Zhenbeiguan, the majestic pass standing on the northeastern border of Daxia Kingdom, is like a giant dragon standing proudly.
The towering city wall stands like a sword blade, straight and strong, guarding the security of the northern border of Daxia. The beacon tower on the city wall was lit high, and the blazing flames reflected the night sky, like falling stars. The soldiers of Daxia Kingdom guarded their posts among them, resolutely and bravely.
Zhenbeiguan is adjacent to the dark forest at the junction of the three countries of Daxia, Dayan and Dajin.
The Dark Forest is the only way from Daxia to the other two countries. Because in the northwest of Daxia Kingdom, there is a towering natural barrier - the Wuliang Mountains.
The Wuliang Mountains are a mysterious and magnificent mountain range that stretches and winds seemingly endlessly. It is shrouded in clouds and mist and exudes a mysterious atmosphere. It is like a giant dragon lying in the sky, towering into the clouds, with mountains and mountains, which makes people feel awe and wonder.
The existence of the Wuliang Mountains separates the Great Xia Kingdom, one of the Three Kingdoms of the Eastern Wilds, from the Great Yan Kingdom located to the northwest, acting as a natural barrier between the two countries.
Therefore, the two countries can only reach each other's territory through the dark forest. This undoubtedly increased the difficulty and danger of traveling to the other country, but it also kept Daxia away from the spread of war.
However, there was no natural barrier between the Yan Kingdom and the Jin Kingdom. Therefore, wars and wars broke out all year round at the border between the two countries. The people were displaced and suffered unspeakable suffering.
At the same time, as the middle ground between Xuantian Sect and Baishoumen, the two major immortal cultivating sects in Daxia Kingdom, Zhenbeiguan is also an important strategic location to guard against the forces of these two sects. Therefore, this pass on the northeastern border is not only the most important barrier of Daxia Kingdom, but also the gateway of Daxia Kingdom.
It can be said that nearly one-third of Daxia's army, about 100,000 soldiers and horses, was gathered in this pass.
In view of the strategic position of Zhenbeiguan, Xiang Yunling, the general who defends this border pass, is one of Her Majesty the Queen's cronies and is also the brother of General Xiang Yunpeng.
Xiang Yunling is tall and powerful, with traces of brave battles all over his body. He has an open-minded character, loyalty and courage, and is a true border hero.
On the battlefield, he always took the lead in charging, leading the charge, being brave and fearless, and won the respect of the border officers. Of course, over the years, under the leadership of Her Majesty the Queen Nangong Ying, Daxia Kingdom has not experienced war for many years.
Xiang Yunling is deeply trusted by Her Majesty the Queen Nangong Ying. Like his brother Xiang Yunpeng, he is Nangong Ying's right-hand man. Currently, his cultivation has reached the middle stage of the spiritual realm.
Today I received a letter from my brother Xiang Yunpeng, saying that someone important was going to pass through this place, so Xiang Yunling and a group of close men were waiting outside the city gate for a long time.
Soon after, in the southwest of Zhenbeiguan, the rumble of horse hooves sounded. Even in this late night, looking from a distance, one could still vaguely see the dust flying in the distance.
"Hey! Commander Jiang, we are almost there."
"Ahead is Zhenbeiguan, the great pass of Daxia Kingdom."
In the army, a general wearing silver armor and a fluttering red cape pointed at Xiongguan not far away and whispered to the young soldiers beside him.
"Thank you for your hard work on this journey, Commander Yang." The young soldier also riding on horseback smiled and thanked him.
"Commander Jiang, you're welcome! We are just following Her Majesty the Queen's orders." The general waved his hand in response, and then said: "Commander Jiang, please continue moving forward!"
"Um!"
The young soldier nodded slightly, then whipped up his whip and drove his horse forward, galloping towards the pass ahead.
"Drive! Drive..."
As a result, thousands of knights and soldiers rode their war horses in a mighty manner and galloped towards Beiguan, Xiongguan Town of Daxia Kingdom...
This general is none other than the commander of Daxia Kingdom, Yang Youwei. At the beginning, Jiang Fan asked the young prince Nangong Yu to ask him to sneak into Daxia's army so as to avoid the detection of the spies arranged by Xuantian Sect in Wu'an City and leave Wu'an City safely.
In Jiang Fan's next plan, the entire Daxia Kingdom has been unable to find powerful spiritual grass that can restore the power of Ji Yue's soul. Therefore, in order to help Master Ji Yue restore the power of her soul as soon as possible, they could only go to the dark forest.
Of course, this is also the plan that Ji Yue has already prepared. Ji Yue once said that the dark forest is the place with the strongest aura in the entire Eastern Wasteland. The monsters there can not only help Jiang Fan practice, but also help her restore part of her soul strength.
In addition, the black sword in Jiang Fan's hand came from the dark forest, a place full of monsters. He was also very curious about this black sword and wanted to go to the dark forest to find out for himself.
However, later in Ziyang City, Jiang Fan accidentally rescued Qin Xue from Feng Tianhu. Then, because of his deadly feud with the Feng family and Xuantian Sect, and in order to help his master Ji Yue obtain spiritual herbs, he came to the imperial capital Wu'an City to participate in the Tianjiao Conference.
This series of events caused Master and Disciple Jiang Fan to delay their decision to go to the Dark Forest until now.
What Jiang Fan didn't expect was that when Her Majesty the Queen learned that Jiang Fan was going to the Dark Forest, she not only sent General Xiang Yunpeng's right-hand man Yang Youwei to lead him, but also ordered him to lead thousands of elite cavalry to escort Jiang Fan. All the way to Zhenbeiguan on the border.
It is for this reason that Jiang Fan was scolded by his master Ji Yue throughout the trip. Although there is no doubt that the champion of the Genius List is infinitely glorious, the fact that Her Majesty the Queen went to such great lengths to send thousands of elites just to escort Jiang Fan really left him wondering how to explain it.
When Ji Yue mocked Jiang Fan and hinted that Her Majesty the Queen was interested in him, Jiang Fan was speechless and didn't know what appropriate reason to explain. Of course, no matter what reason Jiang Fan gave, Master Ji Yue would continue to mock him.
Ever since his entanglement with Qin Xue that night, Jiang Fan felt that the master-disciple relationship between himself and his master had undergone subtle changes. Regarding this subtle change, Jiang Fan didn't dare to ask or guess.
At the same time, because Jiang Fan won the championship on the Tianjiao List, the news had already spread widely among the Daxia National Army. Therefore, in the eyes of Commander Yang Youwei, this young man deserves to be called Commander Jiang.
Everyone knows that as long as they can enter the top three on the list of geniuses, they will have the opportunity to obtain the leadership position personally awarded by Her Majesty the Queen. However, Jiang Fan refused this good job because he wanted to experience in the dark forest, but this did not affect his reputation in the Daxia National Army.
Along the way, not only Yang Youwei kept calling Jiang Fan Commander Jiang, but other soldiers also called him the same. Gradually, Jiang Fan stopped refuting.
"They're coming!"
Under the city gate, the burly Xiang Yunling, wearing heavy armor and holding a sword in his hand, stood at the front of the crowd, pointing out to his men with a smile.
"Hush!"
As Yang Youwei quickly reined in the whip, the horse raised its front hooves and stopped in front of Xiang Yunling.
"The last general, Yang Youwei, has met General Xiang!"
Yang Youwei, who was on horseback, quickly jumped off the horse and knelt down on one knee to salute Xiang Yunling. As Xiang Yunpeng's confidant, he showed respect to the general's younger brother.
"You don't have to be polite, Commander Yang!" Xiang Yunling waved his hand casually.
"Thank you, General Xiang!" Yang Youwei cupped his fists and thanked him, then stood up slowly.
Then, Xiang Yunling stepped forward quickly, looked at Jiang Fan who had just got off the horse, and said, "This young man must be brother Jiang Fan who won the championship of this year's Tianjiao List as a casual cultivator, right?"
"Jiang Fan, I've seen General Xiang!" Jiang Fan quickly saluted with clasped fists.
On the way, Jiang Fan got to know General Xiang through Yang Youwei's words, and his eyes were full of respect at this moment.
How can such a man who protects his family and country not be admired by everyone!
"Ha!" Xiang Yunling smiled heartily, and then praised Jiang Fan: "Brother Jiang Fan, this time you have severely extinguished the arrogance of sects such as Xuantian Sect and Baishou Sect. This general is really proud of you. Deeply admired!”
"General Xiang, thank you!" Jiang Fan chuckled and continued: "It is brave soldiers like General Xiang who guard the border that truly make us admire them!"
"Haha!" Xiang Yunling smiled heartily, and it could be seen that he admired Jiang Fan very much.
"Brother Jiang Fan, please follow me!" Then, Xiang Yunling stepped forward to guide Jiang Fan.
"Then General Lao!" Jiang Fan returned the gesture with fists clasped.
Yang Youwei on the side saw that the two had hit it off so well when they first met, and he couldn't help but secretly sighed: "Fortunately, I got along very well with Commander Jiang along the way. Commander Jiang's future must be limitless!"
In this way, under the leadership of Xiang Yunling and other city defenders, everyone slowly entered the city.
Passing through the city gate of Zhenbeiguan is like entering another world. On both sides of the wide street, ancient buildings stand along the street. The stone streets have experienced the baptism of time and are still as smooth as a mirror.
Even though it was already late at night, the streets were still bustling with people and vendors shouting one after another. However, these vendors mainly sell medicinal materials and weapons. Because of the constant flow of hunting teams, the demand for these items is very high.
The busyness at night is just the tip of the iceberg. You can imagine how bustling and vibrant this pass will be during the day.
When the hunting team saw Jiang Fan and others, although they looked surprised, they returned to normal after a while. After all, as a strategic border crossing, the appearance of soldiers was extremely normal.
Under the leadership of Xiang Yunling, Jiang Fan and others have arrived at the tower of the north gate of Zhenbeiguan. Jiang Fan stood on the tower and looked beyond Guancheng. A vast dark forest in the distance appeared before his eyes.
The Dark Forest is the junction of the three countries of Daxia, Dayan and Dajin. It has always been regarded as a mysterious and dangerous area. According to rumors, various rare treasures and dangerous monsters are hidden here.
Therefore, Zhenbeiguan has become the first line of defense against foreign enemies and monsters.
"Brother Jiang Fan, are you really planning to enter this dark forest?" Xiang Yunling asked curiously.
As if worried that Jiang Fan didn't understand the dangers involved, Xiang Yunling continued: "This forest is shrouded in mist all year round and is home to many terrifying monsters. Even the hunting team, which has been licking blood from the tip of their knives all year round, dare not easily Going deeper, we only dare to hunt some low-level monsters on the outskirts of the forest."
"General Xiang, since I came here from the imperial capital, I naturally want to go in and experience it. I understand the general's concern." Jiang Fan replied.
Although he had a pleasant conversation with General Xiang, Jiang Fan knew that he could not tell Xiang Yunling the truth.
"Haha! If that's the case, then please invite brother Jiang Fan to the military camp to rest for a while, let me entertain you for a night, and then set off again tomorrow morning. I wonder what brother Jiang Fan wants?" Xiang Yunling invited with a smile.
It can be seen that Xiang Yunling is very fond of this young man who has brought glory to the country.
"General Xiang, I'm afraid I have to decline. I still have some important things to attend to, so I don't plan to stay any longer." Jiang Fan declined apologetically.
"Oh? Brother Jiang Fan, do you mean to leave immediately?" Xiang Yunling asked in surprise.
Then, Yang Youwei stepped forward and persuaded: "General, please listen to me. Commander Jiang fought with Mu Shan, the leader of Xuantian Sect, at the Tianjiao Conference and severely injured him. This incident caused Mushan to become a A useless person. In order to avoid the persecution of the Xuantian Sect, Commander Jiang decided to go to the dark forest to practice as soon as possible and avoid being chased by the Xuantian Sect."
"This is also the reason why Her Majesty the Queen ordered me to escort Commander Jiang all the way here." Yang Youwei added.
"Oh? There is such a thing?" Xiang Yunling couldn't help but look at Jiang Fan with admiration.
Xiang Yunling, the leader of the Xuantian Sect, Mu Shan, who guards between the Xuantian Sect and the Hundred Beasts Sect, somewhat knows something about it.
Xiang Yunling was not a reckless person, and after understanding the whole story, he no longer advised Jiang Fan to stay.
"Brother Jiang Fan, I can only send you here, please bear with me." Xiang Yunling said with a smile outside the city gate.
"General Xiang is out!" Jiang Fan responded with clasped fists.
There may be scouts from Great Yan and Great Jin outside Zhenbei Pass. If the army comes out with great force, it will definitely attract the attention of the other two countries and may cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
Therefore, Jiang Fan had no intention of letting Xiang Yunling and others escort him to the dark forest. Besides, Zhenbeiguan is already very close to the Dark Forest.
According to Xiang Yunling's previous introduction, starting from Zhenbeiguan and traveling further north for thirty miles, you can reach the outermost edge of the dark forest.
"General Xiang, Commander Yang, all officers and men, we will see you later!" After Jiang Fan saluted everyone with clasped fists, he quickly mounted his horse and galloped towards the mysterious and dangerous forest...
"Commander Jiang, take care along the way!" The loud farewell voices of the soldiers came from behind.
"Brother Jiang Fan, you will definitely become a dragon and a phoenix among men in the future!" Looking at Jiang Fan's retreating back, Xiang Yunling couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"General Xiang, it's time for me to go back and report to Her Majesty the Queen. Her Majesty is still waiting for news from me." After bidding farewell to Jiang Fan, Yang Youwei also said goodbye to Xiang Yunling.
"Okay! Please say hello to brother for me!" Xiang Yunling smiled heartily.
In this way, thousands of cavalry galloped out from Zhenbeiguan and marched toward the imperial capital Wu'an City.
However, when Jiang Fan left for less than a cup of tea, dozens of black figures climbed onto the towering city wall.
These black shadows quickly subdued the soldiers on the tower, and then quickly disappeared in the dark night.
When Xiang Yunling found out about this, he immediately realized the seriousness of the matter. Just as he was about to gather his troops to leave the pass, the shadow guards from the imperial capital also rushed to Zhenbeiguan.
At the same time, there is a secret team that also left the imperial capital and is about to arrive here... Chapter 68 Zhenbeiguan
