Lin Zhao rushed out of the command tent, only to see rows of cavalry from the Snow Territory army passing by. He shouted, "Has anyone seen Ru Zhi?"
"Sir, Ru Zhi has just taken her sword to patrol Jiuzhangyuan," a centurion respectfully replied.
"..."
Lin Zhao didn't think much of it. He summoned his Snow Rock warhorse and galloped southwest. In less than two minutes, he arrived at the apricot grove. From where he stood, he could indeed see white horses charging out of the woods, stirring up the flying snow. As he charged further, a "ding" sound indicated he was blocked by an invisible barrier, a small, self-contained realm. Looking ahead, only the apricot grove remained; the spectacle of a thousand cavalry churning snow had completely vanished.
"Su Shan Jun!"
Lin Zhao drew his Ben Lei sword and grunted, "Can you send me into the realm?"
"Yes."
A golden radiance came from the east. Su Shan Jun traced a mountain-like image with his finger, creating a rift in the air before Lin Zhao. In the next moment, Lin Zhao spurred his horse and leaped through, entering the small realm condensed by Yu Shi Yue Ling. Straight ahead, an apricot grove swayed, countless petals falling. Yue Ling, clad in a dark green python robe, held his hand open towards a maiden's head. A mark of the sword dao on the maiden's forehead was being stripped away by Yue Ling, on the verge of vanishing.
The maiden's figure was somewhat blurry. Tears streamed down her face, yet she tightly clutched the box wrapped in white cloth to her chest, as if it were the most important thing in her life.
Her face, Lin Zhao vaguely recognized.
It was Dong Cang!
The maid who had served Lin Zhao, Xiao Jiu Er, and Xiao Shi Tou in the mountain-top villa. In fact, Lin Zhao had always regarded Dong Cang as family. When he set out for Jiuzhangyuan, Lin Zhao led the Tianchi Army to guard the camp, while Dong Cang remained at the mountain-top villa. After a century apart, who knew how Dong Cang had become an apricot spirit bound to an apricot tree.
"Yue Ling!"
Without a second thought, Lin Zhao's Snow Rock warhorse leaped. He unleashed Qian Kun Yi Zhi mid-air, powerfully striking the back of Yu Shi Yue Ling's head. Ru Zhi and Mu Zha might worry about killing a deity and incurring karma, but Lin Zhao didn't care. He was merely a player now, all his attributes materialized, naturally unbound by karma!
"Hmm?"
Yu Shi Yue Ling raised an eyebrow. His water-elemental spiritual energy shifted, forming a marsh at the back of his head. Instantly, Lin Zhao's sword strike felt like hitting a lake, exerting no force. Even with Qian Kun Yi Zhi's high damage multiplier, it only registered over 2000 damage, far from effective.
"You seek death!?"
A sinister grin crept onto Yue Ling's lips. He moved with incredible speed. Before Lin Zhao could land, a palm strike arrived with the wind. With a deafening "boom," Lin Zhao, horse and all, rolled across the grass, snapping several apricot and peach trees, utterly disheveled.
At this moment, Dong Cang's beautiful eyes widened. She looked at the young sword cultivator clad in white armor, wielding a sharp sword and riding a warhorse. She could hardly believe her eyes. This young sword cultivator looked nothing like Gongzi, yet Dong Cang recognized him instantly. There was no one else like him in the world.
"Gongzi!!!"
Dong Cang cried out with all her might, tears flowing like rain. But this time, her tears were filled with more excitement, joy, and worry. Excitement and joy because Lin Zhao had reappeared, the miracle she had waited a hundred years for had truly happened. Worry because, despite Lin Zhao's appearance, his strength was far too inferior to Yu Shi Yue Ling's, simply not enough to contend.
"Lin Zhao, isn't it?"
Yu Shi Yue Ling soared into the air, laughing wildly. "This woman is a spirit from the mountains, skilled in bewitching hearts. As a deity of the vast northern territories, it is my duty to eliminate such specters. Since you dare to disturb a deity fulfilling his duty, you must be prepared to descend to the underworld, mustn't you?"
He stomped down with immense force!
Lin Zhao rolled to his feet, abandoning his mount. Holding his sword, he lunged forward, a soaring radiance erupting from the tip of his blade. It was Sheng Long Zhan!
"Boom—"
With a resounding explosion, Yue Ling's downward stomp was repelled by Sheng Long Zhan. Yue Ling himself was lifted into the air, his expression one of sheer horror. A sword cultivator of the lower five realms possessing such profound sword techniques was truly peculiar.
"Gongzi, be careful!"
Dong Cang bit her red lips.
Lin Zhao swung his Ben Lei sword repeatedly, attacking Yue Ling with all his might. His hatred for Yue Ling was beyond words. How could Marquis Wu Yue Hao have such a son? Was this the legendary dog of a tiger father? After unleashing Zhong Zhan and Heng Sao Qian Jun, he used Qi Chong Dou Niu to shove Yu Shi Yue Ling back.
However, Lin Zhao did not immediately launch a sword qi collision. There was no rush. His current task was to stall for time, as he could not possibly defeat this Yu Shi Yue Ling alone. He was an eleventh-realm, level 135 Heavenly tier boss. How could a mere level 97, first-turn sword cultivator challenge such a boss? He could only stall until Ru Zhi or Mu Zha arrived, then it would be fine.
Mountain and water deities, their foundational cultivation was ultimately a bit lacking. Whether it was Ru Zhi or Mu Zha, their strength alone was enough to crush this Yue Ling.
"Ch-"
Amidst the sound of cutting wind, Lin Zhao, sword in hand, slammed heavily into Yu Shi Yue Ling's body. However, the stun effect of the impact was...