Chapter 20

Do You Think You Are Really Strong?

The Shang Dynasty’s Seventh Imperial Prince laughed uproariously like a mad demon as he stood alone between the opposing armies.

This laughter became a sword that slashed the arrogance of the exotic tribe who were on a high after having ‘sieged the Wolf Restraining Pass, killed the Heir Apparent, obliterated an army of a hundred thousand, and faced no obstructions upon making through the pass at the waist.

The soldiers of Guifang lowered their heads, afraid to look the black-armored general in the eyes.

Soon, the laughter stopped.

Xia Ji said lightly, “So, that’s all you are.”

His voice may sound calm, but it was filled with a vigor that could be heard clearly by both Guifang and the Shang Dynasty.

When he was done speaking, he turned away and pulled out the black demonic halberd stuck deep from the ground with his right hand. He propped it over his shoulder and headed back. The halberd had absorbed many of the Guifang warriors’ blood and was now shining with a bright darkness.

Xia Ji had just taken two steps when a grim, powerful call came from behind him.

His expression remained unchanged but his five fingers increased the grip on the dark halberd as he prepared to attack at any moment. In fact, he had already guessed that Guifang would not allow him to retreat so easily.

Bam!!

The thud of a heavy object falling was heard.

The surrounding earth trembled following the noise.

However, it was clear that whatever object that had fallen was still quite a distance from him.

Xia Ji paused in his steps and turned around. His gaze swept across and he saw that the heavy object that had fallen was a gigantic rock. It was around four meters in diameter and it had fallen about a mile away from where he had stood.

However, no one came chasing after him.

What did this mean?

Xia Ji looked curiously toward the Guifang camp opposite him.

However, no one needed to give him further explanation.

He saw a Frost Giant moving another gigantic rock as it roared eerily, flinging the gigantic rock toward Xia Ji.

Bam!!

The gigantic rock flew for about a mile as it soared past the previous boulder that had just fallen onto the ground, crashing down with an exploding boom.

The power was quite formidable, but it was still quite a distance from where Xia Ji stood.

Xia Ji looked at the gigantic rock and turned his gaze towards the Guifang soldiers opposite.

The Guifang soldiers, who had previously kept their heads down, were now turning away and avoiding his gaze.

Xia Ji suddenly understood what was happening. It was an attempt by the Frost Giants to ambush him, but the rocks flung out were not thrown far enough, which ended up in failure…

He swept his gaze at these ‘miniature mountains’ with mystical blue skin. These ‘mountains’ stared at him with bronze bell-like eyes from afar. The giant who had just flung the gigantic rock was still roaring, as if trying to boast that ‘I might not have hit you with the rock, but I have strength which a little insect like you could never come close to’.

Xia Ji’s lips curved upward as he looked around him. He walked toward a larger boulder situated right next to where he was and patted it. He raised it by curling his arms around it and then held it up high with a single hand as he stared down Guifang and the Frost Giants who stood in the distance.

He did not waste time with words as he combined the physical strength of the Eighteen Levels of Hell Suppression Energy and the inner vitality of the Nine Suns of the Heart Sutra. There was a sudden burst of energy as he hurled the boulder straight in the opposite direction with his palm.

Boom!!!

The gigantic boulder left his hand as it exploded into a bright, burning, golden light, like a freshly launched missile leaving for its target, the tail displaying a light resembling a blazing fire.

The gigantic rock was sent flying in an explosion in front of everyone’s eyes as it drew an angular line across the sky and made a direct booming crash in the middle of the Guifang army camp. The collision landed a little more than ten meters behind the miniature mountains with the mystical blue skin.

The Guifang soldiers fell deathly silent.

The Frost Giants had confused looks on their faces.

Xia Ji pointed at them and shook his index finger at them. With that, he turned his gaze away from them, picked up his dark halberd, and turned to leave.

The air was silent for a few seconds.

The Guifang base camp suddenly erupted with enraged roars.

The Frost Giants were roaring ferociously. Each of them started to pick up giant rocks as they threw them toward the black-armored shrimp’s direction. However, even the best throw was landed at least one mile away from Xia Ji.

Amidst a loud commotion caused by the unintelligible roars of the Frost Giants and the continuous booming crashes of the giant rocks, Xia Ji could no longer hold back as he laughed out loud.

The Frost Giants behind him stopped throwing the rocks and a few ran out and stood in front of the army formation. They pointed at the figure of the black-armored shrimp from afar as they roared in chatters. One could only guess what they were roaring about.

One thing was for certain—they looked pretty furious.

…

Xia Ji had exerted himself quite a bit after the round of battling and killing. He put on an invincible facade during the battle challenges, but that did not mean he did not exert himself while attacking. The inner vitality of the Nine Suns may provide an unlimited supply of energy and allow him to recover his strength, but he still felt fatigued at the end of the day.

He walked toward the black gates and raised his head. The city walls were filled with people. Three rows of people from the outside and three rows of people from the inside. Every corner and every path of the city wall were filled with people as far as the eyes could see.

Every general and soldier, every swordsman from the brotherhood of martial arts who were helping with defending the city were at the wall. Even the commoners were leaning up against the pathways and doors at the city walls.

The city gates opened.

The Imperial Prince made a triumphant return.

Everyone watched him quietly. The look in their eyes was initially filled with desperation and dullness, but the dullness had been ignited and there were now sparks of fire in their eyes.

Someone had taken the lead in shouting ‘Seventh Imperial Prince’.

With that, everyone followed suit and they started to cheer in agitation and excitement.

Someone had called out ‘Grand Marshal’, but this voice was small and was quickly overtaken by calls of ‘Seventh Imperial Prince’. After which, every person unanimously screamed and shouted the words ‘Seventh Imperial Prince’.

The voices resonated high and low as it reverberated throughout the Imperial City.

…

Xia Ji returned to his tower and removed his demonic armor.

Xia Xiaosu touched the dagger in her pockets. She had earlier predicted the dagger to have pierced through her heart by now, but it turned out she was well and alive.

This was because her big brother had won.

Not only had he won, but he had also gained victory by crumbling the enemy in such a formidable manner in front of the eyes of both armies.

Xia Ji grabbed a vat of fine liquor as he completely relaxed.

Xia Xiaosu stood next to him. The siblings had too much to say to each other, for example, words like ‘why didn’t you tell me before that you were so powerful’ or ‘when did you suddenly become such a formidable force’, but the Imperial Princess said none of them.

She breathed a relaxed sigh and stood next to her big brother, saying soulfully, “When you jumped from the city walls, my heart fell into the deepest abyss.”

Xia Ji laughed in reply, “What happened after that?”

Xia Xiaosu said, “However, you didn’t get hurt and even managed to kill Chi Kui in one blow. My mind almost went blank. It was unbelievable.

“After that, you didn’t fall back but continued to march forward in offense, walking right in between both armies. My heart almost stopped again then.

“I was screaming for you to return from the tower but you were too far away and the snowstorm was too loud. You couldn’t hear me.”

Xia Ji smiled gently. “But I’m back now.”

Xia Xiaosu replied, “Not only are you back, but you’ve killed forty-one of Guifang’s formidable generals, and even gave the Frost Giants a show of your superior strength. I can hardly believe that you are my big brother.”

Xia Ji asked, “Am I still your big brother?”

Xia Xiaosu, “You will always be my big brother, but…”

“But what?”

Xia Xiaosu sighed. “Now that I have such a strong and powerful big brother, all my big brother has now is a little sister who is nothing but a burden.”

The siblings looked at each other for a while before Xia Ji said sincerely, “You’re not a burden.”

“Huh?”

“I will never cry for others in suffering, but you will.

“If I found a wounded fox, I would grill it for food, but you wouldn’t.

“If I was forced into a political marriage to Tujue, I would never accept it willingly, but you would.

“If I was in a situation that spelled my certain death, I would never remain behind, much less bring along a dagger with me to the top of the city walls and wait in silence, but you would. You would rather die alongside me than live alone.

“Xiaosu, you have a quality within you that I do not possess.

“Many might think that is a weakness, but I don’t think so.

“That is why, you should never belittle yourself.”

Xia Xiaosu was silent for a while. She later lowered her head and said quietly, “I understand, big brother. However… Can we really succeed?”

Her gaze turned toward the window in the tower as she stared outside.

White snow.

Red blood.

Icy skies and snowy grounds.

Dark clouds hung above the city.

Not to mention those tall, foreboding figures among the exotic tribes.

As army after army of troops marched in from afar to combine forces with the Guifang camp, it greatly expanded the camp’s power.

There were still a few hundred little troops setting up individual camps nearby the Guifang camp. They were nomadic bandits and rogue horsemen from beyond the Great Wall. Some were from the martial arts world from beyond the Great Wall who were looking to sneak into the midst and take advantage of the upcoming chaos.

Compared to the backup coming in for the enemy, nothing was happening for the Shang Dynasty. It seemed like anyone smart was still aware that ‘the Heir Apparent and his army of hundred thousand was obliterated in battle and the Imperial Emperor had left the Imperial Capital’.

Would it help for anyone to send backup?

Moreover, these reinforcements would be made up of their own soldiers. Every death was a loss. Who would be willing to offer themselves?

In addition to that, even if the exotic tribes were successfully defeated, they were well-versed at war during deep winter. If they could not take down the Imperial Capital, they would turn their sights to another city. What if the city under attack turned out to be their own?

It would make more sense to feed the rich and prosperous Shang Dynasty Imperial to the exotic tribes.

The invaders would be satisfied with raping and plundering the Imperial Capital.

Once they were fulfilled, they would not plunder and kill those nearby. After a month, these exotic tribes would notice spring arriving and would leave on their own accord. When that time came, they could conjure up a huge army and go after them alongside the Imperial Emperor.

…

When evening arrived, the snowstorm stopped. A few rays of sunlight broke through the clouds—a rare sight. It was not long before cries of shock could be heard from the city walls.

Xia Xiaosu’s ears picked it up and she ran toward Xia Ji. “Big brother, a few taller and bigger giants are coming over from the other side.”

Xia Ji pointed outside the window. “I can see them. There are three of them.”

They were far off.

At Guifang’s army camp.

Those dozens of Frost Giants had originally stood out from the crowd, but these three new giants were taller than the rest with an average height of ten meters. The other Frost Giants were like dwarves next to these three.

Not long after, one of the three giants walked directly toward the Imperial City. A blue metallic accessory with a beetle hung around his neck. There was a huge rock in his hand. It was the rock Xia Ji had thrown at the Guifang camp.

The giant moved slowly toward the city with a foreboding air.

There was a commotion on the city walls of the Imperial City.

Who had ever seen a giant that was ten meters tall?

This monster lived in the icy snow world. Neither sword nor spear could penetrate him and his strength was formidable. Who could ever fight it?

Even if he stood there without moving and allowed the soldiers to slash him, they might not necessarily even put a scratch on it.

“What is he planning to do?”

“Why is the monster coming over on his own?”

“Be on high alert!”

Deng Jue had been resting and the person on defense duty at the top of the wall at the moment was the eldest son of the Deng family, Deng Gongjiu. He was young and in peak form. He had the Green Dragon Sword in his hand, striking a rather stalwart figure. When he spotted the giant approaching, the first thing he did was give the order to set up the army’s strong shot crossbows. He even got them to put out a complex machine that looked like a series of steps. This machine was able to fit three strong shot crossbows to achieve an effect of ‘continuous shots’.

Deng Gongjiu considered for the crossbow arrows to be shot in a concentrated area. This way, when the first arrow pierced through the Frost Giants’ Icy Snow armor, the subsequent shots would be able to wound the giant.

However, this plan was not able to be put into action because the ten-meter-tall Frost Giant stopped suddenly at a distance three miles away from the Imperial City. He looked toward the direction of the tower and suddenly lifted the huge rock forcefully as he pushed it up with all his strength.

With that, he threw it out with ferocity!

Bam!!

The huge rock flew toward the city wall’s tower like a meteorite.

Xia Ji had been standing outside the tower earlier on.

He reached out with his right hand and performed the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts form from the Eighteen Levels of Hell Suppression Energy. His expanding palms reached toward the ‘meteorite’.

Bam!!!

The ‘meteorite’ stopped abruptly as a mighty palm blocked it.

The entire city wall trembled furiously from the impact.

Xia Ji’s palm held onto the giant rock as his right hand hooked onto it and grabbed it tightly. His hand was pushed back slightly and later, he sent the rock flying back out by using an exploding force that combined physical and inner strength.

Bam!!!!

The huge rock shot back with an even greater force, turning into a ‘meteorite’ flying in the opposite direction.

The ten-meter-tall Frost Giant did not look deterred as he held up his hand to catch it.

Bam!!!

Both of the giant’s hands blocked the huge rock, but the inner vigor within the rock exploded a second time.

Bam!!

The Frost Giant felt a strange power assaulting him as his blood and vitality started flowing counter-clockwise. His bones cracked noisily and his eyes popped from his sockets. His body went out of control as he flew through the air, soaring away along with the huge rock!

The giant threw up a mouthful of mythical blue bloody mist while flying through the air and ended up falling back onto the ground far away as he rolled about disheveled for quite a while before finally lying flat on his stomach. No one knew if he was dead or alive.