Chapter 383: Facing the Emperor Realm
"Yinglan is His Majesty's lifeblood. I saw a Xuanwu attempting to assassinate her with ground spikes. Gather all the archers. Ten Emperor Realm Xuanwu, one by one, I want them dead!" Bao'er commanded with a cold and resolute voice.
"Yes!" Lin Xiao responded immediately. He then flew down from the Bronze War Island to organize the army while Yi Yan issued timely orders.
"Blood Iron, Yao Yu, Yao Chen, Yao Lu, you assist from the side!" Bao'er swiftly directed four other Emperor Realm experts.
These four—Blood Iron was an Emperor Realm expert, while Yao Yu, Yao Chen, and Yao Lu were elders of the Tai Dan Sect, obeying their Sect Master, Bao'er. They had all attained the Emperor Realm thanks to the Tianyuan Divine Pill they received in the past.
"Yes!" The four responded promptly.
"Sister, intervene when necessary. There's no need to engage in fierce combat; prioritize your safety," Bao'er advised Qian You, who was standing beside her.
Gu Qianyou, an Emperor Realm cultivator, nodded solemnly. "Understood!"
"Xianxian, you manage all the wolf clansmen below and guard against the Xuanwu." Bao'er turned to Xianxian and instructed.
Xianxian nodded quickly and then turned to bark orders at a group of wolf soldiers behind her.
"Young Master, the Supreme commanded us earlier not to interfere in the imperial promotion battle for your sake. We are powerless, and if we act, Xuanyan will act too," one of the wolf generals shook his head and said.
"Humph!" Xianxian glared at the wolf generals angrily.
"I will handle one of the Xuanwu generals," a wolf general named Qingyun stepped forward and declared.
The others glanced at Qingyun but said nothing, for Qingyun was not acting because of Xianxian.
The Xuanwu formation advanced step by step, their slow march bringing forth numerous ground spikes.
Meanwhile, under Yi Yan's guidance, Lin Xiao had already assembled all the troops, totaling 4.92 million.
In a flash, he separated two million archers from the rest, half of whom belonged to the Great Yan Dynasty. Due to the dynasty's immense wealth, every soldier was equipped with Breaking Steel Arrows. The other million archers came from the Three Great Dynasties.
At Lin Xiao's command, the archers swiftly dispersed, mostly led by wolf riders to various scattered locations.
The Xuanwu generals continued their majestic, unstoppable advance, summoning countless ground spikes.
In no time, Lin Xiao had completed the army's organization. He flew to a mountain peak, accompanied by a group of personal guards.
"Center target, number one," Lin Xiao ordered.
A personal guard behind him swiftly waved a flag. Everyone immediately understood which Xuanwu to target.
"Fire!"
At Lin Xiao's command, the flag in the soldier's hand dropped.
With a thunderous roar, two million Breaking Steel Arrows were launched almost simultaneously.
Though the soldiers were of lower skill, and their arrows would barely scratch the Xuanwu generals' skin, even without a protective barrier, a single arrow might feel like a tickle, but what about a hundred? A hundred could cause some pain. What about ten thousand? Ten thousand would force them to raise a shield. And what about a million? Two million Breaking Steel Arrows, all aimed at a single Xuanwu general. Even if fifty thousand missed, there would still be one and a half million.
The ground spikes were numerous, but could they outnumber the Breaking Steel Arrows?
Two million Breaking Steel Arrows rained down like a torrential storm, converging on the central Xuanwu general with overwhelming force.
"Bang~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" The overwhelming barrage of Breaking Steel Arrows shattered every ground spike in its path. Over a million arrows fiercely slammed into the protective barrier of the Xuanwu general.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" Despite the Xuanwu's formidable defense, the shield absorbed most of the arrows' impact before shattering under the relentless assault.
"Crash~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" The Xuanwu general's body was riddled with arrows, yet it did not fall. Even though its eyes were pierced, and its body resembled a porcupine bristling with arrows, it remained standing, blind but alive.
"Roar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" The Xuanwu general howled in agony, its cries echoing through the battlefield.
"Fire~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" Lin Xiao shouted another command.
Two million more Breaking Steel Arrows followed the previous trajectory, converging once again on the stricken Xuanwu general.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" The second volley of arrows struck with merciless precision, reducing the massive Xuanwu general to shattered pieces under the devastating force of the two million arrows.
An Emperor Realm expert? This was the so-called might of the Emperor Realm?
The army's morale surged instantly. The archers, emboldened, nocked their arrows again, aiming at the second Xuanwu general indicated by Lin Xiao.
"Bang~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" The remaining nine Xuanwu generals leaped into the sky, some transforming into human form, their faces twisted with rage. One of their comrades had fallen.
In the sky, a colossal Xuanwu opened its mouth wide and unleashed a massive yellow energy sphere toward the densest cluster of archers from the Great Yan Dynasty.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" The massive energy sphere smashed into the ground, annihilating everything in its path. The troops had no time to escape, and in an instant, thousands were obliterated, leaving a gigantic crater in the earth, which trembled from the impact.
The Xuanwu generals were furious. But what of it? Lin Xiao had already dispersed the troops beforehand, limiting the casualties to about twenty thousand.
With another command, a torrent of Breaking Steel Arrows was aimed at the Xuanwu in the sky.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" Just like before, nearly two million arrows bombarded the Xuanwu, piercing its body and blinding its eyes. In the next wave of arrows, the Xuanwu exploded into fragments.
Two Xuanwu generals, destroyed in mere moments.
Enraged beyond measure, six Xuanwu generals transformed into human form and charged at the Bronze War Island, determined to destroy it.
"Whoosh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" Blood Iron, Yao Chen, Yao Yu, Yao Lu, Gu Qianyou, and Qingyun flew out from the Bronze War Island, ready to confront the six attacking Xuanwu generals with all their might.
Of the remaining two Xuanwu generals, one was under a ferocious assault from the wolf clan. Though not as regimented as the army, the wolf clan's thousands of members had many at the Fusion Stage of cultivation. Their combined attack, with thousands of energy spheres spat from their mouths, was overwhelmingly powerful.
The last Xuanwu general, however, targeted the peak of the mountain where Lin Xiao stood. It knew that he was the primary culprit behind the deaths of its two brothers.
"Fire~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" Lin Xiao commanded once more.
A million Breaking Steel Arrows hurtled toward the final Xuanwu general. Though the Xuanwu's defense was formidable, its speed lagged behind that of other Emperor Realm cultivators. Nevertheless, this Xuanwu general did not foolishly stand its ground like its predecessors.
Dodging rapidly, the Xuanwu general avoided the bulk of the arrows, allowing only a few to crash against its protective barrier. With a fierce expression, it unleashed a massive palm strike toward Lin Xiao.
"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" A colossal hand materialized in the air and slammed down, shattering the mountain peak into pieces. Lin Xiao barely escaped with his life, but the personal guards behind him were not so fortunate and were crushed instantly.
With the death of his guards, organizing another million-arrow volley became impossible.
Lin Xiao, now disheveled, fled to a nearby valley. The Xuanwu general landed with a vicious gleam in its eyes, observing Lin Xiao as if he had nowhere to escape.
"I won't let you die so easily," the Xuanwu general hissed coldly.
"Ssshhhh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~" A sharp, crisp sound pierced the air. The Xuanwu general's body jerked as it nearly fell, blood gushing from a wound on its thigh. A purple sword had sliced through its right leg, severing it in two.
Someone had managed to sneak up on the Xuanwu general unnoticed? It swung its hand backward, but the shadowy figure had already vanished like a specter. It was the Dark Emperor. Knowing that the Xuanwu's back was protected by an impenetrable shell, and that attacking the head would alert the general, the Dark Emperor had instead severed one of its legs.
The attack succeeded, and the Dark Emperor retreated swiftly, allowing Lin Xiao to seize the opportunity to escape as well.
The Xuanwu general, now crippled and severely weakened, was left vulnerable. With an army outside to exploit and the Dark Emperor ready to strike from the shadows, could Lin Xiao possibly fail to escape?
On the Bronze War Island, Yi Yan shifted his focus from the chaotic battlefield to protecting Bao'er. In the sky, twelve Emperor Realm experts faced off, some already locked in combat, others merely keeping each other in check.
In Jinling City, on the city wall:
"Xiaowu, several Xuanwu generals from your clan have already perished. If you return without accomplishing anything, their deaths will have been in vain," the Crown Prince urged the Xuanwu Young Lord at his side.
"Your father also hopes you can assist him. We are up against the mightiest dynasty in history, and only you can turn the tide."
After much persuasion, the Xuanwu Young Lord finally seemed convinced and turned to Xuan Yan, who stood nearby, barking out orders.
Xuan Yan frowned, reluctant to intervene in the war, but the Young Lord's attitude put him in a difficult position. He shot a sharp look at Qiye.
"I'll help you kill one person. Once the deed is done, Xiaowu will come back with me," Xuan Yan said coldly.
The Xuanwu Young Lord, resigned, nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Senior. The target is the commander of the opposing forces, the woman in red on the floating island. Kill her, and the Great Yan Dynasty will surely retreat," the Crown Prince Qiye said, pointing at Bao'er in the distance.
"Her?" Xuan Yan looked at Bao'er with a frown.
A cultivator at the Fusion Stage? He, a mighty Emperor Realm expert, was being asked to assassinate a mere Fusion Stage woman? Yet, with all the Emperor Realm fighters entangled in battle and the battlefield in utter chaos, he was the only one who could do it.
Though reluctant, Xuan Yan nodded. After all, the Xuanwu clan had only this precious Young Lord.
Stepping forward, Xuan Yan slowly rose into the air. He did not move quickly, but drifted steadily toward the distant Bronze War Island. As he approached, the Xuanwu generals ceased their fighting in surprise, but quickly fell in behind Xuan Yan, following him inch by inch toward the island.
Qian You and the others returned to Bao'er's side, their eyes filled with concern. Bao'er, however, remained cold and composed, showing no sign of panic.
(Continued in the next chapter)