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

Puff puff puff~~!

Just as half of the Thousand Blade pierced Shen Xun's throat, hundreds of fragments of the Demon Blade spun and pierced into his body, then emerged from his body, leaving streaks of crimson blood!

Shen Xun stopped moving abruptly, his eyes wide open, staring at Lu Zuo in disbelief.

"No...it's impossible..."

Bang!

Lu Zuo kicked Shen Xun in the chest, sending him flying. At the same time, he pulled out half of the Thousand Blade and flicked his wrist, causing all the scattered fragments to roll back and reassemble the blade.

thump...

The instant the thousand blades were assembled, Shen Xun crashed heavily more than twenty feet away, his eyes still wide open, blood gushing from his mouth.

Wow, what amazing swordsmanship...

Yes!

The battles between martial artists involve skill, realm, techniques, experience, reaction to the enemy, aura, state of mind, and so on...

These are all key factors in determining victory or defeat!

Not only is his skill level higher than mine, but his moves, aura, and mindset are also far superior to mine!

As his last thought vanished, Shen Xun was completely lifeless.

"The...the commander-in-chief is dead..."

"The commander-in-chief is dead!"

Some of the Dongyang soldiers who were still charging into battle noticed what was happening here and immediately stopped, staring blankly in this direction.

"The commander-in-chief is dead!"

"The commander-in-chief is dead!"

Immediately, one soldier after another stopped their charge and stared in astonishment at the body that was still bleeding profusely.

next moment!

A sense of panic surged and spread rapidly within the Dongyang army...

The once disciplined and imposing military formation now seemed to have lost its backbone, and its momentum collapsed abruptly.

"run!"

Someone let out a soft cry, which, though not loud, was like a thunderclap in the ranks of the Dongyang army!

"Run!"

"The commander-in-chief is dead! Run!"

While the Dongyang army at the front was still charging forward, the army formation at the rear had already collapsed and fallen into chaos, disintegrating like a dam being breached by a flood.

The scene was one of utter chaos!

Armor clashed, men and horses fell, weapons were scattered haphazardly, and banners lay limp on the ground, only to be trampled by countless panicked feet...

Once the soldiers at the front realized what was happening and began to flee in all directions, the outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt.

Looking at the chaotic scene before him, Lu Zuo murmured, "No wonder in ancient wars, the outcome was decided as soon as the commander-in-chief died..."

He thought that even if he killed Shen Xun, there would still be a fierce battle! A tough fight ahead!

Unexpectedly...

Could it really end like this?

He looked at the long sword in his hand and muttered to himself, "No wonder when two armies clash in this world, the commander-in-chief is always surrounded by many guards."

"Either hide in the army formation and don't let anyone discover the commander's identity."

"A master who has achieved the Three Elements Grand Perfection is enough to decide the outcome of a battle!"

"So..."

Lu Zuo looked up to the north: "I hope there's nothing wrong with Ren Zhong's side?"

The Northern Sui Dynasty had many masters. Although there were only one or two who achieved the Three Realms in the court, there were several in Cihang Jingzhai and Jingnian Chan Sect!

"never mind."

"The war over there should have already started by now, so there's no point in worrying."

"Moreover, Ren Zhong is a veteran of the battlefield and should know how to protect himself."

"Once I advance to the Great Perfection of the Three Elements, the news of the defeat of the Dongyang army will spread, and the Northern Sui will naturally withdraw its troops."

Thinking of this, he turned to Zhu Yuyan and asked, "Are you alright?"

Zhu Yuyan shook her head, then suddenly her eyes sharpened, and she pointed into the distance, shouting urgently, "They are also Three-Element Masters! Don't let them escape!"

"Although the Dongyang army has been routed, its numbers remain!"

"If we were to get them to regroup..."

Whoosh!

Before Zhu Yuyan could finish speaking, Lu Zuo shot out, heading straight for Snake Bone Granny, Blood Child, and Ghost Lord.

"No, Your Majesty! We are willing..."

Whoosh!

A flash of cold light streaked across the sky, and the Ghost King was decapitated!

Snake Bone Granny's expression changed drastically, and she quickened her pace. Before the sports car could take more than ten steps, Lu Zuo stabbed her in the back with a knife!

The last remaining Blood Child was also caught by Lu Zuo's Demon Blade Thousand Blades.

Soon after, they fell on the battlefield, following the Snake Bone Granny and the Ghost Elder...

.......

"They've already fled?"

On the high-rise building, Fan Qinghui, watching the battle, looked unwilling: "If we continue to fight, we might still win!"

"Isn't Shen Xun known for his skillful leadership?"

"Is this what you call effective leadership?"

"The defeat was too complete and too easy, wasn't it?"

Bi Xiuxin sighed, "Don't forget, they are rebels. They have no moral high ground. It's normal for them to collapse immediately if they show any signs of defeat."

"not to mention……"

"The Dongyang Army dared to follow Shen Xun in rebellion mainly because he had achieved the Three Realms Great Accomplishment."

Fan Qinghui's face was deathly pale, and her voice trembled with tears: "Then does that mean I have to continue feeding the demon with my own body?"

Bi Xiuxin looked at Zhu Yuyan on the battlefield: "It's not just you!"

"well……"

Fan Qinghui sighed, "I'll head back to the prefect's residence now..."

……

As soon as the Dongyang army began its retreat, the Shenwu Battalion mobilized its entire force to pursue and kill the fleeing soldiers and expand its gains.

Seeing that the situation was settled, Yang Guang and the scholar in white hurriedly left the place and headed back towards the Sui Dynasty.

From then on, Lu Zuo was able to establish himself and have a basic territory of his own.

However, the threats from the six great families and the Sui Dynasty still exist.

"There's still a long way to go before you become a ruler who brings about the downfall of his kingdom..."

He looked at the fleeing Dongyang army in the distance, muttered something to himself, and then turned and walked towards Nantong City.

The outcome was already decided; there was no need for him to join the pursuit.

Rather than adding to the bloodshed, let the Divine Martial Camp pursue and incorporate them.

……

Meanwhile, in another place.

Xiang Juntong, the leader of the Ironclad Sect, was still lecturing Jiang Che and the others.

"Shen Xun of Dongyang has already reached the Great Perfection of the Three Elements; Nantong can be defeated with a flick of his finger. You are going to your deaths!"

"Besides, even if this foolish emperor accepts the offer, the Sui Dynasty will eventually swallow it up!"

"Who does he think he is?"

"Just a muddle-headed, incompetent ruler, destined to bring about the downfall of his kingdom!"

"Serve him and achieve great things?"

"You've driven yourselves to your doom!"

"Rather than following a deposed monarch to his death, it's better to join the Sui army..."

At this point, Xiang Juntong sighed deeply: "I, your teacher, also come from a humble background, and I also yearn to achieve great things."

"But he... was just an incompetent ruler!"

"It shouldn't be, and it doesn't deserve to be..."

Before he could finish speaking, a frantic cry suddenly came from afar: "Master! Master!"

"The battle for Nantong has concluded!"

Looking up, I saw a disciple of the Iron Art Sect rushing towards me at high speed.

Xiang Juntong withdrew his gaze, turned around and glared at Jiang Che and the others: "Look! Look!"

"If you go, wouldn't you be keeping them company...?"

Just then, the messenger arrived nearby, panting, and cried out, "Master...Master!"

"The emperor killed Shen Xun, and the Dongyang army fled in all directions."

"The imperial court has won this battle!"

what?

Xiang Juntong stood there dumbfounded!

Jiang Che and the others, who had been hanging their heads and being scolded, all opened their eyes wide and looked at the fellow disciple who had brought the news.

"real?"

"Absolutely true!"

"For some reason, the emperor advanced to the Three Elements Great Perfection and killed Shen Xun in just a few rounds."

"With Shen Xun's death, the morale of the Dongyang army collapsed, and they fled on the spot..."

"oops!"

Jiang Che slapped his thigh hard: "Master, you've ruined our important mission!"

The opportunity to make a name for oneself was just around the corner, but neither he nor his fellow disciples participated in the crucial battle.

Where will he be reused in the future?

The emperor might even think he's playing both sides, only showing himself up to fight after the outcome of the battle has been decided.

We, from humble backgrounds, have waited for so many years for this opportunity!

You've squandered it all!

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