Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 614 He really did it!

The biting wind, like the wailing of a vengeful spirit, raged across the mountaintop, whipping up shards of ice crystals stained with dark red blood and lashing them against Yin Leiling's face.

But he was completely unaware.

A chill a hundred times more biting than the fierce wind on the mountaintop was rising wildly up his spine, instantly freezing his limbs and bones, even his surging blood seemed to solidify into ice shards!

He stood frozen in place, his eyes wide open, his pupils contracting violently from extreme shock, staring intently at the mangled corpse at Liang Jin's feet—Qin Feng!
One of the Four Great Constables who are renowned throughout the world!

One palm!
Just one palm strike!
It's as light and simple as brushing away a speck of dust!
A formidable enemy whom Yin Leiling could not defeat even with all his might, a pillar of the imperial court capable of influencing the entire war—and so it was…

He was casually killed, like a rag doll?!
The enormous cognitive shock was like an invisible giant hammer, slamming hard against Yin Leiling's mental defenses, making him dizzy and his soul tremble!
"No wonder...no wonder he treated the two of us together as nothing..."

"No wonder he's so arrogant..."

Yin Leiling's lips moved unconsciously, her voice dry and hoarse, almost swallowed by the wind.

Liang Jin's seemingly arrogant words and deeds in the past at Yanshan Village flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

That's not the arrogance of the ignorant, but the absolute confidence of someone standing on a cloud, looking down on ants!

The profound mystery of that palm strike was beyond Yin Leiling's comprehension; he couldn't even understand it, let alone defend against it!

That seemingly ordinary print contains a terrifying power capable of collapsing mountains and splitting seas, and reversing life and death!
This is beyond his understanding of martial arts!

"So... what he said all along was true..."

A bittersweet thought exploded in Yin Leiling's mind.

Liang Jin did not deceive them.

However, his level of achievement is something that those like frogs at the bottom of a well can never look up to!

What they saw as a game of chess, Liang Jin saw as nothing more than a game with a predetermined ending.

"Oh!"

Yin Leiling involuntarily took a step back.

The cold rocks hurt his ankles, but that was nothing compared to the maddening fear growing in his heart!
The Liang Jin before him still exuded a restrained aura, like a bottomless, icy pool.

But that invisible sense of oppression, stemming from the difference in their levels of life, was like a physical shackle, tightly gripping his throat and almost suffocating him!
……

the other side.

Qin Feng's broken body knelt helplessly on the cold rock.

The cold wind passed through the horrifyingly large bloody hole in his chest without any obstruction, making a strange "whooshing" sound, and blowing the shattered internal organs cold.

He hung his head with difficulty, his cloudy eyes staring incredulously at his empty chest!

It seems that even now, he still cannot accept this outcome.

The excruciating pain had long since numbed me; in its place came a bone-chilling cold and…

A sense of absurdity.

He dejectedly raised his head, his blood-stained gaze straining to focus on Liang Jin's tall, solitary figure.

A ghastly smile, more painful than a grimace, stretched across his face, as blood mixed with fragments of shattered internal organs spilled from the corners of his mouth.

"Cough cough... So... so... what you said about playing a game of wits and courage with us... was actually true..."

His voice was broken and intermittent, like a dilapidated bellows, each word carrying the hoarse sounds of impending death and a heavy, bloody stench:

"This...this battle...from...from the very beginning...the outcome was already decided..."

In Qin Feng's eyes, there was no longer any of the sharpness of a famous constable or the confidence to control everything; only an overwhelming bitterness and despair remained.

He finally understood that all his painstaking planning, meticulous calculations, and even his proud strategy of "using one tiger to devour another"...

Compared to the absolute power of the man before them, they appeared utterly ridiculous.

He, along with his thousands of troops, was nothing more than a whetstone to sharpen the blunt blade of the Yanshan bandits!
His existence was only to highlight Liang Jin's strength, and only to make those mountain bandits even more devoted to Liang Jin!
An overwhelming sense of humiliation gnawed at his last vestiges of consciousness.

“Song Jiang…”

With his last ounce of strength, Qin Feng stared intently at Liang Jin, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through Liang Jin's skin and see the secrets hidden deep within his soul:
"You...who exactly are you...and what is your background?!"

He let out a hoarse, panting breath, like a dying beast:
"A second-rank...a second-rank martial artist...no...shouldn't be...so...unknown!!!"

This is Qin Feng's last and deepest obsession!

Only a second-rank expert, who is high above and like a god or a demon, could bring a third-rank peak, battle-hardened constable to the brink of death with a single palm strike!

He could never believe, even in his death, that a giant dragon could dwell in this remote and impoverished village of Yanshan!
There are only a handful of people in the world who are of the second rank!

Which one of them wasn't renowned throughout the world and famous in all directions?

Their every move and every action was being watched by countless eyes in the most confidential files of the Six Doors and the Investigation Bureau!

How can an elephant hide in an anthill without leaving a trace?!

Upon hearing this, Yin Leiling, who was standing to the side, was suddenly jolted!
Second rank?!
This word, like a thunderclap, exploded in his mind!

After a brief moment of shock, I felt a sense of relief, as if I had just realized something.

Yes!

If one is not at the second rank, how can one explain everything before their eyes?
The tragic death of Wang Jingchuan, Li Daosheng's desperate escape, the mysterious disappearance of Yan Zi'an and Cen Ruifeng...

All the unbelievable things become perfectly logical in the face of this answer!

His gaze toward Liang Jin held a mixture of awe and an indescribable complexity.

Liang Jin withdrew his gaze from the horrific battlefield below the mountain and landed on Qin Feng's face, which was as pale as paper from excessive blood loss. He shook his head slightly.
"you are wrong."

His voice was calm and even, as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him:

"I am not a second-rank official, but still a third-rank official."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the deepest darkness before dawn:
"As for its origin... you wouldn't believe me even if I told you, so I'd rather not."

Even if such an astonishing and mysterious thing as time travel were told, how many people in this world would believe it?

Moreover, Liang Jin doesn't need to explain himself to anyone.

"Cough...no...impossible..."

Qin Feng coughed violently, blood staining the hole in his chest, his eyes filled with stubborn disbelief.

How could he, a peak third-rank official and one of the Four Great Constables, be so easily defeated by someone of the same rank?!

This overturned his lifelong understanding of martial arts!
His gaze suddenly turned sharp and venomous, fixed intently on Liang Jin:
"Song Jiang...I...I'm not reconciled!!"

He roared with all his might, his voice like the cry of a night owl lamenting blood:

"The God of Catcher... Lord God of Catcher... will surely... avenge me!!!"

Before he could finish speaking, the blood gushing from his mouth and nose suddenly intensified, like a flood that had been released.

He doesn't have much longer to live.

Liang Jin didn't bother to look at Qin Feng any longer; he turned his gaze back to the battlefield below, which resembled a boiling anthill.

Led by Lei Zhen and others, the bandits of Yanshan were like a pack of wolves in dire straits, frantically tearing at the government troops' seemingly unbreakable steel hedgehog formation.

But after a prolonged siege without success, their momentum had been dampened.
Meanwhile, on the western mountain path, the torches of the reinforcements, surging like a river of fire, were rapidly approaching!

A pincer attack is about to take place.

"The time... has come."

Liang Jin whispered, but his voice was carried away by the cold wind.

Keeping Qin Feng, who cannot enter the [Nine Void Boundless Realm] to provide him with martial arts spirit, is of no use.

His value was exhausted by that last palm strike.

Only those like Yan Zi'an and Cen Ruifeng, who can provide martial arts spirit for [Nine Void Boundless], deserve to survive after this war.

Liang Jin could remain indifferent, but Yin Leiling could not!
"The antidote! Where is the antidote?!"

Yin Leiling pounced on Qin Feng's still-warm body like a mad tiger, his hands roughly and frantically groping through his blood-soaked clothes, belt, and lining!

The chilling poison of the Wood God Pill was spreading wildly through his meridians and bone marrow; Capturing the Wind was his only hope!
"Tell me quickly! Where is the antidote?!"

"Speak!"

He grabbed Qin Feng's cold collar and roared hoarsely, his voice filled with urgent madness.

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes.

A surge of energy, like a final burst of life, sustained him.

On his face, which was as pale as paper from excessive blood loss, he managed to squeeze out a bizarre, mocking smile that was even uglier than a cry, with extreme slowness and effort.

His unfocused pupils were fixed on Yin Leiling's face, contorted with fear, his lips moving, spitting out blood and broken words:
"If... you can contend with Song Jiang... I might... spare your life..."

The last glimmer of light in his eyes was filled with deep disappointment and pity, as if mocking Yin Leiling's utter defeat:

"But you... are already... meat on his chopping board..."

"Then... come... accompany me on my journey..."

"When I die... I'll be buried with some third-rank heroes of the greenwood... I won't be lonely on my journey to the underworld..."

He inhaled sharply, a blood-tinged chill rising from his throat, accompanied by a guttural, dying laugh.

"Three hours...you only have...three hours left...ha...hahahaha..."

The maniacal laughter stopped abruptly, like a snapped string on a musical instrument.

Those eyes, which had once seen through countless conspiracies and schemes, quickly dimmed and solidified, eventually losing all their luster.

Qin Feng's head slumped down heavily, and he fell silent.

A renowned constable thus perished atop Yanshan Mountain!
"what--!!!"

Yin Leiling let out a desperate roar like a wounded beast!
He frantically flipped Qin Feng's body over, tearing open every possible layer and every hidden pocket, his hands covered in cold, sticky blood.

However, aside from the tokens and seals symbolizing identity, a few hidden weapons and poisoned needles, and several large silver notes...

Nothing!
Yin Leiling's fury was instantly swallowed up by a chilling despair.

He stopped searching, his hands hanging limply at his sides, staring blankly at Qin Feng's ashen face.

He searched everywhere, but found nothing!

That corrupt official, Qin Feng, was scheming against him until his death!

"Asshole!!!"

Extreme anger and the fear of impending death were like venomous snakes gnawing at his heart. Yin Leiling suddenly raised his palm.

With his inner force surging in his palm, he was about to smash Qin Feng's hateful corpse into mincemeat to vent his anger!
Just then, a gentle yet irresistible suction force appeared out of nowhere.

"call--"

Qin Feng's corpse was lifted into the air by an invisible force and landed steadily in Liang Jin's hands.

"This item is still of use to me."

Liang Jin's voice was flat and emotionless.

Yin Leiling slowly stood up, his blood-stained hands trembling slightly.

This time, the fear in his eyes as he looked at Liang Jin had strangely dissipated by more than half.

What reason would someone have to kill a person who is suffering from an incurable poison and is nearing death?
Despair swept over him like a tidal wave.

That once straight and upright spine now appears somewhat hunched.

He walked to Liang Jin's side, his voice hoarse and weary, carrying a sense of desolation like a hero at the end of his road:

"Song Jiang...why...why did he choose my Yanshan stronghold?"

He finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for so long.

He understood that Liang Jin's scheming target was none other than the business he had painstakingly built up over the years—Yanshan Village!

Liang Jin's gaze remained fixed on the mountainside, the pre-dawn light outlining his cold, hard profile.

"In truth, it was just... a coincidence."

His voice betrayed no emotion.
"In this Changzhou region, although there are many powerful outlaws, there is... no better choice."

It was indeed a coincidence that his clone was born in Changzhou, so it was natural that he would eventually gain power.

Just then, he turned his head slightly and his gaze fell on Yin Leiling's face.

In the dim light of dawn, Yin Leiling's face already had an ominous bluish-gray tinge, especially around the sides of his nose and between his eyebrows, where wisps of eerie black energy slowly moved beneath his skin, like living things!

The poison is extremely potent and has penetrated deep into the body!

There was not a ripple in Liang Jin's eyes.

Detoxification?

It was a piece of cake for him.

As a third-rank martial artist, Yin Leiling is also an excellent source of martial arts spirit for entering the [Nine Void Boundless Realm].

however……

This man is the soul of Yanshan Village!

He is a born tyrant who refuses to be second to anyone!

His very existence is the biggest and irreconcilable obstacle to Liang Jin's complete control of Yanshan Village!

Liang Jin's voice rang out calmly, yet it sounded like a final verdict:

"Chief Yin, you have led Yanshan Village to become the leader of the outlaws in Changzhou, reaching the pinnacle. You have reached the end of this road."

He paused, his gaze deep and unfathomable:
"The road ahead..."

"Then I will go on in your place."

Before he finished speaking, Liang Jin's figure had already floated up from the edge of the cliff like a ghost, carrying Qin Feng's corpse, and flew down the mountain towards the bloody battlefield!

The wind rustled and whispered the fabric of their clothes, like a banner brought down by the Grim Reaper!
Yin Leiling stood alone atop the summit, the cold wind whipping his blood-stained robes.

He stared in the direction where Liang Jin had disappeared, his brows furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with resentment, anger, and a hint of indescribable... bewilderment.

Liang Jin's final words, like a cold verdict, heralded the end of his era.

suddenly!

"Uhhh-!!!"

A heart-wrenching pain erupted from the depths of my internal organs without warning!

Yin Leiling suddenly clutched his chest, his body hunching over violently, and beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead!

The bluish-black color on his face suddenly deepened, like thick ink, and even two lines of thick, foul-smelling black blood slowly flowed down from his nostrils!

The poison has taken effect!
The deadly poison of the Wood God Pill has finally erupted completely!
Yin Leiling endured the inhuman pain, clenching her teeth and making a grinding sound.

He sat cross-legged on the ground, his fingers moving like lightning, swiftly pressing several vital acupoints on his chest, forcibly sealing off his heart meridian!

He tried to lock that rampant, chilling poison power between his chest and abdomen!
"Get out of here!!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a beast-like growl.

He recklessly unleashed his life's power, his mighty and scorching internal energy surging through his meridians like a raging torrent, crashing fiercely against that insidious poison that clung to his very bones!
However, the poison of that Wood Divine Pill is extremely cunning and vicious!
It seems to possess a life of its own, cunningly avoiding the main channels of powerful internal energy, and taking deep root like a maggot clinging to a bone in the subtle meridians and bone marrow that are difficult for internal energy to reach, and even attaching itself to the bones!
Yin Leiling's powerful internal force, capable of splitting stone and shattering monuments, struck it, but it was like a heavy punch hitting cotton, a mud ox sinking into the sea, with very little effect!
On the contrary, forcibly activating his internal energy accelerated the spread of the poison!

once!
twice!

three times!

Yin Leiling's face turned from bluish-black to deathly ashen. Each time he circulated his internal energy to expel the poison, all he got in return was a more severe backlash and a bone-chilling despair!

Sweat mixed with black blood soaked through his clothes.

Finally, he coughed up a mouthful of foul-smelling black blood, his body slumped forward, his hands braced on the ground, and he gasped for breath.

despair!

An endless, chilling despair, like the cold night of Yanshan, completely engulfed him!

The reason he was able to refuse Qin Feng so boldly before was because of his unyielding pride and unwillingness to be controlled by others!
But when death truly bared its cold fangs, enveloping him with an irresistible stench of decay...

Even this "proud and valiant leader" who had spent half his life roaming the greenwood couldn't help but feel a deep-seated sorrow and... an infinite longing for life.

This is the ultimate end for a hero!
……

Battlefield at the foot of the mountain.

The battle has reached its most brutal and intense point!

Blood soaked every inch of the mountain path, reflecting a chilling dark red glow in the deepest darkness before dawn.

Limbs and severed arms were everywhere, and the dying groans and frantic shouts of killing were intertwined.

Led by their leaders Lei Zhen, Zhong Lihan, and Xing Niang, the bandits of Yanshan, like moths drawn to a flame, relentlessly attacked the government troops' defensive formation, which had huddled together like an iron barrel.

The clash of swords against shields and spears created blinding sparks, and each charge was accompanied by the screams of bandits falling to the ground.

They were fearless, but flesh and blood could not ultimately shake the well-trained and well-equipped steel torrent!

Li Muyun sat high on his horse in the center of the army formation.

His stern face showed no sign of panic, only the composure of someone in control of the situation and a hint of smug satisfaction at the impending victory.

His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, sweeping across the battlefield.

Although the bandits' offensive was fierce, they were clearly at their limit, and only a few experts such as Lei Zhen and Zhongli Han were holding on, tearing apart parts of the formation.

Without them, this band of mountain bandits would have been routed long ago!
"A cornered beast's struggle is futile!"

A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Muyun's lips.

at this time!

"Kill them all!!!"

The deafening shouts of battle surged in from the western mountain path like a tsunami!

Countless torches converged into a moving sea of ​​fire, illuminating the winding mountain road!
The main force of the Western Route Army has finally arrived!

"Reinforcements have arrived!!"

Li Muyun was greatly encouraged.

He suddenly drew his sword, its gleaming blade pointing straight to the sky, his voice booming like thunder, instantly drowning out the clamor of the battlefield:
"The bandits are already trapped! Soldiers, follow me—annihilate the remaining enemy!"

The officers and soldiers, who already had the advantage, were instantly boosted in morale upon seeing the arrival of reinforcements!

"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!"

A deafening cheer resounded through the sky!
On the other hand, everyone on the Yanshan bandit side felt their hearts sink to the bottom! The surging sea of ​​fire was like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely crushing their remaining fighting spirit and hope!
An atmosphere of despair spread like a plague among the bandits.

Many people's hands, gripping their weapons, began to tremble. Their eyes were filled with fear and confusion, and their feet involuntarily moved backward.

The defeat seems inevitable!
Seizing the opportunity, Li Muyun swung his longsword forward with a fierce shout, his voice carrying the authority and unquestionable authority of a victor:
"Listen up, all you thieves! Anyone who lays down their weapons and surrenders—will not be killed!"

Those who stubbornly resist—leave no one alive!

Upon hearing this, the officers and soldiers roared angrily at the bandits in unison:

Those who surrender will not be killed!!!

Those who surrender will not be killed!!!

Those who surrender will not be killed!!!

Thousands of officers and soldiers roared in unison, their voices like tangible shockwaves, one after another, echoing and overlapping wildly in the valley!
This oppressive sound wave, like an invisible hammer, slammed into the hearts of every bandit leader!
The bandits' formation began to crumble and collapse, and a cloud of despair enveloped everyone.

They looked at the densely packed, gleaming spear tips all around them, at the ever-approaching shield formations that resembled an impregnable wall, and at the ever-closer sea of ​​fire from the western reinforcements…

The will to resist is crumbling at an alarming rate!
suddenly!

"Boom——!!!"

A deep, thunderous bell rang out!

The sound waves from the giant bell temporarily drowned out the shouts of the officers and soldiers!
Zhongli Han carried the huge bronze bell and slowly walked out with Lei Zhen.

Lei Zhen stood at the forefront like an iron tower, covered in blood, looking like a mad tiger!
He surveyed the pale, desperate faces around him, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse yet carrying a desperate resolve:

"Fight to the death—never retreat!!!"

These four words, as if imbued with magic, instantly ignited the remaining sparks!
Xingniang also stepped out from the crowd.

A deep, bone-revealing wound was slashed open on her left arm by a spear, and blood soaked half of her clothes. Her face was pale, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness!

She staggered a step, standing beside Lei Zhen, her blood-stained longsword pointing directly at the soldiers ahead. Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears:

"From the day I picked up the knife, I never thought of begging for mercy from the government!"

"You expect me to bow down to these bloodthirsty government dogs?! Dream on!"

"Today, we fight to the death! We will not retreat!"

Her words were calm, yet more powerful than any roar.

Women's courage and spirit surpass even that of men!

If a woman can be like this, what are men afraid of?!
Many of the bandits who had initially retreated felt a burning sensation on their faces as they looked at Xingniang's thin yet resolute back. A long-lost sense of courage struggled to resurface from their numb flesh and blood.

"Damn it! My Black Jade Village was slaughtered by these corrupt officials! So many brothers' bones are still buried under the village walls!"

"They even tried to destroy Yanshan today! I'd rather die than swallow this insult!"

Dong Xiong roared, ripped open his tattered shirt to reveal a hideous old scar on his chest, and pushed his way through the crowd like a raging bear:

"I'll fight them to the death! A fight to the last man!!!"

E'xuan followed closely behind:

"Fight to the death and never retreat!"

This taciturn man now had a burning flame of determination in his eyes!
One, two, three... More and more leaders, junior leaders, and even ordinary bandits were infected by this tragic and tragic atmosphere!

Fear did not disappear, but a force more powerful than fear ignited in the ashes of despair!

It was the madness of being driven to the brink, the final defense of one's homeland, and the dignity of not wanting to show weakness in front of one's comrades.

"Fight to the death, never retreat!!!"

"Fight to the death, never retreat!!!"

"Fight to the death, never retreat!!!"

A roar as powerful as a mountain collapsing and a tsunami erupted from the remaining ranks of the Yanshan bandits!
The voice was hoarse and tragic, yet it carried a fierce and desperate spirit, like the final howl of a wounded wolf pack!
They completely drowned out and dispersed the officers' and soldiers' unified shouts of "Those who surrender will not be killed!"
The invisible fighting spirit, like a tangible barrier, has been re-formed!
The officers and soldiers, who were preparing to launch their final charge, were startled by the sudden, death-inducing roar!
Looking at those bandits covered in blood, with ferocious faces and eyes flashing with madness, a chill crept up my spine.

Even a cornered beast will fight back fiercely!
"Stubborn and obstinate! They're courting death!"

Li Muyun's face turned ashen, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent! He absolutely could not allow this arrogance to continue!
"All troops, listen to my command! Change formation—annihilation!"

"Leave no one alive—kill them all!!!"

The command flags waved, and the drums and gongs sounded in unison!
The soldiers' defensive circular formation instantly began to operate like a giant machine!
The shield wall cracked open, and countless spears, gleaming with a cold light, emerged like venomous snakes!

The archers behind them drew their bows to their fullest extent once again!

The troops from the east and west routes completely merged, like two surging iron torrents, launching a final and devastating crushing charge against the remnants of the Yanshan bandits who were surrounded in the core and were like an isolated island!

The encirclement was rapidly shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The stench of death was so thick it was suffocating!
At that critical moment, when the bandits of Yanshan were about to be completely submerged and swallowed up—

A voice, like a dragon's roar from the heavens, pierced through the deafening battle cries and resounded clearly in the ears of everyone on the battlefield:

"Qin Feng is dead!"

"You lot, why don't you surrender?!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a kind of majesty and coldness that struck straight to the soul!
"Song Jiang?!"

Li Muyun trembled violently, as if struck by a thunderbolt!
He looked up abruptly, staring in utter horror at the night sky where the sound was coming from!

As dawn broke in the east, a figure descended like a deity, slowly emerging from the deep night!
He hovered in the void three zhang above the army formation, his robes fluttering and rustling!
The first light of dawn outlined a hazy halo behind him, looking down at the creatures below who were fighting like ants!
It’s Liang Jin!

His gaze was indifferent, as if he were looking down at dust.

With a casual wave of his arm—

"Bang!!!"

With a dull thud, something crashed heavily onto the open ground in front of Li Muyun's horse, like a meteorite!

The thick ground was smashed into a shallow crater, and smoke and dust filled the air!

Li Muyun and all the soldiers around him instinctively looked at the falling object with apprehension.

The smoke and dust dissipated slightly.

A mangled corpse with a horrifying bloody hole through its chest came into view!
That familiar black official robe, symbolizing the supreme power of the Six Doors, that pale face frozen with horror and resentment...

"Capture...capture Lord Feng?!?"

"It's the famous constable!!!"

"Oh my god! The master... the master is dead?!"

A plague-like fear instantly erupted among the officers and soldiers!

Exclamations, gasps, and the clanging of weapons falling from hands to the ground rose and fell in waves!
Countless eyes were fixed on the corpse, filled with unbelievable horror and... a tremendous fear of faith collapsing!
Their commander!
Their pillar of strength!
He... died?!

And the manner of his death was so gruesome?!
Li Muyun felt her brain go blank with a "buzz"!
My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and it almost stopped beating!

Lord Qinfeng... how long have you been on the mountain?!
How can it be? !
A bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, completely freezing and shattering all his confidence and assurance of victory!
With Qin Feng dead, the morale of the army... collapsed!
However, the shock was far from over!

"Boo! Hah! Hah!"

Several dark figures shot out from the wide-open gate of Yanshan Village like ghosts and landed steadily in front of the two armies!
They were shrouded in wide black robes, exuding a chilling aura.

The leader suddenly flung open the lid of a huge wooden crate he was carrying on his shoulder!

Under the watchful eyes of countless people filled with astonishment and uncertainty, the two unconscious and weak figures were lifted out of the box by the man in black robes as if they were chicks!
"Lord Yan... Lord Yan?!"

"Old Master Cen?!"

"It's the commander-in-chief of the Western Route Army!!"

"Oh my god! They...they were arrested too?!"

……

An even greater uproar swept through the entire officer and soldier camp like a tsunami!
If Qin Feng's death was a bolt from the blue, then the appearance of Yan Zi'an and Cen Ruifeng completely shattered the last psychological defenses of all the officers and soldiers!

Their top-tier ally, on whom they placed such high hopes, has already become a prisoner of the enemy?!

All the scheming, all the reliance, seemed so ridiculous and hopeless at this moment!

"It's over...it's all over..."

Li Muyun's face was ashen, her lips trembling as she muttered to herself.

He seemed to have all his strength drained away in an instant, and even the fingers gripping the knife hilt were trembling uncontrollably.

As if to confirm his deepest fear—

"call!"

Another figure landed heavily not far from Liang Jin, accompanied by the sound of wind breaking!
It was Yin Leiling, whose face was ashen and whose breathing was unsteady, yet he still managed to stand up!

Song Jiang and Yin Leiling, two top-ranking martial arts masters, have made a joint appearance!
As for our side... three top combatants, one dead and two captured!
despair!

Like an icy tide, it instantly overwhelmed the hearts of every officer and soldier!
Suspended in mid-air, Liang Jin was like a god who controlled life and death.

His cold gaze swept over the dark, chaotic, and fearful army below, and his voice, as cold as ice, resounded once more:
"Don't surrender!"

"Such a fate awaits this scoundrel!"

Before he finished speaking, a terrifying pressure, as vast as an abyss and as cold as ice, erupted from Liang Jin like an invisible curtain, instantly enveloping the entire battlefield!
This is not internal force oppression, but a soul pressure that originates from a higher level of life and is as tangible as a physical force!
"Ugh!"

"Pfft!"

The hundreds of officers and soldiers closest to the scene felt their blood freeze instantly and their hearts be gripped by an invisible giant hand under this sudden and irresistible pressure!
Those with weak wills screamed in agony, spitting out blood and collapsing to the ground!

Many others were frozen in place, their faces ashen, their teeth chattering, and they instantly lost the strength to grip their weapons!

The entire army formation instantly fell into a deathly silence, filled with suffocating fear!

Liang Jin slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread, towards the densest area of ​​the military formation below, seemingly casually—

Press down with one palm!
There was no earth-shattering momentum.

Only an invisible, yet seemingly overwhelming force capable of crushing mountains, descended from the sky!

“Boom——!!!!!”

A dull, heart-stopping bang suddenly exploded!

The ground beneath Liang Jin's palm felt as if it had been trampled by the foot of an invisible giant!
The hard rock cracked and collapsed instantly!
A terrifyingly deep pit, several meters in diameter, suddenly appeared!
The hundreds of soldiers in and around the pit didn't even have time to scream before they were thrown out like leaves caught in a whirlwind, screaming, tumbling, and violently flung away by the force!
Severed limbs and broken armor and weapons flew everywhere!
Blood splattered like a fountain at the bottom of the pit and around it!

Smoke and dust, mixed with a strong stench of blood, shot into the sky!

With the power of a single palm strike, flesh and blood flew everywhere, leaving hundreds either dead or maimed!
What terrifying power this is!
This is simply beyond human capability!

This is divine punishment! It's divine retribution!

Faced with absolute, overwhelming power, all will to resist is reduced to dust!

How is this played?
Li Muyun stared blankly at the scene before her, which resembled a hellish inferno.

Amidst the billowing smoke and dust, the enormous crater resembled the gaping maw of a demon, swallowing hundreds of lives.

Limbs and severed arms were scattered all around, and the dying groans were like a lament from hell.

His once-proud military formation proved as fragile as paper in the face of absolute power.

What he found most frustrating was that he had been defeated by this person twice...

The first time, their supplies were stolen, and they lost face completely.

This time, the entire army was routed, and the commander-in-chief perished...

The intense sense of defeat and helplessness instantly eroded all his pride and fighting spirit.

Everything before my eyes lost its color, leaving only a despairing grayness.

"Bang!"

A crisp sound of gold and iron sounded.

The long sword that Li Muyun had once wielded with his dreams of achieving great deeds fell limply from his hand, crashing onto the cold rock with a hollow echo.

He slowly raised his head, looking at the figure in the sky that resembled a demon god, his lips trembling violently.

Then he looked at all the officers and soldiers.

Everyone was panicked and filled with anxiety.

Li Muyun knew that if the fighting continued, it would only cause these thousands of fine young men to lose their lives in vain.

Now that he's the commander, some decisions have to be made by him, and some of the blame has to be borne by him...

finally.

All the humiliation, resentment, and fear transformed into a hoarse, choked cry that echoed desperately across the deathly silent battlefield:
"surrender……"

"We...surrender!!!"

Li Muyun's hoarse, tearful surrender voice, like the last spark falling into a boiling oil pan, instantly ignited the remaining silence on the battlefield.

However, this seemingly final declaration ignited an even more intense fire of chaos within the ranks of officers and soldiers.

Some officers and soldiers were not convinced and wanted to fight to the death.

Many officers and soldiers completely broke down, crying out in grief.

However, many more soldiers were like puppets whose souls had been completely ripped out.

They remained silent, blankly dropping the spears and broadswords they held.

Bang bang bang...

The sounds of metal hitting the ground echoed repeatedly.

Their heads hung low, their eyes staring blankly at the trampled, filthy land beneath their feet, soaked in the blood of their comrades.

We lost, we lost completely.

The once high morale of the troops has now vanished like ashes extinguished by a torrential rain, leaving not even a last spark.

They were defeated roosters... no, more like lambs to the slaughter.

Under the crushing force of absolute power, all spirit and dignity were lost, leaving only the numbness of surviving a catastrophe and an unfathomable weariness.

In stark contrast, on the other side, the Yanshan bandits were fanatical!
All the bandits of Yanshan, whether their leaders were covered in blood and had broken bones, or their henchmen were disheveled and had childish faces.

They were all frozen in place at that moment.

They all tilted their heads back in unison, almost frantically!

Countless gazes, burning with intense passion and filled with complex emotions, were fixed on the figure suspended in mid-air!
He stood suspended in mid-air, his dark robes fluttering in the first rays of dawn.

The dawn light outlined his towering, mountain-like silhouette, beneath which lay the wrecked battlefield craters and the routed soldiers, all created by his palm strike.

The cold wind whipped up smoke and swept past him, but it did not shake him in the slightest.

This man...this man named Song Jiang!
He said it! He promised it!

He said he would help them survive!
He said he wanted to defeat the officers and soldiers and win the victory!

In that final moment when they were almost completely swallowed by despair, it was the last straw they grasped!

then……

He did it! He did it miraculously!
That night, he led them to turn the tide of the battle.

He reversed the situation and killed the famous constable Qin Feng on the mountaintop. At this moment, he was like a god descending to earth, settling the fate of the world with a single palm!

He turned the impossible into the possible!

From some unknown corner, from some bandit whose voice was hoarse and whose body was utterly exhausted, with the last breath of his lungs, he uttered that name etched deep into his soul:
"Song Jiang!!!"

The sound was faint, yet clear.

Like a spark falling into endless withered grass!
next second!
boom! ! !
The entire remnant of the Yanshan bandits erupted!

That wasn't just a simple cheer; it was a cathartic outpouring of faith, like a torrent, after being suppressed to the extreme!
It was a roar of ecstatic joy after surviving a desperate situation!

It is the worship that the soul has found its final refuge in!

"Song Jiang!!!!"

"Song Jiang!!!!"

"Song Jiang!!!!"

……

Every throat is roaring! Every chest is trembling!
Thousands of voices converged into a deafening roar!
This roar was filled with the most primal and intense gratitude, reverence, fervor, and unwavering belief in following to the death!
Like a thunderclap from the heavens, it rolled wildly among the peaks of Yanshan, making the eardrums of the remaining officers and soldiers buzz!

Enduring!

At this moment, in the eyes of every bandit leader, the figure of the man hovering between the shattered battlefield and the dawn sky, outlined by the hazy morning light, was no longer an ordinary person!

He is the god who brings victory and life!
It is the embodiment of a god who can tear apart all darkness and give them boundless courage and supreme power!
But in the dark corners where this almost frenzied torrent of faith cannot be washed away...

Yin Leiling leaned against a cold, blood-stained rock, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The eerie bluish-black color on his face deepened and spread as if it were alive, even faintly revealing a deathly purplish hue.

Below his nose, a thick, ink-like stream of blood meandered uncontrollably, dripping onto the knuckles of his tightly clenched fist, cold and sticky.

He watched all of this silently...

He clearly saw the unprecedented radiance on Xingniang's face, a radiance imbued with faith.

Seeing Lei Zhen's eyes redden with emotion.

Seeing Dong Xiong waving his severed arm and roaring wildly.

Seeing the undisguised, almost fanatical worship on the faces of countless bandits...

All of this should have belonged to Yin Leiling!

He was once the uncrowned king of the green trails of this land!

He once made these unruly people bow down and submit!
At that moment, an overwhelming sense of sorrow welled up in his heart.

Liang Jin was high above, radiating brilliance, while he himself was already on the verge of death and could no longer contend with him.

He gazed at the frenzy, his lips moving silently, uttering only a faint breath, so faint it was almost inaudible even to himself, carrying a metallic, sweet, and rusty smell:

"Ah……"

A bitter laugh, carrying with it the endless sorrow and resignation of a hero's end and the curtain falling.

He knew that his name, along with the many past events that led to the founding of Yanshan Village, would be completely crushed and buried by this new, godlike power.

The path of Yanshan Village was ultimately no longer one he could lead...

(End of this chapter)