Chapter 96: Breaking Three Formations in Succession

As mentioned in the previous chapter, Xiao Ling attempted to persuade Di Tailei to surrender. Little did he know that instead of success, his words provoked Di Tailei into a towering rage, causing him to charge at Xiao Ling with his halberd.

"Well met!"

Seeing the halberd thrust toward him, Xiao Ling remained composed, parrying with his silver spear. A thunderous "clang" rang out, accompanied by a shower of sparks. Di Tailei vaulted backward, leaping back onto his horse, while Xiao Ling's mount was forced back a dozen paces. Both men felt their arms go numb and sore, silently acknowledging the other’s formidable strength.

Mu Shijin, watching from the side, was livid. He thought to himself: *Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling, Marshal Murong sent you to persuade him to surrender, not to provoke him! With such hateful and infuriating words, even if Di Tailei had any intention of yielding, he certainly wouldn’t now! You’re just sabotaging the mission!*

Stepping forward, he waved his hands frantically. "General Di, please calm your anger! General Di, do not be offended! General Xiao is merely reckless with his words!"

Di Tailei spat with hatred, "You have insulted me too deeply! I shall not surrender even in death!" With that, he spurred his horse forward and swung his halberd at Xiao Ling once more.

Realizing the situation was beyond repair, Mu Shijin cursed Xiao Ling bitterly: "You fool! Marshal Murong ordered you to persuade Di Tailei—is this how you do it? Don't forget, you swore an oath to the Marshal that if you failed, you would forfeit your head. Feel your neck—is your head still there?"

These words jolted Xiao Ling, leaving him stunned and bewildered.

"Take this!" Di Tailei roared as he reached them, thrusting his halberd forward. Seeing that the blow was about to strike Xiao Ling, Mu Shijin lunged forward, blocking the attack with his sword. "General Di, General Di, please, do not let your anger consume you!" He continued to plead, still hoping to secure a surrender.

Xiao Ling regained his senses and, seeing Mu Shijin locked in combat with Di Tailei, realized the disaster he had caused. Regret was useless now, so he raised his spear to join the fray. The three warriors fought like a spinning lantern, blades and spears clashing in a flash of cold light.

Before long, unable to withstand the joint assault of the two masters, Di Tailei began to sweat profusely, his movements growing sluggish. Realizing that a peaceful surrender was impossible, Mu Shijin shifted to a ruthless strategy. He swung his sword with a chilling whistle, aiming directly for his opponent's vitals. Though slowed, Di Tailei remained courageous, fighting to the death without retreat.

Mu Shijin grew anxious. He knew that if Di Tailei could not be persuaded or defeated quickly, it would create immense difficulties for Li Yiqing in breaking the Black Water Ghost Soldier formation. He glanced around and formed a plan, ducking behind a glass mirror. When he emerged, he had transformed into a red-clad demon soldier.

"General Di, it is bad! Lady Hao has been defeated and captured!" he shouted.

Di Tailei, unable to discern the truth, was shocked. He spun his horse around, crying, "I must go to save her!" As he passed by, Mu Shijin struck with his sword. Caught off guard, Di Tailei had no way to dodge and took the blow to his shoulder. With a cry of "Ah!", he tumbled from his horse. Xiao Ling lunged forward, piercing his chest with a spear, killing him instantly.

The minor demons were terrified and began spraying flames from behind countless glass mirrors. The mirrors reflected endless images, making it impossible to distinguish real fire from illusions. Suddenly, the formation was engulfed in red light and towering flames, burning countless righteous soldiers to death.

Mu Shijin shouted urgently, "Water gunners, forward! Spray!" The soldiers rushed up, raised their water tanks and guns, and unleashed powerful jets of water, extinguishing much of the fire. Protected by fireproof gear, they charged forward, engaging the demon soldiers in fierce combat. Soon, the demon soldiers were repelled, and the entire formation was captured.

Seeing the fallen soldiers, Mu Shijin was overcome with grief. He pointed a shaking finger at Xiao Ling, his face flushed with rage. "Xiao Ling, you... you..." He was too choked with anger to speak. Finally, he waved his hand and ordered his men, "Tie him up!" The soldiers stepped forward, binding Xiao Ling tightly. Mu Shijin gritted his teeth and warned him, "Stay here, Xiao Ling! We shall see how Marshal Murong deals with you when we return to camp!"

He leapt onto his horse and rode alone toward the Black Water Ghost Soldier formation. Xiao Ling watched the fallen soldiers, remembering how they had been full of life just moments before, now lying in pools of blood on the cold ground. He was filled with self-reproach, his head hanging in shame. Looking toward Mu Shijin, he prayed silently that Mu Shijin would slay many demon soldiers and complete the task he had failed to finish.

Mu Shijin rode like a whirlwind into the Black Water formation. In the distance, he saw a female general in black armor on a black horse, waving a black flag and commanding the demons to release arrows. Li Yiqing was at the forefront, leading soldiers to fill the water with earth and build a path. Faced with the barrage of arrows, he ordered shield-bearers to intercept them. Meanwhile, disheveled evil spirits leaped from the water, wielding short blades to attack the righteous soldiers. The two sides were locked in a stalemate.

Mu Shijin knew he could no longer follow the plan Murong Yan had envisioned. Seeing the chaos, he grew desperate. Suddenly, a thought struck him: *Since Xiao Ling failed to persuade Di Tailei and killed him, it is done. Why not transform into his likeness and persuade this young woman to surrender? That would fulfill the mission!*

He focused his mind, visualizing Di Tailei's appearance and shifting every muscle and skin cell of his body. Once satisfied, he shouted, "Hao-mei, stop fighting! There is no need to die for Miao Xianke. Let us surrender!"

Hao-mei, engaged in a fierce struggle with Li Yiqing, heard the voice and looked over, seeing Di Tailei. She cried out, "General Di, what is this? How could you defect to the enemy?"

Mu Shijin clasped his hands and replied, "Hao-mei, as half-breeds, we have been bullied by the people of the Demon Kingdom since childhood. Though we are childhood sweethearts, we cannot be together—it is hateful! Now that we have learned these skills, they only use us as cannon fodder. Even if we survive this battle, Miao Xianke will eventually discover our secret. We would be dead either way. Let us surrender now!" Tears streamed down his face.

"Brother Lei, if you say so, then I accept our fate!"

*Clang! Clang!*

The black-clad female general dropped her twin blades and ordered the demon soldiers to lay down their weapons. Li Yiqing seized the opportunity and led his troops in. Mu Shijin rode up to Hao-mei. She was indeed beautiful, with a face like peach blossoms and a charming demeanor.

"Brother Lei!" Seeing him, Hao-mei burst into tears, opening her arms to embrace him. Mu Shijin hurriedly dodged.

"You..." Hao-mei grew suspicious and began to look him up and down.

"Hao-mei!" Mu Shijin, realizing his slip, called her name with forced intimacy while secretly drawing his sword. He struck with lightning speed, pressing the blade to her throat. "Who is your Brother Lei?" he roared, revealing his true form.

"You... you... you are not Brother Lei?!" Hao-mei was stunned, unable to speak. Suddenly, she grew panicked and pointed at him, demanding, "What... what have you done to my Brother Lei?" She lunged at him, ready to fight to the death.

Mu Shijin, caught off guard, withdrew his sword, dodged her attack, and struck her in the back of the neck with his left palm. She slumped to the ground unconscious.

"Bind her!" Mu Shijin commanded. The soldiers quickly secured her. Li Yiqing rounded up the remaining demon soldiers. With the formation broken, Mu Shijin turned to Li Yiqing. "Brother Li, Vice-Marshal Ye is still fighting in the Red Gold Luminous Formation. He has been very kind to me. Since this formation is broken, please hold this position while I go to assist him!"

Li Yiqing shook his head vigorously. "That... that... that won't do. You... you... you stay to guard, I... I... I will go help! Vice-Marshal Ye has... has never looked down on me, so... so I must be the one to assist him!"

As they argued, they suddenly saw a green horse galloping from the Eastern Green Wood Soul-Chasing Formation. Its rider wore green armor, stood only three feet tall, and had a round, battered face. His eyes had been squeezed out of their sockets, and half his body was drenched in blood. Strangely, the demon was still alive, holding the reins tightly and screaming, "Giddyap! Giddyap!" in a desperate flight for his life.

"Miao Xianke, you cannot escape!"

"Little... little... boy, you... you... you ran right into our trap!"

Seeing it was indeed Miao Xianke, Mu Shijin and Li Yiqing stopped arguing, one spurring his horse and the other sprinting to block his path.

How had Miao Xianke ended up here?

It turned out that when Li Xiong led his troops into the Green Wood Soul-Chasing Formation, he found dense trees and grass, hiding numerous ambushes. But Li Xiong was naturally fearless, a man who feared nothing.

"Demons... demons... hiding like cowards! What kind of heroes are you? Lord Xiong is here!"

His roar was like a thunderclap, shaking the ground and making the grass tremble. The large trees in the forest shook, shedding leaves. The demon soldiers revealed themselves, clutching their ears in agony.

"Little... little... boy, take this!"

Li Xiong glared, his blood-red lips curling back to reveal a mouth full of fangs. He swung his twin hammers, which whistled like meteors—whoever they touched would perish! The soldiers behind him followed closely, stabbing into the grass with their spears, causing the demon soldiers to scream as blood splattered everywhere.

"Charge!"

Seeing his ambush exposed, Miao Xianke could no longer hold back. He emerged from behind a large tree, raised his iron hammers, and charged. The demon soldiers followed suit, engaging the righteous army in a chaotic clash of steel.

"Wild boy, die!" Miao Xianke roared, charging at Li Xiong.

Li Xiong remained calm. "Open... open up!" he shouted, meeting the attack with his own hammers.

*Ding! Clang!*

Like two heavy cannons, the impact sent sparks flying. Miao Xianke’s hands were shattered, blood pouring from them as he lost his grip. His iron hammers flew into the air, never to be seen again.

"Ah!" Miao Xianke was terrified. By the time he realized he needed to flee, it was too late! Li Xiong's hammers moved like lightning, slamming into Miao Xianke's head. His helmet and skull were crushed, his brains squeezed out, and he fell from his horse, dead.

"Surrender!" the righteous soldiers cheered. The demon soldiers, seeing their commander dead, lost their courage and dropped their weapons. Li Xiong laughed heartily as he rounded up the captives.

But then, a horrifying thing happened! Miao Xianke shakily climbed back onto his green horse.

"Hey! Don't... don't... don't run!" Li Xiong’s eyes turned red with fury.

But Miao Xianke was already gone, whipping his horse and fleeing blindly. Because his eyes had been knocked out, he couldn't see the road and ended up fleeing straight toward the Black Water formation, where he was blocked by Mu Shijin and Li Yiqing.

"Halt! You cannot escape!" Mu Shijin held his sword horizontally.

"Old... old... rascal, you... you... you leave your life with... with your grandfather!" Li Yiqing pulled out his Wind-Fire-Thunder-Lightning Awl, aiming it at Miao Xianke’s head. Miao Xianke was frightened out of his wits.