The Art of Chaotic Divinity

Chapter 635: The Lieyang Cavalry Battalion!

Chapter 635: The Lieyang Cavalry Battalion!

The evening sun was sinking, casting the last rays of light on a long official road, giving it a gilded glow.

In the distance, a long convoy of horses slowly approached the imposing walls of the imperial capital.

At the front of the convoy, a banner was held high. It was the Black Sun Radiance Flag!

This insignia was none other than the royal banner of the Tianyang Empire, indicating that this convoy was the envoy delegation from the Tianyang Empire.

There were about three hundred elite soldiers accompanying the group. According to the diplomatic agreement between the two nations, the envoy delegation could not exceed a thousand members. This group of three hundred soldiers was within the stipulated limit.

Leading the procession was a general clad in Scorching Sun battle armor, riding a tall steed with a demonic beast bloodline. He led the envoy delegation forward slowly.

As the convoy neared the imperial capital, a squad of soldiers dressed in black armor appeared at both the front and rear. These were troops from the Tianbai Empire's Black-Armored Cavalry, ostensibly there to escort the envoy delegation, but with a clear undertone of surveillance as well.

"Open the gates!"

When the envoy delegation was about a hundred meters from the city gate, the officer stationed on the wall ordered the gates to be opened, allowing the Tianyang Empire's envoy delegation to pass through.

Decades ago, the Tianbai Empire had suffered significant losses after a great war against the Northern Demon Domain. Taking advantage of Tianbai's weakened state, the Tianyang Empire encroached on their northwest borders. In a bid to maintain stability, the Tianbai Empire was forced to sign unequal treaties with Tianyang, even ceding several cities along their northwest frontier.

Although the Tianbai Empire had spent over a decade recovering, Tianyang continued to act like a superior nation, constantly oppressing Tianbai.

This time, the pretext for dispatching troops was the matter of Nangong Yin. Seemingly, it was to rescue Nangong Yin, but in truth, Tianyang was simply using it as an excuse to demand compensation from Tianbai once more.

Tianyang's behavior was nothing short of predatory!

"Lieyang Cavalry Battalion!"

An elderly man with white hair and beard, clad in armor with an eagle spreading its wings emblazoned on his chest, stood atop the city wall.

This old man was none other than the empire's Ascendant Eagle General, Deng Xian.

At that moment, he was the only high-ranking general still stationed in the imperial capital.

Deng Xian clenched his fist slightly. His Eagle Ascendant Army had fought bitterly against the Lieyang Cavalry Battalion on several occasions. The middle-aged general leading the envoy was someone he knew all too well.

Xiahou Lie!

At the age of thirty, Xiahou Lie joined the Lieyang Cavalry Battalion. In just five years, he rose from chiliarch to general, reaching the peak of king-tier strength!

"For the Tianyang royal family to send Xiahou Lie, they clearly have no good intentions. Though young, this man is as ambitious as a wolf. He must be guarded against."

Deng Xian stroked his long beard and turned to his adjutant. "Who did the Cangqiong Sect send to receive them?"

"General, the Cangqiong Sect seems to have sent their second young master, Yue Tengfeng, and Elder Wen to handle the reception."

"Yue Tengfeng, is it?"

A faint smile appeared on Deng Xian's face. "Among the three sons of the Yue family, it seems only Yue Tengfeng has made something of himself. Has Sect Leader Yue finally decided to let his son experience the real world?"

Yue Tengfeng, despite his young age, had chosen to go straight to the harsh conditions of the Northwestern Army, where he fought for his life. As a result, the older generation of generals held him in high regard.

In contrast, his brothers, Yue Chengjie and Yue Tianqun, were nothing more than typical spoiled sons with no talent or skills, completely unworthy of the old generals' respect.

Rumble!

The massive city gate slowly lifted, and the Tianyang Empire's convoy entered the city in an orderly fashion.

Deng Xian frowned slightly. Seeing that no one from the Cangqiong Sect had arrived yet, he decided to descend from the city wall to personally receive the envoys.

After all, on the surface, Tianyang was considered the superior nation and couldn't be treated with negligence.

Just then, a group of people approached from behind the city wall. Leading them were Yue Tengfeng and Wen Tingguang.

"Finally, they've arrived."

Deng Xian stroked his beard. Suddenly, his gaze fell on a familiar face among the crowd, and his pupils shrank.

"Why is that boy here?"

Deng Xian was shocked. How come this kid is here!?

The young man who had startled General Deng was none other than Ling Feng.

As soon as Wen Tingguang received word that the envoy delegation from the Tianyang Empire was about to enter the city, he rushed to find Ling Feng, which explained why they had arrived slightly later.

Of course, behind Ling Feng was Tuoba Yan, disguised as a man and blending into the crowd.

Even though Tuoba Yan had dressed up as a maid, her beauty was too striking, so they had to give her a large fake beard to somewhat conceal her stunning appearance.

"Elder Wen, Second Young Master!"

Deng Xian clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute and said, "The Tianyang envoys have already arrived at the city gates. You'd best hurry to receive them."

"Very well. Sorry you for the trouble, General."

Wen Tingguang quickly returned the salute. Although he held a high position in the divine guardian sect, he was still a few ranks below General Deng.

"It is an honor that General Deng remembers me," Yue Tengfeng said with a respectful bow. Despite holding the rank of Zhengyuan General, he was still considered a junior to Deng Xian, so he had to humble himself.

"You're not bad, kid."

Deng Xian nodded with a smile, and then led the group down the city wall to greet the envoys from the Tianyang Empire.

As they descended, Deng Xian cast several curious glances at Ling Feng, silently wondering to himself, since when did this boy become part of Cangqiong Sect?

Ling Feng could only smile wryly to himself; explaining the full story behind his involvement would take quite some time.

"Neigh!"

The lead horse whinnied loudly.

Xiahou Lie jumped down and squinted as he took in the sight of the grand city before him.

One day, my Lieyang Cavalry Battalion will trample this city beneath our iron hooves!

Perhaps due to his early success, Xiahou Lie, a fierce proponent of war in the Tianyang Empire, harbored ambitions of conquering the surrounding empires.

Standing next to the envoy delegation was Liu Hongzhang, ever the sycophant. He wore a broad smile, seeming to have entirely forgotten that he was an elder of the divine guardian sect!

"Elder Liu, why isn't your sect leader personally here to greet us? Or is it that I, General Xiahou, am not worthy of such an honor?"

Xiahou Lie glanced disdainfully at Liu Hongzhang. To him, spineless men like Liu were no better than stray dogs.

"Uh..." Liu Hongzhang's expression changed slightly, but he quickly forced a smile. "The sect leader is in seclusion, unable to come in person. We apologize for not meeting you sooner."

"General Xiahou, allow me to receive you on behalf of our empire. Surely that's not too much of an insult?"

At that moment, Deng Xian's voice echoed from a distance. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Xiahou Lie, his aura clashing with the general's.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Xiahou Lie staggered back three steps, his eyes narrowing as he stared at Deng Xian. He then cupped his fists in respect. "So it's the renowned General Deng! I've long heard of your fame. Sadly, with new talent rising in every generation, I fear that in a few years, your name may be forgotten. For a grand general to be relegated to a mere city guard, that's not a bad retirement. Haha..."

Xiahou Lie's words were filled with veiled mockery, clearly implying that Deng Xian was old and had been reduced to guarding the imperial capital in his twilight years.