Lin Wanhua frowned as she looked down at the riverbed. The strong demonic energy had vanished in an instant, seemingly suppressed by some unknown force. She couldn't be bothered to guess what had happened, and instead drew her sword and headed west. With a surge of potent sword intent, her sword, "Jing Hua," cleaved through the air, stirring the river into a frenzy. In a flash, countless dense water droplet sword qi rained down towards the west.
"Huh?"
Above the churning currents of the Kusong River, Liu Bai held the Azure Wave Halberd, his demonic energy surging. Just as he was about to spot Lin Wanhua, he saw the river transform into an onslaught of sword qi flowing upstream. The intense sword intent and dense sword energy left him breathless. Where was that fellow immortal who had been lurking at the riverbed?
Relying solely on himself, Liu Bai knew it was a long shot to block Lin Wanhua. Even in his peak state, before Yan Beichen severed the river's ley lines, it would have been impossible for him, as a demon king, to kill Lin Wanhua alone. This thirteen-realm sword cultivator was far more powerful than an ordinary one.
He suddenly raised the Azure Wave Halberd, stirring up waves to defend himself, but it was futile. The water droplet sword qi continued to pierce through his defenses with a "puchi puchi" sound. In no time, many sword qi struck Liu Bai's protective demonic aura. Even more dire was the approaching figure with a sword in hand. Lin Wanhua's personal intervention was a completely different matter.
"Not good!"
Liu Bai communicated telepathically with Yu Zhi, "That immortal fellow, imprisoned for a thousand years, is making no move. I'm retreating!"
"..."
Yu Zhi was also greatly surprised and could only assent.
In the next moment, Liu Bai turned and fled. Enduring the sting of Lin Wanhua's sword strike on his backside, he plunged into the river, riding the river's currents and speeding west, disappearing into the Ghost Realm in a blink of an eye.
Lin Wanhua did not pursue. She merely held her sword and slowly returned to the Washing Sword River.
...
At the riverbed.
The thirteen-realm flood dragon, resembling a tiny mudfish, was forcefully dragged back into the depths of the earth's core by a golden palm. It looked terrified, appearing weak and helpless. It turned and knelt on a massive earth rock, ignoring the immense pressure of the earth veins. It kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Great Immortal, Great Immortal, this humble demon has offended. Please spare my life."
"Hmph!"
The other party let out a soft chuckle.
When the little mudfish looked up at the Great Immortal, it saw a tall woman, imprisoned between the fissures of the earth veins. She wore golden armor, and a long, water-elemental cloak trailed behind her, though it was tattered. Her left hand had pulled it into the earth's core, and in her right hand, she held a golden broken sword.
In an instant, the little mudfish understood the other party's identity. It stopped kowtowing, flipped onto its back, and even crossed its legs, saying with a laugh, "I knew who it was. It's Lin Xing Chu, the River God of the Washing Sword River, Your Ladyship."
"???"
Lin Xing Chu looked at it in confusion and said, "Do you think that because I'm trapped in the earth's fissures, I can't deal with you?"
As she spoke, Lin Xing Chu opened her left hand, and boundless water energy surged from the depths of the earth. In an instant, it condensed into sharp water-elemental sword tips that pressed against the little mudfish's forehead, nose, throat, chest, and various other positions. They were so dense that it could turn the thirteen-realm creature into a sieve in mere moments.
"..."
The little mudfish was dumbfounded. How could a deity, suppressed deep within the earth, possess such divine power? It thought for a moment and understood. Although this was the depths of the earth, it was still within the territory of the Washing Sword River. To put it bluntly, even though Lin Xing Chu was not free, she was still a genuine fourteen-realm deity. Dealing with a thirteen-realm flood dragon like itself was a piece of cake.
Understanding this, the little mudfish's mouth twitched. It raised a dragon claw and gently nudged the sword tip at its nose slightly away, chuckling, "Your Ladyship, why take it so seriously? This humble one was just joking... This humble one is new to your esteemed territory and did not pay my respects to Your Ladyship. It was truly rude of me. Please do not take offense. If you have any commands, Your Ladyship, please do not hesitate to speak. This humble one's word is its bond, and I will surely keep my promises."
"Oh?"
Lin Xing Chu's lips curved upwards, and she smiled, "Were you sent by the Demon Ancestor?"
"Aiya!"
The little mudfish stamped its feet and beat its chest, its eyes filled with resentment. "Don't mention that despicable old Demon Ancestor. I only made a small mistake back then, and he imprisoned me in Ancestral Mountain for a thousand years. As soon as I was released, he sent me upstream to lurk at the bottom of the river under Your Ladyship's jurisdiction. Is this Demon Ancestor blind? Your Ladyship is sharp-eyed, clear-sighted, and peerlessly beautiful. How could she possibly not discover such a humble creature as me?"
"Oh?"
Lin Xing Chu smiled, "You are called 'Xiao Ke'?"
The thirteen-realm flood dragon, originally named "Hao Tian," immediately knelt on the ground, cupped its claws into fists, and said, "Thank you, Your Ladyship, for bestowing this name. From now on, my name shall be Xiao Ke. Forever and ever, Xiao Ke wishes to follow Your Ladyship's side, without any second thoughts!"
Lin Xing Chu narrowed her eyes and smiled, "You said that, Xiao Ke. Conveniently, there is something I need you to do right now."
"Ah?"
Xiao Ke tilted its head, revealing an innocent and cute expression, and said with a laugh, "What does Your Ladyship need Xiao Ke to do? I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
"Here..."
Lin Xing Chu struggled to adjust her position in the earth's fissures, reclining more comfortably. She raised the broken sword in her right hand and said, "My River God's treasured sword was smashed by the Sun Moon Water Fire Cudgel of Man Yuan in the last great battle. My weapon is broken, and the power of my divine body has weakened accordingly. Now, I am also trapped in the earth's core and cannot leave. Therefore, the urgent priority is to re-temper and restore this sword. Moreover, the restored River God Sword must be even more powerful, otherwise, there would be no point in restoring it."
"Oh?"
Xiao Ke grinned, "What does this have to do with me?"
Lin Xing Chu pointed and said, "You are a thirteen-realm flood dragon on the verge of becoming a true dragon. Your dragon horns have already turned golden, possessing the spiritual essence of a true dragon's horns. They are the finest forging material in the world. Therefore, I will borrow one of your dragon horns to forge my sword."
"Ah?!"
Xiao Ke was struck by lightning. "This is my intrinsic treasure!"
"Is it?"
Lin Xing Chu narrowed her eyes and smiled, "I am telling you this, not discussing it with you. Do you understand?"
"I... I..."
Xiao Ke still wanted to say something, but a golden hand descended from above, firmly grasping one of its dragon horns. Then, a slender jade leg stepped out, pinning down Xiao Ke's tail. Lin Xing Chu began to exert force, her fourteen-realm divine power surging. The base of the dragon horn creaked, and cracks began to appear.
With a "snap," a crystal-clear dragon horn was pulled off by Lin Xing Chu.
Xiao Ke, with tears in its eyes, knelt on the ground. "As long as Your Ladyship likes it, take it. It is the good fortune of my humble dragon horn to be used by Your Ladyship to refine a sword. There is nothing to be reluctant about. We are all one family, why be so clear about distinctions?"
Lin Xing Chu smiled and nodded. With a wave of her hand, she conjured many water-elemental vines, directly imprisoning Xiao Ke within them. She smiled slightly and said, "Xiao Ke, although you are obedient and well-behaved, you are still a demon, and your wild nature is difficult to tame. Therefore, I will keep you imprisoned here. You can keep me company while I am here. You are not to leave until I can get out of the earth's core."
Xiao Ke immediately cupped its fists, its face filled with sincerity. "This humble one is willing to obey Your Ladyship's commands. May Your Ladyship live for ten thousand, ten thousand years!"
Lin Xing Chu began to reforge the River God Sword, ignoring him.
...
On the Washing Sword River.
Lin Wanhua returned to her small boat. Her previous strike had overturned countless floating coffins on the river, thwarting the coffin bearers' scheme to refine water energy and the souls of the Xia clan's heroes. As long as Lin Wanhua was here, the Ghost Clan would likely not dare to make any significant moves. As for Lin Zhao, he stood atop the jungle on his sword, patrolling back and forth. Any ghost cultivator above level 120 he spotted was immediately attacked and slain by his flying sword, giving them no chance to breathe.
In the chat channel for the various alliance leaders, "Yi Shi Cang Liang" said, "Looking at the situation, with Lin Wanhua holding the line, the Demon Clan and Ghost Clan won't be able to cause much trouble. Should we also make a decisive move?"
"Yes."
Su Xing He said, "We must make Ding Chun Qiu and his group suffer a painful defeat today, otherwise they will return again, and we will be the ones to suffer in the end."
"Mmm!"
Xian Bai said in a deep voice, "The seven major guilds should directly encircle them. Trap the seventy to eighty thousand ghost cultivators led by 'Quan Yuan E Ren' in the northern forest. We'll kill them as soon as they revive. As long as we maintain our momentum, we can kill them until they reach level 1."
"I think that's feasible."
Leng Yan said, "Lin Zhao, what are your thoughts?"
"The overall situation is decided."
Lin Zhao smiled, "As long as everyone has fun, I have no objections."
"Alright!"
Yan Yu Han said in a deep voice, "Then today, we will have a thorough game with Ding Chun Qiu and his group!"
In an instant, the seven major guilds were united in their common goal. And it wasn't just them; players continued to arrive from the north or from the direction of Fusung Great Wall. By afternoon, over 400,000 players were hunting the 80,000+ ghost cultivators of "Quan Yuan E Ren" on the north bank of the Washing Sword River. There were respawn points in the forest, and even after they revived, they would be killed, creating an endless cycle.
...
In a gloomy forest, death qi shrouded the air.
Ding Chun Qiu descended from the sky on his flying sword, carrying his coffin on his back. He frowned and said, "Master, have we failed just like this? My brothers are being slaughtered like livestock by those people."
"Lin Wanhua is guarding the Washing Sword River."
Tan Xin, wearing a qipao, emerged from the depths of the forest. Her jade-like legs were long and shapely, incredibly beautiful. She frowned and said, "The Demon Clan's plan also seems to be contained. Liu Bai came to the Human Realm for a visit, but he left in a hurry. It seems the Human Realm has other schemes. Our coffin-bearer clan must consider our fallback options."
"What do you mean?"
Ding Chun Qiu frowned, "Do we really have to admit defeat?"
"What else can we do if we don't admit defeat?"
Tan Xin's eyes were filled with anger. "You expect me, an eleventh-realm cultivator, to directly clash with Lin Wanhua, a thirteen-realm sword cultivator? To go to my death?!"
Ding Chun Qiu hastily knelt. "I would not dare..."
"Alright."
Tan Xin frowned and looked towards the west. "If all else fails, take your people and follow me west. Only by returning to the Ghost Realm will we have a path to survival."