The Name of Eternals

Chapter 191: I am not of the Li family, but I am human

Previously, during the battle in the Eastern Territory, Li Tiangang had already witnessed the power of Lady Yin. Even without using her ultimate techniques, she was not someone he could match at his current level.

Moreover,

With her appearing here, where was the Desert Sword Saint?

Seeing the golden-haired youth who looked like a deity of flames, Li Tiangang's heart sank to the bottom, and he had his answer.

Simultaneously, a more terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.

"Are you the Candlefire God of the Taixu Realm?"

Li Tiangang suppressed the tremor in his heart and asked for the other's name.

The Candlefire God, the ruler of the Taixu Realm, the most powerful demon king.

And also Lady Yin's husband.

With both of them here, it was evident that the Desert Sword Saint had encountered grave danger.

Li Tiangang had previously sent the Eight Directions Order back to Qingzhou City, instructing his second uncle Li Muxiu not to come because the Taixu Realm had already mobilized fully, clearly breaking all ties. Seeing only Lady Yin and not her husband made him worry that the latter was lying in wait in Qingzhou.

But now it seemed that he wasn't in Qingzhou.

Perhaps his decision to keep his second uncle from coming was wrong.

His heart kept sinking.

From the moment the two Absolute Realm demon kings appeared until now, everything happened in an instant, and the previously intense battlefield fell into an eerie silence.

Hearing Li Tiangang's question, the youth glanced at him indifferently and said, "Didn't the True Dragon of the Li family fall in Cangzhou last time?"

Li Tiangang's face changed slightly. These words revealed that the Taixu Realm, though reclusive, constantly monitored the movements of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty.

Perhaps many events had the silent push of the Taixu Realm behind them.

"I remember the Candlefire God didn't look like you," Li Tiangang stared at him, secretly regulating his breath, his eyes filled with deep apprehension.

Three Absolute Realm experts gathered in Liangzhou; the determination of the demons to tear apart Liangzhou was greater than he had imagined.

"My husband's divine skill is accomplished; naturally, he has reverted to his youthful form. Li Tiangang, it's a pity the Grand Elder of the Holy Palace isn't here; otherwise, you wouldn't even have the chance to speak," Lady Yin smiled softly. Though they were conversing, no one attacked Li Tiangang, fearing it would let Li Hao escape.

Compared to Li Tiangang, Li Hao was the true threat.

At such a young age, he was already terrifying. If not killed, he would certainly become the second True Man of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty in the future!

Li Tiangang's face was grim, knowing she was right. Given his battles with the Holy Palace in the North, the Holy Palace Elder would likely attack him first on sight.

"Finish this quickly, don't wait for those reinforcements to arrive," Lu Yuan said with a stern face.

"When they come, we'll deal with them," the Candlefire God said indifferently, "On the way here, I heard something interesting. I heard you and your son have severed ties, and he has even abandoned the Li family name. Such an act of rebellion is no farce."

He looked at Li Hao with interest and said, "Since you're not of the Li family anymore, what are you doing here?"

Hearing this, Li Tiangang's face changed slightly. This indeed was a scandal of the Li family.

Hearing the demon king's words, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but look at Li Hao.

Li Hao, continuously accumulating power, coldly said, "Though I'm not of the Li family, I am human!"

The Candlefire God raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Li Hao's answer, but thought it made sense.

Li Tiangang's face changed slightly, a trace of anger flashing in his eyes as he said,

"What nonsense are you spouting? The three-year agreement isn't over; you still bear the Li name!"

Li Hao raised an eyebrow, sneering, but didn't bother to respond.

The Candlefire God chuckled, his eyes cold, "How about we make this interesting?"

"Aren't you all here to save Liangzhou? If you can kill your father, I'll let the people of Liangzhou live one more day. How about that?"

Hearing his playful words, Lu Yuan was the first to object, "Candlefire Master, there's no need to waste time, is there?"

"It's not a waste of time," Lady Yin's eyes were fierce and cold, "Li Tiangang killed my son. Now, I want his son to kill him!"

Lu Yuan was taken aback, then understood why the couple had been talking so much.

He was annoyed, but they were united, and he couldn't argue, so he focused on recovering his strength.

The Candlefire God's words stunned Li Tiangang. He instinctively looked at Li Hao and saw the boy's expressionless face, a wave of anger surging in his heart.

He took a deep breath and said, "If you can truly keep your word, I have no objections. For the people of Liangzhou, I, Li Tiangang, am willing to die!"

Though it was only an extra day, it could be crucial.

It could be enough time for reinforcements to arrive.

Then the situation in Liangzhou would be unpredictable.

However, despite his words, he wasn't truly ready to give up, knowing the words of demons couldn't be trusted.

"What do you think?" the Candlefire God looked at Li Hao with a half-smile.

Li Hao exhaled, the strength he had just exerted already fully restored through the energy of the Heaven and Earth veins.

"I want to kill you," Li Hao said.

He suddenly erupted, directly entering his Transcendental State, borrowing the power of the four directions, and threw a fierce punch at Lu Yuan.

Among the three great demon kings, he had already fought Lu Yuan, familiar with each other's attacks. Li Hao planned to break through him.

Lu Yuan, experienced as he was, immediately understood Li Hao's intention, enraged that he was being seen as a soft target!

"Die!"

He roared, gathering lightning around him. The sword of boundless thunder slashed towards Li Hao.

Lady Yin and the Candlefire God's faces turned cold. They hadn't expected this boy to be so arrogant, attacking despite being surrounded by three great demon kings! "Die!"

Lady Yin raised her hand, a black crescent moon attack striking towards Li Hao's back.

Li Hao ignored it, continuing to attack Lu Yuan.

His fist clashed with the lightning sword, lightning enveloping his body, burning countless wounds into his skin, but they healed quickly.

The boundless thunder wasn't incapable of hurting him, but the injuries were light, and his healing speed was sufficient.

With a loud bang! The black crescent struck his back, unavoidable. Li Hao could only endure it.

The black crescent attack exploded on his back, surrounding him like a cold lake, then transforming into countless crescent blades, slicing his back tens of thousands of times in a breath, with extremely high frequency.

Li Hao's back split open, blood and flesh exposed. He roared, backhanding the black crescent into pieces, but his balance was disrupted.

Previously, it was only Lu Yuan, and the other demon kings' attacks couldn't harm him, allowing him to focus on fighting Lu Yuan. But now, Lady Yin, an Absolute Realm expert, forced him to divide his attention.

Moreover, Lu Yuan, also an Absolute Realm expert, had mostly recovered from the heavy injuries inflicted by Li Hao, his self-healing ability far surpassing that of ordinary Three Immutables, nearly rivaling half of Li Hao's speed!

"Damn it!"

Li Tiangang roared, throwing battle flags, each one exploding.

"Hmm?"

The Candlefire God saw the sword aura howling from the battle flags, a look of surprise in his eyes. He raised a hand, releasing a surge of flames and scorching energy, twisting and erasing the sword aura.

The sword aura, equivalent to a full-strength attack from a Dao Heart expert, dissipated like smoke under his attack, posing no threat.

"The sword aura is the same. Did this boy create the flags?" The Candlefire God looked at Li Hao with some surprise.

Hearing this, Li Tiangang's heart skipped a beat.

Created by Li Hao?

How is that possible?! But he couldn't dwell on it. Throwing the remaining battle flags, he shouted to Li Hao, "Run!"

He wanted to hold off the enemies for Li Hao, but the remaining battle flags were all neutralized by the Candlefire God. Some flags unleashed thousands of sword auras, but the scorching aura around him melted them before they could touch him!

"You die first."

The Candlefire God raised a hand, slapping it towards Li Tiangang.

The divine palm, like a blazing sun, pushed forward.

Li Tiangang took nine steps, instantly pushing his aura to the limit, roaring as he unleashed his strongest Xingtian Blade strike.

Boom! The blade light shattered, his divine power submerged by the scorching palm. His body was sent flying, his armor twisting and melting, his cloak aflame.

His body shot to the ground, limbs fractured, his immortal body severely damaged, barely alive.

The Candlefire God let out a surprised sound, not expecting Li Tiangang to survive his attack.

As expected, the Li family has some strength.

Just as he was about to strike again, the Candlefire God's face changed slightly. He saw Li Hao fighting both Lu Yuan and his wife, holding his own against the two of them without falling behind!

Moreover, the boy's flesh was tearing apart, with the surrounding celestial energy pouring into him frantically, a terrifying sight.

Such a divine scene left the Candlefire God momentarily stunned.

A distant memory seemed to surface, recalling when he had seen that True Man in action, also capable of channeling the power of Heaven and Earth!

This boy, has he already glimpsed the path of the Sage?!

The Candlefire God's heart trembled with shock, and he no longer paid attention to Li Tiangang. Engulfed in great flames, he launched himself towards Li Hao.

Li Hao, his body bleeding profusely, continuously drew on celestial energy. His power soared to even more terrifying levels, but his own body began to break down.

"Die!!"

Li Hao roared, throwing a punch towards Lu Yuan, aiming to eliminate one of the demon kings first.

Lu Yuan, terrified by Li Hao's ever-escalating power, repeatedly retreated, both frightened and furious. This boy kept shocking him, each time bursting out with even more ferocious strength.

Roaring in rage, he shouted, "You can't kill me! I still have my chance of reversing fate!"

"What do you mean by that, Lu Yuan?!"

Lady Yin's face suddenly changed.

By saying this, wasn't Lu Yuan essentially encouraging Li Hao to shift his focus to her?

Ignoring everything else, Li Hao charged at Lu Yuan, his fists pounding continuously. His celestial avatar lunged forward, grabbing Lu Yuan's body, disregarding the surging lightning, and smashed him to the ground.

Dragon scales scattered, and Lu Yuan screamed in agony.

At that moment, a scorching chill approached—a paradoxical sensation, yet it was Li Hao's genuine feeling.

The searing power seemed ready to incinerate the nearby heavens and earth, but for the first time in this battle, Li Hao felt as if he were plummeting into an icy abyss of death.

He turned abruptly and saw a sun-like wheel of fire, marked with mysterious Dao patterns, striking towards him.

The Dao resonance ensured a hit.

Quickly, Li Hao switched to the void form of the Supreme Body, becoming momentarily untraceable.

The Dao resonance appeared to weaken, only slightly.

Li Hao's body moved swiftly, flickering with the Celestial Vanishing Technique to dodge.

Boom!

The ground burned, splitting open a chasm, with the soil and rocks inside instantly turning into magma.

Lu Yuan's body was affected, some scales scorched and curling up.

The Candlefire God's face shifted slightly, looking at Li Hao again, only to see the ethereal aura around him dissipate, shattered by the heatwave.

Clearly, the other had used some special technique to avoid the strike.

Taking a deep breath, his eyes cold, the Candlefire God said, "Luckily, I intervened personally this time; otherwise, we truly wouldn't be able to handle you. The Great Yu Divine Dynasty allowing such a Sage-level candidate to appear on a battlefield like this is sheer stupidity!"

"Die now!"

His body shimmered with fine scales, the divine pattern on his forehead glowing like a golden eye or a tiny sun.

Raising his hand, he unleashed a divine flame, striking directly at Li Hao.

Li Hao's face twisted in shock; the Candlefire God's power far surpassed Lu Yuan's.

Both were at the Absolute Realm, but there was such a vast difference?

Unable to continuously enter the Supreme Body state, Li Hao found no way to evade.

Better to draw more celestial power than to get severely injured!

His flesh tearing apart, the surrounding celestial energy surged even more violently into him. Though his flesh was splitting, his might only grew, revealing golden muscles and blood of a brilliant, radiant hue!

In this divine state, his flesh healed quickly, yet it couldn't keep pace with the rate of disintegration.

Boom!

Li Hao raised his fist, throwing a punch that seemed to push half the sky behind him.

The terrifying roar echoed, the golden divine flame shrinking under the punch's pressure until it extinguished!

Lady Yin and Lu Yuan were both stunned, finding it hard to believe. The boy's power was too overwhelming; if it were them, they would be gravely injured!

Yet, at this moment, the blood-soaked youth resembled a war god from myth, with ferocious killing intent in his eyes, seemingly with energy to spare!

Even the Candlefire God was taken aback, not expecting his nearly full-strength attack to be thwarted by Li Hao.

His heart trembled, eyes filled with astonishment.

However, the stronger Li Hao grew, the fiercer the Candlefire God's resolve to kill him. Taking a deep breath, knowing there was no point in hiding anymore, he decided to reveal his trump card earlier than planned.

Destroying Liangzhou was just the first step in their grand scheme!

But if he continued to hold back, he might fail to kill this boy.

Boom!

Firelight filled the surrounding heavens and earth, divine patterns emerging from the flames, transforming the area into a hellish inferno!

Li Hao instantly felt the celestial energy he drew on vanishing, his celestial veins compressed, and a terrifying heat closed in.

Stunned, he faced a situation he had never encountered.

Could this ruler of the Taixu Realm be beyond the Absolute Realm, at the Peaceful Dao Realm?!

His second uncle had mentioned that the Peaceful Dao Realm's martial path evolved into a Dao Domain!

In a Dao Domain, they were invincible, an immense gap compared to the Absolute Realm!

Now, the surrounding sea of flames felt like a Dao Domain, even suppressing his celestial veins, stopping his ability to draw power!

"Can't block this!"

His mind repeatedly warned, his face darkening. He threw several punches, creating a gap in the surrounding flames, then sped away.

"Trying to escape?!"

Seeing his move, Lu Yuan and Lady Yin quickly pursued, aiming to intercept him.

But Li Hao poured all his strength into his movement, speeding away.

He soon flew out of their encirclement.

As he escaped, he glimpsed the distant defense line, countless figures on the city walls, including familiar faces like Li Xuanli and Li Wushuang.

His expression changed. If he escaped alone, leaving the demon king behind, the defense formation would undoubtedly be destroyed instantly.

Remembering the heartfelt words in the letter sent to the frontier and seeing the fearful, desperate faces on the city walls, he clenched his teeth and took a deep breath.

He deactivated two of the speed-boosting diagrams, slowing down slightly.

It looked like he was exhausted from the burst of speed.

Turning to the three demon kings, he roared, "If I don't die today, I'll crush your Taixu Realm and Longmen in the future!!"

With that, he ran forward again.

Lu Yuan's eyelids twitched. At this rate of growth, if the boy didn't die, he might indeed make good on his words!

"Candlefire God, you must kill him!"

Lu Yuan urged, pursuing Li Hao, realizing the Candlefire God was at a terrifying threshold.

The Candlefire God was establishing his Dao Domain, not fully at the Peaceful Dao Realm, so it took time. He hadn't expected Li Hao to seize the chance to escape.

Seeing Lu Yuan and his wife fail to stop him, he cursed the Dragon Gate as useless.

Disregarding the establishment of his Dao Domain, he used the Kunpeng-like movement technique, leaping after Li Hao.

Not fully reaching the Peaceful Dao Realm meant he couldn't instantly create and maintain a Dao Domain, except in direct combat. Establishing it allowed for brief bursts of Peaceful Dao Realm power, but stopping an escape was tricky.

This was his current shortcoming.

Li Hao ran at full speed, controlling the celestial power, no longer drawing more.

He had been on the brink of losing control, and the Candlefire God's flame Dao Domain inadvertently helped him regain balance.

Poof!

The Candlefire God's speed was immense. He raised his hand, firing a divine flame that struck Li Hao's back.

Li Hao felt his back burn with excruciating pain, spitting out blood. This attack was far stronger than the others.

Gritting his teeth, he summoned a rain of sword energy to strike behind him.

These sword energies weren't powerful, meant to exploit the opponent's contempt.

However, having seen Li Hao's sword energy kill a demon king before, Lu Yuan was extremely cautious. When Lady Yin seemed ready to physically withstand them, ignoring the sword energy, he quickly warned,

"Don't touch those sword energies, they're strange!"

Lady Yin hesitated, seeing him already shielded with defensive energy, slowing slightly. Surprised, she quickly guarded herself.

The Candlefire God, however, paid no heed, emitting scorching energy that incinerated the sword energies automatically.

Boom!

He attacked again, sending a second divine flame hurtling at Li Hao.

The immovable Ming King phantom behind Li Hao raised a hand, dispersing part of the divine flame's power, taking the hit directly.

"I'll draw them away; be careful!"

Seeing he had gained enough distance, Li Hao wiped the blood from his mouth and sent a rapid mental message to Li Xuanli within the formation.

Li Xuanli watched Li Hao being chased by three great demon kings, heart pounding, face tense. Hearing Li Hao's sudden message in his mind, he froze.

Seeing the figure constantly attacked by the three demon kings, blood gushing, covered in wounds, his eyes reddened and watered. The boy didn't flee; he was deliberately drawing the three demon kings' attacks!

The entire populace of Liangzhou was borne on the shoulders of a fifteen-year-old boy.

Seeing Li Hao spitting out blood, his body covered in wounds, Li Xuanli felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife. Tears welled up in his eyes as he blamed himself for his helplessness.

Boom! Boom!

As Li Hao fought and fled, he gradually led the battle away from the defensive line, heading toward the outskirts of Liangzhou.

Countless people on the city walls watched in shock as the young man was chased by three demon kings, flying past the edge of the defensive formation.

A young noble from a prominent family shouted angrily, asking why the formation wasn't opened to let Li Hao in!

But the elders of these families, seasoned in decades of political machinations, had long since become cold-hearted. Yet, even they couldn't help but be moved by the young man's selfless act.

Ascending to the formation but not entering it, sacrificing himself to draw the demon kings away—this was for the sake of all living beings!