Dozens of soldiers had not even approached Ye Qiu before they were blasted to death by the heavenly tribulation.
Jiang Feng’s face changed drastically, and he issued the order once more: “Charge!”
“Kill!” Hundreds of soldiers, wielding sharp blades, rushed towards Ye Qiu with reckless abandon.
Ye Qiu did not retreat; instead, he charged into the crowd, carrying the thunder with him.
“Ah…”
Screams echoed endlessly as hundreds of soldiers had their bodies shattered by the heavenly tribulation. Blood and flesh mixed with bone fragments, splattering everywhere in a gruesome scene.
A faint smile hung on Ye Qiu’s face as he bathed in the thunder, striding forward like a judge who held life and death in his hands.
“Jiang Feng, for the sake of you being the lord of this city, I can give you a dignified way to die. Commit suicide!”
“Otherwise, you will leave no bones behind.”
Although Ye Qiu’s smile intensified as he spoke, his words carried boundless killing intent.
“You want me dead? It will not be that easy.”
Jiang Feng shouted loudly to the thousands of soldiers present: “Charge and kill him.”
“Whoever takes his head, this city lord will immediately reward them with ten thousand spirit stones and appoint them as deputy city lord.”
“Additionally, I grant a mansion!”
The rewards were extremely generous, and under normal circumstances, these soldiers would certainly seize the chance. But now, they were afraid.
Not a single one dared to charge at Ye Qiu.
Not only that, as they saw Ye Qiu striding forward, they kept retreating.
Just moments ago, they had witnessed over a hundred soldiers blasted to death by the heavenly tribulation. The brutal scene was heart-shaking, and they felt a chill creeping over their bodies.
“Do not retreat!”
Jiang Feng, seeing the soldiers shrink back, flew into a rage. He raised his hand and slapped a dozen soldiers to death, then roared at the others: “Retreating in the face of the enemy will be punished by death!”
At once, the remaining thousands of soldiers halted their steps and fell into a dilemma.
If they charged at Ye Qiu, it was clear they would be blasted to death by the heavenly tribulation.
If they retreated, Jiang Feng would kill them.
What to do?
The soldiers stood in place, terrified and uneasy.
Jiang Feng continued: “The reason you follow this city lord is not to seize an opportunity to rise above your station?”
“Now the opportunity lies before you. Do you intend to give it up?”
“That is right, the heavenly tribulation is fierce, but do not forget, that boy is only at the peak of the King realm right now.”
“As the saying goes, two fists find it hard to oppose four hands, let alone you have thousands of men. As long as everyone charges together, that boy will surely be overwhelmed.”
“What are you still hesitating for?”
“Wealth and honour are sought in danger!”
“If not now, then when?”
As soon as Jiang Feng’s words left his mouth, the soldiers seemed injected with chicken blood. Their eyes turned red, their fighting spirit soared, and they gripped their blades, eager to move.
Ye Qiu sneered inwardly.
Inspiring morale, are you?
I can do that too.
Ye Qiu looked at the soldiers and said loudly: “Jiang Feng is right. If you kill me, you can obtain generous rewards.”
“But ask yourselves, can you actually kill me?”
“I may be only one man, but with the heavenly tribulation upon me, who can stand against me?”
“I believe you all have parents, wives, and children at home. Have you not thought of them?”
“Parents losing their son will leave them helpless in old age.”
“A wife losing her husband will either live a widowed life in solitude or remarry another.”
“A child losing their father loses the entire sky; from then on, no one will protect them, and they will only face bullying.”
“Do you really wish to fight to the death for Jiang Feng? Is it worth it?”
Ye Qiu’s words struck like a heavy hammer on the soldiers’ hearts, and at once, the battle intent of the thousands plummeted.
Jiang Feng, seeing this, gnashed his teeth in fury and roared: “Do not believe his nonsense. Even if you fall in battle for this city lord, I will take care of your parents and wives…”
“You will have no chance to care for them, because today I will surely kill you.” Ye Qiu interrupted Jiang Feng and said to the soldiers once more: “Now I am willing to give you an opportunity.”
“As long as you join me in taking down Jiang Feng, I will take not a single coin from the city lord’s mansion treasures and will distribute them all to you.”
“Furthermore, once Jiang Feng is dead, the position of city lord in Moonlit City will be vacant and will surely be selected from among you.”
“Do you not wish to rise above your station?”
“Are you content to be a mere foot soldier for life?”
“A soldier who does not wish to be city lord is no good soldier. What are you waiting for? Charge, kill Jiang Feng, and power and wealth will be within reach.”
Ye Qiu’s final words contained vast true essence, resounding like thunder, shaking the soldiers until their blood boiled.
In an instant, those soldiers turned their heads to look at Jiang Feng, murder evident in their brows.
Jiang Feng said: “Do not believe that boy, he is not trustworthy…”
Boom!
At that moment, endless thunder descended like a torrential river from the heavens.
Ye Qiu shouted: “If you continue to hesitate, then do not blame the heavenly tribulation for being blind.”
Finally, the thousands of soldiers steeled their resolve.
“Kill!”
All of them wielded their blades and charged at Jiang Feng.
In truth, they were well aware of the gap between themselves and a Cave Heaven realm expert, but since death was inevitable either way, they simply did not wish to be obliterated body and soul by the heavenly tribulation.
Jiang Feng, seeing his subordinates turn against him and charge at him with blades, nearly went mad with rage.
“You traitorous wretches, actually believing his lies and turning on me. This city lord will annihilate you all, kill, kill, kill…”
Jiang Feng rushed out to clash with the thousands of soldiers.
Not a single one could block Jiang Feng.
“These soldiers may be weak in cultivation, but there are so many of them that they can hold Jiang Feng back for a moment, allowing me to focus on crossing the tribulation.”
Ye Qiu began to cross the tribulation with undivided attention.
Thunder fell like a waterfall, blasting Ye Qiu until his body was charred black, skin split and flesh torn, severe wounds appearing all over.
Even so, Ye Qiu showed no sign of defeat and continued to endure the heavenly tribulation.
In a few minutes, Ye Qiu had successively endured seven immensely powerful heavenly tribulations. Dragging his battered body, he looked back to see the ground turned into a river of blood, piled with mountains of corpses. The thousands of soldiers had been slaughtered by Jiang Feng until scarcely any remained.
Jiang Feng was covered in blood, like a blood-soaked man.
“In such a short time, he killed so many without sustaining injury. As expected of a Cave Heaven realm expert.”
“It is my turn to act.”
Boom.
A powerful heavenly tribulation fell once more. Ye Qiu’s figure flashed like lightning as he drew the thunder and swiftly charged at Jiang Feng.
In an instant, boundless thunder engulfed Jiang Feng. The scene was filled with blazing lightning, nothing else visible.
As for the few remaining soldiers, they were shattered on the spot by the aftershocks of the heavenly tribulation.
“Pa!”
Suddenly, Jiang Feng flew out from the lightning, his body charred black like a piece of firewood. Before his body could steady, he was once again swallowed by a wave of heavenly tribulation.
“Are you not very strong? Have the guts to fight back!”
As soon as Ye Qiu’s words fell, he too was struck flying by the heavenly tribulation and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Not long after, Jiang Feng burst out from the thunder.
“Enough!”
Jiang Feng let out a deep shout, formed seals with his hands, and a pitch-black ancient bell rushed out from between his brows, hovering above his head.
