Chapter 1348: The Theory of Momentum

After Yu Beidou personally ascended the Sky Punishment Cliff, and the Three Punishment Palaces publicly cleared Jiang Wang's name...

The State of Jing remained silent.

They neither insisted on Jiang Wang's guilt nor attempted to offer any explanation.

Nations throughout the world constantly voiced criticism against the Mirror World Platform's scandal of falsely accusing Jiang Wang, but those with sufficient stature never expressed their stance.

It was as if an invisible barrier confined the seething public opinion below a certain level.

The waves were indeed turbulent, yet they could not stir a raging storm.

Everyone knew that the State of Jing would absolutely not handle this matter by downplaying it. Under the watchful eye of the State of Qi, there was no possibility of this matter being diluted.

People were awaiting the statement of the world's strongest nation, countless eyes fixed upon this central domain hegemon.

In such a moment...

Yu Xi, the Western Heavenly Master of the State of Jing, suddenly appeared in Jiangzhou City of the State of Sheng, representing the Jing Emperor to attend the Sheng Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, and personally presented the congratulatory gift. One must know that due to the battle at Liyuan City, this banquet had originally been canceled!

Furthermore, Yu Que, the commander of the Dou'e Army, ranked first among Jing's Eight Armored, and a True Monarch, personally went to the capital of the State of Xiang to admire the giant elephant at the Wanhe Temple!

At such a sensitive time, two True Monarchs of the powerful Jing successively traveled abroad, approaching two battlefields. The State of Jing's attitude was already extremely clear—

They intended to silence the world with two victories!

Regarding the Mirror World Platform's false accusation of Jiang Wang, the Huanghe River's foremost, the State of Jing made no statement whatsoever.

They presented an attitude of "let the winds blow from east, west, north, or south."

But merely with the departure of two True Monarchs from the State of Jing, the tide of world opinion had already quietly begun to shift.

Voices had already begun to say: "The matter of Jiang Wang being cleared of the charge of colluding with demons is merely a scheme by the State of Qi to challenge the State of Jing. Yu Beidou has long desired to take charge of the Stargazing Tower, and this time he is wagering his reputation, showing favor to the State of Qi. It's all a transaction! Since ancient times, there have been countless ambitious people who attempted to challenge the State of Jing. Back then, the State of Yang, which unified the Eastern Domain, also marched westward, and where is it now? The State of Qi will undoubtedly repeat the same mistake!"

Others said: "The Three Punishment Palaces have desired to contend for the top position among the prominent schools for a long time, but how can they compare with the Daoist school? Their stance this time is truly suspicious..."

Even more said: "Yu Beidou is eager to restore the status of fate divination and prediction. It is not strange for him to do anything. For instance, Jiang Wang's record-breaking achievement this time... it is not impossible that it was fabricated."

The State of Jing appeared not to speak, yet countless in the world spoke for Jing.

Just as before, when the State of Jing publicly announced Jiang Wang's suspected collusion with demons and the need to capture him for a public trial on Jade Capital Mountain, without even releasing any relevant evidence, the entire world was already filled with condemnation against Jiang Wang.

At many times, the State of Jing could almost be equated with truth.

Every action garnered countless supporters.

This was the profound influence left in the world by the State of Jing, which had been in a position of absolute strength for thousands of years, and could not be easily altered overnight.

Discussions about Jiang Wang on the Star-Moon Plain had actually never ceased.

In this war, which gathered young prodigies from both the State of Jing and the State of Qi, although Jiang Wang was not present, he had always been the focus of discussion among the prodigies.

In the military tent, Wen Lianmu deliberated repeatedly before finally speaking: "Actually, this, as they say, 'in seeking the Way, some come before others; in specialized skills, each has their own focus'..."

Wang Yiwo's face was expressionless: "I was the first to reach the Tongtian stage, I was the first to reach the Tenglong stage, and I was also the first to reach the Inner Mansion stage. As for 'specialized skills', my specialization is combat."

"Haha, it seems so, indeed." Wen Lianmu scratched his head, his thoughts racing, and finally found another reason: "On the Guanhe Platform, prodigies were like clouds, clashing with each other, which naturally inspired many insights. You were in the army at the time and couldn't ascend the Guanhe Platform, missing many opportunities. If not for that, you would also have..."

Wang Yiwo looked at the military report in his hand and said indifferently: "I couldn't go to the Guanhe Platform also because I lost to him at Dongjiekou, and then was confined to quarters."

In Wen Lianmu's view, the more indifferent he appeared, the more he likely cared in his heart. Wiping away cold sweat, he quickly defended him: "You can't say that. That time, you fought Chong Xuan Sheng and that Fourteen first, and then Jiang Wang. It's inevitable that you were somewhat weakened and couldn't display your peak..."

Wang Yiwo finally glanced at him: "I was weakened after fighting a Chong Xuan Sheng? Wen Lianmu, are you sure you want to insult me like this?"

"Cough! What I actually meant to say is..." Wen Lianmu felt his head was about to explode. After stifling himself for a long time, he stammered: "Times are different now. Your Soldier Lord divine ability needs time to grow and experience to complement it. In the future... there's still a long road ahead!"

Wang Yiwo smiled noncommittally: "Don't bully the young and poor, don't bully the middle-aged and poor, then when old, don't force it, and then the deceased is considered great?"

"...That's not what I meant." Wen Lianmu said with a conflicted expression: "I mean... when the time comes, heaven and earth are united; when fortune leaves, the hero... there's always a chance!"

"Alright, alright." Wang Yiwo waved his hand: "Being one step behind is being one step behind, it's not some great matter. If others can fall behind, am I, Wang Yiwo, some Son of Heaven's Mandate who cannot be one step behind?"

He looked at Wen Lianmu with great annoyance: "But you don't need to keep reminding me, do you?!"

"Hehe, hehe." Wen Lianmu scratched the back of his head and laughed idiotically.

Of course, he was afraid that Jiang Wang's record as the first Inner Mansion in history would shatter Wang Yiwo's fighting spirit, so he was trying to find reasons to explain things away here in every possible way.

Yet, for a moment, he also forgot...

Why was Wang Yiwo Wang Yiwo!

He was a prodigy who had come this far step by step through army exercises, a true strongman who earned the name of being invincible in the same realm after fighting throughout the Nine Armies.

He was able to reach this point not by others' flattery, but by a pair of iron fists and an unwavering heart.

So was he worried about Wang Yiwo's fighting spirit being damaged, or was it because he himself, before that legendary record was forged, had retreated?

Was he making excuses for Wang Yiwo, or was he trying to comfort himself?

At the Inner Mansion realm, to defeat four peak Outer Building level demon-humans... how could it possibly be done?

Knowing the outcome now, to deduce the process, yet one cannot think of how it could be done!

"Let's go." Wang Yiwo put down the military report in his hand: "The vanguard has engaged in several rounds of insignificant fighting. Let's go see what's being discussed in today's military council."

Wen Lianmu pouted: "It's always the same perfunctory stuff. Fang You wishes the war would just continue like this, without much consequence."

"After all, they are their own troops. Every death means one less. Of course, they want to play leisurely chess with Lian Jingzhi," Wang Yiwo explained, then said coldly, "But he has no say in it."

The two of them got up and walked out of the military tent.

The so-called "leisurely chess" is a delaying tactic used in chess, referring to constantly repeating meaningless threats to maintain the situation, which is usually prohibited.

Lian Jingzhi, the Great Pillar State of the State of Xiang, and Fang You, the Grand Marshal of the State of Xu's military, could be said to have had perfect tacit understanding during this period. They fought many battles, but few people died.

This, of course, did not escape the eyes of Wen Lianmu and Wang Yiwo.

Having grown up in the army, they could tell at a glance whether a battle was being fought seriously or not.

Two Inner Mansion realm prodigies casually commenting on a top-tier Divine Arrival, a famous general of the world, not without sarcasm... This scene was somewhat reckless. But the two of them were already used to it, and even if Fang You himself heard it, he would likely only pretend not to have heard.

This is the gap between the State of Qi and the State of Xu.

So many realms cannot fill it.

Han Shentu, a great scholar of the Legalist school, said in his widely published treatise, "On Power": "A spoiled child of a strong nation, holding a sharp weapon in the bustling marketplace of a weak nation, no one dares to stand against him. Is it the sharp weapon they fear? Or the spoiled child?"

The next sentence answers—

"They fear the nation's strength!"

Worldly affairs are nothing more than this.