Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1802 Chapter 469: Guarding Gragon Gate (Part 3)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
While he uttered those words, authority and murderous aura saturated his tone, forged from beholding endless piles of corpses and oceans of blood, with countless relatives meeting tragic ends right before him, and numerous esteemed elders falling in battle. For years, he had yearned to clash at Dragon Mountain Pass, yet as the clan's brilliant talent, the family placed immense hopes on him and barred him from venturing into the deadly vanguard.
After all, the death toll on the frontline proved horrifically steep. The Ancient Demon Clan was aware of who he was and would surely lavish him with "particular focus" amid the chaos of war.
"The Dragon Gate City you're heading to, little junior brother, serves as the backup stronghold behind Jianlong Pass. Fights break out less often here, making it somewhat more secure, though just in comparison. Given the ongoing circumstances, you can probably expect a skirmish about every decade!"
Long Qingge explained.
A glint sparked in Li Hao's gaze. An interval of ten years might seem stretched out, but for a cultivator at the Immortal King Realm delving into Cultivation Techniques, one seclusion session could stretch to sixty years or even hundreds. Battles every ten years felt alarmingly regular, akin to ordinary folks clashing every month.
Remember, engaging in combat often leads to wounds, and mending those injuries demands considerable time on its own.
"Should that pace feel too intense, I could arrange for you to join Qiqi instead. Sure, the Northern Flame Pass her family defends is perilously hazardous as well, but the frontline stretches vast, and under Qiqi's watch, you could dodge fights for perhaps a century."
Long Qingge offered.
Li Hao declined with a shake of his head, declaring, "I'll head to Dragon Gate City; I intend to hunt down Ancient Demons."
At Li Hao's declaration, a flicker of admiration appeared in the eyes of both Long Qingge and Feng Qiqi. They had stood sentinel in this region for a millennium, harboring a profound loathing for the Ancient Demons.
Before long, they soared past the immense fortress of Northern Flame Pass, reaching a vast expanse suspended amid the stars. Towering upon this domain was a colossal metropolis, its four surrounding walls each featuring eight grand entrances. A single wall extended across millions of miles; every portal thrust skyward, etched with depictions of ten Ancestor Dragon Clan mighty emblems, crowned by massive draconic visages peering down.
Those dragon visages appeared vividly real, their gazes resembling searing metal, staring fiercely past the thresholds, evoking an atmosphere thick with lethal menace.
Confronted by this sight, Li Hao felt a jolt of astonishment, assaulted by the sharp tang of bloodshed and the weight of endless ages.
Marring the ramparts were faded blood smears, along with myriad faint scratches from claws, while the ground beyond the walls emitted a subtle foul odor, interred with untold volumes of gore and remains.
Such traces weren't born of a single clash but accumulated through endless cycles of conflict over the years.
Beyond the walls, sparse scarlet weeds dotted the landscape, devoid of any Immortal Trees or other flora. The ravages of war had obliterated them, and the persistent Evil Qi from the fields of battle had corrupted the soil, preventing any bloom of vegetation.
"This is Dragon Gate City..."
Long Qingge murmured, her serpentine form stretching hundreds of meters yet dwarfed like a mere insect before this monumental barrier.
Li Hao's Divine Sense stretched enormously, allowing him to perceive millions of miles away, and he keenly sensed the sheer scale of the warzone here.
Even so, this spot wasn't the primary frontline, just a comparatively secure outpost in the backlines.
Enveloping the battlements was a dense shroud of energy, forming an impenetrable Barrier that repelled Li Hao's Divine Sense from advancing even slightly.
"Dragon Gate City..."
Shi Miao regarded Li Hao, commenting, "What a name that rings so familiar."
Li Hao's eyes shimmered faintly as he nodded; yes, the name struck a chord. In the past, he had single-handedly defended an isolated outpost in the Mortal World called Heavenly Gate Pass, once a proper city but eroded to a mere mound after relentless assaults. Upon his intervention, it rose anew from Heavenly Gate Pass into Heaven's Gate City.
Perhaps fate wove this thread, linking Heaven's Gate City to Dragon Gate City, as though signaling yet another fresh chapter in his journey.
As they took in the vista around them, Long Qingge abruptly lifted her head, unleashing a mighty dragon's bellow.
The roar echoed powerfully, infused with the sovereign presence and essence of the Ancestor Dragon Clan's Emperor Vein, pulsing against the protective Barrier of Dragon Gate City.