Chapter 161: Majestic Yutang

Standing tall at the city walls were Yutang's soldiers, bedecked in vibrant armor. Even the blades in their hands gleamed brightly, reflecting the rays of the sun.

As they marched, there was a dignified and rigorous air about them.

"Do you see that? That does not come at a request of their general, not from an imposed order. Those expressions come from the heart! That is the way that they reflect their innermost feelings."

"The glow on each of their faces tell of glory and pride."

"Let me tell three of you, these are soldiers who are proud because they were born in this country, who bear pride because they are able to defend this country, to be part of the strongest army! It is a great nation and people indeed who could cultivate such an army."

"When they go to war, Yutang's army shouts of defending their country and protecting their homes - because they have always been the one to be attacked! That is why their battle cry sounds that way! As for other nations, even our own army of the Empire of Dongxuan, a lot of people think of fighting a war and acquiring merit as a way to rise up the ranks and be wealthy!"

Han Sanhe's voice was tinged with bleakness. "These are two very different things, indeed. Different in every aspect."

"The more they shout of defending their country and protecting their homes, the more it becomes the army's spiritual belief! Once the mantra is ingrained..."

Han Sanhe bit off each word slowly, "They will become the most terrifying thing on earth. Indestructible."

"Yutang fights against Dongxuan on the east, goes to war with Tianxi on the north, comes into contact with Ziyou on the west while they face off Dayuan in the south... Yet, they remain safe and sound despite being besieged from all four directions!" Han Sanhe chuckled dryly. "If Yutang only needed to fight against one of the four empires with all its might, that empire would already have become Yutang's conquest!"

"It is only today that we know of Yutang's power." Three generals sucked in a cold breath together.

"I have never spoken of Yutang's heritage and prowess in the past because I was afraid it would deflate your spirit and confidence. However, this man has grown old. If I didn't take this chance today to tell of all these to you, one careless mistake could cause you a landslide loss when you all face Yutang's generals in the future!"

"Even an ordinary Yutang cavalryman who has stayed alive throughout his hundred battles can easily surpass a cavalry leader of a five-hundred man cavalry when he comes to our nation! His performance would be equally outstanding."

"Again, you must remember that I am comparing only a single soldier!"

"My only hope now is to tackle the Fortress of Resilience while I am still alive and absorb seven thousand miles of Yutang's eastern lands into Dongxuan's territory. That would be enough." Han Sanhe said lowly, "Once Yutang loses this big piece of border plain, a third of its resources will be gone. By then, all other nations, especially the Dongxuan, can conquer the world if we take a step forward or at least remain an influential force even if we were to take a step back."

"Marshal's wish can be fulfilled definitely. Didn't we almost complete this goal the last time?" Mu Wuyun said.

"It's just too bad that such a chance will be difficult to come by again!"

Han Sanhe spat quietly to his side and continued right after, "What I am most worried about now is the Empire of Yutang's emperor, Yu Peize! In any other nation, Tie Zheng, who has gotten into his head to host a wedding, would have been beheaded and his family exterminated. But here in the Empire of Yutang, not only has he successfully organized it; His Majesty has even sent a letter of credence of peace personally to support this militant festive affair."

"How generous!"

"isn't There any suspicion between the emperor and officials?"

"Serving an emperor like this, what more could a man ask for?"

Han Sanhe sighed wearily.

Standing beside Han Sanhe, the other generals from other countries were all observing Tiantang City quietly.

There was no hostility in Tiantang City. It stood alone, quiet and proud. Its city gates were wide open; countless people entered and left in a steady stream.

As far as the eye could see, peace and harmony greeted them.

Yet it was this peace and harmony that had unnerved these notable foreign generals who had been through countless wars.

The passersby who looked at them and at their military camps, the hate in their gazes that seeped into their bones, the tightened fists... they did nothing about it. They raised their heads and left.

Those were just ordinary citizens!

"Letter of credence of peace emphasizes this point during the festive event of militants. We During this period, no harm will come to you until you leave Yutang safely!"

"Because we cannot embarrass our warriors, we cannot let the heroic souls be shamed!"

"Life and death, victory and loss, they are all matters of the battlefield! This is our pride."

The people of Yutang did not say these aloud but all the foreign generals who came heard them loud and clear!

They saw them with an equal amount of awe and fear.

On the sixteenth of the tenth month, military troops comprising of three thousand men began a large-scale cleanup of the burial grounds, as a memorial ceremony.

All the homes that housed veterans or fallen soldiers hung a piece of red cloth on their doors that read, "Fealty hearts of vibrant blood that guard the nation and family, patriotic lion-hearted souls that build the fortresses!"

Yun Yang was preparing for this wholeheartedly as well, putting down everything else to focus on the task at hand.

He had learned so much now.

There were too many experts in this world. Setting aside Ling Xiaozui or Supreme Lord Spring Frost whose abilities were well over the top, even King Qinguang from Concourse of the Underworld was highly skilled and could stir up feelings of envy and jealousy within him. Who knew if his rash actions would attract the attention of other low-profile experts? It would be better to be cautious now.

The autumn wind billowed as he blended into it at once, coursing through the skies and gazed upon the land.

Although the number of foreign militants who had arrived was not all that high yet, they were all elites - some of them belonging to the category of experts of experts!

The imposing aura they generated had already raised plenty of fears and doubts in Yun Yang.

The only surprising thing was the four noble young masters who had become goody two shoes overnight. They were definitely occupied with something; they had not come to pester him nor did they go carousing at the Cirrus House. He knew that they were still in Tiantang City but that was about it.

It seemed that they were in constant contact with their families.

As for the higher leveled experts from the four families, they seemed to have come in increasing numbers as well but there was no sign of any covert operations.

"They seem to be waiting for some kind of news..." This was the information that the Nine Heavens Dictum had sent over.

What exactly they were waiting for remained an unknown.

...

The clip-clop of horses' hooves could be heard outside the city gate.

A team of people with armor so shiny that those who were watching came close to being blinded, had arrived.

It was Tie Zheng himself, coming to welcome his guests.

Notable generals from half of the continent had all come to attend and congratulate Tie Zheng on his wedding; the amount of buzz it generated would inevitably be praised for years to come and recorded in the annals of history. In spite of this, Tie Zheng's wedding could not be held in the city.

Firstly, there was nowhere in the city that had so much space. There would be at least several thousand soldiers attending from Yutang's military; including the generals, that would sum up to hundreds of thousands of men. In addition to the foreign militants, despite their lesser number, each nation had still sent several thousand men each.

Adding them all up would make a line-up of several hundred thousand men sitting together for a drink - how big a space would that call for?

Secondly, and also the more primary reason, was worry.

The foreign militants had professed to being here to congratulate Tie Zheng on his wedding and gather at this festive event, but who knew what they were really thinking deep down inside; the will of others is not ours to see, who could have known which one of them was kind or evil? The risk was far too great if they were to place tens of thousands of foreign militants in the capital of Empire of Yutang!

Therefore, it was outside the southern gate.

The flat pane was filled with tables arranged so neatly that one could mistake them to be sitting on the very ledge of the sky.

A stage had been decorated in a prosperous manner, numerous soldiers fussed about the elevated platform. They had taken their decoration jobs so seriously that they were exceedingly careful with the placement of each wooden block; the shape and size of those wooden blocks were under strict supervision as well.

It was as if they had wanted to turn this stage into a perfect piece of art.

This was where Tie Zheng's wedding would be held!

...

Yun Yang turned into a soft breeze and returned to the city, heading towards the Shangguan Family of Generals.

Recently, he had frequently gone to take a look at the six children whenever he had the time.

Yun Yang was genuinely surprised and impressed by these children's persistence and resilience.

Since they had gotten the mystical skill manual, the six children had devoted themselves to cultivation almost as if starved. Yet the normal, grueling physical training did not stop and was still being conducted as usual. If anything, it even looked like it was becoming even more difficult.

With the nourishment of the mighty mystical skills and the supplements of the high-intensity physical training, the growth of the children had improved by leaps and bounds!

This occurrence had Yun Yang thinking deep thoughts.

When he got home, he immediately formed a training ground in the Residence of Yun and began torturing himself incessantly.

Yun Yang had planned to torment himself for seven days to see its effects. He would determine if such extreme training was good or bad and how much benefit it could bring.

Yun Yang's hellish training was no joke at all

At the beginning of each session, he practiced the first style, the merciless blade of Destiny's First Form thrice, exerting his all in the style without the benefit of Emmie's refill of energy and depleting all his mystical Qi contained within. He then trained as harshly as the six Shangguan children to expend his physical strength. In the end, Yun Yang was only forcing himself to train by relying on his sheer will.

It was only when he had almost fainted, sweating bullets and laying on the ground like a dead dog, did he readjust his mystical Qi and cultivated the Endless Divine Art to recover.

Within a single day, Yun Yang could clearly tell the immense advantage of training like this.

The recovery of his mystical Qi had come from the first gathering, bit by bit before it gushed in like ferocious waves. When it had completely recovered, Yun Yang could feel the strength of his inner breathing growing significantly!

His body, that had completely recovered after the extreme exhaustion, was also experiencing an inexplicable feeling of wellbeing; the improvement of his physical condition could be easily felt as well.

What was more obvious were his willpower and subconscious strength.

The improvement of willpower was self-explanatory. His subconscious strength, however, was a different story altogether. Yun Yang had realized from Emmie's thrilled reaction that the space Emmie was in had actually expanded the slightest bit from how it originally was!