Xiao Yichen, Lin Wan'er, and the reinforcements raced through the wilderness, following the hoofprints. The wind howled in their ears, and the dust blurred their vision, but their eyes remained fixed on the direction Murong Xuan had fled. Each hoofbeat was like a war drumbeat in their hearts, urging them to speed up and not let this culprit escape.
After a long chase, the hoofprints gradually faded, and the surrounding environment became increasingly desolate. However, thanks to their keen tracking skills, they did not lose sight of their target. Behind a patch of tangled bushes, they discovered some new clues—a few discarded items, including masks characteristic of men in black and strips of cloth bearing mysterious markings identical to those they had seen in the warehouse.
“Murong Xuan must be nearby. He may have changed his route here, or reunited with his men.” Xiao Yichen reined in his horse and carefully observed the surrounding environment. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s, not missing a single detail.
Lin Wan'er closed her eyes and used her mind-reading ability to try to sense if there were any enemy presences around her. After a moment, she opened her eyes and pointed to a valley in front of her: "General Xiao, I sense a lot of complex emotions over there, tension and anticipation. The enemy may be active in the valley."
The group galloped towards the valley, slowing their pace and dismounting as they approached. A mysterious aura permeated the valley, the surrounding mountains standing like silent guardians, protecting its unknown secrets. They stealthily entered the valley and witnessed a shocking scene.
Numerous tents were set up within the valley, with men in black moving busily among them. In the center of the valley stood a massive, circular stone platform, its surface inscribed with strange runes and patterns that emitted a faint glow, seemingly imbued with mysterious power. Beside the platform were several large wooden barrels filled with a black liquid, bubbles constantly rising to its surface, emitting a pungent odor similar to the pollutants previously discovered at the capital's water source.
“These wooden barrels and liquid… Do they intend to pollute the capital’s water supply again?” Lin Wan’er exclaimed in a low voice.
Xiao Yichen's face was grim; he knew the situation was far more serious than he had imagined. They continued their observation and discovered a complex network of pipes around the stone platform, leading to all directions of the valley, several of which extended towards the capital. At the pipe junctions, several men in black were adjusting valves and instruments, their movements extremely cautious, as if performing a highly precise operation.
"It seems this is another scheme by Murong Xuan outside the water source. These pipes may directly transport pollutants to other water sources in the capital, and may even affect the underground water veins. Once they activate this device, the capital will suffer a catastrophic disaster," Xiao Yichen analyzed.
On one side of the tent, they saw a huge map, meticulously marking the distribution of water sources in and around the capital, including some little-known underground rivers and wells. Each water source was specially marked, the colors and symbols corresponding to the small flags they had seen earlier in the warehouse sand table. Clearly, Murong Xuan had conducted in-depth research on the capital's water system; this layout was a meticulously planned conspiracy.
“They planned this so meticulously, we must find a way to sabotage this device and stop them.” Lin Wan’er clenched her fist, her eyes flashing with determination.
However, the enemy was numerous and heavily guarded. Sentries were stationed around the camp, and the entrance and exit of the valley were heavily guarded. Approaching the stone platform and the sabotage device would be no easy task.
After observing for a while, Xiao Yichen discovered that the enemy's patrol routes followed a certain pattern. Every so often, a group of men in black would patrol from one side of the camp to the other, and during these patrols, there were several key weak points in the defense.
“We can take advantage of the gaps in the enemy patrols and go around to the stone platform from that hillside,” Xiao Yichen said, pointing to a hillside.
They moved cautiously up the hillside, trying to avoid the enemy's sight. On the hillside, they discovered some hidden traps, including tripwires and mechanisms with spikes. These traps were cleverly placed; if accidentally triggered, they would alert the enemy.
"Everyone be careful, there's a trap here," Xiao Yichen whispered a warning.
They carefully bypassed the traps and continued towards the stone platform. As they approached a tent near the platform, they suddenly heard voices coming from inside.
“This time we must ensure absolute success. The master has high hopes for this plan. As long as we successfully activate the device, the capital's water supply will completely collapse, and Rong Kingdom will fall into chaos,” a hoarse voice said.
“Yes, but we can’t let our guard down. Xiao Yichen has been sabotaging our plans, so we have to be wary of him,” another voice replied.
"Hmph, if he dares to come, we'll make sure he doesn't leave alive. We've set up so many traps and manpower here, he won't be able to escape," the man with the hoarse voice said confidently.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er exchanged a glance. They knew the enemy was on guard, but they had no intention of retreating. Just then, the people inside the tent seemed to hear the commotion outside and prepared to come out to investigate.
"Quick, hide!" Xiao Yichen whispered. They quickly hid behind a pile of miscellaneous items next to the tent.
Two men in black emerged from the tent, weapons in hand, warily scanning their surroundings. One of them approached the direction where Xiao Yichen and the others were hiding. Xiao Yichen clenched his fist, preparing to subdue the man as he drew near. Just as the man was a few steps away, a commotion erupted in the distance. A wild rabbit had triggered an enemy trap, setting off an alarm. Hearing the alarm, the men in black immediately ran towards the source of the disturbance.
"This is truly a stroke of luck! Let's hurry!" Xiao Yichen said. Taking advantage of the opportunity, they quickly ran towards the stone platform.
When they reached the stone platform, they found that the runes on it were flashing even more intensely, as if foreshadowing some impending danger. The black liquid in the wooden barrels also began to churn, as if driven by some force.
“These runes and liquid seem to be controlled by a special kind of energy. We need to find the source of that control first,” Lin Wan’er said.
They searched around the stone platform and found a control panel hidden in the grass. The control panel had some strange buttons and levers, each engraved with different markings. These markings looked like an ancient script that neither Xiao Yichen nor Lin Wan'er could understand.
"What should we do? If we operate it haphazardly, we might activate the device prematurely," Lin Wan'er said anxiously.
Xiao Yichen stared at the control panel, pondering a solution. He recalled seeing similar symbols in ancient texts and enemy-leftover documents during his previous investigations. While not identical, they might share some commonalities. He closed his eyes, trying to recall those hazy memories, attempting to find a way to crack the control panel.
Just as they were worrying about the control panel, the enemy discovered their movements near the stone platform. The men in black swarmed around them, and another fierce battle erupted. Xiao Yichen and his reinforcements quickly formed a defensive formation and engaged the enemy in combat. Lin Wan'er protected the control panel while simultaneously attempting to use her mind-reading ability to sense the enemy's movements and provide early warnings for Xiao Yichen and the others.
During the battle, Xiao Yichen discovered that these men in black were far more ferocious than those he had encountered before. Their weapons seemed to be coated with poison; any cut would quickly turn black and swell. Moreover, the enemy's coordination was much better; they employed an encirclement tactic, attempting to trap Xiao Yichen and his companions near the stone platform.
"Everyone be careful, their weapons are poisoned!" Xiao Yichen shouted a warning.
He brandished his sword, trying to avoid direct contact with the enemy's weapons while searching for weaknesses. In the fierce battle, he discovered a relatively weak point in the enemy's encirclement on the west side, where the number of men in black was smaller and their movements were slightly slower.
“We’ll break out from the west and head towards the camp over there; there might be more clues about this device there,” Xiao Yichen shouted.
They concentrated their forces and broke through to the west. After a fierce battle, they finally broke through the enemy's encirclement and ran towards their camp. The enemy pursued them relentlessly, and for a time, the valley was filled with shouts of battle.
When they stormed into the camp, they found it filled with various documents and blueprints. These documents and blueprints detailed the enemy's entire plan, including the structural principles of the device, the meaning of the runes, and how to control and activate this system to launch a devastating attack on the capital's water supply.
"Great! With these, we have a way to thwart their plot!" Lin Wan'er said excitedly.
Before they could even study the documents carefully, the enemy stormed into the camp. A fiercer hand-to-hand combat ensued, and they had to fight while simultaneously deciphering the crucial information in the documents to find a way to disable the device; otherwise, the people of the capital would be plunged into an abyss of no return. In this critical moment of life and death, every decision concerned the fate of countless people.
A tense atmosphere filled the tent, the sounds of clashing swords echoing incessantly. Xiao Yichen knew that every moment's delay could allow Murong Xuan's conspiracy to succeed, plunging the capital into utter ruin. While fiercely battling the black-clad men who rushed in, he shouted to Lin Wan'er, "Wan'er, you decipher the documents first, I'll hold them off!"
Lin Wan'er quickly gathered the documents and blueprints together and hid in a corner of the tent. Her eyes scanned the documents anxiously, trying to find the key information about the sabotage device as soon as possible. The documents contained a lot of ancient rune interpretations and complex mechanical diagrams, but she knew that she bore the heavy responsibility of saving the capital and could not afford to be negligent in the slightest.
Xiao Yichen and his reinforcements stood back to back, engaging the enemy in a desperate battle. His swordsmanship was incredibly sharp, each strike precisely aimed at the enemy's vitals. However, the enemy continued to pour into the camp, and they gradually became overwhelmed. One of the reinforcements was slashed by an enemy's poisoned sword, his face instantly turning bluish-purple, and he collapsed to the ground. Seeing this, a surge of anger ignited in Xiao Yichen's heart. He roared, his swordsmanship becoming even more ferocious, temporarily forcing the enemy back.
"We can't fight them head-on here. We need to find a way to break through and tell the garrison in the capital about the situation here," Xiao Yichen said to the reinforcements beside him.
At this moment, Lin Wan'er suddenly shouted, "General Xiao, I've found some clues! These documents mention that the core of the device is an energy crystal. If it is destroyed, the entire system will be paralyzed. But the energy crystal is protected in a secret chamber under the stone platform. The secret chamber has three mechanical doors that can only be opened by following a specific sequence of runes."
“Okay, let’s rush out first, then figure out a way to get into the secret room,” Xiao Yichen replied.
They began their breakout attempt, with Xiao Yichen leading the charge. His sword moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, felling enemies wherever it went. The reinforcements also cooperated, engaging the enemy in fierce combat. Through their tenacious resistance, they finally fought their way out of the camp.
After leaving the camp, they ran towards the valley's exit. The enemy pursued relentlessly, firing arrows continuously. Xiao Yichen dodged the rain of arrows as he led everyone towards the woods outside the valley. The dense forest provided them with cover.
After entering the woods, they temporarily escaped the enemy's pursuit. Xiao Yichen stopped and said to everyone, "We must return to the capital as soon as possible to notify the garrison to come to our aid. At the same time, we also need to contact all available forces to fight against Murong Xuan."
They hurried towards the capital, not daring to stop for a moment. As they approached the city, they saw the city walls heavily guarded, and the soldiers looking tense. Many civilians had gathered outside the city gates, their eyes filled with fear and helplessness, longing to enter the city for refuge.
Xiao Yichen and his entourage arrived at the city gate, where the soldiers guarding the city recognized him. "General Xiao, you're finally back! The situation in the capital is critical. The water pollution is getting worse, and the people are living in fear."
“I know. I have something important to report to the general. Open the city gates,” Xiao Yichen said.
After the city gates opened, they entered the capital. Xiao Yichen immediately went to the military camp and found General Li, the commander of the capital's garrison. Upon seeing Xiao Yichen, General Li hurriedly asked, "General Xiao, did you discover anything during your reconnaissance?"
Xiao Yichen recounted in detail to General Li the enemy's layout, equipment, and methods of sabotage he had observed in the valley. General Li's expression turned grave upon hearing this. "I never imagined Murong Xuan would be so ruthless. We must act quickly to stop him."
"General Li, we need to gather all our forces and also contact righteous individuals in the martial arts world. The enemy's strength this time is not to be underestimated; our garrison alone may not be able to handle it completely," Xiao Yichen said.
General Li nodded: "I'll make the arrangements right away. You and Miss Lin should rest for a bit. You've both worked hard."
“No, General Li, time is of the essence. We must begin now. I will contact the martial arts figures; you will be responsible for assembling the garrison and preparing siege equipment,” Xiao Yichen said.
Lin Wan'er also stepped forward and said, "I will go with General Xiao. I have some friends in the martial arts world, and perhaps they can help."
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er left the military camp and began contacting martial arts figures in the capital. Their first stop was a tavern frequented by martial arts enthusiasts—"Fengyun Inn." This inn was a gathering place for many martial arts heroes, and its members were well-informed.
As they entered the inn, everyone inside turned to look at them. Xiao Yichen stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Fellow martial artists, you are all aware of the flood crisis currently facing the capital. Behind this lies a massive conspiracy; Murong Xuan is colluding with foreign enemies, attempting to overthrow the Rong Kingdom. We need your help to fight this enemy together."
The inn was immediately abuzz with discussion. A burly man stood up and said, "General Xiao, we also want to help, but this is a matter for the imperial court. Won't it cause trouble for us martial artists to get involved?"
Lin Wan'er stepped forward and said, "Brother, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If the capital falls and the Rong Kingdom is thrown into chaos, the martial world will not be at peace either. Moreover, if Murong Xuan's conspiracy succeeds, it will be the common people who suffer."
Everyone nodded in agreement upon hearing Lin Wan'er's words. An old man said, "Miss Lin is right; we cannot stand idly by. General Xiao, tell us, how should we help?"
Xiao Yichen was delighted to see that everyone was willing to help. "We need everyone's help to contact various sects and masters in the martial arts world so that everyone can get to the valley outside the capital as quickly as possible. That is the enemy's stronghold. We need to work together to destroy their conspiracy and stop them from polluting the capital's water supply."
"Okay, we'll get on it right away!" Everyone responded enthusiastically.
Xiao Yichen and Lin Wan'er then visited other martial arts strongholds in the capital, contacting more martial arts figures. During this process, they also obtained some intelligence about Murong Xuan and his men. It turned out that Murong Xuan also had some hidden forces in the martial arts world, which had been secretly serving his schemes.
"It seems we need to be careful. Murong Xuan's power is more complex than we imagined," Lin Wan'er said worriedly.
"No matter how powerful he is, we cannot back down. We have the garrison of the capital and the righteous heroes of the martial world; we will surely defeat him," Xiao Yichen said firmly.
After contacting the martial arts figures, they returned to the barracks. By then, General Li had already assembled most of the garrison and was preparing siege equipment and supplies.
"General Xiao, how are things going with the martial arts figures?" General Li asked.
“General Li, they are all very willing to help and are on their way. We need to prepare for battle now, and once everyone has arrived, we will immediately set off for the valley,” Xiao Yichen said.
They began to formulate a detailed battle plan. Based on Xiao Yichen's observations in the valley, they drew a map of the valley, marking key information such as the enemy's camps, stone platforms, and defensive forces. At the same time, they also devised attack and raid plans based on the enemy's patrol routes and defensive weaknesses.
“We need to split into several small teams and enter the valley from different directions. One team will be responsible for attracting the enemy's attention and containing their main force; another team, composed of experts in light-footed skills, will infiltrate from the cliffs of the valley to directly attack the devices; and the third team will be responsible for providing support outside the valley and preventing the enemy from escaping,” Xiao Yichen said, pointing to the map.
General Li and the other generals expressed their approval, and they began to deploy troops and personnel according to the plan. During the preparations, the soldiers were in high spirits; they all knew the importance of this operation and were willing to give everything to protect the capital and its people.
Martial arts figures also arrived at the military camp one after another, with masters from various sects gathering. They brought their own weapons and equipment, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"General Xiao, we've arrived! This time, we'll make that Murong Xuan pay the price!" said the leader of a sect.
Looking at the martial arts practitioners who had come to their aid, Xiao Yichen was filled with gratitude. "Friends, thank you for coming. We are fighting for the people of the capital, for the Rong Kingdom. We must all work together!"
With everything prepared, Xiao Yichen led the garrison and martial arts practitioners towards the valley. Their ranks surged forward like a righteous torrent, charging toward the enemy's lair. They knew it would be a tough battle, but they were confident and determined to thwart Murong Xuan's plot, save the capital's water supply, and restore peace to the people.
Xiao Yichen led his army, composed of garrison troops and martial arts practitioners, rushing towards the valley. Dust billowed in the air, and every soldier's eyes shone with determination and resolve. As they approached the valley, a chilling aura swept over them, as if the air itself had solidified in anticipation of the impending battle.
At the entrance to the valley, Murong Xuan's men were already on high alert. The men in black, weapons in hand, had icy eyes; they were like ghosts in the darkness, radiating a chilling aura. At the very front of the group, Xiao Yichen reined in his sword, raised it high, and shouted, "Soldiers, friends of the martial world, today we fight these villains to the death for the capital, for the people! Charge!"
At his command, the army surged towards the valley entrance like a raging tide. Murong Xuan's men were equally fierce, roaring as they charged towards Xiao Yichen's troops. Instantly, shouts of battle and the clash of weapons echoed through the valley.
Xiao Yichen charged ahead, plunging into the enemy ranks. His sword danced like lightning, each swing sending a spray of blood through the air. His swordsmanship was sharp and precise, targeting the enemy's vitals. A man in black raised his knife to strike him, but Xiao Yichen dodged easily, simultaneously retaliating with a backhand slash that pierced the man's throat. Another man in black attacked from the side, but Xiao Yichen, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, delivered a spinning kick that sent him flying, followed by another sword strike, ending his life.
Under Xiao Yichen's leadership, the morale of the defending troops and martial arts practitioners soared. The martial arts masters displayed their extraordinary skills; some used their lightness skills to attack from above, while others employed hidden weapons, each striking the enemy's vital points with deadly accuracy. The defending troops, on the other hand, formed tight formations, using spears and shields to defend against enemy attacks while advancing in an orderly fashion.
Lin Wan'er stayed close to Xiao Yichen, closing her eyes and concentrating on her mind-reading ability. In her perception, the emotions and thoughts of the surrounding enemies surged forth like a tide. She could sense their tension, fear, and anger, and also perceive their intentions to attack.
"General Xiao, there are enemies preparing to flank us on the left, and several experts are preparing to launch a surprise attack with hidden weapons on the right!" Lin Wan'er shouted, providing timely warning to Xiao Yichen and those around him.
Upon hearing Lin Wan'er's prompting, Xiao Yichen reacted immediately. He charged to the left to meet the enemies attempting to flank him. His sword flashed, deflecting each attack while simultaneously counterattacking; the enemies were utterly helpless against his blade. Meanwhile, masters of hidden weapons from the martial world also sprang into action, intercepting the enemy's projectiles with their own, creating a shower of sparks as they clashed in mid-air.
However, Murong Xuan's men were no ordinary opponents. They gradually regained their footing during the battle and began an organized counterattack. Their formations were unpredictable, sometimes attacking in small groups, sometimes launching concentrated breakthroughs. Some of the men in black formed small squads, specifically targeting the weak points of the defending troops and martial arts practitioners, inflicting considerable losses on them.
In the chaos of battle, Xiao Yichen spotted an enemy leader. This leader was highly skilled in martial arts, wielding a spiked club, and his men fell in droves. Xiao Yichen decided to eliminate the leader first to demoralize the enemy. He charged towards the leader and engaged him in a one-on-one duel.
Seeing Xiao Yichen charging towards him, the leader grinned menacingly. "Xiao Yichen, you've finally arrived! Today is your death day!" He swung his spiked club at Xiao Yichen. The club whistled through the air, carrying immense power, which Xiao Yichen dared not underestimate. He skillfully dodged the attack, simultaneously thrusting his sword towards the leader's abdomen. The leader reacted swiftly, blocking Xiao Yichen's sword with his club, then sweeping it across, attempting to attack Xiao Yichen's lower body.
Xiao Yichen leaped into the air, dodging the attack. He flipped in mid-air and launched another attack on the leader. The two exchanged blows, locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle. The onlookers were captivated by their fight, unconsciously holding their breath for Xiao Yichen.
Lin Wan'er closely observed Xiao Yichen's battle. Through her mind-reading ability, she sensed that although the leader appeared fierce on the surface, he was actually somewhat impatient. He was eager to defeat Xiao Yichen and prove his strength, and this emotion affected his judgment.
“General Xiao, he’s getting impatient. You can try to lure him into making a mistake,” Lin Wan’er called out.
Hearing Lin Wan'er's words, Xiao Yichen formed a plan. He deliberately feigned weakness, pretending to be exhausted and staggering. The leader, seeing his opportunity, was overjoyed. He raised his spiked club and brought it down on Xiao Yichen with all his might. Xiao Yichen seized the moment, dodging to the side just as the club was about to strike. The leader, caught off guard by the force of his blow, stumbled forward several steps. Xiao Yichen seized the opportunity and thrust his sword into the leader's back, piercing his heart. The leader's eyes widened in disbelief as he collapsed.
With their leader dead, the enemy's morale was severely damaged. However, they did not give up resistance; instead, they attacked even more frantically. Some men in black began using weapons such as poison gas and gunpowder in an attempt to disrupt Xiao Yichen's group.
Smoke instantly filled the valley, accompanied by the sounds of gunpowder exploding. The battle became even more chaotic and dangerous within the smoke. Xiao Yichen shouted, "Everyone, don't panic! Hold your breath and maintain formation!" He reminded everyone as he brandished his sword, continuing the fight through the smoke.
Lin Wan'er covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief; her mind-reading ability was somewhat affected by the chaotic environment. However, she still tried her best to concentrate and provide assistance to everyone. She noticed some enemies stealthily moving towards their rear through the smoke, preparing to launch a sneak attack.
"Enemy attack from behind, everyone be careful!" Lin Wan'er's voice echoed through the smoke.
Upon hearing the warning, the garrison and martial arts practitioners at the rear immediately turned to fight back. They engaged in fierce combat with the attacking enemy, and although the attack was detected in time, it still resulted in some casualties.
On the other side of the battle, a small team composed of defenders and martial arts practitioners advanced towards the stone platform deep in the valley according to plan. They encountered fierce resistance along the way, but they did not retreat. The martial arts masters, skilled in light footwork, provided cover above the team, using their advantage to attack the enemy archers and those wielding concealed weapons. The defenders, on the other hand, formed a mobile wall of shields to protect the non-combatants in the team, among whom were skilled craftsmen who understood mechanical arts—the key to destroying the stone platform.
As the group advanced deeper, the enemy's defenses became increasingly tight. Around the stone platform, a group of elite men in black stood guard. These men were not only highly skilled in martial arts but also worked in perfect harmony, forming a solid defensive circle to prevent Xiao Yichen's group from approaching the platform.
"We must break through their lines, time is running out!" shouted one of the defending generals.
The martial arts masters unleashed their unique skills in an attempt to break through the enemy's defenses. Some used their powerful internal energy to unleash shockwaves, while others created fierce attack waves with their distinctive sword and saber techniques. The defenders also launched a charge, engaging the enemy in close combat with spears and swords.
In the fierce battle, both sides paid a heavy price. The ground was littered with blood and corpses, and the groans of the wounded mingled with the shouts of battle, creating a gruesome scene. But Xiao Yichen's team did not give up; they held only one belief in their hearts: to destroy the stone platform device and stop Murong Xuan's conspiracy.
After defeating the enemies at the valley entrance, Xiao Yichen led Lin Wan'er towards the stone platform device. Seeing the fierce battle ahead, a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him. "We must win!" he shouted, charging back into the enemy ranks to engage in a final, decisive battle. His appearance was like the arrival of a war god, bringing new hope to the defenders and martial artists. Under his leadership, could they break through the enemy's defenses and successfully destroy the stone platform device? The fate of the capital and the lives of its people hung in the balance of this battle.
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