The Grey Wolf and the White Deer charged into the enemy's formation. Then, they turned around and ran after Hongjun. Hongjun grabbed Lu Xu's antlers and flipped onto Lu Xu's back. The White Deer let out a long cry and soared into the sky. The Grey Wolf leaped a few steps and charged onto the high ground!
"Jinglong!" Hongjun hugged Li Jinglong. Li Jinglong's tall and thin body immediately pressed down on Hongjun.
"Mind's Lantern …" Li Jinglong said with a trembling voice. "Mind's Lantern …"
Hongjun and the others turned around. An Lushan's army was already close to a thousand paces away. The exorcists had no intention of retreating. They only looked coldly at the scene in front of them.
Mo Rigen drew the Eclipse Moon Bow and said in a low voice, "Elder Scribe, speak."
Li Jinglong's eyes were filled with a bloody mist. He could only vaguely see a black tide surging toward Chang 'an.
"What are they trying to do?" Lu Xu said in a low voice.
The group did not feel the joy of reuniting after a long time, nor did they reminisce. They only stared blankly at the scene in front of them. Hongjun roughly described the situation and worriedly checked Li Jinglong's eyes.
"Earth Swallowing Beast," Li Jinglong said after listening. "They want to … use the Earth Swallowing Beast to directly charge … up the city wall …"
"Give the order, Elder Scribe," Mo Rigen said in a low voice.
"Guard … this place." Li Jinglong hugged Hongjun tightly.
Everyone turned around and faced the Demon army. Atay activated the Black Wind Fan. Mo Rigen drew the Eclipse Moon Bow. Lu Xu opened his fist and a white-blue light appeared in his palm.
Ashina Chong held a throwing knife between his fingers.
Five hundred paces.
Hongjun took a deep breath and released the Rainbow Divine Light.
Li Jinglong said, "Hongjun, my heart lamp …"
The sound of the magnificent army with thousands of men and horses drowned out the entire world, turning into a loud noise in their ears. Li Jinglong begged in a low voice, but no one could hear what he was saying.
Three hundred steps, two hundred steps, one hundred steps, fifty steps …
A dragon's roar rose from the ground, and the haze in the sky was instantly swept away. The Frost Dragon's Breath swept past in an instant, and everyone immediately cried out!
Qiu Yongsi rode on the Xuanming and flew past the battle formation. He shouted, "I'm coming!"
In an instant, the black tide surged to the highland. Xuan Ming's blue ice dragon breath swept across the entire battlefront. The demon soldiers at the front were frozen and shattered. More demon soldiers rushed up from behind! The blue dragon breath swept over, shaking the heavens and the earth. The front of the black tide was instantly frozen. On the vast battlefield, more and more demon soldiers piled up. Under the cold power of the dragon breath, they merged layer by layer and built a huge ice wall in an instant!
The ice wall was like a shining Great Wall. It faced the charging army head-on. Under the continuous attacks, it stood firm. Loud noises rang out. The demon soldiers crowded up and stepped on each other, but they did not retreat at all!
Qiu Yongsi landed on the ground and waved his Mountain River Brush. He shouted, "We finally made it! Chang Shi? What happened to you?! "
Everyone raised their heads and saw Xuan Ming fly away after spitting out the dragon breath. Mo Rigen immediately made a decision. "Retreat! Return to Chang 'an! "
The ice wall blocked the demon soldiers that crashed into it, but it could not stop the rolling black clouds. An Lushan roared and surged. Hongjun grabbed Li Jinglong's arm with one hand. Just as he was about to shout for retreat, demon energy suddenly enveloped the battlefield outside the city.
In an instant, there was silence. Only Li Jinglong's low voice sounded.
"… I am willing to use my sinful body to redeem the sins of this life. I only ask for the Lamp of Mind to appear again …"
"Jinglong?!" Hongjun shouted.
Then, Li Jinglong raised his hand. His eyes were already blind. Blood flowed from his mouth and nose. His whole body was covered in wounds. His upper body was naked, but his heart was shining with white light.
The white light became more and more hot, illuminating the darkness. Then, a tall god appeared behind him!
The Burning Lamp Dharma Form appeared once more, its light illuminating everything. Li Jinglong's left palm was straight, his right palm flat, and the lamp seal was pushed forward. In an instant, a gentle white light broke through the darkness. An Lushan let out a pained roar, and the dark clouds quickly retreated behind the ice wall!
"Jinglong!" Hongjun shouted.
Li Jinglong could no longer support himself and fell into Hongjun's arms.
The demon soldiers and the black clouds quickly retreated. Lu Xu had good eyesight. He immediately shouted, "Da Lang! Right in the middle! "
In the sky, a face formed by black gas appeared. Mo Rigen immediately drew his bow and shot an arrow with the Eclipse Moon Bow! That arrow flew up from the ground and shot towards the dark clouds, bringing with it endless golden light as it pierced through the clouds. With a loud sound, the demonic energy exploded, and the darkness retreated.
However, the demonic gas only flew back until it was ten miles away. It did not disappear.
"No," Mo Rigen said. "There's only one magic weapon. It's not powerful enough!"
The bell finally sounded at the city gate. Chang 'an City opened. Hongjun said, "Let's go!"
Everyone turned around and rushed into Chang 'an.
At the city gate, Li Heng hurried down. Everyone saw the exorcists resisting the army of a hundred thousand. They immediately swarmed over and surrounded them.
"Make way!" Hongjun carried Li Jinglong and shouted at the crowd. Mo Rigen did not say anything. He turned into the Grey Wolf in the city and led the way. He carried Hongjun and Li Jinglong back to the Exorcism Department.
A light drizzle began to fall from the sky, drenching everyone's bodies.
The Exorcism Department was still the same. Nothing had changed. It seemed that there were even people guarding it. The moment Hongjun entered the hall, he immediately put Li Jinglong down and knelt in front of him. He leaned his ear to listen to his heartbeat.
"His meridians are damaged," Lu Xu followed behind and said. "He ate all the life-saving medicine you left behind!"
Hongjun immediately said, "Give him the medicine to remove blood clots first!"
The noise outside the Exorcism Department was so loud that it almost broke through the door, but no one could enter. Qiu Yongsi quickly stepped forward and took Li Jinglong's pulse. Hongjun pressed on his chest and poured vital energy into him. Lu Xu brought the medicine over. A moment later, Li Jinglong suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. It splashed on his chest and Hongjun's body.
Once the purplish-black blood clots were cleared, Li Jinglong immediately began to breathe very slowly again. His breathing was weak, but his heartbeat had already returned to normal.
"Why did he suffer such serious injuries?" Hongjun asked.
Qiu Yongsi looked confused. "How would I know? I just arrived too! Even you don't know? "
Carp Demon: "I don't know either! I met up with them later … "
Hongjun: "I'm not asking you!"
Lu Xu: "Big Wolf! Did the last arrow work? "
Mo Rigen: "I don't think so! If you're asking me, who should I ask? "
Trandol: "Tegra, you bastard! You usually make it sound so nice, but you always leave me behind … "
Atay: "My son —"
Ashina Chong: "…"
Li Guinian's voice came from outside the door. "Is Marquis Yatin here?! You're back? "
Li Bai: "Let's go drink …"
The messenger: "Li Jinglong, come out to receive the imperial edict! Where's Li Jinglong? "
At this time, the hall was already in chaos. Lu Xu was asking Mo Rigen about the origin of the Eclipse Bow, Atay and Trandol were crying in each other's arms, Hongjun was anxiously treating Li Jinglong's injuries, and finally Ashina Chong went out to open the door.
"You two! We're on the same side! Come in! " Ashina Chong let Li Bai and Li Guinian in first, then said to the messenger, "Marquis Yatin can't meet your emperor now. Kill any messenger that comes. Scram!"
Ashina Chong brought the two people in. Li Guinian was shocked when he saw Li Jinglong's injuries, and the scene became even more chaotic. Mo Rigen was dizzy from the noise and said, "Wait — wait!"
Everyone fell silent.
"Hongjun, how much longer do you need?" Mo Rigen said.
Li Jinglong's face regained some color, and Hongjun said, "His injuries are too serious, and his primordial spirit has been greatly exhausted. I'm afraid he won't wake up for a while."
Hongjun held Li Jinglong's fingers and kissed them gently.
Mo Rigen was silent for a moment, then asked, "How long is a while?"
"How long was he unconscious last time?" Hongjun said, "It will be longer than last time."
Last time, all the meridians in Li Jinglong's body were broken, and he was unconscious for five days and five nights. This time, he forcefully controlled the Mind Lamp, and the power of the Mind Lamp was released directly from his heart meridian before it could travel through his entire body, shattering his heart meridian. Fortunately, after Lu Xu rescued him, he fed Li Jinglong all the life-prolonging medicine that Hongjun had left behind. Only then could he live for seven days without dying.
Everyone fell silent. Atay had been focused on Trandol's safety the whole time they escaped, and he didn't expect Li Jinglong's condition to be so serious. Only Ashina Chong and Lu Xu knew that Li Jinglong's condition was dangerous.
But Hongjun didn't cry, nor did he despair. He only gently stroked Li Jinglong's forehead and said in a low voice, "You've worked hard." Then he looked at Mo Rigen and said in a low voice, "You see, he's like this. Even though he torments himself very badly, he always wants to protect everyone."
Yuren's eyes instantly turned red.
Mo Rigen knew that this was Hongjun's response to Li Jinglong's evaluation on the road not long ago.
An Lushan and Shi Siming's rebellion had plunged the people into misery and suffering along the way. The common people had lost their homes, died, and were injured. But gradually, they reached here, and everyone in the Exorcism Division was still safe and sound. Only Li Jinglong had become a cripple at this moment. He had lost consciousness and was unconscious on the bed.
He used a strong persistence, even if he had to lose everything, even his own life. With this belief, he protected everyone here.
"Someone has to continuously inject vital energy into him." Hongjun said, "Guard his heart meridians and wait for them to recover."
"Let's take turns." Lu Xu said.
Hongjun replied, "I'll accompany him first. After four hours, it'll be your turn, Lu Xu."
Lu Xu nodded, and Hongjun picked up Li Jinglong. His body had become very, very light, and he was so thin that it was frightening. Ever since the battle of Luoyang, he had become thinner day by day. Compared to the first time Hongjun carried him to Ping Kang, he was now as light as a feather. He was nearly nine feet tall, but he didn't seem to weigh more than a hundred pounds.
"Hey." Hongjun said in a low voice to the unconscious Li Jinglong, "Let's go home."
He carried Li Jinglong out of the hall. When the exorcists heard this, tears streamed down their faces. Almost everyone was crying. Qiu Yongsi held back his tears and clenched his fists tightly. Mo Rigen pressed his fist against his nose, trying to hold back his grief. Lu Xu walked out of the hall and leaned against the wall. He looked at the dark sky in a daze, panting loudly and letting his tears flow.
"It's so good." Atay choked. "I thought I'd never come back in this lifetime …"
Trandol couldn't stop crying and leaned on Atay's shoulder. Even Ashina Chong was sitting there, choking with sobs.
"The wind is strong, the sky is high, and the apes are mourning." Li Guinian sang, "The white birds are flying back …"
Everyone shed their own tears. They weren't in despair or distress, but when Hongjun said the word "go home", everyone's heart was touched. Joy, uneasiness, excitement, sadness … all kinds of emotions were intertwined.
"The boundless falling trees rustled, the endless Yangtze River rolled on," Li Bai said in a voice full of vicissitudes.
"Ten thousand miles — sorrowful autumn — often a guest, sick for a hundred years — alone on the stage."
"Hardship, bitterness, and hatred, the frost on the temples … Destitution and new stop — turbid wine cup."
Hongjun was in the room, holding Li Jinglong's hand and intertwining their fingers. Li Jinglong wore the gold ring that Hongjun gave him on his bony thumb. Between their fingers, the five-colored divine light shone. The world was silent for a moment. It was so big and empty, yet so small that it was as if there were only the two of them.
The exorcists leaned on the corners of the hall, and their tears gradually dried. Li Guinian's singing was like a flame in the night when they gathered again, causing the wolves hiding in the darkness to gradually retreat.
"You can compose such a poem." Qiu Yongsi smiled.
Li Bai answered, "An old friend, Du Fu, wrote it."
Li Guinian took off the Divine Fire Ring and put it on the table. He said to Atay, "Junior, I think you need it more now."
Atay nodded and took the Divine Fire Ring. He clasped his hands together and held the instrument in his palms. He murmured a prayer and put it on carefully.
"We're leaving." Li Bai said, "The Emperor is moving to the Daming Palace. Gui Nian and I are escorting him."
Everyone's heart skipped a beat. Ashina Chong frowned and said, "That dog of an emperor wants to escape?"
Mo Rigen immediately waved his hand, indicating that he should not say anything. Li Bai naturally could not answer them, so he bid farewell to Li Guinian.
"Everyone, take a rest first." Mo Rigen's thumb and index finger rubbed the space between his eyebrows. He ordered, "Someone go replace Hongjun later. We all need to rest. Who cares what kind of demon it is? Let's sleep first."
Everyone left for the time being. Only Qiu Yongsi, who had just returned, was full of questions. However, it was inconvenient for him to ask, so he got up and went out of the courtyard to observe the sky.
"I'm afraid it's over." Qiu Yongsi said to himself, "The demon aura is so strong."
At the same time, Lu Xu fetched some water from the well. He bent down and drank it. Mo Rigen said behind him, "Give me some too."
Lu Xu passed the bowl over. Mo Rigen raised his head and drank it in one gulp. It was as if he was drinking strong wine. After drinking three bowls of water, he let out a long sigh.
"Alright." Mo Rigen said, "I knew something bad would happen after being gone for a few months."
Lu Xu's expression was still cold. He replied, "What's the use of saying that after the fact? Not to mention that someone's life was almost lost in the mouth of a poisonous snake."
Mo Rigen smiled bitterly. Then, he was startled and said, "How did you know? You and Hongjun … didn't speak much when you met? "
Qiu Yongsi said, "Alright, you two stop tearing each other apart. Tell me what happened. How did such a big thing happen? "
"You didn't receive the letter?" Mo Rigen said.
Previously, the exorcists sent letters to Jiangnan every once in a while. At first, Qiu Yongsi read the letters normally. However, something happened when he reached Luoyang. However, at that time, Qiu Yongsi began to practice one of the Venerable Dragon-subduing Immortal's techniques in order to assist his companions in battle. When he received the news and rushed north, Li Jinglong's meridians had already been burned.
Qiu Yongsi did his best to rush to Chang 'an City. When he saw that the situation was not good, he immediately used the dragon's scale and summoned Xuanming to block the attack for Chang' an.
"What kind of magic did you practice for so long?" Mo Rigen frowned. "Don't keep us in suspense at this time."
"The Venerable Dragon-subduing Immortal's forbidden technique used by generations to summon a fierce flood dragon." Qiu Yongsi explained, "Just as the dragon's scale can summon the Dragon King from the tower, a flood dragon can also be summoned. However, it can't be used often and is extremely dangerous. I was afraid that everyone wouldn't be able to withstand it, so I took the risk to practice this magic. "
Upon hearing this, Mo Rigen's brows relaxed slightly. If that was really the case, perhaps there was still hope for this battle.