https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-358-357-The-Plot-Unveiled-Part-2-/12598640/
Chapter 359: The Empress (Part 1)
Chapter 359: The Empress (Part 1)
With the death of Zhang Dongyuan and the uncertain status of the Qingming Sword, the Yinshan defense line had effectively lost a crucial stronghold.
Facing the arrival of new powerful opponents, Zhao Wang Zhang Teng, Xiao Xueting, Ning Rufang, Zhang Huansheng, and others, judged that it was impossible to continue holding their ground and were forced to retreat. Otherwise, they might have all been surrounded and killed at Yinshan.
However, with the loss of the Yinshan defense line, the south was now exposed. To the west lay the Great River, a natural barrier, and to the east, the lands of Hedong, Youzhou, and Jingzhou, all vulnerable to the invading forces.
Upon receiving this news, Lei Jun furrowed his brows slightly.
Riding on the unceasing thundercloud beneath him, he continued northward.
With the distance closing in, communication would become more convenient.
However, the chaotic situation in the north also led to more complex and conflicting information.
Lei Jun carefully sifted through the details.
The retreating Tang Dynasty cultivators from the Yinshan defense line had scattered into three routes, breaking through the blockade of the invading forces' cavalry and withdrawing.
Xiao Xueting, carrying the Shanhe Sword, led the first group westward, heading towards the western bank of the Great River. Chu Kun, Zhang Jingzhen, and other heirs of the Celestial Master's Mansion mostly took this route.
Zhao Wang Zhang Teng, wielding the Towning Dao, led the second group eastward, with their destination being Youzhou.
The third and most precarious group, led by Abbot Ning Rufang, retreated towards the Cloud Temple, a Buddhist sacred site in Yunzhou. Their route was relatively shorter, but they also faced the heaviest pursuit.
However...
Lei Jun studied the intelligence with a thoughtful expression.
It was normal for Zhao Wang Zhang Teng to head east or west.
But it was somewhat unusual for Xiao Xueting to avoid heading directly south through the central route.
News from the imperial capital of Luoyang indicated that Empress Zhang Wantong had left the city and was heading north.
Where could she be now?
Was Xiao Xueting heading towards a direct rendezvous with her?
Lei Jun's gaze turned towards the vast northern mountains and rivers.
Above him, the Great Zhou Heaven Mirror revolved in the high skies.
Aside from her expeditions to the Western Regions and the East China Sea to battle great demons shortly after her ascension, Empress Zhang Wantong had no record of personally engaging in combat.
That was three to four decades ago.
Although she had spent some time in Guanlong, aside from casually capturing Guan Jing, an elder of the Pure Yang Palace who had devoted himself to the Human Dao, she had not directly intervened. Instead, she had primarily remained in the old capital of Chang'an, stabilizing the four directions.
Now, she had finally embarked on a campaign in person once more.
Facing her was the equally campaigning ruler of the Lone Eagle Khanate, Khan Harihger.
A Martial Saint of the Ninth Heaven Perfected Realm, hailing from the foreign lands.
…………………
Yunzhou.
The roars of countless exotic beasts reverberated throughout the northern frontier.
Numerous cavalry warriors, riding swift exotic beasts, spread out and maneuvered across Yunzhou.
Their numbers were small, but when gathered, their might was terrifying. Like a primeval flood, the massed heavy cavalry warriors struck fear into the hearts of all who beheld them.
In the distance, the Cloud Temple, a sacred site of the Buddhist Order of the Precepts, hung upside down in the sky above the mountaintops.
Nine eagle feather banners approached unhurriedly.
Suddenly, countless dark silhouettes appeared in the sky, blotting out the sun.
Heart-stirring eagle cries shook the heavens and the earth.
The Azure Sky Eagles, comparable to Human experts of the Ninth Heaven, spread their wings and soared in the sky.
However, no figures could be seen atop the eagles' heads.
Below, on the vast earth, countless heavy cavalry warriors surrounded a solitary figure that resembled a towering mountain—the Snow Country Bear King.
The Bear King's gait was slow and slightly sluggish, his head hung low, and his solitary eye was half-lidded, obscuring the divine light within.
It was none other than the Nine Heaven great demon who had once reigned over the northern frontier—the Snow Country Bear King.
He did not seem to bear any severe wounds, but his demonic aura was low and lacked his former ferocity.
Upon his back stood Khan Harihger of the Lone Eagle Khanate.
Beside the Bear King stood the chief of the Falling Sun Tribe, Berg, and the monk Jiaseng of the Sumeru Vajra Division.
The patriarch of the Three Springs Palace, Zhao You'an, led his forces in pursuit of the Tang Dynasty cultivators retreating to the west.
Meanwhile, the chief of the Ang Tribe, Danbaei, headed east with his soldiers, pursuing the Tang cultivators fleeing in that direction.
Princess-Consort Yangjin and several monks of the Sumeru Lotus Division were not present at this juncture.
They had requested Khan Harihger's permission to join the pursuit of the Tang cultivators fleeing westward, and he had readily granted it.
Jia Sheng of the Vajra Division did not object.
He was well aware that Princess-Consort Yangjin and the others from the Lotus Division were spreading out to further understand the human realm of the Tang Dynasty.
It wasn't so much that the Lotus Division harbored any intentions towards the Tang Dynasty.
It was more a matter of reciprocity.
The master of the Vajra Division and Jia Sheng himself had previously traveled through the human realm of the Great Song Dynasty with the assistance of the Lotus Division, familiarizing themselves with the human realm while also establishing a connection with the Lone Eagle Khanate. In the process, they had also gained a basic understanding of the human realm of the Tang Dynasty.
Now, Jia Sheng would not stand in the way of Princess-Consort Yangjin and the others.
His attention turned to the tall man standing beside the Snow Country Bear King.
Khan Harihger of the Lone Eagle Khanate.
The ruler and foremost warrior of the Lone Eagle Khanate.
A Martial Saint of the Ninth Heaven Perfected Realm through the Riding Martial Tradition.
At this level, they were customarily referred to as Human Immortals.
Human Immortals of the Riding Martial Tradition possessed incredible might, both physically and mentally. Aside from their formidable physical prowess, their spiritual power was even more awe-inspiring. Against foes, both human and other lifeforms, they exhibited overwhelming pressure and dominance.
Those whose cultivation realm was insufficient and whose spiritual cultivation was not profound might very well be defeated without exchanging a single blow.
During the previous battle at Yinshan, it was only because Zhao Wang Zhang Teng stood his ground and faced Chief Daunbaer of the Ang Tribe without yielding an inch that the latter's spiritual pressure did not prove overwhelmingly superior to that of Daoist Zhao You'an of the Dan Ding Sect, a Great Vehicle Daoist of the Tang Dynasty.
And Khan Harihger, whose power surpassed that of Dabura, would only hold a more pronounced advantage in this regard.
Human Immortals of the Riding Martial Tradition not only intimidated their enemies but also began to exert a commanding presence over other Riding Martial warriors, mutually reinforcing each other's might.
However, because of this, as long as Hari'ger remained alive for a day, then Da Dunba'ri, who was also a Riding Martial Saint, would have no chance of achieving the Martial Immortal body of perfection. Unless Da Dunba'ri betrayed the Lone Eagle Khanate.
But as of now, Jia Sheng could not see that possibility at all.
Da Dunba'ri held extraordinary loyalty and respect for Hari'ger.
On the other hand, even if Da Dunba'ri achieved the Martial Immortal body, he would likely still not be a match for Hari'ger.
Even among cultivators of the same sect, the same realm, and even those who cultivated the same techniques, there could still be differences in strength and ability.
Jia Sheng did not turn his head to look at the figure standing on the Snow Country Bear King.
But the scene of that figure subduing the Great Demon of the Ninth Heaven and swiftly killing the elder of the Shushan Sect kept flashing before this Vajra Division monk's eyes.
The Green Obscure Sword, one of the treasures of the Shushan Sect, was now in Hari'ger's palm.
The flying sword shimmered with a green light, vibrating continuously, displaying more resilience than the massive Snow Country Bear King.
Yet, it was still held firmly in Hari'ger's palm, the green light cutting into his skin without leaving any wounds.
Without a suitable cultivator to wield it, the Green Obscure Sword posed no threat to this Khan.
What made Jia Sheng's heart tremble was that, at the same perfect realm of the Ninth Heaven, their Vajra Division master, Gala Tuo, was probably inferior to the Lone Eagle Khan, Hari'ger, before him.
"A fine weapon," Hari'ger examined the Green Obscure Sword for a while before commenting, "Although it's a flying sword of the Daoists, it truly is an excellent weapon."
He turned his head and asked Jia Sheng, who was standing below him beside the Snow Country Bear King, "Master, as far as I know, this is a treasure passed down from ancient Shushan, right?"
Jia Sheng replied, "Yes, Your Majesty Khan. This is one of the six great treasures from when the Shushan Sect was first established. It has been passed down to this day. Aside from this Green Obscure Sword, the Shushan Sect in this world also has a Purple Subtlety Sword that is equally famous."
Hari'ger asked, "Aside from these two ancestral swords, are there any others?"
Jia Sheng answered, "There are. Although they were lost at different times, in addition to the Purple and Green Swords, there are also four other great treasures."
Hari'ger inquired, "Aside from Daoist treasures, how many Martial weapons are there?"
Jia Sheng said, "There are some, but the number is far fewer than in the world where your khanate is located. In this world of the Great Tang Dynasty, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged on a large scale only in the last hundred years. Many spiritual creatures did not have enough time to be born. There are some weapons, but truly weighty armor is very rare."
Hari'ger casually waved the Green Obscure Sword and said, "It's already very good. We have even fewer of such weapons over there."
Previously, Jia Sheng had seen the covetous look in Da Dunba'ri's eyes when he looked at the Towning Dao in Zhao Wang Zhang Teng's hands.
Although Da Dunba'ri was a Riding Martial cultivator who did not value weapons as much as Striking Martial cultivators, he did not always charge into battle empty-handed like Berg.
So, the Towning Dao and the Shanhe Sword of the Great Tang Dynasty had made him and many other foreign martial cultivators envious.
Da Dunba'ri personally preferred the Towning Dao. After the collapse of the Yinshan defense line, he changed his usual style of charging straight through and instead of going straight for the middle, he altered his course to pursue Zhao Wang Zhang Teng, who was retreating to the east.
In fact, as far as Jia Sheng knew, the world where the Lone Eagle Khanate was located actually had abundant methods and resources for refining weapons and armor.
But they lacked high-realm Martial cultivators.
Although the surge of spiritual energy came earlier than in the world of the Great Tang Dynasty, the Great Song Dynasty had not had it easy.
Unlike the Great Tang Dynasty, where northern foreign tribes had been absent for many years, the Great Song Dynasty had always faced pressure from the northern foreign tribes.
Later, one of the Ten Lands, Luo Yuan, returned, and great demons invaded.
After repelling the group of demons from Luo Yuan, the Ten Lands' You Yin Cave opened, and the Great Song emperor and his subjects had to fight against the foreign tribe from You Yin.
Fighting on multiple fronts and continuously waging large-scale battles, the Great Song Dynasty was greatly weakened, and the Central Plains fell into enemy hands for many years.
Rumors had it that due to internal strife among the foreign tribe from You Yin, the Great Song Dynasty was able to retake its lost territory.
But the already powerful northern foreign tribe then welcomed the return of the Great Desolation, one of the Ten Lands, and the two combined and accumulated their strength, bursting forth with astonishing power.
The Golden Khanate invaded the Great Song Dynasty again, even shattering parts of that world.
Everything north of the Great River fell into enemy hands.
Now, after years of war, the southern lands of the Jiangnan region could hardly hold on any longer.
"As far as I know, the Tang imperial family currently has three Martial divine weapons in their possession. In addition to the Towning Dao and the Shanhe Sword, there is also a Golden Pestle that Pacifies Bandits," Jia Sheng said.
Hari'ger, the Khan of the Lone Eagle Khanate, said, "I don't care. One or two weapons won't change the overall situation, but I hope that one day, the warriors of my tribe will all have satisfactory divine weapons."
"Your Majesty Khan has great foresight," Jia Sheng praised.
He recalled some rumors he had heard before in the world of the Great Song Dynasty.
The Golden Khanate had been continuously making gains in their invasion of the Great Song Dynasty, acquiring population, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, as well as refining and cultivation techniques. It seemed that Hari'ger of the Lone Eagle Khanate was also paying attention.
No wonder, as the four khanates were not on friendly terms with each other.
Just as he was passing through the world of the Great Song Dynasty on his way here, the Golden Khanate and the Lone Eagle Khanate had joined forces to fight a bloody battle against the White Deer Khanate and the Gray Wolf Khanate, and both sides were now licking their wounds.
If not for that, Hari'ger would not have been so carefree about bringing the main forces of his tribe to the world of the Great Tang Dynasty.
"Berg, among the Han people we met before, was there anyone you suspected?" Hari'ger now asked the foreign Martial Saint, Berg, who was standing beside him.
Berg frowned slightly, "I can't be sure..."
Hari'ger asked, "Was there anyone who spoke to you in such a tone before at Yinshan?"
Berg said, "I think I need to go and confirm something."
Hari'ger said, "Hmm, where are Akira and the others?"
Berg responded, "[Xu Ri Gan, Ulan Kharer], and the others have all headed west. I will go meet up with them first, and then we can deal with that individual later."
Hari'ger hummed in acknowledgment, his gaze suddenly sharpening as he looked into the distance at the mountain gate of the Hanging Temple.
Jia Sheng's heart stirred, and he, too, looked in the direction where the light was gathering.
"Are they going to abandon this place directly? Or... is the Tang Emperor leading the campaign in person, heading north, and they are rushing to meet with her?"
Unmoved, the Lone Eagle Khan, Hari'ger, said, "Perfect, I will meet her, and you all can go your separate ways and assist Da Dunba'ri and Zhao You'an. The sooner you finish off the east and west sides, the sooner you can complete the encirclement to the south."
Both Abbot Bermu Ge and Jia Sheng nodded in agreement and then went their separate ways.
A large group of Body Tempering Warriors, Striking Warriors, and Riding Warriors gathered around them, following their lead.
Since the Patriarch of Three Springs Palace, Zhao You'an, was in the west, Jia Sheng chose to head east to join forces with the other foreign Martial Saint, Da Dunba'ri.
Bermu Ge remained noncommittal about this decision and chose to head west.
However, just as the two were about to part ways,
The Sky Eagle, named Hu He Cha Gai, that was hovering above the Lone Eagle Khan, Hari'ger, let out a sharp eagle cry.
"Have they arrived already?" Hari'ger's eyes flickered with a sharp glint.
The next moment, brilliant light burst forth from the direction of the Cloud Temple's mountain gate, illuminating half the sky.
The light transformed the colors of the sky and mountains into a majestic purple-golden hue.
It wasn't the radiance of Buddha, but the imperial aura of one who ruled over the land and rivers.
Hari'ger gazed quietly at the distant mountain peak where a female figure had appeared.
The current Tang Emperor, Zhang Wantong.
She was not dressed in dragon robes but in casual attire, yet her bearing remained majestic, and her eyes, deep and insightful, fixed on the giant eagle in the sky, the numerous giant beasts on the ground, and the opponent standing on the Snow Country Bear King.
From a distance, the two figures seemed to be locked in a silent stare-off.
Hari'ger slowly raised one hand.
In response, the retinue of foreign heavy cavalry surrounding him let out a thunderous war cry, their blood boiling with fervor.
The countless giant beasts beneath them roared in unison, as if their voices could tear through the clouds.
Under the influence of an invisible power, their cries even took on a strange unison.
At the same time, the Snow Country Bear King beneath Hari'ger's feet, which had been listless and sluggish, suddenly lifted its head.
Its solitary eye, half-lidded, now blazed with a fierce light.
Wild and savage demonic aura surged and swept across the land.
The piercing cries of the Sky Eagle above, sharp enough to pierce hearts, shook the heavens and the earth.
The Azure Sky Eagles, comparable in strength to Human experts of the Ninth Heaven, spread their wings and soared in the sky.
However, no figures could be seen atop the eagles.
Below, on the vast earth, countless heavy cavalry surrounded a solitary figure—the Snow Country Bear King, a towering mountain of a beast.
The Bear King's gait was slow and slightly sluggish, its head hung low, and its solitary eye was half-lidded, obscuring the divine light within.
It was none other than the Ninth Heaven Great Demon who once ruled over the northern frontier—the Snow Country Bear King.
(End of Chapter)
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