Chapter 296: Killing the Demi-Saint

Chapter 296: Killing the Demi-Saint

December 19, 2024

Outside Qingyun City.

An Encircling Army.

A massive army of several million soldiers surrounded the entire Qingyun City, creating a tense atmosphere, as if a battle was about to erupt at any moment.

On the tall and majestic city walls, the Return Origin Emperor Dynasty had stationed a large number of soldiers, and the situation was critical.

Just as Shi Zhen was about to give the order to attack, a blue-robed scholar appeared in the air between the two armies.

"I am Nan Mo of the Starlight Empire. I wonder which general of the Divine Might Dynasty is leading the army today. Come out and show yourself!"

As Nan Mo spoke, the aura of a Demi-Saint emanated from him, creating a terrifying presence. The majestic divine might swept through the area, and even the battle intent of the two armies seemed to be suppressed.

The once quiet battlefield now had all eyes on Nan Mo.

Nan Mo was quite satisfied with this.

This was exactly what he intended.

With his Demi-Saint cultivation, he had the confidence to participate in this battle.

At this moment, Shi Zhen also rose into the air, his tiger-like eyes fixed on Nan Mo.

"I am General Shi Zhen. This war is between the Divine Might Dynasty and the Return Origin Dynasty, and has nothing to do with the Starlight Empire. What is your purpose for coming here?"

Hearing this, Nan Mo smiled lightly, his hands clasped behind his back. "The Return Origin Dynasty is an ally of our Starlight Empire. We cannot stand idly by in this war. When two countries fight, countless lives will suffer.

The Starlight Empire cannot bear to see the people suffer, so we have come forward, hoping your country will withdraw its troops and avoid further bloodshed."

As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Zhen's eyes narrowed slightly, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"The Return Origin Dynasty has already sent a massive army to invade our Divine Might Dynasty. There is no room for reconciliation between our countries.

If you truly wish to prevent suffering, you should convince the Return Origin Dynasty to submit to the Divine Might Dynasty. This will bring an end to the war!"

"Are you truly determined to go your own way?" Nan Mo's expression turned grim.

"I have come here under orders and do not wish for actual conflict between our countries. As long as you can give face to the Starlight Empire, you will earn our friendship."

"The face of the Starlight Empire?" Shi Zhen's mocking expression intensified, and his eyes turned cold.

"What face does the Starlight Empire have? What qualifications do you have to order the Divine Might Dynasty around? Today's battle will see the fall of Qingyun City. If you insist on interfering, be prepared to die!"

"Then let me see what gives you the right to speak so boldly!" Nan Mo, furious, laughed, and a terrifying aura surged from him, as if he would overturn heaven and earth.

Just then, Shi Zhen's eyes turned cold. He took a step forward in the void, and the Godslayer Spear appeared in his hand. Divine power flowed into the bronze battle spear, and the blood of the Sage King on it erupted with a terrifying force.

In the next instant, the bronze battle spear shattered the void, and a crimson light filled the sky. A sense of great terror surged in Nan Mo's heart, turning his cold expression into one of fear.

"A Great Sage Weapon..."

Before Nan Mo could even think, his body was blasted back.

However, no matter how fast he moved, he couldn't outrun the Great Sage Weapon.

As the crimson cold light struck, a jade pendant on Nan Mo's waist emitted a divine light, forming a barrier like a wall of heaven and earth. But in less than a breath, the divine light faded, and the jade pendant shattered.

"Boom!"

Nan Mo's body was pierced, and the crimson cold light pinned him to the wall of Qingyun City. The vitality of the Demi-Saint was extinguished in an instant.

Silence.

Both armies were as still as death.

Everyone's eyes were on Shi Zhen in the void, their faces filled with shock.

Especially Lu Zhou, who saw Nan Mo pinned to the wall, felt as if his body had fallen into an ice cellar.

He couldn't understand why Shi Zhen dared to act so decisively and kill Nan Mo.

One Nan Mo was insignificant, but the Starlight Empire backing him was not to be underestimated.

Even if the Divine Might Dynasty had a powerful figure comparable to a Great Sage, it didn't mean the Starlight Empire lacked a Great Sage in seclusion.

Therefore, in Lu Zhou's opinion, Shi Zhen should not have had the courage to provoke the Starlight Empire.

But this scene completely exceeded Lu Zhou's expectations.

However—

Lu Zhou couldn't afford to think about it now.

With Nan Mo's death, the Divine Might Dynasty had directly used a Great Sage Weapon.

This battle.

Qingyun City would be difficult to defend.

As expected, just as Lu Zhou had this thought, Shi Zhen attacked again, unleashing the power of the Godslayer Spear. The void collapsed, and the entire Qingyun City shook violently. The ancient and majestic walls crumbled like paper, raising a cloud of dust.

Countless soldiers fell under that single strike.

At that very moment, Qingyun City was torn apart, its once impregnable defenses now riddled with gaps.

In the void, Shizhen retrieved the Godslayer Spear and returned to the central command position, issuing a direct order.

"Attack the city!"

With that command, the army launched its assault.

Shizhen, having already reached his limit by activating the Great Sage Weapon twice with his current strength, found it challenging to launch a third attack with the Godslayer Spear.

However, whether the Godslayer Spear was used or not was no longer a significant issue.

The first strike killed Nan Mo, and the second breached Qingyun City's walls, dealing a severe blow to the Guiyuan Emperor Dynasty's morale.

As expected, when the army attacked, although Lu Zhou quickly reacted and gathered the Guiyuan Emperor Dynasty's forces to resist, the latter's morale had already collapsed, making it impossible to form an effective fighting force within a short time.

As blades clashed, the Guiyuan Emperor Dynasty was overwhelmed.

"Kill!"

Seeing the Guiyuan Emperor Dynasty completely at a disadvantage, Lu Zhou's eyes turned crimson. Wielding his long sword, he charged forward, determined to rely solely on his strength to halt the Shenwu Emperor Dynasty's advance.

But in the next instant, Lu Zhou's offensive was halted.

The Tian Gang Army, like a sharp arrow, pierced through the battlefield with lightning-fast momentum, slaying the Guiyuan Emperor Dynasty's soldiers and surrounding Lu Zhou.

The 36,000-strong Tian Gang Army was the elite of the Shenwu Emperor Dynasty, and even the weakest among them had entered the Great Grandmaster Realm, with many having broken through the Divine Transformation Realm.

As the Tian Gang Shen Sha Formation was activated, Lu Zhou felt immense pressure.

However, being a Ninth Level Dao Palace Realm expert, his strength, although inferior to Nan Mo's Demi-Saint level, was not to be underestimated.

Even with the formidable Tian Gang Shen Sha Formation, they almost failed to contain their opponent, who broke through and escaped.

"Tian Gang Army—"

"What's an army formation to me? I've spent my life on the battlefield, slaying countless powerful enemies. A mere formation is nothing!"

Lu Zhou's eyes flashed with cold determination, and his surging blood essence infused his sword, causing its blade to tear through the void, transforming into countless sword shadows that swept across the four directions like a storm.

Phantom Seven Absolute Slash!

This move had brought Lu Zhou fame years ago, and now, as he unleashed it, countless sword shadows filled with deadly intent enveloped the battlefield.

For a moment, even the Tian Gang Army felt immense pressure.

Just then, the space trembled, and a figure appeared on the battlefield. Wielding an overbearing divine sword filled with overwhelming sword intent, this figure startled Lu Zhou, who hastily raised his sword to block.

As the two divine weapons clashed, a terrifying force swept over Lu Zhou, causing him to retreat several steps.

In that moment of retreat, the Tian Gang Army seized the opportunity, suppressing Lu Zhou before he could stabilize his stance.

Initially, Lu Zhou's strength could have withstood the Tian Gang Shen Sha Formation, but with Shizhen's intervention, the pressure on Lu Zhou skyrocketed.

Lu Zhou gradually fell into a disadvantage.

After a thousand exchanges, Lu Zhou, caught off guard, was cleaved across the chest by Shizhen, pinning him to the ground.

Shizhen acted swiftly, sealing Lu Zhou's blood essence, and ordered his men to capture him.

At this moment, Lu Zhou finally understood the situation.

Under the Shenwu Emperor Dynasty's offensive, the Guiyuan Emperor Dynasty had suffered a complete defeat.

As he was captured, Qingyun City had fallen.

Witnessing this, Lu Zhou's face turned pale.

He had expected defeat, but never such a swift one.

From the start of the battle until now, within half a day, Qingyun City had completely fallen.

The million-strong defending army had suffered heavy casualties.

Only now did Lu Zhou truly comprehend the phrase, 'a defeated army crumbles like a mountain.'

---

One day later, at the government office, Lu Zhou returned, but this time, he was a prisoner, and the person who had previously occupied the main seat was now Shizhen.

"General Lu's reputation has long been known to us. With Qingyun City's fall, our Shenwu Emperor Dynasty highly values talents like you."

So now, if General Lu is willing to pledge allegiance to the Divine Might Dynasty, not only will he be spared, but he may also receive the Emperor's favor and be heavily relied upon!"

Shi Zhen spoke bluntly.

In response to his offer, Lu Zhou immediately sneered, "I am a subject of the Return Origin Dynasty. How could I surrender to another country? The victor becomes the king, and the defeated become the bandits. There's nothing more to say. You may do as you please with me!"

"General Lu, you are mistaken!"

Shi Zhen shook his head slightly, showing no signs of anger.

"As the saying goes, those who understand the times are the wise ones. The Return Origin Dynasty is already doomed. Why struggle in vain?"

"Moreover, can General Lu really turn a blind eye to the lives of hundreds of thousands of surrendered soldiers in Green Cloud City?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhou's expression changed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean, I believe General Lu understands very well!"

"Killing surrendered soldiers is a grave taboo. Does the Divine Might Dynasty not fear the contempt of the world?"

Lu Zhou was furious.

He never expected Shi Zhen to use the surrendered soldiers to threaten him.

In response, Shi Zhen merely smiled faintly, "History is written by the victors. As long as the Divine Might Dynasty is the ultimate victor, we need not worry about these issues."

"Furthermore, what does it matter if the world despises us? In the realm of cultivation, the strong rule. As long as the Divine Might Dynasty is strong enough, who would dare to openly say a single word against us?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhou's expression turned grim, but he had no way to counter.

At this moment, Shi Zhen continued, "I admire General Lu's talent, and I do not wish to see you die here. The Divine Might Dynasty is the trend of the times. If you submit, not only will your subordinates be spared, but you may also receive the favor of the court."

"I believe General Lu has some understanding of the Divine Might Dynasty. Since its founding, it has only been a few decades."

"In just a few decades, the Divine Might Dynasty has risen from a new dynasty to an empire, with limitless potential for the future!"

"Several decades ago, I was merely a lowly cultivator who had not even entered the Divine Transformation Realm. Now, I have reached the Ninth Level Dao Palace Realm, all thanks to the opportunities provided by the Divine Might Dynasty."

"If General Lu is willing to submit, when the great era of contention arrives, you may even have a chance to glimpse the Sage Realm!"

Shi Zhen's words made Lu Zhou's expression fluctuate.

It had to be admitted that these words were highly tempting to him.

Lu Zhou was well aware of the potential of the Divine Might Dynasty. A new dynasty that could achieve in a few decades what other empires might not accomplish in ten thousand years was indeed terrifying.

Lu Zhou knew his own potential. If he continued to stay in the Return Origin Dynasty, even when the great era of contention arrived, the chance to achieve the Sage Realm would be slim.

More importantly, he was now a prisoner. If he refused, not only would he die, but the surrendered soldiers in Green Cloud City would also be killed.

Faced with a life-and-death decision, Lu Zhou had to admit that he was indeed tempted.

Seeing Lu Zhou hesitate, Shi Zhen did not press further. He simply said calmly, "I will give General Lu three days to consider. If after three days, you still remain loyal to the Return Origin Dynasty, then I will grant you your wish."

After finishing, Shi Zhen gestured, and two soldiers immediately took Lu Zhou away.

At this point, a general spoke up, "General, what if Lu Zhou feigns submission after three days? What should we do?"

"You need not worry about that. If he is sensible, he will be sent back to the Nine Provinces for the Emperor to decide. Even if the Emperor truly favors him, it will only be after the Return Origin Dynasty is completely defeated."

"As for the remaining surrendered soldiers in Green Cloud City, we will screen them all. If they can be of use to us, they will be dispersed and integrated into our various camps to replenish our losses in this battle."

"As for those who cannot be of use to us..."

At this point, a cold gleam appeared in Shi Zhen's eyes.

"Kill them all, without leaving a single one alive!"

"Yes!"

All the generals were taken aback, then quickly bowed their heads in acknowledgment.

Shi Zhen's expression was indifferent.

As Lu Zhou had said, if the surrendered soldiers were killed, the news would certainly cause a great uproar. However, in the midst of a war between two countries, he could not afford to be merciful.

Too many surrendered soldiers would slow down the army's progress. Releasing all of them would be like releasing tigers back into the wild, ultimately causing more casualties for the Divine Might Dynasty.

Therefore, Shi Zhen had to do everything possible to preserve the lives of his own soldiers.

As for the rest, it could only be dealt with later.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end