Chapter 477: A Million Immortal Merits, Heaven Master's Summon
Chapter 477: A Million Immortal Merits, Heaven Master's Summon
"Killed two Ninth Rank True Immortal Realm ancient demons, five Eighth Rank, and nine Seventh Rank..."
In the courtyard, Shi Tianjin sat at the head of the table, tallying his immortal merits. When he finished, a satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he said:
"Finally, I don't have to stay in the Wildfire Army training new recruits anymore. With the accumulated immortal merits from before, I now have a total of two hundred thousand. With my Tenth Rank True Immortal Realm cultivation, I can apply to join the Peacock Army!"
Hearing his words, the veterans all looked envious and offered their congratulations.
Joining the Peacock Army meant that, during leave, one's status could rival that of an Elder (Immortal Lord Realm) in the Tiansi Sect.
After all, the Peacock Army represented the Imperial Clan of the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, an untouchable force. Even an Elder from the Tiansi Sect, who might be one realm higher in cultivation, would have to show some respect.
Furthermore, if one were to arrange a marriage, the spouse would at least be from a direct lineage of a ten-thousand-year Noble Family or the daughter of a city or county governor in the various Immortal Cities.
The other new recruits were a bit slower to react, but seeing the veterans fawning and flattering, they quickly followed suit, offering their own congratulations.
In the cultivation world, it was both a solitary struggle and a world of human relationships. This was true for both sects and imperial dynasties.
"Xiao Qi, what about you? You must have killed quite a few, right?"
Shi Tianjin looked at the young man sitting beside him.
Although this youth was a new recruit, it was thanks to him that their war camp managed to hunt down so many ancient demons. Otherwise, Shi Tianjin's immortal merits might have been reduced by ten to twenty thousand.
"Um, over a hundred thousand."
Hu Xiaochi nodded, but his expression remained relatively calm.
"A hundred thousand immortal merits, plus your cultivation, are enough to join the Tiger Lion Army. If you keep working hard, you might even make it to the Peacock Army!"
Shi Tianjin laughed heartily, patting Hu Xiaochi on the shoulder. Over the past few months, he had come to see Hu Xiaochi as an important resource and had been friendly to him. Their relationship had grown to the point where they could be considered friends.
The others looked at Hu Xiaochi with envy. To have earned so many immortal merits upon arrival, they had seen the treasures in the immortal merit exchange vaults. A hundred thousand immortal merits could be exchanged for a significant amount of cultivation resources.
However, Hu Xiaochi didn't feel particularly elated by Shi Tianjin's words. He hadn't come here to join the Peacock Army; he had come to hone his skills and prepare for the Southern Domain Battle in ten years.
Of course, if he could earn immortal merits and achieve a higher rank in the military, that would be a good path as well.
But at this moment, he couldn't help but think of a certain figure.
If he were still here...
Knock, knock.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Everyone turned to look at the courtyard gate, where they saw a young man standing, gently knocking and then slowly walking in.
"Chong Er?"
Seeing Li Hao's face, everyone was stunned, their eyes wide with shock.
Shi Tianjin, who had been sprawled out in his chair, leaped to his feet. After a moment of stunned silence, he quickly put on a smile and hurried over, saying:
"Chong Er, you're back! That's great. We've been worried sick about you these past few months, thinking you might have met with some misfortune!"
Li Hao ignored the enthusiastic look on Shi Tianjin's face and nodded to Hu Xiaochi, who was also present.
Over the past few months, Hu Xiaochi's aura had become noticeably more stable, exuding a sharp and formidable presence.
Seeing Li Hao, Hu Xiaochi was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. He flashed to Li Hao's side and couldn't help but ask:
"Where have you been these past few months? I thought you might have been too reckless and caught the attention of one of the ancient demon commanders!"
Being too conspicuous on the battlefield could result in being targeted and killed by the enemy's main force. This was one reason why prodigies were hesitant to step onto the battlefield; unexpected dangers were always a possibility.
Li Hao smiled and said, "A few small mishaps, but overall, I'm fine."
Shi Tianjin, seeing that Li Hao had ignored him, felt a bit embarrassed. When Li Hao first arrived, he had also ignored the Third Tier True Immortal youth, treating him as if he were already dead. Now, being ignored in return, he could only look away awkwardly.
"Thank you for saving us earlier. We haven't had the chance to properly thank you yet. Come, come, sit down."
Shi Tianjin warmly invited Li Hao, hiding his dissatisfaction and hoping to cultivate Li Hao as a valuable connection.
Li Hao didn't refuse and sat down, noticing that the number of people in the courtyard had clearly decreased by half. He hadn't even recognized some of those who were missing, a harsh reminder of the cruelty of the border wars.
"These past few months, with Chong Er's strength, you must have accumulated a significant amount of immortal merit, probably several hundred thousand!"
Shi Tianjin chuckled, pouring tea and offering it to Li Hao.
Li Hao lightly tapped the table in thanks but didn't drink, instead looking at Hu Xiaochi, "And you?"
"I can't compare to you."
Hu Xiaochi shook his head, his eyes complex as he looked at Li Hao. The initial excitement and surprise had faded, but he couldn't help but recall Li Hao's formidable strength when he saved them. He whispered, "Is your cultivation realm that of a Heavenly Palace Disciple?"
Li Hao shook his head, thinking of the Southern Domain Battle, "You'll find out at the Southern Domain Battle."
Hu Xiaochi couldn't help but smile bitterly, remembering how he had given the same response when a young man had asked him the same question.
Seeing that Li Hao had no intention of forming a connection, Shi Tianjin's eyes flashed with annoyance, but he forced a smile, "Chong Er, with your talent, I can recommend you to the Demon Suppression Bureau. I have a brother there who serves as a Demon Suppression Guard."
Hearing this, the others looked at Shi Tianjin in surprise, not expecting him to have connections in the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Shi Tianjin's lips curled into a slight smile. Since Li Hao wasn't interested in him, he had to play the Demon Suppression Bureau card.
Although the brother he mentioned was only an acquaintance, who would know?
Li Hao's eyes flickered, "A Demon Suppression Guard? The eldest senior brother, Ji Qingxuan, seemed to be one."
"How about it?"
Shi Tianjin asked, feeling smug.
Li Hao shook his head, "Not interested."
Shi Tianjin was taken aback, a hint of embarrassment appearing on his face, though he felt somewhat resentful.
Hu Xiaochi shook his head in understanding, knowing that with Li Hao's talent, he wouldn't be swayed by the Demon Suppression Bureau. Besides, if Li Hao really wanted to join, there were other ways. He changed the subject, "How much immortal merit do you have?"
"I haven't counted yet."
Li Hao picked up his identity token, "Let me check."
He sent a thread of divine sense into the token, starting to tally his immortal merit.
Shi Tianjin's eyes showed a mix of envy and anger. If he had known Li Hao was so powerful, he wouldn't have agreed to Li Hao's request to act alone. If Li Hao had been part of the war camp, they would have had to share the immortal merit, and Shi Tianjin could have gotten half of it for free.
With Li Hao's cultivation, if he had been diligent, he could have accumulated hundreds of thousands of immortal merit over a few months!
The thought made Shi Tianjin's heart ache.
The others watched Li Hao count his immortal merit, pausing their own activities and looking at him with curiosity.
After a while,
Li Hao's divine sense finished tallying the ancient demon marrow absorbed by the token, and the final amount of immortal merit surprised even him.
"How much?"
Shi Tianjin, seeing Li Hao put down the token, couldn't help but ask first.
Li Hao noticed Hu Xiaochi's curious gaze and replied, "1.37 million immortal merit."
Silence fell.
The courtyard seemed to freeze, devoid of any sound.
A leaf drifted by, breaking the stillness. Shi Tianjin's eyes nearly bulged out as he exclaimed, "How much?!"
Hu Xiaochi was also stunned, his mouth agape, staring at Li Hao in disbelief.
He had started by hunting ancient demons with Shi Tianjin and later chose to act alone, accumulating only a hundred thousand immortal merit. And Li Hao had... 1.37 million?!
How many ancient demons must one kill to accumulate so much immortal merit?
In this perilous battlefield, if we were to consider cultivation alone, a True Immortal Tenth Rank could easily sweep through a True Immortal First Rank ancient demon, steadily accumulating immortal merit.
However, that's not how things actually work. First, ancient demons form large formations, such as the Peacock Army's Original Form Immortal Array, which is capable of transcending realms in battle.
Moreover, when a presence that can disrupt the battle appears, there will be an equivalent, or even stronger, presence to suppress and eliminate it. While killing ancient demons isn't difficult, surviving while doing so is incredibly challenging!
For Li Hao to have accumulated 1.37 million immortal merit and still return alive is truly terrifying!
"This much immortal merit, wouldn't it be enough to apply to join the Chu Immortal Army?"
"How many ancient demons must he have killed? Were those ancient demons just lying there for him to kill?"
The others also looked at Li Hao in shock, finding it hard to believe.
With just one deployment, this new recruit seemed to have entered a completely different world from them.
Shi Tianjin also came to his senses, staring at Li Hao's face to confirm that the young man wasn't lying. His eyes reddened; if he hadn't agreed to let Li Hao leave, he could have directly obtained nearly 700,000 immortal merit for free!
Such a vast amount of immortal merit would have been enough to get him into the Dragon Battle Army, and he could have exchanged it for a full set of Immortal Weapons and Immortal Armor, significantly boosting his combat power!
His breathing became heavy, and he felt a tightness in his throat, his heart filled with regret.
As everyone was in shock, two sounds of something breaking through the air suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.
Shortly after, the courtyard gate was knocked on again.
Two young men dressed in black robes and wearing black pointed helmets stood at the courtyard gate, their eyes sweeping the area, their gazes filled with scorn and a cold, lethal aura. They said coldly:
"Who is Chong Er?"
Li Hao turned around with the others. When he saw the two men's attire, Shi Tianjin's heart skipped a beat, and his face changed.
"Suppressor Guards!"
"Why would the Suppressor Guards come here?"
"Could it be that Commander Shi just mentioned introducing him? But this is too quick..."
The crowd couldn't help but look at Shi Tianjin, then at Li Hao, feeling somewhat alarmed.
Shi Tianjin's heart pounded, as he hadn't even informed that "brother" yet.
"It's me. Who are you?"
Li Hao stood up, frowning at the two Suppressor Guards, sensing that their arrival didn't seem to be a good thing.
However, as soon as Li Hao stood up, the coldness and lethal aura in the two young men's eyes dissipated, and they smiled, bowing slightly.
"Mr. Chong Er, we are here by the order of the Heaven Master to summon you. Please follow us to meet the Heaven Master."
Li Hao was slightly stunned, immediately thinking of what Mi Xueyao had said when they parted ways.
Could this Heaven Master be the old man who was battling the Di Jiang Clan King Realm on the battlefield?
Why would he summon me?
Li Hao's thoughts raced, but he couldn't figure it out. Could it be that he and Mi Xueyao were seen together and suspected of being spies?
However, he had nothing to hide and wasn't afraid, unless they acted without reason.
"Alright."
Li Hao agreed and stepped forward to meet the two men.
Shi Tianjin and the others were stunned. Even Hu Xiaochi's face changed. The Heaven Master, in the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty, was almost universally known, being just below the four Great Demon Suppressors in the Demon Suppression Bureau!
"Let's go."
The two young Suppressor Guards nodded, turned, and led the way.
Li Hao followed them.
Shi Tianjin and the others looked at each other, thinking of Li Hao's million immortal merit. It was clear that this trip to the Suppressor Guards would likely be a good thing.
Shi Tianjin's face felt hot, and he quietly clenched his fists. He had just said he would introduce Li Hao to a Suppressor Guard brother and help him get a recommendation, but now the other party had received a summons from the Heaven Master. The difference in status was immeasurable.
Qinghe Moe City, Commander's Manor.
This mansion stands at the heart of the vast Mourning River, like a towering mountain. A massive Heavenly Gate rises, guarded by Demon Suppression Guards and Dragon Battle Army soldiers.
Standing atop the Commander's Manor Heavenly Gate, one can see signals from the various city sectors and the flying immortal merit boards throughout the city.
At this moment, inside the Star Sea Hall of the Commander's Manor.
The floor of the hall is a darkened miniature representation of a star domain, with faint, grain-like lights scattered throughout. These are the Immortal Arrays hidden within the star domain, which amplify the Divine Sense to cover half the battlefield.
In the star domain representation, countless lights flicker, and Immortal Techniques explode.
But these are just miniature representations, appearing extremely small and weak, like fireworks. In the actual combat arena, they are terrifying attacks capable of shaking the heavens and the earth.
Seated in the main seat is an elderly man with snow-white temples, his eyes slightly lowered as if closed, but with a narrow slit through which he gazes down at the star domain representation.
Surrounded by Immortal Power, the phantom of an Immortal Kingdom emerges, with various phenomena manifesting around him.
Under the influence of his Immortal Kingdom, he begins to review the battlefield that has been ongoing for months.
"This attack by the ancient demons was indeed aimed at us."
Beside him, a Silver-haired Black-helmeted Youth gazes at the replayed battlefield, now able to see the various subtle moves made by the ancient demons.
"Outwardly, they made two loud noises, but in reality, they hid a King Realm. If it weren't for the advance notice from the Heaven Master, we might have already perished", a Heterochromic Woman with Double Pupils says solemnly.
The old man's hand gently moves, and the star domain representation changes. He speaks softly:
"The Southern Domain Battle is about to begin. These sect disciples are hunting ancient demons with increasing effort. This will lead to a re-ranking of the sects and a redistribution of resources. It's not just about the rankings of the Southern Domain Battle disciples; it also combines immortal merit. The emperor's strategy is brilliant, using resource integration to encourage each sect to voluntarily join the battlefield and slay demons!"
"You're right. These sects usually live in luxury, hoarding resources from all over. It's time they contribute something on the battlefield", the Silver-haired Black-helmeted Youth nods in agreement.
"Without the efforts of these sect disciples, the Tiger Lion Army would likely suffer more casualties."
The Heterochromic Woman with Double Pupils looks at the star domain representation, where several Heavenly Sect disciples are locked in fierce combat with ancient demons.
The old man waves his hand slightly, and the battlefield rotates. A smile appears at the corner of his mouth as he says, "These are not surprising. What's more interesting is this one. Do you still remember this young man?"
As the star domain representation rotates, a small figure is seen fighting and weaving between various war camps and ancient demons in the second defensive line.
The Heterochromic Woman with Double Pupils glances at it and whispers, "Of course I remember."
This is the young man whom the Heaven Master praised a few months ago. She would not forget him.
"What's so special about this young man?"
Beside them, a tall, middle-aged man in black dragon robes, sitting in a large stone chair with black dragon qi swirling around him, asks in surprise. The gathering of Immortal Dao power makes him resemble a Supreme Sage of the Nine Dragons.
The old man smiles but does not speak. Instead, he moves his hand, and the General Star domain representation shifts to the final battle. He says:
"Without this young man, King Zhao, your Peacock Army would have been annihilated. And if the Peacock Army had fallen, these areas, these areas, and these several areas would have been affected. When I repelled Di Qiu, the chain reaction of casualties here would have been significant. You can see for yourselves..."
(End of Chapter)
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