The lone city stood tall, the winds and clouds surged, and the night deepened.

  Li Qingshan gazed out, only to see mountains scattered in the distance and military camps extending as far as the eye could see, illuminating the night sky with their campfires.

  The demonfolk seemed to realise something as well and gave up on the suicidal attack on the city. The night had actually never been so peaceful.

  However, the atmosphere had already reached the limits of suspense, like two colossal beasts crouching down, tensing their muscles, ready for a struggle to the death at any moment.

  The five commandants visited Li Qingshan together and pleaded with him. “General, please don’t stand at the front in the battle tomorrow.”


  Every single commandant was a Yin Soul cultivator, an inner disciple. They each led an army of a hundred thousand, which made them the Xuanwu army’s backbone. They directly influenced the outcome of the war.

  Li Qingshan looked back and asked, “Do I look like someone who goes back on his word?”


  A commandant said, “No. You lead the Xuanwu army, so you should be commanding it from the centre of the army.”


  Li Qingshan shook his head and said calmly, “I’ve never led an army of several tens of thousand before, nor do I know how to command one. But speaking of which, there’s no need for any complicated battle tactics tomorrow. Just advancing openly will suffice. It’ll be enough as long as I have your cooperation.”


  “General, you are the centre of the army’s morale. Even just taking a slight step back will damage the morale of the entire army. If…”


  “If what?”


  “I dare not say it.”


  Just fighting and killing on the battlefield was intense enough. They would be venturing into the enemy territory and breaching the enemy formations too, so even Human Sovereigns could not say with absolute confidence that they could preserve themselves. Meanwhile, Li Qingshan did not even have a mount. If he died at the front, then the entire army would collapse like an avalanche. Merely the thought of that brought them shivers.

  Li Qingshan nodded. “I understand what you’re saying. You don’t have to be too close to the front tomorrow. Do whatever you must do.”


  The five commandants eased up, but Li Qingshan continued, “However, I’ve already made up my mind. If I even take half a step back tomorrow, I’ll write my surname backwards.”


  “General!”


  “Say no more! This is a military order!”


  “Yes, sir!” The five commandants glanced at him deeply with some additional respect. Originally, they were still blaming him for destroying the teleportation hall, severing their path of retreat. Now, they could only admire him.

  They already knew that Li Qingshan had undergone the fifth heavenly tribulation. It was only a matter of time before he became a direct disciple. With his startling talent, there was originally no need for him to become involved in this mess at all, yet he still gambled everything resolutely.

  When it came to heroes, this was it.

  “What an impressive spirit!” A gentleman emerged from the darkness. “I have something for you.”


  “You are?” Li Qingshan had seen him recently in the Scorching Fire hall, so he knew he was one of the direct disciples. However, they did not have any contact with each other.

  “The master of the Spiritual Treasure workshop, Lu Boming.”


  The bleak sounds of horns whistled through Black Cloud city. The long night passed.

  The sky began to lighten up. The soldiers and generals all equipped their armour and picked up their weapons. The sounds of jangling metal rang out endlessly.

  Squadrons emerged from the centre of the mountain one by one, making their way down. They began to gather.

  A cluster of golden light drew over everyone’s gazes, like the rising sun. However, due to the Formation of Black Clouds and Roaring Thunder, Black Cloud city never saw any daylight.

  Li Qingshan was clad in golden heavy armour with the Frenzy Flower Blade of Path’s End on his back, standing on the imposing gate tower. Five army banners were planted on his back, rippling in the wind majestically. He stood like a god.

  The heavy armour was a gift from the master of the Spiritual Treasure workshop, Lu Boming. It was said to be a replication of the armour wielded by the Giant Spirit God from beyond the Nine Heavens, so it was called the Giant Spirit God armour. He gave it to him to make up for the fact that he did not have a mount.

  TL: The Giant Spirit God is a deity in Chinese mythology which you can read more about here.

  Li Qingshan already possessed quite a large stature, and he became even taller after equipping the Giant Spirit God armour. He stood three metres tall, and even the giant Frenzy Flower Blade of Path’s End seemed regular sized in his hands now.

  The armour was engraved with a complicated pattern. A tiger-headed band ran around his waist, while his shoulder plates were the vicious heads of two tigers. The armour wrapped around him firmly.

  However, the Giant Spirit God armour was not originally golden. Li Qingshan had specially requested for the colour change. Lu Boming was originally very unwilling to go forward with it. He severely doubted Li Qingshan’s concepts of aesthetics.

  Li Qingshan told him, “I need to attract the enemy’s attention as much as possible. It will also let the soldiers see me when I advance.”


  Lu Boming found that extremely admirable, which was the only reason why he gilded the armour in gold. Afterwards, he paid a visit to the grand hall in the Pure Land temple and asked the Upraised Light abbot to chant through the night to “imbue it with light”, which was why it glistened now.

  It had to be mentioned that the effect was exceptional. After a night of silence, a boulder immediately rose up into the air from the demonfolk camps. It was the size of a house, and it had been further forged with techniques, burning like a meteor as it rushed towards him with a great tail of flames.

  Li Qingshan shut his eyes as if he heard the sharp twang of the tension snapping.

  In the next moment, over a thousand meteors rose into the air at the same time, flying towards Black Cloud city.

  The army gathered in the city, so there were soldiers everywhere. If the rocks landed and exploded, who knew how many people would die.

  “Be careful, Qingshan!” Ruan Yaozhu cried out, “Senior brother Pi, activate the formation!”


  Wan Jianfeng drew his sword and rose up. “Senior and junior brothers and sisters, let’s intercept it.”


  Clang! With the sound of clashing armour, Li Qingshan raised his arm, indicating that there was no need for everyone to panic. He turned around and threw a punch at the sky filled with meteors.

  Tremor!

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  The incoming meteor shattered, and the loose rock and sparks filled the air. Swish, swish, swish, swish! They struck all the meteors that came after it.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

  The meteors all erupted with flames, like a grand spectacle of fireworks, turning the morning sky crimson.

  Admiration and hope shone in the eyes of the soldiers. They gazed at his figure beneath the flames and fireworks, waiting for his orders silently.

  The direct disciples glanced at one another. They all found it to be unbelievable. All of them were capable of destroying a meteor, but using the loose rubble to destroy all the remaining meteors required more than technique of absolute precision—crushing strength was needed as well.

  Dai Mengfan blanked out. She murmured, “First senior brother…”


  Under that figure, unprecedented confidence rose up in everyone’s hearts.

  Li Qingshan said sternly, “Open the city gates.”


  He did not speak loudly, but his order was passed down rapidly.

  “The general’s order, open the city gates!”


  “Open the city gates! Open the city gates!”


  At that moment, in the mixture of voices, the rising and falling orders echoed through all of Black Cloud city!

  “Ah! Hah!” With a bellow in unison, bare-armed warriors began to turn the wheel vigorously. Their muscles rippled as they let out steaming breaths.

  Jangle!

  The iron chains were taut, and the city gates began to open slowly. Like a great dam released, soldiers gathered into floods of metal.

  Rumble!

  The sounds of clashing armour made the earth rumble like thunder.

  Li Qingshan stood on the battlements and leapt down, falling to the bottom of the city. Alone and with heavy steps, he made his way towards the swarming demonic clouds.

  Bang! Bang! Bang!

  The unique sound of his footsteps seemed to possess a wondrous charm. The floods of metal behind him could not help but follow the same rhythm.

  Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

  The footsteps became louder and louder, heavier and heavier, until each step rocked the mountains.