Chapter 2066: One-Sided Slaughter

Chapter 2066: Unilateral Massacre

In the dark night, shouts echoed through Zhu Xian Zhen: "The Qi Jun is coming! The Qi Jun is coming!" The townspeople's faces turned pale with fear, panic enveloping the entire town, and children wailed in terror.

Outside the town, the Qi Guo's army of one hundred thousand soldiers had formed neat square formations, surrounding Zhu Xian Zhen from all sides. This force was even more formidable than the one led by General Dao Ba in the past. With a single command, it could unleash a bloodbath of corpses and rivers of blood. In that moment, the world in everyone's eyes had turned to darkness, with no light left, only death awaiting them.

On the city gate tower, Yang Xuan sighed. "It's really Qi Wang Shizi." He seemed to see through the distance to the heir of Qi Wang in the war chariot, who appeared utterly relaxed and at ease.

Shangguan Jiu clicked her tongue. "One hundred thousand troops—quite the audacity from the Qi family."

Ling Feng smiled and glanced at Ye Chen. "This lineup is fitting for the martial arts legend."

Ye Chen remained composed, standing quietly with no sign of joy or worry.

Yang Ge Lao looked at Ye Chen and asked tentatively, "Can you handle this?"

Ye Chen replied casually, "As you wish." The Qi family army outside was indeed imposing, far stronger than Yan Wang's forces, likely due to Qi Wang's skilled leadership in forging this fierce and wolf-like unit. But none of that mattered—numbers were useless against him.

In the war chariot, Qi Wang Shizi had risen from his reclining position, a slight smile playing on his lips as he mockingly gazed at the city tower. In his eyes, so-called martial arts figures were nothing, no matter how strong—just ordinary men, like ants before an army.

Ye Chen said calmly, "If you withdraw now, we can coexist peacefully."

Qi Wang Shizi chuckled mockingly. "What a joke." He stretched his neck leisurely. "I have one hundred thousand elite soldiers. Why should I fear you?"

Ye Chen said nothing. He stepped forward and descended from the city gate tower, still holding Yang Ge Lao's Xuan Lei Jian in his hand. Since the other side showed no respect, there was no point in talking. To keep Zhu Xian Zhen peaceful, blood would have to be shed, and he had decided to unleash a full slaughter. People like Qi Wang Shizi would only learn fear through death and truly understand how terrifying he was.

Seeing Ye Chen descend, Yang Xuan and the others on the city tower perked up, eager to see how the martial arts legend would fare against one hundred thousand troops. From ancient times, he was undoubtedly the first—and likely the only—one to face such an army head-on.

In the Qi Jun ranks, soldiers whispered among themselves, curiously eyeing Ye Chen. "Is that the martial arts legend?"

"I've heard he's incredibly skilled, taking on three experts at Gui Shan without defeat."

"What's the use of being skilled? Can he stand against one hundred thousand troops?"

Amid the discussions, Qi Wang Shizi laughed wildly. "Ye Chen, you've got guts!" With a ferocious shout that echoed through the ranks, he ordered, "Capture him alive!"

At his command, battle cries erupted. The front-line infantry charged with spears raised, like a dark tidal wave surging forward to engulf Ye Chen.

Ye Chen walked at a steady, mysterious pace. As he moved, his Xiantian Gang Qi flowed out, forming a protective aura around him. Yang Xuan watched awkwardly, realizing that the old Daoist from Yin Shan had probably been robbed because Ye Chen used this Gang Qi shield, leading to the mistaken identity and a series of absurd events.

As the two sides clashed, the leading soldiers charged fiercely, bolstered by their numbers. What did it matter if he was a martial arts legend? They had one hundred thousand troops.

Ye Chen remained indifferent. He swung the Xuan Lei Jian, sending out a wave of sword energy that spread endlessly. The soldiers in the vanguard turned into mist of blood in droves, not even having time to scream. Those charging behind saw this and paled, but they were moving too fast to stop, crashing straight into the onslaught and meeting the same fate on the road to the underworld.

That single sword strike from Ye Chen claimed at least three hundred lives and left over five hundred severely wounded.

Blood sprayed continuously as Ye Chen's slaughter began. Everywhere he passed, pools of blood formed. The armored soldiers were as fragile as tofu; no one could block his path or get near him. They fell one after another in chaos. Yang Xuan and the others watched with boiling blood, marveling at the depth of an immortal's power—it allowed him to move through the army like it was empty space, something they could never achieve.

At one corner of the city wall, many residents of Zhu Xian Zhen peeked out, swallowing hard. They had seen battles before, but never one man against one hundred thousand troops.

Compared to the townspeople, Qi Wang Shizi on the opposing side could hardly hide his shock.

"Shizi, we should retreat!" Xiao Jiangjun urged again.

"I have one hundred thousand troops. Why should I fear him?" Xiao Jiangjun's words only fueled Qi Wang Shizi's determination. He drew his killing sword with a flourish and roared, "Attack! Kill him for me!"

This time, it wasn't just infantry—the heavy armored cavalry joined the charge. Warhorses neighed, and the ground shook under their hooves. Heavy armored cavalry were the backbone of any army, capable of disrupting ten times their number in infantry, yet here they were used against Ye Chen. The onlookers on the city tower couldn't help but sneer.

Under everyone's gaze, over ten thousand iron cavalry reached Ye Chen.

But the imagined scene of Ye Chen being trampled into pulp didn't happen. Instead, those who charged were cut down en masse. The mighty heavy armored cavalry became mere decorations before Ye Chen. His movements were extraordinarily agile, like a ghost flitting between the horses. The cavalry's spears couldn't even touch his clothes.

The scene grew increasingly bloody, with rivers of fresh blood flowing. Even Yang Xuan and the others felt a chill, let alone the residents of Zhu Xian Zhen. This wasn't a battle—it was a one-sided massacre!

Eventually, the battle cries faded into silence.

The world fell into a dead stillness. Looking down, the ground was littered with corpses, and blood mist churned in the sky. Over ten thousand soldiers lay dead. No one on that battlefield charged anymore, while Ye Chen continued his unhurried advance, his expression as calm as still water, showing no emotion. With every step he took, the tens of thousands of soldiers opposite him retreated a step.

It was a terrifying sight: Qi Guo's one hundred thousand troops were forced to retreat collectively by a single man. No one dared to charge, and their hands trembled as they gripped their weapons. Every pair of eyes flickered with fear, no longer seeing Ye Chen as human—they viewed him as a god of death, capable of harvesting lives with a casual gesture. In his presence, they were no more than ants.

Retreating alongside the troops was Qi Wang Shizi, his legs weak and nearly collapsing. Gone was his earlier composure; he had seen the strong before, but never anyone this powerful, the strange before, but never anything this monstrous.

"Fire arrows! Fire for me!" Qi Wang Shizi shouted hoarsely, as Ye Chen had already passed through the heavy cavalry and was heading straight for his war chariot, clearly intent on finishing him too.

At his order, thirty thousand archers stepped forward, bows drawn and arrows nocked.

Instantly, a barrage of arrows whistled through the air, like a rainstorm engulfing Ye Chen—a indiscriminate attack. The sheer volume made even Du Gu Jian Sheng feel his scalp tingle; if it were him, he'd surely die. Yang Xuan, known for his defense, felt intimidated too. His Xiantian Gang Qi could protect him, but not against this—thirty thousand archers firing at once could turn him into a sieve. The only issue was the overwhelming number of arrows.

While they sucked in their breath, Ye Chen remained unfazed. His steady pace never faltered. This time, he didn't dodge, allowing the arrow rain to come without reaction.

Once again, the world witnessed his dominance. The arrows struck his Gang Qi shield with metallic clashes and shattered, unable to penetrate his defense.

"This..." The thirty thousand archers stood stunned, forgetting to nock another round.

"This..." Qi Wang Shizi's eyes bulged in disbelief as he stared at Ye Chen. Was he a monster? Invulnerable to weapons?

He truly didn't understand Ye Chen. Not only was he invulnerable, but his sword was far more effective than arrows. A single Wan Jian Chao Zong could send waves of archers falling, like autumn winds sweeping away fallen leaves.

At this point, the Qi Jun was utterly terrified. Whether infantry, heavy cavalry, or archers, their formations collapsed into chaos. They discarded helmets and armor, fleeing in full retreat.

On the Zhu Xian Zhen city tower, cheers erupted in excitement. Even the town's residents climbed the walls, raising hoes and pitchforks to cheer for Ye Chen. One hundred thousand soldiers routed—what was there to fear? The martial arts legend was no empty title.

"Hold your ground! Hold steady!" In contrast, Qi Wang Shizi was frantic, barking like a mad dog, hoping to rally his troops for another assault on Ye Chen.

"Shizi, we must retreat!" Xiao Jiangjun said urgently, stunned beyond words by Ye Chen. Having fought on the battlefields for decades, he had never seen anyone like this—a single man routing one hundred thousand troops, effortlessly cutting through heavy cavalry, and unharmed by thirty thousand archers. He was no longer human; he was a god.

"I won't retreat! I'll fight to the death!" Qi Wang Shizi roared. As the heir of Qi Wang Manor, leading one hundred thousand troops only to be defeated by one man—how could he show his face if word got out?

Seeing this, Xiao Jiangjun gritted his teeth, grabbed Qi Wang Shizi, hoisted him onto a horse, and immediately fled. The opponent was clearly no ordinary person; continuing the fight would lead to total annihilation. Qi Wang Shizi's death might not matter, but if Qi Wang blamed him, his own life would be forfeit.

With Xiao Jiangjun's retreat—dragging Qi Wang Shizi—his troops fled even faster, tumbling over themselves in panic.

Ye Chen didn't pursue. His goal was achieved. After this battle, Qi Wang Shizi likely wouldn't dare return, and even if he wanted to, Qi Wang probably wouldn't allow it. Ye Chen had slain over ten thousand without a scratch—who would dare provoke him? Not just Qi Wang; other warlords would think twice too. Anyone aiming to unify the realm should avoid crossing him.

"Put me down!" Meanwhile, Qi Wang Shizi was still howling like a mad dog, trying to dismount, but Xiao Jiangjun held him firmly.

Ahead, a group of riders appeared, wearing Qi Jun armor but covered in blood, as if they had just survived a brutal fight.

"Shizi!" The leader fell from his horse at Qi Wang Shizi's feet. "Zhao Guo has launched a sneak attack on Tong Guan. Tong Guan has fallen."

Hearing this, Qi Wang Shizi's legs gave way, and he knelt on the ground, his face ashen. He knew what losing Tong Guan meant—it allowed Zhao Jun to advance unchecked toward Qi Guo's capital. If other warlords joined in, Qi Guo could face extinction.

"Shizi, are you satisfied now?" Xiao Jiangjun said with a bitter laugh, his voice laced with suppressed fury.

Qi Wang Shizi slumped on the ground, his body trembling. Satisfied? He was truly satisfied now. A wave of regret flooded his heart—he had committed an unforgivable error.