Human Clan Defender

In the main hall, the atmosphere became even heavier. Everyone's expression was grim as they contemplated strategies for support.

There was no choice. The Black Tiger Army's strength was limited, and they still had to deal with the numerous Barbarian Clans within the city walls, unable to afford reckless depletion of their forces. Shen Changqing needed to be rescued, and the Black Tiger Army also had to preserve its strength as much as possible.

Just as they hesitated, a hearty voice rang out from outside. "What's the matter that has all of you Lords tangled up in such a knot?"

As the voice sounded, a figure in green entered their field of vision.

"Lord Shen!"

Upon seeing Shen Changqing, the tension in the room visibly eased. Chu Ding couldn't help but ask, "I heard Lord Shen was entangled with the Barbarian Clan; I never expected you to have broken free so quickly!"

"Broken free?" Shen Changqing raised an eyebrow. "There was no need for escape; I simply killed all those Barbarians. In fact, I didn't expect Jincheng to let the Barbarians in so soon. It seems that the Barbarian Clan's onslaught is indeed ferocious this time."

"Killed them all? Has Lord Shen advanced to the Grandmaster Realm?" Chu Ding's face showed faint excitement. Now that Shen Changqing was standing here, Chu Ding felt an invisible pressure. Combining this with Shen Changqing's previous seclusion and his words, it immediately made him think of a Grandmaster.

Zhong Chi and Nie Xu's gazes also heated up. Grandmaster! Truly breaking through to Grandmaster!

Just as hope surged in everyone's hearts, Shen Changqing simply shook his head. "No, I still haven't come to grasp the Martial Dao True Intent—"

Upon hearing this, the glimmer of hope in their eyes diminished greatly. Without grasping the Martial Dao True Intent, it meant not breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm.

"That's true," Chu Ding sighed deeply. "How could advancing to Grandmaster be so easy!"

Advancing to Grandmaster was indeed difficult. He had been stuck in the Innate Outer Gang Realm for almost ten years, unable to comprehend the Martial Dao True Intent. For someone as young as Shen Changqing, breaking through to Grandmaster was even more challenging. He had initially pinned some hopes on him, and now, hearing that there was no breakthrough, caused a sense of disillusionment. Upon reflection, it was only logical that Shen Changqing had not broken through.

Immediately, Chu Ding said, "It's normal for Lord Shen not to break through, as Grandmaster is not easy to achieve. With Lord Shen's talent and a bit more time to consolidate, breaking through shouldn't be too difficult. Now that the Barbarian Clan has breached the city and Lord Shen hasn't made the breakthrough, our options are limited. We can only maintain our original plan: first, entangle the Barbarian Clan for a while to buy enough time for Great Wilderness Prefecture. Then, we must find a way to break out."

"It's our only option now!" The others all nodded in agreement. Lacking strength, they had to opt for more cautious tactics.

Then, Chu Ding looked back at Shen Changqing. "Although Lord Shen hasn't broken through, your strength is formidable. I was seriously injured in the clash with Mairba, and I was worried the Black Tiger Army lacked a strong warrior to hold the fort. Now that Lord Shen is here, it temporarily relieves our pressing crisis."

Even though Shen Changqing hadn't made the breakthrough, he was still capable of dealing with opponents who were at the Innate Peak. Such strength was not to be underestimated.

"General Chu, since you've clashed with Mairba, do you have any insights into his strength?"

"Insights—" Chu Ding's face was serious, his voice even. "Rather than saying I clashed with Mairba, it's more accurate to say he injured me with a single strike. Mairba's strength is formidable. I suspect he's more than just a mid-level Grandmaster. If we were to face off directly, I'd be dead within ten moves. Such strength is truly chilling."

Talking about dying within ten moves at Mairba's hands, Chu Ding didn't look the least bit embarrassed. A true strong man must acknowledge his limitations. Even though he was confident in his own strength, he understood just how vast the gap between them was. Not to mention Innate cultivators, even ordinary Grandmasters would stand no chance against Mairba.

"With General Chu's strength, if you can't last ten moves against Mairba, it seems Mairba's power is indeed terrifying!"

"Indeed. Mairba is a renowned warrior of the Barbarian Clan, naturally endowed with Divine Power. Within the same realm, there are very few Grandmasters who can contend with him."

"Hmm—" Shen Changqing nodded, gaining a better understanding of Mairba. To kill Chu Ding within ten moves... Strictly speaking, Chu Ding could probably only last five or six moves against Mairba. The gap between them was immense.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!!

At this moment, a cacophony of sounds erupted as if the sky and earth were splitting apart. Everyone's complexion changed, and they rushed out in unison, just in time to see several pillars of fire soaring into the sky.

"That's where the granary is located!" Nie Xu recognized in an instant where the fires had originated. The granary! The food they hadn't managed to take with them, left behind in Jincheng.

The granary was a crucial location, always guarded by the Black Tiger Army. Fires starting in that direction meant the Barbarian Clan had reached it. The Black Tiger Army, unable to fend them off, must have set the grain ablaze.

Without food, the Barbarian Clan Army would be constrained. After all, provisions must precede the troops. In any war, provisions are of utmost importance. If the Barbarian Clan lacked food, even with a million-strong army, they could not conquer Great Wilderness Prefecture. Conversely, if Jincheng's grain fell into the hands of the Barbarian Clan, it would undoubtedly strengthen their power. Burning the supplies was a tactic that hurt both sides.

「 」

"My Lord, the Black Tiger Army has set fire to Jincheng's granary!" a Barbarian Clan general came to report.

Mairba's face was gloomy. "Send someone to put out the fire immediately! The Jincheng granary must not be compromised. Additionally, dispatch Falcons to patrol and find all the Qin People hiding in Jincheng. I want their lives!"

"Yes!" The Barbarian Clan general hurriedly took his leave.

As he left, Mairba glanced at the burning granary, his face growing even more somber. "Burning supplies? Very good, very good indeed. Do they really think burning the supplies can trouble our Barbarian Clan Army? Ridiculous!"

"The Black Tiger Army is now cowering within the city, their only goal to entangle us and delay," the Barbarian Clan Priest beside him quietly reminded. "If this stalemate continues, I fear the situation will turn against us."

Upon hearing this, Mairba's expression turned stern. "I am well aware of the Black Tiger Army's aim. They want to delay, to allow Great Wilderness Prefecture to prepare. Even if Great Wilderness Prefecture is ready, they still won't be able to withstand our Barbarian Clan's assault."

"Moreover," Mairba continued, "I am no longer prepared to give them any more time!"

A single Jincheng and 12,000 Black Tiger soldiers had blocked 120,000 Barbarian Clan warriors for an entire day. This had already angered Mairba.

"What does My Lord mean?"

"I know the Priest has the power of divination. I need you to divine Chu Ding's whereabouts. As long as he is killed, the rest of the Black Tiger Army will be of no concern." As Mairba spoke, he turned his head toward the Priest.

The Barbarian Clan Priest possessed mysterious powers: he could control Evil Spirits and divine Heaven and Earth. Over the years, whenever any disaster befell the Barbarian Desolation, it was the Priest who would divine it beforehand and orchestrate appropriate responses. Because of this, in the harsh conditions of the Barbarian Desolation, the Barbarian Clan had been able to thrive.

"Good!" The Priest nodded. "Divination is no problem, but I need the heart's blood of ten individuals as a catalyst!"

"That is acceptable." Mairba had anticipated this and immediately looked to the Barbarian Clan followers behind him. Capturing Qin People now would be a waste of time.

"You all must have heard what the Priest said. Now I need ten warriors willing to sacrifice themselves. The Barbarian God will accept you and also protect your families!"

After speaking, Mairba watched as a row of Barbarian clansmen stepped forward. Each drew a dagger from within his robes, their expressions fervent as they collectively shouted, "Willing to sacrifice for the Barbarian Clan!"

As they spoke, the daggers plunged into their chests and were then pulled out.

PFFT!

Blood gushed everywhere. The ten Barbarian warriors knelt, and despite the excruciating pain, they did not struggle, their faces still holding an ardent expression.

Seeing this, the Priest stepped forward, plunging a bone scepter into the chests of those Barbarians. Quickly, the scepter was removed, its originally white color now stained a bloody red. One by one, those Barbarians collapsed completely, devoid of any sign of life. Soon, all ten Barbarian warriors were dead, and the skull atop the scepter had turned completely blood-red.

The Priest grasped the scepter in one hand and performed strange gestures with the other, his eyes tightly closed, mumbling indecipherable incantations. A mysterious force swirled around. The blood on the unknown skull was drawn out, forming strands of thread that interwove above it, creating a sphere.

Time slowly passed.

At last, the Priest swung down the scepter forcefully, and the sphere of blood strands shattered instantly. His tightly closed eyes shot open, the bone scepter pointing in one direction, his voice ice-cold. "Found them! They are in that direction, approximately three hundred yards in a straight line from here!"

"Excellent!" Mairba nodded, immediately ordering, "Convey my command! Everyone surround them from that direction! Chu Ding and the others must not be allowed to escape!"

"As you command!" Several generals bowed to take the order, then led the Barbarian Clan Army to encircle the area. With a specific direction and location, the rest was easy to handle.

"I want to see if he can still escape my grasp alive!" Mairba's face turned cold. As a Grandmaster-level powerhouse, repeatedly failing to kill Chu Ding was a blow to his pride. Therefore, in his heart, Chu Ding was marked for death.

Elsewhere, as the Priest was divining, both Chu Ding and Shen Changqing instinctively furrowed their brows. Their spirits felt as if they had quickened. Exchanging glances, they both saw a trace of shock and uncertainty in each other's eyes.

This sudden premonition—for a Martial Artist, such feelings did not arise from nowhere.

"We may have been exposed!" Shen Changqing said calmly.