"Sairapess was about to speak when Bilerjis, from within the ranks of the military officers, stepped forward and said, 'Svein, the three armies of the Winter have retreated, why should we fear these petty beastmen?'
Xiao Xun shook his head, 'The beastmen are like a sword hanging over Saint Roman. Saint Roman has just gone through war and a new ruler has ascended the throne, with everything needing to be rebuilt. Once the beastmen launch an attack, the Winter will inevitably return to seize Saint Roman.'
Bilerjis fell silent upon hearing this.
Sairapess smiled at this and said, 'If that is the case, who does Svein think should be sent?'
Xiao Xun looked around at everyone and calmly replied, 'This minister recommends the Administrator, Jett.'
Sairapess nodded, 'So be it!'
Xinzhi City was tense, a murderous aura pervaded the air. Huodesa stood on the city walls, looking down at Jisidel, who stood proudly below. 'Listen, people below the city! I am the Mayor of Xinzhi, appointed by the late Emperor. I am legitimate, have served for three years, and my achievements are remarkable. Nothing has ever been amiss. Although the late Emperor has passed, why would the mayor be easily replaced?'
Jisidel, from below the city, heard this and laughed uproariously, 'Haha! The late Emperor? The late Emperor has long since returned to the earth. I have been ordered by Beast King Gagai to come and take over as Mayor of Xinzhi. If you still wish to be appointed by the late Emperor, I shall send you on your way!'
As he spoke, he stepped on a soldier groaning at his feet. The sounds of wailing from below the city reached the city walls, the cries so tragic they sounded like ghosts rather than humans.
Jisidel seemed quite pleased with this, and said smugly, 'Kid! If you want to live, quickly tell your mayor to open the city gates, otherwise do not blame me, Jisidel, for being ruthless!'
As he spoke, he applied a little more pressure with his foot. The groans from below the city abruptly ceased. The soldier who had been crying out moments before was now silent.
The soldiers on the city walls were all astonished by Jisidel's cruelty, their eyes burning as they glared at Jisidel below.
Huodesa let out a cold snort and leaped from the city wall, several feet high. The soldiers on the city walls all gasped, a sharp intake of breath. Could he survive such a fall? They quickly peered over the parapet, following Huodesa's descent.
Seeing Huodesa land steadily on the ground below, everyone let out a cry of surprise. The Mayor even murmured, 'As expected, a true master!'
An Zuan's face, however, broke into a smile, though the smile was fleeting on his deeply furrowed face. 'Let's see what this descendant of the great shaman can do.'
The common folk were amazed by Huodesa's display, but to a master of the demonic arts like Jisidel, this was nothing special. Jisidel looked at the refined man before him without fear, his face full of mockery as he looked at Huodesa. 'With just these moves, quickly tell your mayor to come out and see me!'
Huodesa let out a cold snort. 'Although my rank is low, I can make decisions for Xinzhi. Tell me whatever you have to say.'
Jisidel then took a careful look at Huodesa. Huodesa possessed an air of scholarly refinement, quite out of place in the rugged customs of the northwest, forming a stark contrast to Jisidel's robust physique. He couldn't help but feel disdain, crossing his arms over his chest. 'If that's the case, why are you not quickly handing over the documents so I can take up my post?'
Huodesa nodded. 'Of course, but it depends on whether you have the ability!'
A potent killing intent instantly filled the entire space. Jisidel never expected this person to possess such skill, and a strong fighting spirit erupted in an instant, like a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan.
Accompanied by a dragon-like sword cry, a chilling sword light magnified infinitely before his eyes.
At that moment, he hadn't even bothered to notice where the unarmed Huodesa drew his sword from, nor how he swung it. The sword light poured down, continuous like a cascading waterfall.
Huodesa drew his sword from his waist. A silver light shot up from his waist, revealing it to be a soft sword.
Soft swords demanded extremely high craftsmanship and materials, and were very rare in this异世界 (yi shi jie - different world). Jisidel had never even seen such a sword before, nor did he know who possessed such exquisite skill to forge such a weapon.
Jisidel drew two short sabers from his waist and parried the opponent's sword with the blade. To his surprise, the sword body curved, and the tip transformed into a sharp gleam that struck towards him.
Jisidel was greatly alarmed and retreated rapidly, vanishing several feet away in the blink of an eye. However, Huodesa did not press his advantage but stood his ground, looking coldly at Jisidel.
Jisidel stared at the sword in Huodesa's hand and asked, 'What kind of sword is this?'
Huodesa raised the sword in his hand, as if admiring a work of art. He lightly flicked the sword body with his left index finger, producing a hum like a dragon's roar. 'This sword is named Jinghong, a family heirloom. This sword specifically collects spirits, so be careful.'
Jisidel tightened his grip on the short sabers. He had always excelled in speed and power. A寸 (cun - inch) of blade, an inch of danger. For him, this might actually be easier to handle.
Jisidel's body remained still, but his killing intent surged outwards. The intense killing aura forced Huodesa to face him squarely with his sword.
Suddenly, the killing intent exploded outwards, rushing like the waters of a great river.
The distance of a dozen feet was instantly enveloped by the killing intent, as if the distance itself had ceased to exist. The sounds of sabers and swords clashing were incessant, as dense as a torrential downpour.
Jisidel's speed was too great, so fast that it seemed the entire space was filled with Jisidel's form, his afterimages appearing everywhere in the void.
But Huodesa knew that this was all Jisidel alone, but his speed was so great that it had surpassed the concept of space.
However, Huodesa gently wiped Jinghong, unhurried and calm. Every one of Jisidel's saber strikes was accurately met, and he even counterattacked with the dexterity of his soft sword, preventing Jisidel from launching consecutive attacks despite his rapid saber speed.
This outcome greatly annoyed Jisidel. He felt as if Huodesa was a sponge, constantly absorbing his moves, giving him a sense of helplessness.
But in reality, Huodesa was also amazed by Jisidel's saber speed. This speed had surpassed the limits of a human, and only martial arts masters could achieve such a feat.
But unfortunately, he was facing himself, and the incredibly miraculous soft sword in his hand.
Huodesa's soft sword seemed to be able to strike at will, from any direction or angle. Moreover, its flexibility was exceptional. Even with Jisidel's extreme speed and power delivered with dual sabers, the resulting force was insufficient to break the soft sword. Every time it was pressed to its limit, it would form a powerful counter-force, consuming his own strength before rebounding it back.
However, Jisidel's reaction was extremely fast. Seeing that he could not launch an effective offense, he immediately changed his position to attack Huodesa. The humming of the soft sword, the sound of the dual sabers cutting through the air, and the metallic clangs of their clashes were heard intermittently.
Looking down from the city walls, the scene below seemed to be engulfed in a blur of light and shadow. Huodesa was wrapped within it, and occasionally, sparks from the clash of blades would burst through the light and shadow, only to quickly close again.
Those on the city walls watched with pounding hearts. The Mayor of Xinzhi did not possess magic, and with his naked eye, he could not see Huodesa at all, nor did he know what was happening. His palms were already sweating.
An Zuan, standing nearby, however, his gaze grew deeper. 'The Black Feather's ultimate techniques are indeed renowned. It is truly rare for a Wu people (Wu ren - a specific ethnic group) to cultivate martial arts to this extent. Litez, are you truly a celestial being?'"