Chapter 338: Complete Break

The seven sword gleams burst forth, and instantly the sky was filled with starlight and sharp vigor.

From the treasure bottle seized from Shengyao, one bottle happened to be the essence of Northern Dipper star power.

Wu Tie soaked the Northern Dipper Soul-Slaying Sword in it, and the seven spirit swords, like famished ghosts, gulped down the bottle of Northern Dipper star power essence in just half an hour, instantly enveloping his body in chilling light and sharp vigor, his power surging by an unknown amount.

At this moment, as the sword light swept out, Wu Tie felt a tremendous shock throughout his body.

The seven spirit swords leapt like flood dragons, their trembling blade gleams unleashing astonishing force, giving Wu Tie the illusion that his very bones were about to be shaken loose.

A vast wave of cold light swept the battlefield; the over a thousand Demon-Suppressing Palace soldiers who had just rushed out of a collapsed cloud pavilion all screamed in agony, thirty Life Pool Realm cultivators and over a thousand Chonglou Realm cultivators wiped out cleanly by his single sword.

The Soul-Scattering Banner flew up from Wu Tie's head on its own; as its soul-scattering divine light swept, the souls of over a thousand elite Demon-Suppressing Palace soldiers were drawn into it.

Amid the entwining divine light, the souls shattered; a speck of true spirit was caught up in the black ripples released from the Pagoda of Rebirth and hurled directly into the unfathomable cycle of reincarnation between heaven and earth. Meanwhile, the vast soul power contained within those souls became a supplement for the Soul-Scattering Banner.

A hundred-foot-long banner hovered above his head, the seven sword gleams behind him spreading out like a peacock's tail, emitting myriad zhang of cold light; Wu Tie gripped the White Tiger Split, turned, and laughed toward the army formation of Xi Qi's troops: "Army Commander Luo Lin, dare you fight side by side with me?"

Cold light flickered in Wu Tie's eyes as he gazed past countless soldiers, fixing his stare directly on Xi Qi.

Everyone knew full well what had happened and what would come next... Luo Lin is the Army Commander you appointed, the promising youth you favored. Do you dare let him go onto the battlefield? Do you dare drag him into this murky pool?

Xi Qi smiled, a warm smile.

He waved his hand, and a clear ringing sound rang out; Luo Lin, clad in heavy armor and shimmering with dozens of layers of protective treasure light, gripped a massive shield that nearly covered his whole body with his left hand, and wielded a single-handed, crescent-moon halberd of suppressive design with his right, stepping forward on a trail of fire.

"What do I have to fear? Wu family brat, do you really think only you are a hero?" Luo Lin raised his voice, his voice echoing to the heavens: "All the brave warriors watch; I, Luo Lin, will today storm the city and seize the stronghold, achieving merit for my Fuxi Divine Kingdom."

Five figures followed closely behind Luo Lin.

The Wood Immortal was among those five figures; the other four wore red, yellow, white, and blue long robes, their faces bearing masks of different materials like Mister Mu, and their auras were extraordinarily strong.

Wu Tie's pupils contracted.

"Haha, what a fine hero, an Army Commander. You go into battle yet bring five bodyguards? I know this Mister Mu; who are the four?" Wu Tie tightened his grip on the White Tiger Split, glaring hard at Luo Lin and Mister Mu.

"I am Mister Jin."

"I am Mister Shui."

"I am Mister Huo."

"I am Mister Tu."

The four figures each spoke up, announcing their names.

Wu Tie snorted coldly; metal, wood, water, fire, and earth had gathered—these four fellows, equal in fame to Mister Mu, were clearly masters who had cultivated a single vein of the Great Dao to near perfection, reaching the peak of the Embryonic Storage Realm.

These must be Xi Qi's trusted subordinates; I never expected Luo Lin to bring them all out.

Endless tribesmen kept streaming into Demon-Suppressing City, while the city's myriad vicious formations and restrictions continually erupted, slaughtering large numbers of weak tribesmen.

The blood sea in the sky churned, countless blood-red thunderbolts fell from heaven, slowly destroying the city's buildings and advancing bit by bit into the heart of Demon-Suppressing City.

Occasionally a building would be utterly destroyed, releasing a horde of Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers who, in a very short time, inflicted massive casualties on the various troops.

Luo Lin led Mister Mu and the five others into Demon-Suppressing City.

The blue-robed Mister Shui waved his right hand, and a vast expanse of white mist rose up; a few hundred Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers who had just charged out of a tower let out a shriek, their bodies instantly exploding into clear water spray that drenched the ground.

The mist rose and spread, covering an area of tens of li in radius.

Luo Lin rushed toward Wu Tie, shouting urgently: "Wu Tie, hand over what does not belong to you, then kneel and swear allegiance to me, letting me place a restriction in your soul... you, and your kin, can still live!"

"Or else?" Wu Tie gave Luo Lin a cold look.

"Otherwise, you will surely die, and not a single one of your kin will survive." Luo Lin said coldly: "Let me be frank with you..."

"Xi Qi has colluded with the Great Jin Divine Kingdom, fattening himself on the remnants of the people!" Wu Tie shouted in condemnation.

"Those who follow me prosper; those who oppose me perish... Follow me, and I will show you what true wealth and honor are." Luo Lin shouted loudly.

"Xi Qi is your backer; you have betrayed the Fuxi Divine Kingdom and its people." Wu Tie stared straight at Luo Lin.

"Think it through—your life and death, and that of your kin, hinge on a single thought." Luo Lin extended his hand to Wu Tie: "Hand over what does not belong to you... afterwards, be obedient and you will enjoy endless benefits."

"You shouldn't do this." Wu Tie said solemnly: "So many lives..."

"Wu Tie, this is your last chance." Luo Lin bellowed: "Hand over the star power essence, hand over all your treasures."

"You really shouldn't do this." Wu Tie shook his head: "We are not on the same path."

"I see great potential in you... You've managed to cause such trouble even while surrounded by the Demon-Suppressing Army's great host; we all think highly of your potential." Luo Lin said solemnly: "If you are willing to submit, after I inherit the Luo family, I will give you my half-sister in marriage."

"I find it filthy... and you lot deserve to die." Wu Tie rejected all of Luo Lin's words: "What you have done... you deserve to die."

"Wealth and honor have already been delivered to your doorstep!" Luo Lin gazed solemnly at Wu Tie, while Mister Mu and the others behind him had already circled to Wu Tie's side, surrounding him: "If it weren't for the potential you've shown, if it weren't because you are of the Wu clan... I wouldn't bother saying all this."

"You are mere ants; I, we, can crush you at any moment." Luo Lin narrowed his eyes: "Either be crushed by us, or accept my goodwill."

"But I don't want it... especially, your things are truly filthy." Wu Tie laughed especially brightly.

Luo Lin suddenly closed his mouth.

He shook his head and sighed to Mister Mu: "Indeed, as Mister Mu said, this fellow is a true hot-blooded fool, his ardor to be a hero unsated, overly self-important... he can only be killed."

Mister Mu and the five others simultaneously let out a "hehe" laugh.

"Over the years, we've seen plenty of such people." The white-fur-clad Mister Jin said blandly: "They just all died later. In this world, so-called hot-blooded youths usually die quickly."

Mister Tu flipped his right hand; the surrounding earth trembled violently, a phantom of a great mountain appeared out of thin air in the high sky, accompanied by a muffled tearing-of-space sound; the mountain phantom, no more than a few hundred zhang tall, bore an oppressive aura and came crashing down on Wu Tie like a collapsing heaven.

"More action, less talk." Mister Tu drawled: "Kill this brat, slaughter the Wu clan's kin, retrieve those treasures, and everything will be settled."

Wu Tie let out a long whistle and thrust a fist toward the sky.

With a tremendous boom, the mountain phantom continually shrank as it fell; when it struck Wu Tie's fist, it had shrunk to the size of a human head.

Yet the seemingly insubstantial mountain phantom was extraordinarily heavy; Wu Tie's body jolted, and he was involuntarily pressed downward, falling several hundred zhang, nearly plummeting headfirst to the ground.

Luo Lin exclaimed in admiration: "Exactly, retrieve those treasures, keep trading... then, this Demon-Suppressing City, according to the Marvelous Commander's plan, was originally meant for me to lead troops to storm. I, Luo Lin, have achieved unprecedented military merit; from now on I will stand out, rising to prominence among the younger generation of the Fuxi Divine Kingdom."

After a sigh, Luo Lin sincerely praised: "I never expected the Marvelous Commander to have such methods; truly a master of planning in the tent, winning battles ten thousand li away. I have mishandled affairs, caused such a great disaster, yet I have easily made up for it."

Mister Mu laughed: "From now on, Commander Luo Lin, you will shine brilliantly, rising steadily in the Fuxi Divine Kingdom's military, even taking control of the Luo family's authority, becoming one of the few young nobles of the Fuxi Divine Kingdom. Soaring to high rank, your future is limitless, Commander Luo Lin!"

Luo Lin laughed especially brightly.

Mister Mu and the five others laughed as they chased after Wu Tie.

They surrounded Wu Tie in a circle; then the five elemental forces of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth surged out of nowhere, instantly forming a huge grindstone a thousand zhang in diameter that trapped Wu Tie at its center. The five-colored grindstone began to turn slowly, and an immense pressure crushed down on Wu Tie's whole body.

In the white mist, several Tie Canglong, together with several commanders of the Demon-Suppressing Army, suddenly appeared.

Tie Canglong and Luo Lin exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, then Tie Canglong drew his sword, let out a long whistle, and charged at Luo Lin.

Luo Lin raised his Crescent Moon Halberd to meet Tie Canglong; the two clashed with a "ding ding dang dang" sound, exchanging several fierce moves. Then Luo Lin kicked Tie Canglong in the body, sending him flying hundreds of zhang out of the thick white mist, so that Tie Canglong flew out of the mist.

Tie Canglong spat out two mouthfuls of blood, gritting his teeth as he roared: "Who goes there? Give your name… you demon, you do have some skill."

Luo Lin stepped on the firelight and shot up into the sky, pursuing Tie Canglong; he also burst out of the white mist, appearing before everyone.

"Fuxi Divine Kingdom, Luo family's Luo Lin… currently serving as Army Commander under Marshal Qi… Great Jin demon, hand over your life!"

Luo Lin left several afterimages as he and Tie Canglong became locked in combat.

The two exchanged a few moves in the high sky, each leaving a shallow to moderate wound on the other, then they sank into the thick white mist and disappeared from everyone's sight once again.

Xi Qi's laughter echoed from afar: "Indeed, a promising youth I value… huh… are there any heroes brave enough to join the fight? Willing to take part?"

Like a tide, troops from all units kept rushing into Demon-Suppressing City, only to be continually slain by various formation restrictions; the sea of blood in the sky kept expanding in area, the blood grew thicker, and the power of the blood-red lightning grew stronger.

Xi Qi's smile grew wider.

Finally, the leaders of several tribes could no longer restrain themselves; after letting out a few low shouts, the young people from their tribes stepped forward in stride and rushed into Demon-Suppressing City.

Someone from the Wu family rushed in, and one of Xi Qi's confidants also rushed in.

Capturing Demon-Suppressing City didn't seem too difficult; this huge military merit, if there was a chance, of course should be shared a bit.

Wu Tie was tightly trapped at the core by the five-elemental grindstone; Mister Wood and his five companions joined forces, activating a secret art to refine Wu Tie.

Wu Tie didn't struggle at all; looking at the stern-faced Mister Wood and his five companions, he curiously asked: "What if I don't charge into Demon-Suppressing City?"

Mister Wood laughed: "You've already come in, haven't you? If Marshal Qi offers a reward of three hundred and ten million military merits and you still don't come in… General Luo Lin will naturally step forward to challenge you, pointing at the Wu family ancestors' spirit tablets… As long as General Luo Lin enters, those rough Wu family men will also push you to come in."

After a few mocking laughs, Mister Wood muttered to himself: "Furthermore, as just said, we've seen plenty of hot-blooded fools like you… so many riffraff have died here; people like you will always jump out on their own."

He sighed, and Mister Wood murmured: "Kill you, break Demon-Suppressing City, exterminate the Wu family army, cooperate with Demon-Suppressing Palace, and wipe out eighty or ninety percent of the clanspeople of the great families who secretly infiltrated the ground this time to steal star power for the Fuxi Divine Kingdom… everyone gets what they want, this truly is a perfect plan."

Wu Tie gave Mister Wood a cold look: "You've even said all this—are you counting on having me dead and done for?"

Mister Wood laughed again: "Isn't that the case? Or perhaps you have some other way to escape?"

Wu Tie smiled lightly and said calmly: "Why would I need to flee?"

Old Tie let out a long howl to the heavens; his body writhed rapidly, quickly transforming into the main form of the Reincarnation Tower.

A black pyramid three chi high or less hovered above Wu Tie's head; countless magical crystals in Wu Tie's life pool burned rapidly, surging power poured into the Reincarnation Tower, rings of black ripples howled outward, violently shaking the five-elemental grindstone that trapped Wu Tie; accompanied by a terrifying cracking sound, countless large and small cracks were torn in the grindstone.

Wu Tie burst out through the largest crack.

He waved at Mister Wood and his five companions, then pointed the tip of the Reincarnation Tower at the core of Demon-Suppressing City.

"No!" Tie Canglong had just fallen from high altitude; seeing Wu Tie's action, he didn't know what Wu Tie was about to do, but he instinctively let out a loud shout.

"What 'no'?" Wu Tie laughed, then all the magical crystals in his life pool instantly ignited, and he poured all his power into the Reincarnation Tower with everything he had.

With a tremendous boom, a black divine light shot out from the top of the Reincarnation Tower.

At first the black divine light was only as thick as a thumb, but in an instant it became several dozen li thick, then it heavily slammed into the core area of the Demon-Suppressing Tower.

Rings of black light-flames spread silently in all directions, expanding from the core area of Demon-Suppressing City outward.

The grand defensive formation of Demon-Suppressing City malfunctioned; the whole city only had the minor protective formations inherent in countless buildings still operating. While these minor formations might work against low-strength cannon fodder soldiers, against the Reincarnation Tower… they were simply too weak.

Rings of black light-flames shot up thousands of zhang high; wherever they passed, buildings dimmed, and all formation restrictions were completely destroyed.

The Demon-Suppressing Palace troops hidden in these buildings—except for the commanders in the Tai Cang Realm who had treasures protecting their bodies, staggered and fled with severe vital injuries—while those in the Life Pool Realm, Chonglou Realm, and the vast numbers of dwarf warriors all died instantly.

In the void, countless souls turned into a vast river flowing toward the Banner of Lost Souls and Scattered Spirits.

A sharp roar came from inside Demon-Suppressing City: "Wu Tie… you deserve to die ten thousand times!"

Wu Tie then burst out laughing: "All the formation restrictions of Demon-Suppressing City have been completely broken; the elders of all families and tribes still haven't come to claim credit—what are you waiting for?"

On the flying carpet, Xi Qi slapped and crushed the teacup in his hand to pieces.