-door cultivation session.
The region beyond the pass grew increasingly desolate.
The once lively landscapes now stood eerily empty. Across thousands of miles, demons had vanished. Only small, ignorant demons, unaware of the situation, occasionally wandered in.
...
Time passed.
The spring rains gave way to the sweltering heat of summer.
Cangya City bustled with growing prosperity, as travelers and merchants thronged its streets.
On the Dragon Pass Path, a sparse number of travelers made their way toward the city, including a merchant caravan.
Meanwhile, deep within a dense forest located dozens of miles off the Dragon Pass Path, a massive, bloated demon emerged, crawling slowly out of the underbrush.
Its eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty intent as it gazed at the wide, pristine road ahead.
The demon began to slither forward but stopped abruptly when an ancient tree in the forest spoke, its raspy voice echoing: “Do not go any further.”
“Hm?”
The bloated demon paused, turning to face the speaking tree spirit. It hadn’t even noticed the tree before it spoke, causing its expression to darken.
“What are you talking about?” it asked coldly.
The ancient tree spirit let out a long sigh, its voice filled with melancholy. “Beyond this point lies the Dragon Pass Path.”
“So what?”
The bloated demon snorted. “What’s so special about the Dragon Pass Path?”
The tree spirit shook its branches as if shaking its head. “Step onto the Dragon Pass Path, and you enter the lands of the humans.”
“Humans?”
“Hasn’t this road belonged to demons for years? What human would dare tread here?”
“You must be new to this region,” the tree spirit replied, its branches swaying gently. “What you described was true in the past. But now? There are no demons left on that path—only demon corpses, mountains of them, steeped in rivers of blood.”
“What?”
The bloated demon frowned and looked toward the Dragon Pass Path, where it could see several humans walking in the distance. To its eyes, they were nothing more than delectable morsels—small, sweet treats.
“Do you see that banner?”
The ancient tree spirit’s branches swayed, pointing toward a high rock along the path where a battle flag stood. “If you value your life, leave now. The strong scent of human blood on you will only lead to your death.”
“Ha! Scare tactics? A mere flag is supposed to intimidate me?”
The bloated demon sneered. “I’ve devoured entire armies before. You’re just an old piece of wood—if you weren’t so dry and tough, I’d use you as a snack!”
With that, the demon ignored the tree spirit and slithered straight onto the Dragon Pass Path.
“Grandfather, it’s not listening to you,” a small sapling nearby rustled as it spoke.
The ancient tree spirit sighed deeply but remained silent.
The bloated demon, meanwhile, had reached the Dragon Pass Path, racing toward the distant humans it had spotted.
Its eyes burned with murderous intent, and the gusts of wind generated by its charge caused the battle flag on the high rock to flap wildly.
Yet just as the demon neared its targets, a gentle breeze swept through the path.
Amid the scorching summer heat, the breeze carried a refreshing coolness as it brushed past the bloated demon.
“This…”
The demon’s pupils contracted as it tried to dodge, but it was too late.
Its body was suddenly sliced open, its innards spilling onto the ground, blood pooling beneath it.
The breeze seemed to have come from Cangya City at the end of the Dragon Pass Path.
Or perhaps, it was the remnant sword aura that the young man had casually unleashed a year ago, which had slain a demon back then, swirling along this road, only to return now, one year later...