The Name of Eternity.

Chapter 254 Xia Family Invitation

Youzhou City, Xia Family General’s Mansion.

In the East Pavilion, a noble lady sat in the hall.

She looked to be about forty years old, but her complexion was as white as cream, more tender than that of a young girl. Against the backdrop of her luxurious clothes, she looked like a pretty lady walking out of a painting, with a dignified and noble manner.

She is not the lady, but Xia Linglong, the current head of the Xia family, and also the true dragon of the previous generation.

Because she promised to never marry, she was qualified to compete for the real dragon. In addition, she was extremely talented and it was rumored that she was the most talented person in the Xia family in hundreds of years.

He entered the realm of the Three Immortals at the age of twenty. Although not as good as the Li family monster who achieved immortality at the age of nineteen more than ten years ago, he was also extremely glorious and famous throughout the world, and everyone knew him.

When she took over the reins of the Xia family, demons and evil forces bullied her for being a woman and laughed at the Xia family's decline and weakness. They caused chaos in other states ruled by the Xia family and made the people live in misery.

But after Xia Linglong came to power, she attacked swiftly with thunder and killed and repelled these demons.

She personally led the army in many battles, wearing iron armor, with her hands stained with the blood of countless demons. After leaving the battlefield, she returned home, wearing cloud-like colorful skirts, and applying rouge and powder, enjoying flowers and drinking tea like those state ladies.

However, the books that the ladies of state read were "On Women" and "The Art of Marrying a Husband", while what she held in her hands were military books, strategies of war, and maps of demon territories.

Half a month ago, the Gluttony Valley, which had been besieging the Muhe River outside Liangzhou, suddenly shifted its offensive and attacked the Xia family's Youzhou. This battle was unexpected, and with the elders of the Gluttony Valley leading the expedition themselves, the eastern border defense line was breached. Now half of the eastern part of Youzhou has fallen.

There were more than thirty casualties and burned down cities.

There are at least four to five million people in each city and nearby towns and villages, and sometimes as many as tens of millions.

The home province that her family guarded suffered such a heavy blow that she had not been able to get a good rest for many days. The previous master of the Gluttony Valley was even more reckless and launched a sneak attack on the God General's Mansion, but was forced to retreat by several uncles and aunts in the clan who were at the level of ultimate learning.

However, this battle also made her realize that the strength of the Valley Master of Gluttony Valley should not be underestimated. Although he was not at the Dao Realm, he had few rivals in the Absolute Learning Realm. His flesh and blood were condensed and comparable to top-notch divine weapons. The effect of the strongest skills in the Absolute Learning Realm was greatly reduced when they fell on him.

Fortunately, the Lord of Gluttony Valley is not yet at the Taixu Realm. He is a great demon king who rose to power five hundred years ago and has not yet entered the Dao Realm.

Otherwise, the Xia family will really face disaster, and they must use their strongest resources to stop it!
But despite this, the Xia family is currently in dire straits.

"In the eastern battlefield, Xia Changkong sent a message that the second line of defense can no longer be held. They have to retreat to the Ming River area and activate the third line of defense there."

In the hall, an old man said in a low voice.

He is from the older generation of the Xia family. He has already put on his armor and is ready to go into battle at any time.

His eyes fell on Xia Linglong, who looked like a noble lady in the hall. Although she was a woman, no one in the Xia family dared to look down on her and they all treated her with great awe and respect.

"Master, please let me go and accompany Changkong to guard the city!"

The old man volunteered, his eyes like an eagle, and he said sharply: "If the third line of defense is lost, I will fight to the death with the Gluttony Valley!"

The others all turned pale, and were hesitant to speak. They wanted to stop it, but didn't know what to say. As the Divine General's Mansion, this has always been their mission. Besides, countless soldiers have already fallen on the front line, and they also have their own relatives.

"A bloody battle is the ultimate option, but not the goal."

Xia Linglong spoke, her autumn-water eyes devoid of the usual tenderness, only coldness:
"If the Lord of Gluttony Valley takes action, you may not be able to hold even the third line of defense. The difference in strength between the two sides is too great, especially in terms of cutting-edge forces. At the same time, we must also guard against the possibility that other demonic forces may take advantage of the chaos to attack. Before the situation becomes clear, we must not easily make a desperate bet!"

The old man's expression changed slightly. He stared at her, but did not question her. Instead, he waited for her subsequent words.

Xia Linglong paused for a moment before she stared and whispered:

"The third line of defense will be a feint to attract the Gluttonous Valley Lord to Cangling, where there is a magic array buried by our Xia family's ancestors. With the power of the magic array, we can seal off the Gluttonous Valley Lord. Then we will charge to the front line to wipe out all the monsters, and finally have a big battle with the Gluttonous Valley Lord. This time, I am going to use the ancestral sacred treasure!"

Hearing her words, the old man's face changed slightly, and the pupils of others also shrank.

They all felt the great determination of the patriarch.

“But in this case, once the third line of defense is breached, more than a dozen cities will be lost…” the old man couldn’t help but say.

Xia Linglong stared at him and said, "I have already asked Uncle Qi to lead a hundred thousand troops to relocate the residents in the city, leaving only a small number of defenders. It doesn't matter if the city is broken, as long as the people are still there. When the war is over, our Xia family will send troops to help them rebuild the city."

"Have they all retreated?" the old man couldn't help but ask.

Xia Linglong was silent for a while before she said, "It's too late, but if we cut off our wrists in time, we can save more people. We have no choice."

Everyone was silent, including the old man. He knew that his niece was intelligent and capable of taking charge of everything. Since she couldn't think of a better way, it meant that there was really no better way.

"The request for help was sent to Dayuzhou, but I heard that there are also demons entrenched outside the imperial city, so it is impossible to reinforce. Since the battle in Liangzhou, no, it should be said that it is the frequent sneak attacks by demons in the past few decades, and they are all aimed at the place guarded by the Li family, which almost caused the Li family to be extinct. I have a premonition that these demons seem to be plotting something big..."

Xia Linglong took a deep breath, her eyes cold, and said:
"The battle of Liangzhou is just the beginning. Fortunately, that young man defended it. Otherwise, given the terrain of Liangzhou, once it was occupied by the demons, the second thing would be to go straight to Youzhou, and then invade other states through the rivers. They can attack or defend, and it will be a big deal!"

"Their rapid attack failed and they were cut in half. They had no choice but to move and try to tear a gap in Youzhou. This is just the beginning. Your Majesty should have sensed it, but he has not sent reinforcements. If I am not mistaken, the real plan of this demon may not be Youzhou, but the Imperial City..."

"Now, it depends on who moves first and who can't bear it first."

"So, we can only rely on ourselves!"

Hearing her words, everyone's faces turned solemn, knowing that the thousand-year peace of the Dayu Dynasty had been broken.

As people in the Divine General's Mansion who have been exposed to border war reports for many years, they had such a premonition a long time ago, and they also saw that the deterrent power of the Dayu Divine Dynasty on these monsters was weakening year by year.

However, the demons are becoming more and more rampant. This war is bound to happen sooner or later, but no one expected it to come so soon.

"Heroes emerge in troubled times. The young hero has already emerged, which is enough to show that troubled times have arrived..."

Someone sighed.

"Then I will go to Cangling area first and set up the formation in advance." The old man said to Xia Linglong.

Xia Linglong nodded and said, "Thank you for troubling my fourth uncle."

"Why should I thank you for slaying the demon? Please don't humiliate me." The old man snorted coldly.

Xia Linglong's cold eyes suddenly softened a little, and she said, "I was wrong."

The old man waved his hand and was about to stand up. Suddenly, a ray of light like an arrow came flying and landed in the General's Mansion.

The old man sensed it immediately, his face changed slightly, and he raised his hand to absorb the urgent information sent by the Xia family's special secret method.

"Liyang?"

When the old man saw the words on the letter, his face changed slightly. It was a letter from Liyang!

Xia Linglong's expression also froze: "Can Liyang be defended so soon?"

The old man pushed the letter in front of her with his palm.

Xia Linglong quickly flipped through it, and her originally solemn expression was slightly stunned.

"Liyang was lost?"

"Are we losing the defense or asking for help?"

When others learned the news from Liyang, they also felt nervous. If the northwest was lost again, the demons would attack Youzhou from both sides.

After reading the letter, Xia Linglong couldn't help but look up at the old man.

There was a questioning look in the old man's eyes.

Xia Linglong's eyes gradually lit up with light, and she said, "Liyang is safe!"

"They won?"

"Didn't they say before that their food supplies were cut off? Since the demons have cut off their food supplies, they should be planning to adopt a siege strategy. They should be able to delay for a while."

Everyone was stunned, and then their faces were filled with surprise.

Finally, we can hear some good news in the series of battle reports.

"Could it be that my son Xia Yuanming has a breakthrough in the battle?"

"Your son is not as smart as Qingshuang. It should be Qingshuang, but she has just entered the Heavenly Man Realm not long ago. She should not have the ability to decide the battlefield, right?"

After hearing the good news, everyone looked happy for a rare time, and some even joked with each other.

Xia Linglong didn't keep the secret and said, "Everyone still remembers the young general who was made a duke, right? He has come to Youzhou!"

"Huh?" "What!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then realized that there was only one young general who was conferred the title of Duke in the entire Dayu Divine Dynasty, and he was the one guarding Xialiangzhou.

They were certainly familiar with it, and when the deeds of the young man spread, a phenomenon appeared in the cities of each state. That is, they would make some battle flags engraved with the words "Haotian" in their warehouses, ready to be hung when demons attacked the city and war broke out.

After the deterrent power of the battle flag spread, all parties regarded it as a strategic material.

Perhaps one day when the Great Yu Dynasty is in complete danger, cities all over the world will raise the flag of that young man and his mythical reputation!

Regarding this phenomenon, as a member of the Divine General's Mansion, although he was jealous of the young man's fame, he also knew that only the young man could do it. Due to the special nature of the battle flag, the fame of his battle flag even surpassed the ancestral flags of the five major Divine General's Mansions.

"Are you talking about the General Haotian?"

"Isn't he in Muhe River outside Liangzhou? Why is he in Youzhou? Is he here specifically to provide reinforcements?"

"Liangzhou is not far from Youzhou, maybe he heard the news? But I haven't heard that he left the Dead River. Some time ago, the demons outside the Dead River retreated to attack Qingzhou. Now there are no demons outside the Dead River. Maybe there was no war after he came out, so we don't know?"

"The news couldn't be wrong, Qingzhou is about to fall, but he is not in Qingzhou, and he actually came to Youzhou first?"

"Doesn't he know about Qingzhou?"

Everyone looked at Xia Linglong in surprise.

Xia Linglong also reacted. Indeed, if the young man had come out, he should have rushed to Qingzhou to help. Could it be that the news was wrong?
But then, she thought of something about the young man, her eyes flickered, and she immediately understood the reason.

It seems that the battle between father and son in Qingzhou did have a huge impact. The young man really chose to leave the Li family and completely cut off all ties with the Li family!
I'm afraid that not only is there no gratitude, but there is also hatred, otherwise why would he come to Youzhou instead of going to Qingzhou?

Thinking of this, a trace of doubt flashed through her mind. Although she didn't know what happened between the father and son, the fact that the young man could show up to save Liangzhou and sacrifice himself to attract the master of Taixu Realm was enough to show that he had a kind heart and chivalrous spirit. What mistake had he made to make the Li family treat him like this?

"The military letter showed no signs of being opened, and the secret pattern on it was not broken. The news is true, unless the demons have already invaded Liyang and forced them to write down the news."

Xia Linglong said, but this is also equivalent to telling everyone that this news is absolutely true and cannot be false.

Because the Xia family men there would never betray their family.

Everyone understood what she meant. Some people showed joy and said:

"No matter what, he is willing to help our Xia family, which is also a favor. Now that Liyang City has been defended, I heard that he can kill the demon king and has the power to rival the ultimate learning realm. Why not invite him over and invite him to discuss the conquest of the Gluttony Valley Master?"

"That's right, if he is willing, we can ask the old lady to give him a chicken." Another person suggested.

Xia Linglong nodded slightly; she had the same idea.

The chickens that the old lady raised were not real chicks, but big demons.

The Xia family's skills tend to be about controlling objects and refining the spirit, so they are also good at taming demons and war horses.

The best war horses in the entire Dayu Divine Dynasty came from the Xia family. The royal dragons were also raised and trained by the Xia family. There was a position in the imperial court called Dragon Tamer, which was held by the Xia family for generations.

Many of the mixed-race mounts of high-ranking officials, such as the Jiao Lions of Qingzhou, all came from the Dragon Taming Division.

"Having such strong support is worth it no matter what the cost." The old man said to Xia Linglong.

Xia Linglong nodded and immediately ordered someone to come over and write a letter back to Liyang.

……

Liyang City.

The sentinels outside the city returned and reported to the Xia family veteran and others the news that all the demon troops outside the city had evacuated.

Everyone was stunned when they heard the news. They didn't expect that the demonic wave that had made the people in the city panic-stricken and terrified would retreat so easily and quietly.

Just because of the arrival of a young man.

One person enters the city and scares away millions of demons outside the city!

Is this the boy's reputation?
Previously, they had heard about the young man's deeds from various sources, and they were only shocked, envious, and even a little jealous. But at this moment, they truly felt how intimidating the young man was among the demons!

All the controversies and rumors became concrete at this moment.

The young man merely rode into the pass on horseback, without saying a single word to the demons, but he was more powerful than their hoarse roars and desperate resistance!

That's the gap.

Several young major generals of the Xia family all had complicated expressions. They were the younger generation of the Xia family, and their target was the younger generation of the Li family. The young man was from the Li family, but now, they were completely defeated.

Even if they were tied together, they were still no match for that young man, which made them feel sad.

Li Hao had not been in Liyang City for more than two days when he received a reply letter from the Xia family. Xia Linglong, the head of the Xia family, wrote to him personally to invite him to a gathering at the Xia family's Godly General's Mansion to express her gratitude.

Li Hao was a little surprised. He originally wanted to leave Liyang City after staying there and return to Liangzhou, but the head of the Xia family personally and solemnly invited him. It would be a bit unreasonable to refuse this favor.

Fortunately, it only takes less than half a day to travel from Liyang City to Youzhou City, so it is not a big delay.

To his disappointment, the old general of the Xia family collected some famous paintings and chess manuals for him, but none of them met the requirements of true "masterpieces" and could not be included.

Liyang City is a border city that has been at war for many years. The bows and arrows and food stored here far outweigh the writings of literati, but there is nothing there that he wants.

"When we meet, maybe it would be a good idea to ask the Xia family to help look for it."

Li Hao thought about it in his mind, sat on the horse, and asked the old general of the Xia family to give him a pass.

The old general of the Xia family wanted to accompany Li Hao personally, but Li Hao refused because the Candle God was unwilling to carry him.

With the order to pass the customs, Li Hao had no need to hide it and let the Candle Fire God fly at full speed.

The Candle Fire God soared into the sky, revealing a body like a fire lion and a dragon's tail, and disappeared in Liyang City in the blink of an eye.

"Is that... a demon mount?"

The old generals of the Xia family and Xia Qingshuang and others were all stunned. They had been dealing with demons all their lives, but they never recognized that Li Hao's horse was actually transformed from a demon!

Moreover, the aura emitted by the demon made them feel terrified. It was definitely not an ordinary demon.

Youzhou City, Xia Family General’s Mansion.

Li Hao came riding on the Candle Fire God. When he was about to enter the city, he jumped down and asked the Candle Fire God to transform into a young man and follow him into the city.

The city was bustling and prosperous. Li Hao walked in no hurry, letting Xiyan on his wrist enjoy the scenery along the way. Previously, in that small town, he accompanied her to watch a play one night, which made her happy for several days.

On the streets, various lanterns, paper umbrellas, and rouge stalls are for sale.

Li Hao bought a string of candied haws and held it in his hand. From time to time, Xiyan would stretch out a bunch of small red whiskers and lightly touch them to eat something.

"So sweet~"

Xiyan secretly licked the candied haws. Little Chixu was very agile and ate with great pleasure: "Although it doesn't have much nutrition, it tastes good."

Li Hao smiled and said, "I haven't had a chance to cook for you yet. I'll let you see my cooking skills later."

"Okay!"

Xiyan agreed readily.

Li Hao smiled slightly and took her around the streets for a while, and then they went to the Xia family's God General Mansion.

Upon learning the news that Li Hao was coming, the Xia family was immediately alarmed. They didn't expect Li Hao to come so quickly.

When Xia Linglong heard the news, she immediately put down her teacup, ran out of the East Pavilion, and came to the outside of the mansion to greet him.

When seeing the young man and boy standing outside the mansion, Xia Linglong's gaze immediately fell on Li Hao. She had never seen the Candle Fire God transform into a human form. After all, the Candle Fire God had been in seclusion for too many years. Although he had appeared in Liangzhou before, his divine power was monstrous, which was quite different from his restrained appearance at the moment. What's more, those who had seen him at that time could not describe his specific appearance to others.

"General Haotian, welcome to my Xia family residence."

Xia Linglong said with a smile.

(End of this chapter)