Fusu Great Wall.
On a battlements devoid of life, scarred by countless sword marks, Lin Zhao, Huang Tingyu, and Shuang Zhi descended. They stood beyond a wind-eroded parapet, while in the distance, Lin Wanhua, Han Fang, Qin Yu, Ye Lin, Liu Xilong, and other native cultivators of Fusu Great Wall emerged.
Having received the celestial ennoblement, Lin Zhao was now, in the truest sense, the supreme commander of the human realm. Wherever he went, there were always pronouncements. Now that he had arrived at Fusu Great Wall, it was expected that he would have arrangements for it.
“Shall we head to the reception hall?”
Lin Wanhua, her white robes like snow, her pretty face adorned with a smile, asked, “Although, the reception hall is also quite desolate.”
“No need. We’ll stay on the city wall.”
Lin Zhao turned and sat down on Fusu Great Wall, gazing north towards the direction of the demon race.
Lin Wanhua then led Han Fang, Qin Yu, and the others to sit on the battlements. Huang Tingyu, after plopping down, unscrewed the wine gourd hanging from his waist and took a long gulp. Although Fusu Great Wall was south of Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, it seemed even colder, compelling the thirteenth-realm Sword Immortal to take a drink for warmth.
Thus, Lin Zhao also took out several pots of apricot blossom wine from his pack, one for each person, and said, “We’ll have a drink on the city wall, and the matters will be settled quickly.”
“Mm.”
Lin Wanhua asked, “What arrangements do you have for Fusu Great Wall?”
“Naturally, it will be a very important arrangement.”
Lin Zhao looked north and chuckled, “After Snow Domain Heavenly Pool is breached, the next target for the demon race should be Xi Jian River. But on Xi Jian River, there is only my aunt as a fighting force, and at most, one thirteenth-realm flood dragon, Xiao Ke. According to my estimation, the demon race will not spend too much power on Xi Jian River.”
He turned to look at Fusu Great Wall and said, “Therefore, the demon race will most likely concentrate their peak strength to attack Fusu Great Wall. After all, you here at Fusu Great Wall are equivalent to a fourteenth-realm Sword Cultivator. They cannot break through Fusu Great Wall without paying a great price.”
“Mm.”
Lin Wanhua nodded gently, pursing her red lips, “Lin Zhao, what are your plans for Fusu Great Wall?”
“Hold the line, wear them down.”
Lin Zhao frowned and said, “According to my thoughts, the call to arms should be issued soon. All human cultivators north of Shanhai Pass and Yangping Pass with fighting strength should rush to Fusu Great Wall. Using the sturdiness of Fusu Great Wall, we will block the southward advance of the demon and devil races. Kill as many as possible. If we can’t hold it, retreat. There’s no need to fight to the death.”
“Understood.”
Lin Wanhua’s gaze was serene, and she softly said, “I will do my best to lead everyone to kill more demons and devils, and I will also do my best to lead everyone to survive.”
“Yes, that’s the only arrangement we can make.”
Lin Zhao took out a golden decree of the Great Shang Dynasty from his chest, hesitating whether to give it to Lin Wanhua. It seemed like a bit of a flourish, and he was momentarily indecisive.
Just then, a golden ripple suddenly appeared in the air. Immediately after, the sky above Fusu Great Wall was filled with a dense aura of holy way. In the next moment, a spiritual manifestation of an exceptionally beautiful woman descended from the heavens. She was dressed in white, with bright eyes and pearly teeth, enveloped in a dense sword intent. It was Lin Zhao’s second senior sister, Ming Yuechi.
“Senior Sister?!”
Lin Zhao shot up, surprised that Ming Yuechi would send a spiritual manifestation to the lower realm.
“Mm.”
Ming Yuechi smiled slightly, holding a celestial sword with a white jade scabbard in her hand. She said, “Little Zhao, I’m here regarding your plans. The detailed arrangements for Fusu Great Wall must be changed.”
Lin Wanhua, Huang Tingyu, Shuang Zhi, Han Fang, and others all rose to pay their respects, their expressions exceptionally reverent. She was the fourteenth-realm female immortal enshrined in the Mingyue Shrine of Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, a core figure in the Eternal Secret Realm, with a supremely transcendent status.
“What do you mean?”
Lin Zhao asked in surprise, “Are there any flaws in my arrangements for Fusu Great Wall?”
“No.”
Ming Yuechi shook her head and said softly, “It’s just that there are too many changes in the upper realm.”
With a wave of her hand, sword intent flowed forward, coalescing into a scene of the upper realm, precisely the scene outside the Investiture of the Gods Platform. Countless heart demons were densely attacking the upper realm, including undefeated heart demons and fear heart demons. The spiritual energy of the entire upper realm was in an uproar. If it couldn’t be suppressed, it could collapse.
For a moment, Lin Zhao, Lin Wanhua, Shuang Zhi, and the others stared in dumbfounded silence.
“Wuwang Mountain has fallen, creating a situation of a divine mountain collapsing,” Ming Yuechi said softly. “The sages of the Four Great Ancestral Courts can perceive this, and how could our master not? It’s just… the upper realm is currently under attack from the heart demon army from the outside, and from the inside, a group of sages from the Sea of All Heavens are supporting Wuwang Mountain. The various factions of the upper realm are stretched too thin and cannot stop the unrest in Wuwang Mountain.”
She looked at Lin Zhao and said gently, “Little Zhao, in the battle of the lower realm, our upper realm cannot send any cultivators to provide support. To put it more bluntly, the catastrophe in the lower realm is merely alleviating some of the pressure on the upper realm. However, once all the human sages in the upper realm perish, the lower realm will inevitably be lost as well. You should understand this logic.”
“Mm, I understand.”
Lin Zhao said in a deep voice, “Senior Sister, let’s directly discuss the upper realm’s arrangements for Fusu Great Wall.”
“Alright.”
Ming Yuechi looked at Lin Wanhua, her beautiful eyes filled with admiration. She said, “Lin Wanhua’s peak thirteenth realm is truly exceptional. She is already so powerful in the mortal world, and when she reaches the upper realm, she will undoubtedly be able to showcase her talents. She might even forge a true fourteenth-realm Sword Cultivator in the midst of the great battle.”
“Understood.”
Lin Zhao frowned and asked, “You mean Lin girl is to ascend to the upper realm before the divine mountain falls, right?”
“Yes.”
Ming Yuechi continued, “I know that it is not appropriate for the upper realm to demand people from the lower realm at this moment, but the upper realm’s combat power is stretched to its limit. On the Investiture of the Gods Platform, my senior brother and I are outnumbered, and we have been injured repeatedly. Someone must step up to hold the line.”
“Then what about Fusu Great Wall?”
Lin Zhao took a deep breath and said, “Once Lin girl ascends, Fusu Great Wall will lose its core combat strength and its greatest barrier. According to my wishes, once Lin girl leaves, there’s no need to defend Fusu Great Wall any longer.”
“This…”
For a moment, the old Sword Immortal Han Fang, standing beside Lin Wanhua, frowned. He seemed to have an objection, as he was an old-timer of Fusu Great Wall and had deep feelings for it. To abandon and retreat from Fusu Great Wall would undoubtedly be difficult for him to bear.
“You are right.”
Ming Yuechi glanced at Han Fang, her gaze finally settling on Lin Zhao. “Junior Brother, Fusu Great Wall need not be defended. The catastrophe in the upper realm is too great. Your senior brother must retrieve the celestial sword he has placed in the mortal realm. Once Fusu Great Wall returns to Senior Brother’s hands, his combat power will increase by another third, which is also good for the upper realm.”
“Understood.”
Lin Zhao nodded and said, “I will follow Senior Sister’s lead. Before the divine mountain falls, Lin girl will ascend, and I will make new arrangements for the remaining people of Fusu Great Wall.”
“Mm.”
Ming Yuechi looked up at the sky, seemingly seeing something that Lin Zhao and the others could not. She then said, “The attacks of those heart demons have intensified again. Senior Sister must leave now.”
“Good.”
Lin Zhao cupped his fists and said, “I respectfully see Senior Sister off!”
“Senior Sister will wait for you in the upper realm.”
Ming Yuechi leaped lightly, her body like an immortal descending from the heavens. In a flash, she turned into streaks of starlight and disappeared from the mortal realm. With the dissipation of a spiritual manifestation, that twenty percent of her power returned to her true body.
…
“Gulp~ Gulp~~”
Han Fang sat down on the city wall and drank two large gulps of wine. He asked, “Are we really going to abandon Fusu Great Wall?”
“Yes.”
Lin Zhao replied, “The upper realm needs people, and we cannot refuse. Lin girl, you still have to ascend.”
“…”
Lin Wanhua pursed her red lips and stood before Lin Zhao, her beautiful eyes staring blankly at him, finding it hard to comprehend why he would say such cold words. Was ascension so simple? Once she ascended, when would they meet again?
Would she descend to the mortal realm herself? A thirteenth-realm Sword Cultivator who had just arrived in the upper realm, with no background?
Would she rely on Lin Zhao to ascend to the upper realm?
He was only at the tenth realm now. When would he reach the thirteenth realm?
For a moment, Lin Wanhua’s expression was exceedingly complex.
Lin Zhao misunderstood her gaze, thinking it was dissatisfaction with his arrangements for Fusu Great Wall. He quickly explained, “It’s not that I’m heartless, but this is the most reasonable arrangement possible.”
“Oh…”
Lin Wanhua pouted her lips, turned, and looked north, no longer looking at Lin Zhao. “After I ascend, how will Fusu Great Wall be arranged?”
“I’ve already thought about it.”
Lin Zhao sighed and said, “At the eastern end of Fusu Great Wall, there is a remote forest called Dongyi Forest Sea. After Lin girl ascends, the remaining people of Fusu Great Wall will lose their foundation of reliance, and there’s no need to fight stubbornly. Those willing to fight the demon race to the death can go south to Shanhai Pass. The rest will lead the younger generation to Dongyi Forest Sea, to preserve some of Fusu Great Wall’s bloodline.”
“…”
Lin Wanhua couldn’t help but turn and look at Lin Zhao, her beautiful eyes filled with sadness, as if to say, What will you do after I leave?
Lin Zhao, completely missing the point of Lin Wanhua’s gaze, said apologetically, “I’m sorry. I know it’s difficult for you to give up Fusu Great Wall, but… there’s really no other way.”
“Understood.”
Lin Wanhua no longer bothered with this dense, unfeeling blockhead and said, “I will ascend, and Fusu Great Wall will also relocate to Dongyi Forest Sea. After I ascend, Han Fang will be in charge of Fusu Great Wall. If there’s anything, please speak with the old Sword Immortal Han Fang.”
“Mm.”
Lin Zhao nodded.
Han Fang frowned but said nothing, having his own thoughts.
As for Qin Yu, Ye Lin, and Liu Xilong, the "Three Wonders of Fusu Great Wall," they all looked ashamed. If any one of them had reached the twelfth realm, the old Sword Immortal Han Fang would not have had to shoulder the burden after Lin Wanhua’s departure.
…
Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, Hefeng Academy.
The Confucian Sage Gu Lingyu, dressed in scholarly robes and holding a book, was observing the stars and deducing in the courtyard. Suddenly, as if he had grasped something, he gently twirled his fingers in the wind, and a white leaf fell into his hand. He couldn’t help but chuckle, “So that’s how it is.”
In the next moment, Gu Lingyu leaped across the wind with the white leaf, his body passing through time and space, landing in another world.
Before him was a rather simple bookshop. The owner was a middle-aged scholar in a gray robe, fanning the fire in a stove by the door. A pot of soup made from salted fish jerky was simmering on the stove.
On a stone table beside it, the young Lin Zhao was holding a brush, painting on a piece of paper.
With each stroke, the young man would glance at the white tree. On the paper, crookedly drawn, was a white tree.