Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 627 - 607: Complete Annihilation

The upper-rank Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters on the side of the sixteen families had initially prepared to rescue, but when they stepped forward, it was already too late.

A dignified upper-rank Grandmaster, not only pierced through by a lower-rank Grandmaster’s punch, but their body was also twisted nearly into a pretzel by the force of the punch.

"The power of the final punch..."

Everyone speculated on what alien race power Zhou Leng had mastered.

Only a few Grandmasters who had been to the Great Battlefield or had contact with the true abilities of the starry sky felt a vague sense of familiarity.

Members of the Dong family were stunned in place, most on the verge of collapse.

The hope for the Dong family to rise a step was shattered.

Just before today, the Dong family still looked down on the other fifteen families, enjoying the respect and obedience of all the other families.

"Executioner!"

"Murderer!"

"Butcher!"

Some irrational Dong family members roared angrily.

"You can’t just admit that harming others is wrong only when your own people are harmed."

Zhou Leng felt not the slightest ripple in his heart.

"I want to return to Rucheng. The remaining Grandmasters of the sixteen families, come at me together."

The Grandmasters of the sixteen families stood in place, unmoving.

Since you can kill an upper-rank Grandmaster, what use is there in everyone joining forces?

The people of the sixteen families panicked.

Before today, they envisioned various possibilities and prepared many contingency plans to respond.

They even considered the possibility of defeat.

But they had never considered such a total rout.

Could this person really intend to massacre all the Grandmasters of the sixteen families?

Would the Grandmasters of the sixteen families really send themselves to die like this?

Wasn’t it supposed to be the external Grandmasters hired by the sixteen families who should die?

The patriarchs of the sixteen families looked towards the other Grandmasters they and the Zhao family had invited.

Just as those Grandmasters were about to discuss a response, Zhou Leng strode towards the Grandmasters of the sixteen families.

"If you won’t come, I’ll go."

"I also request that all elders and friends help me maintain the fairness of this life-and-death battle," Zhou Leng said loudly.

"Naturally!"

Song Juesi took the lead, walking by Zhou Leng’s side.

The Grandmasters from the Tiger and Bear camps, including Sun Chan, all stepped forward together.

Disciples of the Ancient River Sect looked at each other and then followed.

In the neutral camp, some people, seeing the downfall of the sixteen families, followed behind Zhou Leng.

"Count me in!" Zhang Nanchao, Zhang Feng’s father, finally stopped hesitating and joined his son’s ranks.

Many Martial Artists from Rucheng silently joined in.

Ever since the Zhao family began meddling in Rucheng, a large amount of resources in Rucheng had been plundered by the Zhao family, leaving the Martial Artists of Rucheng in misery.

Now, with Zhao Cong serving as the governor of Liangjiang, he saw only the major forces in Rucheng, colluding under the banner of a grand cause and reform to seize resources.

Martial Artists unwilling to be complicit found it very difficult to develop in Rucheng.

Now, finally, someone could stand up against the Zhao family.

Their steps were particularly firm.

Li Shenkong stood dumbfounded in place.

"He actually possesses that kind of power..."

He was full of disbelief because it was a higher power described in the inheritance he received, which allowed greater wielding of swordsmanship.

He still couldn’t unleash the power of his swordsmanship and the Star Sky Divine Sword.

"Could it be..."

Li Shenkong fell deep into thought.

The Grandmasters near the sixteen families looked at each other and then turned to Great Grandmaster Zhao Tianji.

He was not of Zhao bloodline, but because of his surname Zhao, he tried every means to prove that he was of the same clan as the Zhao family from hundreds of years ago, thus treated as half a Zhao family member.

He came here representing the Zhao family.

Zhao Tianji hesitated.

In this situation, let alone himself, even Zhao Cong might not be able to handle it.

Not to mention that the terrifying strength of Song Juesi made him hard to contend with, but the rules of the Life and Death Platform could not be casually broken.

If he broke the rules, those watching over the Zhao family and the sixteen families, overtly and covertly, would have no more scruples.

Many thought that those morals, righteousness, rules were shackling the Zhao family and the major clans.

But the Martial Valve Race understood that many rules were shackling the lower ranks.

If the Zhao family first removed their shackles and acted recklessly, the common people would naturally follow suit and then stop at nothing to mutual destruction.

This had been the case throughout every dynasty.

What about all these defenses? They were just a facade; what they were genuinely guarding against was the real power that could overthrow them.

Zhao Tianji just considered taking action when the image of the Huang Meng Sect flashed in his mind, recalling various resistance actions of the Martial Artists over the years...

What’s more, unlike their side where the Grandmasters came mostly from prestigious families, the opposing Grandmasters were largely from the Demon City Army, and not to mention the cost of killing them, it’s questionable whether they could even defeat these soldiers trained like tigers and wolves.

But, he ultimately represented the Zhao family, and if he said nothing and let the other side rampage, the Zhao family would be the first to abolish him.

Finally, he announced loudly, "Everyone apart from the Grandmasters of the sixteen families, stand behind me. No one is allowed to break the rules."

The people of the sixteen families were left momentarily stunned, an unspeakable sadness rising in their hearts.

Especially the children and grandchildren of the Grandmasters, their eyes revealed uncontrollable fear.

They had grown up within the major clans and deeply understood one point: normal internal conflicts might end in a superficial harmony where everyone could still sit at the same table to eat.

But once a powerful external force applied pressure, the internal relationships of the family would instantly collapse.

Lou Fei Qiong’s fate from the Lou family was known to everyone.

Back then they mostly felt pity, even schadenfreude, but now, they realized that Lou Fei Qiong’s outcome might be far better than their own.

They had harbored a bit of hope, but Zhao Tianji’s words shattered their final defenses.

Some of the juniors from the sixteen families, who originally disagreed with the patriarch’s faction, had flickering gazes, said nothing, and walked behind Zhao Tianji.

Quickly, some children of neutral major clans also quietly walked away.

In the end, only the descendants of the Grandmasters and a few others who couldn’t part from the Grandmasters stood in place, unmoving.

"Zhou Leng, why must you push it to the limit? Back then, we didn’t kill you!" said Dong Chenming, the patriarch of the Dong family.

"Blocking my online account, monitoring me for over ten years, slandering me across the network, harboring murderous intentions—are these not acts of annihilation? In that case, I will not pursue extermination. Now, I announce to the Sixteen Families that those outside the patriarch’s lineage who sincerely apologize afterward, I will let bygones be bygones."

Zhou Leng said, scanning Zhao Tianji and the other non-Patriarch Grandmasters.

"Anyone who interferes in the grandmaster battle should either kill me on the spot; as long as I draw breath, I will annihilate your entire family."

There was not a trace of anger from Zhao Tianji and the external grandmasters. They understood clearly that Zhou Leng’s words were not a threat but a form of defense.

A defensive stance of mutual annihilation.

Some grandmasters hired by the Sixteen Families, but not by the Zhao Family, cupped their fists toward the grandmasters of the Sixteen Families, said nothing, and turned to leave.

When Zhou Leng approached the grandmasters of the Sixteen Families, seventeen external grandmasters had left.

The tide had turned.

The morale of the Sixteen Families plummeted to the bottom.

"Let us begin."

Zhou Leng stomped on the ground, and amidst the tremors and rumbling on the earth, charged directly at Dong Chenming at the forefront.

Dong Chenming roared in anger, "At this point, why not join forces to strike and find a path to survival? Did not our ancestors do the same?"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

The other ten-plus grandmasters rushed at Zhou Leng in unison.

Zhou Leng locked onto a middle-rank grandmaster, employing the true ability of stars and sky.

Stepping forward, raising an arm, punching, shattering, bombarding.

All the grandmasters stared at Zhou Leng.

The unknown power was too strong.

Zhou Leng’s body emitted a faint glow, as if he had transformed into a sun.

All forces approaching Zhou Leng would undergo subtle distortion, even the light seemed to change noticeably.

No one knew what kind of power this was; such a thing only appeared in Martial Saints.

In the eyes of all, Zhou Leng threw seven simple Autumn Wave Mountain and River punches, killing seven middle-rank grandmasters with one punch each.

With seven punches thrown, his entire body’s punching force surged like solid flames, burning wild grass, scorching the blackened earth.

Then he withdrew the true ability of stars and sky, relying solely on the residual strength and punching force of the seven punches, punching one by one.

He slaughtered the remaining grandmasters and withdrew his fists.

The ground was littered with remains.

Zhou Leng stood on the spot, scanning the crowd.

He completely slaughtered all the grandmasters of the Sixteen Families here.

The air was still.

Zhou Leng raised his hand and grabbed into the void, catching a common blade of grass.

A flick of his finger, the grass blade tore through the air, the edges burning, transforming into a line of red light, with a supersonic blast, piercing through the throat of the current patriarch of the Lou Family.

The powerful force destroyed his vitality.

The Lou Family stood in fright, motionless.

The remaining grandmasters said nothing, unconcerned.

Zhou Leng once again scanned the others of the Sixteen Families, and slowly said, "I believe the next patriarch of your Sixteen Families will understand gratitude."

After speaking, Zhou Leng turned and walked toward Elder Song and Zhang Feng.

The remaining members of the Sixteen Families glanced at each other.

The elders of each family had eyes like the wind blowing on a rippling lake.

A new king means new ministers.

The best way to solve the enemy is also the best overt and covert strategy, forever one in the same.

To incite internal strife.

Zhou Leng, along with many grandmasters of innate level, stepped toward the Shuizhou Base.

Li Shenkong watched Zhou Leng’s back, paused in thought, then headed back to the Tree-man Base.

To avenge Xu Minglian’s brothers, also to temper himself, while clarifying the relations between the Zhao Family and the Demon.

The people of the Sixteen Families and external grandmasters stood still for some time.

"Is this matter just settled like this?"

"Of course not, we have prepared contingency plans, only a change of personnel is needed."

"Oh, mobilizing major media to implicitly refer to the other side while facing a great enemy, slaughtering the human race’s grandmasters? That may not be very effective."

"But it’s better than doing nothing."

The people of the Sixteen Families and the grandmasters slightly turned direction, also heading toward the Shuizhou Base.

Near the Red Spot Forest, the network connected.

Some people checked the latest news.

After watching for a while, an innate-level person said, "The previous contingency plan can no longer be used."

"Why?" a grandmaster asked.

"Please see," he said, projecting outward.

The crowd paused, all watching the short video in the projection.

Just seeing the account name made their hearts skip a beat.

Published by the Demon City Army.

Title: Grandmaster Slays Demon, Strengthens Our Human Race!

The video’s viewpoint was from the sky, overlooking, and below, the forest was flattened.

Millions of giant insects lined up in military formations.

A lone small figure charged into the army of millions of giant insects.

Then, the video began fast playback.

The giant insects fell in large swathes, bodies piled up.

As the sun set and the moon rose, a million insect races were utterly massacred by a single person.

Finally, that person charged at the giant insect grandmasters, slaying four in a row, even having time to collect the grandmaster insect juices.

Then, the video showed more clips of Zhou Leng slaying demon grandmasters, swiftly flashing by, each punch accompanied by rhythmic drumbeats, stirring the viewers’ blood.

In the final part of the video, Zhou Leng stood amongst endless corpses, night wind blew, rustling through the grass and trees.

Words appeared above.

Human Race Grandmaster Zhou Leng slaughtered 127 Demon, Giant Insect, and Beastman grandmasters, along with over ten million other demons.

He can be titled Hundred-Battle Grandmaster.