With Libationer Barrett's explosive shout, a wall of light dozens of zhang tall and almost without thickness appeared before them.
This sheer wall burst forth with orange-yellow light, stretching over a li in width. Its surface was covered in strange patterns, each centered on a burning star. In total, thirty-six patterns and thirty-six flaming stars adorned the wall, forming a kind of stellar map.
Just as Libationer Barrett unleashed the Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang Wall, a sudden clamor of slaughter erupted ahead—a battlefield was shifting in their direction.
Hundreds of supernatural experts surged forward, riding giant beasts that roared and thundered. Suddenly, they were confronted by this wall spanning heaven and earth.
The barbarian supernatural experts blanched. A burly, white-haired old general barked, "Break it down—now!"
Countless supernatural powers thundered forward, charging straight at the wall. The sound of collisions rumbled without end.
Flying swords shrieked through the air, stabbing relentlessly into the wall. Most managed only to pierce the surface before being frozen in place, unable to advance or retreat.
The Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang Wall buzzed and shuddered under the assault. Hundreds of flying swords now studded its surface, while waves of supernatural powers kept blasting into it.
Hundreds of barbarian supernatural experts crashed against the wall, their powers erupting and forcing cracks to appear. Libationer Barrett roared, thrusting his hands forward—another Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang Wall sprang up, merging with the cracked one before them.
He bore unimaginable pressure, forced to retreat step by step. Hundreds of supernatural experts pressed in—among them were Seven Stars Treasury, Heaven-Man Realm, and even Life-and-Death Realm powerhouses. Using the Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang Wall to withstand their assault without being shattered was already a feat bordering on the terrifying.
'Sacrificial Blade Pellets!' the old general barked.
Whoosh—
Blade pellets spun through the air before the wall, unleashing countless blade-lights that shot toward it. The crisp clangs rang out as thousands of treasured blades embedded themselves in the wall—over ten thousand in an instant.
Libationer Barrett's face changed drastically as the pressure from the wall forced him back dozens of steps. His Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang Wall was being compressed smaller and smaller by the terrifying force.
"Junior Brother, Princess, we've entered the barbarian battlefield!"
Libationer Barrett shouted, "Be careful!"
Quinn Shepherd's heart trembled slightly. Suddenly, he heard the sound of horns blaring from the depths of the grasslands—another army was pursuing them.
The old barbarian general, helpless, barked, "Prepare to meet the enemy!"
Charging toward them was a large army, composed of barbarian divine ability practitioners and warriors—the warriors were foot soldiers, the practitioners rode tall exotic beasts. In the sky, giant birds soared with barbarian Di soldiers standing on their backs, their heads adorned with multicolored feathers—these were women. All sorts of spells and swords rained down from above.
Through the wall, Quinn Shepherd saw a dignified barbarian general seated atop a white elephant. The beast was taller than the other exotic mounts and rivaled the Jadehide Ox beneath their feet.
The young barbarian general's gaze swept over, landing on the Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang Wall. He showed a hint of surprise, then returned to composure and shouted, "Wind!"
A squad rushed forward, each soldier removing a giant gourd from their back and slamming it down before them. Uncorking the gourds, black vapor surged out, transforming into tornadoes that grew ever larger—like dragons, with one end in the sky and one on the ground, rampaging wildly.
The wind troops leapt into the air, riding the tornadoes skyward. They charged at the old general's forces, sweeping countless divine ability practitioners into the sky.
The barbarian soldiers swept into the air were attacked by the wind troops, who struck out with sabers and cut them down one by one.
The general atop the white elephant said in a deep voice, "Rain!"
Another squad rushed forward, each carrying a large clay urn. The barbarian soldiers set down the urns and opened their lids. Clouds billowed out, and the soldiers stepped onto the clouds, rising into the sky as torrential rain poured down.
Within the clouds, the soldiers cast spells, sending sword-like lines of rain stabbing down. The barbarian warriors below were pierced through the crown of their heads, riddled like sieves!
The young general shouted again, "Thunder!"
The barbarian women atop the giant birds beat their drums, sending peals of thunder crashing down from above. The soldiers below, busy casting spells to counter the wind and rain, were stunned and their defenses faltered. Many were swept away and killed on the spot.
After the wind, rain, and thunder troops cast their spells, few barbarian soldiers survived—but those who did were all formidable. Ordinary spells could no longer harm them.
The old barbarian general, knowing he was defeated and unable to escape, hurriedly knelt down and cried, "General Torim, I surrender! Please, General Torim, spare our lives!"
The other twenty-some barbarian experts, though unwilling, valued their lives and knelt, bowing: "We surrender!"
General Torim's eyes flashed coldly. "Your Tiemu Clan rebelled, and you still want to live? The khan has decreed—no surrenders!"
The old general's face changed drastically and he tried to attack, but General Torim pointed a finger. A sword pillar as thick as a thumb shot across the hundred-zhang distance, piercing the old general's skull before he could move.
The sword pillar struck the light wall formed by the Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang, punching a small hole through Libationer Barrett's spell.
Libationer Barrett raised his brows and dispelled the Divine Firmament Heavenly Gang. General Torim's army swept in, slaughtering the remaining barbarian rebels—none were spared.
The barbarian soldiers cut off the heads of their foes and hung them at their waists, cheering wildly.
Some even fought over the heads, arguing about who had made the kill.
Quinn Shepherd frowned. Even in the Great Ruins, there was no custom of fighting over heads.
Collect their souls and offer them to the Golden Palace!
General Torim urged his white elephant forward and saluted Libationer Barrett from its back: "Are you the Martial Khan?"
Libationer Barrett nodded.
General Torim's eyes flashed with excitement. "The Martial Khan blocked eight hundred steppe divine ability practitioners alone—impressive, but not as legendary as the tales claim. It seems you won't keep the Martial Khan title much longer."
Libationer Barrett chuckled, standing steady atop the ox.
General Torim's eyes gleamed. Suddenly, he sprang from his elephant, his sword blazing as sword energy tore through the air, striking at Libationer Barrett—a storm of sword-light filled the sky!
Libationer Barrett reached for his saber and slashed. Instantly, the sword-light vanished, leaving only a single blade spanning heaven and earth. With a thunderous boom, the blade-light disappeared, and General Torim was nowhere to be seen.
Other barbarian commanders atop the white elephant were stunned. Suddenly, a long scream sounded from behind; looking back, they saw General Torim flying farther and farther away, unsure where Libationer Barrett's blade had sent him.
Not bad skill—just poor judgment.
Libationer Barrett sheathed his blade. After a moment, General Torim returned, his armor split in two by the strike. Looking at Libationer Barrett, his eyes now held respect.
Martial Khan, your fame still spreads across the steppe.
Torim dropped to one knee, palm to chest. "Is the Martial Khan heading to the Golden Palace? The Witch Sovereign has sent word to treat you well."
Libationer Barrett nodded. "I know. Get up. Back then, the Witch Sovereign gave me the title of Martial Khan. Now, it seems he wants to take it back himself. There must be new heroes on your steppe, or else why would the Witch Sovereign be so eager for me to visit Loulan Golden Palace?"
Torim stood up. "Heroes on my steppe are as numerous as the stars; there are certainly those who can defeat the Martial Khan."
Fox Lina giggled, "General, I love the way you brag."
Brag? Who dares brag about me?
The Jadehide Ox snorted, then spotted the white elephant and trotted over, rubbing against its side. "White elephant, are you male or female?"
The white elephant swung its trunk, striking the Jadehide Ox and making its nose bleed.
"It's female," Fox Lina whispered in Jadehide Ox's ear.
The Jadehide Ox perked up and said to the white elephant, "Your skin is so white. I like you. Do you eat peonies? I have some here, so fresh they're dripping with dew..."
Torim led his troops to escort them to the Loulan Golden Palace. Quinn Shepherd kept glancing at the army, curious.
This army's tactics for suppressing the rebels were unusual, very similar to those of the Yankang Kingdom. It was unclear whether Yankang had learned from the barbarians, or vice versa.
After the battle, Torim greatly respected them, offering food and drink along the way and treating them with utmost courtesy.
Libationer Barrett taught Quinn Shepherd and Ling Yuxiu how to merge their battle techniques, not hiding anything from Torim—though for key points, he used voice transmission.
After six or seven days, they reached the heart of the steppe, not far from Loulan Golden Palace. Torim stopped escorting them, leading his troops back to his own tribe.
Libationer Barrett frowned, exhaled, and said quietly, "It seems the Witch Sovereign is very interested in my arrival. This time, he must reclaim the Martial Khan title. When I reach the Golden Palace, I’ll be the one challenged. If so, I’ll have no time to steal back my master’s lower half…"
Quinn Shepherd was eager. "Senior brother, I’ve learned the art of theft before."
Libationer Barrett glanced at him and shook his head. "Loulan Golden Palace is the steppe’s sacred ground, like Daoist Temple or Thunderclap Monastery. It’s full of traps and seals. Your theft skills are useless—those seals and mechanisms can’t be broken by what you know."
The one who taught me theft is very skilled.
Quinn Shepherd said seriously, "He’s our village’s Grandpa Crutch. He’s missing a leg, but…"
Libationer Barrett waved his hand and said, "If his leg was chopped off, he simply wasn’t skilled enough. Don’t worry about stealing back my master’s lower half—I’ll handle it. You two, just focus on blocking the Golden Palace’s gate! Leave the rest to me."