Crimson Scale Army Commander

The one who returned wearing the battle armor of the Crimson Scale Army Commander was not Yu Lin, the Crimson Scale Army Commander, but Zhang Yuan, a martial guard conscripted by the Crimson Scale Army.

Zhao Changming had met Zhang Yuan before—when he was treating Young Master Tao, he had casually given his own long saber to the unconscious Zhang Yuan.

"How could this be? How could this be..."

Zhao Changming's face went pale. He retreated several steps, nearly tripping over the threshold.

If Yu Lin had returned, then even if he were grievously wounded, his formidable might of cutting down three Xiantian Realm experts alone would have been enough to deter the Yan Army, bolster the Qin Army's morale, and make the garrison soldiers fight with all their strength.

But the one who returned was Zhang Yuan.

That meant Commander Yu Lin had surely fallen outside the city.

In other words, the city's actual fighting strength now amounted to only Zhao Changming, one Xiantian Realm expert, along with fewer than five hundred remnants.

"Commander, he, he—" Zhao Changming raised his head and stared intently at Zhang Yuan.

Even knowing the answer, Zhao Changming needed Zhang Yuan to say it himself.

"The Commander fought one against three, battling the enemy until his final moment," Zhang Yuan said softly.

"He asked me to tell Deputy Commander Zhao that Fengtian County City no longer needs to be defended."

Drawing in a light breath, Zhang Yuan looked toward the cloud waves outside the courtyard. "In truth, it did not need to be defended two months ago."

Zhao Changming shuddered all over. Looking at Zhang Yuan, he nodded lightly.

"That's right. Only the Commander and I knew about the decision to defend Fengtian County City to the death."

As Yu Lin's deputy and likewise a Xiantian Realm expert, Zhao Changming's support had naturally been required for Yu Lin's decision.

Looking at Zhang Yuan before him, clad in Crimson Scale battle armor with a resolute face, Zhao Changming gave a soft sigh. "Zhang Yuan, thank you for returning to deliver the news."

"I'll arrange for the remaining garrison troops in the city to break out. When the time comes, stay by my side. I'll take you out of here."

Zhang Yuan had risked his life to return disguised as Yu Lin and report the news, giving Zhao Changming a chance to choose. At the same time, it kept the morale that had fallen into the abyss from collapsing completely.

Otherwise, the city might already have become impossible to hold.

"Zhang Yuan, rest up first." Looking at Zhang Yuan, Zhao Changming said in a deep voice, "Other than me, do not reveal your true face to anyone."

"This is very important. If they learn that the Commander has fallen, I fear the soldiers will lose all will to fight and lack even the heart to battle their way out."

In Zhao Changming's eyes, Zhang Yuan was only a youth of sixteen or seventeen. There were many things he could not truly understand.

But Zhang Yuan had returned at the risk of his life, so there were things Zhao Changming needed to make clear to him.

"This subordinate understands." Zhang Yuan nodded. "Before everyone else, I am the Commander."

Hearing Zhang Yuan's answer, Zhao Changming let out a quiet breath of relief. He turned and walked outside, closing the courtyard gate behind him as he left.

Only after watching Zhao Changming leave and the courtyard gate close did Zhang Yuan's entire body go limp. He sat down on the stone steps beneath the eaves.

After sitting blankly for a while, every scene from leaving the city to returning today flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

His palm clenched hard around the saber hilt. Strength exceeding one thousand five hundred jin instantly made his entire body tighten.

A Golden Light Screen surfaced in the depths of his mind.

Zhang Yuan

Identity: Ninth-rank Black Robe Guard of Luyang Prefecture, Great Qin; Crimson Scale Army Conscript

Cultivation: Late Houtian Realm, cultivation not yet stabilized, Cannot Upgrade

Martial Way Cultivation: Cape Saber Technique at Great Perfection, Cannot Upgrade; Ironclad Fist at Great Perfection, Cannot Upgrade

Mountain Yue Saber Technique at Great Accomplishment Level, requires twenty Insight Beads to upgrade; Mountain Yue Fist Technique at Lesser Accomplishment, requires ten Insight Beads to upgrade

Battle Formation: Azure Wolf Formation at Lesser Accomplishment

Chaos Space: seventy-five Vitality Beads, ninety-three Insight Beads, forty-five True Essence Beads, nine Demonic Qi Beads

Chaos Auxiliary Battle: Not Activated

The improvements in his cultivation and martial arts felt like a dream.

Zhang Yuan could sense that he still could not fully control his suddenly enhanced cultivation. Nor could he completely unleash the power and combat strength of the Mountain Yue Saber Technique at Great Accomplishment Level. That was why Chaos had warned him that he could not improve his cultivation for now.

Power he could not control was useless even if increased; instead, it would drag down his combat strength.

Aside from the changes in his cultivation and martial arts, the stored Vitality Beads and Insight Beads had mainly come from killing three Xiantian Realm experts.

The vitality and insight fed back by a single Xiantian Realm expert were not merely one bead each, but more than twenty.

The higher the cultivation, the greater the power fed back.

The Xiantian Realm expert grievously wounded by Yu Lin, the Xiantian Realm expert who had transformed into a demon, and Commander Yu Lin.

At the final moment, Zhang Yuan had chosen to shatter Yu Lin's heart meridian and end his life, gaining the power fed back.

He needed that power to hold Fengtian County City.

Apart from the Vitality Beads and Insight Beads, the True Essence Beads contained the Xiantian True Essence cultivated by Xiantian Realm experts. Zhang Yuan could not refine them into his body to improve his cultivation, but he could trigger that power.

When he charged out of the low woods, he had shattered one True Essence Bead, triggering its Xiantian power and infusing it into his saber. He drew forth Saber Qi to cut down the enemy, displaying the strength of the Xiantian Realm and deterring the Yan Army experts.

Unfortunately, with his current cultivation, he could neither refine the True Essence Beads nor cultivate with them. Using one this way meant one less—a monstrous waste of heaven's gifts.

Likewise, that demonic qi could not be refined.

However, after shattering it, the demonic qi could be absorbed into his body to slowly temper his flesh, rapidly raising the power of his vitality and blood. It could also make his physical strength erupt in an instant, though it would cause some damage.

For humans to cultivate demon and devil power was already a crooked path, drinking poison to quench thirst.

Zhang Yuan had not killed Young Master Ouyang.

He had found healing medicine on several Xiantian Realm experts and given it to Duan Hong. Then he handed the meridians-shattered, unconscious Young Master Ouyang to Duan Hong to take away.

This Young Master Ouyang had an extraordinary identity. Capturing him alive might prove useful.

Besides, Zhang Yuan could not kill Young Master Ouyang. Otherwise, if four pillars of Xiantian-level qi rose into the air, everyone would know that Yu Lin had fallen.

Dong—

Dong—

Dong—

Outside the small courtyard, things gradually became chaotic.

The Yan Army had unexpectedly launched a rare night raid.

This disrupted Zhao Changming's plan to withdraw under cover of night.

Within the small courtyard, Zhang Yuan regulated his breathing, carefully sorting through the power of his vitality and blood as he contemplated the insights brought by slaughter on the battlefield.

Boom—

The sound of Xiantian Realm force colliding rang out from the direction of the city wall.

Zhang Yuan reached out, grabbed his long saber, lowered his battle helmet's faceguard, and stepped out of the small courtyard.

"Commander!"

The soldiers waiting outside the courtyard cried out in delighted surprise.

The scattered wounded soldiers nearby also raised their heads to look at Zhang Yuan as he emerged, dragging his saber.

No—it was Yu Lin, Commander Yu Lin.

Zhang Yuan advanced with his saber dragging behind him. Ahead, three streams of Xiantian Realm force collided atop the city wall.

"Zhao Changming, I, the General, am giving you one final chance. Submit to my Great Yan. Otherwise, you will surely die today."

Amid the clash of force, a long shout carried over.

With a muffled groan, the forces became entangled once more.

When Zhang Yuan stepped onto the city wall, he saw two Xiantian Realm experts in black armor, one on each side. Their saber and spear danced as they suppressed Zhao Changming, forcing him back step by step.

Had it not been for two Houtian Late-stage Crimson Scale Army Captains at the side, along with a squad of Crimson Scale Army soldiers fighting in formation, Zhao Changming would already have been unable to hold on.

Dragging his long-handled battle saber in hand, Zhang Yuan moved forward. His feet struck the blue stone slabs, and his speed grew faster and faster.

Behind him, the shadow of a mountain seemed to condense.

One step, one zhang. Within three steps, Zhang Yuan was already at Zhao Changming's side.

"Commander—"

Zhao Changming let out a low cry as he watched the saber in Zhang Yuan's hand slash out in an instant.

A dark glimmer flowed across the azure blade, cold and dazzling in the night.

Saber Qi!

As the long saber fell, the wind seemed to shatter mountains and rivers.

Mountain Yue Saber Technique, Tsunami Mountain Collapse!

Boom—

The black-armored general wielding a long saber in front shuddered violently, his body flying uncontrollably backward off the city wall.

Zhang Yuan Stepped forward. A three-inch gleam of cold light extended from his blade as he pursued the black-armored general flying backward and cleaved down again.

Cape Saber Technique, Wind-Chasing Slash.

Bang—

The long saber struck the black-armored general's left shoulder, breaking through the shoulder armor and biting five inches into the bone, only to be stopped when both his hands braced the saber hilt.

Struck by this blow, the Xiantian Realm Yan Army general crashed heavily down from the city wall, two zhang high, smashing into the ground with a boom.

"Yu Lin!"

On the city wall, the other Xiantian Realm Yan Army general cried out in alarm. He did not dare linger and retreated from the city wall.

Supporting the Xiantian Realm expert whom Zhang Yuan had gravely wounded with a single saber strike, the two retreated dozens of zhang before finally stopping.

"Yu Lin, today you killed Ouyang Ming, the son of Commander Ouyang of my Great Yan Western Suppression Army. Just wait for the Ouyang Family's pursuit!"