Chapter 263: Chapter 23: Taking On the Whole World

At the present stage, the variety of Void Bosses appearing in the Death Zone was not that great, which severely limited the number of Hero Talents Qin Feng could plunder.

To make matters worse, many of the common Talents were of dubious value—hardly worth keeping, yet a pity to throw away.

Take the “Strength Enhancement” Talent, for example. Its only function was to increase the user’s Strength Attribute. But since Qin Feng’s Strength Attribute had already broken through its upper limit and reached its peak, the Talent was naturally worthless to him.

Therefore, he didn’t attack the Void Boss carrying this Talent. Instead, he intentionally left it behind, planning to let his other Heroic Units hunt it down. This would allow them to acquire a common Talent that was, at least for them, marginally useful.

’That should be about it.’

’I’ve pretty much collected all the Hero Talents that are useful to me.’

’Time to head back to the front lines.’

Having made his decision, Qin Feng activated his Gate of War Talent once more. He and his personal Desert Demon Wolf returned to Dick City in the Holy Empire’s New Southern Territory, where he met with Kuge, who had already properly handled all the prisoners from the Northern Territory.

With a serious expression, Kuge asked Qin Feng:

“Your Majesty.”

“We’ve secured the Northern Territory.”

“What’s our next move?”

“Should we stay here for a while, or march directly to the Central Region of the Gulad Empire to capture the Imperial Royal City?”

Qin Feng had already considered the question thoroughly.

The Riding and Cutting Talents he possessed were fundamentally the snowballing type, allowing him to “fuel war with war.”

Therefore, to continue expanding his current advantage and further increase the size and strength of the Holy Empire’s army, he had to seize the moment. He needed to press his advantage and conquer the Gulad Empire’s Central Region in one decisive blow.

Although the situation in the Northern Territory was not yet stable and many of the Gulad Empire’s natives still harbored some hostility toward the Holy Empire, this kind of pacification work could not be rushed. It was not something that could be accomplished overnight.

Qin Feng could only restrain his impatience. He would first conquer the Gulad Empire’s Central Imperial Capital, and then circle back to slowly manage the territory. Only then could he gradually max out the goodwill and Loyalty of the people in the North of Gulad, transforming them into devoted subjects of the Holy Empire.

And so, the Holy Empire’s Divine Chosen Army barely paused in Dick City before marching straight for the Central Region of the Gulad Empire.

The first obstacle in their path was Eagle Fortress. It was situated on the border between the Central Region and the Northern Territory, originally built to defend against any “rebellion from the North.”

Historically, the Empire’s Northern Territory had never rebelled, so Eagle Fortress had never been used for its intended purpose. Over time, thanks to its strategic location, it gradually evolved into a training base and military academy for the Gulad Empire.

Countless Imperial elites had come from this place, and many renowned Hero Level figures had emerged from its ranks.

Take Lyon, the “Black Knight” and one of the Five Dragon Generals, for example. He was originally the child of a commoner family in the Northern Territory.

Because his parents couldn’t afford the daily expenses of raising him, they sent him to Eagle Fortress at the young age of eight to receive military training, and he became a soldier for life in the Gulad Empire.

Thanks to the Gulad Empire’s policy of cultivating talent regardless of origin, Lyon started as a mere Knight’s Squire and rose through the ranks: Knight Apprentice, Official Knight, Elite Knight, Knight Captain… and finally, he joined the esteemed Five Dragon Generals, his story becoming a rags-to-riches legend.

Besides Lyon, another of the Five Dragon Generals, the “Demon Swordmaster” Russell, also came from a commoner background.

However, he didn’t graduate from the military academy at Eagle Fortress. He began as a mercenary, and his exceptional skills earned him the recognition of the nobility. This path eventually led him to the Central Imperial Capital, where he became a favorite of Flame Emperor Galukasa and was bestowed the title of “Five Dragon General,” the Empire’s highest honor.

However, it is worth noting that the “Five Dragon Generals” did not simply refer to five Imperial generals.

The title’s origins traced back to the dawn of the Gulad Empire and the five generals who assisted the first emperor. They were the first top-tier powerhouses to be recognized by the Ancient Giant Dragons, becoming “True Dragon Knights.”

Thus, the title of “Five Dragon General” was derived from the standard of strength they established, and it came to symbolize the Empire’s pinnacle of military might and honor.

Therefore, becoming one of the modern-day Five Dragon Generals required meeting several strict conditions.

First, one had to reach the highest tier of the power-rating system established by the original Five Dragon Generals—what Lord Players would consider a 1-star (Red) level.

Second, one must possess exceptional combat prowess, capable of fighting ten or even dozens of opponents simultaneously. They couldn’t be some fraud who was incapable of defeating even a 1-star (Green) Extraordinary-level individual.

Finally, one had to earn the recognition of the current Flame Emperor and be deemed loyal to the Empire.

Only by meeting all three criteria could one join this rank, which symbolized the Empire’s ultimate honor.

Within the military academy at Eagle Fortress, in addition to a large number of outstanding Imperial soldiers and Hero Level cadets, there were also several retired Five Dragon Generals from the previous generation. They now served as instructors, responsible for cultivating the next generation of talent.

Although they were advanced in years and their combat strength had declined from its peak, their power still fluctuated between the 1-star (Purple) and 1-star (Gold) levels.

Even so, their true strength was still formidable, enough to crush dozens of same-tier Extraordinary Level Heroes in a single assault.

’In other words…’

’After Flame Emperor Galukasa took all the Empire’s main forces with him…’

’…the un-graduated Imperial military cadets in Eagle Fortress, plus those retired Five Dragon Generals from the previous generation, are now the strongest fighting force in the Gulad Empire’s Central Region?’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep