Late at night, Lin Zhao logged in.
This was the ninth day of the ten-day version, and the days of being trapped at the foot of Mount Wuwang in darkness seemed to be nearing their end.
"Swish—"
His vision brightened, character data successfully loaded. As Lin Zhao opened his eyes, he felt something different. Although he was still in the dark prison at the foot of Mount Wuwang, he could now see a glimmer of light at the far end.
Moreover, the bigger difference was that Lin Zhao could feel his body's existence. As he looked down, he saw himself crushed between the mountain roots, his flesh and blood mangled, his armor severely damaged. Yet, at his skin's surface, strands of profound sword intent flowed. At this moment, the sword intent within him was extraordinarily potent.
And this robust sword intent was emanating from the Eternal Sword Scripture.
"Huh?"
Lin Zhao frowned. He attempted to merge his consciousness with his physical body and immediately heard a series of system alerts that made him dumbfounded—
"Ding!"
System notification: Congratulations on successfully cultivating, [Eternal Sword Scripture] proficiency +100!
"Ding!"
System notification: Congratulations on successfully cultivating, [Eternal Sword Scripture] proficiency +100!
"Ding!"
System notification: Congratulations on successfully cultivating, [Eternal Sword Scripture] proficiency +100!
"Ding!"
System notification: Congratulations on successfully cultivating, [Eternal Sword Scripture] proficiency +100!
...
The chimes were dense, countless. The proficiency of the Eternal Sword Scripture had long been maxed out and even overflowed significantly. It was only because he was trapped in the prison that the realm of the Eternal Sword Scripture couldn't break through.
"No way..."
Lin Zhao frowned. Could it be that he was to be crushed under Mount Wuwang for ten years, and his body, like a muscular reflex, had self-cultivated the Eternal Sword Scripture for a full decade?
This was terrifying. Before being pinned down at Mount Wuwang, Lin Zhao's Eternal Sword Scripture had already reached the fifth level, and that had only taken less than a month. Now, after being pressed under Mount Wuwang for ten years, he had cultivated the Eternal Sword Scripture for ten full years. Given Lin Zhao's sword dao talent, what a terrifying concept this was!
Clearly, this was a blessing in disguise. Being crushed under Mount Wuwang for ten years meant that Lin Zhao's game account had not lagged for a moment; his character had been diligently practicing the sword every second!
Furthermore, the body crushed at the bottom of Mount Wuwang was that of an eleventh-realm sword cultivator. It hadn't fallen in cultivation level due to being trapped. Thus, it was equivalent to Lin Zhao cultivating the Eternal Sword Scripture for ten years with the foundation of an eleventh-realm cultivator. Once he broke free, the level of his sword intent and sword techniques would likely be formidable.
After all, it was the Eternal Sword Scripture, the supreme sword dao secret art of Bing Lan, the mistress of the Eternal Secret Realm. This ultimate sword dao had been honed by Lin Zhao for a full decade. It was likely that upon his return, his sword techniques would surpass even ordinary peak eleventh-realm sword cultivators!
"Amazing..."
Lin Zhao frowned. He was most aware of the profound depth of his current body's sword dao foundation. And the reason he could see a sliver of light in the endless darkness upon logging in this time was certainly traceable. In short, Lin Zhao already felt that the day of his release was not far off!
"Whoosh!"
He took a deep breath, letting his body continue to cultivate the Eternal Sword Scripture on its own, while he extended a wisp of his consciousness to observe what had transpired in the ninth day's version.
First, the Immortal of War, Han Xin, descended and collected the battle robe of Tang Guangjun. It seemed... Tang Guangjun had a slim chance of survival and wouldn't truly perish. Afterward, Han Xin went to Dongting Lake to help Shang Xuli slay Ran Qing and drive away the Silver Dragon Sword Immortal, Cao Yan. Reading this part, Lin Zhao couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh. Sometimes, Brother Han Xin's actions were particularly satisfying!
Then came the Battle of Mount Buluo!
Mount Buluo, a towering mountain on the border between Yun Province and Ji Province, also served as the watershed between the two.
At this moment, 300,000 human cavalry led by Han Yetang were stationed at Mount Buluo, with the vast expanse of Ji Province and the capital, White Emperor City, behind them. Zhao Shutong led hundreds of thousands of human armored soldiers in support, stockpiling vast amounts of grain and fodder behind Mount Buluo, and gathering numerous laborers to construct various siege engines. Craftsmen like bow makers, arrow makers, carpenters, and blacksmiths were innumerable, with the strength of the Central and Southern six provinces supporting the last stronghold of Yun Province in this war.
Mount Buluo was critically important to the human realm. If Mount Buluo fell, the demon and devil races could charge unimpeded into the human heartland and directly assault White Emperor City. If White Emperor City were breached, the blow to human morale would be devastating.
A wisp of Lin Zhao's consciousness settled on a mountain peak of Mount Buluo. He planted the Zhanlu Sword into a giant rock, his cloak fluttering, and quietly observed the entire battlefield.
Soon after, the war drums sounded from the demon camp. Approximately 200,000 demon cavalry launched their offensive.
Han Yetang waved her command flag. The tens of thousands of cavalry deployed at the front scattered, replaced by nearly 100,000 spearmen and archers controlled by Zhao Shutong from the rear. These spears were specially made for demon cavalry in recent years, with sharp steel tips and incredibly resilient iron shafts, measuring four to five meters in length. When the spear shaft was planted on the ground, it formed an exceptionally strong counter-charge defense line.
The spear formation was about ten meters deep, with elite archers in the rear. These archers possessed astonishing strength, capable of drawing powerful bows. Their arrows were specially crafted wolf-tooth arrowheads from the Great Shang Dynasty, forged from fine steel, with formidable armor-piercing power. As long as one had sufficient arm strength, they could pierce the thick armor of the demon cavalry. Behind the first layer of spearmen and archers was a second, and so on, overlapping for more than ten layers, interspersed with caltrops, horse traps, and abatis. It was a battle formation specifically designed for demon cavalry.
Zhao Shutong, although the Crown Princess of the Great Shang Dynasty and an eleventh-realm sword immortal from the mountains, was in fact meticulous and adept at observing the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, earning her the title of an undeniable master general.
Soon after, the demon cavalry began their charge, repeatedly crashing into the spear and arrow formations. Horses stumbled and men fell, turning the entire battlefield into a meat grinder. Just as the demon cavalry were in the thick of their assault, Han Yetang waved her command flag, and two formations of human cavalry charged from the flanks, inflicting heavy losses on the demon cavalry.
Following this, the war drums thundered from the demon army's tents. The troops from ten tents began to push forward, clashing with Han Yetang's cavalry. Cannons roared and ballistae fired from the mountains. With another wave of Han Yetang's command flag, more human troops emerged from the pass, striking the demon forces heavily. Even Zhao Shutong, leading tens of thousands of White Deer Cavalry, charged to the very front, engaging the demons.
"Mount up!"
Han Yetang handed her command flag to a副将 (fùjiàng - deputy general), then mounted her horse. She brandished her long sword forward and shouted, "Vermillion Bird Cavalry, all of you, mount up! Tell the demons that our Vermillion Bird Cavalry are not yet extinct!"
Instantly, over ten thousand elite Vermillion Bird Cavalry mounted their horses and charged forward with Han Yetang.
...
"..."
In the rear of the demon army's encampment, a stunningly beautiful figure in a red dress stood atop a towering war chariot. It was the great demon Yu Zhi. She frowned, gazing at the battlefield ahead. This was a golden opportunity. After all... the humans feared only Zhao Shutong, Han Yetang, Lin Ruo, Lu Fengxian, Chen Xi, and others. If these renowned human generals all perished, what threat would Lin Yan, Zhao Qiyang, Wen Hao, and the others pose?
"It is time."
Great Demon Yu Zhi thought to herself, "Ancestor Demon, if you are going to make a move, do it now. Directly intercept all these renowned human generals north of Mount Buluo. Achieve victory in one battle and end it all!"
"Understood."
In the clouds, the Azure Kui Demon Ancestor's sleeves billowed, his gaze extremely cold. He said solemnly, "All you demon celestial beings, follow me to battle and slay Zhao Shutong, Han Yetang, Lu Fengxian, Chen Xi, and other human leaders!"
With that, figures of great demons surged towards Mount Buluo.
However, just as the numerous great demons charged towards Mount Buluo, each confident of victory and believing humanity was on its last legs, the entire region of Mount Buluo was suddenly enveloped by a strand of water transport. To the east of Mount Buluo, the unremarkable great river became turbulent. Upon the river, the water's surface reflected the figure of someone clad in golden armor and a golden cloak—it was Lin Xingchu, the River God of Washing Sword River!
Now, Lin Xingchu had gathered more than half of the water transport, instantly bringing the entire Mount Wuwang under the shroud of human water transport, continuously suppressing the demonic energy of every great demon.
And on the western side of the battlefield, a figure soared into the sky, also clad in water transport. It was Shang Xuli, the Lord of Dongting Lake. He dragged more than half of Dongting Lake's water transport, echoing Lin Xingchu from the east and west, enveloping the entire battlefield's luck in human hands.
Simultaneously, two figures broke through the wind. Two balls of incredibly dense sword intent shot up into the sky. They were Lin Wanhua and Jing Chu. A strand of sword light suddenly erupted from the foot of the mountain, soaring into the sky and forming a sword dao restriction that trapped the great demon Ji An, who was dragging water transport in the air. Jing Chu let out a roar, and sword light erupted from his sword, unleashing dozens of strikes upon Great Demon Ji An.
"Ah!?"
At this moment, Ji An's mind trembled. How could he have anticipated an ambush of this magnitude in this battle? Although Lin Wanhua and Jing Chu had appeared at Snow Domain Celestial Pond last time, who would have thought that the only two thirteenth-realm sword cultivators left in the human lower realm would dare to confront a group of demon upper fifth-realm cultivators head-on?
"Audacious!"
Ji An roared, instantly shattering dozens of mid-grade magic artifacts, all of which transformed into water transport, encasing him in a suit of deep blue armor. As long as this armor remained intact, no one could harm him.
"Seeking death!"
The Azure Kui Demon Ancestor and Chen Feng attacked together.
However, at this very moment, an immensely tall figure from the south, striding across the land and forests, arrived. It was a handsome man clad in golden armor, wielding the Mountain Lord's Divine Sword. It was the Central Peak of the Great Shang Dynasty. He suddenly raised a foot and, with the power of a region, stomped Great Demon Chen Feng heavily underfoot. Simultaneously, he swung his sword, cleaving the Azure Kui Demon Ancestor in two.
...
At this moment, Yu Zhi and the Demon Ancestor truly felt a chill down their spines. How strong was humanity's resolve to slay demons?