Chapter Seven: Breaking Free

Lu Xingchen drew his bow and notched an arrow, striking the mount of the frail middle-aged man with a single shot. The man tumbled to the ground instantly.

The two martial artist experts immediately stopped, drew the long sabers at their waists, and shielded the man behind them. Lu Xingchen charged toward the trio, drew his sword, and channeled his battle aura.

One of the martial artist experts sneered. "Ha! A mere ten-star warrior dares to block our path? Are you courting death?"

Lu Xingchen chuckled lightly. "In my eyes, martial artists are nothing special."

The man who spoke turned to his companion and said with arrogant disdain, "Li Jie, protect His Highness. I’ll end this fight in a minute." With that, he raised his saber and lunged at Lu Xingchen.

Lu Xingchen showed no fear. Gripping his sword, he unleashed a downward strike. Although he was a full major realm below his opponent, his battle aura intensity was on par with a low-star martial artist. Combined with the assistance of his numerous talents, he actually managed to suppress his opponent from the start.

One minute passed, and Lu Xingchen remained unscathed.
Three minutes passed, and three bloody gashes appeared on the opponent’s body.
Five minutes passed, and the man was covered in wounds.

"Li Jie, save me!" the man finally cried out in cowardice.

Seeing the situation, Li Jie was shocked and immediately stepped forward to provide support. Facing two martial artists at once, Lu Xingchen felt some pressure, but only some. Once he unleashed the "Separated Fire Sword Technique," the tide turned once again.

The two three-star martial artists were completely overwhelmed by Lu Xingchen. With the system, Lu Xingchen could master any martial technique he acquired instantly. A perfected Earth-rank low-grade martial technique was not something two common martial artists could withstand. Moreover, Lu Xingchen fought dirty, aiming every strike at the already injured enemy. Within minutes, the man collapsed from blood loss.

Seeing this, the other martial artist, Li Jie, had his psychological defenses crumble. He retreated while shouting, "Stop! I surrender! I surrender!"

Lu Xingchen sheathed his sword and smiled. "Wouldn't it have been easier to surrender sooner? Come here."

Li Jie hurriedly dropped his heavy saber, walked up to Lu Xingchen, and dropped to his knees. Lu Xingchen bent over, patted him on the shoulder with his left hand, and, with his right, produced a dagger from his robes and slit his throat.

[Congratulations to the host for killing a three-star martial artist. Gained 30 experience points and 30 exchange points!]

Lu Xingchen checked his system panel.

[Host: Lu Xingchen]
[Realm: Ten-Star Warrior]
[Experience: 90/150]
[Exchange Points: 210]
[Talents: Eagle Eye (7), Strong Strike (1), Berserk (16)]
[Profession: None]

Not bad; this cross-realm battle had fattened him up. With a bit more experience, he would successfully break through to the martial artist realm.

Lu Xingchen walked toward the frail middle-aged man with the dagger in hand. The man was trembling all over but hadn't broken down; his mental fortitude was decent.

"Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!"
"I am the Third Prince of the Fengming Kingdom. My father is King Xu Feng. You can ransom me for a fortune; my father will definitely pay it!"

Lu Xingchen smiled faintly and put away his weapon. "At least you have some brains. Come with me."

The Third Prince followed Lu Xingchen obediently. He was only a three-star warrior; how could he dare to resist?

Once the battle concluded, Wang Xing reported the situation to Lu Xingchen. "Captain, the enemy force has been wiped out. As you commanded, we left three survivors."

Lu Xingchen nodded slightly. "Let those three captives go."

Wang Xing asked, "What? Captain, if we let them go, the enemy will know our location. It will be even harder for us to escape."

Lu Xingchen replied, "I want the enemy commander to know we are deep within the Fengming Kingdom."

"Oh?" Wang Xing looked bewildered.

"Do as I say. By the way, this is the Third Prince of the Fengming Kingdom. I'm leaving him in your care."

On the third day, the Fengming Kingdom recalled a large number of troops, intent on pulling out this thorn. Lu Xingchen, however, did the opposite, leading his mounted archer squadron toward the border between the two nations. Relying on the system’s map function, he chose a mountain path guarded by only a few enemy soldiers, slipped past the Fengming encirclement, and returned to the Great Yan Kingdom's military camp.

"Go back and rest. Wang Xing, come with me to report the results to the Battalion Commander."

"Understood!" the men replied in unison. After several days of bloody fighting, the veterans were relieved to finally get some rest. Lu Xingchen proceeded to Lin Wanqing's tent.

"Report!"

Lin Wanqing, who was processing official documents inside the tent, jumped up from her stool in excitement upon hearing the voice. She hurried to the entrance and saw the long-absent Lu Xingchen, a look of relief washing over her face.

Immediately, she turned furious. "Lu Dazhuang, where have you been all these days? Do you have any idea how worried I was about your safety?"

Lu Xingchen waved his hands hurriedly. "I'm sorry, Commander. It wasn't my intention. As soon as I led the troops out of the camp, we ran into a massive Fengming army. We had to fight and run for three full days before we could shake off the pursuers."

Hearing this, Lin Wanqing turned pale with shock. She looked at Wang Xing and asked, "Wang Xing, is this true?"

Wang Xing nodded repeatedly. "The Squadron Leader is telling the truth." Internally, he thought, "You were the one chasing the Fengming troops, but now you're pretending to be the victim—you're shameless! Still, fighting under your command is exhilarating, so telling a lie for you is no bother."

Hearing this, Lin Wanqing’s expression softened, and her tone became much gentler. "So that’s how it was. Lu Dazhuang, being able to lead your troops back unscathed is an impressive feat. I will report this to the Divisional Commander to secure a reward for you."

Lu Xingchen smiled slightly. "Commander, we also killed quite a few enemies while fleeing. We should get credit for that, right?"

Lin Wanqing asked calmly, "How many?"

Lu Xingchen tapped the storage ring on his right hand, and a pile of ears from Fengming soldiers appeared in the tent.

"Good heavens, that many?" Lin Wanqing’s eyes widened, her gaze filled with astonishment.

Lu Xingchen pushed the Third Prince forward. "This is the 'tongue' you wanted. He claims to be the Third Prince of the Fengming Kingdom. I'm not sure if it's true."

Lin Wanqing glanced at the Third Prince, shocked once more. "Lu Dazhuang, you are a marvel! To achieve such results with a hundred-man unit!"

Lu Xingchen chuckled. "I am a soldier of the Great Yan Kingdom; this is my duty."

Lin Wanqing said, "I will report this to the General to request a commendation for you."

Lu Xingchen was slightly startled. Would such a small skirmish really reach his father? He wondered what expression his father would wear when he saw him. Lu Xingchen felt a spark of anticipation.