Set Off Some Fireworks for Fun

Li Jinghua's hammer clashed with Darcy Rahman Khan's claws, colliding violently in the night sky and bursting into dazzling, fleeting light.

Li Jinghua flipped once in midair and landed steadily.

Darcy Rahman Khan landed as well. His frame was even larger than Li Jinghua's, his muscles as hard as rock, his eyes like abysses. The killing intent within them seemed almost tangible, enough to make anyone shudder.

Yet within that killing intent was also a trace of recognition for Li Jinghua's courage. Only an opponent like this was worth him going all out.

"You're not bad," Darcy Rahman Khan could not help praising.

He slowly raised his giant claws, their sharp nails glinting coldly. They were the lethal weapons he had used in countless battles, and also the symbol of his status as the Wolf Bandit Leader.

Li Jinghua took a deep breath and adjusted the power within his body to its optimal state.

He knew that every move and every technique from here on would be a contest between life and death.

"Come on! Let me see your true strength!" Li Jinghua shouted.

He took the initiative and attacked. The Meteor Hammer surged out like a dragon emerging from the sea, carrying a howling wind as it went straight for Darcy Rahman Khan's vital points.

Darcy Rahman Khan snorted coldly and shifted aside, easily dodging Li Jinghua's offensive.

His counterattack came like a raging storm. As his giant claws swept out, they stirred up gust after gust of fierce wind.

Li Jinghua relied on his agile movements and superb hammer techniques, searching for chances to counterattack amid Darcy Rahman Khan's assault.

Although Li Jinghua was at a disadvantage, with Supreme Unrivaled's boost, his tenacious will, and his outstanding combat skills, he was never completely suppressed by Darcy Rahman Khan.

As time passed, the battle gradually entered a white-hot stage.

The wolf bandits' offensive was like the raging wind and driving rain on a stormy night, fierce and unending, and what made it truly terrifying was their teamwork.

As the most dazzling elite group in the tribe, their tacit understanding and the swiftness of their movements made them difficult to fully guard against even with constant vigilance.

Under the command of Nelson, a leader of both wisdom and courage, the wolf bandits' attack formation became even more rigorous and efficient.

They quickly scattered, using Break Down into Parts, forming dozens of elite squads. Like arrowheads blooming at multiple points, they launched all-around, multi-layered breakthrough attempts against the carefully constructed defense line of the soul masters.

Some squads bravely stood at the front line, using themselves as bait to draw the soul masters' firepower and attention, while even more squads launched surprise attacks from the flanks.

There were also several mobile teams, like nimble eyes on the battlefield, ready at any time to provide support or counterattacks according to the battlefield situation, forming one flexible and ever-changing combat network after another.

This was a perfect display of short assault tactics!

Under the cover of the hazy night, the wolf bandits' eyes flashed with a heart-pounding green glow. It was their thirst for blood and victory.

The wolf bandits not only possessed formidable individual combat strength, but also displayed extraordinary teamwork and tactical execution.

Their claws or weapons struck as though honed through tens of millions of repetitions. Each swing could leave marks on the soul masters' defenses, and some even directly pierced the bodies of soul masters whose protection was insufficient. Blood gushed like springs, dyeing the battlefield red.

And those wolf bandits skilled in long-range combat made things even more troublesome for the soul masters.

The projectiles in their hands, whether incomparably sharp javelins or carefully polished bone clubs, drew arcs of death through the air, accurately seeking out their targets.

Some could even rely on astonishing intuition and predictive ability to precisely catch the soul masters' slightest movements, launching attacks in advance and seizing the upper hand.

Their main target was the long-range attack group within the soul master formation. They intended to break up this important firepower point and avoid repeating the mistake of being suppressed by concentrated long-range firepower as they had before.

The battle played out fiercely beneath the curtain of night. Both sides traded blows, and the shifts between attack and defense were extremely rapid.

The wolf bandits' attacks were like an invisible giant net, tightly wrapping around the soul masters and making every step they took feel like treading on thin ice.

They forced the soul masters to give everything they had and fight with their lives, just to barely hold that tottering defense line in this moment of life and death.

A cold smile tugged at the corner of Nelson's mouth as he surveyed the fierce clashes on the battlefield.

The guard troops were different from the rabble that had only known how to charge blindly in the past. They were well trained, and their movements revealed an iron-blooded discipline.

All these changes had originated from that decisive conversation not long ago.

Darcy Rahman Khan, the tribal lord, spoke with unquestionable authority in his voice. "Nelson, from this moment on, you are the commander of my guard."

Nelson was slightly startled when he heard this, then replied respectfully, "Clan Leader, Guard Captain?!"

Darcy Rahman Khan continued, "I have left the position of Guard Captain vacant for a long time. In truth, I have been keeping it for you all along."

"I originally planned to grant it to you after you broke through to the chief level, but the situation is urgent now, and time waits for no one."

Nelson looked troubled. "Clan Leader, I fear I am not suited for this post. After all, I have never served in the guard before. I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the masses."

Darcy Rahman Khan waved a hand lightly and said with full confidence, "You need not worry about that."

"In my guard, absolute obedience to orders is iron discipline. And as a member of the succession sequence, you already possess sufficient prestige and status."

"Moreover, in the coming battle, someone from the Chang'an Teachers and Students side will certainly pin me down. What will truly need to be relied on is your command ability."

"You have experience with them and some understanding of their tactics. That is your advantage."

He paused, his tone carrying a deeper meaning. "If you can lead the guard to successfully kill them, not only will you secure your position as Guard Captain, it will also be of great benefit to your future inheritance of the lord's position."

Nelson's heart stirred, and he bowed. "Thank you, Uncle."

Darcy Rahman Khan nodded in gratification, though a trace of worry flashed through his eyes.

The Rahman Khan Clan now had a gap between generations and somewhat lacked successors. If he were not still alive, they could only barely maintain the situation.

But what the future held was truly impossible to predict. If he were to die, the clan would likely fall into turmoil.

Worse still, the clan had already been forced to serve as the vanguard, drawn into a conflict with Chang'an Academy—which was, in truth, a direct challenge to the Chen Clan.

Back then, when the Four Great Clans had been at their peak, they still had not been a match for the Chen Clan, let alone now, when the clan was no longer as formidable as it once had been.

Because of that, Darcy Rahman Khan had no choice but to plan ahead. If something happened to him, then unless the clan split apart, the great authority of the clan would, nine times out of ten, fall into the hands of the Astana Clan.

Rather than let that happen, it was better to show goodwill to Nelson now and make plans for the future.

Besides, he was quite satisfied with Nelson, this clansman in the line of succession.

Highly talented, deeply thoughtful, yet loyal and righteous!

After a long silence, Darcy Rahman Khan finally let out a slow sigh. "Nelson, in the battles to come, even throughout this entire war, if anything happens to me, you must withdraw at once. Do not hesitate."

Nelson's brows knitted tightly when he heard this. "Uncle, why? We have the ability to win this battle!"

Darcy Rahman shook his head, his gaze deep. "I do have some confidence in the battle to come, but our opponent is the Chen Clan, the Number One Family Under Heaven! Their foundations and strength are far beyond anything we can imagine."

Listening to Darcy Rahman Khan's words, Nelson felt unwilling, but he also understood the stakes all too well.

He was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "Uncle, I understand what you mean."

"But no matter what the result is, I will give it my all. For the clan, and for you, I will fight until the final moment."

Darcy Rahman Khan looked at the determination in Nelson's eyes, and warmth rose in his heart.

He patted Nelson on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Nelson, I have seen your courage and resolve."

"But you must remember, as a leader, you need not only bravery, but wisdom."

"At the critical moment, you must know what to take and what to give up. Only by protecting your own life can you bring the clan longer-lasting hope."

Chen Mu's brows were tightly furrowed as he said in a low voice, "Short, sharp assault tactics on the front line, combined with ranged attacks pinning down our Ranged Group. The enemy commander knows what he's doing."

Chen Bin's voice carried a chill. "What's even more troublesome is that this batch of wolf bandits is stronger individually, greatly weakening the advantage we should have as soul masters and leveling the gap by a huge margin."

Chen Shurui stroked his chin lightly, his gaze deep. "Short-assault tactics themselves aren't hard to break. The difficult part is the wolf bandits' follow-up changes."

Chen Mu cut him off and said decisively, "The current situation is growing more dangerous by the moment and is extremely unfavorable to us. Several students have already been injured. If we don't change strategy soon, I'm afraid... Sixth Child, changing tactics first is the best option."

When Chen Xiaojun heard this, a flash of resolve crossed his eyes. "Then change formation. Pass down the order: aside from the Ranged Group continuing to provide fire support, everyone else is to switch to squad formations and respond flexibly."

As Chen Xiaojun's order was issued, the Power Attack Group, Control Group, Support Group, and Agility Attack Group, which had originally formed four horizontal battle lines, seemed to be dismantled by an invisible hand and quickly transformed into more than a dozen mixed squads.

For a time, the situation on the battlefield shifted wildly. The soul masters, now moving by squad, engaged the wolf bandits in an even more intricate and thrilling contest.

These squads were centered and linked around the three Soul Emperors—Isaac, Chu Bohan, and Zhang Feng. They stood like boulders, becoming the supports of the new formation.

Isaac, a Thunderous Bear, charged forward and knocked wolf bandits down; Chu Bohan had strong control and precise prediction; Zhang Feng's swordsmanship was superb, his attacks fierce, making the wolf bandits fear him.

The Power Attack Type or Defense Type stood at the front, with Agility Attack Types on both flanks, Control Types in the middle, and support at the very rear. The four kinds of soul masters coordinated closely, bringing their respective strengths fully into play.

In this way, the squad formation was compact, flexible, and mobile, able to effectively withstand the wolf bandits' "frontal attack, flanking thrust" short-assault tactics, temporarily stabilizing their footing.

However, the wolf bandits were numerous and coordinated with tacit understanding. Under Nelson's command, they kept changing formation, bringing tremendous pressure upon the soul masters.

Both sides struck back and forth. The battle was extraordinarily deadlocked, and casualties on both sides continued to rise.

The members of the Chen Clan stared intently, their gazes fixed on the ever-changing situation across the battlefield.

Chen Shurui sank into deep thought, his mind racing as he tried to find an opportunity to adjust their tactics and use a more refined method to handle the wolf bandits' swift assaults and constantly shifting follow-up maneuvers.

He sighed, his gaze grave. "There are too many wolf bandits. No matter how we adjust our formation, they can adapt quickly and keep applying pressure to us."

Chen Bin added, "If Sixth Brother and Director Li hadn't severely injured over a hundred wolf bandits earlier, our situation would only be even harder."

"Time waits for no one. We must find the wolf bandits' weakness as soon as possible, or if this continues, we'll run out of strength sooner or later," Chen Mu said in a low voice.

Chen Bin examined the battlefield with a cold gaze. "Indeed. We're at a disadvantage in numbers. Only by finding the wolf bandits' command core can we turn the battle around in one stroke and break their offensive."

"Then let's look for it together," Chen Mu said, curling his lip.

As soon as he finished speaking, the few of them simultaneously activated their sword eyes, their gazes piercing through the smoke of the battlefield and the wolf bandits' layers of defense, shooting straight toward the formation at the rear.

Chen Shurui suddenly frowned. "That figure hiding in the back looks a bit familiar. Ah, isn't that the top Soul Emperor commander we tried to surround and kill just now, only for him to escape?"

Chen Bin followed up, "Those wolf bandits beside him have smooth, well-defined muscular builds. They should be messengers who excel in speed."

Chen Mu could not help sighing. "Tsk, tsk. Those wolf bandits in the rear are huge and burly, their muscles all knotted. They're clearly a reserve force."

At that moment, Chen Xiaojun abruptly opened his eyes, five-colored light flowing through his pupils. "From the look of it, he is the commander. No wonder they used short-assault tactics right from the start."

Chen Mu nodded, his expression grave. "Knowing is knowing, but at this distance, we can't break through to him. We have to trick him out."

At those words, the three of them focused their gazes on Chen Xiaojun in tacit understanding.

Chen Xiaojun: "...A bunch of Sixth Children!"

He frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the desolate, bleak scenery around them, then slowly said, "This should be the only wolf bandit troop in the nearby area, right?"

Chen Mu nodded. "Nonsense! Even their lord has come out. What, do you have some scheme or plan?"

Before his words had even fallen, Chen Xiaojun's figure suddenly leaped lightly. Green lotuses bloomed beneath his feet, swaying gently with a faint breeze, and his whole body seemed to break free of mortal restraints. Riding the lotus platform, he brought Chen Mu and the others rapidly upward.

Not long after, he flipped his palm, and a dazzling radiance suddenly burst from it, shooting straight into the clouds.

In an instant, it bloomed in the air, turning into an utterly brilliant firework—a blood-red shadow of the Seven Kill Sword over a hundred meters long, radiating a chilling killing intent!

This was the Warning Fireworks unique to the Chen Clan. Once lit in the night sky, its brilliance could be seen clearly even from ten li away, drawing every eye.

Seeing this, Chen Mu could not help looking up. "Sixth Child, are you setting off fireworks for fun?"

Chen Xiaojun smiled faintly. "We're in danger now, surrounded by threats on all sides. Setting off a Warning Fireworks is just trying our luck. What if someone from our clan happens to be nearby?"

Chen Mu lowered his head again and carefully looked Chen Xiaojun up and down. "Sixth Child, Guizi Liu, you really are wicked!!"