Gu Chi looked at the border barrier, which had scattered into countless points of light.

The starlight struggled to emit its last faint glow.

The next instant, it was swept away by a violent gust of wind.

Gu Chi strained his eyes to see, but could only vaguely make out a figure standing in mid-air. Even from this distance, he could still feel the imposing aura emanating from the other person. Just standing there, he exuded the extreme pressure of a majestic pass: "One man can hold the pass against ten thousand. With such a powerful aura, I suppose this person is the twentieth-rank Marquis who attacked Shexing Pass?"

He immediately recalled the words he had heard before he was trapped in the dream.

He raised his hand, trying to stop Shen Tang from stepping forward.

This attempt, however, was in vain.

Gu Chi's hand passed through Shen Tang's shoulder.

He cried out urgently, "My lord, we must not go any further!"

He spread his arms to try and block it: "My lord!"

"My lord—"

"Stop right there!"

"Shen Youli! Stop!"

Shen Tang ignored his advice and instead gritted his teeth, ordering the speed to be increased again—anyone who disobeys or disobeys will be executed!

Gu Chi knew why she was in such a hurry.

Although Shexing Pass has fallen to the Northern Desert, as long as reinforcements arrive quickly and coordinate with the troops inside the pass before the Northern Desert can consolidate its position, it can still be recaptured. Even if it cannot be recaptured, she will still lead her troops to pose a threat to the rear of the Northern Desert, tying down their vanguard and preventing them from fully engaging the defenders of Shexing Pass, thus buying them valuable time to retreat.

A single moment's delay could mean the deaths of hundreds or thousands of people.

Gu Chi understood these principles; he knew the pros and cons better than anyone else.

However, what I see before me is just a dream.

The reality had already unfolded, and he couldn't undo it, but in his dream, he couldn't bear to watch it happen again. No matter how Gu Chi pleaded or tried to stop him, Shen Tang continued to do as he pleased. As the army marched swiftly, the image of Shexing Pass grew larger and clearer in their vision. The moment the border barrier shattered, the morale of the Northern Desert surged, soaring into the sky and coalescing into a massive, blood-red beastly figure. Though described as a wild beast, it stood upright, towering over a hundred feet tall.

Its eyes were scarlet, and its fangs were sharp.

Even more strangely, this beast was also wearing armor.

Breathing out, the flames never went out.

A colossal beast's head leaped over the walls of Shexing Pass, its gaping maw snapping open to devour the soldiers behind the battlements. Archers aimed at the beast's mouth, unleashing a volley of arrows, a torrent of arrows raining down on its jaws. The beast, its mouth pierced with arrows, roared in agony. The soldiers formed a defensive formation, but the roar was accompanied by sonic booms. The nearest defenses crumbled under the impact of the sonic booms, drowning out the screams before they could even register.

Puff puff puff—

It turned into wisps of blood mist and dissipated.

With its terrifying bite force, the behemoth chewed all the arrows in half, then swallowed them whole as pure energy. Its crimson eyes shone even brighter, and its long tongue shot out, swarming towards the ants below.

The next moment—

A sudden chill ran down my tongue.

The long tongue slammed into the city wall of Shexing Pass.

The blood-soaked warrior didn't hesitate. Using the giant beast's fangs for leverage, he narrowly escaped just as the beast angrily closed its jaws. His last kick even broke one of the fangs!

She landed before she could even regain her footing.

Large, dark clouds descended overhead.

It was an enlarged beast claw coming right at us!

This bear-like creature had four forelimbs! No, more than four! Two fleshy bulges rose high on the beast's shoulders and back, swelling to their maximum size in a few breaths. Then, with a soft "splash," two more forelimbs emerged from the bulges, growing and expanding wildly. These new forelimbs were covered in barbs and were noticeably longer and thicker than the previous ones!

It looks like both a bear and a spider.

What the hell is this thing?

At that critical moment, two ice pillars grazed her body, striking the descending beast's claws from behind. Without pausing, she swiftly retreated, dodging the danger zone.

Just as she escaped danger, the beast's claws, which had been hindered for a moment by the ice pillars, finally fell. With a deafening roar, debris flew everywhere, and ice shards mingled with dust, crashing into her face in the shockwave.

The blast wave almost blinded her.

The retreating defenders nearly lost their balance.

In the distance, she saw a figure covered in ice and snow charging towards the enemy in the sky. Outside Shexing Pass, Gu Chi also noticed this scene, his heart filled with even greater urgency. Looking up at the sky, he could only lament, "If it's my dream, can't it grant my wish just this once?"

Why can't he control his dreams?

Why must he witness it with his own eyes?

What exactly did they want from him? Did they want to see him collapse and lose his composure in the face of helplessness? Gu Chi was so angry he wanted to curse the heavens! But no matter how much his emotions fluctuated, or how harsh his curses were, what was going to happen continued to unfold in an orderly fashion. Yun Ce, already greatly weakened, couldn't even last ten moves against a 20th-rank Marquis.

The other person was gripping his throat with one hand.

He casually tossed his hand aside.

Yun Ce's body crashed into the city wall of Shexing Pass like a cannonball.

His internal organs were nearly shattered by the impact, and many bones were broken and displaced. Having done all this, the twentieth-rank Marquis didn't spare him a second glance, his indifferent gaze sweeping towards the direction outside Shexing Pass. There, a dark mass of Kang Kingdom troops was rapidly approaching.

He spotted one of them immediately.

Gu Chi trembled all over.

For some reason, even though this person's aura was clearly locked onto his master, Gu Chi had the illusion that he was being seen by the other party.

Before he could ponder this illusion, Gongxi Chou, who had been following his lord, slapped his horse's back and leaped into the air, heading straight for the enemy who was charging at him—the twentieth-rank Marquis!

Gong Xichou, with his loud voice, started by mocking and provoking.

[Oh, so the coward has finally been let out?]

[I thought you were a spineless old coward, afraid of death, only daring to send a mere martial arts avatar as a troublemaker. Hahaha, I didn't expect you to be a man after all. Now that the real you is here, even better, I'll kill you and eliminate the trouble once and for all!]

Gu Chi can do nothing but watch now.

Gong Xichou's words successfully enraged him.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "Gongxi Feng'en, you idiot!"

What could Gongxi Chou possibly use to kill the twentieth-rank Marquis Che?

That's not how you use the phrase "losing the game but not the morale."

Even the 20th-rank Marquis Che was not angered by Gongxi Chou's few words.

He looked extremely young, except for his white hair and eyes that held a cold indifference born of experience; his outward appearance was that of a young man in his early twenties. He remained calm in the face of Gong Xi Chou's provocation, raising his hand to conjure an ice spear that swept past Gong Xi Chou.

There is only one target: Shen Tang!

Faced with a massive army, Shen Tang naturally wouldn't back down.

He replied, "You've come at the perfect time!"

Together with Gongxi Chou, they lured away the 20th-rank Marquis Che.

It would be easier to gather a large army to deal with Yunda, but this would delay the speed of reinforcements. Given the current strength of the Northern Desert, it's uncertain how many of the twenty or thirty thousand soldiers guarding Shexing Pass could survive. Even if a rank twenty Chehou is strong, he can still escape if he can't defeat him.

As long as time is delayed, there is still a chance to turn the situation around.

Gong Xichou: [Mommy, I can do it!]

Shen Tang: [Don't talk nonsense!]

With the two of them working together, if they couldn't win, they could escape, keeping Yun Da at bay. What difference was there between letting Gong Xichou deal with Yun Da alone and sending him to his death? In the rush, only a military order was left behind.

[Shao Xuan, continue marching!]

The 20th-rank Marquis had only one evaluation of this.

[A desperate last stand, a death throes.]

The spear tip pierced straight into Chen Tang's face.

Shen Tang thought he had narrowly escaped, but was shocked to find his cheeks numb with cold, his blood frozen into ice shards by an extremely cold aura. The ice spread from the wound! Without hesitation, Shen Tang used his powerful martial energy to disperse it.

The chill that made your soul freeze and your back teeth chatter finally subsided; if you had been a step or two slower, your head would have frozen solid.

[Damn it, why does he get to fight with enchanted items?!]

Is being a rank 20 Marquis really that impressive?

The chill recedes, followed by the spread of heat.

Half of her face burned and itched, as if someone were burning her face with a candle, but she couldn't afford to be distracted at the moment and could only endure the discomfort. Shen Tang could force herself to endure it, but Gu Chi couldn't. Because he was shocked to find that he had the same sensation on his face as well.

He raised his hand to touch his face.

My burning cheeks could clearly feel the coolness coming from my fingertips.

This perception belongs to the Lord.

Could it be that I'm not entering my own dream?

"Is this dream actually the Lord's dream?"

"Or is it a dream of someone who experienced this day?"

This is the only explanation that makes sense.

If it were truly his own dream, with such intense emotional fluctuations, he would have woken up long ago. How could he possibly be trapped in a dream?

He turned his gaze to Gong Xichou.

Gongxi Chou and his lord joined forces to lure away the invading 20th-rank Marquis, fighting and retreating, with Gu Chi forced to follow. At this moment, they could no longer see their main force; only three remained nearby: their lord, Gongxi Chou, and the 20th-rank Marquis. In other words, he was either trapped in his lord's dream or in Gongxi Chou's dream? This conjecture was undoubtedly a shot in the arm, rekindling his hope.

He didn't have much interaction with Gong Xichou, so it was impossible for him to enter the other's dream for no reason, leaving only one possibility.

"Is this the Lord's dream?"

"Is the Lord still alive?"

The martial artists from the teahouse did not personally go to the battlefield.

Their claim of "death" is merely hearsay and may not be true; there is likely some misunderstanding involved.

This thought eased Gu Chi's anxiety slightly.

As long as our lord is alive, everything is fine.

Perhaps having found the answer in his heart, Gu Chi no longer felt as hopeless as before when he looked at the battle situation. He even noticed details he had previously ignored, and his brows furrowed more and more as he looked. The movements, techniques, and even the aura of this 20th-rank Marquis were too similar to Yun Ce's.

No, it should be said that Yun Ce is like him, they are of the same lineage.

Gu Chi recalled the background of Yun Ce and his fellow disciples.

"He was Yuanmou's teacher."

"...They really don't hold back."

If I remember correctly, Yun Ce was just severely injured by this person.

It's unclear whether Yun Ce has any chance of survival in that situation.

Gu Chi gradually calmed down and analyzed the current situation one by one. The Northern Desert currently has two major combat forces: the 20th-rank Marquis Chehou himself has appeared at Shexing Pass, while the other, Gong Cheng, is nowhere to be found.

Given the cunning of the Northern Desert, they couldn't possibly miss this golden opportunity.

I'm afraid things aren't peaceful at Zhuyue Pass right now either.

With its main force guarding Yaori Pass, Beimo shouldn't move; they don't have enough troops to do so either. However, he hadn't heard news of Zhuyue Pass's fall before he fainted, so it's highly likely it held. Thinking of the garrison, his lips twitched slightly.

Xun Hanzhang.

With Xun Zhen, this big spender, around, as long as he drains the lord's private treasury fast enough and overdrafts enough money, the Northern Desert really can't crack this tough nut. Saving money for a thousand days is for spending it all in one moment; as long as it comes in handy at the crucial moment, that's all that matters. Gu Chi sighed, looking at his lord who was still struggling: "My lord, you'd better wake up soon. Han Zhang is such a big spender; if you don't wake up, who's going to pay off his debts?"

Upon hearing this, the dream visibly paused for a moment.

It was also quite a coincidence that the card was issued.

Gu Chi could clearly see the strong wind hitting Gong Xi Chou's cheeks, his facial features distorted, and his face rippling like waves—a grotesque sight.

He raised his hand to his forehead, lowered his head, and pursed his lips.

"Ahem, I shouldn't have laughed..."

The dream then paused again.

It was these two details that convinced Gu Chi that the dream belonged to the master; if it were Gong Xi Chou, the dream would have been furious with him long ago.

Yun Da truly lives up to his reputation as a renowned 20th-rank Marquis.

only--

Even though Gongxi Chou was covered in blood, he still couldn't resist taunting: "Old Deng, are you nearing your end? It took you so long to deal with the two of us, even at the twentieth rank of Marquis Che? Breaking through the barrier wasn't easy, was it? Did our clan's sages cause you to stumble?"

"Shut up!" Shen Tang cursed. Yun Da was focused on killing her, so Gong Xi Chou faced less pressure. He couldn't draw aggro with his taunts, and the boss's damage output was all on her side. If this were a game, Gong Xi Chou would be the worst tank ever.

Gu Chi felt something was wrong the more he looked at it.

As far as he knew, the gap between martial artists in the last three or four realms widened significantly. In a one-on-one situation, while a lower-level martial artist wouldn't be killed by a higher-level one in a few moves, it would be extremely difficult for them to overcome a higher-level opponent. The difference in the amount of natural power they could draw upon was immense. While the combined strength of the Lord and Gongxi Chou was indeed formidable, it shouldn't have been enough to hold their opponent back for so long. Something was amiss.

Judging from Yunda's posture, he doesn't seem to be holding back.

Why was the Lord's heart ripped out?

Gu Chi knew what was going to happen, but he didn't know when it would happen, and every minute and every second in between was torture.

finally--

Yunda rarely spoke up.

He charged straight at Shen Tang.

Do you know why I've only come now?

Gongxi Chou's halberd traced an almost impossible arc, its long shaft poised to rebound, and with tremendous force, it slammed into Yun Da's chest.

Yun Da said calmly, "[To obtain something.]"

Gu Chi asked himself, "What is it?"

Yun Da didn't answer; instead, a piercing pain, as if his heart were shattering, overwhelmed him. The pain came so suddenly that Gu Chi, in agony, half-knelt on the ground, his neck stubbornly stretched out, head held high, his gaze fixed on Shen Tang, his pupils suddenly contracting—

puff--

Something has seeped into the flesh and blood.

A hand pierced through Shen Tang's heart from behind.

To be precise, it was Yunda's hand.

Two, Yunda!

The two look exactly alike!

This scene enraged Gong Xichou, who was also unexpectedly struck in the shoulder, the sound of bone cracking echoing through the air. He paid no heed to his injury, using it to buy himself a chance to escape.

Catching Shen Tang's body: [Mama!]

Shen Tang's face was contorted in pain.

For a moment, no sound could be made.

He managed to squeeze out a sentence, albeit haltingly.

[Old man, Deng, you son of a bitch, you ambushed me...]

The two Yun Das merged into one, their aura increasing dramatically. However, unexpectedly, he didn't kill them all. Instead, he stood there, looking down at Gong Xichou and the other man. Or rather, he looked down at Shen Tang, his cold eyes revealing no killing intent.

Once you die, everything will return to normal.

The world doesn't need someone as superfluous as you.

A self-righteous savior.

As he spoke, he raised the object in his hand.

That thing was grayish-brown.

It is shaped like a dagger, but is made of wood.

Gong Xiqiu felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar at just one glance.

Born into the Gongxi clan, he was all too familiar with this kind of wood. What was the connection between this thing and the high priest's unique wooden staff? He opened his mouth to question it, but his internal organs were out of whack, and he only vomited foul blood. Yunda looked down at the two of them: [It's over.]

He raised his hand to gather strength.

He channeled his martial energy into the strange dagger.

The dagger flew from his hand and shot straight at Shen Tang's face.

Without a second thought, Gu Chi scrambled to his feet, chanting an incantation in his mind, and used his fastest reflexes and speed to block the path. Even though he knew it was all just a dream, he couldn't bear to witness his lord being murdered with his own eyes!

bite--

Gu Chi stared in astonishment at the dagger that had been blocked.

I can handle the actual objects again?

He soon realized he was overthinking things.

The dagger stopped in mid-air on its own; it had nothing to do with him. But it did have something to do with someone else who suddenly appeared on the battlefield—

Gong Xichou's eyes widened: [Big Brother?]

Ji Moqiu, who appeared out of nowhere, was also caught off guard.

There was another person who was also confused.

Shen Tang clutched her open chest, and with each gasp, blood gushed from the hole. Despite such massive blood loss and the loss of her heart, she was still alive. Not only was she not dead, but her expression was contorted as she asked, "What happened?"

He had clearly used his last strength to summon the Martial Spirit Totem.

The Warrior's Totem is unreliable, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Shen Tang didn't dare to rely on this thing too much.

This time, we were also thinking of trying anything as a last resort.

Her Martial Spirit Totem is related to the High Priest of the Gongxi Clan. If she can summon it, she can at least take Gongxi Chou away. The Gongxi Clan is down to only a handful of people; losing even one would be a huge loss.

Having exploited Gong Xichou as a sacred object and reaped his combat power for so long, this can be considered his final act of kindness.

Perhaps this can give Gong Xichou a glimmer of hope.

The Warrior Totem did respond.

But the high priest who came out was different from her expectations. It was not the one she was familiar with, but the elder brother Gongxi Chou, who said he would be back in "one or two days at the shortest, three or five days at the longest"—Ji Moqiu.

Ji Moqiu frowned as he looked at Shen Tang's wound, and earnestly explained to her: "I was on my way here."

The world changed without warning.

Yunda narrowed his eyes dangerously and gave a sneer.

What's the difference between two or three?

Ji Moqiu showed him through his actions that there really is a difference.

Because he would lead people to escape.

The teacher earnestly advised that if you encounter someone you can't beat, don't force it; running away is the best option. The disheveled state of King Shen and Anian must have been caused by the person before them. He knew at a glance that he couldn't defeat Yun Da; the opponent's aura was far stronger than last time.

ヾ(ゞ)

This chapter should be a bit longer.