Chapter 793
Are they still human?
Building a nation overseas seems incredible, but it was actually quite achievable in this era.
Not to mention that Southeast Asia is already under Fang Guozhen's control, as long as he gives the order, the Siamese Kingdom will immediately change its king. As for the other countries, they will also immediately submit to him under the manipulation of Fang Guozhen and others. At that time, his children and grandchildren will have control over all the countries in Southeast Asia.
Zhu Chongba was a conservative man. Based on later experience, he was not interested in overseas lands, after all, he had blockaded the seas during his reign.
In that case, their descendants can live a good life in Southeast Asia, which can be considered a good outcome.
Of course, if Zhu Chongba were to pursue them all the way to Southeast Asia, then the land there could be abandoned, since Southeast Asia is still too close to China.
Therefore, Chen Jie had two plans: the first was to continue south to Australia to establish a nation.
Secondly, they could rush to North America to establish a nation, where vast lands were still in the hands of backward Native Americans. If Chen Jie's descendants led a large army there with advanced technology, it would be an absolute game-changer.
Establishing a nation in North America would be an excellent choice. One advantage North America has over Australia is its large population, which allows for assimilation and gradual integration into the local culture, making them subjects of the new empire.
Zhu Chongba had no concept of these two regions and would never go to sea to conquer them; his descendants would certainly live a very good life.
This was the destiny Chen Jie had arranged for his descendants. If he was truly unfortunate and failed to defeat Zhu Chongba, then the entire clan would relocate to North America and establish a new country.
It can be said that Chen Jie's insight made his arrangements for his descendants far better than Zhu Chongba's.
Zhang Dingbian was shocked by his lord's foresight when he heard Chen Jie's plan. His lord was indeed no ordinary person; he even knew the situation overseas. He was simply a god.
Chen Jie patted Zhang Dingbian on the shoulder and said, "Alright, you guys continue eating here. I'm going to rest. We can't be careless in tomorrow's battle, but I think I'll definitely win."
As Chen explained, he turned and went back to his room.
After arriving at the house, Chen Jie sat cross-legged on the bed. They were all on the large ship. With his eyes closed, Chen Jie could feel the ship's rise and fall. With each rise and fall, Chen Jie entered a state of introspection. At this moment, his dantian was full, and the various powers he had cultivated were each performing their functions within his dantian.
The improvement in his skill level allowed Chen Jie to reach a new height in his control over physical strength. He had already pushed the martial arts he had learned to their limits.
This includes the Eighteen Dragon-Capturing Palms, which he has mastered to the point of instinct, as well as the Qiankun Great Art. According to the principle, one should comprehend the fifth level of the Qiankun Great Art before one can forcefully enter the fifth stage of the Melting God Realm. However, Chen Jie has now entered the fifth stage of the Melting God Realm and is reversing the cause-effect reversal of the fifth level.
This is an enhancement to his Qiankun Great Shift ability, enabling him to achieve a similar effect to grafting flowers onto trees. Against those weaker than himself, Chen Jie can simply wave his hand to redirect the enemy's deadly attacks back to him.
He can also forcibly reverse cause and effect against strong opponents of the same level, diverting a fatal blow from them.
It must be said that Chen Jie has considerable respect for those who can comprehend such a miraculous technique as the Qiankun Great Law.
Finally, there's the core technique, "The Four Seasons Celestial Phenomena Manual," which Chen Jie has also mastered to its highest level. He's just one step away from opening the Heavenly Gate and entering the long-awaited realm of terrestrial immortals.
Chen Jie closed his eyes to improve his strength, and soon the night passed.
The following day, at the end of the 9-11 AM, at Poyang Lake.
The sky was a dark blue-gray, cloudless, and the sun was pinned to the zenith by some invisible force, appearing as pale as a faded coin.
The lake was eerily still; the eight hundred li of water resembled a giant piece of black jade, without a single ripple.
On the west bank, the Han army fleet slowly sailed out of Kanglang Mountain Water Village.
Nine hundred warships were arranged in nine square formations, with one hundred ships in each formation.
At the forefront were the Azure Dragon Army's three hundred "Azure Scale Ships," painted dark green with ferocious dragon heads carved on their prows and golden swallows painted on the sides of the hulls—the emblem of their commander, Golden Swallow.
Golden Swallow stood at the bow of the flagship "Azure Phoenix," wearing blue scale armor and a bronze demon mask, revealing only her cold eyes.
Behind her, 40,000 Azure Dragon Army soldiers stood solemnly like a forest, the blades of their longswords gleaming eerily in the pale sunlight.
Behind the Azure Dragon Army formation was the "Buddha Army" fleet commanded by Ding Pulang. The two hundred ships were painted entirely in gold, with wrathful Vajra statues on their prows and swastikas embroidered on their sails.
These Buddhist soldiers were clad in iron armor, with yellow belts around their waists, but each held a long sword and glared fiercely like Vajras. Ding Pulang sat cross-legged at the bow of the flagship "Vajra," chanting sutras with his eyes closed. With each bead of his rosary, the three hundred Buddhist soldiers behind him chanted a Buddhist prayer in unison, the sound echoing across the lake.
This Buddhist disciple, who did not believe in Buddhism, was also praying for Chen Jie in his own way.
Behind them was the main force of two hundred ships led by Zhang Dingbian, surrounding the thirty-three-zhang-long "Victory".
Zhang Dingbian was not wearing armor today, only a black scholar's robe, with a long sword hanging at his waist, standing at the bow of the ship like a still pool and a towering mountain. Behind him, the two hundred thousand Han soldiers were silent, with only the battle flags hanging stiffly in the windless air.
On the east bank, the Wu King's fleet also sailed out of Xieshan Water Village at the same time.
Six hundred warships, thirty percent fewer than the Han army, led by Xu Da's "Flying Cloud Fleet," consisting of one hundred and twenty Haicang ships, their hulls battered but their formation impeccable. Xu Da stood at the bow of the "Zhenhai," clad in white robes and silver armor, the veins on the back of his hand gripping his sword visibly prominent.
Behind him stood Chang Yuchun, Feng Sheng, Liao Yongzhong… all the surviving generals. Their eyes were bloodshot, and their armor was stained with blood.
The 160,000-strong army of the Prince of Wu was Zhu Chongba's last remaining asset. Since the battle of Poyang Lake began, the army of 300,000 had suffered 100,000 casualties, and the defeat the day before yesterday resulted in the loss of another 40,000 elite troops.
Of these 160,000 people, more than half are wounded, and their arrows and provisions are only enough for half a month.
The defeat is set.
Everyone knew, including Zhu Chongba himself.
The two fleets stopped three miles to either side of the Falling Star Isles.
Luoxingdun is a spectacular sight in the heart of Poyang Lake—thirty-six gray-black islands and reefs are scattered like stars. The largest main island is only a hundred feet in circumference and thirty feet high, like a giant stone pillar piercing the lake surface.
Legend has it that a celestial star fell into the lake in ancient times and broke into thirty-six pieces, hence the name "Falling Star".
The island was barren of trees and grass, with only jagged rocks that, under the pale sunlight, resembled the skeletons of a giant beast.
The two armies faced off, their tensions palpable.
On the Han army's side, the Qinglong Army's archers had already drawn their bows and nocked their arrows, and the Buddhist soldiers' broadswords struck the deck with a dull thud. The central army under the Han banner trembled slightly in the deathly silence.
On the Wu King's side, the creaking sound of the ballistae tightening could be clearly heard, torches were lit, and the lids of oil barrels were lifted.
With just one spark, this lake would become a living hell.
Just then, a small boat sailed out from the Han army formation.
The boat was small, holding only three people. A scholar stood at the bow, holding a scroll of bright yellow silk. The small boat stopped in the middle of the two armies. Almost simultaneously, the King of Wu's army also sailed out a small boat, with an old soldier at the bow holding a wooden box.
The two ships met, exchanged tokens, and then returned to their respective ships.
Xu Da opened the wooden box; inside was a letter in Chen Jie's own handwriting, written on bright yellow satin, the characters bold and unrestrained like knives:
"Zhu Chongba: 240,000 against 160,000, you have already lost. But the world has suffered from war for too long, what have the soldiers done wrong? At noon today, on the main island of Luoxingdun, you and I will duel to the death. The victor will gain the world, the loser will drown in the lake. Do you dare?"
The letter was stamped with the "Seal of the King of Han," the ink of which was as red as blood.
After reading it, Zhu Chongba remained silent for a long time. He picked up his pen and wrote a reply on another piece of paper, containing only four characters:
"As you wish."
It bears the seal of the King of Wu, an ordinary bronze seal with worn edges.
The small boat set off again.
Chen Jie received the reply, unfolded it, looked at the four characters, and suddenly burst into laughter. He and Zhu Chongba were kings, and kings had to communicate with each other by letter before taking action. What kind of logic was this? Since the letters had been exchanged, then let's fight!
"Issue the order to the entire army—" he said, his laughter fading, his voice as firm as iron, "Not a single soldier shall move without my command. Today, I am the one who will confront Zhu Chongba, the Eighth Prince!"
After saying that, he turned to look at the large banner with the character "Zhu" on it to the east, and said, "Today it's time to settle things."
At the same moment, Zhu Chongba was also issuing an order:
"Without my banner, no one is to move. Today's battle will be fought only at Luoxingdun. If I am defeated... Xu Da, you take the brothers home. This world is no longer up for fight."
"Take over!" Xu Da's eyes were bloodshot.
"This is a military order." Zhu Chongba unfastened his royal sword and handed it to Xu Da. "Take this. If I don't return, this sword... will be passed on to Biao'er."
It was noon.
Two small boats sailed out from their respective fleets. On the Han army's side, Chen Jie rode in a specially made "dragon boat," which was three zhang long and five chi wide, painted entirely with gold, and had a five-clawed golden dragon carved on its bow.
But he only brought one oarsman with him—a one-armed veteran who had followed him since the Mian River, and whose left arm was broken during the battle of Huangzhou Prefecture.
Chen Jie stood at the bow of the boat, not wearing the royal robes, but only a black, close-fitting outfit, with Shennong's staff hanging at his waist. He had his back to the Han army formation and did not turn around.
On Wu Wang's side, Zhu Chongba's boat was even more rudimentary. It was an ordinary fishing boat, the planks blackened, and the bottom still smelled of unwashed fish. He only brought one oarsman—a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, Zhao Jizu, the only son of Zhao Desheng, who had died in the battle of Hongdu.
Zhu Chongba wore a crimson battle robe, and his Xuanyuan Sword was now at his waist.
Facing the Wu King's army, he slowly clasped his hands and bowed deeply.
Then he turned around and never looked back.
The two boats rowed towards the main island of Luoxingdun.
Upon reaching the shore, the two sent the small boat back alone, and then leaped onto the island!
boom!
The moment Chen Jie landed, the entire island trembled violently! Centered on his foot, spiderweb-like cracks spread in all directions, instantly covering half the island.
A powerful aura swept across the entire island.
Then he kept walking uphill. Yes, not climbing, but "walking" uphill, because there was no path in front of him, only a near-vertical cliff.
But with each step he took, an extra stone step appeared beneath his feet. It wasn't carved out, but rather "pressed" out of the rock face by his own qi!
The edges of the stone steps were as smooth as a mirror and half a foot deep, as if they had been repeatedly hammered by a giant hammer.
Wherever he walked, the stone steps behind him began to collapse, not breaking into stones, but turning into dust, falling down like a gray waterfall.
The entire island was trembling and groaning, as if it might completely disintegrate at any moment.
On the other hand, Zhu Chongba's way of landing on the island was completely different.
He landed on the west side of the main island without any tremor or cracks; he was like a feather, gently landing on the reef.
But the moment he landed, all the rocks within a ten-zhang radius of him, regardless of size or shape, came to life at the same time.
It's not really living, it's just beginning to "grow".
Small rocks rise upwards, large rocks crack open, and new stalagmites emerge from the cracks.
Even more bizarre was the color of the rocks. From the point where he landed, the gray-black reefs quickly turned red, as if stained with blood. The red spread outwards, and wherever it passed, the jagged rocks automatically "refined" themselves into smooth steps that meandered upwards.
At this moment, he was inheriting the power of the Yellow Emperor, mobilizing the earth's veins, and leveling the land!
He climbed the steps, his steps light and steady, but with each step he took, the stone steps emitted a warm, jade-like light, as if they were not stones but jade.
Behind him, the stone steps did not collapse; instead, they became even more solid and their crimson color deepened, like a ladder to heaven paved with blood jade.
The two climbed upwards, one to the east and one to the west.
On Chen Jie's side, it was violent and domineering; wherever his qi passed, mountains and rocks crumbled, and the sky and earth changed color. The sky above his head began to distort, and the clouds were torn open by an invisible force, revealing the iron-blue sky behind him.
The wind rose—not a natural wind, but a swirling current of air, like countless invisible knives cutting through the air, emitting a piercing shriek.
On Zhu Chongba's side, there was gentleness and growth; his body was ten zhang in circumference, as if it were a world of its own.
The crimson stone steps stretched on, and tender shoots even sprouted from the cracks in the stones—not flowers or grass, but some kind of crimson vine never seen before, growing and spreading rapidly, blooming with small crimson flowers. The crimson clouds above his head swirled, forming a huge vortex, from which golden light shone down, like a pillar of light enveloping him.
The Human Emperor, this is the blessing that the Yellow Emperor left to his descendants!
On the lake, 240,000 Han soldiers and 160,000 Wu soldiers were all stunned.
"Is this...is this still human?" Ding Pulang stopped moving the prayer beads in his hand.
"This is... a battle of gods, isn't it?" Ou Puxiang's eyes were filled with disbelief.
Golden Swallow's lips trembled beneath the bronze demon mask. The more her strength increased, the more she understood the gap between herself and her opponent—it was like the difference between an ant and a giant elephant.
On Wu Wang Jun's side, Xu Da's hand gripping his sword trembled, not from fear, but from excitement and awe. He suddenly recalled a sentence Zhu Chongba had said to him many years ago in Jinling: "Tiande, you must remember, force is the power that determines the world!"
At the time, he didn't have a direct understanding of it, but seeing the two of them again today, Xu Da was extremely shocked. This was something that military strength could not compensate for.
This is only at the fifth level of the Fusion God realm. If they really reach the Land Immortal realm, the army might really be of no use to them!
Chang Yuchun opened his mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time.
This fierce general, who had charged in and out of thousands of troops seven times, now felt his mouth was dry. Compared to them, he was as weak as an ant.
Feng Sheng, Tang He, Liao Yongzhong... all the generals and all the soldiers held their breath.
The tense atmosphere between the two armies was completely replaced by a more overwhelming and terrifying pressure.
The archers released their bowstrings, the ballistae stopped their winches, and the torchbearers extinguished their torches. Everyone looked up at Luoxingdun, at the two men, at this duel that transcended war, power, and even the comprehension of ordinary people.
It's unclear who knelt down first.
In the Han army ranks, an old soldier knelt down with a thud, kowtowing towards Luoxingdun. Then came the second, the third… like a tidal wave, 240,000 men knelt in unison. They weren't kneeling to Chen Jie, but to the awe-inspiring power of the emperor.
On the Wu King's side, an entire army of 160,000 knelt on the ground, facing the main island, heads bowed.
Only Zhang Dingbian and Xu Da remained standing.
The two men looked at each other across the three-mile-long lake. They both saw the same thing in each other's eyes—awe and a deep sense of powerlessness.
They were renowned generals who commanded thousands of troops, the most outstanding martial artists of their time. But now they realized that before true "power," thousands of troops were nothing but ants.
Chen Jiexian reached the top first.
He stepped onto the island's rooftop platform. The moment his foot touched the ground, the entire island trembled violently, and a deep, bottomless crack appeared in the center of the platform.
He stood on the east side of the crevice, his black robes fluttering in the wind. His aura had solidified into golden flames that burned around him, yet they did not damage his clothes, only distorting the air. Within the flames, the shape of a dragon could be vaguely seen moving, emitting a low, deep roar.
He looked up and gazed to the west.
Zhu Chongba also arrived.
He landed gently on the west side of the platform. There was no tremor, no cracks. The crimson stone steps silently closed behind him, transforming into a complete crimson jade platform.
There were no flames around him, but countless red dots of light—like fireflies or stardust—spun slowly around him. But upon closer inspection, these glowing lights were actually swastika symbols.
Chen Jiu Si combined the flames of Zhu Rong with the Eighteen Palms of Dragon Capture to transform into a dragon of fire.
Zhu Chongba then used Xuanyuan Golden Qi in conjunction with the Tathagata Palm to create endless swastika symbols.
Although the two have never fought, they are actually clashing in secret.
The two stood ten feet apart, gazing at each other across the distance, neither speaking.
On the lake, the nearly 400,000 troops on both sides remained silent, watching everything unfold before them.
The wind stopped, the water became still, and even time seemed to stand still.
Only the main island of Falling Star Mound groaned under the weight of the clash between those two inhuman forces.
At that moment, the two suddenly raised their hands and struck each other with their palms.
The dragon's roar and the Buddha's chant suddenly collided.
boom!
A massive shockwave spread outwards, causing the entire island to tremble. The shockwave then extended to the water's surface, transforming into three-foot-high waves that crashed against the naval warships on either side! (End of Chapter)