Otherwise, offending three of Mount Liang's top leaders at once would earn them a reputation for being unrighteous and heartless. How could they possibly survive in Mount Liang after that?
Ciwen strode forward, and a guard thrust his spear forward. Ciwen raised his hand, and an iron rod smashed the spear shaft in two. Before the guard could even see Ciwen clearly, he was struck in the chest by the rod, sent flying backward. His armor was dented, and he didn't get up after landing.
Ciwen, wielding an iron rod, advanced like a mountain, knocking down one person with each strike. Soon, he and his heavily armored monks completely disrupted the formation of the thirty-odd guards and broke through their lines!
He didn't linger, nor did he lead his men to deal with the remaining militia, because he knew very well what his purpose was in leading his men out of the city. Without hesitation, he charged towards Wu Shuangren and Lin Qian, who were fighting in the distance!
Before he could lead his men closer, three gray-clad figures rushed towards them.
However, Xu Jing and Chen Tie arrived first with the three fastest militia battalions!
The group ran swiftly across the 500-zhang distance, their foreheads drenched in sweat, their chests heaving violently, and many could barely stand.
"Form ranks immediately and prepare to engage the enemy!"
Xu Jing, riding ahead, saw Ciwen leading the warrior monks toward Wu Shuangren and Lin Qian, and immediately shouted loudly.
Chen Tie also loudly ordered the battalion commanders and company commanders to immediately form ranks.
The three battalions quickly formed a spear formation, with the spear tips pointing diagonally forward like hedgehog quills.
Xu Jing and Chen Tie had one of the larger groups, which had relatively more stamina, form a battle formation first to meet Ciwen and the others.
These militiamen were all wearing leather armor, with only a few wearing lamellar armor. They faced off against the heavily armored enemy, and the two groups of people collided!
Ciwen ahead, his iron rod whistling through the air as he smashed several spears that were thrusting at him. He then stepped forward and smashed the shields of the first row.
Both shields shattered simultaneously, the militiamen holding the shields bent their arms, and fell to the side.
The spears from the rear continued to thrust forward, but Ciwen did not dodge at all. He let the spears pierce the armor of the infantrymen on his body. He simply swung the iron bar in his hand, smashing the men left and right, causing them to bleed profusely and break their bones!
The heavily armored monks followed behind him, swarming forward and thrusting their spears repeatedly.
With Ciwen as their spearhead, this armored warrior monk troop quickly tore through the ranks of the hundred-man battalion!
The dead and wounded lay scattered on the ground, their screams echoing through the air, and blood stained the dust red.
Immediately afterwards, a second brigade of 100 men came forward.
"Prickly to the hand! Prickly to the leg!"
Xu Jing shouted loudly from behind on horseback.
Although the monks wore heavy armor, their hands were exposed, and there were still gaps below their skirts.
This hundred-man squad was quickly overrun, but three heavily armored monks fell to the ground during the charge, their hands and feet pierced by spears!
Ciwen did not linger, because the third hundred-man battalion had already lined up and charged forward.
Xu Jing and Chen Tie intentionally adjusted the formation, reducing its width and increasing its thickness, and directed the militia brigade to spread out, advancing one after another.
After Ciwen led his heavily armored monks through the third hundred-man battalion, a fourth hundred-man battalion appeared before them.
More and more militiamen are on their way!
Ciwen looked up and saw several thousand troops behind him, arrayed in square formations, pressing forward in a dark mass.
Upon reaching the First Rank realm, one's physique undergoes a complete transformation, not only becoming stronger but also able to sustain Internal Skill for a longer period.
Having fought this far, Ciwen still has plenty of energy, and it wouldn't be difficult for him to break through several more hundred-man squads.
But how many more battalions would this militia have to fight their way through before they finally collapsed?
Having personally clashed with this Bo County Militia, he had truly experienced their combat strength.
Even officers and soldiers are nothing special!
There are many First Rank masters who have been worn down and killed on the battlefield, and Ciwen does not want to become another example.
He glanced back at the heavily armored monks behind him; seven or eight had already fallen.
These people are his last asset, his reliance for the future revival of Mist Hidden Temple.
No more deaths are allowed!
Ciwen decisively led the group in a roundabout route, charging back towards the city gate.
"I've done my best by leading men out of the city to rescue Lin Qian; no one can criticize me for anything."
With this in mind, Ciwen chose to withdraw.
On the other side, Wu Shuangren and Lin Qian had already exchanged over a hundred blows.
Wu Shuangren became smoother and more stable, and he had completely adapted to Lin Qian's marksmanship.
He used the "Cloud Tiger Seven Kills" technique, and at first he was drawn in by Lin Qian's spear momentum and found it difficult to gain leverage. But now, following the changes in the opponent's spear momentum, he successfully borrowed the force and began to "Stacking Waves".
The power in his blade grew stronger and stronger, and Lin Qian's spear thrust was instead enveloped by the wave of his blade!
Lin Qian's expression grew increasingly solemn.
He rose to fame at a young age and gradually became the head instructor of the Imperial Guards. He rarely suffered defeats in battles against the best fighters in the Imperial Guards and the experts of the Imperial Palace. He naturally possessed a strong sense of pride!
So even though he was initially entangled by Wu Shuangren and the enemy cavalry was about to arrive, Lin Qian remained calm and did not think he would be in any danger.
He managed to kill high-ranking officials and break through enemy lines in the capital; even if he's surrounded today, surely he can break through?
Later, Wu Shuangren told the arriving cavalry not to interfere and to continue fighting him one-on-one, which further fueled Lin Qian's arrogance!
Upon seeing Zhigang, Liang An, in order to save him, led his men to open the city gates and fight their way out.
Lin Qian became even more determined to defeat Wu Shuangren.
To catch the thief, first catch the king. As long as I capture Wu Shuangren, I can turn the tide for Mount Liang!
Even if Wu Shuangren is a genius, he's only eighteen years old. How can we let him bow down?
But having fought this far, Lin Qian had to put aside his pride...
Even if he continued fighting and unleashed his full potential, resorting to desperate measures, Lin Qian no longer had a guarantee of victory.
If this drags on any longer, it will only implicate more of the Mount Liang brothers, which is something Lin Qian cannot accept.
He took a deep breath, his blood and qi boiling, his joints cracking, and his aura changing as he used a method to unleash his potential!
Moreover, Wu Shuangren noticed that the [Snow Leopard] Traits above the other party's head was burning like flames.
Wu Shuangren's heart skipped a beat; he knew Lin Qian was about to fight to the death!
Lin Qian thrust his spear towards Wu Shuangren's abdomen. This was just a common, simple, level spear thrust, but Wu Shuangren couldn't dodge it and could only parry it with his sword, causing his sword strike to falter!
Lin Qian used the recoil from the shot to stagger backward.
Wu Shuangren immediately leaped after him, and Lin Qian gritted his teeth and turned around, exposing his back to Wu Shuangren.
Bang!
Wu Shuangren slashed at his shoulder, leaving a crack in his white armor, and the clear sound of bone breaking rang out!
Lin Qian staggered forward, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He used the momentum to burst forward again, his body almost touching the ground as he lunged forward.
Whoosh--
The white-armored warriors and silver spears once again kicked up a cloud of dust, leaving a trail of snow on the ground!
Compared to when he came out of the city to rescue Zhigang, Lin Qian was now even faster!
Wu Shuangren gave up after only a few steps.
In terms of straight-line speed, he was far inferior to Lin Qian and couldn't catch up at all.
When Wu Shuangren defeated Kongzheng, he realized a problem—
[Match for One Person] can guarantee that you will defeat the opponent, but may not be able to kill the opponent.
Facing these First Rate masters with astonishing potential and unique burst damage methods, killing them is extremely difficult.
If it weren't for the militia blocking his way, Kongzheng, who had lost an arm, would have had a chance to escape.
"Gentlemen, I've escaped. Let's get back to the city quickly—"
As Lin Qian ran, he activated his Internal Skill and shouted.
After he shouted, more blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
Wu Shuangren struck his shoulder with tremendous force, already causing internal injuries. Now, he was unleashing his potential and pushing his blood and qi beyond his limits, naturally exacerbating his injuries!
"Withdraw!"
"Back to the city--"
Upon hearing Lin Qian's voice, Liang An immediately ordered a retreat.
He surrounded Xu Yu and fought for Xu Yu time. Although he had the upper hand, Xu Yu had extremely keen intuition and could always make the right response at the critical moment. Therefore, Liang An failed to kill his opponent.
At that moment, he decisively abandoned Xu Yu and turned to run into the city.
The Mount Liang heroes rushed into the city, but many were entangled by Wu Shuangren's guards and militia, making it difficult for them to escape.
As Ciwen led the heavily armored monks back into the city, Wu Shuangren led several large battalions of militia across the drawbridge and stormed into the city!
142. The old friend is gone, and my heart is restless in the quiet night.
In Yi Prefecture City, the streets have been deserted for the past few days, with people staying at home and afraid to go out.
Suddenly, shouts of killing erupted from the street.
The sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, clashing weapons, and screams rose and fell in waves!
People peeked through the cracks in the doors and windows and saw groups of people fleeing in disarray.
A moment later, groups of people and horses roared past, chasing after those in front.
On this day, the north gate of Yi Prefecture City opened first, followed by the opening of the other three gates, and people fled the city in droves.
The hustle and bustle of the city gradually subsided as noon approached.
"Close all city gates and treat the wounded!"
Wu Shuangren, his iron armor stained with blood and with many plates broken, raised his longsword and gave orders.
When he led his main force into the city, the battle was already over.
Both Zhigang and Lin Qian were seriously injured, Ciwen was focused on conserving his strength, having no intention of continuing the fight.
Liang An was also a calm and rational person, and he knew that the situation was hopeless.
Therefore, neither the people of Mount Liang nor the people of Mist Hidden Temple had any will to resist; they only wanted to retreat as quickly as possible.
Eventually, both sides' forces escaped through the other three city gates.
Wu Shuangren led his men in pursuit for a while, but they did not chase them out of the city.
Firstly, occupying the state capital is of utmost importance.
Secondly, after clashing with several top experts, his physical strength had been greatly depleted, and he needed rest and food.
He then ordered the city gates closed and the wounded treated.
Until the four city gates were closed again, their own militia stood on the city walls.
Only then was Yi Prefecture City truly recaptured!
Xu Jing immediately sought information about his third uncle, Xu Dengyun. Most of his subordinates had been killed, and some were imprisoned.
After releasing the imprisoned soldiers, Xu Jing learned from several veterans who had participated in the battle for the North Gate that Xu Dengyun had been killed in action.
"... That man was wearing infantry armor and wielding an iron rod. He could easily send people flying with a single blow; our men couldn't stop him at all!"
"Later, the great master from the Xu family arrived on horseback, but was still defeated..."
"... General Xu charged forward with his sword, only to be knocked down... and then, in front of everyone, the man struck General Xu repeatedly with a club..."
"... General Xu was still shouting at the very end, urging everyone to hold the city gate!"
Several veterans recounted the battle, their voices choked with emotion.
"..."
Xu Jing stood still, his fists clenched tightly.
After learning of the fall of Yi Prefecture City, he had a feeling that his third uncle was probably in grave danger.
But he still held onto a sliver of hope, never imagining that the reality would be so cruel as to be many times worse than he had imagined!