Chapter 328 - 220: Fierce and Brave

Chapter 328: Chapter 220: Fierce and Brave

They were a standing army, and for them, slaying demons was just daily work. They had a measured rhythm and consistent efficiency, rarely needing sudden bursts of effort.

Atop the city wall, Kang Ming was explaining the essentials of combat to Jiang Nianwei’s team.

The two of them reorganized all the first and second-year students, mixing veterans with rookies. Each newcomer was paired with a senior student who would act as their mentor, providing one-on-one instruction for the next seven days.

They also formed specialized combat teams based on individual cultivation levels. Their goal was to reach the first line of defense by the fifth day and join the Martial Artists who used Gang Qi and divine intent to kill mid-rank demons.

Their ultimate goal was to kill a 6th-rank Spider Demon.

This was an extremely difficult goal. Previously, the Salted Fish Assault Team, led by Feng Hua, had only managed to kill two 6th-rank Spider Demons in total.

Spider Demons were already considered overpowered among mid-rank demons, and the 6th-rank ones were absurdly strong.

But these prodigies were different from ordinary Martial Artists. Their Qi Blood and Inner Qi far surpassed a normal person’s, they had mastered several techniques to a major or complete level, and many were already beginning to grasp divine intent or had gained some insight into it.

Their starting point was a destination most Martial Artists could never hope to reach in a lifetime.

They might seem fragile compared to Yu Fei, but on this battlefield, they were undoubtedly at the top of the food chain.

The garrison mission demanded that if the Yuan Demons gained the upper hand and pushed toward the city walls, or even managed to scale them, the defending Martial Artists had to hold their ground until reinforcements arrived. They could not retreat, even if it meant death.

In regular combat, however, the Martial Artists wouldn’t just passively let the Yuan Demon army charge them. They would strike first, breaking the enemy’s advance into three successive waves. Within this ten-kilometer zone, the Martial Artists formed a series of nets with varying mesh sizes, progressively catching the larger threats while letting the smaller ones slip through, thereby reducing the pressure on the walls.

If they allowed the enemy to rush them all at once, they risked losing the battle entirely, and human casualties would skyrocket. This was a lesson learned from years of warfare.

The members of the Yulin Army were still pale, but after being there for a while, they gradually began to adapt. It was a natural human defense mechanism. As the old proverb says, "Stay in a room full of orchids, and you’ll stop smelling the perfume; stay in a market of salted fish, and you’ll stop smelling the stench."

Kang Ming nodded in satisfaction at the sight. "Alright, just as we discussed. Today is about acclimating. Our goal is to advance three kilometers, get used to the battlefield, and familiarize ourselves with a life-or-death combat environment.

"First and Second Squads, advance with me! Linghu, you’re on comms. Watch for anything unusual!"

The twenty of them immediately turned and leaped down from the wall, ready to prove themselves on this battlefield.

As Wuo Lingxue’s Sword Qi flew, swathes of Lesser Demons fell like harvested wheat, but Kang Ming stopped her a moment later.

"Do you really need to use Inner Qi on this worthless trash? Use your sword techniques and raw strength. Can your Inner Qi last through a full day of high-intensity fighting?"

Wuo Lingxue pursed her lips, saying nothing. She had just instinctively wanted to avoid getting the disgusting green liquid on her Profound Armor.

She looked up, but Yu Fei and Feng Hua were already nowhere to be seen. Wuo Lingxue took a deep breath, then suddenly grabbed a handful of the dissolving green ooze and smeared it on her armor. The stench was overpowering, but a look of grim resolve filled her eyes.

’So many ordinary Martial Artists have dedicated their lives to this place,’ she thought. ’I’ve enjoyed the best resources, guidance from master teachers, and protection from powerful experts. I should be shouldering more responsibility.’

She remembered the fallen heroes she’d learned about in her studies. This was a war for their race’s very survival.

’All that matters is the kill. Even if I can’t keep up with Yu Fei, I have to at least be able to see his back!’

Kang Ming said nothing, but an appreciative glint appeared in his eyes.

’No matter what kind of warrior they are, every Martial Artist has to wade through a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, get filthy in it, and then walk out with a calm heart. Only then can they possess the true mettle of a warrior.’

’They’re called prodigies not for their performance in an arena, but for their potential to one day hold a line by themselves on the battlefield.’

Lesser Demons were weak, and even 4th-rank Blade Demons seemed pathetically weak before the recruits.

Blade Demons were mid-rank cannon fodder. Their strength and speed were barely adequate, and an ordinary third-realm Martial Artist could trade blows with one. But against the members of the Yulin Army, they were cut down in swathes like weeds.

Linghu’s voice rang out in the mental network.

"Everyone, be especially careful of the Shadow Demons hiding among them. I’ll identify and mark them ahead of time. It’s best to keep some strength in reserve to handle any surprises...

Don’t rush the fight. There’s no end to these things. Keep a steady pace and make sure you conserve your stamina...

Watch your seniors’ tactical maneuvers..."

Under the guidance of Linghu and Kang Ming, they gradually blended into the brutal killing field, eagerly absorbing combat experience.

Meanwhile, Zhang Hu and Qingshan were also active on other fronts, leading the Meteor Pavilion and the Ironblood Divine Guard. Aside from differences in scale, the twelve front lines of the Abyss all faced the same Yuan Demon clans, and the intensity of the attacks was comparable.

Yu Fei was now approaching the true front line, and his advance had slowed considerably.

In this area, the number of 5th and 6th-rank Blade Demons increased, and 4th-rank Spider Demons were everywhere. The pressure of the battle rose sharply.

For comparison, a 4th-rank Blade Demon was slightly stronger than an ordinary third-realm Martial Artist but weaker than a typical Martial Artist who used Inner Qi. In essence, they were cannon fodder just like the Lesser Demons, relying on sheer numbers to win.

A 5th-rank Blade Demon’s speed and reflexes were already on par with a Martial Artist using Inner Qi. As for a 6th-rank Blade Demon, a typical Inner Qi Martial Artist would have slim chances of survival if they encountered one.

To Yu Fei, ordinary Blade Demons were negligible. Only a 6th-rank Blade Demon was enough to make him feel a sense of danger.

On the battlefield, the moment he cut down one demon, three more would instantly take its place.

Faced with an overwhelming tide of demons, finding a sustainable fighting rhythm was crucial.

Learning to fight with ease, conserve energy, and thus extend one’s time in combat was a lesson every Martial Artist had to learn on the battlefield.

He swept Zhanming horizontally, unleashing a sword beam over ten feet long. The heavy sword felt weightless in his hands, and with every shift in his swordsmanship, countless demons fell.

Yu Fei’s main targets were the Spider Demons. These creatures had command capabilities; within a 500-meter radius, the presence of a single Spider Demon could at least double the combat effectiveness of cannon fodder like the Lesser and Blade Demons.

In addition, Yu Fei had to hunt down and kill the Shadow Demons hiding among the horde.

The mental network was truly profound. Right now, Yu Fei’s vision was a spectacular sight, filled with the ultra-long-range sight and vibration-tracking abilities from his [Illusory Cicada Star Pupil], the countless multi-colored gems dancing within his [Reversing Destiny Vision], and the target markers provided by the support-class Martial Artists.

The latter ability was the true magic of the mental network. There were countless support-class Martial Artists on the battlefield, and with Linghu acting as a data hub, the collective information they perceived was projected into every warrior’s field of vision.

With so many perception-based Secret Techniques stacked together, the Shadow Demons had absolutely nowhere to hide.

Yu Fei reckoned that not even he could remain hidden using his Illusory Sword Intent under such scrutiny.

The only drawback to the mental network was that each support-class Martial Artist could only connect to a limited number of warriors. Therefore, if a combat squad didn’t have its own support member, they couldn’t enjoy this advantage.

The amount of information in his vision was overwhelming. The number of low and mid-rank Yuan Demons was endless. Even for someone as physically powerful as Yu Fei, it was impossible to eliminate every demon within his attack range.

He could do it, of course, if he unleashed his Inner Qi and attacked without any thought of conserving it, but that would be pointless.

So, he began to adopt the other Martial Artists’ approach: he let no Spider Demon escape, killed 5th-rank Blade Demons whenever possible, and used his Immeasurable Sword Qi to directly eliminate 6th-rank Blade Demons and Shadow Demons.

Blade Demons were brainless creatures that fought purely on instinct; they had no way to counter the inconspicuous Immeasurable Sword Qi. Shadow Demons remained in stealth mode. These blue-skinned, dwarf-sized assassin-type demons were incredibly fast, but also very fragile.

Whenever Yu Fei detected a Shadow Demon, a flick of his wrist would send out a dozen dense streams of Immeasurable Sword Qi, which the demon’s short bone blade was powerless to block.