Yi Tianyun's instant kill of the Evil Spirit Race's God Monarch left everyone stunned, unable to process what had just happened. A Heaven Monarch killing a God Monarch in one move seemed impossible, but the fact was right before them.
They had thought their leader was arrogant, but he had displayed extraordinary skill, overturning their common sense.
Not only was Yue Ming's side shocked, but the Evil Spirit Race in front of them was equally terrified. Their general had been killed instantly; what chance did they have? They were sure to be killed just as easily.
"Run, run!"
They turned to flee, unable to think of anything else. Normally, the Evil Spirit Race had strict military discipline, and fleeing without orders was punishable by death.
But now, with their general killed instantly, what use was staying here? Waiting to die?
"Trying to escape?"
Yi Tianyun sneered, transforming into a silver streak that swept forward, reducing the Evil Spirit Race to dust upon contact. It was almost a touch-and-die scenario, with Yi Tianyun's speed boosted a hundredfold by his Phoenix Bloodline.
The terrifying speed left the enemies unable to react, and in the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the entire encirclement of the Evil Spirit Race had turned to dust.
After easily wiping them out, Yi Tianyun quickly returned to Yue Ming, giving them a calm look, "It's taken care of."
Their bodies trembled, eyes filled with fear and awe. Recalling their previous disrespect, they wondered if they would be executed for such rudeness.
In normal circumstances, questioning a superior's strength was a serious offence!
"Master is invincible!" Yue Ming half-kneeled on the ground, her eyes filled with surprise and admiration. She had always known Yi Tianyun was capable, but this exceeded her expectations.
She quickly accepted it, knowing her master would never do anything he wasn't confident about. She had seen it before and knew Yi Tianyun was not one to boast without backing it up.
"M-Master is invincible!"
Everyone else kneeled as well. With Yue Ming kneeling, how could they remain standing?
Yi Tianyun nodded, glancing ahead with a faint smile, "Do I have the qualifications to lead you now?"
"Yes, absolutely! If even you don't have the qualifications, who would?"
"That's right, we were wrong to question your strength. If you want, we are willing to accept any punishment!"
"We are not afraid of death, but we don't want to be cannon fodder. We would question anyone! If you want to punish us, we won't complain!"
Their gazes became sharp and respectful, filled with determination and joy. Having such a powerful leader was a cause for happiness.
This way, they could completely eradicate the Evil Spirit Race and avenge their loved ones! Most of the cultivators present had deep grudges against the Evil Spirit Race, with countless friends and family killed by them. How could they not want revenge?
Therefore, they didn't want to die easily; they wanted to kill as many Evil Spirits as possible.
"Your concerns are understandable. I can't deny that some leaders do act that way, but I am not one of them." Yi Tianyun glanced at them and said solemnly, "I won't blame you for this; everyone, rise!"
"Thank you, Master!"
They stood up one by one, looking at Yi Tianyun with newfound respect.
Yi Tianyun took a few steps forward, looked around, and said coldly, "But there's one thing we must address: the traitor!"
"Traitor!"
Their hearts trembled, recalling Yi Tianyun's earlier words about a traitor. Although they knew their companions well, they couldn't identify the traitor.
"Master, do you have any clues?" Yue Ming's eyes brightened, following Yi Tianyun closely.
"Of course, and you bear significant responsibility. Many traitors have infiltrated!" Yi Tianyun smiled faintly.
"Many traitors? Master, please help us root them out!" Yue Ming's eyes turned cold. Killing traitors was no less satisfying than killing Evil Spirits.
"Certainly, I despise traitors the most." Yi Tianyun smiled slightly, making everyone shiver, wondering if Yi Tianyun really knew who the traitors were.
The other generals exchanged glances, unsure how Yi Tianyun would find the traitors. Soul searching seemed the simplest and most direct method, though it could cause resentment.
With so many cultivators present, soul searching each one was also quite challenging.
Without saying a word, Yi Tianyun walked past a cultivator, grabbed him and threw him to the ground, where he lay immobilized.
"The second one!"
"The third one!"
"The fourth one!"
"…"
"The twenty-seventh one!"
Yi Tianyun threw out twenty-seven cultivators, leaving everyone stunned. Twenty-seven traitors? That was too much to believe!
But it wasn't over. Yi Tianyun approached a group of Heaven Monarch generals, placing his hand on one of their shoulders, "You're well hidden, but I didn't expect a general to be a traitor!"
He then threw the general to the ground, leaving him battered.
"Master, I refuse to accept this! I'm a general, how could I be a traitor!" the general roared.
"That's right, Master, how could I be a traitor? I've killed many Evil Spirits and earned countless merits!" the other thrown-out cultivators also roared, feeling they were being treated unfairly.
The other cultivators watched but did not intervene, trusting Yi Tianyun to provide a reasonable explanation.
"Killing many doesn't mean you're not a traitor." Yi Tianyun sneered, "Now we'll soul search. If I'm wrong about one, I will no longer be your leader and will leave immediately."
Yi Tianyun's harsh statement left no room for dissent. If they wanted to prove their innocence, soul searching was the way to verify it.
Mentioning traitors made their hearts cold, as nothing was more detestable than a traitor, especially one who allied with the Evil Spirit Race, which was utterly revolting!