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Chapter 184: Whose Flag, Whose Name! (Third Update, Ten Thousand Words) (Part 1)
Chapter 184: Whose Flag, Whose Name! (Third Update, Ten Thousand Words) (Part 1)
Liangzhou, Western Border.
The land was scorched, a thousand miles of red earth.
The Blackstone Great Wall, once standing here, was now in ruins, its bricks stained with blood, and its walls reduced to rubble.
The ground was strewn with corpses, a mix of Demons and Human Race soldiers. Some of the dead had been cut in half, their arms severed, but they still clung to the Demons with their teeth, even in death.
Other Demons were riddled with holes, their sharp teeth still embedded with the bodies of the dead, as if they had been torn apart in their final moments.
Both sides fought with all their might, their ferocity and bloodlust evident in this battle that decided the fate of countless lives.
Broken weapons, shattered armor, and severed limbs littered the ground, but the battlefield had grown eerily silent.
The Human Race had retreated, and the Demons had followed, leaving only a few stray Demons from the wilderness, sneaking onto the now quiet battlefield to scavenge for fresh corpses to eat.
A small ape Demon climbed onto the broken city wall, where tattered war banners hung like rags. It picked up a broken flagpole and shook it vigorously.
The banner fluttered in the wind, the black characters twisting and turning before settling back into a lifeless droop.
The small ape Demon cackled with delight and shook the flagpole even harder.
The flapping war banner swept through the air...
And thus, a grand pursuit began!
The battlefield was five thousand miles west of the border.
On the vast plains, a massive Demon Tide surged forward, like a black wave rising from the horizon, climbing over mountains and crossing rivers, sweeping everything in its path.
Ahead, thousands of soldiers charged toward the city.
Beacon smoke signals rose into the sky, relaying information.
In the city ahead, a large army emerged to meet them, not to greet them, but to fight to the death and buy time.
"Hurry, faster!!"
Li Xuanli was covered in blood. Though he had taken medicine to stabilize his injuries, his body was exhausted.
But he knew he could not fall. His blood surged with anger, keeping him on his feet.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Behind them, the Demon Tide was almost upon them, visible at the edge of their vision.
In the crowd, a signal rose into the air. A general from the Li Family's Secondary Lineage turned to look at the approaching Demon Tide and suddenly pulled on his reins, slowing down.
He roared, ordering his camp to stop and hold back the Demons, buying time for Li Xuanli.
Li Xuanli was the commander-in-chief; he could not fall here, or the defenses behind them would collapse.
Moreover, Li Xuanli was from the Li Family's Main Lineage, and of the nine sons of that generation, only three remained. They could not afford to lose another.
He remembered his mother's words from childhood, that the Main Lineage was noble, and the Secondary Lineage should show respect and deference.
The Li Family's thousand years of glory were sustained by the Main Lineage.
In his youth, he had been rebellious, thinking himself extraordinary and seeking to rival the sun and moon.
But in middle age, he witnessed the funerals of six of the Li Family's Main Lineage sons and saw how the Main Lineage always led the charge in battle.
He finally understood that the difference between the Main Lineage and the Secondary Lineage was not just in their birth but in the responsibility they bore.
Having served under Li Xuanli for many years, he had come to admire the Main Lineage general.
As his mother had said, the Main Lineage was noble, while the Secondary Lineage was expendable.
Perhaps his mother had feared he would offend the Main Lineage in his youth, so she had often taught him this lesson.
But those words had deeply rooted themselves in his heart, becoming an indelible mark.
Looking at the approaching Demon Tide, the Secondary Lineage general smiled.
"Even my mother said my life was cheap. So what if I die with these Demon beasts?"
"Come on!!"
He raised his halberd and roared, leading his camp to charge against the tide.
Li Xuanli saw the beacon signal and turned to look at the retreating figure on horseback, a brother he had once shared life and death with.
They had once drunk and laughed together in the barracks, with no distinction between Main and Secondary Lineage.
He had once said he would watch his friend achieve glory, erect a monument for his mother, and bury her in the Li Family cemetery.
But all of that was now in the past.
His eyes welled with tears, and he wiped his face, unsure if it was blood or tears on his hand.
He did not stop, only gritted his teeth and roared, "Faster!!"
The entire army accelerated, rushing toward the front lines.
Along the five-thousand-mile stretch, many large cities stood, all located near the border.
These cities chose to stay and defend, buying time for Li Xuanli.
When the Demon Tide broke through the border so swiftly, these border cities had no chance of escape, so they chose to die defending their homeland.
A city nurtures its people!
But in the face of the overwhelming Demon Tide, these cities were like rocks swallowed by a black wave, vanishing in an instant.
Only a few ripples were stirred, and the City Defense Array struggled to hold, but it was instantly shattered by the Three Eternities Realm Great Demons in the Demon Tide. Under the overwhelming force of the Demons, all the citizens and soldiers in the city were reduced to souls under the Demons' claws.
Wherever the Demons passed, it was like a locust plague, leaving no survivors.
However, the pursuing army caused the Demons to hesitate. Some carried their prey in their mouths, eating as they chased, while others, tempted by the food, stayed behind to feast, only to be slapped to death by their overseeing Great Demons.
Such overwhelming power allowed the Demon army to advance through the cities without slowing down.
In those cities, only blood and corpses remained.
"Here they come! Here they come!"
Inside the defenses, the soldiers on the City Wall watched with tense eyes as the vast army approached. Far behind them, the surging Demon Tide was in hot pursuit.
"Quick, prepare to greet them. Once they enter the city, activate the Array immediately!"
"Signal the Celestial Observatory!"
"Lower the city bridge!"
Orders were relayed from the City Wall.
The soldiers here were also of the Three Eternities Realm, extremely powerful, but their faces were now grave and taut. Intelligence from Li Xuanli's side reported that three Demon Kings had breached the defenses!
Although the Demon Tide was formidable, it was not invincible, and they could at least delay it.
However, the three Demon Kings were nowhere to be seen, causing their nerves to tighten.
The earth shook as the thirty-thousand-strong remnants of the army galloped like an earthquake.
Li Xuanli, looking at the nearby city wall, saw that the defenders were ready. His eyelids twitched, and he roared:
"Activate the Array first!!"
His roar echoed for a hundred miles, infused with Soul Power, reaching the inner defenses.
On the City Wall, the Three Eternities Realm Commander heard this and his face changed. He suddenly realized something and immediately ordered, "Quick, activate the Array first!"
Activating the Array would slow down Li Xuanli and his troops, as they only had the Command Token for the border Array, not for this second line of defense.
Especially with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, none of whom had a Command Token. The creation of these tokens was extremely difficult, and only the leading generals received one.
"Hmph, not bad, quick reaction!"
In the air, three figures suddenly appeared, the three Demon Kings who had earlier breached the border Array. They moved with the speed of teleportation, having been hiding and pursuing.
They had delayed their attack on Li Xuanli and his army to ensure that they entered the second line of defense, allowing them to shut down the Array.
This way, they could easily break through, swiftly conquer the second line of defense, and advance deeper into the territory.
Speed was of the essence. As long as they moved fast enough, Liangzhou wouldn't have time to react, and Emperor Yu's reinforcements might not arrive in time.
The Human Race was tightly knit, and any single action could affect the whole. They needed to break through the city quickly, or they would risk getting bogged down and losing the advantage.
They had learned this lesson many times, most recently in the Yanbei War over a decade ago.
Swoosh!
The three Demon Kings abandoned their concealment and rushed forward.
One of the Demon Kings suddenly raised his hand to block the Array.
With a thunderous boom, a crude Divine Weapon, resembling a bone spear, shot out, accompanied by a swirling cloud of dark energy, piercing through the air.
The Array rapidly formed, but the bone spear was too fast, crashing into the City Wall and destroying it. Hundreds of soldiers within a few hundred meters were either killed or injured by the shockwave. Even Tian Ren Master Realm warriors turned pale, their blood surging, and their bodies trembling.
"Quick!"
As the bone spear breached the city, the Array finally solidified at the last moment.
Bang! Bang!
The attacks from the other two Demon Kings were blocked by the Array, causing only a ripple of Divine Patterns to flash.
The Demon King who had launched the bone spear roared and tried to recall it, but the Array blocked his call.
Object Control Power couldn't penetrate the Array.
"Damn it!"
Having lost his weapon, the Demon King spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm, angry but not panicked.
Their disguise had been uncovered, and although reluctant, they would have to spend more time breaking the Array.
Once the Array was broken, his weapon would return.
There were no Fourth Establishment Realm warriors in this army, so he didn't care whether they had weapons or not.
"Li Family's brat, you're quick on the uptake, huh? I'll rip your head off!"
The Demon King's body was covered in green veins, his eyes glowing with cold lightning, as he suddenly charged toward Li Xuanli's army.
Li Xuanli, spotting the three Demon Kings, knew it was as he had suspected. As they charged back, his eyes darkened, and he growled, "Form the array!"
The galloping army quickly converged, forming a cohesive formation.
Their ability to form an array while on horseback demonstrated their rigorous training.
Among the many Li Family army banners, the elite was the Yuan Camp, but the Mystic Camp soldiers were also highly skilled, most cultivating Middle and Upper Grade Cultivation Techniques.
In the typical noble family, a young master of the same rank might not even be able to defeat a Mystic Camp warrior, unless he is a prodigy.
Boom!
As the military formation solidified, a peacock-like shadow burst forth from the formation, letting out a piercing cry as it charged toward the Demon King.
"Hmph, since the array is open, you will die outside as well!"
The three Demon Kings turned and unleashed their fury on Li Xuanli and his army, raising their hands to stir the earth, causing the ground outside the city to rumble and rise into a platform to intercept all the troops.
Inside the city, the Three Eternities Realm Commander immediately ordered the Celestial Observatory to come and repair the damaged array on the city wall.
Fortunately, the damaged array was minimal, only slightly reducing its power. If repaired promptly, it could still be restored.
"Hurry, open array node thirty-four. Who is willing to lead the troops out to support General Li?!"
As the Commander shouted, several generals quickly stepped forward:
"Commander, I am willing to clear the path for General Li!"
"Commander, let me do it. I am willing to clear the path for General Li!"
"I will create a bloody path for General Li. I will personally draw the attention of the Demon Kings!"
Several generals spoke out loudly.
They were not just driven by a surge of bravery. Some were from the Li Family's secondary lineage, some had received favors from the Li Family in the past, and others were orphans saved by the Li Family from cities overrun by Demons years ago.
These threads of connection, woven together, formed the Li Family's network of relationships, the foundation of their thousand-year-old power and influence!
The Liangzhou Commander took a deep breath and quickly pointed to two of the generals, saying, "You two together, this task is yours!"
"We accept the order!!"
The two generals, eyes sharp, responded loudly and swiftly took to the air, leading their troops and shouting:
"Brothers, follow me out of the city. Those who die in battle will be honored with achievements and remembered for eternity!!"
"Charge!!"
The two generals led their respective armies through a side array and flanked the main battlefield, heading straight for the two Demon Kings.
Boom!
The three Demon Kings struck, their power like the collapse of heaven and earth, a surging tide of demonic qi sweeping down to crush Li Xuanli's army. The peacock military soul that had just flown out was knocked down, crashing into the ground.
The peacock let out a mournful cry, and thousands of soldiers, spitting blood, tumbled from their horses and rolled into the hooves of the horses.
But the Crimson Blood Horses, being intelligent, did not abandon their masters. After galloping a short distance, they stopped abruptly, turned around, and bit the armor of their masters, pulling them back onto the saddles before charging forward again.
Beside Li Xuanli, Li Wushuang spat out blood. She was also a part of the military formation, her face as pale as paper, her entire body trembling with surging qi.
Above them, the overwhelming demonic aura loomed, and death had never felt so close.
She looked up at the black sky, her eyes filled with despair and anger.
Just as she was about to rupture her major meridians and burn her divine soul to add power to the military formation, Li Xuanli seemed to sense his daughter's aura and glared at her, roaring:
"Don't be foolish, it's not time yet."
Tears streamed down Li Wushuang's face. She had never felt the cruelty of the battlefield so deeply, the countless fallen soldiers at the border still vivid in her mind.
It was because of the sacrifices of countless others that they had managed to escape to this second line of defense.
"You are a Ninth-Rank War Body with top talent. You cannot waste your potential here. You still have a future!"
Li Xuanli said in a low voice, "Quickly leave the formation. I will have Uncle Jian protect you. Hide in the army and enter the city from the side."
As he spoke, he quickly handed Li Wushuang an array token.
Li Wushuang was stunned. This was her father's array token.
The array token for the second line of defense!
These tokens were extremely rare, not only because they were difficult to construct but also because too many tokens could easily be lost. If the Demons obtained them, the array would be rendered useless!
"Father!"
Li Wushuang was heartbroken.
"Go now!"
Li Xuanli roared, "Wait until you reach my level of cultivation before thinking about slaying demons. You have a long way to go, don't be foolish!"
Li Wushuang's eyes welled with tears. At this moment, she finally realized that all the talk of talent and prodigy was meaningless!
Only true combat strength mattered.
Otherwise, no matter how many empty titles one had, they were useless in the face of life and death!
She was too weak, weak enough that any Great Demon could easily kill her!
Her cultivation speed was already fast, but it wasn't fast enough, it was still far too slow!
"Go!"
Li Xuanli glared at her and then gave a look to another Three Eternities Realm general nearby.
The other general understood and immediately jumped onto Li Wushuang's warhorse, suppressing his aura and taking off his general's armor. He ordered the surrounding troops to disperse, covering Li Wushuang as she made her way into the city from the side.
With the army dispersing, they would be even more vulnerable in front of the three Demon Kings.
This would only lead to quicker deaths, but it was a necessary choice.
Continuing to stay together would only result in a swift demise at the hands of the three Demon Kings. It would be better to scatter and fight for a chance!
Li Xuanli knew the Demon Kings' target was him. He took a deep breath and suddenly shot up into the sky, roaring:
"Beasts, dare to fight me one-on-one?!"
"You're not worthy!"
The three Demon Kings were not fooled by his taunt. They had no intention of being provoked and only wanted to quickly eliminate him and destroy the city wall's array.
"Die!"
One of the Demon Kings, a cold-faced elder in a blood-red robe, suddenly raised his hand, and a beam of blood light shot out from his palm. It resembled a massive ruler with rough patterns, descending upon Li Xuanli to crush him on the spot.
As a Dao Mind Realm expert, his attack was guaranteed to hit.
Li Xuanli felt a overwhelming sense of mortal terror, as if he had been isolated from the battle formation. His heart raced, and he roared, unleashing his Divine Soul Unity. His entire body radiated with energy, drawing upon the power of the military formation as he threw a punch.
With a loud thud, the fist's glow struck the blood ruler, sending a torrent of bloody aura scattering.
Another Demon King raised his hand and a multitude of purple whips, like bolts of lightning, rained down, striking Li Xuanli's body.
His battle armor was instantly torn apart, and his cloak shredded. The Unbreakable treasure body he had nurtured for years at the Divine General Manor was severely injured, covered in cracks and burn marks.
He plummeted into the army, creating a deep crater upon impact.
The nearby Xuan Army quickly surrounded him, forming a protective formation around him.
The rest of the army continued to disperse, rushing toward various parts of the city.
"Father!"
Li Wushuang saw Li Xuanli's severe injuries, her eyes reddening, but she did not cry out loud. She bit her lip tightly, and the blood trickled down her chin and into her mouth.
She knew that her father was using his life to draw the Demon Kings' attention, allowing her and the other soldiers to escape.
"Young Miss, don't look at the Demon Kings, or they'll notice."
A Three Eternities Realm general behind her whispered.
Li Wushuang felt a mix of frustration and anger but forced herself to look away and lower her head.
"Xuan Li!"
At that moment, a fierce and angry cry echoed.
Several figures were seen rushing from a distance inside the defensive line.
Hearing the voice, Li Wushuang looked up and saw a familiar figure—her master, Qianji Daoist.
"Master has come!"
Her eyes lit up with hope, as if she had seen a savior.
"Uncle Jian, it's Master, my master has come!"
She couldn't help but shout in excitement.
Li Jian looked up, his eyes also showing a hint of surprise.
In the distance, apart from Qianji Daoist, two female generals were swiftly approaching. They appeared to be in their forties.
They were Li Muxiu's second elder sister and fourth younger sister.
Both had married into distant families years ago and had been noblewomen for decades. Upon receiving Li Muxiu's message, they quickly donned their long-sealed armor and weapons, and rushed over as fast as they could.
Their makeup had worn off during the journey, and they seemed to have returned to their youthful days on the battlefield.
They knew that if the Li Family were not in dire straits, Li Muxiu, with his peculiar temperament, would never have sought their help.
Thus, they came without hesitation.
"Three Demon Kings!"
Qianji Daoist's gaze was heavy as he looked at the three Great Demon Kings.
He had a youthful appearance with white hair, looking like a transcendent immortal.
"Old Qianji!"
(End of Chapter)
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