This martial saint's health bar is too thick

Chapter 684 Evil God
When the fleet of ships of the westward expeditionary army docked, almost everyone was stunned by the sight before them.

All the soldiers had originally prepared for a difficult landing battle.

As a result, everyone landed safely, only to be "greeted" by a group of enemies who had laid down their weapons and were filled with confusion and fear.

Of the 200,000-strong allied army from the seven kingdoms of the Western Continent, more than 60,000 died, more than 50,000 fled, and more than 80,000 surrendered.

Among them were many extraordinary individuals of viscount and earl rank.

This was already the result of Li Fei's deliberate control.

If he wanted to kill all 200,000 allied troops, the number of those who could escape would definitely not exceed 30,000!

However, he brought his western expeditionary army to conquer the western continent, not to destroy it.

If it were only for the latter, the Great Blue Dynasty wouldn't need to wait seven years at all.

After Li Fei became the number one in the world seven years ago, he was able to cross the sea alone, come to the Western Continent, and sweep all the way!
He alone could crush the seven kingdoms of the Western Continent.

But one person cannot conquer the Western Continent.

The leaders of the seven kingdoms of the Western Continent only need to hide, shift their rule from overt to covert, and continue the confrontation.

Unless Li Fei wants to carry out some kind of 'mass extermination' and kill everyone in the Western Continent.

Otherwise, indiscriminate killing will only result in ruins, corpses, and endless hatred.

The reason why the Great Blue Dynasty sent 400,000 troops on its western expedition was to establish a 'base' in the western continent.

Four hundred thousand people may sound like a lot, but if you want to spread them all over the western continent and occupy all the important regions, you'll actually be short-handed.

After disembarking, the western expeditionary army began to collect the weapons and equipment of the surrendered soldiers and gathered these more than 80,000 people together.

In fact, these 80,000 people were left unattended for more than two days before the arrival of the westward expeditionary force's fleet.

But no one tried to escape.

Anyone who looks up at that figure standing tall in the sky immediately loses all courage and delusion.

"What do you plan to do with these 80,000-plus prisoners?"

Wenren was asking Li Fei.

As the sun was about to disappear into the distant sea, more than 80,000 soldiers from seven countries were gathered on a flat area.

Everyone was filled with anxiety, unsure of what fate awaited them.

When that figure, who was like a god in everyone's hearts, appeared in the air, the crowd stirred.

Some people even knelt down on the spot.

Li Fei looked down at the densely packed crowd below and slowly began to speak.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly imprinted in everyone's consciousness!
This is a Nightmare Sect technique. Li Fei doesn't need to be fluent in the language of the Western Continent to make people understand his meaning directly from their subconscious:
"I will not kill you."

The first sentence brought a sigh of relief to more than 80,000 people, and some even couldn't help but shed tears.

"We've come here not to destroy the Western Continent, but to conquer it!"

"Those who chose to oppose us, that destruction two days ago was their fate!"

"You all have two choices now. One is to leave here, and we won't stop you. The other is to return to your original units and continue fighting against us."

"Or, you can choose to stay, truly join us, and become citizens of the Great Blue Dynasty."

After Li Fei finished speaking, he turned around and left.

The soldiers of the Great Blue Dynasty who were guarding the perimeter also withdrew one after another, leaving behind more than 80,000 people who looked bewildered.

They considered the worst-case scenario, imagining that they might be forced to take up arms and point their guns at their former comrades.

But they never expected that they would be released unconditionally.

An unprecedented victory, capturing more than 80,000 people, and in the end, they actually released all the prisoners?
Throughout the history of warfare in the Western Continent, there has never been a battle like this.

More than 80,000 people remained in place for more than ten minutes until someone tried to leave and encountered no resistance, at which point the crowd suddenly broke up.

By the time night fell and the moon was high in the sky, all 80,000-plus prisoners had dispersed.

Very few people chose to stay and join the westward expedition.

Inside the western expeditionary army, a high-level meeting is being held—

Li Fei, Wenren Zheng, Wang Chengze, Ye Jingfu, and Luo Jing.

Gu Ze, commander of the Crimson Scale Army; Han Mu, deputy commander of the Western Garrison Army and former commander of the Imperial Guards.

Li Tianyu, commander of the Barbarian Slaughtering Army.

In addition to these high-ranking military officers, seven other individuals with special identities also participated in the meeting:

Duke Zeke of Denis.

Duke of Mega, James.

Miller, Duke of Severn.

These seven dukes were sent as an envoy to the Great Blue Dynasty, but their plans on the grasslands were exposed, and the seven of them, along with the entire delegation, were captured and imprisoned.

The Great Blue Dynasty kept these people alive for this very moment.

These seven dukes are all influential figures in their respective countries, and their families are among the most powerful and influential in the country.

Therefore, they are very valuable.

After more than eight years of imprisonment, psychological warfare was employed.

Furthermore, he witnessed Li Fei's strength firsthand and saw how easily the 200,000-strong Western Land Allied Army was defeated.

All seven dukes expressed their willingness to persuade their families to surrender to the Great Blue Dynasty.

"We have defeated the 200,000-strong allied army in the West. It will be difficult for them to organize a new allied army in a short period of time. Therefore, we plan to divide our forces into three routes."

Li Fei pointed to a map and said to everyone:

"The Zhenxi Army, the Chilin Army, plus 60,000 combat soldiers and 60,000 auxiliary soldiers, will form the left wing army, with Wang Chengze as the commander-in-chief and Gu Ze and Han Mu as the deputy commanders, and will march southwest to attack the Duchy of Kalan."

"Wenren Zheng and Deputy Commander-in-Chief led the right wing army alone, with 100,000 combat soldiers and 80,000 auxiliary soldiers, to march northwest and attack the Duchy of Briss."

"I will lead the central army, with Ye Jingfu and Luo Jing still serving as deputy commanders. The barbarian army, along with 40,000 combat soldiers and 60,000 auxiliary soldiers, will march due west to attack the Kingdom of Sefulen."

This plan to divide the troops was determined by Li Fei and Wenren Zheng after discussion.

Li Fei had almost no experience in leading troops, so both admirals stayed in the central army to help him lead the troops.

The peak combat strength of the three armies should be as evenly distributed as possible.

With Li Fei and Wenren Zheng's abilities, they could easily take charge of one route on their own.

With Wang Chengze and two imperial guards each commanding tens of thousands of men, he was well-equipped to handle any situation.

The Zhenxi Army, lacking a 'commander-level' military expert to lead it, was unable to activate a 10,000-person-level formation and could only be divided into two 5,000-person-level formations.

Although a military formation of 5,000 men can condense Dao principles and possess top-tier combat power, its 'health bar' is too short when facing a true top-tier expert, and the formation will collapse after a short time.

However, a force of five thousand men was just right for the princes of the Western Continent.

Upon hearing the appointment, Wang Chengze's joy was palpable.

He led a large army on his own and even had the opportunity to destroy a country!
Even if the Duchy of Kalan is not one of the three great powers, such merit is enough to allow the royal family to enjoy a century of prosperity!

After Li Fei finished explaining the army's distribution, Wenren Zheng filled in the details. These included the safekeeping of over two hundred ships, the allocation of large flying magical artifacts, the specific marching routes, and how logistical supplies would be transported.
Li Fei knew nothing about military affairs, so he just sat and watched Wenren Zheng perform.

The meeting lasted until late at night.

The following morning, the western expeditionary army split into three routes and began its conquest.

In the heart of the Kingdom of Seferon lies a small town called Cologne.

The flames of war have not yet reached this place, but panic, like the frost of late autumn, has silently seeped into every inch of the land and people's hearts.

The panic stemmed from the suffocating rumors that kept coming from the east and from the coastline.

Like a plague, they quietly spread everywhere with the occasional deserter, fleeing merchant travelers, and snippets of official pronouncements.

The town of Cologne is nestled in a depression at the bend of a murky stream, with low wooden and stone houses huddled together.

This place is not very developed; the only nobleman in town is a baron who has fallen on hard times.

Inside the town's only tavern, a flushed-faced drunkard with a thick river accent pounded on the greasy table, spitting as he described what he had witnessed:
"Let me tell you! That moon! It wasn't hanging in the sky, it rose from the seabed with a bang!"

That light could blind a person! And that evil god! He's standing on the moon!
Damn it, coastal defense guns? Hundreds of them! We bombarded them and didn't even hear a fart!
Warships? They're like paper boats, they'll melt away in the blink of an eye! Melt away! Understand?!

His speech was incoherent and illogical, causing the surrounding audience to frown repeatedly.

Some people began to question the authenticity of the drunk man's words, since they sounded too much like drunken ramblings.

An evil god standing on the moon?

What the hell!

Then, the old blacksmith Hank's rough, metallic roar drowned out the drunkard's ramblings.

Hank spat a thick wad of phlegm onto the ground with a dull thud, and the veins on his face, which was dark red from years of exposure to the fire, bulged.
“My nephew came back from the front lines! He said it himself: someone came across the sea stepping on a moon, and then threw the moon onto the coastline!”

He swung his thick arm violently, creating a gust of wind, and "just like that, he threw it, and then with a bang, the coastline was gone! People, cannons, and ships all evaporated!"

That's a person? Then that's fucking it. That's it!

The old blacksmith struggled for a long time but couldn't find the right words, so he could only curse harshly in the end:
"That's a walking natural disaster! Do you understand?!"

Hank's words carried a poignant sense of reality, making them more convincing than the ramblings of a drunkard.

The more he spoke, the thicker and more viscous the air in the tavern became, with only the faint crackling of the burning oil lamp wick and suppressed breathing remaining.

People started to get nervous.

If the enemy is an equally powerful army, using more advanced weapons, the people of Sefron will not lack the courage to fight back!
At worst, we can just wear down the enemy and wage guerrilla warfare!

The Kingdom of Seferon has stood on this continent for over six hundred years, weathering countless storms; how could it fall so easily?

But if the enemy is an evil god capable of wiping out hundreds of thousands of troops with a mere gesture, a walking, humanoid calamity.

How can anyone fight against this?
Although the war has not yet spread here, its effects have already permeated every aspect of people's lives.

Every day, a long line forms in front of the only grocery store in the town center.

The numbers on the price tags are jumping up a heart-stopping increment every day.

The price of bread has tripled, and a small bag of coarse salt has become a luxury.

The shop owner shouts loudly every day:

"The main roads are blocked by fleeing soldiers and refugees! Grain convoys? Not a soul in sight! Take it or leave it!"

The town's small, stone-built church is also packed with people every day.

The anxious people could only go there to pray, asking that the war would not spread there and that their families on the front lines would be safe.

"But if the other party is an evil god, why would he let so many people go? Shouldn't he have killed them all?"

Questions were raised.

"Who knows? Anyway, everyone's saying that among the invaders from the Eastern Continent is an evil god who will kill us all!"

"We should be safe here, right?"

Inside the tavern, someone whispered.

The town of Kolón is located in the heart of the Kingdom of Sefron, less than 200 kilometers away from the capital city in a straight line.

The Kingdom of Seferon is one of the three major powers in the Western Continent.

For hundreds of years, even when the Kingdom of Seferon was at war with other countries, the flames of war never reached this place.

"Damn it, I hope so."

Hank cursed, then gulped down a mouthful of wine.

The rest of the people in the tavern also began to drink heavily in an attempt to numb their already tense nerves.

February 27th, 926th year of the Western Continental Calendar.

That afternoon, the weather was unusually hot and humid, with not a breath of wind. Thick clouds hung low over the town of Cologne, like a huge, water-soaked gray rag.

Hans was chopping the last few thick pieces of firewood in the backyard, sweating profusely.

He was one of the 80,000 people captured by Li Fei.

After Li Feifang and his men left, Hans did not choose to return to his own troops.

Having witnessed the earth-shattering explosion and Li Fei's godlike power, he no longer had the courage to continue resisting.

So Hans chose to return to his hometown of Cologne, with unease and guilt, to be with his family.

Anyway, the front line doesn't need another one of my people.

It's so close to the capital, nothing will happen here.

The Kingdom of Seferon is one of the three great powers; they must have a way.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid and frantic hoofbeats came from afar, tearing through the town's silence.

Immediately afterwards, old Vincent the postman's distorted, hoarse scream, like a castrated rooster being stabbed, pierced through every door and window of the town:
"It's here! It's here—! Run—! The evil god is here! The evil god is attacking—!!"

The piercing screams, like sharp blades tempered with ice, brutally shattered the fragile peace that the town of Cologne had managed to maintain.

The entire town was instantly roused by this desperate cry; the deathly silence was shattered, replaced by an uproar of chaos.

The clanging of doors slamming shut, the terrified screams of women, the wailing of frightened children, and the anxious, frantic commands of men—all these sounds mingled together, creating a chaotic symphony as if the end of the world had arrived.

The axe in Hans's hand slammed down on the wooden block at his feet with a 'bang,' making his hand go numb.

He sat down abruptly on the ground, his heart feeling as if it had been gripped tightly by a cold, large hand, stopping its beating before pounding wildly against his ribs with a thud.

The bright moon radiating silver light, the smoke and dust rising into the sky, the earth-shattering explosion, and the figure looking down on all living beings like a god.

All the fear that Hans had been suppressing in his heart during this period of time has now erupted!
"How long has it been?"

He turned his head to look in the direction outside the town.

Less than two months had passed since that battle on the coastline.

The enemy is already close to reaching the capital?

Is the Kingdom of Seferon doomed?

The deepest despair descended.

(End of this chapter)