The Nine Cauldrons

Attack! Attack! Attack!

As the great earth rumbled, Teng Qingshan gripped the Splitting Mountain Axe. Then like a demonic god, he slashed madly toward the Blind Swordmaster.

“Hmph,” the Blind Swordmaster scoffed. His heart was filled with rage.

He was an expert who had attained the Emptiness Realm Culmination. How was it possible for anyone to force him into a corner like this?

“Jing Yi is exhibiting a strength that is slightly over 80% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth. Moreover, his close-range offensive body art is too fast. Even if I didn’t have to protect Gu Yong, my close-range battle speed would still be about the same as his close-range battle speed,” the Blind Swordmaster thought in surprise as well as anger.

In the Land of the Nine Prefectures, even most of the experts who had attained the Emptiness Realm Culmination could only use ninety percent of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth during a fight as around ten percent was expended.

As for the Blind Swordmaster, he could perform 100% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth perfectly without causing any internal friction. Thus, amongst the Emptiness Realm Experts in the Land of the Nine Prefectures, the Blind Swordmaster was absolutely considered as a figure who stood on the pinnacle. However, at this moment, he was protecting Gu Yong, pulling Gu Yong around with one hand. This prevented the Blind Swordmaster from being able to utilize his full strength. Therefore, he was on par with Teng Qingshan in this fight.

Actually, he might even be losing.

“Chi!”

“Chi!”

The black beams of light and the strikes of the axe clashed repeatedly. The fierce attacks caused the earth to tremble like two huge demonic beasts were fighting ferociously. The area of several hundred Zhang beneath the eastern city wall was in a mess as smoke and dust filled the air. The soldiers of Qing Hu Island also tried to avoid this area.

One should know that many soldiers had died because of the fight between the two Emptiness Realm Experts.

On the city wall, Zhuge Yuanhong held his long sword as he alone guarded approximately ten Zhang of the area. Whenever the soldiers of the Qing Hu Island charged inside that ten Zhang range, Zhuge Yuanhong would kill them with just one slash. However, the other people in the other areas were not able to keep guard as easily as Zhuge Yuanhong. One should know that there were a total of twenty thousand Silver Dragon Guards among the army of Qing Hu Island.

However, there were also over forty hundred thousand ordinary soldiers.

The troops flooded in from three directions, with fifty thousand soldiers in each direction. The number of soldiers on Qing Hu Island’s side was far greater than that of the Gui Yuan Sect.

“I didn’t expect that Qingshan could fight the Blind Swordmaster directly.” Amidst the fight, Zhuge Yuanhong glanced down and saw the terrifying fight between the two Emptiness Realm Experts. Seeing this, he was thrilled as he thought to himself, “Qingshan is only 22… Yet, his improving speed has actually reached such a speed.”

“It is indeed fortunate to have Qingshan stalling the Blind Swordmaster. This way, the Gui Yuan Sect will be able to fight a fair battle against the great army of Qing Hu Island.” The strikes and slashes of Zhuge Yuanhong’s sword were merciless. With each strike and slash, bodies collapsed.

Indeed, they needed a fair fight!

If Teng Qingshan weren’t here to stop the Blind Swordmaster, the Blind Swordmaster could easily kill the Sovereign of the Gui Yuan Sect and the Law Enforcing Elders. By that time, the higher-positioned people of the Gui Yuan Sect would be all dead, and the morale of the Gui Yuan Sect’s soldiers would plummet. The Blind Swordmaster could then blast the city gates open with his rod and allow the great army of Qing Hu Island to charge in with ease.

This was why an army with an Emptiness Realm Expert held the absolute advantage. It was simply unfair to the opposing side.

However, now…

The Gui Yuan Sect could fight fair and square with Qing Hu Island!

“Attack!”

“Attack!”

Qinghu’s entire body was covered with blood. He alone guarded an area of three Zhang. The silver long spear in his hands swung about, leaving behind numerous afterimages. “Pew! Pew! Pew!” The spear pierced through the throats and heads of his enemies, and their bodies were flicked away with ease. Every move Qinghu performed was ‘Flashing Fire,’ one of the Five Techniques of the Ardent Flame.

“Brothers, kill him!” The soldiers of Qing Hu Island obviously noticed the tough guy, Qinghu. Immediately, five Silver Dragon Soldiers approached Qinghu with great speed, climbing up the escalade concurrently.

“Haha, die!”

Qinghu guffawed, and the silver long spear in his hand moved instantly, leaving numerous afterimages. It happened at a speed akin to that of gunpowder being set alight. In the blink of an eye, the spear slashed through the masks donned by the five approaching Silver Dragon Guards. However, the swords and spears of the soldiers still struck Qinghu’s body. As Qinghu brandished his spear, the five bodies tumbled down.

The move he had just performed was ‘Wildfire Flames,’ one of the Five Techniques of the Ardent Flame.

After what had happened at the Great Yan Mountain in the past, Teng Qingshan had been pursued by Qing Hu Island as he fled throughout the entire continent. Following that incident, Qinghu had loathed the fact that he hadn’t been powerful enough. Therefore, when he returned to Gui Yuan Sect, he had analyzed and practiced the 《Five Techniques of the Ardent Flame》arduously. Within three years, Qinghu had successfully learned the 《Five Techniques of the Ardent Flame》, and he became one of the most powerful experts in the Black Armored Army.

Later on, Zhuge Yuanhong made Qinghu drink a drop of the ‘Elixir of the Northern Sea.’ Thus, Qinghu was able to reach the pinnacle of the Postliminary Realm.

With the great strength acquired through the 《Reckless Bull Power Burst》 and Scarlet Fruit Wine, as well as the power of the 《Five Techniques of the Ardent Flame》, Qinghu’s name spread far and wide. As a matter of fact, he had even entered the 《Earthly Ranking》.

“Young Sovereign,” Qinghu said as his facial expression turned grim.

Nearby, Zhuge Yun had just been slashed, causing a huge wound to emerge on his body. Zhuge Yun rapidly turned and killed the soldiers of Qinghu Island with a lightning-fast strike. However, it was obvious that if this continued, Zhuge Yun would die. Immediately, with the sweep of his long spear, Qinghu blocked some enemies for Zhuge Yun.

“I need a few people here!” Qinghu shouted loudly, requesting that someone replace Zhuge Yun.

“Qinghu, I don’t have much inner strength left,” said Zhuge Yun with a ghastly countenance. “The other brothers probably don’t have much left either.”

“Inner strength?” Qinghu’s facial expression changed.

Qinghu had drunk the Scarlet Fruit Wine. So, along with his great strength of ten thousand Jin, he could continue killing even without the use of Inner strength. However, the other soldiers couldn’t. Only a few people in the Gui Yuan Sect had drunk the Scarlet Fruit Wine. Thus, when the others used up all their inner strength, their battle strength would naturally plummet.

“Puchi!” “Puchi!”

As Qinghu scanned his surroundings, he noticed that more and more of his brothers were dying. At the beginning, the members of the Gui Yuan Sect had enough inner strength. They had worked together and killed the incoming enemies. However, as time passed, more and more of the members of the Gui Yuan Sect died. In the end, only the experts who had attained the pinnacle of the Postliminary Realm would continue on.

“Lao Ye.” As Qinghu watched his brothers die one after the other, pain surged within his heart.

“Attack!”

“Attack!” Another loud shout of attack rang out. Immediately after, countless soldiers donned in black heavy armor emblazoned with patterns of dragons stormed up the stairs to the city wall.

“This—” Qinghu, Zhuge Yun, and the others were astounded.

This group of soldiers dressed in dragon patterned black armor were nimble and cooperative. They killed the incoming enemies easily and forced the enemies back. Even the Silver Dragon Guards were easily killed by these soldiers. These soldiers donned in dragon pattern armor were on another level!

“When did the Gui Yuan Sect get such powerful troops?” Zhuge Yun was shocked.

“Indeed.” Qinghu was stunned as well.

They could tell that the group of soldiers possessed the strength of experts at the pinnacle of the Postliminary Realm. These soldiers were all First Rated Warriors! Throughout the entirety of Yangzhou, the only elite troop formed with purely First Rated Warriors was the Golden Scale Guard of Qing Hu Island. The Golden Scale Guard was an elite troop which was much more powerful than the Silver Dragon Guards. Normally, Qing Hu Island could win a battle just by sending several hundred Golden Scale Guards.

However—

Now, the Gui Yuan Sect also had a troop formed with purely First Rated Warriors. Moreover, the number of elite soldiers in this troop was far greater than the elite soldiers in Qing Hu Island’s Golden Scale Guard! One should know that there were originally two hundred First Rated Warriors on the eastern city wall. However, the number of heavy armored First Rated Warriors had increased by a total of two thousand!

It became a massacre!

It was a total massacre! Even the Silver Dragon Guards were killed easily, let alone the ordinary soldiers of Qing Hu Island. For a moment, Qing Hu Island’s army formation collapsed.

Actually, the eastern city wall was not the only area with an increase of two thousand First Rated Warriors. Both the northern city wall and the western city wall also gained two thousand First Rated Warriors. Those soldiers were part of the secret troop of the Gui Yuan Sect, the most powerful troop—Six Thousand Longgang Guards!

“If Qing Hu Island didn’t rely on an Emptiness Realm Expert, they would never be able to obliterate the Gui Yuan Sect.” When Zhuge Yuanhong saw that the situation of the battle immediately changed the moment the Dragon Mound Vanguards emerged, he couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief.

Actually, ever since what happened at the Great Yan Mountain and after Teng Qingshan gave them the two jars of Elixir of the Northern Sea, Gui Yuan Sect had immediately begun selecting some teenagers with exceedingly high talents in the art of blade, spear, and other weapons. These teenagers had been asked to focus on the cultivation of the spear art and the blade art. They didn’t have to spend much time cultivating inner strength. All these teenagers analyzed and studied the art of blade and the art of spear with all their hearts and minds.

This huge group of teenagers were exceptional in the cultivation of blade art and spear art. When Zhuge Yuanhong became aware of the crisis last night, he had commanded the six thousand teenagers to each drink a drop of the Elixir of the North Sea. Thus, six thousand First Rated Warriors were immediately created.

The six thousand teenagers possessed the inner strength of experts who had attained the pinnacle of the Postliminary Realm. With four years of training and four years of arduous cultivation of blade and spear art, the teenagers exhibited an incredible strength.

Indeed, when the Longgang Guards appeared, the strength they showed was astounding.

“Now, it all depends on Qingshan.” Zhuge Yuanhong looked down as he thought to himself, “If Qingshan loses and fails to stop the Blind Swordmaster, winning the battle will be useless.”

This battle of survival eventually depended on the result of the fight between the two Emptiness Realm Experts.

Beneath the city wall, the fight between Teng Qingshan and the Blind Swordmaster caused an eruption of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth, which killed a huge number of soldiers.

“Jing Yi is too despicable.” The Blind Swordmaster could feel the rage burning within his heart. With the use of the Sound Transmission Technique, he said to Qingshan, “Jing Yi, if you have the ability, just fight me alone. Stop attacking Gu Yong. You are sneakily attacking a junior. Don’t you feel embarrassed?”

“Hmph, sneakily attacking? You gave the command for the city to be attacked and for the Gui Yuan Sect to be obliterated. Yet I can’t kill someone from Qing Hu Island?” Teng Qingshan replied. At this moment, he was in an extremely frenzied state. His body continued approaching the Blind Swordmaster in numerous strange ways, making it very difficult for the Blind Swordmaster to keep a distance from him. Moreover, Teng Qingshan also performed his axe art and hacked repeatedly at the Blind Swordmaster, refusing to give the Blind Swordmaster any time to rest.

The Blind Swordmaster was losing!

Indeed, even though the Blind Swordmaster was reluctant to admit, the truth was that he was losing. He had to protect Gu Yong with one hand, and because of this, his actions and speed were also. Therefore, the Blind Swordmaster could only perform with eighty percent of his full strength.

This made him furious!

Jing Yi was not winning fairly!

“Gu Yong, move to the side.” The Blind Swordmaster pushed forcefully as he enveloped Gu Yong in a ball of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth. Like a streak of flowing light, Gu Yong shot into the distance.

“Die! Jing Yi!’

When the Blind Swordmaster could finally use both of his hands, he roared out in rage. The thin rod in his hand instantly transformed into several black beams of light which thrusted toward Teng Qingshan. The black beams of light were so great in number and so fast that Teng Qingshan couldn’t dodge them at all.

“Haha. Old fool, are you going crazy? You can’t stand it anymore?” Teng Qingshan said while laughing loudly. Then the Splitting Mountain Axe in his hands began moving rapidly. The surface of the axe’s blade seemed like a small shield, making it much easier to defend with an axe than with the blade or sword. Moreover, the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》 also had defensive moves.

“Whew~~~Whew~~”

As Teng Qingshan used the Splitting Mountain Axe, numerous images of the axe enveloped Teng Qingshan, blocking him completely. For a moment, it was as though Teng Qingshan had transformed into an ‘egg.’

“Clang! Clang! Clang! …”

The beams of light were all blocked by the Splitting Mountain Axe, and not one of the black beams of light hurt Teng Qingshan. “How is this possible? How could his defensive moves be this intricate…” Seeing this, the Blind Swordmaster was stunned.

“Whoosh!”

Teng Qingshan, who had transformed into an ‘egg,’ immediately transformed into a beam of red light and darted toward Gu Yong.

“Despicable.” The Blind Swordmaster dashed out almost at the same time.

“Despicable? Old fool, since you said so, I will be despicable.” Teng Qingshan had moved first, so he was slightly ahead of the Blind Swordmaster.

Like that, the two of them dashed toward Gu Yong.