Blade Against the True Martial Realm!

Good-for-nothing!

Counterkill!

What can you do to me?!

Hearing those words, everyone present felt their hearts jolt in alarm!

No one had expected Ding Hao to be so unyielding, daring to confront Zhang Dalong head-on. But then they remembered that Ding Hao had received personal praise and rewards from Commander Luo Shenhuang today, and they found it somewhat understandable.

It was plainly a clash between an arrogant army and a fierce general, their blades pointed straight at each other!

"You bastard!" Zhang Dalong bellowed. "Don't use Ding Yishan to shield yourself. He isn't qualified to stand before me!"

"My younger brother was the commander of the Death Row Camp, while you are merely a first-rank death row prisoner. He had official grounds to kill you, but when you killed him, you committed insubordination. You must—be executed!"

The moment the word "executed" left his mouth, Zhang Dalong could no longer suppress the killing intent radiating from him.

True Qi surged forth, threatening to tear Ding Hao to pieces!

"Damn it!"

Seeing Zhang Dalong act so tyrannically, utterly refusing to reason with facts, Ding Hao's expression turned completely icy. Just as he was preparing to risk his life in one desperate fight—

A thunderous shout rang out. "Stop! Zhang Dalong, what do you think you're doing?!"

A figure flashed forward, and Ding Yishan's body stood in front of Ding Hao!

His True Martial Realm cultivation blocked Zhang Dalong's True Qi, yet even so, Ding Yishan's footsteps staggered back again and again!

It was obvious.

Though both were generals, Zhang Dalong was far stronger than Ding Yishan.

Still, Ding Yishan's arrival made Zhang Dalong wary by several degrees. With a sweep of his hand, he coldly rebuked, "Ding Yishan, get out of my way. I'm avenging my brother Dahu. Stop meddling in my business!"

Ding Yishan did not move aside. His eyes blazed as he glared back. "Zhang Dalong, you've gone too far!"

"I saw your brother Zhang Dahu's death with my own eyes. He bribed two Thousand Commanders to kill Ding Hao, only to be counterkilled because he lacked the strength. He has no one to blame but himself. Yet today, you, Zhang Dalong, intend to forcibly murder someone. You clearly hold military law in contempt—what crime should that be?!"

Zhang Dahu's expression darkened. Clearly, what he feared most was Ding Yishan pinning such a massive charge on him!

Especially when Ding Yishan continued, "Moreover, Ding Hao bears the two military merits of being first to scale the walls and breaking the enemy ranks. He even saved Commander Luo's life. Commander Luo rewarded him before the entire army today!"

"And now, the moment she turns around, you, Zhang Dalong, want to kill him. You are plainly disrespecting Commander Luo and standing against her! Are you trying to usurp authority and seize her position?!"

Disrespecting the commander!

Usurping authority and seizing her position!

With those two enormous hats slapped onto him, even Zhang Dalong could not bear them!

After all, within the Divine Phoenix Army—

You could disrespect the current Empress, but you could not disrespect Luo Shenhuang.

"Nonsense! I am utterly loyal to Commander Luo. When have I ever disrespected her? And this nonsense about usurping authority is nothing but a malicious slander!"

At that, Ding Yishan's voice softened considerably. "Is that so? Killing Ding Hao, a meritorious official, is disrespecting Commander Luo. Of course, as long as you do not kill Ding Hao, then there is no such issue!"

"You!"

Zhang Dalong froze. It was obvious that he had fallen into Ding Yishan's pit!

With so many soldiers watching now, if he forcibly killed Ding Hao, it would be ironclad proof of disrespecting Luo Shenhuang and attempting to usurp authority!

"Ding Yishan, you truly deserve to be called the Divine Phoenix Army's foremost strategist-general. Since your strength is beneath mine, all you know is how to wag that tongue at me, huh?!"

But a moment later, Zhang Dalong gave a cold smile. "Fine, fine, fine. Since you want to play by the rules, then we'll play by the rules!"

"This general will no longer seek private trouble with Ding Hao. However, I have recently cultivated a new blade technique and came specifically to the Death Row Camp to find someone to spar with!"

"Given this general's formidable strength, my sparring partner must naturally be a sturdy death row prisoner from this camp. I hereby select Ding Hao to accompany this general in practicing my blade technique!"

"Heh heh ha!"

As he spoke the final words, a vicious grin spread across Zhang Dalong's face!

This time, Ding Yishan's face darkened. He truly had not expected the burly Zhang Dalong to think of such a move!

Coming to the Death Row Camp to find death row prisoners as sparring partners was one of the Divine Phoenix Army's established rules!

Though it was forbidden on the surface to casually kill death row prisoners, blades and swords had no eyes. Accidentally grievously injuring or even killing one was perfectly normal!

"You..."

Ding Yishan shook his head and was just about to say something when Zhang Dalong cut him off. "What 'you'? This general is handling official business, here to find a sparring partner for my blade technique. What reason do you still have to stop me?!"

At this moment.

Ding Hao stopped Ding Yishan, who had been about to speak again, because he knew Ding Yishan no longer had any reason to block the other man!

If he continued to force the issue, even Ding Yishan himself would gain nothing from it! "General Ding, no need. You've already done more than enough for me. Let me face the rest myself!"

Having said that.

Ding Hao stepped around Ding Yishan and walked up before Zhang Dalong! "Zhang Dalong, how do you want me to accompany you in practicing your blade technique?"

"Heh!"

Zhang Dalong waved a hand and took a broadsword straight from the weapon rack!

A savage grin spread across his face. "This general has recently created three new saber techniques. As long as you can take three of my blows, this sparring session will be called off!"

"Of course, you'd better be able to take all three. If you can't even withstand one strike, then that would be—far too boring!"

The moment those words were spoken, the soldiers around them all fell silent!

Who was Zhang Dalong? He was the Divine Phoenix Army's foremost fierce general. Other than commanders of Ding Yishan's rank, who could take three of his blows?!

They called it saber technique sparring, but in truth, it was merely a roundabout way of demanding Ding Hao's life!

Ding Yishan naturally understood Zhang Dalong's intentions. He had already sent someone to summon Luo Shenhuang, but with matters so urgent, he could only hope she arrived in time!

"First strike!"

Zhang Dalong seemed to have noticed Ding Yishan's actions long ago, yet he did not delay in the slightest. In a flash, he cleaved his saber at Ding Hao!

As the saber fell, True Qi ran rampant, surging like raging waves. The blade light extending from the broadsword nearly reached a zhang in length, and at the instant it came slashing down—

Even the surrounding air twisted. Its might was so fierce that no martial artist below the True Martial realm could possibly meet its edge!

"Ding Hao!!"

Ding Yishan cried out in alarm, while everyone else watched without blinking!

In the arena, Ding Hao was naturally startled by the power of Zhang Dalong's blade!

But with the talent Unyielding Resilience, he remained exceptionally calm!

Rather than foolishly taking it head-on, he used Light as a Swallow together with Wind Treading Steps at the perfected realm to dodge in time!

The blade light almost sliced down right past Ding Hao's hair and cheek!

The ground erupted with a thunderous boom, splitting open into a deep ravine. Amid the billowing dust, Ding Hao had already flashed more than a zhang away!

"What?!"

"He dodged it?"

"My heavens, what incredible speed! What exquisite footwork!"

At that moment, the surrounding soldiers were all stunned by Ding Hao's speed!

No one had expected it.

Ding Hao had actually relied on his own speed to evade Zhang Dalong's strike.

"Damn it!"

Zhang Dalong clearly had not expected his first strike to miss.

This only made his fury surge higher. In the next instant, he slashed out with a second blow!

Along with this slash came the aura and pressure of Zhang Dalong's True Martial realm, locking firmly onto Ding Hao's body.

As a result, Ding Hao had nowhere to dodge and nowhere to evade this second strike!

Ding Yishan, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, immediately had his heart leap back into his throat!

"Guard!" Ding Hao's pupils contracted sharply. He did not dare show the slightest carelessness!

At once, he grabbed a Fine Iron Shield from the weapon rack beside him, while fully unleashing his perfected Golden Bell Shield!

Beyond that, his Heavenly Tyrant Body surged with roaring blood and vitality!

Fine Iron Shield!

Golden Bell Shield!

Heavenly Tyrant Body!

The three layers of defense had pushed Ding Hao's defensive power to its utmost limit!

BOOM—CRACK!

In the end, Zhang Dalong's second strike landed squarely on Ding Hao!!