Chapter 810: Breaking Through

Green Mountain, within the abyss.

Roar!

Following a dragon's roar that shook the four directions, the shadow of a golden dragon roamed within the abyss.

One could see twenty thousand soldiers, their armor reflecting cold light, arranged in a formation like scales; as they exuded power and blood energy, their energies intertwined to form a golden dragon that enveloped the twenty-thousand-strong army.

The dragon's head stood tall at the edge of the abyss, its body winding to cover the abyss floor, its momentum causing dust to fall from the rock walls.

Li Zhiyi, dressed in red and holding a blood blade, stood at the center of the dragon's head; he controlled the entire giant dragon.

"Good!"

Behind Li Zhiyi, Jidao Wu laughed aloud.

He and Mu Zigui stood respectively at the positions of the dragon's eyes, while Chen Min stood at the dragon's mouth.

As Jidao Wu's laughter rang out, Li Zhiyi's mind stirred, and the golden dragon descended to the bottom of the abyss before dissipating.

The twenty thousand soldiers were all sweating and rested.

"Zhiyi, your power of will is truly formidable; you were able to skillfully control the Great Xia Dragon-Crushing Formation after only a day and a half of practice."

The 【Great Xia Dragon-Crushing Formation】 was a military formation drilled by the Great Xia Military Guards.

Gathering the strength of twenty thousand troops, it transformed into a golden dragon capable of shattering mountains, piercing the heavens, and collapsing rivers.

Li Zhiyi was the eye of the grand formation, and having to master the thirty-six formation pulses of the 【Great Xia Dragon-Crushing Formation】 simultaneously was an absolute, massive challenge for him.

Chen Min glanced at Li Zhiyi, sat down casually to the side, and said no more.

Over these past two days, he had gained a new understanding of Li Zhiyi.

But his annoyance remained his annoyance.

In Chen Min's entire life, the only person who could suppress him was Chen Yan.

At this moment, the resting army frequently looked toward Li Zhiyi, their eyes filled with awe and longing.

With the formation of the 【Great Xia Dragon-Crushing Formation】, a glimmer of hope suddenly rose in the hearts of these once-desperate soldiers.

And Li Zhiyi was the most essential part of making this hope possible.

Because even Chen Min had tried acting as the formation eye at the beginning, yet he had been completely unable to maintain the 【Great Xia Dragon-Crushing Formation】 steadily.

"Are you tired?" Li Zhiyi asked.

Jidao Wu felt quite surprised that Li Zhiyi would actually ask others if they were tired; he shook his head with a smile:

"Naturally not tired; who would be tired when seeking survival?"

Li Zhiyi nodded and stared at the joyful Jidao Wu, saying:

"Then let us try the Domain-Suppressing Saint Image Formation once more."

As his voice fell, Jidao Wu's expression stiffened.

Chen Min, resting to the side, let out a cold snort.

Mu Zigui, who had not spoken the entire time, furrowed her brows and looked at Li Zhiyi:

"If we keep practicing, everyone will exhaust themselves to death; there will be no need to escape."

Because of the death of Xi Congyun, her heart was complex and hard to describe; she had been reticent these past few days, doing whatever Jidao Wu said.

But Li Zhiyi's words still caused her to break her composure.

The composition of a military formation did not require a formation master.

Formation patterns were already inscribed within the battle armor of every Great Xia soldier; to build a military formation, one only needed to stimulate these patterns, which greatly reduced the difficulty of forming the array.

The 【Domain-Suppressing Saint Image Formation】 was also a Great Xia military formation, but it was different from the 【Great Xia Dragon-Crushing Formation】.

The former was a Sun-level Grade C military formation, while the latter was only a Bright Moon-level Grade A military formation.

To build the 【Domain-Suppressing Saint Image Formation】, whether the twenty thousand troops were tired was one thing, but the main issue was that the person acting as the formation eye had to be at the peak of the Creation Realm.

Even at the peak of the Creation Realm, if any details went wrong, leading to the formation pulses clashing or short-circuiting,

it would cause all the soldiers building the 【Domain-Suppressing Saint Image Formation】 to be severely injured.

Yesterday, Li Zhiyi had attempted to build the 【Domain-Suppressing Saint Image Formation】 twice, but the results of both attempts were poor.

Mu Zigui stared at Li Zhiyi:

"You are not a formation master, after all."

She stopped after saying this, her eyes filled with intense confusion and anger.

If Xi Congyun, a Grand Formation Master, were still here, he should have been able to maintain the 【Domain-Suppressing Saint Image Formation】.

However, Xi Congyun had failed Great Xia, failed the Mu family, and failed her.

Jidao Wu stepped in to smooth things over:

"Indeed, Zhiyi, the Domain-Suppressing Saint Image Formation is still too risky."

Li Zhiyi said nothing more and turned away.

Everyone knew that everything happening within the abyss was being spied upon by the Eighth-Order of the Five Clans.

At a time like this, there was nothing wrong with being well-prepared.

But human strength was ultimately limited.

"The entire army will rest for five hours, eat well, and prepare emergency precious medicines and healing spirit medicines."

Li Zhiyi said:

"We depart then!"

As his voice fell, everyone's expression changed in an instant.

"Was it not delayed by a day? Why must we depart in five hours?"

Zhang Yu asked, filled with confusion.

Jidao Wu pursed his lips:

"Li Zhiyi's words are my words. Everyone, be clear: if we drag this out any longer, it will be even more disadvantageous for us!"

In an instant, the expressions of the twenty thousand-strong army turned solemn.

At the same time.

Allied Army Command.

"What, departing in five hours?"

Inside the office, Chen Youqing stood up instantly:

"Did you hear that clearly?"

On the other side of the communication formation disk, a man's voice came through:

"Yes, this Li Zhiyi is acting willfully; first he set two days for preparation, then delayed it by a day, and now he has changed the plan again."

Chen Youqing narrowed her eyes:

"I understand."

Hanging up the communication, Chen Youqing looked at the female secretary to the side:

"Immediately dispatch the 15th Army of Jizhou to the north of Qingshan, at the border of Yunmeng and Xiaoyang."

The female secretary said:

"Yes!"

A cold light emerged in the depths of Chen Youqing's eyes:

"To think he caught me off guard."

The next instant, her figure vanished, flying toward Qingshan.

Time passed slowly.

Two hours later.

Chen Youqing had already appeared above Qingshan, looking down at the abyss entrance below.

Yet at this very moment.

Roar!

A heaven-shaking dragon roar resounded from within the abyss.

Boom!!!

The earth was broken open from below, and ten thousand rays of golden light erupted from the fractured fissures in the ground.

"Kill!!!"

"Kill!!!"

"Kill!!!"

Roars resounded one after another.

A touch of coldness appeared at the corners of Chen Youqing's mouth.

Yet she saw.

A golden dragon whipped its tail, breaking through the earth, its scales bursting with ten thousand points of golden light, soaring straight into the high heavens like a thunderbolt piercing the firmament.

Within the golden dragon, the armor of the twenty thousand soldiers reflected the golden glow, and they flew rapidly by stepping on the clouds with the help of the dragon's body; the clanking of their armor plates made the nine heavens tremble, their momentum like a surging tide sweeping across the sky.

At the dragon's head, a slender figure in blood-red robes stood holding a blade, cold light overflowing from their eyes.

It was none other than Li Zhiyi.

Li Zhiyi manipulated the 【Great Xia Dragon Grinder Array】 to instantly break through the earth, charging toward Xiaoyang.

"Interesting."

Chen Youqing sneered; Li Zhiyi had originally planned to strike in five hours, but she hadn't expected him to change the breakout timing again.

At this time, the forty-thousand-strong army on Yixian's side was still regrouping.

And it was at this moment.

Chen Youqing's body trembled slightly as she looked downward.

She saw the youth in red standing on the dragon's head looking toward her.

Chen Youqing twirled the tassels of her skirt with her slender fingers, a half-smile curling the corners of her lips.

With a hum.

The female secretary in a black military uniform appeared behind her:

"Elder Chen Qi asks if it is necessary to have the main force begin attacking Xiaoyang?

Elder Chen Qi is worried that if the Xiaoyang side learns of the movements of Li Zhiyi and the others, they will send troops to support them."

Chen Youqing frowned:

"Attacking the city while Zhang Xing is there—isn't that just going to one's death?"

The secretary lowered her head and said:

"There would indeed be great sacrifices, but if we attack the city now, it would also greatly reduce the success rate of Great Xia sending troops to support."

Chen Youqing waved her hand and said:

"No need, these twenty thousand people under Li Zhiyi cannot possibly break out of Yixian City."

To go to Xiaoyang, Yixian City is the path that must be taken.

But Chen Youqing had already stationed forty thousand Jizhou troops in Yixian City to block them.

Li Zhiyi could not possibly break through.

Not only that, but through the slaughter, he would thoroughly cause the Blood Brand to be unleashed.

And Li Zhiyi would undoubtedly die.

"Yes!" the secretary said, about to communicate with Chen Qi.

"There is more," Chen Youqing continued:

"Let those ten people also go to Yixian; they can serve as a reserve for a surprise attack."

"Understood."

A smirk curled the corners of Chen Youqing's lips.

She stared at that golden dragon, her almond eyes half-squinted, her gaze seemingly containing shattered stars, her figure flickering as she followed behind the golden dragon formed by the 【Great Xia Dragon Grinding Array】 at a steady, unhurried pace.

Roar!

The golden dragon, carrying twenty thousand military guards, had already broken through the shackles of the abyss and lunged straight toward the Firmament.

One could see the golden dragon's whiskers dancing wildly, its entire body wreathed in golden light like electricity; every flick of its tail seemed as if it would tear a rift in the sky.

Behind the dragon trailed a dazzling, eye-catching ribbon of light, as if it were about to ignite the canopy of the Nine Heavens.

Inside the dragon's body, the twenty thousand military guards each pressed their palms together, their bodies overflowing with blood-Qi and force, continuously charging the entire golden dragon.

"It's too fast, Li Zhiyi! At this rate of consumption, we won't be able to hold on!"

At the position of the dragon's eyes, Jidao Wu spoke loudly, looking toward the twenty thousand-strong army behind him.

Sure enough, the twenty thousand soldiers were now each gritting their teeth to persist, their bodies trembling.

As soon as Li Zhiyi made his move, he had directly activated the 【Great Xia Dragon Grinding Array】 at its maximum speed, a speed already comparable to the peak of the Creation Realm.

Li Zhiyi's clothes whipped in the wind as he roared in a low voice:

"Everyone! Today, the Five Clans view us as fish and meat on a chopping block, to be slaughtered at will.

Those of the Eighth Rank even despise us as mere blades of grass, calling us bodies waiting for death, with absolutely no chance of survival!"

His voice was thunderous, overflowing with killing intent, resounding through the firmament.

"But!"

Li Zhiyi stared fixedly at where Chen Youqing was located above the firmament and bellowed:

"Born into this world, how can our fate be controlled by others?

As for the matter of life and death, why wait for outsiders to pass judgment?

If we bow our heads blindly, we become meat on the chopping block!

We shall exhaust everything we have; better to die without regrets!"

His voice rang out, and within the dragon's body, the twenty thousand soldiers' eyes turned blood-red.

"Better to die without regrets!"

"Better to die without regrets!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!!!"

The shouts and roars resounded completely, coalescing into a single rope.

Above the firmament, Chen Youqing's figure flickered, and seeing this scene, her heart trembled as well.

"Hahahaha!"

Li Zhiyi looked up and laughed:

"The world says I am lowly, so I shall use my blood and bones as a blade to ask you all what 'lowly' truly means!"

Boom!

A golden-red light suddenly erupted from Li Zhiyi's entire body, like a scorching sun breaking through clouds, wrapping his body in intense radiance.

His sleeves whipped and fluttered, waves of light surged in layers, illuminating the entire firmament as if a great sun had fallen into the mortal world, its flames pouring into the entire golden dragon.

A scorching, immortal will permeated the bodies of all the military guards; an indescribable, abundant vitality made everyone's bodies tremble and their heartbeats accelerate.

In an instant, everyone looked toward that red-clad figure at the very front.

Li Zhiyi roared in a low voice:

"You all just exhaust every bit of strength in your physical bodies; I, Li Zhiyi, will block the road to the Underworld for you!"

He had already given his word.

The twenty thousand military guards had no need to worry about their physical bodies exhausting themselves to death; as long as the immortal will existed, they would not die.

"Li Zhiyi, how did you do it?!"

Chen Min suddenly roared out:

"Tell me!"

His eyes were turning blood-red, filled with disbelief.

What was currently overflowing from Li Zhiyi's body was...

What kind of vast power of will?

Sustaining the vitality of twenty thousand people alone—he, Chen Min, could not do it at all.

Yet since he began his cultivation, he had already done everything he could possibly do.

He did not understand.

Li Zhiyi paid him no mind.

And the twenty thousand soldiers within the golden dragon were now completely surging with emotion.

Boom, boom, boom!

In an instant, everyone began to release their blood-Qi and force without reservation.

Roar!

The dragon's roar shook the sky.

The golden dragon body streaked across the firmament like a golden shadow.

This scene happened suddenly.

Even Chen Youqing, who had been monitoring him the entire time, had her expression change; she looked deeply at Li Zhiyi's back, feeling the power of will overflowing from his body, and pressed her red lips together tightly.

"How is it possible? You have clearly only encountered a minor setback, so why would you possess such immense power of will?"

She was full of astonishment, and in her mind, there emerged that figure clad in pitch-black battle armor, holding the Ash-Evil Spear, suppressing an entire continent single-handedly.

"Honorable Chen Yan experienced many hardships throughout his life, repeatedly braving life-and-death dangers, and was long accustomed to snatching food from the tiger's mouth.

That he could be so extraordinary, I, Chen Youqing, am convinced and admire him.

But..."

Chen Youqing's mind was shaken; she completely failed to understand the transformation that had occurred in Li Zhiyi.

Chen Yan had cultivated by risking his life to be able to suppress a generation.

But this Li Zhiyi, by what right could he erupt with an immortal will comparable to Chen Yan's?

"No," Chen Youqing said coldly:

"It is far from being comparable to Honorable Chen Yan."

She suddenly thought of the original speculation of the Chen Lord.

Perhaps Chen Yan was the World Walker chosen by the Lord of Will.

Chen Yuan had originally used Chen Yan as bait to lure the Lord of Will to appear, but the Lord of Will did not come out.

At that time, the Chen Lord had guessed that the Lord of Will might have abandoned Chen Yan.

And this Li Zhiyi, unable to cultivate horizontal tempering or blood-Qi, appeared out of thin air and was suddenly so monstrous in the path of will.

Perhaps...

Killing intent diffused in the depths of Chen Youqing's eyes.

The Lord of Will had already abandoned Chen Yan and instead let Li Zhiyi serve as their World Walker.

This thought was originally immature, but Li Zhiyi's performance at this moment made Chen Youqing feel the possibility was extremely high.

But why?

By what right?

Chen Yan's strength went far beyond just the path of will.

Chen Yan uniquely created the True Martial path, and his greatness could already be compared to the Lord of Martial Dao.

Chen Yan dared to put himself in danger and dared to be the first in the world; such a great vow was even more noble than that of the Chen Lord.

This was precisely the reason the Chen Lord had always valued Chen Yan.

In many aspects, he was actually the same kind of person as Chen Yan, but in the end, he could not abandon everything like Chen Yan.

"Have the Jizhou Army get ready!" Chen Youqing shouted in a low voice.

"Yes!"

From a distant place, the secretary's voice came.