Chapter 75 - War Preparations Part 2

"Yes. They certainly did, based on my covert explorations there," Lu Feng nodded.

"I don't like this. Their new leader must have some connection to the ancient civilizations. According to the chief I met in Spirit Road, there are rare cases that a soul is able to remember the memories of its past lives. Either that, or this Hyperion ventured into the Spirit Road and was told of his or her past life," Shu said.

"The former is highly unlikely," Lu Feng shook his head. "However, the latter might be true. If it is, it must be a half-breed Hyperion and a traitor to its other half's race. Our goal is to venture into a hidden ruin I found that the Hyperion have not. One the way, we will conquer and establish a base in a ruined fortress they use to make their experiments. This expedition is extremely important for our Yan Dynasty, as a whole. Our Lu Clan is not really affected as we could simply kill them all."

"The moment we conquer the fortress is when I am relieved of my duties and when we explore the lands and ruins?" Shu asked.

"Yes. That is correct," Lu Feng said. "That is when we no longer need the army. It will get more dangerous from there. The weaker people will explore the ruin I told you about: the hidden one. Your main goal is to find anything I missed as I skimmed over it and destroyed some of the dangers a Spirit Shaman, and mage equivalent, could not survive.. Those of us above the Spirit Shaman tier, besides your two friends, are responsible for searching another ruin, one heavily guarded and recently found by the Hyperion. They must be trying to find something there."

"What about the other expedition? The one with elder brother, Lu Xing?" Shu asked.

"His expedition is in the northern lands and a joint military campaign with the Jakkom Empire. It is led by the magical beast Spirit Sage: Light. He'll survive. He's an Arch Mage. Unless it is a Spirit Master and mage equivalent, he will survive," Lu Feng waved. "It is time for you to meet the other eight generals. Your Tiger Army is the ninth army. Some generals will try to test your power. Try not to kill any of them. Some of them are more experienced in battle than you. It is time to reveal the Sentinel Bow to the World. It will symbolize your army's might and is a Divine Weapon."

"We greet the honorable ancestor!" Thousands of men and women bowed as Lu Feng and Lu Shu appeared. "Long live Ancestor Lu Feng. Long live Prince Lu Shu. The Yan Dynasty reigns eternal!"

All eyes stared at the two people standing on the steps before the main pavilion that housed the throne. Those two figures standing atop were like gods descending in front of men. Lu Feng had changed into a simple white robe with gold collars and cuffs. Every step he made floor the earth beneath him. The young man next to him gave off a cold and oppressive atmosphere. Due to constantly bathing in poison and training in darkness, Lu Shu's body seemed to drain the light into his body, darkness permeating from his body like an aura. He wore shining black armor with a tiger's skull on the front.

This same armor was his Black Snake God armor that Lu Feng changed, with the held of the Great Ancestor. It was now the Black Tiger God Armor, made of metal with tiger skull as the Great Ancestor tampered with it and improved upon it. Only Lu Yi, Lu Shu, and Lu Feng knew the Great Ancestor left the Yan Dynasty, taking his five best Spirit Sages and wife with him. While changing the armor, it was the last time they saw the Great Ancestor. No doubt, he had already arrived at the Realm Gates and met with the Keeper of the Gate.

"By my power, Lu Shu is the ninth general of this expedition. Henceforth, he will be a general of ten thousand and the army will be known as the Tiger Army. Any general who wishes to challenge him, to see his worth, come forth. Clear the central plaza!" Lu Feng roared.

As the plaza cleared, a middle-aged general stepped forward, saying, "I, General Sun Zhong of the Sword Army, wish to challenge Second Prince Lu Shu! I must test his worth!"

Soldiers and guests buzzed as they saw the middle-aged man stand in the center of the plaza. He was a renown general in the west, fighting other nations that wished to conquer the Yan Dynasty. All eyes then turned to Lu Shu, snowflakes appearing and disappearing from his silver headband. Lu Shu nonchalantly walked to the center of the plaza, gesturing the general to begin.

"You will not draw your sword?" the general asked.

"My sword appears only when I need to kill," Shu said as an emerald sword made of spirit energy appeared in his right hand. "This will suffice. Do not think it can't block your Practitioner weapon. I cultivate on the path of Sword Immortals."

"WHAT!" a lot of people shouted, clearly disturbed by the news. Seeing the spirit sword, they knew he must have reached the tenth stage, but they could not sense his power. Right now, they could not sense any spirit energy in his body. It was as if Lu Shu was an ordinary mortal with no mana and no spirit energy.

"You're hiding your power. Allow me to reveal it!" Sun Zhong roared as huge spear appeared in his hand. It had a golden shaft with a white dragon's head at the top, the spear head emerging from its open mouth as if the dragon attempted to swallow it from behind. "You may be at the tenth stage, but I have killed countless people!"

"As many as me?" Shu asked, people crying out as a aura of blood appeared around him. This was his killing intent. When Shu accepted the truth of his past, his whole body and manner changed, accepting the fact that he was responsible for so many deaths and embracing it to become stronger.

"Blood aura?" one of the mages gasped as the people who were to be led by Lu Feng were above the Spirit Shaman tier.

"Before, it was a violet, baleful aura. It was an aura of killers. Why did it change?" one of the Practitioners asked.

"The second prince has embraced it. It's similar to cultivating death energy. However, this aura does not give an oppressive feeling," Li Jang, Jiro's uncle, answered. "This is the aura of a true Archon who has slaughtered millions and embraced his ruthless nature. Death energy fuels his power. The more he kills, the more powerful he becomes. It is another reason true Archons are feared. Other people might have auras that instill fear and pressure, but ours do not. It empowers us instead of acting as an utility."

"You must be a true Archon of the ancient clans," one of them noted.

"I am a mere Fiend Adept, not even considered an ant in front of Ancestor Lu Feng," Li Jang nodded. "Although I am not the most powerful guest here. I may equal a Spirit Sage of lower stages, but one woman is above and beyond them and me."

"Little Jang, I hope you are not talking about me?" a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties smiled. "Eternal youth is hard to come by. I am a Fiend Immortal, but even I am nothing to Ancestor Lu Feng. Not to mention, the honorable ancestor claims to be the weakest of the Yan Dynasty's five Spirit Sages."

"Granny Miko," Ken said, shrinking back as he called her that. "I mean Aunt Miko. Please, let us enjoy the show."

"A fake Archon challenging a true Archon. I see no point here. I can only hope his experience makes us see his totem," Miko said as they all stared at the plaza.

General Sun Zhong appeared to have finished making his preparations, covering his spear with fire as he reinforced his armor with spirit energy. Shu told Hao to stand by Lu Feng as he told the Holy Spirit Beast he had no aims to kill the general. By the time the general had finished his preparations, the smell of blood filled the plaza and some people believed they could taste it if they approached Shu's blood aura.

"Time to test your worth!" the general roared, sprinting toward Shu. Shu narrowed his eyes as he deflected the spear head with the side of his sword. Due to successfully parrying the spear, the general was knocked off balance and Shu grabbed the spear, kicking the general's head as he leapt over it with the spear in his hand. The general shook his head and blocked the sword stroke that was aimed at his chest, grunting as he took eight steps back as his arms numbed.

"What strength!" the soldiers cried.

"Worthy to be our general. As expected of the main clan," one of the soldiers wearing black and orange armor commented. In the plaza, only the captains and lieutenants of the generals were there as there was no way to fit so many men. However, the guests who would follow Lu Feng had all gathered, standing on the walls and buildings at the sides and back of the plaza. Many soldiers felt unease seeing so many outsiders present as they watched the prince and general fight.

General Sun Zhong refused to give up and kept fighting Lu Shu, occasionally stepping back so as to keep out of Shu's range while taking advantage of the spear's longer reach. Shu narrowed his eyes and his spirit sword changed to a sword five feet long, but was practically weightless in his hands. The general cried out due to the sudden change and relied on the flexibility of the spear to negate some of the more powerful blows of the large sword.

Sun Zhong cried out, swords of fire appearing around him. As he held the spear with his right hand, he pointed at Shu. The swords of fire flew in his direction and Shu merely waved his hands, freezing the fire into blocks of ice. Everyone shuddered as they saw flame-shaped ice land and crack on the floor. How cold was Shu's ice to easily freeze moving fire swords? Shu seemed to pause, enviously staring at the flame shaped ice as he recalled his lost ability.

"I....I have lost," General Sun Zhong said grudgingly. "His control over water surpasses my fire, even freezing it so easily. His sword techniques are also solid with such tyrannical; strength. Having an army follow a strong Practitioner of the immortal paths, the prince is worthy."

"Thank you for your guidance," Shu said, his spirit sword disappearing. "However, my true capabilities, as a general, lies on the field and not my own combat prowess."

"Wise words," Lu Feng laughed as all eyes turned to him. "I hope all the generals accept that Lu Shu can fight well. I hope you judge how he is, as a general, and teach him some pointers during the expedition. We will now head to the rest of the troops to finish our preparations. Great General Meng Ce should be arriving at sunset. At dawn, we move to conquer the Hyperion lands!"

"Yes, Ancestor Lu Feng!" the generals said, bowing to the prince before leaving with their men.

"Don't brood on the Li Clan. My father abandoned you. He has no right to tell you anything," Li Jang said. "Advise Lu Shu well."

"Yes, uncle," Jiro said as he walked to Shu who was heading to his army's quarters with his captains and lieutenants behind him.

"Make the Matsuda Clan proud," Miko said, Ken bowing as he also followed Shu.

"He will be fine," Lu Feng said as he entered the throne room, Lu Yi brooding on his throne. "He was trained by me. It is only after the lab is conquered, will Shu be in danger."

"I know. I just can't help but think about Xing's report. According to the intel, the Hyperion are trying to find a map to the ancient tree of legend. Those bastards still aim to revive their god and ancestor, Malikutai the Divine," Lu Yi growled.

"No one knows, but us, that Lu SHu has the map they seek. It is safe within Spook," Lu Feng said. "Not even Lu Shu knows we know. However, I confirmed Meng Ce's suspicions. When that Li Jiro arrived, three months ago, he had the same bead as Lu Shu albeit not a vermillion wing within. According to a text I found, the Hyperion need a specific Practitioner weapon, mage staff, a map, a magical beast core of a Spirit Beast, and the five beads. Lu Shu has three items they need. Once they find out about Lu Shu...."

"They will stop at nothing to rip out his first spirit reactor and steal the bead and necklace," Lu Yi nodded. "However, no one can rip out a Mystic Stone, or Mystic Crystal, and loot it. As far as I know, only Lu Shu is capable of such a feat."

"They don't really need to rip it out. They just need to find out what type of Spirit Beast core the first spirit reactor uses," Lu Feng answered. "Lucky for us, it is a Chaos Spirit Beast core. They are much harder to find. After all, three of the ancient clans cultivate the Devil Immortal path. It is obvious they capture and hoard them all."

"Please watch over him, Ancestor Feng. Lu Shu died once. I don't want this Lu Shu to die as well," Lu Yi said.

"You're not bothered he is another spirit?" Lu Feng grinned.

"The first Lu Shu was weak and a coward. This one is an improvement, one granted by the Heavens. How else would it escape a Keeper of the Dead?" Lu Yi laughed. "Thanks to Spook, we know what and who he is, as it assimilated his memories. Watch over him. Before the Great Ancestor finished making the improved Black Tiger God armor, he told me a Keeper of the Dead is on its way to visit Lu Shu. Apparently, Lu Shu did something again. Either that, or it comes to warn him of something."

"Only the dead can see them. Pity," Lu Feng laughed. "Don't worry about Shu. If that Lu Xing's future reports have something interesting, tell me via the sentient rings we wear."

"Don't forget to introduce Lu Shu to his marriage prospects tonight," Lu Yi called as Lu Feng left. "I hope Lu Shu finds one of them attractive. He better not be like Lu Xing, sleeping with his maids nonchalantly. Once Lu Rong finds out he impregnated two of them.....fuck me. Maybe I should not have assigned them to attend to him on the expedition."