My Cultivation Starting from Archery

In the old calendar, at the end of October, the seventy-seventh year of Longqing, Zhou Rong used the strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain to draw out the White Robes, then altered the Luo Xiao River course, causing the floodwaters to backflow into Shouyang City. The court and the public were shocked, and he became famous across the land upon first emerging, a historical event known as the Flood of Shouyang.

In the same year, November, a celestial anomaly occurred, persistent torrential rains, and the Luo Xiao River's water level rose instead of falling during the autumn and winter seasons, with the waters surging to support giant warships. With the northwesterly wind, the old court's naval forces swiftly moved northward before rapidly advancing eastward, their forces pressing straight towards Youlan Capital, historically referred to as the Drainage Strategy.

In mid-November, Sheng Xianzong dispatched a hundred thousand naval troops to Chibi to camp and intercept the old court's forces, simultaneously ordering the Beiliang Army to urgently return for defense, a historical event known as the Battle of Chibi.

...

Maozhou.

The Beiliang Army camp.

"My lord."

Xu Wencai entered the tent, holding several crumpled letters: "As expected, Shouyang was flooded, and Sima Yao led more than twenty thousand remnants to escape to Chibi. The court dispatched another eighty thousand, totaling a hundred thousand troops, plus we have over two hundred thousand, it's just that...

"The court's troops this time are the elite forces left by Prince Zhen Nan, extremely skilled in naval battles. Their warships are mostly tower ships and large five-tooth warships.

"And we of Beiliang, one could say, have almost no warships.

"Even though Youlan Capital has some, there are very few large warships, the gap in hard power is quite significant..."

"When soldiers come, meet them with generals, when water comes, cover with earth."

Chen Sansi stood up and said: "Handle the matters in the city, then march the army."

"Alright."

Xu Wencai accepted the order and left.

Chen Sansi went to the fields, helping the soldiers uproot the last batch of spiritual grain.

This western expedition did not achieve any substantial results, but for him personally, it was not completely without gains. Along the way, the mystical energy in the Xuanzhu kept increasing.

It made him recall the Dragon Abyss Sword.

His fourth senior brother and master had both mentioned that the Dragon Abyss Sword and the National Guardian Seal were the Emperor's greatest trump cards.

Especially the Dragon Abyss Sword.

Back then, it seemed Emperor Longqing could use some power contained within the sword to directly cut through the Blood Sacrifice Array rooted in the Slaughter Vein and escape. But because he was reluctant to use it, he held back until the last moment.

The role of the National Guardian Seal, on the other hand, was related to the suppression of heaven and earth.

Under the seal of the Eastern Continent, even with the current loosening of the seal, only Qi Refinement Realm cultivators might appear, and Foundation Establishment cultivators would perish if they dared to take half a step.

And the reason Emperor Longqing dared to retreat and break through was surely because he had something to rely on.

If the opponent reaches Foundation Establishment, Chen Sansi can also push himself to break through the True Power Middle Stage to contend.

So the most concerning is still the Dragon Abyss Sword. His master and senior brother also do not know what power it contains that makes the old Emperor treasure it so much, unwilling to use it for either the Blood Sacrifice Array or the assassination at the Seeking Immortal Tower more than a year ago.

Ziwei Mountain!

While pulling spiritual grain, Chen Sansi recalled what he saw in the secret chamber left by Grand Ancestor Cao Xie on Ziwei Mountain. When he first saw the Dragon Abyss Sword, the Xuanzhu in his possession reacted.

He could even attempt to control the Dragon Abyss Sword, but there was clearly another more powerful force attached to it, completely preventing him from contending.

At that time.

Chen Sansi thought it was the bloodline restriction of the Cao family.

But even the late Crown Prince, Cao Fan, could not take this sword, indicating there was something else unusual.

Now it seems, it is likely related to the power within the Dragon Abyss Sword.

He carefully recalled the details.

That force seemed to have a subtle similarity with the mystical energy within the Xuanzhu, not identical, but similar.

If one were to say...

The mystical energy in the Xuanzhu represents the people's will and hope.

Then could the National Guardian Seal and Dragon Abyss Sword represent Dasheng's national destiny?

These are all speculations.

Chen Sansi did not dare to make a conclusion.

Whether the speculation is correct or not still needs to be personally verified, the Dragon Abyss Sword lies there, unavoidable, can only face it head-on.

"Brother Chen."

In a daze.

Voices sounded by his ear.

Wei Xuan and his wife came beside him: "Are we soon heading to Chibi to confront the southern naval forces of the Sheng court?"

"Indeed."

Chen Sansi said: "True power is scarce in the army, it will be hard work for both of you this time."

"What hard work or not."

Wei Xuan said seriously: "My concern is that Brother Chen cultivates the Fire Breathing Technique, and the five elements mutually reinforce and counteract, in a water battle you will inevitably face extreme limitations.

"Moreover, the entire Sky Water Ling Family is adept with the Tianhe Sword Skill, and they excel in combat on water like fish in water.

"Brother Chen is essentially using his weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths."

While ordinary water cannot extinguish True Power's fire, it does not mean it can resist great rivers, and enemy forces surely have formation assistance, and changing breathing techniques cannot be done overnight.

Common martial arts techniques only suit one breathing technique, like "Tianhe Sword Skill" which only has the Water Breathing Technique, it may have variants, but cannot detach from the major attribute.

Whereas the "Dragon Scripture" left by Sun Xiangzong can select one of the five elements, but once selected it cannot be changed, as the shrine inside the body has been shaped by the technique's refinement.

To cultivate other breathing skills, different techniques and circulation methods are needed to re-baptize the shrine inside the body, and whether it succeeds is uncertain.

Thus, in this Battle of Chibi, the court's naval forces almost completely hold all the advantages in timing, geography, and human conditions.