Looking at this scene, Qin Ying's face turned pale.
She never expected Su Xie to be so reckless, charging straight in for a direct frontal assault.
That was a high-level expert at the Quasi-Spirit Mansion Realm!
"Don't kill him, leave him breathing!"
Faced with Su Xie's seemingly suicidal behavior, the woman in purple was startled and hurriedly issued an order to the one-armed old man.
If she let Su Xie die so easily, it would hardly dispel the hatred in her heart!
But the enraged one-armed old man didn't care about that; he immediately went in for the kill!
Rumble—
In an instant, a violent explosion rang out!
The mountains shook, and the earth itself trembled!
Amidst a billow of dust, Su Xie's sword was knocked flying by that single palm strike, and he rapidly executed a divine ability!
"Immortal Golden Body! Manifest for me!"
Su Xie let out a furious roar. A dazzling, uninterrupted golden light suddenly rose beneath his feet, and a set of golden runes emerged all around his body, wrapping tightly around him to provide absolute protection.
That's right, this was precisely a physical body divine ability he had practiced in his previous life as the Devouring Heaven Dragon Emperor.
Although casting this move required a strong physical foundation, under the current circumstances, Su Xie had no choice but to force it out.
Even if it left him with severe aftereffects later on, he could no longer afford to care about that.
With a loud crash!
The one-armed old man's palm slammed down, but it was like striking an unshakeable copper wall and iron rampart, unable to move Su Xie by even a fraction.
On the contrary, he was bizarrely forced back a step, and the web between his thumb and index finger split open, oozing a trickle of fresh blood!
"This is impossible! How can a mere Xiantian Realm nobody like you block the might of my palm?"
The one-armed old man stared at Su Xie in utter shock, the intent to kill in his heart growing ever more intense.
"You'd better worry about yourself first!"
Su Xie's face was deathly pale. As the golden light dissipated, he spat out a sharp mouthful of blood.
"What do you mean?"
The one-armed old man stared gloomily at Su Xie, a faint sense of foreboding rising in his chest.
Beside him, the woman in purple looked at the one-armed old man in shock: "Elder Chen, look at your hand!"
No sooner had these words been spoken than the one-armed old man's expression changed drastically, and he finally noticed something was wrong. A bizarre black Qi was now rising from his palm.
The black Qi billowed, and a venomous, malevolent force instantly erupted!
In a flash, excruciating pain surged from his palm throughout his entire body.
"I've been poisoned?"
The corners of the one-armed old man's mouth turned black, and he immediately circulated his spiritual energy, trying to suppress the strange black Qi.
Yet the more he used his spiritual energy to suppress it, the more violent the black Qi became!
Even with all his tricks and methods, it clung to him like maggots on a rotting bone, impossible to shake off.
"When did you poison me?"
The one-armed old man's expression turned ferocious when he realized it was a lethal poison, and he flew into a towering rage.
"Just now, the moment you attacked."
Su Xie wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with one hand, his expression exceptionally ferocious.
This was precisely the Demonic Dragon Grievance he had previously extracted from Old Man Ning, and it finally came in handy now.
"Let's go!"
Gritting his teeth and turning pale in the face, the one-armed old man prepared to take the woman in purple and leave.
Before departing, the woman in purple glared at Su Xie with bitter malice: "You despicable sword cultivator, I will remember this sword strike you dealt me. One day, I will make you pay with your blood!"
"Then let's wait for that day!"
Su Xie said expressionlessly.
Swish, swish!
Seeing his opponents retreat, Su Xie finally let out a sigh of relief, his face rapidly turning pale as he spat out yet another mouthful of fresh blood.
"Young Master Su, are you alright?"
Seeing this, Qin Ying ran over to support him.
"It's nothing, I'll be fine after a few hours of recuperation."
Su Xie shook his head, immediately swallowed a medicinal pill, and sat cross-legged on the ground to begin circulating his energy to repair his injuries.
Qin Ying didn't idle either. After helping Elder Bai over to recover, she crushed a sound-transmission talisman in her hand.
One hour later.
The sky ahead violently trembled, and the sound of thundering hooves echoing through the void instantly rang out.
A troop of roughly several hundred soldiers came flying into view.
They wore black armor, wielded silver battle halberds, and rode on flaming spirit steeds, releasing a momentum as magnificent as a rainbow.
These were none other than the Desolate Country's renowned, formidable Great Desolate Heavy Cavalry!
"The Great Desolate Heavy Cavalry arrives late to save Your Highness, please forgive us, Princess!"
A black-armored general dismounted first and knelt on the ground before Qin Ying.
Chapter 26: Golden Light from the Heavens and the Origin of Tianjian Pass
"Quickly return to the pass!"
Qin Ying waved her red-tasseled spear high in the air!
Soon, under the escort of the Great Desolate Heavy Cavalry, Su Xie and the others safely arrived at the encampment stationed at Tianjian Pass.
Shortly after, Su Xie was assigned to a military tent to recuperate.
"The aftereffects of this Immortal Golden Body are truly massive."
Su Xie glanced at the faint cracks appearing on his skin and couldn't help but offer a wry smile.
It seemed that from now on, he needed to build a solid foundation for his physical body; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to fully unleash the might of the Immortal Golden Body.
One must know that the Immortal Golden Body was a defensive divine ability focusing on physical strength, possessing a total of ten tiers.
If he could forge it to the third tier, even a genuine Spirit Mansion Realm Expert would be unable to shake him by even a fraction.
Without lingering on the thought, Su Xie continued to consume several medicinal pills to heal his wounds.
...
Inside the military camp at Tianjian Pass.
Elder Bai's injuries had also slightly recovered.
"Princess, it has been verified that the woman in purple is indeed the daughter of the powerful expert dispatched by the Liang Country in this campaign."
A black-armored general stepped forward to report.
Qin Ying gave a slight nod. "These past few days, has there been any unusual movement from the Liang Country outside the pass?"
"None so far. Over the past few days, the Liang army has only dispatched some cavalry to harass our army and shown no signs of launching a siege."
"However, according to scouts' reports, just last night, the Liang army dispatched a troop of soldiers to pitch camp on the right flank of our pass! Our army has already begun stepping up vigilance."
The general reminded her.
"Ensure strict defense of all passes, and report immediately if there is any anomaly!"
With a solemn gaze, Qin Ying immediately issued the order.
"Princess, given the Liang army's combat tactics, they will likely launch their attack within the next two days. We cannot afford to sit here and wait for death; it's time to make some preparations."
Elder Bai gazed into the distance outside the pass with burning eyes.
"Let us hope we can hold Tianjian Pass in this battle."
Qin Ying took a deep breath. She had already begun scattering the experts summoned from the Prince's Estate across various passes to guard against surprise attacks by enemy powerhouses.
That night!
The moonlight was chilling.
Due to its geographical location, the weather at Tianjian Pass was freezing cold.
Heavy snow drifted down, making it feel as though the dead of winter had arrived.
Inside the pass, atop a towering city gate tower.
Su Xie's injuries had recovered seven or eight-tenths by this point.
"So this is the gateway of the Desolate Country, Tianjian Pass?"
Su Xie lifted his gaze to scan the area.
He saw that not far outside the pass lay a massive, deep ravine as if cleaved apart by someone's sword, acting like a natural chasm that could not be crossed.
"Hmm?"
Su Xie's gaze narrowed, as though he had sensed something.
At that moment, Qin Ying walked over carrying a pot of wine and some dry rations.
"Many years ago, a terrifying golden light descended from the heavens and plunged into the territory of the Desolate Country. The mountains here were shattered, and a deep ravine was cleaved out by that golden light, which is why it was named Tianjian Pass."
Standing shoulder to shoulder with Su Xie, Qin Ying also looked out into the distance.
"Was this uncrossable chasm caused by that golden light from the heavens?"
Su Xie's expression shifted slightly, and he suddenly felt a sense of trance.
So that was it.
No wonder he had sensed a trace of familiar power within that chasm.
This chasm was actually a sword qi he had cleaved out during a battle somewhere back when he was the Devouring Heaven Dragon Emperor!
It had accidentally fallen within the territory of the Desolate Country.
Truly, fortune makes fools of men.
Su Xie shook his head, a sharp gleam instantly flashing in his eyes.
Just moments ago, he had discovered a trace of his own residual power within that chasm. Although it had endured for so many years and was extremely weak, it still belonged to his own power after all—he might just be able to manipulate and command it.
Beside him, Qin Ying popped open the wine lid, poured the liquor into a bowl, and took a hearty gulp.
Su Xie looked slightly surprised. "You drink alcohol?"
"Of course. Wine isn't something reserved exclusively for you men."
Qin Ying pursed her lips slightly and handed Su Xie a large bowl. "Would you like a sip? This wine is a top-tier spiritual brew crafted by my Prince's Estate; ordinary people never get to taste it."
"Not bad."
Su Xie didn't put on airs. He took the bowl, poured the wine into it, and drained it in a single gulp.
"Young Master Su, are your wounds feeling better?"
Qin Ying asked.
"They're fine. Tomorrow, we'll begin setting up formations. I daresay the key to this battle will lie within this very formation."
Su Xie smiled faintly.
"A formation? Young Master Su, can you also deploy formations?"
Qin Ying took another sip of wine and asked with great surprise.
Su Xie nodded. "Just a minor trick. If you stay with me longer, you'll find that I am proficient in many more profound arts."
"Young Master Su, you..."
Qin Ying was about to speak when Su Xie interrupted her with a smile: "Princess Qin, just call me Su Xie from now on. Hearing 'Young Master' feels a bit awkward."
"Alright, Su Xie."
Hearing this, Qin Ying took another small sip of wine, her pretty face instantly flushing slightly with intoxication.
...
Meanwhile.
Eighty li outside Tianjian Pass.
Inside a military camp where the Liang Country was staging its assault.
Puff!
The one-armed old man's face turned even paler as he suddenly spat out a mouthful of thick black blood!
"Elder Chen, what's wrong with you?"
Seeing this, the woman in purple turned pale with fright, never expecting the one-armed old man's aura to begin rapidly withering and turning erratic.
If anything were to happen to the one-armed old man, it would undoubtedly be a heavy blow to her side.
"Chen Xuan, are you poisoned?"
At that moment, a dignified middle-aged man in purple robes walked into the tent.
"Yes, Master. This poison is extremely perilous. Even after sealing my eight extraordinary meridians, I still cannot stabilize it,"
the one-armed old man said in a raspy voice.
"Ling'er, what on earth is going on here?"
The purple-robed middle-aged man glanced at the woman in purple, his expression sinking.
"Dad, it's all because of that damn Desolate Country sword cultivator. I never expected him to be so despicable and shameless; when he couldn't beat me, he resorted to poison."
Zi Ling recounted the whole story from beginning to end, filled with grief, indignation, and a hint of grievance.
"Master, don't blame the Young Miss; it was entirely due to my own carelessness."
The one-armed old man quickly explained.
The purple-robed middle-aged man glanced at the injuries on his daughter's face, though he didn't fly into a rage. Instead, a flash of surprise crossed his features: "You're saying that the Desolate Country sword cultivator is even younger than you, yet he has already reached the level of a Sword Dao Grandmaster? And he's merely in the Xiantian Realm?"
"Dad, if I hadn't been injured, I wouldn't have lost to him."
Zi Ling wanted to explain.
The purple-robed middle-aged man cut her off: "Ling'er, a loss is a loss. Making excuses is completely useless. This time, treat it as a lesson to curb your arrogance. You must understand that the path of the sword is endless."
"I know, Dad."
Zi Ling pouted and let out a huff.
"However, that person dared to injure the daughter of the True Purple Swordsman; this account will not be settled so easily!"
A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the True Purple Swordsman.
"My dad is the best! I knew Dad would definitely avenge me."
Hearing this, Zi Ling was overjoyed. She immediately hugged the True Purple Swordsman's arm and acted coquettishly.
Chapter 27: Assuming the Role of Commander, the Great Battle is Imminent!
Instantly.
The True Purple Swordsman began treating the one-armed old man for the poison.
One breath!
Two breaths!
Suddenly, just as he was channeling his energy, the black Qi on the one-armed old man surged rapidly, appearing to violently reject it.
And at that exact instant!
The one-armed old man let out a miserable scream and once again vomited a mouthful of blood.
That wisp of black Qi was extremely tyrannical; as the True Purple Swordsman was casting his art, it crazily tried to wrap around him as well.
"Not good! This poison is actually..."
Realizing something was wrong, the True Purple Swordsman's expression changed drastically. He instantly severed the spiritual energy connection with the one-armed old man and rapidly retreated several steps.
Looking at his fingers, which were gradually turning black, the True Purple Swordsman made a decisive cut with a wave of his sleeve, lopping off his two blackened fingers.
"This!"
Seeing this, Zi Ling's face turned extremely pale.
She had originally thought this poison was merely somewhat overbearing, and that with her father's strength, it could be wiped out in a minute. She never imagined it would be so terrifying that even her father had nearly fallen victim to it.
"Master, what kind of poison is this? I don't want to die."
With blackened lips, the one-armed old man collapsed onto the ground, his gaze filled with terror.
"It is the Demonic Dragon Grievance, one of the world's most peculiar and lethal poisons!"
The True Purple Swordsman's expression turned gloomy as he said in a deep voice, "Who on earth is that brat, and why does he possess such a strange and lethal poison? Could he be a member of the Demonic Spirit Sect?"
"What? The Demonic Spirit Sect? That's impossible. That brat is a sword cultivator; the people of the Demonic Spirit Sect would never take a sword cultivator as a disciple—they hate sword cultivators more than anything else in their lives."
Zi Ling's expression turned ugly, and she immediately asked, "Dad, Elder Chen, is there still a save for him?"
"This is a completely irresolvable poison. Even if Divine Doctor Niu from the Northern Domain were to come, he couldn't cure it! Unless we have the Demonic Spirit Sect's supreme treasure, the Poison-Warding Pill!"
The True Purple Swordsman furrowed his brows. "Chen Xuan, you will no longer participate in this battle at Tianjian Pass. Focus on stabilizing your body for now."
Hearing this, despair welled up in the one-armed old man's heart.
He knew that his poison was likely incurable, and death was the only thing awaiting him.
"Yes, Master."
Following that, the one-armed old man spoke in a raspy voice and left the tent.
"Forcing this deity to lose a Quasi-Spirit Mansion combatant—you deserve to die!"
At that moment, the True Purple Swordsman glanced at Tianjian Pass in the distance, the ruthlessness in his gaze growing even more intense.
And Zi Ling also glared at Tianjian Pass with venomous eyes!
...
The next day.
Early in the morning, led by Qin Ying, Su Xie began familiarizing himself with the defensive deployment within the pass.
It took him an entire morning for Su Xie to weave an inescapable net of formations across all the checkpoints.
Looking at the formations deployed by Su Xie, Qin Ying couldn't help feeling dazzled.
"These are actually Tier 4 formations!"
Elder Bai walked over and couldn't help exclaiming in admiration.
He hadn't expected Su Xie to be so astonishingly talented—not only was he a sword cultivator, but he was also a grandmaster of formations!
"With these formations, I suppose our position here is now as solid as a golden wall of defense?"
Qin Ying scanned the area, feeling an even greater sense of admiration for Su Xie.
"These are just appetizers; the main event is still to come."
Su Xie smiled faintly, casually flicking his finger to rapidly link these formations together.
In an instant, the residual power within that chasm was guided into the pass by Su Xie using extremely superb techniques!
Gazing at that faint, shimmering golden light continuously enveloping Tianjian Pass, both Qin Ying and Elder Bai wore expressions of bewilderment.
"Princess..."
Su Xie started to speak, but Qin Ying smiled softly. "Just call me Qin Ying."
"Alright, Qin Ying. The defensive layout for this battle is complete. You can summon the garrison commanders of all the checkpoints over; I will impart to them the incantations to control this formation."
Su Xie said calmly.
"Okay."
Qin Ying nodded, and soon issued orders to summon these individuals.
In just a short moment, dozens of figures gathered on a drill ground inside the pass.
Su Xie swept his gaze across them.
Most of them were military generals, while the rest were experts Qin Ying had transferred from the Prince's Estate.
Their strengths were mostly around the Xiantian Realm and the Spirit Gathering Realm.
"Who is this kid?"
"I heard he's an expert the Princess brought in, claiming he can lift the siege on Tianjian Pass."
Upon seeing a new face, the crowd erupted into a buzz of discussion.
"Everyone, for this battle at Tianjian Pass, I intend to appoint Su Xie as the defense commander of the main checkpoint."
Qin Ying straightened her expression and cut straight to the point.
"What? Let him be the commander of the main checkpoint?"
"Princess, isn't this a bit too reckless? The main checkpoint is the most crucial part of our defenses; once it falls, the pass is effectively breached!"
"Indeed! I implore the Princess to think twice!"
In an instant, many generals voiced their opposition, undoubtedly distrusting Su Xie's ability to handle the role.
"Hmph, just this little Xiantian Realm kid? What kind of skills could he possibly have? Let me test his mettle!"
At that moment, a muscular black-armored general stepped out from the crowd, seemingly wanting to test Su Xie's depth.
"Commander Black Tiger, stand down!"
Elder Bai's voice sank.
However, Su Xie stepped forward and clenched his fists. "It's fine, I could use a little warm-up anyway."
"Arrogant brat!"
Seeing Su Xie's provocation, Commander Black Tiger let out an angry roar, raised his fist, and charged straight at Su Xie's face.
This punch erupted with bursts of spiritual light!
Clearly, he wanted to win with a single strike and make Su Xie make a fool of himself.
"Pseudo-Spirit Gathering Realm, is it?"
Su Xie saw through the opponent's strength at a glance. He sidestepped to dodge the blow and then threw a punch of his own.
With a loud crash!
Commander Black Tiger was instantly sent flying, immediately losing his combat capability.
"What? Commander Black Tiger was defeated in a single move?"
The many generals were utterly shocked, never expecting Su Xie to be so formidable.
"Anyone else who disagrees is welcome to step up and fight."
Su Xie scanned the crowd, speaking unhurriedly.
"Haha, then let this old man test this young friend."
At that moment, an elderly man from the Prince's Estate stepped forward.
"First Layer of Spirit Gathering Realm, huh?"
Su Xie looked at the fluctuations of spiritual energy radiating from him, cupped his fists, and said, "Then please go easy on me."
With that, Su Xie drew a long sword and slashed forward.
"Hmm? You're actually a sword cultivator!"
The old man's expression turned startled; he immediately raised a massive broadsword and fiercely clashed with Su Xie.
In an instant, blades and swords crossed in a blur!
Yet after a mere three rounds, he was defeated by a single move of Su Xie's—Sword Silence over the Mortal World.
"Hiss! Truly, the younger generation is to be feared; this old man is ashamed."
Seeing the sword Su Xie had thrusted forward suddenly pull back, the old man couldn't help offering a wry smile.
"Everyone, are there any further objections?"
Qin Ying glanced at Su Xie, feeling thoroughly amazed.
She hadn't expected Su Xie's strength to have grown a bit more, to the point where he could defeat a Spirit Mansion Realm-tier expert head-on.
"Congratulations, Commander Su!"