“Haotian Divine General…”
Wang Yongzhi’s face was full of gratitude, but he saw behind Li Hao, outside the small town, that previously slowly extending dark black light suddenly surged like a tidal wave, crossing the town’s boundary line, rapidly rolling toward them.
At that moment, Li Hao also noticed that the beast that had just been reflected in their eyes seemed to have dragged the rules of the Hell Level Mie River into the town’s Mie River, causing its erosion speed to suddenly increase.
“Quick, leave now!”
Li Hao urgently shouted.
Everyone hurriedly activated the Mie River Gold Paper, the light from the paper guiding and landing on the wooden plaques Li Hao had thrown to them.
Soon, the wooden plaques emitted light, merging with the light from the Mie River Register’s Gold Paper, triggering the Mie River rules. Resplendent golden light gradually emerged from the wooden plaque, opening an exit, but the process was extremely slow.
Seeing this, Wang Zhendong’s expression changed again, his heart chilled:
“The exit rules are being affected!”
The other members of the Wang Family also turned pale, intently watching the slowly gathering golden light at the exit.
At this moment, the connection between the talismans and the exit had been established. It was unknown whether the exit would shift causing a disconnection—an experience they had never encountered before.
Meanwhile, the dark fog behind Li Hao surged forth like a breached dam, rushing forward. Ahead, Li Hao saw the golden light on their wooden plaques trembling, its gathering speed growing slower, making his expression turn grim.
He knew that the Hell Level Mie River was rapidly replicating this small town. If it managed to completely replicate it, it would be the moment of complete fusion.
By then, various rules within the town would become invalid, replaced by those of the Hell Level Mie River.
Li Hao gritted his teeth, suddenly turned around, and charged into the rolling black fog.
“Haotian Divine General!”
Wang Yongzhi, seeing Li Hao’s action, couldn’t help but be stunned, then immediately cried out in alarm.
The others also saw it, their expressions changing.
Wang Zhendong instantly understood Li Hao’s intentions, realizing what this young man was about to do. He felt a rush of warmth erupting from his chest, soaring directly to his brain, his eyes wide as he said,
“Haotian General, you…”
“You go, I’ll hold them off!”
Li Hao’s voice carried an irrefutable deterrence as he charged into the surging dark fog, layers of Dao Domain emerging around him.
Eleven-layer, twelve-layer, thirteen-layer…
Layer upon layer of Dao Domain exploded in brilliant light. This time, it not only covered Li Hao himself, but also expanded and transformed into a wall!
As the range of the Dao Domain expanded, its power was naturally dispersed and slightly weakened.
It seemed as if an invisible booming sound erupted, the rolling black fog collided, but was firmly blocked by Li Hao’s Dao Domain.
The members of the Wang Family, seeing this shocking scene, were astounded, their expressions complex.
Many clenched their fists, their hearts filled with grief and anger. They wanted to help, but in front of the Hell Level Mie River, they, who lacked their own Dao Domains, could barely look at it without almost being killed.
“I’ll help you!”
Wang Zhendong hurried towards Li Hao.
Li Hao glared fiercely, saying, “Don’t come over—you can’t hold it back!”
Seeing the youth’s angry, god-like, piercing gaze, Wang Zhendong’s footsteps subconsciously halted.
Then, he saw that under the overlapping of fifteen layers of Dao Domain, the wall was being permeated by the dark black light of the Hell Level Mie River!
His pupils contracted, his heart shocked.
Li Hao’s strength was beyond his imagination, but what was more terrifying was that even the fifteen-layer Dao Domain was almost unable to hold?!
Li Hao also noticed this and was alarmed. He could feel a fierce consciousness within the Hell Level Mie River, roaring and charging, activating numerous rule forces attacking him.
The rules involved were numerous, seven or eight types overlapping, each like a sharp knife stabbing into his Dao Domain.
Though he had a fifteen-layer Dao Domain, these rules contained the focused and sharp Great Tao True Force. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire
Li Hao’s expression turned grim. If this continued, he might not even hold on for ten breaths.
Transform to Immortal!
Fifty percent!
Without any hesitation, Li Hao immediately unleashed his trump card.
Boom!
A vast surge erupted from beneath his feet, a breath of Immortal Qi expelled, summoning the Power of Heaven and Earth from all directions!
His eyes became brilliant, entering the Divine Power State, his body radiating a godly aura like glowing red gold.
Meanwhile, the Heaven and Earth Vein stretched out, channeling the quietly gathered Heaven and Earth Power around them all into his body, which then transformed into a mighty Qi Force, pouring into the fifteen-layer Dao Domain.
The previously permeated Dao Domain, in an instant, vibrated with rules, becoming as refined as Divine Iron, pushing out all the infiltrating Mie River forces, and forming an impregnable wall!
“Move quickly!”
Li Hao, with his golden hair flying, shouted angrily at the Wang Family members.
His Dao Domain expanded, blocking off the Mie River, making the rules of the exit in front of them much more stable, and the speed of the golden light gathering on the wooden plaque talisman increased.
Wang Zhendong was stunned, looking at the youth whose presence was like that of a deity. He, too, was from the Grand Tao of Peace Realm, deeply feeling the youth’s terrifying power—if they were to clash, he would probably be instantly killed!
At that moment, an exit quickly opened on the wooden plaque, leading out of the Mie River.
“The exit is open!”
Someone exclaimed joyfully, urgently calling out.
The others’ exits also gradually opened.
Seeing the passage finally appear, Wang Yongzhi and the others all breathed a sigh of relief, but then immediately looked towards Li Hao.
“Haotian Divine General…”
“Go!”
Li Hao shouted angrily.
The joy in the eyes of Wang Yongzhi and the others turned complex, looking at the youth who single-handedly held back the erosive power of the Hell Level Mie River, their hearts filled with sadness.
Among the crowd, two young juniors showed delighted faces, quickly crawling towards the exit and leading the way out.
Wang Zhendong also noticed at this moment that the power of the Hell Level Mo River relied solely on Li Hao’s resistance. Should Li Hao leave, they would be immediately overwhelmed; the longer they stayed, the more strain it would place on Li Hao.
“Get moving, don’t delay!”
He shouted urgently.
Seeing him speak, Wang Yongzhi and the others knew this was not the time for emotional decisions and, gritting their teeth, they quickly stepped into the portal and disappeared.
“Haotian Divine General, you must come back alive!”
Wang Yongzhi called out loudly as he too stepped into the portal. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire
Wang Zhendong did not delay either; staying here, like the other members of the Wang Family, he couldn’t help Li Hao.
Standing on the portal, he stared intently at the youth, clenching his fists.
Having experienced the Mo River so many times, this was the first time he felt so powerless, realizing that one day he would become a burden that needed the support of others.
Soon, his vision changed, light and shadow alternated, his body seemed to travel through the void, and when he next appeared, he was outside of the Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue in the mountain temple.
“Eh, that was resolved quickly?”
The Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue, with eyes squinting as if smiling, and outside the statue, Wang Zhenfeng and Wang Zhenping, two senior members who had not entered initially, waited there.
Young ones liked to congregate, but these old folks were more cautious.
Seeing the golden light burst from the top of the Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue and people being transported, those waiting outside were surprised and caught off guard.
Even though “Chong Er” was able to clear the Youdu Level Mo River, the rules of each Mo River were different. Even if one could clear it, could it be cleared so quickly?
Could there truly be some secret technique for clearing it, one move conquering all?
Soon, they saw Wang Zhendong step out, while the golden light atop the Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue had retracted and disappeared.
“Eh? Where is Haotian Divine General?”
Wang Zhenfeng was startled, he couldn’t help asking, while a sense of dread suddenly loomed in his mind.
The faces of Wang Zhendong and others became grave upon stepping out, all eyes fixed on the Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue.
Wang Yongzhi and the others also looked on with nervous and restless expressions.
But a moment passed, then another,… As time slowly passed and an incense stick burned down, there still wasn’t any movement or new pathway opening on top of the Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue.
A shock went through Wang Zhendong’s heart, his expression growing uglier as he suddenly recalled what the youth had said earlier.
Considering the situation back then, could he still be planning to clear it?
“What’s going on, why is no one talking, did something happen to Haotian Divine General?!”
Seeing that Li Hao hadn’t returned, the members of the Wang Family outside immediately turned pale, realizing that something serious had happened.
Especially Wang Zhendong and others, their expressions gloomy as the bottom of a pot.
“Child, tell Grandpa what happened?”
Wang Zhenping turned to his grandchildren.
The two young juniors were Li Jiangying and Li Rumeng; they had not recognized Li Hao after he reconstructed his body.
But upon hearing the reference to Li Hao earlier, they immediately knew that the youth was the peer they had long admired.
In the Divine General Mansion of the Li Family, their talents weren’t sufficient to compete against him in the True Dragon, and though they were discontent, feeling their mother’s words were right — life’s path is long.
There were numerous cases of exceptional talents perishing halfway, providing great comfort to their minds.
The true genius laughs last.
“He hasn’t come out yet, he must be dead,” said Li Rumeng, slightly curling her lip.
Wang Zhenping was taken aback—Dead?
The crisp voice of the girl also startled those like Wang Zhendong, who were still hoping and waiting, causing a shock to their hearts.
Clearly, if Li Hao hadn’t returned, he was either entangled by the Hell Level Mo River and couldn’t reach the portal, or he was attempting to clear it; either way, it was a near-certain death situation!
Wang Zhendong clenched his fists; that Saintly youth with a bright future that was almost awe-inspiring had covered their retreat, giving them a way out and landing himself in extreme peril.
Their relation wasn’t that close in the past.
Wang Yongzhi and others exchanged glances, seeing the complex and pained look in each other’s eyes.
It was as if anger was building up inside them, unable to be vented.
Previously jubilant to join in the excitement, they ended up being a stumbling block, burdening the young Divine General!
If the emperor knew, he would probably be furious enough to vomit blood, unimaginable how enraged he would be.
Their guilt and remorse were so intense; they almost wanted to punch themselves. At their age, how could they forget themselves!
“How did he die?”
Wang Zhenping, returning to his senses, couldn’t help but ask his grandchildren.
Although he didn’t have a good impression of the youth, he didn’t wish for his death; after all, this was a fierce warrior of the Human Race.
“He insisted on showing off, even though we could have left together, huh, he just loves to play the hero,” said Li Jiangying, envy evident in his eyes, speaking softly.
Inside the Divine General Mansion, ever since the youth had revealed his cultivation level, all attention was on him, never mentioning them again.
His radiance overshadowed all his peers, even Li Qianfeng, who had apprenticed to the Buddha Lord, became a mere foil, fading into obscurity after defeat.
Though the youth spoke softly, the mountain temple was too silent, and with the formidable power of the Wang Family members, the words echoed in their ears.
Wang Zhendong suddenly turned his head, eyes fierce like a hawk, glaring at Li Jiangying:
“What are you saying, say that again?”
Li Jiangying was startled, not expecting such a reaction from his second grandfather.
Before he could speak again, Wang Zhendong took a step forward and, with a slap, struck Li Jiangying across the face.
The withered old hand delivered a fierce slap, and Li Jiangying was struck so hard that two of his teeth broke, and his body tumbled and fell to the side.
“Brother!”
Li Rumeng cried out in dismay as she hurried forward to help him up.
Wang Zhenping was stunned as well and quickly stepped forward to block the way, angrily saying,
“Second brother, what are you doing!”
“Fourth brother, can’t you hear what that child is saying?!”
Wang Zhendong, however, roared back, the sound echoing through the mountain. He was like an enraged lion, glaring furiously at his younger brother.
Wang Zhenping faltered and said, “Though his words were a bit much, he is still just a child, and besides, he was just speaking his mind…”
“Fourth brother!!”
Wang Zhendong, hearing this, grew even more furious, exclaiming, “Have you really grown old, or just stupid!”
Wang Zhenping’s face changed slightly; he had not expected his second brother to become so angry.
“Just speaking his mind? That’s a Divine General, a being on par with our Ancestor, what gives him the right to mock so?!”
“Were it not for the Haotian Divine General, we would all be doomed. Both of them would be dead. They’ve just escaped danger, and this is how they treat their savior?!”
Wang Zhendong’s face turned red with anger, his eyes shifting from fury to sharpness.
Wang Zhenping’s face looked troubled, and he had no words to argue. He also felt a hidden fear towards his second brother deep in his heart.
“Such a lack of discipline, such poor manners!”
Wang Zhendong looked down at Li Rumeng, who was crying on the ground, his face icy, a hint of disgust in his eyes:
“You asked me to look after them before, to let them accompany me to the Mo River to broaden their horizons, and I agreed. They have had the resources of two great Divine General Mansions spent on them, and look at their behavior?!”
“Since your daughter has married out, she is of the Li Family, and their children should no longer appear in the Wang Family from now on!”
His words, like a decree, immediately changed Wang Zhenping’s color; he had not expected his second brother to be so absolute.
Li Rumeng, crying on the ground, heard this and was frightened pale. She dared not cry anymore, instead turning her tearful eyes towards her grandfather.
Li Jiangying, holding his face, got up, fear evident in his eyes. He looked up and saw many elders of the Wang Family looking at him coldly, his heart contracting in terror.
“Take them away!”
Wang Zhendong waved his hand.
Wang Yongzhi nodded slightly and beckoned to someone.
Quickly, some people dragged the siblings away, pulling them out of the mountain hall.
“Grandfather…”
The calls of the siblings gradually faded away.
Wang Zhenping’s face looked troubled, and he did not make a sound.
Wang Zhendong glanced coldly at him; he too showed no goodwill towards his younger brother. Aware of his character, he did not bother to look more and turned to Wang Yongzhi to order,
“Dispatch two squads of death soldiers to check out the situation inside.”
“Hmm.”
Wang Yongzhi nodded and immediately gave the instructions.
“Zhendong, what exactly happened in there?”
Beside him, Wang Zhenfeng asked out of curiosity.
Wang Zhendong glanced at Old Wu, his expression softening slightly as he spoke somberly,
“There has been an incident in Mo River; a Hell Level Mo River was drawn here and has begun merging with this Netherworld Level Mo River. It has even clandestinely merged its token. If not for the Haotian Divine General, none of us would have made it back.”
He briefly explained the situation in a few words.
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At the mention of the Hell Level Mo River, everyone’s color changed with shock, and someone gasped out loud.
For the people of the Wang Family, this was like a taboo, even more alarm-inducing than mentioning the Emperor’s name.
Wang Zhenping too was taken aback, his complexion changing as he finally understood why his brother was so angry, and he suddenly realized there was indeed something problematic about those two children.
They had just been rescued, only to turn around and mock their rescuer, which amounted to ingratitude.
He lapsed into silence, saying nothing more.
Wang Zhendong paid him no heed, waiting for the death soldiers to arrive so that he could let Wang Yongzhi make the arrangements.
However, accompanying the arrival of the death soldiers was a military dispatch delivered by a scout.
The report was handed to Wang Yongzhi, who furrowed his brows slightly. What kind of military dispatch could be so urgent? Could it be that the Hell Level Mo River was revealed and had already involved many casualties?
As he opened the dispatch, Wang Yongzhi’s expression turned grave instantly.
“What is it?”
“It’s a military situation…”
Wang Yongzhi lifted his head, his face showing a trace of shock: “Demons have attacked the city. All of the top demonic forces outside our borders have appeared outside the Imperial City; they are currently besieging the Imperial Capital!”
“What?”
Upon hearing his words, Wang Zhendong and the others were stunned.
Demons attacking the city, and it’s the Imperial Capital?!
The Wang Family had managed the Mo River for many years. Their control over military intelligence had weakened, but they knew that ordinarily, demons did not dare approach the Imperial City.
That was where Dayu’s strongest were stationed!
The mere presence of the figure residing in Gan Tao Palace was enough to deter threats across the Nineteen Provinces. It was such that even when demonic disturbances occurred on the borders, there were fears that the True Person would come killing with his sword, let alone attack the Imperial Capital.
Those who grew up inside the Imperial Capital, if they never left the city, wouldn’t even know what demons looked like.
“This is an urgent call for reinforcements from the Imperial City.”
Wang Yongzhi could not help looking towards Wang Zhendong.
Wang Zhendong’s gaze was extremely solemn. For hundreds of years, no demons dared to offend the Imperial Capital.
The last time, six hundred years ago, a Demon King invaded and was beheaded outside the city by a sword flown from Gan Tao Palace.
The Demon King’s blood flowed like a river, deterring many covetous demons.
And now there were demons invading again, and even the Imperial Capital was calling for help. Where was that True Person? Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire
“Earlier, there was the great battle in Liangzhou, followed by Youzhou, Qingzhou…”
Wang Zhenfeng’s eyes flickered. He was not as talented as Wang Zhendong in dealing with the Mo River, but he was relatively more familiar with the conditions of various states.
“I’ve felt for some time that these demons were brewing some major scheme behind the scenes, that True Person has never shown up, there might be some hidden circumstances. It seems that these demons are really determined to go all out in a decisive battle with our Dayu Divine Dynasty!”
Wang Zhenfeng’s expression turned slightly cold. These demons were not attacking the states anymore but directly striking at Dayu. Were they planning to strike at the heart with thunderous might and shatter the Imperial Capital?
“His Majesty has decreed, a decree must be obeyed, I’ll go there right now,” Wang Zhendong said in a deep voice.
He glanced at everyone and said, “Zhenfeng, you stay here to guard Yunzhou and the ancestral hall; Zhenping, you come with me; Yongzhi, immediately deploy three hundred thousand soldiers from the Zhao Character Army and rush to the Imperial Capital at full speed!”
The only army the Wang Family possessed openly was the Ancestor Zhao Character Camp, which had not been disbanded — this was Emperor Yu granting them, the Wang Family, face.
Wang Yongzhi nodded, “Leave this place to me. Uncle Zhendong, please be careful, this is likely to be a catastrophe!”
Wang Zhendong nodded and turned to look at the Ksitigarbha Buddha Statue, “Keep someone watching the Merit List at all times and send your death warriors in to explore and see what’s happening.”
Once they fell, their names would be struck from the Merit List. Now that they knew Li Hao’s Meng River Battlefield name was Chong Er, they could keep track of Li Hao’s life and death through the Merit List.
Wang Yongzhi nodded.
Wang Zhendong didn’t say much more and looked at Wang Zhenping, “Fourth brother, come with me.”
Wang Zhenping nodded; with the greater situation at hand, he too had thrown the incident with his grandson and granddaughter being disciplined to the back of his mind.
As the two of them left, Wang Yongzhi quickly counted the numbers, marshaling troops and dispatching orders.
…
In the Meng River at Qing Town.
As Wang Zhendong and the other Wang Family members departed, the small town instantly became desolate.
Li Hao, who was withstanding the erosion of the Hell Level Mo River’s power, let out a sigh of relief and quickly enveloped the entire town in his divine thought, frantically searching.
Soon, he found several hidden soul shadows, lurking in every corner of the small town, but there weren’t many.
Apparently, a certain Grandmaster from the Wang Family had already done a quick sweep earlier.
Suddenly, Li Hao saw a familiar figure in the ancestral hall of the small town.
Feng!
The plain, yet somewhat luxurious black robes were Feng’s most frequently worn set of clothes.
Currently, he was standing on the threshold of the ancestral hall, looking out of town with a bewildered look in his eyes, as if lost in thought or remembering something.
Li Hao was moved, his divine soul flew out rapidly, teleporting swiftly towards the ancestral hall.
However, his true body remained on the spot, continuing to maintain the Dao Domain, blocking the Hell Level Mo River’s erosion. Although there were no Wang Family members here needing his protection, once he left and the Mo River’s erosion reached the town, accelerating its integration, it was hard to guarantee it wouldn’t alter the pass conditions or cause other unknown situations.
Using the Grand Tao of Peace Realm to conquer this Netherworld Level Mo River, many things were much more convenient. If it were a normal Grandmaster Realm practitioner, just the souls in the town alone would give them a hard time.
Swoosh!
The divine soul flickering with crimson golden Divine Flames landed in front of the ancestral hall.
The Divine Light was restrained, revealing Li Hao’s figure as he excitedly said, “Feng!”
Feng Boping’s gaze returned from afar, falling on Li Hao, his eyes filled with confusion:
“Who are you?”
Li Hao was momentarily stunned, then he quickly realized this was just a lost soul, and its memories were likely incomplete. He hastily said:
“It’s me, Fishing, Fish Soup, Little Hao!”
“You helped me steal many Cultivation Skill Manuals, and a pair of Silken Socks from an Imperial Concubine…”
Li Hao kept on revealing little secrets that Feng had only told them during their fishing times.
Although he didn’t know what the conditions for passing the Mo River were, if he could first help Feng remember him, that should be beneficial for passing the test.
“And you also got me a bottle of Divine Pills specifically for strengthening the body, and there was once when you were fishing, you hooked a flood dragon, but it broke free. You were so angry that you killed the flood dragon outright, and you couldn’t sleep for days…”
Li Hao spoke rapidly.
“Stop, stop, just stop for a moment…”
The confusion in Feng Boping’s eyes seemed to lessen a lot, and he quickly raised his hand to stop Li Hao’s words, feeling his heart faintly aching.
The hook breaking? How could he possibly lose his grip!
This kid is spouting nonsense!
Who was this kid making a racket here? Ah right, I have to kill these invaders…
Wait, Little Hao?
Numerous thoughts leaped out in his mind, and Feng Boping rubbed his forehead feeling somewhat disoriented, but soon, some fragmented fragments flashed past, and he suddenly froze.
He stared straight at Li Hao and after a while, his eyes grew wider and wider, “Hao, Hao Er?!”
Li Hao was somewhat surprised and pleased; he had not expected Feng to really remember him, and he nodded repeatedly, “It’s me!”
Feng Boping quickly remembered something and said in a hurry, “How come you’re here?”
“I’ve come to take you out of this hellhole,” Li Hao said.
“You…”
Feng Boping was shocked, his expression changed instantly, and he looked up towards the outside of the town.
When he noticed the sky outside the town was dark without light and seemed to see something, his eyes became somewhat distant again.
But quickly, he regained his senses and urgently said to Li Hao, “Let’s go, you can’t pass, it’s coming!”