The forward base outside the Four Sacred Trees Forest had been preliminarily established, not very large in scale but equipped with extremely formidable firepower. Two mobile power towers stood here, supporting eight ship cannons.
Two thousand werewolf warriors packed the base to the brim, leaving no room for comfortable barracks. The warriors inside the base could only sleep on the ground, head to toe. Fortunately, it rarely rained in this new world, so sleeping in their clothes wasn’t too harsh.
Occasionally, small groups of monstrous beasts would appear from the Four Sacred Trees Forest. Moreover, the base was already quite far from the rear, and it would take at least a day for supplies and new construction materials to arrive, followed by more construction. Given the choice between more comrades or a bit more comfort, there was no question.
Thus, every warrior endured the harsh conditions without complaint, half working and half on alert, with vigilance being equivalent to rest.
Upon his return, Qian Ye immediately ordered the base to enter the highest level of alert. The mobile power towers were fully activated, and all cannons were loaded to maximum capacity.
He didn’t have to wait long before the first wave of monstrous beasts arrived. Flying creatures and some fast light ground troops led the charge, but these scouts were nearly powerless against the sturdy fortress and fierce firepower.
The base’s reinforced anti-aircraft defenses played a crucial role, slaughtering the aerial forces as if they were caught in a one-sided rain.
After the first wave was defeated, the second wave of heavy monstrous beasts arrived half an hour later. Without the cover of air and ground units, these large beasts were mere moving targets under heavy firepower.
They were mowed down before reaching the fortress walls, with the remainder falling just short of the fortifications. Qian Ye didn’t even need to intervene personally, though the ammunition consumption was staggering, turning the logistics officer’s face green.
The third wave, composed of several dread beasts and over ten thousand various troops, finally arrived. This was a relatively complete army. It was clear that, to accommodate the dread beasts’ speed, all fast units had to move at a snail’s pace.
This was what a proper army should look like, unlike the earlier disjointed waves.
It seemed that whether awake or asleep, the six-armed creatures shared a common weakness: the throne, which was the source of their command abilities. After Qian Ye utterly destroyed the throne, the six-armed creature’s command capabilities, even when awake, were significantly diminished.
The force directly controlled by the six-armed commander appeared to be around ten thousand, beyond which he could only point in a general direction, resulting in a loosely coordinated arrival on the battlefield. Joint operations and unit coordination were out of the question.
However, Qian Ye was slightly reassured. The most terrifying aspect of the monstrous armies was their numbers. This small force of under ten thousand, no matter how powerful, couldn’t stand a chance against Qian Ye’s two thousand-strong, well-fortified and heavily armed forces.
The six-armed commander, who was also following behind, was quickly found by Qian Ye. This time, the commander, perhaps because he wasn’t asleep, was not hiding within a host beast but was instead traveling in the rear of the army, protected by a small group of guards.
Seeing that the commander could move freely outside the forest, Qian Ye didn’t hesitate. He issued an attack order and launched himself into the air, directly targeting the six-armed commander.
A fierce battle erupted both in the sky and on the ground.
Qian Ye had considerable experience fighting six-armed creatures, always using their special protection of the sacred trees to his advantage. This time, however, it was a true frontal confrontation.
The six-armed commander’s attacks were lightning-fast, with six arms wielding different weapons, leaving almost no blind spots. Each strike was incredibly heavy, and after blocking several, Qian Ye was numbed all over.
Qian Ye, now a vice-duke of the ancient bloodline, had his body undergoing transformation, leaving him with almost no weaknesses. However, he was still being suppressed by the six-armed commander, and his speed did not seem to offer much advantage.
Yet, Qian Ye knew that the commander had been hit by two primal guns and was likely suppressing his injuries, unable to sustain a long battle. Thus, Qian Ye fought tenaciously, using void flickers to maneuver. The guards, meanwhile, fell to Qian Ye’s Dawn Domain and Life Plunder in the initial encounter.
This battle of the strong was a test of endurance. If Qian Ye couldn’t keep the six-armed commander here despite the initial advantage, the commander might recover and control even larger armies, making future victories more costly.
The six-armed commander was incredibly resilient, with seemingly endless stamina. They fought for most of the day, turning the sky and ground into a battlefield, leaving the fortress’s warriors in awe.
Within a short time after Qian Ye engaged, the monstrous army was decimated, and within a quarter of an hour, it was completely annihilated. Under absolute firepower, the number of monstrous beasts was no match for the disciplined soldiers trained by the empire’s mature military system.
No one else could intervene in Qian Ye’s battle with the six-armed commander, watching from the fortress.
Relying on the stored essence in the Book of Black, Qian Ye constantly activated the Blood Boil state to recover, fighting with increasing vigor. The six-armed commander, whose combat skills were less refined than Qian Ye’s, and whose stamina was being depleted faster, was finally caught off guard at nightfall. A primal gun pierced its forehead.
The six-armed commander instantly fell, its accumulated injuries triggered, and its aura plummeted from duke to marquis. Even so, Qian Ye didn’t dare be complacent. With a flutter of his wings, he fired another primal gun, delivering the final blow.
Struck by two primal guns, the six-armed commander knew it was doomed. It suddenly leaped up, fiercely attacking Qian Ye. Qian Ye easily dodged with a void flicker.
The six-armed commander glared at Qian Ye, then turned and plunged towards the fortress like a meteor!
Qian Ye’s heart sank, but it was too late to stop it. The void flicker was still in recovery, and the next use required a breath’s interval. He could only watch as the massive form of the six-armed commander crashed into the fortress, causing a deafening explosion!
Dust and smoke instantly spread over a kilometer, covering the entire fortress. One mobile power tower was thrown into the sky, and several cannon turrets that were previously visible through the dust now slowly toppled. Countless werewolves and human warriors flew into the air, clearly missing limbs.
When the dust settled, most of the fortress had vanished, with parts and warriors scattered over a kilometer radius. At the center of the former fortress was a deep pit, its walls crystallized and still emitting intense heat.
Exhausted from the battle, Qian Ye ignored his fatigue and landed to begin rescuing the survivors.
It took the whole night to sort things out. Over half of the fortress’s two thousand defenders were killed by the six-armed commander’s self-destruction. The survivors were all injured, with three to four thousand too severely wounded to fight. One power tower was completely destroyed, and the other was severely damaged, requiring repairs.
Without the power towers, the cannons and ship guns were unusable. These numerous cannons were a crucial part of Qian Ye’s defense, and without them, weakening the monstrous army from a distance became impossible, leading to a sharp increase in casualties.
Fortunately, new supplies arrived at dawn, bringing reinforcements. The base’s ruins were somewhat restored. Qian Ye had the transport fleet carry the injured and the power tower back to the main base, while he headed back to Evernight.
Given the state of the base, Qian Ye decided not to provoke another Three Sacred Trees Forest until it was fully repaired and stable.
If another six-armed commander in that forest was also awake and temperamental, Qian Ye couldn’t afford another self-destruction. While Qian Ye and the six-armed commander were roughly equal in overall strength, defeating the opponent wasn’t too difficult, but stopping a self-destruction was impossible.
Reflecting on the battles since entering the gate, Qian Ye shook his head. If he hadn’t first crippled those six-armed commanders, allowing them to command a numerically superior monstrous army, the outcome would have been catastrophic. Looking at the current state of the fortress, the potential casualties were a terrifying thought.
The immediate priority was to secure more heavy firepower. This task required Qian Ye’s personal involvement.
Returning to Azure Wave City, Qian Ye immediately summoned representatives from the major families for a meeting. The hall, which could hold over a hundred people, was packed, with many standing. Qian Ye saw many new faces.
Before Qian Ye could ask, Yin Qiqi stood up and said, “Mr. Shang is the head of the Imperial Great Merchants’ Taying Firm, and Mr. Sun is the head of the Longyu Firm. Both gentlemen are here at the request of their respective firm heads, hoping to contribute to your grand plan. Both firms are very sincere, and this is the gift list. I took the liberty of bringing them to meet you.”
Qian Ye took the list, seeing items like individual armor and weapons, exactly what he needed. “Both gentlemen are very thoughtful.”
Mr. Shang and Mr. Sun bowed, “These are our products, and we hope they are to your satisfaction.”
Not to be outdone, a senior official from the Kong family said, “Qian Ye, this is Mr. Ji from the Wu Gong Workshop, one of the top three imperial military suppliers. He is also very sincere.”
This gift list included various types of cannon shells and crossbow bolts, showing even more sincerity.
Qian Ye had heard of the Wu Gong Workshop, a major supplier. He was surprised to see them send a high-ranking representative, indicating their seriousness.
The three major firms had done their homework, knowing exactly what Qian Ye needed and what they could provide. Being introduced by the Yin and Kong families subtly hinted at their connections with the major families.
Qian Ye appreciated their straightforwardness. He raised the two lists, “Since you’re all here, I’ll be direct. I need a large amount of munitions. How about ten times the quantities on these lists?”
The three men exchanged looks, then exclaimed, “Absolutely no problem!”
Mr. Ji added, “We can offer a 20% discount on the market price!”
With Wu Gong Workshop offering such a discount, the other two firms had no choice but to follow, making the total deal effectively a 30% discount.
Both sides were satisfied. Other representatives began introducing their guests, a mix of merchants and family members, all eager to partake in the opportunities on Yonlu. The newcomers were a mixed bag.
Qian Ye remained silent, letting Song Hui step forward, “Gentlemen, there are some rules for doing business with my lord.”
“Go ahead, we will abide by them,” the crowd replied.
Song Hui’s eyes flashed with a cold smile, “First, all goods must be paid for upon delivery; second, payment will be in the form of Yonlu’s minerals or other resources.”
Everyone agreed, “Of course, of course!”
“Don’t worry, we’ll handle the transportation ourselves,” they assured.
Song Hui continued, “Third, the battlefield is no place for jokes. If the supplies don’t meet our standards, they will be returned. Any attempt to pass off substandard goods will result in military discipline, and the offending family will be expelled from Yonlu.”
The crowd grew somber, and many paled.
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