One After Another

They advanced in complete silence. The further they went, the more alarmed Li Hao became. *Damn it, did we walk straight into a wolves' den?* Why did Mount Cang feel even more dangerous than the world outside? At that moment, he spotted another cluster of light, with several more specks twinkling nearby. This was no longer the first time; they were appearing more and more frequently. The deeper they went, the more there were. Demons! Mount Cang was crawling with demons. Earlier, he had even seen a Three Sols great demon streak across the sky. Li Hao had steered clear of it and managed to avoid trouble. He was not afraid of the Three Sols realm, but this was only the outer perimeter! There were Three Sols great demons here already. If they went deeper… would it be even more perilous? Liu Long also sensed the aura of danger. Quickly stepping forward, he whispered, "Let's stay closer to the edge. If we skirt along the perimeter eastward, we can avoid penetrating too deep. According to some elders in Silver City, Mount Cang is said to have nine mountains and eighteen folds—nine colossal mountain ranges overlapped to form the Mount Cang we see today." If they went deeper and entered the second mountain, they would be in serious trouble. Li Hao nodded. Gauging their direction, he shifted slightly toward the flank. He hadn't led them along the base of the mountains simply because it was too exposed to conceal their tracks. Yet feeling the danger lurking within Mount Cang, Li Hao was not eager to court death. After walking for a while, Li Hao exhaled and changed direction once more. Liu Long looked over at him, and Li Hao sent a voice transmission: "There's a Three Sols great demon ahead. We're taking the other way." Liu Long was speechless. Were Three Sols demons everywhere in this godforsaken place? Why did it feel so terrifying? After another stretch, Li Hao wiped his brow, which was beaded with sweat, and veered off in a new direction again. Liu Long looked at him once more. "Another Three Sols ahead!" "..." Liu Long stood dumbfounded. He was a native of Silver City; Mount Cang had always been right beside him. When had it become this dangerous? If the great demons here took a fancy to strolling down the mountain… wouldn't Silver City have been wiped out long ago? Li Hao said nothing. They continued forward. This time, no demons appeared along the path. Li Hao let out a breath of relief. Fortunately, they had finally found a normal route to travel. He knew nothing about demons, nor did he understand the habits of great demons. Records concerning demons had vanished long ago. The ancient texts Yuan Shuo taught rarely mentioned demons either. Thus, it wasn't just Li Hao; in today's world, neither supernaturals nor martial masters knew much about demons. Very few people understood that demons did not gather in packs, and great demons possessed an especially fierce sense of territory. In an area crawling with great demons, if there was an empty stretch of land devoid of any demonic presence, someone from the ancient civilization would tell you: never set foot there! It meant only one thing—an even more terrifying demon dwelt within, so formidable that the lesser demons all around dared not approach. Of course, that was the wisdom of the ancients. Aside from experts in the Central Region who possessed some knowledge of great demons, modern supernaturals and martial masters were virtually oblivious. They only knew that these creatures were immensely powerful and occasionally accompanied by treasures. ... No demons appeared along the way. Li Hao and his group picked up their pace considerably. Seeing that dawn was fast approaching, Li Hao had no intention of marching in broad daylight. He halted the team and transmitted his voice: "I'll scout ahead for a safe place to take cover and rest. We'll set out again tonight." It was already September 20th. Li Hao was calculating the time. He wasn't sure if they could traverse the mountain range and reach the eastern side of Cross-Cut Gorge before the 28th. Eight days remained. Judging by their traveling speed, it would be a bit challenging, but as long as they pushed faster, it wouldn't be an issue. Once they shook off their pursuers or killed them, they could accelerate. After instructing everyone to wait here, Li Hao went ahead alone to scout a secure shelter. He leaped and bound across the terrain, moving at astonishing speed without the others in tow. Like an ape, he flitted through the boundless sea of mountains. Seeing virtually no demons along the way made Li Hao vaguely uneasy. Why had they all vanished? Spotting them frequently before had been unsettling, but now that not a single demon was in sight, he felt even less at ease. Continuing to weave forward, Li Hao noticed what seemed to be a small mountain ahead. No, it looked more like a valley—raised on all sides and hollowed out in the middle. Li Hao's eyes flickered; this place wasn't bad. Faintly, mist seemed to be rising from it. Could it be a mountain lake? On this journey, they had brought dry rations, but not very much. They had brought some water, but even less. After a full day without encountering any lakes, Li Hao and his companions were running short on water. *A water source… animals tend to cluster around water sources.* Li Hao knew at least that much. Therefore, he dared not act carelessly. It was still quite a distance away, separated by rugged crags, so he couldn't tell if there were any light clusters inside. Li Hao crept forward cautiously, his presence virtually undetectable. Absorbing dark-element energy had made his aura even more concealed, and wearing the bronze mirror taken from Qiao Feilong ensured that not a sliver of aura leaked out. Spreading his arms like a bird taking flight, Li Hao rapidly drew near. A moment later, he landed on a patch of rocky ground. While the surrounding area had been dense jungle, this spot was devoid of even a single tree, offering nowhere to hide. Fortunately, dawn had not yet fully broken. The eastern horizon was tinged with crimson, but the sun had not entirely risen. Li Hao climbed upward. This small mountain was peculiar, as though hollowed out by someone; it lacked a peak, flattening out halfway up the slope before sinking downward on all sides. With a light tap of his foot, he scaled it swiftly and soon reached the top. The surrounding area was extraordinarily flat. It looked as though a blade had cleanly sheared off the mountain peak, after which a deep pit had been carved into the center. Li Hao paid it little mind, merely marveling at nature's miraculous handiwork. In any other region, a spot like this could have served as a scenic tourist attraction. He walked toward the edge of the plateau, curious about what lay below. Was it a vast lake? There didn't seem to be any path leading inside from around here. Surely there wouldn't be demons, right? Even now, he had not spotted a single cluster of light. Walking to the very edge of the platform, Li Hao peered downward— The next instant, he snapped his gaze away. Tears welled in his eyes. Every hair on Li Hao's body stood on end. Without another glance, he turned around, his movements so faint that he could barely hear them himself. Just like that, inch by inch, he crept back the way he had come. Then, he glided down the mountainside, not daring to stir even a whisper of wind. His eyes were still bloodshot and filled with tears, looking as utterly wronged as a child who had been beaten to weeping. Gliding all the way down, he landed at the foot of the mountain. Without looking back, Li Hao vanished from the spot. He swore that even if someone called him father, he would never take another look at that place. The instant he had poked his head out, his eyes had nearly been blinded. It was just like the day he entered the General Administration Bureau and saw Director Zhao, Commander Huang Yu, Kong Jie, and Hou Xiaochen—those men whose blinding radiances had nearly seared his sight away. Today, he had witnessed the exact same spectacle. In that single fraction of a second, he had glimpsed a serpent, an ape, a golden great bird, and a fierce tiger… Four creatures, four distinct radiances. His eyes were practically blinded! *Heavens above!* *What kind of hellhole is this?* Judging by the blinding brilliance, they were roughly comparable to Hou Xiaochen and the others. For a moment, Li Hao thought he had traveled back in time to the General Administration Bureau, staring at those four crafty old schemers all over again. And here, there just so happened to be four as well. At that moment, he even wondered whether those four men had transformed into great demons and hidden themselves here. Otherwise, why would the light be so identical? Four of them, too! Just where on earth was this? Cold sweat soaked Li Hao's clothes as he glided forward without looking back, wishing only to get as far from that damned place as possible. It was too close to where his team had stopped—less than three thousand meters away. Otherwise, he wouldn't have scouted for shelter in this vicinity to begin with. They had to leave immediately! Amidst his terror, Li Hao couldn't help feeling curious. What were those four great demons doing in that forsaken pit? Drinking water together? There was indeed a lake in the valley, and on it seemed to float a… *A lotus?* Li Hao froze. Were those four great demons waiting for that lotus? To fight over eating it? Forget it, it didn't matter. Though he wasn't afraid of dying, he had no desire to throw his life away. A single Hou Xiaochen would be the death of him; facing four Hou Xiaochens… forget it, he feared he would die a truly miserable death! ... The moment Li Hao fled, down in the valley, the four great demons raised their heads almost simultaneously to look up. Yet… they only looked. The giant ape looked at the golden eagle, the golden eagle looked at the great serpent, and the great serpent looked at the fierce tiger… *Someone's there!* The eyes of all four great demons conveyed the exact same thought: *Go check it out!* *Someone is here, hurry up and look.* You look at me, I look at you, all staring at one another… *Go on!* In the end, not one of the four great demons moved an inch. None went. Whoever left was a fool. A human's arrival wasn't frightening. What they feared was that the moment one stepped away, the golden lotus would appear and vanish into someone else's belly. That would be the greatest loss. If the intruder actually descended, they would naturally tear him to shreds. But he hadn't, and his strength was clearly nothing special. Although his aura was completely hidden, he still made some slight commotion; he was certainly nothing formidable. In that case… why fear him snatching the prize? Thus, while Li Hao rejoiced over not being discovered, he had no idea that seeing all four great demons had actually saved him. Had there been only one… he would likely have left his life behind. None of the four great demons was willing to leave. All were waiting for the golden lotus to ripen. In the small lake, the petals of the green lotus were gradually turning golden. Counting carefully, there were eight petals. The golden lotus seeds within still retained a faint trace of green, but the gold was spreading; maturity was close at hand. The four great demons continued to wait lazily, making no movement whatsoever. They knew humans had entered Mount Cang. Lesser demons were harassing them, slowing their pace—not out of fear, but simply to prevent them from arriving too quickly and disturbing the ripening of the Heavenly Golden Lotus. Who would have thought someone would still reach this place first? A martial master? Most likely. The great demons pondered quietly. At that moment, one of them recalled a scene from long ago. The crouching tiger remembered how, many years ago, a certain fellow had pinned it to the ground and thrashed it relentlessly… Those days were the most humiliating chapter of its life. Some bastard, all to comprehend his so-called Five Animals Force, insisted on making it roar, go wild, and even go into heat… Disobey, and it was beaten! Back then, it had only been a tender young tiger… well, by beast standards, it had already been a fearsome tiger, but from its current perspective, it had certainly been young and tender. Martial arts… It had been a long time since it last saw that bunch of martial masters. It had heard that outside the mountains, the world had been turned upside down. Those martial masters who ran rampant back then were now either dead or in hiding. As for supernaturals, it had encountered a few… well, they were far too fragile, crushed with a single swipe of a paw. Sometimes, it would still wonder if that man was already dead. Such an arrogant person. That day, upon fully mastering his Five Animals Force, he had boldly proclaimed that he would conquer the realm, unite the martial forest, step into the Thousand-Battler realm, and pioneer a martial path beyond Thousand-Battler… Was he dead now as well? While the tiger reminisced, the golden eagle also drifted into memories. That person just now was probably a martial master. A martial master of the Heavenly Star Dynasty. His aura had been concealed, not like a supernatural's. Thinking back to the past, a wicked villain had hurled it from the mountain peak, forcing it to hunt and soar. If it didn't fly, it was beaten; if it flew and tried to escape, it was beaten; if it flew too high wishing to flee, it was beaten all the harder, a thorough thrashing. That villain had been too terrifying back then; a single pebble he tossed could strike hundreds of meters into the sky… There had been no escaping him. Looking back now, perhaps it wasn't all that much after all. On the other side, the giant ape didn't think nearly as much. It only remembered a foolish fellow from the past who liked to imitate it, eating and living alongside it, copying whatever it did. Whatever the ape ate, he ate. It hadn't seen that person in a long time; he was probably dead. From the corner of its eye, it glanced at the tiger and the golden eagle nearby… Those two seemed to have been beaten by him back then. Probably. Its memories from that era were hazy, nowhere near as clear as now. Whether it was truly these two was hard to say. The few times it had probed, both had denied it. Perhaps it was their kin? Who knew. Among the four beasts, only the great serpent harbored no such thoughts. As for the person who had just fled, it couldn't care less. Right now, the serpent merely stared fixedly at the golden lotus. It was calculating how much it would get this time. If it missed this chance, it would have to wait another five years. This place was the shared treasure ground of the four of them. Surely they wouldn't fight this time? Would they split it evenly, or use some other method? Even now, they had reached no conclusion. In the blink of an eye, the four great demons had completely forgotten about the person from earlier. Whether he ran or peeked, as long as he didn't interfere with their division of the spoils, they paid him no heed. ... By now, Li Hao had returned to the campsite. His back was thoroughly drenched in cold sweat. Seeing him return, Liu Long and the others were about to speak when Li Hao sent a voice transmission: "Nobody say a word!" Everyone fell silent instantly. "Move… we're taking a detour…" Li Hao swallowed hard. Only now did he relax slightly. Fortunately, he hadn't been discovered; it was simply too horrifying. Knowing their confusion, he continued transmitting his voice: "There are great demons ahead! Incredibly powerful great demons—so strong that… they might all be on Director Hou's level!" At these words, everyone froze in their tracks. Their bodies stiffened. What level was Director Hou? A figure who had slain a Rising Light with a single spear strike. *All of them?* That meant there was more than one. Liu Long's scalp tingled. Had Mount Cang become terrifying to this degree? He felt fortunate that Li Hao had discovered them early without incident; otherwise, they would have been finished. Meanwhile, after swallowing hard, Li Hao's eyes flickered. He tore a tiny scrap from his clothing—infinitesimally small, impossible for ordinary eyes to spot. He glanced in the direction they had entered the mountains. Were the Three Great Organizations still tracking them? If they were… they definitely had their methods. If they tracked them this far… they would surely keep advancing. Anyone who saw that peculiar sheared mountain would probably grow curious. Li Hao didn't lay too many deliberate trails; too much would look fake. Anyone slightly shrewd would detect something amiss. Something like this—a few fibers of clothing snagged as if by sheer accident—ordinary people wouldn't even notice, and even if they did, they might not think twice about it. That was the best lure. *I hope you idiots chase all the way here… If you stumble in there, even a Rising Light is done for!* Never mind a single Rising Light; even if four went in, if those beasts were all on Hou Xiaochen's level, one demon per person would finish them off in no time flat! With that in mind, Li Hao looked at the others and transmitted: "Step lightly, everyone. It's best if we carry each other in turns to leave fewer tracks. Let's pull back further…" Pausing, he added, "If push comes to shove… we'll double back the way we came. If pursuers follow us into Mount Cang, we'll bypass them and strike back!" "..." Everyone was stunned. Hadn't they agreed to fight their way out to the east? To head straight for Cross-Cut Gorge—why retreat now? "Don't stare. Along this path, there are seven or eight Three Sols great demons, and over there are four terrifically powerful great demons at Rising Light or even above… I'm worried we'll all be dead before we even reach the east! If pursuers are hunting us, even if they don't reach that valley, they'll clash with those Three Sols great demons sooner or later… Let's observe first!" At this moment, Li Hao was having second thoughts. Traversing Mount Cang all the way east—was it truly feasible? This place sent chills running down his spine. Saying no more, he was grateful for his eyes; otherwise, he would have been dead for sure. That single blossom appeared to be a supreme treasure. If ordinary martial masters or supernaturals saw it, they would probably try to seize it. Li Hao hadn't gone because he had seen their radiant glows. However, figures on par with Hou Xiaochen kept their auras thoroughly restrained. Ordinary people couldn't perceive anything unusual and might treat those four great demons like ordinary beasts. If so, what a show that would be! Pushing those thoughts aside, Li Hao swiftly led everyone away. Marching through such a perilous environment was a trial in itself. When Li Hao took the risk of leading the group through the territory of a Three Sols great demon, everyone broke out in cold sweat. They had encountered Three Sols before and weren't particularly afraid of them. What truly terrified them was whether a battle, should they be discovered, would draw the attention of those four demons comparable to Director Hou in the distance. That was what made their hair stand on end. Everyone, Li Hao included, worried about such an outcome, so they dared not lay a finger on these great demons. Carefully skirting around that Three Sols creature, Li Hao finally found a suitable resting spot. Between Three Sols great demons, there was always an adjoining neutral zone devoid of beasts, likely serving as a dividing line between their territories. Under these conditions, Li Hao led everyone to a hollow formed by clustered trees. A tangle of towering trees had grown wildly together into a massive hollow, shielded on all sides by vines that created an enclosed space beneath. Only after settling in did the sound of ragged breathing finally break out. Everyone kept their voices low. Liu Long did the same, whispering, "We didn't draw that great demon's attention just now, did we?" Just moments ago, they had been less than a thousand meters from it. Those with sharp eyes had seen the Three Sols great demon—it looked like a lion, lying motionless, whether napping or doing something else. Yet its aura had been overwhelmingly powerful. Being so close had scared them half to death. "It's fine. We're martial masters, and our black armor has a dampening effect on auras." Li Hao shook his head. "I observed it; there's no problem." He had observed not its physical form, but its supernatural fluctuations. Only when its supernatural energy fluctuated would it mean it had noticed them; the absence of fluctuation meant it truly hadn't. This was an advantage no one else possessed. A great demon might pretend not to notice and stay still, but it couldn't disguise its supernatural energy. Who else could perceive their supernatural fluctuations? Li Hao could. At this moment, Li Hao felt more than ever how incredibly useful these eyes were—at times surpassing even the sword energy. Then he wondered: what about the people who had seen the Red Shadows back then? In Silver City alone, there had been multiple cases. Among a million people, there had to be at least ten. Even if some died, with one in a million, the entire Yinyue province should have produced a hundred. Where had those people gone? No one among the Night Patrollers seemed to mention them. If those people were like him, having just a few in the Night Patrollers would make locating supernatural strongholds child's play, wouldn't it? Though the thought crossed his mind, he had no intention of digging deeper right now. He could inquire about it discreetly when an opportunity arose. "Boss, all of you stay here. I'm heading out. Unless something happens, don't leave this spot. Even if you need to relieve yourselves… handle it right here!" Liu Long looked at him grimly. *Where are you going?* Li Hao didn't say. He had no intention of fishing in troubled waters, nor did he plan to keep watch on those four great demons… He merely wanted to see if anyone was pursuing them. If there were… he didn't mind doing a little meddling. He would lure them all over there! As for the snipe and the clam fighting while the fisherman benefited, Li Hao didn't even entertain the thought. With four great demons present, no such possibility existed. There was only one outcome: those pursuers would be slaughtered, and then he… perhaps… perhaps he could wait to collect the corpses. Did demons eat humans? It seemed they did. Did they eat storage rings? He had no idea. Would they excrete them? Li Hao's thoughts drifted a bit. His reasoning was simple: if those people were killed, maybe the great demons wouldn't eat them? Or maybe they would defecate them out? Great demons wouldn't know how to use storage rings, right? If so, perhaps he could scavenge some loot after the great demons left. Moving alone was far more convenient; dark-element energy could mask his presence. Besides, he had the bronze mirror on him. Thinking of this, Li Hao suddenly halted his movements and took out an energy-storage ring. He intended to absorb a bit more dark-element energy. Previously, he had considered dark energy useless; he wasn't some sinister schemer who ambushed people from behind. Martial masters fought face-to-face! Why bother absorbing dark-element energy? Yet now, Li Hao thought it was better to absorb a bit more. It wasn't for ambushes, but simply to make his aura even fainter and avoid conflict with the demons. After all, humans and demons could coexist peacefully. Wisps of dark energy were quickly absorbed into his body. Li Hao shattered two more divine energy stones, leaving only eight in reserve. He absorbed close to five hundred cubic meters of dark energy. He was not lacking in dark energy; when he killed Yue Pu, that peak Three Sols expert had provided at least two thousand cubic meters. He had only absorbed half of it back then, totaling barely a thousand cubic meters until now. By the time he finished absorbing the five hundred cubic meters of mysterious energy, darkness had fallen once more. With a flicker of his figure, Li Hao melted into the shadows like a wraith. The dark-element power hadn't made him stronger, but it had made his presence far less noticeable. ... "Three Sols!" At the same time, Banshan said in a deep voice, "There is a Three Sols great demon ahead!" As he spoke, a compass-like device appeared in his hand, shimmering with faint radiance. It functioned similarly to a supernatural detector; generally inaccurate, it proved fairly reliable if the target didn't conceal its aura. Haixiao's eyes gleamed. "A Three Sols great demon… To cultivate to Three Sols is no small feat. Perhaps the lesser demons harassing us along the way were directed by this beast. Killing it might yield some treasures." Banshan remained wary, his tone grave. "Haixiao, it's best not to act rashly. The deeper we go into this place, the more perilous I feel it becomes. Perhaps… there are Rising Light great demons present! Once we engage, it could easily invite trouble." Haixiao frowned deeply. This Banshan feared this one moment and that the next—how had he ever cultivated to Rising Light? "Banshan, we've come all this way; are we supposed to just give up and stop pursuing? Don't scare yourself. Even if there are Rising Lights, both you and I are Rising Lights. Is there any need to be so cautious?" "We haven't seen any corpses from Li Hao's group. If they can avoid trouble, why should we be afraid?" Mere Hundred-Breaker martial masters were advancing ahead, yet a Rising Light expert like him was acting like such a coward? "A Three Sols great demon usually hoards at least a few divine energy stones… Even if it doesn't, its flesh and blood are treasures. Moreover, I've heard…" Haixiao said softly, "The blood of these demons can sometimes unseal special Origin God Armaments! You know that Origin God Armaments contain spirits—armament spirits! They bear a striking resemblance to these great demons… I've heard that demon blood of the same origin can awaken an Origin God Armament!" "Many Origin God Armaments are completely dormant today and cannot be activated; otherwise, they wouldn't be so rare. But great demon blood can activate them… That's why certain fellows in the Central Region specialize in hunting these great demons to do business awakening Origin God Armaments, turning massive profits every time!" Demons were treasures. Origin God Armaments seemed to share a connection with demons. Banshan fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Let's go take a look. If there's danger, it's best to steer clear. Also, try to avoid unnecessary slaughter." "Don't worry!" Haixiao chuckled and took to the air. A moment later, soaring nearly a hundred meters high, she spotted a serpent beside a swamp in the mountain woods—a colossal serpent rolling in the mud. This was the Three Sols great demon they had sensed in advance. In midair, a trace of greed flashed across Haixiao's eyes. A Three Sols demon—what a fine prize! Furthermore, as the giant serpent wallowed in the swamp, several divine energy stones were churned up from the mud, glistening with light. Below, the wallowing serpent seemed to sense something, and its massive head turned toward the sky. The next instant, seeing or sensing something, it abruptly thrashed, its huge body slithering with blinding speed as it vanished into the jungle in full flight! *Powerful experts!* "We've been spotted!" Haixiao suddenly laughed. "It fled… Banshan, what do you say… do we pursue?" Before Banshan could reply, Haixiao added, "When it fled, I saw it swallow a mouthful of mud, and at least twenty divine energy stones were sparkling in it…" Twenty divine energy stones, even to them, represented a tidy sum of wealth. Without waiting for Banshan to speak, Haixiao was already flying forward. "Let's take care of it along the way. Perhaps Li Hao is in that direction too. A windfall delivered to our doorstep—we'd be fools not to take it!" Banshan hesitated, but ultimately followed. He hoped nothing would go wrong. No other light dots had appeared on the compass; it seemed this serpent demon was the only one in the vicinity. ... Ahead, the massive serpent fled frantically. It moved at breakneck speed. Sensing mortal danger, its escape route—viewed from above—led straight toward the sheared mountain. Evidently, the serpent demon knew safety lay there. It was precisely at this moment that Li Hao spotted three light clusters. His eyes shifted, and he quickly retreated. One light cluster was at the Three Sols level, looking like a great demon he had spotted earlier and bypassed. The other two clusters were massive—Rising Light! People from the Three Great Organizations? One of them felt faintly familiar, radiating a dark hue. Someone from Feitian! He had seen only one Rising Light from Feitian—when he emerged from Battle Heaven City, he had seen Banshan. Could this be… Feitian's Banshan? *So fast?* Hidden in the shadows, Li Hao was secretly astonished. He had led his people forward at great speed, and the enemy was tracking rather than tailing them directly, yet they had already caught up. He had still underestimated their methods. *Wait, are those two hunting that Three Sols great demon?* Li Hao avoided them. Shortly after the Three Sols great demon fled, the two Rising Light clusters streaked past and vanished from sight, heading in the exact direction of the sheared mountain. *Huh? I don't even need to lure them? They're walking right into their own doom?* Li Hao felt a strange amusement. Just as he was about to follow, he suddenly froze. Before long, a faint breeze swept through, followed by a series of glowing clusters appearing in the distance, accompanied by faint voices. "Hall Master Lunzhuan, those two seem to be tracking a great demon. Could there be treasure?" "Shall we follow and look? We have nothing to fear from them anyway. With the Sixteen Lords of Hell joining forces, even two Rising Lights… might not be our match!" "Let's follow them. Where there are demons, there are treasures. Feitian's Banshan has decent tracking skills; his direction aligns with where Li Hao vanished. If we follow them, we'll find Li Hao sooner or later!" The group swiftly disappeared into the distance. Li Hao drew in a sharp breath! *Fuck!* Yama had this many Three Sols experts? Seventeen! Yes, a full seventeen light clusters. Li Hao was thoroughly shocked. He had expected Yama might send people, but the arrival of seventeen Three Sols was far more staggering than a single Rising Light. Where had Yama gotten so many Three Sols experts? Moreover, they were led by the Wheel-Turning King, a peak Three Sols carrying an Origin God Armament. If these people coordinated seamlessly, perhaps… two Rising Lights truly wouldn't be their match. *Have they lost their minds?* Li Hao found it incredible. To hunt him down, Red Moon sending a Rising Light was understandable, and Feitian… was barely comprehensible. But Yama defied all reason. Sending seventeen Three Sols—were they here to kill him, or to kill Banshan and the others from Feitian? Li Hao frowned deeply. Furthermore, these bastards had actually tracked all the way here with frightening speed. At this rate, once tonight passed, they might catch up to his group by tomorrow. *Still, have they gone mad? Rushing over there one after another—do they have a death wish?* Li Hao muttered inwardly. *Are you people insane?* Even with this many experts gathered, four great demons comparable to Hou Xiaochen were waiting over there. Even if another Rising Light or two showed up, they would still just be throwing their lives away! He didn't even want to watch, fearing he would get dragged into it. Yet just as he turned to leave, his ears twitched slightly. A figure flashed past, carrying a faint sensation of blood vitality. Seeing no light cluster, Li Hao was startled. Who had followed them? A martial master? The distance was great, so the sensation wasn't clear, but it felt vaguely familiar… Southern Fist? Could it be that fellow? Why would he follow them here? Li Hao remained motionless, completely locking down his force. For martial masters, sensing an opponent relied primarily on detecting their force. With his five organs currently locking down his force, as long as it was sealed tight, it was difficult for even these experts to detect his presence. *What a lively crowd!* Li Hao thought, sensing that Southern Fist had already vanished. Far too lively! All at once, so many powerhouses had barged in. Southern Fist… surely he wouldn't follow them over there, would he? If he did, he would be in deep trouble. Yet Li Hao wasn't kind-hearted enough to reveal himself and give a warning. Southern Fist hailed from the royal family with unclear intentions; Li Hao wouldn't believe for a second that his sudden arrival in Mount Cang had nothing to do with him. Perhaps he was here to kill him too. Who knew? As for saving him… who would be so generous? In any case, Li Hao didn't believe the man would risk his life to rescue him; their relationship hadn't reached that point. *Is anyone else coming?* Pondering this, Li Hao stayed put and waited quietly. One minute, two minutes… Nearly ten minutes passed. Just as Li Hao prepared to leave again, a faint sensation surfaced, only to vanish an instant later. A look of doubt crossed Li Hao's face. Had his senses played tricks on him, or had someone truly just passed by? When Southern Fist appeared, there had at least been a palpable trace of blood vitality. Yet this fleeting sensation afterward was extraordinarily subtle. It was as if nothing more than a gentle breeze had brushed past. Li Hao frowned slightly. If someone was truly there, it had to be a martial master—and an extraordinarily powerful one. He had been able to detect Southern Fist to some degree, yet toward this newcomer, he had caught only the faintest wisp of a feeling. *Does Yinyue even have a martial master this formidable?* As he pondered, a name suddenly leaped to mind. He froze inwardly. *No way, right?* *That person… went into closed-door cultivation, didn't he?* *Besides, is he truly that powerful?* *Furthermore, that person had a light cluster before—he's a supernatural, so it shouldn't be him.* Li Hao had seen the light cluster of an early Three Sols multiple times, which was entirely different from a martial master's total absence of light. Li Hao overturned his own suspicion. It probably wasn't him; perhaps another powerful martial master had arrived. Golden Spear? Very likely! A wave of warmth washed over Li Hao's heart. Had Golden Spear actually come here to rescue him? What a truly decent man. In Yinyue, he couldn't imagine any martial master more formidable than Southern Fist. If that person had possessed a light cluster, he might have suspected Hong Yitang. *Golden Spear…* Li Hao suddenly grew anxious. Although he wasn't particularly close to the man, if he had truly come to save him, Li Hao couldn't simply watch him walk to his death. The next instant, Li Hao swiftly gave chase as well. ... Ahead. Hong Yitang suddenly looked back, a trace of bewilderment on his face. Just now… had someone been nearby? *No way!* It shouldn't be possible. Could anyone truly evade his senses? A supernatural certainly couldn't, and as for martial masters… which martial master could hide from him? Without dwelling on it, he sped away, following the group ahead. With those fools raising such havoc, he only hoped they wouldn't provoke some terrifying entity and bring harm to his precious daughter.