47: The clarion call of China's counterattack

Footsteps came from overhead as three figures slowly walked along the tunnel.

Shen Xiaochuan immediately crouched down, pressing his right hand to the ground to sense the fluctuations of the barrier's energy. He counted the time silently, and in the gap between two warning waves, he swung his last blade, severing the final chain.

"It's done," he said in a low voice, somewhat raspy yet exceptionally steady.

The rescued people stood up one after another; some had legs that were still trembling, while others had bloodshot eyes. They looked at Shen Xiaochuan, their eyes a mix of doubt and hope.

Shen Xiaochuan took out golden spirit fruits from his robes and handed them to each person. No one spoke; only the sound of chewing echoed softly in the silent tunnel.

A middle-aged man took a bite of a golden spirit fruit, and his face gradually regained its color. He looked up at Shen Xiaochuan. "Are you... the one who's first on the leaderboard?"

"It's me," Shen Xiaochuan nodded.

"You're this young?"

The man frowned. "I thought the top ranker would be a very old master."

"Age isn't important."

Shen Xiaochuan scanned the crowd, his gaze firm. "What's important is that we must break out now."

"How's it going outside?" another person asked, their voice carrying suppressed fury.

"The Azure Dragon Legion has captured three divine domains of Kimchi Country, and the White Tiger Legion has burned down the granaries of the United States."

Shen Xiaochuan said calmly, "We aren't just taking hits; we're fighting back too."

The crowd was silent for a moment before someone suddenly laughed.

"Good! I've been locked up for half a month; I can finally make a move!"

The man punched the wall. "I've been stifled to death!"

"Let's kill those guys guarding us first!" someone shouted.

"Blow up their altar! Let them taste the feeling of kneeling and begging for mercy!" another person gritted their teeth.

Shen Xiaochuan raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet. His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly: "If you want to live, listen to me."

He pointed to the exit above. "The exit is blocked by the Blood Sakura Seal; forcing our way through will trigger an alarm. Someone must break the runes."

Two deities who had studied Artifact Refining stepped forward. They crouched by the wall, fingers tracing the carvings, and exchanged a few low words.

"This is a Reverse Cycle Formation. We just need to interrupt the nodes," one said.

"But the energy is too strong; we can't break it with our bare hands."

The other added, "It needs an external impact."

Shen Xiaochuan drew his sky-rending blade, infused it with the power of lightning, and slammed it into the crack. The blade vibrated violently, the runes flashed, and cracks appeared in the Seal.

"Quick! Now's the time!" someone growled.

"Go!"

The crowd rushed out of the deep pit, but instead of fleeing, they charged straight into the heart of the enemy camp.

A granary burst into flames, the fire soaring into the sky. Soon after, the barracks caught fire, and the armory exploded one after another, with loud bangs echoing continuously.

"The Yamata Altar has also been burned!" someone shouted, their voice full of satisfaction.

The flames lit up half the night sky, and finally, there was movement in the distant main hall.

Zhang Benyifeng stood on the high platform, the cup in his hand falling to the ground and shattering into pieces.

"Who did this?!" he roared, his eyes bloodshot.

"It's a riot by the underground prisoners, and outsiders have broken in!" a guard knelt on the ground, his voice trembling.

"Impossible! Their faith was drained long ago!"

Zhang Benyifeng bellowed, "A bunch of useless trash, you can't even watch over a few cripples!"

The guard hurriedly reported, "But they've consumed golden spirit fruits, and their combat power has recovered. Most importantly—the leader is Shen Xiaochuan, the newly ranked top of Huaxia!"

Zhang Benyifeng was stunned for a moment, then sneered, "A mere brat dares to set a fire in front of me?"

"He has already broken the Blood Sakura Seal and repelled three waves of guards..."

The guard's voice grew weaker, "And... he almost struck your high platform."

Zhang Benyifeng's pupils shrank suddenly, and his face contorted instantly. "Send the order! Assemble three samurai squads, bring two deities, and surround them completely!"

A crimson light flickered in his eyes. "I want them to die more miserably than pigs!"

By this time, Shen Xiaochuan had led the people back to the edge of some ruins.

The enemy began to encircle them, dark figures closing in from all sides. In front were heavy armored samurai, archers lined up on both sides, and flyers circled in the sky.

"They've formed a Formation."

Someone said nervously, "It's the 'Thousand Armies Pressing In' Formation. Only an A-rank talent 'Battle Formation Master' can set it up."

The ground shook as thousands of people marched in unison, creating a heavy sense of pressure. This was precisely the ability of a Battle Formation Master—weakening the enemy's Aura and enhancing their own combat power.

The faces of several newly recovered deities turned pale, their bodies swaying slightly.

"Hold on."

Shen Xiaochuan stepped to the very front, his voice low but powerful. "Don't let them see that we're weak."

He took a white crystal core from his backpack and carefully embedded it into a groove in the ground. A faint light screen rose, blocking the first volley of arrows like a thin shield.

"Defend against the wall and save your strength."

He ordered, "Wait until they get close to act."

The enemy's advance was slow and steady; with every step forward, the pressure increased.

One deity couldn't hold back and threw a fireball, but it was reflected by the Formation, and he fell to the ground heavily injured on the spot.

"Don't act recklessly!"

Shen Xiaochuan shouted sternly, "Follow my command! If anyone acts on their own again, I won't save them a second time!"

He kept his eyes fixed on the enemy general's position, clearly understanding Zhang Benyifeng's intention—to stall them. If they were delayed for just a few more minutes and the encirclement was completed, they would have no chance of survival.

The deadlock had to be broken.

Shen Xiaochuan closed his eyes for a moment; his faith points were continuously increasing by +1 per second, and had now reached over three thousand.

He opened the Faith Mall and quickly searched through it.

【Lightning Slash · Elementary】

Price: 800 faith points

Effect: Releases a straight-line lightning strike with a stun effect.

He immediately purchased and used the skill scroll.

In the next moment, his body jolted as electric currents surged and flowed through his limbs.

The time had come.

Shen Xiaochuan leaped onto a five-meter-high broken wall nearby, taking the high ground. He raised his sky-rending blade high and poured all his Power Of Faith into it.

"What are you doing?" someone asked in surprise.

"Opening a gap," Shen Xiaochuan replied flatly.

The blade slashed down.

A blinding flash of lightning swept out, pointing straight at the high platform.

A scorched gully was torn into the ground, and more than ten samurai along the path instantly fell to the ground convulsing. The lightning struck the protective shield, sending sparks flying everywhere.

The high platform shook violently, and Zhang Benyifeng staggered back, a look of terror appearing on his face for the first time.

The entire field fell silent.

Immediately after, the Huaxia Deities erupted with a heaven-shaking roar.

"Kill—!"

"Avenge our compatriots!"

"Charge with Shen Xiaochuan!"

"This is the backbone of our Huaxia!"

Morale was like a prairie fire, burning fiercely.

Shen Xiaochuan stood atop the broken wall, his work clothes fluttering in the wind. He raised his hand, and the copper gear pendant flashed with a faint light under the firelight.

He held his blade in one hand, pointing it from afar at Zhang Benyifeng.

"You captured my compatriots, drained their faith, and treated them like cattle."

"You set up a trap to frame us, filmed videos to slander us, thinking we wouldn't dare to strike back."

"You were wrong."

Step by step, he walked down from the broken wall toward the center of the battlefield.

"I am not standing here today to prove who is stronger."

"I am here to collect a debt."

He stopped, the tip of his blade touching the ground, the residual lightning still not dissipated.

"It's time to pay back what you owe."