The Ashes Sovereign

Chapter 18

Standing atop the shattered wall, Lin Yue’s voice carried over the noise of battle.

“You have spilled so much blood for the high council’s pride! Many of you know refugees were hunted for crimes they never committed. You are forced to die for a system that favours only the powerful.”

He described what Azure Ruin truly was. Not some evil f*******n stronghold. It was simply a sanctuary for people who had nowhere else to go. He asked the ordinary soldiers to think: was destroying this refuge worth all these countless lives?

A deep silence fell across parts of the sect lines. Many soldiers hesitated. They had joined to uphold justice, not endless s*******r.

The council elders panicked. They shouted for their men to keep attacking. They threatened punishment for anyone who held back. But large groups of sect cultivators refused to press forward. They lowered their weapons. The great invasion army began to split apart.

Some loyal elite fighters still obeyed the elders. They made one last fierce charge toward the wall. Lin Yue and the few remaining healthy defenders met them head‑on. The final clash of elites raged before the gates.

Lin Yue duelled the chief council elder himself. Ash‑magic clashed against brilliant golden spiritual techniques. Blow traded for blow. Both men bore heavy wounds. At last Lin Yue struck a decisive ash‑blast. The elder fell, defeated but not killed.

With their leader down, the last loyal sect attackers lost heart.