https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-179-Saving-the-World-Not-the-Suffering-First-Update-/13450221/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-181-Reinforcements-Heavenly-Sky-Banner-Third-Update-/13450229/
Chapter 180: He Deserves Your Pride (Second Update)
Chapter 180: He Deserves Your Pride (Second Update)
"Not even dirt and dust, and they dare to obstruct us?"
"Die!"
Vine Demon Elder took the lead, aiming to make up for his earlier oversight. He raised his hand and suddenly slapped out, the withered vines in his palm forming a purple-black palm print, imbued with the profound essence of his Grandmaster Martial Realm, suppressing everything in its path.
The void in his palm seemed to be torn apart, and the Tiger Might Dragon Formation, formed by the many soldiers rushing to the scene, erupted with the roar of tigers and the cry of dragons. A brilliant golden light burst forth, colliding with the palm print!
With a loud boom, the palm print, filled with a storm of razor-sharp blades, shredded the dragon-like golden light and pressed down.
A mere few thousand soldiers in formation were no match for a Demon King. They were instantly crushed into a bloody pulp, turning into a pool of blood!
The might of a Demon King was terrifying and unstoppable!
Li Tiangang trembled, his eyes bloodshot, and his breathing heavy.
On the battlefield, he had always been as calm as iron, commanding the entire army. But at this moment, he could hardly control his emotions.
Raging thoughts of slaughter surged in his mind like waves, but he clutched the Divine Saber tightly, restraining his body. The long-honed calm and rational part of him told him that the Eastern Border was truly indefensible!
Since it couldn't be held, they had to retreat and consolidate their defenses!
Consolidate the defenses, then join forces with his fifth brother, Li Xuanli, in the Western Border, and fall back to the second line of defense they had previously planned.
At the same time, they could wait for reinforcements from the various families and the assembly of the Liangzhou Noble Families.
Do not underestimate the power of these Noble Families. Individually, they might not amount to much against the Li Family's iron cavalry, but when the Noble Families of the entire Liangzhou, spanning hundreds of cities, unite, their combined strength becomes a formidable and terrifying force!
This force, though not initially fearsome, becomes a force capable of shaking entire armies when united.
Thinking of the countless Liangzhou citizens behind him, Li Tiangang gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with rage as he looked at the ten approaching Demon Kings. Without a word, he turned and ran!
Military discipline was as rigid as a mountain, and he adhered to it, even though his emotions urged him to lash out. His rational side compelled him to choose retreat and escape!
Otherwise, Liangzhou would fall even faster without someone to hold the fort!
"Tian Gang, farewell forever..."
Li Fu watched Li Tiangang's retreating figure and felt a sense of relief, a smile of comfort on his face.
At this moment, he no longer called Li Tiangang by his military title, Marshal, but by the nickname they had used since childhood.
Li Tiangang's mind and body were shaken. He turned to look at Li Fu, his eyes welling up with hot tears.
He had witnessed the funerals of many close brothers and seen countless fallen comrades in Yanbei. Now, Li Fu, the orphan the Li Family had taken in and raised alongside him, was about to leave.
"Tian Gang, reconcile with your son. The Young Master, he actually deserves your pride..."
Li Fu whispered softly.
"Enough noise!"
Before he could finish, Vine Demon Elder strode forward and slapped down.
Li Fu's Divine Soul burst from his body, burning with intense Divine Light, and roared as it charged forward.
But the Demon Palm, like a massive mountain, suppressed everything, emotionless and unyielding.
With a loud boom, Li Fu's body was crushed into a bloody pulp, his Divine Soul and physical form vanishing!
Li Tiangang, who had already fled, his eyes bloodshot and veins bulging, almost ground his teeth to dust.
But he only glanced back before turning and sprinting away, shouting orders to those around him: "Fa Camp, listen up! Hold the line against the demon tide with all your might!"
"Yuan Camp, listen up! Retreat with me!!"
He chose to take the camp number established by their Ancestor, leaving behind the many soldiers of Fa Camp whom he had personally trained.
And being left behind meant certain death, total annihilation!
In this tide led by a Demon King, there would be no survivors!
Hearing Li Tiangang's orders, the entire battlefield erupted in a deafening roar of response.
The soldiers of Fa Camp, their eyes like sharp blades, were filled with even more frenzied killing intent. They charged into the demon tide without fear of death, executing their orders with iron discipline.
Each one fought with the resolve of a man ready to die, burning their Divine Souls and snapping their Major Meridians, all to slay as many demons as possible!
Smoke rose, and the entire border line was trampled. The demon tide, like a flood, surged forward.
"Want to run?!"
Madam Yin had been eyeing Li Tiangang for a while and wouldn't let him escape. Her figure suddenly moved, as if teleporting, covering hundreds of miles with each step, and she caught up to Li Tiangang almost in the blink of an eye.
Li Tiangang roared and turned to slash back, his Divine Saber blazing like fire, aimed at Madam Yin’s palm.
The emerald green eye on her cheek suddenly opened, like some bizarre demon art, causing Li Tiangang’s body to tremble violently, slowing his attack. With a loud thud, he was slapped away.
The palm struck directly on his armor, extinguishing the divine light that shone from it.
Li Tiangang tumbled out, spewing a large mouthful of blood. His Unbreakable Body, which had dominated the Three Eternities Realm, could only barely save him from being killed outright by this Ultimate Mastery Realm powerhouse.
"How did you kill my child? I will make you pay back a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"
Madam Yin’s eyes were fierce and menacing as she continued her assault. Wave after wave of dark light, as if tearing through the sun and moon, surged with overwhelming demonic energy, striking Li Tiangang repeatedly.
Li Tiangang roared in fury, swinging the Xingtian Blade. He managed to cut through two waves of demonic light before being struck again, his ribs breaking and his palms bursting with blood. It felt as if he had been trampled by ten thousand elephants, his bones almost shattered.
Madam Yin sneered. She hadn’t even used her true strength yet, not even her secret technique, relying solely on the power of her realm to overwhelm him.
This Li Tiangang, who could challenge the Fate Reversal Realm with his Dao Mind Realm, was indeed a monster of his generation. However, the four steps of the Fourth Establishment Realm were vastly different, each step surpassing even a major realm.
"True Dragon of the Li Family, is it? Once I exterminate you, I will refine your Divine Soul into a child servant for me, and you will witness the downfall of your Li Family with your own eyes!"
Madam Yin sneered, raising her hand to grab him. A chilling wind enveloped her palm, drawing Li Tiangang closer to destroy his physical body.
Li Tiangang’s eyes turned bloodshot, ignoring the pain in his chest, he darted away again, performing the Nine Steps to Defy Heaven.
With each step, his aura intensified, resisting the suction force behind him.
He charged forward like an old ox pulling a cart, at full speed.
After taking nine steps, his Divine Light flared like electricity, making him look like a deity.
Madam Yin’s eyes narrowed, her gaze icy cold. Her palm suddenly turned, and a torrent of Demonic Qi gathered, forming a massive Taiyin Yuying shadow that roared and struck toward Li Tiangang.
Li Tiangang roared, swinging the Xingtian Blade, the blade’s light piercing the sky.
The shadow, resembling a fierce beast, looked like a python, a dragon, a tiger, and a lion, with rugged scales and eyes that shot out Taiyin divine light, breaking the blade’s light and then striking down with a palm.
Just as Li Tiangang was about to be destroyed by the Demon Palm, a scorching sword wind suddenly swept in, severing the shadow’s claw.
Then, Li Tiangang’s figure seemed to teleport, appearing dozens of miles away.
Madam Yin’s expression changed slightly as she looked toward Li Tiangang. There, a figure appeared, wearing a hood and tattered gray clothes, looking ordinary, like a wandering traveler.
But the hand holding the sword and the sword itself seemed to glow like a bright moon, capturing everyone’s attention, making it impossible to look away.
It seemed that if one’s gaze wavered, they would be cut or pierced by the sword!
Madam Yin’s eyes focused, her emerald green eye narrowing before suddenly widening in anger.
"Are you the Desert Sword Saint?!"
Madam Yin recognized his identity, her face showing fury.
There were three Sword Saints in the world: one resided in the Southern Sword Hut, one in the Northern Desert, whose whereabouts were unknown, and another even more mysterious, elusive as a dragon, whose location was a complete mystery.
The scorching and brilliant Sword Intent before her could only belong to the Desert Sword Saint.
The hood lifted, revealing a gaunt face with a scruffy beard and unkempt appearance.
His eyes were indifferent as he calmly looked at Madam Yin and said, "The Void Realm has secluded itself for a thousand years. Why must you involve yourselves in this conflict now?"
Madam Yin’s gaze turned cold. "When the wind blows, even the calmest tree must sway. Since this conflict has reached us, blame the Great Yu Divine Dynasty for overstepping. They have dominated these vast mountains and rivers, expanding their territory and occupying all the sacred mountains and blessed lands. It’s time for them to give some of it up!"
"You want more than just 'some.'"
The Desert Sword Saint said calmly, "I just can’t understand why you chose Liangzhou."
"Could it be that you didn't know I am Liangzhou-born?"
Madam Yin's expression changed slightly. The Desert Sword Saint was four to five hundred years old, and his place of origin had long been forgotten. Moreover, he had risen to prominence from Liangzhou in his youth, challenging various states and sweeping through all directions. He earned the title of Sword Saint at sixty and then disappeared, only to be seen again living in the desert.
Thus, he was known as the Desert Sword Saint.
The desert was a thousand miles away from Liangzhou, and no one had ever thought he would return.
"With your status, why should you care about your origins? Are you insisting on getting involved in this mess?" Madam Yin glared at him coldly.
The Desert Sword Saint's lips curled into a faint smile. "No matter how high one's achievements, they still grew up here. I will naturally protect my hometown. I advise you to leave now. I've killed too many, and I'm tired of it."
"Then let's see if you can protect this Li today!"
Madam Yin's eyes turned cold, and she suddenly attacked.
The Desert Sword Saint said to Li Tiangang, "General Li, you should go first. I'll hold them back. Liangzhou still needs you."
Li Tiangang, having recovered his senses, took a deep breath and said, "Thank you!"
With that, he didn't waste any more words and quickly turned to leave without hesitation.
"Stop him!"
Madam Yin roared in anger.
The Demon Kings behind her swiftly pursued. Two of the Dragon Gate Demon Kings charged into the Li Family's army, leaving the task of pursuing Li Tiangang to the Void Realm.
With a sharp sound, the Desert Sword Saint's sword glowed, and a black line appeared on the ground in front of him.
"Who dares to cross this line?"
"Don't be so arrogant!"
Madam Yin suddenly attacked, unleashing her secret technique and transforming into her true form, a massive lion-snake-like creature. A silver moon mark appeared on her forehead, a symbol of the Taiyin Yuying bloodline.
She released her secret technique, forming a black crescent moon that charged at the Desert Sword Saint.
A trace of seriousness appeared in the Desert Sword Saint's eyes.
With a loud boom, the battle erupted, and both sides quickly engaged in fierce combat.
The other Demon Kings quickly crossed the black line created by the sword qi and rushed to pursue Li Tiangang.
The Desert Sword Saint's eyes flashed with cold light, and he unleashed a sword qi that forced the leading Demon King to retreat. He was at the Ultimate Mastery Realm and showed no fear against Madam Yin and the other seven Demon Kings, determined to hold them back and cover Li Tiangang's escape.
Soon, a shocking battle broke out, with sword qi soaring into the sky and various Demon Arts causing magical light to sweep across the battlefield, creating a scene of chaos and destruction.
In the distant defensive lines, the various battle camps formed arrays and fought the Demon Tide with no regard for their lives.
Inside the Yuan Camp, they fought while retreating, gradually converging into a stream under the cover of other military camps, heading toward the position Li Tiangang had signaled.
...
...
Liangzhou, Western Frontier.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, signaling the approach of the Demon Tide. Scouts had detected the presence of Demons gathering a thousand miles beyond the border since last night, causing Li Xuanli's body to tense up.
He knew that the Demons who had feigned retreat were finally making their move.
Thinking of the family letter sent by Li Hao, Li Xuanli felt a sense of relief. He had trusted Li Hao's words and maintained vigilance, always having scouts check the area beyond the Border Pass. It had proven to be the right decision.
Now, as the Demons moved from their gathering point to advance, the entire city was on alert, prepared for battle.
"Have you informed the Eastern Border? They might also face a Demon invasion!"
"There are no Demon Kings among these Demons. They might be heading to the Eastern Border!"
Li Xuanli said to the Deputy General beside him.
"Already done."
The Deputy General immediately replied.
"What about Heavenly Gate Pass? Have you sent a message to them to be cautious?"
"Someone has already been dispatched."
Li Xuanli nodded slightly, looking at his daughter Li Wushuang, who was dressed in military armor. He sighed, "I've already arranged for a carriage to take you away from here, but you insist on causing trouble. If your mother finds out, she'll have my ears for it!"
Li Wushuang couldn't help but smile slightly at the words, her previously stern and tense face softening.
Although she had left the Divine General Manor at a young age, in the short time she had been back, she had already seen how deeply in love her parents were. As a child, she felt happy about it.
"Mother wouldn't do that. She knows about the great battle here. If you went back, she'd be worried sick about you losing an ear", Li Wushuang said with a smile.
Li Xuanli's eyes flickered, and he nodded lightly, "Your mother must be worried to death right now."
Li Wushuang gave him a slight glare, "Father, the army is approaching. Can you focus on the present situation?"
Li Xuanli glanced at her, "The present situation is for you to leave quickly and not be a liability."
"How can a Li family member ever retreat in battle? Don't forget, I bear the Li name as well", Li Wushuang said.
However, as she spoke the last few words, she suddenly thought of a certain figure, and her expression changed slightly.
Li Xuanli's gaze fell on the distance, and he whispered, "They're here!"
Li Wushuang's eyes turned stern as she summoned her Divine Soul to observe.
A vast Demon Tide was sweeping in, the number of demons roughly matching their reconnaissance.
Li Xuanli immediately ordered the Deputy General to prepare the battle horns.
On the city wall, numerous siege weapons were already readied, and the artillery towers were fully loaded.
Bang!
As the Demon Tide approached the ambush array set up outside the city, it triggered the array, and a burst of explosive power erupted, startling the demons and tearing open gaps in their formation.
Li Xuanli's eyes turned cold, showing no change. This was just the beginning of the battle.
But at that moment, three figures suddenly burst from the Demon Tide, swiftly approaching.
Bang! The three of them attacked in quick succession, their powerful auras shaking the border array, causing intense disturbances.
The divine patterns of the array shimmered and flickered rapidly.
Li Xuanli's face changed abruptly, and the other soldiers, including the Immortal Realm generals, were all startled.
" Demon Kings!"
"Those are Demon Kings!"
In the Demon Tide, there were actually three Demon Kings hidden. They had only detected a dozen or so Three Eternities Realm Great Demons leading the charge, which was already a massive force. Now, there were Demon Kings among them!
"Quick, Mystic Camp Alpha Company, activate the Defense Array!"
Li Xuanli shouted urgently.
Li Wushuang's pupils contracted, her body trembling, and she almost held her breath.
They were actually Demon Kings!
Watching the three Demon Kings floating in the air, relentlessly attacking the array, each strike made her heart race, leaving her feeling breathless.
"Master should come, but he's just one person..."
Li Wushuang's face tightened as she stared at the demonic aura of the Demon Kings.
When she had detected the gathering of demons a thousand miles away last night, she had immediately sent a message to her sect, hoping Elder Qianji would come to help.
But it would take some time to arrive.
Even if they did come, could they block these three Demon Kings?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The array shook as the three Demon Kings attacked with full force.
Arrows flew, but when they struck the Demon Kings, they were easily deflected by their invincible bodies, causing no harm at all.
It was like being drenched in rain for hours; they wouldn't be injured.
Li Xuanli immediately ordered them not to waste their efforts and to focus the frontline arrows on the approaching Demon Tide.
He then drew his sword, calling five Immortal Realm generals to charge into the sky.
"Father!"
"Stay put!"
Li Xuanli shouted angrily, charging forward without looking back.
...
...
In the south, at Heavenly Gate Pass, Cangya City.
The city was bustling with activity, vendors and merchants calling out their wares, and the young scions of Noble Families wandering the streets, trying to visit the legendary figure but being blocked at the gate.
On the Dragon Pass Road outside Cangya City, a figure was flying swiftly.
It was Li Hao.
Lu Chunsheng had sent him to the border of Yongzhou, and he had flown from the southern border, activating his Omni Attributes to hide his presence, finally returning to Heavenly Gate Pass.
Now, the Dragon Pass Road was lined with tea stalls and occasional passersby, a stark contrast to its desolation when he first arrived.
Li Hao stopped at a tea stall and asked for a cup of hot tea.
Then, smelling the aroma of steamed buns, he ordered two baskets and began to eat.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
