A military camp in the Sun Moon Empire.
A group of men, covered in bruises, were unwillingly arranged in square formations. There were about a thousand of them.
Among them, Huang Bin had arrived in the afternoon. Forcibly brought along with him were a group of young laborers from the town.
They were forced to put on military uniforms and, while preparing to undergo soldier training, also had to do logistical work for the army.
When he was forcibly taken away, Huang Bin had resisted along with a group of young and strong men. Helplessly, this group of soldiers who licked blood from the tip of their blades were too skilled. Against them, they had almost no ability to resist.
Many townspeople with families were even threatened with the humiliation of their wives, forcing them to have no choice but to obediently submit.
Now, they had signed the agreement to join the army. Even if they found a chance to slip away, they would bear the crime of treason and be nailed to the empire's pillar of shame.
Huang Bin's duty was precisely in the logistics unit. The imperial army fully utilized the value of each of them, assigning them to the best possible positions.
The logistics unit was also the only branch of the army with little self-defense capability. Besides the necessary training, they also had to prepare meals for the army.
After being forced to undergo an afternoon of training, Huang Bin was following his comrades-in-arms, preparing to return to the barracks to rest. Logistics did not need to stand guard. Huang Bin could be considered quite lucky.
But no one would have expected that the crisis would quietly arrive in the deep of night on this very first day.
"Tweet—"
Just as Huang Bin was lying on his narrow bed, missing his wife, daughter, and the adopted Huo Yuhao, a piercing whistle sounded.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The fellow villagers at his side, who were not yet used to military life, all rolled and crawled off their bunks, looks of terror on each of their faces.
"Grab your weapons!" Huang Bin was the first to react. They had no battle clothes or weapons, so they had no choice but to grab the kitchen knives and pots beside them and rush out in a brainless rush.
At this time, the military camp had completely descended into chaos. Countless new recruits were crying for their parents, not caring about their combat equipment, fleeing with their heads in their hands.
Fires raged everywhere. From a distance, Huang Bin saw a torrent of steel killing its way towards the military camp. On the high-held banner, a white tiger pattern was lifelike, as if it could jump out at any moment to devour people.
"It's the army of the Star Luo Empire! The White Tiger Duke!"
It's unknown who shouted this, but it made the already chaotic military camp like a wok of exploded oil, becoming even more uncontrollable.
It was rumored that the White Tiger Duke's army was strictly disciplined, and his subordinates were brave and skilled in battle. He was the pillar of the Star Luo Empire's military, and also the key defensive line that the Sun Moon Empire had to break through in its advance on Star Luo.
This White Tiger Duke had actually sent an army to attack them?
Before the Sun Moon army could react, the well-equipped White Tiger army was like a fierce tiger let out of its cage, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it pounced on the unprepared new recruits. Among them were even more than a dozen soul masters sweeping the formation. Even the old soldiers in the army could not stop them. One after another, their defensive lines were broken through by the White Tiger army as if they were dead wood.
The advantage of soul masters facing soul tool masters in close combat was infinitely magnified. Many of the Sun Moon army's soul tool masters, who were equipped with advanced soul tools, had not even had time to load their ammunition before their throats were slit by the White Tiger's personal guards, completely losing their ability to fight.
Huang Bin was squeezed in the messy crowd, barely using the iron pot in his hand to block the hacking sabers and spears. The already fragile iron pot was immediately covered with many large and small gashes.
Rip!
Huang Bin had nowhere to avoid. He was finally surrounded by the White Tiger army, and a ghastly gash was cut open on his back. The intense pain almost made him lose consciousness. Immediately after, countless sharp long spears came one after another, piercing through all his teammates beside him. The large iron pot in his hand, which was his last line of defense, was also split in two by a great saber in the next moment. The huge chopping force immediately dislocated both his arms, and his whole person fell to the ground.
Then, countless iron hooves trampled over the bodies of this group of pitiful new recruits. Huang Bin, who was on the ground, suffered heavy blows one after another and immediately fainted...
Huo Yuhao vaguely felt a sense of urgency. He had no choice but to desperately whip his horse, speeding up its running speed.
Suddenly, he vaguely saw a bright bonfire rising by the side of the road. It seemed an old man and a young man were sitting opposite each other. Beside them, two treasured steeds were leisurely eating grass.
"Good horses!" Huo Yuhao's heart turned cold. He immediately rode towards the bonfire, the thought of changing horses to hurry on his way immediately arising in his mind.
When Huo Yuhao was in the Duke's Mansion, he had done the work of a servant and had fed the horses in the mansion no small number of times. In other words, he was a keeper of the heavenly horses (a joke referring to Sun Wukong's official title). Naturally, he had some research on the appearance of treasured horses.
Getting closer, Huo Yuhao finally saw the appearance of the two clearly.
The old man had a kind face and a full head of white hair. A set of loose long robes was casually worn on his body. He was holding a few pills in his hand and was discussing something with the person beside him.
And sitting opposite him was a youth in a black robe. The youth had a delicate and pretty face, which easily made one have a good impression. On his back, he carried a huge, dark black ruler. And in his eyes, as he looked at the approaching Huo Yuhao on horseback, one could clearly feel an extreme heat.
"You two, this one is Huo Yuhao. May I borrow a horse for use?" Huo Yuhao dismounted, bowed to the two, and said.
Seeing the pale-faced Huo Yuhao, the old man was the first to laugh. "This little friend Huo, the road of stars is long. For you to be riding in such a hurry, have you encountered some difficulty?"
Huo Yuhao only felt that the two were somewhat extraordinary. It was not good to forcibly requisition their horses, lest he delay his own rescue. He could only brace himself and explain, "This one has an elder who has unfortunately fallen into distress. I have no choice but to go to the rescue. I hope you two will lend a helping hand and lend me a treasured horse for use. I will surely thank you heavily in the future!"
"He's a boy who values his family," the old man stroked the beard on his chin, his smile quite gratified. He turned his head to the black-robed youth beside him and said, "You boy should learn from him. Back then, you left my disciple-wife alone to manage such a large force. Now that we, master and disciple, have come through the bitterness, you must properly accompany your wife and daughter."
The black-robed youth, hearing the old man's scolding, couldn't help but smile helplessly. "Wasn't I also forced by the situation back then? If I didn't have enough strength, how could I have rescued you, teacher?"
Immediately, the black-robed youth took out several jade bottles from his bosom and handed them to Huo Yuhao. "Inside are some healing pills I casually refined. Perhaps they can solve your urgent need."
Huo Yuhao was mystified, but he was worried about Huang Bin's current situation and did not refuse. Instead, he bowed slightly to the youth to show his thanks. "May I ask for the esteemed names of you two? If there is a chance to meet again in the future, I will surely repay you heavily!"
"My name is Xiao Huohuo. Little brother Huo, your words are too polite," the black-robed youth stood up, helped Huo Yuhao up, and reached out to tap a point between Huo Yuhao's eyebrows.
Huo Yuhao was suddenly shocked and lost his color. With his current spiritual power cultivation, he was actually unable to avoid this one finger from the youth.
"I will teach you a few medicinal formulas, and also some simple medicine refining techniques. I hope they will be of use in the future."
The youth named Xiao Huohuo smiled, seeming not to mind Huo Yuhao's surprise.
Xiao Huohuo? Is he the legendary grandmaster of pill refining from that Treasure Gathering Pavilion? Huo Yuhao was stunned for a moment, then immediately felt a lot of information appear in his spiritual sea. He concentrated and saw that it was surprisingly the refining formulas for many pills and some pill refining techniques.
"Little brother Huo, you can take this horse of mine for use. Even a Dou Di's horse doesn't run as fast as mine," Xiao Huohuo pointed to the two fine steeds by the roadside and said with a smile.
Huo Yuhao was not pretentious either. He immediately chose a white horse and mounted it. He cupped his fists at the two. "Today's kindness, this boy will remember it in his heart. If we have the fortune to meet again in the future, I will surely thank you heavily!"
The old man and Xiao Huohuo smiled and waved at him. "Little brother Huo, have a safe trip."
Huo Yuhao no longer hesitated. With a press of his legs, the white horse sped off in the direction his spirit was guiding.
Watching Huo Yuhao's departing figure, the old man stroked his beard thoughtfully. "This child is by no means a thing of the pond!"
Xiao Huohuo shook his head and smiled. "This Douluo plane is now controlled by a group of scoundrel gods, and there are many problems with its ecological laws. It's better to just give him a fateful opportunity. Whether he succeeds or fails in the future will all depend on his own fortune."
"Heh, don't you say it. Those guys up there really do have some strength. When we first came here, we were almost discovered by them!"
"Teacher is joking. Even if we were discovered, they couldn't do anything to us."
TLNote: What the-?!! Are those guys are Xiao Yan and Yao Lao
...
When Huang Bin woke up again, he was surprised to find that he was tied up and, along with other prisoners of war, was being carried to one execution rack after another.
Beside him were the defeated and captured new recruits of the Sun Moon army, each with a bitter face, as if they had accepted their fate.
The dark night was illuminated brightly by torches. The one after another of raised white tiger great banners shone brilliantly in the firelight, emitting a bloodthirsty aura.
"Execute! Execute!"
Below the stage, one after another of neatly arranged army square formations held up their torches and shouted in unison, their eyes filled with hatred for the prisoners of war on the stage who were about to be executed.
At the very front of the army formation, a tall man turned around, allowing his full appearance to be seen. He looked to be only in his thirties. His features were regular, his eye sockets deep, and in his azure eyes, each had double pupils shining. His face looked slightly thin, but his whole person had a metallic texture. Especially his gaze, the moment it swept over, it was like a giant blade flashing.
Handsome, resolute, tall, and with an iron-blooded temperament. Seeing him, even the prisoners of war from the opposing Sun Moon Empire had a feeling of wanting to submit.
Without a doubt, the tall man before them was precisely the current Star Luo Empire's one-man-under, ten-thousand-men-above, the iron-blooded war god, the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao. Also the father of the Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin brothers, and at the same time, Huo Yuhao's...
"Soldiers of the Sun Moon Empire, I, Dai, have never humiliated any brave man. You and I stand on opposite sides today, for our country and our people. I must execute you. I wish you all a life in your next incarnation where you are no longer my enemy!"
Dai Hao faced the group of prisoners of war and said in a loud voice.
"For Star Luo—"
"White Tiger! White Tiger! White Tiger!" his generals and soldiers shouted in unison, their killing aura shooting up to the clouds.
"Execute!" Dai Hao turned his head to the side and commanded.