You, a tyrannical ruler, roam the heavens; you cannot understand my joy.

Chapter 61: Shi Wenqing, dead!

"The offensive was fierce, but the speed was a bit lacking."

Shi Wenqing held his knife above his head, sneering mockingly, completely ignoring Lu Zuo's attack.

How could a martial artist forcibly created through unorthodox martial arts be comparable to someone like myself, who has a profound family tradition of martial arts and has cultivated for many years to achieve mastery of the innate realm?

Clang!

The instant his arm was raised, Lu Zuo's Demon Blade Thousand Blades had already slashed at his blade!

In an instant!

Two completely different streams of innate true energy erupted from the point where the blades met!

Shi Wenqing's true energy was sharp and continuous, like a cold tide raging through true energy. Lu Zuo's true energy, on the other hand, was deep, powerful, and fierce, like subterranean fire surging forth.

The two forces, like the flood peaks of the Yellow River, collided head-on at the edge of each other's blades, using the blades as their battlefield, frantically crushing, entangled, and scattering!

The force of the energy rebounded through the weapons, causing the sleeves of the two men to flutter wildly and make a rustling sound, even though there was no wind.

Snap!

The ground beneath their feet could not withstand such immense force and suddenly cracked and sank. Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly from the two of them, instantly expanding to a radius of ten feet!

"With your meager strength?"

Shi Wenqing's eyes widened, and he hissed, "There's no way they can turn things around!"

"Kneel down obediently and continue to be our dogs, how many more good days will you have...?"

Click!

A sharp sound interrupted his words.

The demonic blade Thousand Blades in Lu Zuo's hand suddenly split into two pieces during the stalemate!

The upper half of the blade held firm against Shi Wenqing's blade, but the lower half instantly split and expanded, transforming into a cold gleam that slashed down diagonally!

*Sizzle!*

The dull thud of a sharp blade slicing through flesh and armor was enough to make one's teeth ache.

Although Shi Wenqing darted backward at the last moment, he was still a fraction of a second too late.

The blade had already pierced his left shoulder, tearing through his armor, and slashed down his chest, leaving a deep, bloody gash where the flesh was torn open and the bone was exposed!

Fresh blood gushed out, like a fountain, splashing a crimson stain in the air!

"impossible!"

"How could he possess such strength?"

"besides……"

"What kind of demonic sword is this?"

Tsk!

Just as he was shocked and astonished, Lu Zuo had already lunged forward, his arm swung, and the blade slashed horizontally, slicing open Shi Wenqing's two legs with a sharp whistling sound!

"Aww~~!"

A piercing scream echoed throughout the hall!

Shi Wenqing lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground with a thud.

Blood gushed out wildly from the severed limb, quickly soaking through the bricks and stones beneath him!

His eyes widened, reflecting the figure standing with a knife in his pupils, his eyes filled with endless astonishment.

"snort."

"How dare you be distracted when facing the enemy?"

Lu Zuo snorted coldly.

With a slight flick of his wrist, the half-blade that had separated earlier rolled back as if it were alive, perfectly rejoining the broken blade in his hand, restoring it to a complete thousand-blade weapon.

He stepped forward, placed one foot on Shi Wenqing's chest, and then thrust the knife downwards with a fierce stab!

puff!

The sharp blade precisely pierced Shi Wenqing's right shoulder blade, penetrating the flesh and reaching the bone, pinning him firmly to the cold ground.

"Aww~~!"

A heart-wrenching scream echoed through the hall once more!

Shi Wenqing was in so much pain that his face turned ashen, his features were contorted, and all the muscles in his body were trembling violently!

A strong sense of fear washed over me, and the only thought in my mind was to survive.

"Don't!"

"Don't kill me!"

"I acknowledge you as my master, I will help you deal with Li Cheng'an, I will honor you as the supreme ruler, and with the support of my Shi family, your throne will be even more secure..."

Whoosh!

A flash of cold light streaked across the sky, and the pleas for mercy came to an abrupt halt!

A bloody line suddenly appeared on Shi Wenqing's neck, and then...

Pfft!

A crimson stream of blood spurted out, and a human head detached from the corpse and rolled off.

On the floor tiles, a scalding, glaring crimson spread silently...

"You tortured me to the point of near death, treated me like an animal, and you expect me to let you off the hook?"

If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, and Lu Zuo's urgent need for Shi Wenqing's head to intimidate the Five Cities Army, he would never have let him die so easily!

He stepped forward, picked up Shi Wenqing's head, and kicked open the palace door!

.......

The plaza outside the palace has become a living hell.

The sounds of metal clashing, shouts of killing, the cracking of bones, and the agonizing screams of the dying mingled together.

The Five City Army and the Right Guard Army clashed fiercely, the flashes of swords and spears flickering in the swaying torches, each flash bringing a shower of blood.

Chu Yunlong, his beard and hair bristling, covered in blood and severely wounded in many places, was still fighting desperately. His long sword thrashed like an angry dragon as he beheaded a loyal follower of Shi Wenqing!

Immediately afterwards, several more sharp blades came slashing down!

He spun his blade around and held it horizontally behind his back to block the attack from behind, but he was extremely anxious.

"Is His Majesty not ready yet?"

"If this continues, I, Old Chu, will be finished here..."

The others weren't much better off; some were covered in blood, others had missing arms, but Ren Zhong was the worst off.

He was originally a master above the Innate Realm, but due to severe injuries sustained in a battle, his realm plummeted, and now he is barely at the threshold of the Innate Realm.

Adding to his injuries, he was also targeted by a group of experts. From the very beginning of the battle, he suffered multiple wounds, including having three fingers cut off.

As for the Right Guard Army and the defected Five City Army, most of them were already lying in pools of blood...

After all, Shi Wenqing had too many loyal followers in the Five Cities Army, and there were also quite a few experts among them!

Their overall combat strength far surpasses that of Lu Zuo's side!

"Shi Wenqing has been executed; those who surrender will be pardoned!"

A shout, like a thunderclap, spread across the square in front of the palace, causing the Five Cities Army soldiers who were attacking Ren Zhong and his men to pause in their actions!

Immediately, everyone's eyes turned to look at them.

After a brief silence... a commotion erupted among the troops of the five cities!

"General!"

"General Shi...is he dead?"

A captain's longsword clattered to the ground. His eyes widened, fixed on the still-bleeding head, his lips trembling and turning ashen...

"A Great Completion of the Innate Realm, actually...?"

In this era, rebellion is inherently unsettling and frightening. Now that the leader has died, even these die-hard loyalists cannot help but feel uneasy and fearful.

"The bandit leader has been killed! Whom will you now serve?"

"His Majesty is merciful and, considering that you were misled by Shi Wenqing, has granted you a way out."

"If you don't seize the opportunity!" Ren Zhong, leaning on his knife and spitting out a mouthful of blood, shouted fiercely, "Are you waiting to have your entire family executed?"

The old general's words completely shattered their will to resist.

Thump, thump... Some people knelt down one after another, bowing their heads deeply, and loudly proclaiming their loyalty.

"Long live the Emperor!"

"We swear to serve Your Majesty to the death!"

Then, more voices gathered, and all the soldiers of the five cities knelt on the ground.

call……

Lu Zuo secretly breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally taken the first step.

But the real battle is about to begin!

.......

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Li Cheng'an fought against four opponents, including Zhuge Wuwo, Li Shisan, and two masked women.

"Father-in-law!"