Chapter 206:
Chapter 206:
Chapter 206:
Above the white energy that scattered, a thick and unbreakable blood-red light emerged. Qiao Mu held a long spear and dashed recklessly through the crowd of bean generals, like a blood-colored comet streaking back and forth.
His body oozed blood from every pore, but he felt a strange sense of calm inside, as if he could sense the bean generals surrounding him from all directions.
At this moment, he was like a big fish in a fast-flowing stream.
He didn’t need to see with his eyes or hear with his ears. He relied on his intuition to perceive everything. He could feel the bean general behind him wielding a giant halberd, the sharp sound of the halberd cutting through the air, and the subtle sensation of the airflow against his skin.
And so, Qiao Mu made his move.
With the instincts of a fish in a fast-flowing stream, he swung his long spear like a fish flicking its tail. The spear created ripples of blood-colored energy in the air, smashing the waist and abdomen of a bean general behind him and unleashing a violent burst of energy.
With over a hundred years of martial arts practice and countless battles on the battlefield, he had finally entered the Spiritual Refining Method, and he felt completely at ease in battle.
Wherever he went, armor was shattered, and bean generals standing three meters tall collapsed into pieces.
However, even though he was strong, he was constantly bleeding, which was the price of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method.
His injuries were not caused by the enemy, but by self-infliction.His powerful energy was rapidly depleting, and the damage to his internal meridians was getting worse.
At this moment, he was the brightest star on the battlefield, but also a fleeting meteor, shining only for a moment!
This scene, seen by Captain Hai and others behind, made them even more amazed.
Qiao Ruosen is not Qiao Shuangsen.
Qiao Shuangsen is the one who brought lies to the lonely city, the first to tell them that there is still an Immortal Slaying Army in Jiu Province, the person that the lonely city has not forgotten. So, even though he is dead, he still holds significance in the hearts of Captain Hai and others.
After Qiao Shuangsen’s death in battle, Captain Hai and others buried him in the slope of the cemetery under the city, sleeping alongside a hundred thousand soldiers, symbolizing recognition.
A veteran from Jiu Province who died for them is also their comrade, their fellow warrior.
But Qiao Ruosen is different.
He is Qiao Shuangsen’s elderly husband, who just inherited Qiao Shuangsen’s unfinished business when he entered the lonely city. He took on the role of the second vanguard of the Immortal Slaying Army and continued to preach the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra" in the city.
But in the end, he is still a stranger, unlike Qiao Shuangsen who has been with Captain Hai and the others for a month.
So Captain Hai let him escape, actually out of guilt towards "Qiao Shuangsen."
Qiao Shuangsen died, so his elderly father Qiao Ruosen cannot die here either.
This is a simple kindness towards Qiao Ruosen, towards his fellow warriors, but it is not a bond between fellow warriors.
However, when Captain Hai saw Qiao Ruosen rushing to the front line covered in blood, he suddenly understood in his heart.
This scene is remarkably similar to when Qiao Shuangsen entered the enemy’s ranks with a spear.
Equally fearless of death, using the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method from the start, and appearing as if afraid that others might take his place and die…
Such a scene, such a posture, how can it not remind us of Qiao Shuangsen who died in previous battles?
"Both the father and son of the Qiao Family are heroes," Captain Hai held his sword tightly, his heart filled with a heroic spirit.
"The son died on the battlefield, and the father with white hair continued to fight, worthy of respect and pity!"
"Old comrades, how can we let the Qiao Family’s father and son steal all the attention?"
Captain Hai raised his arm and called out, and so three hundred old soldiers unsheathed their swords and rushed forward.
The sun was setting in the desert, casting a cold light on the swords.
The three hundred old soldiers charged silently, following closely behind Qiao Mu. Facing the three-meter-tall bean general, who seemed nothing like an ordinary person, they launched another attack, just like they had done countless times over the past forty years.
Storyteller Clairvoyance on the city wall looked down at this scene, feeling an overwhelming surge of emotions.
Emotions can be contagious, they can be transmitted from one person to a group of people.
This world needs heroes.
A hero who sacrifices everything, like a beam of light in the dark night, can make people see hope.
The general leads the troops, the emperor personally goes into battle, risking arrows and stones, inspiring the soldiers to be brave.
And as an outsider martial artist, Qiao Ruosen’s willingness to risk his life naturally has a great motivating effect.
But the world needs more than just heroes.
Because heroes can also get hurt, bleed, and die.
How can a single hero stand against the waves of time?
A general without soldiers is a dead end, and an emperor without soldiers going into battle is a joke.
A lone hero can only be a martyr, unable to influence the course of history.
If there are no followers, even the most fearless hero is just a fleeting firework, splendid but not helpful.
But the lone soldier in this city is different.
In the past, the hundred thousand soldiers who marched with Martial Saint and Li Changge can be said to be the bravest group of people in the Jiu Province of the previous era. They were highly expected by the Great Yan Imperial Court at that time, and they were the warriors who tried to save the collapsing heavens in the past.
Even if they died in battle, even if they were defeated, there are still three hundred veteran soldiers who inherited the will to resist the inhuman, fighting against all odds to this day.
That’s why they won’t let Qiao Ruosen go to death alone.
"It’s unlikely that Jiu Province outside will find such a group of soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their lives…" Clairvoyance admired in his heart.
But despite the admiration, he was not optimistic.
The front battlefield cannot be defended.
The advantage of a Spirit Refining martial artist lies in their strong body and mind. Even a 1st ranked martial artist is still a human body, with limited attack range.
Once separated from the body, internal strength quickly weakens. Most of the time, it can only be unleashed when attached to fists, feet, or weapons, erupting with the force of internal strength during an attack.
It is possible to release energy in mid-air, but even for a Spirit Refining martial artist, the range of attack with internal strength is limited to about ten meters.
Qiao Mu had over a hundred years of experience. At this moment, under the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, he temporarily unleashed a power equivalent to five hundred years of experience, which was quite astonishing in terms of the amount of internal strength.
However, the martial artist’s attack methods are limited, so no matter how he unleashes his power, his efficiency in killing is also limited.
It is impossible to create a sword light that extends tens of meters. Such things mostly exist only in the storyteller’s tales and go beyond the capabilities of a first-ranked martial artist in spiritual refining.
Therefore, Clairvoyance knew that Qiao Ruosen would die.
No matter how strong an individual martial artist is, they cannot control the overall situation on a battlefield with a certain scale. This is the understanding of the storyteller at the Tide Listening Building.
The turning point of the battle, instead, fell on the shoulders of a storyteller like him.
This was also quite a rare event for Clairvoyance. The storytellers at the Tide Listening Building usually only listen and observe the tides, and their deep involvement in the war was a first for Clairvoyance as well.
…………
Qiao Mu didn’t think as much as Clairvoyance.
After stepping onto the battlefield, he focused on one thing only.
Death!
Bringing death to the enemy, and experiencing a grand death himself.
But when he heard the footsteps of the veteran soldiers behind him, and heard Captain Hai’s praise, he couldn’t help but find it amusing.
Just at that moment, Storyteller Clairvoyance’s voice reached his ears.
Clairvoyance was guiding Qiao Mu, pointing to the location of the inhuman hiding behind these three hundred brave generals.
Despite the chaotic battlefield, Clairvoyance’s telepathic message managed to reach him accurately, piercing through the distance of hundreds of meters and into his ears.
At this time, Qiao Mu was covered in blood, his skin shattered like a spider web, and blood seeped out, splattering on the yellow sand beneath his feet.
His speed began to slow down, and the long spear in his hand didn’t dodge the enemy’s weapon, as it was struck by the giant hammer of the bean general.
The terrifying strength caused the long spear to instantly twist and deform, and Qiao Mu’s body trembled as his hand cracked, with more blood overflowing.
Instead of retreating, he moved forward without the long spear, using his bare hands.
Amidst the bloodshed, his muscles bulged in both arms, and his right hand suddenly swelled up, stabbing like a knife into the chest of a bean general.
His weakened internal strength erupted, but this time his attack only caused the bean general to violently shake, with cracks appearing on his body. However, the bean general took advantage of the opportunity to grab and not completely free Qiao Mu’s right hand that was inserted into his chest.
"Exhausted…"
Qiao Mu gasped heavily, giving up struggling.
109-year-old Qiao Mu killed thirty bean soldiers, only to die at the hands of a bean general.
141-year-old Qiao Mu reached the stage of spiritual refining and made a breakthrough in the Pure Yang Wuji Skill. He became much stronger than when he was 109 years old. He could easily kill fifty enemy generals in one breath, but even so, he was exhausted.
And as for the Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship obtained from Earth Sword Immortal?
Sorry, my abilities are limited. I haven’t mastered it yet.
Just before he died, he suddenly remembered Captain Hai’s praise for him.
"Are the father and son of the Qiao Family both heroes?"
"You guys are the real heroes, but I’m just an actor who does it for fun…"
As for now… let this lead actor, who has played many death scenes, have his final curtain call.
He still had some unfinished business, but he was already exhausted.
He only managed to kill fifty enemy generals, and there were still two hundred and fifty left… as well as inhumans hiding in the shadows.
"Please, future me."
From all directions, there was a loud sound of strong wind breaking, and more than ten Taoist soldiers surrounded him.
Qiao Ruosen, deceased, lived to be 141 years old.
…………………
Death Assessment for this time: B (died from exhaustion, the whole family in order)
Lifespan consumed by death: 16 (8 * 2) years
Remaining resurrection attempts this week: 4/5
Current age: 157 years old
Vitality: 29%
Skill: Simple
Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship (Cut me, skilled)
Shape Changing Skill (Average)
Opened my eyes, and sixteen years passed by in a hurry, as if in a dream.
In these sixteen years, Qiao Mu focused on two martial arts skills, which are Earth Sword Immortal’s Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship and the Shape Changing Skill.
Earth Sword Immortal’s Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship, in fact, has only one move.
This is a strange sword technique for refining one’s spirit. The specific movements are not important. The first level is named "Cut me" by Earth Sword Immortal.
First, cut me; then, cut the heavens.
This level focuses on how to pour all of one’s strength into a single move and unleash it to the extreme.
The level of skill that limits my abilities represents that Qiao Mu isn’t able to unleash all of his power in just one move, but he is quite skilled in sword techniques.
His Shape Changing Skill is still at a basic level, but after accumulating sixteen years of experience, Qiao Mu has become even more proficient in this incredible ability, with more transformations at his disposal.
"Let me recall how I trained in Flesh Changing Skill during these sixteen years…"
Qiao Mu carefully remembered, and a memory surged in his heart.
He realized that during these sixteen years, he had a strange idea: to attempt separating his flesh from his mind and practice creating a "flesh clone."
"So this is what I had in mind, such a wondrous and ingenious idea. I truly deserve praise."
Qiao Mu nodded approvingly to himself.
If he were to die and revive one or two times, he could use the excuse of forming an Immortal Slaying Army as a single person.
But it would be even more reasonable if he could truly create multiple versions of himself, forming a real Immortal Slaying Army.
Qiao Mu started studying the concept of "flesh clone" over the course of these 16 years in order to solve such problems.
He didn’t fully succeed and couldn’t achieve the desired effect in his mind.
"I can only leave it to my future self to continue working hard. Maybe I just need to die a few more times to solve it?"
Qiao Mu temporarily put these problems aside as he didn’t have any spare time at the moment.
He was reborn on the other side of the lonely city wall, and the battle continued.
Unlike last time, when Qiao Shuangsen died in battle, only about ten bean soldiers and a badly injured bean general were left to Captain Hai and the others.
Dealing with Captain Hai and the three hundred old soldiers was not too difficult, but they were only able to maintain a stalemate. Even with the strength of the three hundred old soldiers, they couldn’t eliminate all of the bean soldiers before Qiao Mu killed the inhuman.
But this time… Captain Hai was facing approximately two hundred and fifty bean generals.
This can’t even be compared to the last time.
Last time, they had the upper hand, but this time, they might not even have a chance to stand their ground.
The three hundred older soldiers are already old, and with their remaining strength, they probably can’t stop the approaching army of bean generals.
That’s why Qiao Mu is in a hurry this time; he doesn’t have much time.
"Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, Shadow Step."
He used the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method to speed up, with the strong wind whistling in his ears.
The Shadow Step is a skill of thieves, but with the eruption of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method, it has almost reached the level of "leaving no trace," as if the person has turned into a gust of wind.
Ahead, about a hundred meters away, they could already see Dao Ni, a disciple of the Great Dao Sect, wearing a Taoist robe.
He was sitting on the ground below a small hill, with his back facing Qiao Mu. In front of him was a small sand table, representing the hundreds of glowing dots of the bean generals.
There was a bottle of Qi-enhancing pills on the ground next to him. He would occasionally swallow a few to replenish the intense consumption of his magical power.
The mighty army of three hundred bean generals was enough to sweep this lonely city, which only had three hundred old soldiers, ten times over. But Dao Ni found it difficult to control such a powerful army of bean generals.
So, he kept taking drugs without feeling guilty, using Dao Xu’s money.
"The inhuman body is weaker than a martial artist. As long as I can get close to him…"
Qiao Mu slowed down his speed slightly and silently approached Dao Ni, who had his back turned towards him.
But as the thought of approaching Dao Ni slowly formed in Qiao Mu’s mind, there was also a faint sense of fear and excitement, as his instincts warned him.
"Facing the threat of death? Am I afraid of death? Laughable." Qiao Mu ignored his instinct’s warning and quickly approached.
Fifty steps, twenty steps…
Just when he was only twenty steps away from Dao Ni, the ground beneath his feet suddenly glowed with a bright light, and intense flames erupted, quickly merging into a sea of fire.
The flames rapidly spread all over his body, and the familiar pain made Qiao Mu suddenly realize. In his mind flashed the half face of the old man of the arsenal, and Saintess Wu Qingxin’s face from Heyang City…