“Hold on! According to past rules, the one who seizes the war flag must improvise a battle song to inspire warriors to kill enemies on the battlefield! How did General Lü forget this?”
“Commander, this was not notified beforehand. Raising it now is improper. The Xuan Realm clans value martial prowess and pay little heed to literature. This is too harsh on him.”
Lü Chenglong frowned.
He knew Sikong Zun was deliberately making trouble.
Ling Xiao was somewhat speechless. He had practised martial arts since childhood, learning only characters related to it, never studying zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting. He was completely clueless in this area.
Forcing him to create a battle song would truly stump him.
This Sikong Zun was ruthless.
“Ling Xiao, will you forfeit? Forfeiting means no centurion position or special action privileges. Are you sure?”
Sikong Zun ignored Lü Chenglong and asked Ling Xiao loudly.
This was plainly deliberate.
If Ling Xiao forfeited, his prior efforts would be wasted.
But if not, what then? Fabricate a battle song?
That would not only fail but might embarrass him.
For a moment, Ling Xiao was in a dilemma.
“Sigh, Ling Xiao excels in everything except literary talent.”
Feng Yanran sighed too. “Though Sikong Zun is indeed troubling him, if he truly cannot, it is just bad luck.”
Jia Yun sneered, his gloomy face turning smug again.
Seeing that smug grin, Ling Xiao refused to give up.
In deep thought, he suddenly touched something.
It had always hidden in his soul sea, like a water sphere containing countless memories and knowledge.
But whose it was, he did not know.
Perhaps some of the Human King’s memories?
Or from some inheritance?
Ling Xiao felt confused.
But upon touching the sphere, it burst, flooding his mind with its contents.
In that instant, bizarre things filled his soul sea, none he had seen.
Or even imagined.
He had no time for them now, focusing instead on vast knowledge of battle songs and poetry.
“Amazing. Any one could pass!”
Ling Xiao’s worried expression turned excited.
“Commander Sikong, if I improvise a battle song, I get the centurion position and privileges, right?”
He suddenly asked Sikong Zun.
“Correct!”
Sikong Zun found it odd. Moments ago, Ling Xiao looked troubled, but now he seemed enlightened and relaxed.
“Good, then listen!”
Ling Xiao smiled.
“You mean sing, not recite?”
Sikong Zun asked.
Singing was far harder.
Reciting needed only words, but singing required melody, raising difficulty immensely.
“Yes, sing. Listen well!”
Ling Xiao was fully confident. Once sung, this battle song would resonate with the warriors.
When it appeared in his soul sea, fused with soul power, it unlocked a new “Soul Judgement” ability: Holy King!
First ability: Burn Heaven, incinerating all, clearly wide-range elemental attack.
Second: God Tomb, communicating with undead, a summoning soul method.
Third: Immortal Pot, materialising soul power to absorb item souls, converting to his own.
Fourth: Holy King, auxiliary, with battle songs as one aspect, boosting self and others’ combat or defence, varying by song.
This awakening was an unexpected boon for Ling Xiao.
He took a deep breath, and his resounding voice echoed through the camp.
“Wolf smoke rises, gaze north to the rivers and mountains.
Dragon coils, horses neigh long, sword qi like frost.
Heart like the vast sea, boundless waters.
Who can resist across millennia of conquest!
Mad with hatred, long blade points.
How many loyal souls buried in foreign soil.
What regret in a hundred deaths for home and country.
Swallow sighs, speechless, eyes full of bloody tears.
Hooves south, men gaze north.
Men gaze north, grass green and yellow, dust flying.
I vow to guard the land and reclaim borders!
Mighty God Phoenix makes all quarters
Come to congratulate!”
Silence!
Deathly silence!
Even God Phoenix Academy warriors fell utterly quiet.
After a long while, the soldiers shed tears of agitation!
So moving!
So stirring!
In this song, they saw themselves, heard themselves, thought of themselves!
Blood boiled, tears flowed.
What a battle song! Indescribable feeling.
Not just emotional, the soldiers felt blood surging, bodies glowing red.
Manifested battle intent!
They felt power coursing through, yearning to vent on the battlefield now!
“What rubbish battle song, awful!”
A jarring voice: Jia Yun.
But it drew countless glares, furious.
“What do you want?”
Jia Yun, Righteous Alliance young master, usually bold, trembled under thousands of murderous stares.
These people might kill him, alliance or not.
“What’s the song’s name?”
Lü Chenglong asked excitedly.
He could scarcely imagine such a battlefield-rich song from a sixteen-year-old.
The stirring voice fully captured the tragedy and heroism of war.
Even this old man was moved.
“Jing Zhong Bao Guo!”
Ling Xiao blurted.
Not his name, but the song’s original.
“Excellent Jing Zhong Bao Guo! Excellent!”
Lü Chenglong’s eyes flashed, repeating “excellent” twice.
“Who knew, Ling Xiao, not only martial prowess but literary and musical talent too. Why hidden before?”
Feng Qingyan was thrilled.
Ling Xiao’s performance far exceeded expectations.
