Demon Slaying, Gaining 60 Years of Cultivation From the Start

During the troubling times in Xu'an County, Song Yu and Wang Yan also took part, but at that time, demonic spirits devoured living beings, rarely leaving behind corpses; thus, they hadn't witnessed a scene as harrowing as the one before them now.

Gu Chen said coldly, "These barbarians just left not long ago, they couldn't have gone far, let's chase after them."

"Chase after them!"

As these words were spoken, the crowd became righteously indignant, with even Xue Ling's expression turning grim as his intent to kill the barbarian tribe surged in his heart.

Thus, they channeled their inner breath into their horses, and in an instant, their speed soared. It didn't take long before they spotted the figures of the barbarian tribe in the distance.

Not only that, but they also witnessed a group of civilians being slaughtered by the barbarians.

The barbarians were descendants of the ancient gods and demons mixed with the Human Clan. Although countless years had passed, thinning the divine and demonic blood in their veins to an extreme, their physique was still much stronger compared to those of the Central Plains' Human Clan.

Every adult barbarian was exceptionally tall, with the women being no exception.

The group of barbarians not far away was dressed in animal hide clothes that covered only their lower halves, their upper bodies bare, skin dark and robust, looking incredibly strong.

"Hahaha, kill!"

"People of the Central Plains, die!"

The barbarians slaughtering the villagers laughed heartily as they swung their butcher knives, extinguishing one life after another—children and the elderly were no exception.

They delighted in seeing the fear that spread across the faces of the Central Plains' Human Clan as they faced death; it brought pleasure to their hearts and minds.

Some of the more robust barbarian men, even brandished cruel smiles as they tore at the clothes of several women.

A glimpse into their barbarity revealed the extent of suffering the people must've endured after the barbarian army's incursion into DaHuang Mansion.

Seeing this, Song Yu and his companions could no longer contain themselves, roaring with fury as they charged forward.

Gu Chen and Xue Ling remained in the rear, watching Song Yu and others rush forward. The barbarian soldiers weren't strong, with the most powerful among them merely at the Vajra Stage; Song Yu and his comrades were completely sufficient for the task.

"Central Plains warriors? Die!"

Seeing that Song Yu and his comrades didn't flee but instead charged toward them, the barbarian soldiers first made sure to end the lives they held in their hands before the clash.

The civilians had initially felt joy at the appearance of Song Yu, Wang Yan, and the others, but in the next instant, their heads were severed from their bodies.

"Beasts!"

Song Yu, Wang Yan, and other commanders roared, clashing with the barbarian soldiers.

To tell the truth, this was their first encounter with the barbarians, and their first time fighting against them. However, compared to the sinister and inhuman demons, the barbarian soldiers before them could not invoke fear in Song Yu, Wang Yan, and their comrades.

"Tender-skinned Central Plains people, hahahaha..." The barbarian soldiers laughed heartily. However, when they actually crossed swords, their smiles froze instantly.

Furiously, Song Yu, Wang Yan, and the other commanders unleashed power beyond their fullest capacity. The barbarian soldiers were already lesser in martial prowess, and now they couldn't resist at all—it was a one-sided massacre.

Soon, these dozens of barbarian soldiers were utterly dead, and after the killing, Song Yu, Wang Yan, and the others somewhat cooled their heads.

This was why Gu Chen and Xue Ling did not intervene—they knew Song Yu, Wang Yan, and the commanders harbored rage in their hearts. If they kept it bottled up without venting, it could lead to unforeseen consequences.

Having vented their anger, the complexions of Song Yu, Wang Yan, and the others indeed looked much better, having expelled the frustrations from their hearts.

Afterward, Gu Chen and Xue Ling led them back on the road. After several days, they finally reached their destination.

It was a massive city named Yongxue City, also known as Yongxue Pass. After the border was breached, the surviving Xuan Iron Army arrived here in the shortest time possible, establishing a defensive line—it was DaHuang Mansion's last line of defense.

Thousands of miles beyond Yongxue City lay the breached border. Now it was but scorched earth, where hundreds of thousands of civilians had been buried.

On their way, Gu Chen and his companions had encountered barbarian soldiers who had taken the opportunity to infiltrate DaHuang Mansion after the border defenses had fallen and the Xuan Iron Army had been forced to retreat step by step.

Now, outside the walls of Yongxue City, there were many corpses pits, with soldiers burning bodies there, turning the mud red with blood. After a period, the ground had become a dark shade of red.

The walls of Yongxue City were covered with various cuts and arrow holes, all traces left behind by the barbarian assaults over this period.

This was the place where the remnants of the Xuan Iron Army were stationed, desperately resisting the barbarian invasion.

If Yongxue City were to fall, the barbarian hordes would be unstoppable, thoroughly invading Yan State and spreading to the other two major mansions. At that time, the entirety of Yan State would fall and become the barbarians' backyard.

After arriving here, the general of the Xuan Iron Army had already received the corresponding information and immediately met with Gu Chen and his group from the Jing Tian Department.

This general of the Xuan Iron Army was named Lin Zhan. If the Marquis of Pingxi was the commander and manager of the entire Xuan Iron Army, then Lin Zhan could be considered the deputy commander.

In the absence of the Marquis of Pingxi, the Xuan Iron Army was managed by Lin Zhan.

And now, it was he who, in place of the Marquis of Pingxi, was defending Yongxue City against the barbarians.

As for the Marquis of Pingxi, having been gravely injured and remaining unconscious, had already been transported to the rear.

"What is the current situation of the Xuan Iron Army?" Gu Chen asked directly at the start of the meeting.

Lin Zhan, although the deputy commander of the Xuan Iron Army, was not a towering and imposing man, but a middle-aged man with a gentle appearance and a scholarly aura.

He was wearing the standard armor of the Xuan Iron Army and, upon hearing Gu Chen's question, said, "The Xuan Iron Army currently has about two hundred thousand soldiers left, but many are injured."

Upon hearing this, Gu Chen immediately frowned, saying, "From six hundred thousand soldiers to now only two hundred thousand?"

Xue Ling's expression also darkened, finding the casualties somewhat too severe.

Lin Zhan shook his head with a wry smile, speaking in a heavy tone, "There was no helping it. After the ambush against the six hundred thousand soldiers of the Xuan Iron Army and the numerous deaths to protect Lord Marquis, now fighting the barbarians here, it's extremely difficult to have even two hundred thousand survivors."

Gu Chen understood at once. No wonder sporadic groups of barbarians had managed to penetrate into the territory of DaHuang Mansion from the border. It seemed that the remaining Xuan Iron Army was no longer sufficient to stop the barbarians.

"How many barbarian forces are currently assaulting the city?" Xue Ling asked then.

"Three hundred thousand," Lin Zhan said gravely.

Of course, what he did not mention was that outside Yongxue City there were three hundred thousand barbarian soldiers, and even within the territory of DaHuang Mansion, there were at least ten thousand roaming barbarians, and the number was not small.

Here in Yongxue City, the Xuan Iron Army had a hundred thousand fewer soldiers compared to the barbarians. Even with Gu Chen, Xue Ling, and this group of martial arts experts from the Jing Tian Department present, the situation was still far from optimistic, even perilous.

After all, excluding Gu Chen, even someone like Xue Ling, if surrounded by the barbarian army, would have a high likelihood of dying.

Without reaching the Innate stage and before becoming a grandmaster of martial arts, in the face of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, human strength eventually has its limits.

The reason Gu Chen was not afraid was that he had perfected his "Vajra Indestructible Divine Technique" to the realm of completion with an exceptionally sturdy physique. Provided he willed it, even if surrounded by a large army, he could still make his escape.

Fortunately, reinforcements from other cities were gradually arriving. Although the quality of the soldiers from the other mansions and counties couldn't compare to the Xuan Iron Army, it was the utmost support the border could muster before reinforcements from Tiandu arrived.

"Wo—"

Just then, a long and mournful horn sounded outside the city. Lin Zhan's expression changed upon hearing it, and he said, "The barbarian forces are attacking!"

Gu Chen's brows knitted, and he exchanged a glance with Xue Ling. They felt it was very likely that the barbarians, knowing of their arrival, had deliberately started their assault.

After all, Gu Chen and his party were only dozens in number, which wouldn't make a significant impact in a large-scale battle.

"Let's go!"

As the solemn horn continued to sound, Gu Chen and his companions reached the city walls to witness the barbarian army not far from there, riding fierce beasts, wearing simple armor, and kicking up a storm of dust as they closed in on Yongxue City at breakneck speed.