Chapter 825: The Fifth Art – Forming Cliques

"Good!"

The crowd cheered loudly.

The riding skills Yuwen Heita displayed this time were no worse than those of a veteran of a hundred battles!

The unity of man and horse's momentum was already at the Momentum-Unity realm of riding...

Viewed in this light, he had not lived up to this rare bloodline of the dragon-species heavenly horse.

"Let me try you!"

Pojuliuhan, who was beside Tuoba Tao, felt his interest piqued and charged out.

His starting distance was slightly shorter, but Yuwen Heita turned his horse quickly, and both sides fought another round.

Spear intersected with spear; one round was a mutual thrust.

Yuwen Heita turned sideways and used his spear shaft to brace against Pojuliuhan's spear.

After all, Pojuliuhan had been cultivating for longer than Heita, and although the Yanbo horse beneath his crotch had a poor bloodline, it had matured early and was a demon beast comparable to one that had condensed malevolent Qi. Even if released alone, it would be enough to fight a cultivator who had Penetrated the Law.

And Heita was just a youth who had just refined his body; it was only the 'Military' character seal that allowed him to combine with the Li Dragon closely enough.

Only then was he not scattered by this giant force and knocked off his horse.

"Good!"

Pojuliuhan roared.

Just from this charge, one could see that the youth's riding skills were even deeper than his own.

Pojuliuhan's riding skills also had the ability of Qi-Penetration; man and horse as one, he only needed one spear to kill a cultivator who had Penetrated the Law. Now that he had used sixty percent of his strength, Yuwen Heita was still undefeated, which was rare.

He didn't want to bully the small with the big anymore; this kind of test was considered passed.

Pojuliuhan turned his horse and withdrew his spear.

Little did he know that Yuwen Heita's stubbornness had already been aroused.

An otter is a river tiger!

Daring to tear tigers and leopards apart and fight dragons and pythons.

Although he looked like a cute thing, his temperament was actually incomparably fierce.

Yuwen Heita was sent rolling by this spear, his eyes going black, but this instead aroused his ferocity.

Suddenly, without a teacher, he held the spear with both hands, but he visualized the 'Military' character seal. In an instant, his mind connected with the Li Dragon beneath him, and the Li Dragon's originally ignorant innate divine ability suddenly merged with his cultivation.

In an instant, the Li Dragon leaped, man and spear condensed into one momentum, and he stabbed obliquely at Pojuliuhan.

The vibrating spear shaft suddenly surrounded itself with water currents, channeling all its power, swimming, and condensing at the spear tip.

At that moment, the spear tip vibrated, like countless pear blossoms blooming; dots of sharpness and weight, carrying water droplets of strong power, bloomed along with thousands of spear flowers.

Pojuliuhan roared.

Using the secret arts of the military strategist to break the law-shout, he finally shattered ninety percent of the water droplets within, allowing the must-kill spear hidden amidst those ten million silver stars to reveal itself.

Clang!

A heavy sound, sharp and heavy.

It condensed the power of the man and the horse completely into one, and channeled it out in one breath.

Water vapor in the world condensed into water currents, surrounding and bolstering Heita. Man and horse were like a dragon entering the sea; infinite power suddenly arose, and even the surrounding air was like water, allowing him to borrow force out of thin air.

The steel spear in Pojuliuhan's hand shook violently, and a drilling, vibrating force began to impact the point where his Qi and blood and the Yanbo horse's Qi and blood were condensed.

Pojuliuhan roared.

Suddenly, he released the spear shaft, letting the steel spear be lifted by Heita.

The warhorse beneath his crotch leaped, and he backhanded his waist-worn war saber and slashed with his whole body.

The incomparably sharp war saber actually slashed Heita's incoming long spear in two.

But the broken spear in Heita's hand still thrust forward...

"Enough!"

A peerless momentum rushed, and both sides could no longer maintain man-and-horse unity; their Qi and blood collapsed, and they fell down.

Tuoba Tao's expression was unkind, and he said coldly: "I said, do not fight to the point of real fire and hurt the friendship between comrades!"

Pojuliuhan laughed and gave Yuwen Heita a thumbs up: "Good man!"

Then he said lazily and roguishly: "I didn't have real fire, he was the one who got anxious!"

"I am a dignified personal guard; I can't lose to a child! Even if it's a draw, a draw..." As he spoke, he was also a bit embarrassed. Although he withdrew his spear and used his saber, slashing forward, it seemed he had the upper hand.

But first, his cultivation was deeper; how could he be bothered with a child?

Even if he won, it wasn't glorious.

Of course, this was also the reason why he got anxious earlier—if he lost, he would have even less face to see people!

Second, both sides were using steel spears for training, not weapons nourished by malevolent Qi that true military families used.

And he drew his saber to cut the spear shaft, using his own saber. In this way, it was even more unjustifiable. After all, on the battlefield, encountering an enemy's divine weapon, it was almost impossible for a long saber to break a spear.

This counted as him bullying Heita for not having armor and taking advantage of him once.

Yuwen Heita struggled to get up and said: "No! I won!"

Pojuliuhan said angrily: "Hey, you brat, you're getting cocky, right! I'll find your father and go back to spank your butt!"

"Winning is winning!"

Heita pointed to the long spear he had knocked into the sky, and saw a stream of water wrapping around the spear shaft, pointing directly at Pojuliuhan.

"If you had continued to charge with your long saber, I would have been seriously injured at most! But if you were completely unprepared and I used the spear to stab your heart, you would definitely die! One injured, one dead, I won!"

Pojuliuhan was dumbfounded: "Law-Mastery!"

"Damn it, how old are you, brat? How long have you been riding the Li Dragon, and you can already control its innate divine ability?"

Pojuliuhan cried out: "Heita, Heita, Heita is a pelt on the shore and a river tiger in the river. You brat are like a fish in water; you've gained momentum!"

Now, he had no choice but to admit defeat...

Heckling arose all around: "Good lad, you defeated Pojuliuhan as soon as you got on a horse. I think you should let him give the personal guard position to you!"

"Hahahaha... Pojuliuhan, you have today too!"

Tuoba Tao smiled, looking at Yuwen Heita, his eyes also showing appreciation.

Only Pojuliuhan had a bitter face and went back sneakily.

He covered his face, accepting the teasing and slapping from his brothers...

Qian Chen nodded secretly from the side. The military cultivators of the Liuzhen were indeed the most potential branch in the Central Lands. Just based on this military morale, sooner or later, there would be a day when they would shock the world and trample the Central Lands with horses.

Although there were various entanglements in this army.

But the sons of common families had laws and arts, and also the support of comrades. Working together like this, although material resources were scarce and the army was in hardship, it had tempered many heroes.

Now these people hadn't yet emerged, but as long as they were given a chance, they would eventually turn into true dragons.

"Planting a strong army here for the future, there will always be a place where it can be used!"

Qian Chen affirmed in his heart.

Completely ignoring that his family's Supreme Louguan was a proper Daoist orthodoxy, which only ascended to become immortals or produced an invincible Daoist Lord, and never talked about burying backhands in places where the Immortal Qin's creation and military industry were unparalleled, while cultivating military seeds and preparing a strong army.

This was the path of contending for the world and going against the heavens.

It was not the style of the Daoist sect...

The fake Li family—serving as officials and scholar-officials in Northern Wei, maintaining influence over the center, cultivating disciples in the clan, direct descendants entering the Buddhist and Daoist orthodoxies, step by step becoming proper cultivators, and collateral descendants sent to the Liuzhen, maintaining a trace of influence over the military.

Keeping a low profile in life, high profile in work.

The real Li family descendants—reserve Lords of the Heavens' Samsara, Samsara walkers of the Earth Immortal Realm.

Founding the Central Plains Team, gathering and cultivating military seeds.

Secretly leaving deep influence in the Liuzhen, plotting to seize the Immortal Qin's secret arts of creation and the strong army of terracotta warriors, opening a realm of their own, and storing infinite supplies. Their fellow Daoists were all over the three Daoist sects, befriending major spirit treasures, and possessing extremely strong influence in the overseas Immortal sects.

Who was the noble family that wanted to rebel?

Who was the real Li family?

Qian Chen: Although my surname is Qian, I am filial, love commanding armies, prepare to rebel, and plot to insert an elite force into the center... May I ask if the Heavenly Court has a Xuanwu Gate?

Tuoba Tao showed a look of satisfaction.

These were his true disciples, his future foundation.

Qian Chen looked sideways slightly—make it clear, whose foundation is it exactly?

Yuwen Heita raised his long spear and said: "Is there anyone else who wants to challenge me?"

No one else came out from all around, so Tuoba Tao said: "Since you have already mastered the art of riding and law-mastery, no one can question your ability to ride the Li Dragon."

"How about this, we won't compete in the remaining three rounds! You come to me to be a personal guard, and the Li Dragon... I will bestow it upon you! How about that?"

Yuwen Heita vaulted off his horse, knelt on one knee and said: "Commander, I want to be a scout and lead a team alone!"

"Oh?" Tuoba Tao's expression sank: "You look down on my personal guard position!"

"No, I am not worthy of the responsibility. I am only fifteen years old. If I suddenly receive the Commander's favor, how can my comrades be convinced? I want to lead my little brothers, perform great merits for the Commander, and then return to the Commander's side to be a personal guard!" Heita said respectfully.

Tuoba Tao saw through his thoughts at a glance; he wanted to promote some of his own little brothers and form a clique of his own.

Although the Tuoba family was the leader of the Xianbei nobles, and the forces under his command were also cliques of their own, for Yuwen Heita, a kid so young, to want to win over a group of brothers was both a good thing and a bad thing.

The good thing was that he didn't have that much energy to cultivate the bottom layer.

Having Heita pull out a batch of young juniors, they could be used as soon as they were picked up, which was very convenient and wouldn't miss any talent.

The bad thing was that this kid Heita would definitely become a climate; in the future, when using him, he would have to guard against the clique under his command...

But Xianbei nobles were originally like this; the forces under their command were all tribes that respected them as the common leader. Originally, there was no extreme centralization of power left by the Immortal Qin that controlled the bottom layer like in the Central Lands.

Tuoba Tao also didn't understand the destructive power of this kind of cross-tribal group on the top.

He just thought slightly, and although he instinctively felt it was not appropriate, people could never exceed their own knowledge, so he said with a dark face: "Scouts are the most elite warriors in the army. How can you use that group of brothers of yours? If you ruin the army's affairs, ten of your heads wouldn't be enough to pay for it..."

"Then please continue to test me, Commander!" Yuwen Heita said: "In riding, archery, and military formations, as long as I lose one round, I will never dare to mention this again!"

"Good..." Pojuliuhan pointed at Heita and said: "He's a man!"

For a time, the army was all excited.

Everyone raised their hands and roared: "Compete again, compete again! Knock this brat Heita down, don't let this mere little cub lose the face of our regular soldiers!"

"Good, then compete again. If you win all four rounds, I will appoint you as the scout captain!"

Tuoba Tao also smiled.

He waved his cloak and led everyone to the training ground... ===== CHAPTER 826 =====