After settling the matter of the barbarians, Xuanyi sat back down. She had vented a small amount of her hatred, so her mind was no longer irritable. Now, Xuanyi moved the topic to discuss strategies on how to deal with the Jiuli Tribe.

Although she became a Golden Immortal of the Great Unity, Xuanyi knew her chances of defeating Chiyou weren’t high. He had already reached the Great Firmament Realm and would only be stronger upon his next appearance. Forget her, she knew that even Guang Chengzi was unlikely to defeat Chiyou.

Chiyou was already such a headache, not to mention his remaining six generals in the Great Unity Realm. In addition to them, there were the unknown giants that appeared out of nowhere to aid Chiyou. The only thing Xuanyi could count her blessing on was the fact that they had previously killed three of the nine generals, effectively stopping Chiyou from having three more Great Unity Realm combatants.

Xuanyi couldn’t think of a method to increase her advantages.

Use human wave tactics? Just because she never got involved in managing the territories didn’t mean she hadn’t learned a thing or two. If Xuanyi really used human wave tactics, would the people be willing? Even if she won, would the people still want her on the throne? She could use the army and her own powerful cultivation base, but that would make her no different from Chiyou, a tyrant that relies on brute force.

In addition, human wave tactics might not necessarily succeed. At a certain level of strength, numbers meant little.

Just as Xuanyi had a headache mulling over how to defeat Chiyou, a familiar and beautiful melody filled the air. She looked up, and sure enough, she saw over a thousand humanoids clad in shimmering silver armor. Leading the one thousand soldiers was a beautiful woman with wings sprouting out of her head.

The Maiden of Nine Heavens, Xuannu, once again stepped in front of them. Only this time, her brother was not present. However, this did not change Xuannu’s message. “Lady Xuanyi, I have come here under orders of the Jade Emperor to present this Nine Heavens War Code to you.”

Xuanyi didn’t answer. She just stared at the seemingly ordinary book in the Empyrean’s hand. She couldn’t help but think of whether her brother would have survived had he not been so stubborn and accepted foreign aid.

The generals and officials stared at Xuanyi, wondering if she would reject it, just as her brother had done. To their surprise, Xuanyi stepped forward and accepted the Nine Heavens War Code. “Please give my thanks to the esteemed Jade Emperor.”

Xuannu nodded without a hint of emotion on her face. “I will report it.”

Xuanyi also nodded. She didn’t wait and opened the book. After flipping through several pages, it was as the fog blocking her sight had vanished. Her thoughts circulate d at an increasing rate. The tactics she once developed evolved the more she read.

She couldn’t help but feel pity that she had not received this book earlier. Had she read it, Chiyou would have never been able to make any waves. Even if he eventually transformed into a giant, humanity would not have been limited to only defending themselves.

Xuanyi closed the book and her eyes. She could research it later. Right now, she still had to deal with the Maiden of Nine Heavens. “My apologies. The knowledge contained within was too enlightening, and I became distracted. Please forgive me.”

She bowed slightly, but Xuannu quickly moved out of the way. “You don’t need to bow. You are the future ruler of humanity. I am not worthy of your bow. I am actually here for another matter.”

“Is there anything else?”

“It’s more of a personal matter,” Xuannu said. A moment later, a set of golden armor appeared in her hands. “I was tasked with delivering this to you by your master.”

“Master? Did she say anything else?” Xuanyi asked. Her eyes couldn’t help but become watery. How long has it been since she had last seen her master? More than that, she missed the peaceful days spent on that mountain. Everything was so simple then.

Xuannu hesitated for a moment. Then she brought a fist in front of her mouth and coughed into it. “She also said that this is the extent of my aid. If you feel like you cannot stand it any longer, you are welcome to run away to her.”

Xuanyi just stared for a few moments before a chime-like laughter came from her mouth. “Geez, Master is still the same. She should know that I would rather die than flee, but she still said those words.

“Please thank Master for me,” Xuanyi said. “After this war is over, I’ll pay a visit.”

Xuannu nodded. “That is all. I have fulfilled my duties, and now it’s time for me to return.”

Xuanyi also nodded. She didn’t intend to ask Xuannu to stay or borrow those heavenly soldiers. Xuannu flew back into the air and led her soldiers back to the Heavenly Realm. Once alone, Xuanyi dismissed the war council to study the Nine Heavens War Code.

Right now, this was her greatest advantage against Chiyou and the giants.

The Maiden of Nine Heavens’ arrival was like a signal to other parties. Days after she left, many loose immortals visited, hoping to contribute their strength. Of course, to say contribute was relative. Xuanyi knew that many of them just wanted to take advantage of humanity.

Were it not for Guang Chengzi’s appearance signaling the Heavenly Venerable of Primordial Beginning’s stance, they might have joined the Jiuli Tribe had they not known that Chiyou despised immortals and demons and would never agree. They were more likely to be killed if they showed up.

Only when a particular group of eight immortals arrived did Xuanyi personally greet them.

At the very front was a jovial man with a full figure saluting Xuanyi. “I am Daoist Duobao, and I’ve come under my master, Saint Redcloud, to aid the rightful ruler of humanity against the treacherous Chiyou. These are my junior brothers and sisters.”

In addition to Daoist Duobao, the rest of the Interception Sect’s inner disciples arrived. They were Sacred Mother Jinling, Sacred Mother Wudang, and Sacred Mother Guiling, Zhao Gongming, Zhao Yunxiao, Zhao Qiongxiao, and Zhao Bixiao.

When Xuanyi’s eyes fell onto Sacred Mother Wudang, she couldn’t help but stall. Sacred Mother Wudang exuded a very familiar feeling to her, and it was not just her Great Unity Realm cultivation base.

“Is there something wrong?” Sacred Mother Wudang asked, feeling Xuanyi’s scrutiny.

“No, I just feel that you are familiar? Have we met somewhere before?” Xuanyi asked.

“Met?” Sacred Mother Wudang repeated. She shook her head. Unlike Xuanyi, she didn’t feel like the successor of Xuanyuan was familiar at all. “Perhaps it’s because I’m an immortal. I heard that Lady Xuanyi has an immortal master. Perhaps my aura just reminds you of her?”

Xuanyi frowned. She couldn’t explain the familiarity either. “Is that so? Please forgive my earlier offense.”

“No need,” Sacred Mother Wudang said. “I am happy that the ruler of humanity can feel a sense of intimacy with me.”

Daoist Duobao was also happy. As long as Sacred Mother Wudang became friends with Xuanyi, then they could lay the foundation for the future of their Interception Sect.

“Daoist Duobao, please come in. With your participation, victory is already within our grasp,” Xuanyi said as she made a ‘please’ motion. In reality, she didn’t have as much confidence as she showed, but as a military commander, she knew the importance of morale. Even if you don’t think the chances of victory are high, you must pretend! Only then can you raise morale and secure the hearts of the soldiers.

Daoist Duobao also played along, pleased with the importance placed on him by Xuanyi. He led his junior brothers and sisters into the war council. There, he saw the disciples of the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning. Although both of them were of the Immortal Path’s lineage, one was more orthodox than the other. As such, rather than intimate, there was always an air of competition between the Interception Sect and the Enlightenment Sect.

“Lady Xuanyi, actually, our Interception Sect has far more disciples than just us eight. We are the personal disciples of Saint Redcloud, but there are thousands of nominal disciples. As long as you give the word, I can summon them to your aid.”

Contrary to Daoist Duobao’s expectation, Xuanyi didn’t show any excitement at his words, only silence. Then, she smiled. “Daoist Duobao, there’s no need to trouble a Saint’s sect to that extent. You eight and the respected disciples of the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning are more than enough.”

“You might not know, but this time, Chiyou has the aid of giants, and not ordinary giants either. Giants in the Great Firmament Realm are much tougher to defeat than immortals in the same realm, much less humans. Our numbers are a bit insufficient,” Daoist Duobao kindly advised.

Xuanyi’s smile dimmed, and she looked at Daoist Duobao. Her gaze shocked him. Although both of them were in the Great Unity Realm, Xuanyi had experienced countless battles. She may not have personally stained her hands with life, but the amount of blood she bled was the greatest. Only Chiyou could surpass her. “I feel grateful for your addition, but I am adverse to all of the Interception Sect joining my cause.

Still, Daoist Duobao had experienced a Saint’s coercion, so Xuanyi’s majesty only shocked him for a bit. As a Saint’s disciple, he also had his own pride. “Can you explain to me why, Lady Xuanyi?”

She could hear his discontent, but Xuanyi didn’t care. “It is said that long ago, giants were much more numerous and filled the entire primordial lands. Although they have weakened, I heard many of them still exist. If the entire Interception Sect intervenes, don’t you think that more giants will appear?”

Daoist Duobao’s eyes widened. He really hadn’t considered that problem before. He had gotten used to giants not showing their heads or tails.

“But will the Jiuli Tribe not ask for the giants’ aid? What if they ask and you do not have our help?” Zhao Bixiao asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

Xuanyi glanced at her. She did not show any anger, but a kind of benevolence. “At that point, is it a civil war of humanity anymore? It would be more accurate to call it a war between the Interception Sect and the Titan Tribe, right? Since that’s the case, let’s just have you two fight it and anoint humanity’s next ruler.”

Although she accepted aid from outsiders, unlike her brother, it didn’t mean she wasn’t on guard against them. In addition, although Chiyou had awakened and transformed into a giant, he still had the Purple Majesty Qi, and he wasn’t a complete giant. So, he still had the right to contend for the rulership of humanity.

If he won, humanity might only have the Three Sovereigns and none of the Five Emperors.

“Enough, Bixiao!” Daoist Duobao said upon seeing her desire to continue arguing. As the eldest disciple of the Interception Sect, he still knew what would happen if this changed from humanity’s war to a saint’s war. “Please forgive my junior sister, Your Majesty, all of us pampers her, so she doesn’t understand the root of the matter.”

Zhao Bixiao pursed her lips, but said nothing. If Zhao Gongming had reprimanded her, she might have talked back, but it was Daoist Duobao. Compared to the family-like closeness she felt with the others, Zhao Bixio held more respect and fear toward her eldest senior brother.

Hearing him change from calling her Lady to Your Majesty, Xuanyi felt the change of address was natural rather than tense. ‘Although you are the disciples of Saint Redcloud, I am the future ruler of humanity. Besides, protected too well? I don’t know how many thousands or even millions of times older she is, yet she’s still so immature?’

Xuanyi didn’t dwell on the matter and quickly arranged the eight disciples of the Interception Sect. She also planned to use Li Yingqiong and the other twelve sword immortals more heavily now. Throughout the years, the Mount Shu Sword Sect has also accepted many disciples, and they have matured under fire and flame. In terms of individual ability, they were superior to the soldiers trained by herself.

---

The calm between Xuanyi and Chiyou lasted far longer than anyone thought. To immortals and those who embarked on the cultivation path, five years was not a long time, but it was half a childhood for regular mortals. When the two sides met once more, it was an overwhelming difference.

Xuanyi’s army outnumbered the Jiuli Tribe ten to one, but their momentum could not compare. Standing in front of the Jiuli Tribes were tens of giants. The tallest of which were Chiyou and Xingtian. Although the number of Golden Immortals on Xuanyi’s side outnumbered the Jiuli Tribe, the greatest disparity was their size.

A long scar that stretched from Chiyou’s arm to his chest pulsated madly. When Chiyou’s eyes captured Xuanyi, flames spewed from his mouth and nostril, and the scar throbbed even more.

“My people,” Xuanyi began. Clad in glamorous golden armor, no one would overlook her. Her sonorous voice reached the ear of every soldier as she continued. “The traitor of humanity, Chiyou, is before you. Despite shedding his humanity, he is a wolf that yearns to rule over humans. To this end, he has allied himself with the foreign invaders, barbarians, and giants. Attain victory, and humanity will prosper. Suffer defeat and become nothing more than livestock! Now, raise your arms and protect those behind you, supporting you. This is the clash of destiny!”

Xuanyi unsheathed Titanslayer from its new scabbard and brandished it toward the Jiuli Tribe.

Chiyou said nothing in response to Xuanyi’s speech. In the past few years, not only had he consolidated his cultivation base, but he also fully reawakened his memories. He might have interrupted or found some way to hamper her speech before, but now he disdained. What use would it be to talk to an ant? An ant that dared to bare its teeth at him would only face one end, death.

However, that did not stop Chiyou from hating Xuanyi, for she wielded the Titanslayer, a sword forged by the Demon Clan to massacre the Titan Tribe. In his eyes, the sword was the Three Realms’ most sinful object, and anyone who so much as touched it should suffer eternal torture.

Without another word, he charged toward Xuanyi. The other giants also ran straight for her. Their eyes had turned red upon catching sight of it. Once Chiyou charged, they didn’t even hesitate. Their sudden action surprised the Jiuli Tribe, causing them to falter for a second before joining.

In reality, Chiyou hadn’t even considered his tribe members. At most, he wanted to use them as cannon fodder to hinder Xuanyi and the humans.

Xuanyi showed no fear and stood her ground, waiting for the giants to charge at her. She had already foreseen their extreme reaction, so all of her men were stationed a fair distance away from her. The only ones near her were the members of the Enlightenment Sect, Interception Sect, and Mount Shu Sword Sect.

“Disgusting vermin, how dare you use that abomination a second time? I’ll claim your life for your sins!” Chiyou shouted as he neared. He raised his fist and punched down.

“She has more right to it than you,” Guang Chengzi said. With a single hand seal, the Heaven Reversing Seal expanded and blocked Chiyou’s attack. “The Titanslayer was crafted from human souls. As the ruler of humanity, Lady Xuanyi is its rightful owner!”

Xuanyi flew into the air and slashed at Chiyou. Although she was weaker, the Titanslayer boosted her strength and decreased Chiyou’s power. A cut made by it on a regular cultivator might only be that, a cut, but on a giant, it was a devastating blow. “Titanslayer? What a crude name. This is the sword that will protect humanity from outsiders coveting our prosperity. Hear me well, its name is Xuanyuan Sword!”

Titanslayer—no, the Xuanyuan Sword thrummed in response. The azure and orange rust which coated its edge shattered and fell off, revealing its golden brilliance. Any human bathed by its light would feel a sense of security, like a parent protecting their child, or a shelter that shielded them from wind and rain.

“Lies!” Chiyou shouted. He attacked again, focusing his attention on Xuanyi. Guang Chengzi would block him, but he could not deal substantial damage to him, if at all. At most, he could block or knock Chiyou back.

While Chiyou battled Xuanyi and Guang Chengzi, the other giants joined the brawl. The rest of the Twelve Golden Immortals and disciples of the Interception Sect tangled with the giants, while Xuanyi’s army warred against the Jiuli Tribe. Mortals against mortals, and immortals against giants.

The giants outnumbered Xuanyi’s generals and outside aid, but there was one thing they had that the giants didn’t: spiritual artifacts. With the addition of spiritual artifacts, they could battle evenly against the giants. Giants couldn’t use spiritual artifacts because they had no spirit.

The only exception was Chiyou and his remaining generals. After being reborn as humans, they gained spirits and the ability to reincarnate. Or rather, because Empress Pingxin used a special method that granted them spirit that allowed them to reincarnate. Still, that didn’t mean they could use spiritual artifacts. In comparison to their bodily strength, their spirit was too weak to control spiritual artifacts.

That didn’t mean the giants would only rely on their bodies to confront spiritual artifacts. Although the giants had fallen, they were still once one of the two strongest powers in the Great Desolation. Not to mention Empress Pingxin, who controlled the Nether Realm. With their abundant resources, they could easily craft weapons and armor, like Xingtian’s halberd and shield.

The final products didn’t have any restrictions like spiritual artifacts or any other special abilities outside of what the raw material provided. In a way, they were akin to the weapons used by mortals. But that was more than enough for them to contend equally against immortals with spiritual artifacts.

The battle between Xuanyi’s force and Chiyou’s Jiuli Tribe lasted days. There was no sudden upset or arrival that shifted the balance of the war. Both sides had already displayed all their cards. Even if Empress Pingxin wanted to intervene again, she couldn’t because the Saints were staring at her.

Although Empress Pingxin could contend against the Saints, that was only in the Nether Realm. If she really opposed the Saints, she would stand to lose the most. In fact, the only reason they allowed her to send giants to aid Chiyou was because it gave them an excuse to send their disciples.

There was one upset. Xuanyi’s army, who used the formations in the Nine Heavens War Code, trounced Chiyou’s Jiuli Tribe. They could even stall the giants, though the end result was almost always death for everyone in the formation that assaulted a giant.

The grass had long disappeared during the years of war between the two forces, but now, blood tainted the land red from the sheer amount of bloodshed in this one battle. It would not be an overstatement to say that the casualties from this one battle exceeded all the previous battles combined.

On the ninth day of the battle, Xuanyi swung her sword and decapitated Chiyou, sending his head flying. Silence descended on the battlefield. It was as if someone had frozen the world.