The Name of Eternals

Chapter 205: The Battle for Dragon City, Sacrifice of the Nine Sons

Li Hao used Qing Shuang to cut his finger, but it healed in an instant.

Even the residual sword energy from Qing Shuang couldn't prevent the rapid healing.

Li Hao felt that even if he lost a limb, it would grow back in a single breath. What a terrifying vitality this was! Immortality, indestructibility, and unfading—these are the Three Immortals. At this moment, he seemed to have truly approached the realm of immortality.

"If this is the extreme state, then it should be called true immortality..."

Li Hao thought to himself.

Unfortunately, though he was extremely close to the limit, he had not truly broken through to reach that ultimate state.

At seventeen, the demons outside Dragon City were already showing signs of restlessness.

There were constant demon attacks probing the city's defenses, testing the resolve of the defenders. Although there hadn't been a full-scale war yet, the situation was tense.

At the dining table in the Divine General's Mansion, the atmosphere was growing increasingly heavy.

"Where's Xingbei? Is he still defending the city?"

Li Tianzong asked grimly while picking at his food.

Chen Hefa wore fewer jewels and looked more modest. Nowadays, most of the mansion's resources were sent to the front lines, and everyone in the mansion lived frugally.

"They're both there, supporting each other. Don't worry too much," Chen Hefa said softly, her eyes filled with concern. "Since you're back, you should rest well and gather your strength."

Li Tianzong fell silent for a moment and said, "If I could reach the Peaceful Dao Realm, those demons wouldn't be so rampant..."

Chen Hefa smiled wryly, "The Peaceful Dao Realm is not easy to attain. Each step in the Four Foundations Realm is like climbing to the heavens. You've done well enough."

Li Tianzong didn't respond, continuing to eat in silence.

It was only when he glanced at Li Hao that the sternness in his eyes softened, showing a hint of comfort.

"Just hold on for another ten years. Xiao Shi will surely reach the Peaceful Dao Realm, and then those demons will surely fear him..." He had great confidence in Li Hao's talent.

Although in the Four Foundations Realm, early talent and aptitude mattered less compared to opportunities and comprehension, he believed Li Hao could achieve it.

Li Hao sighed inwardly, knowing they didn't have ten years.

In a year, would his strength be enough to help him defend Dragon City? Li Hao also wanted to pass the River of the Dead, but recalling Li Xiaoran's words about encountering over a hundred demon kings in four days, he felt immense pressure.

This time, the Cinder Fire God and Lu Yuan, the old dragon, were also hidden here.

Li Hao shook his head, unable to continue comprehending the Dao Heart here for fear that time would skip directly to a year later. He could only focus on maximizing his combat power by enhancing his physical strength and pushing other realms to their limits.

After dinner, Li Hao excused himself to train.

If he could bring another skill to the spirit level and elevate his mastery to seven levels, his combat power would greatly increase.

Li Hao placed his hopes on the art of painting.

Immersing himself fully in painting, he would patrol the city with Li Xiaoran and slay demons during breaks.

Most of the demons in the city had been cleared, and occasionally they would venture outside the city to search.

The Dragon City was larger than Li Hao had imagined, but the distant sky outside the city was an endless black, like an abyss.

It seemed like a place where even thoughts couldn't reach, hiding countless demons.

Every demon king Li Hao hunted down was absorbed using the Myriad Blood True Demon Technique, continually refining and strengthening his body.

"Painting..."

Li Hao sometimes sat on the city wall, gazing into the distance and sketching.

The sight puzzled some of the city guards, but knowing the extraordinary talent of this Li family scion, they didn't question it, focusing on their own duties instead.

The brush strokes captured the distant dark sky, resembling a suspended abyss that sent chills down one's spine.

With his painting skill already at its peak, Li Hao immersed himself in the spiritual essence of his work.

Each day, he painted on the city wall for ten consecutive days, creating countless drawings depicting the dark horizon and the menacing demons peering out.

It wasn't until Li Hao created a piece titled "Ten Thousand Demons Emerging from the Abyss" that he began to grasp a hint of the spiritual essence.

Perhaps it was the somber atmosphere outside the city, with withered grass flying, that evoked a sense of desolation. The demons in the painting seemed ready to break free.

As Li Hao delved into the spirit of painting, he noticed time speeding up around him, though not as quickly as when comprehending the Dao Heart.

He sensed that the hidden rules of the River of the Dead were deliberately designed this way to prevent anyone from using it to attain enlightenment.

Once immersed in Dao comprehension, the River of the Dead would accelerate time, either pushing one out or leading them to the final desperate situation.

"It seems that only those at the Peaceful Dao Realm, with their Dao domains shielding them, can freely survive here."

Li Hao thought, wondering about the Cinder Fire God's current state. Was he hiding among the demons, cultivating, or plotting to dominate them?

He couldn't know for sure, but as he continued to kill demons and comprehend painting, nearly six months passed.

The demon attacks became increasingly fierce and chaotic.

In a time skip, Li Hao returned to the mansion to find two coffins in the main hall, containing his eldest brother, Li Xingbei, and his second brother, Li Fengping, who hadn't yet been buried. Li Hao's expression changed as he saw Li Xiaoran and approached him to inquire telepathically.

Li Xiaoran, now having regained his strength to reach the Absolute Technique Realm, conveyed that Li Xingbei and Li Fengping had been ambushed by demon kings while defending the city. Although they barely held the city, they lost their lives. Both were at the Three Immortals Realm, highly talented, but not like Li Hao, who could kill demon kings at the Three Immortals Realm.

Li Hao's face darkened. The battle for Dragon City had not yet begun, and the nine sons of the Li family had already started to fall.

Their deaths differed from those outside the River of the Dead, influenced by the environment here, leading to deviations in many events.

"Don't worry too much. Passing the trial is difficult. If necessary, I'll take you to retreat through the ancestral hall. That's the exit from Dragon City and the River of the Dead."

Li Xiaoran telepathically told Li Hao, "You're only at the Three Immortals Realm now. Even reaching the Dao Heart Realm might be difficult. I suspect that in the days following the Dragon City battle, demon kings at the Peaceful Dao Realm will appear, making this trial even harder with the presence of the Void Realm ruler."

Seeing Li Hao's extraordinary talent, Li Xiaoran's priorities had shifted. Instead of risking the trial, ensuring Li Hao's safe return was crucial.

As his eldest brother said, Li Hao was the future hope of the Li family! With Li Hao's talent, he could lead the family to a glorious future, rivaling the era of their ancestors.

Once Li Hao reached the Peaceful Dao Realm, they could attempt the trial again together. With Li Hao's rapid progress, it wouldn't take long.

Hearing this, Li Hao nodded slightly. Their main task was to defend Dragon City. The Cinder Fire God's task was likely to destroy it.

"The elder brother's remnant expected our descendants to liberate him and bring him home, leaving us a back door..."

Li Xiaoran gazed at the grieving eldest brother in the hall. Though this wasn't his brother in life, merely a soul fragment influenced and enslaved by the River of the Dead, his emotions were stirred.

But he quickly restrained himself.

This wasn't his first time in the River of the Dead.

He had seen this scene many times.

Li Hao stood in silence, observing the hall.

The other seven siblings, including fifteen-year-old Li Hongzhuang, were all grieving. Some were filled with anger, others clenched their fists, all harboring hatred and a desire for revenge against the demons.

Li Hongzhuang wore a lady's dress adorned with jewelry that would lose its charm with excessive movement, serving as both decoration and a reminder of poise.

But now, her eyes were red and teary as she stared at the coffins, deep in thought.

Li Hao knew this "little sister" would follow the same path as outside, transforming from a wealthy young lady to a sword-wielding warrior.

Perhaps it was an unavoidable fate.

Li Hao didn't linger, choosing to skip the sorrowful scene. He maintained his composure, aware that his growth task was nearing 100%. Eighteen years were approaching.

With Li Xingbei and Li Fengping's deaths, the prelude to the battle had begun. He needed to focus more on martial arts.

A few days later, Sixth Brother Li Ziye was killed by a demon king who infiltrated the city. When Li Hao and Li Xiaoran arrived, they only found half of his body, horribly mutilated.

Despite knowing the inhabitants, except for Li Tianzong, were born from his obsession, seeing Li Yuanzhao's father's tragic death still ignited a fire of anger within Li Hao.

He drew his sword and split the demon king in half, severing the street with a burst of divine power.

After killing the demon king, Li Hao rushed to Li Ziye's side. His breath had already stopped, but his eyes remained open.

In those eyes, however, there was a trace of contentment, and his mouth still held a faint smile, as if he had seen the demon king being slain and the reinforcements arriving…

Li Hao gently closed his eyes with his hand.

He recalled the banquet when he was four years old, attacked by demons and lying injured in bed, opening his eyes to see this "Sixth Brother" fighting off drowsiness to stay by his side.

Although these people were born out of Li Tianzong's obsession, Li Hao had heard from Li Xiaoran that their temperaments were not much different from how Li Tianzong remembered them in life.

This meant that in reality, this "Sixth Brother" was also gentle, careful, and the most considerate of them all.

Yuanzhao, you have a good father... Li Hao thought to himself.

Unfortunately, Yuanzhao was born just as his father died in battle, never having the chance to meet him.

Li Hao lifted Li Ziye's body and returned to the Divine General's Mansion.

Seeing his "mother" Chen Hefa in grief, Li Hao noticed that a few strands of her hair had turned white.

Li Hao's lips moved, wanting to offer some comfort, but he suddenly didn't know what to say, and ultimately remained silent.

He clenched his fist slightly and chose to accelerate time, skipping past those sorrowful eyes and the mournful cries.

A month after Li Ziye's sacrifice, the third and fourth brothers also met with misfortune.

Despite the previous thorough sweeps of Dragon City, countless demons somehow infiltrated again, and the city's defensive formations seemed to lose their effectiveness against the demons, puzzling Li Hao.

"Dragon City was the same back then. Demons infiltrated, killing the demons who had received orders from the Great Yu Dynasty and stealing their tokens..." Li Xiaoran said somberly.

Li Hao remained silent. This was likely imprinted in Li Tianzong's mind, becoming his heart's demon, leading to such irrational scenarios.

As Li Hao once again immersed himself in comprehending the art of painting, just before completing the task he was nearing 100%, he finally received a prompt.

Task Completed.

These four words should have been a cause for joy, but Li Hao felt a heaviness in his heart instead.

He glanced at the progress of passing the River of the Dead; completing the growth task only provided 10% towards the overall progress.

And the numerous demons he had slain so far only amounted to 3%.

Currently, it stood at 13%.

Simultaneously, the main task also prompted its official commencement.

As the golden ancient characters of the River of the Dead faded away, Li Hao felt the city wall beneath his feet begin to tremble slightly.