Chapter 627: Candidates

"Among the remaining twelve, in terms of combat strength, Zhou Huchen of the Northern Garrison Army is the strongest. However, his expertise lies in leading cavalry charges and breaking enemy lines on open plains; one-on-one combat is not his forte."

"Furthermore..." Xiao Pojun showed a rare look of hesitation. "Zhou Huchen is already fifty-seven, and his Qi and Blood have begun to decline. Against that off-worlder, his chances of winning are likely less than fifty percent."

Zhou Shaoting asked, "What about the sects?"

Song Wenyuan took over the conversation. "I have already asked the sect masters of the Seven Great Sects. They said that among the Sub-Saint disciples, the number of those who can guarantee a victory against that off-worlder is... zero.

"But if it’s just about putting up a fight, there are a few who are capable. Among them, Luo Ziheng of the Xuanzhen Dao Sect, Luo Qingya of the Divine Weapon Pavilion, and Xie Yunfeng of Heavenly Sword Mountain are the most outstanding.

"Luo Ziheng is forty-one this year and advanced to the Sub-Saint realm three years ago. His Swordsmanship is flawless, having already grasped sixty percent of the Xuanzhen Dao Sect’s true inheritance.

"Luo Qingya is thirty-eight and excels in Saber Techniques. He has a steady temperament and once fought three experts of the same realm simultaneously without being defeated.

"Xie Yunfeng is the youngest at thirty-six, but his talent in the Sword Dao is extremely high. The sect master of Heavenly Sword Mountain calls him a once-in-a-century genius."

Song Wenyuan paused. "It’s just that... although these three are strong, no one dares to guarantee an absolute victory."

The atmosphere in the hall grew even heavier.

Chances of winning were less than fifty percent, and no one dared to guarantee a victory. What did this mean? It meant that among the Sub-Saint Martial Artists of Great Liang, not a single one was confident in facing the off-worlder who had rescued the captive.

Zhou Shaoting didn’t speak. He stared at the candlelight in the hall in silence, his gaze profound.

Right at this moment, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall. It wasn’t the steady, composed tread of a minister seeking an audience, but rather an urgent stride, carrying an irrepressible Momentum.

The Imperial Guard Commander guarding the hall called out loudly from outside the doors, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Sixth Prince requests an audience. He says..."

Before he could finish speaking, a figure had already strode into the hall. It was Zhou Chen.

He wasn’t wearing his royal attire today. Instead, he was dressed in a black martial outfit with a sword hanging at his waist. The sword was unsheathed, yet its sharp Intention alone was enough to make the several civil officials in the hall feel slightly suffocated.

Thirty-five was the absolute prime of a Martial Artist. The Sixth Prince, Zhou Chen, possessed unparalleled talent. He had already become a Sub-Saint Martial Artist at the age of thirty and was hailed as the most promising figure to reach the Grandmaster realm in the Great Liang Royal Family in the past thousand years. He stood there like a newly sharpened longsword, radiating an intimidating sharpness.

"Your son pays his respects to Imperial Father." Zhou Chen cupped his hands in greeting, though his gaze had already swept over everyone in the hall. "I apologize for seeking an audience so late at night, but it is because I heard about a certain matter."

Zhou Shaoting looked at his most outstanding son, his brow furrowing slightly. "What did you hear?"

"The matter of the off-worlder’s challenge." Zhou Chen raised his head and looked the Emperor in the eye. "Your son requests to enter the battle. I am willing to represent Great Liang and test this expert from the Star Yuan Federation."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone in the hall shifted. Song Wenyuan looked as if he wanted to speak but stopped himself, Xiao Pojun’s brow furrowed tightly, while Zhang Wu’s eyes lit up.

Zhou Shaoting didn’t answer immediately. He looked at Zhou Chen and remained silent for several breaths before speaking slowly, "Do you know that the off-worlder repelled Zhao Yuanwu with a single strike?"

"I know." Zhou Chen’s tone was calm. "Sub-Saint Zhao is an older generation Martial Artist. He entered the Sub-Saint realm twenty-five years ago and has been garrisoning Liang Wei Third ever since. He has rarely had the opportunity for life-and-death combat with experts of the same realm.

"It’s not surprising that he was repelled in a single strike."

His words were blunt, perhaps even a bit grating, but Xiao Pojun didn’t refute them. Zhao Yuanwu’s weaknesses were well known to the upper echelons of the military. He was more than capable of holding the line but lacked the drive to press forward. Having been away from active Battle Arrays for a long time, his reflexes and decisiveness were no longer what they used to be.

Zhou Chen continued, "Although your son is untalented, over the past three years, I have fought seven Sub-Saint true disciples from the sects. I won six and drew one, remaining undefeated.

"I fought Luo Qingya of the Divine Weapon Pavilion three times, with two wins and one draw. I fought Xie Yunfeng of Heavenly Sword Mountain four times, with three wins and one loss."

He looked at Song Wenyuan. "Prime Minister Song, the time Xie Yunfeng lost to me, he was using his natal sword, ’Frostchill,’ and I was using ’Startled Swan,’ bestowed upon me by Imperial Father. In that battle, he revealed a flaw on the seventy-third move, and I shattered his defense with a single strike."

Song Wenyuan remained silent. He knew about this incident. He had personally witnessed that battle. Xie Yunfeng had indeed gone all out, and Zhou Chen had indeed seized on his flaw during the seventy-third move. It was no fluke.

Zhou Chen withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhou Shaoting once more.

"Imperial Father, your son knows that this battle is of monumental importance.

"The Star Yuan Federation sent that off-worlder to fight for the sole purpose of probing Great Liang’s depths. They are watching to assess our Martial Arts standards, the caliber of our experts, and our resolve against our enemies.

"If we send Luo Ziheng, Luo Qingya, or Xie Yunfeng to fight, we will naturally fall into a disadvantaged position.

"Because the person they sent is bound to be a top-tier genius who best represents their world. If Great Liang has to rely on the sects, doesn’t it imply that the Royal Family has no geniuses of its own?"

The hall was dead silent. Zhou Chen’s voice echoed through the spacious hall, every word crystal clear.

"But if it is the Royal Family that steps up—if it is your son—the situation will be completely different.

"I am a Prince of Great Liang; I represent the Royal Family and all of Great Liang. Even if we lose, it will be a loss in a clash between both sides’ strongest combatants. This would not be a gap in our foundations, but a true contest of martial prowess.

"Besides..." He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "I don’t think I will lose."

Zhou Shaoting looked at his son. At thirty-five, he was high-spirited and radiant with sharp brilliance—just like he had been in his youth. However, he didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he looked at Li Xuangang.

"State Preceptor, what are your thoughts?"

Li Xuangang opened his eyes. His gaze landed on Zhou Chen, as calm as water, yet seemingly capable of seeing right through a person. Zhou Chen met his gaze head-on. He didn’t dodge, nor did he deliberately flaunt his Momentum. He simply stood there, meeting the gaze with perfect composure.

After several breaths, Li Xuangang gave a slight nod. "His Highness’s temperament is well-suited to shoulder this responsibility."

Zhou Shaoting’s brows relaxed a little, but a look of worry remained. "But that off-worlder..."

"Your Majesty," Li Xuangang interrupted him. "I understand your concerns. His Highness is the future of the Great Liang Royal Family; any mishap would shake the very foundation of the nation.

"However, I also believe that His Highness makes a sound point.

"For this battle, rather than having a sect disciple fight and shoulder the expectations of all of Great Liang, it would be better for His Highness to take the field.

"If he wins, the prestige of the Great Liang Royal Family will spread across the four seas. If he loses, it will only mean he was bested in skill, which will not damage our national standing."

He paused. "Furthermore, from what I can see, His Highness will not necessarily lose."

Zhou Shaoting fell silent for a long time. Then, he looked at Xiao Pojun. "Marshal Xiao, what do you think?"

Xiao Pojun pondered for a moment. "His Highness is widely recognized across the three armies as the number one expert in the Sub-Saint realm. If even His Highness has no absolute confidence in winning, then Great Liang shouldn’t fight this battle at all.

"But since we have decided to fight, His Highness is indeed the most suitable candidate."

Zhou Shaoting looked at Song Wenyuan again.

Song Wenyuan sighed. "Your Majesty, I initially disapproved of His Highness taking such a risk. But I cannot refute his reasoning.

"If we win this battle, it will naturally be for the best. If we lose... I believe that as long as His Highness returns safely, it is a loss that Great Liang can afford."