National Division

Chapter 153 Shen Xian: Are you here to fight a war, or...?

Night, crescent moon like a hook, sky full of stars.

Inside the military tent, the generals gathered to discuss the next steps in their advance.

Just then, Xue Zhihua came to Shen Xian's side and said, "The Jade Tablet of the Divine Capital."

Shen Xian said, "I suppose they're inquiring about today's battle."

Xue Zhihua hummed in agreement, took out the sound transmission jade tablet, and poured spiritual power into it. The jade tablet shone brightly, and soon Murong Yue's voice came through.

"Zhihua, where is your martial uncle?" Murong Yue asked.

"Master, Mr. Shen is right next to me."

Shen Xian picked up the conversation and replied, "Senior Sister Murong, the Corpse Yin Sect has been largely wiped out by our imperial army."

Murong Yue said, "Previously, the Empress and I learned about the situation through the Mountain and River Mirror. The Empress said that we had won a great victory and wanted to inquire about the details."

A short while later, the familiar, dignified female voice of the diva was heard: "Mr. Shen."

Shen Xian said, "Your Majesty, I am currently discussing military matters with the generals."

At this moment, upon hearing the Empress's voice, An Shouxin and the left and right gate guards all rose from their seats, clasped their hands in a salute towards the direction of the jade tablet used for transmitting the message, to show their respect.

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "I have seen and remembered the heroic figures of the generals who fought bravely in the daytime. This battle is related to the safety of the people of our Great Jing. When we return in triumph, I will hold a celebration for the generals in the Mingtang Hall!"

"Thank you, empress."

A voice rang out from the military tent, filled with excitement.

Shen Xian then reported: "In this battle, thanks to the efforts of General An and the Chief Instructor of Anzhou Academy, the Corpse Yin Sect lost two Void Realm cultivators, one dead and one escaped. In addition, four Divine Illumination cultivators, six Dao Embryo cultivators, and more than ten Danxia demons perished here. The original 30,000 people of Anzhou who suffered this loss can now rest in peace forever."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's voice was filled with barely concealed excitement: "Mr. Shen, after this battle, the Corpse Yin Sect must have suffered a great loss of strength."

“Your Majesty, the Corpse Yin Sect is ruthless and has slaughtered the elders of Anzhou. Leaving only this many people is far from enough,” Shen Xian said.

"Mr. Shen has great ambition." The diva's voice was filled with excitement.

It can be said that Shen Xian was not only a strategist, but also had a temperament that suited the Empress's taste.

Upon hearing the voice from the jade tablet, An Shouxin thought to himself, "The Empress is truly close to Scholar Shen."

"A great battle also broke out today on the other side of the Valley River," the Empress said.

Because Guhe is a place where mountains and rivers reflect each other, and is covered by the realm of mountains and rivers, the Empress also knows about the battle situation.

Shen Xian said, "The outcome is still unknown."

The Empress said, "The Corpse Yin Sect lost a Divine Illumination Realm member, and the Corpse Demon was wiped out by the Wei Bo army with seven thousand men. They then retreated to the Valley River, where the two sides are still in a standoff."

At this point, he called out, "An Shouxin."

An Shouxin raised his head, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I am here."

"Your officers and soldiers have distinguished themselves in battle, which shows that you have been very good at training them," the Empress praised.

“This is due to the holy virtue of the Heavenly Empress,” An Shouxin said loudly.

Wei Bo led only 20,000 troops this time, and after the previous battle, he had already wiped out a lot of corpse demons.

The Empress Dowager asked, "What is your next step in advancing your troops?"

"We will advance into Linchuan County and further annihilate the remaining forces of the Corpse Yin Sect," Shen Xian declared loudly.

It can be said that this was a battle in which he led troops alone, and once he succeeded, he would surely become famous throughout the world.

The Empress said, "Then I entrust this battle to Mr. Shen and all the generals and officers, to restore Anzhou to a bright and clear world as soon as possible."

"Yes," Shen Xian replied, cupping his hands in greeting.

An Shouxin and the other generals also clasped their hands in agreement.

After the Empress's communication jade tablet was cut off, Shen Xian's gaze swept over the generals and officers in the military tent.

It was clear that the generals in the tent had become even more respectful.

Or rather, over these many days, whether it was his leading by example or his troop deployment, he had initially established widespread prestige among the officers and soldiers.

That night, wine and meat were brought out to reward the officers and generals.

After leaving the central command tent, Shen Xian continued his arduous cultivation.

His martial arts cultivation has reached the Grandmaster level, while his immortal cultivation is at the ninth level of the Qi Sea. He needs to raise his cultivation to the Heavenly Gate level, or even the Danxia level, as soon as possible.

At this moment, Shen Xian sat cross-legged, his eyes closed, his face shrouded in a thin mist, and his spiritual energy surged towards his dantian like a vortex.

Xue Zhihua was guarding the princess in the outer room at this moment. The princess's bright and beautiful face showed concern as she said, "The path of immortality is different from the path of martial arts. His progress is too rapid."

Beneath Xue Zhihua's delicately painted eyebrows, her clear eyes shone brightly. She parted her pink lips slightly and said, "When I was in the sect, I heard that a thousand years ago, there were Qi cultivators who could achieve the 'Hundred Days of Danxia' (a type of spiritual cultivation).

The eldest princess said, "That's ancient history. Nowadays, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is not as abundant as in ancient times. Being able to enter the Heavenly Gate in a hundred days is already a genius of the immortal path, qualified to become a seed of a sect's Daoist disciple."

At this moment, Shen Xian felt his mind and spirit immersed in it, and spiritual energy surged into his body, forming a vortex of energy in his dantian.

Beneath Shen Xianfeng's brows, his clear eyes gleamed, while his handsome, sharply defined face held a complex mix of emotions.

Within the spiritual platform, the divine consciousness extends and expands in all directions, and one feels an infinite clarity within the spiritual platform.

This is the opening of the Heavenly Gate, the gathering of divine consciousness!

Shen Xian sensed the changes in the divine sense of the Heavenly Gate Realm and pondered, "I should first practice the sword path."

He took out two books from the Sumeru bag, and the cover clearly read: Two mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques: "Azure Lotus Sword Technique" and "Shattering Star Sword Technique".

These are two mid-grade Xuan-level martial arts techniques.

Shen Xian's mind sank into the millstone, and suddenly a message surged into his mind: The Azure Lotus Sword Technique requires 10,000 merit points and can be deduced to the [Divine] level. Do you want to deduce it?

With a thought, Shen Xian consumed 10,000 merit points.

Instantly, the profound mysteries of the Azure Lotus Sword Technique began to surge towards the spiritual platform, and tiny figures danced within it.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Xian opened his palm and saw a blue lotus flower appear in his palm. Blue and white sword energy crisscrossed on the lotus flower and then flowed out in pieces.

"Azure Lotus Sword Technique".

Shen Xian's eyes flickered. Seeing that it was almost dawn outside, he once again focused his mind on his spiritual platform and began to deduce the "Shattered Star Sword Technique".

The next day, as dawn broke, Shen Xian opened his eyes, and the divine weapon [Chengyi] appeared in his palm. He twirled the sword in mid-air, and countless stars appeared, like scattered stars.

Shen Xian exhaled a breath of stale air.

The secret passage is now open to testing in actual combat, followed by attempts to refine sword intent. Only by cultivating both sword and saber can one one day guide the martial artists of the world.

He got up and went to the outer room.

……

……

Around noon, the army set off again, and by afternoon, the imperial guards had recaptured Linchuan County.

Shen Xian and An Shouxin arrived at the county government office and, as soon as they sat down, began discussing their next move.

Just then, a mid-ranking officer entered the tent and reported, "Reporting to the commander-in-chief, the Prince of Zhao has arrived." After being appointed as the deputy commander of the Divine Army by the Empress, Prince Zhao Yang Youxing had previously been procuring provisions in Luozhou and other places near the capital. Now, he led 5,000 soldiers to escort the provisions and caught up with the main army's expedition.

Shen Xian and An Shouxin exchanged a glance and said, "Commander An, let's go take a look together."

An Shouxin nodded and got up with Shen Xian to go outside to greet them.

At this moment, Yang Youxing stood outside the county government office, dressed in a royal robe. Beside him were Ji Hong, the chief secretary of the royal palace, Liu Rentai, the military commander, Jing Zhong, the left guard of the palace gate, and Jiang Xiaode, the right guard of the palace gate. The latter two were officers dispatched by the two guards to accompany Prince Zhao, Yang Youxing, in escorting the grain and fodder.

Just then, two figures emerged from the county government office; they were Shen Xian and An Shouxin.

With a smile on his refined face, Yang Youxing greeted, "Scholar Shen."

The other military officers accompanying him also saluted.

Shen Xian greeted Yang Youxing with a greeting: "King Zhao, it's been a long time."

He had met the King of Zhao before, but this was the first time they had worked together.

Yang Youxing smiled and said, "Scholar Shen, the 600,000 shi of grain has been delivered to Linchuan. Please check it later."

Clearly, the King of Zhao had also heard the news of Shen Xian's great victory on his way here. At this moment, whatever he thought in his heart, he showed no emotion on his face.

Shen Xian said, "Your Highness Zhao has worked hard. This is not the place to talk. Please come to the yamen for a chat."

Upon hearing this, Yang Youxing, at Shen Xian's invitation, entered the county government office.

The two sides then took their seats again, one as host and the other as guest.

Yang Youxing said, "I heard that Scholar Shen had won a great victory over the Corpse Yin Sect in Danqiu and wiped out many of the Corpse Yin Sect's evil people. I am overjoyed."

Shen Xian said, "Fortunately, thanks to the widespread divine power of the Empress, and the bravery of all the officers and soldiers, we were able to achieve the great victory we had earlier."

Yang Youxing nodded and asked, "What is the situation between the enemy and ourselves?"

Shen Xian's face showed a thoughtful expression, and he said, "The Corpse Yin Sect suffered a great defeat before, and its vitality has been greatly damaged. The remnants have retreated to Ningyang County."

Yang Youxing pondered for a moment and asked, "Scholar Shen, what are your next military plans?"

"Let's join forces and annihilate the demonic sect of Corpse Yin in one fell swoop," Shen Xian said in a deep voice.

Yang Youxing nodded, his gaze intense, and asked, "What can I do for the army?"

"I have long heard that Prince Zhao is a master of martial arts. Now that the Corpse Yin Sect has become a master of immortal arts, we will need Your Highness to suppress it." Shen Xian said with a smile.

He and Yang Youxing had no disagreements.

Yang Youxing's initial disappointment at not getting the position of General Commander of the Divine Weapon Path was greatly reduced, and he smiled and said, "Scholar Shen, you flatter me. I will serve the court and share the Empress's burdens without hesitation, even if it means going through fire and water."

Shen Xian smiled and said, "I admire Prince Zhao's loyalty and dedication to the country."

Yang Youxing suddenly raised an eyebrow, a hint of expectation flashing in his eyes, and asked, "I've heard that Her Highness the Eldest Princess is serving in the army?"

Shen Xian pondered for a moment, then said loudly, "The Princess also contributed a lot to this battle. If she hadn't sought out familiar people from the state academy, we wouldn't have achieved such a great victory."

Yang Youxing was overjoyed upon hearing the name of the Eldest Princess.

Shen Xian said, "Your Highness, I have prepared a welcoming banquet for you. Please join me for the meal."

"Of course, of course." Yang Youxing nodded and asked, "Where is Her Highness the Princess now?"

Shen Xian: "..."

Are you here to fight a war, or to chase after girls?
“Her Highness the Princess should be discussing the Dao with some fellow Daoists from the Jade Purity Sect right now,” Shen Xian said after thinking for a moment.

Yang Youxing smiled and said, "I also happen to have some matters concerning the capital and would like to consult with a few fellow Daoists. May I ask where we can discuss this Dao?"

Shen Xian paused for a moment, then said to Xue Zhihua, "Take Prince Zhao there."

Xue Zhihua also felt something was off, but she still stepped forward and said, "King Zhao, come with me."

Yang Youxing recognized Xue Zhihua, the daughter of the Duke of Xue, and nodded gently, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Zhihua."

After Yang Youxing left, An Shouxin snorted coldly, clearly quite dissatisfied with Yang Youxing's behavior.

Shen Xian smiled faintly and did not reply.

With a formidable enemy at hand, he did not want to start a fight with Yang Youxing over trivial matters.

Or rather, this Anzhou Incident was a crucial step in his career, and he tried his best to avoid any unforeseen complications.

On the other side, the eldest princess was indeed discussing the Dao of Void with Daoist Dongyang, Daoist Heshou, and several others.

The eldest princess had been at the peak of the Divine Illumination Realm for many years, but she had never been able to enter the sixth realm. Although there were elders in the sect who discussed the Dao of Void, none of them had explained it as thoroughly and intuitively as Daoist Dongyang, who had broken through to the Void Realm.

Just then, a young Taoist boy dressed in a gray robe entered the room and reported, "Master, the King of Zhao is outside requesting an audience."

The Taoist priest Dongyang stroked three strands of his beard, then put down his teacup and said in a slightly teasing tone, "Your Highness, the Prince of Zhao has arrived."

Clearly, as a close friend of the eldest princess, he was also aware of some of the entanglements between the King of Zhao and the eldest princess.

Princess Cui Li frowned slightly and said, "Prince Zhao is the deputy commander of the Divine Army, in charge of the transportation of the army's provisions. It is normal for him to come here."

Daoist Dongyang smiled and said, "Let Prince Zhao in."

Crane Guardian Daoist put down the immortal tea in his hand, his expression slightly taken aback, and smiled gently as well.

Since breaking through to the fifth realm of immortality, [Divine Illumination], this Taoist's state of mind has also undergone a certain transformation.

They no longer regard worldly affairs as burdens, but rather... enter the world with a detached mind.

A moment later, King Zhao Yang Youxing stepped into the inner hall and said with a smile, "Qingluan, oh, Fellow Daoist Dongyang is here too."

As the head of the Anzhou Prefectural School, Daoist Dongyang was a prominent figure in the capital city in his early years, and Prince Zhao, Yang Youxing, naturally recognized him.

The eldest princess's jade-like face was as cold as frost, her expression indifferent, and she said, "Brother Zhao, as the deputy commander-in-chief of the army, why are you late?"

"We were procuring provisions in the capital before, and we've only arrived today," said King Yang Youxing of Zhao.

The Taoist priest Dongyang said, "Your Highness, please take a seat and have some tea."

Yang Youxing quietly thanked him and then sat down behind the table.

Immediately, the eldest princess said, "Brother Zhao, you have come at the right time. Right now, the experts of the Corpse Yin Sect are causing trouble in Ningyang County. This is the time for you to use your skills."

King Zhao, Yang Youxing, is a master of the Martial God Realm, and is also a powerful ally.

Yang Youxing laughed and said, "I was escorting grain and fodder earlier and missed the great battle. I feel quite sorry about that. I heard that Qingluan also killed a demonic cultivator?"

The eldest princess nodded and said calmly, "If you are lucky enough to win, then execute him."

"It's a pity I arrived late and couldn't catch a glimpse of Your Highness's dashing figure," Yang Youxing complimented.

Upon hearing this, the eldest princess felt an indescribable awkwardness. Or rather, if this beautiful woman knew what future generations would say, she would be... greasy.

It can be said that if one person dislikes another, then even the other person's breathing is wrong; this is what is known as physiological aversion.

On the other side, Shen Xian discussed the next strategy for advancing the troops with An Shouxin, and at the same time sent people to take stock of the grain and supplies brought by the King of Zhao.

In the afternoon, Shen Xian returned to his residence to rest. He sat on the bed and began to meditate cross-legged, continuing to cultivate as much as he could.

The spiritual energy from all directions surged into Shen Xian's body like a vortex, nourishing his divine consciousness.

(End of this chapter)