The Sui Dynasty, where Feng Qingyang was located, dispatched fifty thousand men, all of whom were cavalry and fully equipped with their best gear, aiming to inflict the greatest possible damage on Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan's fifty thousand men were also cavalry and possessed considerable strength, posing no fear to the opposing force.
The two armies began to charge rapidly across the plains, soon colliding with a thunderous roar.
"Boom, boom, boom!!!!!"
The competition for the university students was nearing its end, and all eyes were focused on this decisive battle.
Fifty thousand against fifty thousand, with similar numbers and equipment on both sides, everyone was eager to know who was superior.
Every spectator's eyes were glued to the screen, afraid to miss a single moment.
With a sound like muffled thunder, the two cavalry forces finally met.
However, from the moment they engaged, Zhou Yan's soldiers clearly held a significant advantage.
This was because Zhou Yan's soldiers possessed superior cultivation realms, equipment, mounts, and territorial building bonuses, all of which were considerably higher than their opponents.
Although Feng Qingyang's army was a top-tier force, it still paled in comparison to Zhou Yan's soldiers, with a noticeable gap in combat effectiveness.
Zhou Yan's cavalry, with their superior charge, knocked the Sui Dynasty's cavalry away from the very start, then launched a fierce offensive.
The enemy's strength was indeed not insignificant, and they were not without the capacity to counterattack. Zhou Yan's soldiers also sustained some losses.
The battle raged for several hours, ultimately concluding with Zhou Yan's victory at the cost of ten thousand soldiers.
In this direct confrontation, Zhou Yan had proven that his soldiers' combat prowess far surpassed that of their peers.
Out of fifty thousand men, only ten thousand were lost, and those with minor injuries were not even counted.
Whether in tough battles or strategic thinking, Zhou Yan was an outstanding figure in this generation.
The Sui Dynasty's army suffered a crushing defeat, which Feng Qingyang witnessed.
However, Feng Qingyang did not despair. Victory and defeat were common in warfare. If direct confrontation was not feasible, then it should be avoided.
Feng Qingyang made further arrangements, deciding to cease direct engagements and instead rely on the defenses of his cities to hold out, thereby wearing down Zhou Yan's soldiers.
Qin Yao, after resisting for a long time, was eventually defeated by Zhou Yan.
Although Zhou Yan paid a considerable price, he ultimately emerged victorious.
Only three nations remained: Feng Qingyang's Sui Dynasty, Ye Bufan's Tang Kingdom, and Zhou Yan's Zhou Kingdom.
Zhou Yan launched a two-front offensive against these last two contenders, who were also the strongest individuals in this competition.
This development surprised many.
Ye Bufan, hailing from the Dragon King family, was naturally powerful.
Feng Qingyang, originating from the Phoenix family, was also expected to be formidable.
But Zhou Yan?
No one knew where he came from. With his seemingly ordinary background, he had managed to defeat scions of two prominent families.
Zhou Yan's origins were meticulously investigated time and again, yet no definitive information about his identity was found. It was as if an insignificant figure had risen to prominence against all odds.
"Could this guy be the top newcomer of this session!"
"No way, their names don't quite match!"
"There are always methods in the world to alter such things. I believe this Zhou Yan is the strongest newcomer in history, otherwise, how could he be so powerful?"
"This Zhou Yan truly surpasses ordinary people by a wide margin."
"How could a simple family produce such an incredible individual? It's completely illogical."
"Could he be from a hidden aristocratic family?"
"Impossible. It's been investigated. Over ten thousand people have looked into Zhou Yan's background, and there's no trace of any hidden family connection."
"If that's the case, then Zhou Yan might very well be that [Number One Under Heaven]. I've unearthed information about Zhou Yan's journey, and after reading it, I was truly shocked. This guy is practically cheating..."
Zhou Yan: You're truly a genius. I *am* cheating!
Countless individuals began searching for Zhou Yan. Although Ziwei Academy kept his information highly confidential, there was a saying: masters walk among the people.
These individuals usually remained unnoticed, but when they became genuinely interested in someone, even Ziwei Academy struggled to conceal all of Zhou Yan's information.
From the Ziwei Academy freshman trials to subsequent trials, and then the first encounter with the Thorris Led Family of the Beautiful Country on the Lord Continent, even the subsequent incident where demon mercenaries attacked Zhou Yan and were defeated – all of it was unearthed.
It had to be said that these individuals were truly formidable to be able to investigate even such matters.
As a result, almost all of Zhou Yan's affairs were revealed, and it was confirmed that he was indeed the mysterious first-place finisher that countless people had been searching for this session.
No!
He should be referred to as [Number One Under Heaven]!
This revelation sent the Lord Continent into an uproar.
The strongest lord in history was none other than Zhou Yan!
Even the students of Ziwei Academy were stunned after seeing the pinned post on the Lord Continent.
"Wow, I didn't expect Zhou Yan to be that [Number One Under Heaven]. He was hiding himself so deeply!"
"Holy cow! What's this? Look, the reason the Long family dared not attack Zhou Yan was because Zhou Yan's territory actually had two demigod powerhouses!"
"Heavens! No wonder the Long family would rather settle the matter peacefully than seek revenge on Zhou Yan. With two demigod powerhouses guarding the territory, who in their right mind would court death!"
"No wonder Zhou Yan could overshadow Ye Bufan. The gap between first and second place is indeed immense."
"No wonder Zhou Yan's territory is so powerful, so monstrous, so unique. If he's the historical first-place finisher, then it all makes sense."
"He's a legend! In the history of newcomer trials, who else has achieved such a high score? Only Zhou Yan, surpassing the previous first-place finishers by so many points, it's simply unbelievable!"
"Oh my god! I never imagined I would be in the same academy as such a figure."
"He was hiding so well. If not for this Four Great Academies Grand Competition, this kid could have kept it hidden for a lifetime!"
"This is what you call being low-key. [Number One Under Heaven] never boasted, he just quietly developed. If it were us, we'd be eager for the whole world to know."
...
When Zhou Yan's first-place finish in the newcomer trials was exposed, people worldwide were in an uproar.
They never expected that the mysterious first-place finisher was from the Divine Dragon Country, and his territory housed two demigod-level powerhouses.
For such an individual, even if one wanted to deal with him, they would have to consider whether they possessed the strength to do so.