A Tavern-Style Speech

Hundreds of thousands of people shouted one name at once. The wave of sound made their blood boil and their scalps tingle.

The soldiers' eyes were filled with worship and fervor.

It was reverence from the depths of their hearts.

It was not something that power or intimidation could buy.

Listening to the soldiers' heartfelt cries, Chen Yu felt deeply comforted.

His gaze swept over the sea of people before him, over those young and resolute faces, and warmth rose in his heart.

Sure enough, brothers were the reliable ones. They were far more considerate than that woman Ya Li.

These were the people truly worthy of his trust.

They were the ones who would truly stand beside him when he needed them.

They would not betray him, would not complain, and would not stab him in the back when he needed support the most.

What they wanted was simple.

Treat them well...

And they would entrust their lives to you.

Then, he slightly raised a hand.

It was only a simple gesture, without superfluous words or deliberate majesty.

But the instant that hand rose...

The entire venue fell silent.

The cries of hundreds of thousands of people seemed to have been paused, stopping abruptly.

The parade ground was silent, save for the crackling of flags in the night wind.

The soldiers stared at Chen Yu excitedly, their gazes burning and focused, afraid of missing a single word he said.

Chen Yu's voice rang out from the parade ground's broadcast system.

It was low and powerful, carrying a force that pierced hearts as it echoed through the night sky.

"Brothers, I am Chen Yu."

His opening was simplicity itself. There were no titles, no embellishments, only one word—

Brothers.

In an instant, tears filled the soldiers' eyes.

Did they hear that? The Speaker had called them brothers!

Not "soldiers," but "brothers"!

The Speaker was still the same Speaker!

The Speaker who had crawled and fought alongside them on the training grounds.

The Speaker who had fought shoulder to shoulder with them on the battlefield.

The Speaker who had never treated them as tools or cannon fodder, but had sincerely regarded them as brothers!

Yet they did not shout. Instead, they continued staring at Chen Yu with excitement.

They clenched their teeth and fists, desperately holding back their tears.

This was the time to listen to the Speaker, not the time to cry.

Chen Yu's voice continued, calm and resolute, every word ringing with conviction.

"Today, certain parasites, bloodsuckers, and trash that have long been feeding off our Federation..."

"They are unwilling to watch themselves lose the ability to continue controlling the Federation, controlling everything within it!"

"They dream of making their inheritance eternal!"

"They dream of standing above the Federation's people!"

"But they have forgotten!"

"This is no longer their era!"

"This is the era of the people!"

His voice surged through the night sky, every word striking the soldiers' chests like a heavy hammer.

Rage burned in the soldiers' eyes. Their breathing grew heavy, and veins bulged on the hands gripping their weapons.

"Today, I, Chen Yu, feel deeply pained."

"What pains me?"

"What pains me is that they still want to stand above the people!"

"Do you—"

"Accept that?!"

On the final three words, Chen Yu's voice suddenly rose, exploding like thunder.

The soldiers roared in unison.

"No!"

The sound was like a volcanic eruption. The roar of hundreds of thousands was enough to make the earth tremble.

No.

Those words were not shouted. They burst from their chests and exploded from the depths of their souls.

Chen Yu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the entire crowd. Then, he bowed deeply.

"I ask you all, for the future of the Federation and the future of the people, follow me and demand justice!"

His body bent at a right angle, and he did not straighten for a long time.

It was a bow from the Speaker to his soldiers.

It was Chen Yu entrusting his brothers with this task.

The soldiers raised their Soul Guidance weapons and roared in unison.

"Demand justice!"

"Demand justice!!!"

Countless Soul Guidance Rifles pointed toward the night sky, reflecting a frigid gleam beneath the lights.

The sound was like a tsunami, like an earthquake.

Wave after wave, each higher than the last...

It echoed through the heavens and soared into the sky!

The holographic projection slowly faded away.

Chen Yu's figure vanished from the podium.

Yet the fighting spirit he had ignited blazed fiercely in every soldier's heart like a prairie fire, never to be extinguished again.

And the Seven Great Legions that had been ignited at that moment...

Also began to move out!

The gates of West Mountain Barracks slowly opened, and the Central Legion's vanguard rolled out first.

Military Soul Guidance armored vehicles formed a long convoy, their engines roaring deafeningly.

In the sky, hundreds of military Soul Guidance aircraft rose in formation. Their warning lights flashed in the night like a flowing river of light.

The Southern Legion, Western Legion, Northwestern Legion, Tianhai Navy, Donghai Navy, Beihai Navy—

The Seven Great Legions, from seven directions...

Raced toward their respective targets.

The Central, Southern, Western, and Northwestern Legions marched toward Shrek City.

That terrifying tide of steel surged through the night like four colossal dragons pouncing upon their prey from all sides.

The Tianhai, Donghai, and Beihai Navies turned their bows and advanced at full speed toward Skysea City.

The massive warships cleaved through the waves beneath the moonlight, leaving trails of white foam behind them.

At that moment...

The entire Federation...

Trembled before this force!

Before long, Sea God Pavilion was brightly lit once more.

The lights cast a warm glow into the night.

Yet that warmth did nothing to dispel the chill permeating the hall.

Hasty footsteps shattered Sea God Pavilion's usual tranquility as the elders hurried over from their residences.

Some were improperly dressed, some were pale-faced, and some had rushed over without even putting on their shoes properly.

The moment they received the news, they had immediately rushed here. At this moment, every expression looked worse than the last.

Zang Xin was among them.

He sat at one side of the long table, his hands clasped atop it. His expression shifted constantly, and faint bloodshot veins showed in his eyes.

Ever since the Tang Sect had been accused of treason, he had barely closed his eyes.

The fate of the Tang Sect, the fate of Shrek, and his own fate all hung upon those seven legions currently on the march.

At this moment, everyone's eyes held a trace of profound fear.

It was not the kind of fear they had felt when the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was destroyed...

Back then, they had been furious and shocked, but deep down, they had not believed that fire would reach them.

But now...

The Seven Great Legions were marching toward Shrek City and Skysea City, their gun barrels already aimed in their direction.

The fire had reached their doorstep. They could no longer look upon all this as mere bystanders.

They had never expected that despite so many forces speaking out, Chen Yu would still stubbornly mobilize the Seven Great Legions.