Human strength is not infinite; there comes a time when it is exhausted. After six hours of fierce battle, Wang Jian could no longer hold, swaying and almost dropping to one knee.
Beneath his feet was a mountain of bodies, higher than the walls of Hangu Pass, with an aura of bloodlust lingering around him, like a living god of slaughter.
The soldiers of the five nations, holding their weapons, stood on all sides, hesitant to attack, looking at the bloody figure with fear etched on their faces. Even these elite troops were terrified.
He was too brutal! His presence alone intimidated thousands of soldiers.
"A bunch of cowards, make way for this general!"
A rough voice echoed in the void. The soldiers of the five nations made way, revealing a path just wide enough for one person to pass. Chu Wuji, wearing chainmail, strode forward.
Standing on the mountain of corpses, Wang Jian glanced at him and ignored him.
"Wang Jian, your time is up!" Chu Wuji declared arrogantly, pride etched on his face. He had actually arrived on the battlefield when the soldiers of the five nations began their offensive. However, he hadn't made a move, waiting instead for them to exhaust Wang Jian's strength.
He also knew that he couldn't defeat Wang Jian.
But what did it matter? He had a vast number of soldiers at his disposal. As long as Wang Jian was worn out, he would ultimately be victorious.
"Boy, dare to fight this general?" Wang Jian looked at him coldly, his gaze defiant, waving his spear and splashing droplets of blood, causing the soldiers from the five nations to take several steps back in fear.
Even Chu Wuji retreated half a step unconsciously. When he realized what he had done, his face turned red with shame, and he screamed in anger, "Why wouldn't I dare? Attack!"
Before his words ended, he drew his sword and launched an attack.
Sword light after sword light reverberated in the void, shattering the bodies in their path and bursting into a bloody rain, like a hell on earth.
"Fight!"
Standing in the blood rain, Wang Jian, despite his weakened body, emanated a relentless aura and formed a half-formed spear light.
He was well aware that he was no match for Chu Wuji in his current state. But as the Great General of Hangu Pass, where his duty lay, he couldn't take a step back. The only regret is that I can no longer serve the Empire faithfully in the future!
BOOM!
The two attacks collided, and the spear light was crushed by the Sword Qi.
Exhausted, Wang Jian suffered the backlash. His body flew backward and crashed into the mountain of corpses. Blood gushed from him, and he lacked the strength to stand. He couldn't even hold onto the war spear that had been his lifelong companion, and it dropped beside him.
"You've beaten me several times, but I only need to beat you once!" Chu Wuji advanced with his weapon, stopping at the edge of the corpse mound with a smile on his face. He had battled Wang Jian several times before, always ending in failure. But today, he had finally won!
For a moment, he felt the exhilarating satisfaction of great vengeance achieved and past humiliations cleansed.
At this moment, a scout came running, bringing the Emperor of Chu's verbal order, and shouted it loudly, "The Emperor has issued a verbal order for the Great General to stop delaying and to quickly capture Hangu Pass!"
"I obey!" Chu Wuji clasped his fist in salute, holding his longsword high.
"No, save the General!" The Qin soldiers on the city wall, barely holding on, their eyes wide with fury, cried out and launched a desperate charge.
Wang Jian closed his eyes, waiting for death to come.
But after a long time, he didn't feel his consciousness fading. Confused, he opened his eyes and saw a figure standing before him, emanating a suffocating killing intent.
"General Bai Qi…" Wang Jian cried out in surprise. Could this be a hallucination before death?
"You've worked hard!" Bai Qi turned around to help Wang Jian up. A fleeting smile touched his cold face, then vanished, replaced by his usual indifference as he said, "I'll take over from here!"
It's not an illusion! General Bai Qi is here at Hangu Pass! That means the battle in the Imperial Capital is over—we've won! It took a moment for Wang Jian to process this, his body trembling with excitement.
"You... why are you here?"
Several yards away, Chu Wuji, who had been sent flying by Bai Qi, struggled up from the ground. Glancing in shock at his broken battle sword, his lip twitched. That was a spirit weapon! It actually shattered! But then, an endless fear flooded his heart. Bai Qi has reached the Saint Realm. Why would he leave the Imperial Capital instead of fighting the six patriarchs and come here? Could it be…
Chu Wuji shook his head, roaring inwardly, Impossible, the six patriarchs can't have been defeated! The Qin Empire only has four martial artists in the Saint Realm; they couldn't possibly be a match for the six patriarchs! It must be that Bai Qi fled from the battlefield! That must be the reason.
"The Emperor has ordered: flatten the six sects and five nations!" Bai Qi's flat voice echoed across the battlefield, like thunder on a clear day, shocking everyone present.
The Emperors of Chu, Qi, Zhao, Jin, Yan, and others all felt their pupils shrink in terror.
"Die!"
Bai Qi flew into the air and waved his hands. Tens of thousands of blood-red swords materialized behind him, their killing intent palpable. Every descending Sword Qi claimed a life.
In just a moment, with Bai Qi at the center, all the soldiers of the Five Nations within a thousand zhang were sent straight to the Yellow Springs.
This included Chu Wuji, who was cut in half by the Sword Qi.
"Run!"
The emperors, including the Emperor of Chu, were nearly scared out of their wits. They quickly turned their horses and fled without looking back.
They all had a bad premonition.
Bai Qi, amidst the slaughter, noticed the fleeing emperors and smiled disdainfully. He made no move to stop them. Flee? Where can they possibly flee? Can they truly escape death in the end?
"The Emperor has escaped, let's run too!"
The emperors' retreat shattered the will of the Five Nations' soldiers to fight, and their morale plummeted. Many of the more perceptive ones had already begun to flee, leaving only the slower-witted still on the battlefield.
As the soldiers of the Five Nations fled, Qin Wudao led his troops out from the Qin Straight Road. Gazing at the grievously wounded soldiers of Hangu Pass, his fury blazed, and radiating killing intent, he commanded, "Kill!"
Seeing the reinforcements, Wang Jian urgently commanded, "Quick, open the city gate!"
The soldiers of Hangu Pass quickly opened the city gate, allowing the elite legions to charge out like a sharp sword, pursuing the soldiers of the Five Nations.
This scene seemed to bring them back to two months ago.
Back then, it was also Qin Wudao leading the army, rushing out of Hangu Pass and routing the enemy, sending them fleeing in terror.
The vast plains were strewn with the bodies of the Five Nations' soldiers, their bones littering the ground for over sixty miles. The acrid smell of blood filled the air.
Qin Wudao dispatched the last visible enemy and then commanded in a deep voice, "Enough, stop the pursuit!" He noted that the enemy forces had already fled far and scattered, rendering further pursuit meaningless.
As the order was issued, the bloodthirsty Qin army stopped their pursuit and returned to Hangu Pass.
Although they were withdrawing, everyone knew this battle was merely the beginning. Soon, they would wage war against the Five Nations and Six Sects, planting the banners of the Qin Dynasty throughout the entire East Ancient Domain.
Under the starry sky, the moon, like a jade plate, cast its pale light upon Hangu Pass, complementing the brightly lit watchtowers. The night wind carried the lingering smoke of battle far into the distance, adding a grim tension to this vital military stronghold.
Inside the city tower, Qin Wudao began to assign tasks, aiming to unify the East Ancient Domain in the shortest possible time.