Not long after, Lin Zhao, Nuo Zhi, Mu Zha, Chu Yu, and Xiang Ji returned to Snow Domain Heavenly Pond. Xu Shuo stood before a pile of bones, looking at everyone, and chuckled, "Congratulations on successfully assassinating Shi Jun Gang. This battle will likely enrage the Ancestral Mountain of the demon race. Have you considered your next move?"
"We haven't," Lin Zhao replied with a smile. "But letting Shi Jun Gang live is also dangerous."
"That is true," Xu Shuo conceded. "Alright, the remains of the Heavenly Pond Army are all here. How do you plan to handle them?"
"Bury them in the back mountain," Nuo Zhi suggested. "The back mountain is vast. Even if the demon race captures Heavenly Pond Mountain, they may not be able to find these soldiers' remains."
"Mm," Lin Zhao nodded in agreement.
...
Shortly after, the cavalry of the Snow Domain Legion began to work, wrapping the remains of the Heavenly Pond Army soldiers in clothes and cloth. A long river of people flowed towards the back mountain. Lin Zhao took the opportunity to go offline for dinner. After eating his fill and regaining his strength, he returned online and arrived at the back mountain. Small grave mounds had already dotted the mountainside. However, with the severe shortage of supplies in Snow Domain Heavenly Pond, after these soldiers' remains were buried, there were no candles, incense, or paper money, only the solemn farewells of Nuo Zhi, Mu Zha, Chu Yu, and others.
Upon arriving, Lin Zhao clasped his hands in respect towards the graves and said loudly, "In the past, you all fought alongside me on the battlefield. In the end, you did not fall in battle and have your bodies returned. Today, your remains are re-interred. May you rest in peace, or continue to remain in the mortal world to resist the Four Northern Tribes. The peace and stability of the world owe much to your contributions! And also... Hua Ping, Luo Yang, Gu Luan, Zhu Zhi, Zi Ye, Dong Hu, Wu Lian, Lei Yue, you must all be well. Though we are separated by yin and yang, Lin Zhao will forever remember you..."
Nuo Zhi and Mu Zha nodded gently at the side.
Lin Zhao took out ten pots of wine and placed them in a row before the foremost graves. Mu Zha, Nuo Zhi, Chu Yu, and others stepped forward one by one, picking up a pot of wine and pouring some before each grave. The remains of over seven thousand soldiers had long since been consolidated, so they were buried in over a hundred graves. These wines were enough to honor every heroic spirit.
As Lin Zhao, Nuo Zhi, Mu Zha, Chu Yu, and the others left, the sky began to darken. Figures appeared in the dense forest of the back mountain – all were heroic spirits of the Great Chen Dynasty who had died in battle.
Among them, a spirit resembling a young girl looked at the retreating figures of Lin Zhao and the others with tears streaming down her face. She cried, "Lin Zhao... Lin Zhao has never forgotten us..."
"Hua Ping, don't cry..." Beside her, a female warrior gently put her arm around Hua Ping's shoulder and said softly, "Our Lord will naturally not forget us. He will remember every one of us forever." The female warrior was named Gu Luan, and she was only nineteen years old when she died.
"Alright..." Not far away, a spirit with a sword on his back chuckled with a gentle smile. It was Luo Yang, who was as renowned as Nuo Zhi back then. He looked at the retreating backs of Lin Zhao and the others, his eyes reddening. "Actually, for the past century, everyone said they had no regrets, but can one truly have no regrets? This century of suffering has been difficult for no one. We had to hide from the sun, from thunderstorms, from the spring breeze, and even from the rainy weather, fearing that a single misstep would damage our spiritual bodies. But until today... our Lord, Nuo Zhi, and Mu Zha are still here. Moreover... Nuo Zhi and Mu Zha are already at the eleventh realm. They are still killing demons, eleventh-realm demons at that. Thinking back now, our deaths were truly not in vain..."
Beside him, the spirit warrior Zhu Zhi laughed and said, "What are you talking about? Our deaths were certainly not in vain. The realm has been at peace for a hundred years, and every one of us has contributed. Seeing them return today brings such comfort to our hearts. If we were alive, we would certainly have a grand drinking session today..." Behind him, Zi Ye and Dong Hu burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Lei Yue and Wu Lian held Hua Ping's hand, comforting her. Among the group, Hua Ping cried the most fiercely. It couldn't be helped; when Lin Zhao was alive, he doted on Hua Ping the most among the ten on the mountaintop. Hua Ping looked into the distance, her beautiful eyes filled with reluctance. She wished so much she could return to his side like Nuo Zhi, even for a day or an hour. She would trade her remaining life for it, but it was already impossible. Separated by yin and yang, how could they be together? Her lingering spirit by his side would only hinder his great cultivation.
"Alright~~~" Gu Luan gently patted Hua Ping's shoulder and smiled. "I know you miss our Lord very much, and he must miss you too. Now, we... watch him from afar, like the eight hundred thousand spirits of the Xia Clan, guarding the mountains and rivers, not disappointing him. Isn't that better?"
"Mm!" Hua Ping, tears like rain, nodded vigorously.
At that very moment. Lin Zhao, walking side-by-side with Nuo Zhi and Mu Zha, suddenly felt as if his heart was being squeezed. He instinctively turned around, looking at the dark and silent mountain forest in the distance. He seemed to sense that someone was watching him, but he could not see them. So, Lin Zhao clasped his hands in a bow towards the distance and lowered his head, unwilling to look up for a long time.
"Lord..." Gu Luan, Luo Yang, Zhu Zhi, and the others clasped their hands in return. Hua Ping's tears burst forth again, and she cried inconsolably.
What did the separation between heaven and earth matter? There was a connection in the unseen!
...
Snow Domain Heavenly Pond.
Returning to the commander's tent, Lin Zhao felt a slight fatigue. He propped his chin on the bronze desk, resting for a moment. Not a few minutes later, a bell rang, and the reward for assassinating Shi Jun Gang arrived.
"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations on completing the quest [Assassinate Shi Jun Gang]. You have received compensation rewards: Experience points +150%, Charm +3, Gold coins +6000, Reputation +4000, and an additional reward: [Shattered Cloud Knee Guards] (Earth-grade)!
"Huh?" Lin Zhao rubbed his eyes, almost unable to believe what he was seeing. An additional reward of an Earth-grade item? His heart swelled with joy. The reward for assassinating Shi Jun Gang was far superior to the compensation for the previous two quests, both in terms of level and charm points. Moreover, it awarded an Earth-grade item. Indeed, Shi Jun Gang held a significant position among the demon race, making his assassination absolutely necessary!
Opening his inventory, the Shattered Cloud Knee Guards, emitting a faint orange glow, lay quietly in the corner. The glow was mesmerizing. In the entire Huaxia District, only a few Earth-grade items had appeared. Shen Xingchen's staff was Earth-grade, rumor had it that Xinghe's Su Xinghe's chest armor was Earth-grade, and Cang Long's Yi Shi Cang Liang's pair of battle boots were Earth-grade – all obtained at the risk of their lives. Due to the color of the equipment, Earth-grade items were also called orange gear. At this stage, ordinary players could not even dream of obtaining orange gear. Seeing someone wearing orange gear in the main city would cause quite a stir.
With a wave of his hand, the attributes of the Shattered Cloud Knee Guards appeared, a truly pleasing sight.
[Shattered Cloud Knee Guards] (Earth-grade)
Type: Armor
Defense: 750
Strength: +125
Stamina: +122
Agility: +120
Special Effect: Damage Reduction +6%
Special Effect: Physical Dodge +10%
Special Effect: Damage Increase, deal +20% damage
Special Effect: Gale, +55% movement speed
Special Effect: Tenacity, increases user's HP by 4000
Additional: Increases user's attack power by 30%
Additional: Increases user's defense by 30%
Required Strength: 1200
Required Level: 90
The attributes were impeccable. 6% damage reduction, 20% damage increase, a Gale effect, and an additional 4000 HP from Tenacity were enough to elevate Lin Zhao's stats to a new level. Furthermore, after receiving the experience points from the quest compensation, Lin Zhao had already leveled up to 90, just enough to equip it.
With a "clunk," the Shattered Cloud Knee Guards replaced the Flowing Gold Feathered Goose Greaves that had dropped from Xihe Da Guokui. He had gone from rags to riches, obtaining his first Earth-grade item, significantly boosting his combat power.
[White Robe] (Sword Master)
Level: 90
Attack: 1652-2677 (+250%)
Defense: 2490 (+263%)
HP: 39250
Critical Hit: 18%
Lifesteal: 48%
Damage Reduction: 25%
Damage Increase: 65%
Wisdom: 99
Charm: 37
Reputation: 37780
Combat Power: 6250
Nearly 40,000 total HP, true attack power of over 9300, true defense of over 9000, 18% critical hit rate, 25% damage reduction, plus a terrifying 65% damage increase. This Sword Master was both fierce and resilient. Ordinary players facing Lin Zhao would find it difficult to damage him or withstand his attacks. With such attack power, a single Qian Kun Yi Zhi would likely deal over ten thousand damage.
"Not bad..." Lin Zhao looked at his attributes, a pleased smile on his face.
Just then, a person entered the tent. It was Xu Shuo, a long sword strapped to his back and holding an exquisite sword box. He walked solemnly towards Lin Zhao and said, "I should be going."
"Ah?" Lin Zhao frowned. "You're leaving?"
"Yes, my sect's mission is complete." Xu Shuo placed the sword box on the bronze desk, glanced at Lin Zhao, then at Nuo Zhi and Mu Zha. "These past few days, I've explored almost every corner of Snow Domain Heavenly Pond and set up a grand formation for it. This is probably my most proud creation to date. It cost over a hundred famous swords and countless inscription spirit stones. The key to activating the sword formation is in this box. From now on, this box will be yours to keep."
"Ah?" Lin Zhao stood up, clasped his hands in a bow towards Xu Shuo, and then opened the sword box. Inside lay an incredibly ancient and solid greatsword. The blade had no patterns, but it exuded an immensely profound sword intent. The hilt was simple and ancient, clearly not an ordinary item.
"This sword is named Ju Que," Xu Shuo said calmly. "It is the sword of an ancient sage, lost in the mortal world and found by me. I have forged this sword into the core of this sword formation, hence I have named this sword formation Ju Que San. As long as one possesses this Ju Que sword, the Ju Que San formation can be activated at any time. Once the formation is activated, let alone a twelfth-realm great demon, even a thirteenth-realm great demon will not be able to break through in a short while."
"Thank you!" Lin Zhao expressed his gratitude again.
"Also," Xu Shuo smiled. "Since I'm helping to the end, here is a talism stone. It is used to control a mechanical giant beast that I placed at the foot of the northern mountain of Snow Domain Heavenly Pond. This mechanical beast is extremely sophisticated and buried deep underground. It can only be summoned for assistance with the talism stone. Its strength is comparable to... an eleventh-realm Sword Immortal. It's not too powerful, but it is very convenient for killing lesser demons."
Lin Zhao repeatedly expressed his thanks, feeling that Xu Shuo was truly a good person at this moment.
"Alright, I really must go now. I'm returning to my sect."
Lin Zhao, holding the sword box containing the Ju Que sword, escorted Xu Shuo with Nuo Zhi and Mu Zha to the edge of the camp. These twelfth-realm Mohist sword immortals soared into the air, standing within a flying sword. They smiled slightly at everyone and clasped their hands, saying, "Let's all strive for greatness together. We will surely meet again in the future!"
Lin Zhao and the others clasped their hands in return to see him off. Xu Shuo soared into the sky, transforming into a ray of light. Standing on the flying sword, he couldn't help but glance back at the beloved girl, but alas, it seemed she already had someone in her heart. "My life is truly bitter..." Xu Shuo couldn't help but sigh.
In the Mohist ancestral home, among the younger generation below the Grand Master, Xu Shuo was undoubtedly outstanding. In terms of seniority, he ranked second among his fellow disciples. Furthermore, his swordsmanship ranked second, only behind his eldest disciple brother, and his mechanism skills ranked second, only behind his third disciple brother. In the Mohist ancestral home, he was known as Xu the Second.