"Lin Zhujie!"
Huang Tingyu strode to Lin Zhujie's side.
Tong Yu's delicate shoulders drooped, and she instantly darted in front of Lin Zhujie, her beautiful eyes wide open. "Lin Zhao is really not dead? Lin Zhujie, is it true?"
Zhuang Yirong arrived on the wind, her large eyes wide with unconcealed joy.
"Yes, it's true."
Lin Zhujie chuckled, "I knew you might not believe it, so I brought some proof."
Saying that, he reached into his storage bag and gently brought out a small bowl. A wisp of flame emanated from around the bowl, keeping the soup within still warm. He slowly extended the bowl forward and said with a smile, "This is a bowl of white fish soup that the Mountain Master secretly hid in the Mountain Peak Villa. Smell it, or taste it. Who else in this world can make white fish soup with this flavor?"
Huang Tingyu sniffed, and his whole body trembled. His wrinkled face was full of smiles. "I knew it, I knew it... Heaven's two eyes couldn't be completely blind. There must be a way out for good people in this world!"
Tong Yu gripped her sword hilt, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes.
Zhuang Yirong stood elegantly in place, her face filled with joy.
Only Zhang Luobai still couldn't believe it. For ten years, he had hoped in his dreams that his master would be alive, that he would see his master again. Now that he finally had news of Lin Zhao, he could hardly believe it. He suddenly lunged forward and with a swift gulp, drank the entire bowl of white fish soup. Tears immediately welled up in his eyes. "It really is the taste of Master's soup..."
"Alright."
Lin Zhujie clasped his fists. "Old Brother Huang, Tong Yu, Zhang Luobai, Zhuang Yirong, Lin Zhujie has come to Ni Chang Tian Xia under the Mountain Master's orders, precisely to find you few and bring you back. The Mountain Peak Villa is being rebuilt, and Zhu Zhi and Yu Wanling have both returned. Moreover, Dong Cang and Liu Li Ying are also still alive, waiting for everyone to return and reunite."
"Ah?"
Tong Yu was overjoyed. "Dong Cang and Liu Li Ying are both still alive?"
"Yes!"
"That's great!"
The young girl smiled. This was the best news she had heard in ten years.
Zhang Luobai smiled, "Then let's hurry home, shall we?"
"Don't rush."
Huang Tingyu waved his large hand. "Brother Lin Zhujie, the situation in Xue Yu Tian Chi should not be good right now, should it? Lin Zhao doesn't have much money on him either. Where will the money for rebuilding the Mountain Peak Villa come from?"
"Perhaps it's on credit," Lin Zhujie replied.
"Hmph~~~"
Huang Tingyu snorted. "We few have established Zhao Shan in Ni Chang Tian Xia, and we've raked in quite a bit of oil and water over the years. The cultivators of Ni Chang Tian Xia are a bunch of sell-outs. As soon as the demon race farts, they'll rush to eat shit. They repeatedly invade our human world. How many good people have the demon cavalry killed? Since we're here, we should really get some more oil and water. Even if we're going back to the mountain, we should contribute something to the Mountain Peak Villa, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Lin Zhujie nodded with a smile. "It should be so."
Tong Yu turned to look at the gate of Bai Long Jian Sect. "Since that's the case, let's ransack Bai Long Jian Sect, and then we'll go back to Zhao Shan together and move all the valuable treasures back to the Mountain Peak Villa."
"I think that's a good idea."
Huang Tingyu straightened up and leaped into the air, standing on a streak of sword light. He crossed his arms, exuding the air of a Great Sword Immortal of the Thirteenth Realm. He said in a deep voice, "You bastards of Bai Long Jian Sect, listen up! I am Huang Tingyu, a sword cultivator of the Thirteenth Realm. I order you to immediately hand over all your valuables, lest you bring ruin upon yourselves. My sword spares no mercy when it comes to killing the trash of your Ni Chang Tian Xia!"
Instantly, the people of Bai Long Jian Sect trembled. They had already witnessed the old sword immortal's methods of killing. Killing the sect master, who was also of the Thirteenth Realm, was effortless. How could such a person be resisted by them? For a moment, many cultivators took out their storage bags, showing their empty hands and their resolve.
Huang Tingyu grinned and waved his hand. Tong Yu, Lin Zhujie, Zhang Luobai, and Tong Yu (mistake here, should be four people, but only three listed again) immediately flew up the mountain to plunder the treasury of Bai Long Jian Sect. As for Bai Long Jian Sect, with nearly ten thousand disciples, no one dared to resist. After all, they were facing a group of cultivators from the Upper Five Realms, and there were sword cultivators of the Thirteenth and Twelfth Realms overseeing the operation. Anyone who dared to raise their head might lose it.
In less than an hour, Bai Long Jian Sect was completely plundered. Zhang Luobai and the others had storage bags hanging from their waists. Then, with a command from Huang Tingyu, everyone returned to Zhao Shan together and became busy again, packing all sorts of treasures and collections into storage bags. Zhang Luobai even took his own pots and pans, as if he intended to empty the entire Zhao Shan.
...
Rong Shan, a towering mountain in the heart of Ni Chang Tian Xia.
At this moment, several people stood on the mountaintop. Among them, an elder in a golden long robe was the Demon Emperor, the lord of Ni Chang Tian Xia, referred to by others as the Divine Emperor. Another was a general in armor, wearing a golden cape behind him, who was Su Chan, the commander of the demon race's three armies. The third was Cao Yan, the Silver Dragon Sword Immortal, dressed in a gray and white long robe. All of them were figures truly standing at the pinnacle of Ni Chang Tian Xia.
"Your Majesty."
Su Chan frowned and looked at the scene of Zhao Shan in the distance. "Huang Tingyu, Lin Zhujie, Tong Yu, and others killed Qi Bailong, plundered Bai Long Jian Sect, and were just short of slaughtering the entire Bai Long Jian Sect. Are we just going to watch them leave unscathed?"
"Your Majesty!"
Cao Yan frowned. "There are still mountain cultivators in Ni Chang Tian Xia who haven't died out. As long as Your Majesty gives the order, we are willing to go all out to kill Huang Tingyu, Lin Zhujie, and the others on the spot at Zhao Shan."
"Forget it."
A hint of weariness appeared on the Demon Emperor's face. He looked at his two capable subordinates and said, "How many Upper Five Realm cultivators are left in our Ni Chang Tian Xia? Even if we can surround Zhao Shan and kill Huang Tingyu and the others, how many of our own people will die? Huang Tingyu, Lin Zhujie, Tong Yu, and the others, their sword dao foundation is not made of mud!"
"But, Your Majesty..." Su Chan hesitated.
"Forget it."
The Demon Emperor frowned. "We need to consider the upcoming changes. After Lin Zhao recalled Huang Tingyu, Tong Yu, and the others, the combat strength of the Mountain Peak Villa will further increase. Once these people return, they will be qualified to challenge Wu Wang Shan. If our Ni Chang Tian Xia continues to be stubborn and follow the steps of the demon race, what will be our fate?"
"Has Your Majesty considered that we made a wrong step ten years ago?"
Su Chan gritted his teeth. "Our Ni Chang Tian Xia sent out a million iron cavalry south, helping the demon race to kill all the way to the doorstep of the human imperial capital. In the past ten years, how many humans have been killed by the steel blades of the divine race's iron cavalry? Will Lin Bai Yi let this blood feud go unpunished? Even if we try to appease them now, it's probably useless. Rather than this, it would be better to go all out and annihilate Huang Tingyu and the others in Ni Chang Tian Xia."
Just then, a gray figure suddenly swept over. It was a spiritual body of Huang Tingyu, an old general in tattered armor. He held the sword intent of the illusory sword Amber in his hand and said with a smile, "I advise you not to make another mistake."
"Huang Tingyu!"
Cao Yan drew his sword.
"No, I have no intention of challenging the Silver Dragon Sword Immortal. You are not worthy of me, Huang Tingyu, challenging you!" Huang Tingyu said with a dismissive smile, "To put it bluntly, five Silver Dragon Sword Immortals tied together could not defeat my sword."
"Sword Immortal Huang."
The Demon Emperor narrowed his eyes and smiled. "How have you been?"
"Still okay."
Huang Tingyu clasped his fists and smiled. "Old Demon Emperor!"
The Demon Emperor was not angry. "Speak, what is the attitude of the Mountain Peak Villa now?"
"There is no attitude. Everything still depends on our Mountain Master," Huang Tingyu said with a grin. "If the Mountain Master wants to go north to destroy the enemy, we will go north to destroy the enemy. After all, they are mortal enemies with a blood feud. However... after eradicating the demon race, will your Ni Chang Tian Xia be the next target? I, Huang Tingyu, can still have a say in this matter."
Su Chan frowned. "Be clear."
"Alright."
Huang Tingyu smiled. "Your Ni Chang Tian Xia thought that by following the demon race, a divine mountain falling would destroy the human world, but what happened? In ten years, our Mountain Master's plan exhausted eighty percent of the vital energy of the demon race and your Ni Chang Tian Xia. Now, the human world has recovered most of its vital energy and is qualified to strike back. After destroying the demon race, you Ni Chang Tian Xia will open the celestial barrier and submit to the human world, hand over your army, and perhaps you can have a vassal status. Otherwise, Ni Chang Tian Xia, like the demon race, will inevitably be completely conquered by the human world."
"What big talk!"
Cao Yan's sword eyebrows were tightly knitted. "With your tone, Huang Tingyu, it's as if Lin Zhao ascending to the demon race's ancestral mountain is a foregone conclusion!"
"Isn't it?"
Huang Tingyu looked at Cao Yan and smiled. "Cao Yan, your talent for practicing swordsmanship is not bad, but when it comes to the general trend of the world, you are blind as a bat. What do you understand about the situation? What do you understand about destiny? You are just a mere martial man, yet you dare to speak so boldly here?"
Cao Yan wanted to retort, but the Demon Emperor had already raised his hand to signal him to stop talking. He merely clasped his fists towards Huang Tingyu and said, "Since that is the case, please ask Sword Immortal Huang to return to the Mountain Peak Villa and inform Lin Baiyi of Ni Chang Tian Xia's intentions. The human race will go north to exterminate the demons, and we will absolutely not interfere. After the great war, the human race will inevitably be severely weakened. Ni Chang Tian Xia is willing to coexist peacefully with the human race for a hundred years. What do you think?"
"Alright."
Huang Tingyu smiled. "I will relay it. Whether it is accepted or not, our Mountain Master will naturally send someone to inform the Demon Emperor."
"Good."
The Demon Emperor smiled and nodded.
Huang Tingyu clasped his fists lightly, and his body turned into smoke and dissipated in the wind.
Su Chan and Cao Yan wanted to argue further, but the Demon Emperor lightly waved his sleeve, signaling them not to argue anymore. In fact, the Demon Emperor, who was at the Fourteenth Realm, saw further. After the demon and demon armies were defeated in the first battle in Yun Zhou, he knew that the tide had turned. When he learned that Lin Zhao was still alive, he knew even more that hope was slim. From now on, it would be a blessing if Ni Chang Tian Xia was not annihilated.
...
Evening.
At the Mountain Peak Villa, the sky was filled with fiery red sunset clouds.
"They're back."
Zhu Zhi suddenly stood up, looking into the distance, and said with a smile, "Old Huang and the others are back!"
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao, who was drawing talismans in the study, rushed out with a leap, looking towards the sky with anticipation.