Bang, bang.
With the sound of two car doors shutting, Xie Hao and Andrew Han stepped out. The two had once worked together on a mission, sharing a brief acquaintance.
"Haha, Andrew, you probably don't know Evan Cheng." Square-faced Xie Hao walked over to the black-clad Evan Cheng and the richly dressed Sean Cen, introducing, "Evan Cheng is one of the elders of the Iron Sun Sect, a middle-tier Martial General."
As for Sean Cen, Xie Hao merely gave him a glance.
Just by looking at his luxurious attire, it was clear he was a sect disciple—and a young Martial Artist who had never confronted Demons or Specters.
Click.
Andrew Han stepped forward with a smile. "Hello, Evan Cheng. I'm Andrew Han."
"Mm."
Evan Cheng, dressed in black, frowned slightly and gave a curt reply.
Just a mere Martial Artist—doesn't he understand the concept of hierarchy? In the Martial Arts World, strength determines status. When a Martial Artist meets a Martial General, he should show respect.
"Hey."
"You're Andrew Han?" Sean Cen crossed his arms and interjected, "Elder Cheng's name isn't something you can just call directly. Have you no sense of propriety?"
Even as the sect master's son, he had to show respect when facing a Martial General.
Moreover—
Sean Cen had been waiting for so long, he was already impatient.
But since Xie Hao was a Martial General, he couldn't scold him at will, so he simply fixed Andrew Han with a cold stare.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The evening breeze swept through the area.
Evan Cheng gave a barely noticeable nod, making no move to intervene. But Xie Hao, standing beside him, merely curled his lips.
These two had probably been holed up in the sect for quite some time.
The news that Andrew Han was a Peerless Martial Artist was already known among the Martial Generals of Greenfield City. Even those at the high-tier Martial General level would never dare to rebuke him without reason.
"Heh."
"You two probably don't know Andrew Han. Let me introduce him—he's a current Martial Arts Program student at Southland University—a Peerless Martial Artist." Xie Hao emphasized the last part.
A Peerless First Rank could be called a prodigy.
But a Peerless Martial Artist was already considered a formidable practitioner.
Upon hearing this, Evan Cheng's expression changed instantly. He scrutinized Andrew Han, his gaze filled with disbelief.
Peerless!?
Even in the Martial Arts Sects, Peerless is extremely rare—you could count them on one hand.
"What? Impossible!"
Sean Cen's reaction was even more exaggerated, his face full of doubt. Among current Martial Arts Program students, there was only one Peerless—and he was from Empire Academy.
Moreover—
That was a Peerless!
Every Peerless practitioner possessed overwhelming strength compared to their peers. If they didn’t fall along the way, they were certain to reach the Martial Lord Realm.
"Are you really Peerless?"
Sean Cen simply couldn't believe it and couldn't help but ask again.
Andrew Han nodded calmly. "Mm. For now, let's focus on the preliminary mission discussion. We can talk about the rest later."
The planning process was extremely important.
If someone was possessed, careful observation during the discussion could reveal it, helping to avoid falling into Specter traps.
Gulp.
Sean Cen swallowed hard, mouth slightly open.
He hadn’t expected Andrew Han to be so calm and indifferent, as if he didn’t even acknowledge him. Having always been highly regarded within the sect, Sean Cen immediately felt a surge of resentment.
But he was also aware of the proper order of hierarchy.
"Hmph."
Sean Cen simply huffed in displeasure and fell silent.
The four of them discussed for about an hour before finally driving off, heading over a hundred kilometers to Bearcrest Mountain.
——
About an hour and a half later, inside Bearcrest Mountain.
This was a famous tourist spot in the area, but with Demons rampaging, it was temporarily sealed off. All visitors were forbidden entry, and even staff had to remain at the foot of the mountain.
At this moment, night had already fallen.
Darkness enveloped the towering, sprawling Bearcrest Mountain. The mountain wind was ceaseless, the woods rustled, and the darkness seemed to devour everything with its terrifying presence.
Everything was utterly silent.
Xie Hao and Andrew Han walked side by side at the front. Evan Cheng and Sean Cen followed behind, keeping about ten meters apart.
"Andrew Han."
Xie Hao spoke in a low voice: "There's a cave up ahead—one of Bearcrest Mountain's scenic highlights. Visitors can tour nearly ten thousand square meters of its vast interior. Those two Demons are hiding in the cave."
"Mm."
Andrew Han nodded, a faint smile on his face.
They’d already confirmed this information several times before—why was Xie Hao still emphasizing it?
Xie Hao sighed and frowned, "It’s just... General-class Demons are extremely cunning. They must know that martial artists like us will try to wipe them out."
"But the problem is—"
"If they know, why are they still staying here?"
As soon as Xie Hao finished speaking, Andrew Han paused to think.
He possessed extraordinary Inspiration; if the Demons had truly set a trap, he would sense it in advance, so there was no need to worry.
Just then—rustle, rustle, rustle!
A sudden flurry of shaking branches sounded sharply.
Sean Cen tensed up, shouting in a low voice, "What was that!?"
Plop.
Plop.
Neither Andrew Han nor Xie Hao paid any attention to his outburst, continuing forward into the darkness ahead.
"Cough, cough... Cen, it’s just a common small animal." Evan Cheng, dressed in black, gave a soft cough.
"Really?" Sean Cen asked, still unsure.
"You’re at the Martial Artist Realm. If a Demon or Specter came close, you’d sense coldness or malice." Evan Cheng explained again.
Sean Cen fell silent and continued forward.
Evan Cheng pursed his lips, unsure what else to say. On this mountain path, Sean Cen was always jumpy—probably just too nervous.
Night still blanketed the scene as the four of them walked for about ten more minutes.
Up ahead, the path curved; beyond the winding mountain road lay the wide cave where the General-class Demons were hiding.
"Andrew Han?"
Xie Hao stopped and waited for Andrew Han’s decision.
Though both he and Evan Cheng were Martial Generals, neither possessed Inspiration, so they couldn’t sense the presence of Demons or Specters ahead of time.
"Mm."
Andrew Han narrowed his clear eyes and concentrated, sensing carefully.
His Inspiration was keen to the extreme, granting him the ability to sense Demons and Specters from afar. Faintly, from behind the winding mountain path, he detected two fierce, inexplicable waves of malice.
Whoosh, whoosh.
The chilly mountain wind blew gently, and now and then, distant birdsong could be heard.
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After sensing for a full three minutes, Andrew Han finally shook his head and chuckled, "I think I understand the reason. There are two Lower General-class Demons, and a few ordinary Demons about to be born."
Huh!?
About to be born?
Xie Hao was taken aback, then suddenly understood, "They’re nurturing offspring? No wonder they’re staying in the cave."
"Yes. Let’s go—let’s kill them all."
Andrew Han nodded lightly and strode toward the winding mountain path.
The offspring of Demons are also Demons. They must all be exterminated—none can be allowed to escape.
......
Inside the cave.
It was a vast cave, about twenty meters high and nearly a hundred meters long and wide. Colored light strips hung from the side walls, and bright lamps overhead illuminated the cave as if it were daylight.
Hiss, hiss.
Two enormous pythons, each about twenty meters long, with black stripes on their bellies and metallic sheen on their thick scales, lay coiled.
They slowly reared up, their yellow eyes glinting with coldness.
"Mm."
"Two Lower General-class Demons. I’ll take the one on the left." Andrew Han shook his head twice, his voice steady and calm as ever.
Such composure comes from countless battles.