Chapter 493: Chapter 166: Invasion of the Ice Barbarians, Rebirth in Flames (Long Chapter)

Li Yuan used his sword as a crutch, engulfed in flames as he returned to the Black Market Ghost Realm, but he did not enter it. Instead, he leaned against its boundary.

Lady Yan in Cyan Robe silently stood behind him.

"Wine," Li Yuan said.

Lady Yan brought out the Snow Brew and Spring Dream Brew from the Ghost Realm’s cellar and handed them over.

Li Yuan took a sip, then suddenly spat it out. With a bang, it formed a torch-like flame that extended over ten zhang in front of him.

The sparks of the flame scattered, interweaving with the wind and snow, creating a magnificent spectacle.

"Sister Yan, this... this fire is... pure. I... need to digest it outside the Ghost Realm."

A hoarse voice sounded.

"If... if you... see I’m not going to make it, then pull me... into the Ghost Realm and put out the fire for me.

But... if... I can endure it, let me... handle it myself."

Li Yuan gritted his teeth.

"Alright."

Yan Yu agreed, encouraging, "You can do it."

Then added, "If not, I’m still here."

"Hahaha."

Li Yuan laughed heartily, looking up at the sky.

Then he sat cross-legged, the Cyan and White Snake Dual Blades inserted into the frozen soil on either side.

He breathed quietly, the flames burned away his clothes, swirling like a nest of snakes through his orifices and pores.

A long time passed...

Two months went by in an instant.

...

...

At this moment.

Cloud Mountain Path, Border City.

The city gate was easily knocked open.

Immediately afterward, two men with pale skin wearing animal skins each snapped a side of the city gate, carrying it into the city.

Behind them, a man with a massive axe and a ferocious face stepped out, roaring, "From now on, you all belong to me!!"

As his words fell, soldiers and those wielding swords rushed in, attempting to surround the invaders.

But when they saw the two monsters carrying the gate, they all turned pale with dread.

"Who... who are you?" a leader among the soldiers stammered.

The giant axe man said, "Wanghuo Clan, your future masters!

Quick, come forth if you can fight, if you are not convinced, or if you wish to resist!

I’ll be here waiting for you!"

After a long time...

Around the giant axe man lay brutally killed individuals, some armored, some evidently from the social world.

These people couldn’t survive even a single exchange with the giant axe man and were all instantly slain.

Blood pooled on the ground, shattered limbs, and exploded heads lay in stark evidence.

The giant axe man, looking uninterested and unsatisfied with the fight, raised his axe as over a hundred men and women similarly clad in animal skins emerged behind him.

Just then, a glint of cold light shot from a distant tower.

The cold light swiftly approached, hitting the giant axe man’s face but bouncing off...

It was the bolt from a military crossbow.

But such a bolt striking the giant axe man’s face seemed no more impactful than a blade of grass falling.

The giant axe man touched his face, still disinterested.

He looked up at the tower.

The tower’s body was sturdy, seemingly... possible to take a hit.

"Roar!!"

With a roar, the giant axe man suddenly raised his massive axe, his body spinning like a whirlwind, "whoosh" towards the tower.

In the shocked gazes of the Border City’s soldiers and knights, the whirlwind tore the tower apart at the waist, toppling it completely.

The giant axe man stomped the ground again, flying up amidst the tremors, cleaving the Black Armor General hiding within the tower.

Landing again, there came a spray of blood.

"Hahaha!"

Only then did the giant axe man show some joy, looking at his clansmen and shouting:

"This city is ours!

Celebrate today!!

Be it grain, beauty, or riches.

Whoever grabs it first shall keep it!"

"Thank you, Clan Leader!" The men and women swarmed into the Border City, beginning to wreak havoc everywhere.

The Barbarians had long prepared sacks and ropes, throwing in whatever items they found of interest, and binding those who caught their eye. Once bound and held, they became personal possessions.

Before long, all sorts of sounds erupted within the city, women screaming, men wailing.

Scenes like this unfolded in various places...

Among the Nine Flames, six clans went to war, typically led by clan leaders with over a hundred clansmen, while the remaining three clans stayed behind.

The six clans that set out were: Tongrong, Xuefang, Zhenyan, White Deer, Hongjing, and Wanghuo.

Among them, this Wanghuo Clan was the weakest of all.

But even the weakest was still unstoppable.

Over a hundred clansmen, which equated to over a hundred Sixth Grades, plus the clan leader who was usually Fifth Grade, didn’t need to fight at all in a barren place like Cloud Mountain Path, it was simply a landslide victory.

...

...

Half a month later.

Some Barbarians captured the town where Zhenyan Xue resided, came to the mountain, and found the small house.

"Hm? The woman living in this mountain house appears to be of our kin..."

"Hey, which clan are you from?" a Barbarian asked.

Zhenyan Xue answered, "Zhenyan."

The Barbarian replied, "This area now belongs to our Hongjing Race, you should go to your place."

Zhenyan Xue shouted, "I’m not going, I’m not leaving, I’m waiting for someone."

The Barbarians had no choice, as the Nine Flames Clan agreed before setting out: inter-clan conflict was strictly forbidden.

They helplessly reported the situation to the Hongjing Race Leader.

The Hongjing Race Leader sent people to the Zhenyan Clan, and upon hearing about Zhenyan Xue, they immediately inquired about Li Yuan’s whereabouts.

When they learned that Li Yuan had abruptly left but asked Zhenyan Xue to wait for him for two years, the people of the Zhenyan Clan began trying to persuade Zhenyan Xue.