Chapter 50: Feng Ling Shows Her Might

Clang, clang, clang...

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Just as the band of men in black rushed to within ten meters of the stronghold gate, a sudden clatter of gongs echoed from the darkness. Torches flared to life on both flanks of the gate, and a dense volley of arrows whistled towards the black-clad intruders.

Clang, clang, clang...

Ah!

The black-clad men hastily brandished their weapons, trying to deflect the deadly arrows, but some failed to evade in time and were pierced through. At the highest point above the gate, Fang Xian unleashed a hailstorm of arrows, striking down more than a dozen attackers in rapid succession.

"Attack!"

With more torches blazing around, the entrance of Feifeng Ridge was bathed in light as bright as day. Feng Ling called out, leading the charge with her peculiar flower-shaped weapon, soaring toward the middle-aged man at the forefront.

"Attack!"

Liu Wu and Zhou Zhihua did not retreat. Though they doubted their chances of victory, they rushed at the elite enemies, each intercepting a skilled opponent and engaging in fierce combat.

"Attack!"

Meanwhile, the warriors of Feifeng Ridge surged forward against the black-clad invaders. Four figures suddenly accelerated like lightning—one targeted the remaining elite enemy, while the other three encircled another. This was Fang Xian's strategy: concentrate their strength and eliminate one top adversary first.

Boom!

Feng Ling collided head-on with the middle-aged man; her unique flower weapon clashed against his whip, releasing a terrifying wave of force that forced him back several steps, astonishment written on his face.

From their intelligence, they knew Feng Ling was a core disciple of Hundred Flowers Abyss, a peak-class elite, formidable and wielding a divine weapon. They had sent this middle-aged man, also at the peak of elite mastery and armed with a divine weapon, not to kill her, but to entangle her.

Yet, at their very first exchange, Feng Ling had already pushed him back. Though her surprise descent gave her an advantage, she still displayed overwhelming strength, making the man wary. He could not have imagined that she had ascended to the rank of Grandmaster.

Ah!

A scream rang out nearby—the elite surrounded by Li Daqi and his two companions. Already mediocre in skill, he was beset by three equally skilled attackers, wounded repeatedly in panic, and cried out in agony.

"Attack!"

Without hesitation, Li Daqi and his group struck ruthlessly. In mere seconds, they slew their flustered foe and then turned upon the surrounding black-clad men, not yet moving to assist other elite fighters.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

The initially unstoppable black-clad force, upon realizing they had been ambushed by Feifeng Ridge and seeing their opponents outnumbered them in elite fighters, began to panic and some attempted to flee. Fang Xian's divine arrows, however, did not spare them, each one dropping a would-be escapee.

"Attack!"

The people of Feifeng Ridge, elated, surged forward to slaughter the remaining enemies, usually two or three against one. Even if someone was injured, none suffered fatal wounds.

"Attack!"

Liu Wu and Zhou Zhihua were equally exhilarated. They had expected a brutal fight, possibly ending in heavy casualties, but had not anticipated that all of Fang Xian's followers were elite warriors.

Clang, clang, clang...

The middle-aged man's expression darkened. He had not foreseen Feifeng Ridge's careful preparations, nor the ambush, nor the presence of so many skilled allies. Now, killing enemies was secondary; his own escape became the priority.

Ah!

Now, only a handful of the original fifty black-clad attackers remained. Li Daqi and the others, after dispatching several second-tier foes, turned to join the battle among the elite fighters, pairing up to cut down the enemy's best.

"This won't do—I must retreat, or I'll be lost here myself." The middle-aged man quickly decided to flee; he could barely withstand Feng Ling alone, and if another joined her, escape would be impossible.

Clang!

Seizing the moment as he crossed paths with Feng Ling, he suddenly darted away, abandoning all others in his desperate bid to escape.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

At that instant, several swift arrows appeared along his path, forcing him to halt. Feng Ling's figure already hovered above him, moving as if riding the wind—her prowess as a Grandmaster unmistakable.

Roar!

The people of Feifeng Ridge erupted in triumphant shouts as Feng Ling walked serenely in midair, a terrifying aura blanketing the area. The remaining black-clad men were utterly terrified.

"You... you've reached Grandmaster realm?" The middle-aged man's disbelief was palpable; he stopped and murmured, knowing he could not escape today.

"I must thank you for the divine weapon you brought—I quite like it," Feng Ling said calmly. With a gesture, she immobilized him, her flower weapon spinning and sending a cold star that pierced his brow.

With another flick, his fiery red whip flew into her hand. Made of rare materials, even other divine weapons struggled to cut it.

"Attack!"

Ah!

Seeing Feng Ling dispatch the enemy's chief elite so effortlessly, the stronghold erupted in jubilation. The black-clad men, losing their will to fight, either surrendered or were slain on the spot.

"Clean up the battlefield, everyone—let's go drink!" Feng Ling returned to the top of the gate, stood beside Fang Xian, and waved her hand, her order met with a thunderous response.

Tonight, Feifeng Ridge would not sleep. Despite Feng Ling's command to keep quiet, those in the know—officers and soldiers alike—gathered in the council hall and drank themselves into a stupor.

The head of Feifeng Ridge, Feng Ling, had become a Grandmaster and now possessed a divine weapon; her strength had transformed completely, and the stronghold now qualified to vie for supremacy among the five great mountain strongholds.

"From now on, all the strongholds in the Daba Mountains will unite. We have already allied with Qingyun Stronghold. Only by joining forces will we be strong enough to survive these turbulent times, to ensure children like Tian'er have a future worth living for." Feng Ling shared the news of the alliance with Liu Wu and Zhou Zhihua.

Upon learning that Fang Xian's assistance had enabled Feng Ling to break through to Grandmaster, and knowing the nature of their relationship, Liu Wu and Zhou Zhihua wholeheartedly supported the alliance. They believed that relying closely on Fang Xian was the only way to secure a better future.

The next day, after contacting Ye Hongxiu, Fang Xian instructed Li Daqi and Liu Erleng to deliver the heads of the five elite enemies to Qingyun Stronghold, and informed her that he would temporarily remain at Feifeng Ridge before attending the upcoming gathering of the mountain strongholds.

"Brother, is there something you need?" Not long after Ye Hongxiu returned to the stronghold, Ye Qingyun summoned Huang Yuantao.

"Third Brother, here's the thing. Last time, Feifeng Ridge rescued Xian'er and Hongxiu. Word reached Xia Kingdom, so they sent skilled fighters to raid Feifeng Ridge.

But Feifeng Ridge discovered them in advance. Xian'er brought a group of elite warriors to support them, ambushed the attackers, and killed five more top-class enemies.

Here are the heads of those elite Xia warriors. I need you to make a trip down to Qingyang City and present them to Marshal Hong, in exchange for military merit.

Xian'er requests five general titles again, and as for other rewards, he prefers medicinal herbs. If herbs are lacking, some books and paper would suffice—the children in the stronghold need them to study and learn," Ye Qingyun explained to Huang Yuantao.

"Fang Xian is remarkable—he's slain five more of their elite. Xia Kingdom will surely hate him to the bone," Huang Yuantao said, though his heart was uneasy. He knew these elite warriors had actually been sent by Marshal Hong through Wei Qian, and so many losses were a blow even Marshal Hong could ill afford.

"Since Qingyun Stronghold has chosen to join Wu Dynasty, making enemies with Xia Kingdom is inevitable. As long as we grow stronger ourselves, and with Wu Dynasty behind us, what fear have we of Xia?" Ye Qingyun replied with a smile.