The earth roared as Teng Qingshan, wielding the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe like a demon god, once again cleaved down upon the Blind Sword Saint.

"Hmph." Fury burned within the Blind Sword Saint.

He was a Great Perfection Void Realm master; how could he be forced into such a position by another?

"This Jing Yi, the power he is unleashing... should be slightly over eighty percent of the Heaven and Earth power. Moreover, his close-combat movement technique is simply too fast. I fear even if I weren't distracted by Gu Yong, my close-combat speed would at best match his." The Blind Sword Saint was both startled and enraged, because... even among Great Perfection Void Realm experts on the Nine Provinces continent,

in a true battle, many could only bring about ninety percent of the Heaven and Earth power's might, with the remaining ten percent being internally consumed. He, the Blind Sword Saint, could perfectly unleash a full hundred percent of his power with absolutely no internal drain. Among the Void Realm powerhouses of the Nine Provinces, he was definitely a peak figure. But today, having one hand tied restraining Gu Yong and protecting him, prevented his full strength from being utilized... consequently, he could only fight Teng Qingshan to a stalemate.

If not worse.

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

Streams of black light and Teng Qingshan's axe shadows annihilated each other repeatedly. The ferocious attacks made the very earth tremble, as if two colossal demonic beasts were locked in slaughter. The hundreds of feet surrounding the base of the East City Wall were utterly devastated, shrouded in dust and smoke. Even the soldiers of Qinghu Island pulled back from that zone.

It must be known that quite a few soldiers had already perished, caught in the periphery of the clash between two Void Realm powerhouses.

**

On the city wall, Zhuge Yuanhong, sword in hand, single-handedly defended a full ten-zhang radius. Any soldier from Qinghu Island who dared to enter that ten-zhang range was cut down by Zhuge Yuanhong's single sword stroke. However, in other areas, things were not as effortless as they were for Zhuge Yuanhong. One had to remember that Qinghu Island's invading army included a staggering twenty thousand Silver Flood Dragon Soldiers.

The regular troops numbered over four hundred thousand.

The three armies, each comprising roughly one hundred and fifty thousand men, far outnumbered the Gui Yuan Sect's forces in sheer quantity.

"I never expected Qingshan... could actually clash head-on with the Blind Sword Saint," Zhuge Yuanhong muttered amidst the slaughter, glancing at the terrifying spectacle of the two Void Realm experts fighting below. He couldn't help but rejoice. "Qingshan is only twenty-two... his rate of progress is astonishingly fast."

"It is fortunate Qingshan is holding back the Blind Sword Saint; only then can our Gui Yuan Sect fight the Qinghu Island army on equal terms," Zhuge Yuanhong pressed his sword without mercy, sending corpse after corpse tumbling down.

Yes, equal terms!

If Teng Qingshan hadn't intercepted the Blind Sword Saint, the Sword Saint alone could have easily slaughtered the Gui Yuan Sect Leader and the Enforcement Elder. If the Gui Yuan Sect's leadership had perished, the morale of the soldiers below would surely have plummeted. Then, the Blind Sword Saint could have smashed open the city gates with one strike, and the army would have easily flooded into the city.

Thus, an army possessing a Void Realm expert held an absolute advantage; it was fundamentally unfair to the opposing side.

Now...

The Gui Yuan Sect could fight Qinghu Island on equal footing!

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Qing Hu was covered in bloodstains, single-handedly holding off a three-zhang stretch of the city wall. His silver spear transformed into phantom after phantom, Thwack, thwack, thwack!—piercing throats or shattering skulls, easily tossing corpses down. Every move was the 'Snatching the Leg of the Burning Fire' technique from the Blazing Fire Five Forms.

"Brothers, kill him!" The Qinghu Island side clearly noticed Qing Hu, this stubborn obstacle, and immediately, five Silver Flood Dragon Soldiers rushed up the scaling ladders simultaneously.

"Hahahaha, die!"

Qing Hu roared with wild laughter. Instantly, his silver spear dissolved into countless spear shadows, igniting with the speed of gunpowder being lit. In the blink of an eye, the face masks of the five Silver Flood Dragon Soldiers were pierced, but their blades and spears still struck Qing Hu. Qing Hu swept his spear shadow, and the five bodies plummeted down. This move was precisely the 'Beacon Fire Spreading Across the Plains' from the Blazing Fire Five Forms.

Back during the Battle of Dayan Mountain, when Teng Qingshan was hunted across the land by Qinghu Island, Qing Hu had seethed with hatred, regretting his own insufficient strength. Upon returning to the Gui Yuan Sect, Qing Hu diligently studied the Blazing Fire Five Forms that Teng Qingshan had taught him. Over three years, Qing Hu mastered the Blazing Fire Five Forms, becoming one of the foremost masters within the Black Armored Army.

Subsequently, Zhuge Yuanhong had Qing Hu consume a drop of 'Spirit of the North Sea,' pushing Qing Hu to the Postnatal Limit.

Relying on the immense strength augmented by the Raging Ox Great Strength Manual and the Blood Fruit Wine, combined with the lethality of the Blazing Fire Five Forms, Qing Hu's fame spread widely over these three years. He even managed to secure a place on the Earth Ranking.

"Young Sect Master!" Qing Hu’s expression abruptly changed drastically.

Not far away, Zhuge Yun had been struck on the body by a saber, inflicting a deep gash. Although Zhuge Yun retaliated instantly, stabbing the Qinghu Island soldier dead with his sword, it was clear that if Zhuge Yun continued like this, he would certainly die. Qing Hu immediately swept his spear out, helping Zhuge Yun deflect the incoming enemies.

"A few of you, come here!" Qing Hu shouted, ordering others to fill the breach Zhuge Yun had left.

"Qing Hu, my Internal Energy is almost depleted," Zhuge Yun said grimly. "The other martial brothers are likely the same."

"Internal Energy?" Qing Hu’s face also shifted.

Having consumed the Blood Fruit Wine, combined with his inherent great strength, he possessed the might of ten thousand jun. He could fight continuously even without utilizing Internal Energy. But—the other soldiers could not; few in the Gui Yuan Sect had consumed the Blood Fruit Wine. Once their Internal Energy was exhausted, their combat power naturally plummeted.

"Thwack!" "Thwack!"

Qing Hu’s gaze swept across the scene. Initially, many Gui Yuan Sect brothers relied on their ample Internal Energy, coordinating to slay incoming enemies one by one. But as time wore on, more and more Gui Yuan Sect members fell with every passing moment. Only the Postnatal Limit experts could hold on longer.

"Lao Ye," Qing Hu felt agony watching his subordinates die.

"Kill!"

"Kill!" Another loud shout of battle echoed. A formation of soldiers clad in black heavy armor bearing dragon-shaped markings charged up from the city wall ladders.

"This is—" Qing Hu, Zhuge Yun, and the others gasped in shock.

These soldiers, clad in black heavy armor with dragon markings, moved with surprising agility, cooperating seamlessly. They easily cut down or repelled the invading enemies one by one. Even the Silver Flood Dragon Soldiers, when facing these dragon-marked soldiers, were easily slain—they were clearly not on the same tier!

"Since when did our Gui Yuan Sect possess such a formidable army?" Zhuge Yun exclaimed in astonishment.

"Indeed," Qing Hu was also stunned dumbfounded.

They could tell that every single soldier in this group possessed Postnatal Limit strength; they were all First-Rate Martial Artists! In the entire Yangzhou Province, the only army composed entirely of First-Rate Martial Artists was Qinghu Island's 'Golden Scale Guard.' The Golden Scale Guard was an elite force a significant notch above the Silver Flood Dragon Soldiers. In ordinary engagements, Qinghu Island only needed to deploy a few hundred Golden Scale Guards to achieve great results.

But—

Now, the Gui Yuan Sect also possessed an army entirely composed of First-Rate Martial Artists, and in terms of numbers, they far exceeded Qinghu Island! One had to recall that initially, the entire East City Wall had only one or two hundred First-Rate Martial Artists, yet suddenly, there were an entire two thousand heavy-armored First-Rate Martial Artists appearing!

A massacre!

It was a complete slaughter! Even the Silver Flood Dragon Soldiers were easily killed, let alone the regular troops of Qinghu Island. At that moment, Qinghu Island's morale completely collapsed.

In fact, it wasn't just the East City Wall that received two thousand First-Rate Martial Artists; the North and West City Walls also gained two thousand each—this was the Gui Yuan Sect's secret army, their strongest force—the Six Thousand Dragon Ridge Guards!

"Without a Void Realm expert, Qinghu Island could never destroy my Gui Yuan Sect," Zhuge Yuanhong sighed in relief as the battle dynamic instantly shifted upon the Dragon Ridge Guards' appearance.

In truth, ever since the Battle of Dayan Mountain, after receiving the two jars of 'Spirit of the North Sea' from Teng Qingshan, the Gui Yuan Sect began selecting youths with extremely high comprehension in swordsmanship, spearplay, etc. They focused these individuals exclusively on spear and saber techniques, requiring no time to be spent on Internal Energy cultivation, channeling all their effort into mastering combat forms.

These youths were already adept in their weapon skills, and just last night—upon learning of the crisis—Zhuge Yuanhong gave the command: all six thousand consumed the 'Spirit of the North Sea,' instantly forging six thousand First-Rate Martial Artists.

Postnatal Limit Internal Energy, combined with the rigorously practiced spear and saber techniques, and four years of cultivated coordination.

The effect of the Dragon Ridge Guards’ deployment was astonishing.

"Now it all depends on Qingshan," Zhuge Yuanhong watched the scene below. "If Qingshan loses and cannot hold back this Blind Sword Saint, our victory will be meaningless."

This decisive battle of life and death would ultimately hinge upon the two Void Realm powerhouses.

Below the city wall, the explosive release of Heaven and Earth power caused by Teng Qingshan's clash with the Blind Sword Saint had brought disaster upon countless soldiers.

"This Jing Yi is too despicable," the Blind Sword Saint raged internally, transmitting his voice: "Jing Yi, if you have the guts, fight me one-on-one! Stop constantly sneak-attacking Gu Yong. Attacking a junior, what kind of manner is that?"

"Hmph, sneak-attack? You ordered the siege to wipe out the Gui Yuan Sect, and I'm not allowed to kill one person from Qinghu Island?" Teng Qingshan was utterly frenzied. His figure moved strangely, constantly pressing toward the Blind Sword Saint. It was difficult even for the Sword Saint to create distance. The ferocious axe techniques forced the Blind Sword Saint to hold his breath.

On the defensive!

Yes, even though the Blind Sword Saint refused to admit it, the fact was he was at a disadvantage. He had to protect Gu Yong with one hand, and his movements were restricted by this necessity. His strength could barely be utilized to eighty percent.

The Blind Sword Saint was furious!

You, Jing Yi, are winning by foul means!

"Gu Yong, you retreat to the side first." The Blind Sword Saint abruptly shoved, enveloping Gu Yong in a surge of Heaven and Earth power. Gu Yong shot away into the distance like a streak of light.

"Jing Yi, die!"

Finally free of restraint, the Blind Sword Saint roared in rage. His thin iron rod instantly transformed into streams of black light, stabbing frantically toward Teng Qingshan. The sheer number and speed of the black rays made it impossible for Teng Qingshan to evade.

"Hahahaha, old thing, are you losing control? Can't hold back anymore?" Teng Qingshan laughed boisterously, rapidly whirling his Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe. The face of the axe acted like a small shield; defending with it was far easier than using a saber or sword. Not all of the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting were offensive techniques.

Whoosh~~~ Whoosh~~

The Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe unfolded, its heavy shadows encircling Teng Qingshan, completely shielding his body. For a moment, Teng Qingshan resembled an 'egg.'

Clang! Clang! Clang! ...

Every black light beam was blocked by the Mountain-Splitting Divine Axe; not a single one managed to wound Teng Qingshan. "How is this possible? How can his defensive move be so exquisitely refined..." The Blind Sword Saint was completely astonished.

Whoosh!

Teng Qingshan, who had transformed into an 'egg,' twisted his body and shot out like a rainbow toward the distant location where Gu Yong had been sent.

"Truly despicable," the Blind Sword Saint shot out almost simultaneously.

"Despicable? Old thing, I'll show you despicable," Teng Qingshan’s rainbow light had a fractional head start, clearly positioning him one or two zhang ahead of the Blind Sword Saint.

And the direction both rushed toward was precisely where Gu Yong was located.