Genius Youth

The moment the two armies collided, Li Jinshui knew this battle was unlike any he had fought before.

The Di Army surged forward like a tide, not in a disorganized charge, but in an organized, layered advance. Shield-bearers in the front, spearmen behind them, and axemen in the rear—layer upon layer, airtight and impenetrable.

Yet, he did not retreat.

He unleashed the White Tiger Blade Technique with all his might, his blade flashing like snow, each strike carrying the momentum of a tiger descending from the mountains.

The first Di soldier, at the ninth level of Body Forging, raised his shield to block—

"CRACK!"

Shield and man were cleaved in two!

[Killed Northern Di Decurion (Body Forging Level 9), Points +9]

The second, the third, the fourth...

He was like a tireless killing machine, rampaging through the enemy ranks. The full power of his mastered White Tiger Blade Technique was on display; the blade aura was so dense it felt tangible, slicing through both man and armor in a single stroke.

[+3]

[+4]

[+6]

[+2...]

The points began to climb.

But he had no time to look; he only knew how to kill.

After fighting fifty paces in, he suddenly sensed a sharp killing intent striking from the side.

Without turning his head, he activated Inch Step, instantly shifting three feet to the side.

A spear grazed his ribs, the force at its tip carving a deep gouge into his armor.

He turned to see a Di Decurion, at the early stage of Internal Strengthening, grinning as he retracted his spear.

"Fast reflexes—"

Before the words could finish, Li Jinshui's blade had already arrived.

White Tiger Blade Technique: Tiger Pounce!

The blade light struck like a tiger pouncing on its prey, aiming straight for the man's throat!

The Decurion was shocked, desperately pulling his spear back to parry.

"CLANG!"

The spear shaft snapped in two, the blade swept across his neck, and a head went flying.

[Killed Northern Di Decurion (Internal Strengthening Early Stage), Points +10]

Li Jinshui sheathed his blade and continued his charge.

The battle in the sky was even more intense.

He snatched a moment to look up—

Yun Ruoxi, dressed in purple, stood suspended in mid-air, true energy circulating around her as she battled three Di warriors of the Pulse-Opening Realm.

To call it a fierce battle would be an understatement; it was a suppression.

The three Di Pulse-Opening warriors—two at the middle stage and one at the late stage—were working together, yet they couldn't even get close to her. She held a cyan longsword, its light like a rainbow, each strike forcing the three to dodge in a panic.

"The Azure Underworld Sword Technique of the Yun Family in Yun Province," a cold snort came from afar. "Nothing special!"

The late-stage Di warrior put his all into a single strike, his blade aura transforming into a black dragon that lunged at Yun Ruoxi.

A flicker of disdain crossed Yun Ruoxi's eyes.

She flicked her wrist, and her longsword traced a casual arc—

"SHING!"

The black dragon was split down the middle, dissipating into specks of black light.

The sword momentum did not falter, striking straight for the late-stage Di warrior's heart!

The man was terrified, dodging with his life, but the tip of the sword still grazed his shoulder, sending blood spraying wildly.

The other two middle-stage Di warriors saw the situation turning sour and turned to flee.

Yun Ruoxi snorted coldly, "Trying to run?"

She took a step, her figure moving like a ghost, instantly catching up to one and piercing his heart from behind.

The other fled even faster, already diving into the ranks of his own army.

Yun Ruoxi did not pursue; she simply stood with her sword sheathed, coldly sweeping her gaze over the Pulse-Opening warriors within the Di Army.

For a moment, no one dared to meet her eyes.

On the other side, Zhao Zheng fought two opponents at once, locked in an inseparable struggle.

The two Di People in the Pulse-Opening Realm, one mid-stage and one early-stage, coordinated with seamless synergy. Their blades and swords struck in tandem, forcing Zhao Zheng to retreat step by step. He was still nursing old wounds, and with every strike he parried, his face grew a shade paler.

Yet, he did not retreat a single inch.

Because behind him lay the infantry phalanx of North-Rejecting City.

If he were to fall back, the shockwaves from the Pulse-Opening Realm combatants would slaughter hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers.

"Zhao Zheng!" the mid-stage Di warrior sneered, "You won't last much longer!"

Zhao Zheng did not answer, merely bracing himself to take each blow head-on.

The four guest warriors were also locked in desperate struggles.

The youngest among them was being besieged by two Di Pulse-Opening Realm warriors and was already showing signs of defeat. Another middle-aged guest was barely holding his own against two opponents. The remaining two were working together to fend off three Di warriors, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

On the Pulse-Opening Realm battlefield, our side was outnumbered six to thirteen; the disadvantage was glaring.

But they had to hold on.

They had to hold until Elder Chen could slay the enemy's Origin-Opening Realm expert, or until someone could free themselves to provide support.

Li Jinshui withdrew his gaze and continued to slaughter the enemy.

Over twenty corpses of Di soldiers already lay around him, yet more continued to surge forward.

Suddenly, a sharp, piercing aura locked onto him.

The hair on his arms stood on end, and he jerked his head up—

A young Di warrior was charging out from the crowd, wielding a gleaming scimitar and lunging straight at him!

Late-stage Inner Strength Realm!

And he was the kind of late-stage expert with a thick, solid foundation—not some fraud propped up by medicinal pills.

The man was in his early twenties with a cold, stern face and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. His armor was clearly of much higher quality than that of the common Di soldiers, and a golden wolf head was engraved on his chest—the mark of the Di Kingdom's royal guards.

"Great Zhou has such young talent as well?" he spoke, his Great Zhou dialect stiff and awkward, "Let me test you!"

Before the words had even faded, his blade was already upon him!

Fast!

It was so fast that Li Jinshui barely had time to react!

He pushed his Inch Step to the limit, narrowly dodging the strike. The blade grazed his cheek, shearing off a lock of hair.

So fast!

Li Jinshui's pupils constricted. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward, unleashing the White Tiger Blade Technique with all his might!

"Clang!"

The two blades collided, sending sparks flying in every direction!

A massive force surged through his arms, numbing the webbing between his thumb and forefinger, and Li Jinshui was jolted back three steps.

The young Di warrior also retreated a step, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

"Interesting." He licked his lips, "A mid-stage Inner Strength expert, and you can take a blow from me?"

He lunged again!

This time, his blade work was even more ferocious, even faster!

Li Jinshui gritted his teeth and met the assault, unfolding the White Tiger Blade Technique to trade blow for blow!

"Clang, clang, clang, clang—!"

A rapid-fire series of metallic rings echoed as the two men hacked at each other frantically across the battlefield!

The longer they fought, the more alarmed Li Jinshui became.

This man was not only a late-stage Inner Strength expert, but his blade technique was incredibly refined; every strike had been tempered a thousand times.

What was even more terrifying was that the scimitar in his hand was clearly no ordinary weapon. A faint, glowing light shimmered along its edge, and with every collision, it left a new notch in Li Jinshui's military saber.

Ten moves.

Twenty moves.

Thirty moves.

Li Jinshui was gradually being suppressed.

It wasn't that his technique was inferior; it was that his saber could no longer hold up.

The military saber was already riddled with notches, its edge curled and battered. At this rate, it wouldn't last another ten moves before snapping.

The young Di warrior noticed this as well and sneered, "Great Zhou blades really are nothing but scrap!"

He pressed his attack even harder, strike after strike, aiming specifically for Li Jinshui's blade.

Li Jinshui could only defend passively, and with every block, another notch appeared on his weapon.

The fortieth move.

"Snap!"

The military saber finally snapped.

Half of the blade flew through the air and embedded itself into the ground.

Li Jinshui was left holding only the broken hilt and a jagged fragment.

The young Di warrior let out a boisterous laugh and brought his blade down in a heavy cleave!

A cold glint flashed in Li Jinshui's eyes; instead of retreating, he surged forward!

Inch Step!

In an instant, he closed the distance into the enemy's guard, thrusting the broken blade toward the man's heart!

The Di warrior was startled and dodged desperately, but the broken blade grazed his ribs, leaving a bloody trail.

Yet, his own saber also slammed into Li Jinshui's shoulder!

"Clang!"

The blade struck his shoulder, but the defense of his minor-completion Rock Body prevented it from biting deep. It left only a deep, gaping wound where the flesh curled outward, but the bone remained unscathed.

The Di warrior froze in shock.

His blade—it actually couldn't cut through?

In that split second of hesitation, Li Jinshui's left fist had already smashed into his chest!

Iron Thread Fist!

The strike looked light, but the internal force drilled into the target like iron wires!

"Pfft!"

The Di warrior spat out a mouthful of blood and stumbled back three paces!

He looked down at his chest to see a fist-shaped indentation; the force had sunk deep into his flesh, cracking two of his ribs.

"You...!" Shocked and enraged, he raised his saber, intending to fight on.

But at that moment, a thunderous boom erupted from the sky.

"BOOM—!!!"

Three figures separated, each retreating a hundred feet.

Elder Chen, Huyan Lie, and Huyan Zhuo stood facing one another from a distance.

Elder Chen had gained a few new wounds, yet his breathing remained steady. Huyan Lie's face was deathly pale, his old wounds had reopened, and blood stained half his body. Huyan Zhuo's cloak was shredded, his hair disheveled, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

A draw.

None of them had been able to overcome the others.

"Sound the retreat!" Huyan Zhuo commanded in a deep voice.

A shrill horn blast echoed through the Di Army.

The young Di warrior cast a hateful glare at Li Jinshui, clutching his chest as he retreated.

"What is your name?" he asked.

Li Jinshui gripped his broken blade, watching him coldly.

"Li Jinshui."

"Good, I will remember you." The Di warrior gritted his teeth. "I am Tuoba Feng. Next time, I will use your head to consecrate my blade."

He turned and vanished into the throng of soldiers.

The Di Army began to withdraw.

The troops of North-Rejecting City did not pursue—the casualties were too high, and they were in desperate need of rest.

Li Jinshui stood where he was, watching the Di Army retreat until the very last soldier disappeared from his field of vision.

He looked down at the broken blade in his hand.

The new military saber he had just been issued hadn't even lasted half a day before breaking.

He checked his own wounds—the saber cut on his shoulder was still bleeding, there was a gash along his left ribs, and a slash across his back; he had seven or eight wounds in total.

Yet, he was still standing.

He lifted his head, looking toward the distant figure that had vanished.

Tuoba Feng.

Late-stage Internal Strengthening, royal guard, a fine blade.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to walk back into the city.

Upon returning to the camp, Monkey was the first to rush over. Seeing him covered in blood, his eyes turned red.

"Jinshui! Are you alright?!"

Li Jinshui shook his head and tossed the broken blade onto the ground.

"I'm fine. The blade broke."

Er Gou ran over as well, looking at the broken blade and grimacing in heartache: "This was just replaced... how did it snap?"

Li Jinshui didn't explain, only saying: "I'm going to the armory."

The armory of North-Rejecting City was in the west of the city, a large building made of blue bricks, guarded by two old soldiers at the entrance.

When Li Jinshui entered, there were still a few people inside selecting weapons. He walked straight to the blade rack, his gaze sweeping over the blades.

Standard military sabers, refined iron blades, hundred-refined steel blades...

His gaze landed on a blade that was pitch-black from end to end.

The blade was three inches longer than a standard military saber, the body broad and thick, the edge shimmering with a faint, chilling light. Two small characters were carved into the hilt—"Black Iron."

Black Iron Blade.

Forged primarily from black iron mixed with refined steel, it could slice through iron like mud; ordinary weapons would snap at the slightest contact.

He reached out, picked it up, and weighed it in his hand.

It was twice as heavy as a standard military saber, but with his strength at the mid-stage of Internal Strengthening, it was just right.

"How much military merit for this blade?" he asked.

The old soldier took a look: "This blade is for centurions; it requires three hundred points of military merit."

Li Jinshui was silent for a breath.

Three hundred points.

He had killed so many of the Di Army that his points had long been sufficient.

He fished his military merit token from his bosom and handed it to the old soldier.

The old soldier verified it, nodded, and made a note in the ledger.

"Black Iron Blade, three hundred military merit, it's yours."

Li Jinshui took the blade and walked out of the armory.

The sunlight shone on the blade, reflecting a faint, eerie light.

He gripped the hilt tightly, feeling that heavy, substantial texture.

Next time.

Next time he saw that Tuoba Feng, he would not let his blade break again.

He raised his head and looked toward the north.

The camp of the Di Army was still there, with wisps of cooking smoke rising into the air.

But he knew this was only a temporary peace.

A greater storm was still to come.

But he was not afraid.

Because he had a blade now.

A good blade.