Chapter 154: Chapter 153: National Mourning_1
His worst fear had come true.
With the advantage of superior armaments and geography, he feared no martial artist below the Saints and was confident in dealing even with Reaching the Holy Realm martial artists. However, he was powerless against Saints.
Especially against the simultaneous attacks of more than a dozen Saints!
BOOM!
Terrifying attacks brewed in the Void: devastating palm Qi, sword Qi brimming with killing intent, and domineering Saber Qi...
"Destroy!" a Saint coldly uttered, sweeping his right hand and sending a thousand-zhang Sword Qi flying towards the Great Qin army camp on the opposite bank.
The Void shattered, its immense power causing the Cold Waters to erupt and spray to fill the sky.
More than a dozen attacks from Saints followed, one after another.
In an instant, the heavens and earth convulsed, Chaos reigned, and all creation fell silent!
GULP...
Seeing this overwhelming assault, many Great Qin soldiers turned pale, frantically gulping. Their blood seemed to freeze in their veins, and the shadow of death loomed over them.
The only ones who remained relatively calm were the fifty thousand soldiers of the Qin Empire, though their expressions were also grave.
It’s over! Zhang Gan’s throat was dry. More than a dozen Saint-level attacks would be enough to destroy all the defensive fortifications in the camp.
He could already imagine what would happen after the fortifications were destroyed: the Wan Dao Domain forces would swarm them, and a million soldiers would die惨死 in the Cold Waters, their blood staining the clear river.
No! No... I can defend this position. I’m sure I can!
Zhang Gan clenched his fists, his eyes resolute. He clearly remembered the vow he had made when leaving the Imperial Capital: he swore to keep the enemy out, even at the cost of his life.
How could he give up now?
Facing the oppressive might of the Saints, he slowly raised his war sword. Spiritual light flickered around it, coalescing into a Sword Qi.
This Sword Qi was faint, like a candle in the wind, on the verge of being extinguished at any moment. Yet, it possessed an incredibly strong vitality, stubbornly clinging to existence, emanating a brilliant glow.
"Fight!" Zhang Gan roared, his body soaring into the air, flying towards the Saints’ attacks.
The Saint who had first attacked sneered in disdain. "A mere Reaching the Holy Realm ant daring to resist a Saint’s attack? Utterly ridiculous!"
"General!" the fifty thousand Great Qin Ironclad Cavalry shouted. They exchanged glances, then slammed their left fists against their chests. They each spat out mouthfuls of glowing blood, which converged into a crimson beam of light.
Blood Aegis!
With our blood, we will protect you!
On the battlefield, the only support, apart from the weapon in hand, was one’s comrades!
"Go!" the Great Qin soldiers silently chanted in their hearts. The crimson beam pierced the air and enveloped Zhang Gan. His strength instantly skyrocketed, elevating him from the early stage of Reaching the Holy Realm to the mid-stage of the Saint Realm.
"Annihilate!" Zhang Gan’s eyes widened, becoming entirely bloodshot. His body emitted a bloody glow, and his long black hair turned crimson, fluttering in the wind, a terrifying sight.
The power of the war sword in his hand instantly increased dozens of times, powerful enough to destroy all things.
BOOM!
Under everyone’s gaze, Zhang Gan plunged headlong into the barrage of attacks from the Wan Dao Domain’s numerous Saints, triggering a heaven-shattering explosion. The terrifying shockwaves swept across the land, causing the Void within dozens of miles to collapse. The resulting Void rifts spread for hundreds of miles.
The Cold Waters turned murky, and monstrous waves surged, crashing against both banks!
A small mountain dozens of miles away collapsed with a RUMBLE; dust and debris filled the air, and smoke billowed.
The large trees in the surrounding area were all uprooted.
Even the turf was ripped from the ground by the shockwaves, flying about in the sky.
It was a scene of utter devastation.
PTOO!
Many low-level martial artists felt a sweet taste rise in their throats and spat out mouthfuls of fresh blood, collapsing to the ground. Just the shockwaves severely injured more than half the martial artists present.
Even Transcendent Realm martial artists were no exception!
Only those at the Heavenly Realm or above could barely withstand the shockwaves, watching the battlefield nervously. The experts on the Qin Empire’s side, in particular, felt their hearts leap into their throats.
Everyone already knew the likely outcome in their hearts. Zhang Gan alone was no match for the numerous Saints of the Wan Dao Domain. But what if?
After a long time, the aftermath finally dissipated, revealing the scene within—it was both as expected and entirely unexpected.
Why as expected?
Zhang Gan was defeated. His body was covered in wounds: palm imprints, sword gashes, saber cuts...
These wounds were densely packed, some deep enough to reveal bone. Even his sturdy armor had been shattered, revealing his blood-soaked body.
Then why was it unexpected?
Zhang Gan, with his Reaching the Holy Realm cultivation, had withstood the attacks of more than a dozen Saints. To everyone present, this was something considered impossible—a miracle.
"Hmph, your life is quite tenacious. I wonder how many more times you can withstand it!" a Saint huffed coldly. Spiritual Energy circulated within him, and the long saber in his hand pulsed with a dazzling, piercing light.
"General, come back quickly!" many of Zhang Gan’s trusted aides cried out, their eyes bloodshot. They clenched their fists, their nails digging into their palms, drawing blood unbeknownst to them, their hearts filled only with worry and shame.
They were his trusted aides; their duty was to protect Zhang Gan.
But reality was the opposite: Zhang Gan was protecting them. He fearlessly faced the abyss of death and strode forward, head held high.
"COUGH, COUGH... As long as I am here, none of you shall advance another step!" Zhang Gan raised his head, his eagle-like eyes fixed on the Saints of the Wan Dao Domain. He couldn’t help but taunt, "Faced with an invasion by foreign races, you, as fellow members of the human race, instead of going to the front lines to fight these invaders for our people, actually launch a sneak attack on Great Qin! Utterly shameless!
"You are a disgrace to the human race!
"For millennia to come, your actions will be nailed to the pillar of shame in the history of the human race!"