The setting sun cast its rays through the forest.
A group of demon soldiers were on high alert. These were "lesser demons," some wielding spears like rats, others with cleavers like badgers. Demon cultivators only achieved human form after reaching the second realm, and a more pleasing form required higher cultivation. Among these soldiers, only a few dozen were in human form; the rest were in their original appearances, their combat strength therefore predictable.
"Someone's coming!"
A demon soldier shouted, and then hundreds of them surged together, rushing towards the direction the Iron Step Battalion was advancing. In an instant, both sides were locked in fierce combat.
...
The snow-dusted ground in the forest was dappled. Lin Zhao had already led his men over the mountain ridge and reached the narrow waist of the gourd-shaped valley. From afar, beyond the main battlefield, he saw more demonic figures appearing in the northwest. When Lin Zhao channeled his true qi as a fifth-realm martial artist and sensed with his martial sense, he clearly perceived reinforcements of about a hundred demons, more than half of whom were in human form!
"This is not good..."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Our main force is about to be caught in a pincer attack."
"It's too late."
An old soldier said, "Going up now is just sending us to our deaths."
"It's different."
Lin Zhao drew his sword and turned, saying, "Let's go intercept these reinforcements. Have someone fast notify the main force to retreat. If we don't stop them, everyone will be wiped out here!"
"Yes!"
At Lin Zhao's command, a young soldier dropped his shield, took only his long sword, and sped off to deliver the message.
Lin Zhao, holding his long sword, leaped down, leading his men to intercept the enemy reinforcements.
"There are people here too!?"
A demon, a civet cat, laughed heartily and lunged towards Lin Zhao's arm with its gaping maw.
"Seeking death!"
Without a word, Lin Zhao condensed a surge of true qi into an invisible blade around his sword. With a sweep, the demon was instantly decapitated. The very next moment, the whistling of arrows filled the air. Lin Zhao saw clearly, lunged forward, and delivered a punch. The fist wind blazed, instantly shredding over a dozen arrows.
"Slay the leader!"
A demon roared madly.
Lin Zhao remained silent, moving at lightning speed. The next moment, he was before the second-realm demon, his fist sweeping across, smashing the demon's head. But before he could turn, a sharp cleaver swung towards the back of his head – a fatal blow from a third-realm demon cultivator. If it had landed, his skull would likely have been cleaved in two.
"Peng!"
A wisp of white energy erupted. Lin Zhao was enveloped in a white aura, activating his Formation Horse Wind Wall style of fist intent. His body suddenly sank, and as he dodged the attack, Lin Zhao spun and landed a heavy punch on the third-realm demon's jaw, dislocating it. He then thrust his sword through the demon's heart, killing it instantly!
"This brat is ruthless!"
Some demons roared in anger.
Lin Zhao raised his hand and threw his iron sword, which pierced the throat of a demon holding a crossbow. The young man quickly advanced, stomped heavily on a demon, kicking it over, and then swung his fist to block several hidden arrows shot by other demons. He then darted behind a large tree and said to his subordinates, "Shields up, retreat slowly. We just need to slow them down, no need to fight them to the death!"
"Yes, sir!"
A group of men retreated behind their shields. Occasionally, someone would be wounded in the limbs, but their comrades would help cover them with their shields.
...
Meanwhile, on the main battlefield.
A fifth-realm centurion of the Iron Step Battalion swung his sword wildly among the demons. These demons were weak; the strongest was only third-realm, and they could be handled with ease. The Iron Step Battalion fighters were having a grand time. However, just as they thought victory was assured, several hidden demons among the enemy ranks suddenly transformed, revealing human forms, and their immense auras erupted.
"Ch!"
A streak of sword light flashed. It was a sixth-realm demon sword cultivator, who brought down a fierce sword strike on a centurion's shield.
With a deafening clang, the fifth-realm martial artist was outmatched in sheer strength by this sixth-realm demon sword cultivator. The next second, a blue flying sword flashed across the battlefield, and the fifth-realm centurion slumped to the ground, a bloody hole in his throat, instantly killed!
"Not good!"
Someone roared, "There are hidden mid-realm demons in the demonic army!"
"You only realize that now? Too late!"
The sixth-realm sword cultivator swept his sword, unleashing torrents of sword energy that engulfed several Iron Step Battalion soldiers, turning them into blood mist on the spot. Another Iron Step Battalion centurion gritted his teeth and growled, "This is a trap. Everyone, retreat slowly, withdraw from the battlefield, and fall back into the vanguard's territory!"
Before the words had even fallen, a figure descended from the sky – a female demon cultivator. Her fingers, like iron hooks, grabbed the centurion's head. With a sudden squeeze, the head was ripped off. The female demon cultivator held the head aloft in mid-air, greedily drinking the blood flowing from it.
It was a seventh-realm demon!
"Withdraw! Quickly!"
With two commanders killed in quick succession, the Iron Step Battalion was left with only four low-ranking officers, and their situation was dire. They had become the targets of a seventh-realm cultivator and a sixth-realm sword cultivator. Demons were bloodthirsty, and they particularly favored "decapitation" tactics, which had indeed caused the human army great hardship, with commanders being replaced rapidly, one after another, leading to the widespread saying in the army, "Unless your neck is tough, don't be an officer."
...
At the gourd-shaped valley, after Lin Zhao had delayed the enemy for the time it took an incense stick to burn, he saw that the two hundred men of the Iron Step Battalion in the distance had suffered heavy casualties. He immediately ordered his subordinates to retreat. Then, after smashing the body of a first-realm demon with a punch, he ignited a Godspeed Talisman written on a blue paper. Instantly, his body felt light, and he moved with divine aid through the forest.
"Buzz!"
A heavy punch, aimed directly at the back of the sixth-realm demon sword cultivator, delivered with the combined force of the Godspeed Talisman and the Formation Horse Wind Wall style! The speed was incredible!
"Huh!?"
The sixth-realm sword cultivator spun around abruptly, his sword cleaving the air, but it missed. When he looked again, his cheek had taken a heavy blow. This sword cultivator never imagined that a mere squad leader from the human army would possess such speed and power. His body was instantly sent flying. This punch had pierced through sword intent, causing immense damage.
"Bastard!"
The sixth-realm sword cultivator felt an unprecedented humiliation, being punched by a squad leader. Who could tolerate this?!
"You're seeking death!"
Disregarding everything, he swung his sword in a circle, killing not only the surrounding demon soldiers but also dozens of them with his sword energy, causing blood to splatter. But the very next second, a figure descended from the sky and landed a heavy punch on the sixth-realm sword cultivator's head, cracking his skull. However, demons had an unusually tenacious vitality. Seeing that he couldn't win, the sixth-realm sword cultivator hastily unleashed a wisp of sword energy, propelling his body backward. He knew that if the fight continued, he might die!
...
Lin Zhao, with a few punches, forced the sixth-realm demon sword cultivator to flee in disarray. He himself was astonished. This damn thing... was the Godspeed Talisman combined with the Formation Horse Wind Wall style that powerful? His speed completely surpassed the opponent's, and the power of the fifth-realm martial artist's Farmer's Three Punches was sufficient. He had truly made the sixth-realm sword cultivator question his life!
Turning back, he dispersed the body of a third-realm demon cultivator with a single punch. Lin Zhao then looked at the demon woman who had killed the Iron Step Battalion centurion – a seventh-realm cultivator.
"Oh?"
The demon woman smiled slightly, her laughter shaking like flowers in the wind. "You still want to kill me?"
"Try me?!"
Lin Zhao's body sank as he ignited a second Godspeed Talisman. The next moment, he stomped his feet with full force on the blue rock beneath him, his body shooting up from the ground. With a powerful upward punch, he struck towards the woman's abdomen.
"Ignorant fool!"
The woman shrieked, raising both hands, which transformed into sharp claws and slammed towards Lin Zhao's soaring punch.
"Boom—"
With a thunderous roar, Lin Zhao was sent flying back rapidly. His arm was covered in dense claw marks. The seventh-realm demon cultivator paused in mid-air, her blood qi surging, her spiritual energy circulation slightly affected. This was something she never expected. Could the fist of a mere fifth-realm human martial artist be this hard?
"You seek death!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, filled with venom. This brat, with his handsome appearance, could have been her subordinate, but now he was no longer qualified. She had to devour his flesh and blood to convert it into her own vital energy!
"Kill!"
The seventh-realm demoness descended from the sky, her red sleeves unfurling like a sky-covering net. Within the crimson sleeve's light, countless claws fell like arrows, poised to subdue Lin Zhao with a single blow!
"Everyone, get back!"
Lin Zhao sent out a surge of fist energy, pushing back several Iron Step Battalion soldiers who were trying to approach and reinforce him. He then looked up at the sky. The effect of the Godspeed Talisman was still active, so he unleashed punches with both hands, still in the Formation Horse Wind Wall style, but this time without any restraint. In an instant, hundreds of fist imprints shot towards the sky. This was a battle to the death; there was no need to hold back.
In the wind, fist energy and demonic energy collided and surged. The seventh-realm demoness was somewhat smug. She saw that Lin Zhao's injuries were increasing, and she was clearly at an advantage!
"After I kill you, I'll drink your heart and liver as wine~~~"
The demoness smiled faintly, her long sleeves growing larger and larger. This sleeve was clearly a magical artifact, filled with murderous intent. It descended directly, intending to completely engulf Lin Zhao within its folds.
"Hmm?!"
Lin Zhao's body leaned back sharply. Aided by the Godspeed Talisman, he retreated dozens of steps like lightning, avoiding the capture of the red sleeve. The next moment, he pushed off the ground and rose into the air, delivering an upward punch directly at the demoness's pointed chin.
"Please, enter my jar!"
The seventh-realm demoness said sweetly, then swept her sleeves, engulfing both Lin Zhao and herself within them. However, her chin took a direct punch, causing her to spit out a venomous snake tongue. The next second, her hand transformed into sharp claws and lunged towards Lin Zhao's chest!
Lin Zhao's right fist struck out, while his left fist prepared to unleash. He directly blocked the demoness's claws with a punch.
At the same instant, a silver light flashed from the Sword Embracing Lake!
"Ch!"
In a flash of lightning, a silver flying sword pierced through the demoness's throat.
...
This time, she never imagined that besides being a fifth-realm martial artist, this brat was also a sword cultivator!
"It's over, I'm dead..."
Her pupils contracted violently, filled with unwillingness. "I've lived for four hundred years, and I haven't even slept with over a hundred thousand men. It's truly… regrettable..."