Thunder Strikes!

At the Taihu Lake encampment.

Lu Jingchun stood before the platform, clad in heavy armor and holding a pair of wrought-iron halberds.

She looked up at the sky.

The sun blazed overhead. Noon was near.

Three Gold Robes stood beside her.

Though they shared the same rank, their abilities were entirely different.

The stooped elder at their head came from the Taiyuan Wang Clan. Rumor had it that his Spirit Imprint was Lightning Wood, one of the finest in the Martial Temple.

His eyes were half-closed, as though he were dozing, but his aura had already stirred the heavens.

Lightning slithered like snakes through the once-clear sky, gathering without striking.

Granny Liu wore a kindly expression, but her methods were stranger still.

She carried no weapon. Only a faint chill seeped from her sleeves.

As for the last of them, the young You Wujiang...

He stood with his hands behind his back, a deathly pale Long Sword strapped across it.

The sword remained sheathed, yet its keen sword intent could barely be contained.

Lu Jingchun drew a deep breath and tightened her grip on her halberds.

"The time is almost here..."

She was just about to give the order to prepare.

"Report!"

"What's got you so panicked?!"

Lu Jingchun's brows snapped together, anger flashing in her eyes.

At any other time, it might not have mattered.

But with three Gold Robes present and the arrow already on the string, who would bear the blame if this man rushed in and shook the troops' morale?

The Demon-Suppression Guard tumbled from his saddle and scrambled up the steps, holding a letter high in both hands.

"Reporting to the commander-in-chief!"

"A letter from Langjiang Xie Tinglan!"

"His men have reached Cross-Mountain Ferry. He ordered this subordinate to ride here at full speed and