135: Fourth Generation: Overlord (Thirty-One)

A mere bad reputation—is it even worth mentioning?

The only way to deal with a stubborn rock blocking the path is to crush it.

Womanly compassion only allows the enemy to see weakness and gives potential traitors a sense of luck, eventually leading to greater chaos and more casualties.

What do the whines of a few losers or some harmless curses amount to?

When Xu Yuan achieves the Golden Core stage in the future and the four seas submit, the historical records will only describe him, Xu Yuan, as a heroic sovereign who pacified a chaotic world, founded the Great Shang prosperity, and excelled in both civil and military achievements beyond all ages!

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Xu Yuan's gaze became increasingly cold and resolute.

Xu Yuan spoke indifferently, his voice clearly reaching the ears of every Imperial Guard member:

“Clean it up. Speed up.”

“I do not have much time to waste here.”

“Understood!”

The chilling sound of the response echoed across the fields!

Under this absolute ruthlessness and efficient bloody purge, the resistance in Blackwater City quickly fell into deathly silence.

When the last sound of clashing weapons vanished, no standing enemies remained in the entire city, save for the Great Shang Imperial Guards and the Shadow Guards.

Atop the city walls, the 'Shang' Royal Banner completely replaced the Shen Family flags, fluttering proudly in the wind thick with the scent of blood.

As the battle ended, Elder Wang Zhengqing returned to Xu Yuan's side. He watched the soldiers systematically begin cleaning the battlefield, collecting spoils of war, and stacking corpses in preparation for burning. The thick scent of blood in the air was almost palpable.

He hesitated for a moment but eventually couldn't help stepping forward, lowering his voice to say:

“Your Majesty, was this... perhaps too cruel? It is one thing to kill those who refuse to surrender, but those who were already kneeling and begging for mercy...”

He paused, organizing his words with a hint of worry on his face:

“Once word spreads, I fear the Xiao Family of Qinglan Mountain and the other rebel forces will realize that surrender is also a dead end. They will lose all hope and resist even more frantically, even more recklessly.”

“When that time comes, our army's casualties during the assaults might...”

His concern was not without reason.

A cornered beast will still fight, let alone Cultivators who know they are doomed?

If all the rebels resolved to fight to the death, even the elite Great Shang army would inevitably pay a heavy price to push through.

However, hearing this, Xu Yuan only smiled faintly, his gaze deep as if he had already seen through everything.

“Elder, you only see the first part, not the second.”

His voice was calm, yet it carried a coldness that saw through human nature.

“Resistance will be more intense? Correct. Those core die-hards will indeed become more frantic because of this.”

“But,” Xu Yuan's tone shifted, “what about those 'fence-sitters' who are just followers, wavering, or coerced? What about those small families and minor forces with insufficient strength who were already hoping for a lucky break?”

“When they see that resisting to the end means death and kneeling for mercy also means death—when even someone like Shen Qiu, at the Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage and possessing a Medium Grade defensive Spiritual Artifact, was easily slain with a single strike...”

“The first thing they will feel is not the courage of shared hatred, but fear piercing into their very marrow!”

“It is the despair of measuring their own strength and realizing they don't even have the right to struggle!”

“They will think: the Shen Family's Blackwater City was so well-fortified yet couldn't withstand a single blow; how long could they possibly last?”

“With no way to surrender and certain death in resistance, what will their choice be?”

The Elder was slightly stunned, seemingly beginning to understand.

Xu Yuan continued decisively: “It will be internal chaos, the loss of morale, and fleeing at the mere sight of us! Even... turning against their masters on the battlefield, bringing their heads to exchange for a slim, vague chance at life!”

“What I want is for them to be afraid!”

“To make them fear from the bottom of their hearts, so they cannot even muster a single thought of opposition!”

“I want to use the blood of Blackwater City to tell the entire Southeast: those who defy me shall perish!”

“This way, while the truly die-hard enemies will indeed resist to the end, their numbers will only dwindle as they are killed. Meanwhile, the majority of waverers will crumble in fear. The speed at which I pacify the Southeast will only increase, and the final casualties will only be fewer!”

Looking into Xu Yuan's unwavering eyes, the Elder felt a chill in his heart and fully understood the strategic intent of this young emperor.

He said no more and bowed deeply: “Your Majesty's foresight is profound. This old servant... understands.”

Xu Yuan's strategy, like the most precise prophecy, began to show its cold effectiveness.

The bloody news of 'all who defy shall perish' from Blackwater City took on wings of death, sweeping through the Southeast with startling speed.

Accompanying it was the terrifying, incomprehensible strength of the Shang King, Xu Yuan—breaking formations with a single word as if his speech were law, and Slaying Generals from a Distance with a single strike.

Fear, like an invisible plague, spread frantically through the rebel Alliance.

Just as Xu Yuan expected, the small families, local powerhouses, and Loose Cultivators who were lured by wealth or coerced into following the great clans like the Xiao and Shen families underwent a drastic change in mindset.

Shared hatred? No, what they felt was the grief of seeing their own kind fall and the despair of their own insignificance.

If even a figure like Elder Shen Qiu, along with a sturdy defensive city formation, was easily torn apart like paper, wouldn't people like them be less than cannon fodder if they went up?

If resisting means death and surrendering means death... then why stay?

Within days of the news of Blackwater City's fall, massive non-combat desertions occurred within the rebel-controlled areas.

Countless Loose Cultivators left without a word, taking advantage of the night or chaos to quietly slip away from the rebel ranks, hiding in the mountains or fleeing to distant lands.

Some small families began to feign compliance while secretly opposing, finding various excuses to delay deploying troops or withholding supplies. They even secretly sent trusted aides to try and contact the Great Shang side, if only to leave themselves a vague path of retreat.

Within the rebel ranks, morale disintegrated and suspicion arose everywhere.

Conflicts frequently broke out between the Enforcement Teams sent by the Xiao Family and these wavering forces.

The entire rebel Alliance began to loosen and crumble from within before even engaging the main force of the Shang King.

The Great Shang Royal Army led by Xu Yuan did not pause for even a moment due to the bloodshed at Blackwater City.

After leaving behind the necessary garrison forces and administrative personnel, the main fleet set off once again, advancing toward the heart of the Southeast like a torrent of steel along the predetermined route.

Along the way, it was exactly as Xu Yuan had predicted.

Some smaller rebel strongholds surrendered at the mere sight of the Royal Army's approach.

The defending generals or local powerhouse leaders did not even dare to hope for their lives; they only dared to hang white flags on the city walls and bind themselves before the army, only begging for a quick death that would not implicate their families.

Occasionally, they encountered a few die-hards who relied on their own strength or the terrain, attempting to follow Shen Qiu's example of holding a strategic position. Xu Yuan did not even need to act personally.

Often, just as the vanguard of the Royal Army arrived, the Imperial Guards would charge in formation, and after a few precise decapitation strikes by the Shadow Guards, the resistance would melt away as quickly as ice under the sun.

The truly die-hard enemies grew fewer and fewer as they were killed.

Those who wavered and crumbled fled at the first sign of trouble.

The speed of the Royal Army's advance far exceeded the most optimistic pre-war estimates.

In just over ten days, the army had already broken through three commanderies, its spearhead pointing directly at the core and final bastion of the Southeast rebellion—

Qinglan Mountain, the ancestral land of the Xiao Family!