The Flag of Victory

He was just laying all his abilities out? Chen Xuan could not help but laugh. There was no need to be this honest, was there?

He looked up at Joan of Arc, only to find that her expression had changed. Her eyes now shone like stars, brimming with devotion.

"Everything I have was bestowed by Lord God, and my sole mission is to save my homeland... So I am willing to give everything in exchange for victory."

Joan of Arc spoke each word clearly. "Your Excellency Divine Envoy, please help me defeat the enemy!"

The soldiers who heard this immediately began whispering among themselves.

"What did the commander just say?"

"He said this man is the Lord's envoy..."

"Are you sure you heard right?"

"You saw what that medicine did..."

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow but did not correct her form of address. In any case, it was not bad for the transaction.

His attention was now almost entirely drawn to the abilities she had laid out. There were not only white and green abilities mixed together, but even a golden one!

"Liberty Leading the People" LV1.

—Freedom does not require real-name registration, but those who guide the people do. Otherwise, how would the people cry out your name? You are usually favored by the times, and no matter what you do, it is easier for you to gain the people's trust. If water can carry a boat, then you are the cresting wave.

Golden markings were defined in the handbook as "Heroic-tier." Their rarity was second only to Legendary-tier, making them exceptionally rare abilities!

If it were Liu Shuyue, she definitely would not have put such an ability on display.

The other three were all highly connected to Joan of Arc's experiences.

They were "Spear Technique," "Sacred Banner," and "Blessed Maiden." The latter two were both green-tier. One could soothe wounds and raise morale when the banner was held high; the other made its holder vulnerable to fire, but darkness could not approach her, she would not suffer curses, and its holder was restricted to women...

Chen Xuan could have traded for all of them, but he did not choose to do so.

It was not because his conscience had suddenly awakened.

If he took all her abilities at once, could Joan of Arc, reduced to a blank slate without even spear skills or command ability, still achieve victory?

He was not so desperate for a little performance that he would slaughter the goose that laid the golden egg.

"Is there anything else? Let me see it all," Chen Xuan said.

Joan of Arc closed her eyes, seemingly considering how to display her other abilities. Before long, the three entries in the box changed to "Military Strategist," "Voice of Trust," and "Pure Faith."

Sure enough, she possessed more than just four abilities.

"Voice of Trust" LV5.

—You can tell through voice alone whether someone is approaching with goodwill or malice. Note: This cannot distinguish lies. A lie told with good intentions is still a lie, but you like it.

"Pure Faith" LV3.

—Narrow faith is a shackle that binds oneself, while broad faith is a shield for the soul. Ridiculously, no matter which kind it is, life will spill rivers of blood for it.

As for the white-tier Military Strategist, Chen Xuan ignored it outright.

After a brief assessment, he ultimately chose "Liberty Leading the People" and "Voice of Trust." The former went without saying—he could not possibly pass up a golden ability. Besides, with Joan of Arc's current prestige, losing this ability would not shake her position as commander. As for the latter, it was probably why she had trusted him so readily upon hearing his voice. Even if it could not detect lies, being able to determine whether someone was good or bad upon first meeting still held considerable value.

The rest of the abilities were all closely tied to commanding troops in battle, so he left them to her.

Naturally, Joan of Arc had no objections.

The transaction was completed smoothly.

At that moment, a cavalryman brought news that immediately tensed the atmosphere. "Report, Commander! The Burgundians have caught up! Their vanguard is less than ten li away. I just clashed with their scouts."

"They are faster than I expected..." Joan of Arc murmured. "They are well-trained warriors too."

"It seems it is time for us to part," Chen Xuan said reassuringly. "Night pursuit depends on scouts. As long as you quietly eliminate them, the enemy's main force will have no way of finding you in this vast darkness. Now that you have the Spirit Sword Technique, that should be easy for you..."

"No, Your Excellency Divine Envoy. We are not going anywhere." She shook her head. "Since I am destined to win, why not begin here?"

"What do you intend to do?"

"Thank you for clearing away my doubts..." Joan of Arc pressed a hand to her chest in salute. "I truly felt somewhat lost before, but now that I think about it, those suspicions were never important. As long as I continue pursuing greater strength, all obstacles are nothing but illusions. They will eventually vanish beneath the radiance of my Lord. Please bear witness to all that follows on behalf of my Lord."

Then she turned and walked toward her soldiers, drawing the sword at her waist with her right hand. "Everyone! For the past several years, I have listened to the voice of Lord God and fought according to His will. From Orléans to Reims, we were invincible, while our enemies fled at the sight of us!"

"For a long time afterward, during our repeated attempts to reclaim Paris, I lost the gospel of Lord God. I do not wish to hide it from you. Today's defeat even made me wonder whether I had been abandoned. But I was wrong. Lord God has blessed me once again, and this sword is proof!"

She raised her sword high. A brilliant white light bloomed from its blade and shot straight into the sky! In an instant, even the darkness of the night receded, and the clouds overhead were pierced open by the swordlight!

Chen Xuan froze.

Was this the Spirit Sword Technique? Why had it not looked like this when I used it?

You could tell me this was a one-gigawatt laser sword, and I would believe you!

Even the ground was illuminated by the swordlight, casting the shadows of hundreds of men, horses, and trees far into the distance.

The girl bathed in radiance looked like a holy statue at that moment, sacred beyond all compare.

The enemy pursuers were closing in as well.

Chen Xuan could not see them, but he could hear the rumbling hoofbeats—the sound came from all directions, as if they covered the mountains and plains, making even the ground tremble faintly.

"Bring me my banner!" Joan of Arc shouted.

A soldier immediately handed over a battle flag embroidered with a crown and fleur-de-lis. She took it in her left hand and pointed it toward the rear of the formation. "Victory shall be ours tonight! Charge with me! Long live France!"

Another wave of green light spread outward from her.

Chen Xuan was swept by the glow as well, and immediately felt invigorated. It was as though his strength had increased by a great deal.

So this was the effect of the Sacred Banner?

I thought raising morale only worked on a mental level... I never expected it to work physically too!

Under the green glow, everyone was inspired by Joan of Arc. The scattered torches swiftly arranged themselves into a neat, arrow-like formation. The army, once steeped in dejection, had been utterly transformed. The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, stared at their commander's back, and shouted in unison.

"Long live France!"

"Long live Joan of Arc!"

When the enemy's battle cries became deafening, Joan of Arc swung down her sword and charged at the enemy forces at the head of the cavalry! The others followed close behind. Before long, the two torrents formed by countless torches slammed violently into each other, interweaving and dissolving like stars in the night!

In a pitch-black room, a red warning light suddenly began flashing without pause. The computer screen below lit up, and an email opened automatically.

"Warning: C-Class Anomalous Historical Contamination detected!"

"Searching for point of intrusion..."

"Correction recommended as soon as possible."