Chapter 344 - - 342 Devil Persuasion_1

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Is it not so?

Fury irrepressible, Cao Lin glared at Duge with fierce ferocity.

He could clearly feel water continuously surging into his ears, nostrils, mouth, and the holes beneath his body…

What Seven-Hole Touch?

It was clearly nine holes!

The humiliating image of being lifted out of the water by nine tentacles surfaced in Cao Lin’s mind; his heart quivered violently several times. Having spent a long time in the army, he naturally knew that some soldiers played little games to relieve pressure, unavoidably involving splashing and rinsing with water…

No.

A revered War God of Chongming Country could not die in such a disgraceful manner.

Kill him!

I must kill him, even if it costs me my life.

Cao Lin raised his sword and, against the immense pressure on his body, struck towards Duge, determined to perish together with this disgusting fellow.

But in the air, he was no match for Duge; in the water, it was entirely Duge’s turf. How could he possibly harm Duge?

Moreover, every movement he made seemed to cause the water to rise around him.

The pain, akin to being torn apart, severely impacted his combat ability…

“General Cao, is this your choice?” Duge’s voice entered his ears like that of a devil, “Think about your life, rising step by step from a common soldier to a general, enduring so many hardships and trials to achieve today’s success. General Cao’s life has been glorious, an idol to many, and He someone also admires the general. Do you truly wish to abandon everything and end this brilliant life in the most humiliating way possible?”

Admiration?

I admire your mother!

You admire me, yet you torture me like this?

Cao Lin chopped down with another sword strike.

Duge instantly shifted to avoid it, a long sigh reaching Cao Lin’s ears, “Alas! It’s unexpected that General Cao would be so loyal to Chongming Country, to such an extent that he would even abandon his dignity for loyalty. Since it is so, I can only respect General Cao’s choice. General Cao, fare thee well…”

With his words,

Cao Lin felt multiple streams of water lifting him towards the surface, slow and steadfast.

His eyes nearly burst from their sockets as he struggled fiercely, but no matter what, he couldn’t resist the overwhelming strength of the river’s current.

Death!

I would rather die than let him succeed!

At this moment,

This was the only thought in Cao Lin’s mind.

But then, Duge’s voice, devilish as before, once again invaded his ears, “General Cao, I know you can sever your heart’s channels, but although the general’s body remains, with the general’s death, one indeed no longer cares for one’s posthumous reputation. But what about the general’s wife and children? People’s words are to be feared! I will give the general another opportunity, just nod if you agree to surrender…”

Those words turned Cao Lin ashen. Gazing at the approaching water surface, he struggled several times but couldn’t overcome the lifting force. Just before breaking the surface, his spirit finally shattered, and he nodded reluctantly.

“General, since ancient times, there has been talk of feigned surrender,” Duge laughed. “Since General Cao is willing to surrender, I will soon bring the general’s head above the water. Please, persuade the thirty thousand troops you brought to surrender as a demonstration of loyalty to the princess!”

Cao Lin’s mind was pierced again, trembling involuntarily as he gave Duge a despairing look. Feeling the lifting force behind him growing stronger, he nodded again unwillingly, tears of blood streaming from his eyes.

Afterwards,

He felt the pressure on his face lift away, and his head was brought above the water. Drawing a deep breath, Cao Lin closed his eyes and roared with all his might, “Cao family’s army, disarm and await the Fourth Princess’s command.”

Uproar arose from both banks.

Luo Shuang’s eyes involuntarily widened.

Have we won just like that?

“General Cao.”

The vice generals on the side of the Cao family’s army were stunned, looking at the river surface, at a total loss.

…

As soon as Cao Lin finished speaking, a sudden pain struck the back of his head; he was hit hard by Duge and fell into unconsciousness.

After that, Duge’s figure emerged above the water, standing atop a water dragon, floating like an exiled immortal.

His gaze swept across the opposite bank, “Cao Lin has surrendered. Do you all truly wish to continue opposing me?”

Behind him, a water-formed giant hand held the stark naked, unconscious Cao Lin aloft behind him, as though he were his trophy.

Cao Lin’s belly was swollen like a drum, with water dripping continuously from underneath him, mixed with a faint trace of blood.

Who could have imagined that a Grandmaster would be beaten as if a drowned dog, not even a single piece of clothing left on him. Seeing Cao Lin’s miserable state, the Cao family’s army boiled with emotion, a chorus of grief filling the air.

Duge chuckled, without any apparent movement on his part, the water upstream on the Yang River had already been cut off by him, revealing the muddy riverbed: “Cao Lin sacrificed his dignity to fight for a chance at life for you all. Do you truly not cherish it?”

Sacrificed his dignity to fight for a chance at life for them?

The passionate voices of the Cao family’s army gradually subsided, turning to disbelief as they gazed at the unconscious Cao Lin, finally grasping the reality.

Indeed!

Their Grandmaster had been defeated, and facing Leng Shi alone, who had severed the river, it would be a piece of cake for him to deal with them…

“Do you surrender?”

Duge asked again.

At that moment.

The surface of the Yang River, blocked by him, had already risen a meter out of thin air.

He redirected the current towards the Cao family’s army, as if in the next second, he would unleash a torrent to flood them all, drowning the legions.

Simultaneously, Huangfu Yue’s voice sounded, “All officers and soldiers, heed my command—if the enemy does not surrender, after the Imperial Master’s use of Water Art, charge collectively and spare not a single one.”

“Do you surrender?” Duge asked again, his hands hoisting the unconscious Cao Lin high behind him, an image of solemn despair.

“Do you surrender?” Huangfu Yue followed suit.

“Do you surrender?” The army behind Huangfu Yue raised their swords and spears together.

“I surrender, I wish to surrender. Please don’t kill me.”

On the Cao family’s side, Zhang Yizhi scrambled down his horse, raising his arms high, prostrating on the ground, “I surrender, I wish to surrender.”

Having shouted those words, he still remembered to turn back and look at his deputy, “Vice General Niu, surrender, we cannot let General Cao’s sacrifice be in vain! He has not easily built the Cao family’s army. General Cao has already suffered the disgrace of surrendering, if you refuse to surrender even in death, where do you leave General Cao?”

“I am willing to surrender.” Vice General Niu looked at Cao Lin, then at Duge who seemed like a living deity, and after a moment’s struggle, he dropped his weapon, dismounted, and knelt on one knee on the ground.

With him taking the lead.

Clatter, clatter.

Weapons instantly fell to the ground.

The morale of thirty thousand elite soldiers was utterly deflated, each and every one knelt down.

What a collaboration!

Duge looked at Zhang Yizhi prostrating on the ground and smiled, indeed, it was still one’s own people who were reliable.

“Separate into ten groups and cross the river in turns, Huangfu Yue, arrange for someone to take custody of the prisoners,” Duge commanded again. “Victory at Yang River!”

“Victory!” Huangfu Yue raised his arm, elevating his long spear, using it to dilute the shame of being ridiculed by the princess.

“Victory.” All the officers and soldiers shouted in unison, their voices echoing across both banks, resonating with might.

The Cao family’s army hung their heads low as if mourning their ancestors, each filled with bitterness. Had they traveled thousands of miles just to be fodder for their enemies?

…

Gulp!

The State Preceptor swallowed his saliva, moistening his parched throat; until the end, he dared not make a move.

Others could not see clearly what was happening beneath the river’s surface, but he saw everything distinctly. Not only could he see, but he also sensed what had happened to Cao Lin.

He dared not gamble his life to save Cao Lin.

He feared that he might end up with the same fate as Cao Lin.

The He Xu from before the war and the He Xu after seemed like entirely different people; he suspected He Xu had more trump cards hidden. If he were to be put in the same situation as Cao Lin, he feared that he too could not bear the pain worse than death!

Is this the power of the Demon Star?

The guy from the Prime Minister’s residence is simply no match for him.

…

It took nearly half a day to take custody of the prisoners.

Those from the Martial Worlds watching in hiding left one by one with expressions of shock. They had to reassess the martial landscape; having subdued Cao Lin, Luo Shuang’s side now had two Grandmasters, plus tens of thousands of soldiers.

Such power was enough to change the dynamics of Chongming Country.

Furthermore, while magicians were honored, they lacked physical prowess and agility, and were heavily restricted when casting spells, making them inferior in battle to martial artists of the same level.

Magicians found it hard to advance, and no one had heard of a magician becoming a Grandmaster.

But Duge’s emergence changed their perception of magicians.

Although Leng Shi had geographical advantages in this battle, he was overwhelmingly oppressive towards Cao Lin later on, and most crucially, he used Water Art…

After word of this battle spreads, the status of Water Series magicians will likely soar dramatically.

Of course.

There’s also the Heavenly Demon.

That Water Art could display such tremendous power is probably not unrelated to Leng Shi’s identity as the Heavenly Demon. Even if they disliked the Heavenly Demon, they needed to recruit one into their sect for research.

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