Chapter 52: Critical situation (3rd update)

The Di Qi (Earthly Qi) lineage within Invoker is skilled at leveraging the power of Mountain and Water Deities ; with the protection of a corresponding God, they can cause localized earthquakes or reroute rivers even at the Eighth Rank.

The advantage this power brings in war is self-evident.

However, it is not insurmountable.

Military School of Thought Cultivators are also adept at utilizing terrain and can further leverage the harmony of people.

Heavenly God? Di Qi (Earthly Qi)?

How can they contend against the harmony of people!

The Military School of Thought is a major branch of the Human Dao.

The Human Dao trusts the heavens and earth the least.

Man will conquer nature!

"Form up! Soldiers, advance!" the officer shouted loudly.

The others immediately raised their weapons, then saw a strange connection establish itself around them.

All the soldiers' weapons glowed red.

Fire at the tip, this is Soldier Qi.

Blood Qi within the fire, this is Evil Qi!

Soldier Qi and Evil Qi intertwined, manifesting a strange phenomenon above their heads.

The Aura connected like melon vines, like a person holding a sword and shield, a vast expanse of red, like blood.

Li Qi observed from under the water, immediately realizing this was a military formation similar to Shan Dazhuang's back then!

It was just that, compared to Shan Dazhuang's, this military formation was much stronger.

Li Qi could see the ferocity within it! Red like a banner, with soldiers beneath it, an immense Aura, absolutely not something he could contend with!

There were only nine people, yet their might was so terrifying.

Fortunately, he was in the water; everything was still according to plan.

He had never been so grateful that he had practiced Wave-Breaking Force, which gave him excellent swimming ability and allowed him to hold his breath for over two quarters of an hour.

The officer saw that the formation was activated and nodded, "Use Soldier Qi to suppress the mountain roots and the water veins; we absolutely cannot let him borrow power from the mountains and rivers! Invoker is not skilled in combat; he is weak in close quarters. I'll go down and deal with him!"

After speaking, he took off his armor, jumped directly into the water, bit down on his saber hilt, and swam strenuously towards Li Qi.

Upon seeing this, Li Qi's heart swelled with joy.

He came down after all!

But he dared not surface; crossbow bolts were aimed at him from above, and surfacing would turn him into a porcupine.

So he continued to wait at the bottom of the pool for the officer to dive down.

At the bottom of the pool, the officer held the saber in his mouth, its tip glowing, illuminating the dark bottom of the pool.

Soon, he found Li Qi.

Taking the saber in one hand, he moved towards Li Qi.

Li Qi, in the water, was not afraid of him; he simply glided along with the current.

Yes, this officer was swimming strenuously, splashing water everywhere as he moved. He had great strength, so his speed was also fast.

But Li Qi was different.

Li Qi's swimming made little noise. The officer swam, but he glided, like a fish in the water. Though there were no splashes and no great force, he was even faster!

Clearly, this officer's swimming ability was far inferior to his.

He was someone who could tie a Boat Towmen rope to himself and swim in the water to pull boats!

Li Qi moved closer.

Seeing this, the officer raised his saber and thrust!

Resistance in the water was high, making saber swings slow, but thrusts were not slow.

However, in water, any movement, even a slight one, would inevitably stir up currents.

By skillfully utilizing these currents, one could drift with the flow and naturally dodge the opponent's attacks!

Li Qi felt the water currents caused by the opponent's powerful thrust. He sidestepped, and the current naturally rolled his body, sweeping him to the side, just enough to avoid that saber strike.

Pulling boats in the water was not safe; upstream, there were often logs, even rocks, and various floating objects flowing downstream.

The current was swift, and if hit by these things, one would inevitably suffer a cracked head and bleeding.

Therefore, Boat Towmen who dared to pull boats in the water must have mastered the technique of moving their bodies according to the current. Those who couldn't perceive and move with the current would have had their heads smashed long ago.

Li Qi had such a great advantage in the water, which was why he led these people down to deal with.

After dodging the thrust, Li Qi directly grabbed the officer's wrist!

With Wave-Breaking Force, the water current could not prevent him from exerting force. His immense strength of six thousand eight hundred catties suddenly erupted, intending to directly crush the fragile wrist!

However, to Li Qi's surprise, the officer suddenly smiled, directly letting go of the hand holding the saber. Then, while clenching both fists to protect his wrists, the saber actually moved on its own!

The saber hummed softly. Propelled by Soldier Qi and Evil Qi, this saber actually turned its blade in the water and fiercely thrust towards Li Qi.

And the officer immediately pulled Li Qi's wrist in return, not allowing him to escape, intending to lock him onto the spot pointed by the saber tip.

Just moments ago, Li Qi had held a soldier, grabbing him, not letting him go, resulting in the soldier being crushed to death by a rock. Now, less than a minute later, he himself suffered this trick!

With the saber tip about to pierce him, Li Qi's heart was anxious. Disregarding his stamina, he forcefully tried to break free.

But the officer held on tightly, refusing to let go.

Li Qi, helpless, ignored his stamina and continued to exert force. Suddenly, two streams of white Qi emerged from his nose, turning into a string of bubbles in the water, gathering the current, and spraying onto the officer's face!

This was the effect of the Ox Strength Technique's breathing!

Li Qi knew he didn't have many cards, so he had already thought of many methods beforehand, considering every possible strength he could utilize.

This was one of them.

Fortunately, the strength advantage brought by the Ox Strength Technique was ultimately overwhelming. The officer was assailed by countless bubbles on his face. Already not skilled in water combat, his heart panicked, and his strength usage faltered, allowing Li Qi to break free.

After breaking free, Li Qi immediately used his last bit of strength to flip backward, barely managing to dodge the saber.

It was truly a close call; he still got his skin cut, bleeding a little.

The wound was small, probably similar to cutting one's hand while chopping vegetables.

But with just this tiny wound, Li Qi felt his whole body stiffen.

The wound was numb, and! The numb area was gradually expanding!

Soldier Qi and Evil Qi had invaded his body, blocking the natural circulation of his Ying Qi and Wei Qi!

With his Ying and Wei Qi obstructed, Li Qi only felt his body suddenly feeling off.

He didn't know why, only that he had been hit.

But if it were Shen Shuibi, she would definitely blurt out: "If Ying Qi does not flow, it rebels against the flesh, causing carbuncles. If Wei Qi flows against its normal course, the clear and turbid intermingle, causing disorder in the chest, which is called great fullness. If the Qi is disordered in the lungs, one gasps for breath; if disordered in the arms and legs, it causes cold extremities."

This means that if Ying Qi is disordered, it will lead to the collapse of physical functions, producing carbuncles. At the same time, if Wei Qi flows in reverse, the clear and turbid intermingle, making it difficult for one's lungs to breathe, and causing cold, numb extremities, losing their proper function.

Li Qi now felt the old horse's pain.

The old horse was slashed on the buttock, and the Evil Qi on that saber must have come from this!

The old horse's body was so weak, it must have been tormented and entangled by this Evil Qi!

The officer, meanwhile, saw Li Qi suddenly stiffen like a dead fish, no longer moving. He knew his Soldier Qi had taken effect.

He smiled, very confident in his Soldier Qi.

However, he was still very cautious. He held the saber in one hand, then slowly swam over again, preparing to deliver a couple of harsh blows to the stiff, unmoving Li Qi.

Only dead people are trustworthy.

Living people can always struggle a bit.