Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
No one had expected that this legendary figure of the Tang Dynasty was willing to accept them and train them personally.
"Hiss!"
They took a deep breath. Due to the long period of training and strict self-discipline, they quickly lowered their heads and suppressed the excitement in their hearts. As the cold wind blew, four thousand people entered the Su Residence in a single file. Behind them, a seven or eight-year-old child appeared and smiled at the people outside. With a squeak, he quickly pushed the side door shut.
As the side door closed, the entire Su Residence seemed to have entered another space. The aura of the four thousand people instantly disappeared, as if no one had ever entered.
"Senior Brother, I've helped you a lot. Don't forget to thank me when you return from the Western Regions. "
Under a huge locust tree in the Su Residence, the child 'Xiao Jianjian', who had stood by when Wang Chong and So Jung-son played chess, and who was also So Jung-son's personal disciple, smiled at the sky. Then, he loosened his hands, and a falcon with golden wings suddenly soared into the sky and headed west.
This falcon, which Wang Chong had asked The Eagle to bring to him, was finally put to good use.
…
The war drums rumbled. The Holy Emperor's order was like an invisible catalyst, driving the enormous war machine that was the Tang Dynasty into operation. Under Wang Chong's planning, the palace, the Pillar of Heavenly Emperor Mountain, and the Su Residence continued to train unprecedented peak troops. Under the push of Zhangchou Jianqiong and The King of Song, the two important officials of the court, the Ministry of War also quickly passed one decree after another.
With the Holy Emperor's endorsement, these orders flew in all directions at an extremely fast speed to the various border protectorates. Andong, Anbei, Longxi, Annan … several important military locations of the Tang Dynasty were all mobilized. In this regard, Zhangchou Jianqiong and The King of Song adopted Wang Chong's suggestion in their private messages.
Quality was more important than quantity. All the protectorates would work together to send their elite soldiers and top-notch generals to reinforce Talas and resist the Arabs!
To Wang Chong's surprise, the protectorates that had always resisted, discounted, or paid lip service to him were surprisingly cooperative this time.
…
"It's about time! Si Li, the Imperial Court has already issued an edict. This time, we are being mobilized according to the edict. Remember, if the lips die, the teeth will feel the cold. The two protectorate armies led by Gao Xianzhi and Wang Chong are the frontlines of the resistance against the Arabs, the largest line of defense. If they fail, our Big Dipper Army will be the first to bear the brunt. So, no matter what grudges our Big Dipper Army had with Wang Chong in the past, I need you to put them aside for now and cooperate fully! "
In front of Big Dipper City's checkpoint, Geshu Han had a solemn expression on his face. He was armed to the teeth, his entire body as imposing as a god.
"Great General, be at ease. This general understands!"
Wang Sili got down on one knee and bowed respectfully in front of Geshu Han. Behind him were four thousand soldiers of the Divine Martial Army, their auras as vast as mountains or as sharp as unsheathed swords, as well as three thousand elites handpicked from the Big Dipper Army.
Even though they were elites, every single one of them had been through countless battles, and they were the cream of the crop of the Great Tang.
"Very good! For this operation, we will step onto the plateau and attack with all our might. Once this battle is over, you will lead the army and leave to reinforce Talas. There is no need to report this! "
With these words, Geshu Han's right hand pressed down on the sword at his waist. With a clang, he unsheathed the sword and pointed it to the west, toward the towering Ouzan Plateau. In that moment, Geshu Han's aura was as tough as steel, his eyes filled with disdain.
"Move out!"
Following this clear and melodious voice, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a strong gale descended, crashing against the majestic walls of Big Dipper City, producing a deafening boom. In Neigh, warhorses neighed, and for the first time, the gates of Big Dipper City were completely opened. The twenty-thousand-some elites of the Big Dipper Army poured out like a tide toward the north.
Bwoooom!
The horn resounded over the plateau!
… …
Long before the Big Dipper Army had left the city, in the northeast of the Great Tang, in Youzhou, six thousand Youzhou soldiers were galloping from the northeast to the northwest like a thunderous clatter of steel. Of all the protectorates of the Tang Dynasty, the one with the least pressure and leisure was probably the Andong Protector-General, Zhang Shougui.
Even when mobilizing soldiers, Zhang Shougui did so openly and without the slightest misgivings.
Youzhou was a very complicated place. It bordered the Xi, the Khitans, the Western Turkic Khaganate, the powerful Yeon Gaesomun, and the Goguryeo Empire. But the one with the greatest advantage was not the numerous factions, but the Andong Protectorate army and the Youzhou cavalry led by Zhang Shougui.
Zhang Shougui!
As the number two figure of the Holy Emperor's generation in the Tang Dynasty, just this name was enough to suppress the northwest and make no one dare to act rashly. Even someone as ambitious and powerful as Yeon Gaesomun could only stand on the high walls of Bisa City and sigh!
Gallop!
As the six thousand Youzhou cavalry galloped away, two figures, one tall and one fat, silently watched. One was Baizhen Tuoluo, and the other … An Yaluoshan!
An Yaluoshan had a complicated look in his eyes as he watched these elite soldiers leave.
An Yaluoshan had risked his life on this journey to the capital. His best brother, Ashina Sugan, had died at that person's hands, and even he himself had almost died there. And even now, An Yaluoshan had no idea what was going on. Why did that disciple of ministers and generals whom he had never met feel such loathing for him, as if there was a blood feud between them?
"Is it … is it possible …"
An Yaluoshan's eyes flashed as he hesitated. His hands clenched into fists several times and then dropped down several times.
"Impossible!"
Before An Yaluoshan could say anything, Baizhen Tuoluo interrupted his thoughts.
"You know Lord Protector-General's style. No one would dare to play any tricks. Just endure a little longer … because when the time is right, we really will be able to. "
… …
Rumble! On the plateau, the grass trembled and the wind roiled. As the soldiers of the Tang Dynasty were surging toward Qixi and Anxi, black torrents of steel were surging over the towering Ouzan Plateau.
Each of these soldiers was wearing the plate armor unique to the Ouzan people, but the style, color, and banners of the armor were all different, clearly indicating that they belonged to different factions.
But even though they belonged to different clans, nobles, and royal lineages, these Ouzan soldiers all shared a common trait. All of them had Stellar Energy surging around their bodies, making them incredibly powerful.
"Is everyone here?"
At the very front of the army, an Ouzan general dressed in dark red armor suddenly spoke.
This Ouzan general had a thick mustache and a tall and powerful body brimming with explosive power. But the most dazzling of them all was his right hand. A dazzling light exploded from his palm like a saber or sword.
If one looked carefully, one would realize that this person was rather similar to the Dayan Mangpoje that Wang Chong had killed.
"Dayan Ersongrong! I didn't think that the Dayan Clan would summon you back in order to reinforce Dalun Ruozan. "
A voice came from the other side. An Ouzan general in his thirties, two large Ouzan scimitars crossed on his back, was riding a pure black steed with glossy fur toward Dayan Ersongrong.
"Didn't the Dali Clan summon you back from the Great Snow Mountain Temple as well?"
Dayan Ersongrong indifferently said to Dali Neisei.
"Let's not talk about that. Even the Great Snow Mountain Temple was alarmed by the Black Corrosion of the Sun. Otherwise, the temple would not have allowed so many of us to leave and return to our clans."
The galloping of warhorses came from the other side. Qili Sulong, one of the young elites of the Qili Clan, rode over from another direction, his eyes bright.
In a flash, all the Ouzan generals fell silent. They glanced at each other and then tacitly nodded.
The Great Snow Mountain Temple was the supreme holy land of the Ouzan Plateau and possessed a transcendent status in the Ouzan Empire. Although the Divine Temple did not participate in secular wars, it was inextricably linked to the Dusong, Dayan, Qili, and Dali Clans, as well as other ancient great clans.
Every year, each great clan would have a certain quota. They would send their most outstanding youths to the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple to participate in the trial. Only those who passed the examination had the right to enter the Great Snow Mountain Temple and learn martial arts from the grandmasters of the outer temple.
The Great Snow Mountain Temple was divided into the outer temple and the inner temple. The inner temple was the true temple, the place where the Sacred Monks cultivated. It was located at the highest peak of the snowy mountain, and no one was allowed to enter. Even someone like Dayan Ersongrong, who had cultivated in the Great Snow Mountain Temple for ten-some years, had never entered or seen the Sacred Monks, let alone others.
As for the outer temple, although the cultivation there could not compare to the inner temple, in the secular world, there was not a single one that was not a supreme technique that could shake the world. Huoshu Huizang's Vairocana Golden Body Art and Dayan Mangpoje's Great Snow Mountain Monster Dragon Art had both originated from there.
The rules of the Great Snow Mountain Temple were strict. Other than their own cultivation grounds, no one was allowed to casually walk around the mountain. Moreover, without permission, one could not easily leave the mountain. For so many people to leave the mountain at the same time was definitely unusual.
"The Divine Oracle of the Empire is no trifling matter! 'The danger rises from the east' — all of you should have heard this by now. Talas is currently being waged, and all of you should know why your clans have summoned you back. As long as we defeat them at Talas, all of Anxi and Qixi will fall into our hands. This will be the collapse of the Tang Dynasty and the beginning of a change in the structure of the world. Only by defeating the Tang Dynasty and completely disintegrating them can we avoid the calamity of the Divine Oracle. Only then will all the great clans be spared.
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