"Don't you dare run!"
The six Demon Kings, upon seeing Li Tiangang's escape, flew into a rage. If they let him get away, none of them would be able to report back to Lady Yin.
Roar!
Without any further hesitation, they unleashed their true power, revealing their hideous true forms—beasts that had crawled out of the abyssal depths, each emanating an overwhelming aura.
Boom!
The military flag exploded, and sword energies crisscrossed as the elder vine demon roared and charged. Thousands of vines converged into a spear hundreds of feet long, piercing through the void and slicing through the sword energies.
The void trembled as the sword energies dissipated, unable to withstand the full-powered attack of the Dao Heart Realm-like sword formation, despite the elder vine demon's own full exertion of his Reverse Life Realm power.
Among the six Demon Kings, another Reverse Life Realm cultivator also unleashed their might, shattering another wave of sword energies with a claw strike.
Li Hongzhuang's expression changed drastically, and she quickly drew the flags from her back, throwing them out one after another.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The military flags exploded, releasing wave after wave of sword formations. The crimson golden sword energies tore through the demonic aura that filled the heavens and earth, assaulting the six Demon Kings.
Aside from the two Reverse Life Realm Demon Kings, the remaining four were somewhat hesitant to face the sword energies directly, as they were full-powered attacks from an equal realm. Even if they countered with all their strength, they would still suffer injuries.
Li Tiangang's heart stirred as he witnessed the crimson golden sword energies. This sword formation far exceeded his expectations! The Emperor had truly bestowed an incredible gift upon them. Li Hongzhuang had brought a large bundle of these powerful flags, and if they could be mass-produced or if he were given control over this power, perhaps even the borders of Liangzhou wouldn't have fallen! He sighed inwardly, still puzzled by some things.
After all, in his impression, the Emperor was extremely wise and valiant.
"Stop him!"
The Vine Demon Elder watched as Li Tiangang and Li Hongzhuang flew farther away, his anger reaching a boiling point. He no longer bothered to block the sword energies from the flags and pursued them at full speed.
Swoosh!
Li Hongzhuang threw two more flags, causing explosions in mid-air.
The Vine Demon Elder brandished his vine spear, shattering the sword energies, and roared as he weaved through them, charging straight at Li Hongzhuang.
His body only paused slightly, but with continuous instantaneous movements, he rapidly closed the distance.
However, the distance he covered with each shift wasn't far, and the shattered sword energies turned into a sword tide that pursued him relentlessly.
Li Hongzhuang continued to throw the military flags.
The sword formations exploded, tearing the Vine Demon Elder apart, and soon he was engulfed by the tide of shattered sword energies.
He roared and swung out a pitch-black vine, imbued with black lightning, sweeping away a large chunk of the sword energies.
Yet, countless minuscule sword energies still assaulted him from all directions, inflicting minimal damage but striking like a relentless rainstorm.
The Vine Demon Elder initially paid them no heed, but suddenly, his body trembled as he sensed a strong omen of death.
"How..."
His pupils contracted, and his heart filled with shock.
His life force was rapidly diminishing, his power was ebbing away, and his soul was locked within his body, unable to break free.
He tried to muster his strength, but he couldn't gather any energy.
A shadow of death, like an invisible maw, was devouring his very being!
"No!!"
Terrified, the Vine Demon Elder unleashed his Reverse Life Technique.
From the top of his head shot out the pitch-black vine imbued with lightning—his true self.
Millennia ago, he had grown in the wilderness when a terrifying battle occurred above him, causing a freak phenomenon that sent a bolt of lightning crashing down. That lightning bolt had charred a vine black.
And from that blackened vine, a sprout grew, eventually gaining sentience and becoming the Vine Demon Elder.
At this moment, his true self forcefully detached itself from his body and shot out.
The massive body, adorned with countless tendrils, fell to the ground, its vitality extinguished.
The strange feeling of being devoured seemed to have been severed by fate itself, vanishing without a trace.
He had survived!
Though he lived, the Vine Demon Elder was still shocked to his core, staring at his former body in disbelief.
If it weren't for his Reverse Life Technique, he might have died just now!
After living for tens of thousands of years, he had nearly perished!
What a feeling!
It was as if he had one foot in the realm of death, and even now, a chill ran down his spine.
The other Demon Kings, in pursuit, stared dumbfounded at the Vine Demon Elder, evidently shaken by this turn of events.
Although they had heard of the power of the youth's military flags, this was the first time they had witnessed such a bizarre occurrence.
As the six Demon Kings stood stupefied, Li Hongzhuang was also shocked. She recalled how the sword energies from the flags had slain a Demon King when they rescued Li Xuanli earlier.
That death had been equally bizarre.
She could tell that the shattered sword energies weren't particularly lethal, but it seemed that they concealed a hidden killing move that these Demon Kings couldn't perceive!
Li Tiangang was equally astonished. Why would the Vine Demon Elder, a Reverse Life Realm cultivator, waste one of his lives for this?
At this moment, the siblings accelerated their escape.
Soon, they caught up with the main army and rushed towards the city wall's array together.
Outside the array, Li Xuanli and the others had already been waiting. Seeing that the six Demon Kings had been forced back by Li Hongzhuang's flags, and knowing they wouldn't pursue for the moment, they immediately ordered the temporary closure of this array node.
The massive army swiftly rushed through the suspension bridge and into the defensive line.
Li Hongzhuang handed a talisman to Li Tiangang, and once the entire army had entered the bridge, the array was reactivated to prevent the Demon Kings from taking advantage of the situation.
Li Tiangang and Li Hongzhuang passed through the golden array and entered the defensive line.
"Tiangang!"
"Fifth Brother!"
The brothers, seeing each other, rushed forward and embraced. Despite their positions as generals, their brotherly bond remained unchanged over the years.
Especially after experiencing life-and-death situations, they knew that without Li Hongzhuang's timely arrival, they would have undoubtedly perished.
Li Tiangang suppressed the emotions swirling in his heart and quickly calmed his aura. Turning his head, he saw the six Demon Kings approaching again. However, the Vine Demon Elder, who had been the most aggressive earlier, now lingered at the back.
"Hongzhuang, how many flags do you have left?"
Li Tiangang asked immediately.
Li Hongzhuang quickly checked the flags on her back and replied, "23!"
"Good!"
Li Tiangang nodded, secretly relieved. With these flags and his own abilities, defending this second defensive line shouldn't be a problem.
"What about Tianmenguan? How many are left there?"
He asked, his thoughts racing.
"There are still many there.
"Quite a lot?" Li Tiangang was taken aback and immediately asked, "What do you mean by a lot? Do you have a specific number?"
"Maybe a hundred?"
Li Hongzhuang wasn't sure either.
After all, Li Hao had only told her how to use the flags but hadn't mentioned the quantity.
If all the military flags in Cangya City had such power, then there would be at least a thousand flags.
However, she estimated that these flags were specially made, and the others were just ordinary ones. Otherwise, many flags would still be mounted on the arrow towers within the city, and if they were destroyed, it would destroy the entire Cangya City.
"That many?" Li Tiangang and Li Xuanli were both surprised.
"These flags should be specially made, and their power is so great. It's unlikely that there would be a hundred of them, right?" Li Xuanli asked doubtfully.
Li Tiangang nodded and said, "He didn't tell you how many there were?"
"No."
"That little rascal!"
Li Tiangang was annoyed. "At a time like this, he's still hiding information. Doesn't he even trust his own family?"
Li Hongzhuang quickly said, "Maybe he forgot to mention it in a hurry, but I can sense his intentions. Maybe I guessed wrong, and he may have only left a small portion there."
Li Xuanli slightly nodded and sighed, "Anyway, it's truly a blessing for half of Liangzhou that Hao'er was able to bring out so many flags to aid us."
"As it should be."
Li Tiangang coldly snorted, "Now that Liangzhou is in peril, if he still keeps secrets after receiving such a secret treasure from His Majesty, he wouldn't deserve to be called a member of the Li family!"
In the crowd, Li Wushuang glanced at Li Tiangang and hesitated to speak.
She clearly remembered that by the Long River in Dayue City, the young man had once said that he didn't have the surname Li when facing the sect masters of the world.
He no longer wanted to be a part of the Li family... She sighed softly in her heart.
But facing the authority of this seventh uncle, she wanted to say something but dared not, and could only sigh softly in her heart.
...
...
Tianmenguan, Cangya City.
In the bamboo fence courtyard.
"Pat!"
As a white chess piece was placed, it completely blocked the black chess piece's last line of retreat.
When there is no way to retreat.
It's time to admit defeat.
Li Hao smiled, picked up the tea beside him, and took a sip as he looked at the dejected and frustrated Xu Zhouyuan, saying, "Senior, I won."
"Your chess skills are extraordinary, I admit defeat."
Xu Zhouyuan bitterly smiled.
"Senior's mind is unsettled. Let's stop for today."
Li Hao smiled, having already noticed that the consecutive military reports had distracted the little chess saint, and his heart was no longer fully immersed in the game.
Since his heart wasn't in it, how could he win?
The heart of the chess player is reflected in the chess game, and only with a focused heart can one play well.
Isn't the same true for people?
Hearing Li Hao's words, Xu Zhouyuan felt relieved and sighed softly, "Thank you, General Li."
He slowly got up, hesitated for a moment, and looked at Li Hao, saying, "General Li, be careful now that Liangzhou is in danger."
Li Hao smiled and asked, "Senior, do you plan to leave Liangzhou?"
A hint of red flashed across Xu Zhouyuan's face, and he said with some shame, "We are just ordinary people. I'm afraid that by staying here, we will only hold the generals back."
Upon hearing this, Li Hao didn't try to keep him and just nodded, "Since that's the case, I won't hold you back either. But these days, there have been frequent demon activities outside the borders, and it may be safer for you to stay in Cangya City. If you rush on your journey, you might encounter danger."
Xu Zhouyuan's heart trembled, and he immediately thought about it and nodded, "Thank you, General Li, for your concern."
"You're welcome."
Li Hao smiled and asked Ren Qianqian to see them out.
There was no need to blame them for valuing their lives and not being soldiers.
"Thank you, Miss Ren, for seeing us out." Xu Zhouyuan's face still carried a hint of embarrassment as he politely thanked Ren Qianqian.
Li Hao looked into the distance. The setting sun shone on the protective wall of the bamboo fence courtyard, reflecting onto the corridor and falling on half of the chessboard and half of his body.
It was warm and cozy.
"The setting sun is infinitely good, but it's almost dusk," Li Hao sigthed softly.
Although the scenery was beautiful, it would disappear in an instant.
As he finished the last cup of tea, he was about to get up and start cultivating.
Suddenly, a prompt popped up on the panel in front of him.
Li Hao saw that the number of marks on his Qiankun Map was decreasing.
It flickered from time to time.
In a short while, more than a dozen marks were gone.
This meant that more than a dozen military flags had been damaged.
Li Hao's eyes flickered as he calculated in his mind, immediately realizing that Li Hongzhuang must have already rushed to the battlefield.
To have lost more than a dozen flags in succession, the situation on the battlefield was clearly not optimistic.
He wondered if they had managed to stabilize the situation.
Had they managed to save Fifth Uncle in time?
If many flags were damaged, and there were no other demons approaching the pass, Li Hao intended to go there himself.
At this moment, he saw his dark clone returning from outside the pass, carrying a number of flags in his arms as he returned to the courtyard.
Now that Liangzhou was in crisis, Li Hao also ordered his dark clone to retrieve the flags scattered within five thousand miles outside the pass and replace them with ordinary flags.
Even if the flags were destroyed, it didn't matter. They were originally meant to deter the demons, and now sending these flags to the various battlefields would be more useful.
As for the area outside the pass, they could always inspect it again after expelling the demons from Liangzhou.
Swoosh! Li Hao took a step and disappeared from the bamboo fence courtyard. Not long after, he arrived outside Cangya City.
He took a few more steps and flew to a mountain peak a hundred miles away from the city.
Li Hao was worried that the movement would be too loud, so he flew forward another three hundred miles.
"What are you up to now?"
Following Li Hao, Feng Boping couldn't help but be curious.
Li Hao smiled, "Cultivation."
As he spoke, he patted his clothes and stood on a blue stone at the top of the mountain.
He hadn't had time to practice the various cultivation techniques he had viewed in the Tianji Tower, nor had he practiced the various body refining techniques.
Most importantly, there were the techniques for opening up the meridians.
He had collected the cultivation techniques into the panel but hadn't practiced them yet, so his body still had 98 meridians.
Li Hao took a deep breath and didn't hide anything from Feng Lao as he started cultivating.
One by one, the meridian-opening techniques flowed through his body.
The techniques that had been fused into his memory now flowed through Li Hao's meridians, reaching the unfamiliar meridians.
The grand meridians within Li Hao's body were successively opened. With his current cultivation, reopening the grand meridians was a breeze, and they were easily unblocked.
As the grand meridians were unblocked one after another, in the blink of an eye, all 108 ordinary grand meridians were cleared!
With the final meridian unblocked, Li Hao felt his entire body shake, and he experienced an indescribable sense of comfort.
It was as if countless soft, tiny hands were massaging his body, kneading his stiff tendons with a crackling sound, bringing him such comfort that he couldn't help but let out a soft moan.
A stream of immortal qi flowed through his body's meridians, drawing upon the energy of the heavens and the earth, filling up all his meridians, including the Yin-Yang dual meridians.
In an instant, as all his meridians were unblocked, they were simultaneously activated.
Li Hao suddenly felt that the surging energy in his meridians seemed to surge into an unknown realm.
That realm seemed like it was above his head, but it was even more distant than that.
It seemed to surge out of his body, toward a more distant and higher place.
Li Hao closed his eyes, but before him, a brilliant golden light seemed to appear, the same golden light he had vaguely glimpsed when he opened the Yin-Yang dual meridians.
Seeing that golden light, Li Hao felt as if he were a fish, leaping toward a dragon gate.
And the surging energy within his body now seemed to lift his "body" toward that golden light.
In the blink of an eye, he passed through the golden light and appeared in a vast world.
This world was initially dark, but soon, countless points of light began to appear, like stars.
More and more lights appeared until they were dense and dazzling, as if he were in a vast starry sky, with countless galaxies surrounding him.
Li Hao was surprised to find himself feeling light and airy.
With a slight movement of his thoughts, he wanted to touch the surrounding starlight. As his thoughts turned, the starlight seemed to be summoned and actively rushed toward his body.
Then, like twinkling stars, they flowed into his body.
A surging power instantly filled his hands and feet.
Boom!
The sky around the mountain peak where Li Hao stood seemed to tremble slightly.
Sitting on a cloud not far away, Feng Boping's pupils contracted, and his eyes grew solemn.
He could see that the area around Li Hao seemed to possess an extremely peculiar power.
It was as if that power had become one with Li Hao's body!
Li Hao had gained control over the power of the heavens and the earth!
Li Hao opened his eyes, and two divine rays of light shot out, piercing through the void.
His profound gaze seemed to encompass the universe, as if containing countless powers flowing within, ultimately fading away, leaving only a pair of indifferent eyes that seemed to have seen through the world.
At this moment, Li Hao finally understood the ultimate state of the Zhou Tian Realm.
The 108 grand meridians, combined with the special Yin-Yang dual meridians, had fused to form an entirely new meridian.
Li Hao named this meridian the Heaven and Earth Meridian!
This meridian connected the heavens and the earth, and his entire body's hundred meridians merged into one, becoming a single grand meridian. He could turn the power of the surrounding heavens and earth into an extension of his body.
This allowed him to harness his energy and increase his power tenfold or more!
"So that's how it is..."
Li Hao murmured to himself.
He felt that this realm was somewhat similar to the ultimate state of the Zong Shi Realm and the refinement of immortal qi in the Lu Di Xian Ren Realm, where one borrows the power of the heavens and the earth.
The Heaven and Earth Meridian was like a bowl, and borrowing the power of the heavens and the earth was like filling that bowl.
Previously, without this "bowl," he could only rely on his physical body to contain the power. Thus, when he reached his limit, he would enter the state of ascension.
And when ascension exceeded thirty percent, he would lose control and need others to help him sever his connection to the heavens and the earth to stop the process.
But now, he had refined this "bowl."
The Heaven and Earth Meridian greatly increased his capacity to contain power.
This also meant that his threshold for ascension would be further raised, no longer limited to the previous thirty percent.
It was likely to be at forty, fifty, or even sixty percent!
"If I cultivate all realms to their ultimate state, will I be able to truly ascend?"
Li Hao's eyes sparkled with curiosity as this thought emerged in his mind.
If one could achieve the extreme state of ascension without dying, what kind of martial arts state would that be? Or could it even still be considered martial arts?
Li Hao retracted his thoughts and focused on the immense power brought about by the Heaven and Earth Meridian.
His control over power was no longer limited to the meridians within his body but extended to the heavens and the earth outside, which became his invisible body.
This was the Heaven and Earth Meridian.
As his capacity to contain power greatly increased, it also meant that his endurance was stronger, allowing him to unleash more peak-level killer moves without restraint and even cultivate even more extreme and ferocious moves.
Moreover, the Heaven and Earth Meridian had another benefit: it could absorb the energy of the surrounding heavens and earth, constantly refining his physical body.
As his physical body was continuously refined, his progress in the San Bu Xu Realm became extremely evident.
The self-healing ability of the Bu Si Realm and the strength of the Bu Huai Realm were both determined by the refinement of one's physical body.
Within the same realm, the self-healing ability and the strength of the physical body varied greatly depending on the level of refinement.
Li Hao had already cultivated numerous body-refining techniques to the upper-tier extraordinary level and even the true-form tier, causing his physical body to become extremely robust.
Thus, despite being in the San Bu Xu Realm, he could still engage in close combat with a demon king of the Si Li Realm.
But now, his physical body could be refined even further.
If he could refine it to a certain extreme, perhaps he could even reach the limit of the San Bu Xu Realm!
Just the ultimate state of the Zhou Tian Realm had brought about such a powerful effect with the Heaven and Earth Meridian. Li Hao was extremely excited to think about what state he could achieve if he reached the limit of the San Bu Xu Realm.
...
Standing on the mountaintop, Li Hao began his cultivation.
In addition to the meridian-opening techniques, he had also obtained energy cultivation methods, numerous body-refining techniques, sword techniques, and more from the Tianji Tower.
Li Hao cultivated and practiced them one by one.
When he cultivated the body-refining techniques, his entire body seemed to collapse, crazily absorbing the power of the surrounding heavens and earth.
With the guidance of the Heaven and Earth Meridian, Li Hao's physical body was rapidly refined, and his self-healing ability became even stronger, causing his physical body to become more formidable.
As he cultivated, Li Hao's body even began to emit thunder and firelight, an extraordinary phenomenon indicating that his physical body had been refined to an extremely terrifying level.
Feng Boping, sitting in the distance, was so shocked that he forgot to drink his wine, staring intently at Li Hao with a look of awe.
Such a strange and wonderful sight was a first even for the well-traveled Feng Boping.
After cultivating all the body-refining techniques, Li Hao carefully sensed his flesh, which now contained the terrifying power of hundreds of true dragons.
He suspected that even the Dragon Soaring Sword would not be able to cut through his flesh at this moment.
However, the Dragon Soaring Sword was not with him in the small courtyard, so Li Hao had no way to test his theory.
Moreover, if he were to attempt such a test, he would have to deactivate the 1% lethal attack attribute of the "Yellow Sparrow Painting."
Otherwise, if he happened to be extremely lucky and triggered this attribute with a light swipe, it would be quite a spectacle.
On regular days when he was not in combat, he would also keep this attribute deactivated.
After all, even a simple touch or a friendly pat on the shoulder could be considered an attack.
If he accidentally swatted someone on the back and triggered the attribute, he would regret it immensely.
Without pausing, Li Hao continued to cultivate, honing his numerous sword techniques and fist styles.
On the mountaintop, strange phenomena occurred one after another.
The young man's silhouette practiced alone, accompanied only by the rumbling of the earth and the crackling of thunder.
As dusk fell and the moon rose, the stars sprinkled their light, and time quietly passed.
...
...
The dawn's light illuminated the earth.
A figure flew through the sky, breathing in the dewy air of the morning sun, soaring swiftly.
"Tianji Palace?"
Suddenly, on the path ahead, a bird demoness transformed into a green-clad little girl with a delicate jade-like appearance, waiting for him.
Seeing the little girl, the elder in the dark purple robe frowned slightly and came to a halt.
He knew that she was waiting for him with information to convey.
With the Tianji Palace's ability to transmit intelligence through the Xuan Yin Whistle and the dense network of intelligence points along the way, the speed of information transmission was even faster than a cultivator rushing over.
"Greetings, Elder Lu Chuan!" The little girl bowed respectfully. "I was instructed to wait here specifically to deliver a message to you."
"Speak."
"Yesterday, the eastern and western borders were breached, but Liangzhou has established a second line of defense, and a hundred city lords are rushing to gather there."
"In addition, Li Tiangang has issued the Eight Directions Order, seeking aid from all directions, and there may be some old and powerful experts from the Shenjiang Mansion coming to their aid."
"As for the Great Yu Imperial Family, they have dispatched troops, and the Wuliang Mountain has sent a Bodhisattva to save the world. As for the movements of the Zhenren of Qiandao Palace, it is temporarily unclear."
The little girl spoke swiftly, conveying the current situation in Liangzhou in a concise manner.
Then she continued, "Currently, there is a request for aid from the second line of defense, hoping that Elder Lu Chuan can go there and quickly destroy the formation. The situation there is at a stalemate..."
"A stalemate?" Lu Chuan furrowed his brows slightly, surprised. "Is the Taishu Realm expert holding back? At such a critical time, why are they still hesitating to charge?"
"Reporting to Elder Lu, Yin Furen was blocked by the Great Desert Sword Saint and failed to pursue Li Tiangang." The little girl remained respectful and did not change her posture. "The main reason is that the young general's battle flags have arrived at the battlefield, and each flag contains a terrifying sword formation comparable to a Dao Heart Realm attack. You are already aware of this."
"Moreover, we just received news that the sword formation contains a deadly strike that can instantly kill anyone, even those in the Reverse Life Realm. They can only escape by using their second life."
"Hmm?" Lu Chuan was taken aback. A hidden killing move that even those in the Reverse Life Realm couldn't block? What kind of formation was this? The Great Yu Dynasty did possess formations capable of slaying those in the Reverse Life Realm, but they were located in the Holy Capital City. How could they appear here, let alone be condensed into a small military flag?
"Is that human boy also there?"
"No, he's still stationed at Tianmenguan."
"Since I'm already here, I'll deal with that human boy first." Lu Chuan coldly harrumphed. "I want to see how extraordinary this boy is, touted as a peerless genius throughout the ages. Humph, I've lived for tens of thousands of years, and even the Great Yu Dynasty's previous emperor, who possessed extraordinary powers and conquered the four directions, didn't have such mysterious rumors spreading about him!"
The little girl, upon hearing this, could only lower her head and remain silent, not daring to speak.
Her task was only to convey the information, and she did not have the qualification to offer suggestions or influence his decisions.
Lu Chuan said, "Tell them I'm on my way, and I'll bring that boy's corpse with me to throw at their formation. Let those humans see for themselves how weak their so-called genius is!"
"Yes." The little girl nodded obediently.
Without further delay, Lu Chuan continued on his way.
Soon, he arrived at a vast ancient road.
He knew that this road was called Dragon Pass Road, which was opened up by the Li family's ancestor alongside the previous emperor.
At this moment, the ancient road was empty, except for a tea stall that had not been removed.
He glanced at it indifferently and flew past without stopping.
Before long, he reached the end of Dragon Pass Road and arrived at the precipice above Cangya City.
As the dawn light illuminated the sky, the dark veil over the city was lifted, and the city came back to life.
Merchants along the roads were setting up their stalls and selling breakfast, creating a lively and peaceful scene that fell under Lu Chuan's gaze.
A cold smile appeared on Lu Chuan's face as he scanned the city walls, noticing the numerous military flags fluttering in the wind.
A solemn expression flashed across his face as he, too, understood the power of these flags.
However, he did not believe that all of these flags were specially made. If each flag could unleash that sword formation, it would be a disaster!
Bang!
He raised his hand, and a powerful suppression descended.
The defensive formation on the city walls lit up immediately, activating automatically.
The violent vibrations startled the entire city, shaking the earth as if a thunderbolt had struck from a clear sky.
The patrolling soldiers on the walls immediately noticed the silent figure, and their faces filled with shock as they sounded the horns, putting the entire city on alert!
Looking at the flickering divine patterns of the formation, Lu Chuan sneered. It was merely a five-star mysterious formation, something he could destroy in the blink of an eye!
Bang!
He raised his palm once more, and a dragon-like shadow seemed to strike down from his palm, rumbling towards the formation.