freenovelworld Chapter 841 The Ice-Splitting Frost Spear: Bloodthirsty Frenzy (Page 12)
Chapter 841 The Ice-Splitting Frost Spear: Bloodthirsty Frenzy (Page 12)
A biting north wind swept across the land, howling like ghosts and wolves, tearing at the tattered battle flags with a mournful wailing. A desolate, leaden-gray atmosphere blanketed the world; the sunlight, pale and lifeless, seemed swallowed by the blood and dust of the battlefield. The air was thick with the pungent smell of rust and the nauseating stench of blood, mingled with the rising, dry dust, making it almost impossible to breathe. The ground beneath their feet, repeatedly soaked and frozen, was hard and slippery; each step felt like treading on piles of bones and shattered dreams.
Lin Ping stood alone in the center of this hellish scene.
Her figure stood tall and firm like a lone pine tree on a mountain peak, unmoved by the howling wind that tossed her disheveled hair and the corner of her blood-stained battle robe. The renowned Ice-Splitting Spear in her hand, instead of its usual chilling gleam, rested askew on the ground. Its sharp point remained unchanged, but now drops of blood trickled down its surface. The blood beads, falling onto the cold ground, did not spread but quickly solidified, transforming into tiny, eerie ice crystals that shimmered with a chilling light in the dim light.
Her eyes were the only absolute zero in this chaos. Those eyes, which might have once held tenderness and smiles, were now as cold as ancient ice, unfathomable and utterly devoid of emotion. Before her lay severed limbs, fleeing soldiers and pursuing enemy troops, deafening battle cries and the agonizing screams of the dying… All of this, in her eyes, seemed like a meaningless drill, a shadow play she had long since grown weary of. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the carnage before her, landing on a distant and resolute place.
However, if one were to approach and observe closely, one would discover the turbulent undercurrents beneath the seemingly calm surface. Her hand, gripping the shaft of the Ice-Splitting Spear, had knuckles slightly white from excessive force, even tinged with a bluish-purple. It wasn't tension, nor fear, but rather an extreme restraint and concentration. Every muscle was taut, accumulating power ready to erupt at any moment, like a snow leopard poised to pounce, awaiting the perfect opportunity to strike.
These subtle signs revealed the unwavering, steely will deep within her.
She is Lin Ping, the commander of this army on the verge of collapse, and their last pillar of support.
Since the start of the battle, the enemy has been advancing with unstoppable momentum, while our forces have suffered repeated defeats. Our brothers have suffered heavy casualties, our supplies are nearly exhausted, and even yesterday's last reinforcements were routed. Despair, like the biting cold wind, is slowly eroding the soldiers' morale. Just now, the central army formation was breached by enemy cavalry, the formation collapsed instantly, and defeat was imminent.
It was she, Lin Ping, wielding the Ice-Splitting Spear, who, like a streak of blue lightning, pierced the heart of the chaos against the retreating tide of the enemy. She offered no shouts, no encouragement, but with her spear and with each precise and deadly thrust, she tore a brief gap in the enemy ranks, stabilizing their morale which was on the verge of collapse.
She knew that she could not back down, much less fall down, at this moment.
Her figure was a banner. As long as that banner stood on this battlefield, as long as Lin Ping stood here, even with only one person and one gun, the spark of hope would not be extinguished. When the soldiers saw her, they saw a reason to continue fighting, and they saw a glimmer of hope that might exist in their desperate situation.
The wind picked up, whipping up ice crystals and blood foam from the ground, which stung her cold cheeks. She squinted slightly, her gaze sweeping over her own soldiers—some terrified, some numb, some still struggling—as well as over the enemies with their狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious) faces, pressing closer step by step.
Suddenly, she took a deep breath, the icy air seeming to ignite within her lungs. The tip of her Ice-Splitting Spear, which had been hanging low, slowly rose, pointing towards the densest group of enemy soldiers ahead. The remaining ice crystals on the spear tip seemed to reflect a chilling glint in that instant.
There was no earth-shattering roar, only a clear, cool command with undeniable authority, like an ice droplet falling onto a jade plate, piercing clearly through the noisy battlefield:
"Reorganize! Follow me—and charge back!"
The voice wasn't loud, but it seemed to possess a certain magic, causing the soldiers who had already given up to suddenly jolt, a faint light rekindling in their eyes. They exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, picked up the knives and spears beside them, struggled to their feet, and slowly moved closer to Lin Ping.
One, two, three... more and more soldiers gathered around. Their clothes were tattered, they were covered in blood, and their faces were etched with exhaustion and pain, but when they looked at Lin Ping's resolute back, something called "courage" rekindled in their eyes.
The Ice-Splitting Spear emitted a soft hum, as if sensing the fighting spirit within its master. Lin Ping's eyes remained cold, but within that coldness lay a resolute, burning intensity. She knew the road ahead was still fraught with danger, perhaps even certain death. But as long as she stood, this army would still have a spirit, and the strength to fight on.
A cold wind blew, and the stench of blood grew stronger, but in this desolate world, a faint yet tenacious flame of hope was rekindled in the hearts of the soldiers, fueled by the Ice-Splitting Spear pointed diagonally at the enemy ranks. Lin Ping stood alone amidst the chaos of battle; her figure was that ray of light in the face of utter despair.
The Shadow Assassins, the empire's most elite assassination force, are like phantoms in the night, swift and ruthless, skilled in stealth and surprise attacks. Now, however, they abandoned their forte of sneak attacks, opting instead for a near-suicidal charge, attempting to overwhelm Lin Ping, the command center, with sheer numbers. They knew that killing her would cause this already crumbling army to collapse without a fight.
"Go! Kill her!" A hoarse roar came from the rear of the Shadow Assassins' ranks, carrying an unquestionable order.
In an instant, another group of Shadow Assassins, like sharks smelling blood, pounced on Lin Ping from all directions. Their black outfits blended almost seamlessly into the shadows under the gloomy sky, and the curved blades in their hands gleamed with a poisonous light, each swing accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air.
Lin Ping took a deep breath, and the true energy within her dantian surged like a rushing river. She could clearly feel the tremors emanating from the Ice-Splitting Spear, as if this divine weapon, which had been with her for many years, also yearned to drink blood. She no longer remained steadfast in her position but instead took the initiative to meet it.
"Well done!" Lin Ping shouted, and the Ice-Splitting Spear suddenly transformed into a silver lightning bolt, its shadows overlapping like pear blossoms in bloom, yet carrying a deadly chill. With this strike, she used the opening stance of "Fishing Alone on a Cold River," seemingly plain and unremarkable, but in reality containing endless variations, combining defense with offense, making the three-foot area around her completely impenetrable.
"Thud!" The first Shadow Assassin had just rushed forward when, before he could even swing his sword, the spear tip pierced his chest. His eyes were filled with disbelief as his body slid limply off the spear shaft. Blood stained the spear, but it was quickly frozen by the chilling aura emanating from it, forming a strange red ice crystal.
Lin Ping flicked her wrist, sending the corpse flying and crashing into two Shadow Assassins behind her, temporarily halting their advance. Taking advantage of this opening, she moved with the speed of a ghost, closing in on one of the Shadow Assassins on her left. The Shadow Assassin reacted swiftly, swinging his curved blade in an attempt to block.
"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing was deafening. Lin Ping's spear struck the back of the scimitar with pinpoint accuracy, and a tremendous force surged through the air. The Shadow Guard felt his arm go numb, and the scimitar nearly slipped from his grasp. He was horrified, never expecting this seemingly frail woman to possess such superhuman strength.
But he had no time to think, for death had already arrived. The instant Lin Ping deflected the curved blade, the spear tip, like a venomous snake striking, lashed upwards at an unbelievable angle, piercing his throat with a "thud." Blood gushed out like a fountain, only to freeze into droplets in mid-air, scattering to the ground.
"Attack from both sides!" The remaining Shadow Assassins were clearly well-trained and immediately changed tactics, pairing up to attack Lin Ping from both the left and right. One of them on the left swung his sword straight at her head, the blade whistling fiercely; the other on the right crouched low and lunged forward, his curved sword flashing back, aiming for her lower body, a treacherous and vicious attack.
Lin Ping remained calm and composed. She lightly touched the ground with her left toe, her body suddenly rising higher, narrowly avoiding the downward strike. Simultaneously, she swung her gun down with a powerful downward chop in her right hand!
"Splitting Mount Hua!" With this thrust, she channeled all her strength and true energy into the tip of the spear, unleashing a devastating force capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, and slammed it fiercely into the curved blade of the Shadow Assassin Guard on the left.
With a crisp "crack!", the Shadow Guard's scimitar was shattered! The Ice-Splitting Spear continued its momentum, its tip slicing him in two from head to toe! His internal organs spilled onto the ground, instantly frozen by the cold air, a gruesome sight.
Having dealt with the enemy on her left, the Shadow Assassin's curved blade on her right was already at her waist. Lin Ping twisted her waist, like a willow in the wind, forcefully shifting her body half a foot to the side, while simultaneously sweeping out her Ice-Splitting Spear like a long whip. The spear shaft, accompanied by a whistling wind, struck the Shadow Assassin's ribs hard.
"Crack!" Another tooth-crushing sound of bones breaking echoed. The Shadow Guard screamed in agony as his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into a rock in the distance, coughing up blood. He was clearly dead.
In just a few breaths, four more Shadow Assassins were killed. Lin Ping's spear technique became increasingly skillful, her true energy flowed faster and faster, and the chilling aura on her Ice-Splitting Spear became increasingly intense, making her seem to be shrouded in a thin layer of white mist, adding to her mystery and majesty.
However, the number of Shadow Assassins was simply too great. They seemed endless; as one group fell, another immediately filled their place. They were fearless and unyielding, showing no hesitation even when witnessing the gruesome deaths of their comrades, their eyes filled only with icy killing intent and the resolute determination to complete their mission.
Lin Ping was under increasing pressure. Her breathing became rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, only to be frozen into frost by the cold air. The prolonged, high-intensity battle was taking a huge toll on her physical strength and internal energy.
"This can't go on. We must finish this quickly, or find their commander!" Lin Ping's mind raced as her eyes swept across the battlefield.
Just then, three Shadow Assassins, like three black lightning bolts, attacked simultaneously from three different directions. Their coordination was impeccable; one attacked from the top three routes, one from the bottom three routes, and one from the center, sealing off all of Lin Ping's escape routes. These three were clearly squad leaders within the Shadow Assassins, their strength far surpassing that of the ordinary members before them.
Lin Ping's eyes narrowed; she sensed an unprecedented crisis. The three men's attacks, in terms of speed, power, and angle, were all at an extremely high level, leaving virtually no openings.
"Crack Ice!" Lin Ping held nothing back, unleashing her inner energy without reservation. The Crack Ice Spear emitted a clear, resonant dragon's roar, and the chilling aura at its tip suddenly surged, forming a three-foot-long, icy blue spear beam! This was the true power of the Crack Ice Spear—using inner energy to unleash the chilling energy within the spear, creating an indestructible icy beam!
Instead of taking the blows head-on, she used her "Treading Snow Without a Trace" lightness skill, her figure elusive, weaving through the three men's flashing swords. Her movements were incredibly fast, leaving behind afterimages, causing the three Shadow Assassins' attacks to repeatedly miss.
"Can't find her?" The three Shadow Guards were filled with doubt and surprise, realizing that they couldn't keep up with Lin Ping's speed at all.
The moment their minds faltered, Lin Ping made her move!
Her figure suddenly solidified behind the Shadow Assassin on her left, and the Ice-Splitting Spear, glowing with an icy blue light, thrust out silently. This strike was swift, accurate, and ruthless, embodying all her spirit and power.
"Pfft!" The icy blue spear light pierced through the back of the Shadow Guard without any resistance, emerging from his chest. The Shadow Guard's body stiffened, his eyes filled with horror and resentment. He died without ever seeing how Lin Ping had gotten behind him.
With one assassin eliminated, the remaining two Shadow Assassins faced increased pressure. Lin Ping pressed her advantage, unleashing a barrage of Ice-Splitting Spear attacks on the Shadow Assassin on the right. The spear shadows blurred, a chilling aura emanating from each strike, each aimed directly at a vital point, forcing the opponent into a frantic struggle, barely managing to parry.
"An opening!" Lin Ping keenly caught a slight stiffness in her opponent. Like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, the tip of the Ice-Splitting Spear dipped slightly, avoiding the opponent's block, and pierced his lower abdomen from an unbelievable angle.