Batian Martial Soul

Chapter 14416 Invite the Beast King

Lian Hu staggered to his feet, his tiger's mouth already split open, blood flowing down the halberd shaft and dripping onto the ground, forming dark red blood spots.

He stared in disbelief at the halberd in his hand, the divine weapon that had accompanied him in battle for a hundred years, which had almost been cut in two by a single sword strike!
The chill on the halberd was rapidly dissipating, and the ancient runes that had once shone with a mysterious light were now dull and lifeless, as if they had lost all vitality.

A deep fear welled up in his heart, and he realized that the gap between him and Ling Xiao was like an insurmountable chasm.

Ling Xiao was about to press his advantage and not give Lian Hu any chance to catch his breath, preparing to defeat him in one fell swoop.

However, just as he moved, Lian Hu suddenly slammed his halberd to the ground, making a loud "clang".

Immediately afterwards, he knelt on one knee, his expression respectful yet with a hint of determination: "I respectfully invite the Beast King!"

The sound echoed in the square, as if carrying a mysterious power.

The originally dull and lackluster halberd suddenly burst forth with dazzling light after Lian Hu respectfully invited it.

The light, like the rising sun, was dazzling and instantly illuminated the entire square, making everything around it pale in comparison.

A phantom slowly coalesced within the dazzling pillar of light, as if it had traveled from a distant time and space.

It was a woman clad in golden armor, the armor engraved with exquisite patterns, each line seemingly containing endless mysteries.

Her face was cold and beautiful, with an air of domineering majesty between her brows, as if everything in the world was insignificant in her eyes.

Her eyes were like deep, cold pools, exuding icy aloofness that made people afraid to look directly at her.

The moment she appeared, the entire royal city trembled slightly, and bricks and stones on the city walls fell down as if welcoming their master's return.

The people of the royal city came out of their homes, looking at the phantom with fear and awe, their hearts filled with reverence.

"Greetings, Beastmaster!"

In the square, a crowd knelt down.

Whether it was the usually high-ranking civil officials, dressed in magnificent court robes, kneeling on the ground with their heads bowed deeply, or the imposing military generals, clad in heavy armor, kneeling on one knee with respectful expressions; or even the usually unruly soldiers of the Giant Beast Army, each with a burly build and a fierce face, obediently bowing their heads and kneeling, daring not to disobey in the slightest.

Only Ling Xiao remained standing, sword in hand. His posture was as upright as a pine tree, his eyes firm and confident. He stood out among the kneeling crowd, like a beacon in the darkness.

The phantom's gaze slowly fell on Ling Xiao, its gaze as tangible as a physical object, carrying immense pressure.

Her voice seemed to come from time immemorial, deep and majestic: "Why do you not kneel before me?"

The sound echoed in the square, like the tolling of an ancient bell, making people's eardrums ache.

Ling Xiao stared straight at the illusory figure, his eyes showing no fear or hesitation. He asked loudly, "Why kneel?"

"In my entire life, I, Ling Xiao, only kneel to Heaven and Earth and to my parents. Even though you are the Beast King, you are not worthy of my kneeling."

"Insanity!"

Lian Hu roared, his face flushed red, his eyes filled with anger and resentment, "Ling Xiao, how dare you disrespect the Beast King!"

"You're courting death!"

He wished he could rush up and tear Ling Xiao to pieces to vent his hatred.

Ling Xiao glanced at him, his eyes filled with disdain and indifference, and said coldly, "Say another word, and I'll kill you."

The voice was as cold as ice, sending chills down one's spine.

The phantom slightly raised its hand, and Lian Hu immediately fell silent. He felt an invisible force suppressing him, making him unable to move.

Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead and slid down his cheeks.

His fingers, pressed against the ground, dug deep into the cracks of the stone slab, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he were trying to carve a hole in it.

"So you are the Overlord Emperor?"

The phantom asked again, its gaze sweeping over Ling Xiao as if it were a tangible object, as if trying to see through him completely.

"Exactly."

Ling Xiao answered neither humbly nor arrogantly; his voice was steady and powerful, full of confidence.

"Why do you want to kill my giant beast army soldiers?"

The phantom's tone carried a hint of questioning, as if it were seeking justice for the soldiers.

Ling Xiao stood with his sword in hand, his posture neither humble nor arrogant. He slowly said, "Because they disobeyed military orders and showed contempt for me."

"The Overlord Empire is going through a turbulent period, surrounded by powerful enemies from the outside and with hidden dangers emerging from within."

"If military discipline is not strictly enforced, internal strife will inevitably lead to external threats, and at that time, the Overlord Empire will be plunged into an abyss of no return."

"As the Overlord Emperor, I have a responsibility to maintain the stability and peace of the empire. Those who disobey military orders must not be tolerated or indulged."

Seeing that things were going increasingly badly for him, Lian Hu became extremely anxious, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He hurriedly tried to explain, his voice filled with panic and urgency: "It's just that Ling Xiao is someone who can't win people's hearts..."

"He was eccentric and stubborn, and had no prestige whatsoever in the army."

"Those soldiers are outwardly respectful to him, but inwardly they are full of resentment. If he continues to lead the Beast Army, chaos will surely ensue in the future!"

As he spoke, he secretly observed the phantom's reaction, trying to find a trace of agreement in that illusory face.

Just as Lian Hu was recounting Ling Xiao's "crimes" incessantly, the Demon Elder of the Sea suddenly stepped forward from the crowd.

Although he was old, his body trembled slightly under the pressure emanating from the phantom, and every step he took seemed very difficult, but his eyes were incredibly firm.

He slowly walked up to the illusory figure, bowed deeply, and said in a loud voice that was also earnest: "Beast King, please see the truth."

"If it weren't for the Emperor's benevolence, which prevented him from wreaking havoc when taking over the Demon Sea, and instead chose to take over peacefully and treat us with tolerance, the Demon Sea would have been completely destroyed by now, and countless lives would have been lost."

"We are grateful for the Emperor's kindness and are willing to honor him as the Lord of the Heavens and obey his commands."

After saying that, he slowly turned around and looked directly at Lian Hu. His white beard trembled in the wind, as if telling of his anger and dissatisfaction: "Commander Lian's actions are nothing more than to protect his own power."

"You are afraid that the Lingxiao Emperor's prestige will grow and threaten your position in the Giant Beast Army, so you deliberately fabricated these lies in an attempt to slander the Emperor."

"We hope that the Beast King will see things clearly and not be misled by the Commander-in-Chief's one-sided words!"

Lian Hu's face was ashen, his lips trembling, and he was about to try to defend himself again and salvage the situation.

However, the phantom coldly rebuked, "Shut up!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, echoing throughout the square and making everyone's ears ring.

Lian Hu felt a powerful force rushing towards him, making it hard for him to breathe. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, no longer daring to raise his head.

The giant beast soldiers behind him lowered their heads even further, as if they could escape the invisible pressure that was pressing down on them.