Three in the morning.
A light rain began to fall in the Autumn Wind Plains, a place of constant weather changes in the Snow Region. Lin Zhao, clad in white robes and silver armor, held the blood-splattered immortal sword, Lique Spring. He had just finished annihilating a demon army of thirty, a fierce and satisfying battle. Now, the rain washed over the bloody blade.
Not far ahead, a player sword cultivator emerged.
"Hey, Ah Zhao!"
It was Zhang Jun, still pursuing the "ultimate coolness." He wore a blue swordsman's tunic, a vintage sword on his back, and a bamboo hat that obscured his head. Beneath it was a handsome face, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. Honestly, purely based on looks, Lin Zhao couldn't compare to Zhang Jun. Zhang Jun's appearance was truly top-tier, while Lin Zhao, due to both reality and the game, had a more sunny and resolute demeanor. He wasn't exceptionally handsome, but he exuded a comforting presence.
"Da Jun."
Lin Zhao smiled slightly and said, "You're here too. How's your harvest?"
"It's okay."
Zhang Jun looked a bit embarrassed and chuckled, "Currently, my honor points rank 71st in the national server. I was already in the top fifty, but about half an hour ago, I accidentally ran into Gu Ke Wu Ming and got killed once, so my rank dropped."
"Can't be helped!"
Lin Zhao frowned, "I've tried my best to track Wu Ming's position, but he's an eighth-level sword cultivator, appearing and disappearing without a trace. I've missed him many times even with his coordinates."
"Same here."
Zhang Jun continued, "I heard Ling Ren Fa Zhi is also searching for your coordinates, leading dozens of ghost cultivator players to hunt you down. Be careful. It's best to switch locations immediately after a PK. Since you can fly your sword, your relocation is fast."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded, "You be careful too."
The two passed each other, each heading their own way.
...
Throughout the entire Autumn Wind Plains, it wasn't just the Scarlet Moon Knights who were hunting players who had joined the Northern Four Tribes' factions. Guilds like Star River, Sheng Tian, Azure Dragon, Seeking Immortals, and Wu Wang were also doing the same. Both sides gained substantial honor points by killing each other. These honor points would be converted into experience, rewards, and more. Furthermore, many players hadn't received any decent quests for days, making them cherish such opportunities.
Five in the morning.
Lin Zhao's honor point ranking remained far ahead. Moreover, in the early hours, he encountered Gu Ke Wu Ming again at the coordinates provided by Chen Xue. The result was the same. Seven immortal swords and twelve great wilderness ancient swords paved the way, preventing Gu Ke Wu Ming from even drawing his sword before he was defeated. As for Ling Ren Fa Zhi and others, Lin Zhao had killed them many times. His victories were generally overwhelming, whether it was in terms of cultivation realm, artifact foundation, or player equipment and micro-control. Lin Zhao still dominated these players.
Thus, in the forests of Autumn Wind Plains, a consensus gradually formed: the leader of the Scarlet Moon Knights, Bai Yi, was most likely Lin Bai Yi of the Snow Region Heavenly Pool. On the battlefield, Lin Bai Yi was a veritable god of war for the human race, with his kill count far exceeding that of top players like Su Xing He, Shen Xing Chen, Leng Yan, and Xian Bai. To players who had joined the demon, ghost, or devil factions, the name "Lin Bai Yi" was a nightmare. The moment they encountered him on the battlefield, their survival rate was almost zero.
Shortly after, Shen Xing Chen proposed a break. The Autumn Wind Plains battlefield seemed unlikely to end anytime soon. They decided to log off for six hours before logging back in. A group from the studio then logged off. Chen Xue and Luo Man cooked and prepared noodles for everyone. After eating, they all went to sleep.
...
In the game, the great battle continued.
Dozens of miles east of the Autumn Wind Plains, Jian Huang, with his proud demeanor, led tens of thousands of elites from the Lin Yuan Xian Yu guild, defending the edge of the forest. The formation even included some rudimentary crossbows, crafted by players who had learned from Mo Family craftsmanship. Although their destructive power wasn't immense, they were effective in repelling cavalry charges at this stage.
Unfortunately, the opponents were no ordinary cavalry. They were the thirty thousand pure sword cultivator cavalry led by You Ling Wang. Directly ahead, the dense ranks of what were called "Immortal Sword Cavalry" thundered forward. Above the figures of the dense cavalry, a continuous screen of flying swords formed. Most players wielded one flying sword, while those fortunate enough to awaken a second sword-containing lake possessed two. Countless flying swords shimmered with various colors, forming a dense ribbon in the sky.
"Break their defenses!" From afar, You Ling Wang, standing on his flying sword, frowned. "Don't retreat. Break through their defense line again!"
Instantly, countless sword cultivator cavalry launched sword qi impacts, continuously striking the shield formations of the Lin Yuan Xian Yu guild. Simultaneously, countless flying swords descended from the sky like a waterfall, directly targeting the backline ranged, healing, and control players. After a round of kills, they immediately retreated, allowing another group of immortal sword cavalry to continue the assault.
This was a tactic devised by You Ling Wang, Fei Long Zai Tian, and Luan San, leveraging the high mobility and extremely powerful AoE damage of the immortal sword cavalry. When applied to Lin Yuan Xian Yu, it proved remarkably effective. In just a few hours, Lin Yuan Xian Yu's front line had been pushed back nearly three thousand meters!
Furthermore, since both sides were not part of the Autumn Wind Plains battlefield, the immortal sword cavalry could absorb a certain amount of experience by killing enemy players. This created a feedback loop where the immortal sword cavalry's levels grew higher, while Lin Yuan Xian Yu players lost a level each death. In the long run, they couldn't hold out.
What was even more critical was that You Ling Wang didn't just charge blindly. He divided the thirty thousand immortal sword cavalry into groups of five thousand. Four groups pushed forward, while the remaining two constantly harassed from the flanks, forcing the enemy to retreat step by step. Initially, fifty thousand people from Lin Yuan Xian Yu participated in the battle, but by dawn, fewer than thirty thousand remained.
Jian Huang stood on his flying sword, in the wind, looking at the battlefield with a somber expression. He wasn't directly participating in the fight; it seemed pointless. Lin Yuan Xian Yu had clearly lost this battle. Jian Huang had always looked down on You Ling Wang and the Sheng Shi Mu Dan guild, considering them a mere facade propped up by universal currency. He didn't believe someone like You Ling Wang, a wealthy second-generation heir, could achieve much. However, he hadn't expected You Ling Wang, after moving to Ni Shang Tian Xia, to create such a powerful immortal sword cavalry. Facing this terrifying onslaught and mobile hunting, they truly couldn't fight back.
"Beep!"
A message arrived from Xian Bai of the Seeking Immortals guild: "Jian Huang, if it's really not working, just retreat. Right now, the Autumn Wind Plains battlefield is the focus. What's the point of you going there to fight Sheng Shi Mu Dan to the death? You're just wasting valuable version rewards."
"..."
Jian Huang remained silent, even somewhat disappointed. After all, Lin Yuan Xian Yu, whom he led, was a human-aligned guild. Now, they were being attacked by demon-aligned immortal sword cavalry, yet no other human guilds actively offered assistance. Did he expect Jian Huang to beg for help? He couldn't bring himself to do it, finding it too embarrassing.
Thus, Jian Huang frowned and replied, "Xian Bai, thank you for your kind offer, but Lin Yuan Xian Yu is not that fragile. It's not yet the decisive moment. I want to try a little longer."
"Hmph!"
Xian Bai chuckled, "Then do as you wish. This is between Lin Yuan Xian Yu and Sheng Shi Mu Dan. It's not for other guilds to interfere directly. Otherwise, I'd bring the Seeking Immortals and go kick You Ling Wang's butt."
Jian Huang was deeply disappointed, but outwardly, he still smiled, "It's fine. If Lin Yuan Xian Yu is ultimately defeated, You Ling Wang's thirty thousand immortal sword cavalry will likely grow stronger with each battle. They won't be satisfied with just defeating Lin Yuan Xian Yu. Just wait and see, it will be your Seeking Immortals' turn sooner or later."
"We'll see about that then."
Xian Bai hung up the communication, feeling unhappy and resentful. His good intentions had been misinterpreted.
Jian Huang also frowned. Anyone could say nice things, but if their actions were unsightly, then those nice words wouldn't sound so pleasant. It was one thing for Xian Bai to make empty promises to his own guild members, but Jian Huang had a sensitive stomach since childhood and couldn't stomach Xian Bai's grand pronouncements.
...
To the south.
A contingent of demon troops from a demon army tent bypassed Gu Xiao Pass and attacked it with thousands of demon soldiers carrying war bows, sabers, and shields. Many demon soldiers also carried long scaling ladders, running rapidly across the snow. In the air, some mid-tier demon cultivators hovered, continuously casting spells towards Gu Xiao Pass.
On the city walls, countless soldiers of the Rocky Army drew their bows, and arrows rained down, shooting the demon soldiers who charged to the city into hedgehogs. Behind the city walls, human accompanying cultivators, some wielding magical longbows, some controlling flying swords, and some holding their life-bound artifacts, unleashed spells towards the north, suppressing the mid-tier demon cultivators who had reached the city gate.
As for Lin Ruo, this eleventh-level martial artist, clad in white robes, stood in the center of the city wall, his brow furrowed. He was unfazed by the demon army's assault and didn't even feel the urge to act. If the demon side didn't deploy any top-tier cultivators, there was no need for him, a top-tier cultivator, to intervene. Moreover, even if he were to act, he couldn't act recklessly, as he was the commander of the army.
Lin Ruo understood all these principles, yet he still felt that Gu Xiao Pass was in imminent danger. He had a nagging feeling that someone was lurking in the darkness, watching this pass and also watching him and his fifteen thousand elite Rocky Army soldiers.
...
Further away, at the top of the nearest Sword Town Tower to Gu Xiao Pass.
The twelfth-level military sword cultivator, an old general clad in light golden armor and a tattered cloak, hugged his arms and gazed intently at Gu Xiao Pass and the attacking demon army. He frowned. Shi Jun Gang had only deployed one army tent's worth of troops to attack Gu Xiao Pass. Was he looking down on Lin Ruo and the Rocky Army? Honestly, among the generals of the Great Shang Dynasty, there were few he admired. Lin Ruo was one of them.
If Lin Ruo were truly in desperate straits, should he, an old man, risk it? And if he committed the military cultivators from several Sword Town Towers, would the sect leader scold him?
This was a difficult dilemma.
The old general sighed. He would watch for now and act according to circumstances.