Scale Armor Army

In the days that followed, Di Hong spent part of his time cultivating and the rest studying how to unify the continent. Though the matter was still far from taking shape, that did not stop him from making plans.

Ge Long also successfully underwent Martial Soul Awakening.

His martial soul was Ya Zi, and his Innate Soul Power had reached level nine. He, too, had the potential to become a Titled Douluo.

After his Martial Soul Awakening, he gave Di Yuan quite a shock. His son had casually picked someone up, yet that person had turned out to be a genius. If properly nurtured, they would have two Titled Douluo-level powerhouses in the future.

Di Hong and Ge Long—two Titled Douluos.

Di Ming in particular had already begun imagining himself swaggering sideways whenever he went out in the future. Which kingdom had a Titled Douluo? Even the empire did not have one.

Following his Martial Soul Awakening, Di Yuan immediately arranged Ge Long's cultivation. At Di Hong's request, he did not send Ge Long to a Soul Master Academy, instead keeping him in the Royal Palace for secret training.

Though he did not understand why, he still did as his son asked.

At the same time, he arranged for Shen Yi to teach him military matters.

And so, a year passed.

Over that year, four things happened.

The first was that Tang Chen, Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, stepped down from his position. His son, Tang Wei, succeeded him as the second-generation Sect Master. This matter drew no small amount of attention; after all, it was the number one sect in the World.

Although Tang Chen had long since stopped handling sect affairs, he was still the Sect Master in name.

The second matter was that Qian Daoliu, Pope of Spirit Hall, abdicated and no longer served as Pope. Instead, he became the Grand Priest and an Adjudicator Elder, while his son, Qian Xunji, became the new Pope. At the same time, Di Hong heard a familiar name.

Bibi Dong—the disciple taken in by the new Pope, Qian Xunji—was a genius with Innate Full Soul Power.

Qian Daoliu's abdication came almost back-to-back with Tang Chen stepping down. Not long after learning that Tang Chen had relinquished his position as Sect Master, Qian Daoliu abdicated as well. Less than half a month separated the two events.

The third matter concerned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The old Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had succumbed to a serious illness and passed away. Many people attended the funeral, and the Royal Family specifically sent Crown Prince Xue Ye to offer condolences to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

After the funeral, Ning Fengzhi became the new Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. However, what he faced was a complete mess. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was beset by troubles both within and without, like a small boat beneath raging winds and towering waves that could capsize at the slightest misstep.

Many people, both inside and outside the sect, had their eyes on Ning Fengzhi, waiting to see what he would do.

The fourth matter was that the Star Luo Empire had launched an offensive. Unlike before, when it had seized many towns and passes only for them to be recaptured afterward, this time was different. The Star Luo Empire's four hundred thousand troops launched a fierce assault directly.

Although the Balak Kingdom had long been prepared, the Star Luo Empire's offensive was too ferocious. They could only retreat again and again. Now, Barak's one hundred and fifty thousand troops had withdrawn to the Lima Plain. Any further retreat would bring them to Jialing Pass.

Star Luo's iron cavalry ran virtually unimpeded across the Lima Plain, while the Balak Kingdom could only defend. They had no spare troops left to deploy; if they mobilized any more forces, they would have no way to defend the rest of the kingdom.

Upon learning of this, the Heaven Dou Empire immediately responded. The Old Emperor might have been muddleheaded, but he was not stupid.

He immediately assembled one hundred and fifty thousand troops under Crown Prince Xue Ye's command to reinforce the Lima Plain. Among those forces were ten thousand Royal Knights.

At the same time, he ordered the Silves Kingdom and the Hagendas Kingdom to dispatch troops. By now, the Hagendas Kingdom's fifty thousand soldiers had arrived at the Lima Plain and joined forces with the Balak Kingdom to resist the Star Luo Empire.

The Silves Kingdom had yet to send out troops.

At a military camp thirty li outside Silvis City.

Di Yuan brought Di Hong here.

The kingdom's most elite troops were stationed here, including the Scale Armor Army.

The Scale Armor Army was the most elite force in the Silves Kingdom, and training a single Scale Armor Army soldier was exceedingly difficult.

What they rode were neither warhorses nor Heavenly Soul Horses, but a kind of savage beast known as the Scale Armor Beast.

Though they were not soul beasts, Scale Armor Beasts were still a bloodthirsty species. In their eyes, Heavenly Soul Horses were little different from prey, and training the Scale Armor Army was extremely difficult.

Every soldier had been carefully selected—the elite among elites. They had to bond with the Scale Armor Beasts while the beasts were still young, and only then could they control them. The entire Silves Kingdom had only three thousand Scale Armor Army soldiers.

Moreover, the Scale Armor Army could fight in forests, plains, and even snowfields. They were exceptionally formidable; even soul masters of slightly lower rank would not dare face them.

They were commanded by a royal general, Di Jia.

When Di Yuan arrived, Di Jia hurried over at once. As a royal general, he was only forty-five years old and already a Spirit King-level soul master. Among the royal family, his talent was considered exceptional.

"Great King, the Scale Armor Army has assembled."

"Come, let's take a look."

Upon arriving at the training grounds, they saw three thousand Scale Armor Army soldiers standing in neat ranks, formed into a square formation as they waited.

The killing intent emanating from the Scale Armor Army was obvious. Every soldier had bright, sharp eyes, and their equipment was exceptionally fine. They wore heavy black armor that covered their entire bodies, leaving only their eyes exposed. Even the Scale Armor Beasts beneath them wore heavy armor. Though the beasts' scales already provided sufficient defense, Di Yuan had still spent money to add another layer of protection.

Every soldier wore a saber at his waist and held a black spear. Under the sunlight, the spearheads reflected a chilling gleam.

It could be said that this army was armed to the teeth.

They all held the status of knightly nobles. Though they were merely the lowest rank of nobility, they were still nobles.

The entire training ground was steeped in a grim, murderous atmosphere.

Seeing this, Di Hong could not help glancing at his father. Why did this Scale Armor Army look like it had been built to counter the Royal Knights?

The Royal Knights were the Heaven Dou Empire's ace force. The entire corps numbered only fifty thousand, every one of them elite, and many among them were even soul masters.

There were soul masters in the Scale Armor Army as well, but not many.

Still, Di Hong felt that three thousand Scale Armor Army soldiers would have a hard time contending with the Royal Knights. After all, the other side had fifty thousand men—they could wear them down to death through sheer numbers.

Di Yuan had also considered expanding the Scale Armor Army, but a single Scale Armor Army soldier was simply too difficult to train.

A Scale Armor Beast alone had to be raised for at least five years, from infancy to maturity. Even training the soldiers was no simple matter. The Gold Soul Coins spent on training one Scale Armor Army soldier were enough to recruit and train a hundred ordinary soldiers.

These three thousand soldiers had all been selected from across the Empire.

Whether in food or clothing, they received the very best.

Just like the Royal Knights, only fifty thousand had been selected from an army of a million.

After reviewing the Scale Armor Army, Di Yuan took Di Hong around the other parts of the military camp.

As they were leaving, Di Yuan said, "Crown Prince Xue Ye has sent word. The Empire's troops will pass through the Kingdom, and when the time comes, our army is to join them and proceed together to Lima Plain."

"I intend to have you go with them and temper yourself."

Di Hong nodded. The battlefield could indeed temper a person, and it would benefit him as well.