The battlefield, ablaze with intense fighting, was quenched by a torrential rain.
The rain poured heavily, and as the rear of the Demon Tide was severed by a barrage of Sword Qi, their charge faltered. Coupled with the aid of Sword Qi from the city walls, the previously retreating defenders managed to stabilize their position in a blink of an eye.
On the city walls, once submerged by the flood of Demons, the Xia Family’s War Banner fluttered high once again.
All the soldiers suddenly felt a reduction in pressure, as the Demons in front of them were killed, with no more coming to attack.
They were all stunned, hardly believing the reversal of the scene before their eyes.
“This, what is this…”
“Who is wielding the sword? Who is saving us?!”
“Are we…saved?”
All the troops, including the aristocratic armies and those from the sects hastily conscripted, stared blankly outside the defensive line.
Beyond the line, it was like Purgatory, countless Sword Qi piercing down, as Demons wailed and fell.
Those Great Demons from the Three Immortal Realms, trying to flee with their enormous bodies, were like moths struggling in the heavy rain, quickly covered by the Sword Qi rain and rapidly falling without a sound.
“Who is that…”
In the center of the defensive line, Xia Changkong, the marshal commanding the second line of defense, looked up with a shocked expression.
He saw, beneath that river of Sword Qi, a youthful figure seated on the back of a Red Flame Demon, his body enshrouded in what seemed like a mist of snow-white energy, visible to the naked eye as it surged towards the Sword Tide above, transforming into an endless torrent of Sword Qi sweeping downward.
Standing beside the youth were their Xia Family’s head and his own brother.
“Family head, Yuan Wu…”
Xia Changkong was momentarily stunned, as the family head made his way personally. What about the Gluttonous Valley Master?
He couldn’t help looking toward the rear of the Demon Tide, but there was silence there.
On the battlefield, only a few elders from the Gluttonous Valley were left, fleeing desperately into the distance but chased by strips of Sword Qi Dragons.
Soon, a Gluttonous Valley Master, already injured, seeing that the Sword Qi Dragon seemed less threatening, chose to resist with his physical body. However, he quickly seemed to have his soul sucked out, plummeting rapidly.
The demons of the Gluttonous Valley, with their brutish and bloodthirsty nature, generally had strong physical bodies, hardly inferior to the Dragon Clan, and relied heavily on their physical prowess in combat. Yet, facing 1% of this fatal trait, they were no different from ordinary Demons.
Li Hao observed the falling figures of the Demons under the Sword Rain, his expression calm and unchanged. As the battlefield quieted down almost completely, he then retracted the Sword Tide.
“The rest of the fish that escaped the net are yours to deal with, I must leave now.”
Li Hao spoke to Xia Linglong beside him.
The two of them came to their senses, stunned. In just this moment, millions of Demons on the battlefield had nearly all perished!
This was terrifying!
Is this the power of the Grand Tao of Peace Realm? It was beyond their imagination.
“Haotian General, rest assured, we’ll handle the rest. Once we tidy up, we’ll immediately send troops to help Qingzhou!”
Xia Linglong quickly said to Li Hao.
Originally, her offer to send troops was indeed to return a favor, but at this moment, she herself felt that in the presence of someone like Li Hao, their Xia Family’s troops would not be of much significance. At most, they would relieve the towns and villages of Qingzhou that had been captured.
After all, although Li Hao was powerful, he couldn’t possibly take care of the entirety of Qingzhou alone in such a short time.
“Alright.”
Li Hao nodded, not refusing her kind offer.
Then he gently patted the head of the Candle Flame God as a signal. The Candle Flame God’s body, rolled in rampant flames like a robust Qilin, tore across the battlefield into the distance, quickly galloping away, leaving this field of battle.
On the defensive line, numerous generals, clan leaders from noble families, and Grandmasters from the sects all looked up and watched the figure riding the Red Flame Demon leave, engraving this scene in their hearts.
They didn’t know who the youth was, but they knew, Xia Family would provide them with answers.
…
…
Qingzhou, Qingzhou City.
The once bustling Qingzhou City was now under full guard, civilians were restricted from leaving their homes, and all stalls on the streets had been cleared to open the broad streets solely for military mobilization.
On all four sides, golden Arrays were erected on the walls, while outside the city stretched the vast gathering of the Demon Tide.
Atop the city walls, many soldiers from the Li Family, along with the Qingzhou City defense forces, congregated, their expressions grave.
After days of continuous fighting, they were exhausted, yet no one dared to relax.
Three days earlier, through a secret technique of the Li Family, they received intelligence that most of Qingzhou’s land had already fallen.
Over a hundred cities had been breached and occupied by Demons, with Qingzhou, the base of the Li Family, suffering a calamity unseen in a thousand years.
When the other cities that were spared received the news, many didn’t believe it, thinking there was a military error. Yet, seeing the large number of refugees fleeing from other cities and towns, they realized the serious trouble in Qingzhou.
Centuries of peace had made most citizens in Qingzhou’s cities lose a clear understanding of Demons.
Occasionally, when a slain Demon was paraded through the streets by the Monster Suppression Department from outside the city, it still attracted countless onlookers, fascinated by the novelty.
Now, as Demons swept through, each city was enveloped in unprecedented shadows and fear, all cryptically fortified. Enjoy new stories from empire
However, compared to Qingzhou, where battles had already ignited, Qingzhou City was also surrounded, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Atop the city wall, Li Muxiu and Li Xiaoran stood guard, both with whitened hair and clearly aged by a dozen years from before, their faces marked with deeper and more numerous wrinkles.
Over a month ago, when Li Tianzong’s Heroic Spirit vanished, they went to Mo River filled with rage. Instead of confronting directly, they secretly scouted, and were shocked to discover that the accumulation of Demon forces outside Mo River far exceeded their expectations.