Chapter 508: Chapter 507: Joining the Battle
Faced with the overwhelming palm power, Shi Xiaole unleashed a diagonal sword strike, seemingly slow but swiftly sweeping out.
Under this sword strike, the palm power scattered like a disintegrating piece of wood, suddenly breaking apart and shooting in all directions.
"You’re oversimplifying this."
Mo Changqing smiled.
It turned out that in her right palm, there was still an unleashed power. This power and the chaotic palm power in the air attracted each other, forming the second, stronger attack.
PA!
The palm power, which was about to fall on Shi Xiaole, suddenly shifted, shattering the street. The sudden gust of wind disturbed Shi Xiaole’s clothes and hair on his forehead.
"Senior Sister Mo actually made a mistake."
"Too bad, just a little bit."
Seeing Shi Xiaole not retreating, fighting evenly with Mo Changqing on the spot, many Heavenly Inquiry Sect disciples secretly sighed at the opponent’s good fortune.
"Thank you, Senior Sister Mo, for showing mercy."
Shi Xiaole sheathed his sword at his waist, humbly replied.
"I did not show any mercy."
A strange light quickly flashed through Mo Changqing’s eyes.
Her palm power couldn’t possibly miss. There was clearly a problem with the continuity of the first half of the palm and the second half. Was Shi Xiaole’s sword strike just a lucky blow to the weak point in the palm skill or did he do it intentionally?
With a faint answer in her heart, Mo Changqing hid the brilliance in her eyes.
"Your swordsmanship is indeed as remarkable as the rumors."
Ai WenXiang’s eyes brightened, and he quietly praised.
At his level, there were few peers that could evoke his admiration, at least under the same conditions, he did not think he could handle it as easily as Shi Xiaole.
"Are you guys done with your quarreling?"
The voice was authoritative, with an indisputable tone. On the eaves not far away, a man of average stature in brocade attire appeared, standing tall and speaking downwards.
Upon seeing this man, the words Ye Lanzhi wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
Yu He, the leader of the four, is from the Yu Family of Xuanwu State and is the clansman of Yu Zhao. He is not only the most prominent in terms of background but is also the most powerful among all. He is undoubtedly the top person in Kuangyun City.
With Yu He stepping forward, everyone naturally did not dare to make a fuss and scattered away. Under the leadership of Ai WenXiang, Shi Xiaole and others arrived at his residence.
Along the way, Shi Xiaole started noticing the foreign woman.
Not because she was beautiful, but because she gave him a strange feeling.
The foreign woman seemed to sense something, looked around, found nothing, and quickly wrapped her arm around Ai WenXiang’s, laughing and joking with him.
Their relationship seemed very deep, at least the servants in the residence didn’t even raise their eyes, obviously not surprised.
"Xiaole, the disputes between Kuangyun City and Kuanghai City are intense, and there will be a big battle tomorrow, where you can experience it for yourselves."
Sitting at the top of the living room, Ai WenXiang smiled and said.
The nature of Kuanghai City is the same as that of Kuangyun City, but it is formed by disciples from other opposing sects. The two big groups have been fighting for years and have long formed deep enmities.
After everyone had dinner and went back to their rooms, late at night, Shi Xiaole heard a whimper that sounded like plaintive cries of a suggestive nature, which apparently came from the foreign woman.
The direction of the voice was also exactly where Ai WenXiang’s house was, and what the two were doing was clear at a glance.
After all, the matter between men and women is just human nature, Shi Xiaole couldn’t interfere, so he had to close his senses, calm the restlessness in his body, and it took a while to return to his cultivation state.
A peaceful night passed.
The next day.
Everyone gathered together inside the sixteen-story tower at the center of Kuangyun City. This tower was only accessible to the city’s high-rank individuals and was a secret place for formulating enemy attack strategies and observing the situation of the war.
Thanks to his connection to the Ai Family, Shi Xiaole was also allowed to enter.
A group of them stood inside the tower, their expressions solemn; even the usually sly Ye Lanzhi had lost her smile.
Looking down from the tower, Shi Xiaole suddenly saw that tens of miles away, two black floods formed by crowds were gradually converging and about to collide.
These were disciples from Kuangyun City and Kuanghai City!
The masters in the flood formed different small groups. The vigorous air that organized around them looked like countless big or small flashes of light.
This was a combined attack array system, and it was the Spiritual-Passage Realm level combined attack array system!
To some extent, the importance of the array system to a sect is no less than secret manuscript.
Any sect of a good rank would have a large-scale protective array system for the sect, and a strong protective array system for a sect could save the destiny of a sect at a critical moment.
In contrast, there are combined attack array systems used for attack, perhaps only the top-level power in the Xuanwu State could have a Spiritual-Passage Realm level combined attack array system.
While Shi Xiaole was pondering, the two floods in the distance finally collided.
In an instant, multiple array systems detonated into an ocean of vibrant multi-colored internal power and vigorous air, rolling and rushing forward.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
In the earth-shaking explosions, large rocks broke apart and smoke and dust rose. Even tens of miles away, Shi Xiaole felt as if he could still feel the earth shaking due to the impact.
The battle formation in the front was most severely impacted, first being dispersed. There were people vomiting blood inside the array system, and as a wave of Qi rushed over, the sprays of blood and bodies turned into a rain of blood, like countless bursts of blood-red fireworks in the air.
It was cruel and startlingly beautiful.
Human life, amid the carnage that resembled a rush onto the battlefield, seemed of no consequence.
"These people were all carefully cultivated by various major sects with great costs."
A disciple from a top-tier power clenched his five fingers tightly.
The slaughter continued in the distance. After several rounds of attacks, the armies of disciples from Kuangyun City and Kuanghai City suffered over forty percent casualties on both sides. The remaining people could barely maintain the Array System, thus initiating another bloody skirmish.
The battlefield was littered with blood, corpses, severed arms and legs.
Shi Xiaole was deeply shocked.
He suddenly realized that some of his previous views needed to change.
In the Martial World of his past life, a large sect had hundreds of members. But in the Flying Horse Dynasty, even the lowest-level sects had more than hundreds. Sects numbering tens of thousands were even more common, too numerous to list.
The sect wars here were almost comparable to the battles of a small army in his previous life.
In contests for resources like the one between Kuangyun City and Kuanghai City, where over half of the top-tier sects from Xuanwu State flocked here, the scenes created were akin to a battle between two medium-sized armies proficient in martial arts!
The fighting continued for nearly a 2-hour period before it finally came to a halt. In the end, a group of people from both sides returned, having seized various resources.
Shi Xiaole knew that the spoils obtained by the fortunate ones who returned were far greater than usual. The carnage was one of the fastest ways to grow.
The person who proposed to use disciples to compete for resources in those years must have been extremely wise, but also extremely cold-blooded.
"Wenhong, prepare well, you’ll be on the battlefield next."
Watching Ai Wenhong’s pale face, Ai Wenxiang spoke in a heavy voice.
Every person entering Kuangyun City had to join a team to participate in the battle. Only by harvesting resources could they be reassigned positions. Otherwise, even if they survived, they would have to participate in a second battle.
This was the rule. Any violation would not only incur punishment to the individual but also to the power they represented.
What surprised Ai Wenxiang was that aside from slightly erratic breathing, Shi Xiaole didn’t look sick at all. Had he seen such a scene before?
However, it was for the best. Before the battle, unnecessary panic would only affect his condition.
"The time for the next big battle is uncertain, but I suggest letting Shi Bangshou and Brother Ai lead the team as chief and deputy commanders. What do you think?"
Ye Lanzhi resumed her smile and spoke after withdrawing her gaze.
"No one can match them in the Xuanqi Realm. It’s natural for them to lead. Moreover, I believe that with Brother Shi and Brother Ai’s skills, they will simply be going through the motions in the battles and shouldn’t have any issues."
Another disciple from a top-tier power beckoned immediately.
"What are your opinions?"
Seeing that nobody disagreed, Yu He looked at Ai WenXiang and Mo Changqing.
Ai WenXiang said, "Proceed as per the rules."
Mo Changqing remained silent. However, those who knew her well understood this to be an indication of her consent.
The next few days were unusually calm.
But on the sixth day, Shi Xiaole and Ai Wenhong received their orders. A hidden mine was discovered fifty miles east of Kuangyun City, and they were to lead the team to seize the minerals within.
That night, the two set off with a force of sixty thousand people.
...
Kuanghai City.
A conference hall.
"Hmph, the brats surnamed Shi and Ai have moved."
A young man with inverted triangle eyebrows crushed the paper in his hand, a cold smile on his face.
"Hahaha, it’s audacious for that little thief surnamed Shi to come here. Brother Xiahou, we can’t let him leave alive!"
Another young man with a fierce look, his eyes filled with a murderous aura. His name was Shi Hao, the leading disciple of Tianyuan Association in Kuanghai City.
The others present also showed different expressions.
They bore no grudge against Shi Xiaole, but a friend of an enemy is an enemy. Since Shi Xiaole had a good relationship with the Ai Family, there was no need to be polite.
The young man with the inverted triangle eyebrows spread his smile, "Brother Shi, it seems that Shi managed to escape from Assembly Master Lu by luck. In that case, I’ll give you the chance to kill him and the little Ai bastard. Any problems with that?"
Upon hearing Xiahou Jinlun’s words, Shi Hao felt overjoyed, "Thank you Brother Xiahou for accommodating!"
The outsiders had no idea, but Lu Zixiong had already listed the elimination of Shi Xiaole as one of the most important tasks for Tianyuan Association members. This time, when he received the news of Shi Xiaole’s arrival in Kuangyun City, he passed it on to Tianyuan Association immediately.
As long as he could kill Shi Xiaole, Shi Hao believed Lu Zixiong would be very pleased. Perhaps he might even consider making him his disciple for the merit.
Without wasting any time, Shi Hao promptly excused himself and rushed to make preparations.
...
The sky gradually darkened.
When they were still several miles from the target mine, Shi Xiaole could feel a suppressing breath from the opposite side. He guessed that it must be the main force from Kuanghai City laying an ambush.
"Brother Shi, shall we..."
Ai Wenhong drew close and made a gesture suggesting an ambush.
"No, let’s rest first, we still have some things to do."
Shi Xiaole waved his hand, his eyes deeper than the night.
