Returning from the abyss

Chapter 1418 Signature
A brief exchange could not bring about reconciliation between the two sides. Xu Fu would not allow someone capable of contending with all things to leave, and Jiang Yao was well aware of this.

"Come!"

Xu Fu pinched his hands together, and the demons who had died there immediately reappeared from the soil. The soil filled the gaps in their flesh and blood. What surprised Jiang Yao even more was that these demons still had intelligence.

"It is all things..."

"No, this is my skill. The elixir is not yet complete, but there are still quite a few demon cores." Xu Fu commanded the stone to rise and stepped onto it. In that instant, he once again possessed forty-four chess pieces, a number sufficient to reverse the situation on the chessboard and extend his vision to the center point.

The demons had already formed an encirclement, and there were only a few "mountains" left around Jiang Yao. She knew that the magical artifacts made in this scene were ultimately not as stable as those made in the distribution center, but she didn't want to bear the negative effects of the distribution center.

The soil beneath her feet began to loosen, and Xu Fu's power finally reached her feet.

Jiang Yao plunged the jade sword into her chest. No blood flowed out, only the jade rapidly turning red. Before Xu Fu could even see her move, a final sacrifice, prepared for himself, erupted from Jiang Yao's body. Blood-red light spread outwards from the center of her head. Xu Fu's expression changed, and he reached out to build a mountain, protecting all forty-four demons. However, several mountains were not structurally strong enough and were instantly sliced ​​open by the sharp blades formed by the blood-red light. Along with them, the "All Things" power attached to the demons was also cut open.

"Blood Transformation Array?"

No one could answer his question anymore. Seven demons were insignificant to the demon army, but Jiang Yao's final blow pierced through the seven nodes of the massive sacrificial offering, making the sacrifice even more vulnerable.

"Alas, the human race..." Xu Fu glanced at the jade-colored body emanating from the celestial position, flicked his finger, and the soil surged, engulfing the body underground before returning it to its original state.

"Let's go."

=
Ning Ke was returning from outside the city. Beyond the pass, the array flags of "All Things" were scattered everywhere, and destroying them one by one was extremely difficult. The demon army was endless; she had to find a moment when the guards of each array flag were negligent, then quickly destroy them and retreat.

Some of the demon-suppressing officers couldn't withstand such a rapid march, and the danger of being isolated deep in enemy territory was inevitable. Once discovered, casualties were bound to occur in the ensuing battle. Although the demon-suppressing officers who were able to come along were aware of this and didn't complain, Ning Ke himself felt increasingly pressured as he received no reinforcements.

As they approached the city gate, she, as usual, arranged a half-day holiday for her subordinates who were going out of the city, so that they could relax a little.

Just then, a horse came galloping over from a distance. Ning Ke was stunned. Where did Guan Yuan get a horse from outside the city in his current situation?

She immediately noticed the baggage on the horse's back, then gestured for her subordinates to surround it, before personally stepping forward and grabbing the horse.

It was a trained horse; it didn't struggle much when she grabbed it. It probably didn't have a fixed owner and looked like it was uniformly trained within the Kangen region.

Ning Ke took out the contents and quickly found a manual. Seeing this, she knew who it belonged to, and sighed inwardly. After all, Jiang Yao had told her and Li Duanyu about the "Fall into Darkness" effect she activated. Once activated, even tourists couldn't escape its influence. Li Duanyu was known for her calm and collected nature, and Ning Ke was someone whose emotions didn't fluctuate as much. According to her recent mental assessment, she was already one of those completely affected.

Therefore, Jiang Yao would inevitably leave, but the speed at which the demons intercepted her was beyond imagination...

"There are demons who can recognize the abilities she uses... Oh?"

The manual wasn't about the follow-up processing of the ability, but rather about the various investigations Jiang Yao conducted with limited resources. She hadn't reached the point of dedicated research, and the manual's contents were mostly speculation and questions. It was clear that Jiang Yao had gathered a lot of useful information using the intelligence capabilities of the Imperial Palace, but unfortunately, she had no chance to verify any of it.

Now, even if they knew all this, it was too late. And if Jiang Yao was attacked by the demon race so quickly, it meant that she had been targeted long ago, ever since she used "Fall into the Darkness".

"Go back to see the Grand Tutor."

If anyone else has the ability to utilize what's recorded here, it would have to be someone like Grand Tutor Qin. Tourists will eventually leave the area, but the future development depends on the efforts of the people here themselves.

Ning Ke had visited the Grand Tutor's mansion countless times, to the point that every guard recognized her.

"Jun Tian has been working quite hard lately, so you should take a break," a guard kindly reminded her as he let her in.

"Oh? Thank you."

The guard nodded, and after Ning Ke had walked away, he said to his companion, "Jun Tian has been dealing with the return of Yuan in the city. Now that there is the Law of Man, he goes out of the city every day. I can't handle this kind of busyness."

"Hey, why don't we become the guards here while he becomes the Grand Tutor's personal guard?" his companion laughed. To be able to serve as the Grand Tutor's personal guards and stand guard here, they were also outstanding soldiers. However, even they were a little intimidated by Ning Ke's high-intensity work these days.

Little did Ning Ke know that for her, slaying evil beings was a sacred duty taught by the Temple of Judgment, which not only brought her spiritual satisfaction but also restored some of her physical strength. Moreover, the work she had been doing these past few days was nothing compared to the high-intensity scenario training she had undergone when she was at the third or fourth level.

"Ning Ke, be careful. The scent that's carrying is quite strong; it's a very powerful demon. Hmph, these guys have transformed their bodies into human form, but they don't conceal their aura at all. What's the point of that transformation? It's just putting on a skin." The mask warned.

"Don't worry, I haven't thought about dealing with that demon yet."

Priorities matter, and in Ning Ke's view, killing any demon race was the same; the key was the destruction of "all things." The design of this ritual wasn't particularly advanced; compared to human research on rituals, it was rudimentary. But sometimes simplicity is the most difficult thing to achieve. This ritual simply used a large number of magical artifacts to create a powerful effect, with no clever way to break it; the only solution was to dismantle the array nodes one by one.

We also have to consider the possibility that the demons will continue to escalate the conflict. The resources that the people of the northern frontier and the demons have collected over the years have all been used here, but Guan Yuan doesn't have the backing of the Great Wei treasury, so he's bound to suffer losses in a fight.

While considering which battle flags to dismantle next, Ning Ke received a summons from Grand Tutor Qin.

She had specifically requested an audience because she needed to deliver the handbook to Jiang Yao. However, she was taken aback upon meeting him.

Grand Tutor Qin, though advanced in years, was still vigorous and robust. His hair and beard were white, and his face bore only a few wrinkles. His imposing physique and piercing eyes suggested that his health was perhaps even better than some younger generals. However, upon seeing Grand Tutor Qin today, Ning Ke found that his hair and beard were completely white, and his face showed even more obvious signs of aging. "Grand Tutor, you…"

"A moment of exhaustion is nothing to worry about." Qin Zhong sat down at the head of the table. "Ning Juntian usually delivers documents but doesn't come to see me. Since he's come today, is there something important to discuss?"

Ning Ke nodded and took out the book from his pocket.

"If I'm not mistaken, Jiang Yao, the secret agent, has already left the city today?"

"Yes, I have allowed her to leave the city to eliminate the hidden dangers left by resisting all things. But since you have brought this up, allow me to prepare for the worst."

“Yes, when I returned to the city this morning, I saw an unrider horse. In the horse’s saddlebag were Jiang’s personal belongings. If she hadn’t encountered some misfortune, she would never have let the horse return.” Ning Ke handed over the handbook in his hand. “Jiang has been researching some old matters, and I suppose she believes that the solution to some problems lies in them. I have no intention of investigating these matters. After thinking it over, it is safest to leave this to the Grand Tutor.”

Grand Tutor Qin took the manual, flipped through it briefly, and sighed deeply.

"I didn't have many conversations with Jiang, but in the few we did, I could tell that her thoughts weren't about overseeing the affairs inside and outside the palace, but about the reasons throughout history. It was only because of the circumstances and the importance of the country that she suppressed her personal intentions, and this book was never written."

"Grand Tutor, it is extremely important," Ning Ke said earnestly. "Although I do not understand research, I know its practicality. If all the questions from ancient times can be answered, and with the laws of humanity already being laid out in the present day, this may be an opportunity for our human race to take another step forward."

"That is so. Ning Juntian, I am not so old and blind as to underestimate its value. There will be people who continue to do it, even if... the Great Wei will one day cease to exist, there will be people who continue to study what is inside, until we realize again how this world is different from the past, and how it is the same."

"...Good. If one day someone finds a new way out for humanity based on this, I hope that Jiang Yao's name can be noted at the end of the book, so that people will know who did this in the first place."

"I cannot guarantee it, but if I have the capacity, I will make it happen."

=
Gouchen.

The influence of the evil creature gradually weakened as it completed its nest building. According to the information Lu Ning obtained from the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, the best way to deal with these things that cannot be attacked or killed is to use their survival instincts to guide and monitor them. This can only be considered a compromise, since the three tourists on Lu Ning's side have not yet come up with a way to kill them.

However, after these evil creatures emerged and Lou Lingzhu realized their differences, she began a new chapter to specifically record these things. The name "Gathering Place of Evil Creatures in the Past" was not used by people today; instead, the word "strange" was used specifically to refer to these elusive things.

The invisible nest builders were named the Infernal Walkers. Lu Ning felt it was hard to connect this name with their true nature, but she didn't pay much attention to it. What people are more worried about now is the emergence of more "abnormal" entities that will completely disrupt their current lives.

"Fortunately, because of the appearance of the strange creature, the demon army outside Gouchen has retreated. It took them a lot of effort to fight their way here, and now that they have retreated, it will not be so easy for them to come back. The appearance of this strange creature... may not necessarily be a bad thing."

Lou Lingzhu was grinding ink. Now that the demon army outside Gouchen had retreated, the ordinary people in the city had at least one less thing to worry about. After Lu Ning successfully had the Boundless Walker build a nest, many things that had been reversed began to return to normal, and the maze outside the city also returned to normal. However, the three generals still needed a period of rest and recuperation—although the power of the ultimate formation had been restored, their bodies, which had been damaged by the reversed energy, also needed to recover.

Zhao Yuqiao is currently stationed there and will probably be staying there for a while, while Lu Ning... also needs to prepare to leave.

The siege of Lingjiang has not yet been lifted. As the first commander of the Frost Array, Lu Ning needs to go and provide support now that Gou Chen has lifted the siege.

"Shall we depart tomorrow?" Lou Lingzhu asked.

"Soldiers are valuable and quick."

"Ah, what a pity. I wanted to ask you more about your experiences. Although the events at Wan Yao Mountain couldn't be fully verified and therefore couldn't be recorded in official documents, my unofficial history is much less meticulous."

As she spoke, Lou Lingzhu pulled Lu Ning, who was resting under the tree, over to her desk.

"What?"

“I don’t covet what belongs to others. Since you provided these, you can leave your signature. In the future, you will be the original author of my Great Wilderness Strange Classics.

"No, I've loved martial arts since I was a child. I've learned the basics of reading and writing. Instead of asking me to write books, let me go into battle and fight the enemy."

"Just write your name, you've dictated most of it to me. Oh, and after Mr. Zhao finishes his work, we need to get his name signed too. I'll make a list of names later, since this book can't be written by me alone. There will be disciples of Zhixing Valley, or even anyone with a recorded ambition..."

"Stop, stop, stop. I'll just give you my name. I don't know anything about writing books. I can only describe what I've seen. Just write it however you like."

Lu Ning took the pen from Lou Lingzhu, feeling quite emotional. She herself wasn't like the character in this scene; if given the chance, she would like to read more historical anecdotes to enrich her knowledge. It was just a pity that she didn't have that much time now.

She picked up her pen and neatly wrote her name in the spot that Lou Lingzhu had reserved.

“In that case, if your book is passed down to future generations, I will have made a name for myself in history,” Lu Ning joked.

"That would have to be recorded in official history. My unofficial history will mostly be regarded as a legendary biography by later generations. But it doesn't matter. All I want is to record this process." Lou Lingzhu glanced at Lu Ning's handwriting. It wasn't particularly good calligraphy, but the writing was neat and clear, with strong strokes that seemed to penetrate the paper. It had the style of a martial artist.

"I'll tell you what I remember today. After we set off tomorrow, I don't know when we'll be able to meet again to talk." Lu Ning handed the pen back, glanced at the book in front of her, and suddenly a strange emotion rose in her heart.

In all those previous scenarios, she hadn't actually left anything behind; even if there were some traces, they were insignificant. But now, having left her name, she suddenly realized that her name might be recorded in many books of this world and future generations, and might even hold a somewhat important place.

—No wonder that even at the fifth level, some people inevitably end up remaining in the scene.