Hun Yao and the guards, along with novice cultivators, rescued the surrounding citizens. The sky twisted like a hellish vortex. Lightning struck wildly, and the ground began to crack as they cut down the monsters and parasites blocking their way.
Hun Yao ran toward a safe area, carrying injured civilians on his back. He was exhausted… but he knew… if he didn't push himself, then no happiness would come.
Time seemed to slow down.
"Hah…"
"Hah…"
"Hahh…"
Hun Yao panted heavily, sweat dripping down his face, his steps growing heavier.
He knelt down and gently set the citizen he was carrying onto the ground.
"Of course… my task isn't just protecting civilians, but this entire country!"
Hun Yao stood again with his weary body, yet his gaze was sharp like a blade that never dulled. He gripped his sword tightly and looked toward the narrow street where civilians were running, surrounded by elite guards and novice cultivators trying to protect them.
"Fall back slowly! Prioritize the civilians first!" shouted an elite soldier, raising his sword high.
From behind a pile of collapsed houses, a four-legged monster leaped out, its body covered in hardened spikes, its eyes burning red. A young cultivator screamed, frozen in fear, too slow to raise his weapon.
But before the monster could pounce—
a sword shot forward like a streak of light, piercing the creature's head and stopping it instantly.
BRAAAK!
The monster's body hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Hun Yao jumped in front, pulling his sword free. "Keep moving! Don't stop!"
The wind grew stronger. Some civilians were lifted from the ground, but cultivators quickly grabbed them, saving them one by one.
Suddenly, from a crack between buildings, a swarm of parasites appeared—slick, curved-legged creatures shaped like monstrous locusts. They leaped high into the air, heading straight toward the civilians.
Without hesitation, Hun Yao gripped his sword tightly, channeling his Qi into the blade… and the sword burst with overflowing Qi.
A technique he had never used before.
"What is this…?"
But he didn't have time to question it. Hun Yao slammed his sword into the ground.
Cracks spread rapidly along the street, then exploded upward, creating a shockwave of earth that smashed into the parasites. Some were hurled into walls, their bodies bursting into thick black fluid.
"This technique is too strong… still—" Hun Yao collapsed, his sword slipping from his hand. With fading consciousness, he saw guards and novice cultivators still saving civilians, houses collapsing, dust rising from broken buildings.
Monsters charged… parasites leaped… yet the guards and cultivators continued to hold their ground, shielding the fleeing citizens.
The sky remained pitch black. The spiral clouds wouldn't stop. Lightning kept flashing.
Hun Yao's vision darkened. He completely fainted.
"Don't panic! Protect the rear line!" an elite guard shouted, activating his Qi shield to block falling debris.
In the sky, the spiral clouds thickened. The black crystal orb held by the enemy continued spinning, absorbing lightning and dark Qi from above.
From behind an overturned cart, a shadow cat monster appeared—its body blackened, moving like smoke, attacking from the side.
One novice cultivator instantly flipped his sword backward and stabbed without looking.
CRACK!
The blade pierced the monster's mouth. He twisted it, splitting the creature's head in two.
He turned around, breathing fast, surveying the chaos. Blood covered half his body, yet his steps remained steady.
"We're almost at the east gate! Just a little more!"
In the distance, the inner city's protective formation was visible. Pale yellow light formed from enormous symbols etched into the ground.
But between them and the gate stood another group of monsters—larger, dark purple, with natural weapons… bones hardened into blades and hammers.
"Armed monsters…" whispered a novice cultivator, trembling.
Someone stepped forward. His cloak fluttered. He wore the attire of a battlefield general. He spoke calmly:
"I'll take care of them. You protect the civilians and don't stop until they're inside the gate."
The guards smiled in relief. "There he is… our captain… Wa Xiang. We'll definitely win this battle now."
The others cheered his name.
The four massive monsters roared and charged together, each step shaking the ground.
Wa Xiang activated his Qi, gathering the rest of his spiritual energy at the tip of his sword. His eyes glowed brightly.
"Single Slash… Soul Divider!"
A massive flash extended from his sword, slicing wind, shadow… everything.
The four monsters froze—then their bodies slowly split apart, as if cut by an invisible blade. They collapsed simultaneously, shaking the earth.
BOOM!
Dust exploded upward, and the path toward the gate opened.
The guards cheered as civilians finally reached the protective formation.
One guard glanced toward the battlefield—toward a quiet area with fewer monsters.
"Who is that…?" he muttered.
"Captain… I think someone's lying there." He pointed at Hun Yao.
Wa Xiang saw him and immediately rushed forward, cutting down monsters along the way.
He stood before Hun Yao, sharp-eyed, then without a word lifted them both and sprinted toward his soldiers.
"We must leave. The longer we stay, the more monsters will gather."
The guards nodded respectfully.
Together with Captain Wa Xiang, they ran toward the gate.
But before they could enter, a strange voice echoed from above.
"Hey… did I say you could leave just like that?"
Wa Xiang turned quickly. The voice came from one of three cloaked figures descending slightly beneath the swirling clouds.
Wa Xiang said nothing. His gaze alone warned he would not back down if forced. The guards and novice cultivators tensed, ready for another battle.
The figure raised a hand, but another stopped him.
"Not yet," he murmured. "Look over there… the Emperor's Right Hand has arrived. We must leave too."
The three figures vanished like smoke. The spiral clouds were sucked back into the crystal orb before the artifact disappeared entirely.
But tension still hung in the air. The guards remained alert. Civilians hid behind the formation.
"SWOOSH!"
A gust of wind cracked the air—someone had arrived. Civilians cheered excitedly upon seeing him, as did Captain Wa Xiang and the guards.
A figure appeared above them, stopping mid-air. A shockwave burst outward, so strong that the black clouds in the sky were pushed away, as if forced aside by sheer energy.
He saw monsters and parasites still resisting. With a single sweep of his arm, he unleashed a crescent-shaped wind slash toward them.
The ground trembled. Captain Wa Xiang felt the impact. The area struck by the attack split open with a massive arc-shaped fissure. Every monster caught in it was obliterated instantly.
Xiao Du's serious expression shifted into panic. "Huh? I think I used too much power! Oh no… oh no… oh no!"
The once-serious figure now fretted, "What if the Emperor finds out??" He nearly bit his own finger.
From below, Captain Wa Xiang called out.
"Xiao Du! Over here!"
Hearing the call, Xiao Du looked down and quickly descended, landing softly without generating a single shockwave.
"Uncle!!" He hugged Wa Xiang tightly. "Uncle, you haven't come home in so long!"
Wa Xiang patted his head gently. "I'm still under punishment. Just wait a little longer," he said with a smile.
He nudged Xiao Du's shoulder. "You're not a child anymore. You shouldn't behave like this."
Xiao Du fell silent, staring at the ground.
Wa Xiang turned his horse and left the area.
The soldiers and elite guards raised their right fists to their left chests, saluting the captain who chose to defy the law.
Xiao Du joined the salute. Rain began to fall as Captain Wa Xiang rode out of the Xiao Nation's gate.
Hun Yao awoke—not outdoors—but inside Shen Xue's apothecary. Shen Xue entered from another room, carrying a tray of medicine and food.
"You're awake?" Shen Xue asked, sitting beside him.
Hun Yao sat up, holding his head. "What happened? I remember being on the battlefield… did we win?"
"Of course. An elite soldier told me you fainted in the middle of the battlefield."
"What? I… fainted?"
Shen Xue nodded. "Fortunately, you were saved by Captain Wa Xiang."
"Captain Wa Xiang? Who is that? This is the first time I've heard that name."
"He is a hero. Twenty years ago, thanks to him, the Xiao Nation won a battle against a large alliance formed by two fourth-rank sects and five second-rank nations."
Hun Yao didn't understand the details, only muttering inwardly,
"So it's not just sects that have ranks… nations do too."
He asked, "Then… what rank was the Xiao Nation back then?"
"The lowest of the seven ranks—rank one. But after Captain Wa Xiang won that war, the Xiao Nation rose to rank four."
"So… where is Captain Wa Xiang now? I want to thank him…"
"He… has left this nation."
"Left? Why would a hero leave?"
Shen Xue picked up a cup, poured water into it, mixed in medicine, and stirred slowly.
"He was heavily punished. Fifteen years ago, there was a war against a nation from the outer continent. But he refused to join the battle because his daughter was gravely ill, and only he could care for her."
"What about the healers?"
"All healers were stationed at the rear lines. Wa Xiang resisted the government, fought back, and killed imperial soldiers who tried to force him. At that time, the Xiao Nation had an arrogant and dishonest emperor who ordered Wa Xiang's house to be burned."
Shen Xue handed the cup to Hun Yao. He held it, feeling its warmth, but didn't drink—still listening closely.
"Wa Xiang couldn't accept it. He fought an entire nation—his own home—and pushed back the soldiers. But when he returned… his house had collapsed, flames everywhere. He rushed in without thinking to save his daughter."
"But… she had already turned to ashes. With tears streaming down his face, he carried her outside and knelt. More soldiers arrived, pointing their spears at him, and the Emperor ordered the exile of General Wa Xiang from the Xiao Nation until his death."
"As a result, the Xiao Nation lost the war against the outer continent nation. Now the Xiao Nation is rank three…"
"So… that is the story of a hero who received no justice."
Hun Yao drank the medicine and gagged at the overwhelming bitterness. "Ugh—what kind of medicine is this?"
Shen Xue stood, picking up the tray. "It's expensive medicine. You'd better finish it." She walked toward the door, but before she left—
"Wait."
Shen Xue stopped. "What is it?"
"Didn't the Xiao Nation change emperors seven years ago? Why hasn't Wa Xiang been released from his punishment?"
"Because… the previous emperor, Xiao Feng… is not dead."