Guanhuang was a city where natural and manmade defenses blurred together into a beautiful harmony. Rivers snaked around the city as tall walls bordered them. These natural moats were complimented by bulky gatehouses which limited ways into the city. Furthermore, two large lakes sat adjacent to the north and west, leaving only the south and east open for attack. It was both beautiful and daunting! Over time, the city's borders expanded past the walls to create large sprawling ghettos and rolling rice fields, but the central city remained guarded. The kingdom's army arrived in the outskirts three hours later and began surrounding the city. However, since there were few ways in, they concentrated their forces around several key areas instead. The empire's forces naturally followed suit. One of these key areas was the largest gatehouse in the east, the Yijiang Gate.
Banners fluttered quietly in the wind as the two sides glared at one another from across the rivers. It was unbelievably quiet like the calm before the storm. Unit Commander Haea would have loved to delay their attack any longer, but it seemed her hopes would go unanswered. A horn came from the kingdom's side, parting the army to open the path for four mounted individuals. General Petra trotted ahead with the Sword King and his two disciples behind. Their presence easily dominated the scene! Unit Commander Haea ordered for soldiers to loose arrows on them, but the kingdom's Arcanists shielded the four. The arrows bounced harmlessly off the barriers. The woman clicked her tongue. Although she expected it, she was a little disappointed.
She wondered what they had planning when the three swordsmen unsheathed their swords and unleashed their auras. Boom! The air blasted away from them in a sudden explosion of wind, sending a plume of snow into the air. In the center, the three glowed in an otherworldly light like gods reincarnated. Hidek had a rich yellow glow around him, Lanar had a powerful red, and their master had a deep blue. It was Martial Energy! Their auras propagated through the armies, far stronger than anything anyone felt before! Everyone stepped back out of fear, their bodies screaming out danger. It was almost enough to send the armies into panic had their commanders not stepped in. However, their reactions were understandable because the Sword King, Hidek, and Lanar mastered Martial Energy perfectly. The power they could exert was far greater than a normal Perception Realm. They were easily the strongest combatants on the battlefield! Unit Commander Haea's killing intent intensified. They could not be allowed to live!
The three proceeded to channel their Martial Energy into three grand techniques! Seeing this, Unit Commander Haea panicked and shouted her orders to reinforce the Yijiang Gate. However, how fast could they be? A few seconds later, they attacked, sending three gigantic crescent flying strikes hurtling towards the gatehouse! Their size rivalled the gatehouse, and their speed rivalled the wind! Boom! An explosion rocked the battlefield, while a cloud of debris and snow rained down. No one could see what happened. When the dust finally settled, they could see the aftermath. Three large valleys were created where the Yijiang Gate once stood. It was breached! The kingdom stormed towards the opening, while the empire braced for impact. The Battle of Guanhuang had officially begun!
"Thank you for your cooperation, Sword King Sin," Elizabeth said.
"It was nothing."
Elizabeth smiled. Although he valued his freedom above anything else, he remained a vain person. After all, that was what it meant to be the monarch of swords. He reigned above everyone else! She understood his character better. They spoke from a quiet little nook on the outskirts of Guanhuang with numerous Royal Guards in the perimeter. It would be hard to spot them unless one specifically knew where they were. Yet, they had an excellent view of Guanhuang and the surrounding lands. With the flames of battle raging in the distance, Elizabeth had a pained face. She could not bear to look. Instead, she turned to General Petra.
"Have things been going according to plan?"
"Indeed, they have, Your Highness," the general replied. "The Imperial Council will have underestimated the Sword King and his disciples now. This will give us the initiative."
In truth, the display that the three swordsmen performed previously was a simple flying strike created by wind pressure alone, and not the product of a martial technique. It was nowhere close to their full power! Had they used their full power, in tandem with the Cloud Sea Style, it would have been far more destructive. It could have plowed a way directly into Guanhuang! However, Elizabeth and General Petra knew how wary the council was against an Instinct Realm. Unit Commander Haea was a smart woman too, so taking the city would not be as simple as it seemed. Therefore, they wanted to trick the council into underestimating the Sword King. That way, they could hold their cards for as long as possible.
"What about our enemy? Did we spot anyone using Martial Energy?" Elizabeth asked. When she remembered the Battle of Liguang, she involuntarily shivered. With an entire army of Perception Realms and Half-Perception Realms using Martial Energy, the Imperial Council swept through Liguang. And that was against the kingdom's Steel Eagle Brigade and the Li Family's Lotus Divisions too, which were famed for their excellence. Against an ordinary army, it would no longer be a fight. It would be a bloodbath! They were one of the main threats the kingdom faced in this battle.
"Not yet, Your Highness, nor did we receive any news about the Featherwind Sect. Did the Sword King sense anything?"
The Sword King frowned. "No, I didn't." He had used his True Perception earlier in his display to disguise its effects, but he sensed nothing noteworthy. That meant there were three possibilities: either the Featherwind Sect had yet to arrive, they were too far away for him to detect, or they evaded his True Perception, all of which were equally likely.
"The Featherwind Sect destroyed Liguang, didn't they? That would mean they're at odds with the Imperial Council now. They shouldn't have a reason to intervene anymore," Freon pointed out.
"That's true, and they might have been scared off by my master's display. I doubt they would show up now," Benedict added Elizabeth once mentioned that the Featherwind Sect seemed especially wary of a Rank 3 King and his master was one of them. It was highly possible they were avoiding him.
"Isn't that a good thing? That means we won't have to worry about them anymore!" Shirley said.
"I only hope that's the case…" Elizabeth sighed.
Just as they began to doubt themselves, the Sword King frowned and glanced at a particular spot in the sky. His actions did not go unnoticed as Hidek asked, "Master, what's wrong?"
The Sword King narrowed his eyes. "There's something there."
"What?"
"Where?"
Elizabeth and her friends quickly looked up to see a clear blue sky without a cloud or bird in sight. There was nothing at all! Naturally, the Perception Realms followed suit with their enhanced awareness, but despite following the Sword King's gaze, they could not find anything. The same went for Hidek and Lanar who used Martial Energy. The scene became slightly awkward as everyone silently judged the Sword King. Was this his unique blend of humor? It was not funny. Hidek, Lanar, and Benedict felt embarrassed on their master's behalf. Meanwhile, the Sword King was intrigued because he could not sense it, rather he felt something was there. This was the first time his senses and instincts contradicted each other. But as the saying goes, seeing was better than believing. He drew his sword and focused his Martial Energy into a technique. Before the others had a chance to intervene, he struck! A monstrous blue flying strike, many times larger than the one used to destroy the Yijiang Gate, erupted from his blade and shot into the sky with lightning-like momentum. It threatened to cleave the sky in half! Cloud Sea Style: Heaven's Divide!
As the attack soared over Guanhuang, General Petra gave the Sword King a particularly unfriendly gaze. He might as well have told everyone where they were! She began to regret trusting him when a thunderous explosion came from the sky. His technique had hit something! Everyone then saw a flying ship reveal itself, glowing with strange runes and markings, that worked together to repel the Sword King's attack. The tremendous attack was repelled by an equally tremendous defense. Boom! A huge shockwave detonated in the air, releasing waves of energy in every direction. His attack was forcefully scattered! The ship was unharmed! The Sword King raised an eyebrow in amazement. That was a serious attack from him, an Instinct Realm, a Rank 3 King, and yet it was repelled. Coupled with the otherworldly flying ship, there was no doubt about it. The Featherwind Sect had finally arrived!