Three o'clock in the morning.
...
The Xuxian Guild's three consecutive assaults were forcefully repelled by the Scarlet Moon Knights. What perplexed Xian Bai, Xian Lin, and the others was that the Scarlet Moon Knights grew stronger with each battle. Especially their leader, Bai Yi, who, with his single sword, was truly a one-man army, a formidable defense against all. In the entire battle, Bai Yi alone had slain over 3000 players from the Xuxian Guild. At this very moment, Bai Yi's snow-white armor glowed with an eerie blood-red hue, as if enchanted. Their own forces could no longer even touch him.
Godslayer's Bloodlust, a celestial-grade superior talent!
The most powerful aspect of this talent was its ability to continuously stack kills to increase hidden attributes, truly growing stronger with every battle. Lin Zhao's kill count had now surpassed 3000, and the hidden attribute bonuses were immeasurable. Furthermore, Lin Zhao was now a level 86 Swordmaster with top-tier equipment, fully matured. With the effects of Godslayer's Bloodlust added on top of this, he was truly monstrous.
Outside the S-grade gem mine.
Xian Bai held his staff, his face ashen.
Beside him, Xian Lin was wiping blood from his sword blade, frowning. "We can't fight anymore. The guild brothers have all lost 2-3 levels on average. If we continue, we'll just be massacred by the Scarlet Moon Knights. Especially that Bai Yi. It must be some kind of talent skill. As his kill count increases, his attributes get a qualitative leap. As long as this Bai Yi doesn't log off, we basically can't win."
"We're just going to lose like this?"
Xian Bai frowned, unwilling to accept such a defeat. If they lost today, how could he face Leng Yan in the future? And to be defeated by someone she liked; he had already become a defeated general.
"Brother."
Xian Lin gritted his teeth and said, "The brothers are all holding a grudge and don't want to admit defeat, but what can we do? The Scarlet Moon Knights retreated to a secondary objective at the start and occupied an A-grade oil well, fighting us with a 10% attack and defense bonus. Xuxian, on the other hand, has no bonus at all. We underestimated this 10% attack and defense bonus. Moreover, the Wuwang and Guanghan Palace guilds have also sided with the Scarlet Moon Knights from the beginning. In contrast, our allies are not strong enough. Cangzhi Knights, Shengshi Mudan, Quan Yuan E Ren – a bunch of useless remnants. How can they contend with their three major guilds? If we keep fighting, we'll just be draining Xuxian's vitality. Let the brothers rest. Tomorrow, we'll find a new map to level up and recuperate before confronting the Scarlet Moon Knights again. We still have the advantage in numbers and experience; that won't change."
Xian Bai looked at his vice guild leader, his cousin, and nodded. "Alright, pass down the order. Abandon the conquest of the Goblin Treasure map. Xuxian Guild will withdraw completely."
"Yes!"
Around four o'clock in the morning.
With the formal withdrawal of the Xuxian Guild, Scarlet Moon Knights, Wuwang, and Guanghan Palace officially dominated the Goblin Treasure map. Among them, Scarlet Moon Knights occupied an S-grade gem mine and an A-grade oil well, receiving a substantial bonus of gold, guild experience, and player experience every ten minutes. Wuwang Guild, on the other hand, secured an S-grade oil well and a B-grade gem mine. Guanghan Palace also did not suffer losses, occupying a B-grade oil well and an A-grade gem mine. Thus, the resources of the new map in Tianji City were divided among the three major guilds.
Shen Xingchen, Chen Xue, Ding Chi, Luo Man, and the others logged off to rest at half-past four, unable to stay awake any longer. Lin Zhao, however, was reluctant to give up the Godslayer's Bloodlust attributes and was also worried about a counterattack from the Xuxian Guild. Thus, he stayed online with Lu Han, Shen Lan Zhi Ren, and others until past seven in the morning before logging off to rest.
...
He slept soundly until around three in the afternoon. When Lin Zhao woke up, Shen Xingchen, Chen Xue, Ding Chi, and the others had already logged in on the second floor. Wang Ju had left him a note, and there were warm dishes and rice in the rice cooker. He ate a few mouthfuls and then went to the second floor to log in. There would be a lot of things to do during this period. First, he had to guard the gem mine. Secondly, there might be major events in Xueyu Tianchi.
"Swish!"
His character appeared within the S-grade gem mine. Not far away, Chen Xue, holding the guardian insignia, was leading a group of players in killing monsters that spawned in the gem mine to level up. Lin Zhao greeted her and then returned to the city. The Goblin Treasure map no longer required his presence for the time being. After a brief respite in the city, he headed north again; it was time to return to Xueyu Tianchi.
The sky was vast and the earth boundless. This journey took another three hours.
After dinner, he arrived at Xueyu Tianchi around seven o'clock.
Stepping onto Xueyu Tianchi, it seemed to have been refreshed. The temporary camp he had personally built earlier was gone, replaced by a larger, more fortified encampment. Within the encampment were rows of tents, and facilities like a stable and a training ground had been established, already giving it the appearance of a regular army.
"My lord!"
Zhu Zhi, with the highest cultivation, was the first to sense Lin Zhao's arrival. She came out of the encampment and bowed her head with a smile. "Come and see the new encampment?"
"Good!"
Lin Zhao smiled heartily and walked into the camp side-by-side with Zhu Zhi. The first things he saw were arrow towers adjacent to the city walls, as well as some high platforms. On these platforms were mounted the demon-trapping crossbows and demon-binding ropes that Lin Zhao had purchased earlier. Bronze beasts were also placed beside the main gate. Inside the encampment, a group of armored soldiers were practicing combat techniques with their sabers in the distance. Most of these soldiers were originally disciples of the Invincible Fist Sect. These individuals were martial artists who practiced fist techniques, and wielding swords and sabers came naturally to them. Moreover, they all practiced Chu Huaixi's ancient martial tactics. Although their armor looked tattered and uneven, the overall combat strength of these 1000+ individuals was definitely not to be underestimated.
"My lord, the command tent is this way."
Zhu Zhi led the way. The command tent was set up in the center of the encampment. However, there wasn't a very good tent, so the command tent looked rather dilapidated. A flag with the character "Chen" fluttered in front of the command tent, evoking some of the old feeling of Xueyu Tianchi.
Lin Zhao took a deep breath. This was his first time stepping into a command tent as a player, and he felt somewhat uncertain. But seeing the smiles of Zhu Zhi, Mu Gua, and Xiang Ji beside him, it seemed as if nothing mattered anymore. He walked directly behind the command desk and sat down, his hand caressing the bronze desk in front of him, which was covered in sword marks and verdigris. A sense of steadiness grew in his heart, as if he had returned to the beginning.
"My lord."
Zhu Zhi looked a little embarrassed and said with a smile, "The supplies in the Northern Region are very scarce, so... this command desk was dug up from battlefield remnants. When the demon race attacked the mountain and breached the human encampment on Xueyu Tianchi, they even damaged the command desks. This is the most intact one. My lord can use it for now. When I have time, I'll go to the cities of the Great Shang Dynasty and find someone to forge a new command desk for my lord."
"No need."
Lin Zhao reached out and gently caressed the bronze desk, which was covered in sword marks, and said with a smile, "This command desk is fine. I like it. No need to change it."
"Yes!"
Mu Gua and Xiang Ji also showed a hint of a smile.
Just then, an armored soldier entered the encampment, knelt on one knee, and cupped his fist in salute. "Reporting to all lords, a group of people has arrived from the south of Tianchi Mountain. They claim to be Marshal Chu's army and wish to temporarily rest on Xueyu Tianchi."
"Chu Yu is here?"
Lin Zhao immediately stood up and said, "Please invite them in quickly."
"Yes!"
"Who is Chu Yu?" Zhu Zhi asked.
"Back then, Marshal Chu had an adopted daughter. Do you remember? Before we went to our deaths, she was sent to the Great Shang Dynasty's territory."
"Remember!"
Zhu Zhi's eyes lit up. "Then... she was still a little girl, right? Chu Yu, she was a little girl from a small town, with excellent talent in martial arts, whom Marshal Chu took as his adopted daughter. When Marshal Chu was busy back then, Mu Gua, you even helped teach her martial arts!"
"Remember, of course I remember!"
Mu Gua laughed heartily. "Is it really her?"
"Yes."
Lin Zhao said, "Chu Yu is now a ten-realm martial artist and a six-realm sword cultivator. Come out with me to welcome her."
"Yes!"
...
The group walked out of the command tent and stood at the entrance of the encampment. Outside, the sound of horses' hooves echoed. Chu Yu, leading her cavalry, arrayed themselves outside the encampment. Chu Yu, with a frown, did not expect that in just half a month, such a well-organized encampment would have been erected on Xueyu Tianchi.
"Chu Yu, we meet again!"
Lin Zhao walked ahead, cupped his fist in greeting, his smile warm and amiable.
"Mm."
Chu Yu also smiled and cupped her fist. "Young Hero Bai Yi, you are truly remarkable. To have gathered such a force in such a short period of time."
"Chu Yu."
Lin Zhao smiled. "Let's dispense with the pleasantries. Take a look at these two people. Do you still remember them?"
Saying that, Lin Zhao made way for Zhu Zhi and Mu Gua who were behind him.
"Ah?!"
Chu Yu was stunned. She was still young when she left Xueyu Tianchi, and in fact, her memories were already hazy. Moreover, she rarely saw the ten individuals from the Mountain Summit Villa. Looking at the appearances of Zhu Zhi and Mu Gua, she had a vague impression but couldn't recall their names. She couldn't help but purse her red lips and murmur, "They... you..."
Zhu Zhi nodded gently and bowed, smiling. "Under Marshal Chu Huaixi, Hundred Commander of the Death-Defying Camp, one of the ten from the Mountain Summit Villa, an eleven-realm sword cultivator, Zhu Zhi, greets the Young Lady!"
Mu Gua cupped his fist and smiled, his voice clear. "Under Marshal Chu Huaixi, Hundred Commander of the Death-Defying Camp, one of the ten from the Mountain Summit Villa, a Heavenly Origin realm martial artist, Mu Gua, greets the Young Lady. Does the Young Lady still remember that when Marshal Chu was busy when she was little, I was the one who took the Young Lady to practice boxing stances?"
"You..."
Chu Yu stood there blankly. Although she wasn't sure if these two were indeed those two, she was very familiar with the names Zhu Zhi and Mu Gua. After all, for many years, people had been compiling lists of the fallen soldiers of Xueyu Tianchi and their identities. Among the Death-Defying Camp, which had killed countless demons, after Marshal Lin, Zhu Zhi and Mu Gua were the names that stood out.
"Young Lady doesn't believe?"
Mu Gua smiled slightly, trembled all over, and immediately his fist qi surged. He gently raised his left fist, and a fierce fist qi exploded in the air, emanating the rich intent of the Marshal's martial arts. This intent was far more pure than Chu Yu's Marshal's martial arts, truly original and deeply embodying the essence of Marshal Chu's fist techniques. In contrast, Chu Yu herself, being young when she left Xueyu Tianchi, although she had preserved some of the Marshal's martial arts intent, her overall principles and intent had integrated too many things during her later cultivation, becoming mixed. There was nothing bad about it, but the flavor was not as pure.
"..."
Chu Yu still stood there blankly, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes. She couldn't help but believe, and she had to believe. After all, an eleven-realm sword immortal and a Heavenly Origin realm martial artist would have no reason to deceive the leader of a ragtag group like herself.
"You... you're still alive?" Chu Yu murmured.
"Not only are we alive."
Zhu Zhi walked to Lin Zhao's side and, with her single arm, put it around Lin Zhao's arm. She smiled warmly. "Lin Zhao is also alive. Our Marshal Lin has returned..."