「Early morning.」
The official road was lined with ancient trees, their canopies so dense they blotted out the sun. Thick, green vines coiled up their trunks, and branches and leaves intertwined overhead. Vibrant wildflowers, still wet with morning dew, dotted the landscape, filling the air with their sweet fragrance.
Squads of heavily armored cavalryn approached. They rode small, hardy, jet-black steeds, with Wugu Bows slung across their backs and hands resting on the hilts of their Battle Swords. They were clad in White Bull Rock Armor, and their helts were topped with a small, rhino-like horn.
In addition, six Soldiers rode a single war chariot, rumbling along in a vast procession. The chariot, resembling so sort of chanical transport, was piled high with neat stacks of Armor and weapons. A linen cloth was draped over the cargo, but where the sun caught an occasional exposed corner, it revealed a faint, bone-chilling glint.
From a carriage embroidered with the Golden Crow insignia, a window slid open. A fair, jade-like hand parted the curtain, revealing a delicate, snow-white chin. Her gaze fixed on the front of the Golden Crow cavalry column, and her small, rosy lips parted.
"General Yun, how far are we from the Imperial Capital?"
A tall, middle-aged General with a full beard and a red cape slowed his horse, riding up alongside the carriage. He offered a slight bow.
"Your Highness, we still have to pass through two cities and three towns. It will take at least another four to five days."
"That long."
The tall General smiled wryly. "Actually, we’re already making excellent ti. The Great Yan official roads are wide and smooth, which has already sped up our journey considerably."
The woman in the carriage nodded lightly. "Great Yan is truly worthy of its title as the foremost nation of the Central Plains. Its power is formidable indeed. If the Golden Crow Country were to build such roads, I can’t imagine how many hundreds of millions of silver it would cost, and Great Yan has them everywhere. Even so, the masters of the Legalist Family claim we can restore our Dynasty. I often wonder... ’will that day ever truly co?’"
Holding his reins, the tall General replied, "Since its founding, Great Yan has extinguished countless nations and annexed many Ancient Dynasties. Its power is naturally imnse. For a thousand years, the nations of the Central Plains have risen and fallen—the Great Sui, Daqian, Great Zhou, and now Great Yan. The next successor is yet unknown. The Golden Crow Country isn’t without a chance."
"Speaking of seizing power, yet here we are, delivering a tribute of arms and armor to Great Yan. It’s all rather ironic, isn’t it?"
The Golden Crow’s Eldest Princess laughed, mocking herself.
’Ostensibly, it’s a trade deal, but in reality, it’s no different from paying tribute. The amount of silver Great Yan pays is paltry; ten million is their absolute limit. If we sold the sa goods to a smaller nation, they would be worth at least three tis as much.’
Suddenly, the entire column ground to a halt as the sound of a horn blast echoed from up ahead.
"What happened?"
The Eldest Princess of the Golden Crow asked, her voice laced with confusion.
"Your Highness, we’re being attacked by bandits!"
A General from the vanguard galloped back, saluting as he reported.
"How long will it take to deal with them?" The Eldest Princess wasn’t overly concerned.
The cavalry General wiped the sweat from his brow. "These bandits are incredibly strong. An entire squad of Martial Riders has already been cut down."
’To easily topple a squad of Martial Riders in formation... that would require a Grandmaster, at least.’
The Eldest Princess was slightly taken aback.
For this trip to the Great Yan Imperial Capital, she had brought five hundred Heavy Armor foot Soldiers transported in chariots and three hundred Martial Riders mounted on Black Blood Demon Steeds—a total of eight hundred Soldiers.
Her three hundred Martial Riders, while not quite on par with Great Yan’s Qilin Dragon Riders, were still ranked among the top three elite cavalry units in the world in terms of combat strength.
Originally, first place was held by the Great Netherworld’s Cangyue Wolf Riders, second by the Great Yan Dragon Riders, and third by the Black Blood Martial Riders.
But in the last sixty years, the top spot had been seized by Great Yan’s Qilin Dragon Riders. Their Dragon-Scale Horses were raised on diluted Flood Dragon blood, and they were supplied with Great Yan’s unique and expensive Universal dicinal Gold known as Red Gold. These were the very resources that cented Great Yan’s supremacy.
"How can there be bandits so close to the Capital Region? Is law and order in Great Yan truly this poor?"
The Eldest Princess was clearly skeptical.
She suspected she was being targeted.
After all, the things she was transporting were priceless, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t encountered similar situations before.
’These are no re bandits. It’s far more likely that soone covets my cargo.’
「On a distant mountain peak.」
A group of masked figures in black stood there, led by a woman with a high ponytail.
A young man wearing a Bronze Tiger Mask returned, saber in hand, and saluted as he gave his report.
"Lord Shadow Scout, the diversion is complete."
"Good. You may all fall back now."
Lu Mingyuan looked at the woman and asked with concern, "Lord Tributor, will you truly be enough on your own?"
"Enough."
The woman in black swapped her saber for a sword and leaped into the air.
She strode through the empty air as if Riding the Wind, like a true Immortal.
Lu Mingyuan gazed down at the dark, sprawling army at the foot of the mountain. ’Even for ,’ he thought, ’it would take at least Half an Hour to cut them all down one by one.’
At that mont, soldiers in heavy Armor closed ranks around the carriage, forming a defensive periter like a Turtle Shell.
Every one of the Golden Crow Soldiers drew their Battle Sword, raised it high, and activated the inscriptions carved into the blades.
A five-sided, glowing prismatic barrier ford, resembling an inverted golden bowl, seemingly indestructible.
This was the Five Directions Heaven-Burning Golden Crow Sword Array, a asure used only when facing masters of the Middle Fifth Grade.
It was a special technique commonly used in the military to prevent high-level Qi Cultivators from assassinating the Supre Commander on the battlefield.
BOOM—
A clap of thunder exploded across the cloud-choked sky.
In the center of the sky stood the woman in black, sword in hand, her ponytail whipping in the wind. In that instant, the world fell utterly silent.
SHIIING—
A flash of sword light shot out, erupting in a dazzling cyan glare that montarily outshone the brilliant Celestial Thunder.
Sword Qi danced and coiled around the blade before hurtling through the air from its tip.
The devastating Sword Qi sliced clean through half a mountain peak. The massive trees upon it were severed at their trunks, their canopies toppling down to crash into the distant river valley.
Lu Mingyuan watched, dumbfounded.
’So unbelievably strong.’
That peerless sword strike descended, carving through the ground like a Flood Dragon swimming through water.
It swept through the eight hundred armored soldiers.
Like a hurricane tearing through a field of straw, a powerful shockwave shattered the Sword Array.
Though he was a Blade Cultivator, it didn’t stop him from grasping the profundity of this strike. Her Swordsmanship had reached Perfection, and her Sword Intent had achieved Great Success.
If soone were to walk into the center of the Sword Intent, they would surely be torn to shreds by the formless Sword Qi.
[Observed Immortal Swordsmanship. Trait "Grandmaster" triggered. "Fuyao Swordsmanship" has been learned and added to Cultivation Technique progress.]
Lu Mingyuan stared at the words that appeared before him. He checked his status panel and, sure enough, saw the progress for Fuyao Swordsmanship.
「Cultivation Technique: Fuyao Swordsmanship (Sword One: 500/10,000)」
’As a Grandmaster, I can comprehend all techniques.’
This was the Martial Venerable Fate Grid.
Lu Mingyuan’s hands suddenly itched with the urge to hold a sword.
He had entered the Martial Dao through the saber; his Saber Montum had reached Perfection, he had cultivated a Saber Heart, and he had an initial grasp of Saber Intent.
Now, he had touched the threshold of the Sword Dao.
The Sword Dao was far more difficult and complex to practice than the way of the saber, yet countless people attempted its Cultivation. Most remained diocre; only a rare few with extraordinary talent could even begin to grasp its fundantals.
Initially, Lu Mingyuan felt he lacked the talent for the sword, which was why he had taken up Training Saber instead.
He looked again.
With a single sword strike.
The land for dozens of miles in every direction was razed flat.
When the dust settled, a woman stood at the head of the army, completely unhard. She wore a gilt-trimd white dress embroidered with the pattern of a Golden Crow in flight, and her face was covered by a veil.
The woman’s brow furrowed. From a necklace at her collarbone, she drew forth an ancient Battle Sword, inch by inch. The blade, shaped like a golden ice crystal, was searing hot. As it materialized in mid-air, its heat beca so intense that the ground below was scorched black and the very air began to distort.
Seeing the sword in her hand, Lu Mingyuan narrowed his eyes. ’The national treasure of the Golden Crow Country, the Immortal Sword Jin Yu, passed down for a thousand years. It seems she really is the Eldest Princess of the Golden Crow Country, Luo Qiufu.’
The very instant Luo Qiufu drew her sword, Lord Shadow Scout vanished. Her expression impassive, she transford into a hurricane and shot toward the princess.
Her Heaven-Piercing Sword Qi transford into a straight beam of rainbow light.
Lu Mingyuan felt this was no re test; this attack was truly ant to kill the Eldest Princess.
The attacker’s Three-foot Cyan Blade seed minuscule compared to the hundred-foot-tall wave of Sword Qi, and all eyes were fixed on the Immortal Sword in the Eldest Princess’s hand.
VMMMM!
The sword’s edge humd softly, and a flower of scorching flas blood.
The two auras clashed, churning the air and whipping up ferocious winds. In an instant, the land for miles around was blasted into a deep, scorched crater, the earth itself cracking from the heat.
The Immortal Sword possessed a long and storied history. Each of its masters had been a renowned Sword Immortal whose might shook the Central Plains Countries. If the Immortal Sword accepted a master, they would gain its protection, allowing them to battle foes of a higher cultivation realm.
The Immortal Sword chooses its wielder; there is no benefit in taking it by force. Only the worthy can naturally possess it.
The two beams of light clashed again and again.
Until the two separated again.
The woman in black held her sword aloft. A humanoid Primordial Spirit woven from purple flas perford a Primordial Spirit Ergence. Lu Mingyuan imdiately felt a terrifying Sword Dao aura fill the air.
In that mont, her Taoist Qi blazed like a sun. The resulting Sword Qi ford a wave a thousand zhang high, completely overwhelming the might of the Immortal Sword.
SHIING!
A streak of purple light, trailing a teor’s tail, crashed down with the force of the heavens themselves.
Luo Qiufu’s body was directly blasted away by the might of the Sword Qi.
Her veil fluttered away, revealing an exquisite face with brows like distant, painted mountains. A cascade of ink-black hair spilled over her shoulders. Her unadorned face possessed an indescribable, tranquil beauty, with skin as smooth as jade and a graceful bearing. With the veil gone, her fairy-like elegance was now tinged with a heart-wrenching hint of vulnerability.
Lu Mingyuan hadn’t expected that the Eldest Princess, despite her incredible Swordsmanship, would be defeated so quickly.
The Immortal Sword Jin Yu remained hovering in mid-air, roiling with waves of fla and sending shockwaves radiating in all directions.
KREEE!
A sharp cry echoed as a phantom image of a Golden Crow rose into the air and slamd into the black-clad woman’s Primordial Spirit.
Pfft!
Having expended imnse energy, the woman in black was finally overwheld. She spat out a mouthful of blood, her aura flagging. The towering phantom of her Primordial Spirit dissipated, and she plumted toward the ground.
The Golden Crow phantom was relentless, seemingly furious that its master had been hard.
It dove again, slamming her into the ground.
The soldiers quickly rushed forward to protect the Eldest Princess.
At this mont, Lu Mingyuan fell into a dilemma.
’Should I continue with the plan, or save her? My superior looks like she’s done for.’
Just then, the Six-Yao Turtle Shell in his mind suddenly activated.
It transford into two rays of light.
[An oriole stalks from behind; a murder by borrowed blade. A lingering disaster from the Golden Crow; a calamitous romance looms.]
[Upper Trigram of Good Fortune: Bide your ti. Do not intervene. Continue the plan. Boon: You will win the favor of a beautiful woman, which can resolve the lingering disaster. Bane: You will be ensnared in a calamitous romance and the disaster of the Golden Crow. Your Azure Fate Grid, "Fated to be Seductive," can be directly promoted to the Venerable Purple Fate Grid, "Imperial Family." Great Fortune!]
[Middle Trigram of Evil: Act rashly to save a life. Rescue the Shadow Scout. Boon: You will avoid the disaster of the Golden Crow. Bane: The Second Prince will investigate the truth, and your infiltration plan will be exposed. Moderate Misfortune!]
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