In the early morning, Lin Zhao finally fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke up, the morning sun had already fallen upon the windowsill. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw that an object seemed to have appeared on the bedside cabinet. It was a blank golden scroll emanating a profound sacred aura, or more accurately, a true decree of the sacred path!
Lin Zhao instantly lost all traces of sleepiness. He quickly got up, looked at the blank decree, and frowned. As his mind stirred, he seemed to hear the voice of the old gentleman: "Draft your strategy in detail. The future of the human realm is in your hands. Be extremely cautious."
"Yes."
Lin Zhao put away the blank decree, hid it in his embrace, and then respectfully cupped his hands towards the window: "Lin Zhao obeys the command."
...
As he gracefully leaped down from the second floor, Dong Zang and Liu Liying were preparing breakfast not far away. Although Dong Zang was an eleventh-realm apricot woman, already exuding an ethereal aura, she still rolled up her sleeves, revealing arms like tender lotus roots, doing rough work that a celestial enchantress like her shouldn't be doing.
Although Liu Liying was only at the Star River realm, as her cultivation advanced, her divine ability with the folding fan grew ever stronger. Her entire body shimmered with golden light. With a wave of her fan, she performed various exquisite techniques for washing dishes, starting fires, and simmering soup, following a completely different path from Dong Zang's simplicity.
"Dong Zang, Liying."
Lin Zhao smiled and said, "Add a few more dishes to my breakfast, simmer some fish soup, roast a wild boar leg, make braised pork with green garlic, and cook a pot of rice. I won't eat noodles today. I want to eat heartily this morning."
"Yes, Young Master!"
The two women nodded and smiled lightly, continuing their work.
By the lotus pond nearby, Old Huang and Lin Zhujie were playing chess. Needless to say, they were both terrible players, but they were currently in the stage of being unskilled but highly addicted, so they engaged in constant fierce battles, exchanging insults about each other's female relatives.
"Mountain Master."
Old Huang glanced at Lin Zhao and smiled, "Adding extra food so early in the morning, what's the occasion?"
"I will be going into seclusion for a day or two."
Lin Zhao pondered for a moment and then said with a smile, "Old Huang, after breakfast, erect a sword intent restriction to enclose Natural Residence. From today onwards, no one is allowed to step into Natural Residence until I emerge."
"Understood!"
Old Huang nodded with a smile.
Lin Zhujie pursed his lips and remained silent. As a newcomer, and not a distinguished guest of the first rank, he believed in speaking less and doing more. It was when the Mountain Master gave the order to kill that it would be his time to act.
However, Lin Zhao now seemed somewhat dejected. During his time in the Ancestral Mountain of the demon race, he had been severely injured by the Demon Ancestor, nearly falling in his cultivation. His current twelfth realm had only reached the mid-stage, and it was uncertain when he would reach the peak of the twelfth realm. On the contrary, Old Huang had already reached the thirteenth realm, and Tang Guangjun and Su Zhi were also on the verge of the thirteenth realm.
The sword intent in the mountain peak villa was truly brutal, leaving Lin Zhujie filled with sighs.
Not long after, it was time to eat.
Everyone else ate noodles, while Lin Zhao alone held a basin-sized bowl filled with rice and continuously scooped it up. He didn't even have time to pick up dishes. As he buried his head in eating rice, Liu Liying continuously picked up dishes and placed them on top of the rice. This way, Lin Zhao wouldn't be hindered from eating vegetables while eating rice.
For a time, the rice in the bowl seemed to be constantly collapsing, carrying pieces of fragrant wild boar meat, fish, and cured meat. Liu Liying was so considerate that she even used her divine abilities to remove fish bones while picking up dishes.
"Burp~~~"
When everyone finished their noodles and put down their chopsticks, Lin Zhao also put down his chopsticks. He then took the bowl of white fish soup from Liu Liying and gulped down half of it in one go, his stomach even bulging.
He patted his belly and said with a smile, "Alright, Dong Zang, Liying, thank you for your hard work cleaning up. I am about to go into seclusion. Old Huang, prepare the sword intent restriction. You and Su Zhi will guard me outside and not allow anyone to disturb me."
"Yes!"
...
Not long after, the people from Natural Residence left one by one. Tong Yu also took the two young children, Zhang Luobai and Zhuang Yirong, down the mountain to attend school. Lin Zhujie descended the mountain with Tang Guangjun, saying he wanted to spar a round to temper his sword heart.
Lin Zhao prepared enough cinnabar and the moment he stepped into the study of Natural Residence, a "buzz" sounded outside as a sword intent restriction was erected. Immediately after, the sword intent halo of a thirteenth-realm Great Sword Immortal enveloped the area like a curtain of rain, isolating Lin Zhao from the world.
This would suffice.
He took a deep breath, took out the "Thousand Riders Rolling Snow," dipped it in cinnabar, and began to write his strategy on the blank decree. Many things had already been thought out countless times in his mind, so he wrote with great ease.
However, some details still required careful consideration. The situation in the Northern Region needed to be handled properly. The Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, the Washing Sword River, and the Fusang Great Wall had their own places, but once they crossed the Shan Hai Pass and Yang Ping Pass and entered the human realm's territory, Lin Zhao became as cautious as walking on thin ice.
Every troop movement, every material transfer, he had to consider the actual situation and deliberate carefully. Fortunately, Lin Zhao had traveled extensively and had a much more detailed understanding of the grand map than most players.
However, this was a matter concerning the entire human realm's layout, so Lin Zhao remained extremely cautious. He considered every move and layout thoroughly. Therefore, although this strategy would not be very long, it still took a considerable amount of time.
The "Thousand Riders Rolling Snow" danced continuously, leaving elegant and profound characters on the decree. After Lin Zhao finished a section, that section would shrink, eventually being engraved at the top of the blank decree. In this way, Lin Zhao would be able to write tens of thousands of words in this strategy.
"Hoo..."
Half a day passed in a flash. Lin Zhao worked tirelessly, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, but he paid no mind, continuing to wield the "Thousand Riders Rolling Snow" and write without stopping.
Although this decree originated from the Confucian school, it was ultimately a strategy for the great war in the lower realm, so using the "Thousand Riders Rolling Snow" was ideal. Lin Zhao's calligraphy had already reached a considerable level, worthy of being Qin Suihan's disciple, but the words themselves exuded a rich military aura of battle intent!
It could be said that after this decree bore Lin Zhao's words, its killing intent had already become considerable. Once it was completed, it would undoubtedly be filled with murderous intent and transform into a true military decree!
...
Late at night.
In front of Natural Residence.
Huang Tingyu and Su Zhi stood guard outside, holding their swords. Huang Tingyu hummed a little tune, thinking of the scene of listening to music in Yunzhou City. That silly girl, Shi Hanyin, was hopelessly devoted to Lin Zhao, so there was no hope for him. As for another woman from Yunxiang Tower named Qin Shishi, she was also quite good.
If Shi Hanyin was the most beautiful woman in the world and the courtesan of Yunxiang Tower, then Huang Tingyu would consider Qin Shishi to be the second-ranked beauty of Yunxiang Tower. She was beautiful and her singing was moving. Although her every glance and smile was full of charm designed to captivate men, it didn't stop Old Huang from admiring her!
There was no way about it. He, Old Huang, was now a thirteenth-realm Great Sword Immortal, a true immortal on earth. How could he be like those common mortals?
To say that all the women in Yunxiang Tower were wilted flowers, and apart from Shi Hanyin, they were all prostitutes with interesting exteriors but uninteresting souls. He, Old Huang, never thought that way. He liked their interesting exteriors and bodies. As for their souls, what business was it of his, Huang Tingyu?
At this thought, Huang Tingyu's state of mind became clear. He almost reached the point of comprehending the Dao by listening to music in a brothel and achieving the fourteenth realm.
"The Lord has been in seclusion for so long."
Su Zhi looked towards the sword intent restriction, but it was a sword formation erected by Huang Tingyu, and she couldn't see through it. She frowned slightly and said, "Has the Lord encountered a bottleneck in cultivating the Eternal Sword Scripture? This situation is rare. Normally, no matter how he cultivates, the Lord wouldn't need to go into seclusion like this."
"Don't worry."
Huang Tingyu grinned and said, "Lin Zhao is blessed with good fortune. He's diligently writing in the study. I don't really know what he's writing, and I feel too embarrassed to pry. Perhaps he's writing a romantic novel related to his travels and his encounter with Shi Hanyin, the most beautiful woman in Great Shang, in Yunzhou City."
"???"
Su Zhi looked at Old Huang with astonishment. If her cultivation weren't high, she would have drawn her sword and attacked him.
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Huang Tingyu felt a little guilty under her gaze.
Su Zhi frowned and said, "When I asked you to accompany the Lord on his travels, this is how you accompanied him? You took him to such places?"
"No, truly not..."
Huang Tingyu scratched his head. "Su Zhi, do you really think I, Old Huang, am that kind of person? Regarding the matter of visiting brothels, it's not my fault. The Mountain Master insisted on dragging me there, saying he wanted to experience the grace of the most beautiful woman in Great Shang, Shi Hanyin. Actually, he wanted to sleep with her. Tsk tsk, I never expected Lin Zhao to be that kind of person!"
Su Zhi immediately kicked out.
Old Huang quickly dodged to the side. He looked at Su Zhi's slender, jade leg as she kicked her long skirt, and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a leg! It's a shame you haven't found a Dao companion!"
"Huang Tingyu!"
Su Zhi said indignantly, "You old scoundrel, have you no shame?!"
...
Upper Realm.
On a solitary floating mountain, peach blossoms bloomed vibrantly.
Beneath a peach tree, there was a stone table, with two Confucian sages sitting on either side. Their figures were ethereal, filled with the true meaning of the Confucian path.
One of them was a participant in the discussion of the millstone, the Patriarch of the Confucian school, the Supreme Sage.
The other, dressed in a grey long robe, with a wine gourd hanging from his waist, had a kind and benevolent appearance. Although old, he was the direct disciple of the Supreme Sage and one of the Four Sages of the Confucian school.
"That child is still in seclusion?" the Supreme Sage asked with a smile.
"Mmm."
Elder Fu Sheng smiled gently. "Suihan's disciple, although intelligent, is also extremely calm and meticulous in his actions. It is quite rare for a young person to have such a state of mind."
The Supreme Sage nodded and smiled. "Have you come to terms with Suihan's matter?"
"How can I?"
Elder Fu Sheng's eyes reddened. Qin Suihan was his most beloved disciple.
"Enough, enough."
The Supreme Sage raised his hand and caught a falling peach petal. With just a glance, he saw the golden纹理 within the petal. He frowned slightly and said, "After finishing the arrangements for the Investiture of the Gods platform, you should also make a trip to the lower realm. You cannot let Lin Zhao truly lose everything this time. At least... spare Su Qingjiu's life, right?"
"Little Jiu'er has killed Nine Tails once. The backlash of karma is too heavy. With her fate, she cannot bear it!"
Elder Fu Sheng cupped his hands. "Please, Master, instruct me on how to save Little Jiu'er."
"Su Qingjiu at this moment cannot live, but what about Su Qingjiu at that time?"
The Supreme Sage smiled slightly, looking at his most accomplished disciple.
"Thank you, Master!"
Elder Fu Sheng's eyes lit up, and he bowed again. This time, his hands trembled slightly.