The Name of Eternals

Chapter 207: Luring the Torch Fire God

Just as Li Hao was waiting for Li Tianzong to mention the ancestral hall, he suddenly heard those final whispered words and was stunned.

His pupils constricted as he suddenly looked up in shock, leaping from his chair in a defensive posture.

However, he only saw the elder giving him a gentle smile, as if saying, "Don't be afraid, child."

Li Hao was shaken. Li Xiaoran's words echoed in his mind, warning him repeatedly about many things in the River of the Dead and urging him not to reveal any flaws, to maintain his identity well.

Li Xiaoran had no reason to harm him.

But Li Tianzong before him had already seen through that he wasn't his son! "How did you…"

"Don't worry, sit down."

Li Tianzong's face was kind, and he gently waved at Li Hao, saying, "Earlier, I was in a daze, trapped in this River of the Dead, wandering like in a dream, uncontrollable, but these days, my consciousness occasionally clears, and I remember many things."

"Child, you have the aura of my Li family's bloodline. Are you my grandson or great-grandson?"

His eyes were full of comfort and expectation as he looked at Li Hao.

Hearing this, Li Hao recovered from his shock, furrowing his brows slightly. He remained silent for a moment, not answering.

If he told this grandfather that he had left the Li family, it would probably make him quite sad…

Seeing Li Hao deep in thought and silent, Li Tianzong assumed he had other concerns and didn't blame him. He just smiled and said, "Let's talk business then. My clear moments are few. No matter whose child you are, having a descendant like you in the Li family makes me proud."

"Although I, Li Tianzong, am not capable, my bloodline is good, and my descendants are strong!"

He laughed but soon collected himself, looking seriously at Li Hao:

"Child, this River of the Dead is dangerous. Even with your immense talent, you can't defend it at your current level. Even reaching the Tai Ping Dao realm would be tough… When the city falls tomorrow, go with my fourth brother to the ancestral hall to hide!"

"There, if you sleep for a while, you can leave the River of the Dead."

Li Hao's heart trembled. He looked at his blood-related grandfather and asked, "You recognized him too?"

Li Tianzong's smile was faint, but his eyes were somewhat dim: "How could I not remember my fourth brother? He always followed me around as a kid. But this time is different; this is the River of the Dead, and I am already dead."

"He has no reason to follow me anymore…"

Seeing his downcast expression, Li Hao asked in confusion, "But Fourth Uncle seems unaware that you recognized him."

Li Xiaoran had never mentioned that Li Tianzong's memory could recover.

"You call him Fourth Uncle? Then you must be my grandson."

Li Tianzong grasped the key point in Li Hao's words and immediately looked at him with sparkling eyes:

"Which son of mine is so capable, who did he marry? Royalty? To have such a good son like you!"

"Is it the ninth son or the sixth?"

"Your looks must resemble your mother. Seeing how close you are to the sixth, is it the sixth?"

"…"

Li Hao smiled wryly. Was this the main point? Seeing his silence, Li Tianzong seemed regretful, saying, "I know the fourth brother's character. If I reveal myself to him, he will come more frequently, risking himself to talk to me. But not every time can he reincarnate into the Divine General's Mansion, and not every time can he rely on the ancestral hall to stay safe…"

"This time, I'm telling you this. When you leave, tell the fourth brother not to come to the River of the Dead again. You should be the true dragon of the Li family this generation. Use the True Dragon Order to command him not to come again, remember…"

Li Tianzong's voice lowered, speeding up as he continued: "...and don't get close to me in my usual state…"

Saying this, he fell silent.

Li Hao was stunned, looking at him in uncertainty.

Soon, Li Tianzong raised his head again, looking at Li Hao in surprise, "When did you come? Why are you standing? Sit and eat. The sooner you finish, the sooner you can rest."

Li Hao paused for a moment, silently sat down, picked up his chopsticks to eat and drink as usual, but quietly glanced at him.

Compared to earlier, Li Tianzong's brows were now full of worry, just like his usual impression, meticulously planning for Dragon City.

However, there seemed to be a lingering ominous aura between his brows, like a dark cloud, giving an uneasy feeling.

Li Hao didn't speak, quietly finishing his meal before leaving.

When he returned to the city wall, he saw Li Xiaoran approaching.

"How was it? He talked about the ancestral hall, right?" Li Xiaoran transmitted his voice.

"He told you the same thing before?" Li Hao asked, not showing his thoughts.

"No, I discovered it myself." Li Xiaoran shook his head.

Li Hao's eyes flickered slightly. The discovery was likely arranged by his grandfather during clear moments, making Li Xiaoran think he found it himself.

He didn't tell Li Xiaoran about it now.

With the battle imminent, he feared Li Xiaoran might lose his composure. After all, according to his grandfather, Li Xiaoran had a deep bond with his brothers. He had stayed in the wilderness like a woodcutter guarding the River of the Dead for years, risking danger to free his eldest brother.

If he knew about the clear moments, he might recklessly join the fight in the River of the Dead, becoming more agitated.

Li Hao took a deep breath, burying the matter in his heart. His grandfather would likely be disappointed, but he hadn't become the Li family's true dragon and was no longer part of the Li family.

Restricting Fourth Uncle Li Xiaoran's actions wasn't something he could do. He had to keep this information hidden to avoid more trouble.

"When you first came here, did you reunite with Grandfather?" Li Hao transmitted his voice.

Li Xiaoran nodded: "I almost got into trouble. He almost killed me, which is why I said you must hide your identity well and not expose it."

Li Hao understood. It seemed Li Xiaoran's first encounter with Grandfather was likely very emotional, revealing his identity and almost getting killed.

And the final words Grandfather said, "Don't get close to me in my usual state," were likely out of concern that Li Hao might reveal his identity.

It showed that although Li Tianzong was a steadfast general defending Dragon City and a good "father," revealing their identities would make him extremely ruthless and attack them.

This was likely due to the influence of the River of the Dead.

"The demons are coming again."

Li Xiaoran said.

Li Hao was deep in thought, about to say something else, when he looked into the distance.

He saw the dense demon horde attacking once more.

Taking a deep breath, his eyes turned cold. "The Torch Fire God and that old dragon are likely watching us from the shadows. If we leave, they might attack. How about luring them out first?"

Li Xiaoran glanced at Li Hao, nodding: "It's possible. You want to fight them here?"

"Let's try. I want to experience the power of a Dao Domain!"

Li Hao said.

"Alright."

Seeing Li Hao's decisiveness, Li Xiaoran chose to accompany him. Geniuses often faced challenges head-on. Although the Tai Ping Dao realm was terrifying, experiencing it firsthand would bring out one's potential. "Fourth Uncle will fight with you!"

Li Xiaoran said.

As the demon tide surged forward, Li Hao and Li Xiaoran communicated through transmission, first attacking together, controlling their divine weapons to slaughter the demons.

But as the demon kings were forced out, they attacked several times before withdrawing their weapons and flying into the city together.

In the distance, within the demon tide.

The Torch Fire God, Lu Yuan, and Yin Furen watched the weapons retract and their faces changed slightly.

"Damn, are they retreating already?"

"Aren't they Li family members, supposed to defend the gates to death?"

Lu Yuan, seeing this, couldn't help but show a fierce look, extremely furious.

"They might be trying to lure us out," Torch Fire God said, his face dark.

"But what if they really are retreating?"

Yin Furen frowned, "After all, there are already Absolute Study realm demons among the demons. Despairing is normal. There are seven days left!"

"Let's go. Bring those guys too. We can't wait any longer. Forget ten days; we'll break it today!"

Torch Fire God took a deep breath. Whether it was a plot or a direct assault, they couldn't miss this chance.

If they abandoned the defense, they might be planning to leave the River of the Dead.

Li Xiaoran had repeatedly entered the River of the Dead and left safely, clearly mastering its unique secrets.

If they left first, returning to Liangzhou or even Qingzhou, it would be harder to deal with them.

Moreover, their return would disrupt Qingzhou's strategic deployment, only dealing with them here would be best!

"We can't let that kid escape!"

Torch Fire God quickly transmitted his voice, giving his wife a look. Yin Furen understood, releasing a black crescent moon, rising into the sky, scattering endless moonlight into the demon abyss.

Soon, the massive figures he had previously visited noticed the brilliant silver moonlight.

However, only two of them moved, their auras approaching Torch Fire God.

Torch Fire God's face changed slightly. Only two responded. These guys were too arrogant! Mere dead souls.

He was annoyed but didn't show it. Two should be enough!

"Go!"

Torch Fire God shouted, quickly leading his wife and Lu Yuan toward Dragon City.

Their figures crossed the demon tide, covering dozens of miles in an instant, arriving outside the formation.

Boom! A blazing fist from Torch Fire God's arm smashed into the formation.

The Dragon City formation trembled, lighting up with brilliant golden divine patterns, flashing rapidly.

"It actually withstood my Dao Domain Flame Fist!"

Torch Fire God's face showed a flash of rage. Where in reality would there be such a formation? Could it be the divine formation from the Imperial Palace!