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Chapter 206: Dragon City Showdown, Nine Sons' Sacrifice
Chapter 206: Dragon City Showdown, Nine Sons' Sacrifice
Li Hao used Blue Frost to slice his finger, but it healed in an instant.
The residual Sword Qi from Blue Frost couldn't even slow down the healing process.
Li Hao felt that even if he were to lose a limb, it would regrow within a single breath. What a terrifying vitality!
The Three Immortalities—Unbreakable, Unfading, and Undying—now seemed within his grasp, truly bringing him closer to the state of Unbreakable.
"If I could reach the Ultimate Realm, I would truly be an Immortal..."
Li Hao thought to himself.
Unfortunately, though he was extremely close to the Limit, he hadn't truly broken through and hadn't yet achieved the Ultimate Realm.
At the age of seventeen, Li Hao found that the Demons outside Dragon City were becoming increasingly restless.
Demons began to invade and attack the city, though no major battles had erupted yet, they were constantly probing and testing the defenses.
Each time they probed, if the defenders of Dragon City didn't fight back with all their might, the Demons might seize the opportunity to launch a full-scale attack.
The atmosphere at the dining table in the Divine General Manor grew increasingly tense.
"Where is Xing Bei? Is he still guarding the city?"
Li Tianzong asked, his face somber as he picked at his food.
Chen Hefang, who now wore fewer jewels and appeared more modest, said, "He and Feng Ping are there, supporting each other. You don't need to worry too much."
Her eyes filled with concern, she added softly, "Since you're back, take the time to rest and regain your strength."
Li Tianzong fell silent for a moment before saying, "If I could reach the Great Peace Dao Realm, those Demons wouldn't be so rampant..."
Chen Hefang smiled bitterly. "The Great Peace Dao Realm isn't that easy to achieve. Each step from the Fourth Establishment Realm is a leap. You've already done well."
Li Tianzong didn't respond, only continuing to eat in silence.
However, when he glanced at Li Hao, the stern and heavy look in his eyes softened, and a sense of relief and pride appeared.
"As long as we can hold on for ten more years, Xiao Shi will surely reach the Great Peace Dao Realm, and at that time, those Demons will fear him..." He had great confidence in Li Hao's talent.
Although reaching the Fourth Establishment Realm meant that early-stage talent and physical constitution mattered less, and factors like opportunity and insight became more crucial, Li Tianzong believed Li Hao could achieve it.
Hearing this, Li Hao sighed inwardly, fearing it might not be that long.
Would his strength be enough to protect Dragon City in just a year?
Li Hao wanted to succeed, but recalling what Li Xiaoran had said about a hundred Demon Kings appearing after four days of defending the city, he felt immense pressure.
This time, the Candlelight Deity and the Old Dragon Lu Yuan were also hiding within the ranks.
Li Hao shook his head. He didn't dare to continue comprehending his Dao Heart here, fearing that time might jump forward a year. Instead, he focused on enhancing his physical power and pushing his other realms to their limits to maximize his combat strength.
After the meal, Li Hao excused himself and went to cultivate.
If he could master another art—Spiritual Immersion—and advance Yudao to the seventh level, his combat strength would greatly increase.
Li Hao placed his hopes on the Art Dao.
He devoted himself entirely to his painting skills and, during breaks, accompanied Li Xiaoran on patrols to slay Demons.
Now, the Demons within the city had been mostly cleared out, and they occasionally ventured to the outskirts to search for more.
Dragon City was larger than Li Hao had imagined, but the distant sky beyond the city was an endless expanse of darkness, like an abyss.
It seemed a place where even thoughts couldn't reach, hiding countless Demons.
Li Hao absorbed the True Demon Blood from every Demon King he hunted, continuously refining and strengthening his physical body.
"Painting..."
Occasionally, Li Hao would sit on the city wall, gazing into the distance, and take up his brush to paint.
This sight surprised some of the City Guard Soldiers on the wall, but they knew of this Li Family prodigy, whose talent was unparalleled, and didn't comment, only focusing on their duties.
The pen tip traced the dark, heavy sky on the horizon, depicting it as an inverted abyss that sent a chill down one's spine.
Li Hao's Art Dao experience had already reached Perfection, and he immersed himself in it, sensing the spiritual essence within the painting.
From then on, Li Hao sat on the City Wall every day to paint. For ten consecutive days, countless sheets of painting paper fell, depicting the pitch-black sky outside the city and the fierce Demons that emerged from it.
It wasn't until he painted a scene of myriad Demons emerging from the abyss that he gradually touched upon a thread of spiritual essence.
Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere of withering grass outside the city, his Mindset turned melancholic, and the Demons in the painting seemed to struggle to break free and fly out.
While Li Hao was contemplating the Art Dao, he felt that time around him was accelerating, though not as rapidly as when he was contemplating the Dao Heart.
Li Hao vaguely sensed that this might be a hidden rule of the Mourning River, intentionally set to prevent anyone from using it to gain enlightenment.
Once someone became deeply immersed in enlightenment, the Mourning River would accelerate, either kicking them out or leading them to a final, desperate situation.
"It seems that only those at the Great Peace Dao Realm, with their Dao Domain covering their surroundings, can freely survive here", Li Hao thought to himself. He wondered how the Candlelight Deity was faring, whether he was hidden among the Demons, cultivating or plotting to command a portion of them.
He couldn't know for sure, but as he continued to slay Demons and immerse himself in the Art Dao each day, time in the Mourning River quietly passed, spanning over half a year.
The Demons' attacks grew more rampant and violent.
After one time jump, Li Hao returned to the Mansion and saw two coffins lying in the main hall, containing the yet-to-be-buried bodies of Elder Brother Li Xingbei and Second Brother Li Fengping!
Li Hao's expression changed slightly. Seeing Li Xiaoran there, he immediately moved closer to inquire in a whispered tone.
Li Xiaoran, who had already recovered his pre-death cultivation and reached the Ultimate Mastery Realm, relayed to Li Hao that Li Xingbei and Li Fengping had been defending the city when they were attacked by a Demon King. They managed to hold the city but lost their lives.
Both were at the Three Eternities Realm, highly talented but not yet capable of slaying a Demon King like Li Hao.
Li Hao's face darkened. The great battle for Dragon City had not yet begun, yet the Li Family's Nine Sons had already started to fall.
The deaths of Elder Brother and Second Brother were different from those outside the Mourning River, as the environment here caused many events to unfold differently.
"Don't be too anxious. The challenge is already difficult. If it gets too much, I'll help you retreat through the Ancestral Hall, which is the exit from Dragon City and the Mourning River", Li Xiaoran whispered to Li Hao. "You're only at the Three Eternities Realm now. Even if you reach the Dao Mind Realm, it will be tough. I suspect that in the coming days, Dragon City will face a Great Peace Dao Realm Demon King, and the Void Realm overlords entering here will make it even more challenging than usual."
Seeing Li Hao's unparalleled talent, Li Xiaoran's thoughts had subtly changed.
Instead of risking everything to complete the challenge in the Mourning River, ensuring Li Hao's safe return was now the priority.
As Elder Brother in the Mourning River had said, Li Hao was the Li Family's hope for the future!
With Li Hao's talent, if he continued to cultivate, he would surely lead the Li Family to its most glorious era, rivaling the Ancestor's time!
Once Li Hao reached the Great Peace Dao Realm, helping him complete the challenge in the future was not out of the question. Given Li Hao's cultivation speed, it wouldn't be a long wait.
Hearing Li Xiaoran's words, Li Hao nodded slightly. Their main task was to defend Dragon City, and the Candlelight Deity's main task was likely to destroy it.
"Elder Brother's remnant spirit foresaw that our descendants would come to liberate him and bring him home, so he left us a backdoor..."
Li Xiaoran looked at the grieving Elder Brother in the hall. Although this was not his former Elder Brother but a remnant soul, possibly influenced and enslaved by the Mourning River, his emotions still fluctuated.
However, he quickly regained his composure.
This wasn’t the first time he had come to the Mourning River.
He had seen this scene many times before.
Li Hao gazed at the hall and fell silent.
The other seven siblings, including Li Hongzhuang, who was already fifteen, all wore expressions of grief. Some looked resentful, some clenched their fists, all filled with hatred and a desire to kill the Demons.
Li Hongzhuang, dressed in a lady’s gown and adorned with hair ornaments, would lose her elegance if she moved too much, as the skirt and earrings were both decorative and a reminder of proper posture and etiquette.
But at this moment, her eyes were red and swollen, fixed on the coffin, as if lost in thought.
Li Hao knew that this “little sister” would soon leave the Mourning River and embark on the path outside, transforming from a young lady of privilege into a sword-wielding general.
Perhaps this was an inescapable destiny.
Li Hao didn’t look any longer and chose to skip over the sorrowful scene. His emotions remained calm as he watched his Growth task gradually approach 100%. He knew his eighteenth birthday was approaching.
With the incidents involving Li Xingbei and Li Fengping, the prelude to the battle had already begun. He needed to focus more on the Martial Dao.
A few days later, Sixth Brother Li Ziyeh was killed by a Demon King who had infiltrated the city. When Li Hao and Li Xiaoran arrived, they only saw the other half of his body, a tragic sight.
Although he knew this was the Mourning River, and everyone in Dragon City, except for Li Tianzong, was born from his obsession, seeing Li Yuanzhao’s father die such a painful death before his eyes still ignited a surge of anger within Li Hao.
He suddenly drew his sword and cleaved the Demon King in two, cutting through the street as well, unleashing Divine Power.
After slaying the Demon King, Li Hao rushed to Li Ziyeh’s side. His breath had already faded, but his eyes remained open.
Yet, there was a hint of relief in his eyes, a smile on his lips, as if he had seen the Demon King being slain and his reinforcements arriving…
Li Hao gently closed his eyes.
He remembered the banquet when he was four, where Demons had attacked. Lying injured on the bed, the first person he saw upon opening his eyes was this “Sixth Brother,” who had stayed by his side despite his exhaustion.
Although they were born from obsession, Li Hao had heard from Li Xiaoran that these people were the forms Li Tianzong had seen in life, with similar personalities.
This meant that, in reality, this “Sixth Brother” would also have been gentle and considerate, the most caring of them all.
Yuanzhao, you had a good father… Li Hao thought to himself.
Unfortunately, Yuanzhao was born just as his father died in battle, never getting to meet him.
He carried Li Ziyeh’s body back to the Divine General Manor.
Seeing “Mother” Chen Hefang’s grief, Li Hao noticed that a few strands of white hair had appeared at her temples.
Li Hao’s lips moved slightly, wanting to offer some comfort, but he suddenly didn’t know what to say and remained silent.
He clenched his fists and chose to speed through time, skipping over the grief in her eyes and the mournful cries.
A month after Li Ziyeh’s sacrifice, Third Brother and Fourth Brother also met their ends.
Despite the previous clearance of Dragon City, numerous Demons had infiltrated from unknown sources. The defensive array seemed to have lost its ability to warn of Demons, leaving Li Hao puzzled.
“Back then, Dragon City was also infiltrated by Demons. Those Demons killed the ones with the Command Tokens issued by the Great Yu Divine Dynasty, stealing their tokens…” Li Xiaoran said somberly.
Li Hao remained silent. This must have been etched into Li Tianzong’s heart, becoming his Heart Demon, leading to such an unreasonable situation.
As Li Hao once again immersed himself in the Art Dao, his nearly 100% complete Growth task finally reached its conclusion.
Task completed.
These four words, which should have brought joy, instead made Li Hao’s heart sink.
He glanced at the Mourning River’s progress. Completing the Growth task only added 10% to the overall progress.
The numerous Demons he had slain contributed only 3% in total.
The current progress was 13%.
At the same time, the main quest also issued a prompt, officially beginning.
As the golden characters of the Mourning River faded, Li Hao felt a slight tremor beneath his feet on the City Wall.
(End of Chapter)
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