Twenty-four warriors rode in ranks to either side, each holding a long pole bearing a great banner. The indigo flags snapped loudly in the wind.
The two white seal-script characters for "Azure Cloud," edged in gold, stood out strikingly on the banners.
Every banner bearer radiated soaring vigor, their horses charging forward with battle intent bursting forth. They were all Innate Martial Artists!
Such a vanguard formation could only be described as extravagant.
One had to know that an Innate Martial Artist could hold down an entire city. Red Cliff City, where Wang Chen had once lived, had possessed only a single Innate Martial Artist.
Yet within this force, Innate Martial Artists were nothing unusual!
Behind these Innate banner bearers came one lavish, imposing Cloud Carriage after another.
Each carriage was pulled by four pure-colored steeds, and the Coachmen were likewise Innate Martial Artists.
There were thirteen carriages in all. The one at the center was an eight-seat Cloud Carriage, two ranks higher in grade.
Anyone familiar with Azure Cloud Palace's rites and rules would know that only figures of elder rank were qualified to ride in such a carriage!
In addition, several hundred heavily armed ironclad heavy cavalry escorted them from both flanks and the rear.
These riders were not Innate Martial Artists, but their entire bodies were wrapped in heavy armor, revealing only pairs of sharp, gleaming eyes that exuded immense oppression.
Though there were only two or three hundred riders, their charging momentum did not lose in the least to an army of thousands!
Once such heavy cavalry launched a charge, no Innate Martial Artist could withstand them head-on.
"Neighhh~"
This suffocating force abruptly came to a halt about a hundred paces from White Deer Academy.
The leading banner bearers split to either side, and the eight-seat