“`
“They’re coming! They’re coming!”
Within the defense line, the soldiers on the city walls looked on with tense focus as the thousands of troops came roaring towards them, and in the far distance behind them was the pursuing demon tide.
“Quick, get ready to welcome them, open the Array as soon as they enter the city!”
“Order from the Heavenly Observatory!”
“Lower the drawbridge!”
Orders were passed down from the top of the walls.
The defending troops here were also of the Three Immortal Realms, extremely powerful, but now their expressions were extremely grave and tense, because the intelligence from Li Xuanli’s side was that three Demon Kings had breached the defense line!
Though the momentum of this demon tide seemed vast, it was not insurmountable, at least they could hold it off for a while.
Yet, the whereabouts of those three Demon Kings were invisible, setting him on edge.
The ground shook as three hundred thousand battered troops charged, like an earthquake.
Li Xuanli looked at the city walls now within reach, saw the other side had made preparations to welcome them, yet his eyelids twitched uncontrollably as he bellowed:
“Set up the Array first!!”
His roar, infused with the power of his Divine Soul, vibrated for a hundred miles, reaching inside the defense line.
Atop the wall, upon hearing this, the commanding officer from the Three Immortal Realms changed complexion, suddenly realizing something, and immediately said, “Quick, activate the Array first!”
Activating the Array would block Li Xuanli and his troops’ advance, since they only carried the border Array’s pass tokens, not those of this second line of defense.
Especially since the tens of thousands of troops had no pass tokens; these tokens were extremely difficult to produce, and only lead generals were allotted one.
“Hmph, quick on the uptake!”
In the void, three figures suddenly appeared – the very three Demon Kings who had previously shattered the border Array. They surged through the air, appearing as if teleporting; they were simply hiding and following stealthily before.
They had refrained from killing Li Xuanli and his large army to get them inside the second line of defense and have it shut down its Array.
That way, they could easily break through at high speed, swiftly attacking and breaching the second line of defense, and from there, proceed deeper into enemy territory.
Speed is the essence of war; as long as they were fast enough, Liangzhou would not have time to react, and even the reinforcements from Emperor Yu might not arrive in time.
The humans stuck together; pulling one hair would affect the entire body. They had not only to break through the city but also to do it quickly; otherwise, if they got bogged down, they would fall into a disadvantage.
They had learned this lesson too many times, the war in Northern Yan over a decade ago being a prime example.
Whoosh!
The three Demon Kings no longer bothered to hide, chasing at full speed.
One of the Demon Kings abruptly raised his hand to launch an attack to interrupt the Array.
With a thunderous explosion, a rough spear-like Divine Weapon shot out, dragging a devilish cloud and piercing through the sky.
The Array quickly took form, but the spear was incredibly fast, slamming into the city walls, destroying it, and killing or injuring hundreds of soldiers within meters. Even those in the Celestial Master Realm turned pale, their blood roiled, and their flesh softened from the shockwave.
“Quick!”
In the very moment the bone spear breached the wall, the Array finished forming at the last instant.
Boom! Boom!
The other two Demon Kings unleashed their attacks, but they were blocked by the Array, setting off countless flashing divine runes.
The Demon King who hurled the bone spear roared as he summoned it back, but found no response; the Array was blocking his call.
Manipulation of objects couldn’t penetrate the Array.
“Damn it!”
Weapon lost, the Demon King spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm in annoyance, but wasn’t panicked.
Since their disguise had been uncovered, though unwilling, they would simply need to spend a bit more time.
Once the Array was broken, the weapon would naturally return.
In these large armies, there were no soldiers of the Four Stands Realm; to him, with or without a weapon didn’t matter.
“Li Family’s brat, you think quick, don’t you? I’ll rip off your head!”
Green veins appeared all over this Demon King, his eyes flashing with cold electricity, as he suddenly charged towards Li Xuanli’s army.
Li Xuanli, spotting the Demon Kings, cursed silently, realizing it was as expected. Seeing them turning back to charge, his gaze grew dark as he growled, “Form up!”
The rumbling army swiftly converged on each other, forming a battle Array.
The formation of an Array on horseback showcased their well-practiced drills.
Among the various military banners of the Li Family, though the Yuan Camp was the trump card, the Xuan Camp’s soldiers were also elite, most practicing mid-grade and high-grade Cultivation Techniques.
Ordinary family heirs of the same realm were not necessarily capable of defeating a Xuan Camp soldier, unless they were prodigious talents.
Boom!
As the military Array solidified, a peacock-like phantom burst from within, crying out towards the sky, and charged at the Demon King.
“Humph, since the Array is activated, you might as well die outside!”
Turning, the three Demon Kings vented their fury on Li Xuanli and his soldiers, raising their hands and causing the ground to tremble outside the city, creating high platforms to intercept all the troops.
Inside the city, the Three Immortal Realms’ commanding officer immediately called for the Heavenly Observatory to come and repair the Array on the wall.
Luckily, the damage to the Array was minimal, just slightly reducing its power. If repaired in time, it could be restored.
“Quick, open Array node number thirty-four, who’s willing to lead troops out to support General Li?”
With the commanding officer’s shout, several generals stepped forward:
“Commander, I am incompetent but willing to pave the way for General Li!”
“Commander, let me do it, I am willing to pave the way for General Li!”
“I will definitely carve a bloody path for General Li, I’ll go and attract that Demon King myself!”
The few generals all spoke out loud.
They were not merely motivated by a burst of passion, some were cadet branches of the Li Family, some had received favors from the Li Family in early years, while others were orphans rescued from cities ravaged by demons by the Li Family many years before.
“`
“`
Thin strands of connection, converging into a river, this is the Li Family’s network of relationships, the grace and prestige that have stood for a thousand years!
The governor of Liangzhou took a deep breath. He quickly signaled two of his junior generals and said, “You two together, I’ll leave it in your hands!”
“Your subordinates obey!!”
The two junior generals, with sharp gazes, loudly responded and then immediately soared into the sky, leading their own soldiers and roaring:
“Brothers, follow me out of the city, those who die in battle will be honored, and their names will live forever!!”
“Kill!!”
The two junior generals led their troops out from a separate Array that had been opened on the side and circled around to the main battlefield, attacking the two Demon Kings.
Bang!
Three Demon Kings took action, as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth was splitting apart. A torrent of Demonic Qi swept down, aiming to suppress Li Xuanli’s grand army. The just-soaring army soul of the peacock was struck down and hit the ground.
With mournful cries from the peacock, thousands of soldiers spat blood and tumbled off their horses, rolling under the hooves.
But the Red Blood Horses were spirited. They didn’t abandon their masters. Instead, after running a distance, they rapidly stopped, turned back to pick up their masters by the armor, threw them back onto their backs, and then galloped forward once more.
Next to Li Xuanli, Li Wushuang spit out blood. She was also a part of the Army Formation, and at this moment, she was pale as a ghost, her body roiling with energies.
Above her head was the overwhelming demonic might; death had never felt so close.
She raised her head toward the dark skies enveloped by demonic clouds, her eyes reflecting both despair and anger.
Just as she was about to shatter her own major meridians and burn her Divine Soul to bolster the formation one last time, Li Xuanli seemed to detect the fluctuations in his daughter’s qi and shot her a fierce glare, bellowing:
“Don’t be foolish; it’s not that time yet.”
Tears streamed down Li Wushuang’s face. She had never felt the cruelty of the battlefield so keenly. The countless soldiers who had earlier died tragically on the borders were etched in her memory.
It was because countless people had covered their retreat that they were able to escape to this second line of defense.
“You possess a ninth-grade battle physique, exceptional talents—don’t waste them here; you still have a future!”
Li Xuanli said gravely, “Quickly leave the formation. I will have Jian protect you. Blend in with the grand army and enter the city from the side.”
As he spoke, he quickly delivered a piece of the Array token into Li Wushuang’s hand.
Li Wushuang trembled. This was her father’s Array token.
The second line of defense’s Array token!
Such Array tokens were scarce, not only because they were difficult to construct, but also because having too many would increase the risk of losing them. Once a Demon obtained them, the Arrays would be as good as non-existent!
“Father!”
Li Wushuang was grieving.
“Go quickly!”
Li Xuanli roared, “When you reach my level of cultivation, then think about slaying Demons and enemies. You still have a long way to go; don’t be foolish!”
Tears welled in Li Wushuang’s eyes as if she were bleeding. For the first time, she realized that all this talk of genius and exceptional youths was bullshit!
Only true growth in strength mattered.
Otherwise, all the false reputation was useless in the face of life and death!
She was too weak, so weak that any Great Demon could easily kill her!
Her cultivation was already progressing rapidly, but it still wasn’t fast enough, not nearly enough!
“Go!”
Li Xuanli glared at her once more, then exchanged a glance with another general from the Three Immortal Realms.
The general understood and immediately jumped onto Li Wushuang’s warhorse, subdued his qi, took off his general’s armor, ordered the surrounding army to disperse, and covered Li Wushuang as she retreated to the city from the side.
With the army dispersed, the front, facing the three Demon Kings, would be even more vulnerable.
This would only lead to a quicker death, but it was a last resort.
To continue to cluster would mean a swift annihilation by the three Demon Kings, better to scatter and give it a shot!
Li Xuanli knew the Demon Kings were targeting him. He took a deep breath, and his body suddenly shot towards the sky as he bellowed:
“You beasts, care to fight one-on-one?!”
“You are not worthy!”
The three Demon Kings were not fooled or provoked— their only desire was to kill him quickly and then destroy the city’s Array.
“Die!”
One of the Demon Kings, a blood-robed elder with a cold expression, suddenly raised his hand. A beam of blood light shot from his palm like a giant ruler, crudely textured but aimed directly at Li Xuanli, intending to crush him on the spot.
He was at the Tao Heart Realm; his attacks were sure to hit.
Li Xuanli felt a terrifying sense of life-threatening fear, as if he were being isolated from the formation. His heart raced, he roared and unleashing his fusion of Divine Soul and qi, stimulated the power of the Army Formation, and threw a punch out.
With a thunderous impact, his fist collided with the blood ruler, sending a tide of bloody aura dispersing.
Another Demon King raised his hand and slapped down countless lightning-like purple whips, striking Li Xuanli.
His battle armor was instantly torn, his cloak shattered, and the Indestructible Treasure Body that had rested for many years at the Divine General Mansion was once again severely damaged. His entire body was full of cracks, with scorching black marks.
He plummeted into the midst of the army, creating a deep crater on the ground.
The nearby Xuan Troops quickly surrounded him, forming a formation to protect him within.
Meanwhile, the rest of the grand army continued to disperse, rushing toward the city from all directions.
“Father!”
Li Wushuang saw Li Xuanli severely injured, her eyes reddened, but she didn’t cry out loud; instead, she just bit her lips hard, with bright red blood flowing down the side of her mouth.
She knew that her father was using his life to draw the attention of the Demon King, allowing her and the other soldiers a chance to escape.
“Lady, don’t look at the Demon King or they’ll notice.”
The Immortal Realm general behind her whispered softly.
Li Wushuang felt a stifled anger, but still withdrew her gaze and bowed her head.
“`
“Xuan Li!”
Just then, a furious shout rang out.
Several figures were seen rushing towards the defensive line from a distance.
Li Wushuang heard the voice, looked up, and saw a familiar figure—it was her master, the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist.
“Master is here!”
Li Wushuang’s eyes suddenly lit up with hope, as if seeing salvation.
“Uncle Jian, it’s my master, my master is here!”
She couldn’t help but call out excitedly.
Li Jian looked up, and a hint of surprise also appeared in his eyes.
In the distance, besides the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist, two female generals were also rushing over at high speed, both appearing to be in their forties.
They were Li Muxiu’s second and fourth sisters.
All married off to distant places in their earlier years, they had been noblewomen for decades; now, upon receiving Li Muxiu’s summons, they immediately donned their long-stored and dusty armor, grabbed their weapons, and rushed over as fast as they could.
Along the way, their makeup had worn off, and they seemed to have returned to the days of their youth, rushing through battlefields.
They knew that if not for a dire crisis in the Li Family, with Li Muxiu’s eccentric temperament, he would have never sought their help.
Thus, without much thought or hesitation, they had arrived at this place.
“Three Demon Kings!”
The gaze of the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist was solemn as he looked at the three Great Demon Kings.
He had the appearance of an Immortal Bearing and Daoist Bones, graceful and detached from the world.
“Old Thousand-Mechanism!”
The three Demon Kings also noticed him, their eyes lifted slightly, but they revealed a cold smile.
“You dare to come here alone?”
One of the Demon Kings stepped forward, his demonic aura suddenly increased tumultuously, covering the sky like dark clouds, and vaguely manifesting a silhouette of a winged, twisted dragon.
“Abyss Dragon!”
Seeing the figure, the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist’s face changed drastically. This figure was an elder from the Dragon Gate, ranked highly, and not weak—existing in the Defying Fate Realm.
“The Li Family’s women have also come, it seems the Li Family’s sons are truly about to be wiped out!”
Another Demon King sneered, half of his face splitting open to reveal ferocious fangs and a blood-red tongue, his limbs writhing, revealing his true form as a hideous insect-like creature.
“You deal with him, I’ll kill this stinking brat!”
The Demon King with blue veins on his face spoke.
He raised his hand, grabbed the rocks from the ground, and threw them towards the military camp while slapping down with his palm to crush them all.
“Stop!”
The Thousand-Mechanism Taoist shouted angrily, striking out abruptly, and a white beam of light flew out, shattering the boulder and lashing towards the Demon King’s palm.
“You dare to be distracted!”
The Abyss Dragon Demon King’s eyes filled with murderous intent as he suddenly struck, his True Dragon phantom image charging towards his opponent, spitting out a vast cloud of demonic poison gas.
The Thousand-Mechanism Taoist flung his sleeves, dispersing the demonic fog, and said to the two Li Family sisters at his side:
“Quick, go and escort General Li, I’ll hold them off!”
Both women recognized the dire situation and hurriedly split up, each rushing towards Li Xuanli.
“You think you can fight the three of us alone?!”
The other insect-like Demon King let out a piercing scream and pounced towards the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist, spitting out a blood sword, striking a sharp dark light.
The Thousand-Mechanism Taoist raised his hand, summoning a golden seal, and pressed it down towards the blood sword.
“Who gave you the courage!”
The Abyss Dragon Demon King roared furiously, abruptly revealing his true form, his dragon body sweeping across as his tail lashed down.
The Thousand-Mechanism Taoist was alarmed, quickly put up a golden light, and continuously clapped his hands towards the dragon tail.
But those dragon scales, glittering with a brilliant light, were exceedingly sharp. Carrying a destructive aura, they directly smashed his palm strikes, hitting him squarely.
With a thud, the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist’s body was fiercely smashed onto the ground below.
That blood sword immediately bypassed the golden seal and killed swiftly towards him.
The Thousand-Mechanism Taoist roared, unleashing his Divine Soul and extracting another Divine Weapon—a long whip, which he wrapped around the blood sword.
The blood sword struggled violently against the bonds of the whip, while the Abyss Dragon Demon King charged down with a roar.
The ground trembled as the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist clashed with the Abyss Dragon Demon King, both at the Defying Fate Realm, their battle earth-shattering.
Meanwhile, the Demon King with the blue veins dashed past the Divine Weapon, which was a Nine Section Whip. At that moment, the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist was overwhelmed by the Abyss Dragon Demon King and couldn’t spare his attention, rendering the Divine Weapon less sharp as it was directly knocked down.
“Die!”
He dived towards Li Xuanli below, revealing his true form—a giant spider.
Countless threads shot out like venomous blades, piercing through many Xuan Troops protecting Li Xuanli, their bodies penetrated by the spider silk, even their Divine Souls obliterated, with no chance to enter the Martial Temple.
“Stop!”
Two shouts of anger rang out.
Then golden light emerged, followed by a burning holy talisman soaring forward, turning into a purple divine bell that enveloped Li Xuanli, manifestly a Saint Heart Talisman.
The Giant Spider Demon King roared, spewing out more silken threads covering the purple divine bell. However, his gaze now turned towards the two Li Family female generals.
“Seeking death!”
He was somewhat annoyed, his eyes furiously wide, emitting a green light intending to slay the two women.
Li Qingling suddenly burned a Saint Heart Talisman in her hand, turning into a green light that wrapped around her, drastically increasing her speed, becoming as fast as a phantom.
She quickly pulled her younger sister alongside her, and then they dashed towards Li Xuanli, attempting to escape using the talisman’s speed.
Li Xuanli also had a Saint Heart Talisman, but it was earlier used on the frontier to block a fatal blow.
Seeing the arrival of his aunts, he coughed up blood and urgently said, “Why are you here, get away quickly!”
“Stop talking, grab onto me quickly!”
Li Qingling urged anxiously.
She grabbed Li Xuanli’s arm, pulled him close, and was about to rush toward that city.
But suddenly, a figure whistled by and smashed into the ground in front of them, searing a deep crater.
The three of them looked and recognized the figure as the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist.
At this moment, he was covered in blood, his appearance disheveled, a far cry from the immortal bearing and Daoist bones he had just recently possessed.
The three were shocked; the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist was of the Defying Fate Realm after all, yet he had been defeated in a blink of an eye?
Just then, two terrifying auras suddenly surged, startling the trio and eliciting cries of horror from the soldiers on the nearby city ramparts.
The three turned to look only to see that, apart from the figures of the three Demon Kings, two more figures had appeared out of nowhere.
“You sure took your time!”
One of them was clad in white, with a noble aura like jade, and a handsome face.
However, compared to his usual indifference, his eyes now contained a depth of cold severity.
“The Holy Palace, Monarch Bai!”
“Blood Lake Jiao Demon!”
On the ramparts, many recognized the identities of these two Demon Kings.
Beyond Monarch Bai, the other was an elder from Dragon Gate, also a Demon King, whose strength was nearly on par with that of the Abyss Dragon Demon King.
At that moment, with five Demon Kings airborne, they seemed poised to swallow the heavens and earth.
The terrifying demonic aura enveloped the area like dark clouds, causing the pupils of Li Xuanli, Li Qingling, and others to widen in disbelief; more than that, there was despair.
The multitudes of soldiers on the city walls were also speechless, unable to utter a word.
How could there be five Demon Kings?!
“Master…”
Li Wushuang, who had almost reached the Array in the distance, turned back to see this scene, her eyes shifting from surprise to shock and disbelief.
Her master, so powerful and invincible, was defeated?
How could this happen?
Master had arrived after all.
But even Master had been defeated!
Li Jian, who was protecting her, also had no joy in his eyes, his face as dark as a scorched pot. He even realized that this second line of defense was not going to hold.
With five Demon Kings, who else could possibly come to block them?
Boom boom boom~~!
In the distance, hordes of demons surged forward, overwhelming all in their path.
In the brief moment that the three Demon Kings were blocked, the tidal wave of demons had caught up.
And the generals and soldiers who had initially stayed back to intercept had already been submerged by the tide, only managing to slow it down slightly before it quickly picked up speed in pursuit again.
Despair!
At this moment, whether outside the city or within, everyone was engulfed in despair.
The appearance of the five Demon Kings was like an eclipse, their horrific pressure silencing even whispers.
Armies numbering in the thousands stood no chance against the Demon Kings, as easily crushed as paper constructs.
The Array for this second line of defense had no chance of holding!
All eyes were on the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist in the crater, the only one in the Four Stands Realm and the last vestige of hope remaining.
The Thousand-Mechanism Taoist slowly got to his feet from the ground, his hair disheveled. The hair coil around his head had come undone.
He looked up at the slowly advancing five Demon Kings, staggered a step, and clutched at the gaping wound in his abdomen that Monarch Bai had almost pierced through his heart with a sneak attack.
He was pale and haggard, his forehead drenched in cold sweat—such grievous wounds were something he had not experienced in over a century.
As he watched the Demon Kings encircle him, he knew that unless he used his Defying Fate chance, there was no escape.
But his Defying Fate opportunity had long been used up.
Could it be that he, too, was going to die here?
“Old geezer, it seems you’re out of Defying Fate chances!”
Monarch Bai caught a glimpse of the fleeting despair in the eyes of the Thousand-Mechanism Taoist and sneered coldly.
The tide of demons advanced with their steps, drawing closer to the last remnants of the army outside the pass.
The oncoming flood seemed capable of devouring and completely consuming Li Xuanli’s forces in an instant.
Li Xuanli’s eyes were filled with despair, but they soon erupted into unyielding rage and a roar, “Xuan Camp, heed my command, for our last battle, follow me and fight with all we’ve got to the death!!”
His roar echoed throughout the entire camp and over the city walls.
“Hmph, mayflies shaking the tree!”
Monarch Bai sneered, prepared to strike down Li Xuanli first.
Having conflicted with Li Tian Gang in Northern Yan for so many years, he harbored a deep-seated hatred for him, and now his intent to kill against his brother surged even more.
Just as his hand was about to strike, an angry rebuke thundered from the sky.
“Stop!!”
It was a woman’s shout!
Clear and piercing, it traveled across miles to reach the ears of Monarch Bai and the other Demon Kings.
The Demon Kings all showed surprise—could there possibly be a courageous woman from the Li Family?
“Little sister!”
Li Xuanli almost instantly recognized the voice calling out to be that of his youngest sister, stationed at Heavenly Gate Pass.
His face, which had been filled with fury, now showed a rare panic; in such dire straits, more numbers were pointless, his little sister’s arrival would merely mean she was joining in death!
“Hong Zhuang, don’t come!!”
His eyes reddened and glistened with tears as he yelled at the top of his lungs.
But what answered his cry was a swiftly approaching whooshing sound!
A dark figure flew across the sky like a sharp arrow or an iron meteorite from beyond, slicing through the air, racing across the vast plains, and landing directly the ground beneath the feet of the Demon Kings with an impact!
Dust rose from the ground, blasting out a crater more than a dozen meters deep.
And in the crater was a war banner!
The banner, initially rolled around the pole to minimize wind resistance, unfurled in the moment of impact as Li Hongzhuang’s protective power wound around the pole dissipated upon collision.
The fabric that had been wrapped around the pole slowly slid down and unfurled.
“`
The gentle breeze stirred, revealing an army banner!
This banner, over a dozen meters long, was thrust diagonally into the vast battlefield. As it billowed in the breeze, the words “Haotian” unfurled.
Monarch Bai, who was about to make his move, halted at the sight of those two characters on the banner, his pupils sharply constricting.
At the same time, his heartbeat seemed to tremble violently.
Was it that youth who fought like a god?!
He abruptly looked up toward the horizon, only to see black silhouettes after black silhouettes, hurtling towards them.
Indeed, they were more army banners, thundering down one after another, piercing the earth where the horde of demons marched.
With the ground shattering, the banners became visible, and the demons leading the tide in the Three Immortal Realms, after a brief moment of astonishment at the sight of the unfurled “Haotian,” trembled violently and showed a look of horror.
They immediately roared furiously, commanding their armies to halt.
Long howls from the demons caused the surging tide of demons to rapidly slow down.
Eventually, they stopped four or five li away from the battle flags.
Seeing the few thousand meters distance, the Great Demons within the horde, all drenched in cold sweat, heaved a sigh of relief.
The information from Tianji Palace had been frequent; they were well aware of the situation outside Heavenly Gate Pass.
This matter had already spread among the higher echelons of the demonic forces. The Dragon Gate and the Holy Palace had even taken Li Hao’s battle banner back for study, resulting in the death of a Great Demon from the Three Immortal Realms.
Everyone knew that with the youth stationed outside Heavenly Gate Pass, it was Liangzhou’s toughest nail.
It was also the place they had prepared to devour and uproot last!
The Haotian Flag, planted five thousand li outside the pass and instilling fear among the demon multitude, had already gained an infamous reputation.
“Don’t, don’t damage that banner under any circumstances!”
A Great Demon who knew the secrets exhorted loudly and anxiously.
Fearing that some careless demon might shatter the flag.
The sudden appearance of the battle flags, along with the demons’ odd reaction, left Li Xuanli and the others, who were facing despair, stunned.
What was going on?
The Thousand-Mechanism Taoist was also taken aback, staring at the banner in amazement.
All seemed to be because of this army banner.
The demons were extremely afraid of this banner.
The Yuan banner of the Li Family ancestors, symbolizing the invincible Yuan Camp forces, had never possessed such influence.
Whose banner was that, and whose name was on it?!
Upon seeing the banner clearly, Li Xuanli was shocked, and being in Liangzhou, he naturally knew to whom the banner belonged.
Hao Er was here, too?
He hurriedly looked up into the distance, but only saw a figure in bright red rushing toward them, it was his younger sister, Li Hongzhuang.
Li Hongzhuang also carried a large bundle of banners on her back and was now descending.
“Fifth Brother!”
Li Hongzhuang called out urgently.
Li Xuanli’s gaze swept towards the banners on her back and quickly asked, “Has Hao Er come as well?”
There was a nervousness in his voice, a mixture of anticipation and fear, fearful that Li Hao could also be in trouble if he came.
He knew Li Hao had the protection of the Four Stands Realm, and if Li Hao had arrived, the Four Stands Realm would likely come as well.
But they were facing five Demon Kings!
Li Hongzhuang pursed her lips slightly, not answering, worried her response might be heard by the Demon Kings.
Although she did not know the extent of Li Hao’s deterrence against the demons, it always seemed better to keep silent.
At this moment, Monarch Bai’s gaze swept past Li Hongzhuang’s figure before staring intently in the direction from which she had come, seemingly nervously waiting for something.
But no figure appeared from there for a long time.
Nevertheless, Monarch Bai did not dare to relax.
“`
He knew that in addition to fearsome combat abilities, that boy was also extremely cunning, perhaps hiding his presence and biding his time!
The grand momentum outside the city had come to a brief halt due to the arrival of Li Hongzhuang.
The countless demons within the demon tide all halted before a row of war flags on the ground, not daring to advance.
The several Demon Kings also stopped before those war flags, ceasing their attacks.
This strange scene left everyone atop the city wall staring agape.
Do these demons seem to be scared?!
“The Haotian Flag… could it be the one from Heavenly Gate Pass?”
“How is that possible?”
Atop the city wall, the Commander of Liangzhou murmured to himself.
The young general’s fame was too resounding, even if he did not seek it out himself, word of it had reached his ears through conversations amongst his subordinates.
But, was this military flag the young man’s?
Yet, why do these demons exhibit such dread?!
It’s too eerie!
“Did the kid from Heavenly Gate Pass also come?”
The Demon Kings, their gazes heavy, looked into the distance.
Although they had not seen the young man’s figure, they all had an uncomfortable feeling throughout their bodies.
Rumors about that young man had long spread among their forces, and he was listed on their must-kill roster.
Facing three Demon Kings alone, taking out the second life of a Demon King from the Defying Fate Realm, was simply ferocious.
If the other party also showed up here, then the outcome of the current battlefield was uncertain.
The most crucial point was, they had not seen Li Hao.
Had he actually come?
To say he hadn’t come, yet his war flag had arrived.
To say he had come, yet his figure was nowhere to be seen.
——Lurking.
“Damn it!”
“You little rat, come out if you dare!!”
“Hiding your head but showing your tail, what kind of skill is that!”
The Demon Kings surveyed their surroundings, issuing roars of anger.
This sudden outburst startled everyone on the city wall, leaving them dumbfounded.
What are these Demon Kings doing?
Whose name are they calling out?!
“That seems to be the military flag of Marshal Haotian!”
“Yes, that’s right, I’ve been to Heavenly Gate Pass. I didn’t see him and I returned, but I’ve seen this flag!”
“It’s his flag!”
“That’s General Haotian’s battle flag!”
Inside the city walls, some youths from the temporarily assembled aristocratic armies recognized Li Hao’s battle flag, calling out in shock and excitement.
Their voices quickly spread, and in no time, everyone found it hard to believe that this was actually General Haotian’s battle flag!
The mere flag of a young general had actually stopped the group of demons that had broken through the Frontier Pass and pursued for five thousand li within the realm, deterring a horde of demons!
Even the Demon Kings were wary because of it?
Could the young man really command such influence?!
Li Wushuang, who had managed to sneak into the city’s Array under the protection of Li Jian while the Demon Kings hesitated, heard the successive cries of astonishment from within the city and couldn’t help but stand still.
She stared blankly at the flags fluttering over the battlefield, and those two characters swinging wildly in the wind.
