Chapter 660: with translation of chapter title

Xijing

The north wind has risen, and a chill begins.

Twenty li west of Xijing is the newly built training field.

Fifty thousand Mysterious Armor Army are deployed on the open plain.

Heavy infantry take the vanguard, their shields like mountains, their spears like forests.

Light cavalry spread to the wings, banners like clouds, horses like dragons.

Crossbowmen stand ready in formation, the bolt‑cars cocked, arrows clustered with a cold, gleaming light.

The engineer unit displays the latest equipment: a Potential Energy Resonance Device prototype vehicle, a Linked Crossbow Cart, and a Rapid Bridge‑building Vehicle.

Emperor Chen Zhong arrives in person, ascending a three‑zhang‑high platform.

Civil and military officials line both sides.

Chen Wen stands at the front of the platform, dressed in deep‑blue robes, without armor.

Yue Fei, Shi Dun, Zhang Cheng, Qian Gui, Zhao Lao Nian, and others stand behind them.

Lin Chong, Wu Yong, Yue Yun, and others are also among the officers.

Wu Yong stands beside Lin Chong, his posture ramrod straight. His leg injury, treated by the Imperial Medical Bureau, has mostly healed, though standing long still brings a slight soreness; yet now he is focused, his sharp gaze sweeping over the troops.

At the morning hour, the drums begin.

The review begins—!

The herald calls out loudly.

The troop formation begins to shift.

The heavy infantry advance in orderly steps, their iron boots thudding like muffled thunder.

The shield wall opens and closes, spears thrust forward, movements uniform and precise.

The light cavalry flanks from both wings, hooves pounding like a sudden rain, their formations shifting like drifting clouds and flowing water.

Among the crossbowmen, the bolt‑cars fire in unison.

A hundred bolts tear through the air, instantly pinning the straw targets three hundred paces away like hedgehogs.

The engineer unit demonstrates bridge‑building.

A trench three zhang wide is bridged within thirty breaths.

On the platform, Wu Yong watches each segment closely.

As the military advisor, he is more concerned with the coordination of the formation's changes, the efficiency of order transmission, and the harmony among the different troop types.

These details, the Chen Dynasty Jun Ying performs flawlessly.

But we also need to list "Chen Dynasty" as a named entity. And "Jun Ying" is already in glossary; we must use that exact English form.

Thus for line 28 translation we will use "Chen Dynasty Jun Ying". We'll need to ensure we use "Jun Ying" exactly.

But he feels a faint unease in his heart.

This unease does not come from the troops before him, but from the west—the direction of the Light Curtain.

He senses an oppressive, intangible weight pressing upon his chest.

It is not the clear sense of Fortune Momentum perception, but rather an intuition forged by long experience on the battlefield.

He looks toward Chen Wen.

Chen Wen sits with eyes closed, composure calm, but Wu Yong notices the ruler's right hand fingers subtly flexing at his side—a habitual motion when thinking or sensing.

"Military advisor." Lin Chong whispers beside him, "What's wrong?"

"I can't say." Wu Yong shakes his head slightly, "I just feel… too quiet."

Quiet?

"Over there, by the Light Curtain." Wu Yong looks west, "The Yuan Dynasty has just unified, the Iron Crow Army holds sway—this should be their peak of vigor."

"But here we hold a grand review, and they show no reaction…"

He pauses.

This is not normal.

As if to confirm his words—

From the direction of the Light Curtain, a deep, muffled drumming suddenly sounds.

Dong—

Dong—

Dong—

Heavy, slow, carrying a barbaric aura yet remarkably orderly, as if ten thousand people were beating drums together.

It is not transmitted through the air.

It is conveyed through some deeper resonance, striking directly at the hearts of the perceptive.

In the Chen Dynasty army formation, the warhorses begin to neigh anxiously.

Though the soldiers cannot hear the drums, they instinctively feel their hearts race, as if a fierce beast watches from afar.

On the platform, Chen Zhong's expression shifts slightly.

Grandfather, this is…

The Yuan Dynasty's review drums.

Chen Wen opens his eyes.

They are also holding a review.

Right there, by the Light Curtain.

At the same time as us.

He steps forward.

The system ran at full power.

At this moment, in his "eyes"—

The light curtain was no longer merely a barrier.

It had become a huge, semi-transparent mirror.

On the mirror's east side was the Chen dynasty's Black Armor Army, its golden Fortune Momentum like the rising sun.

On the mirror's west side—

Countless cavalry formed ranks on the plain.

Leather armor, curved blades, and blue-wolf flags like a sea.

The dust kicked up by iron hooves blotted out the sky and sun.

Black Fortune Momentum rose like beacon smoke, fierce and overbearing.

And behind the troops, faintly visible were several towering structures built of crystal and metal, tower-like buildings.

Atop the towers, dark red light flowed, echoing the blue-wolf flags.

That was the work of the Iron Crow Army.

Two empires.

Two armies.

Two kinds of Fortune Momentum.

Separated by a regulatory barrier, at the same moment each held its own review of troops.

As if responding to a call from the depths.

Even more like a confrontation of fate.

"Generals."

Chen Wen spoke.

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Look west."

Everyone looked that way.

The light curtain shimmered faintly in the sunlight.

Its surface began to ripple.

At first slight, like wind on a lake.

Gradually intensifying, like boiling water churning.

"That is—"

"Fortune Momentum collision."

Chen Wen said.

"Our momentum and theirs are opposing each other across the light curtain."

"The light curtain itself therefore produced undulations."

As if to verify his words—

Hum—

A low resonant sound came from the direction of the light curtain.

This time, everyone heard it.

Like the low growl of a giant beast.

"Pass the order to the entire army."

Chen Wen said in a deep voice.

"Maintain formation."

"Archers and crossbowmen, nock your bolts."

"Heavy armor, raise shields."

"Light cavalry, stand ready."

The orders were swiftly transmitted.

The Chen dynasty's troops instantly entered a combat-ready state.

Killing intent rose.

The golden Fortune Momentum suddenly blazed.

The ripples of the light curtain grew more violent.

Both sides of the mirror—

East side, the Black Armor stood like a mountain, weapons gleaming coldly.

West side, the iron cavalry stretched like a sea, their curved blades reflecting sunlight.

The two soaring Fortune Momentum, separated by the light curtain, began a silent struggle.

Wu Yong clenched his fists.

He could feel the oppressive force coming from the west—barbaric, icy, imbued with pure conquest desire.

This differed from the Jin soldiers and Yuan troops he had faced in the False Song.

Those enemies, though brutal, were ultimately human.

But what he sensed now… was more like a kind of "will."

A non-human will.

The will of the Iron Crow Army.

"My lord."

Yue Fei asked in a low voice.

"We... can we win?"

"I don't know."

Chen Wen answered very candidly.

"But we must fight."

"Because if we don't fight, there will be no future."

He gazed at the light curtain.

In the System Interface, the overflowing state of the experience bar resonated strangely with the light curtain's fluctuations.

It seemed that if he wished, he could break through at any moment.

But he still suppressed it.

It's not yet time.

This standoff is only the beginning.

The real decisive battle lies ahead.

"All commanders, listen—"

Chen Wen suddenly raised his voice.

Everyone stood at attention.

"Today's review ends here."

"But what you have seen today, you must keep in mind."

"Beyond the light curtain, there is an enemy."

"A strong enemy."

"They will not stay there forever."

"One day, they will come."

"And we—"

He turned and looked at the fifty thousand soldiers.

"What we must do is, when that day arrives,"

"to let them know—"

He raised his voice, like a sword being drawn.

"This way is blocked!"

"This way is blocked!"

Shi Dun raised his arms and shouted.

"This way is blocked!!"

The fifty thousand shouted in unison.

The sound wave surged like thunder, straight to the clouds.

The golden Fortune Momentum suddenly blazed.

The light curtain trembled violently.

Ripples spread across the entire barrier surface.

On the western side of the mirror, the Yuan Dynasty troops seemed to sense it, the azure wolf flag frenziedly dancing.

The black Fortune Momentum surged like angry waves.

The two forces, separated by the light curtain, completed their first formal collision.

No smoke.

No bloodshed.

But everyone knows—

From this moment on, the two worlds have entered a new era.

The era of standoff.

Outside the drill field, in Xijing city.

The commoners could not hear the distant resonance, nor see the ripples of the light curtain.

But they could feel that the air had gained a stagnant, oppressive feeling.

An old man raised his head to the sky, muttering:

"The heavens are about to change..."

The review ended at noon.

The army withdrew in an orderly manner to the camp.

On the high platform, officials departed one after another.

Chen Wen, Chen Zhong, Yue Fei, Shi Dun, Wu Yong, and others were the last to leave.

"Grandfather, today's matter—"

Chen Zhong wanted to speak but stopped.

"No need to say more."

Chen Wen waved his hand.

"What is meant to come will come."

"After returning, accelerate domestic reforms, expand armaments, develop new weapons."

"Time is not much left."

Yes.

Chen Wen looked toward Yue Fei and Wu Yong.

Your special research team must be established within three days.

Zhao Lao Nian will cooperate with you.

I want you to produce, within a year, a feasible plan that can affect the rules of the light curtain.

He paused.

Not just a technical plan, but also corresponding tactics.

Wu Yong bowed.

Wu Yong understands.

Technology is the foundation, tactics are the application.

Yes.

Chen Wen nodded.

Go.

Everyone dispersed.

Chen Wen remained alone on the high platform.

The sunset sank in the west.

The light curtain glowed with a dark red light in the twilight.

The ripples had subsided, but on the barrier's surface there appeared a fine, almost invisible crack.

That is the trace left by the collision of Fortune Momentum.

Chen Wen walked to the edge of the high platform and extended his hand.

The system interface fully unfolded.

Lv. 6, overflowing.

The light of the experience bar echoed faintly with the glimmer of the light curtain in the twilight.

He could feel that the opportunity for a breakthrough was already within reach.

But he was still waiting.

Waiting for a more suitable moment.

Waiting for the Iron Crow Army to reveal its true fangs.

Soon......

He muttered softly.

He turned and stepped down from the platform.

Behind him, twilight deepened.

The light curtain stood silently, like an ancient boundary marker that has existed since time immemorial.

To the east of the boundary marker are the lights of the Chen Dynasty, gradually lighting up.

To the west of the boundary marker lies the territory of the Yuan Dynasty, sunk into darkness.

Two worlds.

Two empires.

From then on, they gazed at each other across the curtain.

And war——

Has already begun.