Chapter 23: Zhu Zheng, Fierce as a God of Death! A Massive Boost to His Attributes!

He charged directly toward the battering ram.

Thereupon, Zhu Zheng hoisted his shield high with one hand, while pressing his other palm firmly against the battering ram.

Then, gathering all the strength in his body into his arm, he shoved with a violent force.

The battering ram, which would normally require over a dozen men to move, shot forward like a bullet under Zhu Zheng’s immense power, slamming ruthlessly into the city gate before him!

This scene left Tan Yuan and the surrounding soldiers standing there, dumbfounded.

"How much strength does he have?"

"He moved the battering ram all by himself?"

Everyone around watched in shock, unable to believe their eyes.

The next moment.

"Break for me!"

Zhu Zheng let out a roar, gathering every ounce of his strength as the ram crashed heavily into the gate once more.

BOOM!

With a thunderous explosion, the gate—which had withstood several assaults from the Yan vanguard—was violently forced open under the singular effort of Zhu Zheng.

The enemy soldiers who had been bracing the gate from the inside stared in sheer terror.

"Charge!"

Seeing the gate breached, Zhu Zheng did not hesitate for a second. Shield in one hand and blade in the other, he rushed straight inside.

He was met immediately by a throng of enemy troops.

Although this was his first time on an actual battlefield, Zhu Zheng felt no panic. He raised his combat blade and slashed.

With his immense strength bolstering the reinforced steel weapon, the heavy blade felt as light as a feather. He struck with lightning speed; with a sharp *crunch*, the enemy before him had no time to react before the blade severed his head.

"Enemy killed. Obtained 5 points of strength, 15 taels of silver, and 10 days of lifespan."

As he killed, the system notifications appeared on his interface. The attribute gains were five times greater than those from looting corpses.

"All troops, listen up!"

"Slaughter the rebels!"

"Charge!"

Seeing the gate breached, the enemy commander inside immediately ordered a counter-offensive. Thousands of enemy troops surged toward the gate like an unrelenting tide.

Under Zhu Zheng’s gaze, the enemy rushed forward, brandishing spears, halberds, and swords.

"It’s either you die, or I die."

At this moment, Zhu Zheng had no other choice.

He charged toward the oncoming enemy. Facing their thrusting spears, he blocked with his shield and swung his blade like a whirlwind, powered by his immense strength, creating a continuous arc of steel.

Wherever the light of his blade fell, spears were snapped in two, and blood sprayed into the air.

"Ah!"

"Agh..."

The enemy soldiers screamed in agony. Every swing of his blade carried a terrifying force that no human could withstand. Even if the blade had been dull, the sheer impact would have been enough to shatter the enemies' bones.

Such was the terrifying power bestowed upon Zhu Zheng by the Blood-Burst Pill. He had transformed into a humanoid beast, diving into the chaos and hacking away with reckless abandon.

In the heat of a life-or-death struggle, there was no room for technique—only blocking and killing. It was a test of who was more vicious, a battle for survival.

"Enemy killed. Obtained 5 points of strength, 5 taels of silver, and 10 days of lifespan."

"Enemy killed. Obtained 5 points of stamina..."

"Enemy killed. Obtained 5 points of agility..."

"Enemy killed. Obtained 5 points of spirit..."

As Zhu Zheng’s eyes turned bloodshot, he waded deeper into the enemy ranks, hacking and slashing without restraint. Soldiers were decapitated or cleaved in two, their deaths gruesome and messy.

In the blink of an eye, a dozen corpses lay on the ground, blood and gore splattered everywhere—a scene of utter carnage.

Zhu Zheng was killing with a fervor that bordered on madness.

"The first to breach the gate is Vice-Thousand-Man Commander Zhu Zheng of the First Thousand-Man Battalion!"

"Soldiers of the Beiping Army, follow me and charge!"

Tan Yuan roared, pointing his sword at the open gate, signaling his men to push inside.

"Commander Zhu is mighty!"

"Charge!"

The centurions under Zhu Zheng’s command cheered with excitement, leading their men into the city. Zhu Gaoxu, watching from nearby, was completely stunned.

"Zhu Zheng... he is actually this formidable."

"Such ferocity, he is truly an invincible warrior."

Zhu Gaoxu thought, his heart racing, as he led his own men into the fray.

Outside the city, at the rear of the Yan army, Zhang Yu watched the gate collapse and the vanguard move in with disciplined speed. His eyes lit up, never having expected the city to fall so quickly.

Without a moment's hesitation, he shouted, "All troops, listen to my command! Charge!"

At his order, nearly eight thousand Yan soldiers, who had been waiting in the rear, surged toward Miyun City.

Inside the city, the slaughter continued.

Zhu Zheng was lost in the blood-soaked frenzy of battle. One by one, enemy soldiers perished beneath his blade. Even as his own arms and body sustained bleeding wounds, he felt no pain. He only wanted to kill as many as he could, to wipe out the enemies before him.

"Charge!"

"Charge!"

"Brothers of the First Thousand-Man Battalion, follow me!"

Zhu Zheng bellowed, his voice filled with an invigorating energy that struck terror into the hearts of the enemy.

He was like a god of war. Everywhere he moved, the ground was littered with enemy corpses. He was unrivaled, unstoppable.

"Commander Zhu has divine power!"

"Follow Commander Zhu!"

"Kill them!"

"Wipe out these traitors! Kill..."

Seeing Zhu Zheng’s ferocity, his subordinates finally believed the bold claims he had made when he first took office: that he would lead from the front and never hide behind them.

Now, Zhu Zheng was proving those words.

He was the vanguard, fierce and invincible!

For his soldiers, this was an infinite source of inspiration. A form of intangible power settled upon the troops under his command, invisibly boosting their morale and combat effectiveness. They surged forward, crashing into the enemy.

The entire city was filled with the sounds of battle. It was a brutal, desperate, and bloody close-quarters fight.

Zhu Zheng remained at the very front, his blade never ceasing, his slaughter constant. As he fought his way forward, he was completely drenched in blood, a crimson specter of death.

He ignored his wounds, blocking and slashing. When the effect of the first Blood-Burst Pill faded, he immediately consumed another.

Seizing this golden opportunity, Zhu Zheng killed with abandon, hungrily strengthening himself. Only by doing this could he survive the battlefield and protect his wife and children.

"Enemy killed. Obtained 1 point of strength..."

"Enemy killed. Obtained 1 point of agility..."

"Host’s total attributes have exceeded 500 points. Reward: one Tier 1 Treasure Chest."

"Host has killed over 10 enemies. Reward: one Common Treasure Chest."

"Host has killed over 50 enemies. Reward: one Common Treasure Chest."

"Host has killed over 100 enemies. Reward: one Common Treasure Chest."

...