The next morning, before the sky had even brightened.
Outside Wuling City, crowds of people were already milling about.
The Zhenbei Army stood in solemn, orderly ranks. Their armor glinted with a cold, sharp light in the early dawn, their spears stood like a dense forest, and their banners fluttered in the wind.
Feng Chunya sat astride her horse at the front of the army, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. Her gaze, as sharp as a falcon's, swept across every face under her command.
To go to war alongside the Divine Lady and bring an end to this chaotic world was a supreme honor; she would not tolerate even the slightest mistake.
As the Military Advisor, Pei Du naturally accompanied her at her side. Dressed in a green robe, his expression was graver than ever before.
Inside Wuling City, the streets were packed with people who had come to see the Zhenbei Army off, silently watching the troops gathered outside the city.
On the official road, Shen Yu stood with his hands clasped behind his back. There were faint dark circles under his eyes, but his posture remained as straight and upright as a pine tree.
Fang Shuo hid behind him. Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, he stealthily covered his mouth with his hand and let out a long yawn.
Last night, he had been forced to harvest rice for half the night, and now his arms were so sore he could barely lift them.
Fan Miaozhen was also present. She looked toward Feng Chunya, who commanded the vast army at the city gates, her eyes filled with envy.
Currently, Wuling City's navy had only just been established, so it was naturally impossible for them to follow the Divine Lady into battle.
However, there were seven prefectures in the south. She believed that as long as she trained this navy well, her day to shine would eventually come.
A daughter of the Fan family was born for the sea. She would definitely become a naval commander who was in no way inferior to Feng Chunya!
Further back, the commoners of Wuling City had gathered spontaneously on both sides of the streets. There were elderly people leaning on walking sticks, young children held in their mothers' arms, and young men. They craned their necks, their eyes all fixed on the open ground by the city gates.
No one wanted to miss the moment the deity descended.
The Hour of the Dragon was approaching.
On the horizon outside the city gates, the morning glow in the east broke through the gray clouds, casting a warm, golden-red hue over the eaves of the entire Wuling City.
Then, the Divine Lady arrived.
Without any warning.
As a burst of golden light surged through the clouds, a carriage slowly emerged from the void.
Forged from dark gold, the carriage's body was carved with intricate and profound patterns. Eight black pegasi stood suspended in midair, thunder crackling beneath their hooves, their silky manes fluttering in the wind.
On either side of the carriage were two files of golden-armored heavenly soldiers. Clad in armor, their faces hidden behind masks, they stood a full head taller than ordinary men. Holding long halberds, they stood in solemn formation.
【Fan Miaozhen Shock Value +100】
【Fang Shuo Shock Value +100】
【Zhu Jingzhe Shock Value +100】
【...】
【Current Shock Value: 80,100,000】
At the city gates, there was absolute silence.
Fang Shuo's mouth hung open so wide it could fit an egg.
Only after a long while did he close his mouth and mutter softly, “This is just... too grand.”
Shen Yu turned back and glared at Fang Shuo.
Terrified, Fang Shuo instantly shut his mouth, not daring to make another sound.
“We respectfully welcome the Divine Lady.”
The crowd knelt in unison toward the carriage in the sky.
The curtains of the dark-gold carriage hung low, obscuring the view inside, but everyone knew the Divine Lady was within.
A dead silence fell over the surroundings. Even the warhorses beneath the soldiers quieted down, bowing their heads with a docility unlike that of military mounts.
“Rise,” a voice called out from inside the carriage.
“Understood!”
Feng Chunya took the lead in responding and was the first to stand.
Only then did the others follow suit and stand, though their eyes remained glued to the golden carriage in the sky.
Standing at the city gates, Shen Yu looked at the dark-gold carriage, an unspeakable mix of emotions churning in his heart.
The Divine Lady's words from last night, “The great cataclysm that will destroy the mortal realm is approaching,” were still echoing in his mind. In particular, her statement that her time is running out made him feel extremely uneasy.
He knew very well that he was afraid.
If the sudden flood in Wuling City was connected to the legend of Nüwa mending the heavens that Luo Daoqing had told him, then the Lady Nüwa Luo Daoqing spoke of was highly likely to be...
While he was lost in thought, the carriage curtain moved slightly.
A slender, pale hand emerged from behind the curtain, its fingertips lightly tracing a line in the empty air.
In the next second, a rift appeared out of thin air.
A purple glow radiated from the rift. The light and shadow rippled like water, gradually condensing into the shape of an archway. Thick clusters of wisteria flowers wrapped around the frame.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, the wisteria flower gate descended from the sky to the ground, shedding countless petals.
Inside the gate was a haze of purple light.
No one knew where this gate led.
“Those who enter this gate may follow me directly into the imperial city of the Yong Dynasty to reform the old, establish the new, and restore peace to the mortal realm,” the Divine Lady's voice rang out from the carriage once more, as clear and calm as ever.
“Understood!”
Without the slightest hesitation, Feng Chunya shouted, “Zhenbei Army! Follow me into the celestial gate!”
Three thousand elite cavalrymen shouted in unison, their voices rising to the heavens and startling the birds in the woods outside the city into a frantic flurry of wings.
Feng Chunya led the charge.
She spurred her horse and charged into the wisteria flower gate.
The moment her horse's hooves stepped into the glowing mist, both she and her mount were swallowed by the light, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Pei Du followed closely behind.
Next came an endless torrent of iron armor. The synchronized sound of hooves was like rumbling thunder rolling across the sky.
Watching the dark-gold carriage and the wisteria flower gate vanish together, Fang Shuo suddenly felt a bad premonition rise in his heart.
Knowing that Shen Yu was exceptionally brilliant and could predict almost anything, he couldn't help but ask, “Mr. Shen, with the Divine Lady there, General Feng and the others will return safely, right?”
“Why do you ask?” Shen Yu looked at him.
Fang Shuo looked distressed. “I don't know either. I just have a bad feeling. But the Divine Lady is so powerful; no one should be able to defeat her...”
Shen Yu glared at Fang Shuo and barked coldly, “Silence. Do not say things that undermine the army's morale.”
“Fi... Fine,” Fang Shuo mumbled, hanging his head.
Shen Yu withdrew his gaze from Fang Shuo and looked out at the clear blue sky, his hands clenched into fists beneath his sleeves.
Although Fang Shuo wasn't very bright, his intuition had always been incredibly accurate and had never failed him.
Previously, when their group was transporting grain to Wuling City, as long as Fang Shuo said he had a bad feeling, their ships would inevitably encounter storms.
Later on, to be safe, every time they finished discussing their route, they would have Fang Shuo make the final choice.
Incredibly, Fang Shuo chose correctly every single time.
No skill involved, purely luck.
Now that Fang Shuo said he had a bad feeling, combined with the Divine Lady's words from last night, how could he not worry?
“Fang Shuo, I have a task for you to do.”
“What is it?” Fang Shuo seemed to think of something, and his face instantly fell. “Mr. Shen, you're not going to make me harvest rice in the fields again, are you? I can't do it anymore, seriously!”
He was so anxious he even slipped into his local dialect.
“I'm not asking you to harvest rice.” Shen Yu paused, then continued, “Don't talk. Follow me.”
Fang Shuo was completely baffled, but he didn't ask any questions and obediently followed Shen Yu to the Zhenbei Army camp.
Rate on N.U.
