The Sword Lord Issues a Challenge

"Have you heard? That Soul Douluo named Chen Xin from Lingyun City has broken through to the Titled Douluo!"

During the halftime break in the Heaven Dou City Great Soul Fighting Arena, Soul Fighting Arena Number One, while waiting for the Soul Fighting battles below to begin, Fei Bai, sitting in a VIP box, spoke mysteriously to Jiu Gao. 🐼♡ ❻9şĤǗX.ⓒόⓂ 🍮♪

In response, Jiu Gao, who had succeeded his father as the Minister of Armaments of the Heaven Dou Empire, swiftly closed his folding fan and glanced sideways at Fei Bai: "How long have you been in the Royal Knights before coming out?"

"This news is probably known not only in ' Heaven Dou City ', but throughout the entire Douluo Continent. On the first of next month, ' Spirit City ' will hold a title conferment ceremony, and His Majesty will be attending..."

"Uh~" Upon hearing this, Fei Bai blinked and somewhat embarrassedly picked up the wine glass in front of him and took a sip to cover up his awkwardness.

To be honest, Fei Bai had indeed been staying in the "Royal Knights" all this time. If he hadn't been summoned to the palace by Xue Ye today and given the order to lead 10,000 elite cavalry to accompany the imperial entourage to "Spirit City" in a few days, he really wouldn't have known about Chen Xin's breakthrough.

Since Xue Ye ascended the throne, he, who had been attached to Xue Ye since he was a prince, is now considered a powerful figure in the Heaven Dou Empire, especially within the Heaven Dou military system.

"I... I've been busy with the expansion of the Royal Knights and the selection of new recruits lately..." Fei Bai mumbled an explanation.

The Royal Knights, with a full complement of 50,000 men, have always been the strongest force controlled by the royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire.

The captains of units with more than 100 men were all Soul Master, and all 50,000 men wore bright silver armor. Their mounts were all "Heavenly Soul Horse" with a certain bloodline of Soul Beast, and each horse was also covered in armor. Both the monthly military budget and the expenses for armoring both men and horses amounted to an astonishing sum.

Furthermore, 50,000 people doesn't mean just 50,000 "Heavenly Soul Horse." Even without a configuration of two horses per person, a certain proportion of reserve horses are needed for replacements. The Bright Armor and horse armor will also wear out, and the rations for both people and horses are essential—and they must be of the highest quality, otherwise, the Gao Qiang training of both men and horses cannot be sustained. All of these factors severely test the logistical capabilities.

Over the years, every emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire has had a love-hate relationship with the Royal Knights. They love their powerful fighting force, which safeguards the royal family's prestige and status, but the military expenses that burn every moment make them tremble with fear.

Fortunately, since Xue Ye ascended the throne, the trade network established by the Green Wood Merchant Association within the Heaven Dou Empire has greatly improved the business environment, leading to significant increases in various aspects such as imperial tax revenue. Both the Heaven Dou Empire's national treasury and Xue Ye's private treasury have become much richer.

Later, Ning Fengzhi, the new sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, took the initiative to get closer to Xue Ye. In order to deepen the relationship between the two sides, he even proposed to serve as the teacher of the imperial princess Xue Qianxun.

Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect doesn't have any outstanding strength in terms of combat power, its reputation for wealth is still well-known throughout the continent, truly making it richer than a country.

Today, when it comes to wealth in the Douluo Continent, the first name that comes to mind is the Green Wood Merchant Association, followed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and then the two great empires and the Spirit Hall, among other established forces.

It was precisely because of the rapid and vigorous rise of the Green Wood Merchant Association that the Star Luo Empire turned its attention to Lingyun City, which was behind the Green Wood Merchant Association.

Similarly, Xue Ye was naturally envious of the Green Wood Merchant Association, which had amassed immense wealth in less than ten years. He had repeatedly expressed his intention to recruit Ling Yi, both openly and secretly, but was politely refused each time. This made the somewhat domineering, ruthless emperor of the empire think, "If they can't be used, it's better to eliminate them."

It was also because of Ling Yi's "lack of tact" that Xue Ye was so attracted to Ning Fengzhi's advances that they hit it off immediately.

Having experienced countless court intrigues, he quickly realized, upon reflection, how awkward the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's current position on the Douluo Continent was due to the existence of the Green Wood Merchant Association.

If it weren't for Chen Xin and his Titled Douluo father, who lived in seclusion in Lingyun City Lingyun City, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect wouldn't care too much, just as the Spirit Hall would never care if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect surpassed it in wealth.

After all, in any world, hoarding guns or hoarding food is not a difficult choice.

With the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Xue Ye would naturally not miss the opportunity to strengthen his power.

Therefore, the expansion of the "Royal Knights" was brought to the forefront.

"You know what, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is really rich!" Seeing Jiu Gao's ambiguous smile, Fei Bai forcibly changed the subject, saying, "They just threw out five million Gold Soul Coin!"

"This is just the first installment of military funding, not including other military equipment and supplies. There will be military funding every year thereafter."

"Taking advantage of this opportunity, I've thoroughly vetted all the elite military forces scattered throughout the empire's provinces!"

"More than three hundred Soul Master, all starting as Two-Ring Grand Soul Master, and about twenty thousand elite soldiers. It's just that His Majesty didn't allow me to directly use these people to form a 10,000-strong cavalry regiment, otherwise the new army's combat power would be one or two levels stronger than the original fifty thousand!"

"But it's not bad either. Dispersing these people and filling them into the original five 10,000-man cavalry regiments of the Royal Knights, and training them together, will make it easier for them to adapt to the atmosphere of the Royal Knights. Then, their military positions can be determined based on their performance, with the strong rising and the mediocre falling, which will reduce the likelihood of problems."

"Now, the Royal Knights have expanded to seven cavalry regiments of ten thousand men each. Stimulated by the influx of new blood, their combat strength has greatly improved. I'd even dare to take them out and Temple Guardian Knight Corps of the Spirit Hall!"

Faced with Fei Bai's attempt to change the subject, Jiu Gao wisely stopped teasing him, opening his folding fan again and gently fanning himself a few times. He said leisurely, "The reason why the newcomers are so well-rounded is because of Master Ling's selfless dissemination of the ' Farmer's Three Forms ' and the ' Basic Body Tempering Technique,' coupled with the bountiful harvests of ' Blue Silver Rice ' every year. The physical fitness of everyone on the Douluo Continent is now significantly stronger than in previous years."

"I've received word that a major incident occurred in the Northern Territory a few days ago. It all started when a patrol team composed of ordinary people actually ambushed and killed a Fallen Soul Master at the level of Four-Ring Soul Ancestor Grandmaster!"

"Holy crap!" Fei Bai's eyes practically popped out of their sockets. "That's incredible?!"

"That's how powerful it is!" Jiu Gao nodded slightly and said with certainty, "Just wait and see, it probably won't be long before this news spreads. If it weren't for the fact that the news about Chen Xin, the newly promoted Titled Douluo, is even more attractive, this would be the biggest news in recent months!"

The survivors of that patrol team were also recruited by various parties to study their situation.

"You know what, I'm actually thinking of recruiting this group into the Royal Knights," Fei Bai said, stroking his chin with a hint of eagerness in his eyes.

"Don't even think about it. The Spirit Hall has already made its move." Jiu Gao shook his head, pouring cold water on the idea, and said, "A Soul Douluo is currently stationed there to guard against a counterattack from other Fallen Soul Master. Given their proximity, these people will definitely be absorbed into the Spirit Hall."

"I heard that even Master Ling of Lingyun City couldn't bring them back this time..."

"Isn't that obvious?" Fei Bai interrupted before Jiu Gao could finish speaking, "Although Lingyun City has great potential and a promising future, the Spirit Hall is obviously much stronger. Anyone would choose the Spirit Hall, right?"

"Foolish!" Jiu Gao glared at Fei Bai and scolded him lightly.

"Yes, the Spirit Hall is powerful, but have you considered how many people within its vast Spirit Hall are eating from its pot?"

"Although Lingyun City has only been established for a few years, it also means there are many opportunities. As long as you have the ability, you will definitely receive some resource support."

"What might be a small amount of resources for Lingyun City could be enough to transform an ordinary person!"

"Ahem!" Fei Bai coughed lightly, changing the subject again, saying, "Let's talk about the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"I knew they were rich before, but I never imagined they were this rich!"

"You have no idea, when the Royal Knights were expanding their army and purchasing equipment, Sect Master Ning didn't even blink. Thirty thousand sets of Bright Light Armor and Horse Armor were all made of the finest refined iron, with a craftsmanship of over Hundred Refinement levels!"

These alone are worth no less than ten million Gold Soul Coin!

"Not that many~" Jiu Gao shook the folding fan in his hand, his brows furrowed slightly, and a strange look appeared in his eyes. "If it were a finished product purchased directly, even if it was purchased through the Green Wood Merchant Association from the Blacksmith Association in Gengxin City, the price would definitely exceed ten million Gold Soul Coin.

However, this time Ning Fengzhi bypassed the [Green Wood Merchant Association] and directly used raw materials from the iron mines under his control to have the blacksmiths under the Empire and his sect forge the metal. In terms of cost, it would be at most five or six million Gold Soul Coin.

Hearing Jiu Gao's inexplicable tone, Fei Bai knew that the other party was dissatisfied with Xue Ye for bypassing him, the Minister of Armaments, in purchasing military equipment for the Royal Knights. He could only awkwardly reply, "That's no small sum, you know—"

"The problem is," Jiu Gao raised his eyelids slightly, giving Fei Bai a meaningful look, "If we purchase through the [Green Wood Merchant Association] this time, the price might be a hundred thousand more Gold Soul Coin higher. But not to mention that the delivery time for these military equipment can be at least a month earlier, even with the same Hundred Refinement craftsmanship, nine out of ten blacksmiths in the Empire and the [Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect] can only deliver armor that barely reaches the Hundred Refinement level, while the [Green Wood Merchant Association]'s is at least at the two-hundred-forging level!"

"Xiao Bai, you've been through so much in the military, you must know the difference in combat effectiveness between Hundred Refinement and armor forged two hundred times, right?"

"Of course I know the difference."

"Royal Hunting Ground, Royal Knights - Divine Crossbow Battalion," Ku Fan replied without looking up when Wu Jinyuan asked.

"But what can I do? This is the Royal Knights.' Without Xue Ye's orders, not even Fei Bai Feibai could make the decision to replace this equipment, let alone me!"

"As you know, ever since Brother Yi rejected Xue Ye's offers several times, Xue Ye has had Xue Xing stop us from doing business with the [Green Wood Merchant Association] in private."

"Damn it!" Wu Jinyuan picked his nose and spat hard at the ground.

Then, he flicked the small black ball on his finger and said to Ku Fan, "Don't tell me you can't get around it. If you can't, leave this to me—"

"Nonsense!" Ku Fan rolled his eyes at Wu Jinyuan, then called out to the outside of the tent, "Gordon, come in!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a burly man with a full beard lifted the tent flap and walked in. "Commander, you wanted to see me?"

"Hmm~" Ku Fan nodded to the bearded man, then introduced him to Wu Jinyuan, "This guy's from 'our hometown.' He was in the army in the northern border before, but this time, taking advantage of the Royal Knights ' expansion, he joined the army like the other brothers."

"Gordon, this is Wu Jinyuan. Like me, he took classes under Teacher Yi in his early years."

Upon hearing Ku Fan's introduction, Gordon immediately stood at attention and saluted Wu Jinyuan, clenching his right fist and forcefully striking his left chest over his heart. A crisp sound rang out from his gleaming silver armor, "Gordon greets senior!"

"Oh?" Hearing the address of "senior," Wu Jinyuan raised an eyebrow, his dark, masculine complexion softening considerably. He asked with a smile, "You also attended lectures under Teacher Yi? Which term?"

Gordon answered loudly, "Replying to Senior, Class Nineteen!"

Seeing the two of them talking so unrestrainedly, Ku Fan couldn't help but rub his temples. It was only because the "Sound-Eating Bat Statue" was still active and he had basically taken complete control of the "Divine Crossbow Battalion" that he could have gotten Xue Ye to arrest and torture them.

"Alright!" Ku Fan glared at Wu Jinyuan, then continued, "Gordon came from the Night's Watch outside the Ice Seal Forest. Lord Xue Nuo of Winterfell is now like us, able to trade with us in the name of his family. His family is an established force within the Night's Watch Heaven Dou the Northern Frontier, Xue Ye won't doubt them..."

"That's good. That old Xue Ye is too suspicious, he's such a damn annoying person!"

"Ah Yi, this time when we go to ' Spirit City,' will Erlang... stay in ' Lingyun City '?"

In the City Lord’s Mansion Lingyun City, facing Chen Jianjun's inquiry, Ling Yi smiled and said:

"Senior, you are overthinking it. Erlang is neither Twin Martial Souls nor has he undergone the divine inheritance trial."

"I know that I will be tested a lot on this trip to ' Spirit City '."

"But that's not a big problem, because Erlang's main strength lies in his extraordinary talent in the Way of Body Tempering!"

"The ability to absorb Soul Ring beyond the limit is also due to his powerful physique, comparable to that of Soul Beast."

"But you, because of me, have been dragged into this mess, which is really..."

"Hey~" Chen Jianjun raised his hand to interrupt Ling Yi's impending apology, his face showing displeasure. "What do you mean by dragging me into this? What? In your eyes, Ling Yi, am I not a part of Lingyun City?"

"Huh?" Ling Yi was taken aback at first, but then his face lit up with joy. "Senior, you... you mean?"

Seeing the undisguised joy on Ling Yi's face, Chen Jianjun was extremely pleased. He glanced at his son Chen Xin sitting next to him and said to Ling Yi, "I've heard everything about what happened this time from this kid. If it weren't for Erlang, my stupid son would probably have perished in the Northern Border of Heaven Dou right after becoming Titled Douluo."

"This kid is so impulsive, as his father, I naturally have to help him out so as not to affect the development of Lingyun City, Ah Yi."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of changes you and your [Lingyun City] can bring to the Douluo Continent and the Martial Soul system!"

"As for this title conferment ceremony... I originally planned to go to ' Spirit City ' to challenge the legendary ' Wudi in the Sky ' Qian Daoliu and see what the peak of Level 99 is like."

"This time it just so happens to be a coincidence."

"Of course, before that, I need to talk to Erlang first."

As Chen Jianjun spoke, his gaze fell upon "Erlang," who stood behind Ling Yi like a statue, his eyes filled with eager anticipation.

With Soul Ring Configuration of five black and one red, Chen Jianjun was undoubtedly extremely curious at this moment.