"You..."
Yun Cheng let out a low roar, goosebumps erupting all over his body. His opponent was at the Heavenly Origin Realm, a surprisingly stable one at that. The intense fist intent felt like Mount Tai crushing down, making Yun Cheng feel suffocated.
In a narrow encounter, retreat meant death, advance meant life. Yun Cheng, without hesitation, threw a punch towards the sky, meeting Mu Zha's fist with his own.
A deafening boom erupted, accompanied by splashing fist aura that sent shockwaves through everyone present. Many human civilians and demon soldiers were sent stumbling. With a single punch, Yun Cheng's feet sank into the ground, having withstood the blow from a Heavenly Origin Realm martial artist. The physical prowess of the demon race was indeed renowned!
But just then, a burst of fist intent exploded behind Yun Cheng. Chu Yu's punch had arrived!
Before the action, Lin Zhao's command was simple: eliminate the enemy commander in the shortest time possible. This would leave the demon army of 10,000 elites leaderless, reducing casualties for the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. Thus, experts at the Eleventh and Tenth Realms joined forces to attack the enemy's Star River Realm demon cultivators.
"Bad!"
Yun Cheng's heart chilled. After taking Mu Zha's thunderous punch, he was struggling to regain his spiritual energy and had no strength left to dodge. His back took the full force of Chu Yu's punch, sending him flying forward, spitting blood. A sense of despair washed over Yun Cheng as he was helplessly thrown through the air. Before he could even land, he saw a simple-looking youth, brimming with fist intent, meet him and deliver a swift uppercut to his chin.
The one who punched was a Ninth Realm martial artist, Chen Ben, blessed with innate divine strength!
"Crack—"
Despite being in the Ninth Realm, Chen Ben's punch carried the force of a Tenth Realm expert. It directly dislocated Yun Cheng's jaw. Yun Cheng, in mid-air, was in unbearable pain. Before he could react, a sword light and a blade gleam interwove. The sword light came from Xiang Ji, and the blade gleam from Xu Sheng. Two more wounds appeared on Yun Cheng's body as he fell straight towards the ground.
"Die!"
Mu Zha lunged forward, his hands clasped around Yun Cheng's head in mid-air. The next moment, his entire body erupted with fist aura, the power so immense it was unbelievable. He directly twisted Yun Cheng's head off his body, grabbed him by the hair, and raised the head of the Star River Realm demon cultivator high above the demon army: "Yun Cheng is dead! Who dares to defy?!"
The demon soldiers were utterly terrified. They had traversed the Northern Territories and skirmished with scattered human forces before, but their victories had always been overwhelming. Never had they witnessed such a scene. Were these ferocious beings truly human?
"Attack!"
Lin Zhao, clad in white robes and riding a Snow Rock warhorse, led 5,000 Snow Domain cavalry in a direct assault on the demon army. Before reaching them, he reached into his怀, igniting four Sword Illumination Talismans. In the next instant, the talismans transformed into four radiant sword energies that bombarded the advancing demon army of 10,000. Two of these belonged to Su Qingjiu, and the remaining two to Lin Wanhua.
Instantly, Lin Zhao's stamina dropped by 80 points. Each use of a Sword Illumination Talisman consumed stamina, so they couldn't be used indefinitely. However, the sword energies of four peak Twelfth Realm Sword Immortals were more than enough to handle the current situation. The four talismans transformed into four brilliant sword lights that swept through the demon ranks, accompanied by a dense tide of sword qi. They almost instantly pierced the demon formation. The dispersed sword qi attacked continuously, its destructive power immense, killing over 4,000 demon soldiers in a single blow!
It was false that a Twelfth Realm Sword Immortal could break ten thousand armors with one sword, but breaking a thousand armors was more than enough!
"Kill!"
Raising his Rushing Thunder Sword, Lin Zhao unleashed a sword qi cage into the demon ranks. He then maintained his charging momentum and activated his Sword Breaking Style, causing streams of sword qi to shuttle forward from behind him. The impacts in the demon soldiers' ranks, though not as potent as the Sword Illumination Talismans, were still significant, helping to supplement the damage inflicted by the Snow Domain cavalry.
As the two armies met, the Snow Domain cavalry, mounted on uniform Cloud Radiance warhorses and clad in armor, wielding lances, and most of them possessing martial foundation in the lower or middle five realms, proved even more formidable than Yu Feng's Divine Race iron cavalry. With a series of deafening roars, the Snow Domain cavalry surged through the demon lines like a tidal wave, swiftly slaughtering the thousands of demon soldiers under Lin Zhao's command.
When Mu Zha, Chu Yu, Chen Ben, Xiang Ji, and Xu Sheng joined the fray, the demon army collapsed even more rapidly. The combat power of the two sides was simply not on the same level.
In less than ten minutes, the demon army of ten thousand was decimated, with the remaining soldiers fleeing westward.
"Withdraw!"
Lin Zhao raised his hand and turned towards the 100,000 civilians of Furong Prefecture, who had been treated as sacrificial offerings. He spoke loudly to them, his voice resonating: "We are from the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. The Great Shang Dynasty does not consider you people, treating you like livestock and presenting you as a sacrificial tribute. But we, the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake, will not. The demons have retreated, but they will surely return. I now grant you your freedom. Are you willing to return with me to the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake, where there is food, shelter, and no fear of the Great Shang Dynasty's persecution?"
At that moment, many civilians knelt. The hearts of the common folk are simple. They will follow whoever saves their lives and treats them well. Whether it was the Great Shang, did it truly matter?
"Move out!"
Mu Zha, riding his warhorse, declared in a thunderous voice, "We must hurry, lest the demons pursue us!"
"Sir..."
From within the crowd, a young girl stepped forward, gritting her teeth. She was the same girl who had nearly fallen victim to Yun Cheng's malice earlier. After walking for days in the north, her face was covered in dirt, but it could not conceal her beauty. Her bright, expressive eyes were a testament to her potential to become a great beauty. Knowing Lin Zhao was the commander of these human cavalry, she approached him and pleaded, "Many of us are injured, and some are almost frozen. We can no longer walk."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao frowned and looked at Chu Yu and the others. "All Snow Domain cavalry dismount and act as grooms. Give your warhorses to those who are injured or unable to walk. We will escort everyone back to the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake on foot. And we must be fast, as fast as possible!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Snow Domain cavalry dismounted one after another.
At that moment, the 100,000 civilians witnessed this with their own eyes, many shedding tears of gratitude. From Furong Prefecture to Guyuan Pass, the journey was long and arduous. They had suffered greatly along the way, treated like animals. The Great Shang cavalry under Zhu Qiong showed them no mercy. Yet, these human cavalry were willing to lead horses and walk. The hearts of men are made of flesh and blood. This small gesture alone had won the complete devotion of these 100,000 civilians to the Snow Domain Legion.
With the sound of hooves, they rapidly moved south, exiting Guyuan Pass, and then followed the Tianchi Mountain westward, heading straight for the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake.
Along the way, the Snow Domain cavalry distributed their three-day rations to the starving civilians. Many ate ravenously, which caused Lin Zhao discomfort. In Furong Prefecture, most of these people could have lived with dignity. But under the decree of Marquis Chun'an, Zhang Yuan, they were no longer considered human but lambs waiting to be slaughtered in the eyes of the demons and ghosts.
...
Their feet moved slowly. Upon reaching the pre-arranged supply point, below the snow mountain, many cavalry and grooms from the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake were already present. They had prepared meals, and steaming pots of military broth, along with cages of steamed buns, filled the civilians' eyes with delight. Each person received a steamed bun and a bowl of broth, and they ate heartily in the snowy ground nearby.
After eating, they continued westward.
In the early morning, as the dawn broke in the east, the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake came into view. Far below the mountain, the disheveled Tang Guangjun, with a long sword on his back, descended to meet them. He bowed to Lin Zhao with cupped fists and, with a sidelong glance, observed the clouds in the distance. Da Yao Feng Quan, hidden within the clouds, frowned. He had intended to find an opportunity to strike Lin Zhao, but Tang Guangjun had come down to meet them. Had this fellow truly disregarded their brotherhood from years past?
"Tang Guangjun, lead the way."
Lin Zhao smiled.
"Yes, Mountain Lord!"
Tang Guangjun nodded with a smile. Inwardly, he was genuinely pleased. Lin Zhao had actually smiled at him; this was incredibly rare. For a moment, Tang Guangjun felt as if he had received an extraordinary reward, a surge of noble heroism filling his chest. He felt he had finally earned his junior brother's approval, even if only once!
The 100,000 civilians ascended the mountain.
As everyone stepped into the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake, a chime sounded in Lin Zhao's ear. Although this mission had arrived quickly, the plot compensation for the level was quite high—
"Ding!"
System prompt: Congratulations on completing the plot "Breaking the Legend of the Sheep Tribute." You have received plot compensation rewards: Current level experience +150%, Charm +3, Gold Coins +12000, Reputation +4000!
...
"Shua shua~~~"
Two consecutive showers of golden light descended. He had already leveled up to 104. With the flesh of the Twelfth Realm Great Demon, coupled with the plot compensation rewards, the leveling speed was indeed fast. Lin Zhao even entertained a thought: if he had kept all the black carp meat for himself instead of sharing it, would he have been the first max-level player in the national server?
However, this thought only existed for a brief moment before he dismissed it. It didn't seem right. If his level was too outstanding, what about others? As a person, one should always consider the feelings of others, shouldn't they?
Besides, his strength never solely depended on his level. Reaching a comparable level was enough.
...
Panyun Mountain, Demon Army Camp.
Shi Jungang, his face veiled, sat quietly in the commander's seat and said indifferently, "Ten thousand heads of sheep, not a single one remains?"
"None."
Feng Quan said in a deep voice, "They were all plundered by Lin Zhao to the Snow Domain Heavenly Lake. Even Lord Yun Cheng had his head twisted off by Mu Zha. This time, we underestimated them. We never expected Lin Zhao to intervene in the matter of the sheep tribute."
"Utterly despicable..."
Shi Jungang trembled with rage and declared, "The humiliation Lin Zhao has inflicted upon me, I shall repay tenfold!"