Embersteel: Legend of the Warrior BlackSmith

Chapter 17: The Battle of the Northern Edge

In this way, Feng's cultivation has given him newfound strength as he confronts the possessed beasts in the coming battle. His reverse cultivation method, though dangerous, has allowed him to fortify his body, increasing his blood purity, strengthening his bones, and storing energy in his meridians.

The first screech pierced the night, sending a shiver down Feng's spine. It was a sound unlike any beast he had ever heard, unnatural, filled with malice. Lin Rou's voice rang out from the northern edge of the village, where he and the remaining watchmen had taken position.

"Get ready!" Lin Rou bellowed, his cleaver drawn.

Feng leaped to the rooftop of a nearby building, his senses sharp. The moon hung high above, casting an eerie silver light over the village. From his vantage point, Feng saw them, beasts of all shapes and sizes, surging toward the village like a wave of black shadows. Their eyes glowed a sinister red, their mouths foaming with rage.

Without hesitation, a blue flame roared to life within him, and he felt the familiar warmth of his inner fire spread through his body. His blood, now refined to nineteen percent purity, surged with power, his bones crackled and his muscles stretched.

From the roof, he could see the villagers still evacuating through the southern gate. There was no time to lose. Though this would be his very first true battle since embarking on his cultivation journey, Feng was still clear-headed as he thought of the people therein. Feng's eyes scanned the oncoming horde, searching for the source of the corruption. If he could find the demonic cultivator controlling the beasts, maybe they could find a way out of this.

Down below, Lin Rou and his watchmen braced themselves for the onslaught. The first of the beasts broke through the tree line, a massive boar-like creature with jagged tusks and blood-red eyes. It charged toward the village with terrifying speed, its hooves pounding the ground like thunder.

Lin Rou met the beast head-on, his cleaver flashing as it slashed into the creature's side. The blade bit deep, sending a spray of blood into the air, but the beast barely faltered. It let out a furious roar and swung its tusks toward Lin Rou, who narrowly dodged the attack with a swift sidestep. One had to remember that Lin Rou was a cultivator at the third Essence Condensation stage, someone who had opened his Dantian and could fight for extended periods without fatigue.

"Kill!" Lin Rou roared, his voice hoarse as his eyes turned bloodshot with rage. He swung his cleaver again, each strike infused with spiritual energy, seeking to carve through the thick hide of the beast.

"Kill!" his men echoed, their voices reverberating through the battlefield as they charged into the fray. Blood splattered everywhere as the clash between man and beast escalated. The air was thick with the stench of iron, and the sound of flesh being torn filled the air.

The wild beasts were in a frenzy, their eyes glowing with bloodlust. The North Edge was in utter chaos, with towering trees crashing to the ground and village huts being crushed underfoot. The once peaceful area was now a battlefield of destruction.

A chilling roar echoed through the air, and amid the chaos, one of the villagers screamed in agony as his arm was ripped off by a massive monkey-like creature. His bloodcurdling cry sent shivers down the spines of those nearby.

"Defensive formations!" Lin Rou commanded, pushing his way to the front. His cleaver in hand, he gathered his spiritual energy, and a fierce aura flared to life around him. His body flickered in and out of sight as he executed a powerful martial technique. The cleaver swung forward, its edge shimmering with condensed spiritual force, creating a shockwave that blasted the advancing beasts.

The force of the strike rippled through the battlefield, sending beasts tumbling back as the shockwave cleaved through the ranks of their attackers. Lin Rou stood tall, his bloodied cleaver in hand, breathing heavily as he prepared for the next wave.

Jiang Feng stood atop the roof of a hut, his chest heaving with labored breaths. The battlefield below was a grim scene—both men and beasts lay dying in the chaos, their bodies strewn across the blood-soaked ground. Hatred and despair hung thick in the air, evident on the faces of those still locked in combat. Life, he realized, was fragile. One moment you were here, alive and fighting, and the next, you were gone, swallowed by death's cold embrace.

As the carnage unfolded before him, the words of the Eternal Flame Codex rippled through his mind, steady and resolute: "The path of cultivation is paved through blood and sweat. Only the strong can determine their fate. The bones of the dead tell no tales, and destiny is plucked from the heavens. If you can emerge from this darkness, only then will you have truly begun the path of cultivation. Go—make your move."

His heart steadied, and Jiang Feng stood tall, determination flashing in his eyes. He leaped from the rooftop, landing with precision on the ground below. His target—a large, savage monkey-like beast—had just finished mauling a man to death, its eyes already scanning for its next prey. Without hesitation, Feng sprinted toward the creature, his focus narrowing on the task ahead.

On his way, he spotted a long sword lying discarded on the battlefield. Without thinking, he snatched it up, gripping it tightly in his hands. He knew no martial techniques, nor did he possess the grace of a trained swordsman, but desperation gave him strength. He raised the sword high above his head and brought it down with all the force his body could muster.

"Die!" he roared, his voice thick with fury.

The monkey-beast sensed the danger and screeched, raising its thick, muscular arms to intercept the attack. The blade bit deep into its arm, cutting through sinew and bone. The creature let out an ear-splitting roar of pain, its bloodshot eyes gleaming with primal rage. In one swift motion, it lashed out with its powerful legs, striking Feng in the chest. The impact sent him flying backward, his body crashing hard against the ground.

'Raaww!' The beast pounded its chest, a display of dominance as it prepared to charge at Feng, its massive form bearing down on him.

Gritting his teeth, Feng staggered to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Pain radiated through his chest, but there was no time to dwell on it. His eyes blazed with unyielding resolve as he growled, "Bring it on."

At that moment, something stirred deep within him. His blood surged violently through his veins, igniting the dormant flame seed inside him. Blue flames erupted around his body, swirling like a raging inferno. The ground beneath his feet scorched as the flames spread, consuming everything in their path. The sword in his hand began to glow red-hot, its blade coated with the fierce blue fire.

The flames were his—a manifestation of his flame seed, a power tied to his very soul. As they danced around him, Jiang Feng's confidence surged.

"Die, you wild animal!" he shouted, his voice booming over the noise of the battlefield.

With a roar, Feng dashed forward, sword raised and burning with intense heat. The monkey-beast charged at him as well, its massive form barreling toward him like an unstoppable force. The two collided head-on—sword and beast meeting in a violent clash.

The blade struck the creature's already wounded arm, cutting deep once again. This time, blue flames exploded from the wound, spreading rapidly across the beast's fur. The creature let out a pained screech as the fire consumed its body, thrashing wildly in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames.

But Feng gave it no chance to recover. He pressed the attack, his sword slashing relentlessly, each strike fanning the blue flames as they engulfed the beast. The energy in his Ren and Du meridians surged through him, fueling the flame seed, but he could feel the rapid drain on his spiritual reserves.

Still, there was no retreat. Not now.

With one final, powerful swing, Feng brought the sword down upon the creature's neck, severing its head in a burst of blue fire. The beast collapsed to the ground in a charred heap, the flames continuing to burn its remains.

Breathing heavily, Jiang Feng stood amidst the flickering flames, his sword still glowing red-hot. His body ached, his spiritual energy nearly depleted, but he had survived.

The path of cultivation is paved through blood and sweat, he thought. But only the strong can determine their fate.