Volume 2 - Chapter 24: The Fall of the City and the Rise of Demons
Zhou Haitang was defeated.
Defeated both in body and spirit.
Defeated by the martial arts intent condensed in that single gesture, defeated by the unrivaled strength of the young master who stood like a grandmaster.
Yet, no sooner had Zhou Haitang fallen than another grandmaster stepped onto the Dao Discussion Platform by the roaring waves of Long River, ready to challenge that brilliant youth.
The grandmasters present, much like Zhou Haitang, were stirred by a mixture of admiration and desire. With the exception of Xu Nuo from Boundless Mountain, all were eager to experience the martial intent and power demonstrated by the youth who had consecutively defeated so many of them. They wanted to understand it, pursue it, to glimpse the peak power that transcended their imagination.
Bang!
Bang!
The grandmasters who ascended to the platform were defeated one after another, sent flying off in disarray.
Each exhibited their unique martial arts—blade, sword, spear, staff, fist techniques, and mystical arts. But against the brilliance of that youth, all these martial forms seemed to have counters, and in the end, none could shake him.
With a single gesture, he suppressed all the grandmasters in the world.
Not a single person in the crowd could move his one outstretched finger.
As no more grandmasters dared to step forward, a deathly silence enveloped the scene. The grandmasters, their kin, and the gathered prodigies from the Nineteen Provinces of Great Yu all fell silent as if the entire area had been frozen in time.
Only the imposing Heaven and Earth Avatar remained, cloaked in divine flames, sitting serenely as if a cold-eyed deity surveying mortals.
No one dared ascend the platform. No one could even think of challenging him anymore.
Be it martial intent, physical strength, the vastness of his divine soul, or his overwhelming presence as a grandmaster, the fourteen-year-old youth had reached the pinnacle.
He was truly unmatched.
This challenge, initiated by Qin Wuque, lasted two hours, and throughout the ordeal, the youth never lifted a finger.
It was merely his external divine soul projection that suppressed everyone and even protected the fragile stone chess piece on the board.
To think that with their grandmaster-level power, even a sneeze could shatter that stone piece, yet it suppressed the grandmasters of the world, pinning the esteemed First Buddha’s Son of the Qian Kun Ranking to the ground like a lifeless insect.
Indeed, besides the many grandmasters, no one was more shaken and devastated than Qin Wuque.
For two hours, he watched helplessly as one grandmaster after another took the stage, only to fall in turn. Meanwhile, he remained utterly subdued, unable to mount any resistance.
The youth not only crushed Qin Wuque’s body but shattered his Dao Heart.
Qin Wuque’s once-radiant gaze was now dim. As a peerless prodigy, he had held the top position on the Qian Kun Ranking for three years, invincible. At nineteen, he had ascended to the pinnacle of grandmasterdom. For context, Li Tiangang of the Li Family’s Divine General Mansion—now a globally renowned Marquis Xingwu—had only stepped into the Heaven and Man Realm at the age of nineteen.
In other words, Qin Wuque’s talent was equivalent to his.
If nothing unexpected had occurred, Qin Wuque would have risen to the peak in the future, earning worldwide renown, veneration, and the right to sit atop a lotus platform like a revered Bodhisattva, worshipped by millions.
But now, his Dao Heart had been shattered.
...
The sun had set, and the light of dusk bathed the faces of everyone outside the Dao Discussion Platform, as if gilding them with a layer of sorrowful golden paper.
This was not just the twilight of the heavens and earth; it was the twilight of the grandmasters present.
From today onward, a legend that would surpass the ages would rise.
A youth soaring with the wind, at the age of fourteen, suppressed all the grandmasters with a single finger!
Everyone understood that from today onward, that name on the Qian Kun Ranking would shine as a radiant sun, overshadowing all the prodigies of Great Yu for the next eight years.
A record that no one could break.
The middle-aged Arhat, his face ashen, looked on with a mix of shock, rage, terror, and dread.
The youth not only cultivated at an unimaginable speed but also possessed incomprehensible combat power and martial intent. Such talent was akin to that of a reincarnated saint, beyond compare.
Given time, within ten years, he might rival even those in the Fourth Pillar Realm.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his inner fury, the middle-aged Arhat solemnly said:
“Benefactor, no one can discuss the Dao with you anymore. Surely, you should let him go now?”
Li Hao replied indifferently, “I said he must admit it to me personally. Otherwise, how would I know if he has truly submitted? He might still have cards to play. You should give him the chance to fight back; don’t hinder him.”
Even with thirty years of cultivation to temper his nature, the Arhat nearly spat blood in anger at these words.
Even Buddha might lose his temper.
Hinder him? Are you kidding me?!
Qin Wuque was on the verge of losing consciousness, his Dao Heart utterly shattered, yet Li Hao refused to relent.
To admit defeat aloud?
That was Qin Wuque’s last remaining sliver of dignity. If he lost that, he would live forever in Li Hao’s shadow.
The middle-aged Arhat gritted his teeth, suppressing his fury. “Young Master Li, to spare others is to spare yourself. Do you truly wish to make an enemy of Boundless Mountain?”
Li Hao sneered inwardly. Hadn’t they already become enemies long ago? Of course, such things could not be stated openly. Calmly, he said,
“Senior, you exaggerate. This is merely a friendly Dao discussion. How can it be considered a grudge? He was the one who challenged me. If he wants to end it, he must say so himself. If you seek justice, why didn’t you speak up when he challenged me before?”
“Using the title of First on the Qian Kun Ranking to challenge me, ranked fifth, was clearly bullying. Why didn’t you say anything then?”
The middle-aged Arhat was momentarily speechless, his heart fuming. He glanced at the nearby Tianji Hermit, known for Tianji Tower’s unmatched foresight and ability to see through any scheme.
Yet this youth, who had already made a name for himself in Qingzhou with his Fifteen Li Boundary cultivation, had remained unnoticed until he displayed his monstrous potential.
It was only after his famous battle that people realized there existed such a prodigy. The world assumed the battle against his father had been rigged, with his father holding back, which placed Li Hao as fifth on the ranking.
But today, the power Li Hao displayed suggested otherwise. If he unleashed his full strength, he might have been capable of contending against someone in the Three Immortals Realm. After all, when Li Tiangang had broken his heart oath and suffered severe injuries, his realm had declined, making him less invincible than during his campaigns in Yanbei.
For the Tianji Hermit, it was unimaginable to misjudge a figure like this. Such an oversight wasn’t just negligence—it endangered others.
Noticing the Arhat’s seething gaze, the Tianji Hermit snapped out of his reverie, his expression turning sheepish. He stepped forward to mediate but was interrupted by a deafening explosion from afar.
The sound shook heaven and earth as if a meteor had crashed into the ground.
Everyone, including Li Hao, turned toward the direction of the commotion. They saw a dazzling array of purple runes flashing on the distant city walls. Yet, in an instant, the runes flickered out as if consumed by fire.
At the same time, a massive arrow tower and a watchtower atop the city crumbled with a thunderous crash.
Those present were stunned, their expressions quickly shifting to alarm as they realized what had happened. The protective city array—designed to guard Dayue City—had been breached!
This array, known as the Protective Divine Array, was formidable enough that even a grandmaster of the Heaven and Man Realm, using the array’s power, could hold off a Three Immortals Realm Demon leading a horde for half a day. Such time would suffice to summon reinforcements.
But now, the array had been broken before it could even be activated, implying an internal breach.
The culprits could only be humans or infiltrating demons already within the city.
...
Before the crowd could recover from the shock, two more arrow towers crumbled in succession. From one of them, two shadows burst out. One darted straight toward the city wall, slamming into it with a heavy thud, while the other—a towering figure clad in a long robe—chased after and grabbed the first shadow by the head, crushing it with a sickening crunch.
Li Hao, with his enhanced vision from cultivating the Mingyu True Demon Technique, saw everything clearly, even at a distance of more than ten miles. He could even discern the cracks between the bricks of the city wall.
The figure whose head had been crushed wore the broken armor of a city guard commander.
As for the pursuer, his robe billowed to reveal a massive, crimson-muscled body covered in thick fur, with two sharp horns protruding from his head—a demon!
And judging from the fiery, furnace-like aura radiating from him, this was no ordinary demon. He was a Three Immortals Realm Demon, whose power far exceeded that of the Heaven and Man Realm.
Such a demon didn’t even need to fully assume human form to crush a grandmaster of the Heaven and Man Realm with ease.
“It’s a demon!”
“A demon has infiltrated the city!”
Li Hao wasn’t the only one who had witnessed the scene. Many grandmasters present, utilizing their divine souls, had seen it as well. Gasps of horror echoed around the Dao Discussion Platform.
A commotion broke out as the realization dawned that a demon had attacked Dayue City, a key stronghold in the northwest, far from the border.
“It’s a Three Immortals Realm Demon!”
The middle-aged Arhat, Wen Tian’en, immediately turned grave. The presence of such a demon, along with the destruction of the protective array, hinted at something far more dangerous.
He exchanged a look with the Tianji Hermit. Both sensed a growing crisis.
The Liang Province border had been increasingly unstable, a fact both the Li Family and Tianji Tower had recently uncovered. Before departing for the Dao Discussion, Wen Tian’en’s master—a revered Bodhisattva—had cautioned him to tread carefully and avoid lingering near the border.
Yet, no one had anticipated the audacity of the demons to infiltrate and attack the city directly. And from the looks of it, their goal might be to breach the entire city.
“Damn it! I can see a horde of demons outside the city walls!”
A grandmaster cried out.
Some grandmasters had already unleashed their divine souls, observing the surrounding areas and sensing activity outside the city.
Dayue City, situated on a wide plain with no natural barriers, allowed a clear view of anything approaching. At the horizon, a black tide surged forward like a rolling storm.
“This is a premeditated demon assault! Quickly, contact the City Lord’s Mansion!”
“Damn it, the protective array is gone! How are we supposed to defend the city?”
“What’s there to fear? The demons picked the wrong time to attack. With all the grandmasters gathered here, they’ve hit an iron wall!”
“Everyone, the demons approach! As martial artists, it is our duty to slay them! Who will join me in the fight?”
Though the grandmasters were taken aback, their fear quickly turned into determination. The sheer number of grandmasters present ensured they had the strength to confront the situation.
...
As voices of determination rose, the final remaining cannon tower on the eastern city wall exploded into rubble. From within the debris, a gray-robed figure flew into the air, briefly glancing toward the Dao Discussion Platform.
Even from ten miles away, this single glance made Wen Tian’en and the Tianji Hermit freeze, their bodies overcome with chilling fear.
The glance alone carried a deathly aura so terrifying that they felt as if the shadow of death loomed over them.
The next moment, distant screams erupted within the city as the massive figure from before revealed his true form—a colossal Bull Demon.
Towering over the city, the Bull Demon rampaged through the streets, his movements obliterating buildings. Opening his maw, he unleashed a vortex of demonic wind, sucking fleeing citizens into his jaws. A single gulp devoured dozens, their blood spraying like the juice of crushed fruit.
“Delicious!”
The Bull Demon roared with laughter, charging forward once more.
The sight filled everyone with rage. Lin Qingfeng, one of those previously defeated by Li Hao, swallowed a pill that rapidly healed his injured arm.
Stepping forward, he exuded the immense power of a grandmaster at the peak of his cultivation, ready to face the Three Immortals Realm Bull Demon in an attempt to halt its advance.
But just as he took his first step, a shadow was suddenly hurled from the far horizon. It streaked through the air and crashed into the Dao Discussion Platform, embedding itself deep into the stone with a loud thud.
The dust settled, revealing the broken body of a man clad in shattered armor, his eyes lifeless and his skull cracked open.
The Tianji Hermit’s face turned pale. The man was none other than the City Lord of Dayue City!
With a deafening crash, the ground trembled violently as two figures descended from the sky, landing in front of the crowd and forming massive craters.
As the dust swirled and settled, one figure waved a hand, clearing the air. A towering, robust figure stepped forward, his appearance commanding awe.
His face was strikingly handsome, but his cheeks were covered in thick fur, and his purple eyes gleamed with a wicked light. His gaze swept across the crowd and paused momentarily on the Heaven and Earth Avatar of Li Hao.
“What an exquisite aroma...”
Draped in a purple-gold robe exuding nobility, the figure stood still, exuding an air of supremacy.
Behind him followed a gray-robed elder, whose serene smile belied his indifference toward the crowd.
“Two Three Immortals Realm Demons!”
The grandmasters felt a wave of terror. The oppressive aura radiating from the two demons instilled an instinctive dread, even in these seasoned warriors.
Though the crowd consisted of some of the strongest martial artists in the world, the presence of two demons of this level was enough to make them falter.
Even so, their numbers gave them courage. With both Wen Tian’en and the Tianji Hermit present, they were not entirely at a disadvantage.
...
The Heaven and Earth Avatar, which had been pressing its finger against Qin Wuque this entire time, finally withdrew its hand. At the same moment, the chess piece in its grasp glowed brightly and shot forward like a meteor, aimed directly at the purple-robed demon youth, tearing through his overwhelming aura of demonic power.