CHAPTER 207: CHAPTER 204: AFTER MAY_1

"DING! Congratulations, Host, for acquiring the ’Li Witchcraft Region’ and obtaining the sign-in reward: Overlord of Western Chu, Xiang Yu!"

After the Witch Ancestor signed the agreement, Qin Wudao was overjoyed at the sound of the system prompt in his mind.

The Overlord of Western Chu! Xiang Yu! This name, it shone through the ages!

"Issue the decree! The Witch Ancestor, understanding the broader situation, has voluntarily submitted to the Great Qin Divine Court, thus averting the suffering of war. As a special reward, he is granted a Heaven-rank Cultivation Technique!"

Excited, Qin Wudao regarded the Witch Ancestor more favorably. He recalled the ’Complete Collection of Gu Techniques’ the system had previously awarded him, which was perfect for practitioners of the Witchcraft Dao. So, he decided to bestow it upon the Witch Ancestor.

However, he played a little trick and only gave half of the Cultivation Technique!

With a wave of his right hand, a green spiritual light entered the Witch Ancestor’s mind.

Within the Witch Ancestor’s mind, a vast expanse of profound text appeared, containing the mysteries of witchcraft. He was utterly engrossed; every word, every sentence, benefited him greatly.

Just as he was becoming deeply engrossed, he suddenly realized he had read it all!

"Alas, it’s only half!"

The Witch Ancestor lamented inwardly, understanding that Qin Wudao had done this deliberately.

However, this seemed normal. After all, he had just surrendered and had not yet earned complete trust. To be granted half of a Heaven-rank Cultivation Technique was already an immense blessing. One must understand that half a Heaven-rank Cultivation Technique was already more precious than a peak Earth-rank Cultivation Technique. The Cultivation Technique he currently practiced was merely a mid-grade Earth-rank one!

"With this Cultivation Technique, I’m confident I can break through to become a Second-Turn Saint and extend my lifespan!"

The Witch Ancestor thought excitedly and saluted respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for bestowing this Cultivation Technique! From this day forward, in life, I am a subject of Great Qin; in death, I am a spirit of Great Qin!"

If just half of the ’Complete Collection of Gu Techniques’ could enable him to break through to become a Second-Turn Saint King, what about the complete version? How much further could it help him advance? Therefore, he absolutely had to obtain the complete ’Complete Collection of Gu Techniques’. The prerequisite for that was loyalty to Great Qin and loyalty to Qin Wudao.

"Rise! I trust you," Qin Wudao said with a smile.

After some further discussion, the negotiations formally concluded. The Witch Ancestor and his three attendants remained in the Imperial Capital, while the three lineage Grand Elders returned to the Li Witchcraft Region to oversee the construction of the ’Li Witchcraft Sect’.

Alone, Qin Wudao returned to the Imperial Study and began to examine Xiang Yu’s basic information.

Xiang Yu, a politician and military strategist from the end of the Qin Dynasty, once commanded key battles in the war for supremacy. With the resolve of one burning his bridges, he decisively defeated the main Qin army and had two hundred thousand Qin soldiers buried alive.

After capturing Xianyang, he massacred the city’s populace, killed Ziying, the King of Qin, burned the Qin Palaces to the ground, and looted its treasures.

In February 206 BC, Xiang Yu established his capital in Pengcheng, enfeoffed various lords, made Liu Bang the King of Han, and declared himself the Overlord of Western Chu.

However, the good times were short-lived. Various lords soon rose against Chu. Liu Bang seized the opportunity to pacify the Three Qins and advance on Western Chu, triggering the Chu-Han Contention. Xiang Yu, after initial victories, was eventually besieged at Gaixia. Hearing Chu songs from all directions in the night, he believed all the Chu territories had fallen to the Han army. He broke through the siege, fled to the banks of the Wujiang River, and there took his own life.

"What a tumultuous and magnificent life!"

Qin Wudao sighed, overcome with emotion.

Reviewing the campaigns Xiang Yu participated in and commanded, there were twelve major battles in total, including the Battle of Chenxia, the Battle of Xingyang, Chu’s war to annihilate Qin, the campaign to reclaim Qin’s heartland, and the Battle of Pengcheng...

"System, perform a covert summon!"

As before, Qin Wudao opted for a covert summon, intending to keep Xiang Yu as a secret weapon, unknown to outsiders.

An air of dominance instantly filled the Imperial Study.

A powerfully built young man with striking heavy pupils emerged from the Void. Clad in armor and wielding a long spear, he exuded an unparalleled, world-dominating will. He alone seemed capable of holding off an army of thousands!

"Xiang Yu greets Your Majesty!" Xiang Yu declared, kneeling on one knee, his voice firm and resonant.

"Please rise," Qin Wudao said, observing Xiang Yu with a satisfied nod.

Name: Xiang Yu

Cultivation: Fifth-Turn Saint King Realm

Cultivation Technique: Overlord’s Heart Sutra

Profile: A military general renowned for his exceptional martial prowess. Historical evaluation: "Xiang Yu’s divine might is unparalleled throughout the ages!"

"By imperial decree: Xiang Yu is hereby appointed Chariot General, a second-rank military command, and tasked with establishing the ’Overlord Iron Cavalry’! This is so ordered!"

Qin Wudao unfurled an imperial edict scroll on his desk. Dipping his brush in ink, he wrote with swift, masterful strokes, then affixed the imperial seal.

With a wave of his hand, the imperial edict hovered before Xiang Yu.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xiang Yu’s eyes lit up. One of his dreams was to lead an invincible, all-conquering Cavalry.

"The Overlord Iron Cavalry is a cavalry unit. However, Great Qin lacks sufficient powerful beast mounts, so their numbers cannot be too great. For now, their authorized strength will be fifty thousand men."

Originally, I wanted to establish a cavalry corps of one million, but considering the current situation, I had to abandon that impractical notion and settle for fifty thousand. Even fifty thousand men would strain Great Qin’s coffers to their limit!

The East Border was lacking in demonic beasts. Traces of them could only be found in some deep mountains and ancient forests. Moreover, not all demonic beasts discovered were suitable as mounts; for instance, serpentine demonic beasts were unusable. After a rigorous screening process, the number of suitable demonic beasts became even smaller. Once suitable beasts were identified, armor and saddles tailored to their specific sizes had to be forged—a considerable undertaking in itself. Currently, in Great Qin’s Artifact Refinement Pavilion, apart from Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, the other craftsmen were simply not up to the task. Finally, there was the matter of funding. After numerous wars, the economy of the Great Qin Divine Court was in dire need of recovery. These and other factors severely constrained the development of Great Qin’s cavalry.

After leaving the Imperial Palace, Xiang Yu, clutching the edict, sought out Prime Minister Zhuge Liang to discuss the formation of the cavalry.

「The next day.」

To establish the most formidable cavalry possible, Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, after discussions with Jia Xu and Li Ru, decided to dispatch the Hidden Guard and the ’Abyss Guard’ to the ancient forests to capture demonic beasts.

This spelled great misfortune for the demonic beasts!

Numerous demonic beasts were subsequently captured and trained as mounts.

While the demonic beasts were being captured, Xiang Yu personally selected soldiers. The minimum cultivation requirement was the Fasang Realm, and there were also strict age limits; the criteria were exceptionally rigorous.

Concurrently, a massive volume of resources was poured into establishing the ’Overlord Iron Cavalry’, exceeding the total resources allocated to the twenty-four military camps of the Imperial Capital. This incited jealousy among many generals, who directly confronted Xiang Yu to stir up trouble, causing a considerable uproar.

However, Xiang Yu was not one to be trifled with. After a ’friendly exchange of pointers,’ things finally quieted down.

The establishment of the ’Overlord Iron Cavalry’ proceeded smoothly.

「Five months later, the army was finally formed!」

With some further training to forge its army soul, it would be ready for the battlefield, possessing initial combat capability.

Beyond this, other aspects of the Great Qin Divine Court also entered a phase of rapid development.

During the first month, the imperial court ordered the implementation of civil service examinations. Numerous talented individuals and unconventional scholars distinguished themselves and were appointed as local officials to govern various regions, temporarily alleviating the shortage of administrators.

In the second month, the twenty-four military camps of the Imperial Capital mobilized to eliminate remaining insurgent forces. They killed over nine hundred thousand enemy combatants, thereby stabilizing order in the regions.

During the third month, Zhuge Liang, in coordination with the Six Ministries, promulgated a series of decrees and regulations that spurred rapid economic development.

In the fourth month, Zhao Yun, Lv Bu, and Yue Fei all broke through to the First-Turn Saint King Realm. Bai Qi advanced to the Supreme Saint Realm, and Wang Jian reached the Great Saint Level. Consequently, the strength of the ’Four Divine Beasts Army’ and the ’Bei Wei Army’ increased significantly.

In the fifth month, Qin Wudao also achieved a breakthrough...