"Old Huang."
Lin Zhao's gaze swept over Huang Tingyu, noticing the many scars on his body. Some great dao scars would follow one for life, much like the sword mark on Bai Lan's face, inflicted by Wen Liang. That scar left by Wen Liang would never fade. Huang Tingyu, having battled ancient great demons on Yaohun Mountain, bore some wounds that would also be permanent.
"The process of breaking through must have been extremely arduous, right?" Lin Zhao asked.
"It's fine."
Huang Tingyu's heart warmed. No matter how difficult the breakthrough, how much hardship he endured, or how many times he teetered on the edge of death, Lin Zhao's words alone were enough. He grinned and said, "The final result is that I've entered the Thirteenth Realm. As for the events during the process, there's no need to mention them again. It's like that saying..."
He then put his arm around Lin Zhao's shoulder and continued, "Mountain Lord, you have no idea. Old Huang here has traveled the martial world and seen much. In the human realm's Jizhou, especially in Yuzhou, the children of kings and high officials live lives of extreme luxury. They build magnificent dragon-bone ships and take a few women out to play on the great lakes..."
He spoke mysteriously, "Those women would lean on the boat, serving those who were rich and powerful, in exchange for the money they needed to live. Therefore, a saying circulated among these women."
Lin Zhao looked speechless, "What happens on the boat stays on the boat?"
"Ah!?"
Huang Tingyu's Thirteenth Realm Dao heart wavered instantly. The Mountain Lord actually knew this? What a learned and knowledgeable marvel he was!
Wu Zhi frowned, not fully understanding, but judging from Huang Tingyu's smile, it was likely nothing good.
At this moment, Lin Zhao looked at Lin Zhujie, who had changed into a cyan vine-colored long robe, and said with a smile, "Lin Zhujie, thank you for accompanying Old Huang on this journey. Don't worry, I'll keep my word and give you the title of a peak villa attendant, but the attendant ranking won't be too high. Is that acceptable?"
"Mountain Lord, you're too kind!"
Lin Zhujie smiled, "Just giving me a title is enough. As for the ranking, Lin Zhujie wouldn't dare to hope for anything more! There's also one more thing, a very important matter I wish to discuss with the Mountain Lord."
"Oh?"
Lin Zhao tensed, "Tell me, how important is it?"
"Yes!"
Lin Zhujie waved his hand, and a large water vessel full of wriggling fish suddenly rose from his storage bag.
Lin Zhujie said solemnly, "When Old Brother Huang entered the forbidden area to break through, Lin Zhujie was fishing by the lake. I caught many varieties of fish and stored them all. So, I wanted to ask the Mountain Lord, can these fish be kept in the lotus pond to enrich our pond's foundation?"
"This is the important matter?" Mu Fa scratched his head, utterly speechless.
"It's quite important."
Lin Zhao smiled, "Matters concerning the food, clothing, housing, and transportation of the peak villa are all important. The fish in our lotus pond are indeed a bit lacking, and the variety is limited. Li Ying, record a merit for Lin Zhujie on the attendant roster!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Liu Li Ying nodded with a smile, her body floating as she took out a roster and swiftly recorded Lin Zhujie's great deed with a red brush. Yu Wanning stared, a black line forming on her forehead. This was acceptable? Was the merit system of their peak villa so casual?
However, upon closer reflection, it was quite normal. The Mountain Lord himself was such a free-spirited and transparent person.
Afterward, Snow Domain Heavenly Pool returned to its usual tranquility.
Huang Tingyu's return was not a particularly unusual event. After a celebratory lunch, Huang Tingyu descended the mountain to take up his post as deputy commander in the army. Every day after work, he would carry his wine gourd to the town's tavern, exchange coy glances with the proprietress, buy a lot of wine, drink alone until midnight, and then stagger back to his command tent.
Who could truly know the hardship of a single old man?
Lin Zhujie also stayed at the peak villa. His residence was near the foot of the mountain, a rather simple house. In front of the house lay a bamboo grove, where bamboo shadows swayed daily. Furthermore, every two days, Dong Cang and Liu Li Ying would deliver vegetables and meat for the attendants.
Thus, Lin Zhujie lit his own stove, cooked his own meals, and lived a life of great contentment. He had bamboo to live among and meat to eat. Snow Domain Heavenly Pool was calm and peaceful, and the peak villa maintained a righteous demeanor. When Lin Zhujie had free time, he would descend the mountain and wander around the town. He would sit by the roadside, listening to storytellers with the children, and even reward them with a few copper coins when the stories were particularly exciting.
Alternatively, he would wake up early every day, ride his sword to the foot of the mountain, and wait at Old Zhang's breakfast shop for the first batch of fried dough sticks. At noon, he would fish in Baixixi. In the afternoon, he would be found sleeping under some willow tree. In the evenings, he would either go drinking with Huang Tingyu and Tang Guangjun, or practice his sword.
This period was, without a doubt, the most comfortable time in Lin Zhujie's life.
...
In reality.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Luo Man, Ding Chi, and Zhang Jun all returned, and the studio became lively again. On the afternoon of the fifth day, Shen Xingchen also returned, personally escorted by Shen Lingyuan. However, Ding Chi, Zhang Jun, and the others repeatedly called him "brother-in-law," enraging him and causing him to storm home.
On the sixth day, Murong Feiyue's holiday also ended. As a military aircraft landed outside, Murong Feiyue and Ning Yu began their return journey. Lin Zhao prepared a lot of delicious food for his cousin to take along, even packing ten vacuum-sealed Ziyan Baiwei chickens, fearing that his cousin might starve in the military.
In fact, the food in the Eastern Theater Command was exceptionally good, especially the meals at the front-line combat zones where Murong Feiyue was stationed. The nutrition of the soldiers had to be ensured, and the mess hall chefs were highly skilled. Murong Feiyue and Ning Yu's meals were prepared separately, so they never went hungry.
However, Murong Feiyue happily took all the gifts Lin Zhao had prepared.
On the seventh day, in the afternoon.
Lin Zhao was still practicing his sword and fist techniques on the peak of the back mountain at the peak villa. The third level of the Eternal Sword Scripture was nearing completion, yet it also felt incomplete, like watching a mountain from afar. Fortunately, Lin Zhao had patience and practiced diligently.
As he cultivated the Eternal Sword Scripture, he gained more and more sword intent, all of which seeped into his perfect sword heart. When Lin Zhao looked inward, he saw a majestic perfect sword heart above the spiritual void. The exterior of the sword heart was increasingly marked with axe-hewn traces, which represented the sword heart's foundation.
In other words, when these axe-hewn traces on the perfect sword heart were eventually filled, it would signify that Lin Zhao's swordsmanship cultivation had drawn closer to that perfect state.
He took a deep breath, filled with ambition. Lin Zhao could indeed feel that after awakening an immortal-grade sword heart, his ten-realm sword cultivator path was becoming more perfect, with the true Great Dao laid out before him.
He even vaguely sensed that he had touched upon something while practicing the sword scripture, something that was a taboo for him at his current level, a transcendent existence, something beyond his previous understanding.
The upper five realms, the legendary Eleventh Realm of Returning to Truth.
Once one stepped into the Realm of Returning to Truth, a cultivator's journey would officially begin its return to simplicity.
For ordinary cultivators, the Realm of Returning to Truth was a path to ascend to heaven. But for true peak cultivators, the Realm of Returning to Truth was merely the beginning; the Great Dao cultivation only truly started its initial steps upon entering this realm.
Just as Lin Zhao was brimming with ambition, a "ding" sound was heard, and a message arrived from Chen Xue: "Lin Zhao, something's happened?"
"What is it?"
Lin Zhao quickly opened the video call, "Xue'er, explain clearly, what has happened?"
Chen Xue furrowed her delicate brows. "I just received news from Huo Dao. One of our Yunying-class transport planes, responsible for escorting transport, was attacked while on a mission. Its energy shield was depleted, and the extent of its damage is unknown. It has now made an emergency landing in a forest north of Xicheng. That's a forest where wolves frequent."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao said in a deep voice, "Immediately deploy one Chiyou-class and five Yunying-class aircraft. We'll depart together and discuss further upon arrival."
"En!"
Instantly, Lin Zhao and Chen Xue logged off. After exiting the studio, they rushed to a nearby Yunying-class aircraft. The Yunying-class then took to the air, and after exiting the city shield of Sucheng, they rendezvoused with the other four Yunying-class aircraft in the sky.
Further away, a colossal behemoth ascended – a Chiyou-class light cruiser. The cruiser's outer hull was emblazoned with the insignia and markings of Feiyue Transport. This Chiyou-class, piloted by Huo Dao himself, led the five Yunying-class aircraft directly towards the direction of the incident north of Xicheng.
"Huo Dao."
Lin Zhao, seated in the co-pilot's seat of the Yunying-class, had a holographic conversation with Huo Dao. "Explain in detail, what shot down that Yunying-class? What is its current situation?"
"Okay, Boss!"
Huo Dao said gravely, "According to the feedback, that Yunying-class was hit by an upgraded Tomahawk-style anti-aircraft missile. Its shield system was compromised, and its power system also sustained some damage. It has now made an emergency landing in an open area in the wilderness. However, that area is frequently patrolled by two-headed wolves and was designated a forbidden zone by Xicheng several years ago."
He added, "That Yunying-class was escorting a batch of high-tech products. They are highly radioactive, and if they fall into the wrong hands, it will be very troublesome. We'll also have to pay a large sum in compensation."
"Be careful."
Lin Zhao frowned. "The enemy might launch a second attack!"
"Yes!"
Huo Dao nodded and then stated solemnly through the communication system, "All aircraft, activate laser anti-missile systems and shield systems. Chiyou-class, open radar and scan ground and aerial targets. This is a real combat situation, everyone, stay alert!"
In the sky, six aircraft streaked past, heading directly for the target location.
...
Lin Zhao and Chen Xue stood in front of the Yunying-class control cabin, overlooking the land through the transparent glass. They saw packs of wolves surging within the wilderness forest, seemingly heading in the same direction. These two-headed wolves were quite troublesome; once humans landed, unless they had aerial support or an infantry fighting vehicle, it would be difficult to confront them.
"Over there!"
Chen Xue pointed into the distance. Indeed, wisps of smoke rose from the depths of the forest, likely indicating the crash site of Feiyue Transport's Yunying-class.
"Beep beep beep!"
Suddenly, warning sounds continuously blared from the control cabin. The young pilot's face turned pale with shock. "We've been locked on by missiles!"
"Respond as you normally would, don't panic," Lin Zhao said.
"Yes, Boss, I know."