Chapter 599: What Dried Is a Wild Beast

The battlefield of the Zhuo Lu Zhi Zhan lies in the area of today's Zhuo Lu County, Hebei Province.

Millennia of erosion have washed away the blood that once flowed like a river and the corpses strewn everywhere; they are long buried beneath yellow earth and wild grass.

Now the land is rolling hills dotted with scattered corn and millet, with a few crooked old locust trees rustling in the wind.

In the distance lie villages, their cooking smoke curling, chickens and dogs audible—a scene ordinary beyond ordinary.

Su Qu stands on a high slope, looking down at the yellow earth beneath his feet.

"This is it."

"The main battlefield where Huang Di and Chi You clashed back then is probably right in this area."

Yu Lin looks around, saying nothing.

He closes his eyes, as if listening to something, or feeling something.

The wind blows from afar, carrying the scent of soil and crops.

After a while, he opens his eyes: "It's still there."

Su Qu startles: "What is still there?"

"Of course it's the remnants," Yu Lin replies offhand, then steps forward.

He walks slowly, each step firm, as if measuring something.

Su Qu follows behind, silent, fearing to disturb Yu Lin.

Yu Lin reaches the center of a relatively flat clearing and stops.

The clearing is small, surrounded by low hills, like a shallow bowl.

The grass on the ground is shorter and yellower than elsewhere, with faint irregular marks.

Yu Lin crouches, reaching out to touch the soil beneath his feet.

The soil is very dry, hard as stone, scraping his hand.

He presses his fingertips lightly into the earth, feeling something deeper.

It is a faint aura, so faint it seems like an echo transmitted across thousands of years!

He closes his eyes.

The darkness before his eyes begins to churn.

It is not a void black, but a tangible, heavy black tinged with iron rust and the scent of blood.

Within the black, images start to emerge, like a drop of ink falling on water and slowly spreading.

War drums.

He hears the drums, dull and urgent, beating against his heart one after another.

Then comes the shouts of battle, countless voices merging into a torrent that shakes the earth itself.

Flags rustle in the wind, embroidered with bear, brown bear, pi, xiu, chu, and tiger—the six divisions of Huang Di.

On the other side are ox‑head banners, held by Chi You's eighty‑one brothers as they surge out of the thick fog.

Bronze and iron weapons flash coldly beneath the dark clouds, and a south‑pointing chariot trudges laboriously through the mire.

Yu Lin opens his eyes.

The wind stops, and the surroundings are quiet as if a pause button has been pressed.

He stands, brushing the dust from his hands.

"Alright, I begin."

He raises his right hand.

Just a slight lift, without any flamboyant gesture or earth‑shaking aura.

But Su Qu sees the ground beneath Yu Lin begin to glow.

The light does not shine in from outside; it seeps up from deep within the soil, as if something long asleep has finally been awakened!

The light grows brighter, surging upward from the earth, washing over his ankles, knees, and waist.

The entire clearing is enveloped in a dim yellow halo, as if dusk has arrived early!

Then Su Qu sees again.

Within that light, human silhouettes appear.

They are not solid, but ghostly shadows, countless, pouring in from all directions.

They wear beast pelts and coarse hemp, wield stone axes and bronze halberds, their faces painted with cinnabar and mineral powder.

Some ride warhorses, some drive war chariots, some run barefoot through the mud.

Their features are vague, indistinct, yet the aura—the aura of battles fought here thousands of years ago—hits them, pressing Su Qu nearly breathless!

The age of myth!

He instinctively steps back, only to find those shadows are not even in his dimension.

They exist merely within the light Yu Lin created, reenacting the events of that time.

The war drums sound again.

This time it is real, not an echo Yu Lin heard, but a sound emanating from the light, piercing time from millennia ago into the present.

Su Qu sees Huang Di's army gathering on the left wing, the six divisions of bear, brown bear, pi, xiu, chu, tiger, their banners blotting out the sun.

He sees Chi You's eighty‑one brothers arrayed on the right wing, copper heads, iron foreheads, four eyes and six arms.

He sees the two armies facing off, with only wind blowing across the barren plain between them.

Yu Lin stands within the light, watching it all, like a spectator yet also like the master of it.

He lifts his left hand, spreads his five fingers, and gives a faint press.

The images in the light freeze.

The war drums cease, the battle cries cease, the banners hang mid‑air, weapons hover mid‑air, warhorses freeze mid‑air, even the wind stops.

Everything froze.

Su Qu watched Yu Lin moving within the still light.

He walked to Huang Di's army formation, stretched out his hand, and drew a line in the air.

The line touched the ground, turning into a golden light trace that encircled Huang Di's camp.

He then walked to Chi You's army formation, drew another line—silver‑white—that encircled Chi You's camp.

The two lines faced each other across the golden and white auras, with the empty battlefield between them.

Yu Lin retreated to the center, clasping his hands together.

The light began to flow, golden light surging toward Huang Di's side, silver‑white light surging toward Chi You's side.

Those frozen phantoms started moving, not to resume fighting, but drawn by the light to rearrange, combine, and remake themselves.

War chariots returned to place, soldiers returned, banners returned, even the warhorse struck by an arrow rose, shook its mane, and rejoined the ranks.

Su Qu's eyes widened.

Again, Huang Di's camp rose from the ground within the light, no longer a phantom but a real structure.

Wooden fences, earthen walls, watchtowers, command tents, granaries, training grounds—all were present.

A golden banner hung over the camp gate, embroidered with a winged Ying Long.

On Chi You's side it was the same; within the silver‑white light, a camp of equal size rose, but its style was completely different.

Rugged, wild, exuding strength.

A silver banner hung over the gate, embroidered with a beast's head, eyes wide open, radiating killing intent!

Yu Lin withdrew his hand, and the light gradually faded.

The battlefield fell silent, only wind passing between the two camps, emitting a low whoosh like someone blowing a horn in the distance!

Su Qu scratched his head and asked, "What is this…?"

"Commander Base," Yu Lin clapped his hands and explained, "Whoever captures the opposite side gets the reward inside."

"Both the King and the Alliance have played it, right? It's basically like this."

Su Qu nodded, "So it's easy to understand?"

"What's the reward?"

"Gold coins?"

Yu Lin thought for a moment, "Nothing's placed yet; I'll just toss something in later."

"Anyway, whatever I toss in counts as treasure to the current Cultivators."

"..............." Su Qu had nothing to say.

What could he say? Yu Lin is awesome.

Looking at the two camps that materialized out of thin air, with lifelike wooden fences, earthen walls, and the two flags flapping in the wind, he suddenly recalled something.

"Those phantoms… what about the soldiers?"

"Just the foot soldiers," Yu Lin said, pointing at the camp.

"Inside—defenders, attackers, and they can even level up after a while."

He turned and walked back the way he came, "The rules are simple: choose a side, break in, obtain the token in the opponent's command tent, and you win. You can team up or solo, no restrictions on methods."

"If you're lucky, you can earn the favor of Huang Di, Yan Di, and Chi You, gaining some of their abilities, or perhaps something else."

"How exactly to fight, they'll decide themselves."

"Whoever captures it gets the reward; if you can't, you must retreat."

Su Qu nodded, "That makes sense."

"I'll go talk to them then."

"But."

He turned his words, chuckling, "We're good brothers."

"Give me some cheats?"

Yu Lin stroked his chin, nodded, and said, "Alright."

"You'll be the wild monster."

Su Qu: ".............."

"What's that look? Wild monsters can earn wages; the luck here can be shared with you a bit, don't count ……"

"I'm doing it! I'll be the wild monster!"