Chapter 39: The Ironfang Reckoning
The Ji territory battlefield was a scarred plain. Lin Xuan, with his 5th Layer Qi Transformation, moved through the chaos, targeting General Fang, a 7th Layer Qi Transformation cultivator. Using intel from their double agent, Lord Wei, Lin Xuan unleashed Starlit Void Fist, shattering Fang's defense. Crimson Lance Burst embedded spikes in the general's shoulder.
Fang's guards surged forward, but Lin Xuan's Vein Fortress Body held. "Hold the line!" he called out. Liu Yue, at 2nd Layer Qi Transformation, used her Icy Skin to freeze a guard's leg. Liu Yang, with 7th Layer Body Refining, shattered an Ironfang shield with his blood-forged sword.
Their teamwork forced Fang to retreat. Ji Yunjing, now at 3rd Layer Profound Heavenly Realm, seized the moment, launching a counteroffensive and ambushing Ironfang caravans. Lin Xuan lingered in the shadows, his exposure of the war funds a significant blow. "Good work, everyone," he said, a rare smile gracing his lips.
Back at the inn, Lin Xuan refined a pill, his Blood Crystal Core evolving toward the 6th Layer. Liu Yue praised him, and Liu Yang grinned proudly. Lin Xuan's mind turned to the next target: Bloodshade's core. "We need to hit them where it hurts next," he mused.