https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-97-The-Radiant-Palace-s-Dominance/13024530/
Chapter 98: The Game Begins, A Solitary Soldier in No Return City
Chapter 98: The Game Begins, A Solitary Soldier in No Return City
A massive city fell.
The entire city was in ruins, with broken walls and rubble everywhere.
Inside the city, only scattered remnants of thousands of demons wandered aimlessly.
The ground was covered in white bones, and no one had come to build tombs.
No one knew whose beloved son these bones belonged to.
A month later, a large human army once again rushed to this city. After a fierce battle, they captured the city.
The commander, with a blood-stained scar on his face that looked particularly eerie, drank with his generals.
Five days later, the demon horde attacked again.
The city fell once more.
The fire raged for two months, and then another human army arrived.
Unfortunately, the fate that awaited them was the same—total annihilation.
Later, yet another human army came, only to meet the same fate.
After that, Qi Yuan stood alone on the city wall. For over a decade, no human army had set foot in this city.
He gazed upon the city filled with white bones.
"The moment a soldier steps into this city, their lifespan begins a countdown. No one can survive more than ten days."
"Is my task now to guard this solitary city?"
Qi Yuan stood alone in the desolate city, looking up at the towering walls, pockmarked and scarred with sword marks.
A sense of vastness and desolation washed over him.
On the city wall, the words "No Return City" were written.
Qi Yuan glanced at himself, "Level 45?"
In the game, he was indeed level 45.
Unlike the first time he entered, when he was only level 1, Qi Yuan guessed that level 45 was similar to the late Foundation Establishment stage.
His strength in the Vast Wave Realm was reflected in his level within the game.
"Level 45, not bad. I can start slaying monsters."
A smile appeared in Qi Yuan's eyes.
By killing monsters in the game, his character would level up.
And this cultivation would, to a certain extent, benefit his real-life cultivation, causing it to rise rapidly.
He enjoyed this feeling.
"It's a pity I don't have a suitable weapon," Qi Yuan said to himself.
It seemed he had entered the game alone.
But in an instant, he froze.
"Xiao Jia?"
He suddenly realized that on his chest was the mark of Xiao Jia.
Had Xiao Jia followed him into the game?
"Xiao Jia!" Qi Yuan called out.
Instantly, Xiao Jia's figure appeared beside Qi Yuan.
She wore a blood-red bridal gown, looking incredibly enchanting.
Xiao Jia, shy and timid, looked bewildered at her surroundings.
But when she saw Qi Yuan, she seemed reassured and tightly held onto his arm.
Qi Yuan smiled, "In ancient times, scholars had red-sleeved companions for their night studies.
Now, I, Qi Yuan, have a bridal gown companion as I guard this solitary city."
With this thought, Qi Yuan felt the game become more enjoyable.
At that moment, the demons roaming the city seemed to notice Qi Yuan and rushed towards him, howling madly.
For these demons, tearing apart all humans was their instinct.
Hundreds of them, with hideous faces, resembled various terrifying monsters. Their massive bodies charged towards Qi Yuan.
"Xiao Jia!" Qi Yuan shouted.
Fellow Warrior!
Instantly, a blood-red firefly merged into Qi Yuan's body, and a blood-red armor covered him from head to toe, tightly and securely.
His height increased to ten meters, resembling a terrifying blood-red monster.
Qi Yuan waved his hand, and a broken sword fell into his grasp.
The broken sword immediately grew larger and longer, covered in blood-red.
At this moment, the broken sword looked like a red heavy ruler.
Qi Yuan grinned, revealing sharp teeth, "Little monsters, the hunt begins again!"
He was like a heavy mech, crashing into a dinosaur park.
Those demons with flesh and blood were no match for him.
"Kill!"
With one swing of his sword, dozens of demons met their demise.
+40.
+20.
+10.
Countless experience points poured in, and Qi Yuan became like a demon god, slaying without end.
Wherever he went, it turned into hell, and all demons who encountered him had only one fate—death.
In ten days, Qi Yuan single-handedly swept through the entire solitary city.
At this moment, Qi Yuan leaned against a half-collapsed wall, breathing heavily.
"Finally, there are no more demons in No Return City."
All the demons had been annihilated by him alone.
And his level had risen to 49.
Gaining four levels in ten days was a very fast pace.
Just then, a prompt entered Qi Yuan's ear.
[Demon extermination successful, obtained Key Fragment x1.]
[Begin guarding No Return City, the longer the guard time, the richer the rewards.]
[If demons enter No Return City, the guard state will fail.]
Hearing these prompts, Qi Yuan's expression relaxed.
"Who says this world isn't a game?"
"It is a game."
Qi Yuan held the broken sword, embraced Xiao Jia, and the two of them sat on the city wall.
Looking out, yellow sand filled the sky, and strong winds blew from time to time, stirring up dust and occasionally revealing rusted broken swords.
Qi Yuan held Xiao Jia close as they admired the vast desert landscape together. Sometimes, when the wild winds swept through, he would stand in front of Xiao Jia to shield her. On other nights, when the moonlight was enchanting, he would dig a pit and sleep with Xiao Jia under the city walls.
Whenever demons approached, he would undoubtedly sense their presence and slay them with a single sword strike.
"I wonder when the next wave of monsters will attack the city," Qi Yuan mused.
One day, Qi Yuan and Xiao Jia sat on the city walls, a mix of anticipation and indifference in their eyes. They hoped that a small, clever demon wouldn't slip into the city, rendering his defense useless.
Without demons, he couldn't gain experience by slaying them.
In the distance, across the vast desert, two figures caught Qi Yuan's attention. They were clad in tattered armor and seemed to be approaching from the desert.
From afar, Zhang Sheng gazed upon the majestic city walls, his eyes glistening with emotion. "We've finally arrived," he said, his voice filled with relief.
Beside Zhang Sheng stood Chen Jiao, his arm severed, his face ashen. He handed a water bag to Zhang Sheng.
"Brother Sheng, drink this water, and let's capture Unyielding City together!" Zhang Sheng declared.
This water bag contained their last remaining water.
As part of the reinforcement army for Unyielding City, the Song Clan Army consisted of 1,723 soldiers.
The commanding general, Li Huan, was once a renowned figure in Great Xia.
Unyielding City had been lost to Great Xia for over a decade.
It was one of the Ten Thousand Eight Thousand Cities that had fallen.
Half a year ago, the ruler of Great Xia had exhausted the nation's resources to assemble an army of white-haired veterans to reclaim Unyielding City.
Unfortunately, on their journey, they encountered a massive demon army.
In the ensuing clash, only Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao managed to escape with their lives, waking up amidst a pile of corpses.
Despite their severe injuries, they were determined to reach Unyielding City and plant the military banner of Great Xia atop its walls.
As long as the banner stood, Unyielding City would remain a part of Great Xia for one more day.
It wouldn't be considered completely lost.
If demons occupied the city for over a century, it would be forever lost to humanity.
Unless it was recaptured and held for a century.
This was an incredibly difficult task.
Those who ventured to Unyielding City had no way back, not even for supplies.
In Great Xia, a saying was passed down: "When you set foot on the road to Unyielding City, your lifespan is reduced to just one more month."
"It's a pity that the military banner can't stay atop Unyielding City forever," Chen Jiao said, his face filled with disappointment.
He was originally a butcher in town, and his family had been butchers for generations.
His cousin and father both perished in Unyielding City.
He was the only one left in his family.
Zhang Sheng, on the other hand, was a constable in town, and his father was the chief constable.
For Chen Jiao, Zhang Sheng was like a golden key, born into privilege.
Zhang Sheng had always dreamed of being a wandering hero, riding on horseback in fine clothes," he said.
This time, Zhang Sheng, against his father's advice, secretly joined the army and arrived here.
Looking at Unyielding City, Zhang Sheng's eyes lit up with excitement. "Unyielding City has been lost to Great Xia for over a decade. As long as we plant the military banner on the city walls, the soldiers and citizens of Great Xia will be filled with righteous indignation!"
Zhang Sheng's grandfather had also perished in Unyielding City.
He was the youngest in his family, and his older brother took care of their father, which is why he came here.
Both men were severely injured, and as they spoke, blood trickled from the corners of their mouths.
"To be able to bury the remains of our Great Xia ancestors who still have their dignity, I have no regrets in this life," Chen Jiao said. Despite his humble butcher background, he had always been fond of refined language.
"The only regret is that we can't erect a tomb for our ancestors," Zhang Sheng said, drawing his broadsword and his eyes hardening with determination.
Upon entering Unyielding City, they would undoubtedly face a demon onslaught.
Death was certain, and even without the demons, their injuries would claim their lives within ten days.
Suddenly, Zhang Sheng's eyes widened in shock. "How is there someone on the city walls?"
Chen Jiao was equally stunned, his expression one of disbelief.
Unyielding City had been lost for over a decade; how could there be anyone left?
Could it be an illusion? Weren't all the inhabitants of Unyielding City demons?
The two men exchanged glances, unable to comprehend the situation.
"Let's go take a look."
Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao hurriedly quickened their pace towards Unyielding City.
The closer they got, the more astonished they became.
The city was eerily quiet, devoid of the expected demon roars.
This contradicted the information they had received.
Logically, Unyielding City should have been overrun by demons.
Yet, on the city walls, a figure in dark attire, seemingly holding a broken sword, became increasingly visible.
He sat calmly on the walls, his body frail but unmistakably human.
"Who... who are you?" Chen Jiao mustered the courage to ask.
The figure on the walls stirred, his gaze fixed on the two men. "I am the Governor of Unyielding City!" he said, his voice steady.
Chen Jiao and Zhang Sheng were stunned, their hearts filled with awe.
Could it be that, after all these years, Unyielding City had not completely fallen?
Was there still a citizen of Great Xia, alone with a broken sword, sitting on the walls, guarding the city?
"I am Zhang Sheng of the Song Clan Army!"
"I am Chen Jiao of the Song Clan Army!"
Qi Yuan, upon hearing this, turned his gaze to the two men, a question in his eyes.
"Are you supposed to be NPCs guarding this place?"
PS: Inspired by historical events, the Great Tang's "Ten Thousand Miles, One Solitary City, All White-Haired Soldiers."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
