162: Chapter 162 Under the 'Final Gate'

The final three hours before the end of the battle on the sand table.

At this moment, the USA's Hero [Jackson] had both exclusive skills fully activated, leading the entire leaderboard by having killed the most Calamity Demons and destroyed the most portals!

Prussia, possessing dual Heroes, settled for second place; while the gap with the USA was not small, it still comfortably left other countries behind by a wide margin in terms of points.

Prolonged fighting had caused immense battle losses for these two countries, leaving them almost unable to continue fighting.

Even so, the rankings on the leaderboard were unlikely to undergo any fundamental changes in the final three hours.

Continuous combat and attrition had weakened the efficiency with which the USA and Prussia could continue to amass points, but wasn't that the case for every country?

Russia, Ottoman, France... hadn't their point accumulation efficiency slowed to a crawl due to the long-drawn-out battles and attrition as well?

Among all the countries, only the Dragon Kingdom had minimal attrition, still maintaining astonishing combat power under the leadership of the Hero [General Huo Qubing].

But so what?

There were only three hours left!

No matter how extraordinary [General Huo Qubing] was, it was impossible to catch up to the USA and Prussia within three hours!

"At this point, it can be said that everything is set in stone!"

The audience watching the live stream thought so, the professional commentators in the studio thought so, and even the Dragon Kingdom's Support Group thought the same.

But just when everyone thought everything was set in stone...

The Dragon Kingdom's [Strategist] Chen Aoyun, standing by the sand table, suddenly closed his eyes!

This was the state of constructing an exclusive skill.

Yes, the Dragon Kingdom's [General Huo Qubing] was not the 'filler' Hero people had imagined before.

This Hero [General Huo Qubing], labeled with the word 'dowry' in terms of type, was actually very strong.

Chen Aoyun had already constructed one exclusive skill for him, [The Enemy Can Go, So Can I], and naturally, he could construct a second one.

However, was there any point?

Using military reorganization to make the exclusive skill [The Enemy Can Go, So Can I] stronger was actually also a means for the Dragon Kingdom to avoid interference from other countries.

Who knows if other countries had any agreements with the Sakura people during the battle phase.

While Chen Aoyun used this method to avoid potential joint encirclement, he also intangibly wasted a large amount of time.

It was late, too late.

Everything was too late!

Chen Aoyun, with his eyes closed, remained unmoved.

It was as if he were traveling upstream against the long river of time, as if he saw that vast and boundless northern desert, as if he saw that spirited young general, on the summit of Mount Langjuxu, building an altar to offer sacrifices to heaven, proclaiming the peak of the Han Dynasty's martial prowess!

[Feng Lang Juxu]!

These four words were not just a cold skill name, but infused with the glory of General Huo Qubing's life, the illustrious prestige of the Great Han, and the magnificent fortune of the entire Huaxia Civilization as it expanded its borders!

Chen Aoyun used what was in his heart as the pen, and this magnificent epic as the ink!

Finally, he constructed those four words, known as the highest honor for a military commander, into an exclusive skill for the Hero [General Huo Qubing]!

Its effect was simple, direct, yet so domineering that it was indisputable:

[Feng Lang Juxu]: Wherever the Champion Marquis's blade points, he can ignore everything except [Rules], appearing directly in any area he deems a 'battlefield'!

The next moment—

"Feng! Lang! Ju! Xu!"

Chen Aoyun opened his eyes abruptly, enunciating each word clearly, his voice like thunder!

In the world within the sand table, [General Huo Qubing] raised his sword to the sky, speaking these same four words!

The moment after that—

[General Huo Qubing] and the legion behind him suddenly became illusory, and then... completely disappeared!

"Where are they?!" everyone couldn't help but ask.

The next second, the answer was revealed.

Under the gaze of countless eyes filled with extreme shock.

Directly beneath that "Final Portal".

In the area where the Dragon Kingdom legion was least likely to appear, the space rippled like water!

The Dragon Kingdom army led by [General Huo Qubing] appeared out of thin air, like divine soldiers descending from heaven!

They bypassed all defensive lines directly, pressing their sword tips against the largest portal in this battle!

"Impossible!

This is absolutely impossible!

There are no tunnel passages beneath the 'Final Portal', how did the Dragon Kingdom army and that Hero arrive beneath the portal instantly!?"

Saku Kenichi, the Sakura [Strategist] who had been watching the sand table, completely lost his composure.

If the Dragon Kingdom successfully destroyed this 'Final Portal', wouldn't all his efforts in the first act become a joke?

"Demon Prince!

Right! There are still Demon Princes nearby!

Although most Demon Princes are responsible for guarding the outermost perimeter of the Final Portal, there are still quite a few Demon Princes patrolling near the Final Portal!"

Ten Demon Princes can match one powerful Hero!

There are nearly twenty-five Demon Princes nearby; these Demon Princes will definitely be able to stop the Dragon Kingdom from destroying the portal!"

Just as Saku Kenichi hoped, the Demon Princes near the portal reacted extremely quickly. Upon discovering the Dragon Kingdom army had broken through to the foot of the Final Portal, the twenty-five Demon Princes patrolling nearby immediately closed in!

That was twenty-five Demon Princes!

Even with the Dragon Kingdom's legion fighting alongside [General Huo Qubing], they couldn't possibly withstand such a number of Demon Princes, right!

Not to mention, more Demon Princes were still reinforcing the portal!

"Is it still going to fall short at the last moment?"

No!

In the Dragon Kingdom army, the Hero [General Huo Qubing] pulled on the reins, and the Red Hare beneath him let out a neigh.

The Hero charged toward the Demon Princes, while the army, without a moment's pause, began to focus fire on the weak point of the portal!

"Is he trying to use the Hero to buy time for the army to destroy the portal?

Are you kidding me!

How can a single Hero possibly withstand the encirclement of twenty-five Demon Princes?"

An astonishing scene appeared once again!

[General Huo Qubing] was like an elegant god of war, the hooves of the Red Hare beneath him flying as he maneuvered between the powerful Demon Princes, forcibly drawing all their attention!

However, under the rules, the combined combat power of the twenty-five Demon Princes was far above [General Huo Qubing]'s. Even with the Red Hare, [General Huo Qubing] couldn't achieve a state of truly 'not a leaf touching the body'.

While drawing fire, [General Huo Qubing]'s body was soon covered in wounds of all sizes.

The world had never seen such a resilient Hero; having held off the Demon Princes for three minutes, if the injuries on [General Huo Qubing] were on any other country's Hero, that Hero would have long since dissipated due to the severity of the wounds.

Yet, [General Huo Qubing] could still hold on!

Chen Aoyun sensed it; this had nothing to do with [General Huo Qubing]'s own defense, nor his health points.

It was purely the unyielding spirit unique to Huaxia Heroes that supported [General Huo Qubing]'s tenacity!

Slowly, even with the support of the Red Hare, [General Huo Qubing] was surrounded by the twenty-five Demon Princes!

In the center of the battlefield, [General Huo Qubing] had abandoned all dodging and maneuvering!

The Red Hare reared up on its hind legs, letting out a mournful cry that tore through the sky!

[General Huo Qubing] held his long sword, using himself as the center, constructing an invisible barrier!

The Demon Princes' sharp claws tore through his shoulder armor, demonic flames scorched his battle robe, but [General Huo Qubing]'s figure remained as immovable as a mountain!

Every swing of his sword was no longer to kill the enemy, but to block, to repel!

[General Huo Qubing] took all the attacks, all the damage, squarely upon himself!

Blood stained his battle robe, but his eyes remained sharp as an eagle's, staring fixedly at the demonic shadows ahead.

He was not fighting; he was using his life to buy precious time for his comrades behind him!

"Heroes also have a certain will!"

This was the conjecture of New Era scholars about Heroes; could this be considered confirmation?

Time, at this moment, seemed to be infinitely stretched.

In the live stream room, hundreds of millions of people widened their eyes, watching the live screen with full concentration.

Fan Ling's throat felt blocked, his fingers digging into his palms, but he couldn't make a sound.

Zhao Hongxiu turned her head away, unable to bear watching that blood-bathed figure any longer.

Even Saku Kenichi had forgotten to mock, his face left with only unbelievable shock.

Three seconds... five seconds... ten seconds...

Every second felt as long as a century.

Every second, [General Huo Qubing]'s figure seemed to become one fraction more transparent.

How much longer could [General Huo Qubing] hold on?

When would more Demon Princes arrive on the battlefield?

When would that Final Portal, which was being assaulted by the Dragon Kingdom legion and had begun to teeter, finally fall?

Everyone held their breath...