Royal Court

The Jianmen Pass garrison had just caught its breath when a denser black fog than the one at Black Wind City surged from the distant horizon. Within the fog, countless pairs of scarlet eyes flickered like ghost fire, and the heavy footsteps shook the earth, causing it to tremble slightly. The very air seemed to warp under the oppressive, ferocious aura.

"That's... the Royal Court's 'Black Armored Guards'!" Elder Wu's face turned pale for the first time. He pointed at the figures emerging from the black fog. "Legend has it that every Black Armored Guard is a powerhouse at the Profound Connection Realm Late Stage, and their armor can absorb true qi, rendering ordinary attacks useless!"

Fang Yan concentrated, gazing into the distance. He saw the Black Armored Guards covered head to toe in dark, obsidian armor, etched with strange runes. Each step they took stirred up gusts of black wind. At the forefront of the Black Armored Guards stood a towering Exotic Race warrior atop a winged behemoth. His aura far surpassed that of a regular Martial King, reaching the fourth level of the Martial King realm!

"Human insects, surrender obediently!" the Exotic Race King's voice boomed like thunder. "I, this King, have personally led the army. Your resistance is futile!"

"How dare you be so arrogant!" Fang Yan roared. He channeled his true qi, merging the power of the Prairie Fire Spear Technique and the Prison Heaven Sword Finger. He thrust his spear forward, its tip condensed with golden sword qi and sharp finger force, aiming directly at the Exotic Race King.

The Exotic Race King sneered and casually waved his hand, conjuring a black wall of qi to block the attack. "Is that all you've got? You dare show off in front of this King!" He leaped off the behemoth and lunged at Fang Yan with a punch. Before his fist even landed, a powerful pressure made it difficult for Fang Yan to breathe.

Seeing this, Elder Wu immediately rushed forward, joining Fang Yan to resist the attack. "Bang!" The attacks of the three collided, and the powerful energy shockwave sent soldiers flying in all directions. Both Fang Yan and Elder Wu were forced back, blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.

"The strength of a fourth-level Martial King is truly formidable," Elder Wu said, wiping the blood from his lips. "We are no match for him. We must find a way to stall for time and await reinforcements from the Mystic Martial Pavilion."

Fang Yan nodded and immediately gave the order: "Zhao Hu, Li Gang, lead the soldiers to activate Jianmen Pass's defensive formation!"

"Yes!" Zhao Hu and Li Gang immediately led the soldiers to the formation's core on the city wall and injected their true qi. As the true qi flowed in, golden runes lit up along the Jianmen Pass walls, forming a massive protective shield.

"Hahaha, you think this broken formation can stop me?" the Exotic Race King roared with laughter, and once again slammed his fist towards the shield. "Bang!" The shield shuddered violently, cracks appearing across its surface.

"Everyone, put in more effort! We must hold the shield!" Fang Yan shouted, simultaneously channeling his true qi and continuously pouring energy into the shield.

The Black Armored Guards also began their assault, wielding massive axes and relentlessly hacking at the shield. Cracks spread further across the shield, and it was on the verge of shattering.

Just then, a series of rapid whistling sounds echoed from the distance. Streaks of light flew in from the horizon, landing before Jianmen Pass. Leading them was an elder in a white robe, whose aura had reached the fifth level of the Martial King realm!

"Mystic Martial Pavilion Elder, True Master Zhang!" Elder Wu exclaimed in surprise.

True Master Zhang nodded, his gaze falling upon the Exotic Race King. "Impudent alien! How dare you invade our human territory? Today, you will not return!"

Upon seeing True Master Zhang, the Exotic Race King's expression changed drastically. "Fifth-level Martial King? I didn't expect you humans to have such a powerful expert. But what does it matter if you're here? Today, I will still flatten Jianmen Pass!"

He once again slammed his fist towards the shield. True Master Zhang immediately intervened, unleashing a palm strike that collided with the Exotic Race King's punch. "Bang!" A thunderous roar echoed as both were forced back by the impact.

"Again!" True Master Zhang grunted and charged at the Exotic Race King once more. The two engaged in a fierce, back-and-forth battle.

The other cultivators from the Mystic Martial Pavilion also joined the fray, engaging the Black Armored Guards. With the reinforcements from the Mystic Martial Pavilion, the tide of battle instantly turned. The Black Armored Guards were pushed back under the onslaught of the Mystic Martial Pavilion cultivators.

Sensing the unfavorable turn of events, the Exotic Race King attempted to flee. How could True Master Zhang allow him that opportunity? He immediately pursued, "Where do you think you're going!"

A fierce chase ensued between the two in the air. Finally, True Master Zhang seized an opening and struck the Exotic Race King's back with a palm. The Exotic Race King spat out a mouthful of blood and plummeted from the sky, surrounded by the Mystic Martial Pavilion cultivators.

"Surrender, or face death!" True Master Zhang said coldly.

The Exotic Race King looked at the surrounding Mystic Martial Pavilion cultivators, knowing he had no escape. He gritted his teeth and said, "I surrender! But you must not harm my subordinates."

"Very well," True Master Zhang nodded. "As long as you lay down your weapons, we will spare your lives."

Helpless, the Exotic Race King ordered the Black Armored Guards to disarm and surrender.

The crisis at Jianmen Pass was finally over. Fang Yan looked at the scene before him, his heart filled with emotion. Although they had won this battle, it had also made him understand the gap between humans and the Exotic Races. There was still a long road ahead to reclaim lost territory.

True Master Zhang walked up to Fang Yan and patted his shoulder. "Well done, young man. To hold Jianmen Pass under such dangerous circumstances shows great courage."

Fang Yan respectfully replied, "Thank you for your praise, True Master Zhang. If you hadn't arrived in time, we might not have been able to hold on."

True Master Zhang smiled. "This is what we should do. Now that the crisis at Jianmen Pass has been resolved, the threat from the Exotic Races has not been eliminated. The Mystic Martial Pavilion has decided to mobilize all forces from the six provinces and five cities for a decisive battle against the Exotic Races."

"A decisive battle?" Fang Yan's heart stirred.

"That's right," True Master Zhang nodded. "We can no longer be on the defensive. We must take the initiative to have a chance of survival."

Fang Yan took a deep breath and said, "I am willing to lead the Vanguard Camp to participate in the decisive battle!"

"Good!" True Master Zhang nodded. "With your participation, our chances of victory have increased. For now, you should rest. In three days, we will gather at Shuzhou Main City."

"Yes!" Fang Yan and his men responded in unison.

Three days later, the Vanguard Camp from Jianmen Pass, along with the cultivators from the Mystic Martial Pavilion, set off towards Shuzhou Main City. Along the way, they saw countless refugees fleeing, which further strengthened their resolve for the decisive battle.

In the plaza of Shuzhou Main City, a million-strong army had already assembled from the six provinces and five cities. Banners fluttered, weapons gleamed, and the atmosphere was awe-inspiring.

Fang Yan stood at the front of the Vanguard Camp, looking at the million-strong army before him, his heart filled with heroism. He knew that this decisive battle would determine the fate of humanity. No matter how difficult it was, he would lead the Vanguard Camp to fight for humanity's survival!