The Nine Cauldrons

Six Thousand Black Armored Soldiers

Silence!

Every single person present, even Gong Yangqing and that middle-aged man dressed in grey, became quiet. Everyone stared at Teng Qingshan and not a word was uttered for a long time.

Lifting a huge ten thousand Jin rock is of course, extremely hard.

This instant explosive inner strength needed to lift such a weight was extremely high, and those who were able to do so were usually called ‘First Rated Warriors,’ or the peak of the postliminary realm!

The Dantian that stores the inner strength of the human body was like a sea, while meridians were like rivers flowing throughout the body.

When one is evaluating the instantaneous inner strength that bursts forth from the arms of a human, the quality of the inner strength wasn’t important. Instead, the width and resilience of the meridians was much more important. The wider the meridians were, and more resilient the meridians were, the more inner strength there will be to burst forth in an instant— which makes an explosion of an even more powerful inner strength occur. Like the spout of a water bottle, big the spout if too small, it would be hard to pour it out no matter how much water the bottle had. The same goes with this inner strength. If the meridians were too narrow, it would be difficult to transmit a great amount of inner strength at once!

The resilience and width of one’s meridians could only be improved through repeated practice and continuous expansion.

“ A sixteen year old First Rated Warrior!” The middle-aged man dressed in grey looked at Teng Qingshan and said, “In the thousands of years of history in our Gui Yuan Sect, the number of such talented people could be counted on one’s hand. This young man named Teng Qingshan is comparable to the young sovereign of our sect.”

“Sixteen years old!”

“A First Rated Warrior! When I was sixteen, I could only lift five hundred Jin.”

“Where is this Teng Qingshan coming from? He is so strong!” The warriors around started discussing. When compared to Teng Qingshan, Gong Yangqing was much worse. This was because Gong Yangqing, who was famous, was already thirty-six years old. Between a thirty-six year old First Rated Warrior and a sixteen year old First Rated Warrior, whose potential was bigger? Everyone here knew the obvious answer.

“Teng Qingshan! That’s the number one expert of our Yi City!”

“Yi City’s number one expert is called Teng Qingshan, it was him that pierced Li Yanshan, the Great Leader of the Yan Shan Gang, with one thrust of his spear.”

Yi City was one of the nine big cities of Jiangning County. When Teng Qingshan killed Li Yanshan, he was called the number one expert of Yi City. Obviously Jiangning county knew that there were many people with the name Teng Qingshan; however nobody had dared to match the age sixteen, with the number one expert of Yi City in the beginning.

That was just too shocking!

“Teng Qingshan of Yi City?” That middle-aged man dressed in grey robes laughed and said, “I had heard of Teng Qingshan of Yi City when I was at Gui Yuan Sect. I truly didn’t expect Brother Teng, that you were only sixteen years old!”

Teng Qingshan accepted the First Rated Warriors’ plate and backed away.

The surrounding warriors looked at Teng Qingshan’s plate with a hint of admiration since he was a First Rated Warrior.

“Xiao Man, why are you here?” The scolding sound of the middle-aged man dressed in grey robes rang out.

Teng Qingshan looked towards the center of empty field and saw a skinny, weak girl dressed in yellow stepping into the center of the empty field while saying, “Martial Uncle, of course I came to join the Black Armored Army! Teacher has said that practicing assiduously would not be as good as the process of strengthening during battles of life and death; therefore, I have come to join the Black Armored Army. I originally thought that I would be the youngest First Rated Warrior, but who would have thought that a sixteen year old First Rated Warrior would appear……”

The girl dressed in yellow mumbled as she walked towards the huge rock weighing ten thousand Jin.

“Rise!” The girl dressed in yellow let out a roar and grabbed the huge rock weighing ten thousand Jin with her small, fair hands.

Whew!

The huge rock weighed ten thousand Jin seemed to be made of clay, and was lifted up high immediately.

There was complete silence.

This mumbling girl with such a small physique was actually a First Rated Warrior?

Furrowing his eyebrows, The middle-aged man dressed in grey asked, “Xiao Man, did your teacher agree to let you join the Black Armored Army?”.

“Hmph, I wanted to join last time, but teacher wouldn’t allow me to. Didn’t he say that once I have the power of a First Rated Warrior, he would let me join the Black Armored Army? Now that I have it, how can teacher who is the honored Sovereign of the sect, not keep his promise? The girl dressed in yellow casted a glance at the Gui Yuan Sect disciple recording and said, “Little Lin, I, your senior, is currently twenty-three years old. There’s no need to say my name, right? Quickly give me the First Rated Warrior plate. Hehe, from today onward, I will no longer be a part of the central Gui Yuan Sect. Hehe, from now on, I will be going to the Black Armored Army Camp!”

“Senior Wu Man, the plate is done.” The Gui Yuan Sect disciple hastily handed the plate to the girl.

The girl dressed in yellow took the plate and walked to Teng Qingshan. She scrutinized him for a while and frowned, “And here I thought that I was powerful enough. I am now twenty-three and have reached the realm of the First Rated Warrior. I was thinking of scaring the big-sized fools around, but who would have thought that you would steal the show.”

“You boy……Oh, you are called Teng Qingshan, right? You are only sixteen? And you’re already as strong as that monster teacher of mine? That kind of monster… not one has appeared in Gui Yuan Sect for over hundred years. Are you really a monster? Motherf*cker, tell me the truth. Did you purposely lie about your age?” This girl dressed in yellow talked non-stop.

This girl who seemed small and cute was actually so garrulous!

Really too talkative!

“Hey, I am talking to you!” The girl dressed in yellow placed her hands on her waist and glared as she spoke.

“Qinghu, let’s go. Let’s go and eat lunch.” Teng Qingshan didn’t even speak or glance at the girl dressed in yellow and turned his head, leaving with Teng Qinghu.

“This fellow……” The girl dressed in yellow widened her eyes in shock and said vengefully, “Alright. Teng Qingshan, right? I will remember this!” The girl dressed in yellow twitched her little nose and walked away. The surrounding warriors automatically opened a path for her. She might have seemed like a petite girl, but she was a First Rated Warrior.

In these huge sects, both men and women could practice inner strength, and you wouldn’t be able to tell their level of ability just by looking at their appearance.

The Yu Yang grand canal connects the north end Yuzhou to the south end of Yangzhou. It passes through half of the nine continents and until the Endless East Sea at the east of Yangzhou. This ‘Yu Yang Grand Canal’ was a channel that had opened up during the time Emperor Yu had managed the world’s channels after he had unified the whole world. It was done because of the advantages and benefits it would bring.

Because of this channel, Yangzhou became prosperous.

The Yu Yang Grand Canal goes through the county of Jiangning. Gui Yuan Sect is located at the South-East region of the county of Jiangning. The whole Gui Yuan Sect had a circumference of ten Li and is coincidentally divided into two sections, the east and by the Yu Yang Grand Canal.

West of the canal in the region of the Gui Yuan Sect was the location of the outer disciples.

East of the canal was where the core region of the Gui Yuan Sect was at. With the Longgang hills as the border, the Gui Yuan region was divided into two: the North and the South. The south was where the core disciples trained. The Sovereign, elders, guardians and other core disciples of the Gui Yuan Sect all lived there, and the population was over ten thousand people.

The North Gui Yuan Sect region of the Longgang was the location of the Black Armored Army camp.

“Gui Yuan Sect is actually divided into both east and west sides. To go to the camp of the Black Armored Army, we actually have to go by boat!” emotionally proclaimed Teng Qinghu as he stood on the ship’s bow.

At this moment, the sky was orange-red and it was already dusk.

The Black Armored Army’s examination to join the sect, which had continued for a whole day, finally ended. Those that could lift one thousand Jin were qualified to enter the Black armored as rookies. After the selection, the ones that continued to stay would be the true soldiers of Black Armored Army. Those that could only lift five hundred Jin weren’t even qualified to join the Black Armored Army.

“Three hundred sixty-three people! Nine First Rated Warriors, thirty-eight Second Rated Warriors, and over three hundred Third Rated Warriors that can lift a thousand Jin.” Teng Qingshan remarked emotionally, “So many experts can be recruited during this recruitment that happens once every six months while the Black Armored Army can still maintain the number of six thousand people every year. It is no wonder that this sect is so powerful.”

In the morning, there were only three First Rated Warriors, but most of the experts weren’t in a hurry to show their trump cards so early in the morning. Those experts only showed up one by one once afternoon arrived.

“Qingshan, that girl named Wu Man is walking towards us.” Teng Qinghu whispered as he pointed at the girl dressed in yellow.

“Wu Man?” Teng Qingshan followed Qinghu’s finger and saw that Wu Man was indeed walking towards them.

“Let’s go. We shall go to the after deck.” Teng Qingshan thought of Wu Man as a pain in the neck, and so it was better to avoid her.

“Running away the moment you see me?” The girl dressed in yellow glared and immediately turned her head to look at the cold-looking guy with a knife scar. She approached him with a sweet smile and said, “Hey, Gong Yangqing! You were the Great Leader of the Ram Horn Mountain Gang right? Why did you join the Black Armored Army of the Gui Yuan Sect? By the way, have the bandits of the Ram Horn Gang disbanded? If they didn’t, let me be the Great Leader for fun! It’s a good idea right, what do you think?”

Gong Yangqing slightly furrowed his eyebrows and turned around.

“We have arrived on shore. Everyone, off the boat.” Gong Yangqing commanded the other seven brothers.

……

During the first night they arrived the Black Armored Army, Teng Qingshan and the others didn’t get into contact with the Black Armored Army, since they were still not considered real soldiers of the Black Armored Army; therefore, each of them temporarily stayed in a shabby room on the fringes of the Black Armored Army.

Early next morning, the few hundred people separated to the open-air stone tables, eating big bowls of porridge, heaps meat buns, and copious amounts bread.

Of all these, you could eat as much as you want.

“Cousin, we will be competing for the centurion and sergeant position of the Black Armored Army. Cousin, you must be careful of the techniques of the spear arts. Fight according to what I said, the important thing is to listen to the force.” Teng Qingshan reminded. Large Foundation Spear was a technique Teng Qingshan taught the clan members when he was young.

Large Foundation Spear seemed simple, but was the first level to practice the spear art well.

“Don’t worry, Qingshan.” Teng Qinghu was full of confidence.

“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!”

The earth shook slightly as a rumbling sound reverberated throughout the air.

Everyone.” The middle-aged man wearing a grey robe announced, “The six thousand soldiers of the Black Armored Army have arrived to the field. Everyone, gather quickly.”

Immediately, the crowd of three hundred people left their bowls and chopsticks and simply wiped their mouth as they grabbed their weapons and walked towards the field. When they were still far away from the field, Teng Qingshan and the group of people saw the Black Armored Army at the field in the distance!

The dark mass of soldiers were divided into four big sections, and although there were thousands of soldiers present, it was dead silent.

The six thousand soldiers gathered together without making a sound. They all wore black heavy armors, had a heavy, murderous aura and gave off a bloody scent that pervaded the air! Seeing this silent, dark black armored army, one would feel like they were facing a deep and dark sea, which caused them to feel like they were suffocating! Terror!

Even Teng Qingshan felt his heart skipping a beat, while the faces of many of the other warriors paled instantly.

“Six thousand Black Armored soldiers!” Teng Qingshan took a deep breath.

When he saw the entire Black Armored Army, Teng Qingshan understood completely……why this sect was able to sit so tall. When facing the six thousand soldiers of the Black Armored Army, just their dense and heavy murderous aura passed down from the previous generation was able to cause men to lose the courage to fight back.