The people of Yao City wept openly. Cultivators who had rushed from afar gazed at the horrific scene and wiped away the hot tears that streamed endlessly from their eyes. Some hot-blooded cultivators, heedless of the blood-soaked ground, drew their blades and charged at the two Innate Realm experts.
“Who dares to stand in my way!” the two Innate Realm national masters of Sha bellowed. They swung their weapons, smashing soldiers and cultivators into bloody masses.
“Stop them!” The soldiers and cultivators pressed forward one after another, fearless in the face of death. They all knew that if the KingUa of Yao were captured, the entire kingdom would fall to ruin and its people would perish. They had heard of Sha’s brutality. If Sha found an opening, they would surely trample Yao underfoot.
The soldiers and cultivators threw themselves forward. It was sheep against tigers. Though they fought without fear of death, they could not withstand the ferocity. One by one, they fell into pools of blood.
This was a heroic tableau that would be recorded in Yao’s annals. Ordinary citizens of Yao watched with moist eyes, their gazes red with grief.
No one could halt the two Innate Realm masters. They continued to slaughter Yao’s soldiers and cultivators, blood flowing across the ground.
Su Rong stood in place, her eyes wet, her body trembling. Her gaze fixed tightly in one direction. Her fists were clenched as she waited for Zhang Su’er to appear.
In Su Rong’s anxious wait, a figure finally shot forth from that direction. An old man strode out like a towering monument, wielding a long spear. With astonishing speed, he blocked the national masters of Sha.
“Hold!” His thunderous shout drew every eye to him. Seeing the old man’s overwhelming presence, hope flickered in the hearts of the despairing crowd.
“It’s the old Marquis of Weiyuan!” the people of Yao City roared with excitement, colour returning to their pale faces.
“It really is the old Marquis! The old Marquis is here! Everyone, give everything to hold them back!” the cultivators shouted. The Marquis of Weiyuan was one of only four Innate Realm experts in Yao City.
Two national masters guarded the royal palace, and Yao’s generals were stationed far away, unable to return in time.
“Marquis of Weiyuan!” The faces of Sha’s national masters shifted. They knew this man well. Years ago, he had led armies that kept Sha from daring to raise its head. Only three years earlier, when the King of Yao suddenly stripped him of military authority, had Sha been given breathing room.
He was one of the people Sha hated most. Were it not for him, Sha might already have seized Yao’s fertile lands.
“Today we kill you and avenge our fallen soldiers!” Sha’s national masters roared. Power surged from them as they swept their attacks towards the Marquis of Weiyuan.
The Marquis met them with his spear. When the blows collided, the resulting blast of force struck nearby soldiers like burning blades.
“Sha Tianyun, I’ll hold this old man. You go capture their king!” One of Sha’s national masters knew the Marquis was no easy opponent and could not be taken quickly. He could only stall him and let his companion seize the King of Yao.
“None of you are leaving!” the Marquis of Weiyuan bellowed. He thrust his spear to intercept both, but before the strike could land, it was blocked by the opponent’s spiked club.
“You’ll stay and play with me.” As he spoke, the spiked club swept out, its hedgehog-like barbs stabbing viciously towards the Marquis, intent on piercing him through.
The Marquis was forced to dodge and parry. His spear clashed and drove the opponent back several steps. The enemy’s hand trembled. The Marquis held the upper hand.
Yet this slight advantage was useless. He could not force the opponent away, and with Sha’s other Innate Realm expert still unblocked, no one could stop them.
“Let the old Marquis hold one. We stop the other!” the captain of the guards shouted, leading his men in a charge towards Sha Tianyun to buy the king time to escape.
“Hah… nothing but sheep!” Sha Tianyun laughed loudly. In this blood-drenched place, the sound was utterly terrifying. His spiked club swept out, spraying blood. Crimson rivers flowed, staining the palace red.
The people of Yao burned with rage. Heedless of their lives, they threw themselves forward, treading the blood-soaked earth, using their bodies to impede Sha Tianyun and buy their king a little more time.
“Get back!” the Marquis of Weiyuan roared. He stabbed fiercely, eyes blazing red at the blood beneath his feet. This was the land he had once defended, yet now, before his very eyes, the people of Yao City were being slaughtered.
“You hate me for killing so few?” Sha’s national master laughed. Power exploded from him as his spiked club swept out, intent on shattering the Marquis.
The Marquis burned with fury, desperate to stop the carnage, but he was pinned. He could only watch helplessly as one person after another collapsed into pools of blood.
“My King! You must not advance! Fall back!” A group of guards surrounded the King of Yao, trying to hold him back.
“Out of my way! My people are dying! How could this king cower like a turtle?” the king roared. He stepped onto the battlefield, bow in hand, drew it taut, and loosed an arrow towards Sha Tianyun.
But it could not harm Sha Tianyun. With a casual push of his hand, the arrow was deflected by his qi and fell to the ground.
“Good! Good! You finally show yourself. I’ll capture you and force Yao to cede its fertile cities to us!” Sha Tianyun laughed. His spiked club spun faster. No one could stop him.
“Out of the way! Anyone who blocks this national master dies!” Sha Tianyun roared, carving a bloody path forward.
Su Rong, escorting Zhang Su’er, rushed into the palace and took position beside the king. “Father! You must leave first!”
Su Rong despaired. Innate Realm experts were too terrifying. They could not be stopped. Without cultivators of the same level, Yao was doomed.
“Stand aside!” the King of Yao roared. “Where could I flee? Better to die in battle here than become a prisoner! If I do not fall into their hands, they cannot threaten Yao. Yao still has hope!”
Seeing the King of Yao raise his weapon to face Sha Tianyun, Su Rong stared at the unstoppable advance. Her throat rasped with grief, her eyes swollen and bloodshot. She seized a bloodied weapon from a nearby soldier and took her place guarding the king.
The people of Yao City saw Sha Tianyun about to reach the king. They cried out in anguish. If anything happened to the king, Yao would fall, homes would be destroyed. All their peaceful lives would burn to ash.
It was a tragic, heroic scene. Su Rong had never dreamed that on her birthday such horrors would unfold. Wiping away streaming tears, despair filled her heart. No one could save them. All that remained was to fight to the death.
“Kill!” those beside the king roared, hair standing on end, staking their lives to defend their kingdom.
Sha Tianyun sneered. His spiked club swept out, instantly sending several flying. He advanced several steps.
“Enough!” Su Rong glared, gripping the bloodied weapon tightly, ready to charge forward and die fighting.
Just when all hope seemed lost, a figure landed in front of Sha Tianyun. Seizing a nearby round log, he blocked Sha Tianyun’s strike with raw force. The tremendous impact drew every gaze in the vicinity.
Su Rong and Zhang Su’er stared at the figure, hands over their mouths, eyes wide, tears of agitation flowing. He… he actually came? But… this is the Innate Realm!
