Chapter 62: Domination

Lu Xingchen frowned.

Su Xinghe's reaction was well within his expectations; it was certainly not easy to persuade someone to risk half their national wealth to accompany him on an adventure.

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Since you wish to ally with me, you must pay a price. Getting half of the territory of the Fengming Kingdom is not that easy to come by."

"However, I can assure you that these fifty thousand troops will not suffer the slightest damage. The way I borrow them is the way I will return them to you."

Hearing this, Su Xinghe fell into deep contemplation.

After a long while, he spoke in a low voice, "Young Friend Lu is indeed exceptionally gifted, but right now, what matters is strength; raw talent alone is of little use. If Young Friend wishes to take away these fifty thousand troops, you must prove to me that you have the strength to lead them."

Lu Xingchen chuckled lightly, "So it boils down to a fight, then?"

Su Xinghe replied solemnly, "As long as Young Friend Lu can defeat our Cloud Hidden Kingdom's Grand Elder, what harm is there in lending you fifty thousand elite soldiers?"

Lu Xingchen smiled lightly, "Li Mi alone is probably not enough for me to handle. Have the other two Grand Martial Artists come up together!"

Through his system, Lu Xingchen had already discerned that the two middle-aged men standing beside Su Xinghe were also First-Star Grand Martial Artists.

Upon hearing this, Su Xinghe was greatly astonished.

"It seems Young Friend Lu is extremely confident in himself!"

Lu Xingchen smiled and said, "Naturally. However, I would like to raise the stakes. If I win, the fifty thousand elite soldiers will remain in the Great Dayan Kingdom permanently. If I lose, three Tier-3 Spirit-Elevating Pills will be presented to you immediately. I wonder what Your Majesty thinks of this?"

Hearing this, Su Xinghe frowned deeply.

If he were to lose these fifty thousand elite soldiers, the strength of the Cloud Hidden Kingdom would shrink drastically.

He truly did not dare to agree to this wager lightly.

Yet those three Tier-3 Spirit-Elevating Pills were equally precious.

Li Mi shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, agree to his terms! Why pass up a free gift? A wet-behind-the-ears brat with unstable battle qi and sluggish seal-formation wants to challenge a Fifth-Star Grand Martial Artist?"

The ministers in the grand hall were also stirred into righteous indignation.

"Damn it, this Lu Xingchen is far too arrogant! A mere First-Star Grand Martial Artist actually dares to challenge a Fifth-Star Grand Martial Artist, and a three-on-one at that! On what grounds?"

"The Grand Elder has immersed himself in the martial dao for many years, possessing a profound foundation far beyond what an ordinary Grand Martial Artist can compare to. Lu Xingchen is simply biting off more than he can chew!"

"The Grand Elder is right! Why refuse something given for free? Fight him!"

"Your Majesty, take the bet with him! Let this kid witness the true might of our Cloud Hidden Kingdom."

Su Xinghe ignored the reactions of his ministers and pondered quietly in his heart.

For Lu Xingchen to boast so boldly, he must possess some reliance.

If he lost, he would get three Tier-3 Spirit-Elevating Pills for nothing.

If he won, it would prove that he truly possessed the potential for investment. The fifty thousand elite soldiers paid by the Cloud Hidden Kingdom would quickly yield returns.

Win or lose, the Cloud Hidden Kingdom would not suffer a loss.

After meditating for a moment, Su Xinghe said in a deep voice, "In that case, I accept this wager!"

Lu Xingchen clapped his hands and smiled, "Since that is settled, let us move to the martial arena. Let us resolve this swiftly!"

The crowd arrived at the martial arena.

Li Mi, accompanied by the other two First-Star Grand Martial Artists, stood upon the stage, locking gazes with Lu Xingchen.

Below the stage, the cheers and words of encouragement were all directed at Li Mi.

After all, they were subjects of the Cloud Hidden Kingdom.

Li Mi said indifferently, "Lu Xingchen, your talent is indeed peerless. If you were given a few more years of cultivation, I certainly would not be your match. But right now, you are still too green."

Lu Xingchen chuckled lightly, "I wonder if you will still have the leisure to speak such words after I knock you flat on the ground."

Li Mi frowned deeply.

"Brat, you are far too arrogant!"

With that, Li Mi charged toward Lu Xingchen, gathering battle qi in his palms and striking out with a powerful palm print.

The other two First-Star Grand Martial Artists followed closely behind.

Lu Xingchen smiled faintly, drew his Shadow Sword, and unleashed a technique called "Azure Dragon Slash" at the three of them.

Feeling the terrifying might contained within the cyan battle qi blade wave, Li Mi's expression changed drastically, and he channeled all his remaining battle qi into his palms.

As the battle qi handprint collided with the "Azure Dragon Slash," Li Mi was sent flying backward instantly, coughing up a mouthful of blood in mid-air before tumbling toward the edge of the arena.

He forcefully steadied his momentum in mid-air, executed a backflip, and managed to land precariously on the edge of the stage, only to spew another mouthful of blood.

As for the two First-Star Grand Martial Artists, they were sent flying straight off the stage, collapsing and losing consciousness immediately.

Li Mi stared fixedly at Lu Xingchen, his eyes filled with sheer disbelief.

"How is this possible? How can he be this strong?"

Without wasting words, Lu Xingchen launched another "Azure Dragon Slash" toward Li Mi.

Even though Li Mi had made full preparations and put up a desperate defense, he was blasted away once more, tumbling off the stage entirely.

For a moment, the entire audience erupted in an uproar.

"Damn it, Lu Xingchen is a beast!"

"Two moves! He only used two moves to defeat three Grand Martial Artists! And he bridged a gap of four minor realms! How is this even possible?"

"No wonder Lu Xingchen dared to make such bold boasts; he actually had the strength to back them up."

"His strength is simply terrifying! And he is only eighteen years old!"

Su Xinghe stood frozen, staring blankly at Lu Xingchen.

The absolute limit of his imagination had only extended to Lu Xingchen wearing Li Mi down through sheer abundant vitality.

He never expected the battle to be resolved in just two moves!

Wasn't this efficiency a bit too absurd?

Lu Xingchen walked up to Su Xinghe with a smile and said, "Country Lord Su, I have won. May I now mobilize the troops?"

It took a good while for Su Xinghe to snap back to reality. He spoke in a deep voice, "A bet is a bet. I will immediately assemble the army and hand them over to Young Friend Lu. I only hope Young Friend Lu can truly succeed in winning this war!"

Lu Xingchen chuckled softly, "In that case, I shall await the good news. The Great Dayan Kingdom still has many matters requiring my attention, so this junior will take his leave first. Please have Country Lord Su dispatch the troops as soon as possible and gather them at the Great Dayan royal city; my old man understands warfare much better than I do."

Su Xinghe nodded heavily.

"Understood!"

Without any further delay, Lu Xingchen summoned the Nether Dragon, leaped onto its back alongside Yun Li, and man and beast soared back toward the Great Dayan Kingdom.

Upon the dragon's back, Yun Li gazed at Lu Xingchen with eyes full of shock.

"Lu Xingchen, why do I feel like you've grown even stronger?"

"Taking down a Fifth-Star Grand Martial Artist in two moves is simply too awesome."

"If I don't lift my seal, with my current strength, I'm afraid I wouldn't be your match either."

Lu Xingchen smiled lightly, "It was merely a stroke of luck. Miss Yun Li, please continue teaching me your other archery techniques."

Yun Li nodded slightly.

"Silent Arrow is merely the entry level. I possess many advanced archery techniques here. Such as Continuous Arrows, Volley Arrows, Twisted-String Arrows, and Homing Arrows—you still have much to learn."

Hearing this, joy surged within Lu Xingchen's heart.

Meeting Yun Li was truly his good fortune; not only was she reasonable, but she was also willing to instruct and assist him.

In an instant, Lu Xingchen's favorable impression of Yun Li increased significantly.

"Very well, let's take it step by step; no need to rush!"