"Clang!"
Qin Qiong wielded a pair of double maces, a spiritual artifact personally bestowed upon him by Zhou Yan, its might extraordinary. Ordinary foes were no match for him.
However, Qin Qiong found the enemy incredibly powerful. Though the clash was a draw, Qin Qiong could sense the opponent's formidable nature.
Jason, as a Lord, would not engage personally. He stood at the rear, commanding his army.
Yet, the combat prowess of the [Heavenly Strategy Armored Army] led by Qin Qiong far exceeded Jason's expectations, especially their weapons. They were not only long but also devastatingly powerful.
These were Mo Daos, and moreover, improved versions. Their power was several times greater than the original, and their weight was on a different scale entirely.
With a single strike, the heavy armor of Jason's soldiers was shattered. Jason watched in stunned disbelief, finding it utterly incredible.
His soldiers were clad in dark gold armor!
Heavy armor sets, in terms of both cost and weight, were several times more expensive and heavier than other equipment. To shatter dark gold-level heavy armor with one strike, the quality had to be exceptionally high!
"Holy hell! Are these soldiers' weapons all diamond quality?"
Seeing his soldiers suffer such a disadvantage in weaponry, Jason closely examined the weapons in the hands of the opposing soldiers, his face turning grim.
Watching the gleaming blades strike his soldiers' armor and shatter their thick defenses filled Jason with a sense of the uncanny.
Such a large army, and every single soldier equipped with diamond-quality weapons? How was this even possible?
And the cost!
A diamond-quality weapon normally cost around fifty million. However, the [Heavenly Strategy Armored Army]'s weapons were not ordinary diamond quality. They were specially modified heavy cavalry Mo Daos, making them about three times more expensive, at one hundred and fifty million each.
Based on this price, for fifteen thousand [Heavenly Strategy Armored Army] soldiers, the expenditure on weapons alone would amount to over two trillion!
Over two trillion!
This was not something any ordinary Lord could afford!
This did not even include the other equipment on the [Heavenly Strategy Armored Army]. If those were factored in, the cost for just these fifteen thousand soldiers would be an astronomical figure!
Jason knew very well the immense cost of assembling a heavy cavalry force.
It was precisely because he understood this so well that he was so shocked by the troops' equipment. He was utterly envious of their gear.
Jason had been very confident of defeating them, but the reality was far from it.
Although his soldiers were brave and strong, their actual combat effectiveness was significantly weaker.
It took the death of three of his men to kill one of theirs.
Little did he know, such an outcome was already quite good. For any other soldiers, it would have been worse.
Jason's heavy cavalry were merely SSS grade, while the [Heavenly Strategy Armored Army] were top-tier quality.
If not for the superior cultivation realms of Jason's soldiers, the losses would have been even greater.
"Jason, retreat!" Tony, from a distance, had also witnessed the battle and was equally astonished by the combat power of these top-tier soldiers.
"Retreat!" Jason immediately gave the order.
This battle had dealt a blow to his confidence, not due to poor command or falling into a trap, but because he was utterly shocked by the true strength of his opponent.
Retreating so soon after the battle began was something most would not do. However, Tony had achieved his objective and did not wish to continue.
At this moment, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing on Qin Qiong's flanks also began to move.
Huo Qubing's [Great Han Iron Cavalry], in particular, was incredibly fast. Not long after Jason's soldiers retreated, they had already caught up, intending to intercept them.
But Tony had been prepared. A group of archers unleashed an assault on Huo Qubing's cavalry, forcing them to maintain a distance.
By the time Wei Qing's cavalry arrived, the enemy had already begun a full retreat.
"The enemy is likely fleeing," Zhang Liang observed the enemy's orderly withdrawal, noting it was not a rout. He informed Bai Qi, "Now is not the time for a full offensive."
"I also believe it's not the time for a full offensive. The enemy clearly has considerable reserves. It's indeed unsuitable to attack their territory!"
Bai Qi, an outstanding commander, would not act rashly when the enemy's strength was unclear. He ordered his soldiers not to pursue.
Tony's three armies safely retreated within their territory. Tony sighed and said, "Our opponent is truly formidable. It seems we have encountered a very interesting enemy."
Jason approached Tony and said, "Boss, the opponent's equipment is too outrageous. They're all equipped with diamond-quality gear. Who exactly are they?"
"We don't know yet. I've also carefully identified their legions, but none are known to us. It seems we need to quickly gather information about this legion. Without any clues, it will be quite troublesome for me."
Tony fell into thought and then asked a team member, "Jena, did you see the opponent's territory?"
"Boss, their territory is extremely well-defended. I suspect they possess a large number of flying magical beasts, but I did manage to capture a few images."
Jena sent several photos to Tony. Upon seeing them, Tony was astonished. "Are you sure this is their territory?"
"Boss, that's the only territory in the vicinity. There's no mistake," Jena replied.
Tony frowned, then passed the photos to others. "This time, our opponent is extremely difficult to deal with."
The others also looked at the photos and were equally surprised.
"Good heavens! Are those dragon-shaped city walls? This is the first time I've seen such walls. They must be of high quality."
"Such a wide moat with only three bridges. How can we attack?"
"We have no ships. If the enemy blocks the bridges, we stand little chance," Da Feng Novel Network.
"Moreover, the enemy has flying magical beasts, and their soldiers are also very strong. Boss, this..."
Tony said, "That's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that we know nothing about this territory. We can't see anything about their domain. That's what troubles me the most."