https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-181-Reinforcements-Heavenly-Sky-Banner-Third-Update-/13450229/
Chapter 182: Sword Rises, Wolf Smoke (First Update)
Chapter 182: Sword Rises, Wolf Smoke (First Update)
Li Hao spoke, secretly transmitting the secret of his War Banners to her.
Li Hongzhuang was momentarily stunned. When she heard Li Hao’s words, she was taken aback. The War Banners contained Li Hao’s Sword Move?
This was the realm of Array Domains, something only the Celestial Observatory could achieve. How did Li Hao manage it?
She looked at Li Hao with doubt and asked him telepathically.
But Li Hao didn’t explain, only saying, “There’s no time left, Senior Red Makeup. If you want to go and provide reinforcements, leave quickly. I’ll give you fifty War Banners!”
Li Hongzhuang snapped back to reality, also realizing that there was no time to investigate Li Hao’s secrets. Her nephew had too many hidden mysteries; just his astonishing talent was inexplicable, something that could only be attributed to Prodigies.
“I’m not leaving.”
A figure emerged, and it was Li He.
He stared at Li Hao, knowing that his current strength was no match for Li Hao. His expression, apart from being solemn, was more earnest:
“Young Master, in such a critical moment, Heavenly Gate Pass is also under attack by Demons. Please let me stay with you this time.”
The last time Heavenly Gate Pass was in dire straits, he was knocked unconscious by a Fourth Establishment Realm expert and sent out of the pass. This incident had left him with a deep sense of regret. He was grateful for Li Hao’s act of sending him away in the midst of danger, but he was also ashamed of his failure to fulfill his duty and face himself.
“I am sworn to protect Young Master. Even if I die, I must die in front of Young Master.”
Li He earnestly pleaded.
Li Hao was momentarily speechless. The Li Family warriors were indeed stubborn.
Li Hongzhuang glanced at him, thinking of the intelligence they had just gathered from Heavenly Gate Pass. Her expression was complex. She should have stayed to defend, but with a Fourth Establishment Realm expert here, and Li Hao’s own considerable strength, her brother’s side needed her more.
“Li Hao, let him stay. I can travel faster alone,” Li Hongzhuang said immediately.
Li Hao thought about it and realized she was right.
Li He’s presence would mainly be for carrying the War Banners, and he wouldn’t be much help otherwise.
Immediately, Li Hao’s Divine Soul left his body, whistling through the air, and flew to the city wall of Cangya City. He retrieved fifty of the hundred War Banners he had marked beyond the pass, gathered them, and brought them back to the small courtyard.
The fifty War Banners, stacked together, reached the height of several hay bales.
Li Hongzhuang used her Object Control Power to cover the War Banners. Hearing Li Hao’s instructions, she knew how to use them. She immediately told Li Hao:
“I’m leaving. Be careful!”
She gave Li Hao a deep look, and with his nod, her figure soared into the sky, carrying the War Banners and speeding towards the interior. She unleashed her Body Control speed to its full potential.
The journey from Heavenly Gate Pass to the western battlefield was thirty thousand miles, and to the second line of defense mentioned by Li Xuanli was twenty thousand miles.
If she used her Object Control speed to travel dozens of miles in a single breath, she could reach the destination quickly.
However, this was her peak speed during combat, and it couldn’t be sustained for long. The energy expenditure was like a flood, and the longer she maintained it, the more energy she would consume.
By the time she reached the battlefield, she would have little fighting power left.
Liangzhou was vast and expansive, with hundreds of cities, each with a territory spanning hundreds of miles, encompassing numerous towns and vast wilderness, with a diameter of ten thousand miles.
Even with Enduring Power, she would exhaust herself halfway through the journey, as Enduring Power couldn’t be maintained for such a long time.
At this moment, Li Hongzhuang didn’t bother to conserve her strength and burst into full speed, pushing herself to the limit.
Moreover, she didn’t want Li He to accompany her, as her goal was to use Enduring Power.
With her energy fully unleashed, she could reach her maximum speed.
Li He, being in the Indestructible Realm, couldn’t keep up with her.
…
After Li Hongzhuang left, Li Hao immediately summoned the Haotian Army and ordered the entire city to close and lock down.
He also issued a Demon Disaster Signal, so that nearby wandering Martial Artists would either enter the city or find a place to hide upon seeing the signal.
Li Hao suddenly thought that if the western border was in trouble, and there were still Demons daring to attack Heavenly Gate Pass, the Eastern Border and the northern region would likely also be invaded by Demons.
Thinking of the Eastern Border, he furrowed his brow. He hadn’t paid attention to the situation there and didn’t want to.
The Northern Frontier is too distant, almost on the opposite side. It spans ten thousand miles across Liangzhou, and reinforcements can’t arrive in a short time.
"Defend the second line. If the Eastern Border and the Northern Frontier fall, they will likely retreat to the second line. The news of this border’s loss will have spread throughout Liangzhou, and the Noble Families, if they want to survive, will likely send reinforcements."
"Moreover, with such chaos, the royal army should also come to our aid."
"We just need to hold the second line and delay the enemy."
"But the Western Frontier has a Demon King, and there are likely others elsewhere. As we retreat, the Demon forces will converge, and the pressure will be immense, perhaps even greater."
Li Hao’s eyes flickered, and he took a deep breath. The 50 War Banners he had just given to Li Hongzhuang might not be enough.
He summoned another Grandmaster, who served as the Commander of the Haotian Army. Li Hao provided 20 more War Banners and ordered him to ride a fast horse, carrying the War Banners to reinforce the Western Frontier.
The Grandmaster accepted the order and rode out on a Crimson Blood Horse.
Li Hao sent Scouts to gather more information about Beyond the Pass, to identify the Demons and their numbers.
"Didn’t the previous cleansing teach them a lesson? The Tianji Hall knows my strength, yet they still dare to invade. There are likely at least four Demon Kings or more..."
Li Hao’s expression grew serious, realizing that the upcoming battle would be a tough one.
"Young General..."
Xu Zhouyuan, standing nearby, trembled at the shocking news. This was the first time he had directly felt the intense and deadly aura of the border soldiers.
Li Hao issued one command after another, and the courtyard gradually emptied.
Hearing Xu Zhouyuan’s voice, Li Hao turned to look at him, noticing his nervous expression. He smiled and said, "Senior, don’t worry. Heavenly Gate Pass will be fine."
After speaking, he sat back down and said, "We still have time. Let’s finish this game of chess."
Xu Zhouyuan was taken aback, looking at the young man who remained calm in the face of danger. He suddenly felt a sense of shame.
Although he wasn’t a Martial Artist, he had lived for seventy years and found himself less composed than this young man.
"Very well, I’ll accompany Young General to finish this game."
Xu Zhouyuan took a deep breath and collected his thoughts.
Meanwhile, outside Heavenly Gate Pass, 700 miles away, in a vast wilderness with towering trees.
A massive horde of Demons surged forward, led by four Great Demons at the Three Eternities Realm.
"The Eastern Border and the Western Frontier have already fallen. No wonder, with the Dragon Gate and the Void Realm leading the charge. Liangzhou will soon be our territory!"
"Their forces must be concentrated in the inner regions. If they don’t retreat, they’ll die even faster."
"That brat at Heavenly Gate Pass, who destroyed my nest and desecrated my ancestral grounds, won’t be able to sit still for long!"
"Once that brat is gone, we’ll break through Heavenly Gate Pass and make our contribution. That way, we’ll secure a piece of land for ourselves."
The leading Great Demons were among those Li Hao had previously cleansed and driven away from Beyond the Pass.
Warned by the Tianji Hall, they had left early and hidden, avoiding danger.
But their nests had been destroyed, and flags had been planted, making it impossible for them to return.
"Great Lords, General Haotian hasn’t returned yet. He went to Heavenly Mechanism Tower six days ago. Even if he only spent one day there, it would take him until tomorrow to return if he travels normally."
A bird demon from the Tianji Hall flew over, bringing the intelligence.
When Li Hao left his seclusion, he concealed his trail, making it impossible for the Tianji Hall to detect him. They could only make judgments based on the information from the Heavenly Mechanism Tower’s Receptionist.
Now, they had mobilized the Tianji Hall’s intelligence network in Yongzhou to gather information outside the Heavenly Mechanism Tower.
However, the Heavenly Mechanism Tower was also an expert in intelligence, and the Tianji Hall, which had originally been modeled after it, dared not get too close to Tianji City. Therefore, Li Hao’s movements could only be guessed.
"Hmph, the figure on the City Wall is just a clone, similar to our Demon Art. It’s just for show."
An Immortal Realm Great Demon sneered. Although cultivation clones were rare, they had seen enough of them. Most clones possessed only a fraction of the original’s strength, which was already considered good.
"Let’s launch an attack while he’s away?"
A Demon suggested.
After a brief discussion, they quickly made a decision and immediately ordered the entire army to advance at full speed.
Soon, the Scouts who had been dispatched to investigate reported back on the movements of the Demons.
"Report!"
The shout echoed as the scout rushed into the Wattle Yard.
Xu Zhouyuan, who had just picked up a black piece, nearly dropped it and hurriedly looked over.
Li Hao paused, his eyes narrowing slightly, signaling the scout to report.
"Report, General. We have detected the movements of the Demons Beyond the Pass. They number about fifty thousand, and it appears there are two Three Eternities Realm Demons among them. The strength of the other Demons is still unknown."
Li Hao raised an eyebrow.
Fifty thousand?
That's such a small number?
If it were a Demon King Commander, they would never bring just fifty thousand troops. Unless they were trying to hide their presence to lull the enemy into a false sense of security, or they were planning a quick attack.
But for a quick attack, the Demon King alone would suffice. It would be less conspicuous and faster, and there would be no risk of the Demon army tipping off the enemy.
After all, the combined strength of fifty thousand Demons wouldn't even be enough for a few punches from a Demon King.
"Send out more Scouts to report back." Li Hao said.
"Yes, sir."
The scout left.
Li Hao turned back and immediately noticed a missing black piece on the Chess Board. He smiled and placed a white piece to fill the gap.
"General..." Xu Zhouyuan swallowed hard.
Li Hao smiled slightly. "Senior, with the Inner Array in place and me here to command, it's too late to flee now. We either live or die, so you might as well finish this game with me."
Xu Zhouyuan was taken aback but then realized he was right. It would be impossible to escape the city now. If Heavenly Gate Pass fell, the Demons would attack in no time. Their carriages wouldn't stand a chance against the Demons.
He quickly composed himself, took a few sips of tea, and felt his mind clear. His courage grew, and he carefully considered his next move.
As the Demon Tide from Beyond the Pass drew closer, more reports from the Scouts reached Li Hao's ears.
The Demon Tide was getting closer.
A hundred miles Beyond the Pass.
Seeing the scattered War Banners planted in various locations, the four Three Immortalities Demons' faces changed, as if they were experiencing a nightmare, followed by a mix of anger and shame.
"Order the troops to avoid these War Banners at all costs. Do not touch them."
The Demons passed the order down.
The vast Demon Tide, which had been spread out, now contracted, and its speed slowed.
"I will protect these War Banners to prevent any careless creatures from touching them", one of the Three Immortalities Demons said, releasing his power to cover the War Banners and prevent them from being touched.
The Demon Tide continued to advance and soon reached Heavenly Gate Pass.
At this moment, the soldiers on Heavenly Gate Pass were already in position, ready for battle.
Seeing the massive wave of beasts approaching, the Haotian Army and the Blood Fiend Army were all tense.
Meanwhile, the news reached Li Hao.
"They are here?"
Li Hao narrowed his eyes. Whether a Demon King was hidden in the Demon Tide would soon be revealed.
"Qianqian."
Li Hao called softly.
Ren Qianqian had already finished her cultivation, as the constant Military Reports had made her restless and unable to focus.
Hearing Li Hao's call, she immediately understood his meaning. She turned and ran into the house, retrieving Li Hao's sword from the sword case.
The sword case was crafted by Myriad Treasures Tower during the third casting of the Dragon Dawn Sword for Li Hao, used to store the precious blade.
Ren Qianqian opened the case, and with a swift movement, the Dragon Dawn Sword was drawn, its brilliant light reflecting in Ren Qianqian's eyes. It transformed into a golden glow, like a dragon, and traced a graceful arc in the air before flying toward the outskirts of Cangya City.
The diameter of Cangya City was only sixty miles, making it a medium-sized city, and Li Hao's Object Control Range was a hundred miles.
On the streets, the children of the Noble Families and the talented young men and women from various provinces stood, rushing toward the city walls.
They had heard that Demons were attacking the city, and instead of fear, they felt an inexplicable excitement.
Usually, slaying demons and monsters required them to traverse mountains and valleys in search of their targets. Now, they could witness a Demon Tide.
As they hurried, a sudden golden light streaked overhead, carrying a terrifying aura and killing intent.
The golden light, like a dragon's roar or a tiger's growl, raced toward the Beyond the Pass direction.
"What was that?"
"It looks like a sword!"
"Quick, let's go see!"
Amazed, the crowd rushed to follow the Golden Sword Light, heading toward the city walls.
(End of Chapter)
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