Chapter 99: Three Men Defending a City

Chapter 99: Three Men Defending a City

Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao climbed up the city walls, both of them panting heavily.

Their minds were filled with questions.

"Are you guarding this city?" Zhang Sheng asked, his face full of excitement.

This was the site of a fierce battle in the Central Plains!

Out of the ten thousand eight thousand cities, one-third had already fallen to desolate lands.

Wuguicheng was also considered a semi-desolate land.

For more than a decade, Daxia had been unable to gather its troops and send them here.

Qi Yuan held a broken sword, feeling a bit regretful: "It's been some time, but unfortunately... we haven't encountered any demons."

"You're not a Daxia soldier, but a wandering hero?" Zhang Sheng looked at the city walls, which lacked the Daxia military flag, and instantly understood.

In this world, there were still many wandering heroes who bravely ventured to the Central Plains to join the battle.

And most of these heroes were cultivators.

Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao were far from being true cultivators; they were merely mediocre at best.

This time, only half of the cultivators had accompanied the army.

Unfortunately, they all perished at the hands of the demons.

"I guess I'm a wandering hero!" Qi Yuan didn't deny it.

"Can I plant the Daxia military flag here?" Zhang Sheng asked, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"This represents that Wuguicheng is still under Daxia's control." Zhang Sheng looked at Qi Yuan expectantly.

"Sure," Qi Yuan replied, his expression unreadable as he looked at these two NPCs.

Clearly, the aura of these two NPCs had grown very weak, and death was not far away.

However, the two men showed no fear of death; instead, they seemed excited.

Chen Jiao, standing nearby, heard Qi Yuan's permission and reached into his chest, pulling out a wrinkled military flag stained with blood. He carefully smoothed it out.

Zhang Sheng also helped, and the two of them acted as if they were performing a solemn task.

It was just a military flag being planted on the city walls, but the two men worked so hard that they were panting heavily.

The strong wind blew, kicking up dust, and the flag flapped loudly.

The two men gazed at the flag, their eyes filled with longing: "I wonder how long this flag will stand tall."

"It's a pity that General Yuan won't see the flag flying over Wuguicheng," Zhang Sheng sighed.

General Yuan was the leader of the Song Clan Army.

Facing the siege of hundreds of demons, he had slain dozens of enemies before succumbing to exhaustion and dying with his eyes still open, staring in the direction of Wuguicheng.

Zhang Sheng knew that General Yuan was a noble of Daxia and had even met the emperor.

Before their departure, General Yuan had said that if the flag couldn't be planted on the walls of Wuguicheng, Daxia would lose the city for twenty years, and Daxia would cease to exist.

Daxia would be completely incorporated into Da Sui, and they would jointly guard Galan City.

The two men sighed and then turned to Qi Yuan: "Sir, where are the demons in Wuguicheng?"

"There are quite a few roaming around, but I've slain them," Qi Yuan replied, sitting on the city walls as if passing the time idly.

In reality, he was also taking the time to carefully study and deeply comprehend the cultivation techniques he had obtained in the Canglan Realm.

One day in the Canglan Realm was equivalent to ten years here, and this time difference in the game needed to be utilized well.

The newly compiled Qi Yuan Canon, aside from cultivation, was full of flaws and problems.

Not only would his memory deteriorate, but his mind would also become chaotic.

He was deepening his comprehension to reduce the flaws in the Qi Yuan Canon.

Only when demons appeared would he take action; otherwise, he would sit on the city walls as if waiting.

"There must be over a hundred demons roaming Wuguicheng. Are you a cultivator? What's your cultivation level?" Chen Jiao asked without thinking, earning a glare from Zhang Sheng.

Chen Jiao realized his rudeness; he shouldn't have asked about a cultivator's cultivation level.

"Level 49, quite weak," Qi Yuan replied without hiding anything.

Chen Jiao was taken aback by this revelation.

Zhang Sheng felt that Qi Yuan was unwilling to reveal his true identity.

Night fell swiftly.

The entire world was about to plunge into darkness.

Qi Yuan looked up at the sky, which was pitch black.

"Hey, why is there no stars in the sky in this world?"

After arriving in Wuguicheng, Qi Yuan had discovered that every night, the world would turn as dark as ink.

There were no stars, nor any starlight.

"Stars in the sky? What do you mean?" Zhang Sheng was confused, not understanding Qi Yuan's words.

Upon hearing this, Qi Yuan realized that there were indeed no stars in the sky of this world.

Could it be that the stars in the sky had been devoured?

Qi Yuan grew excited as these thoughts crossed his mind.

"It's getting late, and you two aren't cultivators, so you can't stare at it for too long. Go find a place to sleep," Qi Yuan kindly reminded them.

"Okay," Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao replied, descending from the city walls.

As they took the final steps down, the two men turned in perfect unison and gazed deeply at the Daxia military flag fluttering in the night sky.

The next day, at dawn, Qi Yuan was still sitting on the city walls, immersed in the cultivation techniques of the Canglan Realm.

Occasionally, he would glance into Wuguicheng, where he could see two panting men working tirelessly to bury the white bones that littered the city.

Both men were heavily injured, and it seemed they didn't have many days left to live.

Yet, they continued to tirelessly move the bones.

In the evening, Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao climbed up the city walls, panting heavily, carrying a large wooden box with them.

"Young hero, would you like some wine?" The box was filled to the brim with wine.

As the wine jar was opened, a fragrant aroma filled the air, a mixture of sourness and wine.

Back on Blue Star, Qi Yuan had abstained from alcohol due to his illness.

He also wasn't accustomed to drinking.

"Thank you, but I don't drink. I go crazy when I do," Qi Yuan declined their offer.

"Ah, this wine is our Daxia's unique Daughter Fragrance.

Usually, when a daughter is born in Daxia, the family will bury a few jars of Daughter Fragrance.

Only when she gets married will they be taken out.

It's rare to drink it otherwise. Only the soldiers of Wuguicheng, when they go on expeditions, will have people lining the roads to offer wine," Chen Jiao explained as he poured a jar of Daughter Fragrance into his mouth, "If we don't drink it now, we might never get the chance again."

Zhang Sheng also picked up a wine jar and gulped it down: "If we don't drink it now, no one will."

The entire city walls were filled with the aroma of wine.

After finishing his drink, Zhang Sheng walked over to Qi Yuan: "Young hero, I've gathered many good things in the city.

This is a Blood Activating Pill, this is a Blood Nourishing Pill, and these are healing medicines. They should be useful for you. I've brought some along."

Qi Yuan looked at the bottles and jars that Zhang Sheng had collected: "Your injuries are severe. If you use up all the healing medicine here, you might be able to live a day or two longer.

"Thank you, young master, for your kindness." Zhang Sheng's face lit up with a shy smile as he spoke, "But with our two worthless lives, we could probably only exchange them for a couple of demons. These pills would be more useful to you, young master."

Qi Yuan extended his hand and took the Nurturing Blood Pill, "You can take the rest. I have no use for them."

"Young master..." Zhang Sheng wanted to persuade him further.

"Hmph! You're not being kind by giving me healing medicine. Are you cursing me to be injured?" Qi Yuan's disdain for the demons was evident. "These demons can't even hurt me. I find them adorable, like experience babies."

Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao, upon hearing this, found Qi Yuan's words somewhat incomprehensible. They didn't insist on giving the medicine to Qi Yuan.

The two of them could only cough and say, "Young master, you truly live up to your name."

Sitting atop the city wall, the two men drank and chatted.

"I wonder when the demon horde will appear here."

"It's a pity that we don't know how long the Great Xia's military flag can remain flying."

"Young master, why don't you leave while the demons haven't arrived? With your abilities, you could at least be a high-level commander. Leave Unyielding City and go to other cities; you might still have a chance to survive."

In the Flowing Wind Realm, cultivators were classified into five levels: Unranked, First Realm, Second Realm, Third Realm, Fourth Realm, and Fifth Realm.

The First Realm was known as the Unyielding Realm;

The Second Realm was the Overlord Realm, the ruler of a region;

The Third Realm was the Nation Guardian Realm, where one person could protect an entire nation;

The Fourth Realm was the Earth Myth Realm, a figure akin to a god;

And the Fifth Realm was the Supreme Realm, the most powerful existence in the world.

It was rumored that in the Ten Thousand Eight Thousand Cities, some cities housed Supremes.

Only such cities were truly impregnable, impenetrable by demons.

"I am the City Guardian of Unyielding City, and I won't leave," Qi Yuan declared.

Of course, Qi Yuan wouldn't leave.

The longer he guarded the city, the greater the rewards.

In the Moon Gazing Continent, he could gain experience by slaying monsters.

But to obtain treasures like fragments of the Heavenly Dao, he needed to clear instances.

The demons here were valuable for experience, but for Qi Yuan, they only provided experience.

"If the Great Xia's flag is hoisted in Unyielding City, the demons will know within a day, and within five days, their army will arrive here," Zhang Sheng explained.

"Of course, even without the flag, the demons will eventually learn about Unyielding City, but it will take longer."

Qi Yuan's eyes widened in realization, "Without the flag, the demons won't come here?"

He had been waiting for the demons, but they hadn't arrived because there was no flag?

"Yes, but it will take longer," Zhang Sheng replied, a bit puzzled. He proceeded to explain the situation to Qi Yuan.

"So, as long as the flag is here, the demon horde will arrive within five days?" Qi Yuan muttered to himself.

With this knowledge, he could control the timing of the demon horde's arrival and departure.

"That's right," Zhang Sheng confirmed.

Qi Yuan's gaze shifted between the two men, a hint of greed flashing in his eyes.

Their hearts raced, and Qi Yuan spoke, "Do you have any more flags? The more, the better."

"I... I do," Zhang Sheng said, not fully understanding but still producing several flags.

These flags had been found in the city and were conveniently collected.

"What do you need so many flags for, young master?" Zhang Sheng couldn't help but ask.

"One flag isn't enough. I need to guard this city for a long time," Qi Yuan explained honestly.

One day in the real world, nearly ten years in the game.

Zhang Sheng fell silent, wanting to persuade Qi Yuan to leave, but the words wouldn't come out.

Chen Jiao, on the other hand, didn't overthink it. He drank heartily, his face occasionally revealing a bold expression, "I never thought that I, Chen Jiao, would be able to die in this city alongside a figure like you, young master."

For him, the impending demon horde meant certain death within the city walls.

Qi Yuan shot Chen Jiao a glance, "You may die, but I won't.

Where have players truly died in games?"

It was the NPCs... too bad they don't respawn at fixed points.

Zhang Sheng quickly grabbed Chen Jiao's sleeve, "Young master, with your incredible skills, you'll make the demon horde run for the hills!"

Seeing this, Chen Jiao also began to flatter Qi Yuan.

Zhang Sheng's words revealed his deep admiration for Qi Yuan.

The demon horde was approaching, but the young master showed no intention of leaving.

This left Zhang Sheng with mixed feelings.

Knowing that one city couldn't be guarded, yet still choosing to stay.

Such audacity was truly admirable.

...

Great Xia.

Yuan Imperial Residence.

The Emperor, only sixteen years old, had been ruling for four years.

During this time, he had worked to balance the four directions, forming a cultivator army, and finally establishing the Song Clan Army, led by General Yuan, to be dispatched to Unyielding City.

At this moment, the Great Xia Emperor's youthful face lit up with hope as the imperial flag was finally hoisted atop the walls of Unyielding City.

The Ten Thousand Eight Thousand Cities were not just cities but also formations.

When the flag was raised on a city wall, the Dragon Chime in the Great Xia Imperial Palace would ring nine times.

If the flag fell, it would ring once.

Recently, the Dragon Chime had rung nine times.

The Emperor, in his haste, didn't even have time to put on his shoes before rushing to the ancestral hall.

Now, Unyielding City had returned to Great Xia.

This signified that Great Xia would have twenty more years of prosperity.

Otherwise, losing the city for twenty years would lead to the country's demise and annexation by Great Sui.

Even if annexed by Great Sui, they would still resist the demon horde.

The Emperor was filled with excitement, but upon seeing the tears in General Yuan's wife's eyes, his enthusiasm waned.

The Great Xia flag flew over Unyielding City, but when would their soldiers return?

In a few days, the demon horde would assault Unyielding City once more. How much longer could Unyielding City hold out?

The Great Xia Emperor didn't want to hear the bell tolling for the fall of Unyielding City" again.

...

In the following days, Qi Yuan often witnessed Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao staggering as they buried the remains of the fallen within the city.

The auras of the two men grew increasingly faint, their breaths hanging by a thread.

However, both seemed to be holding on, refusing to collapse.

"Cough, cough! If those demon hordes don't come soon, I'll die of boredom," Chen Jiao grumbled, sitting atop the city wall.

Zhang Sheng also knew his time was near, "Before I die, I must kill at least one demon!"

Only then would he feel it was worth it.

In the last few days, the two men didn't bother burying the corpses, instead, they kept a death grip on the Great Xia's military banner.

Time passed, and the ground began to shake.

The two men on the wall felt their spirits lift.

With difficulty, they stood up and looked out at the distant sandstorm.

Amidst the sand, nearly seven to eight hundred massive demons were charging towards them.

It was like a herd of elephants, with dust and sand flying everywhere.

Such a powerful demon legion would tear through any mortal army in an instant.

There was no way to defend Nowhere City against such formidable demons.

Zhang Sheng's face showed no fear as he lifted his bowl, "Let's drink this together!"

Chen Jiao also finished his drink in one gulp.

The bowl shattered on the ground with a crisp crack, breaking into seven or eight pieces.

"Damn it! Those demons are finally here!"

Zhang Sheng looked up at Qi Yuan with a hint of regret in his eyes.

This young hero had stayed, and now there was no chance of leaving.

Chen Jiao cursed, watching the charging demons, his voice cracking with emotion, "I want to go home. I came in a hurry and forgot to castrate the pig for my neighbor, Widow Li..."

Qi Yuan looked down at the demons, a faint smile in his eyes.

"Have they finally arrived?"

He gazed at the demon horde below, brandishing his broken sword and standing in the center of the wall.

After a moment's thought, he shouted, "I am the Warden of Nowhere City! Those who dare trespass will die!"

His voice boomed, echoing through the demon horde.

The demons paid no heed and charged straight towards Qi Yuan.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan's face turned cold, "Even though you're all mad and don't understand human speech, you still won't give me face? Then you're forcing me to take action."

He held his broken sword and leaped down from the wall.

The thirty-zhang-high wall was like flat ground to Qi Yuan.

Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao were stunned by this sight.

"It's a pity that we're not as strong as him. Jumping off this wall would mean certain death."

"Young hero, please slay the enemies! We two will accompany you on the road to the underworld!" Zhang Sheng shouted at the top of his lungs.

This shout seemed to use up all his energy, and after he finished, his entire being seemed to sag.

"Three together won't be lonely!" Chen Jiao also roared.

Qi Yuan heard this and was speechless. He slowly said, "You two, sit on the wall and watch how I'll slay these little monsters, one by one!"

"Before we die, being able to see the young hero slaughter demons... this life... isn't in vain!" Zhang Sheng's voice was intermittent.

At this moment, Qi Yuan held his long sword.

Nearly seven to eight hundred demons, like a stampeding herd of elephants, charged towards him.

Sand and dust filled the air, obscuring everything.

Qi Yuan stood atop the sand, his long hair and sleeves fluttering in the wind.

Heaven Splitting Sword Technique! In that instant, Qi Yuan unleashed his ultimate skill.

Although he was only level 49 now, his previous ultimate and minor skills still existed.

He was actually curious about something.

At his current level, would he gain new skills every ten or thirty levels?

Putting aside these thoughts, Qi Yuan focused entirely on slaying the demons.

"Kill!"

Qi Yuan leaped into the air, his broken sword descending with overwhelming might.

A single sword stroke from above seemed like a majestic statue toppling over.

Boom!

The sword energy rippled, splitting the sand in two. Over a hundred demons were swept by the sword energy, their bodies shattered and bloodied.

The slain demons instantly turned to dust.

With one strike, nearly a hundred demons were killed.

Qi Yuan held his broken sword and slowly walked towards the demon horde, "Little monsters, line up and let me cut you down."

On the wall, Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao stared with wide eyes.

What did they just witness? Nearly a hundred demons slain with one strike? This... this power... was too terrifying.

This wasn't just a commander, but a true overlord! An overlord who, if he went to Great Xia, could be immediately granted a fiefdom!

Zhang Sheng and Chen Jiao were utterly shocked.

They never imagined that this somewhat peculiar young hero was actually a legendary overlord.

The two looked on as Qi Yuan charged into the demon horde.

His broken sword was like the sharpest divine weapon in the world.

Every demon that passed by was struck by his sword.

"Kill!"

In Heaven's Edge, Qi Yuan slaughtered countless demons.

In Earth's Edge, he fought fiercely against nearly three thousand extra-dimensional demons.

His skills, especially his monster-slaying techniques, were honed to perfection.

And these demons, now organized into an army, were much easier to kill than the scattered demons in the city before.

His sword moved like a swimming dragon, slaying every demon in its path!

Kill, kill, kill!

The sandstorm obscured Qi Yuan's vision.

Alone with his broken sword, he defended the lonely city.

Charging into the demon horde, he went in and out three times.

Anyone who saw him, touched him, or made a sound was killed.

The powerful demon horde was annihilated by Qi Yuan alone, leaving no trace.

As dusk approached, Qi Yuan held his broken sword, his clothes spotless, and watched the last injured demon trying to escape.

"Don't run! Fight me fairly!"

"Oh, you're injured and don't want to fight?"

"I have a blood-reviving pill for you."

"I forgot, you're a skeleton demon, and blood won't help you."

The last skeleton demon died under Qi Yuan's sword.

Qi Yuan picked up his broken sword and gently blew on it, as he had done before, to remove the bloodstains from the previous battle.

The wind blew past, and Qi Yuan turned back, standing atop the vast desert.

It was a pity that there was only the desert, no solitary smoke, and no round setting sun on the long river.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end