novelraw Chapter 95 : The Nation of Divine Authority
Chapter 95 : The Nation of Divine Authority
Chapter 95: The Nation of Divine Authority
About half an incense stick’s time later.
On the ground, the “corpse’s” finger suddenly moved ever so slightly.
Then, under everyone’s cold gazes, “Tulam” slowly and somewhat stiffly climbed up from the ground.
He straightened his body, his movements carrying an oddly unfamiliar stiffness.
He raised his hand and carefully brushed the dust off his royal robe, his motion meticulous and precise.
Then, he lifted his head and looked toward Jiang Zhaoming on the throne.
Those eyes were no longer the murky, obsequious, and venomous ones from before.
They had become clear, like a newborn stream— even carrying a faint trace of pure reverence.
Deep within those eyes, there was no longer a trace that belonged to “Tulam.”
【Divine Artifact · Soul-Devouring Gu】: A forbidden object originating from the Gu Spirit Plane. It contained two Gu worms, their forms resembling living pellets. Once ingested,
if not extracted through secret techniques in time, the Gu worms would devour the host’s soul completely— achieving a total possession, usurping the nest. The host’s memories, cultivation, and even physical instincts would all be perfectly inherited by the Gu worms.
Jiang Zhaoming had exchanged one rare purple strand of Fortune to obtain these two “Soul-Devouring Gu.”
Now, the vile soul of the treacherous King of Huanghai, who once ruled over Huanghai County, had been utterly annihilated.
Standing in the hall was nothing more than a perfect vessel— driven by a Gu worm bound to absolute loyalty.
A brand-new “Tulam,” one who belonged solely to the Prince of Anxi, Jiang Zhaoming.
“ Tulam, report in detail everything you know about the Kingdom of Yutian. ”
“ Yes, My King. ”
The reborn Tulam bowed and answered, his voice steady and clear. There was no longer any hint of flattery or fear— only pure obedience.
He began to narrate methodically, as if reciting a document long prepared.
Within the grand hall, only his calm voice echoed.
Qin Wei, watching this scene, suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine, as though a wind from the Nine Nether passed behind him.
He was secretly alarmed— just where had Jiang Zhaoming obtained such world-altering Divine Artifacts?
The Jiang Zhaoming before him was no longer the same A-Ming of the past.
The man seated high upon the dais now— how could he still be that young boy who once followed him around, calling him “Uncle”?
In a daze, Qin Wei looked toward the slanting evening light.
That half-bright, half-shadowed face seemed faintly wreathed in the aura of a true dragon, the starlight of the Purple Tenuity Star flickering between his brows.
Qin Wei sighed inwardly: “ What an extraordinary ——— imperial bearing. ”
Half an incense stick later.
After hearing Tulam’s full report on the Kingdom of Yutian, Jiang Zhaoming’s brows slowly furrowed, and his fingers tapped unconsciously upon the armrest of the throne.
This Yutian Kingdom was far more troublesome than expected.
The territory of Yutian was vast— half of its lands occupied the “Roof of the World,” the Tianwu Plateau.
The altitude there was extreme, the winds and snow howled year-round, and the air was thin.
Its towering peaks pierced the clouds like sharp blades, while deep ravines crossed and intertwined, forming awe-inspiring natural barriers.
The other half of Yutian’s lands stretched down to the foothills of the snowy mountains.
This region was warm and humid, filled with winding rivers and fertile plains, nourishing most of Yutian’s people and wealth.
However, unlike the more loosely united forces in the Western Prefectures, the Kingdom of Yutian was anything but disorganized.
Its ruling core was exceedingly solid.
The supreme Zanpu resided deep within the Tianwu Plateau, in the most majestic and impregnable royal court— the City of Sunlight.
He was not merely a worldly monarch, but the incarnation of a deity upon earth— worshipped with fervent devotion and absolute loyalty throughout the realm.
Assisting the Zanpu was the revered Great Priest, Sangjie Jiacuo.
Both of them were cultivators of the Golden Body Realm.
The Zanpu wielded absolute political and military authority— his will was as divine decree upon the plateau, none dared defy him.
The Great Priest commanded a vast theocratic hierarchy, possessing ancient secret arts and formidable spiritual powers.
He was the Zanpu’s mightiest arm— the cornerstone of the royal court’s faith.
Together, the two ensured that from nobility to commoners, the Kingdom of Yutian was bound in unshakeable unity and unquestionable control.
The people of Yutian were the most devout children nurtured by the highlands.
They regarded the Zanpu as a living god, and the divine decrees delivered by the Great Priest were treated as sacred commandments.
Every sacred mountain and holy lake of the plateau echoed with their chants.
Every stretch of fertile land in the valleys was steeped in their unwavering belief in divine and royal authority.
Such bone-deep devotion made internal division or subversion almost impossible— no external force could easily tear them apart.
Supporting this highland kingdom was its powerful and unique military force.
They had tamed a native highland beast — the Mountain-Stepping Goat.
This beast was as large and strong as a fine steed, with hooves sheathed in keratin as hard as refined iron, and pads that gripped like suction cups.
It could move effortlessly on sheer icy cliffs, leaping as if flying, with astonishing endurance and perfect adaptation to the highland environment.
From them was formed the elite Rock-Goat Mountain Cavalry— the pride of Yutian, feared across the plateau.
These fierce riders wore light yet resilient leather armor, carried strong bows and crossbows on their backs, curved blades at their waists, and short spears in hand. They moved through the mountains like phantoms— using the terrain’s extreme complexity to appear and vanish without warning, skilled in ambushes, raids, and swift strikes.
They were the ultimate nightmare for any army foolish enough to attempt an ascent against the Tianwu Plateau.
Their numbers were vast— believed to exceed three hundred thousand, forming the backbone of Yutian’s military might.
Even more terrifying was the force ruling Yutian’s skies— the Vulture Sky Cavalry Legion, numbering over one hundred thousand.
The Yutians had tamed the Iron-Winged Vultures of the highlands— giant raptors with wingspans like sails, feathers as strong as steel, and beaks and talons sharp as blades.
The vulture riders, mounted on these beasts, could launch sudden strikes from extreme altitudes, execute precise assassinations, or carry out massive troop deployments with astounding speed.
When a hundred thousand iron wings darkened the heavens, their might alone was enough to strike terror into any invading army.
In addition, Yutian’s plains hosted over a million soldiers— most of whom had already reached the Tempering Bones Realm or higher.
Yet the people’s fervent devotion to their gods and royal bloodline ran so deep that even if Jiang Zhaoming were to decapitate both the Zanpu and the Great Priest, he could never easily seize control of Yutian.
The zealots would immediately anoint a new heir upon the divine altar, rallying the entire nation anew.
If war broke out between Anxi and Yutian—
it would instead ignite an unbreakable unity among the Yutian people, driving every able-bodied man to the frontlines.
The Yutians might well become a nation of warriors, fighting the Great Zhou to the bitter end.
By then, even if Jiang Zhaoming won through sheer attrition, few men of fighting age would remain upon that land.
The only somewhat favorable point was that, while Yutian’s army was fearless and individually formidable, they were not adept at large-scale battle formations.
In open-field engagements, their coordination and tactical discipline lagged far behind those of well-drilled armies versed in formation warfare.
This would cause a notable reduction in their combat strength during direct confrontation.
However— what truly troubled Jiang Zhaoming at this moment
was not how to defeat the Yutian army on the battlefield, though that itself was already a monumental task.
The truly pressing issue was how to overcome the deeply rooted, unshakable faith within the souls of the Yutian people.
A conquest without a foundation of belief would, to the people, forever remain a castle in the air— unstable and doomed to future chaos.
Otherwise, even if Yutian were conquered, if its people rebelled daily, could Jiang Zhaoming truly carry out a massacre of unimaginable proportions?
If he did so, the fragile unity of the Western Regions would shatter completely.
“ Truly troublesome—— ”
Jiang Zhaoming rubbed his temples and muttered softly.