Chapter 26: with translation of chapter title

And on the other side, the main battlefield—before Tai Ping Gate!

On the distant horizon, dust rose as a massive army approached.

In the army, the Xiongnu tribes' bright banners fluttered in the wind like crimson waves.

The Xiongnu soldiers wore leather armor, held weapons, and marched in neat unison, like an unstoppable force.

On the city walls, as the army drew near, the atmosphere grew ever more tense; the soldiers of Tai Ping Gate, under Mu Qinglin's command, stood ready, prepared to face the impending attack.

This was already the sixth day Su Ye had been at Tai Ping Gate.

Five days had passed since the White Tiger last led troops to inspect the camp.

During these five days, the Xiongnu camp showed no movement, merely silently cleaning up the mess left by the White Tiger's previous inspection.

It seemed they had swallowed this loss in silence.

But everyone inside Tai Ping Gate—Mu Qinglin and Su Ye—knew this was merely the calm before the storm!

As the invading Xiongnu army slowly approached, the most striking sight was the few figures ahead, full of dignity and aura.

They rode tall steeds, wore battle robes, held various weapons, like heavenly gods.

Their gazes were firm and sharp, as if they could see through everything.

The leading figure raised a wine flask, gulped down the clear jade liquor, then tossed it aside—apparently a pot of strong liquor, he already had a slight drunken haze.

At this moment he laughed to the heavens, waved his sleeve, suddenly spurred his horse forward, with countless soldier shadows clustering around his outline.

Dark clouds roared across the horizon, tearing apart with lightning; a bloody, fishy stench spread over the battlefield, momentarily silent then noisy.

"Hey!"

"You soft‑shelled shrimp on the gate, dare you come down and let He Lian Grandfather play with you!"

He Lian Yuejun, ranked second on the Foreign Warriors' List as a War God, famed as the Barbarian God of the northern steppes, once ventured deep into the northern wilderness and fought savage beasts for seven days before returning.

He has clashed with most War Gods on the Central Plains' Rankings, except those few top‑ranked ones he cannot defeat.

"System, check that idiot down there!"

Hearing He Lian Yuejun's lame taunts, Su Ye felt no ripple; having been baptized by his past life's internet, what harsh words had he not heard?

"Ding! Detected He Lian Yuejun's attributes: Commander-in-Chief 73, Martial Power 109, Intelligence 51, Politics 46.

"Detected the opponent possesses the Heavenly God skill—Barbarian God!"

A Heavenly God General with Martial Power 109?

No wonder he's the second‑ranked War God on the Foreign Warriors' List, even if his brain is a bit slow.

"Overseer, what do you say?"

"Interested in going down to have some fun?"

He glanced at the shrew‑cursing clown, then turned his head and smiled at the White Tiger beside him.

"Hmm"

Staring at He Lian Yuejun below the gate for a long while, the White Tiger slowly nodded, clasped his fists toward Su Ye, then turned and hurried down to the city wall.

"Huh?"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, that is the Barbarian God He Lian Yuejun."

"This White General"

Mu Qinglin beside them listened to the absurd exchange between the two lord and vassal, his expression gradually turning dazed.

"Heh, little general, rest assured."

"This battle, we will surely win!"

He laughed at the bewildered Mu Qinglin, turned his head, and said full of confidence.

"Creak!"

As the heavy gate of Tai Ping Gate opened, a figure in white armor on a white horse slowly stepped out.

"Come fight!"

Fixing his gaze on He Lian Yuejun not far away, the White Tiger raised his head to a long howl, spurred his horse, and charged forward.

As the distance closed, the White Tiger's aura rose, his vital energy churning wildly around his body.

In the end, the rolling vital energy gradually merged with the White Tiger King steed beneath him, forming a gigantic vital‑energy white tiger that enveloped both man and horse.

From afar, on the battlefield now, a pure‑white, flawless white tiger swept everything before it, charging forward like a shooting star!

Irresistible!

But at this moment, opposite him, He Lian Yuejun was dumbfounded.

He felt the madly surging aura of the White Tiger charging at him, still climbing.

His whole body was sounding alarms.

Strong! Very strong!

He had felt this pressure only before, on the former first‑ranked of the Foreign Warriors' List.

And now, because the White Tiger's skill erupted quickly, the pressure it gave He Lian Yuejun was stronger than that from the previous first‑ranked Foreign Warrior.

It left He Lian Yuejun with no thought of resistance,

Only having faced those Martial Power 110 ceiling War Gods, plus Heavenly God Generals.

could one know what despair that is.

He could see no hope of victory at all!

Their strength is not merely numerical; it also includes myriad arts, terrifying suppressive effects, their own irresistible mighty force, and unmatched technique.

It is an all‑round crushing!

"Clang!"

That vital‑energy white tiger, bearing an irresistible aura, struck He Lian Yuejun's body in a domineering posture.

Ha!

He took a deep breath, Helian Yuejun exerted all his strength, gripped his weapon, and rushed forward.

Hmph!

At the moment the two sides clashed, Helian Yuejun's face flushed red, he let out a muffled grunt, and forcibly swallowed a mouthful of surging blood.

"Sir, what do you think of this Helian Yuejun below?"

Looking at the Godlike White Tiger running wildly across the battlefield, Su Ye turned his head and asked Yao Guangxiao, who was wearing a string of Buddhist prayer beads beside him.

"The Barbarian God ranked second on the foreign generals' list is naturally strong."

Seeing Helian Yuejun in the distance faintly manifesting a solid Dharma Aspect, Yao Guangxiao spoke softly.

"But today, Helian Yuejun must die beneath the Tai'an Pass!"

As an outstanding figure of this generation of Confucianism, and also a cultivator of the three teachings of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism, his information channels are naturally vast.

And naturally he would not be unaware of the White Tiger, the youngest closed-door disciple of the current leader of the military strategists.

Although we don't know the White Tiger's peak strength, judging from how he defeated Yuwen Chengdu without any effort, he is at least not weaker than Helian Yuejun.

Plus the Dao-protector Wu Xuan, nurtured by the Confucian school to guard Su Ye's Dao, and the splendid scarlet great bow behind Zhu Que, resembling a Vermilion Bird spreading its wings in flight.

This reminded him of a person, the top archer general who shook the five realms of the martial world decades ago—Nan Jizhen.

The great bow in his hand is a golden phoenix entirely gilded.

Arrow released!

The phoenix cried high, a gilded phoenix formed from gang energy pierced the entire battlefield!

That gorgeous, flowing golden phoenix was the nightmare of all War Gods decades ago!

Yet now, he sees a similar scarlet great bow on Zhu Que.

"Previously, Helian Yuejun, ranked second on the foreign list, and Tuoba Yu, ranked third, joined forces and could barely oppose the first-ranked Heavenly Soaring Hawk."

"But if Helian Yuejun dies here today, the balance will be broken."

"Then, as time passes, the first-ranked Heavenly Soaring Hawk will inevitably become the target of everyone's anger, seen by all tribes on the grasslands as a thorn in the eye and a splinter in the flesh."

Yao Guangxiao turned the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand and slowly explained to Su Ye:

"Originally, most of the tribes on this great grassland cooperated with the Xiongnu tribe to move southward, and there were many hidden grudges among them."

"Helian Yuejun's death is the spark, and coupled with the fact that the tribe of the Heavenly Soaring Hawk is not strong on the grasslands..."

"Even if there are far-sighted heroes on the grasslands, they have temporarily suppressed this trend for the greater good."

"But we have great flexibility in the subsequent operations."

Human hearts are the most unbearable to look at!

Yao Guangxiao looked into Su Ye's eyes, his tone inexplicable.

Waking up, the temperature suddenly dropped, but fortunately it's Saturday, so I rested a while in bed.

Brothers, remember to stay warm!

(End of chapter)