Chapter 133: A Staggering Appearance

A faint rosy glow emerged on the distant horizon, marking the start of an ordinary day for many. Yet, for the Imperial Capital, which had endured a night of brutal warfare, the air remained shrouded in a thick, bloody mist. Some soldiers had fought until their strength was utterly spent, and even the Spirit Emperor experts, locked in fierce combat in the void, were exhausted to the point of collapse.

No one stopped. Each person gritted their teeth, unleashing desperate attacks upon the enemy. Perhaps the next to fall would be themselves, but what was there to fear? Their comrades-in-arms had fallen one by one, and their homes lay in ruins; even if they survived, what joy remained? Was it truly necessary to witness the cold corpses of their loved ones to stir hatred against the Sacred Lands?

No... no one thought so. By now, whether they were common soldiers or powerful cultivators, the only thought in their minds was to kill. To kill one was to break even; to kill two was to avenge the innocent civilians who had perished.

Throughout the city, cultivators continuously arrived to join the chaotic fray. Among them were rogue nobles bought off by the Sacred Lands, turning their blades against their own kin. But more numerous were the hot-blooded, righteous men with reddened eyes, launching frantic assaults against the Sacred Lands' forces. However, among these, the highest cultivation level was merely at the Spirit King stage; they were powerless to intervene in the battles of the Spirit Emperors.

The Tianwu Empire was losing ground in the high-level conflict. Yet, the low-level skirmishes were nearing an end; after the arrival of the fierce nobles, hundreds of Sacred Land cultivators collapsed almost instantly. There was no mercy; often, the moment a Sacred Land cultivator fell, dozens of imperial soldiers’ blades would hack them into a pulp.

Finally, the fighting on the ground subsided. The exhausted soldiers gathered together, watching the various skirmishes in the void with tense expressions. Everyone knew that if the Tianwu Empire’s side lost in any of those battles, doom would await them all. To the lofty Spirit Emperors, a group of Spirit Kings and Spirit Sovereigns was as fragile as ants, capable of being wiped out by a wave of a hand.

*Boom...*

In the sky, a giant ape plummeted, smashing heavily into the earth. Looking on, the two giant apes that had been battling Yang Yi appeared withered, their inner energies in disarray, standing on the brink of defeat.

"The Tianwu Empire is weak and pathetic. My Sacred Land has only deployed a single faction, and you have already been driven to such a state. Will you continue this futile resistance? Why not submit to our Sacred Land? Once we become the masters of the Martial Soul Continent, you shall enjoy endless wealth and glory..." Standing in the void with his hands behind his back, Yang Yi looked down. Though his own aura was weakened to the extreme, the prestige of a Spirit Emperor remained overwhelmingly fierce.

Hearing this, everyone below clenched their fists tightly, wishing they could devour him alive.

"What, you refuse to accept it? Look at the entire continent today—who can compare to my Sacred Land? The Sacred Land is the god of this continent, the very heavens of this world..." Yang Yi pointed a finger toward the sky, his rampant killing intent surging upward as if he were the master of all creation.

"If the Sacred Land truly represents the heavens, then why is the world so unjust? Why do you act with such vile impunity, allowing the pure and kind to be humiliated and harmed? If we are destined to be mere ants for our entire lives, then what is the purpose of the gods? If we cannot even achieve this one humble wish, then let us defy the heavens!"

As Yang Yi’s voice faded, a new voice rang out from the void. Emerging from slowly rippling space, Ye Feng stepped forth, clad in black. Behind him, members of the Heavenly King Alliance filed out one by one. Forty-five youths stood coldly in the void, surveying the ruins below.

"Is the conduct of these so-called gods simply to occupy the homes of others and slaughter their kin?" Gritting his teeth, Ye Feng released his full aura and glared at Yang Yi.

"Forty-five Spirit Sovereigns. Not bad. Given enough time, perhaps you could all become powerhouses. But for now, you are still too green; you are not qualified to lecture me..."

With a sweep of his long sword, a massive, mountain-toppling wave of sword light roared toward them. The terrifying power within made the scalps of everyone below prickle, leaving them unable to even contemplate resistance.

"Ten per team, go and assist the others! This one is mine!" His aura surging, Ye Feng drew his broken blade and shouted to those behind him.

"This... this is the aura of a half-step Spirit Emperor. Has Ye Feng truly reached such heights?" Below, some of the nobles stared blankly at Ye Feng, exclaiming in shock. They could not fathom how, in less than a year, that young, inexperienced boy had grown into someone capable of rivaling the veterans of the older generation.

"Heavens! Is that Wu'er? In just one month, he has gone from a beginner Spirit King to a mid-stage Spirit Sovereign. I... am I dreaming?" A weary noble below stared at a youth in the sky and cried out in disbelief.

"My gods... all these children have reached the Spirit Sovereign realm. In just one month, over forty youths have all attained the Spirit Sovereign level. It is truly inconceivable."

As the full aura of the Heavenly King Alliance members erupted, the exclamations from below grew even more frantic. They pointed at the young figures, unable to believe what they were seeing. Amidst the clamor, the long blade in Ye Feng's hand spat out several yards of golden light, sweeping outward with incomparable force.

With a single strike, the heavens lost their color. The brilliant golden light illuminated the entire earth like a scorching sun.

*Boom...*

Blade light collided with sword energy. Extreme radiance filled the firmament, and a terrifying shockwave spread at a blinding speed.

*Rumble...*

In the distance, the majestic city walls trembled continuously, and slabs of bluestone tumbled down.

"The seeds of heaven-defiers are indeed extraordinary. To possess such battle power at such a young age—if I let you grow, perhaps another Ye Zhantian would be born. But you are unlucky to have met me... Crushing geniuses is my favorite pastime." Yang Yi gazed at Ye Feng coldly, his body permeated with thick, murderous intent.

The root cause of all the Sacred Land's recent actions was the emergence of this youth. If he could slay Ye Feng, his standing within the Sacred Land would skyrocket.

"Then let us try! Let us see if you send me to my grave or if I destroy you!" Ye Feng’s eyes widened in fury as he leveled his blade at Yang Yi.

Ye Feng knew clearly that he might not be Yang Yi's match, but he could not retreat. The scenes from that rainy night fifteen years ago remained vivid in his mind. He would wait no longer. Today, he would personally destroy the man before him to comfort his mother’s soul in heaven.