Chapter 133 - 113: One Against Ten Thousand

Chapter 133: Chapter 113: One Against Ten Thousand

This would put immense pressure on both of them.

After a moment, Xiao Heng asked the Marquis of Mucheng, "The new Border Army troops—how many have been assembled so far?"

"Marshal Xiao, the initial force was thirty thousand men, but after being defeated by the Wolf Soldiers of Moya Mountain, they are still in a recovery phase. The new Border Army reinforcements won’t arrive until the day after tomorrow at the earliest," the Marquis of Mucheng said with a bitter smile.

It would take at least twenty to thirty thousand Border Army soldiers to have a chance of defeating ten thousand Wolf Soldiers.

"Gather all able-bodied men from the three decimated Border Army units in the camp and send them to Moya Mountain as reinforcements," Xiao Heng sighed.

’I know that even if they do go, Lu Yuan and his unit have probably already perished on the battlefield,’ he thought. ’But we can’t just abandon them.’

"Marquis, the Garrison Generals of these three units all died in battle. Who do you think should lead them?" the Marquis of Mucheng asked.

"Just pick an Imperial Army Garrison General to lead them for now," Xiao Heng said with a wave of his hand.

"As you command!"

After acknowledging the order, the Marquis of Mucheng withdrew.

After hearing the report, Xiao Heng had clearly lost his appetite.

He had, after all, thought highly of Lu Yuan. He never expected the young man to have such terrible luck, but there was nothing to be done about it.

Thus, the banquet dispersed shortly thereafter.

Everyone departed one after another.

After returning to his tent, the Seventh Prince didn’t mention Lu Yuan again. In his eyes, Lu Yuan was just a mere Captain, hardly worthy of any special attention.

Instead, he turned to Zhao Yu and asked, "The men sent to contact the Celestial King Stronghold in the Northern Border—where are they now?"

His true concern was, in fact, the Northern Border.

The war with the Xirong had reached a point where it was merely a matter of determining a winner; the enemy could no longer break through their lines.

But the Northern Border was different. If he could gain control of the entire buffer zone...

...the position of Crown Prince would surely be his.

And whether or not he could win over the Celestial King Stronghold was of critical importance.

As the Seventh Prince finished speaking, Zhao Yu quickly replied, "Your Highness, they have already entered the Northern Border region and should be arriving soon. However, I do not believe the Celestial King Stronghold is a suitable target for recruitment.

They are too domineering in their methods and seem to hold a grudge against the imperial court.

Recently, I’ve heard they’ve kidnapped many Craftsmen, and they’ve even abducted Alchemists and forced them into their stronghold.

They are utterly lawless."

The Seventh Prince glanced at Zhao Yu, his face expressionless, and said coolly, "If I recall correctly, your Zhao Family’s forces in the buffer zone were wiped out by the Celestial King Stronghold some time ago, weren’t they?

Remember, you are my man now. Do not bring your family’s affairs into my business. Otherwise, you know the consequences."

THUD! Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu immediately dropped to his knees, his forehead instantly beaded with sweat. He faced the Seventh Prince and said, "This general has transgressed!"

"It’s good that you know. This time, for your father and brother’s sake, I’ll give you one chance. If there is a next time, you can get the hell out of here and go back where you came from." The Seventh Prince’s voice turned glacial by the end of his sentence.

Zhao Yu repeatedly agreed.

Standing to the side, Zhang Zhe cautiously interjected, "Your Highness, Zhao Yu just lost his head for a moment. Please don’t take it to heart."

When the Seventh Prince turned to Zhang Zhe, a smile appeared on his face. "Rest assured. Since you’ve spoken up for him, I certainly won’t hold it against him."

After all, Prince Polu was currently his strongest supporter.

Although Zhang Zhe’s status in the Prince’s Mansion was low, he was, after all, the husband of the Zhi Girl.

The Seventh Prince was willing to give some face in such trivial matters.

Then, he looked at Zhao Yu again and said, "Alright, stop kneeling. Hurry and send another letter. Tell our people to move faster. The Celestial King Stronghold has been developing rapidly. The stronger they get, the higher the price we’ll have to pay to recruit them."

"Yes, I’ll see to it at once." After speaking, Zhao Yu withdrew.

Just as Zhang Zhe was also about to leave, the Seventh Prince stopped him. "I hear you and Lu Yuan are cousins?"

Evidently, he had investigated Zhang Zhe.

After all, now that he had taken the man in, he naturally had to understand his past.

"Yes, Your Highness. But he has already betrayed the family," Zhang Zhe replied cautiously.

"Mm, I’ve heard a little about your family’s affairs. Just focus on serving me well from now on. This time, I’m afraid Lu Yuan won’t make it out of Moya Mountain." After saying this, the Seventh Prince waved his hand, dismissing Zhang Zhe.

He said this not only to inform Zhang Zhe of the news but also as a warning.

He didn’t want a repeat of Zhao Yu’s behavior today.

And just as everyone in the Dayong camp believed it was impossible for Lu Yuan to survive...

...the man himself was displaying astonishing combat prowess.

As darkness fell, the flashes of his sword grew denser, cold and fluid like water under the moonlight.

He just kept hacking and slashing.

He became increasingly covered in the enemy’s blood and viscera.

Below the mountain, several Imperial Guard scouts watched without blinking. They all wanted to know just how long Lu Yuan could last.

"How... how many has he killed?" one scout whispered.

He could smell the thick stench of blood even from the base of the mountain.

"Over three thousand, at least. A True Essence Realm cultivator with combat power exceeding the Innate Realm... this is the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing," the Centurion murmured.

Then, he turned his attention back to the mountain.

Time passed, and roughly another two hours went by.

The Xirong army finally began to retreat. Even they couldn’t withstand the continuous fighting. On the Vice General’s order, they started to make camp and cook.

They planned to resume their attack after eating and resting.

This time, Lu Yuan did not pursue them. Instead, he returned to White Cloud Bay.

Just then, Zhou Xiong, having finished resting, came down to meet him with four hundred able-bodied men from the mountain.

These men looked at Lu Yuan with undisguised adoration in their eyes.

At this moment, he was an absolute hero in their eyes.

He had single-handedly held off a Xirong army of over ten thousand. It was safe to say that if not for Lu Yuan, the Dayong warriors on the mountain would have already been slaughtered.

"Sir, have something to eat." Zhou Xiong handed a roasted leg of lamb to Lu Yuan.

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan took it and began to gnaw on it.

A moment later, he finished the leg of lamb and sat down by the bonfire.

Only after devouring an entire sheep and downing a jar of wine did he begin to feel better.

’My cultivation is still a bit lacking,’ Lu Yuan mused. ’If I were stronger, it shouldn’t be a problem to cut through these Xirong Wolf Soldiers tomorrow. The surviving Vice General down there is clearly a loyal subordinate of the Xirong’s Ten Thousand Men Commander. He’s personally guarding the mountain pass, killing anyone who dares to flee.

The Xirong still have about five thousand men left. I’ve already used up a lot of energy today; tomorrow will likely be even more strenuous.’

He then turned to the worried-looking Zhou Xiong and said, "I’m going to cultivate for a while. If there’s any movement down the mountain, notify me immediately."

"Yes, Sir."

Zhou Xiong replied hastily.

Then, Lu Yuan found a relatively quiet spot and sat down.

[Cultivation Technique: Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill, Spring and Autumn Sword Skill (39192/30000 Perfection. Breakthrough?)]

[Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill, Blood Refining Golden Bell Shield (60236/50000 Entering the Stance). Upgrade?]

As soon as he settled down, two messages popped up on the system panel in Lu Yuan’s mind.

He immediately chose to break through.

Both of these Cultivation Techniques would increase his combat power.

This was a pleasant surprise. Lu Yuan had actually been planning to try Breaking the Realm using Heavenly and Earthly Treasures.

In the next moment, a flood of experience and memories regarding the Sword Skill filled his mind.

His body changed in sync. His already compact and sturdy arms became even more chiseled and defined.

After slaughtering enemies on the battlefield for a day and a night, although his current physique prevented him from feeling exhausted, his arms were still somewhat sore.

But now, they had instantly recovered to their peak condition—far better than before.

[Cultivation Technique: Fourth-Grade Cultivation Skill, Spring and Autumn Sword Skill (9192/50000 Entering the Stance)]

Looking at the new data, a smile touched the corners of Lu Yuan’s lips.

’If tomorrow’s battle goes well, this Cultivation Technique might even advance again.’

At this thought, a flicker of anticipation rose in his heart.

At the same time, Lu Yuan’s physical body began to change.

The Blood Refining Golden Bell Shield had begun its upgrade.