185.3 – Unswerving Momentum

Silence lingered for a while.

When Xue Qilin took out a skewer of dango from the box, handed it to Shui Yun’er, and said “have some”, the sound of horseshoes falling on the ground was coming from quite close.

Not far away, a cloud of dust rose into the air.

Looking like a huge earth-yellow wave rolling over, the cloud of dust adds an unpleasant color to the road lined with verdant trees on both sides.

“Is this a show of strength?”

Xue Qilin uttered disapprovingly when the people riding horses finally broke into her field of vision.

Dim radiance — metallic radiance of armor and weapons — glimmered.

The figures glimmering with dim light have a valiant appearance and red luster in their eyes. The intense stifling feeling that these people deliberately exude from their eyes is proof that they have gone through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

It’s really an army, an elite army to boot.

The troops number about 100 people. With a heroic and intimidating air around them, they feel like an approaching blood-stained sword.

The most eye-catching thing is that they contain the breath of true qi.

In other words, they are all martial practitioners. However, their cultivation base isn’t high. Most of them are in the Human Realm. A significant portion is below the Human Realm. The leader of the army has the highest cultivation base — Earth Realm.

Although at first thought, this might not be considered a strong military force. But a large army mostly composed people of this caliber is another matter.

Even if it is a Heaven Realm master, they might not be able to easily defeat 100 Human Realm martial practitioners.

More importantly, an army is fundamentally different from martial practitioners who are good at fighting alone. They are expert at teamwork. With appropriate tactics, an army composed of a 100 Human Realm experts can display power that can rival the Heaven Realm.

On the other hand, an army has crossbows, which martial practitioners fear the most.

Two fists are no match for four hands. When 10,000 bolts are fired, let alone a martial practitioner below the Heaven Realm, even a Heaven Realm master may not be able to survive the deadly rain of steel.

An invisible momentum is rolling over.

The unswerving momentum of the approaching army is gradually increasing and even stings the skin.

Some disciples with a lower cultivation base, who seem to be unable to bear the momentum, retched one after another.

–it’s human nature.

The disciples who have been living while being sheltered by the Merak Temple are simply unable to withstand the unswerving momentum that gives off the illusion of “approaching death”.

Ye Zhen, who noticed this, took a step forward.

His breath congealed in a moment and finally turned into a seemingly substantial aura that blocked the oncoming momentum.

Two invisible forces collided in the air and made a sharp sound like scraping glass.

Outside of Ye Zhen’s aura, water qi revolved around Shui Yun’er and formed a film of water covering herself and Xue Qilin in order to resist the oncoming momentum.

At this moment, Qi Qiqi took a deep breath.

Then, she stepped forward.

The large red sleeves fluttered in the air do to the two momenta and the long black hair, that looks like it can absorb light, danced in the air like threads of ink.

The bright red eyes pulsed with dazzling radiance like sparks that could set this place ablaze at any time.

Standing in the turbulence, Qi Qiqi’s sharp gaze fell straight on the troops that seem to be able to penetrate anything.

“Trespassers, this is the Merak Mountain, please leave immediately. Otherwise–”

Qi Qiqi’s majestic words overwhelmed all other sounds, spread far and wide, and extended into the horizon.

“–we will drive you away by force!”

The awe-inspiring voice resounded across the sky.

However, her words did not receive any response.

Qi Qiqi frowned, then suddenly called out a name loudly.

“–Qilin!”

Qi Qiqi didn’t make any requests. However, Xue Qilin strangely understood her meaning.

How bossy! Xue Qilin curled up her mouth.

The bright yellow eyes swirled with the radiance of true qi and gradually turned amber-gold. She put the remaining dango back in the box, and then gave the box to Shui Yun’er and told her to keep it safe.

In the next moment, Xue Qilin dispersed the film of water.

–thunder-like rumbling boomed.

Countless blue-white electric arcs are radiating from the lass. The intense light has concealed the blazing sun in the sky and is threatening to cover the whole sky.

The 100 cavalrymen rushing this way appear to have noticed this natural disaster-like change. They slowed down vigilantly, but did not stop.

–can’t stop.

As long as they are ordered to advance in a direction, even if it is Hell, they must do so dauntlessly.

This is the manifestation of military spirit.

While Xue Qilin felt admiration, she also felt a little uneasy.

Why have such elites come uninvited?

Inadvertently, Xue Qilin noticed the worry and sternness on Shui Yun’er’s face. She appears to be rather scared, and her hands are trembling.

“Don’t be afraid, I am here.”

Xue Qilin comforted Shui Yun’er in a soft voice.

Shui Yun’er shook slightly, then she turned to Xue Qilin and revealed a smile of relief.

“I’m not afraid.”

“Mhm.”

After a short response, Xue Qilin slowly stood up.

She closed her eyes and exhaled.

When she opened her eyes again–

“Stop!”

Blue and white erased all other colors.

Countless blue-white electric arcs intertwined and turned into a sharp sword that dropped down.

As if trying to chop the road in half, lightning swept in the direction of the army and stirred up a cloud of dust, which swallowed the troops.

However, in the next moment.

Boom!

A thunderous sound rose.

That is the sound of a large number of horseshoes land on the ground at the same time.

Xue Qilin seems to be able to imagine the picture hidden by the cloud of dust — the nearly 100 people calmly stopped their horses at the same time and are staring in front of them silently.

Inside the cloud of dust, nearly 100 shadows are standing proudly as if rooted to the earth, as if saying, “–the might of the Heaven Realm is not enough to be feared!”