“`
This… is defeat.
Complete and utter defeat!
Ji Daoxin and the others from the Ji Tian Dynasty were all stunned. The moment Li Hao displayed his Dual Dao Domain, they felt their hearts violently convulse, knowing the outcome.
The young man before them not only had entered the Tao Realm, but also far surpassed their wildest imaginations with his dazzling talent.
The many members of the Ji Family who had rushed over were now completely silent at this moment.
Those Ji Family prodigies who had been providing support were left speechless, staring in disbelief at the scene before them, unable to accept that Ji, who had stepped into the Grand Tao of Peace Realm, had been defeated so easily.
It wasn’t even a single move. Li Hao didn’t even need to take action; his Dao Domain alone was enough to completely overpower, the gap was unimaginably wide!
Looking at the figure of the young man getting further away, Ji Daoxin and the others finally reacted and quickly chased after him.
“Can’t you really stay with our Ji Family?”
Ji Qingyuan was inwardly shocked, his gaze complex as he looked at the youth and quietly asked.
Ji Daoxin couldn’t help but glance at him. He never expected him to speak out trying to retain Li Hao, and he felt a mix of surprise and melancholy in his heart.
“Though I am not of the Ji Family, I can be a friend to the Ji Family. Let’s leave it to fate,” Li Hao said.
Hearing the young man’s words, Ji Daoxin and the others remained silent, knowing that at this point, they could not retain Li Hao.
All the resources of the Ji Family, this young man had never even considered.
As for the so-called protection of the clan, it was nothing more than laughable talk, especially since the young man had already grown strong enough to roam the Great Wilderness Heaven freely.
Apart from the War Gods of various Saint Clans, as well as a few ageless elders and some forbidden places, there were barely any places that could stand in his way.
Ji Daoxin couldn’t help sighing in his heart. After seeing Li Hao reveal his Dual Dao Domain, he felt even more pain and regret, and he even lamented that moment of hesitation when Li Hao had questioned him earlier.
If he had immediately agreed back then, could the young man have been persuaded to change his mind?
Within this somber atmosphere, they walked the rest of the road and arrived at the entrance of the Holy Land Secret Realm.
Although Ji Daoxin was filled with pain and reluctance, he still opened the Holy Land Secret Realm for Li Hao, saying,
“I’ll reiterate what I said before, our Ji Family will always welcome you back. Here is the Shuttle Secret Pattern of our Ji Family’s Holy Land Secret Realm.”
He raised his hand, a pattern like a magical array appeared in his palm, and presented it before Li Hao’s eyes.
Li Hao wanted to refuse upon seeing it, but he had already seen the secret pattern, and unless he forgot this memory, it was equivalent to having already been mastered.
Seeing his insistence, Li Hao didn’t say much more, only sighing quietly to himself, and raised his hand to bid them farewell.
“Let me escort you further.”
Ji Yun Yue and the others stepped forward, wanting to accompany Li Hao a little longer.
Li Hao declined, but since Ji Yun Yue and the others insisted on accompanying him, he let them be.
Ji Tian Chao silently accompanied them, not speaking again, but the old man’s eyes were filled with a profound sadness.
After stepping out of the Ji Family’s Holy Land Secret Realm, and having been escorted a thousand miles away, Li Hao declined their company once again.
“If you ever come back to the Great Wilderness Heaven, remember to visit us,” said Ji Yun Yue with tearful eyes.
Ji Yunqing and the others also appeared reluctant to part.
“I will,” Li Hao nodded, then bid them farewell.
Watching the young man’s departing figure, Ji Yunqing whispered, “After our ancestor, it seems our Ji Family has lost a future Saint.”
“Eldest brother said to give him ten years, and he would be able to fight alongside me. At the time, I thought that was too short, but now I think eldest brother spoke too long.”
Ji Tian Chao gazed in that direction, murmuring, “With such a Dual Dao Domain and his level of Perception, if he wholeheartedly pursues the path, within five years he should be able to grasp the Tao. In our lifetime, we may even have the chance to witness the rise of a Saint.”
“A Saint, huh…”
Their children and the rest were all stunned, their emotions complicated.
“`
Someone who could have brought the Ji Family back to glory, yet they had failed to hold onto him.
The day after bidding farewell to Li Hao.
Atop Saint Mountain, Ji Mysterious God and several peers of heaven arrived, looking for the Family Head, Ji Daoxin.
“Are you going to venture Beyond the Great Wilderness Heaven?”
Ji Daoxin was taken aback by Ji Mysterious God’s words and frowned when he saw the determined look in the eyes of the other peers of heaven.
“The child will no longer return to the Ji Family. Chasing after him is futile; don’t make a blunder,” he said.
Ji Mysterious God shook his head slightly, “I just want to see for myself what kind of environment in that barren dynasty ruled by the Jiang family can nurture such a peer of heaven like him.”
“That’s right, I also want to see. We indulge in countless Divine Medicines and treasures in the Ji Family, yet none compares to him. I want to see what kind of place Beyond the Great Wilderness Heaven really is.”
Ji Qingshuang spoke.
Her father, Ji Qingyuan, had understood his daughter’s thoughts the day before. Hearing this, he just frowned slightly and sighed in his heart, but did not stop her.
With Ji Mysterious God, who was at the Grand Tao of Peace Realm, accompanying them, these Ji Family peers of heaven were not weak; they would not easily come into harm’s way in that place.
After all, the peers of heaven from the Ancient Holy Clan were not canaries in a cage; they were not so delicate.
Ji Daoxin glanced at them, looking at Ji Mysterious God, and upon seeing the child’s direct, unyielding gaze, he understood that the latter was resolved.
If he were to obstruct further, it would become an obstacle in the heart of the young man, one that he might never overcome, and it might impede his cultivation.
“Well then, the Dayu Divine Dynasty is ruled by the Jiang family. Although it is a land beyond the wilderness, you must follow their rules when you go there. Remember, that dynasty bears the surname Jiang,”
Ji Daoxin said.
Ji Mysterious God and the others exchanged glances and sighed in relief.
“Understood. The Jiang family is one of the rumored eight great Ancient Holy Clans,” acknowledged Ji Mysterious God with a nod.
“That’s correct.”
Ji Daoxin nodded, “Originally, the ancestors of the Jiang family were defeated in the great holy war within the Great Wilderness Heaven and were thus expelled to that barren land beyond. However, their heritage and Tao lineage were not entirely severed.”
“Thousands of years ago, the Jiang family produced a peer of heaven who was born with all meridians unobstructed. He unified that barren territory, established a dynasty, and set up an order, becoming a top-tier powerful figure. It’s said he died in battle, but whether true or not, it’s best not to provoke them.”
The hearts of Ji Mysterious God and his companions grew solemn, for being born with all meridians unobstructed was indeed the mark of a natural prodigy.
“Also, while previously seeking information on that child, we also investigated the Dayu Divine Dynasty. Nowadays, they are in decline, with demons lurking all around and at risk of erupting into a great war at any moment. These demons have the shadows of ancient demons from within our Great Wilderness Heaven behind them. There will surely be a life-and-death battle that will shock the Imperial Capital. Remember, do not go casually to their Imperial City,”
Ji Daoxin earnestly warned.
Upon hearing this, Ji Mysterious God and the others felt a chill. Was the young man’s hometown already in such dire straits?
“We understand,” Ji Mysterious God nodded.
Ji Daoxin looked at him, paused for a moment, then sighed deeply and said,
“Mysterious God, living in the same era as that child is your misfortune, but you need not be too obsessed with him. Other than him, you are the most outstanding peer of heaven in the Ji Family and a source of pride for your parents. Do you understand?”
Ji Mysterious God was silent for a moment before replying, “I understand.”
Ji Daoxin nodded slightly, his expression softened a bit as he said,
“If you see that child, and if he needs any help, you can send a message back at any time. If he aims to restore the Jiang family Dynasty, our Ji Family will certainly provide full support!”
Ji Mysterious God couldn’t help but look at the Family Head. Being part of an Ancient Holy Clan, he knew better than anyone that clans within the Great Wilderness Heaven, even the smaller ones, scorned the lands Beyond the Great Wilderness Heaven and were too proud to set foot there, let alone come forward to offer full support.
“I understand,”
Ji Mysterious God said seriously.
Ji Daoxin hearing this, showed a relieved smile.
Several days passed.
On the fringe of the Great Wilderness Heaven, a young man sat astride a demon resembling a Fire Lion, its fur blazing red.
Gazing at the distant mountain peaks, the youth murmured softly, “I’m back…”
The demon beneath Li Hao was the Candle Flame God, who now revealed its original form, albeit not fully, as if showing.
After all, the original body of the Candle Flame God was over a hundred feet tall, and its movement felt like the earth shaking and mountains swaying, causing too much disturbance.
Returning to his homeland, Li Hao felt a sense of nostalgia long missed, despite the stark difference between the outer and inner regions of Beyond the Great Wilderness Heaven. The energy that roamed between heaven and earth was significantly weakened, scarce, thus it was deemed a barren land.
However, it was this very “barren” earthy scent, buried deep in his bones, that was the familiar smell he had breathed since he came into this world as a child.
It was comfortable.
This comfort was not like that of cultivating, but it did bring pleasure to his body and soul.
His thoughts traveled over thousands of mountains, to Heavenly Gate Pass, to that little fenced courtyard, and to the old man in the courtyard, as well as the sword-carrying young girl.
If possible, he would invite that gluttonous lady to join him for a barbecue once more.
Thinking of those peaceful moments amidst snowy years, a slight arc formed on Li Hao’s lips.
He let the Candle Flame God continue forward.
Through the attributes of the Qiankun Diagram, Li Hao saw the number of his markers drop from 100 to 96, only losing four war banners.
These were the total number of war banners he had left at Heavenly Gate Pass; there might have been accidental damage, but from this number, he could roughly judge that Heavenly Gate Pass was rather peaceful.
The Candle Flame God, carrying Li Hao, flew through the mid-air, with mountains, rivers, and lakes howling beneath them.
Seeing those vast, deep lakes, Li Hao could feel the presence of demon’s essences within, which made him itch to note down each of these spots in his mind as excellent places for wild fishing.
Perhaps he could invite Mr. Feng to join him for a casual fishing trip…
At this moment, Xiyan, transformed into a red wooden ring wrapped around his wrist, raised a red whisker from the ring, quivering in the wind like a stray hair, curiously sizing up the fresh look of Beyond the Great Wilderness Heaven.
“Where are we heading?”
“First to see some old friends, then to take a look at this world.”
“Oh.”
Xiyan’s little red whiskers stretched onto Li Hao’s arm, allowing it a clearer view of the surroundings.
Li Hao did not stop it, letting the Qingfeng breeze brush against his face.
“Keep going straight?”
The Candle Flame God asked in a low voice beneath him.
“You don’t recognize the way either?” asked Li Hao, surprised.
“I have little impression of it.”
“Is that for the entire territory outside Liangzhou?”
“For Liangzhou as well.”
“…”
Li Hao was slightly speechless; it seemed that Elder Yun Ge had indeed thoroughly erased their memories.
This lord of the Great Void Realm, if he were to meet some of his old fellows, he probably wouldn’t even remember them.
“Do you have any impressions of the Great Void Realm?”
“A bit.”
“How much is a bit?”
“I only remember there is a mountain there, and on that mountain, there are many little demons that fear me.”
“…”
Li Hao nodded, hearing that the Great Void Realm had secluded itself for a thousand years, it seemed that things deeply embedded over a millennium still left some traces.
“Since you don’t recognize the way, let’s just keep going straight, over the mountains. Eventually, we’ll make it back to Dayu,” Li Hao said.
On his way back, he encountered some demons, and occasionally Xiyan would spot rare divine medicines for him to collect, thus deviating from the original route.
When they tried to find the way again, he realized they were lost.
The miasma permeated inside the Great Wilderness Heaven and the terrain looked similar; Li Hao himself wasn’t particularly sensitive to routes (directionally challenged). Fortunately, he relied on his Dao Domain to break through the miasma, aiming in a direction and simply following a straight line, eventually making his way out.
Now, he had to resort to this straightforward old method again, continuing in a straight line.
As long as they entered Dayu, Li Hao could simply ask any passerby for directions.
After all, he had once seen the Map of the Nineteen Provinces, which was kept confidential within the Divine General Mansion—only because the old master was laid-back did he allow a child, a young teenager, to browse through it.
Nevertheless, though they were lost, these days of travel were not entirely unfruitful.
Apart from traveling, Li Hao would draw upon the Heaven and Earth Power during rests to heal the Candle Flame God and Ms. Yin, helping them restore their cultivation, thereby attracting a lot of demons who were peeping.
These were like mosquitoes lured by the smell of blood; Li Hao naturally didn’t miss out on killing them all, condensing their demon blood with the Soul Sacrifice True Demon Skill and then transferring it to Xiyan.
Now, these essences of Demon King’s blood were no longer of much effect to Li Hao.
His physical body had been refined to an unimaginable degree, seemingly reaching a certain limit. Unless there was some extreme super-refining method, no further enhancement would be difficult.
Meanwhile, Xiyan’s body inherently possessed the ability to absorb fresh blood and convert it into nourishment; with Li Hao’s help and the divine medicines they gathered throughout the journey, Xiyan’s strength had rapidly increased, with its cultivation progressing from the State of Mind Realm to Defying Fate Realm.
Moreover, its body was refined to be extremely tough, reaching a strength comparable to the Five Cast Divine Weapons.
Even among its peers, perhaps not even the Dragon Clan’s physical body could match hers.
The wind howled as the Candle Flame God, with Li Hao on his back, galloped across over a hundred thousand miles, flying over the mountaintops surrounded by demons.
These demons, sensing the Great Demon King’s aura from the Candle Flame God, were all terrified and hastily bowed their heads.
As Li Hao passed by, he casually slapped down those mountaintops that still had traces of the Human Race’s aura, incidentally annihilating the demons residing there.
However, he ignored the other demons that fed on demons or those who cultivated the clean energy of heaven and earth to avoid worldly affairs.
As they continued to advance, Li Hao gradually saw war banners and ruined armor hanging on branches along some mountains. He knew that he was about to return to Dayu.
Now re-entering Jianghu, he had no sword in his hand and no longer needed one.
The grass and trees of the world could turn into the sharpest Sword Qi in his hands, cutting down everything.
“Xia Family, huh…”
Seeing a war banner tattered atop a mountain, Li Hao’s gaze flicked, realizing he had arrived in the territory guarded by the Xia Family.
Before long, as he saw some scattered villages at the border, Li Hao immediately made the Candle Flame God perform the Demon’s Transformation Art, changing from its original Fire Lion Dragon Tail form to an inconspicuous maned horse.
Otherwise, riding a Demon King into the domain would be too arrogant and would immediately become a spectacle like a grand monkey drawing crowds.
Afterward, taking advantage of the nightfall, they landed in a deserted area. Quickly, a youth on horseback sprang forth, stepping onto the official road from the wilderness and galloping toward a township.
The township lacked even an Array, making it impossible to detect hidden demons, but Li Hao noticed that every household hung some Demon Suppressing Talismans.
Li Hao glanced and saw they were all low-level talismans. If a lesser demon approached, it would ignite and turn into Chi Guang, tracking the demon.
But for Great Demons, a single breath could blow them away, rendering them useless.
The township was rather simple, but at night, it was brightly lit with sounds of opera and the beating of drums and gongs echoing vibrantly.
Along the way, children carried lanterns, chasing and frolicking, running towards the center of the town.
With his Divine Thought covering the area, Li Hao saw that besides the government office handling cases, there was also a derelict Monster Suppression Department, which appeared to be in a bustling street lined with stalls leaving behind rotten vegetable leaves.
This perhaps embodied the saying, “Small as a sparrow is, it possesses all its internal organs.”
The Monster Suppression Department was empty. A few staff members hadn’t even buttoned their uniforms properly, fitting with the rustic and casual style of the township.
Li Hao smiled faintly, fetching the corpse of a demon he had hunted along the way from the Heaven and Earth Space and sent it using Object Control to the shabby warehouse of the Monster Suppression Department. He then found a silver chest under the bed in a locked house and drew several ingots of silver from it.
It was a sort of bartering.
That demon’s head, if turned in, could probably fetch a considerable reward.
As the ingots of silver flew back into Li Hao’s hand in the night, he found a deserted alley and allowed the Candle Flame God to transform into a youthful appearance. However, it wasn’t like when it had once pursued Li Hao, blazing with Divine Flame and an imposing aura; instead, it now restrained its aura and concealed the Divine Light.
Still, the stern-faced Candle Flame God came off as not someone to be trifled with.
Standing in this unpretentious township, his unique demeanor was extremely conspicuous.
Li Hao led him to an inn and asked the boy to prepare two sets of clothes and a room.
Currently, Li Hao was wearing Divine Garments, clothes forged by his power, only subdued in brilliance to appear somewhat ordinary.
He planned to rest briefly tonight, ask for directions, and set off for Heavenly Gate Pass the next day.
“Sir, are you also going to reinforce Liyang City?”
The boy was extremely courteous and even somewhat reverent.
He noticed Li Hao’s extraordinary aura, which had nothing to do with clothes but was purely the eyes and aura.
With the Candle Flame God behind him, whose eyes were calm yet compelling, they still stood out despite their efforts to blend in.
“Liyang City?”
Li Hao thought for a moment and immediately understood that he was in the territory of the Xia Family, in Youzhou.
It wasn’t far from Liangzhou.
“Reinforcements for Liyang City? Are there demon attacks there?”
Li Hao asked, surprised.
The main regions guarded by the five Divine General Mansions were basically the most stable and prosperous, heavily guarded by troops, where demons dared not intrude.
“You don’t know?”
The boy was startled, but kindly said, “Sir, judging from your accent, you are not from Youzhou, right? If you are here to travel and enjoy the scenery, it’s best to leave quickly. Recently, Youzhou has not been peaceful.”
“Oh?”
Li Hao’s eyes flickered: “Explain in detail.”
Soon, from the boy’s explanation, Li Hao learned of the recent situation in Youzhou. Liyang City was a dangerous pass in Youzhou on the border, frequently subjected to demon attacks.
Aside from Liyang City, several other cities near Youzhou’s border were also attacked by demons, causing widespread panic.
It seemed that the battle in Liangzhou was merely an appetizer for these demons. Intending to break with the Dayu Divine Dynasty, were they determined to fight to the death?
Li Hao’s brows furrowed, sensing a storm brewed by demons approaching the entire Dayu Divine Dynasty.
He then inquired further about the situation in Liangzhou from the boy.
“Liangzhou?”
The inn’s errand boy brightened up instead of showing impatience when he heard Li Hao’s inquiry, and said with a smile,
“Are you coming from Liangzhou, sir? Then you must have seen Marshal Haotian, right?”
“Hmm?”
Li Hao was surprised, and asked, “You know about him too?”
The errand boy couldn’t help but laugh, “Well, who wouldn’t know about that! We’re not far from Liangzhou here in Youzhou. The chaos that happened in Liangzhou a few months ago, with those damned demons surrounding and attacking, has already spread throughout all the provinces. I heard that our Youzhou’s Xia Family Divine General Mansion’s old master even went there to reinforce them.”
He said, looking at Li Hao with curiosity and anticipation,
“They say that during that catastrophe, the demons swarmed out in droves, countless demons swept over, and Demon Kings were flying all over the sky, as thick as locusts, the sky was dark, and the ground had no green, it was just like locusts passing by, leaving not a single blade of grass. Just when Liangzhou was about to fall, who would have thought that Marshal Haotian would emerge out of nowhere and suppress all those demons. In the end, just a War Banner was enough to deter countless demons. Is that all true?”
“…”
Li Hao hadn’t expected that the events of Liangzhou had spread this far, to the point that even a small-town inn’s errand boy in Youzhou knew about it.
But it also seemed normal, after all several months had passed, and the news would have spread no matter how slowly.
“Pretty much.”
Li Hao asked, “What’s the situation in Liangzhou now? Have all the demons retreated? Are there still wars?”
“It’s been peaceful for a while now. No demon dares to go near Liangzhou anymore. From what I’ve heard, the Royal Family has even sent troops to mop up the aftermath. Not to mention demons, now even a stray dog needs to carry a tag to enter the city. They are keeping things very tight there.”
The errand boy shared what he had heard.
Li Hao sighed in relief. It seemed that those who were in charge of the defense in Liangzhou at the time were the Candle Fire God Couple. The real forces from the Gragon Gate and the Holy Palace had not gathered in Liangzhou.
And now, the very Great Demon King who had led the attack on Liangzhou was standing right behind him, already pledged allegiance to him.
With this thought, Li Hao did not linger on the subject. He went to his room and changed into simple clothes prepared by the errand boy, glanced at the night outside—the evening was still young, and the town was noisy with drumming and gongs.
Feeling good, Li Hao said to Xiyan, “I’ll take you out for a stroll.”
“Yay!”
Xiyan perked up at his words, buzzing with energy, as Little Red-whisker twined around Li Hao’s wrist and rubbed against him, simultaneously transmitting a curious message,
“Is this Marshal Haotian that the man just mentioned, you?”
“Yep.”
“Is Junior General a position? Great Wilderness Heaven doesn’t seem to have this title.”
Xiyan, having remained in Great Wilderness Heaven, got her information from those who went to snatch the Tao Rhyme Blood Fruit and was rather ignorant about Great Wilderness Heaven, let alone knowing nothing of the Human Race from the Dayu Divine Dynasty.
Li Hao smiled and patiently explained to her through telepathy while leading her and Candle Flame God out the door.
As for Ms. Yin, she was in Li Hao’s Heaven and Earth Space.
Previously, Li Hao had healed her by infusing a large amount of Heaven and Earth Power, and Ms. Yin had briefly fused with Candle Flame God, which seemed to touch the threshold of the Tao Realm, and she was in retreat.
Amidst the night, Li Hao strolled leisurely through the small country town.
Though dilapidated, the town was filled with the scent of home cooking and firewood, giving it an earthy charm.
Stone slab roads, old wooden stakes, and the gurgling of small rivers flowing through countless homes.
Lanterns hung all along the way, suggesting some sort of festival was being celebrated.
Following the sound of drums, Li Hao arrived in the center of the town, where there was a stage with many people standing outside listening to the opera.
The front row seats, equipped with tables and chairs, were occupied by recognizable members of the town—wealthy merchants, local gentry, and the like—cracking melon seeds, drinking tea, and enjoying the opera.
Xiyan, like a curious child, bombarded Li Hao with questions, showing interest in everything.
Candle Flame God, on the other hand, stuck close to Li Hao like a shadow, quiet and inseparable. Though his expression was cold, he too observed everything around him, reflecting the mortal world in his eyes.
The children played outside the stage, cavorting and fighting with paper kites, while the elderly occasionally clapped and praised the quality of the play.
Li Hao moved forward, handing over a piece of silver, and took a seat at a tea table, quietly joining the audience to listen to the grand opera.
In the evenings of Great Wilderness Heaven, a brief respite allowed only gazing at the stars and moon or playing music to pass the time. Here, however, he found a rare chance to relax.
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But it wasn’t long before Li Hao’s expression changed slightly. He didn’t stand up, just casually grabbed some melon seeds from the table and cracked a few, tossing the shells to the ground.
The melon seed shells, however, suddenly took flight in the night, as if a gentle breeze had arisen, whooshing into the air above the small town and then rushing towards the hillside a dozen miles outside of the town.
There, a group of demons was approaching in the night wind.
Their faces twisted into cruel smiles while eyeing the myriad of lights and the tumultuous sounds of drums and laughter in the distance before them.
But just as the leading demon uttered a single word, a melon seed shell descended from the sky like a black dot, swiftly flashing by.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Powered by Object Control, it quickly pierced through their bodies.
A dozen demons were killed instantly, not even seeing how they died.
Only a melon seed shell remained, landing next to the corpse of the last demon.
Inside the town, the opera continued as usual. Outside the town, moonlight serenely bathed the corpses of the demons.
“Bravo.”
Li Hao, catching a thrilling part, joined the surrounding crowd in applause.
After the opera was over and the audience dispersed, Li Hao followed the crowd back to the inn with Xiyan and Candle Flame God for a long night’s sleep.
It had been many days since he had had a good, peaceful sleep since coming from Great Wilderness Heaven.
The next day dawn broke, and the rising sun shone upon the bodies of the demons outside the town. Someone took advantage of the morning light to see the corpses of the demons and screamed in fright, hastily fleeing into the town and running towards the Monster Suppression Department.
The shabby gates of the Monster Suppression Department were merely left ajar, and the two Demon Suppression Envoys had not yet donned their clothes, bleary-eyed and uncertain as they hurried to the hillside upon hearing the news. Once they clearly saw the corpses of the demons, they were all startled, staring agape.
News of demon corpses outside the small town quickly spread, causing shock and panic among the locals. However, with the break of dawn, Li Hao had already asked the innkeeper for directions to Liyang City and set off with the Candle Flame God.
Since he was here, he might as well take a look. Liyang was in trouble, and the Xia Family, as a part of the Divine General Mansion, had sent aid to Liangzhou. Li Hao had no reason to turn a blind eye and simply leave, after all, he too belonged to the Human Race.
Following the official road straight ahead, passing through two cities, Li Hao surreptitiously extended his Dao Domain to Xiyan. The Candle Flame God concealed its own aura with its Dao Domain. Although they didn’t have the Demon Pass that the demons used, they also eluded the detection of the city’s Arrays.
The Arrays were only able to detect demons of the Ultimate Study Realm; they were helpless against the demons of the Tai Ping Realm, who had mastered the Dao Domain.
Only the capitals of the great states, or the Imperial City, would have special Divine Weapons that could sense even demons of the Grand Tao of Peace Realm as they stepped foot there.
But such items were exceedingly rare, and ordinary cities could only rely on Arrays.
Those two cities were also on high alert, clearly having experienced demon attacks, but it was not as severe as in Liyang City.
As Li Hao passed by, he also conveniently dealt with several demons lurking dozens of miles outside the cities. To him, it was merely the matter of a thought.
Liyang City.
A border city in the northwest of Youzhou, surrounded by towering mountain ranges forming a natural barrier, making Liyang City the most significant obstacle in the area.
This was also a crucial route in the northwest of Youzhou. The Xia Family stationed heavy forces there year-round. To lose Liyang City meant losing Youzhou’s northwest frontier, which would lead to a chain collapse of over a dozen other cities.
At that moment, dozens of miles outside the city, heaps of corpses lay scattered, including demons, Xia Family soldiers, and torn War Banners covering the bodies.
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, within the council hall, three strategists and seven generals were present. Among them, several were the Xia Family’s young Junior Generals. Their faces were flushed red, holding back anger.
“These damned beasts cut off our reinforcements and supplies, planning to starve us to death here!”
“They’re seeking to take us down at the smallest cost. These demons have started to use their brains!”
“Shall we call for reinforcements from the family? Among those demons, there are two from the Three Immortal Realms in command, and who knows if there are others hidden. Without the Arrays, we would have lost already. There’s no need to be stubborn.”
“Call for reinforcements? The demons from Gluttonous Valley are waiting for this! As soon as our family sends people, they might have already set up an ambush halfway and plan to kill them, using us as bait!”
“That’s right, the situation at the family’s side is also not optimistic. The Valley Master of Gluttonous Valley had caused a ruckus half a month ago, and now nobody knows where he’s hiding.”
“Right now, we’re the ones defending Liyang City. We can’t always expect the family to help with everything. We need to solve this difficulty ourselves. Or should we, like the Li Family’s Duke of Xingwu in Northern Yan, spread the word and ask for reinforcements from various families?”
“The situations are different. Northern Yan wasn’t defended by those families’ troops. They were just a small fraction of assistance.”
“Small it may be, it’s still strength. We can at least make those families bleed. They know nothing but hoarding wealth, eating, and drinking, oppressing the commoners. When demons come, they only move and hide deeper, with no sense of responsibility. It’s time they helped!”
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“Difficult. We don’t have so much time to rally the call now. I have a suggestion.”
“What is it?”
Everyone turned their attention to one of the strategists.
This middle-aged strategist looked around, his gaze particularly passing over the young Xia Family Junior Generals, and whispered:
“How about we change our War Banner?”
“Change the War Banner?”
“Yes. You all know about Liangzhou’s events, right? Why don’t we try sending an elite force with changed armor, flying Marshal Haotian’s War Banner, pretending it’s reinforcements from within the pass?”
Upon hearing the strategist’s words, everyone was stunned. The defenders of Liyang City, however, brightened up, liking the idea.
The young Junior Generals of the Xia Family, however, looked displeased. One of them pondered with a closed gaze, while another blurted out in anger:
“Impossible! This is Youzhou, our Xia Family’s territory. We are not dead yet, and you propose to fly the banner of an outsider?”
The middle-aged strategist had anticipated opposition and quickly said, “These are exceptional times. If it can save the people, achieve results, and spare many soldiers from injury, that is what truly matters.”
“No!”
The young Junior General shouted, “In Youzhou, there’s only one War Banner that should fly—that’s the Xia Family’s War Banner! This is our family’s stronghold!”
“This is just a temporary measure…” the strategist tried to persuade further.
“What if we use his War Banner and fail to scare off these demons?”
Another interrupted, questioning, “That person has been silent for some time now, his War Banner has been studied by the demons in these past months. It doesn’t have the same deterrent effect anymore. Now everywhere, people use his War Banner to try scaring off demons, but the demons have seen through this tactic. The Banner’s power is not as great as before.”
“As Generals, we can’t be as foolish as the commoners, believing in those mythologized tales like they take a teenager for a god. Regardless of his strength, after disappearing at Mo River for so long, his War Banner has lost its deterrent power!”
