At this moment, Song Hu knocked on the door and entered, holding a thick stack of documents in his arms, all concerning the situation of the Black Current War Zone’s reception and reorganization.
Currently, Darkflame had nominally taken control of the entire war zone, with the reorganization of the Seventh Division nearing completion. However, Darkflame originally had less than four thousand people, and it suddenly swelled to ten thousand, which brought countless details that needed to be adjusted and smoothed out.
To firmly control this new force, Qian Ye and Song Hu temporarily did not plan to divide their troops across the region. After accepting the surrender of various towns, they continued their previous approach, dispatching only a small team of expeditionary soldiers to maintain basic defense.
Darkflame’s top priority now was to ensure absolute control over Black Current City, as well as Cloud Sail City and the Four Waters Base, two traditional military strongholds.
According to Song Hu, the entire process of gaining control was surprisingly swift and smooth. As for the bloody means behind the smoothness, he glossed over them lightly.
Qian Ye did not pay much attention to these details; he was engrossed in reviewing the equipment list in his hands.
The Seventh Division’s resources were richer than expected, with many cargo trucks, over a dozen heavy artillery pieces, and an equal number of armored vehicles. This level of heavy equipment far exceeded the normal standard for a Third-Class Expeditionary Division.
These armaments, of course, did not come from Wu Zhengnan but were obtained by Wei Bainen after he took office. It was also because of this that when Wei Bainen left, he ordered all the heavy equipment to be sealed, to be used only after the new division commander had conducted an inventory. This move did not arouse any suspicion among the officers of the Seventh Division.
Once the heavy weapons were sealed, it would take professional technicians at least half a day to reactivate them. Qian Ye couldn’t help but marvel at the reason why, when he attacked Cloud Sail City and the Four Waters Base, he felt the enemy’s firepower was unusually weak.
Wei Bainen was truly a capable general, and a simple order could significantly weaken the combat power of military bases that had been cultivated for years when they were under attack.
Now, this batch of equipment naturally became Qian Ye’s boon. In terms of equipment and personnel, the current Darkflame had strength comparable to the main divisions of the Imperial regular army.
Next, Qian Ye spent a period of calm but monotonous days, alternating between cultivation and handling military affairs.
The Expeditionary Army, both headquarters and the neighboring divisions, remained silent. However, Song Zining sent another letter, informing him that Dong Qifeng had returned to the Upper Continent to mobilize his family’s private forces, indicating that a hard battle was inevitable. Song Zining specifically instructed Qian Ye to pay close attention to his and the core members of Darkflame’s safety, as the most effective tactic in civil wars was often the decapitation strategy.
Qian Ye had been thinking about going to the dark territories near Black Current City to assess the situation, but under these circumstances, he could not leave the city. Right now, only he in Darkflame could face a Battle Marshal. If Dong Qifeng returned to the family to mobilize troops, he might even bring along one or two more Battle Marshals. Thus, Qian Ye summoned Song Hu and Duan Hao, redeployed the city defenses, and significantly increased defensive forces.
A few days later, Qian Ye did not wait for Song Zining, but Wei Potian arrived first.
After Qian Ye finished his cultivation and stepped out of the room, Qi shí immediately came forward, assisting him in changing clothes, and said, “The young lord of Duke Boxiang of the Far Eastern Wei Clan has arrived and has been waiting outside for a while.”
Qian Ye was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Wei Potian to arrive so soon. He had just read the latest edition of the Expeditionary Army’s bulletin, which reported that the conflict in the Far Eastern Province was still ongoing, now becoming a protracted war. Why had Wei Potian suddenly come to the Evernight Continent in the midst of such fighting?
Qian Ye quickly changed his clothes and hurried to the reception hall.
In front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a man with a wide back and narrow waist stood facing away from the door, gazing at the twilight city outside. Even standing there, he exuded a majestic aura like a mountain.
Qian Ye’s eyes flashed with a blue light, and under his true vision, nine primeval force nodes on the man’s body glowed brightly, with faint currents of energy swirling around them, indicating that he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
It had been some time since Qian Ye last saw Wei Potian, who had also reached the ninth level and was now very close to becoming a Battle Marshal.
Hearing the door open, Wei Potian turned, his eyes shining as he looked at Qian Ye, then suddenly strode forward and gave him a hearty bear hug.
This hug was heavy and fierce, as if it could break a real bear in two. But Wei Potian felt something was amiss, as if he was hugging a solid column made of super-alloy, unmovable no matter how hard he tried.
The embrace lasted a long time, until Qi shí, who had followed behind, started to look uneasy, her mouth agape, before the two finally separated. Neither Wei Potian nor Qian Ye showed signs of using primeval force, so Qi shí, of course, did not realize they had been competing with pure physical strength.
Qian Ye smiled and said, “You’re really fast, already at the ninth level.”
Wei Potian laughed heartily, then grimaced, “But you’re also at the ninth level, damn it! I thought I’d surpass you this time!”
Wei Potian, with his extraordinary talent and abundant family resources, had made remarkable progress in the past year, drawing the attention of the entire upper echelon of the Empire. Moreover, his awakened innate ability was very powerful, allowing him to unleash his full potential on the battlefield.
The more intense the battle, the easier it was to break through, a common knowledge. Therefore, it was widely acknowledged that Prince Wei’s future was bright.
However, since Wei Potian and Qian Ye had reunited, their levels had always been on par, leaving Wei Potian feeling like he was being doused with cold water whenever he saw Qian Ye, forcing him to snap back to reality.
Qian Ye’s eyes turned blue again, and after a careful look, he frowned, “Potian, your foundation seems not entirely pure. Are you advancing too quickly? With your talent, becoming a Battle Marshal is just the beginning. There’s a long road ahead, no need to rush the breakthrough.”
Qian Ye noticed that the nine primeval force nodes on Wei Potian’s body were already showing signs of gathering energy, but there was no indication that he was trying to suppress his level. At this rate, based on Wei Potian’s advancement speed over the past year, a breakthrough was imminent.
Wei Potian, however, waved off Qian Ye’s concerns, patting his shoulder and laughing, “It’s fine, break through when it’s time, why worry about the details? I’m destined to become a Marshal, no need to fuss over cultivating primeval force!”
Qian Ye thought about Wei Potian’s words and had to admit there might be some truth to them.
Advanced secret techniques, especially in the later stages, emphasized talent and comprehension, and everyone’s path after becoming a Battle Marshal was unique. Wei Potian, with his aggressive and fearless nature, had developed a commanding presence. The Thousand Peaks and the Clear Shattering Fist he practiced valued such presence. Perhaps without refining his primeval force, he could still blaze a trail to the heavens.
While Qian Ye was considering whether to tell Wei Potian about the signs of primeval force flow he had observed, Wei Potian waved his hand and said, “Enough talk, let’s have a fight! Qian Ye, you’re getting as talkative as that Song Qi. I’ve told you before, that pretty boy is no good…”
Mentioning Song Qi, Wei Potian launched into a tirade, filled with dubious and unfounded accusations.
Qian Ye, feeling a headache, barely resisted the urge to knock Wei Potian down, and instead instructed Qi shí to prepare the sparring room.
As soon as Wei Potian stepped into the arena, he assumed a stance, chuckling, “Qian Ye, I’ve been on the battlefield for a long time and have gained some insights. Let’s see what it’s like to be as immovable as a mountain!”
Wei Potian roared, and his aura surged, surrounding him with a deep yellow glow, almost solid. Behind him, the illusion of several peaks appeared.
Qian Ye had heard from Wei Bainen that Wei Potian had already reached the Seventh Tier, and now, seeing the peaks manifest, though they were illusions, they conveyed a majestic atmosphere, causing Qian Ye to admire Wei Potian’s comprehension.
With the Thousand Peaks, an ordinary Battle Marshal would find it nearly impossible to break through his defense.
Wei Potian roared again, each step heavy as a mountain, advancing towards Qian Ye.
Qian Ye glanced at Wei Potian, silently unfastened Dongyue, and placed it against the wall. When Dongyue touched the ground, the entire sparring room shook slightly.
Wei Potian was startled, a familiar sense of unease rising in his heart. He wanted to call a halt, but Qian Ye had already gathered his strength and struck a punch, slow and deliberate, as if practicing the basic straight punch, yet with a genuine, labored effort, as if pushing a mountain of water.
By the midpoint, a rumbling sound echoed in the room, and in an instant, a thunderous roar erupted.
One punch, moving wind and thunder!
Wei Potian’s battle instincts, honed through countless life-and-death fights, screamed danger. He let out a strange cry and tried to flee, but the space around him became thick and viscous, and a powerful force pushed him towards Qian Ye’s fist.
Wei Potian, with no other choice, crossed his arms to block the incoming punch.
A thunderous explosion, and Wei Potian was slammed to the ground, creating a human-shaped crater in the floor. The yellow primeval force glow around him flickered, and the illusory peaks twisted and dissipated.
Reunited after a long time, Wei Potian, who had relied on the Thousand Peaks to build his fearsome reputation, was once again crushed by Qian Ye’s punch.
Wei Potian’s overwhelming momentum, like a peak pressing down, prompted Qian Ye to counter with full force. Not only did he use the forty-tide force from the Military Decree, but he also tapped into the surrounding primeval force, resulting in this outcome.
Coming to his senses, Qian Ye rushed to help, but Wei Potian had already crawled up, wincing in pain.
“Damn, that punch was heavy! Ouch!! Don’t touch!” Wei Potian howled, pushing Qian Ye’s hand away and struggling to stand, looking at Qian Ye with a lingering fear.
Qian Ye, using his true vision, scanned Wei Potian and found no broken bones, somewhat relieved. He picked up Dongyue, leaning against the wall, and was about to speak when Wei Potian interrupted.
“Wait! Let me see that sword.” Wei Potian called out.
Qian Ye, slightly puzzled, handed Dongyue to Wei Potian.
As soon as Wei Potian took Dongyue, he let out a strange cry, nearly falling to the ground. Already weakened from the shattered Thousand Peaks, he barely managed to keep his footing, despite his solid horse stance.
Qian Ye quickly grabbed Dongyue and helped Wei Potian back to his feet.
Wei Potian, sweating, said, “Were you really planning to slash me with that sword?”
Qian Ye replied candidly, “Yes, this sword is named Dongyue. Since you claimed to be as immovable as a mountain, I did want to test it.”
“You… You’re not human!” Wei Potian gritted his teeth.
Even in his weakened state, he could feel the weight of the sword. If Qian Ye had used Dongyue instead of a punch, he would have broken at least a dozen bones, leaving him bedridden for days despite his exceptional regenerative ability.
Qian Ye, with a clear and radiant smile, said, “I think so too.”
Wei Potian suddenly smiled, his normally frank and open demeanor tinged with a hint of cunning. “Qian Ye, we’ve fought. Now, I’m in trouble, and since we’re brothers, you should help me out.”
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