Chapter 677 - 676: The Army at the Gates

Chapter 677: Chapter 676: The Army at the Gates

Clutching the Grand Commander’s reply, the Divine Palace Warrior departed the Demon Palace’s main camp. After the man left, Lin Yun turned to the Demon Palace Commanders and said, "Although the letter doesn’t reveal anything suspicious, we must remain cautious when the time comes. We can’t bet everything on others."

Hearing Lin Yun’s words, the Commanders all nodded in agreement. They knew Lin Yun was prioritizing caution; after all, no one could be sure this wasn’t a Divine Palace plot.

The attack was scheduled for the next morning. For a city as well-defended and difficult to assault as Divine Celestial City, a surprise night attack wouldn’t be very effective. Therefore, Lin Yun and the others decided to simply set the attack for dawn, for an open, head-on confrontation.

Having concluded their discussions, Lin Yun left the main tent. But before he went, he made a point to add that even though the Divine Palace was on the verge of defeat, they could not afford to be careless until Divine Celestial City had fallen.

The Divine Palace may have been reduced to a single city, Divine Celestial City, but eight to nine thousand Divine Palace Warriors were amassed within its walls. The Divine Palace’s current situation was just like the Demon Palace’s in the past. Therefore, until the final outcome was decided, Lin Yun urged everyone not to let their guard down for even a moment.

As he left the main tent, he reflected that tomorrow would be the final, decisive battle. Along the path, Lin Yun saw many Demon Palace Warriors making their last preparations.

As he passed the tents of the Strongest Battle Team, Lin Yun saw them lying under several large trees, sleeping soundly.

Seeing Lin Yun approach, the warriors of the Strongest Battle Team stood up one by one to salute and greet him. These men were even more deferential to Lin Yun than they were to the Grand Commander.

"Tomorrow is the final battle..." Lin Yun said calmly, looking at the assembled men.

They nodded. These warriors of the Strongest Battle Team knew that tomorrow, they would be the sharpest blade, thrust directly into the heart of the Divine Palace.

Having been baptized by bloody battles, none of the members of the Strongest Battle Team—be they veterans or new recruits—felt the slightest trace of fear about the coming battle. Even if some of them were to die tomorrow, they would not be afraid.

"Remember this: when you fight, trust only yourself and the Spirit Soldier in your hand. On the battlefield, they are your only friends." After exchanging a few more words with the men, Lin Yun gave his reminder.

The warriors of the Strongest Battle Team had already adopted his words as their motto. Just as Lin Yun finished speaking, Xi Zijin found him. She walked to his side and asked softly, "Can you walk with me for a bit?"

Lin Yun didn’t refuse. After a word to the men of the Strongest Battle Team, he and Xi Zijin headed out of the Demon Palace camp.

They walked out of the camp and up a nearby hillside. From their perch, they could just make out the distant silhouette of Divine Celestial City.

The two sat side-by-side. Xi Zijin gazed at Divine Celestial City and said in a level voice, "We’ve been in this world for almost half a year now. Honestly, I’m starting to lose track of which world is the one we’re truly meant to be in."

Xi Zijin wasn’t wrong. Since entering this world, they had all experienced so much. After nearly half a year, it would be a lie to say they hadn’t grown attached to it.

Take the Monk and Daoist, for example. Although neither of them ever said so, it was easy to tell from their actions that they had slowly gotten used to this world.

At first, the Monk and Daoist had detested this world, complaining about everything. But now, after nearly half a year, they too seemed to have slowly accepted and grown accustomed to life here.

No Demon Beasts, no complex web of factions, a world where the peak of power was the Celestial Spirit Realm, and the endless war between the Divine Palace and the Demon Palace.

Everyone seemed to have grown accustomed to all of it, including Lin Yun himself. If he didn’t know that this world was nothing more than a cage created by some powerful entity, he would likely be sharing Xi Zijin’s sentiments.

"You silly girl," Lin Yun said with a smile, looking at Xi Zijin. "In this world, we’ve only ever been visitors passing through."

Hearing his words, Xi Zijin turned to look at him. The coldness in her eyes that always kept others at a distance was gone, replaced by a surprising gentleness.

"Why is it that when I’m with you, I feel like all my worries just melt away?" Xi Zijin said softly.

"Is that so? I had no idea I possessed such an ability," Lin Yun replied with a happy, teasing smile.

He sat there with Xi Zijin for the rest of the day. They both knew that the final battle was tomorrow. Once it was over, it would likely be time for them all to leave this world.

Lin Yun didn’t know that this world held a unique meaning for Xi Zijin. It was here that she had fallen in love for the very first time. For reasons she couldn’t explain, Xi Zijin, a woman who had never before given any man the time of day, had somehow fallen for one in this world.

That was why she was filled with such emotion now, on the verge of leaving it all behind.

It wasn’t until sunset, as dusk began to settle, that Lin Yun and Xi Zijin returned to the Demon Palace camp. They parted ways in front of their tents. Just as Lin Yun was about to step into his, he heard Xi Zijin’s voice from behind him.

"Lin Yun, once we leave this world, can I still stay by your side like I do now?"

At her words, Lin Yun froze. Before he could answer, Xi Zijin turned and ran straight into her own tent.

Lin Yun stared at Xi Zijin’s tent, just a few feet away, and remained silent for a long time. He wanted to go over and give her an answer, but he had no idea how he would face Lu Bingning and the other two women.

In the end, Lin Yun simply walked into his own tent. ’Some things are best left to run their course.’ he thought.

The night passed in silence. The next morning, the Demon Palace army finished assembling. Lin Yun, the Monk and Daoist, Xi Zijin, Little Ape, the Black-striped Tiger, and the ten great Commanders of the Demon Palace stood at the head of the formation.

At the Grand Commander’s order, the fifteen thousand Warriors of the Demon Palace streaked toward Divine Celestial City.

Along the way, Lin Yun’s gaze kept falling on Xi Zijin. It was as if the woman from yesterday had vanished. Today, she had reverted to that ice-cold warrior, a faint killing intent radiating from her from time to time.

The Demon Palace army launched its assault. The Divine Palace Warriors on watch atop the walls of Divine Celestial City quickly spotted the dense swarm of black dots appearing on the horizon. Instantly, the alarm bells signifying an enemy attack rang out across the city.

Hearing the alarm, the more than eight thousand Divine Palace Warriors and their Commanders within Divine Celestial City all rose into the sky above the city.

(This is the thirty-ninth update. Please add to your library, vote with a Monthly Pass, recommend the novel, and leave a tip!)