Chapter 261: Melancholy (Part 2 Unity)
Chapter 261: Melancholy (Part 2 Unity)
The two Holy Heart Treasures were both offensive types, one a pale yellow short sword and the other a purple tower.
The supreme treasures were enveloped in the glow of the sun and moon, floating in the air, seemingly merging with the heavens, radiating brilliantly.
Upon obtaining the supreme treasures, Long Jueshen and Feng Lingxiao exchanged a glance, knowing that if they didn't act soon to subdue the Li Family, they would be unable to account to the three Wasteland Deities.
"I'll break the formation, you deal with that old dog!"
Feng Lingxiao said firmly.
"After breaking the formation, your Holy Palace will lead the charge." Long Jueshen added.
The two top Demon factions had mobilized all their forces, and though they were allied, they were still calculating their moves carefully.
Feng Lingxiao didn't haggle; he was injured and didn't want to engage in a fierce battle with Li Muxiu, which could exacerbate his wounds. He could only rely on the Holy Palace Elder to make up for it.
The two quickly immersed their Divine Souls into the Holy Heart Treasures, merging with their Auspicious Appearances, communicating with the sacred heart essence of the treasures to understand their characteristics.
After a moment, their eyes shone brightly as they absorbed and refined the treasures, suddenly rising into the sky and issuing commands.
The Demon King Elders of both factions received the orders and immediately understood that they were to force their way into Qingzhou City.
Commands were issued, and banners rose in the Demon Tide, accompanied by the ancient, solemn sounds of horns.
As the Demon Tide began to stir, Long Jueshen and Feng Lingxiao were already leading the charge, rushing to Qingzhou City.
Boom!!
When the first rays of the rising sun illuminated Qingzhou City, a thunderous explosion echoed through the sky, accompanied by the morning light.
The intense rumbling woke every household in the city from their uneasy slumber, causing them to wake up in fear, quickly pushing open their windows to peer outside nervously.
Above Qingzhou City, a golden array suddenly appeared, like an inverted divine bowl, blocking a terrifying purple-black beam of light.
Countless Divine Patterns flickered rapidly, like frantic butterflies.
The deafening sound alarmed the entire city wall.
Soldiers on duty and those resting in the military camps by the city wall were all jolted awake.
On the city wall, Li Muxiu, who was taking medicine to recover, suddenly opened his eyes. His Divine Soul perception extended outward, and he immediately saw two figures hovering outside the city, the leaders of the two great Demon factions.
His pupils constricted as he noticed the treasures they held.
"Sacred Heart Celestial Treasure!"
Li Muxiu's face changed abruptly, and he rushed out of the watchtower, his aged body soaring into the sky, roaring, "Stop!"
At that moment, Feng Lingxiao, holding the supreme treasure, ignored him and unleashed the power of the dark purple Xuan Yu Heavy Tower, slamming it down with full force.
The tower's sacred heart essence activated, summoning the power of ten thousand Xuan heavy waters. Each drop weighed ten thousand pounds, and with ten thousand drops falling simultaneously, the force was immense, concentrating into a single point. One strike nearly shattered the array protecting Qingzhou City.
If it were any other city, the array would have been shattered on the spot.
This Qingzhou City array was not comparable to the arrays at Liangzhou Heavenly Gate Pass or the borders of other provinces. It was the capital city of the Divine General Manor, with an array whose power was among the best in Dayu, second only to the Xuantian Divine Emperor Array in the Holy City.
Like other provincial capitals of the Divine General Manor, this array was personally constructed by the first Grand Astronomer of the Celestial Observatory over three thousand years ago. Its power was immense, and even a full-force attack by an Ultimate Mastery Realm expert could not destroy it.
However, under Feng Lingxiao and the Holy Heart Treasure, the divine array's power rapidly diminished.
Li Muxiu, enraged, was about to strike, but a figure suddenly rushed forward, blocking his path.
A pale yellow sword beam slashed down, nearly splitting the air before Li Muxiu. The might of the Dao Domain instantly condensed and enveloped his body.
Countless sword beams erupted within the Dao Domain, a dragon's roar resounding, and the oppressive rules of the Dao Domain fell upon Li Muxiu, making his entire body tremble, his flesh and power withering and decaying.
Li Muxiu, both shocked and angry, suddenly unleashed a powerful punch. The Half-Step Invincible Fist's ultimate invincibility state made him temporarily invulnerable. If it were a mere Ultimate Mastery Realm expert, they would not have been able to withstand the Dao Domain's rules. However, as he revealed his ultimate invincibility, the Dao Domain also emerged around him, enveloping his body and resisting Long Jueshen's Dao Domain's erosion.
The Half-Step Dao Domain is weaker in offensive power compared to the Great Peace Dao Realm, primarily because the Dao Domain unfolds too slowly.
However, for self-protection, it only needs to envelop the user, and the speed at which the Dao Domain extends is not significantly slower.
"Ten Extreme Sword Shadows!"
Long Jueshen suddenly unleashed the power of this Ten Extreme Sword treasure, his Saint Heart Essence revealing an Intimidation. Ten supreme sword lights split from the short sword, each whistling through the air and swiftly slicing toward Li Muxiu.
Li Muxiu's expression changed abruptly. A Green Silk Ribbon suddenly appeared in his palm. The ribbon quickly transformed, as if it had a will of its own, wrapping around his fist.
Then, facing the sword lights that were chopping down, he continuously punched forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sword lights shattered, and Li Muxiu moved forward with the grace of a dragon and the power of a tiger, each step steady and solid like a mountain. His hand glowed with a green light, and the Invincible Fist, carrying a terrifying destructive force, pushed through Long Jueshen's Dao Domain, continuously tearing apart the sword lights while advancing toward Long Jueshen.
Long Jueshen's expression changed slightly. This old dog still had hidden tricks up his sleeve; the ribbon was also a Holy Heart Treasure.
However, he wasn't too surprised. After all, the Divine General Manor had a heritage spanning thousands of years, and it wouldn't make sense for it to have only a few Holy Heart Treasures.
His expression turned cold, and he continuously unleashed the Dao Domain Intimidation, as if countless dragon roars echoed in Li Muxiu's ears, making his face flush. Although Li Muxiu appeared to be advancing relentlessly, his internal energy was turbulent, forcibly suppressed.
At the same time, a violent tremor echoed nearby. Feng Lingxiao picked up the Xuan Yu Heavy Tower and smashed it down again, a dazzling purple-black light descending like a mountain.
"Stop!"
"Block him!"
Within the city, figures flew toward the scene, led by Li Xiaoran.
The earlier thunderous sound not only woke the entire city's commoners but also alerted the people inside the Divine General Manor. They all activated their Divine Souls and soared out to observe the commotion outside Qingzhou City, witnessing the intense battle between Li Muxiu and Long Jueshen, as well as the Palace Master of the Holy Palace attacking the array.
With a hum, a star-like blade light tore through the sky, fiercely rushing toward Feng Lingxiao.
Feng Lingxiao's eyes turned cold, and he merely sneered. His Dao Domain unfolded, and the blade light, before it could reach him, was burned and annihilated within the Dao Domain. He still held the heavy tower, accompanied by the Dao Domain Intimidation, and smashed it down on the array.
The array trembled violently, divine patterns flickering rapidly, almost becoming residual images.
This indicated that the array was nearing its limit in terms of the attacks it could withstand.
Whoosh!
Another green figure flew out, silently slashing a sword light. The sword light pierced through the divine array and struck the heavy tower. Under the burning of the Dao Domain, the sword light did not weaken at all, causing the tower to wobble, thus delaying the offensive slightly.
Feng Lingxiao's expression changed, and he looked at the approaching figures with dark eyes. One of them was a woman.
This woman was Ji Qingqing. Although she was in the Ultimate Mastery Realm, she practiced the Ji Family Cultivation Techniques, making her slightly stronger than the Imperial Clan of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty at the same realm.
When she was expelled from the Ji Family, Ji Tianchao and others were angry at her choice and deeply hated and despised this niece. However, under the pleading of Ji Qingqing's father, the Old Thirteen Heroic Soul, they secretly gave her many valuable items, including the Sacred Heart Celestial Treasure Weapon, the Taiyuan Sword, which she now wielded.
The Taiyuan Sword's Saint Heart Essence contained a rule power that allowed Ji Qingqing's attacks to remain unaffected by other rules, making it an extremely rare and powerful treasure. It allowed her to injure a Great Peace Dao Realm cultivator at the Ultimate Mastery Realm!
Of course, if they faced each other in an open field, a Great Peace Dao Realm cultivator could simply seize the opportunity to get close and envelop her in the Dao Domain. Even with this sword, she would be instantly refined.
But now, with the protection of the Array, she could act without restraint.
"Dammit!"
Feng Lingxiao's eyes blazed with anger as she channeled her power once more, launching the Profound Astral Tower to strike the Array.
Ji Qingqing also joined in, her Sword Art exquisite and unparalleled, continuously slashing at the tower to reduce its power. However, the immense force of the Profound Astral Tower, condensed from a hundred thousand units of profound heavy water, still rapidly drained the Array's energy.
"Hurry, block him!"
Li Tiangang soared into the air, gripping an ancient bronze war blade in his hand. This was his Ancestor's Holy Heart Treasure. With all his might, he unleashed a blade aura that pierced through the Array.
However, the rule power of this war blade was different from that of the Taiyuan Sword; it couldn't bypass Feng Lingxiao's Dao Domain, and the blade aura quickly dissipated.
Li Tiangang's face darkened. At the same time, he heard a distant horn from Outside the City, as if echoing from the ancient past. The walls of Qingzhou City began to tremble slightly.
The entire city felt the vibration; the ground beneath the houses shook as if a million horses were charging.
Outside the City, the Demons besieging the city were not just a thousand or ten thousand, but numbered in the millions, all elite warriors who had fought their way here.
With the long blast of the horn, they all charged forward in unison.
Li Tiangang's expression changed; the Demons could no longer hold back and were preparing to launch a full-scale attack.
"Hurry! Prepare for battle, send the vanguard to the City Wall!"
Seeing that he was ineffective against Feng Lingxiao, Li Tiangang didn't linger. He rushed to the City Wall, quickly transmitting orders to his subordinates, commanding them to form a counterattack formation.
On the City Wall, the soldiers who had been on standby were now facing the approaching Demon Tide. Arrows from the arrow towers and catapults rained down in the thousands, black and dense, into the Demon horde.
Amidst the Demon Tide, towering figures emerged, revealing their massive forms, shielding the city from the remote attacks of the City Wall soldiers. They wielded Divine Weapons, striking the Array outside the city.
These were the Demon King Elders of the two major forces, and there were more than a dozen of them, each at the Fourth Establishment Realm, with a few even at the Ultimate Mastery Realm. Their attacks were fierce, causing the Divine Patterns on the Array to flutter like butterflies.
Seeing this, Li Tiangang felt his blood run cold. Although he knew the disparity in top-tier combatants was significant, he hadn't expected it to be so great.
Seeing the faltering Array, his eyes turned red, and he gritted his teeth, roaring, "Hurry, activate the Life Wheel of the Array!"
The Array of Qingzhou City was one of the Ten Great Arrays in the world, known as the Sunlight Life Wheel Array.
This array not only locked the powerful souls of Demon Kings within it to fight for the Array but also had the ability to absorb the essence of the sun and moon to repair itself.
Moreover, the Life Wheel could temporarily draw a portion of the lifespan of all living beings within the array, converting it into the Array's power.
This array was no longer at a level that a mere Fourth Establishment Realm could easily destroy; it contained the essence of the Dao.
Following Li Tiangang's command, the Array reversed, and the Life Wheel activated. Golden threads of lifespan seemed to rise from countless buildings within the city, flowing into the Array. This included Li Tiangang and his companions, as well as all the soldiers in the city.
However, those inside the Divine General Manor were protected by its own Array and remained unaffected.
In the depths of the Divine General Manor, in the Ancestral Hall standing by the mountain, all the candles before the Memorial Tablets flickered, nearly extinguishing.
Li Qingzheng, sitting at the entrance of the Ancestral Hall, his white hair and aged body trembling with worry, gazed into the distance.
Seeing the countless golden threads of life force rising from within the city, his body trembled slightly, as if he realized something. He suddenly turned his head to look at the solemn Ancestral Hall behind him.
The previously dormant Memorial Tablets now shimmered with golden Divine Light, one after another, as Heroic Souls emerged from within, drifting out and revealing themselves.
The ancestors of the Li Family, who had not perished, all revealed their Heroic Souls in this moment.
One by one, these figures of unparalleled grace, who had once been the pride of Jianghu for sixty years, stood tall on their respective Memorial Tablets.
"The Life Wheel has appeared; it seems Qingzhou City has reached its final hour."
"Never did I think I would witness the activation of the Life Wheel in my lifetime."
"Seventeenth Ancestor sacrificed his remnant soul to guide the bloodline not long ago. It seems it’s time for us to pave the final 1st Rank return journey for these children."
"Standing before countless Commoners, we must never allow Commoners to stand before us. Everyone, it’s time for us to act!"
"The Life Wheel has emerged; what are we waiting for? Cloak ourselves in our remnant souls and charge!"
One by one, the Ancestral Heroic Souls of the Li Family surged out, stepping out of the Ancestral Hall that had stood for thousands of years, receiving incense offerings.
Li Qingzheng, standing at the entrance of the Ancestral Hall, watched these determined ancestors head into battle, tears streaming down his face.
"There’s no need for you to guard here anymore."
An ancestor passing by Li Qingzheng spoke calmly, then soared into the sky, heading toward the Divine General Manor.
"Thank you."
Other ancestors, as they passed, also murmured a word of gratitude to Li Qingzheng before stepping out of the Ancestral Hall and flying away.
The passing of each Ancestral Heroic Soul left Li Qingzheng in tears. The burden he had carried for decades was finally lifted, but he found himself unable to stand tall again.
"Fifth Brother, don’t cry. Would you like to join me in one last great battle?"
The remnant soul of Li Family’s Third Patriarch, Li Xuanyin, flew to Li Qingzheng, his eyes gentle.
He appeared as a young man, though he was the older one. Li Qingzheng looked up at this Third Brother, who had died in his youth but still looked spirited and full of vigor. Memories flooded his mind, and he held back his sorrow, wiping away his tears with a look of resignation.
"This time, I can join you!"
Li Xuanyin smiled faintly, and his remnant soul suddenly shimmered with golden light, like a feathered cloak, enveloping Li Qingzheng.
"Brothers together!"
"Unstoppable as a single force!"
Li Qingzheng’s bones crackled as his aged body, which had been seated in the Ancestral Hall for decades, straightened. His white hair still flew in the wind, but his eyes seemed to regain the vitality of his youth, the same eyes that had once brought him renown on the border.
"Let’s go!"
He took a step forward, soaring into the sky from the Ancestral Hall, transforming into a golden streak of light, heading toward the battlefield.
The other Ancestral Heroic Souls who stepped out of the Ancestral Hall bid farewell to the First Ancestor, whose image had appeared on the central Golden Statue, then each flew out of the Ancestral Hall, rushing toward various parts of the Divine General Manor.
Li Tianyuan sat atop the Golden Statue, his eyes devoid of obvious sorrow but filled with an extreme sense of desolation, the pain of witnessing countless bloodlines fall and countless soldiers perish.
He was waiting, waiting for the Li Family bloodline to return, to use their blood to forge bones and his remnant soul as a cloak, to fight one last battle for the descendants of a thousand years.
The other Ancestral Heroic Souls headed toward the various Li Family bloodline members within the Divine General Manor.
Golden streaks of light soared across the sky, and the people in the various courtyards of the Divine General Manor all looked up, stunned.
They had seen the portraits of these ancestors when they paid their respects, and now they recognized every one of them as the remnant souls of the Li Family’s ancestors.
"Ancestors..."
In the various courtyards, He Jianlan, Gao Qingqing, and others all looked up, watching the Ancestral Heroic Souls fly out of the Ancestral Hall, their hearts filled with a profound sense of sorrow.
"Child, are you willing to wear my soul cloak, carry on my path, and slay the Demons?"
A valiant female general’s remnant soul landed before He Jianlan, her brows exuding a fierce spirit, but her eyes gentle as she looked at He Jianlan.
He Jianlan was taken aback and hurriedly tried to bow, but he was held up by a thread of Power from the Heroic Souls.
"Ancestor, but I don't have Li Family blood..."
He Jianlan recognized this as the 32nd-generation Ancestor, a formidable female general who had earned a fearsome reputation on the battlefield over two thousand years ago.
"It’s no matter."
The female general smiled, "Anyone who enters the Li Family is a member of the Li Family."
Hearing this, He Jianlan's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and he nodded vigorously.
The female general's figure flickered, and her body seemed to be engulfed in flames, transforming into a golden light that enveloped her, forming a golden battle skirt.
The remnant soul's Power and Dao Intent then merged with He Jianlan’s Divine Soul, causing the early Three Eternities Realm He Jianlan to suddenly burst with the might of the Dao Mind Realm.
Similar scenes unfolded in the other courtyards.
In Feihua Courtyard, Wang Xiangru stared at the elderly remnant soul before her, her eyes widening and her face turning pale.
"I, I..."
She took a step back.
The elderly remnant soul was taken aback, gazed at her deeply, and then said nothing. Suddenly, he rose into the sky and flew away to another place.
As he passed by Shuihua Courtyard, many ancestral remnant souls noticed the ban outside, indicating that it was a place for imprisoned wrongdoers, and they immediately bypassed it.
In Linglong Courtyard, two golden Heroic Souls sped in and landed in the courtyard.
"Child, are you willing to follow me to the battlefield to slay demons?"
A young man looked at Li Yuanzhao, though he appeared young, his voice was ancient.
Li Yuanzhao was taken aback and timidly replied, "I, I can do it, can I?"
"Do you want to?"
"Of course, I do!"
"Then that’s fine."
The young man smiled slightly and then transformed into Divine Light, enveloping Li Yuanzhao.
A fierce aura surged, and though Li Yuanzhao was only at the Divine Wanderer Realm, he now exuded the power of the Three Eternities Realm.
"Just let your body be mine", the young man whispered. "You might die. Are you afraid?"
Li Yuanzhao's expression changed, and suddenly, he thought of the young man who had always walked ahead of him in his childhood. His eyes flashed with determination. "I’m not afraid!"
"Good!"
The young man's carefree laughter echoed, and he then shot into the sky, heading toward the battlefield.
"Yuanzhao..."
Xiao Yujing stood there, tears streaming down her face. She had many unresolved feelings toward Li Yuanzhao. Although she hadn’t truly invested much emotion in him before, seeing his resolute figure heading to certain death in this moment of life and death for the Li Family, she felt a deep, unacknowledged pain.
"Madam, will you join me in battle?" the elderly man beside her smiled and invited her.
Xiao Yujing looked at him and took a deep breath. "Marrying into the Li Family was a mistake."
The elderly man was taken aback.
"But I don’t regret it", Xiao Yujing said, clenching her teeth.
Her husband had died in battle shortly after their wedding, leaving her with a mix of unspoken resentment toward the Li Family. But now, she could understand a bit of what her husband must have felt when he went to war.
The elderly man gazed at her intently and then softly said, "The Li Family protects the Frontier, earning the respect of the common people, but it has been hard on you and the other women who have married into the Li Family. The Li Family owes you."
With that, he bowed slightly, offering her a respectful salute.
Seeing this gesture from a Li Family Ancestor, Xiao Yujing was taken aback. The years of pent-up resentment in her heart were suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning, and tears streamed down her face as she began to sob uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, some of the more fiery Heroic Souls didn’t wait to seek out members in the courtyards. Some directly rushed out of the Divine General Manor, heading toward the Li Family warriors on the battlefield, while others stood in the sky above the manor, shouting:
"Is there anyone of Li Family blood who wishes to join me in battle unto death?!"
"I will!"
"I will!!"
From the courtyards, figures rushed out, some of them powerful members of the Li Family's secondary lineage.
Then, these figures, now enveloped by the remnant souls, shot toward the battlefield like meteors, rushing to support the Li Family against the surging Demon Tide.
(End of Chapter)
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