The game's plot was full of twists and turns, and the sea beast tide in reality still had sporadic activity along the Yangtze River in the northern parts of Suzhou and Xicheng. The world was not peaceful, so everything was kept simple.
Lin Zhao disbursed a sum of money from the funds of Feiyue Transport and purchased a plot of land in the Wanshan area of Suzhou. That night, he cremated the remains of Roman's parents, as well as the remains of dozens of members of the Feiyue Knights and their families who had died in Xicheng. Many of these victims were entire families. If Lin Zhao had not stepped forward, their remains would have been handled perfunctorily by the local government.
The Suzhou government's finances were already severely overdrawn, making it impossible to allocate much funding for the aftermath of the numerous victims. As for Xicheng, it was undergoing reconstruction and was in dire need of rebuilding, so the local government could not spare the effort to handle so many intricate matters.
Therefore, Lin Zhao's intervention was equivalent to allowing these many members of the Feiyue Knights to depart this world with dignity.
...
The next morning.
At Wanshan Cemetery, many players from the Feiyue Knights guild had rushed over overnight. Lu Han, Bu Su Li Ren, Shen Lan Zhi Ren, Mo Yin, and others were all present. Lin Zhao, Zhang Jun, and Ding Chi were dressed in black suits and white shirts, while Shen Xingchen, Chen Xue, and Mo Chen Xue wore elegant white dresses. Each of them had a white flower pinned to their chests.
Roman's eyes were red, and she appeared very haggard. Fortunately, with Lin Zhao by her side, she felt as if she had grasped a lifeline, with this "older brother" arranging everything.
Shortly after, a black car stopped not far away. Two people alighted from it: Leng Yan and Xu Ran. They had come together to attend the farewell ceremony for the members and families of the Feiyue Knights.
In the afternoon, all the victims had been buried. A transport plane from Feiyue Transport waited outside the cemetery to take everyone to the Feiyue Transport base for lunch, batch by batch. A light rain was falling from the sky. Lin Zhao held an umbrella for Roman, while Leng Yan held her own. Xu Ran followed behind. The four of them walked slowly through the cemetery.
"Ayan, how is Shengtian's situation?" Lin Zhao asked.
"Not too good."
Leng Yan pursed her red lips and said softly, "Shengtian has more players, and Xicheng is a developed city with a large player population. This time, at least over 300 of our Shengtian members died in the sea beast turmoil in Xicheng. Your actions today have given me a lot of inspiration. After I return, I will immediately start dealing with their funerals. No matter how much money it costs, the most important thing is not to let everyone's hearts grow cold."
"Mmm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Many people were entire families, with not a single survivor. If we hadn't intervened, the fate of many would have been no different from being left unburied in the wilderness."
"Yes."
Xu Ran frowned. "I heard that the Xicheng government, citing its tight budget, wants to cremate the remains of the deceased collectively, without distinction, and bury them together in the Hongqiu Mountain area. However, six months ago, Hongqiu Mountain launched a 'terraced field' plan. Once implemented, it would essentially mean using the ashes of these victims as fertilizer."
Leng Yan smiled faintly. "To expect those gluttonous individuals to care about common people is a pipe dream, isn't it? When trouble arises, we ordinary folk can only rely on ourselves."
Lin Zhao glanced at Roman. The little girl was still in low spirits, and he didn't know how long it would take her to recover. There was nothing he could do but take things one step at a time; haste would be of no avail.
At noon, after a satisfying meal at the Feiyue Transport base canteen, Lin Zhao arranged for several planes to send everyone back to their respective cities. He himself continued to familiarize himself with the operation of the Chiyou-class light cruiser. It wasn't until evening that he returned to the studio. After eating, he went online to check the situation on the tenth day.
...
"Swish!"
The character appeared at the foot of Wuwang Mountain. Wisps of dense golden sword intent flowed around him, a direct effect of cultivating the Eternal Sword Scripture. The moment Lin Zhao's mind and body merged, he felt an inexplicable sense of fullness. Not only was his sword intent full, but even his fist intent and true qi were abundant.
Furthermore, he could feel a War God's gall resonating deep within his body, and in his bloodline, the Fire Dragon Seal transformed into a fire dragon filled with sacred aura, its true qi surging ceaselessly. It seemed that his martial warrior realm had also been significantly consolidated!
Looking at the version activities of the Tenth Year War, the tenth year was largely uneventful.
The final year of the great war was the time for the two commanders, Shu Zhi and Han Ye Tang, to shine.
Although the Northern Territory was still under the control of the demon and devil races, Shu Zhi led thirty thousand Snow Region cavalry and moved freely within the Northern Territory, appearing and disappearing at will. Within a year, they engaged in over fifty battles with the demon and devil races, utilizing the extreme mobility of the Snow Region cavalry to continuously burn enemy granaries and intercept supply lines.
Moreover, with Yu Wan Ning, a cultivator at the Rebirth Realm, overseeing, Shu Zhi's boldness grew, and he even dared to directly raid a demon army camp in the Jizi Lin area. The raid in the dead of night set Jizi Lin ablaze. The thirty thousand Snow Region cavalry struck such terror into the demon army camp that, despite suffering over 800 casualties among the Snow Region cavalry, they annihilated over seventy thousand demon soldiers in a single battle!
In the battle of Tongjing Lake, Shu Zhi used the speed of his cavalry to repeatedly draw out the strength of the eighty thousand demon defenders, depleting their stamina before launching a full-scale assault. They inflicted a casualties of over 30,000 demon defenders at a minimal cost. Yu Wan Ning was the top killer, her Rebirth Realm iron fists sweeping across the battlefield like an invincible force, killing countless demons. Furthermore, as the marshal of the ancient Shu kingdom in Baihua Tian Xia, her military strategy and tactics were evident at every turn. She avoided the sharp edges of the demon main forces and adopted a strategy of striking where the enemy was weak, achieving many victories!
Within a year, Shu Zhi led tens of thousands of Snow Region cavalry and made significant contributions in the Northern Territory, killing over 300,000 demon troops and over 50,000 devil cavalry. This directly disrupted the demon and devil races' plan to "hold the Northern Territory," causing their reinforcements and supplies to run short and providing substantial assistance to the southern front.
The south was Han Ye Tang's battlefield.
After the young Human Emperor Zhao Jing Heng officially conferred the title of Marshal upon Han Ye Tang, this renowned general, who stood outside the "Twin Pillars of the Dynasty," proved his extraordinary strategic prowess to the world.
Within a year, Han Ye Tang led over 400,000 human main forces on campaigns throughout the land. He first divided his forces into five routes to clear the demon and devil garrisons in various prefectures and cities within Yun Province, and then besieged over 300,000 enemy troops from two demon army camps in Tianji City. He adopted a strategy of surrounding but not attacking. After three months of siege, the starving demon army launched a desperate sortie from the city, only to be met with the human race's powerful crossbows, spiritual boats, and cannons.
This was a rare annihilation battle for the human race. Han Ye Tang, in addition to his own force of over 400,000, mobilized local armies from Jizhou, Furongzhou, Huangzhou, and other provinces. The total strength of these local armies exceeded 500,000, completely encircling Tianji City. As a result, of the nearly 390,000 demon troops, with the exception of a small number of demon cultivators who escaped by wind, almost none survived, all being annihilated within the confines of Tianji City.
Subsequently, Han Ye Tang, employing a strategy of cutting off supplies and coordinating with Lin Ruo's tenacious defense of Lanxi City, decisively defeated the 300,000 strong devil main force led by Devil Marshal Su Chan. On the vast plains of Yanzhou, Han Ye Tang spent a month constructing formidable defenses, creating a situation of deep trenches and high ramparts. Coupled with the counterattack of the hundred thousand Rock Army, they annihilated over 180,000 devil cavalry in one battle!
This battle severely weakened the Ni Chang Tian Xia. Three Divine Cavalry Captains were killed, and Yu Feng was almost cut down by Cao Ying's sword. In the end, under Su Chan's command, they fled north, abandoning Yangping Pass.
After a series of major battles, Shu Zhi and Han Ye Tang reached unprecedented heights of prestige among the human race. They were hailed by both the martial world and the imperial court as "Nan Tang Bei Zhi" (Southern Tang, Northern Zhi), on par with Chen Xi and Lin Ruo, who were known as the "Twin Pillars of the Dynasty." In fact, in the wars fought in Yun Province and Yanzhou, the renown of Nan Tang Bei Zhi surpassed that of the Twin Pillars of the Dynasty!
Watching Shu Zhi's growth, Lin Zhao felt a deep sense of gratification, displaying a smile like that of a proud father.
He perused the full map of the human world. The situation was now much clearer. Under Yu Zhi's command, the demon race had withdrawn its troops and established three army camps with over 600,000 demon soldiers at Shanhai Pass, seemingly intending to defend the pass and overlook the human lands, thus maintaining some of their advantage. The devil race, on the other hand, had retreated further and further, leaving over 200,000 devil cavalry between Xueyu Tianchi and Shanhai Pass, as if to bolster the demons' morale and demonstrate their loyalty.
The subsequent matters were much easier to handle.
He beamed with joy.
...
Late at night.
At Dongting Lake, golden ripples spread across the lake's surface. Han Xin, the Soldier Immortal, stepped out of the water, carrying a jar of Dongting Purple Bamboo Wine. His storage bag was also filled with plenty of high-quality Dongting wine. These were gifts from Shang Xuli, the Lord of Dongting Lake, as Han Xin had been kind to Dongting Lake, and Shang Xuli was not a stingy person. However, he had kept some good wine for himself, and could not let Han Xin drink it all.
In the depths of the night, Han Xin sheathed his sword and ascended, returning to the upper realm.
The Heart Demon Legion in the upper realm was once again in rebellion, as if they were endless. About fifteen minutes prior, the Saint of Soldiers, Ding Mu Chen, had issued a decree, ordering him, Lin Wan Hua, and Jing Chu to return to the upper realm and assist in the battle at the Heavenly Court.
On a long winter night, a stunning figure appeared on Xueyu Tianchi. It was Lin Wan Hua.
At this time, Xueyu Tianchi remained desolate.
Behind Lin Wan Hua, Jing Chu, the Confucian Sword Immortal, frowned. "Aren't we leaving yet?"
"What's the hurry?"
Lin Wan Hua's delicate eyebrows furrowed. "Once we leave this time, who knows when we'll be back. Can't I say goodbye?"
"Yes, yes..."
Jing Chu's forehead was covered in black lines.
Lin Wan Hua pouted, feeling that this person's cultivation was not high, yet he was involved in many things.
The next moment, Lin Wan Hua's body and sword became one. With a powerful swing, she cleaved into the fault line of half of Wuwang Mountain. The sword light was incredibly radiant. Even the great demons Chen Feng and Liu Bai dared not act rashly. Where the sword light vanished, Lin Wan Hua was filled with satisfaction. She sheathed her sword and ascended, and Jing Chu followed her back to the upper realm.
...
"Chii!"
Trapped within the cage, Lin Zhao felt a piercing light for the first time. The next moment, the ground-rooted cage he was in was split apart by Lin Wan Hua's sword. Before his eyes, a countdown appeared—
[Time to escape] 03:11:23
...
In just over three hours, he would be able to leave Wuwang Mountain and regain his freedom!