CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60: WAITING_1

"All soldiers, heed my command! Defend the city to the death!," Duan Shouming commanded, his voice stern as he gripped his battle sword.

All the city’s defenders, poised for battle, understood one crucial truth: if Demonfire City fell, the Holy Fire Sect would be finished. Their families, their descendants, would be enslaved by the Qin Dynasty.

"Release the arrows!," a commander shouted, personally drawing his bow. The bowstring, pulled taut like a full moon, launched an arrow that struck with immense force, felling an enemy soldier ten thousand feet away.

Scarlet blood spurted, staining the ground and heralding the overture of death.

Countless arrows formed showers, raining down from the sky and obscuring the heavens.

During the assault, many Qin Dynasty soldiers perished, sacrificing their young lives. Yet, their deaths did not cause their comrades to retreat. Instead, it ignited their fighting spirit. Roaring, they charged with even greater ferocity. A surging murderous aura shook the battlefield like a rampaging demon!

"Valiant old Qin, together we face this national calamity!"

"Who says we lack tunics? With you, I share my robes. The King raises his armies; I ready my dagger-axe and spear. With you, I share this hatred!"

A desolate, ancient war song traversed the corridors of time, echoing across the battlefield, resounding between heaven and earth. Innumerable Qin Dynasty soldiers charged, fearless in the face of death, like a raging torrent.

Who were they? They were the invincible soldiers of the Qin Empire! As soldiers of the Qin Empire, they only advanced and never retreated.

After a few minutes, having suffered tens of thousands of casualties, the Qin Dynasty troops reached the foot of the city walls and began their assault. Some used brute force to demolish the walls, while others employed lightness skills to soar into the air.

Soon, Qin Dynasty soldiers breached the top of the city walls, engaging in fierce combat. Severed heads flew, mangled bodies were flung aside, and blood splattered, streaming down the fortifications.

A dense Evil Qi permeated the surroundings, blanketing an area hundreds of miles wide.

Both the Qin Dynasty troops and the Holy Fire Sect soldiers fought with reckless abandon, unleashing their full might.

KILL!

At this moment, a resounding voice echoed through heaven and earth. Fifty thousand Qin Dynasty cavalrymen, led by Zhao Yun, surged onto the city walls, emanating a crimson killing intent.

These soldiers brandished ancient swords, unleashing sharp Sword Qi that annihilated every enemy they encountered. They tore a bloody breach in the heavily fortified city walls.

Wherever they passed, blood rained down.

They were an unstoppable force!

"Quickly, stop them!," Duan Shouming commanded, his expression darkening slightly.

As his words fell, an elite army surged out from within the city. Clad in golden armor engraved with the Holy Fire Sect’s Heavenly Dragon symbol, they radiated an incredibly potent aura. There were about two hundred thousand of them.

This army was the Holy City’s defense force, equivalent to the Imperial Guard, and the most formidable among all their troops. They were dispatched only in the most dire of situations.

To protect Demonfire City, the Holy Fire Sect was betting everything.

"Form ranks! Attack!," a golden-armored commander roared. The two-hundred-thousand-strong army rapidly formed up, each soldier emanating a fiery light, charging towards the Qin Dynasty cavalry like a mobile sea of fire.

Their powerful aura and awe-inspiring momentum were in no way inferior to those of a Saint Realm Martial Artist.

Based on this alone, the Holy Fire Sect was stronger than the Qin Empire. At the very least, when Qin Dynasty soldiers formed battle arrays, they could only contend with Heaven Realm Martial Artists and were no match for Saint Realm Martial Artists.

"Formations, huh?," Zhao Yun mused after felling an enemy, his gaze fixed on the fire-wreathed enemy troops, a hint of battle intent in his eyes. His Saint Realm power fully erupted as he charged forward alone.

One man against an army of two hundred thousand!

The prowess of a supreme expert, displayed for all to see!

"Pear Blossom Rainstorm Spear!," Zhao Yun roared upon nearing the enemy ranks. Countless spear images, like blossoming pear flowers, erupted from his shining silver spear. They were exquisitely beautiful, but as the saying goes, the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it can be.

Hidden within these spear flowers were innumerable strands of spear Qi, each capable of exploding with world-tearing energy.

The rain of spear flowers descended upon the two hundred thousand enemy soldiers.

Upon contact, the spear flowers withered, and the spear Qi burst forth, carrying a staggering spear intent.

"Not good!," the commander of the Holy City’s defense force exclaimed, his face draining of color. He sensed a deadly crisis; this spear Qi was too formidable.

The spear intent was irresistible!

What happened next seared itself into his mind, a heart-wrenching scene.

The sea of fire enveloping the outer fringes of the army failed to stop the rain-like spear Qi. Countless soldiers were struck, exploding into clouds of blood mist, their bodies sent flying.

In the blink of an eye, nearly fifty thousand of the two hundred thousand Holy City defenders had perished.

The surviving Holy City defenders were terror-stricken. Despite their years in the military, they had never encountered such a formidable foe. It created the illusion that, in the eyes of the white-robed general before them, their meticulously arranged battle formation was nothing more than a toy.

In truth, it was.

Zhao Yun retracted his shining silver spear, his expression unchanging as he surveyed the battlefield. The Spiritual Energy within him churned, and he thrust his spear once more.

The world turned stark white! The sunlight outside Purple Hell was completely enveloped by the spear Qi. Above Demonfire City, a white spear Qi coalesced. Its shimmering cold light and permeating aura made heaven and earth tremble.

BOOM!

The faces of the Holy City defense force soldiers contorted in terror. They had no time to react. Accompanied by a deafening explosion, dust billowed, and a giant crater appeared within Demonfire City.

The Holy City’s defense force was decimated!

"Kill, kill, kill..."

This massively boosted the Qin Dynasty army’s morale. Their eyes blazing with fervor, they swarmed up the walls from all directions.

"Brothers, follow me! We fight to the death!," the commander of the Holy City’s defense force shouted to the heavens, his eyes turning bloodshot. He continued to lead the charge. They possessed a fanatical faith; without orders to withdraw, they would fight to the death, never retreating.

Atop the city tower, Duan Shouming drew his weapon and, leading his trusted aides, charged into the fray.

This battle: victory or death!

Live with the city!

Die with the city!

"Should we intervene?"

Not far away, in a dark, distant corner of the Void, five figures stood erect like sharp swords, silently observing the battlefield. Their auras were concealed, unnoticed by anyone.

These five were the Five Sword Attendants of the Sword Sect. Their ranks, Sword One through Sword Five, denoted their relative strength.

"We’ll wait a little longer," Sword One said, raising an eyebrow and shaking his head. His sharp gaze landed on a particular spot in the Void, a hint of combat intent flickering within. Acquaintances, huh? Anyone meeting that gaze would see a sea of swords.

Tens of thousands of feet away, four figures stood holding battle sabers, observing the swordsmen across Changkong.

For a moment, in the Void, sabers and swords vied for supremacy.

"Boss, shall we make our move?," Can Dao, one of the four sabermen, asked coldly, his voice hoarse and devoid of emotion.

"Wait!," Kill Dao, the leader of the four sabermen, replied, cradling his battle saber, showing no inclination to act. The Sword Attendants were waiting, and so would he.

Both the Holy Fire Sect and the Qin Empire were formidable, so neither wished to act prematurely. They were all waiting for both sides to suffer heavy losses, hoping to then reap the benefits.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, a formidable legion advanced at top speed. Dressed in black and white sect uniforms and wielding various weapons, they resembled soul-reaping specters.

An overwhelmingly strong Evil Qi enveloped the legion from above, forming a pillar of blood that seemed to support the sky, standing tall between heaven and earth.