“Report, Great King. Ten miles away, the One Hundred Thousand Northern Cold Army from Northern Cold Pass is rushing here—”
a scout from the Wolf Cavalry galloped over and said in a low voice.
Immediately, a brilliant smile spread across Zhao Bugui’s face.
“Hahahaha, Li Zhen! You’re finished!”
He drew the long saber from his horse and pointed it at Li Zhen from afar.
Although he was surprised by his opponent’s strength, Zhao Bugui was even more confident in himself.
Tiger general Zhao Bugui had not earned his reputation through empty words.
He had carved it out with every saber and sword strike.
Shao Xuxue stared at the man before her, studying him with utmost care, hoping to find even the slightest trace of panic on him, but there was none.
When Li Zhen heard the news, there was no trace of panic on his face.
For a Grand Army, ten miles was merely a moment away.
In the distance, a vast army clad in plain white slowly revealed itself. They wore plain white leather armor, while all the soldiers in the front ranks held enormous bows.
The cavalry was at the rear, while the shield troops and saber-wielding soldiers occupied the middle.
The One Hundred Thousand Northern Cold Army could stand against a million mighty troops.
They were the main force of Great Yu’s Northern Cold Pass.
The leader was none other than Wang Xiao.
He rode over to Shao Xuxue’s side.
“Your Inferior General arrived late. I ask the Great General Princess to forgive my offense!”
“There is no need for such formalities!”
Shao Xuxue stared blankly at Li Zhen.
“What will you do now? The One Hundred Thousand army is in my hands. I could destroy your royal court with a wave of my hand. Twenty thousand Wolf Cavalry are nothing! Li Zhen, if you return with me, I can permit your Wolf Cavalry to continue existing! I can also allow your royal court to continue existing!
“But that savage woman must die! You understand what I mean! Are you still going to remain obstinately unrepentant?”
Zhao Bugui, standing nearby, was seething with resentment.
Their victory was already certain.
Yet Shao Xuxue was still thinking of taking Li Zhen back.
What was so good about him, anyway?
Listening to Shao Xuxue’s voice, Li Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly.
【Feeling that the host is struggling with a decision, the System is issuing options】
【1. Accept Shao Xuxue’s conditions. Reward: Servant Swordsmanship（Grand Completion）】
【2. Refuse her conditions. Reward: Fifty Thousand Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry（all possessing first grade strength）】
Li Zhen was speechless inwardly.
He had not even made a choice.
Still, this System really was impressive.
Fifty thousand elite troops at the first grade realm.
With these sixty thousand men, he could completely bring all of Dan Prefecture under his control.
Shao Xuxue thought Li Zhen’s silence meant he was considering her words, and a smug expression immediately appeared on her face.
Everything before this had merely been an act on his part.
Now that he had seen her strength, he was wavering after all.
Hmph!
Men!
They bullied the weak and feared the strong. He had truly disappointed her.
Li Zhen seemed not to be as unyielding as she had imagined.
Wang Xiao sized up Li Zhen.
He had some admiration for Li Zhen’s military talent.
To train a group of militia into this state in such a short time—if they could fall into his hands,
the Northern Cold Army’s overall quality and capabilities would surely rise by a significant margin.
Especially the cavalry’s capabilities.
“Li Zhen, what have you decided?”
Shao Xuxue no longer looked as she had before. Her cool, beautiful face now carried a mocking expression.
“Hmm... I wanted to say, go to your *****.”
Li Zhen launched his response without warning, leaving the previously arrogant Shao Xuxue completely stunned. Was he cursing her?
Fury instantly flared in Zhao Bugui’s eyes. Being cursed alongside Shao Xuxue was even more unbearable than being cursed himself. He raised his long saber and shouted angrily, “Li Zhen, I’m going to kill you! I’ll make sure not a single person remains in your royal court!”
Li Zhen threw back his head and laughed loudly. “I was cursing both of you! Shao Xuxue, you have truly disappointed This King. I once thought you were a Celestial Maiden among mortals, but now it seems This King was simply blind!
“You are nothing more than worldly rouge. This King once treasured you as though you were priceless, but only now have I seen you clearly. You are nothing special after all.
“You call Yu’er a savage woman, but This King married precisely such a savage woman—and you are even worse than one!”
Li Zhen laughed out loud.
The Wolf Cavalry behind him roared with laughter in response, their voices soaring into the heavens.
Behind them was the royal court.
When Shuoyan Yu’er heard those words, a faint smile appeared on her face as well.
Her heart finally settled.
“Li Zhen, I’m going to kill you!” Zhao Bugui could no longer suppress his fury. He raised his sword and leaped into the air, a strand of pale blue True Qi bursting from the longsword.
“Oh? The simp is getting desperate?” Li Zhen laughed heartily. He pushed off the saddle with one hand and soared into the air. The Overlord Spear in his right hand moved like a swimming dragon, and golden true qi erupted with a thunderous roar.
Shao Xuxue’s eyes widened in shock.
Sixth rank!
Not only that, his cultivation method was extraordinarily overbearing.
She was certain that Li Zhen had not possessed such True Qi when he was in the Capital City. If he had, she could not possibly have failed to know.
Wang Xiao was likewise shaken by Li Zhen.
Sixth rank? Li Zhen was only twenty years old, wasn’t he?
A sixth rank cultivator at such a young age?
The Overlord Spear surged with golden true qi before striking the blade of Zhao Bugui’s sword.
Clang!
A crisp clash of metal rang out, and the collision between the two men formed a shockwave that spread through the air.
Wang Xiao waved his hand and dispersed the shockwave.
After that single exchange,
Li Zhen drifted lightly back onto his horse, his expression calm.
Zhao Bugui was nothing special!
Zhao Bugui flipped backward and landed, retreating two steps. His face was filled with astonishment as he stared at the longsword trembling violently in his hand.
He had actually fallen behind in a head-on clash?
How could he tolerate that?
He spun around, drew a long halberd from the side of his horse, and charged forward like the wind. His body turned gracefully as he swung the weapon, and his momentum was not weak.
“Li Zhen, I don’t know what kind of demonic technique you used, but what is real is real, and what is false is false!”
Zhao Bugui sprang forward, both hands swinging the long halberd as it whistled through the air.
Li Zhen sneered. “You’re not only a simp, but a simp who loves making excuses! Today, I’ll show you what a true genius is!”
As his voice fell, his black brocade robes billowed. Li Zhen leaped into the air, raising the long spear high above his head with both hands.
“Hegemon King Overhead Strike!”
Li Zhen swung his arms with force, sweeping the weapon in a full arc. A phantom golden wheel was sent flying from the Overlord Spear.
Zhao Bugui felt immense pressure and hurriedly raised the long halberd horizontally above his head to block!
With a crack, the Overlord Spear came down. Zhao Bugui’s pupils trembled in shock—the long halberd in his hands had already broken into two pieces.
“How... could this...”
While he stood dazed, a glint of cold light had already flashed toward Zhao Bugui’s neck.
Just as it was about to strike,
Zhao Bugui was suddenly yanked backward, while a short axe intercepted the Overlord Spear’s tip from the side.
“What overbearing True Qi!”
The one who had intervened was Wang Xiao. He looked at Li Zhen with deep shock.
That overbearing True Qi and profound foundation were clearly not something Zhao Bugui could dismiss as fake.
“You’re not bad either. Since you’ve joined in, let’s fight together!” Li Zhen withdrew the spear and instantly reversed his grip, sweeping it horizontally with the force of an autumn wind stripping fallen leaves.
Wang Xiao raised his colossal axe and joined the battle.
The clash between the two men was clearly more spectacular than Zhao Bugui’s earlier fight.
Li Zhen wielded the Overlord Spear in broad, powerful arcs, every strike carrying tremendous force and the momentum to swallow mountains and rivers.
Wang Xiao defended skillfully. Though he wielded a colossal axe, his movements were exceptionally nimble.
He was able to block every move.
Seeing Shao Xuxue’s gaze fixed on Li Zhen, Zhao Bugui picked up his broken long halberd and joined the battle.
When Shuoyan and Xuxue saw this, they immediately prepared to launch a large-scale attack.
“No one move! This is the perfect chance for the two of them to help me practice!” Li Zhen shouted from within their combined assault.
His cultivation method was precisely the kind suited to broad, powerful attacks and group battles.
Now, he was enjoying himself immensely.
“Let’s have a truly satisfying battle!”
...
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