Ziyun Mountain.
The Baying Platform, moved from Baidi City, had already been removed, and Ziyun Mountain returned to its usual tranquility.
As Lin Zhao, along with Huang Tingyu, Mianzhi, and Tang Guangjun, descended, the golden body of Zhang Xicheng, the Mountain Lord of Ziyun Mountain, floated out from the Mountain Lord's Shrine. He was clad in golden armor, his appearance young and handsome, just like the young man who had left his village to go to the frontier years ago.
As Zhang Xicheng appeared, a wisp of water essence floated up from the Tongjing Lake not far away. The water essence carried peach blossoms, transforming into the figure of a beautiful, ethereal demoness, who appeared beside Zhang Xicheng. It was the Peach Blossom Demon, Han Yurou.
"Young Master."
Han Yurou smiled and curtsied.
Zhang Xicheng cupped his fists and said, "Lin Zhao, you've finally arrived?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao nodded and said, "The sky is about to change, and a great calamity will soon sweep across the entire Northern Region. Zhang Xicheng, your and Han Yurou's cultivation is not very high, and Ziyun Mountain stands alone. Without support, it cannot last long. Any Great Demon of the Upper Five Realms could flatten this place."
He frowned and said, "So the plan for you is to retreat, abandon your cultivation roots, and leave the Mountain Lord's Shrine here. Zhang Xicheng, you will take Han Yurou to Furong Prefecture to take refuge for a while. Once the war in the north subsides, you can return to be the Mountain Lord and nurture one side of the land and water."
"Alright."
Zhang Xicheng did not argue or object.
Han Yurou, however, knitted her delicate brows. "After we leave, Young Master, what about you? Have you made proper arrangements for yourself?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao smiled. "I have obtained the Majestic Golden Token of the Confucian Dao Literary Forest this time. I bear a heavy responsibility on my shoulders. I must diligently perform my duties as the Commander-in-Chief of the Human Race's Three Armies. After repelling the offensives of the demon and devil races, I must lead everyone to counterattack and avenge our humiliation."
"Good."
Han Yurou smiled. "Yurou and Xicheng will listen to the Young Master."
"Well, farewell then."
Lin Zhao cupped his fists gently and, with his companions, left Ziyun Mountain, heading straight for the not-too-distant Qingliang Mountain.
...
Mountains stood tall, and the rivers and mountains were serene.
On Qingliang Mountain, a Qingliang Sect was shrouded in boundless clouds and mist. Since Zhao Jingyu, the thirteenth-realm ancestor of Qingliang Sect, was killed, Zhao Suiguang had officially taken charge of the entire sect. For a time, Qingliang Sect became righteous and incorrupt. Although its strength might not have been as great as before, it was still considered a prominent human sect in the Northern Region.
"Swish!"
In the dead of night, Lin Zhao landed on the Mountain Lord's Shrine, riding his flying sword, Hongye.
A buzzing sound came from the Mountain Lord's Shrine, and Xiang Ji, radiating golden light, walked out. He was almost identical to the general who had been on Xueyu Tianchi, still clad in armor, with wisps of fist intent flowing through him. His cultivation was even greater than before, as Qingliang Mountain had quite a prosperous incense.
"Xiang Ji pays his respects to Your Excellency!"
This fierce general of yesteryear knelt on one knee and respectfully said, "Your Excellency, have you made a decision regarding Qingliang Mountain?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Xiang Ji, the distribution of mountain and water deities in the Northern Region is too sparse, and the spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers cannot be gathered. Therefore, we will not defend the mountain and water in the Northern Region. If the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn. Xiang Ji, you can prepare to lead the accompanying deities from the Mountain Lord's Shrine south to Furong Prefecture to take refuge for a period."
"..."
Xiang Ji's eyebrows were tightly knitted.
"What, unwilling?"
Lin Zhao raised his eyebrows and said, "You were fiery-tempered back then and died defending the realm. That wasn't enough, and you want to die again in your spiritual form? If you die again this time, you will be utterly erased from existence!"
"Your Excellency."
Xiang Ji frowned. "Are there any cowards in our Mountain Peak Villa?"
Huang Tingyu narrowed his eyes and chuckled, "Kid, you've got guts."
Mianzhi and Tang Guangjun also gave wry smiles.
"What do you want?" Lin Zhao asked.
Xiang Ji sighed and said, "Originally, I planned to go to Xueyu Tianchi to face death with everyone. But at Xueyu Tianchi, I am merely a martial artist of the Sea-Stepping Realm, unable to kill many demons. However, if I am in Qingliang Sect, with the blessing of the mountain and water's aura, I would have the power of an eleventh-realm martial artist."
He looked at Lin Zhao and said, "Please grant me permission, Your Excellency, to remain in Qingliang Mountain. If the demon race truly attacks Qingliang Mountain, Xiang Ji is willing to fight for the human race. Moreover... the Qingliang Sect..."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao nodded. "In all matters, consult with Zhao Suiguang."
"Yes."
...
Qingliang Sect, Ancestor Hall.
The Ancestor Hall did not enshrine the ancestor Zhao Jingyu, as that was Lin Zhao's command. However, in the sect leader Zhao Suiguang's cave dwelling, there was an ancestral tablet for his father, Zhao Jingyu. As a son, this was the only thing he could do.
In the dead of night, Lin Zhao landed on the eaves of the Qingliang Sect's Ancestor Hall.
Zhao Suiguang, sensing his presence, also floated over. He was clad in a grey robe. At present, Zhao Suiguang was at the peak of the twelfth realm, only one step away from the thirteenth. His life artifact had transformed into a fiery red precious cauldron, different from before, but its aura was equally profound.
It seemed that Zhao Suiguang had achieved great progress in his cultivation during this period, otherwise his cultivation would not have advanced so much.
"Zhao Suiguang."
"Lin Zhao."
Zhao Suiguang looked up at Lin Zhao. His resolute face showed neither subservience nor arrogance. "Are you here to make arrangements for Qingliang Sect? No need. Zhao Suiguang's fate has long been decided."
"Tell me about it," Lin Zhao said.
"Yes."
Zhao Suiguang took a deep breath and said, "In the past, my father led Qingliang Sect, and he was looked down upon by everyone. Everyone said that Qingliang Sect took the most and contributed the least. We even moved east entirely to avoid the battle at Xueyu Tianchi. These are all disgraces to Qingliang Sect, and we have been cursed by the world for many years."
His eyes gradually brightened. "Now, although Qingliang Sect does not have a thirteenth-realm cultivator, Zhao Suiguang and his disciples have long regarded Qingliang Mountain as their home. When the demon and devil races come, Qingliang Sect will not shy away from battle. If they want to fight, Qingliang Sect is not afraid!"
"Understood."
Lin Zhao did not try to dissuade him. The Northern Region indeed needed these somewhat larger sects to fight to the death and refuse to retreat, obstructing the advance of the demon and devil races. Every obstruction would consume the demon and devil races' forces and morale, increasing the chances of victory in the battles at Shanhai Pass and Yun Prefecture.
Moreover, Qingliang Sect's combat power was actually quite good. Zhao Suiguang's cultivation was not low, and with the sect-protecting formation, it would take some effort for the demon race to break through Qingliang Sect.
Lin Zhao looked at Zhao Suiguang and said, "Then I will not say more. Since you have decided to hold your ground, join forces with Xiang Ji."
"Good."
A hint of joy appeared in Zhao Suiguang's eyes. He cupped his fists and said, "Qingliang Sect, Zhao Suiguang obeys orders!"
Lin Zhao returned the salute and then floated away.
...
Real time, 4:50 PM.
Lin Zhao sat cross-legged in front of Tianranju, nurturing his sword intent. He looked up at the northern horizon, where the streak of blood-red glow was becoming more prominent. The boundary was about to be completely eroded by Mount Wuwang.
As for how Mount Wuwang achieved this, according to Han Xin, it seemed to be due to the use of Youquan Yinshui, but Lin Zhao did not know what that was.
While practicing his sword, a bell sound suddenly echoed across the national server. The version event had finally arrived, and the bell sound lingered for a long time—
"Ding!"
System Announcement: All players please note, the SSS-grade version event [Fallen Divine Mountain] is about to begin! In this version event, the demon race from the Upper Realm will erode the boundary of Mount Wuwang, using it as a weapon to attack the mortal world. This event will last for a considerable period, and the outcome of the version will be determined by the storyline and player actions! Please note that the exact time when Mount Wuwang will impact the lower realm is tomorrow at 12:00 PM. All players are requested to prepare themselves. At that time, Xueyu Tianchi, Xijian River, Fusu Great Wall, Shanhai Pass, Yangping Pass, Qingliang Mountain, and other locations will become battlefields. Within the battlefield, players who kill enemy targets will earn points. The higher the points, the greater the final reward. The ultimate reward for this event may include top-tier divine artifacts!
...
It's finally here!
Lin Zhao suddenly stood up and looked at the northern horizon. Mount Wuwang seemed to have detached itself from the Upper Realm and was beginning to fall towards the mortal realm. It would impact in twelve hours tomorrow.
He took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and continued to sit cross-legged, nurturing his sword intent, while naturally continuing to refine that three-inch stream of time and water.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Lin Zhao's mind gradually sank into the stream of time and water. At a certain moment, he saw a scene that was about to happen in the future: the massive Mount Wuwang descended from the sky, striking the mortal realm like a meteor, directly hitting Mount Panyun, which vanished almost instantly.
"Boom—"
With a loud roar, the shockwave caused by the impact swept across the entire world. Xueyu Tianchi bore the brunt of it. The city-protecting formations offered almost no resistance and were scorched red by blazing flames. Then, with irresistible force, the earth cracked, and the entire Xueyu Tianchi instantly turned into dust. Countless cries and wails echoed in his ears.
Suddenly, Lin Zhao emerged from the illusion of the stream of time and water.
He gasped for breath, his heart feeling as if it were weighed down by a massive rock. That's right, he had been negligent and forgot to consider a very important point. Mount Wuwang was in the Upper Realm. The distance between the Upper Realm and the lower realm was unknown, but if it were far enough, the speed at which Mount Wuwang impacted the lower realm would be terrifying, so terrifying that it could annihilate the entire human world without any prior arrangements!
Lin Zhao had heard a theory before: if a needle were to strike the Earth at the speed of light, it would be enough to destroy the entire Earth. Considering Einstein's theory of relativity and the concept of relativistic mass, the faster an object moves, the greater its mass. Therefore, the faster a needle moves, the exponentially greater the energy it carries.
Mount Wuwang, of course, could not accelerate to the speed of light, but as long as its speed was great enough, the energy it carried would also be greater, and it would be entirely possible to destroy Xueyu Tianchi or even Xijian River.
Therefore, Lin Zhao had calculated everything, made all sorts of preparations, and even obtained the three formations of the Golden Dragon, Silver Dragon, and Iron Dragon from the Mohist ancestral hall, but he had completely forgotten to consider the impact speed of Mount Wuwang.
The scene in the stream of time and water just now was undoubtedly what might happen in the future. If Lin Zhao had only followed his previous arrangements, Xueyu Tianchi would not have needed to be attacked at all; the energy generated by Mount Wuwang impacting the lower realm would have been enough to annihilate Xueyu Tianchi.
Upon realizing this, he could not help but feel a chill of fear. What a critical oversight!
...
He got up and headed straight for the bamboo forest to find the God of War, Han Xin.