Chapter 106: Bloody Battle at Lion Camel Ridge, Kingdom of Demons, and Meeting General White Once More!

"Lion Camel Ridge!"

Lu Wufei felt a jolt of surprise in his heart, yet he kept his expression calm as he looked at the minor demon and continued to ask, "And which two are they, specifically?"

The minor demon replied, "Our Second Great King is a white elephant turned demon. He stands ten zhang tall and is incredibly powerful; he can eat a hundred people in a single meal!"

"As for our First Great King, he is even more extraordinary." The minor demon spoke with great pride. "Our First Great King is a green lion turned demon. Even the immortals in Heaven fear him!"

"Even the immortals in Heaven fear him?"

Lu Wufei had already guessed as much, but he replied, "Are you still dreaming in broad daylight? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

The minor demon grew agitated at this and retorted, "I am not boasting! Do you know that once, when the Queen Mother of the West held the Flat Peach Banquet, she did not invite our First Great King? In a fit of rage, our King flew to the Southern Heaven Gate, opened his massive, sky-swallowing mouth, and scared away the hundred thousand heavenly soldiers stationed there with a single breath. I am not speaking in dreams; this is something all of us at Lion Camel Ridge and the surrounding demons know."

"As I thought."

With just a little provocation, the minor demon had immediately told the truth.

Regardless of whether the green lion demon was bragging or not, anyone who dared to block the Southern Heaven Gate and run wild there had to possess power exceeding that of a Human Immortal; otherwise, such arrogance would have led to his extermination long ago.

Beyond the Human Immortal realm lay the realm of the Immortals.

However, Lu Wufei felt that even a demon in the Immortal realm likely wouldn't have the guts for such a stunt.

Above the Immortals were the Earth Immortals.

In the hands of a demon at that level, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to run.

Get out! Leave immediately!

But before leaving, there was more to ask.

With this thought, Lu Wufei checked left and right to ensure he hadn't been spotted. Seeing no other demons, he gripped the badger demon by the neck and used an Earth Escape art, instantly appearing in a forest of jagged rocks.

It was sufficiently concealed here, and much safer to conduct an interrogation.

However, the fact that the badger demon claimed there were only two kings, the White Elephant and the Green Lion, made it clear that the third king, the Golden-Winged Peng, had likely not yet arrived. But Lu Wufei knew from his colleagues on Langlang Mountain that a "Lion Camel Kingdom" existed.

Thus, Lu Wufei asked again, "Are you certain there are only two kings at Lion Camel Ridge?"

Seeing Lu Wufei's expression and actions, the badger demon realized the man feared his kings. The fear it had felt earlier vanished, replaced by an arrogant sneer. "Of course. Why would I lie to a human like you?"

"I've been at Lion Camel Ridge for seventeen years; how could I not know how many kings we have? I have personally seen both of our kings more than once."

"But you, human, you'd better let me go if you're smart. Otherwise, when our kings—no, we don't even need the army—when our General arrives, he will surely flay you, pull out your tendons, behead you, drain your blood, and steam you in a pot to eat!"

*Smack!*

Lu Wufei raised his hand and slapped the badger demon across the face. Half its face swelled instantly, and a dozen sharp teeth flew out.

"I ask, you answer," Lu Wufei said expressionlessly. "Otherwise, I will flay you and pull your tendons right now."

Seeing the fear return to the badger demon’s face, Lu Wufei continued, "Tell me, do you know if there is a 'Lion Camel Kingdom' nearby?"

"Yes, yes!" The badger demon nodded, its face swollen, and stammered, "It's to the west of our Lion Camel Ridge, five hundred li—no, not five hundred, six hundred li... wait, no, it seems to be seven hundred li."

"Yes, seven hundred li. Seven hundred li to our west, there is a Lion Camel Kingdom."

Lu Wufei: "Tell me more about this Lion Camel Kingdom."

The badger demon: "Yes, yes. That Lion Camel Kingdom was originally a human nation. I heard this from our leader. Later, a very powerful demon came and ate the King of Lion Camel, all the officials, the soldiers, and the common people—everyone, top to bottom. Now, it has become a kingdom inhabited entirely by demons."

Lu Wufei’s expression remained unchanged as he continued, "That demon who devoured the Lion Camel Kingdom is so powerful, and it isn't far from your Lion Camel Ridge. Did your two kings never go to cause trouble for that demon?"

Hearing this, the badger demon immediately said, "How could they not? Our First and Second Great Kings once led many minor demons to that Lion Camel Kingdom. But the demon there surrendered, so our kings spared them."

"Although that Lion Camel Kingdom has a big reputation, it is far behind our First Great King, who can swallow a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers in one gulp."

Lu Wufei listened in silence. He could trust, at most, thirty percent of what this minor demon said.

He asked a few more questions, and the minor demon answered them one by one. Seeing how sensible the demon was, Lu Wufei, who had been preparing to leave, found it difficult to strike.

But this was Lion Camel Ridge. The demon soldiers, the territory, and especially the strength of the top-tier demon kings were far more terrifying than anything at Great Desolate Mountain. Lu Wufei did not want to be discovered by the demons here.

Yet, he didn't want to slaughter a badger demon that had been so cooperative.

Lu Wufei was a man who kept his word. Soon, he thought of a way to leave without killing the demon while ensuring it wouldn't leak the secret.

"Here..."

"There's the scent of that guy Big Eye's urine here."

"He's calling for help! Some other demon must have broken into our territory!"

Just then, several voices drifted from nearby.

Lu Wufei looked up and glanced at the spot where he had first caught the badger. He turned his head and saw the badger's entire body sinking into the ground. It was trying to escape!

"Heh, I was just thinking about sparing your life." Lu Wufei grinned. *Trying to escape? Where could you possibly go?*

Lu Wufei stomped his foot.

The ground within a radius of several miles shook violently.

Then, Lu Wufei saw the badger demon emerge from the ground near the woods, vomiting blood.

"I'm here! Leader, save me!" Unable to escape via Earth Art, the badger demon "Big Eye" shouted toward a group of demons nearby, struggling to flee toward them.

"Over there!"

A leopard demon leader, covered in spots, led his subordinates in a rapid charge. He immediately propped up the badger, who was falling to the ground and vomiting blood, and demanded, "Who did this?"

"Where is the intruder!?" the leopard leader roared. The badger pointed toward the rocky forest in the distance: "There! A human intruder!"

"A human intruder!"

Upon learning this, the leopard leader dropped the bleeding badger, stood up, and pointed his long fork forward. "To dare intrude upon my Lion Camel Ridge? You must be tired of living! Little ones, whoever captures him will be heavily rewarded!"

"Charge!"

With that, the leopard leader rushed out first. Behind him, the group of demons waved their various weapons and charged forward as if possessed.

Just then, a black figure flew rapidly out of the rocky forest.

The leopard leader’s beastly eyes narrowed sharply. Seeming to realize something, he stopped in his tracks and turned to flee. The other demons, however, charged forward without fear.

Watching the seven or eight demons below yapping and roaring, Lu Wufei sighed, "No choice then!"

Lu Wufei flew rapidly above the demons. With a flick of his sleeve, the fabric of his black robe expanded dozens of times, as if shrouding the very heavens.

In an instant, the world grew dim, and sand and stones flew.

None of the demons could stand their ground—not even the badger demon vomiting blood on the ground. They were all swept up by a powerful gale, shrank rapidly, and vanished into the dark, bottomless sleeve of the figure in the sky.

Even the leopard demon, who had a higher cultivation and had sensed something was wrong, turned to flee. But it was one step too slow. Without any power to resist, it was swept up by the gale, shrank, and—with a look of utter horror—vanished into that terrifying, tiny sleeve.

"The effect is quite good!"

With no time to dwell on it, Lu Wufei, having stored all the demons in his sleeve using the "Sleeve Cosmos" technique, flicked his robe. Then, he transformed into a pitch-black crow, flapped his wings, and flew rapidly toward the west, soon disappearing into the forest.

***

Half an hour later, in the rocky forest.

A golden-maned lion monster with a lion's head appeared with a large group of demons.

"The mark I left inside Three-Leopard has vanished here."

"Some other demon must have broken into my territory!"

The golden-maned lion demon, standing in mid-air, widened his eyes and roared at the crowd of demons below: "Search! All of you, search!"

"Whoever finds the intruder will be heavily rewarded!"

"If you don't find him, I'll eat you first!"

"Go! Search!"

The demons clamored and scattered in all directions.

The lion demon looked at a snake demon nearby and said in a deep voice, "Well?"

The snake demon replied, "I couldn't catch any lingering souls; Three-Leopard and the others shouldn't be dead yet."

The lion demon turned to the snake demon: "You say they aren't dead?"

The snake demon nodded: "That should be the case. General, didn't you say it's been less than an hour since Three-Leopard disappeared? If they were dead, I would definitely feel the presence of their residual souls. But there are none here, unless they were utterly annihilated."

"Of course, there is another possibility: Three-Leopard and his group were captured. But who would capture them? The only other option is that they were killed and 'transcended' by those bald donkeys, which would explain the lack of residual souls."

The snake demon asked, "A bald donkey that dares to come to our territory must have significant cultivation. Should we inform the Great King?"

The lion demon had been listening intently, but upon hearing "inform the Great King," he immediately snapped, "You want to report such a trivial matter to the Great King? Do you want me to be reprimanded by him?"

The snake demon bowed his head: "I dare not!"

The lion demon continued: "If I went to see the Great King for this, how would I face One-Eye and the others later? They would say I couldn't even protect my own subordinates and would mock me!"

"You, come here." The lion demon called over a crow demon and ordered, "Go, tell Old Ox and Big Mouth that there’s an intruder—possibly a 'bald donkey,' or maybe just an outside demon. Remind them to patrol carefully and notify me immediately if there’s any movement."

The crow demon flew off.

The lion demon muttered, "Our Lion Camel Ridge is vast. If that intruder wants to escape quickly, he must head west, toward the Lion Camel Kingdom."

"Let's go. That intruder definitely went west."

With that, a rolling cloud of black smoke rose. The lion demon led his soldiers and flew toward the west.

***

Night fell. In the dense forest, a crow darted through the trees.

Suddenly, a group of armored demons holding weapons ran past below, shouting. The crow, which had been flying quickly, immediately hid among some lush leaves.

Only after the demons had moved far away did the crow poke its head out and continue flying west.

This bird was, of course, Lu Wufei. To ensure his safety, he had transformed into a crow half a day ago. He dared not be careless and kept flying west. He had learned from the badger demon that Lion Camel Ridge was shockingly large. The east, south, and north were almost entirely ruled by the Ridge.

Only to the west, seven hundred li away...

...there lay the Lion Camel Kingdom.

Passing through there was the fastest way to leave the territory of Lion Camel Ridge.

As for flying high, Lu Wufei dared not do so now. He had previously been intercepted at high altitude by surging demonic energy and a massive aura. That energy had pierced straight into the gale layer, making Lu Wufei afraid to take the risk. If his cultivation were higher, he could pass through the high-altitude gale layer or even the void above it. But he couldn't do that now, so he had to walk honestly on the ground.

"Hurry, hurry!"

Movement came from behind again. Lu Wufei immediately hid in a thick cluster of leaves.

"I heard an outside demon snuck in?"

"It's not a demon; it's a bald donkey, one of those monks from the west."

"Wrong! I heard it was a human. They say a human snuck in and killed a leader under General Huang, then ran off. That's why General Huang informed our General."

"Stop worrying about who snuck in; let's hurry to the west and block the intersection."

"The Generals will be here soon."

"Hurry up! If we delay the order, we’ll be whipped."

Watching the demons run past below, Lu Wufei, hidden in the leaves, narrowed his eyes. It was no surprise they knew to block the west; it was the fastest way out. But were the demons not spreading news a little too quickly?

*I cannot wait for the other Demon Marshals to arrive!*

With this thought, Lu Wufei flew out of the forest, skimming the treetops, and flew west. It wasn't that he feared the Demon Marshals of Lion Camel Ridge, but if he engaged them, he might alert the two Great Demon Kings. He didn't care about the leader-level demons, but a battle with a Demon Marshal would certainly draw attention.

He knew from the badger demon that not all Generals in Lion Camel Ridge were Demon Marshals; above them were the "Great General," "Second General," "Third General," and so on, all the way to the "Fourth General," with cultivation at least at the level of a Human Immortal.

Lu Wufei dared not be negligent.

*Whoosh.*

The crow-transformed Lu Wufei accelerated, darting over mountain after mountain, wilderness after wilderness, racing west.

Just then, the screech of an eagle suddenly came from high above. Lu Wufei immediately turned his head and saw a black eagle in the distance. It seemed to have spotted him and was flying rapidly toward his position.

"Bad!"

"I knew flying like this would expose me!"

Lu Wufei felt annoyed. His abilities in this form were limited and depended mostly on the creature he had transformed into. A crow was no match for an eagle, especially a demon eagle.

Thus, Lu Wufei had no choice but to turn back and dive into the forest. He wanted to use the "Golden Light Escape" technique, but that was too risky now that the demons of Lion Camel Ridge were alerted. If he used it, a Great Demon would appear within minutes. He hadn't been fully exposed yet; going west was just a high probability. They were still searching everywhere else. If he used the technique now, he would become a firefly in the dark—a focal point.

Darting into the forest, Lu Wufei transformed into his human form and hid in the dense foliage.

Soon, the eagle demon approached and dove into the trees.

"Die!"

Lu Wufei instantly flashed into the air and grabbed the eagle demon by the neck. The demon, only at the soldier level, couldn't even transform; it was crushed to death instantly.

He tossed the corpse into his storage space and transformed again, becoming a black eagle, identical in appearance to the one he had just killed.

A screech followed. Lu Wufei immediately rushed out of the forest.

As he flew into the sky, he saw several eagle demons and other bird demons patrolling the night sky in the distance.

*As expected.* If he had been careless just now, he would have been exposed.

Lu Wufei grew even more cautious. Disguised as the eagle demon, no other demons noticed him. He flew straight toward the west. To avoid being conspicuous, he dared not fly too fast.

Fortunately, it was a close call.

An hour later, Lu Wufei saw in the distance ahead many wooden buildings, a massive, gleaming plaque that read "Lion Camel Ridge," swarms of various demons on the ground, and several burning bonfires.

"This must be the border."

Seeing the scene, Lu Wufei realized he had arrived. But the closer he got to his destination, the more cautious he had to be. Given the sheer size of the demon horde at Lion Camel Ridge, there would likely be Demon Marshal-level Generals stationed below.

Lu Wufei maintained a steady pace, flying toward the border.

At the western border of Lion Camel Ridge, firelight flickered faintly.

Before one of the bonfires, several demons sat around a large iron pot, in which chunks of meat rolled. A demon stirred the pot with a stick, and a round head surfaced from the bottom—flesh rotting and skin peeling, unrecognizable in gender.

There were seven or eight such pots cooking meat. On nearby wooden racks hung several half-processed bodies; on a cart lay several more waiting to be processed; and the pickling vats were already stuffed with naked, salted...

The demons were eating with great enthusiasm, guzzling wine from time to time.

Suddenly, at the largest bonfire, a black wolf demon looked up at the black eagle flying overhead and frowned: "Whose cub is that eagle?"

A bull demon beside him, chewing on a severed arm, looked up: "Should be a minor demon under General Yu; most of his subordinates are feathered ones."

"No, he's heading out!"

Watching the eagle fly outward without stopping, the black wolf demon jumped up: "Which demon in Lion Camel Ridge doesn't know the order not to leave the mountains easily? That eagle is an outsider!"

"And he's likely the demon General Huang is looking for!" the black wolf demon shouted loudly.

Not far away, in front of a roaring bonfire, a black-furred monkey demon was enjoying a whole pot of meat alone. Hearing the black wolf demon's voice, the monkey stopped, looked up at the black eagle that had already crossed the border, and then sprang into the air, charging toward the eagle.

*As expected.* Lu Wufei, who had been watching the situation below, saw the black shadow flying up and knew he couldn't hide.

*Then let’s fight! Quick battle, quick victory!*

In an instant, Lu Wufei reverted to his human form, produced a black iron rod, and smashed it toward the shadow flying up from below.

*Boom!*

A muffled thud. A violent, raging wave of spiritual energy radiated outward. Lu Wufei was shaken back two steps by the immense force transmitted through the iron rod. The opponent, however, did a somersault and retreated several steps before steadying himself.

Only then did Lu Wufei see his attacker: a black-furred monkey demon holding a green staff. His own rod was black. But judging by the faint light radiating from the green staff, its quality was clearly better—at least a mid-grade magical artifact.

Lu Wufei had plenty of treasures, even spirit treasures, but he hadn't managed to find a good rod. *This is good,* he thought. *It might cause the opponent to misjudge.*

From that first clash, it was clear: although the opponent's weapon was better, his strength was clearly lacking. Otherwise, even attacking from below, he wouldn't have been in such a sorry state.

After just one strike, Lu Wufei felt the monkey demon’s strength was inferior to his own. This gave him more confidence.

For the monkey demon, Iron Head, the opponent was a formidable enemy. Even if the opponent’s weapon was inferior, he could feel it. But his mission wasn't to win, just to stall until the one surnamed Huang arrived. Then, no matter how strong the demon was, he wouldn't escape.

Iron Head shouted, "What kind of demon are you? How dare you..."

"Too much talk!" Lu Wufei snorted, instantly appearing before the monkey and swinging his rod.

"What kind of supernatural power is this!" Shocked by the sudden appearance, Iron Head raised his staff to block.

*Clang, clang, clang!* Sparks flew, and explosions boomed. Lu Wufei used ten moves, a fusion of several rod techniques, finally putting his mastered rod skills to the test. Even with an inferior weapon, his iron rod struck like a storm, leaving the monkey demon in a panic.

But the monkey was no slouch. Though in a sorry state, he managed to parry. Taking advantage of being knocked back, he retreated, heart pounding. *Where did this demon come from? His strength is terrifying.*

Although the opponent had taken a human form, his massive demonic energy was impossible to hide—and he made no attempt to.

At the same time, below, the demons watched the two "Generals" fighting, the earth-shaking booms filling the air, and cheered with excitement.

In the distance, a fiery red light and a golden light were shooting toward the western sky.

High above, Iron Head felt the movement in the distance and his face lit up with joy. He knew that as long as he stalled the demon, reinforcements would arrive. Judging by the light, it wasn't just General Huang—the Fifth General, whose cultivation was only a hair's breadth from a Human Immortal, had also arrived.

Lu Wufei had noticed the movement too. Seeing the joy on the monkey’s face, he didn't hesitate, flashing forward and swinging his rod again.

Having experienced it once, Iron Head wasn't startled this time. He dodged and parried frantically. Knowing reinforcements were on the way, Iron Head had lost the will to fight, focusing entirely on defense. Since his weapon was better, he felt he could hold out. As long as he was in danger, he would just turn and run. Under these circumstances, this human-shaped demon couldn't kill him. Iron Head was confident.

*Bang!*

Sparks flew. Another rod strike roared across the sky. Iron Head took the blow, the immense force sending him tumbling. Lu Wufei pounced immediately, swinging again.

"You can't kill me!" Iron Head stumbled to his feet, mocking his opponent while raising his staff to block.

Just then, three golden lights shot from Lu Wufei’s chest. Iron Head’s face changed instantly. Ignoring the incoming rod, he focused his mind, and a tortoise shell emitting thick black smoke appeared around him.

In an instant, the three golden lights struck Iron Head from three directions.

*Clang, clang!* Two crisp, piercing metallic sounds rang out. The two golden lights were blocked by the tortoise shell, which then vanished. At the same time, the third golden light, which had circled behind him, pierced straight into the monkey’s neck.

In an instant, the monkey's body stiffened.

Simultaneously, Lu Wufei’s iron rod struck the monkey’s green staff with ferocious power.

*Bang!*

The stiffened monkey could no longer hold his staff; it flew away, and the rod slammed into his shoulder.

*Pfft!*

A mouthful of black blood sprayed out. The monkey’s shoulder collapsed, and he fell toward the ground.

Just then, a green light flew silently from Lu Wufei, shooting toward the falling, vomiting monkey who was trying to escape.

*Squelch!*

This time, with no tortoise shell to block it, the green light pierced straight through the falling monkey’s brain.

Iron Head’s expression froze!

"Magical... treasure..."

He only managed to whisper this weakly before the life in his wide-open eyes was completely extinguished.

Lu Wufei recalled his mid-grade magical treasure, the "Green Wind Blade." With a few flashes in the air, he collected the monkey’s corpse, his own golden needles, and the monkey’s staff into his storage space.

Then, Lu Wufei turned to look at the two lights approaching in the distance. He grinned, glanced at the crowd of demons below, and transformed into a streak of golden light, shooting toward the far west, where faint lights flickered.

At the western border of Lion Camel Ridge, the crowd of demons below, who had been cheering for their two Generals, watched in stunned silence as their General Iron Head was killed in the blink of an eye, his blood spilling across the sky, his corpse looted by the human.

Meeting the human’s indifferent gaze as he left, all the demons felt a chill run through their bones. If that human had come down just now, none of them would have escaped.

"General Iron Head is dead..." a minor demon finally stammered.

"Yeah, Iron Head is dead."

"What do we do?"

"What can we do? Iron Head wasn't his match; what use are we?"

"Right, Iron Head is dead; it has nothing to do with us."

"The Second Great King won't blame us."

The demons were panicked, whispering among themselves. A fiery red light and a golden light landed on the ground, transforming into two powerful figures.

"Fifth General!"

"General Huang!"

The demons shouted respectfully.

"What's going on?"

"Where’s that brat Iron Head?"

"And where did the intruder go?"

A five-meter-tall black bear demon, surging with demonic energy, looked up at the sky and then at the demons below.

The black wolf demon, targeted, felt his legs go weak and trembled: "Reporting to the Fifth General, General Iron Head just died at the hands of that human. The human has already run off—he headed west."

"Dead!"

Beside him, the golden-maned lion demon snapped: "It’s been less than half an hour since he messaged me, and he’s already dead!"

"Are you joking!?"

Facing the terrifying gaze of the General, the black wolf demon fell to his knees, trembling: "I would never dare deceive you, General! General Iron Head died just now, before you two arrived. All the demons here saw it!"

The lion demon’s gaze swept over them, and the demons nodded frantically.

The Fifth General, the bear demon, looked toward the west and said slowly: "I remember Iron Head had two good treasures, one offensive and one defensive. To kill him so quickly, that human is no small talent."

The lion demon nodded hatefully: "That human must be fleeing toward the Lion Camel Kingdom now. What do we do?"

The bear demon: "What do we do? We take revenge, of course! Iron Head’s death cannot go unavenged. But we can't decide on entering the Lion Camel Kingdom. Let’s wait for the Great General."

Before the words had faded, a terrifying aura descended from the sky, shrouding the scene.

Including the bear demon and the lion demon, all the demons bowed in unison to the black-and-white figure in the air: "Great General!"

"Iron Head’s aura has vanished. What happened?"

The lion demon respectfully replied: "Reporting to the Great General, a human killed Iron Head. That human has likely hidden in the Lion Camel Kingdom. We await your decision, Great General."

In mid-air, the terrifying black-and-white figure said casually: "He killed a demon of our Lion Camel Ridge; what decision is needed? Inform the Second and Third Kings. We’re going to the Lion Camel Kingdom to see just what kind of human is arrogant enough to act like this."

Before long, a group of demons led by three terrifying auras shot toward the Lion Camel Kingdom in the west.

***

A year later.

Southern West Aparagodaniya, Great Desolate Mountain region.

High in the sky, a streak of golden light darted rapidly over mountain ranges.

Shortly after, the golden light vanished into a mountain range beside a surging river.

Inside the General's Cave.

General White, Bai Yunxiao, dressed in white armor, had just returned and sat down. He reached out to embrace the scantily clad woman beside him and picked up the wine cup poured by a half-demon maid...

Suddenly, he sensed a massive aura descending.

His expression changed abruptly. The wine cup in his hand shattered, and General White shot out of the cave.

(End of chapter)