The Word of Heaven

Chapter 347 Total War
The rain kept falling, accompanied by lightning and thunder.

The bright moon was obscured by layers of clouds, and the high platform hung alone under the sky. The black shirt was illuminated by lightning and appeared pale.

Gu Zhuo looked at Wang Jingshuo quietly.

The once mighty general of the Northern Army, who had dominated the wilderness for nearly a century, reached out in a daze and carefully touched his brow, feeling the fact that death was approaching. His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just smiled silently.

The next moment, the sword intent of Yi Shui blossomed from its aperture, not as beautiful as a flower, but flowing like water.

Like the mighty rivers that have never changed their course for thousands of years.

Wang Jingshuo's body was washed away by the surging sword intent, until it ceased to exist in solitude.

On the wasteland.

Pei Jingge raised her dark eyebrows slightly, still feeling that Gu Zhuo was too kind.

How could such a death not be a fulfillment of one's wishes?
She didn't know if Wang Jingshuo was satisfied, but she was certainly not.

Zhao Qi's voice rang out from the side: "Heaven's will is Heaven's will, and it cannot be changed by human will..."

Pei Jingge suddenly turned around, her long skirt fluttering in the storm, and asked, "Have you forgotten about Cangzhou?"

Zhao Qi remained silent for a long time before saying, "I must not forget this for even a moment."

The image of the Lord of Wuyou Mountain responding to the starry sky and using the Big Dipper to form a killing sword formation, melting away like ice and snow before the Lord of Dao, was enough for him to remember for a lifetime.

"But the events of tonight have already proven..."

He looked into Pei Jingge's eyes and said seriously, "That's not fate."

Lightning flashed again, and the world turned white in an instant.

Pei Jingge understood and said, "This is the real reason that the White Emperor used to persuade you."

Zhao Qi noticed that the title "Your Majesty the Emperor" was no longer used in the sentence, and he realized that she was angry and could not understand it.

Pei Jingge calmly said, "I don't want to repeat what I've said many times before. I only know that the will of Heaven should stay in the heavens and should not and cannot appear in the human world. If it does appear, then it cannot be called the will of Heaven."

After saying this, her breath and clothes became heavy, no longer fluttering in the wind and rain.

It felt as if I were outside of the world.

Zhao Qi watched Pei Jingge slowly close her eyes, knowing that when she opened them again, a devastating blow would be delivered.

But he still asked that question, even though he knew the answer already.

"what are you up to?"

"Heaven's will manifests in the human world."

"so?"

How could I possibly resist the urge to strike?

Pei Jinge answered decisively, without hesitation.

Zhao Qi fell silent.

……

……

Deep in the wilderness, amidst the mountains.

Countless wild people live in this land shrouded in snow and wind all year round.

For thousands of years, the people of the wilderness have made countless attempts to survive in this harsh environment. Some prayed to the heavens for mercy like that priest, while others, like Yu Yang, suppressed their racial hatred and secretly cooperated with humans. Some even willingly became slaves out of a little 'pity' from humans... all for the sake of survival.

Living like this is an incredibly difficult thing, so the barbarians need faith, they need a vague and ethereal place to rely on, and that place to rely on is the heavens.

People like Yu Yang who question the heavens are extremely rare, so rare that they can be counted on one hand.

Before the heavens unleashed wind, rain, thunder, and lightning upon the wilderness tonight, the priest, deep in the mountains, felt a powerful sense of unease. Overwhelmed with emotion, he prostrated himself on the ground, tears streaming down his face.

There is no need for an imperial decree to be issued.

One priest after another stood up, without saying a word, and walked along the mountain path where the wind and snow refused to stop.

This scene was witnessed by more and more of the wildlings, and gradually some of them picked up torches and followed behind the priest, following their faith, chanting scriptures in hushed tones, regardless of the darkness and the bitter cold.

The procession grew longer and the firelight brighter, and the more I thought about it, the more it resembled a surging torrent, like a long snake winding its way forward, turning the white snow yellow.

No one asked why they were going there; they simply remained calm and faithful to their beliefs, following the guidance of the unseen forces, and headed towards the place where the will of Heaven resided.

That solitary mountain, now transformed into a celestial realm, stands like a giant at the edge of the sky, silently watching the march of the barbarians.

……

……

For thousands of years, the mountains have been shrouded in darkness, with snow rarely ceasing.

Until Gu Zhuo visited that year, a little-known paradise emerged in that misty, mountainous area.

That was the reason why Yu Yang was willing to die at the Red Yin Sect's mountain gate for Gu Zhuo.

Peach Blossom Spring has both spring and autumn, and even in the height of summer the sun is scorching, but the cold winter never comes.

The people living here sincerely believe that this is the beautiful South that Yu Yang described as existing only in the human world.

After the initial euphoria, the wild people here were not greeted with peace and joy, but with immense fear.

Fear stems from unease; everyone is afraid of losing this beauty. So much so that the people of the Wasteland, who no longer need to face life-threatening dangers, have shown a focus and desire in combat training that far exceeds anything they have ever experienced before.

When the priest led his followers on a silent march, the wild people in the paradise learned of it, and the lingering fear finally became real.

Without any verbal communication, this group of barbarians, led by Yu Yang, resolutely embarked on a path completely opposite to that of the priests.

……

……

The changes that occurred deep in the mountains have not yet been reflected in the wilderness.

Wang Jingshuo is dead.

The Demon Lord is now invincible.

Countless bolts of lightning struck the high platform, accompanied by a fierce storm, yet they failed to wet even a drop of his clothes.

In the distance, the remaining four flying boats bobbed and sank, in danger of capsizing at any moment in this divine wrath. How could they possibly launch another attack against the Demon Lord?

Nearby, the eyes of the two surviving military leaders were dim, and their faces, covered with raindrops, no longer held the same fortitude; despair was emerging.

This is a war, and they, as the vanguard, have undoubtedly lost.

At this point in the war, the Demon Lord paid the most severe price for these repeated attacks... a slight tear in the fabric of his clothes.

Even the most resilient soldier cannot calmly accept this absurd fact.

Gu Zhuo did not kill anyone again.

It has nothing to do with benevolence, but rather with His Majesty the Emperor, who is far away on Mount Baidi.

He is not the same person he was before. There is a significant gap between him and the White Emperor in terms of his level of understanding. This gap may narrow because of the scenery he has seen, but it will never disappear.

Then he would have to devote all his energy to it.

Their eyes met, and they were able to talk to each other.

But neither Gu Zhuo nor the White Emperor have uttered a single word since the start of the war.

In a way, isn't this a kind of mutual understanding?
There is no room for peace talks in this war; it's a fight to the death.

Since that's the case, there's no need to speak.

They would fight using Taoist methods, supernatural powers, and every possible means.

boom!
A bolt of lightning suddenly struck, illuminating Gu Zhuo's palm.

The fragments of the Mirror of Annihilation reflected lightning like withered branches, and much more.

Suddenly, a faint Buddhist light emanated from his robes, like the eternal halo behind the Buddha, causing this fragment to float up and travel thousands of miles away, guided by cause and effect.

……

……

On Baidi Mountain, the White Emperor, who was heading towards the place where the bell rang, suddenly stopped halfway through his step.

The world before him, which had just stabilized, was now thrown into turmoil again, as if someone had thrown a pebble into a mirror-like pool. This was the change brought about by the fragments of the Mirror of Annihilation.

The White Emperor withdrew his left foot, and after a moment's thought, stepped forward again.

This step is as usual.

However, as he moved forward, his sleeve suddenly burned a hole, causing a slight burning pain.

This is Buddhist fire.

The White Emperor turned his head and looked towards the wilderness.

A smile played on his lips, and his eyes held not mockery, but amusement.

Zen Buddhism is the state religion of the Great Qin Dynasty, so it is perfectly reasonable for me to listen to Buddhism, but you are the Taoist master.

The whole world knows that you are utterly disgusted with Buddhism.

How have you now mastered Zen to such a profound level?
They can be described as using any means necessary.

With this thought in mind, the White Emperor continued forward.

The world disrupted by the fragments of the Mirror of Destruction failed to truly stop him, but it inevitably slowed him down, allowing the tolling of the morning and evening bells to pause temporarily.

But this is not the end.

He flicked his sleeve lightly, his two fingers like picking up a chess piece and dropping it into the wilderness.

……

……

This war, which began with a fishing expedition by destiny, spanned the north and south of the human world, affecting the desolate mountains and plains, and involved tens of millions of people.

However, very few cultivators truly perceived the confrontation between the Dao Lord and the White Emperor.

This fact changed in the next moment.

A seemingly slender white light suddenly broke through the clouds and descended upon the world amidst the storm.

That white light contained an aura of utter indifference and destruction.

It shot precisely and accurately at the high platform below the layers of clouds.

Gu Zhuo, holding a fragment of the Destruction Mirror, is confronting the White Emperor. How can he stop this starlight?
Even though this starlight was limited by the White Emperor's inability to fully exert his power, and its might was not as great as when he killed Yingxu, it was still powerful.

In the Weiyang Palace incident that year, eight or nine out of ten temples in the world were destroyed.

Even a Zen Buddhist ancestral temple with a long history, such as Yuangou Temple, is no exception.

What about tonight?
The white light met the platform without making a sound; instead, it burst forth with light like molten silver.

The rain evaporated, and even the fog failed to form, returning to nothingness.

The whole world was eerily quiet.

After an unknown amount of time, the radiance gradually dissipated, no longer burying the truth.

Dozens of miles away, the military experts on the distant flying boat felt a burning heat despite being in the freezing cold and wind and rain.

This is of course an illusion; it's a strong feeling derived from the imagery in one's eyes.

The platform that the Demon Lord had created with his magic was no longer intact.

A huge semi-circular gap appeared at the edge, shimmering with a dreamlike, glassy color, riddled with cracks, and even with lava flowing through it.

The black shirt was no longer neat; it was tattered.

The Demon Lord's eyes were dim and his face was pale.

After a moment of silence, the military leaders on the airship erupted in cheers, their confidence rekindled.

At this point, how could they possibly remember that the two comrades who once stood on that high platform had vanished without a trace?
……

……

The moment that slender white light appeared, even the most powerful figures of the time, such as the Southern Sect of Sword Dao, felt an intense tremor in their Dao hearts, a fear that stemmed from the deepest recesses of their being.

In that instant, these cultivators, who were not far from achieving immortality, all sensed that a war was taking place in the wasteland.

This is a war between two people; there's no need to guess, it's self-evident.

Some decided to close their eyes and turn a blind eye, some took their swords and wine and sang loudly as they marched into the wilderness, some silently calculated what changes this would bring to the world, but most were deeply shocked.

The capital city, that cold palace.

The Queen looked north, once again convinced that her nominal husband loathed the Demon Lord.

She laughed silently, a cruel laugh, muttering to herself, "Kill, kill, what difference is there between you and me?"

In a small town in the Central Plains.

Chu Jun and Xie Yinglian stopped and looked at each other, confirming that their Dao hearts resonated with each other.

"If this were a war between Master and the White Emperor, we couldn't do anything at our current level."

"But we can't just do nothing."

"My master left the Three Lives Pagoda and the Snow-Breaking Pagoda to me, perhaps for this very day."

“That makes sense… Last year, Pei Jinge said that he had lived on Baidi Mountain for a long time, and perhaps he had a backup plan on the mountain.”

"But Baidi Mountain is bound to be dangerous."

"So what if it's dangerous? The White Emperor is at war with your master and must be in the wilderness right now. We can escape even if we can't defeat the others. What's there to worry about?"

The discussions have now concluded.

It wasn't that Chu Jun was persuaded, nor that Xie Yinglian firmly believed in her judgment, but rather that the two of them couldn't find any other viable direction, yet they were unwilling to stand idly by.

……

……

Yi River, on an island in the middle of the river.

Hundreds of miles away from the wilderness, there was no rain, and the night breeze was clear.

Lin Wanyi held the "Qieman" in her hand, her eyes extremely cold.

Wei Qingci stood before her, recounting the changes unfolding on the wasteland, using the destructive aura brought by that starlight as evidence.

Lin Wanyi said indifferently, "I don't understand what you mean. Is it necessary to tell me this? You think too highly of me."

"By now……"

Wei Qingci sighed deeply and asked with pity, "Don't you understand why he made you stay here?"

Lin Wanyi remained silent, her five fingers gripping the sword sheath tightening unconsciously.

Wei Qingci looked at her, then looked at her again and said seriously, "The Demon Lord's methods far exceed your imagination. They are cold-blooded, cruel, bloodthirsty, and cunning beyond your comprehension. Everything and everyone in the world is just a pawn in his hands..."

Lin Wanyi, unwilling to listen any longer, interrupted, demanding, "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Wei Qingci was very satisfied with the anger she was showing at this moment, and said, "But the Demon Lord has never hurt you, or rather, he has never had the chance to hurt you, so I will not wishfully let you do anything detrimental to him. I only want you to do one thing."

Lin Wanyi remained expressionless.

Wei Qingci said, "This is also the hope that His Majesty the Emperor has for you."

Lin Wanyi was slightly taken aback, and her expression changed.

Thinking of the middle-aged man who had spoken with her at the ancestral home, and recalling his gentle words, her Daoist heart suddenly became chaotic, and she coldly shouted, "Stop beating around the bush."

Just as Wei Qingci was about to speak, taking out the secret letter sent by Wang Jingshuo's advisor, and recounting the matter...

Suddenly, a biting chill arose, the flowering trees trembled slightly, and the petals fell like rain.

Unbeknownst to us, the sword had already drawn itself, cutting away the wisp of silently growing and spreading gloom, or perhaps it was... destiny.

Lin Wanyi's eyes regained their clarity.

The girl drew her sword, but not before, and held it horizontally in front of her.

She said to Wei Qingci, word by word, "No matter what truth you can give me, my answer will only be one: I refuse."

(End of this chapter)