"All soldiers, charge with me!"
From the wreckage of the exploded carriage, a fully armored Wu Kuang roared and leaped out like a tiger bursting from its cage, charging straight into the dense forest!
"Kill—!"
Chen Sheng had already tossed his shield aside, drawing the Treasure Saber, Shehan, with a reverse grip.
Where his blade pointed, the surrounding elite soldiers, who had been in a panic, quickly steadied themselves. With a roar, they followed him into the fray.
This time, Chen Sheng held nothing back. With Huang Ren dead, he no longer had a rival, but he still needed military merit to pave the way for his future promotions.
And with Captain Nie personally overseeing the ambush, he believed their chances of victory were extremely high.
Deep within the forest, the unending sound of clashing and booming echoed. It was clear that Nie Yuanliu had already targeted the bandit chief. After just a few exchanges, the burly chief cried out in terror, completely suppressed and forced to hastily order a retreat.
But Nie Yuanliu was a master strategist; how could he let them escape?
The dozens of elite soldiers from the Official Army who had come to their senses wouldn't give them the chance, either.
Chen Sheng fully unleashed his ferocious side. After several days of arduous training, both his Sword Skill and his Cultivation had improved again.
Although it was only the Basic Knife Technique, honed through life-and-death battles on the field, it was exceptionally suited for real combat. Slashes, hacks, chops, and upward swings—his moves were simple and direct, without any flourish. Every strike was aimed to kill, making them incredibly efficient.
Ordinary rebels couldn't last a single exchange against him. Even the minor leaders among the rebel army were no match for him.
The Shehan, his Treasure Saber, was incomparably sharp. It often sliced through his opponents' weapons with ease, followed by a flash of its blade and a head falling to the ground.
In the blink of an eye, the forest descended into a chaotic melee.
However, the Official Army, thanks to their prior preparations and Nie Yuanliu's terrifying power, quickly gained the absolute upper hand. His Innate True Qi swept through the battlefield unopposed. Other than the bandit chief, no one could withstand a single blow from him.
The rebels soon began to rout.
Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang led the left and right flanks in pursuit, cutting off the rebels' escape routes. Seeing that escape was hopeless, an ugly, scar-faced man suddenly leaped from the rebel ranks. He intended to cover the retreat, positioning himself to block Chen Sheng, who was at the forefront of the charge.
He wielded a heavy Nine-Ring Saber, a savage light glinting in his eyes, tinged with a hint of madness. He roared and lunged at Chen Sheng. The wind howled from his powerful, heavy swing, which actually managed to halt Chen Sheng's advance.
CLANG—!
Metal shrieked against metal, and sparks flew!
This time, the Treasure Saber, Shehan, failed to slice through the Nine-Ring Saber in one go. It only managed to carve a small notch into the blade. It was clear that while his opponent's weapon was not a Treasure Soldier, its material was exceptionally tough.
What alarmed Chen Sheng even more was his opponent's ferocious strength, which faintly overpowered his own. The direct clash sent a slight numbness through his arm, forcing him back half a step.
'Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, a Bone Forging Martial Master!'
Since practicing the Golden Bell Body Refining Technique, Chen Sheng's strength had far surpassed others at his level; he could lift a seven-hundred-jin stone lock. To be suppressed in terms of raw power now spoke volumes about his opponent's might.
Knowing he had met a powerful foe, Chen Sheng's gaze sharpened, and he didn't dare to be the least bit careless.
His saber's momentum suddenly shifted from hard to deft. He expertly executed several simple variations from his Basic Knife Technique—a slash here, an upward swing there, a sweep, a parry. Each move was steady, forming an impenetrable defense.
Though the scar-faced man's strength was ferocious, his speed was not lacking. The heavy saber flew in his hands, somehow keeping up with the speed of Chen Sheng's changing techniques.
CLANG!
BANG!
CLINK!
In a flash, the two had already exchanged over a dozen blows.
The glint of blades was dizzying and Fierce Qi radiated outwards, turning the area several zhang wide into a death zone. The surrounding soldiers dared not approach, afraid of interfering with Chen Sheng.
Under his opponent's stormy barrage of attacks, Chen Sheng was slightly on the defensive but never lost his footing, steadily blocking one lethal strike after another.
After a stalemate of several dozen breaths, Chen Sheng keenly sensed that his opponent's strength and speed were rapidly declining. His attacks no longer held their earlier ferocity.
'An opening!'
A cold light flashed in Chen Sheng's eyes. How could he let such a perfect opportunity slip by? He spotted a clear flaw in his opponent's form. With a flick of his blade, he deftly parried the incoming Nine-Ring Saber, leaving the man's chest wide open!
The next moment, the qi and blood in Chen Sheng's body surged. He poured it all into his saber, Shehan, holding nothing back!
A streak of black, cold light shot out like a viper striking from its den, flashing past in an instant!
PSHHHT—!
The sickening thud of a sharp weapon tearing through flesh and bone was heard.
The scar-faced man's movements froze. The madness in his eyes was swiftly replaced by horror and disbelief. That single strike had nearly split him open diagonally from his left shoulder to his chest!
He couldn't even let out a cry of pain before he fell heavily onto his back, his blood instantly staining the dead leaves beneath him.
Chen Sheng slowly sheathed his saber. His chest heaved as he let out a long, turbid breath.
The fight had been short but exceptionally perilous. This was the strongest enemy he had faced to date. If not for his solid foundation, proficient Sword Skill, and sharp blade, he might not have been able to win.
"Your Sword Skill fundamentals are solid, and you adapt well on the battlefield."
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the side.
Chen Sheng looked toward the voice and saw Wu Kuang leaning against a large tree not far away. He had his arms crossed and was watching the fight, a look of surprise and admiration on his face.
"Commander!"
Chen Sheng quickly cupped his fists in salute.
Wu Kuang nodded slightly. His gaze swept over the gruesome corpse on the ground, then he looked Chen Sheng up and down. "Your actual combat strength is already on par with the ordinary Bone Forging realm."
"That man was a Bone Forging Martial Master?"
Chen Sheng feigned surprise as he glanced at the corpse.
"Not necessarily."
Wu Kuang shook his head. "Judging by how his strength failed and his qi and blood became unstable at the end, he most likely took a potent drug like a Violent Blood Pill. It forcibly stimulated his potential, giving him power comparable to the Bone Forging realm for a short time. It wouldn't be wrong to call him a pseudo-Bone Forging practitioner."
He had actually been watching from the side for quite some time, having arrived when Chen Sheng and his opponent were locked in a stalemate.
But he saw that Chen Sheng was gradually gaining control of the fight's rhythm, so he didn't intervene. A life-and-death battle between evenly matched opponents is the best way to temper a warrior. Since the overall outcome was already decided, he was happy to let Chen Sheng use this opportunity to hone himself.
"I see."
Chen Sheng understood. He had, of course, heard of the Violent Blood Pill. The army kept a stock of them for desperate, life-or-death situations. Taking one granted a short burst of explosive power, but the price was immense. It could easily damage one's foundation, so no one would use it lightly.
"Is the battle over?" Chen Sheng asked, changing the subject.
"The remaining bandits are being cleaned up; not many will escape. Captain Nie went after the bandit chief himself..." Before Wu Kuang could finish, the piercing whistle of something tearing through the air suddenly came from the distance!
Both men looked up at the same time—
They saw a figure in Profound Armor speeding out from the depths of the forest. His movements were as graceful and swift as lightning. With each light tap of his toes on a branch or leaf, he would skim forward several zhang as if walking on flat ground. It was like Crossing the Void. In the blink of an eye, he was before them!
It was none other than Nie Yuanliu.
He held a spear in his right hand, its tip still wet with blood. In his left, he carried a blood-soaked bundle. What it contained was self-evident.