Chapter 1718: I Am No Saint, Xing Han's Tale
"Long ago, Sect Leader Qin showed me kindness, and his wife Ling Yuxiu also took care of me at the Wen Dao Academy. Therefore, I left a one-percent flaw for Sect Leader Qin, allowing him to escape from the Burial Path Divine Coffin. I only left one percent, but I never expected Tai Chu to turn that one percent into one hundred percent. What was he thinking?"
Xing Han, carrying his box, silently passed through Lanfeng Valley and entered Yankang.
The battle in Lanfeng Valley was extremely brutal.
This front line was stretched very long, centered on Lanfeng Valley, spanning almost all divine cities from the south to the north of western Yankang. Yankang had mobilized almost every army it could, deploying all kinds of heavy weapons!
Even the Netherworld Lady had led the few divine demons of the Netherworld Realm to participate in this Battle of Lanfeng!
The two sides fought a series of seesaw battles around each divine city. First came the clash of armies outside the cities, with shifting formations and attacks on defenses, flesh and blood flying everywhere.
Then came the street fighting inside the cities, even more bloody, with every alleyway piled high with corpses.
One divine city after another was battered and broken, trailing thick smoke as they fell from the sky!
All the armies of Yankang and Carefree Village had taken the field, with a steady stream of newly built cities being sent to the front lines. Ships and barges escorted these new divine cities, loaded with all kinds of divine weapons and artifacts.
Entering Yankang, Xing Han saw that the interior was already on a war footing. Various supervisory factories were activated, mines were being worked day and night. It was no longer the peaceful scene of years past, no longer suitable for him to quietly pursue his studies.
Along the way, he also encountered the Sun Guard and Moon Guard armies of Xuan Du, locked in battle with Yankang's own Sun Guard and Moon Guard armies. Both sides fought bloody battles on the ground and in the air, a truly tragic sight.
He also encountered Zhankong Tathagata leading the Buddhist soldiers of the Buddha Realm, guarding a series of passes behind Lanfeng Valley, clashing with small-scale units of the Heavenly Court that had broken through the valley. One Buddha after another from the Buddha Realm fell under a flurry of random blades.
Xing Han frowned. "These monks..."
He did not stop. Yankang was a holy land of reform, possessing much knowledge. He did not want to get involved in these battles that had nothing to do with him.
Xing Han and Yankang only had a mutually exploitative relationship. Yankang needed his knowledge and wisdom to drive reform, and he had repaid Yankang with many of his own research results.
Besides, he was not from Yankang. When he was born, Yankang did not yet exist, nor had it been established as a nation.
Some called him a sage born once every five hundred years, but he never thought of himself that way.
He was merely a seeker of the Dao.
On the road, he also encountered many divine demons of the Heavenly Court, charging into the heart of Yankang, burning, killing, and looting everywhere. But Xing Han did not intervene. These things were just fleeting clouds before his eyes.
"When I reach the Wen Dao Academy, if there are new results, I'll stay and research. If Yankang is broken, then I'll leave. I am free and unfettered," he thought to himself.
Suddenly, a surge of corpse qi shot into the sky ahead. Startled, Xing Han looked forward and saw nine extremely dense columns of corpse qi, like black smoke pillars, rising from the ground and shaking violently in the sky!
Such intense corpse qi, Xing Han had never seen before!
"In this chaotic world, all sorts of demons and monsters emerge, and many good collectibles have appeared." He felt a hunter's thrill.
He walked forward and saw over a thousand divine demons ahead, using cloud chariots to push nine huge coffins, wrapped in chains, heading east.
Among those divine demons, there were few strong ones. Only a blind old man was a Di Zuo level powerhouse, and a woman in white had strength barely worth noticing. But to Xing Han, these were nothing.
"Judging by the coffin specifications, they should be Emperor Coffins!"
His heart stirred. He looked back. The people guarding these coffins should be protecting the deep rear of Lanfeng Valley. Several thousand miles from here, there were a few human cities.
"None of my business."
He was about to go seize the Emperor Coffins when suddenly, divine and demonic light surged in front of the coffins. It was the Heavenly Court's Divine Strategy Left Guard and a vast army of demons, surging towards them like a tidal wave!
"Form ranks!"
The woman in white raised her sword, shouting loudly: "Prepare to meet the enemy!"
The thousand or so divine demons each set up formations, extremely tense. Some of the divine demons were young, still carrying a bit of childishness.
The blind old man, meanwhile, unlocked the chains of the nine Emperor Coffins, pushed open the coffin lids, and bowed, saying, "Senior brothers, this is our final battle."
Xing Han was puzzled. "These coffins look like they are from the Shang Huang era. Could the nine coffins contain the corpses of the Shang Huang era Heavenly Emperors? I don't yet have a Shang Huang Heavenly Emperor in my collection..."
Just as he thought this, the box at his feet suddenly took off on its six legs, heading straight for the woman in white.
Xing Han was stunned. The box ran faster and faster, soon rushing down the mountain peak to the woman's side, rubbing against her legs, very affectionate.
Seeing the box, the woman in white was both surprised and delighted. She bent down to stroke the box and spoke to it. The box jumped for joy, very excited.
Xing Han walked over and saw that the woman was very gentle, with a sweet face, and a pair of small dragon horns hidden in her hair. She should be from the Dragon Clan.
"Shang Huang Sword God?"
Xing Han tilted his head, thinking, then said, "No wonder you are so familiar with my box. I heard that back then, Sect Leader Qin enlightened my box, rode it back forty thousand years, and met you there."
"You are Xing Han?"
Bai Qiu'er was surprised. She touched the box and said, "Back then, Qin Mu and I did ride on this box for a whole night's journey. I am very grateful that it helped us escape the Heavenly Court's pursuit."
Xing Han nodded, walked over to the Shang Huang Emperor Coffins, looked inside, and said doubtfully, "These Heavenly Emperors have been dead for who knows how long. Now they have become corpse demons, merely driven by obsession. You are facing the Heavenly Court's Divine Strategy Left Guard; you simply cannot contend with them. The combat power of the Divine Strategy Left Guard is comparable to a Heavenly Lord. The obsessions in your corpses will be shattered in no time, and even your corpses won't be saved."
He shook his head, looked back at the thousand or so Shang Huang divine beings, and shook his head again. "You won't last a quarter of an hour. You will all die here."
Inside the coffin, a Shang Huang corpse sat up, ghostly fire flickering in its eyes, corpse qi spreading, and said in a gloomy voice, "We are already dead. What do we have to fear?"
Xing Han laughed derisively. "This battle of yours is utterly useless! You can't stop them!"
Bai Qiu'er stepped forward and said seriously, "The reason the Divine Strategy Left Guard and the Netherworld demons are marching so urgently is that National Teacher Jiang Baigui is pursuing them from behind. If we can hold them off for one day, the Yankang National Teacher can lead his army here..."
Xing Han laughed loudly, shaking his head. "Based on my understanding of the Divine Strategy Left Guard's combat power, you can only last a quarter of an hour before you are all wiped out. You are Shang Huang people, and you have the corpses of Shang Huang Heavenly Emperors. Why must you fight to the death to protect Yankang?"
"What we protect is not Yankang."
A Shang Huang corpse said, "It is this land, and the people on this land."
Xing Han's heart was touched, but he immediately shook his head and laughed. "You can't accomplish anything. You're just going to die. Box, let's go!"
He walked forward. The box hesitated for a moment, then took a step to follow him, but stopped again, standing between him and Bai Qiu'er, wavering.
Xing Han frowned, stopped, and said, "Box, come with me."
The box took two steps towards him, then stopped again. Suddenly, the box opened, and a torrent of his collected items sprayed out, piling up like a mountain.
The box emptied itself, closed its lid, and ran back to Bai Qiu'er's side.
Xing Han was so angry he laughed. "What are you doing? You have no combat power. Are you staying here waiting to be chopped up for firewood? Put the things away and come with me!"
The box did not move.
Xing Han flew into a rage. He waved his hand, storing his collected items back into his divine storage, and sneered, "Fine. I don't need you. I have always come and gone alone. I don't need any friends. I only used you as a tool to pass the time. I haven't needed you for a long time! Go ahead and die with them!"
He turned and left. After walking a short distance, he looked back and saw the box opening and closing with a clatter, as if talking to Bai Qiu'er.
"I don't need friends."
Xing Han snorted, flicked his sleeve, and said with utmost nonchalance: "It's just a box that Sect Leader Qin enlightened. I never considered it a friend. I am not lonely at all... And I certainly won't be delayed by these Shang Huang people's foolish sense of righteousness! Hahaha!"
He laughed loudly and walked away.
After a while, Xing Han stopped, sat down on a rock, and rested his chin on his hand. The box still hadn't followed.
A moment later, Xing Han stood with a dark face beside Bai Qiu'er. The box was at his feet, affectionately rubbing against his leg.
Xing Han's face was gloomy. "Don't touch me! I wasn't worried about you at all. Don't touch me... Fine, you can keep these collections. Don't touch me. Who was worried about you?"
Ahead, the Divine Strategy Left Guard and the demon army were getting closer and closer. The Shang Huang divine beings were extremely tense. A young general beside him pushed up his visor, revealing a shy smile to him. "My name is Luo Shu. My mother wanted a girl and had the name picked out, but then I was born. I only cultivated to the Divine Realm two years ago. Senior Xing Han, my name is very strange, and your name is also strange. I think we are kindred spirits. Aren't you nervous?"
Xing Han's facial muscles were stiff. He wasn't used to talking to strangers.
"Later, I got a little sister, but my name wasn't changed. They all laugh at me for having a girl's name. But this time on the battlefield, they won't laugh at me anymore."
Luo Shu said with a confident smile. "I won't be afraid. In this battle, I will show them that I am a man!"
Xing Han turned his head away.
Finally, the Divine Strategy Left Guard army arrived. The Shang Huang corpses shot into the sky, and the blind Yi Shisheng also charged out, forming a formation with the nine Shang Huang corpses to meet the Heavenly Court's Divine Strategy Left Guard army!
Boom!
The two sides collided. You Bijun saw the successive Shang Huang Heavenly Emperors and couldn't help but laugh. "So it's the dead Shang Huang Heavenly Emperors! Even the Great Brahma Heavenly King Buddha was killed by me. Do you bunch of corpses think you can stop my Divine Strategy Army?"
Whoosh—
The demon army surged like a tide over a series of hills, flanking the Divine Strategy Left Guard from both sides. Bai Qiu'er urged her divine sword, shouting loudly, "Form ranks! Block them!"
Luo Shu's face was flushed with excitement. He followed the other Shang Huang soldiers, shouting loudly, "Fight to the death—"
The two armies collided with a thunderous crash. Countless demons had massive, ferocious bodies and astonishing combat power. In the very first clash, more than half of the thousand or so Shang Huang divine beings were lost!
Xing Han's expression was indifferent. He whispered to the box, "Don't follow them. Just stay by my side."
As soon as he finished speaking, a human head rolled to his feet. Xing Han was stunned. This head belonged to the young divine being named Luo Shu from just a moment ago.
Luo Shu's eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the sky.
Xing Han's heart trembled. He turned his head away. "Tch... Why... why can't I stop these tears all of a sudden..."
He clenched his fists. All around, demons danced wildly, their faces twisted.
Xing Han looked at Luo Shu's eyes. The boy's clear eyes were slowly becoming clouded.
"I..."
Xing Han's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty. Suddenly, the box left him and charged into the swarm of demons.
"I am no saint!" Xing Han roared. The box suddenly opened.
His aura exploded. Countless demon forms flew through the air. Xing Han shot into the sky. From the box surged a torrent of all kinds of terrifying collected items!
Woom—
A terrifying wave of energy erupted, sending countless demons tumbling. Xing Han was like the most terrifying demon in the world, slaughtering wildly!
A day later, Jiang Baigui led his army to the scene. They saw that thousands of miles had been leveled to the ground, littered with corpses. The Divine Strategy Left Guard and the Netherworld demons and monsters were almost completely wiped out.
Xing Han sat on his box. Beside him stood a girl in bloodstained clothes, leaning on her sword and panting. A blind old man stood aloof beside the corpses of the nine emperors.
The nine Shang Huang corpse demons were completely dead, their obsessions gone.