The demon race, in the commander's tent.
"The human race has attacked?"
Yu Zhi, clad in red armor, smiled and said, "No way? Didn't the human race intend to fight defensively until the end? Tell me, which army attacked first?"
"The Tianchi Army, Chu Huaixi is personally leading the charge!"
"Oh?"
Yu Zhi stood up and smiled, "This is interesting. Order the first camp to fight with all their might. I want to see how capable this Chu Huaixi is, to dare to be so audacious!"
"Yes!"
...
Not long after, the great demon Yu Zhi appeared in the demon race's formation. A group of cultivators from the Upper Five Realms surrounded her, and they all watched the Xishan battlefield from afar, not daring to act rashly.
On the battlefield, over four thousand well-trained human Tianchi Army soldiers charged back and forth, having already killed nearly five thousand demon soldiers, leaving few remaining.
"Hmph!"
Yu Zhi sneered, "I've long heard that the Tianchi Army's combat power is considered top-notch among humans. Seeing them now, even the combat power of Yue Hao's Yunzhou Iron Cavalry might not be inferior to the Tianchi Army!"
Bai Lan narrowed his eyes and said, "I really want to see how many more demon warriors Chu Huaixi will kill before he stops."
"Let them kill!"
Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow and said, "Guards, dispatch fifty thousand elite demon soldiers to hunt down Chu Huaixi. By sunset, I want Chu Huaixi's head placed on my table."
"Yes, sir!"
...
Afternoon.
After more than ten consecutive charges by Chu Huaixi's four thousand iron cavalry, they had suffered significant losses. Many iron cavalry had already fallen beneath the demons' steel blades and cold arrows. At the foot of Xishan Mountain, corpses lay strewn everywhere, and riderless warhorses let out long neighs.
"Is this all the demon race is capable of?"
Chu Huaixi's eyes were bloodshot. His armor was tattered. Several great demons hidden among the demon ranks were waiting to ambush him and deliver a fatal blow to the commander of the Tianchi Ridge. His armpit had been pierced by a sword from a ninth-realm Nascent Soul sword cultivator, a very fatal wound that was already making it difficult for him to breathe. Yet, he ignored it, his gaze fixed on the demon formation. Breathing heavily, he said to the generals accompanying him, "One more pincer attack from both flanks, and we can reach the center of this demon formation. Even if we can only strike the center with a knife or a sword, it will be a worthy account for our Great Chen Dynasty and the entire human world!"
"Yes, Commander Chu!"
Two blood-soaked commanders led two elite forces in a pincer attack from both flanks.
Chu Huaixi, with nearly a hundred men, led the charge straight ahead. Amidst the thunder of hooves, the cold gleam of their sabers illuminated the heavens and the earth.
"Hmph..."
In the distance, blood-red ossuaries of the ghost race rose one after another. A ghost king, seated on one of the ossuaries, sneered, "This human army is quite resilient. If it were any other, they would have likely wet themselves and fled back to their homes in the south."
The fifty thousand elite demon soldiers continued to advance, their formations neat and orderly, the cold glint of their steel blades forming a single, unbroken line.
"Who goes there?"
A demon cavalryman raised his steel saber and roared.
But after his roar, a wave of immense fist intent instantly crushed down, pulverizing him and dozens of demon soldiers behind him into dust. Only when these demon soldiers had turned into a rain of blood did Chu Huaixi gallop through the bloody mist, his eyes filled with madness. He roared with laughter, "I am Chu Huaixi of the Great Chen Dynasty! Those who block me shall die!"
"Damn you, Chu Huaixi!"
A tenth-realm demon cultivator roared, unleashing a blood-red whip from his hand.
"How dare you!"
Huang Tingyu parried with his sword, then thrust the blade forward, decapitating the demon cultivator. Behind him, the vanguard cavalry surged forward, cooperating with the formation-breaking and broken-halberd camps, crushing everything in their path. At this moment, Chu Huaixi seemed to be leading a divine army, completely disregarding the demons' superior numbers, his sole aim being to kill the enemy!
...
Ten miles south of the battlefield, Lin Zhao led the Death-Defying Camp, the Riding Wind Camp, the Valiant Might Camp, and the Iron Foot Camp to the edge of the battlefield. They watched the battle at Xishan from afar, not daring to get too close, as it would be easy for the demons to encircle and surround them from both the front and the rear.
"Commander Lin."
Nu Zhi's eyebrows furrowed. "Why is Commander Chu fighting so desperately?"
"Don't worry about it."
Lin Zhao smiled calmly. "Once Commander Chu falls in battle and sacrifices himself, it will be our turn. We will fight until the Tianchi Army is annihilated."
"Ah?"
Chen Yu blinked. "Lin Zhao, has that day arrived?"
"It has."
Lin Zhao frowned, turned to look at the group of centurions and captains behind him, and said solemnly, "Brothers, the demon race is about to march south. Our Great Chen Dynasty's Tianchi Army is the foremost defense of the human northern border. Are you willing to fight them to the death with me?"
"We are willing to fight!"
Everyone clasped their fists in unison.
Lin Zhao nodded. All that remained was to wait.
...
On the Xishan battlefield, both sides fought until late into the night before withdrawing to their respective camps.
Chu Huaixi was covered in blood. Even as a tenth-realm martial artist, he was still riddled with wounds. In this battle, four battalions had lost over half their strength, and even the commander of the Broken Halberd Camp, Zhang Han, had died. His bloody corpse lay among a pile of corpses in the camp. Beside him, Lin Zhao remained silent.
Chu Huaixi also did not wish to speak. After hastily eating a little, he said to everyone, "Tomorrow morning, we will fight the demon race again!"
"Yes, Commander Chu!"
Lin Zhao frowned. "Commander Chu, perhaps tomorrow morning, I can lead the Death-Defying Camp, the Riding Wind Camp, the Valiant Might Camp, and the Iron Foot Camp. We can fight in rotation, allowing our brothers some rest."
"No need."
Chu Huaixi shook his head. "If we don't all fight to the death, how will the demons cross Xishan?"
"I understand..."
Lin Zhao said no more.
...
In the dead of night, Lin Zhao sat on his bed, unable to sleep.
"Swish~~~"
A white figure flew out from the ancient sword, transforming into the exquisite appearance of a white dragon goddess. Her expression was grave as she looked at the young man and said, "Have you truly decided to seek death wholeheartedly?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao's voice was hoarse. "Sister Bai, Lin Zhao has wronged you. After I die, find a new sword bearer for this sword. Lin Zhao can only accompany you this far."
"Why must you die?" the White Dragon Goddess asked.
"Because I have no choice but to die."
Lin Zhao looked back south and murmured, "Father and mother are long gone. Actually, I don't have many attachments. Sister Bai, look, Little Jiu'er is learning swordplay on Mount Changming, Little Stone is training in the Prime Minister's young warrior camp, and Zhang Liucheng has been sent to Yunzhou by his parents. Everyone I care about is in the south. If I can't stop the demon race, they will all die sooner or later. So, trading my life for all of theirs, this is a profitable deal..."
"But what about yourself?"
The White Dragon Goddess said, "Life is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Are you willing to give it up so easily?"
"I can't help it."
Lin Zhao's voice choked with tears. "I want to live too. Who seeks death? I also want to forge swords well and live up to the expectations of my third senior brother and second senior sister, becoming an Upper Five Realms sword immortal. But I have no time. If Lin Zhao doesn't die, Yu Zhi will not be at peace. If Lin Zhao doesn't die, those in the Great Shang court will not be at peace. Even someone like Commander Chu is willing to sacrifice his life, so naturally, I, Lin Zhao, can also die."
He wiped away a tear. "If I retreat, Father and Mother will be disappointed in me. Even I will be disappointed in myself. So... Sister Bai, please find someone else to bear the sword. I am useless and cannot bear the weight of this sword..."
"No, that's not true."
The White Dragon Goddess stepped forward, gently embraced the young man, and said softly, "My little Zhao is unparalleled in the world. Besides you, no one is worthy of this sword, and no one is worthy of Sister Bai's assistance. Since you wish to fight to the death, then die. Sister Bai will accompany you to your death. At most, I will sleep for tens of thousands of years."
"Sister Bai, you don't have to..."
Lin Zhao shook his head. "You are such a powerful being, you don't need to die with me."
"Indeed, I don't need to, but I am willing."
The White Dragon Goddess smiled softly. "Little Zhao, there is one more thing I should tell you. The one who killed your father, Lin Zhengxi, was named Bai Lan. He is now the foremost thirteenth-realm sword cultivator of the demon race. If you encounter him... Sister Bai can help you kill him. This is the last thing Sister Bai can do for you. Moreover... after this strike, you will suffer the backlash of the Heavenly Dao and die. Are you willing?"
"Bai Lan?"
Lin Zhao frowned. "If we really meet, Sister Bai, feel free to act. My life as an eighth-realm martial artist for a thirteenth-realm demon sword cultivator is a huge profit!"
"Yes."
The White Dragon Goddess chuckled. "Rest well. Don't overthink things. Since you are going to die anyway, then empty your mind."
"Yes!"
...
The next day, all morning, Chu Huaixi continued to lead his four battalions in attacking the demon army. However, the four battalions were left with less than two thousand men. By the afternoon, only a hundred cavalry remained behind Chu Huaixi. The foot of Xishan Mountain seemed to be dyed red with blood. On the first day, Chu Huaixi's troops killed over twenty thousand demons. On the second day, they killed over thirty thousand more. The more than four thousand Tianchi Army soldiers had managed to slay nearly half of the demon army's strength!
However, Yu Zhi was very satisfied.
Being able to defeat the Tianchi Army and even have the opportunity to capture Chu Huaixi alive was all worth it.
"Lord Bai Lan."
Yu Zhi looked at the battlefield in the distance and smiled. "Chu Huaixi is finished. This head... why don't we leave it for Lord Bai Lan? After all, Lord Bai Lan enjoys collecting the heads of famous human generals the most."
"Good!"
Bai Lan leaped down, his sword leading the way. A single sword strike from the air cascaded onto the battlefield, instantly turning the cavalry following Chu Huaixi into a rain of blood. Chu Huaixi, at the forefront, threw a punch. The moment his fist intent touched the sword energy, it shattered. Following that, Chu Huaixi flew out like a broken kite, his body riddled with bloody holes from the sword qi. As he fell to the ground, the northernmost renowned general of the human race had already lost his life.
"Chu Huaixi, hand over your head!"
Bai Lan descended from the air.
"Scoundrel!"
Huang Tingyu suddenly stood in front of Chu Huaixi, his sword flashing.
"Huang Tingyu!"
Bai Lan roared, then sneered, "You stray dog, you actually dare to draw your sword for the human race?!"
"Why wouldn't I dare?!"
Huang Tingyu roared, slashing his sword towards Bai Lan's head. At the same time, he raised his left hand, and a strand of sword qi escorted Chu Huaixi's body southward. Even in death, he was determined to preserve Chu Huaixi's corpse.