Returning from the abyss

Chapter 1420 The Essential Task of Defending the City
When she re-entered Lingjiang, things were different from the last time. The inexplicable rules of Lingjiang were now under Lu Ning's control, or at least she understood their origins. She also met the leaders of the Red Water Array and the Red Sand Array. They were quite polite to the new leader of the Frost Array, showing no disrespect because of her new arrival—after all, the ruins of the "Demon Subduing Hall" outside were still slowly dissipating, and none of the demons buried within had survived.

The ability to confirm and slay these undead demons is now extremely valuable. With the resources of powerful formations becoming insufficient, every formation needs its assistance.

Not long after Lu Ning entered the city, another piece of good news arrived: the long-awaited "Law of Man" was finally delivered to Lingjiang.

The one who brought the Laws of Man was Li Duanyu, who was all alone. Lu Ning still respected this senior she had met once before, and Li Duanyu, who came alone, did not seem tired. He simply handed a scroll to Lu Ning and the other two.

"The Law of Man is here. You don't need to decipher it. Just copy its contents using conventional weapon-forging methods and lay them out. Once laid out, maintain its activation for twelve hours, and the Law of Man will be imprinted on this land. You won't need to worry about it anymore. Demons won't have the means to destroy it if they don't obtain the Law of Man."

"Sir, you are a man of great righteousness."

"It's my duty, no need for formalities. I have some things to discuss with the leader of the Frost Array, would you mind if it's convenient?" Li Duanyu said.

The two leaders naturally wouldn't object to this request.

After clearing out a room for Lu Ning and Li Duanyu, Lu Ning cupped her hands in greeting and asked, "Senior, did you come to see me specifically to offer some guidance?"

"It's not exactly teaching; I've said most of what needed to be said. Today is the twenty-second day, and there are eight more days until it's time to leave. At that time, I will leave directly and will not remain in this scene."

Lu Ning was stunned for a moment.

"I have absolutely no interest in becoming a hero within the scenario, nor do I have much desire to complete these tasks. These days I will try to kill some demon kings to get enough points, but I won't consider anything more."

“Uh… what you’re telling me doesn’t really concern me much, does it?” Lu Ning said.

"It's not that I'm arrogant, but after I left, I'm afraid there's no one among you who can match the top-tier martial power of the demon race. And given the current state of Great Wei, we can't have every commander of the ultimate formation go and trade one for one with the demon king. If the demon star joins the battlefield, it's even more impossible to fight like this. The crisis in the three cities seems to have been resolved, but in reality, it's just because the demon army is waiting for the demon star to return."

"I am clear."

Li Duanyu gave Lu Ning a deep look and nodded slightly.

“That’s right. Young people are easily blinded by heroism and forget that they are in the scene. You have never gotten caught up in it and know that you don’t belong to this world, which is good.”

Are you worried that I'll choose to stay?

"With the command of the Frost Array, the power of the Gathering Ground, and the grasp of the truth of the world, a broad road has already appeared before you, hasn't it? As long as you stay, relying on the internal energy provided by the Gathering Ground and the cultivation methods left behind by the true immortals of this world, achieving immortality will not be difficult for you. And your strength and current status are enough to support you in commanding a hundred followers a hundred years after Grand Tutor Qin's death. Gender, age, identity? These are not important. You are powerful enough, possessing the means to slay those who are subservient to the Demon Law, and possessing the method to construct the Law of Man. The position of the Commander of the Frost Array is equivalent to the previous Commander and Grand Tutor Qin jointly endorsing you. Reaching this position, within ten years, apart from the throne, there is nothing in the world that you are not qualified to obtain. Ten years later, the throne will be nothing but a handful of yellow earth, worthless."

When Li Duanyu told Lu Ning all of this, Lu Ning suddenly realized where her sense of pride when she entered the city and the feeling of complete control when she killed Peng Zu came from.

As Li Duanyu said, what Lu Ning has mastered now has made her position secure enough even among the commanders of the Juezhen formation. The position of the commanders of the Juezhen formation in the Lingzhou Wei army is beyond doubt. When she came to this position, even some things that Lu Qingxu used to worry about could now be swept away with a single sentence.

For a moment, Lu Ning was stunned.

“Terrifying power—and real power, right? This world isn’t like some ancient setting without supernatural powers; you have a lot to achieve. Of all the young fifth-tier tourists I’ve met who have reached this point, about half of them, after considering all of this, chose to stay.”

That's not surprising. After a moment of silence, Lu Ning asked, "So you came all this way to see me just for this?"

"Of course, it's for this reason. It would be foolish to give up the path that suits you best for the sake of short-term achievements. You are a person who is suited to a distribution center, and you shouldn't stay in this situation where you don't know how long it will take to get ahead."

"I know, I won't. Thank you for coming to inform me, senior."

"...Did Zhao Yuqiao stay in Gouchen?"

"Yes."

Are there any other tourists there?

"There is a tourist named Yuchi Long. I wonder if you know him?"

“I recognize him, but I don’t know where he is. It’s a pity, I probably won’t go to Gouchen anymore, there are still more demon kings around Guanyuan now. If you are lucky enough to see him again, you might as well analyze it for him like I did, that kid has the same problem.”

After saying that, Li Duanyu turned and left.

"Senior, please wait!" Lu Ning quickly said.

"What's the matter?"

"I wonder if there are any other tourists left in Guanyuan? What is the specific situation in Guanyuan?" "Ning Ke is still there. Jiang Yao... Before I left, she said she needed to leave Guanyuan for a while to avoid the curse from the items she used. If she left safely, she won't be there for a while. There's no one else there. As for Guanyuan City, although it's besieged, judging from the demons' offensive, it won't be taken within the next eight days."

"Thank you, senior, for informing me."

Upon hearing this, Li Duanyu waved his hand and drifted away.

Lu Ning sat in her chair, pondering Li Duanyu's words, and couldn't help but smile bitterly. When she realized that all of this was the source of her growing confidence, it ironically made her feel a little insecure.

Perhaps it was precisely because she saw this that Li Duanyu specifically reminded herself. However, Lu Ning was a person who was unwavering in her goals, and she had no intention of staying in this scene, so Li Duanyu was being a bit overly cautious. But Yu Chilong? That was indeed difficult to determine.

"The siege of Lingjiang has been lifted. Once the communication channels in Bingjing are re-established, let's inform Yuchi Long as well."

Lu Ning wasn't a specialist in defensive ice formations, but the defensive system within Lingjiang was very well-constructed, and Ye Cong's old subordinates were still around, so maintaining the defenses here wasn't difficult. When Lu Ning took over the position, she felt the ice formation's diagram unfold completely in her mind. This level of understanding of formations was unmatched by any commander. Things that had previously been quite taxing to operate now felt as natural as breathing.

Just like maintaining the permanent defense of the entire Lingjiang region, she can also keep many of the effects of the Frost Array constantly on her body, without having to use them only when needed, which consumes no resources for her. The experience Ye Cong left in the array diagram can also help Lu Ning, letting her know how many more array variations are available.

However, having gained these benefits, Lu Ning also had to take on more responsibilities. Becoming the head of the city required no further appointment; she would automatically be promoted to the highest commander, on par with the other two heads. All matters, large and small, would now require joint discussion and decision-making among the heads.

It should be noted that Lu Ning had little management experience to begin with, and only now, actually handling affairs, did she realize how much trouble Watanabe Fuchiko had caused her when he helped her with various matters. Daily training, allocation of provisions, patrol arrangements—she had to oversee many things. Although the other two leaders knew she lacked sufficient experience and would help her with these tasks, Lu Ning still spent five difficult days learning and re-establishing the communication channels of the Ice Mirror.

Since Li Duanyu arrived in Lingjiang five days ago, another set of Human Laws has been delivered to Gouchen in the same five days. Although it will take some time to prepare before the new laws are fully implemented, the arrival of the Human Laws has put everyone at ease. At least within the scope of the new laws, the troublesome problem of returning to the origin will definitely not happen again.

Qin Luo had almost fully recovered. After learning about Lingjiang's situation, he expressed his condolences for Ye Cong's death and then acknowledged Lu Ning as his new colleague. After all, Lu Ning and Yuchi Long's ability to deal with the evil creatures during their attack was widely recognized.

So Lu Ning took the opportunity to ask about Yuchi Long.

He and his team have earned recognition; though not a formidable formation, they displayed power comparable to one. For Gou Chen, who is currently in a recovery period, such combat strength is undoubtedly a reliable force.

Today, Yuchi Long also went out of the city to sweep away the remaining demons still roaming the surrounding area. Influenced by the previous Infernal Walker, they had fallen into a frenzy and were abandoned by the retreating demon army, also intended to cause trouble for Gouchen. These demons weren't particularly strong in combat, but they were always a problem for ordinary armies. Yuchi Long's recent tasks included observing the movements of the former evil creatures in the vicinity and eliminating these troublesome demons.

So Lu Ning suggested waiting for Yuchi Long to return so they could talk to him.

Just as Qin Luo readily agreed to the matter, several strange marks suddenly appeared in the ice mirror. Lu Ning was slightly taken aback, and then realized that this was the feedback from the demon eye, because the ice mirror was strongly connected to her, and some things that the eyes could see could also be reflected through the ice mirror.

But the person on the other side can't see it.

"General, has something happened outside? I've spotted some strange demonic aura!"

Qin Luo's expression changed, and he immediately said seriously, "Demonic energy? I am currently within Gouchen, and demons cannot enter the city."

"It's not that demons have entered the city, it's just that demonic energy has seeped in. General Qin, hurry and make preparations!"

A normal person would only think Lu Ning's words were outrageous. Although the demonic aura of demons is not visible to everyone, demonic eyes like the Shadow Drowning are not unique to Lu Ning, and there are other ways to see demonic aura. Demonic aura is generally only confined to the demon itself. Even if it spreads out, it is only within its surroundings. For example, the demon king Di Xin, who led the attack on the city that day, had blazing fire-elemental demonic aura that could burn into the air, but it was only within a few meters of his body at most.

Therefore, it is impossible for demonic energy to appear in Gouchen City. Even the demonic energy bombs from before failed to cross the city walls. So what could possibly appear directly near Qin Luo, who is talking to Lu Ning?
She adjusted the angle of the ice mirror, trying to make it reflect the outside scene. After a few adjustments, Lu Ning suddenly saw a shadow—projected down from the sky.

what is that?
She had seen a similar form before, but only glimpsed it in the darkness; she did not have the courage to confront it.

The decaying, disintegrating limbs continued to grow and fall away, attempting to heal the wounds inflicted by their own collapse, but only spreading the pollution of decay across the earth. Chaotic demonic energy spread erratically and without any restraint; even more terrifying was that this demonic energy contained everything imaginable. From the five elements of demonic energy to human energy, ghostly energy, and even some strange, what should have been celestial golden radiance, it was all mixed within.

It seems there's no need to ask what it is anymore.

Lu Ning realized she had overlooked one thing: the gathering place's mention of "demonic stars joining the battlefield." She had always assumed it referred to Huang Kui no longer hiding and finally revealing himself, or that demonic stars like Jiuli and Bai Wujinji had finally been persuaded by Huang Kui to come and lend their assistance.

However, that's not the case. There was a demonic star that Lu Ningyi knew was moving south. In fact, the earliest threat from the south did not come from the Ten Palaces, but from the forces in the Outer Heavens that she discovered in the south.

After an unknown amount of time and a unclear route traversing the long south-to-north journey, the demonic star had entered the Lingjiang region and was continuing its northward march. Gouchen simply happened to be in its path, and soon Lu Ning understood why she had heard almost no information about it.

The ice mirror reflected a portion of the demon king's body.

Its enormous body was piled up in layers, almost reaching the clouds. The entire demon's torso consisted of nothing but a withered yellow skin and a large amount of pale green bones. Hanging from these skeletal supports were countless hearts suspended by blackened blood vessels. These hearts were still pulsating, their beatings so powerful that they could not be ignored, and even one's own chest cavity resonated with them. The rest of the body, including the hearts, clung to the outer skin, retaining only a minimal degree of freshness, and slowly writhed—head, limbs, internal organs, flesh, and blood, like a protective layer formed from the bones.

The head of the demon star was no longer visible. What should have been the head was instead surrounded by a vibrant garden of seven-colored flowers, unlike the mountains of corpses and seas of blood below. The garden's pristine appearance only served to highlight the terrifying nature of its enormous body.

Move? No, the monster didn't move; it merely flickered. The city of Gouchen appeared minuscule beneath its enormous body, unnoticed by the monster. Yet, the power it emanated was already causing harm—some groups leaving the city, when confronted by this suddenly appearing monster, had no chance to resist. They were immediately and intensely corrupted, drawing their weapons and ripping out their hearts, which, under some unknown force, were then held up and handed to a severed limb hanging from its skin.