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Chapter 317: Crazed Massacre
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
The saying, 'The fame of a general is built on 10,000 lives', only refers to the commander leading his troops in battle. While it wasn't anything extraordinary for 10,000 men to die in battle, it was impossible for all 10,000 of them to be killed by the general alone! That was the combined efforts of the whole army! It didn't refer to a single person killing 10,000 people!
However, Ling Tian was already on a completely different level! He had gone against everything they knew! After charging in and out of the 400,000 man army, thousands of people had already perished under his guandao! But from his calm and chilly gaze, he didn't seem the least bit affected by the result in front of his eyes. Every step he took was still steady and without hesitation. Every time he brandished his weapon, he did it heartlessly without any mercy!
This was a bloodthirsty devil! Wei ChengPing and Shui QianHuan were the ones who summoned this bloodthirsty devil, but were unable to send him away!
"This person… definitely isn't human! He definitely isn't human!" Looking at the maniacal Ling Tian, the blue-robed elder wanted to make a comment about Ling Tian. However, he realized that there were no other words to describe this crazed devil in front of him. After pausing for a long while, he finally gave the verdict of Ling Tian not being human!
The moment he said those words, all the other blue-robed elders nodded their heads in agreement! At this moment, all of them had the same thought in their heads!
The arrows were like a swarm of locusts, raining down from above! In the Northern Wei army, the soldiers surrounding Ling Tian let out groans of shock and disbelief. There were many who looked back at Wei ChengPing in incredulity, only to see the many archers firing their arrows and waves of arrows coming their way! At that moment, their morale was completely destroyed!
"Arrows? What b*st*rd ordered to fire the arrows?!"
"F**K HIM! This daddy is still here facing the enemy! Who is the b*st*rd who ordered to fire the arrows?"
"Aiyah! I've been hit… scumb*g!"
"Wei ChengPing! You son of a b*tch! This daddy is giving my life for Northern Wei, and you actually fired an arrow into my back! Ah…"
By Ling Tian's side, arrows rained down on both ally and enemies! A commotion broke out immediately!
Ling Tian brandished his weapon and a barely visible layer of silver light covered him, protecting himself within it. Any arrow which came into contact with this ball of silver light would be repelled without exception, landing back into the Northern Wei army! At the same time, Ling Tian did not slow down as he continued his massacre! Such densely fired arrows were actually unable to slow Ling Tian down for even a moment!
Ling Tian's lips then curled up in a cruel arc as he roared, "Northern Wei soldiers, your master, Wei ChengPing, has abandoned all of you! He is ordering for all of you to be shot! Hahaha, don't you guys feel disappointed?"
Ling Tian did not stop moving as he talked, with his weapon reaping the lives of the Northern Wei soldiers, "Do you guys find it worth to give your lives for such a master? Will the hot blood of soldiers perish under the hands of your own allies? Hahaha, what a joke! What a pitiful and desolate Northern Wei army! I don't understand why you guys are fighting so hard for! Just so your master can shoot you guys in the back?" As he said the last few words, he purposefully circulated his inner qi and projected his voice across the whole battlefield!
"You are lying! Ling Tian, stop bullsh*tting! No matter what kind of flowery words you say, you will only be wasting your breath!" The one who was talking was a Northern Wei general. After he had said those words, his face was completely red and his eyes were filled with grief!
"I am bullsh*tting? Wasting my breath? Then why are you crying?! My Northern Wei brothers, turn around and look at who is shooting at all of you! Our Sky Bearing army is right in front of your eyes, could our arrows possibly make a u-turn in mid-flight? Your army is more than 10 times that of ours, do you really think we would have the time to shoot arrows?" Ling Tian burst out into laughter.
Many Northern Wei soldiers turned around and looked at the arrows raining down upon them. By their sides, many of their brothers were injured by the arrows with mournful cries sounding constantly! Everyone could not stop their bodies from trembling! There were many soldiers who began to cry as their felt their bodies turn cold!
This was definitely not fear. Since these men came to the battlefield, they were extremely clear that they may die on the battlefield. However, now that their own forces had the upper hand, why was there a need to sacrifice their own troops?! Were their lives just so worthless in the eyes of the Northern Wei rulers?
What was the point of them spilling their blood? What was the point of them fighting on the battlefield? What was the point of them sacrificing their lives? What was the point of their undying loyalty?!
It was for Northern Wei! It was for the emperor! It was for them to lead a comfortable life in the future! It was for them to provide for their families! However, such a master! Such a future emperor! Could they even look forward to receiving anything from him?
To think that he was able to order the death of his troops fighting valiantly on the front lines for him! Furthermore, he gave the order when they were engaged in a bitter battle with the enemy! Just what could he give them? Promotions? Fame? Wealth? What was the point of these if they did not even have their lives?
In that instant, the whole battlefield became silent!
Ling Tian burst out into laughter as he charged forward, "My Northern Wei brothers, let me help all of you to take your revenge! Open up a path, and I will slaughter this heartless and inhumane Crown Prince of yours! I will help all of you vent your anger!"
"Ling Tian, stop deluding the soldiers! The Crown Prince clenched his teeth and gave such a heart-wrenching order to wipe out a devil like you! If not, should we allow a devil like you to destroy our Marshal's flag?" Shui QianHuan shouted, "The Northern Wei Crown Prince has ordered: Anyone who blocks Ling Tian will be awarded 2000 taels of silver! The brothers who died under the arrows will be rewarded with the title of 'Country Protecting Hero'! Their families will be given 2000 taels of silver! We will not be selfish! Fellow warrior, for Northern Wei and for your families! Crown Prince ChengPing gives his thanks to all of you! As the warriors of our Northern Wei army, the time has come for you to fight for the empire! Fellow warriors, the one who can kill Ling Tian will be rewarded with 20,000 taels of gold and be made a marquis! Kill!" Shui QianHuan's cultivation was not weak either and his voice covered the battlefield!
Ling Tian was startled in his heart as he looked at Shui QianHuan with a solemn gaze. To think that this brat is able to make such a quick decision to raise the morale of the troops in such a situation. He is definitely a rare talent!
Wei ChengPing also snapped out of his daze, looking towards Shui QianHuan with gratitude. However, Shui QianHuan did not even spare him a glance. Then, Wei ChengPing also began to shout, "The one who kills Ling Tian will be rewarded with 20,000 taels of gold and be made a marquis! This Crown Prince swears that I will not go against my words! If not, I will die a horrible death!"
From the encouragement of both Shui QianHuan and Wei ChengPing, the originally desolate Northern Wei soldiers were ignited again. They then began to shout out together, "Kill Ling Tian! Kill this vile beast! Kill Ling Tian! Kill this vile beast!"
With the short hesitation of the Northern Wei soldiers previously, Ling Tian had already grasped that opportunity to close the gap by another 100 feet! Now, he was already in the center of the Northern Wei army as he roared with a sinister smile, "My life is here! Who dares to take it?!" His guandao then turned into a mini propeller, as he spun it around in the Northern Wei army like a spinning top!
In just an instant, Ling Tian's surroundings were turned into a sea of blood! Many heads flew up into the sky! Men were shouting everywhere with horses neighing in panic! Like a ferocious tiger, he continued to make his advance! He was less than 300 feet away from Wei ChengPing and Shui QianHuan!
Shui QianHuan's expression was solemn as he said with a mellow tone, "Third Elder, it seems that you will have to take action for us to stop him!"
A bearded blue-robed elder then took a step forward and said with cupped fists, "Rest assured young noble, we will definitely try our best!" His words were filled with the solemnness of a general who knew he wouldn't return from battle!
Shui QianHuan was startled in his heart, Third Elder only said that he would try his best! It seems that they do not have the confidence to fight Ling Tian! Just what kind of strength does Ling Tian have?
The Northern Wei was still filled with turmoil, and the eight blue-robed elders had already appeared at the front of the army! Without a single sign, a long sword had suddenly shot towards Ling Tian's guandao like lightning, with powerful inner qi bursting forth from the sword! Ling Tian suddenly felt his propellor movements to be blocked, and he knew that an expert had arrived! Looking up, he saw the body of a blue-robed elder flying away with blood in his mouth!
This elder was definitely no weaker than the Zheng elders under Shui QianRou's command and he should not have been sent flying from a single attack. However, this blue-robed elder had already been frightened by Ling Tian's killing intent and showed signs of retreat before the battle even began. Furthermore, he had launched his attack when Ling Tian's killing intent was at the peak, and his weapon couldn't be compared to Ling Tian's Seven Star Azure Dragon. The combination of these many factors had resulted in him losing to Ling Tian in a single exchange, suffering serious injuries!
Ling Tian burst out into laughter as he said with a sinister tone, "Water of Heavenly Wind! You guys are the ones who took the initiative to provoke me! You guys are seeking your deaths! If I want someone to die at 3 am, it will be impossible for him to live past 5 am!" The remaining seven blue-robed elders were experts after all. Regaining their composure, they drew their swords and charged at Ling Tian without a single word!
Behind Ling Tian, a few figures appeared mysteriously and Ling Jian, Ling Chi, Ling Feng, Ling Yun and Ling Thirteen dashed forward as well! Like five tigers leaving the mountain, they took on a blue-robed elder each!
Their sudden intervention in the battle was completely out of the expectations of the blue-robed elders! After Ling Tian unleashed his massacre on the battlefield previously, he had drawn the attention of the whole army! Thus, the Shui Family experts never expected another five top-notch experts to be hidden in the Sky Bearing army! Furthermore, their concentration was all focused on Ling Tian and thus became flustered when clashing with the five Ling experts!
Chapter 318: Easily Destroyed
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
Ling Tian burst out into laughter as he waved his guandao and swallowed the remaining two Shui Family experts with the light of his blade! The expert who had launched the first attack had already readjusted his condition and charged forward with his blade again. Three Shui Family experts surrounded Ling Tian! With a clear roar, his guandao glowed brighter, and the third Shui Family expert was also trapped within the light of his blade. With the strength of a single person, he faced three experts! Furthermore, he was able to deal with them at ease, forcing the three of them twenty feet away from him and rendering them helpless in front of his attacks!
Ling Jian's sword was like a venomous viper, and his movement technique was like a bolt of lightning! The moment he collided with a Shui Family expert, that expert was immediately forced to make a pitiful retreat! At the same time, the expert was stunned in his heart and thought, Could it be that this fellow's martial art is comparable to Ling Tian?
While Ling Jian's martial art wasn't comparable to Ling Tian's, Ling Jian had killed no less than Ling Tian. Furthermore, he was already extremely familiar with fighting alone…
Brandishing his sword three times, he forced his opponent into a retreat and then suddenly ignored his opponent. Without a shred of hesitation, he disappeared thirty feet back and stabbed his sword out. With a mournful groan, the Shui Family expert fighting Ling Thirteen had a hole through his neck and his limp body collapsed on the floor!
This attack was one that none of them had expected! Who would have imagined that Ling Jian would abandon his own opponent and kill the enemy furthest away from him?! The two Shui Family experts fighting Ling Feng and Ling Yun formed an impenetrable defense with their sword as they realized how frightening the two teens in front of them were. At the same time, they also guarded themselves against a possible sudden attack by their enemy. However, both of them never expected Ling Jian to pass by both of them and attack the enemy furthest away!
What kind of a battle strategy was this?!
Upon witnessing the death of their ally, the eyes of the two blue-robed elders who were fighting Ling Feng and Ling Yun turned red immediately! They pounced forward in an almost suicidal fashion! With his wind-like movement technique, Ling Jian defended against a few attacks and had quickly tangled with his old opponent, with his sword quickly launching a flurry of rapid attacks. That blue-robed elder was completely helpless and did not have a choice but to pitifully make a retreat with indignance in his eyes! While he was retreating, Ling Jian actually repeated his previous actions as his body drifted towards Ling Feng's opponent!
As the blue-robed elder who was fighting Ling Yun saw that, he could not help but exclaim, "Sixth brother, be careful!" That blue-robed elder called 'sixth brother' was immediately startled as he quickly dodged the 'incoming attack', only to realize that there wasn't even an attack to dodge. Knowing that something was amiss, he quickly turned around only to witness a tragic sight!
Ling Jian's sword had already pierced through the body of his fourth brother, the person who had just given him a reminder! It turns out that Ling Jian's attack was no more than a ruse and his true motive was the blue-robed elder called 'fourth brother'!
"Fourth brother!" The blue-robed elder called 'sixth brother' let out a roar of grief and charged at Ling Jian! Ling Feng and Ling Yun also stabbed out their swords at the same time! All of a sudden, a young voice sounded by their ears, "Big brother is big brother indeed. Brother Jian, you have already killed two of them, and I have only taken care of one." Ling Chi chuckled with a motionless blue-robed elder lying by his feet with his eyes wide open. On his throat, a thin wound could be seen with blood oozing out continuously…
"Ah!" Another groan sounded as Ling Feng and Ling Yun pulled out their swords from the blue-robed elder called 'sixth brother'. Looking towards Ling Jian, their eyes were filled with guilt! Ling Jian looked towards them coldly and pointed, "Both of you, take care of the remaining few! Better be quick! If young noble were to see you, he would say that I have failed to supervise all of you again!"
Ling Feng and Ling Yun were both filled with guilt as they responded, "Yes!" They then charged towards Ling Jian's old opponent.
Seeing Ling Jian and the others obtaining victory, Ling Tian laughed out loud and brandished his guandao sideways. The strong gale generated from his attack had thrown even the Northern Wei soldiers tens of feet away off their balance!
With a few 'dang dang dang' sounds, the originally injured blue-robed elder had flown into the air with blood flowing out of all the orifices in his head. Following that, another body flew into the air as it was dismembered in mid-air. The dismembered limbs then landed in the Northern Wei army and induced a huge commotion!
The faces of the remaining two elders were completely red, and their inner qi was obviously exhausted! The thing that bewildered these two elders the most was the fact that Ling Jian could be so nimble despite wielding this twenty-foot long guandao! The guandao was even more nimble than a needle in Ling Tian's hands and every single attack of the weapon had struck their weakest point! Such a feeling was something which drove the two elders crazy!
Seeing their brothers of many years die in front of their very eyes, both of the remaining blue-robed elders no longer had the will to live on. Each of their attacks was ferocious and without a concern for their own life or death! They were trying to trade their lives with Ling Tian's, hoping to kill Ling Tian regardless of the cost!
However, it was a pity that their opponent was Ling Tian!
Another mournful wail sounded and both Ling Feng and Ling Yun landed by Ling Jian's side, "Big brother, the mission is complete!"
Ling Jian nodded his head and responded with an 'Mmm'. Then, the three of them stood there and watched Ling Tian fight the two Shui Family elders! Their brows burned with a burning intent to battle!
"It is time for both of you to go on to the afterlife!" Ling Tian said coldly. With a spin of his body, a gigantic screen of light suddenly appeared on the battlefield! The screen of light shone over the battlefield like the milky way, appearing majestically out of nowhere! In just an instant, it had swallowed everything!
Before being able to let out a groan, both of the blue-robed elders had already disappeared in this giant screen of light. At the same time, droplets of blood showered the Northern Wei soldiers from the sky! To think that the bodies of the blue-robed elders were reduced to dust from Ling Tian's frightening attack! The biggest remnant of their bodies was no bigger than the size of a human fist!
Just what kind of a martial art was this?!
The might of Ling Tian's attack had not been exhausted yet, and the light screen began to engulf the Northern Wei soldiers as well. Before the Northern Wei soldiers could even experience shock, their bodies were already shredded to smithereens!
Facing such divine might, the Northern Wei soldiers cried out in fright! Their faces were filled with despair! The person in front of them was no different from a devil! How were they supposed to fight against a devil?!
All of the Northern Wei soldiers had lost all of their will to fight!
Ling Tian raised his weapon and walked forward step by step, with his aura solemn and carrying with it the prestige of the heavens and earth. He was like a gigantic mountain slowly crushing down onto the soldier's already brittle spirit!
Following Ling Tian's approach, the Northern Wei soldiers could not help but take a few steps back with horror and dismay filling their faces! They were at a complete loss for what to do as despair filled their ashen faces!
Wherever Ling Tian directed his gaze towards, the place would be filled with commotion as they rapidly made a retreat like rabbits seeing a tiger! Everyone avoided him as though they had seen the devil!
Ling Tian then took another two steps forward and suddenly smashed his weapon on the ground, shaking the battlefield as he roared, "Scram!"
A wave of cries sounded with some soldiers falling on their rear ends from fright before crawling away to escape. There were even a few who were frightened to the point they couldn't move and their pants became damp from wetting themselves!
"Run…" an uproar sounded and the Northern Wei soldiers turned around and ran for their lives! Ling Tian burst out into laughter as he raised his weapon and chased the Northern Wei soldiers like a farmer chasing a bunch of disoriented geese.
Shui QianHuan was at a complete loss! His eyes were void of all expression as he looked at the corpses of his Shui Family experts in a daze. He looked completely lifeless as he sat on his horse!
These people were all the elites of their Shui Family! Both he and his sister ambitiously brought forty Shui Family experts to the Heavenly Star Continent and thought that their strength would allow them to roam the Heavenly Star Continent unhindered! However, who would have thought that he would lose twelve of his Shui Family experts in just a single battle! Such a loss was something that even the thousand-year-old Shui Family couldn't endure!
If Ling Tian's martial art was so powerful, then how could the eight experts that his little sister brought deal with him? If… did they already perish in his hands? Then little sister…
Shui QianHuan felt a heart-wrenching pain! Despite seeing Ling Tian approach him slowly, he actually remained motionless! It was as though he could no longer think with only hatred and regret filling his heart! Ling Tian! I, Shui QianHuan, will be enemies with you forever! I will make you repay this blood debt one day!
Wei ChengPing by his side had already jumped onto his horse and began to escape! He actually didn't even dare to turn his head around!
"Young noble… young noble…" The remaining two Shui Family experts tried calling out to Shui QianHuan but to no avail. Ling Tian was already gradually approaching them with his weapon! Both of them then clenched their teeth and grabbed Shui QianHuan, making their retreat with him.
Seeing the Northern Wei Marshal flag gradually retreating, Ling Tian sneered and with a light kick, two swords landed into his hands accurately as though they had eyes. With a loud roar, he threw them out like a shooting star! In the setting sun, the two swords that carried traces of blood were like two rainbows covering the wide grasslands. However, they were two rainbows that were brimming with killing intent!
"Swoosh!" The soldier carrying the Marshal flag had also escaped along with Wei ChengPing and suddenly felt the pole become much lighter. Looking up with shock, he realized that he was only holding onto half the pole with the Marshal flag landing slowly on the ground. With thousands of soldiers escaping, the flag was immediately trampled on the floor and reduced to shreds!
Chapter 319: Rushing out of the Encirclement
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
A cavalry saber appeared out of nowhere, carrying with it a radiance that looked like the splendor of a meteor shower as it rushed towards Wei ChengPing! A few of the guards immediately lost their composure as they raised their swords to block the incoming blow! With a few 'ka ka ka' sounds, the swords of the guards all shattered, falling to the ground while the guards themselves were thrown out bleeding from all orifices! They probably wouldn't survive the next hour. However, while it seemed like the guards had achieved their purpose of knocking the threat off course, the saber miraculously managed to bury itself in the belly of Wei ChengPing's warhorse! The poor warhorse was sliced in two, while the cavalry saber seemed to still have excess strength, flying for another twenty to thirty feet before stabbing into the ground!
Wei ChengPing was only a hair's breadth from suffering the same fate as his warhorse!
Lying in a disheveled heap on the ground, Wei ChengPing truly felt how scary it was to be right in front of the doors of death! In that instant, he felt as though his brain had gone blank, incapable of forming any thoughts! The moment he recovered his senses, he felt a warmth on his lower body, only to realize that he had lost control and soiled himself in his fear!
Another guard approached on his horse, grabbing onto Wei ChengPing and continuing to flee without pause.
The moment Ling Tian saw this, he hollered out, "The Northern Wei is defeated! The Crown Prince of Northern Wei is dead!" His voice echoed across the whole battlefield!
The scattered remains of the Sky Bearing soldiers immediately caught on, imitating Ling Tian and hollering at the top of their voices as well!
Having lost their commander, the Northern Wei soldiers that were surrounding the remnants of the Sky Bearing forces were already overly suspicious, and upon seeing some of their own allies begin to retreat while hearing Ling Tian's shout, they immediately took it to be true and broke out into chaos!
Ling Tian let out a ragged breath as he pointed to the South, saying, "Ling Jian and Ling Chi, take point; we'll kill our way out! Feng Mo and Wang Han's army should have almost caught up with us." The moment he finished, a loud metallic clang was heard as the guandao in his hand dropped onto the ground and his body begun to sway! Ling Feng was taken aback and immediately rushed forward to support him. Where his hands came into contact with Ling Tian's body, they were immediately dyed red; Ling Tian's clothes had long become bloodsoaked!
While he might be talented beyond ordinary mortals, gifted with great intelligence and superior martial arts, Ling Tian was still a human at the end of the day! It wouldn't be surprising for him to feel fatigue, as there was a limit to one's strength. On the other hand, Ling Jian and the others who were behind Ling Tian all the time were still filled with energy because all the strong enemies had practically been eradicated by Ling Tian himself, leaving the rest with nothing to do!
Rushing through a thousand miles, trampling on platoon after platoon along the way without even stopping. Then rushing straight into the 400,000 strong troops and killing round after round, followed by finally fighting the three Shui Family experts. Ling Tian might be an ironman at that age, but even a person made out of iron would have long overused their strength at this point!
Along this road, over three thousand people from the Northern Wei, Sky Bearing, Western Han and random people had fallen to his blade! After today's battle, Ling Tian's name as a slaughter god would permeate all under heaven!
Grabbing the fallen guandao, Ling Jian shouted, "Ling Feng, Ling Yun, and Ling Thirteen, protect the young noble. Ling Nineteen and gang, continue guarding the Grand Marshall! Ling Chi, follow me, we'll kill our way out for them!"
The duo Ling Jian and Ling Chi shouted out before spurring their horses forward! This moment was when the Northern Wei soldiers were the most lost and chaotic, and they wouldn't be able to put up any effective forms of obstruction to them. Furthermore, given the capabilities of Ling Jian and Ling Chi, how could the normal foot soldiers stop them? Cleaving a way out would probably be as easy as pie for them, and they immediately took the chance to rush out of the encirclement!
The sun was already setting, and darkness had begun to encroach on the land. A cool breeze blew across the battlefield, giving everyone present a feeling as though what had just happened was a distant memory!
Seeing Ling Tian's matchless performance, Wei ChengPing and Qian ShuiHuan were already in a panicked state. They were only set on escaping, and so focused were they that they only belatedly realized that Ling Tian not only didn't pursue them, but actually took the chance to escape from the encirclement! The duo could only look at each other in dismay, especially so for Qian ShuiHuan, who also felt utterly shamed and humiliated! As a successor from Water of Heavenly Wind, he was already frightened into running like a defeated dog by the so-called number one silkpant of the world! If this matter was revealed, then where would the Shui Family place their face and reputation? However, recalling his tyrannical massacre as well as that intense killing intent he exuded from his presence, he found himself lacking in confidence to pursue the matter! As for Wei ChengPing, nothing more needed to be said. He was already trembling at the thought of Ling Tian!
From behind suddenly came clopping sounds of a horse. It was the Western Han Commander-in-Chief, Han TieXuan, and he immediately shouted with a voice laced with anger, "Why did you retreat? Isn't this the same as to allow the tiger back into its own den? I demand a reason!" Facing Wei ChengPing as well as the mysterious Shui QianHuan, Han TieXuan would never have dared to speak this way under normal circumstances, but being the mortal enemy of Ling Xiao, he of course hoped that he would perish today. Having seen his allies suddenly retreat, allowing Ling Xiao to successfully escape, this would be akin to putting Western Han in imminent danger in the future. How could Han TieXuan not be furious? Furthermore, his superior had given him a mission that he had to complete, and even under such successful circumstances, if he were to report his failure, what sort of punishment would he get? Thus, he couldn't endure any longer, but spoke in such an interrogatory tone!
Shui QianHuan calmed himself down and replied, "Why the rush, General Han? I admit that we retreated hastily out of fear just now, but you've also seen for yourself that the enemy was indeed too strong. If we had maintained on the scene, our combined forces would have disintegrated sooner or later! Thus, the two of us decided to retreat and wait for the circumstances to change. For this, I beg for forgiveness! While it might look like Ling Xiao has managed to escape with his son, we still have many blockades back at Sky Bearing, and they will still be cut off from reinforcements. Without additional reinforcements, they're just sitting ducks, and I believe even if I were to give Long Xiang the guts of a hundred men, he still wouldn't allow Ling Xiao back into Sky Bearing! Our army will now give chase, while we nurture our strength and bide our time. Right now is the best chance to take the heads of both father and son, what better reward is there?"
Knowing Shui QianHuan's identity, for him to give a proper explanation, as well as an apology was a rare occurrence. If not for the fact he was afraid that their allied armies would collapse due to the lack of trust, he wouldn't have spoken in such a tone.
However, this made Han TieXuan even more indignant, and he coldly snorted as he jeered, "It was already impossible for Ling Xiao to escape in the first place, so why do we have to add on so many superfluous moves? Isn't it because someone is just afraid of death and doesn't dare to stake their lives on this battle? Haiz, my poor Western Han soldiers of courage!" Due to the fact that he was commanding his army from the far end, he didn't witness Ling Tian's legendary feat, and thus only heard that Ling Xiao had received some reinforcements, but had surprisingly broken through the encirclement of Northern Wei. Words couldn't express the frustration he felt in his heart!
Shui QianHuan's face changed, "What's the meaning behind such words, General Han? Did you think that the Crown Prince of Wei formed an alliance of 500,000 troops with you just for a game? I naturally have my own affairs with the Crown Prince, so General Han does not need to talk so much!"
Han TieXuan was apoplectic with rage, and he couldn't bring himself to speak any further, turning around to give the order for his troops to follow the tail of Ling Xiao. No matter using fair or foul methods, he had to ensure that Ling Xiao left his life behind today!
Watching the Western Han army move across the plains like a wave, a cold gleam flashed across Shui QianHuan's eyes. He ordered, "All troops to move out and pursue Ling Xiao! Exterminate them before they reach the Nine Swallow City."
The Northern Wei only briefly reorganized themselves before setting off in a rush and pursuing the escapees in full force! However, their morale between then and now was like the heaven and earth. Before, they were assured of victory in their hands, their morale high like a rainbow, but now one could only find a depressed atmosphere through the whole army!
The Ling Army that managed to escape with Ling Tian and company didn't even total 10,000 in the end! And the number was slowly dwindling as more and more heavily wounded soldiers fell off their horses midway in the journey, a terrible sight to behold!
However, now was not the time to be soft-hearted, for if they were to stop to rescue every single fallen soldier, then if the enemy forces were to catch up, not only would the wounded not survive, but the safety of the entire army would be compromised!
While escaping, Ling Tian's XianTian realm constitution had already recovered his body somewhat. His XianTian realm strength was about having a ceaselessly working body, able to keep working continuously. While his body received substantial wear and tear and was close to exhaustion, it only took a few moments of rest to recover. The advantage of a XianTian physique was the fact that so long as the user didn't fully exhaust themselves, they would recover in a short time. However, when things reached an extreme, they could only move in an opposite direction. If Ling Tian had fully pushed himself, he would have taken longer than most people to recover.
The Nine Swallow City could now be seen in the distance! During the journey there, Ling Tian had long been informed of the battlefield situation from Ling Xiao and Ling Nineteen as well as the soldiers present. His hatred for Long Xiang ran deep in his bones, and he made up his mind to give that b*st*rd the 'time of his life' the moment he got back!
From afar, a large clamor was heard. The Western Han and Northern Wei coalition had once again caught up to them!
Ling Nineteen guided his horse beside Ling Tian, and pointed at to their distance, saying, "Young noble, after this mountain, we'll reach the Soul Extinguishing Pass, and I believe the Sky Bearing army will definitely have put a massive force there to obstruct us! They will undoubtedly hinder us, and once a bloodbath starts, we'll have no way out!"
As Ling Nineteen was speaking, while his voice was calm, his expression spoke otherwise. From the time he had enlisted in the army three years ago, he never had any chance to fight alongside with his brothers in the Ling Family Courtyard, let alone his young noble! In today's battle, even though they were placed in dire circumstances, having brushed with the reaper a few times, they didn't feel even a hint of fear. Instead, all of them felt their blood boiling with excitement, that they finally had a chance to battle alongside their young noble! The four enlisted guards even had the feeling that, were they to fall in today's battle, it would all be worth it! A warrior knows not when he will die, but if it was for a purpose, then his death would be worth it!
Chapter 320: Calmly Escaping from Danger
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
Ling Tian let out a grunt of assent, as though he did not consider the matter of 30,000 troops barring their way as having much importance. Instead, a warm smile could be seen on his face as he addressed Ling Nineteen and his group, "It's been hard on you guys these past few years."
Ling Nineteen suddenly felt a sourness in his heart. To think that an iron-blooded warrior like him who had survived a hundred battles could actually start crying. He lowered his head and forcibly suppressed the tears, while trying to keep his voice even, "I thank the young noble for still thinking about us. Don't worry, it was nothing much." While he was controlling his emotions, his voice still trembled, revealing the intense emotions that he felt. Even those beside him, such as Ling Twenty, Ling Twenty-one, and Ling Twenty-two, all of them had reddened eyes.
A man does not cry, simply only because there has not been an incident that could make him do so!
A whole three years! The four of them had stationed themselves beside Ling Xiao; how many battles had they already participated in? To say that they were survivors of a hundred battles would be underrating them! However, these iron-blooded youths had actually left their own band of brothers, choosing to endure endless grass and sand, as well as the hot sun; witnessing blood spray into the air and bodies dismembered in front of them. The hardships they faced could not be explained. However, the moment Ling Tian spoke to them, all these hardships seemed to have disappeared with the wind, leaving their hearts only with fulfillment, knowing that whatever they had gone through was worth it!
Seeing their flustered looks, Ling Jian smiled as he walked up and patted their shoulders, praising, "Good! You're indeed my able aides, indeed the brothers of young noble!"
"Brother Jian!" The four of them could not take it any longer, and tears started to roll down their cheeks.
Ling Tian let out a satisfied smile as he said, "These few years, the four of you could be said to have gone through the vicissitudes of life, and since my father's military career has come to an end in Sky Bearing, why don't you guys return back to the Ling Family Courtyard and go back under Ling Jian? With the experience you guys have obtained on the battlefield, it won't be a difficult thing for you to be a part of the First Pavilion!
Ling Tian's words not only affirmed the efforts that Ling Nineteen and his group had put in, but also approved of their current strength! The First Pavilion had thus gained another four asuras! They were not typical killing gods, but in fact killers that had been forged in the hellish fires of the battlefield! The fame of the First Pavilion was well known in all three continents, but other than Ling Jian who was a true killer, Ling Chi and the rest were still newbies under training. While Ling Chen was familiar with how the First Pavilion operated, she was not under it. With the addition of Ling Nineteen and his group, this was a great boost to their strength!
Ling Jian and the rest of the First Pavilion were ecstatic and crowded around the four soldiers with congratulations. Hearing the praises, Ling Nineteen and group were so happy that they seemed to have become mutes, unable to express themselves at all.
Ling Tian laughed at this comical scene, "Why? Are you guys not willing?" He pretended to shake his head in disappointment, "Since you guys aren't willing, then I can only revoke this order…"
"No, we're willing! Young Noble, we're extremely willing!" Ling Nineteen knelt down to the ground in happiness. "Many thanks to the young noble!" He knew that by asking the group to serve under Ling Jian, it represented that he was asking for them to commit themselves fully to him! And by doing so, not only the trust they obtained from him but also their martial skills would receive an unprecedented rise! To people like them who thirsted for strength, this was akin to a meat pie dropping from the sky in front of them! This sort of feeling could be felt but not described, it was more than just happiness!
"Young noble..." Ling Jian had on a drooling face as he stretched out his hand towards Ling Tian, "You wouldn't discriminate against them, right? If that's so, then the medicine..."
Ling Tian glared at him unhappily, "Since you know how to think about them, could it be that this young noble doesn't know how then? Whatever the case, we still have to return before we can discuss anything. Where would we have the time to increase their strength right now? Can't you see that they do not have a single part of their body in a good condition? If they were to consume the pill now, the increase in internal energy would cause all their vessels to explode from within. Do you think they would still survive after that? Huh??!"
Ling Jian let out an embarrassed laugh as he scratched his head, "I'm worried about that too…"
Ling Tian's glare turned fierce, "And I don't look worried?! You brainless fool!"
Ling Nineteen had no idea what they were talking about and cast a confused glance over to them. He could only see Ling Chi, Ling Feng and Ling Yun continuously making side glances towards him with sweat on their faces.
Ling Nineteen then recalled what situation they were in, and worriedly interjected, "Young noble, I believe we can continue this discussion after we have reached a safe place. For now, I believe we should discuss how to get rid of the three b*st*rds and break through the Soul Extinguishing Pass before anything else! With our current strength, this is no trifling matter. My idea is to allow us brothers to sneak into the compound, killing the three dog generals, before opening it up from the inside to allow everyone else to go in. However, the risk in this is larger and more time-consuming. With the enemy catching up from behind, we do not have much time, so we have to make a decision quickly."
Ling Tian and Ling Jian shared a laugh with each other before Ling Jian spoke, "Nineteen, no need to worry about this. The young noble naturally has an arrangement for this."
Hearing that Ling Tian already had a plan in mind, Ling Nineteen couldn't help but turn a questioning gaze to Ling Tian's face.
Ling Tian, however, only nodded his head but did not reply, instead turning back to the pass, which was shrouded by the backdrop of the night scenery. He had gone solo with his brothers, rushing into the battle beforehand, but that had already been over six hours ago! While his army required time to prepare the logistics, appropriate measures had already been prepared long beforehand, thus the army should have been at a state of readiness. If Feng Mo and his men were not able to reach here by now, then that would be unacceptable!
Just as Ling Tian was pondering over this problem, a flare shot up into the sky above the Nine Swallow City, and the sounds of killing immediately sounded out from within!
Indeed, they had lived up to Ling Tian's expectations! Ling Tian could guess that his own elite troops had not even bothered to take a moment of rest before immediately beginning the battle to seize the pass!
Mounting his horse, Ling Tian hollered, "Charge! Coordinate with our forces inside, kill our way into the Soul Extinguishing Pass and occupy the city! We'll have our showdown with the Northern Wei and Western Han there! My army will definitely win, for I am undefeatable!" Seeing that Nine Swallow City suddenly set ablaze, with screams and shouts filling the air, the Ling Army troops seemed to have perked up once again! Everyone knew that so long as they could reoccupy Nine Swallow City and guard the pass, this would mean a position of absolute safety! Under the intense desire to survive and live on, the remaining 10,000 troops all shouted and charged with all their might!
The gate to Soul Extinguishing Pass suddenly opened, and a battalion of soldiers came out and neatly arranged themselves. They fanned out, each person on a horse and armed to the teeth as they awaited the arrival of Ling Tian and his troops. Seeing that they were approaching, all uniformly got down their horses and kneeled down in respect, "This subordinate Wang Han gives his respects, and invites the Grand Marshall and young noble to enter the pass!"
The battalion echoed, "Welcome Grand Marshall and young noble to enter the pass!"
Ling Tian finally laughed, and flipping off his horse, he held Wang Han by his arms. Patting his shoulder he laughed out, "Well done!" Turning his head back, he commanded, "Enter!"
The remaining army had high spirits and their heads were held high and chests were out as they strolled in! To have survived in the battle, they walked in as though they were war heroes being welcomed back into their city! However, this still took some time, as there were 10,000 of them after all.
From behind suddenly came the sounds of horses galloping! The enemy was approaching!
Wang Han jumped up onto his horse, a bloodthirsty smile on his face as he shouted, "We'll hold off the offenders for young noble!"
"Hold back the enemies for the young noble!" The battalion echoed and rushed forward as a whole!
Han TieXuan had been urging his army for the entire journey, as he was afraid that they might lose the best chance to get rid of his enemy! When he finally saw Ling Xiao standing outside the pass, looking as though they were being barricaded outside, he felt an unprecedented joy in his heart, thinking, Ling Xiao, let's see where you can run to this time! Today shall be your death day!
Just as a smile suffused across his lips, he suddenly stood stock still! He was left completely tongue-tied as he stared at the gate of the pass opening, and the army respectfully welcoming Ling Xiao and his army in!
After being in shock for a few moments, he finally got his breath back! Seeing his enemy turning away from the doors of death all of a sudden, Han TieXuan almost had the urge to vomit blood!
This meant that in the darkness in front, there was a batch of elite soldiers lying in ambush!
Since things had already reached this point, Han TieXuan could only sigh and raise his greatsword, passing down the order to pitch camp! While he was reluctant to let his enemy go just like that, he knew that this was already out of his capabilities! At least before the Northern Wei soldiers arrived, he definitely could not act rashly! In front of him was a sturdy city, a city that had never been captured!
At this point, there was a burning question in Han TieXuan's heart. Just why would the soldiers on duty allow Ling Xiao to pass into the keep so easily? Could it all have actually been a ploy from Sky Bearing to draw all their enemies out and deal with them in one fell swoop? Recalling how Ling Xiao managed to escape from an encirclement of 500,000 troops, Han TieXuan suddenly broke out into a cold sweat. Could it actually have been a ploy for Northern Wei and Sky Bearing to get rid of his Western Han? If so, that would be a serious matter! However, using over 100,000 lives just to carry out this ploy, the losses were still too large anyway, were they not? So who was plotting against who? What exactly was going on?
For a moment, many different scenarios flashed pass Han TieXuan's head, but he only felt his thoughts becoming more and more muddied, unable to make sense of anything!
Inside the Soul Extinguishing Pass, things were getting busy! The Ling Army was being treated for their injuries, and even the hardened war medics were shocked at their injuries! All their army doctors and medics were gathered, but the need of the troops far outstripped the number of medics present! Of the 10,000 troops that returned, all of them had heavy injuries, and one of the doctors could only sigh at the heavens at how cruel this war had been compared to what he had seen in the past decade!
Chapter 321: Legend of Ling Tian
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
After Ling Tian entered the city, the first command he gave was to order all the physicians in the city to help treat the injured in the army camps.
The only thing that angered Ling Tian was the fact that the three swines, Jun ZiTang, Wu AiLing and Deng KuaiYan, were the first to escape when they realized that the situation was dire! They were indeed three despicable individuals who only knew how to fear death! Apart from stabbing others in the back and letting others down, these three b*st*rds had no other abilities!
A phrase that Ling Jian had said had received the agreement of the many soldiers present, "The parents of these three b*st*rds would probably be ashamed of giving birth to such animals! They are the misfortune of a family, and the three of them will definitely cause their family's lineage to be terminated in their generation! They were only born in this world to make a fool out of themselves and be spat on by others!" All the soldiers agreed with a laugh as they vented their anger.
As Ling Tian walked out of the door, he witnessed torches lit up everywhere and the place was filled with injured soldiers receiving treatment. Each and every one of them had their eyes shut quietly as they waited for the physicians to tend to their injuries. Occasionally, there would be a few who would let out a groan from the unbearable pain, but other than that, silence filled the place.
The thirty-four physicians were frantically treating the injured soldiers to the point they were drenched in sweat. However, as compared to the 10,000 soldiers that were injured, the number of soldiers they treated was akin to a drop of water in the lake!
Ling Tian frowned as he saw the many soldiers laying down in pain with blood oozing out of their wounds. Out of frustration, he turned around and hollered at FengMo, "Where are your soldiers? Transfer a thousand of them over."
He then ordered a few platoons to build a campfire in the middle of the courtyard and placed a few gigantic woks over the fire to boil water. After pouring salt into the woks of water, he gathered all the wine from the city and ordered for the soldier's wounds to be cleaned with clean rags that were doused in wine. As the wine touched the soldier's wounds, the soldier's bodies began to contort in pain as they all began to groan miserably. The sound of the many soldiers taking a breath of cold air filled the place as the air of the courtyard seemed to have been sucked away completely!
In that instant, all the soldiers that Ling Tian had transferred over were extremely busy! If not for Ling Tian thinking of such an idea, the many soldiers who had survived the brutal battle probably would have died while waiting for their wounds to be treated!
A short while later, the woks of water began to boil and the treatment of the wounds also began to speed up. When the physicians finally had the chance to tend to the wounds of these soldiers, they were shocked to realize that apart from a few soldiers, most of the wounds of the soldiers showed no signs of inflammation. In fact, none of them were in any danger of losing their lives! Thus, all the physicians couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
In a war, the number of casualties in battle would only account for two-thirds of the total death count. As for the remaining one-third, it would be due to the soldiers dying from the inflammation of their injuries! Such a scene was a miracle that had never happened before! Apart from those soldiers who lost their limbs in battle, the others would be as fit as a fiddle after a period of rest. Thus, the physicians all couldn't help but look with admiration towards the white-dressed teen who suggested this method!
The sound of horses could then be heard from outside the city gates and the Northern Wei and Western Han soldiers were presently stationed outside. The moment day breaks, they would launch their all-out attack! The situation was extremely dire! Everyone couldn't help but wonder if their army, which was less than 30,000 men strong, would be able to stop the attack of their enemy's 400,000 strong army!
However, the 15,000 soldiers who were from the Ling Family Courtyard were all at ease and not a single trace of worry could be seen in their eyes. They all tended to their posts as usual and sounds of their laughter could be heard every now and then. There wasn't a single trace of the nervous atmosphere of an army before battle and not a single one of them were bothered by the approaching battle! It was as though their enemies stationed outside were all made from paper and would be easily destroyed with a single breath.
In a forest outside the city, Yu ManLou let out a long sigh!
Such a detailed plan! Such a huge army! With the full force of the Northern Wei army and 100,000 Western Han elites! Furthermore, there was a military strategist from Water of Heavenly Wind working with both the armies! However, they were just unable to get rid of a single Ling Xiao! Apart from the fact that Ling Xiao's army were elites, the main reason was the unexpected appearance of a certain individual who single-handedly foiled their plans!
Ling Tian!
This was a name that Yu ManLou appreciated greatly in the past! It was as though he was looking at another him growing up! After that, everything that had happened had made Ling Tian a name worthy of his attention! He was certain that Ling Tian had the right to be his opponent when he was fully grown up! However, that was only in the future!
However, after the battle today, Ling Tian's name was one which Yu ManLou was greatly wary about!
In this battle, Ling Tian had created a miracle in the world! He definitely had the right to become a legend in the Heavenly Star Continent! A legend that belonged to Ling Tian! Such an event was one that no one would be able to mimic in future! Such a miracle was not just the first of its kind but probably the last of its kind as well!
The one and only Ling Tian! The one and only legend!
Legend of Ling Tian!
If Yu ManLou was in Ling Tian's place, he was certain that he wouldn't be able to do something so crazy! Charging into an army of 500,000 with only five men! Even if it was to save his own father, Yu ManLou was certain that he wouldn't be able to, nor would he dare to do so!
Up until now, Yu ManLou was still shocked in his heart!
If he was in Ling Tian's shoes, he probably would have abandoned Ling Xiao! He would have saved his strength to obtain the greatest benefit in future! He would definitely not charge into the opponent's army alone and create a bloody massacre!
Would I be successful if I were to charge into a 100,000 strong army to save someone? Yu ManLou asked himself in his heart and was shocked to realize that his answer was a resounding: No!
Am I not comparable to Ling Tian?! While Yu ManLou felt that Ling Tian's actions were a little rash and even childish, Yu ManLou had to admit that Ling Tian did indeed live up to his name and had the aspiration to rule the heavens, the boldness to rule the heavens, the wisdom to rule the heavens and the strength to rule the heavens!
Even if Yu ManLou's strength was above Ling Tian's, even if Yu ManLou had the strength to charge into a 500,000 man army, Yu ManLou was certain that he wouldn't have the domineering aura Ling Tian displayed when facing the 500,000 man army! It was a form of arrogance that was engraved within his bones! It was a resolution which went beyond life and death! That was something that belonged solely to Ling Tian!
"Family head, what should we do now? Are we going to follow our original plan?!" The one who asked this question was a black-dressed man. Although he was standing by Yu ManLou's side, he was like a formless shadow that couldn't be captured!
For the first time in his life, Yu ManLou felt a sense of depression in his heart. Looking at the calm Yu ManTang by his side, he snorted and asked, "Second brother, what do you think?"
Yu ManTang let out an elegant smile and said, "Big brother, I have another plan which is largely opposed to our original plan. However, it would definitely benefit our Yu Family greatly. I hope that big brother can comment on its feasibility!"
Yu ManLou didn't say a single word as he stared at Yu ManTang.
Yu ManTang let out a laugh and suddenly said with a grave tone, "Big brother, Ling Tian and his father are already in the city and they can use the treacherous Soul Extinguishing Pass to aid their defenses! Furthermore, Ling Tian's reinforcements have already arrived, and it will be impossible for us to take Ling Xiao's life! What does big brother think about that?"
Yu ManLou then said coldly, "That's right! Furthermore, Ling Tian will definitely have more reinforcements. Unless I take action personally, it would be impossible for us to kill Ling Xiao. But, it would be impossible for me to take personal action!"
Yu ManTang ignored his older brother's chilly tone and continued, "I never imagined that Han TieXuan was a spy that big brother had placed in the Western Han army. No wonder he was still able to hold onto military power even after being captured by Ling Xiao."
Yu ManLou let out another sigh and didn't say a thing.
Yu ManTang then said unhurriedly, "This little brother isn't resenting big brother for this matter and I know that the fewer people who know about this, the better! However, this single factor would give us a huge chance to turn this situation around! In fact, we would be able to cause a heaven shaking change! Big brother, on the Northern Wei side, there is only Wei ChengPing and the Shui Family. Wei ChengPing already has the intention to deal with our Yu Family and the Shui Family would definitely want the destruction of our Yu Family! The alliance of these two parties would definitely be the destruction of our Yu Family! If that's the case, why don't we take care of both of them!"
Yu ManLou was shocked for a moment as he asked, "Second brother, do you mean… isn't that too bold?"
Yu ManTang said with a laugh, "Big brother is right! That Han TieXuan is already displeased about the fact that the Ling army was able to escape from the encirclement of the Northern Wei army. If big brother orders Han TieXuan to join hands with Ling Tian, the Western Han army can burn the rations of the Northern Wei army when they are fighting with Ling Tian! Then, they can launch a pincer attack and… ah ah ah," with a delighted smile, Yu ManTang continued, "the Northern Wei army would definitely be seriously damaged! They wouldn't have the strength to fight for hegemony anymore! The Shui Family's schemes would be completely destroyed as well. At that time, our Yu Family would definitely be the biggest winner! Furthermore, we can also further big brother's previous plans to push Ling Tian and the Shui Family to opposing sides! Big brother, don't forget that Ling Tian has already killed eight Shui Family experts! Even if Ling Tian doesn't want to seek trouble with the Shui Family, it would be impossible for the Shui Family not to seek trouble with him!"
Yu ManLou paced around with his hands placed behind his back as he considered the feasibility of this plan. No matter what, Yu ManTang's plan was definitely something exciting and the Yu Family would be able to destroy all of the Shui Family's plans in the Heavenly Star Continent! However, Yu ManLou's only concern was Ling Tian! As long as this plan was carried out, the benefits that Ling Tian would receive would be no less than his Yu Family!
Chapter 322: Life Like a Show
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
When the Northern Wei army loses, just the number of captured soldiers would be worth a huge fortune! Presently, Ling Tian had already dropped all pretense with the Sky Bearing Imperial Family, and Ling Tian would only be able to grasp the Sky Bearing army if he were to overthrow the Imperial Family! If not, regardless of how powerful his own army was, his army would be no larger than 50,000 men! With the external threats of Northern Wei and Western Han together with the inner threat of the Imperial and Yang Families, this was the most challenging moment! It could be said that they were facing a huge storm!
If Ling Tian were to expand his army now with the surrendered troops of the Northern Wei army, it was akin to sending him coal in the snow and adding wings to a tiger! Furthermore, if he were to form an alliance with Western Han, it would be equivalent to removing his external threat. Then, the moment Ling Tian returned to the capital, it wouldn't be a difficult task for them to overthrow Long Xiang with Ling Xiao's prestige and grievances! If Sky Bearing were to fall into Ling Tian's hands, that was a completely different matter from it being in Long Xiang's hands!
As Yu ManLou pondered over the matter, he just couldn't come to a decision. In his life, he had always been a resolute individual and was never one to be so hesitant! This was the first time in his life where he was so indecisive!
After a long while, he finally said, "Second brother, you have really planned well for this son-in-law of yours. Now, you have really placed me in a spot."
Yu ManTang quickly replied, "Why would big brother be placed in a spot? Since Ling Tian is already enemies with the Shui Family and in love with Yan'er, it is already certain that he is on our side and can be considered half of our family member. Even without Yan'er, Ling Tian would definitely not join hands with the Shui Family to deal with us! While Ling Tian would definitely gain benefits from this plan, our Yu Family would receive greater benefits!"
"While your words are irrefutable, you have to know that this is akin to nurturing a tiger for future calamity! The Northern Wei is no more than a dancing clown and isn't anything to be feared! The foundations of the Water of Heavenly Wind aren't in the Heavenly Star Continent after all and they will not be able to stir up a storm with the Western Han included in their plans. However, once Ling Tian's wings are fully grown, no one will be able to control him!" Yu ManLou shook his head and said with a solemn expression.
Yu ManTang then said with a smile, "Big brother, you have misunderstood me. No matter how useless I am, I am still a part of the Yu Family. Why would I only think on behalf of outsiders? That Ling Tian is an individual who places a large emphasis on familial ties and I don't believe that he will attack his in-laws for no good reason right? Especially someone who had helped him before! Furthermore, if we don't help him now, the Ling Family will definitely lose in the war against Northern Wei, Western Han, and Sky Bearing! If that really happens, the Northern Wei will definitely be fully developed! At the same time, the Water of Heavenly Wind would have also set up their foundations in the Heavenly Star Continent! As for Western Han, ah ah, while big brother has Han TieXuan stationed in Western Han, Western Han is also the weakest amongst all of these empires. The moment the Ling Family gets destroyed, we will definitely lose a powerful ally!"
As he said that, Yu ManTang said seriously, "As long as we help Ling Tian now, it would definitely be a huge favor! A favor is something the most difficult to repay, and no matter how unruly Ling Tian is, he would definitely still feel grateful. As for all other things, it wouldn't be too late for us to talk about it after we have destroyed the Water of Heavenly Wind. However, the most important thing for us to do now is to protect Ling Tian's strength! Furthermore, if Ling Tian's strength were to grow, it would be in the best interests of our Yu Family!"
Yu ManLou frowned and asked with bewilderment, "Why so?!"
Yu ManTang gave out a distant smile as he said, "Big brother, think about it, the Heavenly Star Continent isn't made up of only the Northern Wei, Western Han and Sky Bearing empires. The Sky Bearing Empire is situated in the middle of the continent with abundant resources and wealthy peasants. All the other empires in the continent have already been eyeing the Sky Bearing Empire for a long time, and it would be inevitable for Ling Tian to be the target of all the other nations. No matter how powerful Ling Tian is, how would he be able to block the entire world with the strength of a single nation? When he is unable to hold on, we will be the only ones capable of coming to his aid! At that time…"
Yu ManLou's eyes shone as he looked at his brother with a different light, "Not bad, second brother's foresight is even above this brother's. Ling Tian can help us to rule over the continent and we will be the true rulers controlling from behind the scenes. With a vanguard helping us to fight the war, our lives would definitely be much easier. Second brother is wise!"
As Han TieXuan sat in his Marshal's tent and looked at the letter in his hands, he didn't even know if he should laugh or cry. At that moment, a myriad of emotions gathered on his face with his face contorting into a strange look.
"Err, this… Sir, is this really the Family Head's intentions?" While he had already determined the authenticity of the letter, Han TieXuan still felt as though he was in a dream. He almost wanted to knock his head with a rock to test if he was truly dreaming.
Just a few hours ago, he had received an order to kill Ling Xiao regardless the cost and now, he had actually received an order to form an alliance with the Ling Family! Furthermore, these two orders were given by the same person! Han TieXuan couldn't help but let out a sigh as he thought, Life is really like a show!
"What are you talking about? If this isn't the Family Head's intentions, could it be yours? You actually dare to doubt the Family Head's orders?" The shadow-like figure snapped sharply with his tone vicious and without showing Han TieXuan any face! At that moment, Han TieXuan had the urge to kill this shadowy figure in front of him but he just didn't dare to!
"Err, I mean that… this… we were still in battle previously… and… fighting each other to the death… it is really difficult for me to accept a sudden alliance." Han TieXuan said with a dry laugh. After reigning in his anger, he let out an apologetic smile. As long as it was possible, Han TieXuan would never be willing to work together with Ling Xiao!
"That's your own problem!" the black figure's words angered Han TieXuan to the point he almost fainted, "My mission is to send the message to you and you are free to decide whether or not you want to carry out the mission and how you want to carry it out. But before you make your decision, you had better remember that your head is still on your neck and not in your pants!"
After sending the black figure out of the camp and seeing him disappear into the shadows, Han TieXuan cursed him for a full hour without stopping!
Sky Bearing City.
The usually silent Sky Bearing City was filled with complete chaos!
With a single command from Long Xiang, the whole city was sealed tight! The 16,000 elites of the Imperial Army marched towards the Ling residence majestically under the lead of General Shen RuHu! Long Xiang sat in his dragon sedan and personally oversaw the whole event.
At the same time, the Yang Family had also sounded their drums as Yang KongQun's 3,000 Heavenly Blade Troops and 6,000 ordinary troops were sent out as well!
In Long Xiang's heart, he was certain that Ling Tian must have sent all his elites to save his father and the Ling residence was definitely empty at this moment! Since they had already dropped all pretense, he should make use of this opportunity to take down the Ling Family! As long as he could capture the family members of the Ling Family, even if Ling Tian and Ling Xiao make it back alive, Long Xiang would have an option to attack and retreat. With Ling Tian's family in his hands, Ling Tian would definitely not dare to make any rash moves. If Ling Tian doesn't return, things will be even easier! Long Xiang could just kill them all! However, there were a few who couldn't be killed, like Ling Ran… JiaoYue, Ling Chen, and even the married woman Chu Ting'er had her own charisma. Furthermore, she was still the Goddess of Fortune, and it would definitely be to his benefit if Chu Ting'er were to serve him. Long Xiang was delighted in his heart as he began to fantasize about the various possibilities.
All of a sudden, the winds in the city were shifting as the atmosphere became extremely solemn. The whole city seemed to have turned into a large barrel of gunpowder, facing the risk of explosion with just a small spark!
However, the strange thing was that the target of both the armies was still silent and motionless!
The Ling Family was frighteningly silent! It was like the calm before the storm!
Shen RuHu's face was serious with worry seen on his face as his brows furrowed in frustration. It was obvious that he was feeling extremely contradictory in his heart! Long Xiang had given an imperial decree that Ling Xiao's army was staging a revolt, and that he was to capture all the members of the Ling Family! The moment this imperial decree was issued, Shen RuHu could feel that something was wrong!
Shen RuHu had known Ling Xiao for many years and was the previous subordinate of Duke Ling. He was extremely familiar with both the Ling father and son's personalities! Ling Zhan and Ling Xiao's loyalty towards Sky Bearing was something that couldn't be doubted! Shen RuHu would rather believe that he would betray Sky Bearing instead of Ling Xiao betraying Long Xiang! Furthermore, even if Ling Xiao's head was smashed by the door and he was really staging an uprising, Duke Ling was the general who contributed greatly to the founding of this empire! More than half of the Sky Bearing Empire was won by Ling Zhan in battle! How could Long Xiang kill a figure like that so easily? With the way Long Xiang acted just now, it was obvious that Long Xiang wanted to exterminate the whole Ling Family!
Besides all these, Long Xiang's special instruction was something that made Shen RuHu feel as though he had eaten a fly!
"I don't care about anyone else and the death of all the others. However, there is a maid in the Ling residence called Ling Chen, and she must be captured alive!"
Thinking about Long Xiang's words, Shen RuHu had the urge to curse Long Xiang! Dammit, you only want her to be kept alive? What about your consort, Ling Ran? What about your daughter, JiaoYue? What about your unborn child? All of them are in the Ling Family now! Are we going to save them like hostages or wipe them out like they are the Ling Family members? Are you not going to be bothered with them? What a heartless sc*m! Can you still be called a human?
In these past few months, there had been a persistent rumor that Long Xiang was eyeing his own nephew's woman. It was said that Ling Tian's maid was a country-toppling beauty and Long Xiang had even used his own daughter as a tool to barter for her but was rejected by young noble Ling. Was this the maid in the rumors?!
Preposterous! Shen RuHu's face was ashen with his stomach burning with anger! If not for his many years of loyalty, Shen RuHu would have staged an uprising immediately!
Chapter 323: Thunder-like Methods
Translator: DavidT Editor: DavidT, Rock
The Yang Family head, Yang KongQun, led the front in delight as he looked forward to emerging victorious over his rival of many years! The Imperial Family had chosen to wipe out the Ling Family first! At this moment, Yang KongQun could already feel victory in his grasp! Without the Ling Family present, would Long Xiang have the strength to escape from his clutches? The answer was obvious: No!
Ling Residence, in the main hall.
Duke Ling and Old Madam Ling were seated at the front of the hall with their faces solemn and dark clouds looming over their faces. Ling Tian's mother, Chu Ting'er, was seated by the side with the rims of her eyes red as she whimpered silently. It was obvious that she was worried about the life and death of her husband and the safety of her son who went to save him.
The hall was completely filled with the elites of the Ling Family and Ling Family Courtyard with the various leaders solemnly seated. Ling Chen and Yu BingYan were both dressed in pristine white dresses as they stood by the side silently without a single trace of emotion being seen on their faces.
In the whole hall, there were many different expressions seen on the many people present. However, not a single one of them showed any signs of nervousness, fear, shock, or anxiousness…
Ling Zhan's originally graying hair had completely turned white in just this half a day! He had served the empire with his whole life and had devoted all of his strength and effort to the prosperity of the nation. It could be said that the whole Sky Bearing Empire was the fruit of Ling Zhan's blood and sweat! However, in his final days, Ling Zhan's son was actually betrayed by the emperor with his life or death unknown! Following that, the emperor who he had sworn his loyalty to had actually led his Imperial Army to surround his own Ling Family with the attempt to uproot their family! How could Ling Zhan not be depressed by such a severe blow! Duke Ling felt as though he was too tired!
It could be said that the moment Long Xiang gave his imperial decree, Ling Chen had already received news about it before even Shen RuHu received his orders! However, everyone was divided with regards to how they should deal with this situation, with the division of those from the courtyard and Ling Residence having the largest contrast!
Who should be the leader?!
If it was ten, or even five years ago, Old Madam Ling and Duke Ling would have taken up command without any hesitation for sure! However, time hadn't been merciful to them. As for Chu Ting'er? While she was an expert in running a business, such a matter was out of her league!
It seemed as though there wasn't another appropriate choice!
After arguing for a long while, everyone in the hall could not come to a conclusion about this matter. Finally, Old Madam Ling grew impatient, and she asked, "When your young noble left, who did he leave in charge of the courtyard?"
The scrawny Ling Lei then took a step forward and gave a bow. "Reporting to Old Madam, young noble said that all authority in the courtyard would be given to Miss Chen if he wasn't around! No one is allowed to go against his orders! Anyone who goes against his orders will be killed without mercy!"
"Killed without mercy?! How can a lass like her take command? Haha…" A vice butler of the Ling Residence called Wu Yong began laughing, with his laughter filled with ridicule and mockery. This Wu Yong had followed Duke Ling for a long time and felt as though he could be considered an elder-level figure in the Ling Family. Together with the fact that he had an arrogant personality, he had always spoken his mind freely and without watching his words. Even if he was in front of Ling Xiao and Chu Ting'er, it was no exception. Everyone in the Ling Residence respected him for his seniority and usually treated him as a high figure. Now that he was the first to step out in objection, all the others from the Ling Residence wanted to come out and support him.
All of a sudden, a sword light flashed and a groan sounded! Ling Dian then slowly pulled his sword out from Wu Yong's chest and said with a cold indifference, "Young noble said that anyone who doubts Miss Ling Chen will be killed without mercy, regardless of whether he was right or wrong! Didn't I make myself clear just now?"
Wu Yong pressed onto the wound on his chest as his eyes almost popped out from disbelief. He began mumbling incoherently like he wanted to say something but couldn't say another word. His body then fell forward onto the ground with his legs jerking a few times before remaining motionless on the ground with blood flowing out from his body.
Everyone's expression changed! None of them expected this teen to be so ferocious! With just a word of disagreement, he had killed the other party!
Duke Ling's face began to cramp up as he looked at Ling Dian with a chilly gaze! To think that a little brat dared to kill a trusted aide of his right in front of his very eyes! Wasn't that a little too much?!
Ling Dian showed no signs of fear as he said, "This subordinate knows that my actions were disrespectful. However, the enemy is about to walk up to our doorstep and we do not have time to waste! We also do not have any time to give an explanation! The most important thing is for us to have a leader, and we can only follow the young noble's instruction! If anyone dares to doubt young noble's order, he will be killed regardless of whether they are right or wrong! Regardless of what the matter is, we have to first survive this tribulation! If Old Family Head thinks that I am wrong, then Ling Dian is in the wrong. After this matter, Ling Dian will give an explanation to Old Family Head! Even if I were to be executed and be left with an incomplete corpse, I will not mutter a single word of complaint!"
"Pa pa…" Old Madam Ling suddenly began to clap. "What a good Tian'er! What resolute decisions! To think that he left such a resolute order before he left! He is indeed my good grandson! If that's the case, Chen'er, what are you waiting for? Give the command. If anyone dares to disobey your commands, this old lady will be the first to take care of him! No, this old lady doesn't even need to do anything. We will follow what Tian'er said and kill without mercy!"
Old Madam Ling was the one who held onto the true authority of the Ling Family for decades after all. How could she not know what was the most important thing at the present? Even though she was also dissatisfied with Ling Dian killing Wu Yong, she had to admit that Ling Dian's actions were without fault! After all, both Duke Ling and herself were old, and energy was a huge problem for them. Thus, the best method available was to suppress all objections with thunder-like methods to ensure that their troops could be deployed promptly in such a scenario! At this moment, if there were to be a division in the family, they would be destroyed in this tribulation! If they did not have such resolute methods, how would they be able to tame the crowd? At the same time, Old Madam Ling was also shocked at the ferocity of the young man in front of her. Tian'er's subordinates were indeed all exceptional!
Ling Chen let out a smile and bowed calmly. "Rest assured, Old Madam Ling. There is no need for anyone in this hall to panic and all of you can just tend to your own stations. The relevant parties have already been informed by me and I have already dispatched them! We just have to wait for our enemies to fall into the trap!"
"Oh?" Old Madam Ling said with a look of praise, "How did you dispatch them? Did Tian'er deploy them before leaving?"
Ling Chen gave a bow again and said with a smile, "Young noble had always predicted that this day would come, so how would he not have done any investigations? At the same time, he had also talked about how we should deal with such a matter. All of the assignments were done by Chen'er and Old Madam Ling will find out in just a moment's time. Why is there a need to be anxious?"
"Ah ah, if that's the case, this old lady can be at ease and will look forward to watching the show," Old Madam Ling said with a smile. She knew that Ling Chen wasn't willing to reveal the specifics of her plan in front of the many people present in order to maintain secrecy. At the same time, she could not help but be at ease.
A frantic voice suddenly sounded from outside the hall, "Help, help… my mother… she has fainted…" Following the frantic screams, Princess JiaoYue dashed in frantically with anxiousness all over her face! It turned out that Consort Ling Ran heard that her own husband had actually schemed to kill her own brother and even wanted to make use of the opportunity to wipe out her Ling Family! Her own family had fallen out with her husband without a chance of turning things around. She could not help but be thrown into depression and dilemma and her already weak body fainted on the spot!
"What sin!" Old Madam Ling let out a sigh and held onto the Princess JiaoYue's arm. After sending an eye signal to Chu Ting'er, she walked out of the hall. After a moment of hesitation, Chu Ting'er also followed Old Madam Ling out. Duke Ling then stood up and let out a long sigh. Looking at Ling Chen, he looked as though he wanted to say something but did not say anything in the end. Shaking his head, he walked out of the hall a desolate retreating figure filled with the dismal spirit of a warrior at the end of his road!
For the three huge figures of the Ling Family to walk out of the hall at this moment, they only had a single purpose: to trust Ling Tian's choice. They had chosen to acknowledge Ling Chen's position as the leader and handed the life and death of the Ling Family into her hands! They had displayed their attitude: no matter what Ling Chen did, the three of them would not question her and would wait for the outcome! Even if she were to send the whole Ling Family to their deaths, they would also accept that outcome! This was the demeanor of a powerful family, trusting the one they chose to follow!
Ling Chen's eyes were already filled with tears. While she was confident that she would be able to persuade Old Madam Ling and Duke Ling, she never expected things to go so smoothly. However, she still couldn't help but feel a sense of anxiousness about the fact that the life or death of the Ling Family rested on her shoulders.
The Imperial Army should be here soon, right? Why aren't there any signs of them yet? Can there be a flaw in my plans?
In the Smoky Thea Tower!
"Big brother, what should we do? Should we fight or retreat? Can you make a decision?!" NanGong TianHu was like a lion trapped in a cage, pacing around anxiously with ragged breathing. "If the Ling Family is destroyed, we will definitely be their next target! Big brother, we cannot let our guard down."
NanGong TianLong's face was calm as he held onto a teacup and said, "Why are you rushing about? Let us wait and see, it isn't too late yet."
"Isn't too late? Big brother, the Ling Family is already about to be destroyed! That old dog Yang KongQun has already taken out his Heavenly Blade Troops! How can I not be anxious?" NanGong TianHu walked another round as the veins on the side of his forehead bulged. "By the time the Ling Family gets wiped out, it will be too late for us to be anxious."
NanGong TianLong only gave a smile in reply and looked towards NanGong Yu. "Yu'er, what do you think?"
NanGong Yu frowned for a moment and considered before replying, "Father, I think that there is something unusual about this matter! The fact that victory is still up in the air makes this a huge dilemma!"
hapter 324: Obstructed throughout their Journey
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: DavidT, Rock
The corners of NanGong TianLong's mouth raised in a smile. "Hmm??"
NanGong Yu nervously racked her brain, after which she slowly replied, "Long Xiang set a trap to deal with Ling Xiao, causing Ling Tian to rush to save his father. Thus, he would definitely transfer all his elite personnel to the frontline! Based on what a person would deduce, the Ling Family shouldn't have anybody left, and would be in their weakest state currently! However, having met with Ling Tian so many times, does Father really think that Ling Tian would be the sort of person to leave loose ends? Do you think that Ling Tian would really leave the rest of his family to be slaughtered like lambs?"
NanGong TianLong now laughed, "That's right, with Ling Tian's meticulousness, he would definitely have left a strong person to guard the place. It's just that I would like to see how strong this person is, and whether he can stop the combined forces of the Imperial and Yang Families! Don't forget, the Imperial Family's guards, as well as the Heavenly Blade Troops from the Yang family, are definitely not forces to be looked down upon! The moment the Ling Family shows a hint of weakness, it will only end in complete annihilation!"
NanGong Yu's eyes lit up as she asked, "Then Father's meaning is for us to sit and watch the tigers fight?"
"That's right! Now that Sky Bearing Empire is going through tumultuous times, everywhere looks to be full of dangers, but to outsiders like us, it's actually a potential gold mine! No matter what influence they belong to, they would fear to provoke us at this moment. However, it is a chance for us to counterattack, and turn Sky Bearing into part of our forces! Such an opportunity is one that you couldn't buy even if you had all the gold in the world!"
NanGong TianLong laughed out in delight as he explained, "If the Ling Family takes the advantage, then us going over to aid them would be like sending coal during a snowstorm. Not only would it improve an already excellent matter, it would send a huge blow to our enemies, the Yang Family! We can take this chance to thoroughly vent our resentment, and this is a chance I would die for! However, if the Imperial Family and the Yang Family are winning, then we can lend them a hand and weed out the Ling Family, after which we could ally with the Sky Bearing Imperial Family first and plot against the Yang Family at a later date! Whatever the case, today's chaos is a good chance for our NanGong Family to take the stage once more, and no matter what, we still stand to gain an advantage. Haha…. our NanGong Family has been suffering ever since we stepped into Sky Bearing, but to think that heaven would take pity on us and reward us so richly!"
"Father (Big Brother) is wise!" NanGong Yu and NanGong TianHu praised in unison. NanGong TianLong felt even more full of himself, saying, "Inform our spies to keep a close watch on all movements outside. The moment they spot any changes, report back to us at once! We must grasp the opportune time to move, the moment we miss this window, all is lost!"
"Yes!"
***
Shen RuHu stared straight ahead, moving in silence with complicated feelings in his heart. If he were to walk another ten feet and turn the corner, he would be able to see the main entrance of the Ling Residence!
The footsteps of the Imperial Army seemed to be trampling on Shen RuHu's heart with every step! Don't tell me, that I have to take action against the person I admire the most? To fight to the death against him?
Turning his head to look backward he saw Long Xiang, sitting high up in his palanquin, overseeing the procession. Then looking at the over one hundred executioners glaring forward like tigers watching their prey, a sense of indignance rose up in his heart!
What sort of sh*tty matter was this? Carrying out a vicious command of wiping the family of someone who had contributed to a majority of the empire today, and they even needed over a hundred executioners as well as the officer in charge of them to step forward! Was Long Xiang's brain made up of dogsh*t?!
Just as he was feeling resentful, an unforeseen event took place! On the rooftops of both rows of buildings overlooking the road, group after group of people stood up. All at once, a few hundred tubs of a nasty smelling black stuff was poured onto the troops, causing disorder. Shen RuHu immediately shouted, "Archers, prepare!"
He was greeted with laughter, "Do you think that only you would have archers?" Then came the shout, "Fire at will!" At the same time, Shen RuHu also shouted the same command!
"Beng beng beng" came the sounds of drawstrings, and over ten people let out agonized screams as they fell from both sides of the roofs. However, Shen RuHu began to feel suspicious, thinking, Why have no arrows been fired by the opposing party, despite the order being given? Suddenly, a chilling thought came into his mind, and he looked up to see the roofs ablaze with light. They had lit flaming arrows! A crazed laughter came from above, "Hahahaha…. To actually be able to have the Sky Bearing's dog emperor to accompany me to my grave, I, San GouZi must have had good karma in my previous life!"
"Oh no, it's oil!" Shen RuHu's face turned pale! The black stuff that was poured down earlier had a familiar smell, and now he finally knew what it was!
But, it was too late!
A wave of arrows shot down like flaming rain!
Boom!
The entire street was immediately engulfed in raging flames that soared over thirty feet high! In that instant, it reduced the 10,000 Imperial Guards by more than half!
Sky Bearing Empire's most prosperous street turned into a hellish area in mere seconds! With fire devouring everything, and black smoke filling up the area, screams of pain were heard all around as countless Imperial Guards thrashed about in the sea of flames. They struggled to escape from their misery, but with the crowd squeezed into that small street, how much could they move? Furthermore, with most of the people on fire, attempting to squeeze forward only served to further fan the flames onward, spreading to even more people. Sizzling sounds were heard as the smell of burning flesh assailed the noses of all present, making all on scene nauseous!
The warhorses were also thrown into chaos, breaking from their masters and galloping everywhere with their might as they also tried to escape the fire! The scene was one of pure disorder!
Shen RuHu could only throw his head back to the sky and sigh! With tears in his eyes, he shouted, "Archers, first platoon attack those on the rooftops, second platoon, kill all on fire!" As he spoke, he drew his sword, hacking down on one of the Imperial Guards struggling in the fire towards them! The archers at the back immediately snapped into attention, half of them aiming towards the roof, while the other half blinked back tears and let their arrows fly towards their allies. Be it animal or human, all were killed without exception!
Those on the rooftops actually had the intention to continue with their sneak attacks, so as to cause more damage to the Sky Bearing Troops. But upon hearing the fast response of Shen RuHu, as well as his tactical shrewdness, they couldn't help but sigh, and their commander shouted, "Retreat!" Within seconds, the rooftops were devoid of shadows!
Shen RuHu was well aware that, were he more soft-hearted and allowed his comrades to dash out of the fire and towards them, then all the troops under him would be slowly picked off by the assailants on the rooftop! At that time, they would have no more military strength to speak of, and if the Ling Family managed to secure a few advantageous locations to ambush them, then this would only end with the Imperial Family's complete annihilation! Thus, he made the cruel decision to shoot down those in the fire, simply because he had no other alternatives! Better a few die than all go down with the ship!
From this point, one could see Shen RuHu's decisive and ruthless methods. He indeed was someone who had survived for years on a battlefield: Ling Zhan's best disciple!
Following Shen RuHu's orders, the Imperial Army rapidly entered the private houses on both sides of the street, knocking down the walls of the houses into the fire to extinguish it!
When the fire finally died down, the once prosperous street had turned into ruins that were barely recognizable! The rubble from the private houses piled up to form a small hill, seemingly like a huge tombstone for the dead! Shen RuHu and Long Xiang were separated by the small hill, and both of them had soot-black faces, wanting to cry but no tears could come out!
The sudden ambush this time had left the elite Imperial Guards with at least 5,000 casualties! As for their morale, it was in absolute tatters! Both soldiers and horses had their heads bowed in resignation and defeat. As it turned out, the Ling Family had long known of what they were going to do! This thought left a chill in all still present.
The Heavenly Blade Troops which Yang KongQun was commanding had an even more miserable time, with at least 70 ambushes targeted at them on the way to the Ling residence!
Countless flying daggers and arrows rained from the rooftops, trees, and even from the doorways. Every step they took towards the Lings had to be paid with the lives of several men! The worst part happened just when they were approaching the main entrance of the Ling Residence. Arrows suddenly rained down on both sides like a torrential downpour, and while the troops were quick-witted enough to ward them off, the walls of both sides suddenly came crashing down as well, killing the first few men, and leaving the rest stuck with no way to proceed forward!
Yang KongQun was livid, giving down the order to search the place, but the result was the same as the first few times, not even a shadow was present! It was as if the entire sector had turned into King Yama's playground, eerily, silently, reaping the lives of all men!
After going through a hundred and one ways, the two groups of people finally met up in front of the Ling Residence's entrance! Seeing the disheveled looks on the other party, they could sense the humiliation as well as the killing intent in the other party!
Currently, the Ling Residence was barricaded in three different layers! Countless archers held arrows that gleamed in the light, directed towards every part of the residence! However, the surprising thing was that there was no response from the residence, as though the Ling Residence had become an ancient beast that was snoozing away!
On the way, both parties had received so many ambushes, leaving them with some amount of lingering fear! Seeing the people in the Ling Residence behaving as such at this point didn't sit easy with them! Ling Residence, what sort of show are you trying to put on?!