Chapter 28: Compensation of 1.5 trillion

At that critical moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Bai Wuchang, his figure appearing especially ethereal in the breeze, his sleeves lightly brushing,

not only causing his white robes to flutter like surging dark clouds,

and a transcendent aura erupted in an instant, making the surrounding space tremble.

The Mourning Cry Staff in his hand seemed to come alive under his control.

Bai Wuchang took himself as the center, the staff's shadow swaying, invisible yet powerful energy ripples spreading like waves on water,

layer after layer expanding, carrying a suffocating force, directly facing the Zombie King's fist capable of shaking mountains.

At this moment, the colors of heaven and earth seemed to dim,

only the point where the two forces collided flashed with blinding light.

With a crisp sound, the fist capable of flattening mountains and rivers was actually bounced back by this invisible force,

The huge recoil nearly made the Zombie King's massive body lose balance, staggering as if about to fall!

This round ended with Bai Wuchang's overwhelming victory once again,

His effortless ease made one unable not to marvel at the profundity of his strength.

In contrast, the Zombie King's right arm was reduced to ashes under Bai Wuchang's assault,

the remaining fracture surface was covered head‑to‑toe with cracks like a spiderweb,

betraying a waning breath, as if his whole body would disintegrate any moment.

"Roar——"

A roar of unwillingness and rage tore through the sky, the Zombie King's visage ferocious,

from his blood‑filled maw, fury surged straight to the heavens.

His body began to inflate unbelievably, like a balloon caught in a gale,

rapidly swelling, rising from an original height of a hundred meters to an astonishing two hundred meters,

like a moving mountain, blocking sky and sun.

The crowd below looked up, only able to see the Zombie King's head lost among the clouds,

while the shadow of his massive limbs fell like a canopy, blocking sunlight,

every movement made the earth tremble incessantly.

Facing this change, Black and White Impermanence merely exchanged a glance, their eyes full of disdain.

"Are you just fond of powerful feed? What's the use of getting so big!"

Bai Wuchang said teasingly, and Hei Wuchang quickly followed:

"Even if the body is huge, if the strength is weak, what good is it?"

The contempt in their words seemed like the most direct mockery of the Zombie King.

As soon as the words fell, they said no more, merely waving a hand, the Mourning Cry Staff and Soul‑Reaping Rope turning into two sharp blades of light,

intertwining in mid‑air, they condensed into a wall hundreds of meters high, a blood‑red barrier,

countless anguished, twisted faces on the surface opened their mouths to wail, as if the screams from the depths of hell had broken through,

both terrifying and soul‑clutching.

This blood‑colored barrier, like the Judgment of the End, slowly advanced toward the Zombie King.

Seeing this, the Zombie King showed a hint of disdain, trying to push it aside with his massive hand,

but the moment his fingertips touched the Blood Wall, a stunning reversal unfolded.

That seemingly indestructible body, upon contact with the Blood Wall, became as fragile as paper that ignites at a touch,

in an instant it shattered, molten lava splashing out, dyeing the surrounding space a lurid crimson.

The Zombie King's vital flame was extinguished in the blink of an eye,

leaving only a slowly drifting cloud of black ash, and a burnt smell that lingered in the air.

Meanwhile, far away, the summoner of this battle, Jin Yuzhen, found himself in an equally perilous situation.

Kneeling in the center of the arena, Jin Yuzhen stared at his trembling hands, red light flickering in his eyes,

filled with disbelief and unwillingness.

"How is this possible! How could I lose? This is impossible, absolutely impossible!"

He repeated it, his expression twisted, his actions abnormal and helpless.

Just as Jin Yuzhen was immersed in his defeat, a steady, powerful footsteps approached.

Jin Yuzhen's body trembled slightly as he slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes meeting those of Zhang Cheng, who stood high above, his gaze cold and stern.

Zhang Cheng's face was calm, as if everything had been within his expectations,

that gaze seemed to pierce through everything, directly scrutinizing Jin Yuzhen's soul.

"This battle, you have lost."

Zhang Cheng's tone had no fluctuation, yet each word struck to the heart, declaring an unalterable fact,

"Not only you, but together with the Xiao Han Republic behind you, you march toward defeat."

"This contest concerning national honor, you have lost utterly, thoroughly, with no room for redemption!"

Through a special transmission device, each of Zhang Cheng's words echoed crystal‑clear in every listener's ear,

each word like a sharp dagger, piercing deep into the hearts of the Xiao Han Republic's people.

In the Xiao Han Republic's spectator seats below, the crowd sat silent, their faces etched with shock and loss.

as if they had not yet recovered from the heavy blow of defeat.

When Zhang Cheng turned, his back straight, he lightly traced the gesture of 1.5 trillion toward the Xiao Han Republic's region,

this further stirred an uproar among the Xiao Han Republic.

"Now, it's not that our Dragon Nation will put up one hundred billion and, together with two war criminals, bow and admit fault to you,"

Zhang Cheng's words rang out with force, each syllable seeming to carry the power of thunderous might,

"Rather, you must pay our Dragon Nation one thousand five hundred ten hundred million Long Guo Currency as compensation!"

When these words were spoken, the audience of the Xiao Han Republic instantly swelled with a mixture of shame and anger,

Their once held heads lowered one after another, and the atmosphere became extremely oppressive.

They clenched their fists tightly, their knuckles turning white from the strain, and hammered them hard against the hard armrests of the seats,

producing a dull "bang bang" sound.

Their eyes, as if bound by invisible iron chains, fixed steadfastly on Zhang Cheng a short distance away,

In those gazes burned resentment and anger, as if to forge all unwillingness into sharp blades to pierce this desperate reality.

Yet, however sharp the stare, it could not pierce the shackles of fate, and could only silently endure this taunt that seemed to bear thorns,

letting it embed inch by inch into the heart, swallowing this bitterness and humiliation alone.

"Ah, our Xiao Han Republic, when have we ever suffered such a disgraceful humiliation?"

One person, overwhelmed with grief and anger, could not restrain themselves; their voice was choked, tears swirling in the eyes, finally unable to be held back, they streamed down the cheek,

"Wuwu, the proud Xiao Han Republic now must face the harsh reality of compensating the Dragon Nation with one hundred billion,

and also have to bring two summoned warriors; this humiliation makes my teeth itch, my heart feels like being torn by knives!"

"You scoundrel! This is all Jin Yuzhen's fault!"

The angry reproach surged like a tide, each word carrying a clenched‑tooth hatred,

"If he hadn't been arrogantly self‑important and blindly overconfident, our Xiao Han Republic would not have fallen to such a state!"

"That's right, Jin Yuzhen must bear full responsibility. We once trusted him without reservation,

regarded him as the nation's pillar, yet he brutally slapped everyone's faces with his incompetence, leaving us utterly disappointed!"

The crowd's emotions were unusually intense, their words full of accusations against Jin Yuzhen.

"What Quasi‑SS‑grade Summoned Creature,

what Zombie Army that displayed Divine Might in Busan, what eight wins and two draws record,

Jin Yuzhen, you are trash, a waste!"

The indignant voices rose and fell, each word like a sharp sword trying to pierce Jin Yuzhen's heart.

"Even a little brat from the Dragon Nation can't handle it; Jin Yuzhen, you'd be better off dead,

at least that would preserve a sliver of dignity, preventing the Xiao Han Republic from being shamed by your incompetence!"

Under the heavy burden of compensation, the crowd's emotions erupted completely, all pointing their spears at the former national hero.

"Yes, this one hundred billion compensation should be shouldered solely by Jin Yuzhen!"

Just as the people of the Xiao Han Republic were immersed in sorrow and anger, the Dragon Nation's audience sneered with contempt.

"One hundred billion? I think you're scared into a muddle; we said a full one thousand five hundred hundred million!"

That cold number was like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing the last sliver of hope in the Xiao Han Republic audience's hearts,

leaving them speechless, only able to silently endure this icy reality.

According to the prior agreement, if the Xiao Han Republic wins, the Dragon Nation will release two captives and pay one hundred billion as compensation;

but the tide turned, and the Dragon Nation's victory forces the Xiao Han Republic to not only pay a higher compensation, but also face the trampling of its dignity.

"All of this, it was Jin Yuzhen alone who caused the disaster!"

If it weren't for his blind overconfidence, we wouldn't have to pay a single cent!

The angry accusations were mixed with deep disappointment,

"Loser, unfit to be a part of the Xiao Han Republic!"

The foreign mockery was sharp and bitter, but the most heartbreaking,

was the shame and scolding that came from fellow countrymen.

Zhang Cheng watched coldly, his gaze on Jin Yuzhen, who knelt on the ground, drenched in accusations,

a faint, cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.