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Lie Tianhu had long led his army guarding the empire's border. It wasn't until just now, when he looked at Crown Prince Dai Weisi, that he realized Dai Weisi had already become a Soul King; he immediately offered his congratulations.
A twenty-year-old Soul King, as long as he does not perish, will surely become a Titled Douluo in time.
"Heh heh, pleasantries can wait," Emperor Dai Pojun chuckled, then said, "Tianhu, you must already know the power of firearms by now. Therefore, I hope you can train a new force under My command—create a firearms unit for the Star Luo Empire to protect our vast rivers and mountains!"
Lie Tianhu quickly nodded. "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I am willing to issue a military pledge and will train a band of wolf-like warriors for You!"
"Excellent! Brother Tianhu, you truly have boldness!" Dai Pojun laughed. "But there's no need for a pledge: from this moment on, you are the Deputy Commander of the White Tiger Legion. As for how to train this unit, you and Dai Weisi should plan that together. I have only one requirement: you must forge a mighty army for Me and for the Star Luo Empire!"
"Yes! I obey!" Lie Tianhu agreed at once. He then left the palace with Dai Weisi to discuss how to train the new troops.
"Your Highness, the training of the new army must be conducted in secret. If scouts from the Heaven Dou Empire or the Spirit Hall detect it, it will be extremely disadvantageous to us!"
"Uncle Tianhu is absolutely right!" Dai Weisi nodded thoughtfully, then unrolled a map of Douluo Continent and pointed to Antonio Province. "I've decided to train the new troops in the Ruin Mountains of Antonio Province. It's only a few dozen kilometers from the Forging Divine Mountains. Once Master Lou Gao forges the firearms, we can transport them to the Ruin Mountains within a day or two.
"More importantly, the area around the Ruin Mountains is a vast, sparsely populated forest, and it's quite far from both Wu Soul City and the Heaven Dou Empire. No matter what we do here, they won't detect us!"
"The Ruin Mountains…" Lie Tianhu murmured, looking at the spot Dai Weisi indicated. His face turned pale. "Your Highness, right next to the Ruin Mountains lie the Disaster Mountains, which are infested with Wolf Bandits!"
At the mention of "Wolf Bandits," Lie Tianhu's expression changed drastically, his brows knitting together. Wolf Bandits are a unique species on Douluo Continent—born from a hybrid of the warlock wolf spirit beast and humans.
They resemble werewolves, possessing a human's stature yet wielding the strength and speed of the warlock wolf, while still retaining a degree of human intelligence.
Their combat power is exceptionally terrifying—each Wolf Bandit has near three-ring Spirit Sovereign strength. Moreover, they are pack creatures: seeing one usually means many more are nearby.
Five hundred Wolf Bandits can easily annihilate a ten-thousand-strong, well-equipped army.
In addition, Wolf Bandits are extremely bloodthirsty and lecherous. Wherever they appear, the locals suffer horribly: they pillage and murder, and even consume humans as food, keeping only women alive for breeding.
While stationed at the empire's border, Lie Tianhu had fought many battles against Wolf Bandits.
Although most of those Wolf Bandits were beyond his ability to defeat one-on-one, the bandits weren't foolish. They avoided head-on clashes and instead launched surprise raids on his troops, inflicting heavy losses over time.
Thus, whenever Lie Tianhu heard "Wolf Bandits," he couldn't help but knit his brow.
"Your Highness, as far as I know, the number of Wolf Bandits in the Disaster Mountains is no less than three thousand, and they are only ten kilometers from the Ruin Mountains. Isn't that too dangerous? Should we choose another location for the training camp?"
"Heh heh, I know full well there are many Wolf Bandits here. I purposely chose this spot!"
At these words, a gleam flashed through Lie Tianhu's eyes as he seemed to understand Dai Weisi's plan. He hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, are you intending to use the Wolf Bandits to train the White Tiger Legion?"
"Exactly! Wolf Bandits are vicious. On Star Luo Empire's land, they run rampant, committing horrific crimes that enrage both gods and men. While we train the new army, we can also eradicate this scourge!"
"Your Highness, but—the Disaster Mountains harbor at least three thousand Wolf Bandits! If they launch a surprise attack on our new troops before their training is complete, what shall we do?"
"Uncle Tianhu, there's no need for concern. I have made comprehensive preparations—everything will be fine."
Dai Weisi spoke with unwavering assurance. His confidence rested on two assets: his Holy Respected White Tiger Martial Spirit and the White Tiger Domain. Wolf Bandits contain partial Windstorm Magic Wolf blood, making them akin to half-level spirit beasts—exactly the kind of creatures the White Tiger Domain excels at neutralizing. If these Bandits dared to mass-invade the training camp, Dai Weisi need only activate his White Tiger Domain to subdue them easily. Moreover, he possessed ample grenades and repeating flintlock rifles. While he might not eradicate every Wolf Bandit in one strike, he was certain he could drive them back.
Seeing Dai Weisi's resolute confidence, Lie Tianhu did not press further. Without delay, he and Dai Weisi assembled their newly recruited thirty thousand soldiers and marched toward the Ruin Mountains to establish their camp and commence training.
Time passed swiftly—six months flew by in the blink of an eye.
In that first month, because the one thousand cannons had not yet been forged, Lie Tianhu personally oversaw the White Tiger Legion's physical training. He also taught them a specialized set of rifle and sword techniques, ordering every soldier to master these methods without fail.
One month later, Master Lou Gao successfully completed forging one thousand bronze cannons along with a vast stockpile of cannonballs. He then dispatched staff to transport this weaponry to the Ruin Mountains camp. Once the cannons arrived, Dai Weisi took over, instructing the troops on proper firearm usage—how to operate the cannons, wield the repeating flintlock rifles, and throw grenades effectively.
Dai Weisi's expectation was clear: on foot, each soldier must be proficient with various firearms; once mounted, they must serve as cavalry, charging into battle to fell the enemy. To set the example himself, Dai Weisi lived, ate, and trained side by side with his soldiers. Over six months, he forged a strong bond with the White Tiger Legion, and his prestige within the ranks grew day by day.
After half a year of intense training, nearly every soldier could handle all three types of firearms with ease. Each man stood tall and muscular, exuding an intimidating presence that bespoke formidable combat prowess.
Now, the White Tiger Legion had truly become a band of tiger–and–wolf-like warriors. All that remained was the crucible of real combat.
Perched cross-legged atop a mountain peak, Dai Weisi's icyflaming gaze fixed coldly on the northwestern range, his eyes brimming with deadly intent. Wolf Bandits possess senses even more acute than those of dogs. By the third day after the legion's arrival, dozens of Wolf Bandits had begun to appear around the camp. Each intruder, however, was promptly dispatched by Dai Weisi and Lie Tianhu.
The new army craved the baptism of blood. This was precisely the opportunity they needed: to pit the White Tiger Legion against the Wolf Bandits in a decisive battle, forging them into a truly fearsome force of tigers and wolves!
(End of Chapter)