Chapter 350: Hasty

Hongli City, just ten breaths into the battle, its morale was shattered!

The alien army split into ten elite squads to assault the city, deploying sixth-rank warriors as the vanguard; Hongli City could only respond in kind.

The city's defensive equipment was destroyed, and the alien forces outnumbered them more than two-to-one, each capable of flight—eliminating any defensive advantage.

In haste, they divided into ten defensive positions.

But even the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice.

The domain lord Ji Cheng and the Earth Spirit King were locked in fierce combat, their strength seemingly evenly matched for now.

Outside of that, Ji Xiuchuan and four sixth-rank aliens each held one direction.

Ji Xiuchuan held a slight edge; though the four sixth-rank aliens were dragging their feet, they dared not slack off under Ji Cheng's threat.

They traded blows evenly with their opponents, preventing any breakthrough—but expecting them to win quickly and reinforce others was impossible.

The other five positions were in dire straits.

To block the alien assault, especially against sixth-rank foes, only fifth-rank elites could be deployed.

Cui Chongguang's sector fared better—he immediately unleashed a sixth-rank insignia, severely wounding the opposing sixth-rank and gaining an edge, now barely holding ground.

The direction led by Li Zhen had already fallen into disadvantage.

Hou Yunzhang's sector was locked in a grueling fight, but as he had just arrived from the Star River battlefield, he carried several life-saving insignias, using them sporadically to hold on.

The other two squads were defended by Hongli City's original fifth-rank elites.

These two fifth-rank units had exhausted all their supplies long before the battle began.

From the first moment, it became a bloody brawl.

In mere ten breaths, one alien assault unit on the left flank, led by a sixth-rank warrior, directly crippled the fifth-rank commander of this sector and stormed the walls, beginning a massacre!

Sixth-rank warriors—those at late or peak fifth-rank—could still hold their ground if they fought in groups of two or three.

But once they broke into the ranks of fourth- and early fifth-rank fighters, especially amid chaotic melee, they were tigers among sheep!

No slower than slaughter!

Suddenly, the sixth-rank fifth-layer Earth Spirit warrior's body plunged sharply downward as emerald-green light erupted from the ground, entangling him and slowing his movement drastically.

Immediately, six or seven sharp-eyed defenders focused their attacks on him.

But their cultivation was too low, and their numbers too few—the concentrated assault posed no real threat.

The sixth-rank fifth-layer Earth Spirit, enraged by the emerald-green light binding him, roared as golden-yellow star force rippled outward, shattering the bonds, then shot forward like lightning toward the fourth-rank lowly opponent who had attacked him.

A human woman clad in red!

Dressed entirely in red, radiating a fourth-rank fourth-layer aura—she stood out glaringly here!

She thrust out one palm, summoning a tiny mountain that hurtled toward Ji Hongli!

"Miss, beware!"

Someone cried out in alarm.

But Ji Hongli remained fearless—she had been waiting for this exact moment.

Having fought alongside her senior brother so many times, she had absorbed his combat philosophy, especially regarding insignias.

Timing must be precise; only when used at the right moment could they avoid waste.

Yet thinking of her senior brother, Ji Hongli's cheeks flushed hotly.

Those confessions that had made her dig tunnels to escape had nearly become her inner demon.

But these thoughts flashed and vanished in an instant.

Before the miniature mountain crashed down, Ji Hongli exploded forward, charging straight at the sixth-rank fifth-layer Earth Spirit—and in that same instant, she hurled her insignia!

The Great Sun—sixth-rank level!

The very one Xu Jin had nurtured for her!

BOOM!

The blazing light of the Great Sun erupted, and the sixth-rank fifth-layer Earth Spirit charged directly into it.

Instantly, his physical body melted like snow poured with boiling broth, emitting only a single shriek before dissolving into a charred lump.

Not only this sixth-rank fifth-layer warrior—over a dozen fifth-rank late-stage alien elites charging behind were struck; five were instantly incinerated, over ten severely wounded, and any other fifth-rank aliens who reacted even a fraction too slowly were burned, though with varying degrees of injury.

In a single instant, the crisis at this position was resolved.

With the sixth-rank alien gone and many fifth-rank late-stage foes eliminated, the defenders' morale surged, and they instantly stabilized their line.

Almost simultaneously, Ji Hongli shot skyward, heading for her next target!

At that very moment, both the Earth Spirit King and Domain Lord Ji Cheng were stunned by the power of the nurtured sixth-rank Great Sun insignia—but their focus differed.

The instant Ji Cheng turned, he saw Ji Hongli in her red robes—and he was instantly shocked.

"Hongli, you—!"

Ji Cheng was both astonished and furious.

He had assumed his daughter had followed his orders and evacuated already.

Once she left, he believed she could contact Qi Tian Sheng and survive the Huashih Star Domain—but he never imagined she was still defending the city, and had just pulled off a massive move!

But the problem was—this move was an insignia!

Insignias are rare; the more valuable ones, the scarcer.

What followed was obvious.

"Father, hold on a little longer—reinforcements are coming!" Ji Hongli cried sharply.

Ji Cheng had not yet processed who the reinforcements might be, but the Earth Spirit King fighting him realized one thing!

Daughter!

Ji Cheng's daughter!

That girl in red—she was Ji Cheng's daughter!

"HAHAHAHA! Daughter! Excellent! Listen up, all of you—capture this red-clad girl alive! After we break the city, I'll make her experience earthly bliss right before Ji Cheng's corpse—and before you, you invading aliens!"

"Men, push harder! After battle, I'll let you feast!"

"Once the city falls, no restrictions on killing! Loot and women are yours for the taking! These human women are deliciously plump!" the Earth Spirit King bellowed.

Ji Cheng did not curse aloud—cursing was useless; in clan warfare, cruelty was the norm.

All he could do was attack with all his might, seeking any opening to severely wound the Earth Spirit King—and perhaps break the deadlock.

On the other side, a sixth-rank sixth-layer Fire-Scale warrior had just slain a fifth-rank ninth-layer human elite, allowing his troops to storm the walls and pour into the city—but he turned his gaze toward Ji Hongli, plotting.

Coincidentally, Ji Hongli was charging toward them.

He signaled, and the sixth-rank sixth-layer Fire-Scale warrior, accompanied by five fifth-rank late-stage subordinates, surrounded Ji Hongli.

He was no fool—he had seen the power of that insignia, so he wouldn't charge recklessly!

Three breaths later, Ji Hongli was instantly encircled by five fifth-rank late-stage aliens and one sixth-rank sixth-layer Fire-Scale warrior.

"Great King, may I have first rights to this girl?" the Fire-Scale sixth-rank warrior drooled.

"If you've got the guts, go ahead! And if you capture her, I'll count it as your first breach!" the Earth Spirit King laughed.

If they captured Ji Hongli, Domain Lord Ji Cheng would surely be thrown into chaos—then he could strike him down and lock the battle's outcome.

What was one "first breach" reward if the prize was this great?

"Kill!"

With a cruel laugh, the sixth-rank sixth-layer Fire-Scale warrior ordered his five fifth-rank late-stage subordinates to swarm Ji Hongli, while he himself hovered outside, relying on his speed and agility, still wary of her insignias.

The five fifth-rank late-stage aliens surged forward, and Ji Hongli felt tension tighten.

Even with her sixth-rank defensive star-armor, she couldn't withstand sustained assaults from five fifth-rank late-stage foes.

So as the five fifth-rank late-stage aliens attacked, Ji Hongli unhesitatingly activated her insignia.

The Fifth-Rank Radiant Light insignia.

The one nurtured by Xu Jin, whose power he had explained to her!

And she unleashed two at once!

Vast crimson light erupted, swallowing two fifth-rank late-stage aliens outright, wiping them out, while also severely wounding a third. "Opportunity!"

At that exact moment, the sixth-rank sixth-layer Fire-Scale warrior lurking outside surged forward like a fire dragon toward Ji Hongli.

In his view, even if she had sixth-rank insignias, she'd already used three—two just now, plus the earlier one—she was likely out.

And now was the perfect moment—she was fully occupied fending off the other two fifth-rank late-stage attackers!

But Ji Hongli had been waiting for him all along.

Facing the full-force assault of the two fifth-rank late-stage aliens, she ignored them entirely, relying on her sixth-rank superior star-armor, Jin Lin Jia, to absorb the blows.

Then, she hurled a nurtured sixth-rank Great Sun insignia straight at the sixth-rank sixth-layer Fire-Scale alien, now within fifty meters.

He had just unleashed over a dozen crimson chains, aiming to capture her alive.

He was struck by the nurtured Great Sun insignia.

But he was extremely cautious—he instantly retreated while unleashing full defensive power.

Yet the power of a nurtured sixth-rank Great Sun insignia was terrifying.

Though not instantly obliterated, he was grievously wounded, on the brink of death—and the blast also killed another fifth-rank late-stage alien.

Emerald-green light bloomed like a flower, surging into the mortally wounded sixth-rank Fire-Scale warrior.

Final strike!

The coup de grâce delivered!

This sight sent the defenders into wild cheers!

And left Ji Cheng frozen in shock.

"Where did you get insignias with this much power? How many more do you have?" Ji Cheng was desperate to know.

If only there were two or three more of these, the victory would be locked!

"Given by my senior brother—gone!"

Xu Jin had only given two of these sixth-rank talismans, already cultivated.

If Xu Jin had foreseen this situation, he would have given several more!

In the instant Ji Cheng fell into despair and the Earth Spirit King gasped in surprise, Ji Hongli had already surged toward the next sixth-rank, and as she lunged, she cried out sharply, "Hit!"

As if launching a talisman.

No talisman was launched—but that sixth-rank alien was terrified by Ji Hongli!

In an instant, their formation collapsed, and they frantically retreated.

Their opponents seized the opening and struck hard, inflicting heavy wounds.

For a time, Ji Hongli darted through the cluster of sixth-rank battles along the city wall, her red robes fluttering, and wherever she passed, the battle lines eased.

The defenders' morale surged, and the fighting once again settled into a stalemate!

But the same trick, used too often, no longer works.

Especially after using it several times, Ji Hongli found herself trapped multiple times and had to break through with cultivated fifth-rank talismans.

After three uses, even the cultivated fifth-rank talismans were gone—only ordinary fifth-rank talismans remained!

Even a fool could see this now!

"Shi Ying, this little bitch is spent—your strength is greatest, take her down, and I grant you the honor of first breach! After the city falls, you may choose first among the women of Hongli City!" shouted the Earth Spirit King.

"Your Majesty, you said it!"

"I, the King, keep my word!"

In the next instant, Shi Ying, a sixth-rank eighth-layer Earth Spirit, laughed loudly and turned with four elite fifth-rank late-stage subordinates, charging straight at Ji Hongli!

Cui Chongguang, already grievously wounded and out of talisman tricks, along with three other ninth-layer human cultivators, exhaled in relief.

But Ji Xiuchuan and Ji Cheng panicked.

They saw it too.

Ji Hongli had used up all her treasures—she was spent!

But their own opponents were no slouches; seeing this, they unleashed full force, leaving them no chance to act.

The Earth Spirit King even seized the opening to strike Ji Cheng repeatedly, forcing him to spit blood again and again.

Just one opening had reduced Ji Cheng to this.

If they captured Ji Hongli, Ji Cheng's spirit would shatter—he would surely lose!

In other words, the moment Ji Hongli was taken, the city would fall!

BOOM!

Suddenly, thunder rolled from the distant sky, and a streak of light shot like a meteor into the city wall!

"Hah! Little bitch, surrender now—I promise I'll treat you—"

CRASH!

Shi Ying's sinister grin, intended to distract Ji Hongli, suddenly cut off—his head exploded for no reason!

BOOM BOOM BOOM!

Only now did the sonic boom from the projectile roar through the air.

On the other side, a whirlwind of golden light erupted violently—sixth-rank aliens who had breached the wall were blasted backward; where the golden whirlwind passed, fourth- and fifth-rank aliens were instantly thrown flying!

"Deputy Director Ning!"

Hou Yunzhang, saved, rejoiced wildly; exhausted to his limit, he collapsed to the ground, gasped twice, swallowed an elixir, and rose again within a breath to rejoin the battle!

But this time, it was the coup de grâce!

And at that same instant, Ji Cheng's mind rang with Xu Jin's soul-voice.

"Domain Lord, launch one full assault!"

Though confused, Ji Cheng instinctively unleashed his full attack against the Earth Spirit King.

At the very moment Ji Cheng struck, a vast surge of soul energy erupted.

Startle!

In an instant, blood gushed from all seven orifices of the Earth Spirit King.

SHHH!

A piercing sound—Fire Ox Sword appeared soundlessly behind the Earth Spirit King's head, screaming at high speed, shattering his stacked four layers of stone armor, and piercing straight through his skull!

Then it twisted violently!

Sixth-rank Object-Controlling Star Art: Piercing Void!

At the same instant, Ji Cheng's attack pierced through the Earth Spirit King's chest!

The Earth Spirit King, dead!

Ji Cheng froze.

The Earth Spirit King, who had battled him so long with such ferocity, was just slain?

So weak?

No!

It was this Qitian Sheng who was terrifying!

But Xu Jin made no pause; as he hovered in place, his gaze instantly locked onto another sixth-rank.

Fire Ox Sword and Moon Shadow Sword vanished simultaneously.

Sixth-rank Object-Controlling Star Art: Piercing Void!

In the next instant, two sword flashes appeared before and behind another sixth-rank fourth-layer alien—the alien gasped in horror, barely dodged one blade, but missed the other!

Third kill!

"The Earth Spirit King is dead!"

At that moment, Ji Cheng snapped back to reality—he lifted the Earth Spirit King's corpse high into the air and roared!

In an instant, every alien still resisting was stunned.

The next instant—total rout!

The fastest aliens had already begun fleeing.

Once they fled, it was like a dam bursting.

In an instant, the army collapsed like a mountain falling!

And Xu Jin, seizing the chance, unleashed Fire Cloud Divine Thunder, completing his fourth kill!

Over there, Ning Yuchan had already completed her first kill!

"Kill!"

Watching this, Ji Xiuchuan, Ji Cheng, Cui Chongguang, Li Zhen, Hou Yunzhang, and others all roared in excitement, charging out of the city to pursue the fleeing aliens!

But the moment they burst out of the city, they all instinctively turned back to glance at the man hovering in the sky—Qitian Sheng!

He hung there, lightning falling from his palm like rain.

Each bolt of lightning struck, and an alien fell, cut down.

Ji Cheng, chasing the fleeing aliens beyond the city walls, watching the mighty Qitian Sheng who had turned the tide the moment he returned, suddenly felt a pang of longing.

He wondered—had his father been too hasty?

Why had he betrothed Hongli to Xu Jin, who had vanished somewhere?

If this Qitian Sheng became his son-in-law, wouldn't that be glorious?

(End of Chapter)