“Tsk tsk, who do I think it is?”
Huang Tingyu drew out his Amber and stepped forward, standing before the elder. He chuckled, “So it’s the old dog of the Demon Emperor. Why come to the Snow Domain Celestial Lake to die, instead of staying in the Rainbow Cloud World?”
Indeed, it was none other than the Demon Emperor. He had visited the Snow Domain Celestial Lake once before, with a million cavalry and a Dharma form ten thousand feet tall, intending to flatten the place in one fell swoop. However, he was repelled by the Fourteenth Realm Sword Saint, Ding Muchen, with a single sword stroke. Now, the Demon Emperor had returned, albeit as a spiritual avatar, but it was far from a trivial matter.
“Hmph!”
The Demon Emperor let out a faint smile. He was known as the Divine Emperor in the Rainbow Cloud World, as the divine race considered themselves superior. However, Huang Tingyu’s address as Demon Emperor didn’t bother him. His gaze, however, fell upon Lin Baiyi, who had just broken through to the Twelfth Realm in the distance.
“Senior Demon Emperor.”
Lin Zhao plopped down on the table where everyone usually ate noodles in the morning. He cupped two cups of tea, one for himself, and pushed the other forward with a smile, “You’ve traveled a long way. Have a cup of tea first?”
“Good, thank you.”
The Demon Emperor brushed past Huang Tingyu and sat on the low stool. He didn't seem to care about decorum, picked up the tea cup, and took a sip. His eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, “The tea from the Mountain Peak Villa is indeed clear and sweet.”
“Doesn’t it? I think so too.”
Lin Zhao sat there leisurely, with Wu Zhi and Yu Wan Ning standing behind him. One a Thirteenth Realm Sword Cultivator, the other a Rebirth Realm Martial Artist. With them present, even if the Demon Emperor had come in person, it would be difficult to harm Lin Zhao, let alone just a spiritual avatar. The combat power of a spiritual avatar was vastly inferior to that of its true form.
Tang Guangjun and Lin Zhujie also stood nearby, swords in hand, ready to strike at the Fourteenth Realm Demon Emperor at any moment.
Even Gu Lingyu, who was reading a scroll under a white tree down the mountain, looked up towards the Mountain Peak Villa.
…
“Speak.”
At Lin Zhao’s subtle gesture, Wu Zhi conjured a small world of swordsmanship, isolating the entire Natural Dwelling from the outside world. Their conversation would be confined to the Mountain Peak Villa, inaccessible to the Demon Realm or the Ghost Realm. He looked at the Demon Emperor and said with a smile, “Senior Demon Emperor, you’ve come all this way to the Mountain Peak Villa. You must have something you wish to tell me, right?”
“Precisely.”
The Demon Emperor looked at the young man before him, who held the Hao Ran Golden Token, and said with a smile, “Ten years have passed since the Battle of White City. Both the human, demon, and divine races have suffered heavy losses. Not long ago, Commander Lin ordered a northward advance, and the hundreds of thousands of elite troops left by the demon and divine races south of Gu Xiaoguan are about to be annihilated. Furthermore, Commander Lin recently led his men to kill Liu Bai, Chen Feng, and Long Zheng, and plundered the Ancestral Mountain. Therefore, I felt it was necessary to make this trip.”
“What do you mean?”
Lin Zhao crossed his arms, his sword-like eyebrows raised in an imposing manner. As he leaned back, he realized the low stool had no backrest. Fortunately, Wu Zhi shifted a step to the left, allowing Lin Zhao to lean against a long, smooth, jade-like leg, temporarily resolving the awkwardness. He looked at the Demon Emperor calmly and said, “Senior, please speak your mind.”
“Good.”
The Demon Emperor frowned. “Ten years of war have depleted the fortunes and national strength of all three races. Currently, the demon race has a few army camps north of the Ancestral Mountain, and the divine race still has nearly five hundred thousand cavalry available. How much military strength does the human race have left? If Commander Lin insists on advancing north to destroy the demon race, what will be the human race’s losses? And how can Commander Lin be sure that the Rainbow Cloud World will not aid the demon race?”
He looked grave. “In my humble opinion, all three races are now in a state of extreme exhaustion. Continued slaughter will benefit no one. Commander Lin’s ten-year plan can be considered a world-changing achievement, restoring balance to the strength of the three races. At this juncture, only a tripartite balance will benefit all three races.”
“Oh~~~”
Huang Tingyu crossed his arms and chuckled, “Tsk tsk, so the Demon Emperor is here as a diplomat? If I understand you correctly, old man, if the human race refuses to cease hostilities, will the Rainbow Cloud World dispatch troops to the west to aid the demon race’s world?”
“Hmph!”
The Demon Emperor scoffed. “Although I am not a military strategist, I understand the principle of ‘lips and teeth.’ If the human race successfully annihilates the demon race, will the Rainbow Cloud World not be next?”
“Senior speaks the truth.”
Lin Zhao said calmly, “The Rainbow Cloud World will indeed be next.”
“Lin Zhao!”
The Demon Emperor’s expression turned somewhat sharp. “I have traveled thousands of miles to be here. If you adopt this attitude, you are effectively forcing the Rainbow Cloud World and the demon race to ally once more. At that time, the land will be shattered, and the human race will suffer the consequences. I advise you not to act rashly, otherwise, the ensuing repercussions may be unbearable for both you and the human race.”
“Understood.”
Lin Zhao frowned. “Senior Demon Emperor’s counsel has been heard and will be carefully considered. Please return to the Rainbow Cloud World, and do not act rashly either. I will await your change of heart in the human world. If Senior Demon Emperor decides to change his mind, you may send someone to see me. You don’t need to come yourself. My subordinates have bad tempers, and if they lose their temper and kill you, it would be quite awkward.”
“If that is the case…”
The Demon Emperor rose, flicked his sleeve gently, and said with a smile, “Human race and divine race, you shall all fare for yourselves.”
“Indeed, fare for yourselves!”
Lin Zhao cupped his fists and said with a smile, “I bid you farewell, Senior Demon Emperor!”
The Demon Emperor floated away.
“You’re really not going to kill him?!”
Tang Guangjun was eager, transmitting his voice, “Mountain Lord, although this is just a spiritual avatar, if we kill him, the Demon Emperor’s true body’s cultivation will be reduced by at least ten percent. Every bit counts!”
“Forget it. Ambassadors are not slain in war,” Lin Zhao chuckled. “We don’t lack that ten percent of the Demon Emperor’s strength, do we? Besides, this great war might not necessarily involve a confrontation with the demon race in the end.”
“Mhm.”
Tang Guangjun nodded. Although he was a military man, his strategic thinking was far inferior to Lin Zhao’s. Therefore, he left the matters of planning and strategy to the Mountain Lord, only needing to obey orders and draw his sword to fight.
…
At noon, a celebratory banquet was held at the Mountain Peak Villa to commemorate Lin Zhao’s successful breakthrough. The happiest among them was Zhang Luobai, as his master’s realm was now even higher than his own. In Zhang Luobai’s mind, his master’s image instantly rose tens of thousands of feet; a Twelfth Realm that he would never reach in his lifetime.
Not long after the banquet began, a spirit boat descended upon the Mountain Peak Villa. A stunning woman in a palace gown stepped off the boat – it was the Grand Princess Zhao Shutong.
“Oh my, ‘better late than never’ holds true again.”
Lin Zhao said, “Dongcang, set another place and invite Her Highness to join us!”
Dongcang smiled and rose to fetch another pair of chopsticks for Zhao Shutong. Zhang Luobai immediately dragged a stool and squeezed in with Zhuang Yirong, making room for his future mistress. Sometimes he felt confused; his master’s charm was too great, with so many confidantes on the mountain, he didn’t know who his future mistress would be. He felt that guessing such matters was harder than practicing swordsmanship.
Zhao Shutong had come with a purpose, but she happened to arrive during mealtime. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she sat beside Lin Zhao, feeling quite embarrassed. She picked up her chopsticks and joined the meal. After tasting a dish, she thought, “Delicious.” Although the dishes were not as fancy or exquisite as those prepared by the imperial chefs, they had a strong home-cooked flavor that made them taste even better.
“Commander Lin!”
Zhao Shutong put down her chopsticks, raised a cup of Red Bamboo Wine, and smiled, “Allow me to congratulate Commander Lin on his breakthrough. A Twelfth Realm Great Sword Immortal, truly remarkable, arguably the strongest Twelfth Realm in the world, wouldn’t you say?”
“Aiya…”
Tang Guangjun slapped his thigh and grinned, “So, Your Highness the Princess can also flatter people!”
“Eat your food,” Lin Zhao glared.
“Hahaha~~~” Everyone burst into laughter.
Lin Zhao then clinked glasses with Zhao Shutong and drank it all down.
Immediately, Zhao Shutong got down to business. “Commander Lin, in the past few days, our campaign in the northern territories has been proceeding smoothly, with continuous victories. Commander Han Yetang has led the Vermilion Bird Cavalry north across the Fusang Great Wall. Before noon, coordinating with the Fusang Great Wall’s forces, they annihilated nearly thirty thousand demon cavalry. In the south, Commander Chen Xi has led the army to almost completely annihilate the demon race’s hundreds of thousands of troops.”
She pursed her lips and smiled faintly. “Currently, within the thousands of miles between Shanhaiguan and Gu Xiaoguan, the combined forces of the demon and devil races cannot exceed twenty thousand. Moreover, they have become scattered remnants and can no longer pose a significant threat. We have dispatched small units for mopping-up operations. Therefore, Shutong has come here to seek Commander Lin’s advice on the next step.”
“Simple.”
Lin Zhao said, “Establish a camp south of the Snow Domain Celestial Lake, stockpile a large amount of grain and provisions, and gather troops. When the time is ripe, march north. First, destroy Wuwang Mountain, then Ancestral Mountain, and finally, send a million strong army into the demon race’s ancestral land to completely flatten the demon world!”
“Yes!”
Zhao Shutong’s eyes lit up. The words “flatten the demon world” were particularly inspiring.
As the Grand Princess of the Great Shang Dynasty, Zhao Shutong was born with a mission. After learning martial arts on the mountain and reaching the Eleventh Realm, she descended to assist her younger brother in ascending the throne and securing his rule. Then, she took charge of the White Deer Iron Cavalry and contended with the old factions in the imperial court. Zhao Shutong had a difficult journey and had never imagined that the unprecedented feat of destroying the demon race would be accomplished in her time.
She gently raised her head, looking at Wu Zhi, Huang Tingyu, Tang Guangjun, and Yu Wan Ning, who were feasting and drinking amongst themselves. She was filled with relief. Times had changed. The demon race was truly in decline, and the human race, relying on the people at this table, could almost flatten the forces of the demon and devil races.
She slowly rose, raised her cup, and said with a smile, “This cup of wine, Zhao Shutong toasts you all, and to our human world!”
Lin Zhao stood up, and everyone else followed suit, with smiles in their eyes.
…
After the meal.
Zhao Shutong and Lin Zhao walked side by side by the lotus pond. She frowned, “The Demon Emperor came? How should the Rainbow Cloud World handle this at this point? If the devil race attacks our rear while we are fully engaged in attacking the demon race, it might be troublesome.”
“Mhm.”
Lin Zhao nodded. “Your Highness need not worry about the devil race. Leave that to me. You fully mobilize your troops and supplies and prepare to attack the demon race.”
“Okay~~~”