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Chapter 451: Rage! (1)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

…

Previously, when the Peerless Battalion had been moving from the northern borderlands back to the northern army command, Shangguan Xue'er had reached them. She had started following secretly behind Shangguan Fei'er and the main Peerless Battalion troop. However, before they had travelled far, she suddenly sensed a terrifying Heavenly Energy pressure from behind.

As such, she had turned back stealthily, seeing Zhou Weiqing who had remained behind, as well as the Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor Long Shiya and his friend Duan Tianlang.

Towards Duan Tianlang, she was unable to read into him. However, when Long Shiya started healing Duan Tianlang and dragging him back from verge of death, the sheer power he unleashed caused her to be in shock. She had never expected that such a powerhouse would be at Zhou Weiqing's side. She could clearly tell that this fat middle aged man was at the same level as her father and big uncle… that was a Heavenly Emperor! Such a powerhouse… even in the entire Boundless Mainland, one could count the total number with their two hands. Seeing the respect Zhou Weiqing had for the fat man, it was clear their relationship was not simple.

Shangguan Xue'er immediately decided that she would have to ask her sister about this, as Fei'er would likely know who that was.

As such, after the travel, she had sneaked into the army camp. Who knew that before she could even find Fei'er and ask her about Long Shiya, she instead saw Zhou Weiqing and her sister being intimate, hearing the conversation between the two. The worst fear of Shangguan Xue'er's had been realised indeed.

Looking on at them, she couldn't help but blush deeply as her heart raced, and she immediately gave a cold humph. At that moment, she suddenly felt a terrifying aura in the area, and she did not hesitate to flee the army camp immediately. That was the reason why Zhou Weiqing and Shangguan Fei'er did not discover her.

Where that pressure had come from, Shangguan Fei'er did not know. She had been using the Heaven's Expanse Palace's secret arts to barely hide her presence, but she knew that if she continued staying there, the Heavenly Emperor powerhouse would definitely be able to detect her. Although she was confident in her own abilities, when it came to the level of Heavenly Emperor, she would not have the slightest chance.

What do I do? All of a sudden, Shangguan Xue'er felt at a loss. She was getting a headache from the relationship between Zhou Weiqing and her sisters. However, she could understand Fei'er's feelings… for Zhou Weiqing to be able to depend on his own strength to develop and grow in the northern border to such a degree, with his own personal strength, he definitely had something that attracted her sister. Otherwise, with Shangguan Fei'er's character, how could she possibly let him take advantage of her so easily.

This will not do… no matter what, I have to bring Second Sis back. This Zhou Little Fatty is Third Sis' man… how can I allow him and Second Sis to have intimate relations?

Shangguan Xue'er immediately set her resolve inwardly. However, she knew that she would not be able to continuously sneak in so easily, as that Heavenly Emperor powerhouse would eventually sense her. As such, she could only depend on regular channels to meet up with Zhou Weiqing and Shangguan Fei'er.Hmph, Zhou Weiqing, you rotten egg! Having one of my sisters isn't enough for you, you dare to provoke my second sis as well! Also… there is still that little tigress of the Heavenly Snow Mountain, there is clearly something between them as well. This time, if you do not give an accounting, I will not let you go so easily.

Lost in her thoughts, Shangguan Fei'er subconsciously gripped her fists tightly, her heart filled with anger and detest for Zhou Weiqing.

…

Zhou Weiqing did not know how much wine he had drank; all he remembered was many of his soldiers coming to toast him. By the time he woke up in the morning from the drunken stupor, the sun had already long risen and light had already flooded the tent, the comfortable warmth leaving him in a lazy languor.

Hangovers were undoubtedly a painful experience for ordinary people, but for powerhouses like Zhou Weiqing, it was nothing. His physique was far beyond any ordinary person, and alcohol would not have any harmful effects on him.

Stretching lazily, Zhou Weiqing clambered off his bed. Although he did not succeed in being intimate with Shangguan Fei'er last night, the drink was still extremely comfortable. Shouting and cheering together with his men, that was indeed an enjoyable feeling.

"Report! Battalion Commander, are you awake yet?" An urgent voice abruptly came from outside his tent.

"En? Come in." Zhou Weiqing said questioningly.

The tent flap raised, and one of the Peerless Battalion soldiers entered. "Battalion Commander, please hurry, something happened… Green Wolf is dying."

"What did you say?!" Only then did the lazy satisfied feeling that Zhou Weiqing was in evaporated. "What happened?!"

The soldier replied: "It's the other Regiment soldiers. This morning, nobody knows why but the Sixteenth Regiment Regiment Commander Shen Bu personally led men over here… After that, a fight broke out, and Green Wolf was beaten up by two of the enemy Battalion Commanders working together… it looks like he won't last long. The brothers are all angry, and we are at a standoff with the Sixteenth Regiment men."

"HMPH! They're asking for death!" Zhou Weiqing howled in rage, charging out of the tent in a flash. He had spent so much time, effort and money in cultivating these Peerless Battalion warriors, and now that they had a modicum of success and were on the right path, such a thing had happened. Green Wolf had reached the Seven-Jeweled cultivation level, and amongst their Physical Jewel Masters, he was one of the top few. Even amongst all the Company Leaders, he was around the top few of the ranking.

At time, Zhou Weiqing could be very generous, but there were some areas where he was definitely extremely stingy. In his eyes, each and every single person in the Peerless Battalion was extremely important to him, his brothers, and also his greatest hope for reviving his Heavenly Bow Empire. His protective instinct towards them was extremely strong, and hearing that one of his brothers had almost been killed, how could he not be anxious?

Zhou Weiqing did not even need to ask for directions, instantly sensing where there was a large gathering of people as he dashed towards that area. As he had expected, besides those Peerless Battalion soldiers who were still sleeping from the drinking last night, there were at least five hundred men gathered there, the tension in the atmosphere clear as both sides seemed ready to fight; Zhou Weiqing could sense that much even from such a distance.

"What's going on? Let me pass." Zhou Weiqing shouted out loud, instantly drawing the gazes from all those present. Immediately, the group parted, allowing him a passageway through.

Zhou Weiqing strode quickly through the ranks, reaching the front in a blink.

At that moment, the sentiments of the Peerless Battalion soldiers were all roused up in anger, indignation, sheer rage… As soon as they saw Zhou Weiqing, an uproar rose up as they all started talking at once.

"Battalion Commander, you must help us get an accounting for this! Those Sixteenth Regiment fellows beat up many of our brothers just because they outnumbered them."

"Yes! Battalion Commander, give the order! Let's kill all these bastards!"

These soldiers of the Peerless Battalion were after all originally ruffians and rogues, and fighting and creating disturbances was one of the most common things they did to be sent to the Ruffian Battalion. Just because their opponent's Regiment Commander had come didn't mean they would be afraid or step back… if not for Wei Feng and the other Company Leaders holding them back, perhaps they would have swarmed over the Sixteenth Regiment men by now.

"Everyone shut up! I will get an accounting for us all!" Zhou Weiqing yelled angrily.

Instantly, the soldiers of the Peerless Battalion fell into silence. In the entire Peerless Battalion, Zhou Weiqing had absolute authority. Not just because of the various 'profit' he brought to them, or the respect and love they had for him, but also because of his own sheer personal strength. In the battlefield, he was always in the thick of the fight, fighting the strongest of the enemies. Although the Peerless Battalion soldiers might not have the best characters, they were all truly respectful and held much admiration for this young Battalion Commander of theirs.

Zhou Weiqing moved to the front, and Wei Feng immediately stepped forward to receive him. He breathed a sigh of relief on seeing Zhou Weiqing, and said: "Battalion Commander, you are finally here. If you had not come soon, things would have gone out of hand."

Zhou Weiqing said solemnly: "Vice Commander Wei, what is going on?" He turned to look at the Peerless Battalion soldiers, who still had the stink of alcohol about them, but each and every one of them were enraged. Most of them had their weapons out, looking as if they would attack at any moment if they did not get an answer.

On the other side, Shen Bu's expression was extremely unfriendly as well. Behind her, all ten of the Battalion Commanders from the Sixteenth Regiment were here as well, the feathers in their caps showing their identity. Behind them, there were at least five hundred men, likely Shen Bu's personal guards and the elites of the Sixteenth Regiment.

Wei Feng stepped closer to Zhou Weiqing's side and said in a low tone that only he could hear. "Last night, we threw the rubbish back to the Sixteenth Regiment, and when they discovered in this morning, they came looking for trouble. At first, it was just those Heavy Cavalry soldiers who we took care off last time, and when after some heated words were exchanged, a fight broke out. Our brothers followed your orders; since others have come to our territory, they beat them up… and most of them were injured. Still, they still kept their reason about them and held back, and there should be no heavy injuries. After that, some of their Battalion Commanders brought men over to continue looking for trouble. Most of our brothers were still semi drunk from the night before, and once again a fight broke out. By the time I arrived, it was too late, and Green Wolf was already severely injured. I'm afraid…"

Zhou Weiqing glanced to the side and saw Green Wolf, who lay there on the verge of death, barely gasping for breath from the caved in chest, blood welling out from all around the chest area.

As that picture entered his sight, Zhou Weiqing felt a rush of hot blood gushing to his brain, and his breathing growing heavy with rage.

"Zhou Weiqing, you better give me an accounting today, otherwise we will bring it up to the military court." As soon as Shen Bu saw that Zhou Weiqing had arrived, she immediately yelled at him in a rage.

Wei Feng's words had been simple, but in truth, two entire Companies of Heavy Calvary soldiers had come from the Sixteenth Regiment earlier. Although they were not fully geared, they still thought highly of themselves and their fighting capabilities, and came looking for trouble just like that. Of course, they had not expected that all these Peerless Battalion soldiers had been drilled for months by Shangguan Fei'er, and as the two sides clashed, it was definitely not them who suffered the disadvantage.

Two entire Companies of Heavy Cavalry soldiers were all beaten back, with more than a third suffering from broken bones or fractures. Since when had the Sixteenth Regiment taken such a loss, and the Battalion Commanders sent word to Shen Bu before rushing down with their men. However, they had not taken the advantage at the same time, as the ruffians of the Peerless Battalion were just too savage… when they fought, it was as if they did not care for their lives. Although Green Wolf was mortally wounded, he had also broken both arms of the two Battalion Commanders he had been fighting. If not for the fact that the other Company Leaders of the Peerless Battalion had not come in time, perhaps the outcome of the fight would be very different.

It had been the simultaneous arrival of Shen Bu and Wei Feng that had finally caused the fighting to halt and the situation to stabilize relatively into the current stalemate.

Chapter 452: Rage! (2)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

On the Peerless Battalion's side, there were at least forty to fifty with injuries, while on the side of the Sixteenth Regiment almost three hundred were injured. Besides Shen Bu's personal guard that had come with her, pretty much everyone else had some form of injuries, or at least looking shabby and fatigued. In fact, this was also due to the fact that many of the Peerless Battalion soldiers were either sleeping or drunk, otherwise with the entire Peerless Battalion being Jewel Masters, they would definitely be at a huge advantage.

"What kind of accounting do you want?" Zhou Weiqing snarled coldly at Shen Bu, his eyes turning bloodshot in his rage.

Shen Bu did not sense anything amiss, and she continued angrily: "You bunch of ruffians and scoundrels… you just made camp and already causing trouble, even daring to drink and carouse in the army camp, and even beat up my men. You better surrender all those men who beat up my soldiers just now and let me deal with them, then tie yourself up and come with me to the Legion Commander to receive punishment."

"Receive punishment? Punishment your head!" Zhou Weiqing lost control and shouted out in sheer rage. "PEERLESS BATTALION SOLDIERS, EVERYONE GET IN YOUR GEAR AND DRAW YOUR BOWS. AWAIT MY ORDERS."

"YES SIR!" The entire Peerless Battalion roared in reply. Their worst fear was that Zhou Weiqing would submit, and their greatest hope was for him to act up and continue. After all, since when did ruffians care about rules or reason? In the first place, before they spoke of right or wrong, Green Wolf was dying right in front of them, and for the Peerless Battalion soldiers, especially those from his Company… if not for Wei Feng and the other Company Leaders holding them back, they would have already rushed forward to kill their foes.

If at this moment Zhou Weiqing did not take charge and be on their side, with the characters of these ruffians, there might be a high chance of mutiny.

The Peerless Battalion soldiers all turned and ran back to their tents. Not only did they need to wear their mail armour and get their longbows, they also needed to wake their sleeping companions. What was the Sixteenth Regiment after all? Could they even compare to the Swift Wolf Regiment? They had already taken down the Swift Wolf Regiment, how could they possibly be afraid of the Sixteenth Regiment? Now that they had the order from their Battalion Commander, they would stand and fight!

"Bastard, Zhou Weiqing, what are you doing?" Shen Bu turned pale in fright. She had not expected that his reaction would be so violently intense, actually wanting to fight it out. After all, no matter what, they were allies… if the two sides fought, as a Regiment Commander she would not be able to avoid responsibility, and even Shen Ji would not be able to save her.

Zhou Weiqing said coldly: "What am I doing? Shen Bu, let Your Father, I, tell you now. I don't care what reasons you have… all I see now is my brother is dying. I am giving you two options now. First option – you hand over those two murderers who dared beat up my brother for me to deal with, and also have those who struck my men cut off a finger. Second option – I will bring my men to slaughter your Sixteenth Regiment."

"You bastard, you are dreaming… you are insane!" At this moment, Shen Bu was in a panic. She could clearly see that Zhou Weiqing was totally serious, not just trying to scare her. She had not expected things would have progressed to such a stage.

Zhou Weiqing continued coldly: "You are right, I am crazy. My brothers did not take any injuries or losses when facing the WanShou armies on the battlefield, who the fuck do you think you are to dare injure my brothers?! Let me tell you… if not for the fact that Legion Commander Shen Ji had been polite, I would not even give you that first option. Otherwise, do you think Your Father, I, will waste time talking to you?!"

"And who do you think you are, a mere little Battalion Commander and you dare speak to our Regiment Commander like that? Don't you know respect?" On the other side, a stout man stepped forward from behind Shen Bu, dressed in full heavy plate mail, his helmet adorned with the orange feather that showed his rank as Battalion Commander.

The Battalion Commander of the Heavy Cavalry Army Battalion. In any Regiment, that was of great importance. A thick Heavenly Energy aura burst forth from his body, revealing his five sets of Heavenly Jewels. He was actually a Mid Level Zun Stage Heavenly Jewel Master!

Seeing someone step forth from the other side, Zhou Weiqing did not even bother speaking any further. With a stomp of his right foot, before Shen Bu could even speak out to stop the two, he had already charged forward.

His entire body flew forth like an arrow, fist first as he struck out towards that Battalion Commander's chest.

That Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander was definitely no ordinary person, as he was actually the Vice Regiment Commander of the Sixteenth Regiment. Seeing Zhou Weiqing charge forward so arrogantly, he had after all stepped forward to teach Zhou Weiqing a lesson. In his eyes, that so-called Peerless Battalion was just a mere motley crew, a bunch of useless ruffians. Zhou Weiqing was also after all a Battalion Commander as well, in terms of rank comparison, he was even half a step lower than himself as a Vice Commander.

Since Zhou Weiqing had taken action first, he too gave an angry shout and stepped forward to receive the blow with one of his own. Of course, he did exercise some restraint, at least he did not draw his weapon, and his right fist also flew out towards Zhou Weiqing's incoming fist.

"No!" Shen Bu yelled out loud. Even a six-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Master like herself had been disadvantaged against Zhou Weiqing, how could her subordinate, at the five-Jeweled stage, be a match for him?

Alas, her shout was far too late to stop the clash; she had not expected that Zhou Weiqing would take action so suddenly.

To become a Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander, it was without question that this commander's Physical Jewel was of the Strength Attribute. After all, the Heavy Cavalry troops did not require much fine control, but massive strength. Absolute strength would make them a metal fortress bearing down upon their enemies, one of the rare units that could actually clash head on with the WanShou Empire armies.

Alas, Zhou Weiqing's strength was also his greatest advantage. In the same stage, especially with the 'Hate Sky no Handle' Legendary Set, it could be said that his strength was incomparable.

Although this Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander in front of him was one Jewel higher, Zhou Weiqing was only a single Heavenly Energy stage lower than him, and the gap was not that huge. With his Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline and the evolving of his physique, how could any ordinary Strength Attribute Heavenly Jewel Master compare with him.

*BANG*

Both sides clashed hard. On the surface, the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander should have the advantage. After all, he was dressed in full plate mail, and his fist was protected by his gauntlets, while Zhou Weiqing was using his naked fists.

At this point, both sides had already released their Heavenly Jewels, though neither had used any Skills. The Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander had been focused on the left wrist of Zhou Weiqing, and though his sleeve was covering them and hiding the Attributes, when any Heavenly Jewel Master used their Stored Skills or Consolidated Equipment, their corresponding Elemental or Physical Jewel would glow. If there was no glow, it was clear that no Skill had been used.

Seeing that Zhou Weiqing's Elemental Jewels had no glow, and it was just a clash of strength, the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander was extremely confident. Alas, he did not know that he had become the first test subject of Zhou Weiqing's Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts in actual combat.

Indeed, Zhou Weiqing had not used his own Stored Skills. However, surrounding his fist was a subtle light purple-bluish light, covering his entire fist as if it were a glove. As the two fists clashed, a violent explosion blew up, as if right in all their ears.

The entire gauntlet of the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander was blown into smithereens, and even his hand was burned black. From the fist onwards, his entire arm was broken into at least six places, and his entire body was sent flying back from the sheer force of the impact.

Even if it were just a clash of strength, he would be of no match for Zhou weiqing, let alone now that Zhou Weiqing had used the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts to suppress a layer of Lightning Attribute around his fist. This half a year, he had been training in such a control, and perhaps this might not be of great use in an all out battle, but in this sort of probing clash, it definitely held a surprise factor.

Shen Bu knew Zhou Weiqing's power very well, and as a result, she had already been charging towards the pair as soon as Zhou Weiqing took action.

Alas, it was too late. Zhou Weiqing's strike had just been too fast.

Almost at the same time as the pained scream was about to emit from the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander, Zhou Weiqing's fist which had sent him flying had extended out once more in a palm strike, causing the scream to be cut off immediately.

Shen Bu charged forward at once, but what greeted her was the flying body of the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander. With no choice, she could only stop and shout angrily, preparing to dodge to the side and continue her charge.

Right at that moment, only then did the other Battalion Commanders and personal guards of the Sixteenth Regiment react. Alas, just as they were about to charge forward, a sudden mass of shrill cries rang out, and rows of gleaming arrows thudded into the ground right before them, like an impenetrable wall blocking their path.

Even though these Sixteenth Regiment elite were fine warriors experienced on the battlefield, they were still given a fright by that strong killing intent.

At least over two hundred Peerless Battalion soldiers had returned, dressed in their gleaming titanium alloy mail, glinting in the sunlight so much that it almost blinded the Sixteenth Regiment soldiers

In truth, the Sixteenth Regiment was already well geared far beyond most Regiments. Even so, only the personal guard Company which answered to Shen Bu directly was able to be dressed in a full mail armour. Yet, these Peerless Battalion soldiers were all geared as such, and more so… even though the armor styles seemed similar, it was clear that the quality of materials used was unique, far superior even. The dark silver glow gave one the strange feeling of a sharp edge, and though the Sixteenth Regiment soldiers were not able to guess what material it was, it was clear that it was no ordinary mail.

Currently, the two hundred Peerless Battalion soldiers were standing there with their longbows drawn, gleaming arrow tips pointing right at them.

Chapter 453: Rage! (3)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

Those were after all powerful longbows, and both sides were less than fifty yards apart. At such a distance, even a lower ranked Heavenly Jewel Master might not be able to dodge such arrows, let alone ordinary soldiers. Furthermore, there wasn't much space in the entire camp for them to dodge. If the Peerless Battalion soldiers fired, it would undoubtedly be a slaughter. Instantly, the Sixteenth Regiment soldiers froze in place, not daring to move a muscle. It was clear that the previous salvo of arrows was a warning, and if they dared move past that row of arrows, those ruffians of the Peerless Battalion would not hesitate to actually fire.

Zhou Weiqing could clearly sense which direction Shen Bu was attempting to wheel around and charge from. His right hand was still holding on to the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander, while his left hand struck out towards Shen Bu, a brilliant green light emitting from his palm. Once again, he did not use his Stored Skills, making use of the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts to mimic a Skill again.

In the flash of green light, Shen Bu found that she was suddenly unable to move. It was the Fetters of Wind, the Control Skill of the Wind Attribute! The Fetters of Wind had been unleashed using his Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts.

Ever since he had seen his teacher use that Skill months ago, Zhou Weiqing had spent a lot of time over the past six months in mimicking that Skill. At this point, he was already able to continuously unleash it, given sufficient Heavenly Energy, without any cooldown at all. This was the true essence and power of the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts!

The Fetters of Wind was after all a Seven Star rated Skill, and its drain on Heavenly Energy was not inconsiderable. However, do not forget that Zhou Weiqing was currently not fully using his own personal Heavenly Energy, as he was still in the midst of Devouring that Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander's Heavenly Energy. It could be said that he was completely using his opponent's Heavenly Energy, converting it into his own Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy to power a continuous series of Fetters of Wind to restrict Shen Bu.

When she was first hit by one Fetters of Wind, Shen Bu did not make much of it. After all, she had fought with Zhou Weiqing before and knew that he had such a Skill. The Heavenly Energy gap between the two of them was still pretty considerable, and she was confident that if she used all her strength to break free, she could only be restricted for a second.

However, she soon realised that something was very wrong, as Zhou Weiqing's second Fetters of Wind soon fell on her almost instantly as she broke free of the first, as if almost before she had even broken free. Once again, her body froze in place, unable to move.

At that point, Zhou Weiqing was already very close to Shen Bu, and a disdainful smirk crossed his lips as he said passively: "Regiment Commander Shen Bu, you were no match for me previously, and the result will be no different now. Do you really think that my previous win over you was just luck?"

As he was speaking, Zhou Weiqing had already used his fifth Fetters of Wind. With an abrupt strike out of his left palm, he dis-compassionately released a Lightning Explosive Palm.

Another huge explosion, and Shen Bu's body was sent flying back by his blow. With Shen Bu's cultivation level, such a blow was not sufficient to actually injure her seriously, but having her entire body numbed was definitely not a good feeling. Furthermore, she had been sent flying so easily in front of so many people.

At this point, her rage had already reached a boiling point, and by now she had already dismissed all her previous qualms and misgivings. As soon as she landed on the ground, she charged forward once more, all of her Consolidated Equipment releasing out at once, the Flame Blade in her hands glowing brilliantly. In that moment, she looked as if she was ready to pit her life against Zhou Weiqing.

However, without warning, a huge man intercepted her, looking like a mountain range towering over her.

A massive, heavy shield blocked her Flame Blade with a loud slamming sound, insurmountable natural chasm.

*PENG* Shen Bu felt as if she had struck an immovable rock, the sheer shock wave from the backlash causing her to stagger back a few steps before she regained her balance.

At last, she could see that man clearly. A tall, muscular man dressed in simple army uniform. His features were simple and plain, looking to be about thirty years of age, and his tough, stout face was clearly lined in the bright sun. Standing there, his aura was strong and stable, almost unfathomable like a deep chasm or a tall mountain, that seemed to even surpass Zhou Weiqing's. Six Heavenly Jewels spun around his wrists, and that massive shield was held at an angle in front of his body. The sheer size of the shield could fully cover even that huge body of his. On the shield, the obvious six sockets inlying it almost shocked Shen Bu as the visage entered her eyes.

"Get lost!" Shen Bu howled in rage as she charged forward abruptly again, the Flame Blade in her hands striking out in a flurry of angry blows.

Without question, the person blocking her was Lin TianAo. As soon as Zhou Weiqing took action, how could he be any slower, and he had rushed forward immediately, just in time to block Shen Bu's crazed attack.

Lin TianAo's Six-Jewel Assembly Set Shield was not something that Shen Bu could easily break. Previously, when they were facing the Heavenly King Stage powerhouse Han Tianyou, Lin TianAo was still able to block him for a short time, and that was more than enough to speak for his capabilities. Lin TianAo's offensive capabilities were indeed severely lacking, but in terms of defense, he was far beyond any Heavenly Jewel Master of the same level, even those powerhouses from the Great Saint Lands. After all, his personal Ultimate Defense Attributes was highly complemented by the six-Jewel Assembly Set Shield.

Lin TianAo's shield only moved in extremely small movements, and his steps did not seem fast at all. However, every time he moved at all, he seemed to be able to easily block Shen Bu's movement, not any direct block, but in an angle that she was unable to use her strength in.

Blocking out. A high level positioning technique that Lin TianAo had trained in with years of battle experience behind his belt, extremely powerful no matter against humans or Heavenly Beasts. He had trained and cultivated for so many years, the majority of which had been studying, analysing and researching on how to best improve his defense in any possible way. Not just through taking blows, but also movement, blocking out techniques, and his own personal defenses. It could be said that all of that was already ingrained into his muscle memory, and using it in varied combat situations was as easy as breathing for him. Shen Bu was attacking with all her might, but in front of Lin TianAo, she felt as if all her strength was useless in front of him, being unable to actually use any of her power properly. Lin TianAo did not even retaliate, just using his shield to constantly block all her movement and attacks, and she felt as if she were stuck in a muck, not able to reach Zhou Weiqing despite her best efforts. Lin TianAo was like a castle wall, no matter how hard she tried to batter him down, he stood tall and strong."

"Stop!" All of a sudden, Zhou Weiqing shouted out loud.

Lin TianAo's six-Jeweled Assembly Shield Set suddenly changed, a brilliant yellow light shooting forth, and a powerful shock wave shoved Shen Bu back. Clearly, he had been holding back in the fight again Shen Bu.

Shen Bu panted hard as she turned to look at Zhou Weiqing, who had currently thrown the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander to the ground and had his foot on him. On the side of the Sixteenth Regiment, they all had angry looks on their faces upon seeing that. However, on the side of the Peerless Battalion, more and more of the soldiers were coming out of their tents. To their shock, all of the Peerless Battalion soldiers were dressed in the same full mail, with fine longbows drawn and arrows pointed at them.

Looking at the Peerless Battalion soldiers whose eyes were filled with killing intent, as well as the chilling light from the rows of arrows, none of the Sixteenth Regiment soldiers dared make a move. Unless they could somehow call for reinforcements, they knew they would be of no match at all.

Zhou Weiqing glared coldly at Shen Bu and said: "Regiment Commander Shen Bu, I'll give you one last chance. Hand over those two who critically injured my brother here, and all of you cut off a finger. Otherwise, all of you can forget about leaving."

After attacking for so long, Shen Bu had already vented much of her anger, and she was steadily growing calmer. This was the first time she had seen Lin TianAo, but his sheer power had definitely giving her a deep impression. She could sense that even if her Senior Brother Shen Ji was here, even he might not be able to break this man's defenses.

Furthermore, the Peerless Battalion soldiers were all arrayed in neat formations, their bows drawn and their killing intent clear. If they all released their arrows at the same time, casualties would definitely number in the hundreds. "Zhou Weiqing, you dare to fire on your allies? Aren't you afraid of being charged in military court?" Shen Bu threatened in an angry cry.

Zhou Weiqing gave a disdainful humph. "Don't talk to me about military court. Hmph. I'm afraid the first one to be court martialed will be you. Let me ask you, whose camp is this? This is our Peerless Battalion's camp. It is your Sixteenth Regiment soldiers who have come here to cause trouble, and we are just defending ourselves legitimately. As for death? Do you think only your men dying is considered as death? My brother dying here is not considered? Furthermore, who is the one who started it all? Who left all the rubbish here? My words will not change, I will give you a minute to decide, and if you think I am joking, don't blame me for being vicious." As he spoke, he began to exert more pressure on his leg, and the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander grunted in pain, his armour already changing shape from the sheer pressure.

"You…" Shen Bu was so angry that her entire body was trembling. However, she was at a total loss about what to do. If she were to give in now, how would she command the Sixteenth Regiment in the future? It would be tantamount to the entire Sixteenth Regiment bowing down to a mere Ruffian Battalion, and they would never be able to hold their heads up high any longer. Yet, if she did not give in, if this continued progressing onwards, let alone being on the upper hand, it was likely she would not have any good ending. That Zhou Weiqing had the Heaven's Expanse Palace background, even the northern army command might not be able to actually deal with them.

At this point, Shen Bu was starting to regret her actions, regret that she did not listen to her Senior Brother's words. Shen Ji had warned her long ago not to provoke Zhou Weiqing. After all, they were from the Heaven's Expanse Palace, and such a background was not something they could take on. Alas, the two sisters Shen Bu and Shen Yi just could not suppress the anger within them.

Who knew, things would reach such a stage, and it was almost impossible for them to back down in a good way now.

All of a sudden, a loud, drunken sounding voice rang out. "What are all of you doing? It's so early in the morning, and you all are already making so much noise?"

Hearing that voice, Zhou Weiqing's killing intent lessened slightly, the anger in his face subsiding as he turned around.

The one who spoke, and just arrived, was his teacher, the Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor Long Shiya. Furthermore, right beside him was another teacher of his… Mu En.

Mu En glanced towards Zhou Weiqing, a sly look on his face. The two of them had walked in linked shoulder to shoulder, swaying side to side as they did so. The two looked totally like a pair of old drunks who had too much to drink the night before. From appearance, Mu En looked even older than Long Shiya.

"Teacher." Zhou Weiqing bowed slightly to the pair.

Long Shiya gave him a hard look, saying exasperatedly: "Early in the morning and you're disrupting our beauty sleep, how irritating. However, Weiqing, you really do have a good master! No wonder you turned out into such a sly little brat." As he said that, he clapped Mu En on the shoulder. From the look of it, the two of them seemed like old friends who had not seen each other for years.

Chapter 454: Adulation of Angels! (1)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

Zhou Weiqing looked curiously at Mu En, thinking to himself: Teacher Scoundrel, how did you manage to do that? Of course, now was not the time to ask questions, and he could only hide his curiosity in his heart.

Hearing Zhou Weiqing call out 'Teacher', Shen Bu sensed a massive pressure about her, coming from all directions, making her feel as if she could not breath. However, that pressure was actually self inflicted. That Zhou Weiqing fellow was already so disgusting, and his teacher was actually also in the army camp. Although he was dressed in an ordinary army uniform, looking in disarray, the waistline of his pants stretched to its maximum limit… still, he was still Zhou Weiqing's teacher!

Long Shiya walked over to Zhou Weiqing's side before tilting his head. His eyes still seemed a little drowsy from drink; clearly he had not used his Heavenly Energy to detoxicate himself.

"Ehh, isn't that the little brat Green Wolf? He was still drinking happily with me last night, and Your Father, I, managed to drink him under the table. Why is he laying here pretending to be dead?"

As he said that, Long Shiya bent down and grabbed hold of Green Wolf.

"Teacher, Green Wolf is critically injured. You…" Zhou Weiqing hurriedly said. However, before he could complete his sentence, his eyes widened.

As Green Wolf was hoisted up, a layer of dim gold light sprang about his entire body. Atop his head, an illusory looking gold symbol formed out of the gold light, looking like an extremely cute little angel. The next moment, Green Wolf's entire body seemed to turn gold in colour, as if someone had painted his entire body with gold paint.

"Aiiiyyyaaah, that hurts so bad!" Green Wolf's cry of pain suddenly rang out.

Long Shiya's other hand clapped down on his chest before puling back, looking rather clumsy as he did so. However, that caved-in chest of Green Wolf's seemed to puff back out, and under the cover of the gold light, his entire body started to tremble and shake.

"Tonight, remember to come and accompany this old man to drink again." Long Shiya flicked his wrist, and Green Wolf stumbled and reeled to the back. However, a miracle occurred as Green Wolf stumbled… Originally on the verge of death, he suddenly recovered his balance and stood up tall. His own face was a mask of surprise, but no matter how they looked at him, he did not look like he had been on his last breath just moments ago. If not for the fact there was still blood at his lips, no one would believe that this fellow had been injured at all.

"Master, you're too great!" Zhou Weiqing was overjoyed. At this moment, he truly felt like jumping over to hug his teacher and give him a kiss. In truth, he was also in a tough dilemma, having ridden a tiger and was now finding it hard to get off. Previously, he had been in such a rage, and he could not easily take back those savage words; otherwise he would lose all credibility in front of his Peerless Battalion brothers.

However, if they really took action against the Sixteenth Regiment, although they would not have any problems taking them down, that would also mean the end of them being able to stay in the northern army camp. That would be a huge blow to Zhou Weiqing's original plan. At the same time, he did not have any time for regrets, and could only hope that Shen Bu would give in. However, his own demands were extremely harsh and severe, and it was unlikely that she would do so.

Now, Long Shiya and Mu En's appearance could be said to be at a perfect moment. With a single easy action, Long Shiya had healed green Wolf. Ignoring the stunningly frightening power he showed, just the fact that Green Wolf would live meant that the greatest conflict between both sides had been resolved… and there was a chance for a favourable turn to events.

"Battalion Commander." Green Wolf looked towards Zhou Weiqing. Such a tall stout man like him, but his eyes reddened in that moment. He had known of Zhou Weiqing's arrival, and had also heard all his words clearly, though he had not been able to speak due to his injuries. He had never expected that Zhou Weiqing would go far with the Sixteenth Regiment for his sake.

Being a ruffian or scoundrel did not mean that they did not have feelings, just that perhaps they were much better at hiding their feelings than ordinary people, masking it under their surface cunning or violence. However, once such people actually opened their hearts, they would undoubtedly be much stronger than ordinary.

In that instance, Green Wolf looked to Zhou Weiqing totally as his true big brother… no matter that his own age was actually higher than Zhou Weiqing.

At this point, if Zhou Weiqing were to send him to his death, he would do so unhesitatingly. A gentleman would die for a patron who recognizes his worth, a scholar would die for his bosom friend. These words were a perfect description of Green Wolf's current feelings.

Zhou Weiqing glared at him exasperatedly. "You useless bum, can you do things properly? Losing a fight and almost being beaten to death… if you lose don't you know how to call for help?! Or run?! Tcheh, go back there, I'll deal with you after we settle this over here."

"Yes, yes, Battalion Commander, this old wolf will take any punishment. In the future, this life of mine is yours, absolutely loyal to the core.

Zhou Weiqing almost burst out laughing, the tightened muscles of his face couldn't help but twitch as he restrained himself. "Loyalty your head! Your Father, I, do not love men that way! Get lost!"

As soon as he said that, the Peerless Battalion soldiers, who had been full of anger, all burst out laughing. Green Wolf also turned red in embarrassment, though his heart was also filled with gratitude, as if being scolded by Zhou Weiqing was an honour. He quickly turned and ran to the back.

"Wait…" Zhou Weiqing called him back. "You fool, who just saved your life?!"

Only then did Green Wolf react. He was after all an intelligent man, and he suddenly knelt down towards Long Shiya and kowtowed down. "Thank you, sire, for saving my life."

Long Shiya laughed heartily and said: "Get up… just come accompany this old man drinking at night. Look at how you seem now, so useless, what are you kneeling for."

Green Wolf grinned and made a wine-drinking action at Long Shiya before hastily running off to the back.

Wei Feng had been looking on at the side, and he saw that the opportune time had come. As the Vice Battalion Commander, he was clear that it was a good time for him to step forward in a mediating role. After all, now that there was an excuse, it would be a good thing for both sides to step back… otherwise would they really slaughter the entire Sixteenth Regiment party?

"What are you all doing? Aren't you tired of drawing your bows for so long? Settle down first, wait and see." Wei Feng said exasperatedly to the men. His words were naturally designed to ease up the atmosphere, but also to show to the Sixteenth Regiment that though they were taking a step back, this matter was not finished yet.

Right at that moment, a hurried galloping sound could be heard in the near distance. Hearing the sound, Zhou Weiqing heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. He knew that they would not actually end up fighting for real after all. Lifting his leg, he gave a kick and sent the Heavy Cavalry Battalion Commander back in front of Shen Bu. That fellow had been nearly fully drained by Zhou Weiqing's Devour Skill, and he just lay there unmoving. If not for the fact that Zhou Weiqing had held back, he would have already been drained til death. After all, the Devour Skill could not only drain Heavenly Energy, but also life force, and it all depended on what Zhou Weiqing wanted to focus on. As for the suction force that had pulled him in earlier, that was actually a form of the Devour Skill that he had used the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts to mimic and change.

After two days of fighting, the more Zhou Weiqing used the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts, the more miraculous he found it was, always seeming to have an endless possibility in usage and myriad potential to delve deeper in. Who said that it would not be able to help him now… just the fine grained control in his various Attribute Heavenly Energy was similar to Shangguan Fei'er's close combat skills, helping him in all forms of combat. Most noticeably, when he was using any Skills, he was able to save a lot of Heavenly Energy by reducing wastage. Zhou Weiqing had barely stepped into the doorway of the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts, learning everything on his own for the past six months without direct tutelage from Long Shiya, and he found that his anticipation of this Skill was growing by leaps and bounds.

Shen Bu's expression was ugly, but… she somehow did not flare out. Instead, her gaze was constant fixed upon Long Shiya, a flash of fear and doubt flickering in her eyes.

All of a sudden, the Sixteenth Regiment soldiers parted to form a path, and the Legion Commander of the Seventh Legion, Shen Ji, under the escort of over a dozen of his personal guards, rode in. He swiftly dismounted as soon as he reached the front.

"What is going on? All of you calm down." How could he not sense the strong smell of gunpowder in the air between both sides. Luckily, Shen Bu had some sense in her, and she had sent word to Shen Ji before bringing her men over. Seeing that her Senior Brother had arrived, only then did Shen Bu breathe a sigh of relief.

Shen Ji's expression was also not pretty. The reason why he had asked the Ruffian Battalion to return to the main northern army camp was mainly because of the background of Zhou Weiqing and Shangguan Fei'er, and the fact they were from the Heaven's Expanse Palace; to get in their good books. Who knew that just a single day after the Ruffian Battalion had returned, trouble had arisen… and from the looks of things, the trouble was not small at all.

Facing Shen Ji's piercing and forceful gaze, Zhou Weiqing did not back down. Although he felt regret now that his rash impulsion had caused the Peerless Battalion's power to be revealed despite his efforts in hiding them, there was no use crying over spilt milk. As such, he might as well carry on in an aggressive and arrogant fashion, to teach the Sixteenth Regiment a lasting lesson.

"What is going on? Legion Commander Shen Ji, you will have to ask your Junior Sister that question." Zhou Weiqing said coldly.

Shen Ji looked towards Shen Bu curiously, and she dared not hide anything, telling her everything that had happened.

Hearing her words, Shen Ji's expression grew even ugly, and he gave her an angry look. He couldn't help but think inwardly:I have already warned you not to provoke these ruffians, why must you still cause all that trouble? If this grows any further, even Master will not be able to save you!

"Ridiculous! What do you both think this place is? This is the main camp of the northern command army, and both of you are officers in your own right, and yet you allow such a thing to happen?"

Zhou Weiqing said coldly: "Legion Commander Shen Ji, I have already given you a lot of face by not taking action right away. Now that you are here, that is good, you better uphold justice. Those Sixteenth Regiment soldiers purposely threw rubbish in our camp site, and all I did was to get my brothers to return it to them. This morning, they actually dared to come to our camp again to cause trouble."

"If I do not remember wrongly, according to army rules, without prior permission, no soldiers are allowed to enter other barracks or camps which do not belong to them. I ask that Legion Commander Shen Ji upholds military law and justice."

"Nonsense, it was clearly your men who attacked first!" One of the Battalion Commanders at Shen Bu's side cried out angrily.

Zhou Weiqing said disdainfully: "My men took action first? Very good… let me ask you… if someone came to your house, entered the door, and started scolding you, what would you do? This is our Peerless Battalion camp, our territory, and your men came here to look for trouble. Who knows if you are spies from the WanShou Empire, disguised here to look for information. Not killing you all is already very kind of us."

Chapter 455: Adulation of Angels! (2)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

With reason and rules on his side, how could Zhou Weiqing not take advantage of that? Zhou Weiqing was definitely adept in the art of argument.

Of course, Shen Bu was no easy foe, and she immediately retorted: "What about your entire Battalion drinking? The rules also state that there can be no drinking in camp, this is a very serious rule… do not tell me that you do not know."

Zhou Weiqing did not even bother looking at her, instead turning to Shen Ji, saying: "As long as Legion Commander Shen Ji can give me a proper accounting about the Sixteenth Regiment coming to cause trouble, I can easily give you an accounting about the drinking."

Upon hearing those words, Shen Bu started. Causing trouble in camp was definitely no small matter, but both sides did not have any casualties, so it would not be too serious. However, having an entire Battalion drinking to a drunken state, that was definitely much more serious. As the officer in charge, if charged with maximum punishment, Zhou Weiqing could even be beheaded.

Upon hearing that, Shen Ji was also in an awkward situation. At this point, he was clear that he needed to be absolutely fair in handling this matter. If not for the fact that Zhou Weiqing and Shangguan Fei'er were from the Heaven's Expanse Palace, perhaps he would have already ordered their arrest. Still, his vision was extremely sharp, and he had also been given a huge shock upon seeing the mail armour that the Peerless Battalion soldiers were wearing. From the look of it and the glow, it all seemed like titanium alloy! How could that be…!?

"The Sixteenth Regiment has intruded into the First Unique Battalion's Camp to cause trouble, Regiment Commander Shen Bu has not exercised properly leadership and will be recorded with a serious demerit. All those who participated in this incursion, step out now. Each will be punished with forty strokes, to be carried out immediately." Shen Ji bit the bullet and made the decision on the spot, giving the order.

If Green Wolf had really died, Zhou Weiqing would not have let the matter slide so easily with just that. However, since his teacher had already saved Green Wolf, and the Peerless Battalion did not have any actual losses, there was no necessity in further increasing the enmity to an irreversible point. As such, Zhou Weiqing did not sound off during the process, watching the over hundred soldiers from the Sixteenth Battalion, including the two Battalion Commanders, get dragged out. They had already gone through a beating from the Peerless Battalion, and now the other Sixteenth Regiment soldiers had to administer the beatings upon them, and watching this happen, Zhou Weiqing's anger subsided. The other Peerless Battalion soldiers also showed looks of satisfaction on their faces. However, several of them still had worried looks on their faces. After all, no matter what, a collective drinking was no small matter, and they waited in silence to see how Zhou Weiqing would handle the matter.

Shen Bu's face had almost turned green as she watched her subordinates get beaten, but she could not do anything about it, and she could only watch on, stewing in anger.

After the forty lashes, most of the Sixteenth Regiment men who had been beaten could not even get up, and they had to be carried away. As she watched that all happen, though she knew she should not continue provoking Zhou Weiqing, she could not help but ask him angrily: "My men have already received their punishment, so what is the accounting you said? You were all drinking, and even those Regiments camped around could smell the wine. What do you have to say to that? Don't tell me that you lost your memory, let's see how you account for that."

Zhou Weiqing said passively: "Since I have already said I will give an accounting, I will definitely do so. Men, bring the remaining of the food we ate last night, and let Legion Commander Shen Ji and Regiment Commander Shen Bu have a look."

Shen Ji was originally rather irritated that Shen Bu would continue pushing the issue, but now that he heard Zhou Weiqing's words, he started in surprise. He was really going to give an actual accounting? After all, drinking in camp was a very huge issue. Previously, he had already been prepared to gloss over the matter, and if not for Shen Bu suddenly speaking out, he was already about to leave with his men. In his eyes, Zhou Weiqing was after all from the Heaven's Expanse Palace, how could he possibly go to military court? Even if he did so, they would not be able to actually punish him. However, now that he looked closely at Zhou Weiqing, he saw the confidence in him. It was clear he had something up his sleeve.

Yet, what reason could he possibly have for allowing his men to drink?

In a matter of moments, several large cauldrons were carted up, holding the remains of the last night's meal. They had been drinking and eating through the night, and naturally they had not managed to clear it up yet. The cauldrons still had some remaining food, large pieces of meat floating in oil.

Seeing the large cauldrons in front of him, Shen Ji looked towards Zhou Weiqing questioningly.

Zhou Weiqing smiled faintly and said: "Legion Commander Shen Ji, this is what we ate last night. You have been fighting in the northern borders for many years, and I am sure you can tell what meat this is right?"

On hearing his words, a notion struck Shen Ji, and he quickly stepped forward to examine the contents.

The war wolf bones were not the same as other ordinary wild beasts, and ordinarily army rations would not be able to feed their soldiers with so much meet. Shen Bu also stepped up to look at the contents of the cauldrons, as she did not understand what Zhou Weiqing had meant.

All of a sudden, she exclaimed in surprise: "What… this is…? Is this wolf meat?"

Shen Ji had also noticed the same thing, and he said: "This… it looks like the war wolf mounts of the Wolfman Tribe. The war wolf meats are large and tough, much unlike other wild animals, and their bones are also shaped differently and extremely tough."

Zhou Weiqing nodded in agreement and said: "That is right, this is the meet from war wolves. This time, we have returned to the Seventh Legion, and we have also brought a gift for Commander Shen Ji. Men, bring over two hundred of the war wolf corpses for Legion Commander Shen Ji!"

Shen Bu said uncertainly: "What does that got to do with your drinking?"

Zhou Weiqing looked at her disdainfully before saying mockingly: "For you to be able to become a Regiment Commander with that brain of yours, I can't help but say that you must have gotten in through the back door and connections. Let me ask you, in the army, under what circumstance is it allowed to drink?"

Shen Bu said angrily: "What circumstance? There is no circumstance, it is against the rules."

Zhou Weiqing gave a humph and ignored her, turning his gaze to Shen Ji.

By that point, Shen Ji had begun to understand, and he said solemnly: "There is only one circumstance where it is allowed to drink… that is after a victory over our enemies. Furthermore, it has to be a major victory before soldiers are allowed to drink in celebration. So many war wolves… Battalion Commander Zhou, you fought with the Wolf Cavalry soldiers?"

Zhou Weiqing nodded and said: "Before we returned to camp yesterday, our Peerless Battalion fought again the Swift Wolf Regiment."

Hearing the words 'Swift Wolf Regiment', both Shen Ji and Shen Bu's expressions changed. They had spent quite some time in the northern borders and had clashed many times with the WanShou Empire armies, and the losses every year was extremely high. Sometimes, they were even forced to retreat to the TianBei City for a last ditch defence. How could they not know of the notorious Swift Wolf Regiment? That was the absolute elite of the Wolfman Tribe, and their leader Butler was a well known nine-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Master, extremely ferocious and savage in combat. Even if the entire Seventh Legion were to clash with them directly, they would not be at any good advantage.

"Nonsense, with just the few of you, if you really met the Swift Wolf Regiment, you would all be dead." Shen Bu's expression was full of disbelief.

Zhou Weiqing smiled faintly and said: "I do not need you to believe me, as facts are louder than words. The Wolfman Tribe corpses are still littered in that area, and Legion Commander Shen Ji can always dispatch men to check. We only brought back a portion of the war wolf mount corpses as our spoils of war, and left all the rest there. In the battle against the Swift Wolf Regiment, we killed four thousand of them… is that considered a major victory? In the fight against the ferocious Swift Wolf Regiment, we did not sustain any injuries, yet when we returned here, we were injured by our allies. Legion Commander Shen Ji, if it were you, could you tolerate such a thing? Today, my brother here was lucky not to die, otherwise, I would not have let it go so easily."

Shen Ji looked at Zhou Weiqing with a complicated expression in his eyes. Just like Shen Bu, he could believe what he had heard… could not believe that it was all true. After all, the Peerless Battalion only numbered how many people? At the most, slightly over a thousand men… being able to take down four times their number against the Swift Wolf Regiment, he just could not believe it. The war wolf mounts were unbelievably quick, and even if the Seventh Legion fought against them, as long as it wasn't some sneaky ambush, they would not be able to get such a similar grand result.

All of a sudden, Shen Bu's expression changed. However, she did not speak, instead tugging at Shen Ji's sleeve, and her gaze shifted subtly towards Long Shiya.

Although Shen Ji did not know what his junior sister meant, but he could easily tell that she wanted to beat a retreat.

After a slight hesitation, Shen Ji said: "Battalion Commander Zhou, I will definitely check out what you mentioned. If things are as you said, the Peerless Battalion has indeed accomplished an outstanding merit, and I will report up to the higher ranks to award you all. Also, since it is a celebration, last night's drinking is of no issue. Regiment Commander Shen Bu, lead your men away. Battalion Commander Zhou, I will also take my leave now."

He did not stay any longer, as he had many things to investigate before reaching a final conclusion. At the same time, he could sense that Shen Bu had something to tell him, and it would be best to leave this place as quickly as possible. Staying here in such a stalemate would also be a loss of face to him if it spread to other Legions.

Zhou Weiqing said passively: "In that case, I will not send you all off. I hope that no other Battalions will intrude in our Peerless Battalion camp, otherwise if something like this happens again, Legion Commander Shen Ji you can't blame me."

Shen Ji nodded and said: "I will give the order for the entire Legion to keep their men under control. Farewell."

Shen Ji led Shen Bu and the other men away, and after they left the Peerless Battalion camp, they heard a loud cheer from behind, as if they had chased away some plague. The Peerless Battalion men's loud cheers and laughter showed their lack of qualms or inhibitions, causing Shen Bu's expression to turn ugly once more. If her psyche was any lesser, perhaps she would have been so enraged that she would have vomited blood.

Indeed, the Peerless Battalion soldiers were all extremely excited. Zhou Weiqing had sided with them without hesitation, standing up against an entire Regiment for their sakes, perhaps even against the entire Seventh Legion. Such a Battalion Commander, where else could they find one like him? In that moment, Zhou Weiqing's standing and prestige in the entire Peerless Battalion was raised to a new maximum, and before he could even speak, the soldiers had swarmed forward to throw him up in the air in celebration, shouting and cheering as they did so.

Shen Ji's face was extremely overcast, but in order to save Shen Bu's face, he remained silent until they entered her Sixteenth Regiment main tent. Once her guards had left, he shouted angrily: "Shen Bu, what are you doing? Didn't I warn you not to provoke that Zhou Weiqing? Why didn't you listen to me? If he were to actually kill you all today, how could I answer to Master?"

Chapter 456: Adulation of Angels! (3)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

Shen Bu also knew that today was truly her fault, but she still could not help but protest: "It is all that Zhou Weiqing… he is just too arrogant, and I could not tolerate it. Senior brother, even if they come from the Heaven's Expanse Palace, do we have to endure everything? I… I just cannot restrain myself."

Shen Ji glared at her coldly: "Cannot restrain yourself? If you cannot restrain yourself, then you better step down from your position first. Later on, you return with me to the Legion headquarters… for now, let Shen Yi take over the Sixteenth Regiment temporarily."

Shen Bu exclaimed in surprise: "Senior Brother, you… you are removing me from office?"

Shen Ji continued coldly: "With your current psychological state, you are not suitable to be an officer in charge of an entire Battalion. Don't you know that your actions could easily cost your subordinates lives… once internal conflict arises in the army, even I cannot bear such a penalty. In the entire army, this is the most dangerous thing, and the thing we fear the most. Who asked you to throw rubbish in their camp… now they have reason on their side, let alone they are from the Heaven's Expanse Palace, even if they aren't, according to the army rules, I cannot punish them. Do you understand?"

Shen Bu's face was still filled with a wronged grievance as she said: "I do not understand, but his men were still drinking… are we going to ignore that?"

Shen Ji said solemnly: "Looking at that Zhou Weiqing's actions, it does not seem like he is bragging or exaggerating. Anyway, at that time, why did you tug on my sleeve?" At this point, only then did Shen Bu recall her original point and quickly described the entire scene about Green Wolf being close to death and being saved by Long Shiya.

Hearing Shen Bu's description, Shen Ji sucked in a cold breath. "Are you absolutely sure? That man… when he used his Skill, there was such a light?"

Shen Bu nodded and said: "I am very sure, it was just so miraculous that I could not possibly mistake it. In theory, although the Light Attribute has some healing properties, it is no match for the Life Attribute in terms of Healing Skills. However, that man just waved his hand, and that dying Company Leader of the Peerless Battalion instantly recovered, even his broken bones seemed to be fixed. It was truly a miracle. If that man is a top level powerhouse, then it is definitely possible that the Peerless Battalion could kill four thousand of the Swift Wolf Regiment… That was the reason why I tugged at your sleeve just now."

Shen Ji's expression changed several times as he thought things through for the next minute or so as Shen Bu watched him, but he did not make a sound.

"Senior Brother, say something? Are we just going to let things go just like that?" Shen Bu asked questioningly.

Shen Ji abruptly lifted up his head and said: "Let things go? Of course not. Come with me to see Master." Shen Bu was immediately delighted. She knew that Shen Ji was their Master's favourite, and as long as he spoke on her behalf, she would have a chance to take revenge.

"Great! As long as Master is willing to help, so what if they come from the Heaven's Expanse Palace? We can still take care of them, especially that bastard Zhou Weiqing. Senior Brother, when that time comes, you must let me deal with him personally, otherwise I will not be able to vent my anger."

"Take care of him personally?" Shen Ji looked at her coldly. "If you really want to die, please do not implicate Master and myself, and your sister Shen Yi."

Shen Bu looked at him in surprise before saying: "Senior Brother, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Don't you know what Skill that middle aged man used? To be able to produce that kind of result… that amount of recovery, and with the Heavenly Skill Image you described… There is only one possibility, often described as the most godlike, impossible Skill of the Light Attribute… that Skill is called the Adulation of Angels. For Zhou Weiqing to possess a Skill with the Heavenly Skill Image, I really do not know, but he is only at the Four-Jeweled cultivation stage, and I guess it should be some sort of trickery of sorts. However, that Adulation of Angels is a totally different matter. For that Skill, besides being unable to resurrect the dead, it is no weaker than any Life Attribute healing Skill, being able to cure even the most serious of injuries, as long as there is a single breath left in the person… that even includes poisoned wounds."

"To be able to unleash such a Skill so easily… not only does that require a cultivation level of Heavenly Dao Energy, he must be far within that stage as well, definitely a top level powerhouse. Do you know what kind of person you have provoked? That middle aged man that Zhou Weiqing calls Master is likely to be one of the Elders of the Heaven's Expanse Palace, and one of high standing and importance. His cultivation level might not even be at the Heavenly King Stage… most likely at the Heavenly Emperor Stage. Even in the entire Heaven's Expanse Palace, there aren't that many Heavenly Emperors. How many heads do you think you have, that you dare offend a Heavenly Emperor stage powerhouse?"

"I am bringing you back to Master to ask him to help act on your behalf, to bring you to apologize humbly and take responsibility, to ask for a lenient punishment. This time, the Heaven's Expanse Palace has some actions they are taking."

Hearing Shen Ji's analysis, Shen Bu felt a chill down her spine as sweat beaded around her forehead. She was totally stunned. As a Heavenly Jewel Master, she naturally knew what a Heavenly Emperor powerhouse entailed. Even if she was already at the six-Jeweled cultivation level, it could be said that a Heavenly Emperor was a legendary status to her. In the entire north-west army command, there was only a single Heavenly King Stage powerhouse, and even the entire North Armies of the ZhongTian Empire did not hold a single Heavenly Emperor! If Zhou Weiqing truly had such a Master, not only her being unable to offend them, even the entire Northern Army Command was unable to offend them! That was at the power level of the Heaven's Expanse Palace Palace Master!"

"Senior Brother, I… I…" At this moment, Shen Bu was truly at a loss for words. Regret was not enough to fully describe her current feelings. Looking at her pale, ashen face, Shen Ji sighed and said: "There is no such thing as regret medicines, if you had known it would come to this, you would have acting differently… Still, you do not need to be too worried. After all, we are all allies and part of the same Empire. That Zhou Weiqing might have a strange disposition, but he has the overall big picture in mind. Otherwise, with such a powerful Master at his side, if he really wanted to slaughter all of you just now, no one could do anything about it. As long as we show sufficient sincerity in our apologies, the situation can still be redeemed. However, I'm afraid you will no longer be able to hold the position of the Sixteenth Battalion Battalion Commander, at least not for some time. Come on now, let us go see Master."

…

Back on the other side, Zhou Weiqing naturally did not know that Shen Ji and Shen Bu had been given a huge fright by the presence of Long Shiya. After a time of cheering and celebration, Zhou Weiqing gave the order for the Peerless Battalion to have three days of rest and recovery, to readjust themselves before resuming their training. At the same time, he announced that their training regiment would be increased.

If that announcement had come before their time here, perhaps there would have been many complaints.

However, after the previous fight and major victory against the Swift Wolf Regiment, coupled with what had happened this morning, the current Peerless Battalion was in extremely high spirits and morale, united together as one, actually proud of being part of the Peerless Battalion. Who did not wish to become stronger? Not just for themselves, but especially more so now that becoming stronger also had a clear set of further rewards in the Peerless Battalion. As a result, there was not a single voice of complaint towards the announcement, only a respectful acquiescence.

As a Company Leader, Green Wolf was also punished by Zhou Weiqing, giving him forty lashes. The reason for the punishment was simple… who asked him to lose in a fight? Throwing the face of the Peerless Battalion!

Green Wolf only felt lucky that he was being punished, as if it was some sort of blissful happiness. After being beaten forty times, that fellow had a smile on his face, an earnest sincere one to boot as he looked on at Zhou Weiqing, causing him to be afraid and suspicious that that fellow's sexual orientation was extremely different.

…

After everything was done, Long Shiya called Zhou Weiqing to his tent. "Little Fatty, come and tell teacher about your overall plan."

Zhou Weiqing started momentarily. After all, when he first met Long Shiya and was taken under his wing as disciple, this teacher of his had said that he would have to accomplish everything himself, and he would give him any help. Yet, now he was interested in his plans?

How could Long Shiya not be able to tell what Zhou Weiqing was thinking inside, and he said exasperatedly: "Just tell me when I ask you, as if your teacher will harm you? I was just thinking that your Peerless Battalion is really quite interesting… none of them are acting or anything, yet all of them are like ruffians. Still, that is not a bad thing, the thing I hate most are those pretentious people, like those Heaven's Expanse Palace fellows. Of course, that old Heavenly Snow Mountain fellow is just as irritating."

Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily. How could he let go of such an opportunity; if he did so he wouldn't be Zhou Weiqing! "Teacher, this is my plan ..." As such, he began to explain his plan towards Long Shiya.

"… Of course, plans are just plans, and changes will definitely occur along the way, and I will constantly adjust it according to what happens. Even so, I expect that within ten years, I will definitely have a troop of absolute elites, able to fight against any of the Bai Da Empire's elites."

As he spoke, Zhou Weiqing's eyes gleamed brightly, getting more excited as he spoke about his plan.

Hearing his disciple, not even twenty years of age, speak in such detail of his plan, seeing how meticulous and deliberate it was, Long Shiya only had shock and amazement in his heart. It was clear that Zhou Weiqing's talent was not just in his Heavenly Jewel Master talents. Perhaps, his plan was slightly optimistic and idealized, but without question his general view and big picture grasp was extremely impressive, and his creative imagination in doing things was also extremely surprising.

The reason why Long Shiya held so much interest in the Peerless Battalion was not just because he found it so fun, but more so because he had personally witnessed how the Peerless Battalion had defeated the Swift Wolf Regiment the day before.

When the Swift Wolf Regiment had appeared, Long Shiya had actually already reached the area, and he had been prepared to take action as soon as the Peerless Battalion was showing signs of losing. With his Heavenly Emperor stage power levels, perhaps he could not take down an army of hundred thousands or millions, but just a Regiment numbering ten thousand was not an impossible feat. Especially for Long Shiya, with his Six Attributes and the Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts allowing him to mimic and unleash so many Skills and without cooldown, it would not be too difficult to slaughter the Wolf Cavalry Soldier en masse. That was also the reason why Shen Ji and Shen Bu had placed the victory of the Peerless Battalion on the shoulders of Long Shiya, as a Heavenly Emperor powerhouse definitely had that capability.

However, in the end, it had been Long Shiya and Duan Tianlang who had been the shocked ones as they watched the Peerless Battalion in action, not just their impressive power levels, but also their preparations, tactics and strategy.

An entire Battalion of archers… that was definitely out of conventional logic. An entire troop without close combat capabilities and only ranged attacks, this sounded impossible. After all, what would happen if their enemies reached them, wouldn't they be wiped out easily? Without close combat specialists to defend them, how much of their power could archers actually unleash?