An Jiu's mental strength seemed to have been accumulating for a long time before it suddenly erupted. The three closest to her stiffened instantly.
Twin swords swept through like a gale, splattering blood that landed warm and sticky on An Jiu’s head and mask. The thick, metallic scent and the overwhelming crimson stimulated the savagery buried deep in her soul. Her already formidable mental strength shattered like an avalanche in an instant, the frigid killing intent pouring into her blades. A flash of white light surged forth, like a tidal wave churning up a thousand heaps of snow. Wherever it passed, the air was filled with the sound of fabric and flesh being torn apart by razor-sharp edges.
Under the crushing weight of An Jiu’s frenzied mental strength, even ninth-rank experts found it difficult to resist, while fourth-rank martial arts masters paled, watching helplessly as the blades descended upon them—their bodies unable to move an inch!
An Jiu’s vision blurred with blood, the world before her dyed in shades of red. At such close range, she could clearly see the fear and malice in their eyes—just like the look in her father’s eyes before he died.
Had she still possessed even a shred of mercy, her sword might have hesitated. But now, drenched in blood and surrounded by severed limbs, only one word echoed in her mind— kill!
Destroying those gazes made her blood boil with exhilaration.
At this moment, it was as if she had returned to the endless days and nights in the training facility—slashing, killing, venting the pent-up frustration and strange excitement in her heart.
Every assassin in the Crane Control Army had faced life-or-death battles before, but as they stared at this woman with blood-red eyes and overwhelming killing intent, they felt, for the first time, that they were standing face-to-face with the Death God himself.
The Crane Control Army had clearly not expected to encounter such a formidable opponent. They rarely fought in groups, and their initial coordination was clumsy. After several exchanges, they finally found their rhythm—but at a heavy cost.
"Stay calm! Focus your mental strength!" the squad leader of Team A shouted.
Mental strength was not invincible. Just like physical combat, if one person couldn’t overpower her, they could overwhelm her with numbers. The squad leader refused to believe that the combined killing intent of dozens—no, hundreds—of assassins could lose to a single woman, even if she was in the Transformation Realm!
Confirming that the heart blood was on her, the squad leader immediately released a yellow signal.
Before long, rustling footsteps echoed through the forest—countless, like a swarm of insects.
Crane Control Army operatives converged from all directions.
The Dark Capital’s Yu Hou arrived first, surveying the battlefield with a hint of surprise. "Transformation Realm!"
The squad leader of Team A approached him. "Sir, the medicine we need is on this woman. But she’s an external cultivator in the Transformation Realm."
The Yu Hou studied the situation for a long moment before relaxing slightly. "She’s injured. Order everyone to attack her mental strength simultaneously!"
During her second assault, An Jiu had accidentally discovered that she could weave a net with her mental strength. But just as she was experimenting, a swarm of assassins invaded her territory, disrupting the mental web and causing backlash. Under normal circumstances, her mental strength would have quickly depleted.
Following the order, the assassins didn’t rush in immediately. Instead, they encircled her, pressing down on her with their combined mental strength!
By now, An Jiu could no longer feel exhaustion. But as the crushing weight of so many powerful minds bore down on her, she gradually felt like a trapped beast. If she didn’t tear through this net, she would be doomed.
At the same time, over a dozen crossbowmen took aim at her.External Cultivation differs from Inner Cultivation. Inner Cultivators with profound Inner Force can form a layer of Body Shielding Qi around themselves, protecting their relatively fragile bodies. In contrast, External Cultivators undergo repeated brutal tempering, making their bodies inherently resistant to attacks. An Jiu clearly hadn't reached this level yet, otherwise her meridians wouldn't have struggled to withstand the impact of her own Mental strength.
Fortunately, the Crane Control Army soldiers surrounding her didn't dare divert even a sliver of attention, unaware that archers were poised to strike at any moment. Their encirclement inadvertently protected her.
As the Crane Control Army employed delaying tactics, An Jiu's Mental strength noticeably waned. The assassins using Mental attacks gradually found it less strenuous than before.
An Jiu mechanically swung her Tang sword without any superfluous movements—every strike found its mark. Yet the wounds on her body multiplied, blood soaking through her black close-fitting outfit until it was impossible to tell how much she'd lost.
By now, An Jiu had long forgotten why she fought. In her memory, surrender meant either death or lifelong imprisonment, so surrender had never been an option.
Seeing the battle's momentum shift, the Dark Capital Yu Hou's tightly knitted brows relaxed slightly.
Everyone believed eliminating An Jiu was merely a matter of time—until another formidable surge of Mental strength suddenly pierced through the battlefield.
As if encouraged, An Jiu's waning killing intent abruptly resurged, her sword strokes turning fiercer.
A sudden night wind rushed through the forest as a figure in black robes rode the gusts, landing beside An Jiu in an instant.
Though her consciousness had been overtaken by bloodlust, the moment Chu Dingjiang arrived, she regained some clarity.
"Chu Dingjiang!" Others might not recognize this figure, but the Dark Capital Yu Hou identified him immediately.
"At your service," Chu's deep voice emerged from beneath his hood.
Observing his stance, the Yu Hou's expression changed abruptly. "You're here to protect this woman?"
Apart from the Dark Commander, no one in the Crane Control Army surpassed Chu Dingjiang in Internal Energy—not even the Yu Hou himself. Chu had entered the Transformation Realm years ago, yet remained obscure until his unprecedented promotion to Divine Martial Commander. Even then, he accomplished little, constantly pressured by others—except for one occasion that revealed the terrifying power of a Transformation Realm Master: with just a handful of men, he annihilated the entire Misty Villa.
After this feat, The Emperor gradually came to rely on him.
What use were those rookies from the Crane Control Institute? None doubted Chu could complete missions even without them.
With two Transformation Realm Masters present, everyone retreated, creating a stalemate.
"As you see." Chu leisurely drew the ancient sword at his waist.
The Yu Hou, deeply wary of him, couldn't determine whether Chu came to protect the woman or seize the rare Medicine. He cautiously probed, "If you're here for her, just hand over the Medicine man's blood and we'll withdraw from the island immediately. If it's for the Medicine..."
"And what if I am?" Chu's tone lifted slightly, the murderous aura around him serving as the most direct threat.
The Yu Hou, half-stepped into the Transformation Realm, would be evenly matched in a fight—unaware that Chu's Internal Energy had significantly declined. Otherwise, he'd never tolerate being threatened by a subordinate!"Then you are committing treason, and everyone has the right to punish you!" The hidden capital patrol commander tensed the muscles in his legs and waist, ready to fight at any moment.
"You'll get neither the woman nor the Medicine, because The Emperor passed away half an hour ago." Chu Dingjiang casually dropped this bombshell, speaking unhurriedly, "Indeed all martial artists crave miraculous Medicine, but I hope you'll weigh the gains and losses carefully."
"Is this true?!" The hidden capital patrol commander sensed something was wrong.
Chu Dingjiang chuckled lightly, "Otherwise, do you think this official would have the courage of a lion to dare oppose his superior?" (To be continued...)
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