Chapter 477: Heavenly Master's Protection
The old man rotated the star domain projection, displaying the battle situation behind the ancient demon tide in a horizontal manner.
Present in the hall, including the old man, were seasoned warriors, each with extensive battlefield experience. Even the Zhao Wang, who had just arrived, upon giving the battlefield a quick but careful glance, could immediately see the danger and the subtle balance of the entire situation.
In addition to the battle circle where the Peacock Army was located, there were seven other battle circles that could potentially break this delicate balance.
However, as the battles raged on, other areas had fallen into a deadlock. In the Peacock Army's circle, though, two figures—one male and one female—suddenly emerged.
The woman threw herself into the battlefield, helping the Peacock Army, unleashing tremendous battle power that heavily injured the ancient demon from the Di Jiang clan.
"Such a powerful Xianjun realm!"
"That woman's immortal technique is quite rare, almost resembling a lost ancient celestial art!"
Within the Star Sea Hall, the rest of the individuals, apart from the old man, all froze for a moment. They had not expected such a hidden expert to appear in this battle. The woman's combat strength was absolutely on par with an A-grade Peacock Army, or perhaps even superior.
Just as it seemed that the balance was about to be broken, a more terrifying ancient demon figure suddenly surged out from the demon tide, aiming to kill the woman.
Seeing this, some people's faces changed in shock. They had not been on the battlefield, and could not have imagined that such a critical turn of events would unfold.
The silver-haired youth in black armor and the woman with the dual pupils, who had both entered the battlefield earlier, had already sensed the soaring demonic intent when the royal ancient demon appeared. At this moment, they were not overly shocked, though their expressions had grown more serious.
Just as it seemed the woman was about to be killed, suddenly, a terrifying demonic aura erupted from her body, and eight wings unfurled from her back.
This sudden change caused many to leap to their feet in alarm, speechless in fear.
"Ancient demon? Royal clan ancient demon?"
"How could this be?!"
"They're fighting amongst themselves?!"
Apart from the old man, the silver-haired youth in black armor and the dual-pupiled woman also stood frozen in shock, somewhat stunned.
Immediately after, the ancient demon woman, now with her eight wings extended, engaged in a fierce battle with the royal ancient demon, chasing and fleeing in the sky.
Before leaving, the ancient demon woman's palm swirled with black energy, revealing something.
Seeing the object, Zhao Wang's face suddenly turned pale. The black dragon aura surrounding him stiffened instantly, like nine sharp spears, displaying a terrifying aura as if ready to explode at any moment.
Even seeing the woman reveal the true form of a royal ancient demon, Zhao Wang was surprised but did not lose his composure. Now, however, his gaze was fixed on the star domain projection, utterly intent on it.
The old man, without a flicker of expression, glanced at him but did not stop the projection. He allowed it to swiftly pass over the scene, and as the royal ancient demon chased after the woman, the battle between him and the Di Jiang clan's king-tier ancient demon soon reached its conclusion.
With the old man's victory, the battle was effectively over, suppressing the ancient demon tide and killing nearly all of the demons, with only a small portion managing to flee back to the chaotic Stone Star Domain.
The star domain projection gradually came to a halt, and the hall fell into complete silence.
Zhao Wang came back to his senses. His shock quickly faded, and the dragon aura around him continued to swirl. He looked around, his gaze finally settling on the old man, and said, "Which sect does that young man belong to? He's at the third level of True Immortal Realm, yet he was able to block a casual strike from an ancient demon of the ninth level of Xianjun Realm. Incredible!"
His words broke the silence, and everyone else snapped back to attention.
"What's going on here?"
"That woman is actually an ancient demon, and they're fighting among themselves?"
"I've heard that among the three royal clans and seven royal families of the ancient demons, although they treat all other races with cruelty and slaughter, there is still infighting. Over ninety thousand years ago, there were two ancient demon royal families who fought each other to death over the Immortal Emperor's forbidden artifact. This resulted in the fall of many ancient demons and gave the Eastern Region some breathing room."
Compared to the shock from the young man's brilliance, the others were more concerned with the situation of the ancient demon woman.
Seeing the others debating, Zhao Wang's eyes remained calm, but he didn't speak. In his heart, though, he already knew the answer.
The old man also kept silent, and when the conversation finally died down, he spoke up, saying, "The involvement of the ancient demon royal family is too far-reaching to discuss in detail. As for our victory in this battle, we owe it to that young man. Without him, even if I had finished my battle with Di Qiu, countless lives would have been lost. Even if we had won, it would have been a Pyrrhic victory!"
As he spoke, he raised his hand, rotating the star domain projection. His immortal power guided it and projected it into the air, where he began to use the techniques of the Immortal Dao to deduce the outcome.
In the deduction, the final moments of the battle were revealed: had the young man and the ancient demon woman not intervened, the Peacock Army would have been destroyed by the ancient demon of the Di Jiang clan. The army formation would have been broken, and nearly half of the Peacock Army would have been slaughtered. Following this, the ancient demon of the Di Jiang clan would have gone to assist another battle circle, shattering the balance.
This caused a terrifying chain reaction. Other battle circles received reinforcements from the ancient demons, overwhelming the human forces. Elders from various immortal sects fell one after another, devoured by the demons, and the Tiger Lion Army was slaughtered by the high-ranking commanders of the ancient demons, while cries of agony and death filled the battlefield.
The scene was one of unimaginable carnage.
The crowd, though they had anticipated such an outcome, could not help but have their faces shift in shock.
Who could have expected that breaking such a delicate balance would result in such terrifying casualties?
In the projection, the human forces suffered immensely. Though the old man eventually defeated Di Qiu, when he personally swept the battlefield, all that remained were the scorched bodies and the tragic remnants of a once-thriving force.
Dead at the hands of the ancient demons, their souls were annihilated, with no hope of reincarnation.
Among the casualties was the silver-haired youth in black armor, who was severely wounded by the ancient demons and left clinging to life.
The dual-pupiled woman also lost one of her eyes in the battle, and only by using her strongest trump card was she barely able to survive.
Seeing this result, the Star Sea Hall grew quiet once again.
"I never thought that one day, we, the human race, would actually be grateful to the ancient demons."
A general spoke in a low voice, his tone laced with bitterness.
The old man glanced at him, his gaze sharp, radiating a cold light that seemed to pierce the soul. "The ancient demons are devouring all the races of the True Realm, and the grudge between races surpasses everything. As General Yan Chu, you must carefully consider your words!"
The general's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a cold sweat seeping from his back. It was only then that he remembered the person before him was the Heavenly Master of the Demon Subduing Department.
"I misspoke. I hope the Heavenly Master will forgive me."
He quickly cupped his hands and bowed his head sincerely.
The old man snorted coldly but did not respond to him. Instead, he said, "As soldiers setting out for battle, aside from slaying ancient demons to earn celestial merit, they must also achieve great deeds on the battlefield, which should be heavily rewarded. What do you think? How much celestial merit should be granted to that young man for his actions this time?"
Upon hearing this, the crowd exchanged glances. Someone quietly asked, "Heavenly Master, that young man was with the ancient demoness. Before discussing merit, should we not summon him and interrogate him properly?"
"Indeed, colluding with ancient demons... if it weren't for the infighting among the demons, he might have brought the ancient demoness to infiltrate the border," another general nodded in agreement.
"Interrogate a hero?" The woman with the heterochromatic eyes spoke up, her voice cold and cutting. "If that young man were a spy for the ancient demons, working with them, why would he act? He could have just quietly waited for the battle to end and, in the chaos, brought the ancient demoness back to the border."
"That's right, I believe the young man might not even know the identity of that ancient demoness. Perhaps he was used by her. After all, that young man is only at the third level of the True Immortal Realm, while the ancient demoness is at the Ninth Heavenly Layer of the Immortal Monarch Realm. It would be very easy to deceive someone of his cultivation."
The silver-haired young man in black armor nodded and spoke. He knew that the Heavenly Master before him was quite fond of the young man. Going against his opinion now would be a foolish move.
Moreover, considering the previous simulation result, if that young man hadn't stirred things up, the silver-haired youth would be in dire straits, heavily injured and facing several millennia of delayed cultivation. He felt some gratitude towards that young man in his heart.
"You two should not draw conclusions so hastily. We can just interrogate him and find out the truth," the middle-aged general who had spoken earlier shook his head. His imposing frame was enveloped in a golden light, radiating an aura that rivaled the woman with heterochromatic eyes. His position in the military was equal to hers, and therefore, he spoke without politeness.
"Perhaps that young man did it on purpose, not knowing that the ancient demon of the Rotating Monarch Clan would appear, forcing the demoness to reveal her true form. She didn't show her true form when she assisted the Peacock Army, indicating she was intentionally hiding it."
"But that has nothing to do with the young man."
"If this has nothing to do with him, then there's no way celestial merit should be granted to him. After all, it wasn't him who helped the Peacock Army drive back the ancient demons."
"Are you suggesting we reward the ancient demoness with celestial merit?" The silver-haired youth in black armor spoke coldly.
The middle-aged general replied indifferently, "This is a matter of chance, a fortuitous occurrence. We can only say that this campaign was entrusted by the heavens, and we received the blessings of the heavenly will. It's the fortune of our human race."
"I believe an interrogation is reasonable and prudent," another general nodded.
The woman with heterochromatic eyes grew colder, "That young man is so talented. Do you realize how much harm an interrogation would do to his cultivation?"
The border immortal army's interrogations were brutal and harsh, especially when one was suspected of colluding with the ancient demons as a traitor. It would greatly damage one's cultivation and even cause their Dao heart to deteriorate.
"The border is of great importance. Although that young man has extraordinary talent, our Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty spans thirteen states, with three thousand counties in each state, and each county stretches for millions of miles. There's no shortage of geniuses. We could easily find others who are more talented than him."
The elderly general with the long beard said. His face was long, and his cheekbones were high, giving him a solemn and unsmiling appearance.
Upon hearing his words, several generals nodded slightly in agreement.
"That's right, for caution's sake, an interrogation is still necessary. Perhaps that young man's actions were to avoid an interrogation, or perhaps he is, in fact, an ancient demon!" one of the generals said.
"Don't forget the lesson from the Li Bei Immortal Dynasty. The ancient demons are crafty and deceitful. They used a fake injury to infiltrate the Li Bei Immortal Dynasty and nearly wiped out the royal family," another general reminded.
As more people in the room began to agree, the woman with heterochromatic eyes grew even more displeased.
At the same time, she was also a little shaken inside. Although the young man was highly talented, the Yan Chu Immortal Dynasty had once produced a prodigy comparable to the Nine Flower Immortal Seal. It was not surprising if that young man could prove to be a powerful figure too.
"That young man has slain a number of ancient demons. Just by rough estimation, he could accumulate a million points of celestial merit. Even if we interrogate him, we should be lenient. We should not harm his future cultivation," the silver-haired youth in black armor spoke solemnly, choosing to take a step back.
Upon hearing his words, the elderly general with the long beard paused for a moment. He then stroked his beard and nodded slightly. "Considering the celestial merit, we shouldn't make things too difficult for him. But we should continue to observe him in the future."
"Everyone, there's no need to argue," the old man suddenly spoke, interrupting the discussion.
He looked around the room, his expression calm. With a slight smile at the corner of his lips, he said, "That young man is from the Demon Subduing Department. He would never collude with the ancient demons. Looking at the projection of the star domain, there are two possibilities. One is that he doesn't know that the woman is an ancient demon, but he still brought her to aid the Peacock Army. This decision is worthy of praise, and it has led him to accidentally make a great achievement."
"The second possibility is that he knows the woman is an ancient demon and purposely let her act, wanting to use the infighting among the demons to his advantage."
He scanned the room, seeing the stunned expressions on the faces of the others, and smiled as he continued, "Whichever it is, it's worthy of praise. Granting him celestial merit seems to be the obvious choice."
The others were all stunned.
The woman with heterochromatic eyes and the silver-haired youth in black armor exchanged glances and immediately saw the realization in each other's eyes.
No wonder the Celestial Master had such high regard for that young man earlier; it turns out he was paving the way for him.
The others exchanged glances, feeling somewhat speechless.
"You should have said it was one of your people from the start, instead of letting us argue. This clearly feels like you're just laughing at us..."
"So he's one of the geniuses of the Demon Subduing Division. No wonder he's so formidable."
"At the Third Level of the True Immortal Realm, he can block a casual strike from a Ninth-Stage Immortal Monarch. Such a monstrous genius. I wonder if his soul can last for three thousand years. If not, perhaps he still has a chance to participate in the Southern Domain War and bring glory to the Immortal Dynasty!"
"Could this person be a disciple of the Celestial Master?"
The generals spoke one after another, and the tense atmosphere from earlier suddenly dissipated.
King Zhao glanced at the Celestial Master, his eyes flickering slightly, but he did not speak.
The old man smiled faintly and said, "Let's first settle the immortal merit for this battle, one by one. Everyone, don't show too much leniency just because this child is from the Demon Subduing Division. After all, the final merit list will still be reviewed by His Majesty."
Hearing his words, the others relaxed, understanding that the mention of His Majesty meant the matter would be handled according to protocol, which made it easier for them.
"Then, we will proceed according to the rules. Battle losses will determine the battle merit."
One of the generals spoke.
"Correct."
The others nodded slightly. There was little dispute on this matter.
The old man nodded, and they proceeded to settle the accounts, ultimately arriving at a figure.
Immortal merit: 1,920,000!
"Someone, take him to my Shuiyue Hall and wait."
The old man transmitted the order.
A Demon Subduing Guard received the command and quickly departed.
The old man then turned his palm, manipulating the Star Domain to shrink, and began to settle the immortal merit of other Immortal Monarchs and the Immortal Sects.
...
Shuiyue Hall, located in the district 100 miles to the left of the main general's hall.
There were Demon Subduing Guards hiding in the dark around the hall, patrolling the surroundings. Two more squads of Demon Subduing Guards stood watch outside the main hall. Compared to the heavily guarded main general's hall and the other generals' halls, this place appeared quite empty and quiet.
However, the nearby district's streets were eerily deserted, with no one daring to approach.
Li Hao followed two Demon Subduing Guards to Shuiyue Hall. Once they brought him here, they left, telling him the Celestial Master would return shortly.
Li Hao waited in the courtyard outside the hall. After some time, feeling bored, he walked around the yard.
The courtyard was vast, with Immortal Dao laws circulating, making it resemble a small secret realm. It appeared to be a courtyard, but in reality, it was a cultivation paradise.
Li Hao wandered around, and as he passed a small arched bridge over a creek, he suddenly heard the sound of wind rushing through the air.
With his sharp hearing and Dao perception, he immediately recognized that the wind was sword wind—someone was practicing swordplay.
The sound of a sword cutting through the wind was notably different from that of a blade. From the faint, whistling sound, Li Hao could almost visualize the posture of the person swinging their sword, including their body movements.
Curious, he stepped off the bridge, circled around a grove, and came to the end of a small gravel path. There, in front of a pavilion, stood a young girl around fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing a pale yellow outfit, gracefully practicing her swordplay.
However, despite her youthful face, her swordsmanship was remarkably mature.
"Hmm?"
Li Hao observed her sword form. The girl repeatedly practiced the same sword move, as though someone was guiding her. Slowly, the movement began to show a faint rhythm.
That rhythm was strangely familiar to Li Hao. He quickly recognized that the sword technique the girl was practicing was one of the Ten Immortal Arts—'Qing Tian'!
Li Hao was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected to see a rare Immortal technique from the True Realm being casually practiced by a young girl here.
However, her sword stance seemed somewhat off. He could only barely sense a trace of Dao rhythm, and if she continued practicing this way, it would likely take a very long time for her to truly comprehend the essence of this Immortal art.
"Who?"
While Li Hao quietly observed, the girl seemed to sense something. Her eyes narrowed sharply, and her originally soft and gentle gaze turned suddenly sharp. She swung her sword, releasing a sword Qi like a rainbow, slashing straight at Li Hao.
The sword Qi showed no mercy. In any sect, stealing a sword move was a serious taboo.
But when this fierce sword Qi reached Li Hao, he raised his hand, extending two fingers, and gently squeezed. The formless yet meaningful sword Qi was immediately crushed.
"Who are you? How dare you steal my sword technique!"
The girl's figure took a step, closing the distance and appearing ten zhang (approximately 30 feet) away from Li Hao. Seeing her sword Qi shattered, her delicate face showed more anger, but there was no fear in her expression.
"Steal?"
Li Hao was momentarily taken aback, then smiled. He gently brought the fingers that had just crushed the sword Qi together, forming a sword finger. He then lightly waved his finger as if drawing a cloud.
In an instant, a sword Qi shot from his fingertip, cutting through space like a dragon emerging from the abyss, soaring through the sky. In the blink of an eye, it swept past the girl's flowing hair, emitting a long dragon-like roar as it soared upwards, splitting the air and creating a crack in the sky above the courtyard!