Grace Walker's eyes were extremely sharp. He noticed that the Xidi soldier didn't seem to be completely dead. His mind stirred, and he quietly took out the ancient bronze ring, stealthily circling around.

Chapter Five: Taliban Corpse Soldiers

At ease! Attention, left turn... handstand!

"Truly obedient."

Grace Walker had already discovered that the corpse-controlling bronze ring he picked up could only control up to five corpse soldiers. On the edge of the battlefield, he picked up three Xidi soldiers who were on the verge of death, slightly expanding his team and reaching the bronze ring's control limit.

At this moment, the fighting on the battlefield grew even fiercer. On the refined bronze chariot, only the red-robed general was left holding out alone; all his other subordinates had been slaughtered by the Xidi army.

After collecting three corpse soldiers, Grace Walker began to intentionally withdraw further from the battlefield. In the past ten days, he had seen plenty of dead people, but this was the first time he had come into such close contact with the mode of warfare in this world.

"A one-man army—this is what it means to be invincible!"

The red-robed general was incomparably brave, wielding a long spear that swept in all directions. In moments of crisis, the flaming energy blade on his arm was even more awe-inspiring. No enemy could get close to his refined bronze chariot to attack him from both sides.

In the heat of battle, countless Xidi soldiers fell at his hands. It was the first time in Grace Walker's life that he had witnessed such a large-scale massacre. Grace Walker kept praying to the various deities of Zhongtu Shenzhou, begging to see fewer fresh corpses, but clearly, his prayers were not answered kindly.

"Damn it, good thing I'm not faint-hearted. I even took a few anatomy classes in my previous life, or else I really wouldn't be able to handle this chaotic world."

The red-robed general was clearly growing desperate about breaking through the encirclement and roared angrily at the sky.

"Yan Chimei! I stand tall and proud—if you want my head, come and take it yourself! Don't let these rabble sully my reputation!"

The red-robed general's furious roar rolled out in waves. Even though Grace Walker was a li away from the battlefield, his ears rang and his vision blurred from the shock. He cursed inwardly: "Idiot, you're about to die—who would come and duel you one-on-one? With intelligence like that, no wonder you got isolated and surrounded..."

"Since General Mu requests it, how could Adam Young refuse? Allow me to send you on your way!"

The Xidi general who had been commanding from the rear spoke up, surprising Grace Walker once again. But what surprised him wasn't that the Xidi general was foolish enough to accept a duel despite having the advantage, but rather that Adam Young's voice, though not loud, carried far and wide—reaching even into the woods, as if he were speaking right beside him.

Even the red-robed General Mu's bellow couldn't drown it out.

"People here are truly insane—everyone's a master..."

Glancing back at his five corpse soldiers, Grace Walker suddenly felt that relying on them to protect his own life was rather flimsy.

"I wonder if there are any famous sects in this world. I need to hurry and find a master to learn some life-saving skills! I originally thought I could rely on my talent for painting and become an erotic artist, living a carefree life, but now it seems that practical skills are just too unreliable!"

Adam Young had been commanding the army, and Grace Walker hadn't noticed anything unusual about him. But as soon as he made his move, he ghosted from dozens of zhang away to stand before the red-robed general in a single step. Without any visible movement, a flash of the blade swept from under his arm, merging blade and figure into one. He became a streak of chilling, unstoppable light, heading straight for the red-robed general's neck.

That single step, that single slash, carried overwhelming momentum and composure, instantly sweeping away Grace Walker's impression of him as a coward who only dared to attack from behind.

The red-robed general reversed his grip and stabbed his spear into the bronze chariot, raising both arms slightly. A fiery red blade of energy suddenly surged forth like a crimson rainbow, scorching the skies. It clashed fiercely with the Xidi general Adam Young's saber, and the explosion of red light instantly blinded Grace Walker.

"Amazing!"

Grace Walker hurriedly ducked his head and closed his eyes, his ears filled with countless chaotic sounds. When his vision finally returned, he looked toward the battlefield and saw that the refined bronze chariot drawn by eight strange beasts had vanished. At the center of the battlefield, a massive crater had appeared, shocking to behold.

A hundred meters from the crater, the general called Adam Young was spewing blood, while over a dozen subordinates desperately tried to treat his wounds. Another deputy was gathering the troops, clearly preparing to withdraw.

"A pyrrhic victory indeed—was it really worth it?"

Afraid of being discovered, Grace Walker didn't even dare to command his five corpse soldiers, letting them continue to play dead while he quietly tried to crawl under a large tree to hide.

On a branch, a fiery red bronze ruler, clearly scorching hot, was burning through the branch with a hissing sound. Just as Grace Walker crouched under the tree, the branch finally gave way, and the bronze ruler fell, landing squarely on Grace Walker's head.

The bronze ruler was only six inches long, but the intense heat it contained was as if it had just come out of a furnace. Grace Walker suffered a great misfortune—his forehead was instantly covered in large blisters. Even though he reacted quickly and clamped his mouth shut, the pain made his whole body tremble, and he nearly cried out.