CHAPTER 172: CHAPTER 170: ONE MAN HOLDS OFF A LARGE ARMY_1

"It’s over! Everything is over!"

Looking at the nearly depleted army, Wang Shou fell into despair. These 360,000 soldiers were his accumulation over tens of thousands of years, the foundation of his voice in the military department.

But now, a single battle had destroyed it all!

Furthermore, the devastating loss of the army also put his own life at risk. After all, these soldiers were not his personal troops; they belonged to the imperial court, to the state, to the Light God Emperor.

Upon his return, he would face the Light God Emperor’s punishment!

He clearly remembered that before their departure, the Light God Emperor had personally instructed him to secure the military formation, stating that this was his final chance.

"I’m going to kill you!"

Wang Shou’s eyes were bloodshot as he let out a hysterical roar. Evil Qi surged, enveloping the heavens, and the battle sword in his hand turned blood-red as he launched a ferocious assault on Zhuge Liang.

Only by killing Zhuge Liang and obtaining the military formation could he hope to atone for his failures and protect his family’s lives upon returning to the imperial court.

RUMBLE!

The Void shattered. A thousand-zhang Sword Qi, imbued with the might of the peak Supreme Saint Realm, billowed out, making Cangshui City itself seem small and insignificant in comparison.

Zhuge Liang stood before the Sword Qi, appearing minuscule.

The City Lord watched from afar, his gaze fixed on the Sword Qi. The formation Zhuge Liang had previously deployed had been a true eye-opener for him, but he was still uncertain of Zhuge Liang’s actual strength, which filled him with a measure of apprehension.

"Perish!"

Zhuge Liang uttered softly. A faint smile touched his lips as he gently waved his feather fan, conjuring a golden tornado that churned the Void, ripping spiderweb-like fissures into its fabric.

As a fellow Martial Artist of the Supreme Saint Realm, why would he have any reason to fear Wang Shou?

WHOOSH!

The fierce wind swept forth, engulfing the thousand-zhang Sword Qi. In an instant, the Sword Qi fractured and shattered, disintegrating into countless motes of light that scattered across the sky.

"A magician?"

Wang Shou’s expression changed dramatically, a trace of horror, mingled with intense jealousy, flashing across his face.

That this obscure figure from the mere Qin Empire was not only a magician but had also cultivated to the Supreme Saint Realm was a truth he found difficult to accept, driving him mad with jealousy.

The Divine Court of Light also had magicians, so he was well aware of their terrifying capabilities. Before reaching the Saint Realm, Martial Artists held the advantage. However, once the Saint Realm was breached, the true power of magicians began to gradually reveal itself.

"Sword of Light!"

Wang Shou retreated a few steps, the Spiritual Energy within him circulating rapidly. The battle sword in his hand erupted with white light, resembling a pair of white wings.

After unleashing the Sword Qi, Wang Shou’s demeanor became solemn and almost sacred, his eyes benevolent. Yet, behind this benevolence lay a terrifying killing intent, a premonition of death.

Beyond the light lay eternal darkness!

BOOM!

The tornado and the Sword of Light collided with a thunderous crash. The storm’s fury and the sword’s sharpness fiercely entangled in the Void, each striving to annihilate the other.

"Somewhat interesting!"

Zhuge Liang’s expression remained calm. An Eight Trigrams seal materialized in his palm, which he then thrust towards the Void. It radiated a dazzling golden light, eclipsing the brilliance of the sun in the sky.

Illuminated by the golden light, Wang Shou’s Sword Qi appeared to weaken, as though debilitated, before being swallowed by the tornado.

PFFT!

With his Sword Qi destroyed, Wang Shou suffered a backlash. His blood roiled, and he couldn’t stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood. His aura weakened, and, aghast, he began to consider retreating.

BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ...

At this moment, the golden light emanating from the Qiankun Eight Trigrams seal enveloped him, causing the Void around him to solidify, as if countless walls had sprung into existence.

BANG!

Wang Shou tried to move but slammed into the solidified Void, producing a dull thud.

Sealing the Void... Isn’t that a technique of a Saint King Realm expert?

Wang Shou’s mind was in turmoil. A sliver of dread crept into his heart, and his hands and feet began to tremble. He was terrified!

Martial Artists who had entered the Saint Realm could tear the Void; Martial Artists of the Saint Realm could construct Void passages; and Martial Artists of the Saint King Realm could seal off a region of the Void.

Ordinarily, a Martial Artist of the Saint Realm should not be capable of sealing the Void, unless they were exceptionally monstrous and possessed the ability to fight above their cultivation level.

This implied that Zhuge Liang’s strength was comparable to that of a Saint King Realm expert.

"Annihilate!"

Zhuge Liang extended his left hand and made a clenching gesture. The Void around Wang Shou began to twist and compress.

"You..."

Suddenly, Wang Shou felt the Void constricting. Wave upon wave of pressure, like countless God Mountains, bore down on him, making it hard to breathe, suffocating him.

As time wore on, the pressure intensified relentlessly. His blood vessels, unable to withstand the strain, began to rupture one after another.

Blood seeped from his pores, quickly turning Wang Shou into a crimson figure.

"Spare... spare me!"

The shadow of death enveloped Wang Shou’s heart, crushing every last shred of his pride. He immediately began to wail and beg for mercy.

He didn’t want to die!

After a lifetime of struggle, he had finally reached the peak of the Supreme Saint Realm. He still aspired to break through to the Saint King Realm, to gain a lifespan of millions of years, and then to roam the world.

If he died now, all of it would be for naught!

"For threatening His Majesty and invading the Qin Dynasty, you are sentenced to death!"

Zhuge Liang’s face was like ice. As he fully clenched his left fist, the pressure in the Void reached a terrifying crescendo.

Wang Shou’s body began to distort, his skin turning a horrifying purplish-red. Finally, unable to bear the immense pressure any longer, he exploded into a shower of blood and gore, fragments of bone and flesh scattering in all directions.

"The rest of you can follow him!"

Zhuge Liang lowered his gaze to the surviving soldiers of the Divine Court of Light. He flipped his feather fan and gently pressed it downwards.

An irresistible pressure crushed down towards the ground. In the next instant, thousands of bloody mists erupted across the earth, staining the heavens red—a chilling sight that made all who witnessed it shudder.

With a single gesture, he had slain a Supreme Saint Realm expert and thousands of elite soldiers. Such power was truly terrifying.

"We... we actually won?"

This series of events had transpired so quickly that the defenders of Cangshui City had barely registered what happened, each one staring dumbfounded.

"Clean up the battlefield!" Zhuge Liang commanded the city garrison. His figure then grew faint and vanished, leaving only a Taishi Chair standing silently atop the city wall.

A gentle breeze rustled through, carrying the pungent stench of blood. It roused the city’s defenders, who, with hearts still pounding in awe and fear, began to clear the battlefield.

On the other hand, in the southern region of the Qin Empire, the war had reached a stalemate. The Qunxian Sect and the Sea Clan had launched several offensives, but each attempt to breach Covering Sea City had been repulsed, resulting in heavy casualties for the attackers.

During this period, Wanli Hai and the Sea Emperor had frequently launched surprise attacks, attempting to use their formidable might to destroy the city. However, Zhao Yun and Yue Fei had thwarted their efforts every time, forcing them to retreat in failure.

Covering Sea City remained an unbreachable bastion on the coastline!

"Sect Master Wan, the Qin Empire is formidable. We must alter our strategy!"

Aboard the flagship, the upper echelons of the two forces convened to discuss how to break through Covering Sea City. The Sea Emperor, seated opposite Wanli Hai, offered his perspective.

"The Sea Emperor is correct," Wanli Hai acknowledged with a nod, a glint of cunning in his eyes. He continued with a cold smirk, "I propose we bypass Covering Sea City and attack their other cities. This will disrupt the Qin army’s defensive rhythm and create an opportunity for us to isolate and annihilate their forces piecemeal!"

With Zhao Yun and Yue Fei defending Covering Sea City, judging from the recent engagements, the chances of capturing it were slim. Continuing to throw their forces at it was not in the best interests of the Qunxian Sect or the Sea Clan.

"Good!"

The Sea Emperor nodded, a cold, murderous glint in his blue eyes.

That afternoon, the Qunxian Sect and the Sea Clan divided their forces. Bypassing Covering Sea City, they detoured over a hundred miles to launch simultaneous attacks on ’Blue Sea City’ and ’Dream Sea City’!