Section 19: Our Valor!
By Gu Zhenren
February 9, 2013
“Good, the city walls are on the verge of collapse. The army will rest for one night, and by tomorrow, we can move down to the outer city!” After this arduous battle, many among the heroes breathed a sigh of relief. Iron Cage Island was about to fall. Although it had taken this long, the outcome remained unchanged.
“What a pity for a filial son like Chu Yun!” some of the commanders lamented.
“Hmph! I wish I could tear him limb from limb to quench my hatred!” Many others harbored deep resentment towards Chu Yun.
“When we capture Iron Cage City, I will cut off Chu Yun’s head and use it as a wine vessel!” said Shen Wenbo, a great general of the Shen family. His face was sinister, and he had once ranked on the Talented Person Ranking, his martial prowess only slightly inferior to Duan Tianya’s.
He had fought Chu Yun many times in recent days and suffered considerable losses.
“Haha, you take his head, and I’ll take his body. I will hang his headless corpse on the city wall and whip it for three days and three nights!” Yuan Saibo, a great general of the Yuan family, echoed.
His hatred for Chu Yun was even more intense. A hideous scar stretched across his cheek, from his eyebrow to his jaw—the mark of his defeat against Chu Yun.
Hua Ying chuckled slightly, “I’m just worried Chu Yun might break through tonight and escape.”
“What’s so difficult about that? I will personally lead the army tonight, without rest, to guard the position and protect the tents!” Duan Tianya declared, his eyes flashing with sharp light, stepping forward.
Up to this point in the battle, every faction had suffered heavy losses. They detested Chu Yun, especially as victory was within reach, just one step away. Everyone was pushing their limits.
However, Hua Ying shook his head, “General Duan’s mount is severely injured, and Chu Yun is determined to escape. The chances of intercepting him are slim.”
The heroes fell silent.
Duan Tianya was the most formidable general in the allied army, followed by Shen Wenbo and Yuan Saibo, all renowned generals of the Archipelago. The three of them working together might have a chance to defeat Chu Yun, but capturing him alive would be difficult.
“Chu Yun’s mount, a Demonic Beast, is quite extraordinary, exceptionally spirited. Not only is it intelligent, but its Demonic Energy reserves far surpass those of ordinary Great Demons, and its Dao techniques are powerful. I suspect it’s a Supreme grade Sky Fox Demonic Beast!” Hua Ying suddenly spoke.
“Indeed, I had the same suspicion!”
“According to intelligence, Chu Yun obtained the Demonic Beast egg during his coming-of-age ceremony. He always claimed it was a mutated Fire Fox. Now it seems it’s not that simple!”
The Sky Fox inadvertently revealed its true nature during the battle.
“A Supreme grade Demonic Beast?” Duan Tianya’s eyes lit up. His mount, the Azure Sea Horse, was of Middle grade, and a Great Demon was its peak. He had long wanted to change it. A Supreme grade Sky Fox seemed like a perfect choice!
If he had this thought, so did others. Their gazes were intense, revealing clear greed.
A Supreme grade Demonic Beast represented potential and status. For a Sky Fox that had only cultivated to the Great Demon stage, capturing it might not be impossible. If it had cultivated to the Spirit Monster stage, it would be beyond everyone’s capabilities.
“A Supreme grade Sky Fox! I truly wish I could ride it!” Shen Wenbo licked his dry lips.
“Hmph! Supreme grade Demonic Beasts go to the destined. I, Yuan Saibo, will take a chance tomorrow, kill Chu Yun, and seize the Sky Fox!” Yuan Saibo shouted.
The other generals remained silent, but their expressions shifted slightly, each of them coveting the Sky Fox.
Seeing that the time was ripe and having stirred the ambitions of the masses, Hua Ying suddenly laughed heartily, “Since all generals are eager to fight, why wait until dawn? Let’s attack tonight!”
“However, the troops have been fighting all day and are utterly exhausted,” one commander frowned.
“Not only that, but the mounts, Demon Soldiers, and Demonic Plants of the generals have consumed a lot of their Demonic Energy, and their combat power is diminished,” another hesitated.
Hua Ying smiled again. In fact, he had deliberately brought up the Sky Fox to provoke the greed of the crowd. He added more effort to persuade them, “Our army is tired, but the Shu Family is no better off. We need to replenish our Demonic Energy. Isn’t Chu Yun in the same situation?”
He paused and continued, “Furthermore, instead of defending and giving them a chance to break out, it’s better to attack proactively and minimize the risk. Gentlemen, think about it. If Chu Yun truly breaks through because we were defending, and this news spreads throughout the Archipelago, what will happen to our reputation?”
His words were eloquent and hit home, moving and impressing everyone.
“Alright, we will rest for one hour, and then we will launch a full assault tonight and annihilate Iron Cage City!” The heroes reached a consensus.
Inside Iron Cage City…
*Swash!*
Vigorous Vital Energy, as viscous as liquid, swirled in the room, being greedily absorbed by the Drunken Snow Saber, Sky Fox, and other Demon Soldiers and Demonic Plants.
Chu Yun continuously reached into his waist, tossing handfuls of Disha Stone Coins and Tiangang Stone Coins into the air.
Most of these stone coins were consumed before they even fell, turning into dust in the air.
The Immortal Pouch was the renowned Star Sea Dragon Palace. An Upper grade Immortal Pouch was extremely valuable, comparable to a Supreme grade Demonic Beast. These stone coins were reserves from the front hall of the Star Sea Dragon Palace. Chu Yun was consuming them to accelerate the replenishment of Demonic Energy for the Demonic creatures in the army.
If the allied army had witnessed this scene, countless people would have jumped up and down, calling Chu Yun a prodigal!
These stone coins represented immense wealth. Using them in this manner was like treating pearls as dung or using a cannon to shoot a mosquito.
This was the only way to endure. The reason for their ability to hold out until now was the timely replenishment of Demonic Energy for the entire army, ensuring their full combat readiness.
Finally, after replenishing the Demonic Energy of all the Demonic creatures, Chu Yun glanced at the Star Sea Dragon Palace Immortal Pouch. He couldn’t help but sigh. The stone coins had been severely depleted. The two mountains of stone coins were now less than half.
Not only that, but a large portion of the precious treasures on the thirty tables in the middle hall had also been used. Little was left.
Many Demonic Beast eggs with High-grade potential were immediately utilized. They had been entrusted to retired old generals, and by now, they should have hatched. They were also tasked with hunting wild Demonic Beasts in the forests of the Shu family’s main island, collecting Demonic Crystals to rapidly increase their cultivation levels.
The old generals’ experience was invaluable. With Demonic Beasts of High-grade potential, they could form combat power in the shortest possible time and create temporary leaders.
The Shu family island was not short of soldiers; the islanders were brave and of high quality. However, leaders were scarce. This measure was a last resort. They had to gather the strongest military force in a short period to resist the allied army.
As for the back hall, it was now empty. The Azure Sea Dragon had been officially subdued by Shu Tianhao. Its severely injured state caused its cultivation from the Tribulation Demon level to drop to the Great Demon realm. During this time, it had also been actively recuperating in the Shu family island’s forests, aiming to reach the Spirit Monster realm as soon as possible.
All these factors were the source of Chu Yun’s confidence in holding his ground.
However, at this moment, even he began to waver.
Should he retreat?
Victory and defeat were common in warfare. Although he was fierce and aggressive, he was by no means someone who fought with brute force. More importantly, he was not fighting alone. Beside him were Jin Bihan, Wu Datou, and nearly a thousand remaining soldiers.
These individuals, having survived so many days of arduous battles, were undoubtedly the elite of the elite. If this force was preserved, it would be of great use for future counterattacks.
“Report! The enemy is fighting through the night. A large force has gathered below the city walls and is preparing to launch an attack tonight!” At this moment, a messenger rushed in with an urgent report.
“What?!” Wu Datou’s face turned pale with shock, and he instantly stood up from the ground, his expression panicked.
The soldiers around them also began to stir uneasily.
“What’s the panic!” Chu Yun’s reprimand instantly silenced the scene. Seeing his calm demeanor, the soldiers found their anchor and calmed down.
This was the role of a commander. Without their leadership, even the strongest soldiers would be a scattered mess.
“I didn’t expect them to attack overnight! Are there such capable individuals in the allied army? What reason convinced these profit-driven factions to unite and launch a full-scale assault, disregarding their sacrifices?”
Battlefields often held unexpected turns.
Chu Yun was not a god and could not predict everything. Suddenly, Hua Ying’s image flashed in his mind.
Was it you?
Hua Ying, who would later be known as “a hundred tricks and schemes,” the most adept at manipulating people, and ranked on the Talented Person Ranking?
He shook his head slightly, casting aside these inconsequential speculations. Chu Yun was no longer in a hurry to retreat.
The secret passage was narrow, and with the enemy attacking, it would be difficult for him to lead many soldiers to escape. Trying to flee now would only cause the army’s morale to collapse and scatter, leading to their easy annihilation by the enemy.
“Kill! Kill! Kill!” The deafening shouts of the enemy army erupted from outside the city walls. This was not a formal attack but a pre-battle mobilization cry. The sound waves made the city walls tremble slightly, and small stone fragments fell.
If it were soldiers of other factions, surrounded by ten times their number and facing imminent defeat, they would likely be restless and ashen-faced.
But Chu Yun scanned the Shu family soldiers before him. Their faces were calm, and their eyes burned with an inner fire.
They were covered in minor and major wounds, some with severed limbs, others bandaged. They all looked at Chu Yun with burning gazes, awaiting his command!
Chu Yun’s heart was heavy.
He knew these men would all die on the battlefield tonight! Few would survive by chance. As for surrendering?
The soldiers of the Shu family’s main island had never been known to surrender on the battlefield!
“Young Master! Let’s use the secret passage to leave! I’ll cover your retreat!” Wu Datou approached and urged Chu Yun anxiously.
Chu Yun remained silent, then walked to the center of the soldiers.
The strong scent of blood constantly filled his nostrils. Looking around, he saw warriors who had endured arduous battles sitting on the ground. They couldn’t hide their exhaustion, but their eyes were bright, all focused on Chu Yun.
Chu Yun spoke slowly, “If we continue to fight, we might die. If we run, there’s a high probability we will live.
Outside the city walls, the sounds of large-scale enemy troop movements could be heard. However, within the inner city, it was quiet. Nearly a thousand people were silent, surrounded by the crackling sounds of flames.
The dilapidated outer wall, unable to bear the pressure and abandoned by Chu Yun, seemed to divide this world into two.
Chu Yun’s voice continued slowly, “However, year after year, day after day, the memory of running away will torment you, make you gaunt, make you disheartened, make you regret.”
“You!” His voice suddenly became loud. “Are you willing to exchange these future regrets, sorrows, and discouragement for a chance! Just one chance!”
“That chance is to return and tell the enemy that you may take our lives, but you will never take our valor! The valor of the sons of the Shu Family!”
At this moment, he raised his arm high, and the Drunken Snow Saber in his hand shimmered with a soul-stirring blade light under the flickering fire!
*Boom!*
In the eyes of countless soldiers, it was as if sparks ignited a bonfire, igniting fierce fighting spirit!
“Our Valor!”
“Our Valor!”
All of them shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the sky, full of tragic grandeur! For a moment, they seemed to suppress the large army outside the city walls, causing their battle cries to falter.
“Fight to the death!!!” Chu Yun roared.
[This text was provided by the Infinite Update Group, Xiao Wai]
