Gate of God

Chapter 386: Useless Weakling

Ever since the ancient times, talents had been looking for love. They were not looking for action on the bed, but they were looking for true love.

There were the hopeless romantics who searched high and low for love.

There were many talents who dreamed that they would find their ideal match to live together and grow old with.

Some of these dreams were bitter, some didn’t end well, some ended single, whilst some ended well.

Even though most of them did not end up as perfect as they dreamt it up to be, the candidates still flocked to it like moths to a flame.

Actually…

It was not difficult to understand why.

In this world, studying was the way towards success. Many of them spent decades in their study rooms, watching as the world around them kept changing.

All they were working for was success. They wanted to be revered by their peers. They hoped that they would be able to lift that veil…

How many girls were there in this world that had both the looks and the brains?

That was the perfect girl.

Males needed to know how to appreciate the arts and be skilled in writing. As for ladies, they needed to have the looks and the talent.

Without which, how would they be able to communicate with each other?

As such, the females constantly tried to improve their musical skills and the males learned to appreciate the performance.

That was the beauty of romance.

Every talent in the world tried to be well educated enough to appreciate the arts. Anyone who did not show any appreciation of the arts would not dare talk about romance.

As for Yun Qingwu, she was the dream girl for many of the talents in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Yun Qingwu knew how to draw, perform, compose poetry, amongst other things. In fact, whatever they could do, she could do too, possibly even better.

As such…

How could the candidates not be attracted to such a lady?

“Why is Yun Qingwu in the Southern Regions?!”

The first thought through the minds of the candidates was, “Has she been kidnapped?”. Of course, this thought did not last long.

They saw that the demons standing behind Yun Qingwu were stern, but they accorded her immense respect.

“Yun Qingwu is part of the demons?!”

This thought raced through the minds of the candidates. They gripped their fists.

Even though she was a demon, they still admired her.

This was romance.

At least, this was romance in the minds of the candidates.

Nangong Hao’s reaction was different from that of the other candidates when he saw Yun Qingwu on the cliff.

“She didn’t die?” Nangong Hao tightened the grip on his sword. He recalled the incident where he had destroyed the Sword Star Formation and stained his clothes.

But he had always had doubts…

Was the lady that he killed on the boat… really Yun Qingwu?

“The young master of the demons, Yun Qingwu!” Xing Qingsui’s gaze was icy as he unsheathed his sword.

He pointed it straight at Yun Qingwu, his battle intent at its peak.

“What? Yun Qingwu is the… young master of the demons?!”

“Young Master Xing, are you sure about this?”

“How can this be?”

All of the candidates looked on in disbelief when they heard what Xing Qingsui said. It felt as though Xing Qingsui had just called a hawker the Emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty. None of the candidates wanted to believe it was true.

However, what they wanted to believe was secondary…

It was a fact!

Just as the music continued to resonate through the air, two of the men behind Yun Qingwu began to lift up their cloaks.

Their red demonic eyes were clear for all to see.

Even though the redness was still some ways off from Bai Xing’s, their cultivation level was obvious.

Rebirth, both of them!

There was one other person besides these two Rebirth State Demons. His demonic eye was green, but it sent chills down everyone’s spine.

Pinnacle Supernatural State.

The three deputies of the 10 demonic domains. Two in the Rebirth State, and one at the pinnacle of the Supernatural State.

“There are two Rebirth State demons, one pinnacle Supernatural State one, and at least 50 Supernatural State elites. Furthermore… we are being surrounded on all sides by the Southern Region soldiers… how are we going to fight this battle?”

“Over my dead body!”

“No! I came here for the examination, not to die!”

“Shut up. Death is no big deal! I will willingly give up my life for this battle. Yun Qingwu, my only wish is to die by your hand!” One of the candidates scorned the cowardly candidate before he screamed to the lady at the top of the cliff, tears in his eyes.

Just as the candidate finished his sentence, a ray of purple light shot skywards from behind Yun Qingwu. Then, it crashed down.

“Sh*t!”

Blood spewed from the candidate’s mouth.

He looked at his chest in disbelief. There was a sword embedded deep in his chest.

Blood flowed onto the blade and dripped onto the ground.

“You…” The candidate looked at the middle-aged man standing in front of him. He stared at the red demonic eye in disbelief.

“Useless weakling!” The middle-aged man removed his sword and blood spewed from the wound. However, he did not even bother looking at that candidate. In fact, he didn’t even give a reason for killing the candidate.

He merely called the candidate a weakling.

This candidate had spent decades studying for this examination. He was revered by his peers. Yet, the last thing he heard before his death…

Useless weakling.

Panic, disorientation, a sense of loss…

At that moment, all of the candidates understood one thing. In the Great Xia Dynasty, they were the top talents of their generation.

They could enjoy their lives and be revered by others. They could spend their time composing poems and having fun.

But, the moment they stepped out of the Great Xia Dynasty, out of the protective bubble, they were nothing

Fang Zhengzhi was the prime example.

He was a villager. No matter how talented he was, they never thought of him as a serious contender. How could a villager ever match up to them?

They were so arrogant that they ignored everyone else.

But now…

In the battle between the Great Xia Dynasty and the Southern Region, when being flanked by the demons, they were helpless.

Pinnacle Heavenly Reflection talent?

In the face of a Rebirth State demon, he was a weakling.

He could be killed easily.

Chen Feiyu looked at the candidate bathing in his own blood. He was no more than two steps from the candidate. When the middle-aged man removed his sword, he could feel the warmth of the blood gushing out.

Some of it splattered on his face.

He saw the look of defiance on the face of the candidate. For the first time, he felt that death was imminent.

As a disciple in one of the 13 constabularies, he had seen his fair share of blood.

However, he knew that the bloodshed was never lethal. After all, the 13 constabularies ensured that no one was fatally injured.

When he broke through to the Supernatural State…

He only had one thought in his mind. He wanted to showcase his power. He wanted others to cheer for him and recognize him as a talent.

But now?

There was a Rebirth State demon just steps away from him. The demon held a sword stained with the blood of his comrade. The demon had just insulted that comrade…

Yet, what was he doing?

All this while, he had wanted to showcase his abilities.

But now, when the opportunity arose, he only had one thought on his mind. He was going to wait. He didn’t know if he was waiting for the sword to strike him down, or if he was waiting for his opponent to leave.

Chen Feiyu did not look at the middle-aged man’s expression, neither did he look at the terrifying red demonic eye. He lowered his head as he looked at the fallen candidate.

The middle-aged man sheathed his sword.

Then, he looked around at all the silent candidates, his eyes glowing with disdain and scorn.

He did not draw his sword again after sheathing it. He walked past all the candidates rooted in their position. Then, he walked towards Bai Xing and Nangong Hao.

“He is alone, as long as we stick together…” One of the candidates started to speak. However, he was not given a chance to finish.

There was already a sword at his throat, a sword that had already been stained with blood.

The candidate could not believe his eyes when he saw the sword. His eyes screamed defiance, but he did not look at the middle-aged man. All he did was look at the other candidates around him, the ones that he drank and made merry with…

Right now, all of those candidates looked at him as well. However, they chose not to move. They did not even make a squeak.

“Sh*t!”

Blood spewed out like a geyser from his throat.

The middle-aged man sheathed his sword once again. He did not even look at that fallen candidate, neither did he bother calling the candidate a weakling.

Blood dripped from his hand.

Then, without any change in expression, the middle-aged man walked to Bai Xing’s side and remained silent.

He did not draw his sword. He watched Bai Xing, Nangong Hao, Yan Xiu, and the fallen Fang Zhengzhi silently.

The music continued to resonate through the air. Throughout the murder of the two candidates, the music never stopped.

It was still as melodious and intoxicating as before.

However…

The candidates could no longer enjoy the music. All they could feel was blood, the bright red blood that had been spilled.

“Young Master Xing, what do we do now?”

“Yes, the Emperor gave you his token, he must have said something! Did he place the Mountain Breaking Army here? If he did, now…”

“Young Master Xing, we can’t hold off all these soldiers ourselves! There are demons as well!”

All of the generals began to voice their opinions as they looked to Xing Qingsui for orders.

This was a dire situation for the Great Xia Dynasty.

They were surrounded by the soldiers of the Southern Mountain Range as well as the demon elites. There was no way they would emerge victorious.

Xing Qingsui, with the Emperor’s token in hand, was their only hope.

All of the other candidates looked to Xing Qingsui as well. Right now, Xing Qingsui was their last hope.

Xing Qingsui did not stand with the other candidates. He stood with the other generals, nearer to Fang Zhengzhi.

He heard the generals and the other candidates.

However, he did not reply immediately. He looked at Bai Xing, then at the regiments marching from the Icy Monkey Settlement.

He hesitated.

No one knew why Xing Qingsui hesitated. The only course of action now was to fight the Southern Region and the demons head-on.

But, Xing Qingsui hesitated.

Just at this moment, the music stopped. The hearts of all the candidates were heavy.

It felt as though they were about to be sentenced.

It was life or death for them!

It was almost ironic. The lady that every talent in the Great Xia Dynasty lusted for was now in control of their fate.

What kind of decision would this immensely talented and beautiful lady make?

Yun Qingwu put down the Guqin as she stood up from the stone bench. She looked down at all the candidates below.

Chapter 387: Blood Red

Previously, Yun Qingwu looked like a pristine individual, untouched by any dirt or evil that she came into contact with. But now, Yun Qingwu had an additional layer of class.

She was powerful.

However, Yun Qingwu could not be less interested in their fate. She did not even take a second look at them.

She turned to look at the fallen Fang Zhengzhi, then pointed at the Traceless Sword in Fang Zhengzhi’s hand. She did not even say anything.

But Bai Xing knew what she wanted immediately.

“Take Fang Zhengzhi and the sword over there!” Bai Xing glanced at Fang Zhengzhi, his icy aura still strong as ever.

“Okay.” The middle-aged man nodded.

His blade was still sheathed as he walked towards Fang Zhengzhi. He did not even look at Nangong Hao or Yan Xiu.

Just at that moment, a red glow appeared in front of this middle-aged man. He brought with him a hellish iciness.

This was Yan Xiu.

However, Yan Xiu was not Yan Xiu anymore.

Yan Xiu’s eyes were completely red, his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan covered in red crystal. More importantly, there was a red light ring around his waist.

It kept swirling.

This was quite the ridiculous sight. The middle-aged man did not even look at Yan Xiu. He walked calmly towards Fang Zhengzhi, then…

Raised his sword.

“Boom!”

The red light swirled around Yan Xiu’s waist like a spirit out of hell. It looked as though its teeth were chewing on something.

An exclamation of surprise rang out all of a sudden.

Then, a figure retreated a couple of steps, the look of surprise and disbelief clear for all to see.

The candidates were all stunned to see this because they never expected that the middle-aged man would be the one to retreat.

“How is this possible?!”

“How does a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator go up against a Rebirth State one?”

“Even though Yan Xiu already has one foot inside the Rebirth State, he is up against a Rebirth State opponent. How is this possible?”

All of the other candidates looked on in disbelief. They could not believe that Yan Xiu had managed to go up against a Rebirth State Demon.

Yan Xiu’s eyes continued to glow red as he stood in front of Fang Zhengzhi, his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan covered in a layer of glowing red crystals.

The middle-aged man did not turn to look at Yan Xiu immediately. Instead, he looked down at his sword.

There was a red circle of light around the blade of his sword as it flew towards his palm.

“Open!” The middle-aged man’s hand shuddered and the red circle of light disappeared. However, there was a mark on the blade of his sword.

“It is no wonder the Dao of Asura is the most lethal of the six. However, how long can you remain in this state?” The middle-aged man’s expression became stern once again as he looked at the mark.

For a Rebirth State demon to take someone seriously…

That was quite unfathomable. Furthermore, his opponent was just a 16 year old at the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State.

Yan Xiu ignored the middle-aged man.

He did not even bother answering the middle-aged man’s remark. The middle-aged man had thought that the other candidates were not worth his time or saliva.

But, who could be colder than Yan Xiu himself?

He was naturally cold and icy, even in the face of a Rebirth State Demon.

The middle-aged man didn’t expect that his opponent would ignore him completely. What the hell was this?

Shouldn’t a human be honored that a Rebirth State demon is addressing him directly?

“Move to the side and you can still live another hour!” The middle-aged man’s voice was cold.

Yan Xiu continued to ignore the middle-aged man. It looked almost as though Yan Xiu was a general looking at a clown.

“Go to hell!” The middle-aged man would rarely be angered by a Heavenly Reflection State human. But this time, he was furious.

He moved, the sword in his hand covered by a layer of purple light.

At the same time, he disappeared from his original person, combining with the purple light as he shot towards Yan Xiu at unfathomable speeds.

Nangong Hao’s grip on his blade tightened, but a silver ray of light appeared right in front of his blade.

“Shouldn’t you be trying to protect yourself?” Bai Xing looked at Nangong Hao, his finger pointing at the silver ray of light.

“You can’t kill me.” Nangong Hao glanced at the silver ray of light in Bai Xing’s hand, his eyes glowing golden. He lowered his sword, Standstill, at Bai XIng.

Ordinarily, it would be comical that a pinnacle Supernatural State cultivator said something like that to an intermediate stage Rebirth State Demon.

However, Bai Xing was not laughing.

Not only was Bai Xing not laughing, even the middle-aged man and the other demons behind Yun Qingwu were not laughing.

They all knew that this was a fact.

If Bai XIng could really kill Nangong Hao, why was Nangong Hao still alive. Furthermore, why would Bai Xing have to resort to a sneak attack?

It seemed quite impossible that a Rebirth State demon had to resort to a sneak attack against a pinnacle Supernatural State human.

However, Bai Xing did not say anything.

The human was Nangong Hao.

“You are right, but if I have some help, I am quite confident!” Bai Xing nodded solemnly before raising his head to look at the dozens of demons.

Nangong Hao did not answer Bai XIng because the middle-aged man had already clashed with Yan Xiu’s Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan. The power from the clash was explosive.

“Ding Dong!” Just at this moment, a shrill sound from a flute rang out. It’s penetrating power was keenly felt as it clashed with the purple light.

Then, a crisp exclamation of “Sh*t!” rang out.

Even before he could move the jade green flute away from his mouth, Wu Feng spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Overconfident!” The purple ray of light turned around as the middle-aged man showed himself. He turned to look at Wu Feng, who had fallen to his knees. Then, he turned back to look at Yan Xiu.

“Sh*t!” Yan Xiu’s face was flushed as he too spat out a mouthful of blood. He had been hit slightly later than Wu Feng.

The blood stained the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan, causing the fan to glow an even brighter shade of red.

“How long more can you last?!” The middle-aged man asked again. However, this time, he was much more confident.

“I will last till he wakes up.” Yan Xiu looked at the middle-aged man, the redness in his eyes swirling around. It looked like it was blood filling up his eyes.

“Wake up?” The middle-aged man was stunned. Then, he looked at the fallen Fang Zhengzhi, his expression changing.

He did not know how Yan Xiu knew that Fang Zhengzhi was still alive.

However, he knew that one thing was certain. Fang Zhengzhi’s sword was glowing a strange shade of purple.

That shade of purple was different from his.

It was bright, almost like it was blood.

Right now, that strange purple stain was spreading across the blade. In fact, it was beginning to stain the hilt and showed no signs of slowing down.

For some reason…

When the middle-aged man saw that purple, his heart shuddered.

Even though it was very faint…

It stunned the middle-aged man. He knew that Fang Zhengzhi was just at the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State.

Even though he had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension. Even though he was a talent.

He was just in the Heavenly Reflection State.

This was an undeniable fact!

So, why was a Rebirth State demon like himself shuddering at the sight of a Heavenly Reflection State human? Was it the sword or the strange purple stain?

The middle-aged man did not know, but he knew that he could not let Fang Zhengzhi continue holding that sword. The sword unsettled him.

He turned to look at Yan Xiu.

He did not say anything this time. He prepared to deliver a lethal blow to Yan Xiu. That was the only way he could take the sword from Fang Zhengzhi.

Only then…

Would he feel more secure and safe?

“Die!” The middle-aged man bellowed icily as he morphed into a purple ray of light once again. However, this time, the purple light began to multiply until it turned the entire sky purple.

“Yan Xiu!” Wu Feng’s voice rang out as he put the flute to his lips. Even though he knew that this was courting death…

Even though he knew that it was useless…

He did not hesitate to put the flute to his blood-stained lips. His blood-stained hands continued to dance along the flute as a melodious tune emerged.

Xing Qingsui looked at the purple light shooting towards Yan Xiu. He knew what kind of power that was, but he had no way of stopping it.

He had other responsibilities at hand.

If he was not commanding 50,000 soldiers… if he was not carrying the weight of the Great Xia Dynasty’s plan on his shoulders… he would have done exactly what Wu Feng did.

But now…

He could not do so.

He had to deal with the more immediate threat to the army. The Southern Region soldiers were closing in from the Icy Monkey Settlement.

“Gather the troops and form them up in all four directions. General Zhao, take the left flank! General Wang, you will take the right flank! General Li, lead 5000 men and guard our rear! Everyone else, follow me!” Xing Qingsui waved the Emperor’s token in the air.

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Yes, sir!”

All of the generals reacted immediately upon hearing Xing Qingsui’s orders. They exuded an aura of blood.

Alone, they were no match for the demons or even the candidates standing in front of them. However, if you gave them time to set up their formations…

They could become an impenetrable wall!

…

Yan Xiu looked at the countless rays of purple light shooting towards him. His lips trembled slightly as he fought against the pain.

However, his feet were stable.

It was almost as if they were spears driven deep into the ground.

As the rays of purple light neared, the red ring of light around Yan Xiu’s waist continued to rise. It was almost near his chest.

Every cultivator knew that the chest was a vital part of the body.

That was where the heart was.

The heart was the fundamental of the human body and it was also where the pocket dimension was located. Once it was penetrated, it would cause either death or the destruction of the pocket dimension. The destruction of the pocket dimension could cause a deterioration in cultivation state or permanent disability.

However, Yan Xiu did not bother about the fact that the red ring was inching closer to his chest and his pocket dimension.

The purple light was almost in front of him.

Yan Xiu’s hand sprung into action. The Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan beamed as rays of red light rushed towards the sky. In fact, they looked like streams of blood.

“Heaven and Earth Reversal, Removal of Mountains and Rivers!” Yan Xiu uttered icily. He had memorized these words from a young age.

However, he had only ever used the first phrase.

As for the second one…

He had never uttered it in his life.

That was a memory that didn’t belong to him. It belonged to the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

“Hum!”

The entire area shuddered.

The bright red light crashed down from the heavens, carving out a picture of a mountain range. However, the rocks, the sand, even the water were all of one color.

That color was…

Red!

This redness brought with it a combination of intense heat and extreme cold. Despite its monotony, one could clearly make out the rocks on the mountains and the water. The mountain and rocks were moving and the water made gushing noises.

“Sh*t!” A bright red spray of blood stained the mountain range, causing the entire sky to turn red.

Chapter 388: Trump card

The purple clashed with this blood red mountain range.

The Purple light was like a sword, tearing through the air as it shredded the red mountain range. It was clearly more powerful.

But just at that moment…

A ball of flame appeared in the middle of the furball.

It was as bright as the sun, the fire burning everything in its way. At that moment, the entire mountain range was ignited.

The purple light continued to suppress the fire as it shot through it.

It seemed like the purple light still had the upper hand. However, the tides began to turn slowly but surely. The purple light was being swallowed, bit by bit.

It was not fast, but as the fire continued to burn brighter, the rate at which it was swallowed became faster.

Finally, the mountain range had all but disappeared. However, the fire continued to digest the purple light.

Flute music continued to reverberate through the air.

In actual fact, the music did not stop ever since the ball of flame appeared. The music was pained and icy, almost as if it was mourning the loss of what had been burnt.

It was like the memory of the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

It was filled with depressing thoughts.

Then, the purple light disappeared and so did the music. All that was left was a dwindling fireball.

A light breeze blew past the battlefield…

And the fire was extinguished.

It looked as though nothing had happened. The air was still slightly chilly. However, everyone was stunned by what they saw.

Especially Wu Feng.

Even though blood was still trickling from his lips, he suppressed it, ensuring that he did not spit it out like the previous time.

Because…

He did not want it to affect his music.

Wu Feng’s eyes were filled with sorrow. It was impossible to determine if this was because he had felt the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan’s memories or because he was pained by what Yan Xiu looked like now.

His eyes were filled with tears as he stared at the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan in Yan Xiu’s hand. Of course, the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan was no longer the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.

There were no more pictures of mountains or rivers. The fan was white but stained with blood.

The red crystal glow had all but disappeared.

However, Yan Xiu’s eyes were just as red as ever. There was a red ray of light on his chest.

It blinked rhythmically, almost as if it was beating to Yan Xiu’s heartbeat.

“I never thought that the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan was this powerful? No wonder it is one of the five treasures of the Yan Family. However, why does Yan Xiu look so weird? Could it be…”

“Oh no! The Dao of Asura is controlling Yan Xiu! I read that if one’s foundation is not strong enough, forcing improvements in power would backfire!”

“Backfire? Is Yan Xiu into the evil Asura state?”

“If that is the case, all hell is about to break loose. Once it turns into evil Asura, he will lose all that is good within him. He will lose all sense of reason. The only way to save him is to destroy his cultivation.”

All of the other candidates were terrified when they saw the red beam of light at Yan Xiu’s chest.

“Evil Asura?” The middle-aged man did not look well. He had suffered slight injuries from the hit.

However, he smirked when he saw the beam of red light blinking on Yan Xiu’s chest.

He no longer attacked Yan Xiu.

Anyone who dropped into the realm of evil Asura was a dead man walking.

The humans would mourn the loss of such a talent, but anyone who is controlled by evil Asura would have to be stopped. Of course, there was a more important reason as to why the man did not attack.

It was that…

Yan Xiu was the Dao of Asura.

In simple terms, Yan Xiu was not an opponent he could deal with. Why would he go up against someone so powerful who posed little threat?

After he saw the state of Yan Xiu, he began to walk around Yan Xiu and towards Fang Zhengzhi.

He ignored the pair of red eyes that were locked onto him.

He closed in…

Just as he was about to reach Fang Zhengzhi, a ray of red light shot towards his side.

It brought with it a hellish, icy killing intent.

“Woosh!” The middle-aged man leapt into the air and landed some distance away. He looked at Yan Xiu in shock.

Evil Asura!

Once consumed by the evil Asura, Yan Xiu would lose all rationality. As such, he could possibly attack those around him for no reason.

However, Yan Xiu was not doing that.

Yan Xiu was still protecting Fang Zhengzhi.

Yan Xiu was still protecting Fang Zhengzhi. This was not something that he needed his brain to decide. This protection came from the heart, and it sent shivers down the spine of the middle-aged man.

This also meant that…

He will not get to Fang Zhengzhi easily.

“What a bother! It’s a pity… you’ll still be ruined!” The middle-aged man’s eyes glowed purple as he slashed with his sword.

At that very moment, yet another ray of purple light rushed towards Fang Zhengzhi.

“Woosh woosh!” Two rays of red light shot out. One crashed into the sword whilst the other crashed against the purple light directed at Fang Zhengzhi.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

Two explosions rang out.

…

On top of the cliff.

Yun Qingwu watched as the middle-aged man clashed with Yan Xiu. Her expression changed slightly.

Then, her hands moved as she waved to the dozens of demon elites behind her. Her gaze was ice cold.

All of the elites looked at each other as they saw Yun Qingwu’s gesture. They could see the determination in each others’ eyes.

“Die!” All of the elites bellowed in unison. Then, they jumped off the cliff and into the battlefield.

Almost like comets, they all shot towards Nangong Hao and the other candidates.

Before long, only three people were left on top of the cliff. Yun Qingwu and her two bodyguards. One was a Rebirth State demon, the other a pinnacle Supernatural State Demon.

Wehn Nangong Hao saw the demon elites rocketing towards him, his grip on his sword tightened.

Cracking sounds could be heard from his hand.

He looked like he was making a decision. However, even someone like Nangong Hao hesitated.

The demon elites rushed into the crowd.

They were not just demon elites, they were wolves amongst sheep. After they rushed into the crowd, they began to kill the candidates indiscriminately.

“Archers, ready!”

“Fire!”

“Spearmen and shieldbearers to me!”

“Fend them off and protect the candidates!”

Orders reverberated throughout the battlefield as the arrows blocked out the sun. Shields and spears immediately fell into place, guarding the candidates.

However, they could not stop the attacks of the demons.

After all…

These were Supernatural State Demons.

It was much too easy for a Supernatural State demon to massacre the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State candidates and ordinary soldiers.

“Zoom!”

Just at that moment, a ray of golden light shot towards the heavens. That light came from a crystal clear sword.

Its name was Standstill, and its owner was Nangong Hao.

Angong Hao looked at the demon elites rushing towards the candidates. He steeled himself, his choice made.

He knew what he had to do.

Xing Qingsui’s expression changed instantly when he saw the golden light shooting into the sky.

However…

He recovered quickly. He bit his lip as he looked at Nangong Hao, almost as though he had something to say.

At that very moment, cracks began to appear below the walls of the Icy Monkey Settlement. The cracks became bigger and bigger as they revealed themselves as doors.

All of the Southern Region soldiers charging out of the Icy Monkey Settlement were stunned by this sight. Even the demon elites were shocked by what they saw.

After the gates opened, many figures began rushing to the surface like ants out of a nest.

“Woosh woosh woosh…”

They exited quickly but in an orderly manner.

They were extremely quick. After they emerged on the surface, they rushed towards Nangong Hao and the demon elites like a ray of light.

“Another ambush?”

“No, this is the Great Xia Dynasty…”

“Oh my god, it really is them!”

All of the candidates were stunned to see who the reinforcements were. They never expected to see these men here.

“Oh I see… they never entered the Icy Monkey Settlement, Nangong Hao… it’s no wonder you are a talent!” Yun Qingwu looked on in admiration.

She was not too shocked to see the figures rushing onto the battlefield. However, she did admire Nangong Hao’s talent.

The figures formed up in front of Nangong Hao.

All of them wore glistening, tailor-made armor. Their armor was made up of a special material and adorned with golden lines, almost like intertwining dragons.

“Young Master Nangong!” They replied in unison. They sounded much more confident than the average soldier.

They were the elites, and they were proud of it.

They had good reason to be proud. After all, they were the Dragon Protection Squad, the army of elites that belonged to the Emperor.

There was a golden dragon imprinted on their chest plate. It was a status symbol. It meant that they did not have to bow to the princes and did not have to dismount upon entering the palace. This was the privilege of being a part of the Dragon Protection Squad.

Yet today, they had made an appearance here, in the Southern Region’s Icy Monkey Settlement. Furthermore, they accorded Nangong Hao every respect.

Four middle-aged men walked out from the ranks of the Dragon Protection Squad and stood by Nangong Hao’s side.

“Young Master Nangong, this order is a deviation from our plan.” The middle-aged man commented. However, he did not question or berate Nangong Hao for this deviation.

“I know.” Nangong Hao nodded but did not explain.

“Okay, I understand.” The middle-aged man nodded. He did not need an explanation, he already knew what Nangong Hao was thinking.

“Leave Bai Xing to me. Take care of the others. As for Fang Zhengzhi… leave him to Yan Xiu!” Nangong Hao decided quickly.

However, he hesitated slightly when he looked at Yan Xiu.

However, he had made up his mind.

This was not a decision he wanted to make, but he had no other choice.

Because…

Right now, Yan Xiu would not listen to orders or advice.

In other words, the demon may not be able to get close to Fang Zhengzhi, but neither could the Dragon Protection Squad. The best option was to leave him alone.

“Evil Asura… Yan Xiu, you cannot be consumed by the Evil Asura…” Nangong Hao glanced at Yan Xiu as he sighed to himself. Then, he pointed Standstill towards Bai Xing.

Bai Xing was still smirking.

It looked like he was not surprised by the appearance of the Dragon Protection Squad. In fact, he looked extremely excited, almost as if victory was almost in his reach.

“What do you have left after you’ve played your trump card?” Bai Xing’s fingers danced as he looked at the Dragon Protection Squad.

“You can take a guess.” Nangong Hao did not answer Bai Xing immediately. He looked up into the blue sky, almost as if he was talking to himself.

Chapter 389: The Dragon has woken

Nangong Hao had been calm ever since he stepped out of the Icy Monkey Settlement. Even when Yun Qingwu and Bai Xing appeared, he was composed.

However, he began to look increasingly solemn after the Dragon Protection Squad appeared.

No one knew what Nangong Hao was thinking. Perhaps Bai Xing was right. What was left after the trump card was played? Perhaps Nangong Hao was right…

You could guess…

“Will the battle at the Icy Monkey Settlement really decide the future between the Southern Region and the Great Xia Dynasty?” Bai Xing pressed.

“You can try and find out.” Nangong Hao looked Bai Xing in the eye, his eyes glowing golden as he lowered Standstill and charged.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t care about the fates of these people.” Bai Xing squinted as he smirked, morphing into a ray of silver light.

…

This was an incredibly intense battle.

The 50,000 strong Great Xia Dynasty army held their position as they were attacked by more than 100,000 Southern Region soldiers and dozens of demon elites.

However, when the Dragon Protection Squad appeared, the Southern Region soldiers had no choice but to retreat.

This looked like a battle that was evening out.

However, everyone knew that the battle had only evened out temporarily. After all, this was the Southern Region and not the Great Xia.

If they could not win within the initial moments of the battle, it would be a matter of time before they were worn down.

The Southern Region had set up an ambush in the Icy Monkey Settlement. Naturally, they had more ambushes set up outside. If the army was bogged down, they were as good as dead.

Xing Qingsui and Wu Feng both knew this.

However…

Wu Feng was more concerned about Yan Xiu. Even though Yan Xiu had always been cold, Wu Feng had known Yan Xiu since young.

Losing to Yan Xiu in the theory examination…

Had hurt Wu Feng quite significantly.

However, he did not hate Yan Xiu. After all, he had grown up with Yan Xiu. He had always treated Yan Xiu as a brother.

Even though it was quite weird for the younger brother to surpass the older one…

This did not mean that he wanted to see Yan Xiu consumed by evil Asura. He also did not want to see Yan Xiu killed by the demon.

He gripped his jade flute tightly as he made a decision in his heart.

Other than Wu Feng, Yun Qingwu also focused her attention on Yan Xiu.

“I think he needs help.” Yun Qingwu murmured to herself. However, this was akin to an order to her two deputies.

“Should I go and help him?” The demon with the green demon eye asked.

“Wu Ji will go.” Yun Qingwu shook her head.

“Me? Master, your safety…” The demon with the red demonic eye hesitated when he heard what Yun Qingwu had to say.

“I’ll be fine.” Yun Qingwu replied flatly.

“I understand. I will be back soon.” Wu Ji disappeared from his position without a second word.

With the intense battle raging below, a ray of light crashing down from the cliff would not raise too many eyebrows.

However, when the ray of light shot towards Yan Xiu, Wu Feng felt the immense killing intent almost immediately.

“In your dreams!” Wu Feng bellowed as he shot towards the ray of light like a comet.

Wu Feng was skilled in music.

Close combat was not his forte.

He thrived in ranged combat. However, he did not hesitate to charge forward this time. As he did so, the jade green flute in his hand lit up.

It looked like there was a layer of water covering it. When the light shone on Wu Feng’s arm, a strange pattern emerged.

Green cloud patterns began to adorn Wu Feng’s arms. They travelled upwards, slowly making their way towards his chest.

“Oh?” A soft exclamation of surprise could be heard.

Then, the light clashed with the human.

It was no surprise that Wu Feng was thrown back like a broken kite. He spat out mouthfuls of blood, his face pale.

A middle-aged man with a red demonic eye stood at where they had clashed. This was Wu Ji.

Wu Ji’s clothes were torn in a few places and his arm was trembling slightly. He looked at the fallen Wu Feng with traces of admiration.

“Don’t struggle anymore, it is useless.” Wu Ji looked at Wu Feng, who was struggling to get up.

“If I don’t fight, then I’ll really be useless!” Wu Feng bit his lip, blood trickling from the corner. It was impossible to determine if this was blood from his lips or blood from his insides.

“With your talent, you would beat me hands down in a decade.” Wu Ji said reassuringly as he looked at the cloud patterns on Wu Feng’s hand.

“I know.” Wu Feng replied assertively.

“Mm, I can give you a chance and pretend that I didn’t see you.”

“But I’ve already seen you.”

“Okay then… if that’s the case, go to hell!” Wu Ji nodded as he swung his sword. A thin ray of light shot out from the tip of the blade.

It looked like an ordinary ray of light.

However, when Wu Feng saw that ray of light, his expression was ashen. He bit his lip and waited for it to hit home.

“Boom!”

Blood splattered everywhere.

Wu Feng’s head fell to the ground, the wound in his chest so deep one could see the bone. His eyes were shut, his face ashen. However, his jade flute was still pointed at Yan Xiu…

“Wu Feng!”

“Young Master Wu!”

All of the candidates screamed as they looked at Wu Feng sympathetically. They knew that their end was coming as well.

…

Yan Xiu still looked rather lifeless.

He guarded Fang Zhengzhi silently, a red glow swirling in his eyes. One could not guess what he was seeing.

He still gripped the Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan tightly, the blood stains making it painful to look at.

“Wu… Wu… Wu Feng…” A tiny voice could be heard coming from Yan Xiu. As he uttered those words, the redness in his eyes began to clear up.

It was now translucent.

It looked like the dust in his eyes was settling. It was still red, but it was now becoming more and more translucent.

“Wu Feng!” All of a sudden, Yan Xiu shouted Wu Feng’s name in an explosion of red light.

The light was blinking previously. Now, it was glowing radiantly.

“What the hell?” Wu Ji was confused as he looked at the red light on Yan Xiu’s chest. Yan Xiu should have been consumed by evil Asura.

Of course…

Yan Xiu was still consumed by evil Asura. The brighter the red light at his chest, the deeper he was.

So, why could Yan Xiu speak?

Wu Ji could not understand.

The middle-aged man engaged in battle with Yan Xiu also could not understand. How could someone escape the grasp of evil Asura?

Both of these vice domain chiefs were extremely confused.

However, their confusion quickly turned into surprise. They saw a figure who had one arm pressed on Yan Xiu’s shoulder.

That arm was completely wrapped in purple light.

That purple light originated from the sword in his hand. The entire sword, from hilt to blade, glowed a strange shade of purple.

“Fang… Fang Zhengzhi?!” Wu Ji would rarely be shocked by a human. After all, he was a Rebirth State Demon. But now, for some inexplicable reason, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

The middle-aged man who was next to Wu Ji was equally stunned. He looked at Fang Zhengzhi and stepped back.

Even though it was just a small step, it was enough to express what he was thinking.

“Fang Zhengzhi didn’t die!”

“This… is this still Fang Zhengzhi?”

“What is going on? Why am I… why do I feel terrified?!”

All of the candidates noticed the figure standing behind Yan Xiu. He looked familiar but distant at the same time.

Yun Qingwu’s expression changed instantly.

Yun Qingwu recognized the figure behind Yan Xiu. All this while, Yun Qingwu felt that Fang Zhengzhi was someone who she couldn’t describe in words.

His aura was intimidating.

But now…

That aura was gone.

Fang Zhengzhi was like a spirit wrapped up in purple light. The Traceless Sword was now a purple crystal sword.

Even Fang Zhengzhi’s arm was enveloped in purple light.

The purple ran in his bloodstream. Even Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes were purple.

Yan Xiu’s eyes were understandably red because of the Dao of Asura. After all, that was a power that only a Rebirth State cultivator had.

But…

Was Fang Zhengzhi in the Rebirth State?

Of course not. His advantage was in the fact that he had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension. However, at that very moment, only one Dao was flowing through his body.

The Dao of Massacre.

His killing intent was clear for all to see.

The Dao of Asura’s iciness originated from the combination between good and evil. Fang Zhengzhi’s icy aura originated from his bones.

This was killing intent.

Unsuppressed killing intent.

“He woke up?” Yun Qingwu was stunned. It was rare that she would be taken by surprise.

The vice domain chief with the green domain eye also squinted as he unsheathed his sword.

…

Yan Xiu’s body shuddered slightly.

His reaction was small, but a wave of purple that originated from Fang Zhengzhi’s hand began to envelop Yan Xiu.

For someone consumed by the evil Asura…

This was something that should not have been possible. There was no way someone consumed by evil Asura would allow other energies into his body.

However, Yan Xiu did not react. He stood silently in his spot, his body shuddering.

Then…

He closed his eyes and collapsed.

Just as everyone expected, Yan Xiu entered a comatose state. However, none of them expected that Fang Zhengzhi would be the one to put Yan Xiu in that state!

Fang Zhengzhi had no intention of entertaining the looks of confusion. He patted Yan Xiu, then looked at Wu Feng, who was lying in a pool of blood.

Then…

He turned to look at Wu Ji and the middle-aged man beside Wu Ji.

A purple ray of light rose from his feet and began to encircle his body like a dragon.

Even Nangong Hao and Bai Xing paused their battle to witness this.

Bai Xing was stunned. The smirk was instantly wiped from his face. He felt extremely uncomfortable looking at Fang Zhengzhi.

Nangong Hao was equally surprised. This was different from the surprise he felt when Fang Zhengzhi revealed that he had 388 Daos in his pocket dimension. He was rather confused this time.

Was this the power of 388 Daos?

No.

This was one dao, the Dao of Massacre!

Why is there such a Dao?!

The intense battle seemed to pause for a moment. All of a sudden, a ray of purple light shot to the heavens. That was a purple dragon.

“Die!” A bone-chilling voice rang out from the dragon and Fang Zhengzhi disappeared from where he stood.

Chapter 390: The Returning Dragon

…

Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if he was awake or not. All he remembered was that he had a very strange dream after being hit by Yan Xiu.

In this dream, he was in his pocket dimension.

However…

His pocket dimension was clearly different. This time, the fruits on the huge tree were adorned with patterns. The sea of white mist was also glistening.

Of course, the most attention-grabbing fruit on the tree was the purple one.

A queer, crystal-like glow could be seen from the fruit. It became brighter and brighter, so much so that his entire pocket dimension was stained purple.

The trees were now purple in color, the leaves and branches bathing in purple light. Even the vast ocean glistened purple.

As the purple became more and more intense…

Fang Zhengzhi felt a deep-seated rage grow. He felt like he was losing control of himself and his actions became more involuntary.

In the end…

When he opened his eyes again, he saw an ancient city.

This was a city made up of red rocks. From afar, it looked like a giant beast bathing in blood.

There were two words emblazoned in red atop the city walls.

Blood Shadow.

Fang Zhengzhi knew what the Blood Shadow City was. However, he had no idea why he would dream of such a place. After all, he had never been there before.

How could he dream of it if he had never been there?

Okay then…

That was not the most important point. The most important point was that he saw a sword.

This sword shot straight into the heavens and morphed into a humongous dragon. It roared, causing the ground to shake, as it enjoyed its freedom.

Then, it turned back and tunneled back into the ground in a show of force.

This was known as…

The Returning Dragon!

…

The purple dragon continued to circle in the sky before it finally morphed back into a ray of purple light which shot back down towards the middle-aged demon next to Wu Ji.

“Die!”

The purple dragon’s roar sent chills down everyone’s spine.

The middle-aged man stared at that purple light. He knew that this had come from Fang Zhengzhi, and he knew that Fang Zhengzhi was merely in the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State.

For someone like that to attack…

He should not have felt threatened.

However, when he saw the purple light tunneling towards him, he felt an intense wave of fear. He did not know if it was because the light had enough power to destroy everything in its path…

Or because…

Of the aura it was exuding.

It had a lonely aura, almost as if it was alone at the very top. It felt as though this single attack could destroy an entire star.

The middle-aged man tightened his grip on his sword instinctively.

He did not know exactly how strong this attack was. However, he had a feeling that it was very powerful. It was so powerful that he wanted to escape.

However, could he dodge?

No!

He was the stronger individual.

This was the pride and arrogance that he had. After all, Yun Qingwu was behind him watching this fight.

His blade was already marked after his clash with Yan Xiu. However, he was not bothered by it.

The reason was simple.

He was in the Rebirth State. He was the more powerful one.

He raised his sword and the blade glowed purple. He charged forward like a bolt of lightning, straight towards the ray of purple coming towards him…

“Boom!”

An explosion rocked the entire area as the two rays of purple continued to clash and tear at each other. The roars of the purple dragon continued to resonate.

Then, silence. Complete, utter silence.

Only one sound could be heard, the cold crisp roar of the dragon. Other than that, there was no second sound to be heard.

Everyone was captivated by the battle.

The 50,000 strong Great Xia Dynasty army stopped fighting as they looked at the two rays of purple duking it out. All of the Southern Region soldiers also stopped fighting as they watched in awe.

The candidates were all holding their breath…

The demon elites were holding their breaths as well. They were all immensely powerful and could feel the energies contained within the two rays of purple.

The Dragon Protection Squad continued to hold onto their blades. They had been through rigorous and strict training, but even they could not resist looking at the two rays of purple.

Nangong Hao, Bai Xing, Wu Ji, Yun Qingwu, Xing Qingsui… there was no one on the battlefield who wasn’t looking at the two rays of purple.

All of them only had one thought in their mind…

How does a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator fight a Rebirth State cultivator? Furthermore, the duel seemed quite evenly matched.

“Kaboom…”

The roars faded but it was quickly replaced by thunder and a downpour. The raindrops were as large as beans and they brought with them a winter-like cold.

The rain pummeled the ground and sent mud flying all over the place. It began to wash away the blood on the ground, forming little streams all over the battlefield.

The battle ceased temporarily.

Both the Great Xia Dynasty army and the Southern Region army stood their ground, allowing the rain to slide off their armor.

It was cold…

But they didn’t seem to be bothered.

All of the candidates were also under the brutal assault of the rain. Normally, they would find a nice restaurant to hide out, or a nice bar to have a drink. At the very least, they would use their abilities to shut out the rain.

But now…

Nothing like that happened.

All of the candidates stood rooted to the ground, the raindrops pummeling their faces and flowing down their necks.

“How did this happen?”

“How is that possible?”

“Am I dreaming?”

Whispers could be heard as candidates looked to one another. The roar of the dragon had all disappeared, and it was replaced with the calmness of the rain.

Then, the troops began to move.

All of the soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty raised their spears, their expressions filled with excitement.

The expressions of the 100,000 Southern Region army froze. They still could not rid themselves of the shock and awe from what they just witnessed.

Xing Qingsui’s expression was complicated. However, there were traces of surprise, almost as if he saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Nangong Hao gripped his blade tightly. However, this imposing stance was not because of his opponent.

It had come from his heart.

“Fang Zhengzhi!” Bai Xing rarely called out someone else’s name when in battle. However, this time, he yelled it out.

His tone was icy beyond belief.

…

Fang Zhengzhi thought that he was in a dream. He thought that the pocket dimension he saw was just a dream, and the purple stain was a dream as well.

Furthermore, his visit to the Blood Shadow City confirmed in his mind that he was in a dream.

Because he was in a dream, he did not feel much emotions except for the growing killing intent.

But now…

He felt as though the dream was becoming a reality.

He seemed to have returned to the battlefield. He saw Yan Xiu in front of him, his body glowing red.

Other than Yan Xiu, he saw two middle-aged men staring at him. One of them was holding a blade stained with blood.

Of course, everything that he saw was through a purple lens. Even though he could tell that it was fresh red blood, he saw it as purple.

The faces of the two middle-aged men were also purple.

Fang Zhengzhi wanted to ask what was going on. Were they fighting?

However, when he saw Yan Xiu spit out a mouthful of blood whilst enveloped by a red glow, he did not ask any questions. He was consumed by a rage and a thirst to kill.

Yan Xiu was injured?

Fang Zhengzhi thought that he was in a dream. However, he never expected Yan Xiu to be beaten to this state even in a dream.

He placed his hand on yan Xiu’s shoulders.

He did not speak. He knew that he was transferring some of his killing intent into Yan Xiu’s heart and he knew that Yan Xiu knew exactly what he meant.

Of course, that was the truth as well.

Yan Xiu closed his eyes and sat down.

Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at the two middle-aged men once again. To be precise, he turned on the middle-aged men who had blood on his sword.

“Die!” Fang Zhengzhi did not think too much.

After all…

This was just a dream.

Then, he leapt into action. He did not think too much as too what technique he wanted to use. He only had one technique in his heart, the one he just witnessed.

The technique that had split the Blood Shadow City into two. The one that still left its mark till this day.

The purple dragon shot to the sky.

It charged towards the heavens and morphed into a twisting ray of purple light.

Fang Zhengzhi thought that this was definitely a dream. He never expected that he would be able to use this technique. This technique’s power was indescribable.

The torrential rain started at that moment.

Raindrops splattered on his face, causing a cooling effect. However, the purple showed no signs of dissipating. In fact, it intensified.

The world was completely purple. Even the rain was purple.

Was this a dream?

A purple dream?

…

“Clang!” The middle-aged man’s sword dropped to the ground. By this time, it was no longer a sword. It was a hilt with no blade.

As a Rebirth State cultivator…

His sword would not be destroyed even if it had been cracked. He would be able to use Dao to keep the blade intact.

But the fact was that his sword had broke, smashed to smithereens.

There was only one possible explanation. His Rebirth State Dao was insufficient to protect his sword.

The middle-aged man’s gaze was lost as he looked on exasperatedly. He did not know what just happened, but he knew that the facts could not be changed.

“Young Master!” The middle-aged man turned to look at Yun Qingwu, who was still on top the cliff.

Yun Qingwu’s white dress was initially dancing in the torrential rain. However, as her dress collected more and more raindrops, it became too heavy for the wind to lift.

Her veil was drenched and stuck to her face. Even though one still couldn’t see her face, her exquisite features were obvious.

The middle-aged man wanted to say something to Yun Qingwu.

However, he realized that Yun Qingwu was not looking at him. Instead, she was looking at the youth in front of him.

He suddenly understood what was happening. He could tell what Yun Qingwu was thinking. This feeling originated from the expression beneath the veil.

He saw that Yun Qingwu was smiling.

That’s right…

Smiling.

The middle-aged man did not know why she was so joyous, but he had a feeling that her joy had something to do with this youth.

Was it because the youth wasn’t dead?

Or was it because…

Was the youth very powerful?

The middle-aged man no longer looked at Yun Qingwu. He turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi. He felt like he had to do something.

“Can you tell me the name of the technique you just used?” The middle-aged man stared at Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes, which were completely stained purple.

“Name?” Fang Zhengzhi had no idea why the people in his dreams would ask such strange questions. Since they were characters in his dream, they should know what he did.

He didn’t feel like responding.

However, when he heard the middle-aged man’s question, the technique flashed in his mind and he felt an urge to say its name.

Maybe…

It was a memory.

Maybe this memory wanted to let him know that it existed.

Regardless of the reason, Fang Zhengzhi answered the question in a simple and straightforward manner.

“This technique is known as… The Returning Dragon!”

Chapter 391: Perform a striptease

“The Returning Dragon?” The middle-aged man murmured to himself. The attack just now had exuded an aura so powerful he had never felt anything like it before.

But…

Why would such a powerful technique be named The Returning Dragon?

Returning?

Is it because it couldn’t bear to leave? Or because it had unfinished business?

The middle-aged man could not understand it, but he did not think much about it.

Wu Ji, who was standing next to the middle-aged man, also could not understand it. Even the other candidates, the dozens of demon elites, the Dragon Protection Squad, and…

Virtually no one there knew why this technique was known as The Returning Dragon.

However, they did not spend too much time thinking about it. Their attention was drawn to a deep crack in the ground.

This crevice was beneath the feet of the middle-aged man.

As such, this could not have been the work of the middle-aged man. This was clearly done by Fang Zhengzhi. A single strike had caused a crevice over five yards long.

How ridiculous was that?

Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi’s opponent was a Rebirth State Demon.

“The Returning Dragon?!”

All of the demon elites looked at each other in confusion. They had never heard of a technique known as The Returning Dragon.

This technique allows a Heavenly Reflection State human to go up against a Rebirth State Demon!

Is it the technique?

Or…

Is it the person?!

No one had any idea what the answer was. If it was the former, what a powerful technique this was… if it was the latter…

How could someone like that exist in this world?

Could someone like that still be termed as a talent?

No!

This was ungodly!

Nangong Hao stopped in his tracks as he raised his head, the rain pummeling his face. He did not think about why the technique was named The Returning Dragon. He was trying to recall what he saw.

The silver light from Bai Xing’s finger disappeared as well. He instinctively turned to look at Yun Qingwu, who was standing atop the cliff.

He too saw the joy through Yun Qingwu’s veil.

Why was she happy?

Bai Xing did not understand. However, he knew that if someone like that was allowed to live…

Could the demons still survive in the coming decades?

This was a teenager who could go up against a Rebirth State Demon. Even though it was just a single round, this human could not be allowed to live.

Furthermore, he had an unprecedented 388 Daos in his pocket dimension.

“No matter the cost!” Bai Xing did not wait for Yun Qingwu’s orders. It wasn’t because he doubted Yun Qingwu’s decision.

However…

Regardless of what Yun Qingwu wanted, he had to do this for the future of the demons.

The middle-aged man’s expression turned steely. He knew what Bai Xing wanted. In fact, he was thinking the same thing.

“Ah!” A cry of pain reverberated through the air.

Then, the entire ground shook. This was a terrifying wave of force, almost as though it had been suppressed for centuries just waiting to explode.

Everyone recovered instantly when they heard the piercing scream and the intense vibrations. Everyone was awed by what they saw.

“He… he is going to?!”

“Demon… he is a Rebirth State demon!”

All of the candidates could not believe their eyes. They knew what was happening. However, their disbelief stemmed from the fact that they knew what he was doing.”

“Shi Kou, how… how dare you!” Yun Qingwu shouted from the cliff. She rarely spoke to humans or demons.

But this time, she shouted.

Furthermore…

Her tone was filled with fury.

All of the demon elites, as well as Bai Xing and Wu Ji, were all filled with shock and admiration as they saw what the middle-aged man was doing.

He bit his lip, his face contorting in pain. However, embedded deep within this pain was a sense of relieve.

This was Shi Kou.

The first Vice Domain Chief of the 10 demonic domains. He was a nascent Rebirth State Demon.

He only lived by one rule. The successful ruled, the ones who failed died.

He did not know if he had truly failed. However, he knew that once his sword had been shattered by a teenage Heavenly Reflection State human, he could not return to the demons.

This was a matter of pride.

The only way to preserve his dignity was to kill this human single-handedly.

Just as Bai Xing had said, no matter the cost.

The pale red demonic eye, representing a Rebirth State demon, turned black in that instant. It was like a black hole, and that meant that his demonic eye had been emptied.

At that moment, Shi Kou shot a ray of purple light that was stained with red into the sky.

…

“Not good!” Nangong Hao reacted almost instantly. With his heart cultivation, there were few things in this world which could make him flustered.

However, when he saw Shi Kou’s demonic eye turn black…

He could predict what was about to happen.

“Nangong Hao, you cannot interfere! This is a battle that concerns Shi Kou’s pride!” Bai Xing’s fingers lit up once again as a ray of silver light shot towards Nangong Hao.

Wu Ji’s blade also sprung into action. He did not point it at Fang Zhengzhi, choosing to turn on the Dragon Protection Squad. From the moment. Shi Kou decided to drain his demonic eye, Fang Zhengzhi was a dead man walking.

As such, he did not have to concern himself with Fang Zhengzhi.

His only job now was to…

Prevent anyone else from interfering in this battle.

Xing Qingsui clenched his fists. He knew what Shi Kou had done, but he was too far from Fang Zhengzhi. Even if he rushed over, he could not stop it.

The Dragon Protection Squad watched solemnly.

They were the elite soldiers of the Emperor. They were well decorated and honored in many ways. However, when they heard of Fang Zhengzhi’s exploits, they realized that all their honors and achievements could not even hold a candle to this man.

He had conquered the Thunderous Lion Settlement with little fanfare.

Then, he commanded a 50,000 strong army to attack this city.

He had conquered most of the lands in the combat examinations, then broke the deadlock with Nangong Hao. With 50,000 soldiers as witnesses, he fought more than a dozen rounds with Nangong Hao despite being a whole cultivation state lower.

Most importantly…

With ‘The Returning Dragon’, he had shattered the sword of a Rebirth State Demon.

This was not just an achievement. This was a miracle. This man was a miracle that would be recorded in the history of the Great Xia Dynasty.

How could they let someone like this die?

“We must save Fang Zhengzhi, no matter the cost!” One of the members shouted.

As the Dragon Protection Squad, they only obeyed the orders of the Emperor. Even on this expedition, they only obeyed Nangong Hao, who was given special instructions by the Emperor.

In their entire history…

They had never done something without direct orders.

However, this time, even though Nangong Hao did not say anything, they had already made up their mind without hesitation.

The Dragon Protection Squad was formed from the disciples of the 13 Constabularies. They were all of noble blood and quite powerful. However, they were willing to sacrifice their lives to save this villager known as Fang Zhengzhi.

…

Fang Zhengzhi had thought that he was in a dream. However, he felt that the dream was becoming increasingly realistic. Not only could he see the expressions of those around him…

He could also hear their voices.

More importantly…

A Rebirth State demon had decided to play the “kamikaze” card.

He had seen this before.

In the World of the Sage, Ying Shan had been humiliated so badly that he lost control of his emotions and chose this destructive path…

But, what was wrong with Shi Kou?

Fang Zhengzhi had not said anything to agitate him. All he did was shatter his sword. Why would he resort to doing such a thing?

Hang on!

Why was it that his attack could shatter the blade of a Rebirth State demon?

Okay…

This is a dream, a dream that he was in control of.

In his dream, he could probably defeat a sage. If he wanted to, he could smash the swords and bodies of everyone in his way.

Fang Zhengzhi relaxed.

After all, he was the most powerful in his dream.

When he raised his head, he saw Yun Qingwu standing atop the cliff. He already knew that Yun Qingwu was the young master of the demons.

As such, he was not surprised to see demons beside Yun Qingwu.

However…

He had already seen Yun Qingwu’s face before. Why was she still in a veil inside his dream?

Can’t she be a little more liberal in his dream?

Since he was dreaming, he could think of anything. He was still a little too innocent. If he was more dirty minded, Yun Qingwu would already be doing a striptease in front of the soldiers.

“Hey, Yun Qingwu, perform a striptease for me!” Fang Zhengzhi shouted. After all, he thought that he was still in his own dream.

What was there that he could not say?

He pointed at Yun Qingwu, who still looked purple through his eyes. He wagged his finger and smirked.

The rain intensified. It washed the dirt off the armor of the soldiers, causing them to shine. The rattan armor of the Southern Region soldiers became heavier as they absorbed the water.

However…

They were no longer paying attention to the rain.

A single sentence echoed continuously in their minds.

“Yun Qingwu, perform a striptease for me!”

“Striptease?!”

“He asked Yun Qingwu to perform a striptease?!”

All of the soldiers could not believe their ears. They never expected that the first statement out of Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth would be ‘Die!’. Then, for his second statement to be…

“Perform a striptease?!”

All of the demon elites were stunned.

They had heard that Fang Zhengzhi was a maverick. However, no matter how unorthodox Fang Zhengzhi was, why would he say something like that?

To the demons, Yun Qingwu was their master. She was above all humiliation, someone who could not be touched.

Yet, Fang Zhengzhi, a human teenager…

He had just mocked their master in front of thousands of Great Xia and Southern Region soldiers!

It was pure, unadulterated humiliation!

Who could tolerate something like that?

“Kill him, kill him!”

All of the demon elites replied in unison. They did not care how ungodly Fang Zhengzhi was. All they wanted to do was tear him apart.

The Dragon Protection Squad stopped in their tracks.

They looked at Fang Zhengzhi. Just a moment ago, they were willing to lay down their lives to try and protect this teenager with unlimited potential.

But now, that determination wavered.

Even though the opponent was a demon, was someone who would say something so shameless really worth them laying down their lives for?

Yun Qingwu was stunned as well, her expression conflicted. However, she did not reply.

Because…

She really didn’t know what to say.

“Fang Zhengzhi, go to hell!” Shi Kou’s face contorted even more. He hated himself for not striking faster.

He hated himself for only thinking about sacrificing his own life to take Fang Zhengzhi’s only after Fang Zhengzhi destroyed his sword.

If he had made that decision from the moment he saw Fang Zhengzhi, then none of this would have happened.

Fang Zhengzhi…

The audacious teen who dared to humiliate the master of the demons.

There was only one fate for someone like him. Death. Regardless of the price he had to pay, Shi Kou would ensure that Fang Zhengzhi died.

Shi Kou knew this very well.

He was not the only demon who thought that way.

As such, how could Fang Zhengzhi live through this?

A single slap…

The purple light shone radiantly. This slap was filled with rage and contained all the energy Shi Kou could muster. His only thought was to kill this audacious maverick with this attack!

Chapter 392: Terror

…

Fang Zhengzhi could feel the aura from Shi Kou keenly. He knew exactly how powerful Shi Kou’s attack would be after he decided to kamikaze.

If this was reality, Fang Zhengzhi would not hesitate to run.

So what if he had this uncontrollable and domineering killing intent in his heart?

Anyone with a brain would not go up against this attack.

But…

This was a dream.

Could he be scared off by another character in his dream?

Fang Zhengzhi scorned the attack. He did not bother running away, choosing instead to charge towards the attack, the killing intent gathering at the tip of his blade.

“Boom!”

The palm and the sword clashed in the air once again.

The intensity of the light looked quite similar to the previous clash. However, the result was vastly different.

A powerful and domineering force instantly shattered the other purple light and crashed down towards the person below.

“Fang Zhengzhi!”

“What’s going on? Why is there so much difference between this clash and the previous one?”

“Did he use up all his energy?”

All of the members of the Dragon Protection Squad looked at the paling Fang Zhengzhi. They did decide to fight for Fang Zhengzhi with their lives.

But…

Fang Zhengzhi had to last until they arrived.

Wu Ji was standing in their way. In order to save Fang Zhengzhi, they had to go around Wu Ji, who was a Rebirth State Demon.

Fang Zhengzhi looked like he had the upper hand in the previous clash with Shi Kou. Normally, even if Shi Kou fought with everything he had, Fang Zhengzhi should not fall immediately.

He should be able to last at least five minutes?

That was what the Dragon Protection Squad thought.

However, what they saw shattered any dreams they had.

The dozens of demon elites, the candidates, and all the soldiers on the battlefield…

Even Shi Kou himself was stunned.

The difference between the two attacks was a little too large to believe.

“What’s going on? Why is he so weak?” Shi Kou was stunned. If this was Fang Zhengzhi’s true power…

Why did he have to sacrifice his life?

“What’s going on? Why is he so powerful?” Fang Zhengzhi was stunned as well. He paled. He never expected that Shi Kou’s attack would be this powerful.

My dream…

Why is he stronger than me in my dream?!

Fang Zhengzhi could not understand it, but he had to face the fact. The fact was that the overpowering purple light was plummeting towards him.

“F*ck me!” Fang Zhengzhi shrieked as he blacked out again.

…

Fang Zhengzhi did not know if it was because of Shi Kou’s power, or because he was too intent on seeing Yun Qingwu dance…

Regardless…

The world in front of his eyes changed once again.

This was a world that was impossible to describe with words. However, Fang Zhengzhi knew that he had been here before. This was the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet!

The lush green grass and the dense forests, as well as the humongous lake. The water was so clear he could see the bed, but there were no fishes.

Field, forest, lake…

This was the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet.

Fang Zhengzhi did not know if this feeling was right, but when he first stepped into this place from The Vast World, he had a strange feeling.

This time, when he entered in his dreams, he had this feeling again.

“The Heaven Dao Sage Tablet? Why would I come to the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet? That’s impossible! Wasn’t it destroyed with The Vast World?” Fang Zhengzhi was confused.

From the beginning, he never understood what was going on.

As such…

He decided to try again.

The last time, he had taken a bath in the lake to escape from the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet. That was what he remembered.

He could not be sure, but he decided to give it a go.

He stripped, revealing a silver-colored Heart Protection Mirror. If Nangong Hao saw this, he would confirm what he had guessed.

Watertight Mirror!

One of the seven treasures of the Divine Constabulary!

“I never thought that I would have another chance to bathe in the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?” Fang Zhengzhi smirked.

However, his smile froze almost instantly.

Because…

He saw a woman. That woman was dancing on the surface of the lake. She wore a white dress, and the figure was extremely familiar.

“It’s her?!” Fang Zhengzhi was stunned.

To see the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet in his dreams did not shock him. After all, this was a dream, but to see this woman…

Why would she appear in his dreams?

Isn’t this the lady he saw in the Divine Constabulary’s Heavenly Treasure Hall?

Fang Zhengzhi remembered that he had seen this lady in the humongous lake. He did not know her name, but he felt a sense of familiarity.

But that was the lake inside the Heavenly Treasure Hall!

What did that have to do with the Heaven Dao Sage Tablet?

He did not understand. By this point, he was utterly confused.

Pearl…

He had found a pearl at the bottom of that lake. That pearl was sitting snugly inside his Heart Protection Mirror. Did this have something to do with that pearl?

Fang Zhengzhi began to look for it inside his Heart Protection Mirror instinctively.

He had many things in the Heart Protection Mirror.

Secret weapons, clothes, food, etcetera. However, he could not find that pearl. It was almost as if it vanished.

Hang on!

It seemed like something else was missing…

Fang Zhengzhi’s attention shifted because he felt as though something else had disappeared from his Heart Protection Mirror. It was a black square stone.

When he first saw that stone, it was shining brightly.

“The pearl and stone are both gone? What’s going on?” Fang Zhengzhi had no idea what was going on.

Then…

When he looked at the silent dancing lady on the surface of the water.

“She looks so familiar, who is she?” Fang Zhengzhi murmured to himself as he gave up on the idea of taking a bath. He simply couldn’t bring himself to bathe in front of this lady.

…

At the entrance of the Icy Monkey Settlement.

It continued to pour, the intensity increasing by the minute. However, everyone stopped in their tracks.

They were all looking at the figure bathing in purple light.

That was Fang Zhengzhi.

In fact, when they saw Shi Kou attack and that mountainous wave of force crashing towards Fang Zhengzhi, they knew that it was over.

With the differences in their ability clear for all to see, was there anything else that could happen?

No one expected a miracle to happen.

However, when the purple light crashed into Fang Zhengzhi, the strangest miracle happened.

Everyone thought that the domineering purple light would smash Fang Zhengzhi’s body to smithereens. However, when the light hit Fang Zhengzhi…

The result was completely different.

It was a strange sight.

It felt as though the purple light entered Fang Zhengzhi’s body. To be more precise, it was as though Fang Zhengzhi absorbed all of it.

How is that possible?!

No one understood what had just happened. Just as they thought that Fang Zhengzhi was going to die, he absorbed the purple light attacking him?

How did that happen?

What…

The f*ck?

No one could figure out what they just saw, including Nangong Hao, Xing Qingsui, Yun Qingwu and even Bai Xing…

This had never happened before. The purple light represented the intense energy from Shi Kou. How could a human body absorb all that energy?

But those were the facts.

It was an indisputable truth.

Fang Zhengzhi stood in the middle of the purple light as he continued to absorb them into his body.

Then, the purple light vanished.

Silence!

Pin drop silence!

There was no other sound other than that of the rain hitting the ground. Countless pairs of eyes stared at Fang Zhengzhi and the purple sword he held in his hand.

The sword was Traceless!

In fact…

There was not a single trace on it other than purple!

“Why aren’t you attacking?!” Wu Ji’s voice broke the silence. He did not know what Fang Zhengzhi just did, but he knew that Shi Kou had too attack now before it was too late.

“Fang Zhengzhi, die! You must die!” Shi Kou’s eyes were filled with rage and awe. He could not believe that Fang Zhengzhi managed to block his attack.

But he had no other choice. He had no time to think because he was already running out of time.

“Die!” Shi Kou raised his hands and he morphed into a ray of purple light. He shot towards Fang Zhengzhi. If Fang Zhengzhi could use such a weird method to block his energy…

Then…

He had to get in close!

The entire space shuddered as black cracks appeared behind Shi Kou. His body was literally tearing through space.

“Bang!” A huge sound echoed out.

The two bodies clashed and parted in the blink of an eye.

Wu Ji’s eyes were filled with fear and shock. Being so close to the action, he could see that Shi Kou was the one who was forced back.

“What’s going on? What the hell is this? Could it be that the Heavenly Reflection State Fang Zhengzhi can go up against Shi Kou, who already drained his demonic eye?” Wu Ji could not believe his eyes.

In fact, no one could believe what they were saying.

“Worthless weakling!” An icy, arrogant voice rang out at this moment. This was the voice of a superior individual scorning a weaker one.

Shi Kou had done something similar just moments ago.

He had felt this same rush when he crashed down from the cliff. Furthermore, he had said those exact words.

Worthless weakling!

But now, he was not the one saying these words. Instead, Fang Zhengzhi was saying this to him.

At that moment, Fang Zhengzhi opened his eyes amidst the torrential rain. His eyes were stained a scary shade of purple.

More importantly…

There was a sword embedded inside.

The sword was glowing inside his pupils.

“Hum!” The vast killing intent rushed out of Fang Zhengzhi’s body like a tsunami, crashing towards Shi Kou.

“Kaboom!”

Purple bolts of lightning could be seen in the sky, almost as if there were many dragons roaming the clouds. The entire sky seemed to darken.

“Sword in the eye!”

Everyone was terrified when they saw Fang Zhengzhi’s eyes. The sheer terror they felt was indescribable.

There were two states when one attained the highest sword techniques.

One was not having a sword in the hand, but having a sword in the heart. The other was not having a sword in either, but the entire person was the sword.

This was known as “Sword Offering!”

He was the sword.

Shi Kou’s body stiffened. As a Rebirth State demon, he knew what this was, but he could not believe that Fang Zhengzhi could attain such a state.

That being said…

Even if Fang Zhengzhi managed to reach this state, he still had to fight to the bitter end.

He was a demon waiting to die. What more did he have to think about?

F*ck it! He didn’t care if Fang Zhengzhi was in the Sword Offering state!

Fang Zhengzhi had to die!

“Fang Zhengzhi, go to hell!” Shi Kou’s body turned into a ray of purple light as he charged at Fang Zhengzhi. This ray of light was even brighter than the previous one.

“Die!” Fang Zhengzhi moved even before Shi Kou did. The sword in his eye glowed radiantly, almost as if it was a real sword.

The strange purple shot to the heavens as it twisted in the air. It combined with the thunder and the clouds, turning into a humongous tree that covered the entire area.

“He’s so powerful, why is he so powerful?!”

“Is… is this still Fang Zhengzhi? Why can’t I recognize him anymore?”

“Fang Zhengzhi… impossible! Fang Zhengzhi cannot possibly be this powerful!”

All of the candidates looked at the purple tree in the air that was made from the lightning and the clouds. They stepped back instinctively.

The terror in their eyes said it all…

Chapter 393: The battle begins

Previously, everyone thought of Fang Zhengzhi as the most shameless individual they had ever met. But now, the only thing they felt from Fang Zhengzhi was iciness.

It was beyond what they could tolerate. The iciness was augmented by a domineering killing aura which sent chills down everyone’s spines.

“Kacha!”

The twisting purple lights and lightning bolts that formed the huge tree eventually crashed down towards the ground.

This was The Returning Dragon, and it was peerlessly powerful.

However…

It was slightly different from the first one. This time, the power was augmented by an icy killing intent.

“Boom!”

The two rays of purple light intertwined, then separated.

There was a spray of blood, almost as if a red flower bloomed in mid-air. This blood was washed to the ground by the rain, forming a red stream on the ground.

There was a figure lying in the pool of blood. His eyes were wide, his face pale, his hair gradually turning silver.

His skin was wrinkled beyond belief. It felt as though he had aged multiple times in that short period.

“You… are not Fang Zhengzhi!” Shi Kou sputtered as the blood trickled from his lips. He could not believe what had happened, but he could not battle anymore.

His arms were completely shattered…

He was a powerful Rebirth State demon who looked down on the candidates as worthless individuals. Yet, the person in front of him now was many times more powerful than him.

Worthless!

Shi Kou closed his eyes, unable to hang in there anymore. If he had not chosen to drain his demonic eye, he would have been able to recover from his shattered arms within a few months.

However, he had already drained his demonic eye. That meant that he would be dead in 15 minutes if he could not kill Fang Zhengzhi.

He did not struggle as he waited for death to take him. However, he held on to one belief even up till his last breath…

The person he had faced was not Fang Zhengzhi.

The arrogance and domineering power that Fang Zhengzhi had demonstrated was not possible for a Heavenly Reflection State human.

…

It continued to pour, thunder roaring throughout the battlefield. The huge tree created by the purple lightning bolts eventually disappeared.

There was a youth standing where the tree once was. He held a glowing purple sword in his hand as he surveyed his surroundings.

Waves of killing intent emanated from his body. His aura could be keenly felt despite the torrential rain.

“Fang Zhengzhi!”

“He… He actually defeated a Rebirth State demon!”

Shock, awe, terror. The gazes of all the candidates froze as they looked at the sword embedded inside the pupils of the figure in the rain.

Bai Xing, Wu Ji, and the dozens of demon elites were also frozen in their places. They too could not believe what they had just seen.

“How is that possible?!”

“Is he human? Why does such a human being even exist?!”

“…”

Yun Qingwu stood in the rain, her exquisite eyes looking at Fang Zhengzhi with conflicted emotions.

She seemed, relieved and happy, yet, there were traces of awe, fear, and a clear desire to kill him.

“Is that really him?” Yun Qingwu’s lips parted as she murmured so softly it felt like she was talking to herself.

No one answered the question. Of course, Yun Qingwu never really expected an answer.

In the rain…

Fang Zhengzhi looked up at Yun Qingwu. At the moment, his body leapt into action, the strange purple glow swirling around his sword. It was almost as if there was a purple dragon circling his blade.

“Die!” The icy voice filled with killing intent rang out once again as his terrifying aura spread to the surroundings.

“In your dreams!” Wu Ji sprang into action as well. He had no idea what Fang Zhengzhi wanted to do, but he knew that he had to stop Fang Zhengzhi.

The dozens of demon elites also sprang into action with Wu Ji.

Naturally…

The Dragon Protection Squad could not do nothing.

Even though they had not figured out how Fang Zhengzhi defeated Shi Kou, it was not their concern. At the end of the day, that was a good thing for them.

As such, they could throw it out of their minds for now.

“Formation!”

As the renowned Dragon Protection Squad, they had great chemistry with each other and formed up efficiently. Now that they didn’t have to worry about Fang Zhengzhi, they could turn their attention on the enemy.

Xing Qingsui’s expression became increasingly solemn.

The moment Fang Zhengzhi and the Dragon Protection Squad sprang into action, the 100,000 Southern Region soldiers also moved.

“Boom boom boom!”

The rhythmic marching could be heard from miles away. They kicked up droplets of water as they charged towards the Great Xia army.

This was a battle that was waiting to happen. The Great Xia Dynasty was outnumbered almost two to one.

“Die!”

“Die!”

“Die die die!”

The soldiers of the Great Xia Dynasty chanted in unison. They kept trying to raise the morale of their fellow comrades as they waited for the enemy to crash into them.

“Listen up, general of the Great Xia!” Just at this moment, a middle-aged man in thick armor walked out. He had a huge black leather coat on his back.

Xing Qingsui raised his hand and the chanting ceased.

When the general of the Southern Region saw this, he put down the huge blade in his hand. He stared down the Great Xia soldiers.

“We have taken over the Stable Mountain Gate. We have taken over 50,000 soldiers prisoner, so you have lost your reinforcements. The Crown Prince is currently surrounded by 100,000 of our soldiers. You have lost this war. Put down your weapons and surrender! Our king will not take your lives. However, if you resist, all 130,000 of our men will show you no mercy!”

The general of the Southern Regions pointed his sword at Xing Qingsui, his gaze filled with an animalistic rage.

At this point, a cavalryman rode out from within the ranks. He held a tattered flag in his hands. There were three words on the blood-stained flag.

Stable Mountain Gate!

This was the flag of the Stable Mountain Gate. The fact that they had the flag meant that the gate had been broken!

“Stable Mountain Gate has fallen?!”

“How is that possible? The Stable Mountain Gate has fallen? What… what are we going to do now? If the Stable Mountain Gate has fallen, we can’t go back!”

“The Crown Prince is surrounded. Aren’t we the only army left?”

All of the soldiers began to panic when they heard the words of the Southern Region’s general.

The tides of the battle had changed.

Before this, the soldiers were willing to fight to the death because they knew that the Great Xia Dynasty was more powerful than the Southern Regions.

As such, with reinforcements coming, there was no way they could lose.

Even if they were outnumbered two to one, they did not fear. After all, they had 40,000 soldiers under the command of the Crown Prince and the 50,000 soldiers at the Stable Mountain Gate. Furthermore, there were over a million more soldiers at the ready in the empire.

But now…

With the Stable Mountain Gate broken, how would their reinforcements arrive? The Crown Prince was also surrounded and had no way of saving them.

Alone!

They were alone and deep in enemy territory.

Under such circumstances, they only had one fate awaiting them. Death in a foreign land.

All 50,000 soldiers looked to Xing Qingsui and the generals with desperation in their eyes.

All of the generals paled when they saw the bloodstained flag of the Stable Mountain Gate and heard the words of the Southern Region general.

Xing Qingsui’s expression changed too.

He did not expect the Stable Mountain Gate to fall. Even he did not expect the Southern Region to be this powerful.

“Is there no retreat?” Xing Qingsui mouthed to himself. He gripped his black sword tightly. However, he was different from the soldiers.

He would never retreat, and he would never surrender!

As a disciple of the Stabilization Constabulary, he never needed a path to retreat. If there was no way back, they would march forward. They would carve out a path with blood!

“Soldiers of the Great Xia, listen up! Fang Zhengzhi can defeat a Rebirth State demon despite only being a Heavenly Reflection State cultivator. This is testament to the potential we have as humans. You now have two choices!”

“The first choice is to put down your weapons and kneel in humiliation. You can beg for mercy and become a prisoner!”

“Your second choice is to hold the spears in your hand and charge with me! We will take over the Icy Monkey Settlement and charge into the Sagely Mountain City. We will capture their king!”

“Answer together!”

Xing Qingsui raised the black sword in his hand as he rallied his troops. He looked at the general, his eyes filled with battle intent.

“Die!”

“Capture their king!”

“Capture their king!”

“If Fang Zhengzhi can defeat a Rebirth State demon, we can conquer the Sagely Mountain City!”

All of the soldiers were fired up. Under the leadership of their generals, they began to chant in unison.

“Capture their king!”

“Capture their king!”

“Conquer Sagely Mountain City!”

“…”

The Southern Region general smirked when he heard the replies. “What a bunch of idiots! Today, I will show you the power of the Southern Region army! Kill!”

“Die!”

“Die!”

“Die die die!”

The Southern Region soldiers roared in unison, their voices causing the earth to shake. This was their home!

…

Yun Qingwu looked at the two armies about to do battle, her eyes glittering. However, her attention was more on the group of people already embroiled in battle.

Those people would decide the fate of this war.

One strike!

The strange purple light.

It was like a venomous snake, the icy killing intent spreading through the air. If not for the fact that Wu Ji was doing battle with Fang Zhengzhi, there would be casualties amongst the ranks of the demon elite.

Other than Fang Zhengzhi, Nangong Hao’s battle with Bai Xing reignited. The silver glow continued to attack. However, Nangong Hao was not losing any ground despite only being in the pinnacle Supernatural State.

The Dragon Protection Squad continued to battle the demon elites. They had the upper hand but did not let up.

Because…

They all knew that the advantage the numbers advantage they had was temporary. The demons and the Southern Region had the true numerical advantage.

Over 100,000 Southern Region soldiers.

These were brutal warriors who grew up in these lands. Each one was ferocious and had powerful abilities. Based on individual skill alone, each one would overpower the soldiers of the Great Xia.

However, the Great Xia army had the tactical advantage.

Even so, the numbers disadvantage was too great to overcome.

“Die!”

“Die!”

“Die die die!”

The roars reverberated through the air. The rain continued to beat down on both sides, washing the dirt off their armor.

“Charge!” The Southern Region general lifted his broadsword high up in the air. The gigantic beast which was his stallion also galloped forward.

He charged straight for Xing Qingsui.

The Southern Region…

As the general of the army, he had to lead by example. This was the only way he could command the respect of his men.

“Charge, kill!”

“Die!”

As the Southern Region general charged forward, the rest of the army sprang into action behind him, almost like wolves charging a herd.

They glared at the soldiers of the Great Xia. Their dark skin glistened in the rain as they ran forward without hesitation.