Chapter 52

"Draw your swords!"

Guchen Sha roared on the flat ground within the small town, training his soldiers.

There were two hundred and forty-three people present, plus the five people including Liu Yu, making a total of two hundred and forty-eight. Every day, they trained hard to resist the occasional invasions by the barbarian soldiers and heretics.

After a few days, the five people, having taken the Heavenly Dew and under Guchen Sha's patient guidance, successfully entered the realm of Martial Arts Master. They could summon sword light, which covered the sky and earth, with a fierce and ancient aura.

The five were originally Martial Arts Masters, their skills reaching a divine level. The swords in their hands were ancient and unique, communicating with their own blood and qi. People nurtured the swords, and the swords nurtured people. As their martial arts improved and their blood and qi became purer, it was not uncommon for them to achieve the state of man and sword as one.

The potential of the five swords was so great that even the Dragon Bone Sword could not compare.

The Dragon Bone Sword was a divine weapon forged over a thousand years, but these five swords truly came from the ancient times, born in the era of the Five Seasons. Due to their long history, the spiritual energy within them had dissipated, making them seem ordinary and unable to display their true power. However, Guchen Sha felt intuitively that the five swords seemed to be embodiments of certain rules.

These five people were treasures, and it was fortunate that he had found them.

Clang!

Following his order, the remaining two hundred and forty-three people drew their swords simultaneously, in perfect unison. The killing intent soared into the sky, giving a faint sense of military might.

The entire Xianzhou region had a martial culture, with young people from villages of all sizes knowing a few moves. This was because the area was close to the border with the barbarians, and before the construction of the Great Stone Wall, the barbarians often invaded. If one did not know martial arts, survival would be difficult. This was also the reason why the entire Xian Dynasty once worshipped the Giant Spirit God.

Everyone hoped to have immense strength, to slay the barbarians and protect themselves.

These two hundred and forty-three young men had a good foundation, and with the daily consumption of "Blood Strengthening Pills," their physical abilities gradually improved. Guchen Sha taught them the Giant Spirit God Technique, which they also believed in, making their cultivation mutually beneficial.

Kill! Kill! Kill!

The two hundred and forty-three young men roared in unison, continuously drawing their swords. The sword light and their roars were like thunder, creating a sense of flying sand and rolling stones. They performed the Giant Spirit Sword Technique, which was simple and practical, yet extremely effective in combat.

Guchen Sha watched and nodded, satisfied. These days of training had been effective, and these young men could now match elite soldiers. Even the elite soldiers of the imperial court did not have "Blood Strengthening Pills" to consume, nor did minor military officers. Only generals with real power, commanding thousands or even tens of thousands of soldiers, might have such treatment.

"Chun Si, Chun Shiyi, Xia Jiu, Xia Shiwu, Yan Wu, Yan Liù, Qiu Qi, Qiu Ershi, Dong Ba, Dong Shisan, step forward!"

Guchen Sha watched for a while and then roared out his command.

"Yes!"

Ten young men leaped to his front, standing straight and sharp, their spirit and energy like knives, gradually cultivating a soldier's killing intent. They had all killed barbarian soldiers and been tempered by battle, no longer the same young men from the town.

Guchen Sha called them by their code names.

These young men were divided into five groups, each led by one of the five people including Liu Yu.

The five people practiced the Five Seasons Sword Technique, named after the seasons: Spring, Summer, Yan (Heat), Autumn, and Winter. Spring was Rain, Summer was Thunder, Yan was Fire, Autumn was Frost, and Winter was Snow. Using the Five Seasons as their code names made things clear and straightforward.

"You ten have been brave in battle, with the most kills and significant improvement in cultivation. You have trained diligently. I will reward you now. Here are ten pills, each of you take one." Guchen Sha took out ten pills.

"Thank you, Lord Nineteen." The ten young men took the pills, knelt on one knee, and swallowed them without hesitation, not even asking what they were. This showed that they had learned to obey orders to the death, a necessity in military law and essential in training soldiers.

After taking the pills, each of the ten emitted a fierce aura like wild beasts, their muscles bulging, and their strength intertwining, making them ten times more powerful than before. Additionally, their spirit and demeanor were clearly different, truly like fierce tigers and wolves, fierce and sharp.

They had taken Tiger and Wolf Pills.

In recent days, Guchen Sha had taken time to hunt in the surrounding mountains, slaying tigers and wolves for sacrifice, and refining ten pills, just enough to cultivate ten outstanding young men.

If there were more tigers and wolves in the nearby mountains, he would have refined over two hundred pills, enough for everyone to take, forming a formidable fighting force that could rival the elite soldiers trained by noble families for decades.

However, such precious Tiger and Wolf Pills could only be rewarded to those who had earned merit and were loyal. They could not be distributed to everyone.

"What kind of pills are these?" The five people, including Liu Yu, widened their eyes, almost disbelieving. They felt that the soldiers, who were not even warriors, had become Martial Arts Masters in terms of physical strength, though their cultivation was still lacking. Their spirit and demeanor had changed, with the dignity of tigers and the resilience of wolves.

"You have already achieved the realm of Martial Arts Master, so these pills are of no use to you. They are foundational pills." Guchen Sha explained, waiting for the ten men's auras to calm down. "You still need to train hard to fully assimilate the power of the pills."

"Yes!"

The ten men looked at the changes in their bodies, filled with joy, and developed a sense of Guchen Sha's omnipotence. A single pill could significantly advance them, transforming their bodies and even their souls, a skill that seemed almost divine.

Guchen Sha looked at these people and nodded inwardly. After so many days of hard work, he had finally cultivated a solid foundation. Even if he returned to the capital, he could still make a significant impact here.

Woo woo woo......

At this moment, the mournful horn sounded again.

"Are the barbarian soldiers coming again?" Guchen Sha's body shot up, and he climbed onto the wall, looking into the distance. He saw that the barbarian cavalry had appeared again, dust rising as they charged forward. He was startled, but then he saw that it was only a group of about a thousand barbarian soldiers, and he calmed down.

A thousand soldiers were easy to deal with.

"Prepare for battle!"

Guchen Sha made a gesture, and immediately all the young men held their swords, crouched, and held their breath, their spirit and energy rising. They were silent and stealthy, more like assassins than soldiers.

The barbarian cavalry stopped outside the town and shouted, "Is Lord Nineteen here?"

"Hmm?" Guchen Sha looked closely and shouted, "You are not barbarian soldiers. Who are you?"

"Lord Nineteen." The leader of the barbarian soldiers immediately dismounted and knelt. "We are under the command of the Marquis of Great Stone. We disguised ourselves as barbarian soldiers to gather intelligence. We learned that Lord Nineteen is guarding the road again and have come to join you. Here is my token!"

"Throw the token up here." Guchen Sha did not fully trust them.

The barbarian soldier threw the token up, which was intricately crafted with a Bixie beast head and the name "First-Class Tiger Might General Shi Zhongtie."

"Are you a member of the Marquis of Great Stone's family?" Guchen Sha asked.

"Reporting to Lord Nineteen, I am the Marquis's nephew." Shi Zhongtie replied.

"Have you heard of the Marquis of Great Stone's fist technique, the Spirit Stone Fist, which is popular in the army? Do you know it?" Guchen Sha still did not trust him.

Shi Zhongtie thought, "This Lord Nineteen is truly meticulous. Who says he's a fool?" He then pressed his hands to the ground, and with a loud thud, the ground cracked, spreading out from his center.

"This move is called 'Nodding Stone.'" Shi Zhongtie bowed. "Please instruct me, Lord Nineteen."

"Indeed, it is the Spirit Stone Fist, heavy, steady, and unchanging, enduring the erosion of wind and rain. Your power has been cultivated for at least twenty years, starting from a young age. It seems you are not a fake. Enter the town, and we will talk." Guchen Sha ordered the gate to be opened.

After the thousand-strong force entered, Shi Zhongtie noticed that Guchen Sha's soldiers were all strong, especially the five people including Liu Yu, who were Martial Arts Masters.

"This Lord Nineteen is said to be poor and has chosen to train civilians in a town to resist the barbarian army. But are these soldiers really civilians? How can there be five Martial Arts Masters?" He was greatly shocked but did not show it. Instead, he said, "Our Marquis has received a report from the court, learning of Lord Nineteen's heroic deeds in slaying the Black Bat, Yin-Yang Scholar, Poison Daoist, and Blood Soul Sect Leader. He greatly admires Lord Nineteen's bravery and has sent me to serve and obey your orders. He has also brought three hundred sets of armor for the soldiers."

He gestured, and the soldiers behind him took out large bundles from their horses, opening them to reveal light and thin armor.

The armor was pitch black, covered in sharp scales like a python's skin, but it was clear that it was made of special material, with visible forging marks.

"Lord Nineteen, please have your soldiers try it on." Shi Zhongtie said.

"Yan Yi, you go." Guchen Sha indicated.

"Yes!"

Yan Yi stepped forward to put on the armor.

"This armor is not worn like that. You need to drop blood on it first." Shi Zhongtie quickly stopped him. "There is a spell inside the armor."

Sure enough, when the armor was opened, a spell appeared inside. Yan Yi dripped his blood on it, and the armor seemed to come alive, wrapping around him like a snake, covering him from head to toe without a single gap, even covering his eyes with a thin red film.

"Amazing." Guchen Sha and his subordinates were all amazed.

"Try punching." Shi Zhongtie said.

Yan Yi took a large step and punched.

Bang!

The air clearly resonated, and a deep footprint was left on the ground. He then leaped and easily landed on the roof, something he could not do before putting on the armor.

Shi Zhongtie grabbed a barbarian war saber and slashed three times in quick succession, each strike landing on Yan Yi, but Yan Yi did not budge. The armor showed no marks, and the saber broke in half.

"Wow!" Liu Yu and the others widened their eyes. "Is this armor, or is it a divine treasure?"

"Is this the Jiaojiao Armor?" Guchen Sha thought.

"Lord Nineteen, indeed it is. This armor is the highest secret of the Heavenly Engineering Academy. However, the Heavenly Engineering Academy has recently overcome technical challenges, and as long as there are materials, this armor can be mass-produced." Shi Zhongtie added, "In the future, our army will be invincible."

"If every soldier in the army is equipped with this armor, they will indeed be invincible." Guchen Sha had heard of the Jiaojiao Armor before but had never seen it. He had seen the Demon Slayer Armor used by Dust Sword Feng's subordinates and had been envious. He never expected the Marquis of Great Stone to send him even higher-quality Jiaojiao Armor, and three hundred sets at that.