628: To be continued tomorrow

The voice echoed across the wasteland, striking the hearts of every remaining Cultivator like a heavy hammer.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with struggle and despair.

Someone subconsciously gripped the Magic Treasure in their hand, their fingertips turning white, but at the thought of the tragic state of their fellow Daoists just now, they involuntarily let go.

That airtight net of firepower and those indestructible energy weapons were completely beyond the resistance of the remaining hundred or so people.

Charging forward was a dead end; staying behind might offer a slim chance of survival.

"I... I surrender!"

A slightly trembling voice broke the silence.

Everyone looked toward the sound and saw a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator dressed in a grey-green Daoist robe walking out from the crowd. His face was still pale with lingering fear, and he threw his Life-bound Flying Sword onto the ground without hesitation, making a crisp "clang."

Following that, he fumbled for the Storage Ring at his waist. After a moment of internal struggle, he finally gritted his teeth and threw it at his feet as well. He raised both hands high and slowly knelt, his forehead almost touching the ground, his posture humble to the extreme.

"I have no more items on me. I am willing to follow arrangements, I only ask for my life to be spared!"

With the first person taking the lead, it was like a domino effect; the remaining Cultivators could no longer suppress their desire for survival.

"I surrender too!"

"Don't kill me, I'm willing to give up resistance!"

Voices rose one after another as Cultivators emerged from behind cover, throwing their Magic Treasures, Talismans, Flying Swords, and other items onto the ground one by one. Storage pouches and Storage Rings were also handed over, forming a small pile.

They either stood or knelt, their faces full of fear and obedience, no longer possessing the aloofness and arrogance of Cultivators past.

For these Loose Cultivators who had no sect or faction and struggled alone in this chaotic world, neither their cultivation level nor their dignity was as important as staying alive.

Being adaptable and cutting losses when things went south was the fundamental reason they had survived until now amidst countless dangers.

Seeing this, the Imperial Soldiers formed neat ranks and stepped forward one by one.

In their hands, they held specialized bracelets—Limiters capable of suppressing the flow of spiritual energy.

The Soldiers acted swiftly and decisively, placing the Limiters on the Cultivators' wrists one by one. The bracelets automatically tightened upon contact with the skin, instantly suppressing the flow of spiritual energy within the Cultivators' bodies, making it impossible for them to activate even the most basic Spells.

Throughout the process, the Soldiers remained highly alert, their gazes beneath their helmets sharp as hawks, staring intently at every movement of the Cultivators.

In the rear, the Suspended Armored Vehicles still had their cannons pointed at the sky, and the energy circuits of the Land-crawlers hummed, ready to fire at any moment.

If any Cultivator dared to make a move, even a slight act of resistance, what awaited them would be a ruthless and total elimination.

And such a scene was not just happening at this one location outside Demon Suppressing City.

In the wastelands to the east, south, west, and north of the city, the same scenario was playing out simultaneously.

Those Cultivators who were lucky enough to escape the city, regardless of their cultivation level, surrendered one after another under the deterrent of the Imperial troops' overwhelming firepower.

No one was willing to risk their life in a head-on collision. A wise man submits to fate—this was the simplest and most realistic survival Law for Loose Cultivators.

For a time, the outskirts of Demon Suppressing City were filled with Cultivators who had laid down their weapons and been fitted with Limiters. Although the smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air, the slaughter and roars from before had vanished, leaving only an oppressive silence... Inside the Command Center deep within the Forbidden Ground, countless data points flowed rapidly across the massive light screen, clearly presenting every detail of the battlefield outside the city.

He Dong stood before the light screen, his fingertips resting lightly on the control console. Watching the scene where energy lasers tore through the Cultivators' formations and the survivors surrendered, a hint of irrepressible joy tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he slowly nodded.

"Not bad, far exceeding expectations."

He praised in a low voice, his gaze carrying satisfaction with this weapon system.

"Even with the suppression of the world's Law power, conventional ground firepower can still form an absolute advantage, easily suppressing these so-called Cultivators."

On the light screen, the images of the Cultivators fighting individually without any coordination were magnified, and a flash of realization crossed He Dong's eyes.

"The most crucial point is still this: every one of them is self-centered, lacking the discipline and cohesion of an army. They may seem numerous, but in reality, they are a disorganized mess. Such a group, no matter how high their cultivation, can only be annihilated like dry weeds."

The Adjutant beside him bowed and nodded, adding:

"Chief, the resistance in all directions of the battlefield has been basically cleared. Prisoners are being rounded up and transported, and the starship fleet has approached the skies above Demon Suppressing City according to the prearranged plan."

He Dong nodded slightly, turning his gaze to the other side of the light screen, which displayed a real-time feed of the center of Demon Suppressing City.

At the same time, above the center of Demon Suppressing City, several figures suddenly shot into the sky, their robes flapping loudly in the fierce wind, spiritual energy surging around them to form visible halos.

Just as they steadied themselves, they were shocked by the starship fleet that blotted out the sun above their heads.

Those behemoths hovered above the clouds, their hulls gleaming with a cold metallic luster. Countless energy cannon muzzles were faintly visible, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure. They actually flew higher and further than these Cultivators who could fly through the air, casting a vast shadow over the sky.

Leading them was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark black brocade robe, his face cold and stern, with an air of authority that came from long-held high status.

Looking at the starship fleet, his face was so dark it could drip water. A majestic aura within him erupted without reservation, sweeping down like a tsunami and instantly enveloping the entire Demon Suppressing City.

Cultivators on the streets who hadn't had time to leave stopped in their tracks, breathless under this pressure, subconsciously bowing their heads.

"May I ask who Your Excellency is?"

The middle-aged man's voice echoed through the clouds like thunder, carrying the spiritual energy vibrations unique to a Cultivator.

"My Demon Suppressing City has no old grievances or recent enmity with Your Excellency. Why have you raised such a large army and brought them to our gates?"

His gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed firmly on the starship fleet. The spiritual energy around him grew increasingly violent, as if he were ready to strike at any moment.

The Cultivators inside the city who had not yet fled and were hiding in the corners of buildings felt this pressure, and the fear on their faces instantly faded, replaced by irrepressible joy and excitement.

"This pressure... it's the City Lord! The City Lord has finally come out!"

An old Cultivator with a goatee was so excited his voice trembled. He gripped the whisk in his hand tightly, his eyes full of hope.

A young Cultivator beside him was clearly a newcomer, his face still showing confusion as he couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"What? Is he very powerful?"

"Of course!"

The old Cultivator immediately glared at him, his tone carrying a hint of pride and awe.

"This is the true master of Demon Suppressing City, a Mahayana Stage Cultivator! Looking across the entire Central Region, as long as those Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestors don't appear, the Mahayana Stage is a top-tier existence!"

"Mahayana Stage!"

The young Cultivator's pupils shrank, his face full of shock.

"But I heard before I came that Demon Suppressing City was only guarded by Body Integration Stage Cultivators? Why is the news so different?"

"It's obvious you just arrived and don't understand how things work here."

Another Cultivator dressed in a short shirt leaned in and explained in a low voice:

"This is Demon Suppressing City's biggest secret. All the long-timers know that the City Lord, who stays in seclusion all year round and rarely makes an appearance, isn't at the Body Integration Stage at all, but is a true Mahayana Stage powerhouse! Now that others have attacked our home, the City Lord naturally can't hide it anymore!"

The crowd discussed animatedly, their despair gradually replaced by hope.

In their view, as long as the Mahayana Stage City Lord took action, even if the opponent had those strange steel behemoths, they might not necessarily gain an advantage.

After all, the power of a Mahayana Stage Cultivator has long since exceeded the imagination of ordinary people; it is a power capable of contending with heaven and earth.

In the sky, the City Lord's gaze remained fixed on the starship fleet, the spiritual energy around him having condensed to its limit.