[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-name-that-echoes-through-eternity":3,"chapter-the-name-that-echoes-through-eternity-the-name-that-echoes-through-eternity-chapter-71":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Name That Echoes Through Eternity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2282620,4466,"Chapter 71: Merit","the-name-that-echoes-through-eternity-chapter-71",71,"\u003Cp>Whose flying sword is this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Has a Fifteen-Li Realm cultivator arrived?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was filled with joy, scanning the surroundings—could it be the Xia family has come?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Song Yueyao stood stunned, a figure flashed through her mind, but he had previously wielded that broken demon-slaying knife, not this sword—could it truly be the Xia family? Then again, where was that guy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yueyao looked around but saw no sign of Li Hao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor did she see any shadow of a Xia family general; perhaps he was standing somewhere unseen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the others rejoiced, the remaining great demons were thrown into panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This turn of events was too sudden, utterly unexpected!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reinforcements? The Xia family? Whatever it was, Chi Mei Dao Ren was dead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he was slain instantly—what chance do the rest of us, mere Spirit Travelers, stand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, it’s said Chi Mei Dao Ren trained in the Holy Palace, with a thousand years of cultivation, among the strongest even within the Fifteen-Li Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Force True God of Black Wind Mountains, once a tyrant beyond Cangyu City, known as the Giant Demon King, had been defeated by Chi Mei Dao Ren and forced to obey his commands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, against the Xia family’s Fifteen-Li Realm cultivator, Chi Mei Dao Ren was this easily crushed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demons trembled in terror and hastily withdrew, abandoning the demonic tide below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the great demons fleeing, the remaining Soul-Bound demons also saw the truth—Demon King Chi Mei was dead; how could they still fight? The horde behind still surged forward, but the front-line demons turned and fled in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their collision plunged the entire demonic tide into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, after slaying Chi Mei Dao Ren, Li Hao guided the flying sword onward through the battlefield, hunting the fleeing Spirit Traveler great demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These great demons still had the power to regroup—Li Hao would not let them escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sword light flashed like divine lightning, slicing across the battlefield; the fleeing Spirit Traveler great demons, in terror, tried to defend themselves with life-saving demonic arts—but against the sword’s speed and overwhelming force, they offered no resistance, pierced effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One great demon after another cried out and fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great demons scattered in all directions, hoping the opponent’s control range was insufficient to pursue them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as Li Hao manipulated the flying sword, he himself moved, flying toward the northern city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Feng, who had originally planned to retreat, saw this and his mind shifted—he realized that with Li Hao’s overwhelming Fifteen-Li Realm power, only a Heaven-Man Realm demon could possibly breach the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if a Heaven-Man Realm demon were here, why bother relying on lesser demons to create such a commotion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sacking the city would be a mere afterthought, taking no more than an incense stick’s time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a Heaven-Man Realm demon entering the territory would be far more dangerous; if it committed a massacre, the Divine General’s Office would hunt it to the ends of the earth, so such beings rarely ventured alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they infiltrated alongside border-dwelling demonic factions, they wouldn’t be singled out for pursuit, and retreating back into demonic lands would be far easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, Wei Feng immediately grabbed Ren Qianqian and Li Yuanzhao and leapt after Li Hao, determined to witness the outcome of this battle firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With him close by, if things turned dire, he could retreat in time to save himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, as Li Hao himself moved, his control range expanded—the Spirit Traveler great demons had not yet escaped the battlefield before being picked off one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can his control range be this far?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A great demon whose body had shrunk into a small ball of black mist heard the howling wind behind it and its eyes filled with utter despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff! The sword light swept past, shattering the black mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With all eight Spirit Traveler great demons dead, Li Hao turned the flying sword toward the demonic tide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword light pierced through the horde like a needle threading silk, blood spraying everywhere as the demons were ruthlessly slaughtered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The once fearsome demonic tide had vanished in an instant, leaving only a sea of blood and countless corpses—the survivors fled or scattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the city defenders immediately ordered others to pursue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Shunqing and the Qi family led their disciples out to hunt the demons—this was a rare chance to earn merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than half an incense stick’s time, the demonic tide had collapsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing down at the ground littered with demon corpses, and especially the severed remains of the Crimson Dragon split into three pieces, the city garrison felt as if they were dreaming. They had been utterly hopeless, even written their last letters and left them in their camp tents—yet they had held the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demon assault on the city?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the flying sword’s assault, it had been nothing but a farce—roaring into motion, then ending abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic clouds hovering over the north had dissolved with the death of Chi Mei Dao Ren and the successive extermination of the Spirit Traveler great demons; the heavens and earth returned to clear skies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the city walls, countless soldiers raised their hands in jubilation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yue Shuhong arrived, he saw only the scattered remnants of the demonic horde and froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For twenty years, he had played along with demons, painstakingly managing affairs—yet in the end… he was outmatched by a single boy and his sword? His heart surged with emotion, yet also carried an indescribable sorrow and bitterness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had begged everywhere, pleaded for help—but it had all been like a mirage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What meaning did all his years of humble submission hold? He understood perfectly well: only strength could overcome all obstacles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, transferred here, burdened by official duties, how much time did he truly have to cultivate? He stood silent, choked with words, and let out a soft, long sigh toward the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic tide is over. With this many demons dead, Cangyu City will likely face no demonic incursions for decades to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what of himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave a bitter smile, then composed himself and walked toward Li Hao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Li, I, Yue, humbly speak on behalf of all the people of Cangyu City to thank you for your rescue!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Shuhong’s expression was solemn; he clasped his hands together, eyes grave, and bowed deeply to Li Hao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Hao raised his hand, summoning the flying sword from the horizon—it flew like a cloud into his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the city guard beside him—the middle-aged man’s skin was dark and rough, marked by years of wind and frost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was nothing. No need to thank me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Hao said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Shuhong’s lips curled into a faint bitter smile, then he said: “I will report my collusion with demons and my alliance with them to the imperial court. Also, I will formally commend Young Master Li’s defense of the city. With every soldier here as witness, your merit will not be diminished.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Merit? It’s trivial.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Hao shook his head slightly, uninterested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Hao’s indifferent, casual demeanor, Yue Shuhong paused slightly—he could tell the boy’s eyes were clear, not feigning humility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet whether he was humble or not didn’t matter; as he said, this merit was too great to conceal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In normal times, earning merit was extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even during wartime, achieving great merit was exceedingly hard—the most common paths were breaking through enemy lines, being first to scale the walls, seizing the enemy banner, or slaying the enemy commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others included capturing the enemy leader or annihilating the entire force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first two—breaking through and first to scale—were second-class merits, granting a second-rank noble title under Da Yu’s reward laws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the banner and slaying the commander were first-class merits, harder to earn, granting a third-rank noble title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Yu’s noble ranks were divided into: Scholar-Noble, Sub-Noble, Earl, Marquis, Duke! Above the Duke rank stood the most famed Divine Noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancestors of the Five Divine General Houses were all Divine Nobles, who marched with the First Emperor, founded the Da Yu Dynasty, earned unparalleled merit, and passed down for a thousand years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Divine Noble, all other ranks were divided into three tiers; achieving a first-class merit would immediately elevate one to a first-rank Scholar-Noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A second-class merit granted a second-rank Scholar-Noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one was already a Scholar-Noble, achieving a first-class merit or three second-class merits would promote one to Sub-Noble, granting land and estates—equivalent to a landed aristocrat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one became an Earl, one would even receive a fief! Merit is hard to earn, but today Li Hao single-handedly saved the entire city—this merit surpasses even a first-class merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How exactly to calculate it, Yue Shuhong had no energy to ponder—he’d leave it to the court. It would surely be at least a third-rank Sub-Noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1480,"2026-06-20T02:15:40.176Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3ac9a6557699bc21022a91a888901256a122d6be9852cd023e8d25b0572377da","the-name-that-echoes-through-eternity-chapter-72","the-name-that-echoes-through-eternity-chapter-70",929,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-name-that-echoes-through-eternity-cover.jpg"]