Chapter 295: The Battle at the River of Death and the Fall of the Imperial City
Wang Zhendong's expression was extremely grave. For hundreds of years, no demon or monster had dared to offend the imperial capital.
The last time such an event occurred was six hundred years ago, when a demon king attacked, only to be slain by a sword that flew out from the Qian Dao Palace, striking the demon king down outside the city.
The demon king's blood flowed like a river, deterring many covetous monsters.
But now, another demonic invasion had occurred, forcing the imperial capital to send out a call for help. Where was that True Immortal? "First the battle in Liangzhou, then Youzhou, and now Qingzhou…"
Wang Zhenfeng's eyes flickered. His talent in navigating the River of Death was not as strong as Wang Zhendong's, but he was more familiar with the situations across the provinces.
"I've long sensed that these demons were brewing some grand scheme behind the scenes. The True Immortal has remained absent, perhaps for some hidden reason. It seems these demons are truly planning a decisive battle with our Dayu Divine Dynasty!"
Wang Zhenfeng's face turned cold. These demons had ceased their attacks on the provinces and instead launched a direct assault on Dayu, aiming to strike at the heart and swiftly topple the imperial capital.
"His Majesty has issued an edict, and we must respond. I will go immediately," Wang Zhendong said solemnly.
He glanced at the others and continued, "Zhenfeng, you stay here to guard Yunzhou and the ancestral hall. Zhenping, you come with me. Yongzhi, you must immediately mobilize 300,000 soldiers from the Zhao Battalion to rush to the capital at full speed!"
The Wang family's only visible military force was the ancestral Zhao Battalion, which had never been disbanded. This was a privilege granted to their family by Emperor Yu.
Wang Yongzhi nodded. "Leave this to me, Uncle Zhendong. But be careful—this time, it may be a true catastrophe!"
Wang Zhendong nodded and then turned to the Ksitigarbha Buddha, saying, "Send people to keep an eye on the Merit List, and send death warriors inside to investigate the situation."
Once someone falls, their name is removed from the Merit List. Now that they knew Li Hao's name on the River of Death battlefield was Chong'er, they could monitor his life and death status through the Merit List.
Wang Yongzhi nodded in agreement.
Wang Zhendong said nothing more and glanced at Wang Zhenping. "Fourth Brother, come with me."
Wang Zhenping nodded. With the gravity of the situation, he put aside the matter of his grandson and granddaughter being disciplined earlier.
As they left, Wang Yongzhi quickly began to count the troops and issue commands.
…
In the quiet River of Death.
With Wang Zhendong and the others leaving, the small town suddenly became much quieter.
Meanwhile, Li Hao, who had been resisting the hellish River of Death's corrosive forces, breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly extended his divine sense to cover the entire town, searching it thoroughly.
Soon, he found several hidden ghostly figures lurking throughout the town, but their numbers were few.
It was evident that the Wang family's Dao cultivators had already conducted a simple sweep of the area.
Suddenly, within the town's ancestral hall, Li Hao spotted a familiar figure.
Old Feng!
That plain yet somewhat dignified black robe was Old Feng's favorite garment.
At this moment, he was standing on the threshold of the ancestral hall, gazing out at the town with a dazed expression, as if lost in thought or recalling something.
Li Hao's heart leaped with excitement, and his divine soul immediately flew toward the ancestral hall.
His main body remained in place, maintaining the Dao Domain to fend off the hellish River of Death's corrosion. Although no members of the Wang family required his protection now, if he left and the River of Death's influence accelerated the fusion process, it could lead to unexpected changes in the trial conditions or other unforeseen situations.
Using the Dao Domain to conquer this ghostly River of Death made many things more manageable. For an ordinary Grandmaster, just the ghosts within the town would be enough to overwhelm them.
Whoosh!
Li Hao's divine soul, surrounded by crimson-gold divine flames, descended in front of the ancestral hall.
With his divine light subdued, he revealed his true appearance and called out excitedly, "Old Feng!"
Feng Boping's gaze, which had been fixed in the distance, returned to focus on Li Hao. His expression showed a hint of confusion.
"Who are you?"
Li Hao was momentarily stunned but quickly realized that this was merely a fragment of a soul, likely with incomplete memories. He hurriedly said:
"It's me—fishing, fish soup, Little Mouse!"
"You helped me steal many martial arts manuals, and even a pair of silken socks from an imperial concubine…"
Li Hao quickly recounted the little secrets Old Feng had shared with him during their fishing days.
Although he didn't know the exact trial conditions for this River of Death, he figured it might help if he could jog Old Feng's memory.
"You even got me a bottle of divine elixir once, specially to enhance my physique. And one time while fishing, you caught a flood dragon, but it broke the hook, and you were so angry you killed it, losing sleep for days…"
Li Hao spoke rapidly.
"Stop, stop, just stop…"
Feng Boping's confusion seemed to fade a bit, and he quickly raised his hand to halt Li Hao's words, feeling a faint ache in his heart.
The hook broke? How could that happen!
This kid is spouting nonsense!
Where did this boy come from, causing a ruckus here? Ah, wait, Little Mouse?
Countless thoughts raced through his mind as Feng Boping rubbed his forehead, feeling slightly disoriented. But soon, fragments of memories flashed by, and he froze.
He stared intently at Li Hao, his eyes widening more and more. "Hao… Haor'er?!"
Li Hao was both surprised and delighted that Old Feng had truly remembered him. He nodded eagerly, "It's me!"
Feng Boping quickly recalled something and asked urgently, "How did you get here?"
"I came to take you out of this cursed place," Li Hao replied.
"You…"
Feng Boping was taken aback, his expression changing as he looked toward the town's outskirts.
Seeing the dark, lightless sky outside the town, his gaze became hazy as if he had seen something, but he quickly snapped back to reality. He immediately said to Li Hao, "Leave quickly; you won't be able to pass the trial. That thing is coming!"
"That thing?"
Li Hao looked at the encroaching hellish River of Death and asked, "Is it the River of Death, Old Feng? Do you know how to pass the trial? Let me take you out."
"It's too late. I can't leave…"
Feng Boping looked at the hellish River of Death. "That thing is coming for me. It has already reflected me. Part of my obsession is trapped there. You won't be able to pass the trial."
Li Hao was shocked. The hellish River of Death was targeting Old Feng? How could that be?
Although Old Feng was strong, being a Fourth Stage Dao cultivator, he shouldn't be enough to attract the attention of a hellish River of Death.
After all, the old man who fell in Dragon City only drew the attention of a Netherworld-level River of Death.
And behind that Dragon City River of Death, the true obsession was the god of war, Ji Yunge, who was at the Path-seeking level.
"Old Feng, are you sure? Is your obsession really that strong?"
Li Hao couldn't help but ask.
Under normal circumstances, Feng Boping would have rolled his eyes in anger, but now his gaze was distant as he looked into the approaching hellish River of Death, murmuring:
"I don't know either, but I know I'm searching for something… something very, very important…"
Li Hao was stunned, quickly sifting through his memories.
During their time fishing by the lake, Old Feng had told him almost everything, including many secrets that could get one beheaded. He had never held anything back.
But it seemed he had never mentioned searching for something particularly important.
After all, anything he wanted to find, he had already stolen.
"Leave now. If I can't find that thing, I won't be able to complete the trial."
Feng Boping suddenly pulled his gaze away and said to Li Hao, "Before this place fully merges, you still have time to leave. It's more terrifying than you can imagine. Once you fall into it, there will be no escape…"
"I want to try!"
Li Hao interrupted.
The ghost of Ji Yunge had been in the River of Death for so long that it almost disintegrated. If he gave up now, this missing part of Old Feng's soul would be lost forever!
"Why are you so stubborn?"
Feng Boping grew anxious at Li Hao's words. "If you stay here any longer, you'll die too!"
Li Hao replied solemnly, "Old Feng, think carefully about what you're looking for, and I'll help you find it!"
Feng Boping was taken aback, staring at Li Hao's determined eyes. His gaze grew hazy once more, and suddenly, he seemed to sense something and looked toward the dark sky.
At the edge of the River of Death outside the town, the dark energy parted like a tide, revealing a narrow path. Behind the path was another small town.
It was like a mirror image, perfectly replicating the original town, with the junction between the two exactly the same.
And within that town, a figure was slowly walking toward them, dressed in a black robe, landing outside the junction.
The figure stared quietly at Feng Boping, whose gaze also changed, fixing intently on the newcomer.
Li Hao noticed that the figure approaching the junction was none other than another version of Old Feng.
However, this version had a cold expression, with eyes full of murderous intent.
Li Hao felt a chill. Old Feng had been right—the hellish River of Death had indeed reflected his obsession, and the conditions for passing the trial had changed. This meant that the final fate of this town on the River of Death could only be assimilation!
"Do you want to know what his obsession is? If you do, come fish with me and see who catches it first."
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession suddenly spoke.
Li Hao's expression changed, feeling both familiar and strange.
"Fish for what?"
"You'll find out when you get here."
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession sneered.
Li Hao stared into his eyes without speaking.
Beside him, the real Feng Boping snapped out of it and quickly said, "Don't listen to his nonsense, don't go over there."
Li Hao slowly withdrew his gaze, shook his head slightly, and said:
"Wait for me."
With those simple words, he stepped forward.
Feng Boping's expression changed dramatically, and he urgently warned, "You will die!"
"Even if I die, I will take you out of here!"
Without looking back, Li Hao walked straight toward the reflection of Feng Boping's obsession outside the town. "You protected me once, now I'll protect you for life!"
Feng Boping stood frozen, watching the young man's divine soul rush forward.
Outside the town, the reflection of Feng Boping's obsession, who stood in the hellish River of Death, slightly retracted his cold smile, staring intently at Li Hao.
As Li Hao approached the town's boundary, he asked, "What are we fishing for?"
"A life!"
"A life?"
Li Hao's expression turned cold. "You don't mean my life, do you?"
"Yes and no."
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession replied coldly, "If you catch it, you'll live. If you don't, you won't even be able to leave!"
Li Hao narrowed his eyes. In the distance, his physical body continued to maintain the Dao Domain, resisting the invasion.
Although he hadn't tested it with a token, he knew the River of Death had undergone another change, possibly shifting the exit.
After all, the exit had already been difficult to open before, and now, aside from the area his physical body was defending, the hellish River of Death had encroached on the rest of the town, deepening the fusion.
"Let's do it."
At this point, there was no turning back, and Li Hao didn't waste any more words.
"You've got guts. Aren't you worried I'll trick you?" The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession asked.
"I'm worried, but I have no other choice."
Li Hao replied.
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession said, "But you could have chosen to run. You still had hope earlier."
"And you said it yourself—it was earlier. Since that's no longer an option, let's cut the chatter!"
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession stopped talking and coldly said, "Since you're determined to face death, come on over."
Li Hao took a step forward, ready to unleash his divine soul into the form of a colossal celestial being.
But the surrounding dark energy did not attack him.
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession seemed slightly surprised, not expecting Li Hao to be so decisive in the face of life and death.
"Tell me, how do we fish?"
Li Hao remained vigilant, scanning for any attack, but asked coldly.
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "Use your true heart as bait to fish for a life. You've already caught your own life. You win."
"What?"
Li Hao was momentarily stunned.
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession gazed at Li Hao and slowly said, "This is his obsession. He was searching for a true heart, the most precious thing in the world, something he could never steal."
Li Hao was startled, then asked in disbelief, "So, does this mean I've passed the trial?"
After passing through two Rivers of Death, Li Hao had gained some experience. The requirements for passing these trials were extremely varied.
In the Fengshan River of Death, he had painted a picture that moved a clumsy artist to tears, allowing him to pass the trial. The key was resolving the artist's longing.
In the Dragon City River of Death, he had dismantled Ji Yunge's obsession with wandering the world, freeing him from the River of Death's influence.
Now, the River of Death that had trapped Old Feng was asking for a true heart.
These trials seemed unrelated to strength or cultivation level, which explained why the Wang family had struggled for years to conquer the River of Death with so few successes.
After all, unless by chance, someone else in Old Feng's River of Death would have been completely helpless.
Similarly, if Li Hao hadn't known Old Feng, he wouldn't have been able to pass this trial.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, dark energy surged from the reflection of Feng Boping's obsession, wrapping around him like a mist.
His expression changed, and his eyes suddenly emitted a silver light, exuding a vast, majestic aura.
This aura made Li Hao's pupils contract. Whether it was an illusion or not, he felt a hint of the holy power he had sensed from the Ji family's sacred bones! "Trying to discard me? Too late!"
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession roared, the silver light enveloping his dark energy, which seemed to want to retreat but was restrained by the silver light.
At the same time, the reflected town behind him suddenly began to collapse and twist.
The environment no longer matched the quiet River of Death but shifted between a grim cave filled with debris and a plain littered with weapons and corpses.
"Kid, leave now."
The reflection of Feng Boping's obsession suddenly said to Li Hao.
Li Hao stared at him for a moment before retreating rapidly.
He seemed to realize what was happening.
If Old Feng's obsession was truly the search for a true heart, then by resolving it, he hadn't just passed the trial for the quiet River of Death.
The hellish River of Death that had reflected it was also affected! Would he pass the trial for both? Li Hao couldn't help but wonder, although it seemed unlikely, he still held some hope.
But soon, Li Hao realized he had been overly optimistic. After he retreated, the reflected town outside began to collapse entirely, transforming into an ancient road.
The ancient road was shrouded in black mist, extending far into the distance, with no visible end.
But upon seeing the ancient road, Li Hao felt a sense of dread, more terrifying than the reflected town.
The road was piled with bones, desolate and ancient.
"Seal!"
From within the black mist, the voice of Feng Boping's obsession echoed coldly, vastly different from the voice Li Hao usually heard.
The chaotic mist suddenly slowed, seemingly bound by some force.
"Kid, farewell…"
The voice of Feng Boping's obsession came from within the thick mist, then quickly faded away.
Simultaneously, the mist also dissipated.
Before Li Hao, a prompt from the River of Death appeared:
[Permanently reduced the power of the 'Silent Dao River of Death' by 10%, removed the 'Reflection' rule, and awarded 10,000 merit points!]
Li Hao was stunned. Ten thousand merit points?
According to the Wang family, destroying a hellish River of Death would grant 10,000 merit points, but now he hadn't even destroyed it.
But a permanent reduction? Looking at the silent ancient road, Li Hao suddenly understood. The Reflection rule was gone, and permanently at that, weakening the River of Death.
Just now, he had used the Reflection rule to pass the trial through Feng Boping's obsession.
The hellish River of Death had likely feared that his success would affect the River of Death as a whole, so it removed the Reflection rule, rendering his success ineffective, resulting only in weakening the River of Death.
Could the River of Death itself be conscious?
Li Hao gave the ancient road a long, deep look before noticing that the other forces surrounding the quiet River of Death were rapidly dissipating.
These forces were all tied to the Reflection rule, and with it gone, they too disappeared.
Turning back, Li Hao saw Old Feng's figure flying over.
"You foolish child, you really are reckless."
Feng Boping looked at Li Hao with eyes full of affection.
Li Hao smiled, seeing another prompt from the River of Death. The quiet River of Death had been conquered!
And the reward for conquering this River of Death was not 10,000 merit points but 20,000!
The prompt read:
Congratulations, Chong'er, you have conquered the Quiet River of Death (Corrupted).
Reward: 20,000 merit points.
Adding this to the previous 10,000, Li Hao had earned a total of 30,000 merit points on this trip!
To put this into perspective, Wang Zhendong had spent years conquering the River of Death and had only recently accumulated 10,000 merit points! If the River of Death had merely been destroyed, it would have only yielded 100 merit points.
Li Hao glanced around before turning to Old Feng, grinning:
"Old Feng, we can go home now."
Feng Boping's eyes were complicated as he looked deeply at Li Hao. "Yes, we can go home…"
…
Meanwhile, in Dayu Prefecture, within the Holy Capital's Imperial City.
Screams and cries echoed throughout the city, blood and corpses strewn everywhere.
The once-magnificent imperial city, which had stood for thousands of years, was now stained with blood. The once-clear moat surrounding the city had turned crimson, and the bodies of soldiers and demons alike floated in it.
The city walls had been breached, with massive cracks running through them.
In the sky above, figures fled for their lives, only to be chased down and brutally torn apart by the demon kings.
Within the city, many buildings had been destroyed and burned, with the corpses of civilians littering the ground, the city engulfed in misery.
This once-impenetrable fortress, protected by the world's most powerful formation, the Xuantian Divine Emperor Formation, had been breached.
But the formation had not been broken by the demon kings outside; rather, it had been sabotaged from within by several generals of the Chen family, who colluded with the enemy and, using their connections, disabled the formation.
Yes, the Chen family, one of the Five Great General Houses, known for their reclusive nature, had betrayed the empire! Without the formation's protection, the entire city was exposed to the demons. Despite the presence of a massive garrison, without the formation, the demons' attacks were unrestrained, and the ensuing battles quickly spread throughout the city, causing widespread casualties.
In the initial moments of the assault, the imperial city had activated the Bafang Flags, sending out emergency calls for reinforcements.
But while the flags were swift, the city fell even faster.
Many elderly men who had been living in seclusion within the city also appeared, numbering over thirty, shocking everyone.
But they faced the black-robed young man and the violet-patterned, graceful woman, who swiftly killed them all, leaving only a few to flee in desperation.
The two black-robed figures continued their massacre, leisurely slaughtering and directing the various demon elders to cleanse the city of all humans, aiming to annihilate them completely.
They reveled in the slaughter within the city, unchallenged by any significant force.
The entire imperial city lay in ruins, with even the grand palace itself partially destroyed.
Even within the palace, protected by the Xuantian Divine Emperor Formation, the formation had been destroyed by a frontal assault.
The divine emperor's apparition conjured by the formation had barely fought for long before being swiftly torn apart, the formation shattered.
Boom! Boom!
Two elderly men who had been fleeing suddenly exploded.
The black-robed young man flew over, glanced at them, and casually gathered their remains into his spatial domain, intending to take them back as snacks.
He then turned his gaze to the palace above, his expression growing serious and wary.
From there, intense sounds of battle rang out, with visions of storm and thunder roaring through the air—a battlefield of Dao Cultivators, where a single word could bring life or death, beyond the reach of mere Path-seeking Realms.
At that moment, the battle was not being fought by the demon elder holding the staff but by five or six young figures.
They fought casually, even chatting and teasing each other, but their attacks were swift and terrifying, unleashing a formidable storm.
Boom!
A figure plummeted from the sky, crashing into the square below, their Dao robes torn and bloodied, looking utterly defeated.
Blood dripped from their body, staining the Dao robes red.
They struggled to rise, but as one of the young men softly uttered the word "Seal," the old Daoist was forced back down to the ground, the earth beneath him cracking like a spider's web.
Fighting six at once, his body was on the verge of being shattered.
"True Immortal…"
Nearby, dozens of figures stood, unharmed but frozen in place.
Earlier, some had tried to fight, but one of the young men had merely spoken a single word, causing their bodies to explode instantly.
They didn't even have time to use their life-saving measures, their souls unable to escape, perishing immediately.
Others tried to continue fighting, but after a few more words were uttered, all who resisted met the same fate—body explosion.
Even top-tier Dao Masters of the Peaceful Dao Realm couldn't resist! Such a vast gap in power left them deeply aware of the terrifying difference between the Four Establishments Realm and the Path-seeking Realm.
Despair engulfed everyone as they pinned their hopes on the True Immortal.
Earlier, these young men and women had mentioned wanting the True Immortal to entertain them, promising to spare one life for each attack survived.
These terrifying people had turned this slaughter into a game! However, now that the True Immortal had engaged, the battle, though intense, was clearly one-sided. Not only had he failed to kill any of them, but it seemed he had also been completely defeated.
Despair, fear, sorrow, and resentment filled the faces of all present.
This most revered and sacred place of the Divine Dynasty, which had stood for thousands of years, had been easily breached and trampled upon by these people.
And in the face of absolute power, they were utterly powerless to resist.
It was like ants painstakingly building their nest, only for a giant foot to suddenly stomp down one day, crushing all their efforts to dust! Ants!
Everyone felt as though they were mere ants.
"Is our Dayu Divine Dynasty… truly doomed?"
Among those standing in the square were people who had come to reinforce the city, only to be captured.
Xia Linglong, Xia Yuanwu, and Li Muxiu were among them.
The Wang family and others had not yet arrived, being the furthest from the imperial capital.
When Xia Linglong and the others arrived, they had expected a standoff battle, relying on the formation, but were instead greeted by scenes of carnage.
In the face of these six terrifying young men and women, the city's garrison and imperial guard were easily slaughtered, the formation torn apart, and the palace captured in less than half a day.
The strength and resources they had painstakingly accumulated over the years were utterly meaningless before these terrifying individuals.
Beside the battlefield, the demon elder with the staff was also filled with dread.
The Holy Son had said he would kill the boy last time, but upon his return, he had said nothing about it, only telling them to wait.
And now, he had brought six killing gods, each one a terrifying monster.
But the elder understood that the Holy Son must have paid a heavy price. Though the situation was under control, the Holy Son did not seem pleased.