Mythical Three Kingdoms

However, when Severus initially dispatched troops to England, he felt that these newly formed legions had not undergone much training. Even though many of them were veterans, a new legion needed a long period of coordination, so he didn’t assign them a number, merely allowing them to continue training.

But because Severus offered very substantial military pay, many adult Roman citizens came to enlist. Most of these people had served in the military between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five or twenty-six and had participated in wars. After earning honors, as new recruits appeared, they retired.

As a result, when Severus issued a call, these men, aged between twenty-six or twenty-seven and thirty-four or thirty-five, armed themselves and joined him. However, when Severus went to England to fight the barbarians, he didn’t take them along, leaving them near Rome City to train and coordinate under the management of Caracalla and others.

It was not until they were counted that it became shocking: among these people, around fifteen thousand had retired from the First, Second, Third, Fifth, Ninth, and Thirteenth Legions, and even over five hundred had retired from the Council Guard and the Imperial Guard Officer Legion.

These veterans coordinated for a short while, and their combat power was so high that they began to beat up the Twelfth Eagle Banner Legion that was training them.

After all, they were veterans. They already knew what they needed to know, and although the past few years hadn’t been as intense as previous years in terms of fighting, the necessary training was still there. Therefore, after two months of coordination, these men began to train the Twelfth Eagle Banner Legion.

Actually, Caracalla did not know that these fifteen thousand men, in actual history, would become Severus’s future Imperial Guard Corps, following him on southern and northern campaigns, conquering everything from barbarians to Parthia, from Parthia to England, with his Imperial Guard.

In the mid-range period of the Severus Era, according to the records of Roman historian Dio Cassius, fifteen thousand strong Severus Imperial Guard Corps could withstand any legion of fifty thousand troops.

This meant that this legion could simultaneously take on six or seven Eagle Banner legions; that’s how fierce and brutal they were. Although this had an indelible connection with Severus leading them in historic campaigns and crushing the Parthian Empire, their inherent strength was good, as evidenced by the Twelfth Eagle Banner Legion being beaten by these men now.

”I should take this legion, which still lacks a number, and go with the Twelfth Eagle Banner Legion. With these two legions, we can at least handle three Eagle Banner legions.” Caracalla pointed at the army drilling below and said.

”Alright, thank you, General. I must go to the Parliament now.” Giuseppe, looking at the army below, felt much relieved, seeing that the quality of each soldier in this legion was exceptional.

”Go ahead.” Caracalla nodded, understanding that Giuseppe was not going to the Parliament to find the elders, but to meet the Roman City Guardian behind the Parliament.

Because honoring these men meant bestowing them with honor for fighting to protect Rome, they were stationed in the Parliament, as it was considered the highest place in Rome, arguably even higher than the emperor.

As Caracalla began preparations for the army to march to the Eastern Provinces, Ganasis was leading three Eagle Banner legions, along with one Breakthrough-Level Protector of the Empire and ten Inner Qi Manifestation city guards, in the center of the Mediterranean Sea.

Honestly, Ganasis never imagined things would go so smoothly; choosing to support Severus back then was indeed the right decision. Before he was even aware, the Protector of the Empire had already been notified, so when Ganasis went, Ludwig simply followed him without a word.

This was a Protector of the Empire. Although Ganasis was the Duke of the Border Commandery, he held great reverence for such formidable experts, as they were beyond human power.

With these fierce warriors as their vanguard, paired with elite legions, they could essentially crush anything in their path, and even in Rome, such experts were part of the strategic-level weaponry of the Military Spirit Legion, rarely deployed lightly.

Of course, the locally-born Breakthrough-Level elites of Rome, with black hair and black eyes, numbered only five, the rest being barbarian Breakthrough experts, but these barbarians had long been assimilated by Roman civilization and highly recognized their identity.

”Mr. Ludwig, you are still diligently cultivating in such circumstances,” Ganasis said with a hint of envy, watching Ludwig, who was hovering with closed eyes.

”Because we’re not strong enough, the Roman Empire is too vast, and there are too few strong men among us,” Ludwig said calmly, ”Besides, I have just barely entered the Demigod realm and can’t fully control this power yet.”

Ludwig was at the Qi Burst Boundary, incredibly powerful, but the realm beyond Inner Qi Separation brought significant pressure. Even after reaching that realm, sustaining it for too long was impossible, just like Guan Yu couldn’t endure it excessively.

Currently, only Lyu Bu and Dian Wei could be considered true Breakthroughs. Since reaching the Breakthrough Level, they had shown no signs of stopping. Dian Wei, being accomplished in cultivation, felt no pressure. Lyu Bu, being innately strong, had no issues enduring it.

”But the number of people with such aptitude is so limited. You are already very powerful,” Ganasis complimented. ”I doubt there is anyone as strong as you in all of Parthia.”

”I hope so. If I unleash my full strength, I can perform under the Cloud Qi somewhat, although not as strong but barely close to Inner Qi Manifestation,” Ludwig said, looking at Ganasis.

Ganasis was shocked because he understood the immense power of Inner Qi Manifestation. Without Cloud Suppression, mere soldiers would be insignificant no matter their numbers.

”But I can’t maintain it for long, so you must choose your timing wisely, Duke Ganasis,” Ludwig advised, looking at Ganasis.

”Can you show us? Since previously you were mostly keeping the line, I’m not fully aware of your true capabilities,” Ganasis asked, being a cautious commander.

Ludwig did not refuse. He immediately took off from the warship and flew about ten miles away, becoming a small dot in Ganasis’s eyes. If not for his Qi Refining to Gang power, it would have been impossible to see it clearly.

Ludwig gradually unleashed his power, a light cyan radiance slowly emerging from him, causing the surrounding air to solidify, then suddenly erupt, and the wind roared in all directions.

”Ha~” With a roar, Ludwig transformed into a giant, while the wind gathered into a sword shape in his hand. With a casual swing, he cut a several-kilometer-long, near-hundred-meter-deep gorge into the Mediterranean Sea.

Subsequently, Ludwig moved at a speed incomprehensible to Ganasis, appearing in front of him, immediately withdrawing his power.

”How terrifying!” Ganasis looked at Ludwig with awe.

”This was merely a display; against others, such a method wouldn’t be practical. Its power is immense, but the waste is substantial,” Ludwig sighed.

For Ludwig, even as a Breakthrough-Level expert, the consumption was enormous, unable to maintain that storm mode for more than a few seconds. Even though he mastered wind control, the normal usage didn’t compare to the Breakthrough’s berserk mode.

The latter’s power was overwhelmingly superior to the former, but its consumption would devastate the former. Ludwig found that without using Breakthrough-Level strength, he couldn’t overpower the Ultimate Inner Qi Manifestations. However, it consumed too much when used.

”No, you’re really very, very powerful,” Ganasis exclaimed. ”With your help, my confidence in wiping out Parthia has increased by thirty percent.”

Ludwig didn’t say much because Ganasis’s words weren’t wrong from his perspective. He came as more of an insurance policy. After all, there were already the Fifth Lark Legion, the Ninth Spanish Legion, the Thirteenth Rose Legion, and the Fourteenth Combination Legion, along with two auxiliary Eagle Banner legions and five barbarian garrisons.

With such strength, even without him, the Romans would still annihilate those Parthian rascals. His greater role was like a Military Spirit Legion, stabilizing military morale, more a strategic weapon used for deterrence than action.

”Wen Yuan, did you also feel it?” Gao Shun, camping west of the Euphrates River, suddenly asked, looking up.

”Did you feel it too?” Zhang Liao, equally serious, looked at Gao Shun, asking.

”Breakthrough Level!” Gao Shun and Zhang Liao simultaneously said.

”Turns out Rome is not to be underestimated!” Zhang Liao said gravely. ”Others probably sensed it too; though distant and faint, the pressure transmitted from full release is quite real.”

Gao Shun nodded, naturally feeling the trace of Inner Qi belonging to Lyu Bu mixed in his Inner Qi. That trace, even away from Lyu Bu, could absorb and strengthen with Gao Shun’s Inner Qi. Lyu Bu was so powerful that Gao Shun couldn’t comprehend.

[Let’s give it a try first; if not, I’ll look for Fengxian.] Gao Shun thought silently. Facing a Breakthrough-Level opponent would probably excite Lyu Bu.

Indeed, as Zhang Liao suspected, the entire Mesopotamian region felt Ludwig’s deliberately released aura. However, only experts at the Inner Qi Manifestation Level could truly sense it due to the distance.

”Tch, it can’t even compare to General Guan’s aura!” Wei Yan glanced westward, then sneered and withdrew his gaze. It was just Breakthrough-Level; it’s not like it was never seen before.

”Rome already has a Demigod!” The Sassanid Fars, hearing reports from his military officers, also had a solemn expression.