Chapter 001: Going into Battle

Amidst cries of shock, Du Fan collided with that huge rock. A white light flashed around him, and the rock, weighing over two thousand pounds, was pushed aside by his impact. Du Fan was also sent flying back by the powerful force.
This rebound sent Du Fan right outside the city walls.
Soon, the ten mountain giants saw Du Fan fall outside and rushed toward him, shouting loudly.
“Du Fan!” Nayixiu cried out upon seeing this.
“I’m fine. Hurry and tell the archers to retreat down from the walls!” Du Fan wasn’t panicked at all as the mountain giants charged at him; instead, he instructed the archers to retreat promptly.
“Elder Du Fan is truly kind,” the retreating elf archers thought in unison.
They exchanged glances, and in each other’s eyes, they seemed to see a warm sentiment.
But they had no idea that Du Fan saw them merely as his own troops. They wondered if the elves would still look at each other with such warmth if they knew Du Fan’s true thoughts.
Watching the mountain giants approach, Du Fan moved swiftly and flew up onto the city walls.
The mountain giants who had just reached Du Fan’s location roared in anger.
Soon, they ran back to where the rocks were piled up.
“Du Fan, why were you so careless?” Nayixiu rushed up to him anxiously when she saw him return.
“I’m fine. But your people are precious—none of them may die,” Du Fan said with a smile.
“Even the entire elf race isn’t as important to me as you are,” Nayixiu said softly, lowering her head.
“Oh, then I’ll be more careful from now on,” Du Fan replied with a slight smile.
“Brother, what do you think Karu will do next?” Basha suddenly asked.
“If I’m not mistaken, they’ll probably use those mountain giants to attack our city walls again,” Moses said after thinking for a moment.
“Those mountain giants are almost immune to magic, and their strength is immense—they’re not easy to deal with,” Basha sighed.
Moses also fell silent for a while.
“How about I go out and test my strength against those mountain giants?” Moses suddenly drew his war sword and said in a grave tone.
“Brother, I’m worried if you go alone,” Basha said, frowning.

“What if I go out together with Colonel Leibao?” Moses suggested.
Leibao was also a powerful figure in his domain, his cultivation level unfathomable. He was as renowned as the second-in-command of the magical beasts. It was easy to imagine that his strength was not much less than Tek’s.
Of course, since Tek was hailed as the man closest to a god on the great road, his strength must surely be greater than Leibao’s.
At that moment, a dull noise came from the gates of the Black Panther Knight Corps’ base. Bashah and Moses quickly climbed up the city walls to take a look. Those mountain giants had started using large stones to smash the gates of the Black Panther Knight Corps’ base!
It was unclear what those mountain giants were thinking—why would they resort to such a method, targeting only the gates instead of the city walls?
Although the gates were made of iron, they had to be opened frequently, so the hinges connecting them to the city walls were relatively fragile. Moreover, the thick iron bars behind the gates could also be easily broken!
The gates emitted harsh noises, and the hinges connecting them to the city walls creaked loudly. Under the continuous impact of the huge stones, those hinges began to deform!
At this point, Leibao, who had been waiting nearby, could no longer hold back. He grabbed the reins and swiftly led a group of 500 Black Panther Knights to Bashah’s side.
“Lord City Master, how dare those mountain giants insult us! Should our Black Panther Knight Corps really just stand by while they smash our gates? Lord City Master, I request to go out and fight them!” Leibao declared fiercely.
“Colonel, wait a moment. Let’s wait for the right opportunity,” Bashah said.
“Lord City Master! I insist on going out to fight! When has our Black Panther Knight Corps ever been so humiliated?” Leibao insisted again.
“Third brother! Come here for a moment!” Bashah called out.
Du Fan, who was exchanging glances with Nai Xiu, heard Bashah’s call and quickly pulled Nai Xiu along to stand in front of Bashah.
Under the eyes of over 20,000 Black Panther Knights, tens of thousands of dwarf warriors, and even 2,000 elves who regarded Nai Xiu as an elven queen, Du Fan dragged Nai Xiu over to Bashah’s side.
“Well, third brother, take a look. Colonel Leibao wants to go out and fight those mountain giants. I’d like to hear your opinion,” Bashah said slowly.

“That mountain giants are really tough to deal with. They’re not only immune to magic but also have excellent physical defenses. On top of that, those monsters have incredible strength!” Hearing Bashah’s question, Du Fan frowned and began to explain. “Last time, we also fought against a mountain giant. Second brother, you know that—we five at the Saint level were chased by one of them! That mountain giant was truly powerful!” Du Fan emphasized. “Mm, I think so too,” Bashah said, nodding repeatedly after hearing Du Fan’s words. “But are we just going to stand by and watch them smash the city gates? Are we going to let those mountain giants do whatever they want? I don’t believe it—I can’t possibly defeat those ten mountain giants with these five hundred elite riders!” Leibiao said firmly. “Of course, Colonel Leibiao, I know you can definitely take on those mountain giants with these elite riders, but I believe our losses will also be severe,” Bashah said, frowning. From the five hundred men led by Leibiao, Bashah could see that Leibiao had brought all eleven battalion commanders along—eleven at the Saint level, plus one domain expert, along with over four hundred Black Panther Knights at level eight or above! These five hundred elite riders were essentially the core strength of the Black Panther Knight Corps! Looking at these Black Panther Knights, Bashah suddenly said, “So, Colonel Leibiao, I absolutely won’t allow you to lead these five hundred into battle. They are the backbone of the Black Panther Knight Corps! Each one holds great significance to me. Losing even one of you would be unbearable for me!” Bashah said solemnly. His words were true—the Black Panther Knight Corps was, aside from the Dwarf King, the people Bashah was closest to among the dwarves. “How about letting Du Fan, Moses, and Colonel Leibiao go? I’ll hold the line on the city walls,” Nayixiu suddenly suggested. “Are you sure?” Du Fan asked. “Have you forgotten? Back then, even the Flame Demon beneath the abyss couldn’t stop my arrow!” Nayixiu said. “Compared to the Flame Demon, those mountain giants are far inferior, right?” Nayixiu smiled. “If that’s the case, then the three of us will go first! Nayixiu, cover for us from above!” Du Fan said. “What if we wait a bit longer? Until those mountain giants run out of strength?” Bashah suggested.

“No need. Judging from the state of the city gates, they won’t hold much longer. If we let them break in, it’s better for us to attack and fight them head-on. Let’s strike first! Once the gates are broken, we’ll be in an even more disadvantageous position!” Du Fan said.

After thinking for a moment, Basha said, “Alright, then be careful.”

On top of the city wall, Nai Xiu said to the group, “The Eternal Bow, combined with the archery skills of the Elf King’s Ring, can only be used eight times a day. So, keep that in mind.”

When Moses, Leibao, and Du Fan descended from the city wall, Karu finally reacted as well, and the six Holy Rank members of the Bilu Tribe stepped out of their formation.

Suddenly, the three of them found themselves facing ten Mountain Giants and six Holy Rank warriors.

“Should we bring in more people?” Leibao asked in a deep voice.

“No need. Facing such a crowd, even if we can’t win, if we try to flee, no one will be able to stay behind,” Du Fan said with a light smile.

Nodding, the three of them headed straight toward the group of Mountain Giants and the six Holy Rank warriors.

“Haha, how could such an event happen without me?” Suddenly, Basha also jumped down from the city wall and shouted.

“Second brother, you’re the commander of the army. Why did you come?” Du Fan said with a smile upon seeing Basha arrive.

“I got impatient when I saw you all coming down. Besides, since you and the eldest brother have come down, what would it mean if I didn’t follow?” Basha replied with a smile.

“Then let’s fight together!” Leibao laughed loudly.

Leibao’s weapon was actually a long spear rarely used by dwarf warriors. Although Leibao was considered tall among dwarves, holding a spear taller than himself gave him a rather comical appearance.

“Colonel Leibao, what’s your domain?” Du Fan suddenly asked.

“My domain is intimidation. Within my domain, those affected by it can only exert 60% of their true strength,” Leibao replied calmly.

“Now, let them see my domain!” Leibao shouted loudly, and a huge domain spanning 800 meters appeared around him!

Seeing this massive domain, Du Fan was shocked. This Colonel Leibao must already be at the peak of domain mastery. That other demon lord, known as the man closest to a god, could only create a domain covering 1,000 meters. Yet this Colonel Leibao’s domain covered 800 meters, proving that his cultivation level was not far behind Tek’s.

It is a domain, not magic. Anyone within this domain, unless they are a god, must be affected by it. As Leibao’s domain was activated, the mountain giants and the six saints all showed a similar change on their faces, along with a hint of panic. It seemed that Leibao’s domain had already taken effect. Bashah gave a shout, and behind him, six giant wings unfurled as six creatures flew behind him. “Second brother, come over to my side,” Moses said calmly. As soon as he spoke, Moses’ gravity field was also released. With his improved cultivation level, Moses’ gravity field could now cover an area of 100 meters. Within this gravity field, even if someone tried to harm Bashah, they would first have to withstand Moses’ gravity field.