Chapter 178

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Chapter 178: The Brave Soldiers of the Lonely City

The sound of horns filled the desert, their sorrowful and deep tones echoing in the vast expanse.

The old city’s army charged out from the city and engaged in a battle with the dark army outside the walls.

The soldiers were also silent, and all that could be heard on the battlefield were the sounds of their footsteps and the clanking of their armor.

Qiao Mu stood on a sand dune, carefully observing the soldiers who had charged out from the city. He noticed that these soldiers were all older, with white hair and wrinkled faces.

The soldiers were clearly seasoned warriors who had fought on the battlefield for many years. Their movements with their swords and spears were swift and decisive, lacking any unnecessary actions. Their coordination was seamless, making them appear like a silent war machine.

Qiao Mu was highly skilled in military spear techniques and could easily recognize the years of training and expertise that these soldiers had in their battlefield spear and sword skills.

They rarely talk, without any passionate slogans or shouting, they just fight silently under the setting sun.

Fighting on the battlefield is always a dangerous dance on the edge of a knife, easily resulting in death. It is normal to feel nervous and fearful when entering the battlefield, but these veteran soldiers remain calm.

"Are there really any remnants of the army still alive…"

Qiao Mu remained silent for a moment, finding it somewhat difficult to understand. He then shifted his focus to the shadowy army legion.

The soldiers emerging from the old city were unusual, but this shadowy army legion was even more extraordinary.

They seemed weightless, their bodies floating in mid-air with the desert winds, displaying remarkable agility. They didn’t resemble living beings.

Advancing with faces as pale as paper, the shadowy army legion moved in unison. They appeared to be a seasoned army, their charging movements with spears executed in perfect synchronization. Almost all of the hundreds of soldiers performed the exact same action. However, even in the midst of their charge, their faces remained expressionless, devoid of vitality.

Charge!

A Great Yan veteran soldier shouted loudly, the longsword in his hand emanating a dazzling aura, cutting a pale-faced shadowy soldier in half.

Only the changes that followed shook Qiao Mu’s heart as he looked from afar at the sand dunes.

The wound where the shadow soldier was cut into two didn’t bleed, but the whole body suddenly became flat, thin, and then in the blowing wind, it turned into two fragments as thin as pieces of paper, falling to the ground…

No, not as thin as paper, this is a paper man from the beginning.

Although they are paper men, the weapons in their hands are as sharp as golden and iron weapons.

In the battle outside the lonely city, each paper spear and paper sword pierced the bodies of the old soldiers, causing a bloody hole, very sharp.

The old Yan soldiers who emerged from the old city also began to suffer losses. Several old soldiers had their heads chopped off by the paper swords, their bodies separated, dyeing the yellow sand with red blood.

The leading old general roared lowly, and his war spear swung in the air, creating an invisible qi that stirred up the yellow sand, tearing several paper men soldiers in half around him.

The rest of the old soldiers were also filled with righteous indignation, following behind the old general and tearing a gap in the formation of the Paper Man Legion.

"Are the people who came out of the old city really alive? How is that possible to still have living people? Is this a mirage illusion in the desert?"

Storyteller Clairvoyance’s three eyes were staring blankly, and he couldn’t understand what he saw.

Qiao Mu’s gaze slightly focused on the Paper Man Legion.

"It looks like a paper man?"

The paper man technique is a magical art. When he fought against Saintess Wu Qingxin from Xuantian Sect in the past, he had seen her use it.

So, the so-called passing of the Yin Soldiers in the desert is actually controlled by a cultivator using paper men?

Without waiting for Clairvoyance, who was stunned by the battlefield, Qiao Mu lightly tapped his toes on the sand dune, displaying his light footwork as he swiftly moved across, like an eagle skimming the water’s surface.

His light footwork was very good, making hardly any sound.

The paper man soldiers were not observant, and they didn’t notice Qiao Mu rapidly approaching from behind.

However, there were no hiding places in the desert, and the seasoned soldiers who emerged from the deserted city immediately spotted Qiao Mu’s tracks.

But they didn’t show much excitement on their faces, they just exchanged a glance.

"It’s been many years since I last met someone from the Great Yan outside…"

"Another skilled warrior? Unfortunately, even if an individual’s martial arts are high, it’s difficult to change the overall situation… We are ultimately alone and helpless." Someone whispered in the battlefield, then quickly returned to the fight.

Qiao Mu, at this time, skillfully took out two short spears hidden on his waist and back. With a quick twist, a long spear appeared in his hand.

He charged directly at the Paper Man Legion from behind, like an eagle, with the spear moving like a dragon.

Qiao Mu, who was over a hundred years old, unleashed the accumulated internal strength of nearly a hundred years. His long spear was almost unbeatable.

With a gentle jab of the long spear, it created a large hole in the body of the paper soldier, who then fell to the ground like a thin piece of paper, lifeless.

The Paper Man Legion quickly reacted, with a small group of soldiers turning around and surrounding Qiao Mu. The sound of bowstrings kept going, and arrows made of white paper cut through the air.

Qiao Mu was also quick in his movements.

He held a spear in front of him and spun rapidly, swinging the long spear like the wind. There was a continuous clanging sound as arrows were knocked away by the spear.

When Qiao Mu first started out, he used a long spear to block arrows and was hit by three in a row. But now, his Military Spear Skill had reached perfection, and he wielded the long spear so skillfully that no water could get through, without any weaknesses.

"Fighting against lifeless objects like this… not good enough."

"Dying like this is not worth it!" Qiao Mu looked deeply at the old soldiers in front of him. The tip of his spear shot out with fierce momentum. Facing the endless waves of the Paper Man Legion on the battlefield, he fought alone, going in and out seven times.

At first, the old soldiers who walked out of the lonely city didn’t pay much attention to Qiao Mu charging out from the desert.

Although they were surprised when he demonstrated his martial arts prowess and broke through the Paper Man formation like a unstoppable force, they weren’t too excited.

After all, they had seen the world.

Being simply powerful wouldn’t astonish these experienced old soldiers.

After all, in the past, they were led by the Martial Saint, a great general of the Great Yan Imperial Court, and their former enemies were the Nine Immortal Gates…

No matter how skilled they were in martial arts, it was not enough to impress them.

However, at this moment, they were moved, almost losing focus on the battlefield despite their experience.

This old man, who seemed even older than them, showcased his mastery of spear techniques on the battlefield.

The Military Spear Skill was not considered an advanced technique, lacking the intricate and sophisticated moves compared to the various profound spear techniques of the martial arts world. It can only be seen as a basic skill.

But Qiao Mu’s Military Spear Skill was evidently of exceptional proficiency, swinging his spear with such accuracy and without any flaws.

Any martial technique requires daily practice for years to master it to an advanced level, going through extensive sweat and bloodshed.

And yet, this old man who appeared from beyond the desert already had a perfect mastery of the Military Spear Skill?

"Is he a soldier of Great Yan?"

Such thoughts crossed the minds of the veteran soldiers, causing their hands gripping their weapons to tremble slightly.

After being trapped in the lonely city for forty years, a soldier from Great Yan finally arrived?

The leading old general looked towards the direction where Qiao Mu was coming from, but only saw a middle-aged man standing on the sand dune, without seeing any other soldiers besides Qiao Mu, feeling slightly disappointed in his heart.

But as they hadn’t seen any foreign soldiers for a long time, their minds still fluctuated.

And at this moment…

Qiao Mu raised his spear and struck down, piercing through the head of the last paper man soldier, leaving a hole behind.

He took a few breaths and looked down at the long and narrow wound on his waist and abdomen.

Despite practicing martial arts for a hundred years and having deep skills, his body was still made of flesh and blood.

The weapons of the paper man were very sharp, not inferior to those made of gold or iron, easily cutting his waist and abdomen and causing blood to gush out.

No matter how well he trained, he was ultimately made of flesh and blood, unable to withstand sharp weapons.

Behind Qiao Mu, Storyteller Clairvoyance approached slowly.

After the initial shock, he gradually regained his senses. His gaze swept over the guards of the lonely city and finally fell upon the bodies of a few soldiers.

The third eye on his forehead quietly opened, and in that moment, he saw a soul orb that was invisible to the naked eye dissipating from the bodies.

Just as the soul orb dissipated, it seemed to be drawn by some force and disappeared into the sandy earth beneath his feet, leaving no trace.

Squinting his eyes, Clairvoyance pondered silently, and glanced discreetly in a certain direction.

………

On a nearby hill, two cultivators dressed in robes were looking down at a sand table.

Hundreds of small paper men on the sand table had become motionless and gradually broke apart.

"Senior Brother Dao Shun, this time, you lost the bet," a Taoist said with a smile, looking towards the tall Taoist beside him.

"The Paper Man Soldiers, numbering three hundred, only managed to slay thirteen of the Great Yan soldiers. Your paper man technique has regressed?"

The tall Taoist named Dao Shun let out a cold snort.

"Those soldiers who have managed to survive until now are not ordinary individuals. Naturally, they become increasingly difficult to kill."

"Moreover, there is a martial artist from elsewhere who is causing trouble."

"From elsewhere? It’s fortunate that they stumbled upon this isolated city. There have been occasional instances like this over the past forty years."

"It’s not just luck. It seems they entered with the Boundary Breaking Symbol."

"Boundary Breaking Symbol? That explains it." The Taoist smiled slightly.

"In this place, once you enter, there is no way back, no way out. If an outsider martial artist can inspire the remaining old soldiers of this isolated city, it would be a good thing."

"Forty years ago, there were one hundred thousand soldiers. Now, there are only three hundred old soldiers left."

"If your determination is diminished, all previous efforts will be wasted."

Dao Shun nodded slightly.

"I heard that under the mountain of Nan Province’s Xuantian Sect, there is a small town specially designed for worshippers and pilgrims."

"They say that the world is filled with hardships and famine, but comparing that to Qingming Town, a place where worshippers can have a full meal, naturally there will be a continuous stream of pure spiritual wishes and offerings."

"And my Great Dao Sect’s soul-binding array spans a hundred miles, much larger than that of Xuantian Sect."

For immortal cultivators, ordinary people in Jiu Province are like cattle and sheep providing them with spiritual offerings.

At first, they only knew how to make the mortals devoutly worship, but as the Immortal Gate cultivators’ understanding of the way of spiritual offerings deepened, they started to experiment with various methods.

Mortals with strong wills and powerful souls are more valuable resources for immortal cultivators than ordinary worshippers.

So, Nan Province has Qingming Town at the foot of Qingming Mountain, and Zhong Province has the vast Soul-binding Array in the Great Desert.

"Senior Brother Dao Shun, this time I am willing to bet and accept defeat. All these are just excuses."

Dao Shun frowned, took out a storage bag from his waist, and handed it to another Taoist.

The latter’s divine consciousness moved, scanned the spirit stones inside the storage bag, and then felt satisfied.

"Senior Brother Dao Shun, don’t be discouraged."

"Our Great Dao Sect’s method of refining Taoist soldiers is more exquisite than any other Immortal Gate. Naturally, it is profound and difficult to master."

"Senior Brother still needs to practice more…"

………….

Before the lonely city.

Qiao Mu sat on the ground and used bandages to simple dress his wounds.

These bandages, medicines, and even food and water bags were prepared by the female general of Anxi Pass, obviously military supplies.

This made the old soldiers who were observing Qiao Mu from a distance slightly excited.

The old soldiers who walked out of the isolated city at this moment started walking towards Qiao Mu. The leading old general bowed to Qiao Mu and thanked him for his help just now.

The leading old general took off his helmet at this moment, revealing a weathered face.

There were many cut marks on his armor, and it was heavily worn. His skin had a bronze color, and he was slightly slim with white hair. Only his old eyes remained bright as he examined Qiao Mu from head to toe.

In his eyes, Qiao Mu, who was over a hundred years old, appeared even older than these old soldiers, but when it came to fighting, he was fearless and fierce. He wasn’t wearing armor or military uniform, but his hands displayed a flawless skill with the Great Yan Military Spear.

This made him very puzzled about Qiao Mu’s identity.

It’s too old to say that he’s a veteran.

He said he wasn’t, but the impeccable Military Spear Skill he possessed was truly unforgettable.

"We were once part of General Li’s army, which conquered the inhuman’s hundred thousand remaining soldiers," the old general sighed lightly.

"Those were Paper Man Soldiers manipulated by Immortal Gate’s cultivators."

"In recent years, the inhumans have rarely appeared on the battlefield, only hiding behind the scenes and using some magic tricks."

"Both of you are citizens of Great Yan, as guests, come with me into the city."

Although the old general said he would take him into the city, his eyes unconsciously glanced at Qiao Mu. After hesitating to speak several times, he couldn’t help but ask:

"May I ask, sir, are you a soldier of Great Yan?" the old general asked as he posed the first question.

"….I used to be," Qiao Mu thought for a moment and replied.

He used to join the army in Yan City in the past, although for a short time, he was still considered a soldier of Great Yan.

This answer made the old general’s eyes slightly dim.

He wanted to ask in his heart if this brave foreign veteran was the vanguard of the Great Yan reinforcements… but now he couldn’t ask.

"May I ask if the current Great Yan Emperor still remembers the soldiers and civilians trapped in this city?" the old general asked again.

Qiao Mu was speechless for a moment.

As a result, the surrounding old soldiers also fell silent. No one spoke anymore, they just continued to dress wounds and prepare the bodies of fallen comrades.