Chapter 163 - 167: Confronting Challenges from All Sides. The Youth's Fearful Reputation. Demons and Monsters Tremble at His Name. If You Can't Defeat Li Hao, Kill Li Tiangang First. I'll Be Going.

 Chapter 163: Confronting Challenges from All Sides (Two Chapters Combined)

Three thousand miles beyond the pass, there lay a valley shrouded in toxic mist and surrounded by miasma.

Within this valley stood a grand hall, where birds soared through the poisonous haze, their bodies enveloped in whirlwinds. They weaved their way through the deadly fog and entered the hall.

The interior of the hall was protected by a formation that kept the toxic mist at bay.

Numerous birds perched on the railings and pillars, while others transformed into child-like forms upon landing, their petite figures exuding a delicate and lively aura.

This was one of the branch halls of the Celestial Plate Hall.

Within the realm of demons and monsters, the influence of the Celestial Plate Hall was not inferior to that of powers like Dragon Gate and the Holy Palace. Although their overall combat strength was not particularly notable, their hall master was shrouded in mystery. Moreover, the bird demons under their command possessed a vast network of information, moving freely among the various powers and boasting extensive connections. This made the Celestial Plate Hall a highly relied-upon source of intelligence for the major forces.

"You've all received the news, right? That boy is slaughtering demons and monsters everywhere!"

"He's too rampant! To dare to intrude alone into our demons' territory. This is not the Divine Yu Dynasty!"

"It's all the fault of those demon kings from Wan Mountain who escaped from the border. No one is there to guard against that boy. There's definitely someone at the Four Establishments Realm secretly following him."

"Previously, when that boy traveled from Qingzhou to Liangzhou, he was protected all the way by someone at the Four Establishments Realm. The demon kings didn't dare to take the risk of invading and killing him. Now that he's ventured deep alone, he's seeking his own death!"

Seven or eight boys and girls of different appearances and short stature gathered together, led by a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl in a red skirt. She had a delicate and lively appearance, but her expression was indifferent and mature beyond her years.

"Ming Hall Master is dead, killed by that boy!"

A boy in black whispered, his voice soft yet his eyes dark.

The others remained silent, having already received this news through the previous birdcall signals.

The Celestial Plate Hall moved freely among the major demon forces, yet no demon would dare to strike at them unless they were insane.

But should any demon harm a member of the Celestial Plate Hall, they would have to pay with their lives! Now, this human dared to kill their Ming Hall Master, and he would face the same consequence!

"You've already spread the word, right? I just contacted the other states, and the news about this boy is spreading. Those great demons and demon kings who bear a grudge against the Li family will definitely come!"

"As long as this boy continues to stay here, his death is certain!"

The girl in the red skirt spoke with eyes as clear as shining snow and a voice as cold as ice.

The other children nodded, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

"Have you found out the identity of the person at the Four Establishments Realm who has been secretly following that boy?" the girl in the red skirt asked.

The children glanced at each other, and a petite girl in a green skirt shook her head, her features as fine as jade. "We thought it was the Fourth Young Master of the Li family, but I personally investigated, and he hasn't left that river of death."

"It's not the Fourth Young Master of the Li family," said another child, his hair as white as snow, a cold smile in his eyes. "You could never guess who it is. When the Wan Mountain Demon Kings attacked, I watched that battle from a distance. Although the person deliberately hid their techniques, I still recognized them."

"I was looking into the archives earlier, and it's related to that incident with the Buddhist Sect thirty years ago. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the Saint of Thieves, Feng Boping!"

"What?!"

The others were shocked at his words.

The bird demons listening nearby also widened their eyes in surprise.

"The Saint of Thieves? Is he protecting that boy?"

"Is the Divine General's Mansion secretly connected to the Saint of Thieves?"

"My goodness, if the Buddhist Sect finds out about this, the Li family is in big trouble."

"Not just the Buddhist Sect, if any of the other Divine General's Mansions find out, it would be a top-secret piece of information that could fetch a high price!"

They were getting worked up as they spoke. This was a rare opportunity to gain leverage over the Li family. However, for now, they only knew that the Saint of Thieves was protecting the boy; they hadn't yet obtained concrete evidence of his collusion with the Divine General's Mansion.

Based solely on the protection aspect, it wasn't enough to implicate the Divine General's Mansion.

After all, it was the Saint of Thieves' freedom to choose whom to protect, and without solid proof, any accusations would be mere slander.

"I'll report this matter to the Hall Master," said the girl in the red skirt, her eyes sparkling. "Later, our elders will personally investigate and trace the clues. If we can find evidence, it will be fantastic news for us."

The Celestial Plate Hall relied on intelligence for its survival, and possessing valuable information was their greatest weapon.

The higher the value of the information they held, the greater the benefit to them.

At that moment, a bird flew through the toxic mist and landed in the hall.

"Reporting to the elders, that boy has just killed the old ancestor of Ping Mountain in the west and is now heading this way." The bird demon spoke in an old woman's voice.

"What? Old Ancestor Ping Mountain is dead too?!"

The other bird demons were shocked.

He was a great demon at the Unfading Realm, comparable to the Three Prime Demons. He had cultivated for tens of thousands of years, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he had one foot in the Four Establishments Realm. Yet, he had also perished?

"Didn't he try to escape?"

"Wasn't he informed?"

"He was informed, but he wanted to test his abilities. He wanted to see what the young brat was capable of."

"..."

The bird demons fell silent.

The girl in the red skirt frowned, "This miasma and toxic mist may not be able to block his detection. This boy is capable of tearing apart the Three Immortals with his bare hands. He's terrifying! We must disperse immediately and use the Xuan Yin whistle to communicate. There's already a Demon King on his way here. I'll go and greet him, and ask him to wait a little longer until the other Demon Kings arrive. Then, we'll destroy that boy together."

"Yes."

The bird demons nodded.

Soon after, numerous birds took flight from the hidden toxic valley.

The cyclone techniques they carried on their wings could isolate the surrounding toxic mist and create a clear path.

...

At Tianmenguan, Li Hongzhuang stood atop the city wall, gazing into the distance. Li Hao had yet to return, and a sense of unease stirred within her, an unsettling feeling in her heart.

It was as if she had a foreboding premonition.

"General, has General Haotian not returned yet?"

A Zongshi hurried over to inquire.

Li Hongzhuang was taken aback, "What did you call him?"

"General Haotian," the Zongshi replied, puzzled.

Li Hongzhuang's expression changed slightly. Previously, Li Hao had distinguished himself by defending Dayue City and Tianmenguan. His achievements were immense, and the Emperor had bestowed upon him the title of General. This news had already spread within the court and reached the Li family in Qingzhou.

Now, Li Hao's military flags were flying atop the city walls, with the words 'Haotian' fluttering in the wind. Most people within the city had also changed the way they addressed Li Hao.

It seemed that no one referred to that young man as 'Young Master Li' anymore.

Perhaps behind closed doors, people still remembered that he was from the Li family, carrying the esteemed surname of the Divine General's Mansion. But as time passed, would anyone still remember in the future?

Li Hongzhuang's thoughts wandered for a moment until the Zongshi's question snapped her back to the present.

She frowned slightly and replied, "What business do you have with him?"

"General, it's not me looking for him. It's the officials from the Star Pavilion. They want to invite General Haotian to test their formation."

The Zongshi explained, "It seems their formation is complete."

Li Hongzhuang glanced into the distance and said, "I'll go and take a look first."

With that, she took off and soon arrived on the other side of the city wall.

Li Hongzhuang landed, and the elderly master of the Star Pavilion, along with several of his students, was waiting there.

"General."

Upon seeing the crimson battle armor and the shoulder insignia on Li Hongzhuang, the master of the Star Pavilion gave a slight bow.

Li Hongzhuang quickly returned the gesture, then said, "You've all worked hard."

"It's our duty."

The master of the Star Pavilion scanned the area and asked, "Where's General Haotian?"

Li Hongzhuang's eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly, and she calmly replied, "He went beyond the pass to slay demons."

"When did he leave? I didn't see any troops marching out," asked Xia Xianglan, curious.

Li Hongzhuang glanced at her and said, "He went alone without any soldiers."

"Alone?"

Xia Xianglan was taken aback, then asked, "Why didn't he bring any troops? Isn't it dangerous?"

"..."

Li Hongzhuang was momentarily stumped by this seemingly innocent question. How could there be no danger?

To answer yes would mean putting that young man in harm's way by himself.

She paused briefly before responding, "It's too dangerous beyond the pass. Our soldiers can't keep up with him, and they would only become a burden."

As she said this, she felt a flush of embarrassment on her face.

What seemed like a routine matter now felt embarrassing to speak of.

It seemed that they were just here to put up a front while guarding the border.

"Is he that amazing?" Xia Xianglan looked at her in surprise.

Li Hongzhuang fell silent. Yes, that young man had become incredibly powerful.

So powerful that even she, his little aunt, couldn't keep up with his pace.

Perhaps if Jiuge were still alive, he could have kept pace with that young man, or perhaps he would be waiting for him somewhere far ahead in a more distant landscape.

"Xianglan, mind your manners."

Although the master of the Star Pavilion disliked small talk and socializing, he could read the room. The rumors about the young man and the Li family were too sensational for him not to have heard about them. He said to Li Hongzhuang,

"General, do you know when the young general will be back?"

"..."

Li Hongzhuang was at a loss for words. She had no precise information, and Li Hao hadn't said anything when he left.

Seeing Li Hongzhuang's silence, the master of the Star Pavilion gave her a strange look but didn't say anything further. He simply said,

"In that case, we'll wait a few more days for the young general to return before proceeding."

"Thank you for your trouble."

Li Hongzhuang finally responded.

"Has he always been like this?"

Xia Xianglan asked Li Hongzhuang.

Li Hongzhuang frowned, choosing to ignore the question. The girl's words left her feeling unable to respond.

Xia Xianglan pouted slightly when she was ignored. She waited until her master and Li Hongzhuang had left before turning her gaze towards the city gates and the melting snow beyond:

"Who is he fighting out there?"

...

...

Three thousand miles beyond the pass.

A dragon bird with a colorful, flowing light streaking across its body fled in a panic, speeding through the peaks with its feathers falling and scattering in its wake.

Behind it, a golden divine light chased relentlessly, suddenly accelerating and slashing towards the dragon bird's wings.

The dragon bird let out an angry roar, and its wings fanned out a thunderous gale, sending bolts of lightning crashing down like a dense storm towards the nearby area.

But the golden divine light suddenly curved, like a crescent moon, slashing towards another spot. Its sharp edge swiftly sliced open the dragon bird's side, and its internal organs almost spilled out.

The dragon bird cried out in pain, its eyes filled with terror. "I have no grudge against you. Why are you forcing me to my death?"

Li Hao's figure appeared quietly from another direction, and he threw a punch, the rolling force of which seemed to seal off the nearby space around the dragon bird, along with its aura.

The dragon bird wailed in agony as it crashed into a mountain peak, creating a huge dent and sending rocks tumbling into the mountain gorge.

The dragon bird glared in dismay, its eyes filled with terror and anger as it looked at the approaching boy, but it was too weak to get up.

The Dragon Soaring Sword returned to its sheath, and Li Hao shook his head slightly as he gazed at the dragon bird, its soul extinguished. He released a dark thread and wrapped it around the dragon bird's corpse, dragging it up.

Then, he retracted his other dark threads, and from a distance, like kites, several dark shadows flew towards him—all the bodies of the demons he had captured and killed along the way.

Li Hao soared into the sky, these corpses trailing behind him like kites, a spectacular sight.

Pushing horizontally for three thousand miles, from west to east, Li Hao felt a bit frustrated that he had not encountered any Demon Kings. The most powerful demons he had faced so far were only at the Unfading Realm.

"Are there only these three demons guarding the pass?"

Li Hao was a little moody.

So far, he had only warmed up slightly.

Continuing on, Li Hao flew over some mountain peaks, using his spiritual sense to scan the surroundings and explore the path ahead.

On some of the mountains, Li Hao detected demon caves, but they were all empty.

This was not the first time Li Hao had encountered such a situation, and he frowned as he scanned the area with his eyes, occasionally spotting some flying birds and small demons, which he crushed with a casual hand gesture. Later, even these small creatures became scarce.

"It seems like these demons knew I was coming and ran away in advance. Are they being warned by the demons of Tianji Temple?"

Li Hao sighed inwardly, feeling that he had delivered himself to their door, and it was simply unreasonable for these demons to flee.

He flew on for a while longer, visiting several more empty mountain peaks, but he couldn't find any demons. Feeling a bit bored, he sat down on a large mountain, and the dark threads that had been wrapping around the demons' bodies also fell to the mountain's edge.

"Wind Master, bring some wine."

Li Hao called out.

In the void, a wine gourd flew over, but Wind Master did not show himself:

"Drink less, this wine is strong."

"Strong wine is good."

Li Hao smiled slightly and popped open the cork to take a few sips.

Several wild birds flew over and landed on the ground, pecking at the mountain fruits.

These birds were not demons but ordinary creatures.

Li Hao glanced at them indifferently and continued drinking. Suddenly, he looked towards the small birds.

The little birds were searching for fallen mountain fruits and insects on the ground.

Li Hao raised his eyebrows slightly, and with a series of soft bangs, the bodies of the little birds suddenly exploded, crushed by his control over objects.

He released a dark thread, extending it in all directions and condensing it into a net.

Then, he continued drinking.

Several dozen miles away, a bird demon, whose demonic aura was carefully concealed, let out a low hum of pain. Its eyes bled, but it quickly buried its head under its wing, afraid of being discovered.

Once it stabilized its injury, it calmed its startled heart and took to the sky.

"Can he detect me even when I'm using the Divine Eye Technique and borrowing the sight of those little birds?"

It felt exposed, and its heart was filled with panic. It didn't dare to stay any longer.

Suddenly, as it took flight, it touched something like a guitar string.

Before it could react, the dark thread tightened, wrapping around its body and pulling it towards a mountain peak.

"What is this thing!"

The bird demon was terrified and struggled desperately, but the dark thread was deeply entangled around it, constricting its bones.

It watched helplessly as it was pulled towards the mountain peak where the boy was, its heart shattering with fear. It roared in fury.

Plop.

The bird demon's body fell to the ground at Li Hao's feet, its life extinguished as it chose to end its own life.

Li Hao raised his eyebrows slightly, and like the previous black bird, this bird demon from Tianji Temple seemed to be well-trained, choosing to take its own life rather than give its enemy a chance to interrogate it.

"It seems that with Tianji Temple here, it will be quite troublesome to hunt down these demons on a large scale."

Li Hao muttered to himself.

He retracted the dark thread and slapped the bird demon's corpse, turning it into a bloody mess. Then, he returned the wine gourd to Wind Master and stood up, ready to take off again.

He wanted to see how many demons the bird demons of Tianji Temple could scare away.

Li Hao continued flying eastward, and as he passed by a valley filled with poisonous mist and haze, he detected an empty hall inside. With a casual hand gesture, Li Hao smashed it to pieces.

Along the way, he destroyed all the caves and training grounds that belonged to the demons he had encountered, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

...

As Li Hao pushed forward, a thousand miles away, at a border of Liangzhou, several figures flew towards him.

These figures exuded a powerful aura of demons and monsters, led by a middle-aged man in white robes with a handsome face and eyes that shone with a captivating light.

The other four figures were startled by his presence and quickly paid their respects:

"Lord Feng of Mount Feng!"

The white-robed middle-aged man glanced at the four of them and said coldly, "You also have a grudge against the Li family?"

"Yes!"

The four of them nodded quickly, feeling nervous in front of him.

After all, he was a Demon King.

At that moment, two birds flew towards them, one in front and one behind. The leading red bird transformed into a girl in a red skirt.

"Lord Feng!"

She respectfully greeted the white-robed middle-aged man and then nodded slightly to the other four, saying, "Please wait, Lord Bai is also on his way here."

"Lord Bai?"

The white-robed middle-aged man frowned slightly, surprised that the other Demon King was also coming. However, given that the other party had a deep-seated grudge against the Li family due to their conflicts in Yanbei over the past decade, it was understandable that he would seize this rare opportunity.

"How long will it take him to get here? If he's too slow, I won't bother waiting."

Following closely behind him were several other figures, their appearances ranging from tall to short and their features ugly and distorted.

Lord Feng of Mount Feng seemed to sense something and turned his head to glance at the approaching group, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"They're here," he said.

A smile appeared on the red-skirted girl's face as she nodded respectfully and said, "Greetings, Lord Bai."

The white-robed young man glanced at Lord Feng and smiled, "So you're here too."

Lord Feng nodded slightly, his eyes cold and distant, as the other man was from the Holy Palace, a force not particularly close to his own backers.

"I've only recently arrived, on personal business. However, since we all share a grudge against the Li family, we can be temporary allies." Lord Bai said with a smile.

"Let's go and see what that brat from the Li family is up to, and what tricks he has up his sleeve."

Lord Feng nodded in agreement, remaining silent.

"Purple Feather, show them the way," the red-skirted girl instructed the purple bird beside her.

After seeing them off, the girl in the red skirt flew towards the distance, muttering, "The Li family sure has made a lot of enemies."

...

Li Hao stomped his foot, causing a mountain cave to collapse, and was about to continue on his journey when he suddenly heard Wind Master's transmitted voice.

"Little Mouse, some Demon Kings have arrived."

Li Hao's eyes lit up as he looked around, his soul emerging from his body, and dark threads extending in all directions.

Soon, through the vision of his soul, he spotted several figures flying towards him in the distance.

The two leading figures made no attempt to conceal their demonic aura, their flight stirring up a whirl of demonic energy that resembled dark clouds, with an oppressive pressure akin to the roar of dragons and phoenixes.

Li Hao narrowed his eyes, realizing that two Demon Kings had come prepared.

He flung the collected demon corpses onto another mountain peak to avoid any interference during the upcoming battle.

Then, he slowly stirred the qi and blood within his body, warming up for the fight.

"He's over there," the purple bird pointed in a direction and then stopped, not daring to go any further.

The few demons didn't mind its behavior and flew forward, having already spotted the young man waiting for them. They found it amusing that he wasn't running away but instead boldly standing his ground.

How arrogant!

"Sure enough, there's someone at the Four Establishments Realm secretly protecting him, but it's only one person," Lord Bai narrowed his eyes, sensing the hidden presence.

"You deal with the one at the Four Establishments Realm, and I'll take care of this brat!" Lord Feng said with a fierce glint in his eyes, eager for revenge.

Lord Bai's eyes flickered as he glanced at Lord Feng and replied, "Alright."

Lord Feng was relieved to hear him agree so readily. He had come here specifically to take the life of this descendant of the Li family with his own hands.

"Charge!" Lord Feng ordered, but he didn't rush forward himself.

The young man stood his ground, which struck them as strange. Although they were confident in their ability to kill him easily, years of caution made them choose to observe first.

The few three-immortal demons who had come for revenge hesitated as well. They had heard from the Tianji Temple that this young man had slaughtered countless three-immortal demons. They doubted that they could defeat him on their own.

"What? Are you scared now that you're here for revenge? Are you cowards?" Lord Feng sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice.

The few demons felt helpless but were comforted by their numbers, knowing they could rely on each other.

"Let's go! All of us will attack together!" The three-immortal demons quickly discussed their strategy and then rushed towards Li Hao.

They revealed their true forms, their massive bodies filling the sky, and their demonic auras surging like tidal waves.

Li Hao stood still, and when the few giant demons were just a few hundred meters away, he finally made his move.

He swallowed a mouthful of immortal qi, harnessing the power of the heavens and earth, and pressed it downward.

The Dragon Soaring Sword unsheathed with a shing sound, its dazzling golden light illuminating the sky.

"Kill!"

A giant turtle-like demon roared as it charged forward, relying on its tough and resilient body to block Li Hao's attack and buy time for the others to strike.

The Dragon Soaring Sword slashed down, leaving only a tiny scratch on the demon's indestructible body.

Li Hao's eyes widened slightly, and the Dragon Soaring Sword glowed with a golden haze, a dragon's roar echoing as a true dragon manifested from the sword.

Roar!

The Dragon Soaring Sword slashed down again, shattering the demon's defensive aura and slicing a massive gash in its neck.

At the same time, the other few demons rushed towards Li Hao.

Swish!

A giant ape-like demon drew its massive demon bow, the silver-frosted arrow aimed at Li Hao from afar.

Another demon, resembling a giant rat but covered in dragon scales, leaped forward, its mouth spewing black demonic fog to corrode and devour Li Hao's body.

Facing the simultaneous attacks from the two demons, Li Hao's expression turned cold. He raised his hand and pushed downward.

The force that spanned the heavens and earth pressed down, causing the few demons to tremble as if struck by a mountain.

The frost arrow flying through the air changed direction and veered towards the dragon-rat.

Li Hao waved his hand, dispersing the rat-demon's fog with a palm strike. 

 Chapter 164: The Youth's Fearful Reputation (Catch-up 25)

Bang!

The arrow light veered off course, missing the Dragon Rat as it struck a nearby mountain peak. In an instant, the mountain crumbled, its body freezing and encasing the vegetation in ice.

"What kind of power is this?!"

Several of the Immortal Escape Realm demons were stunned. With just a lift of his hand, the young man seemed to suppress the very heavens and earth. This overwhelming power of control far surpassed their own, no wonder he could tear demons apart with his bare hands.

Li Hao no longer held back, taking a big step forward and rushing towards the Dragon Rat as if teleporting.

He raised his fist and brought it down in a suppressive strike, his fist intent merging with his sword intent and combining with his current physical prowess to pierce like a spear.

Seeing the youth daring to get so close, the Dragon Rat revealed a ferocious look in its eyes. Without dodging or evading, it suddenly opened its mouth wide and bit towards Li Hao.

Its mouth was full of sharp teeth, like countless blades covering its jaws, capable of piercing metal and splitting stones.

But Li Hao merely lifted his hand, allowing it to bite down, and then brought his other fist down on its head with a violent smash.

Witnessing the youth's savage attack, the other demons were taken aback. This didn't resemble the way humans usually fought.

"Are you asking for death?!"

The Dragon Rat rejoiced, tearing with all its might. Its biting force was incredibly formidable, capable of piercing even true dragons.

However, suddenly its teeth seemed to bite into a divine weapon. Countless blades pressed down, yet they only caused the youth's skin to slightly dent without any signs of rupture.

Taking advantage of the Dragon Rat's momentary astonishment, Li Hao's fist smashed down, creating a loud bang as if a gun had been fired, leaving a gaping hole in the Dragon Rat's head and shattering its skull.

Blood splattered from its shattered cranium.

As the Dragon Rat was pummeled, Li Hao's arm, which had been bitten, abruptly turned and hugged the rat's upper jaw. He arched his body, placing his feet in the gap of its lower jaw and forcefully prying its mouth open.

He forcibly pried open the Dragon Rat's jaws.

The Dragon Rat came to its senses, its eyes reflecting terror. It was an Undamageable Realm creature, yet at this moment, its physical body seemed less formidable than that of the human youth before it.

The youth was like a ferocious beast cub.

It hurriedly tried to shake Li Hao off, creating distance as it sensed the scent of death.

But Li Hao thrust his arm through its upper jaw and unleashed a barrage of punches, striking the sharp teeth within its mouth and shattering them to pieces, causing its consciousness to swirl in dizziness.

"Quick, block him!"

The other demons were shocked at the sight and rushed to rescue the Dragon Rat.

Arrows rained down once more, but Li Hao's back manifested the Heaven and Earth Law Image, grasping the arrows and then impaling the Dragon Rat's head with them.

Another demon released a mist that burned like fire, but Li Hao's Heaven and Earth Law Image exhaled a breath of celestial qi, directly colliding with and destroying it!

"Break!"

Li Hao's arms burst with power as he roared and forcefully tore the Dragon Rat's head apart.

Blood splattered as the Dragon Rat wailed, its spirit escaping from its ravaged body.

But before it could retreat, a dragon's roar echoed, and its spirit was devoured by Long Xiao.

Li Hao casually flung the Dragon Rat's corpse aside and turned to face the remaining demons. His Heaven and Earth Law Image suddenly rushed out, charging towards a Fire Lion engulfed in flames.

The Fire Lion roared, spewing forth seas of fire, from which a golden leaf-like object shot out, seemingly a demon's weapon.

The Law Image waved its hand, extinguishing the flames, then forcefully grasped the golden leaf and charged towards the Fire Lion, slamming the leaf into its head.

The Fire Lion let out a pitiful cry and fled in panic.

"Help!"

The Fire Lion cried out for aid in desperation.

In the distance, Feng Shan Jun and Bai Shen Jun wore solemn expressions. They could discern that the youth was in the Immortal Escape Realm, but his strength far surpassed that of other cultivators in the same realm.

Moreover, his physical body was incredibly resilient, proving difficult to tear and seemingly impervious to damage unless faced with divine weapons.

"Hmph, no wonder he dared to come here alone."

Feng Shan Jun's eyes flickered with golden flames as he spoke to Bai Shen Jun, "Leave the other one to you. Don't interfere with me!"

As he finished speaking, he let out a phoenix cry, his body transforming into a fire phoenix amidst its spinning motion as he rode the raging flames towards Li Hao.

The other demons panicked and scattered, having realized that this youth was not someone an average Immortal Escape Realm cultivator could easily kill. He resembled those renowned second-generation Shen Jiang Fu, having reached the peak of Immortal Escape and capable of challenging over a dozen Immortal Escape Realm demons alone—a truly terrifying existence.

Li Hao pursued the Fire Lion and shattered its skull with a palm strike, causing its spirit to tremble and flee. Just as he was about to finish it off, he sensed scorching flames rushing towards him.

He turned his head and saw a phoenix enveloped in raging flames charging at him.

Even before it drew close, the overwhelming inferno seemed poised to boil the heavens and earth.

Li Hao's eyes narrowed slightly, yet he remained calm and collected. He waved his hand, extinguishing the Fire Lion demon's escaping spirit.

Only then did he turn around and face the fire phoenix head-on.

"Extreme Yang Divine Fire!"

Feng Shan Jun roared in anger upon seeing Li Hao kill a demon right before his eyes, considering it a provocation!

Divine light blossomed, and a ball of fiery smoke burst forth like a scorching sun.

Li Hao didn't dodge or evade. Instead, he suddenly summoned the Long Xiao Sword, and his Heaven and Earth Law Image returned to him. The Law Image wielded the divine sword, which grew in size.

The Law Image stepped forward and forcefully swung the sword in a chopping motion.

Flames exploded, and divine light scattered like countless sparks, heating the air until it scorched the surroundings.

Li Hao stood amidst the scorching heat, his black hair billowing. He manipulated the Heaven and Earth Law Image, brandishing the divine sword as he attacked.

Feng Shan Jun flew into a rage, cyclones swirling beneath his wings. The flames transformed into tiny phoenix shapes, like countless specks of light, rushing towards Li Hao.

He raised his hands, and behind him, a shadowy figure appeared—the Unbreakable Body of a Hundred Refinements: Acala, the Immovable King!

That figure of Acala seemed like a projection of a deity, with his hands pressed together in front of his chest. Facing the countless fire phoenix shadows, as Li Hao raised his arms, Acala suddenly unleashed thousands of fist shadows.

A series of loud explosions rang out as the incoming fire phoenix flames were all crushed, turning into a sea of fire that surrounded Li Hao.

Under the relentless assault of the Acala shadow, these flames couldn't get close, but the scorching temperature seared Li Hao's body.

However, with the sea of fire swirling around him, not even Li Hao's hair showed any signs of withering. It remained thick and lustrous, emanating a divine glow.

He stood tall amidst the fiery glow, staring straight at the fire phoenix, as his Heaven and Earth Law Image entangled with the fire phoenix in a vicious battle.

In the blink of an eye, thousands of sword strikes were unleashed. Feng Shan Jun's offense was also extremely ferocious; each strike of his sharp claws was deadly, intending to tear the sword soul to shreds. But the sword soul moved with the Long Xiao Sword, and the Long Xiao Sword moved with the Heaven and Earth Law Image, manifesting the Taiji Qiankun Sword Art, which enveloped Feng Shan Jun in a Taiji shadow, effortlessly dissipating his vicious attacks like a gentle breeze.

"Can't this even kill him?!"

Bai Shen Jun's voice rang out, carrying a hint of mocking laughter.

Feng Shan Jun flew into a rage, glaring angrily at his companion. But in that moment of distraction, the Heaven and Earth Law Image seized the opportunity and slashed at his chest and abdomen. The fiery glow around him extinguished, and Feng Shan Jun's body was forced back, a pained grunt escaping his beak.

Although Bai Shen Jun's words were meant to ridicule Feng Shan Jun, they were also intended to goad him into unleashing his full power. As for the young man's offense, it filled him with a sense of gravity.

Merely at the Immortal Escape Realm, yet able to hold his own against a Demon King—it was simply terrifying.

Back in Yanbei, he had witnessed Li Tiangang fighting against demons, but even then, he hadn't displayed such might.

This young man was only fourteen years old, yet he had already surpassed his father.

If they allowed him to continue growing, the Great Yu Divine Dynasty would give birth to another True Immortal!

He must be eradicated!

His gaze shifted to a void where a shadowy figure lurked. He could sense that the other party's aura was firmly locked onto him, and any action on his part would invite a counterattack.

To break this stalemate, he could only rely on Feng Shan Jun.

"True Phoenix Divine Blood!!'

Injured and in pain, Feng Shan Jun roared in fury and humiliation, his entire body engulfed in more vigorous golden flames that swirled like a vortex around him.

The aura within him became turbulent and surged towards Li Hao's Heaven and Earth Law Image once more.

It spewed forth crimson flame radiance, like a divine rainbow piercing through the heavens and earth, aimed directly at the Law Image.

Under the guidance of the Dao Charm, this attack would surely hit its mark.

Li Hao sensed it, and after cultivating the Supreme Body, he seemed to be able to capture the trajectory of the Dao Charm. He could clearly perceive the area that the opponent's attack was locking onto.

It gave him a sense of anticipating the enemy's moves.

"Is this the attack of a Demon King? It's not strong enough!"

Li Hao shouted loudly.

The young man's voice reverberated through the sky, startling the three Immortal Escape Realm demons nearby and even causing the bird demon from the Tianji Temple, who was secretly observing from a distance, to feel his scalp tingle with fear.

Li Hao's body erupted with immortal energy, and countless misty radiances gathered, causing the Heaven and Earth Law Image to shine brilliantly. Like a giant wielding a divine sword, the Law Image roared as it slashed forward.

The sword gives birth to the other shore.

Countless flowers bloomed in the air, only to wither in the fierce flames. However, even as the sword energy was burned and weakened, that one sword still cleaved through the void and slashed down directly on Feng Shan Jun's head.

In the instant the sword light approached, the sword qi abruptly shifted, tearing open a pitch-black door of reincarnation!

Feng Shan Jun's radiant flames were shattered and devoured by the black hole created by the sword light. His eyes widened in horror as he asked himself, "What sword technique is this?"

Li Hao's Heaven and Earth Law Image surged forward, and the sword light slashed down again, overwhelming Feng Shan Jun's phoenix crown.

Feng Shan Jun let out an angry roar, his wings vibrating as he stirred up a fiery tempest. Countless phoenix true fires swept forth, engulfing and burning Li Hao's Law Image.

Under the intense heat, the Law Image began to deform and distort.

Li Hao could feel the pain transmitted by his divine soul, and his eyes shone with a cold light as he retracted the Law Image.

The Long Xiao Sword also returned to his hand of its own accord.

If the Law Image was ineffective, then he would use his true body!

Li Hao held the divine sword and roared as he charged into the sea of fire.

Countless true fires coiled around him like chains, but as soon as they touched Li Hao's body, they were snapped apart.

Li Hao strode through the flames, his eyes shining with divine light, and he slashed downward with his sword.

The power of heaven and earth gathered, transforming into a dazzling sword qi that instantly carved a path through the sea of fire and slashed at the fire phoenix's chest.

Blood splattered, and Feng Shan Jun let out a pitiful cry, retreating hundreds of meters.

It stared at the young man striding through the flames with shock and disbelief in its eyes. How could its phoenix true flames fail to harm him?

It could see that under the searing flames, Li Hao's body only suffered minor burns, and even his bones were unharmed!

To think that even other Demon Kings would have to be cautious of its phoenix true fire, or else they would be scorched badly!

Li Hao charged towards Feng Shan Jun, his immortal energy attracting the power of heaven and earth, channeling it into his arms. The sword light slashed down once more, unleashing another earth-shattering sword qi that struck without any fancy moves, a pure burst of true energy like a raging galaxy, slamming down with full force.

Feng Shan Jun spewed out radiant flames in an attempt to resist, but the refined sword qi scattered the flames and cleaved through its body.

Li Hao's body rushed forward, and he delivered a kick to its avian head, causing a spray of blood. Feng Shan Jun crashed into a nearby mountain peak.

The other three Immortal Escape Realm demons could only stare dumbfounded, too shocked to speak.

Feng Shan Jun felt as if all the blood in his body was about to ignite. How could he, with his noble bloodline, be beaten so brutally?

Before it could even get up, Li Hao had already used his object-controlling abilities to lift a giant peak with his huge hand and smash it down on the firebird.

The mountain peak crashed down, causing the earth to roar as if the heavens were collapsing.

Feng Shan Jun's body was pinned under the peak, spewing out golden blood.

It let out a furious roar, unleashing its undecaying power, causing its aura to rapidly surge as the golden flames incinerated the mountain peak, turning it into molten lava.

Li Hao paid no heed and, wielding the Long Xiao Sword, slashed down once more.

This sword strike, infused with the Falling Snow Sword Technique and the avalanche realm, along with the borrowed power of the immortal qi, was infinitely powerful. In the instant the long sword was swung, it was as if countless snow-capped mountains were collapsing, sending avalanches of snow tumbling down.

Before Feng Shan Jun could even free itself from the rubble, this sword strike once again forced it back down, leaving a gaping wound across its chest.

The true dragons coiled around Li Hao's arms, enhancing his strength, as the qi within his body surged. Just as the power of the Seven Stars Lighting was about to deplete, he activated it once more.

With his current physique, using the Seven Stars Lighting thrice in succession was effortless.

Kill!

Li Hao's foot descended, carrying the might of the heavens, as he delivered a crushing blow.

Feng Shan Jun's pupils constricted as a sense of impending death washed over it. It roared and flapped its wings, its feathers seeming to melt into fiery bloodlight as it lunged at Li Hao.

Li Hao felt the scorching heat searing his skin, the first time he had ever experienced such a burning sensation.

His eyes widened, but he did not dodge or evade. Instead, he activated the Supreme Body, causing his flesh to expel waves of energy that deflected the intense heat and firelight. Then, with a sword strike, he cleaved open the fire phoenix's chest, exposing its large heart.

Just as Li Hao was about to reach in and pluck out the heart, Feng Shan Jun let out a furious roar, and from the void behind it, an ancient cry seemed to echo forth.

Li Hao's head buzzed, and he felt a sense of dizziness wash over him.

In that brief moment of stagnation, the fire phoenix before him vanished, transforming into a streak of firelight that fled into the distance.

Li Hao looked up, locking eyes with Feng Shan Jun from afar.

"Bastard!!!"

Feng Shan Jun's eyes were nearly bulging out of their sockets. This youth had actually forced it to use its second life!

Beside him, Bai Shen Jun also wore a shocked expression. Feng Shan Jun's cultivation was on par with his, yet it had been forced to use its second life. This was no longer a matter of holding back or hiding one's true strength.

It was because this youth was too strong, his physical body too terrifying, as even the Phoenix True Fire couldn't harm him!

"How could someone at the Three Unyielding Realms be so powerful!"

"Could it be that you've been possessed by a sage?!"

Feng Shan Jun roared, unable to believe that he was about to lose. This was too unbelievable. Even if there were countless geniuses in the Shen Jiang Fu, there had never been one as formidable as this youth throughout history.

This youth was like a ferocious cub from the Great Wilderness.

"If you hadn't met me, you wouldn't have known what powerful was."

Li Hao stepped forward, his eyes cold as he prepared to strike Feng Shan Jun down.

Bai Shen Jun took a step forward as well, inhaling deeply before speaking to Feng Shan Jun, "Let's join forces."

"I refuse!"

Feng Shan Jun was filled with shame and fury. He had already lost his second life, and even if he fought to the point of severe injury, he would still have to worry about the other demon kings lying in wait.

He didn't want to end up as nourishment for other demons, paving the path to invincibility for someone else.

Bai Shen Jun's expression turned gloomy. Had he traveled so far only to return empty-handed?

"Wait!"

At that moment, a loud shout rang out from the distance.

Feng Shan Jun and Bai Shen Jun turned their gazes towards the source of the shout and saw the red-skirted girl from earlier flying towards them, with a man and a woman following closely behind.

"Devouring Heaven Demon Ancestor!"

"Myriad Cave Ghost Mother!"

Upon seeing the two figures, Feng Shan Jun's eyes narrowed in recognition. He hadn't expected them to show up as well.

"This is bad."

Feng Boping transmitted his voice to Li Hao, "Little Rat, it's time to leave. There are too many Demon Kings."

Li Hao paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the approaching demon kings as he probed their auras.

The two demons did not hide their strength, both of them Demon Kings, but the female's aura was slightly weaker, seemingly only at the Dao Heart Realm.

"It's fine, Old Feng. Help me hold off one, and as for the other two... I'll give it a try!"

Li Hao transmitted his reply.

At this moment, he had yet to unleash his full power, and he wanted to test his limits.

"You can handle two Demon Kings?!" Feng Boping was also stunned as he looked at Li Hao.

Although he knew that Li Hao had cultivated to the Three Unyielding Realms and had killed a Demon King in his bizarre Tian Ren Realm state, taking on two Demon Kings alone was still too much of a stretch!

However, upon receiving Li Hao's affirmative response, he took a deep breath and said, "In that case, I'll accompany you."

From Qingzhou's Shen Jiang Fu to here, he had traveled through wind and snow without trying to dissuade Li Hao. Instead, he had chosen to accompany him.

And now, he wouldn't try to stop him either.

In his eyes, although Li Hao was his junior, he was also a friend.

And between friends, there should be mutual respect. Advice should only be given once, as a reminder. Any further attempts would be akin to issuing orders under the guise of concern.

"Good!"

Li Hao stepped forward, his entire body erupting with a towering heroic aura as he wanted to test the limits of his power.

Three Demon Kings were slightly too many, but it was still worth a try!

"Feng Shan Jun, let's join forces. Are we just going to let him get away with this?"

The approaching man had rolling demonic energy and a head full of dense, fleshy bumps, a truly horrifying sight.

Feng Shan Jun was taken aback, surprised to see so many Demon Kings here.

He felt a mix of delight and regret in his heart. If he had known that this boy was so formidable, he would have waited a bit longer instead of engaging in a solitary battle, wasting his precious chance at defying fate.

However, this thought flashed through his mind and did not linger, as the idea was too shameful to bear.

As a Demon King, he couldn't defeat this boy alone, which was utterly humiliating.

"Kill!"

Without any further words, he charged towards Li Hao.

The Devouring Heaven Demon Ancestor and the Myriad Cave Ghost Mother followed suit without hesitation.

Upon seeing this, Bai Shen Jun moved to intercept the four Immortal Escape Realm demons hiding in the shadows, forcing them out into the open.

At this moment, with three Demon Kings surrounding the young man, only another Four Established Realm cultivator could save him; otherwise, no one would be able to rescue him.

A torrent of demonic energy shrouded the sky, and eerie ghostly wails rang out. The Devouring Heaven Demon Ancestor took out a bronze ancient mirror, reflecting Li Hao's figure. Suddenly, an identical image of Li Hao flew out from the mirror and rushed towards him.

Li Hao's hair billowed as he took each step as if ascending to the heavens, exuding a formidable aura.

In this moment, the celestial energy within him erupted with full force, harnessing the power of the heavens and earth, causing the might of the ten domains to gather under his control.

At the same time, he unleashed the Extreme Realm power within his physical body, causing his flesh and blood to turn crimson gold, and his hair to transform into a golden hue, resembling a golden deity!

A formidable power surged and swelled from within his body.

Not only did his strength increase rapidly, but his physical defense and mental acuity also enhanced across the board.

Facing the incoming mirror image, Li Hao neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he threw a powerful punch.

The golden fist seemed to pierce through the sky, and the reflected image lifted its sword to chop down. However, with just one punch, the sword light was shattered, and the mirror image was penetrated!

"How is this possible?!"

The Devouring Heaven Demon Ancestor was stunned, his eyes widening in shock. This ancient treasure of his could reflect a demonic body identical to his own realm, and with this treasure, he could easily overpower his peers. Yet, the reflected demonic body couldn't withstand a single punch from this young man?

He didn't know that although the ancient mirror could reflect a demonic body, it couldn't replicate the power of the Extreme Realm!

At this moment, with the augmentation of the Extreme Realm, Li Hao's physical body was enhanced, and the heavenly energy he absorbed surged, resulting in a significant boost to his overall strength.

After shattering the demonic reflection, Li Hao's arms burst with divine power as he swung his sword towards the myriad of ghost shadows projected from the void.

"Yama Ghost Prison, kill!"

The Myriad Cave Ghost Mother's cheeks bulged with green veins, as if exerting immense power, and countless ghost shadows flew out from her sleeves, enveloping the heavens and earth, turning this place into a death realm.

These ghost shadows, layer upon layer, covered everything, easily absorbing the enemy's power.

However, at this moment, the resounding sword light roared and charged forward, and the myriad of ghost shadows, like beings exposed to divine light and scorching sun, wailed in agony as they were instantly pierced through.

A single sword strike cleared the sky filled with ghost shadows!

"Is that all you've got?"

Li Hao laughed heartily, brandishing his sword and charging forward. With two steps, he shortened the distance between them, as if the heavens and earth were beneath his feet.

He approached the Myriad Cave Ghost Mother, and the sword light burst forth, resembling countless sword dragons roaring amidst the tidal wave of sword energy that emerged from the heavens and earth.

The eerie ghost shadows that condensed from the chilling wind once again touched the sword dragons and were instantly shredded.

Among them, countless sword shadows rained down like droplets, washing over the Myriad Cave Ghost Mother's body.

"Ten Hells Imprisoning Demon Body!"

The Myriad Cave Ghost Mother let out a piercing shriek, and her body, which now exuded a masculine aura, began to swell, unleashing a terrifying might.

However, the sword energy continued to wash over her body, and suddenly, one strand of sword energy penetrated her body.

The Myriad Cave Ghost Mother trembled violently, and the surging ghost energy within her abruptly stagnated and then disintegrated.

"What... what is this?..."

The Myriad Cave Ghost Mother's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Li Hao. She felt her life force rapidly waning, as if something were absorbing her vitality and pulling it towards a distant place.

She tried to muster her strength and escape with her spirit, but all her power and soul were being drawn away by some unseen force, leaving her unable to break free.

She felt as if her body were being devoured by an invisible force.

Death!

She felt the shadow of death looming over her.

In the instant that the Myriad Cave Ghost Mother's body stiffened, Li Hao's Long Xiao Sword cleaved through her body, splitting her in two.

The Devouring Heaven Demon Ancestor and Feng Shan Jun rushed over, puzzled as to why she didn't dodge. Then, they witnessed the Myriad Cave Ghost Mother's body, which was rapidly disintegrating and crumbling, her life force fading away. In the blink of an eye, she lost all signs of life.

Dead!

This sudden turn of events shocked the two Demon Kings, their eyes bulging with disbelief.

In just one exchange, this Four Established Realm ghost cultivator had been slain by Li Hao!

"It's your turn!"

Li Hao knew that he had triggered the fatal attack, although the probability was extremely low. However, the sheer number of sword energies that had washed over his opponent's body was enough, at least in the thousands.

If his opponent had been more cautious and chose to counter his attack with their own, they might have been able to deflect it. But by choosing to withstand it with their physical body, they had left themselves vulnerable to the attributes of his attack. 

 Chapter 165: Demons and Monsters Tremble at His Name

The Fallen Demon King!

As Li Hao's strike cleaved through Wan Ku Ghost Lady's body, extinguishing her life force, Feng Shan Jun and Tian Mo Zu felt a chilling dread throughout their beings.

Feng Shan Jun, in particular, knew that he had no more lives to spare.

The death of Wan Ku Ghost Lady was shrouded in mystery. He couldn't fathom how Li Hao had dealt such a fatal blow without any discernible signs.

In the distance, Bai Shen Jun, who had just engaged Feng Bo Ping in battle, also sensed the startling change. His pupils contracted, and his heart filled with astonishment.

That youth had actually slain a Demon King!

This scene also caught the attention of the girl in the red skirt, who had been coldly smirking. Her exquisite face froze in disbelief, and she stared at Li Hao in shock.

How could a fourteen-year-old boy possess such terrifying abilities?

While everyone was still stunned, Li Hao unsheathed his sword and charged forward.

He swung his hand, and the sword qi split apart like cracking ice, transforming into a surging tidal wave.

It was the same move as before.

But this time, both Feng Shan Jun and Tian Mo Zu were alarmed and dared not receive the attack as casually as Wan Ku Ghost Lady had. They sensed the deadly technique hidden within the attack and could only try to avoid getting too close.

Whoosh!

Flames soared into the sky as Feng Shan Jun waved his hand, creating a sea of fire. The phoenix true flames burned, distorting and reshaping the sword qi wave.

At the same time, Tian Mo Zu also unleashed its demonic powers. Demonic energy, like dark clouds, enveloped Li Hao's body.

Its massive body coiled and revealed its true form—a hundred-zhang-long giant serpent. Its flesh swelled, and its scales stood erect like blades. It roared and spat out a mouthful of demonic blades that flew towards Li Hao.

These demonic blades, like dark rainbows, contained profound principles of martial arts. They flattened the sword qi and slashed towards Li Hao.

Li Hao's eyes blazed with divine light, and he channeled his immortal energy into the Dragon Sky Sword, creating a galaxy of sword light that illuminated the void.

Boom!

The collision of the two divine weapons created a shocking impact that sent tidal waves rippling through the surroundings.

Li Hao's body trembled slightly before soaring upwards once more. His second sword strike oppressed the void, giving birth to a myriad of snowflakes.

Tian Mo Zu's heart trembled. Li Hao's strength was not inferior to its own. It was in the Reverse Life Realm, and its physical strength had already transformed into grand dao true power—a mighty force refined from one's understanding of the dao heart.

A wisp of true power could counter tens of thousands of physical forces.

This was also why those in the Four Establishments Realm could easily suppress the Three Immortals. The power disparity was immense, yet this boy's strength seemed to be on par with its own!

Boom!

In its anger, Tian Mo Zu manipulated the demonic blades, slashing at Li Hao relentlessly. Countless blade shadows filled the sky, clashing with the snowflakes. The blade qi formed a river, threatening to engulf and shred Li Hao.

Instead of dodging, Li Hao leaped into the midst of the blade light. He unleashed the Dragon Cicada Vacuum Body technique, causing his flesh to resonate with a clangor amidst the blade light. Countless blade energies struck his body but failed to inflict even the slightest injury.

A faint white light shimmered on the surface of his body—a layer of Dragon Cicada Golden Body, akin to divine armor. Even the Dragon Sky Sword would be unable to harm him at this moment.

It was worth noting that after reaching the seventh level of the Physical Dao, Li Hao had not only elevated these top-tier body refinement techniques to a higher level but had also refined dozens of other techniques to the superior level. This bestowed upon his body a terrifying level of enhancement.

In terms of pure physical defense, even the demons and monsters before him could not match him!

With his formidable physical prowess, Li Hao feared nothing as he strode forward to face Tian Mo Zu.

His feet stomped through the void, creating sonic booms. Like a young ferocious beast, he channeled the destructive might of the Cycle Sword Technique onto the blade, slashing at Tian Mo Zu.

"Damn it!"

Tian Mo Zu was horrified. Even a true dragon wouldn't have such terrifying defensive capabilities. Li Hao had charged through the Demon Sky Blade Light and Phoenix True Flames unscathed, which was simply terrifying.

It roared and lashed its serpent tail, aiming to strike Li Hao viciously.

The Heavenly Law Image behind Li Hao suddenly appeared, facing the massive serpent tail without the slightest fear. The gigantic image raised its hand and firmly grabbed hold of the tail.

Roar!!

The image seemed to let out a silent roar, sending out a wave of trembling vibrations despite the absence of sound.

Li Hao borrowed the power of the heavens and earth, channeling it wildly into the Heavenly Law Image. Golden light burst forth from the image, unleashing the might to move mountains and fill the seas. It wrenched the serpent tail, swinging Tian Mo Zu's body around.

Boom!

Tian Mo Zu's body was pulled and smashed into a nearby mountain peak.

The Heavenly Law Image roared once more, dragging Tian Mo Zu's body and viciously slamming it onto the ground.

The earth shook violently, and dozens of mountain peaks in the vicinity, as well as the ground within a hundred li, endured the fierce shockwaves.

Even the demons and monsters hovering in the sky seemed to feel the impact, their hearts pounding with fear and their mouths agape in silence.

Guided by the power of the Dao, Li Hao could sense the trajectory of the attack and knew he couldn't evade it.

However, he had no intention of dodging. Instead, he took a step forward and clenched his fingers into a tight fist before unleashing a thunderous punch! This punch fused his understanding of the Half-step Invincible Fist and the Heaven-Earth Penetrating Fist, transforming it into the Penetrating Invincible Fist!

The blazing fire engulfed the young man, but it suddenly exploded, and a startling fist force blossomed, accompanied by the mournful cry of a hundred birds. A fiery silhouette was sent flying backward, spewing out large amounts of golden demon blood.

Li Hao stood proudly, his body glowing with a radiant crimson gold, like a majestic deity.

The totem behind him manifested, and the coiled mountain from the Pan Shan Tu transformed into a colossal mountain shadow, anchoring his body firmly in place without the slightest shake.

The assembled demon horde was stunned into silence, overwhelmed by the boy's invincible aura.

On the other side, the Tian Di Fa Xiang continued to drag the Tian Mo Zu, slamming it violently against the ground. Deep trenches were gouged into the earth as the mountains nearby were reduced to rubble under the force of the impact.

The Tian Mo Zu's head scales were dislodged, and its flesh torn open from the relentless battering.

It let out an enraged roar, and countless scales shot forth from its serpent tail, slicing through the Tian Di Fa Xiang's palm. With a powerful flick of its tail, it broke free.

Divine light surged within the Tian Di Fa Xiang, mending the wounds on its palm.

Li Hao watched as the Tian Mo Zu wriggled free and drew his sword, giving chase.

"Damn it! Do you really think you're invincible?!"

The Tian Mo Zu bellowed, its regal aura as the Demon King shattered, its eyes reddening with fury. Instead of retreating, it charged towards Li Hao with renewed vigor.

Just as it was about to reach him, its eyes narrowed dangerously, and it abruptly opened its massive jaws. In addition to the two incredibly long fangs, its mouth was also lined with countless sharp, fine teeth.

At that moment, it unleashed its most powerful technique, the Tian Mo Gong!

A vortex of suction force enveloped Li Hao, and at such close range, the Tian Mo Zu was certain that he couldn't escape!

"Hao'er!"

Far away, Feng Bo Ping's expression changed drastically as he prepared to rush over. However, Bai Shen Jun suddenly sensed his intentions and roared, transforming into a white tiger and pouncing towards him.

Li Hao saw the Tian Mo Zu's gaping maw rushing towards him and, though he had anticipated this move, found his body unable to evade the suction force.

His eyes turned icy, and with the Long Xiao Sword in hand, he pulled with all his might. When that proved futile, he suddenly burst forward, charging straight into the demon's mouth.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Li Hao was swallowed by the Tian Mo Zu.

A bloodthirsty gleam appeared in its eyes as it said, "Boy, I've eaten true dragons before, and you..."

Before it could finish its sentence, its expression changed abruptly, and it opened its mouth wide, spewing out a mouthful of black demon blood.

At the same time, a vortex of sword qi erupted from within its body, sending countless sword beams flying in all directions.

One of those sword beams pierced its body, emitting an eerie glow.

The Tian Mo Zu struggled to expel Li Hao from its mouth, but suddenly, the strange sword qi caused its body to spasm, as if its spine had been ripped out.

A shadow of death enveloped its entire being.

"No!"

The Tian Mo Zu immediately thought of the mysterious death of the Wan Ku Ghost Lady, and its pupils contracted in fear.

As it watched its life force wither away, it desperately activated the Ni Ming technique!

Its body suddenly split open, and from the massive flesh on its back, a smaller demonic body emerged, only four or five zhang in size, much smaller than its original form.

The tiny demonic body fled, escaping towards the distant horizon.

However, the massive Tian Mo Zu body plummeted towards the ground.

Just before it hit the ground, a golden light in the shape of a dragon burst forth from its back, soaring into the sky. It was Li Hao, freed from the demon's grasp.

Li Hao looked towards the fleeing Tian Mo Zu, its aura weakened and its cultivation seemingly diminished. It was the perfect opportunity to deliver a killing blow.

He was about to give chase when his consciousness suddenly spun, as if something in the netherworld had interfered with his senses.

When he looked again, he found that he could no longer lock onto the Tian Mo Zu's figure; it had vanished without a trace.

Even the lingering demonic aura had disappeared, as if it had been erased by some "fateful" power.

Li Hao's expression turned solemn. So, this was the power of the Ni Ming realm.

It wasn't merely about having a second life; it was a surefire way to escape death! In the face of his deadly attributes, even this powerful ability was rendered useless. It was truly terrifying.

No wonder the families that possessed Ni Ming cultivators thrived endlessly. Even if they were besieged and their clans destroyed, they could always rely on this Ni Ming ability to escape and bide their time. Like a venomous scorpion, they would strike back from the shadows, and no one would dare to provoke or face them.

As a Ni Ming Realm Yao Wang with true phoenix blood, he felt incredibly frustrated and ashamed, but more than anything, he was fearful, worried that Li Hao would give chase.

Li Hao's movement technique was only at the third level. Despite the boost in speed from the attribute of the tome, he was still much slower than the Fire Phoenix. With his current abilities, he wouldn't be able to catch up.

He threw the Long Xiao Sword, covering it with his object-controlling power while also applying the attributes of the Hidden Bow and Flying Snake.

The Long Xiao Sword transformed into a beam of golden light as it sped away.

Boom!

The sword slashed towards the Fire Phoenix's body.

Feng Shan Jun sensed the danger and narrowly avoided the attack, managing to escape the assassination-enhancing effect of the Hidden Bow. However, the sword grazed the edge of its wing.

Injured and in pain, it released a large patch of fire clouds that enveloped the surrounding area, creating a fiery domain.

The Long Xiao Sword pursued again, but the fire domain hindered its killing power. It continued to slash and chop, and Feng Shan Jun's body, covered in precious feathers as hard as iron, barely managed to withstand the attacks. The pursuit continued for a hundred li, but it couldn't stop the Fire Phoenix from escaping.

Li Hao watched helplessly as his opponent got away, furrowing his brows in disappointment. His movement technique was currently his weakness.

It seemed that he needed to quickly cultivate his mind through poetry or music, reaching a state of tranquility to elevate his movement technique to the fourth level and then further enhancing it to the sixth level. With the additional boost from the tome's attributes, not many Yao Wang would be able to outrun him then...

Li Hao recalled the Long Xiao Sword and turned to face Bai Shen Jun, who was locked in combat with Feng Lao.

Bai Shen Jun had been keeping a close eye on the situation. When he saw the Tian Mo Zu being forced to use its Ni Ming opportunity, his expression changed drastically, realizing that things had taken a turn for the worse. Without hesitation, he fled.

However, Feng Bo Ping was quick to engage him, preventing his escape.

"Get out of my way!"

Bai Shen Jun was irritated by Feng Bo Ping's persistent pursuit and roared in anger. He was furious that he, of all people, was the last one left.

He let out a tiger's roar, shaking the heavens with his ferocity.

Li Hao's eyes narrowed as he suddenly rushed forward, activating all the embedded tomes.

Pan Shan Tu, Hu Ya, Qiong Qi Shan He Tu, Xue Hai Xiao Jiao Tu!

"Who the hell are you roaring at!"

Li Hao roared back, his might shaking the heavens.

The combined ferocity of the various tomes caused Bai Shen Jun's eyes to stagnate, and he felt a sense of dread in his liver and guts.

Back then, when facing this boy's father, he had only looked down on him. If not for his wariness of the Sword Saint of Yanbei, he would have taken the field himself instead of hiding in Yanbei and acting as a mere commander.

"You!"

Bai Shen Jun was shocked and enraged. As he saw countless sword auras gathering in the sky, his anger turned to fear. In a two-on-one situation, he would have to leave his life behind to escape.

"I'll remember you!"

Bai Shen Jun gritted his teeth and used his Ni Ming opportunity.

His body suddenly rushed towards the distance, transforming into a beam of white light.

Li Hao manipulated countless sword auras to pursue, but they all missed, as if some force had guided them off their trajectories.

The opponent seemed to possess an incredible stroke of luck, standing amidst a thousand arrows without suffering a single injury.

When Feng Bo Ping saw that Bai Shen Jun had been forced to use his Ni Ming opportunity, he stopped in his tracks. He knew that under normal circumstances, with his Heaven Hiding technique, not many in the Ni Ming Realm would be able to see his movements, let alone catch up to him. However, once the Ni Ming opportunity was used, no matter how fast he was, he couldn't outrun them.

Various "accidents" could occur, causing him to lose his target.

If he pushed too hard, it might provoke a backlash from that power, and certain "accidents" could even cause him severe harm!

As Bai Shen Jun fled, the girl in the red skirt had already retreated long ago. When she saw the Tian Mo Zu being forced to flee, she realized that their plan to ambush the boy was about to fail. After this battle, the boy's formidable might would be unstoppable.

"He's too terrifying. This boy's physique is comparable to a true dragon!"

"Three Yao Wang weren't able to take him down, and they were even counter-killed!"

The girl in the red skirt, transformed into a crimson bird, flew towards the distant clouds, leaving the battlefield.

However, the scenes from the battlefield were imprinted in her mind like a traumatic scar, leaving her heart pounding with fear and awe.

"Quick, send the message! Wherever this boy goes, make way for him!"

She suddenly came to her senses and urgently conveyed the message through her Xuan Yin whistle.

That boy was unstoppable! 

 Chapter 166: If You Can't Defeat Li Hao, Kill Li Tiangang First

As the Demon King fell into ruin, the immortal demons who had traveled far and wide also realized the dire situation and prepared to flee.

But their escape was futile as they could never outrun the Demon King. Li Hao gave chase to the Demon King to no avail, so he immediately imbued his celestial power into Long Xiao and flew towards the escaping demons with full force.

Feidu, in coordination with Zang Gong's attribute, set up numerous hidden threads in the surroundings. As the immortal demons fled, they collided with these threads and were instantly entangled and strangled, inadvertently providing Li Hao with a substantial amount of fishing experience.

"Spare me..."

The immortal great demons trembled and begged for mercy before Li Hao.

Li Hao paid them no heed as the Long Xiao sword pierced through their bodies.

These great demons had traveled far and wide to seek vengeance, never expecting such an outcome. Even in death, they were filled with regret and rage.

Li Hao manipulated the Long Xiao sword, pursuing and slaughtering the demons within a hundred li. Soon, any living creature within sight was eradicated.

Releasing the hidden threads, Li Hao entangled and connected the corpses of the demons.

The body of the Myriad Cave Ghost Daughter was especially terrifying, with countless shadowy hands and feet within, yet it too was linked to the threads.

The threads dragged the numerous demon corpses like a string of kites, fluttering along the way and exuding an aura of death.

In the distance, a bird demon from the Tianji Temple hid in the clouds, secretly witnessing this horrifying scene, its body trembling. Never before had it seen such a ghastly spectacle.

To the demons, this sight was akin to a demon invading a human city, crushing countless human corpses, and hanging them from its belt—a truly appalling image.

At that moment, in their eyes, Li Hao resembled such a demonic fiend, striking fear into their hearts.

"If even the Demon King couldn't stop him, it's over, we're finished!"

The bird demon from the Tianji Temple was terrified as it quietly spread news of Li Hao's whereabouts.

Along Li Hao's path, he flew past empty mountain peaks, their demon inhabitants having already fled.

"What? Humans are invading?"

"The entrance is still intact. How can you say they're invading?"

"They killed the Demon King?"

Countless demons heard the intelligence from the Tianji Temple. Initially skeptical, they were shocked to their cores upon learning that the Demon King had been slain.

Some hastily packed their belongings and escaped, while a few remained doubtful, relying on their own abilities to lurk near the caves, hoping to catch a glimpse of this formidable human.

But this very thought cost them their lives.

In a mountain lake, five hundred li away.

A middle-aged man with a stout build lay in the center of the lake, surrounded by beautiful fish demon maidens. Amidst their merriment, a bird suddenly rushed towards them.

"Greetings, Lord Yuanhu."

"Hmm?"

The stout middle-aged man slightly raised his eyebrows, recognizing the bird as a messenger from the Tianji Temple. He lazily asked, "What is it?"

"Lord Yuanhu, please move away from this place immediately. A human youth is heading this way, slaughtering demons as he comes," the bird urgently conveyed.

"Hmm?"

The stout man was taken aback but soon laughed, "Do you know what you're saying? You're asking me to leave?"

"That youth just fought with three Demon Kings. Feng Shanjun and Tong Tianmozu were defeated, and Wan Kuguiniang met a gruesome end at his hands. Please, my lord, do not underestimate him," the bird hastily added.

The smile on the stout man's face froze, and his expression turned solemn. He had also heard of the names Feng Shanjun and Tong Tianmozu.

All of them had fallen to this human youth?

"Who is he? When did such a young powerhouse emerge in the human realm? Could he be a disciple of a True Man?"

The stout man inquired.

"No, he is the Hao Tian Minor General of Tianmen Pass, from the Li family!"

"The Li family?"

The stout man frowned. He had some knowledge of the Shenjiang Mansion of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, but having occupied demon territory for many years, he had not aligned himself with this dynasty and thus hadn't paid much attention to it. He had been content to be a mountain king, living comfortably.

"My lord, please leave quickly, lest you lose your life," the bird urged.

The stout man's face darkened. He had resided in this mountain lake for thousands of years, yet he was now being forced to flee by a mere human brat?

And he hadn't even seen the boy's face.

How had he, a Demon King, lost so much of his dignity?

"This is preposterous!"

The stout man was furious, but the intelligence from the Tianji Temple was never false, and they wouldn't dare deceive him. He took a deep breath and gathered the fish demons around him, saying, "My beloved consorts and children, come, let us depart from this place temporarily!"

As he prepared to leave, he used his demon arts to inform the ordinary fish demons, asking them to stay and observe the situation.

Soon after, he led his entire demon clan away from that place.

Not long after the stout man's departure, Li Hao's figure appeared, flying towards the mountain lake.

Upon reaching the lake, Li Hao's soul entered the water, discovering a demon cave built luxuriously at the lake's bottom, adorned with countless gems and jewels.

In the deep crevices inside and outside the lake, there were also piles of demon and human bones.

Li Hao coldly snorted, and his soul transformed into the Heavenly Law Image, standing tall like a majestic giant in the lake. With a stir of his arms, he churned the lake water into thousand-foot-high waves, killing all the small demons and aquatic creatures within!

He scooped up the lake water with his arms and poured it out. Then, he brought over two large mountains from the nearby area, filling in the lake and letting the water spread and irrigate the surroundings, leaving nothing but devastation in his wake before continuing on his way.

Wherever he passed, it was as if an iron hoof had trampled the earth, plowing through and leaving nothing but ruins for thousands of miles.

The bird demons of Tianji Temple were limited in number, and they only reported on the higher cultivation demons. Those of lower realms, such as the Heaven Man realm, were not even informed in time, let alone the smaller demon tribes, which were completely overlooked.

As these demon tribes indulged in their peaceful and carefree lives, they suddenly spotted a young man charging toward them from the horizon.

Trailing behind this youth was a ghastly sight—countless demon corpses dangling like kites, a dark and terrifying spectacle.

By the time these demons realized what was happening, it was too late to escape. They were pierced by the sword qi that Li Hao unleashed with a mere flick of his finger, leaving nothing but corpses in his wake.

Countless demons perished or fled in terror.

As Li Hao pressed forward, the bird demons of Tianji Temple soon realized that his path of destruction was not random but strategically chosen. He was sweeping through the areas that radiated out from the city of Tianmenguan in a fan-like pattern, but he did not venture beyond a certain horizontal distance from the city.

"He's clearing out the demon territories outside Tianmenguan!"

The bird demons of Tianji Temple quickly understood the youth's intentions, but they were both astonished and terrified.

Although he was only clearing the areas that were within the reach of Tianmenguan, the extent of his sweep was astonishing, extending thousands of miles away from the city!

Along Li Hao's path, he had already driven away three Demon Kings and destroyed their lairs.

These Demon Kings, having received the intelligence from Tianji Temple, could only suppress their anger and temporarily leave their nests, planning to return later to assess the situation.

News of these earth-shattering events soon spread even further.

The three major demon forces gathered outside Liangzhou received the reports from Tianji Temple.

The Liangzhou branch of Tianji Temple was understaffed, so the main temple dispatched additional personnel and divided them into three groups, specifically tasked with remaining outside Tianmenguan to monitor the situation there.

Such treatment was second only to the headquarters of the Five Great Divine Generals' Mansions.

"That boy can actually kill Demon Kings? How old is he?"

"I heard he's only fourteen years old. Not long ago in Qingzhou, he had just stepped into the Heaven Man realm, and now he's already capable of slaying Demon Kings!"

Upon receiving this news, the three major demon forces' Liangzhou branches were shocked to their cores.

However, when they learned that the boy was only clearing out the areas around Tianmenguan, they heaved a sigh of relief.

Soon, they recalled the boy's previous achievements alongside his father in Qingzhou.

"Perhaps that news is true. Otherwise, the Li family wouldn't have concocted such a scheme, tarnishing their own reputation."

"If that boy is truly just abiding by the agreement, then our plan to attack Liangzhou shouldn't affect him much."

"How about this: we start from the east side of Liangzhou. If we can't defeat the smaller forces, we'll take out his father first!"

"Good idea. I can't stand that Li Tiangang anyway. He was as stubborn as a lump of dung in Yanzhou, causing us heavy losses!"

The three major demon forces secretly discussed their plans.

"Our Great Elder of the Dragon Gate won't be out of seclusion for another year. Let's wait and see what happens then."

"For now, let's confuse them. We'll feign an attack to make them think that we're intentionally trying to distract them and don't actually intend to strike."

The three forces strategized.

Meanwhile, Feng Shanjun and Tong Tianmozu, who had fled earlier, were severely injured. Tong Tianmozu's injuries were critical, and although he managed to cling to life, most of his power had been stripped away, causing his realm to plummet to the Three Immortals realm.

He would need some time to recuperate and gather his strength before he could return to the Demon King realm.

Filled with vengeance, he could only bide his time and endure.

Feng Shanjun, on the other hand, had escaped with only minor injuries. After a brief period of recovery, he set off toward Liangzhou upon hearing about the gathering of demons there, hoping to gather information and seek revenge with the help of these forces.

...

Li Hao continued his relentless assault, slaying countless demons. He sat atop a mountain, surrounded by the remains of his fallen foes.

Gazing up at the stars and moon, Li Hao knew it was time to turn back.

He had already swept through a considerable distance, and it was time to return.

After resting for the night, Li Hao set off the next day, dragging the numerous demon corpses with him as he retraced his steps.

On his way back, he selected some of the higher cultivation demon corpses from his previous battles and added them to his grisly collection.

As Li Hao made his return journey, the bird demons of Tianji Temple who had been secretly tailing him were overjoyed and immediately notified the fleeing Demon Kings and great demons that the calamity had finally departed.

These demons felt both aggrieved and relieved, and they promptly returned to their lairs.

However, when they reached their territories, they found them in ruins, unfit for habitation.

The Abyssal Lake Demon King returned to his mountain lake and, despite his frustration, decided to endure the indignity.

But when he saw that two mountain peaks had been used to fill his lake, and all the little demons within had perished, he nearly spat blood from anger.

"Aaahhh... I will have my revenge!!!"

The Abyssal Lake Demon King roared in fury, and the other two Demon Kings shared his sentiments. Suppressing their rage, they sought information from Tianji Temple and made their way to the three major demon forces on the borders of Liangzhou, willing to temporarily join forces. 

 Chapter 167: I'll Be Going Down the Mountain

At Tianmenguan, on the precipice of Cangya City, the array formation above the citadel had been constructed, and squads of the Blood Fiend Army along with volunteer martial artists who chose to remain kept watch over the walls, scanning the horizon for any signs of demons.

Li Hongzhuang, clad in her crimson battle armor, climbed up to the battlements, her brow furrowed as she gazed toward the horizon beyond the pass.

"It's been two days. Why hasn't this child returned yet...?"

Worry crept into her heart.

While those three demon kings were being hunted by the Demon Suppression Division and were likely to have fled their lair, there was still a chance they might be lurking nearby, and Li Hao could stumble upon them.

They were bitter enemies, and beyond the pass was the demons' territory—an extremely dangerous place.

"Li Ye."

After some thought, Li Hongzhuang suddenly called out, summoning her deputy.

She intended to dispatch an elite squad to scout the lair of the three demon kings.

A middle-aged deputy turned toward her voice, but suddenly, cries of surprise rang out from the distance.

The deputy and Li Hongzhuang, as if by reflex, tensed up. They turned toward the source of the exclamations and followed the gaze of the soldiers there, looking toward the eastern side beyond the pass.

There, in the azure sky, a black dot appeared and gradually grew larger, like a floating hill rushing toward them.

"A demon attack?"

Li Hongzhuang's expression changed, and she took a few steps forward, placing her palm on the brick wall of the battlement as she stared intently.

When her vision adjusted and she clearly saw the shape of the shadow, her solemn expression froze.

"Hao... Hao'er?"

Whoosh!

Li Hao flew toward the pass, with numerous demon corpses entangled in fishing lines trailing behind him, dangling like kites in the air below, the lines taut with tension.

Seeing the inner walls of the pass, Li Hao felt a sense of familiarity. He accelerated his flight.

As Li Hao entered, the soldiers on the walls also got a clear view of the horrifying scene, and amidst their trembling, they couldn't help but burst out in exclamations.

"It's Brigadier General Haotian!"

"Are, are all these demons slain by the Brigadier General?"

"My heavens, these are all Undying Realm demons! There are so many of them!"

The soldiers of the Blood Fiend Army maintained some restraint, but the martial artists who had come to reinforce them couldn't contain their astonishment.

The Undying Realm demon kings were rarely seen, and these were beings that dominated vast territories, ruling over hundreds or even thousands of miles. To see so many of them together was extremely unusual.

Yet, at this moment, they resembled a netful of caught fish, dangling in mid-air, their lives extinguished by Li Hao.

With Li Hao's return, the entire city received the news. Upon hearing that Li Hao had slain numerous great demons, the people were thrilled and rushed over.

Li Hao returned to the city and placed the demon corpses in the vacant lot where the black bird demon king had been previously. When he saw Li Hongzhuang rushing over, he smiled and said to her, "Help me look after them. When I have time, I'll prepare a feast for everyone."

"..."

Li Hongzhuang was stunned for a moment before asking in surprise, "Did you hunt all these? How far did you go?"

"Not too far, just wandering around out there," Li Hao replied casually.

Li Hongzhuang looked at him skeptically. How could he encounter so many great demons without going too far?

She suspected that Li Hao had not only visited the lair of the three demon kings a thousand miles away but had also ventured even further.

"Did you go to the lair of those three demon kings? Are they empty now?" she asked.

Li Hao nodded, "They fled."

Li Hongzhuang breathed a sigh of relief. "It's good that they're gone. As long as you're safe. With your talent, why take such risks now? If you cultivate diligently for ten years, you'll likely enter the Four Establishments Realm. It won't be too late to venture out then."

She had full confidence in Li Hao.

Entering the Four Establishments Realm at the age of 24, ten years from now, would still be a remarkable achievement, maintaining his lead and breaking records.

After all, most people would already be considered top geniuses if they could attain the Undying Realm by the age of 24.

She had only recently learned that Li Hao's father, her seventh brother, also possessed extraordinary talent. He had entered the Undying Realm at the age of 23. Thus, if Li Hao could reach the Four Establishments Realm at 24, it would be astonishing!

Hearing her words, Li Hao gave her a strange look.

Was his little aunt cursing him?

What a vicious curse, wishing for him to enter the Four Establishments Realm only after ten years...

"I'm a bit tired. I'll go and rest now," Li Hao said.

Li Hongzhuang snapped out of her thoughts and noticed Li Hao's tattered clothes. Her expression changed as she asked, "Are you severely injured?"

"It's quite serious," Li Hao replied. "I need to sleep well for a few days."

"..."

After bidding Li Hongzhuang farewell, Li Hao returned to the bamboo fence courtyard. When he saw Ren Qianqian approaching, he immediately sensed that her inner aura had transformed, and she exuded an aura of divine radiance.

"You've entered the Divine Wander Realm?" Li Hao smiled.

Ren Qianqian was a year younger than him, and at only 13 years old, her cultivation progress was impressive.

For those with lower comprehension abilities, it might take them until their twenties or even their forties or fifties to enter that realm.

"Young Master, are you hurt?"

Ren Qianqian's soft exclamation rang out as she looked at Li Hao's tattered clothes, her eyes filled with worry and anxiety.

Li Hao smiled and handed her the sword, saying, "Just a minor injury. It's already healed. Just get me a new set of clothes."

Ren Qianqian took the Dragon Skyward Sword and, after glancing at Li Hao's exposed body and seeing no signs of injury, she finally relaxed a little. "I'll get you some right away."

She then hugged the sword and ran back to the room in the small courtyard.

Li Hao walked into the tea room in the courtyard, picked up the teapot, and shook it. Finding that there was still some tea inside, he tilted the pot and drank directly from the spout.

After two days of intense battles, he was feeling a bit parched.

Soon, Ren Qianqian returned with a set of new clothes, which Li Hao took before heading to the bathroom for a bath.

After a thorough wash that removed even the bloodstains from his hair, he changed into his fresh clothes and stepped out, feeling refreshed and clean.

The little white fox was waiting outside, and Li Hao bent down to pick it up, rubbing its fluffy head affectionately. Then, he made his way back to the tea room, prepared a full pot of hot tea, and smiled, saying:

"Wind Elder, would you like some tea?"

"I'll pass. There are too many people in the city right now, and they're all prying."

Wind Elder's voice drifted into Li Hao's ears.

Li Hao's smile faded slightly, but after a moment of silence, he picked up the teapot and the tea table and gestured for Ren Qianqian and the little white fox to continue with their activities in the courtyard. Then, he flew out of the city to a nearby mountain peak.

"There's no one around now."

Li Hao set up the tea table, brewed a fresh pot of tea, and made a welcoming gesture.

"You rascal."

A figure appeared—it was Feng Boping, who seemed to drift over like a gentle breeze and sat down opposite Li Hao.

"I don't need your tea, young man. I'm fine," Feng Boping said, but he still picked up the teacup and drained it in one go, a broad smile on his face.

"But I do."

Li Hao replied.

He then poured himself a full cup and sat down on the mountain peak, the cold wind blowing against his face, but his body's innate abilities kept him warm and comfortable. The true energy surrounding the teapot kept the tea from cooling down quickly.

"Spring is almost here."

Feng Boping gazed out at the vast sky and landscape, taking a deep breath as he exhaled the warm breath of the tea.

Li Hao nodded.

After the great battle, the two of them rarely had a chance to relax, and sharing a drink together in this peaceful setting was a welcome respite.

When the teapot was empty, Li Hao stood up and bid farewell to Wind Elder before returning to the bamboo fence courtyard.

Ren Qianqian had been practicing her swordplay, but when she saw Li Hao returning, she quickly ran over and asked, "Young Master, did you go very far these past two days?"

"Not too far, just a few thousand miles," Li Hao replied with a smile, holding the little white fox that had jumped into his arms. He noticed that the reddish color in the fox's eyes was gradually fading, and its spirit seemed slightly improved.

Ren Qianqian stuck out her tongue, then said with a hint of frustration, "Young Master, you've already reached the peak. How long will it take for me to catch up to you?"

Her current cultivation speed was indeed fast, but compared to Li Hao, she felt like she was lagging far behind. She worried that she would be less involved in Li Hao's endeavors and that the distance between them would only grow.

"You don't need to catch up."

Li Hao smiled gently and said, "I'll come down the mountain to visit you."

Ren Qianqian paused, her eyes shining as she looked at Li Hao.

Not long after Li Hao's return, a large group of martial artists arrived at the bamboo fence courtyard, their voices filling the air with noise. After inquiring about their intentions, Li Hao learned that they wanted to enlist and join the army.

However, they didn't want to join Li Hongzhuang's Blood Fiend Army. Instead, they wanted to serve under Li Hao's command.

Li Hao didn't resist this idea, as the Emperor had granted him the right to recruit his own soldiers, although the scale was limited.

But accommodating these reinforcements was well within his capabilities.

After all, the number of martial artists willing to stay was only in the thousands, and only seven or eight hundred of them wanted to enlist.

Li Hao immediately set up a small bench in the bamboo fence courtyard, with Ren Qianqian in charge of registration, while he had each person display their talents and skills. Based on their cultivation realms and other abilities, he assigned them to different positions.

Some were suited for reconnaissance, others for front-line combat, and still, others were better off in the kitchen, assisting him with cooking.

Life proceeded peacefully in this relaxed and cheerful atmosphere.