Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 156: A big show of authority
Lin Xuan eventually finished the two bowls of noodles. The two of them had eaten together for so long, and he didn't mind that Wenren Yue had eaten the same food.

Just as he was about to begin his cultivation, Zhiqin walked in and said, "Young Master, Commander Zhou of the Jingye Division requests an audience."

Lin Xuan walked into the front hall and saw Zhou Heng standing inside.

Upon seeing Lin Xuan, Zhou Heng presented a document bearing the seal of the Jingye Division with both hands and said, "Lord Lin, in three days, our Jingye Division will hold its annual internal competition. This is a major event for the Division, and all personnel above the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Jingji Jingbian Division are required to attend. Commander Lu has specially ordered me to deliver the detailed rules of the competition to you for your review."

Lin Xuan took the document and unfolded it for a closer look.

This document details the time, location, and rules of the competition.

The competition will be held in three days, at a training ground in the capital.

The rules of the competition are simple: within the Jingye Division, those of lower rank can challenge those of higher rank, and if they win, they can take their place.

Specifically, the elite troops selected in advance from various departments in the capital region can challenge the 72 Earthly Fiends, the 72 Earthly Fiends, or the 36 Heavenly Generals. The 36 Heavenly Generals can challenge 16 of the 36 Heavenly Generals, and the 16 Heavenly Generals can also challenge the Seven Sons of Jingye.

If I defeat my opponent, I can take their place in the company.

No one is exempt from this rule, not even Lin Xuan, who has rendered great service to the court.

Zhou Heng stood aside and said, "Since you have just entered the Sixteen Guards, according to past practice, there will probably be outstanding members of the Heavenly Guards who will take this opportunity to challenge you. Please prepare accordingly."

Lin Xuan nodded slightly and said, "I understand. I will go back and tell Commander Lu that I will be there on time."

"I resign from my humble position."

Zhou Heng clasped his hands in a fist salute again, bowed, and withdrew.

Lin Xuan closed the document, his expression calm. The commander had mentioned the competition to him before.

Promotion within the Jingye Division follows extremely strict rules.

From the Earthly Fiend Guard to the Heavenly Gang Guard, and then to the Sixteen Guards, the Seven Sons of Jingye need to accumulate enough military merits. Generally, they are promoted one level at a time. Lu Feng, who is now one of the Seven Sons of Jingye, also started from the Earthly Fiend Guard.

Lin Xuan had contributed to the new salt law, as well as the great achievements in annihilating the Yang family and pacifying the southwest. He bypassed the Earthly Fiend Guard and the Heavenly Gang Guard and, with a cultivation level of sixth rank, became one of the Sixteen Guards. This was an exceptional promotion, so naturally many people were dissatisfied.

Before him, the cultivation levels of the Sixteen Guards were all above the fifth rank.

Among the Heavenly Guards, there are also many fifth-rank experts with outstanding achievements.

If they were outside, they could easily serve as commanders of a thousand households. The reason they stayed in the capital was for the positions of the Sixteen Guards.

Becoming a member of the Sixteen Guards is a much higher status than that of a local commander of a thousand households.

Such rules seem unfair to those who have made great contributions and been promoted exceptionally, but the Jingye Division respects strength. Without sufficient strength, even if one holds a high position, it is difficult to win the respect of the people.

Three days later.

At the beginning of the Si hour (9-11 AM), at the Jingye Division's drill ground.

The vast training ground was paved with black boulders. Having weathered countless storms, the ground was slightly mottled and gleamed with a cold, eerie light. On the tall flagpoles around the perimeter, black banners embroidered with ferocious mythical beast totems fluttered in the wind, and a chilling atmosphere permeated the entire field.

The Jingye Division Grand Competition will begin in 25 minutes.

The outermost perimeter of the training ground was filled with ordinary guards of the Jingye Division. They could only stand and watch the ceremony. The crowd was dark and murmured among themselves, their eyes fixed on certain spots inside, their longing undisguised.

One floor inside the training ground, directly opposite the central arena, there are simple wooden benches. These are the seats for the 72 Earthly Fiends Guards. Most of them are already seated, and they are mostly very quiet, resting with their eyes closed, but occasionally they will open their eyes and look ahead.

There was a row of more spacious seats with backrests, and people were already taking their seats. The aura emanating from them was noticeably more refined and substantial than that of the Earthly Fiend Guards.

Looking at the positions belonging to the Thirty-Six Heavenly Guards, many of the Seventy-Two Guards had a strong fighting spirit in their eyes.

Further inside the training ground, in the core area, are sixteen carved black wood chairs arranged in two rows facing the arena. These are the seats for the Sixteen Guards. Although only a few people are seated, almost everyone carries a strong aura of menace.

Several pairs of eyes scanned them back and forth in the area of ​​the Thirty-Six Guards at the rear.

On the high platform at the very front, there were seven larger seats covered with animal hides, which were the exclusive seats for the Seven Sons of Jingye, but there was not a single person in sight at the moment.

On the ornately decorated viewing platform to the side, many dignitaries from Beijing had already taken their seats.

Although the Grand Competition was an internal competition of the Jingye Division, more than half of the participating guards were sons of powerful and influential figures in the court. Every year, there were quite a few powerful and influential figures who came to watch their sons' offspring.

Princess Yongchun sat in a prominent position in the front row, dressed in a bright and flamboyant scarlet palace gown. She rested her chin on her hand and scanned the room with interest, but did not see that person. Her gaze finally settled on the area where the Sixteen Guards were seated, and her beautiful eyes held a hint of amusement.

Beside her, Prince Yu, dressed in casual clothes, leisurely sipped his tea, but his gaze would occasionally drift toward a cold figure in the seats of the Earthly Fiend Guards.

An entrance to the training ground.

A figure strolled leisurely into the training ground.

This entrance leads directly to the inner field of the training ground and is the exclusive passage for all guards.

Lin Xuan had just entered the arena when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him. A shrewd-looking man caught up with him and said familiarly, "Hey, brother, you look unfamiliar. Are you newly transferred to the Earthly Fiend Guard? Who are you planning to challenge later? I have some inside information on the Heavenly Gang Guard. Do you need some advice? I know which members of the Heavenly Gang Guard are the weakest. It'll only cost ten taels of silver..."

Unexpectedly, someone could actually do business at the Grand Competition Grounds. This person's cultivation level is at the early stage of the sixth rank, and it seems that he is also one of the Earthly Fiend Guards.

Lin Xuan was not wearing the Jingye Division uniform today, and uniforms were not required for the competition.

He smiled slightly and said, "I don't intend to challenge them."

The man didn't give up, following him closely, and said, "Hey brother, don't be afraid. Let me tell you, don't be intimidated by the name 'Heavenly Guards.' Some of them got in through connections, and their strength isn't much stronger than ours. How about this, since it's our first meeting, I'll give you a discount, eight taels, how about eight taels..."

The man stopped abruptly as he was speaking.

Because he saw that the young man in front of him did not stop at any of the Earthly Fiend Guards or Heavenly Guards' seats, but instead walked straight through the core area and calmly sat down on one of the sixteen carved black wood chairs...

Sixteen Guards!
He never expected that the young man he casually struck up a conversation with was actually one of the Sixteen Guards!

He looked embarrassed and slunk away.

After Lin Xuan sat down, he closed his eyes and began to rest.

Even with his eyes closed, he could still sense countless gazes coming from all directions, scanning him.

Several pairs of eyes turned to him from the seats on either side.

As members of the Sixteen Guards, they only knew that after one of the previous Azure Dragon Guards died in the line of duty, the commander appointed another person. They just didn't expect him to be so young. Even among the Heavenly Guards, he was still considered young.

At the same time, whispers could be heard from the crowds.

"Is he Chen Yu?"

"So young, how could he become one of the Sixteen Guards?"

"It is said that he made great contributions in the southwest and was promoted by the commander without regard to precedence. What a great achievement that must be! He actually skipped the Earthly Fiend Guard and the Heavenly Gang Guard..."

"His Majesty even bestowed Miss Zhao Wan upon him in marriage. The enmity of having one's wife stolen is irreconcilable!"

"Heh, I think he can only be smug for a little while. There are a few ruthless characters in the Heavenly Guard who have been eyeing the positions of the Sixteen Guards for a long time, but he managed to snatch them away. They've been waiting for this competition for a long time..."

"There's going to be a good show coming soon..."

Amidst the whispers of the crowd, several figures finally emerged from outside the arena.

"They are the Seven Sons of Jingye!"

"Four of the Seven Sons of Jingye have returned to the capital for this year's competition. I wonder if any of the Sixteen Guards dare to challenge them..."

Lin Xuan watched as Lu Feng and the others walked past him. Apart from Lu Feng, who was at the peak of the fifth rank, the other three were all fourth-rank martial artists.

One of them made no attempt to conceal his spiritual cultivation, revealing himself to be a fourth-rank sorcerer.

As the four people took their seats, the entire training ground fell completely silent, and everyone's eyes were focused on the high platform.

The commander did not appear in this competition.

As one of the Seven Sons of Jingye and the host of this competition, Lu Feng slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping across the entire venue. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"The Grand Competition of the Night Guard shall now begin!"

The moment the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the training ground was instantly ignited!

Those qualified to challenge were all very familiar with the competition process. Without Lu Feng's reminder, after he announced the start of the competition, a group of elite Jingye Division members who had been selected jumped onto different sub-areas in a certain area of ​​the training ground.

"Xu Zheng, the commander of the Bazhou Hundred Households Office, requests guidance from Lord Chen Qing of the Earthly Fiend Guard!"

"Wei Lin, Deputy Commander of the Zhuozhou Hundred-Household Office, requests guidance from Lord Luo Kun of the Earthly Fiend Guard!"

"Xue Hao, the commander of the Jizhou Thousand-Household Garrison, requests an audience with Lord Fan Hong of the Earthly Fiend Guard!"

……

The Earthly Fiend Guards who were named also jumped onto the arena.

If they are defeated by these challengers, they will have one more chance to challenge someone else. If they fail twice in a row, they will lose their current position and will only have a chance to regain it in next year's competition.

In an instant, fists and feet clashed, swords rang out, and the explosions of colliding internal energy filled the arena as everyone used all their skills.

Although the strength of the Earthly Fiend Guards is above the sixth rank, the elites of various departments in the capital region also have the cultivation of the sixth rank. It can be said that they are evenly matched and have their share of victories and defeats.

These competitions were exciting, but apart from their relatives and family members, not many people actually paid attention to them.

The real highlight of the competition is always yet to come.

About an hour later, the first round of challenges came to an end.

Of the one hundred elite soldiers from the Jingye Division who came, fewer than ten succeeded in their challenge. The majority were defeated by the Earthly Fiend Guards they challenged and had to leave in disappointment. In terms of both strength and combat experience, the Earthly Fiend Guards were clearly far superior to these local elites.

On the viewing platform, Princess Yongchun yawned boredly. She had no interest in the competitions ahead and was more interested in seeing her cousin pull that guy down from his position as one of the Sixteen Guards.

Prince Yu's gaze was fixed on a figure among the Earthly Fiend Guards.

On the arena, Lu Feng slowly stood up and said, "Next, the Earthly Fiend Guards will challenge the Heavenly Gang Guards."

As soon as he finished speaking, figures eagerly leaped onto the arena.

Among them, a figure in white instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Princess Yongchun, who was already a little sleepy, immediately perked up and said happily, "She's my future sister-in-law!"

Prince Yu affectionately patted her head with a smile.

On the arena, Wenren Yue's clear, cold voice rang out: "Wenren Yue challenges Zhong Ze, a member of the Heavenly Guard."

The Heavenly Guard whose name he called looked bitter.

Everyone knows that the Wen family's pride and joy is aiming for the position of the Sixteenth Guard this time, and he is just a stepping stone for her.

He leaped onto the ring and declared decisively, "I concede."

Wenren Yue didn't say anything, turned around and flew off the stage, sitting in the spot where Zhong Ze had just been.

Zhong Ze stood on the arena. Although he had failed, he still had one more chance to challenge. If he could defeat one of the Heavenly Guards, he could still keep his position.

His gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on one of the Heavenly Guards, and he said, "Bai Yi, come up here..."

The person whose name was called cursed inwardly, but had no choice but to go on stage to accept the challenge, and the two quickly became locked in combat.

The competition for the Heavenly Guards is even fiercer than that for the Earthly Fiends.

Those qualified to compete for the Heavenly Guard must at least possess the strength of a mid-stage sixth rank.

Only those at the late stage of the sixth rank can secure a stable position in the Heavenly Guard.

Lin Xuan leaned back in his chair and saw many familiar faces in the crowd.

Du Yunzhou, formerly a centurion of the Bozhou Jingbian Division, was also among the Earthly Fiend Guards, just like Wenren Yue.

Three of the men who successfully challenged the Earthly Fiends Guards were originally banner officers of the Bozhou Border Pacification Division. They returned to the capital before the court took action against the Yang family, and it seems they must have gained a lot of merit to be able to participate in this competition.

This round of challenges ended even faster.

Although the Heavenly Guards and Earthly Fiend Guards are mostly at the sixth rank, there are still differences in strength even within the same rank.

Among the Earthly Fiends Guards, only a dozen or so challenged the Heavenly Gang Guards, and they all chose the weakest members of the Heavenly Gang Guards. Even so, only three people, including Wenren Yue, succeeded in their challenges.

Lu Feng stood up again, his voice resounding throughout the arena: "Next, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Guards may challenge the Sixteenth Guard!"

boom!
As he finished speaking, everyone's eyes, as if drawn by a magnet, turned to the sixteen chairs in the core area.

The Seven Sons of Jingye are extremely powerful, and few people have challenged them in previous competitions. However, the competition for the Sixteen Guards is exceptionally fierce, and the members of the Sixteen Guards change almost every time the competition is held.

This year's competition has nine members from the Sixteen Guards in the capital, which is more than in previous years.

It's just unknown which of them will be pulled down from their high position in front of everyone.

All eyes turned to the youngest figure among the nine.

This person is the most mysterious of the Sixteen Guards. He inexplicably took a position in the Sixteen Guards and is so young. Among the Heavenly Guards, probably no one respects him.

Almost simultaneously, four powerful auras soared into the sky from the Thirty-Six Guards area, and four figures landed on the largest central arena almost at the same time, as if by prior arrangement.

"Zhou Yun challenges Lord Chen Yu!"

"Zhao Wuji challenges Lord Chen Yu!"

"Shen Lingfeng challenges Lord Chen Yu!"

"Li Yuan challenges Lord Chen Yu!"

These four individuals were all top-ranking experts among the Heavenly Guards, all possessing the fifth-grade cultivation level. The one they chose to challenge was Chen Yu of the Azure Dragon Guard.

It's not surprising, considering that Chen Yu of the Azure Dragon Guard was promoted to the Sixteen Guards by special circumstances. His cultivation level was the weakest among the Sixteen Guards, having just reached the fifth rank. It was only through His Majesty's use of Qi Gathering Pills that he was forcibly promoted.

Compared to the other strong members of the Sixteen Guards, he was undoubtedly the softest target, and naturally, the competition would choose the softest target to pick.

"Hiss, four fifth-rank Heavenly Guards challenging at the same time?"

"None of these four are simpletons; even the veteran Sixteen Guards would have a headache..."

"This Lord Chen will likely become the shortest-serving member of the Sixteenth Guard..."

A murmur rippled through the crowd, followed by timid whispers. Princess Yongchun's lips curled into a smug smile. She thought to herself, "Hmph, you got me punished by the Emperor, and now the whole capital knows. Now it's your turn to be humiliated in public..."

She had already learned from her cousin that Chen Yu was going to be challenged by these people.

Prince Yu also put down his teacup, his expression calm, his gaze unwavering, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

Wenren Yue's gaze swept over Lin Xuan.

These four people come from prestigious families and have been taught by famous teachers since childhood. Logically speaking, Chen Yu should not be a match for any of them.

But she didn't see any panic or hesitation on Chen Yu's face.

Looking back, it seems that he was always so composed.

Lin Xuan leaped onto the arena, and Lu Feng walked to his side, smiling as he asked, "Whose challenge would you like to accept first?"

Others may not know Lin Xuan's strength, but he knows it better than anyone else.

He was valued by the Jiuli tribe because of his talent in spiritual power. Although his martial arts cultivation was only at the fifth rank, his spiritual power was comparable to the peak of the fifth rank. Moreover, he was a dual cultivator of martial arts and magic. These guys originally wanted to pick on the weak, but they didn't know that they had kicked the hardest iron plate of the Sixteen Guards.

Lin Xuan looked at the four people, shook his head slightly, and said calmly, "It's too much of a waste of time to do it one by one. All four of you, come at me together."

As his words fell, the entire training ground fell silent.

Many people thought they had misheard.

what did he say?
Go together?

He wants to challenge four fifth-rank Heavenly Guards all by himself?!

crazy!

Absolutely crazy!
Who does he think he is? One of the Seven Masters of Jingye?
The sixteen guards, who exuded a fierce aura, also showed surprise and astonishment on their faces.

Even they don't have the ability to fight four opponents at once.

This newcomer is a bit arrogant...

The three figures at the highest point wore expressions of great interest.

One of the men, dressed in black, glanced at Lin Xuan and a smile crept onto his lips.

"Insanity!"

"Too arrogant!"

"Is he putting on airs like that? Who does he think he is?"

On the viewing platform, the four's relatives and friends couldn't help but speak up, their words filled with anger.

Lu Feng glanced at Lin Xuan, knowing he probably wanted to use this challenge to establish his authority. He simply shook his head and smiled, not stopping him. He then looked at the four people and said, "Since Lord Chen wants you all to come at me together, then come at me all at once..."

On the arena, the young man named Zhao Wuji shook his head and said, "Four against one is not a fair victory. Zhou Yun, you go first."

The other two also stood still, clearly agreeing with his statement.

Facing the four men, Lin Xuan shook his head and said, "I said, all four of you, come at me together..."

The capital city is not the southwest. When necessary, it is necessary to demonstrate one's strength in order to earn the respect of others and avoid a lot of trouble in the future.

"Insanity!"

Zhou Yun's face darkened. He was already dissatisfied with this person taking his place. His Zhenyue True Qi erupted, and he stomped his foot, launching himself into the air and punching Lin Xuan in the face.

Faced with this fierce attack, Lin Xuan stood still, without making any move.

He merely raised his eyes and glanced at him indifferently.

hum!
An invisible and intangible yet vast and boundless power suddenly spread out from him, like an invisible tsunami, instantly engulfing the entire arena!
Zhou Yun was the first to be hit. After a sharp pain in his mind, the true energy gathered in his body collapsed, and he instantly lost control of his body, falling to his knees in front of Lin Xuan.

The other three, although they did not attack with Zhou Yun, also turned pale and collapsed.

A powerful mental force locked them firmly in place.

They were just pure martial artists. Although they had fifth-grade mental strength, it was very loose and could not withstand the solid mental attack of a fifth-grade peak sorcerer. At this moment, their minds were buzzing and they could not even gather their true energy.

Lin Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at them, and asked, "Shall we continue?"

(End of this chapter)