Chapter 162: Establish the Xin Feng Legion!

Soon, a knight dragged a Fire Beard dwarf who was still groaning out of the pile of corpses.

One of that guy's legs had been severed by Hart's sword, and he was currently clutching his broken leg, wailing in pain.

"Wake him up for me!"

Hart said coldly.

A knight stepped forward and poured a bucket of cold water directly onto the Fire Beard dwarf's head.

That guy shuddered and woke up.

When he saw Hart, who stood before him like a demon god, his eyes were instantly filled with terror.

"I ask, you answer."

Hart walked up to him and looked down at him.

"If you dare to tell a single lie, I will cut off your other leg and stuff it into your mouth."

His voice carried no emotion, cold as if it had come from hell.

That Fire Beard dwarf shuddered all over in fright and nodded repeatedly.

"Why are you here?"

Hart asked.

"It—it was Master Fire-Melting who sent us here—"

That Fire Beard dwarf answered tremblingly.

"Fire-Melting?"

Hart frowned.

"Wasn't he already defeated by us and fled?"

"He—he didn't die—"

"More than a month ago, he came back with a few mysterious people in black robes."

"And they gave Master Fire-Melting a lot, a lot of gold coins and weapons—"

"Master Fire-Melting used these things to quickly pull together a team again."

"He told us that as long as we could occupy this passage, we could get countless wealth and women—"

"So, we came—"

People in black robes?

Hart's heart skipped a beat.

It was the Poison Scorpion Society again!

Their goal was also this underground passage!

This was definitely not good news.

"Where is your leader Fire-Melting now?"

Hart continued to ask.

"I—I don't know—"

That Fire Beard dwarf shook his head.

"Master Fire-Melting's whereabouts are very mysterious, and we don't know where he is now—"

"Then, besides us, have you seen anyone else in this passage?"

"No, we are the first batch sent in to scout the way—"

"We have been guarding here for almost half a month, and besides our own people, we have only seen some small monsters in the cave—"

Hart fell silent.

It seemed that no more valuable intelligence could be asked from this guy.

He looked at that Fire Beard dwarf, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes.

"Master, spare my life! I've told you everything I know!"

That Fire Beard dwarf seemed to sense Hart's murderous intent, scared out of his wits, begging for mercy repeatedly.

"Spare you?"

Hart sneered.

"Go to hell and tell your companions that."

Having said that, he swung his sword.

A fine head soared into the sky.

"Dispose of the corpses, we continue forward."

Hart wiped the blood off his sword and said coldly.

Although they encountered an ambush, their mission was not yet complete.

The team rested for a moment and then set off again.

This time, their vigilance had clearly increased significantly.

Everyone gripped their weapons tightly, ready to deal with any unexpected situations that might arise.

The passage began to become deeper and deeper.

On the surrounding rock walls, some glowing moss began to appear.

These mosses emitted a faint green light, illuminating the entire passage like a ghost realm.

In the air, the smell of sulfur also became more and more intense.

"Captain, look, what is that?"

A knight walking at the very front suddenly pointed into the darkness ahead and exclaimed.

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed.

Only to see that at the end of the passage, a region emitting an eerie red light had appeared.

That red light flickered, like a heart beating.

A powerful and evil energy fluctuation that made one's heart palpitate radiated from that red light.

"What the hell is that?"

Hart frowned, muttering to himself.

He could feel his heart beating uncontrollably fast.

The Battle Qi in his body also began to become somewhat restless.

This was an instinctive vigilance against danger.

"Master, we—we should go back—"

The Dijing Klazz, hiding at the back of the team, was trembling with fear.

"That energy is too terrifying, I feel like my soul is about to be sucked in—"

It wasn't just him; even the battle-hardened Storm Knights revealed grave expressions on their faces.

They were all Bronze-rank powerhouses, and their perception of energy was far sharper than ordinary people's.

They could clearly feel the terror of the energy ahead.

That was definitely not something they could contend with right now.

"Retreat!"

Hart made a prompt decision and gave the order.

Although he really wanted to figure out what that red light was.

But he knew even better that the Lord's order was exploration, not suicide.

Rushing forward in an unknown situation would only lead them into a desperate situation.

However, just as they were about to turn and retreat.

That red light suddenly flickered violently!

Immediately after.

An energy fluctuation several times stronger than before swept toward them like a tsunami!

"Not good! Run!"

Hart's face changed drastically, and he roared.

But it was already too late.

That energy fluctuation caught up with them instantly.

Everyone felt as if their heads had been slammed hard by a heavy hammer.

Everything went black, and they lost consciousness instantly.

Don't know how much time had passed.

Hart woke up slowly.

He shook his still dizzy head and climbed up from the ground.

All around, his subordinates were lying in disarray.

Fortunately, they had only fainted and were not in life-threatening danger.

Hart breathed a sigh of relief and began to wake them up one by one.

"Captain, we—where are we?"

A knight looked around confusedly after waking up.

Hart also looked around, and then his pupils shrank violently.

They were no longer in that narrow underground passage.

Instead, they had appeared in an incomparably wide, giant underground karst cave!

The dome of the cave was hundreds of meters high.

Giant stalactites hung down from it.

In the center of the cave was a giant lava lake.

Boiling magma rolled in the lake, bubbling with giant bubbles.

And that eerie red light that had caused them to faint was radiating from that lava lake!

"We—how did we get here?"

Everyone was stunned.

They had clearly fainted in the passage.

How did they end up in this ghost place when they woke up?

"It's that energy—"

Hart thought for a moment and said.

"It should be that energy fluctuation that teleported us from the passage to here."

"Teleportation?"

Everyone looked at each other.

This was simply too unbelievable.

"Regardless, we must find a way to leave here."

Hart said in a deep voice.

This place was too eerie.

Especially that lava lake, which made him feel a fear from the bottom of his heart.

However, when they began to look for a way out, they discovered in despair.

This giant cave was actually a completely enclosed space!

All around were smooth, steep rock walls, with nowhere to stand.

They were trapped!

"Damn it! We're in trouble now!"

Hart slammed his fist hard against the rock wall.

"Captain, look, what is that!"

Just then, a sharp-eyed knight suddenly pointed to the center of the lava lake and exclaimed.

Everyone immediately looked toward the center of the lava lake.

Only to see that in the rolling magma, there was actually an ancient altar built of black rock!

On the altar, there seemed to be a giant humanoid creature lying!

And that energy fluctuation that made them palpitate was radiating from that creature's body!

Just as they saw the creature clearly.

That creature's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened!

They were a pair of golden pupils burning with raging flames!

A terrifying pressure, like substance, instantly enveloped the entire cave!

Everyone felt as if a giant mountain was pressing down on them, making even breathing difficult.

"I am the Lord of Flame, Ragnaros—"

An ancient and majestic voice rang in their minds.

"Who has awakened me from my slumber—"

Vanguard Valley, Lord's Mansion.

Roko looked at the secret letter sent back by Hart's fast horse, his eyebrows locked tightly together.

The letter detailed their encounter in the underground passage.

Being ambushed by the remnants of the Fire Beard Tribe.

Interrogating the traces of the Poison Scorpion Society.

And finally, that eerie underground cave radiating red light, and that energy fluctuation so powerful it caused them to faint instantly.

"Poison Scorpion Society—"

Roko placed the letter paper on the candle flame and burned it to ashes.

This organization was truly like a ghost that wouldn't leave.

They had actually set their sights on that underground passage.

It seemed they also realized the strategic value of that passage.

This raised a strong sense of urgency in Roko's heart.

He must take complete control of that passage before the Poison Scorpion Society.

Otherwise, once the Poison Scorpion Society and those tribes in the Orc Wasteland colluded together.

The consequences would be unimaginable.

As for the eerie cave and energy fluctuation mentioned in the letter.

Although Roko was also curious, now was clearly not the time to investigate these.

The top priority was to integrate the forces in his hands.

To turn those private soldiers of the nobles of the Xin Feng Alliance who had just surrendered.

Into a real army capable of fighting!

Otherwise, let alone launching a surprise attack in the Orc Wasteland, he probably couldn't even guard his own doorstep.

"Martina, pass my order."

Roko stood up and said in a deep voice.

"Tomorrow morning, at the drill ground outside the city, hold the first joint military exercise of the Xin Feng Alliance."

"Have all the nobles who joined the alliance bring their private soldiers to participate."

"Not a single one can be missing!"

"Yes, Master."

Martina nodded and turned to leave.

She knew the Lord was about to make a move on those nobles.

The next day, early morning.

On the giant drill ground outside Vanguard Valley, people were moving, and flags were fluttering.

Tens of thousands of soldiers from various territories of the Xin Feng Alliance gathered here.

However, this so-called army of tens of thousands looked like a giant flea market.

Their flags were all sorts of things.

Their armor was all sorts of styles; some wore tattered leather armor, while others only wore linen clothes.

Their weapons were also of different lengths; swords, spears, halberds, everything.

Even worse was their mental state.

Most soldiers were listless, leaning on their weapons, chatting and joking in groups of three or five.

The entire formation was crooked, with no military discipline to speak of.

Roko stood on the high platform, looking at this so-called "Alliance Army" below, his face so gloomy it was about to drip water. Damn it!

Where is this an army?

This is clearly a mob holding weapons!

Relying on this group of people to fight against the assassins of the Poison Scorpion Society and the berserkers of the orc tribes?

I'm afraid they would be slaughtered and crying for their parents in a single charge.

"Is this the army of our Xin Feng Alliance?"

Roko's voice was cold and disappointed.

The nobles of the alliance standing beside him all lowered their heads, revealing embarrassed expressions.

They also knew what their private soldiers were like.

Usually, they were fine bullying people in their own territories.

If they were really dragged to the battlefield, they would be nothing but cannon fodder.

"Everyone."

Roko's gaze swept over the faces of those nobles one by one.

"I have a question for you."

"Do you think that relying on this army below, we can hold the Xin Feng Province?"

"Can we resist the orcs from the north and the pervasive Poison Scorpion Society?"

No one answered.

Because the answer was obvious.

No.

"Very good, it seems everyone knows."

Roko sneered.

"Since that's the case, I won't talk nonsense anymore."

"I announce that from today on, the 'Xin Feng Legion' is established!"

"All private soldiers of the nobles who joined the Xin Feng Alliance will be broken up and reorganized!"

"I will personally serve as the Legion Commander!"

"All soldiers will receive unified training, be equipped with unified equipment, and abide by unified military law!"

"From now on, there is only one voice in the Xin Feng Province, and that is my voice, Roko!"

"There is only one army, and that is the Xin Feng Legion!"

Roko's words were like a heavy bomb exploding on the platform!

All the nobles raised their heads abruptly, looking at him in shock.

They simply couldn't believe their ears.

Break up private soldiers?

Reorganize?

This—this isn't this taking away their military power?!

Military power is the foundation of a noble's survival!

Without private soldiers, they would become tigers with their teeth pulled, left to be slaughtered!

This is absolutely not allowed!

"Master Roko! This—this must not be!"

An older Baron was the first to stand up and oppose. **CHAPTER 163**