Chapter 147: This Young Masters Breaks Barriers

Chapter 147: This Young Masters Breaks Barriers

When gambling, no matter how well you stacked the odds in your favor, the old adage always rang true. The House always wins. Unfortunately for Zumulu and the rebels, the Empire had been the House in the South for the last 400 years. It wasnt that he didnt think Xi Wangmu didnt have a long and carefully prepared plan to fight the Empire. He just put more weight on Lan Fens and Song Yuelins opinions than he did her planning. They had impressed the simple rule upon him about attracting the Empires attention.

Dont.

So he wouldnt. He would help the Garrison. Get Xie Jin and Bao Si out of here. Then, hightail it out of Zumulu. It was a simple plan, but simple was good. Hed had enough of the complicated stuff. Perhaps it was a bit wishful, but Chen Haoran would take what he could get at this point.

He and Jiang Aiguo made their way back to the Garrison. Along the way, they ran into fleeing Rattan Vine Armor Soldiers. Or rather, the soldiers ran into them. More accurately, they ran into Chen Haoran. Though their faces were obscured just going by the way the soldiers flinched in the opposite direction, Chen Haoran could tell they were going through the worst case of being caught between a rock and a hard place in their lives.

Chen Haoran opened his mouth to speak, but Jiang Aiguo had already drawn his blade and was striding toward one of the soldiers. Leave this one to me, sir.

Naturally, the soldiers attacked.

Phelps flew off his shoulder and barreled into another one. Vines whipped out of the soldiers armor like pythons and sought to wrap around Phelps, only to bounce uselessly off his liquid qi. The soldier only had time for a single startled shout before Phelps crashed into him.

That left three for Chen Haoran. Unlike their previous tight formations, they spread out spears and shields at the ready. Three floods of green liquid rushed toward him.

Chen Haoran sighed.

In one motion, he pulled out his sword, and a flurry of cutting blades flashed and diced the soldiers and their liquid qi to pieces. Final Floods erupted, and the struggling vine armors turned on their owners and rapidly devoured the qi to grow and carpet the ground in a blanket of vines. To his right, Phelps sank his claws through the Rattan Soldiers helmet and into his eyes before flipping away into the air as the soldier exploded into a mess of vines. To his left, Jiang Aiguo had broken through his targets blue liquid qi with a single powerful blow before flooding his own peach-colored qi into the gap and overwhelming the soldier. The soldier tried to struggle, but Jiang Aiguo seized him with his liquid qi, ripping away his armaments and his balance. Peach qi glowed along Jiang Aiguos sword and neatly pierced the soldiers throat before swinging his blade and removing his head entirely.

Chen Haoran watched both masses explode into vines, noting the black marks on the surface of the vines after Jiang Aiguo pulled his liquid qi away. I know theyre not really on our side, but youre still pretty. decisive.

Jiang Aiguo shrugged and sheathed his sword. Its not like I knew they existed before thiscompartmentalization of information and all that. It doesnt bother me too much. Fighting Rattan Armor Soldiers is practically tradition for Peach River Swordsmen.

Chen Haoran raised an eyebrow. Really? The Peachbloods never used them?

We cant, Jiang Aiguo said. Our qi is too caustic to use the vines properly, and they were never able to take to the Peachwines water and soil for us to grow our own.

Im surprised you guys werent called forward to fight earlier, Chen Haoran said. I think I remember there being a few more Peachbloods.

Jiang Aiguo pointed at the black marks along the vines. There were a few of them, but they were surface level at best and even now were healing. Peach Qi isnt much better at fighting Rattan Vines. When I say our qi is too caustic, I meant for infusion. The vines can still resist us on the surface. The other River Kingdoms wouldnt have invaded us so much if we could kill Rattan Vines that easy.

It would have been better than nothing, Chen Haoran said.

Well, thats the Empire for you. Their training focuses on their experiences with the Rattan Armor Soldiers, not my peoples. Im surprised they mention it at all. Theyve got more current enemies they need to study.

Phelps floated over to Chen Haoran with a squeal and bloody claws. Chen Haoran coated his hand with qi and proceeded to clean them before letting Phelps nibble on his bamboo stick as a reward. Meanwhile, Jiang Aiguo picked up the mass of vines that used to be a severed head.

We have to split off here, he said. Captain Pan is too observant, so its better if we dont return together.

Well, youre the experienced one, Chen Haoran said.

Jiang Aiguo flashed a smile and hooked a thumb toward himself. Dont worry, sir. I may not be the strongest spy in the Garrison right now, but if I called myself second in skill, no one else could claim first.

Chen Haoran was suddenly assaulted with a strong feeling of deja vu. Those words were familiar. When he finally recalled where he had heard them before, he shook his head and chuckled. You remind me of Jiang Lei. He said something like that before.

Jiang Aiguo brightened. Thank you, sir. Its an honor to be compared to Senior Brother Lei. He clasped his hands in a bow. Ill be off, sir.

Chen Haoran mimed a salute. Godspeed, soldier.

Jiang Aiguo looked confused but accepted the salute in the spirit it was given and took off. Chen Haoran waited until he could sense he was out of the range of his sense. Then waited a few more seconds on top of that. Then he hung his head back and sighed.

Complicated.

Chen Haoran stepped forward and drew his sword. Pan Gong and Metal Roots stepped back as white sword shadows cut across the ground before them. Chen Haoran gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and cycled his qi. Ever so slowly, less and less cutting energy escaped from his sword, and it grew brighter and brighter. The Yellow Dragon continuously drew in more qi to replace what Chen Haoran was expending to point, not control, the White Tyrants Harmonization. Phelps encouragingly squealed at him from his back.

The Metal Roots flinched. Pan Gong frowned. This isnt a Technique.

Chen Haoran ignored him and pushed his sword into the Emission Node. The tip of the sword pressed against the barrier.

The energy pillar rumbled.

Chen Haoran flexed his qi for dear life as a vibration ran through his sword and threatened to fling him away. His liquid flooded around his arms and legs to hold them steady even as Phelps was flung off his back with a startled screech. Chen Haoran could feel the sword shifting across the surface of the barrier despite his attempts to keep it in one place. The calm surface of the pillar was now a stormy sea of rippling energy in every direction as Chen Haoran fought to keep the White Tyrants Harmonization condensed and focused on the pillar. Two large hands landed on his back and pushed him forward, applying enough pressure to barely keep the sword still.

Change of plans, Pan Gong said from behind. Yellow Liquid qi spilled from his hands and pushed against Chen Haoran. The Yellow Dragon was quick to react, releasing liquid qi across Chen Haorans back. Where Pan Gongs qi met his own, it was seamlessly absorbed into Chen Haorans body and into the Yellow Dragons waiting maw.

Pan Gong grunted. Five Elements Formation, he commanded with a deep voice.

Through his sense, Chen Haoran could feel the other Garrison soldiers rush over. More hands were placed on Chen Haorans shoulders, more still were pushing Pan Gong, and further beyond that were soldiers pushing them. What was peculiar, however, was the order they did it. Directly behind Chen Haoran were the Water Spirit Roots. Behind them came the two Metal Spirit Roots. After that were the Earth Spirit Roots. Captain Liu led the Fire Spirit Roots to push them in turn, and at the very end were the Wood Spirit Roots. The only ones who didnt assemble were the Peachbloods, who stood on guard around the perimeter.

Push, Pan Gong bellowed.

The Wood Spirit Roots flooded their qi, which fed the Fire Spirit Roots, who flooded their qi to bolster the Earth Spirit Roots, which then flooded forward to push the Metal Spirit Roots, which then heightened the Water Spirit Roots, who all pressed Chen Haoran. The sword stopped moving. Then it pressed into the barrier. Barely a millimeter, but it was movement, and they all sensed it.

Push.

Another millimeter.

Push.

Phelps dropped down onto Chen Haoran and added his own liquid qi to their efforts.

Push.

The tip sank in.

Push.

The Emission Node was trembling, the whole pillar disturbed and rippling with energy. Chen Haorans sword was shaking as if it had become a giant tuning fork, and he started to worry that he would be ruining another weapon. The White Tyrants Harmonization wasnt making things any easier. It bucked and raged at Chen Haorans control, offended that he dared try to direct it. It would break through the barrier, or it would break through him, and it didnt care which happened first.

Push!

Phelps squealed.

The Garrison soldiers shouted.

The Yellow Dragon, now fat on Pan Gongs qi, squeezed itself into Chen Haorans arm and lent its power. Its roar carried with it a sense of natural kingship, a wordless command that to hear its voice was to obey and that refusal was blasphemous. The proclamation rang through Chen Haorans arms and led his qi in a battle charge into his sword.

The White Tyrants Harmonization stilled.

For some reason, Chen Haoran pictured the time the White Tyrant turned his head and looked in disbelief at something Lan Fen had said.

Then the Harmonization exploded with anger. His sword sank into the Emission Node up to the hilt, causing Chen Haoran to stumble forward. He instinctively pulled back, raising the sword as he did so. Cutting energy flashed, and the barrier easily parted before the blade. A long, metal-white crack ran up along the pillar, stark even on the white background.

Brace! Pan Gong shouted.

The Emission Node exploded.