A few days later.
Yu Zhi returned to the ancestral mountain of the demon race. Led by Shi Jun Gang, five military tents, comprising a total of one million demon troops, crossed Mount Pan Yun and directly arrived north of Qiu Feng Yuan, north of Gu Xiao Pass, establishing a camp that stretched for dozens of miles. In addition, there were movements from the Neon Dress World, where 300,000 iron cavalry, commanded by a cavalry general proficient in both civil and military affairs, marched south and camped a hundred miles north of Qiu Feng Yuan, casting a covetous gaze upon the mere thousands of barbarian defenders in Gu Xiao Pass.
In the demon race's command tent.
The young cavalry general clad in golden armor was none other than Yu Feng, the crown prince of the Yu Dynasty. Having suffered a defeat at the hands of Lin Zhao on his previous southern expedition, Yu Feng had been harboring resentment. If he couldn't defeat the legendary Lin Baiyi on the battlefield, he feared he would never overcome this inner demon. For an extremely proud individual who had endured such a crushing defeat, failing to overcome this hurdle would make further progress difficult.
"Your Highness."
A general of the Star River realm spoke with a deep voice, "Our scouts have just reported that Gu Xiao Pass has only a few thousand defenders. The Great Shang Dynasty has no intention of truly defending it. If we advance south immediately, we can breach Gu Xiao Pass within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
"No need to rush."
Yu Feng frowned and said, "This time, it is not just our divine race fighting; the demon race has also committed troops from five military tents. Therefore, we do not need to be the first to act. Let's see what the demon race does. As for Gu Xiao Pass, it is merely a useless fortress. We can breach it whenever we wish; there is no need to be in a hurry now."
"What does Your Highness mean?"
"Hmph..."
Yu Feng clasped his arms and frowned, "The human race's forces are limited. If we can lure their elite main army to the frigid north and annihilate them in one fell swoop, wouldn't that be more substantial?"
Instantly, the general's face lit up with a smile, "Your subordinate understands Your Highness's intentions!"
...
Early morning, White Emperor City.
In the Hall of Diligent Governance, officials stood in attendance. The young monarch, Zhao Jing Heng, clad in imperial robes, sat upon the throne. Below him were officials such as Zhao Qi Yang, Lin Yan, Li Chun Yang, and Wen Hao. As for the Eldest Princess Zhao Shu Tong, she was presiding over the grand matter of enfeoffment in the northern territories, thus she was unable to attend this morning's court session.
"Your Majesty."
Li Chun Yang, the Great Governor of War, stepped forward and said with a clasped fist, "North of Gu Xiao Pass, outside Qiu Feng Yuan, the demon race has amassed troops from five military tents, totaling one million. They are led by the demon race's strategist, Shi Jun Gang. Furthermore, the demon race from the Neon Dress World has also marched south, led by the cavalry general Yu Feng with three hundred thousand iron cavalry, casting a covetous gaze. Yet, we only have a mere few thousand defenders in Gu Xiao Pass, making us vulnerable to a swift collapse!"
Zhao Jing Heng frowned, "Are the four northern tribes about to march south again? How should our Great Shang respond?"
"Your Majesty need not worry."
Zhao Qi Yang stepped forward and said, "It is not the first time the four northern tribes have surveyed our human realm with a portion of their forces. Although they have committed one million three hundred thousand troops this time, we still have nine Sword Suppression Towers in the north and the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool. The probability of the demon race's five military tents launching a full-scale invasion south is extremely low."
A group of civil officials nodded in agreement.
Li Chun Yang said coldly, "Prince Ji Nan, your thoughts are perhaps too wishful. If the four northern tribes truly launch an offensive from Gu Xiao Pass, how shall we resist, relying solely on the River Xi Jian? Do not forget that Lin Xing Chu has a temper. If the Great Shang truly stands by and watches the River Xi Jian be attacked, what might she do in her indignation?"
Zhao Jing Heng asked, "Does the Great Governor of War mean... we need to dispatch troops?"
"Yes!"
Li Chun Yang said with a deep voice, "Your Majesty, as a military officer, I only understand the principle of meeting force with force. Currently, our Great Shang's Mountain and Sea Division is enfeoffing the land in the north, incorporating all territories south of the Snow Ridge into the Great Shang Dynasty's domain. Since this is the case, Gu Xiao Pass is the northern gateway of our Great Shang Dynasty. What reason is there not to send troops? Furthermore, on what grounds should the territories of our Great Shang Dynasty be defended by Lin Zhao of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool and Lin Xing Chu of the River Xi Jian? Therefore, I do not support standing idly by, nor do I support observing from the sidelines. On the contrary, we must send troops, and do so as soon as possible. There is no time to delay!"
"Understood."
Zhao Jing Heng nodded and asked, "Who shall command the army to Gu Xiao Pass to repel the enemy?"
"Your Majesty!"
Zhao Qi Yang said with a deep voice, "This minister recommends a person who will surely be able to defend Gu Xiao Pass and repel the million-strong army of the demon and demon races!"
"Who?"
"The commander of the Rock Army, Lin Ruo!"
Zhao Qi Yang continued, "The Rock Army is the most adept at defense among the armies of the Six Great Hall Divisions, and Lin Ruo is one of the strongest eleventh-realm martial artists in the Great Shang Dynasty. Therefore, I suggest that Commander Lin Ruo lead one hundred and fifty thousand Rock Army troops to depart from Yang Ping Pass and rush to Gu Xiao Pass overnight. Additionally, dispatch another army south of Gu Xiao Pass to provide support. With this, victory will be assured."
"Prince Ji Nan."
Grand Elder Gong Lin Yan frowned, "Are you perhaps underestimating Lin Ruo too much? Can a mere one hundred and fifty thousand Rock Army troops withstand the demon race's million-strong army?"
"Gu Xiao Pass has treacherous terrain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."
Zhao Qi Yang said with a deep voice, "Commander Lin Ruo is a renowned general in defense throughout the land. If Commander Lin Ruo, leading one hundred and fifty thousand Rock Army troops, cannot hold it, who else can defend Gu Xiao Pass?"
"You..."
Lin Yan was choked with anger. Although Zhao Qi Yang spoke righteously, Lin Yan knew in his heart that Zhao Qi Yang merely wanted to seize the opportunity to eliminate Lin Ruo and the Rock Army. Although the Six Great Hall Divisions were also a thorn in Lin Yan's side, sending anyone else was unacceptable, but he insisted on sending his grandson, Lin Ruo? Ostensibly, Lin Yan and Zhao Qi Yang were allies, but in reality, they were engaged in numerous schemes and machinations against each other.
Ultimately, after arguing until noon, it was decided that Lin Ruo would lead one hundred and fifty thousand Rock Army troops to reinforce Gu Xiao Pass. In addition, Wang Ling would lead two hundred thousand Jixia Army troops, belonging to the three northern prefectures, to rendezvous with the Rock Army. Furthermore, three hundred thousand Lin Lu Army troops and one hundred thousand elite forces from the Sword Suppression Tower would be stationed near the River Xi Jian, establishing a second defensive line to prevent Gu Xiao Pass from being breached. The third defensive line would be the Fusu Great Wall, followed by Shan Hai Pass.
Zhao Qi Yang had a large number of supporters in the court. Therefore, when he rallied his support to suggest Lin Ruo lead the troops to face the enemy, even Li Chun Yang and Lin Yan, despite their dissatisfaction, could only endure it. No one wanted to become the target of public criticism in court. Zhao Qi Yang, with his sway over the officials, even Emperor Zhao Jing Heng could only concede. What right did Li Chun Yang and Lin Yan have to refuse?
However, what troubled Lin Yan the most was that Wen Hao had also agreed, hoping Lin Ruo would lead the troops to face the formidable enemy.
Lin Yan's concern was that his grandson, Lin Ruo, must not perish in battle. Wen Hao, on the other hand, thought that Lin Ruo belonged to the Six Great Hall Divisions, and the Six Great Hall Divisions were affiliated with the Northern Commander Li Chun Yang. Moreover, Lin Ruo was an elite among the Six Great Hall Divisions. If Lin Ruo was defeated or killed, the greatest beneficiary would undoubtedly be Wen Hao, the Southern Commander. Furthermore, Lin Ruo was the only hope for the Lin family among the younger generation in White Emperor City. If Lin Ruo perished, whom else could Lin Yan support? It would inevitably be Wen Hao.
As for the battle in the northern territories, whether the human race would be defeated, whether the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool would be implicated by the events at Gu Xiao Pass, and whether it would be wiped out along with it, Wen Hao cared not at all. That person had long since parted ways with him. What did his life or death have to do with him? Besides, according to rumors in the martial world, that person, along with Xiao Jiu Er, Gu Ling Yu, Zhu Zhi, and others, had even annihilated the Qing Liang Sect, the foremost sect in the northern human territories. It was likely that he no longer needed Wen Hao's assistance. Since this was the case, it might as well be a complete severance of ties, putting an end to everything.
...
In the evening, a chime echoed through the skies of the system's main city—
"Ding!"
System Announcement: Attention all players, the [Qiu Feng Yuan Battlefield] version event has officially commenced. The demon race, demon race, and human race will open a "Qiu Feng Yuan Battlefield" in the territory north of Gu Xiao Pass. The battlefield will feature a completely free combat mode. Players who kill units and players of enemy factions will earn battlefield honor points. The higher the final battlefield honor points, the more generous the battlefield rewards will be. A great battle is imminent, and the Qiu Feng Yuan Battlefield eagerly awaits your participation!
...
Here it comes, the first version event of "Heavenly Realm"!
On the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, Lin Zhao opened the world map and immediately understood everything. The map of the eastern territories had been refreshed. The Gu Xiao Pass map was entirely blue, occupied by the human race's one hundred and fifty thousand Rock Army. South of Gu Xiao Pass was a continuous expanse of camps, where the human race's two hundred thousand Jixia Army troops were stationed.
To the north, however, were the five military tents of the demon race, along with 300,000 elite iron cavalry of the demon race, casting a covetous gaze upon Gu Xiao Pass. The player battlefield that was opened was located precisely in the central Qiu Feng Yuan. The map was vast enough for players to roam freely.
At this moment, Chen Xue called everyone for dinner.
In the studio hall, a table was laden with delicious dishes. Wang Ju had stir-fried a plate of wild mandarin fish and, knowing Lin Zhao's preference, placed it in front of him. In fact, Lin Zhao was somewhat puzzled. Taihu Lake had been closed to fishing decades ago. Where could Suzhou get so many wild mandarin fish? After all, many small rivers had been severely polluted by the war, making it impossible for mandarin fish to grow.
Therefore, Wang Ju had most likely been deceived by the fish vendor. These so-called wild mandarin fish were all farmed!
However, Lin Zhao did not expose this, to avoid upsetting Wang Ju. While Lin Zhao had certain expectations regarding culinary delights, he had not reached the point where he needed to quibble over such matters.
"There are activities tonight."
Shen Xing Chen said, "Qiu Feng Yuan Battlefield. Players can freely grind each other."
Ding Chi frowned, "More and more players have joined the northern four tribes during this period. These individuals will definitely go to the Qiu Feng Yuan Battlefield and will be a major source of our honor points."
"Brother, are you participating?" Luo Man looked at Lin Zhao.
"I'll see. I don't know if the rewards are generous enough."
"Whether they are generous or not is unclear."
Chen Xue smiled and said, "Anyway, I heard that the reward for the player with the highest honor points at the end of the event is a ghost-level divine artifact equipment for their class."
Lin Zhao took a deep breath, "Then I absolutely must participate. I love ghost artifacts the most!"
Ding Chi, Zhang Jun, and Shen Xing Chen looked at him with disdain.
In fact, this event should primarily be about player duels. It was perfect, as Lin Zhao had not participated in player events for a long time, and had almost avoided PvP activities in recent times. Therefore, if he could participate, he certainly would, to hone his PvP skills. It was a way to polish his techniques, so he wouldn't just be able to fly through the air fighting great demons of the upper realms, and forget how to duel players.
...
At seven-thirty in the evening.
After eating their fill, Lin Zhao led the group from the Scarlet Moon Knights online, ready to enter the battlefield.