The drill ground buzzed with hushed conversations among the Black Armored soldiers scattered about. “The Centurion challenge is concluded!

The eight new Centurions are Teng Qingshan, Niu Zhan, Gongyang Qing, Hong Xingyang, Yue Song…” The old man in the black robe announced the names of the eight final victors in a loud, continuous stream from the high platform. “Eight Centurions, step forward,” the old man in the black robe boomed.

Teng Qingshan and the other seven walked forward in unison. Thud!

Thud! Thud!

Eight Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horses, draped in heavy armor, were led forward by eight Black Armored soldiers. On the saddle of each horse rested a set of dark-red Cinnabar Iron heavy armor.

“Every Centurion in my Black Armored Army is granted one Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse and one set of Cinnabar Iron heavy armor. As for weaponry, you may use what you carry, or request it from the Sect,” the old man in the black robe stated coldly.

“Teng Qingshan,” the old man suddenly fixed his gaze on him. “From this day forward, you are the Centurion of the spear squad under the Third Commander of the First Regiment of my Black Armored Army!” “Yes,” Teng Qingshan answered loudly.

“Receive your warhorse and heavy armor!” the old man commanded coldly. Instantly, a Black Armored soldier led the Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse over and positioned it beside Teng Qingshan.

Teng Qingshan accepted the horse and the Cinnabar Iron armor with gravity. “The Black Armored Army is truly wealthy and bold.

A Centurion receives an Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse and Cinnabar Iron armor.” The Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse was the king among Azure Mane horses, valued at five thousand silver taels. The Cinnabar Iron heavy armor was no less valuable than the horse.

If one were to include the barding on the warhorse, the equipment alone was worth over ten thousand silver taels. It was undeniably extravagant.

“Niu Zhan!” the old man in the black robe spoke again. “From this day forward, you shall be under the First Commander of the Third Regiment of my Black Armored Army…” ...

All eight Centurions sequentially received their warhorses and heavy armor. The crowd of Black Armored soldiers below couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.

“The Centurion contest is over. The nine defeated first-rate martial artists will directly become Squad Leaders.

We now begin the Squad Leader contest,” the old man in the black robe said dismissively, then returned to his seat. He wouldn't deign to watch the Squad Leader contest.

Compared to the Centurion battle, the clashes for the Squad Leader positions were noticeably subdued in scale. Yet, the entire drill ground grew even more lively.

“Qingshan, watch this. This Squad Leader position is mine to take.

Since you won the Centurion rank, I can’t let you look bad,” Teng Qinghu said with a confident smile. Teng Qingshan felt reasonably assured of his cousin’s strength.

Among the second-rate martial artists, his cousin ranked somewhere in the middle. Because of his practice of the Great Spear Posture and Tiger Fist, his cousin should possess speed in spearmanship and sensitivity comparable to that of the Centurion 'Niu Zhan'.

Winning a Squad Leader position shouldn’t be a problem, Teng Qingshan mused to himself. “Teng Qingshan.” A crisp voice called out.

Teng Qingshan turned to see Wu Man approaching. Wu Man blinked her eyes.

“Teng Qingshan, I truly didn't realize you were this formidable at first. You even defeated Yue Song.

How did you train your spear technique? Who is your master?” “I created it myself, believe it or not?” Teng Qingshan teased with a grin.

“Tsk tsk, still boasting,” Wu Man snorted, then looked toward the Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse Teng Qingshan was holding, her eyes showing a flicker of envy. She then glared at him.

“Hmph, you monsters. Several top experts emerged this time.

Otherwise, one of those eight Centurion spots would have been mine. Ah… when will I get a Snow-Treading Horse?” “Senior Sister, even if you obtained this Snow-Treading Horse, taming it is no simple task,” Zhuge Yun approached with his sister, Zhuge Qing.

“Brother Teng, you handle the horse fine leading it, but sitting on its back and making it obedient is not as easy,” Zhuge Yun reminded him with a smile. “The finer the steed, the harder it is to train; one must be patient.” “Hmm… Brother, look, Teng Qinghu won,” Zhuge Qing suddenly remarked.

Teng Qingshan turned his head. Indeed— Teng Qinghu, gripping his long spear, was roaring triumphantly.

Though, on the noisy drill ground, his voice was barely audible. * Dusk had fallen, and a crescent moon hung high in the sky.

It was the deep of winter, and the nights were quite cold. At the Black Armored Army encampment belonging to the Guiyuan Sect, each Centurion was allotted a private courtyard.

The newly appointed Centurion, Teng Qingshan, was currently in his own courtyard. “The Black Armored soldiers sure can drink,” Teng Qingshan sighed, recalling the day’s events.

The day had been spent competing for Centurion and Squad Leader positions, and the evening was for drinking and celebration. Since Teng Qingshan became a new Centurion, the soldiers under him naturally offered toasts.

Other experts in the Black Armored Army also respected him as a master and came to offer drinks. Fortunately, Teng Qingshan’s internal organs were exceptionally strong, allowing him to remain sober.

“There’s one more thing I haven’t done today,” Teng Qingshan said, looking toward the corner of the courtyard where his warhorse, the Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse, was tethered. Taming the horse?

Teng Qingshan walked over with a smile. The warhorse’s eyes glanced at Teng Qingshan, then lowered its head again, paying him no mind.

“Hoo.” Teng Qingshan pressed his right hand onto the saddle. With a sudden surge of force!

The Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse lost its balance and dropped into a kneeling position. The horse instantly became enraged, kicking out its four hooves, struggling desperately to stand up while letting out an angry whinny.

Teng Qingshan held the saddle with only his right hand, allowing the horse’s frantic resistance to continue, yet it could not fully rise… It was as if Teng Qingshan’s single hand were a mountain. No matter how wildly it fought, it could not move the hand on the saddle even an inch.

Teng Qingshan watched the horse coldly. Gradually, the Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse ceased its struggle and lowered its head.

Animals were simple creatures; if you were stronger than them, they chose submission. “Hmm?” Teng Qingshan’s ear twitched.

“Creak!” The courtyard gate opened, and Teng Qinghu walked in, smelling strongly of alcohol, laughing. “Qingshan, haha.

The Centurion quarters are certainly better than mine. I only have one room, no courtyard at all.

I’ll just sleep here with you.” “Sure, no problem,” Teng Qingshan replied with a smile. His cousin had also secured the Squad Leader position through his own merit today.

“I heard a horse whinny just now. What, are you taming this Azure Mane Snow-Treading Horse?” Teng Qinghu inquired.

“Yes.” “How’s it going?” Teng Qinghu asked. “I heard the other brothers say these Snow-Treading Horses aren’t easy to tame.” “It’s already tamed,” Teng Qingshan said with a smile, taking out a pot of tea from the main room.

“You smell like you’ve been drinking heavily. Have some tea to sober up.” Then he went to the stone table in the courtyard corner, and the two brothers sat on opposite sides, sipping tea and chatting.

“Right, right. Qingshan, you killed a Wolf King when you were only ten.

Taming a Snow-Treading Horse is nothing,” Teng Qinghu’s eyes shone. “Qingshan, do you know what mounts the Commanders and Grand Commanders of the Black Armored Army ride?

And what their heavy armor is?” “What?” Teng Qingshan truly didn't know. The Black Armored Army consisted of four Grand Commanders, twelve Commanders, and sixty Centurions.

“I heard from the Black Armored brothers that Centurions get Snow-Treading Horses and Cinnabar Iron armor. The Commanders ride the Crimson Blood Horses, valued at twenty to thirty thousand silver taels, and the equally precious Cold Iron heavy armor!

They say one Crimson Blood steed can travel over two thousand li in a day,” Teng Qinghu had been living with the regular soldiers and picked up quite a bit of information. Teng Qingshan’s eyes lit up.

Crimson Blood Steed? Teng Qingshan had heard of it.

The sweat shed by such warhorses was the color of blood, and their speed was phenomenal. Cold Iron heavy armor, of course, wasn't entirely made of Thousand-Year Cold Iron; otherwise, it would feel bone-chillingly cold to wear.

Only certain components were Cold Iron. This armor naturally possessed extremely high defensive capabilities.

“What about the four Grand Commanders?” Teng Qingshan pressed for details. “The four Grand Commanders ride the ‘Black Dragon Horses,’ one of the three Dragon Horses on the continent, also known as ‘Black Nightmare Horses.’ They are rumored to cover five thousand li in a day!

When running, it's said all you see is a black wind passing by before they vanish. Although the four Grand Commanders are entitled to Black Nightmare Horses, only two of the younger ones haven't managed to tame theirs yet,” Teng Qinghu reported.

Teng Qingshan marveled inwardly. Five thousand li a day?

Keep in mind, these warhorses couldn't run constantly for twenty-four hours; they needed rest. Even this Black Nightmare Horse, if it ran for twelve hours straight, would be considered exceptional.

Twelve hours for five thousand li meant an average speed of over four hundred li per hour. Two hundred kilometers per hour?

And that's a sustained speed. If they burst forth, their instantaneous speed must be around four hundred kilometers per hour.

That’s faster than the top speeds of the supercars in my previous life, Teng Qingshan thought, stunned. Worthy of being called a Dragon Horse!

Five thousand li a day—terrifying! Such creatures could only arise in this era of abundant Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.

The more powerful the horse, the harder it is to tame. Although the Guiyuan Sect’s ancestors tamed the Black Nightmare Horse, reducing some of its wild nature, it remains beyond the ability of ordinary experts to subdue, Teng Qingshan thought.

“The four Grand Commanders’ armor is Profound Iron heavy armor! Its defensive power is also immense,” Teng Qinghu added.

“Hmm.” Teng Qingshan didn't place much importance on the so-called heavy armor. Because… Heavy armor was formidable in mass combat, but it had a fatal weakness in duels between experts!

One: Heavy armor could never be completely seamless; there were always gaps through which an expert could strike and kill the enemy. Two: The most critical flaw of heavy armor was that it hampered speed and flexibility!

For a master in a fight to the death, agility was paramount. Wearing heavy armor would inevitably cause a significant reduction in movement and maneuverability.

It might work amidst thousands of troops, but in a one-on-one fight, the opponent could easily evade strikes and exploit weaknesses easily. ...

The two brothers talked late into the night. “Alright, Cousin, it’s late.

Rest early; we have morning drills tomorrow,” Teng Qingshan said. “Yeah.” Teng Qinghu suddenly seemed a little downcast.

“Right, morning drills tomorrow… Qingshan, from today on, we are truly members of the Black Armored Army. I’m just not used to it yet.

I wonder how the clansmen back at Teng Family Village are doing.” Teng Qingshan’s heart trembled slightly. Yes, starting today, he was also a member of the Guiyuan Sect, and the Centurion of the Black Armored Army.

“Fight hard, don't disappoint our relatives in the clan,” Teng Qingshan encouraged him. “Mmm.” Teng Qinghu took a deep breath.

“Let’s brothers strive hard here in the Guiyuan Sect, and then we'll return in glory someday!”