136: Fourth Generation: Overlord (Thirty-two)

From a distance, the Qinglan Mountain Range rolled on continuously, its main peak towering into the clouds, with the entire range shrouded in a layer of green spiritual light so dense it seemed to have condensed into a physical substance.

That spiritual light was like an inverted giant bowl, firmly protecting the core area of the Xiao Family within. On the light barrier, countless giant tree phantoms could be faintly seen rooted in the Void Realm, their swaying branches and leaves emitting a boundless, majestic vitality and a heart-palpitating defensive power.

This was the very Foundation the Xiao Family had managed for centuries and upon which they had built their fame—the "Qingmu Grand Array"!

The defensive power of this Formation not only far surpassed that of Blackwater City's "Mystic Water Illusion Formation," but it could also continuously draw power from the underground Spiritual Vein of the Qinglan Mountain Range, making it endless and extremely difficult to breach.

It was rumored that even if multiple Cultivators at Foundation Establishment Perfection joined forces, they would find it difficult to break it by force in a short period of time if they did not know the proper method.

And at this moment, atop the walls of the massive Qinglan City built along the foothills outside the main peak of Qinglan Mountain, figures moved about under heavy guard.

Even more shocking was that outside the city walls and in front of the key passages leading into the grand array, thousands upon thousands of ordinary commoners had been gathered in a dense crowd!

Most were dressed in rags and looked emaciated, driven by the Xiao Family's private soldiers wielding weapons, blocking the Royal Army's path like human shields.

The faint sounds of weeping and pleading could be heard, forming a cruel contrast with the cold eyes of the rebel Cultivators atop the city walls.

The head of the Xiao Family, Xiao Huan, who was in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, stood at the core of the Formation atop the main peak. He watched the Great Shang fleet approaching the city and the commoners driven before the array through a Water Mirror Spell, his face showing no trace of triumph, only a cold resolve.

"Wang Yuan..."

He whispered the name, his eyes filled with wariness and hatred.

He already knew the fate of Blackwater City.

He had no doubt that if the Shang King outside the city found a way to break the array, the Xiao Family's end would not be a bit better than Blackwater City's.

"Pass down the order," Xiao Huan said hoarsely to his confidant beside him, "guard the grand array strictly. No one is to leave the Formation for reckless battle!"

"Tell those below to watch those 'Mortal Sheep' closely. If there is any movement, kill them without mercy!"

He took a deep breath and looked toward the north, the direction of the Royal Capital and where the northern battlefield was located.

"We don't need to defeat him; we only need to... stall him! Stall until the north collapses, stall until the capital changes, stall until Wang Yuan... has to withdraw his army!"

"This Qinglan Mountain and these thousands of lives are our greatest bargaining chips!"

"I want to see if this 'Shang King' dares to bear the eternal infamy of slaughtering thousands of innocents!"

Qinglan Mountain had become an isolated city, but it had also become the hardest and most troublesome bone embedded in the heart of the Southeast.

Xiao Huan intended to use the most cruel method to carry out his final resistance.

The main fleet of the Great Shang Royal Army slowly came to a halt outside Qinglan Mountain, like a silent giant beast, forming an oppressive confrontation with the massive, green-shrouded peaks and the dense crowd of weeping commoners before the mountain.

Above the main peak of Qinglan Mountain, a figure wrapped in green spiritual light rose into the air; it was Xiao Huan.

He exerted his Spiritual Qi to the fullest, his voice like rolling thunder spreading in all directions, deliberately ensuring the commoners held hostage before the array could hear clearly:

"Shang King! Wang Yuan!"

With his hair and beard bristling, Xiao Huan put on a compassionate appearance, pointed at the dense crowd of commoners below, and shouted sternly:

"Look clearly! Before this array are the subjects of your Great Shang! They are unarmed Mortals!"

"Your Wang family claims to follow the mandate of heaven, establishing the Great Shang and constantly talking about for the sake of the common people!"

"Today, if you dare to forcibly break the array, causing its aftershocks to harm these innocent lives, you will be an eternal tyrant!"

"When that time comes, how will the people of the world view you?"

"The iron pen of history will surely record that you, Wang Yuan, slaughtered tens of thousands for your own selfish interests!"

He had revealed his true intentions, attempting to use the lives of these thousands and the so-called "eternal infamy" to weave a moral net to trap Xu Yuan before the array, forcing him to withdraw or at least delay him.

The crying of the commoners before the array grew louder, filled with despair.

Many soldiers of the Royal Army also showed hesitation, looking toward the black-armored figure at the bow of the ship.

However, as Xu Yuan stood at the bow, facing Xiao Huan's words meant to pierce the heart, his face showed no trace of being moved, only a flicker of cold killing intent in the depths of his eyes.

He didn't even use an amplification Spell, yet his calm and majestic voice sounded directly in the hearts of everyone—whether they were the Royal Army outside the array, the defenders inside, or the commoners held hostage:

"Xiao Huan."

Just two words, yet they carried the weight of a thousand tons, making the hearts of all who heard them tremble.

"You and your ilk have rebelled against heaven, occupied territory, and poisoned living beings. Now that you have reached the end of your rope, instead of repenting, you use the common people as shields and carry out such despicable and filthy acts."

"Do you think that with such means, you can hold me hostage?"

"That you can shake my heart to pacify the rebellion and purge the world?"

Xu Yuan's voice suddenly rose, carrying a resplendent imperial majesty that brooked no doubt, triggering a resonance between the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and the Great Shang National Fortune, causing the winds and clouds to change color!

"I shall tell you today, and I shall tell the people of the world—"

"The crimes of you rebels are too numerous to record! What you have done today makes your guilt even greater!"

"If these commoners are harmed, every single blood debt will be placed on your head, Xiao Huan, and on the heads of your entire Xiao clan!"

"I hereby swear that after breaking the array, I will use the blood of your entire clan to sacrifice to the souls of all who died today because of you!"

A public sentencing, shifting the target of blame!

Xu Yuan would not be affected by Xiao Huan's moral blackmail; he would not retreat, nor could he, for if he retreated today, would not all those minor factions follow suit in the future?

Xu Yuan directly pinned the responsibility for today's deaths and injuries firmly onto Xiao Huan!

Before his voice had even faded, Xu Yuan stepped off the bow and stood in the air, his aura no longer restrained.

His Early Foundation Establishment Stage Spiritual Qi erupted fully, but above that majestic Spiritual Qi, a purple-gold, vast, and majestic Imperial Fortune Qi soared into the sky!

"I govern the Great Shang and rule over the world."

"A mere Formation thinks it can stop my Royal Army?"

Xu Yuan raised his hands; he did not form any seals, but simply pressed them toward the massive "Qingmu Grand Array."

The Purple Zenith Imperial Fate Art within his body operated frantically at an unprecedented speed, and the Purple Extremity Vast Heaven Foundation shone brilliantly, communicating with the Great Shang National Fortune that shrouded this land from the unseen!

"I will not play any games of besieging cities and capturing strongholds with you."

"I want this tortoise shell of yours to shatter itself!"

"Imperial Decree—"

"Foundation shaken, Spiritual Vein reversed, for me—"

"Break!!!"

Words spoken, laws followed! The target was aimed directly at the Foundation and Spiritual Vein of the grand array!

"Rumble!!!"

This time, it was no longer a silent disintegration.

The entire Qinglan Mountain Range seemed to undergo a violent earthquake!

The earth roared, and the mountains trembled!

The green light barrier shrouding the mountains emitted an ear-splitting scream of agony. The runes that had been flowing steadily on the barrier instantly became chaotic, and countless giant tree phantoms swayed frantically as if they were about to be uprooted!

The light barrier itself flickered violently, as if it would completely shatter in the next moment!

Inside the grand array, the Xiao Family Cultivators at the Spiritual Vein nodes all spat out blood, and those with weaker cultivation exploded and died instantly!

Atop the main peak, Xiao Huan's face turned deathly pale as he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with boundless fear and disbelief!

"This is the Clan-Protecting Grand Array that my Xiao Family has been perfecting for centuries. How... how could he directly shake the array's Foundation and Spiritual Vein?!"

"What power is this?!"

Xu Yuan did not even look at the commoners who were staggering and falling due to the violent fluctuations of the Formation, or even those caught by collapsing rocks.

His gaze was cold, fixed only on the violently flickering array that was on the verge of collapse.

It was not that he did not know this action would affect the innocent.

But the King did not care.

In this life, he, Xu Yuan, was never some benevolent or saintly king who loved the people as his own children and endured humiliation for a heavy responsibility!

He was the Overlord!

He was a Domineering Monarch where those who followed him would prosper and those who opposed him would perish!

To achieve his goals and sweep away obstacles, he could afford to pay some necessary prices!

All the karmic infamy, he would bear it all on his own shoulders!