Sheng Huai'an raised his hand and struck with Might Split Mount Hua. Now that his opponent was wounded, he dared to meet him head-on.
If he could not bully the hard ones, could he not bully the soft ones to his heart's content?
Jiboxiao was shaken back two steps, blood continuously flowing from the wound at his waist.
Half an arrow shaft remained lodged in his body, piercing through his kidney and greatly reducing his combat strength. He was not so strong that he could ignore half an arrow embedded in his kidney as though nothing had happened.
"Hehe, looks like I can kill a Martial Artist today to add some excitement!" Sheng Huai'an pressed his advantage without mercy—when one had the upper hand, one could not spare the enemy. His Blood Fiend Saber Technique slashed and chopped fiercely, driving Jiboxiao back step by step.
Xiongnu soldiers tried to intervene and help Jiboxiao along the way, but Sheng Huai'an cut every one of them down beneath his blade.
The wound at Jiboxiao's waist had now torn open, blood pouring without end. He gasped heavily, while his armor and robes had all been shredded by Sheng Huai'an's saber.
His worsening injuries made it impossible for him to withstand Sheng Huai'an's blade any longer.
"Even if I die, I'll drag you down to be buried with me!" Jiboxiao launched an attack at Sheng Huai'an.
He intended to perish together with Sheng Huai'an.
Seeing that the other man still wanted to drag him into mutual destruction, Sheng Huai'an could only say that he was far too naïve.
This time, he no longer clashed head-on with his opponent. Instead, he chose to wear him down and drag him to death.
Other Xiongnu soldiers continued charging at Sheng Huai'an as well, but most were ordinary soldiers with Martial Disciple Early Stage strength. He cut them down cleanly and decisively.
Name: Sheng Huai'an Race: Human Realm: Martial Disciple Late Stage (+) Techniques: "Ferocious Ox Strength" (Minor Mastery) "Blood Fiend Saber Technique" (Minor Mastery) Strength: 999 jin Talent: Bronze Archer (+) Slaughter Value: 55
Without realizing it, he had already slain thirty or forty Xiongnu enemies in this battle.
At the same time, he had begun to understand how Slaughter Value was obtained.
An enemy at Martial Disciple Early Stage gave one point of Slaughter Value.
Martial Disciple Middle Stage gave two points, while Late Stage gave three.
Most of those he had killed were Martial Disciple Early Stage enemies. Middle and Late Stage opponents were comparatively rare.
Seeing that his cultivation realm could be raised again, Sheng Huai'an immediately added points to it without hesitation.
A surge of power instantly flowed through his entire body, his bones seeming to have been tempered a thousand times over.
Seeing Sheng Huai'an's aura suddenly rise by a great deal, Jiboxiao was instantly filled with bleak despair.
He had broken through his cultivation in the middle of battle.
Jiboxiao's combat power had already fallen, and his stamina was failing. Now Sheng Huai'an had actually broken through during the fight—was his life truly about to end here?!
The strength in Sheng Huai'an's body surged dramatically, and one saber strike sent Jiboxiao reeling back.
Name: Sheng Huai'an Race: Human Realm: Martial Disciple Great Perfection Techniques: "Ferocious Ox Strength" (Minor Mastery) "Blood Fiend Saber Technique" (Minor Mastery) Strength: 1,500 jin Talent: Bronze Archer Slaughter Value: 15
He had spent forty points of Slaughter Value to rise directly to Martial Disciple Great Perfection.
His strength had also increased to 1,400 jin, roughly equivalent to the strength of someone who had just broken through to Martial Artist.
Jiboxiao was at this level as well. The only difference was that he possessed Martial True Essence.
However, for the vast majority of newly advanced Martial Artists, the Martial True Essence within their bodies was exceedingly weak.
Sheng Huai'an spun his saber in a flourish. Now that his cultivation had broken through once more, there was no need to keep dragging things out. He needed to kill this powerful foe quickly, then go slaughter more Xiongnu enemies.
He had to seize this opportunity to kill Xiongnu enemies and grow rapidly.
In this world where martial strength reigned supreme, all great power belonged to oneself; that was the foundation for survival.
From what he had observed, the northern frontier battlefield was not yet at its most dangerous. This war still had a long way to go.
Sheng Huai'an drove off the ground, and with a single arrow-step, arrived before Jiboxiao.
Blood Fiend Saber Technique, a single stroke to seal the throat!
Sshk!
Blood sprayed as Jiboxiao's head fell to the ground.
Stepping through the pool of blood, he did not look back at Jiboxiao's corpse.
This was the first Martial Artist he had slain, but it would absolutely not be the last.
The fallen head stared with eyes wide open, its pupils still reflecting the sight of Sheng Huai'an killing a Xiongnu soldier.
Pfft...
Another Xiongnu soldier fell beneath Sheng Huai'an's blade.
Now, he was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. Ordinary Xiongnu soldiers of low strength could not withstand even one strike from him.
Before long, there were no Xiongnu soldiers left around him. Xiongnu corpses covered the ground beneath his feet, their blood dyeing the bricks of the city wall red.
Every Xiongnu soldier who climbed onto the wall died beneath his saber.
By himself, he held a section of the city wall.
"That kid's killing nature is truly immense." Everyone who noticed Sheng Huai'an was shocked.
The number of people who had fallen beneath Sheng Huai'an's saber had already exceeded fifty.
"Good lad. He has actually comprehended the Blood Fiend Saber Technique to this extent." Old Soldier glanced over and saw a layer of baleful blood aura already clinging to Sheng Huai'an's saber light.
He was secretly astonished. He had only given Sheng Huai'an this saber technique yesterday, yet in just one day, Sheng Huai'an had comprehended the Blood Fiend Saber Technique to such a degree.
He had even slain a martial cultivator at the Martial Artist realm. Only they understood just how astonishing that was.
Few could fight across realms, and even fewer could kill enemies across realms.
For Sheng Huai'an to kill a Martial Artist realm cultivator with Martial Disciple cultivation made him an exceptionally dazzling figure.
By every count, Sheng Huai'an had only practiced martial arts for two days. What kind of monster was this?!
The Xiongnu army continued to surge forward tirelessly, climbing the city walls without end and fighting the defenders in savage combat.
Defenders constantly fell, lives vanishing one after another. The battlefield was incomparably cruel and tragic.
"Kill him!"
Six or seven Xiongnu soldiers surrounded Sheng Huai'an, intending to gang up and kill him.
"Blood Fiend Saber Technique, Five Horses Tearing a Corpse Apart!"
Like an unmatched god of slaughter, Sheng Huai'an was covered in killing intent. He charged into the crowd, and those six or seven Xiongnu enemies were cut down beneath his blade.
Old Soldier in the distance: ...
What kind of saber technique was Five Horses Tearing a Corpse Apart?!
Did the Blood Fiend Saber Technique even have such a move?!
"Kill him!"
The next moment, over a dozen spearmen surrounded him, determined to kill Sheng Huai'an.
For no other reason than that Sheng Huai'an was too conspicuous. By himself, he had nearly killed a hundred Xiongnu enemies, carving out an empty stretch of ground all on his own.
By now, Sheng Huai'an's armor had been battered to pieces, his battle robe shredded, and he bore five or six wounds.
Yet his fighting spirit remained fierce, the hot blood within him still boiling.
Even facing the encirclement of over a dozen spearmen, Sheng Huai'an remained fearless. Saber in hand, he charged forward, his momentum unstoppable, advancing with no thought of survival.
"Brother Huai'an, I'm coming to help you!" Seeing Sheng Huai'an surrounded by more than a dozen spearmen, Wang Wu charged over to assist him.
Seeing Wang Wu come to help, Sheng Huai'an truly wanted to say, Don't come over. These heads are all mine.
With Wang Wu joining the battle, the dozen or so spearmen who had climbed the wall were swiftly cut down by the two of them.
"Good heavens, your strength is growing far too quickly, isn't it?" Wang Wu looked at Sheng Huai'an as though he were a monster.
"Nothing special. I was thinking of breaking through to the Innate Realm in one go and slaughtering all these Xiongnu invaders." Sheng Huai'an replied with a faint smile.
"You really dare to dream. Break through to the Innate Realm in one go?" Wang Wu could not help mocking him. How did he dare have such a dream?
Even wet dreams, he only dared have once in a while!
"Haha, what's there not to dare imagine?" Sheng Huai'an said as he cut down an enemy who had just climbed onto the wall.
"Don't stand out too much. Be careful that the divine archers in the Xiongnu army set their sights on you." Wang Wu warned.
Sheng Huai'an had killed so many Xiongnu soldiers by himself that he was far too conspicuous. If a divine archer in the Xiongnu army targeted him, he would be in danger.
After killing so many Xiongnu enemies, not a single divine archer from the Xiongnu army had attacked Sheng Huai'an. Wang Wu felt that Sheng Huai'an's luck was exceptionally good, as though Heaven itself favored him.
Inside the central command tent of the Xiongnu Left Virtuous King.
"My lord, the Great Chanyu has sent word asking when we will capture Anning Pass," a general reported to the Left Virtuous King.
"How is the Right Virtuous King's assault progressing?" Left Virtuous King Yizhihun did not answer, instead asking a question.
"Word is that the Right Virtuous King is about to take Qishan Fortress."
"Then hasten the siege. I want to see Anning Pass taken within two days," Left Virtuous King Yizhihun declared imperiously.
After battering at the pass for half a month, he had played long enough.
When the Right Virtuous King took Qishan Fortress, he wanted to seize Anning Pass first and sweep through everything inside the passes in one stroke.
Following the Left Virtuous King's command, the Xiongnu army continued sending more troops into the siege.
Ooooh...
Within the Xiongnu army, horns sounded as another force joined the assault. It appeared to number more than five thousand men.
"This is bad. The Xiongnu army has intensified the siege. Strong opponents will probably climb the walls soon, so be careful," Wang Wu warned.
"Strong opponents?"
"How strong?"
Sheng Huai'an cut down a charging Xiongnu soldier with one stroke, then looked toward Wang Wu and asked.
"Strong enough to kill you with one slap!" Wang Wu said gravely.
Looking at the Xiongnu enemies surging in like a tide, Sheng Huai'an let out a long breath.
His saber had already curled at the edge, yet the army outside the city still stretched beyond sight.
"Just how many Xiongnu are battering at this pass?!" Sheng Huai'an exclaimed.
"The Left Virtuous King's court has an army of one hundred thousand," Wang Wu replied.
"One hundred thousand troops? To attack a single pass?!" Sheng Huai'an was stunned.
"Then how many defenders does our Anning Pass have?" Sheng Huai'an quickly asked.
"Thirty thousand. By now, only a little over twenty thousand remain," Wang Wu answered calmly.
The Xiongnu army had assailed the pass continuously for half a month, already consuming much of the defenders' fighting strength. To replenish the garrison, they had even begun forcibly conscripting able-bodied men.
Sheng Huai'an was one of those forcibly conscripted men.
"Damn it, thirty thousand against one hundred thousand." Sheng Huai'an felt a heavy weight in his heart.
"Every year, foreign tribes batter at the northern frontier passes. This is normal," Wang Wu said, entirely unsurprised.
"Did the general not send for reinforcements?!" Sheng Huai'an asked as he looked at the banner-filled Xiongnu army outside the city.
"I'm just a common soldier. How would I know that?" Wang Wu shot Sheng Huai'an a glance.
Ooooh...
Boom, boom, boom...
War drums and horns rang out across the northern frontier, their echoes long and ancient.
Heroic and mournful, bleak and desolate!
Before you continue