When the iron spears of the Demon Bear Squad were thrust towards him, Wang Mu had already set up a solid defense. His protective barrier had become as hard as steel, forming a solid shield. Even though thousands of spears came crashing down with unstoppable force, they still could not penetrate Wang Mu’s black curtain-like defense. The spears lost momentum at the periphery and fell helplessly around him, their attack completely neutralized.
“My God, what kind of technique is this?” Hao Yang realized his plan had completely failed, frustration making him stomp his feet. “Is this guy even human? Hey, Mr. Wang, are you actually human?”
By Hao Yang’s logic, only someone who could be killed by him was worth calling human.
Wang Mu had just barely managed to withstand the iron spear formation, his true energy greatly depleted. Naturally furious at Hao Yang, he pointed his sword directly at him and shouted, “You little brat, if you’ve got the guts, come fight me one-on-one! What exactly do you call this?”
“This *is* one-on-one!” Hao Yang widened his eyes, feigning innocence. “Isn’t it just us a few against you one? Unless you’re not satisfied and want to tie your hands and feet and let us beat you up at will?”
“That would be too cruel and inhumane,” Kevin chimed in gleefully.
“Pfft, pfft, pfft! The guy’s a high-level expert, and high-level experts like to play *weird* games. What do you know about it?” Hao Yang scoffed, then turned back to Wang Mu with a smug grin. “Commander Wang, we’re in the middle of a battle here. Who said battles have to be one-on-one? If you came alone, that’s just you being stupid. Who can you blame for that? Just wait until you’re dead and go cry to God about it then.”
“If you die on Saint Bear Star, you won’t get to see God. You’ll only meet our Holy Bear,” Kevin helpfully reminded him.
Hao Yang jumped in exaggerated concern and said kindly to Wang Mu, “Then you’d better watch out. I’ve seen that female Holy Bear before, and she’s got a real eye for handsome guys. You’re pretty good-looking, so don’t let her take you for herself.”
Wang Mu was furious. As a military commander, his status was naturally extremely high. Being tricked into coming to this place was already humiliating enough, but now he was being treated so disrespectfully by two juniors while stuck in a dangerous situation. How could he possibly save face?
Yet strangely, although Wang Mu was angry, he didn’t lose control or throw a tantrum. Instead, he sneered coldly, “So, you two don’t like one-on-one fights and prefer ganging up on people, huh?”
“That’s exactly right!” Hao Yang was riding high on his advantage, feeling extremely pleased with himself. He thought he was so clever. The main threat the Empire posed to Saint Bear Star lay in its massive warships, big cannons, and overwhelming numbers. But now he had tricked Wang Mu into coming here alone, and without the use of high-tech weapons, the advantage had completely shifted to Saint Bear Star’s side. If they could capture Wang Mu and use him as leverage, the Empire would have no choice but to retreat.
But Hao Yang was celebrating a little too early.
Wang Mu didn’t even look at Hao Yang or at the thousands of Demon Bear warriors pressing closer and closer. He seemed completely unconcerned about being ganged up on and beaten to death. Instead, he gripped his short sword horizontally and flicked it three times with his fingers.
The sound of the sword flicks echoed far and wide. True sword masters seemed to enjoy flicking their swords, as if the sound was more pleasant than strumming a guitar. But in reality, it was far from pleasant—especially Wang Mu’s flicks, which produced a harsh, grating sound. Although it had tremendous penetrating power, as if it could pierce the sky and travel far into the distance, it was truly unbearable to listen to.
Hao Yang was just about to mock Wang Mu a few times and show him what real musical talent looked like, but before he could even begin, he suddenly realized it was all useless.
His smugness was useless, and his planned demonstration was equally pointless. Because Wang Mu’s sword flicks weren’t meant to produce pleasant music—they were a signal, a terrifying signal capable of bringing death.
That signal traveled outward, even reaching beyond the atmosphere. Hao Yang and the others soon witnessed a horrifying sight. It was magnificent, but also tragic. The magnificence belonged to the Imperial Army, while the tragedy was all theirs. As soon as this sight appeared, Hao Yang understood exactly what kind of opponent Wang Mu was. He wasn’t as simple as he seemed—Wang Mu was a true master, far more formidable than anyone else.
Descending slowly from the sky were hundreds of Imperial warriors, each carrying a sword on their back. These were certainly not ordinary soldiers. They had flown directly from outer space without using any tools or equipment. They no longer relied on the Empire’s basic flying techniques but instead used a cultivation method filled with true energy.
On their space suits, a prominent emblem stood out—a long sword with a crown on top. Even Hao Yang now knew what that symbol represented: the Wang Clan, an absolutely powerful faction within the Galactic Empire. These hundreds of sword-bearing warriors floating down leisurely were clearly the elite force that had made Wang Mu famous and earned him great respect within the Imperial Army—the King’s Swordmasters.
Although Wang Mu now had only a few hundred people behind him, outnumbered by the Demon Bear Squad by more than tenfold, in battle, numbers were not the only decisive factor—especially when those few hundred were led by Wang Mu and his King’s Swordmasters.
Within the Galactic Empire, the number of martial arts groups had reached staggering levels. It could be said that nearly every family had its own fighting squad. In the past hundred years alone, the number of such groups had exceeded five thousand, absorbing hundreds of thousands of experts. In this century, martial arts groups had entered a period of rapid development.
However, when it came to historical prestige, no one could rival the King’s Swordmasters. Even historians agreed that it was the Wang Clan’s Swordmasters that had ushered in a renaissance of cultivators.
A hundred years ago, the Galactic Empire had established a tripartite power structure: the Emperor, the Senate, and the Imperial Privy Council. In prolonged power struggles, the Privy Council, representing technological military forces, had long overshadowed the Senate and become the Emperor’s pillar. Thus, in the vast Imperial Army at that time, only massive fleets and high-tech soldiers were considered the main forces. True cultivation-based fighting groups were rare, with only a few like the King’s Swordmasters.
It wasn’t until the battle in the Outer Meng Left Spiral Arm, when Herd and Situ Hai alone managed to halt the Empire’s most elite fleet, that the Privy Council suffered a shocking blow. From then on, the Senate, represented by cultivators, rapidly rose in power. The King’s Swordmasters became the model for all martial arts groups and the backbone of the Imperial Army.
Even in this current era where martial arts groups are widespread, the King’s Swordmasters still maintain formidable strength and remain among the top ten fighting groups in the Empire. Wang Mu himself was considered a strong candidate for future Senate membership.
Within the Empire, cultivators were strictly ranked. Those below the eighth level were known as swordsmen, while those at the eighth level or higher could be officially titled as swordmasters. In other words, although Wang Tao, whom Hao Yang had previously defeated, was the leader of a swordsman unit, he would barely qualify as a regular member of the King’s Swordmasters. This alone illustrates the immense strength of this elite group.
Wang Mu himself had once proudly declared that as long as the King’s Swordmasters stood by him, he could roam the four seas without fear of any powerful enemy.
Now, this most renowned and powerful swordmaster group in the Empire stood proudly before Hao Yang and his companions. In comparison, the Demon Bear Squad might have been massive and impressive in numbers, but everyone present knew clearly that if the enemy deployed just half their forces, the entire Demon Bear Squad would be wiped out in an instant.
“Oh my God!” Kevin was sweating profusely with fear. He turned to Hao Yang, but Hao Yang himself had no idea what to do.
Hao Yang’s face turned pale, muttering curses at Kevin, “You idiot bear! Didn’t you say you’d trick him here alone? Why did he bring so many extra people with him?”
“How should I know?” Kevin was equally puzzled. “Old man Wang must have hundreds of illegitimate kids. They all showed up at once.”
This time, Wang Mu had the upper hand completely. He didn’t even draw his sword anymore, simply leaning on his general’s staff with both hands. “You two little brats actually thought you could trick me? I knew there was something wrong the moment he came to surrender the first time, so of course I arranged backup.”
“Despicable!”
“Lowlife!!”
Hao Yang and Kevin shouted in unison, completely forgetting their own underhanded tactics.
Wang Mu was a soldier who only cared about victory, regardless of the means. He smiled slightly and pointed his staff at Hao Yang. “Hand over the Three Swords, and I’ll spare your life. Otherwise, all of you will die!”
“You think you can just say ‘die’ and we’ll die? It’s not that easy!” Maya suddenly appeared in physical form. Surprisingly, she was actually wearing clothes today, not causing a scandal. “We have several times more people than you. If we fight, it’s not certain you’ll win.”
As Maya shouted arrogantly, another group came charging from a distance. This group numbered around a few hundred, and they didn’t seem particularly strong, approaching slowly using basic flying techniques.
When Hao Yang saw this group, his heart sank. It was actually his own Hao Sword Squad. The hundreds of children in his squad were charging forward, their faces filled with determination, ready to fight to the death.
Hao Yang felt dizzy with frustration, stomping his foot, “Didn’t I tell you all to stay hidden on the spaceship? Why are you here? I didn’t plan for you to risk your lives!”
Hao Yang’s Hao Sword Squad was made up of orphans he had brought from Leman Star. After Hao Yang achieved some success in cultivating the Dan and Twin Cultivation Sect, he had given these children basic pills and personally helped them lay the foundation for cultivation. Now, each of them had at least a few levels of basic combat power. However, Hao Yang felt the members of the Hao Sword Squad were too young to begin serious cultivation of the Dan and Twin Cultivation Sect’s more advanced techniques, so he hadn’t taught them much.
The oldest among them was a girl named Lou Weizhen, who was the leader of the group. She was about fifteen years old, with clear and delicate features and had developed early, already showing signs of becoming a mature young woman. However, having grown up without parental guidance, she preferred dressing like a boy. After joining the Hao Sword Squad, she always kept her hair short and carried a sword, exuding a bold and heroic aura.
Seeing how anxious Hao Yang was, Lou Weizhen stepped forward to explain, “Hao Ge, we knew you were coming here to fight for your life today. If you’re going to die, we’ll die with you!”
“That’s right! We’ll die with our leader!”
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