CHAPTER 293: CHAPTER 290: DIAMOND BATTLE (PART 2)_1

"Set up the formation!"

As Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders launched their attack, an unparalleled Evil Qi erupted, forming a blood-red pillar of light that almost knocked the General’s Platform from its suspension in mid-air. High above in the Nine Heavens, a crescent moon appeared, hanging beside the sun, emitting a faint glow. Sun and moon shone in unison!

The cultivation of Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders had rapidly improved by several ranks. Their most powerful leader had broken through to become a Nine-Turned Saint King, and the terrifying pressure emanating from them caused the soldiers in the military camp to vomit blood violently.

"A blood-red pillar of light! Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders are preparing to strike!" On the Beacon Tower, Zhao Yun commanded solemnly, his eyes fixed on the ’Pan Domain Formation’, his heart filled with worry. "Pass down the order: the grand army is to prepare for battle!"

A cacophony of commands echoed across the Great Wall: "Relay my command! The army is to assemble quickly!" "Hurry, load the cannons! Prepare to fire!" "War is imminent! Everyone, on your guard! Anyone who falls behind will face military justice!" All soldiers rapidly assembled, waiting only for the command to unleash their strongest fighting power.

When did they get in? Could it have been during the last bombardment? Liu Jimin was aghast. He could not fathom, no matter how he tried, how the enemy had managed to sneak into the ’Pan Domain Formation’ and even locate its core formation eye. But this was no time to ponder the reasons. He had to act immediately to prevent Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders from destroying the formation eye, otherwise two years of arduous work would be for naught.

"Ocean-Covering Sword!" Liu Jimin roared, swiftly drawing his war sword. Countless blue Sword Qis materialized, blossoming with an azure glow, resembling a river of swords cascading from the heavens. The sword river surged, composed of innumerable Sword Qis colliding, emitting a piercing sound that resounded to the heavens. Each Sword Qi possessed the power of a Semi-Emperor, capable of easily annihilating a large army or destroying a mountain range. How terrifying would the combined might of so many Sword Qis be?

"Quick, destroy the formation eye!" Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders ignored the overwhelming sword river descending upon them, their attention entirely focused on the formation eye. As long as they could destroy it, what did it matter if they were struck by Sword Qi?

RUMBLE!

The crescent moon in the Nine Heavens pulsed with light. Eighteen crescent blade Qis solidified in the Void, then merged through their army formation into a single, terrifyingly unparalleled blade Qi.

"Fall!" the leader of Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders roared, directing the blade Qi toward the formation eye.

The soldiers in the barracks desperately surged forward to intercept, trying to protect the formation eye. Without exception, they were all bisected at the waist by the blade Qi, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

"No!" High above, Liu Jimin witnessed this scene, his eyes nearly popping from their sockets in fury and desperation. He frantically tried to intervene, but he was a full ten thousand feet from the ground, while Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders were only a few hundred feet from the formation eye.

Just as his sword river descended halfway, the blade Qi of Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders struck the formation eye.

BOOM!

An earth-shattering sound reverberated in everyone’s minds. All eyes stared at the formation eye, only to see that its intricate patterns had been completely severed by the blade Qi, split in two. The destruction of the core formation meant that the ’Pan Domain Formation’ had lost its energy source. It began to collapse, a ten-thousand-foot crack appearing and rapidly spreading.

"Withdraw quickly!" Having completed their mission, Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders swiftly departed. They activated their movement techniques, flying towards the Great Wall, leaving a trail of phantoms in the Void.

"You’re seeking death!" Liu Jimin roared, a bloody light shooting from his eyes. With his powerful divine will, he forcefully altered the course of the sword river, sending it chasing after the fleeing Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders. The destruction of the ’Pan Domain Formation’ meant his two years of painstaking effort had been utterly wasted! Beyond the heartache, an endless worry consumed him. With the Great Wall, the Qin Dynasty was already in an invincible position. Without the ’Pan Domain Formation’, how could he possibly resist?

"Go!" the leader of Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders shouted, raising his crescent war blade high. From the Nine Heavens, a beam of bright moonlight descended, crashing into the sword river.

BOOM!

Like two comets colliding, a tremendous explosion erupted. The resulting shockwave swept out for several hundred miles. Many mountains crumbled, and countless ancient trees were reduced to ash.

"AAARGH!" The most wretched were the soldiers below. Struck by the shockwave, they spat mouthfuls of fresh blood and collapsed. Many with weaker cultivation bases died on the spot. At least a million people perished in the aftermath. The survivors were also affected to varying degrees. For the weak, the battlefield of the strong was nothing short of a catastrophe.

PFFT!

All of Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders coughed up mouthfuls of blood, their bodies sent flying backward. Augmented by their army formation, they could contend with Semi-Emperor experts, but they were not their match. No matter how weak a Semi-Emperor, they were still an Emperor Level expert! No matter how strong a Saint King, they were still a Saint Level Martial Artist! The gap between the two was as vast as heaven and earth; it could only be narrowed, rarely surpassed. At the very least, the current Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders could not achieve such a feat. Perhaps if they all broke through to a stage beyond the Seven-Turned Saint King, they might be able to defeat an early-stage Semi-Emperor.

"Die!" Having landed a successful strike, Liu Jimin didn’t hesitate. He continued his furious assault, constantly waving his war sword, heedless that the shockwaves from their battle would inflict grievous losses upon his own men. Now, a single thought consumed him: he had to kill Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders!

Over a dozen Sword Qis, radiating destructive power, sealed off half the sky. Just as the Sword Qis were about to land, at the critical moment, a beam of light pierced the sky. It appeared above Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders and transformed into a golden rune.

RUMBLE!

The two attacks collided, producing a resonating hum. To the crowd’s incredulous gazes, the golden rune actually managed to block all dozen-plus Sword Qis. The Void rippled, and a fissure opened. Guo Jia, holding a gourd, strolled out leisurely, as if he were on a spring outing rather than in the midst of battle.

"Thank you, Strategist!" Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders bowed in salute.

"You have all worked hard," Guo Jia said with a smile, his gaze toward Yan Yun’s Eighteen Riders filled with admiration; he hadn’t expected them to destroy the ’Pan Domain Formation’ in just a few days. "Please, go and rest. Leave what comes next to me." To put it frankly, if this war was won, their contribution would undoubtedly rank among the top three.

"Who are you?" Liu Jimin, having calmed down somewhat, asked Guo Jia, this stranger, in a deep voice. Neither the intelligence agencies of the Canghai Ancient Court nor those of the Kylin Sacred Land had discovered Guo Jia’s strength; they hadn’t even detected his existence. In truth, their intelligence was two years out of date.

Since the Great Wall’s construction, Qin Wudao had begun clearing out spies within the dynasty. From top to bottom, anyone even remotely connected was purged. Adhering to the principle of ’better to kill a hundred innocents than let one spy escape,’ the intelligence networks of other powers were completely uprooted.

COUGH, COUGH. Perhaps from the exertion of his earlier action, Guo Jia coughed a few times before stating calmly, "Guo Jia, of the Great Qin Divine Court."