A drizzle began to scatter about Chirping Alley again.
East Scenery City’s Chirping Alley got its name from Shi Chongming.[1]
Shi Chongming was originally the naughty child of a poor family in this city. When he was young, just like his companions, he would steal sweet potatoes and bird eggs. One day, he accidentally sneaked into a private school and heard a teacher’s lecture, the lecture leaving him completely infatuated. From then on, he always sneakily climbed the walls and trees, attending every single lecture. After just a few years, he actually learned how to read and write, the world in his eyes opening up. Later on, he became a merchant in the city, doing the work of some shopkeepers, often traveling with caravans. His experiences increased, the amount of books he read increased as well. In the end, he became an outstanding talent, actually rising way above the others. A small lake cannot hold a big fish, so in the end, he ended up in Central Continent City, becoming one of Yunqin late emperor’s most important strategists. After Yunqin was established, he even more so became Government Sector’s first Sector Head.
Even though he passed away from a serious illness after only holding his position for five years, his legend and glory would never be erased or forgotten.
Not only did East Scenery City’s people name this street he previously lived in as Chirping Alley for the sake of commemorating this important figure, the late emperor even specially ordered for Chirping Alley to have a memorial arch, on it three characters: Shi, Ambition, Virtue.
The Shi character had a double meaning, stating that this memorial arch was established by his majesty for the sake of commemorating Shi Chongming, and it also referred to Shi Chongming as someone who could even serve as the late emperor’s teacher.[2] The ambitious character is praise for Shi Chonging’s ambition, that despite being from a poor background, just from climbing walls and trees, secretly listening, he already became someone of great achievements. Virtue was naturally a character that praised Shi Chongming for being a sage.
At this time, a Great Mang high ranking officer dressed in Sky Devil Heavy Armor was currently leading more than twenty Great Mang soldiers dressed in Night Devil Heavy Armor while moving through Chirping Alley, heading towards a large and tall stone memorial arch that didn’t seem all that worn even after experiencing several decades of wind and rain.
Since there weren’t any traces of Yunqin soldiers in his field of view, that was why these military cultivators still didn’t use any soul force, only relying on their armor’s elastic mechanisms to move. However, the lack of radiance from the runes on their bodies made this place seem even more somber and cold. When these springs moved, the kacha kacha noises sounded just like chains being moved around on the ground, making one feel as if the ones that were walking right now weren’t cultivators dressed in giant metal armor, but rather steel military equipment that didn’t possess life.
Drops of extremely fine rainwater flowed along the metal surfaces, ultimately gathering in the deeply embedded runes on the armor’s surface. Then, following the shaking of the armor, it would then be shaken and scattered outwards.
The long metal cape of the Great Mang high ranking officer at the very front dragged along the ground, producing two faint water streaks along the edges.
Within the completely sealed metal helmet, this Great Mang officer’s face was tense and grave. Even though the world before him was extremely quiet, the concentrated alleys and walls seemed to have completely cut up and digested the sounds of shouting and weapon clashing in the distance. What was the most clear was instead the fine rain that landed on his own armor as well as the sounds of water droplets hitting the stone surface. However, he understood extremely clearly that right now, this region in East Scenery City was going to become an extremely important area of fighting. This type of peace and calm could be shattered at any time.
The rhythmic sounds of metal springs bouncing suddenly stopped in front of Chirping Alley’s large and tall stone decorated archway.
This Great Mang officer dressed in Sky Devil Heavy Armor lowered his head. The two pieces of white crystal only Purgatory Mountain’s great craftsmen could polish out made the scenery before his eyes become even a bit more magnified than usual, more clear… which was why he keenly detected the streaks of fine metal luster underneath his feet.
A bit of the drizzling stopped over these metal flickering areas, gathering into greater droplets and falling down.
Through these droplets, he could clearly see that these were streaks of extremely fine and extremely sturdy black iron threads.
Yunqin’s national power, smelting of well-tempered steel and forging arts, were already fully displayed on this type of fine steel wire. This Great Mang high ranking officer understood extremely clearly that the sturdiness and sharpness of this type of tempered steel wire was enough to easily cut through the calves of sprinting soldiers, it could even cut through the chain armor of light cavalry.
Great Mang Empire’s craftsmen could also create such fine and sturdy steel wiring, but they couldn’t make it on such a large scale. They were well aware of the use of this type of wire in a defending battle, it was extremely useful even during an ambush, yet they just couldn’t make it standard equipment.
Right now, before this Great Mang officer’s eyes, just a dozen or so steps away, there were dozens of this type of steel wire intersecting each other, their heights varied. Even if it was cultivators who were moving extremely quickly, when they ran into these steel wires, they would definitely be diced up into pieces.
While carrying the truest reverence, this Great Mang officer reached out a foot, sending the bone spur-like blades on the Sky Devil Heavy Armor through these steel wires, cutting them down.
The Sky Devil Heavy Armor was all of Great Mang, and even all of Purgatory Mountain’s most powerful soul weapon heavy armor. Any metal part of their body was naturally tougher than this steel wiring.
Zheng!…
This Great Mang high ranking officer’s movements, despite being a bit sluggish due to the resistance, still cut through the steel wires like instrument strings, easily cutting through.
He could clearly see that the instant the taut steel wires snapped, flying out in all directions, they were like long whips that lashed against the rainwater, sending raindrops flying everywhere.
In this instant, on the memorial arch in front of them, there were countless fine sounds that could be heard as well.
This Great Mang officer watched as a lot of powder suddenly fell. During the brief instant before the rainwater had enough time to soak through all of the powder, he saw many streaks of moving radiance, similarly the well-tempered wires cutting deeply into some previously already cut areas.
In this instant, this extremely significant bestowed archway suddenly had many more metal thread marks. It came to a crashing collapse, many chunks of heavy stone smashing down fiercely towards these Great Mang heavy armored soldiers.
The metal surface of the heavy armors suddenly produced countless rings of light, looking like their power circuit was turned on, rippling with soul force radiance, even the rainwater within the rune grooves was sent flying. The metal ringing noise and the vicious shouts of soldiers were like the roars of devil kings. However, the memorial arch collapsed extremely quickly. When most of the heavy armored army only had time to pour in soul force, before they even had time to raise their arms, the heavy rocks already smashed into the metal, releasing bell smashing rumbling noises.
This type of scalp numbing noise only continued for one or two breaths of time.
The massive memorial arch no longer existed, there was only a huge mess of rubble crushing down on metal bodies.
Only six or seven heavy armored soldiers were still standing.
The Great Mang Sky Devil Heavy Armored high ranking officer forcibly knocked aside the two boulders flying at him, not injured in the slightest. Only, the corners of his lips within his completely sealed metal helmet also began to shake uncontrollably.
These injuries didn’t matter much for the entire Great Mang army, but regarding these Yunqin soldiers’ fighting spirit and resolution… they even turned this type of imperial memorial arch into a weapon. Moreover, this type of trap was personally triggered by him. His subordinates who already died under the collapse could be said to have died because of his mistake, this making him feel great pain inside.
…
Right at this time, a black figure appeared from the darkness in front of him, emerging not far from behind the collapsed memorial arch.
This was a calm expressioned young Yunqin high ranking officer, in his hands a black spear.
He was Jiang Xiaoyi.
More than two years ago, he was still just an underripe Yunqin youngster, but now, in this world of chaos, because of those matters of life and death, he already became a mature young high ranking officer.
“I believe if Old Scholar Shi were to learn of this, he would definitely feel happiness over this memorial arc being able to kill so many Great Mang heavy armored soldiers.”
Jiang Xiaoyi stood still on the damp stone path, looking at this Great Mang high ranking officer and calmly saying this.
“Rescue our brothers!”
The Great Mang high ranking officer dressed in Sky Devil Heavy Armor released a military order, having those heavy armors who were standing move aside the boulders, wishing to rescue those subordinates who were crushed underneath, but didn’t lose their lives yet.
At the same time, all of the runes on his body began to release dazzling radiance again. The long cloak behind him began to fly out like a rain tarp, making his entire figure look like a sailboat in the wind, sailing towards Jiang Xiaoyi.
He didn’t know Jiang Xiaoyi’s identity, but Jiang Xiaoyi’s words left his mind even more shaken. The longer they fought against Yunqin soldiers, the more they saw Yunqin soldiers’ performance, the more he felt like this empire and this empire’s soldiers were impossible to win against, that he could only do his best to kill the enemy before him.
He could sense that Jiang Xiaoyi’s cultivation was perhaps not far from his own. However, he wore all of Great Mang, perhaps even this entire world’s best soul weapon heavy armor, this was equivalent to directly increasing his fighting strength by a level. That was why he believed he could kill Jiang Xiaoyi quickly.
When faced with the suddenly chaotic heaven and earth vital energy, Jiang Xiaoyi slowly tightened his grip on the black spear in his hands.
The instant that Great Mang officer’s feet left the ground, his body gliding over through the cloak behind him, Jiang Xiaoyi’s black armor shook. His calm expression suddenly became filled with killing intent, as if he became a completely different person. The drizzling rain around him almost seemed like the raindrops were scared, avoiding him, not a single drop landing on his armor.
The distance between that Great Mang high ranking officer dressed in Sky Devil Heavy Armor and himself was instantly closed to just ten steps.
Right at this time, Jiang Xiaoyi’s black armor was cut through by green colored inner thin metal plates, suddenly unfolding from within his body.
Sheets of green jade-like metal armor extended across his body like an ocean tide across a beach, and then connected again through a mysterious and profound manner, joining together and forming a set of green colored, similarly entirely sealed, imposing and dignified green metal armor. Behind him were fluttering streaks of green colored long plume feathers.
The pupils of the Great Mang officer dressed in Sky Devil armor rapidly contracted.
The black-armored young Yunqin high ranking officer before his eyes, under his rapidly contracting pupils, became a dignified green luan.
“Green Luan Wargod Armor!”
His head was instantly filled by these words.
At the same time, Jiang Xiaoyi thrusted out a spear.
The black spear in his hands seemed to become one with the armor he wore. With an exertion of force, it spun about, thrusting towards this Great Mang officer.
The black spear also vaguely produced a layer of green light, displaying that the black color on its surface was only just like some Yunqin soul weapons, only having a concealing layer of black color, hiding this spear’s original color and runes.
Due to the instantaneous alarm and shock, this Great Mang officer’s movements displayed a bit of sluggishness. His hands that reached out couldn’t even reach this spear.
The speartip carried tremendous power, smashing into his chestplate.
Some sparks flew.
Then, this Sky Devil Armor’s powerful alloy metal that was almost impossible to penetrate was directly pierced by the sharp speartip.
Jiang Xiaoyi’s spear nailed this charging Great Mang officer in place. This spear directly froze his figure in the drizzling rain.
Hot blood surged out of this Great Mang high ranking officer’s chest, flowing down the grooves of the stone path beneath his feat.
Sky Devil Armor was indeed a formidable armor in this generation, however… everyone under this sky knew that the world’s most powerful armor was still in Green Luan Academy.
1. Chongming means bug chirping/sounds
2. Shi can also mean teacher
