"What?!"
Chu Yu's face paled in shock. "The young hero in white, is it... Lin Zhao?"
If it were Shuizhi and Mu Zha still alive, Chu Yu might have believed it, but how could Lin Zhao possibly be alive? After slaying the thirteen-realm great demon Bai Lan with his sword back then, he was bound to die from the backlash of his immortal sword. Later, to prevent the demon race from beheading him, he detonated his War God's core, his entire being reduced to dust. There was no possibility of Lin Zhao surviving. Big Wind Novel
"Impossible..."
Chu Yu shook her head repeatedly. "Lin Zhao... Lin Zhao died a martyr for the world, how could he be alive? And so young..."
Lin Zhao felt a little helpless. Shuizhi had pushed him forward, and it would be too out of character if he didn't do something. Thus, with a thought, his flying sword from the Sword Lake hummed and appeared between him and Chu Yu. The sword's edge was sharp, like a sliver of cold moonlight, incredibly keen. Looking at the bright moon, Lin Zhao said faintly, "Lin Zhao's first flying sword, Ming Yue. You might not have seen it before."
Chu Yu's lips parted slightly. She could clearly sense the exceptionally high grade of this flying sword. Its blade was extremely sharp. Regardless of whether this was Lin Zhao's original flying sword, Ming Yue, its grade was evident. It might even be a legendary immortal-grade weapon.
"Isn't this enough?"
Lin Zhao felt a bit resigned. He braced himself and continued to prove his identity. He gently raised his left arm, clenched his fist with a "boom," and integrated the intent of the Ascending Dragon Slash into his boxing technique. Instantly, wisps of surging fist intent wove around his left fist. He looked at Chu Yu and said, "Back then, I practiced the boxing technique with Uncle Long Zaitian in the small town. It's the first stance of the Farmer's Three Punches, the 'Uprooting a Shallot from Dry Ground' style. This fist intent... you probably haven't seen it either..."
Chu Yu stood frozen, her eyes wide.
Shuizhi and Mu Zha, on the other hand, were so moved they almost shed tears. After their reunion, Lin Zhao had become a pure sword cultivator. Seeing him now unleash the dense fist intent of the Farmer's Three Punches, the authentic feeling confirmed for them that this was indeed the Lin Zhao of old. No one else could replicate this.
"Lin Zhao..."
Chu Yu's beautiful eyes were slightly red. "I believe you. You are Lin Zhao. I'm so sorry... for my previous attitude towards you. It was too presumptuous. Chu Yu sincerely apologizes!"
She cupped her fists lightly.
Lin Zhao quickly returned the gesture. "Shall we come in and chat slowly?"
"Mm-hmm!"
...
Chu Yu led several centurions of the refugee army into the encampment. They all sat down in the command tent without regard for seating order. A pot of charcoal fire sat in the center of the tent, roasting a snow antelope. Soon, it began to glisten with oil. Mu Zha was skilled at this, personally sprinkling seasonings as a Heaven Yuan realm martial artist. Then, he drew his short blade and carved portions of meat for everyone.
Shuizhi, meanwhile, took out several pots of fine wine from her storage bag for everyone to enjoy.
They began to chat, discussing the world, Snow Region Heavenly Pool, the Great Chen Dynasty, Fusufu Great Wall, and the Great Shang Dynasty. Gradually, the unfamiliarity between them dissipated. Smiles began to appear on Chu Yu and her centurions' faces. As fellow survivors of the Great Chen Dynasty, their reunion here was already a rare blessing.
After three rounds of drinks, everyone was slightly tipsy.
Shuizhi glanced at Lin Zhao, who gave a subtle nod.
Shuizhi stood up, bowed to Chu Yu, and smiled, "Miss, you have led this refugee army through hardships and tribulations across the land. As you can see, we have established a stronghold in the Snow Region Heavenly Pool and are recruiting heroes from all directions. We have also established two more camps in the distant mountains, capable of housing thousands of soldiers. This forms a strategic position that allows for both offense and defense."
She continued with a gentle smile, "Neither I nor Commander Lin wish for you to continue suffering. Why not... have you and your refugee army join us? We can fight the demons together, wouldn't that be better?"
"Ah?"
Chu Yu was taken aback and felt a struggle in her heart. In truth, she was very willing. She had no family left in this world, and Lin Zhao had once trained with Chu Huaixi in martial arts and fist intent. She could even call him senior brother. Shuizhi and Mu Zha were also former subordinates of Chu Huaixi. The three of them had become her only kin in this world.
However, before Shuizhi could finish speaking, Chu Yu's veteran generals' expressions turned grim. Most of these generals were survivors of the scattered Heavenly Pool Army who had escaped death and remained loyal to the Great Chen Dynasty. As for Lin Zhao, apart from admiration, they had nothing else.
"Commander Chu."
An old general, a cultivator of the eighth realm, frowned and spoke to Chu Yu through a concentrated sound transmission, "It's fine for us to join you here, but the matter of who leads and who follows might become unclear."
Another chimed in, "After the battle of Snow Region Heavenly Pool, with the death of Princess Chen Yu, the royal bloodline of the Great Chen Dynasty is all but extinguished. Commander Chu, you are the daughter of Chu Huaixi, a descendant of the Great Chen Dynasty's marshal. If the Great Chen Dynasty needs a new king, there is no one else but you. While Lin Zhao's achievements are immense, he is, after all... an outsider!"
"Exactly!"
A grizzled general transmitted, "If we submit, there will be no more Commander Chu. What was the meaning of our century of perseverance?"
"..."
Chu Yu bit her silver teeth, unable to make up her mind. Although she was willing to merge forces with Lin Zhao, even serving under his command, she was just a young woman. Years of hiding and evading the demons had been exhausting. She needed a man to stand by her and shield her from the storm.
Her subordinate generals were skilled at fighting demons, but their tactics and strategies were utterly lacking.
...
"..."
Shuizhi, a peak eleventh-realm Sword Immortal, possessed profound cultivation. The subtle sound transmissions of the opposing generals were utterly transparent to her. She found it difficult to expose them, as it would cause everyone to lose face. Yet, she still felt indignant. Thus, when she placed down the wine pot, she applied a little more force, causing a light clink between the pot and the wooden table.
In the past, when my cultivation was low and my status insignificant, I could only remain silent when my lord was bullied. Why should I remain silent now? As a peak eleventh-realm Sword Cultivator, there's no need to indulge these petty individuals. If they are unwilling, a good fight would make them willing, wouldn't it?
Mu Zha frowned but remained silent. Although his fist intent was potent, it wasn't as refined as Shuizhi's cultivation. However, he could also sense that the other party seemed displeased.
Lin Zhao smiled gently. He couldn't hear their secret transmissions, but judging by their expressions, he could guess the general situation. He said with a smile, "It's alright, you can take your time to consider. We are here in Snow Region Heavenly Pool, and unless we are defeated, we won't leave. You can join us whenever you decide. Feel free to station here for two or three days if you pass by. We can still provide food and lodging for a few days."
"Mm."
Chu Yu nodded. "Thank you, Lin Zhao. Please give me some time to prepare. I will definitely give you an answer!"
"Mm!"
Lin Zhao nodded. In fact, during a previous defensive mission, Lin Zhao had already witnessed Chu Yu's strength. She was a dual cultivator, a genius at the tenth realm of martial arts and the sixth realm of swordsmanship. With time, whether in her martial arts or sword cultivation, her strength would not be weak. Especially if she broke through to the Heaven Yuan realm, her combat power would surely surpass Mu Zha's. After all, the cultivation prodigy chosen by Chu Huaixi would surely not be mediocre.
As a result, after Chu Yu and her group had their fill, they didn't dare to linger in Snow Region Heavenly Pool and left the mountain that night.
Lin Zhao, Shuizhi, and Mu Zha stood on the southern side of the mountain, watching them depart.
"Originally, I thought they would stay,"
Shuizhi's willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What a pity. Who knows when they will return if they leave now."
"If they are unwilling, we cannot force them."
Lin Zhao frowned. "Let nature take its course."
"Mm."
Shuizhi said softly, "I'm just worried about them. Before, this refugee army was attacking and intercepting scattered demon forces across the Northern Region. The demons didn't take them seriously, which is why they were able to survive. But it's different now. Our movements in Snow Region Heavenly Pool have been too conspicuous. Last time, we even killed an eleventh-realm demon. The demons will definitely dispatch great demons. By then... Chu Yu's army, let alone encountering a thirteenth or twelfth-realm great demon, even an eleventh-realm great demon would be enough to annihilate them."
These words were quite harsh, yet true.
Lin Zhao gritted his teeth, saying nothing more.
He turned and mounted his horse. "Let's go back and continue reinforcing the camp's defenses. Who knows when the demons will come up the mountain."
"Yes, sir!"
...
The Real World.
Luoyang City, an ancient and renowned city, had once been reduced to ruins after a great war. For decades, people rebuilt Luoyang City, and a steel metropolis rose rapidly from the ashes of the ancient city. In the center of Luoyang, a skyscraper, the headquarters building of the "Xie Group," bore its name.
On the top floor of the building, two young men were admiring the moon and drinking.
"Brother."
The blond young man looked at the moon and smiled, "The moon doesn't seem very round today."
Beside him, the man with a languid demeanor and handsome features was Xian Bai, the second son of the Xie Group, whose real name was Xie Bai. He swirled his wine glass and frowned. "We need to find a way to break the deadlock. A'Lin, think about it. Why did our 'Seeking Immortality' guild suffer such a crushing defeat? Excluding the 10% attack and defense bonus, I don't think we could still suppress the Scarlet Moon Knights. Do you know why?"
"White Robe."
The blond man, named Xie Lin, was Xian Bai's cousin, and Xian Lin in the game. He frowned. "Bai Yi, Shen Xingchen, and Chen Xue are too powerful. Their concentrated fire tactics killed too many of our main forces. This is the biggest reason we couldn't break through their defense. And that Shepherd Mo Chenxue, her skill priority mechanism is too high, it's simply unreasonable."
"You've hit the nail on the head."
Xian Bai reclined lazily in his chair. "We can't poach Bai Yi, and we can't get Shen Xingchen or Chen Xue. Can't we at least poach a mere Mo Chenxue? A'Lin, think of a way to bring Mo Chenxue to our 'Seeking Immortality.' If Mo Chenxue is willing to come, I'll pay her breach of contract fee ten times over. And once Mo Chenxue becomes one of us, with one Shepherd down, do you think Bai Yi, Shen Xingchen, and the others will still be able to cause trouble?"
"Got it."
Xian Lin smiled slightly. "Leave this to me. I'm familiar with money offensives, honey traps, and all that. You just wait for Mo Chenxue to defect to our 'Seeking Immortality' willingly."