The General of the Shield raised a massive circular shield to block the incoming pillar of pure tungsten metal. The shield gleamed under the harsh sun, its surface reflecting a brilliant light. From the rims of the shield, a gigantic barrier manifested, surrounding the entirety of the imperial city. The barrier shimmered with energy, an impenetrable wall of protection.

Upon contact, an explosion erupted. It was so hot, blaring, and blinding that it sent a shockwave massive enough to blow the sand around the entire city into gigantic waves. These waves flew so fast and so far that they even turned to crystallized glass from the sheer heat of the explosion. The air crackled with residual energy, and the ground shook violently, sending tremors through the city.

Shen Bao's army was well within the range of the explosion. Yet, the massive puppet simply pressed both hands forward, creating a massive mask that appeared behind him. This mask shielded the entire puppet army as the sand blew in all directions and the waves of fused and molten glass broke and splashed everywhere, sending shards flying like deadly missiles.

The damage caused by the tungsten pillar was catastrophic. It not only shattered the shield of the General of the Shield but also tore his entire arm and shoulder, which carried the shield, and scorched him as if he were a well-roasted piece of steak. His skin blackened and cracked under the intense heat, and his cries of pain echoed through the chaos.

Shen Bao's expression was lackluster, a mask of cold indifference. The two generals, desperately struggling against the winds of the explosion, could only stare in absolute horror at the sight of their city. The shield had protected the city, but the surroundings had cooled, revealing crystalized glass so huge and so intricate that it looked like a work of art spread all around the city.

Waves of sand had turned to pure glass from the sheer heat of the explosion.

The General of the Shield, despite his grievous injuries, desperately recovered himself after gobbling up several lifesaving elixirs. His face twisted in agony and determination as the healing energy took effect, closing his wounds and restoring some strength.

"Quite the tenacity," Shen Bao said, his voice cold and mocking. "But that was only one. How are you going to handle the rest?" He pointed skyward, and only then did the two other generals look up to see more than a hundred tungsten pillars descending toward the city, darkening the sky with their menacing presence.

The look on everyone's face was one of sheer utter despair and horror. One of those pillars was capable of devastating the General of the Shield and his supreme defense. But now, a hundred more were coming down on the imperial city. The damage to the structure of the city would be immense, not to mention the casualties.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" the general wielding a spear shouted, realization dawning on him like a dark cloud. Killing Shen Bao would be irrelevant because the pillars would come regardless.

"I have been given this land by the Suns," Shen Bao spoke, his voice calm and measured. "Leave it, or no one shall have it."

His words were few, but they held a terrifying meaning behind them. It was clear he didn't care about the lives of the people in this land and was ready to completely eradicate it.

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The General of the Shield sent the General of the Spear a divine sense message, his mental voice urgent and desperate. "You have to kill him. I cannot stop these things!"

Sadly, for the General of the Shield, he didn't realize that the pillars were in free fall from who knows how high, and stopping so much accelerated energy would be impossible for any of them. And killing Shen Bao would have no effect on the situation.

"Shen Bao! I have treated you right! Why are you doing this to us?" the General of the West had to speak up, even if it cost him his life later to be associated with Shen Bao. For now, he needed to find a way to stop him.

Shen Bao looked at the man and snorted, "It is the other way around, old fool. It was I who offered you help and aided your mortally poisoned daughter, and what did you do? You sent someone after me. I don't forget those who tried to backstab me."

The General of the West closed his open mouth, unable to refute the truth in Shen Bao's words. It was partially true. After all, he had sent one of his retainers after Shen Bao to capture him, realizing how valuable of a man he was. And now, it backfired all too damn fast. Greed is the bane of all mankind.

The pillars were coming down, and they couldn't find a way to stop them.

"FIND A WAY TO BUY US TIME!" the General of the Spear sent a loud divine sense message to the General of the West. "I sent a jade to the Guardian. He's nearby in Lulong City. He should come here in less than half an incense stick worth of time." But his words were cut short as the man he sent for help did not arrive. Instead, it was a jade that came flying toward the General of the Spear. ṛÅΝȎ฿Ɛᶊ

There was a grin on Shen Bao's face, as if he had already noticed when the General of the Spear had sent the request for help and seemed to know the very contents of the jade that just arrived. The General of the Spear rapidly read through it, and his already pale face became even paler.

He immediately relayed the information inside the jade to everyone around him. From the information on the jade, what was happening in the Imperial City was not unique. And it was the very reason why no assistance arrived so fast.

Everywhere around the Sea of Demons, where all the major cities—twelve of them—were, there was an exact replica of what was going on here. A Shen Bao standing on top of a gigantic puppet, followed by tens of thousands of other smaller puppets, and hundreds of tungsten pillars about to fall down on them.

All it would take him is a simple thought to completely eradicate the entire structure of the Sea of Demons and not leave a single thing alive.

"You're a monster," the General of the Spear said, horror settling inside his heart.

"Indeed, I am," Shen Bao replied with a twisted grin, "but I have yet to begin the slaughter. Now how about you all give up on this regime?"

The General of the Spear shouted, "Never! We will not ever succumb to terrorist attacks! As long as the Emperor is here! We will forever fight!"

"Oh, what a poor choice of words," Shen Bao said, his grin widening. "If your emperor is the only thing that is stopping you from surrendering, then let me make it easy for you all," he said as he snapped his fingers.

It was a simple and quite normal snap, without any visible Qi or effects. But not a second later, a powerful surge of baleful Qi began shaking the palace behind the generals. It looked sordid and horrid, as if the most vile of things had been summoned to this world. A powerful aura of death and decay permeated the entire palace, and soon wails and the loud banging of a bell echoed through the city.

The General of the Shield was still holding on, waiting for the seemingly unmoving pillars to drop, so he couldn't go and check. Meanwhile, the General of the Spear held his pointed end toward Shen Bao.

"Go!" the General of the Spear shouted, ordering the General of the West to go and check. "I'll hold him here!" he said.

The General of the West rushed toward the palace while Shen Bao smiled. "You? Hold me?" he said, his tone dripping with mockery. "Do I look that weak to you just because I'm a Void Shattering Cultivator and you're a peak Origin Cultivator that you think you can hold me here? You and what army?" Shen Bao sneered.

The General of the Spear smiled defiantly. "Aren't you the one using a poor choice of words now? LEGION OF THE EMPEROR! COME FORTH!"

However, nothing happened. He shouted again, but still, nothing happened.

If a pin could drop, it would resound loudly all over the area. A long, awkward silence was finally broken by Shen Bao's maniacal cackling and laughter.

He laughed and laughed, tears streaming down his face. "LIKE I FUCKING SAID! YOU AND WHAT ARMY?! THEY ARE ALL DEAD!" he blared out.

The General of the Spear sent almost all of his Qi through the city. Despite the limitations of the atmosphere of the Sea of Demons, if he used the majority of his Qi, he could extend his detection range to cover the city, albeit for a few seconds. And in doing so, he couldn't help but notice that not a single soldier was alive. None, not a single one was standing.

Even the guards were on the ground, blue of face and pale of skin. Poisoned to an incredible degree by something no one seemed even to realize, and it only affected the soldiers.

The rest of the people were well and crying at the sudden death of their husbands and fathers.

"When you're trying to deliver a line," Shen Bao said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "you have to be certain that it will have an effect. Now, say, why not simply give up? Your nation has fallen in a single hour, by a single man. Don't tell me you still think you can come out victorious?" Shen Bao taunted.

The General of the Spear opened and closed his mouth, panic and surprise clear on his face. He was unable to even realize what had just happened. Everything had been perfectly

Fine not an hour ago, and now, all the soldiers of the imperial city were lying on the ground, dead and void of life. Meanwhile, the emperor himself had a fate unknown.

The General of the West rapidly arrived, his eyes wide open as if he hadn't blinked a single time.

"What's going on in the city?" the General of the Spear demanded to know.

"They're all dead… everyone, every person of military force is dead. Not even the dogs and cats are alive. And the emperor… he too has perished…" The moment the General of the West's words came out of his mouth, was the same moment that the General of the Spear looked up as he dropped his spear to the ground.

It was a complete and utterly surprising victory for Shen Bao. An entire nation that had stood for thousands of years was taken down not only in a single hour but by a single man, less than an Origin Realm cultivator.

What sort of monster did the heavens send to them? What kind of creation is this being that is simply cackling at the killing of more than millions of soldiers? The thought was overwhelming, and the reality of their situation finally began to sink in.

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