Chapter 596: with translation of chapter title

Outside the first fortress city, ten thousand troops awaited.

In midair, Lin An gazed calmly at his army.

After spending a week to gain control of the entire Xia Dynasty, he immediately issued a nationwide mobilization order.

Regardless of cost, he produced medicine and summoned all humans aged sixteen and above, male or female.

Everyone enlisted and went to war.

While fighting, they simultaneously ascended to become adult Ascetic Practitioners.

Under the mobilization of the Ascetic Practitioners of the old era, the feudal empire erupted with an unimaginable operational speed, swiftly gathering at the borders.

If the march is slow, let the Ascetic Practitioners build 'airships' to pull and fly.

If food is insufficient, then let the Ascetic Practitioners serve as meat!

Not actually eating their own flesh, but contributing vitality to the seeds of death, then consuming it themselves.

Anyway, since they are eating themselves while drawing vitality for the future, it wouldn't lead to a large-scale prion virus outbreak.

Compared to the real world, Awakened Ones can have their power extracted only after death.

Ascetic Practitioners can also do so while alive.

Although the energy level is somewhat lower.

Undoubtedly, the Ascetic Practitioners of this Secret Realm are indeed very similar to the Indestructible Asuras, making them suitable as batteries.

Thus, Lin An actually plans to ruthlessly 'exploit' them when he returns to the real world, taking some of their energy.

I saved your entire world; asking for a bit of compensation isn't excessive, is it?

"Your Majesty, is acting this way too hasty?"

"Although you have mastered the method to mass-produce Ascetic Practitioners, we could simply wait a bit longer..."

Several of the early-numbered Ascetic Practitioners looked at Lin An's back with doubtful unease, their thoughts shifting.

From the initial shock and awe to now gradually adapting.

The things Lin An continually produced kept refreshing their worldviews.

But it's not that no one doubted whether Lin An was truly the first Ascetic Practitioner.

After all, aside from Lin An's initial display of power that frightened them, upon further reflection...

If they kept fighting, Lin An might not necessarily be able to kill them, right?

Especially Number Two Ascetic Practitioner.

These past few days, after coming to their senses, they recalled that when Lin An made them kneel, he seemed overwhelmingly mighty, but in reality he was already at the end of his strength.

If it weren't for the person Lin An portrayed being too terrifying in their minds, deeply ingrained...

No matter what, there would still be Ascetic Practitioners wanting to test the waters.

"Are you questioning me?"

In a cold tone, Lin An replied offhand without glancing away, his mental power directly locking onto the questioning Ascetic Practitioner.

It seemed as if he would strike suddenly in the next second.

"I dare not..."

"Just..."

"Not just that!"

"Do you mean to say that doing this now entails too great a sacrifice? With the current number of Ascetic Practitioners, we cannot charge into the blood corpse gathering grounds?"

With a counterquestion, Lin An directly clarified the meaning behind the other's words.

The questioning Ascetic Practitioner, seeing this, fell silent.

That's right.

In his view, Lin An's action was hardly different from suicide.

If humanity can hold out, that's already not bad.

What counterattack? When the time comes, it'll still be them who die.

Heh.

He inwardly let out a cold chuckle.

Lin An couldn't be bothered to pay attention to these people harboring various thoughts.

No wonder the first Ascetic Practitioner held no hope for these people.

They weren't afraid of death to become Ascetic Practitioners, yet after becoming one they now fear death.

Truly absurd and laughable.

Just keep defending? If it weren't for the backup left by the first Ascetic Practitioner, you couldn't defend a thing!

Even he and this outsider, within just two months, noticed that the blood corpses were acting strangely.

This group of natives seemed as if everything were peaceful.

Without hesitation.

Lin An directly produced 117 full-body sets of equipment, hovering in midair.

"Come here!"

"Bestow the equipment upon the newly promoted Ascetic Practitioners in the army, and let those numbered within the top hundred but after the thirtieth fight a battle!"

His voice was icy, echoing across the heavens.

On the ground, hundreds of soldiers who, with the aid of medicine, were originally elite troops heard the voice, paused, then after regaining their senses, some eagerly hurried to kneel and give thanks.

Although they didn't know what use the equipment bestowed by His Majesty had.

But for a while, many began to speculate how powerful this whole set of equipment would be.

It should be sharper than an ordinary blade's tip, right?

Half excited by the Emperor's attention, half worried that even after putting on equipment I still couldn't defeat those old-era ascetic practitioners.

After all, equipment like this is truly useless for them...

The ascetic practitioners chosen as targets beyond the 30th sequence heard this and their faces darkened.

Your Majesty...

Is this making us chickens?

Killing a chicken to scare the monkeys?

Just a simple inquiry, and you straight away give a show of force?

A hint of dissatisfaction arose in his heart.

The selected old-era ascetic practitioners, expressionless, watched the newly promoted ascetic practitioners who had put on equipment.

To be honest, these old-era ascetic practitioners despise most those who rely on external objects.

Equipment?

What use is a sharp blade tip?

Can it kill me?

His thoughts shifted.

The Number Two ascetic practitioner floating in the distance covertly communicated with his comrades.

"Let's take a look at the Emperor's methods to confirm whether it's him..."

"Revival after a thousand years... is utterly unimaginable."

"If he truly has the ability to elevate this group of new ascetic practitioners' strength, then perhaps it's true."

"But... if the effect is poor, then it shows we may have been deceived."

He remained expressionless.

Number Two ascetic practitioner expertly concealed his killing intent, motionlessly watching the battle about to begin.

"Let me see, are you real or fake!"

"If you're fake... I'll split open your skull to see who you really are!"

The atmosphere was tense, and many soldiers, uneasy, donned their equipment.

Facing the old-era ascetic practitioners, they felt too much pressure.

Without the Emperor's backing, they wouldn't dare to act no matter what.

They're among the top hundred—these people are all big shots.

Especially now, with imperial authority declining, these people usually show deep respect when they see ascetic practitioners numbered over ten thousand.

Now, they have only just become ascetic practitioners, and still by very strange means.

Lacking real combat experience, where would they have confidence in themselves?

But the moment after putting on the equipment, their expressions suddenly went blank.

What is this!?

Why do I feel an endless surge of power flowing into my limbs!?

Unnoticed, Lin An gave a light laugh and directly commanded the many soldiers with his mental power.

"Attack, all together, Soul Shriek!"

Boom!!

117 Soul Shrieks erupted instantly, converging into a fierce silver spiritual storm that suddenly assailed the lofty ascetic practitioners.

Hiss--

High-frequency cut—almost in an instant, the ascetic practitioners enveloped by the 117 spiritual storms instantly turned into a pile of white bone skeletons.

Flesh and blood were ground to powder; even the bones didn't last a second before turning into sky‑filled ash.

After a breath.

The strangely resurrected ascetic practitioner stood blankly in place, as if not yet reacting.

I...

I was just instantly killed!!!?

Almost at the same moment, a flash of silver light passed through Lin An's eyes, giving them no time to recover.

You look down on 117 sets of equipment?

Heh, the equipment taken from my 'corpse' is the most luxurious gear gathered from the entire real world at this current stage!

"Unleash Destruction!"

"Demonic Form!"

"Withering!"

Command after command was given; the ascetic practitioners in the army, obeying instinctively, instantly transformed into 117 demons.

Heaven‑shattering, earth‑crushing.

Under the erupting pressure, the Number Two ascetic practitioner, who had harbored other thoughts, rarely opened his mouth wide, his eyes straining into ovals.

What the hell am I!?

This actually produced 117 Lin Ans who once beat me into a dog!

Like a nuclear bomb explosion.

Hundreds of scarlet figures radiating evil aura, swords in hand, charged straight into the ascetic practitioners who turned to flee.

"Your Majesty! Please order to stop!!!!"

In mid‑air, the ascetic practitioners who had just been ignoring the equipment now wished they could run faster.

In just a few seconds, he had already died four or five times.

Over a hundred fake Lin Ans clad in full equipment — how could they possibly resist?

For a moment.

Such astonishing might left the millions-strong ground army stunned.

And Lin An's nominal heir, the former emperor Xia Xuan, jumped up in excitement, his eyes locked on the Ascetic Practitioners being hunted.

Fuck your mother!

You who didn't take Laozi seriously before, look at you now!

My ancestors have returned!

"Depart!"

「Counterattack!! 」

At the command.

The earth trembled beneath the hooves — a torrent of iron armor and flesh.

Mighty and grand, each ten-thousand-strong regiment formed neat ranks, everyone filled with high morale.

Countless people gazed up at the figure standing in the sky, feeling that history had been changed at this moment.

Counterattack the blood corpse!