One Man Defends the City (Part 2)

The blade was long and narrow, its edge glinting with a bloody light, and the hilt was shaped like a wolf skull.

Blood Wolf Saber, a Barbarian famed weapon, Yellow tier, low grade.

Although Wanyan Lie was still recovering from serious injuries, his aura was terrifying as he wielded the Blood Wolf Saber.

He walked step by step towards Li Xuan.

The Barbarian soldiers around them automatically parted to make way.

"Li Xuan," Wanyan Lie spoke, his voice hoarse, "it's time we settled this."

Li Xuan gripped the Black Scale Saber tightly. "Exactly what I wanted."

The two stopped, ten paces apart.

Everyone, both on and below the city walls, held their breath.

This battle would determine the fate of Iron Wall City.

"Kill!"

Wanyan Lie struck first.

The Blood Wolf Saber slashed down, its blade light like a blood moon, carrying a mournful wolf's howl!

Li Xuan neither retreated nor yielded, his Black Scale Saber slashing upwards.

CLANG!!!

The two sabers collided, sparks flying!

Both men retreated simultaneously.

Li Xuan staggered back five steps, his tiger's mouth split open.

Wanyan Lie retreated three steps, his chest wound reopening and blood staining his bandages.

But neither stopped.

Second saber, third saber, fourth saber...

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!

Saber light flashed like lightning, the sound of collision like thunder.

In just ten breaths, they had exchanged thirty blows!

Wanyan Lie grew increasingly alarmed as they fought.

He clearly felt Li Xuan's Strength was inferior to his, yet his bones were incredibly hard. Several blows that landed squarely only left shallow marks and made his own arm go numb.

And Li Xuan's saber techniques were even more bizarre.

They appeared simple, but each strike was precise and deadly, wasting not a single ounce of Strength.

This was a killing technique honed through countless battles.

"Who exactly are you?" Wanyan Lie couldn't help but ask.

"The one who will kill you," Li Xuan replied.

He seized an opening from Wanyan Lie, his blade thrusting forward, aiming straight for the heart.

Wanyan Lie retreated rapidly, but he was half a beat too slow.

SQUELCH!

The saber tip pierced his chest half an inch deep!

Blood sprayed out.

"Young Chieftain!" the Barbarian guards exclaimed, attempting to rush forward.

"Everyone stay back!" Wanyan Lie roared. "This is a fight between him and me!"

He looked down at the wound on his chest, a flicker of madness in his eyes.

"Li Xuan, I admit you are strong," he grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth. "But today, you must die."

He pulled a blood-red pill from his embrace and swallowed it.

As the pill entered his stomach, Wanyan Lie's skin instantly turned blood-red, his muscles bulged, and veins popped out.

His aura surged, dropping from the level of Body Tempering eighth layer, soaring past the ninth, and approaching the tenth!

He was burning his vital blood to forcefully enhance his Strength!

This was a desperate move; after the medicine's effect wore off, his cultivation would drop by at least three layers, possibly even rendering him crippled.

But Wanyan Lie didn't care.

He just wanted Li Xuan dead.

"Die--!"

The Blood Wolf Saber slashed down again, this strike ten times faster and ten times heavier than before!

The saber light cascaded down like a bloody waterfall!

Li Xuan's pupils constricted.

He couldn't dodge!

He could only meet it head-on!

He circulated all his vital energy and blood, holding the Black Scale Saber horizontally.

Clang--!!!

The deafening roar of impact.

The Black Scale Saber snapped.

It broke in half.

The tip of the saber flew out, embedding itself in the ground ten paces away.

Li Xuan was sent flying, crashing into the city wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

At least three ribs in his chest were broken.

But he didn't fall.

Leaning on the broken saber hilt, he stood up.

"Your saber is broken," Wanyan Lie sneered, "What else do you have?"

Li Xuan looked at the broken saber in his hand and suddenly laughed.

"My saber is broken, but I still have my fists."

He threw away the broken saber and clenched his fists.

Blood Fiend Bone Forging Technique, full power!

Absorbing the malevolent energy of the battlefield, absorbing the soul power of the Wolf Soul he had just devoured, absorbing the berserk energy Wanyan Lie was emitting by burning his vital blood.

He wanted to... break through the third layer!

Condense blood into malevolence, transform malevolence into gang qi.

Forge Blood Fiend Gang Qi!

"Break for me--!"

Li Xuan roared.

Inside his body, all his energy surged madly, crashing against the bottleneck.

His bones crackled like thunder.

A faint blood-red glow appeared on the surface of his skin.

The glow intensified, eventually solidifying into a thin layer of blood-colored gang qi around his body!

Blood Fiend Gang Qi, achieved!

Although it was newly formed and thin, it was... enough.

Li Xuan looked up at Wanyan Lie.

Blood-red light flickered in his eyes.

"Now," he said, "it's my turn."

He moved.

No saber, only fists.

He threw a punch!

Blood-colored gang qi wrapped around his fist like a furious blood-red dragon, charging straight at Wanyan Lie!

Wanyan Lie's expression changed drastically. He blocked with the Blood Wolf Saber.

Clang!!!

His fist landed on the saber.

The Blood Wolf Saber vibrated violently, and Wanyan Lie, saber and all, was blasted backward, falling ten zhang away and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

A clear fist mark was left on the saber.

"Gang qi..." Wanyan Lie's eyes were filled with horror. "You've forged gang qi?!"

Forging gang qi in the Body Tempering Realm, this was something only legendary peerless geniuses could achieve!

"Again."

Li Xuan's second punch arrived.

Wanyan Lie gritted his teeth, burning more vital blood, and slashed with the Blood Wolf Saber again.

Fist against saber.

Head-on collision.

Boom!!!

The Blood Wolf Saber flew from his hand.

Wanyan Lie's arms snapped, and he fell to the ground with a scream.

Li Xuan walked up to him and looked down.

"Wanyan Lie, you lost."

Wanyan Lie lay on the ground, looking at the sky, and suddenly laughed.

"Li Xuan... I admit, you won." He coughed up a mouthful of blood. "But you won't survive either."

He struggled to raise his hand and pointed behind the Barbarian army.

"See? The main force of the Blood Eagle Tribe has already crossed the river. Forty thousand troops will be here soon. Iron Wall City... it can't be held."

Li Xuan followed his gaze.

In the distance, smoke and dust billowed on the horizon.

More Barbarian troops were on their way.

"So what?" Li Xuan asked.

"So..." Wanyan Lie grinned. "Killing me won't change anything. This city is destined to fall. Everyone in the city... will die."

"Then you go first."

Li Xuan raised his foot and stomped on Wanyan Lie's chest.

With force.

Crack.

His chest caved in.

Wanyan Lie's eyes widened, and he took one last look at the sky before his breath gave out.

The young chieftain of the Blood Wolf Tribe, Wanyan Lie, was dead.

Li Xuan picked up the Blood Wolf Saber and looked at the approaching dust clouds in the distance.

Forty thousand Barbarian main forces.

Iron Wall City indeed couldn't be held.

But...

He turned and looked toward the city wall.

Wang Meng was still standing there, swaying precariously, but his back was straight.

The defenders were still fighting, though casualties were heavy, no one retreated.

The civilians were still moving arrows and stones, their faces full of fear, but no one fled.

"General!" Li Xuan leaped onto the city wall. "The Barbarian main force is coming, the city can't be held."

Wang Meng nodded. "I know."

"Then..."

"We still defend," Wang Meng said. "We defend to the last soldier, to the last man, until the city falls and we die with it."

He looked at Li Xuan. "Li Xuan, you've done your best. Now... you should leave. With your strength, no one can stop you if you want to escape."

"I'm not leaving," Li Xuan said.

"Why?"

Li Xuan clenched the Blood Wolf Saber. "Because... I haven't killed enough yet."

Wang Meng looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Good. Then... we fight to the end."

He turned and roared, "All soldiers, listen to my command! Defend the city walls to the death! We live and die with the city!"

"Defend to the death! Defend to the death! Defend to the death!"

The defenders roared in unison.

Their voices were hoarse, but they shook the heavens.

Li Xuan stood on the city wall, watching the approaching Barbarian main force.

He gripped the hilt of his saber.

The Blood Fiend Gang Qi flowed around his body.