Martial Cultivator

The further up north, the heavier the snowfall. The scenery of the Northern Frontier was most magnificent during this cold winter season. The vast expanse of white snow and the howling blizzards were awe-inspiring; a testament to the power of nature. This grandeur could make one feel small and insignificant, for no matter how powerful humans became, they could never create such scenes.

In the face of the vastness of heaven and earth, humans were like fleeting visitors. Generations came and went in a hurry, while the world remained unchanged, eternal as always.

Chen Chao lowered his head and glanced at the ground. The heavy snow accumulation already reached the calves of the horses. He recalled the last time he saw such heavy snow, it was during the winter of the thirteenth year of Tianjian in Wei Prefecture. That unprecedented snowstorm claimed many lives in Wei Prefecture due to the extreme cold. The snow before him now was an annual sight in the Northern Frontier, highlighting the harshness of life for the people living there.

Along the journey, they encountered few demons, most of them of low cultivation realm. The thousand soldiers under Xu Sheng's command handled them without much difficulty. The soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army were all martial artists. Although their ranks varied, they were genuine cultivators. Without this strength, they couldn't possibly stand against the demon clans.

Chen Chao had not drawn his saber during this period. Since its reforging, he had yet to truly unsheathe it.

Before leaving Sword Qi Mountain, he had learned about the concept of nurturing intent among sword cultivators. Here, intent referred to sword intent. Sword cultivators would keep their flying swords sheathed, nurturing their sword intent to the extreme. When they finally unsheathed their swords, it would result in an incredibly powerful strike. Although Chen Chao was not a sword cultivator, he wanted to apply this concept to his saber. He sought guidance for a long time, but Sword Qi Mountain could not offer much help. After all, they specialized in sword forging, and there were many differences compared to actual sword cultivators. The most profound methods of nurturing intent were likely closely guarded secrets of the Sword Sect, and Chen Chao never thought to ask for them. In the world of cultivators, each sect had its own unique and precious techniques, rarely shared with outsiders. Most would cherish their secrets and not easily share them with others. Sectarianism had existed since ancient times, and it was one of the reasons why no cultivator had ever been able to master all the various schools of thought.

Of course, the inherent barriers in cultivation were another reason.

Chen Chao reached out to brush the snow off the mane of the black horse in front of him. Then he looked at Xu Sheng and smiled, "General Xu, there's something I'd like to ask you."

Xu Sheng had just finished shaking the snow off his own body. Hearing this, he smiled and said without hesitation, "Commander Chen, if you have something to ask, please go ahead. This Xu will certainly tell you everything I know."c

Chen Chao smiled and asked softly, "I've heard there are quite a few young, talented generals in the Northern Frontier Army. Could you tell me about some of them?"

Xu Sheng was taken aback but then gave a bitter smile. "This Xu has only managed to become a deputy commander at Greenfield Camp after all these years, and this was thanks to General Xu's support. I can't easily comment on those young talents destined to hold high positions in the Northern Frontier Army. But since Commander Chen wants to know, this Xu will try to tell you?"

Chen Chao nodded, "Just a casual conversation, neither will take it seriously."

Xu Sheng laughed heartily, "Right, indeed."

After laughing, Xu Sheng was silent for a moment before he said softly, "Let's start with Gao Xuan. He comes from a humble background, much like us. But he seems to be a natural-born general and commander. The former Great General recognized his talent early on. He never sought power and served as a deputy to another young general for many years. While he had some reputation in the army, it wasn't notable. This Xu happened to read a military book he wrote, 'Essentials of Military Strategy.' After reading it, this Xu was truly astonished. At such a young age, he had already reached such a high level of military strategy. Even across the past dynasties, it could be counted on one hand. This Xu even believes he'll become the next Great General one day. Now that the Lord Warden Commander has taken over as the Great General of the Northern Frontier, he has given Gao Xuan command of a cavalry unit. Gao Xuan has won several brilliant victories on the Northern Frontier Plains with low casualties. It's truly admirable. To be honest, if you allow this Xu to speak frankly, if this Xu could serve as his deputy, I'd do so without any complaints even if it's for life."

Chen Chao smiled and said, "It seems General Xu truly admires this young general."

Xu Sheng nodded. "In this Xu's lifetime, I've only admired one kind of person: those with real abilities. Gao Xuan is one, and so is Commander Chen."

Chen Chao waved his hand helplessly. "We're just chatting. General Xu, why did you start flattering again?"

"It's all heartfelt words, Commander Chen. Please don't misunderstand," Xu Sheng said earnestly, and his expression looked genuinely sincere.

Chen Chao was not in a hurry to speak.

"These two aren't originally from the Northern Frontier Army's military families. Despite their outstanding performance, they don't have as solid a foundation as several others. The number one powerhouse among the Northern Frontier Army's younger generation is Qi Yuanjia. The Qi Family has produced generals for generations in the Northern Frontier. Before the previous Great General, the position was held by Great General Qi Tianhua from the Qi Family. Although Qi Tianhua died in battle in the Northern Frontier and his successor wasn't from the Qi Family, the Qi Family's influence is deeply entrenched in the army, earning them the title of the number one military family in the Northern Frontier. Even as a youth, Qi Yuanjia was well-versed in military strategy. Due to his family background, he began leading troops independently at sixteen. Initially, he faced considerable skepticism, but he quelled it with a series of victories. Now, he is a rising star in the Northern Frontier. When the former Great General was still in charge, he held Qi Yuanjia in high regard. By the way, I've heard that Qi Yuanjia recently broke through the Bitter Sea Realm and stepped into the Great Beyond. In terms of leading troops, he might be on par with Gao Xuan, but in sheer combat prowess, not even two Gao Xuans could match one Qi Yuanjia."

"The third top talent is closely related to Commander Chen, he's similarly from a military family in the Northern Frontier. Qiu Yulin, from the Qiu Family, is nicknamed 'Little Qilin.' His combat power is impressive, and he's the oldest among the youngsters. Incidentally, the Ning Chong that Commander Chen killed was his cousin."

Xu Sheng laughed and said, "If anyone in the Northern Frontier might make things difficult Commander Chen, it would probably be him."

Chen Chao asked, "What cultivation realm?"

"Coincidentally, Qiu Yulin was in closed-seclusion until recently. Just as General Xu's letter reached the Northern Frontier Great Wall, this young general emerged from seclusion, having reached the Great Beyond Realm."

Xu Sheng said with a smile. "This 'Little Qilin' is famous in the Northern Frontier Army for his valor. No one in the same realm wants to fight him. When he goes berserk, everyone finds him troublesome."

Chen Chao waved his hand and said, "No matter. He's not a Nepenthe powerhouse. A Great Beyond Realm, I'll fight each one that comes."

Xu Sheng praised, "Commander Chen is truly extraordinary. Such confidence is rare."

Chen Chao smiled helplessly and looked into the distance, murmuring softly, "A little qilin, huh?"

……

……

The team continued northward, stopping and starting for less than half a month before they could see the vast silhouette of the Northern Frontier Great Wall. In the midst of the wind and snow, this Northern Frontier Great Liang Dynasty which had guarded the Great Liang Dynasty for over two hundred years lay like a dormant dragon, lying silently in the snow.

Chen Chao pointed into the distance and said, "Is this the Great Wall that the demons have never crossed? How long is it?"

Xu Sheng laughed, "It's tens of thousands of miles long, with over a million armored soldiers. Key passes are heavily fortified with troops. Over the years, it has endured countless battles. As long as the Great Wall stands, the demon race cannot advance southward, and the people of Great Liang can live in peace."

Chen Chao was silent.

The team unconsciously halted, and even Wei Xu, who had been sitting in the carriage, stepped out to gaze at the vast Great Wall he had only read about in books.

Traveling ten thousand miles is better than reading ten thousand books.

Wei Xu looked at the Northern Frontier Great Wall's silhouette and recited softly:

"Demon calvary advances thrice in autumn, the clouds of the pass stretch ten thousand miles."

"Snow appears like dark sand, ice akin to Han moon's light."

"The tall watchtowers of silver stand, the Great Wall built of jade."

"The frontier soldiers' blood has drained, their names unknown to the world."

The Great Liang Dynasty, over its two hundred years, had a few scholars with a conscience who had spoken up for the Northern Frontier. The poem Wei Xu recited was recorded in an obscure history book hardly read by anyone at the academy.

Xu Sheng said with vicissitudes of emotion, "It's been a while since I've seen the Great Wall. I miss it dearly!"

Chen Chao raised his head, his gaze piercing through the wind and snow, stopping on the Great Wall. He said softly, "I can smell blood in the air."

Xu Sheng nodded and said softly, "For over two hundred years, countless Great Liang men have died here. It’s impossible to even count how many there have been."

Chen Chao was silent.

Xu Sheng lamented, "This Xu has thought about it. If I were to die here one day, I'd consider my life fulfilled."

Chen Chao shook his head and smiled, "There’s someone who certainly wouldn't think so. You all should at least die a bit further north, a little further north."

……

……

Xie Nandu was probably the last to leave the carriage. This genius girl from the academy lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out slowly. She then bent down to scoop a handful of snow from the ground before looking into the distance, toward the dragon-like silhouette in the storm.

Xie Nandu smiled and murmured, "So, this is the Northern Frontier Great Wall."