143: Slay the bandits

Just as the rebellion within West Lake City was swiftly suppressed and the smoke had not yet fully cleared, the dark mass of the Wokou fleet was already approaching on the sea outside the city!

Zuoi stood at the bow of the flagship, looking at West Lake City, which seemed to have fallen into chaos with faint glimmers of fire, a cruel and greedy smile appearing on his face.

"Yoshi! The city is already in chaos! That trash Situ Ming is finally of some use!" He unsheathed the Katana at his waist, pointed it toward West Lake City, and let out a beast-like howl: "Boys! Wealth, women, slaughter! They are right before our eyes! Charge with me and devour this city in one bite!"

"Roar—!"

Over seven hundred fierce Wokou let out earth-shaking, strange cries. Like jackals smelling blood, they steered their swift boats and charged frantically toward the East and South Water Gates of West Lake City and the nearby tidal flats!

Arrows shot from the Wokou ships toward the city walls like a swarm of locusts. Many arrows had cloth strips soaked in tung oil tied to them, turning into flaming arrows in an attempt to ignite the city towers and create greater chaos. Even more fearless Wokou, braving the sparse arrows of the defenders, set up scaling ladders and brandished their Katanas as they began to climb the city walls and storm the water gates.

Everything was going as "smoothly" as they had envisioned.

Zuoi personally led six Martial King leaders, acting like seven sharp daggers, as they were the first to land at the "weakest" defense area, the South Water Gate, preparing to break through in one go and slaughter their way into the city!

However, just as they rushed onto the tidal flats, thinking victory was within their grasp—

A sudden change occurred!

On the originally "chaotic" city walls, flags suddenly rose in unison! Countless well-equipped defenders, brimming with Killing Intent, appeared behind the battlements as if they had sprouted from the ground! Strong bows, heavy crossbows, rolling logs, and falling stones instantly poured down like a rainstorm! The Wokou who had just climbed the walls fell screaming, and the vanguard of the landing Wokou was caught off guard, suffering heavy casualties!

Immediately following that, the city gates swung wide open!

"Bandits, do not run!"

City Lord, clad in heavy armor and holding a long blade, charged out on horseback like a god of war! The vast Aura of a Mid-stage Martial Emperor was released without reservation, striking the landing Wokou like a physical tidal wave!

Behind him, Zhang Daoling’s horsetail whisk fluttered; he possessed an immortal air but carried a chilling intent to kill.

Behind them was the dark, iron-like torrent of the main allied force!

Su Yuetang, Qin Feng, Zhao Mang, Su Xiaoxiao, six Martial Kings from the Imperial Court, the Guest Elders of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, the commanders of the City Lord's Manor, the Disciples of the Celestial Masters Mansion... a total of twenty Martial King experts, along with over three thousand elite Martial Artists under their command who had been tempered by the fires of war!

The terrifying pressure emitted by this force gathered together caused even the heavens and earth to lose their color!

The wild joy on the faces of Zuoi and the six Martial King leaders who had just landed instantly froze, replaced by boundless horror and disbelief!

"Baka! What is going on?!"

"How is City Lord standing here unharmed?"

"That bastard Situ Ming!!" Zuoi's eyes were nearly splitting. No matter how stupid he was, he understood at this moment that he had been lured into a trap! The so-called chaos in the city was nothing more than a trap to lure them in!

"Damn it! We've been played!" a Wokou Martial King leader's voice trembled.

Looking at the terrifying formation before him, composed of one Martial Emperor, twenty Martial Kings, and thousands of elites, a bone-chilling coldness welled up in Zuoi's heart. This power was enough to crush these seven hundred people ten times over!

But things had come to this, and their path of retreat was cut off; there was nothing left but to fight to the death!

"Kill! Fight our way out!" Zuoi let out a desperate roar, brandishing his Katana as he charged frantically toward the leading City Lord.

"Stubborn and foolish! You seek death!" City Lord snorted coldly. His long blade turned into a startling rainbow, carrying a will that could cut through anything as it met Zuoi's attack!

The two top experts instantly collided. The airwaves generated by the clash of their True Yuan swept out in all directions like a storm, sending sand and stones flying!

At the same time, the allied forces surged forward like a tide, completely dividing and surrounding the seven hundred landing Wokou!

The twenty Martial Kings sought out their respective targets, like tigers entering a flock of sheep!

Qin Feng and Su Yuetang coordinated with tacit understanding. Their sword techniques complemented each other—one was eerie and tricky, the other gorgeous and lethal. Together, they pinned down two Wokou Martial King leaders who were trying to break out. The ink plum sword and the Hundred Flowers Sword wove a net of death. In just over ten rounds, they forced those two leaders into a corner. Finally, Qin Feng shattered their heart vessels with a precise Finger Sword Among Flowers, and Su Yuetang's Hundred Flowers Sword followed closely behind, slitting their throats!

On the other side, Zhao Mang and two other experts from the Celestial Masters Mansion were like rampaging giant bears, clashing head-on with a Wokou Martial King who used twin blades, forcing him back step by step. The six Martial Kings from the Imperial Court formed a battle formation, acting like a meat grinder as they swallowed up two other Wokou Martial Kings and their surrounding personal guards... The battle was almost a one-sided massacre.

Although the Wokou were fierce, their resistance appeared pale and weak in the face of the absolute power gap and the carefully laid trap. The allied forces compressed their survival space with the momentum of crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood.

In less than an hour!

Upon the tidal flats, corpses were strewn everywhere, and blood flowed like a river. The vast majority of the seven hundred Wokou had turned into cold corpses.

In the core battle circle, the fight between City Lord and Zuoi was also nearing its end. Although Zuoi was brave, his strength was inherently inferior to City Lord's, and with his mind in disarray, he was full of openings. Finally, City Lord seized an opportunity, and a Blade Aura condensed from his full Mid-stage Martial Emperor cultivation slashed down like a heavenly punishment!

"Pfft—!"

A head as large as a bucket soared into the sky! Zuoi's eyes, filled with resentment and fear, were frozen forever. His headless body swayed and fell heavily into the pool of blood.

The Wokou leader, Zuoi, was executed!

The remaining dozens of Wokou completely collapsed, scattering like headless flies in an attempt to flee back to the sea.

However, Ji Ruxue, like a god of death in the dark night, led a group of experts skilled in stealth and pursuit to specifically intercept and kill these routed soldiers. Every time her dagger flashed, it took a life.

Su Xiaoxiao also commanded the Wonderful Sound Workshop and part of the allied forces to blockade the beach. Any Wokou attempting to board a ship was shot down by a hail of arrows or killed on the spot.

The setting sun completely sank below the horizon. Under the reflection of the last glimmer of light, the battle of annihilation outside West Lake City finally came to a close.

The main Wokou force of over seven hundred men, including the leader Zuoi (Late Stage Martial King) and six Martial King leaders, was completely wiped out, with not a single one escaping!

After a hundred days, having gone through secluded cultivation Breakthroughs, the suppression of internal rebellion, and the invasion of foreign enemies, the catastrophe of West Lake City finally ended with the complete victory of the side of justice!

Atop the city walls, the surviving defenders let out ear-splitting cheers! The joy of surviving the disaster intertwined with the mourning for fallen comrades.

Qin Feng stood on the city wall, looking at the messy battlefield below. Feeling the Martial King True Yuan surging within his body, he didn't feel much joy from the victory, only a heavy sense of responsibility and a deeper desire for the path of martial arts.