Chapter Eighty-Three: Another Upgrade! (Please recommend, bookmark, and reward!)

"Release!"

Lin Xiao Zhong retreated among the soldiers. Seeing the twelve Commanders charging forward, his face grew stern and grave. With a sharp motion of his palm, he barked out the order in a cold voice.

With whistling sounds, many soldiers hurled their long spears, while the archers loosed volleys of arrows.

The twelve Commanders from Beast King Sect, Supreme Sect, and Red Sun Sect were all at the mid-Commander level—none of them were mere novices. As the spears flew toward them, they remained composed, weaving left and right with swift agility to dodge the attacks. The rain of arrows was dense, and though the twelve Commanders could not evade every shaft, several struck their bodies. Yet, clad in armor and with bodies of formidable resilience, a handful of sharp arrows could not harm them.

"Release!"

Seeing that the first wave had failed to injure any of the twelve Commanders, Lin Xiao Zhong’s face darkened, and he roared in anger.

Thousands of archers drew and loosed, casting a shadow over the twelve Commanders with a storm of arrows.

The three great sects’ Commanders showed no change of expression. Their weapons danced, forming an impenetrable shield that kept every arrow at bay.

"Kill!"

"Attack!"

"Slaughter them!"

With murderous intent surging to the heavens, the twelve Commanders of Supreme Sect, Beast King Sect, and Red Sun Sect burst through the blockade and charged directly into the ranks of ten thousand soldiers.

Their combat prowess was at its peak, and their strength overwhelming. Like wolves among sheep, they rampaged through the crowd, sending soldiers and horses tumbling. There was no way to injure or even impede the twelve Commanders.

"Retreat!"

"Fall back, quickly!"

Left Taoming and Elder Chu, their faces grave, hastily shielded Chu Tianfa as they retreated.

"Damn it! If I ever command an army, the first thing I’ll do is wipe Beast King Sect, Supreme Sect, and Red Sun Sect from the face of the earth!"

Chu Tianfa watched the twelve Commanders of the three sects rampage across the battlefield, trampling his dignity and that of the imperial dynasty. Fury burned within him, but he was powerless. He could only swear this vow in his heart.

"Retreat! Retreat!"

Lin Xiao Zhong saw his army being slaughtered at will by the twelve Commanders, rivers of blood flowing, and the soldiers falling in droves. Before the twelve Commanders were even exhausted, his force of twenty thousand might well be massacred to the last man.

With a fierce swing of his battle standard, Lin Xiao Zhong directed the army to retreat swiftly and minimize casualties.

Laughter echoed across the field.

"The Great Chu Dynasty is nothing!"

"And what of the prince? We’ve left him running for his life!"

"Third Prince? He’s not worth a damn!"

Cheng Quanyou and the other eleven Commanders mocked as they watched Left Taoming, Chu Tianfa, Lin Xiao Zhong, and the battered remnants of the army flee in disarray.

Chu Tianfa, Left Taoming, and Lin Xiao Zhong were filled with unwillingness, yet they were no match for Cheng Quanyou and his peers. They abandoned over three thousand corpses as they fled in panic.

"Gentlemen, today’s slaughter was satisfying."

"Let’s rest for the night. Tomorrow, we’ll storm Xuanzhou City and raise hell once more."

Cheng Quanyou halted, looking at the other Commander-level experts, and called out loudly.

"Agreed!"

"A good idea!"

The other strongmen of Beast King Sect, Supreme Sect, and Red Sun Sect all voiced their approval.

...

"They are utterly lawless—truly without restraint!"

Having escaped with his life, Chu Tianfa wore a dark expression, his heart filled with hatred for the three sects. They showed no regard for his status as the Third Prince of the Great Chu Dynasty—truly, they had no scruples at all.

"Is the Great Chu truly descending into chaos?"

Chu Tianfa gazed up at the sky, his mind replaying the events of recent years. A century ago, the Human Emperor Patriarch returned gravely wounded and immediately entered seclusion, never to emerge. Without a ruler at the Emperor tier to suppress all, the dynasty could no longer hold its vast territories in check. The four great Dukes each harbored their own ambitions. Now, even sects with mere Commander-level strength could no longer be subdued by the dynasty.

"Your Highness, are you all right?"

Left Taoming, seeing the sorrow in Chu Tianfa’s gaze, could not help but inquire.

Chu Tianfa stood motionless, lost in his own world.

"Your Highness?" Left Taoming tried again.

"Silence! If anything should happen to His Highness, you will answer for it with your life," Elder Chu growled threateningly at Left Taoming, noticing Chu Tianfa’s strange state.

"Your Highness?" Elder Chu stepped carefully to Chu Tianfa’s side and spoke softly.

"Ah? I am fine," Chu Tianfa replied, coming back to himself and seeing the concern in Left Taoming and Elder Chu’s eyes. He shook his head and answered quietly.

Both Elder Chu and Left Taoming breathed a sigh of relief and led the army swiftly toward Xuanzhou City.

"The three great sects are deep-rooted, unfathomable—even the Governor fears them. I cannot afford carelessness; I must give my all, or I shall be the one to die."

Qin Feng adjusted himself to peak condition. Opening his eyes, he exhaled a mouthful of stale air and pressed his finger to the “plus” icon in his right-eye interface, bringing up his personal status.

Name: Qin Feng
Realm: Late Commander
Strength: 370,000 jin (+1)(+100)(+10,000)

After reviewing his status, Qin Feng understood his own strength even more clearly. Without hesitation, he pressed quickly on the +10,000 button.

+10,000

+10,000

+10,000

+10,000

His strength soared from 370,000 to 380,000, then 390,000, 400,000...

When Qin Feng felt his body’s power rapidly approaching the limits of his bones, muscles, and skin, he acted quickly, glancing at his personal interface.

Name: Qin Feng
Realm: Late Commander
Strength: 570,000 jin (+1)(+100)(+10,000)

"Five hundred and seventy thousand jin of raw might!"

Seeing the number, a broad smile crept onto Qin Feng’s lips. This was strength at the mid-King level. Now, with a single blow, he could crush any Commander—and even those at the early King tier would suffer grave wounds.

When Qin Feng exited his seclusion and stepped out of his room, Yan Chonghu and Shi Tie were already waiting outside.

"Have you found a suitable weapon?" Qin Feng asked in a low voice.

"Master Qin, I searched the entirety of Xuanzhou City and found the heaviest weapon. Would you come see if it suits you?" Yan Chonghu replied quickly. To find this weapon, he had mobilized the entire force of the Mighty Escort Agency.

Yan Chonghu led Qin Feng to a courtyard where the weapons were kept. At the center rested an iron staff, two meters in length. It was entirely black, its material unknown, engraved with a hundred forges. One end was as large as a fist, while the other reached half a meter in diameter.

"Up!"

Qin Feng strode forward, grasped one end in his hand, and hefted it with ease.

"It will do," he nodded, estimating its weight at around ten thousand jin, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.