Inside Black Mountain, it was neither barren nor devoid of trees; in fact, the trees were lush and verdant, towering skyward. The reason it was called Black Mountain was that all the trees were black, as if demonic energy swirled around them.
Looking from afar, the desolate mountains on all four sides stood out in sharp contrast.
The moment he stepped inside, a roar echoed from ahead of Meng Hao. Two demon beasts, equivalent to the third level of Qi Condensation, charged directly at him. These two demon beasts had the bodies of wolves and the tails of snakes, with disheveled fur and deep-set eye sockets.
As they lunged closer, Meng Hao’s steps did not falter. He raised his right hand, and the bronze mirror appeared. Instantly, one of the beasts was struck in the eye, fresh blood gushing out as it let out a miserable shriek, frightening the other demon beast. Meng Hao’s eyes flashed; the bronze mirror had blown up its eye, not its rear. He had encountered this phenomenon before when he met Zhao Wugang. At this moment, he had no time to think. Taking advantage of the two demon beasts recoiling, he swiftly slipped past them.
As for the two fifth-level cultivators, their eyes turned blood-red the moment they caught up. Without a word, they swung their flying swords. Miserable screams rang out, and the two demon beasts died. The two men had no time to collect the demon cores; their bodies transformed into streaks of rainbow light, chasing after Meng Hao.
“This is a demon mountain! We heard there’s even a Demon King on its peak, Meng Hao! Running up there is no different from seeking death!”
“You don’t need to run! Come back and negotiate with us. I can trade something else for your spirit pills!”
The two men spoke as they chased, their expressions seemingly sincere, but their hearts were filled with killing intent.
Meng Hao did not turn his head or speak. His body shot rapidly toward the mountaintop. Before long, he encountered seven or eight demon beasts with cultivations around the third or fourth level, but upon being threatened by Meng Hao’s bronze mirror, they automatically retreated. However, the two cultivators did not possess this ability. Only after a bout of slaughter were they able to break free, covered in fresh blood. Although it was all demon beast blood, the two men were utterly exhausted from the chase, and this battle further depleted their spirit pills. Nevertheless, having come this far, they had to press on, gritting their teeth as they continued the pursuit.
“Still chasing…”
Meng Hao’s face darkened. This was the furthest he had ever been into Black Mountain. If he went any higher, he might encounter a fifth-level demon beast. A cruel glint flashed in his eyes. Meng Hao gritted his teeth, his body flickering as he flew toward the mountaintop.
Approximately the time it takes an incense stick to burn later, a low growl suddenly echoed across half of Black Mountain. A large black wolf, transforming into a gust of black wind, howled as it approached from the front. This wolf was about two zhang in size, its deep red eyes filled with killing intent. The moment it appeared, the spiritual pressure of a fifth-level Qi Condensation beast immediately emanated.
If it were just that, it would be fine. But at this moment, behind that wolf was a pack of smaller wolves, all with cultivations around the peak of the fourth level of Qi Condensation, and there was even another at the fifth level. The moment they appeared, a fierce wind howled…
Meng Hao's eyes filled with sharp resolve. Without hesitation, he raised the bronze mirror and struck at the pack of wolves. Among the charging wolves, the leader immediately let out a miserable shriek. Its chest was a bloody mess, as if it had been shattered, and fresh blood continuously gushed out. This sudden sight stunned the surrounding wolves, and they instinctively retreated together.
Seizing this opportunity, despite a trace of hesitation in his heart, he gritted his teeth and pressed forward. The two flying swords beneath his feet swiftly carried him over ten zhang. At the same time, the two fifth-level Qi Condensation cultivators also caught up. Upon seeing the pack of demonic wolves, both of their expressions changed. Throughout their pursuit of Meng Hao, both had been very cautious. This area belonged to the territory of the Reliance Sect, but they were already outside the sect's main gate, so even if they killed each other here, it wouldn't be considered a violation of sect rules.
The pursuit was one thing, but now they had encountered danger. The two fifth-level Qi Condensation demonic wolves posed no small threat to them, not to mention the four fourth-level Qi Condensation demonic wolves. This caused various calculations to arise in their minds, but they immediately split up, one rushing to the left and the other to the right.
The two moved very quickly, but the demonic wolves were even faster. As demonic beasts, they possessed some intelligence; it was only because of the strange and terrifying bronze mirror that they were instinctively wary of Meng Hao. Thus, despite their growls, they did not pursue him, allowing Meng Hao to leave as he pleased. Instead, they scattered and targeted the two fifth-level cultivators who had intruded into their territory.
The two cultivators cursed inwardly, but they had no time for second thoughts. Just as they split up, the roars of demonic wolves echoed behind both of them, and in a flash, they darted away.
Meng Hao let out a soft breath, looked up at the mountaintop, and then toward the two departing fifth-level cultivators. A cold glint appeared in his eyes.
"Those demonic beasts will only make things a little difficult for them," he thought. "They’ll be back on my trail before long. Besides, the four-hour mark is almost here, and they can use the pill-light as a guide to find me again!"
Meng Hao glanced up at the mountaintop, gritted his teeth, and charged forward.
Not long after, a white light suddenly flashed from his storage bag. This light shot up into the sky, flashing brightly, visible even from a distance.
This light was the pill-light, which appeared every hour. It had already appeared several times today, and this time, it signified that the four-hour mark had arrived.
Along the way, Meng Hao very carefully avoided quite a few demonic beasts, which appeared to be at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, causing him to feel a lingering sense of alarm. Furthermore, these demonic beasts did not live alone; most of them were in groups of several. Even though Meng Hao had the bronze mirror, he did not dare provoke them, choosing to bypass them instead. Thus, his speed slowed down, making it difficult for him to fly quickly.
Time slipped away, minute by minute. When half of the four-hour limit had passed, furious roars echoed from Black Mountain. At that very moment, Meng Hao burst from the forest, looking rather disheveled. Hot on his heels were seven or eight intelligent demon apes, chasing him frantically in a fit of rage.
Three of them were at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. Meng Hao groaned inwardly; he had already been extremely cautious, but he never expected that as he passed by these demon apes, the bronze mirror in his hand would automatically launch an attack. It had blasted a black-furred demon ape to pieces, driving the rest of the pack into a frenzy.
“Even if they are hairy, you didn’t have to go that far!” Meng Hao smiled wryly, glancing down at the bronze mirror. He felt that he still hadn't fully grasped the mysteries of this mirror. But now was not the time for idle thoughts; he had to shake off his pursuers. As the demon apes closed the distance, Meng Hao raised the bronze mirror, and a miserable shriek rang out. Just then, on a hillside ahead of him, the light of a flying sword suddenly flashed.
Meng Hao's eyes lit up, and he dashed straight toward it. As he drew closer, he spotted four cultivators at the peak of the fourth level of Qi Condensation, one of whom was Shangguan Song. They were locked in a fierce battle with a demon bear, seemingly struggling to gain the upper hand. On the ground nearby lay the corpses of two other demon bears.
— Meng Hao!
At the sight of Meng Hao, the four of them instantly erupted with killing intent—especially Shangguan Song, whose murderous aura was incredibly fierce.