Numerous alien powerhouses transformed into streaks of light, flying in all directions, desperate to escape the terrifying black-armored figure.
Fear, like a vine, tightly coiled around their hearts.
Many powerhouses were so terrified that they didn't even dare to breathe loudly, fearing that their exhalations would slow their escape.
Four Saint-level powerhouses were killed in an instant. They didn't even manage to let out a scream; they simply ceased to exist.
Even a wild dog by the roadside would at least yelp twice if you tried to kill it.
In front of this guy, Saints were worse than dogs.
If they didn't run now, they would just be waiting for death.
"Activating the Anti-Magic Field."
A strange fluctuation emanated from Yorn's body, sweeping over the alien powerhouses. The immense power within their bodies became viscous and difficult to control.
Several weaker cultivators directly fell to the ground, face-planting.
A moment later, all the powerhouses began to fall in droves, like dumplings being dropped into a pot. The treasure ship, gleaming with an eerie light, wobbled, then plummeted to the ground.
Everything about cultivators was built upon the manipulation of Aether. The Anti-Magic Field disrupted their Aether manipulation.
It was similar to the 'Immortal Sealing Powder' and 'Immortal Transformation Pills' they used themselves. The Anti-Magic Field spread out in waves, interfering with the power of those strong individuals, preventing them from manipulating extraordinary abilities.
"Who are you?" The Fish-Dragon race powerhouse was terrified.
Everything had been going smoothly; how could they suddenly provoke such a killing god?
How could they provoke such a formidable being?
Yorn did not answer him.
He merely activated his extreme speed, holding the short sword in his hand, and coldly slaughtered the Xenomorph .
In the name of the Emperor, they all deserved to be thoroughly purified. There was no need for mercy towards the alien species.
"Don't kill me!" A strange race powerhouse with two wings on his back and a bird-like head watched the black figure approach him, his face turning pale with fright, his feathers standing on end in extreme terror.
Yorn didn't utter a word of nonsense, simply darted past, and the other party's head flew off, spinning in the air.
Crimson blood spurted out, showering the sky.
Yorn was incredibly fast, easily slaughtering those alien species who had lost their extraordinary powers. The weapon in his hand was specially made according to the characteristics of the Soulless.
As long as it pierced the body of those extraordinary cultivators, their power would completely vanish, and even their souls would be annihilated.
It was difficult to kill a cultivator with ordinary weapons.
cultivators could be immune to some physical damage, like daemons.
At the same time, they could also use the sub-dimension to heal and temporarily enhance themselves. To exterminate them with purely physical means would take a very long time. This was why battles between cultivators were so arduous.
Both sides had recovery skills, fighting and regenerating health simultaneously; how could a victor ever be decided?!
To kill them quickly, one must use the Soulless Blade. The Soulless Blade would destroy their sub-dimensional projection and disrupt the flow of their power.
Pingyan City was silent. The numerous alien powerhouses who had just been arrogant and threatened to slaughter the entire city were now being hunted down like chickens and dogs by the suddenly appearing black-armored figure. The opponent's speed was as swift as a ghost.
Each strike of the sharp sword in his hand found its mark in the enemy's vital points. Those alien powerhouses fell one by one, slaughtered by him like chickens and ducks.
Blood stained the earth, and they all died with unwillingness and despair. The traitors who had fallen into despair, believing that Pingyan City would surely perish today, trembled with fear. The Second Commander was speechless, his eyes filled with terror. Ten thousand grass-mud horses galloped through his mind.
What the hell!
What the hell!
He had just defected to the alien races, and now a killing god appeared, slaughtering all those guys.
Wouldn't he become a super unlucky fool?!
The other traitors were also terrified, and a little angry. Their anger was directed at the Second Commander.
He had secretly found them, saying that the Fish-Dragon race had made promises: as long as they killed Granny Yu and offered up Pingyan City, their families would be spared and they would become superior beings. The Fish-Dragon race was planning to treat humans as livestock, so they naturally needed some shepherds.
If they surrendered, they would then help the Fish-Dragon race manage humans, regularly delivering grown humans to them.
With the mindset of others dying, not themselves, they all agreed to join the Second Commander's team. They planned to seize the opportunity to kill Granny Yu, steal the Immortal-Slaying Flying Sword, and offer up Pingyan City. To avoid suspicion from others, they had been fighting fiercely just now, and many companions had died. They had finally seized an opportunity, severely wounding Granny Yu, and were on the verge of completing their scheme, becoming lackeys of the Fish-Dragon race, becoming superior beings, and reaching the pinnacle of their lives. The appearance of the black-armored figure, however, turned all their efforts into a joke.
Numerous alien races were slaughtered like chickens and ducks, utterly defenseless, no longer possessing the high spirits they had shown when confronting Pingyan City. The situation was clear at a glance.
Several traitors tried to slip away unnoticed.
As soon as they turned around, they saw several cultivators holding swords, glaring at them.
If it weren't for their apprehension of the black-armored figure, they would have probably rushed forward to hack them down immediately.
"We were once brothers, please spare our lives." A traitor whispered, "We will leave immediately and never return again."
The other traitors also spoke up one after another. They tried to soften the hearts of the sword-wielding cultivators. To let them live.
However, cultivation was a path only for those with unwavering resolve. These traitors had turned against them on the battlefield, causing the deaths of so many innocent people; how could they possibly be spared?
"Dream on, bastards."
"Today, you will pay your blood debts."
"You must repay Granny Yu's life."
Everyone was filled with righteous indignation, absolutely unwilling to let the traitors go. They all blocked their path. They glared at the Second Commander and his group.
Making them want to cry without tears, regretting their surrender to the alien races.
When everything settled down, shattered corpses lay everywhere.
So many alien powerhouses, without even a decent resistance, were slaughtered by that black-armored figure alone. The alien powerhouses, scattered across the sky, had their throats slit or hearts pierced amidst their wails.
Crimson blood splattered the ground, and broken corpses were everywhere, like a living hell. The few surviving alien powerhouses were ashen-faced, trembling with fear, their scaly or hairy legs shaking.
Just moments ago, they had been full of vigor, their immense power stirring the sky, causing dark clouds to roll above Pingyan City.
War drums shook the heavens, and banners flowing with light fluttered, creating a grand spectacle, as if a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals had descended.
Now, those powerhouses had all fallen; a few who were lucky enough not to be dead were merely lying there groaning, clutching their unhealing wounds, crying and begging for mercy. The Fish-Dragon race powerhouse who had just been pontificating, arrogant, and had suppressed prodigies and elders, was lifted by Yorn.
"Don't kill me! My lineage is protected by an Immortal-level powerhouse! If you kill me, there will surely be great disaster in the future!" The Fish-Dragon race powerhouse shrieked, completely devoid of a powerhouse's dignity.
"No matter how strong an alien species is, it's still just an alien species." Yorn's tone carried disdain. "But I won't kill you; you have a greater use."
Yorn's mission was to collect intelligence and carry out covert sabotage.
Naturally, he wouldn't just carry one soulless weapon.
He also carried numerous items similar to genetic viruses, Aether-devouring bombs specifically targeting the sub-dimension, and even memetic viruses.
When the Imperium excavated tunnels to various universes,
they obtained many objects containing strange rules. These were also referred to as 'rule-based containment objects.'
the Imperium categorized them and divided them into harmless, minor hazard, light hazard, severe hazard, and lockdown levels based on their threat.
Harmless, minor hazard, and light hazard levels were widely used, deployed in large quantities in Reincarnation Universe 03 and other universes currently being conquered.
Severe hazard levels were only allowed for use by Imperial professional personnel, and the use of lockdown levels required permission from the Terra Council.
Memetic weapons belonged to the severe hazard class because the spread of such weapons had no upper limit. Their power would not be weakened by the number of people infected.
Even if they spread throughout the entire universe, their inherent lethality could still easily wipe out all living beings.
Such weapons must be used with extreme caution to avoid unimaginable consequences. The Imperium's technical sages conducted detailed research on this, developing a complete set of usable methods for memetic weapons.
And by understanding the principles of memetic infection and its effects, they ensured that they would not harm humans.
A meme is an informational particle, a unit capable of recording things.
In layman's terms, it's an anomalous idea that can spread like a virus, hence it's also called a meme virus.
A meme is an abstract idea that only exists in concept.
It only affects thinking individuals and has no physical properties or physical entity.
Its very existence is a danger. Truth itself is a terrible poison.
As long as one knows the content of a meme, anomalies are bound to occur.
Infection with a meme does not cause any obvious external injuries; it directly affects the brain, intelligence, and soul of a living being.
It permanently alters one's cognition and is extremely difficult to reverse.
Researchers of meme viruses in the Imperium need to undergo a daily thought imprint to solidify their cognition.
Every meme is stored at the highest security level in a quarantined sub-dimension, ready to be destroyed or banished to other dimensional spaces in a laboratory.
Yorn had a special meme virus sealed in his hand. To accelerate the progress of conquering Universe 04, the Imperium authorized the expeditionary force to use these advanced and terrifying weapons.
Yorn also had meme viruses in his possession. The reason he didn't kill these xenobiotics was to use them as carriers for the meme virus. The virus would only activate after they returned to their racial territories.
It's like how cockroach poison deliberately delays death to wipe out the entire nest.
Yorn implanted the meme virus into the brains of the surviving xenobiotics. Then he had everyone throw the bodies onto the alien treasure ships and let them leave. The people of Pingyan City didn't quite understand why the black-armored figure let those few individuals go.
But they still obeyed his orders. They moved to throw the bodies onto the treasure ships, allowing the enemy to depart.
Pingyan City suffered heavy casualties in this battle; even Granny Yu, who had always protected them, died.
Once the crisis was over, watching the alien powerhouses flee in disarray, the surviving people cheered.
"We survived."
"We won, that's great."
"Pingyan City held out. The humans of this realm will never be slaves or blood sacrifices."
Everyone was excited.
Just moments ago, there seemed to be no hope at all.
Everyone was prepared to die.
But then, things took a turn, and the enemies fled in disarray with their dead, terrified and desperate.
However, moments later, cries echoed throughout the city. Too many people had died.
Some children wandered the streets, rummaging through the bodies, searching for their parents.
Elders leaning on canes cried heartbrokenly, almost fainting as they looked at their entire families covered in white shrouds.
In the struggle of myriad races, not being strong enough leads to this outcome.
Between races, there is only naked slaughter, bloody and cruel, where the victor reigns. The cultivators angrily crippled the cultivation of the traitors, led by the Second Commander, and hung these damned traitors on the city walls, letting them die in agonizing despair.
Some cultivators also set out to comfort the common people and treat the wounded.
All those who had fought for Pingyan City until their last breath were collected. Those torn apart were pieced back together.
For those whose bodies were unrecoverable, their former belongings were used to create cenotaphs. The carpenters worked through the night to make coffins, preparing for a mass burial.
Several cultivators, surrounding a highly respected middle-aged man, approached Yorn. The middle-aged man cupped his hands and respectfully asked, "Thank you, righteous warrior, for saving us from danger. Please tell us your name so that we may remember your kindness."
Yorn reached up and removed his helmet, revealing a face weathered by war and hardship.
"Yorn, Executor of the Holy Emperor's Will, Dark Raven Guard Legion."
The cultivators didn't know who the so-called Holy Emperor was, nor did they know of the Dark Raven Guard, but they understood the last name.
"Lord Yorn."
Yorn nodded. The built-in Imperial Heart had a language module.
He had already mastered the local language when he was in that small village in the wilderness, so communication was unimpeded.
Human body structures are similar; the differences between languages are merely in intonation.
As long as one masters the intonation and knows what they express with what intonation, one can easily speak their language.
"I am the Fifth Commander of Pingyan City, named Shi Tian. I have an impertinent request: I ask Lord Yorn to take command of Pingyan City and protect the peace of our human race in this realm." Shi Tian cupped his hands again and said, "Please do not refuse."
Yorn casually opened a light screen.
"I have my own mission and cannot stay in one place for long."
Hearing this, the cultivators' faces showed despair.
Even if they survived today, without the protection of a Saint, Pingyan City was destined to perish.
It seemed that the only way forward was to split up the human race and flee into the deep mountains.
Even if the deep mountains were fraught with danger, it was better than the human race becoming slaves and blood sacrifices.
"However, according to the expedition regulations, any human force that passes the Imperial assessment, by simply swearing allegiance and expressing loyalty to the Imperium, can receive the Imperium's protection. The various departments of the expeditionary force must not ignore distress signals from human realms; violators will be investigated by inquisitors. You can join the Imperium, wherever the double-headed eagle banner flies. In times of crisis, just send a distress signal, and an Imperial legion will descend."
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.
"What is this empire?" one cultivator asked in confusion. "I've traveled abroad and have never heard of this force's name."
"The Imperium is a pure human force led by the Holy Emperor, possessing countless armies. I am but an insignificant member among them. I am commanded to investigate this realm and prepare for the Imperium's arrival."
Hearing this, the cultivators' faces were filled with shock.
He could effortlessly kill four Saints, yet he called himself insignificant.
How terrifying was this Imperium?!
If it were to descend in full force, it might even be able to contend with those legendary races.
"How can the Imperium descend?" Shi Tian felt a surge of excitement.
If this empire was truly so powerful, they might have a chance to rise. They wouldn't have to be as cautious as before, fearing to provoke powerful individuals from other alien races and bring disaster upon the human race.
Nor would they have to endure the expressions of those alien races, or humbly obey them, trampling on their own dignity.
"When the time is ripe." Yorn did not state an exact time.
Hearing this, the cultivators sighed. Then they asked again, "Before the Imperium descends, can Lord Yorn offer us some protection? Otherwise, if those powerful races return, I fear we will be unable to resist."
"Return? I'm afraid they won't be able to." Yorn said with a mocking tone, "In the name of the Holy Emperor, those non-human xenobiotics must be thoroughly purified. Soon, you will receive news of their extinction."
The cultivators smiled upon hearing this, but the worry on their faces did not diminish in the slightest. They knew that Lord Yorn from that empire was powerful, capable of instantly killing Saints.
But those powerful races had great origins, reportedly even connected to the Immortal Realm, with terrifying foundations and ancestral lands where immortal artifacts suppressed their luck. To exterminate them was too difficult.
Even an Immortal-level powerhouse descending might not be able to do it, unable to completely eradicate them. The numerous alien powerhouses who attacked Pingyan City suffered heavy casualties, with only a few managing to return to their ancestral lands with ships full of corpses.
As soon as the news spread, it caused an uproar.
Pingyan City only had an old woman with limited lifespan guarding it.
Four Saints came out, along with a large number of powerhouses acting in concert, creating an astonishing momentum, yet they ended up in such a state.
Bodies piled up on the treasure ships, forming mountains of corpses, dripping blood all the way, a truly terrifying sight. The few surviving powerhouses were already terrified. That black-armored figure was too terrifying.
He left an indelible mark in their hearts. Those few powerhouses were even somewhat deranged, constantly repeating several strange words.
No one could understand what those words meant. They were quite catchy, though, and could be remembered after just one listen.
More importantly, they were like something etched into the brain, impossible to forget.
But no one took it seriously, dismissing it as the ravings of these unlucky survivors who had escaped death. The Fish-Dragon race powerhouse was sent to the ancestral land, where he was personally interrogated by the patriarch and several elders.