“Hao Er, apa, apa yang kamu katakan?”Li Xiaoran merasakan sentakan di sekujur tubuhnya saat mendengar gumaman Li Hao, segera diikuti oleh pemandangan kekuatan di sekitarnya yang berkumpul dan dengan gila-gilaan menekan ke arah tubuh Li Hao.Kekuatan itu menyatu menjadi badai, mengisolasinya, dan pengumpulan kekuatan itu saja membuatnya merasa mustahil baginya untuk mendekat.Di tengah pusaran kekuatan ini, tubuh Li Hao bersinar dengan cahaya keemasan yang cemerlang, dan rambutnya, yang sebelumnya kembali menjadi hitam berkilau, sekali lagi berubah menjadi putih keperakan, helai demi helai.Dari hitam menjadi putih salju, sepertinya kekuatan hidupnya pun memudar.Li Xiaoran tertegun, merasa darah di tubuhnya membeku. Ia menebak apa yang akan dilakukan Li Hao.Mulutnya sedikit menganga, dia ingin berteriak menghentikannya, tetapi dia tidak bisa mengucapkan sepatah kata pun ketika itu sampai ke bibirnya.Apakah ada harapan lain?TIDAK.Ia tak kuasa menahan tangis, tak pernah membayangkan bahwa setelah bertahun-tahun berusaha tanpa harapan, pada akhirnya, seorang anak harus mempertaruhkan nyawanya!Dia memandang Li Tianzong yang mendekat bagaikan Dewa Iblis dan berkata dengan sedih, “Kakak, tolong bangun, cucumu telah datang untuk membawamu kembali!”
Ledakan!Sebagai balasannya, Li Tianzong tiba-tiba mengangkat tinjunya, bagaikan meteor hitam yang diselimuti asap tebal, menghantam dengan liar ke arah mereka berdua.Sementara itu, para Iblis di sekitar menyerbu maju bagai gelombang pasang, tampak jelas akan terpengaruh oleh kekuatan tinju itu, namun masih menyerbu ke arah mereka dengan gila-gilaan.Li Xiaoran segera menyadari bahwa situasi saat ini dipengaruhi oleh Sungai Mo. Mereka tidak menghadapi Iblis, bukan pula Li Tianzong, melainkan Sungai Mo itu sendiri!Sungai Mo berupaya menggunakan banyak Iblis dan tangan Li Tianzong untuk meninggalkan mereka, yang hidup, sebagai teman bagi yang meninggal dalam tidur abadi!Di bawah gemuruh kekuatan tinju, ada cahaya pedang hijau menyilaukan yang dengan paksa menghentikan tinju raksasa itu di jalurnya.Namun, ia hanya berhenti sebentar sebelum menghantam lagi secara langsung.Dikelilingi oleh aura, Li Hao memasuki kondisi Kekuatan Ilahi, tubuhnya yang berwarna Merah Emas juga mulai runtuh pada saat ini, transformasinya menjadi abadi sudah melampaui ambang batas kritis delapan puluh persen.Tetap saja, auranya terus meningkat, memberikan sensasi menyerbu ke arah Jurang Kematian.Akan tetapi, raut wajah Li Hao menjadi tenang saat ini, dan Pedang Frost Hijau di tangannya mendesing dengan suara melengking, menebas lagi tinju itu.Roh pedang di dalam bilah pedang meraung, memancarkan raungan yang menusuk, dan akhirnya berhasil memantulkan tangan itu.
Li Tianzong’s body paused, his eyes redder than blood, and he growled, “All soldiers, follow me to kill, to break out!”
He seemed to mistake this place for the battlefield of Dragon City from long ago, viewing Li Hao in front of him as a Demon, leading all the soldiers to overcome this deadly barrier.
Li Hao said nothing. The Green Frost Sword, fluttering in mid-air like cracking ice, released a vast river of Sword Qi that swept around and protected Li Xiaoran’s body within, slashing at the Demons and transformed soldiers.
Perhaps the real way to pass through the Mo River was to assist Dragon City in a desperate fight against the Demons during the ten-day siege, ensuring that the Array would not break, letting the soldiers of Dragon City also be reduced to almost nothing. Then, during this transmutation stage, there would finally be a chance to survive by oneself, solving everything.
This was valuable intelligence, but whether it could be brought out was another matter.
The river of Sword Qi cleared the Demons around Li Xiaoran, Li Hao looked toward Li Tianzong, who was already unfolding his Dao Domain to kill.
“Fourth Elder, take care of yourself. Try to live on. I’ll see if I can fight for a chance at life for you!”
Li Hao murmured quietly.
This was also to repay the kindness Li Xiaoran had shown when he helped outside the Mo River.
The chance at life he planned to fight for was to defeat Li Tianzong, to kill all the Demons. That way, when the Mo River ended, Li Xiaoran would be able to leave.
But to achieve that, he had to reach the limit of transforming into an immortal, to have a sliver of hope.
Li Hao had no confidence in himself.
As he spoke, he soared into the sky, seemingly gathering all the momentum of the heavens and the earth, and with a fierce punch, he aimed to halt Li Tianzong’s body, blocking the battlefield ahead to avoid affecting Li Xiaoran.
Boom!!
Li Tianzong too lifted his fist and howled down, as if heaven and earth had collided, the terrifying shockwave knocked unconscious or killed all the Demons within dozens of miles.
Li Hao’s body was rapidly crumbling, yet also rapidly regenerating and healing, bathed in blood, like a figure made of blood.
Li Tianzong’s Dao Domain unfolded, his will opening and extending instantly to four or five miles, enveloping Li Hao’s body within, not even allowing a chance to escape. This was the true speed of the Grand Tao of Peace Realm’s Dao Domain.
At this moment, many types of regulations appeared within the Dao Domain, not just one. It included regulations controlled by other Demon Kings from the Ping Tao Realm, and now they were all superimposed and merged together.
The pressure of several regulations came crashing down, causing Li Hao’s body to rapidly disintegrate, like being unravelled and peeled.
But luckily, his body reached the strength of the Nine Cast Divine Soldier, barely able to sustain for a breath’s time.Memanfaatkan momen singkat ini, teknik pergerakan Li Hao berubah, membawa banyak teknik pergerakan ke batasnya, melarikan diri dari batasan Domain Dao hampir seperti teleportasi.Baru saja keluar dari Domain Dao, kecepatan disintegrasinya melambat.Namun, Li Tianzong tampaknya telah mengarahkan pandangannya pada Li Hao, dan mengejarnya dengan langkah sebesar komet.Saat Li Hao mundur, dia juga naik dengan cepat, meningkatkan jarak, menarik lebih banyak Kekuatan Langit dan Bumi.Tubuhnya sekali lagi terkoyak, memburuk, seolah-olah akan hancur.Ketika transformasi menjadi makhluk abadi melampaui sembilan puluh persen, kulit Li Hao meledak, dagingnya terekspos, menyerupai sosok yang merangkak keluar dari genangan darah, sangat mengerikan.Namun penyerapan Li Hao tidak berhenti, terus maju ke arah batas itu.Kekuatan antara Langit dan Bumi menekan lebih dahsyat lagi, hingga pada titik ini tak terkendali, dan segalanya melesat menuju batas yang merusak.
“`
Soon, Li Hao’s transformation into an immortal had reached ninety-nine percent.
His flesh fell from his body, and his internal organs dropped out of his chest cavity, leaving his body like an incomplete shell, unable to support itself anymore.
Based on Li Hao’s previous experience in the Heavenly Human Realm, if he were to fully transform into an immortal, his consciousness could only be retained for a moment before it vanished.
That would be the ultimate instant.
But now, his physical body had strengthened considerably, tens of times beyond that of the Heavenly Human Realm, which allowed him, even under extreme conditions, to barely maintain consciousness for a few breaths.
Boom!
Li Hao’s body completely merged with heaven and earth, reaching the limit of transformation into an immortal.
All flesh seemed to vanish from his body; his consciousness as if detached and merged into this vast and expansive world.
At this moment, Li Hao heard all the sounds of the world quiet down.
The myriad roars within Dragon City, the bellowing of demons, all disappeared.
His hearing seemed damaged, his body feeling as if it had fallen into a vast lake, and then, his consciousness, like a branching spider web, connected with the entire lake.
He himself was the world!
The three realms of Grandmaster Realm: self, world, and all beings.
At this moment, Li Hao seemed to have truly “glimpsed the world.”
He suddenly realized the direction his path of seeking the Dao should take.
But there was no chance or time for him to consolidate his state of mind at this moment.
Perhaps he might never have the chance again.
An unimaginable power connected to his consciousness, making Li Hao the ruler of this world at that moment.
He felt the vast and mighty power surging throughout his body, both rampantly colliding and recklessly destroying.
He was unprecedentedly powerful, yet unprecedentedly vulnerable!
His life was coming to an end.
All of this happened and ended in an instant; Li Hao’s consciousness moved from the world back to himself, and he saw his body disintegrating and perishing. His calm eyes revealed a murderous sharpness, and suddenly, he invoked the Unwithering Strength!
In an instant, his previously disintegrating body began to slowly revive and heal!
A power like the resurgence of all things allowed new flesh to keep growing, filling up the once incomplete and hollow body, and the flesh returned.
His physique was strong enough to compare with the Nine Cast Divine Soldier, and he was in a state of Divine Power, which exponentially increased his self-healing ability. Coupled with the Unwithering Power at this moment, he was finally able to withstand the full transformation into an immortal and its destructive decay.
As his body condensed, it also split apart, but it seemed to be coalescing.
The destruction inflicted on his body by the extreme transformation into an immortal did not stop; it only appeared to have stopped.
During these countless moments of disintegration and rebirth in the blink of an eye, his flesh continued to condense, and his physical body was refined to an even more extreme level.
However, once the Unwithering Strength ended, Li Hao’s life would also come to an end, completely transformed into an immortal and disappearing between heaven and earth!
The duration of Unwithering Strength was only three minutes.
Mighty Demonic Qi swept in, and Li Tianzong, with blood-red eyes, bellowed, “You cannot stop me!!”
Li Hao looked up and saw those red, furious eyes staring fixedly at him, the face twisted and filled with deep murderous hate, no longer gentle as before.
But Li Hao knew that the Li Tianzong before him was not the Li Tianzong he had known before.
He was not angry, his eyes were calm, simply gripping the sword in his hand tighter, feeling the body that kept disintegrating and regenerating, as well as the tearing pain, and softly said,
“I won’t stop you, I’m just guiding your way.”
The Green Frost Sword in his palm seemed to sense its master’s state of mind and suddenly burst with dazzling green frost, tearing through the demon-tainted black sky with a streak of green light.
Magnificent Sword Intent condensed in Li Hao’s palm. This Nine Cast Divine Sword now showed cracks on the blade as if it were about to shatter.
The sword body couldn’t withstand the vast heavenly and earthy forces poured into it by Li Hao.
Li Hao did not retreat further; instead, he charged straight at Li Tianzong.
His body entered the Dao Domain; yet it seemed as if when he stepped, lotuses bloomed beneath his feet. The Dao Domain’s field of force rules were automatically pushed away by his body, unable to get close!
His bloodied form, like an Exiled Immortal Facing the Dust, crossed Li Tianzong’s Dao Domain, the sword light like a rainbow, gently falling down.
But this seemingly gentle strike carried the thunderous brilliance of silver white light, easily slicing through the Dao Domain, cutting towards Li Tianzong’s body.
Li Tianzong seemed to sense the danger, suddenly looking up, his blood-red eyes glared fiercely at the dazzling sword light. He roared, and on his body, heads of Demon Kings, like Demonic Qi condensed, emerged, howling:
“Must block it!!”
Roar!!
Li Tianzong roared, raising his hand to summon a long spear from the space between heaven and earth.
The spear, dark as iron with spiral dragon patterns wrapped around it, ignited with sky-reaching divine flames as he grasped it, and he forcefully thrusted it towards the sword light.
With a thud, Sword Qi dominated, shaking heaven and earth.
A power beyond the Dao Realm tore and vented, devastating buildings and demons within ten miles below.
Li Tianzong roared skyward, but the spear was forced back inch by inch, and his aura became more ferocious; the Demon Kings also revealed ferocious expressions, roaring:
“Useless, you can’t escape!”
With a thud, the spear was knocked aside, and the sword light pierced straight through, directly falling to the ground.
The entire ground of Dragon City violently shook, as if struck by a magnitude ten earthquake.
And Li Tianzong’s body was grazed by the sword light, his blood spraying, cut straight through!
From shoulder to thigh, a sword wound was ripped open.
But the heads of the Demon Kings on his body roared, quickly mobilizing the Demonic Qi to congregate and mend the torn wound.
“`
Li Hao saw it, but his eyes remained calm. At this moment, only he could comprehend the immense power he held. He had taken control of this world, becoming the true incarnation of an Immortal God!
He raised his hand, and endless strength converged from all directions. It then condensed into countless strands of Sword Qi, overlapping each other to form three silvery-white sword beams, striking Li Tianzong in an instant.
All this was the work of a moment, summoning and condensing power beyond imagination.
Immortals can command the wind and rain, omnipotent.
At this moment, Li Hao wielded the Power of Heaven and Earth, borrowing the majesty of this world to display such capabilities.
No matter how powerful the Dao Domain was, it could not truly destroy the heavens and the earth, nor the void; hence, Li Hao couldn’t be surrounded by the Dao Domain, let alone be destroyed!
Bang!
Three consecutive sword lights shattered the Dao Domain, defied the rules, and slashed directly onto Li Tianzong’s body, severing his arm and cleaving open his chest, from which an even stronger Demon energy emanated.
In the distance, the Candle Flame God and Ms. Yin stealthily approached, hoping to land the final blow on Li Hao, but were shocked by the terrifying scene unfolding before them.
Li Tianzong, who had consolidated multiple Dao Domains, was actually being suppressed by Li Hao at this moment!
“What did he do, how could this be?”
Ms. Yin’s eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
But the Candle Flame God’s pupils contracted, his heart pounding wildly; an ancient inheritance memory surfaced, making every hair on his body stand on end.
“That seems to be the power of a Saint…”
He muttered to himself, overwhelmed and indescribable.
Li Tianzong’s enormous body staggered backward, grievously wounded by Li Hao’s Sword Qi, with blood spraying all over.
However, his eyes emitted a more terrifying red glow, and he let out an enraged roar. The head of the Demon King on his body wanted to roar threats at Li Hao, but suddenly, as if being drained by something, it all changed color.
“Damn it…”
Before the heads of the Demon Kings could roar, they shrunk back into Li Tianzong’s body, seemingly pulled in by a force.
Afterward, the Demonic Qi around Li Tianzong grew denser, and the wounds on his body swiftly healed. His severed limbs regrew.
“Anyone who stands in my way dies!!”
His eyes, like blood-stained weeping, emitted a roar, and behind him, emerged several shadowy figures of the Demon Kings, adding a terrifying momentum. The Dao Domain concentrated, gathering onto his spear, soaring through the sky.
This thrust was like thunder, piercing the heavens, as if it could tear apart the sky above Dragon City.
Li Hao raised his hand as well, unleashing the strongest form of his swordsmanship, the Sword’s Ultimate Reincarnation!
Spring, Autumn, Winter, Summer, encompassing dozens of types of swordsmanship, all condensed into the Four Seasons.
In the end, as the Four Seasons revolved, they transformed into a pitch-black sword beam.
This sword beam was like the night, capable of devouring everything, overshadowing all things.
Within it was a terrifying Extinction Principle, which fiercely clashed with the spear.
A violent rumble ensued, and Li Tianzong’s body tore apart, his demonic body shattered, as he burned his whole body’s blood vessels and Divine Soul to erupt with boundless might.
Meanwhile, Li Hao’s own body was bleeding, continually breaking apart. Summoning his strongest sword earlier had forced him to tap into even more strength, causing his Unwithering Strength to be overwhelmed. What should have lasted three minutes now halved.
Li Hao knew his time was running short.
Seeing the frenzied Li Tianzong rushing towards him, he likewise met the assault head-on.
The two clashed fiercely in the void, their punches and kicks colliding, creating terrible shockwaves.
“Soldiers, attack together!”
Li Tianzong roared again, and the transformed soldiers of the entire city turned into black smoke, drifting toward his body to merge into one.
Li Hao’s expression changed upon seeing this. If he truly allowed his opponent to merge, even in his Immortal state, he might not be able to withstand it.
Why be so persistent?
Li Hao gazed into those red, raging eyes and sighed softly.
He really wanted to look up at the world one more time, if only for the last time.
But he knew he had no time left.
“I will get you back home…”
Li Hao raised his hand, the Green Frost Sword had shattered, but he mustered his power to solidify the fragments into a broken blade, wielding it once more to deliver the strongest Sword Intent.
Three consecutive strikes, one slashing towards the demons and soldiers within the city, the other two landing on Li Tianzong.
The demonic might on his body was scattered, his body burst open, and his chest cracked.
And as he unleashed such a powerful attack, Li Hao’s flesh and blood deteriorated rapidly, the solidified Green Frost Sword also turned to debris, leaving him no choice but to charge forward, continuously swinging his fists.
Boom boom boom!
Blow after blow, his fists pummeled Li Tianzong’s massive demonic form, punching holes everywhere, Demonic Qi rattling and dissipating from within.
Li Tianzong let out a roar of fury, and yet his body was completely overpowered by Li Hao.
He seemed to realize that he had failed.
“I want to go home, I wish to bring you all back home…”
He let out a wounded beast’s mournful roar, tears of hot blood flowing from his eyes, seemingly returning to the despair of Dragon City’s collapse.
Boom!
Li Hao’s final punch was swung, crushing the demonic presence within him completely, the giant demon body disappeared, plummeting straight down into the city.
Li Hao’s body had become horrifying, the flesh of his chest and abdomen all fallen off, leaving behind nothing but a broken shell.
Even the Unwithering Strength could not alleviate it, and it was quickly running out.
Li Hao turned his head towards the city, suddenly raised his hand, and drew in all the Power of Heaven and Earth, unleashing it with a swing.
A wave of Sword Qi rippled out from his side, spreading rapidly, its destructive force comparable to the Dao Domain’s extension, erasing all the demons and mutated soldiers it passed, not even a scream could be emitted in time.
This included some Great Demons from the Three Immortal Realms and even the Demon King, none had the power to resist.
The Candle Flame God tried to flee, but that force came too fast. He blocked with all his might using his Dao Domain, roaring in rage, but his body was submerged nevertheless.
“Hao Er!”
Li Xiaoran rushed over from afar, only to see Li Hao’s body fading away like dust.
Li Tianzong climbed out of the deep pit, his hair disheveled, but with no sign of demonic presence on him, no dark Qi, and the red in his eyes had disappeared.
He looked around, and when he spotted Li Hao almost vanishing in mid-air, his pupils suddenly shrank, and he hurriedly rushed over.
“My child!”
He sped over like a rainbow, arriving in front of Li Hao, trembling as he saw the dissipating body:
“How could you do something so foolish!”
Li Hao felt his consciousness being pulled by the Power of Heaven and Earth, about to dissipate, he saw Li Tianzong who seemed to have regained clarity, he smiled weakly:
“Now, you should be able to go back…”
Beside him, golden lettering appeared, notifying Li Hao that the main quest was complete.
Does this count as clearing the game?
Li Hao wanted to look closer, but his vision was already blurry, everything seemed to be receding, and it felt like he was being tugged into the vast Heaven and Earth, to blend in completely.
“If I’ve cleared it, then I should be able to let go, right…”
Li Hao murmured to himself.
His body, like dust, faded from sight in front of Li Tianzong and Li Xiaoran.
Li Xiaoran, who had chased over, was also covered in the blood of demons, he stared blankly at Li Hao disappearing like a wisp of clean breeze, completely gone.
The young man’s last words, faint as spider silk, reached his ears, causing him to break down in tears.
With Mo River’s passage, big brother Li Tianzong could be freed.
But, Li Hao couldn’t return anymore!
Liangzhou, a month ago.
With reinforcements arriving from all sides, the frontline collapse of the demons led to the swift recapture of most cities that had been quickly occupied by the demons.
Around Liangzhou, battle flags soared. To prevent the demons lingering in some cities from harming the people excessively, Li Tian Gang discussed with Li Xuanli about withdrawing a Light Cavalry Unit from the main army. Replacing the unit with the Haotian battle flags, they would head to various cities first to deter the demons and scout the situation.
If the situation looked grim, they would wait for the main army, but if the battle flags could intimidate the demons in those cities, they could rescue the trapped citizens ahead of time.
After all, even a single day’s delay could result in tens of thousands of citizens falling victim to the demons.
Hence, when it came to reclaiming territory and rescuing the people, speed was of the essence.
After the clarion call of this grand counterattack was sounded, the many small- and medium-sized demon forces that had followed the three great demon powers into battle, trying to fish in troubled waters, were in a state of panic, not expecting such a swift collapse at the frontlines.
Originally, upon hearing the numerous favorable battle reports from Tianji Palace, they believed the demons’ occupation of Liangzhou to be a done deal, almost certain. Yet, the situation had reversed.
Memories of fear, branded in the ancient dynasty within their veins, resurfaced.
Many forces with elder demons within their ranks chose to withdraw, taking advantage of the chaos in Liangzhou that made it difficult to be tracked.
If they were put on the wanted list, it would be tough to find a place to live outside their own territories; they’d have to constantly hide and dodge.
“Why, why was there such a swift defeat?”
“Wasn’t it said that the Great Elder of Longmen would lead us to breach Liangzhou?”
Amongst the demons, many Great Demons roared in anger, questioning the Bird Demon from Tianji Palace.
The Bird Demon from Tianji Palace felt bitter inside. Being demons themselves, they naturally sided with the three great powers, and what’s more, they had not yet revealed that the master of the Great Void Realm had personally come to the battlefield.
This was secret information about the war, not to be leaked to prevent these informed demons from being captured by the Human Race and the information becoming known to them.
“According to frontline intelligence, Longmen has been defeated. For the specific reason, you will need to pay with blood jade.”
The same phrase was given by the bird demon from Tianji Palace in response to the demon forces.
Regardless of the outcome of the war, the money Tianji Palace earned would not be any less.
This was also why Tianji Palace, while seemingly lacking in combat power, could still rank among the top demon forces, on par with powers like Longmen.
Some demons chose to simply flee for their lives, not bothering to inquire further, knowing that in time such information would naturally become public, and they could learn it for free later on.
Yet some of the wealthier and more irritable demons, though annoyed, still chose to purchase the intelligence immediately, and soon learned the detailed reasons from the mouth of the Tianji Palace bird demon.
Master of the Great Void Realm personally led the command, but a young general of the Human Race emerged, joining the battlefield, slaying seven Demon Kings, and was chased by the master of the Great Void Realm and the Great Elder of Longmen, fleeing outside the territory of Liangzhou.
This news spread swiftly among the demons. The demons that normally resided outside Heavenly Gate Pass and had moved elsewhere were surprised but not overly shocked upon hearing this information, for they had long known of the might of the young general guarding Heavenly Gate Pass.
The other demons scattered around the exteriors of Liangzhou, however, were truly astounded that an extraordinary talent had been born within the Human Race!
An elder demon lamented, recalling the incident in Cangzhou from over a decade ago.
It was a young general who had emerged out of nowhere, leading only a thousand Iron Cavalry, single-handedly pacified an entire province and guarded it.
Now, fifteen years later, another young general had emerged, seemingly a cyclic destiny. This also seemed to indicate that the fate of the Human Race had not declined and still hung like a three-edged sword over the heads of the demons.
The demons collapsed upon hearing the name Haotian, scattering in a frantic escape.
This reclaiming operation did not consume much military strength, and with the Dayu Royal Family’s army arriving to reinforce, surrounding Liangzhou, they annihilated many fleeing demons.
The original five hundred thousand royal troops that came as reinforcements now only had to deal with the cleanup work. Consequently, the fleeing demons faced the sweeping tide of the vast army, suffering heavy casualties. A smaller number of demons who managed to escape did so with their races exterminated and forces destroyed, leaving only a handful of minor demons to get away with memories filled with fear and agony.
“Report, Your Highness!”
The scout returned, bearing the Emperor Yu’s banner, with the flying characters for Xuan in Emperor Yu’s distinctive black color.
“Thirty li ahead, the demons in that city have abandoned it and fled. Now a military force is taking over there, rallying the remaining guards and citizens in the city to treat the wounded.”
The scout dismounted swiftly and reported in detail.
In front of him was a dragon, its body covered in red scales and over a dozen zhang long, with a young man standing on its back wearing golden divine armor, his cape billowing in the wind.
Being called ‘Your Highness’ suggested his extraordinary status.
The ‘Yan’ character on his divine armor’s chest made his identity clear and was familiar to the court and noble families. He was one of the few extraordinarily famous princes among the dozens, the thirteenth Prince, Jiang Yan.
At such a young age, he had already established incredible accomplishments and was known for his bravery; had he not been born into the royal family, he could have easily been ennobled as a Marquis.
At the moment, Jiang Yan slightly furrowed his brows upon hearing the scout’s words and said, “It is said there was a Great Demon presiding there. How many troops did they use to repel it so quietly?”
“Reportedly, not a single soldier or piece of weaponry was harmed.”
The scout replied respectfully, lowering his head and explaining the situation in detail.
After listening, Jiang Yan’s eyes, beneath his arched brows, showed surprise, which then turned to a cold sternness:
“Humph, the Haotian battle flag? It’s laughable that a mere flag could deter a Great Demon!”
“Is the ancestral banner of the Dayu Royal Family not more intimidating than that Haotian battle flag? It seems that father has been too merciful towards these demons in recent years!”
“Transmit the order!”
His face was cold as he said, “Slay all demons encountered along the way, leave none alive, capture the Great Demon alive, and after Liangzhou is pacified, I will construct a high altar and refine the Great Demon to awe the demons of the world!”
“Let these demons know the fate that awaits those who dare invade the territory of the Dayu Divine Dynasty!”
As the royal army rushed to the scene, forces from other major states also hurried to Liangzhou, reinforcing the battlefield.
These forces consisted of scions of noble families, various Jianghu sects, and local armies from each state—learning of Liangzhou’s plight, reinforcements were sent from all directions.
However, with each major state spanning seventy to a hundred thousand miles of vast territory, unless the armies used certain secret military assets to hasten their march, reinforcement often took time.
By the time all the allied forces had arrived, the cleanup of the Liangzhou battlefield was almost at its end—the campaign from the demons’ initial attack to its conclusion took less than ten days in total.
What remained was the sweeping of demons lurking in various places within the territory. Some of these demons had fled to towns and other locations to hide, waiting for the commotion to die down before continuing to endanger the populace.
After all, with the defense line broken, it was unknown how many demons had poured in, and Liangzhou covered a large area that needed to be thoroughly examined.
“Old Seven, we’ve just interrogated a Bird Demon from Tianji Palace. Hao Er has drawn the three Demon Kings to Mo River, where your Fourth Uncle is stationed.”
In the Liangzhou Military Department, hope flared in Li Xuanli’s eyes as he said, “Perhaps, with Fourth Uncle’s help, Hao Er might not come to harm. Fourth Uncle does have considerable experience with Mo River.”
Li Tian Gang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, “With Fourth Uncle there, there’s hope of escaping via Mo River. So, the Demon King is now guarding outside Mo River?”
“He’s gone in too.”
“In that case, this is valuable intelligence; we can catch the turtle in the jar!”
Li Tian Gang’s eyes started to glimmer faintly.
Li Xuanli nodded: “But the Candle Flame God is at a Half-step Taiping Dao Realm. To hunt him down, we’d have to ask Second Uncle to come over, and even that might not be enough. We still need the assistance of those few from the Divine General Mansion wielding the Sea-Calming Divine Needles. If we could get help from that old lady of the Xia Family…”
He paused, then shook his head—the old lady had been anchoring the Xia Family for many years and rarely left; it was unlikely that she would take action for this matter.
“Why not ask the Buddha Lord?” proposed Li Xuanli thoughtfully.
Li Tian Gang’s eyes narrowed slightly as he said, “The Buddha Lord might not intervene; he might just send a Bodhisattva to make do. You should have seen clearly what happened in Liangzhou this time!”
Li Xuanli thought of Lin Wujing and certain rumors, nodding subtly:
“But the True Masters of the Gan Tao Palace are loath to leave their abode—surely we can’t let this rare opportunity slip by?”
“Let’s ask the imperial family to step in. With their call to arms, I’ve heard that Princes Jiang Yan and Jiang Chong have both arrived. Let’s discuss with them. If they can summon other powerful figures like the Sword Saint to unite in a siege and also call upon the commander of the imperial guards, the Candle Flame God is sure to die!”
A cold light flickered in Li Tian Gang’s eyes.
“Agreed.”
Li Xuanli nodded in response.
With the rebellion in Liangzhou quelled and peace restored, Prince Jiang Yan, in collaboration with the Liangzhou Army and the Divine General Mansion, constructed a high altar within the state and sacrificed nine Great Demons of the Three Immortal Realms to heaven.
This act was ostensibly to honor the souls of the Liangzhou populace, but in reality, it was intended to intimidate the demons.
The news spread rapidly, inciting even greater fear among the demons beyond the borders.
After the Demon Sacrifice Ritual concluded, messages were sent out to all corners.
…
At the Xia Family.
In a plain courtyard, an old lady was tending to the poultry, feeding chickens and ducks.
“Cluck, cluck.”
She took out a handful of rice and threw it in front of several chicklings, letting them peck at the grains.
The little yellow chick pecked at the rice demurely, savoring its meal with relish.
Suddenly, the gate to the small courtyard was pushed open, and a middle-aged woman in patched clothing walked in, holding a letter in her hand.
She appeared simple, with a gray wooden hairpin in her hair, yet beneath the coarse hemp sleeves, her skin was white as mutton fat, seemingly delicate enough to break at the slightest touch.
The elderly woman was sitting in a rocking chair, gently swaying, watching the little yellow chick peck at the rice in front of her with a benevolent expression on her face.
Only when the middle-aged woman came closer did she look up and naturally glanced at the letter in the other’s hand, her smiling face becoming slightly reserved.
“Madam, it’s a letter from the Li Family.”
The middle-aged woman spoke in a gentle and respectful tone.
The old woman reached out for the letter and read through it slowly. After a while, she gently closed the letter and murmured,
“Now that the country’s fortune is waning, these old fellows have started getting restless.”
“Madam, shall we go?”
The middle-aged woman cautiously whispered, “It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that Candle Flame God with the Dao Domain should not fall into the Mo River. Once he emerges, it’ll be an ideal time for the hunt.”
The old woman placed the letter behind the rocking chair and grabbed another handful of rice to throw to the little yellow chick at her feet:
“The Tianji Palace must have already shared this intelligence with other demon powers, right? Demons, although often at odds with each other, still understand the principle of mutual interdependence in survival.”
“The Ancient Demon Palace and the Great Void Realm don’t get along; they’ll likely not send reinforcements. But Gluttonous Valley, Dragon Gate, and the Holy Palace will all send people.”
“It’s both an opportunity and a trap.”
“This battle could well be bait for the demons.”
As she spoke, she gently kicked one of the little yellow chicks with her foot and chuckled, “Don’t be greedy and eat it all. Leave some for the others.”
The biggest little yellow chick was nudged aside, looking somewhat aggrieved and then huddled closer to the feet of the middle-aged woman.
The middle-aged woman shifted her stance slightly before saying, “So Madam, do you mean that we should just observe the situation for now?”
“Let’s wait.”
The elderly woman said softly.
…
The Wang Family.
Within a palace-like hall, three figures were gathered.
“We’ve just received another letter from the Li Family; Liangzhou has been pacified.”
One of the figures, a burly man with a dignified face, spoke in a low voice, “Li Tian Gang had sent out the Eight Directions Orders asking for assistance earlier. Our Wang Family is too far away. By the time we sent help, it would have been over. Since we didn’t respond last time, if we don’t show some gesture now, we might be criticized.”
“Hmph, what of criticism? Such matters concerning demons are none of our business. Haven’t we already divided our forces among them? Isn’t that enough?” Another gaunt middle-aged man said coldly.
“Those are all things of the past; let’s not bring them up again.”
An elderly figure seated at the head of the group spoke in a low voice, “Grievances and grudges are all past smoke, untraceable.”
“The current situation under the Dayu Divine Dynasty is that the threat of demons is a minor issue. The problem with the Mo River is becoming more serious by the day.”
“Zhen Dong is currently striving for those ten thousand merit points, but it’s unclear what special changes will occur once he reaches the ten thousand.”
With a sigh, worry tinged his brows, yet he seemed to carry a hint of hope as well.
“There should be some changes. Over the years, our research and challenges regarding the Mo River show that the merit ranking is not simply an empty name or merely a title.”
The authoritative man on the right said, “An ancestor of our 98th generation broke ten thousand in merit, didn’t he? It’s recorded that he seemed to have received an extra chance to defy fate, and it was his thriving fortune that led to the flourishing of talents in our Wang Family over these years.”
