Chapter 57: The Crimson Reckoning
The Ironfang border was no longer a patch of wilderness—it was a brutal expanse of scorched earth, a testament to war without end. The air was acrid with smoke, the coppery tang of blood everywhere, and the midday sun beat down with a harsh, unforgiving glare over a landscape scarred by craters and shattered trees.
The true assault had begun. A thunderous advance, a major offensive led by General Feng Wuji, a figure of legendary brutality. Feng Wuji was a giant in crimson armor, his qi signature placing him squarely at the 4th Layer of the Profound Heavenly Realm. He commanded a fearsome host of Hellbound Beasts and elite Ironfang troops, his every movement a display of ruthless, focused precision.
Lin Xuan, his mind a cold, calculating machine, knew this was the decisive battle. His 8th Layer Qi Transformation surged through him, the power of the Severed Unity Body making him a pillar of crimson resolve. "Hold the line—we strike at their heart!" he roared, a rallying cry that cut through the chaos.
He launched his most complex and powerful attack: the Severed Crimson Unity Slash, a technique that fused the power of the Crimson Blood Crystallization Art with the focus of the Scriptures of Severed Unity. The crimson arc of energy sliced through the air like a bloody crescent moon, bypassing layers of Feng Wuji's heavy armor and striking the general's chest.
Feng Wuji staggered, a guttural roar escaping his lips as blood seeped through the deep gash on his armor. The general was wounded, but far from defeated. He retaliated with a terrifying, crushing qi storm that shook the very ground.
"You'll fall here, whelp!" Feng snarled, his voice a gravelly bellow, his powerful Profound Heavenly Realm aura momentarily overwhelming.
Lin Xuan, however, moved with the fluid grace of Abyssal Lotus Step, ducking beneath the qi storm. "Not today," he said, his tone resolute, wiping sweat and blood from his cheek as he braced for the next exchange.
Supporting him was Liu Yue, her 5th Layer Qi Transformation now fully mastered. Her snowflake mark blazed as she unleashed a relentless stream of Frost Phoenix Cry, the icy qi not only freezing enemies but creating a slick perimeter that made the Ironfang troops falter. "We'll get him, Senior Brother—just hold on!" she yelled, her moonlight eyes gleaming with a fierce loyalty.
In the midst of this absolute chaos, a breakthrough occurred. Lin Xuan, pushed to the absolute limit by the General's relentless attacks, felt the familiar, searing pain of ascension. His inner qi core violently compressed, his meridians screaming as the essence of the Scriptures of Severed Unity forced him beyond his current peak. With a silent, crimson flash that only he felt, his cultivation shattered the barrier, stabilizing him at the 9th Layer of Qi Transformation. The sudden boost in speed and power allowed him to land a punishing, crippling blow with a jade-hardened fist, forcing Feng Wuji to stagger back, realizing he was facing not just a man, but a rapidly evolving force of nature.
Seeing the general falter, the battle turned. Liu Yang, his 3rd Layer Qi Gathering qi now steady, fought like a small, furious demon. He secured a vital escape route for a squad of pinned Azure River Guards, his blood-forged glaive slicing through Hellbound Beast limbs with brutal efficiency.
Meanwhile, back in the palace, the political fallout was absolute. Ji Yunjing, his leadership solidified by the war, finally advanced to the early 4th Layer Profound Heavenly Realm. The news of Feng Wuji's wound and the clear evidence of betrayal spurred him into action. He issued a kingdom-wide warrant for the arrest of Prime Minister Zhao Heng, who had fled the court, escalating the internal conflict to an all-out manhunt.
Bai Ningxue, her aura of purification surging, had also advanced to the 8th Layer Qi Transformation. She focused her Thousand Lotus Seal Art on the residual qi traces left by the fugitive Zhao Heng, exposing a dark web of intelligence leaks to Ironfang and a deep, parasitic relationship with the Wudu Clan.
"He's been feeding them every move—Wudu's involved too, right to the core," she declared, her hands steady as she completed the purification.
Lin Xuan rejoined the team later, his uniform scorched but his spirit high. "He's wounded, and he's running—we'll catch him soon," he said, his 9th Layer Qi Transformation a powerful, contained energy that promised swift vengeance.
Liu Yue, her hand brushing his arm, nodded in agreement. "We'll be ready, Senior Brother—the war is coming, but the rot is exposed." The warfront, though momentarily stabilized, loomed large, but now they faced it with an unbreakable unity and a clear target: Zhao Heng.