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The naginata swept away the spear, and the longsword blocked the divine slash. The giant axe and heavy hammer came crashing down from the left and right, but Chu Hengkong ducked to dodge. His remaining fists were aimed straight at his face, but Chu Hengkong countered with a punch, using softness to overcome hardness to deflect the punch, and then used his leg to block the final blow.

"You've got a trick up your sleeve—" Huan Ge exaggeratedly recoiled, then suddenly threw a punch, "Got it!"

Chu Hengkong kicked up his Dragon Spear and blocked it: "Your sneak attack is more elaborate than your usual movements."

"Hehehe, really?" Huan Ge chuckled sinisterly. "I'm afraid not!"

Suddenly, a sliver of black light shot out from Huan Ge's tiger's mouth; his fist contained a slender, needle-like weapon! As the weapon shot out, it grew longer in the wind, transforming into a long staff forged from refined iron. Chu Hengkong's wrist was touched by the staff's tip, and he felt a surge of condensed power rush into it like a torrent. His wrist immediately became uncontrollable, and the Dragon Spear was knocked out of his hand.

The black iron rod radiated a powerful spiritual energy, surpassing all previous weapons—it was a level 6 divine weapon! Forged with superior martial arts skills, this iron weapon forced even the Death Wings on Chu Hengkong's back to temporarily retract. He keenly sensed that it was a divine weapon specifically forged for great battles; any attempt to use unorthodox methods against it would be instantly thwarted.

"The Iron-Refined Gold Cudgel was a gift from my master at Chenjun Palace when I completed my studies and left the mountain."

Huan Ge raised his staff, stretching his limbs in a swirling motion, his four arms behind him each holding a divine weapon, like a multi-armed deity in a temple. His spirit condensed into a fierce aura, and within that majestic and valiant spirit, the sixth weapon, the final weapon, appeared.

He was proficient in all kinds of martial arts.

"The sword of the heart resonates, the treasure king's sword, iron thorns!"

It outshone even the rare treasures bestowed by the master, displaying an unparalleled presence. It was a jet-black sword with a hilt made of steel thorns. The sword was named "Iron Thorn Crown," the second lineage from which Huan Ge originated. The essence of forging the Heart Sword was the simple prayer of the student.

I want to learn all the technologies in the world.

He wanted to possess all the treasures in the world.

To become strong, to become extraordinary, even if one is born weak, one must become an extraordinary man capable of protecting one's home and country!

Therefore, its "Heart Sword" has only a simple effect. The more weapons one possesses, the stronger the sword becomes. The more martial arts one learns, the sharper the sword becomes.

It exists because of its simplicity, and it is powerful because of its simplicity!

Huan Ge stood still, his stance exuding grandeur and power. His six arms and six weapons were extended simultaneously, his posture radiating an aura of majesty.

"Watch closely, Chu Hengkong. This is my way, my path, the pinnacle of my martial arts—"

The winds of change are blowing, and the heavens and earth are crumbling!

A divine skill has arrived.

The world is overwhelmed by “power”.

The six divine weapons—a naginata, a giant axe, a heavy hammer, a longsword, a long staff, and a precious sword—were unleashed simultaneously, turning all directions into a death trap.

This is an offensive that cannot be countered by willpower alone, nor does it offer any room for a sudden flash of inspiration. This is the Dragon Township Fist Technique, never before recorded in any manual. Created by the alien warrior Huan Ge, it is a unique skill that only he can wield. The attacks are endless, dodging is utterly impossible; once contact is made, one will be completely engulfed. A crystallization of martial arts forged from blood and sweat, its form is like divine will sweeping across the heavens. It stirs up the winds and clouds, causing the world to change color!

Chu Hengkong's attention was focused to the extreme; the world lost its color in his eyes, and the outlines of his opponent and weapon shrank and converged, becoming abstract lines detached from reality. He could barely make out one move, three moves, fifteen moves, but after that, he would inevitably be hit.

Huan Ge's offensive wouldn't cease due to a mere severe injury, nor could he possibly dodge such an attack. His honed spear skills, honed through countless trials, were rendered useless amidst the flowing clouds. His prized swordsmanship offered no respite from this storm. Moreover, the opponent's Heart Sword was far too powerful; both the Dragon Spear and the Calamity Wrist would shatter before its extreme sharpness.

All he could use was the long sword in his hand and the blood in his body. In that case…

In that case...!

He tossed aside his spear, blood welling from his right palm and forming a protective armor of qi on the Divine Slayer Blade. He used his wrist to brace against the back of the blade, raising the Divine Slayer Blade to meet the oncoming mixed iron and refined gold cudgel head-on!

Then it all comes down to the basics! The simplest and most minimal movements, instinctive actions that require no thought! Block all attacks!

The vicious blade slashed at Wang Jian, both sides clashing fiercely. Having analyzed Huan Ge's energy flow in their previous exchange, Chu Hengkong used his improvised Qi Armor to defend against the vicious blow. He then used the explosive power of Fen Ye to deflect the attack. The diverted force formed a crimson dragon head that flew into the whirlwind!

Will the heavens and earth shatter because of this? No! Huan Ge, with his unparalleled skill, reversed the flow of power, wrapping the crimson dragon's head around the giant axe. The counterattack instead became fuel, propelling an even more powerful second strike.

Chu Hengkong, however, was completely absorbed in the fight, his eyes no longer seeing strength or weakness, only the lines pressing in.

So he reinforced his protective armor and parried again! He unleashed another blazing dragon head! It flew into Huan Ge's whirlwind and was caught by the hammer, which slammed down with three times the force!

Parry! Counterattack! Parry! Counterattack! Parry! Counterattack!

The audience was breathless with tension. By the divine tree! It was like a game of catch with a bomb as the medium. Every exchange made the bomb grow stronger in the struggle. The bomb would land on the one who ultimately made the mistake, and the loser would be shattered to pieces.

Yet no one made a mistake. The whirlwind continued, the blood-stained blades flew, and the extremely concise attacks remained on the tightrope. The cycle of parrying and counterattacking lasted for 100 rounds! 200 rounds! 500 rounds! Not only were there no mistakes, but the pace became even faster. Incredibly, both sides' martial arts skills actually improved further in the face of life and death.

The crimson dragon, formed from condensed power, became even more vibrant and lifelike with the infusion of their martial arts skills. And in the final moments of the 506th round, at the critical juncture of life and death, the condensation of power reached its limit… the crimson dragon, now motionless, remained stationary in the center of the two. Their attacks simultaneously struck into the crimson light!

The crimson dragon roared, igniting the fires that burned the darkness!

It was a destructive force reminiscent of a battlefield; the dueling arena collapsed instantly, and a cataclysmic force swept across the entire military camp. Divine green light descended immediately—this was a level of power that required the intervention of the divine tree; otherwise, no one could withstand the clash between these powerful figures.

Chu Hengkong and Huan Ge were simultaneously sent flying, countless wounds on their bodies gushing hot blood. Their hands, exhausted from their efforts, no longer had the strength to grip their weapons; even a mere dagger felt like a thousand pounds to them at this moment.

With lightning speed, they abandoned their divine weapons, forcing themselves to their feet despite their groaning bones, their gazes piercing through the smoke and dust to meet their opponents who had risen almost simultaneously. Chu Hengkong saw a fist as red as flames, while Huan Ge saw... a rapidly moving silver spear!

The calamity-inducing wrist transformed and struck, piercing the battlefield. In the final moments of the duel, the weaponless assassin chose the simple, first-learned finishing move. Its destructive power wasn't particularly strong, and its speed was far from top-tier. But it was simple. Simple to the extreme. It was precisely this pure "simplicity" that allowed him to seize the initiative!

"Oh oh oh... Oh oh oh oh oh!!!"

Huan Ge roared and unleashed six powerful, burning punches. He dodged the two upper blows with increased speed and the lower attacks with footwork, but the middle two punches, like two dragons emerging from the sea, were terrifying and unavoidable. The fifth punch landed! Chu Hengkong's body was almost pierced through, but he stood firm with his tenacious willpower.

He used his injury to cover up his fatal move. The Heavenly Spear pierced through the encirclement of the six-armed man and, with the slight difference gained from the injury, struck the weak point—piercing through Huan Ge's massive body!

Then, the sixth punch struck the spear, and the recovered wrist appeared unnaturally fractured, with translucent blood seeping from the silver arm. Chu Hengkong gripped the Dragon-Slaying Spear tightly, trying to keep himself from falling. Huan Ge clutched his wounded abdomen and took a step forward. Another step… three steps!

"pretty……!"

The giant collapsed to the ground with a thud. The assassin let out a long breath and slowly slumped to the ground. Bright red blood flowed down the gun barrel, onto the dust-covered ground.

The arena was completely silent. The audience didn't even dare to breathe.

Then, Huan Ge slowly raised one arm and announced the final result to the spectators.

"The final battle is about to begin, and the outcome will be decided."

"The victor! Chu Hengkong of Huilong City!"

Cheers filled the military camp.

Regardless of stance or emotion, the soldiers fought for the outcome of this thrilling victory...

Let's give our cheers to these two outstanding soldiers.

Double update today, and double update tomorrow too!

Chapter 378 War and Turmoil (8)

At this point, the outcome has been decided.

After the long cheers gradually subsided, the second captain, Huan Ge, stood up and addressed the crowd: "Gentlemen! The outcome of the three rounds of the arena competition is now decided, and the Allied forces have emerged victorious. As agreed before the battle, from this moment on, I, Huan Ge, will stand firmly on the side of those opposing the bill."

"I also appeal to you all to carefully consider the future of the city-state and join me in the petition to rescind the bill!"

After speaking, Huan Ge decisively stepped off the stage, leaving the spotlight to the victor. The crowd, recovering from their excitement, silently stared at the assassin in the center of the ring.

The arena battles were over, and everyone returned to the cold reality, pulled back into arguments and anxieties. With Huan Ge's statement, the fate of the second lineage was sealed... However, people's hearts do not easily change... Neither long-accumulated beliefs nor thoughts instilled by some force can be easily altered.

Is this how it ends? The soldiers asked themselves. Should they just follow their captain's lead and make the choice? Is that all there is to it?

With hesitation and confusion, they looked towards the victor on the stage. Chu Hengkong's face appeared in the Second Meridian and throughout the entire Jing Sha City-State as the broadcast progressed. Meanwhile, the media operators of Mansha Star Fortress were also plotting.

"Let's switch to the bill propaganda..."

"No instructions have been given yet, do not act on your own."

"That crippled man's fake military order is troublesome enough!"

"Let's just keep broadcasting for now. People have an innate aversion to outsiders, and that person doesn't seem to be good at eloquence. Letting him keep talking will likely have the opposite effect."

They agreed with the director; the man seemed detached and unapproachable. Those in the media know this best: to embarrass a martial artist, all you need is camera time and spotlight.

Chu Hengkong did not show any emotion. He nodded slightly to Huan Ge and said, "Although I have won, I have nothing to say to you all. Because I have neither a stance nor an interest in the politics of your city-state."

"Why--!"

Even the Allied faction, who were expecting the victor to speak, felt as if they had swallowed a fly. Chu Hengkong sheathed his weapons and walked off the stage without looking back: "I came here to carry out a mission. The Allied forces knew that the city-state was in trouble, so they sent me and my comrades to come to its aid. Today's battle is nothing more than that."

"Let the soldiers of this city-state speak for themselves about the troubles and future of this military camp!"

He stepped off the stage, and the scene in the water curtain suddenly changed, transforming into a platform symbolizing a politician's address. But behind the wooden table sat not those old, incompetent politicians and businessmen, but a tall, thin soldier in a white uniform, a household name in the military.

"Sir...!" "Commander Trek." "How dare that guy..." "It's you, sir!"

That man was none other than Jas Trek, the former Commander-in-Chief, now demoted to the Third Captain. Even the citizens of the Third Order almost didn't recognize him. He was now solemn and sitting upright, a far cry from his usual disheveled appearance.

The media professionals in Mansa Starburg were utterly stunned. The director's screams were like madmen: "Cut! Cut it now, damn it! We absolutely cannot broadcast this to outsiders!!"

"Tch...it can't be cut off!" "The communication circuit has been hacked." "They've compromised all the city's communications..."

The director frantically slammed his fist on the worktable: "Quickly notify Speaker Parryman! Use your divine power!"

At this very moment, the soldiers' voices resounded throughout the city.

“I am General Just Trek, the commander-in-chief 20 years ago, and I am speaking to the Second Pulse as a veteran.”

"I'm a veteran, so I can't say anything new. It's rare to have such a great stage, but I can only tell some old stories that everyone is familiar with."

"This story is the 'first lesson' for us soldiers of the Jingsha Army."

"Every soldier in the thorns must hear a story from his superior on the day he enlists. This story happened a long time ago and has been forgotten by the citizens of today for various reasons, but the soldiers always remember it and never dare to forget it."

It tells the story of the origins of the desperate battlefront.

Cui Keping said calmly, "Shortly after the first Thorn Flower Festival, the Thorn Tree became a mass point 5, which made the attack of the heretics several times stronger. At that time, the city-state had just survived a major war and its manpower was insufficient. The attack of the heretics was endless, and fighting would not save them from death. The only way to survive was to flee."

"People were forced to face the cruelest choice: to abandon their homes and let the sacred tree be swallowed up by heretics, or to persevere to the end and perish with their city-state?"

"We cannot imagine the pain and struggle our ancestors endured. But we do know that they ultimately did not need to make that decision. When the rest of the Dust Isles learned of the perilous situation of the Thorn Robe, they spontaneously sent warriors to cross oceans far from their homeland, forming a selfless volunteer army."

These selfless warriors helped the city-state survive its most difficult 20 years. Only when life returned to the city and its strength was restored, enough for us to face the invading army, were they finally able to leave the battlefield!

Trek said in a deep voice, "This is the origin of the Desperate Battlefront. The Desperate situation is the Desperate situation of the Thorn Tree, and the battlefront is the battlefront to protect the city-state!"

"For 20 out of every 30 years, the Allied forces defend the battlefield for Thornssa, and protect the citizens from danger. It is because of this that the Divine Tree has been able to grow, and it is because of this that the city-state has been able to grow strong. It is because of this that the city-state of Thornssa exists, guarding the front line for all living beings!"

Most of the soldiers' faces hardened, while a few showed expressions of shame. Trek said coldly, "In recent years, I have often heard the people say that the city-state has borne too much for the masses. There are heavy war taxes, supplies provided free of charge, and the good things are always given to those rude mercenaries, while our citizens are killed and wounded by outsiders."

I never get angry; I just laugh it off. Because those who say such things are ordinary people; they don't understand military affairs, they aren't soldiers!

Such nonsense would never be uttered in our barracks. Our soldiers are all brave warriors who volunteered for the battlefield. Even 20 years ago, when the battlefield was awash in blood, not a single soldier said to me, "Commander Trek, I can't hold on anymore, I want to go home." They shouted at me, "I can still fight! Let me go!"

Trek glared at him: "They said I'm going to fight to the end!"

The military camp was deathly silent, save for the words of the former commander, echoing in the wind, carrying the scent of iron and blood: "Those soldiers had no complaints. Nor did the brave warriors from afar who rushed to the aid of Jing Sha a thousand years ago. For they knew the meaning of their struggle. Our city, our world, has survived to this day because of the sacrifices and dedication of generations!"

"But now, there is even debate in the military camp. The most vocal among them is the one who wants to escape."

I completely understand Captain Huan Ge's choice, because this dispute was so absurd, so absurd that he was at a loss! It was so ridiculous that only an even more bizarre measure like 'a fight between the two sides' could barely bring it to a close!

He stared coldly at all the audience, like an extremely strict boss: "I know that the demands of the independence faction have their legitimacy, the attacks from outsiders are becoming increasingly rapid, the pressure on the city-state is indeed increasing day by day, and being dragged down by the war has become a real possibility."

I also know how politicians promote the bill. They say that once the city-state becomes independent, it loses its strategic value, and the heretics won't go to great lengths to take our Thorn City-State; they say that others will become Thorn's shields, and the allies will voluntarily stand in front of the heretics for us.

These words sounded so tempting, deceiving our ignorant people, deceiving our simple farmers. Every citizen in the world could believe these words, except you! Only the second line of command couldn't!

Trek growled, “Because you are soldiers, because you have been on the front lines and witnessed firsthand the true nature of the heretics. The heretics have no rationality! The heretics do not consider profit or loss! The heretics will devour you, will kill you, even at the cost of thousands of times more casualties, to eliminate a mere target before them. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, the heretics will not give up their attacks and invasions, because the heretics are the malice of this world!”

"The Realm of Shock and Movement that we live in is a vast hell, and the heretics are the cruelest layer of this hell! Our ancestors never considered abandoning the fight and fleeing because they knew that we could never escape the world we live in, and they knew that if we wanted a future, we could only fight to the very end!"

Trek's roar was so heavy that his voice became hoarse. Hundreds of millions of gazes—bewildered, regretful, angry, hostile—gathered on him through the curtain of water. He stood there, accepting all the stares regardless of friend or foe.

"Don't you all understand this principle?"

"The so-called 'century of peace' after independence rests entirely on the illusion that heretics are willing to spare the city-states, which is as ridiculous as begging the enemy to spare your life on the battlefield. Can't you officers see this obvious truth?"

He spoke calmly, putting aside his earlier emotions: "I'm not questioning you all in my capacity as a former commander. I simply want to raise a contradiction that you've all overlooked. With such clear advantages and disadvantages laid out before us, why are you soldiers still willing to stand on the side of the independence faction?"

"Is everyone's resolve truly so firm? Just as Captain Huan Ge said before, why is it that news of the arrival of the Allied forces and three decisive duels are enough to shake, change, or even cause you, the audience, to suddenly reflect deeply?"

"—Was it your own thinking that led you to make this decision, or was it manipulated by others with ulterior motives?!"

——！！！！！

As if awakened from a long dream, the hesitant soldiers and officers, who just days before were determined to start a civil war, now touched their faces, which were soaked with cold sweat.

They should be able to understand.

Guilt for the deceased, a sense of responsibility to family, and fear of the suffering of war are all important.

However, the reality I witnessed with my own eyes—

Memories soaked in pain and scars—

Why do we subconsciously place these heavier "rational" things under the guise of emotion?

Why, until just now, did I feel that such an ambiguous choice was justified?