Li Hao appeared several miles away, having just used Void Shift to traverse space.
Settling into his surroundings, he released his divine sense, extending it across a ten-mile radius.
In that instant, he perceived every movement within range—down to the last ant.
His senses were razor-sharp, allowing him to see and feel the life aura of every being nearby.
He continued his journey on foot, no longer relying on Void Shift, moving at his natural speed.
Several days later, Li Hao discovered fresh tracks—clear imprints left just hours prior.
He shot forward, tracing the trail with precise steps, the rhythm of the earth guiding his pursuit.
Before long, he arrived at a dense forest, thick with trees and tangled vines.
Descending from the skies, he landed softly and began walking. Soon, his divine sense picked up the distinct presence of the leoner, ten miles away.
He turned his gaze in the creature's direction—it was near a lake, resting in a shaded part of the shore.
Li Hao flew gently toward it, careful not to startle the beast.
At the lake's edge, he finally saw it.
A massive figure sat silently, its gaze fixed on the glimmering water.
But Li Hao's Dao Eyes pierced through its veil of serenity in an instant.
The leoner's cultivation stood at third-turn perfection, a half-step into the demon beast king realm.
The aura of water law pulsed strongly from it—its market value likely hovered around 150 points.
Li Hao stepped out of hiding without a sound.
At that moment, the leoner tensed, its instincts flaring.
It turned sharply, startled to find a human standing there.
How did this human get so close without me sensing him?
"You dare sneak up on me? Do you want to die?" the leoner growled, baring its fangs as spiritual energy surged—third-turn, fifth-level.
Li Hao walked closer, his voice thick with mockery.
"You? Kill me? Do you even have the ability?"
The leoner sneered. "You're lucky I just ate. Otherwise, I'd have torn you apart. Leave now—I'm not in the mood to taste your flesh."
Li Hao's gaze turned icy.
"Even if you don't want to see me… I still need to kill you."
With that, he drew the Taiche Sword—his master's gift. The intent behind the gesture was crystal clear.
The leoner, still facing the water, suddenly felt killing intent lock onto it.
Its eyes narrowed, expression darkening.
"Since you don't value your life, I'll send you to the afterlife," it spat, insulted by the human's arrogance.
Its aura surged from the fifth level to the ninth, the pinnacle of third-turn perfection.
Drawing upon its water-element law, the beast conjured a ten-liter sphere of condensed water beside it.
With confidence in its superiority, it roared, "Die!"
A searing beam of water exploded from the sphere, blurring the air as it tore toward Li Hao's head.
But Li Hao's eyes remained cold and calculating.
With a flick of his wrist, spiritual power surged into the sword's tip.
In a flash, he thrust the blade forward.
The sword sliced cleanly through the water beam, splitting it without resistance.
A burst of mist sprayed just in front of the leoner, droplets scattering across the ground.
Confusion clouded the leoner's eyes.
What...? How was my attack neutralized so easily?
Then, a sharp sting tore through its neck.
A warm stream of blood spilled down its chest as realization dawned too late.
It looked down in disbelief. How...? This weak human...?
Fear overtook it. The leoner turned to flee, desperation flooding its thoughts.
But Li Hao had already read its intentions.
His blade gleamed with finality. Stepping forward, he unleashed Eclipse Severance—
A sweeping arc of sword aura burst forth, severing the leoner's neck in a single, fluid motion.
The beast's head hit the ground with a dull thud, blood pooling at its feet.
Li Hao calmly sheathed his sword and approached the corpse.
Gathering sword Qi in his palm, he carved open the beast's chest with surgical ease and retrieved its demon core—a glowing, blue orb pulsing with water-element energy.
He stood tall, the core in hand, the breeze brushing past as the lake reflected the fading light.