At the break of dawn, the sky was dimly lit.

Lin Qi emerged from his cultivation chamber, trails of Spiritual Energy dispersing from around his body.

The four look-alike Maidens who had been standing outside the door wanted to step forward but were stopped by his gesture.

"You may all leave," he said.

"Yes," the Maidens replied softly, bowing their heads and walking to the side, most of them appearing somewhat disheartened.

The morning mist was hazy, mirroring Lin Qi's state of mind—confused and hesitant, not knowing whether to turn left to greet his mother or right to confide in his teacher.

Sighing inwardly, Lin Qi stared blankly at the familiar flowerbed for a moment, his feet unconsciously carrying him to the right.

Having taken only a few steps, Lin Qi paused. He looked up towards the wing where his teacher resided. Through several layers of walls, he saw a figure most familiar to him open the door and walk into his teacher's chambers...

And he heard:

"Sect Master Wuwang, I will head to the front lines to make arrangements now. I will leave the matter of capturing the Divine Child in your capable hands, as well as those of our colleagues in the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion."

"Rest assured, General Lin. With the experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion present, there shouldn't be any oversights."

"Ah, our Human Domain has countless willing heroes, but few possess even half your talents, Sect Master Wuwang."

"The Northern Region has many who are good at war. To find someone like General Lin, who can steadfastly hold a territory and give His Majesty peace of mind, there are only one or two."

"You flatter me too much, Sect Master Wuwang! HAHAHAHA!"

"I wish General Lin every success in battle! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Lin Qi stood rooted to the spot, mouth agape, not knowing what to say until the middle-aged man clad in Battle Armor walked through the rear courtyard and encountered him face-to-face.

"HUMPH!"

Lin Nuhao looked at him with a cold expression and walked past with his hands behind his back.

Lin Qi instinctively ducked to the side. Only after Lin Nuhao entered the distant study did he turn his head and hurry towards Wu Wang's chamber.

It wasn't just Lin Qi; those experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion living next to or near Wu Wang's chamber were also utterly confused, completely clueless.

Didn't Lin Nuhao and Sect Master Wuwang dislike each other, trading verbal blows just yesterday? How could it be that overnight, things had changed so drastically… Ah, they had taken Wu Wangzi's side in arguing with Lin Nuhao just the day before; hadn't that been a complete waste of effort? What on earth were these two up to?

「Inside Wu Wang's room.」

The Grand Elder stood by the window, hands behind his back, his mood quite complex. He glanced sideways at the Sect Master, who was repeatedly slapping his own cheeks in front of the bronze mirror, and couldn't help but feel somewhat ashamed.

The Sect Master was so young, yet he had to face such a powerful figure and exchange insincere pleasantries all night. Meanwhile, he, a newly advanced Transcendent, couldn't even get a word in... Shameful, truly shameful.

On the bed, Lin Suqing and Immortal Mu lay sprawled in opposite directions, both with vacant eyes and stiff expressions.

Immortal Mu murmured, "Suqing, is this what the world of adults is like?"

Lin Suqing responded listlessly, "Well, Mumu, I believe you're also around seven or eight thousand years old."

Immortal Mu sprang up, placing her hands on her hips and declared, "When I was undergoing my Crossing Tribulation, my soul was shattered by lightning! I had to use heaven-defying means to reforge it, so my previous age doesn't count!"

"Suqing," Wu Wang rubbed the apples of his cheeks, his voice a bit hoarse, "fetch me some plain tea to soothe my throat; my mouth is nearly worn out from talking."

"Yes, right away."

Lin Suqing agreed and hopped down from the bed, busying herself with the kettle to one side.

Just then, Lin Qi hurriedly entered from outside.

"Teacher! What exactly did my father say to you?"

Wu Wang languidly waved his hand and said, "Suqing, summarize for him."

"There is no need to worry, Young Master Lin," Lin Suqing said with a smile. "General Lin came last night to apologize to the Young Master. Although he didn't expressly say the words of apology, he talked around the subject quite a bit. For someone of his high status and power, he's certainly not one for being direct."

"Really, really?" Lin Qi's eyes gleamed, and his mouth quivered slightly.

Lin Suqing nodded with a smile and continued to arrange the teacups and teapot before her.

Wu Wang approached from the side, raised his hand, and gave Lin Qi a light push on the back of his head, laughing, "What are you grinning about? Your father has agreed to let you continue your role as protector at the Annihilation Sect, but he wants me to push you to practice hard. This time you go to the Annihilation Sect, bring a few more guards with you, and take those four Maidens of yours who are as beautiful as flowers, so your parents won't worry too much. They actually... hmm, just aren't good at expressing themselves, but they are quite fond of you."

Lin Qi said seriously, "Master, how can I let women accompany me in my cultivation? Wouldn't that distract me?"

"Then you can let them join the Annihilation Sect," Wu Wang laughed. "Our Sect just happens to lack such talent. With a little training, they can help you out with some matters in the future."

"Sigh, this matter is truly hard to explain in a few words."

"Alright, let's not dwell on that. Go and invite the seniors from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion over here for me," Wu Wang said as he stretched lazily and smiled. "Your father has entrusted me with the sole responsibility of intercepting the Divine Child, so I must put on a show to let your father see the capabilities of our Annihilation Sect."

"Yes! Disciple will go at once!"

Lin Qi immediately agreed, leaving the room as though spring had arrived, the very air around him becoming much more lively.

Seeing this, Wu Wang slightly raised his eyebrows and exchanged a glance with Lin Suqing. Both revealed strikingly similar smiles.

How could Lin Suqing not understand the Young Master's thoughts? Since the Young Master regarded Lin Qi as a good friend, no matter what Lin Nuhao did or said, the Young Master would always consider Lin Qi's interests, even if it meant uttering insincere words.

Before long, more than ten experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion arrived in succession at Wu Wang's room, and the Grand Elder once again erected a Barrier.

Wu Wang crossed his arms and pondered for a moment. Noticing that Elder Xiao Jian seemed to want to say something but hesitated, he decisively...

...didn't give him a chance to speak.

"Respected seniors, I have a different plan from yesterday to discuss," Wu Wang stated. "Before I explain my plan, let's first play a little game."

Wu Wang clapped his hands, and Lin Suqing brought over a tray with as many Treasure Sacks as there were people present, lining them up neatly.

Wu Wang said with a laugh, "Inside one of these Treasure Sacks, there is a star ore, and the rest contain other precious ores. You may use any methods, apart from probing, to pick one."

The experts of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion were naturally puzzled. But considering Wu Wang's performance in the surprise attack on the second hall of the Ten Evils Hall, along with the Pavilion Master's high praise of this Demonic Sect Master, they did not dare to take the matter lightly and immediately began to think and strategize.

Soon, they came up with quite a few methods. Under Wu Wang's signal, they each tried their luck and picked up a Treasure Sack.

"Please open them and take a look," said Wu Wang with a smile.

Xiao Jian Daoist was the first to exclaim in astonishment, "The star ore is with me! And there are many other precious ores as well."

A female Immortal displayed a sudden realization and whispered, "Sect Master Wuwang means to say, if the enemy launches multiple attacks, causing several Beast Tides to head south at the same time, we won't be able to tell which one the Divine Child will be mixed in with?"

"No," Wu Wang replied seriously. "It's simply that I wanted to give everyone a little gift, to make friends and look out for each other in the future."

The Immortals: ...

"Sect Master Wuwang, this is hardly the time for this!" Xiao Jian Daoist raised his voice in rebuke, tucking the Treasure Sack into his sleeve, and declared, "Don't beat around the bush, let's hear the real plan!"

The Immortals voiced their reproaches in unison, and those Treasure Sacks were swiftly tucked into their sleeves, their gazes at Wu Wang filled with 'the benevolence of a senior.'

Wu Wang cleared his throat, while Lin Suqing, at his side, brought over a simple map of a ten thousand-mile radius.

He said, "What we can now confirm is that the Evil Gods cannot directly probe the Human Domain; the Ten Evils Hall is their source of intelligence. Since the four main halls of the Ten Evils Hall operate independently, the other halls might not be aware of the exact details of the second hall's collapse, nor do they know that the Second Elder betrayed the second batch of Divine Children. When Master Liu and I interrogated the Second Elder, we also learned from his memory that his trip to the Xuan Nu Sect was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Judging by the recent activity beyond the border wall, it seems the Ten Evil Gods are not aware that we've learned about the Divine Children. The question we need to confirm now is, if the other side will only choose one location to cause trouble, where would they choose?"

Xiao Jian Daoist immediately said, "The section of the wall closest to some mortal Villages, which would be convenient for the Divine Children to blend into the fleeing crowds and escape, and easier to conceal their identities later."

"Or it could be the most remote areas," a middle-aged female Immortal said gently. "Divine Children don't necessarily have to blend in with the crowd. If they possess some special ability to avoid our searches and hide for years or even decades, that would be quite troublesome."

An Elder said warmly, "All these are possibilities, but we don't have enough manpower. If we stretch the Immortal Soldiers too thin to guard, it might alert the Evil Gods."

Xiao Jian Daoist laughed and said, "Sect Master Wuwang, do you have a strategy?"

Wu Wang crossed his arms and looked at the map in front of him, saying seriously, "At this moment, nine out of the Ten Evil Gods are still revealed, confronting our Human Domain's experts across a large part of the Northern Lands. I heard from Master Liu that there are five or six Gods watching over the spot where His Majesty appears, but since the great Gods of the Heaven Palace have not shown themselves, these are all the experts who could threaten His Majesty when combined. If the Evil Gods push forward on the northern front, the availability of experts on both sides would be tight. The Evil God likely to make a move and break through the Human Domain's defenses this time could still be Ming Snake. Ming Snake possesses the Divine Skill of Heaven and Earth Shift and was able to transport thousands of people last time; naturally, she also has the capacity to send the Beast Horde deeper into the Human Domain where defenses are relatively weak. Just like the situation with everyone picking up their Treasure Sacks earlier, if Ming Snake makes a move, we would be completely unable to determine where the Beast Horde with the Divine Children would actually appear."

The Immortals' expressions instantly became more serious.

"So how should we respond?"

"We should divide ourselves into three groups and head immediately to prepare in three different directions."

Wu Wang produced three Jade Talismans from his sleeve, saying, "Using the fastest flying Magic Treasures, constantly monitor the situation everywhere. As soon as a Beast Tide appears, proceed as written in these Jade Talismans. I've already discussed this matter with General Lin Nuhao. If it turns out that Ming Snake is indeed the one to act next, then General Lin Nuhao will lead the experts to attack her when she shows up, to disrupt her transportation of the Beast Tide. As long as the landing point of the Beast Tide isn't too far from the Northern Region, these Divine Children will not escape our pursuit."

Having said that, Wu Wang added, "I would ask all seniors to prioritize the lives in the Human Domain. Do not feel obligated to capture live Divine Children, and try to avoid the Beast Tide breaking through mortal towns."

"Understood."

"So it shall be."

"Sect Master Wuwang, you lead one team."

"Alright," Wu Wang did not decline. "But I'll need a few more experts on my team; I'm terribly afraid of dying, you know."

The Immortals agreed with a smile, taking Wu Wang's words as a joke.

These days, even when you speak the truth, no one believes it.

In less than half a day, more than ten experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, along with Wu Wang's group, divided into three teams. Reinforced by a dozen Lin Family guards to bolster their strength, they set off for their designated points in the east, west, and central regions.

From that moment on, they were in combat readiness, each steering a silver-grey shuttle, hiding in dense forests, river valleys, and lakes. Should any disturbance arise in the Northern Region or a Beast Tide emerge, they could instantly break through the sky and make their move.

Wu Wang, accompanied by Lin Qi and Lin Suqing, along with the Grand Elder, Immortal Mu, and nine other Heavenly Immortal Realm experts, were now quietly lurking beneath the waters of a lake.

The shuttle was a bit cramped, so Lin Suqing simply hugged Immortal Mu and sat together with a few other female Immortals.

Wu Wang studied a map with Lin Qi, analyzing the areas most likely to be targeted by the Beast Tide.

Actually, the situation Wu Wang previously mentioned was the worst-case scenario. That is: "The Evil God Ming Snake takes action, dispersing the Beast Tide into several groups that fall within the Human Domain, allowing those Divine Children to blend into the Human Domain before they could react."

The Northern Region's wall is not just a terrain feature. Under the suppression of the Human Emperor's Great Dao, it also becomes a Heaven and Earth Barrier, making it impossible to simply 'teleport over the wall.' Ming Snake must destroy a segment of the defense line and rip open the Heaven and Earth Barrier to send the Beast Tide into the Human Domain. Otherwise, if Ming Snake could casually throw a group of beasts into the heart of the Human Domain, it would be hard for the Human Domain to remain stable.

Other possibilities, such as an Evil God other than Ming Snake taking action and the Beast Tide merely charging barbarically from the north, would not require Wu Wang and the others to intervene, as the reserve forces of the Human Domain could handle it.

The worst-case scenario, paradoxically, was the most likely to occur.

Lin Qi asked, "Teacher, when will the Evil God take action?"

"I am not an Evil God, how would I know what they are thinking?" Wu Wang said with a laugh. "Prepare for a long wait here. Whether it's half a month or half a year, until the Beast Tide in the Northern Region recedes, it's all possible."

"Yes, Disciple was too impatient," Lin Qi agreed.

"Go cultivate," Wu Wang patted Lin Qi's shoulder. Lin Qi acknowledged with a slight bow and went to sit down in a corner.

An Immortal softly asked, "Sect Master Wuwang, do you think the Evil Gods might strike from the west, east, or even south of the Human Domain?"

"It's possible, but the chances are very low," Wu Wang replied with a smile. "Actually, Evil Gods are not bold enough to invade the Human Domain alone, nor will they venture too far from the Northern Region to enter the Human Domain from other directions. Knowing yourself and your enemy, you will win every battle. We find the Evil Gods troublesome, but the Evil Gods are also afraid of our Human Emperor. For example, if Ming Snake enters from the western edge of the Human Domain, and the Human Emperor himself gets tough, he could teleport directly in front of the Evil God and take it out. The other Evil Gods wouldn't even have time to send aid. Divine Children are merely humans transformed by the Evil Gods using Essence Blood. Sending them into the Human Domain is just to gather intelligence and cause some trouble; the Evil Gods would not take such risks. At this time, the farthest east and west of the Northern Region are the limits of how close the Evil Gods can get to the Human Domain. The Ten Evil Gods seem to appear everywhere, but in reality, they advance and retreat together. We should not underestimate them, but there is no need to fear them excessively; there's a natural equilibrium in these matters."

The Immortal pondered carefully, a slight smile emerging on his face, evidently much relieved.

Wu Wang squinted and chuckled, continuing to enthusiastically study the map before him, analyzing the various possible scenarios.

This delicate situation in the Northern Region was also quite intriguing.

「Half a month later.」

On a moonless night, the Flying Shuttle hidden in the lake was silent, but the water suddenly showed ripples. A wind blew from the north; the trees by the lake rustled, their crowns swaying continually towards the south.

Wu Wang, who was meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. Though his Spiritual Sense detected nothing, he immediately exclaimed, "They're here."

No sooner had Wu Wang spoken than a segment of the Northern Region's great wall a thousand li away collapsed thunderously. Hundreds of Cultivators atop it were unable to retreat in time and were swallowed whole by a gigantic serpent's head.

Heaven and Earth trembled, and the starlight was obscured!

A loud shout rose from Stone City. Several streaks of Liu Guang cut across the sky, bringing with them immense Mana and rolling momentum, drawing upon the power of Heaven and Earth to strengthen themselves as they charged directly at the serpent's head!

Lin Nuhao, gripping his saber, his hair and beard bristling, rage surging in his eyes, a fierce tiger phantom entwining around him, roared, his voice actually suppressing a third of the serpent's ferocity!

"Evil beast, meet your death!"

At the same time, the Beast Tide along the entire Northern Region erupted. The Nine Evil Gods pushed forward simultaneously, threatening the borders of the Human Domain, while the Human Domain braced itself for a fierce confrontation.

Within a thousand-li radius of where Ming Snake broke through the wall, streaks of golden lightning flashed, and in more than a dozen areas, it began to rain beasts.

The second batch of Divine Children arrived as expected.

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