Chapter 156: Chapter 154: Fight to the Death_1
The rise of the Qin Empire was, after all, too recent. Just two years ago, it was a small, frontier nation, most of its citizens ordinary folk. Even though its top-tier combat strength had increased, its foundational forces were still insufficient, a weakness that became glaringly obvious on the battlefield. Ordinary Qin soldiers were no match for the disciples of the Wan Dao Domain; they fell in pools of their own blood after just a single exchange.
"So weak! Like slaughtering dogs!" a disciple from the Lan Hai Sect sneered, withdrawing his weapon. At his feet lay the corpse of a Qin soldier—his sixth kill already. Without hesitation, he scanned his surroundings, quickly locked onto another target, and strode towards them.
He wanted revenge! Revenge for the fallen elders and his martial brothers who had perished.
"Kill! Kill them all! Spare none!" Mo Shi hovered low in the air, observing the corpses of Qin soldiers littering the ground. A cruel smile touched his lips. Whether it was for glory or to crush the Qin Empire’s morale, every Qin soldier participating in this battle had to die.
"Damn it, this can’t go on!" Yuan Tiangang, while battling the five ancestors of the Qunxian Sect, also monitored the battlefield, growing increasingly anxious. If this continued, the million-strong Qin army wouldn’t hold out for much longer. The deaths of a million soldiers would be enough to cause tremendous upheaval and incite turmoil within the Qin Empire.
"You dare to be distracted while fighting me? You’re courting death!" the Qunxian Sect ancestor scoffed coldly. His battle sword flashed with a cold light as he thrust it forward. The piercing cry of the sword hummed sharply, echoing through the chilly air above the Cold Water, making one’s eardrums throb with pain.
Alert, Yuan Tiangang waved his hand casually. A beam of Sword Qi shot through the air, parrying the Qunxian Sect ancestor’s attack. Discover worlds on
"Lord Yuan! We must break through the formation of the Five Qunxian Ancestors to rescue our soldiers!" With a golden ancient book hovering above his head, Wang Yangming was bathed in golden light. He broke through the blockade of Sword Qi, rushed to Yuan Tiangang’s side, and urgently sent a voice transmission.
The two possessed formidable combat strength and remained unharmed even within the formation of the Five Qunxian Ancestors. However, they were also unable to defeat the five Qunxian Ancestors. A formation set up by five Supreme Saint Realm Martial Artists was terrifyingly powerful. Even a Saint King expert would have to expend considerable effort to break through it.
"Daoist Arts, Ten Thousand Lightning Strikes!" Yuan Tiangang nodded. His battle sword hovered in mid-air as his hands moved through a series of complex, arcane gestures, generating a strange energy that spread towards the heavens. In just a moment, dark clouds formed high in the sky. Lightning flickered within them, and a low hum emanated.
RUMBLE...
A bolt of lightning, tens of yards thick, crashed down from the sky. It resembled a thunder dragon, baring its fangs and claws, as if to smite any who dared defy the heavens. The Five Qunxian Ancestors looked up, but before they could defend themselves, heavenly lightning struck them. They were turned into blackened figures, their hair standing on end, and the acrid smell of something burnt filled the air. Discover stories at fr(e)ewe
"Cough, cough... You... you’re also a spellcaster!" one of the Qunxian Sect ancestors spat out several mouthfuls of black smoke and roared in utter shock, his tone laced with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
To think that the insignificant Qin Empire actually produced such a prodigy! Not only was his swordsmanship superb, having comprehended ninth-stage Sword Intent, but he was also a spellcaster capable of communicating with the powers of heaven and earth, summoning heavenly lightning to battle. For an ordinary person, mastering even one of these skills would be enough to stand proudly in the world and live a carefree life. Let alone someone proficient in both! They had traversed several eras and witnessed countless prodigies, but even the disciples from the sacred lands of the central continent were not as monstrously talented as him.
"Die!"
"If this person is allowed to mature, he will undoubtedly become a great enemy to our sect!"
The Five Qunxian Ancestors exchanged glances, their eyes filled with murderous intent. One of them waved his hand, retrieved a precious pagoda from his storage space, and tossed it into the sky. In the blink of an eye, it expanded to several hundred zhang in size, completely shielding the five of them. Waves of heavenly lightning all struck the pagoda, inflicting not even the slightest harm on the Five Qunxian Ancestors.
"Astral Wind Blades!" Yuan Tiangang remained unfazed. His hand seals changed once more. A fierce wind howled through the Void, transforming into razor-sharp blades, like a sky full of blade qi, their sharp edges glinting.
"Aegis Shield!" a Qunxian Sect ancestor shouted, pulling out a shield. He channeled Spiritual Energy into it, and it multiplied into four identical shields that enveloped the five of them.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
A series of clear, metallic clashes rang out as the wind blades struck the shields, sending sparks flying, but they failed to penetrate the defense. Subsequently, Yuan Tiangang unleashed several more Daoist Arts, but they were all blocked by various treasures. The Void shimmered with the light of these treasures, overshadowing the radiance of Spiritual Energy.
Wang Yangming and Yuan Tiangang frowned, momentarily speechless. These Five Qunxian Ancestors, carrying so many defensive treasures... they must be terrified of dying! That said, the Qunxian Sect really did have a lot of treasures!
"Give up! You’ll never break through this ancestor’s defenses!" a Qunxian Sect ancestor declared smugly.
"Fight!"
"Kill!"
Yuan Tiangang and Wang Yangming didn’t reply, instead launching ferocious attacks. The two sides clashed again. Each move, each technique, contained terrifying power, leaving them no attention to spare for anyone else.
The battle on the ground raged on.
The number of casualties among the Qin soldiers steadily increased. The defensive line, spanning dozens of miles, had mostly collapsed. If they retreated further, they would reach a vast, open plain with no defensive cover.
"We can only hold our ground! Once we retreat onto the plain, we’ll die even faster!" a blood-soaked, severely wounded commander, having hastily bandaged his wounds, went to the front lines. Looking at the soldiers lying on the ground, covered in wounds, he said in a somber voice.
The atmosphere was heavy. The soldiers clutched their weapons tightly, not uttering a word. They had just endured a vicious battle, managing to repel the enemy with great difficulty. Now they had a few minutes to rest. They needed to rest well for the upcoming battle.
"KILL...!"
Approximately ten or so minutes later, the sounds of slaughter echoed from beyond their position. The wounded Qin soldiers, using their weapons for support, struggled to their feet, preparing to meet the enemy. At the highest point, several hundred archers drew their bows, nocked their arrows, and unleashed several volleys, killing a dozen or so disciples from the Wan Dao Domain.
"Soldiers, fight!" the commander bellowed, standing upon a mound, his sword held ready. His blood-stained crimson cape billowed in the wind behind him, his aura as imposing as a rainbow. Over a thousand soldiers stood arrayed behind him, their expressions resolute.
BOOM! RUMBLE!
Two minutes later, the great battle erupted. Blood flew, dyeing the ground crimson. Facing such powerful enemies, it often took the sacrifice of a dozen or more Qin soldiers to kill a single opponent. Everywhere one looked, the ground was strewn with the bodies of Qin soldiers.
Scenes like this were replaying all over the battlefield.
The only ones holding a slight advantage were the fifty thousand elite Qin cavalry, but they were completely surrounded by disciples from the Wan Dao Domain. Their annihilation was only a matter of time. Once the defensive lines were completely overrun, the countdown to their doom would begin.
"Stalwart Old Qin, united in facing national calamity!"
"Stalwart Old Qin, united in facing national calamity!"
"Stalwart Old Qin, united in facing national calamity..."
The somber battle song echoed across the battlefield, filled with the determination to fight to the death. The Qin soldiers expressed their love for their country with their very lives.
"Alive, a Qin soldier; dead, a Qin spirit!" a Qin soldier with a severed leg mumbled, the Spiritual Energy in his body erupting completely. He threw himself at a disciple from the Wan Dao Domain in front of him. With his final ounce of strength, he thrust his weapon into the disciple’s body, taking him down with him.