Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1817 Chapter 475: Jianlong Pass Falls (Part 2)
Previously on Follow the path of Dao from infancy...
Shi Miao noticed the looks on their faces, her knitted brows easing just a touch, as she gave a subtle nod. While she'd held some doubts about them before, she chose to set them aside right then. With a flicker of her form, she arrived beside Li Hao and asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay."
Li Hao shook his head, a smile breaking across his features.
The first clash had gone well, allowing him to sense the sheer dread of the elite frontier battlefield.
Even as an Immortal King now, he still encountered times when utter ruin loomed close.
Shi Miao gazed at him with a hint of reproach and sent her voice directly to him, stating, "No need to, don't burn your True God Blood. Though it's your secret weapon, burning it and then rebuilding it through cultivation isn't simple."
While Li Hao could produce True God Blood by devouring Ancient Demon Flesh, recovery demanded a great deal. It was a highly unusual cultivation approach compared to normal methods, yet it ultimately burdened him heavily.
Li Hao understood her worry for him and nodded gently, replying, "I won't use it lightly unless it's absolutely essential."
Shi Miao nodded in return, recognizing how dire the earlier crisis had been with few alternatives. Still, while Li Hao lacked other paths, she possessed options of her own.
"Brother Haotian, we misjudged you before. We never thought your showing would match ours so closely."
Gui Xuanbing from the Ghost Tribe addressed Li Hao.
The rest directed their attention toward Li Hao as well. Apart from Shi Miao, his efforts had caught them off guard, without holding the group back. That burst of power from him earlier, along with his swift response to the Yan Ghost Array, outshone many among them.
Duan Yuan's gaze shifted a little, soon displaying a sign of respect as he spoke to Li Hao:
"I lacked vision before, so please excuse my rudeness."
Li Hao grasped his intent, shook his head smilingly, and responded, "That was ages ago. Now that we're allies battling side by side, no point in bringing it up."
Watching Li Hao's easygoing demeanor, Duan Yuan felt a brief surprise. He'd figured Li Hao might seek payback or stay distant like Shi Miao, yet he clearly held no grudge from the past.
A sudden warmth welled up inside him. This broad-minded nature earned Duan Yuan's respect for Li Hao, leading him to cup his fists toward him once more, holding back further words.
The others, observing this exchange, showed smiles too, turning the mood warm and cheerful.
Across the entire battlefield, triumphant shouts from the troops burst forth right then, surging like an endless tide brimming with vital force.
Inside the city, the Dragon Drum rang out, calling for withdrawal.
Long Ying and the rest broke down the Dragon Array, with both forces expressing gratitude to the nine of them before heading back into the city as one.
"Destroying five Yan Ghost Arrays this round means the highest Immortal Merit haul in a millennium."
On the seventh level's upper story in Dragon Shield Tower, Long Ying eyed the group and declared, "Per the usual customs, merits get assigned by group consensus. I suggest Shi Miao takes the primary share—who objects?"
Duan Yuan and the others all turned to Shi Miao. Without her holding off the Ghost Witch Formation before, they'd have been doomed. So naturally, no one challenged it now.
Long Ying nodded, adding, "No dissent, so Shi Miao claims the top merit. For second-tier honors, I nominate two: Duan Yuan and Haotian. Any objections?"
The group shared looks, but silence followed.
Duan Yuan ranked just behind Long Ying and had shone brightly earlier. Li Hao's feats proved unexpectedly strong too. Though positioned at the rear, he'd synced with the troops to halt the Yan Ghost Array, swiftly taking down one and helping wound another badly, contributing substantially.
Shi Miao and Li Hao shared a glance but kept quiet. They cared little about Immortal Merit divisions and saw no reason to decline.
"For the next fight, I believe Haotian ought to handle the dragon's body."
Liuli suggested.
"Yes, I agree Haotian possesses the strength for it."
The others voiced their support with nods.
"Brother Haotian, are you at the First Level or Second Level of the Immortal King Realm? Your aura feels like it's dropped back to the First Level. Did you consume some Divine Medicine just now?"
Gui Xuanbing inquired with curiosity.
Li Hao realized explaining the art of Carving would prove tough, so he simply nodded.
"Does it bring side effects?"
Gui Xuanbing pressed on.
The others turned their focus to Li Hao too, knowing that boosting cultivation temporarily—like with the Pill Long Ying had offered him earlier—often led to harsh repercussions.
From their view, any harm to Li Hao's foundation would count as a huge setback.
"It just shortens lifespan a bit."
Li Hao kept it brief, since losing five hundred years didn't trouble him much.
Despite Li Hao's casual tone, the group's expressions flickered, falling quiet as they grasped the heavy toll it must have taken.
After all, as a direct disciple of the Immortal Emperor, he held immense status, yet he chose to trade years of life for the fight.
"Then for the coming battle, Brother Haotian should manage the dragon's tail, with extra backing from the rest."
Long Ying stated.
The others agreed with nods. Before, their support for Li Hao aimed at boosting Immortal Merit doubles, but now a real desire grew to protect this gifted young prodigy.
In him, they glimpsed a spark of promise, the promise for tomorrow!
Once Immortal Merits wrapped up, Long Ying directed everyone to take their rest.
Li Hao went back to their assigned levels alongside Shi Miao.
With Extreme Dao Chaos over, Li Hao sensed deep weariness and frailty throughout his body, devoid of true power. He immersed himself in the mountain spring, quietly recovering, as the Divine Blood in his Immortal Body began to refresh and strengthen.
The strain from exhausting his core gradually faded as moments ticked by.
Battlefield moments from before flashed through Li Hao's thoughts. The epic clash etched deeply into him, from the City Lord's Quasi-Emperor Realm duel to the array charges of the formations, or the ominous pall of the Ghost Witch Formation…
"The war from a hundred thousand years back must've raged a hundred or thousand times fiercer than today…"
Li Hao's mind wandered far, aware that the peak fighters on both sides here topped out at Quasi-Emperor Realm. That ancient conflict engulfed the full True Realm, claiming even Great Emperors and swarms of Quasi-Emperors. Picturing the carnage defied belief!
"My strength remains far too feeble… I need to carve my Emperor Road to stand even the slightest shot in wars to come."
Li Hao pondered deep within.
The Musical Rhythm resonated in his consciousness, awakened by the myriad savage cries on the field earlier.
Above all, the City Lord's ancestral dragon roar had ignited the blood and spirits of countless warriors.
Every element in existence carries its unique resonance…
Li Hao gently shut his eyes, resembling one in slumber, while bathing in the mountain spring.
Shi Miao, done with her recovery in her tower, headed straight to the Dragon Shield Tower's first level to look in on Li Hao. She found him in the spring, seemingly asleep, enveloped in an odd Daoist Charm, with Ten Thousand Dao Laws swirling around like a protective shell.
She felt a mild shock but soon understood Li Hao had entered a Tao Realm enlightenment and chose to remain nearby in silence, avoiding any interruption.
Time flowed onward.
Immortal Merits got submitted, cleared, and handed out. Long Ying arrived to notify them, yet Shi Miao stepped forward to intercept, keeping him from the level and Li Hao's practice.
All through Dragon Gate City, across levels and spots, the fighters recovered from the conflict.
In the City Lord's Mansion.
Qingxuan, Long Potian, and the four Great Commanders gathered in the Council Hall, reviewing losses and the Ancient Demons' assault motives.
"Clearly, they targeted the Teleportation Array, clarifying those prior signs."
"Given this setup, we have to call for help from Jianlong Pass. Without it, another push from the Ancient Demon Army might overwhelm us.
"This assault hit hard, yet we were ready. They held back from full force, opting to pull away."
The commanders added their thoughts.
"As one of the hundred cities on the second defense line, Dragon Gate City must stay firm," a commander emphasized gravely.
Long Potian gave a small nod, then creased his brow, "However, Jianlong Pass on the front line faces its own shortages. Rather than draining them, better to request support from fellow hundred cities. Jianlong Pass can't weaken either."
"That's right."
Qingxuan nodded, endorsing the City Lord's words.
Their low discussion carried on.
In a flash, three more years slipped by.
During Li Hao's first ten years in the Eastern Domain, he opened his eyes in the mountain spring at the summit.
At that instant, a confidential dispatch marked with Dragon Blood rushed to the City Lord's Mansion in Dragon Gate City.
The seal shattered, unleashing a dragon's bellow that bore a chilling alert:
Jianlong Pass has fallen!