Chapter 319: Chapter 66 Whose Flag is That, And Whose Name is That! (Third update, 10,000-word chapter)
Liangzhou, western frontier.
War raged, scorching the earth for miles on end.
The once-standing Black Stone Great Wall here was now destroyed, its bricks stained with blood, ruins and rubble everywhere.
On the ground, bodies were scattered all around, those of Demons and Human Race warriors mixed together, some bisected at the waist, arms severed, yet still clenching onto the flesh of Demons with their teeth.
Some Demons were riddled with holes, but on their sharp teeth hung pieces of corpses, as if they had been in a biting frenzy until their last breath.
Both sides had fought fiercely and desperately, their ferocity and resilience vividly displayed on this battlefield that concerned the fate of millions.
Broken weapons, shattered armor, and severed limbs were everywhere, yet this battlefield had fallen silent.
The Human Race had retreated, and the Demons had followed suit. Occasionally, lone wild Demons, scavenging in the wake of the greater Demon tide, would sneak onto the now-quiet battlefield to search for fresh corpses as food.
A simian Demon clambered to the broken battlements, where a battle flag hung limp like a torn piece of cloth; it grabbed a broken flagpole and shook it vigorously a couple of times.
The flag fluttered in the wind, the character ‘Xuan’ twisting as the flag billowed, but soon it fell listlessly once again.
The little simian Demon chattered and gave a strange laugh, finding it amusing, and shook it a few more times with force.
The fluttering flag swept over…
And with that, a grand chase commenced!
The battlefield was five thousand miles west.
Across the vast plains, a mighty tide of Demons surged torrentially, like a black earth rising on the horizon, scaling mountains, crossing rivers, sweeping everything in its path.
In the forefront, countless troops moved chaotically, rushing towards the city ahead.
Along the way, signals of war smoke kept rising, relaying intelligence.
Before them, within the city’s defensive line, large armies emerged to meet them, precisely, to make a last stand for them.
“Quick, quicker!!”
Li Xuanli was soaked in blood, and although he had taken medicine to stabilize his wounds, his body was extremely weary.
Yet, he knew he could not fall, his whole body surged with blood, sustained only by sheer fury.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Behind them, the tide of Demons was at the edge of sight, about to catch up.
In the midst of the troops, a signal flared up, and a Li Family soldier of common birth turned to look at the Demon tide behind him, suddenly reining in his horse, slowing his pace.
He roared orders for his battalion to halt, stay behind to hold off the attackers, and buy Li Xuanli time.
Li Xuanli was the commander-in-chief; he must not fall here, or else the defenses behind him would collapse even faster.
Furthermore, Li Xuanli was of the Li Family’s direct lineage from the previous generation, with only three of nine sons remaining; how could he fall now?
He thought back to his mother’s teachings from when he was young: the direct line is noble, and those of common birth must respectfully give way upon seeing them.
The Li Family’s thousand years of glory were upheld by the direct line.
He was rebellious in his youth, considering himself exceptional, longing to shine alongside the sun and moon.
But in his middle age, after witnessing the funerals of six sons of the Li Family’s direct line and how the direct line always charged to the front lines during wars,
He finally understood that the difference between the direct line and those of common birth was not just about birth but also the weight of responsibility they bore.
Having served under Li Xuanli for many years now, he had long admired this direct-line general.
Just like his mother said, the direct line is noble, while those of common birth have a cheap fate.
Perhaps his mother had feared his youthful ignorance would lead him to offend the direct line, repeatedly instructing him.
But that saying had taken deep root in his heart and became an indelible mark.
Watching the approaching tide of Demons, the general of common birth smiled.
“Even my mother said my life was cheap, so what does it matter if I end up in the same grave as you Demon beasts?”
“Come on!!”
He brandished his long halberd and roared as he led his battalion against the current and charged upwards.
Li Xuanli also saw that signal flare, turned his head to look at the figure on horseback becoming increasingly distant—that was a brother-in-arms with whom he had shared life and death.
They had once shared wine and laughter together in the barracks, with no distinction between direct and common birth between them.
He had once promised to watch the other rise to nobility, to erect a monument for his mother and lay her to rest in the Li Family’s mausoleum.
But all that was slipping away at this moment.
His eyes moistened, and he wiped them, his hand uncertain whether it was blood or tears.
He did not stop; instead, he clenched his teeth and roared lowly, “Faster!!”
The entire army accelerated, rushing towards the defensive line ahead.
Along the way, spanning five thousand miles, there were many great cities located on the frontier.
Those great cities chose to stay and defend, holding the line for Li Xuanli.
When the Demon tide broke through the border with such swiftness, these frontier cities had no chance of escape, so they chose to die in battle in their homeland instead.
A city nurtures its people!
However, before the overwhelming tide of Demons, these cities were like rocks covered by the black tidal wave, quickly submerged.
Only a few splashes arose as they relied on the City-Protecting Formation to barely hold on, but they were promptly shattered by the Great Demons of the Three Immortal Realms within the tidal wave. Under the vast surge of Demons, everyone in the city—civilians and soldiers—became ghosts under the Demons’ claws.
Wherever these Demons went, nothing was left behind, like locusts devouring everything in their path.
However, now with the army in pursuit, the Demons dared not stay to savor their meals slowly. Some carried their catch in their mouths, eating while chasing, others were drawn by the delicious prey, staying behind to feast, only to be slapped dead by the Great Demons in command.
Their fearsome presence kept the Demon army’s advance across various cities at an unabated pace.
And in those cities, nothing was left but blood-soaked ground and the remains of corpses.