Chapter 293: Mourning River Upgrade
Chapter 293: Mourning River Upgrade
Wang Yongzhi almost blurted out in a strangled voice, the echo reverberating through the quiet mountain interior.
The many Wang Family nobles who had followed them in were taken aback, and then they felt as if a string in their hearts had been tugged, causing their hearts to race.
Chong Er?
This name was even more renowned to the Wang Family than General Haotian's fame!
They all looked at Li Hao in astonishment, their gazes focusing on the Gold Paper.
The Gold Paper, though only the size of a palm, was easily readable by the highly cultivated individuals present. Even a fly a kilometer away would be visible, let alone a Gold Paper right in front of them.
Name: Chong Er
Virtue: 100100...
Their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. It was really him!
Chong Er, Li Hao was actually Chong Er?!
They gaped at Li Hao, their mouths slightly agape in shock.
They had never imagined that this incredibly mysterious Chong Er, who didn't even bother to claim the title of Divine General bestowed by His Majesty, was actually the same Li Hao who had caused so much turmoil!
But soon, as if a beam of Spirit Light had pierced their minds, everyone felt a sudden clarity.
Oh... So that's it, no wonder!
During the Liangzhou Eruption, Li Hao had single-handedly attracted three Great Demon Kings and was forced into the Mourning River beyond the border.
That Mourning River was also recorded in the Wang Family archives: Dragon City Mourning River, Yudu Grade, difficulty: top tier.
Clearly, Li Hao's safe return from it wasn't because he was from the Li Family and protected by the Heroic Souls' lingering will, but because he had completed the Mourning River!
The timeline matched up.
"It really is you..."
Wang Yongzhi snapped back to his senses, looking at Li Hao with a surprised expression.
When the Virtue Treasure Vault opened and the name 'Chong Er' echoed throughout Dayu, they hadn't suspected Li Hao. Not only had Li Hao not shown himself, but the difficulty of the Dragon City Mourning River was also extremely high.
After the Wang Family sacrificed a Lieutenant General in the Dragon City Mourning River and failed to conquer it, they reported to His Majesty, who reluctantly ceded the territory where the Mourning River extended, placing it outside their borders. They hadn't paid much attention to that Mourning River since then.
However, in the records, that Mourning River was among the top five most difficult of the dozens of Yudu Grade Deceased Rivers the Wang Family had explored.
The fact that it had forced them to cede territory indicated how insurmountable it was.
Even the Blade Saint Li Xiaoran, after many attempts, had failed to complete it. They had suspected Li Hao, but eventually dismissed the idea.
After all, at the time, Li Hao had been pursued by the Tai Xu Sovereign, and entering the Mourning River would have only increased the difficulty, making it even more impossible to complete.
But now, the impossible had become possible.
And the evidence was irrefutable. The information on the Gold Paper about the Mourning River couldn't be wrong. They didn't know of any power that could influence the Mourning River, unless it was something like the strange item brought out by this Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, which could have some effect on the Mourning River.
"I knew it was him! When we discussed it, I said it was him. Who denied me? Step forward!"
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted out, a middle-aged man, his face full of excitement.
But another person beside him nudged him with an elbow and nodded toward the front. "It was Patriarch and Uncle Zhenfeng."
"..."
Two pairs of cold eyes scanned over, and the middle-aged man immediately fell silent. In the sweltering summer heat, he suddenly felt a chill, his back breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Um, it's a bit crowded here. I'll go outside to cool off."
The middle-aged man said grudgingly.
His words were unconvincing in the spacious mountain hall, but no one said anything.
He bowed to Li Hao. "Congratulations, General Haotian, no, I mean, Divine General Haotian. Congratulations..."
With that, he really did go outside to cool off.
The others, hearing his words, felt a mix of shock and complexity on their faces.
Yes, Divine General... The young man before them was no longer just a General but a Divine General, on par with the Ancestors of the Five Divine General Manors!
He had single-handedly ushered in the era of the Virtue Treasure Vault and had turned the tide, saving three states!
Two world-shaking achievements gathered in one person—hard to imagine what kind of uproar it will cause when Li Hao's Chong Er identity is revealed to the outside world!
In the crowd, Wang Zhenping's weathered face showed a trace of astonishment.
He stared at the Gold Paper, squinting his eyes, examining it over and over again to confirm he wasn't mistaken.
Instantly, he recalled the words spoken in the main hall just now, and his face felt a burning pain.
Experience and intellect? The Wang Family's experience in the Mourning River is indeed rich, with many secrets unknown to outsiders, such as the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha.
But these secrets are fine to show off to others, but discussing them with the top-ranked person on the Merit Board is a bit absurd and self-deprecating.
"Divine General?"
Li Hao was a bit puzzled by the middle-aged man's words. The man was of the same generation as Wang Yongzhi and shouldn't be speaking nonsense.
"You don't know?"
Wang Yongzhi looked at Li Hao in surprise, then suddenly realized:
"No wonder you didn't go to the imperial court to claim your reward. His Majesty said he would bestow upon you the title of Divine General, as the impact of opening the Virtue Treasure Vault is far-reaching, with profound implications for the future of Dayu. It not only helps us clear the Mourning River but also raises the Martial Artist Limit, benefiting generations to come."
Li Hao blinked. Bestow him the title of Divine General?
If that's the case, why didn't he know about it?
However, he had just returned, so this news might already be old. Besides, no one knew his true identity.
"Besides the title of Divine General, are there any other rewards?" Li Hao asked curiously.
Wang Yongzhi was taken aback, then said, "There might be... I'm not sure what exactly. You'll have to see His Majesty to find out."
Alright... Li Hao nodded, then looked at the illusory map floating above the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, with streams of golden light points.
"Which one should I choose?"
Wang Yongzhi snapped back to reality, looked at the map, and suddenly thought of something, smiling:
"I just remembered, I have some free time. I'll go with you."
"Me too, Patriarch. I'm free, I can help."
"I miss Uncle Zhengdong. I haven't seen him in a long time, I want to visit him."
The others also quickly chimed in, except for the two elders, Wang Zhenfeng and Wang Zhenping, who remained silent.
But Wang Zhenfeng wore a broad smile, amused by the usually serious fellows now acting silly.
Wang Zhenping, however, remained silent, clearly deeply affected.
"You guys..."
Wang Yongzhi glared at them, then turned to Li Hao, "Hao Tian Divine General, do you mind?"
"No."
Li Hao shook his head slightly.
Wang Yongzhi breathed a sigh of relief, then a Gold Paper appeared in his palm, filled with detailed records of his battles and the destruction of various Mourning Rivers.
Li Hao glanced at it. Although the Virtue points were only a little over five thousand, far less than his own, the number of events he participated in was significant, with the Virtue points accumulating bit by bit.
The others also pulled out their Gold Papers, and Wang Yongzhi pointed to the Golden Light on the map for Li Hao:
"Here, use your Divine Sense."
Li Hao followed his instructions, and soon his consciousness was drawn into the Golden Light.
He instinctively covered his body with his Dao Domain, feeling his body float as the Golden Light transported him to another world.
The sensation of rapid movement faded, and Li Hao found himself in a dilapidated small town.
The small town was eerily quiet, with wine flags fluttering, and the buildings on both sides of the street were in ruins.
Bodies, charred and motionless, lay on the roadside, their backs to Li Hao. A mournful cold wind blew, making the entire town feel dead and eerie.
Soon, Golden Light appeared around Li Hao, and Wang Yongzhi and the others entered the Mourning River one by one.
"Is this the place?"
Li Hao asked.
Wang Yongzhi glanced around and nodded, "Yes, this is the Mourning River. I'll check where Uncle Zhengdong is."
As he spoke, his Divine Soul suddenly emerged from his feet and dove into the ground. But soon, it shot back up, and he looked surprised:
"What's going on? The Rule Power in this Mourning River seems to have increased."
In the Nether Realm's Mourning River, there were already basic rules.
Before entering, Wang Yongzhi had already briefed Li Hao on the information about this particular Mourning River.
Rule: Reversed Limbs.
In simple terms, if you want to use your feet, you have to think about using your hands, treating your hands as feet and your feet as hands to maintain normal movement.
However, this is only the Nether Realm Mourning River, and the constraints of the rules are not too strong, limited to the body. But now, Wang Yongzhi discovered that even his Divine Soul was affected.
He clearly wanted his Divine Soul to rise into the air, but it ended up diving underground instead.
"Hmm?"
Li Hao frowned slightly. Old Feng's residual soul was here, and he did not want any unexpected incidents.
"Everyone be careful. Something seems to be changing here."
Wang Yongzhi's face was tense, his eyes filled with gravity. Based on past experiences, when the Mourning River changes, it's rarely for the better.
Soon, his Divine Soul rose into the air, and he found a figure at the edge of the Small Town. He immediately said, "I found Uncle Zhengdong. Follow me."
As he spoke, his body seemed to pause, then he took a step backward before realizing what was happening and slowly moved forward, his limbs somewhat uncoordinated.
The others, though mentally prepared, still found themselves taking a collective step backward at first.
"Not just the rule of reversed limbs, it seems everything is reversed. To move forward, you have to step backward!"
Wang Yongzhi quickly reminded them.
The others had already caught on, their faces growing serious. The rules of the Mourning River had intensified, which likely indicated a significant change, possibly an upgrade of the Mourning River!
Could it be that this Nether Realm Mourning River was about to transform into a Yudu-grade one?
After a brief moment of stiffness, they gradually adapted, but could only move with great difficulty. In a heated confrontation, they would quickly become flustered, their normal thinking patterns interfering.
Seeing their struggle to walk, Li Hao directly extended his Dao Domain, enveloping them all.
They began to move backward again, taking a few steps before realizing what was happening.
"I'll take you all there."
Li Hao said.
His expression was grave. His Divine Sense already covered the entire Small Town, and he had seen the person Wang Yongzhi mentioned, Wang Zhendong. However, what concerned him more was the dark, black rift outside the Small Town, slowly advancing toward it.
His Divine Sense could not penetrate that darkness, and as it approached, he felt a bone-chilling cold, instinctively sensing danger.
"Dao Domain..."
Feeling the extension of Li Hao's Dao Domain, the Wang Family members were somewhat envious. This was the power of a Great Peace Dao Realm, unreasonable and overwhelming.
All rules were nullified.
Soon, Li Hao led them to the edge of the Small Town.
Four figures were sitting there: a robust old man with a chiseled face and steely eyes, accompanied by three others—a young man, a young woman, and a middle-aged man.
"Uncle Zhengdong."
Wang Yongzhi's attitude became very respectful as he addressed the old man, who was a pillar of the Wang Family.
The old man's face was sharp and stern. "Why are there so many of you here?"
"Uncle Zhengdong, what's going on here?"
Wang Yongzhi quickly asked, not daring to joke in the Mourning River.
"This Mourning River is about to be merged!"
Wang Zhendong's face was grim as he stared at them. He had noticed their arrival when they first came to the Small Town. His voice was stern:
"Who allowed you all to come in? Don't you know the rules?"
Wang Yongzhi and the others' faces changed, rarely seeing Uncle Zhengdong so serious.
"Merge? Has it collided with a Yudu-grade Mourning River?" Wang Yongzhi couldn't help but ask. "But there are no other Mourning Rivers near this one."
"It extended here not long ago, not a Mourning River visible in the mortal world..."
Wang Zhendong's eyes slowly scanned them. "It's a Hell-grade Mourning River!"
Hell-grade Mourning River!
As the words were spoken, Wang Yongzhi and the others felt their hearts thud heavily, their faces pale with shock.
A Hell-grade Mourning River? The most terrifying of all, even a Great Peace Dao Realm could potentially perish in it, the highest level and a taboo.
This Nether Realm Mourning River had collided with a Hell-grade Mourning River and was about to be merged. No wonder the rules here had intensified so much!
Wang Yongzhi felt his hair stand on end, and the others who had followed him in also trembled, their bodies shaking.
As members of the Wang Family, they knew all too well how terrifying a Hell-grade Mourning River was. It was named such because once you touched it, you were almost certain to die, falling into eternal hell!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
