"I am Bai Yufeng, a deputy general under the Great General of the Nation!"
The general clasped his hands and shouted, his voice echoing throughout the venue and drawing everyone's attention. Clad in silver armor, with two skyward plumes rising from his silver crown, his handsome features and upright bearing made him striking at first glance.
What a valiant silver-armored general!
Qin Jun praised him inwardly. There had been no memory of Bai Yufeng in the previous owner's recollections; Bai Yufeng was definitely no mere deputy general.
More importantly, Bai Yufeng actually possessed Mortal Transformation Realm cultivation. He had not expected the Gan Yue Kingdom to hide its strength so deeply.
The citizens and cultivators surrounding Vermilion Bird Stage all whispered among themselves, discussing who Bai Yufeng really was.
At that moment, Song Lang of the Cang Lan Kingdom seats swayed and appeared atop Vermilion Bird Stage. He clasped his hands and said, "Cang Lan Kingdom, Song Lang."
He looked utterly ordinary standing before Bai Yufeng. Whether in appearance or bearing, he fell far short, causing the citizens and cultivators below to burst into laughter.
"Go, General Bai! Defeat him!"
"You must win back some pride for the Gan Yue Kingdom!"
"Why have I never heard of General Bai before?"
"He's only a deputy general."
"Give me a break. With that bearing, he'd have no problem serving as a full general!"
Qin Jun could not help growing nervous. Damn it, if Bai Yufeng won, Nan Meng would surely win too. Would there still be a chance for him to take the stage then?
He subconsciously asked Guan Yu, "Which of them will win?"
"Song Lang." Guan Yu was as sparing with words as ever. After saying that, he closed his eyes, clearly uninterested in the duel between the two men onstage.
Qin Jun immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Daji beside him rolled her eyes. "You're a Prince. Do you really want your own country to lose that badly?"
"Hehe, how could we possibly lose with you all here?"
Qin Jun grinned shamelessly. Daji did not answer, but the curve of her lips showed that she was in a very pleasant mood.
"Raise the array!"
Shen Yan suddenly shouted. The moment his voice fell, a pale purple curtain of light rose along the edge of Vermilion Bird Stage and shot into the clouds.
An array!
Qin Jun's eyes lit up. Arrays were similar to mechanisms, but far more profound. Built upon spiritual energy, they could not only defend against enemies but also aid cultivation and much more. Back when he had comprehended divine abilities at the Xuanling Sect, it was thanks to the sect's array that he had been protected.
He had not expected Vermilion Bird Stage to have an array as well. But on second thought, Qin Jun found it natural. After all, citizens filled the area around the stage. If cultivators used spells, it would be easy to cause widespread collateral injuries.
"I hear your kingdom's Purple Light Prison Array is an Earth Grade array. Is that true?"
Zhu Yishi asked with interest, turning to a Prince of the Gan Yue Kingdom seated closest to him. Arrays and Magic Tools were divided into Yellow, Profound, Earth, and Heaven Grades, with each grade further divided into lower, middle, and upper tiers.
Their grading was quite similar to cultivation techniques and spells. However, the first two grades for cultivation techniques and spells were Mortal Grade and Spirit Grade, and each grade was divided into nine levels.
Within a kingdom, Earth Grade or higher cultivation techniques, spells, arrays, and Magic Tools were extremely rare. Whenever one appeared, it would trigger bloody conflict. Of course, the Purple Light Prison Array belonged to the Imperial Family, so no one dared try to seize it.
"Of course! The Purple Light Prison Array is our kingdom's strongest array!"
The Prince Zhu Yishi had addressed was exceedingly fat. Without even thinking, he answered proudly.
"Second Brother, shut up!"
Qin Yu shouted coldly from not far away, making the fat Prince shudder.
The Second Prince, Qin Lie, ranked near the bottom among the many Princes in every regard. No, Qin Jun had once occupied the position of weakest.
"Why should the Fifth Prince be angry? After all, the Second Prince is your elder brother." Zhu Yishi said with a smile, and Qin Lie could not help nodding.
That's right!
I'm your second brother. Telling me to shut up before everyone—where am I supposed to put my face?
With that thought, Qin Lie immediately became displeased, his gaze toward Qin Yu filled with fury.
"Qin Yu, you..."
"Quiet!"
A dignified voice cut Qin Lie off. He had been about to curse back, but swallowed the words that reached his lips and stared in terror at the Dry Emperor seated upon the dragon throne in the front row.
The Dry Emperor merely glanced at Zhu Yishi and said, "You are quite impressive, far better than these worthless sons of mine."
"Thank you for Your Majesty's praise." Zhu Yishi clasped his hands and smiled. The Princes, meanwhile, grew resentful, their eyes filling with hostility toward him.
With a single sentence, he dissolved the dispute Zhu Yishi had provoked while making the Princes unite against a common enemy.
Worthy of an emperor!
Zhu Yishi sighed inwardly. His father had once said that although the Dry Emperor was inferior to the previous generation, even his father could not compare to the Dry Emperor's methods. Unfortunately, the Dry Emperor was too eager for quick success, causing the Gan Yue Kingdom's national strength to steadily decline.
Nan Meng, the Great General, had fought in wars year-round. Over the past five years, his cultivation had barely advanced because he had constantly been leading troops into battle, with no time to cultivate.
As for combat experience, he had already reached a bottleneck long ago.
"Stop at the proper point. The first duel officially begins!"
On Vermilion Bird Stage, Shen Yan shouted loudly. As soon as he finished, he swiftly retreated to one side. A battle between two Mortal Transformation Realm experts was not something a peak Golden Core Realm cultivator like him could interfere with.
"Please enlighten me!"
Bai Yufeng shouted gravely. As he spoke, he raised his right hand, and a Red Tassel Silver Spear appeared out of thin air in his grasp, clearly drawn from a Storage Ring.
Song Lang merely raised his hand, signaling for Bai Yufeng to attack first.
Such contemptuous behavior deeply provoked Bai Yufeng. He immediately thrust out his spear and kicked off the ground, becoming like a streak of silver light. Song Lang's speed was equally unbelievable; with a leap, he easily evaded the attack.
With a boom!
Bai Yufeng bent his legs and sprang upward like a cannonball, chasing directly after Song Lang.
The two moved so quickly that Qin Jun's eyes could not catch them at all, much less those of the citizens and most cultivators. Everyone watched with bated breath, and no one dared breathe too loudly.
The military officers seated in the pavilion were just as tense.
"I hope Bai Yufeng won't disappoint me."
Qin Yu murmured as he watched Bai Yufeng. His hands gripped the armrests tightly, his palms drenched in cold sweat.
Although Bai Yufeng belonged to Nan Meng, he had ties to Qin Yu. Thus, if Bai Yufeng won, Qin Yu would naturally be delighted. He could even use Bai Yufeng to undermine Nan Meng's military authority.
Though the Dry Emperor's expression remained calm, he did not dare blink.
Under his leadership, the Gan Yue Kingdom had already lost one duel between the two kingdoms. He did not want to lose a second time.
Unfortunately, Bai Yufeng's offensive was fierce at first, but he was soon suppressed.
Song Lang began counterattacking after evading only three exchanges. With a wave of his right hand, spiritual energy condensed into a massive azure hand that slapped Bai Yufeng directly to the ground.
Watching him fall from dozens of meters in the air, even Qin Jun felt the pain.
The white jade rock of Vermilion Bird Stage was smashed into a shallow crater, showing just how powerful the blow had been. Even if Qin Jun attacked with all his strength, it would be difficult for him to damage Vermilion Bird Stage.
Bai Yufeng sprang back to his feet with a kip-up. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spun his spear one-handed. In an instant, a white dragon condensed from spiritual energy coiled around him, an extraordinarily magnificent sight, with faint dragon roars echoing through the air.
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