The Thick-Skinned Black Tortoise Demon King

The two quickly reached the mountain pass where they were blocked.

A narrow mountain path, no more than two zhang wide, is carved out between two bluish-white cliffs, with only a sliver of sky visible above.

At the end of the line of sight, a black wall suddenly appears in the middle of the mountain path.

But in Yang Xiao's perception, this was not a black wall at all, but clearly a huge tortoise with a completely black body.

If we're talking about the differences between turtles and tortoises...

The turtle's carapace is smooth and flat, with a soft, fleshy edge around it called the skirt, which has a gelatinous texture when eaten.

The Black Tortoise in front of them was taller than three people, with its plates overlapping each other like stacked shields, its dark shell resembling the high walls of the Demon Suppression Division Bureau's compound.

The shell edge pressed against the two mountain walls, right in the middle, leaving not even a finger's width of gap; not even a person could pass through, let alone a carriage.

"I'll take you to see Iron General first."

The Captain dismounted and led Yang Xiao along a narrow path worn by shepherds on the mountainside.

The path was only wide enough for one person. We walked along the cliff face for about half an hour before crossing a stone ridge.

Standing atop the ridge, one can see the road conditions on both sides of the mountain pass.

The Black Tortoise completely blocked the mountain pass.

A figure stood on the mountain path directly in front of the Black Tortoise, clad in black armor, wielding twin crescent-shaped swords, his posture upright, facing the Black Tortoise across the road.

As the two descended the slope onto the main road, the figure had just finished a slash when he swiftly withdrew his crescent-shaped twin swords to his side.

Her breathing was even, with only sweat on her forehead.

The Black Tortoise in the mountain pass remained lying in the same spot, its head tucked into its shell, completely motionless, as if the flash of sword light had nothing to do with it.

The Captain strode forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Iron General, General Yang has arrived."

The woman in black armor turned to look at him.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on Yang Xiao's black armor and red cloak, then fell on his face, and then on the spear on his back and the knife at his waist.

Young, even younger than she thought.

When this name was mentioned at the meeting, it was followed by a long list of news of the deaths of Demon King.

Having served in the bureau for less than a year, he had killed so many Demon Kings that he couldn't count them on one hand, and Pei Xuance personally recommended him.

She had wondered what kind of person Pei Xuance would recommend. Today, she saw that although he looked young, he possessed a calm demeanor that came with experience.

She sheathed her twin swords at her sides, clasped her hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "Tie Yunyan, I've heard of you at the Demon Suppression Division, but I'm only meeting you in person today."

"I have long heard that Iron General is stationed in Fuyu Commandery," Yang Xiao returned the greeting.

Tie Yunyan smiled faintly.

The two did not exchange any further pleasantries.

A Demon King was loitering in the mountain pass, so all pleasantries were superfluous, and everyone's attention quickly returned to the Black Tortoise.

"It's been stuck for six days."

Tie Yunyan began by briefly recounting her experiences over the past few days, "It lay across the middle of the mountain road in its true form, its shell pressing against the mountain walls on both sides, making it impossible for even a car to get around it."

I've tried to force it to move its nest a few times.

She raised the two swords in her hands and said helplessly, "The swords can leave marks on the armor, but they can't break through it."

"A direct assault won't work either. If you attack too aggressively, it will slam its claw into the mountainside or crash directly up the mountain, causing rocks to tumble down and forcing people and vehicles in the distance to retreat."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "It did manage to push it back a few times, but it wouldn't be long before it moved back and blocked the way again."

"It doesn't kill anyone; it just stays there, frozen in place."

"Although we didn't manage to defeat them, it's not to the point where we need to ask General Pei for help."

Finally, she muttered a complaint under her breath:

"I really don't know what it's up to."

Yang Xiao listened, walked a dozen steps along the mountain path, and stopped at a spot where the carapace was clearly visible, examining the enormous Mystic Turtle Demon King.

The Black Tortoise ignored him.

Perhaps it has great confidence in its own shell's defensive capabilities.

It remained lying there steadily, its head tucked into its shell. The Demon Suppression General that had appeared on the mountain path seemed no different to it than a roadside stone.

Yang Xiao's gaze fell on the several knife marks that had newly appeared on the carapace.

The knife marks are evenly spaced, with clean lines, and some even fall in the same spot.

But no matter how accurate it was, it was useless; even at a depth of half an inch, it didn't even break through the shell's outer layer.

The strength of gold and jade lies in their appearance.

He remembered the stone lock in the courtyard, and with a single stroke, he cleaved it in two, but the stone lock shattered completely from the inside.

However, the shell in front of me was many times harder than the stone lock in the courtyard.

Tie Yunyan followed behind and saw him staring intently at the knife marks. After a moment, she asked, "The meeting didn't mention what weapon you use. Do you, like General Pei, primarily use a gun?"

Unable to break through its shell, she could only think of one way: to make the creature stick its head, neck, and limbs out of its shell and then attack the soft spots under the shell.

But during those six days, it timed its shell retreating perfectly, and she didn't even leave a single claw behind.

She wanted to hear about any other methods used by this young general recommended by Pei Xuance.

"Guns are the primary weapon," Yang Xiao began, then paused and added, "Knives can also be used."

Tie Yunyan glanced at the gun on his back, then at the inconspicuous black knife at his waist.

"I've tried a few times, and the blade is almost curled up."

She brandished her twin swords, the wear lines on the blades gleaming white in the sunlight. "How do you plan to damage it? Or do you want me to figure out a way to expose the area beneath its armor?"

You're using your influence to attract attention.

Yang Xiao withdrew his gaze.

"Just make sure it doesn't get away; leave the rest to me."

Tie Yunyan waited, but received no further response.

She looked at Yang Xiao's profile.

When an ordinary person receives this kind of question, they will always ask: How to attract them, from which direction to approach, and when to take action.

This guy, well, he just said "Leave it to me," and that's really all that's left to leave it to me.

Of all the various forms of assistance she had received, the former were the most common.

But the person in front of me had been staring at that armor ever since he dismounted, his eyes steady enough not to be clueless.

She swallowed the words that were about to come out.

Curiosity aside, she never questioned the merits of her troops during battle; this was a rule she had established over many years of leading troops.

"Alright." She responded with a single word, then stepped aside, twirling her twin swords in her palm. "I'll enter from the left."

The words had barely left his mouth when he moved.

The figure in black armor darted out along the left side of the mountain path, moving so fast that there was almost no initial movement.

The twin crescent blades moved up and down, two arcs of light tearing through the air one after the other. The upper blade aimed for the Black Tortoise's front claw, while the lower blade skimmed the ground, heading straight for the neck.

Before the blade arrives, the wind from it blows first.

The Black Tortoise finally stirred.

A head peeked out from in front of the shell.

Its snake-like neck is spread out segment by segment, with overlapping scales, making it look extremely defensive.

A pair of eyes lifted up and calmly fell on Tie Yunyan.

It still shows no intention of culling it.

For six days now, this woman in black armor has been coming several times a day.

The knife felt neither pain nor itch on my skin; no matter how fast her knife was, it only made the stubble cut more evenly.

It was too lazy to even move its body, only raising its left paw.

Its forepaws emerged from the edge of the shell, rising inch by inch, and the millstone-sized claws angled to block the path of the twin blades.

Clang--!