Days turned into nights, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the great battle had arrived.
...
In the early morning, the sound of war drums reverberated through the sky above Snow Domain Heavenly Pond.
After instructing Miss Dong Cang to supervise Xiao Jiu'er’s studies at home, Lin Zhao donned his armor, two long swords strapped to his back. He then mounted his warhorse and headed to the Death Sentence Camp to rendezvous with Chu Zhi, Luo Yang, Mu Zha, and others. Together, they led the entire Death Sentence Camp to the battlefield of Snow Domain Heavenly Pond to cheer on the five human combatants!
Snow Domain Heavenly Pond was a vast battlefield, and the human army was stationed on the rolling hills, offering an excellent vantage point. Not only the Death Sentence Camp but also the other seven camps of the Heavenly Pond Army had arrived. Chu Huaixi, Chen Yu, Huang Tingyu, and others were all present. In addition, the army of the Great Shang Dynasty had also arrived, with the armies of the Five Great Palace Masters neatly arrayed to watch. The sky was filled with fluttering banners.
"Marshal Chu!"
Lin Zhao rode his horse to Chu Huaixi's side.
"Mm!"
Chu Huaixi nodded, then they both looked north. This battle concerned the future destiny of humanity and was intimately connected to everyone, so no one dared to be negligent, all with wide-open eyes.
On the mountain ridge, a white-clad figure with a majestic aura flashed into view – it was Su Fu, the Mountain Lord of Heavenly Pond Mountain, dressed in white, a dashing young man.
Immediately after Mountain Lord Su appeared, two figures materialized not far from him: the scholar in green and the swordsman in white.
"They're here?"
Mountain Lord Su smiled.
"Mm."
The scholar in green nodded with a smile and said, "You don't need to act today, I'm here."
"Mm, I wasn't planning on acting anyway."
Su Fu narrowed his eyes, gazing into the distance, and chuckled, "Both old monsters have arrived. What right do I, a Star River realm cultivator, have to act?"
As the Mountain Lord of Heavenly Pond Mountain, Su Fu was practically the lord of this domain. Within the entire Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, he could perceive everything in minute detail. Therefore, he was naturally aware of any movements from the demon race.
...
Among the crowd, a group of disciples from Changming Mountain descended. The Mountain Master, Lin Qing'er, dressed in a green dress, walked at the very front, holding a long sword, her entire being exuding the aura of a sword immortal.
Not far away, three figures appeared: Yan Beichen, Wen Liang, and Gu Zixi, the three combatants arriving in tandem. Further away, in front of the formations of the Vermillion Bird Camp and the Boulder Army, the old Marshal Chen Wanli had set up a table, sipping tea with his legs crossed, even eating a roasted chicken for breakfast.
"How fares it?"
Suddenly, a muffled voice echoed from afar, like that of a demon from the depths of the earth.
"Please send forth the demon race's representative!"
A towering figure rose from Heavenly Pond Town – it was Qin Suihan, the bookstore owner, clad in a scholar's robe. It was his Dharmakaya, connecting heaven and earth, filled with immense righteousness.
"Ah?!"
Lin Zhao was slightly taken aback. He had never imagined that Boss Qin possessed such divine power. At that moment, his mind was filled with complex emotions, and he suddenly recalled many things. Perhaps... the reason he was alive today was often due to Qin Suihan's hidden protection? At this point, he remembered that many important figures in the town respectfully addressed Qin Suihan as "Mr. Qin," a title not earned lightly.
At this moment, the young man felt regret, realizing he had addressed him as "Boss Qin" repeatedly, which was utterly disrespectful.
In the sky, everyone saw Qin Suihan's Dharmakaya. The Dharmakaya slowly rose from beside the chessboard and declared, "Please, demon race, send forth your challenger to Heavenly Pond. Our human race will then send forth our fighter!"
"Excellent!"
...
In the distance, a faint rumbling sound could be heard. In an instant, a figure appeared in the wind – a great demon clad in a gray cloak, with two fangs protruding from his lips. He looked upon the myriad beings of the human world as if they were food, his eyes filled with contempt and mockery, showing no regard for humanity.
"Demon race, Mu Pu, Twelve Realms!"
He slowly clasped his hands to his chest and sneered, "Which human dares to fight?"
"I will!"
From the front of the human army, the old Marshal Chen Wanli stood up imposingly, ascended into the air, clasped his hands, and smiled, "Human race, Chen Wanli, Twelve Realms!"
"Ah?!"
Lin Zhao was astonished again. Wasn't this the old man who taught him to practice boxing? How could it be... he should be the old Marshal Chen Wanli who guarded the Cangnan Iron Cavalry? He had been completely unaware...
Sensing the young man's confusion, the old Marshal converged his voice into a thread and chuckled into his ear, "Little fellow, are you surprised?"
Lin Zhao's heart trembled. He clasped his hands and said, "Old Marshal, please ensure victory!"
"Naturally!"
...
The great demon Mu Pu looked at Chen Wanli coldly and laughed, "Has humanity run out of people? Sending such an old geezer to his death? Tsk, tsk, I have read the words of the sages for a few days. It's truly difficult for me to lay a poisonous hand on an elder!"
"Oh?"
Chen Wanli roared with laughter, "Then this old man is about to lay a poisonous hand on you!"
"Old man, you're courting death!"
The great demon roared, his body moving like lightning as he unleashed a punch. Old Marshal Chen Wanli, on the other hand, was enveloped by the immense aura of a Rebirth Realm martial artist. The Rebirth Realm's strength lay in its inexhaustible true qi and the vigorous life force of the martial artist, pushing the physical body to its limits. To kill a Rebirth Realm martial artist would generally require at least two Twelve Realm cultivators.
"Boom—"
A deafening roar shook the entire Snow Domain Heavenly Pond. Chen Wanli did not dodge the great demon's punch. After taking the blow head-on with his physical body, he also delivered a heavy punch to the Twelve Realm great demon's face. Instantly, the great demon's body became a blur, plummeting into the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, the impact so strong it gouged hundreds of meters into the earth.
Chen Wanli's body surged with overwhelming fist intent. He leaped into the air and delivered his second, then his third punch. Each punch caused the entire Snow Domain Heavenly Pond to tremble. The punches of a Twelve Realm martial artist were like attempts to split the earth open. As a result, amidst countless fragments of ice, snow, and earth, the great demon’s blood splattered. He was beaten so severely by Chen Wanli that he had no power to retaliate.
"Enough!"
Spitting blood, the great demon retreated rapidly and roared, "I concede defeat, Chen Wanli! You can stop punching!"
"You came all this way and now you want to leave?!"
Chen Wanli grunted and threw a heavy punch. The great demon's body became an arc, falling out of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond. Outside the Northern Mountains, in the snowy wilderness, waves of energy were stirred up, and amidst scattering snow, Chen Wanli delivered over a dozen more punches. Then, the great demon's aura suddenly vanished. As the onlookers in the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond watched with worried hearts, Old Marshal Chen Wanli returned, holding a bloody head in his hand, having completed the decapitation, forcibly twisting off the head of the Twelve Realm great demon!
...
"Long live Old Palace Master Chen!"
Someone shouted.
Immediately, the entire army echoed with cheers of "Long live!" and the morale of the entire human race surged.
Lin Zhao’s heart was also stirred. Chen Wanli's punches during the life-and-death battle were clearly different from when he taught him to practice boxing. The invincible aura of the Rebirth Realm martial artist, crushing all in its path, was truly awe-inspiring. Thus, Lin Zhao’s eyes widened, wanting to clearly observe the fist intent and principles of each punch, absorbing as much as he could.
Amidst the army, the crowd was excited and abuzz with discussion.
"Old Marshal Chen's strike is indeed invincible!"
"What a damned Twelve Realm great demon, under Old Marshal Chen's fists, he was like shattered bricks and tiles, merely a straw dummy to be put to the sword!"
"They say the demon race has a powerful physique, but it seems to be nothing special!"
"Hmph, this time our human race will surely achieve five victories and ensure the demon race never dares to look south again!"
...
"Not good..."
Chu Huaixi frowned and said, "I have also witnessed the terror of Twelve Realm great demons. They would never be so weak. Someone in the demon race must have guessed that our human race would send Old Marshal Chen Wanli first, and thus they concealed their strength, intending to make our human race complacent!"
Lin Zhao nodded gently; he had a similar feeling.
"First match, human race wins!"
Above the small town, Qin Suihan’s Dharmakaya declared imposingly.
"Hmph!"
From afar, that muffled voice echoed again, "Second match!"
In the northern sky, a bloody light streaked across. It was a great demon whose entire body was bathed in bloody radiance. He had a rather ferocious appearance and, clasping his hands, smiled, "Demon race, Lu Hai, Twelve Realms!"
From the human side, a young scholar put down his bamboo box full of Confucian classics, soared into the air, and offered a Confucian bow to his opponent, saying, "Confucian Academy, Gu Zixi, Twelve Realms!"
"Die!"
The great demon roared, raising his sharp claws and descending from the sky with a strike that instantly submerged the entire sky in a bloody tide. A massive hand seemed poised to crush the entire Snow Domain Heavenly Pond.
Gu Zixi looked up abruptly, standing proudly in the air. Golden ripples emanated from around him. He chanted incantations, and his right hand moved rapidly in the air. In an instant, a golden character flew out, heavily impacting the great demon's palm. In a moment, the great demon's claw manifestation continuously collapsed, while Gu Zixi's Confucian character slowly dissipated.
"Tsk tsk!"
The great demon Lu Hai sneered and darted forward, intending to engage in close-quarters combat!
Gu Zixi naturally understood his opponent's intentions. He rapidly withdrew, soaring towards the sky, while simultaneously writing golden characters with his right hand. These characters rained down like divine thunder upon the great demon Lu Hai's body. In an instant, the Twelve Realm great demon was flayed and bruised, with deep wounds visible to the bone in some critical areas.
...
"I didn't expect..."
Chu Huaixi frowned. "A Confucian scholar could refine characters and wield such a powerful technique."
Chen Yu asked, "Can Gu Zixi win? He appears to have the upper hand right now."
"Who knows..."
Chu Huaixi gritted his teeth.
Huang Tingyu crossed his arms and said coldly, "Gu Zixi's Confucian characters are formidable, but their offensive power is insufficient. If he cannot disintegrate the great demon's vitality in a short period like Chen Wanli, in a protracted battle, he is bound to lose!"
...
As a result, this battle lasted for the duration of a tea ceremony. Confucian characters flew through the air incessantly, and the enraged roars of the great demon Lu Hai echoed repeatedly. By now, the spectators were on the verge of suffocation.
Twelve Realms against Twelve Realms, the intensity of the battle was incredible!
"You should die now!"
During a moment when Gu Zixi was taking a breath, the great demon Lu Hai, covered in blood and gore, suddenly darted forward. His claws converged into a blade, slicing through with a "swish." The next moment, Gu Zixi let out a pained cry, his right arm severed at the shoulder, and blood rained down.
"Hoo~~~"
The great demon Lu Hai opened his mouth, swallowed a large mouthful of the opponent's blood mist, and sneered, "Without your hand, how do you expect to wield your Confucian characters!"