The afternoon.
The vast expanse of snow was stained with blood, with the Yunzhou Iron Cavalry and countless demon soldiers lying dead on the battlefield.
The Martial Marquis Yue Hao, clad in blood-splattered armor, leaned on his greatsword, standing on the ravaged ground. He gazed at the endless sea of corpses stretching into the distance, his heart filled with sorrow. When he had led them out of Guyao Pass, he had foreseen this day, but now that it had truly arrived, this old general of the dynasty felt an immense sadness.
"My Lord!"
Lin Wuyang glanced into the distance, his eyes bloodshot. "The forces of the two Military Governors, Li Ji and Luo Chong, nearly sixteen thousand Yunzhou Iron Cavalry, all perished on the battlefield, not a single one retreated! The two Military Governors... their heads were severed by the demons. Their bodies have been found..."
"I know, I know all of it."
Yue Hao's hand trembled slightly. "My Yunzhou Iron Cavalry... will never retreat..."
"My Lord!"
Another accompanying cultivator descended from the sky, holding a golden-finned flying fish. "We have received a flying fish dispatch from the eastern battlefield. The thirty thousand soldiers from Ningzhou and Yanzhou, after resisting the impact of nearly fifty thousand demon cavalry for a full day and night, could no longer hold on. Just now... the central army has been breached. Military Governors Han Shanyi, Qin Yiran, and others have fallen. Only Yang Zhi remains, fighting alone, holding back the charge of the demon cavalry..."
"I understand."
Yue Hao seemed to age ten years in an instant, his eyes becoming somewhat cloudy. "The tide has turned..."
Lin Wuyang, Li Xuanji, Ning Ze, and Wen Tingwan, the four Military Governors, all knelt simultaneously. Lin Wuyang said gravely, "My Lord, we will escort you south, carving a bloody path. We still have over a hundred thousand Yunzhou Iron Cavalry. If the soldiers fight with all their might, we can surely return to Guyao Pass. After returning south... we can regroup!"
"There is no need."
Yue Hao waved his hand gently, murmuring, "A few days ago, five hundred and thirty thousand Yunzhou Iron Cavalry, two hundred thousand Ningzhou soldiers, and two hundred thousand Yanzhou soldiers, a total of nine hundred and thirty thousand brave warriors of the dynasty, marched north with me. Now, many are severely wounded, and many have fallen. I can no longer lead these children back to their homeland. The defeat is entirely my fault, Yue Hao, and has nothing to do with any of the soldiers..."
"My Lord!"
Lin Wuyang said sternly, "Someone, escort His Lordship to retreat!"
"Halt!"
Yue Hao suddenly roared, "Obey my command!"
Lin Wuyang frowned, and along with the other three Military Governors, knelt on one knee again. "Please, My Lord... issue your orders!"
"Lin Wuyang, Li Xuanji, Ning Ze, Wen Tingwan, you will immediately cease your attack on the demon encampments and lead your Yunzhou Iron Cavalry to cover the eastern flank. Rendezvous with Yang Zhi's forces, and then together, break south to escape. Whatever number can return, so be it!"
The old general's voice was filled with sorrow. "I, Yue Hao, along with the several thousand brothers of the Imperial Guard, will remain behind to cover your retreat!"
"My Lord!"
A group of generals knelt down in unison.
"Obey!"
Yue Hao's voice trembled as he looked south, tears streaming down his face. "I, Yue Hao... have no face to return to Dashang. The entire army will depart immediately. Those who disobey will be executed!"
Everyone rose and, with tears in their eyes, departed.
On the snow-covered ground, Yue Hao held his bloodstained greatsword and led the several thousand Imperial Guard behind him. He suddenly remembered something and asked, "What about the western battlefield... how are Lin Zhao's twenty thousand Snow Domain Heavenly Pool Iron Cavalry doing?"
"They are still engaging the two encampments commanded by Yu Zhi."
A cultivator respectfully replied, "Lin Zhao has replied via flying fish dispatch, asking us not to worry. If we have an opportunity, we should break out. As for his situation, he will hold back the forces of the two demon encampments. By the early morning of the twentieth of this month, Lin Zhao will withdraw. He... asks My Lord to take care. If the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn."
"Lin Zhao..."
Yue Hao looked up at the sky, tears flowing freely. "The Great Chen Dynasty produces a true general of the world... and my Great Shang..."
"My Lord!"
A centurion said in a deep voice, "Let us retreat. We will cover your withdrawal!"
"No need!"
Yue Hao said calmly, "Listen, the war drums of the demon encampments are sounding again. They will attack once they see the Yunzhou Iron Cavalry retreating. If no one covers the rear, the over one hundred thousand Yunzhou Iron Cavalry will still be doomed."
He looked at everyone. "Imperial Guard, listen to my orders. If any of you are unwilling to die here, follow the Yunzhou Iron Cavalry and leave immediately. Those willing to die, will perish with me, Yue Hao!"
Everyone knelt. "We are willing to perish with My Lord!"
Not a single person showed fear of battle.
...
Yu Zhi's Great Tent.
On the sand table, countless marching routes were marked.
"Damn it!"
A Great Demon of the eleventh realm slammed his palm onto the table, roaring, "This Lin Zhao is like a slippery loach, constantly slipping through the gaps in our encirclement! This is the third time he has passed through the Chizhong Forest! Every time he passes through, he attacks our weakest point, causing us heavy losses!"
"Silence!"
Beside him, Yu Zhi's beautiful face was flushed red with anger.
The two encampments, six forces, each sufficient to defeat Lin Zhao's more than ten thousand cavalry, yet that Lin Zhao always avoided their sharpest blows. On the sand table, the young man's marching routes were as if aided by spirits. Many times, his retreat routes were only a dozen miles away from the demon army's marching routes, brushing past each other!
Furthermore, the movements of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool's cavalry were coordinated. Sometimes they would lie low, causing Yu Zhi's arranged forces to ambush empty air, and sometimes they would accelerate their march, rendering Yu Zhi's encirclement useless. On this sand table, the young man seemed to have eyes in the sky, always evading Yu Zhi's hunt.
"Who... who is he!?"
Yu Zhi gritted her teeth. "Is he a reincarnation of the God of War?"
"Impossible."
A Great Demon of the eleventh realm said in a deep voice, "The God of War, Sun clan, died over a thousand years ago. The second God of War to receive heavenly and earthly enfeoffment and preside over the ancestral home of the military is still at the ancestral home. Furthermore, the second generation God of War is a young man, certainly not that youth."
Yu Zhi said hatefully, "Continue the encirclement. The two northern forces will thrust south, and the two southern forces will converge in the middle. This time, I will see how he escapes! Also, what is the situation with Yue Hao?"
"He's retreating."
A demon general of the tenth realm reported, "Not long ago, we received a flying fish dispatch. Yue Hao ordered his remaining less than a hundred thousand Yunzhou Iron Cavalry to retreat east, while he himself, with several thousand Imperial Guards, stayed behind to cover the retreat and seek death."
"Oh?"
Yu Zhi narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Issue an order, let Lord Bailan go. He has long wanted to personally take Yue Hao's head. This merit must be given to him. Additionally, detach two encampments from the forces surrounding the Yunzhou Iron Cavalry and have them converge to encircle Lin Zhao. I refuse to believe that with seven hundred thousand troops, we cannot kill this Lin Zhao!"
"Yes!"
...
Dawn.
The several thousand Imperial Guard cavalry charged with Yue Hao, repeatedly halting the demon's advance. At this moment, the cavalry were falling one by one, their numbers dwindling. Yue Hao, an eleventh-realm Heavenly Origin martial artist, was already covered in blood. Under his fists, at least three eleventh-realm Great Demons had already been killed.
"Swish!"
Just as Yue Hao threw a punch, about to crush dozens of demon soldiers, a sword light descended from the sky!
"Huh!?"
Yue Hao leaped back from his horse. Immediately, his warhorse was disintegrated into a bloody mist by the sword light. At the same time, the sword light shot downwards, heavily striking Yue Hao's raised fists, which he used to block. For a moment, his fists felt intensely numb. Even with the robust physique of a Heavenly Origin realm martial artist, two deep sword marks were left.
Yue Hao hurriedly looked up. It was a white ape carrying one sword and holding another. At once, the Martial Marquis's heart trembled. It was a complete suppression of realm, a formidable aura. Was this a twelfth-realm sword cultivator, or a thirteenth-realm?!
Twelfth realm, perhaps a desperate fight could be managed.
Thirteenth realm, basically no chance at all.
"Bailan."
The opponent smiled slightly, answering Yue Hao's unspoken question and revealing his identity. "A thirteenth-realm sword cultivator of the demon race, a thoroughly solid thirteenth-realm, perhaps only one step away from the fourteenth-realm. This time... I invite Martial Marquis Yue Hao to surrender his head!"
"Surrender my head?"
Yue Hao laughed heartily. "Come and take it yourself, how about that?!"
"Alright!"
Bailan descended from the air, enveloped in countless sword energies, and once again swung his sword. Instantly, the dozens of cavalry guarding Yue Hao were reduced to bloody mist. Yue Hao, meanwhile, unleashed a mighty punch, its intent and aura sweeping outwards, colliding heavily with Bailan's sword strike. However, it was utterly unable to resist. The punch aura instantly shattered, and the residual sword energy fell heavily onto Yue Hao's shoulder, causing his armor to crack and blood to seep out.
"Killing you will only take three swords."
Bailan strode through the air, killing intent gleaming in his eyes. He smiled. "Yue Hao, Yue Hao, if it weren't for you, and if the south only had Wen Dudu, how wonderful it would be. Humans would not need to think about how to resist; they would simply wait for death."
Yue Hao gritted his teeth. "Are the four northern races truly intent on destroying all of humanity?"
"Why else?"
Bailan laughed heartily. "Back then, I was only twelfth realm, but I had a heart full of ambition, wanting to carve a bloody path for my demon race. The first target was to conquer the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool. Unfortunately, a Heavenly Origin martial artist surnamed Lin back then, at the cost of detonating his War God's gall and abandoning all his cultivation, managed to force me back to the eleventh realm. However, he himself died. Now, I have cultivated to the thirteenth realm. None of you humans can resist my blade anymore!"
"Never!"
Yue Hao clenched his fists and roared, "After me, Yue Hao, countless human cultivators and martial artists will not sit idly by!"
"Die!"
Bailan unleashed two consecutive sword lights. The second sword severed Yue Hao's hands, and the third sword shattered Yue Hao's Heavenly Origin Martial Gall. At this moment, the human Martial Marquis lost his breath and fell to the snow-covered ground as a corpse.
...
"My Lord!"
A group of Imperial Guard cavalry wailed.
"Hmph!"
Bailan waved his hand lightly. "Yue Hao is a rare tough bone among human generals. I respect him three points. Take his body back. I will not decapitate him, leaving him a whole corpse!"
"Scoundrel!"
A centurion of the Imperial Guard roared, "Luo Yousan, take a few brothers to escort My Lord's remains to pursue the Yunzhou Iron Cavalry. The rest of you, follow me to resist the demons until we die!"
...
At the same time.
As promised, Lin Zhao led over ten thousand Snow Domain Heavenly Pool Iron Cavalry through the Chizhong Forest for the seventh time, seizing the opportunity to escape Yu Zhi's encirclement. After breaking free from the siege, the War God's Gall within Lin Zhao suddenly trembled. He turned and looked towards the east.
Martial Dao resonance. At this moment, a Heavenly Origin realm martial artist a hundred miles to the east had just died!
He suddenly dismounted, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists towards the east, his voice trembling. "Farewell... Martial Marquis!"
Chen Yu, Huang Tingyu, Xu Zhi, and the other more than ten thousand Snow Domain Heavenly Pool Iron Cavalry also dismounted and knelt, clasping their fists. All their voices, mingled in the falling snow, echoed through the night sky—
"Farewell, Martial Marquis!"
————————
Thank you to the reader "Zhi Yun Xiao Bao Kuai Zhang Da" for the second Immortal Emperor, thank you!
Ye Zi created this book, "I Am the Sword Immortal," under immense pressure. Firstly, it was not his forte, secondly, it was about the metaverse, and thirdly, it was too disconnected from his previous works, so he felt apprehensive.
Therefore, thank you for your support, and thank you to all the brothers who voted for Sword Immortal. Support at this time is invaluable. Thank you for your companionship and encouragement!