262

Chapter 262: One Sword Cleanses the City

The earth-shattering roar stunned everyone, causing them to look towards the distant horizon in shock. The voice was so powerful that it reverberated through the air, shaking the entire battlefield.

"Who is it?"

"Who's calling?"

"Is it reinforcements for the Li family?"

Within the city, every soldier was startled by the deafening shout, indicating an immensely powerful individual. Even the civilians fleeing in the streets heard it, feeling as if a god from the heavens was raging in the mortal world.

"This voice… Could it be that child? No, it's impossible. He's already dead…"

He Jianlan and Li Hongzhuang widened their eyes in disbelief. The voice was eerily familiar, but different from what they remembered. However, the title used was one only a younger generation would use for Li Muxiu, and among them, the closest to Li Muxiu was that child. Could it be a miracle?

They felt their blood rushing, a mix of excitement, nervousness, and disbelief. They focused their gaze on the distant horizon, trying to see the source of the voice.

Mid-air, Dragon Absolute God and Feng Lingxiao froze.

Could this be Li family reinforcements?

They sensed the voice carried a strong intent to intimidate them, but despite their probing, they couldn't locate the source. It was too far, beyond their sensory range, implying the speaker was stronger than them.

The two exchanged glances, their eyes filled with murderous intent.

Kill quickly!

They needed to kill Li Muxiu before anything unexpected happened.

At this moment, the exhausted and resigned Li Muxiu also heard the sudden shout. The sorrow and familiar address in the voice caused his body, which had relaxed in acceptance of death, to tense slightly.

His eyes, which had closed in resignation, opened again.

Was it an illusion? To hear that little one's voice at the moment of death…

But that child was dead. He had heard it from that couple, seen it with his own eyes—devoured by a demon saint, leaving no trace behind. Even when he investigated again, he found that Li Hao's avatar had also disintegrated, proving that Li Hao was truly dead.

But now… was he imagining things? Li Muxiu saw Dragon Absolute God and Feng Lingxiao approaching rapidly, their domains extending to kill him before they even got close. At this moment, Li Muxiu had no strength left to maintain his own domain for defense.

Even if that child were alive, he had no reason to come here…

The Li family owed him too much…

Li Muxiu thought bitterly, watching the approaching domains, trying to resist, but his body was falling apart, unable to withstand the coming pain.

As he watched the domains about to envelop him, time seemed to slow down. A bright light, like divine fire, burst before his eyes.

The two terrifying domain attacks were suddenly halved! But following the domains, Dragon Absolute God and Feng Lingxiao's sacred treasures crashed down, obscuring all light.

However, in that instant, the world fell silent.

The treasures that were about to smash into Li Muxiu, tearing the sky apart, suddenly struck a scarlet figure in front of him.

With a thunderous boom, the world seemed to shake! All the fierce attacks, all the howling winds, were blocked by a golden figure, shielding Li Muxiu completely.

The youth, standing like a mountain in the flames, radiating golden light, was an unmovable peak before Li Muxiu!

His golden hair fluttered, burning with intense divine fire. Under the impact of the two sacred treasures, sparks flew as if a red-hot blade was struck by a hammer, scattering flames.

But his stance remained firm. With just his body and chest, he blocked the two furious attacks! Li Muxiu stared in a daze, almost losing his focus.

That back was both familiar and strange, making his once despairing heart tremble violently. His eyes widened, the guesses and thoughts in his mind so overwhelming that he dared not touch them, fearing they were mere illusions before death.

The youth slowly raised his head, his golden hair waving like flames. His eyes burned with an indescribable fury, glaring at the two stunned faces before him: "How dare you!!!"

With a swoosh, the ground seemed to rise with a wave of dust. A vast pressure swept across like a hurricane, clearing all debris.

At the same time, Dragon Absolute God and Feng Lingxiao had to stop abruptly.

"A domain… You are…"

"Impossible!"

Dragon Absolute God and Feng Lingxiao looked at the youth in disbelief and horror. His scarlet-golden body was perfectly proportioned, like a golden wall they couldn't surmount.

What shocked and terrified them wasn't the youth's domain aura but that he had blocked their sacred treasures with his bare body?! What kind of monster is this!!

"Kneel!"

The youth uttered a word.

Five layers of domain instantly suppressed the area, causing the ground to quake as if pressed by an immense force.

Dragon Absolute God and Feng Lingxiao couldn't react in time. The youth's domain expanded too quickly, trapping them before they could defend themselves. Their domains were locked within their bodies, unable to extend!

Without their domains, the vast power of the youth's domain weighed down on them, slamming them to the ground.

From head to toe, even down to their hair, they were immobilized by the overwhelming force! This power was beyond their imagination, beyond their resistance. It could easily kill them, like crushing a bug.

Dragon Absolute God and Feng Lingxiao were filled with unprecedented terror. Never in their thousands of years had they felt so helpless and scared. The sudden appearance of the youth was too abrupt!

They hadn't sensed him, but in an instant, he had crossed the limits of their perception, appearing right before them with unimaginable speed.

Li Hao gazed coldly at the two immobilized demons on the ground, the flames in his eyes unwavering. The cold fury in his heart made him unwilling to end their lives so easily.

Turning around, he faced the city, gently lifting Li Muxiu's body.

Seeing the old man's broken and bloodied form, Li Hao's tear-filled eyes glistened with anger.

Li Muxiu's eyes widened, and he saw the youth's face. Although different, the eyes and emotions were unmistakable. This was the child he had shed tears for.

The one who fished by the lake with him.

The one who ate roasted meat with him at Tingyu Tower.

His body trembled, his voice hoarse: "Is it Hao'er? Am I so old that I can barely recognize you…"

Li Hao had rebuilt his body from the abyss with the power of heaven and earth, his appearance and voice changed. But to those closest to him, the essence remained the same.

"It's me, Second Master."

Li Hao held his broken body, biting his lip in sorrow: "I came too late!"

Yanzhou was close to Liangzhou. When he left the Li family in that snowstorm, it took him five days to reach Liangzhou's Tianmen Pass. Now, returning from Yanzhou, he had traveled for half a day at full speed with Zhuhuo Shen.

Upon entering Qingzhou, seeing the ravaged cities, he realized Qingzhou City was in peril. Otherwise, the Li family's forces would never abandon the civilians. They must be overwhelmed.

So, he had pushed Zhuhuo Shen to the limit, racing here and barely making it in time.

Fortunately, with his Feiduan attribute, his attack range was doubled. Unleashing his full power, he continuously displaced the air, effectively teleporting repeatedly, barely intercepting the fatal attacks.

Li Muxiu heard Li Hao's words, finally certain this was the child he longed for.

"You still call me Second Master…"

Tears welled in Li Muxiu's eyes: "But I failed to protect you, made you suffer too much, I'm too useless…"

Li Hao knew what he meant, his mind flashing with images, but he shook his head, suppressing his sorrow, and said:

"Second Master, rest and heal now. Xiyan, take care of him."

"Yes, your Second Master is my Second Master."

Xiyan obediently responded, extending from Li Hao's wrist, taking root in the ground beside him. A red tendril, like a gentle hand, touched Li Muxiu's wounds, delivering healing power.

Li Muxiu noticed she was a demon but didn't resist, allowing her to heal him.

Zhuhuo Shen then arrived. Li Hao's burst of speed had left him behind.

Seeing Zhuhuo Shen, Li Muxiu's pupils contracted. Though the Void Realm Lord had been hidden for a thousand years, he recognized him instantly.

"Don't be afraid, Second Master."

Li Hao reassured him, placing him on Zhuhuo Shen's back.

Li Muxiu was stunned, feeling Zhuhuo Shen's respect for Li Hao, without any hostility.

Could it be, he has tamed Zhuhuo Shen? If so, his heart trembled. This was the Void Realm Lord…

After settling the old man, Li Hao turned to face the grand city.

His fiery aura did not recede, standing like a burning deity, with an aura of unmatched dominance.

At that moment, standing outside the city, he became the sole focus of the heavens and earth.

Inside the city, aside from the demons attacking the walls, the elders of the two demon factions paused, staring in terror at the youth.

He had suppressed the two demon leaders with a single word, shattering their understanding.

Aside from the demons, within the city, He Jianlan, Li Hongzhuang, and others also stared at the youth in a daze.

His face was godly, with a cold and murderous air.

That face seemed familiar, but they dared not recognize him. Only the child would treat Li Muxiu this way, giving them hope for a miracle.

Could he really be alive?!

"Who is that?"

"No Li family aura, but incredibly strong, beyond imagination!"

"A domain, and not just one. His body can withstand sacred treasures, is this for real?"

In the sky, the Li family's ancestor spirits were also astonished by the youth, both shocked and delighted, but mostly confused. When did the Dayu Dynasty produce such a monster? "Who is he? If we had known, we wouldn't have left the ancestral hall."

An ancestor spirit asked.

Beside him, a young boy stared dumbfounded at the golden figure:

"That should be… Brother Hao."

"Brother Hao?"

The ancestor looked at the boy, calling so familiarly. Did they know each other?

But their cultivation seemed worlds apart, how could they be acquainted?

"It's him, no mistake, he called Second Master, it must be him…"

Nearby, Li Wushuang murmured, watching the youth. Though his appearance had changed, his aura and golden body were unmistakable. She knew he had returned!

Tears welled in her eyes; he was alive, he had returned!

"As I thought, that Chong'er was truly him…"

In the sky, Song Yufeng also saw the youth, his eyes brightening.

The Li family had announced his death and even held a funeral. It couldn't have been a joke, making him doubt if the Chong'er he saw was truly Li Hao.

After all, a person's name is removed from the Merit List upon death.

But the List still had Chong'er's name.

Yet the Li family wouldn't joke about such matters.

Caught in this paradox, he doubted reality, but now, he was overjoyed.

The Merit List doesn't lie, controlled by forces beyond humans, while people do. Clearly, the Li family had made a mistake; the child hadn't died. Perhaps they only saw the illusion of his death! No matter the reason, the prodigy was alive. He wasn't just the Li family's pride, but the future top force of the Dayu Dynasty!

"Already mastering the domain, what a little monster…" Song Yufeng marveled.

Not far away, the water qilin paused, its blue eyes welling with tears, gazing at the figure.

"Who is that…"

Ji Qingqing watched, feeling a tinge of familiarity but mostly strangeness.

At this moment, Li Hao's gaze swept over the city, his divine sense covering the entire Qingzhou City.

The city spanned a hundred miles, a massive metropolis. But even an ordinary Four-Limbed Realm cultivator could perceive it entirely, let alone him.

His gaze brushed over familiar faces, seeing some still alive, easing his heart. Briefly meeting the eyes of the blue qilin, he smiled at her.

Then, his gaze fell on the golden spirits. These spirits cloaked the Li family members like feather robes, reminiscent of the scene in the Dragon City's River of Death, enlightening him.

The demon elders seemed too intimidated to act.

But the surging demon tide outside the city kept attacking. Some had already breached the army's defenses, rampaging inside.

Li Hao's eyes turned cold as frost. He raised his hand, extending the world's pulse. Instantly, he gathered the surrounding hundreds of meters of energy, concentrating it in his palm like a whale drawing water.

The energy condensed into a sword of light, dozens of meters long, brilliant and sharp, reaching the heavens.

As the sword energy formed in his palm, more split off, soaring over Qingzhou City, forming a dense canopy of swords.

The vast range and sheer number of swords froze every demon elder.

Among them, those who had fought in Liangzhou turned pale, like Bai Shenjun.

He finally realized, though the appearance had changed, that feeling was unmistakable.

That youth… was the terrifying youth from Liangzhou! "It's Haotian, General Haotian!!"

Bai Shenjun's eyes filled with terror and despair.

In the Liangzhou battle, he had witnessed the youth's power, surviving by avoiding the final siege. But now, the youth had returned, even more terrifying, growing at an unimaginable pace!

Their palace lord was subdued, the Dragon God of the Dragon Gate was subdued.

Moreover, Bai Shenjun recognized Zhuhuo Shen, the Void Realm Lord, standing obediently beside the youth, seemingly submissive.

"Run!!"

Desperation and a will to live made Bai Shenjun scream, turning to flee, abandoning all else, including his identity as a Saint Palace elder.

His desperate cry jolted other demon kings, shaking them to their core.

Haotian!

Since the Liangzhou battle, that name had echoed among demons! Practically a reflex! The human Haotian, the ultimate war god! "He… wasn't he dead…"

A demon king stared at the gathering sword energy, feeling the immense power, losing even the will to flee.

The Li family had announced his death. They had known for a long time.

But what explained this scene, a ghost?

No answers came.

Only the gathering sword energy, like countless eyes, coldly gazing at the demons.

As the demon kings fled, the sword energy chased them with unimaginable speed.

Sword rain formed into dragons, hunting the fleeing demon kings.

Bai Shenjun knew Li Hao's attacks were bizarre, not daring to block them directly. Roaring, he revealed his true form, using demon arts to destroy the sword energy.

But the sword dragons were fiercer than in Liangzhou, tearing through his arts, hitting him.

Bai Shenjun's pupils contracted, realizing the terrifying truth: the youth's attacks were bizarre and inescapable. Now in the Four-Limbed Realm, he controlled the Dao Mind, ensuring every attack hit its mark.

Unless he could sever the Dao Mind!

Though capable, the cost was immense. One or two times were manageable, but the countless swords made it impossible!

Worse, in this vast battlefield under the endless sword rain, the youth ensured every sword contained Dao Mind guidance. What immense divine sense! Boom! Swords pierced his body, Bai Shenjun roared. Though not immediately fatal, the wounds drained his strength, his soul weakening.

"I…"

Bai Shenjun's eyes widened, filled with unwillingness and fear. He experienced the youth's terrifying attacks again, but had no chance for a second life.

Thud! As Bai Shenjun fell, other demon kings faced similar fates, hunted by sword dragons, quickly falling.

The demon elders who had driven the Li family and ancestor spirits to burn their souls, now fell like frantic insects, unable to escape the youth's range. Reaching the city's edge invited fiercer attacks!

Once formidable demon kings now fell, screaming in terror, some begging to serve the youth, but were mercilessly slain.

A sword rain, a bloodbath, left the battlefield in stunned silence.

The demon kings' calls were familiar to all.

The youth's identity was clear.

"Hao'er…" He Jianlan and others wept, realizing Li Hao had saved them in their darkest hour.

The youth who had left the Li family now saved Qingzhou City alone.

Outside the city, the demon tide still surged, the front lines trembling but the rear still charging.

Li Hao's cold gaze swept over them. He swung the sword energy in his hand towards them.

A casual swipe, but the sword energy slashed through the demon tide like a divine finger, carving a trench, splitting the ground, annihilating countless demons.

The sword energy didn't dissipate, transforming into countless swords, slicing through the demon tide.

Boom boom boom…

Demons fell before realizing, pierced by swords, their souls extinguished.

The demon tide stretching for miles crumbled before the relentless sword rain.

Li Hao lowered his hand, focusing on the two demon leaders on the ground.

"Don't kill me, I'll be your mount!"

Feng Lingxiao pleaded.

The domain's suppression left him feeling like a chick on a chopping block.

Dragon Absolute God gritted his teeth. As a dragon god, his dignity wouldn't allow such humiliation.

"Kill me if you must, but my Tianyuan Dragon Clan won't spare you."

Dragon Absolute God glared at Li Hao, preferring death over lifelong servitude.

Not all life could bow to death.

"You plotted against the Dayu Dynasty, who ordered you?"

Li Hao's cold gaze held no emotion. "Who gave you the guts to gamble like this?"

Feng Lingxiao quickly said: "I'll tell you, it's the Three Wilderness Gods forcing us. The Saint Palace had an agreement with the former emperor, we coexisted peacefully for millennia, we were forced."

"Three Wilderness Gods?"

Li Hao's eyes flickered. When expanding his domain earlier, he sensed a strange power, true Dao power, similar to what he felt from the Ji family's Enlightened Realm master.

Commanding these top demon factions, and freezing the Dry Dao Palace elder, must be an Enlightened Realm master.