The Azure Kui Demon Ancestor's divine form stood tall, its sleeves flicked, instantly enfolding the Divine Sword of the Central Yue Mountain Lord. Meanwhile, the demon king Chen Feng's sword shot towards the sky, piercing a large hole in the foot of the Central Yue Mountain Lord's divine form. The great demon Liu Bai leaped high, his twin Jade Wave Cudgels striking heavily upon the Mountain Lord's back, causing the golden body of the Central Yue Mountain Lord, the most powerful in terms of mountain and water might in the Great Shang Dynasty, to crack and show signs of dispersion.
It couldn't be blamed. In the human world, Azure Kui, Chen Feng, and Liu Bai, any one of these three great demons was a taboo.
However, the appearance of the Central Yue Mountain Lord was merely to buy a brief moment of time for a stalemate.
Amidst the mountains and forests, flocks of birds suddenly took flight, followed by a stunning figure slashing through waves. Enveloped in dense and surging true qi, it was the most powerful reborn-stage martial artist in the human world today – Yu Wanling!
Yu Wanling trod on a single reed crossing the river, her fist soaring towards the sky, hooking heavily onto the chin of the great demon Ji An. She then unleashed three rapid punches in succession. Under the surprise attack, Ji An's armor instantly showed countless cracks. Coupled with the dozens of sword strikes from Jing Chu, Ji An's situation became precarious.
"Go!"
Chen Xi bravely leaped into the air, punching towards the great demon Yu Zhi who had come to the rescue. Despite the vast difference in cultivation realms, Chen Xi could still block Yu Zhi for a short time without dying.
"You… truly deserve to die!"
The great demon Ji An roared, raising his steel fork. But before he could strike, a majestic sword light fell straight from the sky. This sword was incredibly lethal, originating from Lin Wanhua, and its sword intent had likely been nurtured for about two days and two nights.
"Ching!"
Amidst the sound of shattering armor, the water-transport armor that the great demon Ji An had just donned was directly split in two. Following that, a crack appeared on his chest, blood splattered, and amidst a pained howl, his true form was revealed – a great catfish that had been dormant at the bottom of the water for years.
"Catfish soup…"
Yu Wanling immediately thought of Lin Zhao, her eyes reddened, and she punched even harder.
"Lin Wanhua!"
A thunderous voice exploded in the air: "How does the taste of the Deer Seeking Sword feel?!"
It was Long Zheng, a thirteen-realm demon race sword cultivator, the one who had slain Su Qingjiu with a painting.
For a moment, Lin Wanhua's beautiful eyes were filled with rage. Although Su Qingjiu was not particularly close to Lin Wanhua, she was, after all, someone Lin Zhao considered like a younger sister. Therefore, Long Zheng killing Su Qingjiu was akin to killing half of Lin Wanhua's sister. Could this blood feud be easily settled?
"City Lord Lin!"
Jing Chu leaped forward, his sword flashing through the air, blocking the Deer Seeking Sword. He transmitted mentally, "Kill Ji An first!"
"I know!"
Lin Wanhua's mind was not disturbed. She turned and unleashed a torrent of sword intent, striking over a dozen consecutive blows, inflicting more wounds on Ji An's body. Yu Wanling's punches were also unrestrained. Even though her shoulder was pierced by the great demon Ji An's steel fork, she was undeterred, merely raising her fist to disperse Ji An's demonic energy!
When Ji An's demonic energy was dispersed, Lin Wanhua swept her sword horizontally. Ji An's head was immediately severed from his body. Before his head even fell, Yu Wanling joined her index and middle fingers, thrusting them into the vital spot, and dug out a fourteen-realm demon core radiating water transport. With its demon core removed, it was clearly truly dead. Yu Wanling also collected the segment of the old catfish's body into her storage bag.
"Scoundrel!"
After the great demon Chen Feng severed an arm of the Central Yue Mountain Lord with a fierce sword strike, he flew into a rage: "These beasts, they actually killed Senior Ji An!"
"Cannot be killed?"
Lin Wanhua's aura was astonishing. She split three sword qi towards the Demon Ancestor, Chen Feng, and Liu Bai. Simultaneously, she pointed her left index finger, unleashing a streak of blazing sword qi straight towards the back of Long Zheng's head. As they were both thirteen-realm cultivators, Long Zheng was terrified by this sword finger and hastily spun, unleashing four sword qi to resist.
In terms of swordsmanship, Lin Wanhua could be called a true prodigy. She had also honed her skills in the upper realm for nine years after her ascension. Therefore, her thirteen-realm peak was already very close to the fourteen-realm. In Ding Muchen's words, she possessed the full aura of a fourteen-realm swordsman.
Although Long Zheng held the Deer Seeking Sword at this moment, she was still no match for Lin Wanhua. In fact, Lin Wanhua could fight two Long Zhengs and win.
"Boom!"
With a loud bang, the four sword qi unleashed by Long Zheng could not block Lin Wanhua's sword finger. She was shaken, her sword qi and demon qi scattered, and she retreated repeatedly. As her body involuntarily retreated, a surge of true qi erupted from behind her, and she was struck in the back of the head by Yu Wanling's fist, causing her head to buzz and stars to appear before her eyes.
At this moment, Yu Wanling's deep crimson true qi pulsed, her War God's Gall resonating. She was the strongest martial artist in the lower realm. After nine years of tempering in the lower realm, her fist techniques had reached an unprecedented peak, and her fist intent was profoundly rich. Furthermore, with her burning blood essence as she punched, her fist intent was even more terrifying.
Long Zheng had killed Little Jiu'er, and Yu Wanling was determined to avenge her. Nothing else mattered!
"Your Majesty, how about a 'Bind the Azure Dragon' move!?"
From afar, the Lord of Dongting Lake, Shang Xuli, suddenly raised his Lake Lord Divine Sword and sent a stream of water transport towards Lin Xingchu. Lin Xingchu caught it with her sword, and her water transport became even denser and more majestic. With a thought, a figure descended from the sky – a young man in green holding a long sword, who fell from the sky and struck towards Long Zheng's crown.
"My name is Lin Xiaoke, and I am a Sword Immortal of the human world!"
Lin Xiaoke was a thirteen-realm Flood Dragon descendant, a kinsman of Long Zheng. Moreover, he was not a proper sword cultivator. With the Deer Seeking Sword in hand, Long Zheng could fight two Lin Xiaokes. Therefore, this sword strike was not a threat, but it was truly disgusting.
Enraged, Long Zheng thrust out her sword, cutting a bloody gash on Lin Xiaoke's nose, which continued to crack and bleed.
But at the same time, Lin Xingchu raised a fingertip, and a dense stream of water transport rose with the wind, instantly entangling Long Zheng, who was in the midst of wielding her sword. Lin Xiaoke was merely a distraction; this pure water transport bind was the true killing move.
"You?!"
Long Zheng was entangled by the water transport and could not move.
Yu Wanling seized the opportunity to launch a series of punches, each aimed directly at her head. With a "crack," even though Long Zheng's physical body was extremely sturdy, her head was still split open, a terrifying crack appearing on her forehead, blood and demonic restrictions surging within. She spat out a mouthful of blood, almost dropping the Deer Seeking Sword, and instantly fell to the twelve-realm.
"Save Long Zheng!"
The great demon Yu Zhi shouted loudly.
Immediately, a group of Upper Five Realms cultivators lunged forward. Liu Bai mingled with the crowd, sending out his Jade Wave Cudgels, forcing back Yu Wanling, who was covered in blood from sword qi erosion. He then embraced Long Zheng's slender waist and fled with her.
"Retreat!"
The Demon Ancestor decisively gave the order: "All Upper Five Realm cultivators, withdraw. There's no need to rush into a futile confrontation!"
As he retreated, streaks of forbidden barriers were scattered behind them, effectively laying traps. However, Lin Wanhua was no fool and naturally understood the principle of not pursuing a cornered enemy. She merely took her sword and held her ground at Bu Luo Mountain, not pursuing them.
However, the Demon Ancestor's retreat meant abandoning the demon race's tens of years of fortune and Wu Wang Mountain's plan. From this point on, the situation at Bu Luo Mountain would inevitably shift towards the human race, and the battle at Bu Luo Mountain would become the true turning point of the ten-year war!
…
"The overall situation is decided."
Lin Zhao stood on the mountaintop, overlooking the battlefield. He couldn't help but sit down on a rock, smiling with immense relief, "From now on, every step of the world's situation will lead to the demise of the demon race and the Ni Chang empire."
Just as Lin Zhao said, the battle at Bu Luo Mountain ultimately ended with a hard-won victory for the human race. Under the command of Lin Wanhua, Jing Chu, Lin Xingchu, Yu Wanling, and others, nearly two million elite soldiers of the demon and魔 race were slain at Bu Luo Mountain, while the human race lost nearly four hundred thousand troops. As the version plot changed, within the following six months, the demon and魔 races gradually lost control of Yun Prefecture.
The human army, inch by inch, was constantly reclaiming lost territory.
Lin Zhao was content and logged off to sleep.
…
The next day, he logged back in to continue reading the plot.
Due to Chen Xi's old injuries not yet fully healed, Zhao Shutong appointed Han Yetang as Marshal, ordering Han Yetang to lead the human elite forces in a counter-offensive. Thus, the battle to reclaim Yun Prefecture was about to begin. Lin Zhao followed the plot for a while before logging off to have lunch with everyone.
Just after finishing, his phone, placed on the desk, rang. It was from the Municipal Hall.
"Hmm?"
Chen Xue frowned, "The Municipal Hall calling you, what is it about?"
"I don't know."
Lin Zhao answered the call. The other party was a female voice: "Excuse me, is this Mr. Lin from Feiyue Transportation?"
"Yes, may I ask what it is?"
"It's like this," the other party's voice was full of apology. "A few days ago, you and the Feiyue Transportation fleet made a significant contribution to Xi City and Su City. We also learned that you were looking for the whereabouts of a Mr. and Mrs. Luo. Until this morning, we finally found their remains. After genetic comparison, they have been confirmed to be the victims you were looking for. They… the remains are not complete. May I ask if Mr. Lin is willing to come to the Municipal Hall to identify them."
Immediately, Roman, who was beside him, slowly put down her rice bowl, sitting there stunned, as if she had become detached from the world.
This mischievous and spirited little girl was now experiencing the full extent of human grief.
"Slowly."
Lin Zhao turned and hugged Roman, gently stroking her short hair behind her head. "I'll go with you later, or… if you don't want to see, I'll go by myself. We'll properly bury Uncle and Auntie."
At this moment, Roman burst into tears.
…
In the afternoon, Lin Zhao drove a Cloud Shadow-class aircraft, bringing the members of the Feiyue Knights Studio to the Municipal Hall. However, only Lin Zhao truly accompanied Roman into the cold storage. When the staff opened the container, there were only dismembered limbs inside. Yet, Roman recognized one of the hands as her mother's. It had a burn mark, which she had accidentally gotten when scalding water once.
"Mm…"
She nodded gently in confirmation, turned, and buried her face in Lin Zhao's chest, tears streaming down her face. She seemed to have lost all her strength.
Lin Zhao's nose also turned sore, tears welling up in his eyes. He had also experienced the pain of losing his parents and could empathize with Roman's despair and sadness.
From now on, she would be all alone in the world.