Chapter 141

This time, if he didn't act, he would feel a bit embarrassed. Seeing Xu Chen, Lu Zhan sneered contemptuously: "Oh, your pretty boy, so pale."

"Just looks weak and powerless. Have you stopped nursing?"

The moment he finished speaking, many soldiers following Lu Zhan beside him burst into mocking laughter.

It was as if the Xu Chen before them was truly a waste.

Xu Chen said calmly: "On the Golden List, the most outstanding marshal, you happen to be ranked ninety-ninth."

Lu Zhan snorted coldly: "Although it is only ninety-ninth, everyone who enters the list is a genius of heaven. Like you, a trash who commands by eating soft rice, do you think you can enter the list?" In his words, Lu Zhan showed extreme disdain for Xu Chen.

His attitude was even more arrogant, not taking Xu Chen into his eyes at all. "Whoosh!"

In that instant, Xu Chen unleashed the Divine Soul-Suppressing Palm.

A palm print of the Heavenly Grade, Mid-Tier, suddenly solidified and shot out, carrying a violent momentum straight at Lu Zhan.

Lu Zhan had fought for many years and possessed extremely strong perception.

Although Xu Chen's palm print was invisible and colorless, he still felt as if thorns were on his back, his pupils shrinking violently.

Damn, what kind of attack is this, making him feel a sense of death?

His body retreated wildly, instantly moving to the high sky, attempting to dodge Xu Chen's attack.

Unexpectedly, the Divine Soul-Suppressing Palm followed like a shadow, and the next second struck Lu Zhan. "Bang!"

Lu Zhan's spiritual sense instantly became chaotic, and a sharp pain came simultaneously.

He began to cover his head with both hands, struggling wildly in the sky.

Xu Chen then kicked Lu Zhan in the face, sending him crashing down like a cannonball. "Boom!"

In an instant, Lu Zhan fell into the ground outside the city wall.

A large pit was smashed out by Lu Zhan; while dust filled the air, cracks like spiderwebs rapidly spread.

When the dust cleared and Lu Zhan stood up, his head still rang.

The next second, Xu Chen's figure approached Lu Zhan like a ghost.

Then his right hand directly grabbed Lu Zhan's neck, while protective aura simultaneously enveloped him.

In an instant, Lu Zhan's limbs thrashed wildly, and various spiritual energies erupted wildly to strike Xu Chen, only to find it was useless.

He looked at Xu Chen in horror: "You, at your age, are also Ninth Rank?" This scene equally shocked hundreds of thousands of the Imperial Army.

They stood dazed; this youth under eighteen years old had calmly handled a marshal who had fought in countless battles?

Absurd! Too absurd!

Xu Chen's expression turned slightly cold: "If it weren't for the fact that you are still somewhat useful, you would already be a corpse."

Lu Zhan gritted his teeth and said: "Dare you kill me? If you kill me, the Female Emperor will not let you go. I am a Ninth Rank."

Xu Chen smiled and said: "Coincidentally, the Female Emperor sent me this time. She said if you do not listen, you may be killed at will."

Lu Zhan's pupils shrank violently. Who was this person that could make the Female Emperor issue such an order?

He must be someone very important to the Female Emperor; otherwise, given the Female Emperor's character, she would not act this way.

He quickly thought of someone, and that person's appearance and figure slowly merged with Xu Chen's. Finally, he trembled and said: "You, are you Xu Chen?" He had originally been at the border and should not have known Xu Chen.

But yesterday, the Second Imperial Prince's jade pendant transmitted a voice, informing him that Xu Chen would come here today.

He had not cared; a mere Xu Chen, could he turn the sky over?

But now he knew he was wrong.

The person before him easily crushed him; wanting to kill him was even easier. "You do have some intelligence."

Xu Chen directly threw Lu Zhan onto the ground, then his fingers surged with spiritual energy, directly cutting off one of Lu Zhan's little fingers.

In an instant, Lu Zhan's blood flowed freely, yet he dared not make a single muffled groan.

Xu Chen patted Lu Zhan's face: "As a dog, be conscious in the future. Not everyone you can bark at, understand?"

Lu Zhan swallowed his saliva and said in fear: "Un-understood."

He did not know Xu Chen's deeds in Jingcheng, but at this moment he had already realized how strong Xu Chen was.

If he kept babbling, he would surely be done for next.

Hearing this, Xu Chen, in the stunned gaze of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, brought Lu Zhan back onto the city wall.

Then, Xu Chen looked at those soldiers who had just mocked him: "These people committed treason against their superior and mocked without cause. Cut off their tongues and then kill them."

Those dozen or so soldiers were instantly scared into wetting themselves, kneeling directly and saying: "No, no, my lord, we know our mistake."

Xu Chen glanced at Lu Zhan. Lu Zhan shivered instantly and said ruthlessly: "Come, do exactly as the lord said."

Soon, the other soldiers came up and dragged those dozen or so soldiers away.

Not long after, screams were heard one after another.

Xu Chen continued to order: "Show me the recent distribution map of the border and explain the situation between our enemy and our country, to facilitate my work ahead."

Lu Zhan hurriedly nodded like a chick pecking rice: "Yes, my lord." After speaking, several of them entered the commander's tent together.

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In the main command tent, Lu Zhan trembled while desperately recounting the recent situation at the border.

"My lord, the border wasteland is vast, sparsely populated, and both sides often fight in these harsh areas."

"Coincidentally, the enemy has now deployed a massive army, yet Your Majesty has not granted me sufficient troops, resulting in a vast disparity in strength."

"They likely have a million soldiers, while we have only about six hundred thousand."

"Of course, they dare not easily besiege the city; after all, defending is easy, but attacking is difficult."

At this moment, accompanying Xu Chen and the others were many of Lu Zhan's trusted aides. Xu Chen nodded: "The art of war states: if ten times the enemy's strength, surround them; if five times, attack them; if double, engage them."

"Unless the enemy numbers over 1.2 million, they would not dare to besiege the city at will." Lu Zhan and the others were stunned, not expecting Xu Chen to know military strategy.

Even Yin Suyun could not help but look at him with new respect, surprised that Xu Chen had time to study military texts. Xu Chen continued: "However, I received news that the enemy will soon send another million soldiers. I have already instructed Your Majesty to dispatch troops; I hope they arrive in time."

Lu Zhan's face changed slightly: "Jingcheng is tens of thousands of li from the border; even a flying bird would take considerable time. I fear they will not arrive in time."

Xu Chen said: "Since the Immortal Empire plotted this in advance, we can only wait."

"However, I believe that since a secret treasure is about to appear at the border, they will not start a war for now."

"Otherwise, if our two great nations fight, would it not benefit others?"

"Recently, powerful experts from major sects of both nations have been rushing to the border and will all arrive within two days."

Lu Zhan replied: "My lord speaks truth. What should we do now?" At this moment, Lu Zhan had already made Xu Chen the center of attention.

Though he felt humiliated, he believed his life was more important.

Unexpectedly, a general beside him, Lu Pingzhi, who usually served as the Left Vanguard, frowned upon hearing Xu Chen, a mere youth, attempt to dictate the course of war: "Marshal, it is better for you to make the decision on such matters."

As he spoke, a strong smell of alcohol emanated from his mouth, and his face was flushed red.

Clearly, he had drunk too much, though not yet completely drunk.

Hearing this, Lu Zhan was terrified, cursing internally that this bastard knew no bounds of heaven or earth.

This bastard, relying on being his nephew, often disregarded discipline, even drinking while discussing military affairs.

He probably did not know the scene where Xu Chen just crushed him.

Otherwise, this nephew would surely be scared into wetting himself by Xu Chen. Lu Zhan, covered in cold sweat on his forehead, bowed to Xu Chen: "My lord, this is the Left Vanguard, Lu Pingzhi. He is usually a bit presumptuous; I hope my lord will not..."

He felt Lu Pingzhi had violated discipline and insulted Xu Chen.

But he thought his intervention might save the situation.

Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, he was stunned. "Boom!"

A towering pressure suddenly radiated from Xu Chen.

The next second, that majestic aura, carrying the scent of death, suddenly approached Lu Pingzhi.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Pingzhi was crushed by this pressure into a pile of flesh; only his armor, boots, and weapons remained on the ground.

It was as if Lu Pingzhi had never existed.

At this moment, absolute silence fell over the entire command tent.

Those generals who had not witnessed Xu Chen crushing Lu Zhan were now filled with horror. Xu Chen asked calmly: "Can I make the decision now?" His demeanor closely resembled that of a villain who killed at will.

Xu Chen was quite satisfied with his recent actions. "Y-yes, I also advocate that you decide everything." Lu Zhan trembled, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and stammered in reply. Xu Chen looked at the other generals: "You seem unconvinced?"

"Thud!"

At this moment, those generals trembled and knelt one by one: "Convinced, convinced." Xu Chen nodded, returning to his appearance as a clean, scholarly youth.

He continued: "In recent small-scale battles, does our dynasty often lose to the Empire?" Lu Zhan said: "We often lose. The enemy has more people; I, your subordinate, have no choice."

"Moreover, the enemy seems to have martial artists with extremely powerful intelligence-gathering abilities, which we lack. Unless Your Majesty is willing to dispatch the Shadow Guards to the border." At this moment, Lu Zhan's self-reference had already dropped from "this Marshal" to "your subordinate."

— Author's Notes —

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