The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

He counted them: there were twelve barbarian warriors in the open, and at least five more level-nine barbarian slaves lurking in the shadows. A direct assault would be futile.

"ah,!"

The female soldier's scream pierced the night sky.

The barbarian warrior had already pulled down her pants, a lewd grin spreading across his ugly face.

Jiang Xuan's breathing became heavy.

He closed his eyes, forcing himself not to look at the horrific scene.

But in his ears came the constant sounds of tearing fabric, female soldiers' cries, and the savage laughter of the witch.

"Stay calm. You must stay calm."

Jiang Xuan silently recited in his heart.

"Rushing out now won't save anyone; you'll die too."

As the first rays of dawn painted the eastern sky red, the camp finally fell silent. Wisps of smoke drifted from the embers of the campfire, and scattered on the ground were cleanly gnawed bones, some clearly shaped like human hand bones.

Jiang Xuan's eyes were bloodshot; he hadn't slept all night.

He saw that nearly half of the prisoners in the iron cage were gone, and the rest were huddled in a corner with empty eyes.

"Looks like no fish are biting."

A hoarse voice suddenly rang out.

Jiang Xuan tensed up and looked in the direction of the sound.

A level nine barbarian slave with a scar on his face emerged from the shadows and kicked a corpse on the ground in dissatisfaction.

"Kill a few more, I don't believe we can't lure them out."

Another level-nine barbarian slave offered his advice.

Scarface Man Nu shook his head.

"The high priest said to leave survivors as bait."

He turned and shouted to the barbarian warriors in the camp.

"No more killing today, do you hear me?"

Several barbarian warriors who were dragging the prisoner reluctantly let go, muttering complaints. Suddenly, the scarred barbarian slave threw his head back and let out a long howl, the sound echoing through the valley.

Jiang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

Seven or eight dark figures emerged from various hiding places; they were all level nine barbarian slaves! They huddled together, talking in hushed tones, occasionally pointing to the distant mountains.

"really."

Jiang Xuan secretly rejoiced that he hadn't acted impulsively.

These barbarian slaves were clearly lying in ambush here, waiting for the imperial cultivators to walk right into their trap.

A moment later, the five level-nine barbarian slaves left the camp and dispersed in different directions. The remaining three stayed behind, including the scarred barbarian slave.

The opportunity is coming!

Jiang Xuan moved his stiff limbs, and the spiritual energy in his body began to circulate along specific meridians.

He tensed all his muscles like a leopard before hunting, his eyes fixed on the camp below.

At noon, a burly, level-nine barbarian slave with a face full of scars walked up to the iron cage where the female soldiers were imprisoned.

His greedy gaze swept over several young female soldiers, finally selecting a girl who looked only sixteen or seventeen years old.

"come out!"

The savage slave roughly grabbed the girl's hair and dragged her out of the cage. The girl struggled in terror, but was slapped so hard that blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Stop! You beasts!"

The officer in the iron cage roared again, only to be immediately knocked unconscious by the barbarian warrior next to him with a spear shaft.

The barbarian tore open the girl's top, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin.

He breathed heavily with excitement, his dirty hands reaching towards the girl's lower body.

The girl's scream pierced Jiang Xuan's eardrums.

Without further hesitation, he took the longbow from his back and nocked a specially made armor-piercing arrow.

The arrow pierced the air, precisely striking the barbarian's shoulder, and pinned him to the wooden stake behind him with a spray of blood.

The barbarian slaves let out painful howls, and the camp was instantly thrown into chaos.

"Enemy attack!"

"They're cultivators from the Empire!"

"Over there!"

Jiang Xuan's figure swept down from the mountaintop.

He no longer concealed his aura, and his spiritual power erupted in full force, leaving a pale blue trail of light behind him.

"kill!"

Three barbarian warriors charged towards them, their bone knives gleaming coldly.

The moment Jiang Xuan drew his Breaking Army Blade, a crescent-shaped blade aura swept out.

Before the foremost barbarian warrior could react, his head flew high into the air, his face frozen in a ferocious expression.

The second warrior's bone knife was cleanly severed, and he slid off along with half of his body.

Blood splattered on the third soldier's face. He was terrified and turned to run away.

Jiang Xuan took a step forward, and his battle blade pierced through from behind, the tip protruding from his chest.

With a flick of his wrist, the blade energy erupted within the enemy's body, shredding his internal organs to dust.

The three bodies fell to the ground almost simultaneously.

Without pausing, Jiang Xuan flashed towards the high platform.

As soon as the two barbarian warriors along the way raised their weapons, a line of blood appeared on their throats.

"die."

Jiang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the sword energy erupted within the enemy's body, pulverizing his internal organs.

The three bodies fell to the ground almost simultaneously, making a dull thud.

On the high platform in the center of the camp, a burly barbarian leader suddenly stood up.

"Who would dare?"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Xuan had already flashed in front of him, his blade flashing like lightning.

The barbarian chieftain hastily raised his battle axe to block, only to see Jiang Xuan's blade suddenly change direction and slash down diagonally.

"Crack!"

The steel axe handle snapped in two, but the blade's momentum remained, cleaving the barbarian leader in two from his left shoulder to his right waist. Internal organs and blood cascaded onto the high platform like a waterfall, splattering the surrounding barbarian warriors.

"A devil! He's a devil!"

A young barbarian warrior's legs went weak, and the spear in his hand trembled uncontrollably.

Jiang Xuan didn't give him a chance to beg for mercy. With a flash of his blade, a line of blood appeared on the warrior's throat.

He clutched his bleeding neck and collapsed in disbelief.

The entire camp was in chaos.

The barbarian warriors surged in from all directions, but none could stop Jiang Xuan's advance.

His swordsmanship was concise and ruthless, each strike aimed directly at vital points, leaving a trail of blood and severed limbs flying everywhere he went.

"Stop him! Use poisoned arrows!"

An older, barbarian warrior shouted sternly.

More than ten archers immediately formed ranks, and arrows coated with deadly poison pierced the air.

Jiang Xuan sneered, made a hand seal with his left hand, and a light blue light screen appeared out of thin air. The poisoned arrows that hit it broke and fell to the ground.

"The protective aura of the ninth level of True Martial Realm?"

The older soldier's expression changed drastically.

"Retreat quickly."

The blade flashed, and his head rolled to the ground, his eyes still wide open, as if he couldn't believe he was dead.

Jiang Xuan was like a tiger among sheep; every swing of his Breaking Army Blade brought forth a shower of blood.

The screams of the barbarian warriors rose and fell. Some tried to escape, but were pierced through the back by the blade energy thrown by Jiang Xuan; others knelt down and begged for mercy, only to be met with a merciless slash.

Three minutes later, the camp returned to silence.

Dozens of barbarian warriors lay dead on the ground, their blood pooling into streams that glowed with an eerie red light in the firelight.

Jiang Xuan stood in the center of the pool of blood, his clothes stained with blood, his face handsome and cold.

He had multiple wounds, but after being trained by the Bloodthirsty Camp, these injuries were nothing more than superficial pain to him.

"Save us!"

A faint cry for help came from a corner of the camp.

Jiang Xuan looked in the direction of the sound and saw more than a dozen iron cages containing ragged imperial soldiers.

Most of them were covered in wounds, and some were on the verge of death.

Jiang Xuan walked over and cleaved the iron lock with a single stroke. The imprisoned soldiers staggered out, staring in disbelief at the blood-soaked youth before them.

"You are"

"A veteran with a missing right arm asked, trembling."

“The Bloodthirsty Camp, Jiang Xuan.” He answered briefly, his voice as cold as ice.

The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment, then suddenly burst into cheers.

Some people knelt down and wept, some looked up to the sky and roared, while many more looked at Jiang Xuan with awe.

"We're saved! We're finally saved!"

"Gods above, is this true?"

"That barbaric bastard has finally gotten his comeuppance!"

Jiang Xuan looked at these soldiers who had survived the ordeal, but felt no joy.

Such tragedies unfold daily on this battlefield. Today he saves these people, but tomorrow new soldiers will fall into the hands of the barbarians.

"Our outpost is three miles east of the camp."

Jiang Xuan sheathed his battle sword.

"Those of you who can walk, go yourselves; those who are seriously injured, help each other. You must leave here before dawn."

"My benefactor, what about you?"

A young soldier asked.

Jiang Xuan didn't answer, turning and walking towards the supply depot of the Wuman camp. The soldiers didn't dare ask any more questions, supporting each other as they walked out of the camp.

The camp was filled with supplies plundered from the empire.

Ores, spiritual materials, weapons. Jiang Xuan expressionlessly stored the valuables into his storage ring.

As he peeled off the totem markings from the last level-nine barbarian slave, something flashing blue rolled out from the corpse's clothes.

"This is."

Jiang Xuan bent down and picked it up, discovering it was a blue bead the size of an egg. The bead felt cool to the touch, with faint water ripples flowing across its surface, as if it contained some kind of mysterious power.

Jiang Xuan tried to infuse his spiritual power into it, and the bead immediately emitted a dazzling blue light, and the surrounding air instantly became humid.

He felt a powerful water-based energy surging inside the bead, which resonated somewhat with the cultivation technique he practiced.

"interesting."

Jiang Xuan put the beads away and continued to scavenge for supplies.

When he stepped out of the tent, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Jiang Xuan looked at the corpse of the witch hanging on the wooden stake. This was his warning to the enemy and a deterrent to those who would follow.

"It's time to go."

Jiang Xuan glanced around the blood-soaked camp one last time, then turned and disappeared into the morning mist.

Meanwhile, on a mountain road ten miles away, seven level-nine barbarian slaves were escorting an old man dressed in strange clothes.

The old man held a bone staff, the head of which was inlaid with various animal teeth, and his face was painted with strange totem patterns.

"High Priest, our camp is just ahead."

The leading barbarian said respectfully.

The old man nodded.

"I hope you have collected enough offerings; the grand festival is in three days."

When they rounded the foot of the mountain, all they saw was a desolate campsite. Corpses hung from the stakes, and blood stained the ground.

The old man's face instantly turned ashen.

"How...how is this possible!"

"A barbarian slave exclaimed."

The old man strode quickly to the center of the camp and slammed his bone staff heavily on the ground.

"Investigate! Find out exactly who did this!"

The barbarian slaves searched separately and soon discovered the camp, which had been completely looted.

As the old man approached the corpse of the level nine barbarian slave, he suddenly let out a shrill howl.

"The Heavenly Water Sacred Pearl! The Sacred Pearl is gone!"

"What?"

The barbarian slaves gathered around in fear.

"Isn't that the clan's most precious treasure? How could it be..."

The old man brandished his bone cane in a fit of rage.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! I told you to take the Holy Pearl ahead of me, and you actually lost it!"

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency!"

The barbarian slaves knelt on the ground.

We didn't know either.

The remaining barbarian slaves fell silent, holding their breath.

They knew that the Heavenly Water Sacred Pearl was a priceless treasure worshipped by the barbarian tribes for generations, said to be able to communicate with ancestral spirits and unlock ancient secrets. Now that it was lost, they feared that none of them could escape death.

"Sacrifice to the Lord."

A powerful barbarian slave with a blue totem painted on his face stepped forward.

"Judging from the traces at the scene, there should only be one perpetrator, and the battle had just ended, so there might still be a chance to salvage the situation."

The Wild Feather Priest's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he slammed his bone staff heavily on the ground.

"Seven people, split up and chase them! Find them alive or dead! The Sacred Pearl must be brought back!"

The seven powerful barbarian slaves responded in unison, quickly dispersed, and rushed into the depths of the dense forest.

Deep in the dense forest, a dark shadow silently swept past.

Jiang Xuan squatted on a horizontal branch of an ancient tree, gently stroking the wound on his left arm with his right hand. There was a deep wound there that revealed the bone, and the blood had already congealed.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he pulled out a bead gleaming with a ghostly blue light from his robes—the Heavenly Water Sacred Bead, a treasure of the barbarian tribes.

"I never expected that a casual theft would turn into such a big catch."

Jiang Xuan muttered to himself as he carefully hid the sacred pearl again.

His ears twitched slightly as he heard footsteps approaching from afar.

A cold glint flashed in Jiang Xuan's eyes, and his figure disappeared into the tree canopy.

A moment later, a powerful barbarian slave cautiously parted the bushes.

He held a bone knife and had a red totem painted on his face; he was Huoyan, one of the seven pursuers.

"Strange, the life force stopped here."

Huoyan frowned and looked around.

The moment he looked up, a large net woven from vines descended from the sky! Huoyan reacted extremely quickly, wielding his bone knife and slicing the net in two.

However, in that instant of distraction, an arrow pierced through the air and precisely struck his throat!
"Well"

Huoyan clutched his bleeding throat and knelt on the ground.

Jiang Xuan emerged from behind the tree, expressionless, and drew his short sword, skillfully peeling off the totem-like barbarian markings from Huo Yan's face.

This was a symbol of the barbarian warriors' power, and also an extremely valuable trophy.

"The first one."

Jiang Xuan carefully put away the barbarian runes and disappeared back into the dense forest.

Meanwhile, in the camp, the Wild Feather Priest was restless.

"Why haven't we heard anything yet?"

He paced anxiously, tapping the ground repeatedly with his bone cane.

An arrow grazed his scalp.

With a "thud," he was pinned to the wooden stake behind him! Ye Ling broke out in a cold sweat, his cloudy eyes filled with fear.

"He's nearby! Protect the priest!"

Three powerful barbarian slaves immediately surrounded them, warily surveying their surroundings.

Ye Ling's face was ashen.

"Three people stay behind, the rest of you continue the pursuit! We must retrieve the Holy Pearl at all costs!"

At the edge of Demon Cloud Ridge, miasma permeates the air.

Lek stopped, frowning as he gazed at the jungle shrouded in a gray-green mist. As the eldest of the seven pursuers, he knew all too well the dangers of this area.

"Are you really going in?"

Muku hesitated.

"Even the barbarian's constitution can't withstand the poisonous miasma here."

Shui Ze squatted down, his nostrils twitching slightly.

"The smell definitely went inwards. Is that guy out of his mind?"

Lek gripped his battle axe tightly.

"The High Priest's orders are clear: the Sacred Pearl must be brought back. Stay close to me, don't get lost."

The three cautiously stepped into the poisonous miasma jungle. As soon as they entered, their vision blurred, and the air was thick with the stench of decay. The ground beneath their feet was unusually soft, each step feeling like walking on cotton.

"Watch out for those flowers!"

Lek suddenly growled. (End of Chapter)