Strength. That was Li De’s first impression when facing the centaurs directly. These beings, with an average height of three blades and bulging muscles, could easily make even the strongest human warrior feel ashamed. Li De took a few steps forward, his gaze sharp as he met the eyes of the massive group of centaurs. Behind him, the two colossal beasts stood tall like stone towers, adding an immense aura of authority to his presence. The valley spanned a thousand blades wide. Several thousand centaurs were gathered in the central area, forming an enormous square formation. Looking from the front, one couldn’t see the end, densely packed were the tall, muscular figures, clad in beast hides or bone armor. The centaurs’ lower halves were the bodies of majestic horses, black or white in color, their hooves shod with horseshoes. Most of them wielded long-handled stone axes or bone spears. The bone armor crafted through a unique method made this group of centaurs appear incredibly primitive and savage. Compared to the noble and elegantly dressed Li De, these centaurs looked like ancient savages passed down through the ages. Yet even under the oppressive gaze of thousands of troops, Li De’s face remained calm, showing not the slightest change. “Patriarch of the centaurs, I am the Lord of Dawn. I come in peace.” After Li De finished speaking, the scene fell into a strange silence. Three full minutes passed. Li De, clad in a black mage’s robe embroidered with dark patterns, remained motionless, his gaze unwavering, as if the thousands of centaurs before him didn’t exist. Li De’s immense confidence placed pressure on the centaurs, especially with the two terrifying beasts looming at his back. Centaurs were formidable ground forces, but they had one fatal flaw. They had no aerial units. The beastmen still had wyverns to rely on, but centaurs depended solely on their longbows. If their arrows proved ineffective, their threat to flying units became negligible. So whether it was Witherbone or Castro, both imposed immense pressure on the centaurs, they had no way to deal with these two powerful beasts. “Patriarch of the centaurs,” Li De repeated, his tone growing more serious, “I come bearing peace. If the centaurs are too cowardly to respond, then I will consider you enemies of Dawn. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍 With a wave of his hand, whoosh whoosh~ The two giant beasts took to the skies under the watchful eyes of the centaurs. Their fearsome forms caused the pressure on the centaurs below to surge dramatically. Without siege equipment or tools specifically designed to restrict aerial movement, the centaurs had no solution for these beasts if war broke out. Just as Li De’s brows furrowed and it seemed he would give the signal to attack in the next second, a deep voice echoed from within the centaur ranks. Immediately, the dense crowd of centaurs parted to form a passage. Thump, thump, thump, thump~ Hooves stomped the ground like stone hammers striking the earth, heavy and resonant. Under the glaring sunlight, the centaur Patriarch appeared before Li De. He stood beneath the scorching sun, wearing a full set of black armor and wielding a double-edged long-handled axe nearly three blades long. He was a full head taller than the other centaurs. Those were Li De’s first impressions of the centaur Patriarch. The black armor on his body bore a distinct dwarven design, though it had clearly been modified and didn’t fit quite right. Even so, paired with the Patriarch’s towering and powerful physique, he still looked exceptionally imposing. “Human, I am the Patriarch of the Ironhoof Tribe. Speak your purpose.” A deep voice echoed from within the helm that protected his head. Amber eyes beneath the armor stared straight into Li De’s, as if trying to glean something from his expression. Li De showed no fear. His dark, deep-set eyes met the Patriarch’s gaze directly. “I am the Lord of Dawn from the Barren Plains, Patriarch of the Centaurs. I wish to make a trade with you, or rather, perhaps more than one. Dawn City is willing to establish trade relations with the centaurs.” Li De didn’t waste time with pleasantries, he got straight to the point. Hearing this, Sam Ironhoof’s expression behind his helmet showed a trace of surprise. A human actually wanted to establish trade relations with a centaur tribe?? Was he hallucinating? Normally, he would’ve let this arrogant human feel the wrath of the Ironhoof’s hooves. It wasn’t like they hadn’t tried to trade with humans before. But what they wanted, weapons and armor, humans had never been willing to trade. Even when trades did happen, greedy human merchants would set prices so high they were unbearable. The impoverished Dwarven Hills didn’t have the wealth to purchase such luxuries. Thus, he came to loathe these human merchants, especially after being swindled a few times despite paying hefty sums. He couldn’t stand it any longer. Whenever a human merchant came, he’d rob one. Most never made it out of the Dwarven Hills alive. He wasn’t alone in doing this. All centaur tribes acted the same way. Over time, no human merchant dared to do business with them anymore. So hearing this proposal now, Sam Ironhoof was naturally shocked. If it were any other human merchant, he wouldn’t have bothered responding. But a mysterious human who commanded a powerful bone dragon and another steel behemoth, that carried a different weight entirely. Strong beings must be treated with proper respect. “Trade?” Sam gave Li De a long look. After confirming he wasn’t lying, his expression relaxed slightly. But his peripheral glance at the bone dragon and Castro in the sky still held wariness. “You call this ‘no ill intent’, destroying my city from the start?” “Your city?” Li De shook his head. “This was a base established by Risel City. It does not belong to the centaurs.” “But now, it is my spoil of war,” Sam said forcefully. “Then I can make it my spoil of war too,” Li De met the 3.5-blade-tall centaur Patriarch head-on without backing down. He was just one man, while behind the centaur Patriarch stood more than three thousand tribesmen. Yet in terms of presence, Sam was still suppressed by Li De.