Calamity Messenger

Chapter 342 - 277: Halt

A figure crawled out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, and before the raindrops could touch him, they were evaporated by his astonishing heat, white mist shrouding his form, making him seem like a blazing furnace. Yet, his body appeared so ethereal, as if he might collapse at any moment.

Qi blood boiled, body like glass!

This phenomenon occurs when one’s qi blood far surpasses their soul, more accurately described as a death omen. Historically, whenever the gap between qi blood and soul was too great, it would transform the individual into an eternally slumbering ’glass puppet.’ But looking at the figure before them who tread upon the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, everyone knew that such a person would not be defeated by mere qi blood sickness. His only end could be to roar his way into the grave, dying in battle his sole destiny!

Even across a vast distance, even through the torrential rain, the generals of the Qi Kingdom were still awed by ’Yan Shiyi’s’ formidable qi blood. He had almost breached the realm of Foundation Establishment, making even a Third-Turn Messenger infused with Celestial Spirits and Earthly Fiends appear feeble before him.

Facing a monster who created miracles time and again, everyone fell silent. No one dared to comment, and no one could foresee what would happen next... All they could do was watch with wide eyes and witness this torrential storm!

This would become their lifelong honor.

Two new Flame Pattern Seven-Star Swords appeared in ’Yan Shiyi’s’ hands. Facing the surging tide of steel once more, he swung the sharp longsword in his hands, unleashing sword light as vast as mountains and seas!

The Baibao Guards could no longer stop ’Yan Shiyi.’ Although their defensive locks could protect their lives, they could not withstand his overwhelming strength, getting knocked away by the Seven-Star Swords! As for the counter-injury lock chain, it was meaningless. With 205 life-steal points, unless they could heavily control ’Yan Shiyi,’ he could almost fully heal with a single sweep of his sword!

Along the way, chaos reigned, as no one could withstand a single strike. He was a chariot, an iron cavalry; at this moment, he was the unrivaled Third-Turn of the Central Plains!

Two hundred steps!

One hundred fifty steps!

One hundred steps!

Ying Le’s chariot was now visible to the naked eye, but at that moment, several giant fine iron lock chains suddenly sprang from the ground, binding ’Yan Shiyi’s’ body! The lock rings were as thick as an arm, like pythons. Even the lock chain Yan Qing once used as a lifeline for the Pharmacist’s Wish was not this thick. Holding these chains were hulking Baibao Strong Warriors, pulling the chains tight, as if they intended to crush ’Yan Shiyi’ into pieces!

In the case of other Third-Turn individuals, they might need tokens to escape such chains, but ’Yan Shiyi,’ with 300 qi blood points, was already capable of breaking through any army with sheer strength!

Moreover, Yan Qing had a brilliant idea.

Witnessing ’Yan Shiyi’ activate Willow Leaf Drifting, the entire figure started spinning rapidly, causing the Baibao Strong Warriors at the ends of the chains to spin as well, turning into a merry-go-round, flinging the Baibao Strong Warriors into other cavalrymen, knocking away seven or eight riders in succession! What was clearly a trap was turned into a lethal weapon by him.

Beyond the lock chain formation, waiting on the path was the giant Baibao.

Standing nearly nine feet tall, clad in heavy armor, with dull eyes hidden beneath their faceplates, only chaos and a thirst for blood resided within. Though fewer than ten, the giant Baibao standing side by side were more indestructible than eight hundred cavalry. They were merely servants of Ying Le, tasked with moving the imperial carriage in areas impassable by warhorses. Yet, when they wielded axes taller than a person, they became the most brutal meat grinders on the battlefield.

Even the normal attacks of ’Yan Shiyi’ with nearly 300 qi blood points could only make them stagger back two steps, unable to send them flying with ease like others!

But, their weakness was too obvious!

To support their massive bodies, their legs were unbelievably thick. Yan Qing didn’t need any precise operations to easily slash at their Achilles tendons. With 7 points of true damage, two or three sword strikes were enough to paralyze the movement of a giant Baibao!

Eighty steps!

Sixty steps!

Forty steps!

When ’Yan Shiyi’ disabled the last giant Baibao, he was only thirty-six steps away from the imperial chariot. Yan Qing could see the chariot being pulled by eight pure-colored giant white-maned horses. The white-maned horses were adorned with black steel tack, and the chariot’s body was brushed with gold paint and engraved with decorations. Though not as luxurious as the Liang Kingdom’s carriages, there was an imperial authority that seemed to trample all of creation under its hooves, leaving all beings to be trampled and ravaged!

The Baibao Guards went utterly mad, discarding all tactical maneuvers, swearing to intercept ’Yan Shiyi’s’ steps, yet against the immense force of over 300 qi blood points, these creatures, resembling fake Foundation Establishment, were but a mere stepping stone easily kicked aside.

Twenty steps!

Three charioteers stood ahead, their bodies illuminated by treasures that shone through the rain, revealing them as Third-Turn Messengers! The charioteers, like the Baibao Guards, possessed chain link abilities, and their mobility and reflexes far surpassed the Baibao, wielding long spear weapons with range advantage. In their brief clashes, Yan Qing astonishingly couldn’t land a strike on them!

Their unified attack methods were more refined than Baibao Guards, and not limited to attacking ’Yan Shiyi,’ as they kicked up dust and attacked the ground, even forcing ’Yan Shiyi’ back in steps.

These three may not have been notorious, but when they fought, they moved as one. Unless using Bingzi Pepper Forest or Dragon and Snake Seven Kills — those crowd-killer tokens, it was nearly impossible to break their united strike.

Yet Yan Qing still didn’t use Bingzi Pepper Forest.

Because, he could win by himself!

Now, ’Yan Shiyi’ was the peerless Third-Turn, and as a mortal form, Yan Qing was also the unparalleled player!

Secret Technique: Willow Leaf Drifting!

Ranger Rain Boots!

’Yan Shiyi’ spun to avoid their long spears, slashing into their knees with one sword strike! Not that he didn’t want to target eyes — those points that could cripple combat ability, but eyes were always heavily guarded by Messengers. Even Yan Qing, trained under the Pharmacist’s Wish, could swiftly react to eye attacks, let alone these seasoned, battle-hardened Third-Turns? Comparatively, the knees were not so heavily defended.

One sword, two swords, three swords, four swords! Four strikes at the same spot, completely ruining the charioteer’s knees! Yan Qing originally didn’t have such surgical precision, but now he was in a flow state... Now he was omnipotent, able even to finish a soul-like game in one life!

Eighteen steps!

Fifteen steps!

After Yan Qing defeated the final charioteer, he was only thirteen steps away from the imperial chariot. The breath of the white-maned horses seemed to fog up the screen of the gaming device. Numerous chains shot up like vines, attempting to obstruct his path. But it was all in vain; nothing could stop the world’s top rebel from meeting the ruler... This path of iron and blood, he was about to reach the end!

"Ying, Le!"

Simultaneously tearing the chains, ’Yan Shiyi’ leaped high off the ground, and at that moment time seemed to slow. Yan Qing could clearly see every raindrop falling in the game. Adrenaline surged within Yan Qing, focusing entirely on every movement that followed, facing Foundation Establishment, with not a single margin for error!

A graceful figure leapt from the chariot, descending from above. Yan Qing glimpsed the oncoming figure and hesitated slightly, yet his fingers still pressed the attack button.

Clap.

’Yan Shiyi’ landed heavily on the ground, with a longsword resting across his neck, the sword tip plunged into the earth like a guillotine poised to fall at any moment. The attacker was crouched in front of him, gripping the sword hilt, having just struck ’Yan Shiyi’ down from mid-air with a single sword stroke while he couldn’t touch her... She seemed to slice through a phantom.

He was now only ten steps away from the shadow on the chariot, defeated at just ten paces away, not even having faced Ying Le directly.

"Rushi, well done."

Ying Le lifted a leg onto the chariot’s railing, the leg fair and straight, extending unguardedly from beneath an embroidered imperial robe, the hem hinting at mystery, leading one to wonder if anything was worn inside the imperial robe... She looked at ’Yan Shiyi,’ subdued by Ying Rushi, smiling:

"Yaksha, surrender."