Beheading Commandant

Watching the Qing Kingdom captain's banner steadily advance, Li Yi understood at once that after he had sniped the Qing Kingdom centurions, the Qing vanguard had lost its means of restraining the archer battalion, and its advance had been repeatedly blocked.

This had forced the Qing Kingdom captain commanding the vanguard to enter the fray himself.

He was a martial expert at the fifth level of Body Tempering, known as a foe for a hundred men on the battlefield!

If he led the charge himself, the north city wall would be in grave danger!

Thinking of this, Li Yi hurriedly summoned the company commander who had originally been stationed at the north city wall.

"Quickly deploy men to bring up the boiling gold and iron stones. We must hold the north city wall!"

After making the arrangements, Li Yi issued a string of orders to the archer battalion under his command.

Then Li Yi drew his bow and nocked arrows once more, firing continuously at the Qing Kingdom captain's formation as it approached the north city wall.

Though these arrows could not kill the Qing Kingdom captain, the guards and elites within his formation found it difficult to evade Li Yi's shots.

Before they reached the wall, Li Yi did everything in his power to whittle down the Qing Kingdom captain's strength.

Second by second, the Qing Kingdom captain's banner finally reached a point fifty paces outside the north city wall.

A heavily armored general, surrounded by his guards, charged relentlessly toward the north city wall.

Meanwhile, the few centurions who had escaped disaster earlier desperately threw smoke canisters to cover the Qing Kingdom captain's assault.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, a heavy siege ladder slammed against the north city wall.

"Quick, quick, quick! Pour the boiling gold!"

"Where are the rolling stones? Throw them down, now!"

Under Li Yi's furious roars, wave after wave of soldiers brought out every kind of city-defense weapon, blocking the Qing Kingdom vanguard as they climbed the siege ladders.

"Kill with me!"

"Take this city, and the whole army may loot it freely for three days!"

Holding an enormous shield, the Qing Kingdom captain began climbing the siege ladder.

At the same time, he circulated his breathing technique and loudly roused his soldiers, using three days of unrestricted plunder as incentive!

Spurred on by the Qing Kingdom captain, the Qing soldiers' morale surged, and their assault became ever more ferocious.

"Archer battalion! Fire at will!"

With the thick smoke disrupting them, the archer battalion could not unleash coordinated volleys on a large scale. Li Yi decisively allowed these elite archers to act freely, seeking opportunities to pick off the Qing soldiers climbing the siege ladders.

War cries and screams rang across the entire north city wall.

Blood sprayed everywhere, soaking their clothes alongside sweat.

Clack!

A heavily armored Qing soldier raised a great shield and stormed onto the north city wall.

This man was the Qing Kingdom captain!

His gaze swept across the wall, and he immediately spotted Li Yi holding the Seven Killings Bow, continuously shooting down his guards.

"So it was you, brat, who ruined my grand plan!"

"Die!"

Before the main commander's camp, he had sworn a military oath: if he failed to take the north city wall, he would willingly accept punishment!

Li Yi and the archer battalion under his command had not only stalled his attack, but had also shot down the centurions and other backbone forces. Even the smoke canisters had proven useless.

Seeing Li Yi, who had nearly caused him to be punished, the Qing Kingdom captain's fury rushed straight to his head.

"I'll use your head to consecrate my banner!"

"Then I'll strip the flesh from your skull and make a wine cup of it, so I can drink in celebration!"

As he spoke, the Qing Kingdom captain strode toward Li Yi.

With every step he took, an aura stirred from his body and steadily swelled.

So this is the strength of the fifth level of Body Tempering, the Meridian Opening realm?!

With a casual slash, the Qing Kingdom captain beheaded a defending soldier, sending his body crumpling to the ground.

In mere moments, he effortlessly killed several more defenders.

Feeling the Qing Kingdom captain's overwhelming aura, Li Yi hurriedly slung the Seven Killings Bow across his back and accepted the Plum Blossom Spear from a guard.

"Fourth squad, form up and surround him!"

"Guards, charge with me!"

Li Yi roared, swinging his long spear in a sweeping strike. A powerful force of the spear burst forth.

[Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear]!

Li Yi unleashed the secret spear art passed down through the Chen Kingdom army, its tempestuous spear momentum engulfing the Qing Kingdom captain.

"You want to drink from my skull? You should be thinking about your last words instead!"

"Kill with me!"

Li Yi's third-stage Body Tempering strength erupted in an instant. Streams of blood and qi surged forth, coiling around the Plum Blossom Spear, making the spear he thrust out resemble a blood dragon sinking its teeth firmly into the Qing Kingdom captain.

Being the first to scale the walls was one of the army's four great feats! It was merit piled up with countless lives!

By the time they successfully climbed the northern city wall, the personal guards at the Qing Kingdom captain's side had already been almost entirely killed or wounded.

Some had been picked off and killed by Li Yi's Seven Killings Bow; some had been slain by the defenders' boiling golden juice and rolling stones; others had been surrounded and killed by the defenders' numerical advantage after reaching the wall!

And after Han Jia led the Fourth Company in forming up to slaughter them, every elite Qing Kingdom personal guard who had followed the captain onto the wall was slain.

Now, there was only the Qing Kingdom captain left atop the northern city wall!

"Let me show you what the strength of the fifth stage of Body Tempering is!"

The Qing Kingdom captain wielded his spear and thrust again and again. Under that overwhelming strength, the defenders were either dead or wounded.

"Your opponent is me!"

Seeing this, Li Yi roared and brought the Plum Blossom Spear crashing down upon the Qing Kingdom captain with the force of a mountain-cleaving blow.

"You think you're worthy of being my opponent? Does Chen Kingdom have no one left? They actually sent an arrogant fool like you to guard one side!"

The Qing Kingdom captain shot him a contemptuous glance, braced his spear across his back, and caught Li Yi's smashing strike in one motion.

The next instant, the Qing Kingdom captain flicked his wrist. His long spear sprang back at once, jolting Li Yi's Plum Blossom Spear away.

"Ha!"

As the Qing Kingdom captain drove Li Yi back, Han Jia swung his nine-ringed broadsword and intercepted his assault, allowing Li Yi to steady himself.

[Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear]!

Li Yi raised the Plum Blossom Spear again, pointing it straight at the Qing Kingdom captain.

"Rise!"

At a soft shout, the many elite soldiers among the Fourth Company and the personal guard unit who had entered the Body Tempering realm abruptly raised their spears at the Qing Kingdom captain in unison.

"Advance!"

In an instant, dozens of men stepped forward together, their uniform footfalls ringing across the northern city wall.

"What? Soldiers whose every action follows orders so flawlessly?"

The Qing Kingdom captain froze at the sight, staring at Li Yi in astonishment.

"Only the direct lineages of Chen Kingdom's imperial family and the seven great clans possess soldiers this elite. Just who are you, to command them?"

Looking at Li Yi within the military formation, the Qing Kingdom captain suddenly brightened, greed gleaming in his eyes.

"If I capture you, I'll surely win great merit!"

The powerful soldiers Li Yi had trained made the Qing Kingdom captain mistake him for a child of Chen Kingdom nobility, and he wanted to seize him for profit.

Li Yi did not know what the Qing Kingdom captain was thinking, but he did not care either.

After three steps forward, the Qing Kingdom captain was completely trapped, spearpoints surrounding him from every direction.

"Thrust!"

At the command, dozens of spears shot out together.

These soldiers were all elites at least at the first stage of Body Tempering, already capable of making simple use of blood and qi.

Facing the perfectly coordinated assault, the Qing Kingdom captain did not dare be careless. He hurriedly circulated his breathing technique and swept his spear several times, forcing back the attackers around him.

But in the next instant, under Li Yi's command, another wave of attacks surged forth.

"You think this can kill me?"

The Qing Kingdom captain snorted coldly and erupted with force. One horizontal sweep of his spear sent a group of defenders flying back, but the other soldiers seized the opening and left wound after wound across his body.

Yet he paid them no heed, charging straight toward Li Yi.

In his mind now, capturing Li Yi was even more important than breaching the northern city wall!

Since the merit of being first to scale the wall was already beyond reach, he would claim the merit of slaying an enemy general instead!

Watching the Qing Kingdom captain charge straight at him, Li Yi was not the least bit flustered.

He was only two realms higher, nothing more. Back then, Han Jia and he had killed Cao Cheng, who had been two realms above them.

Now that he had so many men under his command, killing a mere fifth-stage Body Tempering cultivator would be no difficult matter!

With that thought, Li Yi promptly shouted, "Han Jia!"

Having followed Li Yi for so long, Han Jia had long since gained a keen understanding of Li Yi's intentions.

Now, hearing Li Yi call him, he immediately directed the soldiers to form another attack formation, tying down the Qing Kingdom captain. Though they could not kill him, even ants could bite an elephant to death—leaving even a single wound on this Qing Kingdom captain was a success!

With Han Jia leading men to hold him back, Li Yi immediately felt the pressure ease.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Several more crisp clashes rang out. These soldiers who had usually received benefits from Li Yi now charged at the Qing Kingdom captain once more as though they cared nothing for their lives, led by Han Jia.

Under their unceasing assaults, the Qing Kingdom captain was covered in wounds, and even his strength had been drained considerably.

"Now!"

Breathing Method! Bloodrage!

[Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear]! Gale Triple Thrust!

Seizing the chance while everyone surrounded and attacked him, Li Yi unleashed three layers of force energy within the span of two breaths, forming a razor-sharp spear momentum.

For a moment, everyone vaguely heard all manner of spear cries!

Cao Cheng's [Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear] emphasized the meaning of a hundred birds calling out as they paid homage to the phoenix.

After fully grasping the insights into spear techniques Cao Cheng had left behind, Li Yi combined that true intent with the [Gale-Rending Formation-Breaking Spear].

Now, with a single thrust, a hundred kinds of force followed in its wake, its power several times greater than before.

Coupled with the vast amount of qi and blood brought by Bloodrage, the might of Li Yi's spear now even far surpassed the killing move Cao Cheng had unleashed that day at Body Tempering Level Four!

Crack!

Gale Triple Thrust instantly struck the spear thrust out by the Qing Kingdom captain. The force energy condensed at the tip of the Plum Blossom Spear whirled like a gale, wrenching the long spear apart.

"What?"

As his long spear snapped, the Qing Kingdom captain jolted in alarm and instinctively retreated.

"Trying to run now? Too late!"

Li Yi slapped the Plum Blossom Spear with his hand. Carrying the remaining force of Gale Triple Thrust, the spear flew from his grasp and, in an instant, pierced the Qing Kingdom captain through the neck.

Seeing the disbelief in the Qing Kingdom captain's eyes, Li Yi stepped forward and pulled out the Plum Blossom Spear.

Pfft!

As the Plum Blossom Spear was withdrawn, streams of blood spurted from the Qing Kingdom captain's neck. The light in his eyes dimmed as he stared at Li Yi, and his body collapsed to the ground.

Today, atop the northern city wall, Li Yi, with the strength of Body Tempering Level Three, had slain a powerful enemy at Body Tempering Level Five!

Seeing this, Han Jia strode forward. With a fierce chop of the nine-ring saber in his hand, the Qing Kingdom captain was instantly separated from his head.

Taking the head retrieved by a personal guard, Li Yi gripped it tightly by the hair, climbed to the highest point of the city wall, and raised it aloft.

"Your captain has already been executed!"

"Why have you not retreated?"