148: Fourth Generation: Overlord (44)

The Wolf King skidded to a violent halt, its four limbs plowing four distinct tracks of air currents into the void, its eerie green wolf pupils filled with a very human-like disbelief.

Wusut lay prone on the wolf's back, staring at Xu Yuan and Wang Zhengqing who were close at hand; his heart sank completely to the bottom of the abyss.

Xu Yuan looked at the man and wolf before him calmly, as if looking at prey that had already fallen into a net, and spoke indifferently:

"I said..."

"Since you have come, you might as well stay and be at peace."

"You, and this beast you brought with you, shall be buried here today."

As his voice fell, a chilling killing intent flared; there was no longer any room for negotiation.

Knowing there was no retreat, a fierce light erupted in Wusut's eyes. His aura linked with the Wolf King beneath him, man and wolf becoming one, transforming into a destructive torrent of interwoven blood-red and ghostly gray. He took the lead and launched a desperate charge toward Xu Yuan!

He knew that today's matter could not be settled peacefully; only by defeating this unfathomable Shang King would there be a slim, glimmering chance of survival!

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Third Elder Wang Zhengqing's body surged with Green Wood spiritual power, and he moved forward to intercept.

However, Xu Yuan merely raised his hand slightly, signaling him not to interfere.

Facing a combined assault that would make an ordinary Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator turn pale, Xu Yuan's eyes remained calm.

Xu Yuan did not draw his blade; he simply took a step forward. The brilliant Imperial Authority and the majestic spiritual power of the Purple Extremity Vast Heaven Foundation erupted from him, faintly harmonizing with the Great Shang National Fortune he invoked.

He held his fingers together like a blade and slashed through the air!

"Sever!"

A purple-gold thin line, refined to the extreme—as if all colors had been stripped away, leaving only the pure concept of "severing"—burst from his fingertips, silently meeting the destructive torrent.

There was no world-shaking explosion, no brilliant clash of spiritual lights.

Wherever that purple-gold thin line passed, space seemed to be silently sliced open. The momentum of the combined charge from Wusut and the Wolf King was like crashing into an insurmountable invisible wall, or like a surging tide hitting an indestructible reef. Before the intent of "severing" everything, it actually began to separate from the center!

The blood-colored blade light and the dark demonic power were torn apart from the middle by an invisible hand, scattering and annihilating to both sides!

The madness and determination on Wusut's face froze instantly, turning into boundless horror.

He clearly felt that the power of his combined strike with the Wolf King was so vulnerable before that purple-gold thin line that it couldn't even hinder it for a moment!

"No—!"

Just as the shrill roar began, the purple-gold thin line had already penetrated the collapsing spiritual light, accurately passing through the bodies of Wusut and the Wolf King beneath him.

Time seemed to freeze for an instant.

In the next moment, Wusut and the Late Foundation Establishment Stage Wolf King beneath him suddenly stiffened. Then, along a perfectly smooth cut line, they were simultaneously split into two!

Blood sprayed out like a waterfall, and their mangled remains fell from the sky along with out-of-control spiritual power.

Wusut, Commander of the Heavenly Wolf Dynasty Blood Wolf Guard, deceased!

The fearsome Late Foundation Establishment Stage Wolf King, deceased!

Xu Yuan withdrew his fingers and stood still, his black armor unstained by a single speck of dust, as if he had only performed a trivial task.

Silence!

A deathly silence!

The members of the Shen Family in the rear, who had still harbored a sliver of hope, witnessed Wusut and the Wolf King being killed so effortlessly. All hope instantly vanished, and they were submerged in total terror.

"Your... Your Majesty, have mercy!"

"We are willing to surrender! We will give everything the Shen Family owns! We only beg Your Majesty for forgiveness!"

"It was all the Clan Head and the Elders who forced us; we had no choice!"

"..."

Cries and the sound of kowtowing rose and fell. Many people were so frightened they collapsed to the ground, showing every sign of cowardice.

They kowtowed desperately until their foreheads were bloody and mangled, only hoping to trade for a slim chance of survival before the young Emperor.

However, Xu Yuan's eyes did not flicker in the slightest. The only response was a single, indifferent word:

"Kill!"

The cold word fell once more, shattering the Shen Family's final illusions.

The Imperial Guards and Shadow Guards, who had long been ready, pounced like tigers and wolves. Blades flashed, Spells exploded with spiritual light, and the cries and pleas for mercy were quickly replaced by the sound of blades entering flesh and dying wails.

A cold and ruthless purge was once again carried out here on the edge of the Northern Border.

Xu Yuan no longer paid attention to the slaughter over there. He turned to Wang Zhengqing and said, "Third Elder, clear the battlefield and seize all spoils of war, especially the items carried by the Shen Family."

"This old servant obeys the decree!" Wang Zhengqing bowed in response and immediately led his men into action.

The battle ended quickly. The remnants of the Shen Family were completely slaughtered, with not a single survivor.

A moment later, Wang Zhengqing returned with several Shadow Guards, his face filled with uncontrollable excitement and joy.

In his hands, he held a simple-looking Storage Ring and several crimson Jade Slips that emitted a scorching aura.

"Your Majesty! Great news!" Wang Zhengqing's voice trembled slightly. "We have recovered the complete Artifact Refining Legacy of the Shen Family from Shen Jun and several core Elders! Especially these core manuals, the 'Gold Melting Secret Record' and 'Hundred Forged Spirit Runes'!"

He excitedly presented the Jade Slips and whispered, unable to hide his thrill: "Your Majesty, I have done a rough review and found that the core concepts of 'Spirit Rune Construction' and 'Material Fusion' in the Shen Family's Artifact Refining Legacy are highly compatible with the 'Puppet Core Spirit Network' and 'Myriad Transformation Shaping' chapters from the Puppet Path Legacy you bestowed previously!"

"If we can integrate them, it will greatly compensate for our current shortcomings in Puppet core refining and material adaptability. Our research progress can be accelerated by at least fifty percent!"

Upon hearing this, a look of satisfaction finally flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes.

He took the Jade Slip containing the 'Gold Melting Secret Record.' With a sweep of his Divine Sense, he could feel the exquisite techniques within, which indeed had many points that could corroborate and complement the puppetry from Mo Qianji's Legacy.

"Good." Xu Yuan nodded and put away the Jade Slip. "The gains from this battle have made this personal expedition worthwhile. Keep these legacies safe, bring them back to the Royal Capital, and hand them over to the Secret Pavilion for full study."

Xu Yuan's gaze moved past Wang Zhengqing and landed on Wusut's bloody, halved corpse nearby. A cold, playful glint flashed in his eyes, which then turned into a light chuckle.

"Heh."

"Originally, after pacifying the Southeast rebellion, I would have needed to personally visit Iron Wall Pass to meet the Azure Wolf Iron Cavalry of the Heavenly Wolf Dynasty and resolve the threat at the Northern Border."

"Now, it seems there is no need for such trouble."

Xu Yuan's tone was flat, yet carried an unquestionable decisiveness:

"Third Elder, have someone collect Wusut's body."

"Then, select a team of clever individuals to 'return' this corpse, along with his broken scimitar, to the Tianlang army outside Iron Wall Pass."

Wang Zhengqing was startled at first, but then a sharp light flashed in his eyes as he immediately understood Xu Yuan's deeper meaning. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise! I will see to it immediately!"

Xu Yuan nodded slightly and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Wusut was the Commander of the Tianlang Blood Wolf Guard, holding a high status, and was a valiant general at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. He sneaked into my Great Shang territory intending to aid rebels, only to end up dead and dismembered."

"Tell me, when the Tianlang army outside the pass sees their commander sent back in such a miserable state... what will they think?"

"Morale? Fighting spirit?"

Xu Yuan shook his head, his tone certain:

"When Wusut's body appears before them, the crisis at the Northern Border will resolve itself."

"At least until the Heavenly Wolf Dynasty figures out my true strength or sends someone even stronger, they will never dare to attack the pass lightly again."

"This will crush their will to fight more effectively than if I were to personally go to Iron Wall Pass and slay a thousand enemy chieftains in front of their ranks."

To kill the person is one thing; to destroy their heart is another!