The riders charged at us with ferocious impunity, if not for one ultimate linked rope to trigger a number of to stumble I might have died proper there after which, trampled by a warhorse.

The horse that fell in entrance of me, delivered its rider to my toes, concussed clearly however nonetheless regarded entire, I dove my sword proper on the small opening between his helmet and chest armor, I did not must do extra, the strike slit a serious artery and he would die inside minutes, nor might I afford to make a cleaner hit as extra rider got here at me.

Our forces, no more than a few dozens that determined to face and permit the remainder to flee, had been nothing greater than grass in the way in which of a stampeding rhino, solely the rhino must decelerate because of the narrowness of the valley, the ropes stumbling the horses and the fallen animals blocking its approach. If we had been on open fields, we might have been mowed right down to the final in lower than a few seconds.

However because of the buckle of the enemy, we managed to cease the remainder by utilizing their very own numbers towards them. At greatest, twenty of our troopers remained to fend off a whole lot.

A large mace threatened to cave my cranium in, however because of my thoughts’s eye, I used to be capable of predict the mace’s trajectory. Although I used to be unable to make use of any cultivation, my thoughts nonetheless labored like that of a cultivator, giving me ample time to duck below the mace then ship a rising slash on the rider, slicing by the opening below his armpit.

The sword related and the rider’s arm was barely hooked up to its socket because of a bloodied tendon.

One other spear threatened to impale me the place I stood, to which I dodged by the barest of margins. The spear’s tip sliced by my leather-based pauldron inflicting gentle discomfort whereas the shaft rubbed towards my shoulder netting it a hole empty strike towards the air.

I pulled frivolously on the already prolonged spear inflicting the rider who refused to desert his weapon to fall from his horse. I sliced on the rider’s again neck, as quick as I might as I observed one other spear coming my approach.

My sword slid quick sufficient, ripping the person’s neck, gushing blood, and moved in a rising slash to parry the spear, the place one among my comrades struck on the spear wielder along with his personal spear toppling him from over his horse.

I knew that I had no martial abilities to talk off, and many of the stuff I had simply carried out was because of the ability behind the soldier I used to be at present possessing, and the elevated considering technique of the thoughts’s eye. However psychological exhaustion will quickly down upon me, that’s after all if this soldier’s physique I am utilizing does not outright collapse from bodily exertion.

The battle continued for what felt like hours as we fought on the again finish. Extra of our comrades fell to errant sword strikes or crushed below the maces of the enemy, additional dooming this already hopeless state of affairs, however I needed to struggle, and I saved on preventing, even when one spear lower by my thigh, not as a result of I could not dodge in time, however as a result of the physique I am utilizing refused to dodge, it was already exhausted past humanly potential.

One other soldier sliced at my left arm, rendering it barely useable. However I nonetheless fought, and fought, utilizing each scrap of vitality I might muster, each bit and each speck of energy that was left on this physique.

My comrades had lengthy since died and solely I used to be left preventing and that had been a very long time in the past, or maybe I felt prefer it was.

Bloodied, battered, and exhausted. I nonetheless heaved for extra breath as I sliced on the enemy. Till a time I observed everybody standing nonetheless, none moved in direction of me.

For they knew that with accidents comparable to those I’ve proper now, it could solely be a matter of time earlier than I fell down.

The enemy troopers knew that in the event that they had been to assault, they will solely die. And never attacking is what they did. Standing nonetheless watching this unusual man, preventing to the literal final breath. After which one among them slapped a fist to his chest, as did others, and shortly I understood why.

They had been saluting, an enemy, one worthy of respect for standing towards odds, preventing to the brinks of demise, but nonetheless greedy straws of futile hope, they did not see an enemy, they noticed a soldier preventing for a trigger and that may convey even the mightiest of foes to respect such act.

There after which, my eyes darkened, and I fell on my knees, respiratory the agonizing final breaths of this physique.

Abruptly, I awoke, the place I discovered myself seated throughout the Laughing Slaughterer’s pagoda, in entrance of me was the small desk with the teacup emptied out.

The laughing slaughterer’s sound resounded by the corridor.

“Pitiful show! Such is yours, for you solely slew forty-three of your enemies. Many had achieved increased than you’ve gotten, you are higher off giving up, for the assessments will solely develop into tougher.”

The voice was monotonous as at all times.

However then one other vocal message sounded.

“Nonetheless! Not like any earlier than, your battle had secured the survival of greater than 300 and nineteen troopers. You’re the first to have managed to assist troopers escaping the pursuit of the Crown Regime. Most would struggle towards the enemy, scoring as many kills as they’ll, whereas the enemy would run rampant amongst their traces just for them to die as soon as outnumbered. You secured a path to retreat for the others earlier than you returned to battle. And my verdict is…” the voice trailed.

This time the message felt a bit extra… life-like, however nonetheless it had a impartial lifeless tone to it.

However the next phrases had been like heaven and earth.

“STUPID!” the phrase gave the impression of a thunder’s echo inside me.

“For no cultivator would weigh their very own self-preservation towards the survival of individuals they have no idea! Silly! For you gave your life for ones you did not have any relation to. Essentially the most silly of all, your satisfaction blinded you to the straightforward fact, survive! Survive in any respect prices!”

I could not debunk the assertion, as a result of I knew in a way he was proper, I did not know any of them, and I ought to have escaped when it was potential. I do know that I ended and fought alongside the troopers so others would survive? However why did I try this? Did I do know them? They weren’t buddies household or anything, they had been simply troopers. Nonetheless, it felt improper to go away them to their demise

“My conviction,” I muttered, although I did not assume the voice would reply again, “I fought as a result of I believed it was proper.”

A loud silence echoed round, it was so baffling that I might solely hear the sound of my very own heartbeats and the breaths I drew, it was a nonetheless deathly silence that I by no means felt earlier than. Then the Laughing Slaughterer’s voice echoed as soon as once more.

“So younger…and you’ve got the rudimentary understanding of the Fact…your Dao, maybe not, maybe egoistic beliefs, nonetheless. Idiotic, however I will not sway you towards your conviction for it’s not my place. Proceed!” the phrases echoed and one other spiraling staircase got here down, this time the reward was totally different.

It was a handbook, a sword artwork. The Sanguine Blade, first tome.

I took the e book in hand and started flipping its pages, it was a collection of sword arts devoted to slashes and stabs, with overexerted and overextended strikes. The dangers entailing these sword arts had been harmful, for each assault was overbearing, however on the identical time, held nice dangers. For each assault, would trigger the enemy to falter, hesitate briefly, as did the handbook clarify, this artwork required a decision far past what any man might ever hope to acquire.

It was the epitome of a high-risk excessive reward. A sword artwork that relied on diving with out regard to the enemy’s blows or one’s self-preservation. It was meant as a dangerous sword struggle that made each assault be seen as a commerce of life. Simply the main thought behind this e book would make one shake in fright, who would ever be taught one thing as harmful as this? However then, I remembered what occurred within the dream I simply had.

This e book, is a reward for a similar actions I did, lack of self-preservation. This sword artwork is a reward for the actions I’ve proven. Although with out every other sword artwork at my disposal, I consider this sword artwork could be good in my arms. I tucked the e book inside my robes the place the e book on my chest sucked within the handbook and I moved ahead.

As soon as I used to be on the third ground, I noticed Xi Son, who regarded exhausted past exhaustion and had a number of wounds throughout his physique. He was the very first thing I observed earlier than I took a second have a look at the place I used to be.

This ground was additionally barely smaller than the one earlier than it, however not a lot, the one distinction was, this ground was separated into two sections. One, the place I and Xi Son stood. It was the identical as earlier than, a wood ground with no ornament in sight and no doorways or home windows, whereas the opposite facet of the room had huge treasure troves, weapons non secular stones, manuals and even crafting supplies.

But there was a mirror-like barrier that stood tall, separating the 2 sections. And on the nook, there was the spiraling stair main upwards.

“Greed is the bane of all man, however in entrance of a lot wealth, would you ignore it? Or threat all to acquire it?” the query the Laughing Slaughterer was the final of his phrases as I stood trying on the treasures in entrance of me.

Certainly, they had been mighty interesting, as I observed many non secular herbs that I did not even acknowledge or the House Stones on the ground that regarded just like the least vital bits and items of this treasure. These House Stones are issues I must proceed cultivating my Star Approach to cover my poison cultivation. However I am unable to get previous the barrier, this I do know of, however Xi Son apparently does not, seeing from the look on his eyes.

He checked out me like I used to be a heaven-sent present.

“Shen Bao! You made it right here!” he stated.

“Yeah, I am additionally shocked to see you right here.” I mused.

“How did you handle your approach right here? It took me plenty of effort to struggle my approach by the hordes of Religious Beasts mendacity about, I doubt you’ve gotten the power to struggle them. However now…” apprehension was obvious on Xi Son’s face, particularly now that he’s weakened, and thinks I used to be capable of struggle my approach by quite a few enemies.

I pulled out the therapeutic tablet I received on the primary ground and threw him the vial. He inspected it utilizing his divine sense which ‘conicedantly’ handed by me as soon as once more as he tried to see if I had something on me.

However proper now, so long as I seem calm and picked up, and never reply how I managed to defeat hordes of non secular beasts -even although I don’t know what he’s speaking about, maybe we took totally different routes to get right here, and his was ridiculously dangerous- I ought to be capable to instill a way of thriller and with it, hazard. Good, the much less he is aware of, the extra apprehensive he shall be, and with the disregard to the worth of the tablet I simply gave him, which by the way in which would undoubtedly fetch a fortune exterior, he’ll assume I’ve no real interest in it, making me stand on the next psychological pedestal than I deserve.

Video games inside video games, thoughts video games to place one above the opposite, with none verbal phrase spoken. So long as I fastidiously set myself above him, I’ll give him another reason to not check me, or outright flip hostile. I might have simply ignored his exhausted and wounded self, however a wounded lion is extra susceptible to be aggressive than a wholesome one. Particularly since he’ll subconsciously really feel that even when he was as hale and wholesome as he’s proper now, he proved to be of no consequence or hazard to me.

“Thanks, fellow cultivator Shen Bao!” Xi Son stated and chucked down the tablet. He sat down within the lotus place and started digesting the tablet.

‘Fellow cultivator’ he stated, and that is a certain signal that I gained his respect or his apprehensive worry. Which was higher.

“No want,” I stated as I received nearer to the barrier, giving him a straightforward goal as I turned my again to him.

I regarded on the barrier and smiled, then circled and stated, “let’s go, there isn’t any must waste time right here.”

“Why? I attempted onerous to interrupt by this barrier, and I feel it might crumble with a bit extra effort.” Xi Son stated.

I shook my head saying, “This barrier is designed particularly to try this, it is going to wane and look about to interrupt simply sufficient so that you can exhaust all of your energy, then if you replenish, you will attempt once more and can appear about to interrupt simply as you are exhausted as soon as once more, it is going to accomplish that till you are totally depleted, determined and with none speck of energy or gadgets to replenish your self. It is a check of your greed, and in the event you proceed down that line, you will fail.”

Xi Son took a second to digest my phrases the stated, “How have you learnt all of that?”

“Merely put, this barrier is made utilizing quasi saint Qi. Regardless of how robust you might be, you will by no means match this barrier in energy until you are an ascendant. Even I am unable to decipher all of its mysteries, however I do know that this factor will survive the bombardment of hundreds of thousands of nascent cultivators and not using a crack.” I stated in a decisive and sure tone.

Xi Son sighed and stood up, “Damnable trick, it virtually value me my cultivation as I attempted to interrupt by it utilizing a forbidden method. Rattling, rattling!” Xi Son cursed and I felt that he was pissed sufficient that he was going to as soon as once more take it off on the barrier.

“Additionally,” I added, “Your efforts would have been for naught,” I stated.

Xi Son checked out me questioningly.

“Yeah, as a result of these treasures are faux,” I stated.

“Nonsense, I might really feel their non secular launch even by the barrier.” Xi Son shook his head.

“That is the factor, this barrier is definitely replicating the non secular residue of all the gadgets behind it, these are nothing however fakes, however that does not imply that they are not right here.”

Trying fully misplaced I interjected, “These treasures most likely exist on one other ground and they’re solely projected right here to exhaust the cultivators in futile makes an attempt to reduce their possibilities at retrieving the true treasures. Easy methodology, however undoubtedly efficient. I stated as I gave a realizing gaze on the now barely ashamed Xi Son.

“Proper,” Xi Son stated after clearing his throat, “Let’s preserve transferring then.”

And we took off to the higher ground.