The Nine Cauldrons

“Chichi~~ The sound of the six lamps burning was very clear in the great hall, as opposed to its distinctly frozen atmosphere. Many people were covered in sweat. Some were pale white as they tightly clenched their fists.....Even the leaders of Gui Yuan Sect were very nervous under the pressure of an upcoming attack from Qing Hu Island’s great army.

“Look! Look at what you all have become!” Zhuge Yuanhong shouted angrily.

The people in the great hall quivered, looking towards Sovereign Zhuge Yuanhong.

“Qing Hu Island‘s army has not yet arrived! They haven’t even sent their men to attack us, yet you are all already terrified to this point! If you guys continue to act like this, we should not fight and just surrender.” Zhuge Yuanhong’s cold eyes swept past the crowd of people as he said, “Elders, protectors, commanders, and lieutenants, tell me! If we surrender, would Qing Hu Island let us live?”

Silence!

The group of people listening was clear on the fact that Qing Hu Island wanted to unify the entire continent of Yangzhou. If Qing Hu Island really did attack, it would never let the powerful members of Gui Yuan Sect survive. Qing Hu Island might forgive the people at a lower position, but it would definitely kill all the elites and those of higher positions incase of any future trouble!

“If they want to attack, then come! Who is afraid?!” A muscular man whose face was covered with hair roared furiously, “Our Gui Yuan Sect’s Jiangning County has eighty thousand city guards! Six thousand Black Armored Soldiers! Gui Yuan Sect has over ten thousand core disciples and several tens of thousands outer disciples. With so many people guarding the cities inside Gui Yuan Zhong. I just don’t believe that Qing Hu Island can charge in that easily!”

The deep and metallic voice of Pang Shan, the second commander of the Black Armored Army, rang, “My father, uncle, grandpa, and all the elders of every previous generation have been in Gui Yuan Sect! One sentence——If our Sect is obliterated, all members of my Pang family will die first!” As Pang Shan spoke, his eyes were slightly red, as if he was about to eat someone.

“The second child of the Pang family is truly a man! A silver haired elder laughed and said, “The members of my Feng family vow to live and die with our sect!”

“Kill! Killing one is enough, and killing two is a profit.”

......

Many courageous men in the great hall gnashed their teeth and shouted. In the Nine Provinces, death could be seen anywhere. Those that could make it to the higher positions were mostly brave and courageous people. They did feel a sense of fear when they thought of the horrifying scene of the sect being obliterated, but after that, it’s madness!

They won’t let Qing Hu Island go easily, even if it meant death!

Gui Yuan Sect had firmly established itself in Jiangning County for over one thousand years. Like how the Feng family, Pang family, Zhuge family, and many other families had served Gui Yuan Sect for generations. Since childhood, the children of these families had been taught to fight for the sect! Generation after generation, the belief of living and dying with the sect had already been planted deep in their souls!

If they betrayed the sect, the world would laugh at them! The world would look down on them! If they fought a bloody battle for their sect, even if they died, others would hold them in respect when they were mentioned!

The sect supported you, gave you secret cultivation methods of inner strength, and status.......

During this crucial time, you fight to the death for your sect!

“Good!” Zhuge Yuanhong stared at each and every person below and heartily laughed, “No disciple of Gui Yuan Sect is afraid of death!”

“If you lose your head, it’s just a scar as big as a bowl. What’s there to be afraid of?” The sturdy bearded man also shouted.

“Well said, Martial Brother.” Zhuge Yuanhong said with a smile, “Since the founder established our Gui Yuan Sect, no one could obliterate our sect for over a thousand years. Not even Qing Hu Island! I can tell everyone now......if you all listen to my orders, Qing Hu Island won’t be able to destroy Gui Yuan Sect!”

Everyone looked at Sovereign Zhuge Yuanhong with a shocked expression“Why is teacher so confident?” Teng Qingshan was also very surprised.

The wisdom of ‘Gui Yuan Sect’s Zhuge’ was known by the entire world. If an ordinary person said that, the listeners would only think he was bluffing. However, since it was Sovereign Zhuge Yuanhong that said this, although it was slightly incredible, everyone believed it——Maybe the Sovereign can really keep Gui Yuan Sect safe!

Zhuge Yuanhong was the stabilizer of Gui Yuan Sect!

Zhuge Yuanhong smiled as everyone looked at him. The smile had a confidence that everything is under control!

“A bloody battle. You all must prepare yourselves for death.” Zhuge Yuanhong scanned the multitude of people.

Teng Qingshan could feel his blood burning....... Massacre? He has never been afraid of a massacre! In his previous life, since he was seven, he had spent his time in massacres and slaughters. No one was better than Teng Qingshan at killing enemies while surviving in the midst of millions of soldiers and horses.

“Of course, currently Qing Hu Island has only declared Xuyang County and Tiannan County as part of their territory and did not mention anything about obliterating my Gui Yuan Sect and the Tie Yi Clan,” Zhuge Yuanhong smiled and said, “Therefore, everyone can relax slightly. Yes......I will arrange a banquet this afternoon.

“Everyone stays in the great hall today,” Zhuge Yuanhong said, “According to my assumption, if Qing Hu Island wanted to make a move against Gui Yuan Sect, it should be today. If they did not send any men today......then I suppose we would have to wait for a couple of days.”

Everyone nodded, but none of them relaxed because of Zhuge Yuanhong’s words.

Everyone understood that the possibility of Qing Hu Island making a move was extremely high.

......

The executives of Gui Yuan Sect gathered in the great hall so that they could take the Sovereign’s orders at any time. Everyone chatted while waiting nervously...... During the afternoon, they all ate lunch in the great hall.

In the afternoon, the snow stopped.

Everything between the heavens and the earth was white and the radiance illuminated the great hall. However, as the high positions of Gui Yuan Sect were chatting with each other, every one of them was paying attention to what was going on outside as they waited for the news. Many protectors, and lieutenants were taking deep breaths, closing their eyes, or hitting their own head gently.

It was obvious that the anxious waiting had produced an intangible mental pressure which caused everyone to bear a mental burden.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Rapid footsteps came from outside the great hall and almost in an instant, the elders, protectors, commanders, and lieutenants in the great hall turned their heads and looked outside. The middle-aged man dressed in grey was seen running into the great hall with a stern face.

“Whew!” Many people in the hall stood up involuntarily.

“Sovereign.” The middle-aged man dressed in grey immediately handed the rolled-up secret letter to Sovereign Zhuge Yuanhong.

Zhuge Yuanhong furrowed as he read the letter carefully.

Everyone in the hall was holding their breath as they stared at Zhuge Yuanhong..... No one knew what was written in the secret letter. The hall instantly became so quiet that the sound of a needle dropped on the ground would most likely be audible.

“Pipa!” The sound of the lampholders burning caused everyone to quiver secretly.

Zhuge Yuanhong read the secret letter for a long time.....

“Why did it take him so much time to read it?” Teng Qingshan also felt breathless because of this heavy atmosphere. He stared at his teacher Zhuge Yuanhong.

Finally——

Zhuge Yuanhong turned his eyes away from the secret letter and looked at the crowd as he stood up.

Zhuge Yuanhong’s hair was down and he wore a white, loose long cloak. However, at this moment, he stood before the seat of the Sovereign with an imposing manner as sharp as a trenchant sword. He scanned the crowd and spoke calmly, “Let’s prepare for war!”

Silence!

In the enormous great hall, not a sound was heard. Zhuge Yuanhong’s calm words, “Let’s prepare for war” seemed to have caused everyone to see the scene of the a bloody battle between millions of soldiers. This was no ordinary war, but the war that determined the life or death of Gui Yuan Sect!

“Whew!” The two Law Enforcing Elders stood up.

“Whew!” Teng Qingshan stood up.

Pang Shan, Zhang Feng, Guan Lu, and the other elders also stood up. The lieutenants, and protectors also stood up one by one. Each and every one of them looked very calm.

Since this morning, they had waited for six hours!

The tormenting six hours.. Everyone still had a hint of hope that Qing Hu Island would choose to not wage war. Everyone waited nervously and anxiously, enduring the torment that they had never experienced before. In the end, when Zhuge Yuanhong said, “Let’s prepare for war,” everyone reacted calmly instead.

The result was out——War!

There was no other choice!

“According to the news, the twenty thousand men of Qing Hu Island ‘s Silver Dragon Army garrisoned at the border of Xuyang County has advanced, charging towards Chu County! The number of innate experts in the army is unknown,” Zhuge Yuanhong said calmly, “It is obvious that Qing Hu Island had planned to obliterate Tie Yi Sect first and Gui Yuan Sect next!”

The crowd was secretly shocked.

Twenty thousand Silver Dragon Soldiers? The Silver Dragon Army was on a par with the Black Armored Army. But the Black Armored Army had only six thousand men. Yet, Qing Hu Island actually dispatched twenty thousand men to annihilate Tie Yi Sect? Plus, the number of innate experts was still unknown. This was just the first wave! Who knows if there would be a second wave of soldiers.

“I expect that the men Qing Hu Island dispatched to attack Gui Yuan Sect have already departed, but I just haven’t received any news.” Zhuge Yuanhong stilled spoke with a calm voice.

“Teng Qingshan, Pang Shan, Elder Yan, listen!” Zhuge Yuanhong‘s eyes swept past the crowd.

Whew!

Teng Qingshan, Pang Shan, and the white haired old man among the two protectors stood up.

“You three will lead the three thousand men of the first and second teams of our Black Armored Army and advance to Yanjiang City at the south of Jiangning County at full speed! Lead the city guards of Yanjiang City and guard Yanjiang City!”

“Yes!”

The three people clasped their hands and answered simultaneously.

......

The entire Black Armored Army became astir. The Black Armored Soldiers in the first and second teams could only say a few words to their relatives. They then immediately donned their heavy armor, mounted their horses with weapons in hand, and rapidly gathered in the training field.

From the time Zhuge Yuanhong gave his order to the time Teng Qingshan and Pang Shan transmitted the order and gathered the soldiers, only one hour passed.

In the training field at the military camp of the Black Armored Army.

There was the dark mass of three thousand Black Armored Army soldiers mounted on war horses arranged in formation. The formation of the soldiers wielding long spears, the formation of soldiers wielding sabers, the formation of archers...... The three thousand Black Armored Soldiers were like an ambushing enormous beasts, not emitting any sound.

Teng Qingshan wore his Darksteel heavy armor and helmet and was mounted on the Dark Demonic Horse with his Reincarnation Spear in hand! Teng Qingshan casted a glance afar, where his sister, Qingyu, was at.

Teng Qingshan, Pang Shan, and Elder Yan were mounted on their horses as they stared at Sovereign Zhuge Yuanhong who was in front.

“Qingshan, you are the first commander and you lead this trip! ” Zhuge Yuanhong ordered, “You must also listen to the advices of your martial uncle and elder Yan.”

“Yes.” Teng Qingshan answered.

“Alright. You may depart.” Zhuge Yuanhong said solemnly.

Teng Qingshan pulled the reins and turned the horse around. Facing the soldiers, he lifted his Reincarnation Spear and yelled loudly, “Depart!” His voice resounded above the entire training field.

Rumble~~~

The three thousand Black Armored Soldiers set out orderly like a black dragon. Without stopping, the Black Armored Army advancing towards the north entrance with an imposing manner. Every warrior knew that this was a huge battle and as Black armored soldiers......the brightest moment was the time when this bloody battle starts.

“I wonder how many people can make it back from this war.” Teng Qingshan also advanced slowly.

“Big Brother Teng!” An anxious voice came from behind.

Teng Qingshan turned his head and looked behind the black armored soldiers. Zhuge Qing was seen standing in front of Qingyu, waving her hands. Her face had a worried expression as she shouted, “I will wait for your return!”

Teng Qingshan’s heart couldn’t help but skip a beat and waved his his left hand as he left with the great army.