When Renyu and Yun Chenhe arrived in the central region of the Thorn Gem Empire, they were prepared for battle from the very start. As Yun Chenhe's keen senses uncovered more and more spies, both men realized war was inevitable.

  "There's no time for step-by-step training of workers and soldiers," Yun Chenhe said solemnly to Renyu.

  Renyu sighed softly. "Specialized skills and physical training are indeed out of the question now. But we must ensure a sufficient population base. First, organize them through discipline. After all, we have ample food and clothing supplies. Once organized, whether they become workers or soldiers, it's far better than having unorganized civilians directly enter our system."

  Yun Chenhe pondered for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I'll take charge of gathering the surrounding population into Emerald Valley with the army. Gathering people is far easier than building an army. But how do you plan to organize so many? Surely not through education?"

  Renyu's lips curved into a meaningful smile. "I'm not that naive. First, we'll use force to intimidate a portion of them. Then we'll organize that group to manage more people, gradually instilling discipline and order."

  Yun Chenhe laughed heartily upon hearing this. "Exactly! In the age of cold weapons, that's precisely how we built our armies. Back then, I often thought that with a few hundred kilograms of purple gold, I could have run rampant in the mission world." A flicker of nostalgia crossed his eyes at this memory, but his gaze quickly sharpened again. "But now, such a straightforward tactic of coercion is indeed too primitive."

  Renyu asked with a hint of concern, "Are you truly that confident about facing the upcoming war?"

  Yun Chenhe smiled with confidence: "The weapons you've developed are truly revolutionary. This plane is still only just reaching the level of a medium-magic world. Don't overestimate the combat capabilities here."

  Renyu cautiously reminded him, "But these weapons still fall far short of real artillery."

  Yun Chenhe waved his hand dismissively. "You mean artillery with a range exceeding five kilometers, right? If you actually manage to mass-produce mortars and demolition shells, that'll be the moment we sweep across this world."

  Renyu nodded. "If you think it's sufficient, I'm relieved. Brother Yun, if you can gather 150,000 people, I guarantee I'll get you one foot into the age of firearms."

  Yun Chenhe frowned slightly. "Isn't the cost too high? Completely abandoning the agricultural workforce and relying solely on Evolution Battlefield resources to sustain the industrial population?"

  Renyu flashed a mysterious smile. "Not a worry. Due to certain special circumstances, I've allocated twenty tons of Purple Gold for this mission." He paused dramatically. "Though frankly, I doubt we'll even need all twenty tons." (Truth be told, pouring twenty tons of Purple Gold into a Captain-level mission was arguably the most extravagant approach to task completion in history.)

  Yun Chenhe sucked in a sharp breath at this, but wisely refrained from pressing Renyu on the origin of these dozen-plus tons of purple gold. In the Evolution Battlefield, every gain came with its price, and what Renyu had sacrificed remained an enduring mystery in Yun Chenhe's mind. He looked up and gave a wry smile: "With you spending like this, I'll never be able to pay you back."

  Renyu smiled indifferently: "A mere twenty tons of purple gold. Since we've decided to make our mark in this world, we must overwhelm it with sheer force. Yun Chenhe, let's go all out."

  Yun Chenhe stared at Renyu, his gaze suddenly shifting nervously. "Renyu, we could actually form an entirely new faction." Seeing Renyu's puzzled expression, he added, "I mean, completely sever our ties with Xiao Feng through the Evolution Contract."

  As he spoke, Yun Chenhe unfolded his Evolution Light Screen and retrieved a crystal-clear, flower-shaped artifact. Its information immediately appeared:

  【Flower of Freedom】: "Break free from bonds, bloom independently. Effect: Completely sever the original faction relationships defined by the Evolution Battlefield. After clarifying existing contracts, a new faction may be formed. Item Rating: 91 points!"

  This artifact was not uncommon within the Son of Heaven Covenant. Historically, whenever civilizations with the potential to establish an empire that never sets in decline, factions seeking political independence would emerge, giving rise to such artifacts. The Flower of Freedom in Yun Chenhe's hand was not a spoil he had personally acquired, but rather one he had specifically purchased after his last meeting with Xiao Feng.

  When this crystalline flower appeared before him, Renyu suddenly understood much. From the very beginning, Yun Chenhe had never wanted him to grow too close to Xiao Feng. And all of Xiao Feng's subsequent actions, while Yun Chenhe appeared indifferent, were actually a waiting game for the moment Renyu would choose to sever ties with Xiao Feng.

  Renyu harbored no regrets about parting ways with Xiao Feng; their philosophies were fundamentally at odds. Yet Yun Chenhe's covert manipulation behind the scenes left him with a lingering sense of being used.

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  The words lingered on his lips, but Renyu ultimately held them back. He could sense Yun Chenhe's current tension and unease. Upon reflection, he realized he had no standing to criticize Yun Chenhe—their interactions during the last mission had been minimal. As a seasoned Combat Evolution Officer, Yun Chenhe prioritizing his own interests was understandable; after all, he couldn't make decisions for Renyu.

  After putting himself in Yun Chenhe's shoes, Renyu suddenly broke into a smile and extended his hand: "Now, we're real friends, right?"

  Yun Chenhe froze for a moment before offering a slightly stiff smile. He understood the deeper meaning behind Renyu's words—"You might have been hesitant about whether we could be friends before. Have you made up your mind now?" Renyu didn't accuse him of keeping secrets; instead, he demonstrated an attitude of consistent sincerity.

  Having battled through the Evolution Battlefield for years, Yun Chenhe suddenly realized he had encountered a rare friend. "Treating others with sincerity" sounded simple, but those who consistently upheld this principle in the treacherous mission world were as rare as hen's teeth. Perhaps it was precisely because Renyu still possessed that precious childlike innocence.

  Yun Chenhe solemnly grasped the hand Renyu extended, his voice deep and earnest. "To count you as a friend is my greatest fortune, Yun Chenhe, and the honor of my life."

  Watching Yun Chenhe's departing figure, Renyu murmured, "The heavens move with vigor; the noble person strives ceaselessly. In the real world, one must always look far ahead. As long as you keep moving forward, you will eventually reach distant lands.

  The earth is receptive; the noble person bears all things with virtue. Having chosen the same path, we owe our companions greater tolerance. For when we stumble, we may one day need their helping hand."

  The combat effectiveness of an army hinges heavily on rear support. At that moment, Yun Chenhe stood on the training ground, surveying the 1,800-strong force before him. Only 103 were conscripts from the Evolution Battlefield; the rest were recruits selected from civilians.

  Yun Chenhe's gaze swept over each determined face as he spoke in a solemn tone: "I won't waste words. You've witnessed life's transformation firsthand. The meaning of battle is clear to every heart. Military regulations need no repetition. During training, we eat and sleep together. Every bed, mine included, is equally hard. Every meal is equally simple. I'm sure you remember every snore from your comrades beside you."

  A wave of knowing laughter rippled through the ranks. Yun Chenhe's lips curved slightly, but his expression hardened instantly as he barked, "Silence!"

  The drill ground fell instantly silent. Yun Chenhe's voice was as cold and hard as steel: "I am accountable only to true comrades-in-arms. What defines a comrade? It stands shoulder-to-shoulder with me on the battlefield. Any act of betrayal, any coward who turns and flees in the critical hour, will face the harshest punishment under military law. Now, all ranks, repeat after me: the Six Kill Command!"

  Eighteen hundred voices thundered in unison:

  "Those who fail to advance—execute!

  Those who cowardly flee in battle—execute!

  Those who delay the battle, kill!

  Those who defect to the enemy, kill!

  Those who leak military intelligence shall be put to death!

  Those who violate battlefield discipline shall be put to death!"

  Yun Chenhe chose to emphasize the Six Kill Orders over the Three Main Disciplines and Eight Major Principles because the primary objective at present was to secure victory—only victory could carve out development space for the industrial base.

  The critical role of high-ranking officers' strategic acumen in warfare was already evident. This wisdom mirrored the innate talent of mages in this world, where accumulated knowledge formed the blueprint for spells. By orchestrating resource allocation, conscript deployment, and military systems to drive local forces in producing advanced weaponry for the battlefield, they effectively cast a grand war-magic.

  The crushing superiority of industrial civilization over agricultural civilization manifests not only in generational gaps of productivity and knowledge systems. Even under the unique constraints where hot weapons remain temporarily unusable, the industrial base still demonstrates astonishing combat prowess. At this moment, a special unit advances along mountain roads toward the front lines.

  Thirty modified steel wagons rumbled along the road. Every detail of these carriages bore the hallmarks of industrial civilization: precision-forged steel bearings gleamed coldly in the sunlight, iron-clad wooden wheels were fitted with rubber rings for shock absorption, and the suspension system employed intricate spring steel plates. Each carriage carried a steel bed crossbow capable of 360-degree rotation—a war machine personally designed by Renyu.

  The ballista employed a dual-bow-arm structure. Lacking sufficient research on the elasticity of this world's wood, composite bow arms proved unfeasible, necessitating the use of forged spring steel for all components. Renyu's innovative design lay in the pulley system linking the front and rear bow arms, requiring replacement after every twenty shots. Such high-frequency component changes could only be sustained by an industrial base capable of standardized production.

  Even more terrifying was the ammunition for these crossbows. Instead of traditional giant bolts, they used iron cylinders loaded with a special explosive. The outer layer was an iron can filled with wood tar, while the inner layer contained a sealed glass bottle of 95% hydrogen peroxide (obtained by electrolysis of 60% sulfuric acid to produce peroxydisulfuric acid, then purified through hydrolysis). Upon impact, the two substances would mix and trigger an explosion, with the high-temperature burning debris causing devastating casualties. The sole drawback was the extreme instability of this highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide, necessitating strict shockproofing during transport—hence the specialized shock-absorbing devices fitted to each carriage.

  Twenty such ballista wagons could form a long-range strike position with a firing range of 450 meters. Thanks to standardized production, all operational procedures followed uniform protocols. Gunners only needed to execute predetermined command sequences to deliver precise saturation strikes on target areas within a short timeframe.

  Behind the crossbow carts marched columns of fully armed infantry. Each soldier carried a steel crossbow and a sixty-centimeter iron rod-shaped weapon (Note: an early prototype of firearms). The column maintained rigid formation as it advanced, its metallic gear glinting coldly in the sunlight.

  Yun Chenhe had no intention of fighting a defensive battle—against this world's armies, he possessed absolute confidence in crushing his opponents on open terrain. This campaign demanded not merely victory, but the establishment of unshakable military supremacy around the Five-Colored Valley through thunderous force. If he were to be branded a "bandit" in the eyes of local rulers, he would embrace the role fully, ensuring every enemy trembled at the mere mention of Dawn Commune.