Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 239 [Looking Northwest, Shooting the Heavenly Wolf!]

Jiang Xingzhou still stood alone outside the city gate of Mizhou Prefecture, before the formation of a thousand iron cavalry.

Before him surged 90,000 wolf soldiers like a black tide, alongside the Snow Wolf King, whose demonic aura was overwhelming.

His blue robe billowed in the howling wind, but his gaze remained calm as a deep, still pool, fixed on the vast, earth-shattering tide of demonic troops, silently reciting in his heart:

"The final battle! It can finally begin!"

The next moment, his clear and firm voice suddenly soared to its peak, like a thunderclap from the heavens, carrying a majestic momentum that swept across the eight wastelands and six directions, cleansing away the demonic aura, as he recited the final, earth-shattering lines of this national treasure poem:

"I will draw my bow like a full moon, gaze northwest, and shoot the heavenly wolf—!"

When this final truth was uttered, the surging literary energy above the entire battlefield of Mizhou Prefecture seemed to have finally found its final destination and outlet, converging on Jiang Xingzhou with unprecedented frenzy!
He formed a hand seal and made a move in mid-air—the heavy black iron bow beside Xue Chonghu's saddle, which had accompanied him through half his life of battles and drunk the blood of barbarians, suddenly emitted a joyful clang, transformed into a streak of black light, pierced through the air, and landed steadily in Jiang Xingzhou's palm.

This bow was originally made of ordinary iron, but at this moment, it was imbued with the vast literary energy, becoming the supreme vessel that carried the final killing intent and the righteous spirit of heaven and earth in this national treasure poem!
"Boom--!"

The world suddenly lost its color, and the wind and clouds swirled upside down!

Above the sky, the originally powerful pillar of literary energy suddenly contracted and deformed, no longer just light, but frantically condensing and materializing at a speed visible to the naked eye—in the end, it transformed into a huge, unparalleled phantom of a carved bow that stretched across the sky and almost covered the entire battlefield!

The bow-shaped structure stretches horizontally, ancient and vigorous, with the sun, moon and stars carved on it constantly turning, and mountains, rivers and states appearing and disappearing, exuding a majestic majesty like the laws of heaven!
The bowstring, formed from pure and boundless literary energy, was being slowly pulled open by an invisible yet vast force, bending like a full moon!
A terrifying, destructive power, capable of shooting down stars, piercing the void, and causing all things to tremble, was rapidly gathering on the bowstring.

The arrows were not aimed at the ordinary wolf soldiers that swarmed across the mountains and plains like a tide, but rather at the core of the wolf army, ignoring all obstacles and locking onto the Snow Wolf Great Demon King of the Snow Wolf Kingdom, whose demonic aura soared to the sky and roared in fury!

The Qi is locked, and Heaven and Earth become a prison!
At this moment, the Snow Wolf King's silvery-white fur, as sharp as steel needles, stood on end. An unprecedented, deadly sense of crisis, originating from the depths of its soul, instantly pierced its demonic soul like a thousand feet of ice, forcibly suppressing its overwhelming rage at the loss of its cub!
It felt as if it was completely isolated and rejected by this world. No matter what kind of escape technique it used, which direction it fled to, or even if it tore through the void, it would have no chance of avoiding the destructive blow that was already on the verge of being delivered and contained the intent of the judgment of the heavens!
For the first time, an unbelievable look of terror appeared in its scarlet, savage wolf eyes!

"Roar! Protect the Emperor! Quickly, protect the Emperor!!"

The Snow Wolf King let out a roar filled with extreme shock and rage, and its boundless demonic energy erupted wildly, attempting to break through the ever-present and deeply entrenched lock of heaven and earth.

However, it's too late!

That resolute killing intent had transformed into a tangible storm, not only pinning the Snow Wolf King to the spot, but also sweeping across the entire 90,000-strong Wolf Kingdom army like an invisible tsunami!
Under the overwhelming killing intent that surpassed all living beings, countless fierce wolf soldiers instinctively went weak in the knees and trembled. Their originally ferocious charge suddenly stalled and obvious chaos ensued!

On and below the city walls, all the soldiers of the Great Zhou subconsciously held their breath, their hearts pounding like war drums, their eyes fixed on the giant bow that stretched across the sky and the phantom of the arrow on the bowstring, which was being frantically condensed from endless literary energy, battlefield aura and righteous killing intent, its light shining brightly enough to pierce the sky!

Jiang Xingzhou stood before the army, holding the black iron bow that was already humming incessantly. His posture and aura perfectly overlapped with the phantom of the giant bow in the sky. Man was the bow, and his will was the arrow!
His face was calm as still water, but his eyes were sharp as cold stars as he stared directly at the struggling demon king. He slowly uttered a single word, clear as a decree, echoing throughout the deathly silent battlefield:
"shoot."

"call out--!"

A clear, sharp sound, seemingly capable of piercing the soul, tore through the clamor of the battlefield!
In the sky, the giant bow of literary energy that stretched across the sky suddenly trembled and was abruptly released!

No physical arrow left the bowstring, but the illusory image of the arrow on the bowstring, which embodied all the killing intent of the entire poem "Jiang Cheng Zi: Hunting in Mizhou" and was empowered by the power of the Big Dipper, had already transformed into a shooting star!
A stream of light, composed purely of talent, righteousness, and starlight, instantly illuminated the dark twilight. With a speed beyond comprehension, it ignored the distance of ten miles and shot straight at the Snow Wolf King!
This arrow is an arrow from the poem, with a magnificent artistic conception, carrying the bravery of "personally shooting a tiger, like Sun Quan"!

This arrow was the arrow of his mind, a resolute belief, containing the grand ambition of "looking northwest and shooting the heavenly wolf"!

This is an arrow of certain death, which embodies the indomitable fighting spirit of all the soldiers in Mizhou, the noble spirit of a thousand years of literature and righteousness, and even the historical weight and destiny represented by the heroic spirit of Feng Tang!

When that destructive killing intent, which transcended ordinary power systems and seemed to come from the very heavens, completely locked onto him, the Snow Wolf King's massive, mountain-like body suddenly stiffened. A sense of horror originating from the deepest part of its bloodline erupted like a cold tide from the depths of the underworld, freezing its rage at the loss of its son and its hatred for the massacre of the city!
"This...how is this possible?!"

An absurd yet undeniably real thought, chilling to the bone, pierced its demonic soul like a poisonous thorn: "I am the Great Demon King of the Snow Wolf Kingdom! After a thousand years of arduous cultivation, my demonic power is boundless, far surpassing the mortal realm!"
Even if those great scholars from the human race were to come in person, with their literary treasures and righteous spirit, I am confident that even if I am no match for them, I can still manage to escape!
But Jiang Xingzhou... is merely a Hanlin Academician of the Human race! His literary rank is at most comparable to that of a Demon Marquis!
Between me and this king lies a chasm of two realms: Demon Marquis and Demon King! This is an insurmountable barrier!

The absolute suppression of realms was its greatest source of confidence in dominating the northern frontier and regarding human cities as worthless!
However, at this moment, when its gaze once again fell in terror upon that giant bow—that illusory bow, condensed from pure literary energy, resonating with the celestial brilliance, and radiating a majestic divine might as if acting on behalf of Heaven to punish—all common sense, all arrogance, and all wishful thinking were crushed in the face of reality, ultimately transforming into a deep-seated sense of powerlessness and… despair in the face of a higher level of power!
"A Poem to Protect the Nation..."

A low growl, filled with endless bitterness and overwhelming resentment, escaped from the depths of the Snow Wolf King's throat. The roar even carried a hint of desolation at the end of its rope. "...It's actually a national-level killing incantation!"

Having cultivated for a thousand years and stood atop the northern frontier, how could it not know the supreme meaning that the words "guardian of the nation" represent in the human race's culture and way?
That transcends the realm of ordinary talent and brilliance; it is a symbol that resonates with the rules of heaven and earth, and even gains the recognition and blessing of the glorious fortune of a human race! It is a product of the intertwining of literary power and the destiny of the race!
The power displayed by poetry and prose of this level is not strictly limited by the creator's own literary level. It carries the "momentum", the "fate", the will of hundreds of millions of people and the echo of history!

It possesses the terrifying power to reverse a national war, or even... determine the rise and fall of a nation!
"To put it another way, this... this is also a poem of national destruction!"

A colder, more terrifying realization, like a death knell tailor-made for it, resounded deep within the Snow Wolf King's demonic soul, shaking its very being.

If such a national-level power were to pour down, and its target were not an individual entity, but rather the very foundation of the Snow Wolf Kingdom's royal court, it would be enough to completely erase the legacy of a small demon kingdom from the map of the Northern Frontier!
Now, this power, enough to destroy a country, is condensed into a single arrow to kill a great demon king. It's simply... using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, an extreme extravagance, yet it seems so natural and irresistible in the face of absolute power!
It finally understood completely.

Why did Jiang Xingzhou dare to provoke them so brazenly with a thousand iron cavalry? Why did he dare to stand alone against the 90,000 wolf soldiers of the Snow Wolf Kingdom under the city of Mizhou?

The root of all this is not some young person's reckless adventure, nor is it a desperate gamble, but a meticulously planned trap from beginning to end, which accurately predicted its personality and reactions, and lured it into the trap step by step!

And it, the mighty ruler of the Snow Wolf Kingdom, the great demon king who struck fear into the hearts of the people of the northern frontier, actually foolishly and impatiently led the elite of the entire nation to rush in, willingly offering itself up to be slaughtered, becoming the most illustrious and indispensable... background and sacrifice in this national treasure poem that is destined to be sung for thousands of years and shine in the annals of history!

"I hate it!!"

The Snow Wolf King let out a final roar, filled with endless regret and overwhelming resentment. It went completely mad, burning its life essence with all its might, having exhausted its millennia of cultivation!

The immense demonic power surged forth like a burst dam, instantly forming dozens of thick, several-foot-long walls of mysterious ice that shimmered with a cold, eerie blue light in front of him. Furthermore, the pale, ancient wolf bone phantoms transformed into giant shields, and countless twisted, writhing blood-red runes intertwined to form a bizarre barrier of curses!
It tried to make a final struggle, even if it meant exhausting its foundation to block this fatal blow!
The several demon lords and more than a dozen wolf generals around it were even more furious, roaring and rushing forward desperately, using their bodies, demon cores and innate divine powers to form a barrier of flesh and demonic energy in front of the Snow Wolf King!
however--

"Pfft!" "Crack!" "Boom!"

All defenses—whether the indestructible ice, the ancient bone shields, the sinister blood curses, or the barriers formed by the sacrifices of the demon lords and wolf generals—were all like remnants of snow under the scorching sun, silently melting and shattering before this arrow of literary energy that embodied the destiny of "Shooting the Heavenly Wolf" and drew upon the killing power of the Big Dipper!
Where the arrow passes, the laws retreat, and all things return to nothingness!

That arrow, imbued with the will of the entire army, the weight of history, and the judgment of Heaven, had already transcended the boundaries of time and space. Ignoring all its defenses and struggles, it pierced with unparalleled precision and gentle yet irresistible force into the silver wolf mark between its brows, a mark symbolizing the power of a king.

"Pfft!"

A faint yet clear sound resonated deep within the souls of every living being on the battlefield.

Throughout the entire battlefield of Mizhou Prefecture, the sounds of wind, howls of wolves, and war drums seemed to be completely removed at this moment, and time seemed to freeze.

The Snow Wolf King's massive, mountain-like body stiffened abruptly, and its deafening roar abruptly ceased, as if an invisible giant hand had gripped its throat.

Its once scarlet wolf eyes, filled with savagery, ambition, and greed, were like candle flames blown out by the wind, instantly losing all their luster, leaving only boundless fear and an utterly absurd and unbelievable emptiness.

In the instant before his consciousness was completely dragged into eternal darkness, the Snow Wolf King's lingering thought was not hatred, but a profound realization that a single misstep had led to utter defeat:

“Jiang Xingzhou…you’ve been hiding this well…this poem…this murderous power that evokes the might of Heaven…it’s simply impossible…it was written on the spot…!”

"You had already prepared this scheme... just waiting for me to walk right into your trap... My defeat is not unjust..."

The next second—

"boom!!!"

A thunderous roar, not from the outside world but from the deepest part of the Snow Wolf King's body, suddenly erupted!

Its true form, which had been tempered over a thousand years and was incomparably powerful, seemed to have turned into a fragile shell, from which billions of pure and dazzling rays of literary energy burst forth!

This light contained the resolute will of "Shooting the Sky Wolf" and the power of the Big Dipper Star, like countless sharp swords piercing out from its body!

Under the horrified gazes of countless wolf soldiers and Zhou army soldiers both on and below the city walls, the Snow Wolf King's massive body, like an airbag stretched to its limit, suddenly exploded!
In an instant, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and broken bones scattered in all directions!

The originally overwhelming and suffocating demonic energy, like a fire without roots, instantly lost its core, dissipated with a mournful cry, and turned into wisps of black smoke, disappearing into the world.

The great demon king of the Snow Wolf Kingdom, who reigned supreme in the northern frontier for hundreds of years, ranked first among all demon kingdoms, and single-handedly ignited the raging war in Mizhou Prefecture, has died!

One arrow, and the demon king is dead!
The Snow Wolf King has fallen!

Its death was not only the end of the life of a powerful demon king in the northern frontier, but also meant that the strongest military force and spiritual pillar on which the Snow Wolf Kingdom depended for survival was abruptly interrupted by Jiang Xingzhou, a Hanlin scholar, with a brilliant and outstanding poem that protected the country, in the most powerful and undisputed way!

The power structure in northern Xinjiang, which has lasted for decades, will undergo a dramatic transformation starting today.

The sky over this land is truly about to change.

quiet!
Deathly silence!

Like an invisible tide, it instantly engulfed the entire bloody battlefield.

Whether it was the 90,000 wolf soldiers who had just roared and charged forward, the Great Zhou defenders who were fighting to the death on the city walls, or even the thousand iron cavalrymen behind Jiang Xingzhou who had long since disregarded life and death, all living beings were stunned into silence by this earth-shattering arrow that completely overturned their understanding and the course of the battle.

Only the wind swept across the wilderness, carrying the scent of gunpowder and blood, as if playing a silent lament for the fall of a great demon king.

The deathly silence lasted only a moment.

Immediately afterwards, like a volcano that had been suppressed to the extreme erupting, a deafening roar and shouts of madness resounded from the top of Mizhou City, almost shaking the entire sky!
"Minister Jiang is truly awe-inspiring!!"

The cry was filled with the trembling of someone who had survived a catastrophe, and even more so with boundless reverence for the person who had created the miracle!

"May Heaven bless the Great Zhou!!"

With tears welling up in their eyes, the defending soldiers channeled all their pent-up fear and despair into a roar that sounded like a sob, as if they were announcing the turning point in the nation's destiny to the world!

"Kill! Kill all these wolf cubs!!"

Without any orders, the flames of revenge and the determination to beat a drowning dog instantly ignited the hearts of every defending soldier!

In stark contrast to the surging morale on the city walls was the wolf army, which had lost its leader!
"The...the King is dead! The King was killed by an arrow!!"

Panic, like the deadliest plague, spread among the wolves at an unprecedented speed.

"Impossible! This is impossible!!"

You Yaohou tried to suppress it, but its voice was instantly drowned out by more desperate howls.

"Run! Run! That's the power to protect the nation, it's invincible!!"

Fear completely overwhelmed their ferocity, and the instinct for survival drove them forward.

The sudden death of the commander-in-chief symbolizes the collapse of an invincible belief, and the morale of the army crumbles in an instant!
The 90,000-strong wolf army, which had been so aggressive just moments before, seemingly ready to crush the city, instantly turned into a panicked mess, trampling each other in disarray!

In the center of the battlefield, Jiang Xingzhou slowly lowered the seemingly ordinary black iron bow in his hand.

His upright posture remained as firm as a pine tree, but his face showed a barely perceptible pallor, and fine beads of sweat even seeped from his forehead. Clearly, activating and unleashing the full power of this poem, "Jiang Cheng Zi: Hunting in Mizhou," especially the decisive "shooting the heavenly wolf" strike, had taken a tremendous toll on his literary energy and mental state.

However, when he raised his eyes and looked at the wolf pack that was collapsing like a receding tide and trampling on each other, his gaze remained calm as water and deep as an ancient well, as if this earth-shattering reversal caused by him had been expected all along.

The poem that protects the nation, "Jiang Cheng Zi: Hunting in Mizhou," is set today in this northern border city, against the backdrop of 90,000 wolf soldiers and with the fall of a great demon king as its footnote. One arrow decides the fate of the world!

Xue Chonghu felt his blood surging and boiling like a thawing river, and every pore on his body was trembling violently!

That wasn't fear, but the ecstatic joy of having one's power pushed to its limit, every muscle and bone yearning to explode! The black iron longsword in his hand, which had accompanied him in battle for many years, even sensed its master's surging fighting spirit and the literary and killing intent permeating the world, emitting a clear and stirring hum!

Wherever his sword pointed, the dark, imposing formation of 90,000 wolf soldiers, which had been like an impregnable wall of bronze and iron, now seemed to transform into a giant sheet of paper on which he could freely wield his brush and write down his war exploits!

He clearly realized that this was the pinnacle he could reach as a military general—an unparalleled achievement paved for him by Jiang Xingzhou's national treasure poem! Such an opportunity was once in a thousand years, never before seen, and unlikely to be repeated in the future!

"My comrades!" Xue Chonghu's voice was like a thunderclap from the heavens, forcefully drowning out the thunder of ten thousand horses and the howls of wolves on the battlefield. The last word exploded through the sky, resonating powerfully with the lingering meaning of the words in the heavens:
"With his national treasure-level literary works, Vice Minister Jiang has paved this smooth path for us! With his magnanimous literary spirit, he has forged our unparalleled brilliance!"
This battle is solely for—

He took a deep breath and poured all his courage and passion into a roar: "Shoot the Heavenly Wolf—!"

"kill--!!!"

Behind him, a thousand iron cavalry roared in unison, their sound waves condensing into a visible blood-red aura that resonated with the still-lingering literary brilliance of the Big Dipper in the sky!
In an instant, these thousand iron cavalrymen seemed to be reborn! They were no longer merely flesh and blood, but transformed into a flowing mountain of steel, a killing fortress driven and blessed by the unparalleled meaning of "drawing the bow like a full moon"!
The ground cracked as the horses' hooves pounded down, and dust billowed up like earthen dragons.
Ahead lay the Wolf Kingdom's army, whose strength was ninety times that of them.

However, at this moment, the Thousand Riders had only boiling fighting spirit in their eyes and no longer felt any fear in their hearts!

The armor, imbued with literary aura, shimmered with a pale golden, majestic radiance. The man and his horse seemed like celestial warriors descending to earth, carrying the awe-inspiring might of heaven, as if delivering a judgment!

A bloody and exhilarating pursuit and annihilation battle, led by Xue Chonghu and his thousand cavalry, thus began in its most ferocious form!

charge!

It's no longer about clever tactical maneuvers, but rather about utterly domineering, head-on crushing!
The vanguard of the wolf army, a battle-hardened demon lord with bloodshot eyes, roared hoarsely as he tried to rally his scattered troops and organize a solid defensive line.

However, when that torrent of steel, carrying the destiny of "Shooting the Heavenly Wolf" and burning with the flames of literary energy, truly crashed into it, it realized in despair that all resistance was a joke of a mantis trying to stop a chariot!

"boom--!!!"

Like a mountain collapsing, or a galaxy pouring down!

The wolf riders who were trying to form a battle formation at the very front, along with their fierce mounts, were instantly smashed to pieces and turned into a cloud of blood and mud in the face of this unparalleled force!
Xue Chonghu took the lead, and with a seemingly casual swing of his long sword, the powerful literary energy gathered on the sword transformed into a dazzling sword aura several meters long, like a blade of judgment descending from the heavens. Wherever it passed, the air hissed!

The wolf demons blocking their way, regardless of their leather armor or demonic magic, were easily sliced ​​through like grease under a scalding blade, falling in droves!

The entire Xue clan cavalry wedge formation had now transformed into a giant, red-hot arrow, which, with the purest and most violent power and an unwavering determination, fiercely pierced into the chaotic wolf horde!

Iron hooves trampled, blades flashed, and wherever they passed, only blood and flesh flew, and the demonic energy dissipated like an avalanche!

In this black, monstrous ocean, a shocking vacuum zone paved with severed limbs and despair was carved out!

The source of this storm—Jiang Xingzhou—remains standing still.

The blue robe around him fluttered wildly amidst the soaring murderous aura and the still-unresolved storm of literary energy behind him, yet strangely, it remained untouched by any dust or bloodstains.

His gaze remained calm as he watched the steel torrent sweeping through the wolf pack with unstoppable force, his eyes deep and devoid of joy or sorrow.

His posture was not like that of a general on the battlefield, but more like that of a detached chess player, gazing at the key pieces he had already placed on the chessboard, using heaven and earth as the board and mountains and rivers as the boundary, making this move that would determine the fate of the northern frontier.

His poem "Jiang Cheng Zi: Hunting in Mizhou" is no longer just a war horn to boost morale on this bloody battlefield.

It is the literary will infused into the body of the Thousand Riders that gives the mortal iron the power to tear apart the demonic aura;

It is a death sentence hanging over the heads of the 90,000 wolf soldiers, proclaiming the inevitable defeat of the invaders; it is also a glorious war song engraved between heaven and earth of this Great Zhou Dynasty, destined to be passed down for thousands of years!
On the city tower, Minister of War Tang Xiujin witnessed the earth-shattering scene below and was already overwhelmed with emotion, unable to contain himself!

His full head of silver and snow-white beard stood on end, and his body, which was originally slightly old, trembled slightly due to extreme excitement. But his eyes, which had experienced decades of battlefield trials, were now terrifyingly bright, like two burning flames!
Having commanded troops for decades, he deeply understood the fleeting nature of battle opportunities. How could he not see that the opportunity created by Jiang Xingzhou's arrow was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, a golden opportunity that could shape the future of the northern frontier for decades to come?

With the fall of the Snow Wolf King and the sudden death of the enemy's supreme commander, the morale of the 90,000-strong wolf army has already wavered, and collapse is imminent!
With the added blessing of Jiang Xingzhou's national-level poem that drew upon the power of heaven and earth, Xue Chonghu's thousand cavalrymen below the city were unstoppable, and the morale and combat power of the defending troops on the city walls were also boosted to an unprecedented peak!
If we don't unleash our full power now and launch a decisive battle, when will we ever get another chance?!
Are we supposed to wait for the remaining enemy to recover, or for other demon kingdoms in the northern frontier to come to our aid?!

"Bring—drumsticks—here!!"

Tang Xiujin took a deep breath, his chest bulging like a bellows, and let out a roar like a thunderclap, shaking the entire city tower, carrying an unquestionable determination!
The guards, knowing the significance of this moment, dared not be negligent in the slightest. Together, they quickly lifted a pair of massive black iron drumsticks, each weighing over a hundred pounds, onto the drum platform. These drumsticks were specially used to command the general to give the order for the final attack.

The old minister pushed away the guard who was trying to help him, and personally rolled up his wide sleeves to reveal two old arms with bulging veins, which were not particularly thick but contained amazing strength!
He firmly grasped the pair of incredibly heavy drumsticks with both hands, and his cloudy old eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp, hawk-like light. He aimed at the war drum in the center of the city tower, which was carved with kui dragon patterns and symbolized the army's final will. With all the strength and determination he had in his life, he hunched his back like a bow, swung his arms in a wide arc, and slammed it down hard!

"Boom——!!!"

A drumbeat unlike any other, deep and resonant like the first thunderclap in the heavens, yet majestic and powerful like the thunder of ten thousand horses galloping, suddenly exploded!

The sound seemed to contain a kind of iron-blooded rhythm, instantly overpowering all the fighting, roaring and wailing on the battlefield, clearly reaching the ears of every soldier of the Great Zhou, and striking their hearts heavily!

The drumbeats seemed to possess a strange magic and the old general's lifelong belief, completely igniting and sublimating the boiling fighting spirit in the soldiers' hearts, which had already been ignited by Jiang Xingzhou's poems and stirred by Xue Chonghu's charge!
"Long live the Emperor! May the Great Zhou Dynasty be victorious!"

After Minister of War Tang Xiujin forcefully struck the first drumbeat, he set aside the mallet, stood up, and with all his might, his aged yet powerful voice, like a resounding bell, instantly echoed throughout the city walls and surrounding areas.
"Issue my order—open all eight gates! All troops, attack!"

His hair and beard stood on end, his arm pointing directly at the already chaotic black wolf horde outside the city. His voice was resolute, filled with long-suppressed resentment and an undeniable killing intent:
"Target—the snow wolf army outside the city! Crush them all!"

"Annihilate all 90,000 wolf soldiers, leaving not a single wolf or soldier to escape back to the northern frontier! Let us display the might of our Great Zhou Dynasty today!"

"promise--!!"

A thunderous roar of response erupted simultaneously from both inside and outside the city! The soldiers on the city walls clapped their swords and shields in unison, shouting a deafening "Victory! Victory!" The sound waves soared into the sky!
Military orders are as firm as mountains, and command flags flutter like lightning!
“Rumble, rumble—!”

The next moment, all eight massive city gates of Mizhou Prefecture City—east, west, south, and north—suddenly burst open at the same time!

The heavy city gates seemed unable to contain the long-suppressed murderous intent and flames of revenge within the city!

Behind the city gates stood 100,000 of the most elite iron cavalry of the Great Zhou, who had long been assembled and waiting for orders, like dragons trapped in an abyss!
They were clad in heavy armor, their horses were fully equipped, and their swords and spears were like a forest, their cold gleam reflecting the sun!

Upon receiving the order to attack, the torrent, like a flood that had been gathering immense power, finally broke through the dam and surged out from all the city gates!

"Kill--!"

"To avenge our fathers and brothers who died in the northern frontier!"

"Kill all these wolf cubs, leave no one alive!"

The clanging of armor mingled with the melody of death; the thunderous hooves of horses pounded the earth, shaking mountains and rivers!

The torrent of 100,000 iron cavalry quickly merged with Xue Chonghu's elite thousand cavalry as the spearhead, transforming into an unstoppable destructive force that swept towards the already collapsed 90,000 wolf army!

The blade of revenge has finally been drawn!

Under the command of their respective commanders and generals, the 100,000 iron cavalry did not confront Xue Chonghu's vanguard of a thousand cavalry head-on. Instead, like two giant iron pincers, they swept towards the already chaotic flanks and rear of the wolf army with overwhelming force!

They want to complete the encirclement and completely cut off the wolf army's retreat!
Meanwhile, atop the city walls, the passionate scholars who had been unable to contain themselves any longer went completely mad!

"Such a grand event, how could we be absent!"

"Where are your brush and ink? Follow me to fight the enemy!"

"With my writing, I will slay demons and vanquish barbarians!"

The scholars and candidates all let out loud shouts, no longer caring about their manners or demeanor.

Some took up their personal writing brushes and wielded them in mid-air, turning the ink into swords and arrows that rained down on the fleeing wolf soldiers.

Some pointed their fingers like swords, recited war poems, and their talent transformed into flames, thunder, and wind blades that swept across the battlefield.

Even more fiercely independent individuals would draw their scholar's longswords, leap off the city wall, and with agile movements and flashing swords, specifically target and kill the demon captains and officers in the wolf army!

Although they were not as uniform as an army, their powerful literary spirit and fighting spirit combined to form a mighty torrent, closely following Xue Chonghu's thousand cavalry, and fiercely pierced into the enemy formation of the Snow Wolf Kingdom!

"Brothers! Kill!"

"Fight for the Great Zhou! Fight for the people of Mizhou Prefecture behind us!"

The battlefield was in complete chaos!

Ahead, Xue Chonghu's thousand cavalrymen were like sharp knives slicing open bellies!

One hundred thousand Great Zhou cavalry were positioned like iron pincers to encircle them on the flanks!

Countless scholars in the sky unleashed their literary arts as if divine punishment had descended!

Behind them, the Snow Wolf King was dead, and the pack of wolves were leaderless. They fought each other and even began to trample each other in a frenzy, all for the sake of survival!
The army was defeated, collapsing like a mountain!
Moreover, it was a complete and utterly devastating defeat!
The battlefield has been completely transformed into a grand melting pot where the Great Zhou's literary and moral principles clashed fiercely with the Snow Wolf's demonic power!

Literary spirit and demonic wind clash, poetry and howling resonate!

"Hahaha! Well done! What a brilliant 'Shooting the Sky Wolf'!"

Du Zining, a descendant of the Sage of Poetry, laughed loudly. His eyes no longer held any of his usual gentle and refined demeanor, but instead shone with a soaring passion and sharp fighting spirit. "In the past, I only read about the soaring spirit of poems that could protect the nation in classical texts. Today, I have experienced it firsthand and know what it truly means to protect the nation!"

He chanted aloud, his voice clear and resonant, carrying far across the battlefield where shouts of battle shook the heavens:

"Those who safeguard the nation not only possess a vast and profound literary talent, but also protect the peace of the nation's borders and safeguard the well-being of its people!"

"Such heroic deeds of protecting the country with words and defeating the enemy with language are the true meaning of our literary path!"

"Our Du family has inherited the legacy of the Sage of Poetry, producing countless magnificent poems. How can we be content to lag behind others at this moment!"

Having said that, he moved with incredible speed, his green robes billowing, like a soaring white crane gracefully gliding into the chaotic battlefield. He did not draw his sword, but instead used his fingers as a brush, employing the heavens and earth as a scroll, to write swiftly in mid-air!
Each time a line of the battle poem passed down by Du Sheng was recited, corresponding brilliant golden characters would appear in the air—the poem would transform into the peerless phantom of golden spears and iron horses, galloping and crashing, trampling the wolf formation into pieces.
Or it could summon the Nine Heavens Gale Winds, transforming them into invisible blades that could easily tear apart the massive demon body;

Furthermore, it transformed the vast and mighty energy into a poetic realm, where any wolf demon that stepped into it felt its demonic power stagnate and its mind trembled!

Wherever he went, poetry abounded and sword energy was hidden. He single-handedly carved out a pure land of literature and martial arts, full of poetic and heroic spirit, in the filthy demonic atmosphere!
"Brother Du, what a fine poetic inspiration! Such a magnificent scene, how could I let you alone enjoy its beauty?"

On the other side, Zhang Xu, a descendant of the Sage of Grass, let out a long roar and his figure cut into the battle like a ghost, his style completely different from Du Zining's graceful style.

He had no brush or inkstone in his hand, but as he drew lines in the air with his fingers, the literary energy at his fingertips burst forth like lightning. What he outlined was no longer neat poetry, but cursive characters that were as graceful as dragons and phoenixes, containing supreme sharpness and unrestrained killing intent!

"Kill!" The word was written, the strokes intertwined like a thousand horses galloping and crisscrossing, carrying a tragic, resolute, and indomitable killing intent. It solidified into a tangible form and crashed out, shattering the bones and flesh of dozens of wolf soldiers in front of it!

"Break!" With another word, the brush moved like a dragon and snake, the energy sharp and unparalleled, like a peerless divine weapon being unsheathed, instantly tearing apart the thick defensive demonic magic set up by several demon generals as thin as paper!
The third character, “荡!”, was even more unrestrained and expansive, with strokes flowing like the Yangtze River. A vast and mighty literary energy swept across the land, and wherever it passed, hordes of wolf soldiers were thrown away like autumn leaves in the wind, their tendons and bones broken!
Zhang Xu's cursive script is no longer just a study art, but a battle formation. Each character is a battle, sweeping and invincible. It perfectly combines the "momentum" contained in the art of cursive script with the "killing" required on the battlefield, showing the terrifying combat power of the lineage of the Sage of Cursive Script who enters the Tao through calligraphy!
The two descendants of semi-saints, both literary talents, one a poem, the other a book, one orthodox, the other unconventional, seemed to be competing with each other, stirring up two storms of literary energy in the wolf army. They complemented the 100,000 iron cavalry and the thousand sharp-edged swordsmen, pushing this annihilation battle to an even more intense climax!
On the other side of the battlefield, the scholars of the Hanlin Academy and the Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) could no longer contain their burgeoning literary talent. They all stood up and displayed their unique skills!
The second-place finisher, Liu Chunlang, recited his family's war poem "Bashu" in a loud voice. As the literary energy surged, it seemed to conjure up the precipitous phantom of Jianmen Pass on the battlefield.

The pass was majestic and imposing, filled with the chilling aura of swords. The wolf soldiers trapped inside were like being plunged into a quagmire, their flesh and blood torn apart by the invisible sword energy!
Cao Jin, the third-ranked scholar, raised his arms and began to recite the poignant and tragic poem "Leaving the Frontier." As the verses flowed, the phantom of the Great Wall stretched out behind him, and the arrows formed from his literary talent seemed to be blessed by the ancient military spirit, transforming into a torrential rain of arrows that shredded the charging wolf riders, men and beasts alike!
Qin Wen, a descendant of the Guanzhong Dao family, glared angrily and unleashed his ancestral "Shanhezhen" secret technique.

He stomped his feet on the ground, and the power of the earth surged forth. With each step he took, countless rock spikes burst from the ground, impaling the charging wolf soldiers in mid-air and causing them to scream in agony!
Lu Mengzheng, the wild and unruly scholar from the northern frontier, was even more heroic, wielding a twelve-foot-long Wenbao Judge's Pen as if it were a long spear.

With a stroke of his pen, even metal and stone would crack open; wolf soldiers would perish upon contact, and he carved a bloody path through the enemy ranks!
Wang Wei, the swordsman from the southern desert, moved swiftly, uttering the word "kill" before his sword flashed like lightning and thunder.

Wherever the cold glint passes, a wolf's head will surely rise into the sky!

The most enigmatic was Mo Yanqing from Lingnan, whose literary aura transformed into bewitching whispers that echoed across the battlefield. Bewitched, the wolf soldiers, their eyes glazed over, turned their weapons on their own kind, hacking and slashing wildly!

"That felt great! That felt so good!"

"With magnificent writings, we will defend the vast lands of our Great Zhou!"

"Let these barbarians witness the brilliance of Chinese civilization!"

The scholars roared and their voices shook the heavens. The poems and essays they usually discussed in their studies were now transformed into sharp blades to slay demons and defend the righteous path.

The literary energy and the demonic aura clashed violently, the sounds of reciting poetry and shouting battle intertwining into an ancient and unparalleled symphony.

The true power of this national treasure poem is fully revealed here—it stabilizes the nation's destiny, enhances its prestige, and ignites the pure hearts of scholars across the land!

Above the battlefield, the literary aura pierced the sun like a rainbow, while the demonic clouds dissipated like melting ice and snow.

In this ultimate showdown between literature and magic, the spirit of humanity completely overwhelmed the demonic aura of the snow wolves of the northern frontier!
As night fell as dark as ink, the wilderness outside Mizhou City was illuminated as bright as day by the soaring literary energy and demonic fire.

Under the crimson moonlight, the battlefield transformed into a boiling furnace of heaven and earth, where the chanting of scholars and the howling of wolf demons intertwined into an eerie symphony.

Jiang Xingzhou stood still in the wind, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, yet there seemed to be an invisible barrier around him, keeping the blood and smoke of battle at bay.

He gazed at the inferno he had set ablaze with his own hands, the faint smile on his lips appearing particularly profound in the flickering firelight.

"The first battle is the decisive battle..."

Jiang Xingzhou spoke softly, each word carrying the chilling force of metal striking stone.

This declaration is now becoming a reality in the most tragic way.

For thousands of years, the wars between the Great Zhou and the Northern Frontier have established an ironclad rule:
Scouts fought for three months, the army was locked in a stalemate for half a year, and the conquest of cities and strongholds was as easy as grinding bones with a millstone.

Those old tutors in the imperial court of Luoyang are probably still figuring out how to allocate next year's spring tax to fund the army.

But who could have predicted this?
This scholar in a blue robe at dusk actually tore the ancient battle tactics to shreds!

He used a thousand cavalry as bait, not to test the waters, but to throw the dice that would gamble the fate of the nation.

With his impromptu poem "Jiang Cheng Zi: Hunting in Mizhou," he became a national hero. He first summoned Sun Quan to slay generals and break through enemy lines, then sent Feng Tang to vindicate his reputation and inspire his spirit. Finally, he personally drew his bow and shot the Snow Wolf King amidst ten thousand troops, securing victory with a single arrow!

From sunset to moonrise, within an hour, a variation on a war that should have lasted for years was completed.

Jiang Xingzhou's fingertips brushed against the jade pendant at his waist, the four characters "Hanlin Daizhao" gleaming with a warm luster.

The ground was littered with the corpses of wolf demons, a bloody testament to his unfinished words.

Suddenly, a burst of brilliant literary energy erupted in the distance, and Du Zining's poem transformed into the phantom of a golden-armored divine general, smashing the stubbornly resisting wolf commander into the ground.

Jiang Xingzhou nodded slightly—the true power of the national treasure poem has never been in its beautiful language, but in its ability to awaken the iron-blooded fighting spirit sleeping deep within the literary tradition.

The night wind carried a strong stench of blood, and he slowly closed his eyes.

His divine sense spread out like a net, sensing every wisp of dissipating demonic power and every rising stream of literary energy.

When the last vestiges of demonic energy that had stubbornly resisted vanished in the northwest corner, he finally turned away, stepping on the tattered wolf flags scattered on the ground as he walked toward the city gate.

The soldiers guarding the city walls pounded their weapons frantically, their shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" shaking the heavens and the earth.

Night fell completely over the land, but the fields outside Mizhou City were illuminated by the flickering fire and the glow of blood, making them resemble dusk.

A national war that should have lasted for months and left mountains of corpses was ignited before the sun sank below the horizon and ended with a thunderous conclusion as the stars and moon shone!

The Snow Wolf Kingdom's 100,000-strong army was clearly unprepared for this.

They were still caught up in the overconfidence and euphoria of conquering Tieshan City, fantasizing about plundering the rich treasury of Mizhou for three days, and planning to slowly drain the blood of the defending army through hunting.

Little did they expect that what awaited them was not lambs to the slaughter, but a death trap that had already been quietly set in motion, and a war poem that could overturn the fate of the nation!
Even the Great Zhou garrison in Mizhou City had no idea how this battle would unfold.

Although Jiang Xingzhou and Xue Chonghu had secretly made arrangements, the soldiers and scholars were still mentally prepared for an arduous and protracted defense of the city, a protracted tug-of-war, and repeated battles.

It was Jiang Xingzhou who, with his extraordinary literary talent and courage, propelled them onto this whirlwind path of "achieving victory in one battle," making them the creators and witnesses of this legendary war!
"Experience... is sometimes the greatest shackle."

Jiang Xingzhou's gaze swept over his comrades on the battlefield, who were charging into battle with unrestrained ferocity, turning all their pent-up emotions and brilliant writings into deadly sharpness. It also swept over the routed soldiers who were trampling each other and running rampant because the royal flag had been broken and their morale had collapsed. Finally, his gaze fell on the deep darkness in the north, which symbolized the ancestral land of the Snow Wolf Kingdom.

His whispers dissipated in the wind, yet they seemed to carry the weight of penetrating history.

After this battle, the landscape of northern Xinjiang will be completely reshaped.

With the loss of 100,000 main force members, the Snow Wolf Kingdom's national strength plummeted to rock bottom. Without decades of rebuilding, it would be extremely difficult to regain its former glory.

As a result of this battle, the Great Zhou Dynasty not only resolved the imminent crisis of invasion by the Snow Wolf Kingdom in the northern frontier, but also, with this national treasure poem and this exhilarating epic victory, boosted the prestige of the nation, the morale of the army, and the hearts of the people to an unprecedented height!

"Between the nation's fate with a decisive surprise attack, we can bring at least thirty years of peace to the northern frontier... This deal is extremely worthwhile."

Jiang Xingzhou gently brushed the dust off his sleeves and walked calmly toward the brightly lit and cheering city gate.

The outcome of the battle behind us is already decided.

The final mopping-up and pursuit no longer required his attention as the player in the game.

Under the cover of night, his figure, still dressed in a simple blue robe, appeared frail yet seemed capable of bearing the weight of mountains and rivers.

In the eyes of countless surviving soldiers and civilians, this figure had become one with the majestic walls of Mizhou and the brilliant starry sky above, still flowing with the spirit of national peace—as if a god had descended to earth, a saint had come down to earth.

After tonight, the name "Jiang Xingzhou" will no longer be associated with the literary renown of "six top scholars" and "poetry that protects the nation," but will be deeply engraved with the iron-blooded mark of "pillar of the nation"!

A single poem can determine the course of a national war, and a single war can determine the peace and tranquility of a region.

This was Jiang Xingzhou's first step towards the pinnacle of power in the Great Zhou court, using literature and scholarship as his means of advancement.
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P.S.: Two updates today, totaling 2 words. I did my best! Please vote with monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)