Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

Hans stared intently at the dilapidated street below, his face so dark it was almost dripping with gloom.

More than thirty German soldiers mechanically fired and reloaded their guns, their fear having long since overwhelmed any remaining vigor.

Everyone was restless and trembling, completely losing the arrogance they had at the beginning of the war.

Suddenly, the soldiers who were firing at the window froze.

No one saw the unusual movement, no one heard the sound, and at the same time, a small blood hole appeared between the eyebrows of several people.

His eyes glazed over and went blank for a moment, and his body fell straight backward.

A fine steel needle pierced through their skulls, killing several soldiers instantly. They didn't even have time to scream before they breathed their last.

"Alert! Seal off all sides! Maintain formation!" Hans, hiding under the windowsill, frantically fired his gun while shouting to quell the comrades' panic, but his hand holding the gun trembled uncontrollably.

He fought for many years, suppressed countless rebellions, and killed countless martial artists. He believed throughout his life that firearms were invincible and that might made right.

He firmly believed that flesh and blood have their limits, and even the strongest person cannot dodge bullets or withstand artillery fire.

But today's Li Xin has completely shattered his lifelong understanding.

The opponent did not directly withstand the attack; instead, they anticipated the attack and dodged accordingly, causing all their deadly firepower to miss.

A bone-chilling cold shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and Hans felt a surge of intense regret.

He regretted his greed for merit and his rashness. He had trusted the Red Lotus Sect's intelligence and mistakenly believed that Li Xin was just an ordinary martial artist with a mere reputation. He dared to start a war and set up a deadly trap right under the emperor's nose.

If he had known beforehand how powerful the other party was, he wouldn't have dared to provoke them even if he had a hundred lives.

But things have come to this point, the arrow is already on the bowstring, there is no way to retreat, and we can only grit our teeth and fight to the death.

Just as Hans was in a state of panic and fear, the heavy wooden doors and windows on the first floor of the restaurant suddenly shattered without warning.

A strong evening breeze, carrying the pungent smells of gunpowder and blood, rushed into the hall, causing the tables and curtains to flutter wildly.

The ground was littered with cold bullet casings, and the gravel was swept by the airflow, making a soft, grinding sound, creating an eerie and oppressive atmosphere.

A figure in green robes walked slowly into the restaurant, stepping through the dust and debris scattered on the ground.

There was no loud bang, no chilling killing intent; it was as uneventful as an ordinary customer stopping by for a rest.

But this extreme tranquility made the air in the entire restaurant freeze instantly, making people afraid to even breathe loudly.

The gunfire from the second floor continued unabated. All the soldiers were focused on blocking the street below and sealing off any escape routes. No one noticed the deadly crisis that was looming behind them.

Li Xin walked steadily up the steps, neither hurried nor slow.

The heavy wooden staircase is stable and does not wobble or make any unusual noises.

A faint layer of smoke clung to his clothes, perfectly concealing his presence and allowing him to blend seamlessly into the smoke and fire inside the building, unnoticed by anyone.

He steadily stepped onto the second-floor platform and stood quietly at the end of the stairs.

The soldier closest to him turned his head unintentionally, and the moment he saw the figure in blue, his pupils suddenly contracted, a muffled gurgling sound came from his throat, his whole body stiffened like iron, his limbs completely disobeyed him, and his mind went blank.

The gunfire on the entire floor suddenly stopped for the most part.

All the soldiers instinctively turned their heads and saw Li Xin standing quietly at the top of the stairs. More than thirty people froze, not daring to breathe, and the fear in their hearts instantly reached its peak.

The young man was dressed in a clean and tidy blue robe, spotless, with an upright posture and neatly combed hair.

There was no trace of gunpowder, blood, or disarray on him.

The artillery fire that had just shattered everything had destroyed the entire street, yet it hadn't even soiled the hem of his clothes.

All the soldiers felt their scalps tingle and their blood nearly freeze.

They watched as the neighborhood was reduced to ruins by artillery fire, and this seemingly inescapable deadlock couldn't even trap a mere mortal.

The young man before them was beyond their comprehension, like a ghost or god descending to earth, inspiring extreme fear from the bottom of their hearts.

"How...how is this impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

Hans trembled violently, and the telescope in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter, shattering into pieces.

His eyes widened in disbelief, his face filled with overwhelming fear and regret.

He was not afraid of ruthless opponents or fierce battles, but he was terrified of this strange power that he could not understand, touch, or resist.

At this moment, he finally understood that he had been throwing an egg against a rock from beginning to end.

Li Xin raised his eyes, glanced indifferently at the frozen soldiers, and finally his gaze fell on Hans, who was trembling all over. His tone was as cold as frost, "Just because you have a few foreign cannons and a few foreign guns, you think you can walk sideways?"

Unfortunately, you are wrong. True strength never lies in weapons, but in people.

Hans's teeth chattered, and with his last shred of courage, he gripped the gun handle tightly and growled in a low voice, his voice trembling with a fierce but weak tone: "Nonsense! So what if you're fast? Can you dodge bullets? Can you dodge the volley of fire from my imperial army and the barrage of artillery fire? No matter how strong you are, you can't overcome modern military technology."

Li Xin chuckled lightly: "Then let your imperial army come to save your life."

He stepped forward slowly, his steps steady and composed, as if looking at a group of clowns: "You dare to scheme against me? You've got some nerve."

The long sword of the Marquis of Xinting on his back was wrapped in a faint chill, and the scabbard was pressed against his blue clothes, so that its sharpness could not be seen.

In everyone's hearts, it seemed as if they heard the roar of a sword and the cry of a dragon, and their eardrums were ringing.

The chill seeped into my bones.

It makes your hands and feet feel weak.

Despite having guns in hand and cannons at their side, they couldn't muster much courage to fight.

Li Xin stood alone amidst the smoke of battle; though he was only one person, his presence made the entire floor tremble.

Before he finished speaking, Li Xin suddenly lunged forward.

There were no fancy moves, no exaggerated phenomena, just a simple step, yet the speed was so fast that it could not be caught by the naked eye, leaving only a faint afterimage of a blue-clad figure in the spot.

The remaining thirty-odd soldiers on the second floor were suddenly jolted awake from their extreme daze and fear.

Everyone frantically turned around and launched a counterattack, desperately trying to survive.

"Shoot! Shoot now! Kill him!"

The soldiers screamed and frantically raised their guns, their fingers gripping the triggers tightly.

A dense array of gun barrels were aimed at Li Xin, bullets sprayed wildly, muzzle flashes exploded one after another, and the ear-piercing gunshots filled the entire building.

They worked in perfect harmony, their marksmanship superb, instantly creating an impenetrable net of gunfire that blocked all routes of advance.

A single shot can severely injure or kill the opponent.

This is their last bit of confidence and their last hope.

Bullets whistled through the air, filling the entire field of vision.

Li Xin twisted his waist gently, his body moving in circles through the gaps in the gunfire, his steps light and gliding like the wind, his aura flowing smoothly around him.

Every turn, shift, and dodge was precisely timed to coincide with the moment the bullet flew past.

The scalding bullet grazed his clothes and brushed past his hair, stirring up a fine wisp of hot air, always just a hair's breadth away, never touching him.

The tables, chairs, and benches were instantly smashed to pieces, with wood chips falling everywhere.

The screen and wooden railings crumbled and collapsed one after another...

Hot shell casings piled up on the floor, and dust billowed everywhere.

The deadly gunfire that would kill ordinary people could not restrain Li Xin's agile and unhindered movements.

With a sudden, abrupt stop in the flow of movement, a gentle flick of the wrist, and the long sword at the waist was drawn with a clear, resonant sound that cut through the noise.

The blade twisted and swung with the waist, instantly stirring up the smoke that filled the building, causing it to swirl and gather inwards layer by layer.

The surrounding air suddenly became heavy and stagnant, and a bright, whooshing slash shot out.

The three people in front of him screamed in pain at the same time.

A line of blood had already split open at his waist.

It is divided into six sections.

With a slash, Li Xin slightly tilted his feet and unleashed a powerful left punch.

Click!

A sharp, piercing sound of bones cracking suddenly rang out.

As Lansk retreated in panic, his chest suddenly caved in...

Beneath the clothing, the bones shattered inch by inch, sharp bone fragments piercing through the flesh and protruding outwards, warm blood gushing wildly from the wounds.

His body shot backward, crashed through the wooden wall, and fell headfirst down.

A shallow ripple of energy spread out, causing the scattered wood chips and cartridge cases on the ground to vibrate slightly.

The swords flashed again.

Like a dragon or snake moving through the air.

The soldiers' pupils dilated instantly, and blood appeared in their throats.

His tense expression suddenly twisted and collapsed, his arms instantly lost their strength and fell limply, his body slammed heavily onto the floor, and the rifle in his hand rolled away, making a crisp metallic clang.

Upon seeing this, the two soldiers beside him immediately launched a counterattack in unison. One raised his gun and fired at close range, while the other wielded a military knife and slashed diagonally at the throat.

The two moved swiftly, combining offense and defense, but in the face of Li Xin's sudden change in form, all their movements were several beats slower, stiff and sluggish.

He sidestepped the whistling bullets, twisting his waist in a half-turn motion.

His body shifted instantly, and the long sword swept horizontally with the force of his spin, the powerful force covering an area of ​​several feet around him, instantly killing several people.

It only takes two breaths.

More than ten people collapsed inside the room.

The blades flashed and crisscrossed.

The figure in blue moved swiftly among the corpses and guns, as fast as the wind and as silent as freezing rain on a cold night.

Blood splattered everywhere.

All that could be heard were screams, howls, the sound of flesh and bone tearing apart, and the sound of wood and stone shattering...

With a loud crash, half of the two-story building collapsed.

The floorboards trembled slightly, and the remaining doors, windows, and wooden beams all collapsed and crumbled. Guns and other debris scattered all over the ground were tossed about and flew around by the powerful outward force.

The air churned violently, swirling with the smell of gunpowder and blood, until the entire building was completely destroyed and collapsed.

The floor was littered with severed limbs and broken weapons.

Dark red blood slowly spread through the cracks in the wood grain, covering the entire second-floor platform.

All movement between buildings ceased, except for the lingering wind that swept through the broken walls, carrying a thick stench of blood and the damp, humid air after the rain, slowly swirling and settling down.

Li Xin slowly straightened his back, gathering all the energy flowing through his body back into his body. His blue robes stood upright and neat, without a trace of dishevelment or dirt on his body.

The room was deathly silent.

The walls were covered with crisscrossing knife marks and spiderweb-like cracks, and the floorboards were soaked in blood, making them sticky and slippery to the touch.

Broken and deformed rifles and sabers lay scattered among the corpses.

Corpses littered the ground, blood flowed everywhere, and only Hans stood alone in the middle of the sea of ​​corpses, his whole body trembling incessantly.

His legs buckled and he collapsed to his knees.

Cold sweat poured out of his body, soaking his clothes completely, and his body trembled violently uncontrollably.

This seasoned, fearless foreign colonel, whose hands were stained with blood, was now completely mentally broken and his will collapsed. He no longer possessed any of his former arrogance and domineering nature.

Seeing his soldiers all dead, the ground littered with blood and gore... Hans knelt on the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face, his whole body trembling like a leaf.

Unwilling to accept defeat and death, he struggled to his feet, trying to fight back and salvage his honor in one last attempt.

As a colonel in the German Empire, he had lived a proud life and had never been so humiliated and helpless, awaiting his death.

Hans struggled to his feet, his face streaked with blood, cold sweat mingling with the blood as he stared intently at Li Xin, who was closing in. He hissed, "You can't kill me! I'm an officer of the Japanese Empire. If you kill me, the other nations will surely raise their armies and invade. If war breaks out again, the entire Qing Dynasty will be buried with your recklessness."

Li Xin lowered his sword tip and lightly tapped the blood-soaked floorboards. A faint smile appeared on his lips. "When you were wantonly slaughtering people and firing cannons on Chinese soil, did you never think that war would break out?"

"You take advantage of the Qing Dynasty's weakness and keep pressing forward, thinking that yielding is tantamount to condoning, and that no one in China dares to fight back?"

He lowered his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the corpses and limbs scattered on the ground. His voice was calm, yet it sent a chill down one's spine: "How can outsiders be allowed to commit such atrocities on this Chinese territory?"

Before Hans could plead or beg for mercy, Li Xin raised his wrist slightly, and the long sword flashed with a cold light.

A fleeting coolness vanished in an instant, too fast for the naked eye to catch.