Plague of the Undead (Part 3)

Space twisted slightly, and Ye Han, along with Baireis, reappeared in the sky, to the shock of the hundreds of thousands of onlookers below. Even Evelyn and the remaining saint-tier powerhouse displayed expressions of horror.

Standing on the back of the saint-tier dragon Baireis, Ye Han, clad in a black robe that fluttered in the wind, made a striking figure. His long white hair shone even brighter under the sunlight, creating a strong visual impact.

His slender frame seemed to defy logic with the immense power it contained. His seemingly thin arm was holding up a person of considerable weight.

Indeed, in Ye Han's grasp was the early-stage saint-tier powerhouse who had vowed to kill him. The man was barely recognizable now, his limbs twisted in unnatural angles, his body soaked in blood, barely clinging to life.

From the moment Ye Han and Baireis were engulfed by the domain to their reappearance, only a few moments had passed. Yet, the positions of hunter and prey were completely reversed – the would-be killer was now held in the hand of his intended victim, on the brink of death, while Ye Han stood unharmed in the sky, flaunting his triumph.

This scene profoundly shocked the hundreds of thousands on the ground. The saint-tier powerhouses, beings of immense strength, were now helplessly dangling in the hands of someone not even at their level. This shattered their perception of the insurmountable power of saint-tier beings.

"Let him go," commanded Evelyn angrily, his tone more like an order. Accustomed to giving commands as a member of the Frostwind Empire's royal family and the lord of Miat City, Evelyn seemed unaware of the dire situation they were in.

"Let him go? Who do you think you are to order me?" Ye Han laughed contemptuously, completely disregarding Evelyn. There was no need to.

"You!" As the lord of Miat City, Evelyn was unaccustomed to such disrespect. Rage boiled within him.

His eyes shot out two golden beams, but Ye Han seemed indifferent. He simply lifted the man he was holding, using him as a shield.

The late-stage saint-tier mental attack caused the barely alive early-stage saint-tier man to scream in agony, his body convulsing violently, his face twisted beyond recognition.

"If you want him to die more quickly, feel free to continue," Ye Han's voice came from behind the man. "Killing people is not difficult for me, but I prefer to see them suffer a fate worse than death."

Ye Han's words sent a chill down everyone's spine. The idea of someone using an enemy's body to block attacks, allowing them to die slowly and painfully at the hands of their own companions, was unheard of on Qingming Continent.

"What do you want?" Evelyn asked, trying to suppress his anger for the sake of the man who had followed him for many years.

"I don't want anything special. Just the extermination of Miat City," Ye Han said slowly, emphasizing each word. With every word he spoke, the faces of Evelyn and the hundreds of thousands on the ground grew paler.

"Lord, kill him, don't mind me," a weak voice came from the man in Ye Han's grip. Ye Han's expression turned cold as he tightened his grip.

With a "crack," he crushed the man's bones with his powerful grip. Contrary to Ye Han's expectations, the man did not scream but only shivered more violently, his twisted face drenched in sweat.

"Heh, very good," Ye Han laughed, a joyous laugh like a child finding a beloved toy. But to everyone else, this laughter was like a wail from hell, bone-chilling and soul-shaking.

"I won't let you die. I want all of you to watch how I massacre this city. I want the entire continent to know that I am not to be trifled with," Ye Han's deep and chilling words echoed through the sky.

Everyone was horrified by Ye Han's declaration. Casually, he tossed the body he had been holding onto Baireis's back and quickly formed hand seals.

"Quick, kill him, don't let him use that power," Evelyn shouted, rushing towards Ye Han with his full late-stage saint-tier power, followed closely by the other saint-tier powerhouse.

As they approached, Ye Han's eyes flashed, and the space behind him twisted. A huge hand emerged from the distorted space and swiftly grasped Evelyn and his companion, rendering their struggles futile.

"Divine-tier!" Evelyn finally realized in horror. He looked around, but saw nothing; only a gut feeling told him the nature of the power they faced. As a late-stage saint-tier, he had interacted with hidden divine-tier powerhouses of the continent and recognized the aura emanating from the hand.

Indeed, this was the solution Ye Han had pondered during his ten days of recovery – understanding why he had been able to summon Erxula from the apocalypse prison during a critical moment. His soul power had surged into the red crystal within him, merging him more deeply with the Half-Dead Realm. It was this, combined with his substantial soul power, that allowed him to temporarily summon Erxula, a being far stronger than himself, but only that once.

This time, Ye Han did not summon Erxula or Curtis, who were a tier lower in strength. It was not for lack of wanting but of impossibility. He could only briefly open a rift to the Half-Dead Realm, allowing them to project energy forms to assist him.

However, Ye Han's soul was not yet strong enough to maintain this for long – only a mere two breaths' time. But sometimes, two breaths were enough to turn the tide of battle, as now. And with the current strength of his soul, he could only use this ability about once every half month.

"Waste them," Ye Han ordered as the giant energy hand grabbed Evelyn and his companion. Pressed for time, he had no choice but to act quickly.

The energy hand clenched, and the sound of bones cracking filled the air. Inside the hand, neither of the two had any chance to resist. Instantly, their bodies were crushed, leaving only their heads intact.

As the hand dissipated, Baireis swiftly flew in, catching the crippled Evelyn and his companion.

"See how I destroy your city while you're still alive," Ye Han said coldly, looking at the two men sprawled on Baireis's back.

At that moment, the two undead riding winged dragons arrived. "Master, everything is prepared as you ordered," they reported.

Ye Han nodded in acknowledgment.

"What's the strength of the survivors?"

"All below sixth-tier are dead. There are one hundred thirty-two at sixth-tier, five hundred forty-eight at seventh-tier, and fifty-eight at eighth-tier."

Ye Han quickly connected to the blood essence of the one hundred thirty-two sixth-tier individuals and selected one hundred eight of the weakest among the over five hundred seventh-tier individuals, totaling two hundred forty people. The remaining five hundred were also accounted for.

He swiftly instructed these two hundred forty individuals via soul communication to split into groups of sixty and wait at each of the four city gates.

"Do you know? Zombies carry a poison called corpse poison. Any ordinary person infected will lose their consciousness in extreme time, becoming a mindless zombie. They'll bite anyone in sight, spreading the infection until everyone becomes a zombie. Then they'll start to attack each other until only one remains. Isn't that a spectacular scene?" Ye Han openly discussed his plan with Evelyn and others, while his words also reached the ears of the hundreds of thousands on the ground.

The people on the ground, just a moment ago, had seen their lord, their pillar of strength, seemingly die at the hands of this devil. They couldn't see the details due to the distance, unlike the eighth and ninth-tier powerhouses. The civilians and weaker individuals, unable to see clearly, panicked, running everywhere, especially after hearing Ye Han's words. They ran frantically towards the city gates.

But would Ye Han let them escape so easily?