Every Knight-level expert was difficult to recruit. A Knight-level expert generally earned more than 20 Gold Coins a month, over 240 Gold Coins a year. The annual wages for two hundred Knight-level experts would exceed 48,000 Gold Coins. Once the various equipment required by those Knight-level experts was added in, the cost became even more terrifying. Only royalty such as the Fein Deluo Principality could recruit two hundred Knight-level experts.
A flash of shock crossed Gael's eyes as he blurted out, "Knights? How could there be such powerful Knight-level experts? Could they all be Grand Knights? Otherwise, how could they withstand those horse bandits' charge?"
Under the horrified gazes of the young noblemen and noblewomen, the two hundred Level-4 Mechanical Swordsmen slaughtered nearly every horse bandit, leaving only Bard, the horse bandit leader with the cultivation of a Grand Knight.
Even though the Mechanical Swordsmen were simplified modified versions, they were still beings ordinary humans could not defeat.
"Impossible! What kind of monsters are you? What kind of monsters are you?!" Bard swung his saber and sent a Level-4 Mechanical Swordsman flying. Seeing the two hundred Level-4 Mechanical Swordsmen closing in around him, despair flashed through his eyes as he roared.
Two hundred Level-4 Mechanical Swordsmen could chop Bard into pieces. Even an Earth Knight-level powerhouse would be unable to withstand being surrounded and killed by two hundred Level-4 Mechanical Swordsmen.
Yang Feng glanced at Bard and said coolly, "Surrender. I happen to be short of a Grand Knight slave. I'll give you three seconds to consider it. If you don't surrender, die!"
Bard gripped the Horse Chopping Saber in his hand and gritted his teeth. "If milord can promise not to sell me to Warlocks for human experimentation, then I surrender! I'm also willing to serve milord! Otherwise, milord should just kill me!"
Grand Knight-level slaves sold very well in the slave markets. One kind of material some Warlocks required for their various human experiments was a Knight-level or stronger expert. Many Grand Knights who became slaves in war met miserable ends once they fell into those Warlocks' hands.
"Put on this Head Ring and collar. As long as you honestly serve as my slave, I won't sell you to Warlocks." Yang Feng waved his hand, and a Mechanical Swordsman walked toward Bard carrying a Head Ring and collar.
"Yes, milord!" Bard's expression changed slightly when he saw the Head Ring and collar. After hesitating again and again, he finally let out a long sigh, threw down his Horse Chopping Saber, and put them on.
Yang Feng said indifferently, "These two items are secret treasures forged by the Lord of Steel. The moment you harbor any intention of harming me, they'll explode and blow you to pieces. Watch yourself."
Bard's expression changed several times before he finally submitted completely. "Yes, milord! I understand!"
Besides the Mechanical Legion, Yang Feng needed to continuously expand his own forces across the Durando Subcontinent. A Grand Knight like Bard counted as elite talent. Recruiting him under his command brought only benefits and no harm.
"The Lord of Steel's Mechanical Puppet Legion is truly formidable!" Gael praised sincerely. He walked up to Yang Feng and said, "I am Gael, son of Eber, a Level-1 Warlock from the Antalya Warlock Academy. You have the Lord of Steel's Mechanical Puppet Legion protecting you. May I ask if you are Yang Feng, the Lord of Steel's only blood relative?"
Yang Feng smiled faintly. "That's right. I'm Yang Feng."
Gael said, "Thank you for saving us."
Yang Feng glanced at the young noblemen and noblewomen, a strange look flashing through his eyes. "It was merely a small effort. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, we should soon become classmates."
The Antalya Warlock Academy recruited students once every year, and the age limit for most applicants was between fourteen and eighteen. Most students heading to the Antalya Warlock Academy took its examinations after reaching the age of fourteen, then joined the academy. Therefore, the dozen or so young nobles standing before Yang Feng were all around fourteen years old. Gael, their leader, was somewhat older, but he was only sixteen.
Yang Feng was already in his twenties. Standing among those youths around fourteen years old, he stood out like a crane among chickens.
Gael introduced the dozen or so young men and women beside him to Yang Feng one by one.
Most of those young men and women came from noble families of the Botan Principality. These noble youths had originally hired a large mercenary group and possessed a joint private guard force of more than a hundred men, including five Knight-level experts. However, traitors had emerged within that large mercenary group. Attacked from within and without, the large mercenary group completely collapsed. The joint private guard force was also slaughtered clean by the Gale Wind Wolf Bandit Group, leaving only these dozen or so young nobles to escape.
Shi Xue emerged from the camp with a fragrant breeze and walked to Yang Feng's side.
The instant Shi Xue appeared, the eyes of everyone in Gael's group, male and female alike, were firmly drawn to her. Not only was she breathtakingly beautiful, but she also possessed the innate talent of Natural Charm, making her attraction to men even more astonishing. Although Yang Feng spent every day with her, he did not dare look at her too much. Otherwise, with his mortal body, he would have long since sunk into her charm and been unable to pull himself free.
A dazed look flashed through Gael's eyes as he gazed at Shi Xue. "Yang Feng, may I ask if you could introduce me to this beautiful lady, lovely as the moon?"
Shi Xue's eyes rippled as she smiled sweetly. "Hello, I'm Shi Xue, Brother Yang Feng's younger sister. I'm very pleased to meet you!"
Seeing Shi Xue's peerlessly beautiful smile, capable of captivating both men and women, the noble youths' hearts swayed. Under Shi Xue's Natural Charm, both men and women developed favorable feelings toward her.
High in the sky, a small Eagle Trainer Scout lay atop the back of a giant eagle, controlling the eagle beneath him as it flew directly into the distance.
"Come a little more. Use your flesh, blood, and lives to lay the foundation for the prestige of our Steel City." Yang Feng suddenly raised his head, glanced at the distant giant eagle, and murmured.
High among the clouds floated a miniature satellite. That miniature satellite hovered above Yang Feng, monitoring every direction.
The giant eagle flew onward before finally landing in a massive camp stretching for dozens of kilometers. The Eagle Trainer Scout headed toward the largest tent in the camp.
Seated in the seat of honor within that largest tent was a burly middle-aged man with a face full of knife scars, a pair of blue double pupils, and a fierce, savage aura.
This burly middle-aged man with blue double pupils was Thousand Men Slayer Gria, the most brutal and powerful horse bandit leader of the Hunter Fang Wasteland. He was also the only Sky Knight in the Hunter Fang Wasteland whose combat power rivaled that of a Level-1 Warlock. More than a thousand horse bandits and caravan guards had died at Griya's hands. It was through countless bloody battles that he had become the most terrifying overlord of the Hunter Fang Wasteland.
"Two hundred Knight-level Mechanical Puppets! And he has another two thousand guards. That means he possesses two thousand Knight-level Mechanical Puppet guards." After hearing the Eagle Trainer Scout's report, Griya's expression darkened as he spoke slowly.
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