High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

The Federation’s position began to return fire.

Long-range Martial Arts, Energy cannons, arrows... All sorts of attacks rose into the air, colliding and exploding with the Feathered People’s assault.

The battle had officially begun.

Inside the rock cave.

Xu Wuyi remained standing in the same spot, motionless.

Lei Hong had already stood up, gripping his War Axe tightly. Ye Guanlan, meanwhile, was staring at a formation array, continuously reporting the battlefield’s status.

”First wave of the Feathered People’s attack, three hundred of them. It’s a probing attack.”

”Federation shield Energy consumption at 17%. It can still hold.”

”The Feathered People are preparing their second wave. Five hundred of them.”

The battle gradually intensified.

But Xu Wuyi still didn’t move.

He was waiting for the perfect moment.

Waiting for the Feathered People to think victory was in their grasp, waiting for that Hunter squad to let down its guard, waiting... for the battlefield to reach a full boil.

On the battlefield, the Feathered People’s offensive grew fiercer and fiercer.

The second wave of five hundred attackers tore directly through the shield on the Federation position’s left flank. Dozens of Feathered Warrior Generals charged into the encampment, engaging the Federation Martial Artists in close-quarters combat.

The stench of blood began to fill the air.

The Federation’s defensive line began to waver.

Shadow Blade hovered in the air, frowning slightly as he watched the battle below.

’Xu Wuyi... still hasn’t shown himself?’

’Could he really not be here?’

He looked at Shadow Stab beside him. The young Hunter’s face already showed a look of impatience.

”Captain, if we don’t make a move soon, we’re going to break right through the Federation’s position!” Shadow Stab said in a low voice. ”Even if the target is here, he won’t come out then!”

Shadow Blade was silent for a few seconds before finally giving a slow nod.

”Relay the order: all forces, advance.”

The order was given.

All remaining troops of the Feathered People were thrown into the attack.

Over eight hundred Feathered Warrior Generals dove down at once, sweeping toward the Federation position like a black tide.

The Federation’s defensive line was on the verge of collapse.

At that very moment.

Inside the rock cave, Xu Wuyi finally moved.

He opened his eyes, and in their dark gold pupils, a phantom Flame suddenly blazed to life.

”It’s time.”

The instant the words left his lips, his figure had already vanished from the spot.

Outside the cave, on the Gobi Desert, a streak of dark gold light shot into the sky, like a flaming arrow tearing through the heavens, heading straight for the center of the battlefield.

Shadow Blade’s pupils contracted sharply.

’He’s here!’

That streak of dark gold light, that familiar, heart-pounding, scorching aura...

’Xu Wuyi really is here!’

’And he’s taken the bait!’

”Get ready—” Shadow Blade barked in a low voice, the killing intent inside him beginning to boil.

But he didn’t give the order to attack immediately.

He was waiting. Waiting for Xu Wuyi to go deeper into the battlefield, for his Flame to start incinerating the Feathered People’s troops, for him... to completely expose his position.

On the battlefield, Xu Wuyi’s figure had appeared above the Federation’s position.

He hovered there, his black clothes whipping in the heatwave. His ”Liaoyuan” spear was pointed diagonally at the ground, its tip glinting with a cold, dark gold light.

Below, the troops of the Feathered People were attacking frantically.

Xu Wuyi closed his eyes, fully extending his Heart Image perception.

A radius of three hundred meters, five hundred meters, eight hundred meters...

All Energy reactions, all life fluctuations, all Feathered Warriors within range... were all brought into his perception.

Then, he ignited his Heart Fire.

VMMMM—

Dark gold sparks of fire lit up simultaneously in the sky above the battlefield.

One, two, ten, a hundred...

Like stars of death in the night sky, they were densely packed, spreading across the entire sky above the battle.

All the Feathered Warriors were stunned. They raised their heads, looking at the sparks that had suddenly appeared, a primal fear welling up from the depths of their hearts.

They had heard of the tragedy at Wind-Carved Valley.

That kind of Flame, the kind that could incinerate all life...

”Spread out! Spread out now!” a Priest shrieked.

But it was too late.

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes, the sky full of sparks reflected in his dark gold pupils.

He raised his left hand and clenched it into a fist.

”Liaoyuan.”

BOOM!!!

Hundreds of Flame True Seals erupted at once.

In an instant, a sea of dark gold fire engulfed the entire sky over the battlefield.

The screams of the Feathered Warriors, the flapping of their wings, the roar of the flames... all mixed together, conducting a cruel symphony of death.

In just five seconds, over three hundred Feathered Warriors were reduced to charred husks and fell from the sky.

The tide of battle was instantly reversed.

In the rear, Shadow Blade watched this scene, his eyes devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

’Sacrifice is necessary.’

’Only with enough sacrifice could Xu Wuyi be made to believe this was a ”normal” battle, and not a trap.’

’And now, he believed it.’

’Because he had made his move, and with his full power at that.’

”Captain!” Shadow Stab’s voice was filled with irrepressible killing intent. ”It’s our turn!”

Shadow Blade nodded slowly.

He looked at the four team members beside him, his voice as cold as a blade. ”As planned, the vice-captain and I will intercept any potential Federation reinforcements. The three of you will surround and kill Xu Wuyi at the first opportunity.”

”Remember, he excels at Area Attacks, so close combat is surely his weakness. Make it quick. Don’t give him any openings.”

”Yes, sir!” the three replied in unison.

Shadow Blade took one last look at the black-clad figure in the center of the battlefield, and his ink-black wings suddenly spread wide.

”Move out.”

Five figures, like five bolts of black lightning, shot out from behind the Feathered People’s forces, hurtling straight toward the center of the battlefield.

At almost the exact same instant they moved.

From behind the Federation position, two incomparably tyrannical auras erupted into the sky.

One was an earthy yellow, as heavy as a mountain; the other was a silvery white, as sharp as a sword.

Lei Hong and Ye Guanlan had finally made their move.

Wielding his heavy War Axe, Lei Hong charged toward Shadow Blade like a humanoid beast. He swung the axe, kicking up a dark red astral wind that made the air shriek as it was sundered.

”Bird-brain! Your granddaddy’s here!”

Shadow Blade’s pupils shrank. Two pitch-black daggers appeared instantly in his hands, crossing to block.

CLANG!!!

The deafening sound of metal striking metal was ear-shattering.

Both were forced back, the ground beneath their feet exploding with spiderweb cracks.

On the other side, Ye Guanlan faced off against the vice-captain of the Wind Shadow Hunters.

He held no weapon. Instead, his hands formed a seal, and complex Energy runes materialized before him, sealing off all of the vice-captain’s attack routes.

”A Rune Master?” The vice-captain’s expression changed slightly.

Ye Guanlan didn’t answer, merely watching him calmly. The man’s figure was reflected in his eyes, which were as deep as the Starry Sky.

In the center of the battlefield, Xu Wuyi had just cleared an area of Feathered Warriors and was preparing to change position.

But just then, three figures surrounded him.

It was the three remaining members of the Wind Shadow Hunter squad.

Shadow Stab was at the forefront, holding a slender Thrusting Sword, its tip glinting with a venomous, spectral green light.

He stared at Xu Wuyi, his eyes filled with unconcealed killing intent and... a trace of contempt.

”Xu Wuyi?” Shadow Stab sneered. ”Your Flame is impressive, I’ll give you that. But now, do you even have a chance to use it?”

The other two slowly closed in from the left and right, their weapons already drawn.

All three were top-tier combatants below level 45, and they specialized in coordinated ambushes.

In their eyes, a Martial Artist like Xu Wuyi, who was built for large-scale battles, was nothing more than a lamb for the slaughter once he was cornered in close quarters.