At Fallen Soul Slope, the smoke of battle had yet to clear, and the stench of blood filled the countryside.
Tens of thousands of civilians stood scattered across the open grassland, their faces deathly pale, silent as cicadas in winter.
They did not even dare breathe loudly.
Xie Jinghan darted forward and stepped up.
He stood shoulder to shoulder with Yan Xiong and Li Yuanli.
They faced Chu Yuehu, Cai Jinjian, the Eight Falcon Generals, and over ten thousand heavily armored guards.
All three wore grave expressions.
"Fight to the death!"
"General!"
The Eight Falcon Generals strode up to Chu Yuehu, commander of the Mountain-Subduing Army, and bowed in unison.
Then the eight turned, their cold spearheads trained on Li Yuanli ahead, their killing intent biting.
Their gazes crossed, and the leading Falcon General requested battle in a deep voice:
"General, may the eight of us deal with this man?"
Chu Yuehu gave a slight nod, granting permission.
Li Yuanli flicked his long sleeves and tightened his grip on his sword, its blade trembling with a faint hum.
He had long since set life and death aside, his expression open and calm:
"Very well. Today, I shall break the Eight Falcons Deathblow Combined Strike Formation you take such pride in!"
On the other side, Cai Jinjian stood with his hands behind his back. True qi poured from his body, golden light spilling in all directions, fully displaying the might of an expert at the peak of the Innate Realm and pressing the air into near stagnation.
His gaze swept over Xie Jinghan before finally settling on Yan Xiong, and he raised an eyebrow slightly.
Then he turned toward Chu Yuehu and asked:
"This man has a powerful physique and fierce sword intent. How about leaving him to me?"