Incense and spirit tablets belong to our ancestors

Four or five soldiers who had been pinned down at the bridgehead rushed out, close behind Zhang Yuan.

Shields, spears, sabers, crossbows.

Shields protected their fronts, spears were raised overhead, long sabers stretched across both flanks, while bows and crossbows held the rear.

Azure Wolf Battle Formation.

Zhang Yuan strode forward, and the incoming crossbow bolts were blocked by the soldiers beside him swinging their round shields.

The power of his vitality and blood surged through his body, his steps in sync with the soldiers behind him.

In an instant, force seemed to circulate around them, and a thread of dense power surged forth, strengthening their bodies.

Battle Formation Power.

It was said that military battle formations were created by harmonizing Sha Qi with the power of vitality and blood, gathering them into fighting intent.

The strongest battle formations could unite the strength of every soldier in the formation, multiplying the combat power and defense of all soldiers within it severalfold.

Great Qin had risen through military formations in those days. The powerful led the troops, the soldiers followed, and when battle formations were activated, Sha Qi condensed into martial souls that slaughtered immortals and destroyed devils, sweeping across all beneath heaven without equal.

No one knew whether such magnificent battle formations had been passed down.

The only one Zhang Yuan knew now was the Azure Wolf Battle Formation.

As the formation took shape, he felt his strength abruptly rise by ten percent.

Do not underestimate that ten percent. At the Houtian Realm, it was already an unimaginable boost.

"Kill."

Zhang Yuan murmured as he swung his long saber.

The long saber left his hand and shot straight out of the formation, its blade carrying a shrill howl as it struck the heavy great shield ahead.

"Bang—"

The five-inch-thick great shield was pierced through in a single blow. The saber plunged into the shield and stabbed into the chest of the Yan Army soldier holding it, piercing straight through his body.

The shield-bearing soldier and the two soldiers beside him who had been bracing the great shield with their shoulders all spat blood and collapsed onto the bluestone bridge.

That blow blasted a hole straight through the shield wall on the bridge.

Simple. Brutal.

With overwhelming strength, Zhang Yuan shattered the enemy's defenses in a single strike.

"Retreat—"

The Yan Army soldier leading them, clad in a captain's uniform and armor, Growled as he thrust his spear at Zhang Yuan's head.

Behind him, the crossbow bolts in the hands of two soldiers also flew toward Zhang Yuan.

The other shield-bearing soldiers dragged their shields as they Retreated.

Their advance and retreat were orderly—military elite.

Had they not encountered Zhang Yuan, this place would certainly have fallen already.

"Clang—"

"Clang—"

Zhang Yuan knocked aside the two crossbow bolts with a punch from his left fist.

Without slowing, Zhang Yuan raised his right hand before his chest and punched sideways into the tip of the incoming spear.

Mountain Yue Fist Technique, Mountain-Breaking, Peak-Sealing.

"Crack—"

The spearhead snapped at the sound. The captain holding the spear trembled, and the web between his thumb and forefinger split open.

Both were at the Late Houtian Realm, but Zhang Yuan had the reinforcement of the military formation and the power of the Mountain Yue Fist Technique. The force contained in this punch had already exceeded Two thousand jin.

The same realm did not mean the same combat power. Even without circulating Xiantian True Essence, Zhang Yuan could suppress a Late Houtian Realm opponent.

Zhang Yuan stepped forward again, taking two strides onto the stone bridge. He reached out and seized the hilt of the long saber he had thrown.

The blade had pierced through the wooden shield and a soldier's body. As he pulled it free, blade scraped against bone and wood, producing a piercing screech.

Zhang Yuan continued forward, slowly drawing out the long saber. The blood on its blade was wiped clean by the wooden shield, leaving it bright and cold.

"Retreat, retreat—"

The Yan Army captain cried out in panic, dragging the Yan Army soldiers beside him as they fled frantically.

He had already recognized who the enemy before him was. If he did not leave now, was he courting death?

"Wooo—"

A war horn sounded from nearby. A unit of Yan Army soldiers charged over, only to be blocked by the routed soldiers.

A short while later, the Yan Army before Flatstone Bridge fled in defeat.

The soldiers who had charged into the formation with Zhang Yuan gathered up the scattered crossbow bolts, great shields, and several weapons.

Several badly wounded soldiers were also helped as they Retreated.

Zhang Yuan stood on the stone bridge, waiting until Vitality Beads condensed in his mind and the cultivation scenes Turned into the image of a long river, forming Insight Beads. Only then did he grip his saber, turn around, and Looked towards the two soldiers lying on the ground.

They had been shot in vital spots by crossbow bolts and had already breathed their last.

Before battle, they had not feared death.

It was precisely because Great Qin had countless warriors like these that it could guard humanity's final hope.

Live standing.

Zhang Yuan reached out and patted several soldiers on the shoulders before striding away.

"We bid farewell to the Commander."

Excitement showed on the soldiers' faces as they cupped their fists and bowed.

Three days passed in a row.

At the most perilous moment, Zhang Yuan activated his Xiantian True Essence and fought shoulder to shoulder with Zhao Changming on the city wall against five Xiantian Realm warriors of the Yan Army.

In that battle, Zhang Yuan expended five Xiantian True Essence Beads, killed two Late Houtian Realm captains of the Yan Army, and wounded one Xiantian Realm warrior before finally driving back the Yan Army soldiers who had climbed onto the city wall.

Zhao Changming was also struck in the waist and abdomen by a spear in that battle, greatly reducing his combat power.

The planned breakout had to be delayed because of the Yan Army's frenzied assault.

Over those three days, Zhang Yuan followed Zhao Changming and learned many techniques for Before battle.

How to deal with group battles, how to judge the enemy's tactics, how to spot the enemy's traps, how to borrow the power of one's own battle formation...

After Zhao Changming was wounded, Zhang Yuan alone on the city wall held off two joint assaults by two Xiantian Realm warriors.

He had now truly mastered his own cultivation and combat power.

His saber technique grew increasingly refined.

It was not through using Insight Beads to improve himself, but through Tempering himself in battle.

Such Tempering carved itself deeper into one's bones.

Even Zhao Changming remarked that Yu Lin's Mountain Yue Saber Technique seemed born to fit Zhang Yuan.

"Whether in the martial world, the imperial court, or the lands of the Five Nations and Three Domains, with your talent, you will surely claim a place for yourself someday."

"Zhang Yuan, Great Qin is humanity's final sanctuary. We cultivate so that we may protect Great Qin."

Sitting atop the city wall, Zhao Changming spoke softly.

Fewer than two hundred soldiers in the city were still able to fight, while there were two hundred wounded.

Outside the city stood nearly ten thousand Yan Army soldiers.

They could not hold it.

The Yan Army outside the city had unusually not attacked to besiege them. Zhang Yuan and Zhao Changming sat at the highest point of the city wall, their sabers and spears lying across their knees.

"Yan, Zhao, Wei, Qi, Qingtian Region, Liangyuan Region, Pingsong Region, together with Great Qin—these make up the lands of ancient Yongtian Continent."

"Great Qin once ruled the Nine Provinces. How glorious it was, if not for the invasion of immortals and devils..."

"If a Great Qin Warrior could see the Northern Border Great Wall just once in this life, he could die without regrets."

"In truth, whether the immortal clans or the Devil Race, including those demons and evil creatures, so long as we Qin people agree to offer incense and worship their spirit tablets, they will lend Great Qin their strength."

"But can Great Qin do that?"

Zhao Changming Looked towards the distance, determination shining in his eyes.

"Incense and spirit tablets belong to our ancestors."

"Even if us descendants all die out, we cannot acknowledge others as our ancestors, can we?"

"So long as we Qin people still hold sabers in our hands and draw breath from our mouths, we will not fall."

Zhang Yuan nodded and slowly raised his head, Looking towards the Yan Army camp ahead.

Howling war cavalry galloped out from the camp.

Streams of Xiantian Realm force rose into the air.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

"Heh, they truly think highly of us. For a mere Fengtian County City, nine Xiantian Realm warriors have come together."

Zhao Changming Stood up, gripped his spear, Looked towards Zhang Yuan, and lowered his voice. "Zhang Yuan, if you get the chance, leave on your own."

Zhang Yuan's combat power was Enough for this. As long as Zhao Changming and the others held back the Yan Army, he truly could escape.

"The brothers have all earned their due," Zhao Changming said, drawing a deep breath and tightening his grip on the spear In hand. "You do not need to die here with us."

Zhang Yuan should have a brilliant future.

"Wooo—"

Ahead, the war horn Sounded.

A great banner was Wielding.

Azure Eagle Black Banner, the Western Suppression Army of Yan State.