360: Chapter 360 The Sword Formation Unleashed, Unstoppable

The air in front of the enemy ranks seemed to have frozen. On the wasteland three hundred yards away, torches formed a continuous line, casting a reddish glow onto the sandy ground. Yet beneath that red light, no one dared to take a single step forward.

The war drums had stopped, the insults had ceased, and even the wind seemed suppressed by something, blowing only in intermittent gusts.

On the high platform, the Nascent Soul Expert's face turned ashen as he stared fixedly at the ten-zhang tall mecha on the city wall, his throat bobbing.

Just as he was about to order the entire army to be on high alert, a muffled boom echoed as the heavy bronze gates of the Head of the Chen Family's Main City swung open from within!

A figure leaped onto the battlements, his long silver-white hair fluttering in the night wind. His longsword unsheathed half an inch at his waist, letting out a soft, clear chime.

It was Chen Xiaodao.

Standing on high, his gaze was like a blade, sweeping across the enemy's right wing—there, the Shield Cultivators had not yet closed ranks, and the Sorcerer Corps was still retreating to set up their formation. It was a clear weakness.

"They're afraid," he whispered. His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached the ears of the three hundred Sword Cultivators behind him clearly. "But they aren't completely in chaos yet."

He suddenly drew his sword, pointing the tip directly at the weak spot of the enemy's right wing, and shouted sternly, "Don't wait for the Family Head to act. We will tear the opening ourselves!"

"Kill—!"

A collective roar erupted behind him as thirty-six Star-Position Sword Cultivators stepped forward, moving according to the Big Dipper positions;

Seventy-two Arrowhead Sword Cultivators followed in formation, their spiritual power resonating in the air to condense into a phantom giant sword, a hundred zhang long, suspended over the battlefield!

"Form the array!" someone shouted.

"Channel the Qi back to the flow!"

"Sword Intent Resonance—Rise!"

In an instant, the spiritual power within the three hundred Sword Cultivators surged like rivers into the sea, pouring entirely into the array core.

Chen Xiaodao stood at the heart of the array, holding his sword high with both hands, the tip pointing toward the firmament as he bellowed, "Sword Array, strike!"

With a thunderous boom, the giant sword phantom pressed down violently, merging with the physical sword array to transform into a silver flash that tore through the night sky, charging straight into the enemy crowd!

Within the enemy ranks, the lieutenant was horrified: "Quick! Form a circular defensive array!"

But the order had just been given when the sword array arrived!

The front-row Shield Cultivators had just raised their spiritual shields when they felt an incomparable Aura of sharpness rushing toward them.

With a crack, spiderweb-like fractures appeared on the spiritual shields before they exploded with a bang!

"Ah—!" Before the screams could end, the vanguard of the sword array had already pierced through like a sharp cone through paper, plunging deep into the enemy's heartland!

"Shortswords break shields! Longswords pierce throats!" Chen Xiaodao sped through the array, his voice as cold as ice. "Don't give them a chance to breathe! Grind them down!"

The first wave of Sword Cultivators lunged forward low, their shortswords specifically seeking the gaps between shields. One strike to slit a throat, another to sever a wrist—efficient and ruthless.

The second wave followed closely behind, their longswords sweeping across, directly penetrating protective spiritual lights to cleave enemies in half at the waist!

Blood sprayed, dyeing the yellow sand red.

An enemy general roared as he summoned his Lifebound Treasure, but just as he was about to form a hand seal to counterattack, he suddenly felt the sky above him darken—

Looking up, he saw Chen Xiaodao flying through the air on his sword, diving down from above. His sword blade carried the afterimages of a falling star, accompanied by a piercing whistle of broken air!

"Die for me!"

"Scram!"

The two forces collided, and the protective spiritual light shattered like glass.

Chen Xiaodao's sword hacked down, cleaving the enemy general from shoulder to hip, splitting him in two from head to toe! Entrails spilled across the ground, steaming hot.

"It's Chen Xiaodao! That madman!" someone shrieked. "He doesn't care about his life! Run!"

Fear spread like a plague.

The previously orderly formation began to collapse.

Some turned and fled, some knocked over their comrades in the panic, and some sorcerers couldn't retract their spells in time, only to be injured by the backlash of their own spiritual power.

"Don't panic! Everyone stand your ground!" the lieutenant roared, hacking down a deserter with his blade. "Anyone who takes a step back will be executed without mercy!"

But before his words could finish, a sword light flashed, and his sword-wielding hand was severed at the wrist!

"Ah—!" He knelt on the ground and looked up to see Chen Xiaodao standing before him, sword dripping blood, his eyes indifferent.

"You... you can't kill me! I am a Golden Core Cultivator! I have a background—"

Slap!

A slap sent him spinning half a circle in place.

"You have no background now," Chen Xiaodao sneered. "There are only dead men and those about to die."

A flash of sword light, and the head rolled.

In the center of the battlefield, the sword array swept through like a storm, leaving corpses strewn everywhere in its wake. The enemy army completely collapsed, fleeing in all directions before the Nascent Soul Expert could even issue an order.

"Form the Fire Net Array! Block them!" Two Golden Core Cultivators gritted their teeth and joined forces. One performed a seal to draw fire, the other deployed talismans to form a net, instantly weaving a wall of blazing flames ten zhang high to block the path.

The flames churned, the heat waves oppressive.

Chen Xiaodao stopped and looked at the fire wall, the corners of his mouth curling up instead: "You still dare to set up an array?"

He kicked off the ground violently, his figure shooting out like lightning. The longsword in his hand split into three afterimages, tracing a 'Pin' character trajectory in the air!

"Break!"

The first afterimage stabbed toward the left Cultivator's Dantian, forcing a hurried parry; the second feinted toward the face, inducing him to raise his arm; the third, his true body, lunged forward, the sword tip piercing straight through the right Cultivator's Dantian!

Puchi!

Blood sprayed as the man's eyes widened. His Dantian was shattered, his cultivation entirely ruined!

The Cultivator on the left was terrified and turned to flee, but Chen Xiaodao had already spun around. With a backhand strike, the sword entered the back of the neck and exited through the forehead!

The two fell to the ground with a thud, and the Fire Net Array instantly disintegrated.

"Trash," Chen Xiaodao flicked the blood droplets off his sword and said coldly. "Is this all you've got?"

The Sword Cultivators behind him took the opportunity to expand the battle line, splitting into squads to mop up the remaining enemies. Some pursued the routed troops, some killed those putting up a desperate final stand, and others targeted the sorcerers specifically to prevent them from casting spells.

"You three hiding behind the tree, don't think I can't see you!" a young Sword Cultivator shouted. "Come out! Or I'll chop the tree down and use it for firewood!"

"Mercy! We surrender!"

"Surrender my foot!" He charged over with a sword strike. "The Chen Family doesn't take prisoners! Only heads!"

Chen Xiaodao stood atop a pile of corpses, surveying the surroundings.

The once aggressive enemy army was now scattering in flight, like a flock of lambs being chased by hounds.

The war drums had long gone silent, torches were discarded everywhere, and even the Nascent Soul Expert on the high platform had quietly slipped away at some point.

He slowly sheathed his sword and looked up toward the city walls.

There, the mecha stood silently, its eyes crimson, as if still waiting.

"Family Head..." he whispered. "I'll leave the rest to you."

As his words fell, he suddenly turned, a cold light returning to his eyes.

"Everyone, hear my command!" he shouted loudly. "Leave no survivors! Pursue them for thirty miles! Not a single one is to escape!"

"Yes!!!"

The roar shook the heavens as the Sword Cultivators charged once more, like a pack of tigers released from their cages, pouncing on the fleeing enemy.

On the sandy ground, blood flowed like a river, and sword shadows flashed like lightning.

Chen Xiaodao leaped up, using the shoulders, heads, and corpses of enemies as stepping stones. His figure glided across the battlefield like a falcon, heading straight for the enemy's core.

He saw a fellow in a black robe sneakily stuffing a Jade Slip into his robe, seemingly trying to take intelligence away.

"Want to leave?" He sneered. "It won't be too late to leave after you leave that behind."

A flash of sword light, and the man's arm was severed at the shoulder, the Jade Slip falling.

He landed and picked it up, crushing it instantly without even looking.

"Things belonging to the Chen Family aren't for the likes of you to take."

In the distance, the cries of the remnants rose and fell. Some knelt and begged for mercy, some fought back desperately, but most were simply fleeing by instinct.

But on this battlefield, there was no way out.

Only the sword.

Chen Xiaodao stood on a high slope, looking at the devastated battlefield. His breathing was slightly hurried, and his robes were stained with blood, yet he showed no signs of fatigue.

He raised his hand, wiping away a bloodstain splashed across his face, his gaze as sharp as ever.

"This is only the beginning."