Within the cage.
Lin Zhao let out a faint sigh. He could only see through Leng Yan's eyes and could only watch helplessly as Tang Guangjun sacrificed himself for the realm.
He slowly closed his eyes, his heart filled with inexplicable grief. He recalled the desolate appearance of the slovenly man when he first arrived at Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, and he remembered all sorts of past events concerning the slovenly man.
In truth, a person like Tang Guangjun could not be summarized by "good or evil." He was not among the extremely good people, and at times, he could be vengeful. However, he could not be described as evil either. After all, in the Mountain Peak Villa, for the sake of the great cause of humanity, Tang Guangjun had stepped forward without hesitation, not sparing his newly acquired thirteenth realm. What human thirteenth realm could achieve such a spirit?
Lin Zhao was deeply saddened. In the future, even if the Mountain Peak Villa were to be rebuilt, there would no longer be a slovenly man guarding the gate in his robes, nor would there be a slovenly man squatting by the lotus pond every day, waiting for meal times, just to have food at the table, even if it was just a corner of the table.
Tang Guangjun could show a ferocious face to everyone in the world, but only in the Mountain Peak Villa, towards Dong Zang, Liu Liying, Tong Yu, Zhang Luobai, and others, towards everyone weaker than himself, Tang Guangjun had never suppressed them with his realm.
At least in the Mountain Peak Villa, Tang Guangjun had treated everyone with kindness.
It was truly a pity that such a person had died.
...
"Farewell, Sword Immortal Tang!"
On the city wall, Yi Shi Cang Liang's eyes were red. He stood on the crenellations and earnestly clasped his hands towards the direction in the sky where Tang Guangjun had fallen, saying, "May the Great Dao of humanity prosper!"
For a moment, many players were moved.
Many players who were not in combat status followed suit, especially a group of young, passionate male players. They were all moved and clasped their hands towards the sky: "Farewell, Sword Immortal Tang!"
Even female players like Chen Xue, Leng Yan, Shen Xingchen, and Luo Man felt a sting in their noses upon seeing this scene.
At this point, was the game "Tian Xia" truly just a simple game to everyone?
Perhaps it had long been more than that; it was more about life, about the martial world, about a digital life that everyone had spent together in this virtual world.
Su Xinghe led his troops outside the Ten Directions Grand Array, frowning. "Sword Immortals Su Qingjiu and Tang Guangjun have both sacrificed themselves for the realm. Brothers, we are not cowards. Contribute what you can, hold back the assaults of the demon and fiend races, and do not let them approach White City. Just as Lin Zhao said, even if Snow Domain Heavenly Pool eventually falls, we must break off a fang from the demon race!"
"Yes!"
The leader of the Wuwang Alliance, Shu Mei Jian Qing Feng, had red eyes. He pointed his blade north and roared, "All sword tips point north, protect the mountains and rivers of our human race!"
"Sword tips point north!"
"Sword tips point north!"
On the outer defense line, these four words were passed from mouth to mouth, as if they possessed some kind of magic, uniting the hearts of the players in the national server. For a moment, the sounds of battle outside the city were earth-shattering. Every second, countless national server players were killed, but every second, countless national server players were resurrected and teleported from White Emperor City, throwing themselves into the fray! The Great Wind Novel Network.
At this moment, what mattered most in everyone's hearts was no longer points rankings or final prize draws, but the honor and disgrace of being a member of the human race.
...
"Whoosh!"
A figure in white, as pure as snow, flew over and caught the formation eye talisman left by Tang Guangjun. It was 杦栀. The moment 杦栀 stood in the formation eye position, she unleashed a sweeping sword strike, turning countless fifth-realm cultivators among the demons into bloody rain. The ten demon soul swords transformed into strands of demonic light, attacking the great demons Ji An, Chen Feng, Lian Ban, and others, forcing them to retreat one after another.
杦栀's killing intent was indeed inferior to Tang Guangjun's, but her comprehension of the sword path and her state of mind were superior to Tang Guangjun's, especially her state of mind, which was not just a little bit stronger. Therefore, 杦栀's thirteenth realm was a bit more stable than Tang Guangjun's. Furthermore, she had spent a great deal of effort cultivating and refining the ten demon soul swords, and they possessed a natural Heavenly Dao suppression over the demon race. With 杦栀 in charge of the formation eye, there was even a slight advantage.
It was a pity that the people were no longer complete.
When Su Qingjiu was in charge of the formation eye, she was assisted by Tang Guangjun, 杦栀, and Huang Tingyu, three thirteenth-realm sword cultivators. Therefore, when Su Qingjiu was in charge of the formation eye, the defense of White City was at its strongest.
After that, Tang Guangjun was in charge of the formation eye, with 杦栀, Gu Lingyu, and Huang Tingyu behind him, and they could still barely hold on.
Now, 杦栀 is in charge of the formation eye, and Little Jiu'er and Tang Guangjun have both sacrificed themselves for the realm. Huang Tingyu has to serve as the formation controller. The only one who can truly assist 杦栀 is Gu Lingyu. Moreover, Gu Lingyu is from the Confucian school. Although she is a sage, she is ultimately not proficient in the sword path, so her assistance to 杦栀 is even more strained.
Therefore, with 杦栀 in charge of the formation eye, she was destined to fight the hardest.
But she had no regrets. Her beautiful eyes were filled only with killing intent, with no attachment to life.
Ultimately, Lin Zhao had died again. Could he still be reincarnated through self-destruction this time?
Difficult.
Back then, the protection of saints like Ding Muchun and Qin Suihan might have been the fundamental reason for Lin Zhao's lingering remnant soul, but now these sages were too preoccupied in the upper realms to even care for themselves. Moreover, this time, Lin Zhao was crushed under half of Wuwang Mountain, bearing the suppression of more than half of the demon race's ancestral mountain. He was likely already scattered into dust.
Therefore, since Lin Zhao was already dead, 杦栀 was willing to follow him in death.
For a time, the ten demon soul swords fought with all their might, constantly cutting down eleven-realm and twelve-realm great demons. However, the once sharp sword tips were constantly chipped and damaged, but she did not hesitate at all, her killing intent growing stronger.
...
"Hmph!"
From afar, the demon ancestor Qing Kui, high above the clouds, sneered and said through telepathy, "杦栀, the sword immortal with the left hand, was an unknown nobody in the great battle of Snow Domain Heavenly Pool back then. Now, she has actually grown to this extent. Such a person must be eliminated. Everyone, do not confront 杦栀 head-on. We have already sacrificed enough of our kin, and there is no need to die more under the demon soul swords."
"Hmm."
Beside the demon ancestor, the great demon Yu Zhi, who had not made much of a move, wearing a fiery red dress, looked forward with beautiful eyes and said, "The demon soul sword possesses a Heavenly Dao suppression force against our demon ancestors. Since that is the case, Lord Demon Ancestor, then send the umbrella-wielding heart demons to kill 杦栀."
"I had the same intention."
Demon ancestor Qing Kui stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Go."
For a time, streaks of fiery red fireflies rolled out from the core of half of Wuwang Mountain, attacking 杦栀 under the cover of night. Instantly, the sky above Snow Domain Heavenly Pool was filled with a vast expanse of fiery red fireflies.
For just one 杦栀, Wuwang Mountain deployed a full twenty thousand umbrella-wielding heart demons!
"Hmm?"
In the wind, 杦栀 narrowed her beautiful eyes, looking at the countless umbrella-wielding heart demons crushing towards her. Without much thought, she unleashed countless sword intents, continuously unleashing majestic sword energy to slaughter those umbrella-wielding heart demons. Now, 杦栀 was at the thirteenth realm, and after the fall of Wuwang Mountain, the rules of the upper and lower realms began to merge. Therefore, in some places where chaos had not yet begun, 杦栀 was the first to gain an advantage, and as a thirteenth-realm cultivator, she had already merged with the rules of the upper realm.
Thus, with a swing of her sword, Chengxin, sword path aura surged. Each sword could annihilate many umbrella-wielding heart demons comparable to the eleventh realm. However, there were simply too many umbrella-wielding heart demons in the world. How could one sword of 杦栀 possibly kill them all?
Not far away, Gu Lingyu's dharma body shone brightly. She also summoned refined characters, and strands of Confucian brilliance shuttled through the air, helping 杦栀 to blast and kill those umbrella-wielding heart demons. However, with a swarm of two hundred thousand umbrella-wielding heart demons, even if these two thirteenth-realm cultivators were to kill them, it would still take a long time to finish.
...
Eastern Territory, wind and snow swirling.
The military tents of the demon cavalry from the Neon Sky Kingdom stretched out in a continuous line. Behind them was the supply camp, which allowed these demon cavalry to fight on the battlefield for days.
Inside the main tent.
Su Chan, the commander of the demon's three armies, wore armor and a golden helmet. His handsome face was full of caution. He looked at the troop deployment on the sand table and said, "What is the situation with our four hundred thousand troops?"
Yu Feng, the Commander of Divine Cavalry, frowned. "Not good. Snow Domain Heavenly Pool has the advantage of its high terrain, White City is very sturdy, and the defense of that Ten Directions Grand Array is too strong. Our cavalry has already suffered heavy losses under the concentrated fire of the human artillery before even touching the borders of White City."
"Not good..."
Su Chan's expression was grave. "Lin Zhao's placement of White City as a chess piece in Snow Domain Heavenly Pool was actually to deliver a blow to the falling of the Divine Mountain and to immediately curb the southward offensive from Wuwang Mountain. But the person in charge of the demon race did not believe in evil and insisted on leveling Snow Domain Heavenly Pool before coming south, which is truly troublesome."
"The demon race has no choice."
Beside him, Princess Ming Yu, dressed in a long skirt, frowned slightly. "Commander Su, the demon ancestral mountain cannot just ignore Snow Domain Heavenly Pool. If they were to march south directly, Wuwang Mountain would inevitably be attacked by Su Qingjiu, Huang Tingyu, Tang Guangjun, and others, and the losses would likely be even greater. This is an unsolvable predicament, they have no other choice but to level Snow Domain Heavenly Pool first."
"Hmm."
Su Chan nodded. "Your Highness, our demon cavalry has always been unstoppable on the plains, as if entering an uninhabited realm. I believe that the attack on Snow Domain Heavenly Pool should be led by the demon race. As for us... why not take a different path and march south from Gu Xia Pass with the army, first eliminating the human race's pieces north of the Washing Sword River, and simultaneously cutting off the supplies and food for Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, turning it into an isolated city. Tens of thousands of troops, an isolated city, how long can it last?"
"Good!"
Princess Ming Yu nodded. "I have no objections, Commander Su, please issue your orders."
"Yes!"
Su Chan nodded respectfully, then turned around. "Lord Yu Feng, please trouble yourself to travel to the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool battlefield and convey my commander's order to transfer two hundred thousand cavalry eastward, to cooperate with the four hundred thousand cavalry behind, a total of six hundred thousand cavalry to pass through Gu Xia Pass and march south into human territory!"
"Yes!"
...
On the Washing Sword River.
Golden Begonia Boats lay across the river, supporting the entire waterway transport.
On one of the Golden Begonia Boats, a River God Maiden, clad in golden armor and trailing a golden water transport cloak behind her, leaned on her sword and gazed from afar at Snow Domain Heavenly Pool.
Xiao Zhao, Xiao Jiu'er, were both gone.
Lin Xingchu's pretty face appeared as usual, but in reality, her heart was about to shatter.