Chapter 50: Battle!

The rough city walls were battered by gusts of howling wind. Climbing this Great Wall stronghold, forged from the flesh and blood of countless human martial artists, Lin Yin raised his head and inhaled a familiar scent—the scent of impending war, filled with the smell of blood and slaughter.

"Everyone, this is your temporary position," the martial artist leading Lin Yin and his group stopped and said.

Standing there, Lin Yin and the others looked out beyond the Great Wall, and their field of vision instantly widened boundlessly.

The vast "Great Plain" was close at hand, an area cleared away through the sacrifices of countless human martial artists, allowing those on the Great Wall to observe far into the distance.

On the other side of the Great Plain lay a continuous chain of towering, lush, and endless mountains.

There, the sunlight seemed to be completely blocked by towering ancient trees, forming an impenetrable canopy.

From that point onward began the territory belonging to the Demon Clan.

As for the Demon Lands themselves, stretching far into the distant horizon, the current human race simply had no qualifications to touch them.

"Third Battalion Captain, return to your unit immediately!"

"Yes!"

The martial artist turned to Lin Yin with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I must return to my unit at once."

"Understood, wish you safety."

"May you all remain safe, everyone safe." The martial artist smiled. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly paused, pulled out a folded letter, and handed it to Lin Yin.

This was a family letter, and the martial artist's intention was self-evident. In times of war, a letter from home was worth ten thousand pieces of gold. He did not know if he would survive to retreat from the Great Wall, but he knew that Lin Yin and his group could, so he entrusted it to him.

Looking at the letter in his hand, Lin Yin fell silent.

He had guessed the martial artist's thoughts.

Is it tragic? It is indeed quite tragic. Soldiers do not have the qualification to steer their own fate, whereas heaven-favored youths like them, nurtured by the human race, did.

Feeling as though he were holding a heavy world in his palm, Lin Yin raised his eyes and nodded gently, "I promise you."

The martial artist smiled happily, waved his hand, and left. Until the very end, Lin Yin never knew the man's name.

Yet it was precisely because these nameless warrior-soldiers charged into the fray first that the myriad lights of human homes within the Great Wall could burn bright—wasn't that so?

A deafening horn sounded—it was the command of the Great Wall Legion, declaring that the Jiayuguan Great Wall had officially entered a state of maximum alert.

War might arrive in the very next second, and a sense of nervous tension inevitably gripped the hearts of everyone in the Elite Class.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, staring unblinkingly at the deep mountains and old forests across the Great Plain.

No one knew when the earth-shaking roars of demons would ring out from those deep mountains.

Everyone waited in tension.

The Jiayuguan Great Wall was a towering fortified stronghold. Mounted along the city walls were more than seventy heavy artillery pieces. Gazing into the distance, countless blood-red Great Xia national flags fluttered in the wind. Beneath the battle flags, nearly three hundred thousand martial artists stood densely packed. The oppressive, storm-breathing atmosphere made everyone's expressions grave and stern.

"Yin-ge, do you think we can win this battle?" Fan Chou asked.

Chu Qi immediately spoke up, "An army of hundreds of thousands of martial artists, plus the Lin Family Imperial Guard—do you really think we'll lose?"

"That's not necessarily true; who knows how many Demon Kings might show up..."

"Fan Chou! You crow, shut your mouth and wish for some good luck, I'm begging you."

Lin Yin sat cross-legged at the very edge of the Great Wall, quietly gazing at the deep forests across the way, not uttering a word from beginning to end.

Curious, Fan Chou took a look, only to discover that Lin Yin's vital energy was surging, clearly in a state of cultivation.

"Whoa! No way, do you have to be this dedicated? You're cultivating even at a time like this?"

"Old Lin, Brother Lin, Yin-ge, I genuinely don't envy your talent anymore; your drive to work hard has completely won me over."

Fan Chou chattered endlessly, which somewhat relieved the tense mood of the Elite Class.

From noon to evening, Jiayuguan remained on high alert, yet until the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, there was still no movement from across the Great Wall.

Meanwhile, inside Jiayuguan's crude command room, generals frowned and conferred over a massive map spread before them.

However, the map displayed very little information; once it reached the deep mountain and forest regions, it was pitch black, devoid of any data.

"There's no help for it. Over the past few years, Jiayuguan has lost nearly five hundred martial artist soldiers just to clear the current observation plain. Once we reach the forested regions, we simply can't push through no matter what. Demon attacks happen from time to time. After losing many soldiers, we stopped scouting outward."

"The satellites aren't working either. Demonic qi naturally interferes with all modern equipment, including satellites."

"The satellite department tried every possible method, and they can barely detect just one Demon King: Jiang Chen."

"It's fine. Demon King Jiang Chen is an old opponent. Decades ago, that beast wanted to swallow Jiayuguan whole."

"Exactly, what are you all worrying about?" A general turned his gaze toward a corner where Lin Zhengyang sat with crossed arms, completely silent, and could not help but beam with pride, "With Martial King Lin here right now, are we really afraid of some Demon King Jiang Chen?"

Lin Zhengyang suddenly stood up, "Enough idle talk. Tell me about Jiang Chen's situation."

"Yes!"

The generals immediately gathered all intelligence regarding Demon King Jiang Chen.

"Jiang Chen, descendant of the Azure Demons, third-tier Demon King, but that realm was from thirteen years ago."

"Now that Jiang Chen has been in seclusion for thirteen years, we have no information on what level of strength he has reached."

"Possessing Azure Demon descendant bloodline, when pushed to extreme anger, he can activate the ancestral reversion state: Ancestral Reversion Azure Demon."

"Ancestral Reversion Azure Demon: As far as currently known, it can cause Jiang Chen's size to multiply several times. His physical strength, speed, defense, and other attributes will surge correspondingly. At the same time, he briefly masters a wind mystery, capable of launching wind-elemental attacks such as hurricanes, rainstorms, wind and lightning, etc."

"Additionally, it's worth noting that thirteen years ago, rumors circulated that Demon King Jiang Chen found the legendary ruins of the Azure Demon clan and came into contact with the purest, most orthodox Azure Demon bloodline, which is why he chose to enter seclusion. If true, once Demon King Jiang Chen activates his bloodline abilities today, they will be utterly unpredictable..."

At this, a general unhesitatingly retorted, "Impossible! The Azure Demon clan was wiped out hundreds or thousands of years ago. Even if ruins exist, it is utterly impossible for any bloodline to remain. When Demon King Jiang Chen chose to go into seclusion thirteen years ago, another theory was that he made contact with a descendant of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, benefited from mating with them, and then chose to go into seclusion to digest those gains."

"Even if it's the second theory, what cannot be changed is that Demon King Jiang Chen has grown stronger and more mysterious!"

"Thirteen years ago, Demon King Jiang Chen was already able to nearly breach Jiayuguan guarded by a million martial artists. Today, thirteen years later, it's unimaginable how strong that beast must be. If Jiayuguan is breached, how many base cities will be destroyed, how many families torn apart? It's unimaginable..."

Hearing this, the expressions of the generals darkened slightly.

"Martial King Lin, we only have this much information. What do you think?" someone asked.

Lin Zhengyang slowly stood up, an aura of detached invincibility in his eyes, "When soldiers come, block them with generals. Why inflate another's prestige while extinguishing our own spirit?"

"If Demon King Jiang Chen shows his face, this king will cut off his head. It's as simple as that."

The generals could not help but be overjoyed.

"With Martial King Lin confident, we are overjoyed!"

"Then let us congratulate Martial King Lin in advance on slaying another Demon King, establishing prestige for the human race and forging immortal glory!"

The night wind swept across the Great Wall as three solitary, proud figures stood atop the highest vantage point.

In the lead was Lin Zhengyang, followed by two general-rank powerhouses of Great Xia.

Gazing at Lin Zhengyang standing with his hands behind his back, the two general-rank powerhouses exchanged glances, their eyes filled with hesitation.

Were they really going to follow Martial King Lin's command and keep the three hundred thousand Great Xia troops stationed inside the Great Wall?

Just moments before, Lin Zhengyang had proposed a battle plan: the Lin Family Imperial Guard would descend from the Great Wall and set up defensive positions on the Great Plain, while all Great Xia troops remained behind within the Great Wall's fortifications.

An arrogance so extreme it despised Demon Kings seemed to have become an innate trait of Lin Zhengyang.

Yet... without the Great Wall as a barrier, could the Lin Family Imperial Guard truly remain foolproof?

Although the Lin Family Imperial Guard had long enjoyed a formidable reputation, the two general-rank powerhouses remained deeply worried.

"Sigh, since Martial King Lin has decided, let us not try to persuade him otherwise."

"Trust Martial King Lin."

The two general-rank powerhouses waved their massive hands, causing command banners to flutter and transmitting orders across various parts of Jiayuguan.

Immediately, rumbling sounds of heavy gates opening echoed out as the black-armored, black-steed Lin Family Imperial Guard poured out of Jiayuguan like a black tide.

They began setting up defensive positions across the vast observation plain.

The positions were constructed using heavy artillery, iron barricades, and blade traps—a standard tactical setup for the Lin Family Imperial Guard in wilderness combat.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhengyang sat right in the center of the plain, calmly closing his eyes.

*This king is right here. Jiang Chen, do you dare face my armored might...*

...

That night.

A sharp shriek shattered the tranquil night sky.

Following that, countless pairs of crimson demonic eyes lit up within the previously quiet deep mountains and old forests.

Countless massive, hideously shaped members of the Demon Clan poured out like a dark, oppressive cloud.

The mountains shook, birds and beasts scattered, and the peaceful night instantly plunged into panic.

A-O-O! A-O-O!

Dull human battle horns sounded from the mouths of warrior-soldiers.

Countless torches instantly ignited along the top of the Jiayuguan Great Wall, illuminating the crouching, beast-like stronghold.

"The demons!!"

"The demons are here!!"

"Engage the enemy! Engage the enemy!"

Hoarse roars echoed from every corner.

Footsteps on the Jiayuguan Great Wall grew utterly chaotic as the dark mass of warrior-soldiers surged to their feet.

At that exact moment, the sleeping Fan Chou was jolted awake to find that Lin Yin, who had been quietly cultivating with closed eyes, had already stood up at some point, gazing silently out toward the mountainous demon horde from the edge of the wall.

The rest of the Elite Class woke up one after another, grabbing their weapons and rushing to the wall's edge.

"Hiss!" Fan Chou drew in a sharp breath. "Is this a demon horde?"

The earth shook and the mountains quivered as the demons swarmed like a tide, their crimson eyes densely dotting the night sky like stars.

Even standing atop the Great Wall, still at least five kilometers away from the horde, the pungent stench of the Demon Clan drifted into their nostrils. The smell was acrid—the scent of death and slaughter.

Seeing the demons truly materialize, countless warrior-soldiers turned pale as paper. They knew full well that after today, many would never see tomorrow, sleeping eternally in the night—perhaps it would be the veteran comrade who loved to brag, perhaps the rookie recruit who had just enlisted, or perhaps... themselves.

Feeling the Jiayuguan city walls tremble under the march of the demons, the members of the Elite Class were deeply shaken.

"Those with courage, follow me down the Great Wall, onto the plain, to slaughter the demons."

Lin Yin's voice suddenly reached them.

Fan Chou's expression shifted sharply, "Yin-ge, are you sure? Fight the demons out in the open Great Plain with no cover?"

Humans had always been physically weaker than demons; a demon of the same tier could trounce seven, eight, or even a dozen humans.

It was precisely because they relied on the Great Wall, weapons, equipment, trenches, and fortifications that humans could barely manage to fight the demons.

Leaving the Great Wall to engage the demons in close-quarters combat carried far too high a mortality rate! It was practically suicide!

"That's right, little brother! We can slaughter demons from the high ground of the Great Wall. Isn't that much safer?" Jiang Zi-xun's beautiful eyes were filled with worry; she didn't want Lin Yin to take such risks.

Zhou Li also nodded, "Indeed."

However, Lin Yin turned his gaze back toward the Lin Family Imperial Guard, standing like a solitary island beneath the night sky.

To be honest, Lin Yin had no sense of belonging to the Lin family, nor did he ever consider it his home.

Yet he acknowledged the Lin Family Imperial Guard—a truly elite force, a formidable troop forged through fire that held no fear of life or death.

"If monstrous waves wish to sweep across the mortal world, they must first undergo a period of quiet accumulation," Chu Qi said earnestly, likewise advising Lin Yin not to take risks.

Lin Yin calmly replied, "If that process is long, then I have no need for it. Every undercurrent, every future wave, must be met proactively!"

With that, Lin Yin leaped off the Great Wall, his blade in hand, descending swiftly via chains.

"Damn it!" Fan Chou gritted his teeth and finally nodded, drawing his blade to follow.

"If you're going to die, you die. What's there to be afraid of? Old Lin, wait for me!"

Chu Qi shook his head helplessly, "Sigh, fine, fine. Then let's fight."

With a stomp of his feet, Chu Qi brandished his twin hooked blades and charged off the Great Wall.

The rest of the group—Wu Liu, Zhang Zhang, Zhou Li, and Jiang Zi-xun—exchanged glances before charging out as well.

The members of the Elite Class cut across the edge of the Great Wall like unswerving shooting stars, plunging straight into the battlefield.

"Holy crap! Holy crap!" The two general-rank powerhouses who had been secretly protecting the Elite Class nearly lost their minds.

"These little brats have lost their minds!"

"Catch up, catch up!"

"If anything happens to them, how are we going to answer to the Lord of Xia?!"

At that exact same moment.

On the other side of the Jiayuguan Great Wall.

A small convoy slowly approached from the north.

The car door opened, and an elder resembling a butler stepped out first. The character [Lin] embroidered on his chest gleamed faintly in the night. He walked to the back seat, opened the door, and offered his hand, saying, "Young Master Tianjun, Jiayuguan has arrived. But please remember our agreement: we came here secretly behind the Martial King's back, so you must be careful in everything."

A young man stepped out from the back seat—it was Lin Tianjun.

Originally, Lin Tianjun was in the imperial capital, but he simply could not set his mind at ease.

The reason for his unease was what his father had told him right before setting out: "I'll be too busy during the war to look after you; stay at home."

Such a situation had occurred before, and Lin Tianjun had never paid it any mind.

Yet now, those words and events concerning Lin Yin lurked in his mind like a nightmare.

Involuntarily, he connected it to the fact that he, too, had been born during a time of war.

*If father is fighting a war this time and has a new child outside as well, then what about me...*

A trace of worry and gloom crossed Lin Tianjun's face. He nodded to the butler, "Rest assured, I've already reached the fourth realm of Bone Condensation; I'm strong enough to fight a demon horde!"

"Take me to my father. Even if I cannot go into battle to kill the enemy, I can still beat the war drums for my father to boost his morale."

"Outsiders seeing this scene will marvel at how deep and unyielding the bond between father and son is in the Lin family."

"Besides, do you truly think I, Lin Tianjun, am someone who needs to be taken care of?"

"At fifteen, I could behead a Demon Clan prodigy with my sword. Now, I am even stronger."

Seeing how confident Lin Tianjun was, the butler could not help but remind him, "But this is a demon horde—a demon horde led by a Demon King. You've never experienced..."

"Say no more!" Lin Tianjun raised his eyes with confidence, striding forward, "So what if it's a demon horde? Let the demon horde come, and I shall slaughter it!"