The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 1217 - 650: Imperial Consort Zhao Douan Arrives to Accept the Challenge! (2)
"Bypass the refugees and follow me into battle!"
The image of the Dragon Girl quickly faded from Zhao Douan’s eyes.
The Wild God residing in him had remained dormant since devouring "Master Gu Huo," but Zhao Douan’s loud shout served both to boost morale and draw the gaze of those fierce beasts.
And it exhausted the Dragon Girl’s reserve of magic, while simultaneously taking down dozens of evil beasts.
It stalled the enemy’s momentum in their siege as well.
Can this work?
Zhao Shixiong and the others were taken aback, but they saw Zhao Douan had already rushed forward, entering the Liao Clan’s battle formation, and quickly followed.
Countless "cannon fodder" heard the name "Zhao Douan" and saw hope ignite in their eyes.
Then they saw the "beasts" relentlessly pursuing them "die," instinctively dropped to the ground, breathing heavily, and turned to witness the bloody scene:
Zhao Douan’s Chasing Saber, infused with dense Qi Mechanism, struck out, splitting the foreheads of several Liao warriors, blood spewing from their mouths as they fell backward!
The Chasing Saber’s inherent "group attack" capabilities finally showed their effect at this moment.
Zhao Douan used no magic or fancy skills; he had become a pure martial artist in the battle formation.
Rosy clouds enveloped his body, warding off the stabbing weapons surrounding him. His Qi Sea Inner Strength incessantly poured into the blade, slicing through the air, limbs flying.
Even though each Liao warrior’s strength far surpassed that of Yu Country soldiers, they were still powerless against the perfection of martial artists!
Not only him.
The other five surrounded him, each showcasing their techniques.
Where Zhao Shixiong’s Soul-breaking Blade pointed, heads flew, and terrified souls surged from the corpses, being devoured by the blade.
Yu Xiu’s flying swords circled around him, constantly releasing blood blossoms around.
Jin Jian, having taken his pills, was extremely alert, waving his magic wand, sending tides of stars and moon surging.
Han Zhao moved with Wind Control, slamming his palm down repeatedly, sending warriors flying backward.
As for Tuoba Weizhi, he was like a ghost, closely following Zhao Douan, his movements simple yet effective, repeatedly punching, withdrawing, and punching again, leaving countless bodies in his wake.
...
The Liao central army.
"Zhao Douan?!"
Xu Jianwen rode on the back of a Demon Blood Horse, clutching the reins tightly. Upon seeing Zhao Douan jump from the city wall, his blood boiled.
Staring dead at Zhao Douan charging in front, his knuckles turned white, murmuring:
"Could it be him... Did he infiltrate the Great Territory...?"
The first warrior, Po Yun, tall and imposing, with dense hair, arrogant eyes, and handsome features, squinted:
"Is he the Zhao Douan His Highness mentioned? He doesn’t seem clever, daring to attack us with just a few men."
Xu Jianwen turned suddenly, staring at him, and spoke deeply:
"Don’t underestimate him! He possesses the Royal Family’s secret techniques and has killed Heavenly Humans."
Po Yun remained defiant, speaking calmly:
"Was that Prince Jing a true Heavenly Human? Anyway, I would like to see for myself this person’s skills."
"What do you intend to do?" Xu Jianwen looked at him, feeling uneasy.
Po Yun took a deep breath, his joints crackling, eyes clouded:
"Naturally, to confront them, unless we let them continue killing? Our warriors’ lives cannot be wasted this way."
Xu Jianwen, breathing rapidly, said:
"No cultivator can withstand a sea of people; just pile in the masses, exhaust them, weaken them, then you strike..."
Po Yun’s eyes turned cold, staring at Xu Jianwen:
"Your Highness! It’s our tribe’s warriors dying, not your expendable pawns!"
The Liao Clan’s numbers were few; he could not accept the sacrifice.
Without waiting for Xu Jianwen to speak, Po Yun ordered firmly:
"The strongest from each tribe, follow me to battle!"
Then, from the crowd, the most powerful Liao warriors from various tribes responded, alongside Po Yun, weapons in hand, pounding the ground fiercely, charging towards the six of the world!
"You..." Xu Jianwen trembled slightly with anger, but at this point, he was powerless to stop it, turning to look at Qi Yuchun:
"You too, go over there, be wary of Zhao Douan, and retreat immediately if anything seems off!"
Qi Yuchun nodded expressionlessly, took a step forward, and reached behind to extract a long spear wrapped with cloth.
With a flick of his wrist, the spear revealed its true form, the spearhead glinting coldly.
The former commander of the imperial guard, who had also stepped into the realm of Perfection, struck again.
...
"Retreat!"
Zhao Douan sensed the approach of various dangerous auras ahead. He decisively drew his blade and led five others in retreating quickly.
However, Po Yun and other Liao experts were quicker, each choosing an opponent, thereby dividing the six into separate small combat arenas.
Han Zhao controlled the wind to retreat but had a corner of his garment sliced off by a flying axe.
Cold sweat dripped from his brow as he saw a stout Liao expert, bristling with axes all over his body, approach. With a wave of his hand, the spinning axes returned to his palm.
"I recognize you, priest from the Heavenly Master Mansion," the stout expert grinned:
"I heard you’re skilled in spells?"
Han Zhao pondered for a moment: "Actually, I’m an exception..."
"That’s a coincidence," the other laughed: "I love killing exceptions."
Han Zhao: "..."
"Yu Xiu, we meet again. Last time, you escaped from La Garden, but today, I can finally avenge that one sword strike you delivered in the past."
A middle-aged Liao man with a reddish skin stared at Yu Xiu, his skin growing even redder, and veins appearing purplish. With each step he took, a bloody footprint was left on the ground.
Yu Xiu remained expressionless.
Bathed in moonlight, Jin Jian retreated, while a female Liao’s voice echoed in her ears: "Hehe, such a big sister, learning to kill in battle now? How about coming back with me?"
Jin Jian turned her head, vigilantly staring at a female Liao expert covered in colorful trinkets, frowning deeply: What is this guy babbling about?
"Zhao Shixiong, your opponent is me."
Zhao Shixiong was about to approach Zhao Douan when Qi Yuchun, holding a long spear, blocked his path.
The "Southwest Skinny Tiger" frowned slightly and said coldly: "Qi Yuchun, where is Xu Jianwen?"
Qi Yuchun replied: "You are not worthy to see His Highness."
So Jian Wen is truly alive... Zhao Shixiong’s gaze was arrogant: "You are not my opponent."
"Oh?" Qi Yuchun sneered:
"If we haven’t tried, how do you know? Besides... Zhao Shixiong, how are you so sure I haven’t improved during this time?"
...
"Master, that’s Po Yun. He’s formidable. I can take him down," whispered Tuoba Weizhi, cloaked in black and covering her face.
Zhao Douan squinted and held his blade, looking towards the youthful figure running swiftly towards him, and shook his head:
"I want to try first. You deal with the people around, but remember not to act too strong."
Tuoba Weizhi, as the "secret weapon," was instructed by Zhao Douan before the battle not to expose her identity and full powers too early.
This was partly to guard against any hidden moves from the opponent, and also to avoid revealing all their cards upfront, which might scare the opponents away.
Moreover...
Echoing in Zhao Douan’s mind were the words the Empress had spoken to him before setting out on a campaign, when Zhao Douan inquired about advancing to the Half-step Celestial stage.
"Half-step Celestial?" Xu Zhen watched him and shook his head:
"Actually, Half-step Celestial isn’t a distinct realm, but after attaining Perfection, cultivators attempt to gradually resonate with the heavens and earth. The deeper the resonance, the closer to Heavenly Human; after roughly taking fifty steps, one becomes Half-step Celestial."
"For magicians, the method of resonance is to become an embodiment of the divine they practice, continuously delving into the ’way’ of their respective deities. As for martial artists, the simplest way is to fight with others, battle strong opponents, and battle even stronger ones."
Zhao Douan regained his focus, rubbing the hilt of his blade, gazing at the "first warrior of the Liao Clan" who had landed with a crash several yards ahead, somewhat eager to try.
"Are you Zhao Douan?"
Po Yun’s handsome yet frivolous face carried a scrutinizing expression, speaking in flawless Yu Country language.
Standing over two meters tall, he looked down upon Zhao Douan; his gaze sweeping past the nearby "Tuoba Weizhi," who was entangled with other clan members, without much concern.
Merely presuming her to be a martial arts expert from Yu Country.
After all, the physique of the Liao people differed vastly from the people of Yu Country after reaching adulthood.
Zhao Douan stood with his blade, calmly meeting his gaze:
"It seems my reputation has spread abroad, but it’s a shame."
"A shame about what?" Po Yun asked, slightly curious.
Zhao Douan spoke earnestly:
"It’s a shame that you encountered me. Therefore, you surely will die today, I assure you."
