Yan Capital City

Leaving Flying Spirit County.

Once they entered the wilderness, the carriage became extremely bumpy.

However, Li Linliu's carriage was not only drawn by special horses; its craftsmanship was clearly different as well, making it exceptionally sturdy.

Moreover, all of them possessed martial skills and did not mind the jolting.

Chen Fan had originally been filled with awe toward the wilderness, especially after hearing that demon beasts existed in this world. Yet the journey went far more smoothly than he had expected.

When he asked why, Li Linliu laughed heartily. "I've traveled back and forth between Flying Spirit County and Yan Capital City dozens of times. I've run into bandits a few times, but I've never once seen a demon beast. Do you really think we'd be lucky enough to encounter one?"

Chen Fan smiled awkwardly.

After all, this was still within the Great Gan Empire. If demon beasts were allowed to run rampant everywhere, that would truly be outrageous.

Still, the fact that they had encountered bandits several times showed that these were not peaceful times.

Feng Yuancheng glanced at Chen Fan before saying, "If you head west after leaving Flying Spirit County, the chances of encountering demon beasts might be higher."

Chen Fan asked curiously, "Why is that?"

Feng Yuancheng took out a map from his clothes and handed it to Chen Fan, pointing to Clear River Commandery on it. "Clear River Commandery is already a border commandery of the Great Gan Dynasty, right next to the Western Wasteland. The Western Wasteland is vast beyond measure, and rumor has it that many powerful demon beasts dwell within..."

On the map, west of Clear River Commandery, there was only a great river winding through the land. Everywhere else was a vast expanse of unknown blankness. Clearly, even Feng Yuancheng's family map had no detailed records of the region.

Chen Fan understood. "So that's how it is."

Li Linliu yawned and said, "Yan Capital City also hosts a Demon-Slaying Tournament every year. Martial artists from the surrounding areas gather there, and talented young martial artists of Yan Capital City who have reached the third level of martial arts or above get the chance to fight demon beasts. It will be held in the latter half of the year, so you two will have a chance to see it as well."

Hearing this, Chen Fan was filled with anticipation.

Yan Capital City truly was extraordinary.

But he had yet to cultivate a true cultivation art, and reaching the third level of martial arts would still take time.

The carriage continued onward.

At last, as they neared Yan Capital City, signs of human habitation gradually became more common.

Then, before long—

Chen Fan heard the ground rumbling as it drew nearer from afar!

It made one's heart tremble involuntarily.

The two-horned horses grew restless, as if they sensed danger.

After quite some time.

Chen Fan saw a troop of heavily armored warriors clad in azure armor and riding black horses approaching from the direction of Yan Capital City.

It was a cavalry unit of roughly a hundred men, all of them brawny, muscular giants.

They radiated a fierce, murderous aura that inspired fear at a glance.

Chen Fan even felt as though he could barely breathe.

The pressure was immense!

Even Li Linliu hurriedly ordered the coachman to stop when he saw the unit, waiting until the heavily armored soldiers had passed.

Only then did Chen Fan let out a breath, asking uneasily, "Those people aren't ordinary soldiers, are they? Who are they?"

"The Azure Python Army." Li Linliu's expression turned solemn.

Chen Fan froze. "What is the Azure Python Army?"

Feng Yuancheng clearly did not know much about the Azure Python Army either and looked curiously at Li Linliu.

Li Linliu explained:

"Clear River Commandery occupies a unique position, bordering the Western Wasteland. The current emperor of the Great Gan Empire places extraordinary importance on Clear River Commandery and has even dispatched the Azure Python Army, led by General Fan Lin, to guard the frontier! The Azure Python Army has three thousand men in total. Most are stationed at the border, while a small number are distributed among the major cities of Clear River Commandery!"

Clear River Commandery, bordering the Western Wasteland, was indeed a strategically vital region.

Chen Fan suddenly understood.

Li Linliu continued:

"To join the Azure Python Army, even an ordinary soldier must at least possess a second-grade foundation and be an expert at the third level of martial arts. Higher up, there are those at the fifth and sixth levels of martial arts, and even great experts of the Grandmaster realm... They undergo unified deployment and training. When an army of three thousand joins together to employ a killing formation, it is stronger than an ordinary army of a hundred thousand. Even great experts at the tenth level of martial arts could potentially be surrounded and killed!"

Anyone who reached the third or fourth level of martial arts could not have a poor foundation. At the very least, they would have mastered a second-grade strength-training art!

"That small cavalry squad of a hundred men just now was likely led by someone at the sixth level of martial arts. Yet if those hundred joined forces, they could fight—even kill—a true Grandmaster!"

The seventh level of martial arts was an extremely high threshold. Those who reached it could be called Grandmasters; they were fundamentally different from those at the sixth level and below!

Chen Fan's heart surged with excitement as he could not help turning to look toward the distant clouds of dust.

He had thought that, with his peerless foundation and his first-place ranking among those under eighteen in Flying Spirit County, he counted as someone noteworthy.

Who would have thought that an entire army could be made up of martial artists with second-grade foundations and at least the third level of martial arts? Wouldn't any random person from among them be able to crush his current self?

And beyond the third level of martial arts were realms that martial artists with insufficient foundations could never set foot in.

Beside him, Feng Yuancheng also shuddered, staring at the distant dust cloud in astonishment.

He was more knowledgeable than Chen Fan and had heard of the Azure Python Army, but this was also his first time seeing it.

Seeing the two react this way.

Li Linliu smiled and shook his head. "There is no need to belittle yourselves. You are both exceptionally gifted, and even in Yan Capital City, you would be considered among the best. You may become Grandmasters in the future. If you truly break through, what difficulty would there be in fighting a hundred alone? The Azure Python Army may be formidable, but in terms of talent, few among them can compare with you!"

Chen Fan withdrew his gaze and nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with determination.

Demon beasts, the Western Wasteland, the Azure Python Army...

What he had seen and heard in this single day was far broader than everything Chen Fan had experienced in nearly a year since crossing into this world.

Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.

As expected, different levels brought different sights. Chen Fan had once been nothing more than an outer disciple at the White Cloud Martial Academy's branch academy. How could he ever have had the chance to witness such scenes?

The carriage set off again, and in less than the time it took an incense stick to burn, they entered Yan Capital City.

Though Yan Capital City bore the name Yan Capital, it had once been the old capital of an ancient dynasty called Great Yan, which had existed several eras before the Great Gan Empire. The name had simply remained.

Because it was the former capital of an ancient dynasty, Yan Capital City contained many historical relics. Its city walls were magnificent, and its grandeur was imposing.

The city itself was enormous, with a population exceeding ten million within the city alone, not to mention the dozen or so counties under its jurisdiction.

Its flourishing trade was utterly beyond comparison with tiny Flying Spirit County.

Even with memories from his previous life, Chen Fan still found this historically rich and majestic city refreshing.

Yan Capital City had designated carriage lanes, and the roads were filled with increasingly strange breeds of horses and livestock!

After another half hour or so, the carriage finally came to a stop.

"This is the main academy of the White Cloud Martial Academy."

Li Linliu introduced it to the two.

Chen Fan turned to look at the vast complex before him, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

The main academy shared the same architectural style as the branch academy, but it was clearly much larger and more magnificent.

It covered a terrifyingly vast area.

Once inside the main academy, disciples streamed through its grounds without end, far more numerous than in Flying Spirit County.

Li Linliu prepared the relevant identity badges for the two and had someone take them away to assign their rooms before leaving for the time being!

Thank you all for your support. A new volume has begun, and we have just reached three thousand bookmarks. There will still be three updates today.

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