Chapter 1559: Flags Like Dragons

Zhong Xuanzun’s accumulation is complete, and he can ascend to the Divine Realm without regret.Jiang Wang, today, has only unified the Four Towers, grasping the Dao Path, and it will take some time to comprehend... He cannot sacrifice a distant future to contend for the Divine Realm at this moment...He could have said this, but he did not.He only said, "I lost," just these three words.Without any excuses, without seeking any reasons.In this battle, he was indeed defeated.He lost convinced.That sword he did not unsheathe, whether it could break Zhong Xuanzun’s several star wheels, is still an unknown.Yet, Zhong Xuanzun’s Sun, Moon, and Star Three Wheels Severing Delusions Blade could certainly strike him down.True, he still had the Divergent Path divine ability as a hidden trump card, which could not be shown to others.But whether the Divergent Path facing Severing Delusions could truly achieve error interference is also a truly unknown quantity.His victory was unknown, his defeat was reality.Therefore, he certainly lost.He was very clear.The reason Zhong Xuanzun chose to leap to the Divine Realm was not because this person lacked confidence in his Sun, Moon, and Star Three Wheels Severing Delusions Blade. Rather, he was unwilling to win in a disheveled manner, unwilling to allow himself to face the possibility of a draw, and even less able to accept the outcome of missing this campaign against Xia after mutual destruction.To be able to overwhelm Jiang Wang at the Outer Tower stage with the power of the Outer Tower level would, of course, be the best outcome.But today, he can no longer do that.Today, no one can do that!Even if he lives up to his name, Flawless Grace, at most he can only achieve a subtle victory – the battle just now has proven this point.So he moved forward.As he said, after fighting Jiang Wang to such an extent, he had seen the entire landscape of the Outer Tower realm.Thus, he stepped towards the Divine Realm.Thus, he achieved the Divine Realm.At this moment, Jiang Wang descends from the high heavens, facing reality, calmly accepting the result.He has given his all, and therefore has nothing to regret.At this moment, he and Zhong Xuanzun cross paths in the air. He faces the myriad army, returning to the ranks of the defeated. Zhong Xuanzun faces the Commander's Platform, receiving the glory of his victory.Jiang Wang’s steps remain composed, his back still straight. His sword is in its sheath, having lost not a shred of its sharpness.There is no so-called dejection, no so-called decline.In this world, the stars shine brightly together, and prodigies contend endlessly. Anyone can fail, and he, Jiang Wang, is no exception.Effort is not unique to him, Jiang Wang; talent is not possessed solely by him, Jiang Wang. Every prodigy who illuminates the human world also has their own unique experiences.As long as he has truly done his utmost, then no matter what the final outcome...Face it.Victory with joy, defeat with equanimity.Only.As Jiang Wang descended, looking at the boundless sea of people, and was about to merge into the crowd.Suddenly, he heard a sound—"Splendid!"It was a thousand voices, a myriad voices.It was the brave warriors in all the armies, it was all the spectators who watched this battle. They couldn’t help but cry out for the peerless prodigies of Great Qi, cheering for this spectacular battle!It was not some mysterious sound-killing technique, no secret arts or divine abilities were injected, yet it had the power to move people's hearts.Splendid!For the Battle of the Heavenly Abode!For the heroes of Great Qi!For the two individuals who fought with all their might for victory!Jiang Wang was stunned for a moment, then smiled. Before the commander’s platform, Zhong Xuanzun also turned back.They almost simultaneously nodded, in response to those who cheered for them.Jiang Wang continued to walk forward, like a drop of water, merging into the sea of people.Li Fengyao watched him, Li Longchuan watched him, Yan Fu watched him, Zhong Xuansheng watched him…His friends watched him, greeting him with gentle gazes.And behind them was Cao Jie’s declaration from the commander’s platform – "Zhong Xuanzun’s bravery surpasses the three armies, he shall be the vanguard general for the campaign against Xia! Three battalions of elite soldiers from the Spring Dead Army shall be allocated to him, forming the vanguard camp, to breach the enemy lines with him!"As the most elite army of the Great Qi Empire, the Nine Legions system, a battalion consists of a thousand men.One battalion is headed by one battalion commander, two deputy battalion commanders, and ten squad leaders.The threshold for the position of battalion commander is a Soaring Dragon cultivator who has broken through the Heaven and Earth Gate.The threshold for the position of deputy battalion commander is a Connecting Heaven realm cultivator.The threshold for the position of squad leader is a Circulatory Cycle realm cultivator.Below the squad leader, although there is no transcendent threshold, they must also be selected through military拔選. Only the best of the best warriors can enter the Nine Legions.Cultivation is merely the threshold; promotion requires military merit. There are countless individuals whose cultivation has reached the level but are stuck below military positions.Therefore, in such a formidable force, the proportion of the transcendent is astonishingly high.What is the transcendent?Those who surpass ordinary people can live well anywhere.To keep transcendent cultivators in the army, bound by military discipline, ensuring that orders are strictly followed and prohibitions are strictly adhered to, in addition to honor, they must also be shown tangible hope for promotion and obtain real benefits that are superior to other places!Why should they, who could be comfortable transcendent lords, allow themselves to be ordered around and constrained by military shackles?Responsibility and ideals, after all, cannot sustain everyone.Why are so many cultivators willing to join the army?Because the army has always been the best place for commoners to rise.In Qi, there have even emerged Nine Legion commanders like Xiuyuan and Yantu who have risen all the way to the upper echelons of the empire.And those opportunities and resources are things that cannot be faked; they are real, tangible expenditures.Leaving aside other matters.For these powerful armies of the world, the monthly military stipends alone are astronomical figures, requiring spirit stones to be transported by the cartload. It is impossible for a state that is not a world hegemon to afford such a large and powerful army.What do such powerful armies eat and drink daily? What spiritual medicines must be paired with their meals?What armor do they wear? What weapons do they use? What kind of environment should they live in, what kind of formation patterns should be inscribed? The formation patterns must also be regularly changed, adjusted according to the time and place, which is another considerable expense.Those warhorses with demon beast bloodlines, of course, cannot be fed with ordinary fodder. One horse is a gold-swallowing beast.Furthermore, what kind of troop formation diagram is suitable for such sharp soldiers? The troop formation diagram must never be unchanging, clinging to conventions. Those military formation combined techniques need to be constantly renewed and improved, otherwise, once on the battlefield, they will only be at the receiving end of blows. When other countries develop new military formation combined techniques, you need to organize personnel to crack them immediately. Similarly, the military formation combined techniques you have used once have long since been targeted by other countries.These troop formation diagrams, these military formation combined techniques… how much manpower and material resources are needed to constantly innovate and evolve them?During the tenure of the former minister Yan Ping, he once couldn’t help but say when approving the consumption of the spell library – "My hands feel cold!"Even a person like Yan Ping found it difficult to bear, which shows the enormous cost.With all these things, just a few strong armies can completely drain a less prosperous country.And this is just maintaining the army in peacetime!Once the army moves, the military stipends must first double. In addition, there are relocation allowances; you are sending people to risk their lives, how can you not give relocation allowances?Stories of national treasuries being emptied after a long and protracted war are not uncommon in history.Compared to the consumption of transcendent resources, the food and fodder consumed by ordinary soldiers and horses are secondary.A rising regional power like Zhuang, using the strength of the entire nation and comparing itself to powerful countries, has only managed to raise two iron armies. After extensive military expansion, the Nine Rivers Black Armored has only been expanded from one thousand men to three thousand men.Not to mention the vast difference between the three thousand men of the Nine Rivers Black Armored and the three thousand men of Great Qi's Nine Legions.In terms of daily drills, the troop formation diagrams used, the armor worn, the cultivation techniques practiced, and the spells cultivated, there are differences in every aspect.But even so, this is already the result of the Zhuang nation's ruler and ministers tightening their belts!Such Nine Rivers Black Armored is also enough to make the surrounding small countries bow and bend.And what about such Great Qi Nine Legions?One Autumn Slaughter annihilated Yang, one Spring Dead defended Sword Peak Mountain.Sweeping across the Eastern Domain, powerful among all nations. At the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, in the Maze Realm… wherever human military might reached, they achieved brilliant military victories!Such elite warriors, under the effect of powerful military formations, can truly challenge the transcendent gap!Cao Jie’s allocation of three battalions of the Spring Dead Army to Zhong Xuanzun at this time means that his position as the vanguard general for the campaign against Xia is well-deserved.Regardless of the overall situation of the Qi-Xia war, in this final struggle concerning the hereditary Marquis of Bowang, he, carrying the might of the Divine Realm and surpassing Jiang Wang in martial prowess, with majestic momentum, has indeed suppressed Zhong Xuansheng at this moment."Your subordinate obeys!"Zhong Xuanzun saluted Cao Jie, his posture and demeanor impeccable.Naturally, Cao Jie's close guards approached, leading him to the Spring Dead Army, to find his three battalions of armored soldiers.Before moving, he specifically clasped his hands towards Chen Zeqing, as a form of courtesy.Having been granted the three battalions of armored soldiers from the Spring Dead Army, he naturally needed to show some attitude.And Chen Zeqing merely nodded slightly, indicating understanding.There was no dissatisfaction with the allocation of his elite troops, nor was there any sign of closeness to this newly promoted Divine Realm cultivator, Zhong Xuan Flawless Grace.He sat calmly in his wheelchair, seemingly understanding everything, and also seemingly able to accept everything.Cao Jie on the commander's platform did not announce any other appointments. Specific and complicated military affairs would naturally be handled layer by layer by the generals in the army.The Heavenly Abode martial arts performance before the formation, this battle rarely seen in ancient and modern times, indeed boosted morale.So he only looked towards the direction of the Xia nation, and said, "Advance!"Boom! Boom! Boom!Thus, weapons struck the ground, and the great army marched southward.Banners stretched out like dragons, soaring across the vast land.Both Jiang Wang and Zhong Xuansheng were assigned to the Autumn Slaughter Army.People from the Zhong Xuan family should naturally be in this army.According to Zhong Xuansheng's prior planning, he and Zhong Xuanzun should have been the main generals of the Autumn Slaughter Army, each leading ten thousand men, competing fairly on the battlefield based on military achievements.But Zhong Xuanzun took the step of contending for the vanguard in front of the myriad army, directly breaking out of the limitations of doing their Dao rituals within a small shell, and pushed himself onto a larger stage –Even landing in the very center of the Qi-Xia war!The so-called "vanguard" is the spearhead of the long spear, the tip of the battle blade.It is the place where the two armies collide first.Zhong Xuanzun’s force numbers only three thousand. For the sake of fairness, Zhong Xuansheng naturally could not lead ten thousand men – with his cultivation level, being the main general of the Autumn Slaughter Army was already quite a stretch, requiring Jiang Wang’s assistance.In the end, he also only commanded three battalions of armored soldiers, establishing his own camp.The armored soldiers of the Autumn Slaughter Army might not be much inferior to those of the Spring Dead Army, and being in the Autumn Slaughter Army, as a main force of the Qi army, they would certainly not lack opportunities to achieve meritorious service.But compared to the importance of the vanguard camp… it is truly difficult to see any possibility of turning the tables.The great army rumbles towards the front line.The military affairs of a mere three battalions of armored soldiers are effortless for Zhong Xuansheng; he arranged everything quickly as if it were just a casual pastime, then came over to Jiang Wang's side.He patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "You almost won!"Jiang Wang came back to his senses from his comprehension of the Dao Path, and looked at him askance: "Comforting me?"Zhong Xuansheng's fat face wrinkled, and he said menacingly: "My point is, why didn't you put in more effort usually! You were just a little bit short of beating him, and you spent your days—"He thought for a moment, his big face relaxed again, and he grinned: "When I dragged you to brothels, you were cultivating. It seems there was no more room for effort, huh! Then I shouldn't be harsh on you!"He said, "I shouldn't be harsh on you," but what he meant was, "You shouldn't be harsh on yourself."Jiang Wang just patted him on the shoulder: "I'm very pleased you're willing to admit that it was you who dragged me to brothels before."He could of course receive Zhong Xuansheng’s weak comfort, but it didn’t prevent him from emphasizing the word ‘brothel’.Fourteen’s expression was hidden behind the face mask, and he remained silent.But Zhong Xuansheng, with astonishing reaction speed, turned around and immediately shifted the topic: "I'm going to find Zhong Xuanzun!""What are you going to find him for?" Jiang Wang called after him from behind.Zhong Xuansheng didn't even turn his head: "I'm going to annoy him!""I'm not responsible if you get beaten!" Jiang Wang paused, and added to the still-reacting Fourteen: "I can't beat Zhong Xuanzun right now, as you saw…"Fourteen actually rolled his eyes.Then he tightly followed Zhong Xuansheng and left.Jiang Wang stood rooted to the spot, speechless for a long time.What's gotten into the perfectly normal Fourteen lately? This is too protective of his own!He drags me to brothels and you don't even care?Did you hear that?Forget it…Just then, a military supply vehicle carrying army tents passed by. Jiang Wang plopped down on it and focused on his cultivation.Anyway, with the army on the move, Zhong Xuanzun couldn't really do anything to Zhong Xuansheng. He let him make a fuss.Someone like Zhong Xuanzun, who shines wherever he goes, is naturally easy to find.Dressed in white as snow, he was walking and talking about something with a Spring Dead Army general.Zhong Xuansheng discreetly moved closer, wanting to overhear some of his Flawless Grace cousin's military affairs.Unfortunately, his physique made it difficult for him to be discreet.Coupled with Fourteen, fully armored, closely following behind, he even had a somewhat aggressive look.Zhong Xuanzun stopped talking, stopped walking, and looked at him at his leisure.Zhong Xuansheng recognized the general next to him; he was Wu Duqiu, a main general of the Spring Dead Army. A well-known rising star in the army – of course, he wasn't a subordinate of Zhong Xuanzun.In his mind, he classified him as one of Zhong Xuanzun's shady friends.His gaze seemingly unintentionally swept over, and he had already noted down the several battalion commanders nearby. He would check them later and find the corresponding information.Not that he necessarily wanted to do anything, but at least he wanted to have a clear idea of the power Zhong Xuanzun controlled. This way, he could more accurately judge Zhong Xuanzun’s choices…Innumerable thoughts were swirling in his mind.Zhong Xuansheng, however, strode over, grabbed Zhong Xuanzun’s hand with a firm grasp, and shook it twice: "Brother!""The army is setting off today, and you have just achieved the Divine Realm today. You need to stop and properly consolidate your cultivation. Taking on the role of vanguard at this time is irresponsible towards yourself. Once the Dao Path has flaws, this is truly a life's regret—"He said emotionally, "Let younger brother go in your place!"Wu Duqiu, beside him, nearly choked on his own saliva. He held it back with all his might to prevent himself from coughing.Zhong Xuanzun blinked: "What is consolidating cultivation? I don't quite understand."He said lightly: "I achieved the Divine Realm, and it seems I understood the Divine Realm."Zhong Xuansheng had a thousand words in his heart, which for a moment only turned into a single "Damn it!"He wickedly claimed that Zhong Xuanzun deliberately waited until today to ascend to the Divine Realm, using it to suppress him and Jiang Wang, placing the struggle for the Marquis of Bowang title above the campaign against Xia.At the same time, he wanted to deliberately perform a show of brotherly affection to make Zhong Xuanzun sickened.But Zhong Xuanzun didn't touch on any other topic, just showing off his talent. Let your thousand words come and go, no matter how many traps are hidden in one sentence, I'll just say "I'm so strong," and in terms of language, there is truly a bit of that "Severing Delusions" style.Zhong Xuansheng released his hand and smiled sweetly: "Then this foolish younger brother is relieved."Zhong Xuanzun smiled: "Just put your mind at ease."This pair of good brothers looked at each other with beaming smiles.Looking at each other amidst the myriad army.One was fat and sluggish, the other was free and easy.Wu Duqiu stood beside them, and suddenly felt that this winter was indeed a little cold.---Extra Note---Happy New Year on the first day of the lunar calendar, and congratulations on getting rich!Thank you to reader "Heart has gone far away?" for becoming the Alliance Leader of this book, making it the 278th Alliance!