"But everyone dies eventually, some deaths are as light as a feather, others as heavy as Mount Tai. The men of the Lan Clan have never feared death. Now, in this moment of crisis, are you willing to fight with me to slay the demon, protect Bluesky City, and defend our Skyluan Region?"
"Willing!" someone below shouted with tears in their eyes, drawing their weapon.
Voices rose one after another throughout Bluesky City as countless members of the Lan Clan charged toward Xu Zimo in the sky, trying to stop him from destroying the formation again.
"I will pile the corpses of the Lan Clan high across Bluesky City," Xu Zimo said coldly, looking at the blade in his hand, Shadow Tyrant. "In these tens of thousands of years, how many Heaven Demons have you killed? To say this is blood for blood isn't too much, is it?"
Blade intent raged across the heavens, dark clouds filled the sky, and light rain began to fall.
The rain was cool and clear.
Xu Zimo turned his head, held his breath, focused, drew his blade, and charged forward through the growing storm.
"Even if there are millions, those who stand against me will be crushed underfoot like bones."
...
Hundreds of Lan Clan members charged at Xu Zimo, who stood alone.
The baleful aura from the Hell-Suppressing Demon Physique surged skyward and merged with the dense storm clouds above.
The power of the God Meridian Realm enveloped everything. He executed the Nineteen Forms of Dao-Seeking, one move after another, filled with overwhelming demonic force.
"Kill him and bring glory to the Lan Clan!"
"He’s a Heaven Demon! Everyone must do their part to destroy him. We die with honor!"
Seeing all these people waving the banner of righteousness, shouting grand words and charging to their deaths, Xu Zimo laughed out loud.
With a swing of Shadow Tyrant, heads fell, and countless people died under his blade.
Screams and roars mixed and echoed in the sky.
The rain turned to blood, and it seemed everyone had lost their minds.
Heads fell one after another as Lan Clan members rushed in waves.
Undefeated in a hundred battles,
Pushing upstream,Winds rise and clouds fly,Floating like duckweed,Storm turns to dragon,Blade of slaughter,Extinguish the void!With the full force of the Nineteen Forms of Dao-Seeking, each move exploded in the sky.
Every corpse that fell marked the end of a life. The Lan Clan watched with eyes wide in despair.
"Fight, fight, fight!" roars echoed in the air.
Other powerful clans chose to stay out of it, retreating early. No one wanted to face the God Emperor.
In the Lan Clan’s inner courtyard, on a tower, Lan Ke'er stood in green robes, gazing into the distant sky.
One after another, the bodies of her people fell, one, two, three...
Eventually she lost count. She didn’t know how many tears she’d shed, and by now she felt numb.
All eyes were on that man in the sky. He looked like a war god, or perhaps a prophesied Demon Sovereign, covered in blood, treating life as worthless.
...
This brutal battle lasted half a day.
Xu Zimo felt like he wasn’t killing people anymore, more like cutting weeds.
One wave after another, never-ending.
The corpses below had piled up like a mountain. The thick stench of blood and death spread across the sky.
People often do crazy things when driven by emotion. But once that passion fades, all that’s left is fear.
The crowd, the waves of attacks, none of it brought Xu Zimo down.
Instead, as fewer people remained, the roaring war cries began to fade.
Then many finally realized, those who had fought beside them were now corpses beneath their feet.
Only a few people were left standing.
At that moment, fear began to grow in some hearts. Some stopped fighting and began to retreat.
Only Lan Juntian and a few family elders still charged at Xu Zimo.
A sharp burst of blade energy exploded from Shadow Tyrant and sent them all flying.
Before Lan Juntian could stand, a blade was already at his neck.
"My dear father-in-law," Xu Zimo said with a twisted smile.
"What are you talking about?" Lan Juntian frowned, then suddenly understood. "Ke'er, you seduced Ke'er, didn't you? No wonder her attitude changed yesterday."
"No, believe me, I love her more than anyone else," Xu Zimo said, shaking his head. "That was her choice."
"Victory or defeat, do what you will. No need to insult me like this," Lan Juntian said coldly. "But even if my Lan Clan is destroyed today, other families will rise. One day, your Ancient Demon Race will be wiped out. I only regret I couldn’t kill you myself."
"You’re too stuck in the past. I hold the power now. I decide what’s good and evil. You think you understand the Ancient Demon Race? You only know what your so-called ancestors’ prophecy told you. And you dare label us as doomsday bringers. Don’t you find that ignorant?" Xu Zimo said calmly.
"Say what you want. I will never share the same sky with the Ancient Demon Race," Lan Juntian shouted.
"Then die," Xu Zimo said coldly, raising Shadow Tyrant high.
"No!" a sudden scream echoed nearby.
Lan Ke'er walked across the air from afar and threw herself in front of Lan Juntian, blocking Xu Zimo’s blade.
"Don’t kill my father. I beg you."
Tears streamed down her face. She looked worn out and shook her head at Xu Zimo.
"Please, don’t do it. I can’t watch him die in front of me."
"Ke’er, don’t beg him. No one in the Lan Clan fears death. Even in death, we are unafraid," Lan Juntian said from the side.
Looking at Lan Ke’er’s heartbroken face, Xu Zimo squatted down and gently stroked her hair.
He smiled and said, "Alright. Since you don’t want him to die, I won’t kill him."
After speaking, Xu Zimo let out a soft laugh and turned to leave with his blade.
Watching his back as he walked away, Lan Ke’er felt a hollow emptiness inside.
She wanted to reach out and hold onto him, but her body felt completely drained of strength.
Behind her, Lan Juntian was still yelling, "Don’t think I’ll be grateful just because you spared me. Even if I fall to hell, I will find a way to destroy your Ancient Demon Race."
Xu Zimo said nothing. He silently walked toward the Life-Death Demon-Execution Formation.
As he passed by the God Emperor, he didn’t speak, just moved his lips.
"Do it."
...
As Xu Zimo approached the formation, the God Emperor raised his hand, and the surrounding space twisted violently.
The space around Lan Juntian distorted, and his entire body was twisted and crushed into meat.
"Who told you to kill him!" Xu Zimo turned back, shocked and furious.
"I am the God Emperor. I answer to no one," the God Emperor said arrogantly in the sky.
"Such a damn drama queen!" Xu Zimo raised his blade and charged at the God Emperor. "You want to die?!"