160. Slaying Demons Beyond the Pass
Chapter 160: Slaying Demons Beyond the Pass
The cold wind howled beyond the pass. Li Hao flew through the air, heading further away.
This time, he didn't need to worry about sudden ambushes by demon kings or relying on Old Feng's protection to escape. Though he was only at the peak of the Three Immortals, Li Hao felt that even if he encountered a Dao Heart-level demon king, he could fight it without needing to transform into an immortal.
Unfortunately, after adding points from the seventh stage to the eighth stage of the Physical Body Dao, he was prompted to condense a Dao Heart. The first step of the Four Tribulations Realm, the Dao Heart Stage, though the weakest, was crucial.
Li Hao could only rely on himself to find that Dao Heart to further add points and advance. He felt that once he found his Dao Heart, he might directly step into the peak of the Four Tribulations Realm, reaching the level of the Buddha Lord.
By then, apart from the imperial court, there would be no place within the Great Yu that could stop him.
Within three hundred miles outside the pass, Li Hao had already fished and flattened the area before. Now, passing through it again, he only saw a few small demons who had wandered over and settled, which he casually killed.
These wild areas were like weeds; if not cleared for a while, they would grow back. Li Hao planned to make some of his own flags and plant them in these areas, letting the demons know that this was their forbidden zone.
Seven hundred miles out was the Wan Mountain area. Previously, this was a forbidden zone for humans; entering meant facing the Wan Mountain demon king, who would capture and kill them without fear of being hunted by the Great Yu Dynasty.
But now, Li Hao stepped into this place directly. Along the way, he casually killed four Heaven Realm demons. These demons occupied their own mountains, with territories spanning a hundred miles, not interfering with each other.
Li Hao gave them no chance to speak, killing them instantly, even flattening their mountain peaks. When Li Hao reached the once forbidden zone, he saw that the towering peaks of Wan Mountain were now silent.
Only a few ignorant small demons remained, the rest either killed in the previous battle or fled upon hearing the news. Flying through, Li Hao saw caves opened by demons, stinking and empty.
On the mountain tops, demon-made flags bearing the characters "Wan Mountain" were slanted, losing their former grandeur. Li Hao sent out his divine soul, patrolling the Wan Mountain territory.
Encountering some small demons baring their teeth, he swatted them dead. Approaching the central area, the Wan Mountain demon king's peak was steep, with a stone staircase leading to the top, grandly built.
At the summit, a palace-like hall stood majestically, exuding a sense of demonic grandeur. Around it were giant lion statues of the Wan Mountain demon king, with dragon and phoenix carvings on the bases, seemingly meant to flatter the giant lions.
Li Hao flew by, casually smashing the statues. With a physical strength of a million pounds, he could easily split mountains and rocks. With his telekinetic power, he could move mountains and cut peaks with a thought.
"They didn't leave in a hurry," Li Hao noted that the palace halls had no valuable items, only jewels and jade embedded in the decorations, of little worth to demons.
After a round of inspection, Li Hao found nothing significant. The caves of the Three Immortals-level demons were also empty, indicating they had prepared for escape before the battle. Kicking apart the palace, Li Hao soared into the sky, leaving the area.
He turned south, heading towards the Dragon Mountain Dojo.
In the Dragon Mountain Dojo, the once bustling area was now deserted. The vast dojo, once filled with incense, now had only a few smoldering sticks.
Two small demons, not yet transformed, sneaked through a dog hole at the back of the dojo. Seeing the empty dojo, they grinned, baring their teeth. They rushed to the incense, trying to inhale it.
But suddenly, a shadow covered them, and a stench filled the air. The buzzing of insects surrounded them, enveloping the small demons. Their faces twisted in fear, unable to scream before being crushed. A thin wisp of demon qi floated from their bodies into the mouth of a mummified demon.
"Wild demons dare to steal dragon incense," the mummy demon snorted. The incense was mixed with special demon blood, enhancing cultivation when inhaled.
"The Dragon Lord hasn't returned, and news suggests the attack on Tianmen Pass failed," a seductive woman with a centipede lower half said, covering her face with a fan. "Husband, we're the only ones left. Shouldn't we leave? The Dragon Lord might not return."
"Where would we go?" the mummy demon shook his head. "If the Dragon Lord returns and finds us gone, he'll hunt us down."
"We could go north, to the Great Yu Dynasty. Yanbei just ended a war, with many dead demons. We could claim a territory and become kings," the centipede woman suggested.
"The Holy Palace is there, though they retreated thousands of miles. We'd need to align with them, not being wild demons," the mummy said. "I suspect the Dragon Lord went to join the Dragon Gate. They plan to attack Liangzhou and might use Tianmen Pass as a breakthrough. If they return, we could gain much by following them."
"Dragon Gate…" the woman's eyes gleamed. Scale-covered demons aspired to enter the Dragon Gate, rumored to teach demon transformation into dragons.
"If you plan this, I'll follow," she said seductively. The mummy demon smiled, about to respond, when he noticed something. Turning, his pupils shrank in fear.
A noble-looking young man stood quietly nearby, watching them. "It's you!" the mummy demon recognized Li Hao, terrified. He was the only Three Immortals-level demon to escape Tianmen Pass and had witnessed Li Hao's power. Ordinary Three Immortals couldn't match him!
The woman, puzzled, tried to seduce Li Hao, but her husband's reaction made her uneasy. "Tell me about the Dragon Gate," Li Hao said calmly.
"You dare come here! This is demon territory!" the mummy shouted, sending a mental command to his wife to attack Li Hao while he dealt with any followers.
The centipede woman approached, releasing seductive magic, but Li Hao stood still. Suddenly, her head exploded, leaving a smile frozen on her face. Her body reverted to a giant centipede, her soul emerging in terror.
The mummy's escape halted, his face stiff. He couldn't even distract Li Hao! "Speak quickly," Li Hao said, a strand of sword qi piercing the mummy's shoulder before returning, hovering near his eye. The cold killing intent made the mummy's heart race.
Under Li Hao's threat, the mummy divulged everything he knew. When he finished, Li Hao casually killed him, destroying his soul. The centipede woman's soul met the same fate.
The mummy was only at the Not-Perishable stage, trying to fight Li Hao with a significant power gap. "Liangzhou, Dragon Gate…" Li Hao mused. The mummy knew little; the demons were restless, consistent with military reports. Dragon Gate was a top demon power, comparable to the Divine General's Mansion.
If Dragon Gate mobilized fully, Liangzhou would be engulfed in war. The Li family alone might not hold such a vast territory. Shaking his head, Li Hao focused on guarding Tianmen Pass.
Patrolling the dojo, Li Hao found some leftover demon supplies but nothing rare. He collected four demon cultivation manuals, adding them to his panel. He practiced each one, increasing his strength by thirty thousand pounds, now reaching one hundred thirty thousand pounds.
In the divine strength state, it was one million three hundred thousand pounds, a formidable body even among demons. Leaving the dojo, Li Hao stomped from above, collapsing the structure.
He then headed to the Holy Demon King's sacred peak. But it too was abandoned, the three demon kings having fled after the failed attack on him.
Li Hao regretted fearing these demon kings, only daring to fish on the pass's edge. Now, seeking one for practice, he found none. With no other options, Li Hao aimed for farther territories.
He slashed the sacred peak and ventured further.
At Fire Melting Cave, a hundred miles of black rock surrounded it, with a lava-filled volcano inside. Red snakes and fire lizards lay by the lava pool, some half-transformed, with lizard upper bodies and human legs clinging to the walls.
A black-winged bird flew into the cave, transforming into a young girl of six or seven, looking cute but with an old demeanor. Scanning the cave, she bowed and delivered a message.
A massive red-scaled snake with three heads rose from the lava, emitting unchecked demon qi. "What news of the Tai Xu Sect? Are they truly entering the world?" one head asked.
"Three Heads, we have gathered the information you need. Tai Xu Sect is indeed entering, invited by the Holy Palace and Dragon Gate, with Dragon Gate leading," the girl said.
"Wan Mountain demon king failed at Tianmen Pass and fled with the Dragon Lord and Holy Demon King. Their territories are vacant."
"North Lian's national teacher, a subordinate of the Wan Mountain demon king, has retreated. The North Lian dynasty lacks a teacher; you could send someone if interested."
The snake's eyes gleamed, one head laughing. "That old demon king was foolish. His idiot son deserved death, killed by a human. I should thank them."
"Should we go to Dragon Gate's invitation?" another head asked. The heads had independent thoughts, their voices distinct.
The largest head remained silent, spitting two blood-red gems to the girl. "Your reward."
"Thank you, Three Heads." She took them joyfully. "Any other needs?"
"Not now. You may go."
The girl turned back into a bird, flying out. She climbed high into the clouds, using a secret technique to vanish. But as she nearly disappeared, a golden sword light flew in, severing her wing.