296

Chapter 296: Death River Cleared, Imperial City Destroyed (Two-in-One)

Wang Zhen Dong's expression was extremely grave. For hundreds of years, no demon had dared to offend the Imperial Capital.

The last time it happened was six hundred years ago, when a Demon King invaded and was struck down by a sword that flew out of the Qian Dao Palace, severing the Demon King's head outside the city.

The Demon King's blood flowed like a river, deterring many demons who coveted the city.

Now, demons were invading again, and the Imperial Capital was requesting reinforcements. Where was the True Person?

"First, the Battle of Liangzhou, then Youzhou, Qingzhou…"

Wang Zhen Feng's eyes flickered. He wasn't as talented as Wang Zhen Dong in clearing Death Rivers, but he was more familiar with the situation in various states.

"I've long felt that these demons were brewing some grand scheme. The True Person has never appeared, there might be some hidden reason. It seems these demons are truly intending to fight our Great Yu Dynasty to the death!"

Wang Zhen Feng's face turned cold. The demons had stopped attacking the states and were instead directly targeting the Great Yu Dynasty. Were they planning to strike at the heart of the empire, using swift and decisive tactics to crush the Imperial Capital?

"The Emperor's decree, a decree must be answered. I'll go there immediately." Wang Zhen Dong said in a deep voice.

He glanced at the others and said, "Zhen Feng, you stay here to guard Yunzhou and the ancestral temple. Zhen Ping, you come with me. Yong Zhi, immediately deploy three hundred thousand Zhao-character troops and rush to the Imperial Capital at full speed!"

The Wang Family's only publicly acknowledged army was the Ancestral Zhao-character Battalion, which hadn't been disbanded. This was the Emperor's way of showing respect to the Wang Family.

Wang Yong Zhi nodded. "Leave it to me. Uncles Zhen Dong and Zhen Ping, be careful. This time, it might be a catastrophe!"

Wang Zhen Dong nodded, then turned to the Earth Store Bodhisattva and said, "Have people keep an eye on the Virtue Ranking and send out suicide squads to investigate the situation inside."

Once someone perished, their name would be removed from the Virtue Ranking. Now that they knew Li Hao's Death River battle name was Chong Er, they could also monitor Li Hao's life and death through the Virtue Ranking.

Wang Yong Zhi nodded.

Wang Zhen Dong didn't say anything more, and looked at Wang Zhen Ping. "Old Fourth, come with me."

Wang Zhen Ping nodded. With the current situation, he put aside the matter of his granddaughter and grandson being reprimanded earlier.

As they left, Wang Yong Zhi quickly counted the number of people and deployed troops.

…

In the Qingzhen Death River.

With Wang Zhen Dong and the other Wang Family members gone, the town became deserted.

Li Hao, who was resisting the erosion of the Hell level Death River's power, breathed a sigh of relief. Then, his divine sense quickly enveloped the entire town, searching rapidly.

Soon, he found hidden figures of lost souls scattered throughout the town, but not many.

Apparently, the Wang Family Dao Realm expert had done a simple sweep earlier.

Suddenly, Li Hao saw a familiar figure in the town's ancestral temple.

Old Master Feng!

The simple yet slightly noble dark blue robe was the one Feng Lao wore most often.

He was standing at the threshold of the ancestral temple, gazing out at the town, his eyes filled with confusion, as if lost in thought, reminiscing about something.

Li Hao's heart surged with excitement, and he quickly sent out his divine sense, teleporting towards the ancestral temple.

His physical body remained in place, continuing to maintain the Dao Domain to block the Hell level Death River's erosion. Although there were no Wang Family members here who needed his protection, if he left, the Death River would erode into the town and accelerate its fusion, potentially causing changes in the conditions for clearing the river or other unknown consequences.

Using the Peaceful Dao Realm to conquer this Netherworld level Death River made many things easier. If it were an ordinary Grandmaster Realm expert, the lost souls in the town alone would be enough to give them a hard time.

Whoosh!

The divine sense, shimmering with crimson-gold flames, descended in front of the ancestral temple.

The divine light retracted, revealing Li Hao's appearance. He said excitedly, "Old Master Feng!"

Feng Bo Ping's gaze returned from the distance, landing on Li Hao, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Who are you?"

Li Hao was slightly stunned, then immediately realized that this was just a fragment of a soul, and his memories might be incomplete. He quickly said,

"It's me, fishing, fish soup, little rat!"

"You helped me steal many cultivation techniques and secret manuals, and a royal concubine's silk stockings…"

Li Hao rattled off the little secrets that Feng Lao had only shared with them during their fishing trips.

Although he didn't know what the conditions were for clearing this Death River, helping Feng Lao regain his memories might be beneficial.

"You also got me a bottle of divine pill that specifically strengthens the body. And once, when you were fishing, you caught a dragon, but it broke free from the hook. You were so angry that you killed it and couldn't sleep for days…"

Li Hao spoke rapidly.

"Stop, stop, stop…"

The confusion in Feng Bo Ping's eyes seemed to dissipate, and he quickly raised his hand to stop Li Hao, feeling a faint pain in his heart.

Broke free? How could it have broken free!

This kid was talking nonsense!

What kind of kid was this, coming here to cause trouble? Oh right, I need to kill these invaders…

Wait, little rat?

Numerous thoughts raced through his mind, and Feng Bo Ping rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit disoriented. But soon, fragments of memories flashed through his mind, and he was stunned.

He stared intently at Li Hao, and after a while, his eyes widened. "Hao, Hao'er?!"

Li Hao was both surprised and delighted that Feng Lao could actually remember him. He nodded repeatedly. "It's me!"

Feng Bo Ping quickly recalled something and hurriedly said, "How did you get here?"

"I'm here to take you out, to get you out of this ghost place." Li Hao said.

"You…"

Feng Bo Ping was startled, his expression changing. He looked up towards the outside of the town.

Seeing the dark and lightless sky outside the town, he seemed to see something and his eyes became a little vacant.

But soon, he came to his senses and immediately said to Li Hao, "Go quickly, you can't clear it. That thing is coming!"

"That thing?"

Li Hao looked at the approaching Hell level Death River behind him and said, "Is it that Death River? Old Master Feng, do you know how to clear it? Let me take you out."

"It's too late, I can't get out, I…"

Feng Bo Ping looked at the Hell level Death River. "That thing is coming for me. It has reflected me, part of my obsession is trapped there, you can't clear it."

Li Hao's heart trembled. The Hell level Death River was coming for Feng Lao. How could that be?

Although Feng Lao was very strong, a Four Established Realm expert, he shouldn't attract a Hell level Death River.

After all, the old man who had fallen in Dragon City was only a Underworld level Death River.

Moreover, the true obsession behind the Dragon City Death River was the Dao Hearing Realm War God, Ji Yun Ge.

"Old Master Feng, are you sure? Is your obsession that deep?"

Li Hao couldn't help but ask.

If it were normally, Feng Bo Ping would have been so angry that he would have rolled his eyes. But at this moment, his gaze fell on the approaching Hell level Death River, and he seemed lost in thought, muttering to himself,

"I don't know, but I know I'm looking for something, something very, very important…"

Li Hao froze, his mind racing through past memories.

While fishing by the lake, in their daily interactions, Feng Lao had practically shared everything with him, even many top-secret matters that could get him beheaded, with almost no reservations.

But he didn't seem to have ever mentioned searching for anything particularly important.

After all, the things he wanted to find, he had already stolen.

"Go quickly, I can't be cleared if I can't find that thing."

Feng Bo Ping suddenly withdrew his gaze and said to Li Hao, "Before this place is completely fused, you still have time to leave. That place is more terrifying than you can imagine. Once you fall in, there's no escape…"

"I'll try!"

Li Hao interrupted.

Ji Yun Ge's lost soul had stayed in the Death River for too long and had dissipated. If he gave up this time, Feng Lao's missing soul would be lost forever!

"Why are you so stubborn!"

Feng Bo Ping became anxious when he heard Li Hao's words. "If you delay any longer, you'll die too!"

Li Hao said solemnly, "Old Master Feng, think carefully about what you're looking for, and I'll help you find it!"

Feng Bo Ping was stunned. Looking at his determined and resolute gaze, his eyes became a little vacant. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and looked towards the dark, lightless area.

He saw that at the edge of the Death River outside the town, the dark power split like a tide, revealing a small path, and behind the path was another town.

It was like a mirror image, with the boundaries of the two towns perfectly aligned.

And in that town, a figure was slowly walking towards them, dressed in dark blue robes, landing outside the boundary line.

He looked quietly at Feng Bo Ping, and Feng Bo Ping's eyes changed, staring intently at him.

Li Hao noticed that the figure walking towards the boundary was also Feng Lao.

Only, his facial expression was rather cold, his eyes indifferent and filled with killing intent.

Li Hao felt a chill in his heart. Feng Lao wasn't wrong. The Hell level Death River had actually reflected his obsession, and the conditions for clearing it had changed. This meant that the final outcome of this Qingzhen Death River could only be fusion!

"Want to know what his obsession is? If you do, come and fish with me. Let's see who can catch it first."

The reflected Feng Bo Ping's obsession suddenly said.

Li Hao's face changed slightly, feeling both strange and familiar.

"Fish what?"

"You'll know when you come."

Feng Bo Ping's obsession sneered.

Li Hao looked into his eyes, but didn't speak.

Beside him, Feng Bo Ping came to his senses and immediately said, "Don't listen to his nonsense, don't go over there."

Li Hao slowly withdrew his gaze, shook his head slightly, and said,

"Wait for me."

With just those two words, he stepped forward.

Feng Bo Ping's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, "You'll die!"

"Even if I die, I'll take you out!"

Li Hao didn't look back, and walked straight towards the reflected Feng Bo Ping's obsession outside the town. "You protected me for a while, I'll protect you for a lifetime!"

Feng Bo Ping was stunned, standing in place, watching the young man's divine sense fly out.

And outside the town, the reflected Feng Bo Ping's obsession outside the Hell level Death River town, the sneer on his face slightly subsided, staring intently at Li Hao.

Li Hao reached the boundary of the town and asked, "Fish what?"

"Fish for a life!"

"Life?"

Li Hao's face turned cold. "Don't tell me you mean my life?"

"Yes, and no."

Feng Bo Ping's obsession said coldly, "Once you catch it, you can live. If you don't, you won't even be able to get out now!"

Li Hao's eyes narrowed. In the distance, his physical body was still maintaining the Dao Domain, resisting the invasion.

Although he hadn't tried using the token, he knew that the Death River had changed again, and the exit might have shifted.

After all, opening the exit had already been difficult before, and now, except for the area his physical body was blocking, the Hell level Death River in other parts of the town was approaching and extending, and the degree of fusion was increasing.

"Let's do it."

Having come this far, there was no turning back, and Li Hao didn't waste any words.

"You're quite bold. Aren't you worried that I'll deceive you?" Feng Bo Ping's obsession asked.

"I am worried, but I have no choice."

Li Hao said.

Feng Bo Ping's obsession said, "But you can choose to save yourself. You still had hope just now."

"You said it yourself, it was just now. Since it's gone now, don't waste words!"

Feng Bo Ping didn't waste any more words, coldly saying, "Since you're determined to die, come on over."

Li Hao took a step forward, ready to erupt at any moment, transforming his divine sense into a Heaven and Earth Dharma Image.

But the surrounding dark power didn't invade.

Feng Bo Ping's obsession's eyes seemed to contract slightly, apparently not expecting Li Hao to be so decisive in the face of death.

"Tell me, how do I fish?"

Li Hao, while remaining vigilant against any attacks, said coldly.

Feng Bo Ping's obsession fell silent, and after a while, he said, "Use your sincerity as bait, fish for a life. You've already fished for your own life, you've won."

"What?"

Li Hao was slightly stunned.

Feng Bo Ping's obsession looked at Li Hao and slowly said, "This is his obsession. He's looking for a sincere heart. It's the most precious thing in the world, and it's something he can't steal!"

Li Hao was startled and asked in surprise, "So, does that mean I've cleared it now?"

Li Hao had gained a little experience from clearing Death Rivers twice before. The requirements for clearing Death Rivers were varied.

The first time, in the Fengshan Death River, he drew a painting, and the clumsy painter was moved to tears, and he cleared it. The key seemed to be resolving his lovesickness.

In the Dragon City Death River, it was the idea of being at home everywhere, dissolving Ji Yun Ge's obsession and pulling him out of the Death River's influence.

Now, in the Death River where Feng Lao was trapped, it was a sincere heart.

These seemed to have little to do with martial arts and realm. No wonder the Wang Family had studied Death Rivers for many years, but the number they had cleared was very small.

After all, if one didn't happen to encounter it, if someone else came to Feng Lao's Death River, they would be helpless.

Similarly, if he hadn't known Feng Lao, he wouldn't have been able to clear it.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, dark power surged from Feng Bo Ping's obsession, swirling around him like mist.

His face changed slightly, and his eyes suddenly burst with silver light, emitting a vast and majestic aura.

That aura made Li Hao's pupils contract slightly. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he felt a trace of the Saintly power he had felt in the Ji Family's Holy Bones!

"Want to abandon me? Too late!"

Feng Bo Ping's obsession's eyes flashed with cold light, and the silver light enveloped the dark power around him. The power seemed to be withdrawing from his body, but it was bound by his silver light.

At the same time, the town reflected behind him suddenly collapsed and became distorted.

The environment was no longer the same as the Qingzhen Death River. It would turn into a hideous cave filled with debris, then a plain littered with armor and corpses.

"Child, retreat quickly."

Feng Bo Ping's obsession suddenly said to Li Hao.

Li Hao glanced at him and retreated at top speed.

He seemed to realize what was happening.

If Feng Lao's obsession was sincerity, then by resolving the obsession, he wasn't just clearing the Qingzhen Death River.

The Hell level Death River that reflected it was also affected!

Would they clear it together?

Li Hao couldn't help but wonder. Although it felt incredible, he still had a glimmer of hope.

But soon, Li Hao realized he was overthinking it. After he retreated, the terrain and town reflected outside the town collapsed completely, transforming into an ancient path.

Black mist shrouded the ancient path, which was extremely long, extending to a distant, unseen end.

But seeing this ancient path, Li Hao felt a chilling sensation, more terrifying than the reflected town he had seen before.

The ancient path was piled with bones, as if it had existed for countless years, a desolate scene.

"Subdue!"

From within the black mist, Feng Bo Ping's obsession's voice echoed, exceptionally cold, unlike the voice Li Hao usually heard.

The chaotic, surging mist suddenly slowed down, as if bound by a force.

"Child, farewell…"

From within the thick fog, Feng Bo Ping's obsession's voice echoed, quickly fading away.

At the same time, the thick fog dissipated.

Before Li Hao, the Death River prompt appeared:

[Permanently reduce the 'Silent Dao Death River' by 10%, eliminate the 'Reflection' rule, reward 10,000 virtue!]

Li Hao was slightly stunned. 10,000 virtue?

According to the Wang Family's speculation, destroying a Hell level Death River would yield 10,000 virtue. But now, he hadn't even destroyed it.

But permanently reduce?

Li Hao looked at the silent ancient path and suddenly understood. The Reflection rule was gone, permanently eliminated, and the Death River's power had weakened slightly.

He had just used the obsession reflected by the Reflection rule to clear it.

And the Hell level Silent Dao Death River, perhaps worried that his clearing would affect the overall Death River, had eliminated the Reflection rule, rendering his clearing ineffective, only causing a weakening effect.

Did this Death River itself have consciousness?

Li Hao took a deep look, and then saw the other forces surrounding the Qingzhen Death River rapidly dissipating.

These forces were primarily guided by the Reflection rule, and now that the rule was gone, the forces disappeared.

Li Hao turned his head and saw Feng Lao's figure floating towards him.

"You foolish child, you're really impulsive."

Feng Bo Ping looked at Li Hao, his eyes filled with affection.

Li Hao smiled, and saw another Death River prompt appear. The Qingzhen Death River had been cleared!

Moreover, clearing this Qingzhen Death River didn't reward 10,000 virtue, but 20,000!

The prompt was as follows:

Congratulations, Chong Er, you have cleared the Qingzhen Death River (Pollution).

Reward 20,000 virtue.

Adding the previous 10,000 virtue, Li Hao had earned a total of 30,000 virtue on this trip!

Wang Zhen Dong had cleared Death Rivers for many years and had only recently accumulated 10,000 virtue!

If he had simply destroyed this Netherworld level Death River, he would have only received 100 virtue.

Li Hao glanced at it, then looked at Feng Lao, grinning.

"Old Master Feng, we can go home now."

Feng Bo Ping's eyes were complex, and he looked at him deeply. "Yes, we can go home…"

…

Meanwhile, in the Great Yu State, the Sacred Capital Imperial City.

Wails and cries echoed everywhere, blood and corpses littered the ground.

The towering Imperial City, which had stood for thousands of years, was now stained crimson with blood. The moat surrounding the city, once clear, was now blood-red, with the bodies of soldiers and demons in fine armor floating in it.

The city walls were breached, with huge gaps torn in them.

In the sky, figures were fleeing, but they were pursued and brutally torn apart by Demon Kings.

Many buildings in the city were destroyed and burned, with the bodies of citizens scattered everywhere. The casualties were heavy, and the entire city was filled with cries of grief!

This was the most fortified city in the world, protected by the most powerful formation in the world, the Xuan Tian Divine Emperor Formation!

But at this moment, the formation had been broken.

However, the formation wasn't broken by the Demon Kings outside, but by several Chen Family generals stationed within the Imperial City, who had colluded with the enemy and bribed their way through. The Chen Family also had personnel working in the Astronomical Observatory, and they were familiar with the famous Xuan Tian Divine Emperor Formation, so they destroyed its formation patterns, rendering it unusable.

That's right, the Chen Family, one of the Five God General's Mansions, known for their peaceful stance, had betrayed the dynasty!

Without the protection of the formation, the entire city was exposed to the demons. Although there were many soldiers stationed in the city, with a million troops stationed there year-round, without the protection of the formation, the demons' attacks were unrestrained. Soon, in the midst of the slaughter, the aftermath of the battle spread throughout the city, causing widespread casualties.

As soon as the attack began, the Imperial City used the most urgent Eight Directions Flags to send messages to all directions, calling for reinforcements.

But although the Eight Directions Flags were fast, the Imperial City fell even faster.

Many elders who had been living in seclusion within the Imperial City also appeared and took action. There were as many as thirty-plus of them, which was shocking.

But they faced the black-robed young man and the purple-veined, exquisitely beautiful woman, both Dao Hearing Realm experts. The battle didn't last long before they were all killed, with only a few escaping.

The black-robed young man and the woman casually slaughtered people, and they had the elders of the various demonic forces they had summoned clean up the human race within the city, intending to exterminate them all.

They slaughtered indiscriminately within the city, unrestrained by any top-tier forces, as if they were playing a game.

At this moment, the entire Imperial City was in ruins, and many buildings within the towering Imperial Palace were also shattered.

The Imperial Palace also had the Xuan Tian Divine Emperor Formation, but this time, it was destroyed by a forceful attack.

The Divine Emperor phantom condensed by the formation was torn apart before it could fight for long, and the formation shattered.

Boom! Boom!

Two elders who were hiding and fleeing had their bodies suddenly burst open.

The black-robed young man flew over, glanced at them, casually captured them, and stored them in his Heaven and Earth space, intending to take them back as snacks.

Then, his gaze fell on the top of the Imperial Palace, his expression becoming grave and wary.

He heard intense sounds of battle coming from there. Strange phenomena filled the sky, with wind, rain, thunder, and lightning roaring. This was a battlefield of Dao Realm experts, where words could create life and laws could be spoken into existence, a realm that even Dao Hearing Realm experts couldn't easily enter.

And the ones fighting there weren't the old man with the cane, Magus Ram, but five or six young figures.

They moved casually, even teasing and joking with each other, but their attacks were incredibly fierce, creating a terrifying scene.

Boom!

A figure tumbled out and crashed onto the square, his Daoist robe torn, his appearance a sorry sight.

His body was covered in blood, staining his robe.

He got up from the ground, but as a young man softly uttered the word "Subdue," the old man fell back to the ground. The ground beneath him quickly cracked, spreading outwards like a spiderweb.

Fighting six opponents alone, his body was almost shattered.

"True Person…"

Beside the square, dozens of figures stood there, unscathed but unable to move.

Earlier, someone had tried to fight back desperately, but a young man had simply uttered a single word, and their bodies exploded.

They hadn't even had the chance to use their reversal of fate abilities, and their souls hadn't even escaped, they died instantly.

Others tried to fight back, but as a few more words were uttered, all those who attempted resistance, without exception, had their bodies burst open.

Among them were even top-tier, reclusive experts at the Peaceful Dao Realm!

The vast difference in strength made them realize the terrifying gap between the Four Established Realm and the Dao Hearing Realm.

Despair enveloped everyone, and they could only place their hopes on the True Person.

Earlier, these playful young men and women had said that they wanted the True Person to play with them, and for every move he survived, they would spare one person's life.

These terrifying individuals, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, treated this slaughter as a playful pastime!

However, now, the True Person had taken action. Although the battle was fierce, he was clearly at a disadvantage. Not only had he failed to kill any of them, but now, it seemed he had been completely defeated.

Despair, fear, sadness, and unwillingness, all these emotions were etched on everyone's faces.

This dynasty had stood for thousands of years, and this most solemn and sacred place had been easily entered and casually destroyed and trampled upon by these individuals.

However, in the face of absolute power, they didn't even have the ability to resist.

Like ants who had painstakingly built their nest, one day, a large foot suddenly stepped down without warning, crushing all their efforts, all their hard work, into dust!

Ants!

Everyone felt like they were ants.

"Is our Great Yu Dynasty… going to perish?"

Those standing in the square were all people who had been summoned from various places as reinforcements, but were then captured and brought here.

Xia Linglong, Xia Yuanwu, and Li Mu Xiu were among them.

The Wang Family hadn't arrived yet, as they were the furthest from the Imperial Capital.

When Xia Linglong and the others arrived, they had expected a defensive battle relying on the formation. Instead, they were greeted by a scene of utter devastation.

In the face of these six terrifying young men and women, the city's troops and Imperial Guards were easily slaughtered, and the formation was torn apart. In less than half a day, they had captured the Imperial Palace.

The power and resources they had accumulated over the years seemed meaningless in the face of these six terrifying young men and women.

Beside the battlefield, Magus Ram, with his cane, was also wary.

Since the Holy Son had said he was going to kill the young man last time, he had returned without telling them the result, only asking them to wait.

And then, today, he brought six killing gods, all of them terrifying monsters.

But he understood that the Holy Son must have paid a heavy price. Although the situation was now under control, he saw that the Holy Son's expression wasn't happy.

(End of Chapter)