Chapter 899: Great Battle

After Li Hao and Shi Miao arrived at Longmen City, their days proceeded as usual, each cultivating in solitude.

Occasionally, Shi Miao would come to the first level to visit Li Hao; seeing him immersed in cultivation, she would sit quietly beside him for a while before leaving without disturbing him.

Time slipped away, yet the atmosphere within the city was far from peaceful—dark clouds hung overhead, perpetually shrouding the land in solemn dread, the air thick with the stench of blood.

Seven years passed in the blink of an eye.

In the mountain spring atop the peak, Li Hao saw a jade zither materialize from the water; he gently stroked its strings, and the melodies vibrated, unleashing countless threads of silk—each thread a flow of cosmic laws, every sound wave imbued with the power of multiple laws, possessing devastating killing potential.

“Just a little more…”

Li Hao could feel he was one step away from touching the thirteenth-level bottleneck.

Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, the mountain trembled, and a dragon’s roar echoed from high above.

Li Hao looked up and saw a golden dragon spirit silhouette soaring through the sky, speeding toward the peak.

“The Lord summons you—gather immediately.”

The dragon spirit spoke rapidly, and behind it, a golden passage appeared, piercing through the entire Long Dun Tower, reaching straight to the rooftop.

Li Hao’s heart tightened—he knew war was imminent; otherwise, the Lord would never disturb others’ cultivation or rest.

Without delay, he rose from the spring, and as he donned his robes, he saw a figure hastening through the air—it was Shi Miao.

She possessed the tower’s token, granting her free passage.

“The Lord summoned us—likely because ancient demons are attacking.”

Shi Miao reached Li Hao’s side, her expression grave, speaking quickly: “When we take the field, stay close to me. Don’t take risks. This scale of war is no trivial matter—elite ancient demons may strike unexpectedly, targeting the most prominent and toughest opponents. Concealing your edge is how you survive.”

Li Hao knew she worried for his safety and replied: “Don’t worry—I’ll be careful.”

Shi Miao nodded, and the two of them followed the golden light toward the rooftop.

When they arrived, they saw the other seven were already present; all eyes turned to them, especially Li Hao.

Li Hao felt their solemnity and concern—he was clearly the weakest link here.

“Enemy assault—significant scale. Prepare for battle.”

Long Ying surveyed them all and spoke gravely.

Duan Yuan and the others nodded, fully armed in celestial armor and battle gear.

“This time, in addition to our original Kan Long Army, we must also cover the Kun Long Army of the Ninth Camp.”

Long Ying said sternly: “The scope is larger—we must push the Sixfold Dragon Scale Array to its absolute limit to hold them all!”

“The Kun Long Army is under us too?”

Duan Yuan and the others paled; Liu Li exclaimed in alarm: “Has something happened to Long Dun Tower?”

“No—it’s another mission requiring our additional burden.”

Long Ying shook his head, his gaze falling on Li Hao: “Brother Haotian, though you’ve mastered the array, you’re only at Immortal King Realm First Stage—your own power is too weak. I’ve secured this Explode-Realm Pill to temporarily elevate you to Immortal King Realm Second Stage. But afterward, there will be lingering side effects, and your lifespan will suffer heavy depletion. You—”

Before he finished, the purple-black glowing pill in his hand was knocked away by a sudden force.

Shi Miao spoke coldly: “I’ll take his share. No one consumes this kind of pill.”

Long Ying opened his mouth slightly, then chuckled bitterly—he realized these Imperial Disciples would never take such pills; once ingested, beyond the stated risks, they would fracture the realm’s boundaries, harming cultivation and advancement.

The others understood this too; in silence, none pressured Li Hao—they themselves would never swallow such a thing unless at life-or-death brink.

“Then, Haotian, you’ll handle the dragon’s tail. Shi Miao, your combat strength exceeds Duan Yuan’s—I’ll take the dragon’s head, and you’ll handle the Heavenly Claw!” Long Ying said.

Shi Miao frowned, wanting to refuse—this distance from Li Hao was too great—but before she could speak, Li Hao whispered to her: “Let it be. We came here to train—we must prioritize slaying ancient demons. If I become a burden, this whole endeavor loses meaning.”

Hearing this, Shi Miao glanced at him and saw in his eyes fierce determination and resolve—she realized this youth’s heart held not only self-preservation but also boundless compassion for all beings.

“Then take care of yourself.”

Shi Miao said.

She knew Li Hao possessed the supreme celestial armor and the Finality Immortal Sword—his survival capability was already high, even higher than others in the tower. If disaster struck, she could still reach him in time; otherwise, even defying his wishes, she would never leave.

Hum!

At that moment, a vast, distant dragon’s roar echoed from outside the tower—deep as a bull’s bellow, fierce as a tiger’s roar from the ocean depths, low and powerful.

Long Ying raised his hand, dissolving the tower’s barrier; the walls turned transparent, revealing the scene outside: the majestic Longmen City, countless towers rising like mountain peaks, and from between them, countless figures streaked through the air—some revealing their true forms, radiating overwhelming demonic aura, others being various dragon clans.

They resembled mutated dragons—some like winged lizards, others stout as goats yet covered in scales, still others like giant crocodiles with horns and dragon tails—the Crocodile Dragon Clan.

In the Eastern Region, most were demonic races, yet all belonged to the Ten Thousand Races of the True Realm; humans were exceedingly rare here. Under the suppression of the Ancestral Dragon Court, these demonic races had no internal strife; when ancient demons invaded, they bore the duty of defending the Eastern Region—for this was their home, as much as the True Realm.

“All have mobilized—it’s our turn now.”

Long Ying gazed at the countless streaks of light racing toward the battlefield beyond the city and spoke gravely.

Li Hao had participated in wars elsewhere, including along the Yan-Chu Immortal Dynasty’s border, but that frontier was clearly inferior to this place—it was not even the true frontline.

The grandeur before him now filled Li Hao with awe: ten thousand races surged forth, rushing beyond the city walls to slaughter ancient demons.

What must the battlefield have looked like ten thousand years ago?

Li Hao felt blood surging within him; he summoned his celestial armor and donned it.

Though this supreme domain artifact could not yet unleash its full power, even the untrained could sense its extraordinary might, radiating terrifying authority.

Long Ying and the others glanced at Li Hao—they knew he was an Imperial Disciple, surely possessing life-saving treasures; this domain artifact could not possibly be inferior.

“Go!”

Long Ying whispered, his body twisting instantly into a golden Ancestral Dragon, roaring as he soared into the heavens.

Duan Yuan and the others followed, transforming into their true forms, releasing their full auras as they flew behind Long Ying.

Li Hao and Shi Miao did not lag behind, chasing after them swiftly.

As they crossed the towering peaks of the city’s thousand towers, they reached Longmen City’s edge; their gaze swept outward to see the battlefield ablaze—above, vast clouds of black gathered, teeming with countless ancient demon figures, mostly True Immortal Realm ancient demons, massive in stature, radiating terrifying, primal pressure.

Along the city walls, countless figures stood—soldiers who had rushed here.

Inside the city, vast numbers of warriors from all races lined the streets, forming grand arrays.

Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, terrifying black meteors from the ancient demons slammed into Longmen City.

The city’s barrier flared, dragon patterns coiling, blocking the black meteors.

“This assault is fierce!”

Long Ying’s dragon eyes narrowed with gravity; Duan Yuan and the others also sensed the ancient demons’ formidable force, their expressions grim.

Nearby, golden streaks suddenly shot from within the city, like golden rain falling toward the ancient demons.

The ancient demons coalesced a massive black cloud, blocking the golden light, then revealed a colossal arm formed of dark energy—its fist alone ten thousand li thick—raised high, smashing down upon the city’s barrier.

CRASH! The barrier shuddered, countless golden patterns shattered, some dragon runes dimmed and cracked.

“So strong!”

Many on the walls paled—the ancient demons harbored terrifyingly powerful Immortal King Realm elites.

“That’s the aura of an Immortal King Realm peak.”

Shi Miao’s face darkened—she could not possibly fight an Immortal King Realm peak.

After all, that was the pinnacle of the pseudo-Emperor realm.

“The Long Ren Tower is acting!”

Long Ying suddenly said.

Above the adjacent city wall, nine colossal Ancestral Dragons suddenly appeared—each body tens of thousands of li long, formed by the military array, scales rippling with divine light, hair streaming like banners.

All nine Ancestral Dragons now spat searing Ancestral Dragon Annihilation Flames toward the battlefield.

These were silver-gray flames, radiating annihilation energy, piercing through the barrier into the ancient demon ranks.

This was not a celestial technique—it was the concentrated power of hundreds of thousands of True Immortals, burning their own immortal energy into a pure killing technique, possessing devastatingly pure destructive force.

On this battlefield, flashy celestial arts often failed; this was a place of blood for blood—the most terrifying technique, the Immortal Energy Annihilation, was the hardest to withstand.

Only military arrays could unleash such a technique; any individual who burned their own immortal energy to this extent would perish before even striking an enemy.

But within a military array, the combined power of hundreds of thousands of True Immortals could forge this terrifying technique, causing almost no harm to the array’s own soldiers—unless used repeatedly to exhaustion, revealing devastating side effects.

As the Ancestral Dragon Annihilation Flames swept across, the ancient demon clouds were pierced; front-line demons screamed, activating their bloodline techniques, yet still could not resist—vanishing instantly into ash.

Amid this continuous slaughter, a vast tide of black energy surged from the ancient demons, coalescing into a colossal skull-shaped head, which opened its mouth and swallowed an entire Ancestral Dragon Array’s Annihilation Flame—as if devouring it.

At that moment, a cold snort rang out from within the city, shaking heaven and earth like thunder from nowhere.

Immediately, a shadow appeared above the battlefield—a colossal dragon claw, slamming down upon the giant skull, crushing it in its grip, dragging it from the sky to the ground, shaking the earth with thunderous force, the skull crushed to nothing.

“The Ancestral Dragon Clan’s World-Sealing Dragon Claw—it’s the City Lord!”

Long Ying’s eyes brightened at the sight.

Without the skull, the remaining Annihilation Flames rained down, inflicting heavy casualties among the ancient demons; cries of agony echoed everywhere.

Before Li Hao and the others could show relief, a condensed black tendril suddenly shot from the ancient demons toward the city’s barrier.

The black tendril resembled a single finger, thrusting from the demon ranks like a brutal stab—the barrier covering the hundred-thousand-li wall trembled violently, countless golden patterns shuddered, then shattered outright.

Longmen City’s barrier was broken!

Seeing this, many faces paled; Long Ying’s expression darkened: “It broke faster than ever—this assault is fiercer. Everyone, hold firm!”

Longmen City had three barriers: the outermost city wall, the second protecting the city’s interior, and the innermost inner-city barrier.

In major wars, under heavy assault, the outer barrier would fall; defenders would hold the second barrier at all costs, retreating only to the inner-city barrier in the direst emergencies.

“It’s time for Long Dun Tower to act—protect the Kun Long Army and Kan Long Army!”

Long Ying barked: “Form the array!”

Duan Yuan and the others roared in unison, unleashing the Sixfold Dragon Scale Array; golden light surged from their bodies, their immortal energy forming the array’s foundation, the techniques resonating and merging into one.

Shi Miao raised her hand, forming her part of the array, integrating into it.

Li Hao released his immortal energy, swiftly tracing the pattern—the array materialized, and he merged into it, taking his position at the dragon’s tail.

Behind them stretched a vast army of diverse races, their true forms exposed—strange and grotesque—but each body bore military unit insignias carved with the characters Kan or Kun.

Among them, several large banners flapped in the wind, anchoring the troops’ morale.

As the dragon shadow let out a low roar, the Ninefold Dragon Scale Formation, formed by the nine of them, spread outward, engulfing the two massive armies within.

Instantly, Li Hao felt that as these soldiers entered the formation, their immortal energy merged into the array, creating a sense of cyclic mutual support.

“Kill!”

Amid countless roars, the ancient demon army surged forward in overwhelming numbers.

From the city walls, countless figures charged out, storming beyond the ramparts; both sides unleashed earth-shattering roars, ten thousand times louder than thunder.

In this colossal battlefield, Li Hao felt that the great formation formed by the nine of them—and even the two armies they encompassed—were but a tiny fraction, utterly insignificant, let alone individuals, who were like ants or dust, invisible amid the chaos.

Kill!

Both armies formed their own battle arrays, transforming into two ferocious barbarian dragons, their limbs forged like molten iron and their bodies immensely powerful, charging into the battlefield.

The Ninefold Dragon Scale Formation interlocked with the barbarian dragon battle array, complementing each other to forge a piercing force that slashed through the ranks of the ancient demons.

Within the ancient demon ranks, the Yan Ghost Formation coalesced into a towering black demon with a grotesque face, forged from hundreds of thousands of true-immortal ancient demons, as if crawling from the abyss, swinging its arm toward Li Hao and the others.

“Dragon Reversal!”

The dragon shadow roared, calmly controlling the formation; the golden dragon’s body formed by the nine of them suddenly raised its scales in recoil.

The Yan Ghost Formation, forged by hundreds of thousands of ancient demons, possessed destructive power even a low-rank Immortal King could barely withstand—such was the terror of battle arrays.

As the black demon’s arm came crashing down, the dragon scales split, clearly injuring the entity; at that moment, the two barbarian dragons within the formation burst forth, biting into the black demon’s body, tearing away swirling clouds of black energy, breaching the array’s edge and dragging out ancient demons, crushing them instantly.

Li Hao remained at the dragon’s tail, the dragon’s body leading ahead; he had not yet truly exerted himself, and now had spare energy to scan the battlefield, seeing everywhere the massive forms forged by battle arrays, marching and clashing—battle arrays could multiply collective power by several times, even tenfold.

With the aid of these battle arrays, hundreds of thousands of true immortals could slay Immortal Kings!

Without battle arrays, even if an Immortal King lay sleeping, true immortals could not scratch him.

After countless eons of warfare, these battle arrays had clearly been refined to their utmost limits.

Li Hao now stood within this battlefield, surrounded by deafening roars and screams, countless laws collapsing, domain forces surging forth only to be torn apart in an instant; even Immortal Kings here seemed as fleeting as a Tanhua .

Suddenly, a black demon surged from the side, striking at the dragon’s tail.