As commanded, the twenty Fox-Tailed archers marched westward with the five thousand others under Ye Jingyu’s orders. Those remaining were tasked with intercepting the enemy's tens of thousands—a suicide squad. The archers’ combat effectiveness was limited here, and the five thousand needed skilled guides for the Tian Gang Mountain Range, given the Fox-Tailed clan’s deep familiarity with the Southern Desolate Forest.

However, Hu Yanqi remained behind, a slave to Ye Jingyu. How could he leave while his master fought desperately? Hu Yanmeng naturally wished to stay too, but Ye Jingyu knocked her out with a single punch. Though no paragon of virtue, he could not stomach the thought of forcing a woman to accompany him to certain death.

Bielie and Yue Youqun, riding their Mastiff Lions, followed Ye Jingyu’s group, charging fearlessly into the black tide. They were like small boats struggling against a relentless current.

Three hundred meters. Two hundred meters. One hundred meters. Fifty meters. Thirty meters. Ten meters… Five…

Staring at the rapidly approaching Black Armored Iron Army, (Read full text novels at .1.m(1.m.literature.net) a cold smile spread across Ye Jingyu’s face…

A silver gleam flashed in his eyes. The Berserker Battle Mark activated instantly, unleashing a ripple of pale gold that struck directly at the first wave of black-armored soldiers.

This was a supreme skill reserved for experts of the Soul Condensation Realm. Even a Grandmaster would struggle against it, let alone these ordinary soldiers, who were merely at the Martial Apprentice level?

In a mere instant, the golden ripple violently slammed into the foremost soldiers. Their armor shattered inch by inch, followed by their bodies beginning to split open, exploding into pieces like glass figures. Vivid crimson plasma and pale white fragments sprayed everywhere.

In the blink of an eye, those living men were reduced to piles of gore. The sight sent a tremor of fear through the Shadow Army soldiers.

But the golden Berserker Battle Mark did not stop there. It continued its merciless assault on the soldiers following behind, though its power was significantly diminished. Still, they were violently hurled backward, accompanied by the crunching sound of breaking bones.

Great gulps of blood erupted from their mouths.

Not only that, their backward momentum caused them to crash into the soldiers behind them, immediately knocking over a dozen more men.

At this moment, Ni Bo, carrying Ye Jingyu, plunged deep into the massive army. The pitch-black iron saber in Ye Jingyu’s hand flashed like lightning. Though this worn blade lacked sharpness, it possessed immense resilience. As Ye Jingyu channeled his True Qi, it sliced effortlessly through the heads of two soldiers.

Chi Yixiu wielded a massive battle-axe, sticking close to Ye Jingyu’s side. Just as a Shadow Army soldier raised his saber to strike Ye Jingyu, who sat astride Ni Bo, Chi Yixiu’s immense axe smashed down. The terrifying force split the attacker cleanly in two.

Innards sprayed freely, causing several nearby soldiers to vomit on the spot. The eighty Chi Yi warriors following Chi Yixiu surged forward like a sharp blade. Under the power of those huge battle-axes, no one could offer resistance.

They moved like killing machines, driving straight into the heart of the army.

Bielie and Yue Youqun continually closed ranks toward Ye Jingyu. As innate masters, they constantly unleashed their innate True Qi. Wielding long sabers while mounted on Mastiff Lions, they swung relentlessly, sending sharp blade auras tearing through the air, reaping one life after another.

The Mastiff Lions also unleashed their combat prowess to the fullest. Their agile movements gave the soldiers no chance to strike; their sharp claws and fangs tore through enemy skulls. Under their embedded talons, the Shadow Army soldiers' heads were like soft tofu.

Every rending carried away a soldier’s life.

It took at least three or four soldiers just to get a chance to strike one Mastiff Lion. Although the enemy outnumbered them by a factor of five, this force of ten thousand could not withstand the slaughter inflicted by Ye Jingyu and his vanguard.

After fifteen minutes, fewer than four thousand of the original ten thousand remained, while Ye Jingyu’s side had suffered only about four hundred casualties. Their fighting spirit, however, burned even hotter.

The remaining six thousand-plus had their courage utterly broken by the ferocity of Ye Jingyu’s group. If not for the fear of the forty thousand-strong army behind them, they would have already turned and fled.

Witnessing the sheer fighting capability of the Iron Army led by Ye Jingyu, Ouyang Lengcan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Lin Zuo, order the Shadow Guards to advance… and the Pike Brigade to move out…” He realized that if this continued, the thousand-plus enemy troops might completely shatter his army’s morale, leading to an unexpected rout. Unwilling to risk such a scenario, Ouyang Lengcan gave the order.

The Shadow Guards were the elite of the Shadow Army—only one thousand men, but each was a highly skilled warrior, with some even reaching the Martial Master Realm.

Ouyang Lengcan’s deputy immediately relayed the command. In an instant, a group of black shadows darted forward from behind Ouyang Lengcan, followed by over three thousand pike-wielding soldiers.

Having witnessed the terror of the Mastiff Lions, Ouyang Lengcan understood that engaging such ferocious beasts in close combat was exceedingly difficult.

By this point, Ye Jingyu and his comrades were slaughtering until their arms ached, and even the Mastiff Lions were exhausted. Seeing the Shadow Army soldiers charging again, not a trace of fear remained in anyone’s eyes; they instinctively raised their weapons and charged the foe.

Their iron sabers cut through the air, generating sharp blade auras that swept over everything nearby. Coupled with Ni Bo occasionally using the Ni Bo Seven Steps combat technique, ordinary soldiers found it nearly impossible to close the distance.

Even little Tao Tao was fighting with bloodlust; its white form flickered incessantly, displaying power that suggested at least a (Grandmaster) level strength.

Another thousand-plus were cut down, but this time, Ye Jingyu’s side paid a heavy price, suffering over three hundred casualties.

They were mere flesh and blood, their strength not endless. Moreover, more than four hundred Mastiff Lions were skewered and killed.

Though these Mastiff Lions were N-rank Desolate Beasts, they were already utterly exhausted, facing multiple enemies simultaneously, leaving them no chance to escape unscathed.

At this stage, the Shadow Army’s Shadow Guards were closing in. The remaining two thousand-plus Shadow Army soldiers began to systematically move aside, clearing the main field for these highly capable elite guards.

Looking at the Shadow Guards, whose skills were clearly superior to the regular soldiers, Ye Jingyu’s blood-streaked face remained grim. In his eyes, only one thought persisted: Kill.