The Newly Formed Twelfth Regiment

The sounds of battle outside the city seemed to subside. The supers appeared to have retreated, while the Battle Heaven Army also seemed to sound the gong to recall their troops, holding fast to the city gates rather than pursuing them further. Li Hao and his companions paid no heed to this. Taking advantage of the fact that no one else had entered yet, this was their chance. The three rapidly moved toward the north city. With the travel guide in hand, they were much more familiar with the city's layout. Even when they saw several opened buildings along the way, they did not enter to look around. There was no rush for the moment. If they could hold this city, they would have plenty of time. People could not stay in Battle Heaven City for a full month; anyone inside would not survive that long because the regular cleanings carried out on schedule would kill anyone left behind. As for the outer city, staying there too long would also result in being expelled and purged by the Battle Heaven Army. That was the real reason the ruins sealed shut after three days and why no one ever saw previous visitors upon returning. However, if one obtained a legal identity, they could naturally remain here indefinitely. *** Sprinting along the way, the three moved very quickly. Battle Heaven City was not overwhelmingly large, and before long, they reached the northern district. The northern district seemed to be an immense military barracks. Before they could even enter the north city sector, they were stopped at an entrance. This place appeared to have been manned by guards in the past. At the moment, however, no one was there—only a long iron gate blocking their path. Unauthorized trespassing into a military restricted area could be fatal, and a sign hung ahead with large characters reading: "Military Restricted Area." The three halted. Li Hao looked around. There was nobody in sight. Beside the iron gate stood a guardhouse, but it was currently empty as well. The iron gate was closed. Southern Fist saw that the iron gate was not very high and could be vaulted over. He transmitted, "Climb over..." Li Hao shook his head. Ill-advised! This city was in a state of revival, not completely dead. Jumping over the gate might trigger irreversible consequences. He stepped forward to investigate. The guardhouse was indeed empty. However, the guardhouse door was open, and inside, there seemed to be an operating console. Li Hao was not familiar with this system, but he spotted several buttons. Among them was a button labeled with the characters "Call." Li Hao hesitated. Should he press it? If he pressed it, would someone come? Or would pressing it bring trouble? He glanced back at the two men behind him and asked, "There's a call button here. Should I press it?" Hong Yitang thought for a moment before speaking. "Press it! Entering uninvited is theft. We've arrived and found no one, so we're calling them. If there's no response... then it's not theft." He too treated this city as a living one. Otherwise, there was no need for such caution. After weighing it over, Li Hao nodded and pressed the button. There was no immediate reaction. Even so, the three began to wait. Perhaps something unexpected would happen. Less than a minute into their wait, Li Hao's eyes flickered, and Hong Yitang grew alert as well. Just then, two figures suddenly appeared behind the gate. Someone was here! This city was still operational. However, they were not the black-armored warriors they had seen before, nor were they bronze- or silver-armored soldiers. What arrived were two warriors clad in red armor. Red armor! Li Hao was slightly taken aback and looked closely at the two suits of armor. He saw a line of small characters inscribed on their sleeves—Inspectorate. This... seemed to be a different branch of the military! Southern Fist's expression shifted as well. The Battle Heaven Army had more branches than just the ones they knew about; there were specialized corps as well. The two suits of armor before them seemed to belong to an entirely different division. Their exact strength remained impossible to tell for now. "Inspectorate!" Li Hao transmitted, "Those armors say 'Inspectorate' on them. They might be equivalent to internal affairs or a disciplinary branch in the Battle Heaven Army... the type that manages domestic order." The other two nodded, yet felt a headache coming on. How were they supposed to communicate? Could they communicate at all? Although the soldiers in Battle Heaven City could still fight, they seemed unable to converse unless they were fully awakened—and awakening meant permanent death. Watching the two soldiers walk swiftly toward them, Li Hao's eyes flickered. Quickly, he took out the *Battle Heaven City Travel Guide* and flipped directly to the page on recruitment. When the two soldiers arrived before them, he hastily held the booklet up before his chest. He wanted to enlist! As for whether this method would work... who knew? The two soldiers stopped across the gate. Inside the red armors, it seemed empty, yet there also seemed to be lingering spirit or obsession driving them to carry out their duties from life. Recruitment! As if recognizing the contents of the booklet, or perhaps knowing that outsiders who arrived at this hour almost always came to enlist, one of the red-armored soldiers waved a hand. A glimmer of light flashed, and the iron gate slid open. The hearts of all three stirred. It worked? Just as the thought crossed their minds, one of the red armors pointed at Li Hao and Hong Yitang, signaling for them to enter. Feeling odd, Li Hao stepped inside nonetheless. Hong Yitang followed after him. Southern Fist was about to step through as well when—boom! Suddenly, the red-armored soldier drew a blade and slashed downward! The strike did not hit Southern Fist, but slammed into the ground right in front of him, blocking his path. A beam of red light shot from the eye sockets of the red armor! It seemed to be a warning! Southern Fist's expression turned ugly, filled with vexation and grief. Damn it! Was this the penalty for not having a key? They wouldn't even give him a chance to enlist? Fuck! Li Hao was surprised as well. It wouldn't work? Did that mean it would be difficult for Southern Fist to gain legal status? After thinking for a moment, Li Hao suddenly tossed his key to Southern Fist. Then, he drew the Starry Sky Sword. Under the gaze of the red armors, the Starry Sky Sword emitted a faint glow. The next instant, the two red armors suddenly struck their right fists against their chests with a metallic clang, just as the silver warrior had done before. Li Hao hurriedly returned the salute, pounding his right fist against his chest. For a moment, it felt rather solemn. This salute was quite manly. Letting his mind wander for a second, Li Hao wondered: striking the chest was fine for men, but wouldn't it be somewhat painful for women? These red armors seemed slightly different from the silver armors. At first, they had not recognized Li Hao's identity; only when the Starry Sky Sword appeared did they seem to sense something. Did this mean their rank was lower than that of the silver armors? A silver armor was a chiliarch. Previously, the black armors had not sensed his identity either; they had only saluted after the silver armor saluted. And these red armors had also only saluted just now. Meanwhile, Southern Fist caught the key. Whether because of Li Hao's status or the key itself, when he stepped through the gate again, he was not attacked. The two red armors made no further move against him. Southern Fist wore a bitter expression. Fortunately, Li Hao was here; otherwise, as someone without legal standing, he wouldn't have been able to take a single step in this city even after entering. The red armors made no further movements. Once the salute ended and Southern Fist walked in, they paused for a moment, as though in silent communication. A moment later, one of them waved a hand again, and the iron gate closed. The two red armors then took the lead, guiding the way forward. All three felt somewhat uneasy. Walking through this massive military barracks city, they seemed to feel a chilling aura of slaughter. They continued forward like this... After walking for about five or six minutes, a grand hall appeared before their eyes. Li Hao's eyes lit up! He transmitted, "The Recruitment Hall! This is the recruitment office. These two red armors really knew what we wanted to do. Do you think they still possess consciousness?" The red armors had actually brought them to the recruitment point! Hong Yitang and Southern Fist also wore strange expressions. Were these soldiers merely acting mechanically, or did they retain some awareness and simply could no longer communicate with the living? The Recruitment Hall was open. Sweeping his gaze inside, Li Hao seemed to spot armored warriors stationed within. Even with the fierce battle outside, Battle Heaven Army personnel remained posted here. The two red armors stopped at the entrance. After a moment, a bronze-armored warrior walked out from the Recruitment Hall. His hollow gaze swept over the three of them. Then, waving a hand, he turned and reentered the hall. Seeing this, Li Hao hurried to follow, as did Hong Yitang and Southern Fist... Just as Li Hao took a step, he felt his clothes tighten. Startled, he turned to look, only to see one of the red armors reaching out with an arm of steel to pull him back. Under Li Hao's bewildered gaze, the red armor pointed forward! The other red armor also extended a hand in an inviting gesture. Li Hao froze. What did this mean? Southern Fist and Hong Yitang hastily stopped as well. At that moment, one of the red armors drew a blade and tapped Southern Fist with the flat of it as if shooing a fly. Seeing Southern Fist on the verge of fighting back, Hong Yitang said through clenched teeth, "Let's go. These two want us to follow the bronze centurion inside. Li Hao... might be going somewhere else. I get it now—when a young master from a noble family comes to enlist, he doesn't go to the same place as us!" Southern Fist rolled his eyes, unable to hold back any longer. "Fuck! After countless ages, the ancient civilization still practiced nepotism? When someone from a great clan comes to serve, they don't even enlist in the same place?" Now he understood as well. Li Hao was being received somewhere else, while the two of them were undergoing ordinary enlistment. They were on completely different tracks. Hong Yitang was also between tears and laughter. Who knew? Perhaps members of the Eight Great Families had enjoyed special treatment even in the ancient era. That was probably... normal, right? What else could they say? Nothing! Seeing the bronze armor ahead about to vanish from sight, the two hurried after him. Hong Yitang transmitted to Li Hao, "Go with them. It might be different from ours, and it could be a good thing!" *** Li Hao scratched his head. Truth be told, he had never felt any special privilege from the bloodline of the Eight Great Families anywhere else. Who would have thought that upon coming to Battle Heaven City, he would receive special treatment? For the first time, he felt that the bloodline of the Eight Great Families really carried weight. He felt like quite the lord. Not going to lie, it felt pretty good! Without another word, he continued following the two red armors forward. They walked for nearly ten minutes before Li Hao finally stopped. The red armors halted. One of the red armors walked up to a small building ahead and knocked on the door. To Li Hao's surprise, the door opened, and another red-armored warrior stepped out from within. Unlike the two escorting red armors, this one did not wear an "Inspectorate" insignia. They seemed to communicate briefly... A moment later, the newly appeared red armor cast his hollow gaze toward Li Hao, quickly fixing his empty eye sockets on the short sword in Li Hao's hand. He seemed to recognize the blade... and understand what it represented! The next instant, he extended a mechanical arm and beckoned to Li Hao. Li Hao hurriedly stepped forward! The red armor turned and entered the building, while the two escorting red armors saluted and soon turned to leave. Li Hao was at a loss for words, but hastily returned the salute. At this moment, he no longer dared treat these warriors as mere puppets. These soldiers... might still be alive—not in the physical sense, but in their consciousness. The red armor ahead led Li Hao inside. The building had not looked large from the outside, but once inside, Li Hao discovered it was quite spacious. Along the way, there was not just one red armor, but many. They moved back and forth as if still on official business. This building was still functioning. As a privileged individual, Li Hao experienced a very different reception here. Red armors saluted him repeatedly, and Li Hao continually returned their salutes, making him feel as though he had truly entered a grand military camp—a feeling far stronger than what he had experienced in the Martial Guard Army. In the Martial Guard Army, he had not felt much of anything. Passing down a long corridor, they reached the end of the hall, where an office stood. The guiding red armor stepped forward and knocked. The door opened automatically. The red armor stepped inside, then emerged a moment later, gesturing for Li Hao to enter. His task seemed complete. Li Hao felt apprehensive, but after a moment's consideration, he stepped inside promptly. The moment he entered... he froze. Here... inside the office... the layout was very similar to a modern office, but inside sat... a powerhouse clad in golden armor! Li Hao's face turned green! There was another golden warrior here? How was that possible! A silver warrior was a chiliarch, so according to their assumptions, a golden warrior would be a myriad commander. But one had previously appeared in the city lord's estate, which implied that the city lord might be the only golden warrior in the city! Why was there another one here? Then what was the one in the city lord's estate? The city lord? If so, why was the city lord only of the golden tier, just like this one? Li Hao's thoughts were in turmoil. Not daring to overthink, he hastily saluted. At this moment, he treated this figure as a living being. The golden warrior also stood up, returning Li Hao's salute before sitting back down, his eye sockets fixed on Li Hao. His gaze seemed to fall upon the short sword. As if the sword were the core of it all. A dead silence lingered for a moment. The next instant, before Li Hao could react, a fist suddenly appeared right in front of his face. *Bang!* Before Li Hao could even register it, the punch struck. With a loud crash, Li Hao flew backward and slammed hard into the wall, sliding down like a hung painting. Li Hao was shocked! Reacting instantly, he sprang up, about to strike back... but the golden warrior had already returned to his seat as though he had never moved. It was as if Li Hao had merely dreamed it. While Li Hao remained bewildered, the golden warrior lowered his head, staring at the papers before him in contemplation. Just then, the golden warrior took up a brush and actually began writing. Li Hao paused, halting his movements, and watched in silence. After about a minute, the warrior finished writing. He tapped the desk. Outside the door, the red armor who had guided Li Hao stepped in, and the golden warrior handed the paper to him. Li Hao stood on tiptoe to peek at the paper, which was covered in characters... He could not read everything clearly, but caught a few lines. "Bloodline of the Li Family, successor of the Starry Sky Sword. Strength feeble, unfit for great responsibility. Originally the core of the Eight Families, entering the Battle Heaven Army should warrant a general's rank... Yet being exceedingly feeble, now granted a field officer rank..." Li Hao was stunned. *Exceedingly feeble...* Those words were... truly disheartening. So that punch earlier had been a test of his strength? Because he couldn't even take a single punch, the other party deemed him too weak and downgraded his rank? A core successor of the Eight Great Families enlisting here was supposed to start at general rank... truly impressive! Unfortunately, he had embarrassed himself. His rank had been slashed by a massive margin! A moment later, the red armor finished reading, glanced at Li Hao, and signaled for him to follow. Li Hao wore a helpless expression and looked back at the golden warrior, but the man didn't pay him the slightest attention anymore! Just like that, his assessment was complete in utter confusion. Resigned, Li Hao followed the red armor out. This time, they walked all the way out of the small building. They entered another facility, likely an armory. A soldier was stationed here as well—unexpectedly, another silver warrior. Taking the sheet of paper while Li Hao wondered what was happening, the silver warrior bustled about for a moment before several items were placed before Li Hao. A token, a suit of armor, a manual, a storage ring, and a sheet of paper that seemed to require Li Hao's signature. The armor was silvery-white. Li Hao stared blankly. *Silver armor!* So silver warriors were field officers? If he had gotten a general rank, wouldn't that have been golden armor? One had to remember that across the entire Battle Heaven City, black armors could be taken outside, but the bronze and silver armors above them could not. They would self-destruct! Li Hao's immediate thought was: if he took this silver armor and put it on, would he still be able to leave the city? What if it exploded the moment he stepped outside and blew him to bits? Yet with the red armor staring at him and a silver warrior standing right before him... Li Hao gritted his teeth. He had already come this far, and there was a golden warrior nearby. If he refused, would he be treated as a deserter and executed on the spot? It was not impossible! This city followed rules strictly. Deserters would certainly be put to death. Flustered, he picked up the silver armor, not knowing how to use it. He knew how to use black armor by now, but this was his first time seeing silver armor, and he had no idea how to operate it. The red armor who brought him seemed thoroughly exasperated. Reaching out directly, the red armor seized Li Hao's hand. The next instant, a barb emerged from the gauntlet, piercing Li Hao's fingertip. A drop of blood welled up, and the red armor guided Li Hao's hand to let the blood drip onto a raised node on the silver armor. At that very moment, Li Hao felt a sudden connection. It felt as though the silver armor had become part of his own body. With a thought, the silver armor effortlessly covered his frame. Not only that, but knowledge seemed to flood his mind, as though someone were faintly instructing him on how to utilize the equipment. By now, Li Hao had become a silver warrior. With a thought, a longsword materialized in his hand. Another thought, and the sword became a saber; another, and it shifted into a spear... Li Hao was astonished. What an incredible piece of equipment! It even came with integrated weaponry! And it could morph at will. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* The silver warrior in the armory tapped on the desk. At the same time, a somewhat rigid voice seemed to echo in Li Hao's mind: "Rookie, sign to confirm!" "..." Li Hao was utterly shocked! He snapped his head toward the silver warrior. Growing impatient, the silver warrior tapped the desk again. "Entered through the back door, didn't you? Even someone from the Eight Guardian Families has to sign to confirm. Otherwise, if a set of gear goes missing, are you going to pay for it?" "You're still alive?" Li Hao blurted out in sheer shock. He had spoken aloud, but it produced no effect. The other party seemed not to hear, or perhaps could not understand. Li Hao's thoughts stirred as he recalled the operational instructions for the silver armor. After fumbling for a moment, he released a ripple of spirit intent. After working at it for quite some time, just as the other party looked ready to strike him, he finally figured out a fraction of it. A wave of spirit intent rippled outward: "You can speak?" The message seemed to be received. The next instant, an impatient voice echoed in his mind: "Rookie, speak another word of nonsense and I'll kick you to death! Cut the crap, hurry up, sign the confirmation, and get lost!" "..." Li Hao's shock was beyond words! Sensing the other party's impatience, however, he obediently began to sign his name... Just as he finished, the silver warrior opposite tore the paper to shreds in fury and thrust out an identical sheet. "Scribble ghost talismans again and I'll execute you for delaying military affairs!" "..." Li Hao was momentarily dumbfounded, but quickly realized his mistake. He hastily wrote his name in ancient characters: Li Hao! Yet the next moment, it was torn to shreds once more! The silver warrior appeared utterly enraged. "Rookie, do you dare provoke me again and again? Write it with a spiritual imprint! Do you genuinely not understand, or are you playing games on purpose?" Li Hao froze, troubled. He quickly sent a spirit intent ripple through the silver armor to connect with the warrior: "I don't understand..." "Useless trash!" "..." He had been cursed out! Vexed and helpless, Li Hao thought it through. A spiritual imprint had to mean spirit intent, right? He attempted to use a ripple of spirit intent to imprint the two characters of his name, Li Hao. The next instant, the paper was swiftly collected, and the silver warrior finally appeared satisfied. The red armor guiding him gestured for Li Hao to take the remaining items. Li Hao tried transmitting a message to the red armor... only to find it had no effect. A headache came over him. What was going on? Could messages only be transmitted between silver warriors? Was it because they were from different branches? Or was his authority insufficient? Scratching his head, Li Hao took the remaining items: a token, a booklet, and a storage ring. He quickly probed into the storage ring with his spirit intent. The next instant, he drew a sharp breath. Good grief! There wasn't much inside, just ten divine energy stones... But compared to the ones in his possession, these all radiated a lustrous sheen. One glance was enough to tell that his own stones were garbage, while these were true treasures! Was this... his military pay? Besides the divine energy stones, there were two sets of undergarments and two sets of outer clothing. They were not armor, but ordinary garments that appeared meant for daily wear—military uniforms that looked remarkably sharp. Aside from that, there was nothing else. Upon closer inspection, however, Li Hao discovered a key engraved with: "Field Officer Dormitory Sector, Room 109." This seemed to be his assigned quarters. He picked up his token and examined it. A line of characters was inscribed upon it as well: "Ninth Army, Ninth Reserve Defense Division." Li Hao scratched his head again. So it was only a reserve defense division? Did that mean this unit of the Battle Heaven Army was not a frontline branch? He picked up the booklet and flipped through it quickly. It contained regulations, military codes, and precautions, with one point emphasized above all: obeying military orders was the supreme duty of a soldier! Li Hao felt uneasy. Many of these military laws were extraordinarily severe. The slightest misstep seemed to carry an execution penalty. Would this... actually work out? Was enlisting really a good idea? Of course, as he continued exploring, he gradually felt other differences. Under his manipulation, the silver armor suddenly radiated a faint glow, and the next instant, a surge of energy from the ground flooded into his body! Li Hao's heart stirred. This energy could not only be absorbed by him, but also seemed to enhance the armor's defensive power. Beyond that, there appeared to be other functions. Furthermore, he could fly! Not flight in the conventional sense, but by maneuvering the armor, he seemed capable of linking directly with the entire city's defensive network. However, Li Hao had yet to figure out the exact method. Just then, a mechanical voice sounded in Li Hao's mind: "Welcome to the Battle Heaven Army! The establishment of the Ninth Division is full, and the formation of new units has stalled. Commander Li Hao of the Ninth Army's Twelfth Regiment, due to recruitment difficulties, the Recruitment Hall has enlisted two new recruits. Lacking systematic military training, their combat effectiveness is feeble. Are you willing to accept these recruits into your regiment?" Li Hao was stunned! After a long pause, he suddenly felt like laughing! Two recruits with feeble combat effectiveness... that had to be Hong Yitang and Southern Fist, right? So he had become a regimental commander? The point was, he seemed to be a commander in name only, roughly equivalent to a chiliarch. Since there were no soldiers to give him, the two newly recruited men... had been assigned to his bare-bones command? Li Hao was between tears and laughter! Still, following the prompts, he swiftly chose to accept. A moment later, a profile appeared in his consciousness. The two recruits were indeed Hong Yitang and He Yong. Neither of them had used a fake name? That was somewhat unexpected. Then again, perhaps real or fake names made no difference here. According to Li Hao's display, Hong Yitang was classified as a junior officer—meaning a bronze armor, equivalent to a centurion. Southern Fist, on the other hand... was an ordinary grunt! Li Hao stared blankly. How did this system work? How did it judge and allocate ranks? Even without bursting out his full strength, Southern Fist was at the mid-Rising Light stage, yet he was only an ordinary grunt. Were ranks not divided by strength? Quite possibly. As for Hong Yitang being made a junior officer, perhaps it was because his strength was exceedingly formidable? Li Hao had many questions, but no one was here to answer them. The silver warrior who had spoken to him earlier ignored all of Li Hao's questions, offering neither replies nor patience... Soon, Li Hao followed the red armor back outside. A short while later, in the distance, a bronze armor and a black armor approached under the lead of another red armor. The next instant, Southern Fist's voice came through: "Li Hao, I got the notification! We've been assigned to the Ninth Division's Twelfth Regiment! Old Hong is actually my superior—Company Commander of Company One, Twelfth Regiment! What the fuck... I'm just a black-armored grunt!" Hong Yitang said helplessly, "Quit your whining. I received a message too—I have a superior named Regiment Commander Li Hao! It told me to report to Regiment Commander Li Hao!" Although Li Hao was wearing silver armor, both of them knew it was him. Since he was their superior in the army, even from a distance, their armor provided a prompt: *Regiment Commander passing, take note!* Hong Yitang was utterly speechless. Was being from the Eight Great Families that amazing? Hmph! Li Hao had enlisted directly as a silver regimental commander. Meanwhile, a powerhouse like Hong Yitang had only scraped together a bronze armor. Still, better than nothing—Southern Fist was the truly pitiful one, now an ordinary grunt under his command! Hong Yitang added, "I've figured a few things out, Li Hao. This armor is extraordinary. Its defense is astonishingly strong; even though it's only bronze armor, I feel immensely powerful. We might have used the black armor wrong before. Its defense was only comparable to Solar Radiance, but ask Old He—his black armor feels remarkably tough right now..." He Yong immediately said, "Right! I feel this thing is absurdly strong. It depends on your own strength—the stronger you are, the stronger the defense, and the more energy it draws from the ground. Only... it seems you can't leave the ground. Once airborne, it reverts to standard black armor defense." Black armor had its limitations. By now, Li Hao had regrouped with them. Hearing their conversation, a voice transmitted through the armor: "I've noticed a few things too. You seem to be my direct subordinates, and I can transmit messages to you through the armor's internal network..." With that, a ripple of spirit intent was kept within the armor, yet Li Hao's voice sounded clearly in their minds. "Fun, isn't it?" "..." The two paused. Hong Yitang tried it as well, then said, "I can do it too, though I seem only able to transmit to Old He. But as long as you grant me permission, I can transmit to you to report on duties..." "This armor is incredible!" "In the ancient civilization, these soldiers were outrageously powerful, and their armor craftsmanship was terrifyingly advanced. This internal communication system ensures forces obey commands effectively." He Yong and Hong Yitang were filled with emotion. Remarkable! This was merely a garrison reserve force! The cost of forging this armor alone was something the current Heavenly Star Dynasty could neither achieve nor afford. Right at this moment, another communication pinged inside Li Hao's armor. "Commander Li Hao of the Newly Formed Twelfth Regiment, Ninth Division: The Ninth Division has engaged in battle at the east city. The enemy is formidable. Is the Newly Formed Twelfth Regiment willing to deploy reinforcements? As a newly formed unit with feeble combat power and incomplete staffing, you may decline deployment to await full assembly and completion of military training..." Li Hao raised an eyebrow. Who was sending this system message? Was it the golden warrior in the city, or was it built into the network from the start? Since the silver warrior could speak through this system, the golden warrior surely could as well. Speculation aside, Li Hao had no desire to stay here. According to the booklet's rules, new recruits had to undergo at least three months of military training. If he refused deployment, he would have to lead these two recruits through three months of training right here! No way! Three months... forget it. The next instant, Li Hao chose to accept the reinforcement mission. "Newly Formed Twelfth Regiment, deploy immediately to the battlefield! Obey commands and repel the foreign enemies! For the human race, for Battle Heaven City—fight!" A resounding, forceful voice, seemingly carrying a trace of emotion, rang out in Li Hao's mind. At that moment, the voice also sounded in the minds of Hong Yitang and He Yong. "Newly Formed Twelfth Regiment, deploy! Slay the enemy!" Behind them, the two red armors seemed to realize they had accepted the mission. The next moment, they saluted again, their fists slamming against their chests with a booming clang! Not only that, but wherever soldiers were stationed throughout the area, they all seemed to receive the order. Knowing that another regiment was about to march to the battlefield, metallic clangs resounded continuously. Everywhere their eyes turned, any soldier present stood at salute, seeing them off. Southern Fist muttered, "They're making it so thrilling... feels like if we don't return in triumph, we'll let everyone down..." This feeling was bizarre as hell! The people to be killed outside were modern folk, while they... were actually modern people themselves. Did this make them... traitors to their era? At this moment, Southern Fist and the others, including Li Hao, felt a strange dissonance. Had they... become traitors to their era? Joining an ancient army, accepting military orders, and marching out to fight modern humans... Well, that feeling vanished in a flash. Who cared! Still, this atmosphere felt distinctly different. Walking along, Li Hao said, "When I set out from the Martial Guard Army, no one saw me off... If they had done something like this, maybe... I would've felt a little stirred too!" That was simply the truth. Sometimes, inadvertent little gestures could truly leave an unforgettable impression. Right now, wherever they went, every soldier they saw saluted them, watching them go until they were out of sight, as if sending off departing heroes... For that alone, Li Hao felt quite pleased. A moment later, the three arrived back where they had entered. A red-armored guard now stood there. Seeing the three, he promptly opened the gate and slammed his fist against his chest with a heavy thud. Had he been capable of speech, he might well have shouted something aloud. All three of them felt the weight of that gesture. Amidst this strange yet slightly exhilarating feeling, the three walked out of the military camp together. Only after stepping outside did Southern Fist let out a breath. "In there... staying too long would definitely assimilate you. What a terrifying sensation!" It was a constant indoctrination, an unrelenting infusion of ideals. Far more formidable than the words Hong Yitang had spoken earlier. Hong Yitang sighed. "That is precisely why these soldiers were so powerful! We have our own thoughts and don't even belong to this era, yet after joining this army for just a brief moment, we felt solemnity, duty, and the weight of responsibility. One can imagine that after three months of military training here, our impressions would run far deeper... A terrifying place!" Li Hao said nothing. Having received another order, he spoke up: "Let's go. Some higher authority has ordered us to reach the battlefield within an hour. If we're late, we'll face military punishment!" They were not far from the eastern gate, so an hour was more than enough. Evidently, the standard for their three-man newly formed regiment was relatively lenient. Li Hao promptly took to the air. Flying felt wonderfully smooth, completely free of any obstruction, and he felt somewhat smug. The two below watched him without moving. The three quickly rushed toward the eastern gate. Hong Yitang transmitted from below, "Don't be too flashy. Your current strength is roughly on par with an unawakened silver powerhouse, but against an awakened silver... you don't measure up. Be careful not to draw the attacks of powerful Rising Light experts. A high silver rank isn't necessarily a good thing!" At those words, the color of Li Hao's armor shifted, turning black the next instant. He chuckled, "As a silver regimental commander, I can disguise myself. That's my privilege—what is there to fear!" He had witnessed this before. Now he had simply figured out how to use it in practice. Li Hao laughed, then gritted his teeth. "This feels great. Soon, I'm definitely going to kill plenty of people from the Three Great Organizations! I'll make them pay dearly!" He had finally found an opportunity to face his enemies head-on. The two below said nothing, each harboring their own thoughts. Becoming members of Battle Heaven City's Battle Heaven Army was beyond anything they had anticipated. At this point, they had no idea how to proceed with their original plans and could only take things one step at a time. They had clearly come to seize treasures, yet here they were, inducted into the ranks. Li Hao, however, did not overthink it. There was another golden warrior in the city, which meant two golden warriors in total including the one in the barracks. This time, even if the three of them did not cause trouble, the outsiders might not succeed anyway. After flying for a while, Li Hao suddenly glanced into the distance, momentarily dazed. *Did my eyes play tricks on me? Did I just see a running black dog?* Strange! Black Panther? A black dog instantly reminded him of Black Panther, but... that was ridiculous. Black Panther had run off long ago, and even if it hadn't, it wouldn't show up here. He stopped dwelling on it. Perhaps his eyes had deceived him, for looking again, there was nothing to see... Reaching the eastern district came first. *** Meanwhile, at the eastern city gate. The grand battle had temporarily halted. The supers had retreated from the gates and gathered in the plaza further away. Noise buzzed incessantly, with many venting bitter complaints. What kind of situation was this? They had arrived only to run straight into a fight before gaining a single scrap of benefit. In just that short time, three to four hundred supers had died! A battle of this scale was rare even in the Central Region. Amidst the clamor, the leaders of the great organizations and various powerhouses frowned. This time was different from before; the black-armored warriors seemed far more difficult to handle. And they no longer divided their forces! They seemed to possess more tactical intelligence than before. Was someone directing them? The golden-armored warrior inside the city? As for the hundreds of dead, the leaders cared little. Most were rogue cultivators, not their own men. If they died, they died; they were not on the same side anyway. As for the major factions themselves, their priority was naturally to observe the situation before deciding their next move.