Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

Chapter 272 The Last Battlefield_1

At the city gate, the battle raged on. The Duke of the Liang State had brought reinforcements of two hundred thousand men from Tiandu, and at this moment, they were fiercely engaging in close combat with the barbarian horde.

Meanwhile, the Xuantie Army, after several major battles, now numbered less than fifty thousand. The reason they could hold out until now was that the other two major mansions had diverted a significant force to rush to Yongxue City, joining the Xuantie Army in resisting the barbarian forces.

If the Duke of the Liang State had arrived even a step later, Yongxue City would have completely fallen, and the Great Mountain Range, where the barbarians were based, as well as the Yan State and even Da Xia itself, would have been left without any barriers or checkpoints, open to invasion.

"Kill!"

"Charge!"

At this moment, the sounds of slaughter were incessant both inside and outside of Yongxue City. The Duke of the Liang State, tall and burly in his armor, was like an aging lion, old yet still imposing.

"Duke of the Liang State, let's stand back a bit," said Chen Yu, who was closely guarding the Duke of the Liang State.

Beside them, there were also three martial arts grandmasters from the Yao Platform Sect standing here, solely to protect the personal safety of the Duke of the Liang State.

As for the battle outside the city, it was incredibly intense, with dozens of grandmasters involved.

Here, forces from the Jing Tian Department, the barbarians, the Holy Shadows Sect, the royal family, the Qiu family, the Yao Platform Sect, and the Feixue Sword Sect—a total of seven powers—had amassed.

The combined might of the seven powers had gathered, not to mention grandmasters—if even the Returning to True Stage martial arts grandmasters numbered as many as eleven, engaging in combat in the distance.

This battle, if it weren't for the aid extended by the royal family and the Yao Platform Sect, Da Xia would have undoubtedly suffered defeat, and the Yan State would have already fallen into the hands of the barbarians and the demonic cult.

At that moment, not far away, two figures appeared, walking slowly towards this location. It was the commander of the Xuantie Army, the Marquis of Pingxi.

Accompanying the Marquis of Pingxi was the vice commander of the Xuantie Army, Lin Zhan.

"Duke of the Liang State, long time no see," said the Marquis of Pingxi as he approached the Duke of the Liang State and bowed with clasped hands.

The Duke of the Liang State nodded slightly, looking at the Marquis of Pingxi and asked, "How are your injuries?"

The Marquis of Pingxi replied, "Thanks for your concern, Duke. I'm not dead yet. I'm truly ashamed to say that if I had not been so eager for quick success, the Yan State would not have come to this."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of the Liang State's snowy eyebrows furrowed slightly as he said, "I'm also quite curious. Given your character, Marquis, why would you act in such a way?"

The Marquis of Pingxi sighed softly, moved closer to the Duke of the Liang State, and in a whisper, said, "I'm ashamed to admit that the reason I did this was mainly because..."

Suddenly, the Marquis of Pingxi, who was bowing his head, had a flash of sinister black qi in his eyes that disappeared in an instant. Then, he fiercely slapped his palm towards the Duke of the Liang State's chest.

"Marquis of Pingxi!"

Seeing this, Chen Yu immediately turned pale with shock and reached out to stop him. But with only Returning to True Stage cultivation, how could he be a match for the Marquis of Pingxi, a grandmaster-level opponent? He was directly sent flying by the shock, blood spurting from his mouth.

"How dare you!"

At that moment, the three martial arts grandmasters from the Yao Platform Sect also changed their expressions in unison. They immediately made a move to stop the Marquis of Pingxi from committing the violent act.

"Scram!"

The Marquis of Pingxi roared angrily, and a cold and sinister black qi continuously surged from inside his body, and amidst it, a mournful scream rang in everyone's ears.

"Pu!"

The three martial arts grandmasters from the Yao Platform Sect immediately spat out blood and were sent flying backward, following in Chen Yu's footsteps.

As the Marquis of Pingxi's palm approached, the Duke of the Liang State's pupils constricted. In his prime, he too possessed grandmaster-level cultivation, but unfortunately, with the injuries sustained from that final battle, coupled with old age and many concealed wounds, he was now left with barely a tenth of his original strength, merely equivalent to a warrior at the Gang Qi Stage.

How could he possibly withstand the Marquis of Pingxi?

Bang!

The Marquis of Pingxi's palm struck the Duke of the Liang State's chest solidly. The Duke's body trembled as a surge of black qi forced its way into his body. His complexion turned pale in an instant, and a trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Duke of the Liang State, you're really too slow. You kept me waiting quite a while," said the Marquis of Pingxi, a cold smile emerging at the corner of his mouth. Shrouded in black qi, his face seemed like that of a malevolent ghost.

"Marquis of Pingxi, you truly have betrayed Da Xia, siding with the demonic sect. You deserve to die!" the Duke of the Liang State said with a grave voice.

"Da Xia? I have never been loyal to Da Xia, so where is the question of betrayal?" replied the Marquis of Pingxi with an indifferent tone and calm demeanor.

Having succeeded in his move, he was no longer in a hurry.

After all, the battle outside the city was so fierce that even if it attracted attention, no one would be able to come to his aid. Continue reading stories on empire

"Cao Zhen, you dare betray Da Xia and join the demonic sect, you deserve death!"

Suddenly, a voice filled with rage came from afar. It belonged to the enforcer from the Jing Tian Department in the Yan State.

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Pingxi's expression changed dramatically. Facing a Returning to True Stage martial arts grandmaster was not something he could contend with, especially since the enforcer from the Jing Tian Department was extremely powerful. With just the sound of his voice, the Marquis of Pingxi spit out blood, and his whole body was sent flying horizontally.

"Lord Marquis!"

Seeing this, Lin Zhan turned pale with shock and hurried over immediately.

"It's nothing."

The Marquis of Pingxi waved his hand, and with the power of the demonic spirit, his injuries healed in an instant.

"The Innate Realm, I am close as well!"

Marquis of Pingxi's eyes blazed with fervor, for now that he had revealed his ambition, he seemed like a completely different person, no longer hiding anything.

This was the real him, hidden for so many years.

"Pu!"

The Duke of the Liang State looked pale, standing in place, continuously coughing up blood from the corner of his mouth, yet his body remained straight as he stood there, not understanding as he looked towards the Marquis of Pingxi and asked, "Why?"

With a faint smile, the Marquis of Pingxi said, "Why not? I've guarded the border in your stead for so many years, in this frigid land, I've had enough! Why should you all enjoy the pleasures of life in Tiandu, while I and my descendants can only stay here generation after generation?"

As he spoke, the Marquis of Pingxi suddenly became agitated, his voice raised sharply, "The inept nobles in Tiandu can indulge in food and drink every day, enjoying their easy lives, while someone capable like me must suffer and toil on the borderlands. I ask you, why? Why should I resign myself to this?"

A trace of sorrow appeared in the aged eyes of the Duke of the Liang State as he said, "Just for this, you would betray Da Xia, causing the death of hundreds of thousands of common people, turning Yan State into a river of blood, even abandoning the six hundred thousand loyal Xuan Iron troops, is it worth it?"

The Marquis of Pingxi sneered coldly, resolutely stating, "Worth it, of course it's worth it! What is six hundred thousand Xuan Iron troops to me? If I can break through to the Innate Realm, even if it were a million-strong army, I would not hesitate!"

This was the true nature of the Marquis of Pingxi, uncompassionate and unscrupulous in pursuit of his goals. It could be said that Yan State's development to its current state was inseparable from his actions, for which he is unforgivable.

If not for his greed and for his own selfish interests, Yan State would never have developed to the present situation.

"So, you waited for me to come just for the lives of these two hundred thousand soldiers?" the Duke of the Liang State said, his low voice resonating as nearly black blood flowed from his chest.

Before coming here, he had considered the possibility of the Marquis of Pingxi turning traitor, but the Duke of the Liang State had then dismissed it.

After all, the Marquis of Pingxi was brought up by the Duke of the Liang State himself when he was young, seen as his successor, and had indeed not disappointed him. This was something the Duke had always taken pride in.

"Indeed!" the Marquis of Pingxi said coldly.

Towards the man who had once mentored him, the Marquis of Pingxi felt no burden in killing him.

"You old thing, stop trying to lecture me with your age; just die!" the Marquis of Pingxi scoffed.

"So this is your true face," the Duke of the Liang State's complexion grew even paler, his gaze gradually dimming.

Only at this moment did he truly see what kind of person the Marquis of Pingxi was.

All those years, it turned out the Marquis of Pingxi had always been pretending.

"Before long, the entire Yan State will fall, countless lives will become nourishment, and I, will break through to the Innate Realm and achieve the position of a grandmaster of martial arts!" As he reached this point, the Marquis of Pingxi couldn't help but become excited.

Upon hearing this, a vision of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, the hellish scene of Yan State's suffering, suddenly flashed before the Duke of the Liang State.

With this thought, the light in his eyes grew fainter still.

"Yan State is in such a condition, who can save it, how can it be saved?" the Duke of the Liang State murmured.

In the last moments of his life, a ray of light pierced the dark world of the Duke of the Liang State; it was a young face, with loose black hair, handsome features, and eyes like stars beneath furrowed brows—Gu Chen.

"Gu Chen... the future of Da Xia... depends on you now..." With his last thought, the Duke of the Liang State's life force gradually faded, and his robust body suddenly fell backward.

"Duke of the Liang State!"

Upon witnessing this scene, Chen Yu's eyes almost burst from their sockets with rage.

"Cao Shuang!"

In the distance, sensing the death of the Duke of the Liang State, the Yan State garrison commander bellowed with fury, causing the heavens and earth to thunder, shaking the entirety of Yongxue City in that moment.

The Marquis of Pingxi also felt fear take root within him, but fortunately, the Yan State garrison commander was restrained by two Innate Realm grandmasters from the Holy Shadows Sect and the Black Sky Sect, unable to spare any effort, which somewhat relieved the Marquis of Pingxi.

"Well then, the plan is nearly complete. Issue my order, tell Xu Wei to commence," the Marquis of Pingxi said lightly.

"Yes!" Lin Zhan bowed in response.

But at this moment, the grand voice of the Yan State garrison commander suddenly resounded through the heavens and earth.

"Today, even if I die, I will not let you traitors succeed!"

With a resounding boom, dazzling light burst forth from the sky, as if floodwaters had broken through a dam, or a volcano had erupted, causing the earth to vibrate, the ground to crack, and countless boulders and trees to be hurled into the sky, nearly destroying the world, such was the terrifying power of it.

"Yan Qing, you seek a fight to the death?!"

"Retreat!"

Seeing that the Yan State's Jing Tian Department garrison commander, Yan Qing, was set on a suicidal attack, the group of Innate Realm martial grandmasters immediately issued a retreat command.

The Marquis of Pingxi frowned slightly upon seeing this but had no other choice than to follow suit.

He had hoped to kill everyone within Yongxue City in one fell swoop and then absorb their essence and blood.

Soon, the barbarian army, upon receiving the orders, retreated from outside of Yongxue City, leaving behind only the devastated city and a host of Da Xia soldiers whose spirits and vitality had been all but extinguished.