The curtain of night gradually fell, and the surroundings sank into deep darkness. There was not a single speck of light to be seen within several thousand kilometres. Myriad city that blazed with lights was like a lone boat in the endless expanse of the ocean.
The black clouds surged in the night sky. The pattering drizzle fell endlessly.
The imposing statue over the shallow sea had already turned completely black. The rainwater trickled along the statue’s thick brows, but its eyes remained fixed on the depths of the darkness, ignoring and unaware of everything that happened behind it.
Commandant Luo blinked his eyes that had been moistened by the cold rain and dazedly gazed at the mark he had left behind. Suddenly, he felt extremely melancholic as if he had lost something extremely important.
The spectators all felt like they had just witnessed history. Right as everyone thought Li Qingshan had begun his lengthy reign over the Myriad sect, the curtains had fallen in the blink of an eye.
However, Wang Junxing felt great pity. He was unable to do anything to Li Qingshan, so he could only vent on Li Qingshan’s lackeys, hoping all the people here died horrible deaths.
Hmph, and I was wondering about just how staunch you lot were. Turns out you’re just a bunch of cowards!
Leng Yuan continued to stand above. Snowflakes danced around him. An icy smile formed on his cold face, like the freezing lakewater that seeped out between the ice.
Before the might of the law, just who could defy it?
Afterwards, without needing to say another word, the soldiers stepped forward one by one, leaving behind their own mark on the black statue’s back.
The sword qi and blade aura were like bolts of lightning, immediately illuminating everyone’s faces before sinking back into darkness in the next moment.
Eveyrthing unfolded in silence, like they were holding some kind of ceremony, drawing a clear line between the present and the past.
Everyone was dispirited and pale, no longer possessing the confidence and morale they possessed when they first arrived. Their hot blood of asura gradually cooled within their blood vessels, becoming cold like the rain, basically to a point where they trembled.
They had fought to the final moments on the battlefield, but they had never imagined they would bend to this invisible pressure, the strict laws set by those in power.
Even true asura would lose their undying bodies when they lost their fighting spirit, let alone them.
The general was the courage of the army!
That man was no longer here. Meanwhile, they had been stripped from the army, dismantled into individuals, except they were facing an undefeatable enemy yet again.
Their united determination turned into the helplessness of going with the flow, offering up their pride like lambs to the slaughterhouse.
Suddenly, they realised they were not courageous warriors bold enough to face a Demon God. Instead, they were cultivators at the bottom of the cultivation community, insignificant figures like “readers” or “attendants”.
Who could defy fate?
In just a while, “Li Qingshan” was covered in marks, like he had been sentenced to slow slicing. He tottered about, almost unable to support his own weight any more.
However, without any prior agreement, all of them refused to deal the final blow, to make it collapse completely.
“Keep going! Don’t stop!” Wang Junxing ordered loudly, “I said that you need to destroy it completely, without a single trace remaining!”
His gaze was like a hungry wolf, searching for the most feeble sheep in the herd. Suddenly, he locked onto one of them. “Hey, you! You better not think I didn’t see it! You’re the only one who hasn’t done anything yet. Everyone must do it, or you’re a lackey of the Demon domain!”
In the crowd, Dong Dagong shuddered. The people around him all looked over indifferently. Very soon, all of their gazes had gathered on him, which immediately made him feel like he was under a mountain of pressure. His fellow soldiers that had originally been so close with him had now become so unfamiliar and distant, only leaving him alone.
“General…”
He raised his head and looked at the black statue. The rain immediately blurred his vision. He only needed to go up and swing his arms gently to liberate himself from this endless pressure.
But for some reason, he thought of the Xuanwu Army God that gathered everyone’s trust and hopes on the battlefield again, which included his!
As a result, not only did he refuse to attack the statue, but he even said something particularly puzzling instead, “I’m willing to fight to the death with the general…”
It was like a chant yet also like an oath. When they heard that, the indifferent gazes beside him suddenly began to change in a bizarre manner.
“What did you say?” Wang Junxing did not hear him clearly.
Dong Dagong turned around slowly. A scorching belief filled his heart as his eyes shone with a red glint, glaring at Wang Junxing. “Fuck you!”
“Say that again! I don’t want to kill you. Are you planning on betraying the sect too!?”
That was a question that had once frightened all of the direct disciples, yet as a lowly “attendant”, Dong Dagong spat viciously, “So what if I am?”
Leng Yuan furrowed his brows. The situation was spiraling out of control. He immediately interrupted Wang Junxing and advised gently, “Junior brother, Li Qingshan has already abandoned you. Stop being so obstinate.”
Towards the end, his tone had already become threatening. The giant beast under his feet seemed to sense its master’s feelings, suddenly baring its dagger-like teeth, staring viciously at Dong Dagong.
Dong Dagong grew cold all over. His teeth chattered. A great sense of fear welled up in his heart, almost wanting to bend down and acknowledge his mistake. However, he thought of the battle of Black Cloud city again and that indomitable embodiment of the Demon God butchering these direct disciples like they were dogs. It was countless times more frightening than Leng Yuan, but hadn’t he still been defeated by them in the very end?
Abruptly, his fear receded as his eyes shone even redder.
“Fuck you! If it wasn’t for Li Qingshan, you son of a bitch direct disciples would have fled back to the Myriad sect a long time ago! Perhaps Li Qingshan is a traitor of the Myriad sect, but he’s never let me down! Never! Speaking of which, if it wasn’t for Li Qingshan, I wouldn’t even know which direction the Myriad sect faces. I would have died under Black Cloud city a fucking long time ago!”
Dong Dagong swore to his heart’s content. His eyes glowed red like fire. He no longer possessed any fear.
There had never been any real sense of loyalty between him and the Myriad sect in the first place. Regular soldiers like them were merely farmers enlisted throughout the Human realm to protect the borders. It presented them the opportunity to do good and enter the path of cultivation, but the frontiers they were stationed at were harsh places that lacked cultivation resources. Only a bare handful of them managed to become disciples of the Myriad sect. Most of them were reduced to a skeleton under Black Cloud city.
Everyone was startled. A measly Foundation Establishment cultivator was actually speaking to a Yang Soul cultivator like that.
“How dare you!” Wang Junxing rebuked fiercely, but he had already lost some of his confidence. He could vaguely see that man’s figure from Dong Dagong, which roused the fear in the depths of his heart.
Only Leng Yuan was unfazed. The drizzle suddenly turned into flying snow, momentarily freezing the surroundings. Their breaths turned to ice. The giant beast under his feet let out a sharp growl, shaking up the onlookers with murderousness.
“Dong Dagong, are you aware of the crimes you’ve committed?” Leng Yuan asked, stressing each word.
He also saw that person’s figure from Dong Dagong. A great sense of disgust welled up inside him. Someone like that had to die!
“I know. It’s just dying, isn’t it? It’s not like I haven’t died before. Who’re you trying to frighten?”
With a clang, Dong Dagong drew his blade from its sheath and placed it against his own neck. “Li Qingshan gave me this life. Today, I’ll give it back to him!”
His eyes were wide open, forming a furious glare. He gritted his teeth and tightened his grip around the hilt, gradually using force. The blade sank deeply into his neck. Blood immediately spurted out, dyeing half of his body red.
He did not let up at all, cutting into his own flesh inch by inch and slicing through his spine through the cracks. In the blink of an eye, he had already cut through most of his thick neck.
He continued until he completely sliced through his own neck. His right hand grabbed the hair at the top of his head, lifting it up to show everyone before suddenly falling backwards.
The blood began to spread on the ground as the head rolled over to one side. The red light in his eyes gradually faded away. His expression was horrifying and twisted, but there was no fear at all.
