Chapter 538: The Soft‑Hearted God

The proud white dragon also seemed to understand that its role today was that of a warhorse; upon receiving the order, it shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, cutting through the air and riding the wind.

Feng Xiang switched to the Black Wind Horse to chase it, but it was hopeless; he silently compared it to the speed of the horse he once loved, feeling increasingly overwhelmed—these Northern Border warhorses and those of Great Jin surely aren't the same species! But he wasn't given much time to feel that way before the armies closed in, and the white dragon arrived in an instant.

On the midsummer morning at Wuguan Yuan, which was originally sultry and low-pressure, the moment the Taia sword was drawn, it seemed as if heaven and earth sensed it; wild winds blew the hunting battle flags, mixed with the hum of all weapons, and the killing cries boiled. The Northern Border iron cavalry felt only hot blood surging in their chests, their fighting spirit boiling over like never before.

The sword of kingly authority and Dao, Taia.

At this very moment, debuting on the battlefield of ten thousand troops, the Great King himself seemed to somewhat understand why Bai Ze said Taia was a treasure, a weapon to accompany him for life.

Wei Shen said the sword wasn't ordinary, he casually brushed it off in a low-key way, though he couldn't help feeling pleased. Mengmeng was still somewhat reasonable at times, so the Great King decided to briefly forgive the grudge over releasing the Rice Bucket Beast.

Seeing the Northern Border charge straight ahead, Yu Guang hastily formed ranks. The Great King saw that the opposing iron-armored soldiers' first line of defense was a dense spear formation, each spear at least nearly three meters long, uniformly pointing straight ahead—clearly meant to counter cavalry.

The Great King silently nodded, thinking this old man really had some skill, having come prepared and even specially trained a formation to counter cavalry. Unfortunately, the vanguard battalion he faced today came from the Owl Cavalry and Snow Cavalry.

In Changli's eyes, this formation was just… ordinary.

Other elite units might stay behind to protect their lord and not come forward as vanguards—for example, when the Ningde Emperor personally led a campaign, he didn't even go to the frontline battle cities, let alone lead the charge; in that northern expedition, the finest troops of Great Jin were left in the neighboring prefecture to guard the emperor, and even that failed to protect him, which isn't worth mentioning.

Since the Great King always charges to the forefront in his personal campaigns, all of the Northern Border's elite are now around him, all on the front line.

For the Northern Border, the chief merit in a positional battle surely lies with the vanguard; the rear units may not have many opportunities.

The path the Great King laid out for the Owl Cavalry and Snow Cavalry is surely a road to heavenly merit—as long as you have ability and courage.

Midway through his run, the archery formation behind the spear formation had already begun aiming and shooting at them.

Without waiting for Ling Yin and Wei Shen to step forward and block the arrows for him, the Great King lovingly grabbed the Zhetian from the horse's back behind him and threw it out……

Lord Zhetian was sideways watching the fun, and in the next instant the immensely strong Great King yanked its wings and flung it out……

Thrown into the rain of arrows……

Lord Zhetian's terrifyingly large wings flapped wildly twice to stabilize its posture, meanwhile blowing away the arrow rain that had turned the horse into a hedgehog; it let out a long cry and immediately rose into the sky.

Wei Shen shouted from behind, "Ah——! Ah——? …He'll surely be cursing filthily when he looks back!"

Great King: ……

Anyway, This King doesn't understand.

The Great King was also bringing his precious Taia sword onto the battlefield for the first time; the sword technique, painstakingly polished by the Penglai Sword Guest Ling Great Hero, normally appears only in his training grounds.

The spear formation prepared for the cavalry lay right before him; the Great King's Taia sword hummed in the wind, its blade reflecting a dim light as if bearing the weight of mountains and rivers under a pressing army. He swung hard, the sword's edge split the air like a dragon's roar, and the spears and armor shattered in response.

"Ha!?" Wei Shen was startled, almost getting shot by the arrows from behind!

Behind the archery battalion, Yu Guang, who kept his eyes on the Great King, sucked in a breath of cold air—this Northern Border King is more than just brimming with martial virtue!

He watched from behind, seeing clearly with his own eyes that the Northern Border King's side sword, under the blazing sun, did not reflect strong light but instead emitted a circle of pale green cold light, as if drawing the battlefield's killing intent; a single swing even produced a frigid blue arc.

"What a divine weapon! The Northern Border's arms…" He hadn't finished speaking when he already solemnly raised his bow and aimed at the Great King……

The Great King, with a cold little face, swung his sword—who says swords aren't practical on the battlefield? Taia again traced an arc of light, without flashy moves, only the purest 'momentum' between heaven and earth.

Yu Guang's spear formation under his command remained as tight as a forest, with no intention to retreat. At the instant Taia clashed with the spears, the air rang with the sound of metal and stone shattering.

Taia's tip quickly became stained with blood—red, the blood of Great Jin soldiers. The smell of blood began to spread in the air; amid the chaotic clamor of the battlefield, the Great King faintly felt he heard the sound of the sword's tip dripping blood onto the earth, a vague sorrow welling up—why was Taia's debut not against the Xiongnu?

On the battlefield, he had no time to think much when suddenly he heard Bai Ze's voice, like an ancient tone from afar: "Taia is not a weapon of slaughter, but a state‑preserving implement; what it cuts is not human lives, but the calamity of a chaotic age."

The Great King, beneath a silver dragon‑patterned veil, twitched the corner of his mouth—indeed, the caring yet soft‑hearted Lord Bai Ze.