Su Xinghe was quite dejected.
It wasn't that Shen Xingchen stood him up, but rather that Shen Xingchen didn't even give him the chance to be stood up. When the Su family's cargo flight passed over Sucheng, he called Shen Xingchen to invite her to dinner. To his surprise, Shen Xingchen refused without a second thought, saying she had plans with Leng Yan and was too busy to eat with him.
This indifferent attitude left Su Xinghe with a strong sense of frustration.
Who did he think he was? The eldest son of the Su family group in Luocheng, a person worth tens of billions, and someone with incredibly high gaming talent, ranked first in the China region in "Conquest," a veritable king of the national servers. In the game, Su Xinghe commanded respect; in reality, he was the jewel of Luocheng, able to have any woman he desired.
Alas, Shen Xingchen always kept him at arm's length. Indeed, she was the strategist of the Xinghe Guild, his trusted subordinate and confidante, yet she consistently refused to get closer. Every time, Su Xinghe could only tread carefully, hinting at his feelings, lacking even the courage to confess, for fear that confessing would truly drive them further apart.
He grew increasingly annoyed, dialing a number and saying, "Ah Long, fancy a drink tonight?"
"Sure thing!"
A young man named Ah Long replied with a smile, "There are a few of your female fans, very beautiful. I picked them out specifically for you to choose from. Shall we arrange to meet them? You can take a look tonight, and if you like one, you can take her home once you've had enough to drink. I've already made arrangements; they're all willing."
"We'll see then."
Su Xinghe took a deep breath, glanced at the photo frame of Shen Xingchen on his bedside table, and frowned. How could those female fans compare to Shen Xingchen? She was one of a kind.
...
Early morning, the Death Squad camp.
A peerlessly beautiful young woman, riding a Snow Dragon Horse, entered the camp as an adventurer. Not long after, she saw a group of Death Squad cavalry escorting someone. It was Lin Zhao, clad in armor.
"Lin Zhao!"
Leng Yan smiled and waved.
"It's Miss Leng..."
Lin Zhao chuckled, "Are you looking for me?"
"Mhm..."
Leng Yan stepped forward, smiling, "It's been a while, so I wanted to come and see you."
"Oh, come to my tent. I'll make you a cup of tea."
"Alright!"
Inside the command tent, the attendants discreetly withdrew, leaving only Lin Zhao and Leng Yan. With a cup of tea each, they sat in silence, the atmosphere even a little awkward.
"Cough cough..."
Leng Yan cleared her throat, breaking the quiet, "How is the standoff with the demon race?"
"Not good."
Lin Zhao replied, "We've completed our formation and are just waiting for the demon race to attack. But the demons have changed their tune. The usually violent and ferocious demons are surprisingly patient. It's likely the great demon Yu Zhi is suppressing them, or they would have attacked long ago."
Leng Yan blinked in surprise, "You're eager for the demon race to attack?"
"My plan is complete."
"I see."
Leng Yan's delicate brows furrowed. "In fact, it's precisely because of this great demon Yu Zhi that there's been no progress on your end, right?"
"Yes."
"Lin Zhao..."
A thought struck Leng Yan. "I can help you with something."
"Oh?"
Lin Zhao was taken aback. "What can Miss Leng help me with?"
"Assassinating Yu Zhi."
Leng Yan said, "If you need it, I'll invite the other nine of the Ten Great Experts to assassinate Yu Zhi together. It can be considered our contribution to this war."
"Absolutely not!"
Lin Zhao frowned. "Yu Zhi is surrounded by many experts. Besides, even if the assassination is successful, how will you all escape unscathed?"
"Did you forget that we are different from you?"
Leng Yan's lips curved into a slight smile. "Here, we can't die."
Lin Zhao recalled the incident where he had "arranged for Leng Yan's burial" and felt a pang of awkwardness. He scratched his head. "It does seem to be the case. If so, then I'll trouble Miss Leng. If the assassination is successful, I will certainly reward Miss Leng handsomely, though Miss Leng may not need it..."
"I do need it. Why wouldn't I?"
Leng Yan stood up, gently patted the young man's shoulder, and smiled, "Wait for my good news!"
"Alright!"
...
In the afternoon, on the cliffs of Snow Region Heavenly Pond.
Ten beta testers were basking in the sun. Shen Xingchen and Leng Yan's elegant legs were as captivating as ever.
"Assassinate Yu Zhi?"
Yi Shi Cang Liang was slightly startled. "Isn't that too outrageous? Yu Zhi, no matter what, is an eleven-realm great demon. Even if we eighty-level players fought her one-on-one, we might not be able to defeat even a single strike from Yu Zhi."
"We can find a way."
Leng Yan pursed her red lips and summoned a quest log with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, I've already accepted the quest, an SSS-rank golden quest. If you want to go for broke before the beta ends, I'll share the quest."
"I think we should give it a try!"
Su Xinghe's face lit up with a smile. "Since the beta data won't be retained, what use is leveling up? We might as well risk it all and see if we can truly assassinate this Yu Zhi. What do you think, Xingchen?"
"I have no objections."
Shen Xingchen looked towards the north and smiled. "If everyone agrees to the assassination, I can formulate a plan for you all, striving to maximize the success rate within our capabilities."
"Yes, let's prepare the items first," said Xian Bai. "We need to stock up on top-grade alchemical potions, strength potions, stamina potions, and so on from White Emperor City. Also, the blade tempering poison needs to be prepared. Additionally, for phantom beasts, everyone should try to have 2-3 phantom beasts with control effects. Yu Zhi is at eleven realms, a very high level. We can't win by brute force, but if we can keep her under control, our chances will be very high."
"Okay!"
Yi Shi Cang Liang pondered for a moment. "Then I'll participate too. Let's fight Yu Zhi!"
Jian Huang frowned. "But how can we get the great demon Yu Zhi to be alone? If she's not alone, her twelve and thirteen-realm demon guards can hack us to death a hundred times over."
"I will find a way."
Shen Xingchen smiled. "Everyone, prepare yourselves. Since it's the last few days of the beta, just play as you please."
"Mhm, alright!"
...
The next day, in the afternoon.
Inside the demon race's military tent, weapons and armor were displayed menacingly, filling the air with an aura of slaughter. At the front of the tent, a human girl in a gray cloak advanced through the snow. Beneath the hood of her cloak, she revealed a pair of incredibly beautiful eyes. Looking at the demon guards at the entrance, she slowly lifted her hood, revealing a stunningly beautiful face. It was Shen Xingchen.
"Hmm?"
A demon guard squinted his eyes. "Tsk tsk, such a beautiful human girl. Are you here to die?"
"I come from the south."
Shen Xingchen narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I wish to see Lord Yu Zhi."
"See Lord Yu Zhi?"
The demon guard sneered. "I think you're crazy. Lord Yu Zhi is the commander of four million demon soldiers. How can a mere human female cultivator like you expect to see her?"
"Tell Yu Zhi that I know Lin Zhao's disposition of the southern human forces."
She produced a slip of paper and said, "Give this to Lord Yu Zhi, and she will understand everything."
"Oh?"
The demon guards raised their eyebrows.
Shen Xingchen immediately raised her hand and threw a bag of gold coins. It pained her slightly; this was all that the ten beta players had pooled together. They had worked for a month and only earned this much, and now it was all gone.
"Tsk tsk, on your way."
A demon guard weighed the money bag and said with a smile, "I'll deliver the note right away, but whether Lord Yu Zhi sees you is not up to me."
"Just give the note to Lord Yu Zhi."
"Alright."
Not long after, the note was delivered to the demon race's central command tent.
"A human female cultivator?"
Yu Zhi frowned. As she unfolded the note, her body trembled slightly. Written on it in elegant script was a line of text:
"Lin Zhao has completed his arrangements. To the north of Snow Region Heavenly Pond, he has set up a Heaven Covering Array, and a Ground Supporting Array. These two formations are mutually born and complement each other. To the south of Snow Region Heavenly Pond, he has set up a Wind Spreading Array, a Tiger Wing Array, a Cloud Dropping Array, a Dragon Soaring Array, and a Thunder Extinguishing Array. A total of seven ancient formations, known as the Seven Ultimate Arrays, which form a funnel shape with the Immortal Soldier Han Xin's Immortal Soldier Exhaustion Array. As soon as the demon race attacks, they will surely suffer losses. I have a method to break them. I hope Your Excellency will come and see me!"
"Hmm?"
Yu Zhi abruptly stood up. The names of these seven formations were unknown to her, but their names sounded imposing and ancient. This human female cultivator might be telling the truth. This was a heaven-sent opportunity to break their enemy's formation. If she truly had a method to break the formations and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the human camp, she wouldn't have to be disgusted by Lin Zhao's schemes again.
"I must go and see someone."
Yu Zhi rose and floated out of the camp, followed by a group of demon cultivators above the fifth realm.
...
Outside the demon race's military tent, the human female cultivator was still there. Her face was obscured by her cloak, but the pair of eyes that were visible were so beautiful they could stir the soul. Yu Zhi immediately frowned. Someone was more beautiful than she was. After this person was used, she could not be allowed to live.
"Lord Yu Zhi."
Shen Xingchen bowed.
"You've come at a good time..."
Yu Zhi lunged forward, her five fingers splayed like iron pincers, instantly gripping Shen Xingchen's fair neck and lifting her up. She sneered, "You human spy, do you think you can deceive my eyes?"
Shen Xingchen gritted her teeth, her slender legs kicking out feebly. She stammered, "The human cavalry trampled our homes, killing my parents and brothers. I hate the human race to the bone... The Heaven Covering Array, ranked among the twenty-four formations, is the Six Harmony Array guarding the Gate of Astonishment. To the northwest lies the Qian land, the Heaven Array... It naturally suppresses the Ground Supporting and Dragon Soaring formations... As long as Your Excellency breaks the enemy, it will be as if you have avenged my parents' blood feud. I..."
As she spoke, she secretly rejoiced. I can really spin a yarn! My young lady's nonsense is truly unrivaled in this world!
Yu Zhi's brow furrowed. The more the human female cultivator spoke, the more believable it sounded, forcing her to believe her.
...
"Whoosh~~~"
Yu Zhi threw Shen Xingchen away.
Shen Xingchen circulated her mana in mid-air, her body retreating dozens of steps on the snow, her brows furrowed, a hint of anger in her eyes. "Lord Yu Zhi, if you don't believe me, I can take you to see it with your own eyes! As for the method to break the formation and defeat the enemy, I will also tell Your Excellency everything, without reservation!"
"I'll trust you this once."
Yu Zhi's lips curled. "If you dare to play any tricks, I'll make your life worse than death."
Shen Xingchen smiled slightly. "Please follow me, Your Excellency. Don't bring too many people, lest the sword immortals of the human race discover us."
"Mhm!"
Yu Zhi strode away, disappearing into the snow curtain with Shen Xingchen.
...
"Hmph!"
Bai Lan frowned. He hadn't wanted to get involved. If Yu Zhi was so careless and died, so be it. If she died, he would become the commander of the demon race's three armies, draw his sword, and lead his brothers into battle. Why all this trouble?
But thinking of the Demon Ancestor's words before he left, he still drew his sword and followed.
The Demon Ancestor had said that if Yu Zhi died, Bai Lan would be buried with her.