Chapter 192: The Iron Fist of the Military Strategist

Boom!

Mu Yi, using Time Acceleration, deftly dodged the arm swung by the earth disaster; the massive stone arm wielded a war hammer, and with gusts of fierce wind it roared, smashing a huge pit into the ground.

The earth disaster, transformed into an earth element giant, was indeed too hard; Mu Yi could split gold and jade as easily as drinking water, yet Mu Yi brandished sword and blade at a Frenzy‑like speed, cleaving and piercing the earth element giant, with little effect.

Clang clang clang!

Sword and blade flashed a cold light, crazily hacking around the earth element giant; the giant flailed its weapon like a headless fly, futilely, unable to catch even a corner of Mu Yi's garment.

Mu Yi only felt frustrated; he is better at dealing with brittle skins, but handling this iron lump proved hard to win quickly.

Both his hands were tingling now, and he didn't know what wilderness treasure protected the earth disaster; the sword and blade struck the earth element giant, and the resulting recoil was utterly abnormal.

It was like an ordinary person sparring with a stone; each hit sent back a portion of force. If Mu Yi's own regeneration weren't equally astonishing, he might not even be able to hold his sword now.

—Gravity Suppression

Just as Mu Yi performed a deft scraping motion, a murky wave struck him; his body sank, and the ground's gravity seemed to surge severalfold, causing his speed to plummet.

"What do you want me to do?" Keli Pei buzzed, "You saw it; I can't take down this guy!"

"Pah!"

As if unaffected by spells, a hammer was slammed straight at Mu Yi.

The black‑robed sorcerer could only turn around, beginning to duel the mage; for a moment the battlefield flickered with various low‑level spell lights.

A swift arrow sliced the sky; though its timing was sharp, it was still a bit slow before Mu Yi, who could use Time Acceleration.

The earlier arrayed blade had become sharp, but lost its indestructible trait, so against this iron lump it even suffered weapon damage.

However, Feng Zai's intimidation hadn't ended; the wound on Mu Yi's face had already stopped bleeding, the effect of the innate spirit clearly surpassing the arrow's curse.

The mage had a priest as a second, so defense was no concern; spells rained like a machine gun, pressing the sorcerer to the point of breathlessness.

With the fist master's protection, the mage finally freed a hand to chant spells, pouring out his fury.

His gaze swept the battlefield, finding the sorcerer pulling the strings.

Mu Yi was surprised to discover that the burning flame could not affect this superficial wound, or rather its effect was very weak; the wound Blood Flow Never Stops.

"Keli Pei, let's join forces; you don't want to return empty‑handed, do you?" Feng Zai's voice reached Keli Pei's ears.

Neither caster used any long, smelly large spells; they casually produced various quick spells that required no casting time.

Keli Pei gave Mu Yi a glance, then looked at the tiger‑eyed fist master; he was in a Frenzy, not stupid—both the fist master and Mu Yi could each block him.

The element giant's existence also requires elemental power; as long as attacks continue unceasingly, forcing the element giant to repair its body, its elemental energy will eventually be exhausted.

Feng Zai's voice remained ethereal, using words to intimidate Mu Yi, trying to create psychological pressure.

"Clang!"

The burning flame ignited on the wound, but a completely different situation arose; when the flame approached the wound, it dispersed.

Mu Yi raised sword and blade to block, and like a meteor it was smashed outward, shattering a carriage; various magical materials spilling from the carriage emitted a wondrous glow.

Without the sorcerer's interference, Mu Yi and the earth disaster resumed their cat‑and‑mouse; Mu Yi fluttered like a flower‑winged butterfly around the earth disaster, but being able to hard‑resist doesn't mean Mu Yi can engage in close melee.

"You will Blood Flow Never Stops... until the last drop drains, in agony..."

The attacking sorcerer was firmly shielded by several fully‑armed guards in the middle, both hands raised as if preparing a vile spell; the eerie green glow emanating from him made it clear it was certainly not something good.

The two joining forces might even be able to kill him here today.

—Lightning Chain

But suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot toward the sorcerer; the black robe on his body flickered, a magical shield deflected the lightning outward, yet the bolt ricocheted toward the sorcerer's surrounding guards.

Clearly they were merely low‑level spells, but the ultra‑high frequency made the battlefield wholly dominated by the two, and gradually the sorcerer grew weary of parrying.

The disparity in size and strength on both sides was destined, so Mu Yi could only use this wandering method to scrape bit by bit.

If he can place a curse that prevents a wound from healing, others can have a way to lift the curse; this is not impossible.

"..."

"Swoosh!"

"I can't rush through!"

He turned his head to dodge, the arrow skimming Mu Yi's cheek before plunging into the earth.

Mu Yi crawled out of the carriage, taking a solid hit; but times have changed—where he might have coughed up blood before, now, thanks to several defensive talents, he can fully hard‑resist.

At that rate, this wound would heal in the blink of an eye.

When the lightning faded, several guards lay blackened on the ground, emitting a lingering charred stench.

Mu Yi and the earth disaster widened their distance, looking around; Feng Zai, hidden for half a day, struck, and his timing was sharp—without tenfold acceleration, he might have been shot straight in the head.

"Your reaction is quick, but my arrows are cursed; those hit cannot heal their wounds. How many arrows can you react to?"

"Charge into the caravan, take down that caster first, free the sorcerer under your command, and eliminate them one by one!"

The wound continued to heal at a very weak rate, roughly comparable to a normal person's scar‑forming speed; the unhealable curse indeed suppressed much of the recovery.

But this pace was truly frustrating, like cutting flesh with a dull blade—far more painful—and Mu Yi, looking at his slightly curved arrayed blade, wore a decidedly helpless expression.

Although it was broken by the blade's intent in an instant, that instant was wholly seized by the earth disaster.

Stung by harsh reality, Feng Zai instinctively fell silent; he didn't utter any impossible‑sounding nonsense—anything is possible on this wilderness.

"You just charge; my subordinates will create an opening for you! As long as you can hold that monk, I can kill that caster instantly!" Feng Zai said ominously.

"Alright!" Keli Pei heard this and, like a raging bull, charged straight toward the caster.

Mu Yi, who had intended to charge and block Keli Pei, suddenly heard Feng Zai's voice.

"If you don't go save that young lady, she'll be doomed!" Feng Zai's voice was laced with malice.

"I know, you certainly wouldn't watch her die in beauty, would you?"

Mu Yi looked up and indeed saw a figure rushing toward Xin Ya; his speed proved he was a master, and the massive sword the size of a door panel in his hand made it clear the guards around Xin Ya couldn't stop him.

Mu Yi's steps faltered, then he abandoned the earth disaster, lunging toward Xin Ya; after all, Xin Ya was tied to his entire mission chain, and he couldn't just watch her die.

"Hehehe!"

Feng Zai looked at Mu Yi's departing figure with smug satisfaction, a sinister grin on his face; the undercover he had spent so much effort planting proved decisive.

—Time Confusion·Tenfold Speed

—No-Start Charge

Mu Yi's form turned into a blurry afterimage and surged toward Xin Ya.

"All of you, get out of my sight!"

The heavily armored warrior wielding a great sword swept with a single strike, cleaving the two charging guards at the waist; the not-sharp great sword glimmered with the light of a demonized weapon.

Demonized Weapon is the most frequently used spell by low‑rank mages; it greatly amplifies a melee combatant's damage, and its penetration and sharpness let the great sword ignore the guards' armor, mercilessly beheading them.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Xin Ya emptied the magazine of her alchemy fire gun, but the shots that struck the great‑sword heavy‑armor warrior only left a few dents in his armor; the armor itself also shimmered with enchanted light, making it even sturdier.

"Slash!" The great‑sword heavy‑armor warrior broke through the guards' block, raised his great sword, and swung down at Xin Ya.

Xin Ya scrambled and rolled to dodge, but the power carried by the great sword was far beyond what she could withstand; even though her body had been amplified to Transcendent by the wilderness treasure, she was still as feeble as a chick against the violent great‑sword heavy‑armor warrior.

Just as the great‑sword warrior's shadow fell over Xin Ya, a cold flash flickered in the air, and the warrior who had raised the great sword instantly collapsed, limp.

—Ten Thousand Armies Take Head

Mu Yi, with absolute speed and strength, struck at a moment the great‑sword warrior hadn't anticipated, slashing off its head in a single blow.

No matter how sturdy the enchanted armor was, it still had gaps; the instant Mu Yi discerned the flaw, his blade pierced it and instantly killed the foe.

Compared with Ke Li Po, this great‑sword warrior's defense was far too weak.

"Don't resist, wait until the battle ends!" Mu Yi tossed Xin Ya into the Reincarnation Barrier.

Staring at the drastically altered space, Xin Ya widened her eyes; she had never heard of something that could store space like this.

"Mu Yi, you're really becoming someone I want to obtain! How many secrets do you still have on you!"

Xin Ya looked around excitedly, her resolve to recruit Mu Yi growing stronger; she was determined to bring Mu Yi on as her second‑in‑command, believing only that could fulfill her unrealistic childhood fantasy.

When Mu Yi arrived at the battlefield on the other side, he saw the priest and mage vanish, while the Fist Master was being besieged by an unfamiliar dwarf together with Di Zai and a mage.

The Fist Master, already wounded in many places with Blood Flow Never Stops, struggled to block the hammer Di Zai slammed down; the dwarf behind him mercilessly drove a dagger into the master's lower back.

Mu Yi drew his bow and loosed an arrow at the mage whose spell he could not discern; the anti‑spell effect caused the mage's mana to surge wildly, nearly backfiring on him.

"Clang!"

Mu Yi slashed at the dwarf, then kicked it away with his other foot.

"How's the situation?" Mu Yi looked around but saw no bodies of the mage or priest; it seemed the worst case hadn't occurred.

"They left via teleportation; they probably won't return anytime soon!"

"Three against two… oh, looks like three versus one!"

The dwarf Mu Yi had kicked up got up from the ground and spoke, as if victory were assured; from the voice, Mu Yi realized this guy was the Feng Zai who had been hiding nearby all along.

"Can we continue?" Mu Yi ignored Feng Zai's sarcastic remark and turned to ask the Fist Master.

"The wound won't stop!"

The Fist Master's complexion turned grim; he lacked innate spirit, and the wound inflicted by Feng Zai kept bleeding uncontrollably, his strength waning bit by bit.

"Don't resist! Use Qi to heal the wound, hold on, I'll take care of the rest!"

Mu Yi grabbed the Fist Master and tossed him into the barrier as well, then without looking back sprinted toward the melee.

Why are challenge levels usually slightly, or even vastly, lower than creature levels?

The main reason is, of course, team coordination, which allows for over‑level challenges.

Mu Yi can solo a same‑level secret‑realm boss because he's a pervert, but if he were to take on two secret‑realm bosses plus a magic‑type elite monster at the same time, he'd die miserably.

"Don't run!"

Feng Zai froze for a moment, then hurriedly urged Ke Li Po to chase after him together.

"Six Paths Reincarnation Barrier!"

Mu Yi ran into the chaotic battlefield, clapped his hands, and fully unfolded the barrier, hurling the caravan guards and marauders into the Asura Path, the elite troops into the Human Path, and all the enemies into the Hell Path.

A wave of the barrier unfolded, instantly separating friend from foe.

"Gather Formation!"

Mu Yi planted the battle flag on the ground, gathering the scattered elite troops into an orderly formation.

While Feng Zai and Di Zai wore bewildered expressions, Mu Yi led the elite troops with divine weapons descending from the heavens, directly encircling the two in the center.

"Did you think you had some trump card, trying to use these small fry to swarm us?" Feng Zai leapt onto Di Zai's shoulder, staring at Mu Yi with a grim look.

Startled by the spatial shift, he had expected Mu Yi to unleash some big move, but it turned out to be merely tying a bunch of small fry together.

At their level, ordinary small fry, even if drawn into their battlefield, would be torn apart instantly.

Only elites like mages and great‑sword heavy‑armor warriors can barely make a splash; the great‑sword heavy‑armor warrior was instantly killed the moment he faced Mu Yi alone.

Everyone is Sun‑Rising rank; the mages are Sun‑Rising because their abilities are only Sun‑Rising, and they are Sun‑Rising rank simply because the highest tier is Sun‑Rising.

Mu Yi gave a cold laugh, ignoring Feng Zai's clamor.

You look down on my Military Strategist formation? Then today you'll feel my Military Strategist iron fist and see just how hard it is.

Armies are for war, but this Cloud Energy and formation are specifically for besieging the strong.

It means he doesn't have many underlings, but if there were more, the Cloud Energy alone could crush those two.