Chapter 546: Steel Confrontation

Several days later, war once again swept across the land, as countless Wu clansmen armies descended like a storm, charging through artillery fire and bullets toward the human positions.

The foremost Wu warriors raised small round shields to protect their heads and chests, sprinting at full speed. Flames flashed continuously from the fortifications ahead, and Wu soldiers kept suddenly collapsing. Artillery shells screamed in, striking the ground and killing entire ranks of Wu at once.

At this moment, every Wu warrior's mind was filled only with bloodlust and frenzy, having long cast aside fear. One Wu soldier finally reached the human fortification's edge—he leapt high into the air, discarded his shield, and raised his battle axe with all his strength, slashing downward at the rampart!

In past experience, even if the fortification's roof was made of solid logs, his full-force strike would cleave it open!

The axe came down—with a deafening clang—and the Wu warrior was blasted backward into the air.

The blade carved a deep groove into the pitch-black roof—but what emerged beneath was gleaming steel!

A shell landed before the fortification; shrapnel tore through the Wu warrior, ripping away a large portion of his body. Before he left this world, he still could not believe the human fortification's roof was forged from steel.

The battle unfolded as before: the Wu vanguard quickly overwhelmed the first-line fortifications. Though suffering heavy losses, they found some still wooden-roofed fortifications in the second and third lines. The war beasts, braving artillery and missiles, continued hurling black water balls deep into the human lines.

These war beasts aimed with deadly precision; each ball landed squarely atop the fortifications. The wooden ones rapidly corroded, while the steel ones held out for a long time.

Just as the battle continued its usual course, the earth suddenly began a rhythmic tremor. All experienced Wu veterans froze, slowing their movements, glancing around.

The commanding Wu lords suddenly realized their battle aura was rapidly fading—they instantly sensed danger, scanning the entire battlefield for its source.

In the midst of the battlefield appeared a series of steel legions, the foremost numbering ten thousand, arranged in square formation, marching forward in step.

Xiang Little Wei Yuan stood at the front, gripping the Crimson Night Slayer Sword, leading this steel legion forward according to predetermined steps. Tens of thousands of soldiers, guided by the battle aura, all marched in perfect unison—the earth's tremor grew ever more pronounced.

This legion flowed like a steel torrent, driving straight into the Wu army. No matter how the Wu forces maneuvered, it pressed down like an immovable mountain of steel—slow, relentless, unstoppable.

Terror filled the eyes of countless Wu warriors. They had never seen such an enemy. Heavily armored warriors had appeared before—but never in such numbers.

One Wu lord on the front line could no longer suppress his fear: "Archers! Where are the archers?" Several other Wu lords scrambled to redirect their troops to intercept—chaos erupted.

Some Wu lords cast spells from afar, but the legion's battle aura blanketed the sky, reducing their magic's power to less than half—easily neutralized by the cultivators within the formation.

The residual effects struck the soldiers, yet their armor glowed with a faint blue light, instantly canceling the spells. Could this legion truly resist the Wu lords' curses?

The Wu army finally regrouped, howling as they charged the formation—but were mowed down layer by layer under relentless gunfire. Subsequent Wu forces trampled over fallen comrades, finally reaching the steel line.

Suddenly, every soldier in the formation glowed with light, their strength surging. All shouted as one, thrusting their spears forward! A ring of blood blossomed around the square—nearly all the foremost Wu warriors were slain.

Xiang Little Wei Yuan stood in midair, not striking directly, but channeling the battle aura to guide the legion's soldiers in repeated thrusts and slashes. Distant Wu lords cast spells continuously, most of which Xiang Little Wei Yuan dispelled one by one. With the battle aura's aid, he held his own against more than a dozen Wu lords alone.

Around the square, blood blossomed endlessly; Wu bodies piled higher. Whenever a legionnaire fell, those in the rear silently stepped forward to fill the gap.

This legion of only ten thousand was besieged by seven or eight times its number, yet stood unyielding. The Wu forces charged in waves—and fell in waves, unable to break through.

A Wu warrior of Foundation Establishment level charged in, slashing his blade into the helmet of a legionnaire—the force nearly split him in half, helmet and skull alike!

But in an instant, he was pierced through by multiple bayonets. The soldiers behind their steel masks showed no expression—they simply withdrew their spears, thrust again, withdrew, thrust again, until the Wu noble was riddled with holes. This Qingming unit had no time for firearms now—they fought the Wu in the most primal, bloody hand-to-hand combat.

Soon, a layer of Wu bodies piled around the steel formation. Their battle aura remained towering, stern, utterly unshaken—while the surrounding Wu army's aura grew chaotic.

Xiang Little Wei Yuan saw his moment—he gave the order. Four ten-thousand-strong steel legions stationed behind advanced simultaneously. The elite Wu forces were all locked in combat with Xiang Little Wei Yuan's Long Xiang Legion; the Wu troops before the following four heavy-armored legions were sparse.

Merely by advancing under continuous artillery fire, they pierced a long stretch of the line, driving deep into the heart of the Wu army.

The Wu front-line commanders never imagined the humans would leave their fortifications for open battle. Seeing nearly two hundred thousand warriors besieging only fifty thousand heavy-armored troops, yet suffering catastrophic losses and failing to halt the Qingming heavy legion's advance, they were forced to withdraw some forces from the fortress line and deploy all reserve troops from the central army.

Seeing the Wu deploy their final reserves, Xiang Little Wei Yuan gave another order—the war drums thundered, and more heavy-armored legions entered the battlefield!

Xiang Little Wei Yuan's own Long Xiang Legion no longer held its ground—it began advancing forward.

Every soldier moved in perfect unison: thrust, step forward, thrust, step forward!

Row after row of Wu became corpses, crushed beneath the heavy steel boots into pulp. Thus, the Long Xiang Legion pushed forward, facing several times their number—each step forward was paved with Wu bodies.

The Wu battle aura rapidly weakened, grew chaotic, even showing signs of collapse. The commanding Wu lords on the front were plunged into despair, constantly glancing back toward the central army. They could only order their troops to fight desperately—but dared not flank, for behind the Long Xiang Legion lay ten full ten-thousand-strong heavy-armored legions advancing steadily.

Finally, the retreat horn sounded. The Wu lords sighed in relief and immediately withdrew—yet retreat swiftly turned to rout. Fortunately, the humans were all heavy-armored legions and could not pursue.

Since midnight, both sides had fought for a full hour—but dawn was still far off. This was the first time the Wu army's morale had collapsed so early.

No error in any word, any line, any content!

Xiang Little Wei Yuan ordered the Long Xiang Legion to halt. Two other ten-thousand-strong heavy-armored legions passed through the Long Xiang Legion and began pursuit. One of them drove straight behind the fortification zone's Wu forces, seemingly intending to annihilate them entirely.

But the moment they stepped beyond the Qingming realm's boundary, their battle aura weakened as it lost the realm's support—the sky suddenly echoed a cold hum: "Seeking death!"

Instantly, a dark red blood cloud descended upon the legion's heads. Blood rain drizzled down; many soldiers struck by it fell silently, dead. More soldiers glowed faintly with blue light, resisting the rain stubbornly—but the blue glow faded quickly. Once extinguished by the blood rain, the soldier died.

This was the One You Wu acting!

Xiang Little Wei Yuan's gaze turned deep as he looked upward.

Beyond the clouds, a furious roar erupted: "Humans are truly despicable!!"

Before the roar's echo faded, it vanished into the distance—the blood cloud above the legion dissolved.

Xiang Little Wei Yuan's lips curled into a cold smile. When this legion advanced, he had infused each soldier with a thread of blue aura. The One You Wu killed mortals bearing human destiny's fortune—how many times the karmic retribution did he incur?

By slaughtering three thousand souls blessed with fortune, the One You Wu had rendered himself useless for a long time.

Xiang Little Wei Yuan now held one hundred thousand threads of blue aura. He wanted to see which One You Wu dared to strike his soldiers again.

(End of Chapter)