"Battle!"
Seeing the beautiful commander trembling with anger, a cultivator of the Upper Fifth realm, transformed from a bear demon, roared, "This Lin Zhao has no real skill, only the ability to steal and trick. Falling Cloud Peak shelled our camp, and cavalry ambushed them midway. Hmph, Commander Yu Zhi, there's no need to suppress our rage any longer. Order the three armies to charge, all twenty of our demon race camps will charge together, and the human formations will surely collapse!"
"That's right!"
A young cultivator, transformed from a gecko, frowned and said, "As long as Commander Yu Zhi gives the order, we will work together with all our might, trample the human camp, and hang that dog Lin Zhao's head on the gate of our demon army's tents!"
"Hmph!"
The great demon Bai Lan, holding his long sword, let out a cold laugh but said nothing.
"Guards!"
Yu Zhi raised her hand and pointed at the Eleventh realm great demon behind her, who was carrying thorns as a form of atonement. "Drag this useless wretch out and chop off his head!"
"Commander!"
The Eleventh realm great demon cried out in injustice, but he was still bound and dragged out. Afterward, his head was severed by the flying sword of a Twelfth realm demon sword cultivator. Big Wind Novel Network.
As the guard presented his head into the command tent, Yu Zhi's delicate brows furrowed. "Failure to obey military orders and acting without authorization leads to this end. He caused us to lose nearly fifty thousand demon warriors. His death is an unforgivable offense. Mount his head on a spear and display it to the three armies!"
"Commander, please calm your anger!"
Bai Lan smiled faintly and said, "So, what do you say now? Shall we go to battle?"
"Still not possible."
Yu Zhi frowned. "The more Lin Zhao acts this way, the more he wants to provoke us, wanting us demon races to launch an attack. The humans want a quick fight, but I will not let them succeed. Order that no one is to attack without my permission!"
"Yes!"
"Hmph~~~~"
Yu Zhi gritted her silver teeth and said, "I'm starting to understand. The reason Lin Zhao wants to lure us into battle is simply because the spiritual energy of this Bing Xian Qi Jue Formation beneath the Snow Region Heavenly Pool, though abundant, is constantly weakening. As time passes, the divine power of the Bing Xian Qi Jue Formation will grow weaker and weaker, until it vanishes entirely. Therefore, we only need to wait."
The demon commanders dared not speak and merely nodded in agreement.
...
Another ten days passed, and the demon race still remained hidden.
On this day, Lin Zhao sat in the command tent, using a small dagger to carefully carve a tortoise shell, inscribing various patterns on it. Finally, the tortoise shell was shaved down to palm size and made into a plum blossom-shaped hair crown.
Beside him, the old marshal Chen Wanli squatted on the ground, looking for a long time, and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Does it look good, old marshal?"
Lin Zhao held the hair crown in his palm and smiled, "A tortoise shell hair crown. Only a true beauty in the world is worthy of it."
"Oh?"
Chen Wanli chuckled, "Lin Zhao, do you have a girl you like? Is this... a gift for her? But using a tortoise shell as a gift, isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Hahaha~~~"
Lin Zhao laughed heartily and said, "Old marshal, this hair crown is for the right person. I will write a letter, and you send someone to the demon army's camp. Say it's a gift from me to the demon commander Yu Zhi."
Immediately, Chen Wanli understood and couldn't help but laugh heartily, giving the young man a thumbs-up, "Brilliant, truly brilliant!"
...
In the demon camp, the command tent.
The hair crown Lin Zhao had just finished carving was placed on Yu Zhi's command desk, along with a letter with elegant handwriting, which read, "The hair crown is finally finished, a gift for the one who deserves it."
"Bang!"
Yu Zhi's snow-white hand slammed onto the desk again. Her face turned green and then white. This was an utter humiliation! A hair crown carved from a tortoise shell, was this brat calling her a shrinking turtle?!
"Commander!"
A demon commander roared, "This Lin Zhao is going too far! He dares to insult our demon race's supreme commander! Is he seeking death?"
"Commander, give the order!"
A group of fierce demon generals stood up one after another and said in unison, "Charge forward and kill that dog!"
"Hmph!"
Yu Zhi's chest heaved with anger. It took her a full few minutes to calm her emotions. A faint smile curved her lips, and she said, "He's still trying to provoke me. But..."
She picked up the hair crown and gently tucked it among her hair, smiling, "I think it looks quite nice."
Bai Lan, holding his sword, said with a casual smile, "Don't tell me you've fallen for that brat? The demon commander falling for the human commander would make for a popular novel."
"Silence!"
Yu Zhi pointed at Bai Lan, "Lord Bai Lan, you are going too far."
Bai Lan picked his nose. "I won't say it anymore, won't say it anymore. Commander Yu Zhi can't even take a joke?"
Yu Zhi was about to explode.
...
Late at night, Tianchi Ridge.
A figure gracefully landed on a verdant peak behind the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. Clad in armor with a stern countenance, it was Chu Huaixi, the remnant commander of the Great Chen Dynasty. He slowly walked forward, his figure soaring with the wind. He raised his hand and gently rotated a protruding rock on the mountain wall. Instantly, the sound of Mohist mechanisms grinding echoed from within the mountain. The next moment, a stone door appeared on the mountain wall, and a set of stairs descended from within.
Chu Huaixi frowned and floated into the secret passage.
He drew his long sword, and as his true qi surged into it, the blade turned red-hot, illuminating the surroundings brightly. He then slowly descended along the secret passage. After nearly ten minutes, he reached the deep underground of the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. As he opened another secret stone door, a vast underground palace lay before him.
This underground palace was about dozens of zhang square, octagonal in shape, with eight golden, lustrous dragon walls around the perimeter. Wisps of golden destiny flowed on these dragon walls. In the center of the underground palace, a golden long sword was inserted into a high platform.
It was the Royal Sword, the personal sword of Chen Yu's father, the last king of the Great Chen Dynasty.
The hilt of the Royal Sword was bound by chains. Eight chains extended to the eight surrounding dragon walls, tightly connecting the dragon walls to the Royal Sword. As for the dragon walls, they extended unfathomably deep into the earth.
"..."
Chu Huaixi walked forward step by step. When he looked at the Royal Sword, his body trembled. He lowered himself onto one knee, his eyes slightly red, and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Yu is doing well. All the children of our Great Chen Dynasty have been sent down the mountain. Some went to Confucian academies, some became disciples of Mohist cultivators, and some are cultivating in famous mountains and great rivers. When the decline of our Great Chen Dynasty's destiny is reversed, these children will have grown up and will surely answer the call to restore our Great Chen Dynasty!"
He knelt on the ground, his eyes red. "Your subject... your subject has truly done his best!"
At this moment, a figure passed through the dragon walls and landed gracefully on the Royal Sword. He stood on the sword hilt with one foot, exuding the ethereal aura of a scholarly immortal. It was Qin Suihan.
"Ah? Mr. Qin!"
Chu Huaixi hurriedly stood up, frowning. "Please, sir, come down from the sword. Do not desecrate the Royal Sword of our Great Chen Dynasty!"
"Hmph..."
Qin Suihan floated down to the ground and looked at the surroundings. He frowned and said, "Chu Huaixi, Chu Huaixi, do you really think you've acted without anyone noticing?"
"Sir is a Confucian sage. Chu Huaixi never thought he could deceive sir's discerning eyes."
Chu Huaixi gritted his teeth. "Please, sir, forgive me."
"Hmph!"
Qin Suihan placed one hand behind his back and said, "Chu Huaixi, you have indeed made a good plan. You have painstakingly dug this Dragon Wall Formation beneath the Snow Region Heavenly Pool, undoubtedly intending to absorb the alternating energy of life and death from the battlefield to transform it into the destiny of the Great Chen Dynasty. Still dreaming of restoring your kingdom?"
"Restoring the kingdom is my lifelong dream."
Chu Huaixi clenched his fist. "Our Great Chen Dynasty will never perish!"
"But have you considered?"
Qin Suihan frowned. "Is it fair to those who died on the battlefield for those who died fighting if you absorb the alternating energy of life and death from the battlefield? You, Chu Huaixi, have gone to great lengths to promote Lin Zhao, likely with forethought, making Lin Zhao choose the Snow Region Heavenly Pool as the battlefield, ultimately completing the transformation of your Great Chen Dynasty's destiny through a large-scale battle in the lower realm? For the entire human race, you are too selfish."
"Sir!"
Chu Huaixi cupped his hands lightly. "I, Chu Huaixi, a mere warrior, only know how to lead troops. I ask sir this one question: In all these years, has Chu Huaixi ever truly fought for the human race? Have I ever made any contributions? My dream of restoring my kingdom is true, and my heart to kill demons for the human race is also true. Sir is a Confucian sage, should I, Chu Huaixi, cut open my heart for sir to see if it is red and unstained?"
"What you did was not wrong, but the purpose behind your actions was gravely mistaken."
Qin Suihan said calmly, "You should not have used Lin Zhao, pushing him into the position of commander, which is tantamount to cutting off one of Lin Zhao's paths to survival. Is that fair to Lin Zhao? Back then, when Ding Muchen was in the Snow Region Heavenly Pool, did you think he hadn't detected this Dragon Wall Formation? Did you think he hadn't seen through your intentions, Chu Huaixi?"
Chu Huaixi frowned. "Did he have murderous intent towards me?"
"No."
Qin Suihan shook his head. "If he wanted to kill you, he would have done so long ago. Killing you, a cultivator of the Sea-Crossing realm, would be as simple as him lifting a finger."
"Mr. Qin intends to kill me?" Chu Huaixi asked.
"No."
Qin Suihan's expression was calm. "I only feel regret for Lin Zhao. He made plans for the world, while you, Chu Huaixi, only made plans for the Great Chen Dynasty. Both are commanders, yet you, Chu Huaixi, are far inferior to Lin Zhao."
"Lin Zhao will understand me."
Chu Huaixi said in a deep voice, "Regarding the matter of the Dragon Wall Formation, I ask sir to keep it a secret for me."
"A meaningless endeavor."
Qin Suihan floated away and said, "Chu Huaixi, remember your oath. You once fought for the human race and bravely killed demons. Do not end up as a petty man in vain."
"Yes, Mr. Qin!"
Chu Huaixi cupped his hands. Only after Qin Suihan's aura faded did he breathe a sigh of relief. This foremost general of the human race's north seemed very weary. He sat down beside the Royal Sword, leaning against it, and let out a wry smile. "Your Majesty, do you see? This path is truly difficult. One wrong step and one might fall into the demonic way."
The Royal Sword glowed, as if responding.
...
In the real world, in Luocheng, the former ancient capital of Luoyang, now just one of thousands of free cities in the Huaxia zone.
A magnetic levitation Maybach slowly stopped in front of a luxurious villa. As the car door opened automatically, a young man in a suit and tie emerged from the car. It was Su Xinghe.
"Young Master."
The butler asked, "Did you manage to have dinner with Shen Xingchen?"
"Don't mention it!"
Su Xinghe angrily kicked open the door and said, "Go prepare dinner for me, and make it a lavish one."
"Yes, Young Master!"