As time passed, the battlefield's dynamics began to shift.
Despite the bravery of the Guards Battalion soldiers, their physical strength was not limitless. After a prolonged fight, exhaustion set in, and injuries began to accumulate among their ranks. Meanwhile, the number of enemy troops kept rising. If this stalemate continued, the entire battalion risked annihilation.
Li Mufan surveyed the scene, his heart racing. The enemy forces were too numerous for a direct assault on the city gate at that moment. Just as he was weighing whether to send Cuihua to assist Aqiang in breaking through the blockade, a sudden sound of galloping hooves echoed from the distance.
"Rebels, don't get cocky! Zhao An is here!"
The general's voice boomed before he even appeared. Li Mufan squinted into the distance and saw a cavalry unit approaching, led by none other than Zhao An himself, clad in sun and moon armor and wielding a formidable mountain-opening sword.
A jolt of fear coursed through Li Mufan. Zhao An was at the third level of the Body Refining Realm; if he was allowed to charge into battle, the consequences could be catastrophic.
"Liu Long! Assist Cuihua in stopping Zhao An! Zhang Tie, go support Aqiang and eliminate the enemies in front of me, now!" he commanded decisively.
"Yes!" came the urgent responses.
Liu Long pierced the chest of an enemy soldier with a swift strike before racing toward the rear camp to aid Cuihua. Simultaneously, Zhang Tie cut down several soldiers, roaring as he advanced to join Aqiang in the fray.
Zhao An surged forward, closing the distance in an instant. He encountered a soldier from the Guards Battalion, clad in blood-stained chain mail. Without hesitation, Zhao An raised his sword and struck!
The sound of steel clashing echoed as the soldier was sent sprawling, crashing into four or five others before finally coming to a halt. The soldier struggled to regain his footing but faltered and fell, clearly unable to stand.
Zhao An blinked in surprise. The soldier, who should have been cleaved in two, had somehow survived his blow. He examined the blade in his hand, noticing a dent in the weapon.
Frowning, he thought to himself, *It's said that the Sequoia Army is tough, but witnessing it firsthand is another matter entirely. What a pity.*
Before he could finish his reflection, a flash of movement caught his eye—a glint of steel as he was struck from the side.
Startled, he quickly raised his weapon to defend himself. The impact sent shockwaves through his arms, knocking him off his horse.
Regaining his balance, he scanned the area and spotted a woman in blood-red armor facing him, her expression cool and indifferent. She appeared no older than twenty, yet her once-beautiful face was streaked with blood, reminiscent of a Valkyrie on the battlefield.
"Traitor! You dare to sneak attack me! Prepare to face my sword!" Zhao An snarled, his anger ignited.
The clash commenced.
As they exchanged blows, Zhao An grew increasingly astonished. He had assessed the woman to be at the second level of the Body Refining Realm, one tier below him; the fight should have been resolved in ten moves. Yet, to his dismay, she was incredibly powerful—her skills and reflexes far exceeding those of ordinary fighters. He found himself struggling to land a hit.
Cuihua had consumed a gene enhancer from the ring world, boosting her physical abilities by 40% compared to normal humans. While she couldn't leapfrog opponents, her strength was more than sufficient to defend herself effectively.
After trading blows for over a dozen exchanges, Liu Long finally arrived, joining Cuihua in their battle against Zhao An. Together, they began to gain the upper hand. Zhao An could only fend off their relentless assault, unable to mount a counterattack.