66: United as one

High in the sky, the battle remained deadlocked.

Mu Shan used his profound Mid-stage Martial King cultivation and exquisite palm techniques to hold off Wumuzha and Batu alone. Though he couldn't win, he kept them pinned down. City Lord and the Warlord of the Canglang Tribe, as well as the Vice City Lord and Tulu, were also evenly matched.

However, when Wumuzha and Batu looked down at the city and saw their elite Paratroopers—on whom they had pinned high hopes—wiped out by the desperate resistance of the soldiers and civilians, their expressions turned incredibly grim.

"Damn it!" Wumuzha shrieked, his sinister eyes filled with pain. Those Eagle Riders and Paratroopers were vital forces of the Night Hawk Tribe!

"We can't drag this out any longer!" Batu roared, swinging his Spiked Mace wildly to force back Mu Shan's palm. He shouted to Wumuzha, "Wumuzha, I'll leave this old man to you! I'm going down to capture the City Lord's daughter as a hostage! Then I'll crush those ants who dare to resist!"

They had long noticed Xia Xue, who was commanding the city with composure and possessed impressive strength. If they could capture her alive, they could surely force City Lord's hand!

"Fine!" Wumuzha's twin blades carved strange arcs through the air as he pinned Mu Shan down. "Old man, your opponent is me alone!"

Mu Shan's expression changed. He tried to stop Batu, but Wumuzha's assault suddenly intensified. The twin blades clung to him like maggots on a bone, making it impossible for him to break away. He could only watch as Batu dove down like a meteorite with a cruel grin!

"Snow, be careful!" City Lord saw it clearly from the air. His eyes were nearly bursting with rage as he tried to come to her aid, but he was held back by the Warlord of the Canglang Tribe's giant axe. He could only let out an anxious roar... Below, Qin Feng and Xia Xue, who were meditating to recover after their hard battle, along with the surrounding remnant guards and Martial Artists, all felt a suffocating, terrifying pressure descending from the heavens!

Boom—!

A figure as burly as a bear slammed heavily into the center of the street, sending debris flying and cracking the ground! The powerful aura of a Martial King was released without reservation, pressing down on everyone like a physical mountain. It made breathing difficult, and Martial Artists with weaker cultivation even collapsed directly onto the ground!

Batu stood up and cracked his neck. His bloodthirsty gaze locked onto the silver-armored figure in the crowd.

"Heh heh, little girl, the farce is over! Come with me quietly, and you'll suffer less!" He grinned, baring his white teeth as he strode forward.

"Protect the Young Miss!" a loyal Grand Martial Master guard roared, stepping forward with several Martial Masters to block Xia Xue.

"Seeking death!" Batu didn't even look as he casually swung his Spiked Mace!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Like swatting flies, those Grand Martial Masters and Martial Masters, along with their weapons, were sent flying by the terrifying force. Their bones shattered and they spat blood in mid-air; it was clear they wouldn't survive!

The power of a Martial King was truly terrifying!

Xia Xue's face was pale, and her hand holding the sword trembled slightly. Faced with an absolute gap in Realm, she felt a sense of powerlessness. The side effects of the qi burst pill hadn't fully faded, and she was far from her Peak state.

Just as Batu's large hand was about to grab Xia Xue—

"Blinding Poison Mist!"

A low shout rang out! Qin Feng suddenly threw a leather pouch, which smashed into the ground in front of Batu. It instantly exploded into a large cloud of dense, pungent, dark-green poison mist, enveloping Batu's figure!

"Paltry tricks!" Batu snorted. His Martial King level Protective Aura erupted, pushing away most of the mist, but his vision was still slightly hindered, causing his movements to lag for a moment.

And in that split second of interference!

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Feng's eyes. He suddenly raised his hidden left hand, aiming a strangely shaped black cylinder from his sleeve at Batu in the mist!

"Storm Pear Blossom Needles!"

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!

A series of mechanical pops! Countless needles, fine as cow hair and shimmering with a faint blue cold light, rained down like a torrential downpour. At a speed invisible to the naked eye, they instantly covered the entire space around Batu! This was the life-saving trump card Qin Feng had previously obtained through a blue Opportunity. It was extremely powerful but difficult to craft; he only had two charges in his hand!

"What?!" Batu felt the dense, sharp whistling of air in the poison mist, and alarm bells rang in his heart! The speed and coverage of this hidden weapon actually made even him feel threatened!

He ignored Xia Xue, pushing his Protective Aura to the limit while his body flickered to the side like a ghost!

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh— Another volley followed.

Puchi, puchi, puchi!

Most of the needles were dodged or deflected by his Protective Aura, but three still managed to pierce through a relatively weak area of his aura at extremely tricky angles, sinking deep into his right shoulder and lower abdomen!

A wave of numbness and bone-eroding pain instantly washed over him!

"Damn it! It's poisoned!" Batu was both shocked and enraged. He hadn't expected that he, a dignified Martial King, would be wounded by a mere Grand Martial Master brat using hidden weapons! Although the injuries weren't severe, the strange toxin and numbness hampered his strength, fueling his fury!

"You little bastard! I'll kill you first!" Completely enraged, Batu abandoned Xia Xue. His blood-red gaze locked onto Qin Feng as his Spiked Mace, carrying the terrifying power to crush everything, smashed down!

"Protect Brother Qin!"

"Fight him to the death!"

Seeing Qin Feng draw fire to save Xia Xue, everyone nearby who could still move saw red!

Xia Xue gritted her teeth, forced her Internal Energy, and her sword light rose again!

Several death-defying Grand Martial Master generals roared and charged!

Dozens of Martial Masters, countless Martial Artists, and even the ordinary young men who had fought alongside them earlier—they all held various weapons and let out heaven-shaking roars. Like a surging tide, they rushed toward Batu from all directions regardless of the cost!

This wasn't a battle; it was a charge fueled by their very lives!

"Ants! You're all just ants!" Batu roared wildly, swinging his Spiked Mace. Every swing brought a storm of blood; in an instant, over a dozen people were crushed into pulp or sent flying.

But there were too many! He couldn't kill them all!

His speed and reactions were slowed by Qin Feng's poison needles, and he was pinned down by this completely suicidal human-wave tactic!

Xia Xue's sword was tricky and ruthless, specifically targeting his wounded right shoulder and the areas where his movements were sluggish due to the toxin.

Qin Feng hovered on the periphery, using the Qingfeng Sword Art combined with the last of his poison powder to constantly harass him, searching for a chance to deliver a fatal blow.

Meanwhile, the ordinary Martial Artists and soldiers used their bodies as obstacles, exhausting his stamina and Protective Aura with their lives!

Batu felt like he had fallen into a quagmire, possessing great strength but unable to fully exert it. His wounds were bleeding, the toxin was spreading, he was surrounded by endless enemies, and the air was filled with heaven-shaking battle cries... Puchi!

A Grand Martial Master, at the cost of having half his body swept by the Spiked Mace, used his last ounce of strength to plunge a spear into Batu's thigh!

"Ah!" Batu cried out in pain, his movements slowing.

In that very instant!

Xia Xue became one with her sword, turning into a streak of light that pierced straight toward his heart!

Qin Feng cut in from the side like a ghost, his Azure Edge Sword carrying a sense of finality as it swept toward Batu's throat!

Batu fought to parry, his Spiked Mace knocking away Xia Xue's sword, but he could no longer completely evade Qin Feng's long-calculated strike!

Chila!

The blade swept past. Although he tilted his head at the critical moment to avoid his vitals, it still left a deep, bone-deep gash on the side of his neck, and blood sprayed out!

Heavily wounded! Severely poisoned! Exhausted!

Batu let out an unwilling and desperate roar.

The next moment, countless weapons fell from all directions, completely submerging him... The rampaging Martial King was finally ground to death by countless "ants" using their lives and blood in this unyielding city!

The street fell into a deathly silence, leaving only a thick, nauseating smell of blood and a mess of corpses.

Fewer than a third of those who had been standing remained, everyone wounded and swaying on their feet.

Qin Feng leaned on his sword, panting heavily. Looking at Batu's mangled corpse, there was no joy in his heart, only heaviness. The Storm Pear Blossom Needles were ruined; he had one less trump card.

Xia Xue walked to his side. Looking at him and the survivors around them, her eyes were filled with sorrow and an indescribable resilience.

They had won, slaying a Martial King at an unimaginable cost.

But the battle in the sky was not yet over. The fate of Star South City remained uncertain.