153: Char

The night was as dark as ink, and Luofeng Slope appeared even more desolate under the dismal moonlight. The air was thick with a nauseating stench of decay and blood.

Boom! Boom!

In the center of the battle, a fiery red figure was particularly striking. It was a woman with long red hair like burning flames; even in the dark of night, her presence could not be ignored. Her face was beautiful, yet her brow carried a determination and heroism that rivaled any man's, like a fire rose blooming proudly amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

She was none other than Xia Ya, the eldest daughter of Star South City's City Lord Xia Wuyin.

At this moment, she was clad in heavy Black Iron Heavy Armor, which was already covered in claw marks and foul blood. Her left hand tightly gripped a massive Tower Shield, each block emitting a dull, thunderous boom as it violently knocked away the Putrid Corpse Demons lunging at her. Her right hand swung a Broadsword; with every flash of the blade, severed limbs and broken arms flew through the air. Her cultivation had impressively reached the Late-stage Grand Martial Master level, and her aura was steady and profound, making her the most solid bulwark of this small squad.

However, the dozen or so City Guard soldiers behind her were already showing signs of fatigue. They had formed a crude circular formation, desperately hacking at the seemingly endless tide of Zombies. These Zombies were slow-moving but possessed immense strength and no fear of pain. More troublingly, their claws and teeth seemed to carry Corpse Poison; the arms of several soldiers had already turned black, and their movements were becoming sluggish.

"Captain! What should we do? There's no end to them!" a young soldier roared, his voice tinged with despair.

Xia Ya parried the sharp claws of a Bronze Corpse, using her shield to send it staggering back. Without turning her head, she barked, "Hold your ground! Find an opportunity to break out! I'll watch the front!"

She tried to lead the soldiers in a charge in one direction, but the crowd of corpses surged like a tide, layer upon layer, making it impossible to break through.

"Hehehe..." A chilling laugh drifted down from above. On the crest of the slope stood a figure dressed in black robes, holding a strange Bell Staff. He emitted the cold aura of a Martial King; he was the Corpse Demon Sect Cultivator controlling everything.

"I've been raising these corpses for half a year; I'll wear you all to death!" The black-robed Cultivator shook the bell in his hand triumphantly, producing a distracting jingle. "Speaking of which, I should thank those Barbarians from a year ago. If they hadn't killed so many people, leaving behind so many Materials and such soaring resentment, my 'Hundred Ghosts Night Parade Array' wouldn't have taken shape so quickly."

His gaze greedily swept over Xia Ya and the soldiers behind her. "The Corpse Puppets of Martial Artists, especially a female Martial Artist with potential like yours, are far more precious than this Mortal trash... Obediently become part of my collection!"

Before his voice could fade, he pointed his staff!

"Roar!"

The Silver Corpse that had been guarding him, its body shimmering with a faint silver light and its aura comparable to a Peak Grand Martial Master, along with three Bronze Corpses whose auras were slightly weaker but still comparable to Martial Masters, let out low growls. They transformed into four black shadows, pouncing toward Xia Ya like ghosts! Their objective was clear: to completely entangle or even severely wound the strongest point of the defense, allowing the horde of corpses to overwhelm the remaining soldiers.

The Silver Corpse was the fastest, its sharp claws tearing through the air as it aimed straight for Xia Ya's throat! The three Bronze Corpses blocked her paths to the left, right, and rear.

Xia Ya's pupils constricted, and her heart sank to the bottom. Faced with the onslaught of the Silver Corpse and Bronze Corpses, even if she could block them, she would certainly be unable to protect the soldiers behind her. Today, they might truly be wiped out here... "You won't escape tonight!" the black-robed Cultivator sneered.

However, at this critical juncture, a cold voice pierced through the clamor of the battlefield like an ice pick:

"Unfortunately, you won't get the chance."

"What?" The sneer on the black-robed Cultivator's face froze instantly, and a lethal chill rushed from his tailbone straight to the crown of his head! He hadn't sensed anyone approaching at all!

He wanted to turn his head, wanted to activate his protective Magical Artifact, but it was all too late.

A black shadow that almost blended into the night, like a weightless ghost, had already pressed up behind him before his words had even finished.

A cold light flashed, like a nightingale crying blood.

The short blade in Ji Ruxue's hand slid gently across the black-robed Cultivator's neck with a speed that surpassed visual capture.

The black-robed Cultivator's eyes widened, his face filled with unbelievable horror. A wheezing sound came from his throat, and the Bell Staff in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. The protective black Qi on his body was as fragile as paper before Ji Ruxue's highly concentrated Moon Shadow True Qi.

Early Stage Martial King against Early Stage Martial King—a one-hit kill!

With the death of the controller, the crisp, annoying sound of the bell stopped abruptly. The Silver Corpse and Bronze Corpses, which had been pouncing frantically, suddenly froze. The bloodthirsty red light in their eyes quickly dimmed, and they stood stiffly in place like puppets with their strings cut, no longer moving. The hundreds of ordinary screaming Zombies around them seemed to have all their strength drained; they collapsed in heaps, completely losing their vitality.

The battlefield, which just a moment ago had been filled with battle cries and hidden dangers, instantly fell into an eerie silence.

The surviving City Guard soldiers stopped their movements in a daze, looking at the corpses collapsed before them and then at the black figure on the hilltop slowly sheathing her sword, as if they were in a dream.

Xia Ya was also stunned. Her hands, which were tightly gripping her shield and Broadsword, relaxed slightly as she watched this sudden reversal in disbelief. Her gaze first fell upon Ji Ruxue on the hilltop; that cold and powerful aura made her feel a sense of awe. Then, she saw two other people walking slowly out of the shadows of the forest.

The one in the lead wore green robes and had a handsome face with calm, deep eyes. The aura faintly radiating from him actually made her feel a hint of pressure—a Martial King!

When she clearly saw the face of the young man in green, a look of shock instantly appeared on Xia Ya's heroic face.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, put away her Broadsword, and performed a standard knight's salute with her hand over her chest. Her voice carried the excitement of surviving a disaster and sincere gratitude: "Xia Ya of Star South City thanks Your Excellencies for saving our lives!"

Qin Feng walked closer and nodded slightly. "It is only right to help those in need. Captain Xia Ya, there is no need for such formality."

Xia Ya straightened up and stared intently at Qin Feng, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty and pleasant surprise: "You... are you Qin Feng?"

Now it was Qin Feng's turn to be a bit surprised: "You know me?"

A bright smile appeared on Xia Ya's face. She pointed in the general direction of Star South City and explained, "In the central square of Star South City, there are statues of five heroes standing there now! You are a great hero of our Star South City. Although I am away leading troops all year round, every time I return home, I see your statue. How could I not recognize you?"

She paused, looking at Qin Feng, then at the cold-auraed Ji Ruxue and the curiously peering Xiao Chun behind him, and remarked with emotion, "I just didn't expect to meet you in person here, in this manner. And... you've actually advanced to the Martial King level! You truly... live up to your reputation!"

Qin Feng realized it was because of the statues. He smiled and didn't say much more on the subject, instead turning to look at the messy battlefield and the shaken soldiers, asking, "Why are you here, and how did you get involved with the people from the Corpse Demon Sect?"

Xia Ya's expression turned solemn as she sighed. "It's a long story. I was ordered to patrol the border to clear out barbarian remnants and the evil paths that have cropped up because of them. This Corpse Demon Sect Cultivator has been practicing evil techniques and refining Corpse Puppets here using the remains and resentment left on the battlefield, becoming a scourge. I tracked him here, intending to wipe him out, but I didn't expect him to have secretly cultivated so many Zombies, as well as Silver Corpse and Bronze Corpse guards. I nearly perished here..."

She looked at Qin Feng, her eyes carrying a sincere invitation: "Brother Qin Feng, and you two... this is no place for conversation. Our camp is not far away. If you don't mind, would you care to move there for a chat? It would also allow me to show some hospitality and thank you all for saving our lives."

Qin Feng exchanged glances with Ji Ruxue and Xiao Chun, then nodded.

"Very well."

Under the night sky, the campfire was lit once more, but this time, the soldiers gathered around the flames felt a bit more of the relief of having survived a disaster.