Chapter 118: Battle Ends
This skirmish was brutal.
These Shadow Fiends were like maggots on bone; they clung to us and attacked, specifically picking on the soft targets.
Because Fang Hao’s transport flying boat looked weakly defended and carried important Formation Masters and supplies, it became a primary target.
Wave after wave of black shadows lunged at them, using an endless array of sinister tactics.
Fang Hao could not remember how many times he had swung his sword or blocked hidden weapons.
The blade of his yitian sword had curled from all the hacking, and his spiritual power was draining away like water; if he hadn’t just achieved a Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Breakthrough and built a solid foundation, he would have collapsed long ago.
The wound on Little Grandson’s arm had burst open again, fresh blood staining the bandages, yet he kept gritting his teeth and throwing Talismans.
Master Zhao waved his horsetail whisk, sending out streaks of clear light to protect everyone, but his face was turning paler and paler, clearly indicating immense consumption.
The flying boat’s protective light barrier was already riddled with holes, and several corpses lay scattered across the deck—some were Shadow Fiends, others were Guest Elders and guards from their own side.
The smell of blood was choking.
Just as Fang Hao felt he could not hold on any longer and was considering whether to use his trump card, the golden puppet, to make a desperate gamble, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.
Over on Commander Lei’s side, the clash of high-end combatants had reached a conclusion.
Commander Lei was, after all, a fierce general forged on the battlefield; as he fought, his temper flared, and he adopted a completely suicidal fighting style.
He took a hook from his opponent, tearing a wound on his shoulder deep enough to see the bone, but he seized the opportunity to thrust his spear through the heart of the Golden Core Shadow Fiend who wielded the twin hooks!
That guy died on the spot!
Having taken out one Golden Core, Commander Lei’s pressure was greatly reduced, and he immediately pulled away to support the other two Golden Core generals.
Three against two; the situation was instantly reversed!
The remaining two Golden Core Shadow Fiends saw the situation was unfavorable, feinted, and turned to run!
Once the high-end combatants retreated, the Foundation Establishment Stage Shadow Fiend Cultivators below panicked.
They were originally meant for sneak attacks and excelled at profiting from chaos; once the advantage of a direct confrontation was lost, they immediately became like headless flies.
What was even more fatal was that, thanks to the continuous efforts of Fang Hao and the other Formation Masters, that damned "Nine Nether Spirit Locking Formation" was finally completely broken!
Once the suppression vanished, the army’s spiritual power circulation recovered smoothly, their Divine Sense was no longer interfered with, and their combat effectiveness shot up instantly!
"The Confinement Formation is broken! Brothers, kill! Don’t let a single one escape!" a general roared excitedly.
The soldiers and Cultivators, who had been bottling up their anger, suddenly saw their morale soar, and the intensity of their counterattack surged!
Arrows and Spells were launched as if they were worthless, and the Shadow Fiend Cultivators, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, instantly turned into rats crossing the street, chased and scurrying in panic.
Seeing the situation was bad, these guys ran faster than rabbits.
Each of them used strange movement techniques, turning into streaks of black smoke and fleeing in all directions, refusing to engage in battle.
The army wanted to pursue, but the enemy scattered, and the terrain was complex; after chasing for a while, they only left behind a dozen slow-moving unlucky ones, while most slipped away.
In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the wasteland, which had been filled with deafening shouts of battle, suddenly fell silent.
Only the mess on the ground, the burning wreckage of flying boats, and the scattered corpses remained, silently telling the story of the cruelty of the battle just passed.
"We won... did we win?" Little Grandson slumped onto the deck, clutching his bleeding arm, gasping for breath, his face still showing disbelief.
Fang Hao also sat down against a broken mast, feeling as if all his bones had fallen apart, without even the strength to lift a finger.
He glanced at the corpse of the fallen Alchemy Guest Elder on the deck, his heart feeling heavy; there was no joy of victory at all.
Master Zhao walked over, his face weary, checked Little Grandson’s injuries, and then looked at Fang Hao: "Are you both alright?"
Fang Hao shook his head: "I’m fine, just exhausted."
Master Zhao sighed, looking at the tragic scene around them: "When the Shadow Fiends strike, it is always to the death. The fact that they voluntarily retreated this time... I fear there is another motive."
These words made Fang Hao’s heart tremble.
That’s right, these Shadow Fiends were notorious; when had they ever fought such a half-hearted battle?
They took advantage of the sneak attack but didn’t gain much substantial benefit, only to scurry away in such a hurry? This didn’t make sense.
Soon, Commander Lei returned covered in blood, his face so dark it could drip water.
His shoulder was wrapped in thick bandages, still oozing blood.
"Count the casualties! Treat the wounded! Clean up the battlefield quickly! We depart again in the time it takes to burn an incense stick!"
Commander Lei’s voice was hoarse, carrying repressed anger.
The statistics were soon available. Although this skirmish didn’t last long, the losses were not small.
Over two hundred soldiers were killed in action, and thirty-seven Cultivators fell, including two Guest Elders at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. There were even more heavily wounded. Five flying boats were destroyed, and a portion of the supplies was lost.
It could be said that before even reaching Iron Rock City, they had been dealt a heavy blow, damaging their Origin Qi.
"Damn it, we got ambushed by these bastards!" a blood-covered general spat fiercely.
Commander Lei was silent for a moment before saying: "The appearance of the Shadow Fiends here, intercepting our reinforcements, indicates that the situation in Iron Rock City is even more critical than we imagined. Great Qin does not want us to arrive smoothly. Since this sneak attack failed, they will definitely not give up; there must be more ambushes ahead."
He looked at Master Zhao, Fang Hao, and the others: "Everyone, the road ahead will likely be even less peaceful. Keep the Formation on alert; do not relax for a single moment!"
Master Zhao and Fang Hao both nodded solemnly.
After a brief rest, the surviving team regrouped, carrying the wounded and the remains of their comrades, and continued to advance toward the north.
The atmosphere was even more oppressive than before, with everyone’s nerves taut, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
Fang Hao sat inside the partially repaired flying boat, swallowing a Medicinal Pill to restore his spiritual power, the slight sense of relief from his Breakthrough having long since vanished.
In its place was a heavy sense of pressure and unease.
The sneak attack by the Shadow Fiends was like a bucket of cold water that woke him up.
This trip to the Northern Territory was essentially a bloody path filled with thorns.
Iron Rock City had likely already become a huge meat grinder, just waiting for reinforcements like them to fill it.
He touched the cold Guest Elder token in his bosom, looked at the gray sky, and exhaled a long breath of turbid air.
Since he had set foot on this path, there was no turning back. He could only grit his teeth and keep moving forward.
