Fusu Great Wall, a desolate place.
Most of the former city walls had been razed by the armies of the demon and devil races. This included Lin Wanhua's residence. The Sword Pavilion that was once there was now a ruin. The walls of Fusu Great Wall still stood, but they were overgrown with weeds. No one had visited for years. Only some demon and devil cultivators would still sneak around here.
"Shua~~~"
A wisp of Lin Zhao's sword light landed on the city wall. Not far away, a column of a hundred devil cavalry was passing by. The centurion at the head of the column suddenly looked up and saw a few people appearing on the city wall under the moonlight. He frowned and said, "Brothers, it seems some human ants have come to Fusu Great Wall to scavenge for food again. Follow me, and equip your Spirit Devouring Crossbows!"
Instantly, a group of devil cavalrymen took out crossbow arrows imbued with potent spiritual energy. Lin Zhao only glanced at them and noticed that the arrowheads were cast from special materials and engraved with runes, emitting a rich spiritual energy. These were specially designed by the army to deal with human cultivators. A volley of arrows from a group of devil cavalry could be difficult for ordinary cultivators to withstand.
The next moment, Lin Zhao leaped into the air, holding the Zhan Lu sword, his entire body enveloped in sword intent, exhibiting the demeanor of a Sword Immortal.
"Shoot him down!"
The centurion let out a roar, and immediately, over a hundred arrows shot towards him.
Lin Zhao didn't hesitate. Dealing with these minor adversaries didn't require him to detonate his level 1 to gain a minute of transformed state. The ordinary eleventh-realm mode was sufficient. Sword light swept out, and the heavens and earth roared. The swordplay of an eleventh-realm Sword Immortal was extraordinary. With a horizontal sword slash, the aura of the Eternal Sword Scripture surged forth.
In an instant, all hundred arrows were shattered. The horizontal sword slash then swept across the bodies of the devil cavalry, inflicting over 60% damage to each of them. Immediately after, Lin Zhao unleashed the sixth stance he had comprehended while cultivating the Eternal Sword Scripture at Wuwang Mountain—Qi Chong Xing He!
"Shua!"
Blinding sword energy descended like a meteor shower. Streaks of sword qi bombarded the crowd, turning the hundred devil cavalrymen into scattered limbs and broken bodies within moments. They were all killed by Lin Zhao's two moves.
"..."
He stood in mid-air, finally feeling like a great Sword Immortal of the upper five realms. Killing devil cavalry had become so simple. Unfortunately, the experience points were meager. It seemed that if he wanted to level up, he would have to find some wild monsters. Fighting demons and devils would directly immerse him in the plot mode.
Beside him, Can Zhi's lips curved upwards. Lin Zhao was cultivating the Eternal Sword Scripture, a scripture so profound that even Can Zhi couldn't fully fathom it. She felt that Lin Zhao's sword dao was truly invincible, and that no sword cultivator of his generation in the human world could stand against him.
Yu Wan Ning remained silent, her fists surrounded by a swirling aura of blood. If Lin Zhao hadn't made a move, she would have. Yu Wan Ning had a clear understanding of her role now: as long as Lin Zhao needed her, she would do anything, whether it was to be the commander of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool or the primary enforcer for the Mountain Lord. It all depended on the situation.
"Let's go."
Lin Zhao, carrying his long sword, gracefully moved towards the spot where Fusu Great Wall had been split by a sword in the past. That was also where the fierce battle had taken place, where Han Fang and Wei Yan had died.
When the three of them landed, they found no trace of the fallen warriors' remains. Either they had been removed by the demon and devil races, or they had been properly buried by human cultivators who came later. Lin Zhao could only take out pots of good wine and place them at the foot of the Fusu Great Wall. He then lit three sticks of incense, offering his sincerity to those who had sacrificed their lives for the realm.
"Old Sword Immortal Wei Yan, Old Sword Immortal Han Fang, and the countless souls who died fighting for the human world at Fusu Great Wall, Lin Zhao has come to see you."
He knelt on one knee, cupped his fists, and said in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, the human world will not forget your deeds, nor will it forget Fusu Great Wall's contribution to the human realm. We will trace all merits from the smallest details and grant everyone their rightful reward."
After speaking, he, along with Can Zhi and Yu Wan Ning, poured wine in libation.
Then, composing themselves, the three of them passed through Fusu Great Wall and headed west.
...
Medicine King Valley, a place of tranquility.
After the demon and devil cavalry marched south, Sun Xing Chun and Sun Yun Nuan led many cultivators from Medicine King Valley to temporarily evacuate. However, the vast architecture of Medicine King Valley could not be moved, so it was left behind. Fortunately, Medicine King Valley was located in a remote area. Even though it contained many rare treasures, the demon and devil races did not dispatch troops to plunder it.
When the war in the south between the demon and devil races entered a stalemate, Sun Xing Chun, as the head of the family, ordered everyone to return to Medicine King Valley. They refined pills day and night, providing a large quantity of healing potions, wound dressings, and other medicines for the soldiers on the front lines. Medicine King Valley alone produced countless pills, saving the lives of countless human warriors. This contribution was undeniable.
When Lin Zhao, Can Zhi, and Yu Wan Ning descended from the sky, the people of Medicine King Valley rushed to meet them.
Leading the way was Sun Xing Chun. Ten years later, Sun Xing Chun had become an eleventh-realm cultivator. She had also become even more stunningly beautiful, with a hint of her youthful innocence replaced by a graceful demeanor. She already possessed the bearing of the head of Medicine King Valley.
"Brother Lin Zhao!"
Sun Xing Chun still used her former address. She rushed forward and, disregarding her status as the family head, took Lin Zhao's hand and said with a smile, "Are you really still alive?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao smiled and said, "I was fortunate to survive."
As he spoke, he looked at Sun Yun Nuan beside her and smiled, "You two have grown up so much~~~"
"Mmm."
Sun Yun Nuan pursed her red lips and smiled, "Brother Lin Zhao, have you grown taller too?"
"Impossible..."
Lin Zhao grinned, "I've been suppressed by Wuwang Mountain for ten years. Not only have I not shrunk, but I've grown taller? That would truly be a blessing in disguise."
Sun Xing Chun chuckled. She was still as playful and easygoing as ever.
"This trip..."
Lin Zhao got straight to the point, "I'm bringing Can Zhi and Yu Wan Ning to the south. It's also to represent the human world in mourning those who have passed. So, we've come to Medicine King Valley to pay respects to the spirit of Elder Sun Qing He. Is there a tomb for him in the valley?"
"There is."
When Sun Xing Chun mentioned her grandfather, her eyes immediately reddened. "However... Grandpa sacrificed himself by self-detonating his spiritual nexus, so there were no remains in the end. We could only erect a cenotaph. Furthermore, over forty cultivators from Medicine King Valley who sacrificed themselves with Grandpa are buried near his tomb. Shall I take you there now?"
"Alright."
Lin Zhao nodded, feeling quite emotional. He only knew that Elder Sun Qing He had died heroically, but he didn't know that over forty other cultivators from Medicine King Valley had also perished with him. The human race was on the verge of winning this war, but he wondered how many unsung heroes there were in the world.
In the back of the mountain, there was a cluster of tombs.
Lin Zhao offered wine to the spirits one by one. After saying a few words of camaraderie to Elder Sun Qing He, he bid farewell to sisters Sun Xing Chun and Sun Yun Nuan and, with Can Zhi and Yu Wan Ning, headed south again.
This time, they passed through Shanhaiguan.
...
As he surveyed the land below, Shanhaiguan was illuminated by numerous torches, while outside the pass lay a dense array of demon military tents. Clusters of bonfires flickered in the darkness. The demon race had stationed 600,000 troops at Shanhaiguan. Most of these forces could not be stationed within the pass and could only provide defensive support outside, but they still posed a significant threat to the human race.
"Hmm?"
Within Shanhaiguan, a great demon of the eleventh realm, holding a steel saber, looked at the skulls of the Yunzhou cavalry hanging outside the city wall like tinkling bells. He frowned and looked up at the sky, having sensed a human cultivator spying from above. He couldn't help but grip his saber tightly and sneer, "Such audacity! Daring to spy on our army from the sky, do you wish to die?"
"Lord Chen Nan."
Just as he was about to act, a woman's voice came from behind him. The woman, dressed in a black long dress and wearing a veil, was the eleventh-realm Master Jun Gang, the military advisor of the Shanhaiguan garrison. She frowned and said, "Can't you sense it? In the sky, there is an eleventh-realm Sword Cultivator, a Nascent Soul realm Sword Cultivator, and in addition, a hidden Rebirth realm martial artist. That martial artist has formed a Soldier God's Gallantry. If you dare to go up and fight them, you'll be the one seeking death."
"This..."
Chen Nan gritted his teeth and said, "Could it be?"
"Yes."
Master Jun Gang nodded gently. "In this world, there is only one person capable of casually strolling around with Can Zhi and Yu Wan Ning. That legendary man, he has returned."
"I *censored*..."
The great demon cursed and said, "Fortunately, I didn't go up. Otherwise, I would have been finished. Military advisor, what should we do now?"
"Defend Shanhaiguan to the death and await favorable circumstances. What else can we do?"
"Yes, subordinate understands!"
In the sky, Lin Zhao didn't think much of it. He led Can Zhi and Yu Wan Ning past Shanhaiguan and headed directly for the Qingluan Sect in Yunzhou. Next, he would pay respects to Xiao Mu Han, the sect leader of Qingluan Sect, another great Sword Immortal who wielded his sword without hesitation for the human world. Such people were truly precious.
...
Upper Realm, the Ancestral Court of the Military School.
"Shua!"
A figure in a green robe entered the ancestral court. It was a wisp of spirit body of the Military Sage Ding Mu Chen. His true body was still beyond the heavens, leading numerous human cultivators in a bloody battle against the Heart Demon Legion.
"Hmm?"
Beside a green ancient cauldron, Han Xin, the Military Immortal, clad in white armor, looked up and asked, "Why have you returned?"
"Just came back for a look."
Ding Mu Chen rubbed his nose. "How is the Soul Resurrection Array? Will it affect Tang Guang Jun's cultivation to regenerate flesh and blood with the residual bloodline of ancient spirit beasts? This act against heaven's will, our Military School has never done it before..."
"How would I know..."
Han Xin glared. "I, the dignified Military Immortal, am skilled in battlefield killing formations. Now you've forced me to study this soul resurrection matter here. Wouldn't it be better to have Lie Yun or Zhang Ji do it?"
"They are all busy with their own matters and don't have time to deal with the trivial matters of our Military School's ancestral court. Besides, Tang Guang Jun's reputation outside is not particularly good. Even if I ask, people might not be willing to help."
As he spoke, he leaped onto the ear of the cauldron and peered into the pool of spirit beast bloodlines within the ancient cauldron. He couldn't help but grin and say, "Tell me, if we use spirit beast bloodlines to resurrect Tang Guang Jun and have him ascend to sainthood through Yin spirits, will he bark at us when he wakes up?"
Han Xin was taken aback, and then he chuckled heartily.