141: The City Falls, the Demons Rise

Chapter 141: The City Falls, the Demons Rise

Zhou Haitang was defeated. From his body to his heart, he was defeated. Defeated by the martial arts essence condensed in that single finger, defeated by the Grandmaster power of that invincible youth!

But right after Zhou Haitang's defeat, another Grandmaster stepped onto the debate platform by the waves of the Longjiang River, determined to challenge that dazzling move! The Grandmasters present mostly had the same mindset as Zhou Haitang. Besides the promise from Infinite Mountain, they also wanted to experience the martial arts essence and power that the youth displayed by consecutively defeating so many. They wanted to seek, to touch, to witness that ultimate power beyond their imagination! Bang! Bang! The Grandmasters who stepped up were swiftly defeated.

They showcased their unique skills with swords, spears, staffs, fists, and divine techniques, but before that dazzling move, all kinds of martial arts seemed to have a counter. In the end, no one could shake it! One move to suppress all Grandmasters under heaven! The crowd fell silent, including the relatives and the geniuses gathered from nineteen states! Only the figure of the Heaven and Earth Dharma Body, shrouded in divine flames, sat serenely, with cold eyes watching over the world.

No one dared to challenge, no one could speak of contention!

Whether it was martial arts essence, physical strength, vast divine sense, or Grandmaster's divine power, the fourteen-year-old youth had reached the pinnacle!

Unmatchable!

The challenge initiated by Qin Wuque lasted for two hours, but the youth had never made a personal move. His external divine soul alone had suppressed everyone, even protecting the fragile stone-turned chess piece! Remember, with their Grandmaster power, even a sneeze could shatter that stone piece.

Yet, that ordinary little stone piece had suppressed all the Grandmasters under heaven, pinning the noble Buddha's son of the Qianlong List to the ground, unable to move, like a dejected insect! Indeed, aside from the many Grandmasters, the one most shocked and devastated was Qin Wuque.

For two hours, he watched helplessly as many Grandmasters took turns challenging, only to fall one by one while he was pinned down without resistance. The youth not only crushed his body but also shattered his spirit!

Qin Wuque's eyes lost their light. As a genius who dominated the Qianlong List for three years without defeat, reaching the Grandmaster realm at nineteen, he was comparable in talent to Li Tiangang of the Li family, now renowned as Duke Xingwu, who also reached the Heavenly Human Realm at nineteen!

If nothing went wrong, he was destined to reach the pinnacle, becoming a revered Bodhisattva on the lotus platform, worshipped by billions! But now, his spirit was broken.

The sun had set, the twilight glow reflecting on everyone's faces, giving them a layer of tragic golden paper. It was not only the twilight of the world but also the twilight of these Grandmasters! From today onwards, a legend that surpassed ancient times would rise.

A young man soared on the wind, suppressing all under heaven at fourteen with a single finger! They understood that from today, the name on the Qianlong List would shine like the blazing sun, suppressing all the geniuses of Dayu for eight years! No one could break this record!

The middle-aged Arhat's face turned ashen, his eyes filled with shock, anger, a hint of fear, and dread. The youth not only had unparalleled cultivation speed but also unimaginable practical combat power and martial arts essence. His talent was like a saint reborn, unmatched by anyone.

Given time, within ten years, he might stand alongside those old Four Absolutes!

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and spoke solemnly: "Benefactor, no one can challenge you now. Shouldn't you let go?"

Li Hao replied indifferently, "I said he needs to tell me personally. How else would I know if he concedes? Maybe he still has some tricks up his sleeve. You should give him the chance to perform, don't hinder him."

Even with the Arhat's thirty years of patience and meditation, Li Hao's words almost made him spit blood.

Even a Buddha can get angry.

I hinder him? Go to hell!

Qin Wuque was nearly unconscious, his spirit scattered, yet Li Hao still refused to relent.

Personal admission of defeat? That was Qin Wuque's last bit of spirit. If that shattered, he would live in Li Hao's shadow forever.

The middle-aged Arhat gritted his teeth, suppressing his rage, and said, "Young Master Li, be lenient when possible. Do you really want to make enemies with Infinite Mountain?"

Li Hao laughed inwardly. Weren't they already enemies? He replied indifferently: "Senior, you exaggerate. We are merely having a fair debate. How is this enmity? He challenged me first. Now if he wants to end it, he must say it himself. Why didn't you speak up when he challenged me?"

"Using the title of Qianlong List's first to challenge me, ranked fifth, is clearly bullying. Why didn't you object then?"

The middle-aged Arhat was speechless and frustrated. He glanced at the Heavenly Mechanic Sage nearby. They said the Heavenly Mechanic Tower could foresee all, with nothing hidden from them. Yet, this youth's monstrous talent was known only after his name spread from Qingzhou. He had reached the Grandmaster realm at an even younger age without anyone knowing! Now, after the great battle, everyone thought the father-son duel was because his father went easy on him, hence ranking Li Hao fifth.

But judging by today's displayed power, if fully unleashed, he could certainly challenge the Three Immortal realm. Back then, Li Tiangang broke his vow, severely injured, not the same as when he dominated the Northern Expedition. People could underestimate him, but how could the Heavenly Mechanic Tower? This wasn't helping but harming them!

Seeing the Arhat's gaze, the Heavenly Mechanic Sage felt a bit embarrassed and was about to speak when suddenly a massive roar erupted from afar! The sound was earth-shattering, like a meteor striking the ground.

Everyone, including Li Hao, turned to look, seeing a dazzling purple array pattern appear on a distant city wall, quickly extinguished like a flame.

At the same time, a huge arrow tower and artillery platform within the city shattered! Everyone's faces froze, then turned pale, watching the scene.

The disappearance of the array indicated it was broken! This was the protective divine array of Dayue City. With it, even a Heavenly Human Grandmaster could defend against a Three Immortal demon army for half a day!

Half a day's time was enough to call for reinforcements.

But now, the array was broken! Moreover, it was broken from the inside, indicating human or demon intruders! If demons entered the city, they must be registered and carry passes, or the array would have annihilated them.

As everyone wondered, another two arrow towers shattered. From one, two shadows flew out, one shooting straight to the wall, crashing, while the other, a huge figure in robes, chased, pinning and crushing the head of the first.

After practicing Mingyu True Demon Art, Li Hao's vision was sharper. Even from miles away, he could clearly see the scene, down to the bricks on the wall.

The crushed head belonged to an armored city guard officer. The huge figure, with red muscles and thick hair, slightly horned, was a demon! With a furnace-like aura, not Heavenly Human but a Three Immortal demon! Thus, he easily crushed the Heavenly Human officer!

"Demon invasion!"

"Demon invasion inside the city!"

Many could see clearly, not just Li Hao, some using divine souls to observe. Instantly, the debate platform and its surroundings filled with shock.

Dare demons invade Dayue City, deep within the northwest? "It's a Three Immortal demon!"

The middle-aged Arhat, Wen Tian'en, turned serious. Such a demon invasion, breaking the array, revealed much.

He sensed danger, glancing at the Heavenly Mechanic Sage, both realizing the threat.

The northwest border's unrest was known to the Li family and the Heavenly Mechanic Tower. Before leaving for this debate, Wen Tian'en's master, a Bodhisattva, warned him to be cautious and not linger on the border.

Unexpectedly, demons dared invade the city, seemingly to break it!

"Damn, there's a demon army outside the city!"

A Grandmaster shouted.

Some Grandmasters' divine souls soared, detecting the city's outskirts.

Beyond Dayue City lay vast plains, visible for miles, revealing a black tide at the horizon, rolling in.

"These demons came prepared, contact the city lord's mansion!"

"Damn, the array is broken, how to defend?"

"Fear not, these demons chose the wrong time, with so many Grandmasters here, they hit a steel plate!"

"Everyone, demons approach, we martial artists must slay them! Who will join me?"

The Grandmasters, though not all present, were enough, thus not afraid.

Boom! The last eastern wall artillery tower shattered, a grey-robed figure emerging, glancing at Longjiang.

Just that glance made Wen Tian'en and the Heavenly Mechanic Sage freeze, feeling death's shadow.

Next, distant screams, the huge figure transforming into a giant bull demon.

Crashing through houses, sucking in fleeing people, swallowing dozens at a time, blood spraying from its mouth.

"Delicious!"

The bull demon laughed, chasing forward.

Everyone raged, Lin Qingfeng, who had fallen to Li Hao, now healed his arm with a pill, visibly recovering.

Stepping forward, his Grandmaster power dared face the bull demon, intending to stop it.

With so many Grandmasters, they might stand a chance.

But as he stepped, a shadow flew from afar, crashing into the debate arena, creating a crater.

Inside lay a shattered armor, scattered eyes, and a cracked skull.

Seeing the face, the Heavenly Mechanic Sage turned pale—it was the Dayue City lord! Boom, the ground shook.

Two figures descended before the crowd, forming craters.

Dust scattered, revealing a robust figure.

Handsome face with thick hair, purple eyes with eerie light, scanning the crowd, pausing on Li Hao's Dharma Body.

"Such a delicious aura..."

His robe revealed its true purple-gold color, looking regal.

Behind him stood the grey-robed elder, smiling as if seeing but not seeing the crowd.

"Two great demons!"

The crowd trembled, feeling their intense aura, hearts quaking.

Though strong, they were strained before the Three Immortal demons.

Fortunately, they had Wen Tian'en and the Heavenly Mechanic Sage.

"Finally free, these days stifled me."

The purple-gold youth stretched, smirking, approaching.

Grandmasters' disciples and kin retreated, pale.

Not Heavenly Human Grandmasters, they shivered before the demon's aura.

At this moment, two to three hundred Grandmasters faced the two great demons, feeling pressured and fearful.

The Heaven and Earth Dharma Body, still pinning Qin Wuque, now retracted its hand, the glowing chess piece suddenly flying at the purple-robed youth, tearing a gap in the demon's terrifying aura.