CHAPTER 437: CHAPTER 431: DESTROYING THE CITY_1

"We’re saved! We’re saved! Sob..." A middle-aged man knelt on the ground. When he thought of his dead wife and children, he couldn’t help but wail. His home was gone; what meaning was there in living? At this thought, the middle-aged man’s eyes grew dull, and he lost all hope.

"Why are you crying? Don’t you want to stand up, hunt down the foreign race, and take revenge?" a soldier from the Vermilion Bird Army roared.

Though his words seemed crude, they steadied the middle-aged man’s emotions. His fists clenched, and his eyes turned bloodshot. "Yes! I want revenge! I want to kill the foreign race!"

There were many like him. All the rescued people harbored intense hatred for the foreign race!

However, many more were numb and incoherent.

"General, I heard that the Ghost Cat Tribe has set up dozens of similar holding pens. Please save them, General!" Next to Bai Qi, a young man knelt, kowtowing repeatedly as he pleaded.

"Get up!" Bai Qi reached out, pulled the young man up, and ordered the officers behind him in a cold voice, "All troops, advance and rescue our people!"

"Also, use a Pictorial Stone to record the rescue!"

"Yes, sir!" The officers saluted, quickly assembled their troops, and departed in haste.

"Rest assured," Bai Qi’s body slowly rose, hovering in mid-air. He looked at the numb and despairing crowd and announced loudly, "I am Bai Qi of the Qin Dynasty’s Saint’s Court. From this day forward, you are citizens of the Qin Dynasty. The Qin Dynasty will help you rebuild your homes. As for the blood feuds you bear, the soldiers of the Qin Dynasty will make the foreign clans pay!"

However, his words didn’t rouse the rescued people. Two years of torture had made them forget what it meant to be human; a few words alone couldn’t restore their fighting spirit.

Seeing his words had little effect, Bai Qi frowned slightly and landed. If it were leading troops into battle, he was an expert. But counseling people? He was out of his depth.

"General, why don’t we report their situation to the Imperial Court and let the civil officials handle it? We should focus on warfare and not delay our campaign!" a Deputy General stepped forward and quietly suggested.

"Good!" Bai Qi nodded. "Go and inform General Zhao of the situation. Have him submit a formal report!"

Although he and Zhao Yun were of the same rank, Zhao Yun was the commander-in-chief for this campaign. He couldn’t bypass the chain of command to report matters; that was a major taboo for an official.

After temporarily settling the rescued people, Bai Qi led his thirty thousand trusted aides and flew towards the Ghost Cat Tribe’s encampment.

「Meanwhile, inside Stone City」

The Ghost Cat Clan Leader sensed the aura of battle and immediately decided to evacuate.

"Clan Leader, we still need an hour to secure the clan’s heritage!" an elder reported nervously.

"Faster!" the Ghost Cat Clan Leader commanded in a deep voice.

Heritage was the foundation of a tribe. If it were lost, the Ghost Cat Tribe would decline within ten thousand years and become just another ordinary foreign clan.

"Great Elder, lead the main army to delay the enemy! The fate of our tribe rests in your hands!" The Ghost Cat Clan Leader turned and said to the Great Elder.

"Rest assured! Take care of my descendants!" The Great Elder didn’t hesitate. He bowed slightly and led one million Ghost Cat Clan soldiers out of Stone City.

This journey meant almost certain death! He was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice; it was his duty as the tribe’s Great Elder!

"I hope he can hold them off for an hour!" The Ghost Cat Clan Leader muttered to himself, his eyes filled with worry. At this critical moment of life and death, the tribe’s future depended on how long the Great Elder could delay the enemy.

After the Great Elder led the troops out, they had barely gone thirty li from the city when they encountered Bai Qi and his thirty thousand trusted aides.

"Fortunately, there aren’t many enemies!" The Great Elder muttered, his confidence returning. He roared, "Kill!"

In his view, with one million soldiers, stopping an advancing force of thirty thousand should be a piece of cake, shouldn’t it?

A million Ghost Cat Clan soldiers charged, waving their sharp claws and fangs. They left countless streaks of black light in the Void and, in an instant, arrived before Bai Qi.

"Not one shall be spared!" Bai Qi commanded emotionlessly.

CLANG!

Thirty thousand trusted aides drew their battle swords. Spiritual Energy surged, turning the snow-white blades blood-red. Overwhelming Evil Qi shot into the sky, dyeing half the heavens crimson.

"Who says we have no clothes? We share the same coat with the king!"

"Great Wind! Great Wind! Great Wind..."

The thirty thousand trusted aides roared. Their ancient war cries seemed to traverse time and space, echoing across the battlefield. Pillars of fiery red light surged skyward, coalescing into a terrifying cloud of Evil Qi. The killing intent was boundless, chilling to the bone!

BOOM!

But in the next instant, the crimson Evil Qi cloud exploded.

A blood-red Vermilion Bird emerged in Changkong, its blood-red eyes radiating intense killing intent, like a divine beast of judgment.

"Divine Skill: Vermilion Bird Divine Fire!" Bai Qi hovered in mid-air, black hair whipping around, blood-red sword in hand.

The Vermilion Bird behind him opened its mouth, spewing a plume of red flame. The fire surged in the wind, forming an endless sea of flames in the sky that radiated terrifying heat.

He stood at the edge of the sea of fire, like a god of flames, displaying extraordinary Shenwu might.

"Go!" Bai Qi commanded coldly, his words manifesting reality.

The endless sea of fire transformed into countless flaming birds that descended upon the Ghost Cat Tribe soldiers below. They radiated a dazzling brilliance, like miniature suns.

BOOM!

As they neared the Ghost Cat Tribe soldiers, the firebirds exploded violently.

Terrifying heat spread in all directions, the Void constantly rippling. Everything the flames touched turned to ash. This included the Ghost Cat Tribe soldiers.

The Great Elder, once confident, turned pale. His eyes widened in shock and panic. Beneath the sea of fire, few of the million soldiers remained. Their horrifying screams, like the Grim Reaper’s summons, echoed in his mind.

"No!" The Great Elder trembled, tears of despair streaming down his face. But the instant they left his eyes, the intense heat evaporated them.

RUMBLE!

The explosions of the firebirds resounded through heaven and earth. The roiling sea of fire, several hundred to a thousand zhang high, illuminated the sky crimson.

The fiery wave, like a waterfall, engulfed the Great Elder, extinguishing his life.

"March!" Having decimated the Ghost Cat Tribe’s army, Bai Qi looked towards Stone City, now close at hand. He strode forward, each step covering several li.

Behind him, the sea of fire followed, spreading devastation!

Soon, Bai Qi arrived outside Stone City. The sea of fire, like an unbridled stallion, surged into the city, igniting countless buildings and sending up plumes of thick black smoke.

"Help!"

"Run...run!"

"Save me, I don’t want to die yet!"

Inside the city, Ghost Cat clansfolk, engulfed in flames, shrieked for help. But everyone was fighting for their own survival; naturally, no one came to their aid.

Ultimately, they were burned to charred cinders.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

At this moment, dozens of Vermilion Bird Army Souls materialized around Stone City, precisely at the locations of the Ghost Cat Tribe’s human pens. Furthermore, these Vermilion Bird Army Souls formed a massive encirclement!

The Ghost Cat Clan Leader surveyed his surroundings, his face deathly pale.