Lu Chunsheng watched, stunned, his pupils contract slightly.
He knew more about Li Hao and had hoped that Li Hao could leave an image after watching the stele twice, thereby preserving Li Hao’s reputation as a genius and also obtaining Li Hao’s Retaining Image Stele. However, to his surprise, the other party left an image after just one viewing.
Moreover, the swordsmanship Li Hao had just performed was full of extraordinary phenomena, clearly indicating his Cultivation Technique had reached the level of True State.
From perfect, skipping directly to sublime, and straight to True State in one step!
Could he really achieve this after just one observation?
Lu Chunsheng suddenly felt that he understood too little about this young man, not even glimpsing the tip of the iceberg.
He even wondered if Li Hao had practiced this swordsmanship in advance.
Otherwise, even when those three Sword Saints were young, being able to practice an upper-level swordsmanship to perfection after just one glance was already shocking enough, but compared to Li Hao, they were like fireflies to the bright moon!
The sword dao talent of this young man was even more terrifying than that of the Sword Saints!
Lu Chunsheng’s thoughts were racing, his eyes flickering with light.
Meanwhile, the other disciples of Tianji Tower were frozen on the spot.
They had anticipated three times, five times, but had never considered that Li Hao would leave an image after just one viewing.
Moreover, the level of swordsmanship he showed, with its resulting phenomena, exceeded many of their understandings, with only a very few aware of the highest level of Cultivation Technique: the True State.
“A glance of True State…”
Among the disciples, a few murmured to themselves, their eyes somewhat vacant.
At this moment, Li Hao, holding a withered branch, turned back to the edge of the Taoist training ground where the Heavenly Shadow Stele was located. According to the previous sequence, this should be the 100th in the series, the last of the Heavenly Shadow Steles.
This ranking is mostly decided by the Chief Tower Master based on the difficulty of the techniques within the steles.
Once unfamiliar and now experienced, Li Hao raised his hand and wiped it on the stele, quickly activating an image.
But this time, the image was of a knife technique.
Seeing this, Li Hao skipped it directly and turned toward the 99th in the series of Heavenly Shadow Steles.
Although with his level of swordsmanship, he could also simulate that knife technique and leave an image on the stele, there was no need for that.
This 99th stele depicted a boxing technique.
Li Hao revealed a slight smile and quickly, the panel recorded his form.
As the image disappeared, Li Hao then threw the same punch, with phenomena abounding.
The True State level.
His figure was quickly imprinted on the Heavenly Shadow Stele.
Li Hao continued towards other Heavenly Shadow Steles.
Along the way, he activated more than a dozen Heavenly Shadow Steles in succession, including the recently successful and still warm 93rd stele of Tang Zhixi.
The image of the woman that had been on it was wiped clean—it was an upper-level sword technique, also at perfect level, but this sword technique was easier to practice and master.
As the True State level sword technique was performed, the image was directly replaced.
When Li Hao went to activate a stele in the 70s series, Lu Chunsheng finally reacted, froze for a moment, and hurriedly said to Li Hao, “Young General, what are you doing?”
“I’m trying to see what I can comprehend,” Li Hao smiled.
Lu Chunsheng was stunned, watching the steles that were replaced in succession, with only a portion directly skipped by Li Hao.
He suddenly had a bad premonition.
Among the crowd, Tang Zhixi stood dumbfounded, watching the figure of the young man—her recently created image, which she had spent half a year researching to master at perfect level, was replaced by a mere glance from the other party.
And moreover, the gap between True State and perfect was too vast, too vast.
Could this really be something the Human Race could accomplish?
She also noticed a detail: while she was performing her sword technique to create her image, that young man even looked around, seemingly a bit impatient…
At this moment, her brain was just buzzing, many of her thoughts jumbled.
On the training ground, the mood of the other Tianji Tower disciples was much like Tang Zhixi’s. At first, they were shocked, and later, all were like having a duck egg stuffed in their mouths, gaping open-mouthed, unable to utter a word.
Such a terrifying spectacle, they hadn’t even dared to imagine.
Many Heavenly Shadow Steles, some barely revealing an image, were skipped by Li Hao, and any he stopped to observe were left with an image in just one try, and always in True State!
They didn’t dare to dream such audacious dreams even when well-fed and satisfied.
It was too exaggerated.
Was this still a human?!
As Li Hao continued to advance, soon, he entered the series of the top thirty Heavenly Shadow Steles.
Lu Chunsheng’s face was filled with shock, such an unheard-of event, in his thousands of years, he had never seen, nor dared to imagine.
But soon, he suddenly realized a serious problem and came fully awake.
Li Hao, by continuously leaving his image on so many Heavenly Shadow Steles, had pushed the techniques on them all to the level of True State.
Who will be able to continue leaving their image in the future?
Viewing the stele ten times? The True Form?
They’re likely to be cursed by everyone!
Let’s not talk about ten times, even a hundred times would be impossible.
The True Form, many people have never even heard of this level of Cultivation Technique.
Those from noble families only understand up to the Extreme Perfection, which is already considered the pinnacle of their skill.
For someone with extreme talent, the True Form would still require focused cultivation for decades to achieve.
For someone of average talents, it might take hundreds of years to achieve such a state!
“Young General, Young General!”
Lu Chunsheng watched Li Hao continue to activate the Heavenly Shadow Steles with a sense of trepidation, fearing that if Li Hao were to activate them all, the future of these steles would be doomed!
This is one of the important legacies of the Tianji Tower for a thousand years!
“Hmm?”
Li Hao was interrupted and looked towards Lu Chunsheng.
Lu Chunsheng hurriedly said, “Young General, I know your comprehension is unparalleled, but these Heavenly Shadow Steles, should we not leave some untouched?”
As he spoke, a slight embarrassment flashed across his eyes, but he was already filled with immense regret inside.
If he had known it would be like this, he would have kept playing the zither with Li Hao.
Previously, he had hoped that Li Hao would leave his image, and indeed Li Hao did.
But Li Hao left far too many!
“Leave some untouched?”
Li Hao frowned but quickly understood what the other was implying.
Seeing Li Hao frown, Lu Chunsheng quickly said, “You could try the first stele in the sequence, the one at the very top. Leave your image there, and that would be enough to prove your comprehension.”
Li Hao felt somewhat helpless; he was not doing this to prove his comprehension but to record the Cultivation Techniques.
“Alright then.”
Li Hao agreed, saying, “But I would like to activate and see these, is that okay?”
“If it’s only activation, then there’s no problem.” Lu Chunsheng, seeing that Li Hao agreed, let out a sigh of relief and quickly gave his permission.
Upon seeing this, Li Hao immediately activated the steles once more.
Suddenly, more than thirty Heavenly Shadow Steles were activated by Li Hao, and he was able to record one-third of the Cultivation Techniques.
In the end, Li Hao approached the largest stele standing at the top of the mountain.
While other steles were only two to three Zhang tall, this stele was a colossal dozen or so Zhang high, and even against the backdrop of a majestic waterfall with a tremendous presence like the Milky Way, the stele was extremely conspicuous.
Li Hao raised his hand to activate it, and an image of a figure holding a sword appeared on it.
Li Hao glanced at it and slightly raised his eyebrows. This person seemed somewhat familiar to him; it was the Sword Saint from the Sword Hut, Jian Wudao.
However, the image depicted was of his middle age.
With jet-black hair, cropped short, unlike his current flowing white locks.
But his facial features had not changed much, given that Jian Wudao today had ruddy skin and hardly any wrinkles.
“When that Jian Wudao came to challenge me back then, he had me agree to a request of his to try the Heavenly Shadow Stele. I lost and had no choice but to agree.”
Lu Chunsheng came next to Li Hao, sighing as he said, “Back then, we were all young. Although he exceeded the age limit, I still allowed it.”
“He viewed the stele seven times, altogether meditating on it for three years, and cultivated this sword technique to the Extreme Perfection level. For over a hundred years now, no one has been able to break that record.”
Li Hao’s gaze stirred slightly.
Cultivating the sword technique to the level of Extreme Perfection in three years truly demonstrated a very high level of comprehension.
No wonder he became a Sword Saint.
Moreover, the Jian Wudao of that time was not yet a Sword Saint, only in his middle age, with his sword realm far from what it is today.
“Do you wish to overwrite it? I can assist you.”
Li Hao, listening to Lu Chunsheng’s words, could vaguely sense the emotion he was trying to convey, as if there was some unresolved historical resentment.
Although he was unaware of the exact events from the past, it seemed that they were not too pleasant.
Lu Chunsheng, hearing Li Hao’s offer, was slightly taken aback:
“Are you confident? This is an ancient and incomplete sword technique, and just one-and-a-half moves already represent the pinnacle of swordsmanship!”
“Oh?”
Li Hao’s eyes lit up with interest instantly.
“I’ll give it a try.”
Li Hao said.
Upon hearing this, Lu Chunsheng glanced at him and nodded in agreement before stepping aside,
“Although I hope you can surpass him, we must not break the rules. You only have ten chances to observe the stele.”
“Alright.”
Li Hao gazed at the first-ranked Heavenly Shadow Stele and saw that Jian Wudao, already a middle-aged man, had raised his sword.
Even across the stele, even though it was just a projection, Li Hao felt an overwhelming Sword Intent rushing toward him.
The sword light suddenly slashed out, as if wanting to pierce through the stone itself.
The Sword Qi flowed and extended, as if wandering in the Great Void, concealed yet sharp with Sword Intent.
Li Hao watched quietly and soon received a prompt on the panel.
Li Hao chose to record it.
Although the swordsmanship practiced by this Jian Wudao was quite different from that of the other Heavenly Shadow Steles, in front of the panel in Tao Realm, all beings were equal.
As the recording commenced, Li Hao learned the name of the swordsmanship:
“Sixteen Rhythms”
A strange name, seemingly unrelated to swordsmanship, more akin to some form of calligraphy or musical rhythm.
Li Hao was somewhat surprised, but the panel’s recording would not be wrong; perhaps that was the original name of this swordsmanship.
At this moment, the “Sixteen Rhythms” swordsmanship had already been deduced to the level of True Form.
Moreover, subsequent sword techniques had been extrapolated, all the way to the ninth sword.
The sword techniques practiced by Jian Wudao earlier comprised only three swords.
Lu Chunsheng had said that with just one and a half moves, it had already ranked among the peerless sword techniques.
The remaining one and a half moves were extrapolated by Jian Wudao himself.
Now, based on the Sixth Stages Sword Tao, Li Hao had deduced these three moves to the ninth move.
Li Hao speculated that Jian Wudao’s initial comprehension of swordsmanship was probably around the Fourth Stage.
“Even with my swordsmanship, I still can’t complete this technique…”
Li Hao’s eyes were solemn.
The deduced swordsmanship had already merged into his memory; Li Hao could sense the sophistication of the technique’s level, subtly bearing a certain marvelous charm.
Li Hao’s understanding of Musical Rhythm had already reached the Fourth Stage.
At this moment, he faintly felt that the original form of this swordsmanship might not be a sword technique at all, but some kind of musical rhythm.
It was just listened to, recorded, its essence captured, and then cultivated into a sword technique.
If so, that bizarre name might just make sense.
But, what kind of musical rhythm could inspire someone to derive from it and refine a peerless sword technique?
Curiosity and longing filled Li Hao’s heart; he also pondered a question.
If he developed his Musical Rhythm Tao to a certain extent, could he produce the most primitive sound of this sword technique?
If he could reach that level, could the music he played evolve into other supreme cultivation techniques?
Li Hao reined in his thoughts and looked back at the Heavenly Shadow Stele before him. He took a deep breath, stepped back slightly, and then began to wave the withered branch in his hand, executing nine swords in succession.
The Sword Intent, like an ancient melodious song, moved vivaciously with each strike, each embodying the power and momentum of tracing back to the origin.
A humming resonated in the world around Li Hao, the true state of this sword technique that could elicit a response from heaven and earth!
Not far away, Lu Chunsheng was stupefied.
Although he did not practice swordsmanship, he could tell how terrifying Li Hao’s sword technique was.
He even felt an overwhelming sensation, as if at the same level, Li Hao could defeat him in an instant with this sword technique, leaving no room for resistance!
The sword light was unending, and after the ninth sword was spent, the withered branch in Li Hao’s hand also shattered, turning to ash.
Upon the Heavenly Shadow Stele, something appeared to break, and the image of the middle-aged Jian Wudao vanished, to be replaced by the youthful figure of Li Hao, who had just practiced the sword technique.
Nine Swords True Form.
To surpass it, perhaps only if the current Jian Wudao personally came, there might be a slim chance.
Lu Chunsheng regained his senses, looking at the young man in shock. He had only harbored some hope that maybe this youngster could create a miracle again, but Li Hao indeed made a miracle, and one he didn’t even dare to dream of!
With just one look, Li Hao actually managed to practice the supreme sword technique up to the level of True Form.
Moreover, it seemed he had deduced additional moves to follow it seamlessly, an unthinkable feat!
Li Hao exhaled lightly, having absorbed the sword technique. He felt his head swelling a bit.
Having recorded many secret tomes from Tianji Tower today and absorbed dozens of cultivation techniques from the Heavenly Shadow Stele, he felt a bit overwhelmed.
He needed to properly organize his thoughts and memories.
“Master Lu, if there’s nothing else, I shall return to Heavenly Gate Pass now,”
Li Hao said to Lu Chunsheng.
Lu Chunsheng was taken aback but promptly said, “Won’t you stay a few more days? You just arrived and have not yet seen the beauty of Yongzhou. Tianji Tower also has a treasure land for cultivation…”
Li Hao shook his head slightly, “There will be time in the future. I will visit another day, Master Lu. As you know, I’m stationed at Heavenly Gate Pass, and I’ve provoked a few Demon Kings. I’m worried that if news of my departure leaks, they might vent their anger on the people of Cangya City in my absence.”
Heavenly Gate Pass was no longer the place for a solitary man.
Cangya City was bustling and lively. Besides those young men and women coming to seek fame and pay their respects, many merchants also came to conduct business, and some refugees with nowhere else to go settled down there.
If the city were to fall, countless would die or be injured.
Hearing Li Hao’s words, Lu Chunsheng knew he could no longer detain him.
After all, Li Hao was a general with military duties, and it also concerned the people of the frontier.
“If that’s the case, let me accompany you on your journey,”
Lu Chunsheng said.
Li Hao nodded, and this he did not refuse.
The two immediately took to the air, heading away from Tianji Tower.
When he first invited the youngster, Lu Chunsheng had only sent Hermit Tianji to greet him, but seeing Li Hao’s terrifying aptitude today, he finally understood that this young man was not his junior but would soon become his peer or even surpass him.
“`
Therefore, his thoughts had undergone a transformation, from initially just wanting to do Li Hao a favor to now genuinely wishing to befriend Li Hao.
In the training grounds at the foot of the mountain.
Many disciples of Tianji Tower watched as their master and the young man departed, and it took a long time before they could regain their composure.
The previously silent training ground suddenly erupted with earth-shattering shock and bewilderment.
Amidst the clamor, several leading figures of Tianji Tower just stood there silently, feeling a chill throughout their bodies as their resolve neared shattering.
At that moment, their fervent desire to advance was crushed.
The gap was too vast.
Is this the disparity between one person and another?
It felt more like the gap between humans and gods!
“Is this what they mean by the talent that at fourteen can accept a military title and be ennobled? A glance into the true form, cultivation techniques all mundane…” someone murmured to themselves, feeling as though something was choking their heart, wanting desperately to break down and cry.
It wasn’t jealousy, but despair.
Tang Zhixi silently gazed into the distant horizon, her eyes hollow and entranced, unable to utter a single word.
She felt as if a gust of wind could knock her over.
Her pride in her talent and comprehension had allowed her to rise from her humble beginnings and catch up with the prodigies.
Even against the geniuses of the Divine General Mansion, disciples of the Sword Saint, and descendants of Buddhas and Immortals, she harbored a trace of defiance in her heart.
She believed that if she was given the same background, she could do even better.
Because she was smart.
But today, she suddenly realized that her pride seemed insignificant in front of that young man.
The swordsmanship she had been laboring over for half a year, the young man only needed one glance.
Just one glance.
And he learned it, and what’s more, he surpassed it!
Surpassed it to a level beyond her reach!!
If she is a genius, then what is that young man? A monster?
If he’s just a genius, then what is she? A common fool? An idiot? A simpleton?
Or rather, an unenlightened beast?
She didn’t know, but suddenly, she felt an urge; she wanted to go to Liangzhou, to that frontier pass, to follow that young man’s side, to witness with her own eyes how such a person cultivated in their everyday life.
…
…
To the west of Liangzhou, two thousand miles away.
In a pitch-black lake, numerous dark shadows wrapped around each other. From a high vantage point, the shadows appeared extremely dark and their forms menacing, instilling dread.
The surface of the lake, however, was calm. As these enormous creatures swam, they did not cause a single ripple.
In this serenity, suddenly, the surface of the lake gently began to ripple.
Then, these ripples began to widen, like raindrops splashing on the surface, the serene water suddenly leaping up like jumping beans, sending droplets flying.
The droplets bounced vigorously on the lake’s surface, shaking the entire lake!
In the lake, the tranquilly swimming giant shadows were startled by this vibration. They quickly drew back into themselves and transformed into figures; some burst from the bottom of the lake into mid-air.
Others sped towards the depths of the lake.
Suddenly, in the center of the lake where the waves were most intense, the water rose high like a swelling mound.
Then it burst, and out shot a massive True Dragon!
Its dragon body was dark purple and near black, its scales sharp as divine weapons, covering its body wholly and densely.
The creature’s body was a hundred zhang long, with a ferocious head that could coil around a hill.
Roar!!
The True Dragon shot straight into the sky, piercing through numerous cloud layers, heading for the intense sunlight above, where its scales seemed to reflect a blinding divine radiance.
In its gloomy, blood-red eyes, the distant sun in the sky was reflected, before it suddenly plunged headfirst back into the clouds, diving down.
When it emerged from the last cloud layer, it had transformed into an old man wrapped in a dark purple robe.
“Elder!”
“Elder!”
Many transformed figures gathered around him.
In the lake, various water demons looked up, trembling, but in their eyes was a fervent reverence.
“Are there any in the Ultimate Study Realm stationed in Liangzhou?” asked the old man in a deep voice, carrying immense authority.
“As of now, we have not detected any,” replied a green-robed elder respectfully.
In the demons’ hierarchy, rank was met with strict enforcement, or else one faced being consumed.
“If that’s the case, then quickly attack Liangzhou. Have the forces of the Great Void Realm already assembled?” the dark purple-robed elder asked coldly.
“The armies from the Great Void Realm have been ready and waiting for battle for some time. The forces from the Saint Palace are still on their way. We, from the Dragon Gate, have our forces gathered at Si Shui Lake, Green Shadow Lake, and Sinking Horn Forest,” another elder reported quickly.
“Those fellows from the Saint Palace are always procrastinating; no wonder they have been entangled with the Li Family of Northern Yan for over a decade. They are reluctant to suffer losses yet covet the territory—truly useless!” The dark purple-robed elder snorted coldly.
Then he continued, “In this assault on Liangzhou, although I have personally come, the real striking force will be the armies of the Great Void Realm. We have previously agreed that they will break through the border, and we only need to destroy all those cities. If there are any high-level masters of the Peerless Technique, I will handle them.”
“At that time, your job will be to slaughter and consume all the remaining humans!”
“We must launch a bloodbath across the entire Liangzhou, leaving no survivors!”
“Let that old immortal, suffer intensely!”
“Yes, Elder.”
“Let’s go, to the Great Void Realm first!” declared the dark purple-robed old man coldly.
He led the charge, and from the deep lake, countless demons who had reached the Fifteen Li Realm rose from the water, transforming into thousands of streaks of light, following the True Dragon elder’s silhouette, streaking across the vast sky like shooting stars.
“`
Liangzhou, Eastern Territory.
Outside the black stone expanse of the Great Wall, the landscape of heaven and earth lay completely exposed.
The gray clouds were dark and oppressive, the grasslands without a breath of wind.
Within the Great Wall, however, lay the vast frontier defense line, where patrols clad in light armor made their rounds back and forth.
In the military camp, Li Tian Gang held a military dispatch in his hands, which contained information that had been scouted about the various conditions across Liangzhou.
To the north, there had been a Demon’s attack half a year ago, but he sent a secret letter to the Xia Family, asking them to dispatch frontier troops to help, which pushed back the Demon.
The Xia Family was initially reluctant to cross the border, since after all, this was a matter for the Li Family. Although the Xia Family had decent relations with the Li Family, sending troops to help across the border was somewhat reluctant, unless there was a major disaster that caused upheaval in various cities.
However, Li Tian Gang clearly stated in his letter that it was very likely a probe by the Demons. If the Xia Family did not act and chose to watch from the sidelines, the Demons outside of Liangzhou territory would take the north as their breakthrough, turning it into the largest battlefield.
When that happened, the battlefield would inevitably spread to Jizhou, under Xia Family’s control, and in turn would cause greater losses for them.
For this reason, he revealed part of the military intelligence of Liangzhou, the strict defense of the Eastern and Western Territories of Liangzhou, and the presence of Four Stands Realm powerhouses stationed in the Southern Heavenly Gate Pass.
This eventually made the Xia Family realize that the fire could spread to them, so they joined forces with the Liangzhou Military Department in the north, driving away those Demons.
Since then, the north, just as Li Tian Gang had predicted, showed no more traces of Demons.
The Xia Family also witnessed the military decision-making of the current True Dragon of the Li Family, no wonder they had been able to fight against the Demons for more than a decade in Northern Yan despite severe disadvantages, and ultimately win.
“The Demons in the fifth brother’s area have not shown up for a long time now. These Demons pretend to feint a blow and withdraw, but unfortunately, the Demon tide in Liuzhou has not retreated and has not attacked either. Their feint is too obvious!”
“That is where the real containment is!”
“The true killing move of these Demons is not in Liuzhou, but in Liangzhou or Youzhou!”
Li Tian Gang’s eyes were piercingly cold. It had been almost a year since he came to Liangzhou to oversee the situation. Since his first arrival, when he repelled the invading Demons of the Eastern Territory, the Demons hadn’t dared to launch large-scale attacks again, only occasionally harassing the perimeter.
His gaze overlooked the entire panorama of Liangzhou, but beyond Liangzhou, he also penetrated insights into other provinces, judging the real intent of those Demons based on intelligence from various other provinces.
This was also the reason why he had stayed here for so long; although there were no battles, he had not left.
He had seen through the Demons’ intentions.
“Reconstruction of Cangya City…”
Li Tian Gang looked at the intelligence gathered in the report, and his face darkened.
In the south at Heavenly Gate Pass, with Li Hao stationed there, he naturally paid extra attention, but the consecutive news that came made it hard for him to feel elated.
Ever since Li Muxiu and the Chief of Tianji Tower, Lu Chunsheng, had come forward to assist Li Hao in driving away the Wan Shan Demon King and the other three old Demon Kings who had lingered outside the pass for many years, Heavenly Gate Pass had seen years of peace it had not known for a long time.
During this period of peace, the city that had once been left in ruins resembling mere mounds of earth was reconstructed.
That was supposed to be good news, even joyful.
Li Tian Gang could understand that.
But if it were just about rebuilding the city, that would have been the end of it, constructing Arrays meant reestablishing a defense line.
However, after the construction, all kinds of people from various provinces could come and go freely, the city gates wide open, with no apparent intention to bar entry, and many commoners had even relocated there, along with businesses setting up shop and so on, turning that Frontier Pass into a city developing like any other within the interior regions.
At present, Cangya City was flourishing and bustling, like a major city deep within the interior.
But this is not within the realm, it’s the frontier!
Demons can invade at any moment!
Especially when considering the current perilous situation of Liangzhou, if the demons were to attack Heavenly Gate Pass, it would result in a bloodbath, and countless would die or be injured!
“Just a bit of success, and he becomes arrogant.”
“Hong Zhuang as well, she didn’t stop him. The child may be ignorant, but shouldn’t she know better? After guarding the frontier for so many years, can she not see through the false prosperity!”
Li Tian Gang’s face was grim, as everyone close to the child seemed to dote on him excessively, allowing him to do as he pleased.
His second uncle did so, his fifth uncle did so, and so did his sister-in-law, and now, even his younger sister who had been stationed at the frontier for years was doing the same!
Was it just because the child had peerless talent?
He admitted that Li Hao’s talent was exceptional, far surpassing his, but for that very reason, indulgence was unacceptable!
Considering all of Li Hao’s actions, he regretted not intervening sooner.
The battle in Northern Yan had lasted far too long, preventing him from returning home in time, which had become his greatest regret these days.
“Bring me paper and pen.”
Li Tian Gang issued the order, intending to write a military order to have Li Hongzhuang at Heavenly Gate Pass disperse the city’s civilians.
As a frontier city, it only needed a small population for the circulation of supplies. Gathering so many civilians was simply harmful.
Upon hearing the command, Li Fu immediately turned to fetch paper and pen, but just then, a sudden roar came howling from the distant frontier:
“Li Tian Gang, come out and face your death!!”
The terrifying sound waves, despite the distance, caused the tent flaps of the military camp to tremble violently.
Li Fu, just stepping out of the tent, had his expression change drastically, a mix of shock and anger, as his Divine Soul burst forth from his back, leaping into the sky, looking out towards the distant frontier.
There, a tiny black dot stood with hands behind his back, suspended mid-air, wearing a splendid gold-trimmed war robe, his gaze cold and piercing.
Li Fu’s face subtly changed. Despite the distance, he could feel the other’s terrifying, abyssal pressure, sending shivers down his spine.
With his years of battlefield experience following Li Tian Gang, he recognized at a glance that it was the Demon King!
Before Li Fu could turn and report, such a commotion had already alerted all the nearby military camps along the frontier.
Li Tian Gang, hearing the thunderous shout, narrowed his eyes slightly. Had these beasts finally lost their patience?
He took a step out of the military camp, moving straight towards the sky.
Gazing from afar, outside the frontier defense line, the Demon King in the splendid gold-trimmed war robe met his gaze.
“It’s good that you’re still here!”
Feng Shan Jun felt a sense of relief upon seeing Li Tian Gang. All the rage he had pent up for so long could finally be vented.
That damn brat had ruined one of his lives!
Only one chance to defy fate, and to have used it up like that… It was akin to incurring a deathly grudge!
“Die!”
Feng Shan Jun bellowed, summoning a Crimson Flame Spear in his hand and suddenly charging over.
Inside the defense line, everyone was shocked and alarmed.
It was the first time a Demon King had attacked the city alone, issuing a challenge, it was outrageous!
“Set up the Array!”
Li Tian Gang’s eyes were cold as ice, yet not a hint of panic showed, but instead he bellowed furiously.
His roar spread throughout the field, instantly stabilizing the previously shaken morale of the troops.
Feng Shan Jun’s spear, trailing flames and divine light, had barely reached the frontier when it triggered the Array.
The Array burst out like thousands of golden rays, condensing into a protective shield that enveloped the defense line.
Above, golden Array patterns flowed, containing the profound power of stars and the celestial stem.
Feng Shan Jun’s attack was blocked by the Array, yet it trembled from his relentless assaults, his eyes rolling with flames of rage, continuously launching the spear at the Array, stirring up waves of golden light scattering in all directions.
At this time, within the military camps in the defense line, troops had already swiftly assembled, with remarkable efficiency.
The first to form up was the Li Family’s strongest military camp, Yuan Camp!
A full ten thousand Yuan Camp soldiers, connecting with the Array, injected their strength into it.
With the Six Phases Star Array being managed by the ten thousand Yuan Camp soldiers, it could withstand the Demon King’s attacks for the time it takes an incense stick to burn!
“Yu Xuan, quick, inform the other camps to enter full combat readiness, the demon army could come at any moment!”
Li Tian Gang swiftly ordered Yu Xuan, who stood by his side.
Yu Xuan was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized that the Demon King had risked being hunted to issue this challenge, most likely to draw their fire.
The fact that there was no demon tide beyond the pass indicated that the rest of the demon army might be heading towards other parts of the defense line.
He immediately accepted the command and went to carry it out.
Bugle calls blared one after another within the defense line, swiftly carrying the signal throughout, and in the blink of an eye, everywhere within the defense line resounded with the ancient calls of war elephants.
All the military camps within the defense line, hearing the call to arms, tensed up instantly, rapidly donning armor and picking up weapons, taking their posts, ready for battle at any moment.
Meanwhile, at the farthest end of the defense line outside the territory, towards the horizon, the ground began to shake, and a dense, dark mass swept towards them, like a black mudslide with an earth-shattering force.
Seeing that a demon tide was indeed attacking, the distant defense line immediately released battle signals.
Beacons shot into the sky, their piercing, bird-like whistles resounding.
These beacons were also seen by the soldiers at the other defense lines, sharply conspicuous.
Li Tian Gang also noticed and affirmed that his deduction had been correct.
“Kill!”
Li Tian Gang’s gaze turned icy, watching the Demon King who was persistently destroying the Array alone, he suddenly stepped out, borrowing the power of the Array to summon the imprisoned Demon Souls within!
However, he did not release the full might of the Array here, as they would need its strength for the upcoming demon onslaught.
He only called forth a single Demon Soul, merging it into his own body.
With a gesture of his hand, a brilliant Divine Blade flew out from the military tent, and one after another, pieces of armor that had been previously removed flew onto his body to be worn.
Shoulder armor, cape, protective chest mirror, armguards, kneecaps, combat boots, and so on.
In the blink of an eye, the war armor was all in place, he held the Divine Blade, the divine might blazing fiercely upon it.
“Die!”
Li Tian Gang took a step forward, like a domineering and mighty War God, bursting out of the Array and charging towards the Demon King.
“A mere Immortal daring to seek death!”
“Just like your accursed beast of a son, you can all die!”
Feng Shan Jun, seeing Li Tian Gang actually taking the offensive, couldn’t help but laugh, but his face became angry and ferocious.
The spear swept out fiercely, with intense flames burning the air into a hot, twisting distortion.
In sync with the power of the Dao, his attack was bound to hit its mark.
Facing this phoenix-flame spear, Li Tian Gang erupted with the Demon Soul’s violent cry, the Divine Blade’s divine might dazzling as it slashed fiercely.
The blade’s radiance was like a golden river, parting heaven and earth, severing the phoenix flames.
But as the phoenix flames shattered, they transformed into a sea of fire that suddenly surrounded Li Tian Gang’s body.
The intense heat made the golden patterns on the Array flicker and twist, the energy rapidly depleting.
Feng Shan Jun suddenly raised his hand, releasing a phoenix cry, his body spiraling rapidly, breaking through the sea of fire and thrusting his spear towards Li Tian Gang’s chest.
With a bang, Li Tian Gang’s body was forced back, slamming hard against the Array.
But then, Li Tian Gang’s body surged forward again, the Demon Soul within him sinking, merging into his body, his aura strengthened slightly as he continued to step forward and hack away.
“You want to emulate your son and slay a Demon King as an Immortal?!”
“Not enough! Not enough! Not enough!”
Feng Shan Jun’s eyes blazed with an intimidating light as he roared, “You are still far from matching your son!”
“Stupid beast, seeking death!”
Li Tian Gang’s eyes widened in fury as he suddenly slashed down an earth-shattering blade, power unleashing, the blade’s rainbow shining brightly.
Feng Shan Jun retreated, dodging the blade’s rainbow, and seeing Li Tian Gang pursuing him, a sneer appeared in his eyes. The spear swung fiercely, shattering the second blow of divine might from Li Tian Gang’s blade.
“You’re the one who’s going to die!”
Behind Feng Shan Jun, a pair of phoenix-flamed wings made of fire abruptly appeared, and then his body abruptly halted, surging with momentum as he lunged at Li Tian Gang.
His attack twisted the air before Li Tian Gang, and his body, like teleporting, appeared instantly!
The spear swept across, thrusting from above, heading straight for Li Tian Gang’s head.
This spearstroke was like the cry of a phoenix in the sky, infused with the dazzling essence of divine fire, unavoidable!
Completely locked in!
Feng Shan Jun’s prior retreat aimed to lure Li Tian Gang far from the Array, intending to pierce through his flesh, ravage his Divine Soul, and fling him before Li Hao, to witness his father’s brutal death in despair.
As the divine spear pierced down, suddenly, a blinding divine might burst forth, and like a ferocious fire, the blade furiously struck upwards!
“Shatter for me!!”
A single slash broke through the spear’s radiance, and at the same time, the divine might and overwhelming momentum that suddenly erupted even managed to shake Feng Shan Jun to a momentary halt!
In this instant of vulnerability, Li Tian Gang’s eyes shot lightning, he let out a heavenward roar and ruthlessly slashed his divine blade, cleaving Feng Shan Jun’s body in half!
The golden blood spilled harshly, like sparks flying about, as Feng Shan Jun screamed miserably, hurriedly retreating and looking up in horror.
He saw Li Tian Gang, holding the divine blade, striding toward him.
His aura soared straight into the sky, like a scorching sun above, like an enraged true god burning with fire!
Could this be the Four Stands Realm?!
Feng Shan Jun’s pupils constricted, his heart in shock. Li Tian Gang was actually concealing his presence, pretending to be from the Three Immortal Realms!
And now the realm revealed was clearly the Tao Heart Realm!
This true dragon from the Li Family, when had he become a powerhouse of the Four Stands Realm?
“Defy the heavens with my nine steps, die!!”
In this moment, Li Tian Gang revealed his true self no longer, his black hair flying wildly, his Four Stands Realm aura on full display.
It was because of his breakthrough in cultivation that he dared to step out of the Array and engage in battle with the Demon King.
Beside Li Jun Ye, he was also a rare genius, stepping into the Three Immortal Realms at 23. Such a cultivation rate was enough to shake the world, yet he kept it low-profile.
Having battled in Northern Yan for over a decade, he had ascended to Three Immortals Peak early on, already touching the threshold of the Tao Heart Realm.
Shortly after the battle with Li Hao in Qingzhou, he stepped into the Four Stands Realm and found his Tao Heart.
The Law of All Things!
This was his way, his heart!
Thud, thud, thud!!
Bursting forth with the Martial Arts Extreme Meaning he had created, he took several steps in succession. The heavens and earth outside the defensive line seemed to tremble with each step he took, his aura escalating, his divine might’s fiery brilliance intensifying!
With six steps, his presence was akin to a god descending, roaring with a blade that seemed to split heaven and earth.
The universe seemed to tear apart, all things follow their laws, he adhered to the laws of heaven and earth, restoring order, determined to cleanse the world of all chaos!
Strike!
The blade’s radiance was blinding, like the brilliant sun, lifting a sky filled with divine light and ferocity.
The half-bodied Feng Shan Jun was in terror. Li Tian Gang was merely in the Tao Heart Realm, yet the momentum he released made his heart tremble with an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
The disgrace he suffered outside Heavenly Gate Pass seemed to confront him again.
His eyes turned bloodshot, spewing out essence fire and divine lightning, roaring as he turned to reveal his true form.
But his true form as a half-bodied phoenix was somewhat desolate, the other half formed from divine fire coalescence. As he roared, he spewed out True Phoenix Essence Fire!
The surrounding temperature rose dramatically again, the ground cracked, verging on turning into magma, the air between heaven and earth steamed and twisted.
Centuries ago, he had swept through a city by merely flying past, turning everyone to ash; now, by erupting with True Phoenix Essence Fire at full strength, just the residual heat was enough to split open the flesh of the Indestructible Realm!
Bang!
Yet the soaring flames were cleaved apart as Li Tian Gang stepped out of the fire, taking the seventh step while his might surged once more.
“Defying Fate Realm, let me sever your life!”
Li Tian Gang’s eyes were cold as lightning, his blade fury rained down, hundreds to thousands of slashes cutting through the sea of fire, aiming directly for Feng Shan Jun’s true form.
Feng Shan Jun was both shocked and enraged; at this moment, he had no second chance at life. If he died, millennia of cultivation would be reduced to ashes!
His heart burned with shame and unwillingness. He had not been able to defeat that youngster earlier, and now facing Li Tian Gang, he was still so embarrassed!
“Phoenix Soul Condensation Blood!!”
He roared out, igniting the trace of True Phoenix Divine Blood in his veins.
Indeed, he was not of the Phoenix Clan by birth, but of the Fire Cloud Sparrow Clan, yet a True Phoenix ancestral spirit had awakened in his bloodline, guiding him unknowingly onto the path of cultivation.
Over the years, he had cast aside his identity as a member of the Sparrow Clan, instead considering himself a phoenix.
He constantly maintained the appearance of the Phoenix Clan, despising the Sparrow lineage within him.
He already saw himself as a True Phoenix!
Now pushed to the brink, the sliver of proud Phoenix blood in his heart finally incited the true passionate blood of the Phoenix Clan, choosing to move forward courageously, burning his true blood!
As the Phoenix True Blood burned away, he would no longer have any ties to the Phoenix Clan, but at this moment, he was a True Phoenix!
With divine patterns emerging, an ancient and vast aura emanating from his body, he seemed like an ancient phoenix gracing the world, his feathers dazzling like gilded gold, containing divine light and the pure Divine Power of true crimson.
With a single breath, a golden lotus flew out.
This golden lotus burned with flames, radiating a heart-moving brilliance.
Li Tian Gang’s gaze turned steeled. Drawing a deep breath, he stepped forward with the eighth step!
His aura rose furiously again, and at the same time, he unleashed the Martial Tao Extreme Meaning Skill he had developed.
“Xing Tian Blade!!”
The blade light soared, like a towering peak reaching heaven, illuminating half of the defensive line.
The dazzling light, demanding to sever the heavens, struck down fiercely upon that golden lotus.
The terrifying impact erupted, causing the golden patterns on the Array to flicker continuously, emerging one after another, withstanding the dreadful onslaught.
But elsewhere, the intense aura scattered by the blade’s light blew hundreds of miles away, scorching the earth black, turning wild grass into ashes, forests into charred remnants, and lakes evaporated into mist in an instant!
With such might, if it were to erupt within the city, the entire fortress would be instantly destroyed.
Li Tian Gang’s entire suit of armor was red-hot, roasting his body as if he were being burnt in a furnace. Even his body, as indestructible as armor against swords and blades, felt an unbearable searing pain, but his eyes grew even colder and more steely as he advanced to kill Feng Shan Jun.
Feng Shan Jun’s aura was rapidly collapsing. Although he had burned True Phoenix Essence Blood, there was simply too little phoenix blood inside him.
Watching as the middle-aged man charged at him like a ferocious deity, he seemed to see in a trance the youth from beyond the border approaching, a look of despair in his eyes.
At this moment, his aura was withered, without the strength to parry.
And without that phoenix blood, his emotions also underwent great turbulence, filled with fear, trembling, and thoughts of fearful pleading.
“Save me!!”
He turned and fled, emitting a piercing call for help, devoid of any dignity.
Accompanying his cries, suddenly two streaks of cold light shot towards Li Tian Gang, arriving almost in the blink of an eye.
But Li Tian Gang neither dodged nor glanced, suddenly displaying a movement technique as swift as a roc, rapidly closing in on Feng Shan Jun.
“Die!!”
Li Tian Gang ignored the attack, swinging his blade down in fury.
With a blast, the divine might on the blade covered the area, severing Feng Shan Jun’s head directly.
A Divine Soul like a firebird flew out in terror, attempting to escape into the distance, but was captured under Li Tian Gang’s mighty palm, which came down with a suppressive divine force.
“No, spare me…”
Feng Shan Jun begged hastily.
But Li Tian Gang ignored him and clenched his hand in an instant.
The Divine Soul screamed miserably and then abruptly stopped, a Demon King of the Defying Fate Realm thus perished.
Li Tian Gang had realized when the opponent burned phoenix blood that this Demon King of the Defying Fate Realm seemed to have no chance of defying his fate anymore, otherwise he wouldn’t have fought to such an extent.
Therefore, even if it meant getting hurt, he had to slay him; otherwise, if the opponent caught a breath, it would become difficult to kill him later.
Boom, boom!
With two consecutive attacks hitting Li Tian Gang as he killed Feng Shan Jun, his body was smashed to the ground.
The hot, burning earth shattered dozens of meters deep, and Li Tian Gang climbed out from it, took to the air quickly, and saw two figures appearing in front of Feng Shan Jun’s corpse.
“Bastards!”
Seeing Feng Shan Jun truly dead, the two who arrived were both shocked and angry.
They were dressed in peculiar long robes, their clothing wrapped like vines, strange in style.
Li Tian Gang recognized at a glance that they were from the Great Void Realm.
“You from the Great Void Realm, you also want to join the fray?”
Li Tian Gang’s eyes were icily cold. He had detected traces of the Dragon Gate and the Holy Palace but had not expected that the Great Void Realm, reclusive for a thousand years, would also act.
This was one of the top forces among the Demons, but having been reclusive for many years, their relationship with the Dayu Divine Dynasty was mostly good, not encroaching on each other.
At this moment, Li Tian Gang truly felt the Dayu Divine Dynasty was in peril!
The involvement of the Great Void Realm was not only a crisis for Liangzhou but also a certain signal.
Over the years, not only had his family, the Li Family, fallen in battles, but other Divine General Mansions were also plagued by frequent warfare.
Six brothers had perished, a far cry from peace hundreds of years ago.
This also indicated that the Demons around the Dayu Divine Dynasty were becoming increasingly restless.
Now, even the reclusive Great Void Realm had emerged.
With these thoughts, Li Tian Gang clenched the divine blade in his hand even tighter, his eyes blazing with divine light; as chaos was about to ensue, he would restore order and bring the world back on track!
“Li Tian Gang!”
The two Demon Kings from the Great Void Realm, one old in appearance, one a handsome youth, now stared at Li Tian Gang with cold eyes. Though there was anger in their eyes, it was not overwhelming.
Feng Shan Jun had originally been a rural Demon King with no backing, joining their coalition only for vengeance, which was why they let him take the lead and perform.
But unexpectedly, he had been slain by Li Tian Gang!
The information they had received was flawed; Li Tian Gang concealed his true cultivation level, which turned out to be of the Four Stands Realm.
More crucially, with his Tao Heart Realm cultivation level, he was able to slay beyond his realm, which was rather terrifying.
“Four Stands Realm, no wonder you dared to step out of the Array!”
“Good, no matter your realm or what you’ve hidden, you will die today!”
The two from the Great Void Realm’s eyes flashed coldly, not attacking immediately but suddenly transmitting sound, calling other Demon Kings of the coalition to come.
Since the opponent could slay Feng Shan Jun, although they did not know how many Secret Techniques he had used, to be cautious, it was best to besiege and kill him!
After all, they couldn’t be the only ones exerting themselves in this assault.
Li Tian Gang, seeing that the two were not eager to attack, became abruptly alert and quickly turned back towards the Array.
“Thinking of leaving, it’s too late!”
The two Demon Kings, seeing his move, acted swiftly. The elder released a murky light that instantly reached the Array behind Li Tian Gang, covering it, and turned into a mist, enveloping him.
In this mist, all senses were lost; one couldn’t tell north from south.
Li Tian Gang realized this immediately, closed his eyes, concentrated power in his arms, and suddenly slashed with his blade again.
The fiery power cleared the mist, creating a gap, but beyond the gap was not the Array’s direction.
His heart chilled, he knew that he had been influenced by the Demon Art and had lost his sense of direction.
“All things have their order, begone, do not obstruct my path!”
Li Tian Gang roared furiously, his chest aglow with divine light, as he swapped his eyes for the inner eye and his consciousness for his moral heart.
Guided by the mysterious Dao, his moral heart, which condensed the laws of all things, quickly found the way for him.
Boom!
His divine blade struck, instantly tearing open a passage and revealing the Array; then, moving quickly, he attacked with his body, exchanging the air outside the Array, and disappeared in a blink, appearing inside the Array.
He had the Array’s command token, which allowed him to step directly into it.
In a flash, he slipped into the Array.
“Stop right there!!”
The young Demon King, who arrived in haste, unleashed a sword strike but slashed at nothing, as Li Tian Gang had already stepped through just before him.
His sword light struck the Array, stirring up a massive surge of divine runes.
Meanwhile, inside the Array, tens of thousands of Yuan Camp soldiers bore the brunt of the sword’s force, their expressions changing slightly as their blood and qi roiled.
“Marshal!”
Yu Xuan rushed over swiftly, seeing the terrible aura emanating from Li Tian Gang’s body; he had long known that Li Tian Gang had entered the Four Stands Realm; he wasn’t surprised but urgently said:
“Large swarms of Demons are attacking the edge of our defenses, led by Demon Kings, striking everywhere, the Array can’t hold much longer!”
“How many?”
Li Tian Gang’s expression shifted slightly, and, while speaking, he struggled to adjust his state, focusing on regaining his strength as much as possible.
He knew a fierce battle was about to unfold.
He must seize every chance to rest and recover.
“Three!”
Yu Xuan replied quickly, “One is from the Dragon Gate, another from the Holy Palace, and one from the Great Void Realm; with the two here…”
He looked outside the Array.
The dazzling golden Array shone brightly, separated by a thin membrane-like layer outside the Array, where the elderly man from the Great Void Realm and the young Demon King were both furiously assaulting the Array, causing ripples to spread.
Besides, their previous calls for reinforcements had summoned two more Demon Kings clad in black robes, who were now making no effort to hide, tearing off their robes.
Revealing armor that glimmered with golden light, its surface etched with rough patterns, clearly a treasure crafted by Demons.
In comparison with the armor of the Human Race, it did not appear as exquisite or intricate.
“Li Tian Gang, come out!”
“Hiding in there, do you think you can escape?!”
“Once I break through this Array, you’ll be the first I slay!”
The Demon Kings, while angrily attacking the Array, bellowed loud curses at Li Tian Gang.
Having killed Feng Shan Jun right before them, though unconcerned for Feng Shan Jun’s fate, their own dignity had been insulted.
Li Tian Gang’s expression was grim, somewhat unsightly; he had anticipated a catastrophe in Liangzhou, but had not expected Dragon Gate to send so many Demon Kings, and for the Great Void Realm to join in as well. The number of Demon Kings had somewhat exceeded his expectations.
These fellows weren’t planning to wear Liangzhou down slowly like they did with Northern Yan; they intended to launch a quick assault!
“Quick, form the Army Formation, and defend the Array with all your might!”
“Activate the Array’s Demon Spirits!”
Li Tian Gang swiftly gave his orders.
Command after command, alongside the beacon fires, spread throughout the entire defensive line.
On the inside of the Black Stone Great Wall’s defensive line, countless arrows flew into the swarm of Demons, myriad demon-slaying talismans and boulders followed from catapults, crossing the Array, hurtling into the swarm and inflicting numerous Demons casualties.
However, these Demons were like locusts and ants, thick and innumerable, with no end in sight.
The holes just cleared were instantly refilled.
The earth was covered in darkness, and the sky swarmed with locust-like flight, covering everything like a vast, demonic qi formed a black cloud hanging over this border defense in the sky.
Here, the daylight was obscured, leaving only a dim afterglow, along with the deafening, thunderous roars and screams of the Demons outside the Array.
The shrill shrieks were jittering, even the battle-hardened veterans felt their hearts pound with fear.
Were it not for the protection of the Army Formation and the bolstering of morale, many would have been scared stiff by this spectacular Demon display.
The grand army, entrenched in this defense, was now fully mobilized, taking position on the walls, rapidly rotating, as archers fired volley after volley, their longbows near the point of smoking from overuse.
Amidst the sounds of the beacon orders, the Array was activated, and soldiers from the Yuan Camp, clad in heavy armor, dispersed, covering the entire defensive line.
The numbers of Yuan Camp soldiers were vast, originally disguised in different armors, blending in, the Tianji Palace detected only fifty thousand of them gathering, but in actuality, Li Tian Gang had secretly assembled two hundred thousand!
Now, these hidden Yuan Camp soldiers had donned the strongest military armor of the Li Family, with the expense for a full set of armor being exceedingly great.
An army of two hundred thousand Yuan Camp soldiers was enough to sweep through the Three Immortal Realms with ease, unstoppable.
The Li Family’s Yuan Camp had a total of one million in its ranks!
After battling in Northern Yan for over a decade with countless casualties, only just over seven hundred thousand remained.
Currently, Li Tian Gang had called up two hundred thousand, which was considered full preparation.
The remaining five hundred thousand were stationed: three hundred thousand in Northern Yan and two hundred thousand in Qingzhou year-round.
