Guang Chengzi's sharp shout carried immortal might that shook heaven and earth, silencing both armies before the battle lines.
Beneath the clouds, Yin Jiao's back was rigid. Though he clearly knew he had defied Heaven and gone against the Dao, he still raised his head, his eyes bloodshot and his proud spirit unbroken.
"Master, this disciple refuses to accept it!"
His voice was hoarse, every word seemingly wept in blood, yet each sentence remained stubbornly resolute, perfectly echoing the tragic conviction of his heart:
"Di Xin betrayed me, betrayed the Empress Mother, and betrayed all the people under heaven. But Great Shang's six-hundred-year realm must not be destroyed!
"I, Yin Jiao, was born in Yin Shang and raised in Yin Shang. As the Crown Prince of Yin Shang, with my ancestors' legacy before me and my mother's wronged soul above me, I cannot watch helplessly as Great Zhou tramples Morning Song and cuts off Yin Shang's ancestral temples!
"This disciple disobeyed master's command, and that is unfilial."
"This disciple defied the Heavenly Dao, and that is unwise.
"But if I abandoned my nation and submitted to Zhou, I would be disloyal and unrighteous, unworthy of my ancestors!
"Today, Master may punish me as he wishes, but I, Yin Jiao, will not change my original resolve!"
When these words fell, they were tragic and desolate. The soldiers of both armies fell silent.
The people of Western Qi looked at Yin Jiao, who knowingly did the impossible, with mixed emotions; the generals of Ji Province wore mournful expressions, their hearts filled with admiration.
Above the clouds, Guang Chengzi looked at the disciple he had painstakingly taught for many years. The sorrow in his eyes faded completely, leaving only cold determination.
He knew well that Yin Jiao's nature was not evil. He had