Chapter 269 The Last Lesson_2
Soon after.
Xue Ming, commanding the bone dragon, clashed with Han Chao in a magic duel. Every strike produced earth-shattering roars. With a formidable physique, Xue Ming faced off against Han Chao, whose magical methods were unparalleled. The battle raged on for over half an hour.
The bone dragon let out a mournful cry, dying beneath the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda.
Seeing that Xue Ming couldn't hold out much longer, his eyes suddenly changed, his voice ancient and weathered.
"Lucky youngster, I shall spare your life for now!"
With that, he transformed into a ray of light, his speed beyond what any ordinary Golden Core could match, and disappeared into the horizon in an instant.
Han Chao knew the Demon Monarch had arrived and dared not pursue him rashly, only to hear thunderous cheers erupt from the ground below.
"Might of the True Lord!"
...
The 210th year of the Alliance.
The Corpse General Xue Ming invaded the Northern Border's defenses and, after his defeat, fled.
This was the first time that the human race had faced a Corpse General since the great catastrophe began. The common folk cheered the victory, but the upper echelons were filled with a sense of foreboding.
As expected.
Just a few days later, the Southern Border defenses encountered an attack by a Corpse General.
An undead army of billions, despite the relentless bombardment of artillery fire, reached the edge of the Great Wall. They braved the fiery barriers spewed from cannons, their corpses climbing and damaging the Wall.
After more than ten days of fierce fighting, they finally repelled the undead army.
It was as if the spark of war had been ignited. Apart from the coast in the east, undead armies continued their assaults on the remaining defensive lines.
Day and night, they attacked endlessly.
The 211th year of the Alliance.
The demon race's territories were completely destroyed. The surviving demons sought asylum within the Alliance and established experimental labs to create an army of mechanical beasts.
In the same year's autumn.
The Grand Secretary of the Alliance and the Dragon Emperor of the demon race jointly addressed the public on television, announcing the formation of an alliance to fight against the undead.
"This is an alliance formed by the living to combat the dead!"
...
The Cabinet Court.
The conference room.
The Grand Secretary looked increasingly aged, his gaze sweeping over those present.
Explore stories on empire
On the left were the high-ranking members of the human alliance; on the right were the demons, transformed into human shapes, still retaining some beastly features.
"I've summoned you all today to announce something," he began slowly. "Starting next month, we're cutting military supplies on the front lines by thirty percent. The resources for experimental labs will be reduced by the same amount. Everyone should prepare in advance."
"How is this possible?"
The first to speak out was a military official, whose power had grown daily since the full-scale war had begun.
"As we meet here, the front lines are still engaged in battle. The frequency and scale of the undead's attacks are growing by the day. Not only can't we continue with normal supply levels, but now we even have to cut back?"
A demon with a tiger's head spoke in a deep and resonant voice, "Currently, the highest death toll is among the mechanical beasts. If experimental lab resources are reduced, are human soldiers expected to fight the undead in close combat?"
"The front lines must have sufficient supplies. If firepower is lacking, perhaps the defenses will collapse next month..."
"Experiments can be reduced, but accordingly, the output of mechanical beasts will also fall short..."
Neither side was willing to give in, not out of selfishness, but due to the incessant pressure of the undead's relentless attacks on the front lines.
In the later stages of the beast calamity, only surrounding Demon Kings invaded human territories. Demons from other continents established their own kingdoms and had long abandoned the notion of invading human lands, instead fighting amongst themselves within their territories.
The undead, however, were different. They obeyed the Golden Corpse Demon Lord unquestioningly. With a horde numbering in the hundreds of billions, they shared a single will.
The Golden Corpse's orders were to eradicate all living beings on the Nine Continents without regard to the cost. The undead from distant lands like Red Continent and Buddha Continent would travel day and night to join the fight.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
The Grand Secretary coughed violently before speaking, "I don't wish to make these cuts either, but we have no choice. Creating guns and cannons requires resources; concocting elixirs requires resources..."
"We only have this one area, and the mines we could dig have already been depleted. At this rate, we'll have to start selling off everything we own!"
Someone immediately said, "Selling everything is still better than the extinction of our race."
"But how long can we hold out?"
The Grand Secretary added, "Half a year? A year? The enemy occupies the Nine Continents. Their resources are a hundredfold greater than ours. They are creating mechanical beasts and converting them into undead faster than we can kill them."
A member of the Wolf-headed Demon Race spoke up, "What's your plan? Just say it plainly, no need to beat around the bush."
"When we cut resources on the front line, we must ensure we can hold out for two years," the Grand Secretary declared. "Over these two years, by whatever means necessary, even if we have to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the undead, we must ensure the defensive lines do not break."
Someone immediately asked, "What about two years later?"
"It concerns alliance secrets, this old man cannot reveal them for the time being."
Grand Secretary said, "You must also understand that this is the first reduction, perhaps in half a year we will need to continue reducing, but we must fight for two years of time!"
Many, both human and demon, had their suspicions and remained silent for a long while before nodding in agreement.
…
Martial Arts University.
The amphitheater classroom was filled with students, listening intently to Zhou Yi's teachings.
They knew how difficult and brutal the frontline was, how soldiers were dying all the time, so they studied hard in their cultivation, hoping to kill a few more Corpse Demons when they entered the battlefield.
From early morning until the afternoon.
"... and with that, the lecture is concluded."
Ding!
The class leader struck the Jade Chime, and the students were roused from their absorption.
"In these ten consecutive classes on the Lightning Method, with no false modesty, I say that even when you consolidate your Nascent Soul, it will be useful for you."
"You are surely aware of the purpose of this. When fighting against Corpse Demons in the future, the Lightning Method will be most effective. It might be this year, or the next, but you will surely step onto the battlefield!"
"Cultivators of ancient methods require time to settle and accumulate, but alas, you were born in the wrong era; there is no time left for secluded cultivation!"
"Remember, before heading to the battlefield, take a vial of Dragon Blood Elixir. It will sever your path of cultivation, but at that point, we can't afford to care about that anymore..."
Zhou Yi spoke at length, and as he did, some students came to realize that this was indeed a farewell.
The atmosphere suddenly turned solemn. Some of the more sentimental female students had red, teary eyes, whether due to their reluctance to part with their teacher, despair for the path ahead, or perhaps both.
Zhou Yi was long accustomed to farewells, having attended too many memorials and grave visits; his expression remained as still as an ancient well.
"My lectures are all available as videos online; does anyone remember what the first class was about?"
Immediately, a student answered, "Teacher spoke about the Escape Skill, saying that the faster you run, the longer you live, and only then can one's path prosper!"
"Well said," Zhou Yi nodded slightly. "In this world, there is probably no one more cowardly than I am!"
This was not self-deprecation but a statement of fact.
After all, sticking to life meant the possibility of achieving immortality. No matter how low one's talent, given enough time, any realm or bottleneck could eventually be crossed, and so one would always be cautious.
"I diligently practice the Escape Skill, unmatched in speed all across the Nine Continents; certainly, if one does not seek out death, they will not die!"
"Thus, even if I were to abandon the human race and run away, I could console myself with words like: as long as I live, the human race will not perish..."
"However, some things must be done by someone!"
"I am about to embark on a distant journey, to do something that must be done, with an uncertain fate ahead of me."
Zhou Yi's eyes grew more resolute as he spoke, "In my first lesson, I taught you how to flee, and in this, my last lesson, I teach you how to face what comes."
The classroom fell silent, and the students remained quiet for a long time until they saw Zhou Yi disappear from sight.
"Farewell, Teacher!"
…
Principal's office.
Zhou Yi did not knock; his figure, having descended in a flash of escape light, materialized in the room.
Three other figures were present in the room: Xiao Hong, Han Chao, and Dragon Emperor Ao Qin.
Xiao Hong asked, "When will you depart?"
"Now," Zhou Yi said. "According to my divinations, there will be signs in the heavens a year from now, a grand celestial event that will greatly suppress all demons and evil spirits between heaven and earth!"
Ao Qin questioned in confusion, "Then why leave now?"
"The Golden Corpse Demon Lord is also adept in divination and will certainly be aware of this celestial event and will seek to hide before it occurs."
Zhou Yi explained, "We will first head to Qiong Continent, keeping close watch on that old demon. When the celestial changes happen, we will then converge to slay it!"
The four had gathered today to enact the first and quickest method of averting calamity: to slay the Golden Corpse Demon Lord that controlled the Corpse Demons from behind the scenes.
Once the Golden Corpse was dead, and the Immortal Corpse Pearl seized, the great catastrophe of the Corpse Demons would naturally be broken."
"The Golden Corpse Demon Lord is also adept in divination and will certainly be aware of this celestial event and will seek to hide before it occurs."
Zhou Yi explained, "We will first head to Qiong Continent, keeping close watch on that old demon. When the celestial changes happen, we will then converge to slay it!"
The four had gathered today to enact the first and quickest method of averting calamity, to slay the Golden Corpse Demon Lord that controlled the Corpse Demons from behind the scenes.
Once the Golden Corpse was dead and the Immortal Corpse Pearl seized, the great catastrophe of the Corpse Demons would naturally be broken.