Chapter 765: One Punch Kill

"A Martial Artist?"

The dozen or so fleeing people instantly deduced Ye Xiu’s identity. He had slain dozens of zombies in the blink of an eye and, with a long sword in hand, was clearly a Martial Artist.

"Um, did the King send you to help us?" a middle-aged man asked timidly.

"No," Ye Xiu said, shaking his head coldly. "The very executioners who slaughtered the people of Seven-Star Island were sent by the three Judicator Families."

"What?"

The faces of the dozen or so people turned pale.

"Why? We are all citizens of the Eternal Kingdom. Why would the three Judicator Families send people to kill us?" the middle-aged man questioned.

He didn’t believe Ye Xiu’s words, and neither did the others. For generations, their ancestors had worshipped the three Judicator Families as gods. How could their gods possibly kill their own believers and subjects?

"Do you see the zombies that were chasing you?" Ye Xiu asked, pointing to the corpses on the ground. "The three Judicator Families sent people to kill everyone on Seven-Star Island, turn you all into these things, and then use you to attack Biluo Island."

Ye Xiu was trying to use the truth to unite the people of Seven-Star Island with a common enemy, inciting them to resist the three Judicator Families. After all, the will of the people is like water; it can support a ruler, but it can also overthrow one.

"So that’s what’s happening!" The dozen or so people seemed to reach a sudden understanding. Then, they made a decision that made Ye Xiu’s scalp crawl: like madmen, they began ramming their heads into the surrounding buildings.

"To expel the invading enemy, I am willing to die."

"To become a sword in the hands of the gods to slay the enemy, I am willing to sacrifice my life."

Ye Xiu watched in shock as the dozen or so people committed suicide by smashing their heads against the walls. The sight made his blood run cold.

What kind of ideology have the three Judicator Families instilled in the people of the Eternal Islands? To make them express their loyalty with their very lives...

At that moment, he had a sudden realization. My enemies aren’t just the three Judicator Families and the warriors of the Eternal Kingdom, but the entire population of over 100 million people. The power of religious indoctrination is terrifying!

Ye Xiu decapitated the dozen bodies to prevent them from being reanimated via Corpse Control. He then stopped delving deeper into Seven-Star Island and headed for the coast.

He worked until evening. Using the existing Formation foundation on Seven-Star Island, Ye Xiu established a massive Trapping Formation, sealing everyone on the island. He was closing the gates to slaughter the dogs within. The believers’ fanaticism had truly terrified him. If the more than ten million Fifth Rank citizens of Seven-Star Island committed mass suicide, they would be reanimated and controlled by Startling Thunder and Fledgling Phoenix. Combined with the prisoners and bounty hunters, they would launch an attack on Biluo Island. The consequences would be unimaginable.

「Night fell.」

Lights flickered on across Seven-Star Island, illuminating the streets.

Tu La and Cha Muxue walked on the deserted highway, decapitating the corpses they passed.

"There are so many corpses. Why haven’t Startling Thunder and Fledgling Phoenix reanimated them?" Cha Muxue asked.

"Seven-Star Island is too big, and there are too many people," Tu La speculated. "If Startling Thunder and Fledgling Phoenix had to reanimate each corpse one by one, they’d work themselves to death. I think they’re waiting for everyone on the island to be dead before they begin."

Cha Muxue nodded, agreeing with Tu La’s judgment.

Just then, the sound of an approaching helicopter was joined by a blaring loudspeaker:

"By order of the three Judicator Families, this is a notice to all people of Seven-Star Island. An outside enemy has invaded and occupied Biluo Island. The three Judicator Families require all people of Seven-Star Island to offer up their lives. A special envoy will then control your bodies to attack Biluo Island and eliminate the invaders..."

The announcement made the color drain from Tu La’s and Cha Muxue’s faces.

Tu La erupted in fury. "Who the hell came up with this damn-fool plan? If this message spreads across Seven-Star Island, the ten million-plus people here will all commit mass suicide! They’ll all become puppets for Startling Thunder and Fledgling Phoenix to control! The two of us would die from exhaustion long before we could put down that many reanimated corpses."

Cha Muxue was also panicked. "What do we do now?"

Tu La had no answer. At that moment, the helicopter flew directly over their heads. Enraged, Tu La unleashed a blast of Sword Qi that split the aircraft in two.

After the helicopter crashed, the loudspeaker continued to repeat the message from the wreckage. Tu La ran over and hacked the helicopter to pieces, killing the pilot as well.

"There can’t be only one helicopter spreading this message over Seven-Star Island," Cha Muxue said. "I’m afraid a large portion of the lower-class citizens have already heard it."

Her words had barely faded when hordes of people suddenly poured out from the shops and residential buildings on both sides of the street.

These people were all holding cleavers, fruit knives, and other sharp weapons.

As they swarmed onto the road, they began to fanatically scream their allegiance to the three Judicator Families, and then, one by one, they took their own lives.

"They’re insane! They’ve all gone insane!" A chill crawled up Tu La’s and Cha Muxue’s spines.

They used to think the Judicator Families’ method of ruling the Eternal Kingdom through religion was brilliant. Now, they saw just how cruel it truly was.

"Chop off all these people’s heads!" Tu La ordered coldly.

"As you command," Cha Muxue acknowledged with a nod.

Just as they were about to act, a ghostly figure materialized in front of them. The person wore tattered clothes, and a curtain of messy, long hair concealed their face. A knife was stuck in the top of his head, with only the hilt and part of the blade exposed.

"Beishan Xiao?"

Seeing this person, Tu La and Cha Muxue cried out in shock. Almost without hesitation, they turned and fled.

Beishan Xiao was the bloodthirsty maniac who had slaughtered Jiaojiao’s entire family.

"Die... die... die... die..." Beishan Xiao chanted like a madman, his voice a low growl as he pursued Tu La and Cha Muxue with terrifying speed.

"Lord Tu La, Beishan Xiao is faster than us!" Cha Muxue cried out, her voice filled with panic as she glanced back.

"Stop him. Buy me time to escape," Tu La commanded, decisively abandoning her.

"As you command!" Cha Muxue replied without hesitation. She stopped in her tracks, turned to face the approaching Beishan Xiao, and thrust her sword forward.

"Die!"

The charging Beishan Xiao ignored Cha Muxue’s sword, ramming his body directly into the blade and shattering it on impact.

This...! Cha Muxue was so shocked that the hairs on her arms stood on end. She had never expected Beishan Xiao to fight like this. His defensive power was horrifying; her full-powered strike, an attack from a peak Seventh Realm War God, hadn’t even scratched him. Yet the force of his charge alone had left her with severe internal injuries.

Just as Cha Muxue moved to dodge his impending charge, Beishan Xiao struck. Moving with the speed of Startling Thunder, he slammed a fist into her chest.

The blow sent Cha Muxue flying. Without a second glance, Beishan Xiao continued his pursuit of Tu La.

Cha Muxue hit the ground hard, blood gushing from her mouth. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and her breath ceased. A mighty War God at the peak of the Seventh Realm, killed by Beishan Xiao in a single punch.

On another street, Ye Xiu, who was methodically decapitating corpses, suddenly froze. "Hm?" he murmured, frowning. Cha Muxue is dead!

He could feel it because the Sacrificial Heart Imprint he had placed on her had just vanished.

Whoever killed Cha Muxue can certainly kill Tu La as well. I still need Tu La. He can’t die yet!

Ye Xiu immediately began racing in Tu La’s direction, following the lingering sensation of the Sacrificial Heart Imprint.