A Great Rise in Reputation

Everywhere he looked was carnage. In this chaotic battle, even if Si Ming couldn't use a nuclear explosion attack, there was no immunity mechanism for allies in reality.

Human Race possess sharp weapons and sturdy armor, Demon Race have powerful bodies. Human Race have martial arts and Divine Arts, Demon Race also possess their own Divine Abilities. Human Race have coordinated military formations and strict discipline, Demon Race have three times the numbers and a fearless, servile nature.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate. Judging from individual combat results, the Human Race had the advantage, but the Demon Race had more people. Therefore, it was impossible to determine which side had the upper hand. In any case, Si Ming could not tell. Everywhere he looked, there were heads moving about, swords flashing, and the air was thick with killing intent.

Under the influence of this battlefield atmosphere, Si Ming's martial instincts were stimulated, and a strong desire to fight arose. His hands repeatedly clenched and unclenched, and at this moment he understood what it meant to be "ready to fight" and why the fierce generals in historical novels always loved to engage in one-on-one duels before the battle.

The saying goes, "He who possesses a powerful weapon will naturally have the will to kill." Even if one does not intend to kill, once one acquires extraordinary skills, one cannot help but want to show off one's abilities in front of others. This is why in historical novels, there are always some second- or third-rate generals who dare to challenge top-tier, famous generals, even though they are usually killed in one move, serving as background achievements to highlight the famous generals.

Si Ming was not a second- or third-rate military general. His troubles in Nation of Valor made him famous. However, those he defeated were all juniors, so his reputation was fixed at the level of rising stars and young talents, and he was still far from being a true Spirit Transformation Grandmaster could be considered the core of the system.

If we were to compare him to Zhao Zilong before the Battle of Changban Slope, he would be someone who had already gained some fame, but it was still not commensurate with his strength. Only after making seven charges in and out of battle, adding a bunch of unfortunate generals to his record, and accomplishing a miracle that was impossible in the eyes of ordinary people, could he be considered to have reached the level of his character in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

In Si Ming's view, since he had decided to embark on the path to fame, he should take big strides forward. If he didn't have the strength, he should indeed proceed step by step, but if he had the strength, he should ascend to the top in one step. The kind of path to fame that is divided into three rankings according to the realm in fantasy novels, where one first competes for the top spot on the Human Ranking, then starts from the bottom to compete for a ranking on the Earth Ranking, and finally enters the Heaven Ranking, is too complicated. It is much more convenient to achieve the goal in one step.

So after waiting for a Spirit Transformation Grandmaster to return to the central army to take charge, he told Pu Yi and then set off with Si Huaruo and Ying Zhou.

Although Pu Yi really wanted to keep Si Ming was not his subordinate and did not need to obey orders. He was like an imperial envoy with a sword of authority, able to come and go as he pleased. Si Ming had already given him enough face by informing him before taking action.

"We won't hit the diligent or the lazy, we'll only hit the reckless! Remember, we'll start by beating the arrogant ones. Follow me, if I don't finish them off with one punch, then you guys go and finish them off!"

Si Ming gave the two a few instructions, then glanced at the battlefield and immediately found his target: a scorpion demon Demon General. Unlike the Jie Gou that was killed by Ying Zhou and the others last time, this scorpion demon Demon General entirely golden, as if it were wearing a golden armor. It held two golden scimitars and stood out conspicuously in the dark battlefield.

Without a doubt, the true form of this scorpion demon Demon General should be the desert golden scorpion, known as the desert death god. Even a camel would die from being stung by its venomous sting.

Displaying such a flamboyant image on the battlefield would easily attract the enemy's attention, and if one's strength is insufficient, one would soon be surrounded and killed. The fact that this Golden Scorpion Demon General survived until now clearly shows that he has some skill.

First of all, his golden armor was not just for show. He took a direct hit from a Spirit Transformation Grandmaster's ultimate move but was not injured at all. Instead, it became even more dazzling. Secondly, his scorpion tail did not have to hit a person to be effective. When he swung his tail, the tip of his tail would shoot out a needle-like force, which was silent and impossible to defend against.

A Spirit Transformation Grandmaster fell into his trap, thinking he was exchanging injury for injury. However, his ultimate move was blocked by the golden armor, and he couldn't avoid the scorpion's tail whip. First, his acupoints were pierced by the needle force from a distance, causing him to freeze. Then, he was pierced by the scorpion's tail needle, and he fell from the sky, poisoned. He died before he even hit the ground, becoming the first Spirit Transformation Grandmaster to be killed on the battlefield.

After that, the Golden Scorpion Demon General went on a killing spree. Experts below the Spirit Transformation could not dodge his scorpion tail swipes and would be stung and poisoned to death upon first contact. Even disregarding his golden armor and scorpion tail, his cultivation and swordsmanship alone undoubtedly made him a Spirit Transformation level expert, placing him among the top tier of Demon General.

However, when the smug Golden Scorpion Demon General encountered Si Ming's Broken Knife Squad, it was his turn to be unlucky.

Si Ming showed no signs of being a strongman. He used the assassination footwork from the "Void Shadow Killing Technique" to conceal himself in the chaotic battlefield. He also changed his aura to be indistinguishable from that of an ordinary soldier. Without even a greeting, he activated the Divine Sight Illusory Observation Art to increase his speed and suddenly launched a sneak attack on the Golden Scorpion Demon General.

With his left hand he used the move "Vajra Gate" and with his right hand he used the move "Clouds Disperse, Flowing Rosy Clouds Burst Forth"—one forceful, one gentle—and before the Golden Scorpion Demon General react, he struck him squarely on the back of the head and back.

Even though this top-tier Demon General possessed golden armor protecting him, and wasn't shattered by Si Ming's two palm strikes, he still suffered a concussion. His brain was buzzing, and his mind went completely blank for a moment, devoid of any thoughts. Furthermore, the lower back that was struck by Vajra Gate was bent backward, the curve of which was more exaggerated than someone who had practiced yoga.

But the opponent wasn't just passively taking the hits without retaliating. Even if his mind couldn't keep up, his body instinctively reacted, his scorpion tail thrusting backward with lightning speed. The attack targeted the enemy behind him, so he didn't need to go around the body. Therefore, even Si Ming didn't have time to dodge.

Then, with a "ding," the scorpion's tail was flicked away. Si Ming didn't even have a wound on his body. Even the most potent poison was blocked from his body and thus rendered useless.

Immediately afterward, before the stunned Golden Scorpion Demon General could recover, Si Huaruo unleashed an Ice Talisman Divine Arts, freezing him in place. Then, Ying Zhou drew his sword and activated his power.

"Pointing the halberd, glaring angrily, I cleave the crimson clouds!"

He had been hesitant when recommended to learn it before, but after trying Ying Zhou once, he became very fond of it. He unleashed the ultimate move he had just learned, without being interrupted, and it turned into a rainbow light that swept past the body of the Golden Scorpion Demon General.

With his ultimate move and demonic blade, the Demon General's golden armor couldn't save his life; he was killed on the spot by Ying Zhou.

Si Ming didn't bother to look at the corpses and quickly searched for his next target. Soon he spotted a huge black centipede. This centipede, relying on its hundred-foot-long body and steel-like shell, rampaged across the battlefield. A single charge could kill countless soldiers, and even a Spirit Transformation Grandmaster couldn't do anything about it.

"So arrogant, let's take him down!"

The giant black centipede fared even worse than the golden scorpion centipede; Si Ming smashed its head with a single punch, and Si Huaruo and Ying Zhou didn't even have a chance to make a move.

The trio quickly unleashed a killing storm against the Demon General on the battlefield. Si Ming used the Movement Method from the "Void Shadow Killing Technique," combined with the chaotic battlefield environment, making it impossible for others to defend against his sneak attacks, and he hit them every time.

Ordinary Demon General are usually blown to pieces by Si Ming's punch. Those who are stronger and manage to survive will be "controlled" by Si Huaruo, and then Ying Zhou will deliver the final blow.

To be honest, for Si Ming to resort to a sneak attack, especially against an opponent weaker than himself, was rather insidious. However, in terms of status, he was a rising star and a junior, and in terms of cultivation level, he was indeed not Spirit Transformation Grandmaster. Therefore, he had no psychological burden when he did it, and others could not criticize him if they knew.

The three worked together seamlessly, often deciding life and death at the first encounter, with extremely high killing efficiency. Although the Demon Race mobilized 600,000 troops, the number of Demon General was not large. In terms of proportion, it was roughly one Demon General commanding 10,000 Demon Beast, so there were only 60 Demon General. However, when Si Ming led his team to slaughter on the battlefield, they specifically targeted the Demon General and killed 12 Demon General in an instant, which was equivalent to one-fifth of the total.

Now, no matter how much he tried to conceal his aura, he was firmly locked onto by his opponent. Sometimes, before he could even make a move, the demon general he had his eye on Demon General be startled and flee in a panic, giving him no chance to attack.

Chapter 681 Soaring Reputation

The Demon Race commander quickly ordered a retreat. After all, twelve Demon General generals had been killed by Si Ming, and if you count those who died at the hands of other Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, there were nearly twenty. This was equivalent to losing one-third of the mid-level generals. If the fighting continued, although they wouldn't be left with no one to fight, the command system would collapse.

The dense swarm of demonic Demon Beast, like an ant colony, retreated like a tide. Si Ming tried to give chase, unleashing two Earth-Piercing Annihilation Tyrant Wave. The first wave successfully struck the ground, bursting forth with a white light filled with destructive power, instantly killing thousands of Demon Beasts. However, the second wave was intercepted by Demon General and detonated prematurely in mid-air. Although the spreading shockwave also injured the Demon Beast below, the casualties were few.

Then, Si Ming felt a gaze, full of threat and provocation. Although he couldn't even pinpoint the other party's location, he was certain it was the gaze of the Demon Race commander.

"Tch, if you're so capable, why don't you show yourself? Hiding in the back like a coward, you can't expect me to pull off a spectacular finale of taking the general's head from a million-strong army, can you?"

Despite being roused to battle and his blood boiling, Si Ming wasn't about to lose his head. While charging ahead alone and striking at the heart of the enemy's Yellow Dragon was certainly cool, he also had to consider the danger of being ganged up on by the enemy. If forty Demon General rushed up to attack him, even with his Mercury Alloy Body, he wouldn't be able to withstand it, unless he cultivated the Tathagata's Indestructible Body.

At the same time, the Human Race side also began to sound the retreat, and the drummers used their power to spread the sound to every corner of the battlefield to prevent anyone from losing their temper and abandoning the army to pursue the Demon Beast.

For both public and private reasons, Si Ming had no intention of violating military discipline. Besides, the results achieved today were already sufficient. He then returned to the army with Si Huaruo and Ying Zhou, where they were greeted with a barrage of flattery.

"A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger; he actually sniped Demon General on the battlefield. He's too fierce; even I wouldn't dare to do such a thing."

"Like a roc rising with the wind, soaring ninety thousand miles high, truly the younger generation is to be feared."

"Watching the young people's performance suddenly made me realize how old I am. If I were thirty years younger, I would definitely have a competition to see who could kill more Demon General."

"Comparison is the thief of joy. I used to think my last disciple was a rare talent, a dragon among men, but compared to this guy, he's like a firefly vying for the moon's brilliance. I bet Startling Rainbow Beyond the Heavens is so busy he's practically passing by his home three times like Yu the Great. Where does he find the time to teach disciples?"

It's worth noting that this time, those who praised him were all Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, because those who weren't Spirit Transformation Grandmasters didn't even have the right to comment. If a successful assassination could be attributed to luck, and two successes could be attributed to the enemy's carelessness, then twelve consecutive successes would leave even the most argumentative person unable to question Si Ming's strength. To say it in public would only make one a laughingstock.

Everyone unanimously adjusted their evaluation of Si Ming. They had initially thought he was a non-divine cultivator with the martial prowess of a Spirit Transformation. Although such geniuses were rare, one would appear every few years, so he was still considered a young prodigy. However, after the twelve Demon General proved it with their own lives, everyone realized that the young man before them was actually a strong person on the same level as them. It was just that he did not follow the traditional path of Qi Refining to Spirit Transformation, and his Internal Cultivation level could not be used to measure his realm.