CHAPTER 275: CHAPTER 272: EXTERMINATION _1

"Kill!"

In the twilight’s fading glow, thousands of diehard soldiers of the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea launched their final charge. Even though they knew death was certain, they did not hesitate!

"Die!"

Eighteen figures darted through the Void, erasing hundreds of lives with each flash. In just a few minutes, the sounds of resistance on the battlefield fell silent.

The evening wind was strong, carrying the scent of blood hundreds of miles away.

Countless vultures hovered in the sky above, their eyes riveted on the corpses below. The blood and flesh of these Martial Artists held an irresistible allure for them.

Some Qin soldiers began clearing the battlefield, collecting the enemy’s weapons; they were extremely busy. Others sat atop the ruins, their expressions revealing immeasurable sorrow. Some even shed silent tears. They had lost many friends and family members, now forever separated by the veil of life and death. With these thoughts in mind, they directed angry glances towards the captives of the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea.

"Your Majesty, there are 2,630,000 captives!" After finishing the count, Zhuge Liang reported in a solemn voice.

"And what about our losses?" Qin Wudao asked. He didn’t care about how many had surrendered; what he cared about were the casualties of the Divine Court of the Qin Dynasty.

"This..." Zhuge Liang fell silent for a moment, his face grim as he said, "By incomplete estimates, over 9,000,000 of our soldiers have fallen. Civilian casualties haven’t even been tallied yet, but it’s estimated this number will be several times greater!"

Zhao Yun, Bai Qi, Xiao He, and others clenched their fists tightly, their faces exceedingly grim.

This wasn’t nine hundred or nine thousand people, but over 9,000,000!

That meant over 9,000,000 families torn apart, affecting the happiness of at least 50,000,000 people. Perhaps tens of millions of children had now lost their fathers forever.

It meant that more than half of the military power painstakingly established by the Divine Court of the Qin Dynasty had been destroyed, years of effort washed down the drain.

"Kill! If this vengeance is not exacted, I am unworthy of being a general of the Qin!" Zhao Yun said fiercely, radiating palpable killing intent.

"Absolutely, we must take revenge. The spirits of those over 9,000,000 lost Qin souls demand blood for blood!"

"Without annihilating the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea, the hatred in my heart cannot be appeased!"

"And the Sanctum of the Kylins! They participated in this as well; they must not be spared!"

The generals, filled with righteous indignation, exclaimed, their eyes blazing with a monstrous, bloody light. Their cold killing intent was chilling to the bone.

"Your Majesty, what should we do with these prisoners?" Zhuge Liang asked after bowing.

The assault on the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea was a matter for the future. As of now, the Divine Court of the Qin Dynasty could not support such a campaign. It was better to address the pressing issue at hand.

"Of course, we kill them!"

"Every one of them has the blood of the Qin on their hands. Since it is a blood debt, it must be repaid in blood!"

"Your Majesty, we suggest slaughtering all the surrendered soldiers of the Ancient Court to appease the hearts of our millions of soldiers!"

Before Qin Wudao could speak, many of the military officials eagerly interjected. This time, the civil officials standing to the side did not utter phrases like ’treat captives leniently’; they all remained silent, not saying a word.

"Let it be done as the generals wish!" Qin Wudao replied indifferently.

For those who invaded the Qin Dynasty, he would show no mercy, nor would their surrender absolve them of all responsibility.

Surrender was not an invulnerability charm!

"His Majesty is wise!" The generals were overjoyed, cruel expressions appearing on their faces. Radiating an overwhelming killing intent, they turned and departed.

That evening, the 2,630,000 captives were escorted to the plains beyond the pass. Their scapulae were pierced, and their hands and feet were shackled, rendering them unable to channel their Spiritual Energy.

"Activate the Heaven Sealing Array!" Yuan Tiangang formed hand seals, retrieving tens of thousands of Spirit Stones from his storage space and tossing them into the sky. The numerous array patterns coalesced, forming a confinement array to prevent any escape.

"What are you doing?"

"Why have you imprisoned us? Let us out!"

Many soldiers of the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea roared in agitation, a palpable sense of unease enveloping them.

"Archers, prepare!" Bai Qi, clad in his armor, held his bow in his left hand and drew the string with his right, materializing a blood-red arrow that he aimed at the surrendered troops within the confinement array.

The thunderous sound of marching feet resounded as 100,000 archers advanced, their eyes bloodshot, faces contorted with hatred as they nocked arrows to their bowstrings.

"Release!" Bai Qi bellowed, loosing an arrow.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! One hundred thousand arrows flew, striking the bodies of the surrendered soldiers with piercing whistles, leaving behind bloody holes as blood splattered everywhere.

Like reaping leeks, the surrendered soldiers fell, row upon row!

"Ah..."

"Spare us! I have a wife and children, parents too! I don’t want to die!"

"Divine Court of the Qin Dynasty, I curse you to a terrible end! Your nation will be destroyed sooner or later..."

Screams of agony, pleas for mercy, and desperate, furious curses filled the air, echoing throughout the endless night.

Bai Qi remained expressionless, continuously issuing the order to fire. It was as if he wasn’t slaughtering people but butchering livestock. No, to the Divine Court of the Qin Dynasty, these captives were indeed livestock.

"I am a Disciple of the Sanctum! You cannot kill me! If you do, when the experts from the Sanctum arrive, it will be your doom!"

Hundreds of Sanctum Disciples huddled together, rushing to the edge of the confinement array and shouting threats. Even as death loomed, they clung to the belief that their status as Sanctum Disciples was an invulnerability charm, capable of saving their lives.

"We should get some exercise too!" Zhao Yun, hovering in mid-air and watching the slaughter, suddenly felt his hands itch. He retrieved a bow from his storage space and said with a smile.

"Very well!" Lv Bu, Guan Yu, and the others also produced their bows and arrows.

Their arrows were all aimed at the Sanctum Disciples!

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! Arrows pierced the air, and a crimson mist billowed into the sky.

This vengeful slaughter persisted for over four hours, only concluding when the first pale light of dawn appeared in the eastern sky.

The ground was littered with corpses piled up like mountains. Viscous blood pooled in the low-lying areas, forming a slowly flowing river of blood.

Bai Qi descended to a low altitude and shot a flaming arrow.

Instantly, the confinement array erupted into an inferno, transforming into a colossal fireball, brighter and more blinding than the nascent sun.

From time to time, agonizing screams could be heard from within the sea of fire. These were from those who had used corpses as shields, but ultimately, they could not escape death.

The Qin soldiers stood by the colossal fireball for a long time, unmoving.

"Eldest brother, the ones who killed you are dead. May you rest in peace!"

"Brothers, I’ve avenged you! Did you see it from the heavens?"

"Master, I will surely follow your teachings, become a worthy soldier, and protect our home and country..."

After a two-day rest, Zhao Yun and the other generals led the army to recapture the lost territories, killing over 100,000 soldiers of the Ancient Court.

Six days later, the Qin army appeared at the border of the Leiting Divine Court, heralding the Qin Dynasty’s final victory in this war!

This threw the surrounding powers into a state of panic! This was especially true for the Langya Sect. The provisions they had supplied to the Ancient Court of the Azure Sea not only went unused by their allies but had also become spoils of war for the Divine Court of the Qin Dynasty.

Gazing at the Langya Sect’s insignia on the bags of Spirit Rice, Zhao Yun looked towards the west and smirked coldly. "Langya Sect, you’re next!"