Forge a path to success.

Chapter 369 Abundant Harvest (9)

Lingfeng drew her soft sword and stared at her opponent, whose aura had changed drastically.

Her movements were much lighter, and new equipment had been added to her armor. Judging from the whirlwind she casually whipped up, she must have transformed into the Free Wind in just three days...

That alone wouldn't be enough to cause concern. The key issue is that the other party's eyes show no sign of confusion. They seem to have figured something out and strengthened their resolve—that's the most troublesome thing. For the path to godhood, what determines strength is never a mere point of matter, but rather will and emotion.

"You seem very confident." Lingfeng brandished her sword. "This time, I'll show you the consequences of meddling in other people's business!"

The soft sword shot out in a beam of light, which Ji Huaisu deflected with a hand chop. In an instant, Ling Feng appeared beside her in a beam of light, his right fist, thrusting out like a dagger, containing the essence of assassination techniques. It was the Jade Forging Karate, inherited from the Cold Intent Sect of Shura Island; those struck by it would turn into jade-like, crystalline corpses, and Ling Feng's fingers also held a poisonous hidden weapon.

No longer will her wind blades be merciful; this time, her fist blades are destructive anti-rainbows, a strike that will shatter the female knight's armor and half her body.

Lingfeng's jab struck her waist squarely, the chill and rainbow light intertwining to cause the spirit-destroying rainbow flower to bloom. Almost simultaneously, Lingfeng followed up with a double strike, intending to shatter the flower and utterly destroy the enemy's will. However, her fist was deflected by an even stronger resistance! She didn't strike the flower so close at hand… but rather, a transparent "card" emerging from the bottom of her armor!
"?!"

At that moment, Ji Huaisu turned and launched a fierce attack, his powerful punch striking Ling Feng squarely in the ribs. Ling Feng used a series of backflips to create distance and regain her balance. She saw Ji Huaisu pick up the card that had inexplicably appeared… and at that moment, a brand new image appeared on the card. It was the flower that should have bloomed on Ji Huaisu!

"The karate of the Heartbreaker, combined with the Anti-Rainbow and War Plant technology, is it?" Ji Huaisu examined the card. "No wonder you were so ruthless. So you're an immigrant from Shura Island."

"It's rare for Captain Lingfeng to show off so much, so let's show you the skills of us knights!"

Ji Huaisu opened and closed the dragon head guard on her right hand, revealing a gap behind the dragon's neck for inserting cards. She inserted the card that sealed the flower, along with the card imprinted with stardust. The dragon's eyes flashed, emitting a low proclamation.

Stardust, Rainbow Flower, Fusion Descent

"Meteor dust breaks, flower dance!"

A blinding light erupted above the battlefield as a meteor shower, imbued with destructive power, descended in an instant. Each speck of dust contained an ominous rainbow of light, and each carried the power of a rainbow flower. They exploded with a deafening roar, creating a vibrant sea of ​​flowers blooming ten thousand meters above the ground!
Lingfeng hastily transformed into light to dodge, sparing no energy to maintain her highly mobile elemental form. She knew better than anyone the power of these flowers; if she were caught in the rainbow flower sea, even she herself would lose her fighting ability due to mental shattering.

This technique was originally created for personal assassination, but Ji Huaisu sealed her ultimate skill with that strange card, combining it with the meteor shower to create this terrifying wide-range instant-death attack!
What exactly is the principle behind this? Is it a sealing technique from a certain path that is rumored to be hidden in the Heavenly Prison? Normally, point 4 particles pride themselves on speed, so how come they encountered such a freak today?

Lingfeng, using her light-formed body, engaged in high-speed thought. She noticed that Ji Huaisu stood still after summoning Chen Po, taking no further action. Her gaze did not follow her movements, but remained in a conventional state, adapting to any eventuality.

That explains it; the opponent's Freestyle build is likely a rare "defense-counterattack" strategy. It sacrifices mobility to enhance sealing techniques in exchange for powerful defensive capabilities. Her failure to keep up with the current actions is the best evidence of this. So…

Abandon close combat and decide the outcome with long-range, high-speed firepower bombardment!

Lingfeng briefly materialized, sending a signal to the Fourth Squad headquarters. The distant armory opened, and four sacred wooden pillars shot into the sky, bound with holy shimenawa ropes. High in the air, Lingfeng clapped her hands repeatedly, the sound summoning the power of wind and thunder.

"When the wind and thunder are summoned, the forest guards the pillars!"

The four divine pillars crashed to the ground, forming a barrier that sealed off both the inside and outside. Inside the barrier, thunderclouds surged, and thick, turbulent lightning flowed, transforming into thousands of divine soldiers guarding the horizon; dark, ferocious winds rose up, carrying the lightning soldiers to form pillars of wind that would destroy everything.

The four towering storms withstood the impact of the dust storm and swept towards the center of the barrier with overwhelming heavenly might. No matter how powerful the sealing technique was, it could not restrain them!
Ji Huaisu shook her neck and conjured two brand-new cards with a flick of her right hand: a beast's claw shaped like shadow and a blade formed from colorless gales. She placed the new cards into the dragon's head and summoned the Sword of Purifying Fire.

[Shadow Claw] [Wind Blade] [Fusion Descent]

"Discipline Judgment: Shadow Blade Storm!"

The phantoms of shadow claws and wind blades magnified and clung to the sword. Ji Huaisu swung the sword with all her might, unleashing a thousand-meter-long slash of dark light. Everything in its path was shattered; the storm vanished, the lightning disappeared, and even the thick divine tree pillars turned into paper-thin sheets. The power of the Dimensional Deterioration Technique erupted within the sword light, ruthlessly smashing Lingfeng's Forest Guardian Pillars to pieces!

Ji Huaisu unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, the sword winds crisscrossing and densely packed like a net, each strike carrying the power of a dimensional deterioration technique. This was an attack far beyond the scope of mere firepower output; it was a wide-range, rapid-fire, instant-death assault!
"What astonishing destructive power...!"

Lingfeng hurriedly ducked to dodge. Her teleportation was a fraction of a second slower, and that single moment reduced half of her armor to useless shreds. She immediately abandoned her bombardment tactic; it was utterly pointless. Even the rainbow demons of the Spiral Tower weren't this ruthless; they at least charged up before unleashing their rainbow explosions!
Where did all this trickery come from? The intelligence only said to be wary of Chu Hengkong in Huilong City, when did this new character appear?!
A loud laugh echoed from within the storm: "What's wrong? Besides bullying small animals and causing internal strife, does the dignified Fourth Captain have no other skills?"

Lingfeng silently clasped her hands together, dispelling the meaningless divine pillar. She flashed behind Ji Huaisu again, unleashing a flurry of punches that were swirling with wind. Ji Huaisu, without turning his head, summoned the Sea-Stabilizing Needle to block the attack. This time, the armor's built-in sealing technique didn't activate, because Lingfeng didn't use elemental power. She used pure assassination techniques.

Since interference and bombing are useless, use the speed advantage to engage in close combat to suppress the enemy, and then strike a fatal blow once an opening is created!

Ji Huaisu withdrew his fire sword, using only his divine needles to entangle with the opponent. Their exchange continued relentlessly; Ji Huaisu's attacks were powerful but difficult to land, while Ling Feng used her speed advantage to nimbly dodge. She pointed two fingers at Ji Huaisu's eyes, and Ji Huaisu turned and swung his hammer. Ling Feng briefly dodged with a burst of light before unleashing a swinging punch, but Ji Huaisu abandoned his staff and caught her fist with his palm. The elemental forces of both collided, erupting with arcs of electricity and a storm of wind behind them!
“Since you are aware of the situation, why meddle in other people’s business?” Ling Feng said in a deep voice. “Using this power to protect your own home is better than getting involved in Jing Sha’s chaos!”

Ji Huaisu sneered, "After you, Jing Sha, go independent, the first city to perish will be my Huilong City. Tell me, should I meddle in this or not?!"

"Am I, Jing Sha, destined to fight for you for the rest of my life?"

"Behind you, Jing Sha, are billions of lives, and the 17 billion citizens within the city-state aren't much better off. Shi Zhong clearly explained the pros and cons before; I don't believe you, Ling Feng, still can't see it clearly!"

Ji Huaisu deflected Ling Feng's attack and then punched him in the cheek. Ling Feng retreated silently, striking Ji Huaisu's upper arm with his soft sword. The two were locked in combat again, each move ruthless and merciless.

"Ten years of hard work is better than a single day of defeat. I support independence precisely because I know this! My city-state of Jingsha has defended the front lines for the allies for thousands of years. Now that I am exhausted and want to withdraw, what have I done wrong!"

"This is utterly absurd!" Ji Huaisu roared. "What do you mean by quitting halfway? Do you think war is a game? War doesn't end because of your will. The enemy will always come knocking. The only way to end it is to kill them all!"

Ling Feng responded with an angry roar: "War means death! What's wrong with wanting fewer deaths for your family?" Ling Feng threw another heavy punch and retreated, but this time she didn't follow. She completely transformed into a seven-colored rainbow light, her elemental power flowing with a special rhythm, giving her body an almost liquid-like dynamism. Several thorns tore through her back, weaving long wings resembling insects. The brightness at the tips of those wings rapidly increased, emitting scorching, high-speed beams of light!

Ji Huaisu erected a sealing spell, piling up layers of cards to form a wall, but she was at a disadvantage in both offense and defense. The beams of light were too fast and fired at near-personal distance, making it difficult for her to deal with them immediately, even with her sealing techniques.

After utilizing the auxiliary system, the release of a powerful fusion spell requires time to deploy cards, and Lingfeng precisely capitalized on this time difference to launch a precise attack. Ji Huaisu's card defense crumbled, while Lingfeng's beam of light gradually intensified as her emotions escalated.

She looked at Ji Huaisu with a cold and stern expression, her words piercingly cutting: "To claim to be righteous yet use other people's citizens as a shield is utterly shameful!"

Ji Huaisu silently closed his eyes.

In the past, she would have felt ashamed of such sharp criticism.

They may doubt whether their actions are correct, consider whether they should refute the enemy's viewpoint, feel anxious because they cannot prove their own correctness, and be troubled by that doubt and questioning.

But now, she has broken free from her confusion.

Whether it's right or wrong, you know perfectly well in your heart.

Now that you've made your own choice, you don't need to worry about what others say!

"You have been asleep in delusion for too long. I will wake you up!"

The sealing spell ceased, and the wall blocking the rainbow light was instantly shattered. Ji Huaisu faced the light of destruction head-on. She drew a brand-new card from her armor. In the center of that emerald green card, a majestic being roared towards the sky.

[Disaster Beast Descends]

The proclamation sounded once more, solemn and majestic, like a messenger announcing the will of the gods. Ji Huaisu placed the dragon-headed bracers before him; the jade dragon carving was lifelike. At that moment, it detached from its armor, soared up, and transformed into the colossal creature within the card, engulfing the beam of light entirely!
"—Come forth, dragon of calamity!"

A fierce wind surged, thunder roared like trees, and purple lightning illuminated the form of the colossal creature. It was undoubtedly an ancient dragon, with long, upright golden horns, ancient and majestic flowing whiskers, and coral-like spikes protruding from its long body. Yet even the visitors from Longquan Township could not discern its form, for the beast's appearance was far removed from that of an ancient dragon.

It has six claws, a fierce head and horns, and limbs as thick as a demon's arms. Three pairs of transparent wings grow from its claws, generating a howling gale. This is a mad dragon that brings calamity; when it roars in fury, its wings will blot out the sky!

—The path of the Discipline Knight is an elemental path centered on bondage.

Its first element, the Light Guardian, uses a protective "shield" to bind the light. Its second element, the Shadow Blade, uses a fighting "sword" to bind the shadows. After mastering the three elements, fire, water, and dust each transform into armor to protect the knight, proving his determination to uphold the righteous path.

The moment of mastering the "wind" is the most difficult hurdle for a Discipline Knight to overcome. Because the "wind" symbolizes freedom, the elemental body makes it easy for the mind to run wild and emotions to get out of control. Once the vows are forgotten, even the strongest knight will fall into heresy and become a demonic storm.

Therefore, the knights abandoned their elemental bodies.

They relinquished the convenience and the freedom, using their prized sealing techniques to bind the power of the free wind within a "mark." They dedicated that freedom to their most loyal companions, their mounts who shared life and death on the battlefield. From then on, knights truly became knights; they restricted their own freedom, but gained another loyal comrade. When they fought side by side, their speed was so great that even the fiercest winds could not reach them.

This is the fourth element of the Discipline Knight, skilled in sealing techniques, and known as the "Wind Seal Knight" who travels with his mount. And Ji Huaisu's mount is this "Calamity Dragon," named after calamity!
The calamity-bringing dragon roared in fury, and the fierce wind shattered all of Lingfeng's beams of light. Ji Huaisu stood on the dragon's back, her voice amplified with the dragon's roar, reaching into Lingfeng's heart.

"You believe that you will enjoy a moment of peace after independence, and that trade will flourish again after the city-state prospers. It sounds like a wonderful vision. But I wonder, after your unilateral actions have killed billions of lives, who in this world will be willing to ally with you, who will be your friend!"

Ji Huaisu said loudly, "Every drink and every bite in this world is clearly remembered by the tides of fate. The deaths and injuries caused by your single city will exceed the bloodshed of the heretics over a hundred years. I wonder who will be considered heretics in the eyes of future generations, and who will ultimately have to pay for this karma!"

"——!!!"

Lingfeng was deeply shocked, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond. She felt even her hand holding the sword trembling. The female knight's gaze was like two clear swords, piercing straight into the darkness she didn't want to look at, striking at those possibilities that she had deliberately ignored.

She gritted her teeth and urged the beam of light to rise again, but no matter what she did, she couldn't break through the wind barrier of the Calamity Dragon. At this moment, Ji Huaisu leaped from the dragon's back and unleashed a fierce kick without mercy. The Calamity Dragon transformed into pure energy that coiled around her armor, causing this attack to directly shatter Ling Feng's light!
The kick struck head-on, and the seal directly stripped her of her elemental transformation ability. Aya, now in human form, fell from the sky like a pale star plummeting into the fields.

Ji Huaisu landed beside her, drew a card, and summoned back the Calamity Dragon. She turned to look at Ling Feng; the fourth captain's helmet was already shattered, and bewildered eyes peeked through the gaps.

"To hold out is certain death, and independence is also a dead end. So what should we do? Should we just die on the battlefield...? Is this the justice you believe in?"

“You, Lingfeng,” Ji Huaisu said, “you have too little faith in your own homeland and too little faith in your allies. You should step out of this city-state and see other battlefields, so that you can understand a simple truth.”

She stepped forward and pulled Lingfeng up. She patted her shoulder forcefully.

"There is never a lone battle; true allies are those who stand together through thick and thin," she said firmly. "True justice means that when you go to the battlefield, we will be together!"

Lingfeng squinted, as if she had seen an excessively bright light.

She suddenly understood why the older generation had guarded this place generation after generation without complaint. Perhaps it was because in the past, both the city-states and the allies were as upright as this knight.

Unwavering, thus never admitting defeat.

(End of this chapter)