Ruthless Hand

The penitent knights of the Order of Penitent Knights operated in teams of twelve, their armor bearing exceedingly distinctive emblems. Each possessed a unique inheritance, and their powers complemented one another, allowing them to form immensely powerful combined battle divine arts. When twelve penitent knights joined forces, they could even contend briefly against a mid-tier Heaven-ranked warrior. This showed just how formidable the penitent knights were.

The roughly thirty teams of penitent knights here were clearly the Order of Penitent Knights' elite. All three hundred-plus of them were low-tier or even mid-tier Heaven-ranked warriors. Once they unleashed their unique inherited divine arts and fought in teams of twelve, the golden-armored imperial guards at Ying Qin's side were visibly beginning to buckle.

Within the Blood Qin Empire, these golden-armored imperial guards were also mockingly called "Brocade Generals," meaning to praise their fine figures, handsome features, and top-quality garments and armor. In short, they looked imposing and presentable.

To put it bluntly, that also proved exactly what sort of lot these golden-armored imperial guards were. They were ceremonial guards, ornamental goods—props meant to flaunt the majesty of the Blood Qin imperial family. Of course, their individual strength was quite decent, but they had never set foot on a battlefield, and their practical combat experience was severely lacking. It was already impressive if they could bring out seventy percent of their full strength.

As for the Order of Penitent Knights, they traveled across the Western Continent exterminating every kind of heretic. From time to time, they fought the foreign races of the Abyssal World, and occasionally they also battled the holy guards and wizards of the Odin Temple who crossed the sea. Every penitent knight had grown up amid blood and carnage.

A pack of battlefield veterans beating up a bunch of raw