Ch. 1445 - Heaven-Splitting Blade, Huo Yunzi’s Scheme

As Wang Yuehai’s battle spirit surged, a powerful energy raged within him. He seemed to merge completely with the dragon and tiger that loomed in the void above, descending from the heavens with a roar, striking straight toward Xu Zimo.

Xu Zimo’s eyes gleamed with divine might. He gave a heavy, disdainful snort. The cold hum exploded through the air, thundering like the wrath of heaven itself. The beast formed from battle intent shattered instantly.

The formation of thousands of soldiers fell into chaos. Some spat blood and died on the spot, while others turned pale, struggling to stay on their feet. Wang Yuehai, taking the brunt of the blast, was sent flying backward, blood gushing from his mouth.

“Huo Yunzi, you tricked me!” Wang Yuehai roared in fury, his voice trembling.

Had he known his opponent was this strong, he would never have come seeking revenge. He would have run as far away as possible. But now was not the time to complain, or to hunt down Huo Yunzi for vengeance.

Turning to the few thousand soldiers behind him, he barked, “Hold them off for me! I’m going to get reinforcements!”

With that, he turned and fled without looking back.

He didn’t head for the City Lord’s Mansion, though. With Xu Zimo’s power at the level of a Saint Sovereign, no one in the entire Stone Flame City could possibly be his match. Going for help now would be the dumbest move imaginable.

Instead, Wang Yuehai planned to escape the city and flee. With the terrain there, he might be able to lose Xu Zimo.

Watching Wang Yuehai’s retreating figure, Xu Zimo showed no urgency. His divine sense spread outward for tens of millions of miles, there was no way his prey could escape.

He turned his gaze toward the soldiers below, fear written all over their faces, and said with a calm smile, “Your general has already run away. What now? Do you still want to fight me?”

“The general went to get reinforcements! Hold the line!” shouted a deputy general nearby.

At this moment, they couldn’t afford to let morale crumble; once it did, the battle was already lost.

“It seems you’re determined to die here,” Xu Zimo said, smiling faintly. “Very well, I’ll grant your wish.”

He lifted his blade, Shadow Tyrant, as endless waves of killing intent surged from it. Stepping into the air, he drew upon the storming force of his blade will.

He swung three times in rapid succession.

Each strike thundered like the heavens collapsing, splitting the very world apart. Three waves of roaring blade intent descended into the ranks of the soldiers below.

In an instant, countless figures were torn apart. Screams and cries of terror filled the entirety of Stone Flame City.

Xu Zimo’s eyes remained calm as he watched.

Finally, when the storm ceased and silence fell once more, he looked down. Below lay the mangled corpses of thousands, the stench of blood thick in the air.

Xu Zimo gave them no further thought. Such was the fate of those who stood in his way.

His gaze pierced through layers of void, fixing upon Wang Yuehai, who was fleeing beyond the city walls.

He stepped forward once.

The air beneath his foot tore apart, and he instantly appeared outside the city.

At that very moment, Wang Yuehai had just made it past the gate, only to find Xu Zimo already blocking his path.

Wang Yuehai trembled violently.

“My soldiers… all of them, you killed them?” he asked in disbelief.

“After you die, do you really think you’ll have the face to meet them again?” Xu Zimo replied with a faint smile.

“You are a demon! You’re not human!” Wang Yuehai shouted in terror and turned to flee once more.

But Xu Zimo’s blade came down in an instant, slicing through both his legs.

Wang Yuehai fell to the ground, terror filling his eyes as Xu Zimo walked slowly toward him. He swallowed hard.

Part of him wanted to beg for mercy, but he knew it was pointless now.

“I admit defeat,” Wang Yuehai said hoarsely. “The victor is king, the loser dies. Just kill me already. But I curse that Huo Yunzi, I hate him most of all. He lured me here to die.”

“Huo Yunzi?” Xu Zimo narrowed his eyes.

“Yes! He’s the one who told me where to find you, that you were in Stone Flame City. Otherwise, I’d never have come looking for revenge,” Wang Yuehai said angrily. “He hid your true strength from me, never mentioned you were a Saint Sovereign. Damn him!”

“How interesting,” Xu Zimo murmured with a faint smile. “He used me as his executioner.”

With a single slash, Xu Zimo ended it. His blade’s force tore Wang Yuehai apart, body and soul, leaving not even ashes behind.

Then Xu Zimo turned back toward Stone Flame City and swung his blade once more, toward the Heavenly Citadel above.

At that moment, inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Huo Yunzi sat at the head of the hall, leisurely reading a book.

Meanwhile, many of the city’s prominent figures had come to visit. Previously, these people had been reluctant to acknowledge him, a newly appointed “parachuted” city lord, treating him with cold politeness at best.

But now, panic was written across their faces as they rushed in to plead for help.

“City Lord, General Wang went to take revenge, he and all his men were slaughtered!” one cried.

“It happened right outside an inn in the city, blood everywhere, too gruesome to look at!”

“Yes, City Lord, you must act! That man’s a killing god, no one in Stone Flame City can stop him!” another added.

“And where is Wang Yuehai now?” Huo Yunzi asked calmly.

“He escaped the city, but we don’t know what happened after. None of us dared follow, what if he turned on us next?” one of the men sighed.

“Should we report this to the Chaos Fire God Realm?” another asked nervously.

“Wang Yuehai was a fool,” Huo Yunzi said, feigning irritation. “He insisted on seeking revenge, and now he’s dragged the whole city into his mess.”

“What should we do, City Lord?” someone asked.

“Don’t worry,” Huo Yunzi said smoothly. “That man and I share a bit of history. Perhaps I can speak to him, settle this matter peacefully.”

“That would be best,” several people said with relief. “We’ll count on you, City Lord.”

Huo Yunzi smiled. “Good. But I hope from now on, you’ll all be more cooperative with me.”

His meaning was clear, he was demanding full recognition of his authority.

The crowd understood immediately and began pledging their allegiance.

“Rest assured, City Lord Huo, from now on we’ll follow your lead.”

“Yes, yes. The former City Lord Blade Tyrant is history. From this day forward, Stone Flame City has only one ruler, you.”

Huo Yunzi nodded with a satisfied smile. With such a simple maneuver, he had united the hearts of the people and solidified his position.

Sometimes, even he had to admire his own cunning.

Just then, a guard entered and bowed.

“What is it?” Huo Yunzi asked with authority.

“General Wang has been killed, cut down outside the city gates,” the guard reported.

“And the man who killed him?” Huo Yunzi asked quickly.

“He’s already left,” the guard replied.

“Good. Excellent,” Huo Yunzi said with a laugh, utterly at ease. Every problem had solved itself.

But then he noticed the guard still standing there, looking uneasy, as if he had more to say.

“What is it?” Huo Yunzi asked, frowning.

“That man… before he left, he struck once, at the city wall,” the guard said quietly.

Comments