Azure Dragon Will

Heaven Dou Palace, Imperial Study.

"Your Majesty, Marshal Odysseus, Corps Commander of the Border Guards, and Lin Jin, Commander of the Fifth Detachment, are requesting an audience outside the palace."

"Oh?" Xue Ye asked curiously, "What do they want?"

"This servant does not know, but it must be something major. The Prince and the Crown Prince have also come."

"Summon the court!"

Outside the main hall, Lin Jin and Odysseus stood at the palace's main entrance.

After receiving the news, Qian Renxue hurried over. Seeing this scene, she slightly furrowed her delicate brows and spoke quietly to Lin Jin, "General Lin, what matter requires you to bring it before the Imperial Court and disturb Father Emperor's hearing? Marshal Odysseus is a Senior in the military, after all. If something happened, you could have discussed it privately."

Her tone held a trace of concern, along with a hint of scrutiny that was difficult to detect. She needed to know exactly what Lin Jin intended to do.

Before Lin Jin could answer, Prince Xue Xing's mocking voice came from the other side. "His Highness the Crown Prince is mistaken. If Commander Lin had not suffered some earth-shattering 'injustice,' why would he trouble Your Majesty?"

He cast Lin Jin a cold glance and sneered inwardly. He's too rigid and doesn't know when to advance or retreat. He'll break easily. Lin Jin, I haven't even settled yesterday's matter with you, yet you've delivered yourself to my door. Under the Public Gaze of the Imperial Court, let's see how I strip you of your position as Commander!

At that moment, the Eunuch's drawn-out voice rang from inside the hall. "Announcing Marshal Odysseus, Commander Lin Jin, and all ministers to court!"

Inside the main hall, the Officials stood solemnly.

Xue Ye sat high upon the throne, his gaze sweeping over everyone below before finally resting on Lin Jin and Odysseus. He slowly spoke, "The two of you have come together. What is the matter?"

Odysseus stepped forward first and bowed. "Your Majesty! This old minister wishes to impeach Lin Jin, Commander of the Fifth Detachment! On the very day after taking office, he abused his authority, severely punished Deputy Commander Zhao De in public and left him seriously injured, and dismissed nearly two thousand Soldiers without cause..."

He first recounted the conflict between the two men, then labeled Lin Jin's actions as "abuse of authority."

The Officials immediately began whispering among themselves. Many gazes turned toward Lin Jin, filled with doubt and schadenfreude.

Xue Ye turned his gaze upon Lin Jin. "General Lin, is what Marshal Odysseus said true?"

"Your Majesty, it is true, but it was not an abuse of authority." Lin Jin stepped out and moved forward. "This subordinate is indebted to Your Majesty's grace."

"When this subordinate took office the day before yesterday, I saw that military discipline was lax and the troops had no will to fight. They could not even complete ten laps of training. Since this subordinate had taken on the position of Commander, I had to fulfill my duties. These City Defense Force soldiers were merely consuming provisions and pay. Since they wanted to retire here, this subordinate could only give them Severance Pay and send them home to retire."

"Therefore, even if this subordinate is cursed as a Cruel Official today, I will still train an elite force that can fight and dares to fight for Your Majesty. After all, the City Defense Force guards the Empire's barrier, and its responsibility is immense. At the same time, it represents the Empire's image. If the Star Luo Empire and the various kingdoms see them, they may think that the Heaven Dou Empire is nothing special—weak and easy to bully."

Xue Ye looked at the young yet imposing Lin Jin below, and a trace of approval flashed through his eyes.

He knew very well that the City Defense Force did indeed have many problems. However, too many interests were involved, and he had never been able to make up his mind to reform it.

Now that Lin Jin was willing to be the blade, and every word he spoke was rooted in the Empire's interests, his courage to take responsibility and disregard for the powerful moved Xue Ye greatly.

"What General Lin has said is entirely reasonable. Every word comes from public interest and consideration for the Empire." Xue Ye slowly spoke, his tone filled with affirmation.

"General Lin, you are the Commander I personally appointed. All affairs of the Fifth Detachment should be handled entirely by you."

"Your Majesty is wise! This subordinate will not betray Your Majesty's trust!" Lin Jin answered loudly.

"Your Majesty!" Prince Xue Xing could no longer sit still. The people he had planted in the Fifth Detachment had been purged all at once, damaging his interests. He hurriedly stepped forward. "Commander Lin is young and impetuous, with excessively ruthless methods. I fear he will have difficulty winning the troops' support."

"Imperial Brother." Xue Ye's brows tightened almost imperceptibly. "What do you suggest?"

Xue Xing straightened his body and said, "Since General Lin keeps claiming that he wants to forge an elite force, while looking down on the existing City Defense Force, he should know that an elite force is forged through battle, not words. Why not have a contest?"

"How should we compete?" Xue Ye's brows furrowed even deeper.

Prince Xue Xing continued, "General Lin returned from the Northern Border with a hundred Personal Guards, didn't he? Then let General Lin and Marshal Odysseus each lead a hundred men to battle in the Royal Hunting Ground. Their strength will be clear after one trial."

"If General Lin loses, he will return to the Northern Border."

"Father Emperor, you mustn't." Qian Renxue immediately stepped forward. "Both sides are elites. Blades and swords have no eyes. If either side suffers casualties, it will be a loss for the Empire."

"Moreover, Marshal Odysseus is a Soul Emperor. That would be unfair to General Lin."

Xue Xing once again spoke sarcastically. "What? Does the Crown Prince not trust the young and impetuous General Lin?"

Lin Jin immediately stepped forward. "Your Majesty, the Prince speaks the truth. An elite force is indeed forged through battle, not words."

"This subordinate accepts the challenge."

"Good. Then tomorrow, at the Royal Hunting Ground, This Seat will see what a true elite force of the Empire looks like." Seeing this, Xue Ye immediately made his decision.

Damn it, Lin Jin, where exactly does your confidence come from?! Qian Renxue thought in a frenzy.

The next day, at the Royal Hunting Ground.

The center of the Royal Hunting Ground had been cleared into a vast martial arena. On the High Platforms surrounding it, Xue Ye sat in the Main Seat, with Qian Renxue, Prince Xue Xing, and others seated on either side.

The Young Girl was there as well.

In the martial arena,

On one side stood a hundred elite City Defense Force soldiers personally led by Marshal Odysseus.

Every one of these Soldiers was broad-shouldered and muscular, with sharp eyes. They wore fine iron armor and wielded Iron-clad Shields and Long Spears. With practiced skill, they quickly formed the "Iron Wall Spear Formation," an integrated formation capable of both offense and defense.

On the other side were Lin Jin's hundred "Blood Blade" Personal Guards.

They were all dressed in uniform black light armor and stood silently at attention. There were no shouts or unnecessary movements. Even the rhythm of their breathing was nearly identical.

"Imperial Brother, it seems Marshal Odysseus is taking this seriously. This Iron Wall Spear Formation is his signature formation. I heard it once withstood an attack from a Soul Sage." Prince Xue Xing commented casually from the side, unable to hide the pride in his tone.

Qian Renxue did not respond. Her gaze remained firmly fixed on Lin Jin. "Lin Jin, what exactly is your Trump Card? Facing a Soul Emperor and such a military formation, how can you remain so calm?"

Xue Ye swept his gaze over both sides and said in a deep voice, "Begin."

"Begin the exercise!" the Referee announced loudly.

"Form up! Advance!" At Odysseus's command, the hundred-man formation behind him immediately erupted with a unified roar.

In contrast, the hundred Blood Blades on Lin Jin's side remained silent. Only, every person's gaze turned in unison toward the solitary, proud figure at the front of the formation.

Five Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, black, and black—slowly rose from Lin Jin's body.

"Soul King!"

"His Fourth Soul Ring is a ten-thousand-year ring?!"

"He's not even fifteen years old!"

An uncontrollable wave of exclamations instantly rang out from the Spectator Stand.

Qian Renxue's pupils suddenly contracted. The hand holding her teacup froze in midair. "A ten-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring... His talent is even more terrifying than that of the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation!"

The proud smile on Prince Xue Xing's face stiffened, replaced by a trace of shock and unease.

"Fifth Soul Skill, Azure Dragon Will!"

"Roar!"

A Dragon Roar that seemed to come from ancient times exploded out of nowhere, leaving people's ears buzzing and their souls trembling.

An indescribably ancient, majestic, and overwhelmingly domineering Dragon Might swept across the entire hunting ground like a tangible force.

"Array in the East!"

Lin Jin spoke again, his voice seeming to merge with the Azure Dragon Soul. Carrying an ancient and majestic will, it rang through the depths of everyone's souls like a Divine Decree!

"Azure Dragon Listen to Orders!"