The Saint Empire army fled east along the edge of the ravine. Behind them in close pursuit are the Frosthral ambushers.

Their footsteps were hurried, and their breaths ragged. Their enemies had gained great strength from the War God Tattoo at the cost of their life force.

Those that lagged behind are quickly slain, torn apart by vicious foes who no longer care for the future.

But if they could kite their enemies then these frenzied zealots would die from their own technique before long. After all, to extract such power from a mortal’s flesh is unnatural.

In seconds, hundreds were killed yet the Frosthral Barbarians did not had it easy either.

They numbered only in the thousands and even if the Saint Empire army formed neat ranks for them to kill, they will finish their life force before putting in a dent on their enemies’ numbers.

Each clash was exceedingly violent. The battles are so brutal that some were left with only half a head and others a hole in their chest, but the War God Tattoo allowed them to continue fighting.

The worst amongst the Frosthral barbarians was someone who was sliced in half. He had lost his lower body, but still crawled forward at great speed. Dust raised as his hands dug deep into the ground as he shot forward.

Ignoring fatal injuries as though it was a scratch, the enemies hounded the Saint Empire troops like wraiths.

Though the War God Tattoo’s effects can be called cheating even in the nature of war, the Saint Empire side could lower their losses just by fleeing.

At the same time, Kairos and the others are providing support fire as much as they could. The best is still Esley’s technique. His vines could bind and fight off the enemy, although it wasn’t enough to completely stop the Frosthral’s advance, it was enough to slow them down.

But after retreating a short distance, they were horrified to find a second group of Frosthral barbarians barring their way.

These guys have activated the War God Tattoo stratagem down the ravine miles away, and was lying in wait. Undoubtedly, if the army had retreated west instead, there will also be a group waiting there.

In fact, the ambushers stationed in the west must be rushing over right now, and soon there will be three groups of War God Tattooed warriors assailing them.

It was a dead end.

In the world of chess this will be called a checkmate.

Normally it would be ridiculous for an army numbering over two hundred thousand to be stopped like this, but the ones blocking their way aren’t normal. No, they can still break through by force if they are prepared for a number to die in the process.

With the ravine blocking their path to safety, the only option was to face these suicidal zealots.

Now it has become clear the reason that they could previously pass through all the dangerous ambush spots without harassment.

Esley roared with a frown on his brows, “Defence positions, stat!”

After giving his command, his men took over to put it into action.

Avgust: “FALL IN!”

Diao Ling: “Vanguards to the front! Shields up and form a line!”

Lorelai: “Flame Cloud, provide cover fire! Prioritise on crowd control!”

The Snowdrifts must not lag behind either. Their control falls into Kairos’ able hands, who as a young commander had already proven himself.

He also shouted his command, “S2, B2!”

Flags were raised and the soldiers moved swiftly to comply.

The command “S” stands for Sword, and “B” for Bow. 2 – Is the action of defence, and everyone had either their hands on a drawn bow or shielding themselves with their weapon in anticipation of impact.

1 – Stand ready. 2 – Defence. 3 – Attack.

It was simple and easy to remember, but encoded against easy deciphering from the enemy, at least for the first time.

Unfortunately, before anyone could move into place and form a proper line of defence, the Frosthral barbarians already thrown themselves at them.

The vanguard were left in a vulnerable position and they have to ground their heels against the insane charge.

Even for the Snowdrifts, they do not have time to form up the Bagua formation and were immediately thrown into battle.

Standing at the very front is Kairos, Alan, Jim, Edward, and Tommy.

A row behind them are Luciette, George, Small, Smaller, Leaf, Snow, Alucard, Fauna, Flora, Lugh, Lan Lei, Sasha, Silvers, John, Little, Lee Hei, Gigas, Lucas, Watts, Serena, Ah Gui, Ah Pui, Lux, and Von.

They stood side by side, fearlessly fighting off all the enemies.

This will be a struggle to the death. Until they fought off all their ambushers, how many lives will be lost is a question.

The average cultivation level of the Frosthral barbarians are at B rank, they are the elites in their nation.

With their body’s limiters removed, they are now about ten times stronger.

The Snowdrifts also have a similar enhancement method, though without the added Time-Space affinity bonus and the ability to fight while sustaining lethal wounds.

However, the Snowdrifts had another trick up their sleeves, and that is their Soul Perception.

An extrasensory ability that is said to belong to immortals.

With the stronger members between A and S rank, holding off the initial charge is doable while Esley’s side would be more vulnerable. Very quickly both Great Generals Diao Ling and Avgust Arthur are surrounded, while Great General Lorelai who is providing support fire had turned deathly pale after offering up her essence blood to increase the potency of her attacks.

In this battle, strategies are made impotent. It’s kill or be killed.

At the front most Kairos fired off Immolation Fingers one after another.

He had a feeling that it could be the key to resolve this chaotic melee but he needs to be fast.

Developing the Immolation Rain technique had increased the number of attacks he could release at an instant. It wouldn’t be a problem to rapidly defeat a few thousand soldiers, War God Tattoo or not.

However, like before, the enemies blocked his technique easily, shielding themselves with blades and shields.

In their current state, not only are their physical strength improved, the Frosthral barbarians also gained heightened awareness and even their instincts are peaked.

Of course, if they were struck, as long as they remove the afflicted body part or snip off their Ki Barrier, the implosion strength would be contained.

Kairos realised the shortcomings of his attacks.

He had noticed before, that his technique was difficult to strike a superior opponent.

Of course, the Immolation Finger also have the problem of being unable to turn non-living and non-energy matter into implosions, but this is a core issue of the technique that he felt is impossible to resolve at his current state.

A frown appeared on his brows and he went into deep thought.

In the middle of a war, against enemies pouncing at them like beasts, Kairos started to test out different ideas.

First he needs an attack speed swift enough that even those under the War God Tattoo could not react to.

To use a technique, Ki must pass through certain parts of the body and form a certain frequency or wavelength, to be released.

The body is filled with merdian channels, meaning that to reach a certain part of the body there could be millions of different possible paths that the Ki can travel along.

It is dangerous to blindly test out theories using flesh and blood. An accident could happen and a person could go pop like a balloon.

Fortunately, Kairos could innately tell if his method isn’t the right way, and stop before it gets deadly.

For all his lack in cultivating, he seemed to have a talent in creating martial skills.

When he was born, he must’ve added all his latent gifts into this area.

If a normal person who is talented in one thing and bad at another have a hundred points in the first and zero in the latter, then Kairos have a negative hundred in cultivating and two hundred in innovation.

And for the areas he lacks in, he believes he is still possible to be emergency-rescued if given enough time. At least, the Origin External Art is supposed to slowly improve his latent abilities, right?

Kairos summoned his Swallow and fought savagely while his mind ran a thousand miles a second. On his sides, the Snowdrifts are struggling against the crazed ambushers.

Further away, the Snowdrifts’ barbarians were being killed off quickly by their previous brethren, and only Red Blade and a few stronger warriors are still holding down the fort.

Thoughts and ideas appeared

If the Dantian is the engine, then does the cycle speed of Ki in one’s body depends entirely one it?

No, at least, there are other ways to move a static object.

First, energy conversion may move things, like heat can create wind.

Second, gravity will pull objects downwards.

Third, there is repulsion and attraction force in certain metals that causes movements.

At least he knows these three ways that could move his Ki along. His Dantian would be considered the first type by taking potential energy and turning it into kinetic energy.

Gravity would require Space-Time affinity and related martial skills. It is an area he had yet to explore. Kairos made a mental note to do so in the future at first opportunity.

The third option, however, is possible. He had closely watched Tommy’s Metal Arts before and also learned about the Metal properties from the Greater Metal Spirit, Aetnaeus.

If his Ki is in the Metal Element, it is possible for him to use magnetic force to propel it swifter, but the type of element require depends on the technique used.

Nearby, John was caught in the arms of a dying Frosthral barbarian. His attacker had already lost his entire body below his torso, but with great strength his fingers held onto the boy’s neck, trying to crush the windpipe, while his other hand is wrapped around the boy’s arm.

After receiving the Guardian Dragon Thrym’s blood, the four captains, Sasha, Long, John, and Silvers, are able to turn into a half-dragon form where scales cover their body and wings sprout from their back.

Their strength will greatly increase as well as their physical and elemental resistance.

However, under such violence, the draconic form of John started receding slowly like waning tides. His extremities reverted to human first, dragon claws retracted and became pinkish fingers.

Then, the scales drew back turning into soft skin, and soon only his chest and head remained as dragon’s flesh.

The barbarian laughed in delight, like a little boy who found an interesting insect, and he proceeded to pluck out its wings.

*RIIIIP*

Blood rained down and stained the ice as a shrill scream escaped from John as his flesh was torn and his left hand was forcefully removed from his shoulder.

Within an instant, Kairos had created a whole new method that could let him use complicated Metal Ki techniques as fast as he could snap his fingers, but when people are dying, he doesn’t have seconds.

He need something that could quickly extract them from danger, and he needs it right now.

Everyone is waiting for the army’s hope, their trump card, to reveal himself.