A Few Hundred a Month—Why Risk Your Life?

"I don't believe it. I don't believe you'd dare do this!"

Bai Hao's body trembled, but he still forced himself to stand firm.

"It's only a few hundred a month. Why risk your life?"

Qian Cheng lightly waved his hand downward.

The enormous sphere fell from the sky like an out-of-control meteor, hurtling downward with thunderous force.

The powerful impact was like an invisible giant blade, instantly slicing the clouds into fragments.

Under the immense pressure, the air let out miserable wails, as though heaven and earth themselves were trembling.

Even before it hit the ground, the powerful shockwave had already swept over them like a violent storm!

The once orderly military formation was instantly scattered into chaos, leaving them in a wretched state.

Feeling death rushing toward them, the soldiers instantly fell into despair.

"I don't want to die! At least I can't die without knowing why!"

"My son is only a month old! I can't die like this, or that woman will definitely remarry!"

"Damn it! Why are we being made to face an enemy like this?!"

Despair and fear spread through the soldiers' hearts, but there was nowhere for them to run.

Just how large was the entire Stronghold of the Strength Clan?

Qian Cheng had never calculated it, but the sphere he had formed had a diameter of over five hundred meters!

The sphere was falling from a height of a hundred meters. It would take only a second or two to hit the ground.

Could these ordinary people escape a five-hundred-meter attack radius in one or two seconds?

Even if they could, the resulting shockwave would still shatter their bones and tear their tendons!

"Madman! You madman!"

Seeing the enormous shadow descend, Bai Hao was utterly desperate.

He had never expected to encounter a Soul Master who completely disregarded the rules.

Soul Masters who slaughtered ordinary people on a massive scale would be condemned by everyone!

At that critical moment, a short, stout figure flew over from afar.

The newcomer was Bai Baoshan, one of the three Committee Members of Heaven Dou Royal Academy!

Martial Soul Avatar!

Bai Baoshan unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar, raising the Heaven Star Furnace above his head and directly receiving the falling giant sphere!

Rumble!

The violent collision resounded through the skies. Powerful shockwaves scattered in every direction, uprooting nearby trees!

Holding up the Heaven Star Furnace, Bai Baoshan used every ounce of his strength before barely managing to block the enormous sphere.

However, he was in terrible condition as well. Blood streamed from all seven of his orifices, and he seemed to have suffered severe injuries.

"Though I only used the strength of a Soul Saint, it's already quite impressive that you managed to block it!"

The corners of Qian Cheng's lips curled into a cold smile.

The name Bai Baoshan filled him with instinctive dislike!

"Your Holiness the Pope, my son did not mean to offend you!"

Bai Baoshan forced himself to hold on, his voice trembling as he explained.

"If he didn't mean to, then he did it deliberately?"

Qian Cheng lightly moved a finger.

As though controlled by some unseen force, the giant sphere's downward force, which had just stabilized, increased once more.

"Pfft..."

Caught off guard, Bai Baoshan spat out a mouthful of blood. Still, he weakly shouted down at Bai Hao, "Run!"

Hearing those words, Bai Hao, who had still been in a daze, suddenly came to his senses.

Bai Hao and the thousand or so soldiers scattered and fled in an instant.

"Your Holiness the Pope, please show mercy!"

At the same time, a somewhat familiar voice came from afar.

Qian Cheng knew who it was without even looking.

It was Xue Ye.

Meng Shenji had carried him here on his back, so he was a little slower than Bai Baoshan.

"Are you trying to buy your life with money again?"

There was a trace of mockery in Qian Cheng's eyes.

"I am willing to offer two Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones. I beg Your Holiness the Pope to spare Committee Member Bai's life!"

Desperation filled Xue Ye's voice, as though he had exhausted every bargaining chip he possessed.

"Buying lives is only something I do when I'm in a good mood. But right now, I'm a little unhappy."

The moment those words were spoken, Xue Ye, Meng Shenji, and Zhi Lin's expressions changed drastically.

Bai Baoshan's expression could only be described as terrified!

But he had no time to speak.

An invisible yet powerful force erupted from the giant sphere.

The sphere's weight multiplied several times in an instant!

A flash of horror crossed Bai Baoshan's eyes. He released all his Soul Power, trying to resist the force.

Unfortunately, it was useless!

That pressure, like Mount Tai collapsing, instantly suppressed Bai Baoshan!

Rumble!

The enormous sphere crashed down like a meteor, brutally smashing Bai Baoshan into the ground!

The earth instantly split apart, and a powerful shockwave swept outward like a tsunami.

The wet ground began to tremble violently as enormous cracks spread out in an instant!

The soldiers who had failed to escape in time were struck by flying rubble until their heads were bloodied, their blood staining the earth red.

Some soldiers fell into the cracks amid the chaos. Only shrill screams could be heard before they were swallowed by darkness.

The terrifying shockwave erupted at that very moment!

The buildings that Qian Cheng had forcibly gathered together all shattered and collapsed in an instant.

Carried by the shockwave, the debris swept outward in every direction.

"Ah... Ah... Ah..."

Meng Shenji and Zhi Lin shielded Xue Ye and Xue Xing behind them, doing everything they could to withstand the shockwave.

But it was useless!

In just one exchange, all four were blasted away by the shockwave, sent flying backward.

Elsewhere in Heaven Dou City, nobles, merchants, and Soul Masters alike wore horrified expressions.

They raised their heads to watch the distant tremors and the dust shooting into the clouds, their faces filled with shock and fear.

"Good heavens."

Xue Ye clutched his chest and closed his eyes in pain.

Even with Meng Shenji carrying him here, he had still arrived a step too late.

He had never imagined that someone would still provoke Qian Cheng.

Fortunately, the Strength Clan was rather domineering and did not allow anyone to live within several thousand meters of their territory.

Otherwise, an impact of this scale would have destroyed countless buildings and killed who knew how many people.

At least that was a small blessing amid the misfortune.

Only Committee Member Bai had suffered for it!

Meng Shenji and Zhi Lin's faces were equally pale.

They could see blood dripping down along the rubble amid the shattered buildings.

The blood flowed from a corpse.

And that corpse, with only half its body exposed, was clearly wearing the robes of a Committee Member of Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

"Is this a dream?"

Meng Shenji stood frozen in place, unable to believe the sight before him.

Clatter!

As he stood there blankly, a piece of rubble rolled out from the ruins.

It tumbled all the way to him before striking his shin.

That slight touch brought Meng Shenji, whose mind had gone completely blank, back to his senses.