Playing with fantasy beasts in the martial arts world

Chapter 133 Trapped, but difficult to break through the defenses
The sounds of killing continued throughout the night, gradually fading away at dawn.

The defenders of Xiangyang were exhausted and weary. The wounded were replaced, soaked in the mysterious water, and then climbed back up the city wall. This process was repeated several times. Even though their bodies were still relatively intact, their spirits were already completely worn out.

The situation was even more dire for the Mongols. They began collecting the corpses again, but how they disposed of them this time is unclear.

The cruelty of war lies in the fact that, as it continues to prolong and develop, it gradually erodes humanity, reducing people to beasts.

One can even imagine that once Xiangyang falls, even if Möngke gives an order beforehand not to massacre the city, those crazed soldiers will still kill every living thing they can see in the city.

They've gone mad; they've become tools of slaughter, walking corpses.

That is precisely why we must keep them outside the city walls, and also keep death and destruction outside the city walls.

Despite her exhaustion, Huang Rong took on the role of head chef, leading a large group of cooks. With her perfect culinary skills, she combined the grains and meats sent by Cha Nan to prepare a plethora of delicious and filling dishes, such as mutton soup and mutton rolls, and delivered them to the city wall.

The aroma of the food and the stimulation of the taste buds gradually brought a sparkle back into the soldiers' eyes, and the stench of blood on their bodies seemed to fade away.

But many people just ate numbly, occasionally glancing at the battlefield not far below the city, where the smoke had not yet dissipated and the blood had dried, their eyes devoid of any vitality.

"At most two or three more days, the brothers will not be able to hold on. It's not because of the number of casualties, or the lack of food and water, but because... we have killed too many people and seen too many people die around us. They no longer value their own lives."

“Last night, at least a dozen brothers jumped off the city wall with Mongols in their arms. They didn’t have to do that…!” Qi Shaoshang reported to Guo Jing, his eyes full of worry.

All living things have a hidden tendency to self-destruct, and war brings this tendency to its maximum.

There are indeed warriors who are tempered into steel, but first and foremost, they must have a faith as firm as steel.

However, these soldiers who defended Xiangyang did not have any lofty or firm beliefs. The so-called "defending the country" was just an invisible and intangible concept. Many of them did not even know whether their parents, wives and children at home were well-fed, warmly clothed, or alive.

Guo Jing fell silent upon hearing this.

Those who signed contracts with Cha Nan were alright; although the war was intense, they would actually spend a few days in the Fantasy Beast World every now and then, which was a kind of mental relaxation.

However, the most ordinary soldiers and martial arts practitioners, who were always on the battlefield and faced the seemingly endless threat of Mongol soldiers, were under constant pressure. Without a very firm belief and willpower, they could easily break down.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Do you want to know how my Yang family soldiers defeated the Liao army? And how my brothers won the hearts of beauties?" A spirited voice rang out from a corner of the city wall.

A few weak but still excited responses erupted from the crowd.

"I want to know! I want to know!"

"Alright! Today I'll tell you about how my brother Yang Liulang met and befriended Princess Chai. If you can all hold on until tomorrow, I, Yang Bamei, will go all out and reveal the affair between my fourth brother and the Liao princess as well!"

Yang Bamei's words clearly further piqued the soldiers' interest.

The enmity between the Liao and Han people has long since passed, and people today don't find it particularly significant. Instead, they are filled with curiosity about how Yang Silang married a Liao princess.

"Back then, my sixth brother was taking a stroll in Bianjing City..."

Yang Bamei's clear voice rang out on the city wall. As the story unfolded, many people who had initially been listening without any interest began to gather around, holding their rice bowls. Gradually, they raised their heads and looked in Yang Bamei's direction, listening with great interest.

Yang Bamei also had the talent of a storyteller. She interspersed some well-known stories with many interesting anecdotes that she had heard in Tianbo Mansion and could tell. In this way, she cleverly bought her sixth brother clean.

She didn't talk about anything lofty or sophisticated, but retained the fun and engaging aspects of the story, which attracted more people to listen attentively.

As she narrated, the once lifeless city walls gradually came to life again.

“Let’s compare ourselves to them!” Guo Jing sighed as he listened and watched, then walked to another section of the city wall, far enough away from Yang Bamei, and shouted, “Brothers! Do you want to know how I, Guo Jing… a simpleton, managed to win the favor of the dignified daughter of the Eastern Heretic Huang Yaoshi, a beauty as celestial as an immortal?”

"Those who want to know, come over here, and I will explain it to you."

Then another group of people surrounded Guo Jing.

As everyone ate and listened to the story, they occasionally burst into laughter at the funny parts, expressing both envy and anticipation for Guo Jing's extraordinary adventures.

······
Xiangyang City has been transformed into a cruel meat grinder.

In the following three days, the Mongols actually deployed at least 80,000 troops to the walls of Xiangyang, of whom another 20,000 were killed.

Such heavy losses would be difficult even for a powerful nation like Mongolia to withstand.

Even so, Xiangyang City was not captured. The walls of the city were scraped twice, but it continued to stand firmly, like a giant standing in the twilight, looking down at the ants rushing to its feet.

The Mongol Khan Möngke issued an ultimatum to the Prince of Xiaoyao: if he did not deal with Guo Jing and his companions, he would not only refuse to pay the remaining reward but also mobilize a large army to surround and kill him. Having received intelligence that the 'strange beasts' within Xiangyang City had been exhausted and no new ones were appearing, the Prince of Xiaoyao finally moved his hideout and reappeared on the city wall.

Sensing the danger, the carefree king indeed felt no fatal threat, so he soared into the sky and then crashed heavily onto the city wall like a cannonball.

Boom!

A sudden earthquake shook the city, causing sections of the city wall to collapse, which crushed many Mongol soldiers who had climbed up.

"You've come at the perfect time! I've been waiting for you for a long time!" Guo Jing took the lead in meeting the challenge, and with a wave of his hand, a dragon shadow swept past and flew towards the Carefree King.

After consuming the Dragon-type Skill Fruit, Guo Jing's Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms became even more majestic and powerful, even attracting the attention of the Carefree King.

"What a domineering palm technique! If you practice for another ten years, you might be my match... But considering the power of your palm strike, you shall retreat and I will spare your life!" The Carefree King looked at Guo Jing and said with the air of a grandmaster.

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Guo had already launched a sword at him from a distance.

The Xuan Tie Heavy Sword grazed the face of the Carefree King before crashing heavily into the wall, creating a gash.

"You're all brute strength, but your swordsmanship is too crude... You don't even deserve to die by my hand!" That's how the Carefree King commented.

Although Yang Guo mastered the heavy sword technique, the so-called "heavy sword has no edge, great skill is without artifice" is seen by some as just relying on brute force and intimidating others.

What's the fundamental difference between this and the "powerful brick flying"?
Those generals on the battlefield who wield heavy weapons such as hammers and maces can be considered to fall into this category.

Yang Guo's response was a "Heartbreak Palm," a palm strike filled with sorrow and parting emotions, its power domineering, but its meaning was completely opposite to its force. Such a contrast meant that if not handled properly, one would suffer a great loss.

The Carefree King neither blocked nor dodged, but took the blow head-on with his protective qi: "This palm strike is somewhat interesting, but that's about it!"

With that, Yang Guo's aura surged, and he was sent flying backward. If it weren't for Master Yideng and Huang Yaoshi appearing behind him and joining forces to stop him and use their powerful internal energy to help him dissipate the force, Yang Guo would have flown at least a hundred meters away and suffered serious internal injuries.

At the same time, Liang Xiao and Bai Sun attacked from the left and right. Bai Sun's Xuanming Divine Palm froze everything, and was insidious and vicious. Liang Xiao's Azure Sea Surging Wave Palm was powerful and unpredictable. When the two were combined, it was like a giant wave rising in the North Sea, and icebergs crashed straight towards Xiaoyao Wang.

Bang!
The two men simultaneously placed their palms on the Prince of Leisure's protective aura, but the aura remained completely unmoved.

Instead, the two of them retreated simultaneously, their palms turning bright red, as if they had been scraped by a sharp blade.

"The boy who uses insidious energy is lacking; he's too focused on unorthodox methods and will hardly achieve great things. But you, boy who uses multiple forces to change, have such martial arts skills at such a young age. You're extraordinary... truly extraordinary. I won't kill you today. Ten years from now, when you've mastered your martial arts, come and challenge me again!" The Carefree King commented, maintaining the demeanor of a grandmaster even when facing the combined attack of several masters. He didn't immediately resort to ruthless tactics, remaining calm and collected.

"Form ranks!" Guo Jing shouted.

The seven grandmasters gathered, took their positions, and then began to join forces to besiege the Carefree King.

Immediately, figures intertwined, forces flew wildly, sounds were like thunder, and breaths were like rain. The city wall, which was originally the site of a battle between two armies, was suddenly overwhelmed. Both the attackers and defenders temporarily retreated, handing over the main battlefield.

Otherwise, if caught in this fierce force, one will be torn to shreds in an instant.

The seven of them joined forces and used a formation to fight the enemy, which indeed restricted the carefree king.

No matter how strong the Carefree King is, under the Heavenly Dipper Formation, he will inevitably be no match for fourteen hands.

But after fighting for dozens of moves, the Carefree King remained as steady as Mount Tai, while the seven grandmasters who were besieging him all had solemn expressions.

While they did restrain the Prince of Xiaoyao, preventing him from wreaking havoc or storming Xiangyang, they also couldn't harm him.

The martial arts of the Carefree King have completely lost all so-called rules and restrictions. He seems to no longer need internal or external skills, palm techniques, fist techniques, etc. He only has three things as his foundation.

The phrase "extreme strength" means that his attack and defense have both reached their peak. Once his protective aura is activated, no matter how many attacks land on him, they will not cause a ripple.

His speed was beyond imagination; even within formations, he could move freely and easily evade attacks launched by the combined forces of many.

Finally, there is mind control, which can also be seen as an almost tangible form of mental interference with reality. It can influence a person's judgment in an instant and change their attack strategy.

Fortunately, none of the people forming the formation were below the level of a Grandmaster. Grandmasters are all experts who have cultivated at least one level of artistic conception and are resistant to mental interference and attacks. Otherwise, under the Mind Control Technique of the Carefree King, they would have long since lost their composure and would have been unable to maintain the formation.

Even so, if this battle continues, everyone will ultimately be defeated.

The reason is simple: Xiaoyao Wang can maintain his peak condition for a long time, but the seven people who besieged him cannot. Even excluding the two grandmasters Huang Yaoshi and Yideng, it would be difficult for Bai Sun, Liang Xiao, Yang Guo and others to maintain such a high level of internal energy output.

(End of this chapter)