Chapter 168: Demon Visit
Chapter 168: Demon Visit
West of Liangzhou.
On the Hundred-Zhang Towering Wall, soldiers in Black Armor stood in rows, maintaining strict vigilance.
Inside the city, large war machines were being assembled, and massive Dragon Elephants and Dragon Lions dragged war wagons as large as small buildings, transporting them from within the territory. These wagons were filled with arrows, weapons, and supplies.
In the military camp, everyone was performing their duties, patrolling and standing guard.
War eagles continuously flew back to the camp from outside the border, bringing back reconnaissance reports.
"Strange, these Demons have become inactive."
In the military camp, Li Xuanli sat in the Commander's Seat, frowning in thought.
The reports indicated that the group of Demons, which had been hovering around the western border for some time and occasionally launching attacks, had retreated eastward, about 800 li away. Among them were three Great Demons of the Three Eternities Realm, whose actions seemed deliberately provocative, trying to lure them into breaking the defense line and pursuing them. However, he had not fallen for their trap.
Now, these Demons had chosen to retreat, which was unexpected.
Considering other intelligence, could the attacks on the Liangzhou border have been a mere diversion?
Was their purpose to tie down the Li Family's military forces?
"Father."
A figure ran into the military tent—it was Li Wushuang.
Seeing his beloved daughter, Li Xuanli's frown eased, and he smiled gently.
"Earlier, I heard that you led a team to exterminate a group of Demons. How did it go?"
At this, Li Wushuang's mood soured. "They were just a bunch of Lesser Demons."
Li Xuanli chuckled to himself. If he hadn't known they were Lesser Demons, he wouldn't have let her take the lead.
"Although they are Lesser Demons, you shouldn't pursue them too far. You must understand that military discipline is paramount in the camp. The Demons are cunning, beyond your imagination, especially those that invade the border. They are often commanded by strategists and should be treated as cunning fiends." Li Xuanli advised.
"I know."
Li Wushuang said, "I came to you because of this. I obtained some intelligence from one of the smaller Demons. They were feigning an attack but have actually retreated."
"Oh?"
Li Xuanli raised an eyebrow. "How did you get that information from the small Demon?"
"I learned some techniques from the Interrogation Chamber." Li Wushuang replied.
Li Xuanli was speechless, a slight bitter smile on his face. "A girl like you, why would you go to the Interrogation Chamber? It's so dirty and chaotic... However, this matter still needs further investigation. I will look into it."
"More investigation?"
Li Wushuang was surprised.
"Of course", Li Xuanli said irritably. "The group of small Demons you killed were at most at the Divine Wanderer Realm. Demons of that level couldn't possibly know any battle plans. They are cannon fodder in battle. The only way they would know something is if the Great Demons deliberately let them know."
Li Wushuang was taken aback. "Father, do you mean it's a double bluff?"
Li Xuanli nodded slightly. "It could be, but it might also be my overthinking. Regardless, I will investigate further. You go rest for now."
"Alright."
Seeing his serious expression, Li Wushuang nodded and left.
After she left, Li Xuanli's face turned grave. He pondered for a moment, then summoned his personal aide and had him write two letters.
One was sent to Qingzhou, instructing them to be on high alert for Demon activity.
The other was sent to the eastern border, to Li Tiangang.
"If the Demons' actions are a diversion, their target is Qingzhou. If they are truly attacking, this retreat could mean they are planning to assault the eastern border. I wonder how Tian Gang is faring over there..."
His eyes flickered with thought. Suddenly, he remembered something else and had the aide write another letter, this time to Heavenly Gate Pass.
"That child, although he just drove away three Demon Kings, those Demon Kings are likely to vent their anger on Liangzhou. They might also collude with other Demon Kings to attack Heavenly Gate Pass. With the Dragon Gate’s location now exposed, the Holy Palace and the Li Family have old grudges, so they might send people over as well."
"He needs to be more careful."
...
Liangzhou, Eastern Front.
The black stone Great Wall stretched endlessly, covering the entire front line.
Six hundred miles outside the city, two figures whistled through the air, their auras concealed. One was clad in a luxurious crimson-gold robe, with a face as beautiful as jade, handsome and noble. The other wore a black robe with a hood, his entire body shrouded in shadows.
"Up ahead is where Li Tiangang is defending."
The black-robed figure spoke in a low voice, "Lord Fengshan, I know you want revenge, but even if you rush over now, you might not be able to kill Li Tiangang. There are arrays here, and with our strength, we cannot easily break them."
"Instead, this attack will alert them and spoil our plans."
The man in the crimson-gold robe was Lord Fengshan, who had narrowly escaped Li Hao's grasp.
His eyes burned with a golden flame, piercing through the void to see the military camp within the defensive line, his gaze filled with murderous intent:
"I understand. I promised you I wouldn't easily disrupt your plans."
Hearing this, the black-robed figure relaxed slightly and smiled, "Lord Fengshan, there’s no need to rush. In a year, our clan’s elder will emerge from seclusion and will surely flatten Liangzhou. At that time, we can help you deal with that boy."
Lord Fengshan coldly replied, "Dealing with that boy is another matter. Li Tiangang must be left to me to torture to death with my own hands!"
"No problem."
The black-robed figure agreed with a smile.
Lord Fengshan glanced deeply at the distant defensive line, his heart filled with hatred, but he still restrained himself. The Li Family’s army was there, and they might not be able to break the array anytime soon.
...
Inside Heavenly Gate Pass.
Seven hundred people volunteered to join the military and defend Cangya City, protecting the pass.
Li Hao compiled their names and submitted the roster to the military governor of Liangzhou, his Fifth Uncle, Li Xuanli.
Li Xuanli was appointed to defend Liangzhou and had taken over as the military governor, with the authority to command the troops in all cities within Liangzhou. Under his orders, the city guards of each city must comply unconditionally.
The roster needed to be recorded and reviewed by him; otherwise, if these soldiers died in battle and Li Hao did not intervene, no one would claim their bodies, erect tombstones, or honor their deeds. They would be considered mere wandering spirits.
Not long after returning, Li Hao received the Elder Star Constellation Official, who accompanied him to activate and test the array in Cangya City.
This was a border city, and the array was a Five Profound Star Array, containing five Great Demon war souls at the Peak of the Three Immortalities. Using the power of the heavens and stars, it was enhanced to match the strength of two Dao Mind Realm Demon Kings.
Defending against a single Demon King was not a problem; it could hold out for at least half a day.
Additionally, the entire city’s troops could channel their strength into the array, further enhancing the war souls’ power. They could also borrow strength from the array, allowing the war souls to empower the commanders, significantly increasing their combat effectiveness.
"Please, General, inspect it."
As the array activated, Li Hao saw the ghostly shadows of five Great Demon war souls emerge from various parts of the city, including the four walls and the city center.
These war souls were the array’s consumables, the result of the royal family’s accumulated victories over centuries.
Li Hao flew outside the city and saw that the entire city was covered by the Array. From any point of attack, the five Demons could harness the power of the Array to instantly arrive and launch a simultaneous assault.
"I'll give it a simple try."
Li Hao said.
Whether the Array's structure had any flaws would depend on whether the Battle Souls could exert the appropriate combat strength.
Li Hao didn't use the Dragon Dawn Sword; instead, he raised his hand and unleashed a punch.
The punch drew on the power of the surrounding heavens and earth, transforming into a massive fist that suppressed downward.
On the city wall, the crowd was initially filled with excitement and anticipation, but as the punch grew larger, their expressions turned serious and tense.
Roar!
The five Demons roared and charged forward together.
However, under the Suppressing punch, the five Demons, like small beasts trying to shake a mountain, could not resist the punch in the slightest and were forced to retreat step by step.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The five Demon Battle Souls all crashed into the golden shield of the Array, causing ripples to spread and the color of the Array to seem much lighter.
Li Hao quickly retracted his power and flew back.
Elder Star Constellation Official stared blankly at Li Hao, taking a moment to react before asking, "Young General, did you use your full strength?"
"No."
Li Hao shook his head, explaining that it was just a casual punch, only about three-tenths of his strength.
Elder Star Constellation Official was momentarily stunned, then furrowed his brow, looking around at the array's secret runes on the city wall, muttering, "That shouldn't be the case..."
Li Hao also found it strange that the five Great Demons should be so weak. He immediately consoled, "Senior, don't worry. Take your time and check again. Perhaps there's a small issue somewhere."
Elder Star Constellation Official thought about it and agreed.
Although Li Hao's attack was intimidating and impressive, he believed that even if Li Hao had reached the Fourth Establishment Realm, he shouldn't have been able to Suppress the five Demons so easily. There must be a problem with the Array's power transmission.
"Trouble you, Young General. I'll check again."
Elder Star Constellation Official said.
Xia Xianglan felt a bit guilty, wondering if the secret runes she had carved earlier had a problem.
Li Hao bid farewell to Elder Star Constellation Official and then found the Martial Artists who had recently enlisted, instructing them to purchase a large batch of fabric for making military banners, the more the better.
The next day.
Li Hao received a message from the Liangzhou military headquarters, confirming that the seven hundred people had been successfully enlisted.
Additionally, he received a Family Letter from his Fifth Uncle, filled with concern and cautioning him to be wary of the Demon King's retaliation.
Li Hao sighed, put away the Family Letter, and had Ren Qianqian store it in the wooden box in his room.
That afternoon, a flying bird arrived at the pass and requested to see Li Hao, saying it had a message for him.
A Demon visit was something Li Hao hadn't anticipated, so he immediately granted the audience.
The bird demon transformed into the appearance of a child around seven or eight years old, dressed in a simple orange-yellow robe. When led by the guards into the Wattle Yard, the child saw a young girl practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard and a young man casually sketching on a bench.
At the young man's feet, a Little White Fox lazily glanced at him.
The boy felt a shiver run down his spine, his face tense as he approached Li Hao.
"Y-Young General."
"From the Tianji Hall?"
Li Hao was sketching the corpse of the ghost maiden in the distance to earn Art Dao experience, not turning around but speaking calmly.
With the Divine Soul hovering high above, monitoring the surroundings, Li Hao could still see the grotesquely swollen corpse of the ghost maiden over the Wattle Yard's wall.
(End of Chapter)
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