As the saying goes, the battlefield changes in the blink of an eye.
This phrase perfectly describes the current situation.
No one could have imagined that the Barbarian tribes and Prince of the Northern Frontier, who were locked in a life-and-death struggle just moments ago, would suddenly ally, turning their attention to the mysterious powerful figure wielding the Imperial Sword.
Faced with the gaze of five peak experts simultaneously, Xu Qi An licked his lips, revealing a ferocious, bloodthirsty smile.
“You seem quite excited. Do you think you can face all five of us with just the Imperial Sword?” The Prince of the Northern Frontier narrowed his eyes and sneered:
“Judging by your aura, you’re also at the Third Realm. Perfect. Since the Blood Pills’ effect isn’t enough, I’ll use your life essence to compensate.”
The life essence of a Third Realm expert was no less potent than Blood Pills. More accurately, the Prince of the Northern Frontier refined Blood Pills to harness the vast life energy needed to break through to the Second Realm.
The essence was “vast life energy” – whether it came from Blood Pills refined from three hundred thousand civilians or the vital blood of a Third Realm expert.
It’s just that killing a Third Realm expert was usually far too difficult, nowhere near as easy as massacring a city.
Hearing the Prince’s words, Zhu Jiu and Ji Li Zhi Gu licked their lips, revealing greedy expressions.
They rarely had such a good opportunity to hunt down a Third Realm warrior. The Barbarians and Demon Race were allies, with two Third Realm experts, while the Northern Frontier, though only having the Prince as a Third Realm expert, held the home-field advantage with the city’s defensive formation and heavy siege weapons.
He was already a tough nut to crack, and secondly, the Prince of the Northern Frontier would certainly not just defend Chu State City. He and Zhu Jiu couldn’t stop a Third Realm expert who only wanted to escape.
And if they failed to kill the Prince of the Northern Frontier, it would only invite retaliation from Great Shang. They feared that Wei Yuan would lead his army north again.
So while there were occasional conflicts between the two sides, there had never been such a large-scale battle.
Now it was different. Now it was five peak experts surrounding and attacking one Third Realm expert. Even if the opponent had the Imperial Sword, it was at most like sticking a needle in a piece of roast meat – it would make eating difficult, but only difficult.
Under everyone’s gaze, Xu Qi An stuck the Imperial Sword into the ground, raised both hands to cup his face, tilted his head back, and let out a hoarse, strange laugh:
“After suppressing it for so long, I can finally release my power freely. Five Third Realm youngsters, barely enough for this master to have a meal.”
Then, he held up one finger and announced: “Phase One.”
The Prince of the Northern Frontier and the others raised their eyebrows, feeling that their opponent was either bluffing or had lost his self-awareness due to the power of the Blood Pills.
Hey hey, Master, aren’t you getting a bit carried away? Although you might have been very strong when you were alive, now you’re just a severed arm and a remnant soul… Xu Qi An also felt that Shen Shu’s state was a bit off.
Every time he manifested the Undying Body, Shen Shu would become strange, his temperament changing drastically as if he had become a different person.
“Empty threats!”
The Shaman snorted coldly, extending his palm towards Xu Qi An: “Dea-“
He meant to say “Death,” intending to use a death curse to deal a heavy blow to this suddenly mentally unstable expert.
But halfway through saying “Death,” “Xu Qi An” suddenly put his index finger to his lips and said in an exaggerated tone, lowering his voice: “Shh, keep your mouth shut.”
In an instant, the Shaman felt his mouth sealed by an invisible force. No matter how hard he tried to open his mouth, he couldn’t make a sound.
Xu Qi An then disappeared, engaging in close-quarter combat.
A dazzling ball of light exploded, making it impossible for outsiders to see the details of the battle. They could only perceive the intensity of the fight through the constantly exploding, thunderous booms.
Then a figure was sent flying. After activating his blood essence, this Shaman from the Shaman God Sect had his body expand, originally even taller than the green giant Ji Li Zhi Gu.
But now he was beaten back to his original form, his chest caved in, a transparent sword hole in his abdomen, and his left arm severed at the shoulder, the cut smooth as if sliced by a single sword stroke.
The high-ranking Shaman retreated rapidly, activating his blood essence. With the ability of a Ninth Rank Blood Spirit, he began healing his wounds and regenerating his severed arm.
“Be careful, he has no weaknesses. I can’t find his weak points,” the Shaman said in a deep voice.
Third Realm Shamans were called “Spirit Wisdom,” able to see through enemies’ weaknesses and flaws in their techniques, thereby formulating an effective attack or counterattack plan for themselves.
The most notable characteristic of Spirit Wisdom was their composure, like high and mighty experts who could calmly defuse any frenzied attack, always appearing unruffled.
“Are you from the Buddhist sect?” Zhu Jiu screeched, instinctively wary, his vertical eye immediately radiating hatred.
Whether it was the Southern Demons who were annihilated within sixty years five hundred years ago or the now talent-depleted Northern Demon Race, all had suffered at the hands of the Buddhist sect, all had been taught lessons by the Buddhists.
Two hundred years ago in the Nine Provinces, only the Confucian school of Great Shang could rival the Buddhist sect.
Now, with the decline of Confucianism, the Buddhist sect could be considered the number one power in the Nine Provinces.
“What’s so great about the Buddhist sect? When I regain my physical body, it will be the day the Buddhist sect falls,” Xu Qi An laughed wildly, looking exactly like a lawless madman.
A golden light suddenly flashed towards him, hitting Shen Shu directly, but it only struck an afterimage.
The next moment, Zhu Jiu, who had launched the sneak attack, felt a chill in his heart and quickly turned his head, his vertical eye blasting out golden light.
A figure had just appeared there but was torn apart by the golden light – it turned out to be just an illusion.
Puff!
The “Xu Qi An” surrounded by demonic flames landed on the back of the crimson giant snake. He thrust the bronze sword into the snake’s back and dragged it along as he ran wildly on this red road.
The Imperial Sword cut through the snake’s flesh and blood, severing vertebrae after vertebrae.
Behind him bloomed clusters of blood-colored flowers.
Zhu Jiu let out a miserable roar, his enormous snake body thrashing about in the city, charging around wildly. To the soldiers on the city walls, it looked like a crazed snake had rushed into a sandbox.
At this moment, the green giant Ji Li Zhi Gu appeared silently behind Xu Qi An, and his giant sword was suddenly chopped down.
It was as if Xu Qi An had eyes on the back of his head. He turned and raised the Imperial Sword.
Clang clang clang…
The door-sized heavy-iron sword in the green giant’s hands was like a toy. In an instant, the two exchanged over twenty blows, the heavy sword shortening inch by inch, shattering into pieces of iron shrapnel.
Xu Qi An soared up, pressed his hand on the green giant’s head, and darted behind him like a swimming fish. With a crack, the green giant’s face appeared on his back.
The bronze sword flashed, cutting through the armored skin, and slicing open the trachea and carotid artery.
Blood, a mix of red and green, spurted like a fountain, the strong pressure sending it several meters high.
Suddenly, the Prince of the Northern Frontier felt his scalp tingle. Out of a warrior’s instinctive sense of danger, he leaped forward abruptly, barely parrying a sword strike aimed at his head.
Just as he steadied himself, Shen Shu appeared behind him like a shadow. The Imperial Sword erupted with dazzling golden light as if about to shatter space itself.
In the Prince’s eyes, there was only the brilliant sword light. His hair stood on end, every nerve in his body sending danger signals, telling him: Danger! Danger! If you don’t dodge, you’ll die!
It had been many years since he had faced such a deadly threat, not since the battle at Shanhai Pass.
At this moment, his heart actually calmed down, his thoughts becoming unprecedentedly clear. For some people, the more dangerous the situation, the more they can unleash their potential.
The incredibly talented Prince of the Northern Frontier happened to be the latter.
His expression remained unperturbed, his eyes as calm as a mirror. He clenched his fist and threw a punch, slow yet incredibly fast.
A domineering and unparalleled fist intent surged forth, causing changes in heaven and earth. The clouds in the high sky began to rotate, forming a vortex. The ground rumbled and shook, as if unable to bear such a domineering spirit.
As is well known, the crudeness of warriors is rarely seen throughout history, with no dazzling special effects or fancy skills.
Therefore, this punch from the Prince of the Northern Frontier, completely using his energy to induce heavenly phenomena, was extremely terrifying.
Clang!
As the fist and sword blade collided, a sound like a great bell rang out across heaven and earth, directly stunning soldiers and barbarian cavalry far away.
The violent energy turned into pure shock waves, with the two at the center. The ground within several miles suddenly sank.
Ji Li Zhi Gu, the high-ranking Shaman, and others had to temporarily avoid the edge, dodging this terrifying shock wave.
Under extreme pressure, the Prince of the Northern Frontier had thrown out the most peak punch of his life.
His fist had already turned into a bloody pulp, with blood constantly flowing from his broken wrist.
Dominance was the martial way he persisted in, and also the intent he had condensed.
“Interesting, interesting. It’s extremely rare to see someone cultivate the intent of dominance.”
“Xu Qi An” held the sword in one hand and covered his face with the other, laughing neurotically, a laugh that sent chills down the Prince’s spine.
“Huff, huff…”
As the Prince of the Northern Frontier slowly retreated, he heard heavy breathing from beside him. He glanced left and right, finding Ji Li Zhi Gu and the high-ranking Shaman slowly approaching him.
As if to regroup.
In the distance, the Earth Sect Patriarch was also slowly shifting his position, moving to the rear of the three close-combat experts.
They dared not disperse.
“He has no weaknesses, and his close combat skills are practically invincible,” the Shaman communicated telepathically.
“His physical body is very strange, beyond our comparison,” the green giant also gave his direct impression.
“But he seems to lack ‘Intent’,” the Prince of the Northern Frontier communicated.
His hand had not yet recovered, the flesh slowly writhing, eliminating the pale golden flames.
A Buddhist practitioner, cultivating both Chan and martial arts, with an abnormally terrifying physical body… Too strong. When did the Buddhist sect produce such an expert? Who exactly is he?
At this point, the five experts no longer maintained their earlier confidence.
…
On the rooftop of a house near the city wall, the Deputy Chief of the Justice Department and two Imperial Censors stood on the ridge, squinting as they gazed at the distant battlefield.
As mere mortals, they couldn’t see the details of the battle at all. At most, they could judge the intensity of the fight from the rumbling explosions and the energy waves that turned into fierce winds by the time they reached them.
But fortunately, they had Yang Yan, a Golden Gong, by their side. As a respectable Fourth Realm expert, he usually carried quite a bit of deterrence.
Now, serving as a “telescope” was also a good role for him.
Imperial Censor Liu stood on tiptoes as he looked out, asking, “Golden Gong Yang, how’s the battle going?”
The Deputy Chief of the Justice Department quickly followed up: “How can that mysterious expert fight against five opponents? Is he… is he alright?”
Yang Yan’s heart surged: “…Too powerful. That mysterious expert is too powerful. Facing the encirclement of five Third Realm experts, he’s suppressing them with his strength alone.”
“Good, good!”
The Deputy Chief of the Justice Department trembled with excitement.
Taking advantage of the pause in fighting between the Great Shang soldiers and the barbarians, those surviving jianghu martial artists all slipped up onto the city wall, each choosing a spot to overlook the battle.
Too powerful, this was truly a battle between peak experts.
Chu State City was a large city with a population of over three hundred thousand. It would take an ordinary person a full day to cross this city on foot.
Even on horseback, it would take two hours.
Now, as they looked down from the city wall, they saw only vast stretches of ruins, with only the buildings near the city walls remaining intact.
This was because the powerful figures in the city were not aiming to destroy. Otherwise, even the four city walls might have been torn down by now.
“Damn it all, kill the Prince of the Northern Frontier, the barbarians, and the snake demon! Avenge the people of Chu State City!”
A young jianghu man cursed angrily.
“How dare you! The Prince of the Northern Frontier is royal. You’ve committed the crime of great disrespect!”
From afar, a black-robed spy heard this and flew into a rage.
“Am I wrong in what I said?”
That young jianghu man, with the fiery temper of a Northerner, glared back, fearlessly arguing with the spy:
“The Prince of the Northern Frontier massacred Chu State City for his selfish reasons. Some prince he is! Even the Imperial Sword despises him.”
“That’s right, kill them all! If I can keep my dog life this time, I’ll make sure to spread the word about what the Prince of the Northern Frontier did.”
The surrounding jianghu folks shared the same hatred, cursing in unison and gripping their sword hilts. These unruly jianghu men had pent-up anger in their hearts.
When they gripped their sword hilts, it wasn’t just for show – they were truly ready to draw their blades and fight to the death.
Seeing that the opposition was numerous and strong, and none were weaklings, the spy sneered, “You lot think that with the demon and barbarian allied forces attacking the city, with internal and external troubles during this extraordinary time, you can disregard the law and slander a prince?
“I’ll let you know now that this Chu State is still the Prince of the Northern Frontier Chu State.”
With that, he waved his hand, ordering the hundreds of soldiers at hand: “Arrest these few people! If they resist, kill without mercy!”
No one moved.
The black-robed spy turned abruptly, his eyes glaring fiercely at the soldiers from behind his mask: “Do you want to disobey military orders?!”
The soldiers lowered their heads, still not moving.
“Though I’m just a commoner, I know a saying often quoted by scholars: ‘He who follows the right way will gain many supporters; he who loses his way will find few.’ The Prince of the Northern Frontier has gone mad and lost all support.
“You, as the Prince’s lapdog, still dare to bark here?”
A dozen or so jianghu martial artists indeed drew their weapons, swarming forward and hacking the spy to death.
The nearby soldiers continued to lower their heads, seeing nothing, maintaining silence.
After killing the spy, the jianghu martial artists continued to focus on the battlefield, overlooking the distance.
They could have easily used this opportunity to escape Chu State City and leave this troubled place. But no one left, not because they loved watching the commotion, but because they wanted to see an outcome.
For this, they were willing to sacrifice their lives if necessary.
These common men might break the law with their strength, but the hot blood in their chests had not cooled.
…
At this moment, the Earth Sect Patriarch communicated telepathically: “Without taking away the Imperial Sword, it will be difficult for us to defeat him. After consuming the Blood Pills, this person’s strength has increased dramatically.”
The Black Lotus Patriarch’s words were unanimously agreed upon by Zhu Jiu, Ji Li Zhi Gu, and the others.
The five maintained a vigilant stance while secretly communicating telepathically.
The Prince of the Northern Frontier, his wrist flesh slowly writhing and recovering, responded telepathically: “Do you have any ideas?”
The Black Lotus Patriarch communicated: “I can use a formation to erode the Imperial Sword, making it temporarily lose its spiritual nature for a quarter of an hour. The cost is the dispersal of this avatar.”
The Prince of the Northern Frontier and the others were not shocked but rather pleased. Warriors only had brute force, and when facing a stronger opponent of the same system, they could easily be suppressed.
But other systems were different, with varied and unpredictable methods.
Trading one of the Black Lotus Patriarch’s avatars for the opponent losing the Imperial Sword for a quarter of an hour was an incredibly profitable deal.
The giant snake Zhu Jiu communicated from afar: “It won’t work. Given how terrifying his physical body is, even without the Imperial Sword, we won’t be able to kill or severely injure him in just a quarter of an hour.”
Without the Imperial Sword, they were confident they could defeat him, but couldn’t kill him in just fifteen minutes.
High-ranking warriors were too difficult to kill.
The Prince of the Northern Frontier pondered briefly, then said: “Perhaps it’s possible, as long as our overall strength can briefly reach the Second Realm. Well, I’m referring purely to the power of the Second Realm.”
Advancing from the Third Realm to the Second Realm wasn’t just about improving one’s energy, but also about the transformation of “Intent.”
The green giant sneered telepathically: “The power of the Second Realm, you think it’s that easy to obtain?”
The Prince of the Northern Frontier calmly replied: “I have a formation diagram, an early work of the Supervisor. This formation is called the Peerless Dharma Body. It can combine the power of many into one, condensing into a single Dharma body. It’s unique, hence the name ‘Peerless.'”
He had obtained the formation diagram from the Supervisor many years ago, reasoning that if the northern demon and barbarian tribes joined forces, he alone wouldn’t be able to resist, and he needed a powerful means of self-preservation.
The Supervisor thought his reasoning made sense, so he granted him the formation diagram, conveniently clearing some inventory.
Faced with a formidable enemy, the five quickly reached a consensus.
The green giant Ji Li Zhi Gu took action first, but his target wasn’t “Xu Qi An.” Instead, he aimed at a section of the city wall, suddenly exerting a powerful force.
“Buzz buzz…”
The weapons in the hands of the soldiers on the city wall and the barbarian cavalry suddenly slipped away, automatically flying into the air.
Whoosh… Even the steel-forged cannon mounts and other heavy weapons flew up, all gathering high in the sky.
These iron objects melted into molten iron in the air, constantly expelling impurities, condensing into a ball of bright red molten iron.
“Xu Qi An” held the Imperial Sword, the corner of his mouth curled up, looking at this scene arrogantly.
Master, they’re preparing a big move. Don’t hesitate, let’s take them down… Xu Qi An’s heart tightened as he tried to communicate with Monk Shen Shu in his mind.
Monk Shen Shu ignored him, maintaining his stance of leaning on the sword, as if the signal had suddenly dropped and he had gone offline.
This state of Shen Shu was too arrogant and overbearing; I can’t control him at all… Well, what made me think I could control him in the first place… Xu Qi An sighed inwardly.
The Shaman raised his hand, his palm facing Xu Qi An, and shouted: “Die!”
Shen Shu instinctively used a Buddhist technique to interrupt his death curse, but at this moment, the Prince of the Northern Frontier attacked. This top expert of Great Shang had an overwhelming aura, his fist intent unparalleled in its dominance.
“Xu Qi An’s” spell was interrupted, and he raised his sword to thrust.
Bang!
His chest suddenly caved in. The death curse had a tremendous destructive effect, interrupting his sword momentum. The Prince of the Northern Frontier seized the opportunity and landed a punch on Xu Qi An’s chest.
With a boom, the fist intent penetrated through his back, exploding like a waterfall of energy.
At this moment, the molten iron in the sky formed into a bright red bell, which quickly cooled, the bell body turning jet black.
The giant bell crashed down towards Xu Qi An. In the process, the Earth Sect Patriarch transformed into a black turbid flow, wrapping around the giant bell. The surface of the bell body emerged with black, distorted runes full of evil and corruption.
In an instant, this on-site forged giant bell, fused with the Earth Sect Patriarch, became a magical weapon emitting an eerie black mist.
It symbolized corruption, eroding everything in the world.
The vertical eye on Zhu Jiu’s forehead lit up, suddenly blasting out a beam of black light, hitting Xu Qi An directly, confusing his thoughts and paralyzing his body.
The giant bell crashed down with a boom.
The dust settled.
Seeing this, the Prince of the Northern Frontier and the others revealed smiles of impending victory. Once this bell fell, it would lay the foundation for their victory.
“Dong…”
Suddenly, a handprint appeared on the surface of the giant bell, a handprint bulging outward.
“Dong dong dong…”
More and more handprints bulged out, and this magical weapon symbolizing corruption began to distort, on the verge of shattering.
Everyone’s expressions changed. The Prince of the Northern Frontier hesitated no longer, soaring into the sky and shouting: “Follow me!”
He stood firm in the high sky, his muscles swelling, with runes emitting a faint white light protruding and covering every corner of his body.
The formation diagram was within his body.
The green giant, Zhu Jiu, and the Shaman all soared into the sky, colliding with the Prince of the Northern Frontier.
The glowing runes suddenly spread, simultaneously covering them, and then a ball of light that almost illuminated the entire Chu State City was born, like a small sun.
A few seconds later, the small sun slowly dissipated, and an unimaginably powerful aura was born.
This aura was like a god descending, carrying the pressure of a higher being, as deep as an abyss, as oppressive as a prison.
A giant figure, ten zhang tall, stood floating in the air. His skin was a mix of green and red, with horny armor covering vital areas like the chest and joints. His hand and foot proportions were perfect, with powerful muscle lines.
A perfect body, born for battle.
His face was that of the Prince of the Northern Frontier, with a phantom black shadow floating behind his head – the war soul summoned by the Shaman, providing a combat boost.
On the city wall, the Great Shang soldiers, the Qingyan barbarians, and the demon army were all trembling, their legs constantly shaking, heads lowered, not daring to look directly at the terrifying “deity.”
On the other side, on the roof ridge near the city wall, the Deputy Chief of the Justice Department and the two Imperial Censors collapsed sitting on the ground, their faces pale with terror, shivering.
Yang Yan looked at them, his voice more solemn than ever: “Prepare to leave the city, quickly get out of here, or we’ll be silenced.”
The hearts of the delegation members sank. Yang Yan’s meaning was clear – the expert who had vowed to punish the Prince of the Northern Frontier was about to be defeated.
“What’s going on?”
This sudden change left the officials unable to understand.
Yang Yan shook his head: “I’m not sure what method they used, but this power is far, far stronger than that mysterious expert. He has no chance of winning.
“Let’s go, quickly.”
He led the three officials as they leapt down from the roof ridge. Chen, the constable, and Chen Xiao, the centurion, quickly took action, clearing the way ahead.
Seeing these martial artists’ tense expressions and anxious escape, Imperial Censor Liu and the others no longer harbored any wishful thinking. They knew the situation had turned dire, and they couldn’t stay in Chu State City any longer.
…
Bang!
The giant bell was torn apart by an incredibly violent force, and the Earth Sect Patriarch’s avatar was annihilated. Xu Qi An, surrounded by demonic flames, successfully broke free. The bronze sword in his hand was coated with a layer of jet-black ink color.
It no longer had any spiritual nature.
“Can’t use it for now.”
“Xu Qi An” casually tossed aside the bronze sword, showing no attachment. Then, he raised his head, looking at the ten-zhang tall giant in the sky, and grinned: “Why make yourself so big?”
The giant lowered his head, staring at Xu Qi An, and said grimly: “I can’t wait to devour your vital blood. It must be delicious.”
“Prince of the Northern Frontier, when you massacred the entire Chu State City, did you ever think there would be a day when you’d face divine punishment?”
This time, it was Xu Qi An’s voice.
The Prince of the Northern Frontier sneered without answering, but the next moment, when he spoke, Ji Li Zhi Gu’s voice came out:
“Prince of the Northern Frontier, you’re a dignified Third Realm warrior. If you dare to do it, you should dare to admit it. What, are you trying to shift the blame for the city massacre onto us demons and barbarians?”
Then came Zhu Jiu’s strange laugh: “So what if we massacred the city? What’s there to be afraid of admitting? It’s not a big deal. They’re just some lowly insects. In the era when our ancestors ruled the Nine Provinces, humans’ status wasn’t much higher than livestock.
“Kill when we want to kill, eat when we want to eat. It’s these insects’ good fortune to become our blood food and provide us with life essence. Prince of the Northern Frontier, isn’t that what you think too? Otherwise, how could you have massacred the city?”
The voice changed to Ji Li Zhi Gu’s, laughing: “Prince of the Northern Frontier, actually, we’re no different. It’s just that we’re more blatant, while you human experts are used to covering yourselves with a veil called ‘hypocrisy.’
“After today’s battle, your crime of massacring the city will surely spread across the world. You’d better think about how to deal with the aftermath.”
The giant spoke again, this time in the Prince of the Northern Frontier’s voice, his tone indifferent: “Just kill all the soldiers, and that will be that.”
He was aloof and arrogant, domineering and cold-blooded, a talented schemer in both civil and military affairs. Such a person wouldn’t stoop to verbal disputes.
Zhu Jiu was right; a massacre was just a massacre. He didn’t care about the lives of ordinary people.
Today’s event was originally a plot to hunt down Ji Li Zhi Gu and Zhu Jiu, but now it had been ruined by the appearance of a mysterious Buddhist expert, and even his crimes had been made public.
Because of the Imperial Sword’s rejection, these Northern Border soldiers already harbored doubts about him. Clever people, combining the behavior of the demon and barbarian tribes, the appearance of the high-ranking Shaman from the Shaman God Sect, and other details, had long since determined that he had refined pills by massacring the city.
So, in the Prince of the Northern Frontier’s eyes, these soldiers in Chu State City had already been sentenced to death in advance.
“The Prince of the Northern Frontier really massacred the city…”
On the city wall, a centurion murmured painfully.
“Hahaha, humans are all fools.”
A barbarian burst into laughter, bending over with mirth: “A month ago, our barbarian spies had already infiltrated Chu State, searching for a place to massacre. Haven’t you wondered why we demons and barbarians are attacking the city today?
“Chu State City has ballistas and cannons, along with defensive formations. Our barbarian population has always been limited, and we cherish it greatly. Without good reason, why would we attack the city?
“It’s because we know the Prince of the Northern Frontier massacred a large number of lives in Chu State to refine Blood Pills, vainly attempting to advance to the Second Realm. Heh, for us demons and barbarians, this would be a disaster of extinction.”
The barbarians’ arrogant mockery formed a stark contrast with the pale faces of the soldiers.
In fact, these defending soldiers, like the surviving jianghu martial artists, could have fled, but they didn’t. Why?
They were waiting for an outcome.
Not waiting for the Prince of the Northern Frontier’s defeat, but waiting for the truth.
In the hearts of the border soldiers, the Prince of the Northern Frontier was like a deity, the faith of the army, the object of the soldiers’ worship.
He guarded the border, his cultivation was unparalleled, he protected the peace of the Northern Border.
All along, when soldiers spoke of the Prince of the Northern Frontier, they would clasp their fists and raise them to their heads.
Revering him like a god.
So, when Xu Qi An rebuked the Prince for massacring the city, no one believed it. Until the Imperial Sword rejected him, the soldiers were shocked, confused, pained, disbelieving…
But as long as the Prince didn’t admit it, they were willing to retain a glimmer of hope in their hearts.
But now, even the last hope had been shattered.
…
“Xu Qi An” raised his head, looking at the giant in the sky, and slowly said: “Phase Two.”
Have you finally fully awakened your power, Master? Your skill preparation time is really long. Or is it that the stronger the warrior, the slower the revival process… Xu Qi An inwardly sighed with relief.
A violent aura soared into the sky, rising steadily.
It wasn’t coming from the Prince of the Northern Frontier, but from Xu Qi An, who was surrounded by demonic flames. His body began to expand, two zhang, five zhang, seven zhang, ten zhang…
During this process, lumps of flesh bulged at his shoulder blades, suddenly breaking through the skin and extending out – they were twelve jet-black arms.
At the same time, a halo appeared behind his head, a halo burning with jet-black demonic flames.
This giant was completely black, with bulging muscles, as if forged from black iron, with twelve arms growing from his back and a jet-black flame halo behind his head.
It looked like… like… a Buddhist Dharma Body that had fallen into demonhood.
The giant’s aura was overwhelming, like a war god.
The Dharma Body’s demonic flames raged to the heavens, like a demon god.
“You’re also in the Second Realm?” The Prince of the Northern Frontier stared seriously at the black Dharma Body. He finally understood what “Phase One” meant earlier.
This Phase Two before him was the peak power of this mysterious expert, not before.
“Second Realm?” The black Dharma Body sneered: “Back in the day, this poor monk could suppress a Second Realm expert with just one hand, regardless of their system.”
The Prince of the Northern Frontier snorted coldly, and before the sound faded, he had already flashed behind the black Dharma Body, landing a heavy punch on the back of its head.
This punch created a terrifying scene as if the sky was collapsing.
The demonic flame halo behind the black Dharma Body’s head shattered directly, and the body forged like black iron staggered forward.
“Is that all?”
The demonic flame halo reformed, and the corner of the black Dharma Body’s mouth curled up, “It’s been many years since I’ve known what pain feels like. You’re still not enough. Prince of the Northern Frontier, you massacred 380,000 lives in Chu State, so I’ll punch you 380,000 times.”
“Bring it on!” The Prince of the Northern Frontier said arrogantly.
…
“Go, go, hurry…”
Constable Chen shouted.
An awe-inspiring and terrifying aura filled the heaven and earth. He felt a sense of suffocation, as if his heart would explode the next second. How could mortals hope to witness a war between “deities”?
The Deputy Chief of the Justice Department, Imperial Censor Liu, and the others could barely move their legs. Yang Yan carried them in his hands as the delegation ran towards the nearest city gate.
As they approached the city gate, they found soldiers, barbarians, and demons all fleeing towards the city walls, surprisingly harmonious, without killing each other in the process.
Yang Yan knew this was because fear had filled their hearts.
“Go to the East City Gate, it’s the closest and the battle won’t reach there,” Yang Yan decided, leading the delegation to the top of the East City wall.
It was far enough away to provide them with a safe vantage point.
Just as the delegation climbed to the top of the wall, they suddenly heard a “boom” from far away. They quickly turned to look and saw the Prince of the Northern Frontier staggering back after being punched, crashing into and collapsing the city wall behind him.
Dust instantly rose, and giant rocks rolled.
The battle between warriors was simple and unadorned, but violent enough.
“We’re watching a duel between gods. This is irreverent…” a barbarian said, trembling.
The black Dharma Body straddled the Prince of the Northern Frontier, its twelve pairs of fists raining down like a storm, causing bursts of energy to explode, dust to rise, and the ground to sink.
“I don’t care if you’re a prince of Great Shang or the emperor. If you dare to massacre a city, I’ll kill you!”
The dense fists struck the Prince’s chest, face, and horny armor, venting the most primal violence.
“No one can slaughter at will relying on strength. If you think you can, then today I’ll give you a taste of your own medicine.”
The horny armor shattered, and bright red blood flowed everywhere, dyeing half the city wall red.
This was, of course, Xu Qi An speaking.
Crack… Two black arms were broken. The Prince of the Northern Frontier headbutted the black Dharma Body away and slowly stood up:
“How ridiculous. You fight me to the death just for a city full of ants? It seems you don’t know what a strong person’s heart is.”
Despite his sorry state, the Prince’s voice was still domineering, arrogant, full of confidence.
He slowly breathed in and out. In the sky, white clouds were drawn by his influence, gathering and forming a vortex.
As the Prince exhaled, the broken horny armor repaired itself, and his wounds healed.
On the other side, the “Black Dharma Body’s” two broken arms flew back, reattaching seamlessly to the stumps. He calmly said: “Ten thousand punches done.”
The Prince’s face darkened, his aura slightly diminishing. He raised his hand and said: “Die!”
His palm was stained with blood, the blood of the Black Dharma Body. This death curse should have severely injured the Black Dharma Body.
But nothing happened.
Because the demonic flame halo behind the Black Dharma Body transformed into a jet-black sarira, emitting a gentle, rich black light.
Buddhist sariras, like Taoist golden pills, had the effect of repelling all evils.
The Black Dharma Body charged forward, his footsteps like an earthquake.
The Prince slightly lowered his waist, slowly clenching his fist. As his five fingers closed, the air made a muffled explosion sound – he had crushed the air. One can imagine how strong this force was.
The domineering fist intent appeared again. In the sky, the vortex of clouds suddenly dispersed.
The twelve pairs of arms suddenly merged into one, fusing into “Xu Qi An’s” right arm, throwing an equally powerful punch in response.
The two fists collided, and the energy wave didn’t spread in ripples, but swept across the entire Chu State City in an instant.
Like a typhoon passing through, it blew away ruins, blew away everything on the ground. For miles around, everything was cleared away, not even ruins remained.
The Prince’s fist cracked inch by inch, exploding into chunks of flesh and blood.
He roared in pain, staggering backward.
The Black Dharma Body stepped forward, its twelve pairs of fists continuing to strike, hitting the Prince’s chest and face, making him stumble back continuously.
“Bang bang bang!”
The fists were so dense that the human eye couldn’t catch them, beating off pieces of horny armor, which would repair and then be smashed again, repair and be smashed again.
“Is it ridiculous? Is it ridiculous to fight for the lives of mortals?”
Bang bang bang…
“Without the common people, what kind of prince are you? Whose prince are you?”
Bang bang bang…
Fifty thousand punches, a hundred thousand punches, two hundred thousand punches, three hundred thousand punches… The Prince’s body shattered again and again, repaired again and again. At first, he could counterattack, but as he suffered more and more injuries, he gradually lost the ability to defend himself.
Three hundred and eighty thousand punches!
As the punches ended, Xu Qi An’s twelve pairs of arms reached out, grabbing the Prince’s head, arms, waist, and legs, lifting him high.
At this moment, Xu Qi An’s gaze swept across the silent city wall, across the devastated city. Scenes from the massacre flashed before his eyes again, and he seemed to hear the wailing of 380,000 wronged souls.
What is a strong person?
One who views mortals as ants?
He seemed to return to the Cloud Deer Academy, to the Hall of the Sub-sage, seeing himself holding a brush, writing four crooked sentences on the stone tablet:
To establish the heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish destiny for the people, to continue the lost teachings for past sages, to open peace for all future generations.
“Kill him!”
Suddenly, a roar came from the city wall. A young jianghu man stood on the protruding battlement, shouting with all his might, his face contorted.
“Kill him!”
A soldier couldn’t help but shout, immediately drawing a murderous glare from a nearby black-robed spy.
The soldier lowered his head in terror.
Just as the black-robed spy was about to speak threateningly, the next second, another soldier shouted sternly: “Kill him.”
This was like a spark falling on a prairie, igniting a wildfire.
More and more soldiers responded.
“Kill him!”
“Kill him!”
“…”
In a trance, Xu Qi An seemed to see 380,000 wronged souls appearing on the city wall, in the sky, on the ground. They silently watched him, all their hearts’ voices converging into three words:
Kill him!
Twelve pairs of arms exerted force simultaneously, violently tearing.
He tore the Prince of the Northern Frontier into pieces.
Blood rained down in torrents.
The Black Dharma Body was bathed in blood, like an avenger returned from hell.