Chapter 456: Chapter 456: A One-Man Charge
At the bottom of the valley, over three hundred Federation Martial Artists had constructed a simple defensive line, relying on wrecked hovercraft and the natural rock walls. Fatigue and tension were etched on every face, but their eyes remained resolute.
"Deputy Commander, the Feathered People have completed their encirclement," a scout reported in a low voice.
The middle-aged man they called Deputy Commander stood behind a rock wall, observing the sky through a scope. A dark mass of Feathered People troops blotted out half the sky like a swarm of locusts, the sound of their beating wings merging into a dull roar.
"Stick to the plan. Hold your ground." The Deputy Commander lowered his scope, his voice steady. "Reinforcements will be here soon."
In truth, he didn’t know the specific plan for the reinforcements; it was top secret. But as the bait, he had to keep his subordinates’ hopes alive.
In the sky, the Feathered People forces began their descent.
The first volley of arrows rained down.
...
「Eighty kilometers away, at the Feathered People command post.」
The old Priest gazed at the sand table where the encirclement was now complete, a flicker of satisfaction passing through his pure black eyes.
"Order the front line to begin the attack. End the battle within thirty minutes."
"Yes, sir!"
Just as the order was relayed, the unexpected occurred.
At the edge of the sand table, an unfamiliar red dot of light suddenly appeared, hurtling toward the command post at an astonishing speed.
"What is that?" the young Priest asked, alarmed.
The old Priest stared at the dot of light, his expression changing abruptly.
"Something’s wrong! It’s a master! Quick, send word—"
Before he could finish his sentence.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion roared from outside the command post, and the entire floating platform shook violently.
The next second, the alloy wall was brutally torn apart, and a figure wreathed in dark gold flames smashed into the command post like a meteor.
Xu Wuyi landed on one knee and slowly raised his head.
His dark gold pupils swept over the five stunned Feathered Priests, a cold smile touching his lips.
"Found you."
He raised his right hand, palm facing up.
The Power of his Heart Image erupted.
The Dark Gold Mountain Body trembled in his sea of consciousness, and the Golden Crow let out a long cry.
His Heart Image perception instantly enveloped a three-hundred-meter radius, covering the entire command post and the hundreds of Feathered Warriors gathered nearby.
Then, the Heart Fire ignited.
VMMMM—
There was no earth-shattering explosion, no brilliant flash of energy.
In that single instant, with Xu Wuyi at the center, over two hundred dark gold sparks ignited simultaneously in the air within a three-hundred-meter radius.
The moment they appeared, the sparks expanded rapidly, transforming into fist-sized, perpetually dancing Flame True Seals.
An invisible resonance formed between the True Seals. Their dark gold halos intertwined, creating a faint web of fire that enveloped the entire airspace.
"What is that—"
A young Priest had just opened his mouth to speak when a Flame True Seal latched onto his Energy Shield.
SIZZLE!
The shield’s light dimmed and shattered at a rate visible to the naked eye. Like a plague clinging to bone, the dark gold flame seeped through the cracks in the shield, igniting his feathers, skin, and meridians.
"AHHH—!!!"
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the command post.
But this was only the beginning.
More than two hundred Flame True Seals erupted at once, and a sea of dark gold fire instantly engulfed the command post and the surrounding airspace.
The Priests frantically channeled their incantation shields, trying to resist. But the Flame True Seal’s Traits included continuous burning and Energy absorption; the longer their shields held, the more Energy they consumed, and the faster they shattered.
The ordinary Feathered Warrior Generals fared even worse. They lacked the Priests’ level of protection. When a Flame True Seal landed on them, they became a human torch within three seconds and plummeted from the sky.
Ten seconds.
In just ten seconds, of the five Priests inside the command post, three were reduced to cinders, while the other two lay critically injured on the ground, barely breathing.
Of the more than three hundred Feathered Warriors gathered nearby, over two hundred died on the spot. Most of the survivors were injured, and their formation had completely collapsed.
Xu Wuyi stood in place, not having moved an inch.
He simply held his hand up, maintaining the output of his Power of Heart Image. In his sea of consciousness, he had consumed about 12% of his Power of Heart Image, which was still within a controllable range.
He glanced at the sand table. The blue dots of light representing the Feathered People forces were already in chaos.
’Not enough.’
Xu Wuyi strode out of the ruined command post and stood on the edge of the floating platform, looking down on the battlefield below.
Down in Wind-Carved Valley, the main assault force of the Feathered People had noticed the disturbance to their rear. However, most of their commanders had been concentrated at the command post. Now leaderless, the army was descending into chaos.
Xu Wuyi closed his eyes and unleashed his Heart Image perception to its fullest extent.
A radius of three hundred meters, five hundred meters, eight hundred meters...
After reaching Great Success in [Golden Crow Burning Heart·Raging Fire], his perception range had improved, reaching a maximum of about eight hundred meters. His effective attack radius, however, remained at three hundred meters.
’Still, it’s enough.’
He locked onto several areas where the Feathered Warriors were most concentrated, each location packed with over a hundred of them.
With a mere thought.
Dark gold Flame True Seals materialized out of thin air in those zones.
One, two, ten, a hundred...
Like stars of death suddenly igniting in the dark night.
And then, the wildfire spread.
...
Down in Wind-Carved Valley, the Federation Martial Artists stared at the sky, dumbfounded.
The Feathered People forces, which a moment ago had loomed like oppressive dark clouds, were now engulfed in a chaotic sea of fire. Dark gold flames ravaged their ranks. Wherever the fire passed, the Feathered People fell like scraps of burning paper.
Screams, the frantic beating of wings, and the roar of the fire blended together, composing a brutal symphony of death.
"Wh-what is that?" a young Martial Artist stammered.
The Deputy Commander saw the figure on the floating platform through his scope.
Black clothes, black hair, and a dark gold long spear in his hand that glinted in the firelight.
"Reinforcements..." The Deputy Commander took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart. "All units, attention! It’s time to counterattack! Coordinate with our reinforcement and fight your way out!"
"CHARGE!!"
The three hundred Federation Martial Artists erupted with a heaven-shaking roar, charging out from their cover to launch a counter-offensive against the chaotic Feathered People forces.
And in the sky, Xu Wuyi had already begun the reaping.
His figure flashed as he leaped down from the floating platform, the phantom of his dark gold Heart Image shimmering faintly behind him. The Golden Crow spread its wings, carrying him through the air.
Wherever he passed, Flame True Seals followed like shadows.
The Feathered Warriors tried to surround him, but before they could even get close, they were set ablaze by Flame True Seals materializing from nothing. They tried to flee, only to discover that no matter where they flew, as long as they remained within that three-hundred-meter radius, flames would erupt right beside them.
It was a one-sided slaughter.
Xu Wuyi hadn’t even drawn his long spear. He simply maintained the output of his Power of Heart Image as he weaved through the clusters of Feathered People. With every flicker of his will, dozens of Flame True Seals materialized, claiming dozens of lives.
Ten minutes.
In just ten minutes, the force of twenty-one hundred Feathered People had been reduced by more than half.
Of the forty-seven Priests, more than thirty had died in the initial assault on the command post and from the Flame True Seals that followed. The survivors, realizing the situation was hopeless, had already begun to scatter and flee.
But Xu Wuyi wasn’t about to give them that chance.
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