Chapter 304: Chapter 44: [Gale Heart] (Part 2)

Not long after, news swept across the lands of Yonglan like a hurricane.

Uther, the Lord of Yingxi Castle, announced his support for Westheid’s claim to the throne and led his troops to join the pilgrimage.

This greatly astonished the many Knight Territories that had been observing from the sidelines. Although Westheid’s advance seemed unstoppable, the truly established Grand Knights had yet to pick a side, which meant the outcome of his journey to kingship was far from decided.

Yingxi Castle, once expected to be a point of fierce contention on the pilgrimage path, didn’t fire a single shot. Instead, it became a guide, allowing the grand army of the pilgrimage to easily cross the natural barrier.

The [Black Knight], Uther, in whom we had placed such high hopes, surrendered!

Uther’s choice exceeded most people’s expectations. In their eyes, the Lord of Yingxi Castle should have been a staunch opponent.

Surrendering without even a fight... could it be that Lord Uther approved of Duke Qinghui that much? Or did he have expectations for the rule of a Foreigner?

Regardless of the outsiders’ speculation and surprise, the unchangeable fact was that the pilgrimage procession passed through the natural barrier of Yingxi Castle unimpeded.

Their path of advance was like a straight blade, thrusting into the heart of Yonglan with extreme speed.

..........

[Gale Heart]. Just like the Imperial [Holy Root System], [Gale Heart] was also the Capital of a Realm of Order. Naturally, it was a place that nurtured the purest miracles of the Celestial Gods.

In the Imperial Capital, that miracle was the giant Holy Tree Illusion. But in the Capital of Yonglan, it was the magnificent city itself.

It was not built on a Fertile Plain, nor was it a transportation hub or a land rich in resources. On the contrary, [Gale Heart]’s geographical location could be described as quite terrible.

The nearby land was barren, its location remote, and the weather was a constant barrage of wind and snow. It had none of the elements required of a Capital.

But it was the homeland of the [Yonglan Riding God].

That alone was more than enough. The greatest miracle the [Yonglan Riding God] bestowed after his Ascension was the forging of [Gale Heart].

Before this towering city that straddled cliffs and canyons, all of nature’s creations seemed insignificant.

Every wall of [Gale Heart] was hundreds of meters high and wide enough for colossi to walk side-by-side. Every brick had a history of several hundred, nearly a thousand years, a clear display of the Celestial God’s blessing.

The style and layout of the architecture were all decided thousands of years ago.

And these ancient structures filled [Gale Heart] in layer upon layer: countless soaring towers reached the clouds, countless interconnecting bridges crisscrossed in every direction, and countless massive stone elevators linked them all...

There were also great Monasteries with limestone shells, a Holy Hall surrounded by a million stained-glass windows, and a Trial waterfall shrouded in white mist...

Being in [Gale Heart] was like being inside a miraculous palace-labyrinth. It didn’t feel like a fortress, but rather a museum built from a collection of magnificent wonders.

It had reached a point where [Gale Heart] no longer served as a settlement. All sorts of pilgrims, travelers, and wandering Knights resided within it. Tens of thousands would fight tooth and nail for the chance to move their family’s residence to [Gale Heart], but only a few Knight Clans could truly obtain this honor.

They couldn’t be called the superiors or rulers of the Country of Yonglan. In terms of territory and resources, these Knight Clans were far inferior to the Great Knight Territories in the provinces.

However, they were able to station themselves openly in the Capital, in the location within the Mortal World closest to the Divine Ancestor. This point alone was enough to make countless Knight Clans mad with envy.

[Steel Will Guardian].

This was the moniker for the Knight Clans stationed in [Gale Heart]. True to their name, they upheld the will passed down from the Divine Ancestor. They were transcendent Guardians of Order and also the moderators of the Knight Council.

The Knights belonging to these families formed the core defensive force of the Capital of the Country of Yonglan. By the crenellations of the inner city walls and near the palaces, one could always see Knights on guard, clad in white, gold-hemmed cloaks, silk shirts, and Secret Silver Light Armor.

Dashing and heroic, they held a military banner in one hand and rested the other on a Dragon Sword. Their inverted-triangle, full-coverage helmets were densely covered in pale gold Runes. A single, straight, vertical line of fluorescent light served as the eye slit, and a plume like a lion’s mane cascaded down.

The near-constant wind and snow of [Gale Heart] dusted their cloaks. The Knights on guard stood as motionless as statues, until they heard a sound.

TAP TAP TAP—

The crisp sound of boot heels striking the marble slabs echoed as Mephit arrived on the lift platform.

"Lady Mephit..."

"Lady Mephit!"

The Knights of the Zitherheart Clan in the royal city heard the sound and gave a slight nod of greeting to their clan’s Grand Knight. She nodded back in acknowledgment.

The blue-haired Knightess walked to the steps of the Divine Hall of the Rider and gazed at the stone stele before her. On it were inscriptions that glowed with a permanent, faint light: 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Lay my weakness to rest here."

"Sever my confusion with a sword."

"Farewell to the longings of the past."

"I shall walk into the wind and snow, never to return."

These were the words carved by the [Yonglan Riding God]. Even though she had seen them countless times, every time Mephit gazed upon this miracle, she would bow reverently before stepping into the great hall of the Holy Hall.

Inside the great hall, illuminated by dim yellow light, a group of Knights was already in conversation.

They were not holding a formal meeting around a large round table, but were scattered about quite casually. Some stood near the corners, while others sat on the leather sofas by the fireplace.

"Mephit, you’re a little late. We were just discussing how to accommodate the Knights flooding into [Gale Heart]. They all intend to use this final stronghold to stop the pilgrimage. What are your thoughts?"

"Just let them band together and try to stop them. As if that would do any good. If they were actually capable of hindering the pilgrimage, they wouldn’t have run to [Gale Heart] in the first place. In the end, it’s still up to us to be the final barrier, isn’t it?"

Mephit brushed the snow from her coat and said:

"Uther has chosen to support the King Claimant. The army of Yingxi Castle will be joining the pilgrimage procession. Everyone, what are your thoughts?"

"Hmm... That is indeed unexpected."

The one who spoke was an old man with white hair and a white beard, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. He wore a gray Knight’s robe and nodded slightly as he said:

"As far as this old man knows, Uther is a Lord who values his reputation and vanity above all else. How could he bow his head to the King Claimant so easily?"

Hearing this, Mephit smiled and said:

"Master Yaxius, your information is a bit outdated. It is precisely because that fellow Uther cherishes his reputation that he had no choice but to bow to Duke Qinghui—and to do so without any reservations."

"You didn’t participate in the vanguard of the previous expedition. The battle between Uther and Westheid wasn’t a draw; Uther was completely crushed."

As soon as Mephit finished speaking, a Knight sitting by the fireplace couldn’t help but speak up:

"Hm? Uther is by no means weak. Is that [Branch of Prosperity] from the Imperial really that powerful?"

This Knight had a pale gold ponytail and his eyes were tightly closed, yet one could still make out his refined features:

"A Powerhouse capable of completely crushing Uther... you couldn’t find someone like that in the entire Country of Yonglan."

Mephit’s eyebrows arched as she said:

"Lai Wu, that’s exactly my point. Duke Qinghui is strong... extremely strong. I suspect he may have already touched the realm above Legend... Heh, but that’s unlikely. In my opinion, Duke Qinghui has cast aside the restrictions of his Path and is unscrupulously absorbing other powers. The composition is just too complex. He’s definitely been doing this for more than just a day or two."

Yaxius shook his head upon hearing this. "A Knight who joined halfway, after all. Unable to adhere to the pure Path of the Knight. Can such a Foreigner truly become king..."

"That is not our concern, old master."

Mephit didn’t share that antiquated mindset of "the ancestors’ laws cannot be changed." She placed a hand on her chest, slowly closed her eyes, and spoke in a fanatical, almost trembling voice:

"No matter who the King Claimant is, or what claims he makes, we, the [Steel Will Guardians], have only one duty. We must use the authority and power bestowed upon us by the Divine Ancestor to offer the Trial of Steel Will and Storms to the one who intends to be king."

"That is all we must do."