CHAPTER 443: BLACK RAIN
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This wasn't the first time Ye Qinghan had heard of Yichen Valley. The so-called serenity of its dawn was nothing but a joke at this moment.
The earth and mountains were visibly scarred by sword marks, and the valley itself seemed cleaved open by a blade.
Here… there was no dawn at all. There was no distinction between day and night.
The screams of the Apostles never ceased; war raged without respite.
Stationed here now was the 26th Heavy Armored Corps of the Royal Army—the spearhead of the current commander-in-chief's forces—tasked with guarding Yichen Valley. Once battle commenced, the average survival time for ordinary soldiers was barely an hour…
This was the very frontline of the defense. The earth was black, the sky was black. Even in daylight, lamps burned within the military tents.
A light rain fell, turning the black earth into treacherous mud. Yet Ye Qinghan and her three companions chose to descend and proceed on foot, for they had spotted a camp.
This particular camp housed roughly seventy men, and there were likely over a hundred such camps scattered throughout Yichen Valley like beans strewn across the ground.
Li Shiyao stood motionless outside a military tent, gazing from afar at a soldier resting against a tree.
These so-called warriors didn't resemble the towering elite troops of Lord Gu Ai. Most were quite small and frail…
The one before her appeared no older than thirteen or fourteen—a boy, not even as tall as the Godslayer Greatsword he cradled in his arms.
His armor was patchwork, just as the Valkyries had described—cobbled together from the remains of four fallen men, for none of them had been issued armor or weapons when they set out.
A gaping hole in the breastplate made its protective value doubtful. Jagged edges like torn fabric had already sliced open the young warrior's skin, exposing dirty, raw flesh beneath.
The lifeless eyes stared blankly in Li Shiyao's direction, gazing right through her as if looking toward the homeland.
By his side lay an empty bottle with only a dreg of liquor remaining and wild greens drenched in black broth. He shoved the greens into his mouth like scallions, washing them down with the last drops of strong liquor—that sufficed as a meal.
After this, he resumed resting. He was the most ordinary soldier; his superiors didn't expect him to accomplish anything.
Li Shiyu desperately wanted to ask what he was thinking, or why he had come here. But even if she spoke, he wouldn't hear her.
Children like this were not few, but the vast majority.
After all, there weren't enough elite warriors to go around. The so-called hundreds of thousands of soldiers were all children of impoverished commoners.
Men, women, the elderly, children—regardless of region or age, anyone capable of wielding a sword was sent to the front lines.
Put plainly, what Li Shiyao witnessed was not the invincible heavy armored forces described in accounts, but rather human walls resembling cannon fodder.
None of this was visible within the inner city walls. The war reports that arrived merely recorded cold, hard numbers.
Behind the four words "total annihilation" lay fierce battles fought amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood—the Apostles' slaughter of mere ants.
"Shiyao, let's go. We still have work to do."
"Mm… Coming! Senior Sister, wait for Shiyu."
Black figures darted through the forest. They could only shout orders at the top of their lungs, their voices strained—even their communications suppressed by the Listeners…
Even Ye Qinghan couldn't fathom how such a war could be won—it was tantamount to pitting eggs against stones.
No matter how many eggs there were, they could never shatter the stone.
They had clashed with the Apostles before. Without the power of a Divine Transformation cultivator, they couldn't even scratch those hunters.
To escape alive, one needed at least Foundation Establishment cultivation. Yet most of these people were farmers or children—ordinary mortals who had never even set foot on the path to immortality.
This was nothing short of suicide!
But when that mountain-like Ripper slowly emerged from the forest, its colossal form stretching out, Ye Qinghan and the other three froze in shock…
This…
This…
Even if it were the four of them, they couldn't guarantee they could kill this Apostle…
They knew Apostles varied in size depending on the individual, but could anyone truly stand against one this mountain-like?
"Senior Sister, Shiyu wants to… help them…"
"If it were possible, we'd still need to find a way to survive first…"
In an instant, flames filled the sky. Chu Youwei had warned them: the Rippers were merely the vanguard clearing the path. Following closely behind was the true Apostle army…
The Apostles merely swept past, yet the earth shook and mountains trembled. The outcome seemed predetermined—how could mere mortals possibly slay such foes?
Just then, as all four felt a pang of sympathy for the children, the sky was suddenly illuminated by the blazing flames of retribution!
A woman with hair the same shade as Xiao Ai's, clad in a fiery red dance gown identical to Shangguan Rou's, floated above Yichen Valley!
In her grasp lay the very weapon of judgment—a blade capable of severing all creation. Shangguan Rou called it the Wind-Chanting Blade, but in this world, it was known as the Angel of Atonement.
It was the blazing flame that could sanction all, consuming every sin in the world!
As the woman unleashed her full power, the temperature within Yichen Valley soared. It felt as though the very ground beneath their feet was ablaze, the scorching air stinging their lungs with every breath.
"Senior Sister, this…"
Ye Qinghan's expression remained calm.
"This is likely what Crane Light referred to as Full Drive Liberation. You can understand it as them suppressing their cultivation levels normally…"
Ye Qinghan was right, yet not entirely so. If one likened the Godslayer King before them to a machine, this full-drive liberation equated to operating at full power.
Machines don't sustain full-power operation indefinitely. Firstly, the machinery itself couldn't endure it—full-power operation meant consumption would be pushed to its peak.
Second, such consumption is pointless and harms the surroundings. Consider a car: fuel consumption comes with exhaust emissions, and prolonged high-power operation shortens its lifespan.
If the woman before them maintained Full Drive Liberation for half a month, Yichen Valley would become a fiery inferno.
However, it was known that aside from deities wielding divine authority, no one could sustain full-drive liberation for an entire day. Battles involving the Godslayer King rarely lasted that long anyway.
Li Shiyao and Dongfang Jue looked at each other like two little idiots, then glanced at Su Muchan. She was probably thinking the same thing.
Did Xun Ye and the Master's Wife suppress their cultivation levels on a daily basis?
And after suppressing it, they're still that terrifying? That's just brutal!
And now, these four little ones were about to witness firsthand what a battle involving the Godslayer King truly looked like.
The red-haired woman before them was Su Cheng's beloved, the unrivaled, strongest Godslayer King.
Ye Qinghan had seen a statue of this woman in the chamber, though he didn't know her name. Then again, the girl wouldn't be introducing herself to these apostles anyway.
Just as Ye He held the authority of judgment, the woman occupying the seat opposite the throne was none other than her. The title Godslayer King was coined specifically for her.
She was the Godslayer Queen with the highest KD ratio, having personally slain six deities. Since joining the military, she had participated in nearly every battle against the gods.
She and Yehe stood as the deities aligned with the mortal realm.
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