Naked Sword Art

“All of you… are already dead.”

The moment those words fell, something changed.

Xun Wei’s hair and robes snapped violently despite the absence of wind, and a strange sensation spread outward across the entire city. At first it was subtle, almost imperceptible, but then it descended all at once.

[ Soul Suppression ]

Every soldier froze.

An invisible pressure slammed directly into their souls simultaneously, bypassing flesh, bypassing Qi, crushing them beneath a terrifying unseen weight.

The effect was immediate.

Some soldiers collapsed instantly, their consciousness extinguished before they even understood what was happening. Others tried desperately to resist, their bodies trembling violently as they fought to remain standing.

But the end result was the same.

One after another, soldiers and captains alike crashed to their hands and knees. The pressure only continued to intensify, growing heavier with every passing moment as more and more cultivators began losing consciousness beneath the horrifying force.

The commander remained standing.

Barely.

But Xun Wei wasn’t done.

The air shifted once more, and Xun Wei’s downward gaze grew even more bloodthirsty.

[ Soul Devour ]

Suddenly, the pressure they all felt wasn’t just crushing, but pulling as well. As if their souls were forcefully being pulled from their bodies.

The pain was excruciating.

Blood began pouring from the Commander’s eyes, nose, and ears as he struggled against the overwhelming pressure. Veins bulged across his neck as he gritted his teeth, refusing to fall.

This was the overwhelming gap between a Core Realm technique, and a Profound realm technique. However, Xun Wei had created this technique all on her own.

After a few moments, even the Commander collapsed, coughing up a mouthful of blood the moment his knees struck the ground.

’This girl…’ Terror filled his eyes. ’She’s a monster!’

But even for Xun Wei, unleashing this technique on such a grand scale came at an unimaginable cost.

She wasn’t merely suppressing them. She was trying to refine their souls from their living bodies.

The strain on her own soul sea rapidly intensified as countless minds resisted her influence at once. Even with her awakened Soul Tempering Special Body, the burden was simply too much.

After only a few moments, she was already nearing her limit.

Xiao Hei realized it immediately.

Without hesitation, she transformed back into her massive panther form and moved behind Xun Wei, preparing to flee at any moment.

But to her surprise, Xun Wei didn’t give her the signal.

{“Wei, that’s enough, we need to leave now!”}

Xun Wei’s body trembled slightly, blood beginning to drip from the corner of her lips as her soul power surged even further.

She wiped the blood from her lips before extending her arms once more.

“Not yet.”

Those barely clinging to consciousness finally broke, collapsing one after another. The soldiers closest to her—those already unconscious—began dying outright as their weak souls were being refined.

However, the person Xun Wei wanted dead the most was the Commander, but he refused to go down.

Even while kneeling in a pool of his own blood, he continued resisting with everything he had, forcing himself to retain his soul, and remain conscious through sheer will alone.

Then unexpectedly, the pressure vanished.

The city fell silent.

The commander immediately collapsed flat against the ground, gasping heavily for breath as the suffocating force finally released him.

His body trembled uncontrollably.

’What a terrifying technique.’

Then he looked up.

The moment he saw Xun Wei’s condition, hope surged within him.

She had lost consciousness.

Using a newly learned technique on such a massive scale had placed far too great a burden on her body and soul. The risk she took had simply been too reckless.

’Yes!’ His eyes widened slightly. ’This is our chance!’

But before he could issue an order, reality quickly set in.

The battlefield was devastated.

Few soldiers remained conscious, and those who were could barely move, let alone fight. Even the captains were sprawled across the streets struggling to recover.

Still, the commander forced himself back to his feet through sheer effort alone. Wiping the blood from his lips, he staggered forward—

Only for Xiao Hei to move first.

She carefully grabbed Xun Wei by the back of her robes with her teeth before instantly turning toward the South Gate.

Then she ran.

The commander’s eyes widened.

“You’re not getting away!”

Despite his condition, he immediately gave chase.

Xiao Hei cursed inwardly as she pushed herself forward. Her body was still exhausted from the prolonged chase and battle, every movement heavier than before.

If she could just create enough distance—

Just enough—

She could activate [ Stealth ] and disappear completely.

But the commander refused to let up, his presence locked tightly onto her from behind.

“Get back here!”

The South Gate finally came into view.

Relief barely had time to form before Xiao Hei’s eyes narrowed sharply.

Song Soldiers… 11 of them stood waiting for her there.

It was the second-in-command and all ten of his elite subordinates.

They blocked the entire gate.

The Commander behind her burst into hysterical laughter the moment he saw them.

“This is the end!” he shouted. “You’re trapped!”

The second-in-command slowly raised his weapon, his expression cold as he stared at the exhausted panther before him.

“Hand her over,” the second-in-command said calmly.

For a brief moment, it truly seemed over.

But then another voice cut through the tension.

“Hand who over?”

Their expressions shifted instantly.

Someone was approaching.

Step.

Step.

Step.

From the shadows near the gate, a figure slowly emerged.

Blindfolded.

His robes swayed gently with the wind as he walked forward without the slightest hint of urgency, yet every step he took seemed to press against the atmosphere itself.

Shiiing—

The sound of a blade unsheathing made their hairs stand, but the moment he held the sword to his side, an indescribable chill swept through the battlefield.

It wasn’t killing intent, it was something sharper, colder.

The kind of pressure that made every cultivator present instinctively tense as goosebumps crawled across their skin.

Sword Qi.

He had no presence, but to produce this amount of Sword Qi simply by wielding a sword was unheard of. This was the kind of thing they’d only hear from legends about the cultivators in the Divine Sword sect.

’That man… could he be—’ the 2nd in command thought as he frowned slightly.

The Commander’s eyes widened slightly when he recognized who Xiao Fang was.

“…You are—”

In the next moment, Xiao Fang’s body flickered.

Then he appeared beside Xiao Hei.

His posture remained calm, almost relaxed, but the instant he arrived, the atmosphere around the battlefield subtly shifted. The suffocating confidence the Song Clan cultivators held moments ago began to fracture.

Because unlike Xun Wei, Xiao Fang was an unknown variable. What they believed he was terrified them for an entirely different reason.

“You’re a Divine Swordsman, aren’t you?” the commander asked cautiously. “We were informed that if we didn’t engage you directly, you wouldn’t interfere in our war.”

“You haven’t engaged me?” Xiao Fang asked. “Xun Wei is my woman. If someone dares to take her from me…” Xiao Fang’s tone turned cold. “…then they should be prepared to die.”