Excessive ferocity due to caution

"No way...no way...could all twelve Sovereigns really have been wiped out?!"

"Shocking! The Demon Zhao Yi actually fought twelve Sovereigns single-handedly and wiped them all out!"

"The four great clans of the capital... have fallen!"

"Mom! I want to move! It's terrifying!"

"Tsk tsk, what Lu family, what Li family... They bragged like they were invincible, but they got beaten to a pulp. It's laughable!"

"I really... four bombs plus a King, I just can't figure out how they lost!"

...

Finally, under the powerful influence of public opinion, the people of the capital finally believed that the four clans of the capital had suffered a crushing defeat in their siege of Zhao Yi!

All the rulers have perished in battle!

Those who followed from the capital were all massacred; not a single one survived!

This news not only brought them immense shock, but also fear.

In their eyes, Zhao Yi was nothing more than a cruel and powerful clown.

Even though Zhao Yi had accomplished many great things in the past, he was still within the realm of "human".

But this time... is different from before.

What Zhao Yi did has completely exceeded the comprehension of normal people.

The people in the capital could rack their brains trying to figure out how Zhao Yi escaped, but their limited imaginations simply couldn't fathom how those twelve rulers... were killed by Zhao Yi.

This should have been a close battle.

In a short time, amidst public opinion and the extremely unreasonable outcome, Zhao Yi's image became increasingly terrifying in the minds of the citizens...

The capital city mobilized such a powerful force to besiege Zhao Yi, and now they have been wiped out. Do you think Zhao Yi will let them go?

Of course not!

That terrifying fellow will surely come to the capital with a heart full of revenge!

At that time, the capital city will likely be stained with blood!

"How terrifying! The demon has returned, and a new catastrophe is about to unfold!"

"Is the capital city... no longer safe?"

"Where is the Human Federation headed?"

"Unite! Down with Zhao Yi!"

"That's hilarious! All twelve Sovereigns died at his hands, and now the four major families don't dare utter a sound. I heard that a major upheaval has begun within the Qin family; it seems they're about to divide up the family fortune!"

"Damn it... just what kind of monster is that Zhao Yi? He's so terrifying!"

"It's said that he's not alone; he also has a mysterious force under his command called... Jie Sect. It's quite frightening."

"..."

Online, all sorts of rumors began to spread along with fear.

Meanwhile, undercurrents were also surging in the capital.

Inside the Qin family compound, the knife-wielder raised and lowered his blade.

Human heads and hot blood were spilled.

Qin Qiu stared expressionlessly at the Qin family's ruins scattered across the land.

This time, his eyes were no longer cloudy at all.

What he was holding in his arms was Qin Zheng's memorial tablet.

Screams echoed throughout the Qin family compound. Someone, dragging half their body, crawled on the ground towards Qin Qiu, reaching out their hand and opening their mouth wide.

Qin Qiu just stared at them coldly, without saying a word.

"Qin Qiu..."

"If you do this, the ancestors of the Qin family will never forgive you!"

"I curse you to remain stubbornly unrepentant in the deepest hell!"

"Qin Qiu, you traitor to the Qin family!!"

"I am also an elder of the Qin family, how dare you?! How dare you!!"

"..."

Hearing the curses around him, Qin Qiu's expression remained unchanged, standing like a stone statue in the wind, watching as one person after another fell into a pool of blood.

The executioner standing nearby glanced at Qin Qiu, his tone slightly hesitant:

"Elder..."

"How many people do we need to kill?"

Qin Qiu replied:

"half."

The executioner glared:

"Kill, kill so many?"

"Wouldn't that mean... the Qin family would suffer a great loss?"

Qin Qiu glanced at him:

"Wasn't that their choice?"

"The patriarch is absolutely right."

"Look at the Qin family now... This isn't destruction."

"This is a new beginning."

After a pause, Qin Qiu continued:

"Things here are almost done..."

"I need to go find someone. You can handle the rest yourselves. The Jie Sect will come to check on the situation later."

His figure disappeared from the spot, leaving behind a bewildered executioner.

They didn't know what Qin Qiu was going to do.

But they will not disobey Qin Qiu.

I looked up and glanced at it.

The Qin family... has been stained red with blood.

...

The Lü family.

Lu Mingbing sat down in his seat in his room, trembling.

He stared intently at the patterns on the granite ground, lost in thought.

Since returning, he has locked himself in this room, refusing to see anyone or even breathe loudly.

My whole body was already soaked in cold sweat.

His attention was still on the deep forest outside the abandoned city a few days ago.

Lu Mingbing witnessed firsthand how those rulers died...

Especially when Feng Nan tore the three sovereigns of the Lü family to pieces along with their weapons, he felt as if his whole world had collapsed!

How could someone who has only recently entered the Dominator Realm be so strong?

When he fled, Feng Nan glanced at him.

That one glance plunged Lü Mingbing into a nightmare!

That look in her eyes...it was terrifying!

It was that look in his eyes that made Lü Mingbing realize that Feng Nan didn't kill him because he never considered him an opponent.

But just because Fengnan didn't kill him doesn't mean Zhao Yi won't.

The two belong to the same camp.

Therefore, Lü Mingbing knew that it was only a matter of time before they came to him.

Without the protection of the ruler, it's no use where he escapes to...

He's going to die!

But Lü Mingbing... didn't want to die!

His eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze drifted with his disheveled hair.

Why...?

Why did I lose?

"I shouldn't have lost!"

"He was just a guy from the countryside, with no background, no connections, nothing at all..."

Why did I lose to him?

Why...?

Lu Mingbing's breathing became increasingly heavy.

"I shouldn't have lost... I had no reason to lose!"

Just as he was muttering to himself, the tightly closed door suddenly opened.

Blinding starlight shone in.

Lu Mingbing was startled, his bloodshot eyes lifting to look at the doorway:

"Who?!"

"Didn't you say you wouldn't see anyone?"

He focused his mind slightly, but his pupils suddenly contracted.

Lu Mingbing saw a strange, dark figure standing outside the door...

...

"It's...you?!"

Upon recognizing the person who had approached, Lü Mingbing trembled violently.

"it's me."

The person entered the house.

He was completely wrapped in a black robe, exuding a dangerous aura.

"You look like you're in a really bad state right now."

Lu Mingbing gritted his teeth and said coldly:

"You're probably not much better off!"

"We finally managed to sneak in, and now two cultists at the Sovereign Realm have died."

The man in black robes did not seem to mind Lü Mingbing's attack.

"You look no different from a stray dog ​​on the roadside, about to starve to death, yet barking at passersby who try to give you alms."

"X-0... Zhao Yi will definitely come back to find you after he takes care of his affairs."

"You're dead."

Lü Mingbing clenched his fists tightly:

"Did you come here just to mock me?"

The man in black robes said calmly:

"I'm not that bored."

"I came here just to see your will to survive."

"But it seems that your will to survive isn't very strong."

Lu Mingbing remained silent for a while, then slightly adjusted his attitude:

"Can you save me?"

The man in black robes:

"cooperate."

"I am very disappointed in the Li family."

"But the great cause of the church cannot be delayed."

"If you're willing to cooperate with me, I have a way to save your life."

Upon hearing that there was a possibility of survival, Lü Mingbing's heart skipped a beat.

"How do we cooperate?"

The man in the black robe pursed his lips.

No sound.

But in Lü Mingbing's mind, his voice rang out.

After hearing this, Lü Mingbing's eyes widened.

"No...impossible!"

"If I'm discovered, I'm dead!"

The man in black robes sneered:

"Mr. Lü, it seems you haven't quite grasped your current situation."

Do you feel you still have a choice?

"This defeat of yours has directly cut off your and the church's escape route in the capital!"

"If you cooperate with us, you still have a chance to survive."

"Or... you can just wait for Zhao Yi to come and settle things with you!"

Lü Mingbing's breathing became heavier.

"He wouldn't dare kill me..."

"I've already been to the Lü family's forbidden area and consulted with the elders at Tianhai Pass. They'll be sending people back soon to deal with that damned monster Zhao Yi!"

"The seniors possess great magical powers; they can definitely defeat Zhao Yi!"

The man in black robes looked at Lü Mingbing with a hint of mockery.

"As the head of the Lü family, you still can't see that you truly look like a stray dog!"

"Without the tacit approval of those old fogies at Tianhai Pass, do you really think Zhao Yi would dare to be so ruthless towards the four major families?"

"Without their help, would Zhao Yi have been able to understand our movements so quickly and make preparations in advance?"

"Don't be silly!"

"From the very beginning, you were just sacrifices abandoned by those old fogies at Tianhai Pass!"

"They don't care about your lives at all, and you're still foolishly working for them, being sold out and still helping them count the money."

"Poor thing..."

Lu Mingbing's body trembled violently, and he tried to speak, but he couldn't utter a single word.

indeed.

None of this makes sense.

Without someone supporting them, how could the Qin and Jiang families have taken such a huge risk to fight to the death with the Lü and Li families for the sake of Zhao Yi, an outsider?

"Have you figured it out?"

"The four major families have long been abandoned by those old fogies at Tianhai Pass. This time, they are just using Zhao Yi to get rid of all the trash you've been discarded."

He kept brainwashing Lü Mingbing, trying to turn this man on the verge of collapse into his own pawn.

As Lü Mingbing listened to the man in black robes, a look of madness gradually appeared in the depths of his eyes...

...

"Master, Qin Qiu says that Lü Mingbing has gone missing."

Zhao Yi arrived at the Qin family's residence, which had already undergone a complete overhaul.

Wu Liang directed many assassins to clean up the corpses and reported Qin Qiu's instructions to Zhao Yi.

The latter was not surprised.

Wu Liang looked at Zhao Yi, who was deep in thought, and asked curiously:

"It seems the cult leader has already guessed?"

Zhao Yi shook his head:

"I just suddenly realized something."

"What is it?"

"After the collapse of the four major families, the Skull Church will inevitably have to find a new owner."

Zhao Yi's eyes flickered:

"At first, I thought their target would be the Fifth Federation."

"But now I've discovered that those people in the Skull Church are very clever."

"After the reputation of the four major families was ruined, the Skull Church was also affected. After all, those who really have power know that the Li family and the church have an inextricable relationship. Now, the people of the church have been crushed along with the Li family."

"At this point, it will be much more difficult for the Skull Church to find a new home in the Fifth Federation."

"But they found Lü Mingbing."

"Now is the most vulnerable time for Lü Mingbing, and he is easily taken advantage of."

Wu Liang asked:

"So what should we do next?"

Zhao Yi replied:

"Conquer the Qin family, then win over the Jiang family, and let the Jie Sect gain a foothold in the capital first."

"Apart from Jin Shiyue and Feng Nan, the Jiang family has no idea that I killed the master of their family."

"Although the Jiang family has suffered huge losses, this is actually a great opportunity for them - the Li family and the Lü family, who used to suppress them, have become just as weak as they are."

"In order to regain the initiative, they will definitely cooperate with us actively."

"As for the Church of the Skull... we cannot act rashly for the time being."

"This time, we specifically sent Xu Shengzhi to infiltrate the Fifth Federation with Jin Shiyue's help to buy him some time, as we will need him later."

Wu Liang listened quietly and took it all to heart.

...

The Jiang family.

Jiang Yang paced back and forth in the family's council hall, his face filled with anxiety.

There has been no word from the ruler who went to fight in the war.

The overwhelming public opinion in the capital is making Jiang Yang extremely nervous.

If the rumors are entirely true, the Jiang family might really be about to have a turn of good fortune!

The death of two Sovereigns would have been an immeasurable loss for them, but now that the Sovereigns of the other three major families have also perished, it is not a loss at all, but a great gain!

They were originally in a relatively backward position, but now the gap between them and other families has been forcibly narrowed!

Therefore, he is very bothered by it now.

They care whether the information disseminated in the media is true or not.

Not long after, Jiang Yang got the information he needed.

"The Qin family suffered a drastic change, with internal power struggles and divisions leading to the massacre of many Qin family members, including even the elders..."

"The mysterious new force under Zhao Yi, the Jie Sect, has taken over most of the Qin family's power structure. The Li family is also in turmoil and is secretly vying for power with the Qin and Jiang families in the Fifth Federation."

"As for the Lü family... they have remained completely silent so far. There has been no news coming out from within, and their people who infiltrated the Fifth Federation have not shown any reaction."

"The situation is very strange."

Upon hearing this news, Jiang Yang became beaming with joy, acting as if he had gained two new masters rather than the family that had just lost two pillars of strength.

PS: Yesterday's update was added to the end of the previous chapter. You can read it by refreshing. Today's update is the same. I'll post it first and add the update later. I'm really sorry!