Chapter 286: North of the Great Liang (III)

The great demon made no effort to conceal his aura. He just stood in midair on top of the city walls, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression. He did not set foot on the walls or breakthrough that grand array. But even so, Wan Shi could already sense the aura of death.

The difference in their realms was too vast, leaving no possibility for a fight.

His only reliance now was perhaps the grand array that had been continuously upgraded over countless years.

However, the grand array covered the entire length of the Great Wall and was divided into countless smaller array formations to defend different sections of the wall. Each segment of the array formation only protected a specific section of the Great Wall.

And because each section of the Great Wall had varying degrees of importance, the strength of the array formations would vary too.

The current array formation was naturally not the sturdiest. Under the oppression of the great demon, it was already on the verge of collapse. Once the array formation shattered, the only outcome awaiting Wan Shi would be death.

The great demon with the green pupils stood there. Retracting his gaze, he just looked at a certain area of the grand array.

After a moment, a crack appeared in front of him for no reason.

It seemed as though heaven and earth was splitting open, yet upon closer inspection, subtle flows of heaven and earth energy could be seen within the crack, resembling a faint stream of water.

As the crack widened, the entire grand array underwent significant undulations, as if a mountain that had stood still for ages actually started swaying at this moment.

The long saber in Wan Shi's hand was already unsheathed. The vigorous qi had already crept onto the blade. Saber qi slowly seeped out, exuding an incredibly chilling aura.

The moment the grand array shattered would also be the moment Wan Shi would strike.

Although Wan Shi was well aware that his strike might not have any effect and that he might even die before executing it, he was prepared to make that strike.

It was unknown how long had passed, it felt like a thousand years had gone by, but it also seemed like just a fleeting moment.

With the sound of glass shattering, the grand array finally crumbled, and the great demon appeared on the city walls calmly.

In the next moment, a flash of saber light swept across as Wan Shi's saber slashed out at the fastest speed. Even at the moment of striking, Wan Shi was already thinking that this strike would be the strongest in his life. Before this day, he had never delivered a stronger attack, and after today, it was unclear if he could ever swing his saber again.

The probability was near zero.

The pale saber light suddenly emerged, resembling a spotless bright moon but carrying an extremely decisive and ruthless attitude.

The great demon did not even spare a glance at Wan Shi. He stood on the city walls, his emerald green eyes fixed on a distant pavilion.

Spurt...

A spray of blood erupted from Wan Shi's mouth. The saber he swung forward instantly snapped, and his entire body fell like a kite with a broken string toward the distance. As he fell, the soldiers on the city walls also attacked one after another, but it was the same result. Everyone was sent flying backward. There were two soldiers who were too near that turned into a mist of blood in an instant.

The great demon did not even look back at the city walls. His figure suddenly dissipated. When he reappeared, he was almost away from the city walls.

Wan Shi looked at the great demon on the city walls who was seemingly undisturbed by the chaos with an ugly expression. He felt bitterness, knowing the result would be like this. The disparity in their cultivation realms was too vast, even the defensive array could not stop this great demon, so his efforts were naturally futile too! However, he quickly struggled to stand up. Even though his internal organs were seeping with blood, even if he was seriously injured, even if his saber was broken, as long as he was alive, he would continue to attack!

This was his responsibility.

Behind him were countless citizens of the Great Liang and the vast lands of Great Liang. He could not retreat.

Therefore, even if it meant certain death, he had to step forward.

The great demon turned around, his eyes showing some indifference. With a wave of his sleeve, a powerful and terrifying aura surged out, intending to kill the man before him.

However, just before the city walls, the dark cloud suddenly dispersed!

The great demon abruptly raised his head and saw the mass of black clouds gathered in front of the city walls instantly splitting in half. Then, a magnificent sword light tore through the black cloud and headed straight for the great demon.

The great demon's expression became serious, and several streams of qi surged from him. However, in an instant, the streams of qi dimmed considerably upon encountering that sword light, and then shattered, crushed by the sword light.

The great demon's face turned ugly as he retreated several feet, standing on the inner city walls, almost falling off.

However, his last foot stood on the city wall, and the other foot hung in the air, barely avoiding falling.

But at the next moment, a figure flashed through the gap in the grand array. He was akin to a sharp sword, the sword qi surging to the sky!

It was a sword cultivator in blue, holding a seemingly bright longsword in his hand.

This sword cultivator who had rushed over from thousands of miles away swept up an overwhelming amount of sword qi. Yet, there was still fatigue that could not be concealed between his brows. With a swing of his sword, he cut through a vast expanse of space, and the frenzied sword qi continuously surged forward. Streams of sword light were born between heaven and earth at the same time. The endless sword qi crisscrossed nonstop, with every subtle part of the city walls emitting a hissing sound.

The great demon kept retreating, and in the end, he had no choice but to turn around. He was repelled by an attack from the sword cultivator and forced off the city walls, falling into the now-split black clouds!

Only then, did the appearance of the sword cultivator in blue become clear. He was not handsome; just an ordinary face, and his body exuded a strong bloody aura. Lacking the ethereal charm of a sword immortal, he looked more like a veteran soldier who had fought on the battlefield for many years.

Being capable of sending a great demon flying within a few sword strikes, it was sufficient to prove that this sword cultivator in blue was a sword immortal.

He could only be a sword immortal!

After sending the great demon flying, the sword cultivator in blue stood on the city wall. He casually took the gourd hanging from his waist and took a swig from it before wiping his mouth, and then glanced at Wan Shi.

Wan Shi's eyes were filled with astonishment, but after a moment, all the astonishment turned into bitterness.

The sword cultivator in blue sensed his concerns and said indifferently, "Stop thinking so fucking much. The overall situation won't change whether you live or die. What kind of person that Great General is, you know better than me. Do you really think he would choose to sacrifice the favorable situation for the sake of saving your life?"

Wan Shi was stunned at these words, but soon realized the point. He had some ambiguous connection with that Great General, it was definitely impossible to expect that Great General to give up the favorable situation earned from expending countless effort and manpower. However, since that was impossible, why did this sword cultivator appear here?

The sword cultivator in blue probably knew what he was thinking. After a pause, he licked his lips, still savoring the taste of the wine, "Those people over there were discussing whether to save you or not. It was originally a trivial matter, but they had to prattle on and on about it. To be honest, in my opinion, it's not that troublesome. If you want to save someone, just do it!"

Wan Shi had not met this sword cultivator in blue before, although he had long heard of him. He knew that aside from the soldiers of the Great Liang Dynasty and accompanying military cultivators, there were also numerous foreign cultivators who wandered here and were reluctant to leave.

Although these foreign cultivators were not numerous, each one possessed a high cultivation realm, making substantial military contributions on the city walls.

This specific sword cultivator in blue appeared to be a Nepenthe sword immortal. He should be well-known even in the desolate north.

"Senior Sword Immortal, in reality, there's no need for this. We martial artists dying on the city wall can be considered dying with honor. If Senior Sword Immortal faces any losses due to our insignificant lives, we would feel guilty."

Wan Shi spoke slowly, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

The sword cultivator in blue exhaled a breath of alcoholic air. Then, he sniffed and turned his head rather disdainfully. He looked at the dark cloud on top of the city wall and laughed, "Using you people as abandoned pawns, sacrificing you for the victory of the overall situation. Your Great General would choose this path, but what fault do you all bear?"

"Because the so-called majority demands your sacrifice, I find it rather distasteful."

The sword cultivator in blue said calmly, "Moreover, there's a way to have the best of both worlds. Why worry about it? As for what you said, I advise you not to fret. This so-called great demon in front of us, it's not that I haven't killed any before."

Although his words sounded calm, when people heard them, they felt their minds shaking.

The sword cultivator in blue walked slowly along the city wall without saying any more. As the dark cloud dispersed, the great demon in black turned to this unwelcome guest and asked in a deep voice, "Are you the sword immortal who killed Green Pine earlier?"

As a great demon, he naturally had an extraordinary bearing, with an incredible breadth of spirit with every movement and action. If it were an ordinary cultivator, he naturally would not bother speaking. However, the sword cultivator in blue before him was not only a sword immortal but also seemed like an old acquaintance.

In the recent major battle, the sword cultivator in blue had clashed with another great demon from the Demon King's Court. The fight caused the sky to turn dark and the earth dimmed. In the end, the great demon even unleashed his dharma idol that towered to the heavens. Yet, it was still slashed apart by this sword immortal in front of him with one attack. At that time, the dazzling sword light formed a single line between heaven and earth, leaving a lasting impression on all who witnessed the battle.

The sword cultivator in blue chuckled and said, "He wasn't strong enough. You're a bit stronger, but it's by a limited extent. Killing you will be the concluding battle of my journey to the Northern Frontier. I'll have to take a good break during the ten years of peace afterward."

The black-robed great demon's expression remained unchanged, but his body began growing larger. Soon, he transformed into a colossal dharma idol reaching thousands of feet in height. The city wall was already tall, but before this enormous dharma idol, it seemed like a mere toy.

The sword cultivator in blue standing on the city wall looked like a tiny ant in comparison.

With a slight smile, the sword cultivator in blue said, "Some creatures never learn, do they?"

His sheathed longsword was now pushed out slightly by him at this moment, around an inch or so.

Between heaven and earth, the sound of cicadas chirped.

Between heaven and earth, the cicada cries instantly intensified!

Many years ago, a young man set out from the Divine Capital to the Sword Qi Mountain. There, he chose a flying sword, and now, he was accompanied by that sword, inseparable.

That sword was called Embracing Cicada

Many years later, the young man became a sword immortal, killing countless demons.

His name was Liu Banbi.

He studied at the academy and was just a scholar in his early days.