Chapter 259: The Desolation God
Qingzhou City, within the God General's Mansion.
The light of the ancestral blood formation dissipated, and Li Tiangang, after bidding farewell to the ancestors in the ancestral hall, returned to the Shanhe Courtyard.
He glanced at the stern-faced Li Xiaoran, without attempting to explain anything, and said: "Fourth Uncle, those returning to support the Li family will need you to receive them. I am preparing to activate the ancestral secret passage and have them enter from the Huai River."
"Just follow your plan, I will comply," Li Xiaoran responded indifferently.
Li Tiangang nodded and looked around at everyone present, ordering someone to bring paper and pen, quickly writing down the subsequent plans.
At this moment, he seemed to return to the sleepless nights on the Yanbei battlefield. Glancing at his wife, who still stood by his side with eyes full of shared life-and-death commitment, his heart stirred slightly. To have such a wife, what more could one ask for in life?
"Prepare to open the secret vault. Each courtyard will command fifty thousand elite soldiers, ready to form arrays for reinforcement. Each courtyard will receive fifty thousand portions of divine medicine Blood Pill and ten thousand portions of Dragon Qi Pill…"
These divine medicines, normally, even direct descendants could only receive a single-digit amount annually. For those of collateral lines, they needed to make significant contributions to be rewarded. Now, they were being handed out like they were free.
The accumulation of thousands of years, including various elixirs and divine weapons, was now being fully invested into this final battle.
"Send out the secret transmission, instructing each city to open the secret passage, guiding those returning to the Li family from the eastern Huai River mountain range…"
Li Tiangang spread out the Qingzhou geographical map, deploying the reception plan.
To the east of Qingzhou City, a series of peaks lie, with the winding Huai River meandering like a dragon through them. Most of the city's water supply comes from this vast river.
However, unbeknownst to others, the Li family had long excavated the Huai River, creating a secret passage beneath it. This was planned by an ancestor of the Li family for the most dire situations in Qingzhou, serving as both an escape route and an entry for reinforcements from various places.
With demons occupying the city outskirts, leaving was impossible. The Great Yu Dynasty had not yet fallen, and the central state of the God General's Mansion could not be surrendered.
As commands were issued, beads of sweat appeared on Li Tiangang's forehead, his expression grave, his brows furrowing into a deep line, but the pressure in his heart eased slightly.
Meanwhile, the Li family army within Qingzhou City also sprang into action. This city, including its governor and commandants, were all of Li family blood. From top to bottom, the city officials were Li family members. Here, the Li family was the de facto ruler, their orders absolute.
With the issuance of commands from the God General's Mansion, the response was swift. Half of the elite troops were selected, receiving the divine medicines from the mansion's secret vault. With these precious medicines, their combat power would increase significantly in a short time, even reaching levels comparable to the Heaven Realm.
Of course, such rapid enhancement came with side effects, but in the face of life and death, they were inconsequential.
At this moment, large boxes of treasures were brought out from the secret vault. Members of each courtyard looked on with sorrowful expressions. These were the accumulations of past generations, now to be expended.
"When all the Li family bloodlines have returned, it will be the time for a decisive battle!"
Li Tiangang declared solemnly.
The returning Li family members were to use their blood to reshape ancestral bodies and souls, unleashing immense power.
The specific strength depended on the number of returning bloodline members.
As Lady He and others left to lead their troops to guard various parts of the city, the Shanhe Courtyard became empty.
Li Tiangang and Ji Qingqing exchanged glances, both silent.
"If only I had reached the Peaceful Dao Realm. If I had known, I would have tried harder and focused on cultivation…"
Ji Qingqing said softly, her eyes dim. As a prodigy of the Ji family, had she stayed and cultivated diligently, she might have reached the Peaceful Dao Realm by now.
This would have greatly reversed the battlefield situation, given Uncle Li Muxiu's support.
With them restraining the top forces of the two demon factions, Qingzhou City's army was no weaker than the demons outside. After all, there were over three hundred thousand elite troops here, the best of the Li family, capable of fighting ten times their number.
"Don't say that. You have done enough. It's because you accompanied me to Yanbei, delaying your progress," Li Tiangang shook his head.
Ji Qingqing looked at him, biting her lip. Now that they had been expelled from the Ji family, she couldn't seek their aid.
A few days ago, when Qingzhou City was besieged, she had tried using the prestige of the Ji family to deter the demons, delaying their assault. However, the demons were no fools. This was not like Yanbei; they were all in, and Ji family's threat no longer worked.
Without a Ji family strongman to back them up, the demons proceeded with their plans.
"You should rest. We still have a tough battle ahead. I will check on the preparations."
Li Tiangang said to his wife before stepping out of Shanhe Courtyard. At the gate, he saw several figures hurrying over.
"Uncle…"
It was Li Yuanzhao and Li Wushuang. They stopped at the gate, nervous. Though related by blood, the awe for their powerful uncle was evident.
"We came to see if there's anything you need us to do," Li Yuanzhao said quietly, eyes downcast.
Li Wushuang stood silent, but her gaze was firm.
Seeing these juniors in armor, ready for battle, Li Tiangang's stern expression softened, his tone gentler: "You are all good children. Wait for now. We will need your help once the others return."
He walked past them, swiftly moving away.
The juniors were momentarily stunned, not used to this softer side of their uncle.
Li Wushuang watched his departing figure, her cold eyes turning sad: "He was the best… If only we had told him sooner, things might have been different. He wouldn't have… died."
Li Yuanzhao and the others, hearing this, were silent, memories of that brilliant, carefree figure surfacing. All were silent, their eyes reddening.
In the Water Flower Courtyard.
The yard was sealed off, with only two old servants attending to Liu Yueyong.
"Ancestral blood call… ancestral blood call…"
In the pavilion, Liu Yueyong gazed toward the ancestral hall, her former beauty and luxury gone, her hair simply tied, her face weary.
"Li Tiangang, you are so heartless, no wonder you drove your own son away!"
"My son… don't be foolish. Stay with the Buddha Lord and cultivate. If you reach the Peaceful Dao Realm, comparable to our ancestors, even if the mansion falls, it can be rebuilt. Don't think of your mother, don't come back…"
Liu Yueyong looked toward Mount Wuliang, tears in her eyes, praying.
...
As time passed.
Cities in Qingzhou received the secret orders from the Li family. Li family members in various positions released signals.
These signals were for Li family bloodlines to follow, guiding them. Though some who had long left the family might have forgotten their meaning.
Still, many were already on their way to Qingzhou, following the signals to the Huai River, heading upstream to Qingzhou City.
Others, meanwhile, traveled through the wilderness, fighting scattered demons as they made their way.
Not long after the ancestral blood call, behind the demon tides outside Qingzhou City.
On a hill with Dragon Gate and Sacred Palace elders, and their leaders, the Dragon Gate Master, Dragon Jueshen, a cold young man in black robes, sensed something and looked toward the city.
A girl in a green skirt from Tianji Pavilion, hovering above the city, noticed a flash of blood light from the God General's Mansion, panicked, and flew down to the hill.
"Master, the Li family in the mansion seems to have used the legendary blood summoning technique!"
The green-skirted girl reported urgently.
Dragon Jueshen's face changed, becoming grim: "Those people really plan to fight to the death, even if it means extinction?"
He knew of the mansion's depth. Two thousand years ago, a mansion had fallen, but not before using this technique, summoning ancestral bodies and souls, unleashing immense power. Yet, they still fell.
"This is good, saves us the trouble of seeking them out," said the Sacred Palace Master Feng Lingxiao coldly, though his eyes held anger.
"How long until you fully recover?" Dragon Jueshen asked.
"Soon, three to five days," Feng Lingxiao replied.
"Too long," Dragon Jueshen frowned.
Seeing his look, Feng Lingxiao felt anger, wanting to retort but holding back. Now wasn't the time for internal strife.
"If you hold off Li Muxiu, I can break the formation," he said.
Dragon Jueshen was silent. Suddenly, a black mist flew in from afar, landing on the hill.
The surrounding demons were unaware until it landed, startling them.
The mist dispersed, revealing a woman with snow-white legs, dark purple markings on her face, and a graceful figure.
She looked at Dragon Jueshen and Feng Lingxiao, smiling: "You've been driven out like dogs by the Great Yu Dynasty. No wonder you're dragging your feet on such a small task. It's disappointing."
"Desolation God!"
Seeing the woman, Dragon Jueshen and Feng Lingxiao tensed, nervous.
"Why are you here? What about the royal city…" Dragon Jueshen asked quietly.
"Just a wisp of my avatar. The Yu Emperor is cunning, protecting only his life, not deploying the Real Man," she said lightly. "But if you delay, the bloodlines and the Green King will arrive. It won't be as simple then."
"What?"
They were shocked. The Green King, one of the emperor's strongest brothers, second only to the Sword Demon!
"When did this happen? How far is he?"
Feng Lingxiao asked, remembering the Yanbei battle, looking grim. He thought he had severely injured the Green King.
"Soon. I'm here to block him if necessary. Finish the Li family quickly. If you're too useless, I might discard you."
Her words made them pale. They quickly agreed.
The woman glanced at them, then the city, and with a wave, two dark treasures appeared: "Take these sacred treasures. I want to see rivers of blood today!"
With that, she vanished into mist, leaving the treasures floating.
Their eyes flashed, swiftly taking a treasure each.
They called them Holy Heart Treasures, but outside Great Yu, they were Sacred Treasures.
Even as top demon forces, with a thousand years of cultivation, they had only seized a few top divine weapons from the Wanqi Tower a thousand years ago.
Such treasures were usually taken by the royal family and the Five God Generals.
Only the Ancient Holy Clan in the Great Wasteland could easily provide them. Smaller tribes would be lucky to have one or two.