Battle Through the Heavens: Soul Travels Through Clouds and Mountains, Becoming a Winning Artist

Chapter 20 Yanran's Wrath!

Flames soared into the sky, illuminating half of the city of Wutan.

The Hyena Mercenary Group, like unbridled bandits, is wreaking havoc in Wutan City.

The Xiao family's market was deserted, and not even a single healing medicine was left for him. The enraged mercenaries set the Xiao family's market on fire and turned their attention to the residents next to it.

The mercenaries stormed into the civilians' houses, looting everything in sight, killing every life they could find, and finally, not satisfied, setting the houses ablaze. The raging fire consumed the corpses, billowing black smoke that illuminated the crimson bloodstains.

Having never experienced such a hell on earth, the pampered Nalan Yanran was now beyond furious.

"Wind Spirit Split Sword, activate!"

Without any nonsense or harsh words, Nalan Yanran immediately began to wield her sword, unleashing a deadly move right from the start!

As her longsword danced in a semi-circle, a dazzling sword light traced an elegant arc. Each time her sword moved a certain distance, it left behind a tangible sword-shaped afterimage. These afterimages resembled the ribs of a fan, supporting the fan crafted from sword light. In an instant, all sword energy was contained within the fan's ribs.

All of this sounds slow, but it actually happened extremely fast. As Nalan Yanran softly uttered the name of this Xuan-rank combat skill, five sword-shaped afterimages had already rushed away, each heading straight for a mercenary at the Dou Shi level!

They are the absolute core of the Hyena Mercenary Group, and the foundation upon which the group is able to stand.

"Be careful!"

The leader of the Hyena Mercenary Group sensed the killing intent. He turned around and saw a sword-shaped afterimage rushing towards him.

"A copper wall cast in the ground!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the Hyena Mercenary Leader roared, his body instantly enveloped in a thin veil of battle aura. Bright yellow battle aura surged forth, coalescing into a solid earthen wall before him, which he attempted to use to withstand Nalan Yanran's Wind Spirit Split Sword!

But how could a mid-level Xuan-rank fighting technique used by a Grand Dou Master be so easily resisted?

The sword-shaped afterimage shattered the earth wall formed by earth-attribute battle aura with overwhelming force, and then rushed straight towards the heart of the hyena mercenary group leader without slowing down at all!

In the face of a life-or-death crisis, the leader of the Hyena Mercenary Group unleashed an unprecedentedly powerful battle aura, managing to condense a bright yellow armor plate with the strength of a nine-star battle master!

This is the prototype of the Battle Qi Armor, a precursor to breaking through to the Great Battle Master level, and a further step he has been dreaming of all these years.

Unfortunately, the sword-shaped afterimage that came to claim his life was already close to his chest.

"Clang!"

The sword-shaped afterimage collided with the armor plates of the battle qi armor, sparking dazzling sparks. The earth-attribute battle qi armor's defensive capabilities were indeed extraordinary, actually managing to block Nalan Yanran's attack. The sword-shaped afterimage rapidly spun, drilling into the battle qi armor with a clanging sound.

"broken!"

Nalan Yanran flicked her fingers together and whispered a greeting.

The sword-shaped afterimage exploded as it rapidly spun, releasing its powerful sword energy in all directions. The energy transformed into streaks of sword light that spread outwards, bypassing the defenses of the battle qi armor and attacking the Hyena Mercenary Group leader from all sides.

The hyena mercenary leader, who had only condensed a single piece of battle aura armor, was caught off guard and could only rely on the thin layer of battle aura gauze on his body to withstand the attack. Sword aura crisscrossed, like countless tiny knives slicing through, their sharpness exceptionally keen, easily piercing through the battle aura gauze.

In the blink of an eye, numerous sword wounds appeared on the Hyena Mercenary Group leader's body. Blood began to spurt from his entire body, and he collapsed helplessly.

"Wait...wait..." he struggled weakly.

Nalan Yanran ignored him completely, and with a single stroke of her sword, she slit his throat.

At this point, all the fighters of the Hyena Mercenary Group were wiped out, and the remaining mercenaries either scattered and fled or knelt down and begged for mercy.

In this hell on earth that they created with their own hands, beg for mercy?

Those unarmed people, ordinary people who hadn't even reached the level of a fighter, including children and the elderly, suffered undeserved calamities and must have begged for mercy and fled.

They didn't even have the chance to be accused of possessing a treasure, and in the end, the whole family probably wouldn't have been able to save up many gold coins. And what has become of them now?

The raging flames were burning their corpses, and the packs of all the Hyena Mercenaries were filled with their valuables!

Nalan Yanran gripped the sword tightly in her hand, the flames reflecting in her pupils, making her eyes appear bloodshot.

"This friend looks unfamiliar; he's probably not from Wutan City, is he?"

Nalan Yanran was about to give chase, but was stopped by a voice behind her.

The newcomer possessed a powerful aura and was a Grand Dou Master.

Nalan Yanran had no choice but to stop her pursuit. She turned around and saw a middle-aged man holding a long spear. He had a long, narrow scar on his left eye, which made him look particularly fierce.

Upon seeing Nalan Yanran's exceptionally alluring face, enhanced by the ice silk mask she wore, the middle-aged man paused, his breath catching in his throat. Meeting Nalan Yanran's scrutinizing gaze, he puffed out his chest and said with a wicked smile, "I am Jia Liejing, sent here by Chief Jia Lie to aid the common people. On behalf of the Jia Lie family, I thank this friend for his assistance."

"Ha, how can you utter such lies?" Nalan Yanran sneered. "Rescue civilians? Without your instigation, would a small mercenary group of only Dou Shi level warriors dare to run wild on the Xiao family's territory?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Liejing's face immediately darkened: "So, you're the reinforcements the Xiao family invited?"

"That's right, Xiao Yan guessed your tricks back in the capital. He asked the Alchemist Guild to send out invitations widely, and I was one of the reinforcements he invited!"

"Miss, you may not know this, but Xiao Yan offended the Yunlan Sect and has already died on Yunlan Mountain!" Jia Liejing said. "He can no longer pay you your reward. Why not help my Jia Lie family instead? I'm not afraid to tell you that my Jia Lie family now has a third-grade alchemist to help us. I'm sure he can give you a satisfactory offer."

That's utter nonsense! When did Xiao Yan die at the Yunlan Sect?!

"Help you? Help you with what? Help you slaughter civilians?" Nalan Yanran pointed her sword directly at Jia Liejing. "Enough nonsense! With your mere three-star Grand Dou Master strength, you're not qualified to negotiate with me!"

"You damn little bitch, I was trying to give you some good advice, and you don't know what's good for you!" Galekin grinned maliciously. "Since that's the case, don't blame me for not showing you any mercy."

"Once I catch you, I'll see if your lower mouth is as hard as your upper one!"

Galekin summoned his emerald green battle aura armor, and with a sweep of his spear, a gust of wind extinguished the flames around him.

"You foul language! I'll cut out your tongue!"

Nalan Yanran used her battle qi to shake off the bloodstains on the sword, and powerful battle qi surged out from her body, forming a light blue battle qi armor.

"Waves overlap!"

"Great Compassion Wind-Tearing Hand!"