Over the next few days, the atmosphere on the battlefield grew even stranger.
Huyan Zhuo seemed determined to drag things out. Every day, he sent several thousand men to attack for a while, then withdrew when they couldn't win, only to return the next day.
The defenders of North-Rejecting City were worn down by this rhythm, yet they had no choice but to climb the walls every day.
But over those few days, Li Jinshui had been killing to his heart's content.
He'd found a new thrill on the battlefield: specifically seeking out Di soldiers in the Inner Strength Realm.
That kid Tuoba Feng looked for him every day, but Li Jinshui refused to take him on.
Relying on his mastery of Inch Step and perfected Tiger Walk, he darted nimbly across the battlefield. Wherever there were Di soldiers in the Inner Strength Realm, that was where he went.
When Tuoba Feng chased after him, he hid in the crowd, twisting and turning until Tuoba Feng came up empty every time.
"Li Jinshui! Stop right there!" Tuoba Feng roared behind him.
Li Jinshui didn't even look back. He cleaved down a Di soldier in the early Inner Strength Realm and kept charging forward.
[You killed a Northern Di squad leader, early Inner Strength Realm, points +10]
"Stop? You think I'll stop just because you tell me to?" he muttered as he ran. "I'm not an idiot."
Another Di soldier in the middle Inner Strength Realm appeared. Li Jinshui charged him and unleashed the White Tiger Blade Technique at full force, taking him down in thirty moves.
[+15]
By the time Tuoba Feng caught up, all he saw was the corpse lying on the ground. Li Jinshui had already vanished into the crowd.
"AAAAH! Li Jinshui! You coward! You chicken! If you've got guts, fight me!"
Li Jinshui heard his furious roar from afar and smiled.
"Fight you? Even if I win, I can't kill you. What's the point?"
He kept harvesting his next target.
Over three days, more than a dozen Di soldiers in the Inner Strength Realm had died.
Tuoba Feng was furious every day. A few times, he'd even tried to charge into the Zhou Army's ranks to hunt Li Jinshui down, only for his own superior, a cultivator in the Pulse-Opening Realm, to hold him back with all his strength.
"General! Let me kill him!"
"Stay calm! It's a trap!"
As Tuoba Feng was dragged back, his eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the distant figure.
Li Jinshui only waved at him from afar, then turned and continued killing.
Frustrating.
So frustrating.
Before the battle on the fourth day.
Li Jinshui stood beneath the city wall, waiting for the troops to line up and march out.
He noticed that the regular troops from the Capital City had formed a circle of their own. They stood in perfect ranks, their armor gleaming, sharply set apart from the ragged local soldiers of North-Rejecting City.
Several soldiers from the Capital City were pointing this way and whispering, their faces twisted with undisguised mockery.
"Look at those peasants. What kind of clothes are those?"
"I heard the Di People nearly broke through the city a few days ago. That's all they've got?"
"If we hadn't come, they'd be finished."
Their voices weren't loud, but they carried over clearly.
Monkey's face flushed red, and he started to charge over and argue with them, but Li Jinshui grabbed him and held him back.
"Don't bother with them," Li Jinshui said.
But his gaze swept over those soldiers from the Capital City, then moved away.
He recognized one of them: the burly man's accomplice, the one who'd stood by the door and watched when they searched his barracks the other day.
That man saw him too. He curled his lip and gave him a scornful smile.
Li Jinshui looked away, his face expressionless.
The war drums sounded.
The two armies clashed once more.
As soon as Li Jinshui entered the battlefield, he realized there were far fewer Di soldiers in the Inner Strength Realm today.
Over the past few days, he'd killed more than a dozen. Combined with the others who'd fallen, nearly half of the Di Army's Inner Strength cultivators were gone.
Fewer than twenty had taken the field today, scattered thinly across the battlefield.
He charged into the enemy ranks. His blade flashed, and another Di soldier in the early Inner Strength Realm went down.
[+10]
He glanced around. The remaining Inner Strength cultivators were either tied up by their own experts or hiding in the rear, afraid to come out.
Tuoba Feng was charging at the very front, but several of their Inner Strength cultivators had already set their sights on him, leaving him unable to break free.
Li Jinshui looked at the dense ranks of Di soldiers in the Body Forging Realm. A glint flashed in his eyes.
Body Forging Realm?
The points might be few, but there were plenty of them.
Kill a hundred, and he'd still get several hundred points.
He grinned and turned, charging into the Di Army's infantry ranks.
The White Tiger Blade Technique burst forth at full force. His blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, and everywhere it passed, Di soldiers fell!
[+1]
[+2]
[+3]
[+1...]
His points began to climb wildly!
He was like a reaper, charging through the enemy ranks, one slash for one, two slashes for a pair!
The Body Forging Di soldiers couldn't withstand even one of his strikes. All they could do was watch their comrades fall!
"Hahaha! Come on! Come on!"
Li Jinshui was killing with such abandon that he couldn't help laughing wildly.
Where his blade flashed, corpses littered the battlefield!
He'd never killed with such exhilarating ease!
The Body Forging Di soldiers fell before him like stalks of wheat, cut down row after row!
[+1]
[+2]
[+3]
[+1...]
His points had already topped three hundred!
"Hahaha! More! Bring me more!"
The more he killed, the wilder he became. His blade grew fiercer with every swing, and he seemed to have gone mad!
The Di soldiers around him retreated in terror, not daring to approach!
Just then, a terrifying aura descended from above!
"You little beast! You're asking for death!"
The hairs all over Li Jinshui's body stood on end. He jerked his head up—
A towering figure swooped down through the air, true qi surging around him as he struck with a palm!
Pulse-Opening Realm!
And at the middle stage, no less!
Li Jinshui's pupils contracted. He desperately circulated Inch Step and dodged to the side!
BOOM!
The palm struck where he'd been standing. The ground exploded into a massive crater, sending shattered rocks flying! The shockwave caught him and flung him away. He hit the ground hard!
"Pfft!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood!
Li Jinshui scrambled to his feet and ran!
But no matter how fast he ran, he couldn't outrun someone in the Pulse-Opening Realm!
The Di cultivator had already landed. He took a single stride and instantly caught up behind him, then struck with another palm!
Li Jinshui dodged desperately. The palm wind grazed his shoulder, numbing half his body!
He fled in panic, unable to stop himself from cursing:
"You damn bastard! You're in the Pulse-Opening Realm, and you're picking on someone in the Inner Strength Realm? Have you no shame?!"
The Di cultivator sneered. "When you were killing my Di Army's soldiers, did you ever think about whether you had any shame?"
Another palm struck!
Li Jinshui was swept away again, crashing into a boulder so hard that the stone shattered!
He scrambled up, covered in blood, and kept running!
"Help! Help!" he shouted toward his own ranks. "Which Pulse-Opening cultivator can come save me?!"
But every one of their Pulse-Opening cultivators was tied up by an opponent.
Yun Ruoxi was fighting three people at once in the distance and couldn't break away.
Zhao Zheng was facing two enemies and could barely protect himself. The other retainers each had opponents of their own and couldn't spare a hand to save him.
"No one's coming to save you!" the Di cultivator sneered. "You're as good as dead today!"
Another palm struck!
Li Jinshui was sent rolling across the ground. Several bones in his chest cracked!
His mouth was full of blood, and his vision kept going dark, but his instinct to survive drove him to his feet once more, and he kept running!
Spend points! Spend them now!
As he ran, he frantically spent his points!
First, the Evergreen Art!
To rise from the middle stage of the Inner Strength Realm to the late stage, he needed to raise his minor mastery of 12/500 to major mastery, which would take roughly 488 points. He'd saved over three hundred over the past few days, and after killing dozens of Body Forging soldiers just now, he had more than five hundred points!
All of them into the Evergreen Art!
[Spent 488 points, Evergreen Art proficiency +488]
[Evergreen Art: Minor Mastery (12/500) → Major Mastery (0/800)]
Boom—
The warm current inside him suddenly surged! Like a river bursting its banks, it swept wildly through his entire body!
His internal organs were strengthened over and over, his meridians widened again and again, and his inner power grew at a geometric rate!
A warm current enveloped him, and his wounds healed at a visible speed!
He'd broken through!
Late stage of the Inner Strength Realm!
The Di cultivator struck with another palm. Li Jinshui desperately circulated his Rock Body and took the blow head-on!
THUD!
The palm sent him staggering back seven or eight steps. A sharp pain surged through his chest, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.
But he didn't fall!
He'd actually taken the blow!
A flicker of surprise crossed the Di cultivator's eyes. "You broke through? Late stage of the Inner Strength Realm? Even so, you still deserve to die!"
His attacks grew even fiercer!
Li Jinshui fought as he retreated. His minor mastery of Rock Body, combined with the Evergreen Art's major-mastery healing, meant that although every blow made him cough up blood, he still didn't fall!
But he knew he couldn't hold out much longer!
He had to run!
Spend points on Inch Step!
[Spent 72 points, Inch Step proficiency +72]
[Inch Step: Minor Mastery (28/100) → Major Mastery (0/200)]
That strange sensation beneath his feet surged in an instant!
Within a square inch, it was as if he could teleport!
The Di cultivator struck with his palm. Li Jinshui tapped his foot, and his whole body instantly shifted three yards sideways, barely dodging the attack!
"Hm?" The Di cultivator froze, then flew into a rage. "Let's see how long you can keep dodging!"
He chased even harder!
Li Jinshui fled with all his might. Major mastery of Inch Step let him unleash terrifying speed over short distances, but the Di cultivator was in the Pulse-Opening Realm, and he was much faster!
One palm strike followed another. He dodged most of them, but there were always some he couldn't evade!
THUD!
Another palm struck his back. His entire body flew through the air and slammed into the ground, plowing out a long trench!
He got back up and kept running!
He was covered in blood, with who knew how many bones broken, but he was still running!
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" he cursed as he ran. "When I reach the Pulse-Opening Realm, you'll be the first one I kill!"
The Di cultivator sneered. "You won't get the chance!"
Another palm struck!
This one landed on his back and sent him flying toward the city gate!
Li Jinshui spat out a mouthful of blood midair. His vision went black, and he nearly passed out!
But he clenched his teeth and used the force of the blow to race toward the city gate!
He was close!
Close!
The city gates were just ahead!
The Di man caught up again and brought his palm down!
Just then, a figure swooped down from the city wall!
"Get lost!"
Palm met palm!
BOOM!
The Pulse-Opening Realm Di man was sent staggering several yards back, his expression changing drastically!
The Seventh Prince stood in front of Li Jinshui, true qi coursing around him. His face was still somewhat pale, but his imposing presence remained daunting.
He looked coldly at the Di man. "Did you ask me before trying to kill my people?"
The Pulse-Opening Realm Di man's face turned livid. He glanced at the Seventh Prince, then at the Pulse-Opening Realm cultivators from North-Rejecting City who had rushed out, gritted his teeth, and turned to flee.
The Seventh Prince didn't pursue him. His injuries had only healed by sixty or seventy percent.
He turned and looked at Li Jinshui, who was sprawled on the ground.
Li Jinshui was covered in blood, his face bruised purple and blue. Blood-flecked foam still bubbled from his mouth. He lay there, panting in great heaves like a dying dog.
But his eyes were still open.
He looked at the Seventh Prince, wanting to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, another mouthful of blood came out.
The Seventh Prince looked at him, fell silent for a moment, then crouched down, fished a pill from his robes, and popped it into Li Jinshui's mouth.
"Swallow it."
Li Jinshui struggled to swallow. A warm current spread through his body, easing the agony a little.
The Seventh Prince stood and ordered the guards beside him, "Carry him back and make sure he recovers properly."
The guards lifted Li Jinshui onto a stretcher and carried him into the city.
Lying on the stretcher, Li Jinshui watched the clouds drift overhead and muttered, "Pulse-Opening Realm... picking on me when I'm only at Inner Strength... Once I reach Pulse-Opening... I'll kill him for sure..."
Monkey followed beside him, eyes rimmed red. "Jinshui, stop talking. You're practically dead!"
Li Jinshui tried to grin, but the movement tugged at his wounds, making him bare his teeth in pain.
"I'm not dying..."
He closed his eyes and brought up his panel for a look:
[Name: Li Jinshui] [Realm: Inner Strength Realm (Late Stage)] [Techniques: Evergreen Art (Major Accomplishment 0/800), Rock Body (Minor Accomplishment 60/200), White Tiger Blade Technique (Major Accomplishment 100/300), Iron Thread Fist (Minor Accomplishment 0/100), Inch Step (Major Accomplishment 0/200), Marching Step (Minor Accomplishment 0/80), Iron Shirt (Perfected), Wolf Killing Seven Forms (Perfected), Tiger Walk (Perfected)] [Points: 3]
He'd almost died.
But he'd still survived.
Once he'd healed, he'd make that Pulse-Opening Realm bastard learn what a true nightmare was.
They carried the stretcher into the barracks and laid him on a bed.
Monkey hurriedly changed his dressings and bandaged him up, while Er Gou stood nearby with a basin of water, fretting in circles.
Li Jinshui lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
His mind was filled with the sorry sight of himself being hunted down just moments ago.
Sent flying again and again by palm strikes, rolling over the ground like a ball.
That frustration, that humiliation, that fury at being powerless to fight back—
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh.
"Jinshui?" Monkey looked at him with concern.
Li Jinshui closed his eyes.
"I'm fine."
Sunlight streamed in through the window and fell across him.
He lay in a pool of light, yet his face showed no expression.
Only his closed eyes betrayed him, his eyelids twitching faintly as if he were caught in some fierce dream.
Before you continue