บท 74: Chapter 210: The Destruction of the Ancestral Hall
Boom!
In the distance, Li Tianzong's demonic figure clashed with the tattered-robed youth, their battle shaking the heavens and the earth.
Li Xiaoran glanced over, and as he had expected, his eldest brother's strength had skyrocketed. Originally, he was only at the level of a master, but now he possessed the power of the Grand Dao Realm!
"Let's go!"
Li Xiaoran said to Li Hao, gritting his teeth and ignoring the pain in his heart.
Li Hao turned back for a moment, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, but he said nothing and quickly flew towards the Divine General Mansion.
The two brothers moved swiftly, with Candlelight God and Lu Yuan in hot pursuit.
However, the older generation of Li's clan members, born to secondary wives, appeared one after another, including Li Xuanyin, and charged towards Candlelight God to stop him from chasing any further.
"Are you seeking death?!"
Candlelight God's eyes turned icy, and his Dao Domain expanded, enveloping an area with a radius of one li.
His body shot forward, propelled by the invisible fireball-like Dao Domain, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Buildings crumbled and turned to ashes wherever he passed.
The soldiers who touched the Dao Domain had no time to dodge and were instantly incinerated, their bodies reduced to nothingness.
As Candlelight God pushed forward with his Dao Domain, he paid no heed to those who dared to stand in his way.
Some of the older generation members were at the Four Establishments Realm, but their attacks barely reached ten meters before they were turned into flickers of flame by the overwhelming power of the Grand Dao Realm!
Li Hao and Li Xiaoran soon arrived at the Divine General Mansion. Without hesitation, they prepared to rush inside.
Boom!!
Suddenly, a violent explosion shook the Divine General Mansion.
A gigantic black-furred palm rose from the depths of the mansion, sweeping and smashing downward. The entire Divine General Mansion trembled violently under the force of this blow.
Li Xiaoran and Li Hao's bodies froze as they stared in shock at the massive demon palm. How did that thing appear in the Divine General Mansion?!
Li Xiaoran's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in anger and worry, "No! It's the ancestral hall!"
He accelerated, bursting forth with all his might, using his Dao resonance to pull him forward as he continuously shifted his position.
Li Hao also sped up, chasing after his brother and rushing into the Divine General Mansion. Every pore on his body contracted, and he felt an extreme sense of foreboding.
He noticed that the formation outside the Divine General Mansion remained intact.
How did this demon get in?
Soon after Li Hao and Li Xiaoran entered the mansion, Candlelight God, who had been pursuing them, crashed into the formation. His Dao Domain shook the formation, causing it to burn with a dazzling golden light that enveloped the entire Divine General Mansion.
This formation was even stronger than the one in Dragon City. In his rage, Candlelight God threw punch after punch, causing the formation's divine patterns to tremble slightly.
"This... This is..."
When Li Hao and Li Xiaoran reached the ancestral hall, they felt as if their blood had frozen, a chilling sensation running from the top of their heads to their toes.
The ancestral hall was built on a mountainside, but now, even the mountain itself had been dented by a powerful blow, and the hall lay in ruins.
A hundred-zhang tall demon, its body resembling a bear but with a ferocious face and snow-white tusks, stood there. Its eyes, cold and indifferent, yet tinged with a hint of crimson, swept over Li Hao and Li Xiaoran.
Beside the demon stood a middle-aged man, Li Qingzheng, his body drenched in blood and his face twisted with fury.
"Ancestral Hall..."
Li Xiaoran stood in mid-air, dazed and lost.
The exit from the River of Death, the most sacred place of the Li family, had just been destroyed with a single palm strike.
"Still trying to leave from here? Stay and keep us company in our eternal rest."
The hundred-zhang demon's eyes turned icy, and a faint smile played at the corners of its mouth.
A peculiar wave of energy rippled from its body, causing Li Hao's pupils to constrict as he immediately recognized it as a Dao Domain.
Moreover, this demon's Dao Domain unfolded even faster than his own, appearing in the blink of an eye.
"I'm not that half-baked Dao Realm cultivator," the hundred-zhang demon said, noticing Li Hao's shocked expression and responding with a cold smile. Its massive body turned, the ground rumbling under its weight as it raised its palm to strike Li Hao. The black-furred palm seemed to blot out the sky, giving the impression of infinite reach.
"You deserve to die!!!"
Li Xiaoran roared in madness, his body's grand meridians seemingly on the verge of shattering as he unleashed a surge of overwhelming aura, executing the strongest move in his arsenal—an ultimate technique.
In an instant, the light of the blade illuminated the heavens and the earth, only to disappear abruptly. A terrifying chasm tore through the void, extending at incredible speed and crashing into the demon's Dao Domain, leaving a twisted mark in its wake.
The invisible blade light extended with extreme speed, striking the coarse black-furred palm with a loud bang, carving a half-meter-deep wound.
The hundred-zhang demon seemed taken aback that someone at the mere master level could penetrate its Dao Domain and injure it. Its initially indifferent and chilly eyes now held a hint of surprise, which quickly turned into an even colder glare.
"A genius of the ages, your essence is even more delectable."
The demon's aura surged, and its Dao Domain shone like the aurora, rapidly expanding to envelop both Li Hao and Li Xiaoran.
"You two go, I'll hold it off," Li Qingzheng said, appearing before Li Hao just as he was about to make a move. Li Qingzheng's body trembled with rage, and threads of scarlet divine light extended from within, releasing a torrential wave of murderous aura.
This murderous aura condensed into a blood-red shadow behind him, resembling some majestic being.
His bloodline ruptured, his aura tearing his clothes apart to reveal a sturdy upper body.
Pores all over his body spewed forth blood-colored waves of energy, and his aura skyrocketed as he burned his divine soul!
"Go!" Li Qingzheng roared, raising his hand. Brilliant spear light shot forth, transforming into a black arc that pierced the expanding Dao Domain, forcibly halting its expansion at the spear tip!
The spear tip, concentrated with ultimate power, resisted the spread of the Dao Domain, creating endless might through friction.
Li Xiaoran and Li Hao were stunned. They couldn't tell if Li Qingzheng's display of power was due to his connection with the River of Death or if this was his true strength all along, but it far exceeded their expectations.
Li Xiaoran's heart was filled with sorrow, and he forcefully suppressed his anger. Turning around, he rushed towards the collapsed ancestral hall.
Li Hao also understood that Li Qingzheng was risking his life to buy them time. Despite his rage, he could only turn and flee, rushing into the ancestral hall.
Li Xiaoran swept his object-controlling power, lifting the broken tiles and bricks of the ancestral hall, only to find that the spirit tablets of their ancestors had all been destroyed!
Only one spirit tablet remained, emitting a dim golden light.
It belonged to Li Tianyuan, the first ancestor of the Li family.
His golden body sculpture had been shattered, but this small spirit tablet endured.
As the two brothers approached, they sensed the numerous faint residual thoughts on the spirit tablet, which turned out to be the lingering spirits of the other ancestors.
"It seems we won't be able to send you away safely..."
Regretful and sorrowful thoughts emanated from their consciousness, but only a few sentences were conveyed before they dissipated.
Under the oppressive might of the hundred-zhang tall demon's Dao Domain, they could only muster enough strength to protect Li Tianyuan, the first ancestor of the Li family.
In life, these ancestors were formidable, with some reigning supreme for centuries, others challenging the might of the Great Yu Dynasty alone, establishing a legacy that would endure for generations.
But in death, their souls were weakened, and even at the peak of their power, they could barely withstand the might of the Grand Dao Realm, let alone the overwhelming force of the Taiping Dao Realm.
"Alas, a proud descendant of the Li family, a peerless genius, perishes here..."
"If we die, remember to annihilate every last one of these demons..."
More ancestors conveyed their final thoughts, their voices filled with endless regret, before fading away from the spirit tablets.
The faint golden light emanating from the tablets gradually faded into nothingness.
Li Xiaoran and Li Hao stood motionless, gazing at the sole remaining spirit tablet of their ancestors.
Even though they knew these voices were a result of Li Tianzong's lingering obsession, the words still stirred their blood and filled them with a sense of melancholy.
"Children, do not grieve."
The soul of Li Tianyuan appeared above the spirit tablet, addressing Li Xiaoran and Li Hao. "The Li family has never been one to cower in the face of death. We are a clan of valiant warriors!"
"Who among you will bear my residual soul and slay these demons?"
Li Xiaoran and Li Hao looked at the first ancestor. If they were outside, Li Xiaoran would have bowed respectfully first. But at this moment, all he felt was sorrow.
"I will."
Li Xiaoran said to Li Hao, "Hao'er, you go find a way out. I'll buy you some time."
"There is no way out."
Li Hao replied bitterly, "I have no idea what to do. Our only chance of survival... is to hold our ground and live another day."
Li Xiaoran's heart sank. Indeed, he had no idea where to find another path to safety.
Without the ancestral hall, their only option was to fight their way through, or perish.
If they possessed the power of the Dao Realm, they could use it to escape to another place, unbound by the confines of Dragon City. With the protection of a Dao Realm, surviving for a day would be feasible, but neither of them had attained that level.
"I wonder if Big Brother's consciousness has recovered. If he has, he can use his Dao Realm to protect you, but he can't leave Dragon City..."
Li Xiaoran's expression changed, a hint of despair creeping into his voice.
He himself was not afraid of death, but this time, Li Hao was with him.
If Li Hao were to die here, he felt it would be more painful than his own demise.
"Since that's the case, my children, let us fight together to the end."
Li Tianyuan's soul sensed their predicament and immediately made a decision for them. His figure flickered, transforming into a beam of golden light that merged with Li Hao's body.
In an instant, Li Hao felt as if he was clad in a golden divine armor.
The ancestral soul transformed into battle armor, enveloping Li Hao's body with divine flames, while also bestowing upon him a tremendous boost in power.
Boom!
A figure flew swiftly and crashed into the ground a hundred meters away.
Li Xiaoran and Li Hao turned to see Li Qingzheng, his body battered and bruised, his spear broken.
"Fifth Brother!"
Li Xiaoran rushed forward.
But Li Hao stopped him and whispered, "You go find a way out. I'll handle this."
A chilling intent to kill emanated from his eyes, and the golden light that covered his body, combined with his innate divine power, exuded an unimaginable aura of dominance.
As the hundred-zhang tall demon's Dao Domain bore down upon them, intent on crushing Li Qingzheng, Li Hao raised his sword and swung it with all his might.
The sword qi sliced through, momentarily halting the advance of the Dao Domain.
This casual sword strike possessed a power comparable to Li Qingzheng's previous all-out assault fueled by his burning soul.
At the same time, Li Hao used his object-controlling power to move Li Qingzheng's body to a safer location. He then lifted his head, the sword Frostbite in his hand, and stared at the towering form of the hundred-zhang tall demon.
"Hmm?"
The demon sensed the surge in Li Hao's aura, an aura so vibrant that it demanded its attention, despite Li Hao being merely at the Three Unbreakables Realm.
"If you were at the Four Establishments Realm, perhaps I would need to exert some effort. But you're just at the Three Unbreakables... "
The demon sneered and raised its hand, ready to crush Li Hao with its oppressive Dao Domain.
"How did you enter the Divine General Mansion?"
Li Hao asked.
"Of course, with the array token. Otherwise, why would we have sent people to assassinate the ten children of your Li family? Their array tokens were swapped beforehand."
As the demon finished speaking, its Dao Domain pressed down upon them.
Li Hao's expression turned grim. So that was the reason?
"Fourth Brother, go find a way out. Don't die here!"
Li Hao quickly transmitted his voice to Li Xiaoran. Then, facing the oppressive Dao Domain, he raised his sword and slashed upwards with all his might.
"Kill!"
The voice of the ancestor seemed to roar in their ears.
The sword light filled the sky, like the first ray of light at dawn, dispelling the darkness.
The sword light pierced through the Dao Domain, restrained by its rules. The opponent's Dao Domain was not of the flame type, so it did not incinerate the sword qi. Instead, it carried a terrifying compressing force, intending to crush the sword qi into nothingness.
However, the sword qi was wrapped in a dazzling divine light, and it penetrated the Dao Domain, slashing at the chest of the hundred-zhang tall demon. Countless hairs were severed, leaving a gash on its body.
But the wound was healing at a visible rate.
"Hmph!"
The demon snarled in annoyance and raised its giant palm, slamming it down repeatedly.
Li Hao's body flashed as he nimbly dodged and weaved, his sword clashing with the giant palm, creating a distance between them.
The demon was right; their cultivation levels were too far apart. It was a difference of an entire major realm.
At this moment, with the boost from the divine pills, the ancestral soul, and his own innate power, Li Hao's strength surged like a raging torrent. Yet, he could only inflict serious injuries on the opponent and not deliver a fatal blow.
"Ancestor, I'm going all out now."
Li Hao took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.
"Come, then. To die in battle is to die without regret." Li Tianyuan's consciousness replied.
Li Hao had no desire to die, but at this point, he had no other choice.
He extended his perception of the Heavenly Veins, lifting the restrictions on his body. In an instant, the boundless heavenly energy of the world poured into his body.
Previously, he had entered the Immortal Ascension Realm, and now, he pushed himself further, increasing his cultivation from thirty percent to fifty percent!
Then, to seventy percent!
A terrifying storm of power gathered around Li Hao, causing the colors of the sky to shift and clouds to roll in.
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