Crisis of Annihilation

The Black Dog Star, consisting of seven people, all dressed in black, with black scarves covering their faces. They practiced a joint attack martial art with seamless coordination, their combined strength surpassing that of seven ordinary early Innate Realm experts. They faced Ding Ning, Gao Jian Fei, Mu Wan Qing, Mo Wen, Jing Lei, Cheng Feng, and Beitang Zilong.

Ding Ning's swift blade and Gao Jian Fei's swordsmanship were nearly unrivaled at the Postnatal Peak. Mu Wan Qing, by cross-referencing the Asura Blade Technique with the Dream Slaying Saber Technique, had comprehended her own path of the blade. These three were essentially already half a step into the Innate Realm.

Mo Wen cultivated a technique called the Blood Shadow Evil Art. This art was unpredictable and insidious; with each layer mastered, a portion of the soul was claimed. It complemented the Dream Slaying Saber Technique perfectly, transforming him into a bloodthirsty berserker the moment combat began.

Jing Lei, Cheng Feng, and Beitang Zilong were disciples of Beitang Zilong's father, Beitang Ao. Beitang Ao was the Commander (Military Sima) of the Cosmos Unit's Star Department of the Dragon Guard. His Heavenly Mysterious Big Dipper Sword was wielded with divine skill. Under his meticulous tutelage, the martial arts of these three were among the absolute best for their age.

Even though the seven Black Dog Star members possessed higher cultivation and more practiced coordination, it all seemed pale and powerless before the absolute talent of Ding Ning and his companions.

The Black-faced Lord, who appeared too fat to walk, was actually incredibly agile. His punches were fast, accurate, and vicious. Heng Feijing could only defend against him, his Tiger Break technique rendered almost useless.

However, Heng Feijing harbored his own pride and intended to use this battle to hone his martial arts and seek an opportunity to enter the Innate Realm. Thus, he refused any assistance. In ten moves, eight were defensive and two were offensive. Amidst the adversity, he was simultaneously comprehending the essence of the blade and waiting for a chance to counterattack.

Among the twelve battlefields and nearly fifty combatants, the duel between Qin Shuang and Long Xiling was undoubtedly the most perilous.

Long Xiling was a top-tier expert even among those in the middle stage of the Innate Realm, while Qin Shuang was only at the Postnatal Peak. The difference was two minor realms, and more importantly, it spanned the chasm between the Innate and Postnatal stages!

Long Xiling's palm technique was called the Sea Dragon Surging Waves Palm. It excelled in close-quarters combat, its palm force as immense and continuous as surging rivers, like the Yellow River in flood, unstoppable!

The pressure he exerted on Qin Shuang was by no means comparable to Innate Realm martial artists like Duan Yanqing who relied on skillful long-range attacks.

Qin Shuang fought with all his might, without reservation, alternating between the Heavenly Frost Fist and the Innate Formless Finger Sword. He countered Long Xiling's fierce, powerful, and ruthless palm strikes with the Heavenly Frost Fist's mystique, the Straight Sword's spirit, the Flicking Sword's density, the Soft Sword's finesse, and the Toe Sword's urgency.

Although Qin Shuang was repeatedly shaken and coughed up blood, he stubbornly held on, locked in a fierce struggle.

Ever since he began cultivating the Innate Formless Divine Art two years ago, Qin Shuang had discovered that his internal energy was extraordinary. Not only was it more profound than that of others at the same level, but it also regenerated continuously during combat, giving him an inexhaustible supply that seemed to grow stronger the more he used it.

In battles against others, including his previous fight against the six great villains, he had never experienced a lack of stamina due to depleted internal energy.

At this moment, Qin Shuang grew fiercer with every passing moment. Centered on him, sword Qi crisscrossed and intertwined within a fifty-foot radius. The Innate Formless Finger Sword formed a dense, layered net, repeatedly stacking to trap Long Xiling within.

Long Xiling remained calm. Wherever his palm force reached, the sword Qi of the finger sword was split apart. He wanted to see how long this Postnatal Peak brat could sustain such unrestrained expenditure of internal energy.

However, after a hundred exchanges, Long Xiling's expression shifted slightly. To his astonishment, he hadn't felt any decrease in Qin Shuang's internal energy.

At this, Long Xiling ceased his passive parrying and chose to attack proactively. He drew circles with his palms, pushing and pulling, and with a move called Dragon Soars in Northern Sea, he struck directly at Qin Shuang.

The palm force surged like colossal waves, crushing everything in its path. The countless sword Qi that had stood between them were like fragile reeds before this palm force, shattering into pieces.

With no way to evade, Qin Shuang channeled his Heavenly Frost Qi. Frosty Moon Embrace froze into ice, coating his arms. He used these icy arms to protect his vital points.

With a "bang," in the head-on collision, Qin Shuang was repelled into the air, spitting blood from his mouth.

The successive injuries did not make Qin Shuang retreat; instead, they ignited the fighting spirit within him.

Though his hands were numb from the impact, Qin Shuang gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and raised them above his head. He brought his thumbs together and pressed down from the air, unleashing a combined strike of the Hegemonic Sword!

A colossal sword Qi, carrying more power than any of Qin Shuang's previous moves, descended from above, striking Long Xiling directly.

The massive sword strike, as if cleaving the heavens and earth, made even Long Xiling dare not be careless. He gripped his right forearm with his left hand, concentrating his internal energy into his right hand, and unleashed the Flood Dragon Emerges from the Sea with a single palm. The dragon roared in the west, its palm force like a flood dragon, surging skyward to meet the Hegemonic Sword, which had double the power.

With another deafening "boom," Qin Shuang was sent flying dozens of meters like a kite with a broken string. However, this sword strike finally left a deep, bone-gaping gash on Long Xiling's face.

To be able to injure a middle-stage Innate Realm expert while only at the Postnatal Peak was enough for Qin Shuang to be proud of!

The Twelve Zodiacs alone had managed to hold back most of the Dragon Guard, and most of them were even gaining the upper hand!

The martial artists in the distance, who had been observing, finally mustered their courage. They drew their weapons and charged towards the convoy guarded by the Dragon Guard.

Among the Dragon Guard members who had yet to engage, only five Squad Leaders remained: Li Wenxiu, Guo Dalu, Lin Taiping, Xiang Hong, and Li Panggui.

The five conferred briefly, deciding that Li Wenxiu's squad, along with Situ Shuiling, would continue to guard Ni Pusa, the wounded, and the prisoners. The others would face the attacking enemies.

Facing nearly a hundred martial artists swarming towards them, led by the five Squad Leaders Guo Dalu, Lin Taiping, Xiang Hong, and Li Panggui, the twelve individuals Zhang Tan, Liang Aniu, He Xiaohe, Yan Qi, Nangong Chou, Mei Ruijia, Mei Runan, Feng Qiwu, Wu Meng, Ge Zhong, Li Fu Sheng, and Nian Cangsheng, despite their injuries, showed no fear. They defended the convoy from the outside.

An unprecedented melee erupted on the official road of Qing Province!

The opposing sides were the Dragon Guard, a special organization known as the "Southern Guard" of the Great Shang Dynasty, and nearly a hundred martial artists from the underworld of Tai and Qing Provinces, who had temporarily set aside their grudges and animosities to contend for Ni Pusa.

Everyone was on high alert, for in this chaotic battle, a moment's carelessness could lead to severed limbs, and bad luck could mean losing one's life!

Seeing the ever-increasing number of enemies and the Dragon Guard members falling into peril, Li Wenxiu could no longer hold back. "Zhong Ling, Shui Ling, you two watch Ni Pusa. Everyone else, go all out and slaughter these enemies!"

Qin Sirong, risking the exacerbation of her injuries, drew her sword and joined the battle. After all, under a collapsing nest, no egg remains intact. A severe injury was better than death; she would fight to the death if necessary!