Thick smoke rose and swirled like a black dragon from the ruins of the Iron Wall Fortress.
Amidst the charred ruins of the city walls, sporadic flames still licked at the broken Chakra Metal.
Tieshan knelt on one knee, his heavy iron armor cracked, blood trickling from his forehead, leaving dark red marks in the dust.
"General, the enemy has landed! A thousand knights, three thousand garrison troops, and the artillery workshop are all gone!"
The lieutenant staggered over, dragging his charred body.
This single shot shattered the Iron Wall Fortress's defenses, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.
Those who survived were mostly lucky; those who were far from the landing point numbered no more than a hundred or two. Compared to the endless enemy army, they had absolutely no chance of winning.
"Damn it! Is the telegraph room still running?" Tieshan grabbed his adjutant and continued after receiving an affirmative answer.
"Tell Your Majesty that the barbarians have invaded. They possess a floating city, city-destroying cannons, and many Martial Saint- level experts. I urge Your Majesty to make ample preparations before engaging in battle. Tieshan will hold out until the very end, buying time for the Empire."
"General..." The messenger took the tiger tally, his fingers trembling slightly. He knew that this departure would be forever.
"Go!" Tieshan roared, shoving him aside. "Don't let our brothers die in vain!"
The messenger gritted his teeth, turned and rushed toward the remaining telegraph room deep within the fortress.
His figure quickly disappeared into the thick smoke, leaving only Tieshan and the remaining soldiers facing the overwhelming enemy army.
Tieshan took a deep breath, enduring the pain, and slowly straightened his body. His Xuan Tie heavy armor was already badly damaged.
He looked around and saw surviving warriors crawling out of the ruins, most of them wounded, some even missing an arm, yet still gripping their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on the distant coastline.
"Those who can still move, come over here!" Tieshan's voice was hoarse but firm.
The remaining soldiers silently gathered, numbering less than two hundred.
Once the elite of Iron Wall Fortress, they are now like candles flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment, yet no one retreats, no one flees.
Tieshan looked at them, slowly raised his long sword, the Chakra wrapped around the blade shimmering faintly in the smoke and dust.
"Today, we will all die. But before we die, we will make sure the barbarians know that the spirit of Heavenly Martial is immortal!"
"The Soul of Heavenly Martial shall never perish!"
The remaining soldiers roared in unison, their voices not loud, but filled with a determination to die.
Just then, on the high platform of Ancor Vantian in the distance, the figure on the left waved his hand and sent out a black shadow toward the Iron Wall Fortress.
Tieshan squinted, staring intently at the flying object.
At first, it was no bigger than the palm of your hand, but as the distance closed, it rapidly expanded and eventually became a giant banner as tall as a person.
The banner was embroidered with blood-red runes and its edges were adorned with bronze bells.
Strangely, despite the howling wind, the bells remained completely still and made no sound.
"What is that...?" a samurai murmured.
The next second, he saw with his own eyes wisps of eerie blue light rise from the corpses of the fallen soldiers and be frantically devoured by the giant banner.
The light threads twisted and struggled in mid-air, as if an invisible force were forcibly tearing them out of their shells and dragging them into the banner.
Even more terrifying, the absorbed souls displayed pained expressions on the banner, as if imprisoned within, never to be reborn.
"Demon weapon!"
Tieshan roared, plunging his longsword into the ground, the blood groove on the blade emitting a blinding red light.
This is a secret blood battle technique passed down through the Heavenly Martial Empire.
Using a martial artist's blood essence to stimulate potential, while not extending lifespan, can allow a dying person to unleash their final fighting power.
"Form the Three Talents Formation! Blades pointed outwards, fight to the death!"
The surviving warriors immediately changed formation; although each of them was wounded, their hands gripping their swords remained as steady as a rock.
These pure martial artists know no magic or spiritual powers, yet they possess an iron will.
"Listen up!" Tieshan's voice echoed throughout the remaining ranks, "Our enemies are those barbarians who have come riding the waves!"
"Kill!"
The warriors responded in unison, the clanging of their longswords as they were drawn forming a continuous chorus.
They knew they would die today, but the warriors of the Heavenly Martial Empire have never died on the battlefield, only on the knees of those who died in battle.
The sea breeze suddenly shifted, bringing with it the pungent smell of gunpowder.
Tieshan's longsword drew a scarlet arc in the air, and wherever the blade passed, the heads of three intelligent puppets were severed.
The next second, more Faceless puppets surged in from all directions.
They are lifeless, feel no pain, and move with mechanical precision, each strike aimed directly at the vital points.
"General!"
A samurai roared and charged forward, his long sword slashing at the neck of a puppet.
The moment the blade touched him, the puppet's arm twisted at an uncanny angle, piercing his chest with a backhand motion.
Tieshan's eyes widened in fury as he leaped up, cleaving the puppet in two with a single strike, but many more warriors had already fallen.
Flesh and blood are ultimately powerless against these tireless and flawless bodies of steel.
"Damn it! What are these things?!"
Tieshan gritted his teeth, the red light on his longsword growing ever more intense. Looking around, he saw that very few warriors remained.
The number of intelligent puppets, however, seemed endless.
These monsters had no emotions, no fear, and didn't even breathe; they simply advanced silently, overwhelming all resistance like a tidal wave.
boom--
A puppet's fist slammed heavily into Tieshan's chest, instantly denting his heavy black iron armor.
Tieshan grunted, staggered back several steps, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and with a backhand slash, severed the puppet's arm at the root.
"Again!"
Tieshan roared, and the red light on his blade surged, tearing a gap in the puppet horde.
However, human strength has its limits.
His breathing grew heavier and heavier, the muscles in his arms trembled from excessive exertion, and even the red light on the blade began to dim.
"General... we can't hold on any longer!"
The last warrior knelt on the ground, his chest pierced by the puppet's claws, his blood staining the scorched earth beneath his feet.
Tieshan didn't answer, he just gripped the knife in his hand tighter.
He knew he was now alone.
On a distant cliff, the Fourth Raikage A, stood with his arms crossed, watching the battlefield with great interest.
"This guy is interesting."
"Do you want to go? My advice is that it's unnecessary!" Tobirama Senju said calmly from the side.
"He's Martial Saint after all, so it's not bad to test his mettle. Anyway, Iron Wall Fortress has already been captured, hasn't it?"
As he spoke, Raikage raised his hand to indicate, "You should not interfere."
The dozen or so Kage Level experts exchanged glances and tacitly took a step back.
At the same moment, the intelligent puppets that had been pressing forward also stopped moving and retreated like a tide, making way for Raikage A.
Tieshan, panting heavily, looked up at the burly figure slowly approaching.
The opponent was not wearing armor, nor even carrying a knife; he was bare-handed, yet with each step he took, the ground seemed to tremble.
"Who are you?" Tieshan asked hoarsely.
" Kumogakure, Fourth Raikage, A." The other person grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.
"Let's fight. If you win, I won't kill you today."
Without a word, Tieshan brandished his longsword, and the red light flared up once more.
" Heavenly Martial Liu·Duan Yue!"
He roared, his figure flashing like lightning, the blade aimed straight for Raikage's throat.
"Too slow."
The Raikage's figure vanished abruptly.
The next second, Tieshan felt a sharp pain in his chest, and he was blasted dozens of feet away by a punch, crashing heavily into the ruins.
"Cough!!!!"
Tieshan coughed up a mouthful of blood, struggled to get up, only to find that his Xuan Tie Heavy Armor was completely shattered, and his sternum was caved in.
"Again." Raikage beckoned with his finger, his fighting spirit intensifying.
Tieshan gritted his teeth, gripped his long sword tightly, and charged forward again.
Today I am certain to die, but the warriors of the Heavenly Martial Empire would rather die standing than live on their knees!
"Kill!!!"
The final roar echoed across the battlefield.
Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Martial Empire, Heavenly Continent, the Martial Capital Palace.
The bronze palace gates slowly opened, propelled by steam, and scorching white steam billowed out from the cracks.
Heavenly Martial XIII sat regally on the black iron throne, with twelve brass pipes winding and spiraling along the gilded pillars, continuously transmitting the heat from the underground furnace to all parts of the hall.
On either side of the throne stood thirty-six Jinwu Guard, each holding a halberd; their steel armor was faintly visible through the steam and mist.
"Report!!! Urgent dispatch!!!"
The messenger stumbled into the main hall, knelt on the obsidian floor, and held the urgent telegram in his hands.
The Minister of Military Affairs strode forward, took the blood-stained secret letter, and his white beard trembled violently.
" The Iron Wall Fortress has fallen, the enemy's combat strength far exceeds expectations, the floating city has a city-destroying cannon, and more than ten Martial Saint- level experts are in charge."
I implore Your Majesty not to treat this as a mere border trouble.
This is a crisis threatening the nation's survival and the extinction of our race. We urge you to immediately recall the five great knightly orders to defend the country and gather all the Martial Saint experts.
If you hesitate even for a moment, it may be too late to regret it.
After the Minister of Military Affairs finished reading the last word, the hall fell into a deathly silence. The twelve high-ranking officials of the empire were talking in hushed tones, their faces showing disdain.
"That brute Tieshan was utterly routed by a bunch of barbarians?" The military commander scoffed. "I think it's because he neglected training that he was so easily defeated."
"A floating city? A city-destroying cannon?" The Chancellor of the Exchequer stroked his beard and shook his head. "It's probably just an excuse they made up after a defeat."
Heavenly Martial XIII sat upright on the black iron throne, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest.
Unlike his ministers' disdain, his gaze remained fixed on the four words "national subjugation and racial extinction" on the secret letter.
"Enough." The emperor's deep voice silenced the hall instantly.
"By my decree, the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Knight Order are to immediately return to their posts, summon all Martial Saint near the capital, Heavenly Craft Institute is to prepare for battle with all its might."
"His Majesty!"
The military commander exclaimed urgently, "Why mobilize such a large force against mere barbarians? The Second Knight Order are suppressing a rebellion in the north!"
"Shut up!"
Heavenly Martial XIII suddenly stood up. " Tieshan is Martial Saint I personally trained. If he says he is on the verge of death, what gives you the right to underestimate him?"
The Minister of Finance stepped forward tremblingly and said, "Your Majesty, if all the knightly orders are recalled, the Empire's defenses will be greatly weakened, and the treasury's reserves will likely..."
"Money can be collected again, but if the empire is gone, you really have nothing left."
An aged voice came from outside the hall.
Everyone turned around and saw an elderly man with white hair slowly walk in, a seemingly ordinary wooden sword hanging at his waist.
"Teacher." Heavenly Martial XIII nodded slightly.
The old man walked to the center of the hall, his cloudy eyes sweeping over the assembled officials.
"That kid Tieshan would rather die than give false military intelligence. If he says the enemy has more than ten Martial Saint- level experts and countless other masters, then they definitely do."
The Minister of Military Affairs rushed forward, " Sword Saint, do you mean...?"
"Immediately recall all Martial Saint who are out in force," the old man said, turning to the emperor. "At the same time, open the secret vault."
The emperor's pupils contracted slightly. "You mean..."
The old man said, "It's time to let those weapons see the light of day again."
An uproar immediately erupted inside the hall.
The veteran officials' expressions changed drastically, while the younger officials looked completely bewildered.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" The Minister of Military Affairs knelt on the ground. "Those weapons are far too dangerous. The last time they were used was a century ago when the Duke's rebellion was quelled..."
The emperor raised his hand to stop him.
"By imperial decree, the Heavenly Craft Institute shall immediately prepare for the lifting of the seal. The military shall immediately dispatch elite troops to repel the barbarians."
A brief silence fell over the hall.
Steam hissed from the copper pipes on the gilded pillar, forming a hazy mist above everyone's heads.
The military commander opened his mouth, but ultimately lowered his head under the Sword Saint saint's sharp gaze.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer wiped the cold sweat from his brow and swallowed his objections, while the Minister of War knelt on the ground, not daring to utter another word.
"Very good." Emperor Heavenly Martial XIII surveyed his ministers. "Since no one objects, proceed immediately."
"Minister of Military Affairs!"
"Your Majesty, I am here!" The elderly minister immediately stepped forward.
"Immediately send the highest-ranking order to the five major knight orders and activate the Red Pigeon communication system."
"As you command!"
" Heavenly Craft Institute!"
The head of the Heavenly Craft Institute trembled and said, "Your subject... Your subject is here."
"I'm giving you one day to complete the unsealing of the secret weapon vault."
"As you command."
"The Chancellor of the Exchequer."
"Your old minister is here."
"Immediately inventory the national treasury and prepare for wartime resource allocation."
"This old minister understands."
The emperor's gaze finally settled on the Sword Saint. "Teacher, I humbly request that you personally oversee the defenses of Martial Capital City."
The white-haired old man nodded slightly. "I'll take care of it right away."
With each order issued, the entire palace immediately sprang into action.
The messenger rushed out, and hurried footsteps and the roar of steam engines echoed outside the hall as telegrams were sent to all corners of the empire.
On the city wall, squads of soldiers were urgently deploying defenses, and steam-powered heavy ballistae were pushed onto the top of the wall, with the defensive devices beginning to charge.
The entire Martial Capital was like a giant beast that had been startled awake, slowly waking up.
Heavenly Martial XIII walked slowly to the window, gazing at the gradually darkening sky in the distance. The gilded window lattice fragmented his face into pieces of light and shadow.
"What is Your Majesty worried about?" The Sword Saint appeared behind him without him noticing.
"Teacher..." The emperor's voice rarely betrayed a hint of weariness, "I have a feeling that this enemy cannot be defeated by weapons and numbers alone."
The old man was silent for a moment, then looked eastward and said slowly, "I understand. That boy, Tieshan, has never been one to lie! The Empire is in real trouble this time!"
The two stood silently by the window, the steam pipes inside the hall humming rhythmically, like the heavy heartbeat of the empire.