Volume 1, Chapter 511 – Old Immortal Nanhua

Faced with Red Hare charging in with unstoppable momentum, Wang Yue’s expression did not change in the slightest. His breathing stopped abruptly, and a flower of sword-light bloomed in his hand.

Brilliant sword radiance rose between heaven and earth, and the terrifying divine might of a Sword Dao Supreme blanketed the surrounding lands.

Boom!

The protective grand array activated around Luoyang rippled violently, like raging waves sweeping across the sky. It endured for only an instant before a gap was torn open in it.

The divine capital of Luoyang, which had not encountered such turmoil for over a hundred thousand years, erupted with a thunderous roar that shot into the heavens. It was deafening, and the entire city trembled.

A figure slammed against the city wall. Cracks like a spiderweb spread for hundreds of zhang. His whole body was blackened, covered in burns left by flames, and in his hand was a long sword whose blade shone like snow.

“Sword Saint!”

“Imperial Tutor!”

An uproar broke out atop the city wall, and figures leapt up one after another, rushing toward Wang Yue.

In the distance, Lü Bu stood in the void, watching the scene before him without moving for a long while.

Rip—

All of a sudden, blood sprayed from his neck. A savage gash appeared across it, nearly severing his head, with only a thin strip of flesh still connecting it. His head hung by a thread.

His body went limp and fell from the sky. Falling with him was the blood-soaked Red Hare. The injuries it had suffered were even worse than Lü Bu’s. Wang Yue’s final sword had nearly cut it in two at the waist, separating its hindquarters from the rest of its body and almost taking its life.

At the sight, chaos broke out in the army below. Lü Lingqi’s expression changed drastically. She sprang onto horseback, shot into the sky, and carefully caught the falling man and horse.

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Rumble—

A bolt of blood-colored lightning suddenly flashed across the highest heavens, and a torrential blood rain poured down from the sky. Vast heaven and earth essence qi welled up and nourished all living things.

Heaven and earth wept blood; a Supreme had fallen. This rain of blood undoubtedly declared that the Sword Saint, who had dominated the Nine Provinces for countless years, had already had his soul fall into the underworld.

From the distant walls of Luoyang came a wave of weeping.

Nourished by the blood rain, the dying Lü Bu lying in Lü Lingqi’s arms stirred with blood and qi. The wound on his neck began to heal faintly, stabilizing the life-force that was on the verge of dispersing and slowly pulling back the half of his body that had already stepped into the Yellow Springs.

Lü Lingqi let out a breath of relief. She lifted her eyes and swept her gaze toward distant Luoyang, staring at the gap torn open in the protective grand array, her eyes blazing.

There was no shortage within Luoyang of first-rate generals and masters of military strategy, all with an extremely precise grasp of battlefield opportunities.

If they retreated now, morale would collapse. Once the Han army launched a pursuit, the several hundred thousand wolf riders behind her would very likely begin to rout, perhaps even be annihilated to the last. All of her father’s ambitions would then come to nothing.

At a time like this, there was only one path: survive by advancing into certain death.

In the space of a thought, a cold light flashed in Lü Lingqi’s eyes. She summoned several wolf riders at her side and had them escort Lü Bu toward the rear of the formation, then cried out sharply:

“Where is the Formation-Breaking Camp?!”

From within the ranks, more than ten thousand riders separated from the formation. All of them wore iron armor and covered their faces, their auras cold as ice. At their head was a tall, imposing man holding a long spear, his expression stern.

The Formation-Breaking Camp was made up of the best fighters under Lü Bu, chosen one in ten thousand. There was more than one first-rate general among them, and once they formed a battle array, they were enough to fight Lü Bu to a standstill, unafraid of any top hero of the age.

With a lift of her hand, Lü Lingqi drew Lü Bu’s fallen Fangtian Halberd into her grasp and pointed its blade straight at the divine capital.

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“Follow me and take the city!”

“Yes!”

The answering roar was like crashing waves battering the shore, and killing intent shot into the sky.

“Kill!!”

The neighing of warhorses rang through heaven and earth. Beneath the battle standard bearing the character “Lü,” a black torrent rolled forward. In an instant, the iron hooves of ten thousand troops trampled across the Luo River. Bathed in blood rain, they rode down upon the divine capital, shaking all directions.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!

The booming thunder of war drums exploded from atop the walls. Luoyang’s gates swung open, and troops from a thousand camps marched out in formation, their morale just as soaring.

“Kill!!!”

Those gathered in the divine capital were all elites of the Han army, battle-hardened veterans likewise unafraid of death. The moment the fighting began, the number of first-rate generals entering the battlefield had already exceeded ten.

Yet not a single one among them could be called a top hero of the age.

Lü Lingqi’s blood and qi merged into the battle array. With the array’s augmentation, her combat strength surged. Moreover, at all times there were at least three first-rate generals at her side covering for her. Wielding the Fangtian Halberd, she cut down enemies all across the battlefield as if she had entered an empty land, and in a short span she slew several great Han generals in succession.

“Traitor, die!”

A thunderous shout suddenly exploded. A figure like some god or demon appeared before Lü Lingqi. Blade-light split the clouds and came crashing down toward her head with the force to shatter heaven and smash the sun.

“Lingqi, be careful! That’s Huangfu Yizhen!”

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“Get back!”

The several first-rate generals not far away all changed expression. Lü Lingqi had grown up in the army, and in the eyes of these generals she was no different from one of their own juniors. Seeing her in danger, they were frantic with worry and immediately abandoned their mounts, flying to her rescue.

Huangfu Song was a marquis-ranked general of the Great Han, second only to the top heroes. His sudden strike at this moment instantly forced Lü Lingqi into peril.

Twang—

Before they could reach Lü Lingqi’s side, a sharp, piercing whistle rang out from the rear of the wolf rider formation, splitting clouds and cracking stone.

A dazzling golden streak tore through heaven and earth, carving a black rift several hundred li long through the air before colliding with the blade-light.

Boom!

The blade-light shattered. Huangfu Song staggered backward repeatedly as a pale-gold arrow pierced through his left shoulder, blood gushing forth like a spring.

At the rear of the wolf rider formation, Lü Bu slowly lowered the gilt longbow in his hand. His gaze was cold and fixed, and the savage wound that had previously marred his neck had been reduced to no more than a faint scar.

The blood rain gradually faded. The battlefield was filled with blood and bones. Lü Bu put away the longbow, seized a battle standard beside him, and gave a loud order:

“The whole army, attack!”

…

…

“A Supreme has fallen.”

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Above Penglai, Shi Lan looked into the distance and saw that striking cloud of blood billions of li away.

Even after their Dao fruit had been severed, a Supreme still left traces in heaven and earth, attended by blood rain after death.

Only, that Dao fruit had been severed by the Heavenly Dao itself, which was rather ironic.

She had already been sitting here in silence for two days. Perhaps because Tong Yuan had frightened them out of their wits a few days ago, she still had not seen any enemies come to attack.

Although the three-day deadline was close at hand, Shi Lan did not relax in the slightest. This was only a brief calm.

So long as Penglai remained here, uninvited guests were bound to come knocking. And the next enemies to arrive would only be more terrifying than the last.

Screech—

Just as Shi Lan was deep in thought, a cloud of auspicious vapor appeared on the horizon, and an immortal crane broke through the clouds, spread its wings, and arrived before her.

Seated cross-legged atop the crane was an elderly man well into his twilight years. His eye sockets were sunken, his hair was white as snow, and the life within him was nearly exhausted. He clearly did not have much time left.

“Who goes there?”

Shi Lan had no mind for showing deference to age at this moment. She spoke in a low voice, her mind already linked to the Qiongluo Realm. The old man before her was by no means ordinary.

“In this age, the people of the world call this old man Old Immortal Nanhua.”

The old man spoke calmly. Lowering his eyes, he glanced at the silver spear standing on the ground below, and an almost imperceptible trace of wariness flashed through his eyes.