72: Chapter 72 The Death of Yang Zheng
The surrounding dust seemed to be struck, suddenly dispersing, as Yang Zheng's aura reached its peak, even faintly approaching the King Realm.
"With one punch, the wind and rain cease; across the four seas, there are no gods!"
With muscles surging throughout his body, Yang Zheng threw a punch, smashing it toward Lu Gao, who was closest to him.
The fist struck with an irresistible force. Lu Gao's body froze in place; although they were both Heaven Rank Experts, his strength was already inferior to Yang Zheng's, not to mention that Yang Zheng had burned everything to forcibly boost his combat power!
The surrounding aura pressed against his body, rendering him unable to move, and in the next instant, that massive fist slammed into him.
The roar was like thunder, resounding through the sky. A shockwave spread out with Lu Gao at its center; for a moment, it was like a nuclear bomb explosion.
Bang!!
Lu Gao's body was smashed into the ground, and the surrounding sand and soil disappeared as if evaporated, leaving behind a deep pit fifty meters in diameter.
The ground was utterly destroyed, and Yang Zheng descended rapidly to attack Lu Gao again.
At their level, if they didn't quickly eliminate their opponents to protect the civilians, it would instead cause even greater damage.
So-called protection and mercy were useless, serving only to give opponents opportunities to harm oneself.
Xiao Shun remained silent. This guy, Yang Zheng, had actually burned his life force for a War Body that had nothing to do with him.
He slowly lowered his head and looked at the vengeful spirits beneath him; they seemed to live in purgatory, surrounding his body, wanting to drag him down to hell.
Over these years, he had been stained with countless blood and had murdered many innocent people.
Yang Zheng did not answer his question but instead burned his life, exhausting everything to fight.
This was his answer.
Xiao Shun smiled self-deprecatingly: "Hands stained with blood, so what? Murdering the innocent, so what?"
"What... what have I done wrong?"
He reached out and gestured lightly; Xiao Yue, who was fleeing in the distance, stopped, and its body flew toward him uncontrollably.
Just then, a figure flew directly out from underground, and Yang Zheng's voice rang out.
"Not enough! The three of you, come at me together!"
As he spoke, Yang Zheng's figure appeared beside Xiao Shun, and he threw a punch. His powerful blood energy caused the vengeful spirits around Xiao Shun's body to emit fearful shrieks.
"Junior Brother, why go to such lengths?" Xiao Shun shook his head. If Yang Zheng fought to the death and took these two down, he would likely end up with a crippled body, unable to cultivate.
But if he included him, it would mean death and the dissipation of his Dao.
Locking his aura onto Lu Gao, who was trying to flee, Yang Zheng said coldly: "Are you even worthy of calling me Junior Brother?"
Xiao Shun dodged Yang Zheng's attacks, while the other two closed in, preparing to forcibly surround and kill Yang Zheng.
"I did this only to break through. Junior Brother, if it weren't for avenging our master, would I want to become this neither-human-nor-ghost creature?" Xiao Shun laughed and cried at the same time. Facing the punch coming straight at him from Yang Zheng, he did not block or parry, taking the attack head-on.
Yang Zheng's fist stopped in front of him, the fist wind causing Xiao Shun's long hair to flutter.
"To take revenge, you must harm the innocent? To take revenge, you must fall into the demonic path! Xiao Shun, you are unworthy of being a disciple of our teacher!" Turning to attack Lu Gao, Yang Zheng's body faintly showed cracks, displaying signs of collapse.
"Harm the innocent? Yang Zheng! As Heaven Rank Experts, how much have we contributed to China?"
"We were the ones who blocked the front lines!"
"Why, why should all the resources be wasted on so-called geniuses, on so-called War Bodies!"
"Do we not have merit? Have we not sacrificed? Why!" Xiao Shun was like a madman, yet he did not attack Yang Zheng.
"How many Heaven Rank Cultivators are unable to break through due to hidden injuries from battles? Master was, and so are we!"
"We cultivated to the Heaven Rank, does that not count as being a genius?"
"Just because of the phrase 'War Body', just because of the phrase 'gifted with talent', they spend massive resources on these so-called geniuses."
"And what about us! Unable to break through, we can only wait to die of old age or die in battle!"
"This is how they treat us!" Xiao Shun's eyes were blood-red, and he shed tears of blood.
Their master, unable to break through due to hidden injuries, went to the Otherworld at the moment of death, using his last bit of life to kill enemies.
Why?
How much resources and time does it take to cultivate a genius into the King Realm?
Clearly, if the resources were just given to them, several King Realm experts could be produced immediately.
Yang Zheng smashed Lu Gao's skull with one punch; his hair turned white, his body became somewhat aged, and his aura plummeted rapidly.
"Xiao Shun, Master once said that you were intelligent and suited for the path of Spirit Refinement, while I was foolish and could only practice Body Refinement."
"Master once told me to follow you, so I wouldn't easily go down the wrong path."
Tears appeared in Yang Zheng's eyes: "But Master was wrong."
"I have hated; I hated why no one in the human race helped Master break through, and I hated why they wouldn't let Master enjoy his later years in peace."
On the side, Wu Peng roared, wanting to escape, but was forcibly trapped by Yang Zheng, and could only defend passively under Yang Zheng's suicidal offensive.
"But, Master personally told me.
His path was already broken; when he needed others' help to break through, he could only stop there for his entire life."
"He once told me that we were only able to reach this point under the protection of the older generation."
"The human race cannot be without hope, even if it means sacrificing one's own life!"
"I do not blame others; it is my incompetence. I had no ability to break through to the King Realm to help Master recover from his injuries; it is my incompetence!"
He looked at Xiao Shun, this big guy who would only silently endure no matter how heavy his injuries were, and said with a choked voice: "Master said you were smart and never told you these things, thinking you would understand, but he never imagined you would go astray."
"The old man was truly wrong..."
Smashing half of Wu Peng's body, Yang Zheng's gaze was somewhat dazed.
He turned his body and looked at Chi Anlin, who was imprisoned on the ground by Xiao Shun's mental power. Was his former self... also protected by Teacher like this?
From Chi Anlin, Yang Zheng saw that little self of his. It was also that time that Teacher damaged his own foundation.
However, Teacher only drove away that evil cult expert, while he not only fought three people at once but also killed one and injured another.
"Teacher... I am much more powerful than you were..."
Yang Zheng grinned. Because he was honest and simple-minded, and an orphan, he had been bullied by people around him since he was small.
He resented the people around him and was full of malice toward everyone.
But the appearance of Teacher made him change this idea; he felt warmth for the first time and felt what a home was.
It made him feel for the first time what love was...
The surrounding scene flashed by rapidly, and Yang Zheng's body fell powerlessly from the high sky. In a daze, he seemed to see that kind old man, handing him a hot sweet potato with a benevolent face.
Under the guidance of this old man, he learned to radiate kindness to the people around him, learned to suppress his temper, and to treat people kindly.
Teacher, that part of me changed by you has replaced you and stands with me forever.
In this way... we can also be considered to be fighting side by side forever.