Chapter 211: I Want to Go Home
"Hmm?"
Seeing Li Hao's formidable aura, the hundred-foot demon's expression changed slightly, and his eyes turned solemn. "This strange feeling, it's somewhat familiar. Are you an ancient proud son of heaven from the Great Wilderness?"
Li Hao didn't answer. In a battle of life and death, there was no need for idle chatter.
Kill!
His flesh and blood ruptured, and his scarlet divine blood flowed. With the influx of the power of the world, his hair turned silver-white, as if he were burning his life force.
Suddenly, he unleashed the attributes of numerous tomes, charging at his opponent.
He went all out with his first move.
Sword Dao Samsara!
For a brief moment, the world seemed to fall silent as the autumn-water-like Qing Shuang sword slashed out a pitch-black sword radiance.
This sword radiance was like a bolt of black lightning, tearing through the void, reversing light and darkness, and condensing the power of all things into a single sword that directly tore through the Daoyu!
The Daoyu was forcibly cleaved open by the black sword radiance, which then thundered forward like a relentless lightning bolt, slicing through the Daoyu like a sharp dagger cutting silk, and headed straight for the hundred-foot demon.
"What?!"
The hundred-foot demon's pupils constricted as shock filled his eyes. His Daoyu was actually being torn apart?
"My Daoyu is invincible!"
The hundred-foot demon roared, and his Daoyu closed in, fiercely compressing the black sword radiance while erasing the martial realms and powers within it.
Various martial realms, such as thunder, fire, wind, and snow, were revealed, and although the sword light was eroded, its momentum remained undiminished.
Although it appeared to be a single sword radiance, it was actually the superimposition of thousands of sword radiances, each one representing Li Hao's full burst of power.
Only at this moment, as Li Hao approached the critical limit of his transformation into an immortal, could he instantly mobilize such a vast amount of power and condense it into this awe-inspiring sword strike that shook the heavens and moved the ghosts and gods!
Boom!
Amid the hundred-foot demon's angry palm strike, the sword light shattered the dark light in his palm, causing blood to splatter and a ghostly black aura to emanate.
Li Hao roared and charged forward, his body clad in the power of the ancestral heroic souls and the Qing Shuang sword in his hand. He voluntarily stepped into the Daoyu and slashed at the hundred-foot demon's head.
"You!"
The hundred-foot demon's skull was torn apart, blood gushed out, and more black aura surged from his body. The impact sent him reeling backward as he stared at Li Hao in astonishment.
The Daoyu, which had been cleaved open by the sword light, closed in again, enveloping Li Hao. However, to the hundred-foot demon's surprise, the Daoyu was unable to instantly shatter Li Hao's body.
Li Hao's body trembled, but he endured the oppressive rules of the Daoyu. His body continued to crumble and shatter, his bones emitting loud cracks, yet he seemed to be able to hold on for a while longer!
This scene exceeded the hundred-foot demon's understanding and was difficult for him to comprehend.
This was the Daoyu!
Moreover, he could sense that the rules of his Daoyu were not ineffective; it was just that Li Hao's physical body was too powerful, comparable to a top-notch divine weapon!
"Kill!"
Li Hao roared and swung his sword furiously.
His physical body was comparable to an eight-times forged divine weapon, approaching the ninth level. Even the Daoyu would be unable to instantly incinerate a divine weapon of this caliber.
A divine weapon that has undergone more than seven castings would require some time to be refined, even with the power of the Daoyu.
Lu Yuan's physical body was comparable to a six-times forged divine weapon, which was already an exceptional level among secret arts. Compared to Li Hao at this moment, however, the gap was enormous.
Li Hao ignored his injuries and launched a fierce assault, his sword light slashing angrily.
The hundred-foot demon also roared in fury, his true anger aroused as he had never suffered such humiliation before.
He unleashed a tumultuous demonic aura, his body burning like black flames as he struck out with his palms. Each strike of his massive demonic palms could easily reduce a prosperous city to ruins, but at this moment, they were repeatedly forced back by Li Hao's sword light.
In the distance, Li Xiaoran, who was anxiously searching for a way out, also witnessed Li Hao's battle, and his heart filled with dread.
Although Li Hao was empowered by the ancestral heroic souls, the might he exuded was even more terrifying.
Seeing this, Li Xiaoran grew even more anxious. With Li Hao's talent, he must not die here.
Aside from the ancestral hall, where else could they find a way out?
Li Xiaoran racked his brains, trying to recall the various clues he had discovered during his previous explorations, and he vaguely seemed to grasp something.
At that moment, a huge tremor emanated from outside the God General Mansion, and when Li Xiaoran looked, he saw demonic clouds rolling in. It seemed that the formation had failed, and the demons outside the city had reached the walls, engaging in a fierce battle.
And the most eye-catching figure in the midst of that battle was none other than Li Tianzong and the tattered-robed youth.
"Big brother, if you're still conscious, please show me a way out..."
Li Xiaoran's eyes were filled with sorrow, and gritting his teeth, he continued to recall, following the train of thought he had just grasped.
At the same time, the battle between Li Hao and the hundred-foot demon had reached its climax, with both sides drenched in blood.
Li Hao's blood dripped into the Daoyu and was instantly compressed and exploded. The Daoyu contained an unimaginable oppressive force, and anyone who stepped into it with an inferior secret art would swiftly explode and perish.
"Die!!"
Li Hao roared, drawing upon the power of the world once more, surpassing the seventy percent bottleneck and pushing it to an even higher level.
However, this also meant that he could lose control at any moment.
As even more violent power surged forth, Li Hao recklessly established hundreds and thousands of layers around his body, as if he were squandering his strength.
It wasn't that he was unaffected by the Daoyu, but rather that he was constantly countering its influence with his own power. It was like soaking a piece of paper in water; a single sheet would be instantly soaked, but an entire book would take some time.
Boom!
Li Hao's sword light, like black thunder, directly tore apart half of the hundred-foot demon's head.
Only the hundred-foot demon's mouth remained, yet it still roared in anger, and its entire body channels erupted, its aura surging.
Li Hao, however, simply rammed his head into the demon's head, and upon seeing the splattering blood, a sudden thought occurred to him. He reached into the demon's brain and channeled the Ten Thousand Blood True Demon Art with all his might!
As the violent power surged, like a powerful pump drawing water, the hundred-foot demon let out a miserable scream as its essence blood and power were continuously drawn into Li Hao's arm.
"Your obsession should dissipate now!"
Li Hao's eyes turned icy as he noticed the other's aura gradually waning, sensing an opportunity.
The Qing Shuang sword danced and whirled around him, slicing through the air and creating a barrier of black sword radiance that shielded him from the oppressive power of the Daoyu. Li Hao's hands and body lunged forward, reaching deep into the demon's brain.
As the demon's essence nourished him, Li Hao's shattered body began to show signs of repair.
However, the power of the heavens had gone berserk, enveloping both Li Hao and the hundred-foot demon.
Li Hao quickened his absorption, and with a final agonized scream, the demon's body crumbled to its knees. The Daoyu, which had been frantically converging and suppressing, gradually ceased and then dissipated.
With the disappearance of the Daoyu, Li Hao's arms felt suddenly lighter, and he viciously tore apart the demon's body.
Blood splattered as Li Hao plunged into the demon's body, absorbing its essence with all his might.
As the demon king's essence and power flowed into his body, Li Hao's flesh continued to refine and strengthen, and his transformation into an immortal seemed unstoppable.
While the power of the heavens relentlessly tore at Li Hao's body, he relentlessly refined and strengthened himself, resulting in a cycle of destruction and rebirth.
Li Hao emerged bloodied but victorious, his entire being exuding a murderous aura akin to that of a bloodthirsty asura. He abruptly raised his hand and slashed with his sword, cleaving the surrounding world in two.
The power of the heavens was instantly blocked, and the destruction of Li Hao's body came to a halt.
Li Hao exerted control over his body, managing to restrain the immortal transformation.
Fortunately, the recent refinement of his flesh had enhanced his control over it, allowing him to barely pull back from the brink of losing himself.
Li Hao paused to catch his breath before quickly taking out a large handful of divine pills and consuming them. He could feel his body, like a blazing furnace, revitalized and invigorated once more.
While this method of consumption would leave significant side effects on his martial path, Li Hao had no qualms about it.
Once his aura had recovered to its peak, Li Hao stepped out of the demon's body and gazed at the Candlefire God, who was still relentlessly attacking the formation outside the God General Mansion. A murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
At this moment, the Candlefire God posed far less of a threat than before.
Li Hao could sense that his physical body had reached a new level, and the combination of the tearing power of the heavens and the refinement of his flesh had elevated his body to a level comparable to a nine-forged divine weapon.
Whoosh!
Li Hao took a step forward, instantly appearing at the location of the formation.
The sudden appearance of Li Hao caused the Candlefire God to raise an eyebrow in mild surprise, but he quickly disregarded it and continued his efforts to break the formation.
Otherwise, if Li Hao attacked him from within the formation, he could only defend from the outside.
However, Li Hao had no intention of letting the formation bear the burden any longer. He took a step forward, directly crossing into the Candlefire God's Daoyu.
"Hmm? You're actually seeking death..."
The Candlefire God's eyebrows arched in surprise at Li Hao's bold move, but he soon sensed Li Hao's provocation.
He abruptly channeled all his power into the Daoyu, intending to incinerate Li Hao.
Li Hao felt layer upon layer of scorching heat washing over him, his blood seeming to boil in his veins. This time, he did not release a lot of power to counter the Daoyu but instead extended his finger, using his physical body to test its might.
His finger stung with pain, as if it were pressed against a scorching hot iron plate.
However, despite the intensity, his finger did not instantly turn to ash.
With his current physical state, Li Hao could withstand the Daoyu.
But not for long.
This meant that Li Hao could direct all his power, previously used to resist the Daoyu, into his attacks.
"Die!"
Li Hao unleashed his full power, showing no mercy even to himself.
Without the power of isolation, relying solely on his physical body, he felt as if he were immersed in boiling water.
Yet, his will remained as steadfast as iron, unwavering in the face of agony. His face revealed no signs of pain, but his eyes blazed with determination as he swung his sword with all his might.
"Ahh?!"
The Candlefire God's expression shifted from astonishment to horror as he witnessed Li Hao's defiance. How could Li Hao withstand the rules of the Daoyu with just his physical body?! It was beyond his comprehension and imagination that such a thing was possible.
But upon closer inspection, he was shocked to discover that Li Hao had refined his body to the strength of a nine-forged divine weapon.
Among demons, this was monstrous!
It was common knowledge that the rewards of body refinement were extremely low, and the process was time-consuming, so demons rarely chose this path.
Boom!
The Candlefire God's fire trident collided with Li Hao's sword light, causing a violent impact that nearly flipped his arm. The light on the trident dimmed from the force.
Li Hao once again entered the immortal transformation state, guiding the power of the heavens and pushing it to eighty percent of its full potential.
The veins of the world rapidly converged, channeling immense power into Li Hao as he stepped forward and unleashed the Heaven's Invisible Trace technique. Black sword radiance, like a tempestuous storm, slashed and hacked at the Candlefire God.
The Candlefire God had been unaware of the battle between Li Hao and the hundred-foot demon due to the God General Mansion's formation, but now, with Li Hao's full power unleashed, he felt his heart skip a beat.
He roared in anger, brandishing his fire trident as he fought, but he was repeatedly forced back by Li Hao's relentless sword radiance, his confidence shaken.
Within his own Daoyu, he was being suppressed by a mere Immortal Ascension cultivator. This was utterly absurd!
"Husband..."
The Yin Lady stared in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief at the scene before her.
Lu Yuan, who had been intending to assist from a distance, froze in his tracks, his eyes fixed on Li Hao as if he were seeing a ghost.
Li Hao's ferocity in this battle far surpassed what Lu Yuan had witnessed at Tianmen Pass.
Boom!
The black sword radiance, like thunder, viciously tore off one of the Candlefire God's arms.
The Candlefire God let out a low growl, his bleeding wound cauterized by the flames. He glared at Li Hao, his silver hair and white silk-like aura signaling to the Candlefire God that Li Hao had employed some sort of terrifying secret art.
The battle between the two was earth-shattering, turning the streets outside the God General Mansion into flat land. Everywhere they passed was charred black, incinerated by the Daoyu.
Yin Lady and Lu Yuan exchanged a glance, both seeing the dread in each other's eyes. Such a battle was beyond their ability to intervene, even as masters of the Secret Realm!
That young man was too terrifying. If he were allowed to leave alive, he would soon be able to rival the Buddha Lord, becoming the third figure in the Great Yu Divine Dynasty to be feared!
Boom!
Candlefire God's body was cleaved in half by Li Hao's sword and slammed into the distant ground, creating a charred pit hundreds of meters deep.
Li Hao swung his sword again, and the Qing Shuang sword, forged from cold iron, had become scorching hot from prolonged combat within the Daoyu. The nine sword souls within it dared not reveal themselves, lest they be incinerated by the Daoyu as soon as they appeared.
It was only relying on the hardness of the divine weapon itself that it could barely withstand the Daoyu.
"Die!"
Candlefire God roared and rushed out from the ground, not dodging Li Hao's attack but instead meeting it with his fire trident.
Their weapons clashed, and Li Hao sliced off half of his body, while one of his arms was also severed.
Candlefire God's flesh and blood writhed, and with the power of undecaying, he quickly regenerated. But before he could finish, he saw that Li Hao's severed arm had already regrown and was coming at him again.
The rate of regeneration of his physical body was several times faster than his!
Candlefire God was slapped in the face by the sword light and fell.
Li Hao attacked again, but a beam of fire rushed out from the deep pit.
When Li Hao dispersed it, he saw that Candlefire God had turned into a rainbow and fled far away.
Yin Lady had already retreated and disappeared.
Lu Yuan saw that Candlefire God was fleeing, and he reacted, his heart cursing in anger as he turned and fled in another direction, afraid that Li Hao would target him.
"How dare you run away! Didn't you want to break the formation and kill me?!"
Li Hao pursued Candlefire God and shouted angrily.
Hearing this, Candlefire God's face turned red with anger, and he was furious.
He was shocked and trembling with anger, and without using his ultimate trump card, he knew he was no match for this crazy young man.
Let the other dead souls wear down Li Hao first!
"You will die sooner or later!"
Candlefire God held in his anger, his eyes turning cold. Suddenly, he clapped his hands, and a holy heart talisman appeared, enveloping his body and increasing his speed. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared, flying out of Dragon City.
A Demon King at the half-step Everlasting Realm was chased by Li Hao to the point of fleeing for his life.
Li Hao saw that the other party was surrounded by talisman symbols and his body was accelerating, so he immediately took out a holy heart talisman and covered himself with talisman light, pursuing at full speed.
But as soon as he chased him to the edge of the city, Li Hao felt a strange sense of danger. It seemed that beyond the demon tide outside the city, there were several extremely cold gazes fixed on him.
There were probably several more Demon Kings at the Everlasting Dao Realm lurking there!
In this brief pause, Candlefire God had already fled a hundred miles into the dark forbidden zone outside the city in just half a breath.
There were rules there that ensured the death of humans, and even if Li Hao could withstand the Daoyu at this moment, he might not be able to violate the rules of the River of Death.
Li Hao's expression turned ugly. At this point, he even gave up hope of escaping the River of Death, but even if he died here, he wanted to kill Candlefire God before his death.
Otherwise, if the other party escaped, it would bring disaster to Liangzhou.
However, that wish was now difficult to fulfill.
Li Hao hesitated for a moment, then turned and rushed towards another part of the city at full speed.
Lu Yuan was flying towards the city at full speed. He was not one of the dead souls here, and even if these dead souls died, they would not disappear. They would forever be trapped in the River of Death, endlessly reincarnating until the River of Death was conquered and they could be freed.
But if he died here, he would truly perish.
However, it was easy to enter the city earlier, but now it felt difficult to leave.
At the place where he rushed out, several old guards of the Li family appeared, blocking his path.
Although their cultivation was not as high as Lu Yuan's, they were all fearless and fearless in the face of death.
Lu Yuan roared in anger and released thunderbolts, forcing them back.
But at this moment, a beam of light rushed towards him from behind.
Lu Yuan turned his head in astonishment and saw a black sword light cutting through the sky, slashing out for fifty miles!
The sword light angrily cut down, directly severing Lu Yuan's head!
The myriad martial arts realms contained within the sword light instantly destroyed and obliterated his soul.
The huge dragon corpse fell from the sky.
This elder of the Dragon Gate, a master of the Secret Realm, could not withstand a single blow from Li Hao at his peak!
Compared to outside the River of Death, it was mainly because Li Hao's whole body was empowered by too many forces at this moment, including various divine pills and the souls of his ancestors.
Most importantly, his physical body had been refined to a level comparable to a nine-forged divine weapon, approaching the limit of the Near-Immortal Realm, and the power of the heavens he drew upon during his ascension was immense beyond imagination.
Back when he was only at the Heaven's Mandate Realm, Li Hao had been able to fight against a Dao Heart Realm expert and withstand attacks from a Reverse Life Realm expert with only forty percent of his ascension power. Now, with the addition of the power of the world veins and his proximity to the three Near-Immortal Extremes, his strength was even more formidable.
Li Hao glanced at the severed dragon corpse, his body leaping forward and landing in front of it. He activated the Ten Thousand Blood True Demon Art, absorbing its essence to refine his physical body once more.
As the dragon corpse dried up, Li Hao felt slightly relieved. At least, out of the three great demon kings, he had taken care of one.
Without another glance at the old dragon who had cultivated for countless years and shook the Great Yu Dynasty, Li Hao turned and rushed towards the city head.
Li Hao covered the battlefield with his spiritual sense but failed to detect their presence.
This meant that they were most likely swallowed by the demon tide and had already perished, either ending up in the belly of that demon or becoming a meal for another.
Li Hao took a deep breath and wielded the Qing Shuang Sword, plunging into the demon tide. His body weaved through the battlefield.
Soon, Li Hao noticed that the auras of the other "brothers" had also dissipated.
With the northern part of the city breached, given their personalities, they had most likely perished in the demon tide as well.
Li Hao sighed inwardly and continued to fight his way towards the north, doing his best to hold off the enemy.
If he went all out, there might still be a chance to defend the city for a day.
With Li Hao's arrival, the battlefield was instantly swept, sword energies crisscrossing and tearing through the demon tide.
The previously crumbling situation was immediately bolstered by Li Hao's intervention.
The tide of demons continued relentlessly, and Li Hao fought with all his might. Without the need to enter the Ascension state, he could maintain a half-immortal body state with just the recovery power of the world veins, making prolonged battles manageable for him.
Amid the demon tide, several Demon Kings emerged, seemingly spotting an opportunity to escape. They rushed towards Dragon City.
Li Hao fought fiercely, slaying these Demon Kings and absorbing their essence and power to temper his physical body, making it even stronger. He pushed his body to its limits, further refining it with various body tempering techniques.
The battle raged on as Li Hao eased the pressure on the northern part of the city and turned his attention to the east.
He was like a sword on the battlefield, darting everywhere and providing aid to areas that had been breached.
However, Dragon City was too vast, and despite Li Hao's efforts, demons continued to infiltrate the city, causing chaos and forcing the citizens to flee in all directions.
While fighting, Li Hao commanded the Li family army to shrink the defense perimeter and retreat to the inner circle of Dragon City.
Without the formation, they could only rely on a human wall to hold off the enemy.
Time flew by.
When half the day had passed, Li Hao suddenly heard a furious roar.
A huge figure of a demon fell from the sky and crashed into the city.
Li Hao recognized it as the true body of the youth in tattered robes, who had been locked in a prolonged battle with Li Tianzong without a clear victor. Now, his body was covered in cracks, and his soul dimmed as he fell.
Li Tianzong, shrouded in black mist, pounced with a roar, engulfing the demon's body with his mist. From within, there came chilling sounds of tearing flesh and wriggling blood.
Li Hao tried to probe with his soul sense, but the black mist obstructed him.
His actions seemed to disturb something, as the black mist suddenly churned and then retracted like a whale sucking in water, gathering onto a single figure.
It was Li Tianzong.
His body was enveloped in demonic energy, but his eyes had turned scarlet, and he seemed to be muttering something under his breath.
With his enhanced hearing, Li Hao immediately caught what he was saying.
"I must hold on..."
"I must hold on..."
Li Tianzong seemed to be muttering to himself, his words indistinct.
Sensing Li Hao's gaze, he abruptly lifted his head, his eyes filled with ferocity, devoid of the calmness and gentle smile he once had.
Li Hao's heart chilled as he felt a sense of being targeted.
He was alarmed, realizing that Li Tianzong's current state was unusual, resembling the uncontrollable state Li Xiaoran had mentioned.
As Li Hao's expression turned solemn, Li Tianzong's scarlet eyes seemed to pause for a moment, reflecting Li Hao's image. After a while, amidst the violent killing intent, a glimmer of clarity emerged.
"Run... Go to the city..."
Li Tianzong shouted, but something seemed to trigger within him, and his expression twisted in pain.
He roared, his body shooting up into the air and rushing towards the distant outskirts of the city, shouting, "Let me go!!!"
His roar reverberated over Dragon City. Outside the city, several lurking figures stirred, their auras intensifying.
"What's going on?"
At that moment, Candlefire God and his wife, Lady Yin, who had been hiding among the demons outside the city, waiting for the dead soul demon kings to breach the city and wear down Li Hao, were startled by Li Tianzong's actions.
Seeing the guardian of Dragon City acting like a rampaging demon, they were taken aback, as this development was beyond their expectations.
This was their first time at the River of Death, and many things were still unknown. Usually, the first visit was for gathering information.
Candlefire God noticed that the lazy demon kings who had looked down on him were now eager to join the battle, exuding a formidable aura.
"Are they after Li Tianzong?"
Candlefire God's eyes narrowed in suspicion and confusion.
Just then, a scene that shocked him even further unfolded.
The several Everlasting Dao Realm demon kings burst out of the demon tide and surrounded Li Tianzong.
However, instead of attacking, they crashed into Li Tianzong.
Li Tianzong's appearance became even more terrifying. His body swelled, and he devoured the demon kings whole.
"What...?"
Candlefire God and Lady Yin were stunned, their pupils constricting in shock.
As Li Tianzong devoured the demon kings, his body erupted with terrifying demonic energy. Like a ghost or a demon god, he roared to the sky, his hair flying wildly as his body transformed into that of a massive beast.
He suddenly turned and stomped through the demon tide, charging towards Dragon City.
"All of you, go and die, go and die..."
His eyes shot out violent red light as he rushed towards the city.
As Li Tianzong stepped into Dragon City, all the soldiers who had been desperately fighting the demon tide suddenly stopped.
Then, they released streams of black qi, resembling demons or vengeful spirits returning to life, and merged with the demon tide, turning against the citizens of the city.
The citizens also began to emit black qi, transforming into demons and wreaking havoc on the buildings and houses.
Li Hao hovered in mid-air, stunned by this sudden turn of events.
It seemed that by the eighth or ninth day, or even on the tenth day, of defending the city, such a transformation would likely occur.
Even with everyone's combined efforts to protect Dragon City, they would eventually have to face the transformation of the city's soldiers and Li Tianzong himself.
Why was this happening?
Li Hao struggled to comprehend. How could anyone possibly pass this trial?
Even someone at the Taiping Dao Realm wouldn't stand a chance!
Roar! Roar!
Terrifying roars reverberated throughout the city.
The soldiers who had been fighting the demons just moments ago now rode on the backs of their former enemies, their eyes glowing with black light, as they wreaked havoc within the city.
Countless demons rushed towards Li Hao from all directions.
"Haoru!"
In the distance, Li Xiaoran flew towards him, equally shocked by the turn of events.
At this moment, almost the entire city had fallen.
Only the God General Mansion, protected by its formation, remained untouched.
Outside the mansion, a sea of demons and transformed soldiers swarmed, and the only defenders left seemed to be Li Hao and Li Xiaoran.
With just the two of them, they would have to fight against these overwhelming odds to protect Dragon City and pass the trial.
Li Hao felt like laughing, but he couldn't. He now understood why the Second Grandfather had warned against entering a Profound Capital-level River of Death, even for those at the Four Establishments Realm, as it was highly unlikely one would return.
"So, this is how it is..."
Li Xiaoran flew closer to Li Hao, gazing at the demons rushing towards them from all sides, and he seemed to realize the truth. His expression turned sorrowful and bitter.
"To defend Dragon City to the end, we have to face Big Brother's resurrected obsession, don't we..."
"In the end, it's Big Brother we have to protect..."
He felt a deep sadness. Obsession had driven his brother mad.
In life, his brother's obsession had been to defend Dragon City, but now, in death, it had become the greatest threat to the defense of this River of Death.
Looking at Li Tianzong, who was striding through the air like a demon god, Li Xiaoran said sadly, "Big Brother, wake up. We're here to take you home!"
Li Tianzong paused for the briefest moment, but then continued his relentless advance.
Demonic heads sprouted from his shoulders, chest, and back, their mocking and disdainful eyes fixed on Li Hao and Li Xiaoran.
"You might as well stay here and die with us. Stay and keep your big brother company. No one is leaving."
"He will never wake up. You're all going to die!"
"No one can leave this River of Death. You're all going to stay here with us!"
Amid their cold taunts, Li Tianzong's eyes blazed with crimson light, and he continued his relentless march, muttering under his breath.
"I must defend Dragon City. No one is allowed to come near. I will lead all the soldiers back. I will take them home..."
"I want to... take them home!!"
His eyes blazed with a violent red light, and his body emanated a deep abyss-like demonic aura, far surpassing the power of the Taiping Dao Realm.
Li Xiaoran shouted sadly, "Big Brother, the battle for Dragon City is long over. Only you haven't returned. Only you are still here!"
Boom!
Li Tianzong raised his hand, and a terrifying bolt of lightning shot towards them.
Li Xiaoran didn't even have time to react before Li Hao sensed the danger and swung his sword, shattering the deadly lightning.
Li Hao shielded Li Xiaoran with his back and looked up at the approaching hundred-foot-tall Li Tianzong, his voice calm as he said, "Fourth Uncle, step back. Let me try something."
"Haoru, what are you planning?"
Li Xiaoran looked at him, his eyes filled with sorrow and despair.
This despair wasn't for himself, but for Li Hao, for his brother, and for the fact that they might never escape this place and be freed from their obsessions.
If they perished here, who else in the Li Family could bring his brother back and return him to the ancestral hall?
Li Hao didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the approaching Li Tianzong as he tightened his grip on his sword.
His mind raced through the events of the past two months, and he recalled the soft whispers from the night before.
"If only you were my son..."
Li Hao's aura surged uncontrollably, and in that moment, he threw caution to the wind, allowing the power of the world to course through him unhindered.
"Since you want to go home, let me open a path for you."
"Let's see if my life can buy your freedom..."
Li Hao spoke softly, taking a step forward.
This step was a step towards death, but also towards his ultimate limit, the pinnacle of his pursuit of immortality!
He had no other choice. To stand still was to die, so he might as well take a chance.