Chapter 2717: Third Chapter: Astonishment

Wangdu Pianjun, Restricted Area, surrounding the Ring-Sealing Tree.

The Ring-Sealing Tree standing here was already covered in cracks, as if it would collapse at any moment, and blood energy surged out from the hole in the trunk.

Crack! A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the Ring-Sealing Tree. One must know, it was a clear day, and the sun was exceptionally scorching.

The face of the soldier captain, Jiaba, lost all color. He gripped his cavalry spear tightly, forcing down the terror in his heart; after all, he was a man who had been on the battlefield.

Bang.

A red signal flare rose into the sky. The soldiers around were not thrown into chaos; otherwise, they would not have been qualified to guard the Ring-Sealing Tree.

"Form a defensive circle! Regardless of the cost, block the War Demon! He has been sealed for over a decade and is very weak. Reinforcements are arriving immediately!"

Soldier captain Jiaba roared. He leaned forward slightly, his left arm, encased in vambraces, raised in front of his chest. The cavalry spear in his other hand rested on his left forearm. The spear collided with his armor, emitting a dull 'clank'.

A circular formation appeared on the armor behind his back; this was a Charge Formation. Soldiers possessing formations were already rare, and those with Charge Formations were always in the vanguard on the battlefield.

Besides soldier captain Jiaba, there were four other soldier captains in scale armor, all positioned near Jiaba. Among the three male captains, two held heavy cavalry swords as wide as a palm, standing to Jiaba's left and right. The remaining one held a full-metal heavy crossbow, positioned at the rear.

The last female soldier captain wore light scale armor. She held a short piercing sword in each hand. The hilts of these swords were as long as the blades. Unlike the thin, light piercing swords, these were thicker and heavier, resembling sword-awls.

This female soldier captain moved like a leopard. She crouched on the ground, preparing to charge. Although her features were delicate, the muscles in her legs were bulging; a warrior should have such strength.

"He is destroying the sealing runes inside the tree!"

The female soldier captain had the sharpest perception and immediately judged why Su Xiao had not walked out from the Ring-Sealing Tree.

Bang! The female soldier captain turned into a blur, charging straight toward the hole in the Ring-Sealing Tree. She was almost flying close to the ground.

The female soldier captain rushed into the hole in the Ring-Sealing Tree. The other four soldier captains did not stop her. They all knew she was a scout. Right now, every second counted; even if it meant going to her death, they had to go one by one to drag out the time.

All four of them knew clearly that charging together would mean instant annihilation, but charging one by one might buy them some time.

Puchi.

Blood splashed out from the Ring-Sealing Tree, and then there was silence. After about two seconds, footsteps came from inside the tree. All the crossbows around turned toward the hole in the tree.

"Unexpectedly simple. He is too weak."

The female soldier captain raised her hand holding the short piercing sword and wiped the blood from her face with the back of her hand.

"Hmm?"

Everyone on the battlefield, including soldier captain Jiaba, was stunned. The mage apprentice, Peipeini, even let out a moan, her legs weak as she knelt on the ground. She had almost been scared to the point of wetting herself from the start.

"Is he dead? I pierced his throat."

The female soldier captain raised the short piercing sword in her hand and licked the blood-stained tip with her tongue.

"Dead is best."

Soldier captain Jiaba did not relax his vigilance, but in the next instant, he heard the sound of someone falling beside him.

Clank. Armor hit the ground. A soldier captain with a short piercing sword stuck in the side of his neck fell, blood spreading beneath him.

Thump. In the distance, the soldier captain holding the heavy crossbow also fell, a short piercing sword piercing his skull, dead beyond doubt.

Seeing this scene, soldier captain Jiaba was furious.

"Yifendi Giduoer!"

Soldier captain Jiaba stared fixedly at the female soldier captain. And the female soldier captain, Yifendi Giduoer, was sitting on the back of a corpse, holding a short piercing sword in one hand, grinning. In her eyes, a red light flickered.

The reason for this was one of Su Xiao's weapons, specifically, the 【Soul Whisper】 short blade.

Equipment Effect 1: Will Erosion (Passive). If this weapon is stabbed into the enemy's nape or heart, and the enemy's HP is below 30%, the weapon holder can control the enemy's actions.

Hint: Can control the enemy for up to 56 minutes (depending on Intelligence attribute). After 56 minutes, the enemy will die.

Hint: This weapon cannot control leader, lord, or overlord-level units.

Hint: During the control period, this weapon will merge into the enemy's body.

Yifendi Giduoer was currently being controlled. She was in an automatic control state. Su Xiao only gave a command; how it was executed depended on Yifendi Giduoer's instinctual memory.

"Blade Dao Blade: Super: Ring Sever!"

Zing.

A circular blade aura expanded from the Ring-Sealing Tree, moving extremely fast, disappearing in the next instant.

The hundred-plus soldiers surrounding the area stopped moving. A bloodstain appeared on their armor, followed by blood spraying out.

Drip, drip.

Blood dripped down soldier captain Jiaba's arm. He held his cavalry spear in front of him, and a slash mark had already appeared on the spear shaft. Behind him were the old palace mage and the mage apprentice, Peipeini. Apart from these three, no one else around survived.

With a loud rumble, the Ring-Sealing Tree collapsed, and the runes added to it shattered rapidly, dissipating into the air.

Su Xiao's left hand exerted force, and the shackles binding his left arm shattered one by one. When the last shackle broke, his combat power was completely restored.

"Honor, Fearlessness!"

Soldier captain Jiaba strode toward Su Xiao. The ground he stepped on cracked inch by inch. An air vortex formed on the cavalry spear in his hand. In his eyes, everything slowed down. His state had never been better.

Spatial fluctuations appeared. Su Xiao disappeared from his spot. When he reappeared, he was standing behind soldier captain Jiaba, blood dripping from his blade.

Thump. Soldier captain Jiaba fell, his head and body separated. The slightest gap in strength determined life and death, and the gap between him and Su Xiao was too vast to cross.

"Yifendi Giduoer, in which direction is Chimney Mountain?"

Su Xiao looked at Yifendi Giduoer. However, Yifendi Giduoer was lying on the ground, fresh blood gushing from her throat.

"Already done for?"

Su Xiao raised his hand. The 【Soul Whisper】 short blade materialized in Yifendi Giduoer's chest, pulled itself out, and was gripped in Su Xiao's left hand.

"You two, in which direction is Chimney Mountain?"

Su Xiao looked at the old palace mage and the mage apprentice, Peipeini.

"You villain, don't even think..."

Puchi.

A slash mark crossed the old palace mage's chest. Because his heart was pierced, the old palace mage fell and died.

"Wuu~"

Peipeini, who was sitting on the ground, couldn't hold back her tears. She felt she was about to bid farewell to this world. A puddle of pale yellow liquid spread beneath her.

"Chimney Mountain... is, is over there."

Peipeini raised her trembling hand and pointed to the east.

"Many thanks."

Su Xiao walked toward the east. Looking at Su Xiao's back, Peipeini sat there blankly. Just as she thought she had luckily survived, she suddenly felt a damp sensation on her chest. She looked down and saw her clothes stained red with blood.

After a dizzying sensation, Peipeini collapsed to the ground. Before she lost consciousness, she seemed to hear footsteps.

Su Xiao did not understand what kind of city Wangdu Pianjun was, but he could determine that this world was one where, once soldiers gathered in a certain scale, their combat power would be terrifying. He had experienced such worlds several times.

Therefore, wanting to kill his way out of Wangdu Pianjun would require paying a significant price, and he might even be overwhelmed by human-sea tactics. If there were tens of thousands of garrison troops here, it would be very difficult to kill his way out, and with large-scale war machines, the possibility of being surrounded and killed here was high.

Su Xiao never thought of killing his way out; he needed an opportunity.

Large swathes of trees lay scattered around Su Xiao. He looked at the semi-conscious mage apprentice, Peipeini, in the distance, detected her data, and when he determined the timing was right, he leaped back.

Su Xiao first disposed of the old palace mage's corpse. After un-equipping the 【Wild Night】, he took out the 【Ancient Mask】 and poured the old palace mage's blood onto it. The mask immediately absorbed the blood.

After doing all this, Su Xiao released his perception. Thousands of auras were approaching rapidly. It wouldn't be long before they entered within a few hundred meters.

From the Grey Orc attack to his complete escape, Su Xiao had used less than half a minute, but the Wangdu Pianjun army had already reacted; their reinforcement speed was truly fast.

Putting away the Zhan Long Shan and Soul Whisper, crystal layers attached to Su Xiao's right hand, forming a blade shape. He relaxed his body, used his hand-blade to cut across his own chest, and after opening his entire chest, he put on the Ancient Mask.

As Su Xiao fell to the ground, he had already transformed into the appearance of the old palace mage. His aura, appearance, and clothing were all identical.

About half a minute later, footsteps appeared around him.

"This one is too heavily injured, already dying. Go save that girl."

"Quick, quick! Wake her up as fast as possible."

"I... where am I? I... didn't die?"

A weak voice came; it was the mage apprentice, Peipeini.

"Where is the War Demon? Speak!"

"I, I, I, he..."

From Peipeini's tone, it was clear she was terrified, but under the soothing effect of the runes, she gradually calmed down.

"He wanted to go to Chimney Mountain. I pointed him in the wrong direction; he went toward the east side. That... should be east, right?"

Peipeini's tone was very unconfident.

"Silly child, you pointed to the west direction, which is the location of Chimney Mountain. But your bravery will be remembered."

"Ah?"

Peipeini doubted her life. She had originally wanted to mislead Su Xiao, but in her nervousness, she pointed in the wrong direction, pointing exactly toward Chimney Mountain.

"Pursue! Do not let him return to Chimney Mountain!"

When the officer among the soldiers shouted this, his voice even carried a tremor.

"What about this heavily injured person?"

"Send him to the Church. Do your best to save him."

After the officer left this command, he took a group of soldiers in pursuit. Before long, they discovered the tracks Su Xiao had left behind.