241: Command the army, massacre

Once the battle completely subsided, Xiao Zhuo looked at the numbers on his panel, and the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably.

In this battle, he frantically snatched kills, slaying three Quasi-Immortals, seven Mahayana Realm Cultivators, thirty-two Undergoing Tribulation Cultivators, and tens of thousands of Cultivators below that.

The three Quasi-Immortals brought in three million Attribute Points, the seven Mahayana Realm Cultivators brought in nearly three million, and the thirty-two Undergoing Tribulation Cultivators brought in two million, which was already a considerable amount. However, the largest chunk came from the Cultivators below the Undergoing Tribulation Realm; the area-of-effect attacks dealt enough damage to net over sixty million Attribute Points.

Now, his Attribute Points had reached a terrifying new high of over eighty million.

Even if he used them to upgrade a Heaven-rank Cultivation Method, it would be enough to increase his cultivation by over four hundred thousand years.

Moreover, he could also use them to deduce the Dao Principle of Freedom to the Minor Achievement stage.

However, Xiao Zhuo was still not in a hurry to Breakthrough. Xue Qin had ordered him to guard the recently conquered Minghu Realm, and there were many subsequent affairs to handle. Furthermore, an unknown number of scattered Cultivators had fled, which would inevitably hinder the Blood Demon Army.

These Cultivators who fled the battle were also Attribute Points, and he had no habit of wasting them.

The next day, Xue Qin had led the majority of the Demon Realm army away, leaving only a billion Blood Demon Army soldiers to accompany Xiao Zhuo in clearing the Minghu Realm and searching for the World Origin.

Xiao Zhuo sat on the Sect Master's throne in the main hall of the former Heavenly Mirror Sect, reading a report.

Below him were a dozen or so Blood Demon Army generals, clad in blood-red armor, their Evil Qi so dense it was almost tangible.

The Blood Demon Army was the main force for external conquests of the Demon Realm. From generals to common soldiers, all cultivated the Blood Evil Heaven-Devouring Art. The more they killed and the more vital blood they devoured, the stronger they became. The dozen or so individuals in the hall were all Blood Demon Army commanders and above who participated in the conquest of the Minghu Realm, each of them at the Peak Tribulation Stage of cultivation.

The Blood Demon Army ranks, from lowest to highest, were: Soldier, Squad Leader, Junior Officer, Centurion, Chiliarch, Myriarch, Titled General, and Commander.

Ordinary Soldiers and Squad Leaders were typically at the Demon Core Realm; Junior Officers were all demon infant Cultivators; Centurions were at the Soul Transformation Realm; Chiliarchs were at the Body Integration Realm; Myriarchs, Titled Generals, and even some Commanders, though all at the Undergoing Tribulation Realm, varied immensely in combat power. Commanders were generally invincible in the Undergoing Tribulation Realm, capable of fighting several rounds against a Mahayana Realm Cultivator.

Among the hundred billion Blood Demon Army and thirty-nine Commanders, twelve were even Mahayana Realm Cultivators, whose combat power ranked among the top in the Mahayana Realm.

"Saint! Mingzhou, one of the three prefectures of the Minghu Realm, is entirely under our control. In Nanhu Prefecture and Beihu Prefecture, there are still many Minghu remnants being hunted down. Please give your instructions, Saint!" Mo Duo, the strongest Mahayana Realm Commander among the fourteen commanders present, stood at the forefront, cupping his fists to ask for instructions.

Xiao Zhuo's fingertips tapped lightly on the cold obsidian armrest, producing crisp tapping sounds that echoed in the vast and solemn hall.

Below, the dozen or so Blood Demon Army Commanders held their breath, their dense Evil Qi swirling around them like lurking Vicious Beasts, yet no one dared to look up directly at the young man on the throne.

"Saint's decree!" Xiao Zhuo's voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the Evil Qi, imprinting itself upon the Divine Soul of every Commander. "Firstly, for all Mortals of the Minghu Realm's secular world, if they do not actively provoke, the Blood Demon Army shall not disturb them. Violators will be dealt with according to military Law, executed immediately!"

This first command caused a flicker of barely perceptible ferocity to flash in the eyes of several bloodthirsty Commanders, but no one dared to question it aloud.

"Secondly," Xiao Zhuo's gaze swept over everyone, carrying an undeniable authority, "all Cultivators of the Minghu Realm, regardless of their Realm or where they hide, are to be considered rebellious remnants. They must be completely annihilated, leaving no future troubles! This is a military order, and also the sustenance for your Blood Evil Heaven-Devouring Art to advance!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the oppressive Evil Qi in the hall suddenly boiled, and the eyes of the Commanders instantly burst with greedy and bloodthirsty red light.

The vital blood of Cultivators was the ultimate tonic for them! Slaughter was the ladder to advancement!

This order was quite to their liking.

"Thirdly," Xiao Zhuo's voice suddenly turned cold, with a metallic sharpness, "all confiscated Cultivation Techniques, ancient texts, Spirit Stone mines, Magic Treasures, Medicinal Pills, Spiritual Plants, rare treasures... all cultivation resources, regardless of their grade, must be immediately, completely, and unreservedly handed over to the Military Supply Department! I, the Saint, will personally supervise them, creating a unified register, and exchanging them for merit points for you. Anyone found to have privately hidden a single item will be considered an accomplice to rebellion, their nine generations exterminated, their Divine Soul extracted and refined, never to reincarnate!"

The last sentence, with its icy killing intent, swept through the hall like a tangible cold tide, causing all the Commanders, who had been immersed in the excitement of slaughter, to shiver violently, and their boiling Evil Qi momentarily stagnated.

They knew well the methods of this Third Holy Son. The terrifying might of him instantly killing three Quasi-Immortals was still vivid in their minds, and his words were by no means empty threats.

Beneath that seemingly calm face lay a coldness more profound and terrifying than that of these old demons who had accumulated years of experience.

"We respectfully obey the Saint's decree!" The dozen or so Peak Tribulation Stage Commanders responded in unison, their voices shaking the hall, carrying absolute obedience and a hint of awe.

Xiao Zhuo nodded slightly, waving his hand, "Go, then. In Nanhu and Beihu Prefectures, I want to see the rivers dyed with blood, and no Cultivator remnants remaining. Within ten days, present the complete roster of Minghu Realm Cultivators before me."

"Yes!" The commanders, as if granted a great pardon, yet filled with impatient killing intent, transformed into streaks of dense blood-red light, sweeping out of the hall and rushing to their respective battlefields of slaughter.

The hall instantly returned to its empty, deathly silence.

Xiao Zhuo slowly rose and walked out of the hall.

Outside the hall, the Heavenly Mirror Sect's mountain gate, once shrouded in Immortal Qi, was now in ruins. Devilish Qi permeated the broken walls, and the distant sky still bore the remnants of yesterday's battle's blood-red hues and energy turbulence.

Countless Mortal cities on the distant horizon, like miniature sandboxes, were temporarily isolated from the bloodshed by the chaos.

"Complete annihilation, huh..." Xiao Zhuo muttered to himself, the curve on his lips reappearing, cold and calculating. "Xue Qin wants the Origin of the Minghu Realm. Once this Realm's Origin is extracted, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi will dry up, the Laws will collapse, all things will wither, and all living beings will turn to dust in despair. Rather than letting them die without value in the apocalypse, why not..."

He spread his palm, as if looking at the intoxicating numbers on an invisible panel: "Turn into my Attribute Points, helping me reach the peak. This is recycling, the cycle of the Heavenly Dao."

"As for the Origin..." Xiao Zhuo's eyes narrowed slightly; Xue Qin's command was central.

Guarding this Realm and seeking its Origin was his true duty, and also the key to whether he could advance further in the Demon Realm.

Destroying the Origin of a Realm—this was truly a matter of great Karma, great terror, and also a great Opportunity.

Xue Qin's command was, in fact, a test for him, allowing no room for softness. The Blood Palace did not need a soft-hearted successor, and Xiao Zhuo knew this well. Therefore, he suppressed all his pity for the weak, issuing the order to slaughter all Cultivators; sparing the Mortals was his last act of benevolence.

The vital blood of Mortals was useless to the Demon Realm anyway, so it was a way to let them enjoy temporary peace before the boundary realm's destruction.

With his thoughts settled, Xiao Zhuo took a step, appearing above the Heavenly Mirror Sect. As silver array patterns flickered, he vanished.

The next moment, he appeared above Nanhu Prefecture in the Minghu Realm.

Below him were rolling green mountains and a great river winding like a jade belt.

However, the mountains and forests were no longer peaceful. The explosions of Spells, the shrill screams, the clash of weapons, and the characteristic bloodthirsty roars of the Blood Demon Army were faintly coming from all directions.

The air was filled with the scent of blood and destruction.

Xiao Zhuo's Divine Sense, like an invisible giant net, instantly spread out, covering the sky and earth.

He was not aimless.

On one hand, he wanted to patrol the battlefield to ensure that the Blood Demon Army Commanders strictly followed his orders.

Anyone who dared to hide or feign compliance, he wouldn't hesitate to personally kill.

On the other hand, his Divine Sense, far surpassing that of his peers, was secretly delving deep into the earth's pulse, searching for the deepest part of this world, the aura of the Minghu Realm's Origin.

He was like a god of death walking above purgatory, both harvesting lives and searching for the key to destroy the world.

Every time his Divine Sense swept through, the life force of Cultivators in the distance would instantly vanish, turning into the numbers that flickered on his panel.

Every deep probe into the earth's pulse deepened his cold understanding of this dying world.

But no matter how he probed, he still couldn't find any trace of the World Origin.