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Chapter 489: Awakening the Solidified Dragon Spirit! (1)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
Once again, Long Shiya summoned a powerful wind wrapping around both him and Zhou Weiqing, lifting up and bringing them towards the mountain top. Zhou Weiqing was about to experience the torture of his lifetime, an inhuman torture that would surpass anything he had experienced before, and Long Shiya did not want his disciple to waste any time or energy in climbing up.
Although Long Shiya used his Wind Attribute Heavenly Energy to lift Zhou Weiqing up, he did not use Heavenly Energy to protect his body. In this way, Zhou Weiqing could clearly feel the surrounding temperature around them rising unceasingly.
With Long Shiya's painstaking deliberate control, their rising speed was not fast at all. Clearly, he wanted to give Zhou Weiqing the opportunity to slowly get used to the rising temperature of the Fire Spirit Mountain.
As they got closer to the top, the temperature grew higher and higher. However, Zhou Weiqing did not feel any discomfort. After all, his Solidified Dragon Spirit had given him a strong resistance, almost immunity, to Fire. Furthermore, with his own five-Jeweled Heavenly Energy protecting him, it would be difficult for just the outer level of temperature to be of any harm to him.
The Fire Spirit Mountain was not especially tall, but it was still almost three thousand metres high. In order to allow Zhou Weiqing to acclimatize himself, Long Shiya actually took a whole hour to fly them up to the top.
The top of the Fire Spirit Mountain was in a spiral shape, with four inner circles. Standing on the edge of the top, one could see the thick plumes of smoke continuously rising up into the skies. At this point, the temperature had already reached a rather horrendous degree, even the surrounding air looked twisted and shimmering to the naked eye. Zhou Weiqing's body was starting to feel uncomfortable, and he actually had to circulate his Heavenly Energy to block the heat.
Long Shiya said solemnly: "Your training spot will be at the volcano entrance of this Fire Spirit Mountain. You will need to immerse your body in the lava, only then will you be able to start the process of Awakening the Solidified Dragon Spirit. Once you have entered the magma, all you need to do is to keep protecting the core of your mind and spirit, to not lose yourself in the pain. You will not need to consciously circulate your Heavenly Energy; your Master, I, will take care of the rest. Understood?"
Hearing Long Shiya speak of immersing himself in lava, Zhou Weiqing could not help but draw a sharp intake of breath. No wonder even with his Master's power as the Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor, he was still uneasy about this training. This would not be any ordinary pain!
Long Shiya saw Zhou Weiqing's change in expression, and he said seriously: "It is still not too late to give up, and I will not think any lesser of you. It is not so easy a task to endure the infusion and cleansing of Heavenly Spirit Fires… Dragons are after all top Fire Attribute Heavenly Beasts, and volcanos and lava like this are just their natural habitat, and thus the Solidified Dragon Spirit that you have can only be Activated by a huge amount of Fire Attribute Heavenly Energy… only if it can absorb enough energy will it be able to Awaken so far in advance, bringing about an increase in your Heavenly Energy cultivation level at the same time. Along with the transformation of the Solidified Dragon Spirit, it will also transmute the Fire Attribute Heavenly Energy from outside into your own personal Heavenly Energy. Child, this is an extremely tough hurdle to cross, but at least it is not one that will be plucking a sapling to help it grow, and will not harm your potential. If you succeed, the Solidified Dragon Spirit will be fully absorbed by you, and perhaps might even better than leaving it to be absorbed and Awakened of its own accord slowly. Otherwise… I would never have agreed to letting you take such an immense risk."
"Master, I am fine. Let's start from here then." Zhou Weiqing said through gritted teeth. He knew it was time to give his all; if he did not pit everything, including his life, he would lose Tian'er forever.
"Alright. Very good. You are truly my good disciple." A light flashed in Long Shiya's eyes, and he lifted his right hand. A powerful aura burst forth, causing a violent gust of air to flow around, forcefully blowing open a path in the thick smoke. Naturally, for Long Shiya, even the high temperatures and the dangerous gases here was of no use against him. In this place full of Fire Attribute energy, he was still able to control the power of the wind with ease, bringing Zhou Weiqing down the center of the volcano into its depths.
They descended several hundred metres down, and as they went down, the temperature grew even higher. Zhou Weiqing was starting to find it difficult to breathe, and the clothes on his body were already smouldering, giving off a burnt smell.
Right at that moment, a thin thread of icy cold power rose from within his own body, instantly circulating around his entire body, giving him much comfort.
Towards such an energy, Zhou Weiqing was extremely familiar. It was the very bloodline power that allowed him such ease in Skill Storing… the extreme power of the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline!
The pain in his body was temporarily relieved, but Zhou Weiqing could not feel happy at all. He still clearly remembered how the two great powers within him had clashed previously, the violent fight between the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline and the Solidified Dragon Spirit. When the two had clashed with each other, it was definitely tantamount to an ice mountain smashing into a fire mountain, and he was the unfortunate vessel caught in between.
Just as Zhou Weiqing's mind was wandering in wild flights, they had arrived in the deepest core of the volcano. Although Long Shiya's powerful Heavenly Energy was protecting him, Zhou Weiqing was still unable to see clearly. The temperature was just too high, even for him and the various protections he had, and he currently felt as if he were submerged in boiling water, everything hazy and twisted about him.
Not far beyond, he could vaguely see the roiling dark red liquids slowly moving. Clearly, the greatest source of heat was from that direction.
Long Shiya's expression grew even more serious and he said solemnly: "Weiqing, later I will use my Heavenly Energy to cover your entire body before submerging you into the lava. As you slowly adapt to it, I will gradually remove my Heavenly Energy. Do not worry, I will keep your head above the surface, and keep you protected throughout the process. As soon as you enter the lava, the process of Awakening your Solidified Dragon Spirit will begin, so you must get ready now."
Under such sheer searing heat, Zhou Weiqing was already unable to speak, and he could only nod vigorously towards his teacher, expressing that he was ready.
A thick red light glowed brightly, forming a round red shield enveloping Zhou Weiqing within. This time, Long Shiya was using his own Fire Attribute Heavenly Energy. His control over Heavenly Energy was just too powerful, especially in this world filled with Fire Attribute energy. The huge red ball started rising slowly as soon as it had enveloped Zhou Weiqing's body, bringing him over the lava before sinking down once more, bringing Zhou Weiqing into the heart of the volcano.
The first thing that Zhou Weiqing felt was not the heat, but the pressure… the sheer pressure from the Fire Attribute Heavenly Energy from Fire Attribute Heavenly Energy. He knew that this was the pressure from the lava and the heat stressing on the protective Heavenly Energy before being brought to bear upon him.
After feeling this pressure that almost made him unable to breathe, all of a sudden, an unbelievable heat swelled in from all directions. Zhou Weiqing couldn't help but give a muffled grunt, and in that instant, all his clothes and hair evaporated… his entire body turning a crimson red.
If it were any ordinary person, even with Long Shiya's protective shield, under such a circumstance, perhaps their body would have turned into ash along with their clothes and hair. The temperature here was just too terrifying.
However, Zhou Weiqing was different. Not only did he have his own five-Jeweled cultivation level, more importantly, he had the protection of the Bloodline power, and the power of the Solidified Dragon Spirit. With Long Shiya's Heavenly Energy giving the main protection, at least in a short period of time, he would not have any problems. However, the searing heat was continually pouring in from all directions, invading his body through every pore, stimulating every single cell of his body.
The first to take action was not the Solidified Dragon Spirit, but the Bloodline Power of the Dark Demon God Tiger. The familiar icy cold energy instantly burst forth from Zhou Weiqing's DanTian, several times stronger than the previous one, rushing to every part of his body. In an instant, Zhou Weiqing felt as if his entire body's meridians, bones, cells all moaning, as the ice cold rush of energy gave him an unparalleled sense of comfort, and his spiritual core also cleared up, allowing him to finally look at his surroundings for the first time.
So comfortable! A look of pure relief crossed Zhou Weiqing's face. Under the protection of the Dark Demon God Tiger Bloodline Power, he actually felt as if the surrounding was not hot at all. At the same time, he could sense the rush of ice cold energy was constantly stimulating and evolving his entire physique.
Perhaps because the ice cold energy had re-awakened his mind and consciousness, Zhou Weiqing suddenly realised a new problem. From the way things were progressing, it seemed like the Dark Demon God Tiger Pearl which had originally entered his body had not fully integrated with its Bloodline Power with his body, and with the outer heat and energy overwhelming him, it was actually starting the next step of merging and evolving of his body. That was to say, by being submerged in the lava of the Fire Spirit Mountain Volcano, it was not only his Solidified Dragon Spirit that was being Awakened in advance, so too was his Dark Demon God Tiger Bloodline Power! From his understanding, he had already gone through at least one other stage of evolving previously, and the Demonic Change State that he had could possibly evolve once more again.
This was an unexpected development, but whether or not it was a good thing, even Zhou Weiqing himself did not know. Would his Dark Demon God Tiger Bloodline Power clash with his Solidified Dragon Spirit once more? Even he did not know… but what he knew was that both were of utmost importance to him… and he could not judge which was stronger than the other.
Just as Zhou Weiqing's spiritual core was cleared, and he was able to start thinking about the possible benefits of this cultivation and training of his, abruptly… the pain finally came.
Long Shiya floated just behind Zhou Weiqing's position, his feet soaked in lava. Despite that, he seemed totally impervious, as if the lava did not have any effect on him. Although it might seem that way, it was definitely an additional drain on his Heavenly Energy. At the moment, he could clearly see that on Zhou Weiqing's back, a dragon shaped tattoo slowly appearing. At the same time, Zhou Weiqing was starting to look like a freshly cooked prawn, totally red.
"Here we go!"
Long Shiya shouted out loud. After which, he started to slowly reduce the protective layer of his Heavenly Energy around Zhou Weiqing's body.
As the external temperature continued rising, Zhou Weiqing's internal temperature also rose dramatically. The energy of the Solidified Dragon Spirit also appeared with an overpowering and domineering aura. The searing heat from within instantly launched an attack towards the cold of the Dark Demon God Tiger Bloodline Power without hesitation.
In the next instant, Zhou Weiqing felt his entire body in an unbearable, terrifying sensation… as if his core was an ice mountain, being enveloped by an entire fire mountain… both sides raging with an unbelievable amount of energy, pushing and pulling against each other savagely.
That feeling was almost indescribable. A war of fire and ice, almost causing Zhou Weiqing's spirit to break.
Chapter 490: Awakening the Solidified Dragon Spirit! (2)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
The Dark Demon God Tiger Bloodline Power was cold and proud, while the power of the Solidified Dragon Spirit was fiery and cruel. Both sides seemed to have their own pride and arrogance, neither stepping down from each other.
At this time, Zhou Weiqing truly wanted to thank Shen Bu that time. Previously, Shen Bu's Green Gold Flame had once brought about such a exact state of affairs that time. Although it was much lesser than this current time, it had also given Zhou Weiqing the opportunity to experience such a 'delightful sensation' once before. As such, it also allowed him to have at least some semblance of preparation for it. Furthermore, due to the previous time when both powers had finally barely come to terms and compromised, backing down from each other… that meant that though they were still clashing against each other now, there was a possibility… a greater hope.
The first wave of pain was undoubtedly the strongest, most violent. Zhou Weiqing's entire face was contorted into an unimaginable shape by that unrivaled pain, and his entire body was convulsing violent, every part of him literally vibrating with the pain.
On Zhou Weiqing's back, the imprint of the Solidified Dragon Spirit had finally been fully activated, appearing clearer and clearer. Above Zhou Weiqing's head, a ball of mixed grey black air was forming slowly, shaping into a massive black tiger with pair of grey – black wings right on its back, and a scorpion tail… it was the actual form of the Dark Demon God Tiger!
Long Shiya could clearly sense what Zhou Weiqing was going through, but he also knew that at this point he could not be soft-hearted, otherwise it would only cause harm to Zhou Weiqing. Now that the Awakening of the Solidified Dragon Spirit had begun, there was no stopping it… otherwise not only would Zhou Weiqing not gain any benefit from it, it would be of great harm to his body.
The surrounding Fire Attribute Heavenly Energy protecting Zhou Weiqing's body was being reduced slowly but steadily, and as a result the temperature he had to withstand and endure was also steadily growing.
Originally, the Solidified Dragon Spirit within Zhou Weiqing's body was being suppressed by the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline power, but with the additional support and stimulation from the Heavenly Spirit Fire, the Solidified Dragon Spirit was starting to grow stronger, more fiery, starting to clash crazily with the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline power.
Their clash occurred amongst every meridian, every channel, every inch of muscle, meat and bone… the terrifying clash of ice and fire once more, as if attempting to tear Zhou Weiqing's body apart.
Currently, Zhou Weiqing's entire mind was like a pile of mush, the violent intense pain feeling like he was about to be torn apart at any time. However, he clearly remembered his teacher's words, concentrating fully on protecting his mind's core. He knew that if he lost consciousness, then perhaps his body would truly be torn apart by the two terrifying opposing forces within him.
At this moment, Long Shiya took action. Still maintaining the slowly reducing protective Fire Attribute Heavenly Energy protecting Zhou Weiqing, another bout of energy flew out from each of his two palms; Darkness from his left palm, and Light from his right palm, both energies flying out one left and one right, rushing into Zhou Weiqing's mind.
With the two bouts of energy supporting him, Zhou Weiqing felt his mind clear up, his senses returning to his control. However, at the same time, though he was no longer in danger of losing consciousness, the recovery of his senses also caused the sensation of pain to increase drastically.
At this point, no matter how much he wanted to scream his pain out, he was unable to do so. Within his body, his veins and blood vessels were trembling, vibrating violently, the blue lines bulging out on his forehead, and his eyes almost popping out of his sockets.
No matter how much mental preparation he had, when he was truly facing such unimaginable pain, it was nearly unbearable. Tiny, fine threads of blood continuously seeped out from all the pores of Zhou Weiqing's body, and the scariest thing was that the blood did not evaporate after leaving his body… instead, one half turned into ice, and the other actually burst into flame… an unbelievably weird overall sight indeed.
"Child, hold on! The beginning of every process is always the most difficult. As long as you get through this, you will have the chance of success." Long Shiya shouted out loud, gritting his teeth as he started the process of stripping the last line of his protection around Zhou Weiqing's body.
The lava finally made contact with Zhou Weiqing's unprotected body. Now, besides his head, his entire was submerged into molten magma.
The illusory image of the Dark Demon God Tiger above Zhou Weiqing's head was now extremely clear, and it howled up towards the heavens. All of a sudden, the lava around Zhou Weiqing seemed to form a round symbol like a dragon swirling about his body, seeming to be at a staring standoff with the Dark Demon God Tiger.
The surrounding smoke had grown much thicker, and even Long Shiya's head was starting to bead with sweat. However, this was not because of the surrounding heat, but because of sheer worry.
Although Long Shiya had already known about the bloodline power in Zhou Weiqing's body and that it was not ordinary, especially since it was able to evoke the Demonic Change State, how could it be weak? However, in his original thought, no matter how powerful the bloodline was, it should not be able to compare with the Solidified Dragon Spirit. After all, in his mind, Dragons were already at the top of the pyramid amongst Heavenly God Tier Heavenly Beasts.
His original thought that with the aid and stimulation of the surrounding Heavenly Spirit Fire in this environment, the Solidified Dragon Spirit would easily devour Zhou Weiqing's original bloodline power, merge with it, and thus begin the process of fully Awakening the Solidified Dragon Spirit… thus accomplishing their goal.
However, he had never expected that Zhou Weiqing's bloodline power to be just so powerful, and even in such an environment, it was still a perfect match for the Solidified Dragon Spirit in continued direct clash. Looking at the massive black-grey tiger, Long Shiya suddenly realised that perhaps the three Great Attributes of Zhou Weiqing – Darkness, Devour and Time were most likely brought to him by this bloodline power. What did that mean? It meant that Zhou Weiqing's bloodline power was no weaker than the Heavenly Snow Mountain's Divine Heavenly Spirit Tiger… perhaps even stronger!
A Bloodline Attribute that held two Saint Attributes! Even for the Solidified Dragon Spirit, how could it possibly fully Devour such a bloodline!? In such a case… well, this was now the current result, and the pain that Zhou Weiqing was suffering was much worse than even Long Shiya had expected.
If the two forces were of differing strength, one strong one weak, then the stronger side would devour the weaker one, and it would be much easier to merge and fuse the two together. However, if both sides were fully equal, then it would end up in this stalemate like the current status. Perhaps, this might not lengthen the process by much, but it would definitely increase the pain Zhou Weiqing had to endure exponentially. At this point, even Long Shiya was unable to estimate what would the final result be… even if Zhou Weiqing could really endure all the pain, what would happen to the Solidified Dragon Spirit and the original bloodline power within him. He could only worry… worry if Zhou Weiqing could live through this.
Impossible… this is … impossible… I can't take it anymore. Such an unparalleled pain, it was truly an unbearable torture to Zhou Weiqing. Although his senses were still fully awake, but he felt like he would rather die instantly than continue taking such a pain. In front of such sheer agony, everything else faded away from his mind.
However, could he really just give up like that?
By now, Zhou Weiqing had already been immersed in the lava for almost an hour, and he was already on the verge of breaking down. It had all happened just too fast, and the pain was far more terrifying that he had even imagined, even dreamed possible… no matter all the mental preparation he had, all the many various pains and suffering he had gone through before in his short life paled in comparison. At this point, even if Long Shiya wanted to stop the process, he was unable to do so… as the power of the Solidified Dragon Spirit had already been awoken. The only way to stop Zhou Weiqing's pain… was to kill him.STOP… PLEASE STOP… I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE… LET ME DIE PLEASE…Zhou Weiqing cried out in agony in his heart, his spirit already on its last dredges.
When the pain one suffers far surpasses the limit of his endurance, one's body would enter a type of self-protection – fainting.
However, in the current circumstance, with Long Shiya's external energy helping to protect his mind's core, even if Zhou Weiqing wanted to faint, he was unable to do so.
He could only continue feeling and enduring the this impossible pain with full clarity.
Still, that limit was still a limit, and in that instant as it was surpassed, Zhou Weiqing felt as if he was totally in darkness, unable to see anything.So dark… so… painful… why am I not dead yet… please let me die…Zhou Weiqing screamed in his mind.
However, right at that moment, a figure appeared abruptly in the midst of the world of darkness… a familiar figure.
It was a white figure, and in contrast with that utter darkness of despair, it seemed so bright and striking. From a tiny little white dot, slowly growing bigger as it approached Zhou Weiqing.
At last, Zhou Weiqing could see clearly, it was a fully white, large tiger, with dark blue striped patterns, looking at him with sorrowful eyes…. a sorrow not for herself… but for him!
Fat Cat! Tian'er… my Tian'er! Seeing her, Zhou Weiqing felt as if his entire body shudder, as if a chill ran down his spine. Especially that look of unimaginable bitter sadness in Tian'er's eyes, as if telling him this:If you give up now, if you die… I will join you in death…
At that moment, in Zhou Weiqing's mind, the letter that Tian'er had written to him suddenly shimmered and appeared once more…. Not the letter that the Lion Prince Gu YingBing had given to him, but the one that Tian'er had written personally and left for him in the Heavenly Jewel Island before she left.
"Weiqing… I'm leaving now. Although this decision was unbelievably difficult, but I have no choice but to leave you now. Sorry, Weiqing, in this time that you need me the most, I have left instead. However, I cannot do anything else but leave…"
"You already have so many troubles and problems of your own, and I cannot allow you to suffer more because of me. As such, I must leave now. Luckily, before I leave, I am able to give myself to you fully. Do not worry, I am already yours, and I will always be yours forever. No matter how they force me, I will only be Zhou Weiqing's woman."
Chapter 491: Awakening the Solidified Dragon Spirit! (3)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
"Father only has a single daughter… me… he won't force me too much. As long as I threaten him with my death, I'm sure I can persevere. However, I'm afraid I will not be able to look for you in the near future."
"Please do not come looking for me… I beg you ok? I know you, and I know that with your character, it is very easy for you to charge into something without caring about the consequences. However, if you really do so… then you are letting down all my painstaking efforts in doing all this. You now have much more important things to do. At least… before you have sufficient power, do not come looking for me. I will try my best to convince my father."
"I'm going now, I do not have any regrets, only yearnings for you. Weiqing, you have not told me that you loved me forever yet… but I love you…"
"Your Tian'er, your Fat Cat."
..... Yes! How could I give up so easily?? When I was at the lowest point of my life, when I first heard news of my Empire being invaded and destroyed… it was Tian'er who was beside me. It was she who comforted me, encouraged me, gave me the hope to live, the strength to start working towards everything I now have today. Tian'er gave me her most precious self in order to help me recover myself… As she said before herself, in her life, she will only belong to me! I haven't even told her how much I love her yet…
She is my Fat Cat, my Tian'er! Only mine!
The memories of how Tian'er gave all of herself to him flooded back into his mind… the memories of the past few years, how he hugged Fat Cat to sleep… her warmth and comfort… Zhou Weiqing felt his spirit filled with an indescribable yet powerful strength.
All of the pain seemed to be somehow suppressed by that powerful spiritual power, allowing his spirit core to be clear. His eyes, having turned bloodshot earlier, slowly turned back to their usual hue, recovering some of their lustre, yet turning deeper and more profound… forming a strange yet fresh contrast to his body, which had somehow subconsciously entered the Demonic Change State on its own accord.
Currently, in those deep black orbs of Zhou Weiqing's eyes, there was only firm resolution. No matter how much pain, how much torture and suffering that tore away at his very being… for Tian'er, I will definitely withstand everything. Definitely.
Long Shiya stood at the side. He had personally witnessed everything happening in Zhou Weiqing's body, and currently, this Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor was truly stunned to his core.
In his life, Long Shiya seldom felt true respect for anyone. Although he might not speak it outright, in the entire world, there were only two people he truly respected. One was Duan Tianlang, a man who had spent his life fully on the Legacy of Strength, reaching the pinnacle of the Consolidating Equipment Master world.
The other one was the Heavenly Snow Mountain Lord Xue AoTian. Of course, regarding this, Long Shiya would never admit it, but Xue AoTian was truly at the height of the world, the Heavenly God Tier power that even he could not reach. In his heart, he always had that spark of respect towards Xue AoTian. Countless of times he had challenged Xue AoTian, and countless of times he had failed, and that had also given him a unique relationship between him and Xue AoTian.
However, at this point, Long Shiya realised that deep in his heart, there was now one more person that was worthy of respect. His precious disciple…
Ordinarily, a teacher, a master, would not respect or admire his own disciple, but now, it was without doubt that deep within Long Shiya's heart, such an emotion had arisen.
The change that had overcame Zhou Weiqing just now was just too clear.
As Long Shiya had been constantly infusing Heavenly Energy into Zhou Weiqing's body, he could clearly sense the changes in his mind's core, and he was also clear how close Zhou Weiqing had been to breakdown. Although Long Shiya was a Heavenly Emperor powerhouse, he was helpless to provide aid at that moment, and could only watch on worriedly.
At that point, Long Shiya had been filled with regret, regret that he had actually agreed to bring Zhou Weiqing here to Awaken his Solidified Dragon Spirit in advance… Now, he could only watch this unbelievable young talent that was his one and only disciple, full of hope to overtake himself and breakthrough to the Heavenly God Tier in the future, breakdown and perish. One could imagine the sheer agony in Long Shiya's heart. However… just as he thought Zhou Weiqing would breakdown, a miracle truly appeared.
In that instant, the illusory image of the Dark Demon God Tiger above Zhou Weiqing's head seemed to shimmer and fade slightly, becoming paler. Right beside the immense black tiger, another illusory image shimmered into existence, even paler, but clearly a huge white tiger.
Towards that image of the white tiger, Long Shiya was just too familiar. Although it was shimmering and faded, barely a shadow, he could instantly see that it was Divine Heavenly Spirit Tiger of the Heavenly Snow Mountain!
Along with the appearance of the illusory white tiger, four balls of light stealthily appeared above Zhou Weiqing's head. One fully black, representing the Darkness Attribute, one grey, representing the Demonic Attribute, one gold representing the Divine Attribute, and the last purple, representing the Spirit Attribute. The four different colours forming a strange whirlpool, spinning around as they entered Zhou Weiqing's head from his BaiHui Acupuncture Point. Right at that instant, Zhou Weiqing's entire spirit seemed to lift up, the feeling that he was about to breakdown at any point disappearing totally. As his spirit raised, his own body clearly showed a change.
The first change was that the two bouts of Light and Darkness Heavenly Energy that Long Shiya had sent into Zhou Weiqing's mind's core to protect him was actually forcefully shoved back out.
Next, the two energies duking it out in Zhou Weiqing's body, the Solidified Dragon Spirit and the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline powers actually paused momentarily in a temporary peace. Although it was just an instant, it was clear that their fight afterwards was no longer as violent, as if they were being restrained by a third party energy.
What kind of powerful spiritual energy was required to do something like that! At this point, Zhou Weiqing had finally truly reached the actual cycle of Awakening the Solidified Dragon Spirit, and he had finally tided over the initial danger period. Now that the initial danger period was over, the next process was even more smooth sailing than Long Shiya had expected.
Without question, for all of that to have happened, the most important thing was Zhou Weiqing's devotion and obsession. If not for that powerful willpower, he would have broke down long ago. This was also the reason why Long Shiya felt such respect. He had to ask himself, perhaps if he was in Zhou Weiqing's place, he did not have confidence of being able to do the same.
The most curious thing to Long Shiya was why the Four Saint Attributes would appear above Zhou Weiqing's head at the same time, along with the bloodline powers. This was truly inconceivable.
In truth, the reason why such a state of affairs had happen was indeed because of Tian'er… and it could be said that in such a critical period, Tian'er had saved Zhou Weiqing's life.
Originally, Tian'er was in her evolving stage when she met up with Zhou Weiqing, and it was because of Zhou Weiqing's two Saint Attributes of Demonic and Time that she had started staying together with him. It was exactly the complete combination of the Four Saint Attributes that had such a huge draw to Tian'er.
At that time, Zhou Weiqing's personal cultivation level and strength was just too low that he had not sensed anything about this, and that attraction level was not as obvious to him.
After that, the two of them had spent several years together. During that time, Tian'er's cultivation level had grown by leaps and bounds. It could be said that by staying with Zhou Weiqing, both of them had the complete combination of the Four Saint Attributes circulating, greatly improving the speed of their cultivation… just that Zhou Weiqing did not know anything about it.
When Tian'er had broken through to her seven-Jeweled cultivation level, the four Saint Attributes had circulated, bringing Zhou Weiqing to breakthrough to his next cultivation level as well. At that time, although Tian'er had indeed gained a large amount of benefit from Zhou Weiqing, her own energy had definitely influenced him greatly as well.
On that fateful day, on the Heavenly Jewel Island, both of them had shared a precious night, and Tian'er had given her most precious first time to Zhou Weiqing. However, in that process, the Four Saint Attributes had also gone through a most thorough 'mixing'. As such, from that time on, not only Tian'er, but Zhou Weiqing as well, both their bodies held some of each others' energies.
At this current moment, as Zhou Weiqing was facing death, the last stubborn obsessive thought in his mind was Tian'er. The two Saint Attributes that belonged to Tian'er that were left remaining in Zhou Weiqing's body was actually activated and awakened.
The power of the Solidified Dragon Spirit and the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline was undoubtedly extremely strong, but when the four Saint Attributes came together, the sheer vast and boundless power, and more importantly, their state was at a level above all. As such, as the stubborn obsession in Zhou Weiqing's heart and the Four Saint Attributes came up together, they successfully brought him through his most dangerous period, bringing him to the right path of Awakening his Solidified Dragon Spirit.
Such a turn of events, no one could have expected all the various paths that had led to this… and as Zhou Weiqing realised he was on the route to success, even he felt it was inconceivable… let alone Long Shiya.
Right in the center of Zhou Weiqing's forehead, a tiny glow of light appeared. It was not too large or obvious, just the size of a mere broad bean, but its sheer lustre caused the surrounding magma to almost pale in comparison.
If one were to examine closely, they would be able to see that the light was actually made four different colours mixed together… it was the representing colours of the Four Saint Attributes. They slowly moved down from Zhou Weiqing's forehead, slowly entering his skin that was submerged in the magma.
At that point, Zhou Weiqing could clearly sense that strange energy circulating around his body before stopping right at his chest area.
All the pain was still there, but by now, he no longer had any thought of giving up. Furthermore, as the strange whirlpool had intervened, both the Solidified Dragon Spirit and the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline energies started gathering at the center of the whirlpool, merging within. Strangely, at this current point, they were being released in the center of the whirlpool, but miraculously able to fuse together, stopping right at the center of Zhou Weiqing's chest area.
At the beginning, due to the whirlpool being extremely small, it was only able to draw in and merge a very tiny amount of both energies. However, as time passed, and more of both energies were drawn in and merged, the whirlpool grew larger and larger, and its glow seemed to dim a little.
The reason why the whirlpool grew larger was because the fresh energies that was being merged in was also starting to move along as well. As such, although the speed of the spinning did not increase, the draw on the Solidified Dragon Spirit and the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline energies continued increasing. This was also the reason why Zhou Weiqing's pain was gradually weakening.
Chapter 492: Peerless Battalion in war! (1)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
Although the reduction in pain was extremely slow, almost snail speed even, at least when the massive pain was actually subsiding, it would give one hope. The Awakening of the Solidified Dragon Spirit was finally fully on the right track. At the same time, the last of the Dark Demon God Tiger bloodline power was also being awakened and merged… the strange black pearl that he had once swallowed.
No one could guess what would be the final result, but at least now Zhou Weiqing was safe, and he did not need to worry about the pain or breaking down from it. As for what would happen eventually, even he did not know. He could only hold down the fort in his mind's core, keeping it clear and protected as possible. In doing so, he could only sense the heat around him, and not know much about the changes in his own body.
At this point, Long Shiya finally relaxed. He knew that this transformation of Zhou Weiqing's would be a long process, and even his own prior estimate of forty nine days may not be accurate. However, he did not worry any longer, instead feeling a strong sense of anticipation and hope. This precious disciple of his… if he not only Awakened his Solidified Dragon Spirit, but also that unique bloodline power of his, what would happen to him? He wouldn't become a little monster right?
As he thought up to that point, Long Shiya's mouth curved up in a faint smile. He did not leave, instead looking for a spot in the area that wasn't covered in magma before sitting down to cultivate.
…
North Border, Northwest Camp. Peerless Battalion.
The WanShou Empire had already started taking action once more. However, this time, it was not just any ordinary sneak attacks. A dozen WanShou Empire Legions were advancing in neat formation towards the ZhongTian Northwest Army Camp. Alas, all of the Northwest Army Scouts that had been sent out had all been caught and slain.
The WanShou Empire armies did not advance quickly. In a few days that they had been moving, they had only moved a few dozen li per day before stopping.
It had already been eight days since the competition between the Peerless Battalion and the Heavy Infantry Regiment. At this point, currently, the watchtowers of the Northwest Army Camp could already spot the slowly advancing lines of the WanShou Empire armies far off in the distance. The battle was nigh.
The advancement of the WanShou Empire was definitely with some plan in mind, and as they did so in such a constricting fashion, the atmosphere within the Northwest Army camp grew more oppressive as the days passed. No one knew when the WanShou Empire armies would choose to actually attack, and thus the entire Northwest army had to keep in a constant high alert and preparation mode all the time. In such a circumstance, no matter generals, officers or ordinary soldiers, all of them were left in an exhausted state, both mind and body. This was the true goal of the WanShou Empire. They were confident that the ZhongTian Empire Northwest Armies would not dare to take the initiative against them especially on the plains, and they could easily use such psychological warfare against the Northwest Armies to affect their energy and morale. When the WanShou Empire finally launched their attack, it would undoubtedly be a lightning swift one to take down their enemies as quickly as possible.
As compared to the rest of the Northwest Armies, the atmosphere in the Peerless Battalion was a stark contrast. For them, all they had to do was to continue their daily routine of training. Of course, the only difference was that the Peerless Battalion did not train alone anymore, but along with the Heavy Infantry Regiment, as both had to integrate their training to properly fight together.
These past few days, Oni had been truly feeling rather vexed and depressed. His Heavy Infantry Regiment that he was so proud of had actually lost to the Peerless Battalion in the area they were the most confident in, even with a numbers advantage. Without even considering how much money they had all lost, just that sheer humiliation of that loss was unprecedented for the entire Heavy Infantry Regiment. After that fight, one could say that the morale of the entire Heavy Infantry Regiment had sunk down to its lowest ever.
However, orders were orders, and they were still sent to camp together with the Peerless Battalion. More so, Shen Ji had given them the order that Oni and his Heavy Infantry Regiment would be under the command structure of the Peerless Battalion.
Still, the integrated training was going on rather well. On the side of the Peerless Battalion, their requirements were rather simple – two Heavy Infantry soldiers to a single Peerless Battalion soldier in tandem, and with their Tower Shields protecting the front and air, it would ensure that the Peerless Battalion soldiers would not have any chance of being hit by enemy archers.
Such a tactic of cooperation was definitely not difficult, and the one Heavy Infantry soldier in charge of defending the front had the easier task, just needing to position his Tower Shield to cover all their bodies, and did not even require much effort. As for the one covering the top, he only needed to lift his tower shield to do so, and with the two Heavy Infantry soldiers taking turns and swapping when required, the integration of fighting for these powerful Heavy Infantry soldiers known for their physical strength was indeed an easy task.
As for the Peerless Battalion soldiers, it was even easier, as they could just practice their archery under such protection. Under the cover of the Heavy Infantry soldiers, it was without question that the safety of the Peerless Battalion soldiers was highly guaranteed even in the heat of battle, and correspondingly their offense as well.
Originally, Zhou Weiqing had arranged it as such on the precaution that the Peerless Battalion meet any enemies far beyond anything they could not handle on the battlefield. In that case, the Peerless Battalion soldiers could quickly retreat. Of course, in that case, the Heavy Infantry Regiment would not be able to retreat in time due to their lack of speed, and would be forced to cover their retreat. Naturally, this was a worst case scenario that would only be used as an absolute last resort.
Naturally, all the Peerless Battalion soldiers were extremely satisfied by such an arrangement. Although Zhou Weiqing did not appear frequently before them, but this young Battalion Commander of theirs had definitely earned all their respect, not the least with his unique thinking and how it showed his concern for all their safety.
This training lasted for five days before the dejected morale of the Heavy Infantry Regiment finally showed some change…
The reason for the change was simple… they no longer felt anger and hate for the Peerless Battalion, instead full of envy and jealousy.
Of course, the reason of that was clear – due to their training together, the two troops were camped together, but their supplies and logistics were all separate… for example, their meals.
In just the matter of a few mere meals, the Heavy Infantry Regiment soldiers was already unable to stand it.
In the Seventh Legion, the Heavy Infantry Regiment was considered one of the top elites, and their treatment was definitely the best amongst the entire Legion, and their food was also top quality, considering. However, when it was compared with the Peerless Battalion, the Heavy Infantry soldiers almost wanted to cry.
On the side of the Heavy Infantry Regiment side, for their three meals a day, one was at least with meat. This was already considered an extremely good treatment in the army, and it was to ensure their combat effectiveness.
Yet, what were the Peerless Battalion soldiers eating?!
For them, each and every one of their soldiers ate six meals everyday. That was right. Six meals.
Their schedule was as such. Early in the morning, they would awake and gather before having their breakfast. This would be the first meal, usually milk or soya bean milk, with each drinking a large bowl of it. Next,, each would have four eggs, green vegetables and lean meat, sometimes even a bit of cheese.
After their meal, they would rest for an hour before their vigorous training would start, lasting an hour. Another hour of rest before another snack. Although it was just a small snack, it was usually with meat… sometimes even with expensive Heavenly Beast meat.
When it came to lunch, this third 'meal' of the day was the most substantial and sumptuous one. All of them got at least six dishes, with meat, meat soup or at least stewed with bones; with all six meals being relatively different everyday.
With the two troops camped so close to one another, just the sweet fragrance of meat almost covered the entire Heavy Infantry Regiment. As the Heavy Infantry soldiers ate their simple and homogeneous food, that feeling was as if they were chewing on wax.
For the afternoon training, the Peerless Battalion soldier's fourth afternoon snack was mostly fresh fruits and vegetables. Sometimes, for convenience sake, it was just barrels and barrels of fresh fruit juice, warm and delicious.
Dinner was simpler than lunch, but it was still meat soup, but mostly with medicines and herbs, filled with ginseng, deer horn and various other tonics, herbs good for the body, and the smell of this was even more temptingly delicious.
Every night, an hour before they slept, the Peerless Battalion would have their sixth meal of the day, supper. After that, they would chat a while between themselves before they had a good sleep. Their tents were all lined with beast leather and furs, and inside their armour, they would always have fresh and clean cotton inline clothes.
When some of the Heavy Infantry soldiers inquired more into the matter about how the Peerless Battalion were getting so much good food, they realised that every day, the Peerless Battalion had specialised people purchasing large amount of supplies from the TianBei City, with at least a thousand people hired to support them. They did not even eat any of the supplies from the Seventh Legion.
…
Seventh Legion Army Headquarters.
"Boss… this will not do… if this continues, I will not have any men left to lead…. What kind of lives are those Peerless Battalion punks living?! The food you eat, it's lots better than even what you eat! Ordinary soldiers… having six meals a day! How do you think my brothers feel when they see that!"
Oni exclaimed huffily towards Shen Ji.
Shen Ji looked at him exasperatedly and said: "What do you want me to do? Get your boys the same food as them? Do you know how much money the Peerless Battalion spends every day? I dispatched some men to investigate previously… and they spend around ten thousand gold a day just on their food alone. That is to say… almost two gold coins or more for a single soldier. How can we compare to that? You know how much our pay and provisions are every month…"
Oni gave a helpless look and said: "Boss… how about recalling us from that duty then… I…"
"No." Shen Ji said firmly. We already lost the fight and the bet, we cannot lose our honour and integrity as well. Ask your brothers to endure for a while more… the war will be starting soon, and once the fighting starts, I expect that they will not be able to enjoy themselves and eat like that any longer. Once the annual fight against the WanShou Empire is over, I will be able to recall your Regiment from this duty. During this period of time, I can only trouble you to help persuade them and work on their ideology…"
Oni gave a deep sigh and said: "Alright, I guess that is the only choice now. However, those Peerless Battalion bastards are just too shameless. Everyday, they have remnant food and they actually feed it to their horses instead, hmph, not even thinking about giving us some of it. And they dare give the excuse that they do not want to humiliate their allies. Dammit I feel like slapping them hard!"
Shen Ji said solemnly: "Don't just look at their benefits and how well they are eating. Haven't you observed their training at all? Every day, their training is like pitting their hearts and lives. It is as if they do not care about exhaustion, and even their sparring within their own ranks is going all out. Their training is more than three times that of our elite forces…"
Oni gave a bitter smile and said: "How could I not know that? But… look at what they are eating! In the evening, they even have medicinal soups and tonics, all their energy expenditure will be easily replenished. Damn, Boss, do you know what I was thinking? I was thinking why I didn't commit any mistakes in the past and never got sent to the Ruffian Battalions. Their lives are just too good, better than even nobles! Furthermore, the money they are spending… splurging on… it is the money they have won from us!!"
Chapter 493: Peerless Battalion in war! (2)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
Just like that, ten more days passed. The Heavy Infantry Regiment soldiers could only grudgingly suppress their envy and jealousy towards the Peerless Battalion, while continuing their training regiment.
However, besides eating and drinking, during the minimal leisure time between their training, the Peerless Battalion soldiers managed to chit chat with the Heavy Infantry soldiers.
The Peerless Battalion rules, pay, treatment… their unbelievable amount of Jewel Masters and Consolidating Equipment Scrolls, titanium mail and high quality equipment… all of that was slowly known to the Heavy Infantry Regiment soldiers, causing no small amount of ruckuss. In fact, some of the Peerless Battalion soldiers even started spending money to hire some of the Heavy Infantry soldiers to wash their clothes!
As gossip spread amongst the Heavy Infantry soldiers, and changes occurred, even Shen Ji was almost on the verge of looking for Hua Feng to speak to him. However, at that point, the WanShou Empire armies finally launched their attack…
…
Daybreak.
In an entire day, this was the time that most humans were at their most vulnerable state. The drowsiness of dawn meant that their alertness level was usually at its lowest. Right at this moment, the WanShou Empire armies started bearing down upon their enemies. Of the seventeen Regiments, seven of them charged towards the ZhongTian Northwest Army Camp.
The shrill, urgent cries of the alarms broke the silence of the Northwest Camp, ringing through the various Legions and Regiments as the emergency bells rang.
After all these days of tightly strung nerves, the ZhongTian Empire soldiers were undoubtedly tired and weary. However, they had no choice but to clamber out of their beddings, getting into their armour with weapons in hand. Their enemies had finally come.
At the first moment, Oni readied his troops and rallied them for battle. Getting into their armour was one of the most troublesome things for the Heavy Infantry soldiers, as they needed time to wear their heavy and cumbersome armour.
To Oni's surprise, the Peerless Battalion did not seem to have any differing actions than usual. It was early in the morning, and the scent of firewood smoke mixed with sweet scent of milk already rose from the Peerless Battalion camp, causing anyone who smelled it to feel refreshed and relaxed.
Oni gave an angry mutter. "Those damn WanShou Empire bastards, they are doing this on purpose so we have to fight on an empty stomach!"
Very quickly, the ZhongTian Northwest Army had mustered several dozen Regiments to meet the incoming enemies, their goal mainly to buy time for their heavy armoured regiments to prepare themselves. The Northwest Army encampment had long since prepared for this, and their various fortifications, trenches, traps and various catapults were being manned to defend against this first wave of WanShou Empire attacks.
To Oni's anger and frustration, by the time his own Heavy Infantry Regiment were all fully geared and prepared, there was still no sign of movement from the Peerless Battalion. As such, he dispatched one of his soldiers to have a look, who came back to report that the Peerless Battalion soldiers were still having their breakfast as per usual, enjoying their delicious first meal of the day as if nothing special was going on.
Oni was so angry that he almost vomited out a mouthful of blood. Immediately, he personally charged into the Peerless Battalion camp, heading straight for the command tent.
As soon as he charged into the large command tent, Oni saw the entire Peerless Battalion command structure, led by Hua Feng, seated there enjoying their breakfast. Two of the Main Company Leaders were still joking around, snatching food from each other… There was no sign of nervousness or fear that they were experiencing an attack from a powerful foe!?
"What are you all doing? The alarms have already rang, the enemy is attacking, didn't you all hear?!" Oni shouted angrily.
Shangguan Fei'er lifted her head and swept Oni with a gold glare, before biting down on the apple in her hand.
Seeing the look in Shangguan Fei'er's eyes, only then did Oni's bluster fade slightly. He had experienced her terrifying strength for himself.
Hua Feng smiled faintly and said: "Regiment Commander Oni, please do not be so anxious. Even if we have to fight in a war, we have to let our brothers have their fill first. I'm sure the entire Northwest Armies has enough men that our Peerless Battalion need not be the first to muster right?"
"You…" Oni shouted angrily. Just as he was about to continue scolding, he saw the rest of the Peerless Battalion officers glare at him, a ferocious light in their eyes.
As the saying goes, a wise man does not fight when the odds are against him. Oni was no fool, and he gave an angry humph and said: "Fine. Anyway, our Heavy Infantry Regiment's orders is just to follow your lead and work with you. Since you all aren't urgent, why should I be? I'll eat as well!"
As he said that, under the gaping stares of the Peerless Battalion officers, he moved forward bluntly, ignoring their stares as he grabbed three eggs with a single hand. With his other hand, he grabbed a large bowl of milk and started gulping it down.
This fellow has never eaten before? The Peerless Battalion officers held back their smiles as they watched Oni eat, but no one stopped him.
Hua Feng said: "Vice Commander Wei, please get some of our brothers to send some food over to the Heavy Infantry Regiment. We are about to fight, and how can our allies fight well with us on an empty stomach!"
Wei Feng suppressed his laughter and said: "Yes Sir, I'll arrange that right now." As he said that, he strode out of the tent in wide strides. As he did so, his entire body was shaking up and down.Too evil, these guys were just too evil! He couldn't help but think to himself.
Without question, there had been a sudden major improvement in food for the Peerless Battalion ever since they had won the bet… Furthermore, all the chit chat of the Peerless Battalion soldiers to the Heavy Infantry soldiers… all of that was arranged by Hua Feng and the other sly rascals of the Heavenly Bow Unit. In just these few dozen days, the effect was indeed crystal clear. In fact, even some rumours about the Peerless Battalion soldiers having some beauties sent over to deal with their physiological 'needs' once in awhile could also be heard. In any case, for almost the entire Heavy Infantry Regiment, as soon as the Peerless Battalion was mentioned, it was with a tone of envy and jealousy…
Although Wei Feng did not know what the exact plans of Hua Feng and Mu En were, it was without a doubt that it would be extremely beneficial to the Peerless Battalion. The war was about to start, and the Peerless Battalion soldiers would all have to enter the battlefield once more. However, more so, this was the first time they would be fighting in such a major war with more than a million on both sides! What role would the Peerless Battalion play? Would it be a major one? Wei Feng was not exactly sure as well, but he was confident in the fighting capabilities of the Peerless Battalion.
Barrels of piping hot milk and baskets of warm bread were soon sent to the Heavy Infantry Regiment, along with Oni's orders… a single word: "Eat."
When Oni asked the Peerless Battalion to send out the order along with the food, he was thinking to himself:Dammit, might as well eat and enjoy it all, it's all bought with our money!
….
Just as Oni was enjoying himself gorging away in the Peerless Battalion camp, the Heavy Infantry Regiment was also feasting away on their breakfast. At the same time, the orders from the Seventh Legion was already flying out all around.
Shen Ji had already brought the Seventh Legion to defend against the WanShou Empire attacks. As the Legion Commander, he naturally led the charge onto the battlefield, and he was currently directing the main Regiments of the Seventh Legion in fighting the crazed onslaught of enemies. Right at this moment, with the most elite Regiment and the one with the strongest defensive capabilities, the Heavy Infantry Regiment, not appearing, Shen Ji was extremely furious. However, very quickly he remembered that his own Heavy Infantry Regiment was now under the command of the Peerless Battalion. With no other choice, he could only send an order to the Peerless Battalion and request that they join the battle urgently.
If it were any other Battalion or Regiment, Shen Ji would have lost his temper by now. Alas, he knew he could not do anything about the Peerless Battalion. Their strength aside, just their background of the Heaven's Expanse Palace was not one he could trifle with.
The war had started, and the Northwest Army Camp was under an unprecedented stress. Not only was the WanShou Empire army at an hitherto unknown number, the sheer pressure they had on the spirit was massive, especially with the tactics they had been using. The ZhongTian army soldiers had not had any proper rest for several days, how could they possibly defend against the WanShou Empire soldiers in their top condition? Only with their traps and fortifications along with their sheer numbers allowed them to barely hold back the enemy invasion. However, the sheer amount of injuries and death continued rising.
…
Soon, breakfast was finished, and the Peerless Battalion finally gave the order to gather. Hua Feng looked to Oni, who had a satiated look on his face, before saying: "Regiment Commander Oni, everything as per our normal training. Your men do not have to be on the offensive at all, you just need to protect my men, and that will be sufficient."
Oni eyed Hua Feng, muttering to himself inwardly: Your Peerless Battalion soldiers are already entirely dressed in titanium armour, are they even really afraid of the WanShou Empire arrows?
Although he was thinking that in his heart, his face was impassive and did not show anything as he spoke: "Very well, we will definitely protect our good allies, and this breakfast we ate will not be for nothing. However, if the command were to blame us for not being on time, Battalion Commander Hua Feng please put in a good word for me."
Hua Feng laughed heartily and took a drink of water from his cup gracefully, before finally saying: "Regiment Commander Oni, please do not worry. We are all a family, if there are any responsibilities or blame, we will naturally share it all."
Although they were already late, the Peerless Battalion gathered swiftly. Before long, the five thousand Peerless Battalion soldiers had already gathered together with the Heavy Infantry Regiment along with their usual formation they had during training, and they advanced towards the defensive fortifications of the Northwest Army.
The fortifications of the camp were situated about ten li from the actual encampment. The reason why they were set at such a distance was because it would allow themselves sufficient room for maneuvering in their formations. On the battlefield, positioning and formations were of utmost importance. Even though the WanShou Empire cavalry were extremely powerful, they would not easily charge towards a heavily fortified heavy infantry squad in proper formation, as that would affect their capabilities in combat, especially their main advantage of speed and momentum.
The movement speed of the Heavy Infantry soldiers was not fast, but ten li wasn't too far. As they neared the battlefield, the sounds of fighting, killing and clash of metal was deafening.
However, for both the Heavy Infantry Regiment soldiers or the Peerless Battalion soldiers, none of them were surprised or shocked by the sight in front of them. After all, they were not newbies on the battlefield, and they had experienced the brutal realities of war many times before. As elite soldiers, the warriors were filled with excitement for their own upcoming fight with their foes.
Hua Feng did not arrange for the Gold Crow Tribe and Berserker Tribe warriors to join this particular fight. The reason was simple – their equipment was not complete yet. With the Heavy Infantry Regiment as cover for the Peerless Battalion, their presence would not be as sorely missed for this battle.
"Prepare for battle!" Hua Feng gave the order, and the Heavy Infantry soldiers around realised that as soon as the Peerless Battalion soldiers heard Hua Feng's order, their aura and presence changed instantly.
"Battalion Commander Hua Feng, shouldn't we report to the higher command first? We need to get our assignments from them!" Oni saw that Hua Feng was about to let the Peerless Battalion join the battle directly, and was extremely surprised.
Armies had their own rules, and the most important thing on the battlefield was undoubtedly to obey orders. Under the command of high ranking officers, they had to work together with the orders to bring about their greatest strength together. Once orders were disobeyed on the battlefield, the consequences could be dire… and punishment would also be severe.
Author's Note: I rarely write in such a style that deal with issues on two corners of the world simultaneously in my stories, and I hope that you readers enjoy this new take on it. Haha, I will try my best to continue giving you an exciting story ahead. All these years, you all have accompanied me, and I only hope that I can continue giving you joy and enjoyment, new creativity and more excitement all the time. I hope that you all will continue supporting me, I will not disappoint you.
Chapter 494: Peerless Battalion in war! (3)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
Hua Feng smiled faintly and said: "Regiment Commander Oni, pleas remember that you are no longer under the direct command of the Seventh Legion, and your orders are to cooperate with our Peerless Battalion. As for us, we are not under the direct command of the Seventh Legion as well. In any case, didn't you say earlier that we did not gather in time? It is time for us to make up for that lost time. Alright, enough. Everyone, advance in a flanking position!"
Oni's face muscles twitched slightly, almost imperceptibly. He had been in the army for more than twenty years, but this was the first time he had met any commanding officer like Hua Feng. Could something like this actually work? Yet… Shen Ji's order to him had indeed been to cooperate in whatever the Peerless Battalion was doing, without question. Oni had no other choice but to grit his teeth and carry out Hua Feng's order without interference.
Right at that moment, Oni made a rather intelligent decision, one that perhaps changed his life and that of his men. His order was that from this moment onwards, the Heavy Infantry Regiment would all follow the Peerless Battalion soldiers… before the war ended, they would only listen to Hua Feng's orders, and there would only be one overall voice of command.
This little shrewd trick by Oni was not because he thought that Hua Feng was a better commander than himself. However, his thought was that since he had already been assigned this role, no matter what, even if Legion Commander Shen Ji or the Northwest Army Command came investigating, he would be able to evade any responsibility or punishment. After all, from all points of view, he was not disobeying any orders.
Who was Hua Feng? A shrewd one amongst the shrewd indeed… amongst all the Heavenly Bow Unit members, each and every one of them were outstanding talents, geniuses and distinguished in their own right, and for them all to be willing to follow his command, one could imagine that under the face of nobility and grace of Hua Feng lay something much more.
As such, Hua Feng only glanced at Oni, and he had already guessed all his thoughts. However, he did not comment at all. At least, Oni's order was definitely of great benefit to them all.
In this first attack, the WanShou Empire had sent out seven of their main Regiments, while the other ten remaining Regiments were camped at a distance. The reason they dared to charge the ZhongTian formation so brazenly with less than half their force was because they had absolute confidence in their fighting capabilities and maneuverability on the plains. Even if their charge was not successful, they were certain that retreating was not a problem, even if they were not supported by the main army behind. In their eyes, the ZhongTian Northwest Army would never dare to chase them out of their own fortifications. For the seven WanShou Regiments currently charging, the focus of their strength was in the center of the ZhongTian lines, and it was the powerful Heavy Infantry soldiers of the Bear Tribesmen, the Tyrannical Bear Regiment.
The Tyrannical Bear Regiment could be said to be notorious throughout the entire ZhongTian Army, after years of war between both sides. Every time they appeared, it was almost always at the Central North Army, and they were extremely formidable in direct clashes. They were also one of the few full infantry units in the entire WanShou Empire.
The Bear Tribe was one of the very rare Tribes in the entire WanShou Empire that did not rear their corresponding Totemic Heavenly Beasts. One reason was because War Bears were extremely difficult to find, being extremely few and rare in numbers. Secondly, the Bear Tribesmen already had a terrifying strength and power themselves. Each Bear Tribesmen Heavy Infantry soldier was more than two metres tall, their figure and stature like that of a giant bear, as brawny and muscular as can be. Their tough skin was able to withstand most blows, and their sheer physical strength combined with their commonly used weapon – massive spiked maces… they could be described as an unstoppable force on the battlefield.
When the Bear Tribesmen Heavy Infantry soldiers appeared outside the Northwest Army camp, the entire Northwest Headquarters command was stunned silly. Naturally, they had heard of the terrifying power of the Tyrannical Bear Regiment. After all, the Tyrannical Bear Regiment was extremely notorious, and they normally were highly elite and only focused on the toughest Central North army zone. After all these years, at least a Legion of Central North army soldiers had perished at the hands of these formidable foes. Under any normal clash, even the most elite human Heavy Infantry soldiers were no match for them.
Furthermore, besides the Tyrannical Bear Regiment, there were six other powerful Regiments supporting them. One was a Wolf Cavalry Regiment, one Unicorn Cavalry Regiment, two Dog Tribe Scimitar Infantry Regiments and two Raging Bull Heavy Cavalry Regiments.
These Seven Regiments could be said to be some of the finest in the WanShou Empire. In truth, the most elite was definitely the Tyrannical Bear Regiment, but even so, this was definitely unprecedented pressure to the Northwest Army. Of the over six hundred thousand warriors in the entire Northwest Armies, over three hundred thousand were already activated and fighting hard, still barely able to hold on with the help of the fortifications. The casualty on both sides were definitely highly disproportionate.
Hua Feng chose their path of approach to be from the side flank where there was one of the Dog Tribe Scimitar Infantry Regiment and the Wolf Cavalry Regiment. As for the two Raging Bull Heavy Cavalry Regiments, they were charging the center lines together with the Tyrannical Bear Heavy Infantry Regiment. As such, the ZhongTian Northwest Armies also focused the main bulk of their forces in the central lines, with several of the Heavy Infantry and Heavy Cavalry Regiments all there. Naturally, the fighting on both flanks was not as fierce as the center, but it was definitely still intensely fierce.
The Dog Tribe Scimitar Infantry Regiment soldiers were all wearing leather armour, and their stature was definitely not as stout or powerful as either the Bear Tribesmen or Bull Tribesmen, but they were much more agile and nimble. With the scimitars in their hands, it was not easy for ordinary arrows to hit them. Their agile movements and strength was their greatest weapons against their enemies.
In the WanShou Empire, the Dog Men Tribe were also one of the larger tribes. Although their fighting capabilities was average when compared to the majority of the Beastmen Tribes, but their numbers were extremely high, and they also had a good relation with the Wolfmen Tribe, thus their status in the WanShou Empire was not low at all. This was also shown by the fact that the Dog Men Tribe had six whole Regiments of soldiers in the entire WanShou Empire Army.
Since the Peerless Battalion had been set up, this was the first time they were truly in a large scale battlefield. Naturally, Hua Feng did not want them to go for the toughest enemies, especially on such a huge battlefield of such numbers on both sides, and some of the greatest strengths of the Peerless Battalion would not be easy to bring into play. In such a case, it would be easier for them to strike from the relatively weaker flank which had lesser numbers.
Under the direction of Hua Feng, the Peerless Battalion and the Heavy Infantry Regiment quickly reached the frontlines of the flank they had targeted. Here, there were six of the Northwest Army Regiments in charge of the defense here, including the Sixteenth Regiment of the Seventh Legion.
As the Sixteenth Regiment Regiment Leader, Shen Bu was one of the commanders directing the fight. As soon as she realised that the Peerless Battalion was nearing their flank, she was overjoyed.
As the one with earliest contact with the Peerless Battalion, and having suffered at their hands so many times, her knowledge and understanding of the Peerless Battalion was far above any of the other commanders in the Northwest Army, especially after getting together with Lin TianAo, she had learned a lot more about the Peerless Battalion. Of course, Lin TianAo would not reveal any core secrets to her, but some of the lesser important things he did not need to keep secret.
Seeing that the Peerless Battalion had brought along the Heavy Infantry Regiment, Shen Bu was overjoyed. She passed command over to her Vice Regiment Commander and immediately rode over personally to speak with Hua Feng. She quickly opened a space in her defensive zone for the Heavy Infantry Regiment and the Peerless Battalion to get in.
The other Regiments did not pay too much attention, thinking it was just reinforcements sent by the command. Seeing a Heavy Infantry Regiment join up with them, they were naturally overjoyed as well. After all, the Heavy Infantry Regiments were the most suited to defend against the charge of Wolf Cavalry soldiers.
Very quickly, the Heavy Infantry Regiment entered their defensive positions, taking formation according to their usual practice, with two Heavy Infantry soldiers protecting one Peerless Battalion soldier.
In truth, this was not a good time for archers to join the fight, as the enemy distance was already very close. In the front, the Sixteenth Regiment was already having some trouble defending any longer. In such a circumstance, without being able to get some distance, even if archers wanted to shoot the enemies without harming their own, it would be extremely difficult… unless they were god tier archers.
Even for the Peerless Battalion, not all the soldiers had the confidence in doing so. After all, their time of training was not that long yet. Of course, the Peerless Battalion also had their share of elite archers.
Hua Feng's first command was to give the order to the First Main Company of the Peerless Battalion, the finest elite in the entire Peerless Battalion. The order was simple – to shoot and kill as many enemies as they could and give the Sixteenth Regiment time to retreat.
When Shen Bu saw the First Main Company of the Peerless Battalion drawing all five hundred of their bows, she was so nervous that she almost couldn't breathe. At that moment, she did not give any order to dodge or retreat, afraid that if she interfered and anything went wrong, her own men would take severe injury… that would be a terrible blow!
Without giving Shen Bu much chance to think, the First Main Company already started shooting.
An earsplitting shrill sound rang out. Let alone the surrounding Regiments, even the Heavy Infantry Regiment protecting the Peerless Battalion was given a sudden fright. After all, in their normal training, the Peerless Battalion all used ordinary longbows, but now they were using their Consolidated Bows… it was a huge difference.
*Poof* *Poof* Poof* *Poof* Sounds rang out, and the trail of the arrows could not be seen at all. All that could be seen was plumes of blood suddenly rising up, along with cries of agony.
The First Main Company were not just with the highest cultivation levels, nor was it only that they were the first to have their Consolidated Wings, but they also had some of the finest archery in the entire Peerless Battalion.
The Sixteenth Regiment soldiers, who had been fighting desperately for their lives, suddenly felt the pressure upon them lessen greatly. The Dog Tribe soldiers and Wolf Cavalry soldiers suddenly turned into corpses in front of their eyes, along with clouds of blood spurting out. Such a sudden change was just too abrupt, and many of them weren't even able to react.
From Shen Bu's perspective, the five hundred soldiers of the Peerless Battalion First Main Company had fired, and it was as if their arrows had eyes of their own, somehow finding tiny gaps and exposures, worming through the crowd of allies to strike directly on the enemies. Five hundred arrows, and not a single one struck her men. Of course, there were a few which missed their mark on the enemies, but absolutely none hit an allied soldier.
If such archery skills appeared on a single person, it would not arouse any notice, perhaps only leading to him getting praised as a god archer. However, when five hundred men all had such archery skills, it was truly a shocking sight indeed.
The Wolf Cavalry soldiers and Dog Tribe Infantry soldiers were not weak by any means, and their defensive capabilities might not compare to some of the other stronger Beastmen, but it was nothing to scoff at. However, in front of the Peerless Battalion Consolidated Bows, their tough skin was of no use at all, and only a pile of corpses was left in the wake.
"Sixteenth Regiment, open a path and retreat to the sides!" Shen Bu immediately seized the chance to give the order. Being able to gain the rank of Regiment Commander, it was not just because of her status of Heavenly Jewel Commander. Her previous rashness aside, she was definitely a fine commander with a good grasp of military command.
Chapter 495: Peerless in the World! (1)
Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations
The Sixteenth Regiment beat their retreat instantly, and in that empty space they vacated, the First Main Company did not stop firing. The shrill cries of the arrows flying did not stop at all, and the Wolf Cavalry soldiers and Dog Tribe Infantry soldiers continued falling to the ground. As compared to the Unicorn Cavalry soldiers they had faced previously, these two Beastmen were much easier to deal with.
Previously, when they had been rescuing the surrounded Berserker and Gold Crow Tribes, the five hundred soldiers of the Peerless Battalion First Main Company had already awed and frightened off two of the WanShou Empire Regiments with their fighting prowess. Now, facing two Regiments which were arguably lesser than those other two, and with such a large number of allies beside them, the First Main Company started firing at will in confidence. Despite being archers, they did not pull back, instead advancing slowly to the front lines to the space which had been vacated, even as they continued firing rapidly. Within moments, the charging onslaught of enemies at the Sixteenth Regiment's previous position was also almost emptied.
As the Sixteenth Regiment retreated, the Heavy Infantry Regiment and the Peerless Battalion advanced slowly together in perfect unity. As Hua Feng issued order after order, the other Main Companies slowly joined in the fray as they got into position.
Ever since the Peerless Battalion had grew to the strength of five thousand men, this was the first time they had all been together on the same battlefield. Five thousand Jewel Masters… elite archers with Consolidated Bows… what kind of notion was that!? Their shooting was actually really simple, with two Main Companies per group, in a cascading type formation, shooting continuously in proper sequence. Originally, these two WanShou Regiments, which the Six ZhongTian Regiments had been having so much trouble with, was instantly now being suppressed so simply. Along with the horrifying shrill sounds that struck terror in the hearts of all who heard them, waves of Wolf Cavalry Soldiers and Dog Tribe Infantry soldiers fell to the ground. In truth, it was not just the enemies, even the allied soldiers were so caught by surprise they did not understand what was going on, but at least the original pressure on them was greatly reduced.
Of course, even the Peerless Battalion soldiers could not be perfect, and their arrows could definitely miss. Even so, they were far more accurate than any ordinary archers, and with those highly penetrative arrows fired from Consolidated Bows. In this, it could be easily seen by the number of severely wounded or killed after getting shot by the arrows.
The flank, originally wheeling on the edge of danger and awaiting rescue… within the time for a few dozen breaths, the pressure was gone.
After the Peerless Battalion entered the battlefield, the Wolf Cavalry Regiment and the Dog Tribe Scimitar Infantry Regiment soldiers could no longer take another step forward. Under the constant onslaught of arrow raining down upon them, all they could do was leave corpses on the wake.
Some observant souls had managed to count on behalf of the Peerless Battalion… twenty four salvos of arrows, and the remnants of the Wolf Cavalry Regiment and Dog Tribe Scimitar Infantry Regiment retreated in bad shape… with barely a thousand men left in total.
It was after all two entire powerful Regiments from the WanShou Empire! To any ZhongTian Empire soldier who saw that sight right there, it was like a dream… an illusion. Countless of them had thought they were about to die, and yet the fight suddenly ended before they knew it.
Of course, the Heavy Infantry soldiers by the side of the Peerless Battalion were totally shocked. They raised their tower shields, still in full disbelief. These fellows that trained with them everyday, they had actually created such a terrifying miracle. "PEERLESS IN THE WORLD!" A howl that rang through the skies, filled with excitement, rang out from every single one of the Peerless Battalion soldiers.
Indeed, they were the Peerless Battalion, Peerless in the World! In this battlefield in the north borders, in front of hundreds of thousands of ZhongTian Northwest Army soldiers, this was the first time that they had displayed their full strength to the world. They used their actions to prove to the world that though they might have been from the Ruffian Battalions of the world, they were the strongest… the Peerless Battalion was the absolute strongest!
Even with the stable-ness of the seven God Tier Archers of the Heavenly Bow Unit, when they heard the earsplitting howls of the Peerless Battalion soldiers, they couldn't help but feel their blood boil with ardour as well. In their hearts a name rang out, the one who had created the Peerless Battalion.
Indeed, he had brought about a true miracle, and when this miracle descended upon their old homeland, who was to say that they would not be able to advance another miracle, to create a magnificent, mighty revival of their Empire!
"Let's move out, target the left flank. All of you listen to me properly, when we get to the left flank, I want you all to target the Unicorn Cavalry soldiers, but do your best not to harm any Unicorns Heavenly Beasts. Men, send someone to Tribe Leader Ma Long to prepare to receive those Heavenly Beasts with his tribesmen warriors."
The war was still continuing, but this was just the start of a miracle.
Once again, they ignored the center lines. Once they achieved the decisive victory, the Peerless Battalion swiftly turned to the left flank, their targets the Unicorn Cavalry Regiment and the other Dog Tribe Scimitar Infantry Regiment.
When the Peerless Battalion quietly left the right flank, only then did the commanding officers of both sides realise something was not right. In fact, both sides actually had the same feeling, that of abrupt shock. However, one side was a pleasant shock filled with happiness, while the other side was that of utter disbelief.
"What's going on? What happened on the right flank?" The overall commanding officer of the Northwest Armies, one of the three great supreme commanders, Admiral Brando of the ZhongTian Empire exclaimed to his subordinate, his eyes filled with shock. He just received news that the two enemy Regiments on the right flank had fled with less than a tenth of them alive.
They had warred with the WanShou Empire for so many years, and this was truly the first time Admiral Brando had met with such a circumstance. A moment ago, he had just been about to dispatch men to reinforce the right flank which had been in severe danger, and the next moment, a fresh report had come.
"It's the Peerless Battalion, they truly produced a miracle!" The one who spoke was an old man of about sixty or older, standing beside Admiral Brando in full uniform. He was Shen Ji, Shen Bu and Shen Yi's godfather and Master, the Vice Commander of the ZhongTian Northwest Army, General Shen Wu.
"Wait… do you mean to say… that strange Battalion that the Heaven's Expanse Palace used all the Ruffian Battalions to form?" Naturally, Admiral Brando knew of the Peerless Battalion, just that prior to this he had never paid much attention to it. It was not to say that he attach much importance to them, but he was unable to do so. After all, the matter of having the Heaven's Expanse Palace intervene in such matters was extremely sensitive, and if they actually intervened in the war, it might not be a good thing in the big picture. As such, he had always pretended not to notice anything about the matter, allowing Shen Wu to handle everything.
"The Peerless Battalion actually has such powerful destructive powers? How did they do that?" Admiral Brando exclaimed in surprise towards Shen Wu.
Shen Wu gave a bitter smile and said: "Admiral, I'm not sure myself. I've sent people to check for myself, and I think I should get some news back soon."
It didn't take long before the Seventh Legion Commander Shen Ji personally got to the headquarters.
"Greetings Commander in Chief, Vice Commander." Shen Ji's face was filled with both shock and excitement. Having heard about precise news earlier, it was hard for him to believe it as well. However, the facts were right in front of his eyes, and he had no choice but to accept it. He knew that things were crucial, and immediately went personally to report to the headquarters. After all, only he was sufficiently knowledgeable and familiar with the Peerless Battalion, and once they had taken down the two Regiments on the right flank, it would become the Northwest Army Command's top level secret.
"Shen Ji, what is going on?" Admiral Branco asked solemnly.
"Consolidated Bows! Commander, Consolidated Bows! Those Peerless Battalion soldiers are ALL Jewel Masters… five thousand Jewel Masters! Oh my god, it is five thousand Jewel Masters!! They are mostly Physical Jewel Masters, and with their powerful Consolidated Bows, within over twenty salvos of firing they took down the foes from the two Regiments."
"Wait. What? All Jewel Masters? How is that possible? Weren't those soldiers all from the original Ruffian Battalions?" Shen Wu couldn't help but exclaim.
Shen Ji gave a bitter smile and said: "I do not know the exact state of affairs. After all, our estimation of the Peerless Battalion was already extremely high, but I never expected that it was still a severe underestimation of them. They have now gone to the left flank. Because they had the background of the Heaven's Expanse Palace, I did not direct them… Commander, Vice Commander, what should we do now?"
Admiral Branco stood up abruptly and he said: "What do we do? What else do you need me to say? Send my orders, Shen Ji, I want you to personally lead my Personal Guard Regiment to support the Peerless Battalion. No matter what, do not let any harm come to them. Hurry, go immediately. The presence of the Peerless Battalion might be the exact thing that can save our entire Northwest Army, to turn the tides of this supposedly impossible situation."
As the commanding officer and an experienced Admiral, it was without question that Brando could instantly sense that the presence of the Peerless Battalion was a perfect chance for them. Next, he gave another order for his two reserve Heavy Cavalry Regiments to move out into the battlefield. They only had one order, to work together in ensuring the safety of the Peerless Battalion.
Although Admiral Brando wasn't exactly certain about the exact offensive capabilities and strength of the Peerless Battalion, he was certain that if they truly could take down two WanShou Empire Regiments in such a short amount of time, then the Peerless Battalion would be a god tier weapon for the side of the Northwest Army… one that would help them against the WanShou Empire armies.
While Admiral Brando made the series of arrangements, the situation on the battlefield was also going through its own series of rapid changes.
The ten Regiments of the WanShou Empire holding back was also starting to show some movement. Far off in the distance, a massive black cloud rose up, swarming like a strange dark cloud and flying towards the battlefield, quickly reaching almost a thousand metres high
Seeing that patch of dark clouds, the Northwest Army who were by now extremely familiar with the WanShou Empire armies, were totally caught by surprise. Of course, they totally recognized and knew what the dark clouds meant… just surprised by their presence here. They were after all one of the aces of the WanShou Empire armies, the Eagle Tribesmen Air Force.
In the entire WanShou Empire, only the Eagle Tribesmen were able to tame and rear mounts with flying capabilities, at least at enough numbers to form a troop. The whole WanShou Empire only mustered a single Regiment of their numbers. Of course, due to their rarity, they were not gathered together in a Regiment, instead gathered in Battalions, distributed to the various armies in the WanShou Empire. However, they would not easily join the battle unless absolutely necessary.
No one could have imagined that the WanShou Empire would have paid so much attention to the Northwest Armies that they would actually send the Eagle Tribesmen… seeing them rise up into the airs, it looked to be about two whole Battalions of them!
If one were to say that the Tyrannical Bear Regiment was still able to be blocked in a headon clash, no matter how tough that was, then the Eagle Tribesmen was an ever victorious force that had never been defeated in battle. The reason was simple – besides the WanShou Empire, there were no other countries in the entire Mainland that had a proper air force.
The War Eagle Mounts that the Eagle Tribesmen warriors reared were about two metres in length, but their wingspans were more than five metres long, able to easily carry a Eagle Tribesman Warrior, who were one of the smaller amongst the Beastmen. The War Eagles all carried twelve short javelins and quivers of arrows… from a certain perspective, their equipment was very similar to the Peerless Battalion, except that the Eagle Tribesmen Warriors were mounted upon their War Eagle Mounts, while the Peerless Battalion would have to fly on their own.