Inside the bamboo forest, Han Xin sat cross-legged on a rockery, appearing like an enlightened master.
Lin Zhao took out a roasted chicken and a pot of Dongting Purple Bamboo Wine from his bag, walked up to Han Xin, and tossed them over.
"Hm?"
Han Xin accepted the items, tore off a piece of chicken, and took a bite. It was fragrant. He then took a swig of wine. The taste of Dongting Purple Bamboo Wine was as ever, lingering and unforgettable. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes. "You're being overly attentive for no reason. You need something from me?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao turned to look at the massive silhouette of Mount Wuwang at the edge of the sky. "Mount Wuwang has begun to descend, and it will fall for several days before crashing into the lower realm. By then, its speed will be unimaginable."
He gritted his teeth. "If it's too fast, the human northern region might be flattened before any fighting even begins. All the effort I put into the Snow Region Heavenly Pool will be in vain."
"Oh?"
Han Xin's expression subtly shifted, surprise in his eyes. "I hadn't considered that. It seems so… If Mount Wuwang's speed is too great, the impact force would indeed be enough to overturn the surface and flatten everything you've deployed."
"Therefore, a plan is needed."
Lin Zhao looked up at the sky. "Brother Han Xin, is there any way to slow down Mount Wuwang's descent?"
"What way could there be?"
Han Xin couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you thinking of pushing Mount Wuwang back up? If even the most revered ancient sages couldn't do it, why should you, a mere youth, succeed?"
Lin Zhao scratched his head. "I never thought of pushing Mount Wuwang back up. I just want to delay its impact speed. If Mount Wuwang falls like this, it will likely smash through the entire northern region."
"Speak."
Han Xin said leisurely, "What are your ideas? Tell me, and I'll see if I can help you achieve them."
"Send a group of our people to Mount Wuwang."
"Ah?!"
Han Xin looked as if he had seen a ghost. "Are you out of your mind?"
"No."
Lin Zhao frowned. "We know nothing about Mount Wuwang's current state, let alone how to weaken its descent speed. I'll ask you this: Brother Han Xin, do you have a way to set up a formation to send our people to Mount Wuwang, and then bring us back?"
"There is a way."
Han Xin's brows furrowed tightly. "A military 'Moving Stars and Shifting Suns' formation should be sufficient to send a few of your thirteenth-realm experts to Mount Wuwang. As for bringing them back… although it's difficult, I can try. But don't forget, Mount Wuwang not only hides millions of heart demons with umbrellas but also many fourteenth-realm great demons from the upper realm!"
He narrowed his eyes and smiled. "To put it bluntly, the demons from the upper realm are far more formidable than those in the lower realm. Your people might just be walking into a tiger's den once they're sent there. Have you thought it through?"
"We have to try."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath. "Brother Han Xin, just set up the formation. The Moving Stars and Shifting Suns is your responsibility. As for how to slow down Mount Wuwang's descent, I will think of that."
"Mm."
Han Xin nodded. "Understood. I'll start setting up the formation now. It should be usable in about a day and a night."
"The timing is perfect."
Lin Zhao clenched his fist gently. "After Mount Wuwang has been falling for a day and a night, its speed will definitely be very fast. Going to Mount Wuwang then will be just right."
"I'm off to work." Da Feng Novel Network
Han Xin spun around and left, still carrying the wine pot and roasted chicken. He took a bite of chicken and a swig of wine, tapping the ground with one foot in the air, scattering starlight throughout the forest.
...
It was dawn.
At Tian Ran Ju, Lin Zhao presided over the central command, with Wu Zhi, Huang Tingyu, Yu Wanning, Tang Guangjun, and others standing before him.
"Wu Zhi."
Lin Zhao looked up. "Has the matter of the townspeople's southward migration been arranged properly?"
"Yes, my lord. Rest assured."
Wu Zhi said, "Starting an hour ago, many households have been gradually descending the mountain. Mu Cuo, Chu Yu, and I have issued orders and dispatched cavalry to supervise. We will ensure that all innocent civilians on the Snow Region Heavenly Pool leave the town within a day with sufficient money and provisions. As for their destination, they will first reach a prefectural city in Yunzhou, and then continue south until they reach an area within Baidi City's territory."
"That's good."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Thank you all for your hard work."
"Mountain Lord."
Yu Wanning pursed her red lips. "The townspeople are easy to arrange, but… Tong Yu and the others…"
"What about Tong Yu and them?" Lin Zhao frowned.
Just then, from the darkness in front of Tian Ran Ju, three figures stood there: one adult and two children. The adult was Tong Yu, who was already ten years old, and the children were Zhang Luobai and Zhuang Yirong. All three had woken up.
"Brother Lin Zhao…" Tong Yu whispered.
"Ah?"
Lin Zhao looked up. "You're all awake? Come closer and speak."
"Mm."
Tong Yu led the two little ones into the living room. He saw that Zhang Luobai and Zhuang Yirong's eyes were red, as if they too knew that a major event was about to happen to the Snow Region Heavenly Pool and the entire human realm.
"Brother Lin Zhao."
Tong Yu pursed his small lips and said softly, "I am from the Mountain Peak Villa. Our Mountain Peak Villa is facing a crisis of survival. Must my sword, Tong Yu's, only be for show? If Brother Tong Yu sent us away early, Tong Yu would blame himself for a lifetime, and it wouldn't be good for my state of mind, would it?"
Lin Zhao felt a headache coming on.
"Master."
Zhang Luobai stepped forward. Before he could speak, tears gushed down his face.
"Alright."
Lin Zhao felt a pang of pity. "A man should not cry. Wipe your tears and speak."
"Yes, Master!"
Zhang Luobai stood up straight and wiped his tears with his sleeve. "Master, many people in the town say I am the reincarnation of that young master Zhang Liucheng from the Zhang family. Gu Yanshu also said so, and… everyone seems to know about it. Master, they all say that when you went to the Nine Zhang Plateau to fight, Zhang Liucheng hid at home crying and didn't help at all."
The little rascal's tears poured down like a waterfall. He cried, "In my previous life, I was a coward, a shrinking violet. But without cultivation, it was understandable that I couldn't practice swordsmanship. But in this life, I, Zhang Luobai, am already a third-realm sword cultivator. To see Master and everyone else fighting desperately against the demons, and for me, Zhang Luobai, to have fled long ago… I don't want this. I don't want to be a shrinking violet. Even if I have to die, I want to die with Master!"
"Mountain Lord!"
Zhuang Yirong also had tears in her eyes. "I don't want to leave. If the Mountain Lord and Master… if you all die in battle, Zhuang Yirong will feel that life has no meaning. The adults in the town have said such things, and I feel the same way. Zhuang Yirong is born a person of Mountain Peak Villa, and will die a ghost of Mountain Peak Villa. No one can make me a shrinking violet."
"Brother Lin Zhao."
Tong Yu's eyes were slightly red, and his words were the most steady. "If we flee without even seeing a shadow of the demons, Tong Yu will definitely not be able to get past this mental hurdle. I would rather kill myself on the way!"
"My lord."
Wu Zhi transmitted his thoughts. "Perhaps… we can let them stay for now, under Old Huang's care. It won't be too late to send them away halfway through the battle. The younger generation of Mountain Peak Villa indeed needs to witness a great battle to improve their state of mind."
"I know."
Lin Zhao looked at Tong Yu, Zhang Luobai, and Zhuang Yirong. "As disciples of the younger generation of Mountain Peak Villa, if you don't want to leave, then don't. But I will be upfront: if the Snow Region Heavenly Pool cannot be held, and White City is breached, you must leave. There will be no room for negotiation then."
"Okay!"
Tong Yu nodded quickly.
"Thank you, Master!" Zhang Luobai's tears turned into a smile.
Zhuang Yirong clasped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you, Mountain Lord!"
Lin Zhao looked at Huang Tingyu. "Old Huang, when the great battle begins, you will be in charge of all the city defense formations. You can stay far away and just draw your sword. Protect these three. They can observe the battlefield, but they must not engage directly. If the battle turns unfavorable and White City falls, you must immediately take them and flee for safety. As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn. The legacy of our Mountain Peak Villa must not be extinguished. We cannot all die in the Snow Region Heavenly Pool."
As Lin Zhao spoke these words, Yu Wanning, Chu Yu, Wu Zhi, Dong Zang, Liu Liying, and the others' eyes instantly turned red. This indicated that Lin Zhao had tacitly acknowledged that this catastrophe would result in deaths for Mountain Peak Villa, and potentially many deaths.
"Alright."
Lin Zhao rose. "Everyone return to your posts and prepare for battle. Old Huang, Mu Cuo, relay orders to the three armies to enter a state of readiness. All eighty thousand Snow Region cavalry will be deployed in the defense of White City!"
"Yes, my lord!"
...
Lin Zhao checked the time and went offline to eat. Chen Xue and Shen Xingchen had been offline for ten minutes already. He just wanted to arrange things online before eating; he wasn't in a hurry.
As he went downstairs, the downstairs area was lively.
Lin Zhao pulled out a chair and sat between Shen Xingchen and Chen Xue. He took a bowl of rice from Mo Chenxue and began to devour it.
"The 'Divine Mountain Falls' version event will begin tomorrow noon."
Shen Xingchen looked at Lin Zhao's panda eyes. "You haven't slept in so long. You should get a good night's sleep today, right?"
"No time."
Lin Zhao replied, "There's still too much to do online. I probably won't be able to sleep. It's fine, I've used the online sleep mode while cultivating the Eternal Sword Scripture, so even though you see my panda eyes, I'm actually in good spirits."
Ding Chi frowned. "This 'Divine Mountain Falls' great battle, barring any surprises, the Snow Region Heavenly Pool will be the primary battlefield, right? It should be called Snow Region Heavenly Pool Battle 2.0."
"Yes."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Perhaps I will have to die once more. But this time, it shouldn't be like the beta test. This time, I can revive."
"Not necessarily."
Shen Xingchen's beautiful eyes held a profound meaning. "Think about it, the in-game plot emphasizes cause and effect. You are the organizer of this 'Divine Mountain Falls' human realm strategy. Once you truly die, the consequences might exceed your imagination. In any case, be mentally prepared. The more you gain in the game, the more you might lose when you fall."
"That makes sense."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Thank you, Xingchen. You've just increased my psychological pressure for no reason."
Shen Xingchen chuckled. "It's alright. Everyone on the national server will help you. Tomorrow, when the event starts, millions of elites from the national server will converge on the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. White City won't be breached so easily. We won't let you fight alone."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Let's all work hard together!"