CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 196: THE LAST FOUNDATION OF THE SCORPION CLAN_1

"A single war can reduce thousands of palaces to dust!"

Witnessing such a scene, Yue Fei was overcome with emotion. Yet, his voice held no trace of pity, only an endless indifference. What he cared about was only the Qin Divine Court!

"General, the Sea Clan’s high command all committed suicide, but their prodigies have mysteriously vanished!" a military officer reported respectfully after searching the ruins.

"I understand." Yue Fei nodded. This situation was anticipated, judging by the Sea Clan’s defensive preparations.

「Two days later,」 Yue Fei led the Bei Wei Army out from the seabed and returned to Qunxian Island. He began to purge the remaining forces in the Wan Dao Domain, determined that this territory would echo only with the voice of the Qin Divine Court.

Countless factions were annihilated! Many families were shattered, their members killed or scattered!

Almost daily, several islands changed allegiance, raising the banners of the Qin Dynasty. The flags of the Qin Dynasty fluttered in the wind, the gold-threaded, embroidered character ’Qin’ shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.

However, the Wan Dao Domain was vast, its islands strewn across the sea like stars in the sky, innumerable. Yue Fei and his army rushed from east to west for three full months before all the islands were conquered.

With this, the Qin Divine Court had unified the Wan Dao Domain!

「After the victory on the southern front,」 the war in the northern territories was drawing to a close. Zhao Yun, leading his army, had successively conquered seven domains and traversed vast distances, covering tens of thousands of miles, to arrive at the edge of the great desert.

"Reporting to the General! A formation has been discovered up ahead. The remnants of the Sand Scorpion Clan disappeared near that formation!"

On a towering sand dune, soldiers from the Four Divine Beast Army Corps stood against the raging wind, a potent Evil Qi radiating from them. Zhao Yun stood at their center, clad in silver armor, his blood-drenched cape billowing in the fierce wind. His gaze was resolute, his eyes sharp as swords, gazing at the distant sky.

A Scout flew in and knelt on one knee to report.

"A formation?" Zhao Yun’s eyebrow twitched. Recalling the origins of the Sand Scorpion Clan, he wondered, Could this formation lead underground?

"Finally! Their old lair! General Zhao, let me go down and investigate!" Lv Bu exclaimed excitedly.

Zhao Yun nodded. "Be careful, General!"

Permission granted, Lv Bu transformed into a streak of blood-red light and flew towards the formation with the Scout.

BOOM!

「An hour later,」 a tremendous roar erupted from the distant land.

The wind intensified, whipping up yellow sand that blanketed the sky, lashing at their faces so hard they could barely open their eyes. Even cultivators of Zhao Yun’s caliber had to squint. There’s something unnatural about this wind!

What on earth happened? Zhao Yun frowned, a deep unease settling in his heart. He sternly commanded, "Relay my orders: I am going to find General Lv Bu. During my absence, all major military affairs are to be jointly decided by Bai Qi and Wang Jian!"

Before anyone could respond to his words, he transformed into a streak of white light and vanished into the yellow sand.

"General Zhao!" Bai Qi and Wang Jian cried out in alarm. Before they could say more, another gust of violent wind swept over them. They quickly roared, "Quickly, set up the defensive formation to resist this gale!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Army souls of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise manifested, emanating tremendous power. They carved out a sanctuary between heaven and earth, shielding them from the raging wind.

Plunging into the yellow sand, Zhao Yun instantly regretted it. Damn it, where is this infernal wind coming from?

The protective barrier condensed from his Saint Realm Spiritual Energy was actually unable to withstand the fierce wind and showed signs of collapsing.

This made him extremely worried for Lv Bu’s safety.

「Several hundred miles away,」 Lv Bu staggered through the raging sand, his breathing shallow and erratic. COUGH, COUGH... His towering frame was riddled with wounds, and he nearly collapsed.

Behind him trailed six powerful experts from the Sand Scorpion Clan, all possessing the cultivation of the Supreme Saint Realm.

However, upon closer inspection, one would find that these six had no breath and no light in their eyes, akin to refined puppets.

These six were past Scorpion Kings of the Sand Scorpion Clan. Upon death, their souls were bound by their Bloodline Power and preserved in slumber deep underground, transforming them into a unique form of half-dead beings. They could be awakened by the Bloodline Power in times of dire peril to fight for their clan.

This was the Sand Scorpion Clan’s ultimate trump card!

However, the after-effects of using this secret technique were incredibly severe. Every thousand years, their sealed soul-force would be eroded by the power of death, forcing them to endure unending torment.

The Sand Scorpion Clan originally had nine such Scorpion Kings, but three, unable to bear the agony, had willed their own souls into oblivion.

I was too careless! Lv Bu’s expression was grim. He had initially assumed the Sand Scorpion Clan possessed no hidden trump cards and that he wouldn’t face any danger, so he had been careless upon entering the formation. However, this very complacency had invited disaster.

Shortly after entering the subterranean world, he was ambushed by a storm. Caught off guard, he was temporarily blinded and then attacked by six past Scorpion Kings of the Sand Scorpion Clan.

Fortunately, his own strength was formidable. Despite his temporary blindness, he had managed to fight his way out of the subterranean world.

Once on the surface, his vision gradually returned, and his situation stabilized somewhat.

Yet, the mortal danger had not truly passed.

The six past Scorpion Kings of the Sand Scorpion Clan were in relentless pursuit, steadily closing the distance. If this continued, he would be surrounded within five minutes.

Seconds ticked by.

Four minutes into his flight, Lv Bu found himself encircled. The six past Scorpion Kings of the Sand Scorpion Clan took positions on all sides, completely sealing off all escape routes.

Time to fight for my life! Madness glinted in Lv Bu’s eyes as he resolved to fight to the death. He was a proud man; even facing death, he would fight until his last breath.

A guttural "Kill!" tore from one of the past Sand Scorpion Kings, the sound echoing through the Void as he and the other five launched a coordinated, annihilating assault.

In his current state, facing these six simultaneous attacks meant certain death or, at best, crippling injury.

THWACK! As their attacks connected, Lv Bu was sent flying, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood.

Crashing to the ground, Lv Bu roared in his heart, his wide eyes blazing with unwillingness. I refuse to accept this!

Just as the fatal blow was about to land, an unrestrained, heroic voice suddenly resounded between heaven and earth. An incomparable surge of scholarly aura permeated the Void, shaking the Nine Heavens.

In that instant, the Void froze, the raging winds dissipated, and the sky regained its clarity.

"Who is it?" a past Sand Scorpion King demanded sharply, his gaze sweeping vigilantly around.

Hope sparked in Lv Bu’s eyes, his desire for survival reigniting. Am I saved?

BOOM!

The vast Void suddenly tore open, and a figure in a scholar’s robe slowly emerged. His expression was serene, exuding an aura of imperturbable calm, as if he would remain unmoved even if the heavens themselves collapsed.

"Dong Zhongshu, of the Qin Divine Court," the scholar-robed figure announced, his tone even.

The six past Sand Scorpion Kings froze, their pupils shrinking. Their every instinct screamed that they could not withstand a single blow from this scholar.

The six past Sand Scorpion Kings smiled bitterly, despair flooding their hearts. The heavens themselves have doomed the Sand Scorpion Clan! Even after self-sealing and enduring the agonizing corrosion of deathly energy, they had ultimately failed to save the Sand Scorpion Clan. Instead, they were forced to witness their people’s utter annihilation. What a profound tragedy!

"Alien races shall be executed!" Dong Zhongshu declared, waving his right hand. Myriad rays of noble spirit, like a river of stars from the highest heavens, coalesced and struck the past Sand Scorpion Kings.

Instantly, six crimson mists of blood bloomed, staining the earth red.