Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike

Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao Through Divine Strike, Chapter 284

A gust of wind blew through the woods, and the aroma of the roasted meat that had just begun to waft out suddenly stopped.

The murderous aura seemed to solidify into a tangible form.

Shi Zhuang, Mo Shi, and Xiao Shi stopped simultaneously and held their breath.

The men's faces instantly darkened; they could hear it clearly—the language coming from the woods was that of the Shang Dynasty officials.

The Dongyi tribes and the Shang army were mortal enemies for generations. Whenever Shang scouts entered the mountains, it meant that a massacre of the village was imminent.

Li Xin remained motionless, his eyes as cold as ice.

His spiritual perception far surpassed that of the three people around him.

We can see more and perceive more subtle information.

The five people moved in unison, their positions slightly out of sync, covering each other with their breaths.

He walks around looking carefree, but in reality, he's relaxed on the outside but tense on the inside.

They are probably the elite of the Shang army.

He could even sense the surging blood and qi within the five people, as well as the powerful true qi emanating from the leader's body, spreading like ripples.

Even disregarding other external factors, this person's cultivation level is far superior to that of my physical body.

A glint flashed in his eyes, his breathing became almost imperceptible, but his mood began to rise with excitement.

Perfect, let's see what the mainstream fighting style of this world is like.

A moment later, five figures in black leather armor emerged from the dense forest, looking around with an undisguised aura of bloodshed and killing intent emanating from them.

The most glaring feature was the string of dried human heads hanging and swaying from their waists.

The scabs were dark and menacing, with a pungent, fishy smell that made one's stomach churn.

The leader was a burly man, dressed in leather armor, wielding a broadsword with flames blazing on it, showing no restraint in using his true energy.

He was clearly very confident in his martial prowess.

The four men behind him all moved with light steps, their eyes fierce as wolves, and they crossed ditches and thorns with undulating movements.

Their speed of movement was even faster than the black wolves they had encountered earlier.

A lean, bow-wielding man on the left flicked the skull at his waist and grinned, "This eastern expedition was too comfortable! The barbarians only know how to hide in the mountains and eke out a living; they have no will to fight."

"A simple search reveals that you can easily collect heads for military merits—it's practically free!"

A man next to him said in a sinister tone, "Collect more heads, and it would be best to slaughter one or two small tribes."

"Going back to be promoted, granted land, and inheriting the fiefdom—that would make my life worthwhile."

Another person spoke with certainty: "With the Grand Tutor leading the eight hundred vassal lords on this campaign, the Eastern Yi will submit to the Great Shang sooner or later. General Huang's seizing of the opportunity to launch a surprise attack is truly rare. We will kill as many as we can."

The leader, with his hand on his sword, stepped forward and chuckled coldly: "It's not necessarily a bad thing that the army is stuck in the Soul-Falling Gorge by the Dawn Tribe. Otherwise, how would we have a chance to make a contribution while following the Grand Tutor?"

"You must not be careless. Killing is a minor matter; the most important thing is to ascertain the situation of the surrounding tribes—who are you?"

At this point, he suddenly looked up and shouted.

With that sound, a powerful slash was unleashed.

The crimson light, like a crescent moon, advanced forward, cleaving several thick trees and thorny vines in two with a flash of the blade.

The men behind him reacted swiftly as well, drawing their bows and raising their swords and spears at the same time the leader made his move.

Quack quack quack

A few crows cawed.

Crows and magpies took flight in the jungle.

The group breathed a long sigh of relief; it seemed to have been a false alarm.

As the opponent swung his knife, Li Xin swiftly reached out and placed his hand on the shoulders of the three people around him.

His moves were like a phantom, swift and fast, yet completely silent.

In their panic, Mo Shi and his two companions were about to rush out to fight when they felt as if a mountain was weighing on their shoulders.

Just as he was about to exert his strength to resist, he changed his mind and continued to lie motionless in the grass under the tree.

Li Xin quickly weighed the combat strength in his mind.

The warriors of this world's tribes possess terrifying physical bodies that can overwhelm those of the same level in the Dharma-ending Age, but they only know how to fight with brute force and do not understand the subtlety of internal energy cultivation.

Using someone else's strength against them, he couldn't even unleash 30% of his full power.

However, these five elite soldiers of the merchant army were completely different. Basically, they had all reached the threshold of marrow cleansing and blood transformation, and could be considered elites in the army.

The leader, in particular, was a master of internal energy circulation and possessed extraordinary strength.

Furthermore, given their expertise in military formations and combat, their fighting strength is likely to be overestimated.

If Shi Zhuang and his two companions were to face any one of them one-on-one, they would be doomed.

They are, after all, still young and haven't fully grown up yet.

Even if they fully mature, they are still just ordinary tribal warriors, and not necessarily comparable to the elite Shang army.

Therefore, we cannot engage in chaotic warfare.

Moreover, through the gaps in the branches and leaves, he also saw a figure being carried on the shoulders of the last strong soldier.

That's Ah Feng.

A muffled groan came from behind —

Ah Feng, who had gone ahead to deliver the message, had obviously been captured by the other side. At this moment, his arms were tied behind his back, he was covered in wounds, and blood was spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He groaned in pain, whether from genuine agony or a desire to warn others in advance, it was unclear.

Hearing him groan loudly, the soldier casually threw Ah Feng to the ground.

It made a muffled thud.

He stomped on Ah Feng's back, grinding the soil into it, and said sternly, "Tell me, where is your tribe? How many able-bodied men do you have? Tell me everything about your food supplies, defenses, population, etc., and I'll spare your life."

Ah Feng clenched his teeth, but remained silent.

Li Xin guessed that he probably didn't want to lose face in front of his companions.

The loud humming earlier was indeed a warning, reminding himself and his men not to fight head-on.

Presumably, Ah Feng was captured without much ability to resist on his way back to get help.

They witnessed the enemy's strength.

But his stubbornness was useless.

The gaunt merchant soldier's nose twitched incessantly. Suddenly, he turned his head and stared intently at Li Xin's location: "Captain, there's a strong smell of blood ahead, along with the smell of roasted meat and grass juice—"

hum!

call out!call out!call out!

The bowstring vibrated.

Three sharp, whistling sounds tore through the air, and arrow shadows, like cold stars piercing the sky, appeared before the five people's eyes with a whoosh.

At the same time.

Four figures rose to their feet, brandishing swords and spears, and shouts of battle arose.

The leader of the Shang army suddenly changed his expression, and with a slight flick of his wrist, his blade flashed like fire, creating a series of overlapping blade shadows in front of him.

With a thud, it severed an arrow.

His wrist jerked violently, and as the blade leaped up, he roared with a ferocious glint in his eyes, "Side dodge!"

But it was too late.

The gaunt soldier, who had just pointed out that something was wrong with the commotion in the woods, caught a glimpse of black light in his eyes.

The arrow flashed slightly.

It had already pierced his throat.

At the same time, another short, stocky soldier next to him only took half a step back before feeling a sharp pain in his chest.

The long ironwood arrow had pierced his leather armor and penetrated his heart.

A long, thin line of blood trailed behind.

The two men collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.

"court death!"

The captain roared, his true energy exploding forth, crimson flames surging, and the air in front of him distorted.

With a leap, he covered a distance of seven or eight zhang, his feet planted on a tree trunk, and his broadsword slashed towards Li Xin like lightning.

This strike was fierce and domineering, with no turning back, and it was accompanied by the scorching heat of the Burning Fire True Qi.

Ordinary martial artists who have just cultivated true qi would likely be seriously injured if they were hit by this blade energy, let alone block it.

He abandoned Shi Zhuang, Xiao Shi, and the others who rushed out, and focused his attack on Li Xin, clearly having seen the strange and cunning nature of the arrows.

The arrow was not only fast and accurate, but also contained concentrated true energy, making it extremely penetrating.

He was clearly a master archer.

If we let the other side do as they please, our small group might not be able to withstand two or three waves of attacks.

Therefore, defeating the archers first is the best option.

As for the three teenagers who rushed forward to save him, he had confidence in the strength of his elite subordinates.

Li Xin did not shoot any more arrows.

The enemy truly lived up to their reputation as elite troops.

Accustomed to life-or-death battles, shielding others and charging into the fray, it all happens in the blink of an eye.

As he fired his three arrows, he was too close to the other side and hadn't even had time to reload when the Crimson Flame Longsword crashed down on his head with a thunderous roar, its weight like a mountain, locking away all space for evasion.

It's not without its merits; at least the swordplay is quite intimidating.

Li Xin looked up and saw that the opponent's sword light was increasing in force layer by layer. Its domineering momentum actually masked some of the shortcomings in technique.

His body suddenly sank, his waist twisted, and his center of gravity shifted.

With a gentle flick of his wrist, the short sword appeared in his hand, swiftly resting on the blade like a cloud flowing from his sleeve.

The Shang army captain felt as if his broadsword had been plunged into a quagmire, and he felt as if there was a bottomless abyss ahead. His strength was being released wildly, and the direction of his sword strike was actually deflected.

In an instant, the boiling true energy could no longer be contained, and it slammed fiercely into the ground, causing the earth and rocks to explode.

A deep trench, several feet long, was cleaved out, and waves of heat swept in all directions—

The strike missed its mark!

Zhou Lie's pupils contracted sharply, and a tremendous sense of horror surged within him.

He couldn't believe that his powerful, deadly strike had been so easily deflected by his opponent.

At this point, the attack was too aggressive, exposing his neck and ribs to the opponent's sword.

Chi———

The two figures intertwined.

To counter a move is faster than one's thoughts can process.

Just as the army captain sensed something was wrong and his hair stood on end.

All I could hear was the hissing sound of the wind.

I seemed to see a red light in front of me.

No.

That was blood.

The blood-red light, like mist, transformed into a waterfall in front of him.

He took a deep breath, but couldn't get any more air in—he wanted to change his move and strike again, but felt the broadsword in his hand was as heavy as a mountain.

Stars were flashing before my eyes, and the scenery was blurry.

He only realized it at that moment.

His own throat had been slit open.

Just as his thoughts turned to this point, everything went black before his eyes, he collapsed to the ground, his body twitched twice, and then he remained motionless.

Li Xin sheathed his sword, turned around and sneered, "To suppress others with power and to overpower ten techniques with one force, you must first be ten times stronger than me."

He killed this enemy, whose cultivation level was a whole level higher than his own, with a single move.

But I still felt like I hadn't had enough.

If a real fight broke out, it turned out to be nothing special.

It seems that, on the level of martial arts, the difference between the world of the Dharma-ending Age and this world is not that great.

I just need to be careful of some strange arts, secret techniques and supernatural powers.

Most of the time, there's not much to worry about.

Seeing Li Xin kill two people with three arrows, and even kill his own captain with a single sword strike.

The remaining two unharmed scouts were shocked, their faces filled with disbelief, and a chill ran through them.

Their proud orthodox military skills, internal energy cultivation, and combat techniques were no match for the exquisite and overwhelming combat power of this wild youth.

Clumsy to the point of being laughable, and utterly vulnerable.

Li Xin did not pause, and held the short sword upside down.

The blade was covered in black water energy, its dark, cold light shimmering.

He accelerated, leaving a blur as he swept through the woods, heading straight for the muscular man.

The man had just drawn his sword and was about to slash at Ah Feng on the ground.

The long sword was raised in mid-air, yet to be cleaved down.

A figure flashed before my eyes.

Li Xin was already in front of him.

The cold blade pierced flesh silently, and blood spurted out instantly.

On the other side of the battlefield, Shi Zhuang, Xiao Shi, and the other two were desperately holding off the last person, but ultimately their strength was insufficient.

His weapon was knocked away by the opponent's wild spear technique, and he sprinted backward along the ground before turning and disappearing into the forest.

Li Xin shook his head and raised his hand to draw his bow.

With a single arrow nocked, true energy is poured into it, and the arrowhead locks onto the fleeing figure.

Guided arrow!

call out!

The arrow shot through the air, precisely changing course mid-flight, ignoring the obstruction of trees, piercing through the forest and leaves—

The next instant, an arrow pierced his skull.

As Zhao Mang fled, his body suddenly stiffened, and he collapsed heavily to the ground, dying instantly.

In just a few breaths.

The five elite merchant scouts were all killed.

Corpses lay strewn across the forest floor, blood soaking the soil, the stench of blood completely overpowering the previous aroma of roasted meat.

Shi Zhuang, Mo Shi, and Xiao Shi stood there, staring blankly at the corpses scattered on the ground, their bodies numb and their minds trembling.

For the first time, they truly witnessed just how ridiculously powerful Sangmu had become.

His attacks were swift as lightning, each move deadly.

She was completely different from the friends I remembered.

"Brother Mu, even the clan leader wouldn't be this good!"

Xiao Shi's eyes were filled with disbelief as he stammered.

Mo Shi was also shocked: "The clan leader may be stronger, but his attack speed is not this fast, and his killing method is not this exquisite and bizarre."

Yes, in his opinion.

Li Xin's actions were simply miraculous and extremely bizarre.

Under his attack, these people were like children, with no chance to struggle.

Li Xin sheathed his bow and short sword without offering any further explanation.

In fact, he himself didn't know how to explain it to these friends who knew him so well.

Let's just not talk about it.

Let them fill in the blanks with their own imaginations.

"Save people! Look at you all, you have no sense of propriety at all."

"Oh, Ah Feng————"

The group seemed to awaken from a dream.

They rushed forward to help Ah Feng, who was slumped on the ground, to his feet.

Ah Feng was covered in injuries, his back was bruised and swollen, the blood at the corner of his mouth was still wet, and his arms were marked with deep red marks that revealed the bone. He was so weak that he could hardly stand, but he still gritted his teeth and said defiantly, "Sang Mu—I didn't leak the secret—"

"I know." Li Xin nodded, reached out and pressed his hand on his back, and looked at the wound.

He instinctively reached into his bosom.

But then he realized that he had never drawn any characters.

This body has no pockets, it is penniless.

We had no choice but to use what we had on hand.

Fortunately, Mo Shi was familiar with mountain herbs and immediately picked Qingrencao and Qinglianghua, which are good for stopping bleeding and reducing swelling.

The group skillfully crushed the herbs and applied them evenly to Afeng's wound, then wrapped it tightly with layers of animal hide strips.

The herbs were slightly cool, and their medicinal properties penetrated very quickly. Ah Feng's tense body gradually relaxed, the severe pain subsided, and he was finally able to stand up with difficulty.

After treating their injuries, the group immediately tallied up their gains from the battle.

Three black-maned wolves, two black-maned giant bears, and one striped tiger—the ferocious beasts and their prey were piled up like a small hill; taking them back would be a real problem.

It's both incredibly frustrating and incredibly exciting.

In addition, the five corpses of merchant scouts, five sets of refined leather armor, and longbows and spears were all scarce hard currency for the tribe.

The unexpected surprise was that these soldiers actually possessed sixteen Yuan Crystals.

They come in all shapes and sizes, and with all sorts of attributes.

"Little Stone, go to the tribe. Be slow and don't reveal your identity. I'm worried there might still be merchants and soldiers in the forest."

Li Xin gave his instructions.

This meat is key to preventing the tribe from losing members.

Even after the bloody battle, and with some concerns that the merchants' experts might arrive, they couldn't simply abandon their prey.

"Yes, I'll call someone over soon."

Little Stone, his face flushed, responded and darted into the grass, running towards the tribe.

Half an hour later, the tribesmen rushed over.

There was a large, dark mass of about a hundred people.

Did they call all the animals that can move?

Li Xin was speechless for a moment.

How exactly did Little Stone deliver the message?

He looked up and saw that the one leading the way was none other than Yun Tong, the tribe's second elder with white hair.