Fifth-level warrior late stage

Surging force swept in every direction. Shiheng was hemmed in by three sixth-level peak powerhouses, his entire body already engulfed by a dense barrage of attacks. His aura was utterly chaotic, his flesh split open in numerous places, and blood soaked his clothes. He had fallen into a deadly predicament, his life hanging by a thread.

The sixth-level peak warrior facing him had ice-cold eyes. His heavy blade swept toward Shiheng's head with unstoppable force, its passage tearing through the air with a piercing shriek. There was no dodging it! Shiheng gritted his teeth and raised his saber across his body, tensing his arms to their limit as he met the lethal blow head-on.

Clang-!

The deafening clash of metal shook the sky. Savage power surged through the saber into Shiheng's body. A metallic sweetness rose in his throat, his blood churned relentlessly, and his internal organs felt as though they had been violently shaken. Yet the extreme pressure of this desperate situation actually shattered the bottleneck within him in an instant. The battle qi in his dantian abruptly swelled, and without any warning, his cultivation broke straight through to the fifth-level late stage!

Before Shiheng could steady himself, a savage fighting spirit surged into his mind along with his newly strengthened battle qi. His aura changed violently, his skin flushed a scorching crimson, and his veins bulged like coiling dragons. His Berserk Secret Art had erupted once more! In his fifth-level late-stage berserk state, his strength, speed, and physical toughness all soared. His combat strength reached the level of a seventh-level warrior outright, and the pressure radiating from him instantly overwhelmed everyone present.

Riddled with injuries, he had no time to suppress his churning blood or the savage power brought on by going berserk. A sixth-level Flame Slash condensed by the sixth-level warrior on his other side was already hurtling through the air. The scorching blade of flame bore heat that could burn everything to ash as it drove straight toward his heart. Shiheng's gaze turned fierce. He neither dodged nor evaded, instead drawing on his powerful berserk physique to take the Flame Slash head-on!

Flames burned wildly across him, making his flesh sizzle, yet he did not retreat a single step. Using the recoil from taking the blow, he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow and instantly closed in on the sixth-level mage, determined to kill this ranged threat first!

At the critical moment, the sixth-level magical beast the mage had tamed lunged out from beside him, planting its body firmly in front of its master. Shiheng's saber did not pause in the slightest. Its edge descended with seventh-level combat strength, cleaving the sixth-level magical beast in two. Crimson blood gushed out, but the savage force carried by the blade did not diminish at all!

The mage was terrified out of his wits and had no time to cast defensive magic. Shiheng swept his saber sideways. Cold light flashed, and one of the mage's arms was severed, his agonized scream instantly piercing the battlefield.

Just as Shiheng was about to press his advantage and kill the mage, the sixth-level warrior from before rushed over to help, placing himself in front of the mage. Looking at Shiheng, who was drenched in blood and radiated a savage aura like a demonic god, his eyes flashed with apprehension he could not conceal. He knew full well that with one of their own wounded and their beast dead, continuing the fight would mean certain defeat. He immediately supported the one-armed mage and, not daring to linger for even a moment, turned and fled in panic.

Only Shiheng remained on the battlefield, covered in wounds, his berserk aura yet to fade. He stood where he was, leaning on his bloodstained saber and panting heavily, still surrounded by a murderous ferocity that would not rest until one side was dead.

"We won!"

The surviving defenders instantly erupted in earthshaking cheers. The wild joy of surviving disaster swept through the crowd as they embraced one another and roared, utterly lost in celebration. Moments later, Laiyang City's defending commander strode through the crowd and went straight to Shiheng. He bowed deeply, his voice filled with sincerity and gratitude. "Had you not risked your life to drive off the enemy, the people of Laiyang City would have been slaughtered. On behalf of every soldier and civilian in the city, I thank you for saving our lives!"

Shiheng's aura remained unsteady, and he barely had the strength left to speak. He merely waved a hand slightly, his voice hoarse and dry. "No need for formalities. Give me a quiet room."

The commander dared not delay and immediately ordered a secluded chamber prepared. Shiheng forced himself to endure the weakness left behind as his berserk state faded. After entering the room, he went straight to the floor and sat cross-legged, immediately circulating his battle qi to forcibly suppress his chaotic blood flow, heal the injuries throughout his body, and stabilize his newly attained cultivation realm.

Before long, the defending commander, Laiyang, gently pushed open the door and entered with an old man dressed in plain priestly robes. "Sir, this is the only Holy Light Priest in our Laiyang mineral vein. He specializes in the Healing Sacred Art, and I invited him here specifically to treat your injuries."

The old priest dared not delay. He immediately raised his hands and channeled gentle holy light power, slowly enveloping Shiheng's body. The mild healing power seeped little by little into his flesh, tendons, and bones, soothing his burns and blade wounds. After the treatment, Shiheng's aggravated internal injuries stabilized completely. He took the opportunity to calmly regulate his breathing and fully consolidate the cultivation breakthrough he had achieved during the battle, firmly establishing himself at the fifth-level warrior late stage. Going berserk would take him straight past the barrier of a sixth-level warrior and into the seventh-level warrior early stage, giving him enough strength to protect himself within the Duchy.

Seventh-level warriors already belonged among the advanced warriors, Shiheng mused inwardly. His aura grew increasingly steady, and he immersed himself in cultivation once more, devoting all his effort to strengthening his foundation.