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Chapter 572: Crescent City! (1)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

Of course, this was also because it was official business indeed. In truth, their support for Zhou Weiqing was not just because he had become the son-in-law of both the Heaven's Expanse Palace and Heavenly Snow Mountain. No matter the Peerless Regiment that he had created, or the stunning display of talent and future potential that he had shown, added to the fact his Master was Long Shiya… it was sufficient for both the Heaven's Expanse Palace and Heavenly Snow Mountain to want to draw him to their side. As such, it had ended up in such a strange delicate but amazing situation.

Ming Yu sighed and nodded towards Zhou Weiqing, saying: "Alright, you have won. I can represent the Heavenly Demon Sect to make a direct guarantee to you. During your efforts to revive your homeland, we will definitely not provide any aid to the Bai Da Empire or Kalise Empire. We hope to gain your friendship. However… we would like to know what is your final goal… is it just to revive your Heavenly Bow Empire, or do you have greater ambitions?"

Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily and said: "Regarding that, I can't say for sure as I shall not have the final say. That will have to wait until our Heavenly Bow Empire's Emperor to make the final decision. Of course, all of that will have to wait until we succeed in reviving our homeland."

Ming Yu couldn't help but scold him inwardly. This little rascal was truly 'waterproof' indeed! Looks like I must give him some strong medicine first.

"Commander Zhou, let us end our official business here then. I have some other personal matters, can we discuss them now?" Ming Yu's expression resumed to his normal, calm and unflurried state.

Zhou Weiqing started momentarily. "What personal matters?" All of a sudden, he had a strange ominous feeling, as he saw a thread of delight in Ming Yu's eyes.

Ming Yu laughed heartily and said: "Nothing much, just that Commander Zhou shouldn't have forgotten about what you have done previously right? Although I do not know what Godly Technique Commander Zhou was cultivating at that time, but our dear Princess had aided you in a heavy price. Wouldn't Commander Zhou make some time to visit our little Princess? After all, after she returned, she has been thinking about you day and night!"

Zhou Weiqing's body froze instantly. At the same time, he abruptly sensed an aura of ill intent from both sides around him.

"My Dear God General, you are truly savage! Let us return to official business. If I am willing to let you command my Peerless Regiment, would you be willing to leave the Fei Li Empire to join our Heavenly Bow Empire?"

Zhou Weiqing instantly changed the topic, and he quickly brought up a topic that he knew Ming Yu was most interested in. He knew that would definitely cause Ming Yu to change his focus instantly.

Ming Yu stared at Zhou Weiqing in surprise. "You are willing to let me be in charge of your Peerless Regiment?"

Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily and said: "Not be in charge of, but be in command to direct it. I believe that if the Fei Li God General becomes our Heavenly Bow God General, the Peerless Regiment would be able to better flourish their combat prowess… to become even more terrifying."

Hearing those words, Ming Yu's breathing grew rapid and urgent. As a military commander, who would not dream of commanding such a gloriously powerful troop? He had witnessed the terrifying power of the Peerless Regiment with his own eyes, and his own body. If he were to become their Commander, he truly believed that they could be forged into an invincible force.

Zhou Weiqing continued: "Furthermore, I am even more interested to know… If I wish to earn the support of the Heavenly Demon Sect, what price do I need to pay?"

Ming Yu took a deep breath and said: "Very simple. We have two requests before we can place ourselves fully in your camp. Firstly, the Heavenly Bow Empire needs to actually acknowledge our Heavenly Demon Sect publicly. That is to say, once the Heavenly Bow Empire has been restored, you will not resume following the world in declaring us an Evil or Heretical Sect. Instead, you must recognize us as a legit party and our status in the Mainland. This is our first, and most important request."

Zhou Weiqing laughed and nodded: "I am already considered friends with the Heavenly Demon Sect. Originally, I have even perused through your Demonic Manual. This first request, I can personally agree to it. In the first place, I also have the Demonic Attribute and the Demonic Change State, how can I not recognize the Heavenly Demon Sect?"

Ming Yu nodded, both delighted and gratified. "Since Commander Zhou has already said that, our chances of working together are definitely very high. Well, as for the second request, we hope that after the Heavenly Bow Empire has been revived, it can become the asylum or shelter for our Heavenly Demon Sect… allowing us to go through a full migration to your Empire."

Hearing those words, Zhou Weiqing started momentarily. "You all want to become the background supreme ruler of our Heavenly Bow Empire?" How could he not understand what the Heavenly Demon Sect was implying? Without question, they were looking at the Heaven's Expanse Palace and its relation with the ZhongTian Empire, or the Heavenly Snow Mountain and its status in the WanShou Empire.

The greatest weakness of the Heavenly Demon Sect was that they had no place to set roots, with no Empire which would support them and allow them to grow. This greatly restricted their basic safety and also their growth potential. However, in the current state of things, it was impossible for them to choose and large empires to forge such a relationship, and targeting a small Empire was actually a realistic goal.

It was clear that the previous goal of the Heavenly Demon Sect was the Kalise Empire, but the Kalise Empire was far too deep in control under the Bai Da Empire. As such, the Heavenly Demon Sect had not succeeded after several tries, leaving them still in the Bai Da Empire with an awkward status. After all, although the Heavenly Demon Sect was considered one of the Great Saint Lands, their overall power was far from comparable to the Heaven's Expanse Palace or the Heavenly Snow Mountain. It was impossible for them to directly clash with a large Empire.

A faint light flashed in the room, and Zhou Weiqing's face turned icy cold. His hands were held before his chest, his eyes narrowed and clearly filled with anger and ill intent.

Ming Yu smiled bitterly and said: "What background supreme leader? All our Heavenly Sect needs is a place to stay and place down roots. As you know, it is extremely difficult for us to even survive in the entire mainland. We do not have any intentions of controlling your Heavenly Bow Empire at all. Furthermore, even if we wanted to, your Master alone isn't someone our Heavenly Demon Sect dares to offend."

Looking at how Ming Yu was placing the Heavenly Demon Sect in such a position of weakness, Zhou Weiqing smirked coldly in his heart. Indeed, they might not have intentions currently, or rather, they were not capable of doing so… but in the future? If he allowed the Heavenly Demon Sect to enter the Heavenly Bow Empire and set up their headquarters, it could end up as a cancerous growth that might blow up in his face at anytime. When the Heavenly Demon Sect gained second wind and recovered their true strength, who was to say what they would do in future?

Looking at Zhou Weiqing's eyes, Ming Yu sighed in his heart. It looks like this negotiations will most likely be falling through. This Zhou Weiqing is just too intelligent and astute, it will be just too difficult for him to agree to such a request.

However, to Ming Yu's shock, the next moment Zhou Weiqing actually nodded towards him, even smiling as he said: "Very well, I agree to your second request as well."

Ming Yu almost thought he had heard wrongly. "What… what did you say?"

Zhou Weiqing nodded once more and said: "I said, I can agree to both terms that your Heavenly Demon Sect have come up with. Are you that surprised?"

Ming Yu did not even bother trying to hide his thoughts, nodding as he said: "Indeed, I am very surprised. With your intelligence and astute thoughts, how could you easily agree to such terms? This makes me somewhat ill-at-ease."

Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily and said: "You do not need to feel so ill at ease. I can explain my thoughts to you to assuage your curiosity. There are three reasons why I would agree in the end. Firstly, I do not have any malice or ill intentions towards the Heavenly Demon Sect, maybe because I also have the Demonic Attribute. Secondly, I do not think that the Heavenly Demon Sect will be of threat to our Heavenly Bow Empire in the future, that is because as long as we can our strength sufficiently high, there is nothing to be afraid of. Thirdly, with the Heavenly Demon Sect stationed within our borders, that will also be a great aid for us in growing stronger… perhaps more so… your existence would always be a constant whip behind us, an impetus for us to keep growing and to never slacken off."

Although Zhou Weiqing was smiling as he spoke, those words and the strong confidence behind them caused Ming Yu's heart to ripple agitatedly.

He was actually using the Heavenly Demon Sect as his own whetstone? To grind the blade of himself and his Empire?! Indeed, what Zhou Weiqing said was true, if one's strength was sufficient, why would he be afraid of the Heavenly Demon Sect? At least, currently, with the Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor by his side, he did not need to fear anything. Furthermore, in the future, who could say whether or not Zhou Weiqing would also become an existence like the Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor, or even greater?

Ming Yu stood up, actually bowing slightly towards Zhou Weiqing as he said: "I represent the several hundreds of my Heavenly Demon Sect brethren in thanking Commander Zhou's magnanimous generosity. Currently, on the surface we still aren't able to actively help you in terms of reviving your Empire. After all, even if we tried it would not be a good thing for you. However, regarding Commander Zhou's first proposal, I am highly interested. However, I would need some time to prepare to do so. When you begin your counterattack into the Heavenly Bow Empire to begin the revival of your homeland, I will definitely find a way to do so. Alright, shall we end our discussion here? I shall take my leave now."

After saying that, Ming Yu once again pulled up his cowl before heading out. Zhou Weiqing walked him to the doorway, and just as Ming Yu was about to descend the stairs, he suddenly turned around and said to Zhou Weiqing: "Remember, leave that position for me. I am looking forward to it. Hahaha."

The Fei Li God General had left, but not long after, Zhou Weiqing's room burst into dangerous excitement once more. Alas for Little Fatty, regarding his own connection with Little Witch, he had no choice but to come clean now.

…

The next morning, when Zhou Weiqing woke up, he had obvious black eyes. (Zen: I think this is referring to dark circles from lack of sleep, not getting beaten up?) With a gloomy and overcast face, he gave the order to move out from the Fei Li Empire, heading towards the original Heavenly Bow Empire territory.

At last, Zhou Weiqing led his Peerless Regiment to begin working towards the revival of his Empire.

…

At the same time, the entire Mainland was not quiet at all. Chaos had began to rear its ugly head.

To the north, the WanShou Empire had just finished with its annual border wars, and there was not much action there. However, for the rest of the Mainland, sudden unrest ensued. Amongst the most obvious was the Dan Dun Empire situated far to the south. Just as Zhou Weiqing had actually reached the Fei Li Empire previously, the Dan Dun Empire had suddenly launched an attack against its neighbour, also one of the larger Empires in the Mainland, the Geritimo Empire.

War broke out just so suddenly, so much so that by the time the ZhongTian Empire received news of it, both sides had already been embroiled in major battles. The most shocking thing for the ZhongTian Empire was that, in such a short period of time, the Geritimo Empire had already lost one third of its land!

It had to be known that although the Dan Dun Empire had always been stronger than the Geritimo Empire, it should not be to such a standard. Yet, the Geritimo Empire just hadn't been able to withstand the pressure.

Instantly, the ZhongTian Empire and the Bao Po Empire sent a joint Regiment to the Dan Dun Empire to mediate and try to stop the war. By this time, the war had already gone on for more than a month, and some of the Geritimo Empire's most fertile lands had already been conquered by the Dan Dun Empire.

According to the ZhongTian Empire's investigations, the cause of the war was because of some minor scuffles on the borders. Using this as an excuse for revenge, the Dan Dun Empire had launched an abrupt invasion. It was clear that this was actually a premeditated attack from the Dan Dun Empire, that had been planned for a long time. In such a short period of time, they had gathered a massive army of more than a million strong, charging directly into the Geritimo Empire to conquer some of the choicest bits.

In terms of geography, the Dan Dun Empire was at the absolute south of the continent, while the Geritimo Empire was more of a Central South. The two Empires shared quite a border, but to their north, there was a large patch of several smaller Empires that separated them from the ZhongTian Empire!

Chapter 573: Crescent City! (2)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

It was exactly because there were these small Empires blocking the way, added on to the fact that the Dan Dun Empire had launched its attack so suddenly and so swiftly, so much so that even though the ZhongTian Empire and the Bao Po Empire wanted to send aid, they were not in time.

As for the Northwest of the Dan Dun Empire, it actually had a shared border with the Bai Da Empire. To everyone's surprise, although the Dan Dun Empire had been fighting so violently with the Geritimo Empire, the Bai Da Empire did not react at all, remaining extremely silent, as if it had nothing to do with them.

In the end, the war finally ended under the mediation of the ZhongTian Empire, with the Dan Dun Empire withdrawing some of its forces. However, the ZhongTian Empire was after all situated very far away, and they could not really influence this area of the continent too greatly. As such, although the war finally ended with the Dan Dun Empire stopping its advance and promising to return half the conquered territories, it had successfully kept the other half of the conquered territories as its own.

In truth, actually getting the Dan Dun Empire to return the promised half was not an easy task as well. Although they had agreed to it verbally, it remained to be seen whether or not they would actually go through with it.

This casual demonstration of the Dan Dun Empire's capability in war also rang many alarm bells for the ZhongTian Empire. This strong Empire situated in the South which had always stayed out of any wars previously… it seemed like they would no longer be as quiet and restrained as they used to be. In this matter, what role did the Blood Red Hell of the Dan Dun Empire play, no one else could know for sure.

However, it was without question that the Dan Dun Empire's overall strength after this major war and invasion could only grow, far beyond the Fei Li and Bai Da Empire, and perhaps even slightly edging over the Bao Po Empire now. Although the Passion Valley was also extremely strong, in terms of overall combat powers, they were not as ferocious as the Blood Red Hell.

The Dan Dun Empire's greatest advantage was that situated far in the south, they had no other natural threat. With their backs facing the ocean, they also had one relatively protected border in that sense. Furthermore, access to the oceans provided another source of wealth if used properly. After all these years of peace, their calm and unhurried advancement allowed them to have perhaps nearly as much wealth as the ZhongTian Empire.

…

Heaven's Expanse Palace.

"What are the Dan Dun trying to do exactly?" Shangguan Tianyue's brow was furrowed deeply as he stalked back and forth in the grandhall.

Shangguan Tianyang remained seated in his main seat, his brow also furrowed as he remained deep in thought.

"Big bro, what are we going to do? To the north, there is that old tiger in the WanShou Empire, and now in the south the Dan Dun Empire is also starting to cause trouble. Should we teach them a lesson?"

Shangguan Tianyang looked at Shangguan Tianyue calmly before shaking his head, saying: "How are we going to teach them a less? Unless we make a show of force with the Heaven's Expanse Palace, it will be extremely difficult to do so. All this while, we have neglected the Dan Dun Empire too much! This time, they have shown their fangs, and only now we have seen the true strength of the Dan Dun Empire. You and I know very well how strong the Geritimo Empire is, and to be able to successfully conquer such a vast territory in such a short time, what does that prove? It can only show the Dan Dun Empire's power and combat abilities."

"All along, we have thought that the Dan Dun Empire and Geritimo Empire at the south should not pose much threat. After all, although they are able to advance and grow peacefully, it is also the lack of wars that does not allow them to have any chance to train their troops in actual battle. In terms of fighting capabilities, their soldiers should technically be far weaker than ours. However, it looks like we have greatly underestimated them, and that is truly a mistake. The combat prowess of the Dan Dun Empire is far above our original judgement. I believe that has to do with the support of the Blood Red Hell, only then can such events occur. These few years… the entire Mainland has truly not been peaceful at all! First, the destruction of the Heavenly Bow Empire, now the invasion of the Geritimo Empire. If this goes on, even if the WanShou Empire does not attack us, our Human Empires will be embroiled in chaos and internal fighting. At least, currently it seems like the Dan Dun Empire has grown to big to be effective… but even so, since most of our troops are focused on the north, and the Dan Dun Empire already has an army that numbers more than a million strong, it will be too difficult for us to move troops over to suppress them."

Shangguan Tianyue also sighed. "Indeed! It is truly too difficult for us to extend or move our forces. However, can we really just sit back and watch the Dan Dun Empire create havoc in the south?"

Shangguan Tianyue furrowed his brow once more, saying: "If it is just the Dan Dun Empire, it isn't a big deal. At the most, we both can personally move over to take some action. The worrying thing to me now is that it isn't just the Dan Dun Empire causing trouble alone. Haven't you seen something weird in the current situation? In this matter, the Bai Da Empire was just too quiet right? They are also direct neighbours to the Dan Dun Empire, and it should normally be impossible for them to not protest over such a serious incident. If… the Bai Da Empire and Dan Dun Empire have allied themselves in an effort… then … the south might truly be in trouble… Do not forget the ambitions the Bai Da Empire had shown previously with the Kalise Empire…"

Hearing Shangguan Tianyang's analysis, Shangguan Tianyue's expression also changed.

Far off in the south, if the Bai Da Empire and the Dan Dun Empire joined forces, they would literally be unbeatable in the region. If they were willing to do so, they could easily invade and crush the dozen or so smaller Empires around them, and the Geritimo Empire would not pose any threat to them. Once these two Empires continued expanding, they could possibly start posing a direct threat to the ZhongTian and Fei Li Empires. Yet, these two Empires would still need to face their main enemy, the WanShou Empire. Despite their strengths, facing such a situation where they were pincered between two groups of powerful enemies, that would truly be a dangerous situation.

Shangguan Tianyang said solemnly: "Call Third Brother over as well. We need to prepare for the worst. It looks like we will have to increase our support for that little fellow Zhou Weiqing. He can be a sharp nail for us, striking savagely into the south."

…

Fei Li Empire. South Border. The zone where the original Heavenly Bow Empire was about to begin.

From the Fei Li Empire borders, in the southwest direction slightly more than a hundred li away, there was a small city, almost a town. This small city originally belonged to the Heavenly Bow Empire, and its name was the Crescent City1. The city was not large at all, but its position was extremely good, with its back towards the Fei Li Empire, rolling hills and mountains to its right, and to its left was the largest river in the Heavenly Bow Empire which flowed through the entire Empire. As such, it was very well connected in terms of traffic, and was considered one of the more prosperous cities in the entire north of the Heavenly Bow Empire. The population of the city was about two hundred thousand families, numbering slightly more than a million citizens in total. Although their city area was not large, the population density was one of the highest in the entire Heavenly Bow Empire, behind only the capital city Heavenly Bow City, and another important city to the far west of the Heavenly Bow Empire.

Twenty Li from the Crescent City, in the depths of a forested region.

Zhou Weiqing led his Peerless Regiment soldiers, silently hiding amongst the trees as they waited. There were advantages to having a small number. Since they only had seven hundred men, all of them cavalry soldiers as well, it had not been a difficult task to sneak past the borders via the Fei Li Empire and entering the (ex) Heavenly Bow Empire without being discovered.

The Peerless Regiment soldiers were all resting on the spot. All of a sudden, a figure rode in from the distance, heading directly towards Zhou Weiqing.

"Boss! Oh, uhm, Commander, I have returned." The person was not tall, but looked shrewd and capable. He was dressed in commoner's clothing, and he ran all the way to Zhou Weiqing before he finally stopped.

"How was it? Kou Rui, what is the situation in the XianYue City?" Zhou Weiqing asked smilingly.

The one who had arrived before Zhou Weiqing was his old classmates in the Fei Li Military Academy, Kou Rui. As the Heavenly Bow Empire diplomatic party arrived in the Fei Li City, Zhou Weiqing had prematurely ended the three-year promise he had with his classmates, bringing those willing along with him. His war to revive his Empire was about to begin, and all sorts of talents were of great importance to him.

Kou Rui had always been adept at intelligence gathering, and he was a great scout. However, this was still the first time that he had actually been on an actual scouting mission that wasn't a lesson, and he couldn't help but feel extremely excited.

"Commander, I have investigated the situation in the Crescent City in full detail. I'm not sure if it is because the Kalise Empire thinks that the Fei Li Empire would never attack them, or for some other reason, the defenses in the Crescent City are far weaker than we had even expected. The garrisoned troops in the city number only three Battalions, three thousand in total. Furthermore, they usually cycle their rounds for guards, and the normal number of soldiers guarding the gates and walls would be only a thousand men. They are all the Kalise Empire soldiers."

As he said that, Kou Rui squatted down, grabbing a small twig on the ground and drawing a simple diagram of the layout of the defenses and the normal positions of the enemy soldiers.

"According to the information that I heard, the nearest camp or garrison to the Crescent City is at least a hundred li away, there is an entire Regiment of soldiers there. However, from the time for them to send news and return, the fastest possible time they can get here would be four hours. Possibly more."

Kou Rui displayed his talents as an outstanding scout, acquiting his duties with conscientious professionalism. Furthermore, he only provided the information that he had scouted out in detail, not mixing in any of his own opinions. That was not the job of a scout."

Zhou Weiqing thought for a moment, then said: "Alright, very good. Thank you. Since we have already fully verified the situation, then it is time for us to take action. Lei Zi."

"Here." The First Main Company's Company Leader Lei Zi appeared swiftly before Zhou Weiqing. The wild and intractable nature he had when he had first entered the Peerless Battalion had now vanished. It was not that he had taken too many blows, but because he truly loved the atmosphere and environment of the Peerless Regiment. Although the training was tough, their treatment was also top notch, so much so that he had never even heard of such a thing. Of course, the greatest attraction was still the Consolidating Equipment Scrolls and Stored Skills.

More importantly, towards this young Commander of theirs, Zhou Weiqing, he truly felt a strong sense of respect and heartfelt admiration. Even a nine-Jeweled stage Heavenly Jewel Master, he was still able to take him down. Lei Zi knew he would not be able to do such a thing.

In the entire Peerless Regiment, Lei Zi's power was definitely one of the top ranked. Not long ago, he had just broken through to the seven-Jeweled stage, being a Low Level Zong Stage Heavenly Jewel Master.

"Lei Zi, I want you to choose fifty of the strongest brothers with high cultivation level. Disguise yourselves to enter the Crescent City. When we launch our attack from outside, your mission is to lead these brothers to open the city gate."

"Understood!" Lei Zi was overjoyed. Such an auspicious 2 job, he was more than happy to do so. It was after all just a small city, and with the opponents likely being only three thousand ordinary soldiers, most likely without even any Jewel Masters… as a Low Level Zong Stage Heavenly Jewel Master, he was confident of completing this mission even alone, let alone with fifty of his strongest brothers.

Zhou Weiqing glared at him and said: "Do not be too complacent. This is an extremely important fight, and we cannot afford to make any mistakes. Not only do I want you to open the gates, I want you to ensure that all fifty one of you are unharmed. Otherwise, you can wait to be punished by the military code. If your mission is completed well, once we occupy the city, any gold we gain from the three thousand soldiers, the bunch of you can get five percent."

Lei Zi grinned and said: "Heh heh, Boss, do not worry. We are all tough ones who treasure our lives so much, with these trash from the Kalise Empire, are they even capable of injuring us?"

Lei Zi headed off to prepare, and Tian'er moved beside Zhou Weiqing with interest. "Little Fatty, how are you planning to invade this city later?"

Zhou Weiqing smiled faintly, looking composed and confident as if he had an ace up his sleeve. "This commander naturally has my own brilliant schemes."

One hour later, when the Peerless Regiment warriors were starting to move out, Tian'er stared at Zhou Weiqing with her jaw agape as she listened to him give the order. "This is your so-called brilliant scheme?…"

The order that Zhou Weiqing had given was unbelievably simple. Two words. "Charge!"3

Zhou Weiqing grinned and said: "Silly girl, sometimes people over-complicate things… it is exactly when they start thinking too much that things become complicated."

Chapter 574: Crescent City! (3)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

"In truth, to invade such a small city who are not even prepared for us, do we really need any strategy? Let me ask you… can their arrows penetrate our defenses? It is most likely a resounding no. Furthermore, the city gates will soon be open from within… besides charging as fast as we can, what else can we do?"

Under Zhou Weiqing's command, the Peerless Regiment soldiers entered their formation. The Gold Crow and Berserker Tribe Heavy Cavalry soldiers were in front, and the four hundred and fifty Peerless Cavalry behind. Zhou Weiqing and the classmates that he had brought from the Fei Li City remained behind the main troop. For this particular fight, they would not even be needed to join in. Zhou Weiqing wanted to let them familiarize themselves with how the Peerless Regiment soldiers fought, at the same time displaying to them the sheer power of their Peerless Regiment.

…

Crescent City. City Walls.

A group of patrolling soldiers strolled about lazily on the city walls. Technically, they were supposed to be on shift for eight hours before the guard would change, but in truth, it was already considered very good when there were three or four Companies in total on guard1. Most of the Kalise soldiers were complacently resting in their barracks.

The Crescent City was a prosperous city with good positioning, and thus there were many visitors, especially traveling merchants, and it was without doubt that income was good. Taxes aside, which had to be sent back to the Kalise Empire, just the soldiers charging for entrance fee was already a rather large sum of gold and income for them.

"Eh? Did you all hear something?" One of the soldiers with sharper ears suddenly asked.

"I think so as well, rolling sounds of thunder… is it going to rain?" Another soldier said, even looking up into the skies. However, it was currently mid afternoon, and the skies were clear, bright and sunny with not even a cloud in sight. The weather was definitely good… what rain was there?"

The Kalise soldiers were all puzzled, as the sound of rolling thunder grew more and more obvious.

All of a sudden, one of the soldiers' expression changed. "Could it be… cavalry soldiers?!"

As he spoke those words, in the distance, a brilliant glint of reflected sunlight flashed into their eyes.

It was the titanium mail of the Peerless Regiment Cavalry soldiers, reflecting light as they charged! More so, the two hundred Heavy Cavalry soldiers right in front were like majestic beasts charging forth.

The speed of the Unicorn Heavenly Beasts were far superior than any ordinary warhorses, even if they were carrying the thousand jin Gold Crow and Berserker Tribe warriors.

"Enemies…! We are under attack!!" Screams and shouts began to rang out from the city walls, and the alarms soon began to ring as well.

For a time, chaos reigned upon the city walls. Ever since they had invaded and conquered the Heavenly Bow Empire, these Kalise soldiers had enjoyed peace and quiet in the Crescent City for too long. This sudden surprise attack from these unknown cavalry soldiers caused them to fall into a panic, the city walls thrown into confusion.

One of the Company Leaders was relatively calm. "Do not panic, hurry up, remember your training! Prepare the ballista, archers get into position! Hurry, hurry! You there, get the brothers below to shut the city gates immediately!"

Just as he was shouting out a flurry of commands, all of a sudden, a soldier beside him stared wildly into the skies, point as he yelled: "Wha… What is that?!"

A few dozen figures had somehow floated in the skies. They had wings behind their backs, and in that instant, a shower of death rained down from the skies.

In just a single salvo of arrows, all the soldiers around the eight ballista lined up along the city walls fell down. Some of the Kalise Empire soldiers with quicker reactions raised their bows returned fire.

Alas, shooting arrows down from a vantage position was different from firing it upwards at such a distance. Let alone with most of their range was insufficient to reach the flying figures, even if their arrows could reach them, how could they possibly break through the titanium mail of the Peerless Regiment soldiers?

For the sake of stability and safety, to prevent the ballista from causing any potential problems, Zhou Weiqing had specially arranged for another fifty Peerless Regiment soldiers to fly into the air to give the soldiers on the city wall a heavy blow. Furthermore, it would also be a good distraction for Lei Zi's force inside.

Almost at the exact same time, the city gates below was also in a mess. At this moment, Lei Zi was leading his fifty Peerless Regiment soldiers, clearing away the Kalise Empire soldiers guarding it like they were cutting melons and cabbages2. Fifty Jewel Masters, what kind of notion was that? That was already the sum of the Heavenly Bow Empire's total number of Jewel Masters in the past! Towards ordinary soldiers, it was akin to wasting talents on trivial tasks, with not the least bit of suspense at all towards the completion of the task.

Zhou Weiqing's voice suddenly rang out in all the Peerless Regiment soldiers' ears. "All of you better listen carefully. Once we enter the city, besides the Kalise soldiers, you are not to kill anyone or rob anyone. Otherwise, you will be strictly dealt with in our military code. It is not that Your Father, I, am unreasonable, but this is my homeland. Once we revive my homeland, and it is time to counterattack and invade the Kalise Empire, or even the Bai Da Empire, there will be chance for you to loot and plunder all you wish. Now, charge with all your might! Those who attempt to stop you, slaughter them all!"

Suppression from the air, control of the city gates… In the end, the Peerless Regiment soldiers' charge did not meet with much resistance at all. The arrows from the few Kalise archers who actually managed to shoot at them were just like a mere joke, so much so that the Heavy Cavalry soldiers in front did not even bother swinging their weapons at the arrows, allowing the arrows to bounce off their armour.

By the time the garrisoned troops in the Crescent City had begun to react, the Peerless Regiment had already charged into through the open city gates. What followed next was just a pure one-sided slaughterfest.

Towards these Kalise Empire soldiers who were occupying his homeland, Zhou Weiqing did not hold any thoughts of being lenient. If one came, he would kill one. If two arrived, he would slay the pair.

Even the powerful WanShou Empire armies and their terrifying combat prowess had failed against the Peerless Regiment, let alone these ordinary soldiers from the Kalise Empire. Within a short period of a mere hour, more than a thousand of the garrisoned Kalise Empire soldiers had died, with the remaining surrendered.

For Kou Rui, Yan Zhexi, these classmates that had followed Zhou Weiqing from the Fei Li Military Academy, they were all staring at the sight before them with their mouths agape, totally dumbfounded. This battle had totally overturned the military knowledge they had learned in the past few years!

Just like Zhou Weiqing had told Tian'er, this was a battle which needed no strategy. Simple, direct, a headon clash. Yet, the result was a complete victory, perhaps 'crushing' victory would even be more apt. As the saying goes, what you hear may be false, but what you see is true… Zhou Weiqing had used actions to prove to them that following this big bro was definitely a right choice.

After taking care of all the defending troops, Zhou Weiqing immediately issued a series of fresh commands. "Close all the city gates, and I want fifty men each stationed on all four walls. Do not let anyone leave the city at all. Lei Zi, lead a squad of brothers to the Governor's Abode. Bring all the officials of the Crescent City to see me. All of you, when you are acting on these orders, shout out this slogan as you do so. As loud as you can. 'Princess Difuya has returned, along with the Heavenly Bow Empire's Peerless Regiment to revive our homeland! Heavenly Bow has returned!'"

Previously, even when he had first set up the Peerless Battalion, Zhou Weiqing had already started to prepare for the future, of possible avenues of attacks for reviving the Heavenly Bow Empire. Indeed, though the Heavenly Bow Empire was considered small, they still had quite a number of cities. This Crescent City had been specially chosen by Zhou Weiqing to be his first target. Of course, the caveat for that was that he needed to gain the support of the Fei Li Empire first. In this way, the Crescent City would have the Fei Li Empire to its back, and supply lines ensured, leaving it a good place to be a primary base.

Although the Peerless Regiment was extremely powerful and seemingly glorious all around, they definitely had their own weak points as well. The most glaring one was that they did not have their own logistics and supply team. In the ZhongTian Empire's Northwest Army camp, that point was an issue as they had the full support of the Northwest Army. However, now that it was a full campaign to revive the Heavenly Bow Empire on their own, it was not possible to hope that the ZhongTian Empire would continue to send them supplies, and they could only depend on themselves. Everything else aside, even having their daily meals would be a problem.

As such, Zhou Weiqing's first plan was to set up a stable base and foundation for them to take care of any supplies and logistic issues. At the same time, it would serve to begin announcing themselves to the Heavenly Bow Empire borders, to recruit the warriors and fighters of the Heavenly Bow Empire who were scattered throughout. Gradually, as their foundation stabilized and they grew, they could continue with further plans and follow-up actions.

As for the orders he had just issued, it could be said to be rather simple but ingenious. Firstly, not allowing anyone to leave the city would delay the arrival of any enemy troops. As for the slogan he had his men yell out, it was naturally to calm the populace down, and to sow the seeds of his recruitment plans. After all, he currently only had seven hundred men, and if he had to use them to maintain law and order, it was rather insufficient for an entire city. He couldn't possibly use the Gold Crow and Berserker Tribe members as a policing force either, their size and stature would give most ordinary people a scare. As such, shouting out such a slogan was a relatively effective method. In the first place, the Kalise Empire's occupation of the Heavenly Bow Empire was not that long yet, and the Heavenly Bow Empire had always treated its citizens well. Zhou Weiqing believed that the overall sentiment of the people would still be slightly inclined towards the Heavenly Bow Empire.

Breaching and occupying a single city could be said to be very simple for the current Peerless Regiment soldiers. However, the continued control and maintenance of said city was a very different matter, especially to use it as a stable base; that was truly not an easy task. However, Zhou Weiqing was not in a rush at all. All he needed to do with his seven hundred men was to fortify their defenses and spread the news that Princess Difuya had returned together with him, leading a strong army to revive the Heavenly Bow Empire. At the same time, he would have to establish supply lines with the Fei Li Empire. Once all of that was arranged, only then could he begin the actual fighting to revive their homeland.

With the city coming under attack so suddenly, citizens would usually learn of such news later. Most of them only realised the Crescent City had been under attack when they heard the shouts of the slogan.

Princess Difuya of the Heavenly Bow Empire had returned with an army? They were looking to revive the Empire? Very quickly, the news spread in a short time over the entire Crescent City.

The effect was even better than Zhou Weiqing had expected. Before long, the entire city had calmed down, and there were no disturbances at all. However, the traffic in the city had almost disappeared, all the houses with closed doors and sealed windows, as if afraid that they might be caught up any fighting or battles.

With Zhou Weiqing's strict orders in mind, the Peerless Regiment soldiers only guarded the city gates and walls, and did not violate any of the people's interests. Of course, the exception were the three thousand Kalise Empire soldiers. Besides their arms and weaponry, all of their gold was also seized. Zhou Weiqing did not keep anything, splitting everything between his men.

The Peerless Regiment had after all come from the Ruffian Battalions, and though their loyalty to him was already extremely high, and he no longer needed to use wealth as a binding tool, he did not remove any good treatments to them.

Very soon, the Governor of the Crescent City and the other officials were brought in front of Zhou Weiqing. After some questioning, Zhou Weiqing quickly understood the current status and situation that the Crescent City was in, and he ordered for these officials to be kept under guard for now. At the same time, he got some official notices to be made and posted throughout the city.

The notices were very simple, listing all the officials of the Crescent City. He had men stationed at the notices, allowing the citizens to make reports on how good or bad these officials were. At the end, he could use that information to decide who he could continue using, or if any were traitors or did too many ill deeds, he would kill them. It was as simple as that.

In terms of governing and maintaining a city, Zhou Weiqing did not know anything about doing so. However, many of the current officials in the were not from the Kalise Empire, and many of the middle to lower officials were originally from the Heavenly Bow Empire. As such, he would only need to remove some of the Kalise officers in the upper echelons, as well as weeding out some of the other rotten ones. What Zhou Weiqing needed was for the entire city to resume its usual operations perfectly, and not just a simple occupation. At the same time, he also sent news that under their new command, the taxes in the entire city would be waived for a year.

Chapter 575: Peerless Heavy Cavalry! (1)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

From the Crescent City officials, Zhou Weiqing had learned that when the Kalise Empire had occupied the Heavenly Bow Empire, they had greatly increased the tax rates. All the commoners and merchants were extremely angry about it, but under military suppression, they dared not even protest. This was also the reason why the entire city had been relative quiet even after learning about the Heavenly Bow Empire's counterattack and reoccupation.

As Zhou Weiqing's orders came into play one after the other, the citizens of the Crescent City slowly calmed down and they finally dared to come out of their houses. Without question, the Peerless Regiment soldiers had given them a very good impression in these past days.

By the time the Kalise Empire received news about the Crescent City, it was already three days since the attack. In this three days, although Zhou Weiqing couldn't say that he had already gained full control over the city, at least it was tentatively back in working order. Of course, that was still only within the city. For now at least, he still kept the gates sealed, not allowing anyone to leave.

The governor's mansion had now become Zhou Weiqing's temporary headquarters. As for Princess Difuya, Zhou Weiqing left Xiao Yan to take care of her. As long as she did not interfere in his matters, he did not need to bother with her.

"Commander, our scouts have spotted an entire Regiment of Kalise Empire forces camped about thirty kilometres from our Crescent City. They might attack us at anytime." Kou Rui brought in the latest news.

Zhou Weiqing nodded and said: "Roger. Thank you. Kou Rui, bring a few brothers to detour around and scout them carefully. I want you to see the surrounding areas as well. Take care to check if they have really only sent a single Regiment."

Kou Rui nodded as he received the orders, leaving to execute them.

Currently, in the main hall that they were using as an administrative assembly room, besides Zhou Weiqing, Shangguan Xue'er, Tian'er, Lin TianAo, Lei Zi, Crow and Ma Qun were all there, as well as Yan Zhexi and the other elite classmates of Zhou Weiqing's class. At this moment, Yan Zhexi had assumed temporary leadership of the class of military students.

Zhou Weiqing's gaze turned to Yan Zhexi and he said: "Zhexi, what do you think about the current situation?"

Yan Zhexi said: "From the current situation, I believe that the Kalise Empire has only sent that single Regiment. After all, the Bai Da Empire aside, the Kalise Empire only has a total army strength of ten Regiments. Furthermore, they would be separated to the various parts of the Empire, as well as their own homeland. This time, our attack must have come as a great surprise to them, and we have managed to seal any news of the attack. They should not know our current numbers or strength. I believe that we currently do not need to worry about any of their reinforcements for now. What we need to do now is to entrench ourselves and fortify our position, to defend it until the Fei Li Empire can send their logistic troops with supplies."

Pausing for a moment, he continued: "However, this is only a short term solution. Commander, should we begin recruiting troops? Although our army is extremely powerful, we only number seven hundred in total. If more enemies come, and that is an eventual outcome, they can attack us from all directions. Once our forces are split up, it will be extremely difficult for us to withstand a sustained attack. I propose that we begin recruiting soldiers, and with the core of the Peerless Regiment soldiers leading some new recruits on each wall, we will be able to put up a proper full defense."

Hearing Yan Zhexi's analysis which was reasonable, clear and logical, Zhou Weiqing nodded in satisfaction as he said: "Your suggestion is not bad. However, the current hearts and minds of the people are still not stabilized, and it is not a suitable time to begin recruitment yet. In terms of military command, I am no match for you all, but do keep in mind that in the long run, the hearts and minds of the citizens is the most important. To put it simply, if you are currently just a normal citizen, and your city has just been invaded by a group of soldiers. Even if these soldiers were once belonging to the city, before you can ascertain their strength, whether or not they have a future, whether or not they can provide you with safety, to protect your city… would you actually be willing to join up with them? When the enemy comes to attack, that will be the time for us to prove ourselves and start building the Crescent City citizen's confidence in us."

Hearing Zhou Weiqing's words, Yan Zhexi nodded slowly, as if deep in thought. At last, he asked: "In that case, Commander, what should we do?" In terms of military studies, even ten Zhou Weiqing's could not compare with him. However, he had never been on an actual battlefield, and he definitely needed actual combat experience, to marry his theoretical knowledge along with experience to have a truly comprehensive understanding and mastery of military matters.

Zhou Weiqing said confidently, as if he had already thought everything through: "Lei Zi, get some men to invite two hundred citizens as representatives. If you are not able to get enough volunteers, grab and 'persuade' them to do so. However, I do not want you to injure anyone. I want these two hundred citizens to be able to watch our incoming battle from a good vantage point of the city walls, so try to make sure that there are representatives from all walks of life, hopefully every trade and industry as well. Crow, Ma Qun, this is time for you to shine. If I were to get you two to lead your two hundred Tribesmen to charge and defeat an entire enemy Regiment, do you all dare to do so? Would you have confidence in victory?"

Ma Qun laughed heartily and said: "Boss, in that case, does that mean that if we achieve victory, we will be able to gain a larger percentage of loot?"

Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily as well, saying: "of course, you all will get forty percent of it all, with the rest split amongst the other five hundred brothers. I want you to achieve a resounding and beautiful victory, to charge and show the might of our Peerless Regiment. More importantly, I want the morale of our people! As for how you two wish to conduct the battle, I'll leave it to you two to command. However, do remember not to charge into their camp, in case of any traps or unforeseen ambushes. At the same time, make sure you all do not overextend and leave energy to return safely."

"For the retreat, I will have our top archers to cover you. This fight, I want to build our reputation and prestige, not only to boost our morale, reputation amongst the citizens, but also to crush the enemy's morale."

Ma Qun thumped his chest confidently. "Boss, leave it to us. Ever since our Peerless Heavy Cavalry has been set up, we have never met a fight too tough for us. Isn't it just a Regiment? We might not be able to slaughter them all, but to charge in and out seven times1 is not a big deal."

Zhou Weiqing nodded and said: "Very good, you two go and prepare then."

Ma Qun and Crow strode out in large steps, and Zhou Weiqing smiled faintly as he looked at the others, saying: "Come on then, brothers, follow me to the top of the city walls."

Yan Zhexi could not hold back, saying: "Commander, are you really asking Ma Qun and Crow to lead two hundred out of the city to attack the enemies? They have an entire Regiment!"

Zhou Weiqing laughed and said: "No matter how many ants there are, they can never kill an elephant with their bites2. Although the current strength of our Peerless Regiment is not actually a full formation of a normal Regiment, these trash from the Kalise Empire I do not really take into account. Just wait and see, this time, you will truly witness the real strength of the Peerless Heavy Cavalry. I want the Kalise Empire to truly fear our Peerless Regiment, to tremble from just the sound of our names."

The last sentence, Zhou Weiqing said grimly with great resolution. He truly hated the Kalise Empire men for invading his homeland, forcing his father to use such a desperate skill that would harm himself. As his own cultivation level grew, Zhou Weiqing began to understand the price his father would have to pay to use such a Sealing Skill. Perhaps, in the future, Zhou Weiqing might be able to remove the Seal, but as the user of the Darkness Consolidated Fate Denying Seal… even Long Shiya did not have the confidence to keep Admiral Zhou alive.

This was also an important reason why Zhou Weiqing wanted to keep close ties with the Heavenly Demon Sect. All other reasons aside, he knew that the core of the Heavenly Demon Sect had the Life Attribute. Tian'er's Divine Attribute and Long Shiya's power could perhaps have a chance to keep his father alive, but if he truly wanted to help him recover, he would definitely need the support and aid of the Life Attribute. Even if it were just this reason alone, Zhou Weiqing would definitely keep good terms with the Heavenly Demon Sect. Of course, for negotiation's sake, he would not reveal this fact to them too early.

After all, Zhou Weiqing had never been an ambitious person. One could even say that his character was rather lazy. For him to have his current achievements, a lot of it was forced out of him through all sorts of different pressures and strresses. Especially the fall of the Heavenly Bow Empire and his parents and godfather's loss, that was a massive influence on him.

Lei Zi's working efficiency was high, and since Zhou Weiqing had allowed him to use more 'persuasive' forceful means, he had sent all five hundred of his Peerless Regiment First Main Company out to do as ordered. In just a short period of time, they had succeeded beyond even his requirements. Just a short while after Zhou Weiqing and the others had ascended the city walls, at least three to four hundred citizens had been grabbed up onto the wall as well.

"Boss, mission accomplished." Lei Zi grinned as he sidled closer to Zhou Weiqing.

Zhou Weiqing glanced at him and said: "This is far more than two hundred eh? Well, get all the brothers up on the walls. I want each one to personally be in charge of a single citizen. Ensure that they open their eyes wide and watch everything that happens outside the city walls. Tell them who our Peerless Regiment fellows are. At the same time, be prepared to receive Ma Qun and the others when they return."

Lei Zi said in a slightly upset tone: "Boss, why don't you let us go! It's just a mere Regiment, it wouldn't be a problem for us five hundred as well! Just kiting them alone, we are confident of killing them all."

Zhou Weiqing said: "The art of kiting takes a lot of skill, but for ordinary citizens, the visual impact and shock of it will not be as impressive. Furthermore, if anything amiss occurs, do you think the Heavy Cavalry and their speed will able to support you in time? On the contrary, you all will be able to support them if anything comes up. Alright, enough. Follow your orders."

"Yes sir."

Yan Zhexi had followed Zhou Weiqing all the way and was standing by his side. Looking at the enemies in the distance, he muttered: "Commander, if we truly have sufficient power to take these enemies on directly, it is a good way to prevent them from surrounding us and causing us trouble by splitting our forces."

Zhou Weiqing laughed heartily and said: "Indeed, that is also my goal. Well, once our main forces arrive, we will also be relieved of such an awkward position. Oh by the way, how goes the recruitment of temporary army cooks and other logistical positions?"

Yan Zhexi said: "Basically we have gathered enough army cooks. The Heavenly Bow Empire does indeed hold the hearts of the populace. Although many still maintain a suspicious attitude, but there are those who already accept us and are willing to give us help in our fight against the Kalise Empire. In fact, there are already some who wish to join up in the army, which is the reason why I was asking about actual recruitment."

Zhou Weiqing nodded and said: "Good, but there is no rush for recruitment yet. Let's wait until everything is stabilized before we discuss it. I want every single citizen of the Crescent City to know that not only is the Heavenly Bow Empire back, we also have a powerful army that can crush the Kalise Empire. When they have true confidence in us, full acceptance of us, that will be a cohesive unity that will reforge the entire Crescent City. In truth, our return is already a lot earlier than all my previous expectations, so I am not too worried or urgent. Taking things a step at a time is the best method currently.

Before long, all the preparations had been made. The five hundred archers of the Peerless Regiment First Main Company stood in a row along the wall. The citizens which had been brought up stood along with them, not knowing why they were here. All of them stood there with mixed emotions, many trembling in fear as they looked at the warriors in gleaming mail armour beside them.

"Send orders to Ma Qun and Crow, set up formation outside the city!"

The city gates opened, and the two hundred Heavy Cavalry soldiers rode out. For a small city like the Crescent City, there was no moat, and naturally there was no need for any drawbridge. The citizens on top of the wall saw the massive bodies appearing outside the city, and they couldn't help but stare dazedly. In the distance, the Kalise Empire soldiers also saw the movement. Those warriors in heavy armor was just too huge and robust looking, and standing together they seemed like a wall of metal… and their warhorses… why did they have wings!? Those mounts were so huge, and they also had their own armour… Were they Heavy Cavalry? But… that didn't seem exactly right…?

Right at that moment, Zhou Weiqing's voice rang out across the entire city wall, loud and clear.

Chapter 576: Peerless Heavy Cavalry! (2)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

"My dear brethren of the Crescent City, I apologize if any of my soldiers were rude or rough when they were inviting you up to the walls. The reason I have invited all of you here is to witness a victory that belongs to us all, a victory that belongs to our Heavenly Bow Empire"

"First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Zhou Weiqing. Perhaps most, if not all, of you will not be familiar with my name. However, I am sure all of you know another name… the Admiral Zhou of our Heavenly Bow Empire… who is my Father. In order to protect the rest of the Royal Family, my old man used his strongest self-sacrificial Sealing abilities to Seal the entire Palace."

"Now, Princess Difuya has returned, and I have also returned by her side as her General. These Kalise bastards have invaded our homeland, and only blood can wash away that disgrace and humiliation. I am sure you fellow brethren will have some worries about our power, and as the saying goes, it is best to see for yourselves. Currently, beyond our walls, you all can see that the Kalise Empire has sent a full Regiment of soldiers to attack our Crescent City once more. Now, we will use our actions and absolute power to let you know that… our Heavenly Bow Empire is back. We will definitely revive our homeland once more! Our previous official notices have already been posted, and taxes will be waived for a year. This… right here… shall be the beginnings of our Empire's revival. Today, not long from now, the Crescent City's name will be inscribed in the history books, and you will soon be proud to be the citizens of this city!"

With his Heavenly Energy voice transference, Zhou Weiqing's voice clearly transmitted to every single one of the citizens' ears. When he said that he was Admiral Zhou's son, the original frightened citizens clearly calmed down. In the entire Empire, Admiral Zhou could be said to be one of the most famous… everyone knew him to be the previous great guardian of the previous Heavenly Bow Empire, and he had fought off the Kalise Empire for decades. The reputation of Admiral Zhou was extremely high and well respected amongst all the citizens, and at least now, in their eyes, there was less fear and some hope rekindled.

"Ma Qun, Crow, move out." As he said that, Zhou Weiqing's foot tapped lightly on the ground, launching him off the city walls. As the citizens cried out in surprise, he abruptly entered the Dragon-Tiger Transformation state, the massive pair of wings spreading out behind his back, keeping him aloft in midair.

This would be their first real fight since their return. As the commander, how could Zhou Weiqing stay out of this one? With a few flaps of his wings, he appeared right above the two hundred Heavy Cavalry. Under Ma Qun and Crow's command, the two hundred Heavy Cavalry soldiers formed another snake like formation, moving out slowly as they bore down towards the Kalise Empire army lines.

Kalise Empire Sixth Regiment. Temporary Headquarters.

"Have you all managed to check who these people are who attacked the Crescent City?" The Kalise Empire Sixth Regiment Commander Zeng Jian said with a gloomy and overcast expression on his face.

"Regiment Commander Sir, from the looks of the flag on the city walls, it looks to be those conquered fools from the Heavenly Bow Empire."

"They managed to seal the city gates in time, and none of the garrisoned soldiers guarding the city managed to escape. As such, we currently do not know their actual numbers. If not for the fact that some of our men who were supposed to return from the Crescent City did not come back, we might not have gotten the news of the Crescent City being attacked and occupied until much later."

"Trash. What a bunch of trash! Just a mere Crescent City and they weren't able to defend it." Zeng Jian said angrily as he slammed his palm on the table. As the Commander of the Kalise Empire Sixth Regiment, he had naturally been part of the original invasion of the Heavenly Bow Empire. In the Kalise Empire, he had a nickname of 'Fox', and was a cunning presence on the battlefield. On the surface, he might seem like he was in a rage, but in truth, when he heard his scouts' reports, he had secretly heaved a sigh of relief. The thing he was most afraid of was actually that the attacking force was from the Fei Li Empire. After all, this was still very close to the Fei Li Empire borders. He did not think just the mere force of a single Regiment was enough to face off against the Fei Li Empire.

Before they had rushed here to the Crescent City, Zeng Jian had already dispatched a large number of scouts all around the Fei Li Empire border. It was exactly because of his worry that the Fei Li Empire had invaded them in force that he dared not directly launch a counterattack against the Crescent City. However, from the current looks of things, the Fei Li Empire border was extremely quiet, with not a sign of any military activity. If it was just a group of Heavenly Bow Empire survivors who had seized a chance to launch a surprise attack, even if they had succeeded once, he was not worried at all. In fact, during the period which the Kalise Empire had occupied the Heavenly Bow Empire, such a situation had already happened a few times, though perhaps not to such a degree. Even so, it was just a matter of surrounding and destroying them, and it would even reap him some military achievements.

"Report." A scout ran in front outside, kneeling down on a single knee.

"Yes, speak." Zeng Jian said coldly.

"Regiment Commander, the Crescent City seems to have some movement. Two Companies of Heavy Cavalry soldiers have moved out from the city and are headed towards our camp. Currently, we are not sure what their goal is."

Even the scout did not think that their opponent would send a mere two hundred soldiers against them. Wasn't that tantamount to suicide?

"Heavy Cavalry soldiers?" Zeng Jian started momentarily, a hint of nervousness on his face. Naturally, heavy cavalry soldiers were beyond any ordinary soldiers, usually elites who had been chosen and formed with piles of gold.

"What designation do they hold? Are they from the Fei Li Empire?" Zeng Jian asked with slight tension.

"No Sir, the designation they display seems to be that of the old Heavenly Bow Empire." The reply came.

Zeng Jian gave a cold smirk and said: "Very good, it's good that they aren't from the Fei Li Empire. In that case, it seems like these two hundred soldiers are here to negotiate? Fools! Would their Father, I, actually be willing to negotiate? No matter what, let's 'eat up' these two hundred heavy cavalry soldiers before we do anything else. Heh heh heh, two hundred sets of heavy cavalry equipment… heh heh." Pausing a while, he continued: "Send my orders, I want four of our strongest Heavy Cavalry Companies to move out against them, with light cavalry Companies flanking the sides as support. I want to annihilate all two hundred of those enemies with a crushing victory. Move, let us hold the fort on the side and watch."

As he gave the order, Zeng Jian led the group of Sixth Regiment officers as they left their temporary headquarter tent.

The Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers did not advance quickly. Firstly, it was to conserve energy so that they could burst forth with power later, and also to hide the capabilities of their mounts. As they grew closer to the enemy camp, Zhou Weiqing was still floating above them in midair. His heart felt like it was aflame, burning with righteous rage. It was these Kalise Empire bastards who had invaded his homeland, and it was time for them to pay in blood.

Right at that moment, the gates of the Kalise Camp opened wide, and a large number of soldiers charged out. The first out of the gate were four Heavy Cavalry Companies, totally four hundred soldiers. Right after them came an entire Battalion of light cavalry soldiers, charging swiftly to catch up with their compatriots in a flanking maneuver, as the entire group bore down upon Zhou Weiqing and his two hundred men.

For a small Empire like the Kalise Empire, for a Regiment Formation to have four Heavy Cavalry Companies was already considered very good. It could be said that Zeng Jian had dispatched the strongest of his core elite soldiers directly, with the goal of minimizing losses. As for Zeng Jian himself, he led two thousand ordinary infantry soldiers and four Companies of Heavy Infantry soldiers numbering four hundred, advancing behind the cavalry party as a backup support to hold the lines.

"Commander, things do not seem right! Look, the opposing Heavy Cavalry soldiers seem to look very different." All of a sudden, Zeng Jian's Vice Commander at his side said to him quietly.

Since the Vice Commander had already noticed it, Zeng Jian had also seen it for himself. After all, he was an old hand on the battlefield, and as the Peerless Heavy Cavalry entered his view, he couldn't help but draw a deep cold breath.

On the battlefield, there were just some things that were afraid of being compared and contrasted. Both sides were Heavy Cavalry soldiers, but just from outward appearance alone, the four hundred Heavy Cavalry soldiers on the Kalise side paled in comparison to the Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers!

The simplest comparison would just be in terms of their height. Though both were Heavy Cavalry soldiers, the mounted Kalise Empire soldiers barely came up to their enemies' chest. It had to be known that these were the strongest elite forces of the Kalise Empire armies, and they were specially chosen for stature and strength. Seeing those Peerless Regiment warriors mounted upon Unicorn Heavenly Beasts, looking like demonic warriors or gods, Zeng Jian's expression changed. Where had these monsters come from? He had never even heard of such a force, not even from the Fei Li Empire! These fellows were at least two metres tall? More so, their armour looked to be just too heavy… what kind of weight was that?!

Next, Zeng Jian saw Zhou Weiqing flying in the air above the two hundred enemy soldiers. In this regard, he actually did not pay too much attention. Although Consolidated Wings were not common, but he had at least heard of them. After all, any Physical Jewel Masters who found the right Consolidating Equipment Scrolls could have them for themselves, and they were not too high quality. However, the reason why they were so rare was because despite their capabilities of flight, they had no other use. Furthermore, they took up two 'slots' or two entire Jewels worth of Equipment. Most Physical Jewel Masters, given the choice, would not choose these as their Consolidated Equipment. As a result, he did not place much importance on Zhou Weiqing at all.

"Archer Battalion, follow the Heavy Cavalry out. Focus on that fellow in the skies first, then I want you to cover our Heavy Cavalry." Zeng Jian immediately gave the order. Although the enemies only numbered two hundred, he no longer felt the earlier casual ease, instead feeling an intense pressure now.

In midair, Zhou Weiqing had the clearest picture of the entire battlefield. The Six Ultimate Godly Light Formation appeared below his feet, and at the same time he summoned his Overlord Bow.

"Kill." A simple word, but it was the order that Zhou Weiqing gave now. Instantly, the slow advance of the Peerless Heavy Cavalry turned into a full speed charge. Two hundred men, one line, careened towards the enemy troops.

When a troop of Heavy Cavalry soldiers charged down upon their enemies on flat plains, besides enemies of the same level, ordinary soldiers would not be able to stop them. Seeing the Peerless Heavy Cavalry begin their charge, the Kalise Sixth Regiment's four Heavy Cavalry Companies dared not lag behind. If they just waited there and allowed their enemies to charge, the difference in speed strength and momentum would cause them to be at an even greater disadvantage. As such, when one side charged, they also instantly started their own charge.

Both sides were charging, but the difference was just too obvious. Although the Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers only numbered two hundred, they were in a single file formation, and thus their formation line was extremely long. In terms of aura and pressure, they suppressed their opponents. The Unicorn Heavenly Beasts' speeds also far surpassed the ordinary warhorses that their opponents were mounted on, and at last they showed their true speed. Even from the distant Crescent City, it looked like this two hundred versus four hundred was like a group of adults bullying a larger group of kids.

Of course, the Kalise Empire Sixth Regiment had not only sent out their Heavy Cavalry soldiers. The Battalion of light cavalry soldiers did not stay inactive, swiftly encircling around to the flanks and back of the Peerless Heavy Cavalry, fully surrounding them in preparation for an all-out attack when their Heavy Cavalry engaged. Their speed was much faster and they quickly got into position with their lances at the ready.

"Hahaha, Come on!!" Ma Qun yelled in excitement. He didn't even use his Consolidated Equipment Assembly Shield Set, as in a mass battle like this, it wasn't fully suitable. Led by him, the Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers' all lifted their weapons.

This time, there was no cloth covering those massive and deadly looking weaponry. As soon as the weapons were lifted up, the opposing Kalise Empire Heavy Cavalry soldiers suddenly seemed to slow their charge slightly.

Chapter 577: Peerless Heavy Cavalry! (3)

Translator: Zen Translations Editor: Zen Translations

Heavens! What on earth were they holding in their hands! Were those weapons even logical? Wasn't the standard weaponry of Heavy Cavalry soldiers the long lance? What… what are they carrying in their hands?! Oh my mother! Are those huge spiked maces? Are they fully solid? How heavy would that actually be?!

The Berserker Tribe soldiers were indeed all carrying an extra-large spiked mace. That novel weapon was even heavier than Crow's Legendary Axes. Of course, the Gold Crow Tribes had their heavy battle axes in hand as well.

Both sides had not even clashed, and in terms of aura and presence, the Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers had already fully suppressed their enemies.

Almost in the next instant, the Heavy Cavalry soldiers of both sides smashed savagely into each other.

Crow and Ma Qun were right in the front of their respective troops, and naturally they were the first to slam into their foes. A terrifying sight ensued immediately.

Ma Quns twin huge spiked maces moved simply, but directly. Sweeping in front of him, he totally ignored the heavy lances that the two Kalise Empire Heavy Cavalry soldiers had pointed at him.

In the entire Boundless Mainland, all Heavy Cavalry soldiers were normally outfitted with heavy lances as their weapons. For the Kalise Empire soldiers, their heavy lances were almost four metres long, as thick as a normal human's arm. Only the strongest elite could be chosen to become Heavy Cavalry soldiers, because only they were able to hold these lances while charging. When charging, the weight and momentum of such a weapon, along with their strength, this was the reason why Heavy Cavalry soldiers had such destructive powers that no other type of soldiers could compare to.

Such a pity that the current enemy they were facing were also Heavy Cavalry soldiers… the Peerless Heavy Cavalry! The two heavy lances slammed into Ma Qun's chest, but their owners could not feel excited or happy at all. Their usual unstoppable charge was instead halted, and they felt as if they had slammed into a giant hill, the force of impact actually forcefully stopping their charge. Their mounts actually continued running forward, but their bodies had been lifted off their mounts, pushed off with their own heavy lances!

Right at that moment, Ma Qun's spiked maces struck. *Bam**Bam* The first spiked mace slammed into the heavy lances, actually breaking both in that single blow. The next spiked mace slammed into the chests of the two Kalise Heavy Cavalry soldiers.

Like two tin cans being smashed, the Kalise Heavy Cavalry soldiers' armour totally caved in. Following that came the creaking sound of the armour breaking apart and blood gushed out of all the gaps of the armour. Like two cannonballs, the two corpses slammed to the side, each knocking over another Heavy Cavalry soldier.

A similar sight duplicated itself for every single one of the Berserker Tribe members. With their defensive capabilities, they totally ignored the ineffectual attacks of their foes, as they sent their enemies on a free trip to heaven instantly.

The Gold Crow Tribe's attacks was a different beast altogether. Crow was not far from Ma Qun as she slammed into the enemy formation. On her end, she did not allow her enemies to strike at her at will, instead the Legendary Axes in her hands striking out in two directions. A single swipe of the first axe cleaved apart the heavy lances striking at her, while the swipe of the second axe flashed across the two Heavy Cavalry soldiers facing her, instantly leaving two lower bodies that had lost their top half.

If one had to use a phrase to describe the sight of the two Heavy Cavalry forces slamming into each other, then perhaps 'a massacre with flesh and blood flying in all directions, bodies blown to pieces' was a long winded but most apt description.

Both sides might be Heavy Cavalry soldiers, but as both sides met, the Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers charged into Kalise formation like a hot knife cutting through butter, as if they were tigers pouncing upon a flock of sheep. On the battlefield, blood, flesh and broken armour sprayed in all directions, and screams of death and agony rang out throughout.

Within a matter of moments, the clash between the Heavy Cavalry soldiers had ended. Alas, behind the Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers, there wasn't even a single living Kalise Heavy Cavalry soldiers. In just that short period of time, the Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers were like a meat grinder machine, totally wiping out their enemies, leaving only their scattered remains behind,

The Kalise light cavalry soldiers who were surrounding the Peerless soldiers, the infantry and archers behind the Heavy Cavalry soldiers who had been supporting them, and the distant officers including the Regiment Commander Zeng Jian…all of them were stunned silly by the sight before them.

When had they ever seen such terrifying killing machines in their entire lives? Those were four hundred elite Heavy Cavalry soldiers! In a matter of a dozen breaths, they had been slaughtered as if they were mere cabbages being harvested in the field. This… This…

Just as Zeng Jian was still dazed, the Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers did not even slow their charge. Having wiped out the enemy Heavy Cavalry, they continued barreling on the path right towards the archers and infantry soldiers.

If one could liken the Kalise Empire Heavy Cavalry soldiers' performance just now as sheep, then the poor Kalise archers were now little white rabbits. The mass of tigers charged into the herd of rabbits, almost able to even just scare them to death! Furthermore, these tigers were armed to the teeth with those horrific looking massive weapons.

A Battalion of archers… alas they could not even slow the Peerless Heavy Cavalry down for a split second. As the two hundred men… no, tigers… thundered past, in moments they had left behind a patch of red on the ground.

Let alone the enemies being stunned silly… even Zhou Weiqing who was flying above ready to support his men at any time was also staring in shock.

What kind of equipment have I given these fellows? Are they really Heavy Cavalry soldiers? I… I have created monsters! They are literally killing machines! An entire Regiment, and almost instantly a tenth of them were wiped out. For the first time, the Peerless Heavy Cavalry had truly shown their power on a real battlefield, unleashing their full might, and the sheer terror of the combat prowess had already far surpassed even Zhou Weiqing's grand expectations.

Atop the city walls, the watching citizens were also dazed. Was this really a fight? It looked just like a simple slaughter. Two hundred soldiers… just two hundred soldiers… and yet it looked like their enemies did not stand a chance at all. Such a powerful troop… does it really belong to our Heavenly Bow Empire?

Lei Zi was standing there moving his arms around, muttering to himself: "Impressive, just too impressive." From the way he looked, he was itching to be on the battlefield himself, hating the fact that he was stuck up here. Although watching the fight was indeed enjoyable, he was also slightly depressed as it meant their First Company Air Force had no chance to take action at all.

Heavy Cavalry soldiers were always the most terrifying killing machines on the battlefield, and amongst them, the Peerless Heavy Cavalry were truly gods amongst the killing machines.

Seeing his advance forces wiped out so quickly, Zeng Jian finally came to his senses. Currently, his expression had changed drastically, fear in his heart. In such a situation, there was no time for him to ponder slowly. Instantly, he gave the orders. "Retreat! Retreat back to camp and fortify it! First, Third Infantry Battalions, set up your spears on the ground in the anti-cavalry formations. Second Battalion, return immediately to the camp to prepare the anti-cavalry traps."

After giving the series of orders, he led his personal guard and rushed back to camp. These… these were not humans, they were devils! How could they possibly stand against them!

Although the Kalise Empire soldiers were in shock, their training overtook them. As orders from their superior was passed down, they subconsciously followed the instructions almost woodenly.

The two Battalions of Infantry soldiers quickly set up their spear formations. The anti-cavalry formation, as the name suggested, was specially designed against the charge of enemy cavalry soldiers. Pushing the butt end of their spears into the ground with the points forward in an angle, and their weight to hold position, such a formation in numbers was not designed to damage their enemies, but to stop their mounts from charging past them.

Alas, although this technique which was extremely effective against all cavalry soldiers, they were currently facing the Peerless Heavy Cavalry. Not only were the soldiers heavily armoured, even their powerful Unicorn Heavenly Beasts were also armoured fully!

Just like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood, the two hundred Peerless Heavy Cavalry soldiers smashed savagely into the two Battalions. Up until now, the whole Battalion of surrounding light cavalry soldiers had not even dared to send a single soldier in attack!

A thousand versus two hundred? It was a large numbers advantage. However, in the face of such terror, what was the use of numbers? The hearts of the light cavalry soldiers quailed as they dared not even attack.

In the past, when the Berserker and Gold Crow Tribes were still in the Fei Li Empire, they had been forced to fight so many times against the WanShou Empire on the frontlines. They only had simple weapons, not even given proper armour, but they had caused much damage to the WanShou Empire armies. Now, with Zhou Weiqing sparing no cost to develop them and outfit them fully with such unimaginable equipment, their terrifying combat strength had already caught up and perhaps surpassed the Mammoth Regiment! How could these ordinary Kalise soldiers compare to them? Despite numbering a mere two hundred, when the gap between strengths was just too far apart, numbers no longer meant anything.

As the saying goes, an infinite number of ants could bite even an elephant to death1. However, no matter what, they had to actually be able to bite through for that to happen. The Peerless Heavy Cavalry armour was just too terrifying, the thickness and toughness. Ordinary people could not even wear it, let alone penetrate through it!

Zhou Weiqing watched from his vantage position in the air. He knew that there was no need for him to even take action any longer. He did not think of being able to kill all the enemies. Firstly, he did not need his men to do unnecessary killing, but more so, it was to conserve his strength. After all, the main force of the Peerless Regiment had not arrived, and stability was the key for him now. That was the reason why he gave the strict order for Ma Qun and Crow not to lead their troops directly into the enemy camp.

His lips curved in a cold smirk. Today's fight had more than accomplished all the goals that he had set. With this single charge of the Peerless Heavy Cavalry, how could the Kalise Empire Regiment still have the guts to attack the Crescent City? If not for the fact that he wanted to hide the power of his Peerless Regiment, as long as the five hundred Peerless Air Force joined in the fight, it would not have been a problem for them to wipe out the entire enemy force.

Although he had his Peerless Regiment that seemed invincible in combat, Zhou Weiqing was still extremely careful as he began the revival of his Empire. He had his own thinking… if he revealed too much of his strength too early, then the Kalise Empire would quickly send a large number of reinforcements here, even the Bai Da Empire might be alerted to send reinforcements. However, for the rest of the Peerless Regiment to arrive, it would take at least two more months. In this window of time, with just his seven hundred men, if he had to face the onslaught of several Regiments, it would still be tough for them. After all, his main goal was still to stabilize the Crescent City and develop it as his base of operations and launching pad.

According to Zhou Weiqing's current understanding of the Kalise Empire's army deployments in the Heavenly Bow Empire, for the next two months he would at least have to deal with two more waves of enemies before the rest of his Peerless Regiment would arrive. Of course, this was not counting his Master, the Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor Long Shiya.

Long Shiya had already indicated to Zhou Weiqing that he would not join their fight on the battlefield. In truth, there was an agreement amongst all powerhouses that any Heavenly Emperor stage powerhouse and above would not be allowed to interfere in the wars of man. At their level, if they took action against ordinary humans, it could possibly lead to widescale destruction and possibly even the extinction of men! As such, it was strictly forbidden for Heavenly Emperor Stage powerhouses to join in such battles, otherwise all their peers would surround the one in question to kill him.