Volume 2 - Chapter 66: Whose Banner Is That, and Whose Name Does It Bear? - Part 3
From the distance, an unstoppable wave of demonic creatures surged forward.
During the brief moment when the three Demon Kings were held at bay, the demonic horde had already resumed their pursuit.
The generals and soldiers who initially stayed behind to block them had long been swallowed by the tide of demons. Their efforts merely delayed the horde for a short time before it regained momentum, chasing after them with renewed speed.
Despair!
At this moment, despair consumed everyone, whether they were within the city or beyond its walls.
The arrival of five Demon Kings was like an eclipse that darkened the sun and moon. The oppressive terror they brought was so overwhelming that no one dared to whisper.
Before the Demon Kings, even the mightiest of armies seemed as fragile as paper, utterly incapable of resistance.
The Protective Divine Array at this second defensive line was unlikely to hold them back either.
All eyes were fixed on Daoist Ganji, who stood within the deep crater. At this moment, he was the only remaining Fourth Pillar Realm cultivator present, the last sliver of hope.
Daoist Ganji slowly rose from the ground, his hair disheveled and face streaked with dirt. His once neat topknot had fallen into disorder.
He looked up at the five Demon Kings steadily closing in. His steps faltered, and his hand instinctively covered the gaping wound in his abdomen, inflicted by Bai Shenjun’s sneak attack. A single strike had nearly shattered his heart.
His face was ashen, drenched in cold sweat. It had been over a century since he’d suffered such a grievous injury.
Seeing the five Demon Kings forming an encirclement, Daoist Ganji understood that unless he invoked the power of Reverse Fate, escape was impossible.
But his Reverse Fate Opportunity had long since been used.
Could this mean that he, too, would meet his end here?
“Old man, it seems you have no more chances to defy fate!” Bai Shenjun sneered, catching the flicker of despair in Daoist Ganji’s eyes.
As the footsteps of the Demon Horde drew closer, the overwhelming tide of demons threatened to devour Li Xuanli's army.
Though despair flickered in Li Xuanli’s eyes, it was quickly replaced by a fierce, unyielding determination. He roared, his voice thunderous, “Xuanzi Army, hear my command! This is our final battle. Fight with me to the death!”
His bellow reverberated through the entire camp and echoed atop the city walls.
“Hah! Like ants shaking a tree!” Bai Shenjun sneered, raising his hand to deliver a fatal blow to Li Xuanli.
He had sparred with Li Tiangang for years in Yanbei and had grown to loathe him. His hatred now extended fully to Li Tiangang’s brother, Li Xuanli, and his killing intent surged.
As Bai Shenjun’s hand began its descent, a sudden cry of anger resonated from the horizon.
“Stop!!”
It was the voice of a woman, sharp and resolute.
The voice carried across thousands of miles, reaching the ears of Bai Shenjun and the other Demon Kings.
The Demon Kings, startled, exchanged glances. Could it be a woman of the Li family daring to intervene?
“Little sister!”
Li Xuanli instantly recognized the voice—it belonged to Li Hongzhuang, the youngest sibling stationed at Tianmen Pass.
The fury on his face gave way to panic. In such dire circumstances, no reinforcements would make a difference. If his little sister came, it would only mean death for her as well!
“Hongzhuang, don’t come!!”
His eyes reddened as he roared his warning.
But his plea was answered by the sharp sound of something slicing through the air!
A dark shadow shot in from the horizon like a razor-sharp arrow, a meteor streaking across the vast plains. It pierced the ground beneath the Demon Kings, creating a massive crater over ten meters deep.
From within the crater rose a single Haotian Banner.
Previously wrapped tightly around its pole to minimize air resistance, the cloth unraveled at the moment of impact. The power of Object Manipulation dissipated upon collision, and the fabric slid down, unfurling slowly.
A gust of wind tugged at the banner, revealing a military flag.
Slanted in the heart of the battlefield, the ten-meter-long banner swayed in the wind, and two bold characters, “Haotian,” were etched in its folds.
Bai Shenjun’s hand froze mid-air as his eyes landed on those two characters. His pupils contracted sharply, and his heart skipped a beat.
Could it be... that battle-hardened youth?
His head snapped up toward the horizon, where more shadows were streaking across the sky.
One after another, banners rained down, each striking the ground with thunderous impact, marking the demonic horde’s path.
As the dust settled, the flags revealed the same two characters: “Haotian.”
The three Three Immortals Realm Great Demons leading the charge were stunned. When their eyes fell upon those words, their bodies trembled, and a look of terror overcame them.
They howled commands, ordering the Demon Horde to stop.
Long, piercing cries from the demons echoed as the wave of demons quickly slowed, their momentum dissipating entirely.
At last, the Demon Horde halted four or five miles before the row of flags.
Seeing the horde stop just thousands of meters away, the Three Immortals Realm Great Demons exhaled in relief, cold sweat dripping from their bodies.
The constant intelligence from Tianji Hall had already alerted them to the situation at Tianmen Pass.
It was no secret among the upper echelons of the demonic forces. Even the Dragon Gate and the Sacred Palace had taken the Haotian Banner back for study, only for one of their own Three Immortals Realm Great Demons to die in an explosion.
The Haotian Banner, planted five thousand miles beyond Tianmen Pass, had become a name that inspired dread among the demons.
“Don’t! Do not damage that flag!”
A Great Demon aware of its secrets shouted urgently, fearing some ignorant underling might destroy it.
The sudden appearance of the banner and the demons’ strange reaction left Li Xuanli and his men, who had been moments away from despair, utterly dumbfounded.
What was happening?
Even Daoist Ganji was stunned as he gazed at the banner.
Everything seemed to revolve around this flag, which the demons appeared to fear greatly.
But even the Yuanzi Army's banners, carried proudly by their ancestors, had never commanded such power on the battlefield.
Whose banner was this? And whose name was written upon it?
Li Xuanli trembled as he recognized the flag. As a commander in Liangzhou, he was well aware of its significance.
Could it be that Haotian had come as well?
He quickly raised his head, scanning the horizon. Instead of his nephew, however, he saw a crimson figure streaking toward the battlefield. It was none other than his younger sister, Li Hongzhuang.
On her back, she carried a bundle of banners. As she descended, she landed gracefully.
“Fifth Brother!” Li Hongzhuang called out anxiously.
Li Xuanli’s eyes darted to the flags she carried, and he asked urgently, “Has Haotian come as well?”
His voice trembled with both anticipation and dread—dread that his nephew might face the dangers of this battlefield.
He knew that Haotian was protected by a Fourth Pillar Realm cultivator and that if Haotian arrived, his protector would likely come too.
But against five Demon Kings, would even that be enough?
Li Hongzhuang bit her lip and remained silent, worried her answer might be overheard by the Demon Kings.
Though she wasn’t certain how much sway Haotian held over the demons, silence seemed the wiser course.
Meanwhile, Bai Shenjun’s gaze lingered on Li Hongzhuang only briefly before shifting back to the horizon. He appeared tense, as though awaiting something—or someone.
Yet no figure appeared from the distant sky.
Even so, Bai Shenjun did not dare let his guard down.
He knew that youth to be not only monstrously powerful but also cunning, perhaps even hiding, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
The battlefield, which had been consumed by the roar of the Demon Horde, fell eerily silent.
Countless demons now stood motionless before the row of banners, not daring to advance.
The Demon Kings, too, halted before the flags, refraining from further attacks.
This strange and unsettling scene left those watching from the city walls dumbfounded.
The demons appeared… afraid?
“Haotian Banner… Could it be from Tianmen Pass?”
“How is that possible?”
A Liangzhou commander on the wall murmured to himself, recognizing the name.
The young general stationed at Tianmen Pass was renowned even among those who hadn’t met him personally.
Could this banner truly belong to him?
But why were the demons so terrified of it?
It was far too bizarre!
“The boy from Tianmen Pass has come?”
The Demon Kings exchanged grim looks, their gazes scanning the distant horizon.
Although they hadn’t seen the youth himself, an unshakable discomfort crept over them.
Rumors of Haotian had spread through the ranks of their demonic forces, and his name had been added to their must-kill list.
A lone warrior who had battled three Demon Kings, forcing a Reverse Fate Realm Demon King to burn through its second life, was a terrifying figure.
If he truly had come, this battle would not be easily won.
The most troubling part was that they couldn’t spot him.
Had Haotian come?
If he hadn’t, why was his banner here?
But if he had, where was he hiding?
“Damn it!”
“Brat, show yourself if you dare!!”
“Cowering in the shadows? What kind of hero does that make you?”
The Demon Kings roared furiously, their voices carrying across the battlefield and up to the city walls.
Their shouts stunned the defenders watching from above.
What were the Demon Kings doing?
Who were they calling out for?
“That seems to be Haotian’s banner!”
“Yes, I’ve been to Tianmen Pass. I didn’t meet him, but I saw that banner!”
“That’s definitely his flag!”
“It’s the Haotian Banner, without a doubt!”
Among the temporary family armies gathered within the city, a few young soldiers recognized the banner and shouted in astonishment and excitement.
Their voices carried through the city, and soon everyone was murmuring in disbelief. Could this truly be the banner of Major General Haotian?
A banner belonging to a mere Major General, yet it had halted a Demon Horde that had pursued them five thousand miles and breached countless defenses?
Even the Demon Kings seemed wary of it?fv
Did this youth truly command such fear and reverence?
As Li Wushuang, escorted by Li Jian, slipped through the Protective Divine Array and entered the city under the Demon Kings’ distracted gazes, she froze.
She stared blankly at the fluttering flags on the battlefield, the two characters on them swaying in the wind.