The Name of Eternals

Chapter 166: I Will Descend the Mountain

Tianmen Pass, Cangya City. The city's magic array was now complete. Squads of the Blood Fiend Army and volunteer warriors patrolled the city walls, keeping watch for any demon activity.

Li Hongzhuang, clad in her crimson armor, climbed up the city wall, gazing at the horizon beyond the pass with a frown.

"It's been two days. Why hasn't he returned..."

Her heart was filled with worry.

Though the three demon kings were on the wanted list of the Demon Suppression Division and had likely fled their lairs, there was no guarantee they weren't lurking nearby, waiting to ambush Li Hao.

The enmity between them was deep, and the wilderness was treacherous, a territory of demons and dangers.

"Li Ye."

After pondering for a while, Li Hongzhuang called out to her lieutenant.

She planned to send a squad of elite scouts to investigate the lairs of the three demon kings.

A middle-aged lieutenant walked over to her upon hearing his name, but suddenly, there were cries of alarm from afar.

The lieutenant and Li Hongzhuang instinctively tensed, turning to look in the direction of the commotion. They followed the gazes of the soldiers, looking toward the eastern side of the pass.

A black dot appeared in the blue sky, gradually enlarging, resembling a floating hill.

"An enemy attack?"

Li Hongzhuang's expression changed as she took a few steps forward, placing her hand on the stone wall and narrowing her eyes.

When her vision adjusted and she saw the silhouette clearly, her solemn expression turned into one of surprise.

"Hao... Hao'er?"

Whoosh! Li Hao flew toward the pass, trailing a string of demon corpses behind him like kites. The corpses dangled, tautly pulled by the string.

Seeing the city walls, Li Hao felt a sense of homecoming and accelerated his flight.

As Li Hao approached the pass, the soldiers on the walls saw the horrifying scene clearly. Amidst their shock, they erupted in exclamations.

"It's Major General Haotian!"

"Are all those demons killed by him?"

"My god, these are all Three Unyielding Realm demons, and there are so many!"

The Blood Fiend Army soldiers managed to maintain some composure, but the volunteer warriors were constantly exclaiming.

Three Unyielding Realm demons were rare, formidable beings who could rule over hundreds or even thousands of miles of territory. Seeing them strung up like this, dead, was shocking.

As Li Hao returned, the entire city buzzed with excitement. Hearing of Li Hao's feat of killing so many great demons, everyone flocked to see him.

Li Hao returned to the city, dropping the demon corpses in the empty space where the Black Bird Demon King's body had been. Seeing Li Hongzhuang rushing over, Li Hao smiled and said to her, "Watch these for me. We'll have a feast later."

"..."

Li Hongzhuang was momentarily stunned. Then she asked, "Did you kill all these? How far did you go?"

"Not far, just wandered around a bit."

Li Hao replied casually.

Li Hongzhuang looked at him skeptically. How could wandering nearby result in encountering so many great demons?

She suspected that Li Hao had gone far beyond the lairs of the three demon kings, to much more distant places.

"Did you visit the lairs of those three demon kings? Were they empty?" she asked.

Li Hao nodded. "They all ran away."

Li Hongzhuang sighed in relief. "It's good they ran. You're so talented, there's no need to take risks now. In ten years, you'll likely reach the Four Unyielding Realm. Then you can explore freely."

She had great confidence in Li Hao.

If he reached the Four Unyielding Realm in ten years, at 24, he would still be far ahead of his peers, breaking records.

After all, most geniuses who reached the Three Unyielding Realm by 24 were already extraordinary talents.

She recently learned that Li Hao's father, her seventh brother, also had incredible talent, reaching the Three Unyielding Realm at 23. If Li Hao could reach the Four Unyielding Realm by 24, it would be even more astounding.

Li Hao found her words amusing. Was his aunt cursing him?

To reach the Four Unyielding Realm in ten years? Such a malicious curse...

"I'm a bit tired. I need some rest."

Li Hao said.

Li Hongzhuang noticed Li Hao's tattered clothes and grew concerned. "Are you badly injured?"

"A bit. I need to sleep for a couple of days."

"..."

After bidding farewell to Li Hongzhuang, Li Hao returned to the small courtyard and saw Ren Qianqian approaching. He immediately sensed the transformation in her aura, noticing a restrained divine light.

"Have you reached the Divine Wandering Realm?"

Li Hao smiled. Ren Qianqian, a year younger than him, was now thirteen and had reached the Divine Wandering Realm, progressing well.

Most prodigies with ninth-grade battle bodies reached the Divine Wandering Realm at fourteen if they joined a major power, and the Fifteen Mile Realm at sixteen.

Beyond that, progress depended on their talent. Those with high comprehension could reach the Human Realm at eighteen or nineteen, still maintaining rapid progress and being called true geniuses.

Those with less talent might reach it in their twenties or thirties. The least talented might take until their forties or fifties.

"Young Master, are you hurt?" Ren Qianqian asked worriedly, seeing Li Hao's tattered clothes, her eyes full of concern and anxiety.

Li Hao smiled, handing her his sword. "Just a minor injury, already healed. Just get me some new clothes."

Ren Qianqian took the sword, checked Li Hao's body for injuries, and felt relieved seeing no visible wounds. "I'll get them right away."

She ran back into the house, carrying the sword.

Li Hao went to the tea room in the courtyard, picked up a teapot, and drank directly from the spout, quenching his thirst after two days of battle.

Not long after, Ren Qianqian returned with new clothes. Li Hao took them and went to the bathing room.

After thoroughly washing himself and his hair, removing all the bloodstains, he changed into the new clothes and emerged feeling refreshed.

The white fox waited outside. Li Hao picked it up, rubbed its fluffy head, and went to the tea room. He poured a pot of hot tea and smiled.

"Would you like some tea, Old Man?"

"I'll pass. Too many prying eyes in the city now."

Feng Bo Ping's voice floated into his ears.

Li Hao's smile faded slightly, but after a moment of silence, he took the tea set and flew to a nearby mountain outside the city.

"No one here now."

Li Hao set up the tea table and made a welcoming gesture.

"You rascal."

Feng Bo Ping's figure appeared, drifting like a breeze, and sat across from Li Hao.

"An old man like me doesn't need your tea," Feng Bo Ping said, but still drank a cup, smiling with satisfaction.

"But I need it."

Li Hao replied.

He poured himself a cup and sat on the mountaintop. The cold wind was blocked by his supreme body, and the true power kept the tea warm.

"Spring is coming soon."

Feng Bo Ping gazed at the horizon, exhaling lightly, his breath mingling with the steam from the tea.

Li Hao nodded.

After the battle, the two rarely relaxed together, enjoying the peaceful moment.

When the teapot was empty, Li Hao stood up, bade farewell to Feng Lao, and returned to the small courtyard.

Ren Qianqian was practicing her swordplay. Seeing Li Hao return, she quickly ran over and asked, "Young Master, did you go far in the past two days?"

"Not too far, just a few thousand miles." Li Hao smiled. He noticed the white fox in his arms had less of the dark red in its eyes and looked more spirited.

Ren Qianqian was astonished, then muttered, "Young Master, you've already reached the summit. When will I catch up to you?"

Although her cultivation speed was fast, it was nothing compared to Li Hao. She feared being left further behind, participating less in his actions.

"No need to catch up."

Li Hao smiled. "I'll come down the mountain to see you."

Ren Qianqian was stunned, looking at Li Hao with shining eyes.

Soon after Li Hao's return, many warriors came to the small courtyard, making a lot of noise. Li Hao learned they wanted to enlist in the army.

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

Li Hao didn't object. The emperor had granted him the rank of general, giving him the right to recruit troops, though the scale was limited.

Accommodating these volunteers was no problem, as only a thousand or two were willing to stay, with seven or eight hundred willing to enlist.

Li Hao set up a small bench in the courtyard, had Ren Qianqian handle the registration, and had the volunteers demonstrate their skills to assign them positions based on their cultivation and abilities.

Some were suited for scouting, others for frontline fighting, and some for the cooking unit to assist him.

The days passed in this leisurely and lively atmosphere.