She had long seen that Li Hao only wanted her to accompany him as a precaution against a surprise attack from the Great Demon King, as he could easily slay any other demons.
Apart from controlling his flying sword, when Li Hao encountered demons around the Fifteen Li Realm, he would mostly use his fishing line and hook to kill them, while incidentally accumulating fishing experience.
Several days passed by.
Within a hundred li of Heavenly Gate Pass, not a single demon could be seen anymore, all having been slain.
Li Hao's fishing experience had also reached twenty thousand points, still eighty thousand short of the hundred thousand threshold.
Li Hao began to clear areas farther away.
Meanwhile.
A thousand li away from Heavenly Gate Pass.
At the peak of a huge mountain surrounded by other peaks, there was a Taoist temple.
Amid the temple, mist curled around, and morning bells chimed.
The vast temple grounds were filled with numerous figures in cultivation, dressed in simple Taoist robes with hair coiled up, resembling a gathering of immortals.
But upon closer inspection, one could see various types of horns on their heads or scales protruding, and their robes had holes for tails of all shapes to extend through. Their joined hands uttered chants, some slender like human hands, others gnarled and scaly like claws.
This was Longshan Taoist Temple.
In front of the devout crowd of demons, atop a dais, a mummified corpse in a Taoist robe, its face mottled red and blue, was preaching.
Spirits swirled around it, and insects occasionally crawled out from its robe, wriggling into its ears or nostrils and back into its body.
This mummified corpse was the three Immortal Great Demons who had fled back from outside Heavenly Gate Pass in a sorry state several days ago.
The peacock, Bull Demon, and the giant frog had all met their end at Heavenly Gate Pass, only it had escaped.
Such a tremendous loss was not trivial for Longshan Taoist Temple.
In the back mountains of the temple, an old man in worn Taoist robes quietly sat before a waterfall.
Suddenly, his eyes opened, revealing a cold light at their depths as he spoke impassively, "Your Excellency has come here, what guidance do you seek?"
Behind him, a figure slowly emerged out of thin air, a seductive woman in a bright red dress, but with floral patterns on half her face. Her eyes bewitching, she chuckled:
"Dragon Master, I hear that several of your disciples have fallen at Heavenly Gate Pass, what a pity."
"Have you come here looking for a beating?"
The old Taoist's eyes were icy cold.
"I'm just feeling sorry for you, why vent your anger on me..."
The seductive woman put on an innocently weak facade, blinking as she said, "I came to ask, what do you think of the earlier proposal? Will you join our army? This is a rare opportunity."
The old Taoist furrowed his brows, falling into silence.
"What are you still worried about? The real person from Gan Tao Palace doesn't dare to set foot outside."
The seductive woman spoke softly, "Otherwise, that imperial holy city would succumb in an instant, turned to ashes."
"This is a once-in-a-millennium chance. Those Human Race characters expanded recklessly in the past, driving us out of our homes, forcing us to live on the edges of the Great Wilderness Heaven. We should have killed our way back long ago!"
As she spoke, a hint of murder surfaced on her seductive face.
The old Taoist slowly said, "If we are to attack Liangzhou, from which direction do you plan to strike?"
"We were hoping that you would work with us and march right through this Heavenly Gate Pass."
The seductive woman's expression softened into a gentle allure:
"But we received some intelligence a few days ago. The Li Family of Qingzhou City has met with great trouble. That talented prodigy, once hailed as a millennium's first of Dayu, has left home and been exiled here. With Four Stands Realm secretly protecting him, I believe you have already encountered him."
"So, to continue attacking from Heavenly Gate Pass would mean an early confrontation with the Four Stands Realm. The losses would be too great, somewhat pointless."
"We have already changed our route."
"Since this pass has become a tough nut to crack, let's bypass it for now. After we flatten Liangzhou, this small pass will be of no significance. Then we can turn back and enjoy the taste of those Human Race elders..."