I, Liu Sanji, Request Permission to Fight!

Xiao Zhentian was so enraged by the selfish martial artists in the square that he flicked his sleeve and left.

He needed to summon the martial artists in the army and swiftly organize a rescue.

Chou Wantian also returned to Sword Immortal Academy with Xiao Chen and Lin Qingxian.

Along the way, Chou Wantian wore a deeply troubled expression, and Sword Immortal Lin's face carried a trace of gloom as well.

In two days, Xiao Chen would turn eighteen. According to Saintly Wasteland Old Man's prophecy, that was when he would lose all his cultivation and become useless. With that, Sword Immortal Academy's only hope would be utterly severed, and it would never again have a chance to rise.

Such devastating news was simply too crushing for Sword Immortal Academy, which already stood on the brink of collapse.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chen was consumed with anxiety as he thought of the old soldier in Bear Martial City who had cared for him for three years and was now facing a life-or-death crisis.

Before long, the group returned to Sword Immortal Academy. Seeing that none of them looked well, Lin Jiansan frowned slightly and looked at Chou Wantian. "What happened? Why do you all look like you're attending a funeral?"

Chou Wantian pulled Lin Jiansan to an empty spot outside the hall and told him everything that had happened.

Lin Jiansan was instantly stunned. His eyes, which had once held their divine light within, abruptly dimmed. "Y-You mean Xiao Chen will lose all his cultivation in two days?"

"Saintly Wasteland Old Man said it. It shouldn't be wrong!"

Chou Wantian took a large swig of wine and spoke in a low voice.

"It's over. The Sword Spirit Stone is gone, Xiao Chen is ruined, and Sword Immortal Academy is completely finished!"

Lin Jiansan looked utterly lost.

"Senior Brother, it's my fault. I destroyed Sword Immortal Academy's hope!"

Chou Wantian was filled with remorse as well, continuously pouring wine from his gourd into his mouth.

Heaven-Jealous Ones were simply too rare. Almost no one understood them, and he was now overwhelmed with regret, regretting that he had used the Sword Spirit Stone on Xiao Chen.

"Say no more. It is all fate. I have never seen a swordsmanship prodigy like Xiao Chen. It's just a pity..."

"Senior Brother, then how should Xiao Chen be settled?"

Chou Wantian looked at Lin Jiansan.

Lin Jiansan was silent for a moment before saying, "Since he has entered Sword Immortal Academy, you and I must protect him and accompany him through the last stretch of his road!"

"That is what I think as well!"

Chou Wantian nodded.

At that moment, Xiao Chen walked out of the hall. "Old Man Chou, Old Man Lin, do you have any healing medicine? Something that works quickly!"

If he wanted to go to Bear Martial City and save people, he had to recover his strength as soon as possible. After all, he might have to face thousands of demon beasts there. Never mind that he was currently injured—even at his peak, it would still be a nine-deaths-one-life ordeal.

Of course, that mainly depended on how many martial artists in Bear Martial City were willing to fight alongside him!

"What are you planning, kid? Your injuries aren't even serious. They'll heal on their own in a few days! Oh, right, from now on, you can do some odd jobs at Sword Immortal Academy. Don't worry, we won't look down on you!"

Chou Wantian looked at Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen understood that Chou Wantian had misunderstood, thinking he was about to become useless. Yet he had no mind to explain. He said directly, "I'm going to Bear Martial City to save people!"

Chou Wantian immediately sprayed out a mouthful of wine. "Save people? You're injured right now, and you're about to lose all your cultivation. You still have the heart to worry about others?"

"There is an old soldier in Bear Martial City. He cared for me for three years when I was at my lowest. I made an agreement with him that I would see him through his old age and bury him when he died! Now that he is in danger, I cannot refuse to save him!"

Xiao Chen spoke in a low voice.

"Do you know what you will face if you go? Thousands of Demon Race beasts, yet there won't be many human martial artists willing to fight. By yourself, you are but a cup of water against a cartload of firewood—going would only be throwing your life away!"

Lin Jiansan frowned.

Such massacres of cities by the Demon Race had occurred frequently in recent years. At first, the imperial dynasty would still send people to rescue them. But after several attempts, too many martial artists died, and the imperial dynasty began to feel the loss.

No matter how many ordinary people died, given enough time, the population could multiply again. After all, Great Xia had billions of people.

But losing a martial artist was not so easily remedied. Every martial artist was one in ten thousand; even Great Xia did not have many of them.

Thus, little by little, fewer and fewer martial artists went to deal with incidents of cities being slaughtered. Those trapped within could only wait for death!

It was cruel, but reality was that cruel!

Xiao Chen was very strong, but his enemies were too powerful. Two fists could not fend off four hands. Even if he went, he would not be able to do much!

"If I go, at least my conscience will be clear!"

Xiao Chen said firmly.

The memories of the former owner of this body had long since fused with his own; the two were no longer distinguishable. At this moment, a mad obsession in his heart compelled him to save the old soldier.

At those words, Chou Wantian and Lin Jiansan both fell silent.

For an old soldier, for a promise once made, Xiao Chen was willing to stake his life!

Such character deeply moved them.

Lin Jiansan took out an exquisitely crafted black medicine bottle and silently handed it to Xiao Chen.

Catching the faint medicinal fragrance wafting from the bottle, a flicker of shock flashed through Chou Wantian's eyes.

A Minor Return Pill?

Lin Jiansan had actually taken out the Minor Return Pill he had treasured for many years.

He had suffered grievous wounds many times and never brought himself to use this bottle of Minor Return Pills, yet this time he had actually given it to Xiao Chen?

Xiao Chen accepted the medicine bottle, opened the cap, and glanced at the white pills within, which gave off a faint treasure glow. He could not help but freeze for a moment. Raising his head to look at Lin Jiansan, he said softly, "Thank you."

After taking the Minor Return Pill, Xiao Chen clasped his fists slightly toward Lin Jiansan and Chou Wantian, then turned and left.

"Will he come back?"

Watching Xiao Chen's receding figure, Chou Wantian asked in a low voice.

"No. He never intended to return when he left. He has resolved to die. Overnight, he went from an unparalleled prodigy to a cripple—no one could bear such a blow!"

Chou Wantian's expression changed slightly. "You mean he is going to Bear Martial City solely to seek death?"

Lin Jiansan nodded. "Several thousand demons are attacking the city. Even someone in the Sword Master Realm might not return alive. He is only a Sword Disciple, and he is injured besides. If he is not going there to throw his life away, what else could he be doing?"

"Then why did you give him a Minor Return Pill? That is a rare thing worth a thousand taels of gold per pill. You had nearly died several times yourself and could not bear to take one! Yet you just gave it to him?"

Chou Wantian looked at Lin Jiansan.

"Heh. Sword Immortal Academy finally produced such a prodigy. Though he is crippled now, how could I refuse his final wish before death? Let's go! We need to hurry and guide Qingxian's cultivation, see whether there is still a sliver of hope in the academy tournament!"

Lin Jiansan patted Chou Wantian on the shoulder and turned to leave.

Ever since Xiao Chen had entered the academy, the conflict between the two had been completely resolved, and they had returned to their former closeness.

"A sliver of hope? Easier said than done!"

Only after Xiao Chen had completely vanished from sight did Chou Wantian slowly turn around.

If Xiao Chen could have held on until the academy tournament three months later, he had a ten percent chance of saving the academy!

But now that Xiao Chen was crippled, relying on Lin Qingxian alone to save the academy did not leave even a one-in-a-thousand chance.

He had already begun considering how to preserve the Slaying Heaven Courtyard where Lin Jiansan currently lived after Sword Immortal Academy closed down.

After leaving Sword Immortal Academy, Xiao Chen went to the market and bought a silver ghost-face mask and a white horse. Donning the mask and mounting the horse, he galloped straight toward Bear Martial City.

"Liu Sanji, you old bastard, you had better wait for me!"

Xiao Chen spurred his horse onward, his eyes filled with anxiety.

Outside Bear Martial City.

Several thousand Dog Demons as enormous as Xiaoshan packed densely around the entire city. Their surroundings were littered with the corpses of city-defending soldiers.

Some had been torn limb from limb; some had had their heads eaten, leaving them unrecognizable; others still had a breath left in them, yet were being gnawed alive by the Demon Race, their cries of agony ringing out from time to time.

When the Demon Race attacked, to protect the people of the city, these city-defending soldiers had charged out at once to fight them, using their own flesh and blood to forcibly delay the demons' breach of the city.

But now, the twenty thousand defenders had suffered nearly total casualties, while Barren North City's reinforcements had still not arrived!

The entire Bear Martial City was steeped in an air of despair!

"Where are the reinforcements?! Why have no reinforcements arrived after all this time?"

The Garrison Commander was covered in blood, one arm having been gnawed off by the Demon Race. Standing atop the city wall and watching his soldiers be devoured by demons, he was beside himself with rage!

Ever since the Demon Race had surrounded the city, the Demon Suppression Office had shut its doors and refused to emerge. He had sent men to Barren North City to request aid, but no one from Barren North City had come even now. Were they abandoning the city?

"My lord, no one is coming! Some of the great figures of the imperial dynasty are unwilling to trade the lives of martial artists for the lives of commoners! I, Liu Sanji, request to fight! Damn it all, isn't it just death?"

A stooped old soldier roared in a low voice!

His blood and qi had waned, his body was shriveled, yet his eyes blazed with unyielding fury. (All you handsome readers of this book, please tap the bookshelf and urge updates—give this kid some hope to keep writing! If the numbers are bad and it does not get promoted, it will be finished! My thanks to you all!)