Chapter 897: Painting the Formation

"That's right. We're not just the Armored Division—we're the Dragon Shield Tower, responsible for defense on the battlefield. If he's a weak point, the formation has a flaw and can easily be shattered by the Ancient Demon. The resulting losses would be too great."

Another woman with ink-black pupils also whispered, her gaze falling on Li Hao, filled with an apologetic look.

They didn't want to offend Li Hao, the Disciple of the Emperor, but neither did they wish to travel with him and place themselves in danger.

After all, this was the Eastern Domain battlefield—a place where even pseudo-Emperors could perish.

"I'll take responsibility for his share. You just focus on your own duties."

Shi Miao couldn't bear to see Li Hao humiliated. She spoke coldly, her gaze like frozen ice, sweeping over the seven men, radiating the aura of a Celestial King at the fourth level.

Hearing Shi Miao's words, the seven turned their eyes to her. The black-robed youth raised an eyebrow and sneered:

"Big talk. If you really had that kind of ability, you wouldn't be here with us."

Shi Miao's expression shifted slightly, about to retaliate, when Qing Xuan raised a hand to halt the argument. He spoke calmly:

"If I ask you to watch over him, I will naturally grant you corresponding benefits from Dragon Shield Tower Seven. While Hao Tian remains here, every battle you fight will count as double immortal merit. How does that sound?"

At his words, the seven froze, exchanging glances, visibly stunned.

They looked again at Li Hao, finally understanding what it meant to be an Emperor's Disciple.

"Vice-Commander Qing, are you serious?"

The elegant, jade-like noble youth fixed his gaze on Qing Xuan.

Qing Xuan replied coolly, "There is no jesting in the military."

The noble youth glanced at the other six. Among their gazes, only one or two still showed hesitation—the rest shone with clear interest.

"Fine."

The noble youth nodded, smiling. "Then naturally, we'll see to it that this Disciple of the Immortal Emperor is well cared for."

Seeing him speak, the black-robed youth, though reluctant, fell silent.

Double immortal merit? The temptation was too great. The boy before them might as well be a lucky charm.

On the battlefield, wealth comes only through peril!

Though dangerous, the rewards for meritorious deeds were immense.

Now, even if this Immortal Emperor's disciple became their weak link, the benefit of doubled immortal merit outweighed it—they would accumulate immortal merit faster than any other Armored Division.

Remember, immortal merit meant countless rare treasures, exchangeable in the Eastern Domain's Ancestral Dragon Court vaults for items scarcely found in the world—even legendary immortal bodies and their companion immortal beasts.

"Hmph!"

Seeing the seven agree, Long Qingge snorted. In the end, it was always profit that moved hearts.

"But I must make one thing clear: if Hao Tian is harmed, you won't just lose your immortal merit—you'll face severe punishment."

Qing Xuan spoke coldly.

At this, the noble youth seemed to have anticipated it, nodding slightly. "Naturally."

"Hao Tian, you'll stay here with Dragon Shield Tower Seven for now. I believe within a few centuries, you'll become its Tower Lord."

The seven noticed his address and felt a chill in their hearts. Even a man of Qing Xuan's stature called this boy "brother"—clearly, he saw great potential in him.

Recalling the fox-eared beauty's earlier words, they understood: given time, this boy would surpass them. He was truly worth befriending.

"Tower Lord?"

Li Hao, hearing Qing Xuan, glanced around and deduced that the noble youth was the Tower Lord—he had descended from the top floor, and from the others' expressions, all subtly deferred to him.

"Correct. With your talent, I estimate three to five centuries should suffice for you to take my place."

The noble youth smiled warmly at Li Hao, offering a gesture of goodwill.

The others now regarded Li Hao with renewed seriousness. To become a Tower Lord of the Armored Division required cultivation at the fifth level of Celestial King. To reach it within a few centuries meant extraordinary, almost monstrous talent.

"If anything happens to my junior brother here, I don't care who you answer to—you'll all pay."

Long Qingge spoke now, her eyes icy, her golden pupils revealing four concentric rings, her entire body radiating the aura of the Ancestral Dragon.

The seven trembled, a deep, bloodline-level dread rising within them, urging them to kneel.

But they were seasoned veterans of this domain. Eventually, they suppressed their primal fear, though their faces grew grim.

"Junior brother, endure this place for now. When you no longer wish to stay, just tell me—I'll find you another post."

Long Qingge turned to Li Hao, her tone instantly softening.

Li Hao smiled and nodded. "It feels fine here."

Hearing this, Long Qingge said no more, nodded, and said: "Then I'll return to Longguan. If anything arises, send me a message immediately."

Seeing how urgently he was leaving, Li Hao immediately understood: the situation in the Eastern Domain was far more serious than it seemed. He made no effort to detain him, only said: "Take care of yourself."

"Understood."

"Junior brother, sister-in-law, I'm leaving too."

Feng Qiqi addressed the two.

Li Hao and Shi Miao nodded, bidding farewell to the couple.

"Get familiar with things. If anything happens, let me know anytime."

Qing Xuan handed Li Hao his personal token, smiling.

Li Hao accepted the token and nodded.

Once they had all departed, only Li Hao, Shi Miao, and the seven before them remained before Dragon Shield Tower Seven.

Seeing Long Qingge leave, the seven felt a collective release of tension. They were all Eastern Domain races, deeply fearful and reverent of the Ancestral Dragon lineage. The man who had just left was clearly a top prodigy of the Ancestral Dragon clan—only someone who himself was an Emperor's Disciple could call an Emperor's Disciple "junior brother."

"I'm the Tower Lord here. My name is Long Ying."

The noble youth smiled at Li Hao and Shi Miao. "Though there was some unpleasantness earlier, you should understand our concerns. From now on, we're comrades in battle. I hope you won't hold it against us."

Shi Miao remained cold, silent.

Li Hao, however, took no offense. He understood their mindset well and chuckled: "No problem. You're all battle-hardened veterans. Caring for your own safety is natural. I'll do my best not to hold you back!"

Seeing Li Hao's easygoing nature, the others breathed easier. They'd genuinely feared this Emperor's Disciple might be arrogant and difficult to deal with.

"Good. You're newcomers to the Eastern Domain, right? Dragon Shield Tower Seven's duty is to protect other armies. Here is a third-grade Celestial King formation—you two must master it quickly to join our battles."

Long Ying raised his hand, condensing two beams of light—memory transmissions.

Li Hao reached out and caught his. Shi Miao still harbored resentment, but seeing Li Hao's calmness, she didn't wish to ruin his mood and accepted hers as well.

"This third-grade Celestial King formation is difficult to master. Fortunately, we've just endured a brutal battle. I estimate no war will come for at least ten years. You should manage to get the basics down in that time."

Long Ying said.

"Sixfold Dragon Scale Formation?"

Shi Miao shattered the light, absorbed the formation, then opened her eyes, eyebrows slightly raised: "It differs slightly from the version ten thousand years ago—modified, but not difficult."

"Huh?"

Hearing her, the seven were stunned, staring at her in confusion.

Shi Miao said nothing, merely raised her hand. Her celestial energy flowed in orderly threads like countless divine filaments, weaving together. Soon, a golden glow formed around her—a manifested golden dragon, coiled, its golden scales lifelike.

"What?"

The seven stared, stunned, then narrowed their eyes in shock. In mere moments, she hadn't just mastered it—she'd perfected it. This was full mastery.

Shi Miao's gaze was cold as she swept over the seven. With a flick of her palm, the sixfold golden scale formation faded, the golden light vanishing.

She had deliberately displayed this skill merely to vent her anger over Li Hao's earlier dismissal.

"Have you studied this formation before?"

The short, bald man asked, astonished.

Shi Miao replied coolly: "Such a simple formation doesn't require study."

But as soon as she spoke, she realized her mistake—if Li Hao struggled to master it, she'd just belittled him.

She glanced at Li Hao beside her, regretting her hasty words.

"Simple?"

The seven were speechless. Then they turned to Li Hao. He was the Emperor's Disciple; his consort had mastered it instantly. Could he possibly be worse?

Shi Miao saw their thoughts and realized she'd overreached. A flicker of irritation crossed her eyes. She muttered lowly:

"I've seen this formation used before on the battlefield—many times. This is my first time casting it myself. He's never seen it, but he won't take long to master it."

"I see."

The seven's eyes lit with understanding. To perform it so flawlessly, she must have witnessed it countless times.

"This formation truly isn't difficult."

Li Hao also shattered the light, absorbing the formation. Once he'd reviewed it, he relaxed.

He raised his hand, condensing golden celestial energy like ink, sketching in the air.

The energy flowed like splashed ink, dragons and phoenixes dancing. Soon, a golden dragon formed—its scales vivid, lifelike.

This wasn't merely a painted dragon. Each golden scale aligned perfectly with the formation's laws and mysteries. It wasn't just a drawing—it was the formation itself.

In short, Li Hao had drawn the formation.

The seven stared, frozen, at the golden formation beside Li Hao.

Though its golden light was dimmer and its power weaker than Shi Miao's, the formation patterns were flawless—perfectly mastered.

Moreover, his method of casting was utterly unlike theirs—he had drawn it.

"Painting Dao? How is that possible..."

The seven were stunned, staring at Li Hao in disbelief. Was this the power of an Emperor's Disciple?

Shi Miao was also stunned. She hadn't expected Li Hao to possess such ability—to draw formations, and manifest them perfectly.

"Then we can join the next battle."

Li Hao said, then dismissed the formation.

The seven snapped back to reality, their gaze toward Li Hao and Shi Miao transformed. Though they'd known the two were noble, they'd clearly underestimated the true weight of an Emperor's Disciple.

"You two are truly prodigies—you are a blessing to all races of our True Realm."

Long Ying snapped out of his thoughts and smiled as he spoke.

"Although your array is perfectly executed, you are only at the first level of Immortal King cultivation. Even if you integrate into the array, you remain the weakest link."

The black-robed young man said to Li Hao; he was not one for pleasantries, his words blunt.

The array Li Hao had just drawn was technically flawless, yet its power was clearly insufficient. But he knew this was not Li Hao’s fault—it was unavoidable, given Li Hao’s own cultivation level: first-tier Immortal King.

Li Hao naturally understood that his array paled beside Shi Miao’s. Still, he had not unleashed his True Divine Blood—he had only used his normal strength.

"Hao Tian, to achieve this is already extraordinary. When battle comes, we’ll protect you at the very center. Even if you’re the weakest, we can hold the line."

Another young man, radiating dark energy, spoke.

Li Hao recognized him as a Ghost Clan member, of the same tribe as the two ghost sisters.

"Correct."

Long Ying also nodded slightly. By now, they had accepted Li Hao and Shi Miao. Though protecting Li Hao carried some risk, the rewards and honors made it worthwhile.

Long Ying then introduced Li Hao to the other six: the fox-eared beauty was Liu Li, the ghost was Gui Xuanbing, the black-robed youth was Duan Yuan, a Night Dragon.

The remaining three were Wu Yue, Yan Jing, and Zi Qianxue.

"In Long Dun’s Seventh Floor, like the others, we rank by cultivation level—the higher your power, the higher your floor. Hao Tian, since you’re first-tier Immortal King, you’ll stay on the first floor."

Long Ying said to Li Hao.

Li Hao glanced at the lowest floor and had no objections. He nodded. "Fine."

"By cultivation level?"

Shi Miao raised an eyebrow, her gaze falling on the black-robed youth, Duan Yuan. Calmly, she said: "Then I’ll test the eighth floor."

"You’re challenging me?"

Duan Yuan sensed Shi Miao’s irritation—likely because he had been the first to oppose her. He made no pretense:

"Then let’s see."

Both were fourth-tier Immortal Kings. Duan Yuan dared not underestimate her.

"If you want to challenge, you must go to the Boundary Duel Arena."

Long Ying said, but did not stop her—he wanted to see Shi Miao’s combat strength. Compared to Li Hao, the disciple of an Immortal Emperor, he cared more about this woman. She was a true fourth-tier Immortal King, qualified for the Black Armor Division, and a reliable battlefield ally.

"No need for that."

Shi Miao shook her head. Suddenly, her boundary unfolded, surging forth as a ferocious aura that swept toward Duan Yuan.

Duan Yuan’s face changed. Feeling the terrifying power within her boundary, he was stunned. Instantly, he transformed into his true form—a black dragon—and roared as he unleashed his own boundary.

But the moment his boundary emerged, it was overrun by Shi Miao’s. As she extended one finger, a pale, luminous digit—like one that had stepped through the ages—slowly emerged from her boundary. It was colossal, as if it could pierce half of Long Dun’s Seventh Floor, pressing down upon Duan Yuan.

Duan Yuan had barely roared when that finger crushed his head against the Seventh Floor, spewing blood.

Long Ying and the others froze.

Duan Yuan, second only to the floor’s master Long Ying, had been crushed in a single exchange!

Though Duan Yuan still had hidden techniques, his boundary had already been breached—the gap was glaringly obvious.

"How is this possible?"

"She… she can’t be another disciple of the Immortal Emperor. It must be—after all, they’re partners."

The others realized it too, stunned. Such formidable combat power was a major boost for their Seventh Floor—even helping to offset Li Hao’s weakness.

Li Hao knew Shi Miao was avenging him. He quickly sent a mental message, urging her not to go too far.

Shi Miao reined in her power. Her boundary receded like a retreating tide. She glanced at Duan Yuan and said: "This challenge was for your earlier insolence. Consider it settled. On the battlefield, we are allies. If you harbor resentment, vent it now. But if I see any private grudges on the battlefield, I will not spare you."

Hearing her, the others exchanged glances and quietly exhaled. Good—though this girl was brash, she was reasonable. They feared most those who held grudges silently and struck behind the scenes.

Duan Yuan reverted to his black-robed form, pale-faced. He wiped blood from his lips, glared at Shi Miao in anger—but after a deep breath, he said: "I lost. I accept it. The eighth floor is yours."

"No need. I’ll stay on the second floor. I want to be beside him."

Shi Miao said calmly.

Hearing this, Long Ying and the others fell silent. So her challenge had been purely to vent her anger.

Indeed, women’s vengeance runs deep.