At the foot of Black Wind Mountain, about twenty miles away, two tattered demons were sprinting toward the mountain at breakneck speed, kicking up gusts of wind in their wake. Sand and stones scattered wherever they passed.
However, their expressions were far from calm, etched with exhaustion and frustration.
“You can’t escape!”
“Stay put, and maybe I’ll be merciful and leave you an intact corpse!”
A sinister cackle echoed behind them, followed by a dark shadow swooping low, aiming for the back of Mr. Pig’s head!
“Get lost!”
Mr. Pig halted, spun around, and threw a punch!
*Boom!*
The collision of fists unleashed a shockwave in all directions. Mr. Pig trembled, stumbling back several steps.
“I’ll fight you!”
Another voice rang out. It was Dali, a demon even larger than Mr. Pig. He swiped his hands over the horns on his head, instantly transforming them into two sharp, curved blades.
“You dishonorable scum! I was kind enough to fight you with raw strength, and you pull out weapons?!”
Seeing Dali charge with his demon blades, the black-robed man fighting Mr. Pig snorted coldly. He opened his mouth, and ripples of energy surged through the air, blasting toward Dali.
This time, the rippling attack enveloped not just Dali but Mr. Pig as well.
“Not good! He’s using that weird divine ability again!”
Mr. Pig’s face paled. He turned and fled!
At the same time, both demons went deaf, all sounds vanishing.
Fear gripped them as they raced toward Black Wind Mountain. But they hadn’t gone far when excruciating pain stabbed through their minds. Blood began to seep from their ears, then their mouths and noses…
Dizziness and nausea overwhelmed them, sapping their fighting strength. How could they dare continue battling the black-robed man?
“Go!”
At the critical moment, Mr. Pig pulled a crumpled talisman from his pocket. Infusing it with demonic energy, the talisman glowed brightly before he hurled it at the black-robed man.
“Explode!”
*Boom!*
As Mr. Pig’s voice rang out, the talisman detonated, engulfing the black-robed man in flames.
When he emerged from the smoke, the two demons were gone.
“Such cunning little demons!”
“But you can’t escape my grasp!”
The black-robed man let out a strange laugh, his hands transforming into massive fleshy wings. He took flight, chasing toward Black Wind Mountain.
“Dali, do you think the rumors are true?”
After a frantic chase, Mr. Pig and Dali finally reached the true foot of Black Wind Mountain, their hearts pounding with tension.
They had avoided returning because they’d heard Black Wind Mountain had been occupied by human cultivators, and returning meant certain death. It was better to scrape by cautiously outside.
But recently, new rumors surfaced that Black Wind Mountain was now ruled by a toad demon, rumored to be ferocious and possibly the Devouring Demon from the Three Mountains Trial!
This news convinced Mr. Pig and Dali that the toad demon was their Master Lai Bao!
Though in their memories, Lai Bao’s cultivation wasn’t strong—barely at the demon general realm—for some reason, they were certain this mountain’s ruler was their master!
Only their master had been called the Devouring Demon!
So, they headed to Black Wind Mountain, only to encounter the black-robed demon, leading to the earlier scene.
“We were in the Three Mountains Trial, and only our Master Lai Bao earned the title ‘Devouring Demon.’ It has to be him!”
Dali took a deep breath, his expression resolute. “Let’s go up the mountain!”
“I don’t believe that guy would dare chase us up here!”
But as Dali’s words fell, a dark shadow descended from the sky, blocking their path.
“Where do you two think you’re going?”
The black-robed man grinned coldly, his form blurring into a shadow as he lunged at them.
“Explode!”
Without hesitation, Mr. Pig threw another talisman.
The black-robed man’s face twitched, cursing under his breath as he dodged to the side.
Dali and Mr. Pig vanished again.
“Damn it!!”
When the explosion subsided, the black-robed man’s face was dark with rage, glaring at the path up the mountain, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.
“I heard Black Wind Mountain has changed hands. I wonder if it’s true…”
“Since I’m here, I might as well investigate. If there’s no demon king, I’ll report to the general, and he can send an army to wipe out these pests!”
“With my divine ability, as long as I don’t face a demon king, even demon generals can’t touch me!”
With resolve hardening, the black-robed man’s hands turned into wings again, and he soared toward the mountain.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pig and Dali, having barely escaped, were soon spotted by patrolling demon soldiers.
“Stop!”
“Where are you demons from? You look unfamiliar!”
Two humanoid demons with sheep heads barked sharply.
“Brothers, we heard Black Wind Mountain has a new master who’s recruiting. We came to try our luck and see if we can earn a living here,” Dali said with an honest grin.
“Your intel’s pretty good!”
The two guards exchanged glances. One stepped forward, saying, “Come with me to the peak to meet the Great General. He needs to know about this.”
“Thank you!”
Dali and Mr. Pig were delighted. The latter added, “By the way, on our way here, we ran into a powerful demon. You must be cautious; he might sneak onto the mountain.”
“A powerful demon?”
The guards were startled. One asked nervously, “A demon king?”
“No, not even a demon general, but he has a strange divine ability that can harm invisibly. You must be extra careful!” Dali said gravely.
“I thought it was a demon king. Just a minor demon, then!”
“Some wild demons are so scared, but a small fry with a divine ability? How strong could it be?”
Hearing their description, the guards relaxed, dismissing the warning.
They had witnessed their Great King’s power and believed anything short of a demon king was no issue.
Dali and Mr. Pig followed one guard up the mountain, while the other stayed to patrol.
Soon after, the remaining guard saw a black-robed stranger. Before he could speak, the stranger’s fist punched through his chest.
“Black Wind Mountain’s demons… are nothing special!”
The black-robed man withdrew his hand, holding a faintly beating heart. With a squeeze, it burst, blood splattering everywhere!
“Maybe I can slaughter this entire mountain alone?”
