High Martial Arts: Enlightenment after Practices

Five kilometers from the fortress’s outer defensive perimeter, Han Mo raised a hand, signaling them to slow down.

The four of them stopped above the sea, Qi and Blood coalescing beneath their feet to hold them steady.

The feint attack had already begun, but it was primarily focused on the fortress’s outskirts, providing cover for their real assault here.

”According to the plan, Xu Wuyi will make the first move.” Han Mo’s voice came through the communication channel, calm and clear. ”Clear the area. Force them to expose their defensive layout.”

Xu Wuyi nodded.

He took a step forward, positioning himself in front of the other three. He slowly raised the Liaoyuan Long Spear, its tip pointed diagonally toward the fortress ahead.

The Power of Heart Image began to circulate.

In his sea of consciousness, the Dark Gold Mountain Body trembled, and atop its peak, the Golden Crow Illusion raised its head and spread its wings.

A dark gold Flame True Intention coalesced within his Heart Image, transforming into clearly visible ”nodes” within a three-hundred-meter radius through his Heart Image’s perception.

Those were the locations where the Feathered Warriors were gathered.

Through his aura perception, he could see the figures hidden behind cover on the fortress’s outskirts, the defensive cannons that were currently charging, and the veins of Energy flowing beneath the surface of the Energy Shield.

Four hundred seventy-two targets in total.

Over three hundred of them were ordinary Feathered Warriors; the rest were Priests and commander-level individuals.

’Found them.’

Xu Wuyi muttered to himself, and with a thought, he acted.

HUM—

Without any warning, dark gold points of light simultaneously appeared in a three-hundred-meter radius around the exterior of Broken Star Castle.

They were like stars suddenly blooming in the night sky, densely packed, with over a hundred of them.

Each point of light hovered precisely above a cluster of Feathered Warriors, over the energy port of a defensive cannon, or on a ritual node constructed by the Priests.

A piercing alarm blared from within the fortress.

The Feathered People had clearly not expected an attack so sudden and so precise.

But they were not slow to react. The pale blue Energy Shield instantly thickened, and the chanting of the Priests was broadcast across the battlefield by amplification spells.

However, it was too late.

Xu Wuyi tightened his grip on his spear with his right hand. He raised his left, slowly closing his five fingers into a fist.

”Burn.”

Over a hundred Flame True Seals erupted at once.

A tide of dark gold fire surged forth, instantly engulfing everything within a three-hundred-meter radius of the fortress’s exterior.

There was no explosion, no shockwave, only the silent burning of flames.

The pale blue shields began to disintegrate the instant they came into contact with the Flame True Seals. The Energy composing the shields was madly devoured and converted by the Flame True Seals, turning into more fuel and making the fire rage even more fiercely.

The Feathered Warriors were consumed by the dark gold flames before they could even scream.

They tried to flap their wings and escape, but the flames clung to them like a plague, spreading through their bodies along the flow of their Qi and Blood, and burning their flesh and bones to charcoal within three seconds.

The energy ports of the defensive cannons were incinerated, interrupting their charging sequence. Their barrels drooped powerlessly.

The Priests’ ritual nodes were directly detonated by the Flame True Seals, and the backlash made them vomit blood, their Spirits suffering damage.

Ten seconds.

In just ten seconds, the more than three hundred Feathered Warriors on the fortress’s outskirts were all reduced to ash.

Over fifty defensive fortifications were destroyed, and eight Priests were killed on the spot.

Above the sea, Xu Wuyi lowered his spear and stood tall, the illusion of flames slowly dying in his dark gold pupils.

’First sweep, complete.’

”Nice one!” Tie Zhan grinned, twirling his warhammer. ”Those birdbrains didn’t even know what hit ’em!”

Han Mo, however, frowned slightly. ”Too easy.”

It was, indeed, too easy.

Since the Feathered People had set a trap, they shouldn’t have only this much defensive strength. The three hundred-plus warriors on the outskirts were more like... sacrificial pawns.

”They’re trying to drain your Power of Heart Image.” Lu Wenquan pushed up his glasses, his tactical tablet displaying the energy readings from the last attack. ”According to the data, you used about fifteen percent of your Power of Heart Image for that sweep. A few more times, and you’ll exhaust yourself before they even need to surround you.”

Xu Wuyi nodded.

Of course, he knew.

But this was an open conspiracy. The Feathered People were trading the lives of their ordinary warriors for his strength. The more he killed, the more energy he consumed, and the more danger he would be in when the real killing blow came.

”They’re coming out.”

Han Mo suddenly looked up.

From the depths of the fortress, six powerful auras erupted into the sky.

Grayish-white wings, each pair over five meters long, unfurled in the sunlight, exuding a cold and sharp pressure.

Sub-King Level.

And not just one, but six of them.

”Just as I thought.” Tie Zhan tightened his grip on his warhammer, a glint of excitement in his eyes. ”Six of them. Just enough for a good warm-up!”

Lu Wenquan quickly operated his tablet. ”Target confirmed. Six sub-King Level experts, energy Levels between forty-seven and forty-nine. Two appear to be close-combat specialists, three are skilled in Priest rituals, and one... its energy signature is vague. Should be some kind of special ability user.”

”As planned, Light Team engages head-on, Dark Team prepares to counter-flank.” Han Mo unsheathed his sword, its blade glinting coldly. ”Xu Wuyi, you continue clearing the field. Reduce the number of common soldiers as much as possible. Tie Zhan, Lu Wenquan, with me.”

Before his words had faded, three figures had already shot into the sky.

Han Mo’s sword light streaked like a rainbow piercing the sun, aimed straight at the sub-King with the strongest aura in the center. Tie Zhan’s warhammer whistled through the air as he smashed it toward the two close-combat type sub-Kings on the left.

Lu Wenquan formed hand seals, and twelve runes lit up in the air, constructing a complex energy barrier that temporarily trapped the three Priest-type sub-Kings.

The battle instantly became white-hot.

Sword clashed with wing, erupting in blinding sparks. Warhammer collided with claw, the impact stirring up massive waves on the sea below.

The Priests’ spells and the energy barrier eroded one another, exploding into clusters of brilliant, deadly light in the sky.

Xu Wuyi did not move.

He stood on the surface of the sea, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield.

The six sub-Kings were all tied down, but more Feathered Warriors were massing inside the fortress.

Through his Heart Image perception, he could see inside the fortress, where over a thousand warriors were lining up, preparing to charge out and join the battle.

’Trying to bury me with numbers?’

Xu Wuyi sneered.

He raised his Liaoyuan Long Spear, pointing the tip toward the fortress entrance.

This time, he didn’t use the Flame True Seals.

In his sea of consciousness, the earthy-yellow patterns on the surface of the Dark Gold Mountain Body lit up. The concept of the Gravity Rules coalesced within his Heart Image, forming a cognition akin to the crushing weight of a mountain.

He projected this cognition onto the space at the fortress entrance.

”Profound Nether·Mountain Suppression.”

The tip of his spear tapped lightly.

Silently, the Gravity Field within a hundred-meter radius of the fortress entrance abruptly changed.

It wasn’t a simple increase, but a kind of ”solidification.”

It was as if that patch of space had suddenly been injected with ten thousand tons of lead and mercury; the air grew as thick as glue, and even light bent slightly.

The Feathered Warriors who were lining up to charge felt their bodies suddenly grow heavy, their movements slowing by a factor of ten.

It was as if a movie had been put in slow motion.