A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

"It was just luck," Xu Yuan said modestly, shaking his head, and then asked, "How are your injuries, General?"

"I broke a few ribs, and my internal organs suffered some shock, but I won't die yet." Chen Hanchuan gave a bitter smile. "I'm old, really old. If it were ten years ago, I could have fought him for a whole day and night!"

Shen Qingyi also rushed over from the city tower at this time, handed Chen Hanchuan a pill, and then looked at Xu Yuan.

"Young Master Xu, you're injured too..." Shen Qingyi frowned. "But the Xiongnu won't give us much time to catch our breath. The next attack is certainly not far off."

Xu Yuan looked north.

There, the Xiongnu camp was regrouping, and smoke was rising from the cooking fires.

In tonight's battle, the Xiongnu cavalry lost about 800 men, while the Qingyang garrison lost more than 300. It seems that the Qingyang garrison had the upper hand, but for the Qingyang county town with a total strength of just over 1,000 men, such a casualty ratio was still unbearable.

"Seven days left..." Chen Hanchuan took a deep breath. "The prefectural city wants us to hold Qingyang County for at least another seven days!"

Having said that, he disregarded his own injuries and struggled to his feet: "Take stock of the casualties, repair the city walls, reinforce the city gates. Also, properly collect the remains of our fallen brothers..."

Before he could finish speaking, everyone on the city wall saw another troop arrive at the Xiongnu camp not far outside the city.

This group was small, consisting of only a few dozen riders.

Xu Yuan strained his eyes to look into the distance and could barely make out that the person in the lead seemed to be holding a bone staff and was shrouded in a black robe.

However, Toghtogbuhua, who had just retreated back to camp, personally appeared to greet him, and his attitude was extremely respectful.

"What is this?" Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat. His [Yin Qi Perception] sent out a strange warning, and even the Hundred Ghosts Diagram in his mind showed a long-lost fluctuation.

"The shaman..." Chen Hanchuan leaned against the wall, his expression changing drastically upon seeing him clearly. "The Hun shaman is here!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingyi frowned, her heart sinking as well.

Clearly, the real test begins now.

The arrival of the black-robed shaman shattered the last glimmer of hope that had risen on the city walls.

Chen Hanchuan clutched his chest, his face ashen. "The Xiongnu shamans...only cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage or above can hold this position. They are not only highly skilled, but also proficient in witchcraft, beast taming, poisons, and other unorthodox methods. This means our defense of the city will be several times more difficult!"

Xu Yuan focused his gaze, his [Yin Qi Perception] characteristic making him exceptionally sensitive to fluctuations in Yin Qi energy.

He could clearly sense that the old man in black robes was surrounded by a faint layer of black energy, which was different from the power of blood and qi. This was a different kind of power that was colder and more eerie.

"Shamanic magic..." Xu Yuan murmured.

In his previous life, he had read many supernatural tales and knew that shamans and wizards were often skilled at cursing, summoning, and manipulating inanimate objects.

In this world, witchcraft is clearly real and can rival martial arts.

Shen Qingyi said in a deep voice, "I have read in the ancient books that the shamans of the northern grasslands are divided into nine ranks, with the first rank being the highest. The person who came is wearing a black robe, so he should be a seventh-rank shaman, which is equivalent to a martial artist from the late stage to the peak of the Qi Condensation stage."

"A seventh-rank shaman..." Chen Hanchuan smiled bitterly. "Tuotuo Buhua has already reached the sixteenth level of the Qi Condensation Realm, making him extremely difficult to deal with. Adding a seventh-rank shaman to the mix, do we really still have a chance of winning?"

Xu Yuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Shamans are skilled in unorthodox witchcraft, so what are their weaknesses?"

Shen Qingyi thought for a moment, and although she felt it was unrealistic, she still spoke up: "According to ancient records, shamans need a medium and rituals to perform their spells, and their physical bodies are relatively fragile. If one can get close, a martial artist of the same level can easily kill them. However, shamans are always accompanied by guards, and they often possess life-saving witchcraft, making them extremely difficult to assassinate..."

"Close range..." Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced out of the city without making a sound.

In the Xiongnu camp, the newly arrived black-robed shaman seemed to immediately begin some kind of special ritual.

He was seen holding a bone staff, dancing around a bonfire while chanting incantations.

The surrounding Xiongnu soldiers all knelt on the ground, their expressions devout.

As the ceremony progressed, the flames in the bonfire gradually turned an eerie green, and wisps of black smoke filled the air, making it particularly glaring.

"What is he doing?" Xu Yuan frowned slightly.

Chen Hanchuan forced himself to stand up, and after gazing into the distance for a moment, his expression changed drastically again: "It's a demon wolf! He's summoning demon wolves from the grasslands!"

As he finished speaking, three giant wolves slowly emerged from the flames, which had now completely turned green.

These three giant wolves were far larger than ordinary wild wolves, several times their size. Their eyes glowed green, their fangs were exposed, and saliva dripped from their mouths. They exuded a fierce aura, and each of them possessed the strength of a late-stage demon soldier.

"Beast Taming Technique..." A hint of panic appeared on Shen Qingyi's usually calm face. "He can command demonic beasts, and although they are just demonic soldiers, the three of them combined are enough to forcibly tear through a section of the city wall's defenses!"

Xu Yuan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and the slight sense of pride he had felt after breaking through to the eighth level of Blood Refinement and slaying Tuotuo Buhua vanished instantly.

Faced with such an overwhelming gap in overall strength, individual combat prowess seems rather insignificant.

"We must find a way to get rid of this shaman," Xu Yuan said in a deep voice.

"How do we get rid of him?" Chen Hanchuan smiled bitterly. "He's right in the middle of the Xiongnu camp, surrounded by thousands of cavalrymen. If we leave the city, we're just going to our deaths!"

"Then let him in!" Xu Yuan said, his words daring and a fierce glint in his eyes.

"What?"

"During the next siege, the Xiongnu shaman will definitely come to the front line to cast spells. At that time, it will be our only chance!" Xu Yuan looked at Chen Hanchuan, "General Chen, are there any strong crossbows in the city? It would be best if they could shoot more than 300 paces."

Chen Hanchuan thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "There are two ballistae in the storeroom, but they are old and in disrepair, and I don't know if they are still usable. Moreover, ballistae require three people to operate and have an extremely slow rate of fire. The shaman won't stand there and let us shoot them."

"We don't need to hit him." Xu Yuan slowly shook his head. "We just need to create chaos, force him to move, and then..."

He lowered his voice and revealed an extremely bold and risky plan.

After hearing this, Chen Hanchuan and Shen Qingyi looked at each other in bewilderment.

"This is too risky," Chen Hanchuan hesitated. "If we fail, you'll die!"

"If we don't take the risk, we'll all die." Xu Yuan's expression was calm and unwavering. "The Xiongnu's next attack will undoubtedly be aided by a shaman. If we can't defeat him, the city walls simply won't hold. Once the city falls, everyone will die!"

Shen Qingyi bit her lip, her expression gradually hardening: "I'll go with you. My talismans can help you create further chaos."

"No, you need to stay on the city wall." Without much thought, Xu Yuan refused outright. "General Chen is injured, and the defense of the city needs someone to command it. Besides... your talismans will be more useful on the front lines."

While the three were discussing, the ceremony outside the city had already come to a complete end.