Free Web NovelChapter 1136: Chapter 354: Competing for Kui_2
Ascetic training pays no heed to the swift passage of time.
In the midst of all nations’ exceptional talents devotedly training, under the gaze, whether anticipatory or anxious...
The time for the Yellow River Gathering had finally drawn near.
... freewebnσvel.cѳm
...
Linyi City was always bustling, but today it was exceptionally noisy.
Especially on the main road to the "li" character gate in the western part of the city, both sides were packed with pedestrians.
The capital city guards formed a long chain, barely maintaining a clear passage through the throng.
No other reason—today was yet another day the Great Qi warriors were setting out.
Among the 108 gates of Linyi, the troops heading for the Yellow River Gathering were departing from the "li" character gate.
For an occasion like the Yellow River Gathering, ordinary countries might only need to drum up courage and fight desperately.
But a powerful nation like Qi Country needed more than just "might"; there must also be "ceremony". In times of "valor", there is also a need for "ritual".
The martial spirit of Qi Country was highly esteemed. When Zhongxuan Sheng hosted a duel, he could earn a fortune, which was evidence enough of this.
In Great Qi, every time the army set out, those who saw them off crowded shoulder to shoulder, earnestly wishing for a triumphant return.
This time, the Qi troop headed to the Guanhe Platform was extraordinarily splendid.
Needless to mention the three peerless talents of the nation leading the charge.
The team was led by the commander of the Nine Soldier Commander, who commanded the Army of Spring Death—Cao Jie.
Accompanying them was a military unit of no less than two hundred Ascending Dragon Realm cultivators, including two "Dui Zheng" from the Inner Mansion Realm.
They were the elite extracted from the Sky-covering Army, each man tall and mighty, chosen not only for their strength but also for their "face".
Indeed, those selected were all exceptional.
And only the Sky-covering Army could spare such a group of soldiers.
For it should be known, cultivators at the level of the Ascending Dragon Realm could vie for the position of commander even amongst the elite ranks of the Rain-slicing Army. Here, eligibility meant stepping into the threshold for promotion. True promotion still required the attainment of sufficient military exploits.
When the uniform beat of horse hooves, like the rolling of drums, like heartbeats, approached from afar.
The townsfolk lining the roads, whose clamorous discussions were relentless, seemed subdued by this solemn aura and gradually fell silent.
Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!
The three national talents, riding at the very front of the formation, were met with the gazes of all Linyi’s citizens, as well as their blessings.
With frosty armor and snow-white robes, Ji Zhaonan rode a pure white horse without a single blemish, situated in the middle of the three.
His armor unparalleled, and so was he.
His silver lance slanted behind kept the cold gleam as if it could pierce the ground tiles.
Whenever his eyes, cold as stars, swept over somewhere, there the girls would find themselves breathless. A mere glance in his eyes could nearly suffocate them.
In his white clothes purer than snow, Zhongxuan Zun, stood to Ji Zhaonan’s left.
He rode a "Dark Clouds Trampling Snow" horse.
The steed was completely black, with only white visible on its hooves.
His charming figure had long captivated Linyi City.
With a picturesque nose like a verdant mountain, eyes like ink-dyed starry halo, and a mouth with a faint semblance of a smile, he no longer seemed out of reach in the clouds but genuinely present, among the people of this world.
To Ji Zhaonan’s right was Jiang Qingyang, whose fame had already spread throughout Linyi the previous year.
Having defeated Wang Yi in the same realm, it could be said that he rose to prominence stepping on the reputation of this historically unrivaled Tongtian Environment expert, capturing the attention of the people of Qi.
If that battle was unseen by many,
Then the subsequent "Invincible Martial Arts Field" battle was witnessed by crowds.
Lei Zhanqian, the unmatched talent from Lei’s family, known as "The Dominator of Heavens and Earth," was effortlessly defeated by Jiang Wangyue, a cultivator of a realm lower. This was almost common knowledge in Linyi.
Many whispered that for the Yellow River Gathering’s nominations, Lei Zhanqian being listed to face Jiang Qingyang once more, perhaps, could only have been due to certain connections.
After all, Palace Master Jiang Wuqi had an excellent reputation, and few would throw idle gossip upon him. They merely attributed it to the shameless deeds of the Lei Family...
Lei Zhanqian, who was resoundingly defeated, truly had no room to explain. He could only shut himself in, ardently committed to austerity.
At this moment, Jiang Wang rode a fiery red horse on the right flank, his posture upright and composed.
He wore a clean and crisp sky-blue martial outfit with a simple white jade pendant hanging at his side.
His long hair was tied back and hung down silently.
His eyebrows and eyes had initially been delicate, but the trials of time had honed them with edges.
Although he might not compare to Ji Zhaonan’s unrivaled elegance or Zhongxuan Zun’s peerless grace,
He possessed his own calm assurance.
His eyes were so pure; it was hard to imagine that after experiencing so much, he could still have eyes as innocent as a child’s. And his slightly pursed lips seemed to narrate every moment he had refused to retreat.
Tall nose, steady face.
He appeared so sincere, emanating a reassuring aura.
You could always trust him.
You can always trust Jiang Qingyang!
Riding alongside the two peerless knights, he presented a unique elegance, conceding not a hair’s breadth.
Behind them followed two teams of cavalry born from the Sky-covering Army, all donned in armor and helmets—even the warhorses were no exception. The gleaming plates reflected the dazzling sunlight.
After a hundred cavalry came Cao Jie, the commander of the Army of Spring Death.
He did not try to outshine the three heavenly favored knights but intimated an air of commanding the "Middle Army."
Even an army formation of only two hundred had its standards and system. Famous generals the world over, at any time, always held "war" itself in respect.
Behind Cao Jie were the remaining hundred cavalry.
The iron cavalry connected end to end.
Two "Dui Zheng" from the Inner Mansion Realm, armored, took up the rear.
The horses they rode were all strong stallions raised and nourished by the Imperial Stables.
Each one was tall and powerful, with the bloodline of magical beasts, and all were well-trained. Truly, in battle, they were no less capable than the average Wandering Meridian Cultivator.
In cooperation with the knights, they truly merged as one, their combat strength nearly doubling.
Of course, the stronger the warrior, the stronger the steed needed to complement them.
As it was in the battle at Qi Yang, the precious steed ridden by Yang Jiande, although it was a divine horse of the world, only just managed to bear Yang Jiande, allowing him to focus all his strength and deliver his power in one blow.
To amplify Yang Jiande’s strength... that horse could not do it.
The horses of the guardian cavalry were all so magnificent.
Among them, the mounts of the three heavenly knights like Jiang Wang were the cream of the crop, exceptionally remarkable.
Before the expedition set off, Emperor Qi had already decreed to bestow these three divine horses upon them.
The original words were— "Before the time of rewarding achievements comes, first reward their courage."
Ji Zhaonan and Zhongxuan Zun, both widely knowledgeable, were very pleased, not to mention Jiang Wang.
In his view, his big fiery-red horse was even not inferior to Elder Sister Li’s "Qu Hei."
A small incident might reflect the youthful temperament of these three heavenly knights of the country.
Each of them named their horses...
Zhongxuan Zun’s horse was called "Snowy Night," a name that was very picturesque.
In the pitch-black night, only the snow underfoot is white, fitting the image of this horse.
Jiang Wang also put a lot of thought into it and, after a long contemplation, named his fiery-red horse "Blaze Illuminator."
Meaning that when this divine steed galloped, it was like the illumination of flames, swift beyond measure and brilliantly dazzling.
Ji Zhaonan was also very serious about the naming. At the Imperial Stables, he pondered around a tall white horse for a good half stick of incense.
In the end, he named his horse "Little White"...
As this mighty force marched through the main road, the citizens on both sides were silent, seeing them off with their gazes only.
For thousands of years, the people of Qi Country had been sending off their warriors like this, time and time again.
Some warriors returned in triumph, others laid their bones in foreign lands.
And the Great Qi Empire, through such expeditions over and over, achieved the grand ambition of dominating the Eastern Region.
This city, this nation, could become even greater!
All the people of Qi firmly believed this.
They believed they were living in a great era, within a great empire.
They were especially proud to be people of Qi.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The sound of horse hooves was steady and rhythmic, the departing troops resolute and valiant.
As the three heavenly knights of the country rode side by side to the "Li" character gate, on the brink of leaving the great city of Linzi,
The silence was shattered in an instant.
No one knows who made the first call.
The second voice, the third voice...
From the city gate here, spreading all the way to the end of the long street...
From the main road in front of the "Li" character gate, spreading throughout the entirety of Xiong City...
Ignoring men and women, regardless of age.
The voices of all the people of Linzi merged into one.
That voice was clear and grand, soaring through the days, clearing the clouds, shaking heaven and earth.
That voice proclaimed—
"Strive for supremacy!!"
Henceforth, strive for supremacy.
