Chapter 256: Overwhelming Dominance

Upon hearing Li Hao's furious shout, Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu's expressions changed drastically. They had intended to discuss a sneak attack with Li Hao, but he had just exposed their presence.

They quickly scanned the battlefield, keeping a wary eye out for the Gluttonous Valley Master.

At the same time, behind the demon tide, four demonic figures stood tall, their postures menacing as they fixed their gaze on the direction of the chaotic battle, ready to join at any moment.

Standing on a slope behind them was a girl in a golden-threaded skirt.

The girl had a golden curved feather on her head, and her demonic aura was faint. She maintained a solemn expression, her hands hanging by her skirt, as she respectfully looked at the burly man before her.

At the man's feet lay countless bones, not just of humans but also of other demons.

He was covered in thick brown fur, with curved ram horns on his head. His light green eyes seemed devoid of emotion, exuding a cold and ruthless demonic aura.

"King Taishui, do you really intend to ignore the news from western Youzhou? If that young man joins the battle at the invitation of the Xia family, I'm afraid we won't fare well in Youzhou." The girl in the golden skirt spoke again, her tone respectful.

The burly man before her was none other than the Gluttonous Valley Master, King Taishui, a figure of great renown among demons. Gluttonous Valley struck fear into the hearts of countless demons, for they were a group of ruthless and unrestrained individuals who would devour anyone they laid their eyes on.

"Hmph, a mere piece of news is supposed to make me retreat? What face would Gluttonous Valley have left to command the demon hordes then?" King Taishui's eyes turned icy, and he swept his gaze at the girl like a sharp sword. "Even if I haven't witnessed it myself, if that human brat truly comes to Youzhou, I'll face him myself. If Candlelight God can't handle it, I'll give it a try!"

"But if that young man joins the battle and cooperates with the Xia family, our side will also suffer heavy losses. God of Desolation only wants us to contain them, so it's best not to push them too hard for now..." The girl in the golden skirt lowered her head as she spoke.

"Hmph!"

King Taishui let out a cold snort, and the sound reverberated like a drumbeat in the girl's chest, causing her face to turn pale.

"Your duty, Sky Compass Hall, is only to provide information. Mind your own business and don't overstep your boundaries." As he bared his sharp fangs slightly, the girl's body trembled, and she hurriedly crouched down, bowing her head in silence.

The other four demons from Gluttonous Valley saw the girl's frightened state and a trace of bloodlust and disdain flashed in their eyes. If it weren't for the sake of Sky Compass Hall, they wouldn't have minded tasting this little thing.

"Don't compare Gluttonous Valley to those useless fools in the Void Realm. They couldn't even take down a single city in Liangzhou, and that was with an ambush. How laughable!" King Taishui crushed a skull he had been chewing on, his eyes filled with contempt.

When he had first heard that Candlelight God had reached the Half-step Dao Realm, he was surprised and shocked. But later, upon learning that this human youth was still beyond his grasp, he felt that Candlelight God's claim to the Half-step Dao Realm was overly exaggerated.

Below the Dao Realm, one was virtually powerless against a Dao Realm expert. This was common knowledge, unless the Dao Realm cultivator was all show and no substance.

Moreover, it was only the Half-step Dao Realm, nothing special... King Taishui thought to himself. This was his secret—he knew the true might of the Half-step Dao Realm against a Dao Realm expert, which was why he found Candlelight God's failure amusing.

Previously, when he had attacked the Xia family's Divine General Mansion, he had only gone to test their strength and had not revealed his full capabilities. It was because he had the confidence of being in the Half-step Dao Realm that he dared to challenge them. After all, these ancient Divine General Mansions might have hidden treasures and ancient beasts, so it was wise to be cautious.

However, during his probing attack, he had not sensed the true depth of the mansion's strength. Nonetheless, he felt that even if he had encountered their full might, he could still escape unscathed with his full power.

Just as he was waiting to enjoy the second feast that was about to unfold, a crisp and commanding youth's voice suddenly rang out from the sky.

The voice reverberated like thunder across the battlefield, causing King Taishui and the four Gluttonous Valley elders beside him to stiffen. Their faces turned murderous as they looked toward the source of the voice.

"It's the Xia family!"

"That's Xia Linglong! How dare she step out of the Xia family's protection? Isn't she afraid of death?"

"Are they planning to fight us to the death here?"

The Gluttonous Valley elders recognized Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu, both of whom were pillars of the Xia family. They were surprised that the Xia family would send out such important figures.

"Since they're here, don't let them leave!"

A chilling intent flashed in King Taishui's eyes as he recalled his recent encounter with Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu outside the Divine General Mansion. However, during that battle, he had been distracted, worried that other powerful experts might emerge from the mansion. He had only tested their strength without fully engaging.

Now, he could let loose without restraint.

They wouldn't really think that I'm just a Dao Realm expert, would they? King Taishui's lips curled into a cruel smile as he soared into the sky, leading the four elders toward Li Hao.

"Who's that youth?"

At the same time, they also noticed Li Hao, the one who had dared to shout earlier.

The Gluttonous Valley elders were not fools. They immediately recalled the intelligence provided by the bird demon from Sky Compass Hall... Could this be the General Haotian of Liangzhou?

Their hearts skipped a beat as they realized that this general's reputation was no less impressive than that of the older generation of the Xia family. Being able to rival a Dao Realm expert and defeat Lu Yuan, the Great Elder of Dragon Gate, was a testament to his formidable strength. He was not someone to be taken lightly.

"They're here!"

In the air, as King Taishui and the other Gluttonous Valley demons approached, Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu also spotted them, their faces turning grim.

Among them was the Great Elder of Gluttonous Valley, a Dao Realm expert. And King Taishui himself was a top-notch Dao Realm cultivator. The two of them had joined forces outside the Divine General Mansion but had failed to inflict any significant damage. Their opponent's flesh was as tough as an Eight-forged Divine Weapon, which was extremely terrifying.

Only a Nine-forged Divine Weapon could cause them some harm, but even that would be limited.

The sudden attack caused the remaining two Gluttonous Valley elders to plop down on their knees in mid-air, trembling and begging for mercy.

"Spare our lives, General! We'll do anything!"

"We're willing to become your mounts and serve you!"

They kept kowtowing and pleading, their earlier ferocity gone, replaced by sheer desperation.

"Looks like someone wants to compete with you to carry me." Li Hao said to the Candlelight God beneath him.

The Candlelight God's body blazed with fiery flames, and its eyes turned icy. "Can I eat them?"

"Go ahead."

Li Hao readily agreed.

The Candlelight God's domain suddenly extended, engulfing the two elders in scorching flames.

The two Gluttonous Valley elders didn't dare to dodge, and could only beg for mercy in despair.

The relentless domain enveloped them, and the fiery burning rules instantly ignited their bodies.

"You... You're the Candlelight God?!"

King Taishui, who had just recovered from his shock, paled again as he finally recognized the lion-like demon beneath Li Hao as the master of the Great Void Realm!

He felt as if he had been struck by five thunderbolts, and he stared at the Candlelight God in disbelief.

Although he looked down on the Candlelight God, the latter was still the master of the Great Void Realm, a being who had cultivated for tens of thousands of years. Where was the dignity of a Demon King now? To think he had been tamed and turned into a mount!

Hearing King Taishui's trembling voice, Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu also froze, their eyes widening in horror as they looked at the demon beneath Li Hao. Was this the master of the Great Void Realm?!

They were stunned, suddenly understanding why Li Hao had appeared in Youzhou and why there had been no movement from the dead river in Liangzhou. It wasn't that their Xia family's intelligence had failed; it was because Li Hao had subdued the Candlelight God in the dead river!

This was a Demon King at the half-step Dao Realm, and yet he willingly submitted and became a mount. This was even more difficult than killing him!

Xia Linglong looked at Li Hao, suddenly feeling that the meal she had shared with him had been for nothing. The slight sense of familiarity she had felt earlier had completely vanished, and she now felt that this young man was a stranger whom she didn't understand at all.

Realization dawned on the Taishui King, and his face darkened as a hint of despair flashed in his eyes. He knew that today he would likely meet his end.

Having already used his chance to defy fate, he had no second life to spare, and it seemed his demise was imminent.

"Alright, I'll talk, I'll talk..."

The Taishui King's face was ashen, and he lowered his head. "No wonder Candlelight God failed. You're a monster, a pity I didn't realize it sooner, but today..."

Muttering to himself, he suddenly raised his head, his face contorting as he roared, "Even if you kill me, you'll die too!"

As he spoke, his Domain quietly unfolded, rapidly enveloping his body and extending outward, pushing towards Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu, intending to use them as shields.

"A Domain!"

Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu were startled. They hadn't expected that the Gluttonous Valley Master had also reached the Half-step Dao Realm.

As they watched, the Domain rapidly expanded, and the two quickly unleashed their undying power to create distance. But the next moment, the Domain began to melt like ice and snow, rapidly retracting and forcing its way back into the Taishui King's body, unable to spill out even a bit.

"Half-step Dao Realm, and you still dare to be violent?"

Li Hao raised an eyebrow. "There are many ways to die. Do you have to choose the most painful one?"

The Taishui King's roar died in his throat, leaving him stunned.

He had expected that facing Li Hao's true Taiping Dao Realm, he would have little chance of escape, especially with the Candlelight God as well, two against one. He knew his death was likely, but he had not anticipated the gap in their strengths to be so vast, beyond his imagination and comprehension.

His Domain was actually forced back, unable to release even a bit!

What was the difference between this and disabling a Domain?

"You... You..."

The Taishui King stared at the young man as if he were a ghost, a nightmare in his eyes.

"Forget it, die."

Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, Li Hao also lost patience. His Domain suppressed downward, and with a bang, the Taishui King's physical body exploded.

The eight-forged body was powerless against Li Hao's Domain; he had only used a single layer.

Facing a Half-step Dao Realm, there was no need to use two layers of the Domain.

The Taishui King's soul escaped from his shattered body, still standing dumbly in the air, not attempting to flee. It seemed he had realized that any struggle would be futile.

Only when one encountered a Domain would they understand its true terror.

Li Hao did not completely erase his soul but instead wiped away most of it, leaving only a tiny part, which he handed to Xia Linglong.

"Senior Xia Linglong, I'll leave the interrogation to you. I'll go to Qingzhou first, and when I return, I'll come back to you for information."

As the leader of a top demonic force, the Taishui King must have been involved in this grand scheme. Li Hao did not intend to kill him so easily and let him off the hook.

Xia Linglong took the remaining soul of the Taishui King and felt flattered. She stood there dumbfounded for a moment before quickly nodding, "I will. Don't worry!"

She quickly unleashed her power to suppress and seal the Taishui King's soul.

"General Haotian, be careful on your way to Qingzhou. After my Xia family calms the chaos in Youzhou, we will definitely come to reinforce you." Xia Yuanyu also said hastily, speaking quickly so as not to delay Li Hao's journey.

Li Hao nodded.

Then, he raised his hand, and in an instant, the veins of the world extended, and the endless power of the four directions converged towards his fingertips.

This surging power instantly transformed into countless sword auras, and sword lights split apart, condensing from the sky above the battlefield, vast and mighty, like a sword cloud covering the heavens.

Such a formidable momentum and power shocked Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu, leaving them speechless. Although they could also gather such offensive power, their range was nowhere near as wide, and their momentum was not as terrifying.

Yet, the young man before them seemed to release it with a mere lift of his hand.

"Kill."

Li Hao uttered a single word, and countless sword auras fell like raindrops, accompanied by a rumbling sound like wind and thunder. They descended upon the demon tide.

The demons who were still rushing towards the battlefield were instantly covered by the overwhelming sword rain. Each sword aura that fell struck a demon, leaving no exceptions.

Even the Heaven-Man Realm demons couldn't withstand a single sword aura.

Only the Three Immortal Realm demons could barely hold their ground, but under the relentless bombardment of sword auras, they soon became riddled with wounds. When they endured hundreds or even thousands of sword strikes, they inevitably triggered the 1% fatal attack and perished.

The range of these sword auras was vast, and their number was endless, almost covering the entire battlefield.

Most terrifyingly, these sword auras could be precisely controlled. Under Li Hao's command, they weaved through the chaotic battle, accurately reaping the lives of the demons.

In an instant, along the defense line spanning hundreds of miles, everyone witnessed the overwhelming sword rain.

The sky seemed to collapse into a whirlpool, pouring down countless raindrops.

It covered most of the battlefield like a storm.

With the Flying Attribute doubling the attack range, this sword rain easily covered an area of over 200 miles.

With a single sweep, countless demons fell.

Xia Linglong and Xia Yuanyu stood beside Li Hao, stunned and speechless.

Without the Taishui King and the Great Elder of Gluttonous Valley, as well as the remaining elders, they would have to expend a lot of effort and time to eliminate all these demons.

But at this moment, under the sword rain controlled by Li Hao, in just a moment, the howls on the ground gradually faded and were completely drowned out...