Chapter 48: Saluting the Military Flag!

  October 1st of Imperial Year 752, in the early morning hours, was just an ordinary autumn morning with a hint of crispness for the people of the Empire.

  But for more than 200 young people in a remote corner of the Windy Plains, this was a morning that would change their fate.

  On the playground of Eagle Academy, two hundred people wearing black shiny armor stood quietly waiting, waiting for a moment to arrive.

  One by one, the young faces were filled with excitement and pride, a pair of bright eyes shining with hope and grandeur. Two hundred men who had undergone rigorous military training, brutal camp hardships and survival tests stood there, exuding an aura of solemnity and majesty.

  The founding ceremony of Liuyunwei Team will be held this morning.

  Eagle Academy

  On the reviewing stand of the playground, the master of ceremonies, Iverson, stood. Flowing Cloud and Old Card stood behind him, one in front of the other.

  Behind the reviewing stand, a temporary viewing platform was set up. Prince Shiyan sat in the middle, and after receiving news from Liuyun, he rushed to welcome Prince Shiyan with his entourage and generals sitting on both sides. Huajing and Leiluo also came over at Liuyun's invitation, and Shuiling'er sat on the side.

  Naruto stood on the left side of the reviewing stand, his emotions even more stirred up. His gaze fell once again on the three people standing not far from him - Shippuden, Wok and Kulia. The tall and sturdy Shippuden held a large flag in both hands, facing the students with a solemn expression. Wok and Kulia wore black armor, one on the left and one on the right, standing proudly, their faces determined, as if they were ready to defend the large flag in Shippuden's hands with their lives.

  "I solemnly declare that on October 1st, Imperial Year 752, with the approval of His Imperial Majesty, the Black Eagles, a private guard of Viscount Flowing Cloud Kaito, has been officially established!"

  Iverson's loud voice echoed in the school, triggering rounds of applause.

  "Present arms!"

  Hippo and the three others turned right, facing the reviewing stand, marched forward with flags in hand, and handed them over to Liú Yún; then they marched back in the opposite direction to Ná Lèng Duó's side. Ná Lèng Duó led the three of them marching up to Liú Yún, saluting him with a standard military salute.

  The flowing cloud gaze stared at Nalando, handing the flag into his hands and nodded slightly.

  Naruto held two flags in his hands and stood facing the standing guard members on the playground, with a large flag held high, fluttering in the wind.

  "Salute to the military flag!"

  As Iverson's clear voice rang out, the playground responded with a soft "whoosh" sound. Two hundred long knives were drawn from their sheaths and raised to chest level, eyes fixed on the large flag in the sky! Gripping, drawing, raising, and glancing sideways, all movements were identical, only bringing up a sheet of dreamy, snow-bright knife light.

  On the large flag in the wind, a black eagle is embroidered, soaring under the blue sky and white clouds. Behind the eagle, a pure white dove flies slowly with a green leaf in its beak.

  "Bow!"

  The sword flashed by, and two hundred people stood up as if nothing had happened.

  "Please give a speech, Viscount Flowing Clouds!"

  Liú Yún walked up to the stage and scanned the crowd below with her eyes.

  "Soldiers, this is the first time I've addressed you as such. From today on, you are a soldier of the Empire! A soldier is born for war, but absolutely not a killing machine. A soldier is the one who ultimately dispels the dark clouds of war and brings in the light, the guardian deity of peace! From this moment on, when you become soldiers, the battlefield is your stage, and peace is the perfect curtain call! The continent is not peaceful, and the horn of war will sound at any time. The Black Eagles take flight today, and from now on, we will forever protect our friends, family, and loved ones!"

  The flowing clouds came to a stop, his gaze fell on the fluttering military flag, and he raised his hand to point lightly.

  "The flag is the symbol of the army, and this one is the Black Hawk's military flag. To take over the flag means to take over the mission and responsibility. From today on, your glory and shame will be written on the flag. Soldiers, you must use your youth and hot blood to write the brilliance of the flag, and use your own life to defend the dignity of the flag! As long as the flag exists, the Black Hawk exists; if the flag is lost, the Black Hawk will perish!"

  Later, the opponent asked Liú Yún, "Is it true that if the flag is lost, the person must die?" Liú Yún said: "Damn, are your brains all mush? Can't win, shout 'Protect the flag soldiers first' and run away." The direct effect of this sentence was that later, when the Black Eagles were retreating in an unfavorable battle, the flag protection soldiers always went first.

  "The army has iron discipline, and the duty of a soldier is to obey. I hope everyone will remember my words carefully: Those who disobey orders in the army shall be beheaded! Those who violate discipline in the army shall be beheaded! Those who betray and desert the army shall be beheaded!"

  The three loud and clear "beheads" struck heavily on the hearts of the crowd, making everyone feel a chill on their necks. This "Three Beheadings Order" originated from Liú Yún's private guards and followed him as he fought across the land, gradually being adopted by various armies across the Blue Moon Continent.

  Later, when people analyzed this seemingly simple "Three Cutting Orders", they evaluated it as follows: Those who violate discipline in the army are beheaded to ensure strict military discipline; those who disobey orders in the army are beheaded to ensure smooth military orders; those who betray and escape from the enemy in the army are beheaded to ensure the purity of the troops. This is what a genius commander can come up with.

  "I now announce the personnel appointments of Black Eagle. Appointments, Viscount Nalendo as Captain of the Black Eagle Guard; appointment of Hipo as Deputy Captain of the Black Eagle Guard; under the jurisdiction of Black Eagle are six squadrons, with Ziwu Cheng as Captain of the 'Thunder God' Squadron, Yang Ming as Captain of the 'Holy Light' Squadron, Tielei as Captain of the 'Earth Devil' Squadron, Shuihan as Captain of the 'Night Wind' Squadron, Ayang as Captain of the 'Heavenly Fire' Squadron, and Weijiek as Captain of the 'Water Spirit' Squadron."

  When she read this far, Hua Qiang looked at Shui Ling'er with a deep and meaningful gaze, and Shui Ling'er immediately lowered her head.

  Iverson trio, resolutely refused to serve the Black Hawk, volunteered to be Flow Cloud's personal bodyguard. When considering the personnel appointment of the Black Hawk, Flow Cloud suddenly found that the talents available around him were indeed scarce.

  The establishment ceremony of this guard shocked the crowd on the viewing platform deeply. A private guard, in the eyes of the public, was just a plaything for the sons of nobles, and no one had high expectations for Liuyun's guard. Their attendance was just to give Yantian a face.

  However, the disciplined and spirited young people in front of them, the solemn flag-giving ceremony, and the cloud-rich and powerful speech, made them reevaluate this fledgling black eagle.

  "Old flame, this eagle is not simple, and you, my son, are a talented young man." Duke John sighed in Flame's ear. After Flame became the Minister of Military Affairs, John took over as the commander of the First Legion, and he was also the emperor's cousin.

  "The duke must be amused; this is merely childish nonsense."

  "Lao Yan, don't be polite. Don't you think that these young people have an extraordinary aura about them?"

  "I can feel it. They must have been training hard all this time."

  "Are you kidding me or do you really not understand?" John laughed and said, "Can't you see that this is a group of seasoned veterans? Their quality far surpasses the soldiers under my command!"

  "This can only be said, a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers!" Yan Tian burst out laughing.

  Nowadays, Yan Tian's heart is also a mixture of five flavors. After seeing everything today, he seems unwilling to believe that all this is just a fantasy. While being proud of his son, he can't help but ask himself in his heart: "Do you really understand him?"

  Apart from feeling a little strange when she heard the name "Water Spirit" squad, Huā Jiè's heart was filled with joy. Because Liú Yún had not let her down, what she saw and heard today made her feel that everything she had done in the past was worth it. These former orphans had finally embarked on a new path under Liú Yún's leadership.

  Just then, an unexpected piece of news shocked everyone!