161. Single-Handedly Pushing Three Thousand Miles

Chapter 161: Single-Handedly Pushing Three Thousand Miles

The black bird screamed in horror as it looked at the source of the flying sword. A figure sped towards it with such explosive speed that it was terrified.

The black bird quickly turned to escape in another direction. Missing one wing, its speed was significantly reduced. It used its innate demonic skills to condense a phantom wing from its demonic energy. Meanwhile, the surrounding winds parted, allowing it to fly unimpeded.

The bird shot forward like an arrow, but suddenly, the space around it seemed to collapse and constrict.

Bang!

The black bird's body was crushed, struggling violently in midair.

Li Hao stepped forward, his Dragon Xiao Sword spiraling back into the sheath at his waist.

"So small, just Heaven Realm?"

Li Hao scrutinized the black bird, which was only half a meter in size when it reverted to its original form.

"I heard there's a force among demons called the Tianji Hall, modeled after the Tianji Tower, composed of weak birds and beasts, wandering among demon clans, transmitting and selling information to survive, skilled in concealment and reconnaissance..."

The black bird's pupils contracted, its heart pounding. It had recognized this young man—a peerless genius stationed at Tianmen Pass. How did he end up so deep in demon territory? If he were killed here, even the Great Yu Dynasty couldn't avenge him.

"Spare me! I'm just a wild demon, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to cultivate, never harming humans..."

The black bird pleaded frantically, no longer daring to struggle. The intelligence indicated that this young man could tear apart Three Immortals-level demons with his bare hands, let alone it.

"You reek of blood and flesh, hardly clean," Li Hao said softly.

His gaze swept around, and he released his divine soul. A powerful pressure emanated from it, causing the black bird to shiver.

His divine soul searched the surroundings, following the black bird's demonic qi trail to a mountain, where a small concentration of demonic qi suggested it might be the bird's lair.

"Let's take a look at your nest," Li Hao said, using his telekinetic power to carry the black bird as he flew off.

"Spare me! I feed on demon flesh, not humans..." the black bird begged in fear.

Li Hao ignored it.

"You... you deserve to die!"

The black bird's eyes flashed with ferocity as it struggled and lunged at Li Hao. But it was blocked by his telekinetic power before it could get close.

Desperate, the bird glared at Li Hao, its breath quickening before spitting out blood. Its demonic qi dissipated rapidly.

Li Hao was surprised to see the bird's life force fading so quickly. It chose suicide?

"I haven't even interrogated you yet."

A thought crossed Li Hao's mind—was this truly from the Tianji Hall? Ordinary bird demons wouldn't choose death so easily. If the Tianji Hall trained such decisive subordinates, it was commendable.

Li Hao squeezed the bird's body, seeing that its heart was torn apart by demonic qi, making it useless. However, its gullet pouch contained two ruby-like blood jades.

The blood jades emitted a rich, fragrant scent of flesh and blood, filled with potent demonic energy.

Li Hao stored them, thinking they would make good snacks for the little white fox later.

He then flew straight towards the mountain.

In the Fire Melting Cave, the three heads of the Three-Headed Snake were debating whether to accept the Dragon Gate's invitation. They avoided discussing it in front of the Tianji Hall bird demon to keep their plans secret.

"The Dragon Gate's attack on Liangzhou is not a spur-of-the-moment decision but a long-planned move."

"The promised rewards are tempting. I think we should take the risk. At worst, we can retreat to the Great Wilderness."

"You're an idiot. Once we join the Dragon Gate, why fear being hunted?"

The two heads argued while the middle, largest head remained silent.

Suddenly, a breeze blew into the cave. All three heads turned to see a figure gracefully entering. With his arrival, the cave's scorching temperature seemed to drop.

Sleeping demons on the rock walls, like wall-climbing lizards, woke up, their eyes glinting with demonic energy as they stared at the young man entering the cave.

"A human?!"

The Three-Headed Snake recognized the young man, its expression changing.

"The image the Tianji Hall gave us—it's him!"

"The genius from the Li family?"

The Three-Headed Snake's heads looked at Li Hao in surprise. They saw he was holding a dead black bird, the same one that had just left.

The largest head's eyes glowed with a golden flame as it scanned the passage behind Li Hao, looking for hidden companions.

Old Feng had accompanied Li Hao but was lounging on a slope outside the cave, sipping wine leisurely. The distance prevented the Three-Headed Snake from detecting Feng Boping's presence, leading it to conclude that only the young man was inside.

Was this a dream?

Was this a pleasant dream they didn't want to wake up from?

"I think I'm dreaming."

"Is this a good dream? I don't want to wake up!"

The two heads laughed mockingly.

The largest head stared at Li Hao. "Human, what are you doing here?"

Li Hao glanced around the cave. He had only sensed a small amount of demonic qi from the mountain but now saw many demons inside, including a big one.

Disappointed, he found that the Three-Headed Snake only emitted the aura of a Three Immortals-level demon, not a demon king.

"Looking for someone to practice with," Li Hao replied.

"?"

"?"

"?"

The Three-Headed Snake's heads showed confusion.

This human genius must be mad. They were 1,800 miles from Tianmen Pass, surrounded by demon territory. Even if the boy called for help, it would arrive too late.

Others came to slay demons; was he here to practice?

"Brother, we must treat our guest well."

"We understand hospitality."

The two heads sneered.

The largest head glared at Li Hao. "Attack!"

At its command, the demons on the rock walls shrieked and pounced on Li Hao.

The cave echoed with sharp laughter as they swarmed toward him.

But then, a crisp dragon roar sounded, followed by a burst of golden light.

The demons froze mid-air, then exploded, their bodies and souls shattered.

The horde included several Heaven Realm demons, all slain by a single strike.

Blood splattered as Li Hao raised two fingers, forming a sword sign, and slashed at the Three-Headed Snake.

A mighty sword qi flew out, and the Three-Headed Snake's heads changed expressions, both startled and angry.

The magma surged like a fiery sea toward Li Hao.

But the magma was suspended mid-air, frozen by Li Hao's telekinetic power. The sword qi struck, leaving a deep wound on the snake's crimson scales.

"What kind of attack is this?!"

"It hurts!"

"My Red Flame Body was breached just like that?"

The two heads screamed in pain.

The largest head realized why the young man dared to come alone.

It was a Three Immortals peak, close to becoming a demon king, but it sensed death looming over it.

"Three Heads as One!"

The largest head roared.

Its body coiled out of the magma, the two screaming heads sinking into its body.

"Brother, kill him for us!"

"Brother, it's up to you!"

The snake's aura surged as it spewed scarlet mist, its tail whipping at Li Hao.

Li Hao stood still, his Heavenly Law Apparition manifesting behind him.

With a loud crash, the apparition's large arms caught the tail, stopping its immense force. It then yanked, swinging the giant snake around.

"You..."

The Three-Headed Snake was horrified.

Outside the cave, the wind blew gently.

Feng Boping lounged on a boulder, finishing his snacks. He clapped off the crumbs and sensed something, turning to the cave entrance.

He saw Li Hao emerge, his clothes spotless, as if he had just visited a scenic spot.

"So soon?"

Feng Boping was surprised. He had expected Li Hao to succeed but not so easily.

"Too weak."

Li Hao shook his head slightly. Even his Heavenly Law Apparition easily subdued the snake demon.

"I..."

Feng Boping was speechless. The demon was a Three Immortals peak, like Li Hao, but was it really that easy?

He chuckled bitterly, remembering Li Hao's earlier feat of killing a demon king at the Heaven Realm. This wasn't surprising.

"What's next?"

"Continue."

"Alright."

They turned into breezes, leaving the mountain.

The Fire Melting Cave became a blood-soaked pit, filled with slain demons. The Three-Headed Snake's massive body was severed, its blood extinguishing the magma. Its head was crushed, only one eye intact but dimming.

"Monster..."

Its last thought faded into darkness.

Mount Wufeng.

The mountain rose steeply, like a blade piercing the sky.

Its name, meaning "No Peak," referred to how it dwarfed the surrounding peaks.

On its summit, two burly figures feasted, surrounded by hanging skins of humans and demons, like tattered rags.

The air reeked of blood, littered with bones.

"Brother Yuan, the old man from Beilin Country sent us some prime meat again."

"Little brother, don't rush to eat. Let's have some fun first. This human flesh is quite tender."

"Haha, true."

They drank heartily, tearing into a white leg.

Suddenly, a figure streaked towards them.

"What is this? How dare something intrude into our territory?"

The two figures looked up simultaneously and saw a richly dressed young man flying through the air.

"A human?"

They were taken aback and somewhat surprised. "Could he be from the Northern Ice Kingdom?"

As the young man approached, they quickly realized something was off. They couldn't sense the depth of the boy's aura or determine his cultivation level.

This could only mean that he was either skilled in concealment techniques or his cultivation level was higher than theirs.

But they were both at the Three Immortals level.

Could he be an old monster from the human race, using a youthful appearance?

Before they could think further, a flying sword whistled out, slashing toward them at high speed.

Stunned for a moment, they became furious, roaring as they revealed their true forms.

One was a four-armed giant ape, and the other was a golden-striped tiger.

Their auras were intense, possessing the bloodline of ancient demon kings. They were not ordinary demons. At this moment, they showed their ferocity, charging at the young man.

"Taiji Qiankun Sword!"

With a casual gesture, Li Hao controlled the Dragon Xiao Sword, which spun in mid-air. An illusion of yin and yang appeared in front of the sword, striking toward the mountain peak.

The two ferocious beasts roared, their demonic energy surging wildly, covering hundreds of meters around them. They each wielded their weapons—the four-armed giant ape with four weapons—charging at the Taiji Qiankun Sword.

With a loud bang! The yin-yang conversion force within the sword light pulled and flung out the four weapons simultaneously, severing the giant ape's arms.

In a single move, it fell from mid-air.

The golden-striped tiger roared and charged at Li Hao.

Li Hao raised his palm, pressing it down slowly.

The power of telekinesis gathered in his palm, seizing all the energy within a ten-mile radius, pressing down like a giant mountain.

The golden-striped tiger was horrified, roaring and clawing to resist, but it was still pressed down onto Wufeng Mountain, collapsing the entire mountain! The Dragon Xiao Sword, under Li Hao's control, turned into a golden light, swiftly moving, piercing through the four-armed giant ape's body. In its terrified gaze, it slashed through like a crescent moon, severing its head.

The sword light shot into the collapsed mountain below, and soon, a tiger's roar echoed out, accompanied by a tragic scream.

In no time, both Three Immortals-level great demons were dead.

The Dragon Xiao Sword soared into the sky, flying back into the sheath at Li Hao's waist.

Li Hao looked around, his divine soul flying out, lifting the bodies of the two great demons, using telekinesis to carry them. These were substantial spoils, and their bodies could provide materials for refining tools.

Their flesh was also a rare delicacy.

However, he needed to remove their organs first.

"Old Feng, can your spatial storage still hold more?"

Li Hao asked Feng Boping.

Reaching the Dao Heart Realm, one could use the Dao Heart to create a small spatial storage, carrying items with them.

When fishing, Er Ye and Old Feng would casually take out various fine wines and fishing rods from their spatial storage.

"These two demons are too big. They won't fit."

Feng Boping appeared, shaking his head slightly. "The spatial storage is very small, suitable for carrying small items."

Seeing this, Li Hao had to use two dark threads to bind the bodies of the two demons, trailing them behind him.

"Let's go."

Li Hao said.

They continued to move forward, exploring the area.

Not long after Li Hao and Feng Boping left, a dark blue-winged bird flew over from a distance, landing on Wufeng Mountain.

Soon, the sight of the collapsed Wufeng Mountain fell into its eyes.

The dark blue bird paused, its eyes widening in shock.

"This... this place is gone too?"

The blue light on its body flickered, and it swooped down like a phantom, inspecting the collapsed mountain ruins.

Quickly, it saw the blood splatter and the remnants of the two great demons' auras.

"Dead again..."

The dark blue bird trembled, soaring into the sky, taking out a jade whistle from its wing, blowing it sharply.

A strange sound wave spread out, like a signal.

In just a moment, within a three-hundred-mile radius, seemingly ordinary small birds halted.

They listened carefully, as if discerning something from the still air.

"Human invasion?!"

Hearing the message, the birds were stunned. They were familiar with the word invasion, but adding "human" made it strange...

They didn't hesitate, quickly taking out whistles and blowing them.

The sound waves spread, carrying the message further.

As the sound transmitted, the range widened, and soon, birds within a thousand miles stopped, with some turning sharply, flying in another direction.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Fire Melting Cave, where Li Hao had just left.

A palm-sized bird, black like a crow, flew over.

It landed on a rock, pecking idly, a small bug in its beak.

It looked like an ordinary bird.

But its eyes turned, sensing no movement around, it quickly swallowed the bug and flew into the Fire Melting Cave.

Soon, the tragic scene inside the cave became clear.

The three-headed snake was severed into seven or eight pieces, with dead demons everywhere.

It quickly found a black bird's body.

"Master Ming!"

The crow-like bird flew to the body, inspecting it carefully, confirming it had committed suicide.

"No wonder Master Ming's soul marker broke."

The bird's eyes showed sorrow, but it quickly tore open the black bird's feathers and chest, revealing the internal organs.

Soon, it saw a blood vessel forming demonic text.

It was a very brief message.

The last piece of intelligence left by Master Ming before dying.

The Tianji Hall wasn't strong in combat but excelled in gathering intelligence, navigating among the top demon forces.

Now, seeing the blood vessel text, the bird's pupils contracted, showing shock.

"The Li family boy from the human race dares to venture alone into demon territory?!"

It was stunned. If this news spread, the nearby demons would go mad.

Moreover, it knew that countless demons harbored grudges against the Li family.

If they learned of the boy's whereabouts, they would come from miles away to kill him!

Previously, many demons had attempted to attack the boy at the pass, in the Great Yu territory.

With a Four-Legged Realm protector by his side, some demons had given up the idea. But now, even with a Four-Legged Realm protector secretly following, this wasn't the Great Yu Dynasty's territory. If the demons knew, they wouldn't miss this chance! As it pondered quickly, a whistle sounded.

It paused, listening carefully, then changed color.

The boy was still advancing! "Too crazy. Is he trying to attract all the demons to attack him?"

It looked at Master Ming's body, took a deep breath, pecked at the organs to destroy the remaining message.

Killing Master Ming had provoked the Tianji Hall.

Although they never fought directly, they excelled at manipulating others to do their bidding.

With a flap, the bird flew out of the Fire Melting Cave.

As Li Hao journeyed through mountains and rivers, hunting demons along the way, news of him spread through the Tianji Hall.

Birds scattered, landing on various peaks.

"Hmm? What little bird demon dares to court death?"

On a mountain, a sleeping demon opened its eyes, ready to crush the bird.

But the bird quickly said: "I am a Tianji Hall Qingniao. Black Cloud Lord, please leave quickly. A human is coming, hunting demons."

"Tianji Hall?"

The demon's raised claw paused, then it laughed. "What human dares come here? Do they know I'm hungry?"

"It's the Li family genius, Li Hao!"

Qingniao quickly said. "He has killed five Three Immortals-level demons, including the indomitable Three-Headed Snake. You should flee."

Black Cloud Lord was stunned, his expression changing.

"The Li family? That damnable Shenjiang Mansion Li family?"

"He killed even the Three-Headed Snake?"

He was shaken. The Three-Headed Snake had some fame within a thousand miles, yet it was killed.

"He's coming soon, Black Cloud Lord, you should leave."

Qingniao urged.

Black Cloud Lord reacted, quickly gathering his treasures, flying away.

He sent a mental message to Qingniao: "I owe the Tianji Hall a favor. I will repay it."

"I need to inform other lords. Farewell."

Qingniao said, flying away.

Similar situations occurred elsewhere.

Many Tianji Hall birds spread news of Li Hao's demon-slaying spree. Some demons fled, while others in the Immortal Realm chose to stay and fight.

They perished.

As the Dragon Xiao Sword drank more blood, Li Hao's reputation grew. He swept through three thousand miles, undefeated.