When Zhang Yuntao was busy fending off the Ravenous Glutton’s sharp talons, he was already struggling to manage his own defense, completely unaware of the malevolent beast lurking in the void, one that devoured human souls. Caught completely off guard, he was struck by the Dragon-Marked Battle Wave. Blood instantly burst from his seven orifices, and his head reeled violently—his soul had clearly suffered a grievous wound, and that was only because his soul remained tethered within his body...

Seizing this moment, the little Peach, in its Ravenous Glutton form, lunged forward, bringing a claw down directly onto the crown of Zhang Yuntao’s head, instantly crushing it as if it were mere tofu...

A damaged black shadow shot out from within his body, only to be completely devoured once more by the wicked beast...

Meanwhile, on the other side, Chi Yixiu’s massive battle-axe forced Luo Zhonghai into a desperate retreat, completely losing any initial advantage. Furthermore, Ye Jingyu’s Startling Thunder Blade Arts were wielded with ferocious might, ruthlessly suppressing Luo Zhonghai purely on the strength of his Martial Master cultivation...

Taking advantage of a moment of Luo Zhonghai's inattention, Ye Jingyu cleaved off one of his arms with a single strike...

Immediately following up, Chi Yixiu brought his axe down, splitting Luo Zhonghai cleanly in two. Pitiable was the fate of this dignified Innate Master, who ended up without so much as a bone remaining. As for his soul, it naturally became fodder for the beast’s maw...

Having devoured the souls of three Innate Masters in one go, while not as potent as the soul of a Soul Master at the Soul Condensation Realm, these were still far stronger than ordinary human spirits, proving almost too much even for the beast’s appetite. However, perhaps because Little Peach was already on the verge of evolution, its Ravenous Glutton form still charged into the personal guards of the trio, with the wicked beast following close behind, continuing its feast of souls...

With the addition of this ferocious beast, in the span of just fifteen minutes, all the personal guards brought by Zhang Yuntao and his companions were annihilated. The entire drill ground was once again saturated with the thick smell of blood...

Witnessing Ye Jingyu and the others show no mercy in slaughtering the three deputy generals, the more than one hundred soldiers stared on, wide-eyed with shock. They had never expected this newly arrived general to be so utterly brutal, nor for the power accompanying him to be so formidable—three Innate Masters eliminated so quickly...

Amidst their shock, a wave of relief washed over them; thankfully, they hadn't intervened earlier, or they might now be food for that feral beast...

Ye Jingyu’s sheer savagery thoroughly stunned these hundred-plus men, and from that day forward, the moniker 'Tyrant' spread rapidly...

But that was a matter for later. In the present moment, Ye Jingyu looked upon the horrific scene and frowned slightly...

Killing so many people on his very first day, including three Innate Masters, was no small matter. Although Luo Xiaofeng wouldn't likely hold it against him, the various sects these men belonged to might certainly seek retribution...

"Xiao Linzi... Xiao Linzi..." Ye Jingyu called out, but receiving no reply, he turned to find Lin Xiaoyi squatting to the side, his face ashen, vomiting incessantly until nothing but bitter bile came up...

His misery was absolute. In all his life, he had never witnessed such savage slaughter. Seeing it once was enough, but now he had to see it a second time, and Little Peach's vicious demeanor had deeply terrified him. He could never have imagined that this little creature, usually so adorably cute, possessed such fierce savagery...

"It seems I need to properly guide this boy; what will happen when he faces the battlefield later?" Ye Jingyu sighed softly. He completely understood Lin Xiaoyi's reaction. If he hadn't spent time surviving in the Southern Barren Forest, enduring various killings, he too would struggle to bear such a scene...

Did he not see the other martial artists turning pale? Many were retching uncontrollably; how much worse must it be for an ordinary person like Lin Xiaoyi?

Taking out a brush and paper, he began drafting the charges against the three—Zhang Yuntao, Luo Zhonghai, and Li Lianba. Naturally, the label of 'rebellion' was firmly affixed. With such a charge, coupled with the dead having no defense, Ye Jingyu doubted their sects would dare bring a lawsuit against him over three deceased disciples...

The State of Shuyun had just barely survived a war of treason, and Luo Xiaofeng was already looking for excuses to act against these very sects. If anyone dared speak out now, they risked being immediately branded as traitors, leading to extermination...

By shrewdly understanding Luo Xiaofeng’s mindset, Ye Jingyu dared to kill these three without restraint...

Of course, this was also a case of killing the chicken to frighten the monkeys—a clear warning to anyone considering causing trouble for him: think twice before acting...

After finishing the evidence of their crimes, it was, of course, necessary to have the hundred-plus soldiers affix their seals as witnesses. Whether anyone believed it or not, the procedure had to be followed...

As for the final outcome, what mattered was not the truth of the facts, but the power one wielded. As long as one was sufficiently strong, even wrong could be declared right...

This was the law of survival in this world, a truth Ye Jingyu, having endured countless hardships, understood deeply...

Kill the chicken, awe the others, establish authority, build renown...

News of the military camp massacre spread quickly, causing an immediate sensation. Yet, everything unfolded exactly as Ye Jingyu had predicted: Luo Xiaofeng not only refrained from blaming him but actually issued commendations, praising him for his service to the nation and for upholding the title of Grand General Protecting the Nation. The Cloud Sword Sect, Star Rend Sect, and Coiled Moon Sect—the backers of Zhang Yuntao, Luo Zhonghai, and Li Lianba—indeed refrained from petitioning Luo Xiaofeng regarding their deceased disciples. However, they immediately marked Ye Jingyu as their paramount enemy...

As for the young masters who had instigated the incident, after witnessing Ye Jingyu’s sheer brutality, they were deeply subdued and no longer dared to act with their previous recklessness. Even Marquis Baiyun, Qin Yan, chose silence, recalling the assassin Miao. Until he could accurately gauge Ye Jingyu’s strength, he would not dare make another rash move...

In this carnage, not a single one of the eighty Chi Yi warriors perished; only about thirty sustained minor injuries. This result showcased the formidable nature of the Chi Yi warriors on the battlefield. Clad in their armor, their combat prowess far surpassed that of a Martial Master; killing them was exceedingly difficult unless one was a master of the Innate Realm...

After devouring so many souls, Little Peach fell back into slumber, a sleep of unknown duration. Ye Jingyu didn't worry, trusting that when Little Peach awoke, its strength would have increased exponentially...

Finally, the soldiers who had been dispatched by the three deputy generals returned at top speed upon receiving the summons personally issued by both Ye Jingyu and Luo Xiaofeng. They were desperate not to suffer the same fate as their former commanders, nor to implicate their respective sects...

On the drill ground, the scent of blood still hung heavy. Ye Jingyu stood upon the commanding platform, his sharp gaze sweeping over the more than ten thousand men below. His heart swelled with excitement; these ten thousand souls would be his first direct subordinates. Their power of life and death rested entirely in his hands...

It was at this precise moment that Ye Jingyu suddenly spotted several familiar faces in the crowd, causing him to freeze in astonishment...