Before Sun, the camp of the Chambord Expeditionary Army was finally set up.
The people from the surrounding vassal states were all stunned as they stared at the newly appeared camp by the river. The reason was simple: the Chambord camp was far too luxurious. The camp consisted entirely of black, warm tents engraved with magical runes, emitting faint magical fluctuations. Not only would the soldiers inside be completely protected from the impending cold, but they would also have a certain degree of early warning function, allowing them to sense the movement of the outside world immediately in the event of an enemy attack. Their defensive capabilities were extremely strong.
Such a magical tent, not to mention that each one is worth over a thousand gold coins, requires magic stone energy to activate and maintain the magic array on it. A low-grade magic stone can only provide the magic power needed for the tent's magic array for three days. Even the King of a small vassal state wouldn't enjoy such treatment, yet the people of Chambord can allow even the lowest grooms to live in such luxurious magical tents. This is something that makes everyone in the surrounding vassal states extremely envious and jealous.
Of course, many more people began to be shocked by the strength displayed by the Chambord people.
Besides the fifty expensive magical tents, all the other Barracks supplies, armor, and weapons seemed to have some connection to magic, so much so that the entire camp was permeated with a faint magical aura, as if a low-level temporary magic tower had appeared out of thin air. At the same time, ten massive, three-meter- Big Black towers stood on each of the four sides of the camp, protecting the entire Chambord camp like arrow towers. The defenses were tight, and lookout posts were set up at the top of the towers. Archers with longbows and arrows on their backs looked around vigilantly.
This camp setup is not much different from that of the ten first-class vassal states.
The profound knowledge and experience revealed by the people of Chambord sent chills down the spines of those secretly observing them.
"These people in Chambord... are so extravagant!"
"It's incomprehensible how a small, sixth-rank vassal state, located in the harsh, cold northern border region, which supposedly once lacked even the financial means to equip its soldiers with armor, has now become so wealthy. What exactly happened?"
"Hmph, no matter how much he tries to show off, he's just a nouveau riche country bumpkin!"
Around the Chambord camp, many warriors and officials from other vassal states gathered. Some were acquaintances, others strangers, and they huddled together in twos and threes, whispering and commenting. Some of these states, which had previously considered each other as secret allies, exchanged intelligence. Among them were those who envied their closeness, those who praised and sighed, those who remained silent and indifferent, those who were disdainful and jealous, and those who harbored ulterior motives or had ulterior motives.
At this time, the atmosphere in the camp area twenty miles from the plain appeared peaceful, but in reality, it was already very tense.
Although the Imperial Martial Combat Competition was seen by many powerful noble states as merely a stage for their strong upper-class vassal states to display their prowess and gain benefits, smaller states also had some small interests to pursue. The larger states reap the rewards, while the smaller ones get the scraps. Some King of smaller states dreamed of fighting to elevate their nation's status, while King of lower-class vassal states struggled desperately to maintain their royal status and existence. The Martial Combat Competition's structure meant that any two states could potentially become rivals, making the period before the competition officially began the best and last chance for each nation to thoroughly understand the other's strengths and weaknesses.
When Sun Fei and his group arrived at the Twenty Mile Affiliated Kingdom camp, they immediately became the focus of attention because of the excellent location of the camp. What happened next shocked everyone even more. Krude, one of the ten Judgment Knight of the Imperial Knights' Hall, actually roared and challenged them, which made all the countries in the Twenty Mile Affiliated Kingdom camp focus their attention on this small open space by the river.
To be challenged by a top expert from one of the Ten Great Judgment Knight, regardless of the outcome, is an Glory that ordinary King can hardly attain. It is also an acknowledgment of King of Chambord's strength, which makes those who do not know the reason even more curious. Soon, news of King of Chambord Alexander's battle record at the Twin Tower Peaks began to circulate, causing a wave of speculation and doubt. People are even more excited and curious about the upcoming duel.
The plain of about 20 square kilometers between the foot of the Moro Pass and the imperial capital Saint Petersburg was neatly divided into large and small squares by the empire. Each square was garrisoned by the army of a vassal state. From the sky, it looked like a huge chessboard laid out between heaven and earth, and the 250 vassal states were the pieces on this chessboard, about to engage in a bloody and life-or-death struggle.
As the focus of the Twenty Mile State-Owned District, the people of Chambord were treated as being 'watched'.
From noon to evening, almost every participating vassal state had sent its own forces to the vicinity of the camp to probe the strength of the Chambord people. According to the tradition of the upcoming martial arts competition, the emergence of a powerful figure from a sixth-rank vassal state who could provoke a challenge from the Judgment Knight was not good news for any country. Due to the schedule and order of the competition, this suddenly appearing tiger might encounter any country during the competition, and thus could threaten any country. This possibility made Chambord City vaguely resemble an enemy of many nations.
As evening approached, more and more people gathered around the Chambord campsite.
There's nothing to hide. In a few days, the two sides might clash in the competition. It's common for dead to be found in the Martial Combat Competition. Within the twenty-mile camp, there are almost 250 of the most elite soldiers and warriors from the vassal states. The air of killing is most palpable. Disagreements and sword fights happen all the time. The empire does not prohibit warriors from vassal states from dueling privately. Fifty sword-testing platforms have been prepared in the camp as venues for private duels. Recently, more than one hundred people have died on the sword-testing platforms in duels. Among them are many masters of Dou Qi. Even a Four-Star Class Wood-Element Dou Qi master with amazing strength perished on the sword-testing platform.
Therefore, the warriors carrying long swords and scimitars were doing the thing of observing the enemy situation from the edge of the camp in a 'fair and aboveboard' manner. In no time, crowds gathered around the Chambord camp, making it extremely lively, just like the entrance to the most famous gambling den in the capital.
Among the crowd, three or four young men dressed in brocade robes with extraordinary bearing attracted the most attention. They were accompanied by more than a dozen guards in bright armor, each of whom exuded impressive Dou Qi. No one dared to approach them and stood far away, their eyes filled with fear as they looked at these young men.
" Prince Sola, what do you think of these Chambord people? Do they pose a threat to us?" A handsome young man with long blue hair, dressed in a golden robe and wearing a sapphire headband, asked with his arms crossed.
"Hmph, just a bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world!" Prince Sola sneered. He had long, thin brown eyebrows and was quite handsome, but his hooked nose made his handsomeness look somewhat sinister. He was arrogant and his aura was unrealistic, with a hint of disdain in his expression.
"Your Highness Sola, don't be careless. This King of Chambord is someone who defeated the Tenth Judgment Knight and even provoked the Seventh Judgment Knight — the Bloody Knight Krud— to challenge him. He's definitely not simple! Even if Your Highness Sola has advanced to the Five-Star Middle Stage, I'm afraid you still can't do anything to King of Chambord!" Another purple-haired youth, also wearing a golden crown-like headband, placed his hand on his sword and smiled slightly. This person gave off a much more composed feeling, with a pair of eyes that gleamed sharply, revealing a deep and calculating nature. Moreover, his words contained a subtle hint of provocation.
"Hmph!" Prince Sola's hooked nose revealed a hint of disdain. He snorted coldly without saying anything more, but his brows clearly showed a hint of eagerness and anger.
"Your Highnesses, I have personally witnessed the King of Chambord. His strength is indeed remarkable, but he is arrogant, lawless, and a Mad Dog. Moreover, he is extremely lecherous, with several women by his side, all of whom are peerless beauties!" An old man with a goatee and only one ear left stood behind several young Prince and suddenly stroked his goatee as he spoke.
"Oh? A peerless beauty?" One of the four young men, who had remained silent until now, suddenly showed a change in expression. His hair was thinning, revealing his scalp, and when he opened his mouth, a set of yellow teeth was visible. He was short in stature, with strange features, and his face had a sickly pallor, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. Upon hearing the goatee-bearded, one-eared, sinister old man say the words "peerless beauty," he immediately perked up. "How peerless?"
A hint of malice flickered in the old man's eyes, but he spoke respectfully, "Your Highness Tsvetan, forgive my rudeness, but she is ten times more beautiful and noble than your four maids!"
"Ten times? Haha, hehe, interesting, very interesting!" The incredibly ugly Prince Tsvetan licked his lips and laughed, "Perhaps I should go and meet this interesting King of Chambord!"
"It is an honor for His Highness the Prince of Kingdom of Tomsk, the head of the ten first-class vassal states, to be willing to meet King of Chambord..." the one-eared old man with a goatee flattered.
Not far from the group of elegantly dressed Prince who stood out like cranes among chickens, several thin, dark-skinned youths in worn leather armor stared intently at the gate of the Chambord camp, their eyes burning with desire. They had been standing there for half an afternoon, hesitating to step through the gate, but seemingly worried about something and unable to make up their minds.
First update.