Chapter 45: Jiang Chen, the Demon King

Across the Thirty Thousand Great Mountains, continuous mountain ranges teemed with a relentless mist of demonic aura. Ancient trees pierced the skies, and mighty rivers surged forward. Giant-winged birds of prey frequently cleaved through the firmament, while primeval fierce beasts occasionally revealed their colossal forms. Beyond the Great Wall—that forbidden zone for humanity—lay a paradise of demons and beasts, a mysterious realm governed by an entirely different set of natural laws.

"Are you saying that my three children were killed by a human?"

A proud and untamed, yet immensely powerful figure stood upon a mountain peak, inquiring in a soft voice.

A fierce gale howled across the summit, stripping away the gloom to reveal the being's true appearance. It possessed a slender, two-meter-tall physique covered entirely in pale golden scales, bearing a striking resemblance to a human shape. Its most prominent feature was a pale golden mark running vertically from the center of its forehead all the way down to its chin, making it look like a descendant of the ancient legendary Azure Demons.

The Azure Demons were the ultimate demonic race of ancient legends.

Faced with the King's inquiry, the subordinate demon who had come to report turned pale with fright, trembling so violently that it dared not utter another word.

"It seems that because this King has not stepped out of the mountains for over a decade, humanity has forgotten my name."

The pale golden markings on the Demon King's face writhed and parted, spawning dense rows of eyes along the golden lines. Every single eye was filled with absolute indifference and the chilling detachment unique to supreme life forms. Gazing against the wind toward the direction of the Jiayuguan Great Wall, he murmured softly, yet every single word dripped with murderous intent.

"The human race pushes us too far."

"Great Xia Nation, you deserve to die."

"Pass down my order. Gather all demon generals and every subordinate under Jiang Chen's command."

"Assemble outside the Jiayuguan Great Wall, and bring judgment upon the Great Xia Nation."

The two demons trembled violently, their eyes igniting with the fires of desire and bloodlust.

Demon King Jiang Chen was finally planning to make a formal move against the Great Xia Nation!

"Yes!"

"As you command!"

On this day, countless demonic shadows loomed across the Thirty Thousand Great Mountains, and the churning demonic mist blotted out the sun.

"All subordinates of Jiang Chen!"

"All Great Demons!"

"All Fierce Demons!"

"All Savage Demons!"

"All Demon Generals!"

"March out of the mountains!"

......

At the very same moment, the Great Xia Nation also became acutely aware of the commotion brewing beyond the Great Wall.

Imperial Capital.

"The movements of the Demon King Jiang Chen." Sovereign Xia stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out the window toward the distant Great Wall.

He had already guessed that this was the disaster triggered by Lin Yin slaying the Demon King's offspring.

Demon King Jiang Chen was practically an old rival of the Great Xia Nation.

The two sides had been locked in a bloody stalemate for nearly fifty years.

During their most perilous hour, Demon King Jiang Chen had shattered a section of the Jiayuguan Great Wall. Had the Great Xia Nation not borrowed half a million elite warriors from the Great Wu and Great Zhou nations, Great Xia would likely have been breached long ago by Jiang Chen, reducing it to nothing more than a breeding ground for demons.

"That old monster has been in secluded cultivation for over a decade, sharpening his blade solely for slaughter. Sooner or later, he was bound to launch another full-scale invasion."

"What do you think, Martial King Lin?"

Lin Zhengyang had come to the imperial palace to visit Sovereign Xia in accordance with customary protocol.

Hearing the inquiry, he replied in a deep, steady voice, "Indeed. It was only a matter of time."

"Martial King Lin, then how do you view Lin Yin's slaying of the three sons of the Demon King?" Sovereign Xia suddenly turned around, asking with a faint smile.

In truth, he wanted to test Lin Zhengyang's attitude toward Lin Yin once more.

To see if they were truly as estranged as before.

Lin Zhengyang's expression immediately darkened as he answered, "If one lacks the strength to deal with the aftermath, one should not provoke extraordinary troubles. While I acknowledge his act of slaying demons, I believe that killing the offspring of a Demon King is the reckless behavior of an ignorant youth. So what if he killed a Demon King's son? Can it change the grand strategic picture? No. Instead, it has accelerated this war between humans and demons, pushing the Great Xia Nation prematurely to the brink of catastrophe. From another perspective, this is a crime."

Upon receiving such a reply, Sovereign Xia remained stunned for a long while, looking at Lin Zhengyang with words caught in his throat.

You... do you truly view Lin Yin in this light?

Sovereign Xia desperately wanted to retort: If Lin Yin had not discovered the Demon King's offspring lurking at the foot of the Great Wall, those young beasts would have grown into an even greater calamity in a few years' time. He committed no crime; rather, he eliminated a hidden threat for the Great Xia Nation. He should be regarded as a hero of merit.

In the end, as he looked at Lin Zhengyang, Sovereign Xia could only let out a silent sigh.

No wonder Lin Yin had been desperate enough to slice off his flesh to return to his father and carve out his bones to return to his mother.

Why did your Martial King's Estate always view Lin Yin with such suspicion, skepticism, and opposition?

Was Lin Yin truly the biological son of Martial King Lin?

"Never mind. As you said yourself, this war was bound to come anyway. Even without the incident of the Demon King's sons, Jiang Chen would have made his move eventually."

Sovereign Xia cupped his fists. "This time, I must ask Martial King Lin to once again stand shoulder-to-shoulder in battle with this Xia."

"Very well."

"Then I ask Martial King Lin to lead the Lin Family Imperial Guard to garrison Jiayuguan. Simultaneously, I will dispatch some three hundred thousand elite troops and martial artists from across the Great Xia Nation to advance alongside you."

"Agreed." Lin Zhengyang paused for a moment, as if recalling another matter, and spoke up, "Regarding the Human Martial Arts Tournament three months from now, I want Lin Tianjiao to represent the Great Xia Nation."

Represent the Great Xia Nation?

If it were in the past, Xia Changsheng would have agreed outright simply to give Lin Zhengyang some face.

But now, he already had a much better candidate in mind: Lin Yin.

Teams from all eight nations would participate in the tournament, traditionally sending two representatives each.

In recent years, the Great Xia Nation had already cultivated a specialist martial arts expert specifically for this tournament.

If Lin Yin had not appeared, he would have gladly done a favor and handed the second slot to Lin Zhengyang.

Now that Lin Yin was in the picture, Xia Changsheng was utterly unwilling to give up the spot.

Therefore, he tactfully demurred, "It would be beneath Young Master Tianjiao to participate in the Martial Arts Tournament. Besides, I heard that the Martial God Palace has intentions of recruiting new members. Instead of letting Young Master Tianjiao waste time in the tournament, I believe it would be far better for him to make contact with the Martial God Palace and secure his admission there."

The Martial God Palace! Hearing that name, even Lin Zhengyang felt his heart skip a beat.

The Martial God Palace was an organization that had spread inward from overseas in recent years.

Mysterious, powerful, and possessing boundless resources, it rivaled the very Imperial Courts.

Had the Martial God Palace not shown complete indifference toward seizing political power, the Imperial Courts might well have suspected that the overseas humans harbored designs to annex the humans of the Eastern Lands.

The Eastern Lands and the Overseas Realms were currently the two major known spheres of human power distribution.

"Very well," Lin Zhengyang nodded in agreement.

Xia Changsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Regrettably, Xia Changsheng could never have foreseen that this casual maneuver of his would inadvertently brew a cataclysmic upheaval that would soon engulf the human nations of the Eastern Lands...

Tianhe City.

After concluding a full day of rigorous training, Lin Yin's vital force level solidified at 1320.

Instead of returning to the Linjiang Villa District, he chose to stay in the dormitory alongside the members of the Elite Class.

Everyone resided in the same building, occupying individual rooms.

Late at night, Lin Yin's door was gently knocked upon.

"Classmate Lin Yin... are you awake?"

Opening the door, he was surprised to find Zhou Li standing outside.

"Classmate Lin Yin, I wanted to discuss my training regimen with you," Zhou Li hurried to explain, terrified that Lin Yin might misunderstand her intentions.

After all, in the dead of night, a lone man and woman together would inevitably invite gossip.

Moreover, Zhou Li felt her identity was sensitive enough that scandal was the last thing she could afford.

"Alright, come in," Lin Yin smiled, his demeanor casual and warm.

"Thank you!" Zhou Li slipped into Lin Yin's room immediately. As she brushed past him, the delicate fragrance radiating from her dark hair was exceptionally pleasing to the senses. Lin Yin deduced that it was likely imperial-grade scented balm from the Great Zhou Nation.