: Long En's Sacrificial Body

2025-04-11 Author: Gu Zhenren

As Long Ye openly challenged Du Tiechuan, the entire battlefield fell silent.

The momentum of the Thousand Peaks Alliance's collapse underwent a subtle change.

Meanwhile, the attacking forces of Liangzhu Kingdom slowed their advance, turning their attention to the central combat zone.

Du Tiechuan was, of course, no longer in the command headquarters.

As a master of military strategy, he had long since relocated in advance.

"Hmm?!" In a dark corner, a sharp gleam flashed in Du Tiechuan's eyes, piercing the surrounding darkness.

Long Ye's public challenge first ignited a surge of anger in him, but it was quickly replaced by caution and a sense of crisis.

"With such confidence, trying to provoke me into action—could it be that the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King is lying in ambush nearby?"

"He didn't intervene during the earlier great rout, which is truly odd!"

"Could it be that the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King has been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with overwhelming force?"

Du Tiechuan was all too familiar with this tactic.

In the first major battle, he had gained the upper hand, repelled the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King, and turned the tide precisely because he had employed the military stratagem "Iron Torrent Sweeping the Plains."

To execute this strategy, he had prepared extensively, investing heavily in constructing platforms for commanders and more.

Essentially, it was a method of unleashing devastating power with a single strike.

The fact that the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King remained hidden only heightened Du Tiechuan's unease.

"Or perhaps this is merely a bluff…" Du Tiechuan had considered this possibility, but in the end, he chose to remain hidden and endure.

His current condition was far from optimal, and if he were to fall into the enemy's trap, the entire situation could collapse.

In a way, not taking the gamble meant not losing.

"Now is not the time to act recklessly." Du Tiechuan slowly closed his eyes and continued to conceal himself.

As the esteemed commander of the army, a being of Divine Transformation level, he faced the challenge of a mere Nascent Soul cultivator yet chose not to respond. This decision immediately impacted the entire battlefield.

"Du Tiechuan didn't respond—his condition must be dire. Is there still hope in this battle?" The Thousand Peaks Alliance noticed the subtle shift, and their morale began to rise rapidly.

In contrast, the Liangzhu Kingdom forces grew visibly worried.

In the world of cultivation, it was all too common for a single powerful individual to decide the outcome of a major battle. History books were filled with such examples.

Thus, the strongest figures often held the power to sway hearts and morale.

"The gamble paid off!" Long Ye let out a sigh of relief. Knowing the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King's movements, the pressure on him had been immense.

Provoking Du Tiechuan openly was a risky move, but since it worked, he had momentarily intimidated his opponent.

Long Ye burst into loud laughter: "Hahaha…"

His laughter echoed across the battlefield, brimming with unparalleled boldness.

He charged toward the nearest Nascent Soul cultivator.

The Nascent Soul cultivator from the Liangzhu Kingdom army hesitated, then immediately retreated.

Long Ye roared, "Face me, coward!"

Divine Art—Dragon King's Awe!

This divine art, derived from the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King, combined dragon might, divine presence, and even a hint of royal authority.

The more fearful and timid the target, the greater its power!

Long Ye channeled the divine art, focusing it on a single individual, immediately freezing the retreating enemy Nascent Soul in place.

"Oh no!" The Nascent Soul cultivator panicked, but the more he feared, the more he was suppressed by the Dragon King's Awe.

Long Ye surged forward like a ferocious dragon emerging from the sea, reaching his opponent in an instant. With a single punch, he pierced through the cultivator's chest, then tore the body in two.

The exposed Nascent Soul let out a terrified scream but remained trapped by the Dragon King's Awe!

A divine light shot from Long Ye's eyes, striking the Nascent Soul and obliterating it on the spot.

Without pause, Long Ye lunged toward a second Nascent Soul cultivator.

He repeated the same tactic. The cultivator, his will broken, was frozen mid-air, unable to move.

Shuang Ling and others reacted quickly, rushing to aid their comrade.

Protective spells were cast upon the Nascent Soul cultivator, while a barrage of offensive spells and magical treasures aimed to intercept Long Ye.

Long Ye charged forward recklessly!

Relying on his Divine Dragon Treasure Body, he broke through the fiery onslaught, blood spraying as he closed in on the Nascent Soul cultivator.

Bolstered by the support of his allies, the cultivator regained some mobility: "I won't die!"

He mustered all his strength, unleashing his hidden trump card in a fierce attack against Long Ye.

Long Ye extended a large hand, his tone calm: "Futile struggle."

The Nascent Soul cultivator's eyes widened. In that moment, Long Ye's palm seemed to grow, larger and larger, blotting out the sky and earth.

The immense hand covered the heavens, extinguishing all hope of survival.

Martial Art—Seize Will and Take the Head!

Long Ye and the Nascent Soul cultivator crossed paths. In the former's hand now rested a severed head, while the latter's headless corpse gushed blood from the neck before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

*Thud.*

Long Ye clenched his right hand, crushing the Nascent Soul cultivator's head.

He spread his arms wide, chest thrust forward as if embracing the heavens: "Who else seeks death?!"

In that moment, he stood like a battle standard, etching himself into the hearts of all.

Though the Thousand Peaks Alliance had suffered a major rout, their spirits were now uplifted, and many began to counterattack.

"Long Ye!!!"

"With Long Ye here, we cannot lose."

"See? Long Ye is still fighting—we can still win!"

Not far away, Lu Hongtu could hardly conceal his shock. Reflected in his eyes was Long Ye's majestic figure, stirring his heart profoundly: "Turning the tide at the brink of collapse! Long Ye is accomplishing just that!!"

The second major battle between Liangzhu Kingdom and the Thousand Peaks Alliance had reached a critical juncture.

At this point, the Thousand Peaks Alliance revealed its advantage. As their commander, Long Ye stepped forward in the face of disastrous defeat, using wisdom and courage to boost morale and inspire hearts. Alone, he shifted the tide of the war.

In contrast, Du Tiechuan remained hidden, and the supervising officer Zhao Xi, who had replaced him, had long since "fallen injured and unconscious," retreating to the rear.

Someone from Liangzhu Kingdom had to step up!

Someone had to crush Long Ye's imposing momentum!!

"Insolent mountain barbarian, how dare you act so wildly?!" A sharp rebuke echoed as Shuang Ling ascended into the sky.

At this critical moment, the Ingenious Princess of Liangzhu Kingdom stepped forward once again.

Surrounded by numerous mechanical constructs, she formed an army of automatons in the air, unleashing a barrage of mechanical arts upon Long Ye.

"Well met." Long Ye laughed heartily, neither dodging nor evading, charging straight toward Shuang Ling with ferocious attacks.

Divine Art—Dragon King's Awe!

In Shuang Ling's divine sea, an umbrella instantly materialized, shielding her mind.

Martial Art—Dragon's Roar Palm.

Divine Art—Divine Dragon Treasure Body!

Martial Art—Withered Dragon Claw.

Divine Art—Life Force Surge!

Long Ye met offense with offense, charging forward relentlessly. Wherever he passed, expensive mechanical constructs were either shattered to pieces or dismantled by brute force.

"He can use Life Force Surge again?" The intelligence Shuang Ling had gathered made her well aware of Long Ye's capabilities.

This was the third time he had unleashed Life Force Surge.

After using it, fine cracks appeared all over his bones, his body swelling once more like a balloon at its limit, on the verge of bursting.

Blood gushed from his seven orifices, clouding his vision with a crimson haze.

Seeing Long Ye charge at her in this state, Shuang Ling sensed his death-defying resolve and frenzied battle intent.

"He's already abandoned any regard for his life!"

Shuang Ling let out a sharp cry and chose to flee.

As a princess of a kingdom, there was no need for her to risk her life against a mountain barbarian.

At this point, Long Ye's combat power approached the Divine Transformation level. Like a blood-drenched mad dragon emerging from the abyss, he effortlessly tore through the mechanical defensive lines. Golden Core-level mechanical puppets stood no chance against him, falling in a single encounter.

Long Ye moved with astonishing speed, catching up to Shuang Ling from behind.

At the brink of life and death, a protective talisman on Shuang Ling activated, attempting to teleport her through space.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Long Ye roared, unleashing a divine art that stabilized a portion of the surrounding space.

Shuang Ling screamed, "No—!"

If she forced her way through the spatial rift now, her body would be torn in two. If she stayed to fight, Long Ye would likely blast her to pieces.

As the Ingenious Princess's life hung by a thread, a sword energy suddenly shot forth!

The sword energy was restrained to the extreme, appearing deceptively plain, yet when it struck Long Ye's massive body, it pierced deep within.

Long Ye's Divine Dragon Treasure Body offered formidable defense, even distributing the power of his spirit treasure shoulder guards across his entire form.

But the sword energy pierced through his body as easily as tearing through paper.

"Du Tiechuan!" Long Ye whirled around, divine light shooting from his eyes as he let out a thunderous roar.

The dual assault caused the air before him to explode violently, revealing a figure.

Tall and lean, with sharp, angular features and piercing eyes, he wore a silver-threaded crown, a gray-blue robe, and silver armor—it was Du Tiechuan!

Long Ye mocked, "A mighty Divine Transformation expert, resorting to a sneak attack against a mere Nascent Soul like me? Hahaha!"

Du Tiechuan remained expressionless, directing only a fraction of his divine sense toward Long Ye: "The art of war values deception—something a barbarian like you could never understand. You've had your fun; now it ends."

With a graceful flick of his wrist, Du Tiechuan guided his sword, releasing streams of cyan sword energy.

Long Ye showed no fear, laughing maniacally as he charged straight at Du Tiechuan.

Du Tiechuan continuously retreated, widening the distance between them.

Though Long Ye's combat power neared the Divine Transformation level, Du Tiechuan was no ordinary Divine Transformation expert!

He was one of Liangzhu Kingdom's top generals, the commander of an army. Beyond his personal strength, he wielded the kingdom's finest magical treasures, armor, and national arts.

While Long Ye could easily close in on Shuang Ling and others, he failed to catch Du Tiechuan, falling further behind with each passing moment.

*Swoosh, swoosh…*

Cyan sword energy struck Long Ye repeatedly, adding over a hundred new wounds to his body in mere moments.

Many cuts reached the bone, causing blood to pour from him like a river.

Though his vitality was abundant, the lingering sword energy in his wounds prevented any recovery.

Long Ye roared incessantly, unleashing a flurry of martial and divine arts, but Du Tiechuan neutralized them all.

With his cyan sword as the centerpiece, Du Tiechuan calmly deployed various magical treasures, weapons, national arts, and military strategies, rendering Long Ye's efforts futile.

Across the vast battlefield, the pace of combat slowed to a crawl.

Nearly everyone focused their attention on the duel between Du and Long!

Du Tiechuan displayed the demeanor of a master strategist, refusing to fight unprepared. After observing from the shadows, he had thoroughly analyzed Long Ye's techniques and devised countermeasures for each.

Long Ye struggled in vain, his injuries growing more severe.

His vision, already bathed in crimson, now clouded with darkness, flickering in and out.

Simultaneously, an overwhelming fatigue and powerlessness surged from the depths of his bones.

In that instant, Long Ye had a clear premonition: "Is this… the end?"

At that moment, an old memory surfaced from the depths of his heart.

In Canglin Immortal City.

A young Long Ye knelt on the ground, pleading with a physician in a clinic: "I beg you, my father is gravely ill, near death. Honorable physician, please show mercy and save him!"

The physician grew impatient: "Boy, you want me to venture deep into the Thousand Peaks to treat him? And you have no spirit stones? Are you mocking me?"

Long Ye shook his head urgently: "No, I have spirit stones. I do."

He produced his entire savings—nearly a hundred spirit stones—spreading them on the ground for the physician to see.

The physician looked down at him, his face twisting with anger at the sight: "You pauper, with less than a hundred low-grade spirit stones, you dare ask for my services?"

He turned to leave.

Panicked, Long Ye instinctively clung to the physician's leg: "Sir, sir, I beg for your mercy…"

*Thud.*

The physician kicked him away violently: "Get lost!"

With that, the physician strode off.

Long Ye, struck by the kick, spat blood and lost consciousness on the spot.

When he awoke, he found himself dumped outside the city gates, his life savings gone.

Disheartened, he returned to the Thousand Peaks, to his tribe.

Seeing his father lying feverish and unconscious on the sickbed, he wept bitterly.

Just then, a priest from the Dragon King Temple arrived at his home, telling Long Ye that if he wished to save his father, he should pilgrimage to the Dragon King Pillar Mountain. If his heart was sincere, the Dragon King would grant his blessing.

The young Long Ye journeyed across mountains and rivers to reach Dragon King Pillar Mountain. Step by step, kowtowing with each one, he spent seven days and nights ascending. Just as he neared the summit, exhausted, a fierce mountain wind swept him off the cliff.

He landed on a protruding ledge, trapped with no way out, yet he continued to kowtow and pray.

A miracle occurred.

Vines, like serpents and pythons, wove into a staircase. The hard mountain rock split open, revealing a ginseng whisker that detached and fell into his hands.

Long Ye quickly retrieved the whisker and descended safely via the vine ladder.

Returning home, his father merely nibbled a small piece of the whisker, and his vitality surged, curing his severe illness and pulling him back from the brink.

This was the turning point in Long Ye's life. From then on, he became the most steadfast devotee!

The memory flashed through his mind, reinvigorating Long Ye's spirit. Strength flooded his body as if he had returned to his peak.

But Long Ye knew it was merely a final resurgence.

His vision cleared once more, allowing him to lock onto Du Tiechuan.

"Liangzhu Kingdom? Hah."

"I was born in the Thousand Peaks, raised in the Thousand Peaks. I have never received any favor or charity from Liangzhu Kingdom."

"Only my master, the Ginseng Whisker Dragon King, is the true king of the Thousand Peaks, our sovereign lord!"

Martial Art · Self-Created—Long En's Sacrificial Body!

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