Volume 2 - Chapter 64: The Sword Calls Forth a Wolfish Smoke
Li Hao spoke, relaying the secret details of his battle banners to her through sound transmission.
Li Hongzhuang paused in slight astonishment. When she heard his words, she froze for a moment. The battle banners contained Li Hao's sword techniques?
This was a domain akin to the art of inscribing formations—something only the Si Tianjian could achieve. How had Li Hao managed it?
She looked at Li Hao in confusion and asked through sound transmission.
However, Li Hao didn’t explain. He only said, “There’s no time left. Senior Hongzhuang, if you plan to assist, you should leave immediately. I’ll give you fifty battle banners!”
Li Hongzhuang quickly realized the urgency. Now wasn’t the time to delve into Li Hao’s mysteries. This nephew of hers carried too many secrets, more than she could ever uncover. His extraordinary and unparalleled talent alone defied explanation—it could only be attributed to monstrous aptitude.
“I’m not leaving.”
A figure stepped forward—it was Li He.
Li Hao looked at him and knew that with his current strength, Li He was no longer his match. This realization added a mix of solemnity and sincerity to Li He's expression.
“Young Master, at such a perilous time, the Tianmen Pass is also under attack by monsters. Please, allow me to accompany you this time.”
The last time the Tianmen Pass was in desperate straits, Li He had been knocked unconscious by a Fourth Pillar Realm powerhouse and sent away from the pass. This event had haunted him ever since. He was both moved by Li Hao’s kindness in sending him to safety and ashamed of his own failure to fulfill his duty.
“I am entrusted with protecting the Young Master. Even if I must die, I want to die by your side.”
Li He made his plea earnestly.
Li Hao was left speechless. The warriors of the Li family were indeed straightforward to a fault.
Li Hongzhuang glanced at him, thinking of the intelligence just received from the Tianmen Pass. Her expression was complicated. She should have stayed to guard this place, but with a Fourth Pillar Realm powerhouse here and Li Hao's own considerable strength, her fifth brother needed her more urgently.
“Hao’er, let him stay. I’ll travel alone—it will be faster,” Li Hongzhuang said immediately.
Li Hao considered this and found her reasoning sound.
If Li He followed her, he wouldn’t contribute much beyond carrying the battle banners.
Without hesitation, Li Hao’s soul left his body, whistling outward to the city walls of Cangya City. He retrieved fifty battle banners from a hundred he had previously marked a hundred miles outside the pass and brought them back to the small courtyard.
The stack of fifty battle banners piled up to the height of several haystacks.
Li Hongzhuang used her object manipulation abilities to envelop the banners. After hearing Li Hao’s instructions on their use, she said, “I’m off. Be careful on your end!”
She gave Li Hao a deep look. After he nodded, her figure shot skyward, carrying the battle banners as she flew inland at full speed, channeling her body manipulation technique to its limit.
The journey from the Tianmen Pass to the Western Frontier battlefield spanned thirty thousand miles. Reaching the second defensive line Li Xuanli mentioned was a twenty-thousand-mile trek.
Using the speed of object manipulation, one could travel dozens of miles in a single breath and cover the distance quickly.
But such speeds could only be maintained during combat. The energy consumption surged exponentially the longer it was sustained, draining strength like a flood through a broken dam.
...
By the time one reached the battlefield, they would be almost devoid of combat power.
The vast expanse of Liang Province covered tens of thousands of miles, dotted with hundreds of cities, each surrounded by territories spanning a hundred miles and including numerous villages and vast wilderness.
Even if one used their full strength and the "Undying Force" to travel, they would be exhausted halfway, as the state couldn’t be maintained that long.
At this moment, Li Hongzhuang had no time to conserve her strength. She unleashed her full speed, traveling in an extreme state.
She had chosen not to let Li He accompany her, knowing her goal required the use of the "Undying Force."
As her energy surged, she could burst forth at maximum velocity.
Li He, who was only at the Unbreakable Realm, couldn’t possibly keep up with her.
...
Once Li Hongzhuang departed, Li Hao immediately summoned the Haotian Army and issued orders to seal the city.
At the same time, he sent out signals warning of a demonic calamity, alerting wandering martial artists nearby to either enter the city or find shelter.
Li Hao suddenly thought of the Western Frontier’s peril. If monsters dared to attack the Tianmen Pass, there was a high likelihood that the Eastern and Northern Frontiers were also under invasion.
Thinking about the Eastern Frontier, he frowned. He hadn’t paid much attention to its situation, nor did he intend to.
The Northern Frontier was too far away, nearly opposite in direction, stretching across the full breadth of Liang Province’s hundred-thousand-mile span. Reinforcements couldn’t possibly reach it in time.
“We must contract the defensive lines. If the Eastern and Northern Frontiers fall, they’ll likely retreat to the second defensive line. The news of border losses should have already spread across Liang Province. The noble families, if they want to survive, should send reinforcements.”
“Moreover, with such chaos, the imperial army should also mobilize.”
“We only need to hold the second defensive line and delay the enemy.”
“But if the Western Frontier has a Demon King, the other regions likely do as well. As the lines contract, demonic forces will converge, creating immense pressure, perhaps even greater than before.”
Li Hao’s gaze flickered as he took a deep breath. The fifty battle banners he had just given Li Hongzhuang might not be enough.
He summoned a Haotian Army commander, who was a grandmaster and served as a captain. Li Hao handed him another twenty battle banners and instructed him to ride a crimson-blood horse to reinforce the Western defensive line.
The commander accepted the order and departed through the pass on horseback.
Li Hao then instructed the scouts to gather more intelligence about the monsters outside the pass, particularly their numbers and types.
“Earlier sweeps didn’t deter them? If the Tianji Hall knows my strength and still dares to invade, there are likely at least four Demon Kings among them…”
Li Hao’s expression turned grim. The upcoming battle would be a hard one.
“Young General…”
Xu Zhouyuan, who was nearby, trembled at the sudden surge of alarming news. For the first time, he felt the chilling bloodthirst emanating from the soldiers stationed at the border.
Li Hao issued a series of commands, and the courtyard grew increasingly empty as soldiers left to execute his orders.
Hearing Xu Zhouyuan’s voice, Li Hao turned to see his anxious demeanor and gave him a reassuring smile.
“Senior, don’t worry. The Tianmen Pass will hold.”
After speaking, Li Hao sat back down at the table. “We still have time. Let’s finish this game of chess.”
Xu Zhouyuan froze for a moment. Staring at the calm young general before him, he suddenly felt a sense of shame.
Although he wasn’t a martial artist, he had lived seventy years—yet here he was, less composed than this youth.
“Then I’ll accompany the Young General to finish this game.”
Taking a deep breath, Xu Zhouyuan steadied his thoughts.
Meanwhile, outside the Tianmen Pass...
Seven hundred miles away, in a wilderness dense with towering trees, a massive horde of monsters surged forward like an unstoppable tide. At the forefront were four enormous figures—three Unbreakable Realm great demons.
“So, the Eastern and Western Frontiers have already fallen? As expected of the Dragon Gate and Void Realm forces. Their assaults are truly formidable. This Liang Province will soon belong to us!”
“At this point, their forces must be retreating inward. If they don’t contract the defensive lines, they’ll fall even faster.”
“That brat in the Tianmen Pass destroyed my nest and desecrated my ancestral ground. I wonder if he’s still able to sit tight now!”
“When that kid leaves, we’ll breach the pass and secure some contributions. When the time comes, we’ll earn our share of the spoils.”
The leading great demons were those whom Li Hao had previously driven out during a sweep beyond the pass.
Thanks to intelligence from the Tianji Hall, they had withdrawn in advance and avoided harm, but their nests had been destroyed and marked with flags, keeping them at bay.
“Masters, that Haotian Young General hasn’t returned yet. He left six days ago for the Tianji Tower. Even if he only studied there for a day, it would take until tomorrow for him to return under normal circumstances,” a bird demon scout from the Tianji Hall reported, flying in with fresh intelligence.
Li Hao’s departure had been conducted in secrecy. Even the Tianji Hall couldn’t track him, relying instead on assumptions based on reports from those stationed near the Tianji Tower.
“Hmph. The one on the walls is just a projection, isn’t it? Like our demon illusions, it’s meant to scare people.”
One of the Unbreakable Realm great demons sneered. While techniques for creating projections were rare, they weren’t unheard of. Most projections retained only a fraction of the original’s strength, often no more than one-tenth.
“Should we launch an assault before he returns?”
After a brief discussion, the demons quickly reached a decision, issuing orders for their monstrous army to advance at full speed.
Before long, scouts sent by the Tianmen Pass spotted the incoming monster horde. They immediately reported back.
“Report!!”
A loud cry rang out as a messenger rushed into the fenced courtyard.
Xu Zhouyuan, who had just picked up a black chess piece, nearly dropped it in his nervousness. He hurriedly turned to see what was happening.
Li Hao paused his move, his eyes narrowing as he gestured for the scout to report.
“General, we’ve detected the monster horde outside the pass. Their numbers are approximately fifty thousand, including two Unbreakable Realm great demons. The exact strength of the remaining monsters is still unclear.”
Li Hao raised an eyebrow.
“Only fifty thousand?”
If there was a Demon King leading the horde, they wouldn’t have brought just fifty thousand troops unless it was a ruse to conceal their movements, lull the enemy into complacency, or attempt a swift strike.
For a swift assault, however, the Demon King itself would suffice. A smaller group would be quieter and faster—there would be no need for a large army to stir up trouble.
After all, the power amassed by fifty thousand monsters was insignificant compared to a Demon King’s might.
“Send scouts for more reports,” Li Hao instructed.
“Yes, General.”
The scout departed swiftly.
Li Hao turned back to the chessboard and immediately noticed an opening left by Xu Zhouyuan’s black piece. He chuckled, placing a white piece to fill the gap.
“Young General…” Xu Zhouyuan swallowed nervously.
Li Hao smiled faintly. “Senior, the defensive formations inside the pass are intact, and I’m stationed here. It’s too late to escape now. Whether we live or die, we may as well finish this game of chess.”
Xu Zhouyuan was momentarily stunned but soon realized the truth. It was too late to flee. If the Tianmen Pass fell, the monster horde would overrun the area in an instant. Their carriages would never outrun the monsters.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and sipped his tea. Sitting quietly in this besieged city, he found his mind becoming clearer, his courage growing. He studied the board carefully, making his next move with deliberation.
...
Outside the pass, the monster horde drew nearer. Scouts reported their movements continuously to Li Hao.
The tide of monsters approached the banners scattered across the wilderness, their black wave-like forms surging forward.
When the four Unbreakable Realm great demons leading the horde saw the flags planted across the land, their expressions darkened, as if they had stumbled into a nightmare. Their faces soon turned from shock to rage.
“Send orders! Avoid those battle banners at all costs. Do not touch them!”
The great demon commanders issued commands swiftly.
The horde, initially a flood of overwhelming might, contracted its formation and slowed its advance.
“I’ll protect these banners myself to prevent any blind fools from provoking them,” one of the Unbreakable Realm demons said, releasing a protective force to shield the banners from accidental contact.
The monster horde pressed forward cautiously and soon reached the Tianmen Pass.
Meanwhile, the soldiers stationed atop the pass had long since prepared for battle.
Looking at the overwhelming wave of monsters, the Haotian Army and the Blood Fiend Army stood with grim determination.
At the same time, news of the horde’s approach reached Li Hao.
“They’re here already?”
Li Hao narrowed his eyes. Whether or not a Demon King lurked within the horde would soon become clear.
“Qianqian,” Li Hao called softly.
Ren Qianqian had already stopped cultivating, unable to concentrate amidst the steady flow of military reports.
Hearing Li Hao’s summons, she quickly understood his intent and hurried into the house to retrieve his sword from its case.
The sword case, crafted by the Myriad Treasures Pavilion when forging the Dragon Sky Sword, usually served to seal the weapon.
Ren Qianqian opened the case. With a loud clang, the Dragon Sky Sword unsheathed itself. Its brilliant blade reflected in Ren Qianqian’s eyes as it transformed into a streak of golden light.
The sword rose into the air like a soaring dragon, carving a glowing arc through the skies above the courtyard before shooting toward the wilderness beyond the Cangya City walls.
Cangya City, a medium-sized city with a diameter of only sixty miles, was well within Li Hao’s hundred-mile range of control.
In the streets below, many young talents from noble families and provinces had gathered, drawn to Cangya City.
Upon hearing that monsters were about to attack, they were not afraid. Instead, a strange excitement coursed through them.
In ordinary times, they would have to scour mountains and rivers to find monsters to hunt. Now, they had the chance to witness a monster horde firsthand.
...
As they rushed toward the city walls, a streak of golden light suddenly shot overhead, exuding terrifying pressure and a chilling aura.
“What’s that?”
“It looks like a sword!”
“Hurry, let’s go see!”
In awe and curiosity, the crowd chased after the golden sword light, racing toward its destination.