Chapter 45: Three Cavalry Units
Meeting the black-clad girl's gaze, He Ming suddenly calmed down, his mood becoming much lighter, and he even smiled faintly.
But his right hand remained raised in the air, ready at any moment to clench into a powerful fist, signaling the two thousand Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry to launch their attack.
The black-clad girl shifted her gaze, looking at the somewhat chaotic cavalrymen. As if thinking of something, her brow furrowed slightly.
A wind rose, and her figure vanished.
The remaining wind once again swept up the dust and smoke from the ruined Moshan Mountain, drifting toward the cavalrymen.
Those dust clouds were scattered extremely thin by the wind, completely formless.
Suddenly, countless milky-white rays of light pierced through, illuminating the dust and smoke until it resembled white sand.
Those rays of light, carrying a sacred aura, came from the bows and arrows in the cavalrymen's hands.
Compared to the giant divine crossbows hidden deep within the formation, these Holy Light Arrows were the most terrifying weapon of the Xuanjia Cavalry.
Had the black-clad girl chosen to leave because she sensed the presence of the Holy Light Arrows?
A deputy general walked up beside He Ming, looking in the direction the girl had disappeared, his hand on his sword hilt, and said, "Quick to sense danger."
There was a clear note of unwillingness in his voice.
That black-clad girl had appeared too suddenly and descended too quickly. Neither the true experts among the Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry nor the formation masters had time to react.
In this deputy general's view, if the black-clad girl had left just a little slower, or if a similar situation occurred again, the Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry would definitely have a chance to keep her there.
Even though that black-clad girl had displayed such terrifying destructive power.
He Ming looked at the direction where the black-clad girl had vanished and said nothing.
He disagreed with this deputy general's view.
The Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry had roamed the world undefeated, naturally possessing means to deal with such experts. Even if they faced a Divine Realm expert today, he was still confident he could stall for time. But the problem was, if his guess was correct, that black-clad girl just now was not an ordinary expert—she was a dragon...
"What? That was a dragon?"
After hearing General He Ming's words, the deputy general and several nearby officers were shocked speechless.
He Ming's voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "Yes, and it should be a Frost Dragon."
The deputy general was even more shocked, then fell silent, instinctively scratching his head.
If the black-clad girl was truly such an existence, then her retreat was no longer fear, but mercy...
Yes, from the very beginning, when she landed on the peak of Moshan instead of directly attacking the Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry, it should have been guessable—if she had let the Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry enter Moshan first before launching her attack, combined with her innate pressure on the Dragon Steed horses, even if the Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry weren't completely annihilated, they would surely have suffered unbearable heavy losses.
Since ancient times, what countered the Xuanjia Cavalry the most was not those Divine Realm experts who rode clouds and never touched the ground, but the Dragon Clan.
It was said that a thousand years ago, when Emperor Taizong created the Xuanjia Cavalry, he had specifically designed and trained them on how to counter attacks from Dragon Clan experts.
Later, because of that Starry Sky Pact, the Dragon Clan never set foot on the continent again. The world gradually forgot those terrifying high-level beings. The Xuanjia Cavalry had also developed to its fourth generation, and the training they had once received, along with those designed methods, had long been lost in some dusty archive of the military.
An officer suddenly came to his senses and said, "The Dragon Clan actually came to the continent. Aren't they afraid of being jointly killed by the Divine Realm experts?"
"The Divine Realm experts today all have their own agendas. How could they unite to enforce that pact?"
General He Ming said, "Moreover, when both sides concluded the pact back then, they all forgot about her existence, so her name isn't on it."
The deputy general asked, "Who exactly is that black-clad girl?"
"You should have already guessed. She is His Holiness the Pope's Dragon Envoy."
He Ming was silent for a moment, then said, "In other words, the forbidden existence from the Imperial Palace back then."
With Queen Tianhai's return to the Starry Sea, many secrets from the past were gradually being revealed in the sunlight, naturally including the legend of the Black Dragon.
The ground of the wilderness kept rising and falling, looking like still wheat waves. The Xuanjia Heavy Cavalry stood among them, making no sound.
Suddenly, He Ming revealed a self-mocking smile, but his eyes became firm. He said, "Form the Peerless Turbid Wave Formation."
The Xuanjia Cavalry, known for their strict discipline, showed some unusual behavior at this moment.
Staff officers looked at him with strange expressions, not immediately passing down the military order.
Because what General He Ming had said was the Peerless Turbid Wave Formation.
This formation was known for its solidity and stability, most suitable for regrouping and slaughtering.
Under the premise that Moshan had been destroyed and morale was shaken, General He Ming's arrangement actually made a lot of sense.
The problem was, the movement speed of the Peerless Turbid Wave Formation... was really slow.
If they advanced with this formation, by the time dusk dyed the sky red, they still wouldn't have reached the Heavenly Book Mausoleum. What would be the point?
The deputy general looked at General He Ming, wanting to raise his objection, but suddenly thought of something. His face turned pale, and he said nothing.
...
...
When Moshan Mountain was blasted into a half-ruined cliff, the entire capital felt it.
The mansions on both sides of the Luo River shook continuously. No houses collapsed, but countless dust particles rose from the beams and the ground, making the whole world somewhat hazy.
The intricate patterns carved on the stone pillars became somewhat blurry. That room once filled with plum blossoms was already shrouded in dust.
Many branches of the maple grove outside the Holy Office building had broken off, seemingly piled messily on the street. But if one looked closely, traces of a formation could be seen within.
Those maple branches, along with the formation hidden among them, blocked the group of black-clad cavalry directly under the Holy Office.
Because of the Grand Examination, the three Red Cardinals and priests of the Holy Office had entered the Green Leaf World and were now held in the arms of a black-clad girl.
At this moment, the Holy Office had absolutely no power to resist the will of the Divine Temple.
In the shortest possible time, the Divine Temple cavalry completed the occupation of this famous building.
The Holy Office cavalry outside the maple grove, with some helplessness and some relief, put down their weapons.
...
...
The Holy Office was the stronghold of the old faction of the state religion, governing the famous Six Ivy Academies, but now the only one that truly needed to be dealt with was the Heavenly Dao Academy.
At the same time, the Heavenly Dao Academy was also the most troublesome place.
Because of Mao Qiuyu's relationship, and also because of the Heavenly Dao Academy's reputation, the Divine Temple could not choose to storm it.
King Linghai leaned forward slightly, staring at the teachers and students inside the Heavenly Dao Academy who all had resolute expressions on their faces, a look of disgust on his own.
Back then, he had been valued by both His Holiness the Pope and Queen Tianhai precisely because he was never naive, even when he was still a youth.
What he hated most in his life was so-called naivety, passion, and fervor. But he knew these traits were troublesome because they directly pointed to the word sacrifice.
He certainly didn't care if these teachers and students of the Heavenly Dao Academy turned into countless corpses.
The problem was, this would affect His Holiness the Pope's prestige, and even more so, it would affect the relationship between Mao Qiuyu and the Divine Temple.
Clearly, Zhuang Zhihuan was very aware of this, so even after learning about the commotion at the Holy Office, he still refused to surrender.
He hoped that these young students in the Heavenly Dao Academy, full of ideals and willing to sacrifice, could help him hold out until good news came from the Heavenly Book Mausoleum.
King Linghai glanced at the old Taoist beside him and said, "You are also the vice dean. Why won't any students listen to you?"
This old Taoist was Tree Heart Daoist. He sighed and didn't respond.
Back then, Mao Qiuyu was in seclusion breaking through realms within the Divine Temple, personally guarded by his junior brother Zhuang Zhihuan, while the Heavenly Dao Academy was managed by Tree Heart Daoist.
King Linghai, who had proposed this arrangement, had hoped that Tree Heart Daoist could use this time to strengthen his control over the Heavenly Dao Academy, preparing for today.
Who would have thought that Zhuang Zhihuan's prestige within the Heavenly Dao Academy was so high.
The young students' curses grew louder and louder.
King Linghai's face grew darker and darker. He said, "Count down from five, then prepare to kill."
Tree Heart Daoist was shocked upon hearing this and earnestly advised, "Absolutely not!"
King Linghai ignored him.
With a clear metallic scraping sound, the state religion cavalry slowly drew their holy swords, radiating a sacred glow.
The black-clad executors of the Heavenly Judgment Hall, like dozens of ghosts, silently infiltrated toward the Heavenly Dao Academy.