Chapter 101: Tremble, Long Family
It could be said that in the entire kingdom, for both those who had already conceded to Long Zhaofeng and those who hadn’t before, there was only one choice, and that was to accede to his rule.
Of all the powers within the kingdom, there were almost none that could threaten the existence of the Long family, much less contend against them.
After all, the Long family had just won the heavens. Their presence as a superior being was enough to roll over all dukes.
Of course, a few people also knew that Jiang Chen was an exception.
Long Zhaofeng had summoned the great army in order to prune the great thorn in his side, Jiang Chen.
Except, no one thought that Jiang Chen had any qualifications to fight against the might of the entire kingdom.
Eastern Lu had been so powerful and yet he barely lasted past a few days.
As for Jiang Chen, Long Zhaofeng placed such an emphasis on him not because of how strong the former was, but because the depths of enmity between the Long family and the Jiang family could not even be washed away with all the waters in the sea.
Upon hearing such wild words come from Jiang Chen, the soldiers of all three armies naturally felt that Jiang Chen was merely voicing his wishful thinking.
“Who will capture this traitor for me? You will be granted one million gold and made the Duke of Jiang Han.”
Long Zhaofeng waved his long whip and pointed it at Jiang Chen.
Although he was now the ruler of a nation, Long Zhaofeng was also infuriated and enraged by Jiang Chen’s arrogant att.i.tude.
A million gold, Duke of Jiang Han.
These honors tempted all the experts beneath his banner. What did they train for if it were not for wealth and honor?
If a martial dao pract.i.tioner couldn’t enter the spirit dao, then all was a mirage, insubstantial and fleeting. What they undoubtedly wished to gain was prosperity and fortune in this life.
Being a duke or general would offer the greatest wealth apart from being a king or emperor.
In the span of a moment, all the experts that were on the Long family’s payroll stepped forward. They had all recently been promoted to true qi master royal experts.
“Your Majesty, your subjects are willing to capture and kill this traitor.”
Long Zhaofeng was greatly pleased. “You are all of one united mind and will all be rewarded when you kill him.”
“Our grat.i.tude to the lord.” The six true qi masters looked up at the top of the pa.s.s with gazes full of fervor. Kill Jiang Chen, seize the dukedom, and gain one million gold.
No one could resist this temptation.
It was surprisingly Long Juxue by Long Zhaofeng’s side who warned them gravely, “Do not underestimate your enemy. Jiang Chen is adept in shooting at a great distance and rides a Goldwing Swordbird. This is extremely odd.”
“We appreciate the princess’s reminder.”
Long Zhaofeng waved his hand and Long Er walked forward. “Your Majesty.”
“Long Er, tell all the true qi master level archers to prepare themselves. They must shoot Jiang Chen down the moment he tries to make his escape on the Goldwing Swordbird.”
“Your subject understands his orders.” Long Er bowed as he received his order.
The great army hadn’t set forth without any preparations at all this time. The Long family had made specific preparations for Jiang Chen’s Goldwing Swordbirds.
They also knew that the Goldwing Swordbird was a violent bird at the level of a true qi master. Ordinary archers would be entirely unable to harm it.
Only experts at the level of true qi masters using strong bows and fierce arrows attacking ceaselessly would be able to keep the Goldwing Swordbird at bay.
“Long Er, this Jiang Chen thinks he’s occupied the vantage point of high ground and isn’t riding on the back of the Goldwing Swordbird. This is the best time to kill him. When he mounts on the Goldwing Swordbird and takes to the sky again, even the arrows of a true qi master will be unable to keep pace with him.” Long Juxue reminded once again.
Long Er contemplated something and nodded vaguely, saying to the six true qi masters who were readying themselves to rush into the fray. “You six must keep him on the ground at all costs and don’t let him mount a Goldwing Swordbird.”
The six true qi masters responsible for rus.h.i.+ng Jiang Chen and the eight true qi master level archers were all ready.
This was mobilizing almost all of the core strength available to Long Zhaofeng.
“Kill!”
The six true qi masters responsible for rus.h.i.+ng Jiang Chen all wore soft armor and helmets that could defend against arrows. They were fully armored and charged up to the top of mountain pa.s.s.
True qi masters truly did have an extraordinary presence.
A scene of a huge cloud of dust swirling up from the ground appeared, forming six tornadoes of dust as if six dragons emerging from the seas, flying up to the sky above the pa.s.s.
As they glided, all of them brandished their weapons and attacked straight towards the top of the pa.s.s.
This attack wasn’t to injure the enemy, but the best defense was a good offense, and this attack was also to defend against a possible ambush from the top of the pa.s.s.
As for Jiang Chen standing at the top of the pa.s.s, his eyes were clear and they had the intelligent sparkle of reason. His eyes glared and a cold light shot out in exploding rays.
“Well received.”
His powerful arms moved consecutively as six Leathered Feather Throwing Daggers tore through the air like a mult.i.tude of shooting stars, drawing out marvelous and cunning arcs, shooting down towards the six true qi masters charging upwards.
At the same time, Jiang Chen gave a long whistle as the nameless blade came up. From the high vantage point, his arms trembled once as they swept up a true qi current like the tidewaters.
Vast Ocean Current Splitter, displaying the true colors of a hero.
This blade was indeed the reversing of a vast ocean current, and was indeed a hero by himself.
“The wave breaker form of the Vast Oean Current Splitter, cleave!”
Having now ascended to the ranks of true qi masters, Jiang Chen’s comprehension of the “Vast Ocean Current Splitter” naturally improved with his breakthrough. This highly knowledgeable move now surpa.s.sed all of his previous stages, and did so at a substantial level.
The stroke at the peak of one’s skills, a stroke enough to make the rivers and oceans flow in reverse, came cras.h.i.+ng down from the top of the mountain pa.s.s like a tsunami, sweeping across the entire pa.s.s and roiling towards the six figures das.h.i.+ng upwards.
The blade’s aura that had formed from concentrated true qi was like a violent beast that selected its victims, quickening the breathing of the six true qi masters in an instant.
The six terrifying throwing daggers brought with them a mysterious power and arrived first at wily and brutal angles.
In this moment, the six true qi masters all sniffed a certain presence at the same time --
The presence of death.
This terrifying presence was unstoppable like the tidewaters. It gave birth to an instinct that if they didn’t retreat, they would die.
Hesitation occurred only in that crucial moment.
But the six people had entirely different fates.
Three people retreated after their apprehension. They were hit by the throwing daggers and it was like they had been electrocuted in their chests. Blood sprayed out from their mouths as they backed up, but they retained their lives.
Those who didn’t immediately back up after hesitating but rather, still continued up against the current were also hit by the throwing daggers. The strong true qi of “Vast Ocean Current Splitter” also infused into them at the same time, utterly shattering their internal organs as they spat out blood and died.
One move, six true qi masters. Three were dead and three were injured.
Jiang Chen brandished his blade and pointed down at Long Zhaofeng from afar. He was majestic, domineering. “Long Zhaofeng, I killed your son and now you send these worthless things to their deaths. Are these the ways that you should have as the ruler of a nation?”
His manner was imposing, his bearing so steely that he wouldn’t even bat an eye if Mt. Tai collapsed in front of him.
It was as if the mountains and rivers had changed color and the rivers and oceans had flowed backwards as soon as Jiang Chen had spoken.
This caused a perfect silence to prevail amongst the million strong army in an instant. It was as if the great mountain valley and the million strong army were just air, without sound or hint of life.
Even Long Zhaofeng was stunned by Jiang Chen’s shocking manner in that moment.
“This Jiang Chen, when did he… when had he…” The Duke of Yanmen murmured. He almost didn’t believe his eyes.
One had to know that just a few months ago, Jiang Chen couldn’t even pa.s.s the foundational exams.
Long Zhaofeng was infuriated and he yelled, “Long Er, convey my orders. All true qi masters must step out and kill him. Kill him! Kill! Kill! Kill!”
“Understood!”
Long Juxue’s slender brows were slightly knitted as she looked coldly in Jiang Chen’s direction, “Jiang Chen, I admit that you have a bit of potential and ability. However, this is the end of the line for you.”
“Is that so?” Jiang Chen’s expression was wooden. “But you’re right. This is the end of the line. I’ve had enough fun.”
Suddenly, Jiang Chen raised his voice and called out, “Gouyu, Eastern Lin, Eastern Zhiruo, open your eyes and take a good look and see how I kill Long Zhaofeng, this treacherous usurper.”
“Jiang Chen, smooth talking is useless. A mere mountain pa.s.s will be trampled flat with one gesture to my million strong army. My Long family will trample your Jiang Han territory and slaughter all of your Jiang family members.” A viciousness like a poisonous viper was revealed on Long Juxue’s beautiful features.
“Hahaha, you’ll need to have that ability first. Million strong army? Destroy my Jiang Han territory and slaughter my family members? Not too shabby, Long Juxue, you’ve made my determination to annihilate your Long family even more resolute.”
Jiang Chen ignored the million strong army beneath him after he’d finished speaking, as if they were clay dolls.
Long Juxue had seen people who were bold, who were unafraid of death, but it was truly the first time that she had seen someone still so carefree and leisurely even when an army of a million strong was beating down his doors.
Except, Jiang Chen’s confident and self-a.s.sured manner vaguely made Long Juxue a bit bafflingly uneasy.
Why was she uneasy? She had a million strong army behind her, hundreds of true qi masters to support her, and she commanded the most elite strength in the kingdom.
But she couldn’t shake off this uneasy feeling.
Long Zhaofeng didn’t think that much as his face darkened, “Xue’er, there’s no need to argue with him any longer. Attack the pa.s.s immediately, kill Jiang Chen, slaughter the Jiang family, and trample the Jiang Han territory!”
The million strong army roared like tigers in unison.
Drastic changes in a political situation, the shouts and yells of a million people in one gathering formed an impressive atmosphere, as if the mountains were collapsing and the earth cracking. This immediately raised the somewhat glum morale.
“Kill Jiang Chen!”
“Slaughter the Jiang clan!”
“Seize the dukedom and become Duke of Jiang Han!”
“Kill!”
The mountain winds howled as war drums were beaten fiercely. Battle cries shook the heavens as soldiers flourished their weapons.
In front of the million strong army, the Second Crossing appeared thin and fragile, as if it would topple down if everyone in the million strong army exhaled one breath.
At this moment, Jiang Chen murmured something and suddenly, a long whistle rang out, followed by several sharp short whistles.
In between this whistle, it was as if the mountains on either side of the pa.s.s were collapsing as enormous rumbling sounds roared out. Countless rocks were falling down, as if the mountain would explode at any moment, as if a slumbering ancient beast within this mountain valley was awakening.
“What?”
With her azure phoenix const.i.tution, Long Juxue’s potential was exceedingly high. She could vaguely detect a sense of the mountains and rivers changing colors, and the heavens and earth becoming dark and gloomy.
In this moment, a terrifying scene appeared.
Within the mountain valley...
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Countless Swordbirds and innumerable wings shot out of the mountain valley like arrows loosed from a bowstring, das.h.i.+ng out from their hiding place deep within the mountain.
Within the span of one breath, they covered the sky and blotted out the sun. The sky was black no matter where one cast an eye. There were Swordbirds everywhere. Countless Swordbirds covered the entire heavens like an enormous sky curtain.
Suddenly, the light of the heavens and the direct suns.h.i.+ne of noon utterly vanished from the mountain valley.