Chapter 351: Imperial Armament

Inside the shield, Caligula also prepared for battle.

Among his slaves were many non‑human races and extraordinary professions: the troll shaman cast Bloodlust on everyone, the mage and Wizard bestowed Gale and Mighty Strength on the warriors, the archers nocked arrows, the iron guard held the shield at the front, and the shadow warrior activated Shadow Step to vanish.

The slaves each performed their duties, strands of spells and extraordinary power flaring up, looking just like a fully equipped mercenary corps.

Caligula also shouted a few commands.

His voice carried a spiritual force, rallying the slaves' morale, while several Divine Techniques descended, channeling energy into his great axe, empowering the demon‑enhanced weapon and increasing its lethality.

When Lei En was halfway there, the Extreme Warriors opened fire.

Gunfire roared; twelve Lambo guns spewed flame, countless bullets slammed into the shield in indiscriminate saturation fire.

Lei En raised his left hand to cast, and after a few seconds a layer of black clouds covered the shield, emitting thunderous rumblings.

This is the Four Rings' Thunder Cloud Technique!

The Thunder Cloud Technique's power and range are far inferior to the Thunder Cloud Storm, but covering the shield below poses no problem; the black clouds form, and lightning strikes one after another.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom…

Thunder and gunfire mingled, continuously battering the shield; its wall shook violently, weakening at a visibly rapid rate.

The elf mage maintaining the shield saw his mana drain away in an instant.

Even after injecting two bottles of mana‑restoring elixir, he couldn't keep up; his once healthy complexion turned deathly pale, his body trembling on the brink of collapse.

The moment the shield collapsed marked the start of the frontal showdown.

Lei En unleashed two successive rounds of Thunder Cloud Technique; his Soul Eye saw that the elf mage's soul was already frail, his mana nearly depleted, and the shield teetering on the edge of collapse.

"It's time."

He drew the Song of Azure Sky, channeling soul energy to cast.

Two seconds later, a Five Rings Electric Blast Orb formed in his hand, a silver‑glinting sphere of lightning slowly rotating, yet not released immediately.

Caligula saw this, his pupils contracting as he gripped his great axe tightly.

"Now is the moment."

Lei En suddenly flicked his hand, hurling the Electric Blast Orb; in an instant it struck the front of the shield, and at that moment the shield shattered like foam, exposing the crowd inside.

The massive electric sphere smashed into the crowd unhindered.

At the same time, Lambo gun bullets rained down, and several Flame Dragons opened their mouths to spew fire.

Amid the booming, silver serpents danced wildly, flesh and blood flew everywhere; in a single breath more than half the slaves were blown up or shot dead. Most were barbarian warriors; even with spell buffs their resistance was insufficient, and a large swath died instantly.

"Stop!"

Caligula let out a furious roar.

The roar carried the intimidation of the Conqueror's Whip, making listeners envision a lofty, imposing king and either submit to him or flee.

The Extreme Warriors possess a weakened version of Truth Will, so they are unaffected.

The Flame Dragons, however, fell into terror, rolling and flailing in the sky, forcing the Extreme Warriors to cease fire and hold on tightly to avoid falling, while soothing the dragons' emotions.

Caligula's silhouette leapt into the air amid the roar, rushing straight toward Lei En's position; his demon‑enhanced great axe swept a terrifying arc several meters long, as if it could cleave heaven and earth in two.

Simultaneously, his slaves were unfazed by the roar, scattering outward, attempting to encircle Lei En or lock onto him to begin casting.

Their coordination was highly synchronized, requiring no verbal communication.

Just as Caligula leapt, several low‑level instant spells struck Lei En, but were blocked by his blood‑colored cloak.

Three or four arrows and spears flew in, shattering as if they had struck steel.

Lei En ignored the attacks, raised his hand and pointed to the sky, completing the prepared Thunderclap Technique.

Boom!

A clear‑sky thunderclap detonated at Caligula's ear.

The Four Rings' Thunderclap Technique did not daze Caligula; the black iron crown on his head seemed to block most of its power, yet the shockwave still knocked him off course, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"That crown is no ordinary object..."

A thought flashed through Lei En's mind, but his movement did not slow; with a flash he suddenly appeared behind Caligula and hammered down a heavy blow.

Clang…

Caligula turned mid‑air in time, using his great axe to block the warhammer; the lightning from the thunder heavy strike struck him but inflicted little damage.

With nowhere to brace and in a disadvantageous position, a bang rang out, and he was instantly smashed into the ground.

Lei En, aided by the Wind‑and‑Thunder Wings behind him, accelerated in a steep dive.

A silhouette suddenly materialized, blocking the path—a high‑rank human shadow warrior, eyes devoid of any emotion, like a marionette.

Lei En slammed straight ahead, shattering him to pieces; the dive unintentionally slowed by half a step.

More slaves surrounded them, charging fearlessly to drag Lei En even for half a second, buying Caligula time.

"Roar!"

Lei En suddenly opened his mouth and shouted.

A massive dragon roar, imbued with draconic might, rang out, its terrifying sound wave spreading like lightning; all the slaves froze, and several casters had their spells interrupted.

They are the tyrant's slaves; their minds have some resistance to draconic might, but cannot be fully immune.

Clack clack clack clack…

Gunfire above the heads sounded again.

The Extreme Warriors finally restrained the Flame Dragons, stabilizing their flight, and began shooting down the tyrant's slaves from above.

In the torrential saturation barrage, blood sprayed; slaves stunned by draconic intimidation stood like targets, falling as if being reaped.

The tyrant's power comes from the slaves.

As the slaves dwindled, losing soul‑power amplification, Caligula's strength rapidly waned. Three Extreme Warriors aimed their Lambo guns at Caligula; bullets slammed into him, most ricocheting, yet leaving crimson marks.

Kaligu was both frantic and angry; when he saw Lei En raise his hand and aim at him, a rainbow‑like beam erupted.

The thick beam struck his chest, leaving a wound deep enough to see the bone.

"My lord, grant me strength!"

Kaligu could barely retaliate, scrambling out of the pit in a mess, blood covering him, and shouted loudly.

It was a plea.

The iron crown on his head glowed with a deep black light; an aura of divine power radiated, instantly enveloping his body, his skin turning as dark as iron. A bullet from Lambo's Gun struck it, sparking and clanging like metal on steel.

This transformation made Lei En wary.

Soul Eye saw Kaligu's faith fire raging wildly, drawing black divine power to envelop his whole body, from within outward, causing his strength to surge explosively.

Deep within his soul, a rune imbued with immense divine power flickered.

Six‑ring Divine Technique—Imperial Armament!

Kaligu floated gently, his previously exposed body clad in black armor; this armor, forged from divine power, was thick and heavy, intricately grand, with a fine crimson‑black cape trailing behind, exuding an aura of authority, nobility, and brutality.

His strength and defense surged severalfold, and bullets striking the armor left no trace.

Lei En's gaze grew solemn.

Imperial Armament, this Divine Technique was created by Black Emperor Ban Ke, combining three powerful augmenting Divine Techniques: the "Mind‑field" with superior sensing and prediction, the "Tyrant's Armor" that boosts strength and defense, and the "Royal Authority Deterrent" that attacks an enemy's Willpower with divine aura, capable of bewildering foes with a single glance.

The lowest level of this Divine Technique is four rings, equivalent to a superlative Element.

It can reach up to nine rings, and at seven rings it already counts as a legendary Element!

Only the Black Emperor's Chosen One can be granted Imperial Armament, and the technique's potency also depends on the Chosen One's ruling status in the mortal world.

The more subjects one governs and the broader the territories one conquers, the stronger the effect of Imperial Armament.

If a king receives Imperial Armament, even if he is merely a first‑tier transcendent or an ordinary person, he instantly attains power comparable to a legend.

This is also one reason many rulers openly worship the Black Emperor, even at the cost of becoming a despised tyrant.

Lei En raised his hand, ordering the Extreme Warrior to cease futile firing and fly away.

Kaligu felt the surging divine power within his body, his violent gaze fixed on Lei En, a cruel smile on his face as he spoke in a lofty tone, "Mortal, you can still submit to me now; surrender your army and weapons, and I will spare your life."

"Just a single Divine Technique boost, and you think you're a god?"

Lei En scoffed contemptively.

Imperial Armament raised Kaligu's strength to level nine, durability to level ten, and his magical resistance became extremely high; others might fear this, but to him it was merely more troublesome, not truly unbeatable.

Moreover, his slaves had already been slaughtered by the Extreme Warrior; dealing with a Lightstaff Commander was no simple task.

Kaligu's expression froze; Lei En's contempt deeply insulted him, and anger followed.

"Who are you?"

He asked in a deep voice, a question he had long wanted to know, "How dare you speak rashly to me, the Chosen One who represents my lord's divine might?"

Lei En couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.

This barbarian spoke surprisingly refined, choosing his words carefully; his Empire language was also quite good, and no one knew from whom he had learned it.

"Who am I..." Lei En's mouth twitched; glancing at the distance, the Dorak army had been almost wiped out. Kaligu seemed to realize there was no rescue, completely abandoning them, and replied coolly, "You don't need to know who I am; I'm the one who will kill you."

"Arrogant!"

Kaligu let out a roar, the sound rolling like thunder, imbued with the deterrence of Imperial Armament.

Some Makurag people far from Astat City, whose souls were weak in Willpower, heard the sound and instantly fell unconscious, their bodies collapsing silently.

Before the words finished, Kaligu had already charged to Lei En's side.

(End of Chapter)