Chapter 177: Killing

The spear attack was like the cry of a phoenix, containing dazzling divine fire, leaving no room to evade and completely locking down its target!

Earlier, Feng Shanjun's retreat had been a ploy to lure Li Tiangang away from the formation. He intended to pierce through his physical body, trample on his spiritual soul, and throw him in front of Li Hao to let him witness his father's tragic death and despair.

Just as the divine spear was about to pierce through, suddenly, a dazzling divine might burst forth, and a blade as fiery as a flame suddenly slashed upwards!

"Shatter for me!!'

A blade cut off the spear's light, and at the same time, the suddenly erupting divine might and overwhelming momentum actually caused Feng Shanjun's body to stagnate!

In this fleeting moment of vulnerability, Li Tiangang's eyes shot out divine light, and he roared to the heavens as he viciously slashed with his divine blade, cleaving Feng Shanjun's body in half!

The brutal golden blood splattered like sparks, and Feng Shanjun let out a miserable scream as his body hastily retreated, his head raising in horror to look at his opponent.

He saw Li Tiangang holding the divine blade and striding towards him.

And his whole body's momentum soared into the clouds, like a great sun in the sky, like an angry true god engulfed in flames!

Was this the Four Establishments Realm?!

Feng Shanjun's pupils contracted, and he was shocked. Li Tiangang had been concealing his aura and pretending to be at the Three Unbreakables Realm all this time!

But at this moment, the realm he revealed was clearly the Dao Heart Realm!

This true dragon of the Li family had somehow become a Four Establishments powerhouse!

"Reverse Heaven's Nine Steps, die for me!!'

At this moment, Li Tiangang no longer held back. His black hair billowed as he unleashed the aura of the Four Establishments Realm.

It was because of his breakthrough in cultivation that he dared to step out of the formation and fight this demon king.

Besides Li Junye, he was also a rare heaven-defying genius. At the age of 23, he had entered the Three Unbreakables Realm, and this cultivation speed was enough to shock the world. However, he had kept a low profile and hidden his true strength.

After more than a decade of battle in Yanbei, he had long ago risen to the peak of the Three Unbreakables, already on the threshold of the Dao Heart Realm.

Not long after his battle with Li Hao in Qingzhou, he had entered the Four Establishments Realm and found his Dao Heart.

The Laws of All Things!

This was his Dao, his heart!

Dung dung dung!!

At this moment, he unleashed the peak martial arts he had created himself. With consecutive steps, the entire world outside the defensive line seemed to tremble. With each step, his momentum grew stronger, and the divine flames that enveloped his body became more intense and dazzling!

After taking six steps, his momentum was like that of a descending god. He roared as he swung his blade fiercely.

The heavens seemed to tear apart, and all things followed their own laws. He obeyed the laws of heaven and earth, setting right what was wrong, and intended to punish all the chaos in the world!

Kill!

That dazzling blade shone like a brilliant sun, filling the sky with divine light and might.

Feng Shanjun, who was left with only half his body, was terrified. Li Tiangang was only at the Dao Heart Realm, but the momentum he unleashed at this moment made him feel overwhelmed and unable to resist.

The shame he had endured outside Tianmen Pass seemed about to be repeated.

His eyes turned red, spewing out divine fire and electricity as he roared and turned to reveal his true form.

But the half-true body of the fire phoenix looked somewhat desolate, with the other half being held together by divine fire. Half of his body was flesh, and the other half was divine flame, roaring as he breathed out the true fire of the phoenix!

The temperature around him rose once more, the ground cracked, and there was a tendency for it to turn into magma. The air between heaven and earth steamed and twisted.

Hundreds of years ago, he had once swept through a city, and with just a casual flyby, the entire city's residents had turned into charcoal. The true fire of the phoenix at this moment was merely residual heat, but it was enough to tear apart the flesh of those at the Unbreakable Realm!

Bang!

The tumultuous firelight was split apart as Li Tiangang stepped through the flames, taking the seventh step and causing his momentum to surge once more.

"Reverse Life Realm, I will end your life today!"

Li Tiangang's eyes were cold as lightning, and his blade slashed furiously. With hundreds and thousands of slashes, he dispersed the sea of fire and aimed straight for Feng Shanjun's true body.

Feng Shanjun was both shocked and furious. At this moment, where was there a chance for him to escape? If he died, his thousands of years of cultivation would be destroyed in an instant!

Shame and anger filled his heart. He had not been able to defeat that brat back then, and now he was facing Li Tiangang, yet he was still in such a miserable state!

"Phoenix Soul, Blood Condensation!!'

He roared, stimulating the trace of true phoenix divine blood within his veins.

Indeed, he was not originally from the phoenix tribe but was a fire cloud sparrow. However, the true phoenix ancestor's soul had awakened in his bloodline, guiding him onto the path of cultivation since he was young and ignorant.

Over the years, he had long discarded his identity as a sparrow and considered himself a phoenix.

He had also altered his appearance to resemble that of the phoenix tribe, hating his sparrow origins.

He had long considered himself a true phoenix!

Now, driven to a desperate situation, the last vestige of phoenix pride in his heart finally stirred, and he chose to burn his true blood, unleashing the true bloodline power of the phoenix tribe.

With the burning of this phoenix true blood, he would sever his connection with the phoenix tribe, but at this moment, he was a true phoenix!

As divine patterns emerged, his body was enveloped in an ancient and vast aura. Like an ancient and extinct phoenix descending upon the world, his feathers shone like molten gold, containing divine light and pure crimson divine power.

Opening his mouth, he spat out a golden lotus.

This golden lotus burned with fiery light, emitting a heart-stirring radiance.

Li Tiangang's eyes were stern as he took a deep breath and stepped forward with the eighth step!

His momentum surged once more, and at the same time, he unleashed the peak blade technique he had created.

"Xing Tian Blade!!'

The blade light rose like a giant peak piercing the heavens, illuminating half of the defensive line.

However, in another direction, the scorching aura was scattered by the blade light, blowing out for hundreds of miles, scorching the earth black, turning grass into ashes, forests into charcoal, and instantly evaporating lakes into mist!

Such formidable might, if unleashed within a city, would instantly reduce it to rubble.

Li Tiangang's battle armor was scorching hot, roasting his body as if it were in a furnace. Even with his indestructible body, akin to treasure armor, he felt unbearable agony. Yet, his eyes turned icier as he charged towards Feng Shanjun.

Feng Shanjun's aura rapidly deteriorated as he burned his true phoenix blood, but the phoenix blood within him was truly scarce.

As he watched the middle-aged man charging at him like an avenging demon, he caught a glimpse of the youth outside Tianmen Pass in his despair.

At this moment, his aura was feeble, and he was powerless to defend himself.

Without the phoenix blood, his emotions also underwent extreme agitation, filled with fear, trembling, and pleading for mercy.

"Save me!!!"

He turned and fled, letting out a piercing cry for help, devoid of any dignity.

As he called out, two cold lights suddenly shot towards Li Tiangang, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

But Li Tiangang didn't even bother to dodge or glance at them. Instead, he swiftly executed a great peng-like movement technique, quickly closing in on Feng Shanjun.

"Die!!!"

Li Tiangang ignored the attacks and swung his blade furiously.

A loud bang echoed as the divine might from the blade engulfed Feng Shanjun's head, severing it from his body.

A divine soul, resembling a fire sparrow, escaped from the body and fled in terror towards the distance. However, Li Tiangang raised his hand, and a dazzling divine palm suppressed and captured the struggling soul.

"No, spare me..." Feng Shanjun pleaded desperately.

But Li Tiangang paid no heed and clenched his hand tightly.

The divine soul let out a piercing scream that abruptly ended. Thus, a generation's Reverse Life Realm demon king perished.

When Feng Shanjun burned his phoenix blood, Li Tiangang had already realized that this Reverse Life Realm demon king seemed to have lost his chance at reversing his fate. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fought to such a desperate extent.

Therefore, even if it meant sustaining injuries, Li Tiangang had to kill him. Otherwise, if he allowed the demon king to catch his breath, it would become difficult to defeat him again.

Bang! Bang!

Just as Li Tiangang killed Feng Shanjun, two attacks landed on his body, slamming him into the ground.

The scorching earth cracked and shattered several meters deep, and Li Tiangang climbed out, quickly taking to the air. He then saw two figures appearing before Feng Shanjun's corpse.

"Bastard!"

The two newcomers were furious to see that Feng Shanjun was truly dead.

They wore peculiar long robes, with patterns resembling intertwining vines, giving them a strange appearance.

Li Tiangang immediately recognized them as beings from the Great Void Realm.

"Are you Great Void Realm beings also intervening in mortal affairs now?" Li Tiangang's eyes turned icy as he spoke. He had detected the presence of the Dragon Gate and the Holy Palace, but he never expected that the Great Void Realm beings, who had secluded themselves for thousands of years, would also be unable to restrain themselves from taking action.

They were one of the top powers among the demons and monsters, but due to their long seclusion, their relationship with the Great Yu Divine Dynasty had been amicable, with neither side infringing upon the other.

At this moment, Li Tiangang deeply felt the impending danger to the Great Yu Divine Dynasty!

The emergence of the Great Void Realm beings wasn't just a threat to Liangzhou; it was also a sign of things to come.

In recent years, not only had the Li family suffered losses in battles, but the other Divine Generals' Mansions had also been engaged in frequent wars.

Six of his brothers had perished, a stark contrast to the peaceful times of hundreds of years ago.

This also indicated that the demons and monsters surrounding the Great Yu Divine Dynasty were becoming increasingly restless.

Now, even the Great Void Realm beings, who had secluded themselves for millennia, had emerged.

With these thoughts in mind, Li Tiangang clenched the divine blade in his hand even tighter, his eyes shining with an intense light. If chaos was approaching, he would bring order to the world and restore it to its rightful state!

"Li Tiangang!"

The two Great Void Realm demon kings, one an elderly figure and the other a handsome young man, fixed their cold gazes on Li Tiangang. Their eyes held anger, but it was not excessive.

Feng Shanjun had originally been a wild demon king without any backing, and he had joined their coalition solely for revenge. That was why they had allowed him to take the lead and showcase his strength.

However, they never expected Li Tiangang to kill him so swiftly!

The intelligence they had received was flawed; Li Tiangang's hidden cultivation was actually at the Four Establishments Realm.

Moreover, the fact that he could kill while in the Dao Heart Realm was somewhat terrifying.

"No wonder he dared to step out of the formation. He's indeed at the Four Establishments Realm."

"Good. Regardless of your realm or how much you've hidden your strength, you will die today!"

The two Great Void Realm beings exuded a chilling aura as they spoke. Instead of attacking immediately, they transmitted their voices, calling for the other demon kings in the coalition to gather.

Although they weren't sure how many secret techniques Li Tiangang had used to kill Feng Shanjun, it would be best to play it safe and kill him together!

After all, they couldn't be the only ones putting in effort during this offensive.

Li Tiangang sensed that the two beings weren't rushing to attack, and his wariness heightened. He swiftly turned and rushed back towards the formation.

"Thinking of running? It's too late!"

Upon seeing this, the two demon kings acted immediately. The elderly figure unleashed a grayish light that instantly enveloped the formation behind Li Tiangang, while simultaneously transforming into a gray mist that shrouded him.

Within this mist, Li Tiangang lost his sense of direction and couldn't distinguish north from south.

A chilling realization came over him as he understood that his sense of direction had been affected by the demonic art.

"All things have their order, get out of my way!" Li Tiangang bellowed. With his heart-eye replacing his physical eyes and his Dao heart superseding his consciousness, the essence of his being shone forth from his chest.

His Dao heart, which refined the laws of all things, quickly found his direction under the guidance of the Great Dao.

Bang!

With a mighty chop of his divine blade, Li Tiangang tore open a passage and saw the formation. In the next moment, he used his body as an attack, displacing the air outside the formation, and his figure vanished like a teleportation, appearing within the formation.

He had the formation's command token, allowing him direct entry.

In a flash, he stepped into the formation.

"Don't run!!!"

The young Demon King who had rushed over slashed with his sword, but it only cleaved empty air as Li Tiangang had already stepped inside.

The sword light landed on the formation, causing the divine patterns to ripple violently.

Within the formation, the ten thousand Yuanzi Camp soldiers felt the impact of the sword force, their faces twitching as their qi and blood churned.

"Marshal!"

Yu Xuan rushed over and saw the terrifying aura emanating from Li Tiangang. He already knew that Li Tiangang had entered the Four Establishments Realm, so he was not surprised, but he urgently said, "There's a large wave of demons and monsters attacking the edge of the defensive line! There are Demon Kings leading them, and they're attacking various points! The formation won't last much longer!"

"How many are there?" Li Tiangang's expression darkened as he spoke, his body working to adjust his state and recover his strength.

He knew that a fierce battle awaited.

He had to seize every opportunity to rest and recover.

"Three!" Yu Xuan quickly replied, "One is from Dragon Gate, one is from the Holy Palace, and one is from the Great Void Realm. Together with the two here..."

He glanced at the area outside the formation.

The brilliant golden formation shone brightly, and beyond the thin veil-like barrier, the elderly Demon King and the young Demon King from the Great Void Realm were furiously attacking the formation, causing ripples to spread across it.

Additionally, after their earlier transmitted voices, two more Demon Kings had arrived, wearing black robes. At this moment, they discarded their disguises, tearing off their robes to reveal their true forms.

Their bodies were clad in golden, shimmering battle armor, adorned with rough stripes, clearly refined by demons and monsters.

Compared to the intricate and exquisite designs of human battle armor, these lacked aesthetic appeal.

"Li Tiangang, get out here!"

"Hiding inside won't save you! Once I break this formation, you'll be the first to die!"

As the Demon Kings furiously attacked the formation, they also shouted insults at Li Tiangang.

While they didn't care about Feng Shanjun's life, their authority had been challenged.

Li Tiangang's expression turned gloomy and unsightly. He had expected a catastrophe in Liangzhou, but he hadn't anticipated that Dragon Gate would send so many Demon Kings, and now with the involvement of the Great Void Realm, the number of Demon Kings exceeded his expectations.

These guys didn't plan to slowly wear them down like in Yanbei; they intended to conquer Liangzhou in a swift assault!

"Quick, form the army formation! Defend the formation with all your might!"

"Activate the formation's demon-suppressing soul!"

Li Tiangang swiftly issued orders.

Command after command, accompanied by signal fires, spread throughout the defensive line.

Within the Black Stone Great Wall's defensive line, countless arrows rained down upon the tide of demons and monsters. Countless Demon-Exterminating Talismans and boulders, launched by trebuchets, flew through the formation, causing heavy casualties among the enemy forces.

However, the demons and monsters were like locusts, countless in number, obscuring the border.

Any gap that was created was quickly filled.

The ground was covered in a dark mass, and the sky was filled with a buzzing swarm, a tidal wave of demons and monsters. Their overwhelming demonic aura formed a black cloud that hung over the border's defensive line.

The sky here was obscured, leaving only a dim glow, along with the deafening, earth-shattering roars and howls of the demons and monsters.

These howls were piercing and shrill, causing even veteran soldiers to feel their hearts tremble.

If not for the protection of the army formation, boosting their morale, many would have been scared witless by the sheer magnitude of the demonic forces.

The amassed troops along this border were now fully mobilized, manning the walls and rotating shifts. Archers fired volley after volley, their bows nearly smoking from the rapid fire.

With the signal fires and orders, the formation was activated, and countless heavily armored Yuanzi Camp soldiers spread out across the entire defensive line.

The number of Yuanzi Camp soldiers was staggering, and while they had initially worn other types of armor, they now donned the battle armor of Li's most elite forces. The cost of outfitting a single soldier with this armor was exorbitant.

The twenty thousand Yuanzi Camp troops were more than capable of easily sweeping through the lairs of those at the Three Unbreakables Realm, an unstoppable force.

Li's Yuanzi Camp had a total strength of one million troops!

After years of campaigning in Yanbei, countless had perished, leaving only seven hundred thousand remaining.

Now, Li Tiangang had brought twenty thousand troops, a formidable force.

The remaining fifty thousand were split, with thirty thousand stationed in Yanbei and twenty thousand permanently defending Qingzhou.