After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

But he knew that the situation was hopeless, and staying here would only lead to his death!

He bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and his whole body surged with bloody light!

"Blood Escape Technique!"

He transformed into a streak of blood-red light, shooting off in the opposite direction at such a speed that even his afterimage couldn't be caught!

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the horizon!

The other sect leaders followed suit, each unleashing their most secret life-saving techniques and fleeing in all directions without regard for their own lives!

"Run! Run!"

"Never mind that! Saving your life is the priority!"

Only the abandoned lower- and middle-ranking disciples were left, running around the battlefield like headless flies, crying and wailing.

Only one person did not run away.

Xiong Tian.

General Xiong Tian, ​​the Grand General Who Protects the Nation.

Holding the heavy sword that had accompanied him in battle for decades, he stood like an iron tower in the center of the battlefield, facing the surging army of the Hehuan Sect, without retreating a single step!

Behind him were the last remaining soldiers of the dynasty who had not yet escaped.

"General! We must leave quickly! It's too late!"

"General, as long as we live, we'll survive..."

"Shut up!"

Xiong Tian roared, his voice booming like a bell, making the remaining soldiers tremble.

His gaze was resolute, his voice hoarse and heavy:

"You go! I, the general, will cover your retreat!"

"General!"

"This is a military order! Get out!"

The remaining soldiers had red eyes, but dared not disobey orders. They could only grit their teeth, turn around, and flee desperately to the rear.

Xiong Tian took a deep breath, raised his heavy sword, and faced the three corpse puppets that were crushing down like mountains!

He had already resigned himself to death.

however--

As soon as Lin Fengmian had a thought, the corpse puppet's movements suddenly stopped!

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"interesting."

With a wave of his hand, the three heroes of Mangshan understood immediately. They all sprang up at the same time, coordinating with the last corpse puppet to attack from four directions simultaneously!

Although Xiong Tian was brave, he could not fight against four opponents, especially since his opponents were a corpse puppet at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage plus three other cultivators of the same level!

In less than twenty moves, he was struck in the chest by a heavy punch from a corpse puppet, spitting out a mouthful of blood and flying backward like a kite with a broken string!

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the three heroes of Mangshan stepped forward and unleashed their spiritual chains, binding Xiong Tian tightly and capturing him alive!

"Let me go! If you've got the guts, fight me another three hundred rounds!"

Xiong Tian struggled desperately, but could not move. He could only glare angrily and roar at Lin Fengmian.

Lin Fengmian looked at him and did not get angry. Instead, he nodded slightly.

That's a tough nut to crack.

He then raised his hand and called out loudly to the Hehuan Sect disciples who were in pursuit:

"All troops, listen up—cease the pursuit! Don't chase a cornered enemy!"

The sound rolled on, echoing throughout the entire battlefield.

Although the disciples of the Hehuan Sect were engrossed in the battle, they dared not disobey the Holy Son's order and all stopped and retreated back into the formation.

Lin Fengmian's gaze swept over the scattered figures as he fled, and he understood.

The enemy has completely dispersed. If we split our forces to pursue them, our own forces will also be dispersed, making it easier for them to be defeated one by one.

not to mention--

He frowned almost imperceptibly.

These three corpse puppets consumed far too much of my divine sense!

After controlling it for only a short while, he began to feel dizzy and his temples throbbed.

If this drags on any longer, he might not be able to hold on until the enemy launches a counterattack.

With a thought, the two enormous corpse puppets suddenly shrank, turning into two streaks of black light that he stored in his storage bag.

Only the last corpse puppet remained standing in the center of the battlefield, deterring the villains and assisting the disciples in cleaning up the battlefield.

Immediately, the dizziness lessened considerably, and Lin Fengmian breathed a sigh of relief, shaking his throbbing head.

He looked at Xiong Tian, ​​who was bound hand and foot but still glared angrily, and slowly walked over.

"Lin Fengmian! Kill me or torture me, go ahead and do it! If I even flinch, I'm no hero!"

Xiong Tian, ​​his neck stiff, roared at Lin Fengmian, his tone fierce and showing no intention of begging for mercy.

Lin Fengmian stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the great general who was covered in blood but still stood tall and straight, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

Although he was an opponent, he was principled, straightforward, and truly dedicated to the dynasty.

Currently, his forces are still relatively weak, and he needs to expand his ranks to face the massive Divine Origin Alliance.

Xiong Tian has a straightforward personality, quite similar to the Three Heroes of Mangshan. If he could be subdued, he would be a great help.

"Senior Xiong," Lin Fengmian said calmly, without a hint of condescension, "I'm giving you a choice now."

Xiong Tian sneered, "What choice do I have? This general would rather die than surrender!"

"Submit to me, or die."

Lin Fengmian didn't beat around the bush; he got straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Tian laughed loudly, looking up at the sky.

"Hahahaha! Don't even think about it! I, Xiong Tian, ​​have always been loyal and righteous; how could I be a coward who clings to life and fears death!"

Lin Fengmian walked up to him, looked him straight in the eye, and softened his voice:

"Xiong Tian, ​​you've served the Great Yan Dynasty for half your life, but have they ever truly treated you well?"

Xiong Tian's smile froze.

Lin Fengmian continued, "You fought bloody battles on the front lines, but did those people in the court ever give you even a shred of respect? They only used you as a tool to expand their territory."

"If you die here today, they will appoint another Grand General of the Nation tomorrow. Even if you die, you will only be called a 'defeated general,' and you may not even get a decent posthumous title."

Xiong Tian fell silent.

Seeing the fleeting wavering in his eyes, Lin Fengmian pressed his advantage:

"But if you submit to me, I will show you the true path of the strong."

Whether it's the Southern Frontier or the Xuan Tian Continent, I'll take you there to witness it firsthand.

Choose—

He paused, then said, word by word:

"Should I die here meaninglessly, or should I start a new way of living?"

Xiong Tian lowered his head, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his whole body was trembling.

He closed his eyes, as if he was using all his strength to make a final struggle with himself.

The emperor was incompetent.

Colleague infighting.

The soldiers under his command sacrificed themselves needlessly.

And then there are the expectant faces of his wife, children, and elderly parents at home…

a long time--

The heavy sword that had accompanied him in battle for decades fell to the ground with a clang.

Xiong Tian opened his eyes, slowly raised his head, and looked at the young man in front of him who was two cycles younger than him.

Those eyes were clear and firm, radiating a composure and confidence he had never seen before.

He knelt on one knee.

His hands trembled slightly, but he still handed over his natal soul seal decisively.

His voice was hoarse, yet resolute:

"Xiong Tian... greets his master!"

Lin Fengmian stepped forward and personally helped him up.

"good!"

He patted Xiong Tian on the shoulder, his tone gentle yet firm:

"Xiong Tian, ​​you will know in the future how right your choice today was!"

Xiong Tian stood up, looking at the young man in front of him with a complicated expression. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he just nodded heavily.