The Envoy of Abundance from Onphalus

In an instant, the overwhelming joy of victory that swept through my heart, along with years of deep-rooted ignorance and blind obedience, was completely shattered by this thunderous blow.

The strategist finally saw their predicament clearly, a chilling realization that cut to the bone.

They poured out in full force. The entire Bu Li clan was now deeply trapped on the Luofu Immortal Ship.

This wasn't a surprise attack; it was clearly walking into a trap!

With just a little planning, Bu Liren will become nothing more than a speck of dust in the annals of history after this day. Or should he sit idly by and wait for death? That would be nothing more than a slow demise, the end already predetermined.

Does Moto really believe that welcoming back Zhan Shouhu Lei can revitalize Bu Liren?

This thought silently cracked a fissure in his heart. Perhaps from the beginning, it wasn't a belief, but rather the last piece of driftwood he clung to in a desperate situation.

A group of defeated soldiers, their backs broken, desperately need a reason, a dream that can ignite their last spark of fighting spirit and keep them huddled together for warmth and a struggle for survival.

At first, perhaps no one truly believed this illusory promise.

However, as despair deepened like the chill of a prison, those trapped within it, including himself, began to spare no effort in weaving and perfecting this lie, exhausting all their energy to make it appear indestructible, enough to deceive themselves and others.

Those who weave these lies are, in fact, the most clear-headed prisoners. They are fully aware of the fragile nature of this illusion, yet none dare to shatter it.

What would the price be? Would it be to immediately crush the last vestiges of hope into dust, to personally tell all the surviving members of our race: "Welcome back our leader, and let us revive our nation?" A fool's dream! Only annihilation awaits us.

No one can withstand the collapse that follows the shattering of that lie. It would be a catastrophe.

And now, this lie that sustained their last shred of life has been shattered by its very core protagonist—War Chief Hu Lei.

Hu Lei's gaze, like a cold razor, slowly swept over the defeated army before him. The Bu Li Wolf Clan members slumped their shoulders, their heads bowed, their shattered morale almost solidifying into a tangible, dark mist.

A heavy silence spread through the cold prison cell, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing.

After a long silence, Hu Lei's deep voice broke the stillness, carrying an undeniable resolve: "Raise your heads, warriors of Bu Li!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's heart like a hammer blow. "Our bloodline gives us pride, and our wolf spirit forges our indomitable spirit! Even if the road ahead is a bottomless abyss, and the outcome is already predetermined, our dignity will not allow us to cower like livestock awaiting slaughter!"

He took a sudden step forward, his wolf-claw-like boots echoing heavily on the metal ground.

"I, Hu Lei, in the name of the War Chief, command! Follow me, heads held high, to greet the final chapter that belongs to Bu Li! With our blood and bones, let us carve our last and deepest roar in this prison of Luofu!"

Before he finished speaking, Hu Lei strode off like an arrow toward the only exit leading to the next level from the bottom of the prison.

His silhouette appeared exceptionally tall in the dim light, like an unyielding flag.

Those once listless wolf clan members seemed to be suddenly pierced by an invisible force, and a near-mad flame instantly ignited in their turbid eyes—an extreme contempt for death, the final ferocity erupting in a desperate situation.

"Battle Leader!" roared a warrior with a hideous scar on his face, drawing his tattered scimitar from his waist. "Let's fight them to the death! We'll take one of them down with us!"

"Yes! Charge out!"

"I've had enough of this! Let those lackeys of Luofu taste our claws!"

Desperate madness spread like a plague, instantly engulfing all those who had left.

This frenzied atmosphere also ignited the passion of other Fengrao civilian war criminals imprisoned there.

Most of them were emaciated, bearing the marks of weakness from being repeatedly drained of their strength, and their eyes were filled with fear and hatred for the endless torment of the prison.

"Chief Hu Lei is right!" shouted a prisoner from Fengrao Village, bound by chains and with skin as dry as tree bark, as he struggled.

"Rather than be slowly drained dry and turned into lamp oil in this dark and gloomy place, let's break out! Let's die out there!"

“Count me in! I’d rather be blasted to smithereens by the Starship than suffer eternal torment here.” Another enormous, stitched monster roared, slamming its head against the cage bars.

Hu Lei stopped in his tracks, turned around abruptly, and his gaze swept over the faces of the wealthy people who looked uneasy but hesitant. His voice was like a war drum: "Since we have reached a dead end today, why not fight to the death and carve out a bloody path?! Will you all come with me?"

"Will you fight a glorious death on the battlefield like a warrior, or will you be slowly tortured like maggots, drained dry, and humbly manipulated by others? The choice is yours!"

These words were like a spark thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting long-suppressed resentment and madness.

Not only the Buli people, but also the prisoners of the Fengrao people, who had been tortured and were on the verge of collapse, were completely enraged. They smashed open the already flimsy cages, dragging their broken bodies, and gathered behind Hulei.

The once-prosperous allied forces had utterly defeated the five elite warriors of the Cloud Realm, a source of pride for the Immortal Boat Luofu.

Today, at the bottom of this prison, a group of defeated and tortured prisoners have once again formed a hastily assembled coalition.

This team, however, was staggering and their weapons were broken. They looked more like a group of trapped beasts driven to the brink of despair, their eyes burning with a madness that wanted to destroy everything.

"Charge out! Release the other prisoners! The more people there are, the greater the chance!"

Hu Lei rushed towards the exit first. As the most senior citizen of this low-level prison, he should set an example.

A relatively fresh breeze swept in, though it still carried the metallic scent and a faint smell of blood and rust.

But compared to the stench of decay and heavy blood at the bottom, it was like sweet dew.

"Ah! It smells like the one above!" A bountiful man took a deep, greedy breath, a fleeting daze flashing in his bloodshot eyes.

"Stop dawdling!" Hu Lei urged sharply, scanning the surroundings warily. This was the area where serious criminals were held, and theoretically it should be even more heavily guarded, but at this moment it was eerily quiet.

Their plan was simple: release as many prisoners as possible from this level and use that force to storm the upper levels.

The prisoners here are heavily convicted of crimes, and once released, they can easily become their accomplices in order to survive.

However, an eerie atmosphere quickly enveloped them. The long, metallic-looking corridor, which should have been packed with people, was now mostly empty.

The remaining energy restraint rings hung limply, and strange, seemingly gnawed residue was scattered on the ground.

"What's going on? Where is everyone?" A soldier approached an empty cell with suspicion and tapped the bars with the hilt of his knife.

"Hey! You inside! Do you want to get out?" Mo Du shouted into another occupied cell.

A figure huddled in the cell, dressed in rags, his body covered in strange golden patterns.

Hearing the shout, he slowly raised his head, revealing a numb and blank face. His eyes were empty and lifeless, but a chilling, neurotic smile stretched across his lips.

“Get out? Heh heh…get out…” He let out a hoarse laugh, like sandpaper scraping.

"Going out... is also death... you're all going to die... the imperial edict will devour you... the soul lamp... will suck your souls dry... none of you will escape... hehehe..."

"Madman!" Mo Du spat, his ominous premonition growing stronger.

They tried several more cells, and the prisoners' reactions were largely the same.

Some screamed hysterically, "Don't let me out! I still have to atone for my sins!" Others just huddled in a corner, muttering to themselves, "It's all over...it's all over..."

Some stared at them with malicious eyes, whispering, "Soon...you'll be next too, hehehe, His power will tear you all to pieces and devour you bit by bit..."

No one showed the slightest desire to be rescued; there was only a deep-seated fear and a disturbing numbness awaiting final judgment.

"These guys are insane!" annoyed a prisoner from the bountiful region roared. "Forget about these useless fools! It's a waste of time! Let's charge ourselves!"

"Exactly! Let them rot here if they want! Let's go!"

Hu Lei frowned, his unease like a cold, venomous snake coiling around him. These war criminals imprisoned here were no less powerful or ferocious than them.

While the technology of the Luofu Immortal Ship could certainly torment them, it was by no means easy to completely kill these tenacious and abundant creatures.

What turned these thugs into this state?

What are those "imperial edicts" and "soul lamps"?

The word "death" that the prisoners kept repeating seemed to refer to more than just physical demise...

"War Chief?" Mo Du looked at Hu Lei, awaiting his decision.

Hu Lei suppressed the gloom in his heart, his eyes sharpening again: "No matter what happened, staying means certain death! Go! To the upper exit!"

Ignoring the crazed prisoners, they rushed along the cold passageway toward the massive gate that led to the upper levels.

Heavy footsteps and labored breathing echoed through the empty prison area.

However, when they finally reached the door that symbolized the path to freedom, everyone suddenly stopped in their tracks.

The gate was open.

The area outside the door was not the expected battleground or guard platform, but a relatively open area that had been temporarily cleared out. In the very center of this area, an antique-style tea table and two chairs were placed incongruously.

A young man dressed in an elegant long gown, with a gentle and refined demeanor, was sitting leisurely in one of the chairs, slowly sipping a cup of tea.

Beside him stood a boy with antlers who looked even younger, yet whose expression was equally calm. On the coffee table, there was even a plate of delicate, sweet-smelling pastries.

This scene stood out starkly against the cold and desolate prison environment, exuding a chilling eeriness.

As if sensing their arrival, the young man sipping tea slowly put down his teacup and raised his wrist.

He glanced at the non-existent watch and gave a perfectly timed apologetic smile, as if he were waiting for a latecomer.

"Ah, we've finally arrived." His voice was gentle and clear, unusually distinct in the deathly silence of the space.

He rose gracefully, his gaze sweeping calmly over the group of the Bountiful Alliance soldiers before him, who were on high alert and exuded an aura of bloodlust and madness, as if admiring a group of muddy wild beasts that had wandered into a garden.

Lin also silently jumped off the chair and stood beside the young man, her clear gaze also falling on everyone.

He possessed an almost naive curiosity, yet was coldly devoid of any emotion.

With a flick of his sleeve, Russell caused the coffee table, along with the chair, tea set, and pastries, to instantly transform into specks of emerald green dust, vanishing without a trace as if they had never existed.

At the same time, an ancient spear made entirely of strange wood, with its tip wrapped in vibrant life—Evergreen Grass—quietly appeared in his hand.

The gun tip wasn't pointed at anyone, but rather casually angled towards the ground, yet the invisible pressure descended like a mountain, making all the prisoners who rushed there gasp for breath.

Russell's gaze finally settled on Hure, who was at the head of the group. His smile remained warm, but his eyes held an icy indifference.

"Envoy of Abundance, I, Huai Xiu, have been waiting for you all for quite some time." His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an unquestionable sense of judgment.

“So, gentlemen…” Russell tilted his head slightly, his tone as if he were asking about something trivial, “are you ready to offer your final apology to the Compassionate Medicine King with these crippled bodies?”

The air froze completely at that moment. Madness and despair crashed against an invisible wall of sighs called the Commander.

...............

This is the first chapter today, and there's one more to go.

Golden Branches Through the Ages: Chapter 174 The Moment of Judgment

Russell's gentle smile did not fade, but the aura he exuded was like the deepest ice in a prison, chilling and piercing.

That was not a deliberately released pressure, but a natural suppression that came from the absolute difference in the level of life and the power of destiny.

Many prisoners of the bountiful people, who had never faced the envoy before, trembled uncontrollably and their teeth chattered under this invisible gaze.

However, desperate madness can give rise to the most foolish courage.

Several warriors, their reason consumed by fear and madness, let out a beast-like howl, their eyes bloodshot, brandishing their broken weapons, and charged toward Russell with reckless abandon.

They just wanted to tear apart the obstacle in front of them that was preventing them from being "free," even if it meant biting it with their teeth!

"act recklessly."

The young Lin, standing beside Russell, didn't even show the slightest fluctuation in his eyes.

He moved with lightning speed, leaving only a blurry afterimage. The longsword in his hand, entirely emerald green as if carved from the purest jade, drew a cold yet graceful arc in the dim light.

There was no earth-shattering sound, only a few faint, soft sounds, like silk being torn.

Pfft!Pfft!

The advancing infantrymen at the forefront suddenly froze. Before the madness on their faces could turn into astonishment, a thin line of blood slit open on their necks, and blood gushed out like a fountain.

Their bodies stiffened for a moment, then collapsed heavily onto the cold ground like sacks with their bones removed, splattering a few drops of sticky blood.

This longsword suppressed their abundant regenerative power, and without that power, death was an easy prospect for them.

The bloody deaths were not over. The strange banner floating beside Lin—the Banner of Ten Thousand Banners—moved without wind, and the intricate dark gold patterns on its surface suddenly lit up, emitting an eerie light.

A powerful suction force appeared out of nowhere and precisely enveloped the still convulsing corpses.

The corpses turned ashen and shriveled as if they had been thrown into strong acid, their flesh and blood transforming into streams of scarlet and dark gold energy that were greedily devoured by Wan Jingqi.

In just a few breaths, only a few pools of blood, quickly dried and blackened, and a few tattered pieces of armor and weapons, their luster faded, remained on the spot. Even the slightest trace of blood seemed to have been completely purified by the banner.

The entire process was silent and efficient, with a chilling elegance and cruelty about it.

Russell's gaze didn't linger on the missing corpses for even a second, as if he were merely brushing away a few specks of dust.

He continued to look gently at the silent allied forces before him, his voice calm and undisturbed: "Now, is there anyone who still wants to step forward and spar with my child, Lin?"

He tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely seeking advice, "As for why I wasn't the one to make the move..."

A faint smile curved his lips, devoid of any warmth. "A very simple reason: your current cowardly state makes you not worth my time."

His gaze, like a tangible probe, swept over the allied forces, composed of remnants and frightened birds.

These people had only recently escaped from the restrictions at the bottom of the prison, and their strength had been suppressed to almost nothing, leaving them as weak as candles flickering in the wind.

Apart from the tenacious, weed-like vitality bestowed upon them by the blessings of abundance, they had almost nothing left.