Vanguard

The Scripture Pavilion was located deep within the General's Mansion, a three-story building made of green bricks, guarded at the entrance by two old soldiers with gray hair and beards.

Li Jinshui handed over his token, and after the old soldiers verified it, they nodded. "One hour. You are only permitted on the first floor; the second and third floors are protected by restrictions. Trespassers will be killed."

Li Jinshui pushed the door open and stepped inside.

A scent of aged paper and ink rushed to meet him, mingled with a faint trace of sandalwood. The first-floor hall was filled with bookshelves, densely packed with various scrolls, booklets, and animal skins, all categorized and labeled—Blade Arts, Spear Arts, Footwork, Internal Arts...

He walked straight toward the section for Internal Arts.

Scanning row after row of bookshelves, he saw the Blazing Sun Art, the Cold Ice Formula, the Vajra Force... each name more resounding than the last, each annotation more tempting than the next.

Li Jinshui flipped through them one by one, yet he always felt something was missing.

It wasn't until he reached the very corner.

There sat a dust-covered wooden shelf holding only a single thin booklet. Its cover had yellowed and the edges were curled, as if it hadn't been touched in many years.

Li Jinshui reached out, picked it up, and blew off the dust.

Evergreen Art.

He opened the first page, and a line of text caught his eye:

"This technique is passed down by the Heavenly Cloud Sect. It is extremely difficult to cultivate and progresses slowly, yet once mastered, one's internal energy will be several times more profound than that of an ordinary person, endless and inexhaustible, with the added benefit of nourishing the meridians and internal organs. It should not be practiced by those lacking great perseverance."

Heavenly Cloud Sect.

Li Jinshui's heart stirred.

The sect the Governor mentioned earlier was called the Heavenly Cloud Sect.

He continued to flip through the pages, his eyes growing brighter with every turn.

This technique had three distinct characteristics:

First, profound internal energy. At the same cultivation level, those who practiced the Evergreen Art possessed three to five times the internal energy of an ordinary person. While others would be exhausted after one strike, he could throw ten in a row.

Second, endless and inexhaustible. The most heaven-defying aspect of this technique was the rapid recovery of internal energy. In battle, while others grew weaker the longer they fought, he would only become more spirited.

Third, nourishing the body. The internal energy of the Evergreen Art carried a natural restorative effect, capable of slowly healing hidden injuries and nourishing the meridians. The longer one practiced, the better their physical condition became.

There was only one drawback—it was difficult.

Extremely difficult.

So difficult that it had sat in the Scripture Pavilion for decades without anyone ever mastering it.

The annotation stated clearly: The Heavenly Cloud Sect placed this technique in various locations specifically to screen disciples. Those who could master the entry level within three years would be granted direct entry into the sect.

Three years.

Li Jinshui looked at those two words, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.

Others needed three years; he only needed points.

He closed the booklet, turned, and walked toward the exit.

As he reached the door, the old soldier looked up at him. "Have you chosen?"

"I have."

"Which technique?"

"The Evergreen Art."

The old soldier froze for a moment, then laughed.

It wasn't a mocking laugh, but one filled with a complex emotion.

"Young man, you have guts," he said. "This technique has been sitting here for thirty-seven years. You are the first one to choose it."

Li Jinshui nodded and strode away.

Returning to his barracks, he sat cross-legged and opened the Evergreen Art.

Just as he finished reading the first page of the incantation, that cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind—

[Internal cultivation technique detected... Recording...]
[Recording successful: Evergreen Art]
[Cultivation requirement: Body Forging Level 9]
[Currently unable to cultivate]

Li Jinshui stared at the text, silent for a moment.

Body Forging Level 9.

He was currently at Body Forging Level 8; he was still one level short.

Soon.

He tucked the booklet close to his body, placing it alongside the Rock Body and the bag of silver.

Then, he began to practice.

Iron Shirt, eighth level.

He was just a hair's breadth away from a breakthrough.

He kept his eyes closed, circulating his cultivation technique over and over, feeling the surge of internal energy rushing through his meridians.

Outside the window, the night wind grew biting.

Three days later, at the hour of the rabbit.

The war drums began to thunder before the sky had even fully brightened.

It was not the usual alarm, but a dull, urgent rhythm that struck directly at the heart.

All personnel to the walls.

When Li Jinshui rushed out of the barracks, he saw the northern sky illuminated a deep, burning red.

It was not one fire, but countless.

The Di People had come.

When he led Squad Jia onto the city wall, he froze in his tracks.

Outside the walls, the black mass of the Di Army stretched to the horizon like a tide. Not three hundred, not one thousand, but at least five thousand.

Five thousand Di soldiers.

War banners snapped in the morning breeze, while siege towers, scaling ladders, and battering rams were packed densely before the front lines.

The vanguard.

This was only the vanguard.

"Form ranks!!!"

A hoarse roar echoed across the ramparts.

Li Jinshui took a deep breath, tightened his grip on his blade hilt, and looked back at Squad Jia—Er Gou, Monkey, and seven newly assigned soldiers. Monkey's face was as pale as paper, yet his hands were steady, gripping his blade tight.

"Stay close to me," Li Jinshui said.

Before the words had even faded, a rain of arrows blotted out the sky.

When the first volley fell, Li Jinshui shielded Monkey with his shield, taking an arrow to his own left shoulder.

With Iron Shirt at the eighth level, the arrowhead pierced only two-tenths of an inch before it was lodged fast. He reached back, pulled it out, and tossed it to the ground; the blood clotted almost instantly.

By the time the second volley fell, the scaling ladders had already hooked onto the parapet.

"Kill!!!"

The first Di soldier poked his head up; Li Jinshui slashed upward, his blade entering through the jaw and exiting through the crown of the skull. Warm blood sprayed across half his face, but he didn't bother to wipe it away, his second strike already cleaving toward the next barbarian climbing up.

[Killed Di soldier, points +1]

[+1]

[+1...]

The city wall had turned into a meat grinder.

Li Jinshui did not know how long he had been killing; he only knew to swing his blade out, pull it back, and swing it again.

The perfected blade techniques of the Wolf Killing Seven Forms had become instinct in his hands, every strike following the most efficient path, splitting leather armor, slicing through flesh, and severing bone.

He continuously added points in his mind: "Add to Iron Shirt! Add everything to Iron Shirt!"

[Consumed 3 points, Iron Shirt proficiency +3]

[+2]

[+5...]

The proficiency of Iron Shirt jumped frantically.

[Iron Shirt: Eighth Level (42/45)]

[Eighth Level (44/45)]

[Eighth Level (45/45)]

[Proficiency maxed]

[Breakthrough: Eighth Level → Ninth Level]

Boom—

The internal energy that had been pent up within him finally shattered the final barrier!

A surge of heat flooded his limbs and bones, and a dark golden light flared brilliantly across his skin, lingering for a full eight breaths before slowly receding inward.

[Current Realm: Body Forging Ninth Level]

Power.

A more violent, surging power rushed through his body.

Li Jinshui cleaved the Di soldier before him, the blade's edge slicing through the air with a sharp, piercing whistle.

"Decurion! To your right!" Monkey's voice came from the side.

Li Jinshui turned, only to see a Di Decurion lunging toward Monkey, his Body Forging at the eighth layer and his blade momentum fierce.

Monkey blocked for his life, already backed against the city wall.

Li Jinshui stomped hard, unleashing his Tiger Walk at its peak, his entire body rushing forward like a blurred afterimage.

Wolf Killing Seven Forms: Wolf Charge!

The blade tip pierced through the Di's back and burst out from his chest!

[Killed Northern Di Decurion (Body Forging 8th Layer), Points +3]

Li Jinshui pulled his blade free, spraying blood all over Monkey's face.

Monkey stared at him blankly, his mouth opening as if he wanted to say something.

"Don't talk nonsense! Kill!" Li Jinshui turned and lunged at another Di soldier.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill.

From dawn to noon, from noon to dusk.

The sun rose in the east, swept across the zenith, and sank into the west.

Corpses piled layer upon layer on the city wall; those of the Zhou Army and the Di Army were long indistinguishable. Blood soaked the bricks until they were slick and greasy, making every step a gamble against slipping.

Li Jinshui did not know how many he had killed.

He only knew the point notifications kept popping up, over and over, until he was too weary to even look at them.

But he did not stop.

With every kill, he added points.

Added to Iron Shirt.

[Iron Shirt (9th Layer 3/50)]

[+2, 5/50]

[+3, 8/50]

[+1, 9/50...]

Added to Wolf Killing Seven Forms.

[Wolf Killing Seven Forms: Great Success (45/50)]

[+1, 46/50]

[+2, 48/50]

[+1, 49/50]

[+1, 50/50]

[Proficiency Maxed]

[Breakthrough: Great Success → Perfection]

Something seemed to explode within his mind! Countless images of slaughter flooded in like a torrent—wolf packs hunting, the wolf king battling, a lone wolf fighting for its life—every scene fused perfectly with his blade technique!

Wolf Killing Seven Forms, Perfection!

He closed his eyes, his right hand swinging out a blade of its own accord—

A simple, straightforward strike, devoid of any flashiness.

Yet, as the blade edge sliced through the air, it did not emit the sound of wind breaking, but a low, guttural wolf howl!

Awoo—

On the blade's edge, that faint, shimmering light had condensed into substance, a thin layer that radiated a bone-chilling cold.

Blade Qi.

At the realm of Perfection, Blade Qi forms of its own accord.

Added to Tiger Walk.

[Tiger Walk: Great Success (28/30)]

[+1, 29/30]

[+1, 30/30]

[Proficiency Maxed]

[Breakthrough: Great Success → Perfection]

A surge of heat flooded his legs, and his entire body felt as light as a feather.

He leaped gently, soaring over two zhang high, landing without a sound, like a true, predatory tiger.

Perfected Saber Technique, Perfected Footwork, Body Forging Level Nine.

He raised his head, watching the Di soldiers still surging forward, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled upward.

The setting sun dyed the world a blood-red hue.

On the city walls, the number of survivors grew fewer and fewer.

Of Li Jinshui's Squad Jia, only six of the ten remained.

Er Gou had an injured arm, yet he was still gritting his teeth to hold on. Monkey was covered in blood—a mixture of his own and the enemy's, impossible to distinguish—but he was still killing. His saber technique was actually significantly sharper than it had been that morning; between life and death, he too had broken through to Body Forging Level Five.

"Squad Leader!" Er Gou suddenly shouted, "Over there! That side is about to collapse!"

Li Jinshui turned his head to look—at the middle section of the city wall, a gap had been torn open by the Di soldiers, and a dozen Zhou Army soldiers were struggling desperately, on the verge of breaking.

"Follow me!"

He led Squad Jia charging over.

Perfected Tiger Walk, fast as a gust of wind.

Perfected Wolf Killing Seven Forms, the saber light like a streak of silk.

Wherever he passed, the Di soldiers fell one after another.

[+1]

[+2]

[+1...]

He fought his way to the gap and saw a Di centurion standing there, at the early stage of the Inner Strength Realm, his giant axe having already cut down seven or eight Zhou soldiers.

The centurion saw him and grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Zhou dog, here to die?"

Li Jinshui did not waste words; he lunged straight at him.

Inner Strength Realm versus Body Forging Level Nine—a full major realm of difference.

But he did not care.

He had a saber in his hand.

A perfected saber.

The giant axe cleaved down; he dodged to the side, used Tiger Walk to circle to the flank, and slashed at the opponent's ribs.

The centurion reacted with lightning speed, horizontalizing the axe handle to parry the strike, then kicked out.

Li Jinshui did not dodge or evade, taking the kick head-on—with the Iron Shirt of Body Forging Level Nine combined with the force-deflecting nature of his perfected footwork, the kick only forced him back half a step.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, the saber light rising once more!

Wolf Killing Seven Forms: Wolf Fang Bite!

Three consecutive strikes, each faster than the last, each more vicious than the last!

The first strike was parried by the axe handle.

The second strike grazed past the handle, leaving a bloody gash on the centurion's arm.

The third strike went straight for the throat!

The centurion finally panicked, retreating with all his might to dodge the blow.

But Li Jinshui's saber was already latched onto him.

With his perfected saber technique unleashed, every strike was a killing blow, every strike aimed at a vital point. The centurion, despite his Inner Strength Realm cultivation, was forced back step by step, unable to unleash his own strength.

"Damn it!" the centurion roared, risking a slash to his own body to swing the giant axe down with all his might!

This was exactly what Li Jinshui had been waiting for.

As the giant axe descended, the center was left wide open.

Tiger Walk: Tiger Pounce!

He slammed his body into the opponent's chest, a flash of saber light—

Wolf Killing Seven Forms: Wolf Charge!

The blade pierced through the centurion's heart and out his back.

The centurion's eyes widened, blood gushing from his mouth as he looked down at the blade in his chest, unable to believe it even in death.

[Killed Northern Di Centurion (Inner Strength Realm, Early Stage), Points +15]

[Current Points: 23]

Li Jinshui pulled his saber free, and the corpse collapsed with a heavy thud.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent.

The remaining Di soldiers looked at their fallen centurion, then at the blood-drenched Zhou soldier who stood like a demon god, the ferocity on their faces replaced by terror.

"KILL!!!"

The Zhou Army soldiers let out a heaven-shaking roar and counterattacked.

The Di People finally collapsed.

They began to retreat, began to flee, pouring off the city walls like a receding tide.

The setting sun finally sank below the horizon.

The Di People had retreated.

On the city walls, the survivors knelt on the ground, gasping for air. Some began to cry, some began to laugh, and some embraced those beside them, regardless of whether they knew them or not.

Li Jinshui stood by the edge of the wall, leaning on his blade, watching the retreating Di People.

There were seven or eight wounds on his body; the deepest one ran from his left shoulder to his right waist, the flesh curled back, revealing the bone beneath. Yet he stood there, standing straight as an arrow.

Monkey stumbled over and plopped down beside him.

"You... are you even human..." Monkey gasped, his voice sounding unnervingly hoarse, "A centurion of the Inner Strength Realm... you actually killed him..."

Li Jinshui did not speak.

He pulled up his panel:

[Techniques: Iron Shirt (9th Layer 11/50), Rock Body (Not Started), Evergreen Art (Not Started), Wolf Killing Seven Forms (Mastered), Tiger Walk (Mastered)]

[Realm: Body Forging 9th Layer]

[Points: 23]

He was still one point away from advancing the Iron Shirt another layer.

He was still a long way from breaking through to the Inner Strength Realm.

He raised his head and looked at the night sky.

There was no moon tonight, only a sky full of stars.

In the distance, firelight still flickered within the camp of the Di People.

They would come again.

Next time, it would not be just five thousand men.

Li Jinshui withdrew his gaze and looked down at the blade in his hand.

The edge was covered in notches; it was nearly ruined.

He stood up, turned around, and walked toward the base of the wall.

"Where are you going?" Monkey shouted.

"Change blades. Eat. Sleep."

He paused, then looked back at Monkey:

"Tomorrow, we continue training."

Monkey froze for a moment, then grinned.

He climbed to his feet and stumbled after him.

Behind them lay the corpses, the pervasive stench of blood, and the low sounds of moaning and weeping.

Before them lay the pitch-black night, the path they had come from, and—

A more brutal tomorrow.

But Li Jinshui walked with a steady gait.

Because he knew that with every person he killed, he grew a little stronger.

The day he became strong enough—

No one would be able to stop him.