The army of the Southern Kingdom was so vast, there was no end to it inside. Every last soldier’s eyes were full of bloodthirsty light, and they charged toward the River Styx with no fear of death.
Dark crimson blood had already stained the waters of the River Styx, and the stench of blood permeated the air of the Lower Lands.
The cultivators were all on edge. This war had come far too suddenly. All they could do was stand on the riverbanks, clenching their fists and silently praying for their warriors’ victory.
The invaders’ auras were just too strong.
These ordinary cultivators were keenly aware of what would happen to them, and to the other citizens of the Lower Lands, should these invaders successfully cross the rivers.
“Do not retreat!” Su Yiyun stood in the skies, eyes bloodshot, face covered in blood. He flitted through the Southern Kingdom’s forces like a god of death.
Although the River Styx had known an invasion was imminent for a long time, and they’d long since started their preparations. This was the only reason the Southern Kingdom’s sudden assault had yet to succeed. However, the sheer vastness of their army far exceeded Su Yiyun and Emperor Hades’ imagination.
The River Styx’s formation was designed to stop them, but it had already given way several times. The bestial inhabitants of the River Styx had suffered every bit as many casualties as the invaders.
The yao of the Southern Kingdom still forged ahead without fear of death, but the beasts of the River Styx were growing increasingly terrified. The yao were pushing the river’s line of defenses further and further back.
For the first six hours of their offensive, they couldn’t get so much as half a meter past the river’s defenses, but when they finally broke through in earnest, they pushed hundreds of meters ahead in a single burst.
The yao of the Southern Kingdom were only building up momentum as time passed, while the beasts of the River Styx were growing increasingly more fearful.
“All of you, stay put!” Su Yiyun roared, eyes bloodshot. He could tell that their defenses were about to break.
This was the God Realm’s first and only line of defense. If they lost the River Styx, they’d lose the entire Lower Lands to the enemy. They couldn’t let that happen.
Besides, he’d already made an agreement with Ye Zichen!
So long as Su Yiyun was here, the yao shouldn’t even think of invading the heart of god race territory!
“Hold the line! Don’t let them through!”
“Quit giving me orders.” One of the vicious beasts suddenly bared its sharp teeth and waved its harpoon. It snorted, “We just happen to live in the River Styx. We defend it for you purely out of respect for Emperor Hades, but now, you’re asking us to throw our lives away. You want us to fend them off even if it kills us? Do you really think we’re that brainless?”
It flung its harpoon to the floor, then glared at Su Yiyun. “Let me give it to you straight: I’m not defending this place any longer. Whatcha gonna do about it?”
Boom!
A streak of sword energy exploded right in front of the beast, creating a giant chasm. The beast froze, then cocked its head to look at Su Yiyun.
“Don’t test my patience,” said Su Yiyun. “Pick up your weapon and return to your station.”
“Hah? What, you want me to go back? Do you dare kill me? Do you know who I am? If you dare touch me, there’s no way your River Styx will survive this.” The beast sneered, baring its sharp canines. Its gaze was full of disdain as it laughed, then turned away, walking toward the river bank without so much as a second look at Su Yiyun.
Quite a few of the other vicious beasts were watching to see what would happen. Instantly, they froze.
They didn’t know when it had happened, but Su Yiyun had appeared beside the vicious beast who’d spoken up earlier. His hand had already pierced right through the beast’s body. He clenched a blood-red core in his fingers.
A vicious beast’s core was its foundation, its center, as well as the crystallization of a lifetime of cultivation.
“You…” The vicious beast in question glared at him, eyes wide. The beast would never have anticipated this; Su Yiyun had always gone under the radar, as if he had no presence at all, and he’d always treated the vicious beasts of the river cautiously. To think he’d dare attack!
But Su Yiyun did dare. He’d already done it!
Was there any point in caution or fear at a time like this?
If the yao of the Southern Kingdom broke through, the River Styx would cease to exist. Who cared if the denizens of the river were unhappy with him?
Vicious beasts had strong vitality, which was why the newly core-less beast didn’t die right away.
However, staring at the core in Su Yiyun’s hand, the beast had lost its former aggression. It could only grin appeasingly at Su Yiyun, practically begging. It had clearly given in.
“Commander Su, I was too impulsive earlier, and didn’t think before I spoke. Please, be magnanimous and forgive my transgressions. Please spare my life and return my core. I’m a diviner, after all, and you’ll need experts at my level if we’re to wage war.”
This apologetic, conciliatory grin was in stark contrast with the beast’s earlier arrogant disdain. Su Yiyun met the beast’s gaze, but his eyes were cold and sharp. “I gave you a chance. You’re begging for your life now? Shouldn’t you have thought of that earlier?”
“Commander Su…”
“You’re right. Diviners are indeed important if we’re to win this war,” laughed Su Yiyun. The beast nodded and smiled along with him. But then, Su Yiyun clenched his hand, and his eyes flashed with cold light. “But we’re better off without diviners like you, who can’t even follow orders.”
“Commander….”
“May your soul return to the River Styx!”
Bang! Su Yiyun crushed the beast core to powder, and the beast’s last thread of life force disappeared without a trace. Its power flowed outward and into the sky. In the last moments before it died, the beast’s eyes filled with bitterness and fury. In the end, it could only close its eyes and collapse onto the ground.
The vicious beast really had been a diviner!
In this grand battle, the importance of a diviner naturally couldn’t be overstated. Had the beast lived, it might have been extremely useful in battle.
However, it was precisely because this was a battle that Su Yiyun couldn’t permit anyone to shake the troops’ morale.
This death was intended as a warning to the others. He wanted to use the beast’s demise to tell the others this:
Fight to the death on the battlefield or…. Die right now!
The vicious beast’s blood still dripped from Su Yiyun’s fingers. The other beasts watched him, their gazes full of fear.
Su Yiyun then turned to face the beasts at the front lines. He roared, “If anyone dares retreat so much as a single step….. Well, let his death serve as a warning!”
The beasts were all internally terrified, but although they quivered at the thought of Su Yiyun slaughtering them, they were inwardly furious. This was tantamount to using them as kindling.
There was a seemingly endless army of yao before them, while the ruthless Su Yiyun stood behind them. There was no way out.
“F*ck! Does he think we vicious beasts are so easy to push around? If you’re all that, just go ahead and kill us all!”
Unexpectedly, Su Yiyun’s lightning-quick, ruthless methods only resulted in the beasts’ frenzied counterattack. More and more of them flung down their weapons, disregarded the river’s defenses, and fled. Su Yiyun watched, but he’d already made his threats: it was too late to back down now.
Should he really just kill all of them?
But he wasn’t strong enough to kill his disobedient subordinates and single-handedly ward off the invaders at the same time. Even if he could, what would happen to the river’s defenses in the beasts’ absence?
He could only watch as they fled, leaving the defenses unmanned. His eyes reddened, and he felt utterly helpless.
But at that moment, a black leopard-headed figure appeared in the skies. It sucked in an enormous breath, swallowing up every last fleeing beast, right down to their souls. “Then I’ll just go ahead and kill you all!”
