Total Annihilation

Liu Wenyan rose into the air. None below the Tengkong Realm could walk on empty space. Clearly, at this moment, Liu Wenyan's will manifestation had succeeded, and he had formally stepped into the Tengkong Realm. His physical body had yet to transform, but the origin qi gathering from all directions was precisely for tempering his flesh. Just dozens of meters away, Wuheng was also treading on air, his expression rather ugly. He had failed to stop him in time! *Fortunately, he has only just manifested his will and his body hasn't reached Tengkong yet...* Wuheng took small comfort in that. It wasn't the absolute worst-case scenario. After all, Liu Wenyan was old and his physical body was in decline. Even if his will had reached the Tengkong Realm, his physical body was still merely in the Qianjun Realm. Wuheng was at the second stage of the Tengkong Realm; he had no reason to fear Liu Wenyan. The All-Races Sect still held the upper hand! They had far more experts in the Wanshi Realm than the other side. The Longwu Guards' Wanshi experts were all tied down by Hall Master Chen. At this moment, the defenders were merely relying on a slight advantage in Qianjun Realm numbers, barely keeping themselves safe by holding formations. "Die!" Wuheng erupted, a short blade appearing out of thin air in his hand. The blade radiated a sinister gleam as it shot toward Liu Wenyan like lightning. "You want to compete with a Civilization Master in long-range manipulation?" Liu Wenyan simply watched him and laughed. "Beasts truly never make the cut. How could scum like you ever understand the might of a Civilization Master?" "Freeze!" The flying short blade stopped instantly in midair! "Return!" *Pfft!* The blade reversed, tearing through the air and hurtling back toward Wuheng. Just as Wuheng attempted to dodge, the golden light above Liu Wenyan's head flared with dazzling radiance! "Freeze!" This time, what froze wasn't the blade, but Wuheng himself! Wuheng instantly felt the surrounding space compress inward, locking him in place. "Keep dreaming!" Wuheng roared, blood spilling from his seven apertures. A golden glow erupted in his eyes as blood qi surged across his entire body. With a thunderous boom, the air shattered, and Wuheng forced himself one step aside. *Squelch!* The short blade originally aimed for his head instantly plunged into his shoulder. Blood sprayed, but he had at least escaped death. "Impossible..." Terror was written all over Wuheng's face. "Impossible! You only just achieved will manifestation! Even if a Civilization Master is slightly stronger than me, it's impossible for you to freeze me!" The lineage of Civilization Masters focused entirely on will manifestation, so even when they had just manifested, they were stronger than an ordinary Tengkong. A Tengkong cultivator who walked the physical path might not have will capabilities matching theirs, but with a formidable physique and abundant blood qi, how could he be restrained so easily? "That's just because you're too weak!" Liu Wenyan laughed. His face was slightly pale, clearly having exerted a great deal of effort just now. Yet at this moment, Liu Wenyan's laughter was booming. "All-Races Sect, frogs at the bottom of a well dare to contest the brilliance of the sun and moon!" "Die!" With a soft shout, the short blade lodged in Wuheng's shoulder suddenly began to vibrate violently. Wuheng's face changed, and he shook the blade free, instantly darting away from the spot. As it turned out, Liu Wenyan had no intention of targeting him at all. The short blade broke through the air with terrifying speed. Several Wanshi Realm cultists currently clashing with the City Guard commander and the Wind Arrest Hall master didn't even have time to react before the blade punched through one Wanshi expert's head with a sickening squelch. The others were horrified. Just as they turned to flee, Liu Wenyan's willpower erupted once more. Their movements froze. The two ninth-stage Wanshi masters on the defenders' side did not hesitate, unleashing sabers and swords simultaneously to instantly cut down two All-Races Sect Wanshi experts, while the short blade pierced through another. Four! In the blink of an eye, four Wanshi Realm experts had fallen! "Wuheng!" Over in the distance, the woman shrieked in fury. Still tangling with City Lord Wu Wenhai, she screeched, "He just manifested his will, so his willpower is limited! Pin him down! Bastard, pin him down, or do you want to be sliced into pieces when you get back?" If Wuheng hadn't fled out of sheer terror of Liu Wenyan, how could Liu Wenyan have had the opportunity to instantly wipe out several Wanshi experts? Losing four top-tier Wanshi cultivators in one go was far too heavy a blow. Wuheng's expression twisted. Gritting his teeth, he charged once more toward the pale-faced Liu Wenyan. Right, Liu Wenyan was only putting on an act. An arrow at the end of its flight! He had consecutively immobilized Wuheng's weapon, Wuheng himself, and then several Wanshi cultivators. His willpower had to be entirely drained by now. With only a Qianjun physical body, Liu Wenyan was nothing to be feared! Liu Wenyan was indeed pale. Seeing Wuheng charging back, his expression flickered. The next instant, he hastily retreated. Wuheng was overjoyed at the sight. Beckoning with his hand, he recalled his short blade, his speed increasing by another fraction as he tore through the air to strike Liu Wenyan down. Liu Wenyan kept retreating! With a hum, Wuheng closed the distance. Drawing right up to Liu Wenyan, he plunged a blade straight into his forehead! "Die!" Wuheng drove the blade in, feeling it sink home with effortless ease and zero resistance. Delight spread across his face. Right at that moment, someone roared furiously from behind him, "Fool, fall back!" That bellow snapped Wuheng out of his trance. It was like waking from a dream. When he looked again, the Liu Wenyan he had supposedly stabbed to death was nowhere to be seen—an illusion! Will manipulating reality! *Impossible, he just manifested, how could he...* The thought had barely flashed through Wuheng's mind when a needle the thickness of a piece of chalk instantly pierced his purple palace. With a soft hiss, like a leaking balloon, the origin qi within Wuheng rapidly dissipated. Now, he couldn't even maintain his flight. "Damn it!" Both the woman and the elder grew frantic. Fool! That idiot Wuheng had such fragile willpower that he had actually been swayed by Liu Wenyan. His Shenque acupoint was shattered and his origin qi bled dry—Wuheng was finished! *Boom!* The elder blasted Xia Bing back with a palm strike. Just as he attempted to break away from the battlefield, the other nine Wanshi Longwu Guards threw themselves forward, pinning him down in a desperate struggle. "Withdraw!" The elder did not call out aloud. Instead, he shot a meaningful glance at the woman. Leave the others behind to cover the rear while they escaped. Wuheng was done for! With one Tengkong dead and the enemy gaining a Civilization Master who had achieved will manifestation, they wouldn't necessarily lose, but... why fight to the death? At worst, the mission would simply fail! Did they really have to throw their lives away in a battle to the bitter end? The moment the two reached a silent consensus, a short blade appeared embedded in Wuheng's forehead—his very own blade. Wuheng's eyes were wide, unable to rest in peace! He was dead! Liu Wenyan had only just achieved will manifestation, yet Wuheng had fallen before him, slain by a Civilization Master whose physical body was merely in the Qianjun Realm. *Thud!* The corpse crashed to the ground! Liu Wenyan landed, panting heavily. Looking toward the remaining Tengkong experts locked in combat, he smiled faintly, paying them no further heed as he bellowed, "Surround and kill them!" With that, his willpower flared once more! Not far off, the movements of several Wanshi Realm cultists who were about to flee stiffened slightly. That split-second freeze spelled death! Zhang Yun and Zeng Hua, who had just slain several Wanshi experts, were both at the ninth stage of the Wanshi Realm after all. As top figures of Nanyuan, they were far from weak and coordinated seamlessly. The moment Liu Wenyan immobilized the enemies, their sabers and swords struck home with squelching thuds! The bodies of several Wanshi experts burst apart, tumbling to the ground as they perished on the spot! At that moment, the remaining All-Races Sect cultists completely lost the courage to fight! If they fought to the death, they wouldn't necessarily lose. There were still nearly twenty Wanshi Realm experts left, and the two hall masters were suppressing the Longwu Guards and the city lord. Even though their strength had been whittled down, they could still put up a fight. Liu Wenyan's willpower was not infinite. Yet if they truly possessed fearless resolve, they wouldn't be the All-Races Sect. When winning, these people fought with ruthless ferocity. But the moment a flaw appeared and defeat loomed, they collapsed without even being struck. "Withdraw!" "Run!" "Hurry, escape!" Hundreds of All-Races Sect cultists panicked, fleeing in every direction. Exposing their backs to the instructors and City Guards, dozens of cultists were cut down on the spot in that single instant. Having already suffered casualties, nearly a hundred of the original three hundred had fallen in the blink of an eye. The remaining two hundred-odd cultists scattered across the academy grounds. "Flee!" By now, the two hall masters had lost all will to fight as well. The mission was a failure. Since it was a failure, they would run. There was no need to throw their lives away here. As for honor or fighting to the last breath, none of that existed for them. What could possibly be more important than their lives? Even though they knew Liu Wenyan was likely powerless to fight any longer, this was Nanyuan City. Once pinned down, death would be inevitable sooner or later. One hall master was at the third stage and the other at the fourth stage. They were stronger than Wu Wenhai and his men after all. Fighting as they retreated, they began pulling out toward the exterior of the academy. Outside the academy, the routing All-Races Sect cultists used every trick in the book, fleeing at breakneck speed. Right at that moment, a crowd of people suddenly appeared outside the academy grounds. There were elderly men, middle-aged men, and disabled veterans. "Archers, loose!" A white-haired old man barked a command. The next instant, over a dozen elderly men drew their bows and fired! *Thwack! Thwack!* In the blink of an eye, the heads of over a dozen All-Races Sect cultists burst apart! "Spearmen, form ranks!" Another few dozen middle-aged and elderly men leveled spears to block the way, thrusting forward in unison! "Bladesmen, advance!" "Kill!" The sounds of flesh tearing echoed relentlessly. The fleeing cultists completely broke down, their voices filled with wails and pleas for mercy. The old man leading the group curled his lip in disdain. With just this, they dared to run wild in Great Xia Prefecture? "The Nanyuan Militia Corps is here to support! Kill them all, leave none alive!" "Kill!" The group of old men let out an earth-shaking roar. *Thud, thud, thud...* Heads rolled one after another! In the blink of an eye, another several dozen cultists were slain on the spot. From behind, the pursuing City Guards caught up as well. Caught in a pincer attack, the All-Races Sect completely collapsed! "Fools! How dare you turn your backs on a battlefield? Attacked from both sides, if you don't die, who will?" The old man wore an indifferent expression. This was merely a minor skirmish. Could a clash of a few hundred people even be called a war? Among the All-Races Sect, someone caught sight of the old man, filled with indignation and disbelief. He recognized him—normally, this old man had trouble even climbing the stairs and had to rest multiple times just bringing groceries home. How could an old codger like this lead a bunch of old men who usually sat around gossiping in the park to surround and slaughter them? "What are you staring at? Never seen people killed before?" The old man cursed, barking, "Where are the axemen? Hurl them!" *Whoosh!* Over a dozen axes meant for chopping firewood spun through the air, their aim impeccably precise as they instantly cleaved open over a dozen skulls. "Old Zhang, are you blind? That axe almost took off my head!" The old leader cursed aloud. An axe had just shaved past him. Behind him, a stooped old man looked utterly helpless. "My hand shook a bit. I'm getting on in years, aren't I? Besides, it didn't hit you!" "Cut the crap!" The old leader roared again, shouting, "You youngsters in the back, haven't you eaten today? Don't you know we're out of breath? Hurry up and kill them! If they break past us, we old fogies won't have the legs to chase them down!" "Kill!" The eyes of the instructors, City Guards, and Wind Arrest Hall personnel turned bloodshot! Humiliating! It was too humiliating! Out of the hundreds fleeing, nearly a hundred had been wiped out in the blink of an eye by a bunch of old men who could barely run. If they didn't take down a few themselves, they wouldn't have the face to show themselves to anyone. The slaughter proceeded smoothly. These cultists had no discipline to speak of, and their spirits were thoroughly shattered. Besieged by hundreds, within moments, hardly a living member of the All-Races Sect remained in sight. The few surviving Wanshi Realm experts were still fighting desperately to break out, but their deaths were only a matter of time. Back within the academy grounds, the fiercest clash remained the two battles involving Tengkong Realm experts. The two hall masters had fought their way outside the academy. Neither harbored the slightest intent to fight to the death; their sole focus was escape. Seeing that surrounding and killing both Tengkong experts was unlikely, Xia Bing suddenly roared, "Let him go, surround the woman!" At his command, the ten Longwu Guards did not hesitate for a second, immediately abandoning the elder to converge upon the woman. "Hall Master Chen!" the woman shrieked. Hall Master Chen didn't even look back. Moving at top speed, he leaped into the air and fled across the sky. As long as he survived, he couldn't care less about anyone else. In virtually an instant, the elder covered several hundred meters, breaking away from the battlefield. Relief washed over his eyes at surviving the ordeal. Defeat had fallen like an avalanche! They had held the upper hand just moments ago, yet the second they chose to flee, they had been nearly wiped out. This left the elder with zero desire to linger. Great Xia Prefecture was indeed fierce to the core—who would have thought that a band of retired, disabled veterans could unleash such formidable combat strength? Some of those veterans were only at the middle stages of the Qianjun Realm with declining physiques, yet fighting in formation, they had slaughtered a large batch of high-stage Qianjun experts in the blink of an eye. This was precisely where the strength of the human race lay: strict discipline and rigid military formations. The elder felt immensely fortunate that the woman had drawn the fire for him. She was dead meat! He didn't have time to dwell on it, focusing solely on running. Heedless of his origin qi consumption, he strode through the air. Running along the ground made it too easy to be cut off. However, moving through the air made him an obvious target. Just as the elder was silently rejoicing, a young man appeared ahead of him at some unknown point. "Good luck, caught one!" The young man chuckled. The elder's expression shifted drastically. "You..." "Great Xia Civilization Academy, Assistant Researcher Bai Feng. Merit points secured!" With a light laugh, the elder's origin qi suddenly scattered, leaving his face deathly pale. "You... you dispersed my origin qi..." "Yeah, simple enough, isn't it?" Bai Feng smiled. "The Tianyi Sect primarily cultivates the *Yi God Art*. It's just a trash technique with far too many loopholes—something the Tianyi God Race slapped together to fool you people. Triggering an origin qi backlash in you is child's play..." "No time to chat, I've got things to do. Go ahead and die, and thanks for the merit points!" Bai Feng laughed again. Before he even drew close, a burst of willpower erupted, instantly shattering the elder's nine apertures. His origin qi completely unraveled, and the resulting backlash snuffed out his life in the blink of an eye. "What a haul!" Bai Feng chuckled, waving a hand to draw the belongings on the elder's corpse toward him and stashing them away. "Free merit points, just the way I like it. Fourth stage of the Tengkong Realm isn't bad at all." As he spoke, Bai Feng spotted the Longwu Guards, City Lord Wu Wenhai, and the others fighting their way over. He called out, "Need a hand?" The Longwu Guard squad leader roared, "Get lost! Bai Feng, you stayed hidden the whole time, and now you come out to scavenge?" "What an injustice!" Bai Feng looked aggrieved. "I really just arrived! You Longwu Guard folks have such foul tempers! A dignified researcher like me wouldn't stoop to such things..." With that, he turned toward Liu Wenyan, who had followed closely behind, and beamed. "Congratulations to Martial Uncle Liu on your advancement!" Liu Wenyan shot him a glare, his face sour. "I'm not your martial uncle. Don't go claiming relatives willy-nilly!" "Martial Uncle, before I set out, Teacher instructed me—" "Get lost!" Liu Wenyan showed him no courtesy either, his face dark. He clearly had no fondness for this fellow. Bai Feng sighed. *Whom did I offend this time?* *I really just arrived, and I even helped you kill a fourth-stage Tengkong along the way. Is this how you treat me?* Bai Feng stopped speaking, drifting down to the side and ignoring the battle nearby. If the Longwu Guards and the city lord couldn't handle a single third-stage Tengkong together, they truly deserved to die. "Martial Uncle..." Just as Bai Feng opened his mouth, Liu Wenyan snapped in annoyance, "Who is your martial uncle?!" "*Cough, cough*, Instructor Liu, Instructor Liu!" Bai Feng gave a light cough and smiled. "Instructor Liu, the academy dispatched me immediately upon receiving your call for aid. Teacher was very worried about you..." Liu Wenyan replied in irritation, "I don't need his concern! I'm doing just fine, and you arrived far too late. Are you trying to make me owe him a favor? This was official business, not a private matter. What favor could there possibly be?" "Right, right, you're entirely right, Elder." Bai Feng didn't mind in the slightest, smiling as he asked, "Martial... Instructor Liu, the academy didn't suffer heavy losses, did it?" Liu Wenyan's brows knit together. Behind him, the elderly principal arrived panting, a trace of sorrow on his face as he quickly reported, "Five instructors died. Over a dozen City Guards and Wind Arrest Hall personnel fell. As for the students... those inside the classrooms are all safe, but over ten who were outside likely perished..." All told, nearly thirty people had died in this single battle. Liu Wenyan's expression darkened, and Bai Feng's smile faded as well. He rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I really came as fast as I could, rushing here without a moment's rest. Principal Wang, Martial Uncle, I'm sorry. I thought I'd make it in time..." "Hmph!" Liu Wenyan couldn't be bothered to respond. The principal, however, did not blame him, speaking gently, "You did very well already. Cutting off that Tengkong expert was the best outcome we could hope for." As for the deaths... there had been no avoiding it. The All-Races Sect was far from weak, and they had sent a massive force this time. Losing thirty people while completely annihilating the cultists would be considered a resounding victory even on the battlefield. *** *So strong!* At this moment, Su Yu and Chen Hao had drawn close to the academy entrance, having witnessed the previous clash. Su Yu was deeply shaken. That young man was terrifyingly powerful. Earlier, the Longwu Guards had besieged Hall Master Chen for a long time without taking him down, nearly suffering casualties in the process. Yet Hall Master Chen had been killed so effortlessly by this fellow named Bai Feng. Just what level of strength did he possess? *Is this someone from a Civilization Academy?* Su Yu couldn't help glancing at Liu Wenyan ahead. His teacher truly hadn't lied to him—anyone casually emerging from a Civilization Academy was actually this formidable! A fourth-stage Tengkong cultivator, slain just like that! Moreover, the moment his teacher manifested his will, he had instantly killed several Wanshi cultivators and a second-stage Tengkong powerhouse. It was simply unbelievable! *Is this the power of a Civilization Academy? The power of willpower?* While he stood shaken, Chen Hao beside him was equally dumbfounded. "A-Yu, aren't Tengkong experts supposed to be really strong? Why does it feel like... they're made of paper!" Liu Wenyan killing Wuheng had been like that, and Bai Feng killing Hall Master Chen had been the exact same. Inconceivably fast! In virtually the blink of an eye, two Tengkong experts were dead. "I don't know..." Su Yu was thoroughly shaken as well. His father was at the ninth stage of the Qianjun Realm, and he had always thought his dad was fairly formidable. But comparing him now... his dad was really weak! Several dozen Wanshi experts had died today alone! With his father's level of strength, heading to the All-Heavens Battlefield to fight—he truly had no fear of death! As he was lost in thought, accompanied by a shrill, ear-piercing shriek, the woman's head was split open by Xia Bing's saber, and she fell dead! The All-Races Sect's invasion was shattered. Total annihilation! Hundreds of elite forces, not a single one spared, had all perished in Nanyuan. And on this day, Su Yu had killed two high-stage Qianjun cultivators, while also witnessing the terrifying might of a Civilization Academy. In his heart, Civilization Academies were now frighteningly formidable. Anyone walking out of their gates was at the Tengkong Realm, slaughtering Tengkong experts like ants. As for Instructor Liu... he was probably truly the lowest-achieving of them all. Little did Su Yu know what Bai Feng's title of "assistant researcher" actually signified.