CHAPTER 435: CHAPTER 429: REACTION OF THE THREE FORCES_1

In contrast to the excitement of the Qin Dynasty’s Saint’s Court, the three significant forces were swathed in unease. They had deployed a large number of troops to the front lines. Even with Martial Artists of the Emperor Realm stationed there, they still suffered such a swift defeat.

What did this imply? It meant that the military prowess of the Qin Dynasty’s Saint’s Court far exceeded that of the three major powers!

"Issue the order! Engage the Holy Legion! All major clans’ strongest legions will follow into battle!"

In the Saint’s Court of the Thousand Demons, Xiong Lie sat on his icy throne, glanced at the ministers below, and issued his orders in a grave tone.

The Holy Legion had been formed after the establishment of the Saint’s Court. He had selected the elite from various major clans to form this army. Their numbers were not considerable, only three hundred thousand strong, but they were extraordinarily powerful.

"Understood!"

The commander of the Holy Legion was an Old Ancestor from the Ice Emperor Bear Clan named Xiong Jianlai. He was tall and powerful, with pure white eyes, and his strength had reached the Great Emperor Realm.

"As you command!"

The Clan Leaders of the various major clans bowed with mixed feelings.

That day, dozens of legions gathered and, under the leadership of Xiong Jianlai, rushed towards the eastern part of the Saint’s Court of the Thousand Demons.

「ZiXiao Holy Land」

At the ZiXiao Holy Land, the auspicious lights had dimmed, and its Fortune was slowly dwindling.

"Issue the order! All elite Disciples and legions from the various peaks are to head to the front lines to halt the Qin Dynasty’s invasion!"

"Gentlemen, who among you is willing to lead the troops?"

Shu Qingyun, dressed in a purple-gold sacred robe, sat high upon his throne. He looked the same as always, but his voice, as he issued orders, betrayed his weariness.

He was still the Saint Lord, ruling over more than one hundred and fifty Dao Domains and governing trillions of living beings. Outwardly, he appeared as majestic as ever.

But what about tomorrow? How could he repel the Qin Dynasty’s invasion? How could he secure the ZiXiao Holy Land?

The great hall fell silent; everyone lowered their heads.

Everyone knew that leading troops to the front lines was extremely dangerous, a mission with little chance of survival.

"Saint Lord, let this old one go!"

After a moment of silence, an old man stepped forward. He wore a grey robe, his hair and beard were white, and his face was deeply wrinkled, exuding an aura of twilight, as if he had just crawled out of a grave.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but upon seeing the old man, they felt overcome with shame.

This old man was an Old Ancestor of the ZiXiao Holy Land, a figure from a bygone era. He had broken through to the Emperor Realm by harnessing a tide of Spiritual Energy and was one of the few remaining powerhouses in the ZiXiao Holy Land.

A formidable enemy was at their doorstep, yet they, the younger generation, dared not go into battle. Instead, they were allowing a venerable Old Ancestor, already in his twilight years, to don armor in their place. It was truly shameful.

"Old Ancestor, we are indebted to you!"

Shu Qingyun stood up and bowed deeply to the Old Ancestor.

"It is my duty!"

The Old Ancestor, named Chang Wansheng, waved his hand, turned, and walked towards the hall’s exit. His body, long bent by the weight of years, gradually straightened.

With every step he took, his aura intensified.

By the time he reached the entrance of the great hall, he had returned to his peak state. The Rhymes of Dao emanated from him, vast enough to make the Void itself tremble and collapse.

"Great Elder, continue conscription. We need at least two billion soldiers—there is no upper limit!"

Shu Qingyun sat back on his throne and, gathering his spirits, commanded with imposing dignity.

"As you command!"

A tremor ran through the Great Elder. His lips twitched as if he wanted to speak, but in the end, he said nothing, merely bowing to accept the order.

「Qionghua Holy Land」

Upon learning of the defeat on the front lines, Zheng Guiqiong did not immediately devise the next battle strategy. Instead, she led her high-ranking officials to the execution ground.

On this day, the sky was overcast, and a soft drizzle fell, creating a thin mist that hung in the air, making the world seem hazy and unreal.

At the edge of the execution ground stood an exquisite pavilion, built for observation.

"Attendants, bring forth the prisoners!"

Zheng Guiqiong sat in the pavilion, her command delivered with cold indifference.

Behind her stood the high-ranking officials of the Qionghua Holy Land, their expressions varied: some anxious, some worried, some indifferent—a vivid display of life’s varied reactions.

The autumn rain carried a biting chill. Thousands of prisoners in drab prison garb were escorted by executioners to the edge of the execution ground.

Among these prisoners were the elderly, children, women—even expectant mothers on the verge of childbirth!

They stood shivering in the cold rain, perhaps sensing their impending doom, for all were weeping softly.

"Your Holiness, if you must kill, kill me! I beg you, spare my family!"

Upon reaching the execution ground, the City Lord of Sky Tower City fell to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly. The dull thuds of his forehead hitting the ground echoed his desperate pleas for mercy.

Beside him, Kong Zhaoxi remained calm, his hands clasped behind his back, standing with an air of defiance. Even the tattered prison clothes could not conceal his righteous spirit and unyielding pride.

"You two received the Holy Land’s stipend, yet you betrayed the Holy Land. You deserve death!"

Zheng Guiqiong rose, her magnificent phoenix robe lending her an air of extreme nobility. However, the predatory glint in her eyes was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

"Pass down the order: carry out the execution!"

Her chilling voice echoed between heaven and earth.

An elder from the Qionghua Holy Land stepped forward and announced in a loud voice, "Han Yujun, the City Lord of Sky Tower City, and Kong Zhaoxi, Headmaster of Ping Shan Academy, have betrayed the Holy Land. They are sentenced to death by a thousand cuts! Their entire clans, to the ninth degree of relations, shall be exterminated!"

WHOOSH!

A piercingly cold wind swept through.

The temperature of the air plummeted!

Upon hearing the sentence, the City Lord of Sky Tower City abandoned his pleading demeanor. He leaped to his feet, cursing loudly, then began to reverse his Spiritual Energy, preparing to end his own life to escape the agony of death by a thousand cuts.

But clearly, escape by death was not to be permitted here. The two executioners beside him instantly forced a pill into his mouth.

This pill had a singular purpose: to render the body limp and powerless, yet leave the senses entirely unimpaired.

Indeed, the City Lord of Sky Tower City crumpled to the ground, his eyes filled with utter despair.

Kong Zhaoxi, however, showed little reaction. He strode voluntarily onto the execution platform and declared with a resonant laugh, "Come, begin the execution!"

The two executioners exchanged a glance, stepped forward, and removed Kong Zhaoxi’s upper garment. Then, one produced a sharp knife and deftly sliced off a piece of flesh as thin as a cicada’s wing.

Throughout the ordeal, Kong Zhaoxi did not so much as furrow his brow.

"In primordial times, our human ancestors united, forging the esteemed position of humanity with their blood and heroic souls, enabling us to stand at the pinnacle of all races in this world!"

"An irreconcilable hatred exists between the human race and the other races! Yet you, high-ranking officials of the Holy Lands, have forsaken humanity, aiding these other races in their schemes to harm our kind!"

"Search your hearts and ask yourselves: do you feel no shame?"

"Today, you may carve apart my flesh, but tomorrow, word of your heinous crimes will spread throughout the lands of the East Border!"

"I, Kong Zhaoxi, with this broken body, hereby condemn your craven hearts!"

Amidst the wind and rain, Kong Zhaoxi tilted his head back and let out a great cry. His powerful voice reverberated across the heavens, merging with the rumble of thunder from the highest skies.

In the pavilion, the expressions of many high-ranking Holy Land officials shifted. They had not expected Kong Zhaoxi to be so indomitable, to assail the very morale of the Qionghua Holy Land even at the brink of death.

After all, many Disciples were watching from the periphery of the execution ground!

"Courting death!"

Zheng Guiqiong’s face turned livid. Her killing intent surged, and countless blood-red petals materialized in the sky, imbued with a piercing aura, then rained down upon the prisoners on the execution ground.

Fresh blood sprayed through the air, mingling with the rain to stain the earth crimson.

RUMBLE!

Thunder boomed, and a colossal bolt of lightning tore across the sky, casting a ghastly white light that illuminated Zheng Guiqiong’s face.

"Issue the order! Actively prepare for war! All Disciples and legions from every peak are to advance to the front lines! Anyone who dares to shirk their duty or desert will have their entire clan, to the ninth degree, exterminated...!"