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Most of them were covered in blood, some with grave injuries, arms severed, others with lower legs torn open, bandaged, and even some with eyeballs or half of their faces torn off by demons, their flesh a blurred mess, all had been treated with medicinal powder.

If it was not for Lu Chunsheng\'s timely arrival, the majority of them would have likely perished completely.

"We won!"

Someone said, and immediately the spirits of the others were somewhat lifted.

Compared to them, there were even more demons slain here.

However, among the dead were also many passionate souls from various states who had come together and now lay eternally.

Li Hao did not speak, but bowed deeply to them.

Despite the guidance and arrangements by Tianji Tower, the sacrifices these people made were genuine and substantial.

Lu Chunsheng did not linger at the site, and said to Li Hao, "I will be waiting for you at Tianji Tower."

Then he turned and floated away, disappearing without a trace.

In the distance, a group of war horses galloped in, led by a figure in bright red armor—it was Li Hongzhuang, who had previously returned to Qingzhou.

Seeing Li Hao\'s bloodied state, she, who had seen countless soldiers fall in battle, also felt her eyes moisten and stepped forward, saying, "I arrived too late!"

Li Hao shook his head slightly, saying, "Thank you for the reinforcements."

"What thanks?" Li Hongzhuang said with reddened eyes.

Li Hao did not continue the conversation, but turned to the Great Grandmaster Lin Qingfeng beside him and said:

"Please trouble you, senior, to count our fallen heroes. It would be even better if their identities could be determined."

Lin Qingfeng nodded slightly, beckoned a few people, and left.

Li Hongzhuang said, "Leave this task to me."

She turned and instructed, "Brothers, go count the battlefield, bring back all the fallen brothers, and try to reassemble the limbs and fragments as completely as possible!"

"Yes!"

The Bloodsha Army behind her responded in unison, and immediately set off on their horses.

Li Hao sat down on the ground, the Holy Heart Talisman in his hand already burned to ashes.

Thinking back to when Chu Jiuyue had given him the talisman, he guessed she had probably anticipated today\'s events.

And that Supreme Tower Master Lu Chunsheng, who "just happened" to appear when he activated the Holy Heart Talisman, it all seemed too coincidental.

Li Hao sat carelessly on the sandy ground, legs apart, looking towards the calm evening sunlight in the distance, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

No matter what, the support of the other party had indeed been delivered effectively. If not for that, he might not have died today, but he would have been gravely injured, and that agreement would definitely have been broken.

If Emperor Yu was indeed the old man he had played chess with by the willow river, Li Hao could only say that he had won the chess games at the time, but the move the opponent made today was pressing on his lifeline, utterly ruthless!

...

...

Yuzhou, the imperial capital.

In the towering palace\'s back garden, a secluded royal garden with thinly-accumulated snow.

Within it was a flowerbed that was already showing new branches, indicating that the severe winter was soon coming to an end.

"Your Majesty, the plum blossoms stand tall, and the spring blossoms are about to open too," said Chu Jiuyue, her voice soft and submissive, observing the emerging faint yellow in the flowerbed.

The snow in the garden had been cleared, and the flowerbed was meticulously cared for; the seeds were carefully selected from countless varieties, thus all were of excellent types.

"Yes, the harsh winter is nearing its end, and the spring rain will soon come..."

Emperor Yu walked leisurely in the garden, pausing in front of this flowerbed following Chu Jiuyue\'s voice, and after taking a glance, he looked up toward the distant horizon.

A flicker crossed his eyes and he spoke in a soft voice:

"The situation at Heavenly Gate Pass should be coming to a close."

Chu Jiuyue calculated the time and nodded, saying, "In two days, the news from Chunsheng should arrive."

"This time the intent was too obvious, that child will likely have noticed."

Emperor Yu\'s lips curled up slightly, thinking of the youth by the river who had spoken the words "All glory and wealth are as dust, all honor and riches are as clouds."

The fact that the young man dared to shed the surname of the Li Family seemed to indeed reflect his words—a youth has his youthful recklessness.

While he appeared indifferent to glory and fame, his heart harbored a spirited pride, which Emperor Yu found very endearing.

"Wasn\'t Your Majesty intending for him to realize this?"

Chu Jiuyue playfully pretended confusion, knowing that flattery such as saying "Your Majesty\'s schemes are unfathomable" was too cliché and inferior. Besides, Emperor Yu held that young man in high regard, and such words might be demeaning to him, which was not clever at all.

"If he sees through it, will he develop different thoughts and blame Your Majesty?" Chu Jiuyue asked.

She knew that Emperor Yu wanted to hear more than just her flattery.

"Heh..."

Upon hearing Chu Jiuyue\'s words, Emperor Yu chuckled: "Any plan has its path, and thus can be easy for someone to see through."

"All schemes in the world are inferior to sincerity."

"Only a genuine heart is impenetrable."

Chu Jiuyue blinked, then looked at His Majesty. "Does this mean, Your Majesty truly cares for that young man?"

His gaze flickered, uncertain whether to believe those words.

But since His Majesty had spoken so, he could only choose to believe.

...

...

In Liangzhou, at Heavenly Gate Pass.

Within the camp of Cangya City, a third of the martial artists and Grandmasters who had come to assist had perished, and another third had bid farewell to Li Hao and departed.

Of those remaining, a portion decided to stay behind to aid Li Hao in guarding the area for a while longer.

Everyone had seen Li Hao\'s grievous injuries and were waiting for his recovery.

Within the cemetery inside the Frontier Pass, many new graves had been added.

Among those fallen Grandmasters, there were those whose wives and disciples had received the news and rushed over, wishing to take their bodies back for burial.

Li Hao naturally consented.

On a mountain outside the pass.

Two figures sat there, surrounded by tranquility without wind or snow, only two flasks of wine between them—it was Li Muxiu and Feng Boping.

"Caught any good fish lately?"

Feng Boping took a sip of wine, gazing at the snow before him and asked casually.

Li Muxiu shook his head slightly, "Don\'t feel like fishing."

Feng Boping was taken aback and sized up his old friend, then suddenly asked, "Did you rush here to reinforce because the True Dragon of the Li Family arranged it?"

Li Muxiu kept his head down, fiddling with the snow on the ground, and remained silent.

Feng Boping seemed to expect the answer and sighed, "By saying this, do you intend to persuade Hao Er to return? Are you sure you want him to go back to that place? Even I, as an outsider, can\'t stand to watch it. I don\'t believe you truly bear to do so."

Li Muxiu stopped tracing circles in the snow with his finger, lifted his head, and turned to look at Feng Boping:

"If I don\'t put it this way, would Hao Er return? You saw how perilous it was for Hao this time; both of you nearly died!"

"Even if he has to hold his nose and go back, at least it\'s safe there. Once Hao inherits the True Dragon\'s mantle and surpasses his father in strength, why would he need to care about other\'s attitudes anymore?"

Feng Boping fell into silence for a moment before responding, "What does the True Dragon truly intend, then? Since you weren\'t sent by him, what has he done? He surely must know what Heavenly Gate Pass faced, right?"

Li Muxiu sighed and said, "He went to the eastern frontier of Liangzhou. The military camps there suffered attacks, and Xuan Li, who was stationed in the west, couldn\'t provide reinforcements in time. Moreover, the attacks there were likely a feint by the demons to create a diversion, so he personally led the troops out to battle."

"When Hong Zhuang returned, he had just set out. These are turbulent times, and who knows what the next few years will bring."

Feng Boping expressed his surprise, "Has it really become so chaotic? If we\'ve detected the demons outside the Liangzhou Territory, they should no longer resort to sneak attacks, or move their base, right? There\'s no need to keep a watch over this place."

"And didn\'t His Majesty send reinforcements? This is a rare opportunity for a strategic ambush."

Li Muxiu shook his head, "His Majesty can\'t spare any forces. It\'s not just Liangzhou that was attacked; several other major states are in a precarious state as well. You wouldn\'t know, but three months ago in Qi State, the frontier was close to being overrun. Three cities were destroyed overnight with not a single survivor. That\'s the territory of the Xia Family; now they too are on high alert."

"Was your visit to the Xia Family because of this?"

Li Muxiu picked up a flask and took a drink, saying no more.

Talking too much about these military matters wouldn\'t benefit his old friend, Feng Boping.

Feng Boping also realized he had asked too much. Although they were close friends, there were certain lines they did not cross.

"Don\'t worry about Hao Er; this old life of mine can still hold on for a few more years," Feng Boping assured him.

Li Muxiu looked at him and nodded, "You\'ve been tied to this place for three years; it\'s indeed an inconvenience for you."

"Stop it. If you really feel sorry, let me take a look inside the Li Family\'s ancestral treasury," Feng Boping huffed.

Li Muxiu gave him a look, "Don\'t even think about it."

...

The people who stayed at Heavenly Gate Pass, looking at the "Cangya City" reduced to nothing more than a small mound and the cemetery sprawling endlessly like a city wall, were utterly speechless and shaken.

At that moment, they finally understood what a true frontier city was.

This was a city built of flesh and blood, a city of heroic spirits!

Many were moved and chose to stay to help rebuild Cangya City.

With the aid of those martial artists, the reconstruction project began swiftly and progressed rapidly.

Indeed, many hands make light work. Their extensive networks enabled them not only to provide the stones and wood needed for construction from beyond the pass, but other living supplies were also transported from various cities.

Thus, merchant caravans bearing flags began to appear on the once deserted Dragon Pass Road that had been quiet for decades.

Even escort agencies with their banners passed through.

This silent thoroughfare was now finally frequented by people, becoming a real road!

This road led to the end, towards Cangya City.

Outside the former mound, tall walls had already been erected. With the aid of many Fifteen Li Realm martial artists and Grandmasters, transporting large stones was effortless, making the construction of the city walls incredibly fast and efficient.

High-rise buildings sprang up from flat ground; the city rose as well.

Building after building was erected, decorated with dragons and phoenixes, exquisitely crafted.

At the top of the city walls, as ropes were pulled, a military flag unfurled in the wind.

On it were two large, dark characters:

Haotian!