It had to be said that Jiang Chen wasn't particularly skilled at boosting morale. But his words were blunt and direct.
Moreover, the invasion of the Black Moon Kingdom was a grudge that had built up between the two nations over generations. Almost no rallying was needed — every single person was willing to fight to the last moment, shed their last drop of blood, and draw their final breath in battle.
Stirred by Jiang Chen's words, the martial artists raised their fists and roared, swearing blood oaths to follow Jiang Chen to the death and drive the enemy beyond their borders!
"Kill the enemy! Kill the enemy!"
Over ten thousand high-level True Qi Realm martial artists bellowed in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.
"Hahaha, how interesting, how interesting!"
Suddenly, a long laugh echoed through the void. Despite the roar of ten thousand people, that laugh rang out like clanging metal, piercing through with extraordinary force, drilling into every last eardrum.
"Who's there?" Jiang Chen frowned slightly. His Wind-listening Ear twitched, and his Divine Pupil had already locked onto a patch of empty sky to the east.
"Friend, come out!"
From the eastern void, a green shadow hurtled through the air like a bolt of lightning.
In an instant, the airflow of the void parted on either side, as though a fast-moving ship had sliced through the surface of water.
The green shadow grew larger and larger — it was another fierce beast with wings growing from its back. Its fangs were savage and monstrous, and its body was several times larger than that of the Green-Winged Sword Bird.
Its fleshy wings blotted out the sun, even grander and more massive than those of the Golden-Winged Sword Birds.
Perched atop this beast sat a young man in a brocade robe, dressed in lavish attire. Surrounded by the gazes of ten thousand warriors, he wore a relaxed and leisurely expression, perfectly at ease.
His bearing was extraordinary. Judging by his age, he was only a year or two older than Jiang Chen, yet there was a mature quality about him that seemed almost intangible.
As for his cultivation, he didn't appear to have broken through to the Spirit Realm, but without a doubt he stood at the absolute peak of the True Qi Realm — a full-fledged Eleven-Meridian True Qi master.
The young man's gaze was deep and penetrating. The army of ten thousand was like clay figurines in his eyes, utterly beneath his notice. His eyes locked precisely onto Jiang Chen as the beast flew straight toward him.
"You must be Jiang Chen?" The extraordinary young man smiled as he looked at Jiang Chen, and that smile carried a trace of genuine goodwill.
"I am Jiang Chen. And you are?" Jiang Chen replied, somewhat puzzled.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ye Rong, from the Tiangui Kingdom." There was always a kind of commanding confidence and composure in this young man's smile, the sort that immediately put people at ease upon first meeting.
"The Tiangui Kingdom?" Jiang Chen's expression shifted slightly. "If I remember correctly, the surname Ye is the royal surname of the Tiangui Kingdom?"
"Heh heh, Brother Jiang Chen is quite right. I am the Fourth Prince of the Tiangui Kingdom, son of the reigning King."
"The Fourth Prince?" Jiang Chen smiled. "The Tiangui Kingdom is known as one of the four great kingdoms in the Sixteen Kingdom Alliance, with formidable strength — among the sixteen, it's either first or second place. Why would Prince Ye take an interest in coming to a remote backwater like ours?"
Ye Rong chuckled. "Brother Jiang Chen is far too modest. Across the entire Sixteen Kingdoms, rumors about you have been spreading through underground channels. I happen to have access to a wide network, so I received word a bit earlier than most."
"Heh heh, does Prince Ye believe every baseless rumor he hears?"
Ye Rong smiled. "I was half-believing, half-doubting at first, but…"
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the army of ten thousand and the proud Golden-Winged Sword Birds and Silver-Winged Sword Birds, their heads held high and battle spirit blazing.
"Seeing all this, I have no choice but to believe it." Ye Rong looked quite pleased. "Fame doesn't compare to the real thing. It seems this trip of mine — not only was I early, but I came at just the right time."
Jiang Chen furrowed his brow slightly. "Whether Prince Ye came early or late, I'm not sure I can say. What I can tell you is that your timing is remarkably poor."
"Haha, I actually think the timing is perfect. Brother Jiang Chen must have called this oath-swearing assembly because you planned to use the sword birds' mobility to harass the Black Moon Kingdom's armies, correct?"
"Hmm? How did you—" Jiang Chen had indeed been considering exactly that plan, but he hadn't expected this young man to see right through it.
"Heh heh, if I were in Brother Jiang Chen's position, I would do the same. Great minds think alike."
Jiang Chen was growing a bit impatient. "Prince Ye, if you have something to say, please say it directly."
"Heh heh, having come all this way, I am at least a guest, surely? I'd like to ask Brother Jiang for a cup of wine." Ye Rong remained entirely unhurried. "However, I won't drink for free. I'll also be offering Brother Jiang a strategy for repelling the enemy — guaranteed to work."
At this point, Jiang Chen couldn't very well throw away all sense of decorum. After all, this Ye Rong was a prince of a great kingdom, and his manner had been perfectly courteous — never once looking down on anyone.
His tone was warm and pleasant, his demeanor truly admirable.
For someone like that, Jiang Chen found it genuinely difficult to turn him away at a thousand miles' distance.
"In that case, Prince Ye, please. This is a humble mountain settlement — I'm afraid there may be no wine worthy of your distinguished palate."
"When you drink with a kindred spirit, a thousand cups are never enough. What matters in drinking is the mood. Meeting Brother Jiang today — even village brew would surely be satisfying to drink."
It had to be said, this Prince Ye had a way with words that carried an undeniable air of authority, always managing to hit just the right note.