Fierce Saber First Success

The days of rest were as fleeting as stolen moments.

Three days later, the Northern Mang, like hyenas scenting blood, pressed forward again. This time, they no longer divided their forces for harassment but gathered their main strength, like a heavy iron hammer, smashing directly towards the western side of the camp, where the defenses were relatively weak!

That was precisely the area where Chen Qing's Supply Camp was assisting in the defense.

Woooo—!

A desolate horn tore through the dawn. On the broken camp walls, a Great Yan captain in charge of commanding the western defenses had a face ashen with fury. He watched the black legion surging from the distance like a tide, his fingers gripping the hilt of his sword turning white from the force.

"Archers! Three volleys of high-angle fire!"

"Spearmen, forward! Hold the palisades!"

"Auxiliary soldiers! Move the rolling logs and stones! Quickly!"

Orders were issued one after another, carrying a barely perceptible tremor. Everyone understood that this was a true decisive battle; the Northern Mang were going all out!

Chen Qing stood at the front of the auxiliary soldier formation, wearing that set of semi-new iron armor, with a standard ring-pommel saber hanging at his waist. Shi Tou, Hei Wa, and the other two behind him had also changed into slightly better leather armor and gripped their spears. Though their faces were still pale, their eyes held a bit more firmness after experiencing fire and blood; at least their hands holding the spears no longer trembled.

Shi Tou whispered, "Brother Qing, this time feels different..."

Chen Qing grunted, his gaze calmly fixed on the dust cloud rolling in from the distance. He could feel the ground beneath his feet vibrating slightly, the resonance of thousands of enemies running and horses trampling.

He took a deep breath, and the bones within him, tempered by the Fierce Tiger Iron Body, hummed slightly, a cold and hard sense of power flowing through his entire body. The Black Tiger Fist intent, which had reached a state of complete mastery and contained a trace of the Fierce Tiger's true meaning, made him feel not fear towards the impending slaughter, but rather a faint... craving.

"Remember what I taught you, three men to a group, back to back, don't get separated. See those wearing iron armor, walk around them," Chen Qing said without looking back, his voice not loud but clearly reaching the ears of the four behind him.

"Yes, Squad Leader!" the four responded in unison, instinctively drawing closer to each other.

Boom!!!

The black tide crashed violently against the simple wooden and stone mixed camp wall! More ferocious, more frenzied than last time!

Arrows poured from both sides like a storm, drawing spurts of blood. Giant logs and stones were pushed down with all their might by the auxiliary soldiers, smashing the Northern Mang soldiers below, breaking their bones. But more enemies climbed over the corpses of their comrades, swarming up like ants!

"Hold the line! Hold it for me!" the captain roared hoarsely, personally swinging his sword to cut down a Northern Mang soldier who had just poked his head over.

But a breach, inevitably, appeared.

Several sections of the palisade collapsed under the continuous impact, and fierce Northern Mang armored soldiers, like a breached dam, roared as they poured in!

"Reinforce! Spearmen! Block the breach!" the officer's shouts sounded so powerless amidst the chaos.

The defense line instantly became precarious.

The area where Chen Qing was located faced the largest breach that had been smashed open! Dozens of Northern Mang elites, like hungry wolves, instantly crushed the front-line spearmen who tried to block them and charged towards them, the auxiliary soldiers in the second line!

"Form up!"

Chen Qing roared, advancing instead of retreating. He took a step forward, actively meeting the surging enemy tide!

He did not draw his saber.

Facing the first to charge, a burly Northern Mang man wielding a battle-axe, Chen Qing slightly shifted his body, evading the falling axe blade. His left arm shot out like an iron whip, smashing fiercely onto the wrist of the opponent holding the axe!

Crack! A sickening sound of bone breaking.

The burly man cried out, and the battle-axe slipped from his grasp.

Chen Qing's right hand darted out like lightning, his fingers splayed, imbued with the power of the Fierce Tiger Iron Body. He directly grabbed the opponent's throat and squeezed hard!

The throat bone shattered!

[Killed a Northern Mang Armored Soldier, gained Vitality and Fierce Qi, Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +10!]

The corpse went limp. Chen Qing didn't even look at it. He snatched the heavy battle-axe and threw it backhand at a Northern Mang shield bearer beside him!

Whoosh—!

The battle-axe, with a piercing whistling sound, split the shield bearer and his shield in half!

Bloody! Violent!

This momentary display of ferocity, killing two men instantly, caused the charge of the approaching Northern Mang soldiers to falter.

This was the moment of pause Chen Qing was waiting for!

Clang!

The ring-pommel saber was finally drawn! The blade reflected the firelight, faintly emitting a very light black-red luster, which was the fierce qi unconsciously attaching itself when he circulated the Fierce Tiger Iron Body.

He moved!

His feet stomped the ground, no longer just swift, but carrying a heavy sense of power, like a fierce tiger clad in iron armor charging forward! The saber light followed!

No longer the fixed stances of the Black Tiger Saber Technique, but infused with the pouncing intent of the Black Tiger Fist, the decisiveness of military saber techniques, and... that nascent, fierce and brutal nature of the Fierce Tiger!

Where the saber light passed, severed limbs and broken arms flew!

A Northern Mang soldier raised his shield to block. The ring-pommel saber struck the iron-clad wooden shield, emitting a deafening clang like metal on metal. The wooden shield instantly exploded, but the saber's momentum did not decrease, slicing off half of his shoulder!

[Black Tiger Saber Technique proficiency +12]

Another Northern Mang soldier thrust a spear from the side. Chen Qing neither dodged nor evaded. He forcefully wrapped his left arm around, clamping the spear shaft tightly under his armpit! The Fierce Tiger Iron Body circulated, a dark luster flashed, and the spear tip could not penetrate an inch! He then used his right hand, holding the ring-pommel saber, to slash forward along the spear shaft!

All five fingers were severed! Then the saber tip pushed forward, piercing the throat!

[Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +8]

He was like a tireless killing machine, charging left and right in the breach, single-handedly making the Northern Barbarian Soldiers who poured in fall over in disarray! The ring-pommel saber in his hand, sometimes like a mountain-splitting giant axe, heavy and powerful; sometimes like a venomous fang, cunning and hard to defend against; and sometimes carrying a fierce, chilling aura that made one's heart tremble.

The four men behind him, Shi Tou and the others, watched with boiling blood, their courage also spurred on. They formed a small Three Talents formation, closely following Chen Qing's rear, blocking attacks from his flanks and back, and finishing off enemies Chen Qing had heavily wounded but not killed.

"Stop that kid in the iron armor!" Finally, an officer among the Northern Barbarian army noticed this bane, who was like a reef blocking the torrent.

Instantly, four or five Northern Barbarian warriors, whose auras were clearly stronger and who wore iron-plated heavy armor, surrounded him in a fan shape. Their eyes were fierce, their coordination seamless, and the weapons in their hands brought a vicious wind, sealing off all of Chen Qing's escape routes.

The pressure increased dramatically!

Chen Qing's eyes narrowed. He could feel that these few were at least late-stage Skin Refining Realm experts. The leader, wielding twin hammers, had a profound aura, likely already in the Bone Forging Realm!

Cannot fight them head-on!

His thoughts raced. Chen Qing's footwork suddenly became elusive. He stopped charging and fighting directly, instead using the instinctive utilization of the environment from his Black Tiger Fist intent, weaving through the gaps in the warriors' attacks.

The twin hammers grazed his iron armor, sending sparks flying. The heavy force made his blood and qi churn.

A curved saber slashed towards the back of his neck. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he suddenly ducked, the blade shearing off a few strands of his hair.

Another spear, like a venomous snake, thrust towards his ribs. He twisted his waist, and the spear tip barely cut through the iron armor, leaving a white mark on his Fierce Tiger Iron Body beneath.

Danger everywhere!

But Chen Qing's eyes grew brighter. Under such intense pressure, his control over his own strength, his application of the Fierce Tiger Iron Body, and his understanding of the Black Tiger Saber Technique, which integrated multiple artistic concepts, were all deepening rapidly!

[Learned through combat, Black Tiger Saber Technique proficiency +15]

[Saber Qi circulation, Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +12]

He no longer tried to deal with everyone simultaneously, instead locking his target onto the Bone Forging Realm warrior wielding the twin hammers!

Now!

The warrior's twin hammers smashed down again. The old force was spent, and the new force had not yet arrived! A fierce glint flashed in Chen Qing's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, throwing himself into the opponent's embrace! The ring-pommel saber, from bottom to top, like a counter-attacking black lightning bolt, stabbed directly at the opponent's jaw!

This move completely caught the warrior off guard and placed Chen Qing himself under the attacks of the other enemies!

Trading injury for life!

Puchi!

The ring-pommel saber pierced the jaw without obstruction, emerging from the top of the head!

The Bone Forging Realm warrior's eyes instantly lost their vitality.

At the same time, the attacks from the other warriors arrived! The curved saber slashed across Chen Qing's back, the spear struck his thigh, and even a short axe landed on his left shoulder!

Clang! Puchi! Slish!

The sound of shattering iron armor and the sound of sharp weapons entering flesh rang out simultaneously!

Chen Qing's body trembled violently, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. But using the momentum of the falling body of the Bone Forging Realm warrior, he lunged forward, breaking free from the encirclement!

[Killed Northern Barbarian Bone Forging Realm Squad Leader, gained a large amount of Qi and Blood and pure Saber Qi, Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +40! Black Tiger Saber Technique proficiency +35!]

[Black Tiger Saber Technique proficiency has reached 2000/2000, realm advancement: Mastery (0/5000)!]

A majestic energy surged into his body. His injuries rapidly healed and were suppressed under the dual effects of Qi and Blood and Saber Qi! His comprehension of the Black Tiger Saber Technique instantly ascended to a new level, its true meaning fully integrated and subtly echoing his fist intent!

He suddenly turned around, drenched in blood, his iron armor shattered in multiple places, revealing the dark, black-red patterned skin beneath. The saber Qi in his eyes had almost become tangible, and the black-red luster on his ring-pommel saber was even more pronounced.

He looked at the Northern Barbarian warriors, who were a mixture of shock and anger due to the death of their leader, and his lips curled into a cold, almost cruel, arc.

"Now, it's my turn."