Beacon Fire in the State City

At the south gate of Tonghai Prefecture, just past noon, the soldiers on the city wall could already see the dark mass of troops three miles away.

That was no ordinary military formation.

Three thousand black-clad swordsmen were divided into six square formations, each with five hundred men, standing in neat rows like black stone monuments. Even more chilling was the open space between them—piled up with dozens of corpses, their blood soaking the soil, forming a bizarre crimson pattern. At the center of the pattern stood seven black banners, their fluttering even without wind.

"They are using blood sacrifice to strengthen the formation." Chu Huaizhou stood on the city wall, his face so solemn it could drip water.

Qin Xiao gripped the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white: "My lord, our reinforcements..."

"The earliest we can expect to see them is by noon tomorrow," Chu Huaizhou interrupted him, his voice hoarse. "The court's reply is: Tonghai Prefecture is the gateway to the southeast and must be defended at all costs. But reinforcements... will take time to be mobilized."

That's as good as saying nothing at all.

Qin Xiao gritted his teeth: "Then these martial arts sects..."

He looked towards the left side of the city wall—where local martial arts practitioners from Tonghai Prefecture were gathered: the Iron Fist Sect, the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, the Hundred Herbs Hall, and a dozen or so smaller gangs, totaling five or six hundred people. But at this moment, all of them were pale-faced, and some were even trembling.

It wasn't that they were cowardly, but rather that the scene below the city was too eerie.

Those swordsmen have been arrayed since dawn, for three hours now, without moving an inch. They neither eat nor drink, nor utter a word, even their breathing is perfectly synchronized. The three thousand men are like a single entity, emanating a chilling aura that even the veterans on the city wall find suffocating.

"Where is Eunuch Zhao?" Chu Huaizhou suddenly asked.

"He's 'supervising the battle' at the government office," Qin Xiao said sarcastically. "He says he's personally overseeing the army for His Majesty and can't go to dangerous places himself."

Chu Huaizhou sneered and said no more. His gaze swept across the city wall and suddenly stopped at a certain spot—there, Peng Shitao was leading several disciples of Baicaotang, distributing bundles of medicine packets to the guards.

"Miss Peng." Chu Huaizhou walked over.

Peng Shitao looked up, her face still covered in medicine ash: "Lord Chu."

"These are..."

"Dispelling miasma powder, hemostatic powder, and energizing pills," Peng Shitao said quickly. "The opponent used blood sacrifice, which will probably release poisonous miasma. These medicines may not be effective, but they can at least alleviate the symptoms."

Watching her busy figure, Chu Huaizhou suddenly asked, "Young Master Li... is there any news from the Holy Gate?"

Peng Shitao paused, then said softly, "Brother Li said that the Holy Gate will come. But he didn't say when or how."

"What is he waiting for?"

"Wait until the time is right." Peng Shitao raised her head, a complex look in her eyes. "Lord Chu, Brother Li is neither a member of the imperial court nor a member of any martial arts sect. He has his own... schemes."

That's very straightforward.

Chu Huaizhou remained silent for a long time before finally nodding: "I understand."

As he turned to leave, Peng Shitao suddenly said, "Lord Chu, if... if the city really cannot be defended, please be sure to protect the people in the city."

Chu Huaizhou paused, but did not turn around; he simply nodded heavily.

At the same time, in the Peach Blossom Valley Council Hall.

Li Xian stood in front of a huge map, which marked Tonghaizhou City, Hanjiabao, Taoyuan Valley, and more than a dozen red dots—the enemy troop distribution detected by the Batman drone.

"The main force of the 3,000-strong Blade Hunter army is outside the South Gate." The superhuman drone hovered above the map, projecting a 3D image. "Six square formations, each with 500 men. According to the energy scan, they are connected by a blood sacrifice formation. Once activated, its power will be more than three times stronger than that of the Han Family Fortress army."

Miss Chunmeng crossed her arms: "Where are the Black Feather Guards?"

"In the dense forest ten miles west of the city," Superman adjusted the image, "about two hundred people, led by that one-eyed old man from the previous dynasty. They're waiting—waiting for the city walls to fall, or waiting for us to appear."

"What about Aunt Xiao?" Binglan asked.

"The remnants of Linghan Palace are at the abandoned dock thirty miles east of the city." Superman paused, "But last night, Miss Bingwei sent back a message saying that Aunt Xiao has a few 'strange people' around her—not martial artists, nor ordinary people, with a cold and eerie aura, suspected to be... mutants."

"A mutant?" Xiao Lingshan frowned.

"The administrators speculate," Li Xian interjected, "that it might be a biological mutation caused by radiation from the Starship remains. Aunt Xiao failed to control the Green Wood Token and turned to researching those living experiments contaminated by radiation."

These words caused everyone's expressions to change.

Biological mutation has exceeded their understanding of "martial arts".

"When shall we set off?" Miss Chunmeng asked Li Xian. "If we wait any longer, the city will really fall."

Li Xian did not answer. He walked to the window and looked at the women who were practicing in the valley.

After the battle at Han Family Fortress, the twenty-eight women of the Holy Gate had changed. Although their cultivation had only improved to a limited extent, the timidity in their eyes had lessened, replaced by a more resolute look. They knew that the next battle would be a true test of life and death.

"I'm waiting for three things," Li finally said.

"First, we'll wait until the court is truly desperate. Right now, Chu Huaizhou still has hope, and Eunuch Zhao is still putting on airs. Only when a section of the city wall breaks down and the casualties are heavy will they lower themselves and truly beg us."

"Secondly, we'll wait for Aunt Xiao and the Black Feather Guards to make their move. They're lying in wait, hoping to reap the benefits. Only when they reveal themselves can we see the whole picture."

"Third..." He turned to look at Binglan, "wait for your sister's second signal."

Binglan was taken aback: "My sister said the first signal is the start of the blood sacrifice, and the second is..."

"The final assault has begun," Li Xian said. "We can't waste Bingwei's sacrifice, as she risked her life to act as an inside agent. We'll move only after she gives us a clear time to strike."

Miss Chunmeng raised an eyebrow: "What if... we can't wait? What if the city falls, Miss Bingwei is exposed, or Chu Huaizhou dies?"

"That means," Li said calmly, "that our plans need to be adjusted."

He looked at everyone: "Remember, the Holy Gate is neither the imperial court's fire brigade nor the martial arts world's righteous army. We have people to protect and goals to achieve. This battle is not about playing the hero, but about—establishing our authority."

"To establish authority?" Xiao Lingshan repeated softly.

"Yes." Li Xian nodded. "Let the imperial court know that without us, they cannot defend Tonghai Prefecture. Let the martial world know that the Holy Sect is capable of fighting any enemy. And let those who covet the Star Chariot relics know... we are not to be trifled with."

That sounds cold, but it's the reality.

Miss Chunmeng suddenly laughed: "Mr. Li, you're becoming more and more like a 'Holy Lord'."

"Really?" Li Xian laughed. "Maybe he's been around managers for too long and has gone astray."

In his mind, the manager snorted, "I'm not taking the blame for this."

East of Tonghai Prefecture, an abandoned dock.

This place used to be Linghan Palace's private port, but now it has become Aunt Xiao's temporary headquarters. In the dock warehouse, dozens of Linghan Palace disciples are busy—not practicing martial arts, but processing some "materials".

The materials were kept in specially made iron cages. Some still retained their human shapes, while others were so distorted that their original forms were unrecognizable. They shared common characteristics: ashen skin, cloudy eyes, and a nauseating stench of radiation emanating from their bodies.

Bingwei stood in the shadows on the second floor of the warehouse, peering down through a crack. She was dressed in the white robes of a Linghan Palace disciple, her face veiled, revealing only a pair of cold eyes.

"Acting Palace Master," a trusted disciple whispered as he approached, "Elder Xiao requests your presence in the main tent for a meeting."

Bingwei nodded and walked down the stairs. As she passed the iron cages, she could feel the gazes cast by the "creatures" inside—not of hatred, not of fear, but of an empty, soulless stare.

The main tent was set up in the largest warehouse at the dock. Aunt Xiao sat at the head of the table, flanked by two men in black robes—the very same "strange people." They were completely wrapped in black robes, with only their withered, twig-like hands showing, the backs of their hands covered in dark red lines.

"Bingwei is here." Aunt Xiao looked up. "A message has come from the Daoist Kingdom: a general offensive will be launched at Shenshi (3-5 PM). Is your inside man ready?"

"Ready." Bingwei's voice was calm. "The commander of the garrison at the third section of the city wall at the south gate of the state capital has been taken into custody. He will open the city gate when the general offensive begins."

"Very good." Aunt Xiao nodded in satisfaction. "Once the city falls, you will lead your men straight to the government office and capture Chu Huaizhou and that General Qin. As for Li Xian..."

A fierce glint flashed in her eyes: "If he dares to come, let him taste the flavor of 'radiated corpse'."

"Radiation corpse?" Bingwei's heart skipped a beat.

Aunt Xiao clapped her hands. A man in black robes walked to the center of the tent and lifted his robe.

It was a "person," but no longer could be called a person. His skin was like cracked earth, from which a dark green, fluorescent liquid seeped. His eyes had no pupils, only two murky white lights. Most terrifying of all was his right hand—his entire arm had mutated into a tentacle-like form, with bony spikes at the end.

"The radiation from the starship remains, combined with special Gu techniques, can create such warriors," Aunt Xiao said with fanaticism. "They are not afraid of pain, not afraid of death, and as long as their brains are intact, they can fight. Moreover... their blood is radioactive; contact with it is fatal and there is no cure."

Bingwei suppressed the chill in her heart: "Aunt is wise."

"Go and make preparations," Aunt Xiao waved her hand. "Remember, taking the city is only the first step. When the imperial reinforcements arrive, we have an even bigger surprise waiting for them."

Bingwei left the main tent and walked to the edge of the dock. The sea breeze carried a salty, fishy smell. She took out an ice talisman from her bosom—a special communication talisman made by Linghan Palace, which could only be used three times.

The first time, she told Li Xian the time of the general offensive.

The second time...

She bit her fingertip and wrote two words on the ice symbol:

"Radiation Corpse"

Then crush the ice symbol.

Pale blue ice shards drifted in the air, transforming into invisible messages that flew towards Peach Blossom Valley.

After doing all this, Bingwei looked at the city walls of the state capital in the distance, a resolute glint in her eyes.

"Mr. Li...don't let me down."

At the beginning of the Shen hour, the blood-red pattern in the south of the city suddenly burst into a dazzling red light!

Three thousand swordsmen moved at the same time!

They moved with eerie steps, each step treading on the veins of the crimson pattern. Crimson light spread with their footsteps, eventually converging into six crimson pillars that shot skyward!

"Blood Sacrifice Formation, activate!" On the city wall, a knowledgeable old martial artist exclaimed in horror.

The crimson light surged toward the city wall like a tide! Wherever it passed, the bricks and stones began to crack and weather, as if they had been eroded by a hundred years of time!

"Fire arrows! Release rolling logs and boulders!" Qin Xiao shouted sharply.

Arrows rained down, and logs crashed down. But the red light had a corrosive effect; the arrows turned to rust before they even reached mid-air, and the logs rotted into dust halfway down the road!

"How...how are we supposed to fight this?!" The morale of the defenders began to collapse.

Just then, two hundred men in black—the Black Feather Guards—suddenly emerged from the dense forest west of the city! They scaled the city walls like ghosts, targeting officers and formation masters!

"Protect the array master!" Chu Huaizhou drew his sword to meet the enemy, but as a civil official with mediocre martial arts skills, he was quickly surrounded.

At the critical moment, a red figure flashed by!

Miss Chunmeng swept away three Black Feather Guards with a red ribbon, landing in front of Chu Huaizhou: "Lord Chu, step back!"

"Madam Meng? You..."

"The Holy Gate is here." Miss Chunmeng said briefly before turning to face the enemy. Behind her, Binglan, along with eight women from the Internal Affairs Department, quickly set up a simple ice array on the city wall to slow down the Black Feather Guards' offensive.

But the crisis beneath the city walls was even greater.

The red light has already reached the base of the city wall, and the entire south wall has begun to tilt!

"It's going to collapse!" The defenders fled in terror.

In the chaos, Peng Shitao was pushed to the ground. Just as she was about to be trampled by the deserters, a figure flashed by, and Xiao Lingshan pulled her up: "Shitao, are you alright?"

"Sister Lingshan!" Peng Shitao's eyes reddened, "The city wall..."

"Give it to Brother Li." Xiao Lingshan looked towards the outside of the city.

There, Li Xian finally appeared.

He didn't bring the Holy Gate Squad, only three drones: Superman, The Dark Knight, and Batman, as well as the three girls from the Creation Department.

They stood on a small hill a mile from the city wall, in front of them a strange device—a composite device consisting of an energy core modified from a magnetic beam knife, three sonic oscillators connected in series, and a greenwood token as a guide.

"Manager, is the frequency calibration complete?" Li asked.

"Complete." The administrator's voice was calm. "The energy frequency of the blood sacrifice array is 744 Hz, but it fluctuates violently. We need to simultaneously emit a mixed wave of three frequencies—744, 877, and 1023—to interfere with it."

"Are three oscillators enough?"

"That's enough, but precise synchronization is required." The administrator paused. "Mr. Li, this interference will consume a lot of energy, and I may have to remain dormant for a while."

"how long?"

"It's uncertain; it could take several hours, several days, or even several months."

Li Xian paused for a moment, then smiled: "Then let's do it."

He pressed the start switch.

The core of the device, the Green Wood Token, burst forth with a dazzling green light! The green light mixed with the sound waves emitted by the three vibrators, transforming into a three-colored beam of light that shot straight towards the center of the crimson array!

"Sizzle—!!!"

A piercing noise reverberated across the battlefield! It was a frequency clash that was inaudible to the human ear but clearly perceptible to the energy field!

Red light and tricolor light collided, tore apart, and annihilated in the air!

The three thousand swordsmen began to move in disarray, their steps became disordered, and their formation collapsed!

"Now!" Li Xian shouted to the three girls from the Creation Department, "Launch the 'Resonance Disintegration Bomb'!"

The girls activated their last resort—a miniature bomb made by Superman from parts of the Starship wreckage, which did not explode but released resonant waves of a specific frequency.

Three bombs landed in the center of the three groups of swordsmen.

"Buzz..."

A low, resonant wave spread out. The energy circulation within the swordsmen was forcibly disrupted, blood gushing from their mouths and noses, and they collapsed in droves!

Blood Sacrifice Formation, break!

But at that moment, something unexpected happened!

From the east of the city, a dozen or so black-robed "corpse-like" figures pounced on the hill where Li Xian was like ghosts! They were incredibly fast and their movements were bizarre, causing the vegetation to wither wherever they went!

"Watch out!" Xiao Lingshan exclaimed.

Li Xian turned around, drawing his magnetic blade. But the first mutated zombie had already pounced on him, its mutated tentacle-like arms aimed straight for his chest!

At the critical moment, a blue shadow flashed by.

Bingwei appeared in front of Li Xian, severing the tentacle with her longsword! But the green blood that splattered from the severed tentacle splashed onto her arm.

"Sizzle..." A corrosive sound rang out, and Bingwei groaned, her face turning deathly pale instantly.

"Bingwei!" Li Xian helped her up.

"Let's go..." Bingwei gritted her teeth, "Aunt Xiao still has a backup plan..."

Before the words were finished, Aunt Xiao's shrill laughter rang out from afar: "Li Xian, you think you've won? Look behind you!"

Li turned around and saw that Eunuch Zhao had appeared on the city wall at some point, holding a golden token in his hand.

"By His Majesty's secret decree!" Eunuch Zhao shouted shrilly, "The traitor Li Xian, colluding with overseas forces and plotting rebellion, is to be executed on the spot! The remaining members of the Holy Sect are to be wiped out as well!"

Chu Huaizhou was horrified: "Eunuch Zhao, you—"

"Lord Chu, this is His Majesty's will," Eunuch Zhao sneered. "The extraterrestrial inheritance can only belong to the imperial court. What use are disobedient dogs?"

The Green Eagle Guards on the city wall turned their crossbows and aimed them at the Holy Gate members below.

Outside the city, the Black Feather Guards, the remnants of the Blade Hunters, the disciples of Linghan Palace, and the corpses surrounded the city from all sides.

Holding Bingwei, whose consciousness was fading, Li Xian looked at this desperate situation and suddenly smiled.

His laughter was both desolate and resigned.

"Manager," he thought to himself, "it seems we've lost our gamble."

"Not necessarily." The manager's voice suddenly weakened. "Mr. Li, remember... the last lesson I'll teach you..."

"What?"

"In dire straits, the only way to survive is to make people believe you are dead."

After saying that, the manager's consciousness completely vanished.

Li Xian felt the dark red energy that had been supporting him within his body rapidly dissipating.

He looked down at Bingwei's increasingly pale face in his arms, then looked up at the cold crossbow bolts on the city wall.

Finally, he looked towards the distant Peach Blossom Valley.

There are people waiting for him to return, people he promised to protect.

"I'm sorry..." he said softly.

Then, he raised the magnetic beam knife, not at the enemy, but at the sky.

All the energy in the blade is released at once!

A blinding purple light exploded, illuminating the entire battlefield.

When the light faded, all that remained on the hill was a charred, deep pit and a mutilated, unrecognizable corpse inside.

"Brother Li—!!!"

Xiao Lingshan's screams were heart-wrenching.

(End of Chapter 46)