Under the vast moonlight, Xiao Yishan’s figure eventually turned into a black dot and vanished into the boundless night, taking his towering dominance with him.
Holding the portrait and token in his hands, Lin Huang smiled absently, feeling as though something was missing.
It wasn’t until the moment Xiao Yishan left that he realized just how incredibly fortunate he was to become his disciple. Ren Tu Xiao Yishan—the Killing God—was perhaps a figure on the Legendary List, or even the Unparalleled List.
Even with his Martial Saint Realm cultivation from his past life, he would still be nothing but an ant in front of Xiao Yishan.
Standing quietly in the courtyard, he stared at the bright, silver plate-like moon. After spacing out for a full hour, Lin Huang silently returned to his room to begin his cultivation. Whether Xiao Yishan left or not, he could not stop his advance. For the Divine General’s Mansion, for Lin Cangxue, and for Jun Qingcheng, he had to work even harder.
Over the next few days, Lin Huang stayed in his room, cultivating day and night. The third round of the Four Great Sects’ selection was imminent, and the life-and-death battle with Crown Prince Lingyun brought immense pressure. Only cultivation could give him some peace of mind.
Meanwhile, the Great Xia Dynasty underwent drastic changes over these past few days.
Unsurprisingly, the Great Chu Dynasty’s army engaged Zhao Changfeng’s troops. A tragic and fierce battle raged for three days and three nights. When news arrived that Mountain and River Pass had fallen and the quartermaster had been slain by Zhao Changfeng, the entire imperial dynasty was dumbfounded!
The Great Xia people never expected that the four hundred thousand-strong army of the Divine General’s Mansion under Zhao Changfeng would actually lose, suffering a hundred and thirty thousand casualties and losing Mountain and River Pass. However, the defeat was not Zhao Changfeng’s fault. Rations and provisions from the rear had been deliberately withheld and delayed, forcing four hundred thousand men to fight for their lives on empty stomachs. Was this not a complete farce?
Certain members of the Royal Family were also bewildered. Had they not agreed with the Great Chu Royal Family to just put on a show? As long as they killed Lin Huang and crushed the Divine General’s Mansion, this grand theatrical war between the two dynasties would be over. Why had they suddenly engaged in real combat? And how did they lose Mountain and River Pass?
The Imperial Court was profoundly shaken. The Emperor was furious, ordering the execution of the quartermaster’s entire family—the true culprit behind the rout of Zhao Changfeng’s army. All involved personnel received the maximum penalty. Beyond Zhao Changfeng’s defeat, a far more terrifying development arose: the four neighboring dynasties surrounding the Great Xia Dynasty also began amassing their forces, intent on joining hands to encroach upon its territory. Voices advocating for peace treaties began echoing through the imperial court.
Meanwhile, public condemnation against Lin Huang reached its peak. Had Lin Huang not killed Pang Bai, how could the Great Xia Dynasty have faced such a catastrophic disaster? But despite their rage, the commoners dared not storm the Divine General’s Mansion. To their horror, they realized that with the flames of war igniting all around, this dynasty—once again caught in the storm—still needed the protection of the Divine General’s Mansion. It still needed Lin Beichen, the War God of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Lin Huang, however, knew nothing of the outside world’s turmoil. Even if he did, he would only smile dismissively. Ten years ago, Lin Beichen had said that the Great Chu Dynasty possessed a massive force of four million men, their wolfish ambitions clear for all to see. Even without the incident with Pang Bai, they would have found another excuse. Moreover, this time, the Great Xia Dynasty had dug its own grave. If they hadn’t been so intent on eradicating the Divine General’s Mansion, they never would have conceived such an idiotic scheme.
Although public discussions ran rampant and the commoners were burning with anxiety—fearing that one day, hundreds of thousands of Great Halberd Warriors from Great Chu would charge right to the foot of the Imperial City—the Divine General’s Mansion remained remarkably calm. Even as intelligence reports from the frontlines flew in like snowflakes, this estate, which had weathered countless battles, had long been forged into a bastion of composure amidst endless slaughter and conquest.
A few days earlier, Qin Xuance had moved into the Divine General’s Mansion. Tianyi Tower, the most heavily fortified location in the estate, became his command center for compiling intelligence and issuing orders. For the first two days, confronted with a mountain of news and various incidents from all sides, Qin Xuance was so overwhelmed he didn’t even have time to take a sip of water. His already pale complexion lost every trace of color. Fortunately, Lin Beichen stayed in Tianyi Tower, constantly guiding him.
Soon, the young man grew increasingly adept, as if he had experienced a sudden epiphany. He handled matters from every direction with flawless organization—deployment of frontline troops, escorting of rations and provisions, scout operations, secret missions for the Divine General’s Mansion’s spies infiltrating neighboring dynasties, identifying overt and covert enemy spies within the Imperial City, and balancing the internal court politics of the Great Xia Dynasty.
Under immense pressure, Qin Xuance’s brain functioned like a windmill that never stopped turning. Whether it was grand strategies or minor details, safe retreats after successful missions or remedial measures after failures, he delegated everything meticulously. Despite his inherently weak constitution and going three consecutive days without sleep, he didn’t show a hint of fatigue. Though he appeared even more gaunt, he was actually brimming with excitement.
Whenever he had a free moment, he would stare fixedly at two maps. One was a topographical map of the Great Xia Dynasty and its neighboring territories, while the other depicted the entirety of the East Spirit Realm. Qin Xuance had covered every inch of both maps with annotations—marking rivers, mountains, fortresses, and cities. He noted where troops could be stationed, which areas were easily defensible, which locations served as strategic strongholds, and where natural terrain like mountains and dense forests could be leveraged.
At the same time, a thick dossier sat on his desk. It contained detailed records of every figure on the East Spirit’s List of Famous Generals—from the first-ranked Xuanyuan Tibing to the hundredth-ranked Xia Houying. It documented their life experiences, personal preferences, past military campaigns, standing in their respective imperial courts, and even the number of concubines and illegitimate children they possessed.
Lin Beichen’s eyelids twitched as he watched Qin Xuance’s mesmerized state. He wondered if the guy was some sort of war fanatic.
Since arriving at the Divine General’s Mansion, Qin Xuance had also felt profoundly shocked. For the past twenty-odd years, the Divine General’s Mansion had ceased its military campaigns and no longer mobilized troops. Yet, its subordinate intelligence organization—the Dark Department—had long since woven a massive espionage network. Spies from the Dark Department were active across two-thirds of the East Spirit Realm’s territory. This was a secret known to absolutely no one aside from Lin Beichen and the head of the Dark Department. Qin Xuance had only managed to deduce it from the subtle clues hidden within the incoming intelligence.
While the frontlines burned with the flames of war, Qin Xuance masterminded strategies, and Fatty Bai lingered in brothels, Lin Huang showed absolutely no slack. There was originally only a seven-day gap between the second and third rounds of the Four Sects’ selection. However, Xiao Yishan had spent three days in the secret chamber explaining Martial Arts theories to him. This left Lin Huang with only four days to prepare for the third round. And that very day would also mark his life-and-death battle with Crown Prince Lingyun!
Initially, Lin Huang was confident that after a year of cultivation, he could at least fight Crown Prince Lingyun to a standstill. However, forcefully executing the Godslaying One Slash a few days ago had damaged his meridians, significantly reducing his strength. As things stood, his chances of defeating Crown Prince Lingyun were less than thirty percent!
Inside his room, Lin Huang sat cross-legged on the bed, an expression of sheer focus on his face. Bringing his palms together, he formed a Sealing Technique. His ten fingers vibrated rhythmically in the air. With every vibration, wisps of Primordial Qi emerged, swirling like a rainbow in the air before gradually condensing into Array Seals. He held four Array Seals in his left hand and four in his right—making a total of eight!
When Shen Diexin quietly pushed open the door, a hint of surprise crossed her cold, beautiful face. Watching the eight Array Seals gradually taking shape in Lin Huang’s hands, her frosty eyes visibly lit up.
Shen Diexin thought, "It’s only been a few days, yet he can already condense eight Array Seals simultaneously. Once he engraves the Array Patterns and condenses an Array Spirit, he’ll be considered a qualified Array Master." She couldn’t help but look at the youth before her with a newfound sense of respect.
A long while later, Lin Huang’s slender fingers paused in the air. The eight Array Seals immediately emitted a soft hum, with streaks of light flowing beautifully under the reflection of the candlelight.
"Elder Diexin!" Lin Huang opened his eyes. Seeing the woman standing quietly at the door, the smile on his face instantly froze as he called out awkwardly.
"Your condensation of the Array Seals is decent, but your speed is a bit slow. You must know that in a real battle, the enemy won’t give you the time to condense an Array," Shen Diexin said as she walked in, her cool and clear voice echoing faintly in the room.
Lin Huang’s eyes lit up. He immediately sat in front of Shen Diexin and poured her a cup of tea to curry favor.
"Next comes engraving the Array Patterns and condensing the Array Spirit. The so-called Array Spirit is also known as the Array Hub. It is the core of a Grand Array, much like a human brain, controlling the unpredictable operations of the formation.
"When engraving the Array Patterns, you must pay attention to the balance of your Primordial Qi. The slightest carelessness will cause the patterns to fall into chaos."
In the brightly lit room, Shen Diexin began explaining Array knowledge to Lin Huang.
"You need to engrave these seventeen points in your heart. If you miss even one, flaws could appear in your Array," Shen Diexin said. At this moment, her voice sounded exceptionally gentle.
"I’ve memorized them!" Lin Huang nodded with a smile. Shen Diexin’s appearance today was a pleasant surprise. Had he fumbled around on his own, it would have taken him at least half a month to bypass those common pitfalls.
Looking at Lin Huang’s earnest expression, an imperceptible smile touched the corners of Shen Diexin’s lips. She then swatted Lin Huang’s hand away and said helplessly, "I’m not drinking anymore. I haven’t even been sitting here for half an hour, and you’ve already handed me fourteen cups of water."
Lin Huang’s arm stiffened. Chuckling awkwardly, he sheepishly withdrew the teacup.
"By the way, Elder Diexin, was there something you needed me for?" Lin Huang asked in confusion. Naturally, he didn’t believe that Shen Diexin had magically divined that he was cultivating and specifically came over to guide him.
Upon hearing Lin Huang’s question, Shen Diexin’s expression clearly faltered. Averting her gaze, she said with forced calmness, "It’s nothing. I was unconscious for three days and my body felt a bit stiff, so I took a stroll around the mansion. I sensed the aura of Array Seals in your room and came in!"
Lin Huang scratched his head. He thought, "You’re a Celestial Element Powerhouse; how could lying down for three days make your body stiff? Besides, all the good spots to stroll in the Divine General’s Mansion are on the east side. What is there to see in my rundown place?"
Despite failing to understand Shen Diexin’s behavior, Lin Huang politely offered, "Then let me accompany you on a walk, Elder Diexin. There are quite a few interesting places in the Divine General’s Mansion that I’m sure you haven’t visited yet. Along the way, you can also tell me some things about my sister."
"No need. Focus on your cultivation to handle the upcoming battle. I’ve walked enough, so I’ll be heading back," Shen Diexin refused. She then turned and walked away.
Behind her, Lin Huang felt even more bewildered. In the past, every time he mentioned Lin Cangxue, Shen Diexin would react like an enraged lioness. Yet this time, she had completely ignored it.
She had actually ignored it.
Near the door, Shen Diexin slowed her pace after taking two steps. With her back to Lin Huang, she gritted her teeth and asked, "Why haven’t I seen your master, Xiao Yishan? Shouldn’t he be guiding your cultivation?"
After asking this, Shen Diexin didn’t even realize that a blush had crept onto her frosty face, her heartbeat inexplicably quickening.
"Ah..." Lin Huang didn’t process the question at first. Then, his eyes lit up, and he began to grin as if he had just discovered a massive secret.
Sensing Lin Huang’s smile, Shen Diexin grew even more nervous. She hastily added, "He was able to force four Celestial Element Powerhouses to their knees without even making a move. His realm must be extremely high. Perhaps he knows a way to restore Cangxue’s Martial Soul!"
Staring wide-eyed at Shen Diexin’s burning red ears, Lin Huang chuckled helplessly. "My master... he left!"
"What?" Shen Diexin suddenly spun around, her flushed face filled with surprise and anxiety. "Where did he go? How could you let him leave so easily? Didn’t you think about Cangxue? If he truly knew..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Shen Diexin noticed the teasing smirk on Lin Huang’s face. She immediately fell silent, coughed twice, and said plainly, "If he left, then he left. I’ll figure out another way for Cangxue."
Afterward, Shen Diexin practically fled from Lin Huang’s room.
Watching her run off like she was escaping, Lin Huang waved his hand and laughed teasingly. "You old rogue, even when you’re disheveled and rolling up your pant legs, there are still people who like you..."