Everlasting Immortal Firmament

Book 4: Chapter 163: Eliminating Archduke Xi Kang

Outside Chaoge City:

There were many Qian Nation spies among the Han Nation citizens, placed there to send information to Heavenly Court City as soon as possible. When the five million zombies approached, everyone initially despaired.

With five million Heavenly Palace Realm zombies, Archduke Xi Kang should be able to sweep his way through everything. Not only was Gu Hai finished, but these spies would not survive to report back, either.

However, the Heavenly Palace Realm zombies all changed sides in the next moment.

The zombies defected?

The five million zombies dropped to one knee nearly simultaneously. They placed their right arms across their chests, performing a military salute to the black-robed man.

“Long live Your Holy Eminence! May Your Holy Eminence live for ten thousand years!” the five million zombies shouted suddenly.

What was going on?

The citizens only saw the army coming in an imposing manner, which aroused fear in their hearts. However, this reversal thrilled them. Our emperor is incredible!

The three million Han Nation soldiers that Gu Hai mobilized from the various cities could tell how terrifying these five million zombies were. Just ten of these zombies could wipe out all three million of them—a dismal prospect. Yet, the situation reversed in the blink of an eye.

Chang Ming felt confused. Venerable Liu Nian felt confused. The officials also felt confused.

Even Gu Hai felt confused. He had not expected such a scene.

Gu Hai had planned to deal with the leader first. He controlled the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body with his Go soul clone. Even if he could not bring out the full power of the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor, what he could manage would be sufficient. Once he killed Archduke Xi Kang, the zombies would be leaderless. Five million zombies? Naturally, the strength of the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body would be above these zombies.

As long as Gu Hai could take out Archduke Xi Kang and his group, these zombies would be useless.

However, the scene before him was even more ridiculous than what he anticipated. All the zombies suddenly bowed.

They bowed?

Gu Hai’s eyes lit up as he immediately understood the reason.

This was a form of absolute loyalty, one deeply ingrained into them until it was instinct—the instinct to remain loyal to the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor unto death. As long as the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor unleashed his aura, they did not even need to think. The bodies’ instinct would impel them to bow immediately.

So what if they had become yinggou zombies? Such deeply ingrained loyalty was the most terrifying.

When Archduke Xi Kang saw the scene before him, his lips trembled.

“How could it be like this?! How could it be like this?! You are all crazy! How is Gu Hai some holy eminence?!” Archduke Xi Kang said anxiously while goggling.

Then, the black-robed man beside Gu Hai stepped forward. Now, everyone understood that the zombies were saluting this black-robed man.

Black-robed man? Holy eminence?

Then, the black-robed man slowly raised his hand, pointing to Archduke Xi Kang’s flying ship.

The yinggou zombies immediately turned their heads and looked at that flying ship.

Boom!

The five million zombies directed their auras in the other direction, towards Archduke Xi Kang. The initially confident Archduke Xi Kang’s expression changed.

“That’s impossible! Why do the zombies obey you? Who are you?! Who are you?!” Archduke Xi Kang said in disbelief.

“Ba consumed the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s souls. The Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body exploded…exploded? Exploded? Exploded?” Archduke Xi Kang’s expression changed again.

Archduke Xi Kang suddenly figured it out.

“That body! Gu Hai, is that the body you took away previously? Ma Sanyan’s body? Am I right? Am I right? Ma Sanyan’s body was actually the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body, right? The one that exploded was a fake?” Archduke Xi Kang exclaimed while goggling.

Gu Hai smiled coldly and said, “The Investiture of the Gods is a scroll that a heavenly emperor uses to install officials. Since it is for installing officials, how could the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor be on that list?”

“Ah? You knew from the start. You knew from the start. Gu Hai!” Archduke Xi Kang showed a ferocious expression as he erupted in rage, poised to charge at Gu Hai.

He wanted to kill Gu Hai in an instant.

Perhaps due to Archduke Xi Kang’s actions, the Divine Blood Army zombies loyal to the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor sensed that he was targeting their heavenly emperor. Hence, ten thousand of them instinctively drew their weapons and attacked.

Boom!

Ten thousand attacks knocked Archduke Xi Kang back before he could rush over to Gu Hai.

“Kill!” the black-robed Slaughter Heavenly Emperor growled coldly.

“Yes!” the five million zombies shouted in unison.

Boom!

The five million Divine Blood Army zombies charged at Archduke Xi Kang. They all wielded their weapons, attacking him and his group with powerful moves.

“No, no, no!” Archduke Xi Kang’s expression changed as he turned to flee.

However, a battalion commander among the zombies immediately blocked him.

Rumble…!

The flying ship did not last a strike. The zombies broke the flying ship in an instant and massacred Archduke Xi Kang’s group in the blink of an eye.

“Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!” the five million zombies bellowed.

Although Archduke Xi Kang was in the Middle Heavenly Palace Realm, he was only in the early stage. He could not fend off the five million zombies for even a moment; he had already lost both his arms.

“Gu Hai, I do not accept this! I’ll kill you! Kill you!” The blood-covered, armless Archduke Xi Kang with messy hair charged in Gu Hai’s direction.

Realizing that there was no hope of escape, Archduke Xi Kang burst out with unprecedented power, aiming to die with Gu Hai.

Boom!

Archduke Xi Kang knocked away hundreds of zombies as he rushed towards Gu Hai. He bared his teeth as though he wanted to shred Gu Hai to pieces with them. He showed a despair that made him willing to go down together.

“Oh no! Be careful!” Venerable Liu Nian exclaimed.

“Your Majesty, he is going to self-detonate! Be careful!” Chang Ming exclaimed as well.

Shing!

Just as Archduke Xi Kang finally got past the zombies, a saber sang, and a purple light flashed. The purple light was so dazzling that everyone had to narrow their eyes, the glare blinding them.

Boom!

The purple light disappeared after a flash, but Archduke Xi Kang exploded into pieces.

Archduke Xi Kang was still some distance away from Gu Hai. Only a gentle breeze remained when the shock wave reached Gu Hai.

Everyone looked at the black-robed man holding the Life Executioner Saber in shock.

He was the one who exploded Archduke Xi Kang with one saber strike. Archduke Xi Kang did not even have time to shout.

Chang Ming goggled. Just two months or so ago, this black-robed man moved extremely stiffly. Now, he could execute that saber strike this smoothly.

That earlier saber strike was overwhelmingly powerful and fast. I could not see anything at all before everything ended?

“His Holy Eminence is mighty!” the five million zombies shouted.

The Slaughter Heavenly Emperor looked at the surroundings coldly as he held the Life Executioner Saber.

“Ju Lu, open up the third barracks for the zombies,” Gu Hai ordered coldly.

“Yes!” the distant Ju Lu shouted.

Then, he quickly directed the foundation rock golems to clear the area.

The Slaughter Heavenly Emperor looked at the five million zombies and pointed to that barracks. “Withdraw your auras and camp there!”

“Yes!” the five million zombies shouted.

Rumble…!

The five million zombies immediately assembled at that barracks in neat rows, appearing like wooden dummies. They simply stood there without moving after withdrawing their auras.

“Tidy the place up!” Gu Hai said to one of the officials.

“Yes!” that official answered. Then, he led a group of subordinates to deal with the corpses of Archduke Xi Kang and others.

After the dust settled, the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor looked at Gu Hai before returning slowly to the small house behind.

Creak!

The doors closed shut. Only now did the surrounding officials and citizens recover their wits.

The earlier calamity got resolved in the blink of an eye?

“Long live Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years!” the officials saluted excitedly.

“Long live Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live for ten thousand years!” the citizens saluted excitedly as well.

Among the crowd, the Qian Nation spies exchanged looks, showing bitter smiles amid their confusion. Then, they sneaked away to report this.

“Five million zombies? Mister Gu, excellent plan! With such a large army, the Han Royal Dynasty’s military force is at its peak,” Venerable Liu Nian said with a smile.

Gu Hai shook his head and said, “At its peak? Venerable Liu Nian must be joking. To me, these five million zombies are not even as important as Chang Sheng alone. Hah…”

“Ah?” These words startled Venerable Liu Nian somewhat.

At the side, Chang Ming bowed gratefully to Gu Hai.

——

The news of five million zombies changing hands spread everywhere immediately.

Heavenly Court City:

“That’s impossible. Say that again!” Li Shenji glared at one of his subordinates.

“It’s true. There was a Divine Strategy Battalion disciple in Chaoge City at that time. He saw it himself. The Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body was there. The body that Gu Hai took from Major Metropolitan City back then was the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body!” that subordinate said bitterly.

Li Shenji’s eyelids twitched wildly. “How can this be? How could Gu Hai be this lucky?”

——

In the study:

Ye Shenzhen and Long Shenwu stood in the outer section of the study, reporting to the Qian Heavenly Emperor, who was behind the curtains.

“The Slaughter Heavenly Emperor’s body?” Sitting on his throne, the Qian Heavenly Emperor gently tapped the desk.

“Indeed. Gu Hai’s profits are so great. No one expected that he had such a plan. Now, the five million zombies belong to him,” Ye Shenzhen said with a bitter smile.

“Eminent Father is far-sighted. Indeed, Gu Hai had a plan,” Long Shenwu said with a bitter smile.

However, the Qian Heavenly Emperor remained silent for a while before saying, “Gu Hai? He is playing with fire.”

“Oh?” Long Shenwu felt slightly startled.

“Never mind. On account that he protected Long Wanyu, we will help him once,” the Qian Heavenly Emperor said.

“Ah? Your Holy Eminence, now that the Han Royal Dynasty has five million zombies and the Slaughter Heavenly Emperor, it is at its peak. What danger could there be?” Ye Shenzhen appeared confused.

The Qian Heavenly Emperor did not answer. Instead, he said indifferently, “Ye Shenzhen, withdraw first.”

Ye Shenzhen could only answer, “Yes!”

Now, only Long Shenwu and the Qian Heavenly Emperor remained in the study.

“Does Eminent Father want this son to help Gu Hai? However, what should this son do?” Long Shenwu asked in confusion.

——

Word of what happened in Chaoge City soon reached Major Metropolitan City.

This caused a huge commotion in Major Metropolitan City.

“That’s impossible! The five million zombies of my Yuan Nation defected?”

“Archduke Xi Kang died as well?”

“What should we do now?”

This news set the officials abuzz.

When Mo Yike heard his subordinate’s report at the Mo Residence, he immediately left that subordinate behind.

“Hurry! Take out a flying ship. I have to see His Reverence! Hurry!” Mo Yike appeared anxious.