Warhammer, I really didn't intend to form a second empire!

How could a Primarch possibly refuse a duel of honor? Wouldn't that make him lose face in front of the major legions?

But he forgot that Zhao Zheng never played by the rules; he would only use any means necessary to seize any benefit that did not belong to him.

If someone tries to take advantage of him, he won't let them get away with anything. They'll be lucky if he licks their bones clean to the point that even dogs won't take them. And if they still want to get something out of him, they'll be lucky.

Horus assumed that Zhao Zheng would agree and then send his strongest offspring to engage in a one-on-one duel. In this way, as long as Shadowmoon Wolves won, they could rightfully take control of the war.

He had even planned that if Abaddon lost, they could use the pretext of negotiations to regain some control and barely save face for Shadowmoon Wolves in this battle.

But Zhao Zheng did not respond.

He directly raised the stakes of the duel to a level far beyond the duel itself.

Moreover, this time he actually wants to have a showdown of honor with me, which clearly means he doesn't want things to get better.

Horus put down the data panel and silently looked out the porthole.

Abaddon stood behind him, his hands clenched into fists, the taut lines of his muscles clearly visible along the edge of his shoulder armor.

"Father, I will go to this duel."

Horus did not respond immediately.

"This is no longer a duel; he's forcing us to back down."

Horus lifted his gaze from the data panel and placed it on the edge of the gray star field outside the window.

Abaddon's words lingered in his ears for a moment before dissipating into the low-frequency hum of the air circulation system.

He really wanted to agree.

As the Primarch, and as the First Son personally acknowledged by the Emperor, the fighting instinct honed deep within him by the garbage heaps and gang warfare of Kosonia was about to break free from the control of reason when provoked by Zhao Zheng's almost unmodified "Kosonia thug".

He wanted to stand in the dueling arena and, with his fists and warhammer, by any means necessary, prove to his arrogant brother that his title of First Son was well-deserved.

But Horus ultimately suppressed the impulse.

He couldn't fight Zhao Zheng. Once he stepped onto that dueling arena, regardless of winning or losing, he would have already lost.

If they win, people will say that after the Second Legion's support fleet arrived, the Primarch of Shadowmoon Wolves personally intervened and seized control.

If he loses, he will completely lose all the prestige he built up in the early stages of the Great Expedition. What will the Emperor think of him? What will the legions and expeditionary fleets that are watching and observing think of him?

This was a gamble with no chance of winning. Zhao Zheng had dug a pit, waiting for Horus to jump in, while Horus saw the spikes at the bottom of the pit at the last moment.

He must withdraw from this duel and refocus his attention on the main battleground in the Merodo Sector.

If he can win this battle, he will have the opportunity to restore the image of Shadowmoon Wolf in the battle report.

"Tell the Second Legion that we accept the terms of the duel for honor."

Horus's voice was steady, devoid of any emotion.

"The stakes can be raised, and the terms can be negotiated. We can offer the Soul of Vengeance as a stake, and the winner will dominate the battle."

“But this duel must be carried out by a warrior other than the Primarch. I will not lay a hand on my own brother; it would make me a laughingstock.”

When this message was relayed back to the Lishan, Zhao Zheng was on the bridge reading the preliminary situation report sent back by Bai Qi's fleet.

He put down the report, and after listening to Horus's reply relayed by the communications officer, the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"You chickened out? What do you mean you're too scared to fight me? You won't lay a hand on your brothers? Don't you know what kind of mess you've made before?"

"Then let his little brats come. Perfect, I also want to see if Abaddon can handle it."

"He's raising the stakes. He wants to add another clause: after the battle in the Merodo Sector, Shadowmoon Wolves must withdraw from the sector's subsequent development, and all resource extraction and colonization rights in the sector will belong to the Second Legion."

Horus weighed this additional clause.

If Zhao Zheng wants this land, then give it to him. In any case, Shadow Moon Wolf doesn't have the capacity to develop these territories right now. As long as the Second Legion is willing to bear the subsequent development costs, he can save some money later.

However, it is impossible for the Second Legion to withdraw Shadowmoon Wolves from the battlefield!

If Shadowmoon Wolf really backs out, he'll lose all sense of shame!

Zhao Zheng also felt it was acceptable, since Horus was unlikely to actually withdraw.

The two conditions were implemented separately, each taking what they needed and saving face for themselves.

The duel took place in an open airspace between the Lishan and the Vengeance Soul. The main guns of both battleships were kept silent, and the hangar doors on the sides remained closed.

A modified Ironborn engineering barge was moored at the designated coordinates, with a rectangular alloy fighting arena laid on its deck. Each of the four edges was equipped with a set of lights, illuminating the entire arena as bright as day.

Each side will send two representatives. The duel rules are unrestricted combat with no time limit, continuing until one is knocked out or submits. Ranged and powered weapons are prohibited, but melee combat tools are allowed.

Half an hour before the duel began, Zhao Zheng arrived at the barge deck on a Stormbird, followed by his "guards" and a lineup of 100 Xuanwu heavy armor guards.

Zhao Zheng can proudly say that everyone here could hang Abaddon up and whip him, and even break his topknot!

As Zhao Zheng stepped onto the barge deck, the anti-slip texture on the surface of the alloy fighting arena gleamed with a cold white luster under the lights.

He was dressed in casual clothes, the dark black clothes embroidered with dragon heads and black birds in shimmering gold thread, as flamboyant as could be.

Zhao Zheng's gaze swept over the Vengeance Soul, which was lowering its gangway, and then landed on the center of the fighting arena on the deck.

Horus arrived a moment earlier than him.

He stood on the other edge of the fighting arena, wearing a close-fitting white-gold armor, his arms crossed in front of his chest, looking natural and relaxed, but Zhao Zheng could notice the tension in his shoulder lines.

The two looked at each other from a distance of about 500 meters, then looked away without exchanging a word.

What a shameless scoundrel and coward!

That damned, arrogant bureaucrat!

This was their assessment after their second meeting, which reinforced their respective stereotypes.

When Abaddon emerged from behind Horus, his steps were steady, each one carrying a deliberately suppressed force.

He was also wearing a set of platinum power armor, with the Eye of Horus, the symbol of the Shadowmoon Wolf, painted on the edges of his shoulder armor. He was not carrying any weapons, and the surface of his power fists was polished smooth, reflecting a cold, hard metallic luster under the light.

Abaddon's size is also quite exaggerated among Space Marines, reaching a full three meters tall.

Some Astartes in the Imperial Dragon Legion might not even be as tall as him, but this time Zhao Zheng brought no ordinary offspring; they were all his elite troops, especially several of his beloved generals.

Zhao Zheng glanced at the outline of the power armor, then at Abaddon's angular face, before turning his head and nodding towards Qin Qiong behind him.

Qin Qiong stepped out from Zhao Zheng's side with steady, even steps. He wore specially made Xuanwu-style heavy armor, with dense, shimmering gold decorations on his breastplate and shoulder armor, and a shimmering gold iron halo on his back.

He walked to the center of the fighting arena and stood there, looking in Abaddon's direction.

The powerful physique that was nearly two heads taller than him, along with the dazzling decorations and badges of honor, made Abaddon, who had always been quite confident in his abilities, hesitate.

This opponent looks incredibly strong!

Qin Qiong didn't speak, he just stood there, waiting quietly.

The atmosphere on the sidelines was somewhat tense.

The Shadowmoon Wolves side consisted of Abaddon, Cyyanus, Torgadon, and Horus Jr. Several high-ranking Shadowmoon Wolves officers stood at the edge of the deck, each with a different expression. Some were calm, while others stared intently at the two figures in the center of the deck.

Qin Qiong led the group from the Lishan ship, followed by several brothers also dressed in heavy armor. They stood by the railing at the edge of the deck, relaxed, without forming any obvious formation or queue.

Abaddon took a deep breath and stepped into the fighting arena, then vigorously stretched his shoulders, his gauntlets gleaming under the lights.

He bent slightly forward, lowered his center of gravity, and spread his feet slightly apart, facing Qin Qiong in a standard fighting stance, waiting for the signal to begin.

Horus's face remained calm, without any extra expression.

"The duel begins."

One of the accompanying Shadowmoon Wolf officers spoke up.

Abaddon moved.

His charge was incredibly fast; almost as soon as he finished speaking, he sprinted forward from the center of the arena, his right fist arcing out from the side of his body, the wind whipped up by his fist making a short, sharp whooshing sound on the alloy deck.

Qin Qiong did not retreat; his movements were very concise.

As Abaddon's fist approached within an arm's length of him, he raised his fist and collided head-on with Abaddon's power punch, which had not activated its force field.

boom!

A clanging sound of armor rang out, and Abaddon's power fist shattered on the spot, forcing him to take a few steps back. The pain from the broken fist bone made his face contort in agony.

He drew his long sword from his waist to prevent Qin Qiong from launching further attacks.

Qin Qiong did not pursue, but instead took half a step back, widening the distance between himself and Abaddon. He also drew his power mace from his waist, but only took out one.

Since his opponent only used one sword, Qin Qiong decided not to bully him.

My father has already said that we must win this duel beautifully!

Qin Qiong originally had little interest in participating in such honorary duels. After all, he was a vanguard general who valued practical experience more than skills, rather than someone who could rely on some skills to win in one-on-one combat within limited rules.

These highly skilled fighters often find it difficult to gain an advantage in war because their fighting style dictates that even if the rules are relaxed for them, they might only be somewhat effective in boarding operations, and even then, the effect is not significant.

Winning in the fighting arena doesn't guarantee victory on the battlefield, which is why Qin Qiong has never been interested in these duels.

After all, when it comes to skill, none of the commanders of Zhao Zheng's personal guards were particularly outstanding in terms of technique.

Apart from Yuchi Jingde, who has the unique skill of disarming others, the rest of them are the kind of people who can only unleash their full power on the battlefield.

Which of Dian Wei, Zhong Kang, You Ping, and Zi Long possessed any special skills in this kind of competition?

Their fighting style was certainly not aesthetically pleasing, so there was no question of whether their victory was graceful or not.

But what a coincidence!

Abaddon is this type, and he's extremely confident and easily gets carried away!

Qin Qiong is quite qualified to speak on how to deal with this type of situation.

After all, quite a few green-skinned bosses and warbosses have died at his hands. Qin Qiong is incredibly satisfied to smash these big green-skinned guys who will stop at nothing in battle!

Every time Qin Qiong smashed these giants into the ground and onto the deck, he could laugh out loud at the sight of those corpses that were indistinguishable as flesh and steel or fungal steel.

Because he likes that feeling.

Unfortunately, we can't do that this time, otherwise...

Qin Qiong looked at Abaddon's relatively "small" body and charged towards him at high speed with his power mace in hand.

Chapter Sixty-Five: You should just go and cling to the emperor's coattails. Is this battlefield a place for you?

Qin Qiong's tall stature did not affect his speed at all; he crashed into Abaddon with the momentum of a heavy tank.

Abaddon did not back down.

After a brief pause, he readjusted his center of gravity, spun the longsword half a circle in his hand, and thrust it at an angle toward Qin Qiong's side ribs.

The sword drew a short arc in the air, moving very fast and at an extremely tricky angle.

This is an instinctive reaction that Abaddon honed through countless real battles—simple, efficient, and to the point.

Qin Qiong simply dodged during the charge. In his view, Abaddon's speed was too slow. He didn't even need to dodge; he could just slash horizontally with his power mace.

But this duel is not a fight to the death, so such pure power-based moves that involve sending bricks flying should not be used casually.

Although Qin Qiong did not use his power mace to slash horizontally, he used his strong body, especially his specially made Xuanwu-type heavy armor, which was made of living metal and refined gold and was specially thickened and reinforced for Qin Qiong, to crash straight into Abaddon.

Abaddon felt he was going to die. The Astartes in front of him was like a heavy tank, charging straight at him at full speed, and Abaddon's body was sent flying backward.

He felt as if all the bones in his upper body were broken, his superhuman organs were working frantically at that moment, and his two hearts were pounding wildly.

"cough!"

Abaddon coughed up a mouthful of blood and, with the help of his specially made Terminator power armor, struggled to his feet, his eyes fixed on the figure ahead that had stopped moving forward.

Qin Qiong just stood there looking at him, his eyes devoid of any emotion, his face expressionless. This was even more painful for Abaddon than disdain or mockery.

Because he knew what that expression meant; when he was studying under Storm General Ducaine of the Tenth Legion, he had also used that expression to look at his cousins ​​in the arena.

They were too weak to provoke Abaddon in the slightest desire to fight.

Qin Qiong's expression and eyes deeply stung Abaddon. No one had ever ignored him like this before, not even his father when he was teaching him fighting skills!

Abaddon looked at Qin Qiong, his young, arrogant face filled with rage. Even though he was still spitting blood and his physical condition was terrible, he still stood up shakily.

A hint of surprise flashed in Qin Qiong's eyes.

Interesting. Even a green-skinned warboss would have to think twice about the consequences of his force just now. I didn't expect Abaddon to be able to stand up.